Title: One of my cookies is missing
Category: Cartoons » Three Delivery
Author: crystalquirt
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Published: 11-02-12, Updated: 05-10-17
Chapters: 1, Words: 8,935
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Updated: 05-12-17 fixed errors 5/15/ fixed time line problems and several other issues pointted out by readers! Thanks so much! Changed where things may have been unclear - i hope its better than when i first posted it, and I am going to finish it this time.
a Three Delivery fic
by Crystalquirt
Requested by
Silverheartlugia2000
Up all night for three nights in a row, and looking a little like a mad scientist Nana tucked a strand of loose hair back into the bun on the back of her head. She carried a tray of cookies that she placed on the table in the pantry. The were still steaming and faintly glowed light blue.
Exhausted, she left them out to cool and went up to catch a nap before the restaurant would open in a couple of hours.
The back door at Wu's Garden, the one that led to the beautiful outdoor garden where the three teens practiced and learned their Kung Fu was standing open. Left that way by Barney, who was supposed to lock up, before he went to bed.
A human form dressed in black watched the upstairs windows from the alley behind the garden. When the last bedroom light went out, finally as it was almost dawn, the figure entered the garden, and into the closed restaurant.
The dark figure sneaked silently from room to room, in the restaurant, and finally, after finding nothing to steal, made it's way downstairs to the pantry.
A feminine whisper came through the darkness, "Damn, I can't find anything – no safe, no money in the cash register, nothing!"
She paused by the tray of cookies. "Well, at least I get something for my time." She popped one in her mouth and ran upstairs and out the back door. There was a flash of blue light in the garden.
On that beautiful Friday morning, after only a couple of hours sleep, Nana was up before the three teens had to leave for school.
Coming into the dining room from the pantry, Nana came over to where Tobey, Sue and Sid sat in a booth. She looked upset.
"Kids, one of my cookies is missing from the cookie sheet!" Nana exclaimed, looking specifically at Tobey. "They were cooling in the pantry and now one is gone!"
Tobey saw her glare at him and looked at Sid and Sue. By the looks on their faces they were accusing him too, he exclaimed, "I didn't take it, I swear!"
Sid and Sue knew that anytime a food item was missing, especially a cookie that it was likely taken by Tobey.
Nana came closer to the table, "It was one of my experimental magic cookies," she said softly so Barney and Mr. Wu wouldn't hear her.
"Tobey, just admit it!" Sue said.
Sue," Sid interrupted, "Maybe he didn't take it this time - he hasn't turned into anything or started drooling any more than usual."
"Did you hike your leg and pee on anything since you ate it?" Sue glared at him, referring to the time a cookie turned him into a dog and he did do that.
"No I swear, I didn't take it this time. Leave me alone!" Tobey put his phone in his pocket as he slid from the booth and stomped out to his bike to leave for school.
"Nana, are you sure that one of your cookies is missing?" Sue asked again when Tobey was gone.
"Yes Sue, I'm sure. I was so tired last night that I left them cooling on the cookie tray. Clearly this morning there is one missing."
"Could that big rat that Mr. Wu saw yesterday in the pantry have taken it?" Sid suggested.
"I don't know. I guess anything is possible," Nana concluded. "I'll go back down to the pantry and check for crumbs or any signs of rats. I hope Tobey didn't take it. No telling what would happen to him."
"Why Nana?"
"I was trying to make cookies that would make us some small Nian-like creatures that would be friendly and obedient, from insects only. I thought they could help us patrol Chinatown to keep watch for Kong Li."
"Yeah, it's strange we haven't seen Kong Li in a while," Sue added.
"It's been a few weeks, right Sue?" Sid asked. "Hey, Sis, we better get going to school too."
"Well kids, I guess that if Tobey had taken the cookie he would have shown some symptom right away, after he ate it. I should apologize to him when you three get home from school."
"Alright Nana," Sue said and followed Sid out to their bikes.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
After a long day at school Sid, Sue and Tobey did their homework when they first got home so it would be done before evening deliveries began. The three teens sat in their usual booth at Wu's Garden, talking and playing with their phones.
"Sue, Sid, you know I didn't take that cookie, right?" Tobey said suddenly.
Sid smiled mischievously intending to draw out Tobey's suffering, but right then Barney yelled from the kitchen, "Sid! Deliveries!"
"Right," Head hanging, Sid rose from the booth and went toward the kitchen.
Sid only made it out as far as his bike where he heard Barney yelling that more deliveries were ready.
Waiting for Sue and Tobey, Sid was going very slowly. His friends caught up fast and they rode together for a block until they had to split up.
"Meet you back at Wu's," Sue yelled as she left. The boys agreed. Sid stood up on his pedals to start up a hill and Tobey finger-combed his hair when the breeze blew through it.
"My hair look luscious, even in the wind." Tobey said and let his bike pick up speed all the way down the long hill. At the bottom he jumped a loading ramp. He skidded to a stop and cheered for himself.
Sue and Sid made their deliveries and raced back to Wu's Garden.
"Well, who won?" Sid asked when both of their front tires touched Wu's front door at the same time moving the door just enough to ring the bell.
"I'd say that was a tie - pure and simple." Sue answered.
Nana came out into the dining room when she heard the bell, expecting Tobey to be with Sue and Sid and not seeing him, she asked. "Where is Tobey?"
"We're supposed to meet here and he didn't have as far to go as we did. He must be taking the long way so he can jump the fish barrels at the wharf."
Sue was still guessing about where Tobey was when they heard screaming. Nana and Sue turned toward the garden together. Sue exclaimed, "That sounds like it's coming from the alley behind Wu's Garden!"
Sue and Nana ran down the hall toward the back door. Sid was right behind them yelling into his phone, "Tobey get here fast - we need you!" But there was no answer from Tobey.
In the Garden, Sue was the first to the back wall and opened the round gate that to the alley. She stepped out but stopped in her tracks. She yelled, "Aaaaah!" as an injured person ran into her.
Sid got to his sister's side just as the bleeding victim collapsed in her arms. He was a big man and Sid helped lower him to the ground. His head and legs were bleeding from several long lacerations.
With the victim sitting on the ground Nana kneeled next to him. She yelled, "Kids! Find out what did this to him! I'll tend to him and be right behind you."
"Right!" Sid and Sue said together and ran down the alley and out of sight where the victim had come from.
They didn't have to go far before they slid to a stop. Right in front of them a large hairy human-like creature with long fangs and red-glowing eyes also slid to a stop just before running into them.
Sid put his arms around Sue and turned her away when the creature swiped at her with long, clawed fingers. Sid saved Sue but put himself right in the way. He groaned loudly as claws shredded the back of his shirt and ripped open his skin.
In turn, Sue held on tightly to her brother to pull him away and as they fell she rolled with him, athletically winding up on top. She kicked up as hard as she could and her heel connected with the creature's snout.
The creature put it's great-clawed hand to its face and whined but still angry, lunged at them again as Sue tried to help Sid get away.
Sue thought they'd had it but a fireball came down the dark alley and exploded in the creature's face.
The creature stopped its attack and loped on all-fours to the nearest building and climbed up. Nana sent another fireball at it as she joined Sue and Sid but the creature disappeared around the corner of the building it clung to.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
"It's gone!" Sue exclaimed, " Lemme see you're back."
"I'm okay! What the hell was that?" Sid panted trying to catch his breath. He tried to turn so his sister couldn't see his back, but she held his arm to make him be still. Sid complied since he was feeling a mild wave of nausea and dizziness from the shock of being injured.
"Oh . . . maybe I'm not okay," he stated as he grabbed his sister's arm for support and collapsed back to the ground.
"No Sid, you're not okay - your back is pretty torn up - hold still." Sue held on tightly to her brother's arm with one hand to hold him still and lifted a corner of his torn shirt fabric to see four long lacerations down her brother's back. Blood was quickly forming pools in the cuts and running down his back.
Nana was there instantly.
"You'll be okay Sid - you were both lucky. I'm sorry I sent you both off alone! It is worse than I ever thought it could be!"
"Why - what was that creature, Nana?" Sue asked. Sue took off her biking shirt and waded it up under Sid's shirt to try and stop the bleeding. She stood up with him, keeping her hand on his back.
"That was a werewolf, kids. Come-on, we should get back and get Sid's injuries cleaned up."
"A werewolf - there is no such thing!" Sid exclaimed. "Although my back is killing me!"
"I'm afraid there is. All legends have at least some truth to them. We'll talk more and figure out what to do - don't worry."
Nana and Sue each took one of Sid's arms and helped him walk even though he insisted he didn't need help. Sue still kept her hand on his back, trying to apply pressure to a moving target.
Just as they got back to the round gate, Tobey met them, "You should have see the speed I got going down Lumbard Street! Um, what's going on?"
"There was a real, bona fide werewolf! I called your phone, grrrhg. . . " Sid groaned.
"Your hurt Sid! How'd ya let that happen?" Tobey asked, showing concern when he noticed that Sue and Nana were helping Sid come through the gate.
"The werewolf clawed him when he saved me! We really could have used your help-even if you're mad at us you should have come back to help."
"Sorry - I didn't hear anyone call me!" Tobey stammered, looking at his phone for missed calls.
Sue held her brother's arm and pressed on his back with her other hand all the way to the upstairs bathroom. Nana took over and went into the bathroom with Sid to help help him get cleaned up and bandaged.
Sue and Tobey waited outside the door for them to come out until Mr. Wu's booming voice could be heard, loudly yelling, "Deliveries!"
Sue slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She was tired and worried too. "I can't. I can't stand this." She rested her head on her knees.
"Don't worry Sue, I'll take the delivery," Tobey said and turned to walk away.
"Tobey, wait," Sue stopped him. "Nana thinks maybe rats in the pantry stole the magic cookie. We were gonna apologize for accusing you before all the ruckus started."
"It's okay - usually it is me, right?" Tobey smiled at her and turned to go take the last delivery of the night, alone.
It took an hour for Nana to get Sid cleaned up. Sue heard Sid groan loudly a few times as Nana treated his wounds with a salve that had chili sauce as one of the ingredients. She winced just hearing through the door that he was in pain.
After Nana used that salve he barely felt a few stitches going into the deepest cuts.
When they finally came out it was late and Barney was closing the restaurant. Nana told Sid and Sue to get some rest then asked, "Where's Tobey? I hope he made it back from his delivery."
Sid opened the bedroom door and saw the white patch of Tobey's hair shining in the hallway light. "He's in bed," Sid answered.
They went to their rooms and got in their beds too, except Nana. She stayed up researching in her books that she kept in her room. This time they weren't recipe books, but books about legends and monsters.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Early Saturday morning, Sue and Tobey joined their Nana in her room but they let Sid sleep for as long as he wanted.
"Nana," Sue began, "I woke up with a terrible thought - if it was a werewolf that hurt Sid, won't he turn into one now?"
"No dear, the werewolf only clawed your brother," Nana answered without looking up from her book, "This says you have to be bitten and survive. A werewolf attack usually ends in death, but sometimes if it's looking for new pack members or a mate they will let a victim live after biting them."
"Awesome! I'll beat this thing!" Tobey volunteered excitedly.
"No Tobey - we must be very careful and stay together to find this monster. We must not let it kill or 'turn' anyone."
"You don't think that it already has killed or turned anyone else? This one may not even be the first one!" Sue pointed out.
"I don't think there have been any unexplained murders in Chinatown recently. If this is a werewolf of legend there is only one way to banish it from our world and that's with a silver bullet. I will get a gun and silver bullets, but you three are not allowed to touch it, right?"
"Yes, Nana." Sue and Tobey agreed.
"I will still find it first and tell you where it is, Nana." Tobey boasted.
"Tobey, we will work together to find the werewolf, but I will have to take care of this. I don't want any of you in harm's way again and none of you are to touch the gun or the bullets no matter what." Nana repeated.
They'd been in Nana's room looking through books for hours when Barney yelled from the kitchen, "Lunch deliveries!"
"I'll go!" Tobey jumped up, eager to hit the streets to look for the werewolf and also for his expected tip for delivering the food.
"Tobey! NO!" Nana spoke loudly, "Even though werewolves are not known to be out in the daylight, you will not go alone. Sue, go with him."
"But if there's a tip, I want it," Tobey grumbled.
"Fine, you can have it." Sue sighed.
"I'll see what I can find in this book," Nana waved her hand at a book lying on her bed. "I have a few more hours of research to do, then I will join you before dark. The werewolf will likely appear again tonight so we have to be ready."
Sue and Tobey left but soon after Sid stood in Nana's door rubbing his bed head. "Why did you let me sleep so long? Did I hear Barney yell that there are deliveries.?"
"Sue and Tobey can handle deliveries. You need your rest. Get something to eat and if you don't feel like being in bed anymore, help me look through these books."
"Alright Nana, I'll be right back." Sid agreed.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
It was a foggy, rainy Saturday day in Chinatown. When Sue caught up to him, she threw Tobey's rain jacket at him and it hit him right in his chest.
"You forgot to grab it, put it on," she said.
"Alright, but come on!" Tobey started pedaling. Riding with no hands like he often did, he put the light blue rain jacket on.
It wasn't raining right then, but the fog was so thick, they were wet in no time. Dusk came and Sue and Tobey were still making deliveries.
Nana was still in her room doing research. Sid helped for a while, but after Nana changed the bandages on his back, he had gone back to his bed for a nap. Nana checked on him frequently.
"So far the result of my research, a cure for werewolfism just doesn't exist." Nana said sounding tired.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
As instructed, Sue and Tobey usually stayed together, but sometimes there were just too many deliveries to make, and they had to split up to get the food delivered while it was still warm.
Mr. Wu ranted every time they saw him about how Sid wasn't helping but Calvin was afraid of his mother and would never go up to her room to demand that Sid came down to work.
Sue hoped Tobey wouldn't go off by himself and do anything stupid. Tobey hoped that Nana wouldn't find out he was by himself and try to stop him from doing the stupid thing he planned to do after dark.
Just at dark, Sue came through Wu's front door ringing the bell.
Barney popped out from behind the counter and said, "Welcome to Wu's Garden, what can . . . Oh, it's you Sue."
"Yeah, it's me," Sue sounded tired."Have you seen Tobey yet?"
"No."
"We were supposed to meet back here – I'm late, I wonder why he's even later," Sue said taking her phone out to call Tobey.
"He doesn't answer, but I see him. He's a block behind Wu's – but he's not moving."
"Whatdayamean?" Barney asked, only half interested, while he refilled condiments in the booths.
"His signal's not getting any closer. I better go find out what he's doing."
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Tobey rounded the corner looking for any sign of the werewolf. He was about scared half out of his mind, but couldn't let the others know that. He would prove that he was the bravest and strongest, by finding the werewolf and telling Nana where to find it.
Tobey pedaled slowly down an alley a block behind Wu's Garden. All he knew was that they fought the werewolf in the alley, and it ran off in that direction.
Above Tobey, clinging under a fire escape platform was what he was looking for. The monster looked down at him with glowing eyes.
When Tobey got close enough, the werewolf pounced.
Seeing the fierce werewolf appear suddenly in front of him scared Tobey so badly that he froze and it jumped at him.
The weight of the monster slamming into him knocked him off his bike. His phone flew out of his pocket and skittered on the ground until it hit a curb. His bike went straight for a few feet before it fell over.
Tobey screamed and struggled.
The werewolf didn't hurt him but kept him pinned on his back.
"Get off! Lemme go!" Tobey screamed while kicking the werewolf's belly. The monster actually smiled a little, a feminine smile and forced Tobey to turn over with his belly in the gravel.
With a swipe of its clawed hand Tobey's bike helmet came off, the chinstrap scraped under his jaw as it went.
Tobey screamed again, terrified and feeling completely vulnerable since he couldn't even see the monster that held him down.
"AAAnnnn! What are you doing to me?"
While Tobey continued to struggle ineffectively the werewolf sniffed all over his back and in his hair. The sniffing got faster as the female werewolf got excited. She got down to Tobey's jeans and stuck her nose right in his butt.
"Hey! Back off! That's my personal space!" Tobey yelled, feeling very violated by the strange behavior. He barely got the words out, as the werewolf sunk her teeth into the back of his neck, through his shaggy hair that hung down.
The pain blinded Tobey. He thought the she-wolf would crush his neck. He screamed into the gravel. The werewolf held on, effectively keeping Tobey still, until he passed out. Then she picked him up and put him over her shoulder to climb back up the fire escape to the roof.
Below, Sue got off her bike when she saw Tobey's bike and helmet. With a quick glance around the area, Sue found Tobey's phone.
"Oh no . . . Tobey." Sue whispered while at the same time she quickly pushed Nana's quick-dial number.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
The she-wolf dropped Tobey unceremoniously to the rooftop and looked back down to the alley to see if she was being followed. She saw Sue below, but didn't give her much thought.
Tobey groaned softly like he was waking up and the she-wolf took him farther away from where his friend was looking for him below.
This time when the shewolf dropped him, Tobey landed on his hands and knees. He whined through his teeth as his body started to change under the newly risen full moon.
His fingers got longer and developed long sharp claws on the tips. His face and jaw elongated and long, canines grew. His whole body got bigger, shredding his clothes, and more muscular as a thick coat of fur covered his skin.
His fur was a warm, cinnamon brown and black in color, and there was no white on him anywhere, like there was when he used one of Nana's transformation cookies.
Now, as he roared and ran off with the she-wolf right behind him, nothing of his human, cute-boy remained. He was all animal.
Nana and Sid joined Sue in the alley. Sue cried, "I'm so sorry Nana! Mr. Wu had too many deliveries – I thought I could trust Tobey – but now something has happened to him and it's all my fault!"
"No time for blame now - what have you found?" Nana jumped right to the point.
Sue showed Nana Tobey's helmet and pointed at his bike. "Tobey would never leave his bike, willingly."
"You're right Sue. We'll spread out and look for him, but keep in close contact alright?"
"Yes, Nana." Sid and Sue said together and rode their bikes away. Athletically and quickly Nana climbed the nearest fire escape.
Quickly glancing around, Nana spotted several droplets of blood where the werewolf first dropped Tobey.
"Oh no, it is worse than I thought – the werewolf must have another victim - I pray that it isn't Tobey."
Nana used the fire-escapes between two buildings to jump between and back to the ground. She met up with Sid and Sue, and they looked for the werewolves or any more victims until dawn.
"We didn't find the werewolf and we didn't find Tobey either," Sue observed while she and her brother were heading back to Wu's.
"No, and I can't imagine where that dork might be! He better just be out goofing off someplace, and not in trouble." Sid said.
"Oh, I'm so worried about him, my stomach hurts." Sue rubbed her belly when she got off her bike behind Wu's Garden. They laid their bikes down near the koi pond and went inside.
Nana met them by the kitchen entrance.
Before she could say anything, Sue asked, "Did you hear from Tobey?"
"In a way," Nana replied smiling, "He's up in his bed sound asleep."
"Oh good." Sue sighed happily.
"That dork left us out all night looking for him? I'm gonna go pound him - just a little." Sid frowned and headed upstairs.
Sue followed him, "No Sid, don't bother him.
We'll find out what happened to him later. Let's just get some sleep before lunch time deliveries start."
"Alright, Sue. He's off the hook for now." Sid smiled. He had been as worried as Sue and was greatly relieved that Tobey was home.
Sid saw that on the upper bunk, Tobey looked as peaceful as ever and was snoring lightly.
They all slept soundly upstairs while Nana continued her research, with no rest in-between. No book she had, or even searching the Internet gave her a possible cure for werewolfism.
"I can't believe we might have to kill someone," Nana said to herself. "But I don't see any other way to save the people of Chinatown."
Nana took out the shiny new handgun she'd acquired sometime in the night from someone she'd prefer not to have to admit to knowing.
She looked in the revolver and saw it was already loaded with silver bullets.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Just before Lunchtime on Sunday, Mr. Wu's booming voice yelled, "Deliveries!" and woke Sid, Sue, and Tobey out of a sound sleep.
As they left their rooms, Sue looked in on Nana and found her sleeping.
"Be quiet guys, no need to wake her," Sue whispered.
"Right. She was up all night too and before that she was researching. I don't remember the last time she slept," Sid whispered back.
Mr. Wu spoke loudly like he was yelling, like he always did. "This is a big order all going to the same place, Hurry and get going you slackers!"
The siblings were glad that they could ride together again, and maybe find out where Tobey had been all night.
Eager to get going, Tobey jumped on his bike and took off with the sack handles in his teeth. He hung the orders from his handlebars as he rode.
Sid and Sue frowned at each other as they got on their bikes. It didn't take them long to catch up with Tobey.
"Tobey, where were you last night?" Sid asked when he got his bike next to Tobey.
"Oh, sorry guys, I guess I lost track of time," Tobey answered, blushing, and acting a little nervous.
"We were up all night looking for you!" Sue scolded.
"Uh-oh, Nana too?" Tobey asked.
"Yes, Nana too," Sue said.
"Yeah, buddy," Sid said gently, "You were probably lucky that Nana was still taking a nap when we left – or you'd been punished big time."
"Okay, I'll tell you guys." Tobey began, "I didn't want to say anything because I knew I shouldn't have gone off alone."
"Why? What happened?" Sid asked, "You didn't find the werewolf did you?"
"No," Tobey shook his head for emphasis,
"That would have been awesome – I'da told you all right away."
"Then what?"
"I think I got mugged," Tobey said.
"No way buddy, really?"
"Yeah. When I woke up, I had a huge headache, and got a cut on the back of my neck." Tobey rubbed his neck right under his bike helmet while he spoke. "It's a scab now."
"Maybe you just crashed your bike," Sue suggested.
"I wish, but no." Tobey said, "I lost my phone, and thought I lost my bike – I was so happy to see my bike and helmet in the garden this morning that I couldn't wait to ride again."
"Tobey focus. What else happened?" Sue asked and gave him back his phone.
"Thanks, Sue!" Tobey rode with no hands while he pushed some buttons on the phone to see if they worked.
"Tobey!" Sid yelled to get his attention back.
"Okay, I'll tell you." Tobey blushed.
"Besides my stuff being gone, I woke up, um . . ."
"What?" Sid almost yelled.
"When I woke up, I was naked - I had to sneak back up to my room for clothes and I guess I fell asleep. My head hurt and I was exhausted."
"Wow, you really must have been mugged . . . but why would someone steal your clothes?" Sid asked.
"My clothes weren't stolen, just ripped apart into pieces so small they wouldn't cover . . . um . . . anything. Maybe it was just that guy, Will from school."
"Oh, I don't think that even he would think it funny to strip you naked and leave you alone downtown with a head injury." Sue said,
"You better let Nana look at your head when we get back."
"It's not really my head, more like my neck." Tobey corrected.
"How could you let someone sneak up on you like that?" Sid asked, scolding his friend, "I thought you were 'the dragon' of Kung Fu."
"NO, I'm the Nian!" Tobey argued, "But even a Nian can't be alert all the time."
"This is the place . . ." Sue interrupted, "let's get these delivered."
Fifteen bags in all went to the museum for a seminar on werewolves. It was open to the public, so the three teens stood in the back and listened for a while.
"Wow, this is weird that they'd be talking about this now," Sue said, "I wonder if more people have seen monsters?"
"So far, it's all been just like Nana said," Sid whispered after a few minutes. "There is no cure."
"I'm not sure I'll be able to kill it when we find it. I mean, it is human during the daytime. It'd be murder!" Sue said.
"Shhhh!" someone in the back row shushed her. She didn't realize her voice got louder until then.
"Come on guys," Tobey said, "let's get out of here. Nana knows all this stuff anyway, and museums are still boring."
When he went by the man who had shushed Sue, Tobey growled.
Sid touched Tobey's shoulder and whispered, "Down boy."
They boys laughed once out in the lobby area. They went quietly from there, trying to draw no more attention to themselves.
Out on the street, Tobey asked, "Do you guys really think that Nana will get a gun and shoot the werewolf when we find it?"
"I know that she doesn't want to, and is desperately looking for a cure or some other way to keep it from hurting anyone, but yeah, I think she will if she has to Sue answered.
The three rode back to Wu's without speaking. Traffic was heavier than usual, and there seemed to be a lot of people out on the street. As they rode, Sue noticed it first.
"Have you guys noticed that there are a lot of people wearing holsters, with guns?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it, Sue." Sid answered, "I've seen three just in the last block."
"I smell gunpowder. Its smells just like fireworks, or Mr. Wu's grilled beef." Tobey sniffed the air with his eyes closed like he was concentrating.
Chuckling at Tobey's dig at Mr. Wu, Sid pointed, "Those two over there seem to be practicing to reload fast." Sid stopped to watch.
Tobey stopped next to him. He was growling softly, under his breath.
"Hey buddy, is that you growling?"
"Yeah, I guess I was." Tobey stopped growling but stared at the people wearing guns like they were the enemy.
"Sid," he said quietly, "Somethin' bad is gonna happen isn't it, Sid?" he asked nervously.
"Looks like it, though I can't imagine what it'll be," Sid agreed.
Tobey sniffed the air and reported, "Mr. Wu is making his spaghetti and tree fungus, frog leg stir-fry again."
"Were still blocks away. How could you possibly know that?" Sid asked, one eyebrow raised in doubt.
"I can smell it," Tobey answered.
"That's pretty stinky stuff, but there's no way you could smell it from here."
"Wanna bet my new comic book against your hand-held game, that's what he's making when we get there?"
"The risk isn't exactly the same, but there's no way you'll win so, you're on." Sid and Tobey pedaled back to Wu's, about a block behind Sue.
When they got back to Wu's, Tobey joined Sue in a booth. They waited while Sid went to the kitchen to see what was cooking. He was sure that Tobey was crazy since even from the dining room he couldn't smell what was cooking. Barney was at the stove stirring in a wok full of fried rice.
"Ha! See Tobey was wrong!" Sid exclaimed.
"Wrong about what, Sid?" Barney asked, while watching his rice.
"Tobey thought you were making spaghetti and tree fungus, frog leg stir-fry."
"No I'm making fried rice, but my dad just finished making some of that stinky stuff for himself. He's in his office eating it." Barney answered.
"What the? How could Tobey know?" Sid sighed. He went back to the dining room and slide in, next to his sister.
"Well?" Tobey said.
"You were right - Mr. Wu made some just before we got here."
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Nana called the three up to her room and when they got there they were all surprised. Sid and Sue didn't know if it was a good surprise or a bad one. Sue decided bad, but Tobey was excited. Nana gave Sid, Tobey and Sue each, a very shiny long-bladed knife in a sheath.
Sid and Sue pulled theirs out just an inch and slid it back in to listen to Nana. Tobey took his out all the way and sliced the air in front of him with it.
"Tobey, put that away!" Sid scolded him.
"These are silver knives. I read that they can be effective against werewolves. They are unlikely to kill a werewolf but may protect you." Nana explained.
"Awesome! I thought you weren't gonna let us carry weapons." Tobey smiled like he'd just got a new video game.
"Kung Fu will help but it may not save your lives alone. Tobey, I want you to realize how serious this may be."
"I know Nana." Tobey sighed.
"You three may have to kill to protect yourselves or someone else and when you're out there on the streets, you may see someone else killed. You have to keep your wits about you and remember your training no matter what is going on."
"But . . ." Tobey started to boast, but Sue elbowed him in the ribs.
"I expect you three to protect yourselves, each other and anyone else who may be around. It breaks my heart, but I expect you to do whatever it takes. I am sad that if you see someone killed or have to kill the werewolf yourselves that you will be changed forever."
"Changed how?" Tobey asked.
"You will have lost your innocence." Nana said softly, sadly. Her eyes looked wet when she looked at them.
"Sunday night, tonight is the night of the true, full moon." Nana pulled herself together and sounded very business-like.
"Tobey! Listen. You sure you three stay together tonight – no excuses."
Enthusiastically Sid and Sue answered, "Yes!"
Tobey answered less enthusiastically, but agreed.
It wasn't long before Mr. Wu started calling them for deliveries. Mei Hua didn't tell him everything but did tell him that she wanted his three delivery kids to stay together that night and he wasn't happy about it. It was like his three, had become one, even though they were all three working.
"They will have to split their tips three ways – I hope they don't expect me to pay them any extra!" Calvin yelled.
"Barney," he yelled just after sending Sid, Sue and Tobey out on one delivery. "Get your bike out of the shed in the garden. You will have to help!"
"But dad, it has flat tires, I haven't ridden it in years."
"Do it anyway!" Mr. Wu grabbed his hair like he would pull it out, "This is the beginning of restaurant failure!"
After making the delivery, Sid stopped and the others stopped with him at a curb.
"Whats up, Bro?" Sue asked.
"I want to be sure that we all have our GPS turned on and we can see each other."
"Okay, mine's on," Tobey said. On all three phones there were three small dots together on the little maps of Chinatown.
"Okay, good. No sneaking off this time Tobey."
"Yeah right. I'll stay with you guys in case you need protection from the werewolf or Kong Li."
"What would we do without you?" Sue said sarcastically and they started riding again for Wu's.
Tobey rode with no hands. He took the silver knife out of sheath and started cutting air again.
"Tobey!" Sue looked back and saw what he was doing. "Put that away! And pray you don't have to ever take it out again."
"But it's so cool! It's the first time Nana has trusted us with weapons." Tobey watched the red, orange light from the setting sun, shining on the blade.
"He's right Sue," Sid said, "I hope we have time during training to practice with them."
"She hopes we never have to use them, but if we do, I'm confident that I can use it effectively, aren't you? It's a pretty simple tool."
"Sue, the fun killer," Tobey said as he rode past them, still playing with the knife. "I want to learn how to handle it in a martial arts display that will dazzle the werewolf before I cut him down."
"Tobey! Put that away, before I take it away from you!" Sid scolded.
"You'll have to catch me first." Tobey cried and stood up to pedal faster.
"Tobey, NO! I don't wanna race!" Sue yelled.
"Come back here!" Sid yelled, " – and if you crash with that knife out, it could be really bad!"
"Chickens!" Tobey kept going. Sid and Sue had to chase if they were going to stay together like Nana told them. The siblings looked at each other frowning, as they stood up to pedal faster themselves.
Ahead they saw Tobey take a corner, very fast and go down an alley out of sight.
"Tobey," Sid growled. He kept going but took out his phone with one hand. The screen showed two dots together, and one way out front and still moving fast.
"Dammit!" Sid cursed, "I don't wanna play after dark when there's a werewolf out!"
"Come on Sid, we can catch Tobey." Sue said encouraging her brother.
They pedaled around the same corner but didn't see Tobey ahead. This time Sue took out her phone as she rode. She fell a little behind Sid.
"It shows he is just ahead of us and has stopped."
"Good," Sid answered, "He must be waiting for us."
The siblings kept going until Sid checked the GPS on his phone again.
"Whoa! Sis, my screen shows that we've passed him."
"What? Was he hiding back there or something?" Sue panted.
"I don't see how we could have missed him." Sid said, already heading back. Sue turned her bike around and quickly caught up to him. After ways, Sid stopped.
"Stop Sue, now my GPS says that were passing him again." Sid looked around, and there in front of a dumpster, was Tobey's phone. His bike was laying on its side, just behind the dumpster.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
"Oh no! NOT AGAIN - But where is he?" Sue asked, not expecting an answer from Sid, "Nana's gonna kill us!"
"Tobey couldn't have . . .," Sid stopped himself, "No, he couldn't have run into the werewolf already we'da heard something."
There was a plastic cracking sound above them and they looked up to see Tobey's helmet bouncing down the fire escape behind the grocery store. With one more bounce, it landed in the alley behind them.
"Why would he have gone up there?" Sid said.
"And a better question, why would he take off his bike helmet and drop it from up there."
"Maybe he's not going willingly." Sid and Sue jumped off their bikes, athletically, jumped up to the lowest ladder rung on the old, rusty fire escape and climbed quickly.
When they got to the roof, they were a little out of breath, and very disappointed because they didn't see Tobey anywhere.
"Sue, where do you think he went?"
"I don't want to even say it out loud. We better tell Nana what's happening. She will join us and we will find Tobey, alive and well."
"He better be, so I can kill him." Sid sighed.
Sid called Nana and conferenced Sue into the call. He told Nana what happened. Sid sounded furious but Nana and Sue knew he was just scared for Tobey.
"Alright Sid, calm down," Nana said, "I'll be right there. You and Sue stay together at least. Isn't the grocery store open?"
"Yeah, the lights are on." Sue said.
"Good. Go inside and wait for me with Mr. Wang, and don't tell him what we're doing."
"Right Nana, if there's one thing we've learned is not to tell anyone what we're up to."
"Good – hang in there, kids." Nana encouraged them, "We'll find Tobey."
Nana left Wu's on foot. She went down the sidewalk for two blocks then up a fire escape to travel by rooftop to meet up with Sid and Sue.
On the building's roof right next to Wang's grocery store, Nana saw something blue at the corner of the rooftop and slid to a stop to get a better look. The blue color was from Tobey's blue shirt, torn to shreds and scattered across the corner of the roof.
"What could have happened?" Nana spoke out loud to herself. "It's like Tobey might have been attacked but his body is not here and there is no blood." Nana pressed a piece of her son's ripped shirt to her cheek.
"That could only mean he was attacked, but survived."
Nana began to cry with deep sorrow over what she thought she had to do. "To protect Chinatown, I will have to kill Tobey." she sobbed.
"Oh, this is terrible. Tobey would have been better off if he'd died after the werewolf's attack. He is kind and gentle and would never want to hurt anyone – why did this have to happen to him?" Nana shouted to the heavens.
"There is nothing I can do to save him now." Nana spoke slowly, "It IS as bad as I thought it might be."
Nana reluctantly climbed down the closest fire escape and entered Wang's grocery store. Sid and Sue were waiting near the front door.
Mr. Wang saw Mei Hua and greeted her happily, "Mei Hua! It's a pleasure to see you. You and your charges are out late aren't you?"
"Yes, Mr. Wang," Nana said.
"Call me Tom, please." Mr. Wang winked at Nana.
"Thank you for letting Sid and Sue wait for me here, Tom. We must be going now."
"Its good i was here late - a truck driver brought a late delivery. It has to be unloaded and put away tonight."
"Yes Tom, thank you again, Goodnight," Nana said.
"Goodnight, Mei Hua." Mr. Wang said with a lilt in his voice that could only be love.
Outside, with only a silent signal from Mei Hua, Sid and Sue followed her back up the fire escape on the building next door.
First thing when the reached the rooftop, Nana made them show her that they still had the silver knives. Sid and Sue pulled out the knives to show her. They had them in sheaths tucked down the back of their pants.
"Kids . . . I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but Tobey's been attacked by the werewolf."
"Nana, no, how could it be – Tobey's too fast!" Sid argued. Tears welled up in Sue's eyes.
"I'm so sorry, but I believe it has turned him." Nana answered. She showed them Tobey's torn clothes.
"I'm afraid that now we have two werewolves to hunt, and we may have to split up. I want to be sure you are ready to use the knives if you need to."
"No . . ." Sue hesitated, afraid of the answer, "You don't mean for us to use these against Tobey, do you?"
"If he's still alive. Then the werewolf has turned him and there is no cure. We have to do whatever it takes to protect the people of Chinatown. I don't see any other way."
"But there has to be another way – we can't. . . we just can't kill Tobey!" Sid argued.
"As I said, there is no cure. I know that Tobey would never want to hurt others. Do you think he could live with himself?"
"No, he wouldn't ever want to hurt someone else . . . but there has to be another way!" Sue insisted.
"I would love to find another way, but as of right now, we only have one option. I told you that this experience would change you, and I hadn't realized how much."
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Something moved along the dark skyline and it caught Nana's attention. She looked passed Sid and Sue, briefly before instructing, "Get down."
She didn't wait and pulled Sue and Sid down with her as she crouched low to the rooftop.
In the distance, they could see two dark figures running and jumping from one rooftop to the next and coming toward them.
The She-wolf and Tobey-wolf loped along the rooftops, playing like puppies. Sometimes when they came to the edge of a rooftop, they'd pause and look down to see if there was anyone out in the middle of the night that might make a good snack.
Tobey-wolf looked down in the loading dock behind Wang's and saw two workers unloading a truck. As quickly as he glanced at them, he growled at his new friend to challenge her to jump to the next roof before him and the thought humans being below left his mind.
His jump across was strong and graceful, but when he landed, the she-wolf tackled him and bit his neck, in play but obviously wanted his attention. She prodded him to walk back to the edge of the roof by nipping and pushing on his sides with her head.
Tobey-wolf realized what she was doing and looked down again at the humans. A wicked, canine toothy grin washed his elongated face and he growled.
The she-wolf lead the way jumping and bouncing between buildings until they were street level and just in front of the truck being unloaded, where the humans wouldn't see them until the werewolf-couple was ready.
The next time the two workers returned to the truck through the large doors, they saw that they had monstrous company.
Tobey-wolf stood on one side of the trailer, and his new partner stood on the other. They both stood up on human-like, long legs, but were obviously not human. With a shriek-growl from the she-wolf, they leaped at the workers.
Sid and Sue jumped down from a ledge above the loading dock with their knives drawn.
They landed right in front of the workers to protect them but only seeing more pray, the werewolves still attacked vigorously.
Sid and Sue couldn't tell the werewolves apart so tried not to hurt either one. Their kindness only hurt their chances of saving the workers and themselves.
The first werewolf swiped at Sue with a large clawed hand. Sue dodged and when the monster swiped at her again Sue slashed at her with the knife, cutting the bottom of her paw. The wound steamed in the cold night air and the werewolf shrieked in pain and at least temporarily stopping her attack.
Sid didn't know but he was fighting Tobey but like Sue, he didn't want to hurt the werewolf, just in case. Rather than use the knife, Sid tried a round kick to the creature's snout.
It only excited Tobey-wolf to have his pray try to fight back and he lunged at Sid.
Sid landed on his back with Tobey-wolf on top of his chest. His claws sunk into Sid's ribs on both sides. The silver knife flew from Sid's hand and skittered across the loading dock.
Seeing her brother pinned on his back and unarmed, Sue ignored the she-wolf and lunged at the werewolf that was attacking Sid.
In her effort to protect her brother she shoved the blade deep in the werewolf's side near the wolf's back. It sounded like frying meat in a skillet and smelled of burning hair.
Tobey-wolf roared, faltered and fell sideways off of Sid trying to reach his wound with his teeth to bite what was hurting him but he couldn't reach.
In pain he rolled off of the loading dock, and the knife fell out.
As it turned out, Tobey-wolf fell just in time to avoid a silver bullet fired from Nana's gun. The bullet missed Tobey-wolf but struck the she-wolf in the belly as she was pouncing at Sue.
Tobey-wolf stood up growling. He took a last swipe at Nana as he jumped back up to the ledge and then to the roof. He was slowed down a bit from his wound.
Nana fired at him but missed as he went out of sight onto a rooftop. Seeing the werewolf leaving, Sid let his head fall back to the concrete.
Sue ran to her brother, crying, "Sid, are you alright?" Sue tried to sit him up without waiting to hear his answer.
"No. I'm pretty sure that I felt the werewolf's claws. I think I'm bleeding."
Feeling faint Sid laid back and Sue guided him gently to lie back down on his back.
"Where's the other one?" Sid whispered just loud enough for Sue to hear.
So she could see if he was wounded Sue was unzipping his mustard-yellow biking shirt while she answered, "It's down. Nana shot it."
Sid rose up on one elbow to see. Nana was beside the dock and next to her was the body of a werewolf.
"But it might be . . ." Sid whispered to Sue.
"I know," Sue acknowledged, "But Nana had to do it, right?"
Nana gently stroked the creature's fur. Suddenly, horribly there was a flash of familiar blue light and lying in the werewolf's place was a girl, fighting to draw a breath.
"OH Honey! I'm so sorry," Nana whispered to her.
"What happened?" The girl said, "It hurts!"
"You probably don't remember," Nana whispered. "I wish I wouldn't."
Her research took her to an ancient writing, that said when a werewolf is killed, it returns briefly to what it once was, so she wasn't completely surprised.
Nana was upset about shooting any living thing even a werewolf but when it changed back into a human girl – Nana felt devastated.
She had been worried that Sid or Sue saw her her shoot Tobey. She was expecting to see that she had shot her foster-son, but was confused when she felt a little relieved that it wasn't him.
Nana was so upset, she could hardly think, but she was trying to remember where she'd seen that blue light – several times before. It looked magical.
Sid groaned as he got up with Sue's help, but clenched his jaw and went over to Nana. The siblings were more surprised than Nana to see a human girl lying on the ground.
"Nana, who is this?" Sid asked.
Sue helped him sit on the edge of the dock, and hopped down next to Nana. Sue took her biking shirt off and covered the wounded girl with it as best as she could since her clothes were missing.
"Um – I don't know – but I . . . shot her."
Now Nana felt like she had to sit down.
Sue took her phone out and called 911 for an ambulance. She knew the police would come too.
"Nana, maybe you should go – we'll tell them we just found her. Maybe they can save her?"
"No, I must stay here and take whatever consequences there are."
"But Nana, we need you – we can't handle this alone – unless you want to give me the gun - in case I – in case I have to shoot the other werewolf." Sue said.
"You're right, Sue. My responsibility is to you three, first. When this is settled and Chinatown is safe, I'll turn myself in to the police to face justice."
Sue gave Nana a quick hug and squeezed her hand. Nana helped Sid walk and they got away through the alley behind the grocery store.
Sue sat back down by the girl to wait. The girl seemed to be breathing and was relatively calm. Sue thought maybe she could tell her what happened.
"So, um – how did you become a werewolf, anyway?"
"What do you mean? I'm just a girl – and I don't remember how I got here."
"Do you remember your name?" Sue asked.
"It's Jenny."
"What do you remember last?"
"I was home doing homework, who are you?"
"My name's Sue. I work at Wu's Garden."
"Oh, that place with no safe – no money and no valuables!" Jenny said. "I remember, I tried to rob that restaurant two nights ago – and all I got for my trouble was a stupid cookie. It didn't even taste good."
"You're the one who took the cookie?"
Sue's realization was drowned out by an ambulance siren. Sue stayed with Jenny until they loaded her the ambulance. With the newly found information about the stolen cookie, and having seen the blue transformation lights herself, Sue tried to call Nana or Sid but when she couldn't reach them, she ran back to Wu's as fast as she could.
"Why don't you two answer your phones?"
Sue yelled breathlessly when she found her family in the garden at Wu's.
Nana patted her pocket, "I'm sorry dear, I guess I lost mine." She spoke solemnly, and like she was not really paying attention. Her thoughts were still focused on what she'd done.
Sid felt for his and pulled it out. Holding up a phone with a large hole in it, he said, "My phone took a claw for me."
"Are you okay, Bro?" Sue asked, remembering that he had been injured again.
"Yeah, it's not so bad, not as bad as that first night when that girl werewolf got me across the back, but why did you come in all excited and happy."
"Oh yeah, Nana – there may be hope for Tobey! What if this is the missing magic fortune cookie that has caused all this?"
"I've considered that Sue. But still, I shot that innocent young girl."
"That girl isn't so innocent. She tried to rob Wu's Garden. She's the one who ate the cookie."
"Stealing a isn't so bad that she deserved to be shot for it! Besides, she couldn't have known they were from a magic recipe."
"That's not the point Nana. Don't you see, if Jenny was turned into a monster by a cookie, then its magic and she's not a real werewolf!"
Nana was still quiet, brooding over what had happened.
"Nana!" Sid said loudly, "Doesn't this mean that there is hope for Tobey? Can't you come up with an antidote?"
"I wish more than anything that it is true kids, but we just don't really know. If Jenny only ate one of my cookies, how could Tobey have been turned into a monster, too?"
"I don't know," Sid admitted.
"The other werewolf traits of legend, like vulnerability to silver seem to work. Maybe this time, your magic gave Jenny the power to turn Tobey too, by biting him."
"Tobey never mentioned anything odd happening, especially being bitten." Sid pointed out.
"But he wouldn't remember – Jenny didn't know." Sue argued. "Nana, don't you have to at least try to fix this with magic?"
"Yes, Sue. I will try, for Tobey's sake, and Jenny too if she lives."
"Either way Nana, you had to do it!" Sue tried to console her.
Nana didn't feel any better about the situation, but went to her room to find an antidote with the help of her books.
{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}
Tobey Continued . . .