Chapter 6: Gloomy Charles Goomy

The complete and utter darkness surrounded Charles Goomy. It was so dark that he himself didn't know if he still existed or was just a collection of disembodied thoughts floating throughout the natural universe. Soon, however, he felt a coldness from deep within him, and remembered himself. He then knew that he had a job to do. An entire group of people to command, at that. The first step was always the hardest; Charles felt comfortable in his secluded darkness, and dreaded the pain that he knew had to come from letting light in by opening his remaining eye. However, he knew that one did not come to be the creator and leader of an organization such as the Blood-Eyed Cat Syndicate by shying away from pain, no matter how unbearable, and with these thoughts comforting his ego, he slowly opened his eye and took in his never-changing surroundings.
"Mahogany..." Charles was barely able to let out. "Mahogany...where is the Golden Pony of Kubla-Kahn..." A woman of only 45, but who looked much older and had much hatred in her eyes, turned around in response to the weak mutterings.
"Oooooh, Charles, dear," Mahogany responded. "I didn't realize it was time for you to be up."
"It must be nice," Charles responded bitterly. "Nice to not be forced to keep track of time out of sheer boredom. Nice to actually be able to move around. Nice to be able to leave this room. Nice to have an actual body. Nice to not be just a brain trapped within a gumball machine."
"Now now Charles," Mahogany responded with obviously forced sweetness. "We'll have that pony soon, and then you'll be alllllllll better. Mmkay, sweet 'ums?" Charles stayed quiet for a few minutes, pondering. At length he decided to finally put into words a question that had been bothering him for sometime.
"Is that brat nephew of yours still the Keeper?"
"And what would that have to do with anything?" Mahogany asked, no faux sweetness in her voice this time.
"I think you are conspiring against both I and the Blood-Eyed Cat Syndicate, and the reason you have failed to get me the Golden Pony of Kubla-Kahn for all these years is because you still have a certain fondness for your family. How both your father and your brother were able to get into my personal chamber during their assault almost 30 years ago has remained a mystery to all parties, and how your brother was somehow able to survive my freaking sweet robot cougars is an even greater mystery. Granted, your fool of a father was mauled, but just how the rest of your family has avoided our capture all these years is beyond me. So, give me one reason why I shouldn't have you killed, Mahogany."
"You question my loyalty, Charles?" Mahogany asked with a burning fury in her voice. "I, one of the few who have stood by your side from the beginning, who left the comfort of my cushy family to live with a man who I knew married me just to get information from me in the hopes of killing my father and brother? You ask why they have evaded our capture all these years? Well it just so happens that we've captured not only Optimus, but my brother Voltron as well. Oh yes, Charles, I've given them the tickle torture myself; I care not for these fools or any of my other so called 'family.' They were dead to me the moment I grew wise enough to realize that they named me Mahogany."
"Mahogany...I am...so sorry that I doubted you, even for an instant. I should have known that someone like you wouldn't have even the slightest shred of compassion for impassioned, ignorant fools such as them. Do you forgive me, Mahogany?"
Mahogany nodded, and then continued. "You will do well to know, Charles, that we believe we have found Stacy Powell. If all goes well, we shall have that pony by tomorrow. Now, go to sleep, Charles; I will wake you when there is good news for you."
Charles Goomy didn't need to be told twice, as this discussion with his wife had taken up most of his strength. He closed his remaining eye, and once again accepted the sweet embrace of sleep.