Chapter 10: Defiance
"Ow!" Nate shouted after being elbowed by his older brother while walking past. "What was that for?!" he demanded in outrage.
"Oh, let me think." Leon responded coolly while clutching a mop. "Running off alone to sneak inside the new hangar that the Wolves built, slipping inside one of the prototype shuttles that were being stored there, convincing us to help you take one out for a spin, crashing the damned thing into the docking bays, getting us all chewed out by Pop-should I go on?" he raged.
"Let it go, Leon." Lucas sighed after polishing a large silver platter.
They had all just completed the last of their chores for the day and were taking a break in the enormous dining hall of their family's estate where Lucas was putting the finishing touches on the last of the silverware at a small table next to a window that overlooked the lively scene outside. Their sisters and friends were all out enjoying themselves at the combat arena or elsewhere preparing for one the biggest events of the year.
"I guess I'm really gonna miss it." he quietly lamented before gently placing a newly polished fork into a case that was laid out in front of him.
"It won't be that bad." Nate replied bracingly. "I know it's her sweet sixteen and all but there will be other birthdays and you can make it up to her later."
"You fucking dumbass." Leon seethed while grabbing his younger brother by the collar.
"What? What did I do this time?" Nate asked in agitation.
"The same thing you always do, get us all into trouble without giving a damn about the consequences." Ray bitterly answered after walking into the room drenched in sweat while dragging a broom. He quickly took a seat by Lucas who offered him a towel.
"Thanks, Lou. Man, it's bad enough we have to clean the whole mansion by hand but forcing us to do it like cavemen…and I thought Mom was the scary one. Dad can be really brutal when he wants to be."
"This is nothing." Leon resentfully countered. "I'd gladly clean this place a million times over in my sleep if it meant getting Lou off the hook. Banning us from going to Rain's birthday party is one thing, but forcing Lou to stay home-Damn it, Pop is taking this too far."
"We could try talking to him again and explaining things. Lou was just trying to stop us."
"I appreciate that Ray but don't bother. Dad isn't in a good mood right now and I don't want you guys making the situation any worse. Besides, I did end up giving in and taking a turn piloting the shuttle. I'm just as guilty as all of you." Lucas confessed.
"But you're also the only reason we aren't all dead. You were the one who took control when Nate veered off course and kept the damned thing from smashing into that asteroid. The landing in the docking bay may have been rough but it could've been a lot uglier." Leon added. "And now because of us you're gonna miss your girl's sixteenth birthday party. I hope you can forgive us, Big Bro Dynamo." he lamented.
"Like I said before, what's the big deal?" Nate asked nonchalantly.
"How are we related to you? Seriously?!" Ray angrily pondered while glaring at his brother.
"The big deal is that this will be the last birthday that those two will be able to spend together before we leave." Leon explained while still clutching his younger brother's collar before finally releasing his grip and tossing him backwards. "Or have you forgotten, genius? A few months from now, me, Lou and Liv will be heading out with Zaeed to who knows where to complete the final phase of our training. Everyone knows that the old man spends a year whipping his protégés into shape. That's how it was for Vince and that's how it'll be for us. There's a good chance we won't be seeing any of you again until we finish his trials and that means Lou and Rain won't be able to be together for awhile, a long while. You really are a dumbass."
Nate took a moment to ponder what his brother had just said before everything suddenly clicked. "Okay, I can fix this."
"No." his brothers all replied in unison while looking outside the window and observing the glimmers of light that were beginning to illuminate the garden of Leo and Libra's festive estate in the distance. The party preparations were already underway.
"Just hear me out." Nate pleaded. "All we have to do is sneak big bro out of the house and into the party without anyone noticing. Rain's blowout is gonna be a costume affair, right? That'll make things even easier."
"It's a masquerade ball, stupid. And why the hell should we go along with any idiotic scheme you cook up? You're the reason we're in this mess to begin with." Ray responded scathingly.
"Would you rather have Lou miss out on Rain's party and the last chance for them to be alone together before he gets bombarded with punishments and training sessions that will all lead to Zaeed dragging him off to 'toughen up' in order to join the Wolves?" Nate irritably countered.
"I'm in." Leon suddenly announced.
"Leon, are you crazy?! You know how his plans usually turn out!"
"Yeah, I do. Listen Ray, Lou's only grounded because of us. The least we can do is help fix this somehow. I don't want Rain's special night to be ruined because of our mistake and if Lou isn't there, it will be." Leon explained.
"Alright, fine. I'm in too. But only because I want to help Lou. If anything goes wrong, it'll be your ass." Ray said menacingly while staring at Nate.
"All of you, just stop. A man takes responsibility for his actions and doesn't make excuses. I screwed up and now I'm paying the price. That's what it means to be an adult and I don't plan to start shirking my punishments when I deserve them." Lucas calmly stated. "I let Dad down. If I pulled something like this, it would only disappoint him even more." he quietly added.
They all fell silent for several minutes afterwards. "To hell with this!" Nate finally barked. "Maybe you did screw up but Rain doesn't deserve to suffer for it too. You can go back to being the good son along with Vince and Jordy once this is all over but for now, just let us help you be a delinquent for a little bit longer. Your lady is worth it, big bro."
Lucas took a moment to appreciate just how determined his younger brothers were. They wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, not this time. "Alright, you guys win. To be honest, I'm glad you're strong-arming me into this." he joked.
"That's the spirit. Walking on the wild side can be pretty satisfying, you'll see. Now let's get to work. We need to start making some calls." Nate mused while smirking.
"So, he really did ground them all." Rain sadly pondered while standing in the center of her massive birthday bash. She had just turned down her fifth offer to dance for the evening while congregating with some of her friends under an expansive holo-display of a swirling galaxy that was decorating the ceiling of a gargantuan ballroom while crowds of teenagers in gowns, tuxedoes and masks celebrated to the high energy classical/electronic fusion that DJ 10-M8N had become famous for perfecting.
"It's all Nate's fault." Olivia angrily stated before gently placing an arm around her. "But I wouldn't worry too much. The Hunter boys don't give in that easily."
"What does that mean?" Keiko asked curiously.
"That our dear brothers will find a way to sneak out and make it here, even if it kills them." Layla casually responded.
"Or at least get Lou here. Personally, I'd be fine with Nate getting bumped off. He's such a pain." Sasha leisurely added.
"I certainly hope they get here soon. The dogs have gotten bolder without Lucas here to keep them at bay." a familiar voice pleasantly remarked from a few feet away. A pretty asari with a deceptively charming attitude was already making her way over while accompanying Grace and Cherish, another pair of friends whom they knew quite well.
"Zel'me, it's nice to see you. And better yet, you aren't hovering over Jordy for once." Olivia scoffed.
"She got her fill of clinging to him earlier." Cherish irritably explained while glancing at their unwelcome companion.
"I'm sorry, did I happen to intrude on your little get-to-together? Jordan didn't seem to be displeased with my presence." Zel'me replied in a whimsical tone.
"Do me a favor and keep an eye on her once I'm gone." Olivia whispered to Rain and Keiko while observing her cousin as the nubile asari continued her teasing of Cherish. "She's been spending way too much time with Jordy lately and we all know why."
"Is she really that determined to bag a Hunter?" Keiko mused.
"To be honest, I don't really know what her game is." Olivia confessed. "She's been floating around my brothers for years like a varren sniffing out the best prey. Now it seems like Jordy's the one who's got her attention."
"I can hear you." Zel'me suddenly informed them in a cheerful tone. "And it just so happens that my intentions are completely pure. But if you happen to be curious, the truth is Mal actually promised me one of your brothers in the past and I aim to collect on that agreement once I've chosen the one who meets my expectations." she explained brightly.
"I don't believe you." Olivia replied in annoyance.
"I didn't think you would. So by all means, feel free to ask him about it later. He has always been open with you, hasn't he? Or perhaps I'm thinking of Angelica." Zel'me taunted.
Olivia quickly clenched her fists but took a deep breath before responding as calmly as she could. "Dad is honest with all of us. He doesn't play favorites."
"Glad to hear it. I'd hate to think your big sister was taking something else away from you or someone."
Olivia was a volatile person by nature but the exuberant, brazen, thoroughly unabashed asari standing before her happened to be one of the few people in the galaxy capable of pressing all the right buttons to set her off even worse than usual.
"Why are you going out of your way to provoke her? Especially here? Rain has enough on her mind without having to worry about a fight breaking out at her party, a party that happens to be missing an important guest." Keiko angrily berated.
"Mal must really be upset with them. It's not like him to be so unreasonable." Cherish quietly added.
"Ray said that they won't be allowed to leave the house for at least six months. I wasn't sure if he was being serious or just exaggerating out of exhaustion. He looked really tired the last time we spoke." Grace mused with a slightly concerned look on her face.
"Dad has them cleaning the mansion and the entire estate from top to bottom, by hand without biotics or conventional cleaning tools. I actually feel bad for them, well, Lou anyway." Sasha explained.
"We'll have to pay them all back later for getting our noble older brother mixed up in their idiocy but for now let's focus on figuring out how we can sweet talk Dad into being a little more lenient. This is the first time our puppy dog act didn't break him." Layla added.
"Well, they did do something rather stupid but I happen to agree. Mal is taking this a bit too far. Luckily, the fools didn't drag Jordy along for their brush with death, so I've agreed to help them out." Zel'me explained while smiling. A moment later, she summoned her omni-tool.
"What are you doing?" Rain asked after observing her.
"Livening up your party and granting your wish. You and Lucas will both owe me after tonight. On second thought, consider this my birthday gift." she pleasantly responded while tapping a few controls on her omni-tool.
"Stop looking at me like that." Mal sternly ordered as his wife and friends collectively glared at him while sitting at a table beneath a rather vibrant holo-display that featured several exploding stars.
"Months of planning Mal, months. All for the sake of seeing our little girl with a smile on her face and you go and ruin it with one stupid, pigheaded decision." Libra scolded.
"I'm angry with you as well. Lucas is an earnest, levelheaded young man-one who doesn't deserve the punishment that you've meted out." Leo coolly stated while glaring at Mal.
"I hate to say it but I think you're being a little extreme myself." Virgo added.
"You see? Everyone agrees-"
"I don't want to hear it, Tess." Mal irritably interjected. "Those idiots could've died. The damage to the hangar and shuttle were one thing but damn near getting themselves killed for the sake of a joyride-What the hell were they thinking?!" he raged. "And weren't you just getting on their cases a few weeks ago for picking fights with mercs on Omega? They're all out of control and I expect-"
"You expect more from Lou." Tess finished for him. "And that's why you're being unreasonable. He's still a teenager, Mal. He's not perfect, he's going to make mistakes, they all are. It's what kids do."
"That's a hard argument to make when they've got an older brother and sister who haven't screwed up yet." Mal bitterly countered. "You all know what Vince has done, right? Thanks to him, our operations on Ilium have managed to expand even further and he took out one of the leaders of the Forgotten by himself along with a small army of their mechs. Meanwhile Angelica is on her eighth commendation and getting another promotion. As much as I hate the Alliance, I'm pretty sure they don't just hand those out like candy. Meanwhile, back at home, the ones who should be tempering themselves the most are busy stealing shuttles and tearing up docking bays for kicks." he furiously continued.
"I seem to recall both Vince and Angelica experiencing their own missteps, a few misadventures that you've conveniently ignored." Virgo reminded him.
"Like what?"
"Let's see…there was that unfortunate incident on Tuchanka back when Vince was ten and nearly got himself swallowed by a thresher maw. I can't believe you forgot that. I wanted to throttle the both of you when you showed up at the hotel covered in filth and thresher venom afterwards. Oh, and let's not forget about Angelica being carried off by that enormous bird creature after she snuck inside that reserve on Turvess when she was thirteen. That little incident almost caused a diplomatic nightmare between the Council and the Raloi." Virgo casually explained. "Should I go on?"
Mal simply stared at her before finally conceding. "Point made. Maybe I was a little too harsh. But I'm still mad."
"And that's perfectly understandable but as cute as you are when you're trying to be a stern daddy, I think you should cut them all some slack, especially Lucas. He'd never intentionally do anything to disappoint you." Virgo advised him.
"Alright, I get it." Mal sighed before checking the time on his omni-tool. "It's not too late yet and I did actually buy them a set of tuxes and masks-Damn, I really am a softie. I'll send Lou a message and he can-"
Before Mal could proceed with his plan of cutting his sons a break, a massive pyrotechnics display marked the entry of the evening's latest string of entertainers as a small troupe of drell acrobats dove into the center of the gathering after descending through the galaxy covered ceiling on a floating platform. After gracefully landing on their feet, they began dazzling the crowd with several agile displays of athleticism as TED increased the tempo of his most recent track. The cheers and applause that followed nearly shook the entire ballroom.
"You two really did go all out." Mal cheerfully stated after standing and joining in the applause.
"I don't remember arranging such an event. Libra?"
"It wasn't me. Nuisance, did you happen to plan this?"
"I'm afraid I can't take credit for this but I have a feeling I know who's responsible." Virgo replied before chuckling.
"Please tell me they didn't." Tess quietly pleaded to herself. "Not when we finally got him to ease up."
"This couldn't have been Nate's idea. There are no half-naked asari." Olivia humorously mused while observing the show with her friends.
"Actually, it was." a familiar voice happily remarked from behind them. A moment later, a very welcome pair of arms embraced Rain from behind as the spectacle in the center of the ballroom intensified. "I hope I'm not too late." Lucas whispered in her ear.
"Lou?! But how?" she gasped after turning to face him.
He was wearing a stunningly sharp tuxedo and a mask that was unsurprisingly shaped like a wolf. He and his brothers had fortunately and unfortunately discovered the evidence of their father's possible leniency and taken advantage of his absence and kindness. It was a decision that would undoubtedly land them into even deeper trouble once they returned home.
"Stubborn little brothers." he quickly replied. "Speaking of which, they're all about to sacrifice themselves to run interference so we should probably leave while we still can. I'll see you guys later." he promptly added before grabbing her hand and whisking her away towards a door in the rear that led into her family's gardens.
"So gallant. He still manages to make my heart race." Zel'me affectionately stated while observing the couple depart.
"I really hope he makes this count because Dad is officially going to murder all of them." Olivia seriously stated.
"Starting with the dumbest." Layla added before pointing to the center of the room where a trio of hooded figures had suddenly appeared in a cloud of smoke.
One of the strangers began addressing the crowd while holding a microphone and a guitar after the Drell acrobats completed their final performance and took up positions standing next to him and his companions who were setting up their own instruments.
"As you all know, a few of the Terminus Pups are missing here tonight because of a little mishap that occurred a few days ago. But come on, punishments? HA! Since when has being grounded ever stopped us? Everybody here knows that there's no party without the Hunter boys. TED, take five. It's about time we took over the entertainment." the mystery man announced before tossing off his hood while his associates did the same.
The trio dressed in tuxedos and wolf masks proceeded to play a tune that resonated across the entire ballroom and energized every teenager present as their friends screamed in support while a new bout of dancing commenced.
"They're dead men, Tess. I mean it. I might actually take the Prothean's advice and toss them all out an airlock." Mal seethed as he watched the frenzied scene unfold. "And Leon, he's gonna pay for that smartass little speech of his. Just wait till I get my hands on him."
"Mal, calm down. They…they look really nice in the tuxes you got them." Tess sheepishly offered while massaging his back.
"The music is quite refreshing. I'm pleased to see that they all benefited from my lessons." TED cheerfully chimed in after approaching the table.
"Did you know about this?!" Mal quickly demanded.
"No, but that's hardly surprising, is it? Nate has become quite adept at bypassing my nanny protocols and surveillance algorithms. There are also many other Terminus Pups who would've willingly lent their assistance. I'm afraid I can no longer keep up with them." TED replied honestly while fondly scanning the ballroom and observing the numerous faces of the children and teenagers of various species who were shouting enthusiastically in support of their friends. "They're beginning to mature in ways that I never anticipated. Defying you is no small feat." he added in admiration causing the others to laugh in spite of the situation.
Mal took a moment to massage his temples in utter exasperation. "Lou is probably with Rain right now. Not only did they disobey me, they're treating me like I'm stupid too. What am I going to do with them?"
"Appreciate the fact that they're your boys for better and for worse." Virgo suggested while smiling. "Treasure these moments Mal, I know the rest of us will."
Mal took a moment to look at her before glancing at the raucous celebration in the center of the room and couldn't help but smile a little.
"Sounds like Leon and the others have stolen the spotlight. That'll probably give us a few minutes before Dad drags us all back home and kills us." Lucas joked.
He had taken Rain to a fountain that rested in the center of her family's garden and was surrounded by a small maze of hedges. They had both played in her backyard quite often as children and knew the path through by heart.
"You really risked a lot coming here tonight. I didn't think you'd willingly upset your father even more. You're always working so hard to get his approval." Rain pondered while holding his hand as they both sat on the edge of the fountain and watched several leaves drift across the surface.
"The truth is, I wasn't planning to sneak out at first but my brothers finally managed to convince me. Besides, some things are more important than pleasing Dad." Lucas replied before gently lifting her chin and kissing her.
"Part of me is a little bit mad at you. After tonight's little stunt we definitely won't be able to see each other again before you all finally leave. You'll have even more punishments, training sessions with both your father and mine and-"
"Then I'll just have to slip away again. And again. And again. As many times as necessary." Lucas assured her before slowly pulling a small, black jewelry box from his pocket. Before she could question him about the contents he quickly opened it and revealed a small pair of silver, tear drop shaped earrings.
"Lou, they're beautiful." Rain happily remarked before slowly swapping out the earrings she was already wearing and adding her new ones.
"I'm glad." he said in relief. "Angelica helped me pick them out and I remembered how much you hate gold."
"Flashy and tacky. Silver is more subtle, refined." she explained. "Thank you." she added appreciatively before kissing him.
Afterwards, she rested her head on his shoulder while he placed an arm around her as they both relaxed. The moment of tranquility was soon interrupted by several messages that began bombarding his omni-tool.
"Trouble?" Rain asked while smirking.
"It can wait. Right now, I'm with my girl." Lucas proudly replied as they curled up closer to each other.
Several hours later, he found himself standing outside the front door of his family's mansion. He could've tried sneaking inside through another entrance but he figured he'd already done enough damage when it came to pissing his father off and the least he could do was return home through the front door, without hiding, like a man. After standing outside for a few moments, he finally entered and immediately began making his way towards the enormous staircase that led to the higher floors.
"Did you have fun?" a voice sternly inquired from the living room. He quickly turned to discover his father sitting on a couch while sipping a cup of hot cocoa. "It was all worth it, right?"
"Yeah, it was. And I don't regret a thing." Lucas defiantly responded while locking eyes with his father and staring him down.
"Is that so?" Mal mused. "My son, the rebel." he calmly continued before sitting his mug down on the coffee table. "Well, don't just stand there. Get over here and tell me about it. I guess things must be getting pretty serious between you two if you were willing to go this far."
Lucas hesitated for a moment before finally complying and taking a seat next to Mal after entering the living room. "Before anything else, I just want to say that everything tonight was my fault. The incident with the shuttle was too and-"
"Shut up, Lou." Mal casually interrupted before picking up his mug and taking another sip. "Now go to the kitchen and pour yourself a cup and then tell me what it feels like to be in love."
His son simply smiled before standing but once again hesitated. "Leon, Nate, and Ray-you weren't too rough on them, were you?"
"Not at all." Mal assured him. "I just sentenced them to cleaning one of the dreadnoughts." Lucas immediately released a sigh of relief. "With a few twentieth century toothbrushes." his father vindictively added. The Terminus Hunter could be quite ruthless, indeed.