Chapter 2

Mira's heart was beating at an irregular beat. Whether it was the sense of urgency she unconsciously felt or the fear of staying out too long. It's funny, really since she was already a twenty-four year old adult that could make her own decisions.

Yet, she still felt like a helpless toddler.

When she arrived home to her parents' house, she was greeted by her youngest siblings: Adam and Karim. Mira giggled, kneeling down to scoop them into a hug. Adam was only eleven while Karim was five. "Where did you go? I missed you, Big Sis!"

Mira rolled her eyes, gesturing her thumb at the door. Her two sisters were still at their respective schools overseas. She wished that they would come back but knowing them, they'd rather spend time with their friends rather than being back home.

The house was the same: Karim being excited over something on the iPad or television, Adam playing some kind of game on his phone- or was it their father's phone? She would be in her room studying and maybe listen to some ocean noises to keep herself calm. Their father would be in the room while their mother...

"Mira!" the young woman was immediately enveloped into a tight hug by her mother, whose messy long hair and red lipstick were enough to make any passerby assumed that she was a witch. Mira returned the hug, not wanting to leave her mother on a one-sided relationship.

Ever since she had disowned Rani, she looked like a free woman. Then again, freedom could only do so much if it meant leaving their legless father to be isolated into their master bedroom so that he wouldn't be an embarrassment to their grandparents.

Or so it seemed.

"...Hi Mama," Mira greeted her quietly. Even though her voice was above a whisper, her mother doesn't seemed to mind. Instead, she kept clinging onto her like a koala on a tree. "Where have you been? Your breakfast was getting cold and I was about to call the police to look for you but here you are."

Mira inwardly shuddered at the thought. Their mother had always been...particular when it came to their safety. Instead, she told her about exercising along the beach and then having breakfast at a local diner. Her mother only beamed.

"That's very dedicated of you," she cooed, glancing at her two brothers, "you here that boys? Better be like your sister: brave and hardworking. Top of her class, studying to be a doctor, and now exercising? This is why you are the best!"

"But I thought I was a the best," Karim pouted, earning a ruffle to the head from his brother. "Sorry, but I'm the best!"

Mira shook her head at her brothers' antics, turning her attention to her mother. She began to fuss on how much she should exercise or eat. "Don't want you to put on weight, dear. Then no one would want you."

Mira had nothing to say. Of course, people say she should talk more or express herself, but how could she went it was so difficult to even talk above her brothers' noise level?

"By the way," her mother began as she was clearing the dining table. "Your grandparents are coming over this weekend. Your grandfather misses you very much."

Mira's entire body froze at the news. That was the LAST thing she'd want to do during this break. "T-this coming weekend?" Her mother nodded excitedly. "Yes, dear. Think of how long you haven't seen your grandparents and they planned to visit us every weekend before you leave for your next semester. After all, you are my father's favourite grandchild."

Mira crossed both her arms across her chest. 'Yes...I'm his favourite...'

Not wanting to hear more about her grandparents', Mira excused herself to go to her bedroom to complete an assignment. It would give her some sort of distraction from the upcoming visit. Another thought that stirred was the idea of swimming either at the public pool or the beach.

...

Mr. Shark was swimming off the shores of the sea.

He was on a mission with Ms. Tarantula and Mr. Snake. They were going to take down a smuggler's boat. From the news, they've heard that these people were bringing in some animals that were invasive to the country's natural wildlife.

Either that or dead animal specimens that might be turned into medicine or exotic wine.

Mr. Shark thought it wasn't a big deal until Mr. Wolf pointed out that if a foreign species was introduced to a certain environment, the chain of events will collapse. If that collapsed, then so will everything he had ever loved such as Push Pops or even pizza!

"Shark, you copy?" Ms. Tarantula's asked via the comms. "Yep, I found the boat. I gotta disguise myself first before we drop our secret weapon~"

He smiled when he heard his arachnid friend chuckling on the other end. He found himself a ladder to climb on, hiding behind some crates to wait for an unsuspected victim. But before he could do that, he coughed out Mr. Snake from his mouth. The said serpent was wearing a white hazmat suit made for a snake while coated in shark saliva.

"You're lucky that I'm in this suit," Mr. Snake grimaced at the sticky saliva as he removed his suit. What surprised Mr. Shark was how Mr. Snake had been 'chill', to put it mildly. He wondered if it was because he won the Golden Dolphin or...

"Say, Snake?" Mr. Shark whispered as he was focusing on a potential victim. "How's your new life with Rani? I know you and her are married and all, but is it different than living with us at the hideout?"

There was silence between them but when Mr. Shark glanced back, he saw a small smile on the Eastern brown snake's face. He wished he could snap a photo but they have a mission to settle. Mr. Snake coil himself to mimic a nearby rope.

"I'd say life's been good. Though, I just hope one day we might go somewhere for a vacation- no, you, Piranha, Webs and Wolf aren't invited."

"Aww, why not? We won't interrupt."

Mr. Shark could imagine Mr. Snake rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I'm preeetty sure you want some juicy details. I know Rani had the chief asking her a lot of things at the gym. Let's get this over with so that I can make it back in time to see her and the kids."

What he meant was 'see Rani and visit the snakes at the zoo that have been rescued'. Mr. Shark grinned, knowing that Mr. Snake won't admit that he and Rani are becoming foster parents to those snakes.

"I wonder if I could have something like that..." Mr. Shark mused to himself as he subdued a crew member to wear his clothes as a disguise.

Gee, I wonder why Mira doesn't want to see her grandparents? I know we all are busy but shutting them off?

Stay tune for the next chapter!