No One's POV:
Both Tabitha and Cole comfortably lay in bed, resting after a long day of ruling their vast kingdom with the sun in the sky. Tabitha flips over to her side to find her husband happily staring at her with fond eyes as he too lay on his side.
Placing a comforting hand on her cheek, Cole sighs. "Good morning, my love. How did you sleep after our little late-night session?" He chuckles at the thought.
"Perfectly fine." She responds with a small yawn that followed afterward. A small pain is inflicted in her stomach in which causes her to wince in pain. "Ouch."
"Are you okay?" Cole questions her.
She tells him that she was fine and the two of them finally get out of bed to prepare themselves for another day. They enter their restroom to freshen themselves up before dressing in their formal attires. Yet when the queen attempted to put on her dress, she realized it felt a little tight which was unusual, but she managed. Once they finished, both Cole and Tabitha made their way to the throne room where they greeted by Varian and Artemis.
"Hello!" The still squeaky voice of the monarchs' niece exclaims, hurrying over to them. "Hello there!" By her side was her pet griffin, Gruffy, who now fully grown, towering over the little girl.
Tabitha grabs her niece, pulling her into a bear hug. "Hello baby! How are you?"
"Fine!" Artemis giggles ecstatically once she was put down. She inspects her aunt's body as if something was different. "Auntie, you look like you ate too much cake." The small child says in a spunky tone.
This catches all the adults off guard in which Varian quickly covers the girl's mouth and tell her to apologize. She does and is sent to play in the palace gardens with Gruffy.
"I'm sorry Tab, I don't know what came over her to say that." Varian confesses yet Tabitha only laughs it off. However, after getting a good look at his twin, the advisor couldn't help but admit that his daughter was correct. The Queen's belly was little bit rounder then how it normally was, yet he didn't want to say anything about it. It wasn't his business about how her body appeared.
"What's on the agenda today, V?" Cole asks his brother with a cheery voice. "Anything important?"
The hair striped adult checks the tablet in his hands that had the rulers' schedules on it and nods his head slowly. Although he seemed very uncomfortable before speaking.
"The two of you are supposed to go to the Penitentiary, so you can interrogate Hawkmoth about the break in that happened last week." Varian says softly so no one other than the King and Queen could hear him. "Are you really sure that you want to go along with this? I could do it for you if you'd like."
Both Tabitha and Cole shake their heads in disagreement. This was something they needed to do on their own. No matter how scary it seemed.
"Don't worry about us." Cole assures him. "We'll be okay. Now we should get going." He tells the two, taking a step back towards the front door. "Come on, Tab."
"Are we not going to eat anything before we go?" She asks her husband.
Cole nods his head. "We'll eat something on the way there." He says while magically teleporting the keys to his cruiser in his hands. "Let's hit the road."
The two of them said farewell to Varian and made their way to the courtyard, where a servant had their cruiser prepared for them. They hop into the car, put their seatbelts on and drive away from their castle home towards a place of misery and despair.
As they did, Tabitha couldn't help but think about what Artemis had previously said. Was she really gaining weight? It didn't aid her at all that she was craving pickles with hot sauce or watermelon with honey either. Cole notices her discomfort and places a hand on her thigh, rubbing his thumb lightly along the trim of her dress. He states that they'll get donuts and coffee before arriving at Penitentiary which seemed to calm her troubling thoughts.
___________________________________
"Thank you, your majesties for coming here." The Warden says in her alto voice. "We really had no clue what to do, so that's why I contacted you for assistance."
"No worries, Warden." Cole tells the leading officer as the three of them made their way down the quiet hall. "Thank you for contacting us. It was a smart decision of yours."
She thanks him again before the three of them reach a door. The sounds of shouting and banging could be heard coming from the other side. When opening the door, Cole and Tabitha greeted by hundreds of criminals on both sides and levels of the building.
Upon seeing the royals, the criminals began to silently stare at them for a bit before hissing and shouting insults. Although she was hesitant to enter, Tabitha manages to gather up the courage to walk pass the confined cells. In their glass traps the villains tried their best to claw their way out to kill the people that entrapped them there.
"Looks like the bat is expecting another fly in her cave." The gruff voice states. It came from a strange looking tiger mutant with an eye patch. Tigerclaw. "How many is it this time?" He asks with a mocking smirk.
Cole growls threateningly at the villain while charging over to cage, one hand behind him to protect his queen. "Silence! I suggest you knock it off it before I do it for you."
Tigerclaw only grins at his meaningless threat. "Oh, don't you remember your majesty? Your powers are limited in this area." He knocks on the stone wall of his cell.
It was made of Vengestone. A powerful mineral that drains out any elemental or magical energy from its user. For beings as powerful as the royal family and Perillia; it only weakens them. So, Cole couldn't really do much to frighten the mutant.
Cole growls once more, pulling his wife closer to his side as she sadly hid behind him. The Warden appears from behind and tells the two to break it up, in which they do, and they continue to follow her again. On their way to their destination Cole made sure to hold Tabitha close to her, but she lightly pushes him off her and walks ahead to prove that she didn't need protecting. He accepts her decision and quickly catches up to the two.
The three of them finally reach a secluded area where the most dangerous villains were kept.
Emperor Belos from the Boiling Isles where Hunter once lived sat in his cell with a pen and paper. He was making Light Glyphs magically float above his cage with the paper.
The Shredder sat on his cot in a straitjacket. A pair of robot arms fed him soup for a cold he seemed to have. He angrily glares at the couple as they pass by.
The Evil Queen, Raven's mother and Tabitha's adopted mother, lay in her cot texting someone. When seeing her daughter, she happily waved hello to her. Tabitha and Cole do the same. Although she was evil in many ways possible, she was trying her best to be a better parent for her children.
There were many other villains but there was one that the King and Queen needed to see. At the end of the hall was a large vault door where the Warden put in a secret code. Cole and Tabitha place their hands on a scanner which soon opens the stronghold's door. It slides open and the two were left alone with one of their greatest enemies.
Hawkmoth, aka Gabriel Agreste.
The once powerful villain sat in his cell with nothing to do or anyone to hurt. His miraculous had been stripped from him as soon as he was killed by Cole, but once he was revived, Gabriel didn't even bother to steal it back. They looked completely disordered and disheveled than how they used to appear.
"Hello daughter, I've been expecting you." Gabriel says in a sophisticated tone. "How may I take this visit."
Tabitha sighs softly before speaking to him. "Hey dad, how are you?" She asks. "I've heard about the break in and your denial to helping the person out. That was very honorable of you to do."
Gabriel only grunts in approval. He gazes up at his child and her husband with his cold gray eyes as they waited for him to say anything else. Cole– still upset with the man– wanted to get to the purpose of their visit.
"Who was is it that tried breaking you out?" The king inquires, glaring at his father-in-law with an undying rage. "Was it Lila? 'Cause we still have no clue where that bitch is."
"Cole!" Tabitha gasps in shock.
"No, I wanna know what is going on here. If it was Lila and she has something to do with the spy, then we can be closer to stopping them." Cole states, pointing to the prisoner. "He just needs to speak up!"
"Yes, it was Miss Rossi that came to free me, but I instantly refused her proposal." Hawkmoth confesses, crossing his arms across his chest. "She told me about how her and her partner were teaming up with the First World's security, so they can take over the Dimenscape and conquer it. They wanted me to help them, but I don't want any part of being evil anymore. Nothing I did seemed to work when I was, how would that?"
Tabitha solemnly thought of what her father was saying. It was true. The only thing that the man wanted was to bring his wife back to life, so instead of asking for help, he chose violence. There was something about his surrender and his sudden peaceful nature seemed to be genuine.
She had seen it happen countless times before, yet never got over the fact that people really could have a change of heart. A thought forms in her mind as the silence grew louder, and louder the longer they didn't speak.
"What is it?" Cole whispers curiously at her sudden quietness. "Something wrong?"
Tabitha shakes her head. "I'm about to do something crazy." She looks back to her father and takes a deep breath, in hope that she was doing the correct thing. "I want to make a deal with you."
Gabriel raises a skeptical eyebrow.
"If you are true to your word about not being evil," Tabitha says softly.
"Tab?" Cole suspiciously warns, now understanding what she had previously told him. "What're doing?"
"If you are... then I'll revive mother, and you will be on a surveillance parole." She informs the man with a firm decision-making voice. "Do we have a deal?"
Although Cole began to protest this proposal. He attempts to persuade his wife that Gabriel was someone who shouldn't be trust, and how he should be on Death's Row for the crimes he's committed. Tabitha on the other hand began to explain her reasoning and that he would be under high surveillance once he was freed. The king reluctantly and begrudgingly agrees with the plan.
So does Gabriel.
They decided that later today Tabitha would bring Emilie back, and when Gabriel was able to leave his cell, then they will have him stay in a house close to the castle. Just in order to keep an eye on him if he ever planned to double cross them. Once the plan was made, Cole and Tabitha left the cell and told the Warden about. She too had her doubts but agreed to the process.
With that, their trip was over.
___________________________________
"I still can't believe that you did that." Cole exhales as he turned his car to the right, in the direction of their large village. "What if he was lying? You know how much trouble we went through just to get him? How much I went through?"
Tabitha takes a bite from one of the many chocolates frosted donuts they bought. "Don't worry honey, I feel like he really doesn't want to be evil. He just wants mom back."
Cole exhales once more and shrugs his shoulders, unsure of what to make of it. As they got closer and closer to the castle, they saw many citizens running towards it. By the front gates, a flash of blue and red lights filled the courtyard.
"What the hell?" Tabitha and Cole say in unison.
He quickly turns the car off, where the two of them rush out and over to the courtyard, to find many police cruisers surrounding the inside of the front gates. From the grand staircase multiple officers were dragging Varian out of the castle and down the stairs. He was trying to fight back without having to use his powers, but it was difficult for him to do as there too many.
Artemis was bawling her eyes out while watching her mother being taken away by the authorities. Hunter wanted to stop them, but he had no power to do anything against it, and he had to comfort his child. Gruffy sadly watched from behind them as the chaos ensues. The royal children and friends fearfully observe with the frightened family as Varian was being taken away.
"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Tabitha shouts aggressively towards the police. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She races over to her twin and attempts to push the cops back. "Get your hands off him!"
"Tabbi, you have to believe me! I didn't do anything wrong!" Varian cries as they proceed to drag him away. He manages to break free for a bit and run over to her with pleading eyes. His hands were cuffed with special Vengestone handcuffs. "I was framed! Please, you have to do something!"
"What happened?" Cole asks his brother frantically. "What's going on here?"
"This man destroyed the Town Square in Diamond City." A voice from behind informs them. The royals turn around to see a man in a commissioner's outfit. He had a bushy brown mustache and black sunglasses over his eyes. "We're only here to arrest the ruffian and nothing else your majesties. Please forgive us for the intrusion."
"No one is arresting anybody and of course you're intruding, now get out! That's an order from your Queen!" Tabitha furiously barks. "My brother would never do anything like that."
The Commissioner walks down the stairs and shows them a perfectly clear photo of Varian tearing the city apart. The anger in his eyes showed complete hatred as the giant destroyed a building with one of the many tentacles from his beast form. It was unbelievable for them to see.
"What?" Tabitha gasps in disbelief. "That can't be him."
Another set of guards grab her advisor once more and begin to pull him to one of the parked cars. Varian, once again, tries to break free but is outnumbered.
"No! Please, stop! Tabitha help!" He yells in a panic. "I was in my lab the entire time showing chemical reactions to Forest for his science fair! You have to believe me!"
The hair striped man was then shoved into the car with a slam of the door. Both Cole and Tabitha stood there in bewilderment at what had just unfolded. The Commissioner then told them that he would be taking away Varian's amulet and it would be kept in the station's custody until further notice.
"But what's going to happen to him?" Cole worriedly questions the badged man. "Are we going to be able to see them?"
The Commissioner grunts instead of answering directly to them. He walks down the steps over to his car. "Maybe. We'll let you know." He enters his car and then drives away after that, with the other cars instantly following.
Once they were gone it was completely silent amongst the royal family and their companions. However, Artemis's cries grew louder the farther Varian was.
"MAMA NOOO!" She howls while in Hunter's arms, struggling to break free. He, too, had tears in his eyes as he clutched onto his hysterical child. "DON'T GO!"
Max takes a step forward with a terrified frown. "What do we do now?" He asks his parents.
Tabitha and Cole look to each other, then the large group, unsure of anything. Their expressions were enough to give them a straight answer. They didn't know what to do.
All they had to do was wait.
Just wait...