Meanwhile, Horst was taking his nieces all around as he carried their bags. They then came to a shop that said 'Dentelles', which was French for 'laces'. Horst nearly stumbled and dropped the girls' suitcases on his feet which made him yell out in pain and anger.
"Uncle Horst, what 'appened to your Viennese accent?" Madeline narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
'Yes! He finally messed up!' Darla thought to herself.
Horst stammered as he tried to keep up appearances since Madeline was now angered with him.
"You are not from Vienna, are you?" Madeline glared.
"Little troublemakers!" Horst glared back and grabbed the girls to make them go into the building.
"Let us go!" Darla glared as she stepped on his foot.
Horst yelped out slightly from that.
"We're out of here!" Darla said before running with Madeline to escape the awful man who pretended to be their uncle.
"Get back here!" Horst glared.
"Never!" Darla glared back as she ran with Madeline. "This way, Maddie!"
Madeline then ran with her biological cousin so they could escape from Horst. The two of them seemed to bump into a strong man. The man looked down to the girls and growled slightly since they had bothered him.
"Sacre bleu!" Madeline gasped.
"N-N-N-Non." Darla gulped as she recognized the supervillain.
"What's wrong, sweetheart, you seem distressed..." The figure replied.
Horst seemed to smile evilly as he caught up with the girls and came behind them to take them away. Non seemed to be way ahead of him as he picked up the girls and brought them inside the building.
"Excellent work, Non, right zhis way if you vould." Horst smirked.
Non nodded as he then walked with the girls to where Horst wanted them into. Madeline let loose another bead from her mother's necklace that luckily made it out the door before they were going into a rather dark and cold room with little chance of happiness as it was like a dungeon filled with other little girls who appeared to be enslaved.
"We know who you really are!" Darla glared.
"Oui, I am Henri to you, but you are going to your new home now..." Horst glared as he revealed his true self as they were on the way downstairs.
"Close zhe door!" A female from downstairs demanded as she sounded rather grouchy. "Sunlight ruins lace!"
Non didn't obey the female's order. Henri closed the door while trying to carry the girls' suitcases only to fall down the stairs. Darla folded her arms with a cross look to him since he lied to them like that, especially about being family. Madeline was kind enough though to give the man his hat.
"Bravo..." The woman's voice said, accompanied by clapping. "Such a noble entrance... Henri, failed actor, only good at accent. I hate failed plans! Almost as much as I hate little girls who don't know when to be afraid."
"And you are?" Darla asked.
"I am LaCroque," The woman replied, slightly spitting in her face when she said her name. "Short for 'Le Crocodile'."
Darla then rubbed her eye that got spit in it.
"Vould you believe zhey used to call her 'Le Jolly Fleur'?" Henri whispered to the girls.
"I wouldn't." Darla said.
"HENRI!" LaCroque scolded. "No one gave you lines to speak!"
"Doesn't le jolly fleur mean 'The Pretty Flower' in English?" Darla asked.
"Oui, it does," Madeline replied to her. "Erm... What 'appened?" she then asked the cruel old woman.
"She did." Henri whispered.
"No one gave you permission to speak, and you two, no questions!" LaCroque glared before she grabbed the girls with a pair of scissors and pulled them over to a table which made the other girls gasp with fear.
"What are the scissors for?" Darla asked.
"You will make lace for as long as I say and if you are not quick, I will cut off your hair and use it to make lace!" LaCroque threatened before throwing the hats off of the girls before picking at Darla's golden curls. "Ooh, yours will be most valuable."
"Hands off the hair." Darla said.
"Y-Y-Y-You sh-sh-shouldn't t-t-talk to her like that..." A girl said in a shaky voice.
Non seemed to give Darla a glare, telling her to listen to the woman. Darla was a little nervous of Non's reaction, especially since Atticus wasn't there. LaCroque made Darla and Madeline sit next to a black-haired girl.
"Just as I found zhe court papers, I vill fake reports from zhe Viennese school zhat doesn't exist!" LaCroque smirked darkly to Henri. "And send zhem back to the bank vhere Madeline and Darlene's family fortunes are!"
"And...?" Henri asked with an evil grin back.
"And each one... A nice fat check will come!" LaCroque replied. "For moi!"
"Ve get Madeline and Darla's money vhile they're here under lock and key!" Henri smirked with her.
Darla smirked quietly as she knew the tracking devices that were in their luggage and were still active, unknown to any of the bad people. She then took a look and ducked under her table quickly and took out a new hair clip that was like her old bow and quickly put it in and hid it under her golden locks and it flashed slightly so the others would be able to track her down before she came back up over the table.
"Your aprons and pillows for the lace work." The black-haired girl handed Darla and Madeline their new stuff.
"Thank you." Darla thanked.
"See how I do it with these bobbins?" The girl asked before demonstrating their new jobs.
"So complicated." Madeline frowned.
"Oui, at first... It takes much time, but you are both smart, no?" The girl then smiled. "You will learn fast... Just be careful, do not get LaCroque angry..."
"We'll try." Darla said.
"'Ow can ve not?" Madeline glared. "Zhey tricked us!"
"I know, Madeline, but we have to try and not get LaCroque angry while the girls follow the trail." Darla whispered.
Madeline nodded as she tried to keep herself together until the others would come to their rescue. Darla soon held her heart as she felt something deep, down inside her heart which told her, not only of her friends and family, but someone very special and important to her: Urchin.
"And how long vill they be our guests?" Horst asked LaCroque.
"Oh, loooong time!" LaCroque smirked.
"Like forever?" Horst smirked back.
"Oh, Henri, your might is so fast!" LaCroque put her arm around his shoulder. "Tres horrible!"
"And vhat is he here for again?" Henri asked while pointing to Non before gaging as he got choke hold by the supervillain.
"To make sure zhe brats don't get avay too soon, especially zhe blonde one..." LaCroque explained darkly.
"But shouldn't he be handling Superman and not some random child?" Henri asked while gagging from the hold.
"I know, Henri, but there is something unique about this child and he doesn't seem to mind." LaCroque said.
Non glared at Darla as they both knew why this was, but they were both quiet about it.
"Ah, zhe rarest lace of all is red lace from red hair!" LaCroque snipped her scissors in Madeline's direction. "Come, Henri."
The two then went upstairs while Non was staying guard, mostly toward Darla.
"Vhy is he looking at you?" Madeline whispered to Darla.
"It's a long story..." Darla sighed.