The three children stood with Miss O'Lini on the circular dock. Much to their surprise, no one but their terrible mistress was there. She stomped loudly past them in steel plated boots. Even the lanky Barney was only half her size. "Where are da guards?!" Vinnie demanded of Mistress O'Lini. "I thought you'd have the whole squadron on our rears."

Miss O'Lini snickered. "Why send in the clowns when you can handle three pesky flies yourself?"

"Are you implying you're a clown?" Koko asked. "You know they wear makeup right?"

Miss O'Lini's jowls spread apart as her jaw dropped open.

"Ey...good one, sweetums!" Vinnie said, patting his would-be girlfriend on the back.

Miss O'Lini started to chuckle evilly. "I've been waiting a long time to punish you twerps! The screams of children are like a choir of angels singing for my ears."

Barney shuddered. "But...why do you hate us so much? We did nothing to you."

Miss O'Lini's eyes bulged. "Nothing?! Nothing?!! I'll show you nothing!"

Miss O'Lini reached into her military uniform and removed a picture. Her eyes, cracked with varicose veins shoved it in Vinnie's face. "Do you know who this is?!" she exclaimed.

Vinnie expected to see a hideous photo but his eyes were pleasantly relieved. So relieved in fact a hint of drool formed in the corner of his mouth. There was a woman in the photo with long, flowing brunette hair, winsome green eyes, a smooth cherubic face in a military officers uniform. She was fit and trim but curved in the right places. "Whoa mama!" Vinnie exclaimed until Koko whacked him on the back of his head.

"Do you know who this is?!" Miss O'Lini screamed at the top of her lungs.

"A pin-up model?" Vinnie asked.

"Your daughter?" Koko asked.

"No relation whatsoever?" Barney answered.

"That beautiful flower of the Navy!" Miss O'Lini said with rosy cheeks. "Was me!"

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She crumpled up the photo. "Until headquarters put me in charge of this blasted orphanage and you children stole my youth, beauty and dainty nature."

"Wow..." Koko said, shaking her head. "Didn't know that about grandma here."

"We're sorry!" Vinnie said crying. "We stole her hotness!"

Miss O'Lini shook her head. "No apology will ever replace my lost beauty....but..."

"But what?" Barney asked.

A great white grin formed between Miss O'Lini's jowls. "A good beating will!"

Miss O'Lini seized Koko by her throat causing Vinnie to exclaim, "What are you doing, you big ugly meanie?! Dats my beautiful pearl!"

Miss O'Lini pulled a gagging Koko close to her. She grimaced as she cackled. "How about I knock this beauty right off your pretty face dearie!"

"Never...on...your...life... witch..." Koko gagged.

Vinnie looked at Barney who had drawn his sword. "Can you cut her down, man?!"

Miss O'Lini pulled Koko right in front of her. "Try that and she dies!"

Miss O'Lini started cackling even louder as she walked further and further away. Even if the sword could slice her, Barney did not dare make a move.

Barney looked to the boats on the far end of the dock. "Hey, Vinnie," he said. "We can still make a break for it!"

Vinnie balled up his fist. "I'm not going without my pretty little pufferfish! O'Lini!" He howled. "You give her back or I'll ..."

Vinnie raised his fist at the sky. Storm clouds started to gather over Miss O'Lini's head and the orphanage.

"Uh boss..." Barney said, but Vinnie continued to scream.

"I said I wasn't gonna leave unless my crew was going with me!' the future gangster screamed. "Now fork her over or you is getting iced!"

"I don't think so..." Miss O'Lini snarled.

"Den I will! I will!" Vinnie screamed and the clouds rumbled. What resembled a woman's hand stretched down from the heavens and pointed at Miss O'Lini and Koko. Miss O'Lini was so horrified, she dropped Koko who went running straight to Vinnie. The woman's hand with green and yellow painted nails blasted Miss O'Lini with a crack of lightning and she went soaring into the ocean screaming.

"Vinnie!" Koko said as she ran to hug him. "How did you do that?"

Vinnie was so dumbfounded that Koko's embrace didn't register for a second. "I dunno... But I did it for you!"

Koko nearly melted in his arms. "My big strong hero. You may be an eel Vinnie, but you're no coward."

A whistle blew loudly erupting their reunion.

Numerous guards emerged from the orphanage and headed straight towards the trio. "Quick!" Barney shouted. "Onto the boats!"

The trio of children ran as fast they could onto the docks and jumped in a dingey. Barney and Vinnie rowed away as fast as they could and didn't stop until the orphanage was far out of sight.

Even though he was safe, Vinnie had no idea why his anger had incurred the wrath of the gods...and it puzzled him to that fateful day he met Electra.

Vinnie opened his eyes and found himself knelt in front of Electra. His past had finally made sense to him. It was his mother fighting his battles for him. But even she and his lightning powers weren't enough to protect Koko in the end.

And that had made everything completely futile.