As usual, I own nothing but a few characters.

LDD: Yea, I know, Sera's being an idiot. But it makes things SO much more interesting! And plenty bad stuff can happen in a few hours, let alone the eight hours they had Belle for. Yes, I am evil. Mwahaha. Don't worry, life catches up with us all. If you don't get to read it immediately that's fine with me. :)

Peace: Yea, things get real interesting when people aren't thinking rationally. All rational thought went out the window for Sera. And Nyx. Eclipse managed to retain most of his, but still. And I added in little thingies to the last chapter so people can tell when the scene changes. I've done the same for this chapter. Thanks for reminding me.

~*~

Sera didn't slow when the demon did, instead pulling her arm back to punch him in the nose. Her eyes narrowed and she ran towards him, only to be stopped by a sort of invisible shield he put between the two of them. She growled again, glaring at him. "What do you want?"

"Nothing from you," the demon said with a vicious grin. "I just want to talk."

"About what." Sera glared at him, just waiting.

"Oh, nothing much," the demon said airily. "Just keep an eye on your sister. We might need her again." His grin widened. "Then again, we might just take you instead." Laughing, the demon vanished, the spells with him. Sera turned and started trudging back to her bishis.

"Sera! What were you thinking?!" Kurama asked. He reached her first, Kenshin right behind him.

Sera grimaced. "I kinda wasn't," she said after a moment.

"Damn straight you weren't," Kurama said. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, though, so it doesn't matter." Sera gave them all a look that dared them to disagree with her.

"Don't go running off like that again," Graverobber said with a sigh. "Or we might have to take more drastic measures."

"We could attach a leash to you, that we could," Kenshin said speculatively. He didn't realize the full implications of his words until he noticed Kurama and Graverobber both giving him a strange look. "Oro?"

Sera blushed when she caught it as well and huffed. "Shut up," she grumbled, walking past them and towards the city again. "Or I'll lock you in your rooms and never let you out."

Graverobber and Kurama both started laughing while Kenshin merely blushed and followed his trainer in a semi-dignified silence. The dignified part died when Kenshin nearly tripped over a root and ended up crashing into Sera, both of them falling prey to gravity and plummeting to earth. That, of course, only made the other two laugh harder.

"Keep laughing," Sera growled at them, though she was smiling. "One of these days I'll sic Bob-Sue on you!"

"Who?" Kenshin blinked down at her, getting up and offering her a hand up.

"Bob is an air spirit who inhabits a 65 million year old dinosaur skeleton named Sue and goes rampaging through Chicago." Sera grinned and started walking again. "Now I just need to get there…"

The three bishis looked at each other, sighed heavily, and walked after her. Hopefully she wouldn't start cackling or anything…

~*~

When Nyx wanted to get a lot of attention, he was one of the best. So when he slammed open the doors to the nearest hospital and yelled for a nurse, he got about three. Eclipse sighed and followed him in a much more calm and efficient manner.

Half an hour of flurried activity and some harried questions later, Nyx and Eclipse both stood in a room where Belle lay asleep. Some color had returned to her cheeks and there were no visible bruises anywhere on her. The small needle pricks remained on her elbow, however. Especially considering there was an IV drip fixed to her elbow at the moment.

"I don't like this," Nyx muttered, his nose wrinkled. "She smells all wrong."

"I know," Eclipse said softly. "We're just lucky there wasn't any more damage."

Nyx laughed hollowly. "More damage? They only took too much of her blood and left her to roll down a goddamn mountain." His eyes glowed faintly. "I don't care when or where we find whoever did this to her. When we do, his life is mine."

Eclipse sighed softly and closed his eyes for a few moments. "This is not the appropriate time or place to discuss this," he said softly. "We must wait for Belle to recover before we can go anywhere." He looked Nyx in the eye for several moments to make sure that sunk in. "In the meantime, we do not know where Sera is."

"The kid can look after herself," Nyx growled. Then he paused. "We should find her."

Eclipse snorted. "Yes, we should. Belle would not be happy if she found out we lost her baby sister." With a wry smile, Eclipse sat down. "I cannot stray far from her while she is injured as such. If you would kindly look around for Sera, I would be much obliged. Myself and Belle both."

Nyx sighed. "I'm only doing this because Belle would want me to," he grumbled before vanishing from the hospital room. He appeared outside, in the middle of the town. He started walking around aimlessly, trying to catch Sera's scent. He looked around frequently, pausing when he caught a whiff of her scent from a noodle shop. He glanced inside, but she wasn't there. Neither was she anywhere around, nor was her scent still in the air. Growling and grumbling to himself, Nyx made it to the other side of town and the other entrance before he caught her scent again.

~*~

Sera, meanwhile, had been trying to find Nyx or Eclipse or Belle. She asked at several shops, but no, no one had seen two tall, pale men with dark hair carrying someone that looked like her. Losing hope, she went all the way around town and asked at all the hotels, but no one had seen her sister. Losing hope, she walked over and sat down on a bench in front of a clothing store.

"Shouldn't we check at the hospital?" Kurama asked, sitting next to her.

"I would, but I don't know where it is," Sera said softly. "Besides, I was kind of hoping that they'd be looking for me or waiting somewhere for me."

"They probably took Belle-dono to the hospital first," Kenshin said softly.

Sera sighed softly and pushed herself to her feet. "Yea, probably. We should get going."

"Sera! Stop walking around, dammit!"

The younger trainer blinked and looked over as Nyx approached them. He looked annoyed to say the least.

"Do you know how bloody hard it was to track you?" he growled, crossing his arms over his chest. He glowered at her, prepared for her to make a smart-ass remark, shrug it off, or apologize.

What he was not prepared for was her throwing herself at him and asking rapid-fire questions almost too fast for him to comprehend. He was saved having to act himself by Kenshin calmly dragging his trainer back a few feet.

"Speak slower, Sera-dono. We can't all translate high-speed English, that we can't." Kenshin smiled gently.

Sera nodded, looking rather sheepish. "Where's Belle?"

"At the hospital. We got her a private room," Nyx said. He walked over and took Sera's elbow, leading her through the mid-afternoon crowds. "She's fine now apart from blood loss. They gave her a potion for the bruises. She's still unconscious. Eclipse is with her."

"Okay," Sera said. "I think you got it all. Almost, anyway."

"Almost?" Nyx managed to sound disgruntled. "What did I miss?"

"Why did I end up somewhere else?"

"Have to ask the demon that one. I wasn't in charge." He stepped into the hospital and half-dragged Sera down the hallway to Belle's room.

Duo and Eclipse both looked up when Sera, Nyx, and Kenshin entered. Kurama and Graverobber had tactfully retreated to their bishiballs. Nyx dropped Sera's elbow and Kenshin glowered at him for a moment before he moved over to lean against a wall.

"Sera. Good to know you were close by," Eclipse said softly. "I apologize for earlier. It is harder to teleport somewhere you have never been, doubly so with extra people. I am glad no harm has come to you."

Sera blinked. "Um. It's fine. Really."

Duo laughed quietly and walked over to Sera, starting to braid her hair again. "So did you find anything interesting before Nyx caught up with you?"

"Not really, just a bunch of shops," Sera said softly. "Looks like this is a pretty big place. Good place to go shopping and earn some money."

Duo and Eclipse shared a look and shook their heads. Sera eyed them both rather nervously.

"What with the look?"

"Were you thinking of acquiring a job here, I am certain Belle would want one of us to stay with you at all times," Eclipse explained calmly. "Since now someone has presented him or herself as a threat to Belle, she will extend her protection to you."

Sera bristled. "I don't need protection. I have my three."

Duo snorted. "Yea, and Graverobber's about as useful in a fight as a hairbrush," he said. "Best you can do is beat someone over the head with him."

Sera's lips twitched in a smile. "If he heard you he'd be insulted."

"He'll live. He knows it's true," Duo said mercilessly. "And I volunteer Duzell to stay with you."

Sera paused as a thought hit her. "Don't you think we should worry about getting the others here first?" she asked, glancing around. "Anna and Shadow and Kate are still who-knows-where."

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. "I could teleport them here if they tell me where they are," he said softly. "Though I would prefer not to leave Belle at current."

"Can't Vlad teleport?" Duo asked. "Would make things a lot easier."

"I'll call them," Sera said softly. "Ask them if they can get here. I should probably go get a room too, while I'm at it." She rose and retired from the room, almost running down the hallway. She didn't like hospitals, especially not with her sister lying there like a corpse.

She stopped outside a hotel that was less than a block away from the hospital and pulled out her bishidex. She called Anna quickly.

"What's going on?" Anna demanded immediately, her face showing up on the little screen.

"We found Belle. She's alright, just lost a lot of blood. She's at the hospital right now," Sera said, glancing at Kenshin, who stood unobtrusively next to her. "Do you think you guys can get here?"

"Where is 'here'?" Vlad asked, plucking the bishidex from Anna. The younger trainer and the bishi both ignored Anna's yells and grumbles.

Sera told him the name of the town and where it was. Vlad listened intently before he nodded.

"Very well. I shall tell the others and we shall arrive within ten minutes or so," the vampire count said. "Wait for us in the lobby, if you will."

"Sure. Bring both trainers along, please."

"Very well." With a nod to her, Vlad shut off the comm. link and Sera followed his example.

"Well?" Kurama asked. Sera jumped. She hadn't noticed him come out. "Oh, sorry. But what's going on?"

"Belle's in the hospital, we don't know for how long. Anna and Shadow are coming here, and I'm supposed to wait in the hotel lobby for them before we get rooms." Sera sighed and ran a hand through her hair, idly taking out the braid and twisting it into a bun.

"Sounds like a good plan. And after that?" Kurama watched her intently as Sera led the way into the hotel.

"After that we are going to look for more bishis," Sera said firmly. "I am not going to go back and find the son of a bitch who did that to her and take my revenge out of his hide." She huffed and glared at nothing, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kenshin and Kurama exchanged looks over her head. Their poor trainer had anger management issues. Kenshin sighed while Kurama merely smiled and shook his head.

They didn't have long to wait. No more than five minutes later, Anna and Shadow both walked into the hotel, Vlad following Anna closely.

"We have rooms yet?" Shadow asked.

"Not yet," Sera said. "I figured we'd get two rooms again. I don't know how long Belle's going to be in the hospital for, so…"

Shadow nodded and went to go pay. Anna didn't move, studying Sera intently. Sera blinked at her.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked, leaning back against Vlad, surprisingly calm.

"Alright, I suppose," Sera muttered with a shrug. "I'll be fine. I'm just worried is all."

Anna nodded, watching her for another moment. "If you want I can teach you how to fight. Nothing major, but at least you'll be able to throw a decent punch."

"Or pretend their knee is a soccer ball," Sera said with a little grin of her own. "I'd like that. Thanks, Anna."

Anna graced her with a smile and nodded before she looked over at Shadow. The eldest trainer of the four silently handed out four card keys, giving two to Sera.

"We're up on the third floor," Shadow said. "I think I got us a corner room or something. Come on." She led the way up to the room. All three trainers were unnaturally quiet, somber. Sera didn't say a word as she slipped into her room; the other two had gotten a room in the corner of the building and so had double windows.

Flopping down on a bed, Sera settled herself to wait. After all, that was all she could do right then. She couldn't go track down anyone, she couldn't stomach any food, and she didn't want to start working any more today. So she'd wait.

~*~

Belle opened her eyes slowly, groaning softly. "Who do I get to hurt for hitting me?" she mumbled through cracked lips, her throat raw and burning.

Nyx immediately loomed over her. "Belle? How do you feel? Does anything hurt?" he asked worriedly. His eyes were darker than normal, more hungry, more agitated. Belle frowned slightly as she realized this.

"Fine. Nothing hurts." She pushed herself up, glancing around the room. Duo was dozing in a chair and Eclipse looked up from idly twisting physical manifestations of his magic into different shapes. "Where am I?"

"Hospital," Eclipse said softly, rising and walking over to her other side. "You're fine, don't worry. You've just lost some blood."

Belle's vision momentarily stained red as she remembered exactly what the man, the scientist, had done to her. She took a slow, deep breath and then let it out again, counting to herself as she did. "Where are the others?"

"In a hotel," Eclipse said. "I checked up on them not long ago. Anna and Shadow are here as well, sharing a room next to Sera's." He paused for a moment. "The doctor said you must stay the night, just in case."

Belle scowled as she looked down at her lap. The IV caught her attention, running up from her elbow. An involuntary shudder rippled down her spine. "Get it out," she muttered, still eyeing the IV drip warily, as if it might attack her.

"What?" Nyx and Eclipse exchanged startled looks.

"I don't care what you have to do, just get it out," Belle said, fighting hard against illogical panic. "I don't want any needles near me. I'll be fine on my own."

Eclipse eyed her for a few moments before deciding that she was going to be stubborn about this and so, instead of fighting her, rose and left to find a doctor. Sometimes his trainer could be so stubborn…

Nyx watched her silently, a small frown on his face. "What happened?" he asked softly.

Belle shook her head. "Don't want to talk about it," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably on the hospital bed.

"Belle—"

"Please. Don't push it this one time," Belle said. "Just let it go. I'll tell you all later so I don't have to keep repeating the story. Once is bad enough."

Nyx frowned but backed off. Snapping was very unlike Belle. He was going to murder whoever did this to her.

~*~

The next day everyone had gathered in Sera's hotel room. Belle sat on one bed with Nyx on one side of her and Sera on the other. Eclipse and Duo stood behind the trainers, along with Kenshin and Kurama. The other two trainers sat on the bed across from them, the bishis all seated in chairs or on the floor or behind their trainers.

Belle didn't look at anyone as she started speaking. "I'm going to make this brief. A demon showed up in the middle of the night and feigned injury to get me to help him. I suffered from a temporary bout of insanity and tried to help him myself. He grabbed me and teleported me somewhere, I'm still not sure where. I was locked in a plain room by myself for a while, I don't know how long, until a man came to see me. He looked like a scientist, and I'm pretty sure he was a trainer. He talked to me for a few minutes before he took some blood from me and left." Belle closed her eyes. "He repeated the process for a while before I fell unconscious. Next thing I knew I was in the hospital."

There was silence for several moments as everyone exchanged looks.

"I've never heard of this," Duo said softly. "Most of the time if somethin' happens, word gets around pretty fast."

"Then perhaps I was the first," Belle said softly. "Either way, what's done is done."

"Are you going to tell the authorities?" Anna asked.

"Already have. I was practically forced to." Belle grimaced and fell silent.

"The hospital staff inquired," Eclipse explained. "They called in a police officer. He recorded everything she said."

Shadow sighed. "Well, this sucks," she said softly. "What now?"

"Now we are not going to think about that," Sera said, glancing at the others. "We won't relax and forget about it, but we will put it out of our minds. This place is a pretty big town. We can go shopping tomorrow and after that we can go look for more bishis."

Belle tuned the others out as they agreed on plans, instead relaxing against Nyx's side. He kept his arm around her. Soon the others departed and Belle got comfortable, laying down on the much more comfortable hotel bed.

The next day passed in a blur of shopping to Belle. Sera, Eclipse, and Nyx stayed with her at all times, and Duo often joined their group as well. Despite her illogical and meaningless (so she told herself) fear and anxiety, she found herself laughing and chatting with them throughout the day. She slept soundly through the night, and when she woke Sera was already up and putting breakfast on the table.

"Ready to go explore strange new places?" Sera asked with a grin.

"As soon as I wake up," Belle replied with a yawn. "Where are we going?"

Sera grinned. "Off to Chicago to visit Harry Dresden."

Belle paused. Oh crap. Well that was going to be very interesting…