Hey you guys…

Thanks again for the reviews, my loyal readers! Good to see you're still with me, Butterfly Souls! :)

And yes, Vinnie has a sister. He told about her that night in that motel, when they were drinking whiskey, remember?
Most of the small details I give in this story seems to be like I just called it; small. But not all of them are. But I can totally understand if you guys forget about them, since this story has already 53 chapters, with more to come.
It's crazy. Hope it's not getting boring... :O XD
Anywayz, let me know if there's something you don't understand, it's no problem at all for me to explain. :)

So, next chapter. I've fighted the urge to upload it sooner and took my time to check it on spelling and grammar. I'm sure there are still, hopefully minor, mistakes, but I did the best I could :) Hope it's good enough!

Enjoy! ^^

Chapter fifty four

"His… his sister?", Carbine managed to bring out.
"Since when does the punk has a sister?", Stoker asked shocked.
"Since he was born, because it's his twin sister…", Throttle said softly. "He told us on Earth. First time that he mentioned her, me and Modo didn't know either until that moment."
"But… how do you know it's her? I mean, it's not that Vinnie has showed you pictures, right?", and Carbine leaned forward to study the screen.
"No, but look at her. She's the female version of Vinnie, don't tell him I've said that, though… If I need to guess, she's around the same age as him, she has the same eyes, that look on her face… Come on, am I the only one seeing the resemble here?"
Stoker and Carbine stared at the screen for a while.
A young, white furred mouse looked straight into the camera. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was being hold by a big rat. Fear was written on her face, but at the same time, they saw a hint of determination in her ruby red eyes.
Her fur was covered with dirt and looked greasy, but it was clear it used to be white as snow. Her long hair, also white but with black stripes in it, was tied in a braid, the tip almost reaching the start of her tail. Colorful beats were weaved into it, along with small braids, and a few bangs hang loose around her face.
The clothes she wore were dirty and torn, and the body that was hidden under it gave the expression it was being close to starved.
But it was the look on her face that made both Carbine and Stoker nod their head.
"Yeah, even if it ain't his sister, she's definitely related to him, that's for sure…"
Throttle lay a hand on Jax his shoulder.
"Thanks, Jax, good job. Try to find out more about her, will ya? Till then, keep this between us."
Jax nodded.
"I will…"
Throttle signed to Carbine and Stoker to follow him, they obviously needed to talk.
"Hey, Throttle?"
The tan furred mouse turned around and looked at Jax questionably.
"It's good to have ya back, man", the silver furred mouse smiled.
"Thanks, Jax. I've gotta say; it really is good to be home."
And after one smile, he followed Stoker and Carbine outside.

Once in Carbine's room, the only place they were sure that nobody was gonna hear them, Throttle dropped on a seat and buried his face in his hands, as if he only now got hit by the gravity of this situation.
"Jesus, this is… how are we gonna do this? We can't just tell him…"
"He deserves to know, Throttle", Stoker said.
"Yeah, of course he does, but come on, we all know how he is. The moment we tell him, he's just gonna go out there by himself, to get her out, and probably gets himself killed in the process because he ain't thinking clear… And no way I'm gonna be able to stop him. I think that even an entire army isn't gonna be able to stop him if we tell him this. And I can hardly blame him. It's his sister, after all. "
Carbine stared out of the window, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"What do you know about her, Throttle?"
"Only that her name is Mireya and that she went missing at the beginning of the war. Vinnie is convinced she's dead, he's got no hope whatsoever."
"How is it even possible Limburger has got her in his filthy hands?", Stoker asked the most obvious question, but obvious or not, it was a question that nobody could answer at this moment.
"And what's his plan? Does he know she's related to Vinnie? I mean, if so, that could mean he's gonna use her to blackmail us…", Carbine mused. "He just has to hold a gun against her head and our hands are tied. He knows we wouldn't risk the life of someone who's one of us. Never."
"I think the most important matter right now is; how in the world are we gonna tell Vinnie that we've found his sister? Even worse, that we've found out his sister is a prisoner at Limburger Tower?", Throttle asked despondently.
"I think that for now, we need to keep this between us and Jax. First, we need a plan. Let's just hope Jax can find out more about this. We need to know what Limburger is up to, so we can anticipate. And when we have a plan, a good plan, we'll tell Vinnie…", Carbine suggested, looking at the two male mice.
Throttle took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
Man, this was fucked up. This meant he needed to lie to one of his bro's.
Rewind; both of his bro's. Because he also couldn't tell Modo. Nor he could tell Kiwi.
Man…
He normally tells his bro's everything. He liked to be transparent, since he may be their leader, but he's also their friend and bro. And they were in this together.
But he knew there was no choice. Vinnie was gonna lose his shit if he was gonna find out about this, big time. And he knew he needed to keep this quiet to protect his younger and impulsive little bro. But still…
He suddenly felt two warm hands on his shoulder, squeezing softly.
"I think everybody in this room can confirm that being a leader sometimes really, really sucks…", Carbine said softly.
Stoker nodded by hearing this comment.
"Yup. I know this feels like you're betraying the punk, Throttle. But this is different, it's to…"
"... to protect him, I know", Throttle cut him off. "But that doesn't mean I like it. That doesn't make me feel better about myself."
"I know…"
Throttle stared at the table.
Man, he wondered how mad Vinnie was gonna be when he found out that he'd kept this from him. Well, only one lousy answer to that also lousy question...
He was gonna be furious. And the worst part was… he had every right to be. Because the white furred mouse trusted him. Trusted him with his life. They were family. They were connected, sharing a bond that went deeper than blood. And he was about to violate that trust.
But there was no choice at this point. So, Throttle took a few deep breaths and pushed his discomfort aside.
Time to make a plan. The sooner, the better.

Kiwi opened the heavy metal door from Braavos and walked inside.
Jax was so busy with his work, he didn't even hear her come in. Flash and Neo were nowhere to be seen.
"Hey Jax…", Kiwi said, a little hesitant.
She didn't want to startle the silver furred mouse, but that was already too late. He whirled around in his chair, grabbing his chest in the process.
"Jesus, Kiwi, you scare the shit outta me!", he breathed.
Kiwi raised her hands.
"Sorry, sorry! It's just me."
Jax took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, but then, he narrowed his eyes.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were benched for now? At least, that's what Stoker told me."
"I am. But the worried expression on your usual happy face triggered my curiosity. And since Stoker, Carbine or Throttle still ain't back, I've decided to go find some answers by myself."
Jax shifted his weight, his ears twitched, so did the top of his tail.
Kiwi had been long enough in the presence of Martian Mice to recognize the signs.
Jax was nervous. But why?
"Jax…", she started, but he cut her off.
"I'm not allowed to tell ya what's going on, Kiwi. I'm really sorry, but this has to stay classified until further notice."
Kiwi narrowed her eyes.
Say what? This was new.
"Okay… So, just to make sure we're on the same page here; I'm part of the team, no, lemme rephrase that; you guys made me part of the team and now you're already keeping secrets from me? How does that fit in the whole 'you're part of the team now?'"
Jax sighed.
"Kiwi, you need to understand how we work here. You are part of the team. Just as much as Neo and Flash are. But even if we ain't no army, we do follow up orders sometimes. To protect the mission. It's nothing personal, Kiwi, trust me."
Kiwi let out her breath and relaxed a little. He was right. And she was blaming the messenger. She needed to take this a few ranks higher.
"That makes sense… Sorry, Jax, I wasn't thinking."
"It's okay. You still have a lot to learn, but that's okay. We all had, when we first started."
Kiwi's eyes wandered over the screens. Jax saw it and quickly pushed a key to make the screens turn black. But Kiwi had already seen a flash of a image that made her insides turn.
Yep. She definitely needed to take this to the higher ranks. What the hell was going on here?
Jax saw the look on her face and jumped at his feet.
"Kiwi, please, don't do anything…", but Kiwi gave him a quick smile.
"I'll leave ya to it. Later, Jax!"
"...stupid…", Jax finished his sentence, when his eyes followed the girl who almost ran outta the room.
Shit. The look on her face had said it all.
She was gonna do something stupid.

Kiwi marched straight to Carbine's room, knowing that was the only place where she could find the three mice with whom she desperately wanted to talk.
There was a guard standing in front of the door, making Kiwi even more suspicious. She maybe wasn't living here that long, but she already had figured out that there was only a guard at the door if Carbine didn't want to be disturbed.
So, that meant they were talking about what she thought she had seen on that screen, right before Jax had intervened.
"I need to talk to Carbine", Kiwi demanded when she stopped in front of the guard.
But the blond furred mouse shook his head.
"No can do. I've got strict orders to let nobody in. So, I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait your turn."
And he turned his gaze away, probably thinking she was gonna accept that answer without contradiction.
In other words; conversation over.
But Kiwi wouldn't be Kiwi if she would just walk away now.
"I don't think you understand, sir. I really need to talk to her, and with that I mean; right now."
The guard looked down on her, a bored expression on his face. He was, by the looks of things, not impressed.
"I don't think you understand, lady. Nobody's allowed to go inside until further notice. So, be a nice little human and go play with your computers, will ya? And leave the real work to the real soldiers."
Kiwi narrowed her eyes while crossing her arms before her chest.
"And what if I told ya I know what they're talking about in there? I mean, it must be extremely classified, giving the orders Carbine gave ya. What do you think that will happen if I tell everyone on this base about this secret? More important, what will happen if Carbine's gonna find out that you could've stopped me by simply letting me in? Oh man, I can already hear her scream… So, be a nice little mouse and open that door for me, will ya? And leave the real work to the people who actually have brains."
Okay, okay.
She was bluffing. Because honestly? She had no idea what was going on, nothing more than a small premonition.
But that was her little secret.

The guard narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip around the gun that he was holding.
But Kiwi didn't burge. She knew that even if he didn't like her, she still was one of them and he knew too. So, the last thing he would do was blow her head off.
"Well? What are ya waiting for?"
The guard sighed, knowing he couldn't take the risk to let her just walk away now.
So, he turned around and opened the door. He wanted to walk inside and talk to Carbine first, but Kiwi quickly slipped past him.
"Hey!", the blonde furred guard called out, but she was already standing at the table, looking at the three mice she needed to see.
Carbine looked back annoyed, Throttle too, but mixed with amusement and Stoker? Well, giving the look on his face, he found this whole thing nothing more but hilarious.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I…", the guard started, but Carbine held up her hand to stop him, her ears twitching with annoyance.
"Honestly, what part of 'nobody's allowed to come inside' is so hard for you to understand?"
The blond furred mouse shrunk and lowered his gaze, but Kiwi cleared her throat.
"You really shouldn't blame him, Carbine. I eh… Well, let's just say this is my fault, not his."
The guard looked up, clearly surprised that she was standing up for him, even after him treating her the way he had done just now. Kiwi gave him a apologetic smile.
Carbine sighed loudly and waved at the guard.
"Fine, fine. I know how annoying this girl can be, so; dismissed."
The guard saluted and quickly left the room with a relieved look on his face.
"So, and why do you think you have the right to just walk into a secret meeting like this?", the light gray furred female then asked at Kiwi, who sat down.
"I saw something in Braavos. Something that concerned me", Kiwi started.
"Oh really? And what's that?", Carbine snarled.
"A image of a mouse."
"Wauw, now that's shocking…"
"A image of a white mouse, that is…"
A deadly silence.
"And normally, I wouldn't care that much, but someone once told me that white mice are rare on this planet…", Kiwi continued, while looking at Throttle.
The tan furred mouse closed his eyes for a moment, but his lips curled into a small smile. By the looks of things, Kiwi had found back her strength. And despite this whole situation, he was glad she did.
"Well, that someone…", and Carbine gave Throttle a deadly glare. "... is partly right. They are rare. But not that rare. So, I don't know what conclusion you've drawn, but you're wrong. Now, get out and let us do our job."
"Now that's just harsh, Carbine", Stoker intervened sharply. "The girl sure knows how to use her brain. Maybe she can help."
"Help? Do you even hear yourself, Stoker? She's with Vinnie! We can't take the risk to tell her", Carbine replied stubborn.
"She's already involved, whether you like it or not, babe…", Throttle sighed.
He partly agreed with Carbine, I mean, keeping things from Vinnie was already bad enough, but if they were gonna involve Kiwi into this… that would mean that the person he loved the most in this world needed to lie to him. And he wasn't sure if that would be the best decision to make right now, in Vinnie's sake.
But at the same time, he knew how she was. The human girl wasn't gonna let this go without a fight.
Oh no, she sure as hell wasn't.
Kiwi was listening to all this, and it confirmed that nagging feeling that something was really wrong.
And it had something to do with Vinnie.
"I'm not leaving this room until I know what the hell is going on", she said stubborn, putting her chin in the air.
"Oh really? I can have you removed, ya know. And just so you know; my guards ain't polite with people who doesn't know when to listen", Carbine snarled back.

Suddenly, Stoker slammed his fist on the table while jumping on his feet. Everyone made a small jump on their seat and looked up startled at the brown furred mouse, who, giving the look on his face, wasn't amused.
"Enough. We have much more important matters to deal with right now. So, Carbine, rope it in, will ya? We need to work together, instead of fighting each other. We all have the same goal here. The Freedom Fighters are successful because they work together. Because they're able to set aside their differences and work as a team, no matter what. I sometimes get the feeling that you've forgotten about that. Lemme refresh that memory of yours a little; we ain't the goddamned army!"
Carbine's face darkened and her whole body stiffened, but she only gave a small nod to let Stoker know the message was received.
Kiwi was impressed. So, there was someone the stubborn General listened to.
Good.
Impressive.
Refreshing.
Then, Stoker's gaze landed on Kiwi and she somehow was a little startled by the intense look in his eyes.
"Kiwi, listen to me. I have nothing against involving ya into this fucked up situation, but before we'll tell ya what we know… This mission is gonna require more, much more, than you think at this point. It means you'll have to lie to your loved ones. To keep things from them. Ya think ya can do that?"
Kiwi's heart skipped a beat. The message was loud and clear. She needed to lie to Vinnie. But why? Why were they keeping things from him?
I mean, she wasn't really used to that. Throttle normally told them, and with them she meant his bro's, everything…
She realized that the only way to find the answer to that question was to agree with the terms Stoker told her just now.
But lying to Vinnie...
Her curiosity and almost overwhelming desire to help won this inner battle.
"I think I can. So, tell me. Who the hell have I just seen on that screen?"
Stoker and Throttle shared a quick look and Stoker signed to the tan furred mouse to take the word.
The latter cleared his throat.
"We have reason to believe that it's Vinnie's sister."
Kiwi breathed in sharply.
"How… what… huh? How is that even possible?", she stuttered.
Throttle gently took her hand.
"Kiwi, we know as much as you do at this point. We have no idea. But when I saw her face, the look in her eyes… It's gotta be her. And she's a prisoner of Limburger. We're in for some serious trouble, big time."
"And you keep this from Vinnie, because…?", she asked, but she immediately realized why. "Ask a stupid question…", she mumbled.
"You know him, Kiwi. I need you to understand, and it's really important to me that you do, we only keep this from him to protect him. For now. Only until we've got a plan. And trust me when I say I like this as much as you do…"
Kiwi could hear the pain in his voice. He hated this. But he was right. Vinnie was gonna do something stupid if he was gonna find out, being the impulsive mouse that he was.
"So, we better come up with something then, right?", she said determined.
"Jax is already trying to find out more about her", Stoker told her, but Kiwi grabbed her tablet which she was always carrying with her from the moment Neo gave it to her.
"But, no offence, Jax ain't the skilled hacker that I am. Give me some time, okay?", Kiwi smiled confident and went to work.
Throttle smiled.
Yep. She was back alright. No doubt about that.

Back in the Main Hall, Modo and Amira were sitting together. There was a uncomfortable silence, since they were suddenly the only ones left after lunch.
After Jax came to ask if he could talk to Throttle, Carbine and Stoker, Kiwi soon had followed, telling them she was gonna try to find out what was going on.
Vinnie was too restless to go with her, also too restless to sit still for longer than one minute and just after Kiwi left, he'd jumped at his feet, mumbling something about upgrading his bike before he almost bounced outta the Main Hall.
So, here they were.
Since this was totally unexpected, it felt different than that night they went for a drink together. They had talked for hours, but most of it was just small talk.
Modo cleared his throat.
"Why don't we go for a walk, Amira ma'am?", he asked, not able to handle the silence any longer.
She looked up at him, a little surprised.
"A walk?", she blurted out, but then she shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
They left the Main Hall and walked into the courtyard, which was big enough for taking a walk.
"So, ehm… How was your… how was your life before, ya know… this whole mess?", Modo asked.
Amira took a deep breath.
"Well, this is probably gonna sound weird, but it was kinda boring", she smiled. "I was eh… well, I always have been a bit of a nerd. While growing up, I had more interest in nature and wildlife, while everyone around me was busy with everything but that. So, you can imagine I didn't really have any friends. I was outcast. Weird. A nerd.."
She was still smiling, clearly having no hard feelings about it.
Modo was impressed. He knew how easy it was to hold some sorta grudge to things that had happened to you.
But that clearly wasn't the case with Amira.
"Anyway, after finishing school, I met someone who worked at the Nature and Wildlife Protection Department at the government and he soon found out about my love for nature. He offered me a job as a trainee, to learn everything about the profession that's called biologist. Later, he told me he was almost ready to retire and that he was looking for someone who could step in his footsteps, who could make sure that he was able to leave without being worried about his life's work. Because that's what it was for him. It was his life's work. Anyway, he promoted me after being his trainee for two years and I took over his position. Don't get me wrong, I loved my job, I still do. But it was all I had. I had no friends, my family was outta the picture… Being here, working for the Freedom Fighters, well, it feels like a warm bath. I have friends now. And I can still do the job that I love. I like living in this small community…"
She looked up at Modo.
"You must think I'm crazy, or otherwise very pathetic, since the only reason that the Freedom Fighters exist is that horrible war… And I hate the war. I hate the Plutarkians. But at the same time, it gave me back something I really missed; a family."
Modo realized she was right. The same was true for him.
"I don't think you're crazy, nor I think you're pathetic. I think you were lonely. And, even if war is the reason this family is created, it's perfectly normal you're happy you ain't lonely anymore. I also lost my whole family. And now, I have the Freedom Fighters. And most important, my bro's. We have all found each other because of this war and I'm glad I did. I don't think that's crazy. That's being grateful for the things you have right now, Amira ma'am."
Amira smiled and gently touched his arm for a moment.
"You know, you're the first person that really understands.. That this war hasn't only brought misery and pain. It also brought some good things."
Modo stared at the spot on his arm where her hand was just seconds ago, realizing he suddenly wished her hand was still there. He hesitated, but then gently took her hand and their fingers entwined. And Modo had to admit, it felt good. It gave him hope. Hope that he wasn't lost and alone for the rest of his, hopefully long, life.
"It sure does, Amira ma'am. It sure does."

"Hey, uncle Modo! Wait up!"
Modo looked up and saw his nephew running over to them.
"Hey there, Rimfire", Modo greeted him lovingly.
"Listen to this! Stoker promoted me! I'm the official leader of my own pack now! Guess busting his sorry ass outta jail looked good on my resumé."
"Wauw, that's… that's awesome, Rimfire! Congrats!", Modo rumbled, quickly hiding his worries.
"Thanks!", Rimfire smiled, his eyes twinkling and clearly unaware of the mixed feelings his uncle had at this very moment.
He suddenly realized the gray furred giant wasn't alone.
"Hey Amira! What are you two doing outside?", he asked curious.
"We're just taking a walk", Modo answered, but soon realized how stupid that sounded.
They were living in a war, for god sake. You didn't make walks while living in a war.
And yet, here they were...
Rimfire narrowed his eyes and then looked at Amira, who smiled back a little sheepishly.
"A walk, 'ey?", the sand coloured furred mouse asked, a small smile around his lips while his gaze lowered and landed on their entwined hands.
"Eh yeah…", Modo sighed. He was just about to say something about Rimfire's promotion, not wanting to spend another second with trying to explain how he was spending his afternoon, when a young mouse around Rimfire's age called his nephews name. Rimfire looked over his shoulder.
"Coming!" He then looked back at his uncle.
"Sorry, gotta go! This whole leadership comes with enough responsibilities, but hey, nothing I can't handle…", he trailed off. "That sounded so much like Vinnie, it's almost scary. Anyway, gotta go, later!" and the young mouse was already gone before Modo could say something back.
The big guy sighed. He really was proud on his nephew, he really was and he knew the young mouse deserved this shot at leadership, but it was still his little nephew at the same time. His little nephew, who deserved so much more than growing up in a war.
He had this enthusiasm about this whole promotion that just wasn't healthy. Not for boys of his age. Boys of his age needed to play with toy guns, not firing real guns. His young soul had already seen too much, and maybe now he could still handle it. Cope with it.
But Modo knew that at some point, and when was different per person, there was gonna be a turning point. And he suddenly wished he could protect his nephew for that. That he could protect him for everything that was to come.
To stop him, before he would reach that awful point of no return.
But at the same time, he knew that he wasn't gonna be able to stop Rimfire. To keep him in the shadows, hidden for all the pain and misery.
But still...
"It's weird how many different feelings this whole war brings up, huh?", Amira broke him outta his thoughts, squeezing his hand softly.
Modo looked down on her, a little surprised. But he could see it in her eyes.
She understood. She really understood. To completely understand how the mind of a soldiers worked, you needed to be there.
To see it. To feel it. To experience it.
War.
She was different than Ruby. Ruby was damaged. Broken because of the loss of her husband and kid.
Amira wasn't. She was whole. Pure. Not naive, but down to Earth. Or Mars, in this case. And she knew.
Something clicked in Modo's head. And he suddenly knew, he just knew, she was the one who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Not because burning desire, lust or because he was madly in love, no…
It somehow felt familiar. Like coming home. And that feeling was so much more than just love. He could know. Cami had given him the same feeling, back then.
This was more than love. This was meant to be.
He suddenly realized he was still staring at her and he shook his head.
"Ahum, yeah. Yeah, it is…", he stuttered, creating some distance between them.
But Amira had seen the look on his face and her heart skipped a beat. No time for being shy now, mister.
So, she did a step forward, grabbed him by the shirt, pulled him closer and pressed her lips against his. She felt him tense, but soon, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. It was a calm kiss, not heated but more like an… voyage of discovery.
But that was okay. Because they both felt completely at ease.
Yep. This was meant to be. It has to be.
After mourning for so long, Modo finally got a second chance. And he was gonna take it with both hands, metal or not. Because she didn't care about that. He just knew.
And he finally felt something he hadn't felt in a long time...
Peace.

"They got her from the Sand Raiders. That's it. That's all I can find", Kiwi sighed frustrated.
She was searching for hours now, but the girl was a ghost. The only thing that she was able to find was a transcript, telling her that Limburger had paid a huge amount of money to the Sand Raiders.
"You did the best you could, beautiful", Stoker said encouraging, but Kiwi shook her head.
"Maybe, but this is weird, alright. Everyone leaves behind digital traces, no exception. But in this case, nothing. It's almost like Limburger knew we…", she trailed off.
Of course. The fish may be a lot of things, he wasn't stupid.
Wasn't he? Ehm… well, let's just say that he does have his bright moments once in a while.
"He knows you're here", Throttle sighed. "And he knows what you're capable of."
"Great. Just great", Carbine snorted.
"So, that means we've gotta play this the old fashioned way. We still have the element of surprise, he has no idea we know about her", Stoker mused. "We have two options, actually. One; we'll do this this Biker Mice style, meaning; blast our way in, smash everything in sight, grab the girl and get the hell out. But I've got me a feeling down there that Limburger is gonna be prepared. Two; we sneak. Sneak inside, find the girl and sneak back out before anybody knows we're there…"
Kiwi was listening to all this with a thoughtful frown on her face.
"Really? That's it? That's your war strategy?", she asked with disbelief.
Stoker shrugged.
"Without having any information that can help us to make a real plan... Yeah, it is."
"Hate to say it, coach, but Kiwi has a point. I know we're good, but Limburger is ready for an attack and with these goddamn rats fighting for him, there might be a chance we may… ahum… not sure how to put this, but… lose?", Throttle pointed out with caution.
"Lose? We never lose, Throttle. Rule number one in the Freedom Fighters handbook!"
"Maybe, but we can lose people we love. The life of Vinnie's sister is at stake here, Stoke."
"I know, I know…", Stoker sighed defeated.
"Maybe we need to let this all sink in for now, sleep over it and tomorrow… Tomorrow there's a new day…", Carbine said softly.
"For once I agree with Carbine", Kiwi nodded.
This wasn't gonna take them anywhere. And Vinnie's sister may be in danger, but they all knew she was part of something bigger. Meaning, the big cheese needed her and wasn't gonna kill her.
Yet.
They had some time. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was something.
Stoker agreed, albeit with reluctance. Throttle opened his mouth, but then closed it and nodded.
Sometimes, you needed to take a little distance to see the solution. Because most of the time, it was right under your nose, staring back at you.
But at this point, they were all too tired, too hungry and too frustrated to see it.
So, he rose on his feet.
"Let's go eat."

Vinnie was lying in bed, trying to get some sleep, but his brains just didn't let him.
He was restless. Very restless. That had more than one reason, actually.
One; Kiwi had acted strange this night. He'd asked her what the whole fuss this afternoon was about, I mean, she had told him herself that she was gonna search for answers. But she had reacted evasively, and that concerned him. Because he could sense there was something wrong, but she clearly didn't want to tell him. Which was weird, because she normally was an open book to him. Certainly to him.
Two; Throttle, Carbine and Stoker had the same attitude as Kiwi, making clear to Vinnie that they were in the same conspiracy as Kiwi. Meaning; shit was about to get real and they kept it from him. Just like they kept it from Modo. But the gray furred giant didn't care that much as Vinnie. He wasn't one that needed to know everything, only because he was afraid to get excluded. Vinnie was. He hated it to be excluded. It gave him the feeling he wasn't important. And come on. He was Vinnie van Wham. The baddest mamma jammer from this side of the asteroid belt, Motocross Champion of the Galaxy and most of all; he was an important member of the team. So why were they hiding things?
Three; He was stuck on this base for days now and he was bored. Very bored.
So, these things added together made the fine conclusion that he was restless. And that were the things he could name. Because, next to all that shit he already knew, there was also a nagging feeling of anxiety from which he had no idea where it came from. But it was there and it made him feel even more hyper.
He turned on his side, letting out a heavy sigh.
Man, the things he would do for a good fight.
Modo suddenly let out a loud snore while turning around and Vinnie rolled his eyes.
At least someone was having a good night. Ugh.
Throttle, who was sleeping in his own bed for already a few nights now, was also deeply asleep.
Vinnie sighed again, rolling on his belly.
Dammit, that unexplained feeling was gnawing on his insides, making his stomach turn. His tail lashed through the air in annoyance.
Fuck me.
How in the world was he gonna be able to sleep while feeling this restless? While feeling this hyped up?
Think happy thoughts, Vinnie my man. Think happy thoughts.
So, he let his mind wander to Kiwi, to every moment he had with her since the day they met.
And finally, after a few hours, his eyes became heavy and he fell into a deep, but still restless, sleep.

Throttle woke up from a loud bang and he jerked upright, while grabbing his glasses. When he had them on, he soon relaxed a little.
No attack. No bombs. No guns. Most important; no Plutarkians.
By the looks of things, Vinnie was having one of his nightmares again and his lashing tail had smashed one of the lamps from the nightstand.
But hey, what's new?
Throttle wondered why they still bothered to give Vinnie a lamp next to his bed. It always ended up broken, one way or another.
His gaze landed on Modo, but the gray furred giant lay with his back to him, clearly still asleep. No surprise there, you could drop a bomb next to his bed and even then the guy wouldn't wake up. One of the many reasons they never slept alone. It was a miracle to say at least that the big fella had woken up that night the alarm went off. That night Limburger escaped.
But then again, it wasn't exactly planned that the big guy would sleep alone. But of course, Vinnie had to be the one who stayed with Kiwi without consulting them. So, since Vinnie wasn't really reliable in that area, Throttle had decided to sleep in his own bed from now on. That was how things worked here, after all. It wasn't exactly fair that he broke the rules only because his girlfriend happened to be a General. Or because he was good friends with Stoker, the leader. But of course, there were a few moments he couldn't resist breaking them.
He was a man, after all. And men had their needs.
But right now, all of this didn't matter. Throttle was having a inner conflict whether he needed to wake his younger bro up or to let him sleep. He knew Vinnie handled his demons better in his sleep, and that's saying something if you saw how the white furred mouse was twisting and turning, his fur soaked with sweat.
But sometimes, Throttle just wanted to wake him up and tell him everything was okay. That he was safe. That he was there for him.

While the tan furred mouse was still having his inner debat, Vinnie suddenly jerked upright, his teeth clenched to keep his scream inside. His eyes were wide open and he breathed heavily as he looked around him wildly. And the weirdest thing; his antennas were glowing softly.
Okay, that's new...
"Wow, wow, settle down, Vincent", Throttle quickly said, but he stayed in his bed, knowing his younger bro hated it when someone came close to him after waking up from one of his night terrors.
Vinnie took a few deep breaths and calmed down a little. But he breathed heavily, his fingers clenched around the blankets.
The glow around his antennas slowly faded, but the tips still gave away a soft light.
And it wasn't red. It was blue.
Weird. Beyond weird.
Throttle had never seen anything like it. But he tried to stay calm.
"Bad dream?", he asked, trying to sound nonchalant while staring at the soft light.
Vinnie slowly nodded, looking very confused. He rubbed the side of his head, letting out a soft groan.
"Man, my head is feeling like I've been hit by a fucking truck…"
Throttle slid outta bed, not caring anymore if his younger wanted him close or not. Something was up, and he wanted to know what.
"Why are you looking at me like that?", Vinnie asked, a little suspicious when he saw the look on his older bro's face.
But another sting in his head made him squeeze his eyes and he bit his lower lip.
Throttle sat down next to him and studied him closely.
"Do you remember what you've dreamed about just now?", he asked.
Vinnie turned his head away, clearly not in the mood to talk right now.
But this time, Throttle pushed further.
"I need you to tell me, Vincent. I've got the feeling this wasn't a normal dream."
Vinnie shrugged.
"I can't remember…", he said stubborn, but Throttle knew him better than anyone else and he could tell the white furred mouse was lying.
"You're good in a lotta things, Vin, but lying ain't one of them."
Vinnie grabbed his head, his ears drooped. The tips of his antennas were still glowing and Vinnie saw the soft, blue light reflecting on the walls.
He suddenly felt a hint of panic.
"Throttle, what the hell is going on, my head is killing me…", he managed to squeeze out, his breathing already faster again.
It suddenly hit Throttle as if he got struck by lighting.
His sister. They were twins. She was close, closer than she ever was for the past few years.
Suddenly, he remembered what Stoker had told him years ago, when he was learning to be a Mind Walker.

"Twins share a connection that's already created while they're still safe in their momma's belly. It's stronger than a single child will ever have with his brothers and sisters. I've heard stories about twins being seperated, but still able to sense the distress of their other half, even if they were miles away from each other..."

Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
Throttle grabbed Vinnie by the arm and the white furred mouse looked up surprised by the tight grip of his bro.
The poor guy looked almost cross eyed because of the pain in his head.
"Vincent, tell me about your dream and that's an order!"
Throttle hated to be so stern right now, but there wasn't exactly a choice. If Vinnie was gonna find out his sister was alive and kicking, probably trying to reach him by telepathy as we speak, well… the consequences will be incalculable.
But because he was so scared that his younger bro would find out, he didn't realize his reaction, his whole attitude, only encouraged Vinnie to get suspicious that there was something Throttle wasn't telling him. Maybe not immediately, but still… Vinnie wasn't stupid.
Vinnie, clearly annoyed by the tan furred mouse his attitude, yanked himself free. But he did answer the question.
Orders are orders, right?
"It was about my sister, okay? That's all I can remember. Happy now?", he snapped at his leader.
No.
No, he wasn't happy.
At all.
Throttle studied Vinnie's face, the white furred mouse clearly didn't link this two events together. But what did he expect? The guy was convinced she was dead, after all. He needed to chill. What were the odds that the young mouse was gonna guess that something was very wrong? Something that Throttle knew about, but kept for himself?
Zero.
Nada.
So, the tan furred mouse took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and lay a hand on Vinnie's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I just...", but before he could continue, Vinnie's face suddenly became blank.
Throttle trailed off, staring at his younger bro.
Zero, nada, huh? Unless the white furred mouse decided to use his brains for once.
No. Please, don't use your brains, not now… Certainly not now...
Vinnie's eyes grew big and he wrinkled his nose while his head slowly turned to Throttle, looking at his leader with fuming eyes.
Too late. Shit.
Abort, abort!
"No normal dream, 'ey? Ain't that the words you used just now?", he asked slowly, his voice low.
Code red, code red!
Throttle closed his eyes for a moment, but he was speechless. Hiding something from his bro was one thing, but lying straight into his face, well…
"You know something. Something that I don't", Vinnie stated, his nose still wrinkled in confusion and anger. "And you're gonna tell me what it is, right here, right now."
"Vinnie, I... "
"Don't… don't lie to me. Don't you dare to lie to me."
Pain was now clearly hearable in Vinnie's voice and it broke Throttle's heart. His younger bro was right. He couldn't lie to him. Not after everything they'd been through together. He couldn't break that trust.
They were too close. He was too important.
"Okay, okay. Listen carefully. What I'm about to tell ya, well… you ain't gonna like it, okay? You have to promise me you won't do anything stupid after I tell ya, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, spill it."
"Promise me, Vincent."
Vinnie rubbed the side of his head in a weak attempt to reduce the pain.
"Fine, I promise."
Throttle took a deep breath.
"We've found your sister."

Oh no, another cliffhanger, hehehe.
What will be Vinnie's reaction now he knows?

I hope you guys liked the part with Modo and Amira, I'm still having a hard time writing about Modo, not sure why.
But he deserves, just like everyone else in this story, his place in the spotlight sometimes. So, I'll just keep trying.

So, feel free to leave a review, it always makes my day, and till next time!
Later dudes!