THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

The forbidden five part 2

The bruises were still fresh when they found out.

Wolf was pacing in the living room, a glass of scotch untouched on the coffee table. Snake stood against the wall, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. Shark, Piranha, and webs sat nearby in a tense silence.

"She didn't want us to know," Diane said carefully, handing Wolf the ice pack she'd found in the freezer.

"Too late," Snake hissed. "She got hit. Twice."

"She's trying to handle it herself," Diane tried, but even she could hear the shake in her voice. "She said not to get involved."

Wolf's jaw clenched so hard it popped. He crushed the ice pack in his palm.

"She's our girl," he growled. "And no one lays a hand on her. I don't care how many schools they've burned down."

Princess knew something was wrong the moment she opened the front door the next morning and saw all five Bad Guys dressed and waiting.

Wolf in his dark coat and boots, Snake flexing his jaw like a boxer, Shark and Tarantula cracking their knuckles, and Piranha chewing gum way too hard.

"You're not coming," she said flatly.

"We are," Wolf replied just as flatly. "End of discussion."

"I told you I can handle it!"

"You got punched, sweetheart," Snake said, kneeling slightly to look her in the eye. "Let us handle it now."

She folded her arms. "You'll only make it worse."

Wolf opened the car door. "We're making it louder. Let's go."

The moment the six of them walked into the school, it was like the walls exhaled fear. Every head turned. Whispered voices rippled through the crowd.

And at the far end of the hallway, the Five waited.

They were lounging against lockers like they owned the building—because at this point, they basically did. Roxanne raised an eyebrow. Nate cracked his neck. Zack smirked under his shades. Drin let a beetle crawl across his knuckles. Kura was gnawing on a stapler.

"Well, well, well," Rox called, clapping her hands. "Look who brought her dads to school."

Nate chuckled. "Cute. Real family outing."

Zack added with a sneer, "All that muscle... and still couldn't protect your girl."

Princess stepped forward. "Don't—"

But then Drin leaned in toward her with a venomous grin. "What's it like living with the guys who killed your mommy, princess?"

That was the last straw.

Piranha launched forward with a roar, fists flying, but Zack caught him mid-charge, flipping him over like it was nothing. He landed with a thud and a groan. Blood trickled from his lip.

"Ohhh," Kura laughed, pointing. "That's embarrassing."

The Bad Guys moved in fast—Shark threw a punch at Nate, who dodged and slammed him into the lockers. Snake aimed low, quick like a whip, but Nate caught him and headbutted him hard, knocking him to the floor. Webs tried jumping on Drin, only for a handful of hornets to erupt from the wasp's sleeve and send her flailing backward in a panic.

The hallway cleared. Students scattered. Teachers hid. Phones were raised to record, but no one stepped in.

Wolf snarled and charged at Nate, fists raised.

"You lay one more finger on my daughter—!"

He didn't finish.

Nate tackled Wolf through a row of lockers, denting the metal with every blow. Fists flew like thunder. Wolf managed to land a hard one to Nate's stomach, but Nate bounced back fast, throwing elbows and shoving him down with brute force.