Wrangler 8 -TUA [S1]

16: Lacrimosa

Joan has no idea how long she's been in the dungeon-like atmosphere... or perhaps it is a dungeon. Specially just made for her-- holding her knees and leaning against the moist rocky wall.

She feels bits by bits of fractured memories began to slowly connect itself together as time progresses.

Has it been hours? No, she doesn't think so-- it is always her mind going faster than the world normally works.

Her hands began to sweat profusely accompanied by the throbbing pain surrounding her palms and fingers with colored redness, it was as if weights were hanged on her every time she goes higher climbing the walls from the vines.

"Argh!" she grunted, releasing her grip from the plant, as she plummets forty feat to the ground falling to her side.

Joan turned pushed herself to lie on her back as she brought her hands to her face only to see how hurt they are. The bluish-purplish hue and dozens of cuts.

She screamed out of frustration, exhaustion, and pain. As she was just accompanied by her echo and silence.

Joan rests her eyes and breaths out.

"Jou Jou..." she heard a faint croaking noise above her. She flutters her eyes open and see the familiar bird face poking its head at her from one of the vines.

"Phobos..." she said with a little spark of hope.

The raven flew down to her level with two piece of paper stuck from its beak, he dropped it.

"What's this?" she took it. The raven did not answer.

She reads-through the papers

She could not believe her eyes.

#8: Animalia Alteration

"Master, are you certain that this is the best route to go through..." Pogo's voice was slightly shaken from Sir Reginald's statement. Deep down, he feels an absolute sympathy-- more than he ever felt to any of the academy's children.

"It is the best for us," he said bluntly, he blotch the paper and closes the book. "That child is a regret to me, I should have left the infant where it."

"But master, she's still a kid. All of them are-- they don't know better--"

"Would it worth risking you to spoil out the plan!?" He hissed.

Pogo fell silent.

"I have already taken two children with a near-omnipotent destruction, it is better to neutralize one." He shoots up from his seat, "it is best for the kid to only think she is less than what she remembers. I want her to be locked up in the cell by tomorrow, is that understood??"

"Yes master... whatever you say." Pogo responded wearily.

Joan was taken aback, she was shaken over the truth that her whole life is a lie. Everything began to make sense. Her lips quivered from the thought.

It wasn't the frustration and desperation to get out anymore. Instead it was replaced by a fire lit inside her body.

It was rage.

She could feel the same vibration that circuits all over her as if she's being power planted by being simmered in her cell. Her pupils shake uncontrollably.

Suddenly crawling insects arose from the ground onto the walls, the birds cry the down chorus of their song in fortissimo as they surround her lifting her up slightly from the ground, the ants formed a large clump goo onto the gate that was locking her inside.

The group of ants started to tug onto the metal bars as they shake and creak as the ants strength broke the gates in half.

She is now free.

-:-

Joan stormed into the house to the halls leaving lines of critters crawling through the walls and and anywhere it could touch.

She sees the same ape looking man in front of her surrounded by some of her siblings.

"Where's Vanya..." she growled.

"Jojo you're back," Klaus gushed being innocent as always.

"Jo, I can promise you it's a safety thing." Luther was too stunned to speak knowing she broke out.

Allison lands her hand on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her, but Joan pulled her shoulder away, and said in the most patient tone, "Don't touch me Allison, I don't want to hurt you."

Diego on the other, could have guessed what is exactly going on. He speaks in disbelief, "you locked her up too!!??"

Joan's eyes leered at Diego to Luther. Phobos landed on her shoulder and laid his beak to her ear.

Luther's face knows he fucked up.

"You locked my sister in the chamber?...." she said rhetorically, and took several long strides to him.

"It wasn't our choice." He answered.

"Choice?! You're saying this is our choice?!!" She raged. Her anger summoned centipedes from the cracks, floors and all corners of the house. Allison, Diego, and Klaus flinched from the commotion.

Unbeknownst to their knowledge, their sister was able to do that. Her powers were not 'useless' as they were led to believe. Reginald has been suppressing her abilities this whole time. Much like their other sister, vanya.

"Shit," Diego cursed.

"Jo, listen remember when we all thought that you were the caused of the apocalypse?? In fact it wasn't u right?"

"No shit!" she hissed.

"That's because it's probably her... from the beginning it's actually Vanya, Joan! She's the fault of everything!"

"Fault??... you call my sister a fault!!??"

*birds chirping unpleasantly, rats running everywhere, and fire ants coming at them*

*Joan's pupils split to two*

"Jojo, calm down!" Klaus pleaded.

Before she could do any further, everyone went silent.

The house began to wobble, the ground quaked.

It is an earthquake.

"Get out of the house!" Diego screamed, they all parted either ways before getting crushed by the debris.

None of them know where Joan's whereabouts went just being left with their assumptions, as they are all scattered to get out of the mansion as fast as they could.

-:-

Vanya strode into the mansion as she is met face to face with Pogo. She began to confront Pogo of all the things their father as done. 

Joan was lifting some broken tiles of the house letting her 'pets' out to safety, where she suddenly caught eye contact with her sister. Her white eyes glimmered. To be honest, she's never seen her sister so beautiful with those pair of eyes.

"What about you?" Vanya said gently, "do you know any of this too?"

Joan's heart is filled with sorrow and pity, even her expression remains flat.

"No.." she said quietly.

Vanya nodded slightly. Deep down, they shared each other pain, due to their similar upbringing.

"Get out," Vanya commanded, but it's not in the furious confrontational type, more of it's only her being patient.

Joan bowed her head slightly before leaving. She didn't know why she did it. But she did. One sister after the other...