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They were helpless to do anything, chained to pillars above a shark-filled pool and watching the death ray rise slowly out of the dome to begin aligning itself with the city below. There simply wasn’t enough time to stop Evil Doctor Ripley in her quest to take over or destroy the world. Her mission was simple, if she couldn’t have the world, no one would.
With one final flick of his lock-picking watch, Scanlan leapt down from his pillar and punched a shark to get across the deadly chasm. He landed safely on the far side of the moat, shirtless and perhaps a bit hairy, but ready for action.
“Scanlan, help!” Vex struggled against her bonds, helpless in the face of sharks.
“Hold on, babe, the world needs me.” Scanlan called to her. He was hesitant to leave her side just now, but there was scant minutes until the death ray would line up with the satellites. And then it wouldn’t matter for any of them.
He ran to the side of the dome, knowing there were guards just waiting for him on the only stair leading up to the observation deck. Instead of fighting them off, he chose to rely on his unique skill set and the powerful tools that Q had made for him. He popped the miniature shawm from his watch and placed it against his lips. If he could just hit the right pitch he could shatter the dome wall and create his own access to the observation deck above.
With one careful toot of his shawm, Scanlan created a single hole to the outside of the dome, he would just have to climb and not fall into the ocean below.
“Be careful!” This time it was Pike who called to him, similarly chained above the very dangerous and very deadly sharks. She looked genuinely worried and Scanlan smiled over his shoulder for all of their benefit. Vex, Pike and Keyleth were beautiful and dangerous in their own right but it was up to Scanlan to defeat the evil doctor.
The wind was vicious and whipped Scanlan’s hair back from his face but he ascended the slick side of the dome toward the observation deck anyway. Once he reached the deck, drenched in glistening sea water and sweat, Scanlan searched for Doctor Ripley but she was nowhere to be found. Scanlan was somehow able to press the button to abort the death ray. Caught in his victory, he gazed out at the city, feeling small and alone despite winning. Would they ever know who had saved them? Would they ever care about him? Would anyone ever really know the name Shorthalt. Scanlan Shorthalt.
“And that is the story of how I saved Whitestone.” Scanlan concluded, putting his beer down with a loud thump.
“But what about the evil doctor?” His audience was several beautiful women, their expressions ranging from adoring to skeptical.
“Oh, well, I’m still looking for her, we’ll have a reckoning one of these days.
“What he means,” Vex said, interrupting him and leaning over the gnome’s shoulder to steal his beer. “Is that us damsels freed ourselves and kicked her ass.”
Scanlan shrugged, having somehow forgotten to add that detail in telling his story. “What counts is that she was stopped and I saved an entire city.”
Vex muttered something crass and left, most of Scanlan’s audience going with her. One of them was left, beaming across the table at him. “Is that the watch then? Does it really pick locks and have a shawm inside it?”
The secret agent grinned and leaned toward her. “Oh it does so much more than that. I can show you if you like.”