Rated PG-13
Usual disclaimers: The time line in Highlander is alternate universe, so Richie is still alive and kicking, and in the Pretender this happens in the third season. I'm not putting a definite date of episode on this fic, because the circumstances keep changing. If you recognize any concepts, people, places, or anything else that was never on either series, I haven't the slightest idea how you did it, because it's all original. Either you're clairvoyant, or you hacked my hard drive. And that's not very nice.
Everyone you recognize from The Pretender belong to NBC and Pretender Productions; everyone else belongs to Rysher. Richie belongs to Clan Denial after the fiasco called 'Archangel.' If you sue me over this story all you'll get is some pocket lint and a Barlow knife, cause that's all I've got.
Steven Donovan is mine, and any other characters that you see in this story who are not on either show as regulars are mine. Animaniacs and the Warner Brothers (and Sister), and Pinky and the Brain all belong to Warner Bros. and I mean no harm by using them in this story. In fact, consider this a plug for my two favorite animated series.
P.S. Yes, I know that hand cuffs is one word, but that's an inside joke, and if you don't get it, don't worry about it :-)
© December 11, 1998
Praise will be bronzed and hung on my wall, flames will be fed to Saint George Drake, my pet dragon in the backyard, as an afternoon snack.
* * *
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker stepped off the elevator with a sigh of relief. She had not been comfortable riding them since her mother was killed, preferring instead to use the stairs. Today, however, she was tired and in a hurry, so she took the elevator. The guard nodded at her as she walked out the front door, leaving for the night. Her car bleeped as she unlocked the doors, and Miss Parker sat down in the seat with a sigh. It had been a very long day.
She pushed the key in the ignition and let it hang there, pushing a tape into the player. Turning the key to start the car Miss Parker closed her eyes and let Foreigner's 'Cold As Ice' blast through the car. As she reached for the gearshift, she noticed that the clock on the radio was blinking steady 12:00. She started to bang the clock to jog it's memory when the blinking got faster and faster.
"Did I see this on the X-Files?" she wondered as she grabbed the door handle and launched herself out of the car, running for the nearest shelter as her car exploded behind her. Miss Parker was thrown twenty feet through the air, landing in the grass alongside the Centre's main building. She passed out as the car's gas tank ruptured and blew, causing another, bigger explosion. Her last memory was of Centre Sweepers running towards her, yelling.
* * *
There are Pretenders among us...
Geniuses with the ability to become anyone they want to be. In 1963 a corporation known as the Centre isolated a young pretender and exploited his genius for their research.
Then one day their Pretender ran away...
* * *
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Miss Parker looked carefully at her chair before she sat. "These death threats are getting to you, old girl," she thought to herself. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Nothing to be scared of, it's probably some stupid prankster trying to get me in a tizzy." But she really didn't believe that, anymore than she believed that Sydney was actually Mickey Mouse in disguise. A simple prankster wouldn't go so far as to wire her car to thirty pounds of TNT just to get a laugh. Whoever it was wanted to kill her, and that scared Miss Parker to death.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, breathing slowly through her mouth. That usually calmed her down. She was just getting relaxed when she heard her office door open and a familiar chuckle. She opened her eyes to see Lyle sit down in front of her desk.
"Two days of vacation and you're already sleeping on the job, Parker? Naughty, naughty. Why, what if dear old Dad were to come in here and see you?"
"That's my problem, isn't it, Lyle? And who gave you permission to come barging into my office? Get your feet off my desk." She slapped Lyle's feet to the floor, bringing a theatrical pout to his lips.
"Aw, Parker, what would Dad say?" He laced his fingers behind his head and propped his feet back on her desk, tipping back in his chair and closing his eyes. Miss Parker had an incredible urge to push the chair backwards, causing it to fall and Lyle to tumble out. If she were lucky he might break his neck. Lyle spoke without opening his eyes.
"I wouldn't if I were you, Parker. The Triumvirate would be very unhappy if anything happened to me." Miss Parker stifled a gasp of astonishment. Lyle opened his eyes and chuckled. "Twins, Parker. You and I. Whether you like it or not we have a psychological bond that can never be broken. Tell me, were you sick with the flu October of '78?"
Miss Parker nodded, not sure what Lyle was getting at.
Lyle laughed. "Well, dear sister, so was I. I was also sick with chicken pox in '68, and I had measles in '74. As did you. I checked your file. We are connected, Parker, in a way that no one can ever be connected. Sometimes I can even read your thoughts, like just then when you wanted to push my chair over and cause my premature death. That might be harder than you ever imagined, Parker. I'm very hard to kill."
Miss Parker snorted. "Yeah, so I noticed. Now, what are you doing in my office?" She grabbed the candy bowl out of Lyle's hands. "The candy is for the clients." She leaned back on her desk and waited for Lyle to answer. He just looked at her, a smile on his face.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving today for an extended trip. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but rest assured I'm not gone forever. I'm sure that will give you great comfort." Lyle's tone was smug, and matched his smile.
"Anything else, my dear brother?" She made the question as saccharine as possible, and was gratified when Lyle frowned.
"Just one thing, you need to check with Broots. He has something to tell you that he wouldn't tell me." He stood and was starting out the door when he turned and held up the thumbless hand. "Oh, and Parker, be careful out there. It's a jungle sometimes."
Then he was gone. Miss Parker sighed and reached for the Advil she kept in her desk drawer. This was going to be a really long, long day. Heading down the hall towards Broots's Tech room gave her time to calm down. Broots was hunched over his computer when she got there, whipping around and putting his hand on his heart when he heard her behind him. She stalked up to him and said, "My dear brother said you had something you wanted to tell me. Spill it."
Broots swallowed nervously and tried to smile. "Well, uh, I think I found a lead on Jarod. I found something in Austin, TX." He held up a newspaper clipping of Jarod carrying a child out of a burning building in Austin.
Miss Parker frowned. Why would Jarod leave such a blatant clue? Probably to taunt her, she figured. Jarod didn't look like he knew the picture had been taken, and after all, he probably wasn't to blame for being a perfect fireman. Miss Parker folded up the clip and tossed it back on Broots' desk. "Get the Centre jet ready for a flight to Austin, I want to leave tomorrow." She stalked off, leaving Broots to breathe a sigh of relief.
End of Chapter One