The next day after school the two eat a snack together in the dormitory break room. With the way they're talking now all previous tenseness has fully been lifted. Still Sonny's fate keeps taking over her thoughts. Trying to focus on their conversation and push such fear aside. "Just got a text from Ron. They'll be arriving here soon. Does your body feel up for it given our last mission?"
"Yeah, I actually felt better after I rested," she replies hesitantly with a nod. Though part of Brooklynn wishes she could lie about her condition to push off any exploring until tomorrow. Only hoping the chest isn't in the one for today.
"Anyway I should be asking you that." Glancing at the bandage still on his right arm. It's no longer bleeding but she still feels guilty about leaving him behind before. "I can heal you with my magic if I transform."
"I told you it's fine! Might've hurt at the moment but not as bad as it looks." Chugging the rest of his drink and getting up from the round table.
"Come on, we should hurry and get ready."
...
"If you're going to be mad at anyone it should be us. We told him to lie to you," Ron declares, the minute they step foot in the back seat.
"No, I'm not angry anymore."
"Hopefully this mission will go smoother for you both than the last one. We haven't even started hitting the big ruins yet," Jerry points out.
"Oh, I was wondering how does Gores stay in his form so long?" she asks her partner. Assuming Fels have a limit similar to herself, but why doesn't that seem to apply to him?
"...I'm not really sure quite honestly. He has had a lot of practice with it. Somehow his mentality is nearly immune to the state. Gores is strong and I'm sure he's holding back for some reason. We have to be prepared for when he truly does go all out."
The drive is about the length as the last time. The limo parking at a rusty coloured ruin surrounded by sand. It's crazy to see what different climates exist just around the capital. Doing her typical spell the barrier is broken. Parting with the detectives as they head for the entrance. Only now for two figures to be standing in the distance.
"Who is that? Gores, but..." her guess trailing off. Duran wouldn't dare show himself in public, and neither appears to be Gores either. Not spotting the typical jester hat he's always wearing, and the shadows look a bit small to be adults.
"No that's-!"
"Dad was right! He knew they were driving to this one!" A girl exclaims with a twirl.
"Long time no see, Sonny." A teenage boy calls out. He's average height having dark pink hair and deep green eyes. Wearing black jacket with several pins stuck on it, and jeans with zippers all over them. The younger girl standing beside him hair is a lighter shade. Flowing down her back and similar large green eyes. She has on a purple vest with a white poka doted pink and blue shirt under it. A light blue fluffy skirt and matching striped socks. Brooklynn can already tell the two are definitely siblings, and one pair from Sonny's explanation comes to mind.
"Akira, Isabelle!" he shouts, and the older male scoffs walking closer to them.
These really are Gores's children...
"So you're the next Felixa, Brooklynn Daniels. You aren't what I was expecting at all. I wanted someone who would put up more of a fight. Though you did injure our dad so badly he couldn't even come today."
"...We had no other choice. Gores kept getting in our way," Sonny mumbles.
"Well you won't win against us. You know what will happen if she destroys the Erebus chest. For that fact we'll do everything we can to stop you both. Cheryl took the secretive approach posing as a middle school student, and she was actually in high school. But I think it's much more easier to just face you head on."
"I don't want to fight you two. Please, you still have the chance to walk away..."
"It's either she dies or we do. I don't wanna have to fight you either, but I know you won't quit now. You'll do anything to protect her, right?" The ginger drops his head in defeat and Akira's eyes narrow. "That's what I thought so we have no choice. Neither of us is willing to back down. Heck, you already killed Cheryl off. How did it feel? To take your cousin's life with your own hands?"
"I didn't-I never wanted to..." But his words trails off once more, and Akira lets out a sigh.
"For the sake of this town, huh? Well not everyone is as self sacrificing as you are." Brooklynn can see the pained expression written on his face. The two of them don't want to battle like this, but there is no other option. She hates for Sonny to have and hurt his own family again, though knows she can't possibly take both on alone.
"Ready, Isabelle?"
"Ready!"
"So we're really doing this. I didn't come this far to back out now. Are you ready, Brooke? Brooklynn!"
"Y-Yes, I'm ready," she stampers, all four taking a battle stance.
"Let's get'em, Aki!"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Akira yells, charges at Sonny as Isabelle goes for Brooklynn.
"So you're the Felixa, Brooke! Try not to break too fast okay? That would be pretty boring."
"You can't do that, Isabelle. Dad says she needs to be alive to cast that spell."
"Okay, okay," she mutters a little displeased.
(Sonny POV)
Akira acts first kicking swiftly with his feet, and he uses the lance to block his attacks. "Electric shockwave!"
Paralyzing Sonny for a second the older boy kicks him up in the air while following with a fire ball attack. He's already good at martial arts and combing it with magic makes the impact much harder. Though Sonny flys backwards for a second his body slowly falls down to the ground and lands upright.
"Stupid beyond gravity. Why don't I use my special ability then. It's much more cool. Multiply!" Several copies of himself appear and surround the younger. All Akira's charge foward swinging and kicking him every direction. It isn't long before he begins to get buried under their weight. Sonny hates to have and transform this early, but he doesn't have much a choice. His older cousin for one definitely isn't holding back one bit.
"Duclen form!" The blast from the transformation destroys some copies blasting others back. He pierce many other down searching for the real one. Finally spotting one Akira standing further away from the swarm. Running at him Sonny quickly attacks with his weapon. Causing his cousin to roll back and the remaining copies disappear. Though he's quick to recover retaking his original stance.
"Lucky guess. Don't think this battle is over just yet!"
(Brooklynn POV)
Meanwhile both girls stand face to face on the opposite end. Isabelle being the first to launch an attack. "Fire wave!" However the burnette quickly puts up her refletive shield to block this, and the fire comes right back towards her. Isabelle avoids it spinning out of the way. "Almost but not quite!"
"Okay then, my turn. Ice go!" Brooklynn ice sickles rain down from the skies and though dodging a couple two do hit her.
"Not too bad but enough with magic for now. I wanna see your telkenisis." The girl holds foward a ball and cup in her hand. Setting the ball on fire and swinging it her direction. Brooklynn pulls up her swords from the sack blocking the incoming attack. "Wow, it's so cool you can use all four at the same time!"
Brooklynn isn't quite sure how to respond to that, and it is odd she's treating this more like a game than an actual battle. "Let me show you something cool, Brooke! I'll do my special ability now." Actually even more weird this girl is calling her by her nickname, but now's not the time to focus on such trivial matters.
"Enlarge!" The short string on Isabelle's weapon grows thick and long as the size of the ball matches a boulder. She can't stop her jaw from dropping at the sight.
"Huh?! How is that possible?!" Swinging it at her and Brooklynn just barely gets chance to run out of the way.
How's she even able to use that thing? It's so huge, I need to do something about it quick!
"Neat, huh? If your wondering how this works I can grow any object super big for a short time. The new weight of it doesn't affect me at all either. It's just as light as it was before, but if this hits you it'll smash you like a pancake." Isabelle swings again and she dives out of the way tumbling across the sandy ground. The ball smashes into the rock wall behind her as a terrifired Akira slowly peeks back seeing the object inches from him.
"Dang it, Isabelle! I told you to be careful with that thing! Look at what you could've done to me!"
"Sorry, Aki. It was an accident."
"That's why you should have practiced more like I said," he mumbles, running fingers through his hair. The remark causing his sister to gasp placing hands on her hips.
"You always lose against Sonny, though you're two years older. Maybe you need to get an actual weapon!"
"I can fight just fine without. It's much better than not knowing how to use one!"
The two continue to shout back and forth as the burnette rejoins Sonny's side. "Um, is this normal?"
"They've always been like this since we were little. They'd have random fights start up out of nowhere."
"Should we...just leave while they're distracted?" she suggests, and the pair slowly creep towards the ruins entrance. However both immediately stop their arguing gazes shooting right to them.
"Where do you think you're sneaking off too?"
"Yeah, we're not finished yet!" Akira follows up, giving his sister a knowing look. "It's time."
"Duclen form!" Both siblings transforming in unison. Isabelle has on an all black dress that is traced in purple. The bottom half looking similar to a ballerina's tutu. As for Akira who's wearing a black suit and longer jacket similar to Sonny's outfit. Both of their eyes now glowing bright red.
Isabelle swings her weapon at them once more both diving to avoid the impact. Some rocks from the very top of the ruins come falling down, and she quickly rolls just dodging them.
"Haha, you can't run away forever, Brooke!" she says in a sing song voice, skipping towards her.
I had a feeling they would change eventually and it's about time I did too!
Brooklynn also transforming into her Duclea. It'll be easier for her to avoid Isabelle's attacks like this. Swinging again Brooklynn simply flys out of the way no problem. "Fly all you want I could do that too. Doesn't make any difference. You'll tire out eventually."
She's right though. I will drain myself staying on the defense. If I can just destroy that rope it'll give me the opening I want.
Waiting for the right moment she aims her laser right at the rope, but to her surprise it only burns through a pinch. The same spell that literally split a car in two. "Even the laser can't cut it!"
"You'll need something much stronger to destroy this thing." This time she uses dark magic to quicken the speed of the swing. It bangs agaisnt her light shield nearly destroying it again, almost a repeat from yesterday. This move won't keep saving her from that ball.
"That's it! If laser won't work then-" Takes off in the air just as Isabelle tries to hit her again.
"You're getting me mad with all this moving. Quit jumping around before I make you stand still!"
"You asked for it. Mega light beams!" Stronger beams of light than usual shooting from her hands. Luckily this spell slowly burns the rope down to nothing. Isabelle holds now a simple cup up in horror as Brooklynn lands on her feet.
"My toy, you completely ruined it! I'll make you pay for that!" Isabelle goes to cast a dark magic ball but before she can the burnette throws her own. Sending the small girl tumbling on the ground, and saps any ounce of strength she had left.
"Sorry, this fight is over." Brooklynn hates to have a fight a kid her age so ruffly, but she wouldn't quit otherwise.
Now checking up on Sonny who is just finishing up his own fight against Akira. He avoids another one of his dark balls and uses the same trap from yesterday to freeze him in place. A fire ball blastes him back to a nearby wall. He automatically changes back groaning in pain from that final hit.
"T-This isn't over!"
"I see butterflies eeeverywhere," Isabelle mumbles, also back to her normal self. The boy cringes struggling to get up on his feet.
"Isabelle, snap out of it! We can't let them get away..." Neither of them are in any condition to fight, and Sonny and Brooklynn both transform back.
"I'm sure they're the only ones that came so we should be good now. Let's move," Sonny voices, and she follows his lead inside the ruins.
The fight gave them both quite the warm up, though she hopes no big monsters are present like the last ruin. Thankfully it's only smaller ones to deal with, and they work past them no time flat. It's a little humid but nowhere near actual desert climate. One puzzle later they reach the very end room. Which has nothing inside but a few empty boxes and sand. Usually Brooklynn would've been upset but today she's actually relieved. "Welp, this one is empty too."
"There's still three larger ruins to go. Come on, let's head back."
When making it to the entrance Akira nor Isabelle is anywhere in sight. "Looks like they both took off..." This was the first time they've had to face anyone different since Cheryl. Wondering who from the FDO will be next to strike.
"Akira has gotten stronger since we last fought, and Isabelle's special ability is nothing to take lightly. We need to be fully ready when facing them again in the near future."
Walking down the stairs towards the still parked limo one thought comes to mind she completely forgot to mention. "Um, I know this is kinda random but I've been meaning to thank you. For redrawing the landscape picture for me."
"Huh, oh, no problem."
"...We're suppose to go out tomorrow right? That was part of the deal."
"Uh, yeah we were...but Ron isn't going to want us blowing off a mission a third time."
"It's okay! We can just ask to go earlier so it'll be time after the mission then! I don't really care where considering it isn't too expensive, since I'm paying for it all. Just be sure to make up your mind tonight." Doing things this way will push their outing back another day. Mentally crossing her fingers that the chest won't be in tomorrow's ruin either.
"Alright, I will."
"Hey, is something wrong?" Sonny has been acting different ever since they reached the ruins. Perhaps he's still upset having to fight more of his cousins, though this really feels like something else.
"No, I was only thinking. By the way whatever I do decide will be looked at for fun and not prices. So I can't make you any promises," he teases, followed by a smirk.
"You better stop messing with me or you'll be paying for yourself." Getting into the car all seems normal with him now. She knows for a split second back there was a hint of worry behind his blue eyes.
He always tries making jokes and find ways to change the subject. I truly hope there isn't anything else you're hiding from me...
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
On a bright sunny afternoon school just ends for the day. Sonny and Brooklynn leave the school building heading behind it towards the dorms. Luckily both detectives agreed to push the mission off until later this evening. Maybe being sympathetic on Sonny's end, and because of it can get ready for their outing. "Can't you tell me where we're going now? A girl has to prepare accordingly, you know."
"Nope, you'll just have to wait and see when we get there."
"Okay, okay, just let me change out of uniform then. I'll meet you back here at the loudge in thirty."
"Sounds like a plan." However before either can move and inch to their rooms somebody calls his name. Turning around two walk up from the back where they were previously just sitting. A middle aged man with a kid following behind him.
"Uncle Andrew, Finley?! What are you both doing here?"
"He wanted to see you so I dropped him off for a visit."
Their names Brooklynn immediately recognizes. One being the eldest son of Duran he spoke on, and the other Sonny's own little brother.
So this man is Cheryl's father...
They do resemble in appearance having the same red hair and hazel eyes. Also wearing thick framed round glasses on his face. Talking a minute he glances over her direction. "And you must be the Felixa, Brooklynn Daniels. It's a pleasure to meet ya! I'm Sonny's oldest uncle Andrew."
"Yes, nice to meet you too."
Sonny looks concerned eyeing his little brother. "Um, I don't really mind if he stays here a while, but Finn will have to hang tight when we leave for our mission later."
"I'll be going with you."
"What?! No, it's too dangerous! And besides we..." He sighs dropping his gaze but Andrew clasps the boy's shoulder.
"Oh, it'll be fine! Finn can take care of himself but need all the help you can get, right? You know I can't very well be any assistant to her. With all this weight I picked up, Gores would finish me off in a heartbeat." Andrew laughing loudly while patting his belly. The younger looks up at Sonny with a downcast gaze.
"If you don't want me to go then..."
Brooklynn can understand his predicament. Even if Finely is a good fighter there's still a chance they could come across another large monster. Sonny only just now fully recovering from the last injury, and wouldn't risk his brother getting hurt. Not to mention FDO members will likely attack them again. It's hard enough for himself to face family, and she's sure he can't want that on Finely too.
Everyone stares at Sonny for his approval and he lets out a long sigh of defeat. "Fine. You can come with us."
A/N How will things go with Finely joining on their mission? Stay tuned for the next update.