Chapter 46: Going Underground.
Seven and the group followed their new Ghoul friends across the ruined city, after some time talking with them they had decided that Seven and his people could be trusted so they had decided to take their new friends home to meet the family so to speak, so now they led the group across the city to the museum of history.
As the group entered the museum they were amazed by the condition the place was in, the outside was kinda battered somewhat but inside it was in incredible condition and given how strong the walls of the building it wasn't hard to see what they had chosen this place.
Underworld itself was located in the museum's afterlife exhibit which seemed to be dedicated to the differences in belief in the afterlife from cultures from all around the world, the entrance appeared to be a large skull with two banners hanging on either side of it which seemed to have weathered the ravages of time remarkably well.
"Well this is home smooth skin, be on your best behaviour in here, this is our home and you are our guests" Faith said in her gravelly voice that made her sound like she was growling which could easily be mistaken for a threatening tone if you didn't pay enough attention.
"Can we quit it with the smooth skin shit, please? I'm not calling you names or would you prefer it if I start calling you Ghoul or something worse?" Seven said.
Faith gave him a mischievous smile, "Never had you pegged as the sensitive type tin man, names hurt your itty bitty feelings?" she said in a rather condescending voice making Visa bristle.
"What did you say, zombie girl?" Ven said suddenly beating his sister to the punch and Faith baulked along with all of the other Ghouls.
"Hey, not fucking cool! That's fucking racist!!" Faith snarled turning to glare at the large Claw male who simply fixed her with a fang-filled grin.
"Oh? And calling him a smooth skin isn't? So let me get this right its only racist when he does it but when you do it it's perfectly fine as it's just a joke right?" he said making Faith snarl.
"It was just a joke you don't have to get so butt hurt over it scale boy" Faith grumbled.
"Oh I'm not butt hurt at all in fact my beautiful boy takes very good care of my butt thank you very much but I believe in fairness and that man there has shown every single member of this group of ours what fairness and equality actually are so I will defend him, so every time you insult him by calling him smooth skin I will call you zombie girl, I'm not aiming it at the other Ghouls here as they haven't insulted my friend just you, simple really don't want to get called a zombie girl don't call him a smooth skin and we'll soon see just how funny you think your 'joke' actually is because two can play that game," Ven said in a matter of fact voice.
The other Ghouls seemed to contemplate this for a moment switching their gaze's back and forth between Ven and Faith, then they turned to look at Faith, "He's got a point Faith, even when they first saw who we really were they didn't insult us or treat us like we were any different to them so maybe keep the barbs for the racist assholes who genuinely believe that shit about us like the fucking Brotherhood yeah?" Markus said.
She looked at him in surprise like the thought that her friends would side with the newcomers over her had never entered her head, but when she seemed to realise she wasn't going to win this argument she simply grumbled and sulked, "Fine, I'm sorry Seven" she said putting real sarcastic emphasis on his name.
"See? Not so hard to be polite now is it?" Ven said obviously loving her discomfort and knowing that she couldn't do a thing about it.
"Like pulling fucking teeth" she grumbled and ven smiled even broader.
"I'm sure you'd know all about that," he said making her baulk and she glanced at Seven.
"Where the hell did you find him he's a bitch?" she said and Seven snorted a laugh.
"Oh you have no idea," Gregory said patting Ven's rear and making Ven swat him playfully with his tail.
"Rule number one of Claws don't insult them or more importantly their friends, they won't stand for it, they have a code of honour and they stick to it like glue," Seven said putting an arm around Visa's hips and squeezing her.
"Damn fucking straight, there is so little in the ways of honour in this world these days so we claws will uphold it because no one else is going to," Visa said proudly, she cocked her large hips placing her large hand on top of Seven's to make sure he didn't remove it.
"Wish there were more like you in the world it could really use it," Markus said glancing between the two large Claws.
"Well hopefully if we manage to rescue the others maybe just maybe there might be some of our pack among them and even if they weren't as fellow claws we would still do all we could to save them, doubly so if they are our kin," Ven said with a powerful passion in his voice.
Markus nodded, "That thought right there is kinda why this place exists in the first place, to provide a safe place for Ghouls everywhere to exist free of prejudice and bigotry and hate for us just existing, we didn't ask for this, we didn't ask to look like this or to be this way, we couldn't control it same as anybody else, all we want is to be left alone to live the lives we've been given and not be hunted down like vermin," he said with a great deal of sadness in his thick gravelly voice.
"It brings me such sadness that my so-called kin treats others this way, others that look like them let alone those that look different, but I can promise you not one of this group here will ever treat any one of you as anything less than their equal, its what this group is based on, the idea that every sentient being is not only free but equal, that no love or life is worth any less than any other, simple as that, we make it a point of educating all the people we encounter of what their lives could be if they only give both humans and non-humans a chance, they could have such great friendships beneficial to both or sometimes so much more," Seven said with such passion and fire in his voice that even Faith looked amazed.
Visa draped herself over Seven's shoulders and wrapped her arms loosely around his chest as she rested her chin atop his head and she fixed every one of the Ghouls in her gaze, "This male right here has shown me what TRUE humans are capable of, he showed me and Wisp showed me and my brother more honour in the first days of meeting them than we have been shown our entire lives, this one here stole my heart and for a Claw that means the world, it means I am his for life and will stand proudly at his side no matter the threat or challenge that we face we will do so together, live or die I will be at his side as that is my place in this world as he will be at mine because no matter what comes he has my back as I have his and conquer or fall we do so together" she said proudly.
Around them the other couples did the same showing their unity, Wisp slid off Malakai's back where she'd been sat moved around him and leaned into the hold he placed around her waist holding his hands in place as she did.
Gregory stood proudly in front of ven as the pair adopted the same pose as Visa and Seven, while to their right Riss and Runs did the same.
The singletons in the group simply formed up on their flanks to show that they all stood together united on this front and that no matter what they would always be united.
"Jesus Christ where have you guys been our whole lives? We could have done with you guys around the last time the fucking Brotherhood showed up" Markus said.
Seven turned and fixed his gaze on him and he lifted a hand with a metal cannonball flew off a civil war display to his right and hovered before him, "Tell you what, you guys help free those claws and we'll make you a promise, if the Brotherhood come back in the time we are still here and we'll be standing right here on the front lines and we will show those bigoted fucks a whole lot of reasons why they should stay the fuck away from Underworld and its Ghouls, we'll send them a message they won't soon fucking forget" he said and with that, he squeezed his hand into a fist and the old cannonball shattered into powder in front of him making all of the Ghouls stare at him in open-mouthed shock.
"H-H-Holy shit remind me not to fucking wind him up anymore" Faith exclaimed.
"My Seven reserves his rage for those who truly deserve it, he lets me deal with those who try to insult him and I do not take insult lightly or kindly" Visa snarled.
"She makes crazy tails looks calm and collected," Ven said making his sister shoot him a glare.
"Keep it up dear brother and I'll show you what a true crazy tail is" she snarled and Ven laughed.
"Keep the tail action for your beloved human if you don't mind sister dear, I'm pretty sure he's the only one interested in seeing what's under it," he said making Seven laughs.
"Got that right," he said making Visa purr as her anger was forgotten and replaced with passion'
"Keep talking like that my human and Ghouls or not I'll peel you out of that tin can and find a nice quiet nest for me to ravage you," she said with a deep throaty growl.
"Wow, Jesus these Claw girls really don't care do they?" Faith exclaimed and Seven laughed.
"Oh you have no idea and I love it, wouldn't have her any other way," Seven said making Visa both growl and purr again.
