"At least we have them," Fu said in consolation to Lao Shi's anger.

"Yes but we still have no answers," the old man replied. "It would be so much easier if I had been able to get their masks off; they view faces as vulnerability. It would have been so much easier to control them."

Fu could only shrug, kneading his claws into the soft fabric of the couch. "I don't know why we couldn't get them off. The Huntsclan doesn't use magic to accomplish things. I suppose there could be some kind of technology at play. If identity truly is as sacred to them as we believe the masks could be designed that only a Clan member can remove them. It's not outside the realm of possibility."

Lao Shi shook his head. "I guess it doesn't matter now. We have what we need; the Huntsgirl in captivity."

"We just need to make sure she doesn't get out," Lao Shi said heavily.

"We've done all we can," Fu quickly assured him.

"I know. Yet, somehow, I still think we have managed to underestimate them." Lao Shi shook his head. "I don't know many people who could with stand the kind of torture we just put her through and yet, she didn't even consider telling us to make it end."

"She won't," the Oracle Twins chorused. They had been standing silently in the doorway, watching the conversation play out with knowing eyes.

"Will her companions?" Lao Shi inquired.

One shrugged. "They are of the Clan. You can't underestimate them." She echoed his words from earlier.

"No," he said with a heavy sigh. "I just wish I knew what would make her talk."

Jake found himself wishing he knew what would make the Huntsgirl speak. It wasn't out of any desire to have the upper hand; to know without a doubt that he would win the upcoming battle. It was because he didn't want to see that tube contracting again, pain coursing through her body. The inhuman scream she had released again and again still beat upon his ears. He wanted her to speak so that he didn't have to hear her scream.

"We know what will make her talk," One of the Twins said casually. The other fidgeted at the announcement.

"Really?" Lao Shi's eyes lit, burning brightly with a dark hunger. "What is it? Tell me?"

The Twins looked at one another. They communicated silently, staring deeply into one another's eyes. As one, they turned back to Lao Shi and shook their heads. "We cannot."

"What?" Lao Shi shrieked, losing his temper. "You say you are here to help us but the most important thing – the most important thing – you refuse to share! How dare you do this?! How could you do this to me?!"

Their eyes, usually smooth and emotionless, suddenly turned to ice. "How dare we?" They roared, making Lao Shi, Fu, and Jake cower away from their force. "How dare we? We are here to help you but we are not here to be your slaves! We have gone above and beyond our duty to you.

"Do not forget that we know more than you. Our knowledge of the universe and your insignificant life for succeeds yours. So here is what you need to know, Lao Shi. She will never speak to you. The Huntsclan is already waging war on your unsuspecting city. And we are through."

"Through?" Lao Shi floundered as the Twins linked arms. Like smoke they drifted across the floor toward the front door. "No! You can't leave; we need the two of you too much!"

While one stayed by the door, watching Lao Shi with hostility, the other broke apart, coming back to the trio.

"You do not need us," she said directly to Gramps. Without pause, she turned on her heel and pinned Jake with her eyes. His heart began to hammer in his chest as she pressed her palm, harsh as stone, against his cheek. She whispered, low enough that only he could hear, "You need us. When you are truly in your time of need, we shall return. I am sorry for all that must happen to you."

Jake felt himself struck with the need to grab her hand, to make the Twins stay. Though he couldn't force the words through his lips, though he couldn't put this feeling into words, he needed to know what she was talking about. He needed to know his future. He was sick and tired of not wanting to ask the questions and of being afraid of the answers. From now on, he needed to take control of where he was going with his life – what he had left of it – and he needed to be in the loop that no one had told him existed.

He just didn't know where to start with it.

The Twin, with her intuition, sensed Jake's questions; sensed his need to know. She knelt in front of him, making him look into her translucent eyes. "You are so strong, for one so young. Do not release that strength, Dragon. Remember who you are and remember that you are a survivor." She placed her hand flat over his heart, chilling him to the bone. "Remember that love can transcend everything."

And then the Twins were gone.

And Jake still had more questions than answers.

(-.-)

"Are you all right?" Nicholas whispered.

Rose picked herself slowly up off of the concrete floor. She managed to fold herself into a sitting position but didn't dare try standing; she would have to be able to feel her legs for that to be a safe endeavor. She drew in a deep breath, feeling her body rattle with every movement.

"Fine," she lied easily. "How are the two of you feeling?"

"Probably better than you," Kyle snapped bluntly.

"Mmm," Rose said noncommittally.

"What do we do now?" Nicholas pushed, trying not to let his fear show through his voice.

Rose pursed her lips. She inched closer to the side of the cylinder tube, though the last thing she wanted to do was touch it again. Yet, she had a theory. And she might as well test it out before she lost her courage. Wincing in anticipation, she threw her arm against the side of her tube. She waited for the pain but it never came. She opened her eyes wide, looking at her arm on the other side of the tube. Crawling, she completely left her prison.

She turned to face Nicholas and Kyle who were staring at her, slack-jawed.

Without a pause, Rose leapt back into her cage. If her two subordinates had looked confused before, it was nothing compared to their facial expressions now.

"You were just out!" Kyle shouted.

Rose quickly gestured for him to lower his voice. "I know," she hissed, "but I can't leave."

"Why not?" Nicholas asked, just as baffled as his friend.

"Because there is a lot more I can learn from this place before I leave; because I don't know the layout of the building and could just as easily get captured again; because I can't leave the two of you." She crossed her arms. "Pick a reason but I can't leave yet."

"Well I wanna go." Kyle crossed his arms. "Show me how you did that."

"I thought that I would be resistant to the feel since I'd been exposed to so much of it; you know, built up a resistance." Rose shrugged. "It worked, but I don't know if that's because I was just exposed to so much of it at once and if that ability will go away or if I can now go back and forth as I please. I want the two of you to try building up a resistance to it; nothing big. Be super careful when touching it. I know that it will hurt at first but if it offers you the ability to get out, I want you to take the pain. Okay?"

88 and 89 nodded mutely. The ends would justify the means. They knew very well that the dragons didn't need them for anything. They had the Huntsgirl; she was all that was necessary to any plan they might have. If they had the Huntsgirl to lord over the Clan, they would not need two low level members. And they had no part in the upcoming prophecy. They were utterly useless to the dragons. The sooner they got out of the nest, the better it would be for them.

Taking a deep breath, Nicholas looked over to Kyle. His friend nodded and as one they pressed the tips of the fingers to the sides of their cages. It took all they could not to scream; not to alert the dragons to what they were doing.

(-.-)

"Why hasn't she contacted me yet?" Theron grumbled under his breath. He was standing in his office, overlooking the New York City skyline. She was out there, somewhere, and she couldn't contact him. She couldn't reach him.

The thought that someone was keeping his Huntsgirl captive – his prodigy, his girl, the one his hopes and dreams were pinned on – maddened him to the point of no return. He drew his eyes once again over the city, picking out details that no one else would have. He saw his robed Clan, darting between buildings and over roofs. He saw them, his finely tuned warriors, fighting to find the Huntsgirl. He could almost see the interrogations rising into the clouds; see the blood run the streets; see the body count rise as the Clan rushed to find their lost member.

He felt a growl rise in the back of his throat; though he hadn't been without her long, he already felt her absence.

(-.-)

It was the middle of the night and Jake couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable in his bed. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He didn't know what was causing this feeling. Perhaps it was the last words of the Oracle Twins – still haunting his exhausted mind. Perhaps it was knowing that the Huntsgirl was in his basement; the prophecy was quickly becoming more and more of a reality and facing the prophecy was hard enough when it was far away. It was much too close now.

He rolled over again, remembering a night not too long ago when Rose had been by his side all throughout the night. He remembered the feeling of waking up to her still sleeping face – soft, dreamy, innocent, captivating. The thought of her calmed his mind. He wondered where she was and what she was doing right now; was she thinking of him? Could he possibly be on her mind as much as she was on his?

He called to mind the feeling of her body, resting between his arms and her head against his chest. He wished that she were here now, so that he could wrap his rough fingers through her soft hair and feel her breath against his jawline. He wished she were here so he could put his lips to her ear and whisper all of the things that he had not been able to tell her that night. He wanted to tell her all that lay in his heart.

He wanted to tell her all of the secrets of him. He wanted her to know who he truly was – he knew that she would believe him; that she would care for him anyway. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, and that he was sorry for doing so. He knew that they couldn't last; his life was going to end terribly soon. Yet, he didn't want to just leave her. He wanted her to have the whole and total truth to lay next to when she missed him (he knew that she would miss him, especially years from now in the dark of night when he had been gone so long she would be insane to miss him but he would creep up on her; a forgotten memory alive again). He wanted Rose to know the truth about him but he didn't know how he could possibly tell her.

I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my lovely beta: Noble6.

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