Cards of Fate
By: Springborn
Chapter Two
(Motel)
Kara woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. Groaning in annoyance, she reached her hand out to the nightstand, forgetting where she was for a moment till the events of yesterday came flooding back and sat up. Checking to see that Sora and Luxord seemed to still be asleep, she grabbed her phone, not bothering to check to see the caller, and answered. "Hello?" she asked groggily, tiptoeing to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
/Kara Bowlan, where the hell are you? Your father and I have been calling your home phone all night!/ Nova screeched.
'Lovely' Kara thought, rolling her eyes and sighed. "What do you want Nova?" she asked tiredly, not in the mood to deal with her shenanigans first thing in the morning, and dropped all pleasantries.
/Watch your tongue young lady. Is that any way to treat your mother?/ Nova snapped. /Anyway, we need you to babysit Levi this morning. Your father and I are going to an event at two and we just have to be there./ Her tone turning haughty.
Kara ran a hand over her face, wondering again what possessed her father to marry this bossy and rude woman. Love couldn't be this blind, could it? "First of all, you are not my mother and never will be," she said stiffly, gripping her cellphone. "And no, I won't be babysitting. I'm not even home."
/What do you mean you're not home?/ Nova asked, trying to be sweet. /Did you go somewhere?/
"Yes," Kara said calmly, not buying the sweet act. It was something that Nova had tried to pull on her in the past. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. It wasn't Levi's fault that his mother is such a bitch. "I'm on a trip with some friends and I won't be home till late."
/You little bitch! You did this on purpose, didn't you?/ Nova snapped, dropping the nice act. / After all, I did for you during these years-/ Kara hung up on her during mid-rant.
"Way too early" Kara sighed heavily and turned the water on in the sink. Splashing her face with cool water and patting it dry, she looked at herself in the mirror. While she didn't look overly drained, Kara noticed her green eyes lacked their usual sparkle and showed signs of stress. Worried about the mission being a wild goose chase, knowing this would crush Ethan. Her worry extended towards Sora and Luxord. Sora seemed like a sweet kid, if not a little airheaded and Luxord… He's someone that fits the stereotypical romance novel character with his good looks and personality. Despite that, there was something about him that made her gut twinge, like she should be on her guard around him and still want him close for different reasons that only added to her confusion.
"I just hope it didn't wake the boys." She opened the door and stepped out.
"Everything alright?" Luxord asked from his spot on the ground, sitting up. He chuckled as Kara let out a small squeak. He found it cute.
Kara sighed and glanced at the sleeping form on the couch. Sora was out like a light. "Yeah, everything is okay," she said after a minute.
Luxord looked at her closely, noticing the look of unease in her eyes. He nodded slowly, not pushing for information. "Very well," he said standing up and stretched. "I hope you slept well?"
"I did, thank you," Kara said, running her fingers through her bed hair. "What about you? Did you manage to sleep okay on the floor?"
"Yes. I slept on the floor a few times during my travels" Luxord replied, remembering all the times he slept in the open and on rough surfaces. He had to sleep in a cave once and spent a week getting sand out of his cloak. "I'm sure it won't be the last." He smiled at her. "Thank you for your concern."
Kara smiled in return and laughed when Sora let out a snore. "I suppose I should wake him up."
"Hm," Luxord hummed in agreement, neither of them aware just how hard it would be to wake up the teen.
Kara moved over to Sora and shook his shoulder gently. "Sora, time to get up," she said. Sora grumbled and remained asleep, curled up on his side. Kara sighed and shook his shoulder a little harder. "Sora, wake up. We have to hit the road."
"Nnng… go away mom… five more minutes…" Sora grumbled, pushing her hand away.
Luxord chuckled. "He's proving to be a typical teenager," he said, remembering the times where he had trouble waking up Yozora during training.
"Have you dealt with teens before?" Kara asked, not sure how to proceed. Part of her was tempted to get a bucket of ice-cold water and dumping it on Sora.
"One" Luxord admitted, deciding to give a little in return after learning about her horrid stepmother. "He has high energy like Sora and turned out to be a good lad in the end."
Kara nodded, wondering what he did before joining Organization XIII. "Were you a teacher before this?" she asked, curious in learning more.
"You could say that."
Taking the hint, Kara turned her attention back to the sleeping teen, shaking his shoulder again. "Sora, you have the count to three before I dump cold water on you, now wake up!"
Sora groaned as his face scrunched up. "…What…?" he asked groggily, not opening his eyes.
Luxord smirked. The way the two acted one could have mistaken them as mother and son. It was amusing. 'You're a mystery, Kara' he thought.
"Oi, lazy bones, wake up!" Kara said with a little more force as she shook Sora. "Don't make me carry you to jeep like a baby."
Sora let out another grumble, not getting up.
Kara gave an exasperated sigh, shaking her head. She stood up and headed to the small kitchen. Opening the cupboard door and grabbing a bucket, she filled it with cold water and added ice.
Luxord watched with an amused smirk on his face, having an idea of what was going through Kara's head right now. This would be amusing and felt a small tinge of concern for Kara. He wasn't sure if Sora would react by summoning his keyblade.
"A word of caution dear," Luxord hinted. "I don't know how he'll react when you dump ice water on him."
Kara looked at him. "What's the worse he can do?" she asked grinning. "Besides we're on a deadline. Could you put him into the tub? I'd rather not have to mop up water from the couch." Luxord gave an amused smile, liking her antics.
"As you wish" Luxord replied and easily scooped up Sora and carried him to the bathroom, setting him into the tub. He stepped back, letting Kara enter the room.
Kara dumped the water over Sora, waking up the teen instantly. Sora cried out as he was drenched, his eyes popping open instantly. "Ah!" he sputtered and wiped his face. "I'm awake!" He shook his head, looking around before spotting Kara with a wide grin on her face. "Kara!"
Luxord burst out laughing.
"Look who's finally awake," Kara said grinning, trying hard not to laugh and failing.
"What gives!?" Sora demanded, wringing his clothes out, giving a glare with no heat. "Why did you dump water on me? It's not funny Luxord!" He turned the glare at the older man.
"Fate dealt you a bad hand, Sora," Luxord said grinning, covering his mouth with his hand. "Alas, Kara has tried multiple times to wake you."
"Sorry Sora" Kara laughed, forgetting about her call with her mother. "You refused wake up!"
Sora folded his arms like a child and pouted. "I am so getting back at you for this." Ideas were already forming in his brain, trying to figure out how to get back at her. Those plans were halted when his stomach let out a large growl. He groaned, holding his stomach.
Kara smiled. "We'll get breakfast on the way. It'll be another few hours till we reach Louisiana."
"Do you think Ethan is already on the road?" Sora asked, stepping out of the tub and grabbed one of the clean towels on the rack.
"He has to be," Kara said, thinking. "He lives closer to Louisiana than I do."
"Let us get ready and depart," Luxord said.
Ten minutes later the trio is back on the road after cleaning up and returning the key. Sora was finally dry and chilling in the back, watching the scenery as Luxord sat in the front with Kara once again. Music played from the radio, a band that Kara seemed to enjoy.
Luxord sat in his seat, thinking. He had been up for an hour, going over the events from the day before and what he had learned so far, only for his concentration to break when Kara's phone started to ring. He pretended to sleep, not wanting to appear nosy. While he couldn't make out the words he could hear yelling. Had it been a family emergency? He glanced at the woman next to him.
Kara looked straight as she drove, singing softly to the song. She had seemed caught off guard by his question, obviously not expecting anyone to be up at that hour. She looked irritated by the call. Luxord decided not to ask, not wanting to put her on the spot.
"Are you feeling better?" Luxord asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Kara asked confused, glancing at him.
"I heard the phone ring this morning and you looked displeased" Luxord elaborated, looking at her. Kara gripped the steering wheel, feeling Sora's eyes on the back of her head.
"You got a phone call this morning? Was it Ethan?" Sora asked curiously. He started to doze, tuning out most of the conversation till now.
Kara sighed. "No, it wasn't Ethan. I should call him to let him know we are on the way." She hoped no one had been awake to hear the call, not wanting to get into details of family drama.
Sora looked concerned. "If not Ethan, then who was it?" he asked. He saw Kara hesitate on the answer.
"You don't need to tell us" Luxord assured her.
Kara sighed. "It was Nova, my stepmother. She wanted me to babysit my brother. I said 'no'. She got mad and I hung up." It was short and gave enough information to satisfy their curiosity hopefully.
"Oh," Sora said, remembering that this was a touchy subject for her.
"Our apologies," Luxord said, tilting his head. "She sounds like a hard woman to deal with."
"She is" Kara agreed. "She doesn't like the word 'no'. She's steamrolled me a few times. I only put up with it due to Levi, mostly." She sighed. "I'm sorry but can we talk about something else?"
Sora looked at Kara sadly. "Of course," he said gently.
"Whatever you feel comfortable with" Luxord soothed.
"Thank you" Kara replied, feeling a bit relieved and loosened her grip on the steering wheel. "Since we're asking questions, I have one for you Sora."
Sora looked eager, willing to answer any question she has in reason and hoping to cheer her up. "Ask away!" he grinned.
"Tell me about where you live and what you did before coming here?" Kara asked. She has a reason for asking, mostly to learn more about her new friends and figure out why Luxord and his group are so interested in a teenager.
Luxord narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what Sora would say as he was being put on the spot. 'I see. Either she is trying to find inconsistencies or learn more about our history' he thought. 'Well played Kara. It's your turn, Sora. How will you respond?'
Sora froze slightly, something that Kara and Luxord noticed. "Where I live? I grew up on a cluster of islands called Destiny Islands. It's not from this area, out in the ocean" he said slowly, knowing he had to be careful with what he shared. He could feel their eyes on him now. He rubbed the back of his head, shifting in his seat.
'Calm down Sora and think!' he thought. 'Master Yen Sid said to be careful with what I share. Kara seems nice but I still don't know a whole lot about her yet. Plus I need to take into account that Luxord is here.'
"Destiny Islands huh? It sounds beautiful" Kara said interested, turning onto the highway. They still had to find breakfast, their growling stomachs drowning out the music.
"It is" Sora continued, hoping Kara would believe it. "I lived there with some good friends of mine, Riku and Kairi."
Kara tilted her head. "How come you aren't with them?"
Luxord looked at Sora, waiting patiently. He was impressed with how he was handling the questions so far.
"Oh," Sora said and gave a grin. "I'm exploring the world and enjoying the sights. Plus I'm training."
Kara raised a brow. "Training?" she asked slowly. "Training for?" She eyed Sora from the rearview mirror.
Sora swallowed nervously, his cheesy smile cracking slightly. "I'm training to be a warrior," he said shifting in his seat. "It's normal for where I'm from. Riku and Kairi are in the same program." He was starting to sweat.
"I see," Kara said, eyeing Sora she processed the information. It was believable, right? She knew some parts of the world still trained their teenagers in the art of war as was their custom. It was weird that his female friend was being trained as well unless that part of the world he was from treated both sexes equally. It still didn't answer the question of why Luxord's group wanted Sora. Her gut was telling her that while she believed Sora, there is more to the story that he wasn't sharing.
'Will Kara believe it?' Sora asked himself, silently pleading to the higher forces.
Luxord quietly looked at Kara from the corner of his eye.
"Sounds like you have an interesting home life, Sora," Kara said, deciding to believe him. Sora sighed relief, his shoulders slumping.
Sora smiled. "I do. Despite some ups and downs, I wouldn't give it up."
'Nicely done Sora' Luxord thought, feeling a little proud of how he handled the situation.
"Good," Kara said grinning, stopping at the red light. "We'll be near a drive-through for food soon."
"Food!" Sora half cheered and half groaned, rubbing his stomach.
Luxord looked out the window. "I do feel peckish." His stomach gave a loud grumble, surprising Kara and Sora.
"Looks like we're all hungry," Kara remarked, driving once again at the light turned green. "We'll have to go through a drive-through."
"Drive through?" Sora asked confused, sitting up. "What is that?"
"It's a restaurant that offers takeout food without going inside and ordering" Luxord explained.
Sora hummed. "I see."
A few minutes later, Kara pulled into Duncan Donuts, pulling up behind a car. "Go ahead and order what you would like," she said.
Sora looked at the menu. "Um… I don't have any money…" he said guiltily. Granted he would pay Kara back somehow.
"Don't worry about it" Kara reassured him, reaching down for her purse and dug out her lemon-colored wallet. She opened it and pulled out some money. Sora noticed it was green-colored, finding it different from what he was used to.
"If I may, I'll pay for breakfast" Luxord offered. "You were kind enough to let us come with you and you purchased the room. It's the least I could do."
Sora was surprised when Luxord offered to pay. How did he get the money? Did Luxord swindle some man out of his cash?
Kara was hesitant to accept his offer. "I don't know."
"I want to," Luxord said to her, handing her the money, his hand over hers for a minute longer before pulling it away.
"Okay," Kara said after a pause, feeling unsure and touched by the offer. Once everything was paid, the trio went back on the road. Sora dove into his breakfast, happily munching. Luxord ordered a breakfast sandwich as did Kara.
Kara sipped her coffee, humming happily. "That's the pickup I needed."
"Coffee is gross," Sora said, rolling his eyes.
"You don't need the coffee. You're hyper as is" Luxord remarked, sipping at his tea.
Sora grumbled. Kara laughed. "I have to agree with Luxord. You are hyper" she agreed.
"Hey!" Sora protested.
Silence fell over the group, busily filling their bellies with food and enjoying the peace. Sora was surprised that he found Luxord wasn't as overbearing as the rest of Organization XIII. He still didn't trust him and would remain on his guard. He wouldn't risk Kara's safety.
"Can I ask you something Luxord?" Kara asked, breaking the silence.
Luxord chuckled. "My turned to be interviewed?" he teased. "Enquire away my dear."
Sora sat up in his seat, interested in hearing about this. He didn't know a lot about his enemies from the organization, just knowing that they HAD been someone before they became Nobodies. Since they are on this trip together it would be smart on his part to learn about those around him.
"What did you do before becoming a member of the organization? You honestly don't seem the type who would get involved with such a group" Kara said, driving.
This caught Luxord and Sora by surprise. What did Kara mean by that? Luxord admits he did bad things since being with Organization XIII and he was no saint either. He was just following orders most of the time by Xemnas, despite his ire. He refused to be a pawn, a piece to move around mindlessly.
"I've been with the organization for years," Luxord said, taking his time in answering. "I'm on the bottom rung so to speak, a lowly worker. Before then I worked as a driver for a young man and his family for a few years."
Sora hummed. 'His Somebody worked as a driver for a family?' he thought with wonder. 'I wonder from what world? Maybe one similar to Kara's. I haven't seen many worlds that have cars.'
"Did you enjoy working for the family?" Kara asked interested. "I'm probably being nosy but why did you leave?"
"You're a curious one aren't you?" Luxord joked good-naturedly. 'Not nosy but inquisitive' he thought. The members of Organization XIII hardly talked about their pasts as humans as it never mattered, going off memories to act properly in scenarios when dealing with humans or other beings with hearts.
Kara gave a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable" she apologized. "I figured since we're on this trip together, we should learn about each other."
"No, it's quite alright. Sora and I are strangers" Luxord admitted. "You need to know if we are trustworthy."
Sora leaned forward and patted Kara on the shoulder. "I can't speak for Luxord but I'm glad to learn about you and helping you on this trip, Kara," he said.
"As am I" Luxord agreed.
"I'm glad to hear it," Kara said smiling.
The phone started to ring, interrupting the bonding moment. Kara looked at the caller ID, seeing Ethan's number. "Ethan," she said and hit the 'answer' button on her dash. "Ethan? Where are you?"
Sora and Luxord listened intently.
/I'm pulling up to the property now. It's out in the woods/ Ethan explained. The connection sounded scratchy, making it hard to make out some words.
"Are you sure you are in the right place?" Kara asked in worry, trying to keep her emotions under control.
/I'm sure. I'm taking the path now/ Ethan replied. They could hear hearing crunching sounds as Ethan walked. Buzzing sounds mixed in with the occasional caws from crows.
"Spooky" Sora muttered.
/Is someone with you?/ Ethan asked, hearing the unfamiliar voice.
Kara glanced at Luxord and Sora. "Yes. I made some new friends along the way and they're coming with me to help find Mia. I'm sorry for the last-minute notice."
"Hi, Ethan! I'm Sora. We'll find your wife, you can bet on it" Sora said confidently.
"I'm Luxord. I'll be accompanying Kara and Sora on this trip" Luxord explained.
Kara smiled at the two, relieved to have someone with her on this trip.
Ethan gave a light grunt that sounded like a laugh. /Thank you for going with Kara/ he started and stopped, muttering. /I found a large house, a ranch style. The message said it's called Baker's Farm. It looks old; I'm guessing plantation days during slavery. The gates are locked./
"Can you break the locks?" Sora asked, wanting to help. If he had been there, he could easily use the keyblade.
/No and the intercom doesn't work. I'll have to find another way inside. There's a dirt path to my left./ Ethan went silent for a few minutes, leaving the group to wonder what he would find. /I found an abandoned van with some opened coolers. It's been here a while, everything is covered in dust and grime./
"Was there a sign of a struggle?" Luxord asked. "Describe as much as you can."
/Ah… tripods, electrical cords, tarps, possibly camera equipment. News grew?/ Ethan let out a grunt, struggling to open something. It let out a screech, rusty metal maybe. /It's dusty inside of the van. Sewer Gators? Ring a bell?/
Kara frowned slightly. "I don't… wait. If I remember correctly, it's a group from TV that recently started a documentary series, investigating weird sightings in America. They must have showed up in Dulvey for a new episode."
"They could have caught wind of something at the residence" Luxord offered. "I doubt this is pure chance."
"It's possible" Sora agreed.
/I found their manuscript for the latest show, Episode 17, project proposal. Sneak into Louisiana Ghost House. Wait, there's something written on the back/ Ethan interrupted. /It reads, 'Join us'. Sounds like a cult./
Kara felt uneasy. A cult? She had seen enough horror movies and documentaries to know that it never ended well.
"Tread carefully Ethan" Sora cautioned. Luxord glanced at Kara, seeing the look of unease settling over her face. Her green eyes narrowed in concentration.
/I will. Whoever owns this place loves writing messages in red. There's another one on a gate. 'Accept her gift'/ Ethan scoffed.
Luxord placed a hand on Kara's shoulder, feeling her flinch slightly at his touch but never removed his hand. He could feel her shake a little and felt his chest tighten with concern. "Kara, breath," he said gently. "You need to think with a clear mind."
"I know" Kara replied, swallowing thickly and breathing slowly to calm her nerves. The images of the child from the video kept popping into her head. Was there a connection?
The connection crackled as they heard Ethan moving before he went still, dropping his voice. /I'm not alone. I just saw what appeared to be an old man walking. Maybe he's the owner?/ Crunching sounds of wood and grass echoed through the speaker and went silent, no longer hearing Ethan's breathing.
"Ethan? Can you hear us? Ethan?" Kara called out, gripping the steering wheel tightly, waiting.
Static
"There was a lot of static. It could be a bad connection" Luxord murmured, eyeing the screen. It showed the minutes passing since the call started.
"I'm sure it'll fix itself" Sora suggested, trying not to worry. Kara kept the line open, driving still and taking a turn, going onto another highway. The crackling of the connection continued, no one daring to speak, waiting.
/Shit… Kara, are you still there?/ Ethan's voice seeped through the crackle as the connection finally cleared. The trio let out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, we're here. Ethan, what happened?" Kara asked in concern. "Did you find something?"
There was a pause before Ethan spoke. /A fucking Christmas wreath of flesh… god…/ He trailed off, gagging.
"Ethan, what are you talking about?" Kara felt her stomach tighten.
"Explain" Luxord demanded his eyes narrowing as his voice became stern. Sora started to look a little queasy.
/Whoever owns this place is fucking sick. Someone built a Christmas wreath made out of cow legs! It's being used for the entrance. Blood is still dripping from the head and circular saws are hanging from branches. Hell… what is going on here?/ Ethan groaned weakly.
"Why would someone do that?" Sora asked queasily, his face turning pale at the description.
Kara swallowed, wanting to tell Ethan to get back to the car and wait for them or call the police. "I don't know, Sora. There are some real sickos out there that will do something like that" she said to the teen.
"She's right. There are some real disturbed people" Luxord said nodding. He had seen plenty of sick-minded people in the past during his travels. This world seems to have its share.
/I'm going to continue my search. Mia is here somewhere. I know it/ Ethan said with conviction, not backing down from this.
"Tread carefully" Kara cautioned. "Whoever erected that wreath isn't of sound mind."
/I know./ Ethan went quiet, staying on the line as he continued his search. The silence stretched on. Sora shifted in his seat, his leg bouncing. Luxord folded his arms across his chest, checking Kara as she drove. It was now a little past noon, the sun still shining brightly.
"Find anything?" Kara asked, hoping Ethan found something.
/Dead crows and I passed an old man. He disappeared into the woods. I don't see him/ Ethan said quietly. /I smell smoke. It's close./
"Think they're burning something?" Sora asked. "How much longer till we get there?"
Luxord glanced at the sky. "Could be a bonfire and I'm guessing late afternoon." Now that he knew the location or has a rough idea, they could have saved time with the Dark Corridor. While it would have been quicker, he didn't want to risk Kara learning about his abilities just yet. Sora could handle the Dark Corridors to an extent but his reluctance to put Kara through that pain surprised him.
"Without counting bathroom breaks and food," Kara said, frustrated by the hours between them and Ethan's safety.
/Kara, breath. I'll be okay till you get here/ Ethan said gently. /Don't let your temper get the better of you./ He had seen Kara mad and knew she tends to let her emotions get the best of her when it came to family and close friends.
"I know, I know!" Kara trailed off, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of her hand, startling Luxord, and Sora. "I don't like this, dead crows, the flesh wreath, an old man, and Mia's message?" This screamed danger. Was this something they could handle?
"Kara, you're not alone," Sora said gently. "Luxord and I can fight. We'll help look for Mia."
Luxord placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. "You have us in your corner."
Kara looked at them both, touched by their concern. "Thank you."
/I'll do my best to stay out of trouble till you get here/ Ethan replied. /I see the bonfire. Hold on. I have to jump down to it./ The gravel under his feet crunching as he landed, coughing lightly. There was a rustle and tapping before he spoke again. /Shit… I found Mia's bag. I don't know how but it still looks new as the day she bought it. I found her driver's license but it's covered in something black. Mold maybe./
"Where are you now?" Luxord asked, feeling Kara's muscles tighten with stress under his hand.
/I'm standing in front of a rundown house. Too big to be a cottage/ Ethan explained. /Some of the windows have chicken wire covering them. It's overgrown with grass./
"Have you found the entrance yet?" Kara asked, finding comfort with Luxord's hand on her shoulder and relaxed a little.
/Found it. The porch is a wreck. Some of the boards are lifting or gone. Someone put a plank at the entrance/ Ethan replied, explaining the layout. /The front door is wide open./ They could hear the floorboards creak under his weight.
"Maybe you should wait for us" Sora suggested. "You could be ambushed or something."
/I'll be okay. I have a flashlight. It looks like this place has been abandon for a few years/ Ethan said quickly, not fully dismissing's Sora's worry. He could understand and appreciated the sentiment but waiting was out of the question. /Hey Kara, did you get a vision about this?/
'Vision?' Luxord wondered, looking at Kara.
Sora looked confused. "Vision? What is he talking about?"
"No. I didn't get anything from this…" Kara started and stopped. "Maybe you should wait till we get there. I'm not getting a good feeling, Ethan." She could feel Luxord's and Sora's questioning gazes on her, knowing they were confused. It wasn't a topic that could be used as an ice breaker.
Ethan let out a frustrated sigh. /No. I am not waiting. Come find me when you get here, okay? You should find my car at the entrance./
"Fine. Keep your cell on you and please be careful" Kara sighed.
/I will. You best be careful-/
SLAM
The connection died. "Ethan? Ethan, talk to me. Ethan!" Kara said trying not to panic. The phone went silent as the call ended. "Shit."
"That sounded like a door slamming," Luxord said with a frown.
Sora nodded. "I'm sure he's okay. It could have been the wind, right? Or something was knocked over and hit the door" he suggested. "We can't jump to conclusions yet."
"Your right" Luxord agreed. "We can't lose our wits yet." He turned his gaze to the woman next to him. "I'm sure he is okay."
Kara swallowed thickly. "I hope you are right," she said, her voice strained. "I can't lose Ethan as well, not after losing Mia."
"We'll find him," Luxord said assuredly.
"I hope so," Kara said, trying to stay confident.
-A few hours later-
Darkness had fallen an hour ago bringing rain with it. The jeeps headlights highlighted the wet pavement. Kara steered the vehicle and turned left onto a dirt road. Trees and bushes brushed up against the windows and doors, lightly scratching the paint before pulling away to reveal a wide open area. Kara frowned, noticing right away that something was wrong. Ethan's car was not there like he said on the call.
"The hell...?" Kara glanced at Luxord and Sora, trying to hide the slight worry and confusion she felt and was failing.
"Sora, wake up, we're here and we may have a problem" Luxord said lightly shaking Sora awake as he yawned from falling asleep in the car ride.
"Aaaahhhh… what's going on?" Sora asks rubbing the sleep from his eyes before looking confused at seeing a gate to some house, but no car that Ethan said he got here with or any sign of this Ethan guy. "Uhh…did we miss Ethan or something?"
Kara stared at the gate, gripping the steering wheel. "No way. Not many places to park and he would have to back up a ways to even get out" she said. "We should have seen him." Killing the engine and grabbed her keys, she stepped out into the pouring rain. It didn't take long for her red hair to become soaked. "Looks like the main house but he said the gates were locked..."
Luxord and Sora got out too and looked the gate over, contemplating their next move.
"So…where do we go?" Sora asks looking between the main house and the forest around them.
"We could try soldiering on to the house despite the gate or we could try picking up Ethan's trail through the woods" Luxord offers as he weighs the options.
Kara looked between the main house and the trail that would lead to the Derelict house, thinking. "I want to check the house were we lost contact with Ethan" she said she grabbed her hand gun and shotgun from the trunk, as well as some extra ammo. "It could tell us what happened."
"Fair enough, we are lacking evidence and should seek Intel before doing anything rash" Luxord agreed as Sora nods in agreement too.
"Let's go explore then!" Sora said moving down the beaten trail that looked like someone walked in through the woods ahead of Luxord and a startled Kara.
Kara blinked as she watched Sora run down the trail. She let out a small chuckle. "Is he always like this?" she asked and followed Sora.
Luxord gave a small wary smile at this. "Yes, you wouldn't believe how much that boy hops around from one place to another to see new sights, help out others, and challenge tough opponents" he answers honestly while being careful not to mention how out of this world his experiences really are.
"I bet he was a handful as a baby and kid" Kara chuckled. "You both mentioned he has skills in fighting. Is Sora that strong?"
The trail widened more to reveal a gate with a sign that says 'Accept her gift'. Not too far from it is an abandon white van. It was surrounded by camera equipment
"Hey guys! I found the van that Ethan was talking about!" Sora calls out to them, spotting the wooden sign and the red letters. He glanced at the abandon camera equipment and opened the door, looking stuff over.
"What is "her blessing" anyway?" Sora asks with a confused expression.
"Probably some crazy people or a cult spreading their message. I wouldn't invest too much time thinking on it if I were you, Sora" Luxord says dismissively.
Kara looked at the van and spotted the dusty interior. Her eyes landed on a manuscript and picked it up. She recognized the people on the front. "No way. Sewer Gators? They were here?" she asked in disbelief. The group had been silent since a bad show at Amarillo.
"You know them, Kara?" Luxord asks curiously as Sora looked at the manuscript curiously.
"Not personally but I know of them" Kara explained, looking at Luxord. "They were big names in the ghost hunting community for a few years till an incident happen during a show two years ago. Their ratings went downhill and haven't really made new episodes. They must have come here to try to get their ratings back." She missed the message behind the manuscript.
It would catch Sora's gaze. It read, 'Join Us.'
"Was someone trying to get them to join something?" Sora asks earning a look of confusion from Kara and Luxord as he points to the back of the manuscript. "Someone wrote on the back."
Kara flipped the manuscript around, seeing the words written in red. "Creepy... this is what Ethan was telling us on the phone" she remembered. "That means... we still have to pass the meat Christmas wreath." She looked towards the path with the lopsided gate.
Sora and Luxord looked a bit troubled about the mental image, but say nothing as Kara searched the rest of the van, soon finding little else worth really going over and decides to press on.
Kara ducked under the gate and continued down the path. The rain pelted at their clothes, soaking into the fabric. It didn't take long to reach the cow wreath. The image was a lot worse than what Ethan described on the phone. The skin stretched tight around the severed legs, stitched together crudely. Like a sadistic tree topper, a cow's head sat in the center of the legs. Rusted saws hung from the trees and some were used as decoration from the wreath.
"Oh god…this is sick…" Sora mutters as he felt his stomach churn at the sight, but stopped himself from puking. The smell however was not helping.
"I for one concur with you, Sora, the individual who did this truly isn't of sound mind" Luxord agrees with distaste as they reluctantly and carefully go under and past it.
"Ugh... The smell..." Kara groaned as she past it. The smell of the rotting meat almost covered the smell of burning wood. The smell seemed to be coming from somewhere in the forest. "Smell that?"
"Do I have to?" Sora asks not wanting to risk purposely smelling the rotting meat as they were getting further from it.
Luxord sniffed and narrowed his eyes as he caught what Kara noticed. "Smoke, something is or has been burning."
Kara looked at Sora in sympathy. "Sorry kiddo. I know the smell is less than idea but the smell of wood burning is a clue. I hope." She quickened her pace, watching her step and trying not trip over roots and branches. Mentally cursing at herself for not bringing a flashlight.
"It's okay, Kara, I just hope we find Ethan and Mia soon" Sora assures her as he moves further down the path, stumbling over a root briefly before Luxord's hand caught his arm to steady him.
"Careful hero, we don't need you hurting yourself now" Luxord says a bit teasingly, but also with sincere care for the young man that made him feel conflicted on how much he can trust the strange Organization XIII member.
"He's right. It's dark out and it'll be easy to get lost or run into something" Kara said, looking at Sora and took a step forward and yelped as she stepped on air and started to slide and tumble down an incline. She rolled twice before stopping a few feet away from a smoldering fire pit.
"Ow..."
"Kara!" Sora and Luxord call in alarm as they jump down landing near her, mud splashing as they ran to her and pulled her up carefully.
"Are you alright, Kara? That was a nasty fall" Luxord asks in concern as he looks her over for injuries.
"I can heal you if needed" Sora says instantly before seeing Luxord look at him with a raised eyebrow in some surprise and Kara look confused and a bit amused?
'Young Sora really needs to learn not to blurt out the fact he can use magic like that. Thankfully not fully admitted, but that was too big a hint' Luxord thinks wondering how he ever kept keyblade wielders and magic a secret like the keyblade wielders of old with how open he is. Donald and Goofy might have been part of why, now that he recalled they was always with him.
"I'm okay. I had worse falls than that" Kara admitted though that probably wasn't the best thing to say. She mentally did a checkup. Nothing seemed broken, just sore. "Cure me? Knowing you two came to my aid is the best medicine. Mean's you care." She smiled at the pair sweetly before it turned slightly teasing at Sora. "Do you have a healing potion in your back pocket and you never told me? I'm wounded!"
'Worse falls? While good to know she is tough, that is a bit concerning…' Luxord thinks before forcing the thought away. 'No, it's none of my business. I should stay focused on the task at hand, and be ready to help her if needed.' Luxord mentally resolves.
Sora looked at her a bit in surprise as he tried not to reveal he did have a few potions on him as a just in case measure he needed them, but didn't want to waste magic. Goofy and Donald's constant badgering on him about his safety did stick after fighting so many heartless in their first adventure together.
"Uhm…more like a few?" Sora admits as Luxord resists the urge to face palm. Boy can't keep a secret to save his life. He was starting to pity Donald and Goofy now.
Kara blinked and stared at Sora, feeling even more confused. "Um... Sora... I can't tell if you're joking or being serious right now" she said and looked between the two skeptically. "What are you hiding?"
Think Luxord, think!' Luxord thinks fast trying to come up with an excuse. "The boy has a funny way of wording his own medicine bottles meant to disinfect his wounds and speed up the healing process. He calls them potions or even an Elixar at times" Luxord says praying she would buy that and such a thing isn't a foreign concept here.
Sora meanwhile was holding back a groan. He remembered Yen Sid wanted him to learn to scout out a world and settle matters on his own without Donald or Goofy to back him up, while maintaining secrecy of other worlds. But from the look of it they might not have potions here from her reaction and Luxord actually trying to cover FOR HIM.
'Oh man…don't tell me I already screwed up' Sora thinks in worry, Donald would never let him hear the end of it!
Kara eyed the two closely, brows furrowed slightly, thinking over what Luxord said. She winced a bit as a sharp pain in her reminded her of the hard fall just now. She ran a hand over her face, unaware she smeared mud on her cheek. She let out a sigh.
"Not so out there. Potions and elixirs are used by medicine men and women by native tribes." She rubbed her hip tenderly. "You two are so lucky I find you adorable."
"You might want to clean yourself up" Luxord says offering her a handkerchief. "You got some mud on your cheek just now."
Sora meanwhile was silently breathing a sigh of relief that he wasn't busted…yet. 'Donald never hears about this…' Sora resolves mentally.
"Thank you" Kara said taking the offered handkerchief and cleaned her cheek. "Glad to know there are still gentlemen out there."
"Naturally, Kara, while sadly not as many as should be, I assure you there are some of us still around that knows how to treat a woman" Luxord assures smoothly with sincerity to his tone.
Sora rolls his eyes at this and looks around to see they were near where the burning smell had come from. A small bundle of wooden burnt sticks and some burned items on top of it and around a circle of stones was only five feet from them.
"Good to know" Kara said honestly. "You're a rarity, Luxord. Don't lose that part of you." She winked and turned to see Sora looking at the fire. She stood next to him.
"So this is what I landed next to."
There were some clothing items among the ash, some more burned than others. Some that is beyond recognition. Among the items is a slightly burned faux tan leather bag.
"Why would someone burn these things?" Sora asks with a frown. "Surely if they no longer wanted them, they could have given them to someone else."
"Unless they were destroying evidence, young Sora" Luxord corrects with a nod to the bag Kara picks up and was looking through. "Some criminals do this to cover their tracks."
"Did you?" Sora asks curiously.
"Very funny," Luxord deadpans.
"Ethan was right. This is Mia's bag." Kara held the bag in her hands. She was afraid to tighten her hold, fearing it would shatter. Opening the bag, she started to search through it and pulled out a familiar picture.
The edges of the photograph slightly burned, hinting at how close it was to the fire. The rest was still intact, revealing the three familiar figures. It was Mia and Ethan's wedding day. Ethan was in a black tux and Mia in a gorgeous white wedding gown that complimented her slim figure. Next to them is Kara, wearing a soft blue gown. All three of them wearing happy smiles and their eyes sparkled.
"Ethan... Mia..."
Sora and Luxord turn their attention to her, seeing the look on her face at the picture as they look over her shoulder carefully.
Luxord feeling a small pang of sympathy as he sees her expression of longing and sadness as he sees how happy all three clearly once was.
Something Sora understood as he could imagine just as Luxord could how concerned she must be. He puts a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"We'll find them, Kara, that's what we're here for and we won't give up" Sora says hoping to raise her spirits.
"Thank you. I'm glad you're here with me" Kara said strengthening her voice. "I won't give up till they are found and back home."
'Even if it takes my last breath' she thought, eyes narrowed as she made that promise. Her eyes showing her resolve
"We should continue our investigation, Kara, Sora. My cloak may keep me dry, but you two are getting soaked and that won't be good if you catch a cold" Luxord suggests as he points to the derelict house. "As condemned as this residence appears to be, we must take shelter."
"I'd rather not get sick" Kara pocketed the photo into her pocket and rushed to get under the awning, hearing Sora and Luxord right behind her.
"Man this house looks seriously old, why hasn't anyone taken better care of it?" Sora asks being careful where he stepped as some of the floor boards gave a groan at his steps and some he swore sounded as if they were cracking.
"Not sure. The owners could have passed away and no one wanted it" Kara explained, seeing chicken wire over some of the windows, while the rest were either bordered up or glassless. Spotting a door, she moved closer and grabbed the handle, trying to open it.
"Need assistance, Kara?" Luxord asks seeing the door wasn't opening immediately as he was hoping. It wouldn't surprise him if the door was jammed, just one more thing among many more that could be wrong with this house.
"I believe so. Stubborn thing won't open" Kara sighed in annoyance. "Care to try your hand?" She gave a teasing grin.
"Of course, milady, allow me" Luxord says with a hand crossed over his chest as he gave a short bow and a teasing smile of his own. She moves aside as he tries to push it open, feeling it stuck fast before putting more of his above average human strength into it as the door broke free of the frame and swung open. Only it also broke the hinges as the door was now only standing because of his hand on the knob.
"Lovely… at least this won't be a problem anymore" Luxord says before looking inside and frowning at the dolls inside. "Somebody seems to not care for their toys at all or has a very disturbing hobby."
To say Kara was surprised by his strength would be an understatement. "Remind me to never piss you off" she half joked as she and Sora stepped inside behind him.
Garbage bags piled high in one corner, a knocked over metal shelf with dirt and grime covering the once shiny metal. A sour smell emitted from the bags and empty cans. Cockroaches skittered from a can near Sora's foot.
Sora lifted his foot as the roaches went past him and into various floorboards or up the walls as they went inside. Walking down the hall as they noticed how filthy everything was in dirt, grime, and god only knows what else.
Luxord soon guided the others to a kitchen to see a surprisingly set table and a pot of king cold and clearly bad food that gave off a foul odor crawling with cockroaches, an open microwave with a dead crow inside, and an awful smelling fridge with a garbage bag inside.
"Well, we can rule out this place being abandoned…" Luxord says with disgust.
"Jesus... watch where you step" Kara said sidestepping an unrecognizable black goopy mess on the floor. Part of the boards had broken off, revealing a black hole.
There a slight sweet smell of faded gas.
"What happened here…?" Sora asks seeing tear marks in the hall and floor, even going upstairs.
"I'm not certain, but clearly a struggle happened here." Luxord says seeing a bloody area on the floor in the hall and…was that a hand? He walks closer to take a look in the dark hall to see indeed it was a hand that was cut off.
Kara stepped beside him and stopped, her face turning stark white at the sight of the severed hand. She quickly covered her mouth and raced to a corner to get sick.
"Oh dear…" Luxord sighs as he saw her puking and looked over his shoulder as he heard a horrified gasp. Sora looks horrified and a bit green.
"That…that's somebody's hand" Sora said numbly in shock.
"Unfortunate, yes, I fear somebody may have been killed here" Luxord says as he looks around trying to figure out what happened, but there were little clues to go off of.
"But…we don't know that for sure! Someone may be hurt and need help!" Sora protests, not wanting to believe that was the case as Luxord gave a sad sigh.
"Sora, I know you want to try to save everyone, but let me warn you now. Sometimes you can't. No matter how hard you try because sometimes things happen that you couldn't foresee or prevent from happening sooner. We just need to adjust as best as we can" Luxord advises the young keyblade wielder before hearing something that made him tense, the sound of footsteps.
"Kara, Sora, we must hide, we aren't alone here" Luxord tries to warn them in a hushed tone.
That got Sora and Kara's attention. They heard the footsteps, light and quiet. As if they were trying to mask their presence.
They were getting closer.
Kara ducked behind the stairs, ignoring the severed hand.
Creak
They were in the kitchen now.
Sora quickly looked left and right before trying to sneak up stairs as Luxord moved down the hall and into the room behind Kara, leaving the door cracked as he pulled a card out of his sleeve, feeling his magic sharpen it into a weapon if thrown.
Sora meanwhile got up the stairs and hid out of sight peeking around the corner carefully as he could, trying to ignore the creepy manikins near him as they thankfully was looking toward the wall or down stairs.
A woman of average height, an inch shorter than Kara, inched into the room. Her pale skin almost gave her a ghostly appearance, a look of caution on her slim face as she gazed around the room.
In her hand is an oil lamp, its light grazing the floor, almost shining on Kara's hiding spot.
"There you are" she said in a thick Southern accent and bent down to pick up the severed hand. "Need to get you back it your owner and quick." She stood up and turned to leave, unaware of being watched.
"Back to its owner…so the person is alive" Sora perks up as he felt a bit of Hope rise up in him as he tries to sneak after her down stairs, feeling nervous as he prayed the stairs wouldn't creak.
She hasn't noticed yet as she headed back towards the kitchen.
Kara had spotted Sora and sighed. 'Darn it, Sora' she thought and followed him to make sure he stayed out of trouble.
Luxord felt an eye twitch as he saw the boy following the mysterious woman and now Kara was following him.
'Well, we need answers anyway, might as well see if Sora can learn to shadow someone as well as Roxas did' Luxord resigns himself to following after them, hoping Roxas isn't the only one who could learn to be stealthy.
Sora made his way to the kitchen as he saw her heading down the hall to the broken front door and made to follow her.
The woman stepped off the porch and towards a path. It leads away from the drop off near the fire pit.
Kara kept her movements light. It was a second nature to her due to the training she had. Her eyes on Sora's back while her ears listened to the forest. She could barely make out Luxord's steps.
Sora was trying to follow her as quietly as possible, only for a floorboard to break under his left foot and he looked down with wide eyes and looked up to see the woman had spun around and looked with side eyes right at him.
"Uh…hi?" Sora says sheepishly.
A hidden Luxord facepalmed quietly with a heavy groan. 'Of course Roxas is the smart one between them…'
The woman stares at the strange boy and took a step back. "What do you want?" She demanded. "Go away! Get out of here before it's too late!"
'Before it's too late?' Kara wondered and sighed as she stepped out from the shadows and strode towards them. "We mean you no harm" she said calmly.
The woman stared hard at the two. "Lady, get your son out of here. You'll both die if you don't."
"I'm afraid we can't do that quite yet." Luxord says stepping out from behind a tree shocking the woman, as Sora narrowed his eyes at the tree, spotting faint wisps of fading darkness.
'Dark Corridor… he must have made it when no one was looking and made himself an exit behind her to cut off her escape…' Sora realized as even Kara looked surprised how he got behind the woman so fast without being seen.
Kara was very confused by the sudden appearance of Luxord but quickly pushed it aside for now.
"No! Get out of here!" The woman snapped. "Oh hell. Why do I care if you live or die? They always do."
"I'm Kara. We're here for some answers for two people that we are trying to find. We were told they would be here." Kara relaxed her body to not appear threatening or desperate.
"And we don't die so easily, rest assured" Luxord says hoping to build the woman's confidence. Whatever was going on here made her very pessimistic of their odds toward surviving.
"Who are you looking for?" the woman asked.
"Could we get your name first miss?"
"Zoe Baker." Zoe held a distrustful look on her face as she glanced at the trio.
"We're looking for Kara's friends, Ethan and Mia Winters" Sora says looking to her hopefully as she widened her eyes. "Do you know where they are?"
Zoe's gaze turned cold as she stepped towards Kara. "Why are you looking for them? What connection do you share?"
Kara stood tall, not budgeting from her spot. "Mia is my cousin and Ethan is her husband" she explained.
"Mia... is your cousin?"
Kara nodded. "Yes."
"It's all Mia's fault! She's the reason why I spent three years of my life in terror!" Zoe bit out, jabbing a finger towards the red head. "She brought the child here!"
"Whoa there, lass, calm down. We're not the enemy here" Luxord says trying to ease the woman.
"We just want to help, what child is causing you to feel this way and why?" Sora asks, unsure why a child could make a grown woman say three years of her life is terror for.
Kara was beyond confused, frustrated and annoyed. She tried to keep an open mind and willing to hear her story. The way she accused Mia was not settling well.
"Ethan and Mia don't have kids. What child are you talking about?" she asked. "We're in the dark. Will you please explain?"
Zoe snorted. "She's your cousin, right? I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. I bet you even had a hand in it." She was nose to nose with Kara.
"Okay, cool it for a second there" Luxord says firmly forcing the two to separate, gently as he could but firmly pushing the two ladies apart and giving Zoe a glare.
"You're clearly distressed and frustrated, but stop blaming Kara when she IS clueless of what you are even talking about" Luxord says with his own frustration beginning to show, but kept his face calm. "So please, give us some clarity on the situation as Kara requested so we can fix whatever is going on."
Zoe stopped for a moment and ran her free hand over her face. "You honestly have no idea about the child or what she did?"
"No" Kara said bluntly, trying to stay calm. Her fingers twitching at her side showing her irritation. "Do you honestly think I would be searching for answers if I had ANY idea of what happened?"
Zoe was silent for a moment. "I suppose not."
"Zoe, tell us what happened to Ethan and Mia."
"Not here. It's too dangerous" Zoe looked around the forest fearfully. "I'll explain at my trailer."
"So you'll help us find Ethan and Mia then?" Sora asks hopefully.
"More like she'll tell us her side first, but its progress at least, young Sora" Luxord corrects as they begin following the woman to her trailer.
Surprisingly the trailer is in the courtyard of the main house. Despite its large size, the main house is in disrepair. It was the same for the yard. Garbage scattered everywhere. Weeds sprouting from once cared for gardens.
The trailer had seen better days. One door boarded up. A single lawn chair stood next to an old stained table with old magazines and newspapers.
Zoe opened the door and led them inside. It was a tight space.
"It's rather small, but thanks for inviting us to your trailer!" Sora says glad she was willing to talk to them and hoping to start things off between them on better terms.
Kara sweatdropped and bent her head down near Sora's ear. "Sora... I think she knows it small. Might want to be more mindful of your words."
Zoe shrugged. "Rather live in this shithole than that house."
"I'm trying…" Sora whispers back, he really was, but it was hard to know what's good to say about the cramp and kinda messy space.
"Must be pretty bad to force you to live here by choice, I speak for us all on the fact we wish to know why" Luxord calmly stated with a raised eyebrow.
Zoe leaned against the table, arms folded. "It started when my father found Mia and that child from a ship wreck" she started. "I knew something was wrong about the child but I couldn't explain why. She infected my family."
"What does the girl look like?" Kara asked. She had a feeling she wouldn't like the answer.
"12 year old girl, dark hair, pale blue eyes, really pale" Zoe explained, not going into much detail. There was a hint of fear in her otherwise indifferent tone.
Kara's eyes narrowed and an image flashed in her mind from three years ago. She had seen a child similar to what Zoe described. Was it possible it was the same kid?
"Okay, so we know who to look for, but what do you mean by infect? Like some sort of disease? I guess that could explain why you isolated yourself to avoid infection, correct?" Luxord begins to guess from the information while giving her a chance to correct him if wrong.
"I'm infected as well. I retained my humanity while my parents and brother became crazy" Zoe sighed. "We're contaminated by the mold the girl made."
"The babysitting job..." Kara mused frowning darkly. "Mia said she was doing a babysitting job and had to keep an eye on a kid."
"Might be the same kid" Zoe shrugged.
"Possible. What I don't understand is WHY. Why would she lie...?" Kara was struggling to wrap her head around the information.
"So…Mia was watching some kid who can infect others with…mold? Why? I mean, what could she gain from infecting…" Sora asks before something clicked in his mind. "Wait! Back at the white van! We saw written on the pamphlet that someone wanted them to join something and another sign saying accept her gift!"
Sora looks to Zoe with serious and determined gaze as he feels he was close to figuring out the puzzle. "This gift…was it what she did to your parents that made them crazy?"
Zoe was stunned that Sora figured that out so quickly. She was a bit impressed.
"Yes. The gift affected them all, giving them regenerative powers" she explained. "Now that Ethan is here... it's too late for him. You should forget about him and Mia."
"Fuck that!" Kara snapped. "No way in hell am I giving up on my family. Not when I know they are here and can be saved."
Zoe blinked at the outburst.
"She's right; you shouldn't give up on your friends or family as long as there is still a chance. They can't be totally gone yet and we will save them" Sora says resolutely, just as he would for Riku or Kairi, he will help Kara save her family.
"You best give up talking these two out of it, little hero has a heart and will that never gives up on his friends. While Kara is truly a unique woman who's loyalty is hard to shake" Luxord says with a small smile to them both.
Kara saw the smile and returned it. "Thanks" she said.
Zoe shook her head. "You three are an interesting family" she said. "I just hope your belief in each other is strong enough."
"I'm a bouncer back at home" Kara said. "I can handle a punch and give it back harder. I know it's a lot to ask but trust us. We won't give up easily."
"Plus I'm a lot tougher than I look. You can trust me to fight off anything she can't" Sora says confidently with eyes full of determination.
"As for me? Well, I got my fair share of tricks to handle myself in a fight" Luxord assures with a confident smirk.
Zoe wanted to hope, wanted to believe they were different than the rest, like she did with Ethan. Maybe there is a way to end this nightmare all together.
"It will be dangerous. Not only will you face my family, there is the molded to deal with. "
"The Molded? What is that?" Sora asks curious of this new threat she is speaking of.
"Creatures the child made. Her so called friends. Sadly some of them were humans" Zoe said.
"You avoided using the child's name. Why?" Kara raised a brow, wondering what the reason was.
Zoe paled. "Because she can read my thoughts and knows when someone is talking about her."
"So…she knows we're here then?" Sora asks nervously as he looked around as if expecting a surprise attack.
"Doubtful, or they wouldn't wait this long to strike" Luxord said with a frown. "If it were me, I wouldn't let anyone get this close to my base and seeing as people disappear and die here a lot. I can say for certain this child doesn't like witnesses."
Zoe went silent, shifting on her feet.
"Only way to learn more is to go to the house" Kara said, wanting to push Zoe for more answers despite seeing the fear in her eyes. She held back that urge.
"I need to head back to the house to check on Ethan before he dies of blood loss" Zoe said still holding the severed hand.
Sora looked Squamish at the removed hand as Luxord looked at her confused.
"I was not aware you're that skilled in medical practice, Zoe" Luxord states subtly fishing for information on the possibly newly discovered doctor here.
"I'm not" Zoe admitted, looking like she wanted to say more but stopped herself as she headed to the door.
"We're coming with you" Lex stated, stepping forward.
"No" Zoe let out a hiss. "You should stay here where it's safe. It'll cause too much trouble if you all came"
"Maybe all at once yes," Luxord starts trying to find a compromise. "But surely you can't expect us to stay here too long. There must be some spot of the house we can sneak in at a certain time to begin looking for Mr. and Mrs. Winters."
Zoe eyed him warily and sighed. "Fine. You can get into the living room attached to the dining room. Give me thirty minutes to check on Ethan."
"Will it take that long?" Kara asked trying to keep control of her dwindling patience.
"Look, I get it he's family" Zoe started. "You need to keep your emotions in control. You know nothing about this and if you want to survive and get out, you need to listen." It was an order, not a suggestion. Her tone angry
Kara bites back a retort.
"Thank you for understanding, Zoe, we'll await the thirty minutes then" Luxord says with a nod of his head.
"What will we do until then?" Sora asks as he didn't like the idea of doing nothing for that long.
"Read a book she has here or we could play cards? I don't know use your imagination" Luxord suggests shrugging his shoulders.
Zoe stepped outside, the door closing behind her.
Kara sat down on a chair. "Or could meditate" she offered, earning a groan from Sora. She gave a small chuckle and pulled out the photo they found earlier at the fire pit.
"This sucks…why couldn't you offer one of us goes with her?" Sora groans as he grabs a stick to poke around discarded papers on the ground.
"Because then that would complicate matters a lot" Luxord answers as he holds one finger up. "First, let's consider Kara as the most logical choice here besides myself. While she would be the most understandable in a hurry. Her haste could lead her to acting rashly to something unpleasant and we wouldn't be there to back her up."
"Okay…but what about me?! I'm strong!" Sora says trying to argue that he would be a better choice
"Strong yes, but wise and cautious? No" Luxord says with a hard stare as if looking into his soul. "Every time you faced enemies with superior numbers you usually go in guns blazing with little regards for stealth or tactics beyond improvising in the heat of battle. Moreover, you have little self-restraint when it comes to your hero complex and I worry without us being there you might just pick a fight with the entire family off the bat."
Sora frowned but said nothing at first, knowing that WAS how he handled Organization XIII more or less. Crossing his arms stubbornly as he glared back at the older man. "Well it works…"
"Up till now it has, but it won't forever. A little bit of thought and looking before you leap won't kill you, young Sora. It could even save your life" Luxord warns with some words of wisdom.
Rather if he ever takes it to heart or not is up for debate and time to tell.
Kara glanced at Sora and Luxord, pocketing the photo. Luxord pointing out her behavior stung a little despite it being true.
"I don't like it either Sora" she admitted, standing and dusted her butt off. "He has a point. I would act rash. My family is in there. If I go in with my current mindset, it could go sour quickly. It could get us wounded or killed."
She couldn't say much on Sora's mindset as she hasn't really seen him acting rash or impulsive despite him running ahead of them earlier.
"Well…what makes you the more logical choice?" Sora says with an air quote on logical using his fingers as he gave an annoyed look to the man. He may not be as careful as Riku or Kairi, but he wasn't too bad off and was doing fine!
"For one thing, I'm the most in control of my emotions" Luxord states simply before looking to Kara apologetically. "No offense to you, Kara, but I am thinking of everyone's safety here."
"None taken" Kara assured him, pushing away the sting she felt earlier. "But I am curious. Why didn't you offer to go with her Luxord?" She was curious. "I could keep an eye on Sora while you went with Zoe."
"I had considered that, truly" Luxord said as looked around their surroundings. "While I am good at stealth and can be tricky when needed, leaving Sora with you would be troubling. Not because of you, but because I know him and he's harder to keep a leash on than you know."
"I'm not a dog!" Sora protests with a glare.
"No, but you are likely to jump into fights with the right provocation" Luxord states simply as Sora opened his mouth to argue, before shutting it as he realized he would be proving him right.
"I'm not saying this to be mean to you, young Sora, but you still have a lot of growing up to do before you're ready for certain things in life" Luxord says trying to assure the boy while not getting too close. They technically are on opposite sides of a war after all, while he has no true ill intent for Sora, Sora himself doesn't know his true aim or goals.
Kara folded her arms across her chest, mulling over his words. In all honestly she really didn't know Sora or Luxord that well. Could she really trust what they said? Both seemed sincere in their words and actions.
She tapped her foot lightly on the ground to help clear her mind. A part of her wanted to believe them and the other part tugged at her to be careful. She noticed at times they were hesitant or not as willing to share their past history.
'She seems doubtful…smart, but troubling' Luxord thinks seeing this as he could respect a woman who isn't easily fooled, but there was no denying it would make keeping the truth from her harder.
'Then there's Sora to consider…' Luxord thinks knowing the real reason he couldn't leave him alone with Kara is not only because Sora could get away from her and prove too difficult to restrain under the right circumstances. But also the fact the Organization would kill him for sure if he let Sora die or become corrupted in a way that negatively affects Xehanort's plans… Not to mention it would be terrible to lose someone so talented in games who could help him and his young prince.
No, too many loose cannons and unknowns to risk going off and leaving Sora to his own devices or in the hands of someone who physically can't restrain him when needed.
Kara closed her eyes hoping tease the tension she felt forming in her temples. Something tugged at her mind, a warning. Her eyes snapped open. "How long has it been?"
Luxord pulls back a sleeve of his cloak to reveal a fancy gold watch that Sora didn't recognize him ever wearing before.
"Close to thirty minutes, we best get ready to move" Luxord states as he pulls the sleeve back down.
"When did you get watch? I didn't think you or your group cared for jewelry" Sora asks with a bit of confusion and suspicion.
"I won it playing some games with the locals of the town before we found each other. Don't blame me for their bad gambling habits with an expert in the matter" Luxord states truthfully recalling all the money he won and the few odd trinkets he got instead of cash as a prize.
A fool and their money are soon parted indeed.
Kara snickered some and checked the clock on her phone. "He's not wrong about the time. Zoe should have had enough time to do what is needed."
She put her phone away. "As for the gambling, that's how it is around here." She checked her ammo reserves.
"Alright…" Sora said unsure how much he should accept that, but seeing as there was no heartless or sighs of trouble Luxord caused, he could trust him for now. He would still keep an eye on the gambler if fate though.
"So we can go now right?" Sora asks eager to get in and find both Ethan and Mia for Kara's sake.
"Yes, we are, but quietly. We don't want to alert the whole household of our presence" Luxord advises his new "teammate".
"That would be a headache." Kara stepped out of the trailer.
Luxord and Sora stepped out behind her, both being vigilant as they looked around carefully.
Though Sora had some morbid wonder to his eyes, Luxord's was filled with caution and deadly steel to them. Something about this place felt off to both of them, but neither could place why it felt that way.
The air felt colder as they neared the main house. The building looked like it has seen better days and the fact it was still standing was surprising. Garbage half buried by tall grass, and broken lawn furniture. Zoe's trailer sat in the middle of the yard, blocking an iron gate that led to somewhere deeper in the woods. Loud booming music erupted from speakers to the left.
Kara eyed the area, seeing lights inside of the old building. "Jeez... how is it still standing?"
"Must have been well made back in its creation. I doubt it will last for too many more years at this rate without some serious overhaul in repairs" Luxord notes as he looks the house over, narrowing his eyes as he sees a figure sitting in some sort of chair roll by a window.
"See something?" Kara asked, glancing at him and back towards the house, not seeing anything.
"Someone went past a window" Luxord informs. "Doesn't look like the person even noticed us, so we should be safe, but be careful."
"We can take 'em" Sora says with a confident smirk.
"We stick together" Kara said sternly to the teen, flicking the back of his head. She was ready to say more when the sound of a crash erupted. Metal against metal scraped together, creating an ear piercing sound.