Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 508: The unwanted gift.

The question raised everyone’s curiosity. Earl ripped the box open like it had offended him, leaving tiny paper pieces all over the floor. He revealed the gift which everyone was holding their breath to see, except for Ariel who had a scowl that was deeper than that of a grinch on christmas.

It was a small, battered toy car. Two wheels were missing, the paint on the words taxi was chipped, leaving only the letters A and X.

Earl stared at it. An old memory flickered faintly--his tiny hands pushing the toy car, laughter echoing at a party. It was the first gift she had ever given him, one that appropriate at that. But the warmth of that memory was drowned by the reminder of how he overheard his very own intoxicated mother had been laughing snidely only hours later, and she admitted to instructing one of the servants to give her a toy car that he had bought for his son.

She had called him a parasite and said he was lucky she even remembered his birthday at all.

For him, the car was a vivid reminder of cruelty, mockery and abandonment. His jaw tightened. He walked to the fireplace where three logs of wood smoldered. With a sharp motion, he toss the toy into the flames.

The fire caught quickly, melting the plastic, consuming the unwanted link to the past he no longer wanted.

"I am going to bed." He declared. And off he went, leaving behind a stunned family.

Ariel clenched his fists. "I will talk to him." He followed his brother.

Hades said the same thing and he followed Ariel. Sunshine looked at Cass and picked him up. "I guess you will be sleeping in my bedroom tonight." There were some things Ariel and Earl needed to tell their father.

Things about the past. Things nobody knew. Things that would probably make Hades take a trip to Westbrook and give Amber another beating. As for her, she needed to give them space to discuss those things.

White rushed over. If there was a sleepover, he wanted in.

Sunshine allowed the bear cub to tag along. And in the back of her mind, she made plans to deal with Amber in her own way.

****

By the time the first rays of the sun broke the skyline, Sunshine was already up and about, boots crunching on gravel. Nimo and Leah were waiting for her in Westbrook, both armed with dragonoids, acid bombs, swords and a spiked bat in Leah’s right hand.

"Dominic’s weapon, he calls it common sense and reason." Leah explained when Sunshine’s eyes lingered on the bat for too long. "I am so ready for this trip." Her voice was low but brimming with venom.

Nimo grinned. "I have been waiting to teach this bitch a lesson since she set foot in our base. All the nurses were gossiping about our little doctor storming out of the hospital in fury. It turns out she is the culprit."

Sunshine sneered. "Since she likes sending gifts so much, we should deliver a thank you note."

Leah raised her eyebrow. "So... what’s the plan?"

Sunshine smirked. "Something you are going to love."

They moved quickly through the alleys, weaving past command posts, half-finished buildings and old vehicles. She was the leader of the base, so nobody stopped her. The apocalypse had left the world in ruins, but it also made crimes like abductions easier. Amber had a few neighbors; all were still sleeping.

They broke into the house and Nimo released a sleeping gas. Amber barely had time to scream before Leah gagged her with a dirty grease-stained rug, Sunshine tied her wrists with a rope. Elijah was too drowsy to help.

Sunshine leaned in and whispered to Amber, "You had your chance, you wasted it. Now, you are going to learn what happens when you try to play mommy again."

**** 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It would have been easier if they flew to the small lake in the forest, but instead, they walked for half a day. Amber was barefoot, so she felt every stone, every cut and worse, the heat from the ground which scorched the skin of her feet. But that was nothing in comparison to the fear she felt whenever something moaned, growled or yawned in the forest.

But her captors dragged her ruthlessly, laughing and promising to make her suffer. Amber recognized Sunshine’s voice. And her hatred for the woman that replaced her multiplied.

Nimo whistled when Sunshine told them to stop. "I don’t think Tracy Kingsley’s tour comes this far. It such a shame because the scene is really beautiful."

She did not lie. The forest was coming to life again; birds were chirping everywhere. The water in the lake shimmered as if it housed crystals beneath. But actually, shadows of something much more dangerous darted back and forth--more arriving as they sensed prey.

Leah jabbed Amber in the ribs with common sense and reason. "Guess where we are."

Sunshine removed the black cloth they had used to cover Amber’s eyes. Then, she grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the edge of the lake. Steam rose from beneath, with a slight hissing sound that warned them to stay away. Sunshine took a hold of the rope around Amber’s ankles and hoisted her upside down, before elevating above with the help of the exo suit.

The fish swarmed immediately, sensing fresh meat. Their fins sliced the water like knives, their jaws snapping open and shut with starving eagerness.

They rug in Amber’s mouth fell to the surface of the lake and it was ripped to shreds. Her screams filled the air.

Sunshine said, in a calm but deadly voice, "If you ever send any of my boys another gift...if you ever try to worm your way back into their lives...you’ll be swimming with the fishes. And trust me, they don’t cuddle."

Nimo sat cross legged on a patch of grass, licking a popsicle. "You know, this kind of feels like we are in the mob. ’Swim with the fishes’, classic mob boss line. We should get inked up and wear fedoras from now on."

Leah chuckled, munching on a bear shaped chocolate ice cream, one of twenty bars that Ala had stocked in their fridge back at home. "Don’t forget about the cigars. If we are going to be in a mob, we need to sell the vibe."

"What are you eating?" Nimo asked her

Leah replied smugly, "Ice cream bear bar. My Ala made these at home. She is only three years old, but she is showing signs of genius. And every day that passes, she looks more and more like her older sister. They both like to play around in the kitchen." She waved the bar in the air. "You won’t find these anywhere else but our home."

Sunshine cleared her throat. "Can you guys focus?"

"We are focused." Nimo replied. "And you have got it handled. Bitter ex over there has even pissed herself."

Amber thrashed, the rope creaking as she swung dangerously close to the water. One of the fish leapt, its teeth snapping inches from her face. She shrieked and begged, desperation pouring from all her pores.