Hidden Mysteries

Parent Trapped

AN: Warning for blood + violence in this chapter!

"So the next journal's in this cave, apparently?" Test Tube asked, looking at the map that Suitcase had spread out over a rock that was large and flat enough to use as a table, where Balloon and Fan were bending over.

The younger girl nodded. "That's what the letter from Battery said. He also said we could take a train there, and that there's some passcode that we gotta say. Something about one-way tickets to the edge of the state."

"So, that's our next move?" Balloon said slowly, glancing over the map. "We hop on a train down to Mors Morietur?"

"I don't think we should do just that," Test Tube replied. "i mean, we gotta plan this out, don't we?"

"What is there to plan out? We get on train, ride to weird cave, find journal, go home, bang! Another journal closer to saving the world," Suitcase points out, leaning against the rock. "Besides, it's not like we have time."

"Yeah, Suitcase is right." Fan nodded in agreement. "I've seen enough anime to know that the end of the world is serious as all hell. If we don't want that to happen, we gotta act fast."

"Well, I'm...kinda technically grounded, right now?" Suitcase said nervously. "My dad, uh. Found out about the sneaking-out-to-break-into-my-school thing. Well, minus the breaking in parts."

"Then we ditch school and go straight to the caves!" Fan exclaimed, slamming the rock-table with his fists. "Better sooner than later!"

"Wait, miss school?" Test Tube's eyes go wide. "But—"

"Test Tube, you have A's straighter than a ruler. You can live missing just one day of classes."

"But Fan—"

"Testy, the world is literally at stake! Isn't the world sorta more important than your grades?"

"I—...well, I guess when you put it that way..." Test Tube muttered softly.

"Then it's settled then," Suitcase said aloud. "Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head off to the train station! Sounds good?"

As the group exchanged noises of agreement, Merripen was watching from a distance, cackling to themselves quietly.

"They think it's all going to be smooth sailing, don't they?" the demigod giggled, kicking his feet in the air. "Oh, those fools! Poor, unfortunate souls...they have no idea how hard I'm going to make it for them, so much harder..." He flew back and forth as if he was pacing, tapping his fingers on his chin as he mused aloud.

"Now, who to target for my next stage...Suitcase is a no-go, I don't want to deal with ol' Chubby and his new boytoy yet...so it's a three-way tie still...ah, why not leave it to old chancy, my good friend!" Merripen clapped their hands, a three-sectioned wheel appearing, with three pictures on it. They grinned widely, giving the wheel a hard spin and staring at it gleefully as it spun around at top speed.

"Let's see here...eenie, meenie, miney...you!"

~~~~

"Bye, Blueberry honey! Have a good day!" Tea Kettle singsonged, waving to her teenaged son as he slunk off to catch the public bus to the local high school before shutting the door. "And that's both our kids off to school!"

"Heh, now we have the house to ourselves, huh?" Lifering chuckled, looking up from his newspaper. He would normally be at work, but due to his office building being fumigated he had the day off that particular day. "Been a while since we've had the house to ourselves."

"It has, hasn't it?" Tea Kettle sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. "And you finally have some free time today, don't you?"

"You can say that again. Today would be a good day to get some quality time with my lovely angel of a wife."

"Oh, Lifering! You old charmer, you!" Tea Kettle kissed her husband's temple. "Almost thirty years and you haven't changed a bit."

"And neither have you, my darling TK," Lifering replied with a smile.

Their conversation was interrupted by three sharp, quick knocks at the door, one after the other.

"Coming!" Tea Kettle rushed over to the door, opening it to find a tall man with dark hair and priest-looking robes standing on their porch, hands folded and placed in front of him. "Oh, hello sir! May I help you?"

"Ah, yes. My name is Sir Merry. You don't mind if I come in for a second to talk, do you?" The man bowed deeply, smiling up at the motherly woman.

"Oh, of course! Come in!" Tea Kettle stepped aside, allowing him to walk inside. "This here is my husband, Lifering. Don't mind him, he may look tough, but he's the sweetest man I could have ever known."

"Hello there," Lifering greeted, trying to ignore the feeling boiling in his gut. He felt like he shouldn't trust this Sir Merry, but he couldn't put his finger on why. "What brings you to our home?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you would like to discuss a little...group that would benefit you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid me and my husband aren't...ready to explore ourselves spiritually," Tea Kettle lied, glancing at Lifering from the corner of her eye. "I'm afraid we'll have to decline."

The priest began cackling darkly, lowering his head as a sinister-looking smile spread slowly across his face, confusing the married couple deeply.

"I...Excuse me, is something wrong?" the middle-aged woman asked slowly, taking a nervous step back, Lifering putting down his newspaper, looking tense.

"Pardon me, but...I wasn't asking."

He thrusted his arm forward, a beam of light shooting from his hand, aimed right for Tea Kettle. Fortunately she managed to dodge it in just the nick of time, the beam making a large crack in the wall behind her, knocking down photos of their family.

"Hey! What the hell?!" Lifering screamed, standing up quickly. "Who the hell do you think you are, buddy?"

A bone-chilling laugh echoed through the room, and with a snap of the fingers, "Sir Merry" disappeared, the intimidating figure of Merripen taking his place. "Oh, me? Let's just say I'm a friend of someone you've become familiar with."

"Now listen here, you paskundneh!" Tea Kettle shouted, rolling up her sleeves. "I don't know who you are, but I will not tolerate being randomly attacked! Now get lost or I'll be forced to show ya why they called me Boiling Kettle in my college wrestling days!"

"Oh? Are you challenging me to a fight?" Merripen smirked. "Well, go ahead, old lady! Gimme your best—" They suddenly found themselves dodging a lamp that was thrown at them, Lifering cracking his knuckles with an extremely pissed look on his face.

"Don't you dare talk to my wife like that, you horned bastard!" Lifering swore, glaring at the demigod with a harsh look. "You think you're a wiseguy, huh? Well, take this!" Before Merripen could react, Lifering jumped on the coffee table, grabbing a nearby vase and smashing it on their face.

"Augh!" Merripen growled, wiping black blood off of their face. "Dammit!"

"Lifering!" Tea Kettle gasped, staring at her husband in shock.

"Sorry about the vase," Lifering apologized, standing up to her feet. "But I'm not letting you stand up to this thing alone!"

Merripen turned sharply to face the couple. "You two like playing dirty, huh? Well, how's this for ya?" He snapped his fingers, suddenly trapping Tea Kettle in a large, cream-colored bubble that began floating in the air.

"Oy gevalt! W-What is this?!" Tea Kettle cried, pressing her hands against her bubble prison. "Get me out of here!"

"TK!" Lifering screamed, looking at his imprisoned spouse in fear. "Let my wife go!"

"Lifering! Lifering, run! Don't let him get you, too!"

The red and white haired man tried to bolt for the door, only to be trapped in a giant bubble as well, just inches away from the door. The couple began pounding at their bubble cages, screaming and attempting to escape as best as they could.

"Well, this is cute. Just cute," Merripen chuckled, licking the blood off of the back of their hand. "Those kids better buckle up. The show's just started, after all..."