The Great Above: Father & Son 7

Amber Shining Through

Willow froze, quite a few feelings filling her as she stared at the boy illuminated by the moon shining through the shattered window.

She felt so shocked to see that Purple had somehow survived the murderers that live under the same roof as him, but relieved that he had.

Without him, only God knew how any of them would be able to both move on without him, or continue with the war that was being waged by Sunny and the refugee camp that they had.

"How the hell did you get here?" Purple asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Simple. Stupid Navy trapped me, you, Sunny, and a crap ton of people from the city in this other dimension. Think they got more portals opened across the area to kidnap more people." Willow explained briskly. "But that's not the point. The point is getting you out of here and to the camp."

"What?"

"We're getting you out of here." Willow said simply, moving forward to grab his wrist.

"Not until we figure out what the hell this war is about."

So someone was working as a spy and gave Purple knowledge.

Sunny did not think this through.

"Who the hell told you that?" Willow snapped angrily, making a mental note to yell at Sunny for sending someone into the castle of the enemy to talk to Purple.

"Night Shade and Fern have been contacting each other ever since Fern vanished into thin air after the portal opened." Purple explained.

"Fern? In contact with you guys? That's not surprising. Given he's...been with us this entire time..."

Hold up a second...

"Well, then if he's been with you guys at the refugee camp, then why's he been walking around the castle with Night Shade?"

They stared at each other for a brief moment.

"Fern tricked us again, did he?" Willow said.

"Most likely, meaning..."

"Getting you out of here is going to be much more dire once we figure out what that project is," Willow said. "But I've been in this castle for about a day, so I have a vague idea." She added.

"What's that idea?"

"Someone who knows your family well and can take them down."

Willow seemed to know the castle like the back of her hand, since she was easily able to lead Purple up into the rafters and led them straight to where the room Night Shade housed his project in.

She led them through the rafters into the hollow space between, crawling to a small hole in the wood, just big enough for them both to see into the room, where moonlight illuminated the area.

"The hell is he up to?" Purple whispered.

"That's up for debate for just a little longer, don't worry." Willow whispered back, peeking through the hole.

From what she could see, it didn't look like much. A capsule in the middle, a crap ton of lab equipment, and a whiteboard in the center littered with papers and scribbles.

Typical lab.

Night Shade stood at the edge of the capsule, staring intently at it. Willow stared with him, wanting to know what it could be and how it could benefit in any way possible.

On either side.

"No matter what it is, one of our sides is getting a positive effect, and the other a negative," Willow explained. "We have to get the positive benefit somehow."

"But how?" Purple asked. "Navy could use this to his advantage and brainwash it, like he's done before. If this is someone that knows King or the others, how would they work in our favor if they're brainwashed?"

"This is someone who's known King for years!" Willow said. "She might listen to you, given how close you and King are. We just have to convince her that they're the bad guys and we're the good guys!"

"Well, good luck with that." Purple said, pointing at the now empty capsule.

"What the-" Willow's senses flared. Someone was behind them.

A faint orange aura filled the area, and Willow turned to look at the figure.

A warm orange stick figure stared down at them, following Purple's still-frozen gaze on the room below, stuck on a bewildered Night Shade.

The figure turned to her, staring her right in the face. Purple broke his gaze to stare at the new stick that had joined them.

"Your not King." The figure said.

Purple shot his glance at her. "King? How do you know him?" He asked.

"My husband..."

Willow and Purple both stared at her in shock.

"Your King's...wife?" Willow asked.

"Yeah?"

Purple stared at her. "Then...you should know Gold, right? Your son?"

The woman blinked.

"Gold?"

Another blink.

Willow stared at her for another moment. "Okay...do you know your name?"

"Amber."

Willow and Purple shared at each other again. Amber seemed to be giving them some of the most robotic, programmed responses that had come out of someone Willow knew.

It was very weird, to say the least.

Amber blinked at them again, analyzing the duo's faces.

Willow turned to Purple. "Run."

"Why?!"

"She must think we're threats. Your probably right, Purp. She might've been brainwashed by Navy into attacking us. And if she's related to King and knows how close the two of you are, she's going to want to get rid of you. She'll think your competition, and if we're going to defeat these guys, God are we gonna need you!"

"Nice to know my talents are appreciated in dire situations," Purple grumbled, jumping up into the rafters. "Where to?"

Silence.

"Willow!"

More silence.

Purple decided to do what Willow would've wanted him to do and ran.

If she had gotten captured by Amber, or is she had gone another way and just hadn't realized she and Purple had been separated, he'd end up alone for the time being, meaning anything he face, he was getting through on his own.

But Willow was right.

God, were they gonna need him.