Chapter One Hundred and Seven: Harold and Lady

 “And MARION is simply
furious at Revolver, because he didn't go out and address the riots
personally. SHE thought it would have been a great way to establish
that they were THE power couple in Pleasantville.” Judith Jofrey
gossiped away. “Only I think Revolver is getting extremely cold
feet because he's started referencing the Death Valley Gang and the
Mobsters of Misneach again instead of the Death…Valley…Mob…Dan
are you listening to me?”

Judith and Daniel were
hanging out on Pleasant Dam, looking out over the city as the sun
set. Daniel was still feeling touchy about the fact that not only had
he committed murder, but the fact that he'd kind of enjoyed it. It
had felt empowering to finally strike back, no matter WHAT Chuckles
and Giggles said.

But what Sammy and
Tammy said…

“Dan?” Judith poked
his big bear arm.

“Sorry Judes, I'm
just…tired.” Daniel rubbed his face, nearly knocking his
spectacles down into the creek below.

“Tired huh?” Judith
took his glasses from him to keep them safe. “You look a thousand
years old at the moment.”

“I feel it.” Daniel
admitted. “It's like I have this big heaviness on my shoulders that
I can never put down.”

“Marion used to talk
like that sometimes, when we were younger. Like there was this big,
heavy shroud around her that she could never escape.” Judith said
quietly.

“Yeah, it's a shroud
alright.” Daniel sighed. “A shroud named Sir Lionheart.”

—

Alas for Harold and
Lady Billard, Belle had been kidnapped very recently and thus was
being more careful than usual about people trying to grab her. So
they went for the next best thing and accosted her while she was
having lunch at her uncles restaurant.

“I still feel so bad
that you got beat up.” Belle said as she ate her steak sandwich.

“Relax. It's not the
worst beating I've ever had. Besides, no new scars!” Bill pointed
to the scar on his eye, the one that looked very similar to the one
his brother and father had.

“You know, I know Dad
got his in a fight with Harold and his other one in a fight with
Johannes, but I've never known how you got yours.” Belle mentioned,
dipping one of her beer battered chips into the delicious garlic
aioli her uncle made.

“Rush hour is going
to start soon, gotta go!” Bill made himself scarce, not really
wanting to go into the finer details of being chased out a window and
falling two storeys into a rosebush. Pro tip: Make sure they're not
married.

Belle blinked, before
shrugging and returning to her steak sandwich (thick, freshly baked
slices of wholemeal bread, slightly melted cheese, thick slabs of
tomato, lashings of lettuce and aioli, a good chunk of beetroot and a
good, thick, medium-rare slab of steak, served with beer-battered
chips) and opening a book of law history (it's Belle, you knew a book
was going to appear at some point). She started reading happily about
the final arrest of Crewmate Liam of the Hidden Fear Crew and how
that broke the Crew up permanently when her maternal grandparents
chose that moment to walk in. At first, she didn't notice them
(again, it's BELLE), even when they sat at the table with her. After
a minute of awkward silence, Belle went to take another bite of her
steak sandwich, which is when she noticed the pair.

“HEY!” She shot up,
equal parts miffed and scared. “Go away, I'm trying to enjoy my
lunch!”

“And we're trying to
get to know our grand-daughter.” Lady replied.

“I don't WANT to get
to know you! Now go away!” Belle snapped, sitting back down.

“Belle, you have no
choice. You have a bloodline in you that you need to listen to.”
Harold said.

“Yes actually, I DO
have a choice. Now GO AWAY!” Belle snapped again.

“Belle, you DON'T.
The fact is, if you don't listen to us, our lives are at risk!”
Harold pleaded.

“You can't have my
kidneys.” Belle said flatly.

“It's not your organs
Belle, it's your life we need. We need you to join the Haunted Maze
Troupe for the Billard Clan.” Lady told her.

Belle froze for two
seconds. Her grand-parents were Troupers?!

“Absolutely NOT.”
She snapped. “NOW GO AWAY. Also, I'm calling Chuckles and Giggles.”

“Belle, if you don't
join the Troupe they'll kill us for not sending tribute. All the
Clans have to give one family member per year, and since your mother
was our only child, and you're HER only child, it has to be you.”
Lady protested. “They relaxed the rules while we were in hiding,
but now it's time for you to claim your birthright!”

“MY birthright is
tearing down the Troupe, the Mob, the Crusaders, the Gang, and anyone
else who wants to ruin Pleasantville.” Belle snapped. “I'm not
joining the Troupe because I'm going to destroy the Troupe!”

“Belle NO!” Harold
pleaded. “We put so much WORK into the Troupe! We've made riches
you could never imagine, and you wouldn't have to give up your work
as a lawyer, not since Demon took over the Council!”

“I will destroy the
Troupe, and I'll see you two arrested. NOW. GO. AWAY.” Belle
stomped her feet this time, her temper well and truly roused at this
point.

“If you won't come
willingly, then we'll take you by force!” Harold screamed.

“What's going on out
here?!” Bill rushed out as Lady and Harold grabbed Belle, who
wasn't having a bar of it. She ripped at her grand-mothers hair and
kicked out at her grand-father, who were forced to back off.

“Who taught YOU to
fight dirty!?” Lady scolded.

“Belle was taught to
defend herself, and I certainly have no problem dishing out pain to
those who put their hands on her.” Bill stepped between Belle and
the two Troupers.

Harold and Lady backed
off. Bill had his fathers size, and looked very imposing to the
elderly pair.

“You will pay for
this. Both of you! This petty cafe will be destroyed!” Lady
screeched as she and Harold walked out.

“I'm not particularly
worried.” Bill shrugged.

Just as Harold and Lady
left, Charlie walked in.

“Saw your maternal
grannies outside swearing up a storm. I'm guessing you told them
where to stick it?” He asked as he made a beeline for Belles steak
sandwich.

“They're Haunted Maze
Troupers, so yeah.” Belle tripped him up before he could reach the
sandwich, and immediately began to shovel it and her chips down as
fast as possible.

“Steak sandwich?”
Bill asked as Charlie eyed the sandwich off hungrily.

—

“This is so trippy.
Dan is a descendant of the Silent Lake Gang, and now Belle has
Haunted Maze Troupe blood in her.” Sunny said as the Noble Knights
of the Last Order had a meeting at the tip – minus their leader.

“I know. Speaking of
Dan, is anyone else worried about him?” Sammy asked.

“A little. He's been
off since the riots.” TJ mused. “I think the whole Dingbat thing
is getting to him.”

“I don't know why,
unless he feels guilty that we pretty much left Dingbat to die.”
Tammy sighed. “It's all so confusing.”

“I have to go to the
stupid funeral. It's going to be disgusting, all about how wonderful
he was when in fact he SHOULD be in gaol rotting away. It's not
FAIR!” TJ snapped. “Now Chuckles and Giggles look even worse
because they're the ones who released the audio of Dingbat being a
dick, and people are talking about how someone could have heard it
and decided to deal with Dingbat themselves.”

“Dingbat dying has
had a LOT of bad consequences. I mean, I can kinda understand why
someone did it, but still I'd love to get my hands on them and show
them just how much damage they've done.” Tammy kicked a small rock
that went skipping along the ground.

“Well, what's done is
done.” Petunia stood up. “We need to think about what's going to
happen next.”

“We can't really do
that without Dan here.” Sunny pointed out. “Also, shouldn't Belle
and Charlie be here?”

“Chuckles and Giggles
are busy at the moment, and I have no idea where Dan is.” Petunia
said.

“Chuckles and Giggles
are busy?” Sunny asked.

At that particular
moment, Chuckles and Giggles were busy chasing Harold and Lady out of
town.

“You stay away from
the Masters family you, you…YOUS!” Giggles flew after her
grand-parents, shouting loudly.

“Leave us alone!”
Lady sobbed as she ran towards her car.

“Wait for me!!!!!!”
Chuckles could be heard in the distance, having been left behind.

“JUMP IN LADY!”
Harold tried to reach over and open the passenger side door without
crashing the car. Giggles swooped again as Lady made it into the car
and the pair drove off.

“YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE
LAST OF THIS!” Harold roared.

“Hopefully Chuckles
and Giggles will attend our next meeting.” Tammy said after Petunia
had finished explaining what the heroes were up to.

“And hopefully we'll
be able to get Dan back.” Sammy said.