Heroes of Flowers: Karmi's Camden Adventure

Chapter 15: The Great Rescue

She wasn't sure how long it had been, just crying to herself as her muscles ached in pain and the chains rattled.

Her failures echoing in her head, the twins kidnapped, Domino being forced to open the Dalmatian's door for the De Vils, it being her fault for getting involved in the first place-

"Karmi?" She looked up as her mother spoke, the gag binding her mouth had fallen off of her face. "You didn't break anything, did you?"

Right... Cruella kicked her into the wall and kept her down before her henchmen tied her up, but it felt like she got hit with pure steel instead.

Maybe she is part cyborg. "No." Her voice croaked like a helpless frog. "I'm... I'm sorry Mom."

Molly frowned, her red eyes glowing with quiet anger. "That woman was wrong, you didn't do anything to cause this."

"But I did! She tracked where I live because I meddled in her schemes!" Karmi protested. "Haley and Ryan are in danger because of me!"

"Karm it's not-"

"Domino is forced to sell out his family because of me, my friends are in danger because of me, the entire dalmatian family is in danger because I wanted to play superhero!"

Her heart couldn't take the pain as tears rolled down her cheeks, the agony in her chest burned more than the wounds from being kicked into a wall.

It was all her fault, if she had just not gotten involved, the Dalmatians would be safe at their family hideout, her friends wouldn't be at risk of getting killed by the devil woman, and her siblings wouldn't be held hostage like she had been once.

"Playing superhero?" Molly echoed. Of course her mother didn't know, Karmi had been so scared that she'd take her dream away, she didn't tell her she was trying to be a superhero. Maybe I should've told her so I'd have gotten a reality check sooner.

That's when her dad spoke up. "Karmi, don't listen to what that woman tells you, that's what bad people do, they try to guilt good people and manipulate them into thinking everything is your fault." Zachary told her. "It's not your fault, you were trying to help out your friends, she's the one to blame for doing all these bad things."

A part of her knew he was right, but the guilt still loomed over her. "You don't get it!" He didn't know what she had been up to.

"I do, there were things people blamed me for that weren't my fault at all, and I believed them." He explained. "It's not your fault."

The works sunk in a little more. You tried your best, Cruella was telling you those things to make you lose hope. But now she felt a different emotion, one more stronger than the lingering guilt she had.

"I hate that woman." Karmi murmured with anger. "She terrorized the Dalmatians for decades over a stupid coat!"

Her parents looked at each other in confusion. "Are you talking about Cruella? There's no way that woman was her." Molly frowned.

"Maybe her descendant... but not her." Zachary added.

She wished she still had that thought. "No, it's her... she cheated death all because she wants her bloody coat! She killed people for it! Canines and humans alike!" The chains rattled as she pulled against them, anger fueling her. "And I hate that I can't stop her!"

At least the last villain she had encountered had the excuse of saving someone's life. It didn't excuse what Diane did to her or her friends, but she had a better excuse than wanting a spotted coat!