The Bird in a Cage

Summary: Howl, a wealthy CEO of a multi-billion dollar company, is threatened by anonymous letters. Bodyguards are all the rage and Howl hires only the best… ending up saddled with the infamous Mad Hatter. Sophie and Howl, AU.

WARNING: Extreme violence.

Chapter Thirty-six
Have you guessed the riddle yet?

Despite the edge that had Sophie so tense, the evening progressed almost pleasantly. Miss Angorian was well educated and had a deep well of interesting topics to speak of. Her great understanding of literature sparked enthusiasm in Howl and he was almost beside himself as he spoke of the many psychological aspects of works like Carroll's own Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and happily chattered like a child about the linguistic marvels of Tolkien's wonderful Lord of the Rings. He had even recited one of the elfin-poems, enunciating each word with Welsh pronunciations.

Sophie had stayed quiet throughout the evening, even as the head Chef catered to her, laughing as per his chipper nature and helping her enjoy herself despite being only a third wheel in this date. Her own mulish attitude could have been attributed to jealousy, but Sophie knew it was not entirely so. She could not shake the feeling of eyes drilling into her back like punishing sunlight and every few minutes or so she would risk a subtle glance around, scanning the patrons. She was glad they had seated them in the corner instead of in the open, but the low lighting of The Social prevented her from revealing enemies. It made the eldest Hatter even more nervous and she shifted restlessly in her seat, tensing and relaxing muscles that begged to be put into action.

Instead, she tightened around her core, looking casually relaxed while managing to convey the impression of a tightly coiled spring. Miss Angorian beside her leaned away from Sophie, a reaction sharp blue eyes noticed instantly and Howl hid a small smile behind his hands.

When the woman stood, all of them having finished their meals, Howl pushed his chair back and made to stand, offering his arm to his date with a gallant smile. She accepted and they left, almost leaving Sophie behind as she paid for their dinner with the debit card Howl had drawn up for her. She followed after them quickly, taking the time to thank the waiter (and tip him generously) and a side trip to the kitchen to shout cheery thanks to the cooks.

As she exited the hotel, it was like a veritable gunshot in the dark and it was a credit to her training that she did not cry out when a thin pole dug, unforgiving, into her side and cracked a rib. She exhaled to minimize damage and dropped, rolling blindly away from her attacker. Knowing she was an easy target on the ground, she quickly stood up, using her momentum to spin her legs in a defensive kick to drive any smart attacker away. Twice she struck and she felt savage satisfaction at the sound of howls of pain as she hopped back and straightened, facing the enemy at last.

Howl was slumping into the arms of two men who held him between them carelessly, Miss Angorian off to the side and grimacing as another leering man pulled her to her knees by her hair. Sophie strained to keep from flying into their faces, recognizing the folly of her impulse when more than thirty men surrounded her, armed with all kind of weapons. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at the man who stood before her with his arms crossed, clearly the leader.

"You," she hissed like a hellcat, a wild edge to her frown that made the men surrounding her break into cold sweat.

The green eyed stranger from the tournament smirked, an almost insane light to his eyes as he delighted in seeing her so furious instead of her usual stoic mask. She nearly dove for him then but her training told her to bide her time. He was powerful, unlike the hulking, clumsy henchmen that surrounded her. This man carried himself with the air of a professional mercenary and Sophie knew that taking him on while surrounded by his goons would be the top of her 'stupid things to do' list.

But Howl was on the other side of this living barricade and the dark monster she kept inside of her was snarling something fierce, demanding to have him back. She wanted him at her side and she wanted it now. The dragon, the great being that had given her the strength to protect her family, to tear her enemies apart… it stirred. Restless and grand, it awoke and slid just under her skin. The men around her fidgeted in disquiet, alarmed by the oppressive weight of her presence that filled the street like a large, carnivorous predator. Her eyes were cold and impassive, but her entire body radiated rage and loathing.

Tilting her head back, she glared, igniting an icy fear that began to run in the veins of those around her, consuming them.

Only the man with green eyes remained seemingly unaffected, though he was breaking a sweat under the immense pressure of her anger. "I'll be taking him with me, I believe."

If possible, the temperature dropped, and even the lovely Miss Angorian shivered despite herself at the sound of her words. Like the slide of a sword being unsheathed, Sophie's voice cut through the rippling silence neatly.

"I think not," the declaration was like a slap to the face, but the men moved when their master told them to, signaling them to put the CEO in the car. Howl groaned as he was moved, his head lolling unnaturally as they pulled him up, revealing the blow he'd received as he had exited the restaurant. The young schoolteacher was similarly manhandled toward the vehicle, but it was Howl's soft, pained protest that broke the barrier of careful control Sophie had woven around herself like a sword, spear and shield.

With a roar not unlike a lioness, Sophie unleashed her fury, slashing into the loose formation of the hired muscle around her. Sharp kicks tore into unprotected flanks; swift hands disarmed and drove like knives into chests and cheeks, quickly putting down men like lambs in a slaughter. She deflected blows like they were naught but mere mosquito bites, punishing fists snaking into their guards and raining down on them like hardened hail. Still, the men behind the barricade managed to maneuver Howl into the car, pushing his unresponsive body with ease into the back seat. Miss Angorian was pulled screaming into the front seat and the doors slammed shut with finality.

Sophie paused for a moment in abject despair and a resounding smack from a nun-chuck had her body leaning to the left.

She saw red.

The Mad Hatter became a blur of limbs in an explosion of movement, slashing into the men like a living tanto. Cutting a wide swath into their barricade, she made quick work of them in a flash, her fury pushing her entire body to its limits as she sailed over the heads of the last line of men, heading straight for the car in a dash that would have put a cheetah to shame. She vanished in her hot pursuit of the vehicle and crashed into the back window, smashing it with a perfectly executed kick in the air. The driver yelled and swore vividly, trying to dislodge their uninvited passenger as Sophie glared viciously at him from her place on the back. The man paled as he felt the clock of his life ticking away under the power of that pale green gaze, but it was broken when his master cut in, smooth as butter, and placed a ferocious uppercut to her jaw.

The green eyes fighter's smirk was filled to the brim with untamed violence as Sophie whammed harshly into the pavement. Her skull cracked into the ground, but she used the momentum of her fall to roll cleanly and stand, despite the resounding bash into concrete that would have left anyone else breathless and motionless. The wound that opened and bled on her head was completely ignored, even as she swiped an impatient hand to clear the blood away.

To the eyes of her opponent, it was glorious to see her like this.

She had already pushed him onto the back burner of priorities, pelting after the car again like a particularly persistent barnacle. He was momentarily surprised, but also pleased; she had a cool enough head to know that no matter what, her employer's safety came first. This time, his attack was expected and efficiently deflected, Sophie merely adjusting her stance and sacrificing none of her speed as she continued to single-mindedly chase after Howl. Still, her painful tété à tété with the sidewalk had slowed her down considerably, so the men who could still run were catching up to her and their boss. She poured on more power into her legs, willing herself to hold out even as she began to feel the pangs of pain that heralded a complete collapse of her legs.

In her desperation, she leaned forward, using her own weight to propel herself much like how a horse would during a gallop. She continued to evade rather than face the man who she so dearly wanted to punch into unrecognizable road kill, but she withheld her own violent tendencies as she focused to running instead.

She could not afford to lose Howl… she couldn't!

A wooden bat slammed into the back of her head like a wrecking ball, completely derailing her as her body crumbled to the ground like puppet whose strings were cut. Panting heavily, she tenaciously held onto the last shreds of consciousness, watching the car drive away with tragic eyes.

Laughter sounded and made her blood boil, even as the world around her slowly faded. She wanted to scream, she wanted to stand and fight, she wanted to tear them limb from limb and prove to them why they should have never messed with the man she had vowed to protect from harm.

"This Saturday, at eight pm, the Wastes Arena; you know where it is." The green eyed man crouched beside her and Sophie gave him her best glare, even as she eyes slid shut. "The finals will be held there, Maddy. Don't be late."

The encroaching darkness swallowed her and won… and then, nothing.

To be Continued...

This chapter was very difficult to write. It's tough, making one's character have weaknesses. Though I know it must be done, it breaks my heart.

Howell might not survive this unscathed and it scares me.

Sophie was not called the Mad Hatter because it's a cute name, she was called the Mad Hatter because that was how she fought. When her anger and her protective instincts activate the fierce warrior-goddess beneath, she became a living terror in the ring. Still, the Madness inside of her could not stand up against the number of henchmen in her way and the green eyed man.

I'm starting to hate him.

Words: 1,700