Half an hour has passed since the first victim was airlifted. Unfortunately, triage was full and it was difficult to get any ambulances near.
After slapping the chopper once, the QR Helicopter took off again as Shadow walked up to his mother.
"Impulse has picked up more activity at the docks, I suggest you guys head over to check it out." Stella told her son. Arnold nodded. "Alright. You'll handle things here?" He asked.
Stella nodded. "Yeah, just go." Arnold kissed her cheek and held the kiss for a few seconds. "Love you, Mom." He soon walked off to find Spinelli.
After a minute of searching around, Arnold found Spinelli sitting against the side of a wrecked pickup truck. Arnold got on one knee to check on his wife.
"Spinelli, there's clearly something wrong with you, stop hiding it… Talk to me…" Arnold rubbed her knee. Spinelli shook her head as she yanked off her orange beanie, revealing her messy hair.
"I feel sick in my stomach, not entirely… You know? Like, I didn't eat anything bad but… I actually don't know… I don't feel pregnant, I can say that much…" She ruffled her hair even more than it was.
Arnold let out a deep exhale through his nose as he lightly caressed her cheek. "Spinelli…" Arnold noticed her eyes were somewhat sluggish. "Hey. Head back home, I don't think you can continue like this…" He suggested as overlapping chatter went on in the background.
"But- but- I don't even feel tired or sick or anything!" Spinelli refused to head home.
"Something's wrong and you know it. Go home. Get checked out by Phoebe, and get some rest. Please…" Arnold rubbed her knee while radio chatter went on.
"But-" Spinelli tried to speak, but Arnold cut her off by touching her chin. "Go get some rest…" Spinelli finally gave in and nodded. "Alright…"
"Uh, Ariel? Do me a favor and bring the chopper back around to the freeway, will you?" Arnold asked.
"Another critical?"
Arnold sighed. "No, um…" Arnold gulped. "I- I need you to take Spinelli back home, she isn't feeling too well. No idea what can be going on."
"Alright, hang in there. I'll be back around in a few minutes. Currently dropping off this patient and I'll be headed back to pick her up." Ariel answered while the helicopter blades whirred in the background.
Arnold felt helpless at the moment. "Everything's alright, baby… Everything's fine. You'll be home and be with our kids… Maybe Amelia can find something out, I mean, she is studying medicine nonstop, to be fair." Arnold tried comforting Spinelli.
Shortly after, Stella walked over to them, mostly in surprise. "What's going on here?" She asked.
"Mom, Spinelli isn't feeling too good. She said she felt her stomach weird, I'm assuming nauseous? Her eyes look sluggish, almost like fatigue." Arnold explained.
Stella crouched to Spinelli and pulled out a small flashlight to check her pupils.
"… Her pupils are responsive, but you are right on 'em being sluggish. Is she pregnant, by any chance?" Stella asked. While Spinelli shook her head no, Arnold also shook his head. "Mom, I'll admit, Spinelli and I had sex a while ago, not sure how long ago but I don't think she could be pregnant."
Stella shook her head, unsure what to say. "Could be anything, not sure though. And I really don't want to say anything 'cause I don't want you two to worry, for all we know, this could be something minor." Stella shrugged. "She could be somewhat fatigued with a disgusted feeling in her stomach." Stella briefly stroked Spinelli's messy hair and kissed her forehead. "Hang in there, sweetie, Ariel will be here momentarily…" Stella had already overheard the radio chatter while more overlapping chatter went on.
Arnold decided to sit next to her. "Everything's going to be alright… I love you, Spinelli…" Arnold kissed her cheek and held her hand.
Soon, whirring helicopter blades were heard. The QR Copter was finally back and landing in the same area.
Arnold helped Spinelli up. "You'll be okay. Alright?" Spinelli only nodded. Arnold gave a saddened look before embracing her in a tight and deep hug.
After a few seconds, Arnold kissed her cheek before letting go.
Once Spinelli walked away, Shadow got back on his headset. "Impulse?"
"Already one step ahead, Sir."
Arnold let out an exhale as Stella came up to him to rub his shoulder. "Everything's fine, sweetie. Just go." Arnold would only lightly nod.
Later…
As the QR Jet whooshed overhead the docks, it transitioned back to HQ.
Specifically, the helicopter blades slowly stopping as Spinelli got out, mostly with a depressing look.
Phoebe soon walked up to her. "You feelin' okay?" She asked. Spinelli shrugged. "I have to be honest… I truly don't know…"
"Let's get you checked over and see if I can uncover any answers…" Phoebe suggested. Spinelli would only nod as she followed behind.
Fifteen Minutes Later…
Back at the docks, multiple black and white vans were there while around fifty or so thugs were there, but one thing stood out…
"Impulse has been monitoring this situation for forty minutes and nothing has changed… What could be going on?" Sapphire asked.
Arnold shook his head. "Not sure if this is a waste of time or-" Then, three black SUVs soon arrived. "Hang on…" They took a step back to not get noticed.
One person who stood out from the SUVs was someone Arnold has had a minor grudge full of hatred.
"Geno…" He sternly whispered.
The rear doors of the vans were opened to reveal rifle cases along with bags of meth and other drugs.
While they couldn't listen to anything they were discussing, they most likely had an idea of what was happening.
"That wasn't the deal we agreed on, Midget!" One thug exclaimed.
"I'm a simple man." Big Geno started. "You either take what I offer, or I leave with the offer. Which also means I take my women elsewhere."
"I SAY WE JUMP THIS BITCH!"
All of the thugs started shouting.
"Alright, that's enough!" Shadow was the first to drop down. Everyone but Gerald dropped down onto a thug. Gerald was currently shooting tracking bullets at the vans and the SUVs.
"Your gunrunning deal is over, Geno!" Shadow shouted.
Big Geno fell backward when he saw who it was. The last time they encountered, it didn't exactly end well… Well, then again, they never end well, but that's beside the point.
The last time they encountered, Shadow and Scarlet didn't hold back on their violent side. They left Geno with multiple broken fingers and ribs, a shattered arm, and many cuts and bruises.
"COME ON, DOOFUS! GET US OUT OF HERE!" Geno immediately got in one of the SUVs.
The rear of the vans were slammed shut as the vehicles sped away.
After the vehicles sped off, the Vigilantes found themselves in the middle of an angry thug mob. Trickshot finally came down.
"Now the playing field is even." Trickshot smirked.
Meanwhile…
After every test came back negative, Phoebe didn't have an answer for Spinelli and her ill feeling.
"Please tell me you have an answer, Pheebs…" Spinelli groaned as Phoebe disconnected from a call with a doctor at West Hillwood Med. "I'm afraid not, Spinelli. I… I'm not sure if there is anything wrong, physically…" Phoebe put a hand on her chin as she started to think.
"What are you exactly saying?" Spinelli raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Are you trying to call me crazy?!"
"What? No! No, not at all, Spinelli! What I meant was maybe an emotional trigger or something along those lines!" Phoebe explained. "Now tell me, you were at the highway pileup when that happened, right?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah."
"Ok, ok… Impulse? Do me a favor and get Ariel in here, will you?"
"Yes, Ms. Heyerdahl."
Spinelli blinked in confusion. "What does Ariel have to do with this? She was on medevac the whole time." Phoebe briefly chuckled. "I know, I know, but that's not why I want her here. You see, Ariel has been taking psychiatric training. She originally picked it up as a hobby, but figured it could come into use one of these days."
Ariel soon walked into the med room. "Need something?"
"Precisely, you. Uh… Before I let you take over things, Spinelli, how are you feeling at the moment? Any stomach issues? No anxiety or any of your symptoms from earlier?" Phoebe asked.
Spinelli shook her head. "I mean, I guess I feel pretty fine. I don't feel anything, for the most part. Now can we just hurry it up? I got my kids to see!"
Phoebe nodded and let Ariel take over.
Ariel soon sat down. "Alright, Spinelli, let's see…" Ariel started. "Repeat your symptoms again. You said you didn't feel anything right now?"
"Yeah, why?"
Ariel thought for a moment, viewing it from both perspectives. "Ok, ok… If it isn't anything physical… Tell me, Spinelli. What did you see at the pileup that may have made you feel that way? Because there isn't any other explanation. I see that Phoebe made you take three separate pregnancy tests and they came back negative. Everything else is negative too."
Spinelli started to think. "… Uh… I think I may have seen something, but I'm not sure you'll take it…"
Ariel rubbed her knee. "You can tell me, I'm not immature, you know. Go on." She encouraged her.
Spinelli deeply sighed. "Well… Before I do, remember that one case file about the parents from last year?" She asked. "There were multiple, be more specific." Ariel replied.
"The ones that had two kids, one disabled kid and one teen, the parents that argued and bickered over every tiny detail."
Ariel then remembered. "Oh, yeah! That case file! I believe PD got called there multiple times but knowing the parents, they put up a 'friendly and caring' act which explains why nothing was done 'till we coincidently dropped by. Why do you ask?" She asked.
Spinelli sighed. "Believe it or not, I found them around the QR Jet's landing zone… Literally, the first thing I heard was them cussing each other out! But it's not that, for the most part…"
"The abusive parents, okay… But what specifically caught your eye?" Ariel asked.
"It's the way I saw the teenage kid… The kid looked like he wanted to end up dead from the pileup, maybe knocking sense into his parents… He looked desperate… Ariel, if you saw that kid, you'd feel the way I felt! He looked tired and fed up!"
Ariel thought for a moment once she heard what triggered Spinelli's reaction. "Ok, ok… Hmm… Alright, so I see. I'm guessing everyone else missed it?" Spinelli nodded. "Ok… We found out what caused your reaction, now I think we finally take that matter into our hands."
"What do you mean?"
"I know a lot more kids suffer from parents like that, but it would be an effort to stop parents like that, no? But I don't think that's the reason alone, am I right?" Ariel questioned.
Spinelli sighed. "You're right… Normally, obviously, I feel bad for any kid suffering through that, but you know their case file. Their financial situation is horrendous, they both suffer from medical issues, both the mother and father with heart issues, and their age is more or less advanced. The mother is in her 50s and the father is in his mid-60s. Not to mention they have no family members here."
Ariel couldn't help but nod in agreement. "That, you are right. And to be honest, I've never seen a financial situation as bad as theirs, and I highly doubt money would stop their issues. And even if it did, it doesn't take away the child's trauma of hearing their parents yelling and arguing. I see what you're getting at."
"So, what do I do about it?" Spinelli asked with a shrug.
"Well, I think some time with your kids will help ease that pain of those neglectful parents, because you know you're doing what's right, and that's loving and caring for your kids." Ariel gave an encouraging smile. "But about that case file, I think we'll bring this matter to Arnold and we go from there."
Spinelli soon hugged Ariel. "Thanks…" Ariel hugged her back. "Of course. It's no problem…" They soon let go. "Go spend some time with your kids." Ariel smiled. Spinelli smiled back.
Back at the docks…
SHATTER
CRACK
One thug was thrown into a broken-down car windshield.
Sapphire picked up two guys and threw them at Trickshot, where he finished them off with his handguns.
Nadine stabbed two thugs with her robotic tentacles while Shadow broke a thug's leg.
Just about all but one were taken down.
"What's this?" Sapphire noticed a thug trying to crawl away, but she stepped on his head to stop him. "LET… LET ME… LET ME GO DAMMIT!"
Shadow winked at Sapphire, signaling he had an idea. Sapphire smirked as she took her foot off the thug's head. Once the thug noticed her foot was off, Shadow immediately dragged him by the collar and threw the thug against a wall.
"D'UGH!" Shadow pinned the thug after slamming his shoulder against him. One hand clenched the thug's clothing while his other hand had his blade in hand and at the guy's stomach.
"You have ten seconds or so help me…! One… Eight…!" Shadow warned.
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK! JU- JUST DON'T HURT ME! The thug yelled. "We were meeting here with Big Geno for weapons and drugs! He has known sources on where he gets this stuff! He also said he would let us see his women like he said in the offer, but he lied to us!"
"Is that what could explain that unknown base?" Sapphire asked. "He did say about profiting off of it to make the cash necessary for the weapons." Nadine mentioned.
Shadow growled. "You assholes make me sick… Is that Geno's game? Profiting off human trafficking from girls as little as ELEVEN?!"
"…and maybe… grown women too? THAT'S NOT ANY OF MY BUSIN-" Shadow headbutted the thug to knock him out.
"So that's Geno's game? Profiting off human trafficking to convert the cash into his weapon and drug deals from private sources?" Gerald summarized.
"Most likely…" Shadow looked back. "We'll have to see where he ended up, even with the tracking bullets, he may have fled in a different car elsewhere by now." Shadow added.
"What's the plan now?" Sapphire asked.
"We have some intel on Geno. He profits from trafficking and gets his profits from known resources. Now, I think it's time we find out what happened to Trevon and see if the Militia are still in their experimenting phase…" Shadow explained.
Meanwhile, after having a small conversation with Ariel, Spinelli went upstairs to the living to find her three kids, mostly bickering as usual.
"No, but-" Allen and Pamela dropped the controller they were fighting over once they saw their mother. While she was still in gear, it didn't bother her.
"MOM!" The two yelled in excitement and ran over toward Spinelli. Amelia also ran up to her mother.
Spinelli smiled and embraced Allen and Pamela into a warm hug. Amelia would hug her from behind. "Oh, I missed you three…"
"We love you, Ma…" Pamela smiled.
"We'll always love you, Mom." Amelia also smiled. Spinelli smiled after hearing her children say that. "I love you three with my entire heart. Your father and I will always love you…"