Title: Another Step Toward The End Of The Line.
Series: Mental Torture (Or the I'm Better at Mind Fucks Than You Are) Series, part 4
Author/pseudonym: Voracity
Email address: to list or bookwrecker@yahoo.com
Rating: maybe an R, he kills someone but it's not graphic.
Pairings: Scott and his wives offscreen, Doctor Evil/Mini Me (just starting in this part)
Fandom: Austin Powers.
Archive: okay.
Other website: Voracity.tripod.com on the Misc. Page.
Disclaimers: Do you think I own them? If I did, do you think I'd be living without much furniture and listening to my kittens whine because she's tired and doesn't want to nap? Of course I don't own them, and I doubt the SNL people would be that upset with this, but they get all the credit for the characters.
Summary: One step closer to the actual plan.

Doctor Evil, purveyor of bad plans to gain money and power, looked at himself in the mirror. "You really should be able to talk back to me," he told it, going to sit on his bed. "This is the twenty-first century, mirrors should be able to talk. I'll have someone fix you in the morning." He curled up next to his Mini Me and held him like a teddy bear, the only comfort he would allow himself.

Outside of his room, a young woman smoothed down her light refracting cat suit and moved closer to her target's door. It was time to end this little game so she could get the woman she wanted. The woman Scott promised might be hers if she impressed her. And what better way to impress a woman than to get rid of the man oppressing her. She snuck into the darkened room, mocking the man on the bed with her sneer. "And another one bites the dust to save all womankind," she whispered, pulling out a knife. She flinched as he rolled over, a gun in his hand. "Yay," she said, kicking him. "You're a man, you're pathetic and weak. Scott was right. You're a fun game, but not worth the effort to really play." She stabbed him in the stomach and giggled, just like her backpack had before it exploded. Then she ran from the room as he reached for his alarm button.

***

Doctor Evil came off his hospital bed and grabbed Number Two as he walked in. "I want her found and torn apart," he hissed, fighting the attendant's restraining hands. "I want her dead and gone! And I want it done now!"

"Calm yourself, sir," Number Two said, trying to stay reasonable. Or at least sound like he was being reasonable. "We've got some of our best people out looking for her right now, Doctor Evil, and I promise we'll find her for you."

Doctor Evil started to relax, but then he lunged back up. "She said something about oppressing women. And about a game. She actually said I wasn't worth playing with."

Number Two pried the fingers off his jacket and helped Doctor Evil back until he was lying down. "It's all right, sir, we have it on video. We're doing everything we can to find her now."

"You're not turning her over to the police are you?" he snarled. "I want the pleasure of killing her, not the state."

"No, sir, we haven't gone to them at all. I've kept this all in-house and we should be able to find her by the time you can come home." He nodded at the attendants to take him down into the hospital wing of the Corporate Headquarters, wincing as he heard his boss continuing to rant. He turned to find Frau standing behind him, and grabbed her by the arm, leading her into the security office so she could see the tape for herself. "Well?" he asked once she had seen it.

"I have no idea." She shrugged. "She's a delightful young woman but I've never encouraged this. Nor have I said I was being oppressed. At least not out loud." She straightened her uniform jacket. "Any luck on finding her yet?"

"No." He scratched his eyebrow. "There's not a thing we can do yet. We've searched her apartment but it's been picked clean. The only thing we found was an old 45 of a lullaby."

"Maybe that has some sort of clue on it," Frau suggested. "Do we know which one it is?"

The new Chief of Security, the old having died just minutes earlier, turned to look at them. "We're playing it now. The people down in the containment room said it's a version of 'Hush Little Baby'." He flipped a switch, turning on the speakers so they could all hear it.

//Hush Little Baby
Don't say a word,
Mommy's going to buy you a working world.
And if that working world don't ken,
Mommy's gonna blame it on the weakling men.//

He flipped the switch again. "I'd say she was a very strong feminist. Maybe she can be found through their networks. Frau?"

"I have some friends there, I'll ask around about her," Frau agreed. She looked at Number Two. "How is Doctor Evil holding up?"

"Not well," he told her. "He's ranting and raving now. It may have been the pain, but I have no doubt that Scott's plan was for mental torture on a much grander scale than this."

Frau nodded, smiling slightly. "That would be more Scott's approach. To start off with a small torture and work his way up until he got what he wanted." She looked around the room. "Is anyone keeping an eye on him?"

"Yes, ma'am," the Security Chief said, pointing at a monitor. "It's a remote feed from the compound. His wife's been yelling at him for hours now." He glanced at Frau. "Something about harming a poor woman who only wanted love?"

Frau smacked herself on the head. "Of course. Has Ms. LaGrain said anything about me?"

"Yes, ma'am. She said that you were more... her type," he finished quickly, not wanting to embarrass his favorite boss. You always knew where you stood with Frau, she was very even and calm, never erratic with her orders. "She rebuffed Doctor Evil when he tried to seduce her."

Frau sighed and nodded, leaving the room. "I'll go check with some of Unibrow's friends," she called as she left.

Number Two looked at the Security Chief. "I want to know why Scott's wife is yelling at him, down to the smallest nitpick she tosses at him. Have it on my desk." He walked out, letting the man do his job.

The Security Chief looked at his people and pointed at the screen. "You heard him, he's the nice one. Do it." A woman rushed forward to eject the tape and slip in a new one, going to take the old one for transcription.

***

Doctor Evil woke up and looked up to find his Mini Him standing above him with a wet washcloth. "How am I?" he asked, reaching up to touch his clone's cheek. "Am I going to live?" The clone nodded and climbed down, going to push the call button. He watched as a nurse walked in, waving her over. He grabbed her by the throat. "Have we caught her yet?" he hissed.

She squeaked, trying to get away, pushing her panic button. Two guards came in and freed her, taking her out of the room.

Doctor Evil rolled to look at his clone, who shrugged. "They don't understand," Doctor Evil said, holding out a hand. "Come here, I need that cloth." His clone climbed back up on his stool and went back to mopping his forehead with the damp cloth. "I need Number Two," he said, blinking and trying to stay awake. His clone nodded and climbed down, leaving the room to go get him.

***

Number Two was sitting there when Doctor Evil woke up again. He was reading something and glancing at the clock every so often. "Have an appointment?" Doctor Evil said weakly.

Number Two put the papers aside. "Just a check in with the Security teams," he said calmly. "How do you feel? You've got a slight infection. Apparently the blade had some sort of poison on it."

"Is that why I feel like killing everyone?" Doctor Evil asked.

"Probably." Number Two leaned forward. "We have made a little progress in finding her. We know why she did it now. She was trying to impress Frau, who knew nothing about it."

"Are you *sure*?"

"Yes, Doctor Evil, I'm very sure. She knew nothing about this and didn't encourage it in the least. Unibrow would not have been happy if she had." He gave his boss a reassuring smile. "Something that she left behind when she left has given us a new avenue to find her through, we're working on that now."

"Could she be related to that cult my son joined?"

Number Two shrugged. "We're checking into that also." He stood up. "I've got to check in with the Security people. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Out of here so I can rip her throat out with my teeth!" He continued to rant as Number Two walked away, telling it to the nurse who came in to sedate him again.

Number Two walked out into the hall and looked at Frau. "The poison must have affected his mind," he said quietly.

"Then we'll have to run this without him for now," she said simply, turning and walking away.

Number Two went back to his office, he could check in from there and be comfortable while he did it.

***

Doctor Evil woke up some as he heard voices talking next to him.

"I tell you, he's insane. He tried to attack me earlier," a female voice whispered. "He's obviously gone across that final edge with the way he's been screaming. We should keep him sedated."

"No," a male voice said. "If he needs to go on some psychiatric medicine, it will have to be one that doesn't put him into a comatose state. He does have to sign our paychecks after all."

Doctor Evil opened his eyes and lunged up at the talking people, doing his best to kill them even in his weakened state.

"I told you so," were the nurses last words. They were uttered as the guards came back in to sedate the patient.

"That's it," the doctor said. "Give him thorazine. The maximum dosage." He rubbed his neck as he walked out, escorted by a guard. "No one enters this room without a bodyguard," were the last coherent words Doctor Evil heard for a very long time.

TBC