T.N - Chapter 64

-->

I had suspected that Kyle was working with the Dragon, but deep down inside I had hoped that it wasn’t the case. No matter how much an idiotic jerk he is, and his awful taste in women, he’s still my blood relative. He was regressing as time passed on, but I still couldn’t get over the shock of him betraying the family. I absentmindedly passed my hand over the red marks on my neck, and minutely shuddered at the reminder of Kyle’s face when he was choking me. He looked so...desperate and angry. It was awful seeing that expression on a face I thought I knew.

“Theo, are you alright?” I heard Laura Gable ask, piercing through my thoughts.

“Oh, yeah, I’m ok.” I immediately dropped my hand to my side. “Sorry about that. What were we discussing, exactly?”

She glanced at my neck, but didn’t say anything about it. “We were just discussing options as to what to do next. You did bring up that it was an important thing to talk about at the moment.”

“Right,” I said, inwardly sighing that she didn’t say anything about the probably still prominent marks. “So what we have come up with so far?”

“We could all go to the hideout together,” said Graham.

“And then we could split up into two different parties: one to rescue Mr. North, and the other to distract the Dragon,” said one of the Terries (I will now refer to this one as Terry 1 and the other as Terry 2).

“Another option is to split up, one to continue onto where the Union is, and one to go back to the North stronghold and deal with Kyle North,” said Terry 2.

“Don’t forget, we also have to get Wolfgang from the mansion,” pointed out Kent.

I had nearly forgotten about him, in the bustle of the last few hours. And realizing that I had left him behind to face my brother’s wrath made me feel incredibly guilty. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Gable, it’s my fault that we left him and he might be in danger because of my brother and my actions and...”

She started laughing. “Calm down Theo, I’m sure Wolfgang can take care of himself.” She gently patted me on the head. I would’ve found that gesture normally annoyingly patronizing, but with her, it was oddly...comforting. “And no need to call me by my last name. It belongs to a woman that doesn’t exist anymore.” She gazed out wistfully for a moment, and then turned her blue-green eyes towards me. “Just call me Laura. Everybody does.”

“Unless she’s mad,” snorted Graham. “Then you’d better call her Madam.”

Laura just bemusedly raised an eyebrow at him.

“I know this isn’t really an option we brought up,” I said, “but I think we should all head over to the mansion first before we start trying to attack the hideout.”

“What do you mean? That would be a waste of time, especially if the young man you seem adamant on saving seems to be perfectly fine,” said Terry 2. “If Laura says he’s fine, I’m sure he can take care of himself.”

“He’s bedridden with a gun wound that almost killed him!” I nearly yelled. “He did it...to save me from his dad. I can’t leave him behind in that viper’s nest.” I clenched my fist. Everyone fell silent, and Terry 2 looked awkward.

“And while we’re at it,” said Dennis, saving the moment, “we can take out Kyle’s forces. That way, we’re able to focus on the Terrorist Union without having to worry about someone attacking our backs.”

I looked gratefully at my brother. He gave a perfectly sound reason as to why to go back, other than the obvious guilt I felt as to leaving Wolfgang behind.

Laura chuckled. “Well you two are certainly Damian’s grandchildren,” she said. “Clever, with a hint of overbearing pride.” She looked at her colleagues and they immediately snapped to attention.

“Let’s go, boys and girl,” she said, pointing to the truck and smiling. “Time to go kick some traitorous butts.”

C.N. - chapter 63

Wow, Vivien Leigh in Catwoman's suit and ninja G.I. Joes. It's the strangest combination of people to see together under one pair of eyes. I couldn't believe it; someone who looks like my favorite actress and some people who look like my favorite action figures, and I'm meeting them all at the same time. This is the stuff to tell my grandkids!
Theo was being very ninja, even more so than the G.I. Joe she was combating over the hill where I crash-landed. The G.I. Joe tried to tried to grab Theo from behind after sneaking up on her while she was spying on what Laura Gable was telling me. In fact, she was telling me that Theo is spying on us from behind the crest of the hill, and her henchmen will escort her to us shortly. The henchman, I suppose, was the G.I. Joe.
Theo expertly dodged the G.I Joe's nimble moves and countered with swifter ones. I've already seen her take down three of Mr. Dragon's henchmen at his base in the mountains, and I was really impressed. But this was skill on a whole new level; I wouldn't be surprised if Theo goes into the country fight club back home and come out as the champion. I thought I might go to them and tell Theo that Laura isn't threatening, that way no one will get hurt, because the match between Theo and the G.I. Joe was getting quite heated.
'Should I go over there and tell Theo you're friendly?' I asked Laura.
'I don't know, should you?' Laura raised her eyebrows at me, 'How do you know I'm friendly?'
I thought about it, 'Because you look like Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind.'
'Oh please, don't bring that up again. I have all of my friends and the whole League of Shadows who tell me that, plus an ex-husband who used to tell me that, who also married me because of that, so I would really appreciate if you, Mr. Charlie North, isn't just another person who tells me that I look like Vivien Leigh!'
'Okay,' I nodded.
'Think about it, what does looking like Vivien Leigh have to do with you thinking that I mean you no harm when there's the very real possibility that I do?'
I thought about this question too. 'Intuition,' I concluded.
'Well,' Laura shrugged, 'I won't argue with you over that.'
By then, Theo had the G.I. Joe down and defeated. 'Will you look at that, Damien taught her well these years.' Laura said to herself. We walked over to her and Laura said while clapping, 'Nice work there, Theo. I'm sure he'll be teased later by the others about how he was beaten by a girl.'
Theo opened her mouth to say something.
'I let her win!' The G.I. Joe yelled from the bottom of the hill as he got himself up wobbly. Theo had had the G.I. Joe flat on the ground and he had rolled all the way to the bottom of the hill.
'I'm sure you didn't, Graham, now come back here so we can introduce us all to each other properly.' Laura said in a voice of humorous authority.
Grumbling very loudly, Graham trotted back to us gathered at the top of the hill. I noticed five other G.I. Joes escorting Heathcliff, Dennis and Mr. Kent to us also. Heathcliff and Dennis were each carried by the shoulder between two Joes. They saw Laura and their mouths opened to say what I think they were going to say.
'Boys, what ever you're going to say right now, please refrain from doing so.' Laura said, and the two of them closed their mouths simultaneously.
The henchmen ushered Heathcliff, Dennis and Mr. Kent together with me and Theo, and then stood behind Laura in a uniformed line. Six G.I. Joes looking straight out of a summer action movie poster.
'Oh my, is that you, Laura?' Mr. Kent seemed to have recognized Laura immediately.
'Ah, Mr. Kent, at last after so long, it's good to see you again.' Laura took Mr. Kent by the hand and shook it. 'Still working for Damien, aren't you?'
'That's right!' Mr. Kent said with zest. He and Laura are definitely old friends. He thought about something else to say but didn't know where to begin, 'Well...things are a bit complicated right now in the family, you understand...'
'You needn't tell me a thing, my associate in your home has been keeping me well informed on what's happening in the North family.'
'Why how did you...' Mr. Kent stammered.
'Ahem,' Theo spoke up, 'If I may ask, who exactly are you?'
Laura smiled at her, 'I'm sorry about all this small talk getting in the way of actual business. I'm Laura Gable, and what a pleasure it is to finally meet the granddaughter Damien spoke so highly of.'
I wasn't quick to make the connection, but Theo recognized her immediately, 'You're Wolfgang's mother!' She exclaimed.
'This is Wolfgang's mother?!' Heathcliff exclaimed. His mouth was gaped wide enough for a nectarine to fit through.
'Are you so surprised?' Laura asked with bemusement.
'I never expected...' Theo said. She looked at Laura up and down, her eyes gleamed with admiration. 'You were chasing us in that machine, I thought it was Dragon's men, or someone else who wants us dead.'
'Yes, right about now a lot of people do want you dead, or captured rather. I intercepted your brother's henchmen on the road so you wouldn't fall into Clark's hands.'
'Kyle is working for the Dragon, I suspected as much.' Theo said.
'Since you have extracted my son from Clark, in return the League of Shadows offer you our help to rescue your grandfather.'
'I have the location, of where he is being held prisoner.' Theo told her.
'I know you do. Clark's probably enjoying himself more than he ever did in his life.' Laura said in disgust, 'He captured Damien North, and now the whole Union of Terrorism is under his control.'
There was quietness among us. Suddenly the situation seemed very dire.
'Hello? Aren't you going to introduce us too to your new friends?' The G.I. Joe named Graham said. They haven't been included in the conversation until now.
'Fine, but I'm telling you Graham, you need to work on your patience.'
'Yeah, yeah,' Graham said and waved for Laura to introduce them already.
Laura turned to the rest of us and sighed, 'As suggested, I might as well introduce you all to my henchmen-'
'I prefer the term colleague.' Graham said.
Laura continued without pause. 'From left to right, this is Graham, Eric, John, Terry, Terry, and Michael.'
'If two people are called Terry, how do they know which one you're referring to?' Dennis asked.
'We don't' One Terry said and laughed.
'What? Of course you do, don't listen to that knucklehead, allow me to explain-' The other Terry quickly said.
'Can we go back to the relevant discussion?' Theo suggested.
'Excellent idea,' Laura replied. She eyed the henchmen and they quietened.
We then began discussing the relevant discussion.