Chapter One Hundred and Ten: Sir Lionheart vs the Knights of the Last Order

Everyone froze as
Daniel sat down with the group. “You guys have another one of your
Improbable Plans did you?” He asked with a grin.

“Actually Dan…we
were talking about you and how worried about you we are.” TJ rubbed
the back of his neck.

“You…were…?”
Daniel raised his eyebrow.

“We think you should
take a break for a while.” Petunia said. “Sunny and Sammy can
take over the leadership of the Knights.”

If they thought Dan
would be grateful, they were wrong.

“You're kicking me
out of the Knights of the Last Order?!” He roared in fury. “What,
you don't like my past or something?!”

“No one has EVER said
anything about your past!” Sunny fired back.

Charlie looked at
Belle, who was watching with interest.

“You've all been on
my back since Dingbat died!” Daniel continued to rant. “What,
have I become a scapegoat for all of your problems now?!”

“Dan, you've been
upset and volatile since the Riots!” TJ said. “We just think some
time out would be good for you!”

“We're worried about
you!” Tammy added.

Sammy remained silent,
looking at the ground.

“I don't need this
right now. The KNIGHTS don't need this right now.” Daniel went on
the attack. “The Haunted Maze Troupe is running Pleasantville at
the moment. The Death Valley Mobsters are falling apart, and who
knows when they'll go nuclear and start taking out everything they
can. The Crusaders are causing trouble. Please tell me how you're
supposed to handle all of that without ME!”

“Dan, it's only
temporary!” Sunny pleaded.

“I'm out of here. You
do whatever you want.” Daniel got up, turned around and stormed
off, seething with anger and guilt. "Just don't come to me when everything fails!"

“Well…well.”
Charlie was speechless. Everyone was.

"I guess this means we're in charge now Sammy." Sunny looked at Sammy, who still had his head down.

Sammy didn't say a word. 

—

Daniel was lying in his
little studio apartment, trying to ignore the nagging thoughts that
his friends somehow knew about what he'd done.

He hated his room. It
was made of unpainted wood with one brick wall that had a tiny window
in it. The bathroom had a shower curtain around it, and the door
needed to be yanked hard before it would open.

Why had his life turned
out so poorly. If he'd just kept to his family destiny and started up
the Silent Lake Gang again he could have been living the high life.

“NO. We don't think
like that!” Daniel shook himself. “The Silent Lake Gang were
CRIMINALS who got off on hurting people. The Knights of the Last
Order are different! I'M different!”

He looked out his
pathetically tiny window into the little yard that he had. Was he
different though, or had he been lying to himself for twenty-four
years?

He got up and went to
his little kitchen sink. Above the sink was a cupboard, Daniel
reached up and took a cup out of it. He filled the cup with water and
chugged it down.

There was a knock at
the door. Daniel groaned, before going over and yanking the door
open.

“You're a world-class
sulker, you know that?” Judith Jofrey walked into his apartment.

“I'm not sulking.”
Daniel put his cup into the sink.

“Then why aren't you
with your friends? You lot are always together.” Judith looked
around the apartment, not looking impressed.

“We're not joined at
the hip.” Daniel sat back down on his bed.

“I'm not saying you
are. I'm saying that you've spent 90% of your time recently away from
your closest friends when usually it's the other way around. That
usually points to something major changing, and usually for the
worse.” Judith sat down next to him. “You've been very agitated
as of late.”

“Why is everyone on
my case?!” Daniel shot up, angry.

“I'm not on your
case, I'm WORRIED about you!” Judith also shot up, starting to get
annoyed. “Why are you so insistent on pushing away everyone who
cares about you?!”

“I'm NOT!” Daniel
snapped.

Judith sighed. She
walked over to her boyfriend and hugged him.

Daniel wrapped his arms
around her and sighed.

—

“Dan really had a fit
today huh?” Charlie commented as he and Belle walked along the
Creek home after another victorious battle against Crusader Daryl (long story short, don't attack a chocolate store. Ever).

“Did you notice he
got really agitated about his connections to the Silent Lake Gang and
the Dingbat murder?” Belle pointed out.

The Improbability
Clause activated, but Charlie didn't say a word. Because there was no
way that it could be the case. Daniel wasn't a killer.

“I think he just
feels guilty because the Knights of the Last Order were the ones who
left Dingbat vulnerable to attack.” Charlie surmised instead.

“That makes sense.”
Belle agreed. “Anyway, more importantly, what are we going to do
about Haiter?”

“Who knows. Honestly,
I kinda feel like Dan. Every time we seem to get a step ahead,
someone shoves us ten steps back. It's tiring.” Charlie said,
kicking a stone.

“I know. Wanna go on
a holiday?” Belle suggested. “We could invite the Knights and let
them sort themselves out.”

“No one has time for
a holiday Belle. We're not all lawyers at City Hall.” Charlie
chuckled, putting his arm around her.

“You try living in
the belly of the beast. It's not fun, especially as they still
haven't fixed our chandelier.” Belle sighed sadly.

“It's a bloody
chandelier!” Charlie groaned as they took the footpath that would
take them home.

“It's the PRINCIPLE
of the thing Charlie!” Belle shoved him. He shoved her back.

“Sometimes I really
have to wonder if those two are dating or not.” One of the
neighbours watched the pair as they fought all the way home.

“Mind your business
Maud.” Her husband snapped.

The pair made it home
alive, only to find Harold and Lady waiting for them.

“Belle, you're coming
with us!” Harold thundered, walking towards her.

“No, I'm not.”
Belle shoved her grand-father away and walked inside, Charlie
giggling behind her.

“BELLE! YOU'LL PAY
FOR THIS!” Lady roared as the door slammed shut.

“Belle, close the
door behind you properly please.” Peter said as his daughter
flopped on the couch.

“You're not gonna
lecture me are you?” Belle asked.

Peter narrowed his eyes
at her.

“Yes Dad.” Belle
couldn't help but smile.

“Anyway, how was
things with the Knights? All good?” Lara asked, putting the
finishing touches on a steak Diane.

Belle looked at
Charlie. Charlie looked back.

“Oh dear.” Lara
sighed.