The Games We Play

Shego had to admit one thing: Carmella had a lot of candy. Or...candy related things? True to her word, she'd allowed Drakken use of her lab's equipment—things he might need while their lab was being cleaned up. Problem was, Drakken had come up with several faulty schemes in order to do so. What he really wanted, for whatever reason, was particular candy inventions.

Shego looked at the candy wall. It looked like it belonged in an old-school shop, like an apothecary for candy. Jars with labels were filled with different treats and tricks. Shego smirked. It would be one hell of a Halloween with those things. However, the organization made it much harder to simply loot.

"So, what do you need with this again?" asked Carmella, leaning around Drakken as he fiddled with...honestly Shego didn't even know if he knew what it was.

"Well, this would be much easier for the cellular disintegrating laser testing," said Drakken. Shego nodded; apparently he did.

"True, but if you really want to test it, we should use them on cells," said Carmella. Shego raised a brow at her excited sing-song voice, Shego didn't get paid enough to even fake that energy. "Listen, I can make a few calls and we can have cadavers here in a few hours!"

"...I...uh..." Drakken looked to Shego for help. She suddenly found the Mute Gum interesting. "Well, it's not really ready for the testing phase just yet."

"Well, if you don't mind...I could give you a hand?" said Carmella. Shego raised a brow. "I mean, it's not like I have anything scheming at the moment... Well, there is a revenge plot against my former colleagues, but that's still in the works... Timing, you know."

"Timing is important," said Drakken with a nod. Shego wondered how he was going to back-pedal from this. "Shego, would you mind getting it from the lab?"

"Hmm?" said Shego, raising a brow. Drakken had literally never mentioned this to her prior, and had assumed it was a ruse while they figured out a plan. "The what?"

"If you'll give us a minute Carmella," said Drakken. She nodded and headed over towards the other side of the lab. Drakken moved quickly. "Shego, here's the plan..."

"We're still in the middle of the plan," said Shego with an eye-roll. Drakken rolled his eyes. "What now."

"You pretend to head to the lair, I'll lay the charm on her as a distraction. You get the Mind Mints...and a few others for some fun, and then we book it," said Drakken. Shego stared at his smile and it faded. "What?"

"She knows where we live," said Shego, rolling her eyes again. "Why don't you just 'charm' your way into getting a few?"

"I don't like the air quotes Shego, " sighed Drakken, "It's a principle thing, just put your earpiece in and I'll let you know when it's a go."

"...Hmm, interesting. See when I asked if you wanted me to carry that, your actual words were, 'Like we're ever going to use them, Shego,' and then you proceeded to roll your eyes," she said, crossing her arms and smirking at his agitation.

"Well, I brought mine," said Drakken. Shego's eyes shot open, and she felt annoyed. "Okay, fine, you actually go back to the lair, get yours, and then proceed."

"Fine, whatever, it's your plan," said Shego. She walked off muttering, "Could just take it now, but no, always about the over-complications."

"Everything all right?" asked Carmella. Drakken jumped, his glare at Shego melting quickly into a slight chuckle.

"Oh, everything's fine," said Drakken. He cleared his throat and gave his best charming smile. "It may take Shego a bit to collect it, so why don't we..."

"Would you like some tea?" asked Carmella. Drakken raised a brow. "I loOOove afternoon tea. It's never any fun alone, and since Shego's going to be a while...perhaps we can catch up since last you and I got to actually talk."

"I...ohm... Yes," said Drakken. He cringed. Maybe he needed to tone down the charm.

"Oh delightful, so let's see... The last time we truly started to talk, minus the other day looking for the amplifier, was at your party," said Carmella, her arm slipping through his as she walked him to another part of her lair. "Clearly, you've not taken over the world yet, but any good plans to do so?"

"Ohm, well..." Drakken had to fight the sharp look he wanted to give her at the mention of the party and his lack of world domination. "Been taking some time to work on more smaller projects..."

"So Possible and the blond boy haven't foiled any plans?" asked Carmella. Her quirked brow made it clear she was in the villain gossip circle, and the realization Cleopatra had been part of a botched plan.

"Unfortunately," said Drakken. He smirked. "Ah, you met them. At the Global Justice party raid?"

"Yes," said Carmella with a sour look that faded back to a smile. "It was a nice break from Global Justice, they tend to be a bit...theatrical. They didn't like it when I started playing music when they'd stage a break in."

"Shego could tell you stories about Team Impossible," said Drakken, "if you want theatrics."

"So, we never did get to that topic at the party... Shego?" asked Carmella as they entered a room.

Drakken raised a brow. The room was a stark contrast to her over-the-top lair with custom pink equipment. Drakken praised anyone who was listening, because the bright colors were going to give him nightmares. He had honestly started to wonder if there was some sort of villainess protocol to decor. He momentarily wondered if he should start reading Shego's magazines.

They were clearly in Carmella's office, two large white wingback chairs sat next to a golden tea trolley that had lines of different sweets on it. He wondered when she'd gotten one of her henchmen to do that... Though as she indicated for him to take a seat he came back into focus.

"Shego is my side-kick... She was my assistant, but there was a whole brouhaha about that," said Drakken firmly, back in control. "That's all."

"Oh, is that all," said Carmella as she handed him a cup of tea. Drakken saw her lip twitch. "I assumed when you two came back to the lab when you went to get the gas, there might be more."

"No," said Drakken, a flash of just a week ago cementing an unease with talking about the idea. "Just a hired hand."

"You must be very close with your hench-people," said Carmella. She sipped her tea and looked towards the fire. "Have you heard from Hector Ortez? He was your henchman before he was let go, wasn't he?"

"Ah, yes, Hector." Drakken raised a brow at Carmella, and his eyes drifted to the fireplace which looked like it had been made using an ornate gold-colored chair. "Sometimes it's best not to get involved in everyone's personal lives, such as you and Cleopatra. Tell me, what happened there?"

"I am never going to hear the end of this," scoffed Shego as she dug through her drawers. The one time she misplaced something, she couldn't even find someone to blame.

Shego looked around her ransacked room, wondering where else she might have put the thing. She tried to recall the last time she'd used it and played it back in her head. She looked at her clock. This was taking longer than either had planned. She cringed. The lab was the only other place she would have put it. She couldn't believe she was leaving Drakken this long, using his 'charm' to distract Carmella. She rolled her eyes. This was going to be the DNAmy thing all over again, and she was not dealing with that... He'd been so moody, and the amount of drawings she'd had to see for so many plans was unbearable.

"Wish we still had Puddles, could blame him," scoffed Shego as she stormed down the hallway. There had to be a spare somewhere.

"Clearly I've learned to choose my acquaintances wiser," said Carmella as she offered a sweet to Drakken. She'd told him the entire evening of the heist and beforehand. She smirked. "Or make sure I have more control over them."

"Well, henchmen go with the tide," said Drakken, trying not to smirk at the memory of Hector sabotaging the two. "Clearly that put an end to that little fling then?"

"If you could call it that," said Carmella, and Drakken sat up straighter as she leaned on the armchair and stared at him. "So tell me Dr. Drakken, how many ruses are you going to send Shego on before you confess you have no business in my lab?"

"Excuse me?" asked Drakken, choking on his tea.

"Well, you've changed your plans and schemes no less than four times in the past few days, so what are you really doing here?" asked Carmella. Drakken gulped.

He assessed the situation. Carmella, despite her appearance, was not unintelligent. Why he thought he could casually skate across his plans was beyond him. He began spinning a farce again, perhaps telling her she had so many devices, his mind ran rampant. It would be a good time, as Shego suggested, to suggest a possible teaming up. He took another drink of tea. He could play this out. This was an easy switch, and she'd already set him up with the talk of being unattached. His mind raced back and forth before Carmella continued talking.

"See, there's only a few reasons you would be here right now..." Her playful grin widened as she leaned on her hand. "Are you here because you have a little sweet tooth for me?"

"I uh...yes," said Drakken.

Phew, dodged that.

Drakken sighed, "So my ruse didn't fool you."

"Really?" asked Carmella, a flicker of confusion across her face as she sat up. "You wanted to spend quality time with me?"

"Of course," said Drakken. His hand slid over hers; this was going perfectly. "We never did get to talk more about your candy delights and their fun little tricks, and I wanted to know more about them and the brilliant mind behind them."

"Hmm," she smiled, and Drakken considered for a moment possibly playing this up, but his mind fell back to the party again and the heist, weighing the present needs against his inner pettiness. "Well, I have lots of them, as you've seen... All for various reasons. Mute Gum, can't complain if you can't talk. Stitch Licorice, it's a little darker, but sometimes you really need someone to zip the lip... But as you know, my specialty..."

"Mind control candies?" asked Drakken. This could work... He could learn which ones Shego needed to steal, but she'd yet to get back into his ear.

Where is she?

"Mind control in general," smiled Carmella. She looked at the clock and smiled. "Working with the brain is such a fun thing. Tricking it is even better. People rant and rave about their intelligence, their memories, everything all up there... What most don't know, is that a little push here, a little nudge there...and everything's different."

"Interesting, continue," said Drakken, leaning on his own hand to mirror hers. "How do they nudge and pull without electrical sensory adapters?"

"Chemical," said Carmella with a shrug, "and hypnosis... My candies aren't instant, they need trigger words, but it has to be something that person uses or says to gain control. Certain words can trigger a reverse...but you have to give them a hefty supply to keep it going... Nothing's permanent. Well, it can be, but I haven't got a chance on that front."

"So, you don't just give someone one of your candies and then...poof...instant control?" asked Drakken, cursing internally.

"Oh no, then someone could take my candies without asking," said Carmella. Her lip twitched again and Drakken felt warm all of a sudden. "That's the other reason I wondered why you were here. You see, you didn't seem interested in me at your little party...or when you and Shego were disguised at the ball..."

"The ball?" asked Drakken. It really was warm in there... "You mean...you knew?"

"Not until after. I replayed it over and over again, why Hector would betray me. Not that he was a prize or something, but I had no warning signs for it. He had no aspirations of playing the villain social games. Then I remembered Dr. Lipsky's little word game and Hector's reaction. I mean, I was busy keeping Cleo's mouth shut, but I wasn't blind. Then when Shego sprang Hector, it solidified what I wondered." Carmella stood up and Drakken felt like he should book it. He took a deep breath, but he couldn't move. "Don't be too shocked, people always underestimate me and my attention to detail. My former colleagues always did, because it's the same problem again and again—I don't, in many people's minds, look like I should be a doctor."

"Not all..." Drakken was having trouble talking. He was feeling dizzy.

"Shh, shh," smirked Carmella. She gave a small chuckle and smiled. "No need to be defensive, Drakken or make a little quip about it. It's typical, even in villainy. I had hoped someone who employs a bombshell like Shego had more brains than to take someone at face value. I mean, if you'd played this right and gone about simply asking me, things might have been more favorable. I am shocked you sent Shego away though."

"Perhaps we could talk about this then," said Drakken. He took another drink of tea; his mouth was dry.

"Ideally that would be a real treat... But that would go against my plan," said Carmella. Her sweet voice didn't match the look on her face, and Drakken wondered where the hell Shego was. "Ever heard of the term 'villain hopper?' Terrible really. It implies the only way a woman can be a villainess is if she climbs up the villain social ladder. Another reason working with my former partner was a migraine. Cleopatra thinks it's smart, because it means if you fail, it falls on them... I think it's cliché and trashy, though she always had a point; the world tends to be a men's playground and villains don't take villainesses seriously. But they treat other villains, no matter how many failures, at least with some interest... Problem is, it's hard to find a decent one."

"Is it warm in here?" said Drakken. He tapped his earpiece. Where was Shego?

"I had high hopes for Hector, but that proved to be a waste of time... As I said, no more partnerships unless I have more control," said Carmella. She smirked. "How's the tea, Drakken?"

"...Ohm." Drakken put the cup down as his eyes shot open.

"Nothing personal, I just need a little help acquiring some vengeance and...you did blow me off... I can be a little...what's the word... Petty?" said Carmella. She sipped her own tea and giggled. "I'm immune because I have a defense against it... But we have to find the words for you."

"Carmella, this is..." Drakken felt angry but his body didn't react to his movements, like he held no control. His mind became a mess of panic. "What is this?"

"It's called mind control... It means...once I find the right word...I'm in charge," giggled Carmella as she booped his nose and then began tapping her chin. "Let's see, it has to be something that triggers you well..."

Drakken felt ill, like his stomach was knotting and unknotting. He was having some sort of panic attack now. He didn't know why, but his chest was hurting. He wanted to move, wanted to get out of there, but he couldn't. The idea of someone he barely knew telling him what he couldn't and could do without a say was terrifying. He'd let his guard down and now he knew how Shego had felt... His mind froze on it again, the anger, the panic, and the betrayal all swam back. Carmella he barely knew, and he was having a panic attack. He didn't like this at all. He kept hoping Shego's voice would play in his ear.

"Shego," he said as he heard shuffling in his ear. "Shego!"

"Shego?" asked Carmella. She raised a brow and looked towards the doorway. She smirked. "Do you have a little birdy in your ear Drakken? Is that your...what did you call her, Dumpling?"

"Sh...Shego?" Drakken heard her voice in his ear, but he felt foggy. His head was spinning.

"Stupid thing," said Shego as she wiped it off. She could hear talking coming from it as she shook it. "Uhg, water damaged..."

"Shego!" came the voice over the earpiece. She rolled her eyes.

She fiddled with it in her ear. She could hear muffled words back and forth. Drakken wasn't saying anything. Carmella must have been talking. She wasn't hearing that well on it, the damage must have blown the speaker's sensitivity. Normally she could hear much better than that with the thing. The sing-song melody seemed to be all she could make out. She tapped it a few times to try to get a signal. It was silent, but the sound worked again.

"Dumpling?" came Carmella's voice with a giddy chuckle. Shego raised a brow.

"Sh...Shego?" asked Drakken, and it was silent. Shego raised a brow. What had she missed?

"Dr. D.?" asked Shego .I got the earpiece on now, what's the plan...Drakken?"

"New plan, Shego," his voice sounded cheerful suddenly. "Carmella and I have decided to team up. Abort the original plan, Shego."

"Okay," said Shego. She raised a brow and rolled her eyes. "See, told you this ruse was stupid. So, you want me to head back?"

"Not yet, Carmella and I have some plans to go over," said Drakken. "Take the weekend off, on me."

"Well I just got back, but I guess," shrugged Shego. Who was she to turn down a paid weekend? But something about his voice was unsettling. "Dr. D., is everything okay?"

"Just fine, Shego," said Drakken. He laughed and Carmella made a hushed noise. "Just having a good time, that's all. Oh, and Shego?"

"Yes?" asked Shego. Her skin crawled at his statement, but she didn't know why.

"Fire Hector again," said Drakken, and the earpiece clicked off.

"Right," said Shego as she took it out of her ear. She stared at it. Something didn't feel right but she couldn't place it. "Uhg, this better not turn out like last time...Hector!"

"What?" asked Hector as he mopped up a part of the lab with the others.

"You're fired," said Shego. He raised a brow. "Hey, I didn't fire you this time... This is Drakken's orders."

"Seriously?" sighed Hector. The other cleaning henchmen shrugged.

"Dude, how do you keep getting fired?" asked Henchman Williams. Hector shook his head and tossed his mop.

Game Time →