Start at the Beginning Pt 2

"Good morning ladies!"

"Salutations Courtney and Rally!" Penny waved. "Did you come early to visit with us?"

Courtney rolled her eyes. "That's part of it."

Neo smirked. [Rally is trying to score a homemade breakfast XD]

"Bingo!" Rally said shamelessly. "Is that alright?"

Sayoko and Roberta courtesy. "Certainly, please make yourselves at home," Roberta said. "We're honored to have instructors Vincent and Krieger as guests," Sayoko stated.

"Oh. Hey. What's up?" Yang asked casually.

"Another one?" Rally asked surprised.

Courtney sighed. "Yep. That's what I was saying about the clipboard this morning. Pay attention." She smiled at Yang. "Sorry about her. She's spacy in the morning until the caffeine or adrenaline kicks in. Which ever wakes her up first. You must be one of the two newest ladies? It's a pleasure to meet you Goldilocks."

Yang blinked as she shook her hand. "Goldiewhatsthis? Who's that?"

Courtney blinked. She was confused as well. "You're not Goldilocks? I'm sorry. You must be Merida, then?"

"Awright." Merida looked up and waved. "That's me! Buzz tae catch up wi` ye lassies!"

Courtney smiled and waved assuming that was a greeting of some kind? "Uhm, likewise I'm sure... so then who are you and where's Goldilocks?"

Yang crossed her arms. "I'm Yang. Yang Xiao Long."

Courtney sighed relieved. "Oh, okay. So you are Goldilocks Yang Xiao Long, then. That's a relief. For a minute there I was worried there was a-"

"Noooo...," Yang said. "I'm just Yang Xiao Long. There's no Goldilocks or anything else!"

Rally looked up from her spot and seeing Courtney shake her head got up from the tabke to join her as Courtney pulled out a sheet of paperwork. Yang realizing something was up came around to join them in looking at it together.

Sure enough it listed everyone they needed to transport for the day, as well as marking the others as excused, including a "Merida of DunBroch" and a "Goldilocks Yang Xiao Long". Courtney pointed at the name and asked, "Is this you or not you?"

Yang stared angrily as people started to go from chuckles to laughs. "That should be me but there shouldn't be a "Goldilocks" infront! Wait a minute..." she looked at the top of the list "Owner and original requestor: Walter Stark... Authorized by AI F.R.I.D.A.Y.... Proxy Requestor: Neopolitan?! NEO!!!"

Neo had already scampered away after bowing and laughing silently to the others. Only the swinging door and her vacant seat indicated to Yang that the culprit had already made good her escape!

It was too late! All day today she was going to be "Goldilocks" to everyone she met! Everytime they checked in or off base, rolecall at each class... even getting their lunches! Goldilocks, Goldilocks, Goldilocks! "That little brat! Why just me? Why didn't Merida get a funny name?"

Merida looked up. "Me? Whit urr ye oan aboot? Mak' sense 'n' speak plainly."

Blake was covering her mouth. "Because that would be cruel... "Goldilocks" *Snort*!" Her body was shaking and most of the others were laughing openly too now. Even Courtney and Rally realizing it was a prank of some kind wouldn't look her in the face directly at that moment and were struggling not to laugh.

"Best not to worry about it," Rally advised her avoiding making eye contact.

Courtney nodded looking at the ceiling. "That's right. These kinds of jokes die down on bases... after awhile... eventually..."

Sasha nodded. "Yeah after several years people will start to forget... oh, If "Goldilocks" doesn't want her lunch later, I call dibs!"

"Dammit!" Nora said. "Alright fine! You beat me to it but if "Goldilocks" doesn't show for lunch tomorrow then-"

"Dibs," Ilulu called quickly.

Nora turned blazing eyes the dragons way. "Oh, it's going to be like that is it?"

Sasha high-fived Ilulu. "That's what you get for stealing my pancakes the other day! I'm not stupid! I was missing two!"

Ilulu nodded. "And somebody took one of my cookies at the wedding yesterday! Sasha would like to but she and I have a pact of mutual non-snack aggression as sworn Snack Sisters! We work together for our treats! But you spurned pur generous offer to include you into the sisterhood of snackdom!"

Nora put her foot up on the chair to point dramatically. "Your so called alliance of the sisterhood of snackdom is false, I say! A pact of mutual non-snack aggression? A pack of lies that breeds weakness! Only the strong stand to claim the spoils of..."

Everyone else has finished eating and is ignoring the trio... except Penny who thinks they're rehearsing for a play or a game of some kind and tries to enthusiasticly clap in the appropriate moments. "Ruby would love this game!"

Even Yang has sighed and seeing the full immaturity on display decides to suck up being "Goldilocks" for the day. Blake pats her shoulder and Yang nods following her out to the porch, thinking about what she previously told her. Neo is teasing her on purpose to take her mind off of other things. The strange new situation. The fact her sister and other teammate is still out there somewhere. Even her worries about having to be a trainee again if only for a short while... Neo was teasing her but she'd done no lasting harm, even the nickname was goodnatured in a way, not mean or nasty when she thought about. "You know what? I think you were right, Blake... she is trying to be a "friend" in her own way. Hell, everyone on base will know who I am before the end of the day thanks to her, if I think about it that way..."

Blake nodded smiling. "And?"

Yang grinned and punched her fists together. "If she wants to "play", then we can play! Challenge accepted!" And she shrugged. "... and who knows... maybe we can be friends after all! Have to wait and see."

Blake smiled at her. Neo smiled too from where she sat unseen ontop of the porch roof as she twirled Hush's umbrella over her shoulder. Good deeds didn't have to be completely "good". Bad deeds didn't have to be completely "bad". That's what she was learning from talking with the other Villain-anon members about nemesis relationships. Things weren't or didn't have to be "black and white" all the time. She thought about grey and she thought about Walt

Walt was thinking about shades of grey too as he stood infront of the board members. All were in attendance, though only half physically. Some were holoprojections and more were simply plain black spaces with their names only. It was extremely early or late depending on where they actually were.

"Monsieur Stark," said Mr Floquet, a very well dressed member holoprojecting in from Paris. "These claims are quite disturbing... if they are accurate."

Walt pursed his lips but nodded. "They are both of those things. As I said I have brought the characters in to verify their identities here as well, as you can see there before you. Should I have them brought in to join us?"

"I don't think that is necessary. Walt has confirmed their identity and so has RealDreams-" Mr Williams who'd flown out from San Francisco started to say.

"Maybe not, but they should be checked again!" Floquet said interrupting. "If mistakes can happen they should be checked and rechecked!"

"Arsch," the young Ms Mieke Nachtnebel muttered. There seemed to be some agreement with this statement.

"Je m’en fous’ Salude-" Floquet started swearing.

"Alright, mind yer Ps and Qs you two," Mr Nelson Shaw started from somewhere in London but it was too late.

Tensions were high and colorful words in a dozen languages started getting tossed around. Walt sighed. There was a fair bit more resistance then he'd been expecting. Most of it coming from Floquet and a few others. They seemed to be the minority though and wanted to stick their heads in the sand and hope the problem went away. Walt wasn't surprised. He remembered Floquets father as a-

"Bakka!" Said the usually proper Aiya Yamabayashi from somewhere in Tokyo.

"Dickwit," said the Australian Jim Jones.

"Dummkopf!" Ms Nachtnebel stated.

-too. Walt tried to see what Floquet's supporters thought only mildly interested.

"Michin-nyeon!" Said Mr Sung-ho Lee from somewhere in Korea starting into a tirade.

Not to be out done Mr Vítor Menezes Maldonado joined in voicing his support from Brazil. "Não confie cegamente em Stark como um idiota!" Walt tried to remember if he'd done something to get him mad in particular but couldn't recall- Oh, no wait! The mans kids! They'd tried throwing their weight around in the company and 3S put a stop to it, uncovering their petty operation... apparently Maldonado blamed him for them getting fired from their cushy little positions. Shouldn't have been trying to earn extra cash on the side with company property. Stupid really as it wasn't worth losing what they were making for NOT doing their jobs. Maybe the grandkids would be smarter...

Walt looked at the president's seat and the big blank black screen. He felt certain Mr John Dough was in his office at the top of the building, *probably with the display muted getting his dick sucked,* Walt thought. *The old bastard had the right idea.* Walt crossed his arms and stood back waiting smiling. The old man would put a stop to it when he was no longer amused. Walt, as a former employee, certainly wasn't going to spoil his fun.

After awhile a tone sound was made. Everyone stopped and looked at the president's display. "Vote," Was the only thing that was said in a low voice.

Everyone immediately settled down and casted their votes. Five for retesting, the majority against and a few abstaining.

Walt quietly chuckled. The old bastard had let it get out of control because he found it amusing and he probably wanted Walt to see who his supporters actually were. *Cunning old bastard. Nice to know the vast majority still supports me and 3S.*

"Das ist gut," Ms Lina Schneider said smiling at Walt. "The matter is settled. The characters are recognized as being from the "protected" instances in question."

"Yes," Mr Rashid Shaikh agreed from Dubai. "Wasting too much time arguing about the obvious. Now to get to the heart of the matter. How to proceed. I suggest we immediately go with a full investigation. With 3S already conducting a security audit and evaluation, now is the perfect time!"

"Seconded," said Mr Wěi from somewhere in China.

Walt kept smiling as inside he was glad things were proceeding quicker now... but it was still frustratingly slow. *The old man's probably getting a kick out of that too,* he thought. *Hold yer horses. Slow and steady wins the race... or so they say!*

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O and Merida

Will Return In

Start at the beginning Pt 3

Coming Soon]