Facetime and Mojave Cougars

Character Info

Darcy Davis

Age: 18

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Date of Birth: January 1st 1998

Father: Tom Davis

Mother: Rachel Davis

Height: 5'10 ft

Weight: 145 lbs

Otis Stanford

Age: 18

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Green

Date of Birth: May 31st 1998

Father: Charlie Stanford

Mother: Hayley Stanford

Height: 6'0

Weight: 163 lbs

Tom Davis

Age: 36

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Brown

Date of Birth: December 7th 1979

Wife: Rachel Davis

Daughter: Darcy Davis

Height: 6'5

Weight: 200 lbs

Phoenix was nervous. She was about to call Darcy and Otis for the first time in three years. So many thoughts ran through her head. What if they don't remember her? What if they had forgotten about her? What if they had moved on with their lives?

No, quit overthinking this, I have to do this. Phoenix thought to herself.

Phoenix dialed Darcy's number onto her phone and the other line picked up.

"Hello?" Darcy

"Darcy? It's me, Phoenix." said Phoenix

"PHOENIE?! IS THAT REALLY YOU!?" Darcy excitedly yelled into the phone.

"Phoenie" is Phoenix's nickname that Darcy and Otis call her.

"Yeah, Darcy it's me." Phoenix smiled at her friend's excitability.

"After your mom died, you went radio silent for the past three years and now I heard there was a missing person report filed on you? Is everything alright?" asked Darcy

"Darcy, Darcy. I'm okay at least now I am. Is Otis with you? I want to facetime you guys."

"Okay Phoenie, just a sec. I'm getting Otis now," said Darcy

The call ended and the sound for facetime started going off to which Phoenix answered. It showed Otis and Darcy sitting in Darcy's living room. The three childhood friends, happy to see each other again.

"You haven't spoken to us in three years, what happened?" asked Otis

"Who are those two?" Darcy noticed Lara and Jonah in the room with Phoenix.

Lara was going over her father's notes and Jonah was watching TV.

"Lara, Jonah can you guys come over here for a minute?" asked Phoenix

Jonah turned off the TV and Lara closed the book containing her father's notes then they both went over to Phoenix.

"They are my friends. I owe them my life in fact." Phoenix answered

"What happened? I heard Darcy yell." Tom, Darcy's father, entered the room

"Dad, it's Phoenix." Darcy informed him

"Oh my God, I can't believe it." Tom rushed over to the couch where Otis and Darcy are sitting.

"Now that everyone's here, I'm going to have to give you guys the rundown of events. Otis, Tom, Darcy you know that I spent the summers with my Dad and stepmother?" asked Phoenix

"You and your mom get uncomfortable whenever he gets mentioned, I remember that," said Tom

"My Dad, he abused Mom and I. First he got my mom pregnant against her will. He'd yell at me and beat me. He wanted me and mom to follow his religion by forcing it down our throats. If we resisted he'd yell at us and beat us. He'd beat us with his hands, sometimes with weapons, he'd throw stuff at us. He would lock me in the basement, withhold food and starve me, lock me outside in cold weather." Phoenix started

Gasps of shock and horror came out of Tom, Otis, and Darcy's throat.

"Lord have mercy," said Tom

"Oh Phoenix," said Otis

"No wonder you and your mom don't talk about him a lot. I don't even blame your mom for divorcing his ass," said Darcy

"I figured that he might've done something to you guys, but I didn't realize it was this bad," said Tom

"When I was ten what pushed mom into divorcing him was one day when I got some Bible passages wrong he threw me down the stairs, breaking my arm. Unfortunately my Mom was forced to have split custody." Phoenix explained

"Why didn't you guys go to the police?" asked Otis

"He scared my Mom out of it by threatening her with death if she ever told them what was going on. We were planning to tell the judge that I wanted to stay with my mom when I turned fifteen. But we all know that never came to pass." Phoenix continued

"After I was forced to move in with my Dad and Stepmonster the abuse only got worse and I got the scars to prove it." Phoenix lifted her shirt up to midriff showing the scars she had gotten from years of abuse. Ranging from cigarette burns to scars from being scratched by broken glass whenever Salem threw plates at her.

Everyone was shocked.

"Phoenix if we'd had known about this, we could've helped you and your Mom," said Tom

"I was worried you guys wouldn't believe me," said Phoenix

"And to top it all off two months ago he tried to force me to marry a stranger against my will. When I refused he sent me with him into the Alaskan wilderness to 'get to know him'." said Phoenix

"Who's the guy?" asked Darcy

"His name is Ross Shade. During my week of Hell there he treated me like I was a piece of property. He would...touch me in what is supposed to be private spots, and he would even watch me when I take a shower. He started going on about how he was going to get me barefoot and pregnant and that I was going to serve him." said Phoenix

"Phoenix, what cult are your Dad, stepmother, and Ross part of?" asked Darcy

"They call themselves Trinity. I don't know much about them, but what I know is that Dad is a very high ranking member, Ross is a commander, and that they are also a paramilitary organization." Phoenix explained "I think Lara can tell you a little bit about them."

"They killed my father because he was researching immortality. Trinity has been after artifacts known to give immortality. I first encountered them last year in Siberia and Syria and have been destroying their cells across the world since. When I met Phoenix they are after an artifact known as the Fire Bird's Crest. I was planning to take out the cell in Alaska when I saw how Ross was treating her. I had to get her out of there. The night Phoenix escaped she was cornered by three men towards a cliff with a river below. She jumped into the river, but I got her out and she told me everything." Lara explained

"Been traveling with her and Jonah ever since," said Phoenix

"Wow. Girl gets rescued from a cultish paramilitary organization, by the badass hero and helps said hero find an artifact. It's like something you'd see out of a movie," said Otis

Jonah, Phoenix and Lara told them about the rest of the journey. They told them about Mt. Rainier, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. They also told them about what happened the previous day when they were in St. George. Of how they had to break into Phoenix's former home to get some of her stuff, how they were almost caught by Salem, and how Phoenix had to close her own missing person's report.

"We're going to help you take them down," said Darcy

"Are you guys sure about that?" asked Lara

"Otis is a hacker, I got back from basic training with the US Army Reserves. So I know how to defend myself and shoot a gun. Phoenix is one of my best friends and I got to help her. I lost her once and there is no way in Hell I am losing her again," said Darcy

"Lara, they can help us," said Phoenix

Lara thinks about this for a bit. Darcy and Otis want to be able to do something to help Phoenix, she saw the look in Darcy's eyes. It was the same look she had when she blamed herself for the deaths of Roth, Grim, and Alex at Yamatai three years back. Darcy and Otis want to help their friend and who is she to deny them that.

"Okay they can help us," said Lara

"Where are you guys at?" asked Otis

"Nevada, and once we're done here, we're heading to Arizona," said Jonah

"Then it's settled, Otis and I will take a flight from Nashville to Tucson in the next couple of days and meet up with the three of you when you get to Arizona," said Darcy

"I'll keep an eye on what's going on with Salem in Utah and keep you guys posted," said Tom

"Jonah, Lara keep an eye on Phoenix."

"We will," said both Lara and Jonah

xxxxxxxxxx

Mojave Desert

"How long until we find that Fire Bird Feather Key? I'm baking here!" Phoenix complained about the desert heat

"We just need to follow Trinity's trail then we'll find it." Lara answered

The smell of death wafted right into their noses. It was coming from a huge desert shrub. Curiosity took over Phoenix. She walked towards it and what did she find? A dead Trinity soldier, well what is left of him covered in bite and claw marks as well as parts of him...eaten by something.

"Ugh! Oh my freaking God!" Phoenix almost threw up at the site.

Lara saw a trail of bloody paw prints, followed it and found a Trinity encampment near the entrance to a cave, all of them dead with the same fate as the poor soul Phoenix found in the shrub. Some vultures were already picking at the bodies. There was only one animal with paw prints that huge that did this. A cougar was on the loose. Phoenix saw a blood covered cougar frothing at the mouth stalking Lara, getting ready to pounce.

"Lara behind you!" Phoenix points at the cougar behind Lara

The cougar jumps, Lara barely manages to dodge the attack in time. Phoenix heard some rustling and a growl behind her, another cougar showed up. Phoenix dodges the other cougar's attack. The second cougar starts circling Phoenix like a shark getting ready to strike. The second one was also frothing at the mouth and covered in blood. Phoenix was able to tell that both cougars are rabid. She drew her pistol out and pointed at the rabid animal's head, before she could fire a shot it charged at her and pinned her to the ground with it's paws on her wrists. Growling the cougar moved it's face inches close to Phoenix. Phoenix kicked the cougar in the side knocking it off of her. Phoenix shot the cougar in the head, killing it. Lara was having a bit of trouble with the first cougar. It pinned her down, but Lara was able to use her bow to block it from biting her, but it clawed her on the right side of her stomach and left upper thigh. Phoenix aimed right at the cougar's head and fired a shot, killing it and saving Lara's life.

"Are you okay?" Phoenix came rushing towards Lara's side

Phoenix looked right through the Trinity encampment and found some bandages as well as some disinfectant. She dabbed some disinfectant on a cotton ball, and placed it on the claw marks on Lara's stomach and upper left thigh. Lara hissed at the contact, despite Phoenix trying to be as gentle as possible. Lara watched as the younger woman tended to her wounds.

She is able to handle herself better than I would've thought. Lara thought to herself

If anyone had told her last year she would help a girl who had just turned eighteen escape from a forced marriage she would call them crazy. That is exactly what she had done two months ago. When she was scoping out a weak spot in the mill back at Alaska, she saw Ross backing Phoenix into a wall and pinned her against it and he started trailing his hands all over her body, the same way that Russian man at Yamatai she killed had done with her years ago. Then Ross forced a kiss on Phoenix. At that moment Lara saw herself in Phoenix and wanted to get her out of there. After she got her out Lara wanted Phoenix to at least be able to defend herself. Lara was surprised at how quickly Phoenix is able to learn how to defend herself. Lara is proud of how strong Phoenix had gotten over time considering the abuse she went through. She handled herself better than Lara would've thought. Although she had a crush on Sam, but the mess with Himiko possessing her made it fall apart. Lara found herself admiring the girl. She wanted to protect her, watch over her, take care of her, even lo-

No, no, no you idiot! She's eighteen, you're twenty-four, she has been through an abusive situation and you both have a good friendship going on. You already lost Sam, don't scare Phoenix away with these feelings you have developed for her! You might take advantage of her given the age difference and the situation she went through. You both already have a good friendship going now don't ruin it! Lara mentally yelled at herself To be fair Mom and Dad had the same age difference as Phoenix and I when they started their relationship.

"Lara? You're spacing out on me." Phoenix's voice interrupted Lara's train of thought. "You're all bandaged."

The two of them went into the cave and found a Fire Bird Feather Key on a stone pedestal which Lara took it off from.

"Okay, no traps, no puzzles, that was too easy," said Phoenix

"I think the cougars might've been the traps," said Lara

"Whoever put this thing in a cougar den, especially rabid ones either had a death wish or was high."

Author's Note: Lara also is starting to have feelings for Phoenix, but is worried she might scare her away especially considering what happened with Sam in the comics. Next chapters will be out after this weekend.