It wasn't that he saw his father, because Elliot was blinded by the extreme close-up of a clothed shoulder, after having been spun around and then pulled in close. Close enough to not see a face. But Elliot had no time to freak out, scream, or try to escape the grip to run. He didn't need or want to. Because he knows who is holding him, he knows father's scent by heart. He smells like vanilla, faintly because he picked it up from hugging his mom, but mainly his father smells like a field. Warm and comfortable. Sunshine. Unable to contain the tears, he made a sound similar to a croak before he cried. He squeezed his father tightly in his arms. It was a comfort to see his uncle's smiling faces beside him, when he turned his head.

"Elliot," Rocky knelt down, touching his nephew's shoulder as if trying to transfer his calm to the boy. It didn't work, as the tears continued streaming down his cheeks. "Can you answer something for me?"

"Rocky?" Colt warned. He doesn't need his son interrogated with horrific adult questions, just because it's his job to ask.

Rocky ignored his brother and asked his question. "Are your cousins still on the ship?"

Colt felt relieved when his son nodded. He also felt a little bad for thinking the worst of his brother, although, since Elliot went missing it wasn't for the first time. He can't help it! Right now, he feels like everyone if the enemy. But, now his son is back with him, safe and sound.

"But," Elliot's tears became audible.

"It's ok," Rocky says, although he's extremely agitated he was sure to exude nothing but calm. If he looked upset it would catch like a fire and spread to his nephew, which will further aggravate Colt, and Tum tum will get upset because his brothers are at odds again. "Look at me," he waited until the weeping child met his eye, before speaking. "We're here now, we're gonna your cousins and everything will be fine."

"That mean woman said someone bought Omi and Sophie." He cried into his father's shoulder.

"Tum?!" Rocky called to his brother who is currently stalking across the ship's deck to parts down below. Damn it. He could get lost. "Ell', do you know where everyone else is?"

The boy nodded; wiping his hand across his face, tracking tears and snot, he replied. "They're in a big room with lots of space." He spoke over his uncle who was about to thank him. "It's umm…" he sniffled. "Umm.."

"What?" Asked his father.

"The door, the fourth door on the.." he swung his arms out trying to figure it out from a different angle. "On the this side."

"Fourth door on the right," giving the tiny shoulder a squeeze to assure him that everything was going to be fine, he took off after Tum Tum.

He didn't need to ask Colt if he was coming along. It was obvious where his brother needed to be. By Elliot's side, where he soothed and hushed his son.

…..

Rocky entered the lower deck, finding himself in a slender hall. "Michael!" He says when spotting his youngest brother opening and violently slamming shut a door down the expansive hall.

"I'm gonna rip her head off, Rock', if you don't want her dead, then you'd better hope you get to her first." He snarled, slamming another failure of a location.

"It's the fourth door on the right." He left out the part that if he hadn't run off, he would have known, and wouldn't currently be broadcasting their location to anyone who can hear the sound of metal on metal contact.

And he also left out the fact, to himself, that he wasn't going to stop his brother from injuring Minami Snyder. She sold his brother's children, his nephew and nieceniece, he can't imagine the pain Tum Tum, no Michael must be in right now. He adores his children, and with the restaurant business he doesn't get to see them as often as he likes. He can understand that sort of devotion that arises when you're an almost invisible parent. You want to give your children the world when you finally are able to see them again. For even so much as scaring their children, this woman needs to hurt.

"Aa!" Cried a voice from the other side.

Rocky's blood stilled, it sounded like Arc.

"Did you really think I wouldn't fight a child." Came Minami's voice after his. Her laughter, her words sickened him to the core.

Rocky was through the door a few steps behind his youngest brother, they looked down over the railing but see no one. Had Elliot been wrong? Or have they switched locations? It was obvious that this particular room was in use not long ago. Their are items wrapped up or exposed for all to view its worth. The auctions must be held there. They figured.

"Look at that!" Minami is heard. "Such a sad and desperate look. I love it, boy... I wanna see it on your father, and your uncle's faces."

Tum Tum, like a blood hound, points to where the voices are coming in the loudest, because it's not just Minami they're hearing, but a crowd of snickers and woots, along with a pepper of whistles and applause. When they passed through the door, rushed forward and looked down into the familiar room of the large vessel, Rocky could understand the want to say irrational and illogical things like "rip her head off", "give her a new set of teeth from hitting her so hard she'll grow baby teeth in their place from her next reincarnation", or even a simple one of "I'm gonna pull her inside out". Because the sight he's seeing warrants heightened violence, it brings out the desire to make the impossible happen.

Arc is on his knees, one arm behind his back. It's broken. His face is turning purple in places he was punched, because a slap can't produce that type of bruise. Minami isn't without a bit of ruffle, she has a few strands of hair out of place from her power bun. Arc didn't seem to stand a chance. Seeing his state, the child can rest assured that Minami Snyder, against Rocky, won't stand a chance either.

Outside. Colt had just finished helping get his son safely situated on the lifeboat the coast guards had provided him and his brothers on their way over.

"Let us go!" Sophie shouted.

Colt felt his son's hand tense up within his grasp. He pressed his finger to his lips to keep him quiet before he could do more than whimper. He silently asked that the guard watch Elliot, before sneaking back onto the upper deck. He spotted one strong, although not large, man dragging the flailing children along beside him. The twins dropped their weight like a sack of potatoes that contain a weight meant for a restaurant's entire night in one bag. The guard stumbled in step but quickly recovered and jerked the pair to their feet.

"Come on, let's hurry it up." The man, whom Colt could surmise, purchased them was heard whispering. "I think I see the Coast coming. With any luck they'll let me by without inspection." He assumed this logic because of the legit auction that went one hours earlier.

Colt, at a rapid dash approached the man from behind and in a flying jump kick launched himself into the air landing a kick to the back of the man's skull sending him tripping forward at a hurried pace, thankfully releasing the children who fell sideways as the guard went overboard. Confused by this, as there was no foreseeable reason the man would just leap into the Pacific ocean, he returned to the slightly larger vessel to investigate what's going on.

Spotting his purchases huddled behind a man he' never seen before, he asked. "What is this? Some idiotic changing of the guards? Load the kids onto the ship so I can leave. I think the Coast Guards are coming to check things out." He waved the stranger over to him.

Colt smirked, and approached the man, the children remained in place.

"What are you doing idiot, they'll get away. Grab them!" He leaned back when seeing that Colt was not doing as he'd demanded. "Why aren't you listening? Is that bitch going back on her word?" He leaned back upon seeing this stranger isn't slowing down in his stride towards him. "What are you doing?" He grunted and spat as the stranger's fist slammed right into his temple, knocking him sideways into the railing which dealt the pompous man blow number two. It was going to swell to a nasty couple of black eyes. Good.

"You good for nothing, son of a bitch," he clutched his head, the pain still ringing on either side. When he finally regained a bit of composure he was laid flat by the twins slamming him in the face with a kick that landed simultaneously into each of the buyer's eyes. A proper evaluation of the black eyes would now be a full on concussion. And he is out cold.

"Uncle Colt!" Sang a matching pair of voices with almost identical faces. They hugged him with alleviated fear, made lessened when a peck landed on each of their cheeks.

"Nice save you guys, I thought he was gonna come back swinging." Colt smiled sweetly, teasing them.

They chuckled and sniffed back their dry tears that seemed more likely to want to run from another location.

"Where's our dad? Is he here?" Omi looked around.

"He's inside. Come with to the Coast Guard's boat. We're gonna get out of here."

"But Arc's fighting that mean lady!" Sophie chirped. Face set on bitter, she declared. "If she hurts him, I'm gonna ninja kick her, just like we did with him." She looked at the fallen man. "She's not so scary." But her legs shook, as Colt took her hand to walk her and her brother to safety.

The twins were scared, though not as frightened as Elliot had been. He's been missing for a while, they went missing for a day. They had each other to rely on, at the time, Elliot did not. But, it seemed a facade when the pair saw their cousin onboard of the rescue ship, then they burst into tears and wrapped their arms around him, crying and crying with him.

Colt watched them all with a small smile on his face; he wondered if his brother's were ok? If the kids were ok to be left alone? But, he didn't dare leave them. They're safe, but they're not safe on the inside. They need solid ground to stand on, and he's it. He can only hope that his brothers are inside, doing what's right.

0 0 0

The blade of the sword swung out as Tum-Tum made a very painful landing down below. Onlookers would say he looked cool, dawning the very known Spider-Man pose, while swiping the length of the sword along Minami Snyder's feet; however, onlookers will have missed the pain that registered on the hero's face due to his weight dropping onto his ankles and the hand that hit the mat as the other swung the weapon.

Having seen his shadow closing in from above as it blocked out the overhead light, Minami released the child and leaped expertly out of the way of getting her ankles opened up. The younger man didn't seem to be messing around.

She gasped; her hand came up to her face briefly when feeling moister, moving it into view her eyes sharpen. Blood. But when? How?

Tum-Tum, as painful as it was, composed himself as he straightened to a stand; lifting the hand free of the borrowed weapon into view, he showed off a small metal item that resembled a shurikan, except it was too small.

"How dare you.." Spat the woman.

She located where he got the projectile, it was from the handle of the sword, it is decorated with little metal stars. Clever of the Douglas brat to remove it and use it as a weapon, annoying that he had enough skill to create a weapon from something that normally wouldn't sting if you pricked yourself with one of the many tips on it.

"Mm-mm. Once is enough." She dodged the second one by simply swatting it away. She wasn't going to be hit twice. "If it's a fight you want, get in line.. I'm through with the appetizer. It was barely an amouse bouche. You'll do, though. I can honestly say we've never met, but hatred by association is sooo in these days."

"Arc, are you ok?" Oh how Tum-Tum liked to hit them on all counts. Physically and mentally. He would outright ignore the vengeance seeking kunoichi in favor of checking up on his nephew. And he can tell that he's just barely putting up a brave front.

"My arm's broken, but I'm alright."

Tum-Tum saw otherwise. Arc is sporting a nasty blackening eye, and he has visible welts coloring on his broken arm. "You did a good job. We'll handle the rest."

"Will you?"

Minami ducked just as Rocky swung his leg over her head, and she somehow managed a backflip as Tum-Tum joined in by trying to sweep her feet from under her. But it took a simple street move to throw her off kilter; Rocky simply shoved her into his brother, who brought up his knee landing it in her gut. But Minami learned quickly, grabbing a hold of the younger Douglas's head tossing him away from her and into his brother.

The brother's stumbled backwards, landing on their butt. Seeing a strike coming their way from an elevated leg looking to drop a pointed heel on them or into them, they rolled away and up on to their feet. They sandwiched her in, both poised for battle together against one. Rocky uses his ninja skills in his daily life, sometimes the job can get a little upclose and personal when he's on the field. But Tum-Tum, for as rusty as he can become, still has muscle memory and with Rocky as his backup he can resume as a force.

Their opponent remained still, poised for battle facing neither brother. But somehow her gaze was steady on each. They couldn't attack her at once, they'll hit each other, or at least watch out for one another leaving openings for her. And she'll take advantage of every one.

Arc watched all of this with eyes wide in awe and horror. He's never seen his father and uncle truly fight before. Fight to harm. To subdue. If his dad attacked over then his uncle went low. He watched as they performed roundhouses that somehow the slippery woman seemed to dance through, breaking the assault when she grabbed onto his uncle's leg then aimed a kick for his groin. He felt the pain Tum-Tum was about to suffer, but his father grabbed Minami, tossing her over his shoulder. Snyder rolled to where Tum-Tum dropped the sword and she picked it up.

The brother's looked on at a near copy and paste of actions her father had taken when he fought with their grandfather. The only difference if that Snyder had grabbed a sword from one of his men.

"Wanna see my swordplay?" Minami coaxed.

Arc noticed the stall tactic right away and shouted. "She took them! She had them sent away, you have to find the twins!"

Minami smiled with satisfaction that the smug look was wiped off the younger man's face. He'd puffed up his chest so much a while ago. Where was the bravado now? "They're long gone by now. You were too late."

"No!" Arc sobbed.

Tum-Tum backed away from her, those words, from the situation. It had to be a lie. It had to! She wouldn't.. She didn't really sell his children? No one is that sick or cruel. But he knows, that yes, they are. He once snuck into his father's office as a child, he read some of the paperwork just hanging around. Some of it was about prostitution traffickers, the disgusting act was made even worse because it was a cover for the drug smuggling that was going on. Women selling their bodies didn't cause any severe trouble, however, the women weren't merely having their bodies sold, but smuggling drugs to those they were bedding. It would be hidden in bras and panties, boots. Any nook or cranny.

He doesn't even want to think about his children… No. No. No. He turned on his heels and took off running for the exit. He has to stop whomever took them. He can catch them. It's never too late when you're on the side of the good guys. His youthful outlook on life still believed in that much. Evil is major, but it is no match for the greater good.

"Got rid of him," she preened. Looking over at the child in the room, she asked. "Did you see the look on your uncle's face? Pricelss. And now, to continue with you." Walking over to Arc, sword poised to stab the boy clean through, she staggered to a stop.

"Ya know… I couldn't figure out a way to get even with you for doing this to our children, Mina'." Says Rocky, he's standing just behind her. Did she forget he was there, so ready to watch his brother crumble? Or perhaps she stupidly thought he'd ditch his son and go with him. It was anyone's guess, but she let herself get distracted and tried instead to murder his son. Big mistake. "But, I can see that we've already taken our revenge on you, by having a life."

Spinning around, the dagger that was driven through her torso slid free as Rocky didn't move when she turned. "Excuse me?"

"We have children.. We have love… We have family.. And what do you have?" He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders when he rushed to his side. "An imprisoned father and brother, whom you threw away a life with choosing to use him as little more than a cover. I almost feel sad for you.. but that's almost."

"Why don't you fight me? Finish me off? If you think your words are going to turn me around, leave me a sobbing mess of regret, you're wrong." She sneered. "If I'm free.. I'll keep going after you and your children until there isn't a Douglas left in your family." The word dripped out of her mouth like acid. Scolding even to the one who'd spoken it.

"Do you really mean that, Mina'?"

"Don't use my name so familiarly."

"But we know each other, or knew… somewhat. We could have been friends, if things had gone differnetly."

"Drop dead." She hissed. "You stole my father, you stole my childhood. Family after adopted family, rejecting me.. blaming me and returning me. No one wants two, it's always one child.. I couldn't have stayed with my brother if I'd wanted to. But you got to sit pretty… you got to see your family grow, and got to have one of your own."

"You stopped yourself from having it as well. Your father was in prison, but you decided to stop time in that place. You decided not to move on and live a life opposite of your father."

"Oh whatever… Even if I could turn things around, you wouldn't let me go. I'll be in prison, and an old woman by the time I'm let out."

"No, you won't!" He declared. Turning his son, so his face is pressed into his side, he continued speaking. "I promise, you'll never see the inside of another prison again. Not to visit your father, brother, or stay there yourself."

Minami blinked. Confused. "You would let me go, even after what I said? What I swear I'll do?"

Rocky shook his head; he then raised his hand to take aim. And he fired.

Tum-Tum's pace staggered to a stop when hearing the bang. Did she? He couldn't stop though, the Coast Guard is here, along with the police and medical help. He needs to find which son of a bitch has his children and get them back. He looked out into the black ocean. Nothing but a cluster of blinking lights from ships long gone and with no intention of slowing down to be checked.

"No.. Please don't let them get away." He mumbled to himself, fully ready to swim after them if it were faster. he has to tell Colt. He can go with him. "Colt! Colt, my kids were.." His words stuttered and stopped.

"Daddy!" Came twin voices with near twin faces all soggy and smiling as they ran to him before he could get onto the Coast boat.

"Are you kids ok?" He peppered the with kisses and squeezed them in a firm tenderness.

"I saw some guy trying to take off with them," Colt explained, then nodded. "He'd better learn the currancy of a box of cigarettes from now on." Looking on deck of the ship, he shook his head. "Where's Rocky?"

"He's still onboard; I left him when Arc told me that the kids were taken." And he's so relieved they're just fine. Right here. "We have to go back for them." Looking at his shaken children, he hated to ask it of them. "Can you stay here until we get back? Will you be brave?"

They nodded, but their expressions looked as though they'd shaken their heads.

"Someone's coming out!" The Coastal policeman announced.

Everyone cast their gaze to the exit of the bridge; they held their breath when seeing not Rocky but Minami exiting. But their fears that something happened to Rocky and Arc soon dissipated as the young woman was guided out just before Rocky. Cuffed. Dazed. And to Colt and Tum Tum's smiles bleeding.

Arc clung to his father, weeping into his side. He'd tell it differently, if his friends asked about his arm. He'd say he bravely took it all. The beating, the break. He didn't shed a tear. But, in truth, everything hurts. However... When his father stood there, poised to kill the woman, he cried out for him not to do it. Was he surprised when his father fired at her anyway? No. Look at all she'd done. She kidnapped them. Scared them. Sold his cousins. And fought him; who breaks a child's arm with a smile on their face? But, he thought about the reasons why, when she and his dad were talking. He knew that if his dad was taken from him, he might be different too. And so, he didn't want to see her die. Shielded from the sight or not, he'd be haunted that it happened at all.

When she recovers from the stab and bullet wound, she'll be sent to a mental rehabilitation center. She can get the help she needs. And maybe someday, Arc thought as he got into the rescue boat, hugged by family, someday in the future he'll happen upon her, as a changed woman.

Five months later.

It was a cluster of "aaaww". If anyone ever wonders what's the first thing a baby remembers once all the insanity calms down after birth, it's that people look at them and say "aaaww".

"What's her name?" Emily asked, wishing she could take the little one into her arms and rock her while she's asleep.

"We played with the idea of naming her Jessica or Jodie, after our mothers" Colt commented.

"But, in the end, we decided to call her Lisbeth." Paula finished. "Lisbeth, Matilda, Douglas."

"I'm gonna be such a cool big brother, even if her name isn't Beetleborg."

The adults laughed. The kids found the old program on Netflix, since then it's been Beetleborgs this and that. They related because they were kid superheroes. Something they'd all like to be seen as.

"You can nickname her Beetleborg," the boy's mother said.

"And when she's old enough, she'll put you in a headlock for it." Chuckled Colt touseling, his son's hair.

It was a long road after what had happened to them. The kids went through many stages of trauma from staying up late due to fear they'd have the woman sneak into their room, and snatch them away. Nightmares of getting beaten up by adults as Arc had. They even had anger spells, they would snap at anyone who so much as spoke to them longer than "hi". The kids wanted more training, too. They wanted to be prepared, for just incase. Then gradually they returned to their cheerful, sweet, sometimes a handful selves. But, the Douglas brothers knew that even that will have a break point and the kids could return to their misery.

Minami Snyder was sent away. Therapy. Community service. Meditative treatments. All the necessary things to help her get on the right track. If she'd allow it to work. Her brother, for kidding and killing an officer was sent to jail and sentenced for half of his life. If the siblings cared at all for each other, they will have to wait a long time to say so.

The Douglas brothers were back to their old state of being. Loving family, occasional spat, but nothing so major that they wouldn't at the end of the day, not say I love you. A family of many strands can never forget or let go of what bonds them.

The end

X x X

Commentary: as the Beetles sung "it's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog" but I'm very satisfied with my ending. Thank you for reading. I don't know what I'll do next, most likely a Tum story, or the sequel to House in the Woods.

Everybody scream with joy and not boredom. Don't let your worries escalate, and stay safe. Love you all, you don't get to know this but I'm telling ya, we're a unique bunch that we can love the 3 ninjas movies and write fiction, read fiction, and continue to or just start to really care about them. We're some kind of fam' and I think you're all kickin' lol. That's awesome in Fresh Beats. I've got wee a one at home, I'm watching many kid shows with her. She is my niece.

Thanks again for reading. I'll get back to doing so as well.