Author's Note: Where's the Romance? Here it is!
Welcome to Slavestown
Chapter Eleven
Pascal, Lazlo, and Kea back up against the wall as Loki's army of alien guards start to close in on them, blocking all possible exits. They all stop walking, noticing that they have been knocked back into a corner; alien guards surrounding them on all sides. "Well, it was nice knowing me," Pascal says, watching as all the alien guards take out their weapons and load them up.
Next to him, Lazlo is shaking, the intensity of this seemingly-doomed situation causing him to cave. "Alright, I'll admit it!" Lazlo blurts out, frantically scanning the area, "It was me! I was the one who broke the dishwasher!" he confesses.
"-We know," Pascal sighs, "You break ninety percent of the items in the house."
"I just can't help it, I'm sloppy!" Lazlo cries, turning to look at both his brother and Kea. Lazlo tilts his head; something about the situation is off. "Uh, why is she smiling?" Lazlo asks, pointing to Kea, who is smiling about a mile wide.
Pascal gazes at her in wonder, "Hey yeah, Kea. Why are you smiling?" he asks.
Kea looks forward, the smile not leaving her face. "No reason," she claims, still staring straight ahead.
All of a sudden, dozens of police officers burst through the doors and windows, their weapons aimed at the alien guards, outnumbering them without a doubt.
"Oh wait, there's the reason!" Kea declares. Next to her, Pascal and Lazlo are standing shocked.
"You called the cops?" Pascal assesses.
"Of course not…I texted them!" Kea replies, watching as the police chief begins rounding up the alien guards, moving the army away from the three sims.
"You're under arrest for neighborhood treason!" Nervous Subject, the head of the police department, states. Pascal smiles when he sees him, giving his friend an excited wave. Nervous Subject nods in acknowledgement. Behind him, Isabella continues to dig through the large pile of rocks, trying to clear the path to get to her friend.
Kea shakes her head, watching as several alien guards get escorted out of the castle. "No one ever suspects the crazy chick!" she beams, standing triumphantly.
"Wait, but this wasn't part of the plan!" Lazlo speaks up, still standing there dumbfounded. Nearby, Pascal is untying the last of their allies.
"Psh, who has only one plan?" Kea says, rolling her eyes, "That's a recipe for failure!"
Tank laughs in happiness as Pascal releases him from the chair, standing up for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Yes! I am no longer a slave to sitting down!"
Next to him, Crystal stands up as well, rubbing the sides of her wrists where the chains once were. "I still don't get what happened," she speaks up, turning towards Kea, "I mean, how did you do that? I thought Loki disbanded the police force!" she recalls.
"-He did," Kea answers, "But when he took over the city, he could only get rid of the Strangetown police force, not the tri-neighborhood police force."
"But how were you able to even get a hold of them?" Pascal asks, "I mean, don't they only come for vital situations?" he dives further.
"Patience dork, it will all be answered soon…in five minutes," Kea says, placing a gentle hand on both Pascal and Lazlo's shoulders, who are situated on either side of her, and giving them a pat, "The important thing is, we didn't die."
"Well, there's the shock of the century," Pascal states.
Nearby, Isabella is tossing rock after rock aside with all the strength that she has left. "Nervous!" Isabella cries out to the police chief, "Quick! You have to help me! Vidcund's in trouble!" she pleads, her face sweating as she attempts to catch her breath. Nervous Subject leans down next to the young girl.
"Where's Loki?" he asks.
"I think he's on the roof; he took Vid with him!" Isabella shouts.
Nervous Subject nods, reloading his weapon. "Okay. I'll go get him," he tells her before exiting out of the basement and rounding the castle's exterior.
Isabella is kneeling on the floor in front of the disclosed doorway, winded as she stares off into space. "He's never going to make it in time," she comments to herself. She slowly stands up, grabbing the sides of her body in pain. Isabella groans and tries to ignore it as she pushes herself further and continues moving rock after rock. A few feet away, Ripp is watching, puzzled and concerned by her dedication.
Meanwhile: On the Roof of the Beaker Estate
Loki and Vidcund are on the roof of the three-story, medieval-style castle. Vidcund is slouched down, grabbing the side of his body in pain as Loki towers above him. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Vidcund Curious, my greatest rival," Loki begins, his hand on his hip triumphantly, "You know, I always knew that it would come to this. But I got to give you some credit – I didn't even think that you were going to make it this far – so congratulations for barely passing my pathetically low expectations."
"Look, I know it hurts, so why fight it?" Loki states, watching as Vidcund struggles to stand up straight, his side killing him. "You can give up now and save yourself a lot of trouble. I mean, we both know you're going to die anyway. And with my latest and greatest invention, you can die any death you'd like! And don't say 'old age' cause that isn't an option!" Loki growls, hoping to silence any chance of a sassy response from his enemy. "I'm not going to take any sass from no plant biologist!"
"You're a scar to the scientific community, Loki!" Vidcund retorts, "You've used science to kill hundreds of innocent sims for your own selfish motive! You don't even deserve to be called a man of science!"
Loki rolls his eyes, waving his hand in a brush-off. "Please! Science is a waste if it's not used for personal gain – for evil," he clarifies, "And that's why you'll always be a failure, Vidcund, cause you and your brothers waste all your time building stupid little gadgets, and they don't even work," Loki stresses his point, getting down in Vidcund's face, "For years I've watched you goof around, wasting the city's potential. So, I did what any good man would do, I took it from you fair and square and brought this city to the glory that it deserves!"
"What you're doing is sick!" Vidcund fights back, "You're using your power to establish a world where only you can thrive! A world with ultimate authority, where anyone who questions you 'disappears'!" Vidcund yells, "You're the real coward, hurting people and refusing to face what you did! You should've killed me when you had the chance, because now you're going to have blood on your hands, and you won't be able to talk your way out of this one!" Vidcund warns.
Vidcund stands up straighter, looking the dictator right in the eyes. "It was never about the power or the authority or the money for me, Loki. For me, being the mayor was about bettering peoples' lives. For me, it was about Strangetown," Vidcund confesses, stepping towards him, "And it kills me every day that you actually think that this city is yours."
Loki leans back, returning to a standing position, a cold glare blaring from his eyes. "This city is mine, Vidcund. Face the facts, I have won."
"If the city really is yours, then take it from me! I dare you," Vidcund challenges, throwing his arms up towards him. Loki snarls and attacks Vidcund, knocking him to the floor as the pair get into an all-out fist fight. Vidcund pushes Loki back with his foot, causing the villain to fall to the floor.
Loki quickly gets up, glaring at his rival. "You fight like a girl, Curious! No wonder why Circe married me!" he counters, punching Vidcund in the gut. Vidcund punches him back, his facial expression softening as he looks down at his injured body.
"Look at this!" he exclaims, moving towards Loki, "Look at what you did to me! Tell me, was this worth it?" Vidcund shouts, turning his arms over so Loki can see all his cuts and bruises. "Does this make you happy?" Vidcund questions; Loki says nothing. "You stole my inventions, you beat me up, you took my girlfriend away from me. You captured my city, you tried to kill me and my brothers. You made my life a living hell!" Vidcund shouts, stopping as he collects his thoughts; his face mollifying, "But you know what? I'm sorry."
"What?"
Vidcund exhales, having a hard time facing what he had done. "What I did to you was classless and rude. I never should've done anything with Circe when you were married to her. You had something that I couldn't have, and I couldn't accept that, but now I do, so…I'm sorry," Vidcund apologizes once more as he gives off yet another sigh, "Izzy's right. Hatred gets you nowhere."
Loki sits up from the ground, uneasily eyeing Vidcund as he does so, his expression unreadable. After a moment of silence, Loki speaks up, towering over Vidcund. "Apology, the last resort for a doomed individual," Loki narrates, hatred returning to his voice, "Wow Vid, I didn't think it was possible, but I've lost even more respect for you as a human being…I'm sorry," Loki quotes mockingly. He kicks Vidcund with his black spiked boots, slamming him into the side of the roof. Vidcund falls to the floor and cries out, his midsection continuing to bleed. Loki paces towards him as Vidcund struggles to get up, the impact of the fall greatly damaging his body.
"Aww, what's the matter, Vid? Not enough half-assed apologies to save you?" Loki spits, ridiculing Vidcund as he moves towards him. He takes out the death ray and sets it to the highest setting, "Prepare to eaten by flies!" Loki declares as he aims the ray gun at him. Vidcund closes his eyes, bracing for the worst.
"Loki Beaker, you are under arrest for 1,265 counts of murder!" Nervous Subject shouts, climbing up the side of the castle and arresting him from behind. Nervous Subject wraps handcuffs around his wrists.
"Wait! You can't do this!" Loki exclaims, his expression filled with panic as he attempts to push himself away from Nervous, "I was just about to kill Vidcund!" he reasons.
"Okay then, 1,265 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder," Nervous Subject corrects himself. He rolls his eyes as he moves Loki back into the castle, "Man, they don't give me enough money to do this job," he grumbles.
Nervous leads Loki down the stairs and pushes him towards the door. They stop in the hallway as Nervous Subject pulls out his walkie talkie. "I got Loki; we're heading out," he informs the others.
"Oh no we're not!" Loki shoves Nervous in the side and bolts out the door, heading towards the Road to Nowhere.
"Get him!" Nervous Subject shouts to some of his officers, "We can't let him reach the border!"
Loki races towards the edge of the city, stopping when he comes face to face with none other than Crystal Vu, who is standing arms crossed at the edge of town.
"Loki Beaker, I suggest you surrender."
"Oh yeah?" Loki speaks up, clearly unintimidated by the ex-council member. "Give me one reason why I should."
Crystal shrugs, throwing her arms out. "Okay, but you asked for it." She states, taking out a weapon from her back pocket.
Loki narrows his eyes at her. "Big deal, townie. Do you really think I'm scared of you?"
"Well, if you're not scared of one townie, then how about three hundred?" a voice sounds from behind them. Loki turns around only to find a huge mob of college townies standing behind him, all led by Kea's friend, Curtis.
"You mess with one of us, you mess with us all!" Curtis informs him, "That's the great thing about townies, and it's clearly something that you don't understand!"
Loki steps back, the large amount of angry glares frightening him to the core.
"And if that's not enough reasons not to mess with my sister, I'll give you fifteen hundred!" Brent exclaims, standing on the wall with Breanna. Loki steps forward, eyeing all fifteen hundred sims that are aligning the city's border. "Surrender now, or we'll take the city back by force!" Brent warns.
Loki steps back, his body shaking. For once in his life, he is speechless.
…
Ripp, Tank, Pascal, Lazlo, and Kea have walked up from the basement and are watching as Nervous Subject grabs Loki and leads him to the police car. Nervous stops Loki in front of it, allowing for some parting words, as requested by Pascal Curious. "Aww, cheer up, Loki," Pascal says smiling, standing next to the car with his youngest brother, "You may have lost the war, but at least you didn't lose it to me – oh wait!"
Loki growls, punching Pascal in the face before Nervous Subject securely locks him up in the police car. "Ooh! Oh!" Pascal groans, rubbing his aching face, though he is still smiling about a mile wide. "That was totally worth it," he states. Lazlo nods.
A few moments later, the five of them return to the basement, gazing at the shattered remains of what once was Loki's dictatorial fortress. "Hey Kea, I just realized you never told us how you got in contact with the police force," Pascal says, turning back to her.
"Yeah," Lazlo seconds, "How were you able to get them to come here?"
"Well, I'll tell you," Kea begins, turning to face all that are listening, "You see, while I was at the police station during my senior year of college, I met a guy named Nervous Subject. He was training to be a chief. Even though he couldn't technically release me under the law, he helped make things a little bit easier for my trial. He got me a looser judge and he showed me this book about college townie cases that was a lifesaver filled with loopholes that he put in the trashcan in the interrogation room, knowing that there was a chance that one of my friends would eventually get taken there," Kea tells, stopping for a moment to take a breather.
"The week I was there, Nervous and I talked all the time," she continues, "Once he found out that I was friends with you, Pascal, he spilled all of the suspicions that he had about Circe and Loki. He said that he always suspected that Circe was after the city's money, but he didn't have any proof. Nervous said that if I could find physical proof that this whole charade was a scam, he could get the Simverse police to arrest them and we could get back the city no problem. Nervous gave me some clues as to where to find such proof in their estate, but made me promise not to tell anyone until I sent him a photo of it, and thanks to modern technology, I already did," she states.
"It took me all day, but I finally found what I was looking for," Kea reaches into her pocket and pulls out the envelope which she had taken from one of the file cabinets earlier. She hands it to Pascal, who scans over its contents.
"Yep, this is Olive Specter's will alright," Pascal concludes, reading towards the bottom. "Holy shit! According to this, it says that all of her money goes to Ripp Grunt!" he exclaims as all four of them look to the man in question.
Ripp steps forward, grabbing the will from Pascal and reading it over; his face frozen in shock. "Oh my gosh! You're right! So that's why they were trying to get rid of me!" he says, clarity filling his mind. Behind him, Isabella continues to move rocks from the entrance.
"They?" Lazlo repeats.
Kea nods, "Yeah, it was a two-man job. First, Loki took over the neighborhood to spite Vidcund, which I found out by following his Twitter," she explains, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a screenshot from her phone which reads: "Loki_Beaker3: Taking over the neighborhood to spite Vid. #GeniusIdeas."
Pascal looks at it and laughs. "Haha! He couldn't even get LokiBeaker1!"
"But Circe always had her eye on the financial loophole, which only got worse after they found out about Olive's will," Kea explains.
"Financial loophole?" Lazlo questions.
Kea nods, "Yeah, if you're in charge of the city then you gain access to all of the city's funds. You're supposed to use the funds to better the community, but obviously they weren't going to do that," Kea comments, "Anyway, whoever is in charge of the city is also responsible for reading the wills and distributing all of the money to the deceased sim's heirs," she explains, "Loki and Circe knew Olive was near death, so all they had to do was play the waiting game," Kea says, taking a pause.
"The plan actually started several years prior, when Circe took Nervous into their home, thinking that Olive's fortune was going to go to him. Then she seduced Vidcund to get a hold of the will to find out who the money was going to," Kea explains further, "When she found out the money wasn't going to Nervous – that it was actually set to go to Lyla – she kicked him out and made plans to take over the city," Kea tells them, "Knowing that people would grow suspicious if she ran, Circe pushed her husband into going for the position, using his hatred for Vidcund to fuel it. Shortly after Olive passed away and Loki got into office, Circe found out the money was going to go to Ripp, and that he only had a short time to claim it," she explains, "Now all she had to do was keep him out of the city long enough so that she could collect the funds. When the tactics failed, Circe realized that she needed a Plan B. So she got Loki to capture Ripp to restrain him in the basement. But obviously that ended up not working out for her!"
"So it was Circe…" Pascal begins, tapping his chin in wonder, "How did you know?"
"Good question, weirdo," Kea chimes, "I talked to a bunch of the townies before I left the house, and the one thing that everyone told me is that they were never sure if they could trust her. A lot of them suspected that she rigged the rebellion so that it would purposely fail," she says, "But believe it or not that wasn't the only thing that got me super suspicious. The whole time I was here, something just didn't sit right in my head. If Circe was really this heroic figure that she was making herself out to be, then why was Loki keeping her around? Loki's not an idiot; he's not going to let a traitor live freely in his house," she explains, capturing all of her friends' attentions.
"She also had seemingly no consequences for her actions! I mean, Crystal told me that she wasn't even tied up at the Grand Assembly after she had betrayed Loki twice!" she tells them, "The rebellion was another troublesome event. She took it over in no time flat, and instead of keeping it quiet to have a better success, she made a big show of it and proceeded to tell every city about her plan - making sure to add that she was going to take her 'lover's rightful spot on the throne.' She acted completely different in front of the public and the cameras that she knew about! Plus, didn't Lazlo say that Circe only started dating Vidcund again after he became mayor?"
"He did say that, yes," Pascal reaffirms the fact.
"Also, she did try to kill Isabella, and that woman oozes deceit!" Kea speaks up, "The whole Circe thing just didn't make sense. And if something doesn't make sense, then it usually isn't true – unless, of course, you're talking about me, then it probably is true," she states, smiling. Pascal laughs.
Next to him, Lazlo continues to ponder, taking all this new information in. "Wait, so you're telling me that Circe took advantage of Vidcund then used Loki as an scapegoat to win favor with the city to get the money?" he asks.
Kea nods, crossing her arms. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Fewf!" Lazlo breathes a sigh of relief, "Then it's good thing she's locked up now!" he says.
"Wait, didn't Vid release her?" Pascal questions, moving forward.
"Oh yeah," Lazlo remembers, "But come on, this is Circe weren't talking about. What's the worst that vengeful psychopath can do?" All five of them stand there for a few seconds, arms crossed, before the realization washes over them. Their eyes widen.
Behind them, Isabella's facial expression switches to pure panic. "Oh my gosh, Vid!"
Meanwhile: On the Roof of the Beaker Estate
Vidcund moans as he moves his hands below his torso, attempting to lift his severely injured body from the pavement. He pulls his body forward, stopping when he notices a familiar pair of black leather shoes standing in front of him. Vidcund looks up, his eyes hurting from the beam of sunlight that is shining down over his ex-girlfriend's face. "Well, if it isn't Vidcund Curious," Circe begins, her facial expression sinister, "Have you come to witness the birth of my city?"
"Your city?" Vidcund repeats, clearly troubled, "What do you mean 'your city'?"
Circe lingers forward, a slight chuckle escaping from her lips, "Come on Vid, haven't you figured it out by now? This was never about you and me…the city is all that I've been after."
"Are you saying that you used me…all this time?" Vidcund says, squinting his eyes as he looks at her, his eyes drying out from the sun.
"I look out for me. You of all people should know that," Circe replies, pacing in a small circle on the roof as she continues to share her thoughts. "I love power and I love money, so I'd be stupid not to go after an opportunity like this! I gain your power, get Olive's fortune, and destroy the Slavestown Resistance without leaving any blood on my hands – it's pure genius!" Circe claims, "Loki takes the fall and gets arrested, and I take my rightful place as ruler of the city, sitting on a mountain of millions," Circe continues before stopping in front of her ex-lover, "There's just one problem – you're still alive – and to succeed in my ultimate plan, I need to get rid of the only thing that stands between me and the throne – and that's you, Vidcund," Circe confesses.
"The plan is genius, really," Circe begins. She leans down and stares directly at him, seeing despair completely wash over him as she takes the death ray out of her back pocket, anxiously gripping her hand around it, "I'll kill you with Loki's weapon, you'll die, I'll pretend to mourn you for a few weeks, then I'll run for office and get all the pity votes."
"-The residents won't believe you," Vidcund counters, finding the ounce of confidence still within him.
"Oh really?" Circe answers, cocking an eyebrow, "They won't believe a woman who was supposedly pushed around by her abusive husband and sought the arms of a man who truly loved her?" she claims before changing her mannerisms completely. Circe brings her hands up towards her face in an innocent prayer position, tears forming in her eyes, as her voice shifts to a tone of innocence, "'Oh Vidcund, my beloved fiancé, I loved him so much…and now he's gone! I'll never stop the pain that fills my fragile heart – if only I had something to help sooth my aching soul…'" she acts out, swiftly turning back to normal; an evil smirk forming on her face as she flashes the stolen ring on her finger.
Vidcund's eyes widen a bit, trying to calm the doubts that are forming rapidly in his mind. "That won't work on everyone!" he claims, "Some people already know the truth!"
"True, but they're all a bunch of stupid townies, so no one will believe them anyway, especially since they have no proof," Circe says, brushing away the very thought, "Face it Vidcund, my plan is foolproof!"
"I don't understand, I thought you loved me," Vidcund confesses, looking down at the pavement, unable to meet Circe's eyes, "I mean, what about the tape? You looked so sad when you were talking about what Loki did to me!"
"Oh that?" Circe recalls, brushing it off once more, "That was just a show for the camera!" she exclaims, leaning down in his face, "Now you know how I really feel."
"And the baby?" Vidcund continues, not wanting to know the answer, but he knew that he would have to face the truth eventually.
Circe shrugs, "She was an accident…unfortunately."
Vidcund moves his head back, the pain of this confession hurting him more than the burn he is getting from the sun. The energy drains out of his body as he struggles to even lift his head up to look at her, his heart filling with despair. "But…don't you love me?" he squeaks, barely able to push the words out.
Circe rolls her eyes, "Please! I love power, especially if it's easy to obtain, and that's exactly what you had. So I used you to get what I wanted. If you had any brains at all, you should've seen it coming!" she exclaims, taking another large step towards him, "After all, Vidcund, no one could ever love you for real," she claims, placing her foot on top of his back and pushing him down. Vidcund moans, his eyes filling up with tears.
"You're so weak, Vidcund," Circe continues to bash him, "You're a coward, and you'll always be a loser! This whole thing? This is all your fault! And there's not a person alive that would stand by you."
All of a sudden, static blares out from Vidcund's headset as someone comes on the line. "Vid? Vid?" Isabella's voice rings into his ear, "I stole Pascal's headset! I'm coming up for you!"
Hearing her voice, Vidcund quickly sits up, his voice filled with fearful gusto. "No! Stay back! It's too dangerous!"
Three levels down, Isabella stands in the basement near the pile of removed rocks, pondering what to do. Her body aches forward as a sudden urge bolts through her body. "Go get him!" her conscience rings inside of her as Isabella reaches down and removes the final rock from the once-blocked doorway. Isabella jumps over the discarded rocks and bolts up the stairs.
Across the room, Ripp reaches out to Isabella. "Izzy, no!" he calls out, attracting the attentions of her other friends. Ripp jumps over the rocks and runs after her; Kea, Tank, Pascal, and Lazlo following close behind.
"Nervous, quick! Call for back up!" Pascal screams into his phone.
Above them, on the roof, Circe is leaning forward preparing to strike. She shakes her head at his pitiful body. "Poor Vidcund," she mocks, "I almost feel sorry for you. Your pathetic little soul will never know the feeling of true love-"
Vidcund perks up a bit as he watches his life flash before his very eyes…
…
The scene shows Circe and Vidcund in middle school. Vidcund is standing on the front porch of his parents' brown ranch-style house, holding a pink orchid behind his back. He has just asked Circe to be his girlfriend, something of which she has gladly accepted.
"I love you, Vidcund," a young Circe sweetly says, gazing deeply into his eyes, "We'll be together forever…"
The scene flashes to Vidcund and Circe's senior prom, where the entire twelfth grade is surronding Vidcund. Everyone – Circe included – is pointing and laughing at his wet pants.
"Your life is over, Vidcund!" Loki says, pointing and laughing at him, "You're done!"
Vidcund runs out of the hall, his face red in embarrassment.
The scene then flashes to Loki and Circe's wedding day. Vidcund is standing above the Strangetown crater watching as Circe says her vows down below, loving holding Loki's hands.
"Congratulations! You may now kiss the bride!" the priest announces from below as dozens of residents cheer. Vidcund steps back from the crater, tears filling his eyes, the ceremony being too much for him to bear.
…
Five years later, Vidcund is getting thrown into an unmarked van with Pascal and Lazlo after getting beaten up by Loki. Vidcund is so weak that he can barely stand – his entire body bruised and beaten.
"Vid!" Pascal cries out when he sees him, racing over to catch him from falling.
Vidcund blacks out.
"This is it. It's over. We're done for," Vidcund tells his brothers later that day, "Even if someone were to find us, there's no way that anyone would be willing to risk their lives to save the worst enemies of the most powerful man in Strangetown - it would be a death sentence! Anyone who tries would be as good as done…"
…
Vidcund groans as he watches his older brother stick his wristwatch out the cell window, attempting to attract the attention of someone outside. "Pascal, give it up. There's no way we're going to be able to get out of this!" he states, moping around below him.
"No! We're not going down like this!" Pascal exclaims, aiming his watch out on the pavement as he stands up on a nearby ledge, "This is not going to be the end of me, and this sure as hell is not going to be the end of him!" he shouts, pointing down at his stomach. "Lazlo?" Pascal says, slowly getting off the ledge and holding his watch out to his brother.
"Hey! Someone's coming!" Lazlo whisper-exclaims from inside of the cell in the abandoned warehouse. He is sitting crouched down in front of the iron bars as Pascal moves in next to him, intently watching the girl that has just walked into the building. Vidcund is sulking behind the pair. "She looks nice; harmless," he notes.
Vidcund continues to stare at the floor, not bothering to lift a finger. "If she's harmless, then she's no help to us," he coldly states.
"Come on, you don't know that!" Lazlo says, turning back to him, "Maybe she's one of those rare people that can break a concrete wall down with just her foot!" Pascal and Vidcund both look at Lazlo, their eyebrows raised in disbelief. "What?" he questions.
Pascal sighs and turns his pregnant body around, glaring at his blonde-haired brother. "So Mr. Downer, any idea of who this girl is?" he asks him. "She's got red hair and a pink, girly-looking outfit."
Vidcund shrugs, "It's probably Alban's daughter. I don't know what her name is," he claims, noticing that Pascal is looking at him shocked, "They're relatively new residents!" he says.
"Huh," Lazlo speaks up, still watching the young college student, "Maybe she's the nice one."
"-Or maybe she's the psychotic one that has a collection of gnomes in her basement!" Vidcund alerts them, his attitude sour.
Pascal nods, slowly standing up from his place on the concrete floor. "Well, there's only one way to find out," Pascal brings his hands up to his face and takes a deep breath, preparing to shout.
Vidcund stands up, moving his hand out in front of his older brother. "Don't call her over here! What's she going to do…?"
…
"So this is my room!" Isabella says, holding her arms out and giving a small twirl, presenting her dorm room to the Curious brothers. "You guys can stay with me!" she tells them as the three of them enter through the door behind her, "There's food over there," she says, pointing towards the mini fridge and her small, pink plastic bin filled with snacks.
"Sweet!" Lazlo exclaims, nudging Pascal in the side.
"And Pascal, you can sleep on my bed cause you're pregnant," Isabella offers him.
"Sweeter!" Pascal seconds, plopping down on the bed.
Isabella twirls back towards Vidcund, "And we'll figure out some way the three of us can all sleep in here," she informs him. Isabella smiles at Vidcund, although he continues to stare at her with his arms crossed, finding her whole cheerful demeanor surprisingly suspicious.
"So, what's the catch?" Vidcund asks.
"Excuse me?" Isabella answers, clearly confused.
"What do you want? Money? Power?" Vidcund questions further, attempting to analyze her motives, "Come on, you gotta want something. Nobody does something this big without expecting anything in return."
Isabella genuinely smiles, seemingly unfazed by Vidcund's accusations. "You know Vidcund, this may surprise you, but sometimes people do things just because they're nice."
"Oh, you've got a lot to learn, kid," Vidcund counters, stepping into her room.
Suddenly, Isabella pulls him back, looking directly into his eyes. "You're one tough cookie, Vid," she states, her eyes shining, "But I can get through to you."
Vidcund looks up at her, a scowl still on his face. "Don't get your hopes up."
…
The scene flashes to Vidcund and Isabella staying up late one night, sitting on the carpet of her dorm room, laughing and conversing as they bond with one another. Vidcund picks up the painting that Isabella had completed the previous night and scans it over.
"You know, I don't understand art," he says, gazing up from Isabella's purple and green hued landscape painting, "But I would like to," Vidcund tells her with a smile. Isabella beams.
…
"You're clueless, Vid," Pascal's voice rings in his mind, "You wouldn't know love if it was right in front of your face!"
…
His mind floats to a familiar scene where Vidcund is lying behind Isabella on the queen-sized cot one night in Cassandra's dormitory. Vidcund begins to restlessly stir behind her as he gives off a small moan. He reaches his arm out, wraps his arm around her waist, and pulls her close, cuddling her. "Mmm…you're the girl for me," Vidcund confesses, a warm feeling washing over his body. Vidcund smiles as Isabella lays there for a moment before slowly snuggling back into his arms.
…
Two weeks later, the pair is sitting in Isabella's bedroom one evening after leaving early from Kea's giant celebration party, conversing on the floor with no one else in sight. The room is dark except for one small lamp on Isabella's nightstand, which is dimly lighting up the room with a soft pink hue. "You know what I liked the most about senior year?" Isabella asks him as she fiddles with her carpet.
"What?" Vidcund wonders.
Isabella smiles as she shyly looks up at him, "That I got to meet you."
…
Vidcund swiftly and delicately leads Isabella to the center of the dance floor and wraps his arms around her. The pair sway their bodies back and forth in a rather intimate slow dance.
Isabella unexpectedly moves forward and hugs him, wrapping her arms tightly around him as they continue to dance, their chests now touching. Vidcund sighs, regaining his composure as he wraps his arms around her small frame and hugs her back, liking the way she feels against him.
…
"When I looked down at my body, and I saw what he did to me – I was so filled with hatred," Vidcund confides in Isabella, recalling the day that Loki had beat him up and left him for dead, "But it wasn't at him, it was at myself for letting my whole world slip through my fingers without a fight."
…
"Oh god, what have I done?" Vidcund states, feeling as if the entire situation is falling on top of him, "I've endangered or destroyed everything and everyone I care about!" he exclaims, "Do you have any idea what's like to see something crumble before your very eyes, knowing that you caused it?" he asks, "I mean, if it weren't for my brothers, I wouldn't have a friend in the world."
"That's not true. You have me," Isabella says, delicately placing her hand on top of his, staring straight into his eyes, "And it's not just your mess anymore. It's our mess," she explains, the touch of her hand causing Vidcund to look up as well, tears streaming down his face. "If we're going down, then we're going down together."
He sniffs, "Your loyalty to me is insane," Vidcund states, "I hope you don't come to hate me later on like everyone else," he adds.
…
Vidcund, Pascal, and Lazlo are standing in Isabella's dorm room one morning while Isabella is away at class. Vidcund is holding the rolled up battle plans while conversing with his brothers. "In a few weeks we will be heading straight into what is already the deadliest war in Strangetown history," Vidcund explains, pacing a bit in front of them, "but as God as my witness, nothing bad will happen to Isabella eXtreme."
"Right," Pascal agrees with Lazlo nodding as well. The three of them shake on it, hoping to even the score for her saving them from death.
…
Pascal carefully watches his younger brother walk into the dorm room, a smug smile spreading on his face as he leans up against the back wall of the tiny dorm room, his arms crossed. "You like Izzy," he states.
"Yeah, she's great, we're good friends," Vidcund quickly responds, his concentration elsewhere as he continues to look through the items on Isabella's desk.
Pascal steps forward, leaning closer to his younger brother. "You don't just like her, you like-like her," he adds, making his voice slightly higher.
Vidcund turns around, clearly irritated. "What are you, four?"
"I'm old enough to see that you clearly have a thing for her," Pascal says, pointing his finger in Vidcund's face, watching as he rolls his eyes, "Admit it Vidcund, you like Izzy."
Vidcund crosses his arms, undoubtedly annoyed, "No, I don't."
…
Vidcund sits down next to Isabella on the roof of Cassandra's dorm; the pair silent for several moments after Ripp and Isabella's massive break-up. After a while, Vidcund turns to Isabella, his blue eyes shining.
"Isabella, listen to me. You just dive into things. And it's reckless, and it's amazing," he notes, "But you need to start seeing yourself as more than just someone's girlfriend. And that's something you're going to have to do on your own," Vidcund speaks, staring down at his friend.
Isabella sighs, "I know," she answers, her eyes to the concrete as she hangs her feet over the side of the roof. "But what if no one ever loves me again?" she asks, gazing up at him. Vidcund shakes his head lightly.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," he states, his expression soft; his eyes shining. He cannot take his eyes off of her.
…
A couple weeks later, Vidcund is inside of one of the safe house guest rooms, preparing to go off to war. Lazlo is watching from the dark green suede chair next to him as Vidcund attaches as many inventions as he can to his coat. After a few moments, Vidcund stops, turning away as he lets out a large sigh, therapeutically running his fingers through his hair.
"Look, I gotta tell you something," Vidcund opens up, turning to face his brother, "The truth is…I kinda have a crush on Izzy," Vidcund confesses, finding the right words to say, "Am I crazy?"
Lazlo shakes his head, knowingly, "Nope. You're good," he reassures him.
…
"I had everything," Vidcund narrates, voicing over in his head, "I had the job, I had the house, I had the girl. But then I lost it all, and now I find myself hiding out in a college student's dorm room with my two brothers and a girl that seems too good to be true. And honestly, I've never been happier."
…
Vidcund and Isabella turn to one another, giving a nod of confidence before staring back at the water below. The pair slowly stands, adjusting their boots on the fence so that they can properly launch off. Vidcund turns to Isabella, holding out his hand. Isabella slowly takes it, the two of them jumping off the gate at the same time and landing into the bluish green water.
…
Vidcund and Isabella are sitting on the roof of Cassandra's dormitory one night at three in the morning, after everyone else has gone to sleep. They are gazing out at the stars. "I guess when you're in a relationship, and you put so much of yourself into it, you get caught up in all of the emotions that you're feeling and sometimes you start to see things that were never really there," Vidcund explains, staring off into the distance. Next to him, Isabella is paying attention to every word, "Circe didn't love me, I know that," he reveals, pouring his heart out to his friend, "If she really loved me, then I would've been her husband," Vidcund continues, stopping for a moment, his eyes filling with tears, "-And I'm not."
Vidcund sighs and rests his head down on his knees as he wraps both of his arms around them. Next to him, Isabella is filled with sorrow for him, Vidcund's words hitting her right in the chest. "I guess I'm just unlovable…" Vidcund speaks into the silence.
Isabella scoots forward, her eyes shining as she lightly touches his hand, her face warm. Vidcund looks up at her upon feeling her touch. "You, unlovable?" Isabella says suddenly, smiling, "Now that's impossible."
Vidcund gazes up at the young college student, giving a small smile of gratitude as tears form in his eyes.
…
Back in the present time, Vidcund is sitting crouched down on the pavement, Circe about to strike. Vidcund gazes up a bit, a good, comforting feeling washing over him as a newfound realization hits him square in the chest, the pieces of his life all coming together to form one resounding message that is now screaming at the top of its lungs.
"Oh my gosh," Vidcund begins, a cheerful expression in his eyes as his voice fills with astonishment, "I love Isabella."
A few staircases down, Isabella is racing to the top of the roof, every part of her body aching with each step that she climbs. The whole world around her starts to move in slow motion as she closes in on the top of the estate, the scene blurring in front of her very eyes.
Isabella treks forward, finding herself drawn to Vidcund as she watches Circe towering over him, the words of the Gypsy Matchmaker racing through her mind:
"You will win the war, but it will be at a terrible price," Margaret warns, "One of you two won't make it out alive."
Circe leans down, smiling wide as she presses the yellow button on the death ray. "And now, my dear Vidcund, this electric sword is the only thing that stands between life and your death!"
Circe pulls back and swings her arms forward, preparing to strike.
"NOOOOO!" Isabella shouts, throwing herself in front of him, her body taking the final blow.
Ripp reaches the top of the staircase, watching as Isabella takes the hit, electrical waves surrounding her entire body. The waves engulf her completely before striking the young girl in the heart. Ripp watches in horror as electricity takes yet another one of his beloved sims' lives, his heart dropping, then breaking. Isabella collapses down in front of Vidcund, her body limp.
"Izzy?" Ripp calls out, "IZZY!" Ripp shouts louder, kneeling down next to her as Pascal, Lazlo, Tank, and Kea race up next to him. Behind them, Nervous Subject is handcuffing Circe. She laughs maniacally.
"Good luck marrying her when she's dead!" she shouts, giving them an evil smirk. Nervous Subject takes her away.
Tank, Kea, Pascal, and Lazlo step forward, somber expressions on their faces as they watch Ripp frantically shake Isabella by the shoulders. "Isabella! Isabella, wake up!" Ripp commands her, though at this point it sounds more like a plea, "Come on! We have to get home!" he cries, his voice filled with desperation, "We have to start our life together!"
Isabella doesn't move.