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The Broken Silence
Chapter 58
Quebec
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It was dark when their flight finally landed in Montreal and everyone was exhausted. Team Crackle had disguised themselves as civilians and taken regular flights with fake names and they hoped they'd travelled undetected. Carrying suitcases and cat carriers, no one was very talkative as they stepped down the airstairs to the was waiting on board as a ramp was put into place for Neal, and a few minutes later he joined them after wheeling Neal down.
They'd had a bit of a difficult time getting Siren through airport security since he'd scream and thrash every time someone tried to pat him down. Crackle explained that Siren was disabled and just required a more gentle approach. The airports were actually very accommodating and they allowed the twins to hold Siren's hand as they scanned him thoroughly.
After four flights, everyone was exhausted and just wanted to find a bed and crash. Crackle made sure they had all their bags and then he turned to Otterman.
"Did you get us a rental?"
Otterman nodded as he let Findus out of her carrier so he could hold her. "Yes, it took some doing but I found us something for an extremely good price."
Neal rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you did, Scrooge McDuck."
"Can we stop and get food," Roosevelt demanded, "I'm starving."
"Not in the budget," Otterman replied, "I brought granola bars for tonight."
"Sven," Crackle scolded, "We haven't really eaten all day and we're tired and hungry. We're stopping for food."
Otterman heaved a longsuffering sigh and then pulled out his ledger. "Fine, I can authorize…$10 each."
"$10?" Dash argued, "What can you buy for $10?"
"Good enough for me!" Neal said, "That will buy like 3 McDoubles."
"No, not McDonalds," Dash snapped, "Anywhere but there!"
"Taco bell is cheap," Neal suggested.
"That's even worse!"
They continued to bicker as they headed across the tarmac towards the parking lot and Crackle ignored them, too tired to put a stop to it. Seeing the parking lot was packed, they glanced around and saw quite a few vans.
"Which one is ours?" Crackle asked.
"That one over there!" Otterman said pointing to their left.
As they walked along, Crackle started to head for the nearby van but then realized Otterman had walked by it. Following after him in confusion, he then saw Otterman wasn't headed towards a van, but rather the ugliest RV he had ever seen in his life.
"Sven…?" Crackle questioned, "Why did you rent us an RV?"
"We're going to save a fortune in motel costs!" Otterman said excitedly, "I got it for an excellent price, and if we all double up in bed, there's room for us all!"
Dash stared at the RV and looked like he was going to combust, but then he simply closed his eyes and let out a sigh of defeat.
"I want new sheets and new pillows," he said firmly, "I'm not using hobo blankets."
"Don't worry, everything has already been arranged," Otterman replied, "I had the RV scrubbed clean and new sheets and pillows for everyone."
Crackle eyed the RV and wasn't convinced. "Are you sure this is going to be big enough?" he asked, "The twins and Henrik take up a lot of space..."
"There are four very small rooms with a bed in each. The twins will take the largest bed, and it will just fit all eight of us."
"Nine," Crackle corrected.
Otterman blinked at him in confusion.
"There are nine of us, Sven," Crackle replied, pointing to Siren.
Otterman's eyes widened and then he let out a curse in Swedish. "...I forgot to include Delano. There's no room for him!"
"Way to go, genius," Dash snapped, crossing his arms.
"Well, maybe we can find room for him somewhere…" Otterman said, glancing uncertainly towards the RV, "Maybe he can sleep on the couch or something?
"It's okay," Theodore assured him, "Del can sleep with Roose and I. He's little and we'll make room for him."
"If you two roll over on him, that would be the end of him," Neal pointed out.
"Naw, he used to sleep with us all the time before V.I.L.E academy. We won't squash him." Roosevelt replied, ruffling Siren's hair affectionately.
Siren made a grumpy sounding noise but he didn't try to pull away.
Crackle frowned at the RV but he decided he wasn't going to argue about it. He'd given full monetary control to Otterman, and so far the man had managed to keep them afloat even when they barely had two cents to rub together.
"Couldn't you have rented a nice RV at least?" Dash grumbled, "We hit it big with our last heist and we can afford it."
"Yes, but we never got a chance to sell the loot before all of this mess with Volkov happened," Otterman replied, "The jewelry and ore is still sitting back in San Diego in our basement. We have to stretch what funds we have until we return back to California."
"How much do we have?" Neal asked.
Otterman frowned. "Sorry, but that's confidential!" he said firmly.
Everyone rolled their eyes. Otterman never let his cash-box out of his sight, going so far as to keep it on a chain around his neck, and so they had no idea if they had $100 in there or $10,000.
"Let's just go get supper and then get settled in," Crackle said, opening the RV door.
The door let out an awful squeak and Crackle knew he'd have to take a look at that later. The inside of the RV was actually quite clean and even Dash couldn't find fault with it. There was a small sitting area just big enough for them all in the kitchen, and then in the rest of the RV was four small rooms with beds. The bathroom was incredibly small and the half-size bathtub almost seemed comical.
"The only two who would be able to use that thing comfortably are Paper Star and Delano," Crackle commented.
"We can just use the shower instead," Otterman replied, "We have everything we need here."
"Uh, guys?" Neal called from outside, "A little help, please?"
"Oh right," Otterman said, "There should be a handicap ramp around here somewhere for him."
Moose Boy had been silent this entire time and finally Otterman glanced over at him. Moose Boy was staring at his com with extreme focus and he didn't seem to notice anything happening around him.
"What are you doing, Henrik?"
Moose Boy didn't answer.
"Henrik?"
Moose Boy remained silent, his gaze still on his com.
"HENRIK," Otterman said loudly.
Moose Boy finally glanced up. "Hmm?"
"What are you doing?"
"Neal showed me this puzzle and I'm trying to solve it," Moose Boy replied, "I've been trying to figure it out for two hours now."
Otterman narrowed his eyes suspiciously and he shot a glare in Neal's direction. "Can I see?"
Moose Boy handed over his com and Otterman held it close so he could see it.
"Oh," Otterman said in surprise, "It's one of those optical illusion pictures. It's supposed to have some sort of hidden image in it, right?"
Moose Boy nodded. "Yeah, Neal said there's an Otter hidden in the picture but I can't find it anywhere. I was going to show you once I found it..."
Otterman shifted his eyes a bit and saw the image wasn't of an otter, but rather a very crude picture. He let out a sigh of annoyance and shot Neal a glare who had just been wheeled on board.
"Very mature, Neal," he called over.
Neal glanced over and when he saw the com, he grinned. "Oh? Did I not see the image correctly, love? It looked like an otter to me."
Otterman rolled his eyes and then handed Moose Boy his com back. "Neal was teasing you, there's no otter."
Moose Boy frowned at his com and then let out a huff of annoyance. "I knew it was just squiggles!"
Roosevelt started the engine and everyone was relieved when it started with no problem. As they pulled out of the airport parking lot, Otterman pulled his cashbox out of his shirt and handed each person a ten dollar bill.
"American money is worth a little more in Canada," he stated, "That should get us each a fast food combo."
Theodore glanced down at the two ten dollar bills in his hand and then looked down at Siren. He really doubted he'd be able to get him to eat anything and it had been a struggle to even get him to drink. They'd used the feeding tube before the flight but he knew his brother was likely getting hungry again.
"We'll need to stop to get Del food we can blend." he stated.
"We can stop after we eat," Roosevelt replied.
"We can't eat in front of him, that's mean," Theodore protested.
"I'm sure he won't mind," Neal said, wheeling over to them, "Maybe the smell of the food will entice him to eat on his own?"
"Oh...maybe," Theodore said hopefully, "He's never really liked fast food though. He always liked the fancier places."
"I see a Dairy Queen!" Roosevelt called back, "Should I pull over?"
"Dairy Queen is fine with me," Crackle stated.
"I don't care," Paper Star stated.
"Yeah, Dairy Queen sounds perfect, Roose!" Neal called over.
Roosevelt pulled into the parking lot and they were relieved to see it was still open. Everyone piled out of the van, and they made their way towards the door.
"Who speaks French?" Neal said, glancing around at his team.
No one spoke up and they exchanged a sudden look of realization. None of them spoke French and they were in Quebec.
"... skit ," Otterman muttered, "French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world! How come none of you speak it?!"
"Well, how come you don't?" Dash shot back.
"I already speak four languages fluently," Otterman shot back, "How many do you speak?"
"...two," Dash admitted with a wince.
Otterman let out a snort but didn't say anything more.
"No worries," Neal assured them, "If all else fails, just point at what you want."
When the team entered the restaurant, the cashier sighed at the large group of people and she glanced over at the clock which showed it was thirty minutes before closing.
"Bonjour, love!" Neal called over to her, "Parlez vous Anglais?"
The cashier winced at the bad pronunciation and then gave him a nod.
"Yes, most people can speak English in Montreal," the cashier replied, "Just to let you know we'll be closing shortly."
"We won't be long," Crackle assured her.
The cashier didn't seem very enthused but she managed to muster up a fake smile for them. "What can I get you?"
Crackle glanced up at the menu and made his choice, and the others placed their orders as well. They were the only customers in the store and Siren hesitantly let go of Theodore's hand. He wandered a short distance away, and the twins were both keeping a close eye on him worriedly. When Siren then headed into the nearby bathroom, Theodore immediately started after him but Crackle caught him by the arm.
"I'm sure he can manage in the bathroom alone, Teddy," he assured him, "There's no one else here and he'll be fine."
Theodore glanced over at Roosevelt who simply shrugged and so he gave Crackle a hesitant nod. The first order of fries were set on their tray and Neal immediately reached up to take one.
"Hey!" Dash scolded, "You don't know that one is yours!"
Neal didn't seem concerned. "Are you really going to begrudge me a fry, Dashie?"
"I only ordered fries and shake and so I don't have anything to spare," Dash retorted, "In fact, I had to pay two dollars of my own money."
Neal rolled his eyes. "The rest of us got real food and you got a $7 fancy milkshake," he pointed out, "I'm surprised you're drinking something like that."
Dash gave a shrug. "I had a craving for chocolate, and I figured this was a special occasion since we're on vacation. Sometimes a few extra calories are okay."
Neal smiled at him wide, and Dash felt his face redden. He'd finally begun eating normal meals and he felt better than he had in a long time. Cleo had starved him to the point he was sick, and so now his body was finally recovering.
Siren returned from the restroom and wandered the empty restaurant making sure his brothers were always in his line of sight.
The cashier began loading the trays with food and Dash helped Neal carry his tray to one of the tables. When he returned to the counter, he saw a tray with just fries on it and so he waited as everyone else claimed their food. Dash waited and waited and the cashier pointedly ignored him. After waiting five minutes, he grew impatient.
"Excuse me?" Dash finally called over to her.
She sighed and then came over to the counter. "Yes? How can I help you?"
"I didn't get my shake."
"Yes you did," the cashier stated, "If you want another one, you'll have to pay for it."
"I didn't get it!" Dash insisted, instantly getting annoyed.
The cashier crossed her arms. "I made it myself, Sir, and I gave you your milkshake."
Dash narrowed his eyes, fully prepared to make this cashier's existence miserable. "Does it look like I have it?" he snapped, "If you already made it, then where is it?"
The cashier pointed to his left and Dash turned and saw Siren standing a few feet away sipping on his milkshake while staring out the window.
"Delano stole my milkshake!" Dash cried out.
Everyone glanced up from their food and the twins were surprised. This was the first thing Siren had willingly eaten, and it was honestly a relief. He was holding onto that shake with a deathgrip and it was clear he wasn't letting go without a fight.
"Here, Dash," Otterman called over, holding out another ten dollar bill, "Order yourself another one. Del apparently decided he wanted a milkshake too."
Dash accepted the money, and honestly wasn't that upset over it. He doubted it was done maliciously, and was willing to let it slide. Turning back to the cashier, he felt a little embarrassed and he carefully didn't meet her gaze.
"Um...I'll have another shake, please."
"Apology accepted," she stated, "$7.45."
Dash meekly paid and then patiently waited as she made him a new shake. When she handed it over, he carried his tray over and sat down across from Neal. Everyone was in much better spirits now that they were eating and they laughed and chatted as the workers began cleaning the tables around them.
Siren was still aimlessly wandering around the dining room as he sipped on his milkshake, and his gaze settled on the flashing arcade game set up in the corner. He made no move to touch it but he stared at the flashing lights and bright colours curiously. He didn't notice when the workers stepped between him and where his brothers were sitting nearby, and simply sipped on the shake silently. The workers began mopping the floor and the sound caused Siren to turn around. When he saw he was suddenly cornered by strangers with no way out, his reaction was immediate.
Siren dropped the milkshake to the floor and then let out a terrified screech as he scrambled to get away from them. The workers jumped in surprise and when they didn't back away from him, Siren began grabbing anything and everything he could to throw at them. Napkins and forks were showered everywhere, and Siren was getting more and more panicked by the moment.
"Del!" Theodore called out, getting up from his seat as fast as he could.
Siren grabbed hold of the large condiment dispenser and before anyone could stop him, he threw it to the floor, a wave of ketchup, mustard and relish spraying everywhere. He was now completely hysterical, and the workers could only stare in shock and horror as he threw another pile of napkins at them. Just as he was reaching for the second condiment dispenser, Theodore reached him and yanked him away the counter. Siren immediately clung to him and began to sob, and Theodore scooped him up and headed for the door without a single word.
Crackle stared at the trashed restaurant and then at the shellshocked workers.
"Er...sorry about that, mates," he said, quickly grabbing the rest of his food and hurrying out the door.
There were a few more murmured apologies from the rest of Team Crackle and then they all hurried for the door. By the time the workers got over their shock, Team Crackle were already peeling out of the parking lot as fast as they could. The two teenagers looked out the window at the retreating RV and then at the enormous mess. They exchanged a long look of resignation and then got started on cleaning.
Siren kicked and struggled as Theodore tried to calm him down, and he screamed as loudly as he could. Theodore had both arms wrapped tightly around his brother so he couldn't hurt himself and he was speaking to him in a steady and calm tone of voice. Finally Siren began to calm down as they drove along the highway, and he simply buried himself into Theodore's side and cried.
"What happened?" Otterman asked.
"No idea," Neal replied, "One minute he was fine and the next he went full exorcist!"
"Something must have set him off, but I'm not sure what," Theodore stated, looking down at his little brother in worry, "He was just scared."
"I think it scared him when the two girls stepped between him and the rest of us," Paper Star observed, "I think he feels vulnerable being away from you, Ted."
"Come on, Del, it's okay," Theodore assured him, "No one's gonna hurt you. Roose and I are here and we'd never let anything happen to you!"
When Siren finally went quiet, Theodore looked him up and down and saw every inch of Siren was smeared in ketchup and mustard.
"Aw, Del, it's even in your hair," Theodore commented, "You're a mess!"
"How is he?" Roosevelt called from up front.
"He's okay, Roose," Theodore called back, "He just got scared."
"Do I need to beat anyone up?" Roosevelt demanded.
"No, not this time," Crackle responded in amusement.
"Sven, can Del borrow some more of your clothes?" Theodore asked, "You're the next smallest besides Shiko, and I'm not dressing Del in girls clothes!"
"Sure, I'll find you something," Otterman said, not mentioning the fact that all clothes Siren had worn up to that point had belonged to Paper Star.
Theodore nodded and then glanced down at Siren. "Come on, Del, let's get you cleaned up, alright?"
Siren said nothing, and so Theodore gently coaxed him to his feet, leading him to the tiny bathroom. A few moments later, they could hear the sound of water being run.
"Well, I have a feeling things are going to be interesting with Del around," Neal commented.
"I really hope he doesn't do that every time we stop for food," Crackle replied, looking a bit flustered.
Otterman let out a snort as he pulled out his ledger to make a few notes. "Yeah, like we can afford takeout for every meal, Graham."
Crackle gave him an alarmed look.
"There's a reason why I got an camper with a full kitchenette," he explained, looking through his neatly folded clothes, "We can cook our meals here and save tons of cash that way."
"Where am I going?" Roosevelt called back to them.
"There's a Walmart straight ahead a few kilometers," Otterman responded, "We can pick up a few groceries."
"What's a kilometer?" Roosevelt demanded.
Otterman sighed. "Just keep driving until you see a Walmart."
"Okay!"
Siren suddenly started to scream in pain and Crackle reacted instinctively and ran to the bathroom. Throwing open the door, stood in the doorway, and saw Siren was sitting naked in the bath fighting with Theodore who was trying to wash his hair.
"What's wrong?" Crackle demanded.
"His hair is all matted and I'm trying to untangle it," Theodore explained, ignoring the fist that connected with his chin, "I'm trying to be gentle, but the brush is pulling…I think I might need to just cut his hair off."
"Did you just say you're trying to brush out mats?!" Dash cried in horror from the other room.
"Yeah?" Theodore responded.
Dash suddenly shoved Crackle out of his way and forced his way into the tiny bathroom. "Unhand him, you big brute!" he snapped.
Theodore gave him a surprised look but did let go of Siren's hair. Siren took one last swing as his brother and then simply sat there looking very small and miserable.
"Out of my way," Dash ordered, as he pushed Theodore away from the bathtub, "I'm not letting you rip through his hair like a monster. Someone go get my toiletries bag."
Crackle felt like there was nothing else he could do, so he backed out of the bathroom and went to fetch Dash's bag. He returned a moment later and after giving Dash the bag, he left the room and closed the door.
They could hear Dash bossing the job and telling Theodore what to do and they suspected that Siren wouldn't let Dash touch him. Otterman had a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants Paper Star had offered when the twins weren't looking. She and Siren were pretty much the exact same size and so Otterman figured what the twins didn't know wouldn't bother them.
When Dash finally left the bathroom, Theodore came out with Siren wrapped in a towel and Otterman held out the clothes. Siren's hair was combed out and he was clean, but he seemed extremely agitated. He was struggling against Theodore and he kept trying to hit him. Theodore ignored the attacks and simply ushered his brother into the room with the rest of the team.
"Is our room the one in the very back?" Theodore asked, "I think Del has had a bit too much excitement for the day... He's started biting..."
"Yeah, it's the one in the very back with the King-size bed," Otterman answered, handing over the change of clothes.
"Okay, thanks," Theodore said, quickly ushering Siren out of the room.
"Sven?" Moose Boy asked, "Why exactly are we in Canada?"
"It's random and safe here," Otterman replied, looking a bit evasive and guilty.
Everyone else picked up on it instantly and Dash narrowed his eyes.
"Why here though?" Dash demanded.
"Is there anything you're not telling us, Sven?" Crackle said, giving him a warning look.
Otterman removed his glasses and then seemed entirely engrossed in wiping them clean.
"Sven…?" Crackle questioned suspiciously, "What did you do?"
Otterman let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped. "Our funds are extremely low and there's no way we could afford to stay in hiding without a bit of help…"
"What kind of help?" Neal asked with a frown.
Otterman averted his gaze sheepishly. "I may have arranged for us to...take on a few missions during our vacation…"
"WHAT?" Dash cried out.
"Aw man, not on our vacation!" Neal whined.
"Not cool, Sven," Paper Star snapped, pinching his arm hard.
"Ow!" Otterman protested, edging away from her, "Sorry, but I thought it would be the best thing considering our financial crisis!"
Crackle crossed his arms. "And when exactly were you planning on telling us about this?"
Otterman's cheeks coloured. "...when it was time for the mission?"
Crackle heaved a sigh. "Sven, I turned over all financial control to you, but not the leadership of this team. You do not take on missions without checking with me first, do you understand?"
Otterman meekly nodded.
"Who did you accept these missions from?"
"Aunt Alexandria," Otterman replied, "She gave us the first mission and will contact us with more when they come up."
Crackle wasn't happy that this was kept from him, but he knew Otterman was just trying to do the right thing. He heaved a sigh and gave him an annoyed look. "What's the first mission?"
"We have to destroy a sugar shack just outside of Montreal," Otterman replied.
"Ooooo, isn't a sugar shack where they make maple syrup?" Neal asked, "They make candy and stuff?"
Otterman nodded. "That's right."
"Why would The Void care about some stupid little sugar shack in Canada?" Dash demanded.
"They don't," Otterman replied, "But there's a large sugar shack in Vermont that does. Apparently they lost a valuable maple contract to this Canadian one, and they want them gone."
"Geez, I had no idea the maple business was so serious," Neal commented with a snicker.
"Serious enough to pay us two thousand dollars just to destroy one little sugar shack!"
Dash wrinkled his nose. "Wait...they're only paying us two thousand dollars? Why are we bothering with such a low-paying job? We could just rob a jewelry store or something."
"No, we're not drawing any attention to ourselves by pulling big jobs," Crackle said firmly, "I don't want to alert A.C.M.E or law enforcement to us while we're vulnerable."
"You mean me…" Neal stated uneasily, "because I'm vulnerable…"
"No, not just you," Crackle assured him, "All of us are recovering both physically and mentally from the last few months. We will take a couple months off from major crime and use this time to relax."
"When we're not burning down sugar shacks, you mean," Paper Star stated in amusement.
"This is such a minor crime that it shouldn't even be noticed by anyone important," Otterman explained, "Two thousand dollars won't last us long, but it should stretch until our next job if we're careful."
"You should have discussed this with me, but I'm going to allow this for now," Crackle stated, "When did you say the job was?"
"Tomorrow," Otterman said, "Once we've destroyed the sugar shack with pictures for evidence, I'll text Aunt Alexandria who then arranges a cash drop-off to us."
Crackle nodded. "Fine, but tell me the details of this mission."
As Otterman opened his notebook to show Crackle all his notes, Theodore slipped out of the bedroom quietly. Taking a seat on the couch beside Dash, he let out a breath of relief.
"He was just really tired, and he fell asleep right away," he announced quietly, "I really hope he snaps out of this soon. I want the old Del back!"
The others exchanged glances knowing with Siren's brain damage it was a very real possibility that he would never recover.
Neal cleared his throat awkwardly and then pulled a deck of cards out of seemingly nowhere. "Who's up for a game of poker?"
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They spent the night parked in the Walmart parking lot, and it was Crackle who woke first. Getting dressed, he saw it was only a little after six and decided to start breakfast for the others. He wasn't exactly a great cook, but he knew how to boil an egg and so he found a large pot under the sink and filled it with cold water. Grabbing a couple dozen eggs out of the fridge, he turned the stove on and then frowned. Nothing happened. He pressed and fiddled with the switches but the stove wasn't working.
"Great…" he said with a deep sigh, "What a wonderful start to our vacation."
Dumping the water down the sink, he put the eggs back in the fridge and then made his way to Otterman and Moose Boy's room. He knocked on the door and when he heard a sleepy reply, he opened the door and popped his head in. Otterman and Moose Boy were cuddled up in the bed and Otterman gave him a questioning look.
"What's up, Graham?" he asked, reaching for his glasses, "Is something wrong?"
"The stove doesn't work," he replied, "I was going to make us breakfast but it's completely dead."
Otterman sat up fast. "What? No!" he cried out loudly, "No, no ,no!"
He scrambled out of bed and then hurried for the kitchen to see for himself. He turned all the dials, checked the power cord, but the stove would not turn on.
" Skit !" Otterman swore, "We need to make our own meals or we're going to go bankrupt! We can't afford to eat out and we can't afford a new stove!"
"Could we afford to buy a cheap one after we pull this job?" Crackle asked.
"No, I have everything budgeted down to the last cent!" Otterman cried out, "Camper stoves are an extremely niche thing and there's no way we'll be able to find one cheap!"
Otterman's yells had woken the others and a very sleepy-looking Neal and Dash joined them a few moments later.
The twins came out and Theodore gave him a glare. "Shh! Keep it down! You're going to wake Del!"
"..sorry," Otterman said, lowering his voice.
"What's going on, love?" Neal asked.
Otterman simply groaned and didn't answer.
"The stove doesn't work," Crackle explained.
"McDonalds is open," Neal pointed out, "Why don't we go grab some egg mcmuffins?"
"We can't afford to eat out three meals a day!" Otterman said in distress.
Paper Star patted him on the back and offered him a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out," she told him, "We always do."
"Let's go to McDonalds for breakfast and when we get back, I'll see if I can repair the stove," Crackle said.
Otterman sighed but he gave him a resigned nod. "I'll go get us some cash."
Otterman went back to his bedroom and saw Moose Boy was sitting up in bed looking confused. "Are you alright, Sven?"
"We're going to McDonalds for breakfast, do you want anything?"
Moose Boy was barely awake and he shook his head. "No, I don't want any food, but could you maybe bring me back a coffee?"
Otterman nodded as he got dressed, and he slipped the cashbox into his hoodie out of sight. "If you're not coming, maybe you could babysit Delano so Double Trouble can get some food?"
Moose Boy rubbed at his eyes. "Sure, no problem."
"He's still in bed so hopefully he doesn't wake up before we get back…"
"We'll be fine," Moose Boy assured him.
Otterman nodded and left the room and saw the others waiting for him.
"Henrik said he would watch Delano so we could all get breakfast," he informed them.
Theodore instantly looked alarmed. "Er, no that's okay. I'll stay behind while you guys go…"
"Your brother will be fine," Crackle assured him, "He's still asleep and we're not going to be gone more than twenty or thirty minutes. We'll get out breakfast and be back before he even notices."
"Why do I need to go?" Theodore demanded, "I don't want to leave him by himself, he'll get scared."
"He won't be by himself, love, Henrik is here. Everything will be right as."
"I don't feel comfortable with that," Theodore replied.
Roosevelt rolled his eyes. "If you don't come, I'm gonna order you a salad or something," he threatened, "Del is a really heavy sleeper, and he won't wake up for hours."
Theodore looked conflicted but then his stomach gave a loud growl and he nodded. Walking a few steps up the hallway, he poked his head in Otterman and Moose Boy's room to make sure the other man was awake. Moose Boy was playing on his com and he glanced up when Theodore looked in.
"If Del wakes up, call us and we'll come back."
Moose Boy nodded. "Sure."
Theodore returned the nod and a few minutes later they all headed towards the Walmart to visit the McDonalds inside. Moose Boy played a game for a few minutes but he was still drowsy. Before he realized it, he'd fallen back asleep.
A loud thump against the side of the RV woke Siren a few minutes later, and he rolled over in bed, still feeling incredibly sleepy. He buried himself in the warm blankets and started drifting back to sleep. There was a second loud thump against the wall and then he could hear furious screaming in French. Siren's eyes cracked open in confusion. French? Why was he hearing French? He then realized he was not in the lab.
The second he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of three furry faces staring down at him. He was not expecting to see cats, and was startled.
Sitting up fast, Siren glanced all around and saw he was in a tiny room that barely fit a bed. The walls seemed to be metal, and he had no idea where he was. Raising a hand up to his head, he was disconcerted when he realized there were three cats on the bed with him. Siren hadn't seen a cat in over ten years and so he simply stared. There were two young cats, one of which was wearing a sweater, and then a massive mean-looking cat with one eye.
Siren then raised a hand to his head. "Dammit, Numa, what the fuck did you drug me with?"
Reaching out a hesitant hand he petted the orange cat in the sweater who immediately began to purr. When Siren reached for the long-haired cat however, he was rewarded with a hard bite to the hand. Jerking his hand back with a curse, he rubbed at his eyes, still having no idea what was going on.
Raising a hand to his head, he realized his hair had been combed out at some point, and he grew even more confused.
Pulling aside the blankets, he shivered at the cold air and saw he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that he didn't recognize. What had happened? Struggling to remember, Siren felt his headache worsen and he rubbed at his temple with a wince. He remembered the attack on the lab, a lot of gunfire, and everything burning, but nothing after that. What happened? Who won? Where was Team Red?
Getting up from the bed, Siren fully opened the sliding door and saw he was at the end of a narrow hallway. Cautiously making his way down the hallway, he saw several empty rooms, and then he entered a small kitchen/living space. There didn't seem to be anyone here and Siren glanced out of the windows. He definitely wasn't expecting the sight of a Walmart directly in front of him. He blinked in disbelief and then opened the door and stepped outside. He stared at the RV, and then over at the two men that were fistfighting nearby. They were screaming at each other in French and Siren assumed they were what woke him up.
Something suddenly rubbed against his legs and he glanced down and saw the sweater cat had followed him outside. Kneeling down and picking the cat up, he stared into two big green eyes, still not convinced this wasn't a hallucination. Findus squirmed out of his hands and climbed up, laying across his shoulders like she normally did with Otterman.
"...I'm losing my mind…" Siren muttered to himself.
He turned his attention back to the two men fighting and realized immediately that they weren't just speaking French, they were speaking Quebecois. He then glanced back to the Walmart. Why the hell was he in Canada?!
Knowing that this couldn't mean anything good, he hurried away down the street, ignoring the fact he was still in his sock feet. His suspicions he was in Canada were confirmed as he walked down the street and saw every sign was in French. It was cold and his socks were quickly getting soaked from the snow-covered sidewalks. He walked hurriedly for about twenty minutes, his headache finally getting too bad to ignore. Rubbing at his temples, he shivered and knew he needed to get out of the cold before he froze to death.
Approaching a busy cafe, he purposely bumped into a suited man and then slipped into the warm cafe. Opening the stolen wallet to see how much he got, he pocketed the few hundred dollars and then tossed the wallet into the trash. Waiting in line, he studied the menu and had no idea why there were fifty different flavours of coffee. He was still trying to narrow down his choices when it was his turn to be served five minutes later.
[[Sorry, Sir, but there are no pets allowed in this restaurant,]] the cashier informed him in French.
Siren simply stared at her. [[What pet? What are you talking about?]] he responded in perfect Canadian French.
The cashier frowned at him. [[Your cat can't come inside the restaurant due to health code violations.]]
[[I don't have a cat,]] Siren informed her impatiently, [[Now are you going to take my order or not?]]
The cashier wordlessly pointed at Findus.
Siren had completely forgotten about Findus, and glanced at the sleeping cat on his shoulders. Her fur had helped keep him warm while walking and he now had no idea what to do with her.
[[..oh,]] he stated, [[He's a...seeing eye dog?]]
The cashier raised a brow and then rolled her eyes with a sigh. [[What can I get you?]]
[[Large mocha espresso latte with double sugar.]]
The cashier nodded and rang in his order. [[And can I interest you in one of our fresh baked muffins this morning?]]
[[If I wanted a muffin, I would have ordered a muffin,]] Siren said rudely, [[Just the coffee.]]
The cashier seemed completely done with him at this point and she narrowed her eyes. [[$7.95, and there's no need to be rude. We have to ask every customer about add-ons or we get in trouble.]]
[[And that is my problem how?]] Siren retorted, [[I am very tired, very cold and all I want is a fucking coffee!]]
[[I make minimum wage and I'm not paid enough to be abused by the customers,]] she informed him angrily, [[In about two seconds you're going to be banned from this store.]]
[[Fine, I'll stop being rude,]] Siren stated, not really wanting to go back outside just yet, [[Now may I please pay for the coffee I've been trying to order?]]
The cashier glared at him. [[$7.95.]]
Siren handed over a twenty and then waited for his change. Once she handed it over he held up a nickel and dropped it into the tip jar with a meaningful look. The cashier simply rolled her eyes and turned to the next customer.
Siren waited to the side and once he had his coffee, he found an empty seat and knew he had to figure out what he was going to do next.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Team Crackle were in good spirits as they headed across the parking lot towards the RV. They all had a massive breakfast (much to Otterman's annoyance) and now they were all set to head for their mission. As they approached the RV, they were surprised when Steve trotted over to them to greet Dash with a loud meow.
"Steve?!" Dash cried out in horror, "How did you get outside?!"
Glancing over, they saw Hermes was wandering the parking lot and Crackle hurried over to catch him. Otterman then became panicked and he ran for the RV, horrified to see the door was open.
"Findus?" he called out, "Findus, where are you?"
There was no sign of the cat in the RV and Otterman felt himself beginning to hyperventilate.
"Findus is gone!" he cried out in horror, "Someone stole Findus!"
Crackle and Dash put their cats away in their rooms and closed the doors.
"Sven, why would someone steal Findus?" Crackle said, trying to be the voice of reason, "She's probably just hiding under one of the beds."
"No, she would come to me!" Otterman cried out in distress, "She always comes when I call her! Someone took her!"
"Come on, we'll help you look," Dash assured him.
"We'll help too," Theodore said.
"Why was the door open?" Neal asked, "We closed it when we left."
As everyone began searching every corner of the RV, Otterman stormed into his room to confront Moose Boy. When he saw him asleep in bed, he became furious and began yelling at him in Swedish.
[[Henrik, what the hell are doing back in bed?]] he yelled, [[Someone stole Findus and you didn't stop them!]]
Moose Boy jerked awake and when he gave Otterman a confused look, Otterman whipped a box of tissues at his head.
Otterman let loose with a torrent of curses at the other man, and Moose Boy was instantly ashamed as he realized what had happened.
[[Sven, I'm sorry!]] he cried out, [[I didn't mean to fall asleep! It was an accident! I'll help you find Findus!]]
There was suddenly a roar of alarm from the twins and a second later they were standing in the doorway wild-eyed and pale as a ghost.
"Where's Delano?!" Theodore cried out, "Where did Del go?!"
Otterman's eyes widened. "Oh no! He must have been the one to let the cats out!"
"I trusted you!" Theodore bellowed at Moose Boy, "I trusted you and you lost him!"
Moose Boy had never felt more ashamed in his life and he hung his head. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"
Roosevelt punched the wall hard enough to leave a dent and then the twins ran for the door.
"We'll all split up and look for him," Crackle said, "If anyone sees Delano or Findus, use your coms to let the rest of us know!"
Everyone paired up and they split into different directions to begin the hunt. Moose Boy went with Otterman who was so mad at him he wouldn't even look at him or speak to him. Moose Boy kept trying to apologize but when it was clear that wasn't working, he fell silent and simply walked after his partner making sure he didn't stumble into anything.
Otterman was so furious about what Moose Boy had done, that he knew this wasn't going to blow over anytime soon. Swiping a hand across his eyes as he walked, his vision kept blurring because of the tears he was trying to hold back. Finally he had to stop walking, and Moose Boy placed a gentle hand on his back. Otterman slapped his hand away and turned furious eyes on him.
"No, Henrik, just...no."
"Sven, I'm really sorry! I swear it was an accident!"
Otterman took a deep breath. "I thought you were starting to be more careful about things, but I was wrong. You're still the same damn dunderhead who always messes everything up!"
That really stung and Moose Boy hunched his shoulders, knowing he'd really messed up this time. It hadn't been cash or an artifact he'd lost, this time it was a live human and Otterman's beloved cat.
"I'm going to be really careful from now on!" Moose Boy promised, "This will never happen again, I promise! I'm sorry!"
"How can I possibly believe that?!" Otterman said, wiping more tears from his face, "We're getting married but you still can't be trusted with anything important! How could I ever trust you with a child if I can't even trust you with a cat?"
Moose Boy's eyes went impossibly wide. "Child?! What child?"
Otterman didn't answer.
"Sven, are you pregnant?!"
Otterman gaped at him in disbelief for a moment and then he let out a groan and clapped his hands to his face. "I can't...I just can't deal with you right now."
Without another word, Otterman stormed away from him and Moose Boy hurried after him. "No, no, we're talking about this!" he insisted, "What child? What are you talking about?"
Otterman let out a frustrated groan. "I just had this stupid little hope that once we were married we could settle down and have a normal life. Adopt a couple kids, live in a house with a little white picket fence, maybe raise a few chickens."
Moose Boy frowned down at him.
"I see now that we could never have that life, Henrik. How could I trust that you wouldn't fall asleep or forget about our children in a hot car? How could I ever trust you to care for another life after today?"
Moose Boy's expression crumpled. "I...didn't know you wanted children…"
"Maybe?" Otterman said, avoiding his gaze, "I don't know anymore….I just...I just don't know."
Moose Boy reached towards him but before his fingers made contact he thought better of it and withdrew his hand. He knew he'd really messed up and he had no idea how to make things right. He followed along silently behind Otterman, feeling like a complete idiot. He really wanted to comfort Otterman and give him a really good hug, but he knew it wouldn't go over well. He had to let Otterman calm down and then he could work on making it up to him.
As they walked along the busy streets, Moose Boy gazed into the shops, hoping to see Siren somewhere inside. He desperately hoped Findus hadn't been struck by a car, and knew Otterman would likely never forgive him if that happened. He felt so stupid and he knew all of this was his fault. If he had gotten up instead of going back to sleep, none of this would've happened.
Moose Boy walked in complete silence for twenty minutes and then his gaze fell on someone sitting inside the nearby coffee shop. He stopped walking and gazed into the window and saw Siren calmly sipping a coffee with Findus asleep on his shoulders.
"SVEN!" Moose Boy called out excitedly.
Otterman paused and glared over at him. "What?"
"There's Delano, and he has Findus with him!"
Otterman turned towards the cafe but couldn't see well enough to see Siren clearly. He took Moose Boy's word for it however, and hurried for the door. Once inside the shop, he pressed his com and gave their location to the rest of the team. Otterman approached Siren's table who wasn't paying anyone else any attention.
"There you are!" Otterman said in relief, "We were looking everywhere for you!"
Siren's head snapped around to look at him and there was no recognition in his eyes. Findus leapt off his shoulders over to Otterman and Siren now knew these were the people who had taken him. Without a single word, Siren threw his coffee straight into Otterman's face.
When there were no screams of agony from Otterman, Siren realized his coffee must have gone cold, and so he grabbed a butterknife off the table and held it up threateningly.
Otterman sputtered in surprise at suddenly being soaked, and then he wiped the barely warm coffee out of his eyes. He hugged Findus tightly, and stared down at Siren who was glancing around for a way to escape.
"Come on, Del, we need to get back to the camper. Everyone's been really worried about you," Otterman told him gently.
Otterman reached out for his hand and Siren jerked back and narrowed his eyes. Without any hesitation, he stabbed Otterman in the hand with the butterknife as hard as he could and then took off running for the door.
"Ow!" Otterman cried out in surprise, "He stabbed me!"
The butterknife didn't break the skin but Otterman still rubbed at his hand as Siren fled.
Siren ran face first into Moose Boy who blocked the door, and he was seized before he had a chance to scramble away. Siren sunk his teeth into Moose Boy's arm but the other man didn't loosen his hold in the least. Screaming and struggling, Siren realized the enemy had him and he had no idea what they were planning on doing with him. He fought and struggled with all his might, but he was no match for Moose Boy's strength.
"It's okay, Del," Otterman assured him in a gentle tone of voice, "You don't have to be scared of us!"
"Go fuck yourself, four-eyes!" Siren snarled, aiming a kick at him.
Otterman got a foot to the gut and he gasped in pain, and then he stared at Siren in surprise. This was the first thing Siren had said to anyone, and Otterman stepped back as Siren tried to kick him again.
"You stop that!" Moose Boy scolded, "Stop trying to hurt, Sven!"
Siren kicked and fought even harder and so Moose Boy simply tucked him underneath an arm like a football and then headed out of the cafe ignoring all the horrified stares from the other customers.
"Er, don't worry, we're his family," Otterman explained before hurrying after them.
Siren kicked and clawed at Moose Boy to no avail as they walked up the street, and soon he became aware of more people joining them.
"Whoa, he's really having a fit!" Neal observed.
"Is he okay?" Dash asked.
Siren aimed a kick at Dash who stepped back away from him before it could land. Moose Boy held him as easily as one would a child, and Siren knew he would not be getting away. He had to change tactics otherwise they were going to drag him back as their prisoner.
"Ouch! You're hurting me!" Siren yelled out, "Stop! Ow! Owww!"
"He can talk!" Crackle exclaimed in surprise.
"Ahhh!" Siren screeched out, acting like he was in agony.
Moose Boy let out a gasp and immediately set Siren down who drove his foot into Moose Boy's crotch as hard as he could. As Moose Boy hit the pavement clutching his genitals, Siren took off running.
"Go after him!" Otterman yelled as he kneeled down to check on his partner.
Crackle and Dash took off after him and Siren ran as fast as he could down the street wishing he was in better shape. He slipped on the ice in his sock feet and when he got back to his feet, the others were closing in. Crackle caught up to him first and the second he reached out to grab him, Siren lashed out and kicked him in the crotch as well. Before he had time to lash out again, Dash grabbed hold of him and tossed him over his shoulder. Siren screamed and kicked, but he had no leverage at all. He threw Dash's hat off into traffic just to be vindictive, and Dash let out a curse as a car ran over it.
Siren continued to kick and thrash, but he couldn't land a single hit on Dash. Knowing he was defeated, Siren began to sob, having no idea who these people were and what they wanted with him. Were they going to kill him? Did they work for Vess?
"Del?" a voice suddenly called out.
Siren looked up and his gaze fell on Theodore and Roosevelt running down the sidewalk towards him. He stared in shock and then he began to struggle with renewed energy. He now recognized exactly who Team Crackle were and knew he had been rescued.
"Ted? Roose?!" he screamed out for them, swinging his fists uselessly at Dash.
Dash gently set him down on his feet, and Siren didn't hesitate to kick Dash in the knee and then he ran for his brothers. Throwing his arms around the closest brother, he hugged Roosevelt as tightly as he could, sobbing in pure relief. He honestly thought he'd never see his brothers again, and he was happier than he could ever remember.
"What's wrong? Why is he crying?" Roosevelt demanded, "Did he get hurt?"
Dash scowled and rubbed at his knee. "Not yet," he snapped.
"Roose…" Siren whispered, "I missed you so much!"
Roosevelt's eyes widened and he and Theodore bent down to his level.
"Del? Do you know who we are?!" Theodore asked hopefully.
Siren let go of Roosevelt so he could hug Theodore and he was crying too hard to say anything.
"Del?" Theodore questioned.
"I missed you.." Siren managed to choke out, "That lab was pure hell. I missed you so much!"
"Oh, you're back, you're really back!" Theodore cried out in relief, "You had us so worried! You've been with us for days but you wouldn't snap out of it!"
Siren realized he must have dissociated and hadn't even known he'd been reunited with his brothers. From what Terry had told him, he knew he pretty much acted on instinct when in a confused state. He hugged Theodore even tighter, knowing now that he was finally safe. After ten years of constant fear, constant pain, and constant danger, he finally was in the safest place possible. His brothers would protect him no matter what, and Siren felt like an enormous weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Theodore planted a kiss on top of Siren's head and then pointed over at the rest of the team.
"This is our team, Delano, they're our found family and now you're part of it too. They helped us rescue you from the lab!"
Siren glanced over his shoulder at Team Crackle and narrowed his eyes to slits.
"This is Graham, he's the leader of our team," Theodore introduced.
Crackle was still in pain from the crotch-shot but he still offered Siren a friendly nod. "Good to meet ya, mate."
Siren said nothing.
"This is Neal, and this is Dash," Theodore went on to explain, and Siren glanced over at them.
Dash was trying unsuccessfully to fix his flattened hat and he didn't seem to be paying attention. Neal grinned at Siren wide, his buck teeth never more obvious, and Siren moved a little closer to his brothers nervously.
"That's Sven with the glasses and Henrik is the big blond."
Siren glared at them both, but he didn't say a single word.
"And this is Shiko," Roosevelt introduced, wrapping an arm around Paper Star, "She's my girlfriend."
Siren narrowed his eyes even further and stared at the arm around her. Paper Star gave him a questioning look, and he turned away from her.
"Oh, Del, you're not wearing shoes!" Theodore cried out, "You must be freezing!"
Siren glanced down at his wet socks. "Not really...well, maybe a little but I-"
Before Siren had a chance to say another word, Theodore scooped him up into his arms.
"Come on, let's get you back to the warm RV and then we can chat."
Siren glared over at Team Crackle, and knew he would soon be leaving this rag-tag team with his brothers. His brothers had always done everything he wanted, and he had no interest in being anywhere near these strangers. He would find out what happened at the lab and then he'd talk his brothers into leaving Team Crackle.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Siren was seated between his brothers on the couch wrapped in two thick warm blankets, and he was listening to Crackle explain everything about their team and the missions they'd been on. Siren didn't interrupt and he remained completely silent, wanting to learn every bit of information he could about these strangers.
When the explanations finally got to the raid on the lab, Theodore took over and told him about Vess' death and how they'd torn Michael limb from limb. Siren stared up at him with wide eyes and remembered none of this. He'd killed Vess and he'd had no idea! The only thing he could feel in that moment was extreme relief and a regret that he couldn't remember it. He wanted to know the look in Vess' eyes as he drove that knife into his chest. Did he say anything? How did he react?
Siren thought of Michael dying and knew that was also for the best. Michael had been too corrupted by Vess and there was no hope for him. He was a monster and the world was a better place without him.
The lab was completely destroyed and no one knew he was alive. V.I.L.E would assume he died in the fire and so he was finally free.
Not existing was perfect, and Siren knew he and his brothers could just slip off into hiding and V.I.L.E would never find them.
"Volkov searched the lab?" Siren asked once Theodore was done.
Crackle nodded. "They were identifying bodies the last time I heard."
Siren hesitated and clenched his hands into fists. "...did they find the body of a child in the lab? A small girl about five years old?"
Otterman cocked his head. "Do you mean, Diana Devineaux?"
Siren turned to look at him in surprise.
"Team Red got her out safely," Crackle stated, "She was taken to the hospital and she's going to be fine."
Siren didn't believe him and glanced up at his brothers. "She was incredibly sick…"
Roosevelt nodded. "The doctors gave her a new liver and kidney, and I think they gave her blood too. She's with her father now."
Siren felt unbelievably relieved and he closed his eyes for a moment as he finally began to relax. He'd been sure DD had died in the lab and knowing she was finally safe made him feel unspeakably grateful. Siren normally hated children, as well as most adults, but there had been something special about DD that had made him feel sorry for her. She'd seemed so small and alone, and she had reminded him of Mime Bomb.
"And Yuri? Did Yuri get out in time?"
"Yes, Yuri's safe and with his team," Otterman assured him.
Siren nodded, and glanced around the incredibly cramped RV. He knew it was smart for Team Crackle to lay low for a while, but the entire idea of staying together seemed stupid and risky. They'd stand a better chance if they split up, but apparently logic wasn't what governed this team.
Siren glanced up at Theodore. "I can book us a flight under aliases and we can be out of here within the day. I suggest we go somewhere really warm, but also really poor so that no one asks any questions. If you have a laptop, I can book us flights making sure the credit card can't be traced. Do you have everything you need here? How soon can we go?"
Theodore and Roosevelt simply stared down at him in confusion.
"Del, we can't leave yet, we have a mission to complete," Theodore explained, "We're supposed to destroy some sort of tree farm thingy."
Siren shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. We're leaving this team and going into hiding. I can have our new passports ready in less than an hour once I have a computer."
Roosevelt patted Siren on the head. "No, Del, we're not leaving our team. This is where we belong now. This is where you belong. This is our family."
"I'm your family," Siren corrected, completely taken aback.
"Yes, and now our family is bigger," Theodore said, "Just wait until you get to know everyone and I know you'll really get to love them too."
Siren glared around the room at Team Crackle and narrowed his eyes. "No."
"Come on, Del, don't be like that," Theodore gently scolded.
"No." Siren said more firmly, "I don't want to know them. We're leaving."
"Come on, Del, let's go talk about this alright?" Theodore said, pulling Siren up to his feet.
"There's nothing to talk about! I'm not joining a team!" Siren snapped, "We're leaving!"
"You don't understand, Del," Theodore told him gently, "Listen to what we have to say and we can talk about this."
Theodore ushered him in the direction of the bedroom and Roosevelt followed behind looking a bit confused. They closed the door and the rest of Team Crackle could then hear a massive argument take place. Theodore spoke calmly the entire time, but Siren was quick to get aggravated. After a while, Roosevelt slipped out of the room, looking rather upset.
"Everything all right in there, Roose?" Paper Star asked.
"Del doesn't want us to be part of the team anymore and he's upset that we won't leave. He and Ted are still fighting about it. We just got him back, and I don't like that we're already making him upset."
"That's hardly your fault," Dash pointed out, "He can't come back after ten years and expect you to just drop everything in your life immediately."
Roosevelt looked even more troubled. "We always did before...we always did everything he wanted without question, but Ted and I aren't kids anymore and we've made lives for ourselves. Del has nothing left but us, and...it's going to take him a while to adjust to new people."
Neal reached out and patted Roosevelt on the arm. "He just doesn't know us yet. Don't worry, we'll win him over. Soon he'll be part of our little family too. We'll be best friends in no time!"
Roosevelt didn't look at all reassured. "Del has never liked people…"
"Just give him time," Otterman assured him, "Now are we ready to get going on the mission? We're already really behind schedule!"
Crackle and Roosevelt both nodded and so Otterman followed Roosevelt to the front of the RV to give him directions on where to go.
Team Crackle continued sitting there awkwardly in the tiny living room, hearing every word Siren yelled at Theodore. Siren was not being very nice in his assumptions about the team, but it was none of their business and so everyone pretended they couldn't hear it. When Theodore finally left the room, he was looking upset as well, and he simply took a seat next to Paper Star and let out a deep sigh.
"Del isn't happy..." he commented.
"Really?" Dash replied sarcastically, "We never could have guessed."
"He's not mad for real," Theodore stated, "Just confused and frustrated. He's stubborn and this will take some time…"
Crackle frowned and glanced towards the bedroom. "Should I go talk to him?"
Theodore immediately shook his head. "No, the more anyone pushes him, the more stubborn he gets. Let him sulk for a while and he'll eventually calm down. He doesn't trust anyone new, so this might be a while before he accepts everyone…"
Crackle nodded. "Will he be alright while we complete our mission? We should be arriving to the sugar shack soon."
"I was going to stay with him," Theodore explained, "This mission seems easy and you probably won't need me."
Crackle didn't like being without half of his team's muscle, but he knew Theodore had a point. Destroying a sugar shack was something so basic that a new graduate would be able to do it solo. He could spare Theodore this time, but the next mission might not be so easy.
Crackle nodded. "We'll be without Neal as well, and so stay within earshot in case we need you."
Theodore nodded in return.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Siren was curled up on the large bed glaring at the wall. His brothers had always caved in to his every demand when they were kids, and even when they were in V.I.L.E academy, he'd been the brains of the operation. The twins had always trusted his judgement and followed his lead without question, but now everything was different. Ten years was a long time, and his brothers had matured and grown as adults without him. Siren's mind had been stagnated while they continued to see the world and gain experiences. They were independent and made decisions for themselves and Siren didn't like it.
Siren still remembered his brothers as they were ten years ago, and because of his confusion it felt like it was just months ago. Siren had missed out on so much of their lives, and now he realized he'd been left behind. His brothers didn't need him anymore and they were more than capable of taking care of themselves. Siren, however, wasn't ready for this. He needed his brothers, especially after everything that had happened.
Siren had hugged Theodore as tightly as he could while they argued, not actually very angry, just frustrated, and Theodore had been sympathetic but unmoving. His brothers didn't want to leave the team, and there was nothing Siren could do about it. Siren didn't put up too much of a fight other than arguing, not wanting to upset his brothers after just getting them back. This would require a bit of planning and a bit of patience, and Siren felt certain he would eventually get his way.
Theodore had left him to sulk for a while, but promised he'd be back in a few minutes to check on him. Siren laid there for about ten minutes and wanted to rejoin his brothers in the other room, but he didn't want to interact with Team Crackle. Although feeling a little lonely, he stubbornly remained where he was.
When he felt the RV slowing down and then coming to a stop, Theodore popped his head in the room.
"The others are going to complete the mission and I need to be outside in case they need me. Do you want to stay in here or come out with Neal and I?"
Siren sat up. He had no interest in being anywhere near Neal, but he wanted to spend some time with his brother. They had ten full years to catch up on, and he didn't want to be alone right now. He would have refused if he'd had to be near the entire team, but if it was just one person then he could tolerate that.
"I'll come," Siren told him, pushing aside the blankets.
"It's cold out so you can borrow one of my hoodies," Theodore told him, tossing one over, "Your sneakers are under the bed."
Siren caught the absolutely massive hoodie and was going to point out the obvious flaw in this, but then simply nodded instead.
"I'm going to help Neal out of the RV and we'll be just outside, alright?"
Siren gave him another nod.
Theodore left the room and Siren slipped the huge hoodie over his head, the fabric going all the way down to his knees. His arms didn't come anywhere near the end of the sleeves and so he pushed them up and then knelt down so he could look for his sneakers. He found his ratty and hole-filled sneakers and yanked them on without untying the laces. When he straightened up, he caught sight of his Ipod, cigarettes and V.I.L.E card sitting on the bedside table and grabbed them without hesitation. He was relieved at the sight of his smokes, craving one incredibly badly. He wasn't sure how long it had been since his last one, but he had every intention of smoking half the pack.
He wondered if any of Team Crackle were smokers and whether anyone would care if he smoked in the RV. Not quite rude enough to smoke inside without checking first, he pocketed his belongings and headed for the door.
Sliding open the bedroom door, he stepped over the large orange cat who angrily swiped at his legs as he passed her by. He glared at the cat, who hissed at him in return. Siren had never owned a pet and honestly wasn't too sure about animals. Was this normal behaviour for a cat? He didn't hate animals, he just had absolutely no experience with them. The sweater cat had seemed pretty friendly and so he assumed the longhaired cat was just an asshole.
Siren found Theodore outside with Neal who were both trying to adjust the backrest on the wheelchair.
"Hello!" Neal greeted him immediately, "Awww look at you in that hoodie! You're swimming in it like a little kid."
Siren quickly stepped around Neal to stand on his brother's other side away from him. Neal leaned out of his chair so he could see him, still offering him a friendly smile.
"Teddy told us you like to sing," Neal said, trying his best to make friends, "What sort of music do you like?"
Siren pulled up the hood and looked away from him. "Don't talk to me."
"Del," Theodore scolded, "Don't be rude."
Siren didn't say anything and instead turned his attention to the area around them. There were several dozen wooden buildings and they were surrounded by trees on all sides. There was no sign of the rest of Team Crackle, but he could see several tour groups and some sort of gift shop.
Siren pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it, keeping his gaze on the crowds of people in the distance. He definitely wasn't expecting the cigarette to be snatched out of his mouth before he'd barely taken a puff. Looking up in shock, he saw Theodore was giving him an incredibly disapproving look. He dropped the lit cigarette to the ground and then stepped on it.
"I don't think so," Theodore informed him firmly.
Siren stared up at him in disbelief. "Ted...I'm a smoker," he informed him, "If you don't like the smell of it, I'll step away a bit."
"No, smoking is bad for you," Theodore stated.
"I'll take the chance," Siren responded, lighting a second smoke.
Theodore snatched it out of his hand and ground it out like he did the first one. "No more smoking," he said, his tone making it clear this wasn't negotiable, "You'll get cancer."
"Ted, I'm twenty-eight years old. If I want to take the chance, then I will," Siren argued, opening the pack to take out a third smoke.
Before he could, Theodore reached down and snatched the pack out of his hands. He crushed it in his fist and then tossed it into the nearby trash can. Siren was in complete disbelief and simply stared at him.
"You've now quit," Theodore informed him, "I just got you back, and I'm not letting you hurt yourself. No smoking."
Siren gaped at him in silence having no idea what to say to that. He didn't want to fight or argue with his brother after just reuniting, and so he knew he'd just have to sneak cigarettes when his brothers weren't around.
His craving was the only thing he could think of at the moment and he found his gaze going back to the nearby gift shop. Would they sell smokes there? He wasn't sure how much time had passed since his last cigarette, but he'd never wanted one more in his life.
Siren gave a light tug to Theodore's sleeve and then pointed towards the gift shop. "Let's go over there for a while and look in the tacky tourist shop."
"Sorry, Del, but we gotta stay outside where we can keep an eye on the rest of the team," Theodore said apologetically, "They might need us."
"I want to take a look in the shop," Siren informed him, "I honestly don't give a shit about your team."
Neal blinked at him in surprise and then let out a snort of laughter. Theodore frowned down at his little brother, having a feeling this was going to be another argument. He'd forgotten how much Siren liked to argue about absolutely everything, and he set a hand on top of his brother's head with a sigh.
"Come on, Del, I missed you and we should spend a bit of time together. How about if we look around outside a bit and then if everything goes well, we might be able to take a quick look in the shop?"
Siren really wanted a cigarette and his gaze was still on the shop. "No. You can stay here and I'll go to the shop."
Theodore internally panicked at the thought of his brother being out of his sight and he immediately shook his head and grabbed Siren by the arm.
"No, it's not safe, I want you to stay with me," Theodore said.
Siren looked up at him. "What the hell do you think will happen to me on a Canadian maple farm?"
"You gotta watch out for those sneaky Canadians," Neal teased, "You never know what they might be planning."
Siren pretended he didn't hear him and simply let out a deep sigh, not going to fight about it. He followed Theodore and Neal as they joined a group of tourists and he stood there listening to some woman explaining how to make maple snow. He was disgusted when she pointed to a row of frozen maple snow-pops next to her feet and she invited everyone to take one. Theodore and Neal accepted one without hesitation but Siren refused.
He watched in disgust as they ate the treats, unable to believe they were eating something off the ground. There could be pollution or bugs in that snow!
Glancing around, his gaze went back to the gift shop. His brother and Neal were busy trying their hand at making one of the maple pops, and they weren't paying him any attention. Slowly backing away out of the crowd, Siren left and headed for the shop.
The store was a typical tacky tourist gift shop and it was full to the brim with souvenirs and other merchandise. Grabbing a Pepsi out of the cooler, he approached the counter and set it down.
"Is that everything?" the cashier asked him with a smile.
"I don't care what brand, but I want a pack of smokes."
The lady opened the cabinet behind her and selected a blue package. "Canadian Classic regulars?" she questioned.
"Fine, whatever, but I'll take two"
Setting them on the counter the cashier eyed him for a moment, trying to judge his age. He looked to be late teens to her, and she was a bit suspicious. "Can I see some I.D?" she demanded.
Siren glared at her. "I'm twenty-eight."
The woman wordlessly pointed to the large sign on the counter and Siren glanced at it.
'If you look under 40, you will be I.D-ed for all tobacco purchases'
Siren had no identification, and he was immediately frustrated. "This is ridiculous! I'm twenty-eight!"
"I'm sorry, but this is law," the woman replied with a shrug, "If I don't see I.D, then I could lose my licensing."
Siren took a deep breath about to let loose a full tantrum at this lady when suddenly there was a massive explosion and the entire shop shook, causing everything to fall off the shelves. The woman clutched the counter to avoid falling and Siren barely caught himself against a shelf.
"What was that?!" the woman exclaimed, rushing to look out the window.
Siren grabbed the cigarettes and Pepsi off the counter and pocketed both. Grabbing a lighter as he hurried for the door, he could see thick smoke everywhere outside. Opening the door, he stepped out and saw enormous flames engulfing the maple trees in all directions. The large buildings where the maple was boiled were all on fire, and the sky was nothing but grey and orange from the flames.
Siren stared at the carnage around him and he began to panic, memories of the lab filling his mind. He remembered the fires and the screams and before he realized it, he began to screech and curl in on himself. Suddenly Siren felt himself scooped into strong arms and he looked up to see Roosevelt holding him as he ran back towards the RV. Siren clung as tightly as he could to his brother, already feeling himself calming down. He was safe and he knew his brother would protect him.
The rest of Team Crackle were already back at the RV, and Dash was pushing Neal's wheelchair up the ramp when they arrived.
"Where were you?!" Theodore demanded worriedly, "Why did you leave us?!"
"I didn't mean to," Siren lied as they all hurried on board, "I just got separated in the crowds…"
"You gotta be more careful, Del!" Theodore scolded, "I had no idea where you were!"
Siren didn't respond, his mind already thinking about the pack of smokes. As the RV peeled away, Theodore finally set him down on his feet.
Otterman looked extremely pleased with how things had turned out and he had his com out to text that the mission was successful.
"I need the bathroom," Siren stated, having every intention of smoking in there.
"Right there," Theodore instructed, pointing it out.
Once Siren was gone, Neal glanced up at Theodore. "You know he left on purpose to go to that shop…" he whispered.
Theodore sighed. "I know he did. It's not worth arguing about right now though. I'll talk to him about it later."
"Excellent!" Otterman suddenly exclaimed, "Someone is going to meet us about two hours North to pay us. I've negotiated for gas money on top of the two grand. Once we collect payment, we should be able to stretch our funds until our next mission with no issue."
Crackle gave a nod and glanced out the window at the massive fires behind them. These missions were a bit beneath their skillset, but at least it would keep things interesting during their roadtrip.
"Where exactly is this meeting place?" he asked.
"It seems to be a hunting lodge in the middle of the woods," Otterman replied, looking down at his com, "The roads we have to take are all dirt and gravel and so it's going to be a bumpy two hours."
Crackle sighed and knew his stomach wasn't going to like that. He gave a nod and then went to grab some Gravol and ginger from his supplies.
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TBC
As always, I will aim to have the next chapter out within 2 weeks. :)