Hi, everyone! So it turns out I had time this weekend to write this chapter and edit it, so it's up this week! As you can probably tell, I do not have the Saturdays with me today, but in my defense, last chapter did not go well. Let me know if you want the Saturdays to come back or if last chapter was too much. Also, in this chapter, you will discover a little bit as to why this story is rated T. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: The Secret Saturdays belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network.

Chapter 2: Is This Really Happening?

(3rd Person POV)

The Great Serpent relaxed in his chambers after a long day. His mind flashed back to the day he conquered his first kingdom.

He had once lived among the gods of Sumer, until they assigned to be the god of the underworld. He was evicted from his home in the sky and forced to make his way down through Earth and into the underworld alone. But before he left, the gods demanded that he gather up all the creatures of death under his control so they could no longer plague the humans. These creatures of death were called cryptids.

Once he had settled in the underworld, the Great Serpent left and traveled the world searching for even one cryptid, in hopes that he would be restored to his rightful place with the gods. When he finally found one, his task of controlling them was easier said than done; the gods had forgotten to inform the Great Serpent that his powers over the cryptids were only obtained after conquering their governments.

The first cryptids the Great Serpent encountered were the Barmanou, and they led one of the three types of cryptid governments: monarchy, republic, or democracy. The Barmanou had a monarchy.

It was easy for the Great Serpent to gain access to the kingdom, however, seeing the king and queen was not. The Great Serpent was arrested multiple times, and it was not until his execution day that he even lay eyes on the monarchs.

"Your Majesties," The Great Serpent began as his final words. "Your Majesties, I come from the land of Sumer from the gods. They have asked me to gather all the cryptids, such as your people, and unite them under one power. If you refuse, the gods higher than I will cause terror and havoc never before seen by your people. I advise you with my dying words, to heed my offer." The Great Serpent's voice boomed. Then he bowed to the monarchs, knelt before the executioner, and waited. The executioner raised his sword.

"Wait!" The queen cried. Her shrill voice resounded in the courtyard of the castle. "Though I do not believe him, spare his life so he may tell us more of this power we are to be united under." The executioner bowed to the queen, and released the Great Serpent.

Many days the Great Serpent spent telling stories of the single power the cryptids were to be united under. The queen was fascinated by the idea of other cryptids and how they ran their governments. The king feared the wrath of the Sumerian gods. The monarchs agreed to relinquish their power over the Barmanou as long as they could maintain their kingdom. The Great Serpent coincided.

The next morning, there was a ceremony held to witness the relinquishing of the monarch's power and the transfer of it to the Great Serpent. At the end, the king and queen were still the king and queen, but they would answer to the single power from then on. The Great Serpent received the ability to control and communicate telepathically with the Barmanou.

"Bow to me," the Great Serpent commanded after the ceremony, and all the Barmanou bowed. The Great Serpent relished his newfound power.

(Different unknown's POV)

I snoop around the house trying to find any sign of life. When I find no such sign, my heart stops beating for a moment. I don't have time to waste; I have to keep watch. I have to flee, yet I have to stay. I will come again in later days.

(Iris's POV)

Dr. Drew removes the IV in the morning. Blood rushes to the hole the needle made, but Dr. Drew soon bandages it.

"Tu es tous ensemble, Iris. (You're all set, Iris.)" I practically leap from the bed, but I restrain myself and sit calmly. I can't wait to get out of here and get back to Master. I feel awful about leaving the manor in the state it was in, but with some hard work and dedication, it will look brand new.

I also feel horrible about what I thought during my week in the cage. Master would never hurt me unless I either deserved it or would become stronger from it. Master saved me from the world and myself. He would never leave me alone without a reason.

"Iris, puis-je te parler? (Iris, may I talk to you?)" Dr. Drew asks, breaking my thoughts. I nod and listen to her. She may be the enemy, but Master still said to rise above his foes. Oh, how I hope Master comes for me soon. I do not like being plunder here. "Iris, veux-tu rester avec nous jusqu'à ce que nous pouvons comprendre où et avec qui tu es légalement censé rester? (Iris, would you like to stay with us until we can figure out where and with whom you're legally supposed to stay?)" I know I need to get back to Master, but part of me also knows that he needs the information I can gather by staying with the enemy. I nod.

Dr. Drew dismisses me, so I depart to the hallway after she leaves the room. Zak- or really Mister Zak, if I am to rise above Master's enemies- stops me. I try not to make eye contact because I wasn't allowed to make it with Master, so I'm definitely not allowed to make it as plunder of his archfoes.

"I can show you the room you'll be staying in. Oh, and you might want to put these on," Mister Zak says as he hands me a pair of gloves. To say thanks, I bob a slight curtsy before sliding on the gloves. I'm not sure if I'm ready to trust these people, but I'll do whatever it takes to gather the information Master needs.

The room is nice, I guess. It has a pretty large bed against the right wall, a window on the back wall, a closet and a door (which I assume leads to the bathroom) on the left wall. There are bedside tables next to the bed on either side and a lamp on each table. I've never stayed in a room like this before. Master gave me a single person bed with a dresser and an alarm clock, but that is everything I need from a bedroom. I used a bathroom down the hall from my room at Master's manor.

Afraid to say anything, but utterly uncertain, I hover near the door. Mister Zak must notice because he promises it's okay that I'm rooming there. But the problem isn't if it's okay; the problem is I don't want to get used to it and betray Master's trust. Mister Zak waves goodbye, and I bob him a quick curtsy. I look down at the gloves on my hands, and then look around the room. Is it better to stay here with the enemy to gain information Master needs, or is it better to return to Master as soon as possible?

(Zak's POV)

Mom and Dad debate with each other for an incredibly long time. Mom says we should welcome Iris and make her feel welcome and safe. Dad says we could throw her out on the streets for all he cares. Mom starts yelling at him for his insensitivity, and he starts yelling back at her for being too trusting and not putting safety first.

Fisk comes up next to me outside Mom and Dad's door. He listens to the yelling match for a couple minutes before looking down at me. Fisk picks me up and hugs me. He knows how much Mom and Dad fighting bothers me.

Komodo and Zon walk in on us, and they too listen to the argument. It's gotten heated now, and things are starting to break. We hear the crashing of a glass object falling.

"You're controlling!" Mom cries.

"You believe in fairytales!" Dad retorts.

"You're a narcissist!"

"You're a horrible doctor!" The argument gets worse from there. The worst part it, it's not yet noon. Usually their fights happen at night, when they think I'm asleep.

Fisk suggests we go for a walk. I point out that we're on the airship, so he suggests we walk around the airship and see what we can find, like when we were kids. Komodo and Zon are eager to do so.

The four of us walk by Iris's temporary room on our way to the cockpit. The other's don't seem to notice her, but with the door wide open, it's easy for me to see her standing at the foot of the bed looking around. She seems almost scared to touch anything. I wonder how long she's been standing there.

"Iris, why don't you come with us, and we'll show you around the airship?" I offer. She looks out the window behind her, sees nothing that interests her, and nods. She walks out of the room and stands a little behind me. I look over my shoulder and notice Iris appears uneasy. There goes any chance of me asking her to walk next to me.

Our group of five wanders around the airship for a while. There's not really a lot to show Iris. I point out the cockpit, the training room, the Griffin's hangar, and the living spaces. As much as I want to, I decide not to show her the weapons closets, considering where Mom found her.

CRASH! I change direction and head towards the noise. I hope Mom and Dad haven't broken anything, or anyone, yet.

The five of us skid to a stop outside Mom and Dad's room. The door flies open, and Mom storms out with Doyle right behind her. Dad stands in the middle of the room, oblivious, it seems, to the reality of the argument. Mom and Dad's wedding picture is facedown on the floor. Dad picks it up; the glass is shattered. He slams the picture down the bed and huffs from the room. I've never seen him so mad before, not even at Doyle.

I take one look back behind me to see if Iris is still there. She is, but her downcast eyes and long face give the illusion that she's only here physically. When she finally looks up, I can't help but notice the flash of emotions in her eyes. I sense pain, fear, delight, and empathy all rolled into her one being. I feel sorry for her and wish she never had to experience everything she did.

With one last glance at the torn apart bedroom, Fisk leads me away. I don't ever want to hear a fight like that again, nor do I ever want to see the effects again. Science dictates that opposites attract, but that's clearly not the case when love is involved. The picture frame falls off the bed, and with a dull CRACK the frame breaks in two.

"I'm sure they'll replace the frame, Zak. It's not the first time they've fought," Fisk mumbles. I smiles weakly; I'm not so sure.

(Doyle's POV)

I walk with Drew, guiding her as she stumbles through her tears. I hate Doc, I really do. Everyone knows that Drew is the only immediate family I've got left, so I'll die before someone hurts her. She may be older than I, but family is still family.

"I'm okay, Doyle, I promise. Thank you," Drew whispers hoarsely. She wraps me in a hug that I can't help but return. "Promise me you won't do anything radical, okay." I nod, not really listening, only hearing her words. I wait a few minutes with Drew before leaving the room for a moment. It kills me to see her trapped in a marriage with this man; it kills me to see her crying like this on a weekly basis. Honestly, Solomon had better pull his act together or he's going to get his butt kicked. I see him coming this way.

"Solomon," I call as he walks by. He completely ignores me. "Solomon!" I try again, but he ignores me again. I tag Zak. "Mini-man, do me a favor."

"Sure thing, Doyle. What is it?" Zak asks.

"Get your father over here. He has quite a lot of explaining to do." Zak runs off after his father, and brings him to me. "Scoot along, kiddo. I'll see you later." With that, Zak runs off. Solomon rolls his eyes at me.

"What do you want, Doyle?"

"An explanation and an apology." Solomon shakes his head. "You heard me. Start explaining. What that heck makes you think it's okay to push my sister around and make her cry?"

"Why do you care? It's none of your business,"He retorts.

"She's my sister, therefore it's my business. Start explaining, old man." Solomon opens his mouth as if to start explaining, but he doesn't. Instead he mouths a single word.

"No." With that said, he starts to walk away, but there's no way in heck I'm letting him get away with hurting my sister. I tackle him from behind. If there's one thing I learned from my time as a mercenary and at the orphanages, it's never turn her back to your enemy.

Solomon fights back, but he knows he's at the disadvantage. As a rule of fights, whoever makes the first move usually always has the upper hand. Before long, I remove his battle glove and toss it out the room. Now he has no weapons, while I have quite a few; he also cannot see out of his right eye, therefore he's vulnerable to attack from that side. I'm just about to sneak behind him and unleash a couple concussion grenades when I notice Drew in the doorway.

"Drew, I can-"

"No. Don't. Step away from each other, both you. Doyle, go to your room until I think of a better punishment, Solomon, go clean the airship." Drew walks out of the room, tear stains still on her cheeks. I feel ashamed of myself for fighting Solomon instead of rising above it and helping Drew. I brush myself off, walk over to Solomon, and extend my hand.

"Peace, but only for Drew."

Solomon looks at me funny, then shakes my hand. "Peace, but only for Drew." With that, we go to the areas Drew sent us. It still kills me to know Drew's trapped in a marriage with a man like him.

(Zak's POV)

Fisk, Zon, Komodo, and I all sit on the couch while Iris stands, rocking on her heels. No one dares say a word, especially not Iris. I crane my neck around and ask Iris to go find Doyle. She nods her head and runs off without a word.

"What was that for?" Fisk asks.

"I don't actually want Doyle right now, I just wanted her out for a while," I explain. Fisk nods. "Hey, Fisk?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't think Mom and Dad are going to divorce do you?" I ask.

"No. They just had a fight. All couples do, but they make up in the end."

"It's true, Zak. Your parents used to fight all the time before you were born. Sometimes they got even worse than today's, but in the end they made up. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Zak," Komodo reassures me. Iris returns and shakes her head.

"Thanks," I say to everyone in the room. Then I get up and leave. I go to my bedroom and lie down. I don't even try to sleep. I just bury my face in my comforter and bury myself in thoughts. I dare not cry.

A slight rapping on my door breaks my thought some time later. I look up, and it's Iris. She looks down at the floor a few feet into the room. I invite her in. She sets a cup of water down on my bedside table, and stands there calmly. When I invite her to sit down, she looks panicked, but I promise her I won't tell anyone. She inches closer to the bed. I scoot over, and she eventually sits down next to me. She seems alarmed when the mattress sinks under her weight.

"It's okay, Iris. It's not hurting you." She relaxes a bit. "Iris, did your parents ever fight?" Iris shakes her head no. I change the subject. "What do you do for fun?" I get a blank look in return. "Fun. Like playing games, or pulling pranks, or things like that." She continues to give me a blank look. "Did you parents not let you have fun?" Iris looks past the window. When she looks back to me, she seems more frightened than before. "What's the matter?" Iris shakes her head and stands up, anxious to leave the room. "One last thing," I stop her. "Why don't you talk to us?" She panics, shakes her head, and flees from the room.

I stay in my room for the rest of the day. I don't even come out for lunch or dinner. At bedtime, Fisk comes in, tucks me in, and reads me a story, as he always does. Normally I would argue with him, but today hasn't been a good day, and it's not worth the energy anyways. Fisk sits down on my comforter next to me, and we absorb the silence.

"Fisk, I don't know what to do anymore. Ever since Antarctica last year, life has been going south for me as we fight this uphill battle. Mom and Dad used to fight at night, when everyone else was asleep, but today- Fisk, what if they do divorce? I don't want to choose between Mom and Dad." Fisk holds me, but even he knows my words are true. "Why? Why is our family falling apart? And now that Iris is here, things have only gotten worse." My throat gets tight. I shut up before I start crying.

"I don't know, Zak. I honestly do not know. All I know is that Mom and Dad are simply stressed right now, and neither of them handles stress very well. As for Iris, she's been taken from her home and brought here. We don't know anything about her besides her first name, her first language, and where and how Mom found her. I'm sure Mom knows Iris's last name, but I wouldn't push it, okay?"

"Okay, Fisk."

"Goodnight, little brother. Love you."

"Goodnight, big brother. Love you too." I start to yawn and roll over on my side. Before I know it, I'm asleep. I dream of things so blurred, crazed, confused, and rushed, that my heart wakes me at two in the morning.

"You never listen to me, ever!" Mom cries.

"Why should I, when all you ever do is whine and complain?" Dad retorts.

"Do you have any idea how hard right now is for me?!"

"No, because I don't know what it's like to have an affair and then see the results come waltzing into my life one day!"

"So that's what you think this is all about?! Iris?! You know perfectly well the Leonidas and I never slept together. I've been faithful to this marriage, to you, to my family for over 14 years!"

"And why should I believe any of what is coming from your mouth?!"

"Why don't you believe me?! Fine, run a DNA test on Iris! See if I care!" There's silence for a few moments.

"Who are you calling, Drew?" There's no answer. "Look, I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me."

"You should be sorry." With that all noise stops, and time stands still. I wouldn't know I'm alive if not for my pounding heart. I take a few deep breaths to slow my heart down. When I'm finally calm enough, I pick up my book to finish the last chapter.

I close the book once I finish. Then I drop off to sleep; the last paragraph haunts my dreams.

He walked to the end of the bridge and looked below at the raging waters. He turned and looked at his home, his family, and his friends back in the town, stricken ill by the disease his misfortune brought. He looked back the raging water and jumped. As a splash swallowed him whole, and water filled his lungs, he had but one thought on his mind: "Goodbye, beloved home. Maybe now my death will heal you."

Well that went . . . interestingly. I suppose that's what I get for letting Zak and Doyle drive for this chapter. I hope to have the next chapter out before too long, so let me know what you all think of Kur Unfurled so far! Love you all so much!