What he had previously thought to be a bundle of clothes shifted beneath him in the sawdust as he almost stepped on it. It was in fact a boy. He didn't want to say man. He looked about 19 and was sleep-talking in Dutch. Jasmin worked more quietly, not wishing to disturb the boy. He just thought he might be on to something when the door opened on the other side of the cell. He leapt away from the wall in a fright. A girl was thrown in. Very small, smaller than abnormally tiny Jasmin. Her hair was short and pink, her skin darkish and covered in freckles, eyes bright green, and temper flaring. Her accent suggested she was from somewhere like Manhattan. She got up as the door swung shut and screamed obscenities at the guard. The French Grand Mage rolled his eyes and the Australian Elder, Elizabeth, emerged from the hay pile and bellowed for silence, as his kids were trying to sleep. The Dutch boy asleep against the wall shifted again and got up, groaning and holding his side. He hissed something in his own language and began clearing the sawdust from beneath him.
Elizabeth marched up to the new girl, picked her up by the scruff of her neck and clamped a hand over her mouth. The girl kicked and struggled.
"Young lady, you're not the only one who's had the...inconvenience of being captured."
"Inconvenience? It's more than a damn inconvenience!" She yelled through his palm.
"My name's Slyther. I work for the Australian Sanctuary. What's your name?" He look his hand away from her and she relaxed a little.
"Babs."
He put her on the floor. "Babs, may I introduce you to Grand Mage Orage, Sandy, Grand Mage Stridsoks, Circe and Conner." Babs glared at all of them in turn. Jasmin returned the glare and turned to the man named Sandy, who was tugging at something on the floor.
"Is that a trap door?" The French mage cried incredulously.
"Looks like it." Sandy replied with a nod. He held his hands above the door with fingers splayed, and what appeared to be black smoke billowed up through the cracks and made the door bulge outward. Jasmin arched an eyebrow and tugged at the lock keeping the door shut. There was a bit of clearance under the door thanks to Sandy and Jasmin could help push with the use of the air beneath. The door finally flung open and the dust that Jasmin had believed to be smoke suddenly moved to envelope the Dutch lad and pull him down. Shocked, the French Elder followed. A quick glance over his shoulder told him everyone else in the cell was following close behind. They could hear the noises of guards entering the cell above, and Axel insisted that he had tried to cover the door.
-----
Where he sat in the corner, playing a game with Kristian, Wilhelm could experience an entire drama. It was better than television. The French man with the white hair came storming into the room and stole the watching man's phone, dialling a number and proceeding to shout down the phone in his mother tongue. He seemed frantic, and the person he was calling was a mystery. His voice climbed volumes and octaves until the baby was set off crying and Rabe stormed in, giving him a good slap. They spoke in whispers in English and Wilhelm heard a few names being fired, including his own, Scarlett's, someone called Lelenny, Mr T and someone called Pons. He tried to listen closer for more information, but his sister turned to him and snapped at him to quiet down the baby. After that, she spoke up a little to be heard over Kristian's cries, and he could hear a bit more about what was being said. Rabe was now speaking about Drakon and Charles about a woman he knew, who Wilhelm did not catch the name of. Slowly they both turned to him. Suddenly he got the impression he was in danger. Scarlett and Narcissus came in, having an argument of their own, and this expanded to a four-way argument. There were noises from upstairs Wilhelm could only describe as sexual. The whole house was a drama scene and he was caught up like a braindead viewer. He shakily got to his feet and edged towards the kitchen, taking the baby with him. Once the door swung shut behind him, he let out a sigh of relief, feeling a little safer. He shushed Kristian and got out a banana, breaking a little bit off for his son and eating the rest himself. It wasn't very filling and he was rather hungry, but he decided he would be fine, especially when Rabe walked in and grabbed the scruff of his neck.
"Wilhelm?" She asked in as sweet a tone she could muster while that angry, "Can I ask a favour of you?"
"Uh...I'm a little busy here..."
"It involves Drakon and some murderers who are on our side and won't hurt you, and also..." She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Aurora Jane."
He scowled. "You always know exactly what to say and how to say it when you want me to do your bidding..."
"I'll debrief you in half an hour. Bring Kristian. This mission is safe, but I'm coming with." She cracked her knuckles. "I always like to meet people who get my baby brother in trouble."
Wilhelm winced at this. "I don't need you to babysit me."
"Yes. You do. If it wasn't for me, you would be in a cell in Mevolent's castle, nowhere near Mr Smelly-drooly thing here." She gestured to her nephew.
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, if I'm taking care of a child, I don't think I need you playing mother, sister and overprotective sibling."
"I think if I didn't, you'd be dead by now."
"I doubt it."
Rabe cleared her throat. "Fifty years ago, Hamburg."
"...Shut up."
She ruffled her little brother's hair and skipped out of the room. Wilhelm glared at her until his toddler vomited over his favourite shirt.
((...aaaaaand I haven't finished sorting through all these new things on this site or Deviantart or anywhere else...stupid week-long trips...bah. Have some random unplanned Wilhelm stuff.))
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