Yay!!! Cain is my hero!! Okay, there may be a few inconsistancies with this part of the story so I'll just go ahead and address them now. First of all, I wasn't really sure how to describe the Papei's "cocoon" thingummie so I just based it off of a spider's web in a way. Second, Cain has a semi-sixth sense when it comes to Glitch and that's why he was able to find him so easily. Kind of a cop out I know but hey, it works right:D
Cain stopped, his blue eyes narrowing at the section of forest he'd ended up in. He pulled the gun from his pocket, checking to make sure it was loaded before tucking it back into his jacket and scanning the trees. He wanted to believe that Glitch was smart enough to avoid running into the middle of Papei territory. Then again…

He began to run again, scanning the trees carefully as he did. If Glitch had run this way, he needed to find him as soon as possible. Cain had silently vowed to beat the living crap out of Alero the next time he saw him but that was only if Glitch was unscathed. If he'd been hurt in anyway, Alero would have hell to pay…

The Tin Man froze suddenly, his heart leaping to his throat as a distant cry echoed through the trees. An involuntary shudder passed through him followed by a flash of anger so intense it threatened to overwhelm him. Cocking his gun and pressing it close to his side, he took off in the direction of the cry, praying to any God that would listen that he wasn't too late.

OOOOO

Trees shot passed him in a blur, his trained eyes on the lookout for any sign of the Papei. An eerie silence had fallen over the forest, an occasional breeze disturbing the mounds of dead leaves that littered the ground around him. Cain stopped, glaring into the trees a bird flapped awkwardly into a nest. Every movement and sound heightened his senses to the point of superhuman, the anxiety and worry making him feel restless and jumpy.

"God, you stupid head case…" He muttered worriedly. "Please be alright…"

A sudden twinge in his gut caused his eyes to widen and he turned to the left abruptly, running as fast as he could into the middle of the forest. Up ahead, almost too far for him to see, a distinct, web-like cocoon had been fastened between the trees. Instinctively, he knew exactly what was trapped inside.

Ignoring the very real possibility of another Papei being in the area, Cain raced through the barren trees, reaching the cocoon in a few seconds. A pale hand hung out of the sticky material, a tiny silver star clutched weakly between the fingers.

"Glitch!" Cain shouted worriedly, taking the limp hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "Hang on, I'll get you out of there!" He reached into his pocket, the familiar coldness of his straight razor pressing into his palm. Occasionally scanning the trees for any Papei, he set to work on the cocoon, slashing and tearing at the thick casing.

He smelled the Papei before he ever saw it, a thick, decaying stench hanging in the air like a fog around them. He turned slowly, one hand gripping the razor and the other moving to his gun.

The Papei growled fiercely, its teeth stained with a frothy pink mixture of saliva and blood. Glitch's blood.

Anger shot through him and Cain glared at the beast, daring it to make a move. Strangely enough, this one seemed to be the only one in this section of the forest. Its face was scarred and rough, the marks obviously made by another Papei. It could only mean that this one was a rogue and Cain wasn't sure if that was better or worse than a pack. He shifted his weight so he was standing in front of Glitch protectively, his body rigid and prepared for any sudden movement.

In a flash, the Papei had leapt at him, its fangs bared and jaws agape. It snapped and snarled at him in a frenzy of teeth and claws but Cain managed to stay just out of reach of the violent attacks. He took aim at the best but felt a forceful swipe knock the gun from his hand, a loud shot firing uselessly into the air. A split second later, they were both on the ground in a life or death struggle between man and beast.

Cain winced and turned as the Papei snapped at him again, a low growl rumbling deep in its throat. He felt the razor bite into his palm, the blade slicing through his flesh easily. He gritted his teeth against the pain and lashed out, catching the Papei's hind leg with the blade. The creature howled in pain and staggered back, its eyes blazing and murderous. Cain lunged forward and snatched his gun from where it had fallen, taking aim just as the Papei leapt at him for another round. The bullet hit its mark and the beast crumbled to the ground, blood pooling around its head.

The Tin Man stood, glaring coldly at the corpse as he wrapped his bleeding hand with a handkerchief from his pocket. Picking up the razor blade once again, he set back to work on the cocoon. The thick outer layers gave way to thinner, membrane-like sheets that covered the Papei's prey. Cain cut the last layer away carefully and moved forward quickly as Glitch fell lifelessly into his arms.

Cain lowered him to the ground slowly, his eyes widening at the deep, bloody wound that marred Glitch's right shoulder. His face was unnaturally pale and it was difficult to tell whether or not he was breathing.

Pushing those grim thoughts from his mind, Cain leaned over and pressed his ear to Glitch's chest, elated to find a weak yet detectable heartbeat. For a while all he could do was listen, thankful that the brunette was still alive. A soft groan caused him to sit up quickly, looking down at Glitch in expectation. "Glitch…? Hey sunshine, can you hear me…?"

Hazy, brown eyes blinked open slowly, coming to rest on the face above him. He struggled for a minute, the effort to talk almost more exhausting than he could bare. "I…remember you…" He whispered, a weak smile curving on his face. However, as soon as the words were out, consciousness eluded him once again and he slipped back into blackness.

For a split second, Cain feared the worst and felt his heart drop to his feet. However, a soft, raspy breath assured him that Glitch was still alive for the moment and he relaxed slightly. Thunder rumbled overhead, thick, dark clouds moving in fast from every direction. Cain shrugged off his coat and tucked it around Glitch, scooping him into his arms gently. He stood carefully, trying to avoid jostling the injured man anymore than necessary. With Glitch securely in his arms, the Tin Man began his walk back to the castle.


Poor Glitch, God I'm so mean .o Oh well! He's been rescued...sorta...What does "sorta" mean? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!!