Chapter Text
The locator was pointing towards Bricksburg. All the shared knowledge she knew warned against it, that the perfectly controlled world Lord Business ruled could get under a weaker Master Builder's skin into forgetting everything. What they didn't know though, couldn't know, was that this was where Lucy grew up. She never wanted to go back, but she must.
Her tracker led her to a construction site. The entire place was blasted with that irritating song, and she groaned. With brainwashed people, any of whom was liable to report her to the Secret Police, crawling the place, she stalked and waited for their five hour workday to finally end.
…
…
Someone else got to the Piece first. And he was in trouble.
She pulled down her hood, tracking their location. Manually, unfortunately, since she couldn't tag the person. Lucy winced as she saw Bad Cop start his interrogation of the Special through the vents. The Special smiled through it, braving Bad Cop with a cool, upbeat mask. Not her personal choice, but she could admire the refusal to cower in fear.
Finding an opening was difficult. She had to risk crucial minutes to look, but when her time clocked down, she broke down the door. "The Special!"
Instead of the Special being tortured, writhing in pain tied on an operation table, there was an eerie calm and… tea party music?
"Did you just disable all the robo cops?" Lucy asked, impressed.
The Special looked up from his tea cup. "Why, hello friend! I have no idea what you just said."
In place of an operation table was a complete tea party set. Bad Copy was tied up to a chair that was nailed to the floor. A tea cup was taped to his foot. He looked absolutely miserable.
"You! Untie me, please! Disregarding anything to do with my parents, I will do anything to be free from this madman," Bad Cop sobbed.
"Wow, and you found a way to break Bad Cop," Lucy said. This really was the Special!
"Don't be ridiculous. This is a tea party for all my friends. You're invited too! Earl gray or matcha?"
"Nevermind that," Lucy said. "You're the Special. Follow me if you don't want to die." Even if the Special seemed to have handled the situation suitably fine on his own, as expected from such an important person.
As she Master Built a bike ride though, Lucy was growing increasingly frustrated with the Special's need to play like an ordinary person. It was Master Builder to Master Builder. He was safe with her. This was her life's mission in action. Maybe she wasn't the Special—fine, but she was going to get her place helping him where she could.
In between screams, he said, "Um, no one is special! Me, the most important guy in the universe? I feel like you didn't get the memo, but I'm just a regular construction worker!"
"You know, I might have bought into that lie if I didn't see you had Bad Cop captured back there," Lucy said off-handedly, trying to focus on the road.
"Had? Oh no, we still have him." The Special then pulled Bad Cop up from the backseat by the neck.
"Please help," Bad Cop groaned.
Lucy smacked his face. "Just, hold on sir! Keeping Bad Cop captured is going to be tough, but this is incredible work."
They enter through a secret tunnel to the Old West. She only hoped Bad Cop wouldn't get away and make it impossible to ever use this one again. Needs must though, she knew they had to meet with Vitruvius. After several way too convoluted shenanigans, they were finally upstairs to talk in private.
"So good news and bad news," Lucy said. "The good news is, we have the Piece of Resistance and Bad Cop captured."
"Oh, that is terrific, Wyldstyle!" Vitruvius crowed.
"The bad news is that the Special seems more interested in hosting tea parties than saving the entire universe. He also claims to not actually be a Master Builder, even if I have some doubts." She turned around. "Actually, what is your name?"
"President Business calls me Emmet Brickowski!"
"Great, Emmet, now–wait, what did you just say?"
"Oh, didn't you know? I'm President Business's son!"
Bad Cop immediately sat up straight. "You're what."
This was not in the plan. When did Lord Business even get a wife? Everything was going horribly. This was going to be a nightmare upon itself to convince Emmet that his father was the purest representation of evil, the antithesis to free thought and creative expression.
"Then that means you know that Lord Business is evil, right?" Lucy said slowly.
"Evil? What do you mean? Octan makes lots of great stuff! Like dairy, security cameras…" As Emmet listed on the products of consumerism and devastation to the very Master Builder lifestyle, she wondered if it would be possible to take the Piece of Resistance for herself.
"It's not possible," Bad Cop grumbled. "That's why I wanted to laser cut it off of him."
"You're a real prick, you know," Lucy said. "I think you're going to be stuck with Emmet for a long time."
Good Cop switched in, and his eyes widened in measurable panic. "Oh please, no!"
"This is hardly anything compared to the hundreds of Master Builders you captured and killed," Vitruvius pointed out.
"Death would be a mercy," Bad Cop grumbled after switching back.
"Emmet Brickowski, has your father informed you about anything he does… outside of the public eye?" Vitruvius suggested.
Emmet promptly ignored him and began to set up his tea set. "How do you like your tea, Mr. Wizard Man?"
"Milk and five sugars." Vitruvius leaned in and whispered to Lucy, "They may not be a Master Builder, but it's clear he definitely has skills. The Piece of Resistance has chosen well."
Emmet poured the tea and presented the cup to him on the table. "And how about you, Wyldstyle?"
"I think you should consider that Taco Tuesday is definitely a cover-up–" Lucy began.
"Why, of course, it is!" Emmet said unreasonably cheerfully. "Anyone who needs to make the S silent is definitely scheming."
"The S…?" Lucy asked.
"You know, TAKOS Tuesday: Tentacle Arm, Kragle Outside Sprayer Tuesday. He plans on releasing the kragle on the entire universe in three days."
"How did you know that acronym?" Bad Cop demanded.
"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Emmet laughed. "You're so funny, Bad Cop."
Bad Cop then switched out to Good Cop, who was noticeably sweating.
"Like, I think you slept over at my house once out of uniform," Emmet said. "I know it was just a hook-up, but I think we really could've made it work."
"Hey, uh, what does it take to join your Resistance?" Good Cop whispered. "I think this guy might just be crazy enough to actually beat Lord Business, except like, I need my parents to be safe. From both Lord Business and him."
"How much do you talk about in your sleep?" Lucy asked him.
"Too much." Good Cop shuddered.
She groaned. Why did her life have to turn out like this?