Chapter Forty-Six: The Improbability Clause

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“YAY!” Lizzy clapped her hands with Madeliene, who had just finished a shape matching game on the computer. “You're such a smart little girl!”

Madeliene laughed. Lizzy beamed. Sure, for a seventeen-year -old babysitting wasn't the coolest thing to be doing, but there was just something about the young Masters that drew Lizzy to her. She agreed with Sam that childcare and teaching were the best things in the world, and was already preparing her University application to get into early childcare.

We won't go into the crush that she has on Sam though.

Madeliene was moving on to the next level of the very simple puzzle game and Lizzy helped her. Already Madeliene was showing signs of her family heirloom, the Masters high IQ that got the Beglys out of so much trouble.

If you believe in that stupid Improbability Clause. Lizzy smirked to herself.

Izzy soon walked in with Hugo, both carrying copious amounts of shopping.

“We got you some nice things too!” Izzy waved a bag at Lizzy, who laughed.

“Thanks guys. Who's the smartest little girl in the world?” Lizzy soon returned to doting on Madeliene. Hugo chuckled and Izzy rolled her eyes.

She flopped down on the couch and flicked on the news.

“WE ARE REPORTING LIVE FROM PLEASANTVILLE CENTRAL WHERE CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES HAVE ENGAGED THE DEATH VALLEY MOB AFTER THE MOBSTERS TOOK OVER PLEASANTVILLE MEMORIAL SHOPPING CENTRE.” The newsreader cried. Video of Chuckles, Giggles and the Knights of the Last Order fighting off the Death Valley Mobsters showed.

“We should get going! Come Liz.” Izzy quickly got up. “I've got your stuff in my room.”

“I can't just leave Madels!” Lizzy retorted. “Lady Sunlight and Sir Moonlight can handle this without me.”

“She'll be fine, Mum's home!” Izzy pointed out, pulling her twin sister up.

“Well...sorry kiddo, I've gotta go save Pleasantville.” Lizzy reluctantly got up.

Madeliene looked devastated. Tears began to form and fall from from her eyes.

“I've gotta save the city.” Lizzy pleaded.

“Iggles!” Madeliene cried. “Uggles 'n Iggles!”

“Chuckles and Giggles won't save Pleasantville...” Lizzy tried to tell the little girl.

“Uggles 'n Iggles!” Madeliene pleaded, crying loudly.

Lizzy looked sadly at the little girl.

"Come ON." Izzy urged.

The last thing Lizzy saw as she walked out the door was Madeleine in tears.

–

The interaction was still playing on Lady Starlights mind when she, Lady Sunlight and Sir Moonlight rushed to the shopping centre. The plan was to rush in and finish off Master Revolver and Mobster Marion.

“Hurry up Starlight, you're slowing us down!” Lady Sunlight urged her twin sister on as they ran.

“I'm just...I'm just thinking we should go the other way.” Lady Starlight said suddenly, for some reason wanting to delay the inevitable clash between themselves and their brother Chuckles.

“Why?” Sir Moonlight looked at her quizzically.

Lady Starlight was about to say “Never mind”, when she heard little Madelienes voice again.

“Uggles 'n Iggles!”

“Because I do.” She shot. Without waiting for a reply, she ran down another street, leaving Sir Moonlight and Lady Sunlight bemused.

“Well, let's go.” Lady Sunlight ran after her sister, followed by Sir Moonlight.

Their path lead them close to the Council building, and sure enough they found Ruby Daryl three blocks down heading to the battle between the Death Valley Mobsters and the Noble Knights of the Last Order/Chuckles and Giggles.

“Oh, it's YOU three. I thought you'd be at the mall already, looking for your fill of blood.” Ruby Daryl saw them first, and smirked beneath the Ruby Mask.

“Well, you're definitely not getting there!” Lady Sunlight threw her yo-yo at him. He dodged and threw a Ruby Blast at the three, who scattered.

“You honestly think you three stand a chance against me, all nine of the Last Order took me on and they LOST!” Ruby Daryl laughed as an arrow from Sir Moonlight was expertly blocked by a Ruby Shield.

CRACK.

“You're kidding me!” Ruby Daryl cried as one of Lady Starlights throwing stars landed in one of the shoulder boxes. “Do you know how hard it is to repair this thing?!”

“I have some idea.” Lady Starlight thought of Ruby Giggles.

Lady Sunlight tried another shot with her yo-yo, managing to embed it in Ruby Daryls arm. He roared in pain and yanked his arm into his chest, pulling Lady Sunlight in for a direct hit. She went sprawling to the ground, the yo-yo landing beside her.

Sir Moonlight tried another arrow, which was blocked by the Ruby Shield, as was another throwing star from Lady Starlight. He threw two Ruby Shards at the pair, missing Lady Starlight but hitting Sir Moonlight.

“Oh no.” Lady Starlight groaned. It was just her and Ruby now. She didn't think she was strong enough nor fast enough to take him alone.

She leaped out of the way as another Ruby Blast was thrown at her. She threw one of her throwing stars in retaliation, which was stopped by a Ruby Shard. She only had five left. She couldn't waste them, unless she could somehow gather up the ones she'd already lost.

She decided the best method of survival was to try and either wear him down (nearly impossible) or antagonise him into a rash close-range attack. She ran circles around him, barely dodging Ruby Shards and Ruby Blasts.

"Stay still you little witch!" Ruby Daryl roared in fury. He was getting agitated, playing into Lady Starlights plans. What she HADN'T planned for was his new trick - a Ruby Sword.

Thankfully, she didn't have to. A bullet that was obviously from the Lucky Seven Gun narrowly missed Ruby Daryls other shoulder box, causing him to swear loudly.

“YOU TWO?!” He roared in fury.

“Leave. Now.” Chuckles stood below Giggles, his arm still in a sling.

“Fine.” Ruby Daryl hissed through gritted teeth. He wonkily flew away in a huff.

“It's a good thing you guys DID get him though, if he'd arrived at the mall any earlier and we would have all been in deep diabolical doo-doo.” Giggles waved to the three Outer Knights, who were slowly pulling themselves together.

“Oh go blow it out your ear Giggles.” Sir Moonlight scowled, before making off with his two companions.

“Rude!” Chuckles and Giggles were appropriately affronted.

“They do have a point, it WAS lucky we went that way instead of heading directly to the mall.” Lady Sunlight smiled approvingly at her sister as they headed back to their base of operations, a small deserted café near the edge of the city.

“Amazing what a bit of dumb luck can do.” Sir Moonlight agreed.

Lady Starlight said nothing. She had an uncomfortable, sneaking suspicion that what had just happened hadn't been dumb luck at all, and if her sister ever found out, well, she'd never forgive her. For Lady Starlight was coming to the dreaded realisation that with the help of the baby Madeline Masters, she'd just done what she'd sworn she'd never, EVER do.

Lizzy Begly had just taken advantage of the Improbability Clause.

–

Thomas Begly sighed as he walked into the kitchen after a long day at work, followed by his usual philosophical beer with Peter Masters. As he walked to the fridge, he noticed his wife digging into a very large chocolate mudcake.

“Is that really necessary dear?” He foolishly asked.

“I look at it this way, if you or the kids piss me off I still have to deal with you, I can't just get rid of you. If this cake gives me the shits I just have to go to the toilet and the problem is solved.” Was Bettys reply.

Thomas opened his mouth and raised his finger ready for a rebuttal, but wisely thought the better of it. “Can't argue with that logic love.” He said, walking out of the kitchen.

He walked into the lounge room and had just sat down when his two daughters walked in, one looking pleased but bruised, and the other looking harassed but fine.

“Do I even WANT to know what you two got up to?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

“Horse riding. Lizzy wouldn't get on, but I did and I might have had a tumble or two.” Izzy lied, looking cheekily at her father.

“Yeah.” Lizzy agreed quietly.

“You okay Liz?” Thomas looked at his youngest daughter (by ten minutes), concerned.

“Just tired out. I think I'm going to go to bed early.” Lizzy sighed and slowly trudged up the stairs, her mind weighed down by the conflict between what she thought she knew and what had happened.

She remembered the fight that her grand-father Charles Howzat had had with his long-time best friend and the grand-father of Belle and Madeliene, Joe Masters, who had also been the best friend of her other grand-father, Tim Begly. She flopped down onto her bed. She couldn't deny that she had Begly blood flowing through her veins, but there was also the strong Howzat influence as well. She couldn't unhear the arguments, the assertion that the 500-year-old Masters Code was old and redundant, an excuse to be a coward, the assertion that the 500-year-old Begly Improbability Clause was nothing more than dumb luck and a complete myth. Yet she couldn't deny what she had not only seen with her own eyes, but caused by the fact that she had listened to a Masters.

It was doing her head in. How Charlie had managed to reconcile the two sides together was beyond her, but it seemed that he had done it. How else could he justify using his grand-fathers weapons as his own? The Arm-Scythes had been Charles Howzats signature weapon for most of his life.

She rolled over onto her back and sighed. It was just a coincidence. That's all it was. There was no Improbability Clause and the Masters Code was still archaic.

This is what Lizzy Begly believed.

That's what she thought, anyway.

Chapter Forty-Five: The Masters Code

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“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Lady Sunlight roared in fury, throwing her sun yo-yo and narrowly missing Lady Silent. She reeled in her weapon and prepared to fire again when she was taken out with a solid hip-and-shoulder by Lady Courage.

“We nearly got rid of Marion for good, and you stopped us you FOOL!” Sir Moonlight shot another arrow at Giggles, who cartwheeled out of the way and landed on a nearby balcony.

“Will you give up?! What did we ever do to you?” Sir Dark and Sir Hedgehog fought against Lady Starlight.

“Stop getting in our way!” Lady Starlight threw some more of her throwing stars at them.

Let's rewind a little bit. Mobster Marion had actually been very good the past few weeks, keeping her nose out of crime, but it all came undone when she went to get her hair cut and didn't like what the hairdresser had done. Obviously, this is a valid reason to call in the rest of the Death Valley Mobsters and have the place destroyed.

(Personally I'm with Marion but for the purposes of this story let's just agree it was a massive over-reaction)

The Outer Knights of the Last Order were first on the scene, and had nearly killed Mobster Marion when Giggles stepped in, telling Mobster Marion to get the hell out of there and stop being such a stuck-up bovine. Infuriated, the Outer Knights of the Last Order chased Giggles to the abandoned old school, where they landed in the middle of a Noble Knights of the Last Order ambush.

Another arrow barely grazed Giggles helmet as Sir Hedgehog threw one of his blades at Sir Moonlight. Sir Moonlight dodged easily and fired an arrow at Sir Hedgehog, which was shot out of the air by Giggles and the Lucky Seven Gun.

“You guys have tried to kill both Ruby and Marion, what makes you so different from them?!” Sir Hedgehog asked as Sir Moonlight grabbed another arrow.

“They're criminals! We're trying to save people!” Lady Sunlight threw her yo-yo again, nearly hitting Lady Courage.

“Can't we all just get along!?” Lady Luck pleaded, holding her first-aid kit close.

“If you lot would do your job properly, we wouldn't be here!” Lady Starlight thundered.

“Look at you, you easily outnumber us three to one, yet you still haven't beaten us!” Lady Sunlight laughed.

“We're not trying to BEAT you, we're trying to make you see reason!” Sir Hyper groaned as he dodged another throwing star.

"You're pathetic." Lady Starlight scowled.

Sir Moonlight dodged a punch from Giggles and swerved to avoid Sir Hedgehog. He then shot an arrow directly at Giggles, whose Backpack decided to malfunction again, leaving her a sitting duck.

CLANK.

"No way has your shoulder healed yet!" Sir Moonlight roared in anger. At the last second Chuckles had stepped in with the Lions Claw Blade and cut the arrow in two!

"You're right, it hasn't, but I can wield with one hand unlike some people who can barely lift a sword with two." Chuckles replied, arm still in a sling.

"Nobody likes you." Giggles sulked.

"What are you doing Chuckles, you're going to get yourself killed!" Lady Starlight looked in horror at Chuckles.

"He definitely will if he gets in my way!" Sir Moonlight pulled out another arrow, but was stopped by Lady Sunlight.

"Leave him alone Moonlight." She warned.

Sir Moonlight looked confused, but backed off.

"Stay. Out. Of. Our. Way." He warned threateningly, before the Outer Knights of the Last Order escaped.

"What was THAT all about?" Sir Dark asked.

“You know you look really weird wearing only one Arm Scythe right?” Giggles asked, poking Chuckles un-injured arm.

–

"So what's for dinner tonight?" Charlie sat in the tree next to Belle later that evening.

"Dad's having some friends over from Awesomica, they're doing a tour of the world and thought they'd stop by." Belle replied, pulling some dead leaves off the tree. "They were going to head to the Great Nations but things there are starting to get dicey."

"I saw on the news." Charlie sighed. "Guess what else I saw on the news."

"Demon resigning as Mayor?" Belle asked hopefully.

"Worse. Pro-Outer Knights crap." Charlie told her. "People are calling in to these news shows and giving the Outer Knights their support."

"This really isn't helping our cause. Don't these people think long-term?" Belle groaned.

“Anyway, I'd better go. The twins are having a friend over and they want us to meet him.” Charlie sighed, stretching out.

“A guy?” Belle looked surprised. “Not guys?”

“I have no idea, apparently he's a bit older than them.” Charlie tried to keep the distaste from his voice.

“And so you're going to play big brother and scare him away, right?” Belle grinned.

“If Dad doesn't get to him first.” Charlie grinned back.

He headed back inside and straightened his hair before heading downstairs to meet his sisters friend. He got to the bottom of the stairs before seeing the dark-haired, handsome young man.

"Good evening. You must be Charlie." Hugo smiled a little too graciously.

Charlie immediately scowled. He didn't like the look of Hugo Graziano one little bit. Thomas didn't look thrilled either.

"That's my name." Charlie reined himself in a little. "And you must be Hugo."

"Indeed. It's nice to finally meet the beloved big brother of my two favourite girls." Hugo smiled politely. Charlie didn't trust that smile.

"That looks like it hurt." Hugo continued, looking at Charlies arm.

"Broke it at work." Charlie replied coolly. Who was this creep?

"You should come into the kitchen and meet Mum." Izzy quickly grabbed Hugos hand. The twins dragged him away as Charlie shared a look with his father.

"Don't like him and don't want him near my sisters." Charlie said bluntly.

"Agreed. I'll be keeping an eye on him." Thomas scowled after the young man.

Hugo, meanwhile, was inspecting an old scroll on the wall near the kitchen. Lizzy smiled.

“That's not the real one, it's a copy. The Masters have the original.” She told him.

“I will never kill another human being again. I will always respect my elders, even if I don't agree with them. I will endeavour to dress nicely and appropriately. I will never hold back, and will fight forever for what is right. Most of all, I will always believe.” Hugo read. “Signed, Maurice Masters.”

“The Masters Code. They live next door, and they've lived by it for over 500 years.” Thomas came in from the lounge room. “Which is about the same amount of time our families have been best friends.”

“A bit archaic needing a code to tell you how to be a decent human being though.” Izzy scowled.

“It's tradition.” Charlie stood behind his father, also scowling. “We honour the past by honouring the Code!”

“You set WAY too much by the code, you even use a capital C when you say it!” Lizzy cried.

“How on earth do you know whether or not someone is using capitals when they speak?” Thomas wondered out aloud.

“You're right, I do. Because that Code has survived 500 years for a reason. Because our friendship with the Masters family has survived FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.” Charlie fought back.

“Can we not do this with guests in the house?!” Betty snapped. She turned apologetically to Hugo. “It's an old family argument, I apologise for their rudeness.”

“No need Mrs. Begly, I understand.” Hugo smiled politely. Thomas didn't like that smile. It was too polite for his liking!

“Oh, Liz, Lara was over earlier, she was wondering if you could take care of Madeliene again next week?” Betty turned to her daughter.

“Of course!” Lizzy squealed, making Izzy chuckle and Charlie smile. No matter how much she wasn't thrilled with the older members of the Masters family, Lizzy Begly was a sucker for the baby Madeliene!

“Lizzy is madly in love with the baby Masters.” Izzy explained to Hugo, who chuckled.

“It's nice to see that one of you likes children.” He commented, earning him veiled glares from the two male Beglys.

Betty sighed. It was going to be a long dinner.