A/N: Dammit Sheena Go. You and Zack all up in my noggin. LOL! Well so glad you wont be disappointed!

Timing

Shego made her way towards the lab early Saturday morning, figuring she could see if Drakken needed anything before she headed out for the day. Last thing she wanted was to make another forced trip to the doctor. He'd whined all Friday about having to pull Duff and DNAmy onto the yacht. She didn't want him calling her and making her fly back to the lair either. While her plans weren't exactly till later that afternoon, the damage her gloves had sustained from their last villain gathering was too much to repair. It had also come to light that she was completely out of replacement gloves.

Tight budget or not, the gloves were a necessity for any of their villainous capers. It was bad enough she'd had to settle for some knockoff ones...not that Drakken hadn't offered to attempt making her some out of the worn ones... While she knew he was capable of it, it would take forever to get them done and there was no telling when someone might crash in.

She looked down at her ungloved hands.

"An actual manicure wouldn't hurt either," she muttered to herself. She turned into the open lab doorway. "Hey Dr. D... Drakken?"

She glanced in the empty but lit lab in confusion. The nearly complete laser lay on its slightly crooked stand, but there was no mad scientist working on it. She knew he wasn't in his room because she'd snuck the movies she'd borrowed back in before heading to the lab to begin with. She listened closely and heard complete silence through the lair other than the normal power sounds that echoed throughout the day.

She waited a few seconds and stared at the laser. It was much slimmer than its original design and used less sheet metal. Most likely because so much had been damaged by too much bending and heat. She looked down at her hands. Her powers seemed back to normal, but she'd be lying to herself if they sometimes weren't a little touchy as of late. Some of the metal had been warped because her plasma had flared too intensely. There had also been a few times, like trying to open the hover car's trunk...that they seemed...stubborn. She glared at her hands.

"If one of my brothers actually answered a phone," she scoffed.

They'd avoided her calls long enough that any possible discussion of her memories she'd originally considered talking to them about...had left. Now she wanted to tear into them for their blatant personal space invasion, especially Mego. As well as sending Hego a few flights down some stairs... It would barely faze him...but it would make her feel better. However, Mego might be helpful medically if something was actually wrong with her powers...not that any of them really knew much about them in that light. She looked at the crooked laser frame and tossed her purse down on the messy work table.

She lit up her hands and grabbed the cooked part of the leg and warmed it up. She pulled the leg and straightened it out. She stepped back and looked at it. It looked much more stable. She felt her hand tingle and looked at it, it was still glowing. She shook her hand and it stopped.

I'm just out of practice after my little nap... And I haven't had Kimmy to blast around lately.

Shego shook her head to clear it and grabbed her bag before making her way to the garage area...which was currently filled with a bunch of broken down junk save for the hover car and hoverboard. Shego froze as she saw the empty spot where the hover car normally sat... Only her hoverboard remained. Shego's mind fell back to the nearly-done laser, the early hour, and the missing hover car. Her eyes narrowed and she yanked out her phone quickly.

"If that idiot went to Japan, I am going to—" Her rant was cut off by Drakken's voice answering.

"Good morning, Shego," he sounded cheerful.

"Where are you?" she asked sharply. She heard him mumble something.

"At the moment...in the air, approximately—" She cut him off.

"Did you go to Japan?" she asked quickly. "Because if you get turned to stone because—"

"No! I did not go to Japan," he responded in agitation. "I don't even think the hover car would make it there anyway."

Shego let out a sigh of relief and concluded he must have tinkered with its repairs and taken it for a test drive. She rubbed her temples and changed her hostile tone.

"Oh well, okay then," she rolled her eyes at herself. "I fixed the leg on the laser. Did you need me to do anything before I head out?"

There was a long silent pause.

"Nothing comes to mind." He sounded like he'd been actually thinking about it for once.

"Okay, but if you come up with something and I'm—"

"I won't interrupt your evening," he cut in quickly, his voice annoyed. "Thank you for fixing the leg."

Shego rolled her eyes and sighed.

"That sounded authentic," she snorted. "All right, then I'm headed out for the day. Try not to bother me."

She didn't wait for a response and hung up. She tried not to dwell on the part of her that was a little annoyed he hadn't waited to test out the hover car until she woke up...or the fact that she didn't remember the last time he'd gone anywhere without her...unless to go get her. She shook her head for yet another head-clearing...more than once that morning...and it was barely sunrise. She looked towards her hover board and sighed.

"So glad I decided to wear jeans today," she muttered as she walked over towards it. She paused and looked at a sticker on the top of it...bright neon pink and green. "Oh sure, he can't straighten the leg but has time to make stickers to mock me with."

She glared at it and then smirked as she chose to leave it as she jumped on the board.

Drakken grumbled as he tossed his phone down and sighed. He'd had the thought that he should have gone to Japan just to annoy her. Not to look for any monkey relics... Maybe grab some food just to get under her skin. He looked down at the hover car... It wouldn't make it. It'd barely made it to Tibet.

"Didn't leave her a note?" said the person next to him.

Drakken looked over to see a blank-faced and bored-looking Hermes who leaned against the side of the hover car. Drakken shook his head and sighed as he went over his morning. He'd left the night prior and Shego had probably assumed he'd gone to karaoke or perhaps even to bed. She'd been in a mood the prior day with all the melted scrap pieces... He rolled his eyes at the memory... Wasn't like it was her fault the metal had been bent too much it was too thin to withstand her plasma. She was just lucky he'd not forgotten his phone... Well, so was he. The amount of phone calls he'd had to make was ridiculous.

"It was nice of you to fly all the way to Tibet to un-exile us," muttered Hermes. "I mean...been there since December...and you only came to get us because you need a favor... I mean...it's not like I didn't already help with your last call—"

"Okay, I get it... It would have been more appreciated if I'd come a month ago... But I forgot after Shego was awake," glared Drakken.

"Well clearly Pandora forgot we were forced to be there," grumbled Hermes. Drakken had been a little taken aback she'd chosen to stay behind.

"Yes, I was expecting an extremely awkward and uncomfortable flight," responded Drakken. "Now it's only awkward and mildly uncomfortable... I appreciate your assistance—"

"I needed a ride," cut in Hermes. "That's the only reason I'm helping you. Honestly this is more a Cleopatra thing."

"If I cared about the powers behind the Gauntlets...yes... But what I want is the stones," said Drakken. "Which happens to be your expertise."

"Well there should at least be one doctor on site in case it gets out of…hand," smirked Hermes. Drakken glared. "Speaking of lack of doctors on site...how is Shego?"

"I can still take you back," snapped Drakken. Hermes looked unfazed.

"You just told Shego that this wouldn't even make it to Japan." He shrugged and raised a brow. "I'm assuming it wasn't a lie... Lies aren't healthy for a relationship."

Drakken felt fidgety at his insinuation. He'd been shoving those thoughts and imagery far down inside him and he didn't need anyone getting it incorrect now.

"Shego is simply my partner in crime," said Drakken sternly.

Hermes's brow rose and he nodded in understanding before staring off ahead.

"Smart," he stated. Drakken saw his brows narrow at the sky ahead. "It's less messy to keep it professional."

Drakken had a sudden thought that perhaps Pandora's choice to stay in Tibet was less about financial gain rather than a mutual request for space. Drakken assumed that four months in dangerous isolation with one another had probably driven a wedge of irritation between the two. He wasn't about to bring it up or even pry... Instead he focused back on his laser and the gauntlets in his desk. He wasn't sure what they needed as Hermes had yet to look at them. He just hoped it could be done before Shego got back to the lair. He hadn't noticed the leg being crooked on the laser and he began second-guessing if he'd missed anything else. As he approached the lair he could see a dot in the opposite distance that he knew was Shego. There was a wave of relief on his timing.

"Wow...looks even more cliché in the daylight," shrugged Hermes. Drakken glared at him again.

"At least I have a lair," grumbled Drakken.

"What makes you think we don't have one?" asked Hermes. Drakken looked at him.

"Where?" he inquired. Hermes smirked.

"Unlike yours...it's secret," he snorted. Drakken's eye twitched.

"I can dump you into the waters below and no one would know," threatened Drakken. Hermes looked over the edge.

"See, I'd believe that if you'd not had several other chances and far more snide comments over actual deadly areas on the way here," Hermes held a smug look. "But as you said...this is for my expertise. Which simply clarifies...I'm your last option."

Drakken fought a snarl as he parked the hover car.

"Were you always this condescending?" he grumbled.

Drakken walked silently through the cool halls of his lair as he headed towards his lab. Hermes was equally as silent. Save for the cringing expressions as he looked around, Drakken would have forgotten he was even there. He walked into his lab and sighed as he'd yet to move half of the tools back in, making it look scarce and dark from the unrepaired lights. He saw Hermes make yet another look of disdain.

"Do you have a comment you'd like to share?" asked Drakken as he reached his desk.

"Hmm...oh," his expression relaxed, "I was just...thinking... I expected more cliché looking items to bring up... Alas I am disappointed. It's rather minimalistic."

Drakken was suddenly glad he'd not put forth the effort to bring up some of his items now... It was already proving to be a long day and he didn't want to make it longer.

Shego regretted not wearing her normal suit as she walked down the steps of the Villain's Inn to the bar part. She'd had trouble getting past the front desk clerk of the rented rooms... It was early morning and she wasn't exactly dressed to be in a villain setting. The bar was nearly empty save for the weekend bingers and the ones residing in the above rooms more permanently. The several calls she'd made had let her back here where apparently someone had their hands on knockoff gloves for her. She saw the ditsy bartender whom she knew to be the one she'd spoken to earlier.

Maisy... Macey... Oh who cares.

She practically groaned as the bartender whose shocked expression at seeing her shifted and she gave a cheerful wave. She glanced around for more familiar and comfortable staff faces. The level of energy the woman emitted was almost nausea-inducing so early in the day. Shego forced a pleasant smile on her face as she approached the bar.

"You're early," she exclaimed cheerfully. "I thought you said this afternoon."

Shego internally groaned.

"Did I?" asked Shego; she hadn't recalled giving a time. "Well what time did you tell...what's his name?"

"Devious Shark," said the blonde. She looked around. "I don't really remember...but he's staying just upstairs. I can call up there."

"Please," smiled Shego. She let the expression fall as the girl left to use the phone.

Shego leaned against the bar in thought. She mused on how pathetic it was that she was in the Villain's Inn at early hours, wearing causal wear, and for the sheer purpose of purchasing knockoff gloves from a person calling themselves Devious Shark. She shook her head at that realization. What was more concerning was the fact...she'd not even thought about where she was going or what she was doing. It had felt so casual, she hadn't even tried to blend in as she walked into the street entrance like most villains did. Even when the front clerk had tried to stop her, she'd not even tried to blast them or snapped even.

I have let myself relax way too much.

Shego made a mental note to do something more villain-worthy before the weekend was over before she started losing her edge. Apart from the attempt at robbing a museum...she couldn't remember doing anything evil in over a month. She felt a wave of embarrassment as she realized it.

A black and green glove was placed in front of her and she sat up and looked at them.

"Here you go," smiled the bartender. "Apparently he dropped them off earlier in case he wasn't down."

"Oh, well that's convenient," smiled Shego. "Am I supposed to leave the payment with you?"

"Oh no," said the bartender quickly. "Last time I did that someone accused me of short-changing them... I mean I did...but still...rude. He just said to give you his number."

"Lot of faith to think I won't short change him either," smirked Shego as she pulled out her phone. "But it's always nice to have connections for supplies...so probably not. What's the number?"

"Don't forget to try them on," said the bartender. "Should make sure they fit."

"I will," shrugged Shego as she put the number the bartender gave her in the phone.

Shego didn't bother to try on the gloves since she hadn't paid for them yet anyway. She shoved them in her purse and exited the bar quickly, ignoring the blonde who asked if she'd like a drink. It was too early and the last time the woman had served her...her powers had acted off and she wasn't about to put faith into her powers and some questionably watered-down alcohol. She looked at the time and smirked... Perhaps she had some time for a little evil before meeting up with Dean. She caught a glimpse of herself in a shop window and looked at her dark jeans and a blue blouse.

She stared at her reflection in thought, especially the pale shade of blue on her skin. There was a sudden stillness in her mind as slow images pulled their way through. She began thinking about what she'd been wearing when out of her suit as of late... There was an alarming amount of blue in her memory. She glared.

Maybe a new top...

Drakken felt every nerve twitching in concern as he held the gloves in his hands. His mind was a mess of thoughts rushing through his head; images really. It was like touching the gauntlets in any way was pulling up the deep despairing feeling; the emotional and physical pains...all came back to him. He told himself he was simply letting his fear get the best of him and continued to hold them regardless. Hermes looked equally as hesitant to touch them...though less fearful.

"This seam is nearly flawless," stated Hermes. He moved some sort of tool around the metal fitting around the stones. "It's almost like there isn't one."

"Maybe there's not," said Drakken. He gulped as he swore he felt the finger twitch in his hand. "Maybe we should take a break."

"We've already taken five..." sighed Hermes. "If you would hold them better—"

"Don't put them on," snapped Drakken as he pulled them away. Hermes's fingers had touched the cuff of the gauntlets.

"I wasn't. I am fully aware they're cursed, I'm not stupid," scoffed Hermes. "Who puts on supposedly cursed items..."

Drakken glared but slowly put them back on the table. It was silent as Hermes tinkered with them.

"Maybe I have a vice," thought Drakken aloud.

Hermes raised a brow at him and put the tools down.

"I'm going to assume they had some sort of control over you when you had them on," said Hermes. It was supposed to be a statement, but Drakken saw the question in his eyes.

"Yes," said Drakken.

He didn't want to discuss it, but Hermes hadn't picked up his tools again. He was about to tell Hermes to hurry with his inspecting and extracting of the stones, when another image came flooding back: Hermes's concerned expression as he'd tried to help him in that darkened room. The ghost of the loud snap sound rang through Drakken's ears. Her felt the nausea rush through him as he looked at Hermes's wrist and finally noticed the shake of the man's hands as he picked up the tool again. Drakken stayed silent. Hermes began tinkering around the seam again.

He let the silence fill the air for a minute, listening only to the scraping of metal against metal. He found it easier to ignore the images if he focused on simply watching the tools work on the gloves or try to. He thought about the vice again; it would allow him to work on his laser...and not silently sit here with his mind running wild. Hermes must have gotten sick of the silence because he began talking.

"You never did answer... How's Shego?" asked Hermes. "It must have been serious to call me."

"Why would you say that?" asked Drakken. He was already dealing with whatever the gauntlets were making him feel. He didn't want to relive that whole situation too.

"Well, considering it got you to call me after twenty years...must have been serious," stated Hermes.

Drakken felt a cold spin in his gut as his face felt slightly warm. He shook it off and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, well she's fine... Pretty sure her brothers may have more villain in them then they'd let on...but she's fine," said Drakken confidently.

Hermes snorted.

"I've met her brothers... Not so sure about that statement," said Hermes. Drakken starred and then remembered Hego's comments about Hermes and Pandora.

"Yes, unfortunately, I think your art theft gig in Go City is null and void now," responded Drakken. "Hego seemed rather upset that you and Pandora weren't upstanding citizens trying to aid Team Go."

"Yes well, we didn't exactly go above and beyond to act like we were... Hego's not the most observant person I've ever met. Hego sees things so black and white, he still thinks Pandora and Shego were only college friends after all," said Hermes. "One painting I took right in front of him."

Drakken thought back to Hego on their museum caper. The way he'd managed to help break in, the blatant force he'd used on the guards... Drakken thought for a moment on the way Shego and Hermes described the muscle-member of Team Go... He wondered how much of it was simple blind trust versus some sort of act, though he doubted the second one. He'd known Drakken was a villain and had helped him at any means necessary because Shego was in trouble. It wasn't a far leap to think that Hego saw Hermes and Pandora as good guys...and wouldn't second-guess what they were doing.

"I don't think he gets out much," shrugged Drakken. "Guess you should steer clear of Go City."

"Already do. Pandora has her own beef with that place," sighed Hermes as he put down the tools. "Break."

"You just pointed out we've taken a lot of breaks," said Drakken. Hermes had already gotten up.

"Yes, but this is the first one I'm calling," stated Hermes. "Do you have a bathroom around here?"

Drakken thought for a moment and remembered the dismantled former henchmen's washroom... His eyes fell to his laser and more importantly to some of the bolts and pipes that were in it. Drakken sighed.

"I don't want mocking on my aesthetics," mumbled Drakken as he walked ahead of Hermes, glad to not be holding the gauntlets regardless.

"I feel like this is setting me up to fail," said Hermes. Drakken saw his smirk and rolled his eyes. "I mean...if you already know there's something worth mocking—"

"Tell me...when you and Shego met...was it to mock Brotherson?" asked Drakken. Hermes nodded. "Why am I not surprised."

"It was a fun time... We even conspired together," shrugged Hermes. "It was actually that particular caper that introduced me to Pandora... Shego needed something for you...and Pandora was more skilled at break-ins... What a weird twist."

"Yes, a big cosmic jest," said Drakken as he slid open the door to his room. "No mocking."

"What am I...is that a moat?" asked Hermes. Drakken heard the amusement.

"Just...the bathroom is through that door," grumbled Drakken as he waved towards the door in the far end.

"Such a scenic journey to the bathroom," snickered Hermes as he looked around. He paused. "Is that a boot in your moat?"

"Just go to the bathroom," Drakken practically screeched.

Drakken really hoped that his laser was worth all the trouble it had been causing him.

The retail therapy was exactly what Shego had needed to gain some focus. She wasn't sure when she'd stopped actively going about evil things... She even made a note that a few heists and bank robberies might fix their current financial dilemma. That would have to wait. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror of the restaurant she was meeting Dean in, smirking at the new pale green wrap blouse she wore. It felt more like her. She grabbed the blue fabric draped over the sink and was about to shove it in her purse when she paused.

The shades of blue fabrics she'd been wearing returned to her thoughts and she felt her brows knit in anger again. She didn't have to think that hard to realize she had been subconsciously placing more blue around her because of Drakken. She balled the fabric in her fist and watched as green engulfed it. There was a strange tingle of relief as she watched the fabric burn away. A sense of control. She let out a small sigh and focused on the stolen jewelry she still had on the sink. She placed the bracelets on and felt the relief flip to unease and tangle her guts. She ignored the swirls in her stomach she was feeling suddenly at thinking about it. Clearly she needed to do more evil or even trivial bad things tonight if she was starting to feel uneasy at doing so.

She might have gotten more if she didn't just have her hoverboard, but the night was still young. She smirked at the idea of further corrupting Dean into villainy. It was a fun and exciting thought, even if she had no actual plans to do so...at the moment. She walked out of the restroom just to see the person in question arriving. He saw her and quickly looked at his watch, clearly thinking he must have been late. She smirked. She did have a need to be fashionably late...or rather Drakken making her fashionably late.

"This is a first," he smirked. He looked apologetic suddenly. "I mean, normally I'm early."

Shego snorted.

"Really, you don't say. Here I thought I was being fashionably and memorably late...how unfortunate," she teased. She watched his expression go from slight panic to a shrug.

"Gotta try harder then I guess," he responded. Shego snorted and shoved him. "I hope you don't mind a more casual restaurant...it was the only one I could think of when you said an early dinner was better."

"It's fine," said Shego. "I mean I did stand you up the last one."

"Yeah... I'm still confused on the coma thing...but yeah," he shrugged. "Have caper plans tonight?"

Shego paused and her mind flew to sitting on a couch watching movies with Drakken later. She felt slightly embarrassed by the thought. She was in fact ditching her date early to go watch movies. She shrugged and gave a slightly nervous smile.

"Well if I told you...you'd be an accessory wouldn't you?" she stated. Dean hesitated but nodded.

"Yeah...best keep that more on the down-low." He smiled suddenly. "Unless you two take over the world... Then I want to pretend I knew about it the whole time."

"I can support that... In case we do...you can pretend you already knew...for bragging rights among the peons," she grinned as they grabbed a seat.

"I will use it copiously and without restraint," smirked Dean. Shego snorted and glanced at her phone as she heard a beep signaling a missed call. "Gee, I know I'm boring but at least pretend you're not waiting to bail."

Shego looked up at him. He was cracking a joke but she felt slightly embarrassed by his words as she put her phone back in her bag.

"It's not you," she said firmly. "I was just checking ... I saw I had missed a call but it was just Devious Shark..."

"Who?" laughed Dean. "Is that a villain friend?"

"Oh no. I haven't met him but I got some replacement gloves from him today and I'm assuming he's asking for payment," Shego stopped her rambling. "Nothing I can't just drop off before I meet up with Drakken later."

"What kind of a name is Devious Shark?" asked Dean. He paused. "Was he the person in that shark Halloween costume?"

"Pretty sure," nodded Shego. She smirked. "But if you want to hear about some lame villain names..."

"There are worse?" asked Dean. He raised his brow. "If so...please enlighten me."

"Well recently...we met Stormy... But how about old school. The Mathter," grinned Shego.

Dean put his menu down and leaned against the table, fully committing to the rambling of idiocy she was about to share with him. She wondered how much she could elaborate on just to get a reaction. She smirked as the waitress brought them their drinks.

Drakken looked down at the tangled bits he'd been hiding in his desk. What was once the Particle Regeneration Core was a mess. He'd been leaving it for last... He looked to where Hermes held one of the gauntlets in a vice... Well, second-to-last things he'd been avoiding. He'd pulled so much apart to make the container for the comet piece to fit in...he'd completely forgotten where most things needed to be placed. Some of the soldering had been so precise before, he couldn't even tell where he'd snapped the pieces from. He scratched his head and moved the wires around.

"So what is this thing supposed to be for anyway?" asked Hermes. He didn't look up as he began using a thin pick to wedge around the stone.

"I need it for a power source," said Drakken. He looked at the empty container. "Theoretically the energy source should be similar to what the Tubtonic laser would need."

"Tubtonic...vessel of frequency waves? What kind of frequency waves?" Hermes looked up and at the laser. "What is that thing for? Sound? Light?"

"Particle matters," smirked Drakken. "Hardening them or solidifying them—"

"Like stone?" asked Hermes. There was a pause as he shrugged. "Sounds kind of like the Medusa thing Cleopatra was talking about."

Drakken growled at this.

"That's my laser... Why is she going around telling people... How does she even know..." Drakken trailed off as he recalled a foggy memory of sitting in a booth on New Year's again.

Drakken fell back into silence as he mentally cursed out Cleopatra and Ed... Ed simply by association of being in the booth. Drakken added yet another reason not to go out along with the long list that night had created.

You're better off alone...

Drakken nodded and then froze. He glanced down at the gauntlet closest to him and used his screwdriver to push it away. Hermes looked over at him in confusion.

"Something wrong?" Hermes' eyes fell to the gauntlet Drakken had moved and his own hands stopped moving.

"Nothing...just...a little too close for comfort," grumbled Drakken. Hermes put the tools down. "It's fine."

"What exactly do these things do? Obviously there's some truth to the urban legends around them or you wouldn't be so jumpy and uneasy about them... Did they just...control your actions?" asked Hermes. Drakken glanced at the right gauntlet Hermes was working on.

"Just that one I think," muttered Drakken. He pointed at the left one he'd moved from him. "That one gets in your head... It's both a very unpleasant memory and I have work to do."

"How did you get them off?" continued Hermes.

"Shego... Can we talk about a less uncomfortable subject?" asked Drakken. Drakken saw Hermes smirk and narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever happened with that necklace? Still lingering around?" Hermes picked up the tools again. "Because I know Camille Leon's is a fake... Very passable...but a fake."

Drakken was going to say he'd given it to Shego, but a series of things ran through his head. It was probably in his best interest to pretend not to know anything or play dumb. He looked at Hermes for a second and narrowed his eyes.

"No idea what you mean," shrugged Drakken. "Perhaps Camille needs better henchmen... Perhaps an alternate conversation topic?"

"How's your Mother?"

"I was thinking of silence?" countered Drakken.

Hermes said nothing more and focused back in on the gauntlets. Drakken waited but it remained silent and he looked down at his own work. His mind was a blank mess as he poked the wires again and looked at the containers. He looked at the time and realized the day was half-gone and he'd done very little. His stomach made a swirling motion as if registering the time and he glanced at Hermes.

"Are you—"

"Hungry? Yes," said Hermes. Drakken raised a brow. "Your stomach has been going off since you poked those wires the tenth time."

"I was rearranging them," grumbled Drakken.

"There's only five... Not much rearranging to do... Are you missing some?" asked Hermes.

"No," scoffed Drakken.

"So the ones on the ground...just...extra?" Hermes indicated under Drakken.

He looked to see a piece with wires attached. He snatched up the device on the table and turned it over to see a hole that had gone unnoticed because it was on the surface. Drakken closed his eyes and took a deep breath before placing it back down on the table and getting up.

"I'll be back," he muttered, making his way to the doorway.

"With food or just after you throw a tantrum?" called Hermes. Drakken stomped back into the door-frame.

"I am not going to throw a tantrum!" yelled Drakken. Hermes blinked at him and gestured towards Drakken's stomped foot. "...I will be back with food... This was not a tantrum."

"I mean... I assumed they had just mellowed over the years...but you still throw tantrums then? Or just the mock dramatic ones?"

Drakken kept his eyes narrowed as he stepped back into the hallway. He waited until he got halfway into the kitchen before kicking a chair in frustration. He'd been so fixated on the five wires he hadn't even noticed he'd busted a piece with wires off...which meant all his thoughts on what went where...were still wrong.

Not that there was much progress anyway...

Drakken hit his head against the fridge and tried to clear his thoughts. Perhaps stepping away to make some food was best... Let him re-focus on his task when he returned to the lab. He nodded to himself.

"Just...focus," he sighed.

Hermes's voice came from the doorway.

"What happened to the chair?" asked Hermes. Drakken glared.

"I tripped—"

"You kicked it?"

"...Yes."

"In a tantrum?" Drakken didn't like the smirk on his face.

Drakken's eye twitched.

"Do you want the food poisoned or un-poisoned because it's leaning towards the first right now," sneered Drakken.

"Surprise me," shrugged Hermes as he walked through to the other hall. "I'm using your bathroom."

"That's fine," grumbled Drakken.

Drakken aggressively made sandwiches and tried to map out the wires in his head, trying to recall the image of what it had looked like before he'd haphazardly ripped it apart. He knew a blue wire was wrapped with a yellow one. He grabbed the plates and turned around to see Hermes sitting at the small table. He nearly dropped the plates and then glared yet again at the man.

"I thought you were using the bathroom," asked Drakken. Hermes looked confused.

"That was twenty minutes ago. I went...came back... You were staring into space... Went to the lab...came back in here. Thought it best not to eat by those things," shrugged Hermes.

"Oh," Drakken looked at the sandwiches and sighed before putting the plates on the table. "Might as well eat in here."

"So I have to ask...why did you switch to a black lab coat?" asked Hermes. "I mean...it's a better look for you, more intimidating... Less like a blueberry with the blue on blue."

Drakken smooshed Hermes's sandwich as he slid the plate over.

"Yeah, I spent a week eating beetles...a smooshed sandwich isn't upsetting," stated Hermes as he grabbed the sandwich.

"My coats are on back-order... Blueberry..." Drakken grumbled and glared at Hermes. "You're wearing purple!"

"Purple is a power color," declared Hermes as he bit into the sandwich.

"Well blue is my power color," hissed Drakken.

"Blue means passive, calm, and peace," stated Hermes. "Purple means strength, power, privilege, and royalty. Dress for who you want to be and are."

"Privilege?" snorted Drakken. "Correct me if I'm wrong...but didn't your family live more...less-privileged?"

"If by that you mean a trailer park...yes they did," scoffed Hermes. "A lot of things changed junior year...clearly."

"They moved? Mobile home park then?" asked Drakken smugly.

"Even better...a nice spot in a memorial park for two," stated Hermes dryly. He got up and headed towards the hallway. "Should get back to work."

Drakken looked down at the half-eaten sandwich on the plate across from his. He felt like he should say something more... Perhaps words of comfort? He felt uncomfortable at the thought and instead tossed his own half-eaten sandwich down and got up. The time was ticking away and Hermes was right.

"We need to get back to work," sighed Drakken.

Shego sipped her glass of wine as she leaned back against Dean's couch. Dinner hadn't taken long and the noise had made it nearly impossible to talk. A short ride later and she was enjoying her quiet evening. There was light music playing from a band on a nearby street corner but it was muffled enough just to not ruin the conversations. She'd told stories about capers, terrible villains, pathetic heroes...and after some coaxing. Dean was talking about his work now.

"I know it's so boring compared to what you do," sighed Dean as he fixed his glasses. "Numbers, paperwork... Most exciting thing is tracker papers...which is just more paperwork."

"All right, so just to be clear Mr. Accountant...who works for the feds," smirked Shego, "you are a forensic accountant correct? You're the jerk that most of my colleagues try to out-swindle and avoid."

Dean looked nervous.

"I mean...yes...but I didn't say that," said Dean. Shego snorted.

"Pfft, I don't care. That's what villain banks are for," smirked Shego. Dean's eyes shot open.

"There are villain banks?" he asked with a little concern. Shego grinned.

"Something tells me you already know that." She nudged him with her leg and he smirked.

"Do I?" asked Dean. "Well if I didn't...I wouldn't be good at my job would I?"

"True," snorted Shego. "Probably should have kept your job more on the down low at New Year's... I mean, not that anyone probably remembered."

Dean's face paled.

"I do." He grumbled and clutched his stomach. "That joyride made me sick for days... Probably the only clear memory I had... Apart from the creepy cab driver."

Shego pulled her wine glass away from her lips.

"You never did finish telling me that story," Shego leaned against the couch more as she turned to look at him.

"The whole night was weird... Couldn't get into the building... My code wasn't working to stop the crash...nothing was encrypted...the breach came from in the building... We figured it was just a fluke bot..." He trailed off, stopping himself from telling too much about his work she was sure. "Cab driver's radio kept messing with my phone after we broke down... It was just...he gave off a very strange vibe...and kept insisting that I have you just come pick me up."

Shego raised a brow at this but snorted.

"You were at a villain party...and the cab driver was creepy?" asked Shego. Dean's uneasy look at the memory changed to a snort of his own and an eye-roll.

"I mean...typical me, really. Room full of criminals...but gets disturbed by a lone cabby in the middle of the night," he sighed. "I always find myself in problematic settings."

"I am often in those same settings," smirked Shego. "Thought I'm the one causing the problems."

"Yes, but those problems have something much more appealing to them," said Dean. Shego raised a brow. "A beautiful woman."

Shego felt her face go warm before chuckling.

"Smooth, Mr. Accountant... Smooth." Dean laughed a little as he stood up.

"Another glass?" asked Dean. Shego looked to her empty wine glass and then to the clock. "Oh... I forgot, you have to leave soon."

Shego saw the disappointment ghost across Dean's eyes before an expression of understanding fixed on his face.

"Capers await," he smiled as he took her glass. "I'll be right back."

Shego said nothing as he headed to his kitchen. She listened to the sound of glass hit the sink as she again looked down at her phone.

What am I doing?

Her hand tightened on the phone as her mind raced. It fell back to the blue blouse she'd worn earlier...and now this. She was ditching a nice evening to sit on a couch all night with Drakken and watch movies. Her eyes narrowed at this. Her thoughts fell back to before the museum and when she'd ditched Dean then to return to the lair for nothing. Then to when they'd lay in his bed talking, when she'd opened a window and he'd slammed it closed by not kissing her...again.

What is wrong with me?!

It was a scream in her own head and she turned her phone on silent and tossed it carelessly on the armchair where her purse sat. Just like the blouse she'd set ablaze earlier, she needed to gain control over herself by actions. She was still letting Drakken get under her skin. She'd reached a place of self-understanding weeks ago...and she needed to finish sealing that metaphorical coffin. She felt anger at Drakken run through her. Anger for making her feel that way. There was a tingle of relief at this. A sense of familiarity.

"Dean," called Shego. He was just in the doorway coming back into the room. "Change of plans... I'll have another glass."

Drakken looked up from where he was assembling the Particle Regeneration Core to the clock. His shoulders slumped as he looked over at the silent Hermes. He was still tinkering away, trying to find an angle inside to remove the stone. Shego would be back to the lair within the hour and he still needed to find a way to get Hermes out of there.

"Eh, maybe you should take it to your lair to work on..." said Drakken. Hermes looked up. His eyes looked massive from the magnifying glasses and confused.

"When I asked that two hours ago, you told me no and that you didn't trust me," scoffed Hermes.

"I didn't say I didn't trust you," said Drakken nervously, "I was just impatient. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow or—"

Hermes rolled his eyes.

"I appreciate the Tibet ride but I'd rather get this done and over with tonight," grumbled Hermes. "Trekking back and forth to your lair with the Gauntlets of Khaos...not exactly something I want added to my plate."

"Yes...you see... Shego doesn't know about them and she'll be back soon..." Drakken trailed off as Hermes raised a brow at him and Drakken back-tracked. "Not that it's a factor...we just have plans."

Hermes narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Plans at nine in the evening... How many things are you actually working on?" sighed Hermes, "I know you've always been a scatter brain but geesh."

Drakken was about to declare it was simply a movie night when Hermes finished. Drakken felt an odd wave of self-pity hit him as he looked at his laser. He thought back to his failed Bebe creations and the laughter of his peers... His eyes fell to the gauntlets. He was starting to think being so close to them was physically affecting him at that point. Drakken narrowed his eyes and picked up his tools again.

His mind was racing and his focus was gone. The silence wouldn't return as he imagined Shego's disappointment in realizing that he'd messed up the Particle Regeneration Core so badly he wasn't even sure he had the wires in the right place. The doubt he held about his laser in general...the stone statue of Monkey Fist...and images of laughter in his head at all his failed work... It was so loud in his head that he felt like screaming. He dropped his tools and his eyes darted to the gauntlets again. Anger at how unaffected Hermes seemed to be...and anger that his mind was being pulled in all directions.

"I need them out of here!" he yelled. Hermes jumped at the sudden yell.

"Okay, fine," said Hermes in shock. "I can take them and... OW!"

Drakken's relief at Hermes's words at leaving with them fell away as he heard the exclamation. He didn't need to look, didn't need to hear the hiss of pain from Hermes...because in that moment his mind became still as if the gauntlets no longer affected him. He looked over to where Hermes had been working on the gauntlet...the right gauntlet. To the tools he'd dropped when Drakken had yelled...to the drops of blood on the table as the gauntlet flexed on its new host's hand.

"Oh no..." breathed Drakken as he saw Hermes's eyes give a distinct red glow.

Ohhh YES!