And You And I

Chapter 37: Come over here dear girl, have a soda

"Kim, it's good to see you again."

Over the noise of the choppers, Kim heard the comment that had been directed towards her and tore her gaze away from the vehicle in which Shego had just been roughly thrown, only to come face to face with none other than the current head of global justice herself; Dr Director. "Betty?" she replied questioningly, wondering why on earth the head of GJ herself had come out to such a routine clean-up operation, "what are you doing here?"

"We're here to stop Mount St Helens from erupting and causing massive damage to the surrounding forest. Not to mention arresting the perpetrators, although it seems that's already been taken care of," Dr Director replied and Kim suspected the woman had deliberately taken the word you to have been used in the collective sense.

"I was referring to you personally."

"Why don't you come aboard my chopper and we can talk there," Betty said, ignoring the question altogether this time. "I've got people about to drop some sort of cryogenic bomb into the volcano to lower its temperature and prevent an eruption, but just in case this happens to be the one-percent day, I suggest we leave quickly."

The woman then indicated for Kim to follow her to a waiting helicopter. However, before she moved, her gaze returned to the cargo chopper aboard which Shego and Drakken had been taken and she watched it take off. And she could not get over the feeling that fate had given her exactly what she had wanted up to less than an hour ago (a beat-up Shego being dragged off to jail), purely to screw her over. Letting out a deflated sigh and knowing that she had some serious issues to deal with once she got back home, Kim turned and followed Dr Director towards her waiting ride. However, while she had been stationary, she had completely failed to notice the small creature that had scampered up her leg and stowed away inside the pouch on her belt. Climbing aboard the helicopter, a GJ agent shut the door behind her and she found herself alone with Betty.

"Have a seat, Kim," the woman said and indicated for her to sit down across from her.

Hearing Dr Director's tone immediately set her on edge, but she took her up on the invite regardless, not that she had much choice mind. While the woman's voice had sounded friendly enough, Kim could detect an undertone that made her exceptionally wary. Like she had just sat down opposite an exceptionally pushy timeshare rep.

"Would you like a soda?" Betty asked, procuring one from a footlocker full of ice and offering it to her.

Kim's instinctive reaction was to decline, knowing full well that the offer had absolutely nothing to do with Betty trying to be a considerate host. No, this small act was designed to make the woman seem friendly. Like she was just another one of the flock and not the wolf that desired to devour her. Unfortunately, owing to the heat inside the volcano lair and the amount of energy she had just exerted, she could not refuse. She ran her tongue over her now chapped lips... lips that not so long ago had been kissing Shego. Running a finger along them revealed a modicum of the green-skinned woman's black lipstick and brought about a flash of just how magical it had felt. No, Kim, focus. You'll have time to think about Shego later. Right now, you've got a more pressing problem to deal with.

She reached out and took the offered bottle of chilled soda. "Thanks," Kim replied and quickly uncapped it so she could take a much-needed, albeit small drink.

"No need to ration it, there's plenty more where that came from," Betty then said, demonstrating her point by taking one out of the footlocker for herself.

And so, we continue pulling crap from the psychology 101 playbook. You drink one yourself to show that deep down we're the same and then offer me more, but with the hidden catch that I now have to sit and listen to you. However, Kim wasted no time in guzzling her entire bottle. As she did, she felt the helicopter take to the air. When she had finished, she then readily took the second soda which Dr Director offered. She unscrewed the cap, but did not take a drink, instead choosing to reiterate her question from earlier, "why are you yourself here, Betty?" While she asked the question, she already knew the answer. However, the sooner the woman laid her cards on the table, the sooner she could tell her she had no interest in playing at her table.