A Birth day

Ruby listened to Angus and Marcus talk to Daria about trying foods that she was offered " its good to have a diverse palette, if you try it and don't like it you don't have to eat it again, but you wouldn't know unless you try new things" she said smiling " Angus taught me that" she added as she took the box from Marcus and smiled " thank you" she said smiling " its how I know I don't like spicy foods but I don't stop Angus eating them because he does like it, I like simple foods with flavour" she looked to Aria " and Aria likes fish and foods with exceptional freshness." she smiled to Daria .

" yeah and you find new things you like." Aria said smiling " but those bars Ruby made are delish" she said and chuckled as she placed a prawn on Daria's plate " try it, you might find you like it." she chuckled as she held the box with one hand and levitated her book so she could read as she ate watching as Angus returned from his shower in his room.

"They are good," Marcus told Daria. "You'll like them."

Angus finished his lunch and then he picked up the new equipment belt that Edward had bought for him. Angus fitted it with a pocket patch kit, the throwing knives, the rapier, a stiletto blade, some bubbles, and a wand holster. He made sure his mission boots were fitted with a switchblade in each one. 

"Let me check it for you," Marcus told him when Angus had it assembled. Angus handed it to Marcus and Marcus strapped the belt around Angus's waist and then altered where the loops and pockets were attached so that they specifically fit Angus. Marcus wanted Angus to have every weapon right at his fingertips. He drilled Angus again and again and again until Angus instinctively could draw whatever weapon he needed without having to stop and think.

He had Angus put on his mission wear, and he worked with Angus to make sure that fit well. And then he did one more thing. He had two of Angus's black tee shirts fit for Angus without his magic wrap for his shoulder. And then he fit two charcoal colored tees for him so he could choose to wear his magic wrap if he needed it. Either way, Angus would be able to be at the ready in a moment.  

"Just one more thing, if you don't mind. I learned it from Remus--more or less," Marcus said. He went behind Angus, took Angus's medallion on him and cast a spell on the medallion and then put it back on him. "I put an enchantment sort of like the one on Khaat's necklace. It can only be removed by an organization member. I don't want some dark arts practitioner to be able to take it from you so that we can't find you. But I don't want you saddled to wear it forever like Khaat is saddled to hers."

"Fair enough," Angus said. 

"I think you're about as ready as you'll ever be," Marcus said. "I've got an equipment belt of my own that I'm going to fit out for myself. Between the pair of us, she should have a hard time keeping up with us. Or at least that's my intention."

"You can back out of this one if you want," Angus told him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Marcus grinned. Marcus looked at Ruby and Aria. "You both have your gear fitted the way you want it? Now's the time to prepare while it's quiet."

Aria watched Marcus outfit Angus and teach him where his daggers and things were on his belt. Soon both women saw he knew where everything was instinctually now and smiled. Ruby and Aria heard Marcus and nodded " I do already " Ruby said as Aria looked to Marcus and stood up. She stood up and transfigured into her gear.

"I have this dagger holder I can't get it to sit right , it holds both daggers " she said showing him how one side hung lose when the dagger was in the sheath . " I thought about just using the one set but then as you said the second set would be a last resort " she added showing the rose daggers below her usual daggers in the holder. she turned slightly and looked at Marcus showing how it hung at a kilter " I've tried doing myself but, as you can see no joy"

"Because the belt itself doesn't sit right, and also because you have more weight on one side than the other. It isn't balanced. If you want all those things on that side because you use it on that side, then we have to alter the belt itself on the other side." He made sure the weapons were sitting where she needed them on the belt and then she adapted both sides to have equal weight and some thigh straps so that it kept the weapons in place as she moved and did not allow the belt to shift or spin or drag on one side.  "See if that fits better," he said. "Try it. You and Ruby should put your gear and your belts on and go down to the training area. Run the obstacle course in your gear with your belts and try your weapons on the targets and see if the belts are right. That's the only way you're going to know if its right for you. And besides, you have Daria here to mind the babies. Its a fine test for her and for you two."

"Go ahead," Angus said. "I'm going to go out in the yard and do some more stretching sorts of things. Maybe Marcus and I can spar a bit while you're gone."

"Slave driver," Marcus teased.

Aria let Marcus alter the belt and it felt like it sat better she also heard him mention going to the training ground. Ruby stood up and changed to her mission wear looking at Angus as he made his suggestion " yeah would give Daria time with the girls" she said and smiled nodding to Aria " well lets go, I need to blow away some cobwebs" she said smiling .

Aria looked at Marcus as he did something to Angus medallion and nodded as she heard his explanation of what he had done " good idea, see you in a few. " she said to Marcus and headed out the door with Ruby towards the training ground. Entering it they saw Joseph already there training with a rapier and moving quickly and fluidly but his foot work was a bit off and Aria saw it.

"you know training should be done in pairs" she said as she walked over to him and stood watching him as he moved.

"yeah my stance is wrong , I can't get the foot work right" he said turning to Aria and Ruby Aria looked at him and picked up a wooden pole and stood facing him in the stance Marcus had showed her.

"come at me" she said smiling as Ruby went and ran the obstacle course leaving Aria and Joseph to spar.

Angus was out working on stretching and exercising in the yard, when all of a sudden there was a panicked screeching voice coming through the floo.

"Dad! DAD! Dad, you gotta come now!"

"Anise?" Marcus went to the floo. "What's the matter?"

"It was awful..." her shrieking broke down to sobbing. "They're gone. They're all gone.  I'm by myself..."

"Anise," Marcus said, "take a breath. What happened? Where is everyone?" He looked out the door towards the back yard and motioned to Angus that he needed to come inside.  

"The whole house shook....and then these things...they just walked through the patio door just as if the glass wasn't there...."

"What things?" Angus asked. "Describe them."

"They were horrid...they were living statues or something. They were horrendous...They destroyed the house...and I...I hid. I don't know why I hid. Why did I hide? I was such a damned coward..."

"Anise," Marcus said calmly. "Focus."

"Breathe," Angus said. "Take a breath."

"I ended up in the cabinet under the stairs. Something hit me in the head, and then...when I came out, they were all gone. Just not here. Gone, even the professor....The place is completely destroyed.."

"I'm coming," Angus said. "Anise, is Carlo or Rosaria there?"

"I don't know," she sobbed. "What if they're dead? What if..."

"Calm, Poppet," Angus said. "I'll be there in a minute or two. Hold tight."

He glanced at Marcus and saw Marcus hit his medallion paging only Robert first. He knew Robert would very likely call every first stringer but that needed to be Robert's call. Angus reached up and hit his medallion to page Ruby and to page Edward. He needed them to know but to not race off to try to solve it by themselves. Angus had a really, really bad feeling about this whole thing. This, he believed, was done to draw him wherever this showdown was supposed to be. They were being used deliberately as bait to summon him there. And it angered him. He had to take a breath himself in order to reel in his rage.

He thought about Evan being taken a second time. Ginger being taken a second time, and it reminded him that when he had found Ginger the first time, Suzanne had nearly killed her. He had rescued her before. He had no choice. He had promised his kids he would always come, and as long as he still had breath in his lungs, he would go fight for them to bring them home. He had to get his brother, his nieces--his family. He knew they were being used as bait, but that also meant they were most likely disposable. He didn't dare wait a half a moment. He raced up the stairs to change only because he needed his damned gear. As he was changing, it struck him that he needed his black duster coat. He believed they were going to somehow end up in that damnable castle in northern Ireland, and that meant it was going to be cold and damp. Damned castles were always cold and damp, and sometimes stinky because of black mold in the basements. Why did castles always have creepy basements? He grabbed his hat, and fastened his equipment belt around his waist, tucking his wand in the holster on the belt.

Ruby and Aria had finished their run and returned to the duplex just as the floo burst open and they heard Anises voice , both looked to Angus as they transfigured their clothing to mission wear out of their running gear. " do not stop me from going" Ruby said " she's our daughter and I will have your back and if I get the change take down whom ever hurt her" she said her voice firm but soft . Aria stood with Ruby waiting for his words.

Jack felt his medallion vibrate it had come from Robert and he ported right to Robert clothing now mission wear . " so, she made her move?" he asked having a feeing it was Pearl who had got them at actions stations. Joseph watched as some thing happened at the duplex and main house he saw the first stringers heading to the duplex he finished his job and followed close behind knowing he would not be going on any missions but he wanted to know how he could help.

"I don't know yet," Robert said. "I paged you and Michael and Kate. Assemble as many as you can get and get them outfitted with as much ammunition and supplies as they can comfortably fight with. We are absolutely not going until I say we're going. The first person who needles me or Angus or Marcus and gives us any sort of 'we need to go now' message is gone--fired--out. I mean it. I am sick up to my eyeballs with fighters trying to rush a mission, so you need to warn them. This is not the mission to challenge me about. And this isn't a mission for the organization, not yet. So far, this is just first stringers. Get Jessie and Yu. Help Angus and Ruby get the babies to the main house. I need to go see Marcus and Angus first to see what exactly we're up against."

"I'm not going to try to stop you, but Pearl is mine--not yours. She'll have you for a snack. I will not yield on that," Angus told her. 

Robert apparated to the duplex, and he looked at Marcus, not saying a word. Marcus motioned that Angus was upstairs, as Edward came through dressed for whatever mission they had. 

"I need me a moment alone with him," Robert told the others. "That's not a request. Understand me? You lot wait for us down here. Ruby, Aria, get the babies packed up to go to the main building. I've asked Jack to help them get next door asap. Move it, People."

`Jack heard Robert and stood silent listening to his orders and nodded once done. Jack walked out and saw Joseph " get you gear2 he said , " but do as I say no heroics, this is serious , you want to show you are worthy of a first string place, now is your time.." he added and saw Joseph nod his head and transfigured his clothing to a dark shirt and trousers with a black leather coat and rapier on his back over a black fitted jacket with a rapier across his back.

Jack then went to the Cabin next to the duplex and knocked . It was Yu that answered with Chris , once he had explained Yu picked up Chris and a bag that as sat by the door he then walked to the duplex and stepped inside, as they walked back they saw Jessie and Jack called him over he too transfigured his clothes to his mission wear and followed Jack to the duplex.

"gather the girls things and get to the main house , Roberts orders, Daria you an go too" he said as he watched Ruby pick up Caprice and Daria pick up Amari while Aria went and grabbed the two begs from upstairs and some toys. Together they walke dover to the main house and settled the girls in the living room.

Robert went upstairs and walked into the bedroom, seeing Angus gearing up. Robert closed the bedroom door and went over to him and helped him adjust his gear. He checked Angus's shoulder. 

"It's holding for now," Robert told him. Angus nodded. "Tell me exactly what you know." Angus briefed him, and Robert just listened.

"So, here's what we should do. We should start at Evan's. We'll start with just a handful of us at Evan's house. We'll send a team into Edward's to check on Rosaria and Carlo. We'll leave Jess on standby in case Anise or Carlo or Rosaria need medical help. I'll contact Owens, and we'll get the rest of the organization on standby too in case we need more backup. Once we know they're alright, we'll move on. Angus, you do know this is a trap designed especially for you. Since Rita Skeeter's article, it's been put out there about the strong sense of family loyalty the Donohue clan has.  If it wasn't know before, it certainly is now. She's using that to bait you."

"Yep. I know. I'm hoping that, because of her age, she thinks I'm young and stupid and inexperienced."

"Well, now, that might honestly be a possibility," Robert nodded. "Do you have any reservations about this at all?"

"Only one. Ruby's going along but that's not my reservation. I'm fine with that. Just don't let her bite off more than she's ready for, will you? And get my family out. Whatever happens, get them home."

"We never leave anyone behind," Robert said. "You stay close to Marcus. I have no intention of losing either of you, but you're both better when you're together."

"Understood," Angus said.

"Do not forget for half a second that we fight together, not alone," Robert told him. Angus nodded. "Ready?" Robert asked him. Angus nodded. Angus left the bedroom and came downstairs, completely focused on the mission.

Robert motioned to everyone downstairs to follow him, and he went outside. Kate and Michael and the others were gathered in the yard.

"Here's the situation. Anise has contacted us by floo saying that Evan's house was broken into by big beings that looked like stone, and that she hid. Everyone was taken except her. As of now, we have at least six people missing--Evan, Tara, Faith, Evie, Ginger and their Beauxbatons' professor. Anise says the house is in a ruin. We do not know if it is structurally safe. Nor do we know if Rosaria and Carlo are safe at the main house. Nor do we know what these beings are. Off the top of my head, my thoughts are that the beings could be golums or they could be statues enchanted by a Pietotum Locomotor spell or some being created by elemental magic. We just don't know. 

"We need to get to Evan's. Jack, contact Jess please and ask her to remain on standby in case Anise or anyone else there needs medical help or some other assistance. She can coordinate that. I have put Owens and the organization on standby in case we need additional help. It appears we will most likely go to the castle that Pearl supposedly owns on the northern coast of Ireland. Near Derrybeg. The first fighter that tries to rush this mission is out on their tail. We need precision this time, not haste. I presume I will not have to repeat myself. Pick a partner and stay together. This has the possibility of magic we are not ready for, so do not let yourself get separated from your partner. If you're ready, then, let's port to Edward's and get to Evan's. Edward, take at least a couple with you and go check on Rosaria and Carlo. Jack, can you assign a couple to go with Edward while people are partnering up, please?"