Hidden Mysteries

Don't Mess with the Sinkers

AN: Warnings for blood, violence, guns, death...this is one of the more action-filled chapters though so all this goes without saying, kinda.
I've actually had part of this written out while the last chapter was still in progress, mostly because I've been excited for this update in particular, which is probably why I got this out so fast, haha. Hope you enjoy!

"Oh, no! You get your claws off of me, you paskundehs!" Tea Kettle swore, rolling her sleeves up as she glared at the many shadow sentries that were crowding around her, their fangs bared at her. "You don't wanna get snippy with this mama bear!"

One of the sentries roared loudly, stepping closer to her. Tea Kettle cracked her knuckles, glaring at the sentry coldly as she readied her fists. The monster lunged at her, only to be met with a swift fist to the snout, black blood gushing on Tea Kettle's apron as the sentry stumbled back, whimpering quietly.

"Oh, so you want a piece, do ya?" she growls, undoing her bun, tying the ribbon that had held her hair up around her hand as it fell down her back. "I'll show you why you don't mess with a Sinker!" She let out a loud battle cry as she ran at the sentries, throwing punches and roundhouse kicking like it was nothing.

Meanwhile, from a nearby cliff above, the others were rushing over to get a glimpse at the sight below them, their eyes widening in shock and fear.

"What the hell are those things?!" Lifering shouted, taking several steps back away from the cliff's edge as he stared below.

"Shadow sentries!" Fan cried. "And dozens of them!"

Candle bit the inside of her cheek. She was all too familiar with the shadow sentries. She'd had many encounters with them, after all...

"Agh!" Handbag let out a cry of pain as the tail of a sentry slammed her against the stone wall, grasping at her injured arm as she stared at the approaching sentry with wide eyes, hyperventilating as tears streaked down her face.

"Handbag!" Candle gasped, tears pricking at her eyes as she quickly brought herself to her feet, running over to her best friend.

"Candle, what are you doing?" Baseball yelled from the other side of the room. "That's practically suicide!"

The purple-haired girl ignored him, shoving Handbag out of the way just as the sentry lunged at her, sinking its teeth in her arm. Candle let out a loud cry of pain, the tears blurring her vision, the pain so intense that she felt like she was going to black out.

"Candle!" Silver Spoon cried, rushing over with his sword at the ready. "Candle, I'm coming!"

Candle inhaled sharply, gripping her sleeve near the area where the large, black scar was. To her children, it was a birthmark, and nothing more. But Silver Spoon and Baseball knew the truth.

And they never spoke of it. It hurt too much.

"Oh my god, is that Mom?!" Balloon suddenly shouted, pointing down below, where Tea Kettle was fighting like crazy, swearing loudly in Yiddish. "Since when could she fight like that?"

"I always said that your mother was a fighter," Lifering chuckled, folding his arms as he stared down at his wife. "They didn't call her 'Roaring Kettle' in college boxing for nothing, after all!"

"But she can't fight like that forever!" Fan cried. "What are we going to do?!"

"Hold on, just let me..." Suitcase opened her bag, digging around with her face scrunched up. "Come on, come on, where is it..."

"What are you looking for?" Test Tube asked, staring over at the young girl with a puzzled look.

"I know I brought...ah-ha!" Suitcase pulled out one of the journals; specifically, the first journal that she had found alongside Fan and Balloon, the journal that had led to her getting the scar on her leg.