It was finally the day, the day to leave for the invasion, the day to save their people.
Ashley had already sent troops to leave early and make camp near the area where they were supposed to come in while he and the others ran through positions for going inside where ever they may be. Izzy and Sophie made sure to aim for going to the basement where Marisol, Cobra, Victoria, and Violet may be held captive while Storm and Ashley go for the medical house where Moo was most likely was. Ashley made sure that most of the soldiers had walkie-talkies to take with them for him to give the signal for the invasion to distract the enemy.
"And if all else fails, at least we died trying," he chirped giving an encouraging smile that only made Izzy and Coyote clapping and cheering while Sophie having an uneasy frown and Storm just glaring daggers at her cousin at the comment.
Storm and Sophie had stopped by Roxanna's one last time before they were about to go to check on Blossom and drop off Smokey.
Onnie sat in the living room petting the wolf as his large head rested in the boy's small lap while Storm talked with his aunt.
"I'm not really sure what else Violet gives her besides milk," she shrugged, "I would suggest baby if she eats it until we get her mother back."
Roxanna smiled slightly showing some of her rigid teeth, her faded wrinkles becoming unnoticeable, "Don't worry, I'll figure something out," she reassured her patting Blossom's back, "you know she's safe with me."
Storm sighed through her nose, "I hope so."
When Sophie walked in she stood beside Storm gently squeezing her shoulder, "You ready to go?" she asked shyly.
She turned the redhead and nodded, "Ready if you are."
Roxanna tapped her shoulder, "If you don't mind me asking, who did you put in charge while you guys are gone?"
"It was first Ashley, but he wanted to come with so . . ." Storm told her then gave her aunt an uneasy look, " . . . um, would you be upset if I said . . . um . . . Aunt Ema's in charge . . . ?"
She winced at her aunt's expected expression, "Are you kidding me?" she spat, "out of everyone else you guys chose that nut case?"
"I know you and mom would be the last person you'd choose, but you have to admit she's really smart with strategy," Sophie insisted making Roxanna scoff.
"And she's nothing like Cat so there you go," Storm added with a sarcastic smile.
"One, I think this is very nepotistic," Roxanna informed them nodding as she made a good point, "and two, you know how she is, she's immature, irresponsible, and just lives off her own paranoia rather than common sense!"
"I know, I know, but it's only temporary until we get back," Sophie tried to reassure her, "just try to help her out by at least undoing some of Cat's damage."
"Maybe help her in general," Storm grumbled.
Roxanna rolled her eyes sighing in defeat, "Fine, but I might be the one making all of the decisions, or else this town will run all over her."
Sophie smiled, "That's good enough for us."
Storm went on to hug her aunt as she hugged back kissing her on the cheek, "Make sure all of you come back in one piece."
"We won't, Aunt Rockie, I'll make sure I won't run into a bear," Storm laughed weakly as Roxanna was nowhere near amused at the joke.
She quickly turned to Onnie giving him a hug as he hugged her back tightly in return, "Please make sure they're alright," he spoke quietly, "I hope Moo made it."
Storm frowned, "Me and you both," she petted Smokey on his thick mane as he timidly licked her arm in return, "now you behave until Moo comes back," he just sighed through his nose in response.
As Sophie waited at the front door Storm went ahead to say her final goodbyes before meeting Sophie at the door.
Storm gave her a slight grin, "You ready to do this?"
"Not really," Sophie admitted sheepishly making Storm laugh.
"Love the attitude, Sophe."
They took deep breaths knowing that this was the last time that they'll see the town until they get back. This was a risky mission but they planned day and night for this the sense of readiness, but nervousness at the same time.
When twist the knob opened for them to finally stepped out meeting Ashley at the gates.
—
Nicóle led the two to the second floor of the mansion where most of the rooms were. Marisol looked around noticing that the floor almost looked like a hotel more than anything as they walked further and further down the hall.
She noticed that they stopped at what Marisol assumed to be the largest room up there considering that it was the only room with large doubled doors. She saw it had small imprinted silver letters that said "DON'T KNOCK UNLESS URGENT", on each door making Marisol kind of worried why Nicóle stopped here.
When Nicóle knocked there a soft voice coming from inside that called out. Marisol widened her eyes knowing who the voice belonged to, she started to go claw it open until Cobra was the first one to immediately grabbed the knob bursting it open without hesitation.
Marisol saw him frozen staring at the woman sitting on a bed as his expression matched his. In an instant, she leaped from the bed as Cobra sprinted towards her wrapping his large arms around her small, plump figure while she hung onto him for dear life.
"Mi bebe varon," Victoria breathed raggedly hugging him tighter, "I'm so glad you're alright."
"I thought I'll never see you again," he cried as tears began to stain his shirt.
She pulled away pulling his head down to her level showering his face with many kisses then examined it frantically turning it from side to side.
"Did he hurt you?" she asked in dismay as she kept turning him around, "starve you? Anything?!"
Cobra chuckled, "I'm fine, mamá, just kept us in that basement forever," then he looked up the bed frowning then back her hesitantly, "did . . . he hurt you . . . ?"
She blinked then shook her head, "That doesn't matter, mijo, what matters is—"
"He did, didn't he?" Cobra said lowly as Victoria just looked down staying quiet and Nicóle wincing, "I'm going to fucking kill him!!"
As he was about to march out the room his mother grabbed him by the hand to stop him, "It's alright, Cobra, I'm alright, see?"
He turned to her with scorching eyes, "It doesn't matter! He must have caused you so much pain, I'm going to find him and make him suffer."
"There's no time for that," Marisol butted in between the two, "apparently there's an event that he needs us to be and that explains why we're out so randomly."
"Oh, Marisol, you're okay," Victoria leaped into her arms as if she ignored everything she said and just focused on her presence, "you're okay, aren't you?"
She rolled her eyes smiling hugging her back, "I'm okay, Tori, it's good to see you too."
Nicóle just stood in the doorway frowning sadly not knowing how her mother would feel if she saw her again like this working with Miguel. But she realized that she didn't have any choice at this point since Miguel ordered her to the event as well.
With her, Victoria, Cobra, and Lynx in the front row.
She cleared her throat timidly, "You guys, come on," they all turned their attention to her, "Miguel wants you in the dining room to wait until a couple of hours."
She saw her mother with round eyes looking as if she was trying to catch a breath when she saw her. Nicóle hung her head squeezing her eyes shut not even wanting to look at her as so much regret caved in.
"Nikki? Is that really you?" she breathed heavily slowly stepping forward.
Nicóle's face tried to harden again not wanting Miguel to see signs of weakness while Victoria stepped closer.
"Yes, it is," she answered firmly stepping back from her mother, "now let's get going."
Victoria stopped looking as if Nicóle had stabbed her in the heart a hundred times over. Nicóle saw Marisol pursing her lips shaking her head while Cobra's eyes started to fume again at how she treated their mother.
It had to be done, she thought with regret, I can't hurt her anymore.
Quickly turned her back to the three not wanting them to make her feel any more guilty then she made her out of the room with the others following behind in silence heading to the dining room.
—
Violet had spent most of her resting on Moo's chest as her heart began to ache for Blossom. She prayed nothing happened to her during Miguel's invitation and would feel like shit for the rest of her life if something did.
I gotta get out of here.
Moo had his arms tightly around her not wanting to let her go again, he stayed wide awake wanting to see every second of her while he still can. While she was still here he was a bit curious as the thought kept burning him on what Miguel mentioned earlier about a person by the name of Bruce. He had heard him think out loud asking himself he was able to get with someone like her.
What made him more suspicious was that she only mentioned getting with a girl named Minerva, not a guy named Bruce.
"Vi," he spoke almost hesitant at the question, "who's Bruce?"
He felt her go cold at the question staying quiet for some time before answering.
"Um . . . he's nobody," she quickly answered not wanting to hear anything else about the boy.
But Moo wasn't the one to accept this kind of response.
"Violet, I know he was someone to you," he said firmly trying not to lose his patience, "now all you gotta tell me who he is and we can let this all go."
"I said he was nobody," retorted calmly, "now you don't have to worry about—"
"I wanna know who he is," Moo growled getting frustrated, "he's apparently here and I haven't seen you since I got here."
Violet looked at him with anger and disbelief that he was leading to such accusations, "I would never do that to you!" she cried, "how could I ever give behind your back like that?"
He narrowed his eyes at her familiar with her words, "That's what she also said . . ." he hissed.
"This is fucking ridiculous!" she spat ignoring his comment, "I thought you were going to die, Moo, and you think I would go fuck someone while you were possibly laying on your death bed? How could you?!"
"Tell me who he is!" he demanded harshly Violet wincing at his tone, "I can't suffer again, I can't, Vi!"
"You don't what he did to me and I don't wanna talk about it or him right now!" she off of him standing beside the bed with Moo quickly sat up with a frantic expression, "I don't see why you're making a big deal out of this, but I think I leave you so you can think about how all of this is bullshit."
As she started to leave he grabbed her wrist gripping it tightly eyes full of anger and sorrow.
"I can't have you leave me again," he exclaimed angrily through his sobs.
She started to feel frightened but hurt by his tone, "and I won't, Moo, but you need space right now," she hissed in pain by his grip getting tighter.
"You're mine," he said lowly his tone becoming but his starting to soften, "aren't you? Do you want to be mine?"
"I do," her voice cracking more saddened by his pain rather than hers, "I really do."
He swallowed his spit looking straight into her eyes, "Please, Vi, don't leave me . . . because . . . I think . . . I . . . I'm falling in love with you . . ."
She widened her eyes, her breaths heightening never hearing the words ever since she was with Minerva. Though it made her heart grow they stung at the same time by her past experiences with others telling her that they loved her but ended up leaving her in the end. But Moo never left, she left him, she left him in pain and loneliness, she's the one who never made an effort to keep in contact. And yet, he never held a grudge for it, he never turned his back on her, and he still cared for her after all these years.
He doesn't deserve this, she thought with guilt, he thinks I was with Bruce when I really wasn't . . .
It would hurt to tell him the truth, but she couldn't keep dragging this on as it hurt him more and more.
Instead of pulling her hand away, she touched his hand gently as his grip started to loosen. She touched his cheek seeing so much pain in his remaining eye to the point where it hurt her.
"I can't leave you like this," she sighed heavily coming closer.
She wanted to say something back to let him know that she felt the same way about him but was becoming too afraid by all the false promises people had made to her coming back to haunt every minute.
"Moo," she started, "I . . ."
Before she could say anything else Dixon come from behind the curtains as his walkie-talkie becoming noisy with multiple people talking all at once, but a roaring husky voice stood out from the rest.
"I want her there with the others!" he yelled making Dixon roll his eyes turning to Violet.
"Violet, you have to come with me," he said calmly but annoyed at the same time.
"Why?" she cried turning to Moo, "I can't leave him, not right now."
Dixon frowned, "I know, but it's urgent and I don't want you getting in trouble."
"But . . ."
"Look, I promise, after this, you can immediately go back to him when we get done," he persuaded, "it probably won't even be long."
She sighed in defeat knowing that it'll hurt both her and Moo if she left him here alone. Then again if it was quick she was undoubtedly going to run back here and be with Moo for as long as they need to be.
She furrowed her brows looking back at him, his already screaming 'don't leave me'. She leaned down kissing him on the lips and went over to his ear.
"We'll talk about it later, I promise," she whispered before going back to Dixon.
Violet turned back to Moo one last seeing the tears flood in his eyes. She stood still for a moment tugging at her hand.
"Come on," he urged, "I don't wanna keep him waiting."
She felt her body move again as she slowly turned back around following Dixon behind him leaving a distraught Moo alone again.
—
The dining room looked empty from what Marisol saw, but she admired it so much as couldn't stop taking her eyes off of it. It was a large room long polished dining table in the middle, the ceiling was high as a big ancient glittering chandelier hung above the table, the stoves and ovens were shiny clean silver and looked more like the kind of ones you'll see in a restaurant rather than in a household that was placed in the corner, the sink and dishwasher matched along with the oven and stoves with the faucet and knobs looking as if something you'll see in the nineteen hundreds, she also noticed that there was a marbled island that matched with the clean polished marbled floor.
All and all it was a beautiful dining room that she would envy if they were still in the whole world. She always wished she could have money like this; it probably would've made Storm and Violet's life a million times better if she did.
"Sit where you like," Nicóle's voice interrupted her thoughts, "someone will be here too, but you guys wait until your dinner comes."
Marisol went ahead and sat on the side of the table while Victoria sitting across from her along with Cobra sitting close beside her. She saw the look on Victoria's face seeing that her heart was broken with Cobra trying his best to comfort his mother, her hatred for Nicole started to burn even more the way she just pushed away from her mother, the mother who raised her her whole life, her defender when everyone in the town turned her and her siblings away, and the person who showed her nothing but love and forgiveness no matter how much. She knew Violet gave her the cold shoulder when she saw her again.
The only difference that she deserved for leaving Violet, Victoria, however, didn't because she never left Nicole; Nicole left her.
As if on cue, Marisol quickly whipped her head around as she saw a man coming in with a girl she never thought who would be here with her the others.
"Violet!" Marisol gasped excitedly then Victoria instantly turned her attention to the blonde.
She gave her mother a warm smile before Marisol jumped out of her chair sprinting to her daughter then hugged tightly as she willingly hugged back.
Marisol pulled away putting her hands over Violet's shoulders furrowing her brows.
"How did you get here?" she asked worryingly.
"Apparently I was bait for Moo to come here," she frowned still feeling guilty.
"Matéo's here too?!" Victoria quickly asked her eyes filled with concern and desperation.
Violet stayed quiet until Victoria saw her stiffly nodding at the question and seeing Marisol looking horrified at the respond.
"D-did you see him? Is he alright? Is he—" she started to bombard the blonde with questions as she was careful to agree with them all as Marisol led her the table sitting beside her before going back to Victoria's questions.
"Do you know where he is?" one of the questions she had to answer.
"Medical house," she winced.
Now Victoria's heart started to race faster while Cobra planted the same expression was his mother's, "W-w-wait, is he a-alright?"
"He is . . ." she answered hesitantly seeing Victoria sigh heavily in relief but still had a worried expression.
"Why is he in there?" Cobra asked curiously.
She rubbed her arm nervously not sure if she could tell the story since Marisol was here.
"Um . . . he didn't say . . ." she lied making Cobra raise a brow at that.
As Cobra was about to ask more they were interrupted by figures walking into the room with large steaming dishes of food. The dishes consisted of cooked vegetables, scalloped potatoes smothered with brown gravy, chocolate and caramel cheesecake, fresh rolls, and a large roasted pig.
Violet felt her stomach purr loudly at the sight since she hasn't eaten since she's got here. The scent started to flood her mouth as she was ready to eat when others came with plates and silver wear to eat with.
Since the plates were in her reach Violet was the first one to swipe on from the top then started slicing a leg of the pig with a knife for it.
"Don't eat that!!" Victoria and Marisol cried in unison suddenly making Violet drop the knife.
"How come?" Violet asked annoyed having to wait to eat.
"It could possibly be one of his tricks," Victoria hissed narrowing her eyes at the food.
Cobra looked at them in confusion, "But we've been eating the food here for a good while now, how could this be a trick?"
"Think about it," Marisol started to explain, "we're no use to him now, he's got Moo, he wanted us here all together to eat this fancy food his chefs prepared for only us, you do the math."
Violet and Cobra did think about it for a moment, why did Miguel want all of them there to eat didn't, especially to before the "event" that's supposed to go soon. His main goal has been completed so Violet wondered what could they do for him besides just being dead weight.
Marisol swiped the plate away from her setting it aside then, "I would rather starve than go out like a dumbass."
Violet frowned staring at the food unblinkingly as her stomach was howling for something to eat. Victoria furrowed her brows noticing that the blonde was about to go mad, so she took the spoon from the scalloped potatoes only scooping a spoon full onto her plate then placed it in front of her.
Marisol's eyes started to fill up in fear of what Victoria might be doing, "Tori, don't you fucking do it!" she ordered.
"I can't let our children go hungry," she argued back, "one of us has to try it to see if it really is a trick or just sit here and look at harmless food like fools."
Before the others' rebuttal, Victoria was just about to take the first bite when she was stopped by a deep, husky laugh getting louder at the doorway.
"I find it rich that all you think I would just kill all with this dinner without question," he kept laughing until they saw him slowly walk in with an amused smirk on his face.
Violet saw he was a very tall and built man almost like Moo and his brothers but a little more on the husky side with dark tan skin, his age really showed in contrast of Victoria as she could deep wrinkles from the sides of his mouth, spider webbed on the of his eyes, and some above the eyebrows, she could fair cheekbones along with his jawline and chiseled chin that had tuft of facial hair on it matching his thick long eyelashes that were over his fiery brown eyes and wild, crazed hair like Coyote's that hung down to the quarters of his big arms. He wore a black fur lined hooded coat that would be worth thousands of dollars in the old world that was over white shirt that showed most of his muscular chest, dark jeans with matching leather boots, and saw the same kind of nose ring Cobra had but his was only one and made up of what Violet saw were chains.
His smile was more sinister rather than warm and welcoming from Violet's view making demeanor all the more cold and frightened.
Violet had noticed everyone else's expression turned into malice and hate, especially Cobra's and her mother's. He pulled up a chair sitting at the end the table looking around at the others with that same smile he had when he walked in.
"So," he clicked his tongue, "you all might wondering why you're here."
"No shit," Marisol hissed only making the man chuckle.
He grabbed a knife starting to tap on the table with it, "Well, you two already know what's happening," he motioned the knife to Marisol and Victoria with Marisol glaring menacingly at him and Victoria just looking down frowning, "you all heard about this little get together right?"
They all nodded with Marisol rolling her eyes in the process.
"I finally did the blood tests," he chirped as Victoria's eyes widened frantically turning to him, "and they're out but I haven't seen them yet."
"Where are they?!" Victoria cried jumping from her seat.
"Relax, Tori, they're tucked away in an envelope for me to reveal at the get together," his eyes bleamed in excitement, "it's finally coming together . . ."
"What the hell does this have to do with us?" Marisol growled impatiently.
He smiled again, "Victoria already knows this, but I'll tell it again while you're here," he started, "when I take a look at the results it will either determine whether you all get to go home or not."
Cobra and Violet looked at each other with confusion while Victoria kept running her fingers through her hair tears filling in her eyes and Marisol narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion.
"What are getting at?" Marisol hissed.
"If the test results say that he his my blood, this whole shit can be over with and all of you can go home . . . but . . ." he slowly turned his head to Victoria pointing the knife at her with a murderous glare, " . . . if that boy isn't, this fucking whore will cause his, hers, and the rest of your suffering."
Everyone stayed quiet feeling the cold chill in the room, even Marisol didn't even have an argument this time. Violet could her stomach turning into a knot hearing if Moo wasn't kin to this man he could possibly be tortured to death along with her and the others.
But she wasn't about to let him go through with it, she promised Moo that she would fight for him no matter what; and she was going to keep that promise even if it killed her.