30

Daddy's little girl

King stared down at Maya and Esther as they babbled aloud, trying to tell him a story over the other. He finally shook his hands out to get the two to calm down. "Whoa whoa, one at a time. I don't know what the hell either of you are saying."

"Language," Nara chided, suddenly appearing behind him to wrap a towel across his face.

The master groaned at his wife while she just blew him a kiss.

The girls let out a chuckle.

"Maya has talked about you all so much that I feel like I know you already." Esther said smiling up at the couple.

"Funny," Ivy started as she strolled by, then paused to look the girl up and down. "We've never heard a thing about you."

"What?!" Esther gasped then shot around to gape at Maya, who was wearing an innocent grin. "You've never told them about your best friend of like your entire life?"

Maya shot Ivy a glare, who just shrugged nonchalantly, the turned back to Esther. "It isn't like that. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned you."

"Um, I'm pretty sure you didn't." Ivy continued to pester.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't ask you." Maya snapped with a growl towards the sand magic.

"Ivy. Stop teasing your sister." Nara chastised the young lady with an eye roll.

Ivy rolled her eyes but continued smirking at Maya anyway.

"So, how long have ya'll known each other?" King asked, stirring the conversation to a safer direction.

"All of our life." Esther answered. "Our parents have been friends forever, so me and Maya grew up like sisters. Been tight ever since diapers."

Maya giggled then added in, "Yeah. Me and Esther even were in the same class in school."

"Before you got kicked out for using magic." Esther said as her mood dampened a little. "Then she was sent away and seeing her became less and less."

"It's not like it's my fault." Maya said with a huff and a pout. "We're constantly busy here, sometimes more than usual. I have no time to even be a normal teenager."

"Oh sure you do." King added in, giving Maya a cheeky smile when she glared over at him. "She is right. Sometimes, things can get a little hectic around the Dove house."

"Well, I bet. I mean with you all out there saving the world and stuff." Esther said wearing a soft smile.

"Awe, thank you darling." Nara cooed at her. "Nobody really looks at what we're doing as saving them. Useful yes. Savior, not so much."

"Wow, that's really horrible." Esther let out with a fallen face. "It's really messed up how they treat you. My family believe that everybody is important. Where we're from, everyone is treated equal. They just don't allow any mistreatment, or something like that."

"Yeah. I remember the mayor advising I come learn at a guild." Maya added in.

"Only because you were trouble in school. Let me tell ya," Esther burst out turning her attention to the others. "We had only been in school for a month before this girl got into a fight with, what was his name? Oh, yeah, Winslow Jenkins."

"Yeah, ole Winslow. He had it coming." Maya spurted out. "He kept looking under the other girls' uniform skirts. He messed up when he tried Esther."

"She beat him with a stick she summoned from thin air." Esther exclaimed with a laugh. The others chuckled along. "That's actually the first time I saw you use it."

"That was the first time it happened actually." Maya said. "And he's not a stick, he's a gavel. You have to see him now, he's so big."

"Wow, that's so cool." Esther said as her eyes sparkled up.

Maya and Esther shared a look, making the older doves feel slightly uncomfortable.

King watched the two, before he was suddenly hit with a thought. "So, Esther. What brings you 'round our hood?"

"Well, me and my family haven't heard from our dad in a few days. I came down to see if Maya could help me look for him." Esther informed.

"Can I go, King?" Maya asked, looking pleadingly towards the master.

King opened his mouth to say something, then paused and looked to his wife.

"If it's okay with your mom." King instead said.

Maya shifted her look to Nara.

"Just be careful. Call us if there's trouble." Nara said.

"Why not take the rest of the rugrats?" Ivy offered out.

"Good idea," Nara agreed. "How about asking Rockie. It feels as if he hasn't been out the house in ages."

"Not gone happen." King rebuked with a steady voice.

Nara frowned, "And why not?"

"He's on punishment."

Nara let out a grunt with a dismissive shake of her head. "What could he've done that deserves four weeks of isolation." Nara questioned, throwing her hands on her hips. "Whatever he did I'm sure he's learned his lesson. He needs social interaction."

'That's what you think,' King thought, then let out a sigh. "Yeah, you're right, honey. He can go." King gave in, then called out for the boy.

Rockie slowly strolled into the room in a zombified state.

"Yessir." Rockie mumbled out in a drawl.

"Awe, look what you've done to my baby." Nara cried out, throwing her hands over her mouth.

King let out a growl. "Get in some clothes, boy, so you can accompany your sister."

Rockier perked up with an adorable look on his face. "But my punishment."

"Oh, it's still on," King informed before the boy could get any ideas. He could feel Nara glaring from his side. "It's just being lessened at the moment. A chance for you to win over my grace."

"Cool," Rockie chimed, turning to bound up the stairs.

"But wait," King suddenly called out stilling Rockie. "You better behave yourself." He grinded out threatening.

"Yessir," Rockie grumbled out, then went off.

Maya took Esther upstairs to finish touring the house.

Nara looked at King curiously. "What was that about?"

"Yeah, papa bear." Ivy added in with a raised brow. "You were super hostile to the kid."

"It's nothing." King rushed out.

Nara wasn't having it. "Well, it's clearly-"

"I said it's nothing." King suddenly said with so much force, the two ladies were stunned speechless. Realizing the intensity, King cleared his throat and spoke softly. "I'll be in my study if you need me."

With that the master went upstairs.

Outside with the gang...

Maya, Esther, Rockie, and Triton trampled down the dirt path of the marketplace. Triton had tagged along once he heard that Rockie was going. The kids searched, asked and played around the area searching for any lead to Esther's father. Not finding a clue, the group took their search into the streets of Berlim outlet. They each waded throughout stores. After an hour had past, they regrouped, dejected and exhausted.

"It's useless. We need to search out further." Esther groaned in frustration with puffed cheeks.

"Why is your dad in Berlim anyway?" Maya asked her friend.

Esther turned to the three then lowered her voice so they could hear over the crowd. "Between us, I know that my dad still gambles. He used to frequent the clubs here in Berlim when his addiction was really bad. He'd told us he stopped, but I knew it wouldn't be long before the addiction came again." Esther whispered out forlornly.

"So, why aren't we looking there?" Rockie asked.

"It's not that simple." Esther said stiffly. "The Hot spot isn't exactly the place for children. They'd be on us before we reach 10 feet of the place."

"That's why we sneak in, duh." Rockie stated with a dimpled smirk.

Esther gave him an interested face then said, "That could work."

The group was interrupted when they were suddenly engulfed in a cloud of dust. They hacked loudly as it cleared up.

"What... the hell?" Maya coughed out in a fit. When she looked up, she could see three figures surrounding Esther.

The figures were tall cockroaches, wearing black tuxedoes and fedoras. They were of the species, Blattodea.

Maya sprinted over until she was blocking Esther with her arms spread.

"Who are you?" Maya asked with daggering eyes.

One of them pulled out a flyer then pointed towards Esther. "Esssssttthheeerrrr," it hissed out.

On the flyer, it had the words 'Wanted: Esther Valentine, daughter of Justin Valentine' with a picture of the girl.

Both girls froze up once they digested the message.

"Where's my dad?" Esther asked, angry and worried.

"Coommmmmmeee," The last once hissed out more forceful.

"She said no!" Rockie shouted from behind the roaches and chucked a static ball towards their backs.

They quickly dodged the attack, leaving the girls wide open. Maya whacked the ball away, burning her hand in the process and it hurled into the ground. Dust once again covered them up.

Once the dust cleared, the doves looked up to see the roaches running away with Esther.

"Damnit, they're getting away." Maya cried out then took off in a sprint.

Rockie ran to join.

The roaches cut the corner between some building.

"Let. Me. Go." Esther shouted, beating her fist against the roach back.

"Static wall" Rockie shouted, and an electric barrier rose up and cut off the roaches' path.

They turned towards the children. They went to run at them before Maya yelled, "Floorboard".

A wood barrier rose from behind them, blocking the other end. Maya snapped her fingers and needle-sharp thorns lined the wall.

Triton, Maya, and Rockie stared at the enemy with cocky grins.

The roaches looked at each other, hissing in their own language.

"Screw this." Maya growled, then opened up her hand. "Dustin"

Rockie gave his biceps a pat before electricity danced around him.

Triton stayed behind, relenting to just glaring at the enemy. Rockie punched his fist together then ran at the roaches. He swung his fist at the first one he could reach, and Maya followed up swiping the gavel at the other one. The one holding Esther stood back.

Roach 1 dodged Rockie's punch and kicked one thorny leg out. Rockie ducked down in time, then latched onto its leg and propelled up and kicked it in the face. Rockie winced in pain. He hadn't expected the leg to be so sharp.

The roach fumbled backwards.

Rockie looked down at his bloody palms. He'd have to be careful. He summoned an electric ball and chucked it at the roach, but it quickly gathered itself and moved fast.

"Powerhouse stomp" He stomped his foot and the ground ignited from under the roach feet and shocked it. It let out shrieking clicking noise, then fell to the ground.

The roach holding onto Esther let out a nasty hiss before thick smog poured from its mouth.

The teens covered their noses as the smog completely blurred their visions. Suddenly they were attacked blindly, punches and kicks hitting their bodies quick and fierce until all three were laid out on the ground.

The air finally cleared up.

"Nooo," Maya managed the wheeze out as she watched the roaches run away with Esther dangling unconscious.

Rockie gathered on his wobbling feet and ran towards the roaches. With lightning speed, one of them was before Rockie. Making hand signals with its tendons, it blew out hot rock embers which caught the kid in the face.

"AHHH!" Rockie let out a painful yowl. His face felt as if it was on fire and his eyeballs seemed like they were melting from his sockets. He collapsed to the ground in a spasming mess.

Triton slid to his side with panicked tears pouring down his cheeks and tried to calm the ginger down.

Maya eyed her best friend's body slowly disappear with the enemy, then over to her brothers. Punching the ground in defeat, she hobbled over to help out.

The roaches ran until they were approached a shabby casino building. They stepped over a manhole then jumped down it. Inside, they walked the sewer trails until they reached a throne. A man sat in it with his legs crossed. Shadow covered his visage, but his pearly white smile glisten brightly. Another man all bondage up kneeled beside him struggling.

The roaches dropped Esther on the ground and the bondage man struggled even more.

"Haha, looks like we're even." The man said with glee.

ending: Desperado, Rihanna

Dove Clan family

Queen Lvänstaar

age: 196 (19 in our years)

weight: 121 lbs

height: 5'5",

eye color: black

hair color: auburn

type: poison

likes: Dove Clan, sweets, and learning

dislikes: her home planet

guild sign color: black

Queen is from Euenq, a planet in the Shineshone galaxy. Not enjoying her life back home, Queen took a jet bubble and ran away, then landed on Arithe. She later joined the guild who help her out in a really tough spot, not long after Parker had joined. Queen is always seen under Champion and the two make a great duo. Surprisingly, for having been on planet Arithe for less than a year, Queen has already grasped the basics of their language.