The Bad Guys in All About Millicent

Suspicion

“So, then, the minnow says to the tadpole, ‘Why would you want legs when you can just go with the flow?'" Quentin joked to Wolf, who stared at him in confusion.

“I don't get it," Wolf admitted.

“Well," said Quentin, “it's because streams flow, and tadpoles eventually grow legs, and..."

“I told him that joke was lame," Allison groaned.

“You know another joke that's lame?" Snake said without warning. “Late night talk show hosts."

“You're Quentin's dad, aren't you?" she asked.

“The one and only," Snake answered.

“Oh, good," Allison said. “Now, I can say I don't like you to your face."

“Well, that's nice of you to... Wait, what now?"

“You heard me. I don't like you," she repeated. “When we were dating, Quentin told me how he grew up with everyone hating him, not even his own parents wanted him."

“But that's not fair!" Snake claimed. “I didn't even know I had a son!"

“Perhaps for good reason," Allison said. “Given how you and all of your friends are a bunch of ex-convicts. Luckily, Quentin doesn't have a bad bone in his body, but he still can't get a decent job simply because he's a snake."

“Well, what about you?" Snake asked. “Can't you work?"

“I have to stay home with the kids, no one else would watch them while we're both busy. And I'm not taking applications from an absent grandfather with a criminal record."

Snake felt too hurt by his daughter-in-law's words to say anything back to her. Instead, he just slithered away.

“So, anyway, the dog says to the– Dad?" Quentin said. “Where are you going?"

“Away from here!" Snake replied bitterly.

“But don't you want to meet your grandkids first?"

“That depends, will your wife let me?" Snake spat.

“Atención!" Piranha announced, interrupting them. “I just wanted to thank you all for coming, and to thank the Rat Pack for setting this all up overnight."

“Eh, it was nothing. Right, girls?" Monique asked her friends, but Sapphire and Brenda were sound asleep.

“And I also want to thank the kindest, most beautiful, sweetest girl in the world for saying yes to a guy like me. Gabi, please come up here."

“Oh, uh... okay," Millicent stammered, making her way through the crowd to Piranha.

“Gabi, you mean everything to me," he began. “You are my sun, my moon, my stars... I don't ever want to spend another moment without you..."

While Piranha continued his speech, Quentin noticed a picture of Piranha and Gabi together, and something seemed a little off.

“What's that?" he asked as Webs returned. “What's that mark on her head in the picture?"

“Oh, uh, that's just a scar," Webs answered. “Gabi's always had that. Well, not always, but y'know."

“That's funny," Quentin said. “The Gabi here doesn't have a scar."

“You're right," Webs gasped in realization. “IMPOS–"

“–sible!" Quentin interrupted, covering her mouth with his tail. “People said it was impossible for two completely different individuals to make such a perfect couple!"

“Who said that?!" Piranha exclaimed. “Was it the Pin Masters?! I'll end them!"

“Piranha, take it easy," Shark said. “Go ahead and finish your little speech."

“Right, sorry. Now, where was I?"

“Something about grandchildren?" Millicent replied in uncertainty. She wasn't fully listening ever since she heard what Gabi said to her.

Once Piranha remembered his place, Quentin dragged Webs underneath one of the tables.

“What the thorax?" she whispered harshly.

“Sorry, Ms. Tarantula, but you can't just shout out ‘imposter' in front of the imposter," he explained. “I've seen way too many action movies to know how it ends."

“Okay," Webs huffed. “Then, what do you propose we do?"

“Well first, we need to find out what happened to the real Gabi," Quentin said. “But we can't tell anyone else about this, we don't know what we're up against."

“Actually, I might have an idea," Webs explained. “Are you familiar with Professor Marmalade?"

“The guinea pig who stole the Love Crater Meteorite?"

“Yeah, and Gabi used to be his ward," she said. “Anyway, he broke out of prison right before all of the murders across the city started happening. And now, with Gabi's disappearance and this... this faker, he has to be the one behind all of this."

“How do we find him?" Quentin asked.

“The imposter must have some form of communication with Marmalade," Webs explained. “If I can hack into it, I may be able to track the location of the other line. We just need to follow her back to Gabi's apartment and spy on her."

“I don't know," Quentin said uneasily. “Isn't it rude to spy on people?"

“What's more important? Being polite, or saving my best friend's girlfriend from a depraved rodent?"

“Fair enough."