Chapter Eighty-Four: Reasons
“Dickson wasn't given a mission to investigate Pleasantville, I can tell you that right now. The government doesn't give two figs about that city, no matter what the uproar is.” Webster told them. “There must be another reason that they went, and the investigation is just a cover.”
“What on earth are they after then?” Belle asked.
“We know about as much as you do.” Webster sighed.
—
“Peter Masters is the reason you're here? HE called you?” Lady Luck raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. He has a few deals with the government, and so he called it and we're here.” Dickson told the Knights of the Last Order.
“Then why weren't you here earlier? The protest was well over a year ago.” Sir Dark asked. Something wasn't adding up.
“The wheels of progress aren't very fast in the great City Hall of Ostraya.” Dickson smiled.
Sir Lionheart closed his eyes. This was going south badly. “I'm going to call an end to this meeting. We're getting no where fast.”
“Very well. I'll send my messages through your friend Theodore?” Dickson got up to leave.
“Constable Jacobs to you.” Sir Hyper snapped.
Dickson nodded, before walking away with Testy and Ball.
“I hope like crazy Chuckles and Giggles have found something, because this is getting hairy.” Lady Courage groaned when the Presidents Entrusted National Intelligence Service was gone.
“I'm worried about what they said about Peter.” Sir Lionheart folded his arms. “We'd better get on to Giggles and let her know.”
“Right.” The others except Lady Courage agreed. Inside, Sunny worried about her friend. How would Belle react to the news that her father sold the power of the Ruby Suit?
—
Belle woke up drowsily the next morning (barely) as her phone beeped, alerting her to an email from Sunny. She read the contents before groaning.
“What's up?” Charlie didn't even open his eyes.
“Apparently last night Dickson confirmed that my father sent for the Presidents Entrusted National Intelligence Service.” Belle sighed. “Apparently it took them a while to get to Pleasantville.”
“Huh.” Charlie opened his eyes.
“That's that. Dad sold the Ruby Suit to the government for a favour, which he called after the protest and they've just taken their sweet time getting to it.” Belle leaned back on her bed.
“Hmm.” Charlie stared at the ceiling. “It's taken them over a year to get to it, even with the public outcry?”
Belle sat up and rubbed her chin. “You're right. Why wait until the public outcry died out only to restart it again?”
She flipped through her notes again, looking for anything she could find. There was a knock at the door, and Charlie answered it. It was Webster, holding a pair of coffees and a cardboard box filled with hot toast.
“Yes please!” Belle and Charlie reached for the coffees. Webster chuckled as they ate and drank.
“You certainly haven't improved your study habits Belle.” Webster said when they'd calmed down.
“Yours aren't much better thank you.” Belle snapped back. “By the way, we need some information.”
“All ears.” Webster perked up.
“We need to know when the Presidents Entrusted National Intelligence Service was requested to go to Pleasantville. I want to see my fathers communication with them.” Belle told him. Her voice quivered slightly.
“Your father isn't a traitor Belle. He did what he had to.” Charlie said quietly.
“I'll see what I can dig up.” Webster told them. “Why don't you go to a Leos game? I'll be a few hours.”
“You can get the information we need?” Charlie perked up.
“I'll get it, just you watch.” Webster grinned. “Or my name isn't Sir Hedgehog!”
—
“Confront him…wait until Belle gets home…confront him…wait until Belle gets home…” Sammy said to himself, trying to weigh up the options.
“We're waiting until Belle-Belle gets home and that's final.” Sunny snapped.
They were sitting in TJ and Petunias lounge room, and that outburst from Sunny had Sammy hiding in a corner.
“Easy Sunny!” Daniel tried to calm her down. “We might not have time to do that. Dingbat, Dickson and Demon are all out there and we don't know what Dickson has in mind.”
“Well, from Belle's email, we can safely say he's lying about his reason for being here.” TJ read the email again. “I wonder what-,”
Suddenly, a news bulletin appeared on the television, that had been left on as background noise. “RUBY IS OUT OF CONTROL AGAIN, AND SO ARE THE HAUNTED MAZE TROUPE!”
“Why, why, WHY did they have to act up while Chuckles and Giggles were out of town?!” Petunia groaned as everyone rushed to the tip to suit up.
They couldn't get there soon enough, as Ruby Daryl was destroying everything in sight in order to get even with some slight he had with the Haunted Maze Troupe.
“Why doesn't it surprise me that my brother is dabbling in drugs?” Lady Courage muttered under her breath as the Knights arrived at the scene. “Thanks Sir Motor!”
“You owe me.” Sir Motor grumbled (he and his beloved daughter had been watching their favourite show before his fiance had called him to take them to battle).
“You'll live!” Lady Courage chided him before rushing out to calm the farm.
“GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY!” Ruby was already trying to get through Sir Hyper and Sir Dark.
"What the heck are you doing Ruby?!" Sir Dark dodged a Ruby Dagger.
"Are you kidding? I'm making a FORTUNE selling this stuff!" Ruby held up a packet of white powder. The two Troupers giggled.
"You sick, twisted, spoiled BRAT! Ladies and gentlemen please stand back." Lady Luck yelled as she quickly ushered people away.
"Aww, you're just jealous you didn't think of it first." Ruby sneered, shaking the bag of white powder. Suddenly he screamed in pain and dropped the bag into the outstretched hand of Lady Courage, who had taken the opportunity to smack the bag out of his hand with her faithful old baseball bat!
"You… give that back or I …" Ruby readied a Ruby Shard. The two Troupers continued giggling, until Lady Luck glared at them.
"I'd be careful with that." Lady Courage opened the bag and held a bottle of water over it.
"You wouldn't DARE!" Ruby looked ready to kill. "There's nearly $6000 in that bag!"
"You're making this so much sweeter for me." Lady Courage looked quite pleased with herself.
Meanwhile, watching the carnage on the television in his hotel, Richard Dickson of the Presidents Entrusted National Intelligence Service grinned.
"So there it is." He watched as the white powder ended up drenched and on the ground as the Troupers turned on Ruby. “Our mission is going to be a success after all.”