Ben gently tugged at the handcuff around his wrist, it jingled lightly at the movement, cautiously, he looked over at his captor, the man fast asleep, laid back in the driver's seat, a seemingly random hat covering his eyes as he slept. The keys to the handcuffs, and the car, as well as Ben's own knife were tucked away in his back pocket, making it literally impossible for Ben to retrieve anything without waking Finch up. Taking in a deep breath, Ben analyzed the situation.
He was on an abandoned road, no cars, nothing but wilderness for as far as he eyes could see. If he were to escape where could he go? He couldn't walk all the way back, he'd probably die before he made it to the nearest town, He couldn't fight off Finch by himself, he tried once and wound up duct taped in the back of the car. Ben in knew Finch can easily out fight him. He knew laying down and accepting his kidnapping wasn't going to help him, but what choice did he have?
Laying awkwardly on his side, Ben rested his head on the window and let out a bitter sigh. He needed more time to think of a plan, for now, he just decided Sleep was needed if he was going on the worst road trip ever with this manic. Groaning out, Ben shut his eyes and did his best to fall asleep. It seemed to work for a while, but, he was woken up shortly after dozing off, opening his eyes, he sleepily looked out the window to see the world moving on by, the night still engulfing the world.
"Do you ever sleep more than two hours?" Ben sleepily asked resting his head against the window.
"Not if I can help it." Finch mumbled, rubbing his nose a bit.
Ben opened one of his eyes to look at the man and let out a slight noise.
"Do you think you can uncuff me?" Ben asked, still trying to sound tired. That only earned him a bitter laugh in return.
"Look, I offered you food. That's about as far as I will go with hospitality. I don't trust you one bit. Now just go to sleep or something." Finch grumbled, keeping his eyes on the road.
Knowing better than to press the matter, Ben just rested his head against the window and watched the world go by, where were they now? Scotland?
"Ok. Finch. let me at least ask you this. Where are we going? I know the rim. But how? First you have to get to the monastery before anything and that's only halfway across the world." Ben quipped bitterly.
There was a moment of bitter silence before Finch just gave another laugh in response.
"We're going to Liverpool. I know someone who's gonna take us to china via airplane, no passports needed."
"So, I'll ask again. You seem to know where you're going. Why take me?"
"Leverage, plus, I need an old friend to come back to me and apologize. You know him."
"Who is he?"
More silence followed suit, it was silent for an uncomfortably long time, after what seemed to be ten minutes without any answer from Finch, Ben decided Finch wasn't going to answer him at all. Breathing out loudly, Ben shifted a bit to try and lessen the growing pain in his handcuffed arm. Ben looked up at the sky once again, he can see a glimmer of the sun slowly starting to rise up, shutting his eyes, Ben swallowed hard and closed his eyes, he can only hold on to his hope that he was being looked for.
"So, Barnabas, what's the plan?" Atticus asked as he poured two cups of coffee.
"Get to the monastery before Ben and his captor." He responded flatly. Atticus gave a bitter snort in response to this as he placed a mug in front of a half a sleep Twigleg.
"I don't-" Twigleg started but was cut off by Atticus.
"Drink it. It'll wake you up. You're human...ish, now bugs aren't going to cut it." Atticus told him simply, before responding a bit sarcastically to the professor,
"Also, good plan, how do we do that?"
That earned him a sigh from the man.
"We have to do what I don't like to do. Fly there. I booked all three of us a flight already." Barnabas mumbled slightly.
"Alright. But, you are aware that he doesn't have a passport right?" Pointing to Twigleg, Atticus raised an eyebrow and the professor let out a curious hum.
"That is a pr-"
"No it's not." Atticus cut him off. "I can make him a passport. I just need to borrow him for a hour or two."
"Alright...I shouldn't be condoning it, but, can it work?"
"I haven't been caught yet. " Sipping his coffee, Atticus tapped Twigleg's shoulder.
"You can make your own passports?" Came Guinevere, the girl strutting into the kitchen to get a drink, still in her PJ's, her long hair a big rat nest. She started to sleepily rub her eye when Atticus responded,
"Passports' and ID's not that hard."
"Alright, I have to ask now. Why?" The professor butted in, giving Atticus a skeptical look.
"Well, I can't walk into the DMV with a piece of paper stating I was born in the fourteen hundreds now can I? I being the smart gent that I am, picked up the trade a few years back, stole a couple of machines to do so, and viola. I can have a new name and identity with in a couple of hours. it helps, a lot." Atticus boasted happily gently tugging on his collar in in a bragging matter.
Twigleg grimaced at the taste of the of the coffee as he took a sip before looking up at Atticus.
"You really have everything planned out to a T don't you?" Twigleg asked and Atticus shrugged before leaning against the wall.
"Not everything, no, I only plan for when I move on, I have to move every ten years or so because of my slow aging process."
Guinevere sat down next to her father and yawned softly.
"Alright, Well, lets not waste anymore time. C'mon Twiggy." Atticus poked Twigleg's shoulder and started towards the door. Twigleg slid out of the chair and followed Atticus.
"Be fast! We have until three pm to leave!" The professor called after them.
"No worries." Atticus shrugged as they left outside. Atticus hissed out the moment the bright morning sunlight hit his eyes. Crying out, he took a step back, then put his hands over his eyes.
"Are you ok?" Twigleg asked as Atticus stood there on the doorstep looking like a weeping angle from doctor who.
"Ah...I have sunglasses in my car, they're hanging on the sun visor on the driver's side. Please go and get them." Atticus politely asked, his voice slightly muffled from his hands never moving. Hurrying, Twigleg ran to the car and opened the driver's side door, finding the big lends sunglasses hanging where Atticus said, he snatched them and jogged up to Atticus, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.
"Here you go." Twigleg pressed the sunglasses against Atticus's hand, not opening his eyes, Atticus blindly reached for the glasses, he managed to grab them after missing a couple of times. Once he had them he put them on his face and sighed out in slight relief.
"Whew. Sunlight is bright today." Atticus commented as he scanned around with the sunglasses on his face.
"I thought vampires die in the sunlight?" Twigleg asked as they now sauntered towards the car, Atticus had his hands in his pockets as he walked.
"Half-blood, remember? I don't die, it's just feels like a bad sunburn to me. Except when it hits my eyes. That feels like knives to my vision. That's what the sunglasses are for." Atticus explained getting into the driver's side, Twigleg got into the passenger side. Atticus started the car and drove away.
"Soooo, What happens to a full-blooded vampire in the sunlight?" Twigleg inquired.
"...I've only seen it happen once. They start to slowly melt away, their melted skin drips off of their body leaving their muscles exposed, then...poof. They turn to ash."
Twigleg shuddered at the vision that followed the description. Atticus turned the car down a street and reached into the dashboard he took out a small package followed by a lighter. He handed the lighter to Twigleg and opened the package revealing cigarettes. Sticking one in his mouth he then leaned over to Twigleg.
"Light me, please." Atticus demanded. Twigleg complied, being extremely careful, Twigleg lit the lighter and watched with worry and fear as Atticus leaned in and lit the cigarette, once the tip turned bright orange Atticus pulled away and puffed out some smoke. Twigleg let go of the lighter and placed it in a cup holder.
"That dangerous! Not only is smoking unhealthy but you told me you can't be around fire!"
"I can't be. Just as long as it doesn't touch my skin, I'm fine. Now as for it being unhealthy...Eh. I'm already dead, besides. I got the plague three times. I think I can handle a little smoke." Atticus chuckled as he inhaled.
"How does Ben put up with you?" Twigleg shook his head.
"Easy. He's the one who got me into smoking."
Twigleg's eye's widened and he just looked at Atticus with a horrifying look. Atticus just burst out laughing and slapped the driving wheel in response.
"Oh god. I'm sorry! I was joking! Nah, Ben doesn't smoke..." Atticus giggled taking another inhale of the smoke. He watched as Twigleg calmed down a bit before adding, "...Much..."
"You're not funny!" Twigleg yelled giving a laughing Atticus a playful shove.
"I'm a riot." Atticus retorted with a chuckle, smoking the last of his cigarette, Atticus threw it out the window and continued to focus on the road. Atticus then looked at Twigleg, this caused Twigleg to look at him. Atticus then turned away.
"Blue, green, or brown?" Atticus asked.
"Hm?"
"Blue. Green. or Brown?" Atticus asked again a little more slower.
"Uhhh...Green." Twigleg answered.
"Alright."
Silence followed the two, finally, Atticus slowed down the car and put it in park before turning the engine off. The two got out and Twigleg followed Atticus up to the small home. Atticus unlocked the door and instantly took off his giant sunglasses. Twigleg blinked hard once inside the house. The whole place was covered wall to wall in black paint, it was so dark in there that Twigleg couldn't see more than two feet in front of him. Even the window's were painted black.
"Alright. Follow me." Atticus said boredly, ushering Twigleg inside the house and shut the door.
"It's so dark in here..." Twigleg observed.
"Just because sunlight doesn't kill me doesn't mean I like it."
Following the sound of Atticus's voice Twigleg put his arms out in front of him to prevent himself from hitting a wall.
"Alright. Here we are."
Twigleg cringed as a light turned on walking into the lit room he had to blink to take it all in. There was a camera on a tripod in front of a green screen, there were several machines pressed against one side of the wall, Twigleg had to guess those were the machines Atticus stole. Against another wall was a table cluttered with objects, male wigs of many different colors ranging from bright pink to normal blonde on mannequin heads. Then even smaller containers all labeled with different colors.
"A...Are you wearing a wig?" Twigleg asked looking at Atticus's curly green hair, and Atticus chuckled.
"Nah, I actually dyed my hair green. I only wear the wigs if I have to hide myself on the spot." Atticus explained as he started to center the camera. "Oh, those are contacts pick whichever green color you want."
Twigleg looked down at the small containers, only four of them were labeled green.
Bottle green, jade green, emerald, and sea green.
Twigleg decided on bottle green. Grabbing the small container he opened the two capsules.
"Here, let me help you with that." Atticus chimed in sauntering over to Twigleg. Taking the container from Twigleg's hands, he gently put his finger on the colored contacts lends and whispered out a soft, "Don't blink."
Being extra careful, Atticus put the contact lends on Twigleg's left eye. Once it was attached, Twigleg instantly blinked and backed away.
"Ah..."
"Yeah, it takes a moment to get use to them. And you're vision will be a bit blurry because of them, but trust me. It's worth it. Now, hold still." Atticus demanded as he put the other one on his finger. With a quick movement, he managed to put the colored contact on Twigleg's right eye. Once both were on, Twigleg did notice how blurrier Atticus became, it wasn't a lot blurry, but enough to be a bit of a pain.
"There we go. Now, you're hair looks natural enough, so there's no need for a wig. Let me just start up the machines, shouldn't take too long." Atticus jogged back over to the machines, Twigleg looked over and watched as Atticus started to plug in the machines, they instantly buzzed to life. Atticus walked up to the computer and typed in some commands.
"Ok just go and stand in front of the camera..." He told Twigleg ushering towards the camera while typing away with one hand, Twigleg did so, standing in front of the green screen, he looked back over to Atticus, who finally finished typing, at had a whole other container in his hands. "You need an ID as well. No worries those are the easiest to do." He explained to Twigleg as he took out a small blank plastic card and placed it on the desk. Once done, Atticus went behind the camera, and smiled at Twigleg, showing his sharpened canine teeth, before saying,
"Now...Smile..."