Present: 17th March 2019 – 9:40pm
A single light glowed across the kitchen table. Lucy Wilde rested in the curve of the seat. A cup of coffee in her hand. Staring ahead. A flannel replaced her usual turquoise dress, something a little comfier. Especially for that night, as the quirkiness felt absent.
Lucy jolted upon hearing footsteps. However, she rested once she recognised the intruder. Dru ambled into the kitchen, curious about the single piercing light.
They share a glance. Smiles are attempted, but the previous night's events prevented them. Instead, Dru sat alongside his sister-in-law. His hand reaches for an apple, but he refrains from eating it. Instead, he ponders on how to start the conversation.
But, what else was there to say?
Dru tilts his head. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
She exhaled, resting her cheek inside her palm. "I can't."
Dru observed Lucy closely. He noticed how she always fiddled with her wedding ring whenever she felt nervous. A reminder that she wasn't alone; Gru was always there for her. Yet...here she was, alone. He noticed her hands. Fidgety, almost looking for her husband's own.
He frowned, "What's going on?"
Lucy slumped backward. "Gru hasn't spoken to me all day."
After that, neither of them spoke. The light became the loudest source within the room.
15th March 2019 – 10:34pm
"It's too quiet."
Lucy prepared her flamethrower, hiding behind each wall to glance down the corridor.
Gru and Lucy had been sent on a mission, one that stood out from all the others. In all of Silas' lifetime directing the AVL, he never once wasted his time on murderers. Valerie Da Vinci was their director now. Yet, despite being the cold-hearted leader that she deems to be, Da Vinci had some knowledge about the recent knife attacks across the town. We can't ignore something like this, she told the couple, so do your job and save the town.
Of course, they agreed. These knife attacks had gone too far - what if their children were targetted in the future? That's what motivated them.
Now, Gru and Lucy crept inside what they determined to be the villain's lair. They found an abandoned memory stick pocket, which Nefario successfully retrieved fingerprints from and located their house of residence. It seemed incongruous to be a small flat, but Lucy soon found a trapdoor.
"Don't yu just love multiple hallways?" Gru groaned as the couple found themselves surrounded by a labyrinth of corridors. "Can't wait tu lose myself in dis."
Lucy tapped her finger against her lip. "Shall we split up?"
Gru shook his head. "I'm not leaving yu. Dis guy is a murderer, and I'm not taking any chances."
"He can't defeat us," Lucy claimed with a courageous beam. "We're Grucy, remember?"
"Together, we are." Gru grasped her hands. "But, on our own?"
A pause. Lucy frowned, slightly agreeing with her husband. She didn't want him to get injured, either. Yet, the town was in danger. Their family was at risk of a possible attack. There wasn't any other choice. Yet, if they were to approach the villain, Lucy felt ready to smash his face in.
"We'll be fine," Lucy caressed his cheek, placing a small kiss on his lips. "If anything goes wrong, just contact over the radio."
Gru sighed. He kissed the top of her palms, anxious to let go. "Stay safe, sweetheart."
Their hands, once connected, slowly disjointed with a gentle touch.
Present: 17th March 2019 – 9:50pm
In his painfully slow scooter, Doctor Nefario managed to reach Gru after a long twenty minutes. Retrieving the small container from his basket, Nefario ambled towards Gru with a proud smile.
He taps Gru's shoulder. "I've got that medicine for Mrs. Wilde. Make sure she takes it twice a day."
No response. His posture seemed unwelcoming - those broad shoulders slumped, facing the pinboard riddled with pictures, newsprints, and scrawled pen. The mission was completed, but Gru's unease continued to remain.
"Gru?" Nefario repeats, "The medicine, it's ready."
"Yu take it tu her," Gru interrupts. He avoids eye-contact. He suffocates the memory stick with his harsh grip.
Nefario pauses for a moment. Whenever Gru felt down, he wasn't quite sure where to start. "Is there something wrong?"
His voice, monotonous, haunts Nefario. "I don't want tu see her."
The tube is slowly returned to the basket. "It would be healthy to talk to her about it."
Gru groaned, "I don't want tu talk about it, Nefario."
He raised himself from the seat. Five seconds after walking in no determined direction, Gru lobs the memory stick towards the wall with a frustrated shout.
15th March 2019 – 10:52pm
Not even twenty minutes passed. Gru had turned a corner only to meet a strike of someone's fist, knocking him out cold.
Now, he awakened on the freezing floor with zero recollection of where he traveled. Yet, his surroundings determined that Gru was nowhere near the infinite corridors. He was in the rough grasp of their suspected villain.
Her name was Zeus. Stolen her villainous name from an actual God, claiming to be one of the greatest beings on the planet. Gru knew her intentions because they were past partners in eight heists. No romantic relations - as news reports would falsely rumour - but they shared interest of sabotage. It wasn't until Zeus asked him to do something that stepped over Gru's barrier. They hadn't communicated since.
Not until now.
The short-haired woman, with a red streak that complimented the horrific scar across her face, stared down upon him. "Long time, no see."
Gru took a deep breath. "Hello, Zeus."
Zeus tilted her head, giving him a playful smile. "Ah, no first-name basis anymore?"
Gru tightened his fists. "Not since yu forced me tu shoot an innocent woman."
In the distance, something banged against the door.
A knife twirled inside her palm. "C'mon, you needed to prove yourself."
Gru rose to his feet, growling, "I didn't need tu prove anything."
"Watch yourself," Zeus reacted with a knife against his throat. "But, you make a fair point. You've always been weak, villain or not."
Gru scoffed. "Yu can criticise me all yu want, but I've found you. So why don't yu stop killing dese people? How does dis give yu pleasure in life?"
"Good question," Zeus grinned. Not like a child who'd been given candy, but in a more criminal, horror-like way. "Killing people that others love right in front of them? Can't think of anything better."
Gru paused. "Dat's...oddly specific."
"Oh yeah, just taking examples from the present."
And with that, Zeus traveled towards the banging door. She swung it open and grasped the neck of the hostage inside.
Lucy.
Gru gasped, "No!" as he retrieved his freeze ray and aimed for Zeus' head.
However, Zeus held the knife tight against Lucy's neck. "A single move, and you'll see all the blood from her body spill out in seconds."
Despite the sharp blade skimming her skin, Lucy murmured, "You're gross."
"Either you walk out of this place right now and claim that you defeated me, or stand there like a fool and watch your wife die."
Gru glanced between the women. Heart racing. Finger tracing the trigger. He could rapidly freeze Zeus and run, avoiding any routes toward death. But, Lucy had other ideas.
"I'm gonna regret this," Lucy muttered to herself, before headbutting Zeus. She escaped from her grasp and ran towards her husband.
"I thought I told yu tu never du dat!" Gru scolded, as he examined his wife's head with affection.
"Yeah, yeah," Lucy waved a hand, "We can talk about it later...look out!"
Zeus had recovered from the sudden attack, presumably frustrated. She unsheathed a knife from her belt, firing towards the couple with perfect aim.
Gru grasped Lucy's hand just as she noticed the knife, which she reacted by shielding herself in front of Gru.
All that Gru heard was Lucy cry out in pain, but she continued running as if nothing had happened. He hadn't suspected a thing.
They ran with all the adrenaline buzzing in their veins. Despite Zeus' footsteps edging closer and closer, Gru and Lucy succeeded in losing her amidst the infinite corridors. For good measure, Gru retrieved his flamethrower and fired towards the wall behind them. They were thrown forward by the explosion, finally reaching the front porch. Breathless, exhausted, yet undefeated.
Gru gasped, glancing back into the building. "Wait, we need de USB-"
Lucy shook her head and dug into her coat pocket, retrieving the USB. "I found it when we split up, let's just-"
She winced harshly, grasping her side.
"Lucy?" Gru tilted his head, Honey, what's wrong?"
He glanced downward, where her hand clasped her side. He noticed something scarlet-coloured paint her palm. Gru's breath caught within his throat as he replaced his wife's frail hand with his own.
Feeling the dizziness overcome her, Lucy mumbled, "It's okay...just a scratch..."
However, she collapsed into her husband's arms with a sigh. Gru lifted her from the ground, arms and legs trembling. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. Infiltrate the lair, snatch the USB, escape unharmed. No part of their plan involved injury. Especially as brutal as this.
Gru ran down the street, cradling Lucy close.
She murmured, "It hurts..."
He stumbled, "I'm gonna get yu help. Don't worry...don't worry..."
Lucy never heard his words. She already slipped into unconsciousness.
Present: 17th March 2019 – 10:00pm
Finally reaching the girls' bedroom, Lucy steadied herself against the wall. She closed her eyes, steadying her breathing pattern. The mixture of excitement and agony left her exhausted, as she hadn't talked or played with her three daughters ever since the mission.
So, when Lucy finally opened the bedroom door, the girls' reaction made her forget about the injury almost entirely.
"Mom!" Margo cried, sprinting towards her legs.
Agnes mirrored her actions, her lip wobbling. "I was scared you were gone."
Edith appeared behind Lucy, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Did a villain hurt you?"
Lucy chuckled, giving each girl enough affection. Their hugs and kisses warmed her heart. "Unfortunately yes...but it's nothing the bold Lucy Wilde can't handle."
The room erupted with giggles as Lucy sported a hero pose.
Agnes hugged Lucy's middle. "We were really worried–"
However, as soon as Agnes' arm met the stab wound, Lucy winced. She attempted to hide the wound from the girls, but her reflexes begged to cradle the pain.
The youngest stepped back, her eyes gleaming. "I...I didn't mean to hurt you, Mom–"
Lucy cradled her tight, almost regretting her reaction. "No, sweetie! Don't apologise, okay? I just gotta be careful, y'know? But, I'm absolutely fine."
Margo adjusted her glasses, staring at Lucy's hip with mere suspicion. "Is Dad okay?"
Lucy paused, her breath catching. She replied with a forced smile, "He's fine."
Edith and Agnes seemed convinced, whilst Margo tilted her head. Her intelligence suspected anything, especially the mysterious tone as Lucy replied to her question.
Therefore, Lucy waved her suspicion away by gesturing towards their beds. "C'mon, I'll read you a story! Maybe the one Daddy made?"
Edith and Agnes cheered, leaping into their beds. Margo's cocked brow left Lucy with a sense of unease. She offered a bright smile, one which Margo mirrored - but the suspicion lingered.
16th March 2019 – 0:14am
"Nefario! Dru! Anyone, please!"
Gru screamed and cried their names. Over and over again. Nobody replied. Yet, Gru's legs wouldn't stop until Lucy was guaranteed safety. He sprinted across the lab, desperate for assistance.
Nefario emerged from another room, wearing kitten-covered pyjamas that seemed incongruous to his usual attire. He rubbed his eyes, blind to the scene before him. "Crikey, Gru. What y'doing yelling at the top of your lungs at midnight?"
"Lucy..." Gru set his wife down on a table, breathless. "She's hurt..."
Once he regained his sight, Nefario gasped. He threw on his glasses, examining the stab wound that drenched Lucy's dress with blood. "Blimey, what happened?"
Gru removed Lucy's dress, careless to her lack of clothing. All he could think about was how much longer he had left to save his wife. "Please, get something, anything!"
Nefario nodded, moving at a steady pace to fetch supplies.
Overhearing the fuss, Dru stumbled out of his room - he only slept over a couple of times a month - with a concerned frown.
"Brother? Why are you-" Dru suddenly gasped, running to his brother's side. "Lucy!"
Gru gestured towards his elderly friend, who attempted to rush back over with an armful of objects. "Help Nefario!"
Dru obeyed. Gru tried steadying his breathing, but without knowing that his Lucy would survive, it seemed almost impossible.
Nefario hoisted a medical briefcase onto the table. Lucy squeezed Gru's hand tight, desperate for the pain to disappear.
"Please hurry!" Gru cried, his heart aching at his wife's agony.
"Hold her still," Nefario advised, revealing a syringe. By the tranquility of his words, Gru understood that this meant he had the situation under control. He trusted his best friend for decades, there wasn't anybody else he'd trust his wife's life with.
Gru hated the sight of Lucy enduring pain, but he wouldn't tear his sight away from her. Even when Nefario injected a sedative into her arm, which would knock her into unconsciousness. At least it would ease the pain.
Lucy flinched once the needle pierced her skin. She struggled to steady her breath - the agony and terror contaminated her body all at once.
Gru soothed his wife as he stroked her hair. Her hand grasped onto his in a tight grip. He repeated, "It's okay, honey, it's okay..."
Meanwhile, Dru stared at Lucy in complete horror. His eyes brimmed with tears, scared for his sister-in-law's fate as well as growing frustrated for acting so useless. "Is she gonna...?"
"Shut up, Dru!" Gru yelled.
"It's nothin' serious," Nefario stated, "I just need to apply pressure on the wound, clean it before it gets infected, and stitch it up."
Gru sighed. "Thank yu, Nefario."
He watched as Lucy fell asleep. Despite sacrificing an entire night's sleep, Gru wouldn't dream about separating from his wounded wife.
Present: 17th March 2019 – 11:12pm
Lucy sat at the edge of her and Gru's bed. She aimed to change into her nightwear, but her mind directed towards just staring and thinking. What if every night would be like the night before? Gru would walk in, avoid eye-contact, and sleep without holding her. Her heart ached to believe that she did something wrong, but had no recollection of the actions she made. What if he never forgave her?
When Gru walked into the room, once again avoiding eye-contact, Lucy attempted to spur the conversation with a light, "Hey."
He only hummed in response. Throwing his scarf across a chair, Gru headed for their ensuite to brush his teeth.
Lucy frowned but wasn't aiming at giving up. Instead, she followed. Her arms curved his neck, hugging him from behind. Gru only gave her a brief glance in the mirror.
"You okay?" Lucy asked with a kiss against his nape.
Once he finished, Gru left the room without an answer. Lucy's chest began to tighten. He wouldn't look at her...talk to her...not even smile at her affectionate gesture.
So, she decided to bring the full force. "Have I upset you?"
Fortunately, this stimulated him to split from the broody behaviour. Gru glanced at Lucy, shaking his head. "Never."
"It's just, you haven't talked to me since..." Lucy motioned awkwardly. He knew exactly what she meant.
Gru sighed, buttoning his pajama shirt. "What du yu want me tu say?"
"I dunno..." Lucy bowed her head. "I just hate this silence."
Gru sighed, burying his face within his palms. "You almost died, Lucy, and you're acting like that wound is just a scratch."
Lucy shrugged. "I can't be pessimistic about it."
Gru rose from the bed, pacing the bedroom. His face buried within his palms. "Yes, but how can I act like everything is okay when every time we go on missions, de likelihood of death is de one thing dat haunts my mind?"
"Then you should talk to me about it," Lucy walks toward him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You shouldn't bottle this up."
He hovers his hand across hers, prompting her palm towards his lips. "I just...dun't want tu bother yu with my problems all de time. Yu're the best listener and de one dat knows de most about me, like my confidant."
Lucy chuckled as his lips touched her skin. Even during his gloomy moments, Gru always comforted himself with showering her with affection. "Well, I'm your wife, silly. I love you with all my heart."
A little smile crossed his features. Not as positive as expected, but Lucy claimed it to be an achievement. It seemed that any thunderstorm could be overshadowed by her words of sunshine.
However, Gru continued fighting with himself. "But...what if, one day, yu dun't survive? If we don't survive?"
"That won't happen," Lucy interjected, "we always find a way to get back up again."
"Yu don't know that!" Gru cried.
"You don't know that it could happen!"
"Yes I do, my proof is right here!" Gru lifted Lucy's flannel, tracing the scar on her side.
This silenced Lucy. They discussed almost every single risk that they could approach during a mission, but they avoided the death topic. It wasn't healthy to think about every single day. Yet, Gru and Lucy became so submerged with sharing one another's feelings that the subject of death never crossed their conversations.
Not until now.
Lucy stared at their entwined hands.
"We can't think like that. We're AVL agents who protect the world. It's our job to risk our lives, but that doesn't mean that we're destined to die at the hands of a villain. As long as we're together, and those girls have an entire family to support them, including us, nothing will happen."
Gru caressed her hair, trailing his palm across her cheek. They stare at each other with gentle smiles and half-lidded eyes, before closing the gap between them. The relief that both craved after this horrific turn of events. They could've lasted for an eternity, but the urge for breath made them break apart with a synchronised laugh.
"Please just promise me," Gru said, "yu won't shield yurself for me again."
Lucy chuckled and patted his chest, "Afraid I can't do that, honeybear. Gotta protect my man."
Gru smiled. No villain could defeat his darling wife.