Manny enjoyed his new apartment and he did attend school. He was a little behind because it had been two years since he was academically taught but he studied hard and Frida helped him out. For the next few weeks all seemed normal but something supernatural can happen any where.
"Get out!" Andrea screamed. She had caught T.J trying to peek at her while she was changing into her pajamas.
"Oh come on, I was just looking for my...watch." T.J said.
"Yeah right! Get out now!"
"Okay, okay."
He left just as she ordered and went to get a drink. As usual he found his uncle watching a wrestling match on TV and getting to into it. He cringed as he listened to his uncle shout and goad the wrestlers on.
"Come on! Body slam! Body slam!"
"Why me?" T.J thought.
He went to the fridge and pulled out a soda. He had just brought the soda can to his lips when Andrea's scream filled the house. It startled T.J so much that he spilled his soda all over his pants but he was more concerned with her.
"Andrea!" T.J called. "Is everything alright?"
When no one answers he ran upstairs to her room. The door was locked, he tried to get it open but it was no good.
"Uncle Luiz! Andrea's room is locked and I think something's wrong! Break it down!"
"I'm on it!"
Luiz bolted upstairs at full speed and broke the door down with his head. Her room was in shambles, it was like a twister had gone through but Andrea was no where to be seen. The window was wide open and there were tracks leading to the woods. Hanging on the window frame was a piece a fabric torn off from her shirt with blood on it. It wasn't a lot just a little spill like from a cut or scrape.
T.J immediately grabbed the phone and called both Manny and Frida to inform them of what happened. Frida told her parents she was staying at her grandmother's house, Sandra covered for her. The next morning they met T.J by the edge of the woods.
"Can you track her Manny?" T.J asked holding up the piece of fabric.
"Yeah." He sniffed it and then sniffed the air. "I got her scent, she's definitely in the woods and judging by these tracks and the smell, she was grabbed by a demon."
"Any idea who?" Frida asked.
"No. All I smell is her blood and demon's blood." Manny said.
"Why would a demon kidnap Andrea?" She wondered.
"Well a demon grabbed her brother so why not?" T.J said.
"Think it could be the same one?" Manny asked.
"Possibly." T.J flipped his book over to a compartment that held some stones. One of them was glowing.
"What are those?" Frida asked.
"Life stones. Last night I squeezed a drop of her blood from that fabric on to one of them. As long as this stone glows it means she's still alive."
"That's some reassurance." She said.
"We better get going." Manny said.
Manny followed Andrea's and the demon's scent with Frida and T.J close behind. Wherever this demon had taken her it was far and deep into the forest, on the dark side. Poor T.J was very worried about Andrea, he didn't know why but the thought of anything happening to her scared him out of his wits.
"Hey it's been six hours and the leacher hasn't said a word." Manny whispered to Frida. "Any ideas why?"
"His worried about Andrea." She whispered back.
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No."
"Men, so clueless."
"What?"
"I'll tell you later."
When it got late they stopped to rest and built a fire. Manny caught fish from the river to eat for dinner and Frida brought some snacks though T.J didn't really eat. He just gazed at the fire.
"She'll be fine." Frida assured him. "Andrea knows how to take care of herself."
"That doesn't mean she doesn't need protection." He said. "I'm going for a walk."
He got up and walked off until he couldn't be seen.
"So what's his deal?" Manny asked Frida.
"He likes her doofus." She teased.
"So? I like her."
"No I mean like, like."
"Oh."
"And judging by his worried behavior I'd say he might be in love with her."
"Uh-huh, right and I'm the son of a God."
"You may not see it but it's there."
"What's there?"
"The feeling."
"What feeling?"
"Ugh! Dear lord if women never existed the population would truly die out and not just because they wouldn't be able to repopulate."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Figure it out brainiac."
T.J walked by the river. He calmly watched the water ripple and the wind blow through the trees. The hazel wood on the trees made him think of Andrea's eyes. He prayed to God that she was alright.
Suddenly the ground shook, a shout from T.J startled Manny and Frida and they hurried to help him. Holding T.J in an intense metal grip was a demon. He was hideous, probably the ugliest creature ever made in creation probably uglier than Satan himself. He had blackened teeth, bloodshot eyes, dirty fingernails, and a scalping head. Yet despite his repulsive appearance he had incredible strength and was using to try and kill T.J.
"Leave him alone!" Manny clawed the demon's arm, but it just regrew and turned into a cage which he used to trap the three teens inside. "Who are you?! And what do you want?!"
"Manny Rivera so finally we meet." He said.
"Um how do you know me?"
"I suppose your mother never mentioned me but I'm your uncle."
"Santiago?"
"No! Not my perfect older brother, I'm Tito. Your father's younger brother!"
"Huh? Mom never told me much about you in fact I think she only spoke of you once."
"Typical. Maria never did like me."
"What do you know about my mother?"
"I know much more than that! I know almost everything about all three of you."
"Stalker much." T.J whispered.
"Now face the wrath of the titanium demon!"
"Titanium? Wouldn't you be an animal?" Frida asked.
"Yes I was once and I didn't always look like this! It's his fault!" He said pointing toward Manny.
"Me? I don't even know you! How is it my fault?" Manny said.
"It all goes back to before you were born. Rodolfo and I were close, close as two brothers could be. But then he met your mother and after that he spent all his time with her, when I found out she and Rodolfo had married and that she was now pregnant, your father told me he was going to try to become human so he could be there for his precious human family but that would mean he couldn't be with us anymore his real family. So I exposed their marriage and your existence! But when you were born I suffered a terrible curse that mutated me into a monster."
"That's not true." T.J objected. "In my father's book it says you were so jealous and desperate to destroy Maria and Manny that you decided to try and erase them from existence but to obtain the spell you had to get involved with a certain young pretty fury."
"Silence!"
"Turned out her spell was a fake but she had already contaminated your blood with her toxic D.N.A turning you into the monster you are now."
"Enough! I wanted my brother back!"
"Yeah but at what price?"
"Will you shut up already?! Anyway I captured you brats because one of you I want dead and the other I need alive."
"Which is which?" Frida asked.
"Glad you asked. As you may know I plan to kill my nephew to get revenge!"
"I didn't do anything to you psycho!" Manny shouted.
"You messed up your own life. Next time be more careful with your partners." Frida said.
Tito turned toward Frida and grinned at her.
"Next time my partner shall be the most beautiful. She who I have watched blossom like a delicate flower."
"Eww! Gross! Watch yourself delicate flowers might have thorns!" Frida hissed.
"Insolent child!" He shouted. "I should remove your mouth!"
"What do you need Frida for?" Manny asked.
"To undo what that fury did to me. I need to be joined with a woman a purity and innocence."
"Frida? Pure? Innocent?" Manny and T.J burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh that's a good one! Ha! Ha!"
One hour later... still laughing.
"Do they always do this?" Tito asked Frida.
"This is nothing you should see them when Andrea says she's ladylike."
"Alright! Enough of this! I'm not talking about her personality! I mean her blood!"
"My blood?"
"She has angelic blood which is the only thing that can clense mine."
"Fat chance of that happening Ugly!"
"Ugh! If I didn't need you to cure myself I'd kill you right now! But at the moment it's my pesky nephew I want dead!"
"No way!" Manny transformed and sliced through his metal arms. He and Tito fought brutally hard. Frida shot a few arrows which burned his body pretty good. T.J roped him up and Manny prepared for the killing blow.
"Wait! You don't wanna kill me."
"Oh really I don't? And pray tell why not?" Manny asked.
"Because you'll never find Andrea if you do."
"Where is she?!" T.J demanded. "If you've hurt her-"
"Me? Oh no. I've done nothing to the girl it was that other demon what was his name again? Sergio I believe."
"Why does he have her?"
"Bait for you shaman."
"Where are they?"
"Sorry I'm afraid I missed that part."
"You tell us where they are! Or I'll kill you!" Manny said.
"Now Manny you wouldn't really kill me? I'm your uncle, we're family. And as I said I don't know where they are."
"Call me crazy but I believe him." T.J said.
"Thank you and as for you dear nephew I'd keep a close eye on that girl of yours. After all you wouldn't want her to suffer the same fate as your beloved Zoe would you?"
"Zoe? What are you talking about?"
"Oh yes poor girl. I thought she was the one but she was half demon and her heart had become dark from pain and anger so naturally her blood was no good meaning she was of no use to me."
"To kill her?"
"No. Almost did but she escaped but she was badly damaged."
"What you do to her...What did you do to her?! You bastard!"
Tito turned to metal ooze and slipped out of the rope then took his regular form.
"Watch your back Manny because one way or another I will kill you. Until then Hasta la vista."
Then he vanished.
"Are you okay?" Frida asked Manny.
"Zoe...My God...Why her? Why?"
"I'm sorry but at least she got away."
"Yeah but God knows what scars he left on her."
"That aside we now know who took Andrea and why." T.J said.
"And we will find her." Frida swore. "And...If you want Manny we can check up on Zoe. To make sure she's okay."
"Really? You don't mind?"
"I don't like her but I know she means a lot you and you mean a lot to her."
"Thanks. That means a lot."