Heyyy guys! Sorry this chapter took me so long! [I feel so guilty!] but I had a block like three times in a row and well... yeah. I kept having to delete and retry. Oh, and a special shout out for Mixiebunny! If she didn't help me out with how to progress the story line... well I wouldn't be posting this, now would I? Lol So THANK YOU! You like saved me. haha and I hope I'll find more time for this... but I doubt my school life will allow it. -_- hooray for school. [not] Btw, anyone and everyone can kik me. I really don't mind it. [I actually like that kind of thing]

I stared after Mav and Fall as they went tearing on ahead shouting like banshees.

"Catch us if you can!"

Then they were gone from sight.

I turned to Ani and laughed. "And I thought Fall was hard to keep track of when she wasn't being egged on!"

Ani grinned in response. "She's happy to see him, no doubt." She picked up her pace. "Come on, we should try to catch up so they don't have to backtrack again."

We started walking briskly in the general direction that the two mercenaries left in in silence. Though it didn't stay silent for long.

We started to notice that something was up when the woods around us fell silent… and not in a comforting way. The other thing that tipped me off to our situation was when the darkwolf ran straight past us, whimpering like a puppy with it's tail between it's legs. Ani and I exchanged glances and I grinned weakly. "Worried yet..?"

Before she could respond, a group a men melted out of the shadows. They all were carrying various weapons and they all were wearing baggy clothes that would be easy to move in.

One of them stepped forward and drew his sword. "We found 'em boys." He sneered and flipped his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Whoever brings 'em back get's the boon. Fair and square, got it?"

The group behind him shifted with murmurs and another guy stepped forward. "So you're saying this is a free for all… and that means that accidents can happen." He grinned and faster than I could easily see, he threw his fellow competitor to the ground and shoved a knife tip under his chin. "Right, boss?"

The other faery leaned back away from the knife and nodded. "YesBlade. Accidents can happen. Just remember the code of hono-"

Blade kicked him in the chest and shoved his knife back into his boot after spinning it on his finger. "Yeah, yeah, yeah… The code of frigging honor. Because every merc listens to one of those." He smirked as his leader sat back up and glared up at him. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"Only problem is your attitude, but we already know that there's no fixing that piece of work." The blonde mercenary got to his feet and spat on the ground. "Just remember your place, bitch."

This only caused Blade to laugh. "Sorry man, but last time I checked, I don't got those parts… would you like me to prove that for you?" He reached for his pants and I stepped forward.

"Nah, I don't think any of us need to or want to see that." I smirked dangerously. "Now calm yourself or I'll have to make you." He regarded me wearily as I pulled my daggers and held them in front of me, clear blades glistening viciously in the dim light surrounding us all. "And if you would care to speed things along a bit, I would appreciate it."

Before anyone could try to respond to my threat, Mav and Fall came blasting through the thick undergrowth and into the clearing.

"Blade!" The two of them launched themselves at him and tackled him to the ground laughing. They worked together to pin him, and Mav smirked down at him, obviously pleased with himself.

"I told you I could find her without your help! BOOM!" He made a flailing explosion gesture with his arms. Then the two of them seemed to realize that something was very wrong because Mav and Fall glanced around wearily.

Mav laughed awkwardly and dropped his arms. "Blade, why does this look like a kill squad? Exactly what kind of party did we just crash?"

Blade tried to sit up, but they forced him back down.

Mav continued to speak, lowering his voice as he did. "What are you planning to do to our friends?"

Blade stared up at them, obviously mentally kicking himself. "We have a client who is looking for these two…" He jerked his head towards me and Ani. "And the reward is so high more than one person from each squad showed." He flashed his teeth in a wicked smirk. "And as leader, I'm delegating for our squad."

"You know we can't let you do that, Blade." Fall said calmly. She shot a glance at Mav. "And last time I checked, Mav didn't die and make you leader."

Mav smirked at this. "But please, correct us if we're wrong. You never know when you're dead, after all."

Blade shoved them off him and sat up glaring. "No, you're not dead. Not yet anyway…"

"What was that?" Mav stared down at him blankly, though I could tell that it probably seemed much more menacing when it was directed at you. "I'm not sure I heard that right, buddy." I heard someones knuckles crack and had the sudden feeling that Mav could be very brutal if given reason.

Blade swallowed audibly and lifted his chin. "You heard me, got a problem Boss?"

"As long as you keep that title where it should be, no." Mav turned and looked at the rest of the group. "Get the hell outta here now." He smiled at Fall as she stepped up beside him. "Before I sic my girlfriend on you." His tone was joking, but all the guys started backing off and a few even sprinted for the safety of the trees, throwing furtive glances in Fall's direction as they did.

Fall laughed. "Is the little girl that scary for the boys..? Awe Mav, they're leaving me out of their game again."

Mav snickered at the retreating mercenaries. "You can be pretty scary when you want to be, Mallie."

"So can you." Fall retorted. "But they don't flee the scene when you threaten to punch them."

"When I threaten to punch them, not strangle them... or even brutally massacre them." Mav continued to laugh as he watched about three more men slink away nonchalantly. He went really quiet and when they paused to relax, he shouted and they all took off as if their lives depended on it.

I felt Ani jump beside me at his outburst, and I couldn't help but laugh aloud.

"Hey," Fall said defensively. "I only shouted that at Hawk because he was in my personal space, okay?"

"You never threatened to inflict bodily harm on any of the others?"

Fall went silent.

"You never actually inflicted bodily harm on them?"

More silence.

Mav chuckled and pulled her closer to him. "Exactly my point."

They stayed like that for a moment until someone cleared his throat from the edge of the clearing. "I'm still here guys. No need to act so mushy."

Ani and I turned to find Blade, weapons drawn, on the opposite end from us. He smirked slightly. "Sorry Mallie-girl, but you don't scare me one bit."

Fall and Mav both bristled at the casual use of what I assumed was not just a nickname and he grinned.

"What? You aren't the only one who can call her that, Mav."

Before they responded, he shot Ani and I a glance. Though it was mostly directed at her, and he grinned and threw a look back at Fall and Mav. "Who's she?"

I nonchalantly stepped closer to Ani. "She is named Ani."

Blade regarded me with a mixture of boredom and patronization. "Well someone's territorial," He turned to Ani and smirked. "Has tomato-hair tried to piss on you yet?"

Ani's face heated. "No, why would Puck do that?" She put emphasis on my name, and it caused Blade to blink.

"Goodfellow?" His confused expression quickly twisted into a sarcastic sneer. "Well this is interesting, who would have thought that you two were my targets?"

I sighed in partial annoyance and silently cursed the fact that I didn't have anymore fogpod fruits on me… I would honestly love to stuff one down this guy's throat right about now.

I instead stooped and picked up some twigs at my feet nonchalantly. Then I grinned at him. "Who would have thought that you were unfortunate enough to take this 'mission'." I threw the debris into the air and a clone of myself dropped beside me along with three others.

Blade regarded my entourage with a flicker of annoyance, then quickly regained himself with a smirk. "What, afraid to fight me one on one? Are you going to mob me now?"

I shook my head and my copies exchanged distasteful glances. "Nah, I think I'll watch the show while they mob you." I put emphasis on the "they" and smiled my dangerous smirk. Hello smirk, it's been awhile since I've worn you. Hasn't it?

Blade's eyes flicked to Mav and Fall. "Your seriously on this guys side? Why?" He scoffed. "It's the losing side. Last chance you got to switch loyalties."

Mav and Fall stayed silent for a truly nerve wracking amount of time, then finally Mav spoke.

"Blade, if I order you to back down, would you?"

"No." Blade laughed. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"We aren't changing sides then." Mav pulled out his brass knuckles and a look crossed Blade's face that looked fleetingly like fear. It left as soon as it came, being replaced by an arrogant sneer.

"Whatever. Just don't burn anyone on those." He coughed. "Don't want another repeat of the 'Mal incident'."

Mav fell silent and clenched his fists. Then, without turning, he said. "Puck, if you aren't starting this fight, I am. And by 'fight', I mean homicide."

I stared at Mav, he looked like it was taking all he had to not slam his fist into Blade's face. "Okay, try to keep up!" I lunged forward, daggers flashing in the dim light.

Blade, taken by surprise, dodged. Then he lunged back towards me and a knife slipped out of his sleeve leaving a rather painful gash on my side.

I bit down a yelp and the copies threw themselves into the fray. Blade hacked through one, then used another one as a living shield, then hurled the blade. Planting it into one of my clones. They all crumbled into debris.

As he spun on me, Fall came out of nowhere and tackled him. He threw her off his back and stumbled. Just in time for me to lung forward and slash savagely at him.

He rolled to the side, kicked my feet from under me, the moment as I hit the ground I heard Ani's startled shout.

I spun but froze when I saw them.

Blade had Ani around the waist and was pressing a knife to her throat. Her bow lay broken across the ground a few feet away.

I started to my feet, but stopped when he threatened to slit her throat.

He smirked and relaxed. "Hey look, I figured out how to tame Goodfellow. Just grab his girl!"

I glared at him. "Let her go."

"What?" He laughed and backed up a step, dragging a very angry looking Ani with him. "But that would be failing my mission. All I have to do is take her, and you're sure to follow." He smiled viciously. "Please, correct me if I'm wrong."

He's right... I clenched my fists and stayed silent. I wasn't going to get anything through begging... But maybe a bargain...

"What if I had something you need?" The words came out before I could stop myself. I bit my tongue, then realized that this might be the best course of action anyway.

Everyone fell silent and I could almost hear the silent intake of breath. Almost like the trees stopped to listen to me as well. I just said the unthinkable. I'll either save us... Or screw us over eight ways from Sunday.

Blade studied me as if suddenly seeing my true value. "What do you have in mind, trickster?"

I shrugged, suddenly very uncomfortable about where this was going. Part of me, the part that wanted Ani back at all costs, was telling me to answer him. The part of me that has years of training in these matters on the other hand... Was telling me to back the hell out of this before I got trapped.

Being as intelligent as usual, I ignored the bad feeling and thought about something that Blade would find of value.

Ani's voice agitated interrupted my thoughts. "Puck, don't you dare. Just don't. I'm not that important, okay? I can try to run away again." She struggled slightly, but then drew back as the edge of the knife bit into her skin. "No bargaining. Got it?" She was sounding panicked now.

I stared at her, my mouth dry. How was I supposed to answer that? I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I turned back to Blade. "I'm not agreeing to any terms yet, but what do you want?"

He paused in thought and Ani went limp in his arms. "Puck... Don't do it. Don't make a deal." Her voice broke and she looked at me pleadingly. "This guy's bad news, don't do it."

Blade took back control of the conversation. "I want you to dispose of a certain-"

I cut him off. "No deal. I won't hurt anyone." I paused, would I? No. Then shook my head. "I refuse to injure anyone, you can't use me as a weapon."

I heard Fall mutter something under her breath about weapons of mass destruction and frowned slightly. What does she think I am? A ticking time bomb? I stared at Ani and Blade. "What about an invitation to the next party I crash? I'm sure I can work something out with Oberon-"

Blade pressed the knife to her throat and Ani let a strangled sound escape her.

I started forward, then abruptly stopped, throwing out my arms out towards him as I did. If I moved, she died. If I said the wrong thing, she died. I planted my feet and tried to be still. "Okay! Okay, just don't... Just don't hurt her." My voice was getting tight now. Dammit, I really screwed this up.

Blade laughed scornfully. "Better hurry up, Goodfellow, I'm getting bored."

I stared at Ani. What was I going to do? The only thing I could was make a bargain... Unless I let him take her and then follow them to save her. Could I do that? Without getting myself killed?

"I change my mind..." I hung my head and let my arms drop. "You win, take her." I looked at the ground between us. "And yes, I'm coming too."

Blade smiled smugly. "I figured you'd say that." He nodded at Mav and Fall. "And you two stay. If you try to follow us I will know and I will kill them."

I scowled at how easy he made it sound to kill me, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't need to tick him off...

He waved at the two in a see-you-around manner and started dragging Ani away.

Before leaving to follow, I glanced back at them. "We'll be back... I think."

I honestly wasn't too sure at this point.