Torn Apart

A Plague on Both Your Houses

"Where do you think you're going?"

Arthur would have laid his ears back if he could, but he had no wish to go through the pain of transformation for something as petty as a physical gesture of irritation. "I don't think I'm going somewhere Lewis. I am going somewhere." He checked once more under the van's hood before slamming it down.

"Where?"

"You're not my mother," he growled, circling to the driver's side. "Neither of you are."

"Arthur-"

"I'm going back to the cave," he snarled. "You all left very quickly and there are some important things and people left behind. Obviously you won't be going back, so I will."

"If you're talking about Chloe and Duet," Vivi stepped in front of the door, blocking his path. "They're already here. Mystery is trying to tend Chloe. She's sick. Duet is being held downstairs until we can question him."

Arthur went very still, his eyes narrow. "The dungeons, huh? Damn you, Vivi, still jumping all around without the pieces."

His words struck hard. Vivi's posture wilted momentarily, then straightened as her eyes flashed a hard pink. "And what were we supposed to do? They crashed on our porch and you were unconscious. If you have any information for us, now would be a good time to give it! So Chloe is a unicorn? Fine. But that's all we know. What happened back there?"

Arthur's lips pulled back as he fought to keep his anger under control. "Listen. All I really feel like telling you right now is that I'm going back for something Solo left behind. And I swear to every god, Vivi, if you make fun of that name I will never speak to you again. You have no idea what that creature has gone through."

Vivi's body sagged further, and Arthur shoved her away from the door. "You already did, didn't you? Fine. But have the decency to put him back with Chloe. He sacrificed everything for her." The temperature in the room rose, and he paused, not turning around. "Don't even look at me like that, Lewis Pepper. I don't know what this is, but it's not a friendship and it hasn't been a team for a long time. So don't bother trying to fix it now. I'm taking Uncle Lance home and going to the cave. I'll be back when I feel like I can stand seeing your face again."

The tips of Vivi's hair snuffed out, smoke rising as she fumbled her way to a crate, sitting hard. Arthur jerked the door open and slid into the driver's seat. Lance glanced over from the passenger's seat. "Little harsh, Artie."

"Don't care right now." Arthur twisted the key, blinking as the side door slid open and then shut again. "What the-" He turned back, coming nose to nose with Mystery. "Not a good time."

"Never will be a good time." Mystery settled down on the middle seats. "You need someone to ground you once you return your Uncle."

Lance's expression relaxed. "First sensible thing I've heard outta the dog's mouth. Though I don't get why I can't stay, Artie."

Grinding his teeth, Arthur revved the engine. The wall ahead of him parted, allowing him to drive out of the mansion and onto the road. "All hell broke loose, Uncle Lance. And we're going to have to go through a lot more hell shortly. I can take it now. Vivi can take it. Mystery's fine. You're the only mortal with nothing to back you up right now."

"C'mon, kid. Don't toss my wrestling gold off that easy."

Arthur paused, the corner of his lip twitching up.

"Kid, I know you're worried about me. But I'm worried about you. Yeah, I don't have a lot to take into this fight, but you sure I can't do something? Anything?"