Hey, I've finally returned! My apologies for taking so long. As always, thanks to anyone who reviewed the last chapter. Just know that all those kind words are deeply appreciated :)
I hope the long wait was worth it.
Chapter Three:
Edith The Genius
Edith was pacing back and forth, eyes locked to the hardwood floor of her bedroom. Her little mind was running itself ragged, repeating the four lines of the mysterious riddle over and over. The prospect of tracking down villains and bringing them to justice was fun, actually having to use her brain to do so was not. She wasn't really the smartest cookie in the jar. She wasn't a stupid girl. Far from it, in fact. But solving riddles wasn't particularly up her or Jack's alley.
Speaking of the teen, he was sat on the edge of Edith's bomb bed, concentrating on the riddle held loosely in his grasp. The determination to solve it was more than visible in his eyes. Researching villains for his AVL work consisted of very similar objectives. Taking bare-bone information and using it to resolve a criminal case. If he could do it with professional villains, then surely a riddle was a cakewalk!
The treasure of riches is what you seek,
Your field of view is not so bleak,
Do stand and watch, raise up to tower,
Want your next clue? You'll need the power.
He had no idea.
"Ugh!" Edith swiftly spun around to Jack. The eighteen-year-old looked up at her cluelessly. "Please tell me you're on to something!"
"I got nothing." He shrugged, eyes falling back to the small paper. "This just doesn't make any sense! Maybe it's from some kid's birthday party or something..."
The tomboy's expression faltered; her earlier excitement reduced to a nervous disposition. Jack met such a look with his own fearful alternative. He didn't want to disappoint her, but they'd been trying to figure out this riddle for over an hour now, and they still weren't any closer to an answer. As he'd said earlier, maybe it meant literally nothing. It was only a poorly drawn treasure chest with messily written gobbledygook written on it, anybody could've made it!
Sighing, he leaped from the bed and solemnly offered the girl the paper. "Come on, we've been sat around here for wayyyyy too long. Maybe some fresh air will clear our heads."
Edith kept her eyes on him for a few seconds longer before taking the riddle and turning towards the door. It was a good idea, she supposed. Taking a walk around the block might be of help. The siblings headed outside and slowly traipsed down the street, silent as they mused in thought. The ten-year-old's gaze refused to divert from the golden paper in her hands, scanning each and every word in the hopes that she'd finally find the meaning.
"What's a 'field of view'?" She questioned, eyes flying up to Jack. "What does that mean?"
"I think it means, like…how much you can see in front of you." He briefly glanced at the riddle, to the line she was referring to. "If 'your field of view is not so bleak', then wherever the next clue is, I guess we can see a lot there."
Edith scrunched her face up in thought. "Where can you see a lot?"
"Uhhh, I dunno…on a mountain maybe?"
The young girl gasped, coming to an immediate stop. Jack was slightly delayed in stopping with her, walking a few extra steps before he realized that she was a little ways behind him.
"Hunchback mountain!"
Jack frowned, raising an eyebrow in the process. "That's miles out of town, Edith, I'm not driving all the way there. Plus, you almost passed out when we climbed it on the road trip."
"I didn't almost pass out! My legs were just…hurting." Her brother doubtfully grinned at her defense, an act that irritated her further. Before she could whirlwind into an argument with him, an interesting sight in the distance caught in her vision, making her eyes widen. "Wait! What about that hill?"
She pointed forward, electing Jack to turn around and follow her finger. Sure enough, there was a pretty big hill near the town, surrounded by dense woodland. It was excellent to look at from Gru's roof elevator thing, yet none of the family had ever ventured up there. Intrigued, the teen shrugged and nodded to himself.
"Guess you can see a lot from up there."
"Let's go then!" Edith marched forward excitedly; her sights firmly set on the distant hill. Jack watched after her for a moment before jogging over to quickly bring her to a halt.
"You know that's a crazy long walk, right? It's probably gonna take like two hours to get there!"
"Okay well, why don't we bike ride?" She questioned, smiling as she conceived the idea. Jack's expression fell at speed, as he awkwardly looked away and rubbed his shoulder in embarrassment. Edith responded to his weird reaction with an equally weird look. "What?"
"Uhh, I…" He hesitated, glancing back at his sister for a moment. With a defeated sigh, he eventually continued. "I dunno how to ride a bike."
"Pfft, really?" Edith smirked at her brother mockingly. "You can drive a car, but you can't ride an easy little bike?"
"The IVB forced me to drive." Jack's voice grew somewhat timid, like he was owning up to a huge admittance. "No one was around to teach me how to ride a bike…"
Edith's jeering grin soon faded. Evident by his distant expression and embarrassed demeanor, it was obvious that he desperately wanted someone to teach him when he was young. Margo helped her learn while they were in the orphanage, and Gru was the one who taught Agnes soon after their readoption. As he turned back to her with a saddened look, the ten-year-old leaped up excitedly.
"I'll teach you!"
Jack furrowed his brow, reversing the mocking grin onto her. "Really? You're gonna teach me?"
"Yeah! I'm great at riding bikes!" She turned and ran back towards their house, motioning for her brother to follow. "Come on, dad's got one in the garage that he never uses! He won't notice that it's gone."
As she jogged down the sidewalk with an eager smile on her face, Edith rubbed her hands together in preparation.
"Oooo, this is gonna be fun!"
Harley twisted his wrist as he paced for the front door. It had been a little while since he'd checked his digital watch. 2:21 PM, the LED's read. He'd better hurry up. This was the very first job interview he'd ever attended in his short life. Turning up late was less than desirable. After all, he was very fortunate to be given this opportunity in the first place.
Exiting the home, he jogged down the steps and across the front lawn, a small smile filled with pure determination clinging to his face. This was going to be a good day, he just knew it! His parents may have looked at him with the reluctance he'd expected concerning his change in lifestyle, but he was excited to prove them wrong. The very thought of abandoning his hooligan persona was more than enough to provoke glee.
Well, that was until he heartedly spun to start his journey down the sidewalk, where he found Waker a few meters away, studying him. Another folder was in his grasp, a few scribbled words adorning the front of it. The moment he spotted his ex-villain partner, Harley's smile was instantly swapped out for a contemptuous frown.
"Hey, man." Waker greeted, giving a gentle wave. He glanced to the house his teenage friend had emerged from, his gaze a little clouded. "So, uh…parents gave you that seventh chance, huh?"
"What the hell are you doing here, Warren!?" Harley marched closer to the teen, his stride frantic. "If my mom & dad see you out here, they're gonna go crazy!"
Waker, for a moment, looked back in disbelief. How could things have changed so much over one argument?
"Pfft…pathetic." He mumbled, shaking his head in disappointment. "What the hell happened to you, dude? Where's the Hatchet that never gave a damn about his parents? That loved driving them up the wall? All that resentment made you a damn good villain."
"Oh, a damn good villain, huh? One that never achieved squat!" Harley responded, angrily pointing at himself. "I said it last night, I ain't cut out for this villainy nonsense. It's time for me to grow up, man. That childish stuff wasn't gettin' me anywhere."
"Childish!?" Waker was clearly offended by that statement, as the volume of his voice trebled almost immediately. Stepping forward, he quickly sought to defend his dream job. "What's childish about wanting to cause mass mayhem on a global scale!? That's literally the opposite! At least I'm trying to make something of myself!"
"Hahaha! Oh, please!" Harley broke out into laughter, breaking eye contact to glance up into the heavens. Once again pointing at himself, he stood over Waker like a peasant. "You wanna talk about making something of yourself!? My parents just helped get me an interview with my cousin's soliciting business! If I ace it, I'll have the chance to join one of the most successful companies in the city."
"Well, I'm giving you THIS chance to join one of the best evil schemes of all time!" Waker held the folder up in Harley's face, electing him to analyze it with fierce disdain. Waving it back and forth a little, the villain dramatically lowered his head. "I'm working on something big, Hatchet. Something the people of this city will never, ever forget."
"Pfft, never heard that before." Harley replied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, watching Waker with a wry grin. "What's the plan this time then? Steal the entire milky way?"
"Laugh it up while you can. You ain't gonna find it funny in a moment." Lowering the folder once more, Waker smirked excitedly at the nineteen-year-old. "Does the name Dr. Simon Joshua ring any bells?"
"Nope."
Despite Harley's frustrating nonchalance, the villain was too giddy with evil glee to let it interrupt his explanation.
"Well, he was a pretty important figure at the IVB. He was the man behind the brainwashing device, the one they used on the children. I was thinking we could work with him and utilize that technology." He proudly announced. Even though it was still bare-boned, he already felt like he'd stumbled on the scheme he'd been unknowingly searching for his whole life. It was sure to put his name up there with the all-time greats of the profession. "The only problem is, he's quite difficult to track down. He's been in hiding for almost a year now. If my theory is correct, he spent some time working with that guy who did the submarine-bank heist."
As he expected, Harley's almost bored expression was quickly ripped from his face. Eyes widening, the teen stared at him as if he'd just transformed into a mythical being. Locked in silence for a few seconds, he shook his head and frowned again, briefly glancing at the folder.
"You mean…Venin?"
"Uhhh-huhhh." Waker nodded slowly, the smirk on his face bending. "Dr. Joshua joined the IVB after his efforts in a 'famous scheme'. The boss just happened to hire him a few weeks after Venin used the submarine to break into that bank. What other scheme could it be referring to?"
Taken aback completely, Harley threw his head into his hands at speed, feeling the frustration rise behind his eyes. He knew Waker was kind of stupid at times, but he never thought he'd reach this level of idiocy. After waiting a few moments to process this new information, he looked up and intensely focused on the young villain's eyes.
"Listen, you should not be working with anyone that has ties with Venin!" He criticized. "That guy was a god-damn psychopath! This Dr. Joshua guy must be freaking insane too!"
"Exactly!" Waker cheered, missing the obvious fear in Harley's face. "He'll be a perfect villain partner."
"He ain't gonna work with some nineteen-year-old who lives in a single-bed apartment, Warren! It's obvious this guy is in the big leagues!" Harley once more shook his head, his anger swapping out for an ounce of concern. "If you track him down, he's just gonna kill you."
Waker took offense once more, his face tightening.
"He won't kill me!" He exclaimed, without an ounce of doubt or fear. "And he will wanna work with me when he sees this plan!"
He ceased his response there, expecting Harley to respond with another grating critique. But, when the teen only offered an exhausted huff, it was clear he wasn't interested in taking this conversation any further. Waker looked away and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze softening in the process. He knew exactly what this city was about to endure when his plan comes into effect.
Even though he'd betrayed and abandoned him, he wouldn't want Hatchet to be one of the many victims…
"Look, dude. Please, don't make this difficult." He began, his voice much softer. The more solemn tone of voice promptly stole Harley's attention. It had been a while since he'd heard Waker sound worried, even in the slightest. "I'm telling you, this scheme is gonna change literally everything in this city. Nothing will ever be the same once I'm done. If you don't help me out here, then…you are going to die."
And in an instant, that worried tone became threatening again.
Harley didn't have the energy to get angry anymore. Nope, he was done with this now. No more threats, no more evil. It was time for a new, less-pathetic chapter in his life. From what he'd heard in this brief confrontation, it seemed Waker was a lost cause in that regard. With a simple shake of the head, he chuckled somewhat beneath his breath.
"I've gotta get going." Leaning forward, he placed his hands on Waker's shoulders. "Good look with this Dr. Joshua guy. See you in the obituaries."
Pushing past him, Harley continued down the sidewalk, not looking back once. Slightly shocked, Waker closely watched after him for a short while, not a word leaving his mouth. The villain felt an overwhelming surge of anger rise in his chest at speed, the urge to throttle him being way too alluring. Almost crushing the folder in his grasp, he rose his fist into the air and yelled out a rebuttal.
"We'll see about that!" Putting his arm back down, he narrowed his eyes and whispered irately under his breath. "We'll see about that…"
Edith, as she cycled her bike up the hill's final stretch, came to a stop and admired her surroundings. A large field of grass stood before her, with little but a few trees and another very small incline to grace it. Her young eyes darted across every inch, hoping that her brain would piece the riddle together on its own using what stood before her.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This forty-five-minute uphill bike ride had better not have been pointless.
SLAM!
On that thought, her attention was soon grabbed by a hefty thump from behind her. She turned to find Jack sprawled across the bushes that lined the path, his bike somehow launched above his head. He'd been having a lot of trouble getting to grips with cycling. In his efforts to improve, this hadn't been the first time he'd completely lost his balance and tumbled to the floor. Edith laughed at his expense, something that drew a pretty irritated frown from the teen.
"You're not being a very good teacher…" He grumbled.
While Jack struggled to release his legs from under the bike, Edith wandered across the path and stood over his head. She glared down at him mockingly, like she was supremely better than him in every single way.
"Why'd you suck so much at this?"
Jack grinned up at her, as he lied helpless on the grass. "Cuz I only use my legs for kicking butts."
Edith giggled and, in attempt to annoy him, kicked his shoulder with the tip of her boot. He winced a little and swiftly erased his smile, swapping it out for the look of annoyance that she was seeking out.
"Just get up already." She said impatiently, pointing across the field. "Let's go see what's past that little hill over there."
Thankfully, the tomboy chose to ditch the bikes and travel the small distance on foot, granting Jack a break from his cycling failure. Struggling back onto his feet, the eighteen-year-old caught up with his little sister and trekked across the open field. Upon climbing the small incline, they were met with a view of the entire city, along with another expansive field surrounded by woodland.
"Man…" Jack took a moment to study it all, nodding his head in appreciation. "This view's pretty cool."
On the contrary, Edith frowned and pulled the riddle out of her pocket. "Pfft, Hunchback was cooler."
She exchanged her gaze between her new surroundings and the riddle in her grasp, trying to find some kind of connection. Once again, she hoped her brain would piece the puzzle together on its own. Let's see, what was around her? There were many distant buildings, a lot of trees and grass, a lone transmission tower, and a spiraling path leading back down the hill.
Yep, this was a dead end. Standing here looking at things simply wasn't going to work. With that, she reluctantly concluded that an actual strategy was on the cards. Strategies weren't particularly her forte, a trait that went double for her brother. Maybe she should go through the riddle line by line?
The treasure of riches is what you seek…
That's what they were seeking, alright! Well, she heavily doubted there were actual riches at the end of the trail. Rather, she was hoping for a villain that her and Jack could stop together. Now that would be a pretty cool treasure!
Your field of view is not so bleak…
Right now, it definitely wasn't. The two of them could see almost every part of the city from up here, not to mention the many other distant hills and woodlands that lined the horizon. If any place had a 'not so bleak' field of view, this surely had to be it.
Do stand and watch, raise up to tower…
Yep, they were standing and watching. What exactly they were watching, they didn't particularly know. If she wanted to 'raise up to tower', maybe she needed to get on her tiptoes or somethi-
"Wait…" She muttered beneath her breath. Her gaze launched itself to the nearby transmission tower, then back down to the riddle.
Want your next clue? You'll need the power…
With widened eyes, she spun and eagerly punched Jack in the arm.
"Ow! What was that f-"
"What's those things for?" She swiftly interrupted, pointing forward.
"Uhhh…" Jack curiously followed the little girl's finger, where he was met with the giant transmission tower around one hundred meters away from them. He raised a brow in confusion. "I think they just transmit power down to the city across those-WOAH!"
Edith grabbed Jack's hand and yanked him across the field to the base of the tower, almost throwing the teenager off balance once again. After getting close enough, the young girl quickly searched every spec of the area with a steep surge of determination. The eerie buzz of electricity caught Jack's attention, electing him to worryingly stare up at the wires above them.
"Edith, I don't think it's very safe to be near one of-"
"I'm a GENIUS!"
The ten-year-old jumped up and held a small rock in front of Jack's face, making him blink. To his surprise, strapped to the bottom with rubber bands, was another slip of laminated paper. It was covered in fine dirt and somewhat damaged on the sides, revealing the duration that it had been sat there on the floor. The same clip-art image of a treasure chest graced the center, with messily drawn stars exploding from it.
"Wait, there's…there's actually another riddle?" Jack shook his head in slight disbelief. He tagged along on this treasure hunt mostly to spend time with Edith, as well as appease her after yesterday's fearful admittance. He didn't actually think this would lead anywhere. Smiling down at his sister, an ocean of pride swam in his pupils. "You are a genius!"
Edith giggled joyfully and brought the rock down to her torso, where she hyperactively undid the bands. Once released, she spun the paper over in her grasp and attentively examined the back. Sure enough, another riddle was there, written in the exact same messy font as the last.
You solved it well, your mind is grand,
Now head on forth beside the sand,
Do look around and check the peak,
The Rocks once stood to fight the weak.
"What's it say!? What's it say!?" Jack impatiently questioned. Edith frowned and read through it once more, struggling to discern exactly what it was trying to express.
"Something about sand and rocks and stuff…" She thought aloud. Looks like they were going to have to use their brains for a second time. If there were a lot more riddles to track down, they'd better get used to it. After reading through it once more, she snapped her fingers together like a detective, a quick answer coming to mind. "The beach! The next ones gotta be at the beach!"
Jack kneeled and took the riddle from the girl, wishing to read it for himself. Sure enough, that appeared to be the case. Where else do you find a lot of sand and rocks? With a grin on his face, he looked back at his sister and nodded affirmingly, determination running through both their veins.
"Well, Edith…" He put a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes with deep admiration. The tomboy met it with some of her own. "Looks like we got some 'treasure' to find."
Dr. Nefario stood at the main table in the lab, silently nodding as he observed the many scraps laid before him. The minions had rummaged through recycled inventions to collect as many required parts as possible, and from the haul they'd collected, it seemed they were good on materials for the time being.
Dave and Kevin added even more to the collection, as they wandered over and slumped another twenty or so wires in front of the scientist.
"Nice work, boys. Things are going splendidly." He placed his hands behind his back as he addressed the little henchmen, who toothily grinned at the compliment. Sharing a slightly puzzled glance with the clock, the doctor pulled the shrink ray's blueprints from his pocket and quickly examined them. "We're nearly ready to start on the casing. Just need that steel, is all."
Right on cue, heavy footsteps sounded from down the hallway. Gru and Dru soon rounded the corner and entered the room, their clothes stained and muddied. Nefario's eyes widened at the sight of their disheveled state, taking a small while to observe them. Gru's expression was hardened, like someone had just repeatedly punched him in the face. Although, the doctor considered, dealing with Dru's eccentric behavior was arguably comparable to that.
Speaking of which…
"NERFROID! De steel is ACQUIRED!" The blonde thundered forward and forcefully shoved the plates of metal into the scientist's grasp, very nearly pushing him to the floor in what would've been a painful fall. Nefario criticized such an act with a fierce frown, but evident by Dru's elated grin, he was oblivious to any wrongdoing.
"Mark! Phil!" The two minions came to a stop at Gru's call, as they too placed some extra materials on the table. "Go to de hardware store and bring de tank back home. We had to leave it in de parking lot..."
Gru shot his brother a frown as he uttered that last sentence, but once again, he was seemingly unaware of the anger.
"Wait, you left the tank at the store?" Nefario looked between the twins. "You two walked home?"
"Uh-huh! After we terrorized de employees, we had to escape through de forest!" Dru explained enthusiastically, like being forced into walking miles to get home was an achievement. However, his short attention span was swiftly stolen by the table, prompting him to run forward and gawk at it up close. "Woahhhhh! Look at all these wires! There's like a trillion of them!"
Gru, with his brother's focus diverted, marched up to the scientist and seethed down at him. "I told yoo to keep him busy."
"You think I have any control over that man? He's like a drugged-up wild animal." Nefario argued. His response was backed up with evidence when the sounds of savage rummaging stole both their attentions. Dru was digging through the materials like a rabid dog, sending many of the wires onto the floor. The elderly man held his arms out. "I'm not a miracle worker."
The AVL agent hadn't expected that response. Turning to him once more, he gave Nefario a light scorn. "That is exactly what yoo said last time, but look how that turned out."
The scientist looked up at the ceiling, a reminiscent smile tugging at his lips.
"Hmmm…" He gave Gru a quick nod. "Good point."
"So, doctor!" Dru had seemingly had his fill with fumbling through the materials, as he came rushing back over to the two of them. "What is next on de agenda!? Got anything for us to research or examine or, I dunno, STEAL!?"
"Well, funny you should ask." Nefario trudged to the side and over to a small hologram device on the counter. Switching it on, a 3D render of a purple plant flickered into view, quickly garnering the attention of everyone in the vicinity. "This is the Arkillium Macroalgae, an extremely rare species of seaweed. When crushed into a powder, it can be combined with other chemicals to create a compound that affects the structure of cells. It's the exact one that was used in the previous shrink ray."
"Sounds important." Dru commented, his eyes intently watching the hologram akin to a fascinated child.
"Yes, very important." Nefario confirmed. "Without this, the shrink ray won't have the ability to actually shrink things. Hence, we gotta get our hands on it."
"Interesting." Gru nodded along with the explanation, cupping his chin in his hand. "How have I not heard of this seaweed before?"
The doctor shrugged.
"It's a new discovery for me too. The government have been extra cagey about its existence. The only reason I stumbled across it was due to some strange radar activity across the coastline." Nefario pressed another button on the hologram device, switching the seaweed out for a group of high-tech ships. "The government have been scanning the oceans in search of the Arkillium Macroalgae's presence for months now. They've recently found traces of its chemical footprint not too far off the coast. It's imperative that we find it before they do."
"So, then…" Dru rubbed his hands together hungrily. "What is de plan?"
"Government agencies are deploying ships to locate the seaweed tomorrow afternoon." Nefario placed a hand on a nearby coal-colored device with a large screen, turning both Gru and Dru's attention towards it. "I've already developed more efficient radar technology than them, all you two gotta do is get on the water and search for it. I'm sure the government will provide some resistance against you, but I'll let you two deal with that. I'll get the minions to meet you at the beach with a speed boat tomorrow at noon."
"Woohoo, yes!" Dru cheered, leaping into the air. "This is gonna be freaking AWESOME!"
"Yesss, it sounds great, but…" Gru solemnly turned to his brother, who was already shaking on the spot with eagerness. "We've already spent de whole day out of the house. I haven't spent time with de family for over a week now. I can't just get up and leave them again. Maybe we can wait a few more days..."
Dr. Nefario, once again plunged into reminiscence, shared a mixed look of humor and frustration with Gru. "I guess that finding a rare seaweed plant is more of a Tuesday thing, right?"
The AVL agent replied to the doctor's comment with a small frown. Before he had the chance to respond, his blonde brother's shaking instantly stopped, as he emitted a loud and angered huff.
"Ughhh, Gru, come on! This is our chance to finally do some REAL villainy together! We've got to get that seaweed thing tomorrow, we've just GOT TO!" He exclaimed pleadingly. Gru frowned and looked at the floor, his eyes betraying how conflicted he felt. Knowing that his brother was always going to choose family over a scheme, Dru swiftly came up with a compromise. "Okay, okay, I've got an idea! Let's just invite everyone to de beach on a family day out! Then, we can just sneak off!"
Gru looked off to the side in contemplation. "Hmm, I don't know. I guess that would work, but de gurls might be sad if I just lea-"
As he turned back, he found that his brother was already gone. All that was left was the sound of his footsteps racing away.
Eyes widening, he quickly turned to Nefario, who was observing him with a slightly mocking smile. "Where did he go?"
"Upstairs, I assume." He leaned forward somewhat, his mockery increasing. "I wouldn't let him invite them all. You know how that's gonna go..."
Huffing incredulously, Gru took a moment to slide his hands down his face before he spun and chased after him. He ran over to the elevator and slammed his palm on the button, only getting a red blinking light as a response. Dammit! He forgot, Lucy and Agnes were in the living room when they'd re-entered the home. It won't activate until the room is empty, a new feature implemented for obvious safety reasons.
Huffing once more, he spun around again and sprinted for the backup staircase, the one that Dru was probably halfway up by now...
Margo's expression had never been so infinitely empty. She didn't really know what to think since her and Lauren's altercation earlier, or more specifically, how Avery had unfriended her to join the irritable goth's little gang. It was a part of her day that she never would have anticipated, but now deeply wished hadn't occurred.
Should she be angry about it? Sad? Nonchalant? She had no clue, a fact that she struggled to admit. Her and Avery had been very close for what felt like her entire life. She acted as the only other person outside of her sisters that she was friendly with while Margo was in the orphanage, and practically the only one in school who didn't judge her for being an orphan. Unsurprisingly, this sudden shift really puzzled her.
She wandered through the downstairs hallway of the family home, her gaze drawn to the phone in her hand. Her thumb was hovering over the screen, itching to write out a scathing message to Avery. Or maybe it should be disappointed? Or understanding? There had to be a reason she didn't want to be her friend anymore! Did she do something wrong?
"God, why is this so difficult!?" She hissed beneath her breath. Huffing in frustration, she traipsed her way into the living room, where Lucy & Agnes's giggles were audibly flowing through the air.
"Why did you have to make my nose look so big?" Lucy asked through laughter, eyes locked to the drawing her youngest child had kindly made for her.
"Cuz I like your nose!" Agnes leaned forward and poked the tip of her mom's nose gently, an adorable act that made them both chuckle. "It's so pretty!"
Lucy beamed down brightly at her, as the little girl sat back on the floor and returned to her crayon artistry. This diverted Lucy's attention to the footsteps of one of her other daughters. Margo was quietly wandering towards the crocodile sofa with her head arched downwards, abashedly stuffing her phone into the pockets of her shirt.
"Hey, kiddo!" The AVL agent greeted energetically. Slumping into the seat, Margo avoided all eye contact and grumbled out a lowly response.
"Hey…"
"Y'know, I've been wanting to talk to you…" Lucy jumped up and charged over to the seat beside the bespectacled girl, who kept her gaze locked forward. "I was thinking that, instead of just having one big party for your birthday, we could go out and do lots of stuff all week!? That'll make it a thirteenth birthday to remember!"
Margo reluctantly chose to turn, her lips drawn in an unmoving straight line. "Like what?"
"Well, uhhh, let's think…" Lucy's gaze veered off into space, eventually being caught by a picture frame above the mantelpiece. The photo contained Dru, Jack, Margo, and Agnes, elatedly stood on the beach of Diamond Stone Cove with their sand buckets in the air. Not to toot her own horn, but it was some of Lucy's best photography work. "How about we go to the beach tomorrow? Maybe Edith won't throw up this time, huh?"
She jokingly elbowed Margo's side, an act that failed to provoke any reaction from the girl.
"Oooo, really!? We're going to the beach!?" Agnes, who'd been innocently eavesdropping, abandoned her drawing and raced over to her mom and sister. Raising her hands to her chest, she leaped up in pure joy. "Yayyyyy, I love the beach!"
Margo looked to her sister, then traded that look with the floor. Slowly, her unmoving lips began to curve, morphing into a frown. Whirling around to her mother, she spat out a response.
"What? So we can spend the whole day building stupid sandcastles?" With her sarcastic and incredibly critical tone unleashed, she firmly crossed her arms and sank into the sofa. "I'm not a baby, mom."
Lucy finally clicked on to her daughter's uncharacteristically despondent behavior. Blinking, she erased her smile and shook her head.
"I never said you were a-"
"WE NEED TO GO TO DE BEACH!"
Dru almost ripped the living room doors from their hinges as he stormed inside, severely startling the occupants. With his arms raised in the air, he continued to yell at the volume of a million screeching megaphones.
"I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT TRIP FOR DE FAMILY THAT IS IN NO WAY WEIRD OR SUSPICIOUS OR-OWWW!"
Gru came barreling in shortly after, where he aggressively launched his fist into his brother's arm to shut him up. After sharing an extremely curt frown with the cowering blonde, he worriedly turned back to his befuddled family, who glared at the two of them. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he placed his hands behind his back and feigned a confident tone of voice.
"Ummmm, w-what he meant to say was…" Pausing briefly to rapidly scour his brain for ideas, he pointed at Margo with a large grin on his face. "We should go to de beach tomorrow, for your birthday! It has been a while since we went to de seaside, hmmm?"
Margo's surprise from Dru's eccentric entrance was once again replaced with her earlier frown. Crossing her arms once more, she shot her dad a hostile look.
"It's my decision! Stop telling me what I want!" She shouted. Breaking eye contact again, she irately looked off to the side. "Why do you always have to interfere!?"
There was a lot more venom in that sentence than what would've ever been expected. It immediately threw Gru back in time, to the first week of her adoption. The only difference was that such venom wasn't justified, unlike back then. Raising his eyebrows, he silently stared at his eldest daughter for a short while longer, before eventually glancing at Lucy. Before either parent could say a word, the doors once again flung open.
"Can we go to the beach tomorrow!?" Edith exclaimed, as her and Jack marched into the room. "Please! Can we!? Huh!?"
"It's really important!" The teen added. He'd likely struggled with cycling back down the hill, evident by his tattered clothing. Pointing down at the tomboy, he looked between each member of the family and speedily provided more details. "Plus Edith threw up last time and she had to spend the whole day in the camper van and that's not very fair on her so we really need to go again!"
Sick of hearing the voice of each person she lived with, Margo briefly stuffed her head in her hands and launched off the couch at quite an impressive speed. Growling out loud, she angrily thundered towards the door and barged in between Jack and Edith, the latter of whom spun around in retaliation.
"Hey, watch it!"
The twelve-year-old didn't respond to the yell, rather opting to stomp her way through the house until the sound of her footsteps disappeared upstairs. The family watched after her for a few seconds longer before the slamming of her bedroom door made them glance around at each other. Such vehement disdain for a trip to the beach was a little unforeseen, to say the least.
The first to break the confused silence was Lucy, who lightly grinned and wrapped an arm around her husband's shoulder.
"Looks like someone's got the teenage blues." She said, somewhat bemused. Gru huffed and threw his hands over his eyes.
"And she isn't even thirteen yet…"
"We, the jury, find the defendant…" She paused midway through the announcement, something that must've been intentional. There was no way such perfect timing was purely a coincidence. "Guilty of all charges."
I glowered in response to the verdict. Honestly, what else had I been expecting? If left to the justice system, that outcome was nothing but inevitable. Those troglodytes had a ridiculous amount of evidence against me, it would be impossible to evade a prison sentence through a lawyer's assistance. I guess it's time to handle things the hard way…
As my legal council offered a brief frustrated glance, I turned and looked into the scattered crowd within the courtroom. That weird science guy was sat causally amongst them, adorned in shades and a brown jacket. He met my gaze at speed, as I sent a prompt instructing nod. Returning it, he stood from his seat and quietly exited the room.
"Thank you members of the jury. I can't say I'm shocked..." The judge's deep and authoritative voice recalled my attention. He was looking down on me with pure detest, like he was addressing the literal scum of the earth incarnated. "Sir, I'll be frank. I'm known as quite a forgiving judge in this courthouse. I like to see the humanity in everyone that passes through these doors and I strive to find any ounce of redemption for criminals such as yourself."
He took a moment to glance at the floor, discomfort evident within his gaze. I held back the urge to sigh in boredom. Can't he just get this over with?
"But after all the things I've heard in this room today, regarding your actions…well, I'm really struggling." That discomforted look gave way for anger, as he shook his head in pure disgust. "He is just a little boy. Your own child! A man that can do what you did without a shred of remorse is, quite frankly, far beyond saving."
I rolled my eyes in exasperation, taking this chance to grumble beneath my breath. "Save me the dramatics…"
It was obvious he'd heard that. His frown trebling, he took in a deep, anger-fueled breath and wrapped his hand around the gavel.
"I sentence you to life in prison, without the possibility of paro-"
ZAPPP!
Before he had the chance to utter the words that would cement my fate, a large flash of white burst from the other side of the room and collided with the judge's head. He flinched in fear, but in an instant, every muscle in his body was frozen to the spot like a statue. As everyone else spun around in terror to see where the light was coming from, I ducked under the table on cue and clamped my eyes shut.
While every occupant of the room, bar myself, was instantly brought to a frozen state, Dr. Simon Joshua removed his glasses and spoke aloud.
"You will all forgive the defendant for the charges against him today!" He looked around to ensure that everyone was indeed subject to the brainwashing device's rays. A simple glance at their catatonic stares was the only answer he needed. "This was all a big misunderstanding! The case will be dismissed!"
Once I heard the doctor flick the switch on the side of the large device, I stood back up and examined the entire room. Everyone was holding their head in their hands, stumbling around in a feeble attempt to keep their balance. Dr. Joshua quickly rolled the brainwashing gun back out of the room, covering up his tracks completely. Looking back up at the judge, I placed my hands behind my back and smiled politely, as he stared back in pure bewilderment.
"Uhhhh…" He blinked and shook his head, his decision-making somewhat foggy. All ounces of his earlier anger and disgust had curtly been replaced with nonchalance. "Case…dismissed?"
He banged the gavel, officially setting me off the hook. My lawyer beamed an emphatic smile, as we both celebrated for a short period. Despite how useless he'd been in defending me, I was way too relieved to care right now. Once everyone began to file out of the room, I exited through the door and turned down the right corridor, where Dr. Joshua was leaning against the wall, a smirk plastered to his face.
"It actually worked." I cheered in a whisper, pacing up to him. "Your machine actually worked."
"I told you so. I am not a man of deception." Dr. Joshua replied. Angling his head down, his smirk grew slightly more menacing. "Now…I presume you'll be holding up your end of the deal."
I returned the grin instantly. This was going to be pretty difficult to see through, more so for my wife. We'd only just given birth to our second child, it would be saddening to leave her behind so soon. Maybe she would be easier to handle than the...other one. However, it was a decision I had to follow through with. I'd make up for it somehow, I just knew it. Nodding, I extended my arm to give the man a handshake, which he gladly accepted.
"Of course! Whenever you're ready, just let us know…"
Another chapter complete!
I'm so happy to finally get this one released. It took some time to wrap my head around exactly what I wanted in terms of the plotline for the next few chapters, hence why it took me some time to write this out. We got there in the end, though! I'm confident updates will be less infrequent from here. I know this was mainly a filler chapter, but I promise, this story is going somewhere AWESOME!
Well, at least I think it's awesome lol. I can just picture everything in my head and I'm so excited :D
Anyways, a big thanks to those who choose to review, or even to those who are just reading along. Will return soon!
