The doctor could hear loud music before the elevator even reached its destination. He could only dread what he'd see when the doors opened.
The doors opened to a wild party. There were robots all over the halls with cups of liquid, mingling and laughing and not even paying attention to the valuable equipment around them. The rock music played overhead presently but not oppressively loud as it blared on rhythm with the color-changing lights.
Flug could see from one glance that the lab was already a mess. The robots left their cups and empty alcohol and soda cans everywhere. Other hat-botlers were lounging freely on Flug's equipment and conversing. Others were writing graffiti on the wall and laughing at what the others had done.
"Hey, Doctor! Like what we've done with the place?!" One hat-botler sneered as he rolled by with a group. "Tell Melanie and Sadie we loved watching you get your ass handed to ya on live television. Those girls really know how to cheer some hombres up."
The group then burst out laughing at Flug as they rolled away.
"The things I have to do around here," Flug grumbled to himself as he marched off to find Sadie and 505.
Flug kept his mind off the mess he'd have to deal with later by reminding himself why it was all worth it at the end of the day. He had 505 and the greatest career ever working for the greatest supervillain in the world, no, the universe.
It was all worth it in the end and would continue to be worth it, even if, sometimes, they had to do unpleasant things that not even Flug completely understood, like what Black Hat was doing for Melanie.
Oh, Melanie. Poor kid. Having the girl around was going to be a big change and a challenge for everyone, especially for her.
Seeing Melanie upset was so sad to watch. Even if she was difficult, she was still a kid who was now being thrust into a big role she never wanted. Her talent warranted the attention. Flug could admit that, but he also understood how overwhelming the situation felt.
Black Hat had never taken on a ward. He had never even had an apprentice. No one knew what to expect, much less a girl like Melanie. Black Hat was a demanding boss on his good days. Flug couldn't imagine how much worse Black Hat would be as a father and a teacher. Not to mention the fact that Melanie never wanted to be brought there in the first place. She was still deluded enough to believe that she could escape forever and be a hero. There was no way Melanie would accept her new role without a fight.
Flug sighed deeply. What was done was done. All Flug could do was try to help Melanie feel better.
So, Flug ignored the mess around him and followed the music to the room where he last saw Sadie and 505. He reached the doorway to see Sadie and another hat-botler singing karaoke while 505 and a large crowd of other hat-botlers cheered in the audience.
"I don't think you trust! Innnnnnnnn! Myyyyyyyy! Self-righteous suicide! I! Cryyyyyyyyy! When angels deserve to die!" Sadie and Jose sang.
Flug rolled his eyes and pressed a few buttons on his watch. In a second, the music stopped, and the lights came on all over the lab.
Sadie and the hat-botlers raised their voices to complain.
"What in the hell have you all been up to down here?! This place is a disaster!" cried Flug, prompting all the hat-botlers to go silent and turn around to face him.
Sadie spoke up, "What the hell did you have to end our party for? Melanie and I were just trying to make these robots happy since all you do is make them miserable."
The hat-botlers murmured in agreement.
"Unless you all want to be scrap piles at the bottom of a pit, I'd suggest you'd all shut up and clean up your mess," Flug said. "Now, where's 505?"
505 chuckled nervously and slunk his way over to Sadie, stepping in front of her and Roberto.
"505, I told you to watch the girls, not to let them throw a wild party!" Flug lamented. "Do you know how long it's going to take to clean all of this up?"
505 shrugged and pressed some buttons on his phone, "I'm sorry."
Flug sighed deeply and said, "Forget about it for right now, buddy. You and Sadie are needed upstairs."
"Really?" asked Sadie. "What for? Where's Melanie?"
"In her room," Flug explained. "She needs some comfort right now."
"Why?" Sadie asked, floating around the bear and closer to Flug. "What have you done to her?"
"I haven't done anything," Flug replied. "It's Black Hat. He made sure that she's going to be living here from now on."
"WHAT?!" cried Sadie. "Says who? Her parents wouldn't-"
"Then you don't know them because they have given Black Hat full custody of her as she's still a minor," Flug interrupted sadly.
"Those gobshites just abandoned her?! Just like that?!" Sadie growled incredulously. "Oh, God. I've gotta get to Melanie."
505 nodded eagerly in agreement.
"That's why I came down here," Flug said. "Come with me."
To the surprise of the hat-botlers, Sadie shapeshifted into a juvenile red wolf, started sniffing the ground for Melanie's scent, and then ran out of the room.
Jose and Roberto started rolling after her. A few other hat-botlers started to join them, but Flug stood in their way.
"Nah ah, all of you are going to clean up your mess or I'll make sure a Hat-Sentinel tears you all to pieces!" cried Flug. "505, come with me!"
The bear nodded his head and got through the crowd to join Flug. Once he caught up, the two left the room to go after Sadie.
Jose and Roberto looked at each other and sighed. All they could do was hope for the best.
The scientist and the bear found Sadie scratching at the door of the elevator.
"Alright, calm down," Flug said. "I'll take you to her."
"Well, ya better!" Sadie snarled at him telepathically while growling in her wolf form.
"Yeah, yeah," Flug sighed, pressing the button and opening the elevator.
Sadie hopped in immediately. 505 and Flug stepped in after her.
The wolf settled on her side of the elevator with 505 while Flug stood on the other and selected the floor.
As the elevator started moving, the trio stood in silence.
Flug stood there, lost in thought and so mentally tired.
After all, the revelation shook him too.
Of all the plans he thought Black Hat had for Melanie, this was the last thing Flug would have expected. In all the years Flug had worked for Black Hat, Flug had never seen him go this far to "reform" a child, much less take enough interest in one to adopt them.
Black Hat usually sent the kids away to the Institute and that was the end of it. Sure, sometimes in special cases, the child got one on one attention like Rob the Glitch had, but Black Hat never fought to take him away from his parents despite their negligence.
This case with Melanie was different. He didn't know how to feel about it.
Before long, the elevator reached the top floor, and everyone exited.
Sadie bolted out. 505 chased after her. Flug followed slowly behind them, preoccupied with his own thoughts, until he reached the room.
Lord Reaper was standing close to the door.
Flug alerted the reaper to his presence, "My lord."
"Ah, there, you are," said Lord Reaper, sparing only a glance. "Thanks for providing the fairy, doctor. Melanie cried while she showered, brushed her teeth, everything. She could use the company."
Flug looked over at the bed.
Melanie was in her bed crying while Sadie was lying next to her holding her hand. 505 was kneeling next to her bed and laying his head on top of her stomach.
Flug couldn't help but feel pity.
"If you don't need anything from me, my lord, I think I'll go now," Flug said, turning for the door.
"Hold on. I think the girls could use those sleeping pills to rest," Lord Reaper said. "I don't think they'll fall asleep on their own otherwise."
"I believe 505 knows where they are," Flug said. "Don't you, buddy?"
505 picked his head off Melanie, nodded sadly, reached into the drawer of the bedside table, and tossed the bottle to his dad.
Flug sighed, remembering he told 505 to never handle pills by himself.
"Dammit," Flug muttered under his breath.
After opening the bottle, Flug tapped a couple of pills out.
Flug then approached the girls in the bed and said, "Could you two take these for me please?"
The girls looked up to see him holding his hand with the pills in front of them.
"They'll help you two fall asleep," Flug explained. "You both look like you could need it."
Sadie looked over at Flug. Despite the paper bag covering his face, she saw no malice in his goggled eyes.
"But we can fall asleep on our own," protested Sadie. "We don't need them. Why do we need to take them? Really?"
"He's giving us the pills to make us sleep the whole night," Melanie explained sadly.
"What?" Sadie asked incredulously. "Of all the bull-..."
"Just take them," Melanie said, taking her pill and dropping it in her mouth and pretending to swallow before speaking to Sadie again to show that the pill was under her tongue. "I'll take yours if you don't want it. Sleeping sounds good right now. I want to not feel anything for a while."
Melanie tried to take the pill from Sadie but she took the pill and hid it under her tongue too.
Flug made a mental note to keep the pills in a safer place from now on. Teens were known to do terrible things when they got depressed.
"There," Lord Reaper said comfortingly. "That should help you feel better soon. In the morning, Black Hat wants to take a picture of you and him for his newsletter and for a new portrait to hang in the manor before you get to your studies. Is there anything else we should know about that, Dr. Flug?"
Flug was conflicted. He saw that the girls still had the pills in their mouths, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
Noting his silence, Lord Reaper asked, "Dr. Flug, did you hear me?"
"Ah yes-uh, sorry," Flug said, coming out of his thoughts. "No sir, but perhaps we should have a villainous outfit for the portrait."
Lord Reaper sighed and said, "She doesn't have one. My descendants tend to be a particular bunch when it comes to clothing and choose one for themselves when they get older usually. However, I don't think Melanie's in a mood to do such a thing right now."
To emphasize that point, Melanie and Sadie tucked their heads under the covers.
Flug nodded, "Of course."
Lord Reaper turned to the bed and said, "Goodnight, girls. I promise I will be here every step of the way, Melanie."
Lord Reaper laid his hand on top of the covers where Melanie was hiding. When she flinched, he pulled his hand back and left the room.
"Well, have a good night, girls," Flug said. "We've got a busy day ahead tomorrow. 505, why don't you come to bed? I think these two could use some time alone to rest."
505 nodded sadly and followed Flug out of the room.
"I hope you two have a nice night," Flug said, closing the door.
The girls looked up pleasantly surprised that Flug had left without even saying a word about them not taking their sleeping pills. Their pondering only lasted a moment though before they turned off the lights and returned to their important mission, messaging their sisters.
Meanwhile, Flug and 505 started the walk up to their room.
505 got out his phone and started typing in the text-to-voice app, "Is Melanie going to be okay?"
"I hope so, Fluffy," replied Flug.
"Living in the manor makes Melanie sad," 505 typed.
"I know," Flug said sadly. "All part of Black Hat's design, I suppose."
"Is there anything we can do to make Melanie happy?" asked 505.
"Besides things she usually likes, I don't know," said Flug. "Let's just get to bed, Fluffy. Hopefully, Melanie won't be as sad in the morning."
505 looked at Flug and nodded melancholically.