Chapter 16: Cabin Fever

                                    

                                          
"I have to get them out of here somehow," Tori murmured, her voice barely audible as she lay on the ground, her body too weak to rise. Flames raged around her, licking at the air. She stretched her hand toward Rex and Belle, her trembling fingers desperate to shield them from the fire.
"I made a promise to your parents... that I'd protect you," she whispered, disappointment heavy in her tone. Her strength was failing, and the weight of her words lingered in the chaos.
Through the smoke, Tori spotted two short figures moving quickly through the inferno, about Rex's height. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Ronny... Ruby..." she said faintly, relief and disbelief mingling in her voice.
"Don't worry, ma'am, I've got you," Ruby said, her face stoic and her tone firm. Without hesitation, she hoisted Tori effortlessly over her shoulder, as if she weighed nothing. "Ronald, you take Belle and Rex," she ordered.
"On it, sis," Ronny replied, grabbing Rex and Belle, securing one under each arm.
"Be careful. Don't touch the flames... They're worse than regular fire," Tori said, her voice strained but urgent.
Acknowledging the warning, Ruby quickly conjured a green barrier around the group, shielding them from the searing heat and flames. The twins darted toward the burning mansion, dodging collapsing beams and falling debris. They reached the basement, Ronny smashing through the sealed door with precision.
Tori pointed weakly at an old wooden door marked "Emergency." "That one," she said, her voice faltering. Ruby stepped forward, supporting Tori as she struggled to lift her arm. Together, they pushed the door open. A brilliant white light flooded the space as the emergency passage activated.
Without hesitation, the twins leapt through the glowing doorway, carrying their precious cargo into safety.



"Belle wake up"
"Belle dear wake up"




Belle shot upright from the bed, a sharp pain flaring through her ribs. Her jacket and shirt were gone, leaving her in her bra with bandages wrapped tight around her torso. "Ah, feels like I've been run down by a feckin' lorry," she muttered, her voice low and rough. Her hand brushed against her head, finding bandages there too. On the nightstand, her glasses sat neatly. "Well, at least me specs are where I can find 'em this time," she said, a dry laugh slipping out.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, wincing as her body protested. Her steps were uneven, pain stabbing through her every movement. "Whatever kind of healin' they did must still be workin' its magic," she murmured, fingers pressing lightly against her side. Her eyes flicked to a nearby dresser where her jacket and shirt lay folded.
"How in the name of all that's holy did I end up here?" she wondered, pulling on her clothes gingerly. "The last thing I remember was goin' at it with Saduj... then everything went black."
The cabin room was small, dimly lit by a single flickering bulb overhead. The walls were made of aged wooden planks, rough to the touch, with deep grooves and knots that told a story of years of wear. A simple cot sat in the corner, its blanket threadbare and gray. A cracked mirror leaned against one wall beside a rickety dresser, while a small wood-burning stove in the far corner gave off faint heat. The faint scent of pine and damp earth filled the air.
Belle moved to the heavy, scuffed brown door, her bare feet brushing against the creaking floorboards. As she reached for the handle, she heard voices shouting beyond it.
"You can't just leave to save Cosy on your own!" Rex's voice erupted, full of anger. "We're supposed to do this together!"
"You are a child, Rex," Tori replied sharply, her tone cold but controlled. "You wouldn't understand the consequences of what's about to happen. And you'd only slow me down. You've barely begun to use your star abilities. You're nothing like your sister."
Rex's voice rose in pitch and intensity. "There it is again! This family and its obsession with going solo! This never would've happened if we actually worked as a team! Instead, everyone splits up the moment things go wrong! Stop shutting me out and take me with you!"
"I said enough, Rex!" Tori snapped, her voice cutting through the air. "You're staying here with Belle, Ronny, and Ruby while I deal with this. That's final."
Rex's laugh was bitter, his fists shaking at his sides. "You always think you know best, don't you? Always keeping secrets from us. Or should I even call you Aunt Tori anymore? Maybe Aunt Runa's more accurate—if that's even your real name." He stepped closer, his voice lowering but no less intense. "You've been hiding everything from us. Did Saduj tell the truth? Did you really kill innocent people for power? Was he really your husband?" He grabbed her shoulder as she turned away, forcing her to face him. "You lied to us about my parents. You said they died naturally. But they were murdered. By him! My uncle!"
Tori's eyes flared as she swiped his hand from her shoulder, her red star-shaped pupils glinting like sharp blades as she removed her shades. "Watch your tone, Rex," she said, her voice icy and heavy with warning.
Rex's jaw clenched, his fury spilling over. "I don't care about your tone, Tori. I care about my family! If you actually cared about me—or Cosy—you'd have told us the truth instead of letting us walk blind into this!" His voice cracked with emotion as sparks began to crackle along his fingertips. The cabin lights flickered wildly, his hair glowing faintly blue as he placed his hand against a nearby outlet.
Belle peeked out through the door's gap, watching the scene unfold. "That's gotta be Rex and Tori. I should step in before one of them burns de place down," she muttered, opening the door.
Before she could move, Ronny rushed into the room, throwing himself between the two. "Enough, both of you!" he barked, his tone steady but forceful. Ruby grabbed Rex's hand, pulling it from the outlet as the lights stopped flickering.
"Cool it," Ronny said, his voice firm but calm. "We're all on edge after losing everything, but fighting each other isn't going to fix it."
Belle stepped forward, limping slightly, her sky blue eyes sweeping over the battered group. "He's right. We're all in rough shape. Some of us worse than others," she said, gesturing to the bandages wrapped around her ribs and Rex's sparking hands. She glanced at Tori, noting her torn clothes and unshaken stance. "Looks like Tori's feelin' grand, though, and the robo twins seem none the worse for wear." Her thick Irish accent carried a sardonic edge as she smirked.
"Belle," Tori said with narrowed eyes, but the young professor raised a hand.
"Let's not start a second fight, eh?" Belle replied, glancing meaningfully between Rex and Tori. "We're in this together, whether ye like it or not. So maybe we stop fightin' and figure out how to save Cosy without killin' each other first."
"Belle is correct, Ms. Aquila. Fighting over trivial matters serves no purpose. Honesty would serve us better," Ruby said, her voice flat and mechanical, her hands resting neatly over the front of her maid apron.
Tori's teeth ground together as her claws withdrew. Without a word, she turned toward the living room, sliding her shades back into place. Her movements were rigid as she approached the worn couch and sat down. Adjusting the black surgical mask over her face, she gestured toward the couch opposite her. "Sit. All of you," she said. "There's something you need to hear." Her face remained concealed, her expression impossible to read.
"Finally, some answers. Tori's tied to my family somehow, and maybe she knows where they are," Belle thought, her sky-blue eyes narrowing. "I'm just as mad as Rex, but Ruby's right. Fighting's useless right now with everything falling apart."
Her gaze shifted to Rex, who sat on the couch, leaning forward with his hands clasped tightly. His face was set in a stern expression, more focused and intense than Belle had ever seen. "I'm worried about him," she thought. "Everything he's ever known is falling apart, and the one person he trusted most has been lying to him his whole life."
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