Here's chapter three.
Healing Begins Wolfsong
Several hours had passed by. He could tell by the feel of dampness in the air. It had to be around eight, seven the earliest. It hadn't taken long to work the blind from his eyes, but the handcuffs and shackles had been an unexpected difficulty. And where were his picks? Had they found both sets and removed them? The gag was unpleasant as well, and no matter how he tried he couldn't move it.
His head hurt, and his eyes were blurry. There was no energy left in him. Not even his powers. How could that be? he wondered. Then thought back to when Sabertooth had held Illya and Morgana captive with those inhibitor collars. But how could whoever have one of those? he thought, another string of pain running from arm to toe. This is it, he thought. And I won't get to tell her...
"'Evening, Short Circuit. How are you feeling?" the voice creaked. Two other men placed him in a chair and removed the gag.
"I've been better. I'm sorry, I don't quiet remember you."
"Probably not. You might not remember screwing up our lives. Don't worry," he laughed, evilly, "you will. Let's begin."
The trail had grown cold just out side of the parking lot, but the signs had shown there had been a struggle. Several sets of prints, all very active, and one that appeared to be dragged somewhere. She could tell by the toe prints. They were the soft-soled shoes of Alex Quinn. She mounted up, Moon running at a steady pace behind her. They headed west, the sun quickly setting.
They had beat on him for ten minutes, each taking his turn, until he could and would remember their names. "Remember now, Short Circuit?" the leader asked landing a blow to his lower abdomen, causing him to exhale hard.
"Yes," Alex growled through the pain. "Flemming. Adam Flemming and his group of miscreants. May I ask why I have the honor of being beaten by Boston's least known group of thieves?"
"Because, you twit, you're the reason we're least known."
"Come now, you shouldn't blame other for your mistakes," Alex said cooly.
"I can when they're the cause," Flemming spat near Alex's chair. "Because of you showing up at every hit we went after, you got the credit for out work." The other men were growling their agreement behind him.
"Wrong," Alex said indifferently.
"What?"
"Let me put it this way. You are wrong. Before you even thought about a hit, I had already planned out my moves. You were the ones who showed up."
"Listen boy, we've been doing this a long time."
"Good for you," he smiled bitterly and had his hands been free, he would have pat Adam of the shoulder to annoy him further. "I have a secret for you. Come closer," So he did. "I've been doing this since I was a freshman in high school, and long before that."
"Liar," Flemming backhanded him, the jaw popping. "Teach him a lesson, boys. And when he's close to the edge, leave him for me."
The next day at the mansion Illya and Shadow wanted to do something to cheer Morgana up. Or try as Shadow had said. When they went to her room, she wasn't there, nor was Moon. So they began searching. While in the garage, Shadow felt that something was off kilter.
"Sabe, what's wrong with this room?"
"Is there something wrong?" the Russian asked looking in some closets.
"Something's...missing."
"What?" she asked facing her. "Tools? Chairs?"
"Bigger." Shadow pondered looking around the room. "That's it!" she screamed running out, Illya following. They stopped in the danger room, Wolverine and Dodger inside practicing. "Dodger!" Shadow screamed. Stopping what he was doing, he and Logan walked over to them.
"What?"
"Don't play stupid, Dodger. Where is she?"
"Who?" he asked, sheathing his sword.
"Morgana. Your bike's missing."
"Maybe someone hot-wired it. We do have a few thieves in this mansion." "Don't bring that up," then she held up a ring of keys. "I found this. Your bike keys are missing."
"Someone could have stolen them first, Shady." Logan jumped in.
"Nuh uh. Dodger keeps them hidden in a secret place."
"How do you know that, Shadow?" Saber asked speaking up.
"Never mind. Dodger is the one on trial." He looked at her, then said, "I let her take my bike on a little...trip."
"Where to?" Logan asked.
"Didn't ask. I didn't feel it was my business."
"Don't worry," Shadow stated proudly. "We'll be able to find her."
It had gotten to where she could no longer track on bike. She locked it up near a bike rack at a small school. She would come back for it after she found Quinn. After finding tracks leading off the main road, she had been able to go as far as the school. Now came the time for foot work. She took the ration pack and a small knife out of her carisack. With Winter Moon beside her, they set out in search of their friend.
A couple hours later it was getting close to evening and the sun was going down. She would have to rely on her other senses and the white wold beside her to find the way. The terrain had gotten worse and unsteady. It was starting to give her trouble. A rock slipped from under her foot.
"I was raised in the woods. Ran through the tree tops bare-footed. You'd think this wouldn't be problem." She said to herself and the wolf. All at once the ground gave way beneath her and she tumbled towards the unknown. "Oh, no. Not again."
End chapter three. Four coming.
Healing Begins Wolfsong
Several hours had passed by. He could tell by the feel of dampness in the air. It had to be around eight, seven the earliest. It hadn't taken long to work the blind from his eyes, but the handcuffs and shackles had been an unexpected difficulty. And where were his picks? Had they found both sets and removed them? The gag was unpleasant as well, and no matter how he tried he couldn't move it.
His head hurt, and his eyes were blurry. There was no energy left in him. Not even his powers. How could that be? he wondered. Then thought back to when Sabertooth had held Illya and Morgana captive with those inhibitor collars. But how could whoever have one of those? he thought, another string of pain running from arm to toe. This is it, he thought. And I won't get to tell her...
"'Evening, Short Circuit. How are you feeling?" the voice creaked. Two other men placed him in a chair and removed the gag.
"I've been better. I'm sorry, I don't quiet remember you."
"Probably not. You might not remember screwing up our lives. Don't worry," he laughed, evilly, "you will. Let's begin."
The trail had grown cold just out side of the parking lot, but the signs had shown there had been a struggle. Several sets of prints, all very active, and one that appeared to be dragged somewhere. She could tell by the toe prints. They were the soft-soled shoes of Alex Quinn. She mounted up, Moon running at a steady pace behind her. They headed west, the sun quickly setting.
They had beat on him for ten minutes, each taking his turn, until he could and would remember their names. "Remember now, Short Circuit?" the leader asked landing a blow to his lower abdomen, causing him to exhale hard.
"Yes," Alex growled through the pain. "Flemming. Adam Flemming and his group of miscreants. May I ask why I have the honor of being beaten by Boston's least known group of thieves?"
"Because, you twit, you're the reason we're least known."
"Come now, you shouldn't blame other for your mistakes," Alex said cooly.
"I can when they're the cause," Flemming spat near Alex's chair. "Because of you showing up at every hit we went after, you got the credit for out work." The other men were growling their agreement behind him.
"Wrong," Alex said indifferently.
"What?"
"Let me put it this way. You are wrong. Before you even thought about a hit, I had already planned out my moves. You were the ones who showed up."
"Listen boy, we've been doing this a long time."
"Good for you," he smiled bitterly and had his hands been free, he would have pat Adam of the shoulder to annoy him further. "I have a secret for you. Come closer," So he did. "I've been doing this since I was a freshman in high school, and long before that."
"Liar," Flemming backhanded him, the jaw popping. "Teach him a lesson, boys. And when he's close to the edge, leave him for me."
The next day at the mansion Illya and Shadow wanted to do something to cheer Morgana up. Or try as Shadow had said. When they went to her room, she wasn't there, nor was Moon. So they began searching. While in the garage, Shadow felt that something was off kilter.
"Sabe, what's wrong with this room?"
"Is there something wrong?" the Russian asked looking in some closets.
"Something's...missing."
"What?" she asked facing her. "Tools? Chairs?"
"Bigger." Shadow pondered looking around the room. "That's it!" she screamed running out, Illya following. They stopped in the danger room, Wolverine and Dodger inside practicing. "Dodger!" Shadow screamed. Stopping what he was doing, he and Logan walked over to them.
"What?"
"Don't play stupid, Dodger. Where is she?"
"Who?" he asked, sheathing his sword.
"Morgana. Your bike's missing."
"Maybe someone hot-wired it. We do have a few thieves in this mansion." "Don't bring that up," then she held up a ring of keys. "I found this. Your bike keys are missing."
"Someone could have stolen them first, Shady." Logan jumped in.
"Nuh uh. Dodger keeps them hidden in a secret place."
"How do you know that, Shadow?" Saber asked speaking up.
"Never mind. Dodger is the one on trial." He looked at her, then said, "I let her take my bike on a little...trip."
"Where to?" Logan asked.
"Didn't ask. I didn't feel it was my business."
"Don't worry," Shadow stated proudly. "We'll be able to find her."
It had gotten to where she could no longer track on bike. She locked it up near a bike rack at a small school. She would come back for it after she found Quinn. After finding tracks leading off the main road, she had been able to go as far as the school. Now came the time for foot work. She took the ration pack and a small knife out of her carisack. With Winter Moon beside her, they set out in search of their friend.
A couple hours later it was getting close to evening and the sun was going down. She would have to rely on her other senses and the white wold beside her to find the way. The terrain had gotten worse and unsteady. It was starting to give her trouble. A rock slipped from under her foot.
"I was raised in the woods. Ran through the tree tops bare-footed. You'd think this wouldn't be problem." She said to herself and the wolf. All at once the ground gave way beneath her and she tumbled towards the unknown. "Oh, no. Not again."
End chapter three. Four coming.