"You've reached Rapunzel's voicemail. Hi Mom! I know it's you, of course it's you, you're the only one who ever calls! I mean, I don't even get telemarketers or robocallers or people asking for charity donations… It's actually kind of freaky, how did you pull that off? I mean, I thought only the president had that kind of-"
Ms. Gothel angrily pressed the red button on her smartphone screen, ending the call.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Of course. She didn't know why she would have even hoped otherwise. She had gotten that same stupid voicemail message the first hundred times trying to call her daughter. Why should call attempt number one hundred and one be any different?
That said... she knew it wouldn't be too long before she would be pressing that speed dial again and making it one hundred and two.
The foolish girl had probably turned off her phone. It'd make sense, especially since the app she had installed on Rapunzel's phone for tracking her whereabouts with GPS wasn't working. At the time, it had seemed a bit silly and extreme. After all, if everything went according to plan, her daughter would never step foot outside the condo. But things didn't always go according to plan, today being a prime example of that. A fat load of good her foresight had done her however, what with the damn app not evening functioning when she needed it the most!
"What are we doing here, Ms. Gothel?"
Stuffing her phone back into her shoulder bag, she cast a brief glance over her shoulder towards Pascal before looking straight ahead. They stood across the street from a Corona police station. "Looking for my daughter, of course," she said evenly.
The bodyguard frowned as he followed her gaze, knitting his eyebrows together. "But… well, you've always seemed like a very private person, considering your, ah… living situation and arrangements. I just would have thought you'd prefer to keep the cops out of all this as much as possible."
"Oh, I have no intentions of getting the police involved in my personal business," she scoffed, the very idea ludicrous. "We're only here to glean a little information. Come along, Pascal." She briskly strode towards the double-doored entrance leading into the station house. Lips still set in a grim uncertain line, Pascal hastened to follow her.
Inside the lobby, the place was bustling with activity. Phones were ringing off the hook and a myriad of what looked to be civilians who'd come in off the streets were in hysterics as they gave their reports to patient, stony-faced officers at their desks further back in the room. There were so many voices talking over one another that it was impossible to hear what all the commotion was about, but snippets could be caught here and there - snatches of words such as "attacked" and "glowing eyes" and "shadows".
Ms. Gothel quirked an eyebrow, but her face betrayed no other emotion. For all the tumult the rest of the room was in, it seemed the reception desk had hit a lull in activity for the moment. With Pascal in tow, she approached the counter and eyed the officer sitting behind it. His pen scribbled furiously away, filling out some form in front of him and he hardly acknowledged her with a quick glance. "Yeah, whaddya want, lady? And I ain't hearing no more crazy, half-baked stories about nightmares come to life or whatever, so if that's what you're here about, take a number. You can waste somebody else's time."
She stood there prim, peering down her nose at him. "I was instructed to come here by a Detective Colt."
Pascal shot her a look, one she returned with a hard stare out of the corner of her eye. They both were fully aware the detective had done no such thing. Hopefully, her hired muscle knew enough to keep his mouth shut. She certainly paid him enough to know that much, at least.
They broke the brief eye contact as the officer's pen stilled. Putting it down, she now had his full attention as he tipped his hat up slightly and relaxed back into his seat. "Maximus sent you, eh? This about that big jewel heist, right? The one pulled off by Flynn Rider?"
Jackpot.
Now she had the name of Rapunzel's new little "friend." Already one step closer to finding her.
She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the loud clatter of a chair falling over.
"Flynn Rider?! Did someone just say Flynn Rider?!" a voice roared. Her eyes snapped over to its owner, an absolutely ox of a young man. He stood in handcuffs behind the reception counter next to one of the many desks back there, nostrils flaring and teeth clenched as a couple cops tried to wrangle him into simmering down.
Seated nearby at the same desk and also in cuffs was another guy who was his exact double. Twins, no doubt. He slouched further down in his chair as he nervously glanced about the room while his brother made a scene. "Jo," he hissed. "Come on, bro, calm down. This isn't-"
"No, I will not calm down!" he snapped, struggling against the grips of the two officers and dragging them along with him. "That Flynn bastard is the reason we're in this mess, or did you forget that?! Oh, that pretty boy better pray I don't cross his path again, otherwise I'm gonna cram my foot so far up his-"
A third policeman tackled him to the desk, forcing a grunt out of him before he fell silent. "Alright, Stabbington, that's enough! Maybe a trip back to your holding cell will cool off that hot head o' yours," he snarled. The man in custody was straightened back up none too gently and the cop shoved him into a march towards a door leading further back into the building. Escorted by a second officer, the brother slowly stood and followed, hanging his head and offering no resistance on his part beyond a little feet dragging.
Carefully schooling her expression, Ms. Gothel's eyes followed the boys as they were led away and out of sight. The cop at the reception desk had risen to his feet during the scuffle, ready to jump in if needed, but now settled back down into his chair as he addressed her once more. "Sorry about that, Ma'am. The locals round here can get a little rowdy. Sure you understand."
"Of course, officer, no apology necessary," she smiled politely, sensing Pascal relax beside her now that the angry young thug had been led out of the room. Pascal wasn't just Rapunzel's bodyguard, after all. Delicately putting a finger to her chin, she said, "Now, where were we? Ah, yes… the Flynn Rider case. I was wondering if there were any further details you could share?"
His forehead wrinkled. "That I could share? Ma'am, that's not usually how these things work, I-"
"Officer, please, I beg you!" she abruptly grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and yanked him up face to face with her, quivering her lower lip. She then released him as she slumped against the counter and dramatically pressed the back of one hand to her forehead. "You have no idea the absolute ordeal I've been through tonight! Oh, my poor nerves!"
He gaped at the sudden outburst from the woman that had been the very picture of poise and tranquility not two seconds ago. "I-I'm sorry, Miss, if there's anything I could do-"
She pulled a lacy handkerchief from her bag and dabbed at her nose with a sniffle. "Apologies, I don't know what came over me. Perhaps… if you could possibly just… answer a question or two… ease my mind a bit..."
"Yes, of course, absolutely," he was quick to answer, now eager to be of assistance. "I mean, that is to say, I can see what I can do anyway…"
She smirked, hiding it behind the kerchief.
The ol' Damsel In Distress routine.
Worked every time.
Lightly swiping at the corner of her eyes with her hanky, she shoved it into Pascal's hands. He grimaced before pocketing the bit of fabric. Ms. Gothel then inhaled deeply as if attempting to further compose herself, "Oh, dear me. Thank you so much, officer, this means the world to me, the absolute world. I was just… just wondering if that Flynn Rider ruffian… if there was any word whether he'd taken anyone with him…"
The policeman blinked. "Taken? You mean, as in like a hostage? No… no, I don't think there's been anything reported like that. Do you have reason to believe-"
"Do you know where he went?" she asked desperately, gripping at his shoulder, willing a slight tremor into her fingers. "Any idea of his whereabouts? Oh, the idea of that, that, that… criminal, still loose on the streets! I won't be able to get any sleep tonight, not one wink, I-"
Abruptly, all the lights went out in the police station and the place was cast into pitch black. All chatter stopped, replaced by gasps and yelps. She felt Pascal at her side, tense once again, ready to protect her, ready for anything.
"Alright, alright, settle down, people," a voice rose above the worried murmurs. It sounded like the cop she had been speaking with. "Just a minor power outage, nothing to worry about. The lights'll probably be back on any second."
As if on queue, several lights did go up just then.
Hundreds of them. Round and in pairs and yellow.
No, not lights… eyes.
"Ugh," Ms. Gothel grumbled under her breath, all pretence now dropped. "Heartless."
"If I ever get my hands on Flynn Rider, that jerkwad is dead meat. You hear me? Dead freakin' meat!"
"Probably not the best idea to loudly plot murder while standing in the middle of a police station."
Josef rolled his eyes, not bothering to grace his brother with so much as a sideways glance. He just gripped the bars of their jail cell more tightly as he scowled at the door leading back out to the lobby. The two of them were alone in here, their police escorts having left after locking them up. "Don't even get me started on you, prick," he growled
"Me?!" Jakob's head rocked back. "What did I do?!"
"It's your fault we're in here."
He harrumphed and crossed his arms, muttering, "I was perfectly happy staying out there after we finished with the sketch artist, just chilling, minding our own business. I wasn't the one who decided to throw a hissy fit, forcing them to lock us up again."
Josef's left eye twitched before he rounded on him. "And I wasn't the one who decided to get on that train to follow the ice freak all the way to this stupid city, dragging me along with you! I wasn't the one who decided to follow and listen to that lying Flynn bastard, despite my protests! And I wasn't the one putting on rings and necklaces and crowns like the bloody Queen of England in front of a security camera!" He decked him in the shoulder. "Moron!"
Hissing in pain, Jakob rubbed the fresh sore spot. "Oh. Heh… right, that."
With a sneer, Josef turned away from him again. There wasn't a lot to their cell, just grimy brick walls, a couple of cold hard benches, one grody looking toilet, and a tiny caged window, taunting them with glimpses of the streets outside. On the other side of their bars was an empty narrow hallway with nothing but a dim, flickering wall light to decorate it. The lobby door was on one end of the hall and a second door on the opposite, through which more holding cells were housed. All vacant, judging by the silence.
Not a word passed between the brothers and for a minute, all that could be heard was a steady drip echoing from the toilet and a faint buzz from the sputtering lightbulb. Jakob was the first to speak again. "So hey, were you hearing what was going on out there?"
Josef worked his jaw, lips twisting sourly, but said nothing. He'd been hoping the idiot would keep his mouth shut and give him some peace for a least a little bit longer.
Jakob went on, "All those people coming to the police, they were talking about shadows! Shadows with minds of their own, popping off the grounds and walls, attacking-"
"Oh, not this BS again!" he snapped. "I told you to shaddup about that junk back in Arendelle! Pah, seeing shadows moving and clawing at you... I never saw no shadows! You were just being a wuss, scared of bumps in the night! It was all in your that big dumb head of yours!"
He glared back at him. "It was, huh? You think so, huh? What about what all those people in the next room are saying? What about-"
The wall light blinked out with a dying hiss and their room fell dark, save for the weak glow of a moonless night streaming through their window. Jakob stopped talking with a tiny squeak before hastily clasping his hands over his own mouth. Josef's back went rigid, his eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom. Their light wasn't the only one to kick the bucket. The door back out to the lobby was dark too. Power out to the whole building, maybe?
...something wasn't right here.
"Hey," Jakob whispered, lowering his hands from his face. "Hey, Jo, you-"
He shushed him. He was trying to listen. Everything was quiet. Sure, it had been quiet before, even with all the hubbub going on in the next room. But somehow, the quiet was different now. Something about it was making his skin crawl.
There was sudden movement out in the hall. A patch of black, darker than the rest, darted from the lobby door and scampered straight up the wall.
"Jo," Jakob hissed, making several frantic pokes to his brother's shoulder. "Jo, look."
He swatted the finger away. "I see it, Jake."
"What is that thing, man?" he asked, the hint of a quiver to his voice as they watched it continue to crawl sideways and slip into their cell through the space between the wall and the last bar.
"Whaddya mean, what is it? It's a bug, is all," he brushed off, even as he took a couple steps back to put some distance between him and the thing.
He could hear Jakob gulp. "Never seen a bug that size, dude. That thing could swallow our cat whole." It now skittered up onto the ceiling, weaving a winding path in their directions. "I told you, dude. I know what I saw back there in Arendelle. It's one of those things. It's a sh-"
"Don't. You. Even. Think. It," Josef snarled through his teeth, still backing away. "It's a bug, pure n' simple! Look, it even has antennae, twitching away." It came to a stop, craning its head to look down at them and Josef stiffened. The thing's eyes. Giant and yellow. Damn, were they creepy as all hell. "Not a word, you hear me?! Not one word! All bugs' eyes glow like that, it's just reflection... a trick of the light!"
"...what light?"
"Shaddup," he huffed, kneeling down and furiously untying the shoelaces on one of his boots.
"W-What're you doing?"
"What I do with all bugs." He stood up straight once more, hefting his left boot up in one hand and taking aim. "Squash 'em." He threw the shoe and it slammed against the ceiling just to the right of the thing, which scuttled away from the danger. "Damn," Josef grumbled as his shoe clattered down to the floor. He picked it back up and trained his sights once more, squeezing one eye shut and licking one corner of his mouth.
"Um… Jo?" He felt Jakob tugging at his sleeve. "You, uh, might want to turn around for a real quick-"
"Not now!" he snapped, still lining up his shot. "Hold still, you little-"
"Dammit, Jo, look!" Jakob yanked his arm and spun him one-eighty towards the door of their locked cell. Josef's eyes went round, his jaw went slack, and the boot dropped out of his hand.
There wasn't just one bug.
There was a whole frigging infestation.
On the other side of the bars, they swarmed. Dozens more, just like the one clinging to the ceiling. All of them wiggling their little feelers, all of them watching the twins with their giant, hungry eyes that burned like candles.
But that wasn't even the scariest part.
No, that would be the leviathan on the middle of them all. Shadowy like its smaller friends, but with a large round body, big enough to dwarf the hulking twins themselves. Big enough for its head (almost humorously tiny in comparison to the rest of its form) to brush up against the ceiling.
Its beady yellow eyes glanced from one brother to the other.
As if deciding which one it'd prefer to devour whole first.
"Still think they're bugs, Jo?"
"Shut. Up."
The colossal shadow shot one arm forward between the bars, making a grab for one of them. They both leapt backwards, pressing their backs against the wall just under their window. The little ones surged forward, easily slipping into their cell between the iron rungs. The one that had been on the ceiling dropped down, disappearing into the chaotic mass of darkness and eerie eyes. They crowded around the twins, slowly closing in and making swipes at them. The boys stamped their feet back at the things, temporarily keeping them at bay. But it was only a matter of time and they both knew it.
"Jake, look!" Josef nudged his elbow into his brother's side before pointing.
The large one had wrapped its meaty hands around the bars of their cell door. With raw brute force and one simple tug, the thing broke it off its hinges with a whining clank! Even the monster itself seemed surprised at its own strength as it glanced back and forth between the now detached door it held within its grip and the opening it had left behind.
"Now's our chance!" Josef yelled.
"What?"
He gave Jakob a shove. "Go already!"
Jakob stumbled forward, almost face planting straight down into the horde of dark creatures, but barely managing to catch himself in time. He then broke out into a sprint for the now open exit to their jail cell, narrowly avoiding the claws raking at his feet with Josef not too far behind him.
Having lost interest in the door, the giant tossed it to the side just as the twins ran out into the hallway, coming to a screeching halt directly in front of it. It looked down at them, eyes narrowing into slits before raising its massive arms high, ballings its hands into fists and swinging down hard on the boys. They leapt apart, jumping opposite directions as those fists slammed into the spot where they had just stood, pulverizing the floor into rubble.
Josef panted as his wide eyes took the scene in. Jakob was now on the complete opposite end of the hall from him, with the jumbo shadow separating them in the middle while the smaller ones came pouring back out of the cell. This corridor was going to get real crowded real fast.
"Run!" Josef shouted and the giant turned its head his way, eyes locking on him.
Jakob blinked. "But what about-?!"
"I'll get out! Meet up outside, okay?" Still his brother didn't move, uncertainty creasing his face. Josef barked, "Oh, will you just go already?! I'll be fine!"
Hesitating for a split second longer, Jakob finally turned and bolted for the lobby door. With a firm nod, Josef spun on his heel as well and dashed out the other door on his end of the hallway, muttering, "That idiot better not get himself dead."
As suspected, this way led to more empty holding cells. The bars at either side of Josef blurred together into streaks of grey around him as he ran. He felt the ground quaking under him and he risked a quick glance over his shoulder. The big one had managed to squeeze its bulk through the door as well and was chasing after him, the whole building seeming to shake with every heavy step it took. But Josef had a head start and all he had to do was keep it. That thing may have been huge, but it sure as hell didn't look quick. He smirked, turning his focus straight ahead once more. This would be as easy as-
"Son of a-"
His feet practically tripped over one another as he scrambled to a stop, gaping at what he saw.
A dead end.
A term that would become quite literal for Josef any second now.
...thud… thud… thud...
The tremors in the floor grew more intense the closer the monster drew and his eyes desperately darted about, looking for something, anything to help him. The cells to his left and right lay open, identical to the one he had escaped from. The wall in front of him was made of bricks with a white paint job that was chipped and dull. It didn't even have so much as a window. The only way out was the way he had come from.
...thud… thud! Thud! THUD!
Suddenly all was quiet and still. Josef didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Swallowing hard, he looked behind him. There the shadowy giant stood, scratching its head, eyes still zeroed in on him. Then it hefted its sizable gut, slapped its belly and full on charged straight for him.
That thing should not have been able to move that fast!
Biting back a curse, Josef sprang into the open jail cell on his left and out of the way. He collapsed hard against the cold floor just as the monster crashed its bulbous stomach into the wall.
...and straight through it.
Josef felt like his eyes were about ready to pop out of their sockets as he watched the wall explode. He used one arm to shield his head against the bricks and bits of debris flying everywhere. Once the dust had begun to settle, he could see the wall now sported a a ginormous, jagged hole. Getting to his feet, he hurried over to it with as much caution as he could muster.
Cool night air brushed his skin as he warily peeked out. On the other side was a tiny, dirty back alley to the police station. He didn't have to look far to spot the shadow beast. It lay directly across from him and… appeared to have gotten its head stuck in the next building over! It was bent down, hands planted against the wall on either side of its shoulders, waggling its rear end in the air as it pushed with all its might, trying to free itself.
He could hardly believe it! Not wanting to let this golden opportunity slip by, he hastily crawled out of the hole. The second his feet hit the pavement on the other side, he made a run for it, disappearing into the night without so much as a backwards glance.
The lobby was an total madhouse.
Everyone was screaming and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They crashed into and trampled over one another, desperately trying to get away from the shadow monsters. There were more of those things in this room. A whole lot more. Chasing people, pouncing on them, slashing out with their claws. Cops were shooting off their firearms at the creatures, managing to take out a few here and there. But it was like trying to rid the Sahara Desert of every last grain of sand. Impossible.
When Jakob rushed in, the room was still dark but every few seconds the whole place would light up with the flash of a pistol going off. He staggered to a stop, feeling his mouth go dry as he took it all in. Then he spared a glance back the way he'd come from. The door behind him was already getting packed to bursting with more of those little shadow things coming after him. But the big one was nowhere to be seen. Meaning…
"...better not go dying on me, Jo," he mumbled to himself.
There was a loud bang close to his ear - the blast of gunfire. Jakob winced, ears ringing as he slapped his hands over them.
No time to stop and worry. He had to hurry up and escape!
Giving himself a shake, he barreled forward. He could feel those shadows nipping at his heels as he ran for dear life. Crazed and panicked people hurtled towards him left and right, not looking where they were going as they fled in terror. He clumsily dodged around them while at the same doing his best to stay out of the line of police fire.
He barely caught it out of the corner of his eye. The ominous gleam of glowing eyes leaping towards him. He ducked down just in time and the shadow sailed over his head, landing on some other unlucky schmuck instead. "S-sorry!" Jakob yelled over his shoulder but did not slow down, not for a second.
The front doors were in sight. He could see others crowding around the opening, elbowing each other and trying to cram themselves through all at once. He barged into them all, trying to force them to move faster. With his impact, a few in front awkwardly popped out the other side before they took off, making room for others to get through. Slowly, Jakob pressed forward, trying to tune out the shrieks behind him as best he could. Soon, he too had managed to squeeze past the door and was outside.
He took a sharp left and booked it. A second later, he was turning the corner of the police station and it was only then that he came to a stop. Jakob now stood in a thin lane between buildings. Here, all was still. All was silent, except for the commotion coming from the station house that he could still faintly hear. Not a monster in sight.
Sighing in relief, he hunched forward, hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. What a crazy night it'd been! And he got the feeling it was far from over. He'd give anything to be back home all safe and snug in his bed. But he couldn't think of that right now. Face hardening with resolve, he straightened up once more.
Right now, he had to go find J-
Out of nowhere, something slammed into his abdomen. It knocked the wind out of him and he fell backwards, landing painfully on his spine with a grunted oof! Groaning, he opened his eyes and immediately froze.
There, squatting on his stomach, loomed a shadow. Its large empty eyes watched him hungrily as it seemed to pause and savor this moment. Then it stretched a hand forward, long spindly fingers reaching for his chest which began to glow.
"What the-?!" he choked out, fear and confusion seizing his throat.
His heart raced as those sharp claws drew ever closer. This was it. The final countdown. It was all over for him. The end. Game over. He only wished-
BLAM!
There was a bright flash over him and suddenly the monster was full of holes. What shreds of it that still remained melted into a black mist that wafted and evaporated. Jakob gasped, clasping his hands to his chest. His whole, unharmed, still-in-one-piece chest. Thank god! Resting is head back on the ground, he released the breath he'd been holding with a weak chuckle.
It was only then that he spotted them.
Two people standing over him. One was a woman. He recognized her. She'd been at the police station earlier. She was the one that Josef had overheard, setting off his little tantrum in the lobby. The other was her brawny man servant or whatever that dude was. In his hand was a smoking revolver. Probably the weapon that had obliterated the shadow not two seconds ago.
Jakob began to sit up, "Thanks for saving me, I really-"
The lady placed the heel of her right pump onto his chest and pushed him back down onto the ground with a soft thud. She bowed forward slightly, bringing her face down and closer to his. Her lips, previously pressed into a flat thin line, now curved into a little smirk.
"So…" she purred, "I hear you know Flynn Rider."
AN: Dun dun dun! One of the Stabbington Brothers have met up with Gothel, while the other... who knows? xD Don't worry, we'll find out soon enough! Not next chapter tho, next chapter we return to our heroes, which I know is all y'all really care about, and honestly? I don't blame you! Another quick update, hot off the presses, just for you guys! 3 chapters in 1 month - believe me, that's FAST for me - I know I used to update once a week, but those were *pre-written* chapters that I was building up beforehand cuz I know me and what a snail writer I am, so trust me, this is impressive for me xD
MUCH praise and MUCH worship to all my wonderful readers, in particular these amazing individuals who left me such lovely reviews last chapter: SoraKairiRikuNamine and Amras0! You're marvelous people and I'm sending every last ounce of my love your way!
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god... guys, we're only 3 days away from KH3 release, AAAAHHHHH! Part of the reason I wanted to get this out to you all as quickly as possible was I wanted it up before the game dropped :D Gonna be honest here, when I have it, I'll be playing it a LOT and story updates MIGHT slow down again. Probably won't, but just warning you all in case it does happen, you know why xD Don't worry, if I do slow down, it'll speed up again once I'm done and with the added bonus of a new flame burning within me of FRESH INSPIRATION from having played KH3! Oh gosh, I hope KH3 doesn't steal my idea for the boss fight in Tangled world that I had planned for this story for years now, if so they're gonna beat me to it xD Also fun fact: one of those other fanfics I've been working on that I haven't been posting was actually set in canon KH during KH3. I started writing it about a year ago before Frozen was announced for KH3. Once it WAS announced, I decided to hold off so I could experience KH3, see how they handle Frozen in the game, so then I could rework my story a bit to make it better fit with actual canon. Hopefully I won't have to rework too much of it! But either way, I'm looking forward to getting back to work on that one and possibly start posting it maybe in a few months (like I need more Works In Progess x'D I'm hopeless)
OKAY DONE! Sorry, you know me, I like to ramble. Combine that with the fact that I'm SUUUUUPER excited that KH3 is almost here and it's hard to get me to shut up xD Thank you so so sooooo much for reading, I super duper appreciate it! If you have any comments or friendly feedback, please make my day and leave a review! Catch you at the next update, lovelies, which should be soon! Much love, peace out, and keep it real!