The night was beautiful, not a cloud in sight showing the billions upon billions of stars and the full moon shining brightly in the sky. However, in the lone car driving along the road the driver paid no mind to the night sky, he just focused on the road in front of him, well, that and his own bruised cheek. The driver seemed to be rubbing the growing bruise on his face and just smirked.
"I didn't expect you to kick me, that's for sure." The driver said to his backseat. Laying down in the backseat was a boy, he had pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes. His arms were duct taped behind his back and his legs tied together with rope, over his mouth was tape as well. The boy couldn't say anything, but, the driver could tell just by this boy's muffled screams, he was cursing up a storm. The boy then started to violently kick his legs against the car door, banging against the car.
"Ey! Ey! You want to go into the trunk?! Because you keep it up, you'll go into the trunk!" The driver yelled at the boy, instantly, the boy stopped. "You know, Ben, it didn't have to be like this. If you would of listened to me earlier and NOT of attacked me like I asked, you could of sat up front here. Sure you'd still have the gag, and I would of had to handcuff you to the dashboard, but, it would of been better than the position you're in now." The driver told Ben with a slight laugh. Ben let out a threatening growl through the gag and the person could only laugh.
"You know what? I'll indulge you, I'll take off the gag and hear what you have to say." The driver said. Still looking at the road, he showed a pretty impressive skill as he didn't take his eyes off of the road but still reached back and managed to pull the tape off of Ben's mouth. Ben was quick to spit out the soaked cloth that was also in his mouth.
"Bastard! Untie me!" Ben snarled at the driver. The man just laughed at Ben.
"No, no, you gotta take me to the Rim of heaven, and I want to be sure you take me there." He told Ben.
"You can't get to the rim without a dragon! It's already useless, and what do you even need me for?! You seem to know which way you're going without me!" Ben spat.
"Leverage, and...Heh...I have something planned for you."
"Which is?!"
"Oh, quiet time now." The driver said and stuck the tape back on Ben's mouth, earning more growls and swears from the boy. Getting annoyed with the boy real quick, he turned the radio on and turned it up blocking Ben out. Eventually, Ben gave up and just rested against the car seat, he can only hope his family was out there looking for him...
Twigleg had to say this past week had been a wild ride. First he was turned human size by a witch, then, he started to realize he was having some ungodly awful feelings towards his best friend, and now, his best friend was missing and he's forced to pair up with a half-blood vampire, named Atticus, to try and find him. They've looked everywhere they could, but, to no avail. In a last ditch effort, him and Atticus were heading back to the house. Though, Twigleg knew damn well the reunion there wasn't going to be a happy one. Not only does the professor not like Atticus, most likely because of his vampirism, but, Twigleg chose Atticus over the family and the professor knew this.
With his head against the car window, Twigleg shut his eyes, in his lap was Ben's blue hoodie, the only thing they could find of him. Atticus seemed to be grinding his teeth. Twigleg glanced over at him, Atticus was tense, the way he was gripping the steering wheel and the fact that he seemed to be grinding his teeth.
"Don't do that, you'll break your fake ones." Twigleg told him, Atticus shot him a glance but quickly went back to looking at the road.
"Look, when we go to your place...You go in first, I have a suspension that the professor is waiting for me." Atticus told him after a few short heartbeats. He was definitely tense now, his arms rigid, he went back to grinding his teeth together, and his gaze unmoving from the road.
"He might be, but, he's not going to attack you. I've known the professor for years, he's a pacifist-" Twigleg started but was cut off by Atticus who shook his head and barked out.
"No, you don't understand. He threatened me before, shortly after me and Ben became friends, he knew right away what I was...He warned me right there and then that if anything happened to Ben...He has a lighter waiting for me...and well...Something happened to Ben." Atticus groaned out. Twigleg just tilted his head.
"A lighter? I mean, I know vampires are sensitive to fire, but, a little flame like that-" Again, he was cut off.
"I told you. I'm over three centuries old. Vampires evolved over the years...I did not. One little flame is all it'll take for me to go up into ash, that's the problem with being as old as I am." Atticus explained, he moved on from grinding his teeth to gnawing on his lower lip out of nervousness.
"How old are you exactly?"
There was a long pause, Atticus then just shook his head.
"Somewhere between...seven hundred to eight hundred years old, I lost count."
If Twigleg had a drink he probably would of done a spit take at that. He knew Atticus was old, but he never would of guessed that old, Atticus was older than he was! Twigleg was going to ask another question, but, Atticus pulled the car over and parked it, Twigleg realized he was looking at the Greenbloom home. All the lights were on, he could see the shadows of the three Greenblooms from the main window and he gulped down a feeling a dread. Just from the shadows he could see they were still very worried about the situation at hand.
The biggest shadow, most like the professor's, was pacing about, and waving his hands. The smallest shadow, Guinevere probably, kept bringing her hands to her face while the final shadow, Vita, seemed to be consoling her, arm around the shoulder and holding her close.
"He's on the war path..." Atticus said, keeping his eyes glued to the professor's shadow that hadn't stopped pacing.
"Can you blame him?" Twigleg countered, they sat in the car staring at the shadows for sometime, till finally Twigleg got out of the car and started up the driveway. Atticus started to follow him, the closer they both got to the house the more they could hear the professor yell, Twigleg realized it wasn't at his family, but, at someone else. Both of them paused at the front door to listen in.
"-Call yourselves cops!? Yes, I am aware of his past record! Yes he was a runaway, but, that was seven years ago! THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOU GUYS GOING TO FIND HIM!...Fine!"
There was a loud thump that came from the inside, if Twigleg had to guess, he'd guess that the professor chucked the phone at the wall in rage. Things were not looking good, still, Twigleg slowly reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door. Like Atticus had requested he walked in first.
When Twigleg walked in, he was met with at first hopeful looks, but Guinevere and Vita quickly turned disappointed when Atticus walked behind him, the professor seemed to be trying to hide his growing rage, but was failing horribly.
"What is he doing here?" The professor growled at Atticus.
Twigleg learned something, half vampire or not, Atticus was terrified of the angry professor, the way he seemed to be hiding behind Twigleg, borderline using Twigleg as a shield.
"Hear me out, Barnabas. I am not your enemy in this situation. We both want the same thing." Atticus started, the professor took a step forward, and with no warning, Atticus grabbed Twigleg by his collar and forced him between the two. Twigleg just rolled his eyes.
"I'm not a shield, Atticus!" Twigleg grumbled.
"You are until he backs down." Atticus hissed.
"Dad, it's just Atticus. He wouldn't hurt Ben." Guinevere stepped in, the professor just narrowed his eyes. He then spoke to his wife and daughter,
"You don't know what he is! He's a-"
"Vampire." Guinevere finished, instantly, everyone's gaze was on her, she then just gave an awkward laugh. "Like it wasn't obvious? I think the only one he doesn't know is Ben." She then went quiet and let out a soft sigh. The professor angrily pointed at Atticus.
"Where. Is my son?" The professor demanded, Atticus shrugged.
"Notta clue, we searched everywhere for him." Atticus said, the professor took another step forward, once again, Twigleg was yanked between them.
"Atticus this is ridiculous..." Twigleg huffed, crossing his arms.
The professor reached behind towards the coffee table, instantly Atticus let out an angry hiss.
"IF IT'S THAT DAMN LIGHTER-oh..." Atticus calmed down when the professor only pulled a familiar old warn out book.
"This is you? Isn't it? The half blood that traveled with the old rider?"
Twigleg noticed that Atticus turned a bit stiff and spoke up,
"Um, professor, I just want to say, he doesn-" Twigleg was cut off.
"Look, if we can just be peaceful for the evening...I will tell you what I can. About the old rider...And...a big mistake I made in the past that's now affecting Ben's life."