DISCLAIMER: Please, no one sue me! I do not own any of the original Streets of Rage characters. I have merely adapted the game series storyline to aid my overactive imagination. I have been a huge fan of the Sega series since childhood and this is purely a fanfic for my own and online readers enjoyment. I did however create the character Ali Stone and should anyone wish to use her please ask me first, thanks. Helpful and encouraging reviews are most welcome but please, nothing too hideous!


The sun shimmered across the small lakes in the centre of the green parkland. It's rays found their way through every gap in every tree, bouncing off the people who walked in it's presence. Children below school age laughed and chattered to their mothers who pushed their strollers along the gravelled walkways. Cyclists pedalled with ease in their sporty shorts and tank tops. It seemed like everyone who walked past Zan's locality had a smile on their face. Yes, he thought to himself, summer was indeed here.

Zan observed the happy-go-lucky passersby from a park bench while he sipped the last dregs of his take away coffee. Turning to his left he reached out to toss the empty cup into the trash can close by. Flicking his wrist the disposable cup bounced off the inside of the litter bin and hit the metal bottom making a slight pang noise. Before Zan had fully turned back to his initial position he felt someone else's presence next to him. Another man was now sitting on the standard sized bench and Zan knew his time in the sun was limited. He waited for the long haired male to speak first.

"Did you see many interesting sights on your travels Doctor? I did."

The man kept his jet black hair swept away from his oriental features by way of a neat ponytail. He ran two fingers over the side of his head pushing back any loose strands.

Zan did not respond and the man continued.

"Portugal was nice. Azerbaijan, so beautiful. Thailand was remarkable, would you agree?"

Still Zan remained silent, his eyes slowly scanning the public garden before him. He had known that once he touched down on American soil eight months ago that it would be just a matter of time before they caught up with him face to face. They had never let him settle, and they were never going to. Over more than a decade Zan's every move had been tracked thus resulting in Zan never putting down roots in any one place. The man next to him chuckled quietly.

"You must miss working in a real lab after all this time Doctor. Come, come back with me now."

"And what makes you think I will ever go willingly with you, Leon?" asked Zan, breaking his silence.

Leon Shiva rose to his feet and rolled up his silk shirt sleeves, revealing his well muscled arms. He was impeccably dressed all in black, actually looking a little out of place standing in the middle of the bright and picturesque parkland.

"Because, you have nothing and no one else. We are the closest thing you have to family."

Zan snorted at this comment, disagreeing whole heartedly. Shiva looked at him with a quizzical expression before his face broke into a smirk.

"Oh I see. You still wish to meet him, don't you? Convince him that in some distorted way you and he are family, that you both are enough to take out Mr. X and the entire operation."

Shiva sniggered again and leaned in close to Zan's wrinkled face, almost whispering into his ear with a malicious tone.

"Do you really think he'll want to join you when he learns you were the one fucking his mother?"

Zan leaped up from the bench causing Shiva to take a few steps back, laughing. Zan clenched his hands and trembled with rage but Shiva did not appear even slightly phased. He smiled broadly, casually, and asked yet another question.

"Tell me Doctor, have you come any closer to making that 'super human' yet?"

"Yes" came Zan's immediate reply as he rapidly delivered a full force upper cut, his fist meeting Shiva's jaw in a second. The power in the swing of Zan's arm was incredible and it sent Shiva flying three feet off the ground causing him to come down with a loud smacking noise on the pavement.

Shiva was completely startled. He only had time to blink twice before Zan's hands were vigorously gripping his shoulders and throwing him onto the park bench. Shiva groaned as his spine smashed down on the hard wood but he managed an awkward leg sweep that only just caught Zan's kneecap making his leg buckle. Zan refused to quit and feeling pain in his knee he quickly head-butted Shiva directly into his chiseled face, causing his nose to instantly trickle blood. Zan hurriedly left the scene leaving Shiva holding his thumb and index finger up to his nostrils, squinting through the sun beams after Zan. Shiva was amazed at the incident that had just taken place. How in the hell had the scientist who was twenty years Shiva's senior struck a blow like that, he thought. He has been developing something alright…

Zan sprinted so fast across the grass and over the pavements he thought his heart would explode in his chest. Onlookers were baffled and unnerved by the aggressive display they had witnessed but Zan ignored them. He would not stop for breath, he would not stop for anything. He continued to run all through the various happy faces that dotted the length of the public park, declining any voice in his head that told him to stop and nurse his leg.

Finally he made it to the south gate and he charged through the exit which brought him onto the crowded main street. Dashing across the pedestrian crossing he bolted up the steps and through the glass doors of a large grey building. He never looked behind him and therefore was unaware of Shiva who was by now emerging from the same public gate, watching Zan slip through the main door.

Shiva had not let Zan leave his line of sight and was now quick on his cell phone calling for his ride to meet him. Less than a minute later a shiny black jeep with smoked windows had pulled up on the opposite side of the street. Without delay Shiva crossed over the road towards it, climbing onto the cushy back seat. Two men sat in the front of the vehicle and turned around to get the update from Shiva, looking alarmed when they saw the state of him. His hair was rumpled and there were smears of blood all across his face.

One of the men was Donovan and he pulled his trademark sunglasses away from his eyes to properly inspect Shiva's appearance.

"Oh man, what the hell happened in there? I thought the plan was to sneak up on Science Guy and drive off with him," flicking his cigarette out of the open window before closing it.

In the drivers seat sat Jet, another syndicate affiliate. He usually accompanied Shiva around the city, more often than not operating their mode of transport. He had shoulder length strawberry coloured hair and ordinarily wore a grim expression. He strained his head over the seat's headrest to eyeball Shiva, nodding in agreement with Donovan.

"Don't take your eyes off that building", Shiva instructed, cleaning his face as best he could with a packet of tissues from the back shelf. A moment later he was staring ahead through the clear windshield focusing on the police station that stood at the end of the opposing street. They were not that far away from it, and he could clearly see a figure in a blue shirt and grey casual trousers standing on the opposite side of the glass doors. Shiva grunted and once again produced his cell phone. He pressed a speed dial button and almost on the spot heard a voice that he knew well answer him.

"McBride. There's a bald, white bearded man downstairs, blue shirt, grey slacks. Tell me who he speaks with."

There was a pause while McBride, a police officer who's loyalty and main source of income was from the syndicate, left his station and took a walk down the two flights of stairs to the waiting area. He studied the different faces but spotted Zan soon enough. He was standing by the front desk talking with an officer McBride knew by sight. Being able to confirm the cops identity he returned to his station upstairs and pressed the flashing red button on the switchboard. He brought the mouthpiece of the telephone up to his lips and in a hushed voice gave over the name Shiva required.

Back in the car Shiva grinned from ear to ear, put the cell phone back in his pocket and looked first at Jet and then to Donovan. Stretching his arms out and bringing them down behind his head he leaned back into the plush interior of the jeep.

"Well boys, tonight we take a long and overdue visit to our old acquaintance" he narrowed his eyes before slowly saying the name, "Adam Hunter."

Blue Island bar had once again opened its back doors to the multitude of cheerful customers, letting the sunlight stream inside the stylish interior of the trendy lounge. It was Friday evening, the end of the working week. The summer sun was overpowering in the empty blue sky so a large marquee was erected on the neatly decked patio area, allowing those who socialised outside to shield themselves from the heat. The swanky uptown bar was crowded with people devouring ice cold beers and fruity cocktails, some decorated with fancy straws and miniature umbrellas. Just beyond the shade of the canopy a table was about to become vacant. Once she spotted the agitated looking couple leave the area Blaze elegantly weaved through the sea of drinking party goers to claim the space.

Upon reaching the seating area she laid her hand down on the wooden chair about to pull it out for herself, but stopped in her tracks when a big burly hand rested on top of her own.

"Allow me?" came a deep voice from behind her.

Blaze spun around to face the person the voice belonged to, and when she did she let out an excited squeal.

"Max! It's been too long! How are you my friend?"

Max flashed a very broad smile and put his arms around Blaze giving her an enormous bear hug. She couldn't make her arms meet around the other side of his colossal frame but she was delighted to embrace him.

Adam had also arrived bang on time and was right behind Max. He began to make his way around the circular table to sit opposite his two friends, winking at Blaze as they all got seated. No sooner were they settled when a waitress came over to wipe the table down and clear away the remains of the previous customers empty glasses. She took each of their orders and scurried off to bring them what they wanted, each of the three asking for a tall chilled beer.

"You're lookin' good doll, been a while. What've you been up to since I last seen ya?"

Blaze giggled at Max and replied, "It has been a while hasn't it, but I've been pretty hectic lately. Dance classes have gone better than expected this term and although I probably could do with the few weeks break, I'll really miss it."

Max was nodding his head along to Blaze sharing her current news, glad to be catching up with the smiling brunette.

"So you reckon you'll get a trip back home this summer or you just gonna hang out here?"

Blaze shook her head slowly from side to side mouthing the word 'No', smirking as she recalled her last visit to London.

When Blaze quit the police force eight months previous she left New York behind and flew to England where she stayed for a few weeks. Nursing a broken heart after the regrettable way her relationship with Axel abruptly ended, she had convinced herself she needed a change of scene. She had been missing her younger sister too and once she made the telephone call to inform Page of the break up it was very quickly arranged that she would come to London, to let her family look after her for a bit. Turns out that less than a month was more than enough 'looking after' Blaze could take, and once the Christmas season was over and the new year came, she was on the first plane out, taking her back to New York. New York City. That was her home now.

Max directed his attention across the table to Adam, who was casually leaning back into the chair with his arms folded in front of his hard-bodied chest.

"Hey pal you got off the phone pretty quick there earlier when you rang from work, was everything alright?"

Adam moved forward to relate to his chums the events of his afternoon.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that man. Was kinda strange, check this out. Some old geezer arrives at the station this afternoon, outta breath, really on edge. Tells Joey at the desk that he needs to speak with me and me alone."

"Did he know you? Do you know him?" Blaze interrupted, looking rather curious.

"Believe me I'll get to that! So I go downstairs to meet the guy, Zan somethin', and he refuses to talk to me in depth at the station but says he'll meet for a drink downtown tonight."

"What, like a date?" Max had confusion written all over his face.

Adam chuckled but went on with his story.

"No no, see here's the thing. He remembers my old man livin' on the block because he's an old friend of the Stone family, only he's not seen 'em for years."

Blaze's ears pricked up at the mention of Axel's family.

"Wait, you mean Axel? This guy was friends with Axel?"

"Well, his folks apparently. Said he lost touch after Mrs. Stone died but would like to contact the kids."

Max and Blaze had exchanged more than one odd glance and Max was surprised.

"You didn't just hand out the guys phone number did ya?"

"Course not, and even if I'd wanted to, I don't have it."

Adam caught Blaze's eyes briefly and saw her looking unsettled. He was unsure if she was simply uncomfortable talking about Axel or if she felt uneasy about this Zan character. Adam decided to summarise and end the conversation quickly.

"Anyway I told him I got nothin' to do with him and he should look up his dojo outside the city. I figured a listed business address was ok to mention."

Blaze was eager to get off topic and was quick to turn the spotlight on Max.

"So, Romeo," she teased, "I hear there's a delightful young woman who has stayed for breakfast with you on more than once occasion…should I believe the rumours?"

Max released a hearty laugh from his lungs and leaned sideways in his chair, playfully pushing Adams arm.

"What've you been sayin' pal, now she's gonna think I always expect, 'breakfast' on a first date." Max made finger quotations when saying the word 'breakfast' for added effect.

"The first date?" exclaimed Blaze while Max mockingly rolled his eyes.

Adam laughed at the banter going back and forth and Max defended his gentle giant reputation by explaining at length just how he felt about the delightful young Mona. Blaze and Adam nodded along, listening intently. It was not often Max had a special someone in his life, and from the way he spoke of this Mona, that was exactly how he saw her.

"She just has me spellbound, I've never met a girl like her before. I can't get enough of her!"

Adam could not help that his eyes stayed fixed on Blaze longer than they should have when Max said this. But he rotated himself in his chair and patted his friends enormous shoulder.

"You'd wanna be careful there buddy, you're makin' natural intrigue sound like a dangerous thing."

Blaze stopped fidgeting with the label from her beer bottle long enough to lift her long lashes and stare straight into Adam's handsome face.

"Isn't it though?"

No one spoke another word for almost a full minute and Max shifted his gaze from Adam to Blaze, trying to read between the lines. He had thought there was something different between the pair for a little while now. Not necessarily bad, just something…different.

Conversation eventually picked up again and the gang stayed talking and drinking for a couple of hours, enjoying their time spent together. After a long while Max checked his watch and realised he would need to be making a move if he were to get into work on time.

"Well I gotta be headin' off. Was great seein' ya darlin', glad things have been goin' well" and he pulled Blaze to him for another bear hug.

Even on tip toe she was barely level with his chin, but she just about managed to peck his cheek.

"Say Adam, where you to meet that odd fella later?" asked Max, whilst tugging his work jacket off from the back of his chair.

Adam placed his hand into his jeans pocket ready to produce the address Zan had scrawled down for him earlier that day. Adam had secured it in his pocket when Zan handed it to him, so by now the unread post-it was fairly crumpled.

"Barbons Bar, downtown I think" and as he was about to open the piece of folded paper Max answered for him.

"Yea, I know the place. It's on the corner of fifth kinda tucked away. But you'll find it alright."

Having been given the directions Adam returned the note to his pocket without reading it.

"Thanks man. Hey Blaze you wanna head inside? The lounge has emptied out a bit now that the clubs are open."

Max raised an eyebrow as Adam took hold of Blaze's hand, leading her onwards to the trendy cocktail bar inside. They called out their last farewells as Max left the pubs outside garden and headed for his work shift at Heaven nightclub. Another late one tonight, he thought. I've a night off tomorrow, maybe I'll have a quiet night to myself…or perhaps with some company…

Max fished around his pocket to retrieve his cell phone and began composing a short and sweet text message to his new flame, smiling as he did so.

After only another two beers later Adam was walking Blaze back to her apartment. It was a twenty minute stroll heading away from the main centre and they spent the entire time laughing and talking about past and present events.

"I've had such a good laugh this evening, I really enjoyed myself."

Blaze swept her feathery fringe out of her eyes and her tone become more serious.

"Would you like me to go with you to meet this Zan guy?"

She had only drank a couple of beers but already it was starting to show. Her footing was noticeably not as steady as normal so Adam moved closer to her side, allowing her to lean on his strong arm.

"Nah, I think you'll want to hit the hay soon" he said, smiling.

Blaze let out a genuine laugh and stopped walking.

"I'm not drunk at all, I'm just exhausted! Still, I would be interested in hearing what this guys story is. It is very out of the blue."

As she finished speaking she became aware of just how close her body was to Adam's. Their noses were merely inches apart and his almond eyes became hypnotic to her own. Adam never took his eyes off hers as he reached out to brush her long silky hair away from her face. He let his hand linger on her cheek and gently pulled her face to his.

"Hey" he whispered, before leaning forward and kissing her.

He did not offer any more words, he was tired of talking. His lips softly brushed against Blaze's pouty shaped mouth. Taken off guard she allowed him to kiss her for the brief moment that it was, and as he pulled away from her she almost held her breath.

Their eyes met once more but Adam was quick to kiss her again, only this time the conflicted feelings he had developed for her all started to rise to the surface at once. He was not the type of guy to move in on another man's girl, but Axel had been out of the picture for quite some time. Blaze was a singleton now and like himself was reaching a point in life where they desired someone to be there through bad times as well as the good ones. Somebody to come home to at the end of the day, someone to depend on. All were qualities which Adam possessed and he was more than willing to offer them to her, if there was any indication that she felt the same way about him.

His hands were now placed firmly at the back of her head, lost in her hair. Blaze's mind was hazy. She was not entirely sure what line they had crossed, but still she kissed him back, feeling just how soft his lips were against her own. This kiss, the second kiss, went on and on. She let her fingers slide up his long arms until they reached his firm shoulders, holding on to them. But as Adam ran his strong hand from the nape of her neck down to her hips she began to realise they were making a mistake.

"No, no I can't," Blaze panted, "Adam I can't, I'm sorry."

They pulled apart, trying to catch their breaths.

"Oh, Adam. I think we need to talk."

Adam produced a horse laugh.

"Ha, no, no it's fine. When you kiss a girl and she pushes you away, that's uh, that's a pretty clear message for any guy!"

Blaze brought her hands up to her nose, pressing her fingers together as though she were praying.

"Adam I'm sorry. One half of me is extremely flattered. I mean, you're fun, smart, sexy…you're one of the nicest people I've met since first moving to New York."

"And the other half?" Adam enquired, slightly teasing.

There was a short pause before Blaze answered him.

"The other half…is terrified."

They remained standing opposite each other, neither one uttering another word. By now they were only a few metres from the steps leading towards Blaze's apartment block. Eventually Blaze volunteered a further explanation to how she was feeling.

"You are one of the most important people in my life Adam," her eyes lowered to the ground before continuing, "I would hate to lose you."

Finally permitting his eyes to look at her again, Adam studied Blaze's expression and saw sadness in her eyes. It dawned on him for the first time that night, when it came to relationships, Blaze was still hurting. What she needed was a friend.

Adam gave her a sincere smile and wrapped his arms around her toned frame, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled against his chest.

"You'll never lose me babes, I'll always be here. Someone's gotta prop you up when you leave those bars!"

Mockingly sticking the tip of his tongue out at her Blaze swatted his bicep, any awkward tension between them now vanishing.

They gave each other one last squeeze of a hug before Blaze murmured goodbye.

"I had better go inside. Good night Adam, call me tomorrow, fill me in on tonights meeting, ok?"

"Sure thing."

Blaze flashed a wide smile and jogged up the steps to the buildings front door, putting her key in the lock and stepping inside.

Adam waited where he was, his feet rooted to the spot long after the door had firmly closed. He would have to let whatever these new feelings of his were diminish, he knew that much. He genuinely did not want to confuse or pressure the girl, but he felt it had still been worth the shot. He turned his back on the apartment block and began walking in the direction of his car in the public parking lot. He ran his index finger over his lips as his straight mouth became a grin. They may be just friends, but he would not forget that impulsive kiss in a hurry.

The drive home was speedy and pleasant. There were few red lights on the open road and not many cars about. Adam reached his house in good time, pulling his car into the usual spot on the curb under the bent over tree outside the garden gate. He had just less than an hour to stop off at the house and check in on his mother before heading out again to meet Zan.

The house was deathly silent upon entering it. There was no familiar sounding chitter chatter coming from his mother's favourite television programs. The radio was not playing quietly from the dining room either. There was no sound at all, it was almost unsettling. Skates was evidently still out. Had he been home there would undoubtedly have been the clamour of rollerblade wheels on the kitchen tiles. Not to mention one of the heavy rock music channels blaring from the television set in his bedroom.

Not far up the road just past the bend a lonely looking black jeep was parked not far from Adams slightly aged looking Toyota. No one occupied the vehicle and the street was quiet and lifeless.

Adam was surprised by the lack of usual noise from within the house walls so he made his way to the kitchen, glimpsing around for his mother as he neared the door. Switching the light on as he stepped off the carpet and onto the hard tiles nothing seemed out of place. She must have already gone to bed, he thought, although that would have been out of the ordinary for her on a Friday night.

Adam back tracked deciding to head upstairs to check on the poorly older woman. As he neared the hallway he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out the scrunched up paper to double check the address that was provided to him. His eyes read the writing for the first time that day and as he stared down at the yellow post-it in his palm his eyes grew wide. The penmanship, he had seen it before. The curved scribbled letters were distinct and he stopped in his tracks and exclaimed out loud when he made the realisation.

"I don't believe it, that sneaky shit…"

A loud noise echoed the hallway as the living room door was flung open. From the darkness of the room a tall lean figure leaped out delivering a fast kick right into Adam's gut.

The force knocked Adam on his back hitting the carpet with a thud. Although Adam was swift to get back on his feet and regain his balance there were now two men lunging towards him, grabbing his arms to hold him in place. The tallest of the three dark clothed strangers raced forward to Adam, punching into his stomach yet again, this time severely winding Adam and making him groan out from the pain. Adam could only wince as his attacker delivered his final blow smacking his fist straight onto Adam's jawline, making him spit out blood.

Adam's vision became slightly blurred but he saw the man lean down before him. By now Adam was on his knees in the hallway, the two other thugs still maintaining a firm grip on his arms which they forcibly pinned behind his back. His tall dark opponent roughly held Adams spiky black hair between his long fingers, pulling his head back so Adam could see him.

Bending one knee he came down to Adam's level and spoke to him in a low tone.

"Mr. Hunter, it has been a long time."

He pulled the black headscarf off to reveal himself, pushing his hair behind his ear to show even more of his features. Adam looked through narrowed eyes at his attackers gaunt face noticing the small and close together black eyes that gave him a sly characteristic. From the moment he had spoken Adam knew why he had been unable to take on the asian male by himself. This man was expertly trained in combat and worked directly for the over all enemy, Mr. X.

"Your new friend has something we require. Something he stole from us, and we want it back."

Adam had no idea what he was being told. What friend? He coughed and spluttered as his breath began to form a more steady rhythm once more.

"What the fuck are you talkin' about Shiva, no friend of yours is a friend of mine."

Leon Shiva, the third man in black, stood up and motioned for the other two in the room to bound Adams hands and feet. While they did so, Shiva produced an old polaroid camera from his compact shoulder bag. He watched Adam as he lay with his cheek touching the floor, helpless to defend himself. Pointing the camera at him he clicked the button and a bright flash lit up the room. He shook the photograph around in the air, patiently waiting for it to develop.

Adam's insides still ached from the hard punch to his abdomen and it was not helped by the two heavy men who pinned him flat down now. But still he shouted out, his blood boiling.

"Where's my mother, tell me where the FUCK she is?"

Shiva stuck a pin in the photograph in the wall, clearly visible to anyone who should pass through. It was a very plain image of Adam, being pressed down on the floor and tied by the two unidentifiable men. An eery smile spread across Shiva's lips as he answered, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder and dragging him up so he could stare straight into his eyes.

"She'll be fine, now we must go. Old friend."

The firm rubber wheels of the inline skates flew over the tarmac streets with ease, occasionally bumping over pebbles and the odd piece of litter. Skates was well skilled by now with local folk claiming he could skate better than he could walk. He had spent his early teen years attending competitions for both skateboarding and rollerskating, but it was the blades that he had a natural talent for.

The daytime had been bright and hot but now in the dark late night there was a definite chill in the air. Skates was dressed only in his long shorts and teeshirt, with a baggy vest top that he had thrown on top. His backwards cap kept his head warm, but his bare arms felt the breeze as he whizzed down the pavement.

It had not been his intention to stay out as late as he did, but his friends had invited him to see the film at the last minute. Besides, they bought his ticket, he just couldn't refuse. He would have called but his cell phone was dead. No one had a suitable phone charger…

He repeated this to himself a couple of times over, knowing that he would have to say it tomorrow as though for the first time, as his mother was sure to quiz him on his late night whereabouts. What was he supposed to tell her, the truth? That the girl he liked came into possession of a free house at the last minute, that he had stayed and partied with her and their friends? Somehow he didn't see underage drinking and teenage sex going down too well with his catholic mother. Nope, he would be sticking with the 'went to the movies' excuse.

When he got to the front of the house he hopped over the half opened gate and practically jumped over the three steps that raised the middle of the walkway to the door. He put his key in the lock ready to turn it but was surprised to find he didn't need to at all. The door swung open without the need for his keys, and Skates marched through the square hall.

"Hey, what the…"

Skates stood in the doorway and almost straightaway saw the polaroid picture on the wall beside him. Skates moved over to it at once, his rollerblade wheels leaving a trail behind him on the thick carpet. He picked it up and examined it, not fully understanding what he was seeing. A wind had begun howling outside, and with the door still open Skates suddenly felt cold.

"Oh no, where's Maw?"

Skates slipped out of the rollerblades and dashed up the staircase at lightening speed. His mothers door was left wide open but there were no lights on until Skates flicked the switches in the upstairs hall and then the bedroom. He couldn't believe what he saw. His mother, Marie, was tied up and gagged half lying half crouching at the foot of her bed. She was unconscious but Skates undid the rope right away, fearing the worst. She came to with the movement of Skates hands untying the cord but she started trembling at a frightening rate. Once her arms were freed she clutched Skates shoulders and held them firmly.

"Maw, what happened here, where's Adam?"

Her mind was everywhere, clearly traumatised by what had happened to her only ninety minutes or so previous.

"I don't know son, there were men, I don't know how many men, but they were downstairs, I don't know how they got in!"

Skates continued to hold her from their position on the floor, his eyes wide as he listened to what she told him.

"I heard them, I heard them take him, my baby, we have to find him, I don't know who they are!"

And with her last statement Marie started to wail, steady heaving sobs. She couldn't talk anymore, at least she wouldn't be able to for a while. Skates questioned whether or not to call the police but he rapidly got a better idea.

"I'll be right back Maw I promise, I just gotta make a phone call, for help, ok?"

He charged down the stairs as fast as he could, which was faster than most and he bolted into the kitchen. He poked through a drawer that was filled with old magazines and pens that no longer worked. He knew it must be somewhere, probably at the bottom of the pile. Finally he located what he needed and pulled it out. It was Adam's contacts book, and he hoped the number he required would be in it. Flicking through the pages as he ran into the hall towards the telephone table, he grabbed the wireless phone and punched in the number he had only just obtained. It rang and rang and rang until eventually the other end picked up. He spoke clearly yet fast-paced into the mouthpiece.

"Blaze? Adam's gone."