Heroes Rising

[Neon]

Edrin sighed. "Look, I can handle it. And if you're just going to focus on the negative, you're of no help."

Vladimir nodded. "You love them more than anyone."

[Raven]

Ryan had thought Vlad meant something entirely different and his expression changed back to cool indifference. "Of course I do."

Lynn shook her head. "Do you have more lock picks?"

[Neon]

Vlad honestly had meant that entirely different thing, but had very quickly saved himself from the potential humiliation.

Edrin shook his head. "Nope. Didn't think I'd need more than the one."

[Raven]

"Well, other ways to do things I suppose," Lynn said, and went to the next door and kicked it in.

"Sometimes I wish there was someone. Children need two parents, after all," Ryan said. "A mother, of sorts, would be useful to them."
At the word 'mother', the infant in his arms, Zoey, started to cry.

[Neon]

Vladimir's maternal instincts kicked in and he pet her head. "Oh shhh it's okay. It's okay dear heart." he glanced at ryan. "I'm certainly not the best choice, but if you are asking me, I won't say no."

Edrin chuckled and continued down the line.

[Raven]

"What makes you say that?" Ryan asked, rocking the girl. Zoey didn't stop screaming.

Lynn froze as she heard the infant crying. She could hardly hear it, it was clearly far off. But she recognized it.

[Neon]

Vlad offered his arms. "Believe it or not, I used to have a little boy. We grew up in a very poor clan, and the men usually took care of the infants while the mothers rested."

Edrin heard it too. "Is that your baby?"

[Raven]

Lynn nodded. "Yes. Zoey. We'd just gotten free when he found us..." She looked away.

"I believe she wants her mother," Ryan said, but set Zoey in Vlad's arms. Zoey started blubbering sadly.

[Neon]

Vlad rocked her and cooed comfortingly. "oh dear heart its okay, shhh..."

Edrin nodded. "I'll get her back."

[Raven]

"I will," Lynn corrected quietly, and headed towards the sound.

Zoey screamed louder, waving her fists at Vlad.

[Neon]

Edrin knew better than to argue, following and changing into a beautiful woman.

Vladimir did not appear at all impatient or angry, contradicting his apparently stoic and negative nature. "It's okay, I know. I know you miss mommy. Shhh shhhh shh..."

[Raven]

Zoey tried desperately to look around for her mom. "Mmmmm." Of course, her mother wasn't there, and the baby kept screaming.
Ryan sighed. "She's going to wake the others... Sweetheart, please be quiet for daddy. Would you like some milk?"
"Ahh." Zoey sniffed and looked so very very sad.
"Daddy will make you a bottle." Ryan kissed her head and hurried to do just that.

Lynn froze when her baby's screams disappeared. What had he done? Even if she was okay, now how would they find her? Lynn kept heading in the general direction it had been coming from, listening for anything.

[Neon]

While Ryan wasn't looking, Vlad began gently bouncing her and making silly faces.

Edrin tried to reassure her, "they wouldn't hurt her. Maybe she's asleep?"

[Raven]

"How do you know?" Lynn asked, glaring.

Zoey slowly began to giggle, though she was still uncertain about this strange white-haired man with weird eyes.
Ryan quickly fixed up the bottle and turned to see Vlad making faces. He smirked. "You've been found. Here, let me feed her," he said, reaching for her.

[Neon]

"I've spent a long time studying them," Edrin replied. Of course no longer sounding like Eddie.

Vladimir continued making faces. "Are you hungeee~? Daddy's got some nummy milk for youu~" he said in an equally silly voice.