Part 4

Once in the parking lot and when they were by Alice's car, she and Tilly looked all around for Remy.

"Hmmm, now where did that boy go off too?" Alice wanted to know. "He didn't decide to go to the bathroom, right? We would have seen him. Did he get lost? My car and the parking lot are right here. Doesn't he know that?" Tilly saw Remy's phone on the ground and picked it up.

"It's Remy's phone." She stated. "Weird. Why is it just on the ground here? Very strange."

"Yeah." Alice agreed. "You kids nowadays are never without your phones or whatever those big square devices are."

"You mean tablets, Gramma?"

"Yeah. Whatever. Point is, kids nowadays are always on them when they should be outside and having a social life, talking to people face to face. Man, those were the good ol' days." Tilly thought about this.

"Maybe the security cameras caught something." She looked at her grandmother. "Come on, Gramma! Let's go talk to the people in charge of the security cameras out here!" She ran off. Alice sighed.

"Why are things keep happening?! Can't a sweet gramma just go home and watch TV in peace?" And she too, went off, "Wait for me, Tilly girl!"

Viper Fang hung up his cell phone when he was done talking to his boss. He grew annoyed as he heard Remy crying in the back of his car.

"Can you stop crying?!" He shouted. "I need to focus on driving!" Remy ceased his tears to look up front.

"Haven't you been kidnapped before?" He asked.

"No."

"Well, lucky you. I don't know if I'll see my mom, dad or friends again. It's stressing me out. I'm just having a bad day today." Viper Fang sighed.

"I should have snatched you that one time when you were sleeping." This confused the child.

"What?"

"Forget it. This is why my boss and I hate kids. They are always whining and asking questions. And because of them, the alphabet song is ruined. The alphabet song! When I was a kid, I never once mistook LMNOP for one letter. I knew that they were seperated. I wasn't confused and people my age weren't either. And what is the deal with these dumb nonsensical slang words? What's YOLO? What's cheugy? What's cap and no cap? Why make things so complicated?" He sighed. "And not just slang and songs but even media, even censoring past media and books, sometimes banning them altogether and stopping them from making more copies! You kids are ruining everything for us adults! Oh, and don't get me started on your stupid Croblins and Gali..gal…whatever, those dumb kiddie shows! It's sad that kids don't know what a VCR is or a phone booth."

"I think my friend's grandma showed me her VCR once and told me how it works. But, uh, what's a phone booth? You used to have phones in booths? Gosh, sounds like your life was complicated when you were a kid."

"Our lives were also better."

"If you say so."

"You're just a stupid kid. You'll never understand." Remy got offended by this.

"Don't call me stupid! Calling kids stupid is really offensive and hurtful towards kids. We can't help being born when we are born. Oh, and that's how we learn, by asking questions, lots and lots of questions."

"Whatever. I'm not going to argue with you about this. I don't want to hear your annoying voice like you and all kids your age have." Remy gasped again.

"My voice is not annoying! My voice is high-pitched because I haven't reached puberty yet. All young boys go through that, the high-pitch voice thing. We can't help with how we sound."

"Ok, I'll give you this. Kids aren't the only dumb ones. Adults can be dumb too, especially your parents when my minions hacked your dad's credit card and scammed your mom." Remy was shocked about this.

"What?!" Viper Fang laughed to himself.

"Yeah! I can't believe it either. What morons! I bet brains were too expensive if they couldn't afford them."

"So that means…" The child was then angry. "How dare you! We're now homeless because of you! Don't you realize how much we had to suffer because of you guys? And why would you kidnap a child if you hate kids so much, huh?"

"I told you before, kid. You're live bait. When Tiger Fang sees you, he'll want you back home, even if it means rejoining us."

"So, you're just using me?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Oh, and we framed Tiger Fang. He never committed any crimes. It was all my minions and I." Remy gasped again.

"You monsters!"

"Yeah, well, what are you going to do? Sorry, kid. We do what we have to."

"You didn't have to. You just did it because you are meanies and jerks!" Viper Fang chuckled.

"That's us."

"Well, good luck in convincing Vasquez. I told him that I hated him. There's no way he'll rescue me after that. So you can send me back."

"You'd be surprised. Even despised people deserved to be saved. Tiger Fang won't let you down."

"Well, I don't know about that. I think it's too late and the damage is already done. I hurt his feelings."

"You don't know him like I do. Tiger Fang will want to save you, you'll see." Remy was confused.

"Is my kidnapper trying to cheer me up?"

"Is it working?"

"No, not really." Viper Fang was mad once more.

"Whatever, my point is, I'm not going to argue with you." This made Remy mad again.

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Remy crossed his arms across his chest. He formed new tears in his eyes and cried softly once again. Viper Fang sighed. No one spoke for the rest of the drive.

Tilly ran into the police station. The officer at the front desk looked at her.

"Can I help you, little girl?" He wanted to know.

"Yes you can, Officer." She told him. "My friend was going to meet us in the parking lot by my gramma's car, but he wasn't there when we went outside." The officer frowned.

"Oh, dear! That's too bad. Is your grandma here?"

"I'm right here." Alice replied when she entered the building. She went beside her granddaughter.

The cop talked to Alice about what went down. She and Tilly sat down when the cop told them he'll talk to the head of the security cameras.

"I hope we can find Remy." Tilly stated. "I'm kind of afraid that he was kidnapped, like Cricket was. I hope that's not true. I think he should have gone with us to the bathrooms, waited outside them until we were done, and not go outside by himself. I feel like that was a mistake."

"I feel like that was a mistake too." Alice agreed. "I also hope that he didn't go to the bathroom and we just didn't see him, wasting our time here." Tilly sighed.

"Yeah. I wish I could see if Remy recorded something on his phone, but sadly, I can't without a password." Alice was puzzled.

"Can't you just guess his password and hope to get lucky?"

"I can, but if I guess too many times, it'll lock up for a minute, and then it'll only get worse from there. I could get Remy's phone locked for 999 years if dumb and not careful. Remy will not appreciate that, especially now."

"That can happen?" Tilly shrugged.

"Maybe? Or it could just be for the tablet and the phone is just disabled after a certain amount of failed attempts. Maybe it is possible to unlock a locked phone, but it might be complicated. Point is, I don't want to risk it. Remy said I should take risks here and there, but I feel like some risks are too risky."

"Wow! This is why I don't trust all of this evolving technology. One day, they'll turn on you and turn evil."

"You might be right, Gramma. Technology has its pros and cons, that's for sure."

The cop came back with another person. The cop introduced the other person as the head of security and the head of security told them to follow him. Tilly and Alice stood up and followed the head of security to the security room where they had different feeds of their security cameras. The security head then stopped. Tilly and Alice were confused as they stopped too.

"Why'd you stop, Sir?" Tilly wanted to know.

"Come on!" Alice complained. "I'm an old grandma! I don't have forever you know. I could go any moment now, you know." The head of security looked at Tilly, and frowned.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "But if this video is what I think it is, I don't know if the young lady should see this." He looked at Tilly. "Why don't you go take a seat while your grandmother and I go and…" Tilly was mad. She narrowed her eyes.

"With all due respect, Sir," She began. "I want to see this, even if I might not want to at the same time. I have to see this. I can handle this, I'm 12. I'm old enough."

"Are you sure?" The security head asked. "I don't think you should…"

"Let her come." Alice told the head. "Just like she said, she's old enough. Heck, when I was younger than her, I saw all sorts of horrible things, things that a kid should never see."

"I…"

"Please?" Tilly begged. "I need to know." The security head sighed.

"Very well. But, sorry if you get greatly traumatized. I don't know exactly what'll happen, so I just like to warn you just to be on the safe side. Boy, I hope this doesn't get me fired and I regret it."

"Don't worry. You won't get fired and will have no regrets. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." Alice sniffed sadly as she was now teary-eyed.

"My granddaughter is so gutsy. I love it!" She calmed down as she wiped away a tear. She looked at the security head. "Now, show us that footage before I'm six feet under." The security head nodded.

"Right. Again, follow me." And so, Tilly and Alice resumed following the security head.

"I hate you." Vasquez kept replaying what Remy said to him over and over in his mind. He couldn't believe it. The boy who he had protected and helped care for a decade now hated him. Those three words stung him. It hurt him that Remy was that upset. It was the first time that Remy said that he hated him and he hated it. He never knew that after ten years, he would be here, all locked up in jail.

He supposed he had only himself to blame. He should have known that his work at the Order of the Fang will come back to haunt him. He should have known that one day Remy would want to find out about this. He just wished it was much later when Remy was an adult.

Tilly and Alice were both horrified as they saw Viper Fang kidnap Remy on the security footage.

"Oh my gosh!" Tilly cried out. "Remy got kidnapped too, as well as my brother?! This is just too much for me!" The security head looked at her.

"Sorry, little girl." He apologized. "I warned you and was afraid that this might happen." Tilly looked at him.

"Oh, don't apologize." She told him. "Even though this is heartbreaking and horrible for a kid like me to witness, I needed closure on what happened to my friend."

"I'll tell the others here to keep an eye out. You two go home where it's safe." Tilly began to protest.

"But…"

"Will do!" Alice said. She looked at her granddaughter. "Come on, Tilly girl. Let's listen to this good man and head home where we can be safe and sound from any danger whatsoever." Tilly gave out a disappointed sigh.

"Fine! I understand, but it's still very disappointing." Alice smiled.

"Great! You will thank me later!" They and the security head went back out of the room and into the lobby.

The security guard's walkie talkie went off. He stood outside of Vasquez's cell.

"A kidnapping just took place in the police parking lot." The walkie-talkie said. "Remy Remington, an African-American boy, ten-year-old with glasses, light velvet sweater with red sleeveless shirt, khaki shorts, black and blue shoes with white socks. He also has dark purple- tinted hair." Vasquez gasped. Master Remy! He put his hands on the bars.

"Security guard, you have to let me out." He told him.

"Sorry." The security guard said to him. "You've done something bad and I'm under strict orders. I have to keep you there."

"But you don't understand. I know the victim." The security guard looked at him.

"You do?"

"Yeah, he just visited me, along with his best friend's sister and the sister's grandmother. I was Remy's bodyguard." The security guard was shocked.

"Bodyguard?"

"Yeah. His parents were really rich and lived in a mansion. They hired me to help out and they were really busy with their lawyer jobs. I was hired when their son was an infant."

"Well, that makes all the difference." Vasquez looked hopeful.

"Really? So, you're letting me go help?"

"Nope!" Vasquez cursed. "And why was the walkie talkie so dang loud? Not everybody needs to hear it."

"You could have just turned it down." The security guard glared at him. "Sorry, I'll be quiet now." The Amber Alert on his phone went off. He sighed.

"And now the louder Amber Alert." He took it out and looked at it. "Yep, it's about that glasses kid, Remy Remington." He shut off the alert.

"I know you two are upset." The cop said to Tilly and Alice as they were now in the lobby and the head of security had left them with the cop. "I would too if my grandson and best friend in the world were both kidnapped. But, trust me, leave this to the authorities. We will find them, We won't let you down. That's a promise." The cop smiled. "Have a good day."

"I'll tell Remy's parents about this, Gramma." Tilly told her.

"You do that." Alice agreed. Tilly sighed.

"They're not going to like it."

"I know, but someone has to tell them the horrible news…and I'm glad you volunteered, so it's not me." Tilly sighed again, got out her phone and dialed. She was not looking forward to this.

Rashilda walked up to her husband who just got off of the phone with Tilly. Russell looked like he saw a ghost.

"Russell?" She asked in great concern. "What is it?" Russel looked at her and sighed.

"That was Tilly, Rashilda." He told her. "She gave me an update on our son and it's not good news. Now he's…he's…" But he didn't want to say it as he tried hard not to shed a tear.

"Remy's what, Russell?"

"He…he's kidnapped too." Rashilda's eyes widened in horror.

"No! Not Remy! Please, not our baby!" Rssell sighed and nodded.

"I'm…I'm afraid so." All of a sudden, she fainted. Russell noticed this.

"Rashilda!" He ran to her side. Bill, Nancy and Gloria did too.

A minute later, Rashilda was back on her feet with Bill and her husband's help. They all were concerned for her.

"You gave us quite a scare, Rashilda." Bill told her.

"I'm so sorry that I fainted." She apologized.

"Don't be." Nancy told her. "It happens. There must be a pretty good reason too. We just want you okay."

"What happened that made you faint?" Gloria wanted to know. Rashilda sighed, not wanting to talk about it.

"It's Remy. Now he's…he's…" But she couldn't finish because she burst out crying. They all felt sorry for her.

"What is it?" Nancy wanted to know. "Whatever it is, we're here for you."

"Remy's kidnapped now too." Russell piped in. Nancy, Bill and Gloria looked at him in shock.

"Oh, Russell." Bill began. "That's horrible! I'm so sorry." He looked at his wife. "You too, Rashilda."

"We all are." Nancy put in.

"Man, you guys can't seem to catch a break, can you?" Gloria added.

"I feared that this would happen." Rashilda seemed to say through tears. "Since he was born, I knew that this could happen. We were rich. It was inevitable. I am honestly surprised that it didn't happen sooner. Well, it almost did when Remy was a baby, but luckily Vasquez was there and beat the villain. That's when we hired Vasquez so he could protect him and care for him while Russell and I aren't there."

"I am shocked too." Russell admitted. "Vasquez was a really great bodyguard to our son. Perhaps I was a little too harsh on him."

"Yeah, maybe you were. I mean it happened a long time ago and he's a changed man now and he did community service when he wasn't babysitting our son or when Remy was in daycare."

"I should have believed our son. Vasquez changed so much that it's hard to believe that he'll go back to crime. I don't know if Vasquez committed a crime just recently or not, but if he didn't, I think I was too hard on Remy. I don't know. Man, I feel awful."

"Don't beat yourself up." Nancy said calmly. "We're human. We all make mistakes. The main thing is that you two get him back."

"Yeah, I just hope I can apologize before it's too late."

"You will."

"Joke's on the kidnapper!" Gloria laughed a little. "You guys are not rich anymore." She then got glares from Nancy, Bill and Russell. She stopped laughing. "Wow, I really need to know when to joke and when not to."

"We'll help you get him back." Nancy assured Rashilda. "Just like you guys are helping us look for Cricket. Don't you worry." Rashilda looked at them and managed to smile.

"Thank you." She stood up, wiped away her tears and was now serious. "OK, crying won't get me anywhere, so let's go look for our sons!" Everyone smiled at this.

"That's right." Russell agreed with her. "Let's go. For Remy and Cricket!" Everyone agreed, and continued the search, now for both boys.

Tilly thought about something.

Hmmm, she thought in her head. Did Viper Fang kidnap poor Remy? If Remy's kidnapper is Viper Fang, Vasquez might know something and maybe help. Alice was confused as she looked at her granddaughter.

"Tilly?" She asked. "Something's on your mind. What is it?" Tilly looked at her grandmother.

"I have to get Vasquez."

"What?"

"Sorry, Gramma." Tilly began to run off. I hate to do this, but it looks like I have to once again be a bad kid!

"Tilly, where are you going?" Tilly opened the door to the cells and ran in. The cop noticed this.

"Hey!" He yelled behind her. "Little Miss! You can't go back there!" Alice ran beyond the door too. "Hey, you two!" He ran after them.

"Vasquez!" Tilly shouted at him as she found his cell. She stopped in front of his cell. The former bodyguard looked at her. So did the security guard.

"Tilly?" He asked. "I thought you'd be gone by now."

"And you're not allowed back here." The guard added. "This is no place for children. Sorry, but I'm afraid that you will have to leave." Tilly ignored him.

"Vasquez, Remy got kidnapped." She told him. Vasquez frowned.

"I know." Tilly was shocked.

"You do? How?" She then realized something as she saw the walkie-talkie that the guard had. "Oh, right. You must have heard it from the walkie-talkie. I get it now. That makes sense." Alice and the cop caught up with her. Both of them were out of breath.

"Sorry." The cop said to the security head. "But this girl just ran in here,…the grandma too."

"And I'm really sorry about that." Tilly spoke. "I hated breaking the rules and awakening the emo goth girl rebel beast inside of me." The cop and guard were confused about this.

"She's right." Alice put in. "I have seen her in that weird black makeup when she was a little rebel beast."

"But I needed to talk to Vasquez. He might be able to help." She looked at Vasquez again. "Why do you think Viper Fang, who I think might have kidnapped Remy by the way, I'm not sure, would kidnap him?" Vasqeaz gasped, then grew serious.

"That punk Viper Fang is super hurt that I got hired by the Remingtons 10 years ago, and wants so badly to have me rejoin The Order of the Fang." He answered. "Kidnapping Master Remy just to convince me to rejoin is exactly the thing that he would do. I'm just surprised he didn't do it sooner."

"You don't think he'll kill Remy, do you?"

"I sure hope not." Tilly looked at the cop.

"Officer, do you think that Vasquez can see the footage of Remy?" The cop shook his head.

"Sorry. No can do. He needs to stay behind bars…unless your grandma is willing to pay bail." Everybody then looked at Alice.

"What?" Alice asked. "I'm not giving you money, Who do you think I am? We're not the Remingtons. I don't have that kind of money, plus we'll need to have approval from Remy's parents. And now that they are homeless, I don't think they can afford it either." Vasquez sighed.

"Not to mention that they hate me, so there's no way they will let me out, even with the money." He said. He looked at Tilly. "Sorry, Mistress Tilly. I can't see a way out of here. I'll just have to trust Master Remy and Master Cricket's safe return from behind bars." Tilly looked at the officer.

"Please, Officer?" She pleaded. "Won't you let Vasquez help? He could be of, well, help." The cop thought about this.

"No, there's ain't no way that this man will be set free just so he can help." The guard told her. "Sorry, but that's the rule. He might run off the moment he gets free and commits more crimes. He can't be trusted, and my friend will agree with me, right, Jason?" Jason looked at the guard.

"Set him free, Mark." Mark was shocked as he looked at Jason.

"What?!" He questioned out loud. "But, Jason. I can't. He's a bad man." Jason looked at Mark.

"If what the little girl says is true, he could be crucial to this kidnapping case. I say let him free, so that he can help."

"But…"

"And an officer will be beside him if he does try any funny business if that makes you feel better."

"It does a little. I'm still not sure about this."

"Just trust me on this, Mark. Everything will be fine. Let him go."

"But…but…"

"Let…him…go!" Mark sighed in defeat.

"Fine!" He opened up Vasquez's cell and Vasquez walked out. "I sure hope I don't have any regrets about this." Vasquez smiled.

"You won't." He assured him. "You're a good man, Mark. And I promise I won't commit any crimes because I'm no criminal and I never was…in a long time."

"What?!"

"Don't worry. I already did my time." He looked at Jason.

"Now, Jason, about that security footage."

"Right." Jason replied with a nod. "Follow me." Everyone but Mark followed him out of the room.

Once at Bella and Bash's place, Viper Fang dragged a screaming Remy into the house.

"The boss is on his way." Viper Fang told Bash. Bash grabbed Remy who yelped.

"Hey!" The child cried. Bash smiled. "Let me go!"

"I'll lead him to the closet with the other kid." Bash told Viper Fang. He looked at Bella. "Make Viper Fang comfortable until I come back. Give him a drink or something if he wants, won't you babe?"

"Certainly." Bella replied.

"Thanks. Be right back." Bella left with Viper Fang as Bash dragged off a still struggling and screaming Remy.

"Quit squirming, kid." Bash said to Remy when they were in front of the closet door. Bash opened up the closet, threw Remy in who screamed, and closed and locked the door before Cricket could escape again.

"Darn it!" Cricket cursed. "Foiled again."

"Cricket?" A surprised Remy asked, looking at him. Cricket noticed him too.

"Remy?" Both boys smiled and hugged each other.

"Boy, I am so glad that you are safe."

"Me too, buddy. I just wish it was under better circumstances, but you get what you get, I guess."

"I guess." Cricket was confused.

"Wait, did you get kidnapped too, Remy?" Remy frowned with a sigh.

"Yes." This time, Cricket frowned.

"I'm sorry for that."

"No. Don't be. It's Viper Fang's fault for kidnapping me." Cricket was confused again.

"Who is he?"

"My kidnapper. He knew Vasquez when he worked with him for The Order of the Fang."

"The Order of the Fang? Wait, was that what the scroll was about?" Remy nodded.

"Well, I guess what they say is true 'never meet your heroes' because you never know when they'll turn on you."

"So true. And worst of all, my family and I have known him for years without knowing his past."

"Yeah, it stinks that people who you once look up to your whole life, turns out to be a fraud,"

"You can say that again." He then smiled.

"I think you should forgive him."

"Yea…" Remy then realized what his friend said and was shocked. "Wait, what?!"

"It's all in the past, Remy. That was 10 years ago. I'm sure he has changed over the years. So have you. You were a baby 10 years ago, and you are not anymore and you won't be ever again. Neither will I." Remy couldn't believe what Cricket had just told him. He was then angry.

"No, you're wrong! Vasquez betrayed us! I was dumb to think that he could do no wrong."

"People make mistakes, Remy. Both kids and adults. You know this."

"I know that everyone makes mistakes, Cricket! But what Vasquez did was more than a mistake."

"Was it?" Remy was getting annoyed at this.

"Yes!" He thought about this. "Maybe? I don't know!" He realized something, frowned and sighed. "Oh gosh, Cricket, You're right. People do change over time."

"They sure do, buddy. Well, not all, maybe, but most."

"I was so unfair to him. I shouldn't have said that I hated him." Cricket was confused yet again.

"You said you hated him?" Remy nodded.

"Yeah. I feel downright awful about it. Do you think he'll forgive me if I ever see him again?" Cricket smiled.

"I sure do." It was Remy's turn to be confused,

"Really? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I said the same thing to my dad, well I said that I didn't like him, but that's basically the same thing."

"You did?" Cricket nodded.

"Yup! I shouted it to his face. At the moment, I felt like I hated him, but a short time later, I realized that I didn't. I realized I never meant the awful dilly dang stuff I said. So, if Dad can forgive me and we can be a family again, so can you and Vasquez." Remy smiled.

"You're right, Cricket! I just know that he will. Now, all I have to do is apologize." He then frowned. "But in order to do that, we have to get out of here first." Cricket frowned too.

"Oh yeah, that is a problem. I might have been the reason to your kidnapping and I'm so sorry." Remy was shocked at this.

"What?! I don't understand it. How is that even possible?" Cricket sighed.

"Because I might have mentioned Vasquez to him and that's he's your bodyguard and that your family is rich, well, was rich. I didn't mean to. I wanted to warn you, but I had my phone taken away."

"That explains why you seemed to end your texts so abruptly."

"I guess." He changed the subject with a sigh. "You must hate me now, huh? I understand."

"Cricket, what are you talking about? I don't hate you." Cricket looked at him, confused.

"You don't? But I may have given my kidnapper the idea to have you kidnapped somehow."

"You said it yourself. You didn't mean to. It was a mistake."

"Yeah, but you got kidnapped over it. I say that was more of a mistake."

"Cricket, my friend told me that people make mistakes all the time, adults and kids alike." Cricket gasped in excitement.

"It's me! I'm the friend that told you!" Remy nodded.

"Yup, and just like his dad forgave him when he told his dad that he didn't like him straight to his face, and if I can forgive Vasquez, I think I can forgive my friend too.

"Really?" Once again, Remy nodded.

"Really. I can never hate you over a simple mistake and never will. What's the point in keeping grudges? It's in the past and we can't go back and undo them. All we can do is go forward in life."

"So true! Thanks, Remy!"

"Anytime!" The two hugged again. As the two were hugging, the door opened. It was Bash.

"I hate to interrupt this hug." Bash began. "Oh, who am I kidding? I love that I'm interrupting this hug. The boss is here, so come on, glasses kid!" Remy yelped as he was pulled back.

"REMY!" Cricket screamed. "Leave him alone! He's just a boy!"

"You might see him again, kid." Bash said before closing the door shut. He left with Remy as Cricket repeatedly pounded on the door, sceaming.

Vasquez saw the footage of Remy's kidnapping in horror. When it ended, he balled up his fists in anger.

"Vasquez?" Tilly asked him. "We'll find Remy, right? I mean we just have to." Vasquez looked at her and smiled.

"Oh, we most certainly will." He told her. "Viper Fang has gone too far this time and he knows it. He will pay dearly for this." He then grew determined. "We will save you guys, Master Remy and Cricket. We have to, or we'll die trying! Just hang on!"

"What?!" Alice asked. Vasquez gave out a nervous laugh.

"Hopefully not."

"That's better. I don't want to die on a kidnapping mission. I may be old, but I still have some living that I want to do."

"Me too." Tilly agreed.

"We all want to live." Jason pointed out. "But that's up to Father Time and fate, not us."

"Dark, but true."

"Enough of this depressing talk!" Alice argued. "Let's go save Remy and my grandson before Father Time decides that it's my time!" Vasquez and Tilly agreed, and with Vasquez's escort, walked out of the room and out of the building.

Bash threw Remy to the floor. Remy was trembling with fear.

"So, you're the boy that I heard so much about." A voice said. Remy looked at a gray skinned muscular man. "AKA, the little brat that ruined my cohort's mission and stole Tiger Fang from us."

"Please!" Remy begged. "I was just an innocent baby when that happened. I still am. Well, no longer a baby, but still innocent. Don't unalive me!" The man was confused.

"Unalive?" Viper Fang sighed.

"He means don't kill him." He explained.

"Then why didn't he just say that?" Bella asked.

"It's just his stupid Gen Z or Gen Alpha talk." He glared at Remy. "This is my boss, Wolf Fang. Next time, use proper grammar around him, understand?!"

"Y…yes." Remy stammered. "Sorry. I forgot I wasn't online."

"Good. I don't know how that is at all related, but I don't care."

"Well, I'll consider not 'unaliving' you…" Wolf Fang began. He then cringed. "Good gosh! That poor use of grammar is just horrible!"

"I know, Boss. It leaves a very bad taste in my mouth too."

"Anyways, I won't kill you as long as Tiger Fang joins our gang again." Remy gasped.

"He won't do that!" Remy protested. "He's good now. There's ain…no way that he'll join your villainous gang ever again!"

"Then I'm sorry. I might have to kill you then." Remy gulped.

"Okay, he'll join. I don't really need him anymore anyways." Wolf Fang smiled, showing all of his fangs.

"He sure will, kid. I'll make sure of it. Oh, and my minions kidnapped your friend because he heard too much. They also framed Tiger Fang and hacked into your dad's…"

"I know!" He snapped. "Viper Fang told me everything. How could they?! How could you?! We did nothing to you! We were a nice, wealthy African-American family that didn't deserve any of this."

"Sorry, kid. We had to do what we had to do to get Tiger Fang back. And when he sees you, and when I threaten to put an end to your life, he'll have no choice but to rejoin us. Honestly, we should have done this plan years ago when you were still in diapers, but it's better late than never."

"Well, what are you going to do with Cricket then? Please tell me you guys won't kill him too." The bad guys were all confused. Viper Fang looked at Bash and Bella.

"I thought you kidnapped a human child, not an insect." He said.

"We did, Boss." Bash replied. "Wait,…" He looked at Remy. "Is Cricket his name?"

"Yes!" An annoyed Remy replied.

"Who the heck names their child 'Cricket?'"

"Yeah." Bella put in. "I always heard of cricket being an insect or a county's sport, not a person's name before. Then again, I never heard of 'Bash' before I met a certain cutie."

"You think I'm cute?" Bash asked. "That must be why you married me." Bella looked at him and smiled.

"You got that right and you are the cutest guy that I met."

"Oh, you!"

"Yeah, oh, me!" The two then kissed each other on the lips.

"Never mind about that." Wolf Fang said. "That's not important. Quit it! Ew, that's gross and unprofessional to do on the job. There is a child present." He looked at Bash when the couple stopped kissing. "Lock him up again." Bash grabbed Remy, who again tried to run off. Bash walked out of the room with Remy.

"Wait!" Remy cried when they were nearing the closet. "No one answered my question. What are you going to do with…."

"I don't know." Bash answered. "Maybe kill him first if your bodyguard refuses to join, and then kill you if he refuses again? Maybe hold your friend ransom until his family pays us money. It's okay if they aren't rich like you were. Money is money at the end of the day. And maybe kill him if his family refuses to pay. Or maybe just kill him for the thrill of it." Remy gulped. "I don't know. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Once at the closet, Bash threw Remy back in. Cricket didn't try to run out this time. Instead, he ran to his friend's side as Bash closed and locked the door.

"Remy, are you ok?" Cricket asked. Remy could only frown.

"No, Cricket." He replied with a sad sniff and teary-eyed. "I'm not. Not at all. This is the absolute worst day of my life. Everything is so wrong today." And once again, he burst into tears.