S.H.H.A.

Let's Get This Show On The Road

Awoken by the shrill crow of a rooster, Marshmallow rolled over and pushed back the sheet. Soft morning light lit up her room, disturbed only by the shadows of birds flying by. Quiet murmurs from downstairs and the tinging of glass dishes being set on the wooden table alerted her that her siblings were awake.

After sliding on the same white blouse she had worn the previous day, a pair of blue jeans, and fixing her mid-back length grey hair into a loose ponytail, Marshmallow made her way downstairs. The irresistible scent of sizzling bacon wafting its way through the halls brought forth a growl from her empty stomach.

She entered the kitchen to find Brownie and Ninja chatting across an already set table. Rocky was also awake, his back to Marshmallow as he scrambled eggs. Ninja, leaning back leisurely in her chair, waved Marshmallow over to sit with her.

"Up already? Did you not sleep well?" Asked Brownie, looking at Marshmallow with mild concern.

"Better than I have in a long time," replied Marshmallow truthfully as she pulled out the chair beside Ninja. "Eggs and bacon for breakfast?"

"And muffins," added Ninja while licking her lips. Brownie shook her head with a light smile. Ninja turned towards Rocky and asked him, "What kind were they again?"

"Cranberry orang-" Rocky cut off his reply and grasped his chest as if having a heart-attack when he turned to see Marshmallow sitting there. "When did you get in here?"

"Rude much," replied Ninja with a smirk, "Marsh came in here with me."

"Don't tease him Ninja. You know Rocky, he might actually believe you," Brownie scolded her sister, adding a hint of humor in her voice for the last part. Rocky pouted which only encouraged Ninja's smirk to grow wider.

Marshmallow ignored the three, instead announcing, "I spoke to Ilene last night. She says she may be able to find our cousins, but it'll be harder than finding you guys."

Brownie nodded, Ninja must have filled her in the previous night on their recent adventures. Perhaps some of their not-so-recent adventures as well, but even Marshmallow was beginning to forget some of them.

"Sweet, so when do we start?" Asked Ninja. "Hopefully after breakfast, because it's starting to smell really good." Her eyes locked on the tray of freshly baked muffins being pulled out of the oven by Rocky.

"You have to wait until everyone's in here before you can start eating," warned Rocky as he set them down on the counter. He eyed the pouting girl as if daring her to try anything. If Rocky was anything, it was protective over his food.

"But muffins..." Ninja sprawled her face and arms out over the table. Before she could shove it off, Brownie picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip without even batting an eyelash.

"They're still cooling," she told her sister before facing Marshmallow to continue their conversation. "This Ilene cat can help us find the three?"

"Yes," replied Marshmallow with certainty. "Would you or one of the others be willing to help? They won't recognize me or Ninja as family."

"There is a reason why I said 'us' before," replied Brownie indifferently before looking down and saying, "But they might not recognize me or any of the others as family either. They have... trust issues. I'm sure getting abandoned by their first ever family didn't help."

Before Marshmallow could reply, a cheery voice greeted them, "Good morning!" Smores hopped in with a bright smile on her face, wearing bunny pajamas. Her hair was haphazardly thrown into a bun with strands sticking out at all angles.

Behind her, she dragged Emsea by her hand. The silver-haired girl's scowl balanced out Smores' bouts of joy. Unlike Smores, she had gotten dressed into a blue T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was neatly brushed and partially covering her tired, upset eyes.

"Well look what the cat dragged in," joked Ninja, her head turned to the side to see them. Brownie visibly refrained from facepalming, but Ninja grinned maniacally at her pun. Her eyes lit up and she asked, "Guess what time it is!"

"Morning," grumbled Emsea as if the very word offended her.

"Breakfast time!" Ninja shot off her seat and to the counter where she grabbed a muffin, shoving it in her mouth before Rocky could stop her.

"Ninja!" He shouted, trying to swipe the half she hadn't yet eaten out of her hand. "What's wrong with you! Get a plate like a decent human."

"I'm not a human," Ninja reminded him as if it were enough to justify her actions. She set the now quarter of her muffin on the plate he shoved at her while licking her lips. "I'm only semi-human."

"I didn't say you were a human, I said act like one," retorted Rocky as he moved out of her way.

The others got up to help themselves as well, but before they could reach Ninja, the ground beneath them shook so hard they were thrown off balance. The tray of muffins Ninja had been reaching towards slipped away from her fingers, tumbled on the floor, and spilled its contents.

"What was–," Marshmallow cut Emsea off by placing a hand over her mouth. She raised a finger to her lips, indicating for everyone to be quiet.

A metallic shriek pierced the silent room like the sound of a large truck slamming on its breaks, followed by a heavy thump of something hitting the ground outside. The noise repeated itself, getting closer each time.

Marshmallow crawled across the floor, pressed her back up against the wall, and peeked through the window. Just as she had expected, her "Old Friend" was back. This time in a newer model.

The sleek robot no longer resembled the cube robots in old films. Now it was closer to something a kid in modern day would play with. With a pointed helmet, humanoid arms and legs, and a heavily armored torso. Spray painted on its chest was a gear surrounding a broken heart. The left side of the heart was filled in while the right side was left blank.

Marshmallow turned back around to see Ninja discreetly grabbing a muffin off the floor. They exchanged a knowing look, Marshmallow nodding her head slightly to confirm it was the robot. Ninja rolled her eyes in return before glancing over the rest of their siblings who were left in the dark.

"You guys stay in here," she told them, talking around the chunk of muffin in her mouth. "Our friend's just paying us a visit."

"Friend?" Whisper-shouted Emsea in disbelief.

"He doesn't have anyone else," explained Ninja, not bothering to keep her voice down. "He may have a mecha obsession and a few other problems, but we couldn't just leave the poor guy all alone."

"Ninja," warned Marshmallow with a look that told her, "not the time". Ninja shrugged, taking a last bite of her muffin and closing her eyes. The black-haired girl disintegrated into millions of light pink particles that dropped to the floor at the tuxedo cat's feet.

With a smirk, she pulled her suit out of the watch that had stayed on her wrist even after the transformation. She slipped into the pink cape and mask before waltzing towards the door. "Let's get this show on the road."

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Hey Everyone!

I have dedicated this chapter to fireandsilk13 because she has read and commented so much on this book. It means the world to me, and I'd like her to know that.

Please, if you have made it this far, take the time to tell me if something needs work on. I won't be offended- promise! Even just a spelling error! 

Thanks for reading chapter 17! Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed it!