A/N

So I finally decide to come back to this. It's one of many fanfics I knew I wanted to start, but didn't quite know how to finish (the ideas I had sounded a lot cooler in my head before I put them down).

I haven't forgotten about this though, I swear, I haven't. This next chapter should be proof. I don't like to leave stories unfinished once I start them (that's one of my biggest pet peeves), so you will see an end to this. One way or another.

"All right then," Tadd set his chocolate root-beer mug down on the table. "Tell me what you know about the Shane Gang."

"I'd personally like to start with Eli," Twist said, casually leaning back in his chair. Total. Schmuck. Did I tell you he fell for me before he fell for you?"

"I think you mentioned something like that," Tad smiled, amused.

"So, first I go, charm the pants off the guy with my puns and love for slugs, and he accepts me into the gang-" Twist snapped his fingers "-just like that. I mean, he could've listened to that redhead friend of his,"

"You mean Trixie," Dana interjected.

"Right, Trixie, who kept warning him that something wasn't right about me, but nope. I was a member of the 'family', just like the others. Or, I was...until I broke his heart when he found out I was working for your dad."

Tad chuckled.

"Now, imagine some time later, you come along, you charm the pants off of him, and then it turns out you're trying to restart your dad's business!" Twist exclaimed, grinning.

Tad laughed.

"I mean, come on, fool him once, shame on us, fool him twice, shame on him, amirite?"

"It is hard to argue with that, Twist," Tad acknowledged. "Second time around, some handsome-ass guy comes around, knows his way with slugs, and seems too perfect to be real, you should know better by then. Hell, at least exercise a little caution."

"Maybe he just likes to see the good in people," Dana suggested.

"Maybe, but look where that got him." Twist sneered.

"Oh, that just gave me an idea: Shane hasn't seen you recently, right?" Tad asked.

"Not since your dad was defeated," Twist replied.

"What if...you let him think you've had a change of heart, gain his trust, and then WHAM! Reveal your intentions when it's too late to do anything about it!"

"GENIUS!"

Tad and Twist high-fived.

"Okay, now, what about the troll?" Tad wondered aloud.

"You mean Kord?" Dana asked.

"Yes, him."

"He's extremely stubborn; doesn't like to admit it when he can't fix something. Trixie caught it in her bloopers when she was just kind of filming around," Dana explained, crossing her legs. "He was having trouble with one of the mechs, and was growing frustrated he couldn't fix whatever was wrong with it, I don't remember what it was. Anyway, I imagine that one would be pretty easy: just break some important machinery beyond repair to the point where even he can't fix it. Or, if he could, it'd take him a really long time."

"That'd be pretty hard to do..." Twist remarked. "...Cave trolls are notorious for fixing even the worst of technical problems."

"Then maybe just basically destroy it," Dana shrugged.

"How about Trixie? I have a feeling you would know quite a bit about her, Dana," Tad said, turning the conversation her way.

"I'm anonymously subscribed to her internet blog, so I often watch the fights they get into, but..."

"But what?"

Dana sighed. "Aside from a lack of physical strength, I don't really see any weaknesses from her...even when I see her in person, which happens more often than you'd think. If she's got 'em, she doesn't show 'em."

"I guess we'll come back to her, another time, then. Now, Pronto, the molenoid, should be pretty straightforward: ego, money or fame, and cowardice. He may as well have a target painted on his oversized gut," Tad observed.

"Now all that's left is to come up with a plan where we can exploit their weaknesses," Twist declared.

A long, thoughtful silence sat in the small room before Dana spoke up. "I think I have some ideas..."

The next day, the Shane Gang found their "secret" hideout under fire by three young humans...the Hooligang! Oh, you thought I meant the Daddy Issues Club? Good guess, but no. Our three villain protagonists were too clever to face them upfront of course, but Tad threw a bag of coins to the Hooligang to convince them to carry out the task of being a mere distraction.

So far, it worked. Irritated to be awoken so early in the morning, it didn't take long for the two gangs to become locked in a slinging duel...and it took an even shorter amount of time for Dana, to skillfully slip in through an open window without triggering the alarm system, and make her way to the garage. She was glad she had the opportunity to use her new black catsuit, and a chaotically painted white, red and black mask with magnified lens over the eyeholes to enhance her relatively poor vision. It was best to remain in disguise in case anyone saw her.

She didn't know too much about mechs and how they worked, but the more she thought about her plan, the more she thought that whatever was broken could simply be replaced. Eyeing Kord's toolboxes (he kept at least two spares) she had another idea!

Breaking the mechs' legs with a sledgehammer, she stuffed the toolboxes, as well as other odd wires and spare body shell pieces lying around into the sack she brought with her. Of course Kord could go to a repair shop for replacement items, but now he would have to walk there. Heaving the heavy bag over her shoulder, Dana began to wish she hadn't given Eli that Shadow Walker; then she could teleport to the club and back with ease, not counting the dizziness and nausea that came with using it.

Then she realized they could just as easily use the Shadow Walker for teleportation, despite the consequences. She decided quickly that she had better take it back before they could use it to their advantage.

Taking her best guess, she figured it was in Eli's room. It didn't take her long to figure out which one was his: the one with a photo of him and his father on his nightstand. Dana clenched her fist in resentment. How did Eli find the strength to stay a hero, even with his missing father?

Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on her main task. Her attention turned to an orange backpack in the corner of the room. Careful not to wake a sleeping Flaringo slug that didn't seem to hear the attack on its owners' home outside, she found the Shadow Walker besides the little creature. She was surprised it wasn't better-guarded.

Throwing the sack out the window, and leaping back through, she ran around the back of the Shane Gang's base to retrieve the Arachnet slug she had used to help her arrive faster.

BOOM! Dana had noticed a particularly large explosion at the front of the hideout.

"RETREAT!" Poor Pronto was being ambushed by a number of slugs. Dana understood the tactic: overwhelm the weakest member and eliminate them from the fight...but unfortunately, that meant he was driven her way, and he noticed her.

Hissing loudly, Dana arched her fingers like the claws of a cat, to which Pronto promptly responded by screaming effeminately, and fainting.

Dana's Arachnet that had been told to wait outside was happy to see that his owner made it out, and was successful. Chirping cheerfully, he climbed on her shoulder.

Dana chuckled softly. "And Tad said the mask was a bad idea," she murmured to him, giving him an affectionate scratch on the head.

"PRONTO!" Dana looked up to see a panicked Eli dash to the direction of Pronto's scream. Eli, of course, wouldn't be so easily frightened by what was clearly just a mask, but it didn't stop him from becoming hostile at the sight of his friend's attacker.

Taking that as her cue to leave immediately, she used the Shadow Walker to make a portal.

"HEY! STOP!"

Eli had almost managed to fire a slug at her, but she had escaped in the nick of time.

"...So...how did it go?" she heard Tad's voice in her ringing ears.

Dana removed her broken mask to look up at the two blurry faces of Twist and Tad, the former handing her her glasses. They had been waiting about a mile from the Shane Gang hideout, waiting for her return.

Swallowing back vomit that almost shot from her mouth, she forced a small smile. "Mission accomplished."