The Boiling Isles had changed quite a lot since Luz and her friends had saved the world from the tyranny of Emperor Belos, but so many other things had stayed the same. Luz and Amity were still girlfriends, and in fact, were closer than ever. Luz still loved magic and all things weird, and she never got tired of soaring above the Isles with the help of her palisman, Stringbean. Flying right next to her was Amity, and though the two were enjoying themselves greatly, laughing as they made small talk and pointed out every interesting sight they could, this was more than just a joyride.
"So... someone's been stealing money from your dad?" Luz asked, looking over at Amity.
"Yeah... he's been too busy working on erasing everyone's coven sigils to pay much attention, but whoever's been doing this has already taken hundreds of thousands of snails out of the company's coffers! If it's not stopped, my dad won't have enough funding to continue his research... and on top of that, it's his money, he earned it! Even if he doesn't have time to enjoy it..."
"Yeah, stealing's wrong!" said Luz, as she and Amity continued their flight. "Got any suspects in mind?"
"Crime's been on the rise lately, especially without the Emperor's Coven around to stop criminals, but this is a sophisticated operation..." said Amity. "Whoever's doing this is using both magic and technology... I don't think they're using anything from the human realm, but this isn't just a petty thief, this is someone who knows what they're doing."
"Sooo... someone who might be dangerous," said Luz, looking worried for a moment before her expression shifted to one of excitement. "Sounds like fun! We'll catch 'em together!"
Amity giggled. She always enjoyed seeing the look on Luz's face whenever a new adventure presented itself, and even after the fall of Belos, there had been lots of opportunities for adventures in the new Boiling Isles. Defeating Belos and saving the world hadn't been the end of anything... it had been the beginning of everything.
The two were now flying over a formerly industrialized area, some distance from Bonesborough. In the days before Belos' fall, it had been the site of many different factories and warehouses, including properties belonging to Blight Industries. After the fall, many of these properties, including the Blights' factory, had been abandoned... with Odalia's departure, the company had downsized significantly, as Alador and his new partner Darius focused more on research that could help the citizens of the Isles, rather than turning a profit. With many citizens in dire need of services and Blight technology, the work had still been profitable, but the relentless pursuit of money and power that the company had embarked on under its former CEO had ceased, and Alador himself had little time or desire for creature comforts, save for those occasions when his three children had forced him to take a vacation. The Blight coffers were still quite full, and, much to Amity's annoyance, still an attractive target for thievery.
"We're getting close to where I detected the siphoning spell," said Amity, descending on her broom toward a district of abandoned factories. "Luz, have you been keeping up your training? This might get a bit rough..."
"Hey, we've gone on adventures before where I didn't have any magic at all!" said Luz, who took out several sheets of paper. "I've been learning lots of King's new glyphs, I just haven't had a ton of time to practice them... and I've been hitting the books, too!"
"Still not as good a student as me," said Amity with a smirk, as she and Luz swooped downward toward one of the factories together. Luz just glared at her.
"I see some things haven't changed," Luz replied. "You know, they don't give out gold stars in college."
"Well, they should!" Amity said indignantly. "Do you know how much extracurricular work I've done? Ask Professor Lilith, she said I was the best student she's ever had, and that's on top of my courseload... I'm taking 18 hours worth of classes this year!"
As Amity fretted and boasted at the same time, Luz couldn't help but laugh... as much as Amity had changed, in many ways, she was still the same old sweet potato, pushing herself to succeed at everything she did... though this time, she was doing it for herself, and not out of a desire to please her parents. Still, Luz knew Amity had good reason to study so hard... with Belos gone, the Boiling Isles would need talented explorers and historians to uncover the mysteries that had been shrouded by Belos' oppression. Amity was working to provide clues about the real Boiling Isles, so that its denizens would know their history... and be able to reach their full potential.
Still, Luz didn't like her girlfriend pushing herself quite so hard, and after the two landed, just outside the factory walls, she put a hand on Amity's shoulder to calm her down.
"I know you're working hard, and I'm proud of you," said Luz, her expression soft and warm. "But remember to have fun too... as much as we all need you, you need to take care of yourself first."
"Awww, thanks Luz," Amity replied, gripping her girlfriend's hand tenderly. "You... really do sound like your mom when you're being so encouraging like that."
"Hey...!" Luz said with a snicker. "I haven't turned into my mom all the way just yet, have I?"
"Not like it'd be a bad thing," replied Amity, still caressing Luz's hand. "I'm just glad I avoided turning into mine. And... I'm glad I've had Camila and Lilith these past few years. Whenever I start to... ugh... almost miss Odalia, I just think of them and realize no one deserves to be treated the way my mom treated me."
"Well, even Lilith and my mom had a lot of things they had to learn..." said Luz. "I wish your mom could've realized how awful she was being."
"It's fine," Amity replied, smiling a reassuring smile and giving Luz's hand one last caress before lowering her arm back to her side. "I'm glad she's gone... even if she did change, the damage is already done."
The two then turned toward the factory. Apart from a couple of broken windows, the structure didn't look all that foreboding... most equipment of value had already been removed, so the inside would be mostly empty.
"The thief's in there?" asked Luz, pointing at the building.
"According to the tracking spell, yes," said Amity. "Probably using some of the old office equipment left behind to hack into the company finances... I thought dad severed those connections, but with everything so chaotic after Belos was defeated, there probably wasn't any time."
"Well, we've got all the time in the world today! Let's go catch us a thief!"
Drawing one last bit of courage from Luz's excitement, Amity walked alongside her into the building. She was tempted to take point, knowing that her magic was far stronger than her girlfriend's, but she was confident that Luz could defend herself, even with her barely learned glyph magic... somehow, Luz always found a way to be strong, even with the odds against her. It was one of many things Amity admired about Luz... and as protective as she was of her girlfriend, she also didn't want to undermine her confidence.
Luz can handle herself just fine... and no matter what happens, I've got her back. Hopefully this'll be over quickly.
The two walked into the factory's main room, an empty expanse of dirty floors and a few small pieces of leftover equipment, with some dried abomination goo caked into the floor. The only installation of any significance was a large metal smelting vat in the center of the room, above which a single catwalk still hung. The smell was one of dust and old metal, nothing too offensive but nothing all that pleasant either. The building was also fairly dark, lit only by the faint sunlight pouring through the building's broken windows. Toward the back wall, the two could see stairs leading up to an office, and off to the side, more doors leading to other small rooms consisting mostly of storage.
"Up there," said Amity quietly, pointing to the upstairs office. "The thief's signal is coming from upstairs."
Luz nodded, and she and Amity lifted up on their broomsticks one last time, going up to the office and peeking through the door. Only a faint glow could be seen.
"Okay..." said Amity, with a quiet sigh. "How do you wanna do-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Luz kicked in the door and put up her fists, heading inside to confront the thief.
"All right, you dirty thief, drop what you're doing and-"
Amidst the faint glow, which was a light purple color, a figure stood up and turned, revealing an all-too familiar face.
"Odalia?!" Luz and Amity both called out at the same time. The woman still had a haughty air about her, though her light green hair was slightly disheveled, and she was dressed all in black, in a tight-fitting outfit resembling a catsuit. Upon seeing the two intruders, she sighed, then turned and returned to her work... using her oracle magic on a computer-like device in the office to siphon the Blight fortune.
"You caught me, oh dear," Odalia replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Immediately, Amity stepped forward, an indignant look on her face.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Amity asked, lifting up her hand and preparing to trace a spell.
"I'm taking what's mine, dear," Odalia replied, her voice still rather dry and emotionless. "Now be a good girl and let me finish my work."
"I'm not your dear!" Amity shouted. "And that money isn't yours! Remember? You agreed to take only five percent of Blight Industries, you gave up most of your share so you wouldn't be thrown in jail for all the messed up stuff you did to help Belos!"
"Yes, well, that turned out to be a bad deal for me, so now I'm taking what I'm owed. You'd do well not to interfere."
"How dare you!" said Luz, stepping forward with Amity. "That money belongs to Amity and her family, not you, you mean old witch! And besides, whatever happened to 'a Blight always keeps their end of the deal'?"
"Oh, but I'm not a Blight anymore, am I?" Odalia replied, finally turning to face the girls. "Ever since the divorce, I'm now known by my maiden name... Odalia Thickbottom."
Luz immediately began to snicker, which prompted a somewhat quizzical look from Amity.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, your maiden name... is Thickbottom?" Luz stammered, through even more laughter.
"Yes, I come from a very proud and prominent line of Thickbottoms!" Odalia remarked. "What exactly is so funny?"
"Oh man, wait until Eda finds out..." Luz laughed, tears starting to come to her eyes. Seeing that Luz wasn't going to be a whole lot of help at the moment, Amity turned back to her former mother and took a step forward, starting to draw a spell circle.
"Your days of stealing from our family are over," Amity said, narrowing her eyes in anger. "And this time, you won't be able to keep yourself out of prison..."
"...how unfortunate, that it has to come to this," replied Odalia with a sigh. "I wasn't planning to take all the money... just most of it. What's Alador even doing with it anyway?"
"He's putting it back into the company to conduct research, to help people!"
"Help... people? Ugh, I had a feeling the company would go to pot after he took over. Ah well... perhaps once I've drained the company coffers, he'll be open to making a deal, and I'll be able to put Blight Industries back on the right track. Who knows... perhaps a name change will be in order? Thickbottom Incorporated has a nice ring to it..."
With a roar of rage, Amity fired a lightning bolt at Odalia, intending to stun her so she could be restrained. The lightning bolt flew directly at Odalia's chest, but at the last moment, the older woman dodged out of the way, causing the bolt to slam harmlessly into the back wall.
"Oracle magic, remember?" said Odalia, tapping her glowing wrist. "I saw that spell coming... in fact, I saw the two of you coming as well. I was truly hoping you'd back down, but I had a feeling you might be... difficult, so..."
Odalia took out a small capsule and threw it to the ground between Luz and Amity, just as Luz was preparing to slam down a plant glyph.
"Don't worry, Amity, I'm gonna-"
The capsule broke between the two girls, releasing a thick cloud of purple gas that immediately brought them both to her knees. When Amity looked up, she saw her mother now wearing a mask to protect herself from the cloud.
"Odalia..." Amity breathed weakly, before starting to cough as her mom disappeared in the haze. "You... won't... get away with..."
Amity then collapsed, with Luz falling right next to her. The two looked into each other's eyes, weakly whispering each other's names before passing out.
O-O-O
Luz awoke with a groan, blinking her eyes and realizing that she was still inside the factory... but no longer on the upper floor. Rather, she seemed to be back on ground level... but her feet weren't touching the ground, and a quick look down at the floor revealed why. She seemed to be dangling a few inches off the floor, and as she started to realize that ropes were encircling her body, she heard a familiar voice.
"Luz!"
Luz could feel fingers fluttering against her own, but when she tried to move her hands, she couldn't. They were bound behind her back with ropes, while more ropes were wrapped around her chest and upper arms, and her legs and thighs were roped up as well. She could feel someone behind her, and quickly realized it was Amity, stuck in the exact same predicament. The two were tied together with more ropes, while there seemed to be a large metal hook attached to these ropes and connected to a long chain leading up to the ceiling.
"Unnh... Amity? Oh man... we're tied up!"
The two immediately began to struggle, with Amity attempting to form a spell circle with her bound hands.
"Not good... I can't use spells like this!"
"And I can't use my glyphs! I'll keep trying to wiggle free!"
"Me too!"
The two kept at it, kicking their legs while trying to shift their arms in the ropes. Amity continued attempting to use magic, but only managed to make her fingers move against Luz's hands... and though it impeded her ability to cast spells, Amity did think that it was a small relief that she and Luz could at least touch hands if they wished.
"Luz, I'll keep trying to get us out..."
"Amity, I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why are you the one who's sorry?" asked Amity, looking back to try and see Luz's face. "I'm the one who brought us here in the first place... I should've known what my mom's still capable of."
"Yeah, but if I hadn't been laughing so hard at your mom's maiden name..."
"Thickbottom?" asked Amity, still not quite understanding what was so funny. "I don't know what- ….ohhhhhhhhhhhh."
Finally realizing just what her girlfriend was laughing at, Amity began giggling as well, and could feel Luz pushing back against her slightly.
"...she really does live up to the name," said Luz, now sounding more amused than guilty.
"Yeah, I'm glad I didn't end up as Amity Thickbottom," replied Amity, still giggling.
"...you kinda live up to the name too," said Luz with a smirk, bumping her behind against Amity's.
"Oh really?" Amity replied, smirking as well.
"Yeah, it's the only good thing you inherited from your mom!"
Luz then bumped Amity again, giggling as she did so, and Amity began laughing louder than ever before. Despite their predicament, she was happy to share a moment of laughter with Luz... she just hoped the two of them would be able to find a way out soon.
"Don't worry, Luz, I know we'll get out of this, we just have to-"
"Planning an escape, are we?" asked Odalia, walking over to the two with a stern look on her face. "Sorry to break up your fun, but you're out of time."
Upon seeing their captor, both Luz and Amity glared angrily, resuming their struggles and swinging back and forth in the ropes as much as they could. Odalia didn't seem intimidated, approaching the girls with a confident smile forming on her face.
"You evil, nasty person!" shouted Luz, leaning toward Odalia and kicking her legs as best she could. "Stealing the Blights' money, taking us hostage? You are seriously messed up, and I can't wait until you get what's coming to-"
Odalia immediately silenced Luz by pressing a strip of duct tape over her mouth, her hands pushing down hard on the human girl's face to make sure it stayed on. Luz continued to cry out, her muffled protests doing little more than amusing the green haired woman as she smoothed down the gag.
"Hush, brat," snapped Odalia, echoing her command from several years earlier.
"Don't you talk to my girlfriend like that!" Amity shouted back, echoing her own response. "And take that gag off her mouth right now!"
"I can talk to this brat however I want," said Odalia, smiling cruelly as she cupped Luz's chin, her hand continuing to run slowly back and forth over Luz's taped lips. "And she can't say a thing, can she?"
Despite knowing that continuing her efforts to speak would only amuse Odalia, Luz continued her angry rant, shouting furiously that Odalia was a terrible mother and a terrible person, that she and Amity would get out of this, that she had no right to be doing anything she was doing, that they were going to stop her, and even throwing in a few Spanish insults for good measure. Odalia drank it all in, relishing in her victory, and lapping up every muffled word that sounded from behind Luz's sealed mouth.
"I've always wanted to teach this little human vermin a lesson," said Odalia, looking into Luz's eyes as Luz continued to try and speak. "She's the reason our family... my business was destroyed... the reason this world was changed for the worse."
"She saved you, you ungrateful monster!" shouted Amity, trying to look back at Odalia. "She saved all of us, and nearly lost her life doing it!"
"Too bad she had to come back... you would've been better off without her."
Luz just glared at Odalia, her nostrils flaring as she ran out of things to try and say. Behind her back, she could feel Amity's hand clasping hers, and it had an immediate calming effect, even if it didn't quite wipe the glare off the human girl's face.
"How dare you," spat Amity, as Odalia finally came around to face her. "Luz is the best thing that ever happened to the Boiling Isles... and me!"
"Then why are you the one tied up right now? If it wasn't for this human girl, you could be sitting in the lap of luxury... but you're about to be dropped with her into a vat of abomination goo..."
Odalia clicked a button, and immediately, the sound of cranking and clunking could be heard. The two looked up, and could see a pipe starting to pour boiling hot abomination goo into the empty vat, quickly filling it up. Amity then looked at Odalia, her eyes a mix of anger and fear.
"You can't do this," said Amity, still keeping her tight grip on Luz's hand as her girlfriend looked at the vat with increasingly wide eyes. "You can't kill us!"
"Oh, but I can," replied Odalia, reaching up and stroking Amity's cheek. Amity tried to twist her head away, but Odalia's hand followed it before cupping Amity's chin and squeezing it just hard enough to hold her in place. "However... I'd rather not execute my own daughter."
"I'm not your daughter!" Amity protested, as she and Luz began to struggle again.
"That's too bad," Odalia replied, "because as I was saying, I'd really rather not kill you... I'd love to let you just walk out of here. Leave your... girlfriend behind and go home. Forget about what I've done... by the time you're able to report it, I'll have disposed of all the evidence anyway."
Amity began to quiver, and Odalia gripped her chin slightly tighter.
"Well? What do you say? Would you like me to let you go, Amity?"
Amity knew, for all the lies her mother had told her, that it was the truth... Odalia, out of some twisted sentimentality, was offering to let her walk away, offering to spare her life... and all she had to do was abandon Luz.
And she didn't even have to think about it for a second.
"Fuck you," said Amity, her voice dripping with hatred. Odalia let out a gasp, her hand immediately releasing Amity's chin.
Wow... Amity! thought Luz, smiling under the tape.
"I'm not leaving you, Luz," Amity then said, turning to look at Luz as best she could and gripping her hand again. "Not now, not ever."
Luz already knew Amity would never forsake her... and though she'd have wanted Amity to be able to get out safely, she wouldn't have even bothered to tell Amity to save herself. She knew her girlfriend so much better than that.
"If that's how you want it to be, then fine... you can die with your human," said Odalia, already tearing off another strip of duct tape. "I hope it was worth it."
"Odalia, we'll get out of this and you-"
Before Amity could threaten Odalia further, the tape was pressed down tightly over her mouth as well... Odalia pushing it down so firmly that her fingernails started to dig into Amity's skin. Amity grunted, but unlike Luz, who had kept talking despite the tape, Amity stayed mostly silent, letting her eyes do the talking that her mouth no longer could.
"...hush, brat," said Odalia, her voice filled with venom and spite... though with the slightest hint of sadness behind it as well. "And goodbye."
Odalia then pressed a button, and the hook holding Luz and Amity began to lift them up into the air, toward the vat which had already filled with abomination goo. The two girls began struggling, but the ropes refused to break, and soon, even if they were to get free, they'd be unable to escape their fate... they were now dangling directly above the boiling hot liquid, and their struggling had to stop. They looked down into the vat, then down at Odalia, their eyes still furious and defiant... but their fear now starting to show.
"Oh, don't worry, girls... I'm not like the villains in those foolish books you like to read together. I'm staying right here to watch everything, until the moment you disappear into the goo. Who knows, maybe you'll turn into abominations yourselves!"
As Odalia began to laugh, Amity's eyes showed their first look of horror... not just at the terrible fate now staring her and Luz in the face, but at the wicked monster her mother had become... willing to drown her own daughter in a vat of boiling liquid.
I knew she was willing to sell out the rest of the Boiling Isles, but she's actually going through with killing me too? She knows how I feel about her... but somewhere deep down, doesn't she have any affection left?
As Amity tried to reason with Odalia, crying out things like 'you can't do this!' and 'you won't get away with it!', Luz just kept trying to struggle, both for her own sake and for Amity's.
Amity's mom really is a monster! How can she do this to Amity, even after all the problems they've had?! Oh man... I wish I could be stronger for her... if only I had real magic... if only I could make a glyph... Amity, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can get us out this time!
Then, Odalia pressed another button, and the two girls began to be lowered slowly but surely toward the boiling goo. They let out a scream, then tried to look at each other, reaching for each other's hands again and gripping them tightly together.
Luz, it's gonna be okay, we'll think of something!
Amity, I don't know what to do, I'm really scared...!
Despite knowing that even if they broke free, they'd fall into the goo, the girls resumed their struggles again, trying to swing themselves onto the nearby catwalk. They could barely move a few inches, and they wouldn't have enough time to build up momentum before they were lowered into the goo anyway... for every inch or two of momentum they were building, they were being lowered a foot or more.
"It's a shame, really... I truly had high hopes for you, Amity."
Shove it, Odalia! shouted Amity, fighting through her fear for one brief moment just long enough to tell off her mom one last time.
You're an awful mom! shouted Luz, inspired by Amity's defiance to get her own two cents in. And I love Amity and I always will!
"Screaming for help, are we? Poor dears, no one's here to save you... and I'd like to see them try, I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve..."
Luz and Amity stopped looking at Odalia and once again looked down at the vat of goo, drawing closer and closer. They knew they only had a few more moments together before it was all over, and instead of continuing to struggle, they just gripped each other's hands tightly, their fingers interlocking behind their backs in a show of silent affection. They looked at each other as best they could over their shoulders, trying to communicate their love one last time.
Luz, I love you so much. I'm glad I met you...
Amity, I love you with all my heart. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything.
The girls were terrified, but gave each other one last smile under their gags, then closed their eyes and prepared to feel the boiling goo wash over them, both hoping the end would come quick. Odalia let out one final laugh, feeling a strange and twisted satisfaction that she was about to boil her own daughter alive.
It's a shame, I suppose, but the human girl ruined her. I still have the twins... perhaps someday I'll be able to convince them that their little sister died in an... unfortunate smelting accident.
As Odalia continued to laugh, she didn't see an object flying toward the remote in her hand... and when she did, she barely had time to react before it struck the remote right on the emergency stop button, prompting the hook lowering Luz and Amity into the goo to stop just in time. Odalia looked up, and could see a middle aged woman running straight at her, while, for the moment, Luz could only focus on the object that had just saved them. It looked like...
...a chancla?
"HYAAAAAH!"
One chancla had hit the controller, stopping the hook and knocking the remote from Odalia's hands. The other slammed directly into her forehead, knocking her to the ground and putting her in an immediate daze. Luz and Amity looked down to see their savior... somehow, Camila Noceda had found them.
"Luz! Amity!"
Mamá?
Camila!
As Luz and Amity called out to her with a mix of relief and shock, Camila ran up the stairs toward them. Ignoring Odalia for the moment, she ran up to the catwalk, where another set of crane controls was positioned. With the emergency stop activated, these were now the only controls that functioned, and Camila was able to work them to move Luz and Amity back toward her and out of danger.
"Girls, I'm so glad I found you, how did you end up like this?" Camila asked them breathlessly, clear concern in her eyes. "That awful woman, she's Amity's mother, isn't she?"
Amity just nodded, while Luz still looked to be in shock as Camila walked toward her. The two girls were now dangling just over the catwalk, and Camila removed the tape from Luz's mouth first, carefully peeling it off to keep from damaging her daughter's lips.
"Mamá, how did you find us here? What are you even doing on the Boiling Isles?"
"It's Saturday and I wanted to visit you, you usually come home on weekends so I figured you had something going on, but I missed you so I thought I'd say 'hi'... then I saw you flying off, I tried to get your attention but I couldn't, so I just... I just ran after you, and then..."
Stringbean and Ghost, who Luz and Amity hadn't seen since Odalia had knocked the two of them out, crawled off Camila and walked over to Luz and Amity, nuzzling against their legs.
"And then these two adorable darlings guided me the rest of the way! Oh, my poor sweet Luz... and... oh! Amity, are you all right?"
Camila then reached over and carefully removed Amity's gag, prompting the girl to let out a sigh of relief before choking out a sob and shedding a single tear.
"You... just came to see Luz?" asked Amity, smiling warmly. "You were able to save us because... you're the best mom ever."
"Oh, I don't know if I'd say that..." Camila replied humbly, adjusting her glasses.
"Amity's right, mamá, you're amazing!"
"Don't worry... I'll have you both untied in a few minutes, I promise."
"Like hell you will!"
Camila turned to see Odalia staggering up the stairs and onto the catwalk, still holding a hand over her badly bruised forehead. Seeing the woman who'd just tried to kill her daughter and her daughter's girlfriend, Camila clenched her fists in rage, turning toward Odalia and storming toward her.
"Perra, te voy a lastimar mucho-"
One of Odalia's shoes flew past Camila's head, badly missing her. For a moment, Camila's rage gave way to perplexion, and she raised an eyebrow, while Odalia began taunting her.
"Take... take that! You wanted to start a shoe fight, well now you've got one!"
Luz and Amity both looked at Odalia, glaring at her as if she were crazy, while Camila gave her an almost pitying look before resuming her fighting stance.
"Next time you throw a shoe at me it's going up your ass, pendeja!"
"No wonder my Amity's been talking so vulgar, she must've learned it by hanging around you and your lowlife daughter..."
"That's it, I'm gonna mess you up!"
Camila stormed toward Odalia as Luz and Amity looked on, the two of them still squirming to free themselves as their feet dangled a couple of inches above the catwalk.
"Yeah, mom, get her!" Luz shouted encouragingly.
"Be careful, she's still got magic!" Amity warned, hoping Camila wasn't biting off more than she could chew.
"It'll be fine," said Luz, smirking. "If your mom's resorted to throwing shoes at my mom, I think she's all out of tricks."
"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Amity replied, breathing a sigh of relief. Then, her eyes glanced at a familiar spot on her mom's wrist. Wait a second... where'd her coven sigil go?
As Camila towered over Odalia, Odalia looked at the furious woman, then at the vat of goo below. She then looked at Camila again, who was poised to land a knockout punch.
"When I'm through with you, you'll be begging to go to prison! That's... that's where they put bad guys here, right, prison?"
"Oh yes," said Odalia, suddenly smirking. "But I'm not going anywhere... and neither are you. Abomination, seize!"
Odalia lifted her hand, and a large clump of abomination goo formed out of the vat, coalescing into a towering figure behind Camila. As the human woman turned, a set of large arms looped around her own, pinning them to her sides before dragging her to the ground with two more clumps of goo emerging from the abomination to pin her ankles to the catwalk and force her into a kneeling position. Stringbean and Ghost both rushed the woman, but another clump of goo was more than enough to pin them helplessly to the catwalk, unable to do anything more than squirm. Odalia then smirked, walking over to Camila with a triumphant grin.
"Unnnggh... what? How?!" Camila shouted, struggling fiercely within the abomination's grasp as Luz looked on in horror.
"Mamá!" Luz shrieked, twisting fiercely in her ropes.
"Wait, what?!" Amity gasped, looking over at Odalia. "You're in the Oracle coven, not the Abomination coven! You can't do that!"
"The coven system is gone, dear," Odalia replied. "Your girlfriend made sure of that, remember?"
"But only dad can take off the sigils, and he'd never help you," said Amity, glaring.
"Oh, your father always was too soft-hearted for his own good," Odalia replied. "All I had to do was come to him and debase myself in a relatively minor way, giving him a sob story about how I might be able to do some good in the world if I could practice other types of magic. That stuffy Darius wanted him to refuse, but it seems Alador still holds a soft spot for me... and as for how I know Abomination magic? Well, come on now, it's not that hard to learn... and I spent years watching your father."
"Get this... gross stuff off me, you demented old hag!" Camila shouted, glaring up at Odalia.
"Oh, you've got a smart mouth, just like your daughter... better take care of that," said Odalia, clumping up some abomination goo in her hands before shoving it into Camila's mouth, packing it full. As the human woman shrieked and retched, Odalia then slapped another clump of goo over Camila's face, covering her mouth and sealing it in. Camila let out a cry of disgust, shrieking and then snarling at Odalia as she tried to work her lips under the goo. With a laugh, Odalia gestured to her abomination to lift Camila into the air. It did so, leaving the woman with her arms trapped and her legs free to kick wildly, and as she did so, Luz looked on in both fright and fury.
"Put her DOWN!" shouted Luz, angrily struggling in the ropes. "Let my mom go now!"
"I don't think so," said Odalia, signaling to the abomination to move toward the edge of the catwalk.
"MOM!" screamed Luz, desperately trying to pull herself free, while Amity did the same, determined to save her girlfriend's mother... and the woman who'd been a better mother to her than Odalia had ever been.
"LET HER GO!" Amity roared, raging at Odalia.
"She shouldn't be here and neither should you," said Odalia, looking at Luz. "So in a way, this is your fault, hmm?"
As Camila was lifted up to the railing, she let out another loud, muffled shriek, barely audible through all the goo in and over her mouth. Luz cried out for her, while Amity thought fast, looking at the abomination and her mother... and realizing that Odalia had made a fatal mistake using Abomination powers to try and stop them.
"Abomination, put her down!" Amity commanded. The abomination stopped, then continued to lower Camila over the railing. "...! Safely!"
The abomination obeyed, turning and plopping Camila safely in the middle of the catwalk... albeit still bound and gagged in goo. Odalia, clenching her fists in rage, stormed toward Amity and Luz.
"Abomination-" she began.
"Abomination, shut her up!" Amity shouted. The abomination again obeyed her, shooting out two clumps of goo that stuffed and sealed Odalia's mouth, just as she had done to Camila. Though silenced in humiliating fashion, the woman was barely deterred by Amity's actions, and continued toward her, angrily grabbing the rope that held her and Luz and threatening to toss it over the side of the catwalk. Amity gasped and started to command her abomination again. "Abomination-"
Odalia's hand forcefully thrust itself forward, clamping Amity's mouth and nose tightly. Amity let out a muffled shriek, attempting to twist her face out of her mother's painful grip, but she was unable to do so, and she let out a gasp as she felt the hand close even tighter, threatening to smother her. Odalia smirked, only for Camila to suddenly slam into her, knocking her off balance and forcing her hand away from Amity's mouth. Amity gasped, and Odalia regained her balance quickly.
How dare you! Odalia muffled as Camila defiantly stood before her. Camila lunged forward again, only for Odalia to slap her harshly across the face, knocking her aside and onto her back. As Camila winced in pain, and Amity let out a gasp, Luz let out a cry of rage.
"You nasty evil MONSTER!" Luz shouted, glaring furiously at Odalia. "I've got more to say, but I don't swear in front of my mom!"
You've got my permission this time, mija... thought Camila, still reeling from the slap. Though... that might be the least of our problems...
"Abomination... abomination?" Amity stammered, only to see the abomination she and her mother had been fighting over slither back into the vat. No...! Too many conflicting instructions, it's too confused, that's not good...!
Odalia began to laugh behind her gag, stalking toward Luz and Amity and preparing to throw them into the vat for good this time. As Amity struggled, Luz could see some goop the abomination had left on the ground... and began tracing into it with the tips of her shoes as Odalia grabbed the rope holding them.
You two are... Odalia muffled, before growling and angrily ripping the goo off of her mouth, then spitting out the rest. "You two are dead! And that human woman too!"
"That woman is my mom... a better mom than you'll EVER be!" shouted Luz defiantly.
"And she's my future mother-in-law!" Amity shouted, before realizing what she'd just said and looking at Luz, both of them blushing intensely. "...hopefully... maybe someday!"
"You two brats and that nasty woman don't have a future... I'm going to throw all of you into the goo and blow this factory sky-high, and then the Blight fortune will be mine and no one will stop me!"
"Yeah... about that," said Luz, suddenly smirking. As Odalia raised an eyebrow, Luz tapped her feet against the ground... conjuring up a swarm of vines that immediately wrapped her up from her neck to her ankles, helpless to escape.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" Odalia shrieked, struggling wildly on the catwalk as Camila stood over her. "Release me you... filthy plants!"
"Luz, that was amazing, how..."
Amity looked down to see the glyph Luz had traced onto the catwalk in abomination goo. Luz smirked at her, and Amity would've given her a kiss right then and there if she could've craned her head enough to do so. She looked down toward the vat and let out a sigh.
"Abomination, if it's not too much trouble... untie us?"
Fortunately, the abomination had been able to recover, and it slithered back up out of the vat to free Luz and Amity from their bonds. Immediately, Luz ran to her mother's side, pulling the goo off her arms and chest and then the clump of goo from her face, allowing Camila to spit the rest out herself.
"Ugh, that was disgusting..." Camila shouted, just before Luz leapt into her arms with a fierce hug. "Oh... mija, you did it, I'm so proud of you..."
"You saved us first, mamá..."
After Luz finished hugging Camila, she turned to Amity... and was immediately swept up in her girlfriend's arms, before a fierce kiss was planted on her lips. As Luz returned the kiss with relief and love, holding Amity passionately and starting to part her lips, Camila turned to give her daughter some privacy... and to give Odalia a taste of what she truly deserved.
"You might've won, but you'll always be a disgusting human," Odalia said bitterly, eyes narrowed in hatred. "You'll never be as smart or as successful as me, and furthermore-"
Camila began unrolling the sock from Odalia's foot, balling it up as the woman continued to rant at her.
"You're even stealing my socks? What, too poor to afford your own p-mmmmgggghh!"
After stuffing the sock in Odalia's mouth, Camila grabbed the roll of tape off the woman's belt, tore off a strip, and pressed it down tightly over her lips, forcefully pushing it down with both hands while looking angrily into her eyes.
"I should beat your ass right now," said Camila, clenching her fist. "But even though you tried to murder my daughter and her girlfriend, I won't hurt a helpless creature..."
I am no creature, you lowlife cretin! Odalia muffed angrily, while retching at the taste of her own sock. I am a sophisticated witch, and you will give me the respect I deserve!
"...I don't mind," said Amity, clenching her own fist and pounding it into her hand. Luz was still holding her tightly, and couldn't help but giggle at Odalia's predicament. "I'd like to punish her myself."
"No, that would be needlessly cruel, and we're better than that," said Camila, smiling warmly. "Besides, I'm okay... are you two okay?"
"I'm gonna be, thanks to you and Amity..." said Luz, smiling as she and Amity shared another quick kiss.
"I'll be okay too," Amity replied, nuzzling her face against Luz's.
"In that case, maybe we should take Odalia here to the proper authorities?"
"It's a long trip," said Luz, walking over and plucking Stringbean and Ghost out of the goo they'd been trapped in. "Maybe I'll go fetch the guards, and you two stay here and watch Odalia?"
"All right, but be careful, mija..." said Camila, before Luz leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Don't worry, I've had more than enough excitement for today, I won't take anymore crazy risks... c'mon, Stringbean, let's hurry!"
As Luz flew off on her broomstick, Odalia continued to wriggle and writhe at Camila and Amity's feet, angrily insulting them behind her gag and vowing revenge. Camila sighed... it was wrong to hurt Odalia when she was trapped like this, but she hungered for revenge of her own... fortunately, Amity knew enough about her mom to give Camila the perfect solution.
"...mom's always had really ticklish feet," said Amity, smirking down at Odalia.
"Oh, really?" Camila said, her lips curving into a devilish grin. "Well, in that case, maybe the tickle monster will have a new victim to devour..."
You wouldn't dare! Odalia muffled as Camila leaned in toward her, both hands moving toward her exposed foot. You can't do this to-
Odalia's eyes went wide.
"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHM!"
O-O-O
A few hours later, Odalia was being transported to the Boiling Isles' brand new humane but secure prison facility to await trail for all sorts of charges including theft, kidnapping, and attempted murder, while Luz, Amity, and Camila were back at Blight Manor, explaining everything that had happened to Alador and the twins.
"I had no idea she was robbing us blind... I suppose I need to keep a closer eye on the family finances. Thank you for stopping her, Amity... but please, next time you suspect something like this-"
"I know, dad, I'll be more careful," said Amity, sitting on the couch next to Luz and holding her close. "I should've known mom would have more sneaky tricks... and I really need to stop calling her 'mom'."
"Hey, we all grew up with her as our mom, and... for a while, all of us loved her," said Emira, placing a hand on Amity's shoulder. "I'm sorry she put you through all that... any chance we could visit her in jail and give her another visit from the 'tickle monster'? You know I've had lots of practice..."
Emira playfully wiggled her fingers at Amity and Luz, both of whom knew exactly what she was talking about and what she was capable of. As much as she wanted to see her mom endure another brutal round of what Camila had dished out earlier, Amity shook her head.
"You know the new prison rules, all forms of torture, including tickle torture, are strictly prohibited, even for the worst of the worst," said Amity. "Besides, I think Camila punished her enough."
"Awww man, you gotta tell me, how much did mom beg you to stop?" asked Edric, leaning in toward Camila. "Did she cry? Did she try to bribe you? ….did she wet-"
"That's enough, Edric," Alador scolded, placing a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "I think Mittens and Luz need some time to process what's happened... Miss Noceda, I want to sincerely apologize for my ex-wife's behavior. If there's anything in the way of a reward-"
"It's all right, really..." said Camila. "...though I suppose the office could use a new wing, and I've been needing a bit more help lately..."
"Consider it done," said Alador.
"Glad you're okay, sis," said Emira, leaning over the couch and giving Amity a hug. "When you guys are ready, we're gonna go out for dinner... fanciest place in Bonesborough! Or... maybe we can go to the human realm and eat at some ritzy place there?"
"Thanks, Em... we'll be ready in a bit I think," said Amity.
And after Alador and the twins left the room, Luz and Amity nuzzled even closer, while Camila leaned in to give both girls a hug, and Luz a kiss on the cheek.
"You two were so brave today," said Camila, smiling warmly at her daughter and Amity. "I... hope these close calls don't happen too often, when I realized just how close that one was, I almost freaked out...!"
"It's true, your mom had a moment where she realized that if she hadn't been able to hit that button with her chancla, we'd have been in the goo, and she almost punched Odalia right after."
"Yeah... that kinda thing happens a lot here," said Luz, rubbing the back of her neck and blushing. "We're gonna have a lot more adventures and close scrapes... and I just want you to know that I'm up for anything, Amity... and... mom, I promise to be careful."
"You be you, Luz," said Camila warmly, tightening her embrace. "I know I'll never be able to protect you from everything, but I'll do everything I can to protect you."
"Thanks, mamá..." Luz replied. She then turned to Amity, who was waiting with a tender kiss. "...! ….Amity... there's no one in the world I'd rather get in trouble with than you."
"Same here, Luz," replied Amity, reaching down and squeezing Luz's hand tightly. "I love you..."
"I love you too, Amity..." Luz replied, kissing her as Camila gently scooted back to give them some space. And I always will...
I can't protect you from everything, thought Camila, as she watched Luz and Amity giggle after parting from their kiss, but I know she'll be there when I can't be... and I know you'll be safe, mija.