A Terrifying Reunion

Liv wakes...but not in Fitz's sock, as she anticipates. She anticipates Elias a bit less...but she'd be lying, if she said he wasn't great in bed.

She's inside a glass dome. Outside it, gravel surrounds her. To her, the pebbles are as big as boulders. Beyond, she thinks she can even see part of the Oval Office...

SHE WAKES, a scary voice says, inside her head.

Liv screams, and looks around. "Who said that?! Who's there?!"

WHICH ONE WILL IT BE, another asks. OR, DO WE DO IT TOGETHER?

Liv looks around, terrified. She can't see anyone, but she can hear them...

WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER, a third voice says.

Liv gapes. "I know that voice," she says. "I've heard it before..."

High above her, a trio of huge fish, bigger than whale sharks to her, approach her. They've long, flexible noses. Every now and then, electric arcs connect certain parts of their bodies. They've all got pink tags linked to one of their pectoral fins...

LIV POPE, the familiar of the three voices says, in Liv's head. WE MEET AGAIN.

Liv gapes, and shakes her head. "Professor Beene?!"

CLOSE...BUT NO HUMAN. AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, THERE WAS A FISH IN A TANK, DURING A FEW OF YOUR CLASSES WITH HIM. He twitches his elephantine proboscis. REMEMBER ME?

"The fish," Liv repeats. She looks around. "You can all talk?!"

TELEPATHY, Novak reminds her. BIG DIFFERENCE.

I AM CYRUS, the familiar voice says. THESE ARE MY GAY PARTNERS, NOVAK AND AMBRUSO. NO NEED TO STRESS, MS. POPE; WE ARE NOT HERE TO HARM YOU. JUST TO HOLD YOU FOR RANSOM."

"Ransom?!" She looks around. "You're going to ransom Fitz? Why? I'm worth nothing to him!"

DON'T TRY TO RUN A BLUFF, SWEETS. IT'S USELESS. REMEMBER: WE CAN READ YOUR MIND.

Liv sighs. "So...you know about my affair with him."

They nod, all three.

Liv looks around. She's in a slave bikini. She wears chains, too.

"If you're all gay," she asks, "why bother eroticizing me?"

IT MAKES OUR JOB MORE EXCITING. EVEN SO, YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT WE EXPECT FROM MR. PRESIDENT, IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR RETURN. WE WANT THE GREY HOUSE.

Liv looks up at them. "Are you crazy?! You three can't be president! This is the NAU, you can't just assassinate the president and succeed him!"

WE ARE AWARE. AND WE WILL CROSS EACH RELEVANT BRIDGE WHEN WE GET TO IT. BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, WE NEED TO KEEP YOUR PIMP OUT OF HERE. AND WE ARE CERTAIN, BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, THAT HE WILL GIVE US WHAT WE WANT, EXACTLY AS WE SPECIFY IT, IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN INTO HIS PANTS...OR WHEREVER HE PREFERS YOU.

Liv breathes heavily. "You won't get away with this."

YES...THERE'S A CHANCE WE'LL FAIL. BUT THEN, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE THOUGHT TO IMPROVISE INSURANCE."

Liv looks up at the three of them, paranoid. "Insurance?"

Cyrus sighs, telepathically. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE TOLD YOU THAT WE DON'T PLAN TO HURT YOU? WELL...THERE'S JUST ONE TINY THING ABOUT THAT PROMISE THAT WE MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT DELIVER, DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR PIMP COOPERATES WITH OUR RANSOM DEMAND...

If Liv's spot was tight before, it's even tighter now...and not just because this is where the elephantfish keep their popcorn cichlids, while they're watching hockey games... At least they were courteous enough to drain it, before locking her up in here...