The miserable weather sets the atmosphere and mood of the gathering. A blanket of black umbrellas protects the swarm of people who have come to pay their respects. Hades and Persephone huddle together, sheltered from the onslaught of rain that has turned out for the depressing occasion.
Mayor Walker was murdered. That much is clear. A hit and run right in front of the sheriff, and the killer is still on the loose. No one is sure who is responsible, meaning it's impossible to know who to trust. Especially now that Persephone knows someone is watching her. The whole situation sends uncomfortable shivers up her spine.
The solemn faces among the crowd give no hint to who might've been behind it, the grief weighing heavy on the town. Tears are indistinguishable from raindrops, both displaying the misery of everyone in attendance as they disperse.
A mysterious figure catches Wednesday's eye as they lurk on the outskirts of the cemetery. he appears to be watching the trio. This leads to a foot chase through the misty woods with Hades, Wednesday and Persephone following the man as he darts through the trees. As they emerge into a peaceful glade, the stranger seems to have disappeared into thin air. The three stand back to back in a circle, covering each other and looking in every direction. Persephone breathes heavily from physical exertion and trepidation, her leg still aching from her injury. Calming her gasps and her mind, she focuses on the wildlife around her. If the stranger is hiding amongst nature, she'll sense something that doesn't belong. And she does.
"He's in that tree." She announces, gesturing in front of her, making Hades pull her behind him. The man, whose cover has now been blown, lands on the forest floor with a forceful thud and Hades unsheathes the dagger he got for his birthday from the confines of his jacket. He thrusts it towards the stranger who clamps his hands around it and sends crackling electricity shooting down the metal, zapping Hades' hand in the process. The blade clatters to the ground.
"Still as sharp as ever, my psychotic protégés." A quirky voice compliments, causing a rare smile to creep onto Wednesday's face.
"Uncle Fester." The Addams siblings gasp in delight. The man removes his hat, uncovering his pale bald head, before he lets out a tight-lipped chortle. Looks like it's another Family Weekend.
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"How long have you been stalking us?" Wednesday asks as the group treks across the leafy ground.
"Just blew into town this morning and was hit by a wave of nostalgia." The man, Uncle Fester, replies with his unusual voice.
Hades' eyebrows scrunch. "I thought you didn't go to Nevermore."
The response was simple. "I didn't. Your dad got all the brains. But I used to drop in on him."
Knowing how untraditional the Addams family can be, Persephone just had to check how serious Fester's statement was. "Like, literally drop on him?"
"Yeah. Usually from the ceiling with a dagger clutched between my teeth. Just to keep him on his toes." He answers, noticing the girl has her hand intertwined with Hades' as he checks on her wellbeing every so often.
"Of course." Wednesday comments, as if it is a completely reasonable thing for people to be doing. Persephone notices how relaxed Wednesday is around her uncle, an uncharacteristic smile ever present on her face.
"He filled me in on what's been going on." He admits as they all come to a halt. "Monsters, murder, mayhem." His attention flickers to each person as he lists those words. "What fun! I told him I had a job in Boston, but I'd be checking up on you."
"What kind of job?" Wednesday inquires, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"The kind that means I need somewhere to lay low for a couple days." He confesses, hinting to the students that he needs their help. Wednesday and Hades smirk as they turn to face each other. They have the perfect place to hide where no one will come snooping around.
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This is the first time Persephone has ventured near Eugene's beekeeping hut since he was attacked. It didn't feel right without the boy himself cheerfully running out to greet her, toothy grin and contagious enthusiasm on display. But she was grateful that Wednesday had been looking after the bees for him and he definitely would've been the first one to offer up his hut as a temporary accommodation. That boy was always willing to help a friend in need.
"This place belongs to a friend." Wednesday explains as they all pile into the slightly cramped space. There's a hidden grief in Wednesday's voice, remembering the kindness and bravery of her friend.
"You've actually made a friend." Fester comments, making Persephone wonder if he'd actually noticed that she was there as well. "That poor kid will be going home in a body bag." The remark stings Wednesday sharper than one of Eugene's bees ever could, because that poor kid was currently in a coma.
"Am I invisible?" Persephone asks Hades, who just chuckles and shakes his head.
"Ah, this must be the wonderful Persephone I've heard so much about." Fester exclaims, striding over to the girl and clasping his hands on both her shoulders. "Welcome to the Addams family." Persephone is dumbfounded and speechless as Fester walks back to where he dumped his bag. Hades has a bashful smile on his face, complimenting his heated cheeks. "I like a hideout that comes with snacks." Fester says, looking at the sign that Eugene had made to protect the bees in hibernation.
"Those bees are hibernating." Wednesday informs her uncle as he lifts the lid. "They're practically Eugene's children." Fester ignores her words as he chuckles to himself, preparing for a lovely snack. Persephone squeezes Hades' hand in panic as she thinks about how heartbroken Eugene would be if Fester ate his beloved bees.
"That means do not eat them!" Hades snaps, sensing both Wednesday and Persephone's desperation. Fester turns to face the trio who stand together, each with determined glares on their face.
"You know, when you give me those death stares of disapproval, you remind me of your mother." Hades and Wednesday immediately soften their glares as their uncle replaces the lid to the hive "Speaking of scary things, do you know what kind of a monster you're dealing with?"
"We haven't been able to identify it." Hades sighs as Wednesday unfolds Xavier's drawing from her pocket and hands it to her uncle.
"Ooh." This perks the trio up as Fester seems to recognise the monster. "It's called a Hyde."
"Like Jekyll and Hyde?" Persephone clarifies.
Fester nods at the girl. "Mm-hmm."
"This information would've been helpful a few weeks ago." Hades groans as he realises how much further they could've gone in this investigation if they had known this before.
Wednesday is very interested in this information. "You've seen one before?"
"Oh yeah. In '83, during my vacay at the Zurich Institute for the Criminally Insane. It's where I got my first lobotomy. But you know lobotomies. They're like tattoos. Can't just get one." Persephone is shocked to say that she isn't surprised by this story. She's learned to expect the creepy and mysterious quirks of the Addams family.
"Ah, you never forget your first." Hades adds on with a teasing smirk as Fester clicks his fingers at the boy in agreement.
"Tell me about the Hyde." Wednesday insists, steering the males back on track.
"Ah. Olga Malacova. Jeez. She had it all. Beauty, brains and a penchant for necrophilia." He chuckles at his memories and then claps his hands together. "Olga was a concert pianist, until one night she transformed in the middle of a Chopin sonata. Massacred a dozen audience members. And three music critics."
"They can't have left a great review then." Persephone mumbles.
"What triggered her?" Wednesday interrogates, desperate to unravel this mystery. "Or did she just change on her own?"
"No idea. I only saw her in group electroshock therapy."
Wednesday grits her teeth. "There's never been any mention of Hydes in any outcast book. And Nevermore is reputed for having the best collection."
Everyone can tell that Wednesday is getting frustrated and restless with this monster. "You try Nathaniel Faulkner's diary?" Wednesday turns silently to face her uncle. "Mmm! Before he founded Nevermore, Faulkner travelled the world, cataloging every outcast community."
"How do you know this?" Hades asks, surprised by his uncle's knowledge.
"You think your parents can't keep their hands off each other now, oy vey." Gomez shakes his head, trying to rid his brain of the frightful memories. "I showed up unannounced one night in Gomez's dorm room. Let's just say I wasn't interrupting a pillow fight."
Fester chuckles as Hades cringes at the imagery. "Uncle Fester." Wednesday pronounces firmly, hinting at him to get to the point. "The diary, where is it?"
"Nightshades Library."
Persephone sighs, "Of course it is."
"Your dad parked me there and said I should settle in for a long stretch. And that's when I found this nifty little safe. I was hoping for a stash of cash or jewels but instead I found a diary." He explains, recoiling at the thought of the book.
Wednesday seems to have come up with a plan. "We'll sneak into the Nightshades Library tonight. In the meantime, lay low." The trio of Nevermore students go to take their leave before Wednesday turns to deliver a loving warning to her uncle, "If you are discovered, I will disown you and collect all the reward money tied to your capture."
"I'd expect nothing less." The group strides through the door, as Fester waves them off. He happily tries to sneak a taste of some of the bees when the door is opened again and a throwing knife lands millimetres away from the top of his head.
Hades holds the door open for Wednesday as she growls, "Leave the bees alone."