Sorry about the last chappie. I've always wanted to do a car chase thingy. Now, let's find out what happens…

Chapter fourteen; Not The Best Odds

Present…

Jade

"Marco?"

He was facedown on the dashboard, and blood was everywhere.

"Marco! Oh god please don't…" I moved over, lifting his head. A large gash was on his forehead, just ending under his right eye. He was still breathing.

"Marco! Can you… oh god… MARCO!"

There was no response. And by then the others were no-where to be found.

"GUYS! ANYONE! HELP ME!" I screamed with all my might. Nothing. Then…

(Jade? Marco? Where are you? I saw the others…)

I furiously kicked open the door, looking up and seeing the shadow above me.

"Get the others! Marco's hurt!" I cried as loud as I could. My voice was going hoarse.

(Oh my god! All right, take it easy Jade, I'll go find them)

I nodded, and he disappeared. I went back to Marco.

"Marco? Can you-yaah!" I cried when I saw the bonnet of the car erupt in flames. The others wouldn't get here in time!

Trying to avoid the heat that was slowly creeping closer, I grabbed Marco under the arms, pulling him with all my might towards me. Damn he was heavy!

I pulled and pulled, until I fell out the door. I noticed he was now lying halfway out the door. I grabbed him again and pulled until he was completely out of the car. Something small exploded and I cried out.

Gorilla! The thought popped into my head, and I shifted as fast as I could. Once complete, I grabbed Marco easily, then ran as fast as I could away from the car. I knew what was…

Ka-BLAAAAAAMMM! The car exploded!

I fell to the ground, Marco still in my arms, as bits and pieces flew from the car. A hubcap rolled past me, and something metal flew just over my head. I covered him as best I could, too panicked to move anywhere.

But one thing happened to make me move. Another loud explosion, and the car landed upside down, just feet from where I was crouched. That freaked me so much I picked Marco up and ran.

I ran until I was in a small clearing, and I tripped over something. I fell sideways, landing on my side. I don't know how long I stayed like that, Marco laying beside me, in my arms like we were enjoying the morning sun, but soon I realised I was myself again. Panting, tired, and with my gash starting to bleed. That was nothing. I just hoped Marco was…

I sat up, rocking his shoulder. The blood was getting worse. I ripped off the jacket from around my waist, ripping it with Chanaiben claws, before I put some pressure on the ground, shivering as I think I touched bone, then wrapped about five straps around his head, keeping a few little scrunched up pieces still on his head to help stop the bleeding.

"Marco?" I checked his pulse. It was getting weak.

"Marco, don't leave like this. Please don't… oh god please don't…" Before I knew it I was crying, and found myself kneeling with my head on his shoulder, begging and pleading him to wake up. If he didn't wake up soon…

"Don't move human" there was suddenly something pressed against the back of my head. I should've known!

"Get up!" Another said. So I did, feeling the pressure of that weapon move with me.

"What do you want?" I seethed, finding I was surrounded by at least twenty Terinans.

"Just to… talk" One said, stepping out of the crowd. It was a female, I could tell by the markings on its arm and face. It smiled at me.

"What about?" I tried to keep my voice light, but finding I couldn't. I talked through clenched teeth.

"We'll tell you when we get back to my ship. Guards! Get the other one up!"

"Don't touch him!"

"What?"

"I'll get him" I shifted again, finding all the weapons were on me now, and went and picked him up.

(All right, which way?)

They were still looking at me strangely.

(Look, I'm not gonna try to escape. You have me, all right?)

The female smiled "This way then, changeling"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amanda

After about thirty seconds of running I got a bad feeling in my gut. I stopped, and looked back.

"Where's Jade and Marco?" I asked Ithiell as he passed me. He stopped, then looked back as well.

"I… I don't know" he said, shifting back "But I'm going to…"

(Guys! Marco's hurt! Jade's with him, but I don't know-)

Ka-BLAAAAAAMMM! An explosion rocked us, and in seconds Ithiell and I were on the ground, Ithiell's arms covering me.

"Oh god!" I screamed as it kept coming. Then, a final explosion. Seconds later the others were beside us, helping us up.

"Where's…" Jake stopped and looked at us. Then, his face turned pale.

"Don't tell me…"

"Tobias said Marco was hurt. I don't…I don't know if they got out or not" Ithiell said, breathing rapidly.

(I don't know either! I can't tell… there's too much smoke!) Tobias swooped down and landed on Rachel's shoulder.

"Oh no…" I gasped, a hand over my mouth and looking in the direction the explosions came from. It couldn't… my best friend couldn't be…

"I think we'd better go check" Robert said, his jaw clenched.

"They had to! They… they can't…" Cassie trailed off, looking about as I felt. Jake put an arm around her.

"Let's go back. Maybe they got out and they're trying to find us"

"You're not going anywhere!" Suddenly we were surrounded. And Ithiell was the only one with any hope of fighting them off. But…. there were just too…

TTTSSSHHEEEWWW!

Blinding light! And again! Ithiell dove into the fray, and soon we were all in on it. I became an elephant, smashing and stomping with all I had.

Soon, it was over, and the fighter landed beside us. We went in, and the grim Ithiell took over for Ax. I guess our faces showed our worry.

(What is it? What has happened?) Ax asked as he looked straight at me. Rtaia was looking at Ithiell as he spoke in their language. We told him, and he looked about as bad as we felt. Rtaia's ears were folded flat against her head, and her eyes were wide.

Then, she looked at us and nodded "Let's go find them"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Past…

Jade

I stuck low to the ground as a Terinan swung a crescent sword at me. Seconds later there was one less Terinan to worry about. All around me, my friends were fighting the Terinans. All of them, animals. I was a tigress, and I was getting better at the fighting thing too.

Amanda, a polar bear, simply ploughed into the mess of Terinans around her, scattering them like bowling pins. Robert was over in seconds, the liquid grace of his panther form getting the Terinans that weren't knocked out by Amanda's mad rush.

Ithiell and Rtaia, a wolf and a cougar, were dishing out the exact same amount of trouble that we were. Soon, the first wave was gone.

(Back behind the cruiser hull!) Ithiell screamed, and we all ran for it. We knew they were going to start firing at us in seconds. That's why the others backed off.

But… strangely enough…

(Wait a second. What's going on!) Robert cried, chancing to peek out. He ducked back in pretty quickly, then looked at us.

(Well?)

(The next wave is there, but… they're just standing there!)

(What! Let me see!) Ithiell took Robert's place, did almost exactly the same as what Robert did, then looked at us.

(He is… right. Rtaia?)

(Yes?)

(Do you… have any suggestions?)

(I do not. I do not know what their 'deal' is, as you humans say)

(Okay… well… I say we chance it. It could be that they're just messing with us)

(There it is again. Mandy, did you hear that?)

(Yeah. He just abbreviated his sentence)

(Cool. Our little boy is growing up)

(Yeah) Mandy sighed.

(Girls! Can we stick to the current problem!) Robert snapped.

(Sure. Let's go for it!) I yelled, jumping out behind the hull and running full tilt at them. The others followed right behind.

Ithiell hit first, clamping his jaws on a Terinan arm and worrying it until he ripped it loose. The thing let out a sharp cry of pain.

I clamped my jaws around a Terinan throat, landing on it as it fell back. I waited, knowing…

(Ahhhhh!) A slice in my rump! I fell back, and saw my opponent get up, smiling.

(What the…)

Then I looked over at Ithiell. He had dropped the rest of the arm, and was looking up at his own smiling opponent. He smiled, and…

At first, it was like snakes were growing out of the place where its arm had connected to the shoulder, twisting around each other. Then a whole new arm formed!

(What-!) Ithiell cried just before the Terinan knocked him into a tree, hard.

(Ahhh!) Amanda screamed, desperately swiping at three who were coming at her, backing her up into a tree. Robert was barely dodging around the few that were attacking him! Same with Rtaia!

I dodged out of the way of my opponents weapon, then ran over to check on Ithiell.

(Ithiell! Are you ok-ah!) I cried out as another barely missed me, grinning. I backed off, knowing I had to save myself now. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him moving.

I leapt at its throat, but it simply knocked me aside, then brought its tail down on me. I shrieked, leaping away just in time.

BAM! I was down! A second I didn't even know was there had whacked me one. I got up, not knowing how much longer I could take this torture.

(Pull back into the graveyard! Hide until you can get into the air!) Ithiell's panicked voice shot through all of us. I saw Amanda barrel through the crowd, already starting to shrink. I watched as Robert and Rtaia went in as well, then Ithiell shoved me along and we both dove into the wreckage piled up after the last fight.

I heard the mass of Terinans come in after us. I lost Ithiell in the mad rush, then found a small place and shifted straight from tiger to eagle. I saw Robert, a peregrine falcon, fly up and out of the wreckage. A pigeon hawk and a kestrel soon followed.

(Ithiell!)

(I'm in the air! Hurry!)

I flapped my newly formed wings, tucking my legs up under me and flapping with all my might. I scared the heck out of a Terinan, then was barely missed by Jahara fire. I managed to catch a good headwind, and shot up into the sky where the others were.

All the others.

We keeled off towards the south, away from any mountains or towns.

(What the… what the heck was that!) Robert cried. I wasn't far behind him.

(It seems they can regenerate limbs now. How they can, I do not know) Rtaia said in that soft, calm voice that just made me want to strangle her.

(What… what are we gonna do?) Amanda asked quietly.

(I…I don't know) Ithiell whispered.

Hehehe! Gotcha hangin, don't I! Now review! Or you don't get any more! Seriously!