8:00 am
While Kim comforted Shego Ed arrived back at the O'Ceallaigh home. “What is the word?” Susan demanded as soon as he stepped in the door.
“Not good, mom. A couple people were able to get pictures with their cell phone last night. The police haven't released them to the press, but it looks like two people in tank suits attacked Hego and some woman while they were out at a restaurant. Police have no idea who she was. She may have been grabbed and Hego may have turned himself over as a hostage.”
“That sounds like Henry. Tank suits? Who was it who used to build those?”
“Obtinus. Hank hasn't battled him in years. No idea who would have been wearing the other one.”
Will had come downstairs when he heard his brother arrive and listened to the news from the police. “I'm going to call Matt and Sharon.”
He placed the call to Shego first. But it was not his sister who answered her phone, “Hello?”
“Hello, is that Kim?”
“Yes, Ed?”
“No, Will. Can I talk with sis?”
“Let me see if she's able to talk.” Kim covered the mouthpiece and looked at Shego, “Can you talk with Will?”
Shego took the phone. “Hey.”
“Sis, looks like Hego was attacked by two guys in tank suits.”
“Tank suits? How could he fall for that?”
“Uh, sis, you quit the team after what, the first or second version of the tank suit? While you were gone Obtinus improved them a lot. We were estimating one of them had about three-quarters the power of Hego by the last version. If this is an even better model it might be a match for him.”
“I still can't believe he would lose a fight with a guy in a sardine can.”
“He may not have. He may have surrendered after a woman he was with was captured.”
“Any ID on her?”
“No, the witnesses were too confused in their descriptions.”
“Hell, I don't like that. I was hoping it was the Hydraulic Woman. I've got a possible candidate for the hostage, but if I'm right I don't care if we rescue her or not.”
“We need you sis. The Wegos can't take on anything that can stop Hego.”
“I doubt Shego can either, but I'm on my way.”
“Bye.”
As soon as he hung up with his sister Will put in a phone call to Mego.
Meanwhile, Shego dialed up the old lair. “Hello?” a dull sounding voice answered.
“Chuck? Is that you? This is Shego. I need to talk with the Doc.”
“He's in the kitchen making breakfast. HEY STU! TELL THE BOSS HE GOT A CALL!”
“God, Chuck, cover the mouthpiece before you shout. You trying to make me deaf?”
“Sorry.”
“What the hell are you doing there? I though the Doc was trying to go legit, why does he need henchmen?”
“Drakken wants to keep us, but the boy genius says we ain't henchmen no more. We are now security guys.”
Shego tried to mentally picture Chuck in a security uniform. Towards the end of his criminal career Dr. Drakken had been deserted by his more competent henchmen as they sought better paying jobs. Chuck, an ex-boxer who had taken too many blows to the head and had lost control of his weight, had always looked menacing in his red suit, but had never been effective.
“So, is the pay any better now?”
“Nah, still stinks. But the kid says we got some sort of retirement plan now, and medical insurance. But without Kim Possible and that blonde guy--”
“Ron Stoppable?”
“Yeah, him. Without them coming around every couple weeks to flatten us we probably don't need no medical. But the new guy, Wade, wants us to go around every hour or so and pretend we're working. The boys and I--”
“Hello?” Drakken's voice interrupted.
“Bye, Chuck,” Shego said and waited for the sound of a line hanging up. “Doc? I've got a family emergency. I need to borrow a hovercraft to get to Chicago. It sounds like Henry is in trouble.”
“Certainly, when will you be here?”
“I'm thinking twenty minutes or so. We need to find someone to watch the girls.”
“Would you like me to watch them?”
Shego hesitated, trying to find some polite way to express her feelings. “Uh, thanks for the offer. But my mom has been begging to see them again. We'll probably just take them with us.”
“What did he offer?” Kim asked when Shego got off the phone. “Do we really need to take the girls with us?”
“He offered to baby-sit himself.”
“Yeah, your mom really wants the see the grandkids. I'll work on the big diaper bag, you get formula and cereal.”
“Who packs clothes?”
“I'll do that for them. Can you put a couple days of stuff together for us -- and tell Ron? And don't forget my toothbrush this time. I hate sharing yours.”
The pale woman laughed, “Like we couldn't find a new one in the wilds of Go City? Hey, Princess, at this point my germs are your germs.”
Shego took the phone call from Wingman in the Volvo on the way to the lair.
“-- and so we weren't able to contact her.”
“There is a chance she may be a hostage with my brother. I'll call if I can confirm that. Will you give me a call if you learn anything?”
“Certainly. Is there any other question you want to ask?”
“No, I think I'm--”
“Yes, I was the original Flyboy. When the Golden Age Wingman retired he hand picked me to become his successor and carry on his heroic legacy.”
“Uh, thanks. I guess you get asked that a lot.”
“Oh, yes. Well, good luck.”
If the HUAC had offered membership to Hego, Shego hoped her brother had enough sense to turn them down. Or maybe that was exactly where he belonged.
George made a pot of coffee and the Wegos sat at the table with their parents and talked strategy. Will and Ed both wanted to do something more constructive, but knew they needed a plan of action rather than a couple hundred Wegos wandering aimlessly around the city. Unfortunately they didn't have enough information to build from. Hego was missing. Cell phone pictures and witnesses indicated two tank suits. The police had found an odd looking cloak at the scene, but while Ed had been allowed to see it the thing didn't mean much to anyone. They compiled a list of Team Go's enemies, but weren't sure what to do from there.
A brief call from Shego, to tell them she was on her way with company, sent Susan scurrying off to get the office ready for the playpen.
Matt cursed the traffic on his morning commute. And he cursed his older brother for keeping his dream of being a comic book superhero alive. And he cursed his younger brothers for asking him to drop everything and run to help Hego, when the idiot had brought it on himself by running around in tights and making powerful enemies. Mego had his own life now, and he didn't need this kind of Team Go grief.
Sometimes Matt wondered if the superhero shtick would have been more attractive if he had a real power, he felt like he had the tail end of the comet. Hego had received vast strength, the Wegos could multiply into an army, it wasn't clear what Shego might have been able to do if she had experimented more with her power, but Mego could get small. It wasn't a power, it was a comedy routine: “Let's get small.” The radio DJs and television anchors regularly made fun of Mego in broadcasts. They always focused on Hego or Shego. Matt knew he'd done as much as any of the others, but television cameras never caught his best work. Sharon had the right idea, she dropped out. Matt couldn't believe it when Will told him she was flying in to help.
By the time he pulled into corporate parking Matt was exhausted from cursing. He hated the way Henry pressured the rest of them to take part in that ridiculous hobby. But Will was right, Hego was family and the big jerk would be the first to offer to help. He pulled out his cell phone and called home. “Ilene? Call my office and tell them I can't make it in today. … No, I'm in the parking lot here. Tell them I felt so bad I turned around when I got here in case anyone sees me. … Yeah, maybe I'll get brownie points for trying to make it in when I felt sick. … No, if you need me I'll probably be at Go Tower. … Yeah, I'm sorry too, but he's still family. … Okay, bye.” The call to his parents' home was shorter.
Matt cursed the traffic on the ride to the Go Tower. And he cursed his older brother for getting himself in trouble. And Hego had better be in real trouble or he would face the wrath of an angry Mego.