Medusa gasped as she watched what had happened the whole time. She couldn't believe it. Her plans had been ruined. "No! Not again! NO! NO! This can't be happening! Why did this have to happen again?" She yelled angrily, kicking the floor with her foot and clenching her hands.

Hans opened his eyes, since he had been sleeping, he hadn't known what had happened. "What is it wrong, mistress?" He asked, flying over to her and perching on the back of her chair. "Is something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, trying to be a good bird.

Medusa glared over at Hans and snarled, was he seriously asking her that? Did he not read the room? "That little Rosenberg brat didn't give up with the lucid dream and go back to Canada where I can take care of her myself! And then she escapes my men who have been doing deeds for me successfully for years now. Can you believe it, Hans?"

She could not believe it. She had worked so hard, so tirelessly on this one plan she hoped would work. "I can't believe it. I was so sure it would work. It was flawless." She had meticulously planned everything down to the very last detail. She had mapped out all possible options for it to go sideways and made sure that didn't happen. Yet, it did.

Hans tilted his head at her. "Maybe this is a sign? A sign from above. A sign that you shouldn't try to harm this girl. Maybe she isn't the real Clarissa and just a normal orphan girl. Perhaps the real Clarissa is dead or somewhere far away. It could be a mere coincidence." He suggested it could be the reason why, which was so clear to him.

Medusa scoffed at what Hans had said, it was ridiculous to think such things. "Oh my sweet Hans, you have much to learn my naïve little bird. She is clearly the Duchess, genetics make it so obvious. She looked like Perisa as a young woman. I should know, we had known each other for years. I was worth her during those times, we were inseparable. Until she betrayed me." She deadpanned crossing her arms.

Hans did not like being called such things, but he knew it was obvious she would call him that. That was just what she did when she was stressed. He didn't take it to heart. "I am not naïve. You have a point, my dear mistress, yet that still doesn't mean she isn't. There is such a thing as a doppelganger." He knew that every person had at least one person who looked just like them.

Medusa sat down in her chair, it was more of she slumped into her chair sadly. "How did this happen? How could my Dragon Minions and my henchmen let me down? I thought they were very reliable - but it wasn't them at all, because it was the boy, man that dog who helped her." She tapped her nails on the armrest.

She hummed softly as she sat there and thought for a moment. "I've got to find somehow to get rid of them all or at least separate that boy and man from the Duchess." She had a good idea, but now how would she turn it into a plan? It would take time but she didn't need time, soon they would be in Paris.

Hans looked up at his mistress. "Oh come know Medusa, that dog is pretty cute! It's so small, so soft, so fluffy, and just thinks of the puppy's breath and tiny nose." He cooed in a babyish voice as he put his wings up to his cheeks. "Not to mention I'm cute too. I'm the only thing cute around here. I'm cuddly, silky soft, and have lots of plush feathers too. I'm a sleek back color with hints of blue and green!" It was indeed kinda cute how quickly he changed subjects.

Draco glared at the crow, still only seeing him as a measly little snack. "For once in your life can you please shut your beak? You are annoying. Out of respect for my mistress, I haven't eaten you. But every moment you speak makes it harder to not have you for a snack." He said in a low voice, narrowing his eyes.

Hans gasped, offended at what he had said, and put his wing over his chest. "How dare you speak such things about me. I am far from annoying, I am optimistic and good moral support for her in her times of need. All you do is sleep, never once have I seen you offer any kind of encouragement or been her voice of reason." He scowled at the respite.

Draco seemed rather amused by this puny little bird. "Such big words for such a small bird. If she asks for it, I shall give it. Unlike you, I respect her enough to wait until I am spoken to." He said in such a calm way, stretching his back, legs, and neck.

Hans shook his head at the Dragon, frowning deeply. "Now just wait a moment. I knew her way long before you, we were best friends, she practically raised me. I respect her too. There is nothing disrespectful about speaking to her when she hasn't spoken to me."

Draco sighed softly, this bird was never going to get it was he? "Oh Hans, that is the difference between you and I. I know my place, you still haven't figured out your own. You will figure it out the easy way or the hard way." He flicked his tail in the air, shifting in his place so he was lying on his side.

Hans wasn't too happy with his words but yet again he wasn't fond of reptiles who wanted to eat him. "That is what you say, in no way will it affect me or change how I am. I am happy with who I am and am hoping to change the world for the better." Starting with Medusa, that was his goal or side goal.

Draco chuckled deeply at what Hans had said. "Such whimsical thoughts, those that should only be for the small children. As if you, out of all animals, could change the world. That is the job for humans, not a punky bird like you." He wiped his tail around and gently poked Hans in the stomach with his tail.

Hans flapped his wings at the big reptile, waving him off once again. "As I have said many times before, I am done with this conversation and will not continue to banter with a closed-minded dragon like you." He snubbed his beak up in the air and gave a 'humpt' noise.

Medusa ignored the two chatterings as she planned her plot against the girl. "Well, the next mission will be impossible to escape. I must make a call to an old friend. This time is the last time I will let anyone handle my job for me if they fail." She mused slowly getting up out of her chair.

Hans sighed as he turned towards his mistress and flew upon his perch and stretched his wings. "When will you give it up? How much more are you going to throw at this poor girl! What if you've got the entirely wrong person. I mean she did get talked into going along with them. I just told you I thought she was alive because I had a strong feeling about it, I didn't expect you to take my word for it."

Medusa glared at her long-time friend and shook her head. "Oh Hans, you have a lot to learn. She looks just like her: same dirty blonde hair like her brother, same hazel eyes like her father. She has matured, though she still holds her younger features as if she could pass for much younger." She explained to the crow, hoping he would understand.

Hans looked up at his mistress, ignoring the burning glare from Draco. "What about love, show more love than hate? You know what my mother also told me: treat others the way you want to be treated! It's The Golden Rule. You get a lot more bees with honey than with vinegar." He tried to reason with the woman.

Medusa laughed at his comment. It was amusing how naïve and fickle this little creature was. "I'll show love when they're all dead and my work is complete. That is the thing about vengeance dear Hans, you never rest until you feel vindicated." She explained, leaning against the window, which was closed and locked.

Hans frowned, nodding, there was no use to keep on talking with her, it was useless, it was like hitting a brick wall. "Maybe you shouldn't be trying to get revenge instead try forgiveness." He mumbled under his breath, beginning to preen his feathers.

Medusa stood up and walked over to Hans, narrowing her eyes. "What was that? Did you say something toward me?" She asked hoping whatever he said was not an insult because he would not like what would become of him. She did wish Hans was more like Draco.

Hans looked up at her and shook his head. "No mistress, I was just talking to myself. You know what they say "old habits die hard" right? It was the only thing - besides the occasional chat with the bugs - that kept me sane. Along with the jibber gibbering to my friends and the daily gossip." He rambled on, being honest with her.

Medusa raised an eyebrow. "It was not my fault you were all alone all the time. I had Draco to talk to and others loyal to me like you had the bugs in that old palace." She said 'palace' with such disdain as if it was someone talking about their phobia or something.

Hans rolled his eyes waving her off with his wing as he jumped down on the table. "I know, I know. I take full responsibility for my actions." He had much time to think about all that. He had planned out many ways to show he was truly sorry, which he did end up showing her. She just didn't like it.

He decided to get the conversation away from that subject. "Medusa? I need your opinion on something. What do you think about this silky ocean blue for a cape and beret for me to where?" He asked opening up the magazine and flipping to the page, holding up the magazine.

Medusa turned around from resting her hand on the phone she had. "I don't care about what you like or don't! Do whatever you want. I've got a plan to come together, I have to make a call so please be quiet." She said dialing the number and putting the phone part up to her ear.

Hans was a little hurt by her words, he truly thought she would be nice and help. Her help? That was such a laugh. "I was just asking. Hmm . . . I think I'll go with the blu- oh this purple one is beautiful and this red one would look so dashing on me, oh and I like this bright green one, I'd stand out." The crow debated as he looked at the colors it came in.

He finally picked one to end this indecisiveness "I think I'll go with the ocean blue - wait, I didn't see that one, I'll have the blue and purple cape. That is more my style. That should keep me warm and stylish." He was ahead of his time or at least the place was ahead of their time in what we do in modern times.

Medusa rolled her eyes and set down the phone from calling who she needed to. She couldn't believe that her mean and hateful Hans, became soft and mushy Hans. It just didn't seem like him at all. Perhaps he was trying to make her like him better than Draco? That did sound like an idea.

On the other hand, all that time he spent away from her made him all nice. She hated the thought of love, niceness, happiness: it all made her sick. Soon she hoped he would snap out of this phase and be back to her cruel little bird again like he was years before. He was such an imp then, pulling awful pranks and being mean. She missed that side of him.

Hans looked up at his mistress who seemed to be deep in thought. "What are you thinking about Mistress?" He was curious to know what was going on inside her head. What type of things was she thinking about? Part of him didn't want to know.

Medusa looked over at Hans and crossed her arms. "Ah, my dear Hans, it is nothing for you to worry about. I am just plotting, that is all, just plotting." It was a half-truth no doubt. She was in no way going to admit to her long-time friend that she hated his soft side.

Hans knew she wasn't telling him something and perhaps Draco was right about one thing. Medusa wasn't a fan of his soft side, that could be the only reason, right? "Alright. If you say so, mistress. May I ask what you are plotting?" He cautiously asked.

Medusa sat down in her chair and crossed her legs. "Back up plans to my backup plans I have already in case things fail. I am covering all my bases to a person T." She explained opening up a journal and writing down some ideas she had plotted as backup plans to the many backup plans she has.

Hans leaned over to look at the notebook. "My mistress, that is a lot of plotting. Checkmarks, circles, marked out, you have been planning this for a long time haven't you?" He did have to give her credit for her dedication. He wished he had such dedication for something, anything, he could stick with doing.

Medusa nodded, glancing up at the bird perched in front of her. "Yes Hans, this is my life's mission. Ever since that fateful day, in case people had failed, I could pick it back up and finish it myself. Yes, I was skeptical about what had happened to them and if they were dead, I sadly gave those people the benefit of the doubt."

Hans was a bit sad she chose to go down this path, but he already knew he couldn't change it. "Sometimes you can't rely on people, they always let you down. That is why I am always the do-it-yourself type of bird." He was a bit proud they had that in common, always having to handle things themselves.

Medusa has a faint smile, finally, something they could agree on. "Finally someone who understands that sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands." She glanced over at Draco with the look implying that he didn't agree on such things.

Draco raised his eyes open and blinked a bit at her. "Mistress, you know I always believe letting someone else do things so you don't get your hands dirty and make extra work for you." He explained exasperatedly as if he had said this many times before.

Medusa sighed, he was right, she did also agree with that. "Yes, yes, that is also great yet at certain times when people can do their job. So far, everyone has been utterly incompetent in what I have paid them to do." She rubbed her temples at the very thought.

Hans nodded his head, he sometimes could be a pushover, but he was desperate to keep people close to him. "It is sad the incompetence of people who you trust with a job. If only people put as much dedication into carrying out your plan like you put into it." He mused softly.

Medusa agreed with what the crow was saying. It did annoy her to no end how people were so nonchalant about what she had planned. "For once I want someone to show me that they can carry out my plans as I would. Is that too much to ask?" It was rhetorical of course that didn't stop it from being answered.

Hans was the one to answer and Draco gave him a look that made him glare back. "If I ever was given a task, I would gladly follow through with it as you plan to mistress. Though it will never be anything to compromise my morals and values." He pointed outstretching his wings.

Medusa smiled gently at what Hans had just said. "Hmm, you may be right Hans. I know you do and perhaps I may have a job for you. Of course, if this next plan falls through." She rubbed his chest with her finger. She knew he had always loved that, it was the only thing to do to get the little bird to sleep as a chick.

Hans was loving her rubbing his chest, it felt so nice. "Hmm, yes Mistress. I will be your loyal servant, at your command." He said dozing off a bit soon after he stopped speaking. He always got sleepy when she rubbed his chest, it was just so relaxing.

Medusa pulled her finger away and stood up walking over to the window and smiled brightly. She rested her hands on the window and tapped her nails against the wood. "Soon my plan will be fulfilled." She said and laughed just a little. Her plan had to come together, which it would if it was the last thing she ever did.

❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅~❅

A/N:
Sorry this is so late. Life has just been pretty bad for me lately. Finding out who were fake friends hurts, and so I am kinda trying to deal with that.

Anyways, I am hoping to get a lot of chapters published this month. I know I say it all the time and never follow through but I am trying, believe me I am. Just keep holding out and sending encouraging words.

Chapter talk:
Ah this is a little shorter than I hoped but I knew I needed just to get it published so I can move on. I can always come back to it later and add I'm more. I just really didn't have much inspiration for this chapter sadly. It was vital I had this chapter though, so I am not taking it out.

And lastly, anything else I forgot to ask away my pals. I am happy to answer anything!

In closing, all rude, impolite and mean comments will be replied to in a diplomatic way, reported or deleted if I feel like it is attacking me personally.

Thanks for reading!