NINETY-THREE

Five guards led Ruby and Rose through the facility with all sorts of mumbo jumbo space junk and we were led by some unusually nice guards to the exact holding facility where Forthhold was previously kept.

We removed the guard uniforms and discarded them then it was all up to Rose and her tracking skills, at the moment, we didn't care about the video cameras, the pressure.

We got to the experimental space where we saw them literally chopping him up into little pieces.

It was agony watching how they, with great difficulty, cut through his skin and bone while he yelled in pain, watching in fascination how they regenerated.

The doorbell rang and the two scientists closest to the door went to check who it was through the doorknob camera, but it was blocked and the extraordinarily intelligent specimens of mankind opened the door warmly welcoming the threats on the other side.

I dragged the unconscious people to a corner as Lucy took care of the rest of the eight, armed, trained scientists.

Ruby then went to Forthhold and, tears dripping, gently placed her hand on his cheek and said,"Don't worry dad, we'll get you out of here."

His fluttering eyes showed he was losing consciousness till he closed them.

Ruby used one of the drills they had been using on his nails to cut through the ankyrin and carbon fibre straps they had placed around his limbs.

We dragged him out of there while Mack complained about how heavy he was, when he wasn't even carrying him, it was literally Rose and me while Ruby and Lucy took care of whichever guards came near and all the dude did was stand around and complain, all while looking pretty and showing it to his wife and any female passers by who had smiles plastered on their faces as their unconscious bodies were dragged away.

We finally got out of the facility from an exit far from the protesters but the place was placed on high alert and we soon saw why, another one...

***

Another black creature slowly walked towards us with its tail seductively swaying from side to side, getting even Mack a little tempted.

Licking the blood on its claws, it slowly removed the helmet on its head and both Ruby and Rose yelled,"Mom?!"

She ignored them and went immediately to their unconscious father and felt his pulse, he was only unconscious.

Ruby asked what happened to her then she asked back,"Do you like it? Anput cannot be born without a mother obviously."

"No, she means, what really happened to you? Why would you do this to yourself?"Rose asked,"Power?"

She looked at her and answered,"Love."

She turned as Anubis began to gain consciousness then she squatted to his level and slowly kissed him on the lips then he asked in a coarse voice,"Where are they? Where are my daughters?"

Without looking to her side, she said,"They're gone..."

***

"Phew! That was close!"Mack yelled,"I mean they could have caught us or...Ruby, you aren't telling me to shut up, is something wrong?"

Ruby looked at Rose, who nodded...

"Stop the car!!!"

"I can't believe you'll take a decision like this, without telling me."Mack said, honestly hurt.

"It's not that, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"I finally feel true peace, love and..."

"...so you didn't find peace in the teachings of...or love in me?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you...you know what? Drop it, I wouldn't bother you, do whatever you want."

"Mack, please."

"It's okay Ruby, thanks Rose."He said sarcastically,"As usual, you fixed everything."

He remained silent for the rest of the ride and even went back to their old mansion, alone.

Rose said he needed some time to cool off, but also that Ruby didn't need to leave him, rather, she needed to be by and support him, he needed it.

Ruby nodded and went into the house...the mansion, as we had taken her there.

Luis was discharged shortly after and looked better than new, as usual.

When we told him what had happened, including Lucy's repentance, all he did was chuckle, put a toothpick in his mouth literally from nowhere, then say,"So that's the way it goes? Okay, sure."

He also didn't have much to say during the drive back, until they got home.

Luis and Lucy argued, a lot, mostly about Lucy's sudden change of heart.

She wondered why he was so obstinate after literally being the one telling her to stop judging us and he replied by saying he didn't ask for her to join us, just to tolerate us and it was even possible that she was doing this as some publicity stunt or just to blend in with the crowd, not at all that she believed any of the ' crap ' we believed in, and then she said it,"Mark would have supported me if he was here, he wouldn't try and criticize or suppress any thoughts and emotions I have, he would never hurt me."

Luis wanted to tell her so badly everything he had learned about Mark, but now was not the time, so he said,"Mark's not here, I am and if you want to be with that orphaned bastard so much, why don't you just bury yourself alive?!"

She slapped him across the face and yelled,"Don't you ever talk about Mark like that again, especially when you know you'd never be as good as he was!"

Luis rolled his tongue through his chin, then bit his lip and said,"Alright, fine, I guess I'm not the right guy for you huh? Go ahead and pray for a clone of Mark to magically appear in your bedroom tonight or wait, no, let him be resurrected, I'm done here."

He left her in the room, in tears as the children tried their best to make him stay, but he had to leave, not because of anger, but because of jealousy, betrayal and...sorrow, Mark had had her twisted around his finger, who else had that man manipulated?