AN: Thanks for the reviews.please let me know if I should still go on!!
Destiny and Duncan walked into the dojo. Richie was in the middle of the room training with his sword in nothing but a pair of black sweat pants. He had become an excellent swordsman. Part of the reason was because Mac made him train so much. Whatever kept the boys head was a good thing.
Richie stopped in the middle of his stance and looked over at the two. He stood upright and you could see the sweat glistening on his naked upper body. He used his forearm to wipe the perspiration from his forehead.
"Hey Mac, who's your friend?"
Destiny stood there with her arms wrapped around herself. Her hood was up again, although it was partly matted to her face from the rain. She stayed fairly close to Duncan, not to keen about this guy having a sword. Duncan could feel the tension pouring off of her.
"It's all right. This is my friend Richie. Richie, this is Destiny."
Richie smiled. "Nice to meet you Destiny,"
"Yeah whatever," She said. "What's with the sword?"
"This is my dojo," Duncan told her. "Richie is a student of mine."
"I thought we were going to your place."
"This is my place. My apartment is upstairs from here."
"So you know how to fight and stuff?"
Duncan smiled. "Fight and stuff? I like that. Yes I know how to fight."
Destiny pushed back her hood. Her appearance had the same effect on Richie as it had on Duncan. His jaw would have hit the floor if it could have reached. Duncan's smile became wider.
"Richie you can stop gaping now," he said.
Richie closed his mouth. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Destiny told him, as she looked over at Mac. "I get that kind of reaction all the time for some reason."
Duncan looked down at her and for the first time he realized just how pale she was. His face sobered.
"Destiny, are you feeling all right."
She nodded. "I'm fine."
"You sure? You look a little pale."
He went to feel her forehead for fever and she jumped out of his reach. Duncan stood there with his hand lingering in the air.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
Destiny stood out of his reach. Her breathing became fast and ragged. She was starting to hyperventilate.
"Destiny," Duncan said, with concern in his voice.
She looked up at him just as her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Duncan caught her before she could hit the floor. He eased her down gently. Richie was kneeling next to the two of them.
"What happened?" He asked.
"She's all right," Mac said checking over. "She passed out from exhaustion."
Duncan lifted her in her arms.
"Richie get the elevator for me."
"You got it." He ran over and opened the elevator for them.
The three got into the elevator and Richie lowered the crate. They got out upstairs and Mac took her directly into his room. He laid her in the bed and went to his dresser. He pulled out an oversized black shirt.
"Um Mac, what are you doing?"
"She needs to get out of those wet clothes before she gets sick."
"But Mac she's a woman." Richie said uneasily.
"Look Richie I don't exactly see any other women here to change her for us. If you're uneasy about this go out in the living room. Otherwise be quiet and help."
Duncan walked over to the bed and sat her up. He took off her sweatshirt. She had a green shirt that peeled off with it.
"Mac." Richie said.
Duncan looked up. "What is it now Richie?"
Richie was standing on the right side of the bed which gave him a perfect view of Destiny's back. He didn't say anything but continued to stare. Duncan followed his stare and what he saw made the anger rise inside of him.
There were countless whip scars across her back, as well as fresh wounds. Someone had beaten her more then once.
Duncan took a deep breath and continued to change her. When he was through he covered her with his blankets. He exchanged a glance with Richie and the two walked out of the room.
"I thought I had it rough as a kid." Richie said as he sat down on the couch. "How old is she anyways?"
"Seventeen and too young for you," Duncan said while pacing back and forth.
Richie let the comment go. "So who do you think did that too her?"
"I don't know, but at least now I know why she's so skittish."
"Mac are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital or something? I mean what if someone's looking for her?"
"That's exactly why we shouldn't take her there. The person looking for her might be the one who's doing this to her."
"You think so?"
"Maybe, but then again maybe not. I think we should wait to talk to her until we do anything. I don't want to put her into any danger."
"What's the big deal? Even if she's killed she'll just come back to life."
Duncan stopped pacing and looked at Richie. "She doesn't know she's immortal. Besides I'm not going to be responsible for her dying the first time."
"Come on Mac. How else are we going to find out who did this to her?"
Duncan sat down in the chair to the left of the couch. "I'll talk to her. She's been starting to open up. I'd much rather keep her safe than put her in danger."
"And what if she doesn't? Then what?"
"We'll worry about that when it comes to it. For now I'll call up Joe and see if he knows anything about her."
Richie looked down and then into Duncan's eyes. "Do you think it's her parents doing it to her?"
"I don't know."
"Man I thought I had it bad not knowing my parents." Richie said looking down.
"That doesn't mean you had it easy."
"I know, but." He trailed off.
"But what?"
Richie sighed. "But I've seen that kind of pain Mac. In fact, I've felt it."
Duncan leaned forward. "What are you talking about?"
"When I was a kid they stuck me in this foster home. Let's just say the people weren't so nice."
"Richie, I didn't know."
"No one does. I tried to forget it, but seeing Destiny. It brought back some memories. It didn't last long. I took off after about a week."
"I'm sorry."
Richie smiled and shook his head. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
Duncan sighed. "I'm going to call Joe. Why don't you train some more. It'll get your mind off things."
Richie nodded. "All right. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
Mac watched as Richie got up and walked to the elevator. His heart sank at the thought of anyone abusing Richie. He knew the young man had had it rough, but apparently he didn't know how rough.
After Richie was out of sight, Duncan got up and went to the phone. One problem at a time. Right now he needed to call Joe and find out what he knew about this kid.
~Reviews please, let me know how it's coming along
Destiny and Duncan walked into the dojo. Richie was in the middle of the room training with his sword in nothing but a pair of black sweat pants. He had become an excellent swordsman. Part of the reason was because Mac made him train so much. Whatever kept the boys head was a good thing.
Richie stopped in the middle of his stance and looked over at the two. He stood upright and you could see the sweat glistening on his naked upper body. He used his forearm to wipe the perspiration from his forehead.
"Hey Mac, who's your friend?"
Destiny stood there with her arms wrapped around herself. Her hood was up again, although it was partly matted to her face from the rain. She stayed fairly close to Duncan, not to keen about this guy having a sword. Duncan could feel the tension pouring off of her.
"It's all right. This is my friend Richie. Richie, this is Destiny."
Richie smiled. "Nice to meet you Destiny,"
"Yeah whatever," She said. "What's with the sword?"
"This is my dojo," Duncan told her. "Richie is a student of mine."
"I thought we were going to your place."
"This is my place. My apartment is upstairs from here."
"So you know how to fight and stuff?"
Duncan smiled. "Fight and stuff? I like that. Yes I know how to fight."
Destiny pushed back her hood. Her appearance had the same effect on Richie as it had on Duncan. His jaw would have hit the floor if it could have reached. Duncan's smile became wider.
"Richie you can stop gaping now," he said.
Richie closed his mouth. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Destiny told him, as she looked over at Mac. "I get that kind of reaction all the time for some reason."
Duncan looked down at her and for the first time he realized just how pale she was. His face sobered.
"Destiny, are you feeling all right."
She nodded. "I'm fine."
"You sure? You look a little pale."
He went to feel her forehead for fever and she jumped out of his reach. Duncan stood there with his hand lingering in the air.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
Destiny stood out of his reach. Her breathing became fast and ragged. She was starting to hyperventilate.
"Destiny," Duncan said, with concern in his voice.
She looked up at him just as her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Duncan caught her before she could hit the floor. He eased her down gently. Richie was kneeling next to the two of them.
"What happened?" He asked.
"She's all right," Mac said checking over. "She passed out from exhaustion."
Duncan lifted her in her arms.
"Richie get the elevator for me."
"You got it." He ran over and opened the elevator for them.
The three got into the elevator and Richie lowered the crate. They got out upstairs and Mac took her directly into his room. He laid her in the bed and went to his dresser. He pulled out an oversized black shirt.
"Um Mac, what are you doing?"
"She needs to get out of those wet clothes before she gets sick."
"But Mac she's a woman." Richie said uneasily.
"Look Richie I don't exactly see any other women here to change her for us. If you're uneasy about this go out in the living room. Otherwise be quiet and help."
Duncan walked over to the bed and sat her up. He took off her sweatshirt. She had a green shirt that peeled off with it.
"Mac." Richie said.
Duncan looked up. "What is it now Richie?"
Richie was standing on the right side of the bed which gave him a perfect view of Destiny's back. He didn't say anything but continued to stare. Duncan followed his stare and what he saw made the anger rise inside of him.
There were countless whip scars across her back, as well as fresh wounds. Someone had beaten her more then once.
Duncan took a deep breath and continued to change her. When he was through he covered her with his blankets. He exchanged a glance with Richie and the two walked out of the room.
"I thought I had it rough as a kid." Richie said as he sat down on the couch. "How old is she anyways?"
"Seventeen and too young for you," Duncan said while pacing back and forth.
Richie let the comment go. "So who do you think did that too her?"
"I don't know, but at least now I know why she's so skittish."
"Mac are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital or something? I mean what if someone's looking for her?"
"That's exactly why we shouldn't take her there. The person looking for her might be the one who's doing this to her."
"You think so?"
"Maybe, but then again maybe not. I think we should wait to talk to her until we do anything. I don't want to put her into any danger."
"What's the big deal? Even if she's killed she'll just come back to life."
Duncan stopped pacing and looked at Richie. "She doesn't know she's immortal. Besides I'm not going to be responsible for her dying the first time."
"Come on Mac. How else are we going to find out who did this to her?"
Duncan sat down in the chair to the left of the couch. "I'll talk to her. She's been starting to open up. I'd much rather keep her safe than put her in danger."
"And what if she doesn't? Then what?"
"We'll worry about that when it comes to it. For now I'll call up Joe and see if he knows anything about her."
Richie looked down and then into Duncan's eyes. "Do you think it's her parents doing it to her?"
"I don't know."
"Man I thought I had it bad not knowing my parents." Richie said looking down.
"That doesn't mean you had it easy."
"I know, but." He trailed off.
"But what?"
Richie sighed. "But I've seen that kind of pain Mac. In fact, I've felt it."
Duncan leaned forward. "What are you talking about?"
"When I was a kid they stuck me in this foster home. Let's just say the people weren't so nice."
"Richie, I didn't know."
"No one does. I tried to forget it, but seeing Destiny. It brought back some memories. It didn't last long. I took off after about a week."
"I'm sorry."
Richie smiled and shook his head. "Don't be. It was a long time ago."
Duncan sighed. "I'm going to call Joe. Why don't you train some more. It'll get your mind off things."
Richie nodded. "All right. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
Mac watched as Richie got up and walked to the elevator. His heart sank at the thought of anyone abusing Richie. He knew the young man had had it rough, but apparently he didn't know how rough.
After Richie was out of sight, Duncan got up and went to the phone. One problem at a time. Right now he needed to call Joe and find out what he knew about this kid.
~Reviews please, let me know how it's coming along