May 14th: How do you solve a problem like DOOM

[Narrator]

The Excalibur squad was called in for a briefing regarding their protection of Dr. Doom.

This MAY be caused by Sam's and Ryan's yelling. Maybe.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear was sitting, her arms as crossed as she was.

[Veronica Freud]

Ronnie was, despite everything, in a pretty decent mood. Of course she was the one sticking up for Dr. Doom most of the time, so it wasn't likely that hear team mates were going to allow that to continue for much longer. She sat down across from Bear and gave her a little wave with a "whelp" sort of smile.

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin took a seat.

"A gerbil this time?"

[Narrator]

"Right, then, so I guess we're all here," said Agent Pennington. "So we may as well get started."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Yes, I suppose so," Ryan said, arms folded as he sat next to Bear, eyes fixed on Pennington. He did not look like he was going to make this easy.

[Narrator]

"Is there a problem, Gabriel?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan made a motion for him to continue.

[Narrator]

"Right.

Doom will be attending the Serbian-Latverian game tomorrow at Stamford Bridge here in London--I apologize to you Yanks if that means you'll miss the US-Argentinian game. You will of course be providing security again. We are working on getting a trace on the origin of the terrorists you apprehended last time, of course."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"And we're not going to find out we've instead been guarding Barkimus Rex, Doom's favored spaniel?"

[Narrator]

"We are still trying to figure out how Doom entered the country without going through customs."

[Kevin Gravis]

"You could surround the entire UK with an adamantium dome and he'd still get in."

[Narrator]

"I'm afraid that's quite likely."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Yeah, you're going to need to do better than that," Ryan said. "You need to convince me that it's actually going to be Doom there, or you don't have Excalibur, after that little stunt you pulled the other day."

[Narrator]

"That little stunt WE pulled?" he said, surprised.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Yeah. Sending us to guard a monkey. Please. If you're telling me that with all that you supposedly know about what he's up to, that you had no clue he was already in London, you're either assuming we're gullible to the point of idiocy, or you actually are too dumb to be making up mission profiles for us, especially when you're involving someone like Dr. Doom."

[Narrator]

"Are you quite finished?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"For now. But like I said, you're not. Let's hear it."

[Narrator]

"Alright.

Your actions at the end of last mission were BLOODY unprofessional. This is Doom we're talking about here, messing with people like you is what he DOES. He was trying to get under your skin, and he did so. Shows a DISTURBING lack of preparation on your part, if I may say so."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Lack of preparation on our part," Ryan said, a bit more loudly, "Coming from the guy who didn't tell us that he was already in the country. So sorry for not shaking hands and saying thanks to the terrorist who's tried to kill at least two people in this room before. Save the dressing down for someone with the authority and get on with your job."

[Narrator]

"We did not know Doom was already in the country," Pennington explained, patiently. "If we did, the scenario would not have occurred. Our best intelligence indicated it was him at that airport."

[Veronica Freud]

Ronnie looked at Bear after hearing Agent Pennington's last remark about Doom's motives.

"I said that two days ago. Why don't nobody listen to me?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Mmm," Ryan said noncommitally, motioning for him to get on with it.

[Narrator]

"Are there any other objections," Pennington asked, looking about.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"Do we have any idea how they got a bloody grenade launcher into the city?"

[Byrna Cooper]

Ronnie looked at Bear after hearing Agent Pennington's last remark about Doom's motives.

"I said that two days ago. Why don't nobody listen to me?"

Bear sighed.

"We thought we were too good to be messed with."

[Narrator]

"Do we have any idea how they got a bloody grenade launcher into the city?"

"Disassembled. We were able to trace a number of the parts from different shipments over the past four months.

The ones you captured are from Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, which as you know is a Somalian militant group--a formerly thought DEFUNCT Somalian military group. Their motives for attacking Doom are unclear, though we're not positive that they were the masterminds behind the idea anyway. We've noticed some odd communication patterns with the International Sikh Youth...we are holding the leader of the Sikh Federation political party for questioning."

[Veronica Freud]

"Agent Pennington, I don't mean to be a conspiracy nut, but...." Ronnie said softly, looking at the rest of the group. "We've already established that Dr. Doom was messin' with us and testin' us. Have ya ruled out the possibility that it was Doom himself who organized the attack on his double?"

[Narrator]

"We can't rule anything out at this stage, of course, but that's a very interesting theory...

I suppose you could ask him yourself, tonight. You've all been invited to a gala at the Latverian embassy--or, rather, the hotel they are using as an embassy."

[Veronica Freud]

"That... would be an interesting conversation." Ronnie mumbled.

[Byrna Cooper]

"Oh, I can't WAIT to be embarrassed again," Bear groused.

[Narrator]

"Keep it together and roll with the punches. We NEED you on the inside on this."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan nodded, mulling it over. "Just assume, guys, that any Doom you see isn't really Doom. If we're pleasantly surprised later somehow, so be it. Protect him like it is him, but don't let him surprise you when it's not."

[Narrator]

"A wise decision."

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear grumbled, nodding yes.