It was closing time and vander was cleaning up the bar, listening to some music and saw powder sitting on the bar with Violet's old bunny plush.
He remembers Violet always having that around before she told him someone took it and put it in between some wires.
He takes out a cup with a small drawing of moons and stars and fills it up with some juice, putting a straw and pushing it forward towards the little girl. When she didn't move her head from it's lying position on the bar he gently pushed the straw closer to her.
Powder glances up at him before looking down again. A sad expression on her face. He frowns at this and takes the bunny plush and stares at it.
That's when it hits.
Violet was sitting inside Benzo's shop, the front window shattered from when she kicked it open to get in. Waiting for the Enforcers to get here.
She sits in silence, messing with her hands. Her head hanging low before slowly raising it when she hears footsteps. With a sigh she stands up and waits, tensing when she hears the door open.
But her eyes widened when she doesn't see enforcers but sees Vander and Benzo.
"Vander?"
The man rushes over letting out a sigh. "We don't have much time."
"How did you find me?"
"I'm proud of you. Always have been." He firmly states, setting one hand on her shoulder and the other on her cheek.
"I'm sorry, I...this is the only way to protect the others." Violet demands, holding onto his hands, not looking him in the eyes. Benzo keeps watch from the side window.
"Vander." Benzo warns, making the man turn back to him then quickly back at the teen.
"You've got a good heart. Don't ever lose it." He firmly said to the teen girl, looking at her eyes. "No matter how the world tries to break you. Protect the family."
"What are you—" Vander doesn't let her finish and pushes her back into a room, closing the door and locking it. "Vander!"
Violet's banging and screams can be heard as she tries to open the door. "Let me out! This isn't right!"
"I'm guessing that's for me." A woman's voice makes Vander turn his head to see Grayson; an enforcer with Marcus.
Marcus moves past Grayson and goes to make the arrest but Vander's in the way. "You gonna let us make the arrest or not?" He scoffs.
"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke." He lights a match and takes a hit from his pipe, blowing out the smoke and eyeing Marcus with a glare. "Won't you?"
Grayson places her hand on Marcus's shoulder and pushes him back and stands in front of Vander. "I'm not putting you away, Vander."
"The council needs its pound of flesh."
"Without you down here, it all falls apart." She tries to reason with him, but he won't listen.
"Benzo will handle things. He may not have my devilish charm, but he runs a tight ship." He reassures taking another hit of his pipe.
"Vander! You can't do this!" They can hear Violet banging on the door.
"You won't be coming back for a long time."
"I know." Vander walks over to Marcus, the enforcer handcuffs him, Violet's banging still being heard. "It's the only way."
As the three leave, Benzo fights the urge to open the door for Violet as she keeps trying to make anyone unlock the door the teen was distracted by a man's scream. She glances over to a high level window. "What's happening?"
She hears a commotion out the green colored glass, what looks like a person before, in one quick motion, red gets splattered on the window. Blood.
"What the devil?" Benzo picks up a pipe as they see who was responsible for Grayson's death. Silco slowly waking out of the fog, letting himself be seen.
"Silco? You animal. Go crawl back into whatever hole you came out of." Benzo insults, swiftly walking towards the man with the pipe in his hand.
"Benzo, stay back." Vander warned, but gets overlooked.
"You never did know when to walk away." Silco mentions. Benzo goes for an attack but gets tackled by a much bigger person.
"No!" It was far too late, Benzo was killed by the unknown big mutan. Vander falls to his knees not prepared for his long time friend to be killed in front of him.
"Hmm. Stubborn to the end." The mutant snarls and hisses.
"What the hell have you done? This wasn't the deal!" Marcus yells, his voice a bit muffled by the mask.
Silco hums and moves closer to the male. "Deal's changed." He throws him a bag of coins, some falling on the freshly spilled blood.
"No." Violet was left speechless at what she's witnessing, she backs up in fear slowly.
"No!" She bangs on the wall when she sees Silco give a silent order for the mutant to take Vander out and drag him away.
(Y/n) watches silently behind some wooden crates, she's just exploring and is going to do her job Silco orders her to do and well, by nature, cats are curious creatures. She sees Marcus throwing the bag of coins on the ground.
'Did he not want the coins? Why throw them?'
He looks upset but she can't see him clearly with his mask. To everyone else though, the male was frustrated at his decision going wrong but the slightly clueless cat couldn't understand that yet.
Then she sees Markus picking up the bag, his movement sharp and fast walking away from the area.
'So he does want the coins, humans are hard to understand.' She rolls her eyes and then sees Ekko, he gasps his breathing is rapid at the sight of Benzo.
Quickly, the little boy rushes over inside the shop and looks around before hearing soft cries from behind the door. He walks over and unlocks the door, opening it slowly.
Violet hears the door and wipes her tears and slowly stands up. She then sees Ekko slowly stepping down the steps, still in shock at what he witnessed a few moments ago.
The dark pink haired girl swiftly makes her way over and pulls the little boy in a hug as he lets out quiet sobs. "I saw everything. Be...Benzo. They..."
"What about vander?"
"The—they took him." He stammers, clinging onto the girl tightly.
"Where?"
"I know where," The two were startled at the soft voice, it was cold but the softness makes up for it. They see (Y/n) standing by the doorway watching them cautiously. "I can take you there."
"(Y/n)? Wha—"
"Father told me to stay home but I got bored and wandered off, that's when I saw everything." The girl responded, nonchalantly. Her tail flickering.
"How can I trust you?" Violet glares, pulling Ekko behind her, she sees the cat girl shrug her shoulders, turning to leave.
"You can't. But if you want to waste time sending Ekko to follow them, be my guess," (Y/n) glances back, her purple eyes glowing a bit in the darkness. "Or you can save Vander in time, with what I witness...I don't think we can play around with time."
Violet was left to think before growling softly and giving in to the offer, it makes sense. They don't have time to be cautious of one another, she has to save Vander and she's the fastest way to get to him.
...
"Well, if the enforcers hit tonight, we'll be ready.." Mylo states to Claggor looking at the weapons on the table. A bat, a smoke alarm, Vander's heavy hand braces and Mylo's lock pick. "I think."
"Dibs on the bat." Claggor said quickly.
"No, no, no, no. I found it." Mylo argues.
"But I called it."
"But I found it."
"Respect the dibs. I called it already." Claggor argues back, crossing his arms. Powder laying down on the lower bunk of the bunk beds, a sad and worried expression as she pets the stuffed bunny Violet gave her before leaving, hearing the two boys still arguing.
"Respect the...stop being such a big baby." The banter was interrupted when powder heard the door open and close. She glances over and sees Violet quickly running down the steps.
"Vi?"
"Where's the—"
"Oh, you're back." Powder quickly hugs her big sister, happy she's back home. She looks up at her with a smile before it slowly drops at seeing the state her sister's in.
Violet takes a shaky breath and gently pushes powder away and goes to take the hand braces but Mylo stops her by grabbing her wrist. "Hey. Those are Vander's. Slow down. What's going on?"
"Benzo's dead." Violet reveals, her voice shaky as she tried to not relive the event in her mind.
"Dead?"
"They took vander."
"Who took vander?" Mylo asks, worried for Vander's safety.
Powder glances at each of the teens, not knowing what to say but decided to just listen carefully.
"I don't know. But I need to help him."
"We're going with you" Mylo decides.
"Whatever killed Benzo...was like nothing I've ever seen." Powder glances down to see Violet clenched her fist, her whole arm shaking by the force. "It tore him apart." She sobs.
Claggor and Mylo glance at each in sadness at the older teen, moving quickly to console her. "You're not doing this alone, vi." Claggor places his hand on her back, followed by Mylo.
"He's our father too." Powder moves quickly and moves to her bomb chest and packing her things.
"Do we know where they took him?" Mylo questions, watching Violet pack the weapon in a bag.
"Ekko's friend knows where it is. The old cannery next to the docks, she's going to take us there." Violet takes the smoke alarm and throws the bag over her shoulder and stops when she sees powder all ready to go.
Violet looks at her, with a worried and almost frightened expression, she lets out a small sigh. "I need you to sit this one out, powder."
"What?" The smaller girl was taken aback, she was ready to help but Violet's refusing.
"You're not coming." Violet firmly but softly states but powder keeps going.
"I'm not afraid."
"It's too dangerous."
"But families stick together. You said it yourself." Powder's voice gets a bit higher and more pleadingly.
"I know what I said.." Violet was getting impatient, and losing time, she gives powder a look but it gets overlooked.
"I want to fight. I can help."
"You're not ready." Violet snaps. This makes Powder doubt a bit in her mind, she was ready all the other times, why not now. "You're all I have left. I can't lose you."
Violet gently cups her little sister's cheek making Power almost immediately lean into the touch, her eyes glossy with tears threatening to escape.
"Here. If they come for you, take this and run." Violet places the smoke alarm in her hands. "Wherever you are, light it up, and I'll find you. I promise."
The pink haired girl brings Powder's head to hers before pulling away and following the rest upstairs, with one final look back she closes the door and goes to save Vander.
And as if a trigger was pulled Powder begins to sob, sitting on the bed and taking apart the musical monkey. She pulls on its head successfully taking it apart and throwing it across the room.
She cries out and holds her head, hitting it a few times to get rid of whatever was messing with her mind. The clanking of the monkey dies down to a slower pace before Power shirkers out and takes her box and lifts it to throw it but stares at the monkey.
Her breathing was heavy, almost as if she was trying to calm herself down but nothing seemed to work. She sniffs and cries as she looks at the monkey and drops down when the clanking of the toy completely stops.
Her box opens and the blue crystals from the apartment roll out and bump into one another making them light up with electricity. The sound makes Powder look up and looks at the crystals.
She remembers how the crystals made an explosion and as quickly as an idea forms in her head, the tears dry just as quickly at the solution she makes.
"I can help them."
...
Violet and the other two follow (Y/n) to the abandoned cannery building and up to the roof.
They slide down to the edge and look through a broken window. "Let's get vander and get out."
"Hey. Can you slow down? We're not part animal." Mylo hissed when (Y/n) swiftly climbed up a small pillar and jumped quietly on a platform.
"I found a window." (Y/n) says, jumping in and having the rest follow her down without getting spotted.
They land down on the platform and stay down as they move quickly but quietly down the long walkway. That's when Violet sees vander in a room. He was locked in with cuffs on his wrist and legs.
"You guys go on and I'll keep watch." (Y/n) whispers, gesturing to them to go on.
Violet doesn't argue and slowly walks over to vander, Mylo and Claggor following close. Now in the same room, vander spits out blood and looks up to see the three.
"Vi?" The teen girl quickly wraps her arms around him, pulling away when he speaks again. "What are you doing here?"
"We're breaking you out." She gives him a small smile and turns to Mylo. "Mylo."
"On it." The male quickly goes to work and starts picking at the locks to free Vander. Taking a breath he calms his nerves and moves the spinners to start picking.
"How...how did you get in?" Vander demands, glancing at the three for any answer. "There's guards everywhere."
"It was easy. Ekko's friend (Y/n) knew you were here and led us here. She found an open window and.." a flash of realization hits Violet when she puts everything together.
They were set up.
"Oh, god. You have to get out. Now."
"That sneaky wuss puss."
"Welcome." A voice is heard, making them all stop and look over, hearing someone slowly clap and the little cat girl standing at the side of the platform walkway in front of them. Silco came up next to her. "You have my congratulations. Although it was my kitten that brought you here. You all still get my praise."
The man pets her ears in praise, the girl leaning in as more of his crew make themselves known. "But I'm afraid this will be a very short reunion."
(Y/n) sits on the railing next to Silco as he continues to pet her head and is now talking to her, making her look at him. "Have you heard the rumor? Vander the coward fled town with his children."
Silco glances darkly over to vander, (Y/n) doing so as well and her tail flicking around in amusement. "And they were never seen again."
Claggor struggles to pry open the lock with a knife, groaning in frustration and fear. Violet strapping on Vander's metal hand braces. "Claggor, see if you can find a way out of here."
"..yeah..okay."
"You don't have to do this." Vander warns, making Violet look at him and give him a firm look.
"Yes, I do."
———
Thank you for reading and your patience🙏🏼 vote and comment if you want it helps a lot!
-Spicy Dino 🦕