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Boots pounding against the floor, she tried to ignore the sounds of scuffling that seemed to surround her. Ignore the feeling of being watched as she searched every last door down every last hallway. She has to be here somewhere! But as Luz whipped open yet another stupid door to yet another useless empty room, she felt that hope dwindling ever so slightly.
Still no sign of her.
Slamming the door shut with a growl, she ran around the corner and grabbed the next handle only to pause. A few doors down, there were grooves dug into the door frame, some even falling to the otherwise immaculate marble flooring. Cold claws gripped her chest as she began to follow the trail, hands balled into tight fists as she noted that whoever made these had been dragged kicking and screaming.
She felt sick.
Following the gouges down yet another twist and turn of a hallway, Luz found herself face to face with another door. Deep claw marks marred the wood, the bottom rounded out slightly. As if whoever was inside had desperately tried to get out.
As if that wasn't enough evidence that this was the room she was looking for, if Luz strained hard enough she would be able to hear soft sobbing, and a rhythmic thunk that reverberated through the walls. Everything about the situation sent sharp pains lacing through her heart, had fury flowing in her veins. She raised a hand and traced the deep grooves, wincing and pulling back when the splintered wood jabbed back at her.
A distant shout broke her from her reverie. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the handle and turned.
Despite the trail that led her here and seeing the damaged wood, Luz still held hope that this wasn't real. That the evidence was wrong and this was all a weird misunderstanding. That no one could be so cruel, so unforgiving and hateful towards their own flesh and blood, towards another living being. But when she broke the lock and opened the door and heard the sobs hitch, heard the dull buzz of electricity and a hiss of pain, she knew she was foolish for thinking anything else.
Descending the stairs quickly, the human had no trouble finding what she had been searching for even in the dark room. There, huddled in the corner in a tight trembling ball, was Amity. When she looked up, Luz could see a muzzle wrapped tightly around her face and a thick shock collar around her neck. Her golden eyes were wide and frantic, not too dissimilar to a frightened animal, and jagged claw marks lined her face and neck. Blood was smeared on the wall, some still trickling from a recent attempt at trying to bash the horrid thing off of her.
When golden eyes landed on her, Amity had a second to perk before flinching back as the collar shocked her, whacking her head against the wall in surprise. Luz hurried over, dropping to her knees. Grabbing the muzzle with shaking hands, she tried yanking the wretched thing off to no avail. No visible clasps nor hooks - how in the hell did they get this thing on her??
After a few minutes of fucking with the God forsaken thing, a heavy weight in her pocket gave her an idea. She whipped out her pocket knife with one hand and gently held Amity's face in the other. "Hold still, please," She murmured softly, tilting the witch's head to get a good angle. Luz took a deep breath to steady her still trembling hand, and gingerly cut the straps holding the muzzle in place.
The green haired witch launched into her arms before the thing could even hit the floor. Tears soaked her shirt as she held the sobbing girl tightly. "Its okay now, Ams," She whispered soothingly, running her shaking hand through wild minty locks. "You're gonna be okay."
They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Finally, Luz reluctantly pulled away. She shucked her jacket off and wrapped it around the witch's shoulders, her hands clinging to the fabric desperately. As she helped her to her feet, Luz couldn't help but notice just how small Amity looked, how fragile and torn up she was, and it sent a hot flash of fury through her. Lord help the Blight parents because if she ever saw their shitty mugs she'd make sure they'd regret ever having been conceived.
As the two ascended the stairs, Luz found her opportunity came sooner than she had expected, for just outside the entryway stood one Odalia Blight. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her dull golden eyes ablaze as she glared at the two, a challenge Luz eagerly met.
Alador stood a ways behind her, preoccupied with his own confrontation. Willow and Gus were flinging spells left and right, slowly being backed into a corner by the Blight Patriarch as he effortlessly used his abominations to absorb the attacks. The younger witches were obviously exhausted yet refused to let up on their barrage, keeping him distracted.
"Amity." Luz' glare never left Odalia, even as she felt claws dig into her sides. Amity ducked behind her, clutching onto her like a lifeline. "Amity Blight. Release that thing and come here. Now." The claws gripped tighter, a soft whimper escaping the girl as she flinched. "Amity-!"
"Don't talk to her." Odalia's eyes narrowed, a sneer on her face as she regarded Luz.
"What did you just say?"
"I said," Luz began slowly, as if talking to someone incredibly stupid. "Don't talk to her. Simple English, really! Thought you Blights were smart enough to know that phrase." She kept her voice level, arms crossing over her chest as she glared defiantly.
Odalia sputtered, heat rising to her cheeks as she hissed indignantly, "You break into my house, kidnap my child-"
"Your child? You mean the one you had locked up in a muzzle? That you dragged against her will?" Luz threw her hands into the air, seething with rage. "You treat her like a dog, but the only bitch I'm seeing is you!"
Neither spoke, gold meeting brown in a heated glaring contest. After a few minutes, Odalia moved. Luz shifted, expecting claws or fists or even fire to come flying her way. But none of that came. Instead, the Blight Matriarch reached into her pocket, pulling out a little black box. Caught off guard Luz merely watched in confusion as she fiddled with something on the box. It was when the elder witch pointed the object towards them that realization dawned on her.
The shock collar.
Luz whipped around, but it was too late. Amity let out a sharp hiss, her hands shooting to claw at the offending device as it shocked her at maximum power. Her fangs dug into her tongue as she tried to hold in her scream, dropping to her knees and pressing her head against the cool marble.
So distracted by the heinous act being committed, Odalia didn't see the fist till it slammed into her cheek with a solid crunch! She stumbled back, dropping the remote in favor of clutching her face and hissing at her assailant. Luz merely shook her hand out, knuckles bloodied and certainly broken, before launching another punch. This one was anticipated, however, and as Odalia ducked she struck out with a punch of their own.
Claws and fists flew as the two duked it out, neither leaving room for the other to catch their breath before launching another flurry of attacks. Blood splattered on the white marble, and a wayward foot kicked the forgotten remote, sending it skittering towards Amity.
A particularly brutal headbutt made Odalia cry out, and Alador finally turned his attention to the brawl behind him. He raised a hand and began forming a spell circle only to have sharp thorns dig into his wrist, a vine yanking his arm and dragging him to the ground where more vines broke through the tiled flooring, holding him down. Willow stepped towards him, her eyes glowing an ethereal green. Had this been a movie or show, she would've made some quip about never underestimating her.
Instead, she turned to address Gus. "Go get Amity!" The young boy nodded and jogged off, picking up the remote. Willow turned her attention back to the fight, wincing as Luz took a particularly harsh punch to the jaw. That'll definitely bruise.
With a twirl of her wrist, the plant witch summoned more thorny vines, wrapping them tightly around Odalia's legs and whipping them out from beneath her. Her head hit the floor, more vines already waiting to ensnare her. Both Blight parents hissed and wriggled, wincing when their restraints merely tightened, digging the thorns harder against them.
Prying the collar off, Gus helped Amity sit up as Luz practically flung herself towards the two. Her hands reached out towards her but paused, only for Amity to all but collapse against her anyway. Gus picked up the collar and frowned, shoving it in his pocket.
Glancing as the bound witches, Willow sighed and headed over to the three. "We've got to go." Gus nodded in agreement, standing and already heading towards the large double doors. Luz stood, scooping Amity up with her and following his lead, with Willow taking up the rear. They pretended not to hear the foul obscenities being thrown their way, instead hurtling past the large iron gates and into the woods, making a beeline for one rickety old Owl House.