Something was wrong with Rosa. Something was horribly wrong with Rosa. It had started once they found temporary shelter from the harsh rain, an abandoned house that Lola had spotted, as soon as they stepped in Rosa just collapsed into a very tight ball. Then the screaming started. They were screams of pure pain as she laid there on the floor curled into herself. Twigleg could hear her vocal cords stretching as her screams just seemed to get louder with each second.
"What's wrong with her!" Lola cried out as Rosa's screams almost drowned her out. Henrick's little whiskers twitched as he sacredly held on to his mother and watched Rosa with wide fearful eyes.
"I-I don't know!" Twigleg squeaked before dropping down beside her. He knew that she and Esmeralda had a connection so this might mean that Esmeralda might be in this much pain as well. Twigleg gently started to pat Rosa on the back in hopes of comforting her in some way or form however after the third pat he soon realized she was starting to flinch violently at his touches. So he backed off quickly. Her screams then died down from her throat, just like that she stopped screaming, however; she was whimpering in pain every so often. Twigleg looked to Lola and Henrick before looking back at Rosa. Twigleg swallowed hard before finally leaning down so he was on his elbows and knees, this way he could get a good look at Rosa's face. Rosa had tears falling from her eyes, her cheeks were stained with these tears that had soaked the collar of her princess dress. Her breath was uneasy and hitching every few seconds. Her red eyes then focused on Twigleg. He didn't even need to sign to her what had happened, because she answered the question for him. Thankfully from this angle, she could read his lips and he wouldn't have to sign to her.
"They're hurting her-" She grimaced and then clutched the left side of her ribs. "-My mistress." She felt the need to clarify.
"What are they doing to her?" Twigleg almost felt afraid to ask that question. The bigger question is obviously who is 'they'? because Twigleg knew Ben nor Ivan would attack Esmeralda, they definitely wouldn't be kicking her or punching her.
"I don't know... kicking her? Punching her? I don't know, but it hurts... she's in pain and so am I... we need to help her, Twigleg."
"We don't know where she is, Rosa."
"... She could be at the school." Rosa tried to reason with him.
'She could be back at the school, but something tells me that's not the case... unless it is, Rosa does have a connection with her after all...' Twigleg thought before he turned his head away to look back at Lola and Henrick. Lola was happily grooming Henrick's whiskers, probably as a way to keep him calm and occupied. His mind flashed back to that scared- almost feral- expression on Lola's face earlier, so fearful of what had happened to her at that school. He didn't want to bring her back there, especially not with Henrick, those other rats would tear him to tiny pieces. He was so small and helpless.
"Twigleg?" Rosa shook his shoulder for attention. She was still so huddled up in a ball that it looked like she just couldn't move. "You go? You go to the school? I hurt..." She whined loudly. "I hurt a lot..." She let out a shaky sob before resting her face on the floor.
"Whoa, Humblecus. She's not actually serious, is she? Going to that place again? Those other rats tried to kill me and my son!" Lola hissed as her fur raised a little. Twigleg turned back to her before getting off of the floor and standing up. His back was turned to Rosa, meaning she couldn't hear what he was going to say next.
"Her mistress could be in danger and might even be there-"
"-And just what are you going to do? If she is in danger?" You are no taller than I am! Say this human is surrounded by other humans at that school... what are you going to do then? They'll crush you! I say you stay here where it's safe for now."
Funny. Lola almost sounded like Twigleg there for a second. It seemed she realized this too as her tail flicked up and she started to play with her own tail to comfort herself.
"Lola, I know you're scared for both you and your son, but right now... Ben is missing as well. Her mistress was with Ben... What if Ben is being attacked too? He's only got one arm, Lola. One arm! He can't fight back like he used to! I need to help both of them if I can!"
Lola threw her paws up. Partly in anger, partly just because she clearly gave up at that point. "Curses, you didn't mention Ben being missing! Alright.. fine, we can go back to the school-"
"No. Not 'we'. Rosa can't move. I fear what would happen if we tried to move her. I'll go. Can you watch over Rosa?" He asked Lola and he clasped his hands onto her paws.
"Twigleg, what if something happens to you? Then what?"
"I don't know, but right now I need to risk it. I'll be safe, I promise." He reassured Lola before letting go of her paws. Feeling something tug at his pants leg made Twigleg look down at little Henrick. The baby rat just barely reaching Twigleg's waist. Twigleg knew it wasn't going to last as in two more weeks Henrick will most likely be just as tall as him. Henrick's little gray whiskers twitched wildly at Twigleg as his little eyes just stared at twigleg with some bit of concern.
"Can you bring my Da back?" Henrick asked him.
"Henrick, no!" Lola pulled him back, none too harshly thank goodness, but enough to make the little rat quickly lower his ears and eyes in slight shame. It made Twigleg feel a little bad. Was Henry still even alive? From what Lola had told him Henry held the other rats back so Lola and Henrick could get to safety...
"I'll do what I can," Twigleg reassured Henrick to the best of his abilities. Twigleg then looked at Rosa once again. She was still curled up in a ball on the floor in the fetal position with her legs against her chest. Twigleg felt so bad for her, he just hoped that Esmeralda was actually at the school, the question is that if he were to find Esmeralda there then what was he going to do? 'Something to think of when I get there, I guess.' Twigleg thought before he quickly walked over to Rosa. Gently he shook her shoulder making her look at him. "I'm leaving now, Lola is going to look after you-" He started to sign.
"-I want to go." She audibly spoke as she made an attempt to get up, but she quickly realized that wasn't a good idea as she grimaced and curled back up.
"No, you stay here." He signed. "I won't be gone long. I'm going to see if she's at school. Okay?"
"Be safe?" Rosa signed back at him (as best as she could as it seemed the lightest movement was causing her extreme pain. She then closed her eyes in a sickly looking grimace.
"I'll do my best." He said, not signed.
Rosa, even though she was in pain suddenly caught Twigleg's hand in hers. With no warning, she gave it a kiss. "Please... stay safe." With that, she let go. It had caught Twigleg so off guard that he just stood there awkwardly for about a few good seconds before, without saying anything, he finally turned and made his way out of the house.
It wasn't until he was crawling through the hole that they had came in from did he realize why she had told him to 'stay safe' twice and even kissed his hand. She didn't hear him the first time as she had her eyes close. This could also mean something else. She may like Twigleg in a romantic way and... Twigleg had several mixed feelings about this.
Still, Twigleg couldn't focus on that for too long. As he was now outside, the rain still coming down quite heavily. Lightening even crackled across the sky this of course followed by an ominous rolling thunder shortly after the lightning crackle. Twigleg sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled out of his mouth. Looking at the now pitch black sky, the sun had now gone down and the only thing that will light his way to the school where the dim street lamps. 'Ben, I hope you're safe at the school...' Twigleg thought. Truthfully, the one thing that was keeping him motivated to do this for Rosa wasn't just for her safety, but deep down he knew that seeing and hugging Ben when this was all done will be the greatest reward for him. Twigleg took one step out in the wind and rain before he started on his long trek to the school.
His whole body was soaked in just mere seconds. The rain may be even heavier than earlier. Still, a little rain wasn't going to stop him! because the farther he continued to walk down the street from the abandoned home the more he realized just how close to the school he really was. Because at the end of the street he was on he saw a familiar, brick red, one story home. Yes, Ivan's old home! Meaning the school was only a block up the street! So that made Twigleg a little happier. So, Twigleg hustled quickly down the street. Twigleg was doing his best to fight against the harsh winds that just didn't seem to stop, yet he still feared that the wind would take him any second now. The rain stung against his skin like needles. So, Twigleg lifted the collar of his jacket and tried to put it over his face (He's seen it done in movies and hoped that there'd be some logic to it). His big nose made it a little hard but not impossible.
Twigleg grunted as a heavy rain drop hit his head square in the center almost throwing him off balance and on to his back. Still, he didn't give up and he kept marching down the sidewalk and even managed to cross the street with no issues. Then, under the dim light of the street lights, Twigleg could see it just off in the distance. The school. He never felt happier seeing that old abandoned building. So, Twigleg ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He did his best to ignore the raindrops stinging his cold skin and making him constantly losing his balance or even eyesight on the occasion. That didn't stop him, he was full of determination now! As he got closer and closer to the school, however... he became painfully aware of a car outside of the building next to the curb. It seemed to be parked and off. Twigleg knew damn well that it didn't belong there.
The car was black, which was why he didn't notice it right away as it blended in with the rain. It seemed to just be a normal four-seater car with nothing too special about it- until Twigleg noticed that the license plate on the front of the car. It was on the front of the car, nothing out of the ordinary really, but it was labeled differently. Crammed on the plate was the word: ENTERPRSE. Odd.
So, Twigleg knew to be on his toes when he entered the old building.
The first thing to greet him was darkness. Inky darkness. Not a single light to help him navigate through the building. So, Twigleg, still dripping wet, brought his arms and hands out in front of him to help him navigate through the dark. Twigleg felt his ankle get caught quickly and he dropped to his knees. "Ow..." He half whined before decided to start kicking now. So here he was with his arms out in front of him kicking the rubble away. Yeah, he knew he looked stupid, but it was working for the most part so onwards he went. Twiglegs hand bumped against a wall and he started to quickly feel around for an opening. Going along the wall out of instinct he found it and noticed, rather instantly, a light coming from a doorway to his right. 'They are back!' he excitedly clapped. The light had to be coming from a stolen flashlight or a cell phone. Either way, Twigleg didn't hesitate to go into the next room. Only to stop just in the doorway.
Yes, there was a light, a cell phone light to be exact, it was on the floor pointing up at the ceiling. The thing was by the light was the silhouette of a person. The person standing up straight, their back to Twigleg. Twigleg couldn't see much of them, but he could see they were tall, had long hair, and had clearly been in some sort of struggle. They were breathing heavily, sniffling, and brought their hand up to wipe their nose. Twigleg almost thought it might have been Esmeralda, but the hair wasn't long enough, this person's hair only went a little past their shoulders. Twigleg knew that Ben and Ivan both had curly hair, so unless one of them straightened their hair it wouldn't be them. Therefore, this was an intruder.
Twigleg felt his little heart beat harder and faster.
And then it was at that very moment that Twigleg realized this person wasn't alone as a startled gasp came out of the very darkened corner of the room. "I had nothing to do with it! Please! Y-You have to believe me!" A panicked male voice screamed (Too deep to be Ben, or Ivan, too old sounding to be Esmeralda, so another intruder.) Twigleg quickly hid in the room behind some rubble. The light was never moved so Twigleg still couldn't see who the strange standing man was. But he did see the man move out of the light and followed this with a harsh punch to the other stranger. "I swear!" His voice was despite, whiny, and most likely blood filled. Twigleg had no idea what was happening but his heart was beating even faster.
The standing stranger never answered. But there was another light source. A lighter. The stranger lit the lighter to light up a cigarette placed between his lips. Twigleg got to see pale white skin, but that was about it as the flame was gone quickly. The stink of cigarettes filled the air quickly as the standing stranger sucked in a deep breath before exhaling obnoxiously. The cherry of the cigarette now visible. "Please-" A pained scream filled the air was a sickening sizzle was heard. Whoever the standing stranger was put his cigarette on the man and it was then that Twigleg realized he had walked into an interrogation of sorts. He needed to leave. He needed to leave now!
He was about to, but footsteps approaching the doorway made him quickly duck down in fear as another person entered.
"Please!" The torture victim called the other person just coming in. "You're kind! You have to understand! I had nothing to do with anything!"
'Kind? Was this a betrayal of sorts?'
Then... Twigleg heard a voice that he just wasn't to expecting to hear. As it was clear that a foot was planted on the torturer's chest by the sound alone and the person spoke.
"You tell me where my fucking kids are and we'll talk about goddamn kindness!" Atticus. yes... Atticus spoke in a vicious, angry, threatening tone. "I know your lot took them! If you thought I was just going to bow down to this then you're sadly mistaken!"
"I-I didn't take them-" The man tried but his voice was cut off by a gurgle of sorts.
"Atticus. Someone else is here with us-" Zenith spoke in a more alert tone. Twigleg normally would run out and greet Atticus and Zenith like the friends they were but right now he actually felt afraid for his own safety.
"Help me!" The man's gurgled voice cried out. "Please! Vampires! Vampires!"
"Trying to call your hunter buddies?" Atticus had a very condescending tone to his voice, so condescending that just a bit of his Irish seem to come out.
"I'm not a hunter!" The man tried to plead.
"Not a hunter? Please! You run with them!"
"I'm an undercover cop, dammit!"
"Found you!" Twigleg could stop his scream of terror as Zenith actually snuck up on him and picked him up by the jacket. It was honestly at that exact moment was Twigleg reminded of just how skilled predators vampires actually are. Twigleg's own scream of terror echoed loudly around the empty school building. "No way-" Zenith gasped.
"-Twigleg!" The cellphone light was shone directly on Twigleg (putting him under a spotlight indeed) by Atticus. Twigleg, only being held by his jacket quickly shielded his eyes from the light. "What... What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you both the same thing!" Twigleg almost spat. "But judging by the fact you're asking for your kids. I can only guess."
Zenith let out a loud exhale making Twigleg breath in rancid smoke. "It's a long story."
"-You know what. Tell us where Ben and Ivan are and I swear we'll explain everything." Atticus's tone almost sounded desperate. Twigleg knew now that that's what he was looking at. Not a scary vampire, but a desperate man, but still Twigleg could only shake his head slowly.
"Atticus... I don't know where they are. We all got split up." Twigleg explained.
Atticus's face turned sad quickly. "I was afraid of that-"
"... Two boys? Late teens? One with curly black hair, that has one arm, and is British? One American, with red hair?" They almost didn't sound like questions on the man's part it was almost like he was reciting it. It actually threw Twigleg just a little off guard. It seemed to do the same for Atticus and Zenith as well as they looked at one another first before looking back at the man. "Yeah, I met them. I'll tell you all you need to know on them."
"But, let me guess, you want to be untied first?" Zenith was the one to ask the obvious question. Twigleg honestly had no clue that the guy was tied up.
"Oh, so clever you are." Twigleg could hear the smile in the man's voice. "I want more than that as well. But we'll discuss those matters later."