#/nala bolton

[the-red-mafia]

The Lost

The whole mafia expected Velvet to be upset following her mysterious conversation with Zaeor. What Maroon and Thorn didn't expect, though, was her running off to break into the B.A.D. mansion all on her own. The two scramble to follow them and the trio unite to search for answers within the walls of Velvet's childhood home. Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 5910

A day after “The Thief”

Maroon knocked on Velvet’s door for the third time, anxiety taking over them. 

“Velvet, I know you’re upset at Zaeor, but can you just let me know you’re okay?” they pleaded, “No one’s seen you since dinner last night.” The older teen had been locked in their room since they had gotten back from the UPS headquarters, only emerging after Zaeor had left to grab food. The god had returned about half an hour ago and seemed completely unbothered by her lack of presence. 

“They’re too frustrated to be useful right now,” he had told Maroon, “It’s one of their flaws.” Maroon had ascended the stairs anyway, and now stood in front of the closed, silent door. 

“Velvet, I really don’t want to do this. But I need to make sure you’re okay.” Maroon took a deep breath and grew a mushroom on the other side of the door. It fidgeted with the lock before a loud clicking sound echoed in the hallway. The teen opened the door, the mushroom melting back into the floorboards. 

The window across the room was open, letting in a cold breeze that sent goosebumps down their arm. The red and black comforter of her bed was still tucked in as if it hadn’t been touched in a few hours. Several empty energy drink cans sat on the bedside table. Maroon walked over to them, spotting a handwritten note set precariously on the edge. They picked it up.

Velvet’s handwriting, they thought, I can’t tell what it says. Maroon returned back to the doorway.

“Thorn, can you come up here?” they called out. Footsteps thudded against the stairs before the other teen appeared down the hallway. Their purple flannel matched Maroon’s sweater, which still made them smile slightly. Maroon took a deep breath. 

“Velvie giving you trouble?” He asked, smirking. 

“No, they’re not in here.” Thorn’s eyes widened.

“They’re not?” Maroon stepped out of the doorway, letting Thorn pass. Thorn looked around the room for a few moments. 

“Huh. Where’d she go then?” 

“That’s what I need your help with,” they replied, holding out the note, “I found this on the bedside table. Can you read it for me?” Their friend nodded, taking the small piece of paper. Ae looked at it for several seconds before shaking aer head.

“It’s in some other language. Latin, if I had to take a guess. I can’t read this.” 

“Try and read it out loud, then. I’ll translate.” Thorn let out a groan.

“Gods, I hate reading Latin.” Maroon chuckled and sat down on the perfectly made bed. Thorn sat down next to them.

“Here goes nothing,” Thorn mumbled, “‘Zaeor, apud Unorem consilium quaero.’” Maroon’s eyes widened. “She’s going to Unor’s base?” they breathed. “Noli sequi. Necesse est ut sōla id faciam. Te vocābō posteā’. And then they just signed their name.” Maroon’s heartbeat raced as they took the note from Thorn. The older teen looked up at them.

“So what are we doing?” it asked. Maroon was quiet for a moment.

“We’re going after them,” they said, standing, “They probably took the Umbrella, but we can take Rhyme’s ship.” Thorn nodded, standing as well. 

“I’ll go get the others. We can leave ASAP-” 

“No,” Maroon interrupted, “‘Non sequi’. She doesn’t want anyone to follow her.”

“I feel like what she wants doesn’t matter in this case,” Thorn muttered. Maroon brushed the comment off and turned to the door.

“The two of us will go. What if they’re in danger? We have to help.” 

“I mean, I’m with you on that part. Even if it’s Velvet,” Thorn began, “But I don’t know how comfortable I am with just taking Rhyme’s ship.” 

“I don’t see another option.” Thorn closed their eyes for several moments.

“Yeah, okay. If you’re sure. Let’s go.” 

Velvet looked up and down the hallway before sprinting into the next door. They shut the door quietly and took a deep breath.

Just a few more offices until his, she thought, Hopefully I can find something before then. They were picking up a folder off of the desk in front of them when a loud alarm began to blare. Velvet immediately set the folder down, but the sound continued. 

Trapped folder? What’s in here- She picked the folder up again when the door slammed open. Velvet quickly threw Kil-layye Mo’ore towards it before turning around. A familiar squeak hit her ears. 

“Maroon?” They breathed. Maroon waved slightly, standing up. The door shut, revealing Thorn behind it. 

“Oh it's our lucky day, huh?” the prince began, “She was behind the first door we checked.” Velvet balled their fists and glared at Thorn. 

“What the hell are you two doing here?” 

“We found your note,” Maroon answered. Velvet’s eyes widened. 

“What? It was in Latin, how’d you-” Velvet looked Maroon in the eyes, who tugged slightly on the sleeves of their red sweater. 

“How long have you been able to understand Latin?” the assassin demanded.

“About 500 years,” Maroon mumbled quietly. Velvet groaned loudly, summoning her sword back to her hand. 

“Of fucking course. Listen, I don’t know what you’re doing-”

“We wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Maroon began, “You were upset last night and then suddenly you’re breaking into B.A.D. and- I just wanted to help.” 

“And I’m here too,” Thorn added.

“Ugh, okay. But I don’t need your help. I’m fine on my own.” Maroon placed a hand on Velvet’s shoulder and smiled.

“I know. But this way, we can make sure.” Velvet looked them up and down before sighing. 

“Fine, whatever. Did you two set off the alarm?” Thorn sheepishly raised aer hand.

“That one’s my bad. I didn’t realise the cameras were on.” Velvet blinked a few times. 

“How…what? Why would they be off?” 

“I don’t know!” Velvet groaned again and sheathed Kil-layye Mo’ore. 

“You’re an idiot, frūx.”

“Hey, we’re here to sav-” Maroon cut them off.

“Is there any way to shut it off?” 

There’s an off switch in Unor’s office, but that’s way too far away to reach without getting caught right now. Where’s the other one… Velvet’s eyes widened and they quickly turned to the door. 

“Follow me. We’ve got to go visit my mom.”

Solana sat awkwardly at the breakfast table in between Mad and Rhyme, taking a bite of her eggs. Their companions refused to meet each other's eyes. Rhyme pushed his eggs back and forth on his plate while Mad looked towards the ceiling.

“So,” the elf tried, “Those kids, huh?” 

“Mhm,” Rhyme mumbled. Mad stayed silent. Solana waited a few moments before setting her fork down. 

“Rhyme, how far do you think they could’ve gotten?” Rhyme looked up at them. 

“If they figured out the boosters, they could be two galaxies away already.” Solana sighed. 

“Let’s hope Zaeor can find them soon, then.” Silence took over the room again. Mad eventually stood and took Solana’s empty plate. 

“I’m going to my room,” Mad stated. Solana quickly stood up and jumped over the counter, blocking its exit.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said, crossing his arms. Mad looked them up and down. 

“Do you need something, Solana?” 

“More like you two need to talk,” the elf replied, “Now sit your robot ass back down.” Mad sighed.

“Solana, it’s really none of your business-”

“It’s either I do this, or Velvet does it when the teens get back. And I think you’d prefer me.” The droid was silent for a moment before returning to their seat. Solana smiled and hopped back on the counter, taking a seat in the middle.

“So, are you two gonna be able to mediate yourselves like adults, or do I have to sit here?” Rhyme looked up at Mad, who looked away. Solana rolled his eyes.

“Sitting here it is then,” they crossed their right leg over their left, “What happened at Eliza’s?” 

“Solana, really? Everything is fine-”

“Clearly not, if Rhyme here got as upset as she did on the UPS mission.” Rhyme’s cheeks became a light pink and she sunk deeper into her seat. Mad looked at her.

“Rhyme? What are they talking about?” The thief took a deep breath.

“Mad, I’m really really sorry,” he blurted out, “I fucked up really bad and I hurt you and I’d take it back if I could but I can’t and I just…” His voice faded out.

“You just…?” 

“I…don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. You’re…well…” The teen looked up at Solana, who motioned for her to continue. 

“You’re the only person who has cared about me in, god, 5 years?” He chuckled nervously, “You’re my only friend. I fucked up, I know that, and I’m sorry. And I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Because I don’t think I could handle losing you.” Mad was silent as it stared at him. The two made eye contact, or as much eye contact as they could considering one was a robot. A minute passed before Mad spoke. 

“Rhyme…” they began, “What you did…in front of me…it really fucked me up.” Solana’s eyes widened. 

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Mad curse before, they thought, glancing at Rhyme. The teen seemed to be having a similar thought. 

“I know, and I’m sorry-”

“I’m not done,” Mad interrupted, “I can’t look at you without seeing her bleeding out on the floor over and over again. My programming keeps analysing it, looking for some way for me to change it. But I can’t. And you can’t change what you’ve done.” Rhyme looked to the floor, but nodded. Solana frowned.

“Mad?” the elf asked. Mad groaned.

“Could you two let me finish my thought?” 

“Shit- sorry.” Mad sighed and stood up. It took Rhyme’s hand and pulled her up to her feet. Rhyme’s eyes widened as he looked at them. 

“As upset and…frustrated as I am about it, I think I’m more upset at the situation than you,” it mumbled, holding both of her hands, “I mean, I’m still upset, but I care about you too. And…I can’t lose you too.” Solana smirked. 

“S-so, do you forgive me?” Rhyme asked, the light pink returning to his face. Mad chuckled slightly.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Rhyme smiled brightly and pulled them into a hug. 

And that’s how you do it, Solana thought, Damn, if only that worked on Velvet. My life would be so much easier. 

“Don’t do it again,” Mad added before glancing up at Solana, “But that’s the most genuine apology I’ve heard in my entire time being with the mafia.” The elf rolled their eyes. 

“Hey, don’t look at me. What do I have to apologise for?” 

“My screwdriver.” Rhyme suppressed a laugh while Solana glared at the robot. 

“I didn’t fucking take your screwdriver.”

“I don’t believe Velvet snuck past all four of us without help.” 

“She’s the best assassin in the universe, of course she can!” Rhyme finally couldn’t keep it in anymore and broke out in loud laughter. 

“Have you seen her?” Rhyme pushed their face into Mad’s shirt to muffle her laughter. Mad stared down at him, wide eyes taking over the previously blank screen. Solana raised an eyebrow and jumped to the other side of the counter. 

“I think that’s my cue to go,” she said, gesturing to the door, “I’ll go check on Wyatt.”

“Solana-” The elf sprinted to the stairs, leaving the two of them in the kitchen alone.

 

Nala took a deep breath as she ran a brush through her hair. She pulled a section in front of her shoulder and stared into the mirror on her vanity. She was halfway through braiding it when there was a knock at the door. Nala frowned and checked her watch.

Unor’s not supposed to be here until 11:30, she thought, It’s only 10. 

“Who is it?” She called out. 

“Tua fīlia, mater,” A familiar voice answered. Nala’s eyes went wide. 

“Velvet?” She breathed. She quickly stood and opened the door, revealing her 15-year-old daughter in front of her. Two of her teammates, Maroon and Thorn if she remembered correctly, stood behind her. Nala pulled Velvet into a big hug. 

“Oh, Velvet,” she breathed, hugging her tightly. 

“Hi Mom. Can we come in?” Nala let go and smiled. 

“Of course.” The teens entered the room, Velvet shutting the door behind her.

“Hey Velvet’s mom,” The redhead, Thorn, said. Nala waved at him. 

“Hello, Thorn was it?” The teen nodded, so Nala turned to the other one, “And you’re Maroon?” 

“Mhm,” Maroon answered. She smiled.

“It’s lovely to see you two again. How have you been?”

“Good-” Velvet walked to the other side of the room, where a large computer set up sat. Nala looked at her daughter.

“What are you doing, Velvet?”

“Shutting down the alarm, give me a sec.” Nala frowned. 

“You set off an alarm?” Velvet groaned.

“No, those asinī did.” 

Asinī? I don’t think I know that one.

“Well I’m sorry I don’t know the entire B.A.D. mansion by heart,” Thorn apologised sarcastically, “I didn’t grow up here.”

“I didn’t fucking ask you to come-”

“Language,” Nala corrected. Velvet groaned.

“Sorry, mom. I didn’t ask you two to follow me. In fact, I think I explicitly said don’t.” 

“In our defence, you told Zaeor not to follow you,” Maroon chimed in. Velvet turned and glared at them. 

“‘Cause I was under the impression no one else spoke Latin. I guess I’m learning a lot today.” Nala chuckled and stood next to Velvet in the chair. The teen typed quickly and eventually got into the main security system. She paused on the screen for a few seconds.

“Left side, dear,” Nala stated. Velvet pressed the button and the bright ‘System Normal’ status blinked green. 

“Thanks, mater.” She clicked out of the security but pulled up the files application.

“What are you three doing here anyway?” Nala asked, turning to look at Thorn and Maroon as well, “And why didn’t you want your teammates to come with you?”

“Because she’s an angsty bitch,” Thorn mumbled. 

“Language.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Bolton.” Nala chuckled.

“Please, just Nala.”

“I’m looking into some information about something we found at a UPS headquarters. Do you know anything about Unor going to the station on Kenip?” Nala thought for a moment.

“I know he went there, but I’m not sure what for. I think it was just a routine drop-off he wanted to go on.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Velvet mumbled, “What about December 9th? Have you heard anything about something then?” At the same time, they typed the date into the search bar.

“That’s the day of our winter fundraiser.”

“Fundraiser?” Thorn asked, “Aren’t you guys like, rich?” Maroon put a hand on Thorn’s shoulder.

“Thorn-” Nala laughed and waved a hand.

“It’s alright, Maroon. It’s a fundraiser for a missing kid organisation, part of my plan to improve B.A.D.’s public image. It was also originally planned to help look for Velvet, but…” she gestured to Velvet, who rolled her eyes. 

“That’s sweet, how you never gave up looking for her,” Maroon said, smiling, “From the way Velvet used to talk about her parents, I thought you two didn’t get along.” Nala frowned and looked down at her daughter. Velvet, however, turned to glare at Maroon.

“I never said that.”

“I know. I just thought since you hated Unor so much-” Velvet looked back at the screen. 

“She’s just as much of a victim as we are.” 

“...we?” Maroon looked towards the floor, and Thorn took their hand. 

“That’s actually another thing I should look for,” Velvet mumbled under her breath. They typed Maroon’s name into the search bar.

“Velvet, that’s not what we came for,” Thorn said, “We don’t need to-”

“Shut it, Thorn.” The screen loaded for a moment before a grey ‘No Results’ tab popped up. Velvet sighed. 

“That’s about what I expected. Maroon, what was the name on the folder again?” 

“Project Rapio.” Nala paused.

“Now that name I’ve heard before,” she stated. Velvet looked up at her.

“What do you know?” 

“It’s been Unor’s new project for the past few weeks,” Nala sat down on her bed, “He didn’t tell me much, just that he would be redirecting resources to it for the next few weeks.”

“So the folder was right,” Velvet breathed. 

“What folder?” Velvet stood and turned to her teammates. 

“I have to search Unor’s office. Are you two coming with me?” Nala grabbed her wrist.

“Now wait just a second, young lady,” she said. Velvet looked at her.

“What, mater?” 

“First, drop the attitude. That’s no way to talk to your mother.” Thorn stifled a laugh as Velvet broke her wrist out of Nala’s grip.

“Sorry.”

“Secondly, Unor’s in a meeting there right now. You’d get caught immediately.” Velvet groaned.

“Do you know when he’ll be done?”

“11. Then he’s meeting me here at 11:30 so we can go make plans for the fundraiser.” Velvet mumbled something that Nala couldn’t make out. Maroon took her hand, drawing her attention. 

“We could stay in here until she leaves with him?” they asked, turning to Nala, “If you’re okay with that, Nala.” She smiled.

“Of course I’m okay with that. I’d never pass up a chance to hang out with my lovely daughter.” She pulled Velvet into another hug, one that she tried to wrestle out of this time. Nala won out, of course. She always did. 

“So, uh,” Mad began, looking down at Rhyme, “What was Solana talking about with the mission yesterday?” Rhyme lifted his head to look at the ground.

“Oh- uh- that was nothing.” 

“I can’t help but think that’s a lie.” 

“It’s not!” Rhyme said quickly, looking up at them, “I was just overwhelmed and thought you hated me.” 

“You know I can just text Maroon and ask, right?” Rhyme let out a strained laugh.

“Maroon won’t respond, they’re avoiding us.” Mad’s screen displayed a smirk.

“Maybe they’re ignoring you.” Rhyme narrowed her eyes. 

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“Maybe,” it said, “Maybe they talked to me before they left and I told them how to fly your ship.”

“Mad!” The droid laughed. 

“Why would you do that?” Rhyme demanded, “Where are they going, anyhow?” 

“That part they didn’t tell me. They just said Velvet ran off and they wanted to go after her. So I told them.” 

“I don’t know why you wouldn’t just tell them to take all of us,” Rhyme replied. 

“They said Velvet had said she didn’t want to be followed. I figured they could handle it.”

“But my baby-” Mad laughed again as Rhyme fake-pouted. 

“Your baby will be fine,” Mad replied.

“Well yeah, you’re right here,” Rhyme mumbled. Mad looked down at her.

“What was that?” Rhyme’s heartbeat raced and he blushed.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Rhyme looked down at her hands, still in Mad’s. He quickly pulled them back and stuffed them into his pockets. Mad pulled out their phone and quickly typed a message. After a few seconds, it beeped. 

“Oh, they found Velvet. They’re with them and their mom now.” 

“Nala’s in on it?” Rhyme asked, “I shouldn’t be surprised, actually. She was the nicer of the two.” Mad nodded.

“I think she’s one of the only people I’ve heard Velvet talk about positively.” Another ding and a smirk appeared on Mad’s screen.

“Maroon said whatever you said yesterday was important.” Rhyme’s heart skipped a beat.

Dammit, Maroon. Fucking traitor. 

“I don’t think so,” Rhyme replied, crossing her arms. 

“Hold on, they just texted what you said.” Rhyme jumped forward, knocking the phone out of the droid's hand. Rhyme tripped over Mad’s foot, falling onto Mad. The two landed on the ground, Mad laughing loudly. Rhyme glared at the phone. 

“I was joking, Rhyme, I didn’t even ask them. I was just getting an update,” Mad said, looking up at her. Rhyme switched his glare to them.

“Scared the shit outta me, strange robot.” 

“Although, I might text them about it now considering that’s how you’re reacting.” Rhyme held Mad’s shoulders down and shook his head. 

“Can’t do that if I keep you here away from your phone.” 

“Are you sure about that?” Mad chuckled, “Rhyme, I’m a robot.” 

“Shit.” Mad laughed again, a bright smile appearing on their screen. 

“I’m just kidding. Maroon probably wouldn’t tell me, anyway.” Rhyme sighed, taking her hands off Mad’s shoulders.

“Good.”

“I am curious, though,” Mad added, “You don’t have to tell me, but I do wanna know.” 

“Maybe I’ll tell you. Eventually.” Mad displayed the eyes emoji, which promptly spun around. Rhyme stared at it before breaking out into laughter.

“What?” The droid asked. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Rolling my eyes.” That response only made the thief laugh harder. She set her forehead on their chest while she laughed. 

“Who…who told you to do that?” he asked through laughs. 

“Thorn. Why, does it look stupid?” Rhyme shook his head.

“No. Never stop doing that.” Mad shrugged as the thief sat up.

“If you say so.” The two looked at each other for a few moments. Mad’s screen changed to a smile, causing Rhyme to frown. It switched to a question mark.

“What’s wrong?”

“What did I just say?” Mad’s screen went blank.

“Huh? Oh- you meant-” Rhyme laughed again, shaking her head.

“No, I’m kidding.” Mad’s screen displayed the rolling eyes again anyways.

“Better?” it asked. 

“Better.” Mad laughed before looking Rhyme in the eyes.

“Can I stand up now?” Rhyme’s face went bright red and he quickly scrambled to get off of the droid. 

“Sorry-” 

“It’s okay. Are you gonna finish your breakfast?” Mad asked, gesturing to the full plate. 

“Right, yeah. Kinda got interrupted during that, huh?”

“That would mean you actually started eating.” Rhyme’s eyes widened. 

“I thought you weren’t looking at me earlier?” Mad shook their TV.

“My camera was looking at you, the TV wasn’t.”

“‘Course, how silly of me.” Mad nodded as the thief sat down at the table. It joined her, this time sitting to her right. Rhyme smiled and took a bite.

“How is it?” 

“Perfect,” Rhyme answered.

Just like you.

Velvet led the way down the hallway, Thorn and Maroon following behind. Nala had cleared out the area a few minutes before, but Velvet had Kil-layye Mo’ore drawn anyway. They passed down a set of brown double doors with several stickers on it. Thorn looked at them: a rainbow, stars, and the letter c sat in the middle. It looked like there were more letters, but they had fallen off. 

“What’s in there?” Thorn asked. Velvet didn’t even turn around to look at the door before responding.

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” 

“Drop it, frūx,” Velvet hissed. The prince put their hands up. 

“Right, got it.” The trio walked for another minute before Velvet stopped in front of another set of double doors. These ones were blank, and a deeper brown than the other ones. Velvet took a deep breath. 

“We’re here.” Maroon looked down at her. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Velvet?”

“Of course I’m fucking not. But we don’t have a choice, now do we?” 

“I’m sure we could figure something else out. We could ask Nala-” 

“No,” Velvet stated coldly, “She’s endangered herself enough today. I’m not letting her get hurt again. Let’s just get this over with.” Maroon frowned as Velvet pushed the big doors open, Kil-layye Mo’ore raised. They creaked slightly but revealed an office with a large black desk ordained with various trinkets and papers. A laptop sat on top of it, open. There were three chairs around the desk: one on the side of the laptop and two with their backs towards the door. 

Paintings lined the walls depicting old buildings and other people, presumably older members of the Bolton family considering their similarity to Velvet. The walls were a deep, blood red with black sigils lining the middle. Thorn pointed them out.

“Any idea what those say?” He asked out loud. 

“Don’t look at them for too long. They’re a form of security.” Thorn quickly looked away.

“Unor’s got a lot of magic access for a mortal,” ae mumbled. 

“It’s really not that surprising. He’s not that far off from becoming a fake god.” That sentence caused Maroon and Thorn to stop dead in their tracks. 

“...what?” Maroon breathed. Velvet turned back to look at them. Her red hair fell out of the clip, so she adjusted it while she talked. 

“You didn’t know?”

“I think you conveniently forgot to mention that part,” Thorn replied through gritted teeth. Velvet just shrugged. 

“Well now you know.” 

“What do you mean ‘not that far off’?” Maroon asked. Velvet sat down in the main desk chair and typed something into the laptop.

“Same fucking password, what a fucking idiot,” they mumbled, “I mean he’s not far off. He’s got four and a half of the five souls he needs, so he’s almost there.” 

“Souls?” Thorn demanded, “How exactly does one become a fake god?” Velvet groaned.

“Did I really forget to explain this?” 

“I wouldn’t be asking otherwise.”

“I don’t know, you’re you,” the assassin mumbled, “To become a fake god, someone needs to collect one soul of each type. Unor’s got four and a half.” Maroon took a step forward. 

“Half?” Velvet refocused on the laptop, typing more into the keyboard. Maroon opened their mouth to say something more but stayed quiet. 

“Damn it, this is wiped clean,” they mumbled, “It’s almost like…” Thorn stared at her.

“If you say what I think you’re going to say, Velvie…”

“He knows we’re here,” Maroon said in a small voice. Velvet quickly stood from the chair and joined the duo.

“How could he know we’re here?” Thorn asked, “There’s no way.”

“He must have found out about the UPS break-in and put two and two together,” Velvet answered. They pushed the doors open again, this time a loud alarm blaring again. 

“So that whole planning thing with Nala was bullshit?” 

“Maybe not. I hope it wasn’t. I hope he’s not here and is just hoping his guards will be able to capture us.” 

“The guards that are also him,” Thorn muttered. Velvet nodded and stepped out into the hallway, making a run for it back where they came. The other two quickly followed.

“If we can get back to Nala’s room, could we-” 

“Too dangerous,” Velvet interrupted Maroon, “There’s another security panel in the library, but that’s way further. I don’t know if we’ll make it.”

“And there’s no chance they’re gonna fall for the false alarm from Nala for a second time,” Thorn added. Velvet nodded. Footsteps began thudding behind them, voices shouting in various languages Thorn didn’t know. Velvet glanced backward.

“One of you, make a wall.” Thorn obliged, a wall of vines growing and blocking the hallway behind them. They added a horizontal layer as well, just in case. In front of them, a large metal door slammed shut. Velvet quickly stopped in their tracks, breathing heavily.

“Fuck,” they said. 

“W-what’s that mean?” Maroon asked. 

“Full lockdown’s been activated. We can’t get out that way. Or any way, for that matter.” 

“Then what’s the plan?” Thorn demanded. Velvet glared at him.

“I’m fucking working on it, Thorn.” The voices behind the vine wall grew louder as Velvet scanned the hallway. A few feet ahead stood the sticker-covered doors once again. The assassin’s eyes locked on it right as Thorn’s did.

 

Maroon looked at their two friends as they both looked ahead. They followed their gaze to the door from earlier, the one Velvet had dismissed. 

“Fuck, okay,” she breathed, running forward. Maroon and Thorn followed. Velvet slowed in front of them and carefully tried the doorknob. The door gave way, warm sunlight fading in from the large bay window on the opposite side of the room. Maroon glanced at Velvet, who had her eyes closed tight. She took a deep breath and, once Maroon and Thorn were inside, shut the door. 

The room was well-lit from the window alone, a pair of blue curtains hanging from the rod above them. The right corner had a large canopy bed, decorated with blue and purple bedsheets. There were four pillows on top and an extra blanket folded neatly at the end. Pictures of butterflies and various star systems sat above the bed, forming a star. 

A large rug was in the middle, a blue flower. The opposite side of the room from the bed had a desk with a textbook open on top of it. The chair was pushed in and a layer of dust had begun to form on the pages. A closet was pushed up against the wall the door was on, slightly ajar. 

Velvet slowly turned around, taking in the scene. Maroon watched as they walked towards the window. 

“Who’s room is this?” Thorn asked, crossing his arms. Velvet sat down at the window, looking out. Maroon walked towards the open textbook. 

“This is- was. This was a friend of mine’s bedroom.” Maroon looked down at the book, wiping the dust off. There sat a name.

“Caran?” Maroon read, “Oh…that’s who Caran was.” Velvet nodded, standing again. 

“Try not to touch anything, okay?” Maroon wiped their hand on their trousers. Velvet joined them at the desk and glanced down at the book. 

“‘Course that’s what he was reading,” they mumbled. Maroon looked down at them.

“What is it?” 

“Algebra.” 

“What’s…algebra?” Velvet stared at them for a few seconds.

“I’ll let Mad handle that one.” Maroon nodded but kept their eyes on Velvet. The assassin slowly opened a drawer and their eyes widened. 

“Jackpot,” they breathed. They pulled out a laptop, similar to the one from Unor’s office. They sat down back at the window and opened it up. Maroon sat next to them and Thorn joined on the other side of Maroon. 

“His laptop?” Thorn asked, “How’s that gonna help?” 

“Unor’s not going to limit a dead person’s access to classified documents. That’s his one weakness: he’s cocky. He killed someone, so there’s no point controlling what they can see.” Maroon’s heart skipped a beat.

“He killed Caran?” Maroon asked.

“Of course he fucking did. Are you even surprised?” 

“...no.” Velvet typed in another passcode and smirked. 

“And we’re in. Project Rapio…” They clicked on a file and quickly scanned it. 

“That looks like the one we found at the UPS,” Maroon commented. Velvet nodded. 

“It is.”

“Anything new?” Thorn asked. Velvet closed the document and opened up the next. 

“I’m looking, give me a minute.” Thorn looked around Maroon to read the screen.

“That’s in English?”

“Yeah. It must be the memo he sent to the lower-ranking operatives. They typically can’t read Latin.” Thorn was quiet for a moment before his eyes widened. 

“Unor’s trying to capture us for one of our souls?” it exclaimed. Velvet slammed the laptop closed and stood. 

“We should get out of here,” she mumbled, “We’ll have to break the window.” Maroon glanced at Thorn, who was staring at Velvet.

“Velvet, did I read that right?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, Thorn.”

Soul? If he already has 4 and a half, why would he want… their eyes locked on Velvet, Oh. 

“Velvet, that half a soul Unor has,” Maroon said quietly, “It’s yours, isn’t it?” Velvet turned back to glare at them.

“So what if it is? It doesn’t change anything.” 

“Oh my gods,” Maroon breathed, “Velvet, I’m so sorry-”

“Is that why you’re so…you?” Thorn asked. Maroon stared down at them.

“Thorn-”

“What? That was the nicest way I could think of.” 

“Just fucking drop it, will you?” Velvet demanded, “It’s not that big of a deal.” She jumped onto the window seat and drew Kil-layye Mo’ore, using the hilt to break the glass. Maroon and Thorn quickly moved out of the way. 

“It is a big deal, though. You’re missing half of your soul, your personality, your…emotions.” Maroon let the last word hang in the air as Velvet sheathed her sword again. Thorn looked between Maroon and Velvet.

“So all this time, I’ve been calling you a bitch for ignoring your emotions,” the prince began, “But you haven’t been. You just haven’t had emotions?” 

“I’m done talking about this with you two. Just forget you ever figured this out, okay?” 

“Velvet, stop.” Maroon grabbed their wrist, forcing them to look back at them. 

“What do you want, fungus?” 

“How long has your soul been broken?” Velvet groaned.

“Are we really going to do this?” 

“The quicker you answer our questions, the quicker we can leave,” Thorn added. Velvet glanced at each of them before sighing.

“Fine. Since shortly after my 14th birthday.” 

Nearly two years, Maroon thought, Dear Ailuj-

“Does Zaeor know?” Velvet scoffed.

“Of course he fucking knows. He’s what stopped him from taking the whole thing.” Maroon’s eyes widened. 

“So that’s what you meant,” Thorn said. The two of them looked towards him.

“What?”

“You keep saying that he saved your life. I thought that was after you started working for him, but it's why you’re working for him.” Velvet rolled her eyes.

“That’s what you choose to focus on?”

She’s been like this since before the mafia was formed. How did no one notice?

“I don’t control where my brain goes, Velvie.”

Does anyone in the mafia know? We…we could’ve…I could’ve…

“Do not fucking call me that, especially-”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Maroon blurted out. Velvet turned to them.

“What do you mean?”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone? Me, Mad, anyone. We could’ve helped you sooner.” Velvet narrowed their eyes at them.

“Because there’s no way to help me, Maroon.” The youngest teen’s heart skipped a beat again as they looked at her. 

“There has to be something.”

“There’s not, Zaeor’s checked. I’m stuck like this for the rest of my life.”

“Fuck, that’s morbid,” Thorn muttered. Velvet sent a glare aer way. 

“So is my entire life. Get used to it.” 

“What if Unor was dead?” Maroon asked. The two teens refocused on them, Thorn’s eyes wide.

“What are you talking about, Maroon?” Thorn asked. 

“If Unor was dead, wouldn’t all the souls be released? Couldn’t you get it back then?” Velvet frowned.

“In theory, but there’s no guarantee-”

“But it’s possible?”

“Maroon, are you saying we should-” Velvet cut Thorn off.

“Yeah, I guess it’s possible.”

If killing Unor could fix Velvet’s soul…after everything he’s done, what’s stopping us?

“Then let’s attack Unor first,” Maroon stated, “We’ve been on the defensive this whole time. The day he’s actually planning on attacking us, we attack first. Stage a full assault on this base. Take it over and end this.” Velvet stared at Maroon for several moments. Thorn took their hand but Maroon didn’t take their eyes off of the assassin in front of them. 

“You’re right,” Velvet finally replied, “That’s what we’ll do.” Maroon took a deep breath and nodded. 

“Mushroom, are you sure you want to-”

“Yes. I’m sure.” Velvet held a hand out to Maroon and the three teens stood on the windowsill. Thorn had a concerned look on his face as he stared at Maroon. 

“One of you want to make something to get us down?” Velvet asked. A giant mushroom sprouted from the ground, stopping right in front of them. Maroon led the way onto the pileus.

It’s time to end this.

[hqslegaciesarchive]

Mod quero prompts pros skeletons livresss

FAMÍLIA KING

Alguém com a habilidade de musical. Não uma habilidade musical, simplesmente a habilidade musical. Quando alguma emoção forte pega esse personagem, ele consegue fazer com que todos ao seu redor se juntem num número de musical! Com direito a figurinos sendo trocados, todo mundo sabendo a letra e a dança, vários efeitos mágicos e até transições de cena. Todos tem consciência do que está acontecendo, quem está passando por perto pode até assistir, e quando termina, ninguém entende o que acabou de acontecer. Opcional: esse personagem é lendário na Academia porque fez o maior número musical para se declarar pra alguém e levou um “não”.

Um Troy Bolton reverso: é alguém que ama esportes non-maj e até pensa em chegar no Módulo III e não participar de Ordem, Conselho ou Defensores coisa nenhuma, também não quer o triunfo de ser treinador de Magibol. Simplesmente quer fazer sucesso com um time de basquete ou vôlei ou qualquer coisa non-maj, sem magia alguma. Mas como um King pode não querer ser músico e simplesmente rejeitar a grandeza de uma das famílias mais importantes de Storydom não querendo ser do Conselho ou da Ordem com o legado de Simba e Nala? 

O que eu quero mais é ser rei: é o próprio David Charming querendo se candidatar pra rei. O sobrenome é King, o pai era um dos maiores reis que eles tinham antigamente, por que ele não pode ser também? Um personagem bastante político! Pode não se envolver muito com a parte musical da família, mas com certeza honra Simba e Nala com essa história de querer pegar a cadeira mais importante do Conselho e se tornar o Rei Justo de Storydom um dia. Talvez durante a Cerimônia do Recebimento rolou algo que fez com que alguns acreditem que ele será o próximo Rei Arthur caso o mesmo não gere herdeiros (a Excalibur brilhou mais forte e pronto: Simba e Nala saíram por aí exibindo o cristal lapidado KKKKK). 

Dupla sertaneja: tem uma dupla sertaneja assinada com a gravadora da família.

Ex One Direction: tinha uma boyband/uma girlband durante a adolescência, deu tudo errado, se separaram, e agora o King sendo nepotism baby é o mais hypado pela gravadora dos pais, óbvio, enquanto seus ex-integrantes são sabotados pelos Kings só para que o filho seja o único ex membro da boyband/girlband memorável.

Seguindo no prompt acima, alguém que sabota os artistas do RP, inclusive o Naveen! Os Kings são essa família bastante tradicional arthuriana, o que significa que mesmo que eles fechem parcerias com outras famílias importantes para que os legados destas tenham contrato com a gravadora, eles ainda iriam preferir um filho seu estando no topo das paradas. 

Um DJ.

FAMÍLIA D’ORLEANS

É jurado do Tiana’s Choice com a mãe e consegue ser tão crítico quanto ela, inclusive se sente o próprio Gordon Ramsay de Storydom. Realidade: não sabe cozinhar, mas finge que sabe pra poder criticar tudo, desde a comida da Academia até os biscoitos que você oferece pra ele de lanche.

Faz parte da orquestra de Storydom e toca jazz com o tio Louis.

Esse é um prompt muito maluco, mas o personagem poderia falar com uma estrela. Uma vibe do vagalume que eu sempre esqueço o nome e que tinha a sua Evangeline no céu. Ninguém acredita nele, pensa que é louco, mas ele de fato conversa com uma estrela no céu e essa é a habilidade dele. Muitos podem pensar que ele mente só pra não dizer que não recebeu nenhuma habilidade, mas o coitado realmente deita todas as noites e fica batendo papo com a sua estrela. O melhor de tudo é que a estrela pode contar coisas pra ele que ninguém mais pode! Opcional: ele tem sonhos sobre a estrela tomando uma forma humana e se parece muito com algum personagem dentro do RP.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.28

585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated. 621 – Battle of Hulao: Li Shimin, the son of the Chinese emperor Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of Dou Jiande near the Hulao Pass (Henan). This victory decides the outcome of the civil war that followed the Sui dynasty's collapse in favour of the Tang dynasty. 1533 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid. 1588 – The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading for the English Channel. (It will take until May 30 for all ships to leave port.) 1644 – English Civil War: Bolton Massacre by Royalist troops under the command of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. 1754 – French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war, Virginia militia under the 22-year-old Lieutenant colonel George Washington defeat a French reconnaissance party in the Battle of Jumonville Glen in what is now Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania. 1802 – In Guadeloupe, 400 rebellious slaves, led by Louis Delgrès, blow themselves up rather than submit to Napoleon's troops. 1830 – U.S. President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act which denies Native Americans their land rights and forcibly relocates them. 1871 – The Paris Commune falls after two months. 1892 – In San Francisco, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club. 1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima ends with the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet by Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Imperial Japanese Navy. 1907 – The first Isle of Man TT race is held. 1918 – The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia declare their independence. 1926 – The 28 May 1926 coup d'état: Ditadura Nacional is established in Portugal to suppress the unrest of the First Republic. 1932 – In the Netherlands, construction of the Afsluitdijk is completed and the Zuiderzee bay is converted to the freshwater IJsselmeer. 1934 – Near Callander, Ontario, Canada, the Dionne quintuplets are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne; they will be the first quintuplets to survive infancy. 1936 – Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication. 1937 – Volkswagen, the German automobile manufacturer, is founded. 1940 – World War II: Belgium surrenders to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of Belgium. 1940 – World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture Narvik in Norway. This is the first Allied infantry victory of the War. 1948 – Daniel François Malan is elected as Prime Minister of South Africa. He later goes on to implement Apartheid. 1958 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero. 1961 – Peter Benenson's article The Forgotten Prisoners is published in several internationally read newspapers. This will later be thought of as the founding of the human rights organization Amnesty International. 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, with Yasser Arafat elected as its first leader. 1968 – Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 crashes near Nala Sopara in India, killing 30. 1974 – Northern Ireland's power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement collapses following a general strike by loyalists. 1975 – Fifteen West African countries sign the Treaty of Lagos, creating the Economic Community of West African States. 1977 – In Southgate, Kentucky, the Beverly Hills Supper Club is engulfed in fire, killing 165 people inside. 1979 – Konstantinos Karamanlis signs the full treaty of the accession of Greece with the European Economic Community. 1987 – An 18-year-old West German pilot, Mathias Rust, evades Soviet Union air defences and lands a private plane in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. 1991 – The capital city of Addis Ababa falls to the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, ending both the Derg regime in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Civil War. 1995 – The 7.0 Mw  Neftegorsk earthquake shakes the former Russian settlement of Neftegorsk with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Total damage was $64.1–300 million, with 1,989 deaths and 750 injured. The settlement was not rebuilt. 1996 – U.S. President Bill Clinton's former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, Jim McDougal and Susan McDougal, and the Governor of Arkansas, Jim Guy Tucker, are convicted of fraud. 1998 – Nuclear testing: Pakistan responds to a series of nuclear tests by India with five of its own codenamed Chagai-I, prompting the United States, Japan, and other nations to impose economic sanctions. Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Takbir annually. 1999 – In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece The Last Supper is put back on display. 2002 – The last steel girder is removed from the original World Trade Center site. Cleanup duties officially end with closing ceremonies at Ground Zero in Manhattan, New York City. 2003 – Peter Hollingworth resigns as Governor-General of Australia following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his tenure as Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. 2004 – The Iraqi Governing Council chooses Ayad Allawi, a longtime anti-Saddam Hussein exile, as prime minister of Iraq's interim government. 2008 – The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty. 2010 – In West Bengal, India, the Jnaneswari Express train derailment and subsequent collision kills 148 passengers. 2011 – Malta votes on the introduction of divorce; the proposal was approved by 53% of voters, resulting in a law allowing divorce under certain conditions being enacted later in the year. 2016 – Harambe, a gorilla, is shot to death after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking various internet memes. 2017 – Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato wins his first Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so. Double world champion Fernando Alonso retires from an engine issue in his first entry of the event.

[petnews2day]

Tyldesley mum fundraising for beloved cat's covid FIP treatment

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/pet-news/cat-news/tyldesley-mum-fundraising-for-beloved-cats-covid-fip-treatment/

Tyldesley mum fundraising for beloved cat's covid FIP treatment

A DEVASTATED mum is fighting to keep her beloved pet alive after it contracted a strain of coronavirus.

Samantha Howard, from Tyldesley, bought a British Shorthair kitten from a local breeder in the summer, to the delight of her three kids.

Calling her Nala, the family fell in love with their new pet, but in a devastating turn of events, the kitten quickly became unwell and was later diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

FIP is a rare mutation from a strain of feline coronavirus (FCoV) and is usually declared as fatal and the animal has to be put down.

READ > Family share heartbreaking TV appeal in first Christmas without daughter

The British Shorthair was bought by Samantha in the summer (Image: Samantha Howard)

However, not prepared to give up on Nala, NHS worker Samantha did some research and found vets who are trialling treatment for FIP.

The treatment, which has shown successful results in the US, consists of fortnightly Remdesivir injections over a 90-day period.

However, as the trial treatment is not currently covered by pet insurance, it will cost Samantha between £6,000 and £9,000 for the treatment and frequent visits to the Bolton Animal Trust.

Desperate to save their “beautiful girl”, Samantha sold the family Mercedes to help fund the treatment and is now fundraising to give Nala the best chance of survival.

Samantha and the kids were devastated when Nala became ill (Image: Samantha Howard)

Samantha, 36, said: “Me and the kids all fell in love with Nala but once she got ill, she deteriorated rapidly.

“I had accepted that I was going to have to put her down, which would have devastated the kids, when I found out about the research and trials that are going on.

“It’s amazing because the vets said she was on the verge of dying, but the medication has made a massive difference already – she’s like a brand new cat.”

Nala has been responding well to the trial treatment (Image: Samantha Howard)

Around a month into the 90-day treatment, Samantha said Nala is re-gaining strength and has been able to get rid of much of the fluid that was building in her organs.

However, after selling her car and using all the savings she had, the 36-year-old is now appealing for help to ensure Nala can finish the so-far successful treatment.

Samantha is fundraising to ensure Nala can finish her treatment (Image: Samantha Howard)

Thankful for the support she has received so far, Samantha added: “I’m fundraising because of how expensive the treatment is and I’ve done everything I can to contribute towards it.

“But I’m also sharing the story to let pet owners know about the virus because it’s so deadly and there is no treatment that is covered by pet insurance – and I had no idea about it.

“Everyone who has a pet understands that you will do everything you can for them, so I hope this treatment can save Nala.”

To support Samantha’s fundraiser and help to fund Nala’s treatment, you can visit the donation page here.

Samantha and Nala (Image: Samantha Howard)

[oltnews]

Disney Family Singalong available for streaming on Disney Plus UK (Photo: ABC)Disney Plus UK is truly the gift that keeps on giving. If it's not Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian, then it's Disney Family Singalong - which is finally available on the new streaming platform. Get your pipes warmed up and ready! By choosing some of their favorite Disney classics, stars from around the world got together during the coronavirus lockdown and completed a number of successes in the comfort of their own homes. From Ariana Grande singing I Won’t Say I’s In Love from Hercules, to Beyonce making a surprise appearance with her own rendition of Pinocchio When You Wish Upon A Star, it really is a truly special show. The duo were joined by diva Christina Aguilera, as well as Michael Buble, Demi Lovato, Luke Evans with Josh Gad and Alan Menken. To view this video, please enable JavaScript and consider switching to a website browser which supports HTML5 video Even The Cast Of High School Musical performed the iconic song, We Are All In The Together, although we are sad to say that Zac Efron who played Troy Bolton in the film did not make an appearance. And even if it will bring you joy, it doesn't matter if you shed a tear (or two) - because revisiting your childhood can be emotional at best, and even less during a pandemic. Who knew Josh Groban to sing Toy Story's You’s Got A Friend In Me could hit so hard? The special aired on ABC in the United States last week and was broadcast to fans as a slight relief from the current coronavirus pandemic. The Cast Of High School Musical also performed (Credits: ABC) [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yAFmiFa6eI[/embed] The program raised awareness of Feeding America's contribution to people without food in the midst of this crisis. Even the tastes of Kim Kardashian began to listen to her young, seeing the mother of four congratulate the voice of Beyonce, calling her "beautiful". When she appeared, the hitmaker of Crazy In Love said: "I would like to dedicate this song to all the health professionals who have worked tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe. we appreciate you very much. " Queen B added that she was "very proud and honored to be part of the Disney family" thanks to her role as Nala in the remake of The Lion King in 2019. More: Coronavirus Currently, over 16,000 people have died from Covid-19 while there are over 120,000 confirmed cases in the UK alone. Disney Family Singalong is now available for streaming on Disney Plus UK. Do you have a story? If you have a celebrity story, video or photos, contact the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us at celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we love hearing from you. MORE: Katie Price Reveals Fifth Attempt To Abduct "f ** king horrific" Just weeks Before SAS: Who Dares Wins MORE: Ashley Graham shares a great video of her hugs with her quarantined baby Latest news and updates on coronavirus Get Coronavirus news, features and advice straight to your inbox. window.fbApi = (function () var fbApiInit = false; var awaitingReady = []; var notifyQ = function () var i = 0, l = awaitingReady.length; for (i = 0; i

[the-red-mafia]

The Strike

The Red Mafia launches their offensive attack on the B.A.D. mansion with the mission of killing Unor. The plan runs smoothly until they find out something shocking: Unor knew they were coming.

Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia

Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 4150

A/N: It's time for The Red Mafia finale. Are you ready for it? New story next Saturday, the 30th. The end of an era. Be there.

8 days after “The Lost”

December 7th, 2364.

That was the day two thousand soldiers were scheduled to storm the Mahogony Mansion to retrieve the Red Mafia. Two days before the planted documents said they were supposed to. 

7:30am.

That was the time the 5 mafia members left the mansion, geared up from head to toe. Mad said goodbye to Rhyme, who they left behind to watch the mansion and Wyatt. They all loaded up onto the Umbrella, a tense feeling in the air. The ride was nearly silent as Velvet sat in the captain’s seat, running through the plan in her head for the twentieth time. 

Entering through the East entrance, the group splits up. Maroon and I move towards my mom and evacuate her to her ship. Mad, Solana, and Thorn enter security to disable the alarm system and redirect the ships en route to the mansion. We meet them there once Mom is evacuated safely, hacking into the defence mechanism and rigging it to attack any B.A.D. ship landing nearby. 

They looked back at their teammates. Solana was sharpening their spear for the third time and checking the gun and dagged stashed on their utility belt. Mad was on its phone, presumably texting Rhyme. Their laser gun was already attached to their back and a small knife sat in their jacket pocket. Maroon was leaning on Thorn, who was staring down at the gun in aer hands. The prince had been against carrying the weapon at first but eventually gave in. Maroon also had one, though it was in its holster currently. Velvet also had a gun on her hip, along with Kil-layye Mo’ore, her staff, and her dagger.

All of the B.A.D. ships should be heading to the new location, a random planet two galaxies over. Unor wouldn’t bring his actual body on the mission, so it should still be at the house. We’ll use the access to the security cameras to locate where he is and move in on his location. Maroon and Thorn will restrain him while I- 

Velvet looked at Maroon, who smiled back at her.

While I end this. 

Mad will stay in the security office and monitor the positions of the other B.A.D. ships. Solana, and Thorn if needed, will stay behind at various points in the mission to take care of any guards remaining at the house. Once Unor is dead, we’ll evacuate to the Umbrella and return to the mansion. 

“About a minute till we get there,” Mad reported. Velvet took a deep breath and stood. 

“Alright. Everyone, any last-minute questions?” The group was quiet, and Thorn shook his head. The Umbrella entered the atmosphere and quickly zoomed around the house, landing outside. Mad began opening the door and Velvet quickly stood, drawing Kil-layye Mo’ore. Voices shouted outside but Velvet quickly threw the sword, silencing them. Mad looked back at the team. 

“Solana, Thorn, you ready?” The two unbuckled themselves and joined Mad at the front. Maroon let go of Thorn’s hand and ran to catch up with Velvet, who was now out of the ship. The guards were already incapacitated on the ground when they approached the door. Velvet typed in a passcode and a light blinked green. The others joined them in front of it. 

“Mad, you guys are going to the right. Maroon, we’re going to the left. Once I get this door open, we’re sprinting. Clear?” 

“Clear,” the droid replied. Velvet twisted the doorknob and shoved it open. She led the way to the left, Maroon right behind her. Their teammates ran in the opposite direction. They were silent as they ran but shouts echoed behind them. Maroon looked back.

“I think they’re fighting-”

“They’ll be fine,” Velvet stated, “Stick to the plan.” Maroon took a deep breath and reached up to their comms.

“Guys, you okay?” Half a minute passed, Velvet’s heart racing. 

“Yeah, fine. Just ran into a lot of guards outside the security room,” Thorn replied, slightly out of breath. Velvet frowned. 

“But there’s never that many guards there.” 

“Maybe he changed it since you left,” Solana said, “We’re entering the room now. You guys?” Velvet began to slow as Nala’s room came into view.

“We’re about to enter too. Talk to you in a bit.” Velvet pushed the door open, surprised to find it unlocked. Nala sat at the computer in the corner, still in her pyjamas and sleeping cap on. 

“Mater!” Velvet called out. She turned around and a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Velvet!” She quickly stood and pulled them into a hug. 

“Back already? It’s only been a week since-” Velvet pulled away and looked her in the eyes.

“Mom, we’re here to get you out of here.” Nala frowned and glanced at Maroon, who nodded. 

“Get me out- what are you talking about?” Velvet grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the door. 

“I’ll explain later, but we’ve got to get you out of here.” Nala pulled her wrist out of their grip and stared at her child.

“Velvet, you’ll explain before you try to pull me anywhere.” Velvet glared at her.

Why is she being so difficult all of a sudden? 

“Ms. Nala, we’re here to break you out of the house and get you somewhere safe,” Maroon started, stepping forward, “It’s not safe here right now. I promise you, we just want to keep you safe. We don’t want you to get wrapped up in what’s going on right now.” The CEO frowned and crossed her arms.

“And what is that?” 

“We’re killing Unor,” Velvet said coldly, grabbing her wrist again. Nala’s eyes widened but she didn’t resist as Velvet pulled her out of the room and down the hall. Voices shouted down the hall and the assassin raised their sword. Several soldiers turned the corner.

“Close your eyes, mater,” Velvet ordered. The woman looked between her daughter and the guards before obeying. The leader, with the large B.A.D. logo on his chest, stared at Nala.

“They’re taking Mrs. Bolton!” he shouted, aiming his gun, “Don’t let them get away!”

“Maroon?” Velvet asked. The younger teen nodded. The guards’ bullets were blocked by a wall of large mushrooms. One grew right in front of her. She let go of Nala’s wrist and jumped, sailing over the wall as she threw Kil-layye Mo’ore. It sliced through the leader’s neck and embedded itself in the guard’s shoulder. He let out a loud scream that was cut off by a mushroom growing underneath him and launching him into a wall. His unconscious body crumpled to the ground. 

Velvet summoned her sword back to their hand. The remaining two guards backed up but hit the wall of the hallway.

“No…” one of them breathed. Velvet smirked and threw the sword, slitting their throats. Maroon gently led Nala through the mushroom wall and handed her off to Velvet.

“We’re almost out, Mom,” the teen muttered, retrieving Kil-layye Mo’ore. 

“What changed?” Nala asked, “Why now?”

“Unor was planning to attack our home. We’re attacking first before he can.” Nala opened her eyes and looked down at Velvet.

“He wouldn’t hurt you-”

“He already did,” Velvet snapped. Nala’s eyes widened.

“What-”

“Can we talk about this later, Mom? So I can work on getting us out of here safely.” Nala looked away.

“O-okay. We’ll talk about it later.” Velvet took a deep breath and reached up to their comms.

“Mad, alarm system update?” 

“Deactivating it now,” the droid responded, “You should be good to exit now.” 

“Okay. We’re taking Nala out now.” Nala frowned at Velvet but didn’t say anything. The assassin led her out the door at the end of the hall and towards the parking garage in the back of the area.

“Where’s your ship, Ms. Nala?” Maroon asked. The woman gestured upwards. 

“On the top floor.” Velvet groaned.

“Of course.” 

“It’s fine, Velvet. I’ll get us up there,” Maroon said. They grew a mushroom in front of the group and hopped on. Nala’s eyes widened as Velvet led her onto it.

“What…” she breathed. Maroon smiled nervously as they grew it to the top floor.  

“Maroon’s powers,” Velvet clarified. Nala turned to them.

“It’s….beautiful.” 

“T-thank you, Ms. Nala.” They stepped off of the mushroom and Nala led the way to her pink ship. 

“Where am I supposed to go?” she asked. Velvet pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to her. 

“These coordinates. Do you remember Rhyme Reuter?” The CEO closed her eyes for a moment.

“That was one of Mrs. Gracy’s foster children, correct? The brown-haired one whose mom died in the mining accident?” 

“That’s the one. She’s waiting there with a kid, Wyatt. He’ll help keep you safe there while we deal with things here.”

“But where am I going?” Velvet took another deep breath.

“The Mahogany Mansion,” Maroon answered, “Our home.”

Wyatt was fast asleep on the couch, so Rhyme turned off the Johnny Darlington episode the mafia had put on before they left. He sighed and walked into the kitchen.

I hate that I’m not with them, she thought, opening the fridge and grabbing out one of Velvet’s energy drinks, I should be there in case anything happens to Mad. He popped open the tab and took a sip. The liquid was clear but tasted like raspberry and peach. The carbonation tickled her throat as it went down. 

Hopefully Velvet won’t mind me drinking their shit. Rhyme walked back into the living room.

She won’t mind if they all die because I’m not there. The thief paused and shook her head. 

No, don’t think like that. They’ll be fine. Just focus on your job. As if on cue, Rhyme’s phone dinged. He pulled it out.

Message from Velvet. Looks like Nala’s on her way. A loud engine sound enveloped the mansion, sending a chill down Rhyme’s spine.

“That can’t be her,” he mumbled. She quickly set the drink down and scooped Wyatt up in her arms. He stirred slightly but stayed asleep. Rhyme sprinted up to the second floor and opened Mad’s door. After setting Wyatt down on the bed, Rhyme locked the door using the key Velvet had given him. He glanced out of the window.

A grey B.A.D. ship had landed outside, and several armed men streamed out. Rhyme cursed under her breath. 

“Looks like I’m up,” he muttered. He ran back downstairs and grabbed his backpack from the couch. She unzipped it slightly right as the door fell the the ground.

“Spread out and find them!” Someone shouted. Rhyme pulled out their gun and turned the corner. He fired at the guards, hitting a few in the chest. They recoiled slightly but the bullet didn’t pierce the armor.

Shit, Rhyme thought. She grabbed the bag and dodged out the door, the men shouting behind her. A bullet whizzed right by his ear. Rhyme’s heartbeat raced as he pulled a bomb out of his bag. She glanced back.

Here goes nothing. She chucked the bomb behind her and it exploded on impact with the ground. Screams from the guards enveloped her ears. Behind her, the guards laid on the ground with various limbs missing and blood colouring the grass. He threw another at their ship, for good measure. 

She walked back around the bleeding men, some shouting for help. Rhyme silenced a few of them before reaching one still standing near the doorway to the mansion.

“W-who are you?” He demanded, raising his rifle. Rhyme raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t recognize me?” She taunted, “Why, I’m offended.” He fired a shot but Rhyme stepped out of the way. He raised his pistol and shot him in the chest, sending him flying through the mansion’s doorway. He slid to the ground and hit his head on the stairs. 

“Shit-” he muttered, “Shit shit shit-” He reached for the radio attached to his belt but Rhyme shot his hand. 

“I don’t think so.” Pain exploded in Rhyme’s left side and she quickly doubled over. 

“What the fuck-” she muttered, looking down. His black and white shirt was torn and blood was now dripping out. 

“Now, boss! Call for backup!” Someone shouted behind her. Rhyme quickly shot the downed man in front of her in the head before turning around and shooting the one holding a gun. 

“Nice try, asshole,” she muttered. The air was still as Rhyme looked at the various corpses on the front lawn. His side throbbed and he quickly pressed a hand against it. 

“Madbay, right,” he breathed. Just then, another ship began descending onto the soil. Rhyme groaned.

“I don’t know if I can take another fucking squad-” She turned around to see a light pink ship hit the dirt. The door slowly opened revealing, not another squadron as Rhyme had anticipated, but Mrs. Bolton. 

“Oh thank god,” he said. Nala rushed towards her.

“Rhyme! It’s lovely to see you dear. After you went missing-” The CEO stopped in front of her and glanced around. Her eyes widened at the men lying on the ground. Rhyme reached a hand out.

“Mrs. Bolton, I promise you this is not what it looks like-” She looked up at Rhyme and quickly locked onto his bleeding abdomen.

“Oh my-” she breathed, “Did you get shot?” Rhyme glanced down at the wound. 

“Oh, that? That’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before-” Nala took her hand and walked towards the door.

“Is there a medical area in the house? You’ll need stitches, not to mention getting the bullet out.” Rhyme broke her hand free, causing Nala to turn around to look at her. 

“Yeah, there is. Go inside and to the left. It’s labelled ‘Madbay’.”

“Well, come on then.” Rhyme waved her on.

“I’ll be there in a minute. I’ve got to do something out here first.” Nala frowned and crossed her arms. “Rhyme, I have no doubt whatever you need to do can wait until after you receive medical attention.” Rhyme smiled at her.

“I’ll be fine, Mrs. Bolton. It’s not too deep. Go on ahead and you can find all the supplies. I’ll just be a minute.” Nala took a deep breath and sighed. 

“Alright, but hurry.”

“I will.” The CEO walked into the Mahogany Mansion and took a left toward the Madbay. Rhyme waited a few seconds before walking inside and dragging the corpse of the squad leader outside. He collected all the bodies into a large pile and threw a bomb into the centre. She backed up and detonated it, causing various limbs to fly onto the surrounding land. Rhyme placed a few more bombs around the perimeter before entering the mansion once again.

Just in case, he thought, I won’t let Mad down. 

Thorn watched Mad rapidly type commands into the computer. Their fast-moving fingers almost made his head spin. Solana was holding the door closed on the other side of the security office. No one was on the other side, but the elf wasn’t planning on taking any chances. 

“Okay, they’re all redirected,” Mad mumbled, “Hopefully they all listen to the new orders.” “We have Rhyme at the mansion for a reason,” Solana added. Mad nodded slightly.

“Although I hope he doesn’t have to do anything.” 

“Nala’s on her way to the mansion now,” Maroon’s voice came through the comms, forcing Thorn to smile slightly. 

“Perfect timing. I just got the new orders sent out to all the squadrons,” Mad replied. Thorn laughed slightly at the echo from the comms. Mad turned to look at them.

“You okay, Thorn?”

“Yeah, fine. It’s just kinda funny hearing your voice through the comms and right next to me.” Mad chuckled.

“You’re right.”

“Always positive, Thorn,” Solana added. The prince shrugged.

“Well someone’s gotta be the team clown. Otherwise Velvet’s going to make everything way too serious.” 

“True, true.” 

“We’re approaching the security office now,” Velvet said, “Mad, any luck locating Unor?” 

“On it right now.” 

“Radio when you guys are close and I’ll open the door,” Solana said.

“Got it. Be there soon.” Mad typed a few more commands into the keyboard. “Now where is Unor…” it muttered. Thorn watched as the droid flipped through several camera feeds. 

“What about his office?” Ae asked. Mad flipped to it, but no one was inside.

“Damn, I thought we were gonna have it easy,” Solana mumbled. 

“Guys, come in,” Velvet whispered through comms. Thorn straightened up. 

“We’re listening, Velvet. Go for it,” Solana answered. 

“Maroon and I are hiding behind some chairs outside the office. You’ve got a full squad about to be right outside the door. Stay quiet and we’ll take care of them.” 

“Copy that.” Mad hit the mute button on the keyboard, shutting down all the sound from the monitors. Solana pushed harder against the door, and Thorn raised his hands. It was silent for a minute until screams echoed against the walls. A body must have hit the door because it shook violently and caused Solana to move back slightly. After a few seconds, the screams stopped. 

“They’re taken care of, Solana. Let us in.” Velvet was slightly out of breath, and Thorn could barely make out Maroon’s heavy breathing as well. Solana opened the door and the two teens came in. Thorn caught a glimpse of the bloodied corpses outside before the elf shut the door again. Thorn shook their head and refocused on Maroon.

“You okay, Mar-Mar?” it asked. Their friend looked relatively unharmed, just exhausted. 

“I’m okay. You?”

“Fine.” Velvet joined Mad at the control panel while Solana remained at the door. 

“Any luck?” Mad shook their TV.

“I’ve searched all the cameras several times. He must be somewhere without direct camera access.” Velvet frowned. “But that’s impossible. Every inch of this place is attached to these cameras. Unless…” Velvet’s eyes widened and they lightly pushed Mad out of the way.

“Unless what?” Mad asked. Velvet didn’t answer, instead opening up a new terminal and typing in another command. A green ‘Access Granted’ screen appeared before it cut to a new camera feed. Unor was sitting on a chair directly across from the camera. His eyes were closed, but he was tapping his foot. A vent sat right above him, blowing air that moved his hair slightly. There was nothing else in the room, just a concrete floor surrounded by deep red wallpaper. 

He was dressed in the same suit he had been wearing when Thorn had first seen him. His black hair was slicked back, presumably with some kind of gel. He held a pistol in his right hand but held some kind of folder in his left. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. Unor winked at the camera and then the feed went to static. 

The Red Mafia was silent. Velvet put her face in her hands before looking back at the cut-off feed. 

“He knows we’re here,” they mumbled.

“But how?” Solana questioned, “We didn’t tell anyone that’s not here right now. Unless-” The elf glanced at Mad. 

Rhyme.

“We’re not pointing fingers,” Velvet snapped. The entire mafia turned to look at her as she continued. 

“Now is not the time to question anyone. He knows, so what? We’ve gotten this far. We’re not turning back now.” They turned back to the keyboard and pulled up the normal camera feed. They flipped to a camera that seemed to show a dead end in a hallway, except for a large vent near the floor. A few guards leaned against walls and Thorn saw the familiar stickered door from a week ago. 

“The room he’s in doesn’t have any door or entrances that’s not through that vent,” she began, “The vent system is connected to this one, which is upstairs and to the right. The plan isn’t changing: we’re still killing Unor.” Maroon reached out and grabbed Thorn’s hand. The prince gave a reassuring squeeze before turning back to Velvet. 

“Mad, do your best to restore that camera feed. I doubt he did anything to the actual camera, just turned off its connection. I think you’ll be able to reconnect to it.” Mad nodded and stepped up to the keyboard. Velvet moved out of its way. 

“The rest of us are heading upstairs. Solana, you’ll keep the guards busy while Maroon, Thorn, and I get into the vent. From there, the plan continues as normal. Is everyone clear?” The Red Mafia’s leader looked at each one of them and received a nod. Thorn gave Maroon one final squeeze before letting go of their hand. 

“Let’s do this, Mar-Mar,” he muttered. Maroon smiled weakly. 

“Yeah.” Solana opened the door slightly and peeked out.

“We’re clear.” Velvet moved next to her. 

“Alright. Follow me. Thorn and Maroon, you already know where we’re going, so you’ll cover our 6. Solana, you’re in the front with me.” 

“You got it, drama queen.” Velvet chuckled slightly before throwing the door open. 

“Now!” she whispered. They booked it to the right, where stairs quickly came into view. The group sprinted up them and Thorn grew several vines to block anyone following behind. Velvet continued to the right as shouts came from the left. Maroon blocked the hallway with a wall of mushrooms just as bullets began flying at them. The two magical teens switched off making new walls as they ran down the hallway. 

Thorn spotted the camera above them and the guards on the walls. They pushed themselves up and raised their guns. 

“He was right! Capture them!” One of them shouted. Velvet threw Kil-layye Mo’ore, but the guard side-stepped out of the way. Solana took to a guard in front of him, dodging a shot and stabbing them in the stomach. The elf knocked the gun out of his hand before ripping his spear out. 

Velvet rolled under several bullets before summoning her sword. They chopped off one of their heads right as a bullet grazed her left arm. Velvet didn’t flinch and turned to the guard that had shot it. A mushroom sprouted from the guard’s mouth as he gasped for air. They fell to the ground, unconscious. Thorn looked back at Maroon, whose hands were raised at the guard. 

“Thorn, behind you!” Solana shouted at him. The teen quickly spun around to see several guards break through the vine wall. He raised his hands and vines attached themselves to their ankles. Several of them tripped while others continued on. Solana pushed the teen out of the way and sliced through the guard’s body armour. Thorn pinned them to the ground and reinstated the wall. 

Metal clattered to the ground, causing them to turn around. Velvet had ripped the vent to the ground, Maroon standing over them. Thorn turned back to Solana, who had several guards surrounding her. The prince used a vine to push them back before drawing their gun. 

I hope this works, he thought. Ae fired a shot at one of them that collided with one of their arms. That guard fell to the ground, giving Solana the chance to fight off the other two. Behind them, Velvet muttered something to Maroon. Thorn couldn’t hear their response, instead focusing on fixing the wall once again. After a few seconds, Velvet shouted over the sound of the fight.

“Thorn, stay here with Solana! The guards are going to keep coming, so he’ll need you here!” Thorn paused and turned back to look at them.

“But-” Maroon smiled at them.

“We’ll be fine! Solana needs you here.” Thorn’s heartbeat raced. A thousand possibilities ran through aer head, most ending horribly. Their eyes were locked with Maroon’s. 

“Are you sure?” He shouted back. Maroon nodded. Thorn glanced back at Solana, who was once again getting slightly overwhelmed by the guards. The prince took a deep breath.

“Okay! Stay safe!”

“We will!” 

“And Velvet?” the prince added. The assassin turned to look at him.

“What?”

“Make sure Maroon comes back alive.” Velvet paused for a moment before nodding. 

“Promise me.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Promise me, Velvet.” She glanced at Maroon before looking Thorn dead in the eyes.

“I promise.” 

“Thank you.” Velvet disappeared into the darkness and Maroon kneeled down on the ground. They glanced back at Thorn before joining Velvet in the vent. Thorn stared at the empty air for several seconds.

“Thorn, I could use some help here!” Solana shouted. Thorn quickly turned around and fired a few shots in the guards’ general direction. Several of them turned their focus to them. 

“Who’s ready to dance?” Thorn asked, raising his hands. The guards responded by raising their guns. The prince smirked and glanced at Solana. The elf sliced through three or four guards before taking a breath. Thorn turned back to the approaching guards. 

In a few seconds, they were hanging from vines attached to the ceiling while Thorn ran forward to help Solana.

[the-red-mafia]

The Reunion

During a solo mission to a B.A.D. facility, Velvet runs into a certain person from her childhood. When their attempts to avoid them fail, the teen must attempt to calm them down so they can escape with the item they need. However, this person seems particularly determined to not let Velvet go...not again.

Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia

Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 4641

4 days after “The Aftermath”

To say Velvet didn’t expect to see her here would be a lie. It had been a few days since the Red Mafia’s last mission and everyone seemed to be doing better. However, Mad was refusing to speak to Zaeor for the time being. The teen mentioned that they were overreacting but that comment had been received…poorly by the others. Because of Mad’s attitude, Zaeor decided to send Velvet on a solo mission. To Velvet’s surprise, the mission didn’t involve violence or an assassination. The “fetch quest”, as Zaeor was calling it, was simply to enter a B.A.D. facility located on Unai and retrieve blueprints for a new machine they were working on. Simple, right?

Velvet sighed as an alarm started sounding around the hallway where they landed.

Of course, they upgraded their security, Velvet thought, rolling her eyes. In one swift movement, the teen jumped up and pulled themself back into the vent above them and quickly shut the grate. Just as she got out of sight, Velvet heard shouting and loud footsteps beneath her. They waited a few minutes after the sound stopped to move down the vent pathway.

Ok, are there any other entry points to the lab? The assassin thought as she crawled, This vent system doesn’t go all the way there, so I’d have to transfer to the other one. The closest entrance to that one is in…the East corridor. Right. I’ll have to get out of here in the kitchen and make a run for it. Velvet quickly took a right and continued down the vent, being careful to make minimal noise. They quickly arrived at the kitchen’s large vent cover but quickly noticed someone was in the room. She ducked behind the corner in the vent system but the damage was done.

“Who’s there!?” a familiar female voice called out. Velvet’s eyes widened and they quickly covered their mouth to keep themself from saying anything.

“I swear I heard someone…” the voice said, seemingly putting down some kind of metal dish, “Make yourself known!” Velvet remained silent, gripping their jaw. Scratching echoed around the space and the face of Nala Bolton quickly popped up near the vent cover.

“Are you in the vents?” She demanded, “You are! I see your foot! Who are you?”

Fuck, Zaeor’s gonna kill me, Velvet thought, quickly pulling her left foot close to her body.

“Come out right now before I call security! I’ll take off this vent cover right now!” Velvet took a deep breath before popping their head around the corner to look Nala in the eyes.

“Uhm, hi Mrs. Bolton,” Velvet said nervously, waving their left hand. Nala’s face softened as she observed Velvet’s face.

“A child? What are you doing in the vents?” She asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Oh you know, the new internet trend. ‘Hide in the vents of a business’ secret facility to prove you’re not a coward’.” Nala sighed.

“Of course that would be a thing. Well come on, I think there’s a screwdriver around here somewhere. I’ll take off the cover and we can get you back to your parents.”

“I’d rather not.” Nala looked at the darkened features of Velvet’s face, confused.

“Why not? It can’t be comfortable there.”

“I’ll…um...get in trouble.”

“No you won’t, you’ll be fine. You’re a kid and kids make stupid decisions sometimes. No one’s going to punish you.” Her mother’s soft, calming voice was almost enough to coax Velvet out of the vent, had they not been on a mission. They quickly moved their head back behind the corner so they were fully out of Nala’s view.

“I don't want to, thanks.” Nala sighed and disappeared from the vent cover. Velvet could hear footsteps as she walked and then stopped somewhere. Before long, the teen heard scratching noises at the vent cover. She turned her head a bit to see Nala unscrewing the screws keeping the vent cover in place. When she finished, Nala pulled the vent cover and set it down on a counter nearby. The C.E.O. then stood up on the counter and peek her own head into the vent, then extended one of her hands.

“Come on kiddo, let’s get you out of there. I promise no one will hurt you,” She said softly. Velvet melted at the sound of Nala’s voice and sighed. They took Nala’s hand and allowed her to guide them out of the vent before steading themself on the ground.

“See, that wasn’t so hard!” Nala said cheerfully, turning her head to look at Velvet, “Now then, shall we…” Nala’s eyes widened as she looked at Velvet in the light. Velvet closed her eyes, preparing for what was coming next. Against Velvet’s expectations, Nala pulled Velvet into a big hug.

“Umm, Mrs. Bolton?”

“Don’t you pull that on me, Velvet Bolton.” Velvet let out a nervous chuckle as Nala stepped back and grabbed Velvet’s hands, looking at her child.

“Oh my gods, look at how big you are.”

“I’ve only been gone for a year, mom.”

“I don’t care.” Nala embraced Velvet again, tears forming in the older woman’s eyes.

“I…missed you. So much,” the C.E.O. stuttered, “After the night at the statue and-” Velvet returned the hug, resting their head on their mom’s shoulder. The two stayed like this for several minutes before Nala stepped back once again.

“Where have you been?” Nala asked, tracing a few of the scars present on Velvet’s face with her thumb, “What happened to you? These weren’t here before.”

“It’s...nothing mom. Nothing to worry about.” Nala narrowed her eyes at her child.

“Don’t lie to me, Velvet. Where have you been? Why did you run away?” Velvet looked towards the floor.

“I-I just had to, ok? I…can’t tell you.”

“Sure you can, I’m your mother. You can tell me anything.” Velvet quickly broke her hands-free from Nala’s grip and backed away slowly.

“I really can’t mom, I’m sorry. I have to go, I have to-”

“Wait!” Nala called out, grabbing Velvet’s left wrist. Velvet turned to look her mother in the eyes. Tears were running down the woman's face as she gripped Velvet’s wrist but that didn’t stop her fierce, determined look that sent a chill down Velvet’s spine.

“You’re not going anyway, young lady,” Nala muttered, “Not until I get some answers. Come on, we can talk in my room.”

The two quickly entered Nala’s chambers at the compound. It was a simple small bedroom with a twin-size bed covered in grey bed sheets. The rest of the room was plain, other than a simple light-colored wood desk with a laptop set on it. Nala locked the door behind them and gently led Velvet to sit on the bed. She sat next to them and stared at their child for several moments before clearing her throat.

“So…” she began, “What’s going on? Why can’t you tell me where you’ve been?”

“It’s…complicated. Like I said,” The teen replied, looking at the floor.

“Try me, I might be able to understand more than you think.”

“Mom, I really don’t want to talk about it.” Nala sighed and softly grabbed Velvet’s chin, lifting it so that the two’s eyes met.

“Dēvoveō, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” Velvet let out a small chuckle at the old nickname.

“Do you have any idea what that means?”

“Hm?”

“Dēvoveō means curse in Latin, mom.” Nala’s eyes widened as her hands returned to her sides.

“What? …But Unor-” Velvet interrupted her with a scoff.

“Yeah, he was just calling me a curse. It wasn’t a ‘cute nickname’ or anything.” Nala stared at her child for several moments before tears started to form in her eyes.

“Velvet, I’m so so sorry-”

“Don’t be,” The teen commented, putting their right arm on their mom’s shoulder, “You didn’t know. Actually, I kind of like it.” Nala let out a tiny smile before looking towards Velvet’s hand and holding it gently with her own. After a few moments, Nala softly set Velvet’s hand on her lap and rolled her uniform sleeve up slightly.

“Mom what are you doing-”

“Where did you get this scar from?” Nala asked, pointing at the small circle-shaped pale scar that Velvet had received a few days earlier from Maroon’s fungal frenzy. The teen let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“It’s nothing.” Nala looked Velvet in the eyes.

“Where did you get it?” The older woman asked sternly. Velvet sighed.

“I was…training with a teammate of mine. We went a bit overboard and that’s the reminder I get from that,” the teen lied. Nala raised an eyebrow.

“Teammate? So you’re with other people?” Velvet looked at her.

“Uh…yeah. There’s 5 of us.” A bright smile took over Nala’s face.

“5! You have 5 friends, that’s amazing!” Velvet’s face scrunched up.

“Not friends, mater, teammates.” The woman laughed and pulled Velvet into a hug.

“Right right, of course. What are their names?” Velvet sighed, backing out of the hug.

“Well, there’s Maroon. They’re the one I was training with.”

“And the others?”

“Solana, Mad, and Thorn.”

“Mad? That’s an interesting name for a kid,” Nala commented, smiling. Velvet scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s because they’re not a kid. They’re a robot: Mad is an abbreviation for something but I couldn’t be bothered to remember what.” Nala tilted her head slightly in confusion.

“Why not? They’re your friend after all.”

“Not friends, Mom. Especially right now.”

“Did something happen?” Velvet groaned and put their head in their hands.

“Apparently. Everyone is overreacting right now.” Nala sighed and shook her head.

“I’m sure if you all talked things out you can fix it.” Velvet laughed sarcastically.

“Right, as if that will solve anything.”

“I think you’ll be surprised, fīlia,” Nala said, before stopping herself, “Wait, does that one mean something bad too?” Velvet chuckled slightly.

“It just means daughter, you’re good.” Nala smiled.

“As I was saying, give it a shot. Maybe you’ll find out something new about your…teammates.” Velvet rolled her eyes before looking towards the floor. A few seconds passed before either of them said anything.

“Mater, did you hear about Yuo and Elizabeth Montoya?” Nala tilted her head slightly.

“About Yuo’s assassination and Elizabeth’s death? Yes, I heard about it.”

“And how would you react if I told you that I had a part in both of their deaths?” Velvet watched Nala’s eyes widen.

“…Velvet-”

“How would you react?” the teen repeated, staring at Nala. The woman was quiet for a moment before sighing.

“I…would be shocked, and I would have to ask about the circumstances. But either way, I’m sure you di- would have done it for a good reason.” Velvet broke eye contact and let out a loud groan.

“You’re too forgiving, mater.” Nala raised an eyebrow.

“You think so?”

“Yes. I basically just confessed to murder and you respond with ‘I’m sure you did it for a good reason!” Velvet exclaimed, throwing her right hand up into the air to emphasize her frustration. While their hand was in the air, Nala saw a white bandage hidden under the sleeve of Velvet’s uniform. Her eyes went wide.

“Why do you have a bandage on your arm?” Nala asked coldly. Velvet’s eyes widened and they quickly put their hand down and pulled their uniform sleeve down nervously.

“It’s nothing.” Nala narrowed her eyes at them and crossed her arms.

“Velvet, don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not!”

“Why do you have a bandage on your arm?” Velvet looked away from her and around the small room.

“Just..um..some scars from that same training session with Maroon! We really worked hard and it shows,” they stumbled out, turning back to look at her. Nala shook her head and sighed.

“This ‘training’ sounds highly dangerous.”

“You should’ve seen Maroon,” Velvet said, chuckling.

“What were you training for anyways?” Nala asked. Velvet turned back to sit crisscross facing her mom.

“Missions.”

“Like the one you’re on right now?”

“Yep.”

“What’s your mission anyways?” Velvet paused for a moment.

“Well,” she began, “My boss wants me to steal some blueprints for a new machine Unor is apparently working on. Something about a new teleporting gun or something.” Nala’s eyes lit up once Velvet mentioned the blueprints.

“I know those! It was a new weapon Unor wanted to create. I just had a meeting with some of our inventors about the progress on that. Your father-”

“He’s not my father,” Velvet interjected. Nala stared at Velvet.

“Velvet-”

“He’s not my dad, mom! He never acted like one and he sure as hell doesn’t act like one now. He doesn’t get that title,” Velvet mumbled, looking toward the ground. Nala sighed and rested one of her hands on Velvet’s.

“Ok, sweetheart. I get it.” The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Velvet stood up abruptly.

“I need to get going,” they said, “I still need to go get those blueprints and my boss is expecting me back soon.” Nala quickly stood up and moved in between Velvet and the door.

“No, no. I’ll go get the blueprints. I don’t want you getting seen, you know how Unor gets,” Nala said, walking to the door. Before Velvet could protest the C.E.O. was already out of the door and on their way toward the laboratory. Velvet let out a deep sigh before sitting back down on the bed to await their mother’s return.

It had been at least twenty minutes before Nala Bolton returned to her room carrying some rolled-up papers and a small pink lunchbox. Velvet immediately recognized the box, smiling slightly at seeing it.

“Is that my grade 1 lunchbox?” The assassin asked. Nala laughed.

“It is! I’m surprised you recognize it!”

“I’m only 15 mater, it wasn’t that long ago.” Nala chuckled again and handed the pink box to Velvet.

“I think you should have it. I filled it with a few things that…I think you should have. Especially right now. I have more but you can get those when I see you again.” Velvet’s face darkened as she held the box in her hands. Their life was far from safe and they could die at any moment, who knows if they will ever meet again?

“Thanks…” Velvet mumbled, “I…I don’t have anything to give you, my mission uniform-” Nala smiled and placed her empty hand on Velvet’s shoulder.

“It’s fine, fīlia, you can give me something when we meet again!” she said cheerfully. Velvet faked a smile, holding the box by their side.

“Of course, mom.” Nala then held the rolled-up papers out to her child.

“And here,” she said, “Are those blueprints you were looking for.” Velvet looked between the papers and her mother’s face for several seconds.

“Can…can I take these?” they asked, “I mean, Unor will suspect you, won’t he?” Nala winked at her child and placed the papers in her other hand.

“Don’t worry, I’ve gotten pretty good at placating him when I need to,” Nala commented. Velvet looked worriedly at her mother but didn’t push the issue further.

“T-thank you. I don’t know how to repay you,” Velvet mumbled, looking at her mother’s eyes which were on level with hers.

“You can repay me by not disappearing for starters,” Nala said, “And by staying safe. Can you do that for me, sweetie?” Velvet nodded and Nala smiled in response.

“Great. I suppose you should get going now?”

“Mhm. Do you have vent access from here?” Nala chuckled and gestured to the vent above her desk space.

“You always did love hanging out in the vents, didn’t you?” Nala said, “It’s not bolted in, by the way. It should just open when you apply pressure on it.” Velvet nodded and turned to use the desk chair to enter the ventilation system once again. However, the teen quickly turned to face her mother once more before pulling her into a hug again.

“Thank you mom, for everything,” Velvet whispered, “I’ll…I’ll miss you.” Nala softly smiled and returned the hug.

“I’ll miss you too, mihi minor dēvoveō,” Nala whispered into Velvet’s ear. A small tear fell onto Nala’s blue blouse as Velvet pulled away and turned towards the vent. They quickly jumped onto the desk and pushed the vent cover out of the way. She turned to face her mother one last time, waving awkwardly for a moment. Nala smiled and waved back before watching her missing child disappear into the darkness of the vents once again.

When Velvet returned to the Mahogany Mansion, the rest of the team was talking in the living room. They tried to greet her but Velvet ran up the stairs to her room. They had already given the blueprints to Zaeor, who had teleported them back home. Velvet quickly shut the door and slumped against the detailed wood. They pulled the pink lunch box onto their lap and stared at the metal for multiple minutes. There were a few dents on the sides from being thrown around by a younger version of Velvet. It took the assassin several minutes to finally open the container. When she did, she found a red beaded bracelet with a “C” bead in the middle on top of some kind of object covered in white tissue paper. Velvet picked up the bracelet first, holding it between her fingers in her right hand. She ran her left pointer finger along the various shaped beads, tears forming in her eyes.

Where did she…, they thought, holding the piece of jewelry close to their chest, This shouldn’t exist. How… Velvet quickly wiped the tears out of their eyes when they heard knocking on the door behind them.

“Hey um, Velvet? Are you ok?” a voice, Maroon, called from the hallway.

“O-Of course I am,” Velvet stuttered, “Leave me alone.”

“Are you sure? You ran in really-”

“I already said to leave me the fuck alone, Maroon! Don’t make me make you.” Velvet snapped. There was silence for a few moments before Velvet heard Maroon’s receding footsteps echo in the hallway. Velvet quickly shook their head before sliding the red bracelet onto their right wrist.

The beads tumbled to the floor, spilling hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic all over the white marble floor. Velvet stared at the mess in shock, just barely catching the beads’ container before it hit the ground.

“Oopsies,” The 11-year-old mumbled. The boy next to her laughed and began to pick up the different colored beads from in between the carpet.

“Come on, help me pick them up!” the boy joked, “Whoever picks up the most wins!” Velvet’s face morphed into one of determination and she began rapidly picking up the plastic pieces.

“You are so on, Caran!”

Velvet was jolted back into reality by another knock on the door.

“Velvet?” Solana’s voice was muffled by the door, “Are you in there?”

“Why can’t you all just leave me alone?” Velvet shouted back, turning their head to look at the closed door. Solana sighed.

“Why’d you threaten Maroon?”

“None of your fucking business!” Velvet heard motion from the doorknob and suddenly the door pushed on her back and moved her forward. Solana poked their head into the room and looked around before looking down at Velvet.

“Oh, there you are,” Solana said, squeezing through the little space between the door and the wall, “You didn’t lock the door.”

“Get out of my room, Solana!” The elf sighed and shut the door before joining Velvet on the floor. The elf held a silver can out to Velvet, smirking.

“Grabbed you this from the kitchen. Can imagine you’re tired.”

“Thanks.” Velvet popped open the tab on the can and took a few drinks. The two sat in awkward silence for a few moments before Solana spoke.

“What happened on your mission?” They asked. Velvet turned away and looked towards the ground on their left, where Solana was not.

“Nothing important, just a mission.”

“It was your first solo mission in a while, right?”

“No.” Solana raised an eyebrow at the teen.

“Really? I don’t remember you going on any other solo missions since I joined the mafia.”

“I go on solo missions pretty often, actually. I typically don’t tell you guys about them considering most of them are assassinations and you know how Mad gets,” Velvet mumbled.

“Ah,” Solana replied, “What was this mission?”

“Just getting some blueprints from my dad. Nothing big.”

“Did you run into him?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“Nothing, I already fucking told you.”

“You wouldn’t have yelled at Maroon if nothing happened.” Velvet looked up at the elf sitting next to her and shook her head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I yell at Maroon all the time.” Solana rolled their eyes as Velvet took another sip of their energy drink.

“Maybe, but I’ve never seen them so genuinely terrified of you. I was kinda shocked when I ran into them and they were in tears.” Velvet closed their eyes and rested their head on their knees.

“Yeah, whatever. Yell at me all you want, I don’t care.”

“I’m not going to yell at you.”

“That’s a first.” Solana looked at Velvet sympathetically before sighing.

“What actually happened on your mission?”

“Fucking nothing, alright?”

“I’m not leaving until you tell me, Velvet.” The teen looked between Solana and the lunchbox for several moments before placing the box on their lap once more.

“I ran into my mom, ok? That’s all. Nothing big.”

“Did she give you that?” Solana asked, gesturing to the box.

“Yeah. She also helped me get the blueprints without being seen by the security.”

“That’s nice of her.”

“Mhm.”

“So why are you hiding away in your room? Aren’t you happy that you saw your mom again?”

“I am!” Velvet exclaimed, “I-it’s….it’s just that…” Velvet’s voice faded out as she stared into space.

“It’s just what?” Solana said, urging them to continue. Velvet sighed and shook their head.

“Just some stuff she said. I’m fine.” Solana sighed and crossed their arms.

“Ok, I get it. You don’t want to talk about it.” The two sat in silence once more. Velvet stared at the lunchbox on their lap for a few minutes before slowly opening the lid once more. Solana looked over as the teen slowly unwrapped the tissue paper in the box until something was revealed from beneath it. Velvet slowly picked up a small unicorn stuffed animal about the size of her phone. It had a yellow felt making up its body and a purple mane, hooves, and tail. The eyes were also purple with a small amount of glitter covering the fabric. Velvet held the small plush in their hand and stared at it. Solana examined the plush from afar, tilting their head slightly to see it better. Velvet’s eyes started to form tears that the assassin quickly wiped off of her face in an attempt to hide them from Solana.

“What’s that?” The elf asked, gesturing towards the plush. Velvet didn’t answer, instead gently handing the small animal to Solana before standing up. They walked over to the closet near the other wall of the room. She slowly opened the door and reached inside, seemingly looking for something. Solana watched curiously as Velvet rummaged around in the closet and eventually pulled out a small shoe box. They placed the box on the floor and sat down before opening it and pulling out a similar-looking unicorn plush. This one’s colors were inverted, instead having a purple body with yellow features. Velvet left the shoebox on the ground and returned to where Solana sat near the door.

“That one’s named Sprinkles,” Velvet mumbled, pointing at the plush Solana was holding before gesturing to theirs, “And this one’s Frosting.” Solana let out a small chuckle.

“I didn’t know you liked unicorns, Velvet.”

“I don’t. Caran did.” Solana’s eyes widened and they turned to stare at the small plush in their hand. It was soft, its fur imbued with hundreds of memories and joy.

“So these were-” Velvet cut them off.

“That one was Caran’s,” She said, “And this one was mine. They were a set Caran got when he turned 11 and he gave one to me.” Velvet softly stroked the plush, a few tears falling into their hand.

“How did your mom get this?” Solana asked, holding Sprinkles up to examine them further.

“No idea,” the assassin muttered, “It should’ve been destroyed by Unor shortly after Caran died.” Solana once again looked at Velvet sympathetically. Velvet sighed and put the plush on the ground.

“I’m gonna get her out of there,” they said, crossing their arms, “She doesn’t deserve to be there anymore. She…never did.” Solana raised an eyebrow.

“You want to break your mom out of B.A.D.?” Velvet nodded, causing the elf to sigh.

“I get that, Velvet, but you can’t.”

“Yes I can!” she said, standing up and turning towards the elf, “I’ve killed gods, Solana! I’m not going to leave her there when I can do something about it.”

“And what would Zaeor think?” Solana asked, also standing, “Where would she live? How would you keep her hidden from your dad?”

“It doesn’t matter, I can figure that out after. She’s suffering there, I can’t stand by and let that hap-”

“But you have to,” Solana interrupted, “You have to stand by and leave it be. You can’t risk a full-on invasion of B.A.D.. We can’t risk it.”

“I don’t need your guys’ help,” Velvet spat, “I’ll do it on my own.”

“No, you won’t. We can’t afford to lose a team member right now. Come on, Velvet, you have to put your emotions asid-” The elf stopped halfway through their sentence to Velvet glaring at her.

“No, go on,” Velvet growled, gesturing in a circle, “Finish your sentence, Solana.” He sighed and shook his head slightly.

“Velvet, you can’t. If you break your mom out of there, what will the public think? They’ll put Unor under special protection to keep him safe and send out hundreds of people to look for her. You would be putting all of our lives in jeopardy for one person. If you think talking to Nolan put the secrecy of the mafia at risk, this would be a hundred times worse.” Velvet looked at the ground and sighed.

“You’re right,” they said, throwing their hands in the air, “You’re right! Of course, you’re right.” Velvet took a few steps back and fell onto her bed, burying her head in her hands. Solana walked over and sat next to them.

“I can’t just leave her there, Solana,” Velvet said, crossing their arms across their stomach, “After everything she’s done for me…she doesn’t deserve to be stuck there.”

“I get that,” she replied, “But you have to look at the full picture. Strategy, remember?” Velvet slightly chuckled.

“Yeah, strategy.” The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Velvet suddenly sprung up, startling Solana.

“That’s it!” they exclaimed, walking over to their desk on the other side of the bed.

“What’s it?” Solana asked, turning to face her.

“Strategy! That’s how I’ll save my mom.” Solana raised an eyebrow.

“Hm?” Velvet opened up the desk drawer and ruffled through a few papers before pulling out a green notebook and a pen. They jumped onto the bed and opened the notebook to a blank page.

“We need a plan to beat Unor. An actual one, not whatever Zaeor is planning right now.” Solana’s eyes widened as Velvet opened the pen.

“You’re…doing something without Zaeor?”

“Not without him. Just…I don’t know. He’s taking so long. Are you gonna help me or not?” Solana chuckled and scooted closer to the notebook.

“I’m in.” Velvet smiled.

“Perfect.”

[the-red-mafia]

The Meeting

At an unknown time, Unor introduces Velvet to a certain someone that would change her life forever. Also available on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheRedMafia Next Update: [Updated] Word Count: 3118

???

The girl carefully slid between the railings of the staircase. With a deep breath, she jumped down from the ledge and landed on the marble floor with a loud thud. She quickly stood, wiping her long, black hair out of her face. 

“Velvet Bolton, what did I say about jumping off the stairs?” A female voice called from the kitchen down the hall. The girl froze in place.

“Sorry, mater!” She yelled back nervously. A loud sigh echoed down the marble hall. 

“Are you ok?”

“Ita!”

“English, Velvet.”

“Yeah, I’m ok.” 

“Good, now come here. Breakfast is ready.” The girl groaned before hurrying down the corridor. She turned at a tall, white arch and entered the pure white kitchen where her mother, Nala Bolton, stood. 

“There’s my girl,” she said, smiling. Velvet rolled her eyes. 

“What’s for breakfast?” The 10-year-old asked, sliding into one of the cushioned dining chairs seated at the table. Nala grabbed a white plate off of the counter and set it in front of her daughter. 

“French toast and fruit. Your favourite, for your last Monday before school.” The girl groaned and looked up at her mom. 

“Mater, what are you on about?”

“You start school in a week, Velvet, and then I won’t be able to see you every day! I’m going to make this last week count.” Velvet smiled slightly and looked up at Nala. 

“...Thanks mater.” Nala grin widened and she pulled her child into a hug. 

“You are so adorable fīlia!” the woman exclaimed. Velvet quickly attempted to break her mother’s grip to no avail. 

“Mater, let me go!” The struggle continued for a minute or so before a loud cough echoed through the kitchen. Nala and Velvet quickly looked up towards the entryway. 

“Am I interrupting something?” The cold voice of Unor Bolton asked, sending a chill down Velvet’s spine. His hair was slicked back with hair gel, as it typically was. The man was already dressed in a black suit, despite the early time. As soon as she saw him, Nala’s eyes lit up. 

“Unor, what a lovely surprise! How are you this morning?” she asked, finally releasing her daughter.

“Perfectly fine, thank you for asking, dear.”

“What are you doing here?” Velvet spat, narrowing her eyes at her father. Unor returned the gesture. 

“Good morning to you too, dēvoveō,” he said, smirking, “I’m here to eat breakfast with my family. I believe I have the right to do so?”

“That’s fucking rich.”

“Velvet, watch your language,” Nala scolded before turning back to her husband, “I think it’s lovely that you’re able to join us, Unor.” 

“Why thank you, Nala. I’m glad at least one member of my familia still respects me,” he muttered, glaring at Velvet once more. Velvet stuck her tongue out in response. 

“Velvet, behave yourself. Unor, why don’t you take a seat? I’ll grab you a plate.” 

“Thank you, mōnstrum.” A slight blush dominated Nala’s face as the woman turned around and walked to the other side of the kitchen, where a pan sat on the stove. Velvet sent a death glare towards Unor as he sat down across from her. 

“You’re disgusting,” she muttered. Unor raised an eyebrow. 

“And why would you think that?”

“Calling your own wife a monster? You’re a fucked up man.” He looked Velvet in the eyes and smirked.

“She enjoyed being called that last night.” 

“I fucking hate you.”

“Here you go Unor!” Nala said cheerfully, returning to the table and setting a plate down in front of her husband. Unor smiled at her. 

“Thank you Nala, this looks delicious.” Nala grinned, her face now a bright pink. 

“Mater tua facilis est, dēvoveō,” Unor said as Nala turned to grab her own plate. Velvet simply glared at him. 

“This is nice, having breakfast as a family,” Nala commented as she sat down. 

“It is, uxor, it really is,” Unor replied, smiling. Velvet rolled her eyes. 

“What do you want, pater?” she demanded. Unor tilted his head slightly. 

“What are you talking about, Velvie?”

“It’s obvious that you’re only here because you want something from me. So spill-” Nala lightly nudged her daughter, causing her to stop speaking. 

“What I believe Velvet is trying to say,” Nala mumbled, “Is that you rarely have time to eat with us. What changed this morning?” Unor laughed. 

“I just had an open morning, that’s all. My first meeting isn’t until 2pm so I thought I’d spend the time with my familia.” Nala smiled at her husband. 

“Aww, we’re glad to have this morning with you dear.”

“Speak for your fucking self, mater.”

“Language!”

“Sorry.” Unor smiled and took a bite of his food. 

“This is amazing, Nala! Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“My mother was an amazing cook, growing up-” Velvet quickly began to tune out her parents' conversation. While she did think her mother’s cooking was spectacular, the 10-year-old would rather die than agree with her father. 

“That reminds me. Velvet?” Unor said, turning to look at his child, “I have someone for you to meet today. I expect you to be in my office by 10 am sharp. Am I clear?” 

“There it is,” she mumbled, “Sure. Whatever. Can you leave now?” 

“Velvet, what is with you this morning?” Nala scolded. Velvet quickly threw her chair back and stood up. 

“May I be excused?.” 

“Velvet-” 

“May. I. Be. Excused?” Velvet muttered, glaring at her mother. Nala was silent for a few moments before sighing. 

“Yes, you may.” Velvet forced a smile and turned on her heels. 

“Make sure you wear something presentable!” Unor called out as Velvet walked out of sight. 

“Fuck off!”

Velvet groaned as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. 

“What do you want?”

“I just want to talk, could you unlock the door?” 

“No.”

“Velvet, please.” The 10-year-old groaned once more and walked over towards the door, stepping over various piles of clothes and training gear. She slowly opened the door to see her mother standing there, holding Velvet’s unfinished breakfast plate. 

“You forgot this,” she breathed. 

“Thanks,” Velvet mumbled, grabbing the dish. Nala looked at her child before sighing. 

“Is that what you’re wearing to go meet your father?” Velvet looked down at the black ripped jeans and hoodie she was dressed in. 

“Uh…yeah?” Nala sighed and walked in, shutting the door behind her. 

“Come on, let’s find you something decent to wear.” Velvet groaned as her mother walked over to her closet. 

“I’m fine, mater.

“Your father said presentable. Ripped jeans are not presentable.”

“I doubt its important,” Velvet said, plopping down on her bed while Nala opened the closet and began looking around, “It’s probably just a new business partner with a job for me. Nothing new.” Nala pulled a hanger out of the closet and held it out. 

“How about this one?” The woman asked. Velvet narrowed her eyes. 

“That is the ugliest dress I’ve ever seen.”

“Now that’s just not true. Nothing can be worse than the dress we saw Mrs. Gracy wearing on T.V. the other day.” Velvet laughed. 

“Yeah, that was pretty bad.”

“Can you believe your dad told me I should ask her where she got it and buy one?”

“Please don’t, oh my gods.” Nala laughed and walked over to where Velvet was sitting. She softly laid the light-blue dress on Velvet’s lap. The 10-year-old ran her hand down the silk fabric. 

“Why does it have a collar?”

“Fashion, fīlia, fashion.”

“Screw fashion, it looks stupid.” 

“Your aunt would disagree.” Velvet looked up at her mother. 

“Aunt Raquel? Why do you say that?” Nala smiled sadly and looked away. 

“She loves fashion, wanted to be a fashion designer before taking over the company.” 

“Do…do you ever miss living with them?” Nala sighed. 

“Yeah, I do. But living with Unor is great and I couldn’t be happier.”

“Mendāx.”

“What was that?” Nala asked, turning back to look at her daughter. 

“Nothing. I guess I should change?” Nala nodded and checked her watch. 

“You have about 15 minutes,” she said, standing up, “I’ll let you get ready.”

“Ok mater.”

“And brush your hair!” Velvet sighed. 

“Bye mater.”

Velvet quickly tied her black hair in a ponytail and she approached her father’s office. She stopped when she reached the double wooden door that marked the room and checked her small silver watch. Velvet watched as the digital numbers switched to 10 am and let out a sigh. In one swift movement the 10-year-old pushed open the door and strolled into the room. Unor looked up as she walked in and smiled. He was seated behind his marble desk engraved with their family crest. 

“Ah, Velvie! Right on time, as always.” Velvet glared at him, causing him to laugh. 

“You’re not intimidating to me, Velvie, fix your face.” Velvet sighed and sat down on one of the two chairs. The other one was occupied, presumably by the aforementioned special guest. 

“Velvet, I would like you to meet Caran Waterson,” Unor said, gesturing to the seat beside her. 

“H-hello,” A small, soft voice stuttered out. Velvet turned to look at the visitor. Her eyes widened as she saw a boy similar to her age smiling at her. She looked between the blond boy and her father for several seconds before staring at Unor. 

“Is this a fucking joke?” Unor let out a chuckle.

“No, it’s not.”

“That is a fucking child.”

“Uhm, I’m actually ten, so I’m the same age-”

“What does a ten-year-old need a fucking assassin for?”

“Uh- I-” Unor cleared his throat. 

“He’s not here for your abilities, Velvet.” She turned back to look at Unor, a confused look on her face. 

“Then what is he here for?” 

“I’ve decided that Caran here will be acting as your assistant from now on.” Velvet blinked a few times.

“I don’t need a fucking assistant, I’m fine on my own.”

“Think of him as more of a babysitter then.”

“I don’t need a fucking babysitter!” Unor shook his head and let out a chuckle. 

“I hate to break it to you, Velvie, but you don't have a choice.” Velvet quickly stood up and slammed her hands on her father’s wooden desk. 

“I don’t know why you fucking think-” Unor cleared his throat and rose out of his chair. He stared down at his child, causing Velvet’s heart to skip a beat. 

“I suggest you sit back down, Velvet, before you force me to do something I’ll regret.” Velvet took in a shaky breath. 

“Y-yes pater.” She slowly sat down in her chair. Caran watched her straighten her back and avoided Unor’s gaze. The man remained standing, walking around the desk and kneeling behind Velvet’s chair. 

“I have no idea where this…rebellious attitude came from,” Unor muttered in her ear, causing her to jump a bit, “It would be a shame if I had to go…have a chat with Nala about your recent behaviour.” Velvet quickly turned around with panic in her eyes. 

“No! I-I’m sorry.” Unor smirked and stood back up, sending a chill down Caran’s spine. 

“I think it’s time to get Caran settled in,” Unor said cheerfully. Velvet nodded and stood up. As she began to walk to the door, Unor lightly tapped Caran’s right shoulder. 

“Go on,” he urged, “If she continues to behave like that, let me know.”

“Yes sir,” Caran muttered, standing up. Velvet held open the door for him as he walked out of the door.

“Where did he say you’re staying?” Velvet asked quietly as they began down the hallway. 

“He said there’s a room near yours.” She nodded and continued down the corridor. The two kids remained silent for several minutes as they walked before Caran spoke up. 

“..Are you ok?” Velvet turned and looked at him. He was shorter than her, so she had to tilt her head down slightly. 

“Huh?” “He…he basically threatened your mom to make you listen to him!” Velvet raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah? It’s not that unreasonable.” 

“That’s horrible!”

“You’re the one willingly working for him,” Velvet mumbled, looking away. Caran stared at her for a few moments before sighing. 

When the two ten-year-olds arrived at Caran’s soon to be room, they found that the door was locked. 

“Of course,” Velvet mumbled, “Just my luck.” 

“We can go back to his office-”

“No way. I’ll text the main housekeeper to open the door.” Caran looked at Velvet sympathetically as she pulled out her phone and began typing. 

“You’re scared of him, aren’t you?” Her fingers froze.

“No way,” Velvet muttered. Caran smiled softly. 

“It’s ok, you don’t have to tell me.” Velvet quickly shook her head and continued typing. After a few seconds, she sighed and put her phone back in her jacket pocket.

“I texted them, but it might be a while until they check their phone. Come on, we can wait in my room.” Caran nodded and the duo turned around to face the opposing door. Velvet quickly threw it open.

“Woah, your room is really big,” Caran breathed. Velvet chuckled. 

“I guess. I’m going to change, make yourself at home.” Velvet walked into the closet and shut the door. Caran let out a breath and began looking around the room. It was big, yes, but barren as well. In the middle of the back wall was a full-size bed decorated with a red blanket and multiple pillows against the headboard. Next to the door was a wooden desk with a laptop and 5th grade prep book open. There was another door near the bed, presumably a bathroom. A rug sat in the middle of the space and a closed, leather-bound book was on it. Caran sat down on the rug and placed the book on his lap. 

“Ahem.” Caran quickly spun around to see Velvet standing with her arms crossed, once again wearing her black ripped jeans and black hoodie. Caran’s eyes widened. 

“Oh- I was just-”

“Whatever, he probably told you to anyway,” Velvet mumbled, plopping down on her bed. Caran looked at her sympathetically. 

“He’s kind of an asshole, isn’t he?” Velvet turned to lay on her side and stared down at him. 

“What?”

“Well, he’s a selfish, arrogant jerk who doesn’t care about anyone working for him! Not to mention he’s a terrible dad!” 

“He’ll hear you, you know,” Velvet mumbled, turning onto her other side, “Then you’ll be dead.” Caran sighed and stood up, walking to the bed and sitting near Velvet’s head. 

“So, what do you do for fun?” He asked. Velvet squinted her eyes at him. 

“That assumes I have free time.”

“You don’t have any free time?”

“Not really, no.” Caran blinked at her a few times. 

“Really?” 

“Gods,” Velvet groaned, placing her hands on her face, “You’re a fucking idiot, aren’t you?”

“Owch,” Caran mumbled, causing Velvet to laugh. 

“Hell, look at you! You’re as intimidating as a fucking puppy. I could beat you in a fight in the first ten seconds!”

“Hey, that’s not true!” Velvet laughed. 

“Really?” she asked, pushing herself up and jumping off the bed, “Prove it.” Caran tilted his head in confusion. 

“Huh?”

“Prove it, right now. Let’s spar.”

“That’s not-”

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” the 10-year-old taunted, a smirk on her face. Caran stared at her before sighing. 

“Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Velvet smiled. 

“You’re on, Caran.”

Caran grabbed the staff that was swinging at him, causing Velvet’s eyes to widen. In one swift motion, the boy swung the stick back and hit Velvet in the stomach. She let go of the weapon and tumbled to the ground, just barely avoiding slamming her head on the marble tiles. Caran looked at her as she sat up and gasped for air, holding the staff in his left hand. After a few seconds, Velvet sat up and laughed. 

“I guess I underestimated you, huh parvus?” Caran fake pouted. 

“Hey, I’m not small”

“You speak Latin?” Caran shrugged. 

“Just one of my many talents,” he said, holding his right hand out to her. Velvet laughed and grabbed his hand. Caran pulled her up and she steadied herself. Caran awkwardly held the staff out to her. 

“Sorry for taking your weapon,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. 

“Don’t be, dude. As long as you don’t tell my dad about this, we’re good.” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Velvet, are you in there?” A voice yelled from outside the door. Velvet’s eyes filled with panic and she quickly looked towards the door then back at Caran. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. 

“Huh-” Velvet quickly ripped the staff from his hands. She threw one of the ends into Caran’s ankle, pushing it back and causing him to fall face-first onto the ground. 

“Come in, pater!” Velvet yelled, placing the end of the staff on Caran’s back. 

“Owch,” the boy mumbled. The doorknob turned and Unor walked in, clearing his throat. The man’s eyes widened as he absorbed the scene before his face morphed into a wicked smile. 

“Salve,” Velvet said, lifting the staff up and retracting it to its compact size, “What’s up?” 

“Were you sparring?” “Yes.”

“And you won?” Velvet rolled her eyes and gestured towards Caran, was was sitting up and rubbing his head. 

“Obviously.”

“Good,” Unor said, smiling, “Nala finished making lunch.”

“Cool.” The man turned to look at Caran and smirked. 

“Your room is unlocked now.”

“Thank you sir.”

“I have a meeting, don’t bother me. Velvet, don’t forget about your training session with Alla at 1 pm.” 

“Sure, whatever.”

“Caran, I expect you to be there as well,” Unor began, “Clearly you need the practice.” Caran chuckled while he stood up. 

“Your daughter is one fierce fighter, sir.”

“I’m well aware. I raised her.”

“Of course.” Unor looked between Velvet and Caran before turning around and walking out the door. After a few seconds, Velvet slowly walked forward and slowly shut the door before sighing. 

“That hurt,” Caran said, rubbing the back of his head. Velvet turned and looked at him sympathetically. 

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “He-”

“Don’t apologise, you did what you had to,” Caran said, smiling. Velvet stared at him before shaking her head. 

“You ok?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Velvet smiled and threw the compacted staff onto her bed. 

“Cool, let’s go get lunch.” Caran tilted his head slightly. 

“Is there going to be enough for me?” Velvet rolled her eyes. 

“Mater always makes way too much for pater’s workers, you’ll be fine.”

“Ok, sure. Let’s go then.”

“Race you there?”

“I don’t know where-” Before Caran could finish, Velvet was already out the door.

“Crap- Velvet!"