Chapter 23: Beauties and their beast within
Lydia and Prudence walked with Kevin to the forest to meet Deader for sword training. Lydia was nervous, she didn't know what to expect from Deader after training was finished. Prudence didn't like the arrangement, and grew secretly angry at Lydia for agreeing to meet privately with her new found love interest. Kevin was excited, at last, he could learn different fighting techniques.
Deader was sighted by Prudence as he was shirtless, lifting boulder weights. He wasn't as big or as muscular as her first love of course, but everything was at its place, perfectly sculpted just like her dream. She sighed lovingly as she gazed upon him.
"Let's get started." Lydia spat when she approached the Cyclops.
"I agree." Said Kevin.
Deader turned to the three. "You need to be mentally strong as well as physically strong to endure my style of training."
"Your introduction of the training you speak of bores me mentally to a strong degree." Kevin spat sarcastically.
Deader eyed the boy, just as Kevin eyed the Cyclops in return.
"Is this staring contest part of the training?" Lydia spat.
Deader flashed a grin. "I would rather stare at you."
Prudence grew furious and jealous. The lustful looked to Lydia should be at her. She didn't say anything, she just swallowed her bitterness.
Lydia, Prudence, and Kevin began with simple physical exercise, next they lifted small boulders, and finally Lydia and Kevin trained with swords as Prudence trained with long blade daggers. The training overall was intense, it was nothing ever experienced to the girls, but to Kevin, this was just like 's form of training, except Deader's form of training had more weight and forced you to push more.
As a trainer, Deader studied each of his trainees. First was the boy. This boy, just like him as a boy, is blunt, knows the street life and how to survive it. Second was Lydia. This spunky dark haired girl is mentally strong and could be physically capable. She reminds him of the beautiful aggressive women of his village. And third, this short red head, a girl he calls 'Kitten'. She tries
to be mentally strong but it fails her. She runs from her feelings instead of facing them, and to him, that is a lost cause. If she can't face her feelings, then how will she be able to face the enemy?
"I think that should be all for today." Lydia spoke as she rose with sore limbs.
"I agree." Said Kevin.
Deader just shook his head at the two. As a boy he spent over six hours in training, not the pathetic two hours they were complaining about. He looked to Prudence who still stood in training, then looked to Lydia as she stared at him with an inpatient frown. "You want a break?" he questioned.
"No." Lydia replied. "Kevin and I want to stop training for the rest of the day and do something else. We have other things to do you know."
"And I would like to do them without being totally exhausted." Kevin spat as he placed away his sword. "It's bad enough that I have to crawl up some ones chimney, but to do it while sore, is awful."
"Very well." Deader spoke.
Kevin helped Lydia store away the equipment in a nearby cave. Deader laced his boots and placed away his sword inside the holder of his belt. And Prudence just looked at Deader as he stared to Lydia.
"Well I better be off for work." Kevin spoke as he gathered his chimney sweep equipment. "Tell mother I'll be home for dinner." Then he left.
Deader walked with Lydia as she carried the training dummy toward the cave. "I want to meet up with you, tonight."
Lydia knew she agreed to meet Deader privately in exchange for his training, but didn't expect the meeting to happen so soon. "The training isn't completed," She pointed out. "So why should I meet you?"
"I never said the training was over." Deader replied. "You agreed to meet me if I trained you and your friends, and I have. We never negotiated details. So, I train and you meet with me, and it's just as simple as that."
Lydia knew he was right, and if it wasn't for the shame of it, she could've kicked herself for not discussing details or restrictions. "I hope you don't plan to grope me, because if you are –"
"I won't grope you." Deader spoke then walked away.
Prudence did hear their conversation. She just watched the body language, especially from Deader. He held a staring eye to, a sly lustful grin, and body movements that he expressed around Lydia.
Lydia walked to Prudence. "Let's go home."
"No thanks, I'm not ready." Prudence spat.
Lydia was taken aback by this attitude. She has never seen Prudence this angry before. "What's wrong Prudence? Did Deader push too hard?" she asked.
To Prudence, it wasn't Deader, it was her. "Why did you agree to meet with Deader alone?" she spat "You know I like him." then walked away angrily.
Lydia sighed. She didn't think of this either, she only thought of the team and how the training could give them strength, but Prudence was right, she shouldn't have agreed anything with Deader without speaking to her first.
**The Victor's home**
Bertha sat nervously inside the living room of Donny's Aunt Lucy and Uncle Victor. The ghostly couple lived a beautifully decorated home, but aside from that, inside that home, they stayed in their own separate paintings.
Aunt Lucy, the older sister to Donny's real birth mother, Bea Juice. And Uncle Victor, who married into the family as expected from an arranged marriage agreement. They always lived together, gathered together for the sake of decency, but have always been in separate worlds.
Bertha knew about the trouble Donny and his blood born family would have if he married her. This introduction is something was going to be dreadful. She looked to the dining room and saw the Maid set the table for afternoon snack. The table was nicely decorated with a white lacy table cloth, fresh yellow flowers, delicate chinaware, and the finest silver utensils.
Aunt Lucy was the first to walk into the room. "This was an unexpected surprise I must say." She greeted Bertha with a smile then sat across from her.
"I couldn't agree more." Bertha replied.
"Donny tells me that you are carrying his child." Lucy looked at the girl. "Is that true?"
Donny claimed the baby as his, and he claimed Kevin as his, so it was true in terms of his heart, but it wasn't true by his blood. "Well I –"
"Of course there is a possibility, the girl is a whore." Victor spoke from out of nowhere. "Donny paid her, and as a result of that, she now claims to carry his child."
Lucy looked to Victor with such confusion. "Did you question why Donny hired a prostitute?" She returned her look to the girl. "Why did Donny hire you, and why do you think it's his child you're carrying?"
"Donny didn't hire me to do anything." Bertha spat.
"A free prostitute is worse than one who offers herself for pay." Victor spat then he looked to his wife. "This Bertha once played with Donny and the others on this street as a child, now that she is a street scoundrel whore, she using pregnancy to get Donny to marry her, instead of Lydia."
"Well we can't have that, now can we?" Lucy spoke.
Victor looked to Bertha. "I will not allow you to ruin Donny's future with your lies –"
"I never said the child was –" Bertha began but was cut off.
"Silence!" Victor spat the regained composure. "However, I know what you seek. You want money. I am willing to give you coins to keep you mouth shut, and I'll pay for your abortion."
Bertha eyes swelled and her hearth sank upon hearing that. This guy offered to arrange for her baby to be killed. She quickly rose from her seat and smacked him hard across the face and left out the house, slamming the door behind her.
Donny came from the basement once he finished placing away his things. "Where's Bertha?" He questioned.
"Don't worry Donny," Lucy spoke. "That retched girl is gone, your Uncle and I took care of it."
"I'll get a court order to have that baby aborted first thing in the morning" Victor spat.
Donny turned to him with such an angry stare. "No you won't." he spat.
"Don't throw way your future on some street whore, when you could be wed to Lydia, a nice, talented, educated, young lady." Lucy spoke.
"I think she's lying to you about that baby being yours." Victor spoke. "But we can't take any chances."
"Are you listenin' to yourself?" Donny spat. "You both sound like barbarians."
Victor had enough of this. "Donny, if you don't follow the path to honor this family, your mother and father will owe me." He pointed out. "Their house in owned by me, your mother's nursing schooling was paid for by me, not to mention medical bills so you and your good for nothing older brother could be born properly inside a hospital. They owe us! But they won't owe us anything, not one red cent if you just follow my commandments."
"Do what your Uncle says Donny." Lucy spoke gently.
Donny grew tired of doing everything his Uncle wanted. He didn't like being told who his friends could or could not be, or what kind of career he should have, where he should live, or what bride he should wed. He did all this so his family, his real mother and father wouldn't owe his uncle, but it was over. "I'm not going to be a slave to your commandment anymore, I'm leaving."
"Your mother will suffer." Victor spat. "I do have the power and the connections to take away your mother right to practice nursing, and you know how much it means to her. You'll be a selfish fool to leave Donny."
Lucy didn't want her only chance of having a son to leave. She looked to her husband. "He's just concerned about his friend. Couldn't we put this abortion nonsense behind us and just move forward? We could just pretend it never happened."
Victor wasn't satisfied with that, but wasn't going to be responsible for his wife's breakdown. "I'm willing to turn the other cheek, aren't you Donny?"
Donny was torn, he didn't want Bertha to be jailed and her baby killed, nor did he want his mother and father to suffer, but if he left, only he would be free. He swallowed his pride and little happiness he had and stood by his aunt. "I'll…I'll stay." He spoke in a sad defeated tone.
"Good." Victor smiled with such delight. "Now that's settled, let's eat."
**Miss Warden's castle**
The Prince walked toward Beetlejuice as he remained strapped against the board. "My guards caught your skeleton friend." He began. "Of course he will have each and every bone broken for his crime. The crown jewels are a precious heirloom past from one generation to the next."
"Blah, blah, blah," Beetle spat.
The Prince frowned heavily for a moment, and then formed a sly grin. "Ah yes, of course. You don't want to hear me gab on and on about royal jewels, you're waiting for your 'cherry plucking'." He smiled then raised a brow "Isn't that the vulgar language you normally use to describe the intimate act of receiving the virginity of a lady?"
Bully the Crud walked into the room soak and wet, only wearing a bath towel wrapped around his lower half. The Prince took his seat on the throne and Miss Mental stood by with two large cute teddy bear guards. Bully ripped off the gown the blonde girl was wearing and took lustful gaze of her body.
Beetle cringed in complete disgust as the Bull climbed on top of him, but when he removed his towel, he revealed his dripping wet furry body, along with something Beetle could make fun of, a curtain personal flaw that will gain Beetle freedom.
"You're so little down there." Beetle pointed out in a tease. Bully huffed angrily at the blonde. "I was worried about losing my virginity, but no worries… It's safe. My pinky could do more than your little dinky dick."
The teddy bear guards snickered, and once that happened, Bully snapped in a furious rage. First he attacked the teddy bear guards. Then he destroyed the other things around him. Miss Warden grabbed the shot gun and shot tranquilizers at the Bull, but they missed. Bully charged toward the Prince, but Miss Warden quickly activated the protection fence around the throne. Once Bully charged his horns into the electric fence, he experienced a few volts of high pulse of electricity that coursed throughout his body. It slowed him down, but it didn't negate his rage.
As this all happened, Beetlejuice managed to wiggle an arm from the strapped belt of his restraint. He then quickly unbuckled the rest of his body and ran, ducking and dodging away from the guards and the other crazy happy filled freaks who tried to grab him.
Once away from the castle, he looked back to see that the castle has caught on fire, and the moo'ing of Bully's rage was heard in the distance. "Damn." Beetle spoke as he hid from the crowd of crazy happy filled freaks. "He really tore the place down."
Beetle took notice of the Prince, but didn't attempt to do anything. "This time." He spat as he watched the royal carriage quickly drive away. Then he saw Miss. Warden and her teddy bear guards struggle as they gathered all the remaining happy freaks. "I better get out of here." He thought and quickly left.
Beetle knew that he was still in his pretty female form, and if he tried to rush the spell away, it would make things worse. He had to wait, and patience wasn't a skill he mastered. He just walked and walked into the woods.
**Clock Town Inn**
Clock town Inn wasn't like the luxurious Hotel Brewster. Deader gave notice for Lydia to meet him the Inn Tavern, where he sat and waited with his drink.
Lydia walked to where he sat. "What's this all about?"
Deader gave her a room key. "I'll be with you in five minutes."
Lydia didn't like where this was going, but she took the room key and went to the room. Once inside, she saw various sharpened weapon on the table. Lydia wasn't going to take any chances with this guy. She picked up a small dagger from the table and hid it in the cleavage of her dress.
Deader entered the room and stared deeply upon her with his single eye.
"At last, I have you all to myself." He grinned. He took notice that one of his daggers where missing from the table, and knew Lydia had it, but didn't say anything about it, the fact of all that made him grin even more.
**Meanwhile at the forest…
Prudence was alone, just like she wanted. She needed to think, to clear her head. She didn't want to think that Lydia was stealing Deader away, but all logical thought came to that conclusion. The lustful way he looked at her, the way she so easily agreed to meet with him alone, clearly they were developing a secret affair.
"I sense your unhappiness." Spoke a mysterious female voice as it echoed from out of nowhere. "I know why you're unhappy and I can help you… if you allow it." Prudence cautiously looked around. She did see anyone at first, but then, a short girl with curly blonde hair walked from the bushes. The girl wore dark glasses and frilly blue dress.
"Who are you?" Prudence questioned.
"My name is Miss Warden." The girl replied then did a curtsy with her dress. "I'm pleased to meet you." She smiled.
Prudence thought this girl seemed nice enough, but at this moment, she didn't give into trust so easily. "Why would you help me? You don't even know me."
Miss Warden walked toward Prudence as she studied her. "The women who are short like us suffer the most, a prejudice that will someday be no more. But where would be the fun be if life and its people had no flaws?" she smiled.
"Fun? … Flaws? …" Prudence retorted as she formed a puzzled look. "I don't understand."
"They think short women are freaks, and that we're weak… that's the flaw." Miss Warden began. "The fun in that is, they won't expect punishment from us."
Prudence considered this. "And you want that I should punish them."
"Forgive me for prying, but I was near the forest when you were sword training." Miss Warden said then placed a hand on the red head's shoulder. "I noticed your friend lusting after your boyfriend. Don't you think she needs to be punished for that?"
Only among her group of friends had she spoke a likable interest in Deader, but Prudence had never claimed that Deader was her boyfriend. She always wanted to have that official relationship title and Lydia with was taking it from her.
"I can make you strong and skillful." Miss Warden claimed.
Prudence deeply desired to be strong, just like the women described in the Cyclops tribe. "I need to be aggressive too." She uttered softly.
"I will give you that too." Miss Warden replied. "All I need is your blood."
Oh Prudence didn't like that at all. She thought the blonde was insane to ask for such. "I would withdraw a small sample of blood, mix it with a little magic, and inject back into your body, and then… you will have professional grade warrior skills."
Prudence has studied magic books ever since Kevin had revealed that she would one day command magic, and knew that some magic spells did require blood, but there had to be a catch. "If you doing this for me, what do you want in return? Nothing is free."
Miss Warden gave a smile. "Since you would have warrior skill, I would ask that you help me catch bad guys."
Catch bad guys, this was part of Deader's career. Finally, Prudence would be able to take a step in his shoes. "Is that all I have to do?"
"Yes." Miss Warden replied.
Prudence held out her arm as Miss Warden removed a small black case from her dress pocket. The case contained a syringe needle and a tunicate. Miss Warden withdrew the blood from Prudence's arm then added the magic inside the syringe and shook both things together. Once the mixture was completely ready, Miss Warden returned the blood inside Bertha's arm.
"Give the mixture twenty-four hours to take effect." Miss Warden instructed.
"Afterwards you want me to catch criminals." Prudence spoke.
Miss Warden shook her head. "I'm not ready for that yet, so you just go handle your own affairs. I'll seek you out when I need you." Then she vanished.
Prudence felt very confidant about this new power, but in truth, she had no idea what she gotten herself into.