Swan Song

Humpty Dumpty Sat On The Wall Part 3

Once they were all back in front of the Karma residence, Lock jumped off of Gabriel's back and dashed inside, pushing the door open without bothering to check if it's locked. Once inside, Oz ran out of the living room, and the two brothers hugged instantly.

"Are you hurt? Did they do anything? Where have you been? How did you escape? Have you been eating well?" The questions flew out of Lock's mouth for a good few minutes, until Alice decided to get involved and smack the back of his head.

"He's fine, you dingus. Breathe."

The group gathered in the living room, where they set the unconscious Ted on the couch. Frau was busy staring out the window.

"What the hell happened?" Lily asked him, taking a seat on Chris's lap, given the limited space in the room. "You said you'd keep him busy."

"Keep who busy?" the friar replied, tilting his head to the side, making Lock want to gouge his confused eyes out.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" the boy asked, looking at Lily.

"He goes places sometimes."

Lock couldn't help but glance toward his brother, who also had a tendency to do that, albeit a far milder one.

"Oh?" Frau said. "Where am I going?"

The room grew more uncomfortable. It was Alice who spoke first. "You actually live with that guy? I'm surprised he hasn't burned the house down already."

"I'm surprised Sebastian hasn't burned you down already," Lily countered.

"Touche."

"How'd you get away?" Lock said, changing the topic, looking at his younger brother.

"Oh, there was this strange girl in the house," Oz replied. "Cheshire said she smelled like an angel. She took me outside through the window. I kinda just hid out in the forest after that."

"Did they tell you anything they wanted with you?"

"No. Not really. They were really nice the entire time, actually. It was kinda creepy - especially the woman."

"You spent time with a girl?" Alice interjected, forcing the biggest grin possible. "Do tell, Oz."

"U-Uh, well. She just sort'a appeared in my room-"

"There was a girl in your room?"

"Not like that!"

"Like what, then, Oz? Feel free to speak up." Every word she uttered was laced in venom.

"Ok, enough," Lock finally said. "I've met her, and I doubt she's interested in anyone, Ali. We have something more important to talk about." He then went on to explain what Narcissa had told him, from retrieving an item from the land of the dead to the resurrection of their master.

"But how can it be me?" Oz said once his brother had finished. "We share the same blood, no? Why not you, then?"

"I have a theory about that," Lock replied. "I think the sleepers haven't been here for a long time. Most likely, they were outside of Pandora. This would explain why they wouldn't go for me instead. You see, since they said that two household angels can't be in the same house, the weaker of the two gets banished back to Eden. I already have Samael with me, so their master would just be banished again if they were to bind him to me. If they knew of a way to bring their master back, they probably would've done so to me." Or to our first brother, he finished in his head. "By the time they figured out a way to do it, I'd most likely already been bound to Samael."