ᵢcₐᵣᵤₛ ~ Dᵢᵣₖ Gₑₙₜₗy ✅

The Denouement

When Sicillian finally regained consciousness, she was in the back of a car. A weary glance around showed her travelling companions to be Dirk, Todd, Farah, Estervez; the missing persons detective, Lydia and Rapunzel. She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, having no recollection of how they got to where they were.

"You're okay..." Had the it been any other situation, the detective would have sounded jubilant, but the arrow sticking out of his shoulder was focusing a lot of his attention, and the rapid loss of blood he was experiencing was making him woozy.

"I think so..." Sicillian pulled herself into a sitting position, using the British man's good shoulder for support. "What happened?"

"Rimmer ran off, Farah and Estervez showed up, and now we're going to the Spring Mansion to swap Lydia back." Todd sounded as though talking was painful, but he managed to get through the sentence without so much as a stutter. The American woman was still confused about Todd of late. He called them monsters, and then saved Dirk's life. Didn't seem like something one would do for a 'monster'.

"Oh. Is everyone else okay?" She asked.

"You're asking if we're okay? You were knocked out." Farah glanced back from the driver's seat.

"Looking after everyone at the detriment of myself is kinda my thing." The Hollistic Assistant smiled weakly. "How's your shoulder?" She turned to her friend.

"Awful..." Dirk trailed off with a frown.

"I'm sorry."

"You're apologising for me saving you?" The detective seemed mildly amused.

"That's my job, you shouldn't have done it." Sicillian told him. They fell into silence as they pulled into the driveway of the mansion. Estervez walked round to the back of the car, opening the door and assisting Dirk, wrapping an arm round his middle to help him walk.

"Here, let me help." The brunette offered, placing her hand on the small of the brit's back, supporting him slightly.

"Thanks," The man with the cropped hair replied. "You gonna stay with us?"

"What, like with the living people?" Dirk's useage of language alarmed the assistant a little, but figured he was just delirious. He wasn't going to die. Right? "Ideally, yes, but you know how things are when you get the cereal bowl flower exchange." Sicillian frowned at him, wondering what he meant.

"I- what?"

"There's a lot of wording... Should we no talk cause blood all gone." The green eyed American bit her lip with concern.

"Right. Look, we can get this over with, and get you to a hospital. Everything's gonna be okay." She assured, though she wasn't sure there was any truth in that. They followed a hunched over Todd and skittish Farah into the house, down to the wine cellar. The Hollistic Assistant helped Estervez set Dirk down against a rack of green bottles. The older Brotzman collapsed opposite him, Lydia and Rapunzel circled him both with interest.

Sicillian walked over to where Farah and the police officer were standing, next to the wine barrels.

"There are six entrances to the house. We can't cover all of them, so if anyone comes in-" Estervez cut her off.

"Wait, would they come here?"

"This thing is like their most scared... Thing. They're gonna be mad we took it." Todd explained wearily.

"So they know what's under this place? What is under this place?" The detective without the arrow in his shoulder asked.

"It's another plug-altar place, like the one at the animal transfer unit. We put the machine there, and we switch Lydia and Rapunzel back." The brunette woman explained. Dirk gave a cry of pain as Lydia, housing the soul of Rapunzel, flicked the stainless steel arrow. Sicillian was by his side in an instant. "You good?" He could only nod in response. She turned back to Farah and Estervez who were currently opening the secret draws in the barrels. Because of course there were secret draws in the barrels.