Emily Daniels smiled as she cut into the carrot. She heard footsteps and her smile grew as her two kids reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the kitchen. “Hey, mom, what’s for dinner?” asked her seven year old son, Hank.
Her four year old, Sally, drummed out a beat on the side of the counter with her toy maracas.
“Soup,” she said, “but it won’t be ready for a while. Plus, we don’t want to start eating before your dad brings your older sister back from soccer practice.”
“But I’m hungry...” Hank whined. ...“Well, I guess you can have a few carrots...” said Emily as she reached grabbed a slice and gave Hank and Sally each a piece.
“Thanks mom!” said Hank, and with that, he and Sally ran back upstairs.
Emily finished cutting the carrots, and then got on her knees and rifled through where they kept the cans. Where were the canned potatoes? She could have sworn that she had taken them out with the other groceries. Maybe she had accidentally put them in the closet. She stood, but felt a strange pressure on the back of her neck.
“Don’t move,” said a man’s voice in a hushed whisper. She froze.
“Your kids seemed cute. Hank and Sally? They really love you. If Joseph and Rachel love you half as much, you’re a lucky woman. But it would be horrible for them to walk in and see their mother’s brains on the floor.”
“What do you want? Money? Just… don’t kill me. I-I know people that would hunt you down if you so much as touch me and my family.”
“I know. Why don’t we talk about these people you know? It seems like you have pretty good friends. Friends your husband doesn’t know about. But if I was in a gang, I wouldn't tell anyone either.”
“You’re ridiculous. What gang?” she hissed
“Don’t play dumb with me Emily. Or should I call you Green?”
“How- How do you know-”
“Did you know that there is a warehouse up north that has a little bit of paperwork that traced back to you? I thought you were maybe a small piece of the puzzle at best, but the more I researched, the more I found out about you. All sorts of money was managed by you. In fact, I’d venture to guess you’re in charge of the money. Am I wrong?”
Emily didn't respond.
“Now, I know you know a lot. And I know you won’t tell me everything, even if I threaten your life. Because even if I let you live, if you told me everything you knew, then you’d still be killed. So, I’m giving you some extra incentive. You know those flowers up stairs that Joseph got you? And that little stuffed giraffe that Sally probably sleeps with every night? And the closet that Hank keeps his clothes in? This controller I’m holding will make all of those explode. Everything upstairs will be destroyed. Or, rather, everyone.”
“You sick bastard,” Emily muttered.
The man pressed the gun harder against the back of her head. “No, I’ll tell you who the sick bastard is. Orange. Kidnapping the twins just so he could mount my head on a wall to show that he killed an S-Class hero.”
Emily smirked. “Oh, you’re Mrs. Pickles? You think you can stop a whole gang? You’re a joke. You can’t take down the Rainbow Gang.”
“Maybe Mrs. Pickles can’t stop you. But he’s not trying to take down the Rainbow Gang. Because when the Rainbow Gang kidnapped Cynthia and Collin, they didn’t piss off Mrs. Pickles. They pissed off Clarence. So I suggest you start talking.”
“I don’t know where Orange is, or the twins. But I know someone who would know where the twins are.”
“Who?”
“Red. He’s hanging out in the park for a smoke. He’ll probably be there for the next half hour.”
“You better be telling the truth. Because if you’re lying, I won’t kill you. I’ll kill your husband. And your three kids. Do I make myself clear?”
She nodded.
“And here, you might want to have the… ‘remote.’”
The man thrust a can of potatoes into her hand and left before she could turn around.
**************************************************************************************************************************
@Melkor
Gerald sprinted away from the park. He knew there was a hero nearby doing something… what was it…? An interview! That’s right! Wasn't it Ventus? Yes, it was definitely Ventus. His sister in law had talked about filming the interview... now, he just needed to get there. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too late…
Gerald burst into the studio and interrupted the interview. The camerawoman looked at the man, confused. “Gerald, what are you doing here?”
Gerald ignored his sister and law and spoke directly to Ventus.
“City X… park… fight… fire… Mrs. Pickles… gang… help…”
With that, the man fell to his knees, exhausted, panting, and out of breath.
Her four year old, Sally, drummed out a beat on the side of the counter with her toy maracas.
“Soup,” she said, “but it won’t be ready for a while. Plus, we don’t want to start eating before your dad brings your older sister back from soccer practice.”
“But I’m hungry...” Hank whined. ...“Well, I guess you can have a few carrots...” said Emily as she reached grabbed a slice and gave Hank and Sally each a piece.
“Thanks mom!” said Hank, and with that, he and Sally ran back upstairs.
Emily finished cutting the carrots, and then got on her knees and rifled through where they kept the cans. Where were the canned potatoes? She could have sworn that she had taken them out with the other groceries. Maybe she had accidentally put them in the closet. She stood, but felt a strange pressure on the back of her neck.
“Don’t move,” said a man’s voice in a hushed whisper. She froze.
“Your kids seemed cute. Hank and Sally? They really love you. If Joseph and Rachel love you half as much, you’re a lucky woman. But it would be horrible for them to walk in and see their mother’s brains on the floor.”
“What do you want? Money? Just… don’t kill me. I-I know people that would hunt you down if you so much as touch me and my family.”
“I know. Why don’t we talk about these people you know? It seems like you have pretty good friends. Friends your husband doesn’t know about. But if I was in a gang, I wouldn't tell anyone either.”
“You’re ridiculous. What gang?” she hissed
“Don’t play dumb with me Emily. Or should I call you Green?”
“How- How do you know-”
“Did you know that there is a warehouse up north that has a little bit of paperwork that traced back to you? I thought you were maybe a small piece of the puzzle at best, but the more I researched, the more I found out about you. All sorts of money was managed by you. In fact, I’d venture to guess you’re in charge of the money. Am I wrong?”
Emily didn't respond.
“Now, I know you know a lot. And I know you won’t tell me everything, even if I threaten your life. Because even if I let you live, if you told me everything you knew, then you’d still be killed. So, I’m giving you some extra incentive. You know those flowers up stairs that Joseph got you? And that little stuffed giraffe that Sally probably sleeps with every night? And the closet that Hank keeps his clothes in? This controller I’m holding will make all of those explode. Everything upstairs will be destroyed. Or, rather, everyone.”
“You sick bastard,” Emily muttered.
The man pressed the gun harder against the back of her head. “No, I’ll tell you who the sick bastard is. Orange. Kidnapping the twins just so he could mount my head on a wall to show that he killed an S-Class hero.”
Emily smirked. “Oh, you’re Mrs. Pickles? You think you can stop a whole gang? You’re a joke. You can’t take down the Rainbow Gang.”
“Maybe Mrs. Pickles can’t stop you. But he’s not trying to take down the Rainbow Gang. Because when the Rainbow Gang kidnapped Cynthia and Collin, they didn’t piss off Mrs. Pickles. They pissed off Clarence. So I suggest you start talking.”
“I don’t know where Orange is, or the twins. But I know someone who would know where the twins are.”
“Who?”
“Red. He’s hanging out in the park for a smoke. He’ll probably be there for the next half hour.”
“You better be telling the truth. Because if you’re lying, I won’t kill you. I’ll kill your husband. And your three kids. Do I make myself clear?”
She nodded.
“And here, you might want to have the… ‘remote.’”
The man thrust a can of potatoes into her hand and left before she could turn around.
**************************************************************************************************************************
@Melkor
Gerald sprinted away from the park. He knew there was a hero nearby doing something… what was it…? An interview! That’s right! Wasn't it Ventus? Yes, it was definitely Ventus. His sister in law had talked about filming the interview... now, he just needed to get there. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too late…
Gerald burst into the studio and interrupted the interview. The camerawoman looked at the man, confused. “Gerald, what are you doing here?”
Gerald ignored his sister and law and spoke directly to Ventus.
“City X… park… fight… fire… Mrs. Pickles… gang… help…”
With that, the man fell to his knees, exhausted, panting, and out of breath.