Chapter 5

The ballroom was full of people. Most were dancing, but others were just sort of mingling. I couldn't understand how they could support and love a man so much. If they only knew what Charlie and I knew. Franz twirled me and held my waist close to him.

"Why...just answer me that." I whispered. "Why did you take Bryan from me?"

"Let's not talk about that brat now..." Franz whispered back.

I felt his grip tighten and he began to pinch me. I grunted.

"Franz..."

"Harmione...your skin is so smooth...oh and your hair is so soft...you smell like...

He leaned toward my neck and nuzzled his face into my hair sniffing me.

"Roses..." He exhaled.

"Please stop."

"Harmione...Harmione...Harmione...I still have your little boy...let me have this moment.

I arched my back and lifted my head as he began to nibble on my ear.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked breathlessly. "How do you know so much about me and the Plumbers?"

"I know about you and Plumbers the same way I know all about Ben Tennyson...and you're his little girl..."

"Okay...so for whatever reason you're using me to get back at my Dad...that's fine...do whatever you want to me...but that has nothing to do with Bryan."

"It has every bit to do with Bryan..."

"Please...he's just a little boy..."

Franz held me by the neck and forced me to kiss him. I felt him grab my right wrist firmly.

"You want in on a little secret?" He whispered. "You want to know why these people love and support me?"

I breathed deeply.

"I'll show you." He took a few steps away from me.

"Guests...let's show Harmione the real reason we brought her here..."

I looked around the room. Suddenly everyone looked at me, their eyes began to glow red like fire. The only one who remained the same was Franz. He snapped his fingers. His party goers began to contort and groan.

"You see I learned all about the aliens a long time ago..."

He enunciated the word aliens. His party guests continued to morph as he spoke.

"Aliens have been coming to our planet for centuries...they are the reason for our being, their technological- know-how is the very crucial tie to our very existence. Every wonder of the world we have today; we owe to the aliens!"

His guests mouths elongated revealing several rows of sharp teeth.

"It was 1965 when my father discovered this particular race of aliens. Noohpytes, they called themselves. This race can be best described as terrible, outrageous and lawless. They are cruel monsters of enormous strength, and strange appearance, with many heads, hands, and wings, and with huge snake coils coming from their thighs. They fled their galaxy to avoid enslavement from Vilgax."

I gasped.

"What they didn't count on was my father owning this."

Franz reached into his shirt and pulled at a gold chain around his neck. Hanging on the end of the chain was a pearl moonstone.

"It was just a simple gift given to my father by my grandfather. That day these aliens ended up in his cornfield this moonstone lit up...apparently this gem has a hypnotic effect on their kind. Which in turn allowed my father to control them for years...when he died he gave it to me, but I knew that these creatures would do more for me than just invent new technology systems and computer software...no, they would make me a God...Word has spread of Vilgax's new plan to raise Tennyson's grandson on his own...said if I helped him capture the brat I'd get 50% of his world domination...and getting you out of the picture Harmione...well that's just an added bonus."

His guests were now fully transformed into their true forms. Their snake like heads coming from their thighs hissed and spat fire.

"For an extra special bonus...the moonstone also cancels out magic and drains a spellcaster's life force...how fun is that?"

I looked from Franz to the alien creatures.

"Which by the way if you felt woozy for the past three minutes is because I slipped a moonstone braclet on you while I kissed you."

I gasped and held up my wrist. There it was.

"And it's a special kind of bracelet...the longer you wear it, the more it starts to seep into your skin...these aliens made it, isn't it neat? Hey at least you'll die fashionably...Kill her."

I quickly ran from the room. I removed my heals and ditched them. As I was running I could hear snarls behind me. I ran outside and down the ramp of the dock. I stopped by Charlie's truck. Deep inside the glove compartment was a pocket knife Charlie kept for safety reasons. I quickly dug around and found it.

"Yes." I said to myself. Fire was suddenly thrown my way. I screamed and rolled under the truck.

"There's no where to run Harmione LeMay!" I heard Franz yell. "That bracelet is probably halfway deep in you wrist by now, might as well give it up!"

I looked at the bracelet and tried pulling on it. It was halfway in my skin. I could feel myself growing weaker.

"Come on out Harmione, come out so we can kill you!"

I heard Franz grunt loudly. I then slowly poked my head out from under the truck. It was Charlie with Bryan. He had punched Franz from behind. Although the Noohpytes didn't take kindly to him doing that to their boss.

"Charlie watch out!"

One hit Charlie with its snake head and knocked him back.

"Charlie!"

What I heard next was Bryan's scream.

Despite my hinderence I had to act. I rolled out from under the truck and limped over to the dock. Like a battery the braclet was draining me. I began to see double. When I made it back aboard, one of the aliens had Charlie in his arms. Franz had Bryan.

"Franz...Franz don't..."

I started to faint.

"Harmione fight back!" I heard Charlie yell.

"I'm afraid she can't."

"What?!"

They tied a rope around Charlie's wrists and ankles as instructed by Franz.

"With the death of all three of you Vilgax will certainly reward me...Toss him."

"Hey wait!" Charlie screamed.

With that I watched as they tossed Charlie over the edge of the ship. His body bound and unable to swim.

"Charlie!"

I gathered my strength and ran over to the railing. Franz just laughed as Bryan cried. I quickly dove in after Charlie.

"Hmmm...with her weak like that, that wasn't smart...and here I thought I'd have to use the power of my servants to get rid of her."

I swam as best as I could. I reached Charlie and began to untie him with the knife I had. I actually went blind a few times. The bracelet was hurting me really bad now. After I got him free I found I could no longer swim. Charlie grabbed me up and we resurfaced above the water. Charlie breathed heavily and wiped his face. I tried my best to stay afloat.

"Har what's happening talk to me!"

"Char..."

I held my hands up out of the murky sea. He grabbed my wrists.

"The bracelet I...I've got to get it off me."

Charlie pulled me toward him, and began pulling at what was left of the bracelet.

"Charlie..."

"I got it, hold on."

I grew tired and went under the water.

"Harmione!"

Charlie brought me back up.

"Stay with me okay, I've got it..."

"Charlie...use this."

I gave him the knife.

"No! I'll get it off!"

We both looked at the ship when we heard Bryan scream.

"Charlie...please."

We waded in the water a moment.

"Hell...alright hold still." He said sternly. He then began cutting into my wrist. I groaned and closed my eyes. Blood ran down my arm into the water. I whimpered.

"Hold still..."

Charlie cut a large slit into my wrist and reached inside. I could feel the pearls of the moonstone around my veins.

"Take it out!"

Charlie pulled and I screamed. Though the bracelet remained.

"Cut the side..."

"Har..."

"Just do it!"

He slowly began to cut the side of my wrist. I wasn't sure what was worse; the pain in my wrist or hearing my baby scream for me. What were they doing to him?

"Please hurry Char." I began to cry.

Charlie pulled the bracelet out slowly. His fingers stained with my blood.

"Get rid of it." I told him.

He threw the bracelet as far as he could throw it.

"Har..."

I sobbed as he held my wrist tightly to keep the blood inside. He swiftly took off his tie and began wrapping it around my wrist. I didn't exactly feel my strength return.

"Do you think you can get us back up there?"

I just continued to cry.

"Huh...Harmione...Hey."

He pulled me closer to him and pecked my lips. I nodded slowly.

"I...I'll try."

Using my teleportation spell I teleported us back on the deck. I then fell over into Charlie's arms.

"Harmione!"

"I...I'm sorry Charlie...

"Well you survived...that's interesting."

We looked up and saw Franz holding Bryan.

"Bryan!" I screamed. Bryan had actually grown quiet as Franz bounced him up and down.

"Vilgax wants this kid...I'm gonna personally hand him over to him."

"Son of a bitch!" Charlie cried out. He started to run towards Franz, when Franz grabbed Bryan around the neck. Charlie gasped and stopped. Bryan then started up his motorboat of cries once again.

"Charlie...Charlie I have an idea." I told him faintly.

Franz stroked Bryan's cheek.

"You are my ticket to being a God...yes you are."

"Badickinis Metalarca!" I shouted loudly. This spell allows me the control over metal objects. The ship began to rock back and forth.

"What are you doing?!" Franz groaned in frustration.

"Charlie hold on to the rail when I say grab Bryan!"

Charlie did as I told him and I began to tip the ship upward. Franz screamed as he fell forward. Like a slide he slid right to me. He let go of Bryan in an attempt to stop himself.

"Charlie!"

Charlie scooped up Bryan and held him.

As Franz came my way, I grabbed him by his shirt collar.

"No, no let go!"

The ship tipped back into its original postion.

"You kidnapped my baby, hurt Charlie, tried to have him killed, and tried to give my baby over to an evil mad man, I HAVE HAD IT!"

I threw him across the deck.

"Charlie take Bryan and get off the boat now!"

Charlie got to his feet and ran down the ramp of the dock. Franz trembled.

"Sweetie please I...I can make it up to you..."

"Stop calling me that!"

I used my mana to slide him futher down the dock scrapping his body. He spat out some blood.

"Harmione...please I'm not an alien...I'm as human as your husband, Humans make mistakes...the aliens are at fault here!"

I walked over to him and pulled him up by the collar.

"No please!"

I grabbed his necklace and pulled it off him.

"Those aliens have no idea what they're doing...they have no idea that this is the string that binds them to their puppet master...I think it's time we wake them up...you made a new enemy tonight Franz...and-"

I threw the necklace in the ocean.

"Noooo!" Franz ran to the rail and looked at the depths of the water.

"That new enemy isn't me."

I left him on the ship. I could hear his shrill screams as his once beloved servants began to turn on him one by one.

"Harmione!"

Charlie carrying Bryan ran over to me. He hugged me. I looked at Bryan. His cheeks were stained with tears.

"Oh come here baby."

I put his cheek up against mine and held the back of his head and swayed with him. Having him back in my arms meant everything to me. Charlie stroked my back. I kissed the side of Bryan's head and nuzzled my face into his cheek. I cried softly. I didn't think I'd see him again. At one point I gave up hope for a moment.

"Let's get out of here." Charlie mumbled. I nodded and breathed heavily. As we walked over to his truck, I suddenly got dizzy.

"Here I'll take him."

Charlie put Bryan in a carseat and smiled at me. I couldn't smile back. My head was swimming and my legs felt like jello.

"Harmione..."

I opened the car door. I let out a groan and fainted before I could get in.

"Har!" I heard Charlie shout as I hit the pavement. Charlie ran over to my side and held me in his arms. My wrist began to bleed through his tie.