A/N: Hi everyone! Big apologies for how late this chapter is. It took some time to write. It will be split into at least 2 or 3 parts at most. Now fair warning, it's going to get intense. So intense, to where if I get flamed like a dang steak at the stake…I won't be surprised lol. Now will the ending be worth it? Absolutely. So I hope you guys are ready! And since I have been inspired by shows and animes such as Arrow, Revenge, Naruto, and a little Sword Art Online, I must give another warning: there will be violence in this.

Ever have that feeling like something isn't right?

That uncomfortable uneasiness that you just can't place? Like even when things are going just fine and dandy, there's still that nagging feeling that alerts you like all isn't well…And with that discomfort comes the inevitable emotion of fear. I can honestly say, in my life, fear is an emotion that I don't show very easily, nor do I like to show, but despite it being absent from my attitude, demeanor, and by the way I carry myself, it has been a feeling I have known all too well for quite a pretty good chunk of my life. Fortunately, I've learned to overcome the aspects of paranoia, even though it took me some time. And by doing so, great things resulted that led me to live an actually pretty decent lifestyle…

So then, why am I feeling that feeling now?

Helga didn't even notice that her now lukewarm and slightly cold cup of coffee was spilled all over her lap due to her overly hyperactive son chasing his sister around the table, knocking plastic dishes over in the process. Her mind was in a totally different world as her eyes glazed over her cell phone on the table.

However, that all seemed to change the moment her ring tone sounded.

She dived for the phone, eyes lit, heart pumping.

"Criminy! It's about time you called you stupid Football Head! I-"

"Whoa! Sorry to disappoint and interrupt your romantic greeting sweetie, but I think you have the wrong Football Head…"

An amused yet nurturing voice responded.

"Oh! Stella! Mom I-I'm so sorry! I thought you were-"Helga face palmed out of pure embarrassment.

"I gathered." Her mother in law chuckled slightly. "But I don't blame you. I miss him too. It's hard to believe that the 4 day celebration has only begun...But hey, hopefully the days will go fast and he'll be back with us before you know it."

"Well yeah doi! I mean I miss him and all, I won't lie, but I'm glad he's there. I know he needed to go and surprisingly I've still been doing pretty well with it just being me and the kids and having all my friends stop by. It's been hard without him here, but…I've been okay." Helga replied with conviction.

"How are my favorite little grandchildren?"

"Oh they're…" Helga suddenly felt the wet and sticky sensation of the spilled coffee on her as her daughter rushed to jump in her lap. "They're just peachy…Full of energy as always…" She deadpanned.

"Tell them grandma says hi!"

"Grammie! Grammie!" Hal exclaimed with excitement, reaching her hands up for the phone.

"Oh gosh, now you've done it! Hold on, she wants to say hi!"

"Grammie?" Phil's excited voice sounded from down the hall, steadily becoming louder as he rushed to where his sister and mother were at.

"Grammie! I wan talk to Grammie!" Phil exclaimed as he also climbed upon Helga's wet and sticky lap.

"Correction. Both of them want to say hi." Helga deadpanned once more. "Alright, alright ya' hyperactive Buckos! Calm down! She's right here! I'll put it on speakerphone!"

The twins giggled as they heard their grandma greet them.

Helga couldn't help but smile at the interaction of her children. Something about being around them despite their distinct personalities just brought a peace that she never knew she could have; a peace that almost eliminated that unknown feeling of dread she felt earlier.

Almost.

She still felt that pang of discomfort; for what, she had no idea. Things were going just fine at home, and even though she had no idea of how her husband fared in San Lorenzo, she trusted that he was safe and could take care of himself. I mean come on, he had a whole civilization that dedicated their lives to him and his legacy!

She was sure that he would be fine.

She just missed him that's all.

"I'm sure he's okay…" She thought inwardly.

"I am definitely NOT okay…" Arnold thought as he flinched through the constricting sensation of his bonds, trying to loosen them in some way. The guards made sure, however, that such a task would be impossible, and shoved him harshly every time he attempted to get free.

The journey was long and painful. It seemed like it would carry on forever until the troop reached the base of an inactive volcano with a secret passage entry way. Once inside, the troop continued to drag Arnold until they reached a dark underground cell, and shoved him roughly inside.

Before Arnold could gather his bearings, he was once again hauled up as some of the guards brought in heavy metal chains. Once they untied the rope, Arnold immediately went into full karate mode and tried to blind side the guards with quick side sweep kicks, and punches.

But to no avail, he failed to realize that there were more guards than he could number and the ones that he had put out of commission were quick to call for backup. As they piled on top of the football headed man and restrained him with the chains, Arnold glared.

"Who are you? Who is your leader?! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?!"

His demands were cut short with the stinging sensation of an uppercut punch.

"¡ Silencio! Hablarás cuando hablado! Gusano asesino! (Silence! You will speak when spoken to, Murderous worm!)" One of the guards thundered.

"En los hombres facilidad... (At ease men…) We shouldn't be so brash with our highly honored guest!" A chilling voice called out, making all of the guards that surrounded Arnold stand aside in an organized fashion. The owner of the voice appeared in the midst of them, his long dark robe swaying behind him with every agonizing step he took closer to the restrained man.

"That honor will belong to me alone." The voice hissed.

"Helga? Helga? HELGA!"

"WHAT?!" Helga shouted in alarm and glared at the one responsible for disturbing her trance of being deep in thought.

"I-I'm sorry Helga, I didn't mean to startle you. But you seemed troubled about something and I wanted to make sure you were alright. You haven't even touched your pastrami sandwich and Harold made it special!" Phoebe stated with concern.

Helga was quick to cover up her feelings. "Yeah see? Just knowing that Pink boy had his grimy hands in my food makes me nauseous! I mean criminy! What if he poisoned it?!"

"Helga! You and I both know that he's one of the best butcher's in this side of Hillwood! You even told me so, even though you said you wouldn't admit it to him, so I know that's not what's bothering you.

"Well who said anything was bothering me Pheebs? I'm just peachy! Everything's been going great! Yep, couldn't be better." Helga replied nonchalantly as she waved her best friend off and took a sip of the tea she made.

Phoebe nodded "Well…If you say so…" She then walked over to the cabinet, retrieving two bowls. "Oh! The weather said it was going to be quite high in temperatures and humid today. May I interest you in a bowl of ice cream?"

"ICE CREAM WHERE?!" Helga shouted as she looked over left and right, not noticing that she did a spit take on her best friend in that moment.

"Oh…sorry Pheebs…" Helga apologized, shifting her feet awkwardly as her friend calmly wiped her face off with a nearby towel.

"So, my suspicions were correct. This is about…Ice Cream…"

"Maybe." Helga looked at her nails.

"Talk to me." Phoebe commanded softly.

"I'm losing it." Helga stated matter-of-factly. "I'm totally losing it Pheebs, and I can't place why! I mean, I thought I wanted him gone for good reasons, and I was doing just fine being alone with the kids and all, but it's like suddenly, I don't know…I've just got this feeling…"

"You miss him." She replied softly.

"Well doi! I mean that's a given! I've missed him before many times! Like when he moved away to San Lorenzo, even though I held the biggest grudge, and when we separated for college when he was in his residency training, and when I took that scholarship to that writing program, I mean I missed him there too. So I think I know what missing him feels like…But for some reason this particular feeling…doesn't feel like that." Helga started to pace.

"What do you think the feeling is?"

"…Uncertainty? An unknown fear? Like…I don't know it's like…something's not right…" Helga put a hand to her heart, feeling the familiar hard exterior of her locket through her shirt.

"I just think you're a little on the edge. And I mean how could you not be? He's off in a faraway country with no outside communication that will last approximately less than 5 days, but it is unnerving nonetheless."

Phoebe put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"He will be back Helga. I am positive of it. Given the history that he usually wishes not to speak about, I know that he will do everything in his power not to let such events repeat again. Just be patient. He will come back to you and the kids. There is not a doubt in my mind about it."

Helga looked down, but then nodded softly with a smile. "Yeah…You're probably right Phoebe. Maybe I'm just reading into it too much…he'll be back…He will. Or I'll kick his a** to the next century!"

She pounded her fist playfully in her hand, making Phoebe chuckle.

"That's the Helga I know and love! Things will turn out just fine. You'll see!" Phoebe hugged her.

"Yeah, yeah. I know your right Pheebs. 'Sides, if anything goes wrong, I already threatened Rhonda to let me borrow her fancy jet to fly down there." She smirked.

"Oh Helga." Phoebe shook her head with a smile and watched Helga as she retrieved a spoon and attacked the tub of ice cream in the freezer.

"Anzen ānorudodesu. Sugu ni ie ni kite kudasai (Be safe, Arnold…Please come home soon.)" Phoebe thought inwardly.

Arnold already knew that he was anything but safe in his current situation. Besides being hung up in metal chains and roughed up by over 20 guards alone who were suddenly just ordered to leave the room, there was something about the current individual cladded in a black ominous robe and hood that gave him chills. Red flags were up, and Arnold knew just by the chilling excitement of his tone that oozed with hatred towards him, that he was in inevitable danger.

"So! You are the glorified, prominent chosen one they call Arnold." The dark robed man chuckled darkly in a thick Spanish accent as he circled him slowly like a blood thirsty shark.

Arnold glared at him, his intense eyes piercing the man like knives. "And you must be the cold hearted killer who's responsible for mercilessly committing murder and is holding me against my will!"

"Hmm…I admit things got a little…messy." He shrugged, as he carelessly kicked aside one of the guard's swords, its edges still immersed in the Green Eyed people's blood. "But such events were necessary in order for us to finally meet. I have waited so long for us to be introduced…"

"Trust me when I say the feeling isn't mutual." Arnold growled.

The dark hooded man just laughed. "How charming. That being said…I must say I am rather baffled. You certainly do not appear to be a heartless murderer. But then again, looks can be deceiving."

Arnold was about to snarl in reply, but was caught off guard at the sudden accusation. "What are you talking about? I'm not a murderer!"

Something in the hooded man snapped as he quickly whipped out his dagger and started swinging it, nicking Arnold left and right in swift motions.

"MENTIROSO! (LIAR) Do not play dumb with me Asesino (Murderer)!" The man barked. "It has been known that you are dense, but you are in no wise stupid nor will I be fooled by such pretenses after what you have done! Such innocence can have anyone fooled; the perfect cover up and a reasonable rationale for how you killed my father!"

Arnold grimaced at the pain of his sudden bleeding wounds, but couldn't help but snap back in reply. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE! I DON'T EVEN KOW WHO YOUR FATHER IS! HE**, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"

The hooded man wiped off the blood on his dagger, sheathed it once more, and sighed calmly. "Perhaps it is my mistake…How could you possibly remember when it was so long ago? But while you seem to have forgotten such events, I have not. They are forever etched in my memory…Making me suffer a pain worse than death! But he shall be avenged…The shadow pirate…My father. Perhaps you've heard of him."

Arnold's eyes widened in horror and realization. "Y-your father was-"

"La Sombra. And I am the heir to his legacy…They call me Los Diablos."

He got up in Arnold's face with an expression of hatred so valid it made Arnold tremble slightly in fear.

"And now that we finally have the chance to be face to face, I will fulfill my mission and avenge my father!"

To be continued…