Bernard tried to recover his breath. “Katelynn…?” he whispered, realizing he was alone in the room. “Katelynn…?” he called her again, weakly.
Nobody answered. Oh God please tell me that the the setting wasn’t on D-estroy… he begged inside his head, checking the gun on the floor. The setting was still on D-ehydrate, and right in front of him, there was a blue ice cube. It was her. His best friend.
“KATELYNN!!!” he jumped, and took the cube into his hands. There she was. Vulnerable. Her life was into his hands, quite literally. “Oh God, Katelynn… Katelynn… Katelynn…” No one coud see the curator’s tears. He was careful enough to wipe them before they touched the ice cube, but that didn’t stop them. He sure had turned her into an ice cube, but that wasn’t going to fix the strange evilness of his dear friend, and the cut he had hurt her. He hated him inmensely at that moment. If only he had been more careful, she wouldn’t have to end hurt. Bernard pressed a little kiss to the cube, trying to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Katelynn… SO. SORRY…”
Holding her protectively against his chest, Bernard looked back at his collection. Clearly all his arsenal was no longer safe. He had to call Jack, and Mets, anyone who could help them to fix the problem, and hopefully his phone would work this time. But, what if her madness couldn’t be healed? Eventually she’s run away, and knowing her luck, Pycho might use her knowledge to bring down Metro City, using his arsenal. The city could be destroyed… All by his fault.
“Hold on. This will end very soon. You’ll be alright.” he whispered to the ice cube, before saving it in the pocket closest to his heart. He took his D-Gun, and began to dehydrate all his weapons, all of them, and saved his three favourites in one of the pockets of his jeans. The rest of the weapons ended inside a metal box, and Bernard set up a small bomb inside of the box. If he couldn’t have his weapons anymore, none villain would own them.
The curator closed the huge metal door, and activated the bomb. The explosions was small, just as Bernard predicted: when he opened the room, there were only remains of blue ice cubes everywhere. Nothing which could be fixed. He sighed in relief, and after ten minutes of cleaning, he left the room again… and this time, hoping he never would have to return to it. He had saved his four favourite weapons, it was all he needed.
Once he returned to his office, Bernard began to look for his cellphone. First thing was to call Jack, and while he was coming, he’d get a good cage for Katelynn. That was the plan.
She scoffed at her words though winced because any facial movement caused a sting of pain. And the blood continued to flow. Trying to wipe it off, she took a step toward the real Katelynn.
“So prissy, do gooder…” her evil self remarked with a hiss, blood and leather causing a squeaking sound as she walked. “You’re pathetic…Can’t even defend yourself against master—”
“Shut UP!” Katelynn cried, fists clenched in her lap. Her eyes stung, she was tired – all the constant fighting back and none of it had helped. She had been unable to stop the murders committed by her own hand, the words she had told people she cared about. You couldn’t take any of it back.
It was all her fault.
“I’ve tried..fighting you..tried getting my body back…to stop you..” she brokingly whispered, her vision blurring from the tears. “You’ve hurt so many people..killed..with my hands…”
“And master will be so proud!” Her other self merely laughed, appearing like the harlequin as she gave a little spin. “I’ve done it all for the Doom Syndicate!”
“No!” Katelynn cried as she stood up, taking determined steps toward the intruder. “This isn’t me! And I won’t let you have my body anymore!”
“What are you going to do, weakling? Fight me?”
“Yes.”
The conviction surprised her, eyes widening as the woman charged at her, probably fueled by the anger that had been simmering for days. They became a blur of peach and brown as they wrestled, Katelynn’s tears falling though she tried her best to overpower the woman. If anyone was going to die it would be the intruder in her body.
“You won’t..have my body!” Katelynn sobbed out, trying to hold back all the emotions that had been bubbling underneath her skin like a crock pot, entire body trembling. Her hands tightened around her throat as the woman underneath struggled for breath.
It took several minutes as Katelynn kept her pinned, not allowing her to move. Perhaps all the blood loss had weakened her down but as time went on the woman’s body began emitting steam, rising and curling around Katelynn. It was like what Psycho Delic could do and it blinded her with rage.
It had been his fault – drugging her and turning her into this.
She had lost track of time as the body below her began disintegrating, flying up into the air and disappearing.
Nothing was left. Only silence.
And the sounds of Katelynn’s broken sobs.
“AHA!” Bernard grinned when he found his cellphone. Now things would be easier. “Things are going to get better, Katelynn, hold on…” he whispered, petting gently the pocket where he kept her. He grabbed the little machine, and began to type a quick text.
[Text: Jack, I’m Bernard’s, one of Katelynn’s friends. I don’t know if you know it, but I think she has been drugged by Psycho, since she tried to dehydrate me. I managed to capture her. Come to the Museum, and try to contact Mets if you can, my cellphone has been giving me a lot of problems lately. I’ll be waiting for you in the hall with Katelynn. -Bernard Jones]
Bernard tried to send again that text to Metro Man, hoping this time it would work. Grace’s life was still in danger, but they’d have to do something with Katelynn first. Picking up the biggest cart he had, he took one of Megamind’s old cages he kept in the Museum’s depot, and used the cart to take it to the Museum’s hall. He left the ice cube inside the cage, and Bernard waited for Jack’s arrival, with a glass of water in his hand.
“I’m so sorry things had to end this way, Katelynn…” he whispered at her. “But, if you can hear me… I’m not angry at you, even if you tried to shoot me. I’m the one who is sorry. I’m sorry over putting you in danger, telling you about Grace. And I’m sorry for cutting your face. I’m so sorry, dear… I hope you still could forgive me in your heart. I still love you a lot.”
Jack had been preparing to go out and scour the city again, when his phone beeped with a new text message. Sighing, the painter stepped back inside – it was probably a client, and even now, he couldn’t afford to ignore calls.
The number was unfamiliar, just as he’d been expecting.
But he hadn’t expected what he read next.
… I knew it.
I KNEW it! I knew something must have happened to her! That bastard – why can’t he just leave her alone?! Jack wanted to scream with rage and sob with relief all at once. Katelynn had been drugged, manipulated, and who knows what else – but at least someone had found her. She was safe in custody, and that meant he’d finally have a chance to help her the way she needed.
He didn’t waste time texting the man back. He hailed a taxi as soon as he was out on the street, and minutes later, a wide-eyed and frantic Jack Maple was charging into the lobby of the Museum. “Bernard?! Katelynn?!”
Jack Maple 