And so it was, that the Loud house would find itself, unbeknownst to all but one, the reason behind their missing ashen-haired was sitting across from the eldest Loud sibling, drinking a glass of water offered to her by the family's matriarch. The whole of the house, minus the jock Loud, sat quietly in the living room, with Carol sitting across from Lincoln, his family surrounding him, meaning if she pulled some form of move, his family would be caught in the crossfire.
"So..." her voice, if only being heard for a mere moment, caused the male loud to shiver, ever so. The smile she displayed, it was nothing but a front. His family probably couldn't sense it, but he could; her malice and bloodlust were on unnervingly equal levels. And yet, she seemed quite at ease, handling her emotions much better than most ghouls. But then, could he really call her a Ghoul? According to Taurus, ghouls were unable to eat anything besides raw flesh, toxic herbs, and any liquid at a heated degree. And yet, from what he'd seen, Carol defied all of that; she drank cold water, ate pieces of the small snacks offered to her, and she most definitely didn't gag or show resistance to consuming these types of food. "How've you been, Lincoln?" Her eyes focused solely on him, the bloodlust was intoxicating, as was another sentiment she radiating, but he couldn't find a word for such an emotion. Admiration? Jealousy?...Lust?
Lincoln kept his eyes low, unable to meet her gaze, as every time he did, flashes of that night played, causing him to flinch. "F-fine." He answered, meekly. For the life of him he couldn't understand what it was about her that made this situation all the more nerve wrecking. Was it solely because she was the one that nearly killed him, or was it the intense negativity he felt radiating from her? Either could've been an honest answer, though, Lincoln knew she wasn't here simply to check on him. Far from it.
"That's good, when I heard you'd been found, I had high hopes that it would've been the same for..." her voice trailed, hesitating, perhaps to have her lie sound all the more convincing. "For my brother."
The expressions of those present, save for Lincoln, all shifted to that of surprise, and soon to sympathetic. There was a touch on sincerity, however hard to believe that was. He could feel a tangent of sadness, but it faded as the malice took over once again.
"They haven't found your brother yet?" It was Luan who asked, prompting another momentary wave of depression to hit the boy's sense, replaced once again by what he saw as mild jealousy in Carol's eyes.
"They did...what was left of him." Her tone was grim, as was her expression, shifting between unbridled rage and sorrow. All of this was confusing the ashen-haired boy, but to his family, they only gave their sympathy as they realized the other boy that was found was Carol's brother. The gruesome details were left out from the initial report, but the family was given as to what the police had found of the boy, or lack thereof.
"I'm sorry. If you literally need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Lori spoke first, expressing her sympathy for her friend; whilst also thankful her brother had not suffered the same fate. Almost instantly, Carol recovered with a faint smile, aimed at the male loud sibling. Sending a chill up his spine.
"It's not just what I need." Her eyes surveyed Lincoln, as if wondering if he'd pull some sort of trick. After spending some time with the other ghouls, she assumed he would've discovered his abilities by now. Though, the boy appeared more petrified by her appearance than anything else. "Lincoln." Her tone shifted, a sense of dictatorial authority made its way into her voice as she spoke. "Do you remember anything? Anything that might help the police?" And just like that, he felt his breath hitch as he realized what she'd been doing; she was fishing. Whatever he said next would determine whether course of action she would take against his family. Said family kept their eyes on Lincoln, wondering if their young Loud would have anything that could be of use to this girl. But at the same time, his parents wanted to assure him that he didn't need to say anything he was uncomfortable sharing. However, as it stood, they didn't feel that they were in a position to act like parents after what they'd done to him.
Cautiously, Lincoln shook his head. To which Carol's grin shifted to something akin to pleased.
"I see." She purred, immensely confusing the family.
"Carol?" Lori reached out to her friend, wondering why it was she appeared pleased with Lincoln's lack of information regarding his kidnappers.
Though, Carol's expression shifted to one of annoyance as she turned to the family. She raised a palm to them, her eyes glowing faintly. "You're not needed for this. Sleep." And wirh the wave of her arm, the family immediately collapsing, a few snoring quite loudly, indicating they'd fallen into slumber. "There..." Carol purred once more, her eyes shifting back to their original color, this time with blackened veins being visible near the corner of her eyes. "Now we're alone." She shifted positions, crossing her legs together as she leaned backwards, exposing a bit more than the boy was comfortable with seeing. A small glimpse of lacy blue was engraved in his mind as he tried glancing back, only to find the Carol still with the same ominous smile. Without warning, she reached down and lifted her shirt, exposing her bare stomach to the boy. And while he blushed madly at her actions, his body froze as he took notice of the noticeable scars on her sides and chest. "You remember me, don't you?" That question needed no answer, she already knew. And she was enjoying watching him shiver and squirm. But then, she remembered having watched him with the Constellation ghouls. She frowned, faintly, picturing the young boy with the blonde rocker and...the shapeshifter. "You've been having fun lately, haven't you?" Lincoln, while still avoiding eye contact, was utterly confused by her question. "With little that little rocker, and dear old Taurus." Her tone sharpened as she referred to the latter. A clear sense of disdain in the way she described the ghouls of Constellation gave a sense of where she stood amongst them. An outcast? Exile? Considering their personalities to hers, it wouldn't surprise Lincoln if she was being hunted by the ghouls for committing crimes in the eyes of their society. But then, all he had to go on was the attack on himself. He didn't really know if she was still a part of Constellation. For all he knew, she was not on friendly terms with Taurus, but still managed to work with him. That, and him being infected was all planned out.
But, if that were the case, why would Taurus tell him the Ghoul was a feral? Weren't they supposed to be mindless, frenzied ghouls set on attacking and eating anything? Did Taurus lie?
"That's no good." His eyes darted to the teen, her fingers had shifted to those same claws from that night, the memories and pain came back all at once. He rubbed his shoulder to numb the pain. Carol leaned over, her fingers dancing lightly on the wondered coffee table. "A good little boy asks permission before going out to play with strangers." Her fingers danced ever closer to Lincoln, his heartbeat paced faster the closer she got. "And you..." her fingers stopped, digging into the wood before dragging along back to Carol, her faint smile remained all through her actions. "Didn't ask for permission." She hummed, quite possible with an echo-like tone. Although, the boy was lost as to what she meant by that statement.
"P-Permission?
Carol's grin returned, though her jagged teeth remained. "Yes. It was my blood that made you one of us. Swimming through your veins is both my and your blood. More mine than yours actually, seeing as you're still alive. By ghoul law, written by the very same primordial Taurus worships; you belong to me. Your blood is my property." She purred again, relishing in everything she said as if it were truth. Judging by Lincoln's confused expression, he had no idea what she was talking about. Regardless, she wouldn't allow his ignorance to get in the way of her goal. Still, she wouldn't allow her 'toy' to be left in the dark, not if he was going to do as she commanded. She reached over for another snack Rita brought her. A triangular sandwich, ham and cheese with a light mayo spread. She ate it, slowly, in front of the young Ghoul. The evidence of her being a Ghoul was there, clear as day, but the manner in which she ate these foods that would've normally caused a Ghoul to gag, if not become poisonous if any Ghoul managed to swallow the contents, proved otherwise. The growling of his stomach indicated his hunger, and envy at her apparent ability to consume what she pleased. "Now then, come sit by me." She patted the spot to the right of her. If there was ever a clear act of defiance that Lincoln would soon come to regret, it was not going to her side as she wanted. He remained in place, unmoving, yet slightly shivering. That slightly would shift to full on as he took notice of the loss in her glee. Her smile had fainted, no scowl or anger took over, but rather, an emotionless expression. "Lincoln, come here." She insisted, patted the spot to her right a bit more forceful, less playful. Again, Lincoln chose to stay his ground, unwilling to do as this monster wanted. Of course, he came to quickly regret it as he now felt the overwhelming sense of dread as he turned to face her eye to eye, only to solely regret his decision; her eyes had reverted to their jagged selves, her eyes matched that of Taurus' description of a Ghoul, and the moderate bloodthirsty aura he'd come to notice around Sam and Haiku were dwarfed by this one's. "Lincoln." Her voice, albeit unchanging, felt evermore menacing. He could feel her emotionless stare on him. If she was this frightening now, how would she act when angered? An image flashed within his head; his family beaten and bloodied, ripped apart, soaked in a pool of their own blood. And Carol stood amongst them, smiling widely whilst nibbling on a severed limb.
Fearing the idea of it becoming a reality, Lincoln gulped and walked over to her, albeit hesitantly and cautiously. As he neared her side, her smile returned, patting the seat beside her silently. "Sit."
He obeyed.
As he did, he felt her nudge closer to him, her head resting atop his, almost affectionately. Her right hand crept along his back; the claws had not reverted to human limbs, allowing him to feel the sharpened talons caressing his skin. Her left hand was placed atop his lap; he felt her soft breathing flow down atop his head. "You see..." she whispered. "Isn't it easier to be a good boy?" Her voice was calm, soothing even. He felt her head nuzzle his, softly. She was caring, hell; he'd dare even say she was affectionate. But he knew better, he could see what few could; her emotions manifested. A rather lovely trait the ghouls has was sensing a person's emotional state, and even being able to see it in some cases. And in her case, she was all but caring and nurturing. "Lincoln?"
His eyes shifted upwards, meeting her softened gaze. She leaned over and picked up a small sand which. She held it to the boy. "Eat."
Hesitantly, knowing the outcome, he reached out with caution. Though, before being able to grasp the snack, Carol shifted it away. "No." The sandwich drifted back to him, this time he didn't attempt to grasp it, instead, he allowed her control. It was clear, she wanted to feed him, for control or whatever fantasy she had in mind. Why she didn't kill him or his family was something he couldn't fathom. Was she taunting him, prolonging her little tease? She did the same that night; she teased, played around with him. She never went for the kill, not until she lost control. So, as long as she held all the power, Lincoln felt it best to for his family's survival to simply play along.
And so, he opened his mouth, salivating at the simplest of meals approaching. But, as with all that wasn't flesh, he bagged as the contents entered his mouth. To which, he felt the sharpen claws press against his back, patting him gently. "Easy now." Her voice had gotten soft once more, but it did nothing to ease his nerves. She gently placed her left palm on his stomach, a faint glow at the tips of her claws shone for a moment before dulling. "There." She offered the sandwich once more. Though, he was evermore hesitant given what he just gagged up a few moments prior. He turned his head away, unwilling to obey her. "Lincoln." For just a moment, however. Again, he complied, believing this to be entertaining to her, which for the most part he was right. Although, as the first bite was initiated, Lincoln's eyes went wide.
He didn't gag.
His body wasn't repulsed by the bread, or the cheese, or the meat. In fact, his mouth savored each individual taste. He can finally eat normally. Without hesitating, he took multiple bites, causing Carol to tossing what little remained into Lincoln's open mouth. He ate it, regardless of circumstance. For nearly a week he had to eat what little Sam could sneak his way, while also enduring having to smell what food his family left for him at his door, knowing full well his body would be repel it. But now, he ate with leisure. He missed this flavors, and up till now he felt as if they were no longer to be felt or savored again. And yet, he was given that pleasure, by his intended killer.
And therein came back the reality of his situation; the one who intended to end his life had just called him her property, coddled him in the way one would a pet, and just gave him the satisfaction of tasting a simple meal. He froze upon feeling her head nuzzle again against his. Her right arm swung over his shoulder, holding her closely to him. He could feel her smile, that damned grin that sent shivers up his spine.
"Better?" She asked. Lincoln nodded, responding quickly as to not anger her. "Good." She muttered. They remained in silence, save for the faint snores of his still slumbering family. What he least expected, and wanted, was when Carol began running her fingers through his hair, her claws then caressing his cheek, again lovingly. "You remind me of him." Her tone was low, soft, and whisper-like. Almost as if she didn't intend him to hear, but he did. Questions sprang up, more so than before.
"H-him?" He asked, hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't find offense to him fishing for clarification.
"Yes." He felt her smile falter, if only for such a small moment. "He was so fidgety too. Twitchy. Always reluctant, never listened...until I 'persuaded' him otherwise." He felt her eyes fix on him again, the uneasiness was apparent the whole time she held him. "Hairs not the same, but I'll make do."
Make do? What was she planning? Did she intend to kill him, or was this torture going to be prolonged.
"After all..." Carol's head lifted, lowering itself to his ear level, his breath hitched at feeling hers against his cheek. "He was supposed to be what you are now." Her claws dragged down alongside his neck, slowly coming to a halt over his chest. A single claw stood, the tip edging the exact location of where his heart would be. "But I suppose my brother wasn't a viable subject. Just like the others. In the end, you were the only one to survive." Others? There were more? And they all...he was the only one to have lived? Did she plan all of this? Did she purposely infect others? And...her own brother too? Once more, Lincoln's mind swarmed with questions, more so images of other likes him. Others whose bodies were twisted, bloodied, broken, and healed. And then repeating the process, until death mercifully embraced them. But for what reason? Lost in his thoughts, Lincoln failed to notice, until planted upon him; a kiss. His body froze at the sudden contact. Though, he couldn't determine why?
Carol smiled after displaying such a gesture, grabbing Lincoln's chin and turning him towards her with her right claws. Her left fingers still pressed against his chest. "But you'll do nicely." She looked to him, fondly. If that could be believed. Her eyes narrowed, inspecting every inch of him with great interest.
'Of all the trash, I found my little pearl. You'll definitely be of use to me, and your family...might as well.' Carol's mind swarmed with images of her future subjects. Was it the Loud bloodline that allowed them to survive the infection, or was Lincoln simply a lucky fluke? '...it can't be random.' If there was ever a moment her smile faltered, it would not be now. She finally had her success, her proof. And by the laws of their kind, Lincoln rightfully belonged to her. What she did with him, or to him, was her right to. She could easily take him with her, coddle him for days before running a series of tests on him. And if he survived, she knew what she'd do with him.
"Y-you..." Lincoln attempted to speak, but the mere glance of her eyes caused him to stutter. "Y-you used...you're o-o-own b-b-brother?"
Carol's smile didn't fade, but he saw it, if only for a millisecond; her left eye twitched. And then he felt it, her left finger tips digging into his flesh, slowly. His initial reflex brought his arm up and his body to jerk backwards. Though, when he tried to move back, he felt himself digging into her right claws. Front or back, she'd draw blood. His blood. "I did." She responded, her smile ever so gleeful. "But he was weak...and tasty."
The room went silent once more; Lincoln's eyes had never been wider as she brought her left palm to her mouth, her elongated tongue swirling around her bloodied fingers, savoring the taste. Her jagged teeth had formed again, leaning close to him her face had begun to reshape. What Lincoln expected was not what he received; her Ghoul form was not the same as that night. This one's lower jaw split into six, the top mandibles with jagged teeth on the bottom, the middle had teeth on both ends, and the bottom showcased two large canines at the top with several smaller ones beside them. "I hope you're not the same...otherwise...well…" her eyes glanced to his family, all of them blissfully unaware of the monsters they've allowed into their home. "They'll help me test my theory as well." Lincoln felt pain, incredible dread and pain. He imagined his family being succumbed to what he went through, and he knew for a fact, none of them would survive, not even Lynn. She might've been the toughest of the bunch, but even she wouldn't be able to cope with what being a Ghoul entailed.
Speaking of which...
His nose twitched, as did Carol's. Their heads turned to the stairway, and there stood the jock of the Loud family; Lynn. Her mouth was agape, eyes as wide as saucers, having seen her sister's friend become something even she found, among other things, unbelievable. She'd come downstairs after cooling down, her siblings and parents were nowhere to be found upstairs, she decided to descend to the living room. Only to find her brother sitting beside Lori's former rival. The way in which she held him close to her, the uncomfortable look in his eyes, the way he shivered, and the sickening grin Carol held throughout the whole ordeal made Lynn sick to her stomach. But, she didn't intervene, not after seeing the teen's claws, her jagged teeth, her bloodlust eyes, and soon, her twisted Ghoul face. She was a monster, plain for all to see. And she was frightened, beyond all reason. And the way she described Lincoln as her property, was she the reason he disappeared? What did she do to him? And the word she used, infection; was he...like her now? And the family, she swore to use them as well.
"Oh dear." Carol's face reverted back to her human form. "We have a little rat peeking in. That won't do." She pressed her palm against Lincoln's back and forced him up. "Bring her to me." Her command was cold, yet her expression unfaltering. Was she ever to frown? Did nothing upset her? But, his thoughts were broken by the feeling of a claw on his back. "Now, Lincoln." He didn't want to. He knew what she'd do to Lynn, all the twisted ways she would handle the jock, and as much as she annoyed him, Lincoln wouldn't allow his sister to succumb to that. He shook his head, defying her orders again. And yet again, he would come to regret it as he could feel her glare on him. He didn't have it predict what would come next; he knew Carol wouldn't be pleased with his response. If the claws digging into his back were any indication; she was growing annoyed with his insistence to resist her orders. He could feel those damned things itching ever inward, if her humming was any indication; Carol cared little if he bled. Without warning, her claws ripped away from his flesh, instead he felt her turn him forcefully, as a very human hand grasped him by the throat and hoisted him into the air. "I grow tired...of your...defiance." With each pause came an increase in her grip. Lincoln's gasps for air as he struggled proved her resolve; if he was this hesitant to her orders; she saw no use for him. At least, that was what he felt. With only a single eye open, he tried looking towards Carol, and he saw her expression remain consistent. Though, he also noticed her grin had widened by such a small margin.
In what felt like a mere second, a metal bat swung and struck Carol's head. However, where with most humans this act would seem fatal, the bat ricochet off her with a metallic clang. Lynn dropped the bat at feeling the sting of hitting what felt like a hunk of steel. She hissed at the stinging pain, unaware of the pair of reddened eyes now fixated on her. But, like this freak, her glare didn't falter. After watching this bitch play with her brother like that, she couldn't stand aside anymore. Like Leni said, she was his sister.
"Let him go." Lynn demanded, caring nothing that this freak could kill her with little effort. "Now-" and again, the floors of the house was stained with the blood of another Loud. Lynn stopped in her demands, her eyes drifted downwards as blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. The sight of a claw embedded in her chest broke the Loud's fierce glare, replaced by an ever growing sense of fear and fatigue.
"Oops...I missed the heart." Carol hummed, twisting her finger as to produce a piercing scream from the young Loud. "Let's try again." Her tone indicated a sense of enjoyment, bliss; Carol was taking her time with Lynn. Her intentions weren't to kill, but as of now she couldn't exactly begin her experiments...or could she. She glanced over to Lincoln, his own blood had dried, and his wounds healed. It wouldn't take long to draw more, but then, she'd already proved that sharing human blood didn't exactly equal a safe infection. But then, he had quite a few siblings to test that theory, she only had the one. Oh how loathed contraceptives, and that fact this house seemingly never heard of the word made her giddy.
"Don't. Please...don't kill her." This time, the demand came from her little pet; he struggled with her grip whilst also seemingly begging her not to cause further harm to his sister. Aside from contraceptives, Carol disliked defiance. She didn't dislike the concept, though; she could do without disobedient children. But, she could work with this.
"Oh Linky, worrying about others before your own." Carol hummed, lifting Lynn up, as to not rip her apart instantly. Blood dripped more as the jock held on to the claw for dear life, the pain becoming more and more unbearable, and yet death would not embrace her yet. "But..." Lynn was brought closer, not to Carol, but to Lincoln. "Wasn't it this one's fault for you being kicked from your home?" The two siblings looked to one another, Lincoln's was of worry and fear for his sister, and Lynn's was of shame and pain for what she had put her brother through, and it would only intensify with what the Ghoul said next. "I should thank you, without your little rumor, Lincoln would've been harder to acquire. Don't forget to thank her too, Linky. After all, infecting you was all too easy thanks to your 'sister'." And as if having the weight of the world brought down on her, Lynn now realized why her brother had become reclusive, why he choose to stay quiet and break away from his family; it was what he must've went through with this freak. Whatever she'd done to him, he chose to deal with it alone. All the shit he had to go through, the pained torture, the sadistic bitch and her horrifying unwavering grin. And yet he still chose to beg for her life, to protect Leni. Even when faced with the prospect of death, his first instinct was to protect his family. The overwhelming guilt of her actions had finally begun to take effect, if only for the last few moments of her life.
"Please..." his voice had become raspy, his lack of air intake began to show. "I'll do...anything."
With that, Carol's grip eased, slightly, as she brought him closer to her face. "Say it."
"What?"
Her glare had eased, and her grin shrunk. "You know what I want to hear, Linky." Indeed, he did. And that frightened him. He knew what she wanted; she'd basically branded him with her claw. He hated this, he hated her. But, he couldn't let Lynn die. Or worse; become like him. "Say the words, only two words. Do that and I'll stop the pain" He didn't trust her, he couldn't. But he needed to believe that she would let Lynn live.
He didn't hesitate, he didn't falter, even with the air growing ever scarce. "I'm...I-i-I'm yours."
Her smile grew, as did the gleam in her eyes. And with it, she dropped him. He gasped, loudly, his hands rubbing at the bruised marks on his neck. Relief was temporary, as he still saw Lynn in her grasps. "Let her go." He demanded. "You said-"
To which, Carol tilted her head. "I said I would end the pain, you didn't specify who's pain." Without warning, she removed her claws from Lynn, tossing the young jock on the floor, her she clasped at her wound, feeling her body grow cold from the loss of blood. Lincoln limped to his sister, placing a hand to her wound whilst holding her close. Lynn grasped his hand, her voice becoming raspy as she tried with each gasp to call his name. He felt the warmth in her touch fading, the light in her eyes growing ever dark.
The pain in his heart grew, the idea of losing his sister was eating at him with each passing second. He couldn't let her die, but what could he do? He didn't even know what his ability was, let alone how to control it. Sam had no idea what was happening, she couldn't intervene. And Taurus...no, there would be no help coming. Without even putting up a fight, the Louds were surrendering to this Ghoul. It infuriated him, to be so weak, to be pushed around. Even with his enhanced strength and senses, this girl was far above him.
Seeing him break was a joy to watch. She never intended to kill off a subject so easily, but she'd seen what he could do; his inspiration was like a sickness, almost like the blood of the ghouls. But, with the death of his sister, he'd no doubt submit. Though, of all the things Carol anticipated, what occurred next was far beyond her predictions.
Lincoln began sobbing, his left palm gripped the left half of his face, possibly in an attempt to stop the tears. Lynn watched as her brother broke down, the guilt of not being able to protect her was growing to such extremes. It pained her to watch him like this, to cry for someone that didn't deserve his love. She loved him, she wouldn't deny that. And it ate her inside when he went missing, and when he came back she felt as if a piece of her life had shone brightly once more. She preferred seeing him cold and scolding than to see him in pain like this. She wanted to reach to him, to tell him not to cry for her, to tell him that this was not his fault. But, it wouldn't have done any good. He would still feel guilty, he would still cry, Carol would break him.
Watching this, this display of sibling love and affection, it irked Carol. Such acts, the words, the emotions behind it...she hated it. This was weakness. She raised her right arm; the bones had reshaped themselves into a scythe. She knew what would happen, Lincoln would recover. The other...didn't matter. With one swift motion, her scythe severed the two in half. Ending the life of one, and leaving the other in a state of recovery, free for her to take home. And hell, why let the jock's body go to waste, maybe her flesh would do well for the ashen haired boy. Especially when Carol told him whose meat he had consumed.
Or at least, that's what she intended, as her scythe made contact, their physical forms shattered, almost like glass. The blood was still present, but she noted the drag marks leading to the door entrance. Her smile faltered, only for a moment as her eyes landed on the blond rocker, a ebony haired girl, a young ebony haired girl tending to the jock's wounds, and...Taurus.
"Aquarius." He growled, Carol's grin grew, something about her former name brought her a sense of joy.
"Taurus." She replied, retrieving her parasol as she had predicted how this would possibly end. "This doesn't concern you. This youngling belongs to me." She pointed at Lincoln.
"Like hell he does!" Sam managed to shriek out, though, she too shivered in place as Lincoln did. She knew who this was, both from school, and from working alongside her for a while.
Aside from the small outburst, Taurus stood firm against his former comrade, particularly for the reason she'd been exiled. Or rather, the reasons. "Since when do you follow Ghoul law? Or any law for that matter?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She replied with a small chuckle, further enraging the shapeshifter. "Whenever it benefits me."
Taurus' glare only furrowed, she didn't change. He had hopes, high as they were. But Aquarius was as she always was; a monster. "It was said you went feral. It surprised no one, no sane Ghoul would've stayed by your side. Sadly, though, here you stand."
"Such a gentlemen." She teased, she twirled her parasol, aiming it at her former, and first, subject. "But what I say is truth; Lincoln only became a Ghoul through my blood, and so, by law he belongs to me."
"Wrong!" Sam shouted again, her anger had boiled to newer levels. She had become worried over Lincoln's absence to their usual meet ups, and with the lack of responses to her texts she came to check up on him. Now, she looked to Lincoln with a great deal of guilt, she was tasked with keeping an eye on him, and this exiled monster had snuck her way in and branded him as her own. She didn't believe it. She wouldn't. "It was Europa, she infected him."
A faint chuckle escaped Carol's lips, just as her chuckle grew to a full on taunting laugh. The young Ghoul was confused, immensely. Why was this one laughing? She turned to Taurus, hoping for answers, but his expression remained stern. "Taurus, why is she laughing?"
"..."
"Taurus?" Sam's hope was hanging by a thread, she refused to believe Lincoln belonged to this witch.
When her laughing fit ceased, Carol remained focused on Taurus. "You wanna tell her, or should I?" It was clear her glee over this situation was bountiful. Though, she didn't wait for Taurus to respond. In response, she reshaped her body, Lincoln's eyes widened as he was greeted to the same form that chased him into the forest not too long ago. Although, he wasn't the only one surprised, as both Sam Haiku looked to her with shock. Only Taurus appeared unimpressed. For he knew how she was able to do this, and it made her all the more terrifying as an enemy. Once she'd finished reforming, she turned to Lincoln, while having no eyes, the mere fact that the blank face was facing his general direction unnerved him. And when she spoke, it followed with a hissing gurgle tone. "Europa is feral; she would've killed him the moment he walked into the forest. But Taurus is right; I was feral...for a while."
At this, Sam stood in front of Taurus, her body begun reshaping to her Ghoul form. "Liar! No one recovers from feralism."
"Virgo!" Taurus held her back with a single palm, unwilling to watch her attempt to go head to head with this former zodiac.
"Aww, a new Virgo. What happened to the last one?" Her tone was irritating, but her words sparked a great deal of questions. Especially within Sam. She knew well that there was a Virgo before her; she'd been chosen to replace her. As were the other zodiacs beside Taurus. All of the new ones were mere replacements, all except Taurus, and Aquarius. "Oh wait..." she placed a hand against her lip, her tongue licking her lips with no subtlety. "I remember now."
If her intention was to instill fear in the younger ones, she was doing one helluva job at it. Haiku had been tending to Lynn's wounds, but hearing what occurred to Sam's predecessor, she felt herself shivering at the thought of succumbing to the same fate. As for Sam, she had heard her predecessor fell to a fellow Ghoul, but to hear this implication, and with Taurus making no move to correct her, she felt herself feeling less sure of her chances of fighting this Ghoul.
Judging by the horrified look in her eye, Carol's words had more effect on the young one than she had anticipated. This only fed in to her ego, and furthered her want to taunt these little ones. "What's wrong, didn't they tell you? Of course not, why would he? What would keep his family together if the ghouls knew they could recover from feralism?" The widened eyes of the children present were filled with confusion and mild curiosity. There was a way to recover from becoming feral? And she knew of this? Was this just a way for her stall or break their morale? Or was she telling the truth? But then, why would the primordial not tell them? Wasn't the threat of feralism the common fear of the ghouls? "But I've said enough. Come Lincoln." She clapped her hands twice, gesturing the boy to come to come to her as a dog would.
"You're not taking him." Sam reinforced her statement, unwilling to let him be taken by this witch.
As with all that's happened, Carol's smile remained unfaltering. Instead, she chose to play to Lincoln's nature. "That's fine. But that's the beauty of having such a large family." Her eyes drifted to the still slumbering Louds. "You can't watch everyone." She turned to leave, but as she approached the door, a voice called to her. One she expected to hear.
She wouldn't stop, she'd come back. And Lincoln already knew, from hearing the ways Taurus spoke of his people and their feelings towards humans; he couldn't rely on them to protect his family. And he wasn't strong enough to do anything either. The fact that his first encounter with a Ghoul intending on killing him, and he was weak in every aspect left him with no reassurance that any possible training could help him. Considering she'd attack whenever she wanted, there was no way to predict when she'd make her move.
"Wait." Lincoln gave his sister one last look, her wounds had been closed, but the blood and fatigue remained. She had nearly passed out, but for the moment she remained conscious. "If I go with you, you'll leave them alone?"
"I don't see why I need to bargain with my property. But, if it'll put your mind at ease, and if you'll do what I command, unwavering, I'll consider it." It wasn't much, but if he pleased her, she wouldn't need to continue harassing his family. It took all his willpower to rise up and walk to her side. Sam had tried holding him back, embracing him from behind, she'd done what she never before did; she begged. Pleased that she would help him protect his family, that they'd find a way. But they both knew; she was well above them.
Lincoln broke away from her, his goal was to protect his family, anything else came second. He looked up to face his master; she was smiling. That's all she ever showed, her smile. This was her way of saying; I win. A fight couldn't be waged here, the Louds would be caught in the crossfire, and they couldn't take it outside, a fight in broad daylight was sure to draw attention. Feeling this the only way, Lincoln chose to give himself to her, if only to ensure his family would be spared this world.
As he stood by her side, her claws stroked his cheek gently. "There's a good boy." She used a claw to slice at the air, though, the resulting action created a rip in the air. A red oval erupted from the rip. "Come now, we're leaving." Carol was the first to step through the orb, Lincoln hesitated. Every fiber in his being wanted to stay, but Carol already proved how willing she was to do whatever it took to get what she wanted, regardless of the lines she'd need to cross. As he turned one last time, he caught his sister, staring at him, her hands reaching out to him, presumably trying to speak his name. She was calling to him, he was leaving, again, and this time, he would probably never return. With a hardened heart, he turned away from her and entered the orb.
With his decision, the orb collapsed soon after.
The remaining party was left only with the weight of their defeat, losing another one of their own to to this long time enemy. Sam was still on her knees, crying softly whilst cursing at her failure to protect Lincoln. Taurus stood silent, deep in his own thought. That was, until he felt a tug at his pants. It was Haiku, staring at him intently.
"That portal, I remember it." This caught Sam's attention, Lynn had passed out, and Taurus was with a similar reaction to Sam's. Haiku continued. "I remember it because it was Libra's ability. And the way she shape-shifted into Europa, that's your power. How?"
Taurus walked over to Lynn, glancing over to the family, he sighed. They would awake, not any time soon, but they would awaken. Lynn would as well, but hers would take time. If they moved now, they could have her at Constellation's HQ, have her wounds healed completely, and her memory dealt with. Though, judging by the hardened glare the poet was sending his way, he'd have to sedate their curiosity. "All you need to know is that she was the sole reason the other zodiac's fell; she used our powers against us. Her power is to…she is…a mimic."
Wow, this chapter was completed a helluva lot faster than usual. Be that as it may, we'd like to point out something really important; Carol is not going to be op, she will have her weaknesses, just give it some time. Also, hope you enjoyed the read, until next time. Ciao!