The group made their way back to Pascal’s house as the storm grew stronger, heading for the entrance when the door slammed open and Lazlo’s panicked form rushed out half naked.
“Wh- Laz!” Pascal exclaimed in embarrassment but the fear in his brother’s eyes quickly shut him up.
“They took him! They took Ty!” Lazlo exclaimed in a panicked jumble.
“What!? Who did?” Pascal gasped, the colour draining from his face.
“I’m so sorry, hermano, I tried to stop them but they knocked me out with some type of device and when I- when I woke up...” Lazlo continued as the others looked on in horror. “Some people all dressed up in black, I didn’t recognize them.”
Pascal’s breath stuttered and Lazlo instantly pulled him into a hug, “We’ll find him though, I swear! I won’t let them keep my little nephew!”
The group went inside to try and make sense of the situation, but just as they were trying to talk things out, Vidcund stormed in.
“Why are you two back? Do you even know what time it is?” He snapped.
“Are you joking me?” Cassandra snarled back, “Do you not know what happened?”
“What, the alien got taken? Didn’t I say it would be nothing but trouble?”
“That ‘alien’ is my son!” Pascal roared suddenly, startling Vidcund with his sudden backbone. “He got kidnapped and that’s all you can say? ‘I told you so’?!”
“Well I-” Vidcund stammered.
“No, I think you’ve said enough.” Aelia interrupted, Vidcund’s jaw worked uselessly, looking to Lazlo as if he would take his side.
Lazlo instead scowled, “Don’t look at me, where were you when I got knocked out trying to save Ty?”
“What was I supposed to do!?” Vidcund sputtered, backing away from the group as he finally realized he wasn’t winning this argument.
The sun was coming up by the time Aelia left Pascal’s house, the group, minus Vidcund, had split off to try and find out where they could have taken Tycho- and who.
No sooner had Aelia left the house, however, she got a call.
“Hey sugar! We should get together for some breakfast.” Brandi’s cheerful tone spoke up, usually a welcomed sound, but not today.
“I... cannot, Brandi, I have to-”
“Oh, it won’t take any time at all, sugar!” Brandi pressed, “You really should come to the place we first met, I got a nice surprise for ya.”
Aelia hesitated at the strange phrasing, the odd tone that had crept into Brandi’s voice, something was up. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Brandi may be in danger, so ultimately she agreed to meet with her.
“...I am not too far away, I will arrive shortly.”
Aelia made her way towards the bar where she and Brandi had first met, try as she might she was unable to keep the upset look off her face.
Brandi didn’t look much happier, “Hey, Ally.” She said quietly, “Why don’t we head on back towards the alley way over yonder?”
“Excuse me?” Aelia questioned immediately, suspicion creeping into her tone.
“It’s private, do you trust me?” Brandi expressed, her big eyes were hard not to trust.
“...Yes, of course.”
Once nestled back in the alley, Aelia couldn’t hold back any longer, “Alright, why did you call me here? Are you in danger?”
Brandi splayed her hands out placatingly, “No, no, but I know someone close to you is.”
Aelia’s eyes narrowed harshly, “Then you better start talking, Brandi.”
“Oh, I know that momma bear look anywhere, hon, I want to help.” Brandi assured, “I know those sons of llamas that took your kid.”
Aelia’s brows furrowed, “Pascal’s- never mind, how do you know? Where is he?”
Brandi ducked her head sheepishly, “Well, you know that mystery man I’m dating? It’s ah... ol’ Buzz Grunt.”
The look of shock on Aelia’s face made Brandi wince but she kept speaking, “I know, I know! But he’s a sweetie once you break down his walls a little...And once I convinced him to go to therapy. See, he hears things working where he does... and he heard the Beakers just acquired an alien child.”
“The Beakers?!” Aelia inhaled sharply.
“I know, those rats. Anyway, I know Buzzy Bee is a little... iffy about aliens, but he couldn’t stand idly by and let someone kidnap a child.”
“He would care even if it was an alien child?” Aelia replied, sounding dubious at best.
Brandi bristled at that, “Well, course he would! He’s not a monster, Ally! He hears someone’s been kidnapped, even if it was his enemy or whatever, he’d try and help them!”
Aelia pursed her lips and Brandi canted her head, “Why are you so up-in-arms about whether he’d care about aliens, anyway?”
Aelia hesitated for a moment but let out a breath, “Because I am one.”
To Brandi’s credit, her surprise only lasted an instant before a warm smile fell into place, “Oh honey, it doesn’t matter where you were born, we all gotta help each other.”
Aelia’s shoulders sank in relief but Brandi continued. “Now, he wanted me to tell you on account of him being watched too closely, so I have the coordinates here...”
They met back once again at Pascal’s house with Aelia’s new information to discuss their next move and how they would free Tycho.
Nine and Jenny, obviously scared for their own children volunteered to be the get-away drivers while Johnny took Jill somewhere safe to hide.
Aelia, Cassandra and Pascal would go break out Tycho while Lazlo cheered them on from afar, still injured from whatever the kidnappers had done to him.
“You’re all going to get arrested, you know that right?” Vidcund scoffed, weaseling back into the room.
Jenny scowled, turning back to look at her brother, “No one asked your opinion, Vid-”
“And maybe you should! You’re all idiots if you think you can keep playing hero and get off scot-free!” Vidcund cut her off.
Nine looked over his shoulder, “I know you weren’t talking to my wife like that.” He said coldly, in the type of calm voice that ran a chill down your spine.
Vidcund sputtered back as Pascal interjected, his anger overriding his shy nature, “This is my son we’re talking about, Vidcund, maybe you want to be a coward and let things happen but we’re not going to.”
Aelia, Pascal and Cassandra headed in to the Beaker’s secret laboratory while the Smith’s waited in their vehicle.
“Just like them to have a creepy underground lab in their house.” Cassandra scoffed quietly.
The group got downstairs without incident, the keycard thankfully worked for this door as well.
“Why would they have all this?” Pascal mumbled.
“Because they’re both egomaniacs.” Cassandra muttered back.
“Dad?” A small voice piped up and Pascal instantly went for the door.
“Ty! Don’t worry, we’ll get you out.” Pascal exclaimed, trying the keycard on the door but to no avail.
“Stand back, Pascal, this door will not stop us.” Aelia slipped past, “You as well Tycho.”
Aelia took out a small weapon, “A concealable simray, I thought it might be useful.”
“Where were you hiding that?” Cassandra exclaimed, baffled.
“Oh, shit-” Pascal backed up, surprise clearly written on his face.
“Ohhh, dad said a bad word.” Tycho giggled from behind the door.
With everyone out of the way, Aelia aimed the simray at the door, with a few fizzes and one loud pop the door swung open nearly off it’s hinges.
Pascal burst into the room as soon as the door was open, scooping Tycho into a tight hug.
“Dad, it was crazy! A whole buncha men in black suits came and-” Tycho regaled his father with frantic hand waves but Aelia heard the door opening to her side.
“Well, well, well. Looks like my little birdy was right. You shouldn’t have interfered.” Circe growled.
“Run! I will deal with her.” Aelia turned towards Circe with her simray raised, the others didn’t need to be told twice and skedaddled quick as their feet could carry them.
The large doors started to close, and by the time all three of them were safely on the other side, the laboratory had sealed itself shut with Aelia still inside.
Circe sneered, bringing out a very familiar looking weapon, “Look what I have, Barbie. You shouldn’t have used company property to make your little alien weapon.”
“My name is not Barbie-” Aelia started, but her attention shot to something past Circe.
“What in the woohoock are you looking at?” Circe snarled at Aelia’s surprise, but not directed towards her.
She went to look back but Buzz was too quick, slipping his arm around Circe’s throat with practiced precision.
“You won’t kidnap anyone ever again.” Buzz growled quietly as Circe uselessly tried to claw his arm off.
Circe’s eyes rolled back and Buzz released her now limp body, collapsing onto the cold metal.
“I’ll bring her into custody later...” He muttered, glaring down at her. “Don’t worry, she’s just unconscious.” He then added to a startled Aelia.
“I would like to apologise to you, Aelia. You and your crew were only .. well you are protecting everyone and I was too blinded by my position to see it.” Buzz exclaimed solemnly.
“Did you apologise to your son, as well?” Aelia questioned with a small smile.
“I did, I’ve been foolishly hard on my boys and they’ve all grown up amazing despite that.” Buzz shook his head, “Thank you for showing me that.”
“Well good! Apology accepted then.” Aelia’s smile brightened, “I know you were just being protective, Buzz... and I heard that Brandi has been very helpful in getting you back on track.” Her eyes sparkled playfully.
Buzz’s cheeks reddened and he gave a genuine smile, “She has, you both have.” He then straightened and gave Aelia a salute. “Go get your son home safe, I’ll deal with the Beakers.”
Aelia was about to correct him about the ‘son’ comment but shook her head and smiled instead, mimicking his salute, “Thank you, General!”
As Aelia was leaving, a soft knocking echoed through the hall and she glanced back to see a lanky man in disheveled clothing waving back at her.
After ‘unlocking’ the door with her simray, the man stumbled out with a crooked smile.
“Thank you, it’s lonely down here.”
“You are welcome, I am Aelia and you are?”
“Nervous.” He replied simply.
“Well you do not have to be nervous, you are free now.” Aelia assured, keeping her tone soft.
He grimaced, ducking his head anxiously, “No, my name is Nervous.” He shrugged at the confusion dawning on her face. “Nervous Subject, guess I wasn’t important enough for a name.”
“Well the Beakers will not harm you any longer... Nervous, you are free.” Aelia replied, her heart- or the facsimile of one ached for this poor man.
“I do have one question for you.” Aelia said, “Have you seen a woman here with dark hair?”
“Oh! Yes, and the pretty red dress, she was so nice to me.” Nervous cooed fondly but his smile faded, “They kept giving her this weird purple juice though... But they let me out sometimes so I helped her escape.”
“Really? Do you know where she went?” Aelia asked, hope rising in her voice.
“No... but she was talking about visiting her mother, I think? I don’t know but she started talking about her mother a whole lot after they gave her that purple drink.” He gestured towards the cell opposite of him, “That’s where she was.”
Aelia turned towards the door, those strange alien plants were covering the walls, the floor and she pinched her lips together, she had gone to see The Mother.
Outside, the three still waited by their get-away car, hopeful that Aelia would still be able to escape. As two figures approached, Pascal let out a sigh of relief at the sight. “Aelia! Oh, Watcher...” He embraced her tight, “I’m glad you got out.”
“I’m glad she’s out, too, but it looks like we’re drawing an audience.” Cassandra muttered, side glancing a very possessed looking woman wandering towards them and spouting nonsense.
“Pascal!?” Nervous squeaked suddenly.
“Nervous!” Pascal grinned.
“Or, whatever.” Cassandra groaned.
Pascal hugged Nervous as well while Aelia looked on with a confused smile, “You two know each other?”
“We were childhood friends! Then all of a sudden he vanished...” Pascal explained.
Cassandra stared out at the possessed woman with a soft scowl, “Well at least she’s turning around...” She mumbled, stepping up towards the group, “We should probably leave, right?” She insisted.
Aelia smiled at Cassandra, “We will, but wait, Cassie, Nervous has news for you as well.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” Cassandra questioned.
“You look just like her...” Nervous whispered, “The lady across the hall from me.”
“What?” Cassandra stiffened, “My mother? Where is she?”
“I helped her escape, she went to see her mom.” Nervous shrugged, “I’m... sorry, she didn’t tell me where she was going other than that.”
Aelia turned to Cassandra, “The Mother, Cassie, I think she went to the lab.”
“I- thank you...” Cassandra murmured to Nervous, “We need to get there soon, maybe she’s still there... maybe we can save my mother.”
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