Subversion
For 22-year-old Ruby Patel, life could not be any better. She, along with her now-fiancée Shannon, came back to Royal Woods after graduating from college in New York. Ruby earned her degree in Law, while Shannon studied Psychology. Both wanted to come back home and do further studies online while also living in their own space. Through familial connections, Ruby got a paid internship at a law firm run by a friend of her dad's, while Shannon got a starting position as a social worker, which helped pay for her online studies to help her get her Master's degree, and eventually, her PhD. They both needed this happy ending. After the Right Path incident four years prior, which saw Shannon deceived into a conversion camp by her homophobic grandparents, who have since died in prison, Shannon needed a supportive environment, which Ruby was more than happy to provide. Indeed, it took their entire gap year travelling together to rebuild their intimate relationship. But, as the old saying goes; time heals all wounds, and eventually, Shannon found her groove again. Ruby found herself looking at the engagement ring she wore and thinking, while the proposal wasn't exactly ideal, she was glad she and Shannon were finally engaged.
Flashback begins
The weekend after Ruby and Shannon came back to Royal Woods from New York, having graduated with honours, Shannon continued receiving therapy after the traumatic events of Right Path. Ruby had just learned she got the internship at the law firm she wanted to work at through her dad. She was due to start Monday and was waiting at home eagerly to tell Shannon the news. However, when Shannon came home, Ruby could see that she was an emotional wreck. She would ask what happened, but she didn't want to make Shannon even more upset than she already was. Instead, she just took her into a hug and let her cry it out, as per usual. What she said and did next, however, surprised them both. Shannon fell to Ruby's feet and came out with it.
"Ruby, will you marry me?" Shannon nearly wailed. Ruby was dumbstruck. Did Shannon seriously just propose to Ruby like this? She would've said yes regardless of how it happened, but still. If they had to be technical, this was Shannon's second proposal. The first was after their first time being intimate with each other, and that was mostly played for laughs, with Shannon teasing Ruby about how they should be wed since they deflowered each other. Questions could wait, as she had a distraught girlfriend/fiancée to tend to. Ruby helped Shannon onto the sofa and sat her down gently.
"What happened in there?" Ruby inquired gently. Once Shannon had calmed down enough to the point where she could speak coherently, she spoke again.
"I suddenly realised that I couldn't live without you. I need you in my life, Ruby. I would have no-one else. I love you, and I want us to be together for the rest of our lives, come what may," Shannon replied.
"I love you too, Shans. This life we've made for ourselves would be empty without you in it. I would happily dedicate myself to you, though admittedly, I'd hoped for a more romantic setting, but it doesn't matter when, where, or how these things happen. I am yours, Shannon Tannenbaum, and I will marry you," Ruby accepted.
"I'm sorry I was so withdrawn during our gap year. I'm sorry I didn't open up more," Shannon said remorsefully, but Ruby was having none of it.
"I never blamed you for any of that. I was willing to live without intimacy, but not without you," Ruby affirmed. Shannon chuckled weakly and embraced her fiancée. When Shannon was past her bout of emotional turmoil, Ruby had a delicious idea.
"So, mine lady-in-waiting doth be betrothed to her princess, at long last," Ruby acted out one of her and Shannon's favourite role-playing sessions. Shannon, smiling from ear to ear, played along.
"Indeed, my fair princess. Does thou need anything to commemorate this joyous occasion?" Shannon playfully asked.
"All this princess needs is you. In her chambers. Now," Ruby enticed. She and Shannon raced to their bedroom to partake in engagement night antics.
Flashback ends
Once Shannon got her first pay-check, she got the ring Ruby was currently wearing on her finger. It was your typical golden engagement band, but to Ruby, it signified hope for the future, one she would never part with. However, any further flashbacks to times spent with her one and only would have to be put on hold, because Allison, Ruby's boss, came to her desk.
"Ruby, we have a simple task for you. Election integrity monitoring," Allison assigned Ruby her job for the day.
"Isn't that just 'stand there and make sure no-one stuffs the ballot'?" Ruby asked.
"Pretty much. Not glamourous, but still important. You'll be accompanied by Officer Schoffner for the duration of this assignment," Allison briefed. Now Ruby was confused. Sure, she volunteered to help with the election, as she was sure it would look good on a resume, but getting the police involved seemed a tad excessive.
"Is this really something the police should be involved in?" Ruby probed.
"I won't lie, Ruby. One reason the city is getting the police involved is because of one particular candidate," Allison then handed Ruby a brief on one of Mayor Davis' potential opponents in the race. Ruby inspected the document thoroughly and thought there must have been some sort of mistake. How did someone like this qualify as a candidate, Ruby thought.
"Vic? Wasn't he fired from his job in the mayor's office some time ago? And wasn't he involved in various schemes that would make even Flip seem like a saint?" Ruby wondered.
"And more. We're not sure how he qualified, or why he's even a serious contender in the first place. Mayor Davies cannot say this publicly, but she suspects foul play. You and Schoffner, on top of keeping the election fair and honest, will also dig deeper into this mystery. Report to either myself or Mayor Davies on what you find. Consider this your first field assignment. There isn't any more you can learn from deskwork, which is immaculate," Allison explained.
"Isn't this sort of work best left to investigators?" Ruby queried.
"Getting them involved would likely spook Vic. Also, as lawyers, we ask tough questions and uncover hidden truths, the answers of which we then have to factor in when making our cases before a judge. Curveballs can be thrown at any time. You have to learn to hit them when they come or risk striking out," Allison lectured.
"Sports metaphors? I didn't realise I was working for Lynn Loud," Ruby joked.
"Will you take the assignment or not?" Allison pressed.
"Alright, I'll do it. When do I get started?" Ruby agreed.
"Schoffner will be expecting you in town hall at 7am tomorrow. She's a professional, more than suited to show you the ropes," Allison answered.
Meanwhile, Shannon's first case as a social worker was counselling a family that had a mute five-year-old boy, who had recently been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. The Hunt family Samuel and Olivia, along with their boy Jonathan, were shown into the office, and Shannon, along with her observer Tracey, whom Shannon thought of as a very close colleague, sat down to have their appointment.
"Any changes since we last saw him?" Shannon inquired.
"He still won't say a word. Used to be he wouldn't stop. Now, we're lucky if we get so much as a peep," Samuel answered.
"It's like something or someone shut off his voice," Olivia added.
"And you say this started when he was on the cusp of turning four, is that right?" Shannon probed.
"Yes. My parents, misguided as they are, blamed the vaccines. That resulted in a lot of shouting matches," Samuel lamented.
"I do hear that the MMR jab gets blamed a lot for this. As any psychologist in this building can tell you, symptoms of autism and Asperger's typically start showing around this time, when the jab is due to be administered. However, science has disproven this repeatedly, and the doctor who conducted the 'study' that says otherwise had his credentials taken off him ages back when the results he generated turned out to be fraudulent. I can't promise to bring your son's voice back, but we can show him how to live with his condition as time goes on," Shannon vowed.
"That sounds alright, from where we stand," Olivia agreed. Just then, a small golden retriever puppy came through the door. This was one of the therapy dogs the counsellors had on hand to help with cases. This one was called Bingo, and he was known for being an unpredictable dog. The counsellors never knew what he was going to do next. If Shannon had to be honest, she wondered how this dog got through training. She was about to shoo him away, when something miraculous happened. Bingo approached Jonathan tentatively, and after getting the boy's scent, he showed affection the way dogs usually did. Jonathan did not protest. Quite the opposite, he hugged the dog tightly, his fingers gently stroking Bingo's golden coat.
"Soft," Jonathan commented weakly. The word may not have been significant to any other parent, but to Samuel and Olivia, it was like hearing their child's first word all over again. The parents then petted Bingo, grateful to the hound for somehow getting out Jonathan's first spoken word in a year. Shannon took in the scene and analysed the events in her head.
"Fascinating. It appears that Bingo lowered Jonathan's guard enough so that he felt comfortable speaking. In front of strangers as well. Never underestimate the bond between a boy and his dog," Shannon observed. The counsellor in charge of Bingo then stepped inside the office.
"I am so sorry about him. He's always playful and you have to keep a constant eye on him, otherwise he disappears," the counsellor interjected.
"I don't think any harm was done. Far from it, Bingo has been a great help to this family," Tracey responded. She then turned to the Hunt family. "If you like, we can arrange for you to take Bingo off our hands. We train our therapy dogs well. This one is clearly most needed with you. We can give you his leash, collar, microchip details, and a starting bag of dog food, free of charge. Rest assured, he's fully house-trained," Tracey offered.
"Can we?" Jonathan begged his parents, using the same puppy-dog eyes that Bingo had. After seeing the turn-around, Samuel and Olivia could only give one answer.
"Who are we to say 'no' after that? Any forms we need to fill in?" Samuel inquired.
"Nothing that formal, but we would still like to see your child on a weekly basis. Be sure to bring Bingo with you," Tracey replied. Shannon noticed that Jonathan was a little scared to ask his parents whether or not they could keep Bingo but found the courage with the dog at his side. Operating on a hunch, Shannon addressed Jonathan directly.
"Hey, buddy. Bingo here is a rather special dog, just as you are a special little boy. I like your voice. You should speak more often," Shannon complimented. While Jonathan was apprehensive of Shannon, he made sure to listen attentively as best he could.
"Thanks, miss," Jonathan replied.
"And well-mannered, too. Do you remember when you lost your voice?" Shannon asked. Jonathan paused before answering. He thought for what seemed like minutes, before holding Bingo close to him and giving a response.
"Speak….. only…. when…..," Jonathan struggled to get out his response, but Shannon could guess the rest.
"Spoken to. Who told you this?" Shannon dug deeper.
"Ms. Hill," Jonathan answered.
"His kindergarten teacher. I better make some inquiries," Samuel clarified.
"I'm sure she had good intentions. Autistic children tend to take everything seriously and literally. True, sitting down with his teachers is a good idea, but I caution you not to take a hostile approach to this situation. Sad as this fact is, most mainstream educators have little awareness of the autistic spectrum, so they cannot recognise the signs or where they may unintentionally be going wrong. I would arrange a conference with his teachers, the principal, and the school counsellor. Hopefully, between you, an education plan can be devised. Most mainstream institutions have a SEND, that's Special Educational Needs Department, that can handle situations like this. It may be worth your time looking those people up," Shannon advised.
"We will, and thank you, for everything," Olivia said gratefully.
"We're here to help," Shannon replied. The family left with Bingo in tow, and an appointment was booked for the next week.
"That was well-executed, Shannon. We'll make a family counsellor out of you yet," Tracey praised.
"Thanks. It came from personal experience. My…. Jacob and Rhea told me the same things, more or less. Those teachings stick with you, make you withdraw and exclude people. Maybe that was their intention, knowing what I do now about them. They never did like my theatre friends much, with the exception of Benny, and that was just because he was Jewish, like me. In the end, he and Luan helped me unlearn those toxic beliefs," Shannon confided.
"And may missives like 'Stranger Danger' and 'Speak only when spoken to' die with them. Those are horrible lessons to teach kids. It makes them exclude people and stunts social development. I've lost count of the number of families I've seen with those mindsets," Tracey ranted.
"Times change, Tracey. We need to change with them or be left behind," Shannon commented.
"Too true," Tracey confirmed.
After the work day was done, Ruby and Shannon head back to their home. They ate dinner, talked about their day, and headed off to bed to tuck in for the night. While Shannon couldn't discuss what took place in the counsellor's office, owing to doctor-patient confidentiality, she did mention something about therapy dogs and them being an attractive option for them. Shannon found puppies cute and adorable, though not nearly as cute and adorable as she found Ruby. Still, the idea of a bundle of joy to take care of was appealing to both women, whether it was canine or human, though any talk of children would wait until they tied the knot, for the sake of their respective parents. Shannon was more interested in Ruby's tale, seeing as how she had heard of Vic, and she didn't have the best impression of him.
"How did a sleazy, misogynistic, bigoted man like Vic ever qualify as a candidate?" Shannon posed.
"Beats me. Whoever's in charge of screening candidates needs to be a tad more selective. I wouldn't worry. There's no way Royal Woods would ever elect someone like him," Ruby surmised.
"If there's one thing the counsellors are always telling me, it's never to underestimate the power of collective American stupidity, or big money corruption. Vic must have an inside guy working for him," Shannon theorised.
"Well, whatever it is, Officer Schoffner will find it. All I have to do is watch out for shenanigans on election day," Ruby responded.
"What is it that Jewish-American girl on that show you love so much always says? The bloodhound of truth will expose the corporate corruption?" Shannon quoted Ruby's favourite show from her teen years that got canned too soon.
"Something like that. I still think Molly should've ended up with her, instead of that pretty-boy Oliver," Ruby lamented.
"Because Libby reminds you of me?" Shannon teased flirtatiously.
"Maybe a little," Ruby replied in kind. Shannon smirked as a delicious idea came into her head.
"Then maybe I should show you into my shell. It'll just be us, alone, in a place where none of life's ills can disturb us, to do what we please," Shannon enticed.
"You are getting way too good at that. If only I could, but I need to be up early," Ruby sadly turned down Shannon's advances.
"Fine, but don't keep me waiting too long, you hear? I can only go without your hot Indian ass for so long," Shannon pouted.
"Believe me, I feel the same about your hot Jewish blintzes. We'll both have our fill when this is done. I promise. I love you, my sparkling Shannon," Ruby promised.
"I love you, too, my radiant Ruby," Shannon said, and they both kissed, then slept the night away.
The next morning, in the early hours, Ruby turned up at the town hall where the voting would take place. Waiting for her was Officer Schoffner, who was wearing plain clothes so as not to spook any potential election thieves. Both of them had name tags identifying them as volunteer workers, though it took a while to make Ruby's tag because she introduced herself as 'Ruby Tannenbaum' and had to remind herself that she and Shannon were not married yet.
"It'll happen one day, Rubes," Ruby said to herself.
"There you are. I've been watching the main hall for an hour. Nothing suspicious yet," Schoffner updated.
"I don't even know what we're looking for," Ruby stated.
"Well, typically, votes are collected either electronically or with hand ballots. The former is easy to crack, but only if you have a very skilled hacker in your employ or are one yourself, and the latter often requires physical input. Most election fraudsters don't see that option as worth their time, but you never know. Also, each individual vote has a specific number assigned to each registered voter, so it is easy to spot duplicates, electronic or paper," Schoffner explained.
"What do you know about Vic? The file only said so much," Ruby asked.
"He used to be Mayor Davis' campaign manager and advisor, but his tactics always boiled down to attacking the opposition, sometimes by making up stories about them bordering on defamation and slander. When Leni Loud ran against her, Davis did win, but she fired Vic because she didn't want to win the way he suggested," Schoffner recalled.
"I still can't believe the town let a high-schooler run for mayor," Ruby commented.
"Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, with his political career down the toilet, Vic resorted to scheming the Sunset Canyon Retirement Home by sabotaging them to get the helium stored beneath the building for his family's balloon business. Again, the Louds, specifically Lincoln and Clyde (yes, I know he's not a Loud, but he's at their house so often the people call him an honourary Loud) exposed him and, well let's just say Scoots had some fun with him. Also, the family disowned and fired him for his attempted thievery," Schoffner relayed.
"Attacking old people is just plain evil," Ruby observed.
Yeah, Vic hates the Louds with a passion, blaming them for his failed careers, so much so that he scammed them into paying for a luxury vacation, then making their stay absolutely miserable. But you know the Louds, they always find a way to fight back and win they did. That family turned Vic into their personal servant, and when their vacation had finished, they reported him to the CEO of the hotel chain he was employed with. Vic was fired again and another career path gone up in flames," Schoffner concluded.
"You think he'd learn by now," Ruby ruminated.
"Leopards like him never change their spots. We must be vigilant. The morning rush of voters has started. Here we go," Schoffner braced Ruby for the busy time ahead of her. The slow trickle of early risers, those stopping off on their way to work, and general election enthusiasts all slowly filed in to cast their votes for mayor. One particular person set Ruby's heart racing. It was Shannon, and she was wearing a name tag similar to hers.
"Shans! You volunteered?" Ruby inquired.
"Yep, what kind of fiancée would I be if I didn't support my future wife?" Shannon quipped. The two hugged and lightly kissed before Schoffner's throat-clearing put them back on task.
"Oh, right, we'll each take one end of the hall, while Schoffner focuses on the people coming in. Between the three of us, we're sure to spot something dubious," Ruby suggested. Schoffner, impressed with Ruby's take-charge attitude and decisiveness, saw to monitoring the intake of people, while Ruby and Shannon each took the north and south ends of the hall respectively. Shannon thought back to her time playing as Gertrude, detective partner to Agatha Mystery, back in high school. She tapped into that experience to help her and, by extension, Ruby, with their current task. Speaking of Ruby, she figured that, while she was here, she could cast her vote for Mayor. To her, the choice was obvious. She wanted more of Mayor Davis, so she marked her hand ballot accordingly, and handed the ballot to the election worker. When the worker put Ruby's vote in the box, Ruby thought she heard something peculiar. She paused, turned around, and examined the box the votes were kept in thoroughly, much to the chagrin of the attending election worker.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" the worker probed. Ruby recalled the sound she heard in her head and realised that she heard something similar almost every day in the office. Ruby then grasped the box firmly and lifted it up, to reveal a paper shredder disguised as a ballot box, much to the shock of everyone present.
"Busted! Work in a law firm long enough and you know what a shredder sounds like from a mile away!" Ruby exclaimed. On the other end of the hall, Shannon decided to cast her vote electronically, only for the option to select Davis to count a vote for Vic instead.
"These machines have been rigged!" Shannon accused. Schoffner examined the machines and confirmed Shannon's assertion. Panicking, an election worker bolted for the exit, only for Officer Schoffner to pursue and apprehend the perp.
"You rigged this vote for Vic?!" one voter demanded.
"I hate that guy! Why would I vote for him?!" another voter vented.
"We're sorry, everyone, but the election is suspended until we get to the bottom of this whole mess. We appreciate your co-operation," Schoffner announced. The hall emptied person by person, until it was just Ruby, Shannon, Schoffner, the arrested election worker, and Schoffner's back-up that had arrived to take their prisoner away.
At the police station, Ruby and Shannon had finished giving statements while Ruby was making her report to Allison. Schoffner was still in interrogation, grilling the vote-rigger for everything they knew. It was a good thing Shannon had booked the day off, otherwise she would be facing an earful from her superiors about missing work. She saw Ruby finishing her phone call with Allison.
"Alright, thank you Allison. Talk soon," Ruby said down the line and hung up. "Allison is going to talk to the DA and see if criminal charges can be filed. They'll liaise with the boys in blue here. In the meantime, they'll also work with the Mayor's office to postpone the election until appropriate security measures are in place so this doesn't happen again. Mayor Davis will hold a press conference this afternoon," Ruby summarised.
"Rigged elections? I always thought that was just a conspiracy theory floated around by bitter losers," Shannon quipped.
"Last thing we want is another riot like J6," Ruby lamented. Just then, Schoffner emerged from the interrogation room.
"The worker told us everything in exchange for a plea deal. I have guys picking Vic up now," Schoffner informed. As if on cue, two police officers dragging a cuffed Vic came into the station.
"Unhand me! You can't do this to me! I'm your soon-to-be-Mayor! I'll have your badges!" Vic raved.
"What part of 'you have the right to remain silent' did you not understand?!" an arresting officer reiterated.
"Did the Louds put you up to this?! I swear they're out to get me!" Vic rambled.
"Always someone else's fault, huh Vicky-boy? Hate to disappoint, but it wasn't the Louds this time. To pile on the bad news even more, we have enough evidence to charge you, and a criminal record bars you from public office. Sorry, but your mayoral dreams are up in smoke," Schoffner bragged.
"You're making a mistake! This town needs me!" Vic protested.
"Yeah, this town does need you. In a cell," Shannon joked, which got everyone except Vic laughing.
"Oh, very clever. Friends with that hack comedienne Luan by any chance?" Vic guessed.
"We were theatre kids together," Shannon proudly replied.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Vic seethed through gritted teeth.
"I believe you have the right to remain silent. I didn't realise you lacked the capacity," Ruby jabbed.
"Oh no, let him talk more. I want to see how big a hole he can dig for himself," Schoffner mused.
"You're lucky I don't practice criminal law, or you'd be facing me in court, and it wouldn't end well for you," Ruby stated.
"And if my wife-to-be is good at one thing, it's making her case," Shannon added.
"My congratulations to the happy couple. Mazel tov!" Vic sarcastically wished before being taken to a police cell to await interrogation.
In court, Vic was found guilty of election fraud, intimidation of election workers, and conspiracy. Those charges, on top of his other offences the DA decided to try him for, earned him a fifteen-year prison sentence. To add insult to injury, the town of Royal Woods celebrated when Vic was sent down. Mayor Davis won re-election handily, and the crisis had been averted. Since then, Ruby and Shannon have enjoyed high point after high point in their lives. They got married, became godmothers to Luan and Benny's daughter Jasmine, and adopted a little orphan boy named Henry that they rescued from Right Path remnants.
However, things weren't sunshine and roses for Vic. Since his release from prison on parole, his reputation had sunk. Where once he was somewhat respected, now people couldn't stand him. He was all but banished from Royal Woods and doomed to work a menial janitor's position at a restaurant on the seedy side of Fern Valley. Where once he had a house to call his own, now he lived in social housing with only the bare minimum needed to survive, with none of the luxuries he used to enjoy. This fall from grace fuelled a bitter resentment towards the Louds, towards Ruby and Shannon, towards all of Royal Woods. He didn't even have his pet gila monster to keep him company, as Gilly was handed off to a zoo in Great Lakes City when he went inside, and he could forget about female company, as every woman he came into contact with thought he was too old, well past his prime. He thought back to his old life and lashed out in anger. Just then, he heard a knock on the door, and he panicked. Was this Big Ginge, sending more goons to collect the money he owed them? Or was it his old enemies from Royal Woods, come to knock him further down? When they knocked again, Vic pepped through the door hole. He was surprised to see that it was neither of those people, but a woman, not much older than he was. This was a surprise. Vic didn't put an ad in the paper or sign up to a dating app, so what was she doing here? Only one way to find out. Hesitantly, Vic opened the door.
"Vic McGillicuddy?" the woman asked.
"Who's asking?" Vic replied.
"Someone with a proposition for you. May I come in, please?" the woman requested. Now Vic was curious. What was she on about? What proposition did she have in mind? Against his better judgment, Vic let her in. She sat down on the living room sofa next to Vic, where the two got to talking.
"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Vic inquired.
"Of course, introductions are key. I am Susan Hill. I used to be a kindergarten teacher at Royal Woods, until fifteen years back, that position was taken from me," Susan introduced herself.
"Join the club. I've had plenty of roles stolen from me as well," Vic sympathised.
"So I've heard. You were once campaign manager to Mayor Davis. A very illustrious position, I must say. After that, you tried to bolster your family's balloon business by attempting to heist an old folk's home out of their helium. I'm sure you had the best of intentions, but the Loud boy and his friend got in the way. Given how obstinate some of the residents of Sunset Canyon can be, I'm sure asking politely was out of the question," Susan buttered Vic up.
"I am not in the habit of asking for things. Since you seem to have a complete record of my life, you should know I always take a more direct approach to my goals," Vic justified.
"I was not faulting you. Far from it, I respect your approach to matters, as do my benefactors. Since we know all about you, it's only fair you should know about me. As I said before, I was a kindergarten teacher. I made sure to mould my students into respectable members of society. I had only their best interests at heart. I taught them every social grace imaginable, from 'speak only when spoken to' to 'don't talk to strangers'. Everything we were taught as children. One day, I was called into the principal's office along with the parents of one Jonathan Hunt, a former student. The principal blamed my teachings for the boy losing his voice or whatever fancy 'neurodivergence' is trending these days and asked me not to teach what they called 'out-dated lessons' anymore, instead telling me to teach how to 'socialise properly' or 'embrace diversity'. What tripe! I flatly refused, and so I was ousted from my position for doing my job better than those hacks. Later, I learned that the boy had seen a counsellor-in-training and got his voice back after getting a therapy dog. Now, that trainee has a practice of her own, a PhD, and a loving wife. You ask me, Dr. Tannenbaum has a LOT to answer for!" Susan exposited.
"Wait, are you talking about Shannon Tannenbaum? She and her girlfriend are responsible for my rotten luck as well!" Vic probed.
"Oh, it gets better. Have you heard of Right Path?" Susan queried.
"Wasn't that group destroyed? Shame, because had I known they existed, I would've sent my step-daughter there when she introduced her girlfriend to the family," Vic lamented.
"That's because Shannon happened. Her grand-parents founded that place, built it from the ground up in strictest secrecy, and gave us our noble mission; to heal the sicknesses that are the LGBT lifestyle, cultural diversity, and atheism that is steering our country away from greatness. Already you've seen how Royal Woods' new 'church-state separation' model is serving as a template for President McKay's new legislation, aiming to make such a model nationwide. This cannot be allowed!" Susan laid it all out.
"So? Why come to me?" Vic asked.
"Simple. Our numbers are low right now. We used to be spread across the country, supported by sympathisers in all levels of government. But when Shannon Tannenbaum exposed us, she brought all of that down. The few of us that weren't taken that day were forced underground, cut off from the resources we needed to finish our mission by the Deep State that gains more power every day. Even the Barsonthor family's vast wealth has been denied to us. We have gathered here to take back Royal Woods, in the hopes of demolishing the walls between the Lord and the Law and starting again. We need someone in the mayor's office to help us, and who better than you?" Susan proposed. Vic was liking this so far. It sounds like this Right Path representative is offering an alliance. They put him in power, he grants them the resources and the leave to do what they wish. Vic knew a good deal when he saw one.
"So that's it. You want me to take charge of Royal Woods and let you carry out your noble mission. Fine, but I have one condition. I want revenge, not just on Ruby and Shannon Tannenbaum, but the Loud family as well. They were the ones who destroyed my political career the first time. The Tannenbaums simply dealt the final blow," Vic requested.
"The Louds? Yes, their genius child Lisa was the one who supplied the tech that enabled the Tannenbaums to expose us in the first place. Not to mention two of them are in same-sex marriages and two others are practicing polyamory. Total affronts to the Lord. Very well, we agree to your condition. We'll even help. Interested?" Susan outstretched her hand, which Vic happily shook.
"Very," Vic agreed to assist Right Path.
Author's note: Initially, I wasn't going to write this story. I was content to let the Right Path saga be a duology. However, recent events have convinced me that this story needs to be told. In the chapters to come, this may be seen as me venting, having a tantrum, whatever *his* supporters will inevitably say. I am past the point of caring. I am telling this story and there is *nothing* those Pakleds can do about it or say to make me stop! Honestly, they have it coming, because they chose fascism, hatred, violence, and division over saying 'Madam President'. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.