Welcome to Sketch Republic…where they steal ideas from their artists for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy your stay, but watch your back on the way out.

I move my cursor over the screen, but none of the links to shows or promotions work. The perpetrators have frozen out the world for anything but their foreboding message.

“Oh good God, Morgan,” I exclaim. “I can’t believe they did this.”

“Oh, I can. I could feel the angry energy in the building since Monday. And it’s not only because you were so well liked, and he’s trying to fuck you over. It’s that everyone hates him and what he stands for. Monkey Man’s not going to be very happy today.”

I’m horrified but completely awestruck with the sheer brilliance of it. I’m also incredibly honored and inspired that my friends and whoever helped them, did this as a reaction to my downfall.

Dani…clever, clever Dani. Who knew she had hackers, and such ninja skills with perfect timing, up her sleeves? It must have taken a deviously calculating mind to get all those posters up with security cameras apparently everywhere.

“I’m just pulling into the parking structure,” Morgan says. “I’ll send you a photo of one of the posters as soon as I can.”

Over the next few hours my phone is on fire. Images are coming from everyone.

There is even a caricature of B-Girl strangling Monkey Man with her lasso. That one makes me laugh out loud.

But Morgan manages to get my favorite picture: one of Arnold’s office before his arrival. Tiny bananas, real ones…hundreds of them, are lying across every possible surface in his grand office. There’s also a paper adhered to the top of his chair that states, Monkey Man Sits Here, with an arrow pointing down.

Nice. Really nice.

Before lunch I hear more evidence as to how well-planned this was. Evidently poor little Demon Spawn-Alana’s car was somehow blocked at her apartment building by an abandoned junker. So the poor thing was late to work…too late to warn the monkey and prevent him from slipping on that stray peel while entering his banana-clad domain. I’m told that his howl could be heard all the way down to the next floor.

Karma’s a bitch, you asshole. And comic karma, never ends; it just gets more animated.

I’m giddy. The whole drive to the lawyer’s office I grin as my phone buzzes over and over with new messages and jpegs.

My tone gets more serious, though, as I enter the fancy office building and head to the floor that’s completely occupied by Walter’s law firm. Mom and Dad are waiting for me in the reception area, and we’re quickly escorted into his intimidating office suite.

Walter’s all business as we sit down and start our discussion. He eyes the folder I’ve placed on the table. “How did your art search go, Nathan?”

“Well, I found some good stuff that might help.” I open my portfolio folder and pull out drawings I had done of female superheroes over the years. There are even sketches from high school and earlier. I guess I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of heroic women with special powers.

But by far the most compelling works are the drawings I did after seeing young women dressed as Wonder Woman at Comic Con years ago. In the series of sketches, I begin to play with her outfit that clearly shows the beginning of my B-Girl ideas. I put them away so long ago; I didn’t realize how relevant they could be for this case until I unearthed them.

Mom and Dad examine the sketches thoughtfully and then slide them to Walter. I study his expression as he goes through the pile and picks out the best of the post Comic Con drawings to fan across the table’s polished wood surface.

“You were always so talented,” Mom says proudly to me as we watch Walter pick up one of the sketches and compare it to a B-Girl comic cover.

“Good work, Nathan,” Walter says and Dad nods. “This will definitely help.” He studies the work closely. “How interesting that you always dated your work.”

“I read once that you should do that. The writer said it was a sign of genius when people archived and documented their early work as if they knew it would one day be considered significant. I know I’m not a genius or anything, but that sounded smart to me.”

“You are extremely smart, Son,” Dad states proudly.

“Well, whatever the reason, that will definitely help us,” Walter says. He turns to my parents. “With this and our other case research, things are looking good.”

“You’re going to hit them hard, correct Walter?” Mom asks in a firm voice. “I want them to understand that we’re not playing around. That little Arnold person will regret messing with our son.”

I smile inwardly, witnessing the power of Diana Evans. Do not mess with Diana’s family. She will take you down.

People sometimes make the mistake of assuming she’s a mild-mannered Pasadena housewife, when in actuality she oversees the business side of Dad’s work. I heard through one family friend that they’re an incredible team. She stays on top of the business end so Dad can stay focused on what he does best. Evidently she’s a lioness when people don’t treat Dad or his work with respect.

“Absolutely, Diana” Walter responds. “We’re bringing the team to the meeting in force, and we’ll put the fear of a counter-suit in him. I suspect the holding company for Sketch Republic doesn’t know about his plans, and I’ll make sure he understands how much they will appreciate this misdirected and self-indulgent lawsuit. I went to law school with David Stern, one of the members of their board. I see him on the golf course from time to time. We belong to the same Country Club.”

Mom leans back in her chair grinning and Dad smiles as well, then turns towards me.

“See Son, there is more than enough reason to hope for the best.”

I take a deep breath and let some tension seep out of me.

“So Nathan, we have our first meeting with them on Monday. Did Elli give you the details yet?”

“Yes,” I respond. “It’s here, right?”

“I insisted,” he confirms. “You shouldn’t be subjected to going back to the Sketch Republic building after what they did to you.”

I’m sure glad to have Walter and my family on my side.

• • •

I decide to follow Mom and Dad home so I can hang out with them for a while. Mom has promised me a home cooked meal, and I could use some more time away from my empty house.

Once home, Dad insists we take a brisk walk, and I decide not to fight it. He’s probably right that I need to start working out again…something about the endorphins lowering stress levels.

As he charges forward I follow silently. He slows for a moment and turns back towards me. “Are you okay, Son?”

“Yeah, I’m encouraged about the lawsuit, but I just wish I’d hear from Brooke. I know you said to give her time, but it’s making me crazy. What if she doesn’t want me anymore?”

“Then you’ll have to put work into convincing her that she does.”

“I don’t think wooing is going to do it this time, Dad.”

“With your current relationship concerns, you are beyond basic wooing now, Nathan. Don’t get me wrong, there must be continual woo-maintenance in a relationship. But a crisis like this calls for something more substantial and dramatic…riding in on a horse, breaking down her door, climbing to the edge of a cliff to catch her before she falls…you get the idea.”

“Horses kinda freak me out but I’d ride one to Brooke if I knew where she was. No one knows.”

“But she’s going to contact her assistant. Didn’t you say so yesterday? You could leave word with her for Brooke. That would be a primary step.”

“I could try that. But you know what’s weird? I’m also mad at her. I’m angry that she’s decided on her own that she’s no good for me. What the hell? I need her right now.”

“I’m disappointed with her too, Nathan. But what this has confirmed for you is that she’s not perfect. At her core, she has insecurities she hasn’t resolved. You always gave her too much power, so now she’s surreptitiously taken on all the blame. I fear she will never get over the guilt for making you vulnerable to Arnold’s unscrupulous scheming unless she really faces her insecurities and issues and works on them.”