Before the Ever After

Who..?

"What..?" Cosmo was confused. She's never seen this... suspisiosly hot man before in her life.

"Cosmo," Crypt looked at Cosmo. "You know him?"

"N-No!" She said quickly. "I've never seen him before!"

"Aw~" The man hummed. "Don't be that way. You know me."

"No! I don't!" Cosmo looked at the man.

"Yes. You do." The man insisted. "I'm hurt. Honestly, Cosmo."

"I don't even know who you are!"

"You don't recognize your own brother?" He smirked.

"I... I don't.." Cosmo studdered. She never remembered having a brother. She only had one sibling. Her younger sister, Bliss.  And she doesn't even remember her parents. Only four or five memories of her dad. She never had a brother. So who was that?
"I never had a brother..."

The man stopped. Surely Cosmo remembered him. But... She didn't?
"...Um..."

Silence.

"This is awkward..." Valentino took a bite of cheese. Chedar cheese.

Wait. His hands were free. How?

The man looked over at Val. "How did... Where did you get that cheese from?!" He said, not expecting an answer.

Val shrugged. "Cheese." He said. Sternly. He then threw a handful of cheese at the bat hybrid, which partially blinding him.

"Ah!"

Valentino quickly ran over to the others, and started to free them as well.

Meanwhile, the man was whipping the cheese off his suit, grumbling in annoyance.

"Master...?" The small mantis hybrid squeaked.

"What?!"

"Um... I think they... uh.. They..."

The bat hybrid looked over at Cosmo and the others, who were now completly free.

"Um... wait... Let's talk about this..." The man slowly took a step back, dropping his clipboard and pen.
The little manis hybrid quickly scrambled to pick up the clipboard and pen.

"Talk about what?" Newt hissed.

"How you kidnapped us?" Tarcias grumbled, protectivly grabbing Crypt's hand.

"Kidnapped?" The man tilted his head, dropping his hands. "No! I saved you all!"

"Saved us?!" Prince hissed.

"You turned us into hybrids! Which is cool.. but still! Againsted our will!! You didn't even ask." Bingus crossed her arms.

"I didn't do that!!" The man insisted.

"Bullshit!!" Newt got into a fighting stance.

"Eep!" The little mantis hybrid sqeaked.

"GUARDS!!" The bat hybrid yelled, and not even three seconds later multiple dog hybrids dressed in a fancy suit and tie came running in. The bat hybrid quickly ran towards a control pannel in the back of the room, and pressed a big red button. Loud, flashing red sirens soon accompanied the panic in the room.

The guards were starting to fight the... seven friends? Weren't their eight?
Prince looked around. Crypt and Tarcias were fighting one of the big guards. Newt was fighting another one. So was Chairlie, Bingus and Valentino. Including Prince, that was seven. Where's Cosmo?!
Prince looked around in a panic. He spotted Cosmo running towards the little mantis hybrid, who was unaware of Cosmo approaching. He was just standing by the bat hybrid.
Cosmo scooped up the little mantis hybrid in her arms.

"Eep!!" The mantis hybrid squeaked.

The bat hybrid turned around when he heard the surprisingly loud squeak of fear the little mantis hybrid made.
"Minic!!"
Cosmo kept running, but not before the bat hybrid grabbed a pocket knife and slashed at Cosmo, trying, but failing, to get the little mantis hybrid back. The knife cut her cheek a little, but that's fine.

Cosmo didn't care about the pain. She's had worse than what a little pocket knife could do.

Cosmo swiftly ran out the door, still holding the mantis hybrid, who seemed too scared to fight back.

"Guys! Follow Cosmo!!" Prince yelled to the others, running out of the door to follow Cosmo.

The others quickly dodged the guardes, running after Prince to follow Cosmo.

Cosmo was just across the surprisingly huge hall that was filled with other doors and desks with papers on them, as well as beakers filled with substinces. The walls were a dark red, with the top and bottem black and gold. The ceiling was also black, with hints of dark green and dark purple here and there. There was also gold on the ceiling, like someone was messily painting over a gold colour with any dark colours they could find.
Cosmo was still holding the little mantis hybrid in her arms, covering his mouth with one hand. She was climbing into a surprisingly large vent at the very end of the hallway. The others quickly caught up to Cosmo at the end of the hallway, and climbed into the vent with her. Bingus was the last one in, and made sure to close it behind her.

Everyone was in the vent now.

Safe..
Maybe.

In a vent... with a small stranger.

Cosmo put the the little mantis hybrid down in the vent, but between her and Crypt, so he couldn't escape, even if he tried.

They all sat in silence.
Catching their breath.

What do they do now?