Yes, I have failed once again to update on time, yes this chapter is STILL incomplete, yes it is ridiculously short, and yes I have excuses. 1. On Friday, I simply forgot and on Saturday I was out feeding hobos (yes, really...) so I couldn't update. 2. This was surprisingly hard to organize into words. 3. I AM TIRED! (and behind on homework, but who cares about that?) and 4. I had a cup of coffee, and it hasn't worn off yet (after... four?... days...) 5. THERE'S SO MANY NEW BOOKS OUT! Peter and the Starcatchers has a new one, the Magyc series has a new one, the Mysterious Benedict Society has a new one... IT'S A NERD DREAM COME TRUE!! Please don't get mad at me. I'm hoping there's enough in here to think about to keep you happy for a while... :P
In his many years in Ellesmera, Eragon had mastered the ability to control magic without the use of gramyr. Quiet candidly, the elves had told him that he didn't stand a chance against Galbatorix if he depended on the Ancient Language, so he spent the most of three years practicing, well developing was more like it, the art of focus. He'd spent more of his life staring at plants and literally watching them grow than he would've thought possible, but the result was being able to enter something and become so attuned to it that he could almost become it and manipulate it that way, and some pretty darn big ferns.
Even though he'd known that someday that skill would be useful, Eragon hadn't really expected to need to use it so soon. Smiling dryly to himself, he searched the room for any consciousnesses, other than the team. There were seven people. Five spread across the room, two bunched in the corner. Now, all he had to do was eliminate them. Waiting patiently, Eragon reached into the barrel of Gibbs' gun while still keeping tabs on the seven people. Well, mostly just the five who were moving. He was going to assume, for now, that the other two were hostages. The bullet, simple, sleek, and lethal, rested innocently. Even with his injured arm, Gibbs was the least easily flustered and the best shot. Eragon waited, expecting some sort of warning before being shot out of the gun, but Gibbs seemed to have another plan in mind and sent Eragon off, away from any bright speck of light he could sense. It seemed that he would have to do just a bit more steering than expected…
Slicing through the air, Eragon headed towards one of the shooters, who nimbly jumped out of the way. Eragon wheeled around and embedded himself in his hard, muscle-packed abs. Surprised, the shooter gaped down at his bloody stomach, but didn't appear to be hurt in the least. Eragon pressed on his metal enclosure, against the warm, squishy flesh, forcing himself out, out, OUT…until the bullet exploded, sending bits and pieces of blood soaked muscle flying across the room. One down, four to go…
Blinking hard, Gibbs tried to clear his head. He thought he'd seen the his bullet spin around, like a boomerang… Of course, that couldn't have happened, and yet the remains of the man splattered on the clothes offered proof… Tony inhaled sharply, not quite gasping, but clearly surprised, and Gibbs turned to see if he needed any help. Through the glass window, he saw Abby. Abby and Eragon. Both with their eyes squeezed tightly shut.
Taking down the five people had been incredibly simple, as they had no way to run. Their collective gore covered almost the entire room, giving it an eerie dungeon-like effect. As Eragon, proudly, yet slightly repulsed, surveyed the room, he noticed for the first time that Ziva seemed to be at wit's end, Tony was shocked, McGee was passed out on the floor, and Gibbs was swaying slightly. As he walked in, he felt almost guilty that he hadn't let them know, somehow, of his plan, yet at the same time, he knew that he couldn't have. He knelt next to McGee, who lifted his head, surprising Eragon.
"Oh, look, there's a pretty birdie! FLY BIRDIE!! Fly before I EAT YOU!" McGee rasped, laughing hysterically before he finally slumped to the ground.
Abby had been jumping around, giving everyone giant bear hugs. "Will he be alright?" she asked Gibbs, giving him a squeeze. Gibbs winced.
"Of course he's alright. Any agent of mine would be," he growled, but he swayed and staggered ruining the tough image.
"Sorry Gibbs!" she said, turning immediately to Eragon. She didn't know why she turned to him, it just seemed like he would know what to do, because… "Oh, yeah, Eragon taught me how to do the mind-wave thing that you guys were always teasing me about!" she turned to glare at Tony, failing to notice Eragon healing McGee.
"I never teased you!" Ziva said with a smile. Tony winked at her and she shot him a deadly glance.
Abby gasped sharply, and Ziva guiltily turned towards her. "Look, Abby, I didn't mean…" one look at Abby's face cut Ziva off. Staring at something above their heads, Abby's expression was a mix of revulsion, hatred and shock. Without thinking, Ziva's head snapped up. "Ari!" she moaned.
Simultaneously, Gibbs, Tony, Eragon, and even McGee, who Eragon had healed, looked to see what Ziva had been talking about. Already weak, Gibbs came dangerously close to fainting when he saw the all too familiar grinning face of Ari Haswari.
