Blood Bonds

Part 19 - Kidnapped!

The next morning, Eclipse was unsure what to do. His lessons with Nutmeg, the real Nutmeg, were most likely done for good, but he couldn't start attending regular classes without looking suspicious. So, he waited patiently by the pink squirrel's office until the octopus-in-disguise let him in.

"Why are you here?" The pink squirrel asked with some vexation in her tone.

He rubbed his hands together uncomfortably. "Nutmeg's been my private tutor for the last few days. I can't exactly waltz into regular classes out of the blue."

"Ugh. Of course." The pretender rolled her office chair back behind her desk and took a seat, looking through the opened email system on the monitor of her computer. "I'll have to get another counselor to do it. My schedule's full right now."

"But who...?" Eclipse cringed as he heard a soft knock sound before the door clicked open behind him. He turned and goggled at the blue Yorkie Mobian who peered in.

"Hey, bad time?" The stranger asked, looking from the trainee to the Head Mistress.

"Um, no." Nutmeg faked a smile and tore her eyes from the screen to gaze curiously at the dog. "What's up?"

"I heard about the attack at Metropolis, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Nutty." The dog, dressed in a red hoodie with a gun strapped to his back, stepped the rest of the way inside, revealing a lovely bouquet of roses in his arm, all different shades ranging from pale pinks to vibrant magentas. Nutmeg regarded the flowers with some surprise, before realizing that this was her... boyfriend. No one in N.I.T.E. had warned Mimic of this, unless they, too, had been as oblivious to it as he had been.

"My favorite... colors! Aw, you shouldn't have." Mimic cringed internally as the dog leaned down and pecked the squirrel on her cheek. Nutmeg smiled back at him as he straightened upright, unsure of what to do in the current situation.

"Um, I'm fine, thank you for checking up on me?"

The dog smiled endearingly at the squirrel's seemingly shy demeanor. "Just know that if any of these punks hurt you, I'll beat the shit out of them, 'kay?"

The shapeshifter couldn't help but snicker, but she played it off as amused giggling. "Okay, sure. Thanks, babe."

"See you Saturday, Gumball." The wolf headed for the exit.

Both villains watched him leave in silence, until the door shut behind him, and they relaxed.

"That was... awkward." Eclipse commented, earning a nasty glare from the mercenary faking Head Mistress.

"If you bring this up, ever, I will kill you." The squirrel resumed looking through her email, before pausing at a conversation. "This'll have to do. Ever heard of Amy the hedgehog? She's your new tutor." She typed a reply to the email and was satisfied to get an immediate response. "Starting today."

"Lovely." The alien uttered, crossing his arms grumpily. "What will you do in the meantime?"

"That's for me to know and you to not worry about." The squirrel stood up and beckoned for him to follow her out of the office. They walked coolly down the hallway and headed for the main lobby. By the time they reached it, the guards were permitting a pink hedgehog to enter the building.

"Hi, Nutmeg!" Amy exclaimed exuberantly. "Thank you so much for-!"

"-Yeah, yeah, I know!" Nutmeg cheesed playful excitement while at the same time dodging her hug. The squirrel then straightened her posture as she diverted her attention between the two. "Amy, this is Eclipse; Eclipse, Amy. During his stay here, you'll be Eclipse's private tutor. You can use the library as your office space, Valorie will be there if you need any directions or further instructions. Any questions?"