After a drawn-out moment of blinking blearily, Vi crawled all the way to Caitlyn whose shoulders were high with tension. The anger rolled off her in waves, raging like wildfire, and Vi watched in terror as she moved upwards to follow Silco. In her panic, Vi grabbed her hand and forced her back on her knees. The angry glance she received threatened to cause the nature around them to wither to ash, but Vi simply shook her head no. Caitlyn released an unsteady breath, finally seeing reason, and just nodded.
They escaped the garden through the same route as they had broken in, more cautious than before. The ride back to the lighthouse was awfully quiet, with Caitlyn refusing to look at anywhere but the window. Vi would occasionally throw a worried glance at her, but everytime she tried to offer a word of comfort, the voice died in her throat.
When they arrived back home, Vi cooked dinner - leftover fish from those Zack had brought - and although she did her best, Caitlyn merely toiled with her food. Vi struggled to force cordial conversation, but to no avail.
"Are you not hungry?" Vi asked eventually, after several tries of trying to spark conversation.
"Not really, no," Caitlyn responded, leaning back on her chair. She looked like she was going through the seven stages of grief, sorrow creeping over her like rime. Vi didn't blame her; she would have been upset as well.
"Listen, I-"
"I don't understand…" Caitlyn spoke softly. "...how could anyone be so cruel? Seraphine hasn't done anything wrong, anything, she's still practically a child, and this man…" Her lips trembled. "This man treats her like some kind of… pet." The last word was emphasized in disgust. Vi remained silent. "Our elders have always warned us to stay away from the surface and from humans in general because they are dangerous. I didn't want to believe them; I gave humanity the benefit of the doubt, and they disappointed me in the worst of ways…"
It would be a lie if Vi claimed she didn't share that sentiment. "I'm afraid I have to agree. The world is harsh and cruel and the people that live in it often forget what it means to be human," she admitted. "I guess though, this is what makes an act of kindness even more special, right?"
Caitlyn glanced at her with an unreadable expression. "I suppose that's a way of seeing this…"
"I understand your current predicament, I really do. You have every right to feel upset right now, I don't blame you for it." Vi paused. "Listen, I have some friends that will be willing to lend a hand. We'll save Seraphine from that monster. Don't you trust me?"
"I do trust you," Caitlyn confessed. "But how are you going to explain to your friends the situation?"
"They don't need to know the entire truth. Just the basics," Vi rallied quickly.
"So you're just going to lie?"
Vi sighed in frustration. "There's no pleasing you, isn't it? How likely is it that they are going to believe the mermaid story?"
"...You are right, I'm sorry."
"You said you trusted me, right? Then, let me handle this. Go get some rest," she advised, giving Caitlyn's hand a quick pat. Vi chose to ignore how Caitlyn's cheeks blazed scarlet at the contact as she grabbed her phone to make a couple of calls to Jayce and Ezreal. She was oh so glad that the mermaid followed her advice and retreated to her bedroom, escaping the awkwardness that had been bestowed upon them by Vi's unpresidented gesture.
The next morning, Jayce's SUV pulled over near the lighthouse and the two men met Vi at the entrance of her little home where she explained the situation in a little bit more detail than she had through the phone call, omitting the part where Silco kept a mermaid somewhere in his basement like the creepy old man he was.
"There have been countless reports about missing items lately," Jayce mused. "It's disgusting how they're taking advantage of people's suffering and misery to gain profit."
"These are plunderers to you," Ezreal noted. "Shouldn't we just inform the police?"
"They will need proof in order to issue a warrant to start an investigation. Vi made the right call," Jayce argued. "Well then, let's head to the Wilson manor to have a look."
Vi was about to agree when the front door creaked open and she almost snapped her neck to glance at Caitlyn, who looked at her with expecting eyes, likely having overheard the entire conversation. She sighed. "Go get your stuff. We're ready to go," she told her and Caitlyn disappeared with a nod. When she returned her attention back to the two men, Ezreal bore a smirk that Vi didn't like at all.
"Is that the "friend" you talked about on the phone?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, quite the catch, don't you think Jayce?" Ezreal nudged Jayce's sides with a smile that beamed like it held a secret.
"She's not- She's just a friend, you moron!"
"Hey, I'm not judging." The blonde young man raised his hands in defense. "If she's single, I guess you wouldn't mind-"
"Finish that sentence and you'll find my boot where the sun doesn't shine, Blondie," Vi threatened.
"Whoa, easy there tiger, I was merely joking." Ezreal grinned mischievously. "But I'm sure Jayce would agree with me, right?"
Jayce cleared his throat. "She seems lovely." Vi glared at him. "But she's also young enough to be my sister, so I'm not saying anything beyond that."
"You better not."
Their bickering stopped when Caitlyn returned, handing Vi a backpack she had prepared since last night. "Right. Guys, this is Caitlyn, Caitlyn this is Jayce and Ezreal."
"Pleased to meet you both."
"Oh, the pleasure is all ours." Ezreal wiggled his eyebrows before Vi yanked him by the collar and dragged him towards Jayce's car.
"Shut up, Blondie. Let's get going," she said through gritted teeth. She purposely sat on the back seats with Caitlyn to prevent him from continuing being a total brat. The ride back to the Wilson manor was a blur, with Vi tuning out the voices of the two men, wondering about what they were about to face. She felt slightly guilty for deceiving and dragging both Jayce and Ezreal right into the lion's den, but a simple glance towards Caitlyn whose starlike gaze followed the passing scenery out of the window was enough to replace her anxiety with determination. The sudden realization that she would do anything for her terrified her. She swallowed hard, pushing those thoughts inside a box on the back of her head for future reference - if there would be such - as they drew closer to the manor. Jayce pulled his car on the side of the road before Vi could ask him to, for fear of damaging his car.
"Priorities," Ezreal scoffed as he jumped out of the SUV.
"That's rich coming from someone who doesn't own a car and has other people drive him around," Jayce rallied quickly without hesitation. "I have never actually come here before. Is it too far away?"
"Just ten minutes on foot," Vi informed him. "But we need to be careful."
"Bet." Ezreal grinned, fixing his belt, the metal handle of a gun shining through. Vi wondered if she had underestimated their intelligence. After all, they were going after a gang of plunderers and bulgrals. They moved quietly through the woods until the manor came into view, alongside numerous cars that clearly weren't supposed to be there. Vi and Caitlyn led them towards the back of the house, going through the virgin nature with its thorns that kept plucking on their clothes. Finally, they came across the wall of the backyard and Ezreal climbed onto Jayce's shoulders, who was the tallest of them all, and had a peek inside.
"Coast is clear," he announced. "Jayce, help me get on the other side, will you?"
"Do I even have a choice?" the taller man growled as Ezreal shifted his weight and literally stepped on him to get on top of the wall. He then helped the others up as well until he was the only one left. Vi reached out her hand to help him climb. A moment later, all four of them were inside the garden.
"This way," Caitlyn pointed to the cobblestone path, agitation rolling off her in waves, although neither of the young men accompanying them seemed to notice, except Vi, Vi who in a matter of a couple of days was able to read her body language like an open book. Caitlyn was anxious, understandably so, and made a great effort to hide it, almost succeeding in her performance, but failing miserably to hide from Vi. Vi only wished she knew how to comfort her, but she was aware that at this stage any words of comfort would only prove futile. As they made their way towards the fountain, Vi reached for Caitlyn's hand and gave it a slight squeeze before she opened up her pace to get ahead, completely missing Caitlyn's bewildered expression behind her back.
"Where's the well you talked about exactly?" Jayce asked. "We'll need some solid proof for a warrant to be issued."
"This way," Vi pointed towards the left of the fountain. "But we need to have a look inside too, just to be certain," She added, giving Caitlyn a knowing look.
Jayce nodded. "Will do."
Unlike the previous time, there was a pile of precious items outside of the well, ready to be hidden at its bottom. Jayce took several photos of the stolen goods, while Ezreal took a closer look at the jewelry that laid around.
"Holy shit," he murmured, picking up an elaborate necklace. "Isn't that Mrs Nichols' missing necklace?"
"Must be. And those must be Mr Walter's and Mr Shallivan's wedding rings," Jayce pointed at a pair of rings on top of the stack. "I have to give it to them, this is a genius plan."
Vi walked to the well and pulled out the bucket. "There are more at the bottom," she pointed out. "You want to take a picture of that," she told Jayce, pointing at the Rolex that was floating on the surface of the bucket.
"Why would they leave them like that?" Ezreal wondered out loud. "It almost feels like they left in a hurry."
"Which means they will be back soon," Jayce added, slipping his phone in his pocket. "Let's get another look around and get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this."
They headed back to the manor carefully, making sure there was no activity from the windows. Much to their luck, they found the back door locked. Ezreal fell to his knees, pulled a pair of pins out of his pocket and started working on the lock.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Vi asked, half impressed, half concerned. "Didn't have you for a lockpicker."
"I'm a man of many skills," Ezreal grinned. "Now shut up and let me concentrate."
After a few minutes which felt like centuries the door creaked open. Ezreal smiled, satisfied with himself. "There you go," he said, getting up on his feet.
Jayce reached for his belt and grabbed another gun which he handed to Vi. "I don't think you need instructions." Caitlyn watched with wide eyes the entire exchange.
"Councilor Medarda keeps you updated, I see," Vi smirked. The faintest of blushes dusted the tips of Jayce's ears and he simply cleared his throat. "Let's split up to cover more ground. Don't be shy to call for help if you come across any trouble," she suggested.
The two men nodded. "Be careful you two," Jayce said.
"Always." Vi reassured him.
It was Jayce who had a peek through the door first. After he ensured no one was around, he signaled to follow him inside. Ezreal crouched behind him and Vi and Caitlyn followed shortly. They found themselves inside a large corridor covered with an old, dusty magenta carpet that split into two different directions. The two men headed to the left, while the mermaid and the lighthouse keeper to the right. Vi was glad that their footsteps were muffled by the thick carpet because the manor wasn't as quiet as she wished it would be. The upper floors screeched with each step and distinct voices could be heard from upstairs. Her only wish was to find Seraphine before the others and get out of there safely.
They wandered around for a little while, getting overwhelmed by the sheer size of the manor and all the corridors that interjected with their own. Suddenly from up ahead they heard voices and froze. Vi was the first to recover, dragging Caitlyn with her to the nearest corridor which thankfully didn't have any windows and it was really dark. They crouched behind a marble bust of a man long forgotten in time and waited until the threat was gone. Indeed, a little while later two men passed by, laughing at something, before their voices died out. Vi and Caitlyn slowly got up, Vi going up ahead and having a peek around the corner, making sure the men were really gone. Then, she signed that the coast was clear and they returned back on track before Caitlyn tripped and fell down. Thankfully, all the noise was absorbed by the thick carpet below her.
"Are you okay?" Vi whispered as she helped her back on her feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Caitlyn nodded. "But why is the carpet so wet?"
Indeed, there was no good reason for it to be soaking. They shared a look. It was almost as if they read each other's minds without voicing their thoughts. They continued their search in more haste, finally reaching the end of the enormous carpeted corridor. On the left, there was another smaller one that led to a door. There was no carpet covering the wooden floor, only wet footprints and small puddles of water. Vi almost didn't notice that she was holding her breath. She carefully approached and put her ear on the door, trying to detect any noise from behind before they proceeded. For a moment, it felt awfully quiet before she heard a female voice. Instinctively, she grabbed Caitlyn's hand and dragged her behind the door. Seconds later, the door swung open and almost hit them in the face. A woman marched outside, her heavy footsteps manching on the carpet; Vi recognized Sevika. She didn't see them hidden behind the open door and soon she disappeared. Vi and Caitlyn remained still for a few good moments before Vi realized she was holding Caitlyn's waist and was pressing her against her body, her dark blue hair tickling her nose. With a red face, she quickly let go and pushed the door slightly so they could exit their little hiding hole.
Behind the door there was a staircase that led to the basement. The wooden staircase in its entirety seemed to be as wet as the carpet. Vi and Caitlyn started descending, closing the door behind them. The staircase was completely dark, so Vi had to use her phone to be able to see while clenching the gun in her free hand. They didn't know what to expect at the bottom of this staircase. Both of them became increasingly agitated as they drew deeper. At last, they entered the dark basement and Vi searched blindly for the lights. There was one singular lightbulb for the entire room, but it was enough to illuminate it completely.
And there, in the middle of the basement surrounded by dusty wooden crates, there was a giant fish tank filled all the way up with water, keeping within its glass walls a creature with a long, pink tail to match her long, wavy pink hair and sad eyes that reflected an entire constellation of stars who Vi assumed was Seraphine. She briefly wondered if all mermaids were beautiful and ethereal. She quickly dismissed the thought as Caitlyn kneeled next to the tank and Seraphine's eyes shone in recognition. They started speaking in a language Vi failed to understand, but what she did notice was the lock that kept the tank close. She glanced around, looking for the keys, but they weren't there. Perhaps Sevika had them on her, however Vi wasn't planning on staying long enough to find out.
"Caitlyn, stay back," she ordered suddenly. Caitlyn indeed stepped back and Vi aimed her gun at the lock which instantly broke. Seraphine pushed the lid open from inside and Caitlyn reached her hand to help her out. Vi turned kindly the other way as Seraphine transformed into a human and Caitlyn opened her backpack to offer her some clothes. Her eyes fell upon one of the crates which was open and she approached to have a look. Inside, there were stored several guns and ammunition. This wasn't just a bunch of ambitious plunderers who took advantage of the situation, but an organized gang. At that moment, Vi regretted dragging Jayce and Ezreal with her and thus putting their lives into danger. They needed to get out of there as soon as-
An iron grip yanked her from the shoulder and threw her to the ground. The gun escaped Vi's grip as her back came into contact with the concrete floor. Before she could recover, metallic fingers tightened around her neck and Vi's vision filled with black dots.
"Your audacity is enormous, I have to give you this," Sevika growled in her face. "Unfortunately, the same goes for your stupidity."
"Vi!" Vi heard Caitlyn cry out her name. She wriggled under the woman's weight, struggling to escape from her grip.
"Don't fucking move!" Sevika commanded. "Did you seriously think you could sneak into here without any of us noticing, huh?"
Vi glared - or at least attempted to - only to make Sevika smirk. Her teeth were yellow, possibly from smoking too many cigarettes. It was annoying how she found Vi's struggle amusing. Her vision became all the more darker in the periphery. So this was it?
No. She refused to die like that. Vi continued to pull Sevika's fingers away from her throat while she finally managed to shift her legs and land a knee on Sevika's groin, who groaned like an injured animal and her grip finally loosened. Vi managed to push her away and gasped for air, but there was no time to recover. She shakily stood up to face Sevika again and her gaze fell upon Caitlyn and Seraphine who looked at her with fear-stricken eyes.
"Go! Get out of here," Vi commanded, swiping blood off her face.
"But-"
"I'll be fine," Vi interjected, although her situation seemed all the more grim as Sevika found her steps again and looked angrier than before. "Just take Seraphine and go."
Caitlyn realized that there was no point in arguing with her. She grabbed Seraphine by the arm and dragged her with her, away from the massacre that was about to take place. Sevika ignored them, eyes blazing with anger locked on Vi.
"Y'know, I was just going to break some of your bones to give you a lesson on sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Sevika spat. "Seems like I'll have put you down instead."
"You talk too much." Vi raised her fists.
"Don't worry. I'll save you the trouble of having to hear my voice again," Sevika grinned, or more like showed her yellow teeth at Vi. Then, she charged at her with her metal arm, aiming for Vi's head. Vi dodged easily and threw a punch on the side of Sevika's head. Dizzy, she kneeled and Vi prepared another punch before she suddenly swung her metal arm and grabbed Vi's hand mid-punch and then threw her back to the ground. Vi cursed. She didn't expect that arm to grant her such flexibility. Before she knew it, Sevika was back on her feet and tried to stomp her to death. Vi rolled away until she bumped against a crate. In the literal seconds she had before Sevika's boot crushed against her skull, Vi managed to jump up and away before Sevika's boot came into contact with the crate and smashed it into pieces. Vi grabbed one of the pieces and smashed it against her head. She watched Sevika stumble before she glared at her over her shoulder, a strain of blood running down her forehead. She yelled and tried to throw another punch at Vi with her metal arm. Vi dodged again and again and again until Sevika ran out of stamina and started faltering. Then, she kicked her in the knee, making Sevika lose her balance and landed another punch in her chin. Sevika fell back, groaning in pain. Vi stood on top of her and with one last calculated punch, she knocked her out.
"Down, dog," Vi mocked, wiping the blood away from her face. Sevika didn't move again.
Now that was out of the way, she needed to get back to Caitlyn and Seraphine, and she had to be quick about it. She leaped over Sevika's unconscious body, grabbed her gun from the floor and ran back upstairs, her heart pounding like thunder. But as soon as she came out of the basement, two men twice her size flanked her to the ground, and before she could react, they took her gun away again and tied her arms with rope. Vi would fight back if it wasn't for the fact that she had used most of her energy in the battle against Sevika. It was pathetic how they took hold of her with almost no resistance, then forced her back on her feet and pushed her around. Vi only wondered if Caitlyn and Seraphine had made it out safely and they were running far, far away from this terrible place, already putting their endeavor with the human world behind them.
But as soon as they pushed her through the living room, all of Vi's hopes were instantly diminished and her heart splintered like glass when her eyes fell upon Caitlyn, hands tied behind her back, immobilized next to Seraphine, Jayce and Ezreal who all suffered the same fate. She was thrown next to them and felt her knees being scrapped against the carpet. There, in the corner of the room next to the window stood a man, half the frame of whom was hidden in the shadows. Vi paid him no mind.
"Are you guys alright?" she whispered.
"We should be asking you that!" Caitlyn whispered back, worry flashing in her eyes where it had taken residence.
"Quiet!" One of the men watching over them hissed.
The man in the corner finally turned to look at them and everyone shrunk under the scrutiny of his impaired eye, his terrible eye. Silco regarded them with what Vi percepted as amusement.
"So," he said, a cigarette hanging from his fingers. "You are the four little nuisances who trespassed our land."
Their land? Vi wanted to laugh at his face. This place wasn't theirs. Unless they were directly related with the Wilson heirs, they were the trespassers, not them.
"You have quite the guts, I'll give you that," he continued. "When I chose this place as the base of our operations, I didn't imagine anyone would even think of coming here."
"Well, that's just too bad, isn't it?" Vi snarled.
Silco directed both his good and his disformed eye towards her, causing a shiver run down her spine. "Indeed, it is. Not for me, though." He paused. "I wonder though, how did you find out about my little treasure? Surely, you wouldn't know how precious Seraphine is to me, unless…" he trailed off. Everything about that sentence sounded wrong. Seraphine tried to shelter herself behind Caitlyn. "Well, it doesn't really matter. I always get what I want." Silco shrugged. "Gentlemen, if you'd be so kind as to escort our guest back to her room. As for the rest of our visitors, I think I will decide what to do with them along the way."
"I don't suppose you mean you'll kill us?" Ezreal asked nervously.
"Oh, that has already been decided," Silco replied. "It is unprecedented, but it needs to be done. The first chance you'll get, you'll run back in town and let the cat out of the bag. And we really cannot have that. I just haven't decided how."
Two of Silco's men approached Seraphine and reached to grab her arms. She squealed in fear and tried to better shelter herself.
"Wait!" Caitlyn called out. "I have a proposal."
Silco raised a brow. He signaled his men to stop. "I'm listening."
"I'm a mermaid too. I'm wearing a necklace that is proof of that," Caitlyn said. "Let Seraphine and the others go safely… and I'll stay in her place."