Chapter Twenty: Happenings In The Hotel

 It took about a week for the Council to
start work on cleaning up the city. The dam was quickly rebuilt, and
the water took another week to drain off. Before then people had
started to move out to the eastern suburbs which had escaped
virtually unscathed.

However, things were happening in the
hotel.

Daniel was quiet. Too quiet. He had
barely spoken after getting fished out of the water by Sir Hyper, and
usually only offered shrugs or grunts in answer to any questions from
the other Knights.

“Something's wrong with our fearless
leader.” Sunny dragged the Knights into a spare room a few days
after the water started receeding.

“I know. But he won't tell us what's
wrong.” Petunia sighed sadly.

“He gets like this sometimes guys,
you know he'll snap out of it.” TJ tried to cheer them up.

“Yeah, but it's usually only for a
couple of hours. He's been like this for over a week now.” Petunia
argued.

“I wonder if he's upset about nearly
drowning.” Sammy piped up. Tammy nodded.

“Maybe. But he's had plenty of
near-death experiences before.” Sunny pointed out.

The five of them looked at each other.
Daniel was their leader, their hero, and if there was something wrong
with him then it affected the whole Order.

Speaking of the devil, Daniel walked in
soon after that.

“Hey guys. Team meeting without me?”
He joked, but the joke was hollow.

“About you, actually.” TJ looked at
his best friend.

Sunny closed the door and locked it.

“You're going to have to talk to us
Dan, something's up and we want to help you.” Petunia said gently.

“I'm fine.” Daniel shifted
uncomfortably. “Unlock the door Sunny.”

“Not until you talk to us Sir
Lionheart.” Sunny replied, taking her Lady Courage tone.

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“There IS, that's why Sir Dark called
us in.” Petunia took her Lady Luck tone. “You've been quiet and
moody since the flood!”

“Everyone's been on edge!” Daniel
snapped back.

“We've still been talking to each
other and helping each other.” Sammy stood up as Sir Hyper. Tammy
took her Lady Silent stance beside him.

“You're committing mutiny?!” Daniel
looked around horrified. Sir Dark frowned at him.

“NO mate, we want to help you. We
need you to be okay. You're our leader and our friend.” He begged
of Daniel. “We need you to be Sir Lionheart, we need to follow
you!”

“After I nearly got three of you
killed?!” Daniel cried. He immediately went silent.

“We're nearly getting ourselves
killed all the time. What happened wasn't your fault.” Sir Dark
clapped his shoulder.

“I shouldn't have dragged you guys
into it.” Daniel flopped down on a couch, tears beginning to form.
“I should never have let you guys become Knights.”

“Oh BUNKUM!” Lady Courage roared
angrily. Everyone jumped. “If it wasn't for us you wouldn't even
BE Sir Lionheart.”

“You wouldn't be able to be Sir
Lionheart if you didn't let us be Knights – no matter what you do
we'll follow you anywhere!” Sir Hyper piped up.

“If you're Sir Lionheart, then we're
the Knights of the Last Order. We won't let you do it alone!” Lady
Courage added.

“You took on the bulk of the danger
yourself, like you always do. You didn't do anything wrong, it was
just bad luck.” Lady Luck tried.

“You couldn't have saved those people
alone. And you couldn't have just left them.” Sir Dark added.

Lady Silent took Daniels hand and
squeezed it tightly. She looked up at him with such devotion and
loyalty that he couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

“I'm sorry guys.” Sir Lionheart
admitted.

“It's okay mate. We all have our
moments.” Sir Dark breathed a sigh of relief.

“YAY! Sir Lionheart is okay again!”
Sir Hyper jumped up in his usual hyperactive way. Sir Lionheart
grinned.

He hadn't realised how much these kids
looked up to him.How much they wanted to be like him and copy him.
How much they all needed him to be their leader and hero. It was
scary really. But not surprising, given that most of them he'd
looked after ever since they were little.

–

Things weren't going as well for
Chuckles and Giggles however.

“Why did you save him again?” Betty
deadpanned as Johannas screamed down the walls. They had forced him
into one of the spare rooms and locked him in so he couldn't hurt
anyone. His violent episodes were becoming more and more dangerous.

“Because…job description?” Belle
tried. “He's technically my uncle and the father of my
cousin-to-be?”

“Well, I hope you're happy.” Betty
replied shortly. She stalked off, scowling at Jessie who was sitting
near the door.

“Thanks Belle. I thought we were
done for.” Jessie looked up at her niece, who looked sadly at the
door Betty had just stormed through.

“It's no problem. The Code demanded
it.” Belle shrugged.

“The stupid Code.” Jessie chuckled.
She took another mouthful of hot soup. “I never understood why
the family had to have a Code to tell them how to behave like human
beings.”

“It's more than that.” Belle
argued.

“Really?” Jessie looked at her
sceptically.

“You'll never get it.” Belle shook
her head and walked out. She headed outside, where Charlie was
sitting.

“How's your aunt?” He asked
sympathetically.

“Eh.” Was the sullen reply.

Charlie smiled sadly, and put an arm
around his best friend. They sat there cuddled up with their heads
together, watching the water slowly drain away.

“She seems okay. She's very dead-set
against the Code though.” Belle said finally.

“Being against the Code doesn't
necessarily make you a bad person.” Charlie reminded her. “Think
of your great-Aunt Matilda.”

“Yeah, I know. But Johannas is
different. He's so…” Belle didn't want to say “evil”, but
that's how she felt.

“I know.” Charlie replied softly.

They continued to look out over the
drowned city.

“Do you know where Dad is?” Belle
asked. “I haven't seen much of him.”

“He's been busy with the Council.
They're thinking of making him Mayor after this.” Charlie grinned.

“It won't happen, he's not corrupt
enough.” Belle laughed.

A loud bang was heard from inside,
along with screaming.

“Wait, that's not just
Johannas…JESSIE!” Belle cried. She and Charlie bolted inside,
quickly joined by Peter, Bill, Joe and Thomas.

“He locked it!” Peter groaned as
they approached the room where Johannas and Jessie were.

“JO PLEASE!” They heard Jessie
scream in terror.

“SHUT UP!” They heard the roar
back.

“I'll go and get help.” Thomas
said, running down the corridor. Peter and Bill started trying to
break the door down, hoping they weren't too late to save their baby
sister.

“What the hell did she let him out
for?!” Bill slammed as hard as he could against the door. More
bloodcurdling screams were heard from inside, along with a sick
gurgling noise.

“JESSIE!” Peter screamed, slamming
himself against the door in rhythm with his brother.

Belle had to do something. She ran to
where her pack was and grabbed the Desert Eagle her grand-father had
once weilded. She ran back to where her father and uncle were still
trying to get into the cursed room.

“Stand back!” Belle cried, aiming
the gun at the lock. She fired, hitting the lock dead on, and Peter
kicked the door in.

A bloodied Johannas flew out at him,
grabbing him around the throat. Belle acted blindly, kicking
Johannas aside, punching his face and pointing the gun directly into
his eyes for a split second before recovering herself.

A Masters never willingly takes the
life of another.

Johannas grinned.

“Bless the Code.” He sneered
before pushing her away and running.

“JESSIE!” Belle heard her
grand-father scream in terror. She ran into the room.

Her aunt lay in her fathers arms. Joe
was trying to keep her calm, but she kept reaching up to touch his
face. Tears dripped from his cheeks to her bloodied chest as she
tried to wipe them away, leaving bloody marks on his face.

“I'm…sorry…Papa…” She gurgled
through her slit throat before she died.

Joe lowered his head. He gently
reached out to her eyes and closed them.

“I'm sorry Dad.” Peter wept,
dropping to his knees beside his father. Joe grabbed him and held
him tightly. Bill was frozen in place, shaking his head.

“This is…it can't…Oh Jess.”
Bill too fell to his knees and into the embrace of his father.

Belle was angry. She turned to
Charlie, but then found she couldn't say anything.

“Go to them.” He whispered.

Belle turned and fled, latching on to
her father.

Thomas ran in with a small group of
medics. He stopped when he saw the scene.

“I'm too late.” His breath caught
in his throat. Jessie had been his little sister too. He turned to
his son, who held him.

Belle looked up at her best friend.
She couldn't cry.

But she was going to make sure that
Johannas was brought to justice.