Andy took a deep breath, double checking her pistol before stashing it in a holster. She tried to focus on the mission and not the fact that she was stepping foot in the Branch base again. The thought terrified her, she worried they'd take her again. If they screwed her up that badly once, who knows what they'd do the next time. Plus, she worried they'd do similar to her friends. She was excited to get the books back, as they were important to her parents, but she also wondered if she'd be able to get information on what all they'd done to her. She took another deep breath before looking around at the group, hoping they wouldn't sense her fear.
Tet gently embraced her, laying his head on her shoulder as he sighed. "Are you as terrified as I am?"
"Trying not to be," she responded quietly.
He took a deep breath. "Guess we should get this done. I vote for drinking heavily when we get back, though."
She chuckled softly, "Alright, sounds like a plan." She kissed his cheek before pulling away.
Kiba gave her a small smile as he checked his pistol again. He stowed it and walked over to them. "The faster we go, the faster we're back. Ready to kick ass?"
Andy nodded, "As ready as I can be."
Yamae materialized in front of them. "Still all quiet. To tell the truth, I wonder if they abandoned it?" He looked at Andy. "Plan still the same?"
"Go in, get the books, fight anyone who gets in our way, then get out."
The porter grinned. "Shall we?" He touched Kiba's arm and disappeared.
Tet huffed. "I'd say I wish they had run, but we need those books back."
She nodded, grabbing his arm and saying the teleportation spell.
No one was visible when they appeared, Tet's eyes narrowing. "They better not have wandered off."
She sighed and started heading inside, looking around cautiously. "Hopefully they're okay."
Tet nodded, following her. He grabbed her as laughter and the sound of fists hitting bone was heard from the room ahead. "Worst luck I've ever seen." He shifted, his roar splitting the air as he charged through the flimsy door.
Andy quickly followed behind, starting to say spells to take out the Branch workers.
Yamae was being kept on his feet by two men as another repeatedly hit him with a metal pipe. Kiba lay a few feet away, almost unrecognizable.
Andy growled, taking out the one hitting Yamae first. After getting the other two, she caught Yamae, frowning. She glanced at Tet, "I'll be right back." She teleported the two injured men back to the infirmary before reappearing. "Alright, let's finish this," her eyes were cold.
Tet didn't answer, methodically shredding the men with his claws. He appeared not to realize she was back.
"Tet?" She called his name to get his attention.
His eyes glittered as he roared at her, then resumed the carnage.
She sighed, noticing a computer nearby. She plugged in a USB and started searching for any files on her. She quickly pulled them over to the USB before replacing it in her pocket. She then informed, "I'm going to find the books."
She headed down the hall, finding herself in a familiar room. She looked around and realized she was where they tried to brainwash her. She tried not to panic as she continued through, heading out in search of the books.
Tet slowly came to his senses, reverting to human and backing away in horror at the scene. He jumped as his back hit the wall, then slid down shaking. He stared at his blood stained hands dully, Kiba's body in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could run away.
Andy finally came to a large room, spotting the books on a table. She felt it suspicious that they were out in the open, but she approached anyway and grabbed them into her arms.
Tet finally composed himself and started searching for Andy. As he moved cautiously through the medical room, a man stepped in front of him. He backed up a step, his body tensing as the man began casting a spell. He suddenly felt like all the oxygen was gone, his lungs fighting for air.
Andy started heading back toward Tet, freezing when she spotted the man from before. It took her a moment to realize Tet was getting hurt, but when she did she started muttering spells towards the man.
He turned with a laugh, showing her Tet's blue face. "Can you manage to kill me before he dies?"
She growled, rushing toward him and biting into him without fully thinking. She started draining his blood, eyes locked on Tet.
His eyes were dimming, the light barely there when the man finally sagged to the ground. The tiger collapsed and didn't move.
Andy knelt beside him, saying the teleporting spell to get him to the infirmary. She quickly set the books down and lifted him up into a bed before starting on healing spells. She hooked up an oxygen mask and some sensors to keep an eye on his oxygen level. She then moved over to Kiba and Yamae. Kiba looked worse, so she started on Yamae.
He looked at her through one eye. "Sorry.. Ambushed.." He coughed blood, his breathing wheezy and labored.
"It's alright, just relax," she said gently as she started running tests. She then focused healing spells to work on his injuries. She then moved to Kiba, tears in her eyes as she looked at how bad the damage was.
His breaths were almost unnoticeable, his eyes fixed and staring. His head was a mass of gashes, blood covering his face. One arm was clearly fractured, bent in an odd direction.
She started running tests then began using multiple healing spells. It took her hours to get every wound cleaned and healed up. She scanned him again, noticing little signs of life in his brain. She let out a sob, trying to run through spells in her head that could help but coming up with nothing. Her eyes flickered over to the books, remembering the purple one had more healing spells. She moved to them and picked it up, sitting down beside Kiba as she started searching for any spell that could help.
Tsukasa strode in, his gait faltering as he took in the scene. "Andy?"
She wiped at her eyes before looking up at him. She lifted the book, "We found them."
"At what cost?" The dragon's face fell as he read the readouts from the machines.
"Tet and Yamae should be okay. Kiba... I'm looking into spells to help him," she said quietly.
"Don't do anything crazy, okay? He wouldn't want you putting yourself in jeopardy."
She nodded slowly before looking back down at the book. After another hour she came across something that looked promising. She stood and started reciting the spell.
Kiba's machines began beeping insistently as his brain activity spiked and the swelling vanished. His breathing sped up.
Tet's eyes blinked open slowly at the noise.
Andy continued to check on Kiba for another couple minutes before moving to Tet's side, "How are you feeling?"
He weakly took off the mask. "Throat hurts. Kiba.."
"Kiba will be alright, don't worry. Just rest."
"He looked.. I lost it. I ripped those men apart like a crazed animal.."
"It's alright," she said softly. "You were just upset. It happens."
"Why aren't you afraid of me? I could do it to you.." He turned his face away, his voice raw with unshed tears.
"I trust you. I know you'd never hurt me on purpose, and you'd have to fight me before you hurt me." She put a hand on his cheek, "I trust you. That's what matters."
He swallowed hard, nodding as his eyes slid shut.
Andy gave him a soft kiss before heading over to the computer. She plugged in the USB and started going through the Branches information on her. At the beginning it just had facts but then it started listing tests they performed on her. She knew the first time they'd turned her into a vampire and a shifter, but she growled when she continued on and realized they'd tried to test to see if they could make someone have multiple shifts. She scrolled through pictures, seeing a giant black hawk, another of a black snake, and finally her black panther form. Staring at her hands, she wondered what kind of monster they'd turned her into. Finally glancing back at the screen, she continued on, reading some results for normal tests and feeling sick at some others. She finally pocketed the USB again, giving a silent vow not to be what the Branch made her. She would refuse to shift or drink blood, so she'd just have to focus on memorizing more spells. Moving back near the beds where Tet and Kiba lay, she sat down and continued reading through her mother's book of shadows.
Yamae whimpered quietly, forehead creasing. His eyes moved rapidly under his lids as his hands clenched. "You can't have her" he muttered loudly.
Andy went over and shook his arm gently, "Yamae, wake up. It's just a nightmare."
His eyes shot open, his body relaxing as he realized where he was. "Are they dead?"
"No one's dead. Everyone will be alright, so just relax."
"I mean the men.. They gotta be dead or they'll try to hurt you again. They joked about it.." He grabbed her arm. "Kiba went nuts and they.. Just kept beating him…"
"Oh them? Yeah they're dead, don't worry."
The porter slowly got his breathing regulated. "I thought we were going to die.. But I was more scared we'd lose you to them."
Andy took a deep breath and gave a small smile, "Don't worry about it now, we're all safe."
"Even Kiba? I was sure he was dead.." Yamae looked over at the wolf worriedly.
"He was in really bad shape... But I think I've got him fixed up."
He nodded slowly, sleep dragging him under.
She sighed before moving back to her chair and continuing to read. She started copying useful spells into her own book for future use.
An hour later, Kiba shot to a sitting position, his teeth bared as he growled at something only he could see. His hands were bent into claws, his eyes glittering wildly.
"Kiba?" She said softly as she stood, "Everything is okay now."
"They won't touch you! I'll die before they lay a hand on you…" The response was a low hissed cry of anger.
"It's okay, they're gone. We're all safe," she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.
His eyes slowly returned to normal, his hands dropping as he groaned. "Why does it feel like I jumped off the roof again while drunk?"
"You were beaten up really badly. I think you'll be alright now though, once any residual pain goes away."
"I was completely serious. They'll have to kill me before they get you again." He slumped back to the mattress with a wince.
She gave a small smile before sighing, "At least Branch should be down for a while. Maybe this time they'll get the message."
"Certainly hope so. If they don't, I might just acquire a nuke.." He hissed as his laugh jostled his ribs.
"You should rest more," she said quietly. "It'll help with the pain."
He nodded, releasing a slow breath as his eyes closed.