Hi all,
It's been a while since there's been an update, but here it is!
For the past six weeks I've been enjoying my summer holiday, and you'd think that gave me some time to write, huh?
It did a little, but I spent most of my time reading books.
I actually started an instagram account specifically for it.
Feel free to take a look if you want to (though it's only interesting if you care about books), username is flofairytales.
To the people who added Family Matters to their fav list this year, thank you so much.
It's nice to see people are still enjoying that story even though it's finished.
Same goes to all of you who added For the Cause to their list, thank you so much as well :)
Now without me further wasting your time, enjoy this new chapter!
Chapter 15 - Unexpected surprises
Boreas, Mars
The Malacian clan leader. Vinnie wasn't sure what to expect and truth be told he was a bit scared, not that he would admit that to anybody, especially Kevin. The FBI agent who was probably just as, if not more so, afraid of what was currently going on. Stranded on another planet, though that bit didn't frighten Vinnie as he had already deduced what planet he was on. Being surrounded by otherworldly species, again another thing Vinnie could handle as these Malacian looked almost the same as Martian mice.
But he could imagine all of this being a lot for 'not' Kevin to handle. He had to give the guy some credit for how far he'd managed to deal with it all. The only concern Vinnie had, one of them at least, was that he had no idea where on Mars he was. North or south. It had to be somewhere he hadn't been before, which narrowed it down, yet he had no clue. The other worry he had was his bike meaning he had no way to contact his bros or the Freedom Fighter base.
The other concern was not really a concern as much as a disappointment. There was a gorgeous looking white furred female walking a few feet ahead of him, who didn't seem to give two cents about him. Not that he cared that much about it. She couldn't see him, yet had said he was incomplete. Rude...
No, this was definitely one of those rare moments that even Vinnie felt a little bit lost.
His main focus was that he had to find a way to get back to the surface, figure out where on Mars he was and then make sure his bike would once again work so he could get the heck out of here and to the Freedom Fighter Base. Not an impossible situation if you were to ask him. But he needed all the help he could get in order to achieve any of those objectives.
"I sense your questions, Martian. Ask them if they can't wait." The Malacian female told him as she continued walking.
"Do you know the name of this planet?" Vinnie asked, wondering if he was right about it being Mars but also wanting to know if she called it that.
"I know your kind calls it Mars." She replied. "But that was not the main question on your mind."
This time Vinnie did halt. Another question to add onto the pile. He should have addressed that first, the blind mouse who managed to see and notice things any other visually impaired person wouldn't have. He was getting this disconcerting feeling that she was somehow reading his mind without having to connect her antenna's directly against him. Was that even possible? If it was it shouldn't be allowed.
"You want to know about this area specifically, do you not?" The girl stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "I believe your kind calls it Boreas?"
Boreas?
Vinnie blinked, completely forgetting about his mindreading question. The most northern part of Mars. The most dangerous area of the entire planet. Boreas. This was not Boreas. What a great sense of humour she had! Boreas. She was kidding.
"Oh, you,-" He waved his finger at the female. "You got me there, beautiful. Great joke."
The Malacian woman cocked her head, her blank gaze staring into the distance. "A joke?"
Fierce winds. Giant Sabre Squids. Sandpits. Thunderstorms and lightning strikes which could turn you to dust. A chuckle escaped him on accident but then he just straight up laughed in her face. He didn't stop until a tear actually cascaded down his cheek.
"This is not Boreas, alright?" Vinnie continued. "Boreas is hell on Mars. Now I've never been there, but from what I hear it's inhabitable."
"We live here." The female answered.
"Nah, you're wrong. Thunderstorms and lightning strikes. Squids and sandpits." His voice faltered.
Seconds ticked by as the Malacian mouse remained quiet. A bemused smile adorning her face, waiting patiently for Vinnie to realize what he'd just said. Even the agent was already shaking his head.
"Mr. van Wham, you are making a fool of yourself." Kirk hissed behind him.
But Vinnie wasn't even listening to him. "Holy crap." Vinnie mouthed.
Boreas. Really? Nah,- Really?
Vinnie shook his head and his tail swished nervously behind him.
All of the horrors he'd witnessed with not Kevin had been up on the surface. Right before they got sucked into a vortex of sand. This was bad. Oh, man, this was bad news. He was going to be stuck here forever. Just him and not Kevin, with these blind Martian like mice.
"Do not worry." The woman's gentle voice assured him. "My leader will help you. This place is not as bad as you think it is."
Vinnie had no hopes. What could this supposed clan leader do that ought to help him get back to the surface? In all of his lifetime he had never met this race before. Did they even venture out of these caves? They were blind, how would they navigate through those storms and sandpits? If they had been up on the surface surely their existence would have been known by now. But that had never happened.
The only mouse Vinnie knew who'd even been remotely close to Boreas was Stoker, and he had lost his entire team during that one time visit. He had never mentioned anything about another tribe of mice, blind mice, living under the sand in caverns carved out of ice!
"No offense, lady. But I can't live here. I was made for warm weather, not for spending an eternity wrapped up in blankets and a scarfs."
The girl stopped. "Scarfs?"
"It's...Never mind." Vinnie grumbled under his breath.
"You will be alright. Others have been able to live here too."
Others.
Yeah, others who looked like her and not him. Vinnie didn't mean to think and sound so rude to the girl. She was only trying to help. But there was no way he was going to sit back and accept the fact that this place might become his home from now on. No, he had to find a way to get out of these caves. Preferably with the agent. Although nobody would blink an eye if Vinnie accidentally left not Kevin behind. Would they? It would solve a lot of possible upcoming problems.
"We have arrived. Come. It is right around the corner."
They halted in front of an opening covered with a long sheer curtain. The Malacian woman turned to Vinnie and Kirk, her expression serious. She raised her hand, lowered her eyes and stayed quiet for a couple of second before looking up again.
"My clan leader is ready to see you." She said.
A shiver went through Vinnie. It had to be mindreading, it couldn't be anything else. It was dawning on him just how in tune these Malacian mice were with their telepathic abilities. No way could it compare to his kind. Only those who were bonded had the power to communicate telepathically in some shape or form. Unfortunately he'd never experienced it and he wondered if he ever would. But this level of ability was somehow terrifying to him.
The Malacian female stepped aside and moved the curtain to allow him and Kirk to enter. Vinnie went in first. Chest puffed, tail straight and with a stride that could only be described as confident, he stepped into the room.
At first glance it didn't look special at all, but unlike anything he'd ever seen. There were furs on the ground. A firepit with blue fire instead of red, a sight he still thought to be very very weird. The ceiling of the room almost looked like a night sky as it was a shade of dark blue with small lights that only seemed to be there for decoration instead of having an actual function.
Vinnie noticed the clan leader immediately. A white furred female, just like the girl who had found him and guided him through the caves. Only this mouse was definitely different. She stood up from the carpet of furs and he noticed how tall she was. Taller than him, probably the same height as Modo.
She had light grey hair and it was incredibly long, reaching all the way down to her hips, tied in a loose braid. Like the other Malacian woman, she also appeared to be blind. Milky white eyes. Her arms were covered with silver bracelets which went up from her wrists to her elbows. They jingled as she stepped around the firepit. She was definitely a sight to behold.
Under normal circumstances Vinnie would put on his charm, smile, call her beautiful and what not, and he most certainly would have done all of that had it not been for the mouse who suddenly appeared in his line of sight as soon as the clan leader moved. For there on the floor sat a mouse who was definitely not Malacian.
No white fur, but a light brown colour. No milky white eyes, but instead an intense shade of maroon. The mouse's brown hair, already showing streaks of white, hung over his shoulders. If Vinnie didn't know any better he thought he was looking at Stoker. But this wasn't Stoker, of that he was sure, which could only mean one thing...
In the meantime, the clan leader had stopped coming his way. She cocked her head and looked over her shoulder at the man on the floor.
"Perhaps you should stand and let the young mouse get a good look at you, beloved?" She spoke with a deep voice.
Beloved? But Vinnie didn't want or need a good look at the other mouse. He stumbled back, bumping into Kirk who let out a yelp as Vinnie stepped on his foot. The white Martian raised his arm and pointed at the other male mouse. There was no way it could be him, but who else could it be? The likeness was uncanny.
"You!"
"You know me then?" The mouse spoke. Goddess, even his voice sounded like Stoker.
Oh, Vinnie knew of him alright. Though they had never met personally, the stories were well-known. One of the original Freedom Fighters. Then the Plutarkians came and he disappeared while on a mission. Vanished, just like that. This had been well over a decade ago. Vinnie had only been a teenager back then, hence only knowing the stories but not the man. It was Stoker who had taken his place.
"You're Flint." Vinnie answered, sounding a hundred percent certain. "Stoker's brother."
He was right. He knew he was, for the old mouse barked out a loud laugh and nodded.
"That I am. So, you know my baby brother? You seem awfully pale compared to him. We're not related, are we?"
This mouse was definitely Stoker's brother and also out of the loop of things. He called Stoker his baby brother? And here Vinnie was thinking Stoker was old, though he was only ten years older than Throttle. Letting the slight insult about his pale complexion in one ear and out the other, Vinnie turned to the female clan leader who stood there rather undisturbed by it all.
"You must have a lot of questions." She noted.
"Lady, you have no idea." Vinnie replied.
Even more now than a couple of seconds ago. Once again Vinnie's eyes darted to Flint, who stared at him with some sort of amusement. Vinnie had no idea where to begin, having questions for the clan leader as well as Stoker's brother. He sensed not Kevin moving behind him, probably not understanding any of this. Not that he did before.
With the unexpected appearance of another Martian mouse, in an ice cave, with a new tribe of blind mice, and on Boreas by the Goddesses, Vinnie was losing hope of every returning back home by the minute.
Because if Flint had been here for all those years, if there was a way home...Wouldn't he have found it by now?
The Freedom Fighter Base
"Come in." Carbine said while standing hunched over her desk.
The door slid open and Throttle stepped inside. Carbine didn't noticed it at first until his familiar scent reached her nose. She looked up with honest surprise. She hadn't expected him to show up, not after the last talk they'd had along with Stoker in her office. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him. She had practically thrown him out of the door after hearing all that had gone down between him and the rebel leader back on Earth.
But now he was here in her office. For what? To inform her that they were about ready to leave or to further elaborate what had happened between him and Stoker, or worse, him and Izzy.
The woman's name left a bad taste in Carbine's mouth even if it was by no means the human's fault for being caught in the middle of some old Martian custom. Even so, it didn't actually help that she tasted a hint of the Izzy scent around Throttle. It was obvious where he had been the last couple of hours.
"I, uh,- I came to tell you that the bikes are ready. I'm not sure how far Stoker is with saying goodbye, but Rackham and Colt are waiting for the next order." Throttle said.
Business it was then. Carbine pushed her chair aside and walked around the desk.
"Does this mean you're staying?" She asked crossing her arms.
"That depends on what Stoker chooses to do."
"Mmmm." Carbine narrowed her eyes. "So you're going through with your promise? He goes, you stay or he stays and you go."
"That is what I said. He just needs to make the right decision." Throttle rocked on the back of his heels. The tension in the room slightly shifting.
"Care to elaborate what you believe is the right decision?"
She held his gaze, knowing fully well he was in fact looking at her, even if she couldn't see his eyes through his specs.
"That Stoke stays. It is the best choice, Carbine. It's what I would have done." Throttle answered honestly.
"Then why aren't you? What does it matter whether he stays or goes? You beat him, right? It is the perfect opportunity for you to claim what is yours. Who knows when another chance like this might present itself again."
The tanned mouse blinked. Had he heard her correctly? Her voice was thick with jealousy, yet she'd shown no interest in him in any sort of shape or form since he'd returned to Mars. The hug they'd shared had been awkward, which was to be expected considering the talk they had before he left Earth. But still...
Did she feel anything for him at all? He couldn't even tell from her scent anymore. In fact, she didn't quite smell the same as before or maybe that was just his memory not remembering properly.
"What do you want from me, Carbine? Izzy chose Stoker. That'll never change. She's not the fickle type when it comes to love. Once she makes a decision she sticks to it."
Carbine frowned. "What's that suppose to mean, Throttle?"
The comment felt directed at her, but that wasn't possible. Throttle didn't know she and Havoc had shared her bed during his absence. Unless somebody told him, but the only two mice who knew were Havoc and Stoker and she doubted either of them had told Throttle. At least she hoped they hadn't, but he wouldn't have walked this calmly into her office if he knew about it.
"What do you mean, what's that suppose to mean?" Throttle repeated.
"Nothing." Carbine cleared her throat. "I don't know what I'm saying. Everything is just a mess at the moment."
She turned away from him and walked back to her chair, sliding her fingers absentmindedly along the edge of her desk. Throttle followed her but stopped once he reached the table.
"Look, as soon as I come back, you and I will have a long talk. About everything. About Izzy, the mate guarding. Us."
He whispered the latter and Carbine looked up at him. Was there even still an us? She wasn't sure if she wanted there to be. Why else had she slept with Havoc? Once Throttle learned of it, he would never forgive her. Just as she wouldn't have forgiven him if he'd slept with Izzy. He claimed it had never happened, and she believed him. But he also hadn't denied not wanting it. In fact, she knew for sure he would if Izzy was to initiate it. He wouldn't be able to fight it.
"You're going to go through with it then?" She asked once more. "Stay behind if Stoker goes to Boreas?"
Throttle had already answered that question, but this time lingered a bit. There was something else he had to tell Carbine, something that had to do with this. He didn't want her to hear it from Stoker or for her to find out by herself. The latter was likely, as he had no idea what Izzy was planning on doing with the jewellery he had given her. He had to tell her what he had done.
"Carbine..." He began, followed by a sigh. "I gave Izzy one of my earrings."
As expected, Carbine's eyes widened and her lips parted. A look of disbelief crossed her face. She knew all too well what that meant. A quite common custom, started long ago and actually one of the few that most mice followed wholeheartedly to this day. It was romantic, a confession of love and a promise to choose the other as a life partner.
She couldn't fathom why Throttle had done it. He kept saying how he knew Izzy would never choose him over Stoker. That he had accepted it and was trying his best to move on. Than why, why had he done such a thing? It made no sense.
"When?" She demanded.
Throttle swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Just now. A couple of minutes ago."
"You gave her your earring, right before you came here?"
The tanned mouse nodded.
"Oh you are,- of all the things you could have done after all that's been going on. You really know how to add more fuel to a fire, don't you?"
"Carbine, I had to tell you before leaving. You need to hear my explanation. I told Izzy it's just for keepsake, I'm getting it back from her when we return from Boreas." Throttle said as he walked up to her. "It's a promise from one friend to another. That we will come back in one piece. Nothing more."
Carbine let out a loud scoff. "Nothing more? That is not what it means and you know it. If another mouse sees her wearing your earring, they will all know you're next in line to claim her!"
"That is exactly the point."
"Excuse me?" She blinked slightly confused. "You just said,-"
"Look,-" He reached for her hands, but she pulled them back. He clenched his jaw and continued. "I told Stoker about it. If he goes and he dies, I will take his place at Izzy's side. If she were to allow it. I won that mate guarding ritual fair and square."
Throttle paused exhaled deeply, letting his bottled up emotions calm down for a moment.
"But while we're gone, I don't want any other mouse trying to take advantage of our absence. That's why I also gave her my earring. Because I am still planning on going, Carbine. I know I said I wouldn't if Stoker goes, but I came to Mars to get Vinnie back home and that's what I'm going to do. Whatever Stoker decides."
Carbine listened quietly as he explained himself. Honestly, nothing could make her feel better. And indeed, if Stoker died, which she hoped wouldn't happen, Throttle was the best option to take his place. She agreed on that. Maybe even take his place as leader. Though she had opted Havoc to take on that role at some point, Throttle made a good candidate too.
Havoc...
Her mind lingered on that dark haired mouse for a moment. Since they were in the middle of having a sort of honest conversation, would this be a good time to bring up her own secret? Was it really worth mentioning it as it would only create more problems between them.
"I'll make sure no other mouse will make a move on Izzy while the rescue team is away. If that's really what you're worried about." She promised.
Despite her dislike for the human, due to no fault on Izzy's end, she didn't want any harm to come to her. And she knew how these Martian males could get if there was a female nearby, even one without fur on their skin or lack of tail.
"Especially Havoc." Throttle then said.
"Havoc?" Carbine frowned. "Throttle, you can trust him. He is a good mouse, believe me. I know you don't trust anyone around Izzy at this point, but he won't do anything while you guys are gone."
"You say it with such conviction."
"Because I know him. I,- Havoc is trustworthy. He's shown excellent leadership, he listens, he advices. His tactical skills are amazing. He has earned the rank of Sergeant Major with good reason." She paused and cleared her throat. "You know this, you've fought with him in the field before, haven't you?"
That he had, and he trusted the man on the battlefield, but not when it came to Izzy. He had seen the curious glances and looks of interest Havoc had thrown her way. That had not been his imagination. Had it? Carbine's words about the mouse were incredibly flattering. Was he missing something here? There was an odd hitch in her voice, almost as if she sounded...nervous? Anxious?
"Just keep an eye on him, alright?"
He was unsure what to do next. It was time for him to head back to his bike. Almost time to leave with the team. But his legs wouldn't move. The negative tension was still there and he would have preferred to clear some air between them before leaving for Boreas. But it felt impossible at the same time.
"Throttle?" Carbine suddenly said and his ears perked up.
"Yeah?"
"Do a good job out there. Find Vinnie. Get back alive. All of you. That's an order." She straightened herself and tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "And once you're back...We'll have a talk about us."
She gave a final nod, making no movement to do anything else other than to stand there. Throttle eventually nodded back, raising his hand to his head.
"Yes, general."
Something he always used to do whenever she gave him any sort of order. Private or business alike. He then turned around and walked out of the office, not looking back.
The door slid shut behind him and Carbine finally sat down in her chair. A long and deep shuddering breath escaped her as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Whatever good that might do." She muttered softly.
I'm sorry this one is quite short! But both scenes are very important and I didn't want to put too much stuff in one chapter causing any of you to forget about what happened here.
Anywoo, I hope you enjoyed. I'm already working on the next one.
As always I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time :)
