Pandemonium [original]

Chapter Fifteen: Blood Runs Thicker than Water

Zaria could not, would not, and did not grieve for the queen. She found the feeling distracting. Instead, she wept silently behind the others, collecting her tools and Legos®. To everyone else, they were toys, but to her they were weapons. She prayed they hadn't found her blueprints yet. Zaria looked to the others. No one was paying attention as Demi was fighting with Sephiram. Poor Rhys... she knew his pain, but Malachi and Caspian were too busy comforting him. Zaria slipped silently into the hall. Pausing, she thought. She would surely need a workshop: somewhere with access to water and large amounts of fire. She left in search of Huey. He would be able to help.

Mal was giving Rhys and Cas space, but he watched the two closely. He worried about Rhys. He was mad at the humans too. He seethed with anger as a dim, red aura barely illuminated his skin. He began to pace.

"We should fight them, show them we're not to be trifled with... I will burn everyone of them to dust... I-I'll--"

He stopped. He really lost it when his loved ones were hurt. Mal sighed and returned to Rhys' side. Mal didn't understand his pain, but he dealt with Zaria so it couldn't be too hard... right? Mal rubbed Rhys' back to show he was there for him.

"I will kill every last one of them! They'll kill Father!"

Demitri wouldn't calm down. She was trying to wrestle past Sephiram. He wouldn't let her go.

"Even I know it's not smart to just go marching in!"

He dragged her to the couch. She cursed and fought him the entire time.

Cas carefully consoled Rhys. He grieved with his brother. The loss of a mother was never easy. It Was worse than hell. He had experienced it first-hand.

Huey was walking back from getting some coffee as Zaria almost ran him over. Zaria stopped adjusting her welder goggles. She was clad in her inventor gear again. Huey pulled her aside, "What are you doing? You'll get caught at this rate!"

Zaria didn't answer for a few moments.

"Your damn world's military attacked ours... They killed the Dark Queen, and will probably kill the Light King... And if you try to stop me, you'll regret it."

Zaria kept her voice dangerously low.

" I-I won't... I'm an ally... R-remember..."

Huey was actually terrified of this dwarf of a girl. Her voice was small and quiet, but burned with passion like a wildfire. She meant business. Huey pulled her by the hand to his apartment so he could hear her plan without alerting anyone who could be onto them.

"So what's your plan?"

"I need a workshop with lots of resources... Somewhere secret that won't be suspected if there's loud noise or smoke. I need water, fire, tools, and metal..."

"I might know a place... It's private property though, it was at least, ... it's outside the city: an old power plant. There was a coolant failure, and it blew half the place up." Huey frowned. It would probably be dangerous.

"I don't know what coolant is, but I'll need a lot of it. I need to make weapons. I have to get back to Discord. I need my plans... blueprints... anything I can get to."

"If I pay.. him... I can help you. My contact is pretty trustworthy. Only under one condition though-"

"You're not coming with me! It's too dangerous. I won't risk it."

"Then no," Huey said with a shrug.

"I'm not giving you a choice. Either you get me what I need, or I'll do it myself..."