Disclaimer: I don't own the Brotherhood, Lara-Le, Constable Remington, Komi-Ko, Lien-Da, and the Legionnaires. Lucky them. Also the movie The Village belongs to Disney. I think that's all, enjoy!
Chapter Six: Movie Time
Spectre sighed and straightened his black shirt as he led the way out of the swimming-pool. His sons and Lara-Le weren't far behind; Sojourner was holding his head in pain and Thunderhawk bore a black eye. The dark one sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time since this morning as he recalled what had happened earlier.
After lunch and a few dives in the outdoors pool, the group had decided to head back to the lockers and changing-rooms. And then, as if the day hasn't been bad enough, they had, they just had to run into Lien-Da on their way back. The female Legionnaire had been escorted by five women from Enerjak's personal harem. She had widened her eyes upon seeing the Brotherhood; then the six females had burst out laughing.
"I fail to see the humor of it all," Spectre had growled. He didn't like being laughed at, and all the more when his enemies where the ones doing it.
"Man, Spectre, look at yourself!" Lien-Da had smirked. "Wait, I take that back. You actually look rather cute in those shorts of yours. A pity you're way too old."
Spectre had rolled his eyes, frustrated. Why does every single girl I walk past today say I'm cute? He had winced in disgust, but then shook his head fervently when he registered the rest of the phrase. "I'm not old!" he had barked.
"Sure you aren't…"
Locke had thrown his towel over his shoulder, sighing when Lara-Le had looked at him as if to say: Here we go again… Lara had only smiled and shrugged her shoulders, enclosed in the towel Locke had wrapped around her.
Then Locke had noticed Sojourner was standing still, mouth hanging open as he stared at the females. Only then did it occur to Locke that they were all wearing tight black bikinis that didn't leave much to imagination. And as each of them knew, Sojourner's imagination could prove to be very fertile…
"What are you staring at, idiot?" Lien-Da had asked the almost drooling echidna.
"Forgive my son," Thunderhawk had stepped in. "He just happens to have very bad tastes when it comes to women."
If Thunderhawk had ever in his life said something wrong, it was then. A fire had immediately lit up in Lien-Da's eyes, and she had begun screaming obscenities at Thunderhawk and Sojourner, then the five others girls joined her when she began chasing them.
It had taken one entire hour and several employees to talk the females into letting the two echidnas live. That done, Athair had to pry Thunderhawk's hands off of the highest diving board – on top of which he has been climbing up in his desperation – and Locke had to dislodge Sojourner who was curled up in a locker. None of the two males had spoken a word since that moment.
And here they were, now, outside the pool. Spectre breathed a sigh of relief, short-lived thanks to Sojourner's next words: "I've never been pursued by so many females before!" That comment earned him a swat upside the head from Thunderhawk.
"So, what now?" Locke asked.
"Let's go to the theatre!" Knuckles proposed happily.
"Let's not," Spectre growled. He began massaging his temples, feeling a good headache coming. The dark one sighed; he now remembered full well why exactly the Brotherhood didn't use to go out often. I think I got enough problems for the rest of the week. Let's head back to Haven.
But Knuckles didn't share that opinion. "Oh, come on, Seventh father! It's not like you go out every day, anyway. And besides, there's this new movie… what's its title, already? Ah, yes, The Village." A creepy smile broke on Knuckles' face, and Locke shuddered. He hadn't got a clue on what this Village was aboutbut the twisted smirk on his son's face told him he was better off not knowing.
And indeed, he was.
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Authority. Persuasion. Spectre would have to work on these things. If only he had before, he would be in Haven sipping a warm cup of tea… and not in front of Echidnaopolis' theatre. He sighed to himself as he remembered how easily Knuckles had managed to talk to the Brotherhood into coming here. We're either getting soft, or old. Or both. Or maybe some members of the family are not the way they should be. Spectre threw a dark glance at Athair, who actually couldn't stay in the same place and kept clapping his hands and jumping around. "Goody goody! We're going to see a movie! A funny one, with pretty princesses and handsome princes!"
"Yeah, Grandfather," Knuckles chuckled. "A funny one indeed…"
This made Spectre wonder; after all, he had no idea which movie his seventh son wanted them to see, nor what it was about. He was about to ask Knuckles that, when a tired and surprised-sounding voice was heard. "Guardians? You're here too?"
The black echidna turned to see Constable Remington standing there, a puzzled look on his face. He tilted his hat in greetings, frowning nevertheless. "I would have never thought I'd see you in a theatre," the Constable said.
Spectre opened his mouth to tell the brown echidna that they weren't here by choice, but Knuckles cut him off. "Yeah, they finally decided it was time to go out and move those old bones of theirs!" Spectre shot him a dark look, but the Guardian carried on ignoring him. "And what are you doing here, Remington? It's quite unusual to not see you at work."
At Knuckles' words, Remington seemed to redden and straightened his green jacket. "I-uh-I am here on a mission. Yes, that's it, a mission," he stammered weakly. "I was asked to watch over this place, the Dark Legion might strike at any moment." Remington crossed his arms behind his back, an uneasy look on his face. Nobody bought it, and even those who did didn't show it. Even Locke is a better liar than him, Spectre thought.
But Knuckles seemed to take this seriously, because he frowned worriedly. "Really? Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring them here after all. Perhaps it would be safer for you to go back to Haven, Grandfathers."
Never, ever in his entire life Spectre had loved the Dark Legion so much! He fought a grin as Knuckles sighed disappointedly, trying to not look happy about it. But then a light female's voice rang in the air. "Remy! What are you doing? Come on, we're going to be late!"
Remington groaned and rolled his eyes, now shifting his weight on his legs. Knuckles tilted his head on a side, then understanding dawned on him when a hyper Komi-Ko sauntered forwards and grabbed Remington's arm. "Come on, Rem! You wouldn't want to miss the beginning of the movie, now would you?"
"But Komi," the Constable whined, a rare thing. "Why do I have to come with you?"
"Because that's what boyfriends are for, silly! And besides, this a beautiful movie, full of romance and sweetness and-"
"And it makes me sick," Remington groaned.
"Well I noticed you desperately needed it, being the brute you are! You spend all of your waking time fighting and working and barking among others things. You're lucky I'm here to bring some love into that life of yours," she scolded him, still hugging his arm.
Remington rolled his eyes once again dramatically. "Where would I be without you?"
"Probably in your office working yourself to death," Komi-Ko answered sharply.
"Not half wrong."
"Ah, see! I told you so, you can be so impossible at times."
Knuckles shook his head as boyfriend and girlfriend walked off, Komi-Ko still holding her man's arm in a deadly grip, literally dragging Remington with her as the brown male protested fervently, tilting his hat down so that people wouldn't recognize him. "I wonder why she bothers sometimes… So, Village it is, then?"
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"Over there," Knuckles said, motioning to a row of seats near the middle of the theatre room. "This will be perfect."
Athair floated forwards with a burst of speed, plopping down in a seat and sending popcorn flying in every direction. "Great!" he squealed. "Come on, sons and Grandfathers and little Lara!"
Locke merely rolled his eyes as his son and grandfathers took their seats, and he sat next to Athair with Lara-Le on the other side. The flying echidna pouted. "But I wanted to sit next to little Lara."
"Well, seems you'll have to live without," the red echidna stated, sitting down.
Athair sighed, but wrapped his arms and legs around his popcorn bowl that was, to say the least, big enough for him to sit in. "She's not yours, you know," he mumbled.
Locke was caught off guard, and frowned. "I didn't say she was mine," he growled.
"You sure act like she is."
Locke was about to snap something at his second father when he felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see Lara smiling gently at him. She seemed to tell him: Never mind. And he did; he leaned back in his seat, returning her smile. But after all, he was ready to do anything; as long as she kept her hand on his arm…
Spectre, on the other hand, was throwing glances all around him, frowning. "Seventh son," he said quietly. "I don't see many children, nor aged people. The only audience I see is teenagers. What sort of movie is it, exactly?"
"Are there women?" Sojourner piped in, answering before Knuckles could.
"No, Grandfather. I'm afraid not."
"Damn." Sojourner got comfortable in his seat, now slightly disappointed. But he got over it soon as he waited for Athair to turn his head so he could steal some popcorn the flying echidna was protecting.
"Well?" Spectre asked.
"You'll see." Knuckles motioned to the dimming down lights. "It's beginning."
They all fell silent as the usual advertisements came on screen, ready to watch the movie whether they liked it or not.
When Sojourner suddenly yelped in pain. "Athair bit my hand!"
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Spectre got out of the theatre as fast as humanly possible, his throbbing head clutched in his hands. No, it wasn't because of the horror movie he'd just seen; it was because of his relatives. Being forced to hear Athair's whimpers, Knuckles' chuckles and Thunderhawk's and Sojourner's terrified cries during two hours was unbearable, believe it!
Speaking of the devil… Athair bolted out of the theatre, hiding behind Spectre. He threw frightened glances all around him as his fourth father shook him off his back. "Take it easy, Fourth son. No one's after you."
"Yes, the monsters are," the flying one trembled, now squeezing Spectre's arm. "They're after me… they're after everyone!" Athair buried his face in his fourth father's shoulder, who sighed. I'm going to kill Knuckles. After all, it isn't like he'll have to put up with Athair for the next month. If not more…
Thunderhawk came out of the theatre, frightened as he looked at Sojourner. "Stay away from me, son," he said. "Your fur is the bad color!" Thunderhawk walked over to Spectre, all the while eyeing his red-furred son as if he would explode at any moment. Sojourner merely rolled his eyes, walking as he paid no heed to his father's fear.
Sabre, pulling the door of the theatre open, shook his head as he watched his third and fourth fathers' antics. "That movie won't help their constant fighting, don't you think Locke?" he asked over his shoulder. "I do admit it was a bit scary at times, wasn't it son? Son?"
Locke was behind his father, a dreamy look on his face. Yes, the movie had been scary, but as far as he was concerned, the scarier it got, the better. Indeed, he looked forward to it because Lara-Le would give his hand a squeeze, which he would return gently. He knew it was selfish to want her to be scared, but he couldn't help himself. Being so close to her was… addicting.
"What time is it?" Spectre asked, prying Athair's hands off his arm.
Knuckles turned to the sky, where the sun was not so far from setting. "I'd say 5 p.m., maybe a little less," he stated. "Still fairly early."
Speak for yourself. "We're going back to Haven," Spectre said. "And this is an order," he added when he saw Athair's and Knuckles' crestfallen faces.
"But, Grandfather-" Knuckles began.
"No buts. We're going back, end of the discussion."
The young Guardian sighed, before looking up again. "Can I come with you, at least?" he asked with pleading eyes.
"Will you bug me till I say yes?" Spectre asked although he already knew the answer.
"Of course I will."
"That's what I thought. Well, since I have no choice, you can come to Haven with us," Spectre reluctantly said.
Knuckles cheered while Athair resumed clinging to his fourth father. Spectre sighed in advance, knowing his young seventh son wouldn't leave the Brotherhood alone till at least nightfall. Locke then turned to his ex-wife. "Would you like to come too, Lara?" he asked kindly.
Lara-Le looked at Spectre, who shrugged his shoulders, and smiled. "I'd like to."
And before long, off they were towards Haven… and poor Spectre knew this awful day wasn't ending anytime soon.
