charliepollock1357, Guest (Apr 15): Update here!
SuperFreakingDuper: Don't worry about it. It happens to me when I'm too excited too! :)
lyssaspeakgood: I hope you did get some sleep.
aimeekiwi93: Now I feel stupid because I'm not entirely sure what you meant.
oilzz and stuff:(1) They had to get back together or it's over. (2) Rem and Skyler will stay whether Beca likes it or not. (3) Although I concentrated on Ben's relationship with his brother a.k.a. Bumper, well done for figuring out about the jealousy theme. Thanks! (4) He could be trusted, actually. It's just that he's been twisted by his emotions already.
fullsincerity, Illithyia, Guest (Apr 4), RawR, Guest(April 4): Love makes you do crazy things, I guess.
shifter boy, Rennie Laroche: Boycott? That's sad…
Guest (Apr 6): Totally!
Yan: That's the dream. LOL.
RobOverstreet: Thought about it for a long time. Everybody hates Ben already anyway no matter what kind of effort he does.
DJBMitch: It must have been a very pathetic move on his part, but I don't know, I think sometimes when you really love someone, you do some unjustified things. It's not right, but he had to do it. As for Chloe, she and Aubrey are super trying to fit in. I mean, it's not the life they're used to. It's easy to have them both kill people since this is fiction anyway, that's badass, but it doesn't seem right to me.
Kartoffel: Don't you just love twists in stories? :)
badwriters: He won you over 'Do you wanna build a snowman?', didn't he?
DieZeitVergeht: Breathe.
kjennyperry: Thanks, dear! :)
Guest (April 4): Everybody already hates him anyway. At least now, we have a perfectly good reason.
atty jannie: I don't want to bore you out so… LOL.
apple-jacs: Isn't it cool how Ben is nothing like Bumper except that they'd do anything to get what they want? And well, nobody's perfect.
MysticFalls94: Actually, I intended that foreshadowing. It was perfect 'cause I knew it would give you some sort of an idea, and at the same time, a glimpse of Ben's personal life. I was kind of hoping to earn him some sympathy because frankly, I like him. LOL. I love Rem! And that human marionette part was my favorite too! She's the best antithesis to Beca. On Bechloe, as a fan, if they didn't get back together yet, I was going to lose my mind! And about Maverick, we're going to lose some beloved characters later on to be honest. But I CAN'T choose, so I'm going to leave it to fate… lottery!0
asdfg: Shit it is.
BeChloeFan01:I'm still trying to figure out what to do exactly with Skyler, but I required myself to make her play a role in Bechloe's relationship – how the Stacie in her was able to convince Beca to gather her shit together and win Chloe back. We'll see more of the blueprint this chapter.
I know this chapter is shorter than the usual, but I'm super enjoying my vacation time. Four years in college is over and I'm officially unemployed so no hate! LOL. This is for all the graduates and all the students cramming their way to the finish line...
CHAPTER TWELVE: Strike
Chloe pulled the blanket further up to cover more of her naked body – man, that shivering cold morning breeze – then turned to her side and slid her hand onto the empty space of the bed. Wait, empty? Her eyes shut wide open and sat up in panic. No, not again! That pint-sized jerk had gone away again! She should have known that things were just too good to be true. There's just no such thing as a fairytale love story with Beca Mitchell.
"Good morning."
She followed the sound of a familiar monotonous voice to find her girlfriend clad in a plain black shirt and a pair of underwear, expertly preparing for breakfast in the kitchen located just a few meters away from the so-called bedroom.
"Something wrong?"
The young heiress couldn't help but heave out a sigh of relief when she realized the moment was real. The horrible monster had stayed as previously promised. "I thought you left."
"But I'm not going anywhere," swore the brunette with a small reassuring smile. That part of the past was already nothing but a nightmare which they had to work on putting behind their heads. "You don't have anything to worry about, sleepyhead."
Lying back down with a fulfilled smile on her lips, the sleepyhead closed her eyes and yawned, fighting off the urge to fall back to sleep. It helped when she breathed in the sweet aroma floating around the nearly empty apartment unit – hot chocolate, pancakes, bacon and eggs. Could this day get any better? Sure, a few minutes more and Beca's weight was upon the bed along with a tray of food especially prepared for her beloved princess.
"Breakfast in bed."
"You don't have tables and chairs," the redheaded monster pointed out as she sat up again, a mocking smirk was intended to further annoy the chef. "And I bet you stole the plates and everything else from Skyler's unit."
"You're welcome," the other shot back as a reminder that a little gratitude was what she deserved for the effort at being romantic when it was in fact beyond her capacity as a human being.
Chloe giggled and gave her a kiss fit to commence a lovely morning. Later on, she realized that she should have saved it for desert after literally eating a real meal because a simple smooch like this was where things usually came to a start. There's something about the post-coital early morning scene which always seemed to have an effect on her girlfriend – hormones were flaring up and an upcoming unstoppable concupiscence was to be braced.
"Must… have… bacon…"
The redhead tried to reach for a strip only to be overcome by the tingling sensation brought about by the touch of Beca's skin upon hers – amazing the effect of those hands, her lips and even the coolness of her breath was. Goodbye, delicious breakfast meal. Adios, sheet of blanket. Chloe could only moan delightedly in response, her hands, too, thirstily snaking in under the black shirt.
"Wow," neither of them spoke out and shut the door close. "You're still in the honeymoon stage."
Caught in utter surprise, the pair broke apart and the heated make out session was unfortunately cut short. They turned towards the door, that stupid door they weren't aware was being opened amidst the morning treat, and found no other than Veronica Grant standing there, clearly amused. She playfully raised her eyebrows at them and that was when Chloe realized she was in full Commando before her girlfriend's mother's eyes for far too many time than destiny could possibly allow.
"Mom!"Beca groaned, retrieving her pants while the redhead desperately pulled the covers over her nakedness.
"What?" the older brunette shrugged her shoulders as innocently as possible. How could she act like this wasn't a very awkward situation! "It's not like this never happened before. Remember that time when-"
"What the fuck are you doing here?" the mighty Phoenix was almost shrieking at this point.
"Sometimes, I really wonder what could have been if I tried to abort you."
Beca rolled her eyes and gathered some clothes for her girlfriend who seemed to be holding her breath amidst the current situation. The bathroom would be the most comfortable jail for her during this surprise visit, but then the guest intentionally sat on the bed, locking the sheets under her butt, trapping the naked lady in refuge. She winked at Chloe causing the rush of blood underneath the angelic face.
"Why did I never buy a couch?" Beca mumbled to herself in regret.
"Your brother's looking for you," Ronie told her. "You're supposed to stay in Pandemonium, I learned. And Kimmy Jin is not happy that you kidnapped Chloe for the evening."
Of course, it's entirely the cricket's fault again. Every fucking time.
"Mom, aren't you supposed to be at Barden right now?"
"Oh I'm not going to miss this moment for the world," Barden Chief Directress grinned wildly. She was enjoying this, obviously. "My secretary can handle things, you know. So, Chloe, dear, how would you rate this young lady's performance in bed?"
God, the young heiress turned bright red even more if that's even possible and spitted out a mouthful of stammers.
"Mom," hissed Beca.
"Threesome, then?"
"Mom!" The tone was more of an expression of disgust rather than apprehension."Get out!"
"Okay okay!" the older brunette held up her hands in surrender and prepared herself to leave. "Fine, I'll go. But you have to switch on your communication device and answer calls, young lady. You don't have to go sneaking around like some high school sweethearts. It's bullshit."
Her notorious daughter was already almost dragging her towards the door.
"And," Ronie forced a stop to say her primary concern of all. "I love you both, so don't you dare break up again or I'll kill you myself. It breaks everybody's hearts, just so you know. Now things are just getting better and better, don't be such a party poop."
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Just leave. Please?"
"Maverick and I will see you this weekend at the game, alright?"
Beca, of course, was being disinclined as conveyed by her body language but Chloe immediately made the final decision with pure eagerness and rosy cheeks. "We'll be there."
"The cabin's burned down, boss."
Bumper turned from Donald to Clarence searching for a valid explanation. What was this cabin all about that the Phoenixes made sure no Syndic would be left alive to tell the tale? The entire structure was even burned down to ashes. Certainly, it contained some information that the mighty Phoenix didn't want The Syndicate to discover.
"I don't know," was Clarence's partially honest statement of declaration. He knew it had to do something with Benji.
The Head Syndic squinted an eye at the claim, dubious. Why was it so hard to build a wall of trust when it was so easy to crush it into bits and pieces? "I thought we're on the same team, Mr. Beale."
"I vowed to be honest and I am."
"Well, then tell me the truth."
"Are you saying my boss is a liar?" Paul spoke from out of the blue, throwing a dirty look at the person he formerly served.
Bumper let out a small laugh in a mixture of amusement and mockery. Dogs – bravely barking and barking yet their loyalty depended on who could offer the best bone. "I'm sorry if there's a need for me to make sure that this alliance is as solid as a rock. Some people just can't always maintain their fidelity, can they, Paul?"
"I am trying to help you as much as I can," convinced Clarence before anything bad could ensue.
"Helping me means not helping the mighty Phoenix," the Head Syndic demanded.
"Beca?" questioned the other, puzzled until Bumper nodded his head for confirmation. "She's dead."
"Not anymore, apparently."
"But that's… impossible!"
"Beca Mitchell is alive, Mr. Beale."
Clarence swore he could just die right then and there. If Beca was indeed alive, then it could only mean… No, he should have not been here. He shouldn't have struck a deal with the devil. Being honest to Bumper Allen was betraying his own daughter. Chloe. Did she know that the love of her life was alive? She must have, hanging out with Stan and the rest of the group. But she pushed her own father away because of the thought that the mighty Phoenix was already dead.
"I really want you to be on my team, dude, so here's the plan: We need to attack Pandemonium, retrieve the information they obtained from the cabin and then finish them off. I, myself, will lead the team to ensure that the operation won't fail. We have to destroy The Secret Society once and for all. I'm giving you a chance to save one. Whoever you choose, make sure you get him or her out of Pandemonium in time. Well… I just hope you have already made a decision."
Stan or Chloe. Stan or Chloe. Stan or Chloe. And then Beca too. Goddamn it! He had to save them all!
"I have," he heard himself mutter after what seemed like forever. "Call me if you have any more concern."
He gave Bumper one last look which the young man returned with his trademark smirk. Clarence calmly walked out the door with Paul vigilantly trailing behind him. They silently navigated their way out through the hallways, muted under the watchful eyes and sensitive ears of the Syndics. The car was already waiting outside as they descended the front stairs, both hopped in and drove away from the house of the devil.
"I need to talk to Chloe," he told his Head Security.
Paul had already worked on it, frankly. He pulled out his phone and gave it to his boss. On the screen was the young heiress' complete schedule for the day which Gail had secured from her good friend, Kimmy Jin.
Kimmy Jin had been hugging the gigantic bouquet of flowers, waiting for the signal to be given by her boss. It's either the prayer was taking too long or her feeble hands were not strong enough to carry the offering for the dead because she could already feel them shaking with sweat. Eugh.
"And this is for you," the young heiress cheerfully took the bouquet from her executive assistant and carefully put it down by her mother's grave. "Beca helped pick them up, mom. Isn't it beautiful? And she says 'hi' also."
Aubrey shuddered in disgust listening to her best friend gushed over that little monster. "Mrs. Beale, as the best best friend in the world, I have to tell you that your daughter is doing a lot of se-"
"Your daughter is very happy!" Chloe emphasized after quickly cupping her best friend's blabby mouth with a hand as if the dead woman could even make some violent reactions in the first place. "But CNN newsflash: Posen here finally found a guy whom she thinks is good enough for her. I can definitely hear wedding bells, mom."
"Stan and I went out to see a movie, we had dinner. It's no big deal."
But her cheeks were already blushing and the dreamy look on her face couldn't hide the truth when all of a sudden, a convoy of four cars rolled down the road until it stopped nearby. The doors opened almost in unison, releasing the bodyguards out of their cages, and Clarence Beale was being escorted by the Head Security himself in no time.
"Chloe," he breathed out as soon as he reached the young redhead. "We need to talk."
He expected her to walk away, to be brushed off, his presence to be ignored, or receive a glare from his daughter in the most hurtful way a father could ever endure. Much to his surprise, however, she threw herself to him for a warm embrace. Months, it had been months since the last time. Clarence could hardly let go of his most precious treasure ever again.
"We have to go," was his greeting, worried and stressed with urgency. "Pack everything you need. Or not. We will manage. Just… We have to leave, Chloe. Now."
Of course, Chloe was taken aback by the sudden plans being shoved to her. "Dad… W-What do you mean 'leave'?"
"We have to leave Georgia," he answered then turned towards the blonde heiress. "Aubrey, stay away from Stan and stay close to your father all the time. Do you understand?"
Too confused, Aubrey couldn't even nod or shake her head.
"Dad, what's happening? Is this about the police or the company or your financial troubles? My finances are great, I can help you."
"No, honey. That's not what it is."
"Then what is it? Tell me what's happening, dad."
Clarence let out a defeated sigh. He wasn't ready to watch his daughter walk away from him again after all this time, but it's a risk worth taking other than lose her forever. He had to tell her the truth. She deserved to know. Thus, he pulled Chloe away from the others for a private family conversation.
"I made a terrible mistake," he confessed.
"What did you do?"
"I…" he glimpsed at his shoes, unsure about how to break out the news. "Had I known you've been helping The Society, I would have never done any of these. But, Chloe, it's happening and I won't let anybody hurt you, so we're leaving. We're going somewhere far far away, somewhere they won't be able to find us and try to live as normal as possible."
"No!" Chloe exclaimed immediately, shaking her head firmly in conscious defiance. Ronie was right, everything was just getting better. She couldn't leave at this point! She wasn't going to leave Beca for whatever reason even if it meant endangering her own life.
"Chloe, this is for your own good!"
"Dad, please!"
"Bumper is giving me a chance to save you and I'm going to take it!"
Both of them came to a pause at the slip of the tongue. Okay, there was no easy way to reveal the truth to begin with. There's no other bottom line to this heart-to-heart talk but this.
"Bumper?" Chloe decided to pretend she didn't hear her father right.
"I was falling apart, Chloe," Clarence tried to reason out even though he knew that it was already a lost cause. "Your mother's gone. I was losing you and the corporation. I wanted to do something. I wanted to get you back.
"So you're helping him find the treasure," she concluded.
"But that's 'cause you're not supposed to be involved again! You're not supposed to be joining The Secret Society! You were already safe! We shouldn't have to be discussing any of these matters anymore because you're supposed to be agreeing with my plan, pronto!"
"That's not how it works, dad! I think I'm old enough to make decisions for myself!"
"They will try to kill you, Chloe!"
"Then I'll try to defend myself!" countered the young heiress then sighed. It didn't have to be like this. They were the only ones left in the family. "You can come with me if you want."
"No. We have to run away. Now."
That's the only choice available on the table – it was either Clarence stayed with Bumper or ran away and hid with his daughter. That's all there was to be considered. Joining The Secret Society would only worsen the situation. If he did, The Syndicate would make sure that Clarence would have to pay the price for his betrayal; Chloe's life would be in so much more danger than it already was.
"Dad," Chloe grabbed his hands, briefly peered over at her mother's grave before looking back at him. "I love you. I want you to be safe, but I'm not going to run away. It just… It doesn't feel right for me."
"A private plane is already waiting for us."
"Go," she offered her utmost consent with a beaming smile. "I'll be alright, dad."
Clarence knew he should have protested, be stubborn until he could finally convince her to leave with him and stay out of this mess from this point forward. Chloe, however, appeared too happy to disapprove her decision, and he wouldn't want to be a selfish father. Helpless, he pulled his daughter in for the tightest and most loving embrace he had ever given to anybody.
"Be safe," she kissed him on the cheek and it felt like another bid of goodbye. "I'll make sure your treasure won't go to waste."
"Tell Beca that Bumper will attack Pandemonium," he shared the classified information along with the revelation that he already knew the secret that his own daughter had to keep from him. "She would know what do. She would keep everybody safe. You, most especially."
Chloe neither confirmed nor denied that the might Phoenix was indeed alive. It was top secret, the very thing that was keeping The Secret Society out of the radar and in great leverage against the other party. She would keep her word; she wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize the entire mission. Hence, she put on a smile and began to walk away. Again. Clarence, like any of those many instances, had no choice but to let her go. He didn't say anything furthermore. He wouldn't want to say 'I love you' or 'See you later'. It wasn't because neither was not true, but it's just so scary to think about it – the striking possibility that they would never see each other again.
Some of the team members were already gathered around in the Green Room, waiting for the rest. Rem who was not used to being surrounded by a group of peers leaned back to her seat with her feet rested on the nearby table, her fingers fiddled with a silver cartridge restlessly. She was very much of a stranger that nobody was a friend close enough to keep her company. She was all alone. But it's perfectly fine with her. Alone was how she survived all these years. The clock on the wall had just completed an hour when she decided to entertain herself even more by observing the people around.
Jesse was too consumed with whatever nerdy stuff he was up to on the computer that he couldn't even realize the amount of saliva slipping out on the side of his mouth hanging open. Skyler was reading the handwritten manual on how to operate the hologram projector, scratching her temple from time to time probably because the instructions were getting a little too complicated for her to comprehend. Skeletal blonde chuckled timidly, the prim and proper persona of a rich person she was emitting in full vibrancy, when Stan told her a joke about why some stupid chicken crossed the road. Healthy blonde – well, she had sitting behind the crazy one all this time, creepily watching her idol's every move.
"Mate," the sound of a thick Australian accent and a round head was happily peering next to Rem's face followed the index finger tapping her by the shoulder. "You want Oreos? I have Oreos."
"I'm fine, thank you."
"You want Doritos? I have Doritos."
"I'm good."
"Pop tarts?"
"No."
"Mac and cheese?"
There was only so much her patience could really tolerate. Fed up, she took her pistol, loaded the magazine with the silver cartridge and raised the weapon up to level with Fat Amy's eyes, making sure she could see it and understand the death threat she was implying. Rem swore she could hear the loud gulp of fear from the Australian. Very good. To her, it was an orchestration of fulfillment. She turned towards the healthy blonde and flashed a momentary grin.
"Can I ask you something?" inquired the IT expert, tapping on the newbie's shoulder once more when Rem went back to observing the others.
"What?"
"Are you sure you're not any way related to Beca?"
"Why'd you ask?"
"You can be as bitchy as the overgrown baby," was quite the honest opinion. "But you're more fun."
"Thank you!" Rem reached for those chubby cheeks and pressed them together in a very playful manner as a gratitude to the compliment. She also had a smirk on her lips, so Fat Amy was guaranteed that no murder would occur on this day. "That's what I like about you, Pumba!"
Both blondes snickered like a pair of idiots.
"Hakuna matata," Fat Amy senselessly started the memorable song from her childhood, earning the attention of everyone. "What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna matata. Ain't no passing craze."
She suddenly stopped herself in realization when a collective grimace was already glaring at her.
"It means no worries for the rest of your days," Rem sang much to her teammates' surprise, even moving her head joyously to the beat. The grimace grew at the turn of events, and so she shot them back a look. "What? So I've been a fucking kid once!"
The others nodded their head in understanding and shrugged their shoulders as they dropped their work and joined Timon and Pumba at the back of the room.
[It's our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna matata]
[Hakuna matata?
Yeah. It's our motto!
What's a motto?
Nothing. What's a-motto with you?]
And they went on and on, singing every word at the top of their lungs, giving no shit about anything. To be honest, one look and they had already arranged their setlist for the show. In the middle of this impromptu Disney moment, Chloe had made a quiet entrance into the Green Room, absentmindedly taking a seat away from the others. Nobody seemed to have noticed her, but Rem automatically had her eyes fixed on her key. Oh there's their little Simba. The crazy blonde furrowed her eyebrows curiously at the strange sight – there was something wrong as manifested on the heiress' face when the word on the street was the lovebirds were back on. Concerned, Rem sneaked out of the group as they began with Under The Sea in order to join the loner sulking in her chair.
"Hey," was her very informal greeting.
Too preoccupied with all her worries, the redhead still wasn't aware about the other's presence. She continued to stare into space, chewing on her lip like some nervous preschooler. Rem rolled her eyes because she grasped that she had to do the trick once again. She steadied the redhead and lowered a little to kiss her on the lips. It took several seconds to bring Chloe back to consciousness with that kiss, but she eventually pushed the crazy blonde away, taking a glance at the rest who was, thank god, still oblivious of what was happening.
"There are other ways to get people's attention, you know!" she quietly hissed at the person who preferred to kiss people as an alternative to shaking hands or any other casual gestures.
"Don't worry, I'm not into chicks," assured the other with a straight face which was quickly ruined by a sinister smirk when an idea popped in her crazy brain. "…yet. Not yet. Maybe someday, I'll consider."
"Something's clearly off about you."
"Something's clearly off about you," Rem made a knowing look to accentuate her observation. "Spill the beans, Beale."
Chloe, however, was reluctant and ultimately chose to ignore the conversation, pretend like it ever happened at all. The blonde scoffed in annoyance – she wasn't going to let this rejection slide – grabbed Simba by the arm and dragged her out of the room. She swung her not so gently to the side and closed the door. The young heiress tried to go back in but Rem had speedily locked her against the wall with both hands blocking the gateways for escape and her face dangerously too close for the redhead to concentrate.
"Now tell me what's wrong," was the assertive command.
A silent treatment was what she got in response. She stared at the angelic face and attempted to comprehend the message. Chloe was more than worried; she was scared. Of what? Beca. There was something about the midget in the dilemma.
"I am not your girlfriend," she reminded. "That means you can tell me anything."
"The Syndicate is going to attack Pandemonium," she hurriedly told her newest friend, afraid that if she didn't talk as fast as she could, she would have time to change her mind and kept the information to herself out of terror. "I don't know when, but it's going to happen!"
"Wait, calm down."
"It's going to happen, Rem!"
Rem tried to laugh it off, unsure. "W-What are you saying, Chloe? That's ridiculous."
"Pandemonium is in danger!" the other insisted. "We are all in danger! Bumper is plotting an attack! He knows! He probably knows about everything! Rem, he's going to kill everyone!"
"B-But how do you know, Chloe?" asked the blonde because logically, of all people, why would Chloe be the knowledgeable one about Bumper's plans? The Secret Society couldn't even locate his current hideout! Only someone from the inside could know about the plan.
"Because," Chloe paused to breathe out heavily, a few seconds to make a mental deliberation; her revelation would change the course of things. "My dad is working with the Syndics. He knows that Beca is alive and he knows about Pandemonium. I want to help The Society, I swear. But I can't tell Beca because she's going to hate me. Now if I don't say anything, it's going to ruin the mission and kill a lot of people. It's like betraying the entire team. I'll hate myself and she'll never forgive me."
Rem let out a sigh at the confession. Indeed, it was a problematic matter. She opened up her mouth to render some friendly advice when somebody had purposely cleared their throat to interrupt. Both turned to the side to see the Head Phoenix, Cynthia-Rose and Thud guarding their boss on either side, eyeing the pair caught off guard suspiciously. It wasn't the most appropriate position to discover your girlfriend into with another woman who seemed to never have a problem of pissing off people. Beca had her infamous blank stare on display and it had to mean something. For the sake of team spirit, Rem didn't do any more else to provoke the bad-tempered monster or made things more complicated for people and so she slowly dropped her hands to her sides and went back into the Green Room. Chloe, left on her own to salvage herself, kept it mum and forced to act as calm as possible. She wasn't ready to make a confession yet.
"Was she bothering you?" asked Beca based on the tension on those bright blue eyes. Her girlfriend shook her head 'no'. "If you want, I can remove her out of the team."
"She can help you," was the firm stance of the redhead, and the mighty Phoenix had to believe it – that Rem wasn't an enemy, that she wasn't the one who would ever betray The Society. "Let her help you."
Defeated, Beca let out a sigh and nodded her head compliantly. "Whatever you say, babe."
"If you two are done talking, we should all get in and proceed with the meeting," Cynthia-Rose reminded that the lovebirds were surrounded by two more people just in case they had forgotten all about it because the killer machine's amorous side was starting to show again.
"One phase of the blueprint had been executed," Jesse reported together with a press of a button on the remote control; a set of holographic images emerged as he spoke while he pointed at the nearby whiteboard posted with a replica of the chalkboard for reference. "Beca had crossed the fence, the treasure is still safely hidden, but we lost someone valuable… Stacie."
Stacie's three-dimensional picture appeared along with the description: anything for Beca. Skyler couldn't help but stare at the foreign yet familiar face. She was beginning to understand why people had a certain surprised reaction whenever they would meet her. That was her face; she knew it too well. And she was being marked as dead.
"I will take over her duties," Thud raised his large hand as he volunteered. "I'll protect the Head Phoenix until the moment I die."
"Deep," his favorite blonde commented, sounding more sarcastic with that thick Australian accent. It's kind of difficult to hear someone you cared about pronounce his own suicide note out loud.
"Fidelity to The Society," said Cynthia-Rose. "Beca is The Society, so we're all expected to do the same."
The woman of the hour huffed, pestered. She didn't need protection, for fuck's sake! Meanwhile, the cheat code stole a glance from the unusually quiet redhead. People were forgetting one significant component in the blueprint, the one that the brainiac Benji Applebaum had happened to overlook in the equation too: Chloe Beale. Chloe was the key, the remote control, the puppeteer… everything the mighty Phoenix did was all about this certain redheaded monster.
"Now the problem here is not really the treasure," Jesse resumed with his presentation. "It's that we weren't able to keep the Syndics out of this business. Bumper Allen will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants."
Chloe's eyes immediately shot towards the guy at the mention of the name. This could be a good time to bring up the information she had acquired. But she just couldn't find the courage yet, especially with Beca sitting right next to her.
"Whether he likes it or not, we're going to have to stop him!" exclaimed Stan.
"We have no idea where he is," Skyler had to explain the findings. "He's managed to stay out of our range."
"We find the treasure, we find Bumper," the Head Phoenix proposed.
"But you said the Syndics attacked Pandemonium 2.0.," Aubrey argued. "Doesn't it mean Bumper had already found us?"
"Without a prominent leader like Beca, he knows that The Secret Society is no longer a threat, so as long as the world believes that she's buried dead then we are safe."
No, Chloe screamed in her mind. The Syndics are already planning for an attack!
"So how do we find the treasure?"
The topic was changing. Chloe had to say something before it's too late.
"Looking into the pattern," Jesse started, "the places identified in the blueprint contain vaults ideal for securing the treasure. Based on our experiences with the Manor, Russia, and Old Pandemonium, they're all but booby traps. We can cross out Phoenix Tower and the bank from the list. Beca had the key; all that's missing is this particular house or whatever this is. It's most likely where we can find the goddamn treasure."
All eyes were directed towards the drawing. It was of a basic skeletal structure of a house with an X mark in it. If only Benji could have been more specific.
"How are we going to get to that… thing?" Aubrey questioned the IT expert because according to Back to Basics, he would figure it out. Jesse better had an idea where to jumpstart things.
"Let's ask Ronie," he answered with a shrug like it was the most obvious thing. "After all, Benji stated that she's the missing link."
Stan and Beca automatically raced for the prize, "You ask her!"
The older Mitchell victoriously pulled his elbow down while his sister groaned in defeat; Beca was a split second too late. Chloe wondered how her girlfriend would react when a bigger problem would come into the picture. Would she still groan like this?
"Until then, we're still stuck at tracking, monitoring, and training."
Cynthia-Rose clapped her hands together, "Alright. We're all settled then. Meeting adjourned."
The rest of the group was preparing to head back to their posts and so Chloe was in ultimate panic. She had to tell them about Bumper's plans as soon as possible! Problem was she still couldn't make herself to do the task, not with the rare smile that the horrible monster was throwing her way. How could she tell everyone that her father was working alongside the enemy?
"Bumper will be attacking Pandemonium," somebody announced from the back, loud enough to be heard and alarming enough to gain everybody's utmost attention. It wasn't Chloe much to the redhead's surprise. "I don't know when or how but he will."
Chloe locked eyes with Rem. The blonde woman was putting her spot on the team at risk for saying such thing. The pinch of trust that the Head Phoenix could put into her was growing small as time ticked by; only an insider would know such plan, after all. Beca could kill her right then and there. But Rem knew it was better her branded as a mole than Chloe. She was the cheat code; she was tasked to accomplish what the others including the mighty Phoenix had failed to acknowledge. All was busy protecting Beca, no one was left to protect Chloe except from the mystery blonde woman.
It was Friday night, a few days after the meeting at the Green Room. The Secret Society was on full alert – nobody left the headquarters as protocol. Pandemonium 2.0 was in business as usual mode, but underneath was a reserved army preparing and waiting for the anticipated attack. Thud and his men monitored the Syndics sneakily camping out nearby, waited for the Head Syndic to make an appearance as expected so they could give the signal to the headquarters. Bumper was yet to appear, unfortunately.
It was the same Friday night when Barden's Chief Directress decided to work late, making sure that everything was set for the soccer game scheduled on the following day. She placed her reading glasses on top of the desk next to the pile of documents and buried her face onto her palms; judging by the amount of time she had spent in her office, it must have already been past midnight, too late to drive home. Ensuring the success of the sports event was far more important than her personal needs anyway.
"Natalie," she pressed on the intercom phone connected to her secretary's. "If you're done with the banners, you may take a rest in the quarters. I'll just finish some more stuff. I need you up early tomorrow, okay?"
There was no answer from the other side of the system. Peculiar. Natalie had always been prompt at responding even in a very sleepy state.
"Nat?"
Nothing.
"Natalie!"
What happened next was the door swung open revealing a young man sporting a mischievous smirk accompanied by several other men, all of them had guns in their hands. If her intuition was right, this was the enemy. This could only be Bumper Allen.
"Good evening," he greeted with a slight bow and entered the office without prior invitation. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, madam."
"You're not welcome here," was the frank declaration. "Not your men or your guns."
He let out a small laugh and showed himself a seat, setting his gun on top of the table. "I see there's no need for formal introduction."
"What do you want?" demanded the old woman.
"Your son and daughter have been waiting for me for days."
"Should I be flattered that you came to visit me instead?"
Grace under pressure, Ronie had learned to master the social skill. She needed to be calm… for Barden, for the kids, for Beca and Stan. If only she could reach for the phone and take a chance at ringing for help without raising so much suspicion which is very impossible, by the way.
"I'm not going to lie," said Bumper. "Your children, especially Beca, have been a real pain in the ass for me."
"So you come to me. What is this? Kindergarten?"
"I just want to give them a grand surprise," the young man sneered. "I heard how they love Barden so dearly. I hope you don't mind me playing with the kids as well, Miss Grant."
"Don't you dare touch these kids!" the Chief Directress stood up and slammed her fists on the table in anger. "If you lay a finger on them, boy, I swear to god I'll cut your balls into a hundred equal pieces and feed them to a dog pound!"
"Harsh," Bumper laughed it off. "But you know what I really really want right now, ma'am? More than the treasure, I want to enjoy the pleasure of knowing the mighty Phoenix would quiver in fear and cringe in agony. And you are going to help me accomplish that."
"Why the fuck would I do that?"
"Simple. You want to save all these kids."
"What would you have me do?"
"Just stand perfectly still, Miss Grant."
Bumper had a wide grin plastered on his face. He retrieved his gun from the table and stood up. On the count of three, she knew what she had to do. She had to die – to make the mighty Phoenix quiver in fear of death and cringe in agony of losing someone she loved. Chloe wasn't the only key, apparently.
One… the Head Syndic flashed his sweetest smile. Two… he pointed his gun towards the target and Ronie straightened her back. She wasn't going to die frightened. Three…Ben McDouglas arrived in time to stop his older brother. He grabbed Bumper by the arms and held them down before the trigger could be pulled.
"Don't!"
"Ben," Ronie muttered under her breath. She was both shocked and glad to see somebody had come to the rescue. She thought she was right to trust this young man. But then the enemy turned towards the taller brunet as if he wasn't surprised by the sudden intrusion. Worse, he looked at him as if he considered for this to happen. "Benjamin?"
"I told you to wait in the car," Bumper jeered at his brother.
"Stop this now!" Ben yelled out, almost pleading. "Whatever you're about to do, I'm begging you to stop it now!"
"Ben, what is the meaning of this?" Ronie required.
The Head Syndic's face shot up at the inquiry. The sound of mistrust and the trepidation on his brother's face were a harmony in his ears. "I guess we do need formal introductions, after all, Miss Grant."
"Don't do this," the younger McDouglas tightened his grip on his older brother's arm. "Please!"
But nobody would be able to stop Bumper already. "My name is Bumper… Allen… McDouglas."
"McDouglas?" the Chief Directress hoped she didn't hear it right.
"We're brothers," Ben finally admitted with great infamy. "Ronie, I… I-I'm sorry."
"What did you do, Ben?"
"Dude, you know what?" Bumper excitedly slapped his brother's back. "I just came up with a very good idea. Why don't you, uh… kill Miss Grant for me? Here. You can use my gun, my dear little brother. Go on."
"This is not what we talked about! You said nobody else will get hurt!"
"Kill this fucking bitch or I'll kill your beloved Chloe myself!"
Ben took a deep breath and stared at his older brother. Goddamn it! After all these years, he still couldn't stand up to Bumper. He was still a stupid toy that the older McDouglas could easily manipulate or break depending on his whim. Worse, Chloe was already part of the game too. Whitewashed, the so-called Mr. Perfect willingly took the weapon from the devil.
"Listen to me," Ronie tried to persuade him back to the good side. "Ben, this is not how you're going to win Chloe. I know you're a good man. You're-"
Before she could say anything more, he had already pulled the trigger because he knew that she just might have the chance to change his mind. He couldn't let himself listen to it. He couldn't bear to concede that he was indeed making a big mistake. He was doing it for Chloe and that was all he had to believe in. And so as the loud bang went off, Ronie collapsed on the ground while streaks of tears stained his cheeks when ceramics crashed on the floor from behind. Everybody turned towards the door to see the brave little warrior standing there, a little disoriented and traumatized by the crime he had witnessed. He was supposed to deliver a cup of coffee for Miss Grant to reward her hardwork. He never thought he'd find her dying in her own pool of blood.
"Maverick," Ben took a step towards the kid for an attempt at redemption but the little guy hurriedly ran away in terror.
"Get him," the Head Syndic casually gave the order to his men. "Do what we came here for, boys."
Song: Hakuna Matata from the Lion King
In the words of Markus Zusak, "It kills me sometimes how people die." I'm bracing myself for the hate. Good night, Vigan City! Happy Summer, Philippines! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.