Eve: Sorry to keep you guys waiting-
Mike: We were waiting for more reviews; some of you reviewers are not reviewing for every chapter.
Eve: Mike! Anyway, thanks to those who are, everyone else, thanks for reviewing what you have.
Mike: I think they have been waiting long enough, and the OCC was long last chapter, so let's just get on with it.
Eve: Right, Reviewers Review.
****
Week one
Kira stared up at the ceiling. A week had passed and he hadn't come. She couldn't get herself to take off the helmet either; she was under Takai's control. Kira had tried to escape, she picked the locks and ran, but they always caught her, and then... Kira shook her head and closed her eyes. Maybe she'd fall asleep and wake up back home. Kira clicked her heels together and whispered 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home' over and over. Nothing happened so she just tried to sleep, but everything was so horrible. She had to spend two hours everyday in that testing room. Trying to be perfectly still so nothing would bite her. She had to stand there while genomes walked around here and there, lost, confused, tortured. They were all volunteers, people who were homeless and hopeless. People far beyond anyone's help. Kira watched, as they were injected, probed, scraped, picked, poked, gassed, and potioned. The food they ate and the water they breathed was full of chemicals. One had to live in a terrarium, the air was green, and he spent his days literally floating around in his green air filled habitat. She watched as everyday they changed into deformed monsters. She watched as the monkeys either dropped or went insane. The object of this was to make her see that everyone, everything, had the potential to hurt her, someone else, or themselves. She watched from the inside of a cage as an older test subject grew to be seven feet tall and pounded on the bars of her cage, begging her to kill him and end his suffering. He was lightning fast and reminded Kira of a lizard. He had pleaded her for death and she huddled in the corner as his large, popping, yellow eyes stared at her. Reaching his hand towards her, closer and closer to her. The stench of blood and chemicals choking her, the screams of the rabid creatures and pained humans echoed through the room and the maniacal laughter shot through her like a bullet. The man reached closer, begging 'kill me! You can kill me! You're the one! Use your power! Damn you! Kill me! Kill me!'
"Daaaaaddyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.
*
James's eyes shot open and he bolted upright. He had fallen asleep? James looked around and took a drink of the cold coffee he had set on his desk over an hour ago. James spent his days at the academy, desperately trying to find any information at all about the lab's new location. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were checking locations. James's eyes burned and he was slow moving, but the idea that his little girl was out there somewhere made him stay awake. How could he sleep while she suffered? He had always known Dumbledore to be able to solve anything, yet now he had nothing to say. Remus blamed himself and had been wearing himself out every night. Peter reported that Remus hadn't slept the entire week. James didn't think it was Remus's fault at all. Remus had been working for James ever since he'd lost his fifth job. James hadn't hesitated to share in his luck and hire Remus to do everything James hated to do at work. Which was Defense Against The Dart Arts. James hated having to write up reports and spend hours debating how to go about getting rid of some troll. Instead, he went to Remus and let him handle it. It worked quite well and both of them were very successful. Now, however, Remus looked tired all the time from not sleeping. He hadn't stopped for a break during the full moon either, no, he trudged on. Yet still, they hadn't found anything, they didn't even have a lead. The thought of this was diminishing as James apperated to his front door. James opened his front door, stumbled in, and fell onto the couch.
"Hello Padfoot" He moaned trying to wrench his eyes open.
"Prongs" Sirius yawned.
James sighed deeply and tried to see if he could apperate his spirit out of his body, that way he could keep looking and his body could get some sleep. Sirius looked like he wanted to do the same thing. Lily came down the stairs, dragging her feet and yawning. She slumped down on the couch next to James. They were completely silent, which was unusual for James and Sirius. James looked at the map and another area was crossed off. They had looked everywhere, and found nothing. James looked at the clock, another day had passed for his little girl, and he wasn't there for her. Another day of torture. James let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. 'Kira, where are you?' Remus returned shortly, he collapsed next to Lily and looked like death its self. His clothing torn, his hair unkempt.
"Padfoot, prong, Lily" Remus greeted, staring at the floor.
"Moony" James mumbled.
"Moony' Sirius nodded.
"Remus" Lily yawned.
"Nice look for you, by the way" James said, letting his head thud against a pillow.
Remus shook his hand at James, dismissing the teasing. He was too tired for playful taunts at that moment. Another area was marked off the map and the sun crept into the window, much to the disappointment off the extremely tired group of people who were trying to make it go back down.
"Morning Cota. Can't we all ever arrive at the same time and skip the greetings?" Sirius asked as Cota walked into the room with a 'Good morning, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, Lord James, Mrs. Lily'
"Cota" James greeted with a kind nod, liking Sirius's idea.
"Cota" Lily smiled sleepily.
"Cota" Remus said, making no sign that he knew he had just opened his mouth.
Then in waltzed Peter.
"Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Lily, Cota" Peter said, receiving a growl from Sirius.
"Wormtail" James greeted.
"Mr. Pettigrew" Cota mumbled.
"Wormtail" Sirius greeted.
Remus made a small noise of a greeting and that was it, he didn't seem to realize he was even awake.
"Peter" Lily waved slightly. Agreeing with Sirius that even these very casual greetings were tiring.
Peter dropped onto the floor and stared up at an imaginary spot on the ceiling. Cota dropped onto a puffy pillow on the floor as Sirius made a noise much like the sound an airplane makes when in a freefall. Cota landed on the pillow and Sirius made a 'crashing' sound.
"That is what it feels like" Cota yawned, having now officially crashed.
"Yeah, try cutting the engine earlier next time" James instructed.
"What?" Both Sirius and Cota asked.
James simply rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and moved his arms in a 'how the hell would I know?' expression. "I heard it in a movie" James explained.
Dumbledore apperated up and a loud crack was heard. He opened the door, giving a quick knock, but knowing everyone was too tired to open it.
"HI!" Sirius yelled, before Dumbledore could open his mouth. "And I think everyone agrees with me" He added.
"I'm going to go make coffee" Cota stated... not moving or able to gather the energy to move. He looks around, realization that he isn't moving hits, but he can't seem to care enough to act upon it.
"We're out of it" James stated, cursing how small a pound off coffee actually was.
"Correction" Cota glared at the rising sun. "I'm going to go make boiling water to throw on myself, then eat a coffee been... I'll transfigure a raisin into the coffee bean"
"All in favor of that idea" Sirius laughed as Cota stood up.
"Ay" Peter smiled.
"Ay" James raised his hand, letting it fall to his side with a dull thud and looking slightly startled at his inability to move it.
"Why, aren't you all energetic this morning" Dumbledore smiled, quite amused.
The room was silent until Lily jumped to her feet. "The neighbors have coffee! Lots of it!" She smiled. "Thank Merlin! Co-"
"Already ahead of ya!" Cota stated, leaping out the door, dressed and ready to go.
"Energetic lad, isn't he" Sirius grumbled. "I really hope he wasn't serious about that hot water idea" He added, thinking about it.
"He's a coffee addict" Lily stated in a matter of fact tone. "The painkillers and right awful and he has to take so many a day... yet they dissolve in the coffee and you can't taste them"
Dumbledore looked to the map as the conversation continued. There didn't seem to be a pattern, it was just random searching. "So, no leads yet" He sighed, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.
"Well... no, but... we-well-it-there-maybe-" Sirius droned, trying to find the silver lining.
"We'll find her" James stated. That was that, end of conversation, they'd find her and there was to be absolutely no questioning it.
Cota returned shortly, inhaling the sent of fresh coffee beans and disregarding everyone there. He had coffee, and that was what he was focusing on. Not the fact that he hadn't slept, not the fact that his shoulder was broken, nope, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee. When the coffee was ready, they drank the entire pound. This took them only as long as making each pot, and with magic that's pretty quick. When they were more awake, the search started over again. Cota still wasn't allowed to come. James had locked Patrick in a stall. Cota could have unlocked the stall, but the gate was too high to climb with his hurt shoulder, and James put an anti-magic spell on it so there was no way for Cota to unlock it. Cota spent his time in physical therapy for his shoulder, helping Lily, or filing info for the Order. He could barely bring himself to go into Kira's room. When it was time to begin the search again Cota, once again, requested to come. James answered with a familiar 'no' and then set out. Thus another day started.
Week two.
James was getting desperate and spent every waking moment searching. He always had his invisibility cloak with him and they were borrowing Moody's spare. He was a rider, trained and ready. And he was prepared to do anything to get Kira back. Today James was meeting Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They all met up at the house and discussed where to go. Cota had finally dragged himself into Kira's room. Maybe... well, he didn't know why he went. He just wanted to find... something. Cota saw her old sketches, the ones she had made the first few weeks she had been there. One in particular caught his eye.
James, Remus, Peter and Sirius were packed and ready to go for today's search. They were planning to search to the southwest today. It was the only direction left. James was constantly in an angered mood. His desperation, sadness, anger, and confusion put him into it. He acted as he did when he had first heard she was taken. He wanted to storm off and destroy everything, leave nothing unturned until he found her. The marauders set out-
"Wait!" Cota yelled, sprinting up and causing his shoulder to burst into a searing wave of pain. "James!"
James stopped, sighing. "What?" James asked, side glancing that Patrick was locked in his stall.
"Think, James!" Cota barked, trying to control his temper but failing as the pain rushed him. He took a breath and forced his temper down. "Where is the last place you'd think to look for the lab?"
"I don't have time for games. We already searched the old lab" James retorted. "It was crushed to the ground"
Cota smiled slightly. "What's under the ground?"
"What are you ta-" James stopped. Yes, why had the lab been destroyed? It was flat. Yet they had ordered it to be searched, not destroyed. James turned Gyriph and looked to Sirius, Peter, and Remus, as Cota walked over to him.
"Remember Kira's drawing? The one with the test monkeys and sickly looking creatures?" Cota stated, holding up the drawing. James saw the drawing, it had a man in a white lab coat, sitting at a desk, another man was walking around with a clipboard. There was a dead monkey in one cage and many biohazard signs. There were a lot of other creatures that James didn't even recognize and people sitting in chairs, reading magazines as liquid dripped into them through IV's. Some were wincing and some were lying on silver tables, their eyes fixed on some unknown object and their face contorted in pain as sweat dripped off their faces. "We searched that lab, and never found it"
"Which means it's hidden" James finished, a smile forming on his face.
"Lead the way" Remus nodded, also starting to smile.
"Game time!" Sirius yelled as they shot out of there like bats out of hell, like soda from a can dropped on the freeway, like the roadrunner from the coyote, like a bullet from a 44. Like a... okay, you get it.
They whooshed across fields, roads, mountains. The team used the horses because they were less likely to attract attention then brooms flying through the air. The sky had been cloudless all month. The marauders rode for hours untill they finally arrived at the lab. They stood, hidden in the trees surrounding it. Watching, waiting; Motionless for what seemed like forever when-
"There!" Sirius hissed, jerking his arm forward and pointing at a small dot. The dot was moving, the dot was a human. The human walked around and got in a jeep that James hadn't noticed before. This was the place. James stood as still as a statue, glaring death at the crumbled facility.
"If she's in there" James said, his voice a hunting whisper. "We'll get her out tonight. They'll pay for this" He stood motionless, Remus, Sirius and Peter turned back towards the house. James nodded them to go and they did, knowing how he must feel. "Hold on my girl, Daddy's coming" James whispered.
****
Mike: Ooooh, James is pissed!
Eve: Duh.
Mike: Okay... what needs to be explained... Who is the guy that gets into the jeep?
Eve: Is that really important?
Mike: Just answer the question.
Eve: It's Hatchel. There had been a file on him in the Lab that is how James knew they were at the right place.
Mike: Ah, Why is Dumbledore at the house?
Eve: 'cause, he cares a lot about Kira, and Harry, and-
Mike: Babbling
Eve:... Was I? Anyway, he is there because he knows Lily needs some support. Dumbledore helps her take care of Harry, while Cota is gone.
Mike: Okay,
Mike: We were waiting for more reviews; some of you reviewers are not reviewing for every chapter.
Eve: Mike! Anyway, thanks to those who are, everyone else, thanks for reviewing what you have.
Mike: I think they have been waiting long enough, and the OCC was long last chapter, so let's just get on with it.
Eve: Right, Reviewers Review.
****
Week one
Kira stared up at the ceiling. A week had passed and he hadn't come. She couldn't get herself to take off the helmet either; she was under Takai's control. Kira had tried to escape, she picked the locks and ran, but they always caught her, and then... Kira shook her head and closed her eyes. Maybe she'd fall asleep and wake up back home. Kira clicked her heels together and whispered 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home' over and over. Nothing happened so she just tried to sleep, but everything was so horrible. She had to spend two hours everyday in that testing room. Trying to be perfectly still so nothing would bite her. She had to stand there while genomes walked around here and there, lost, confused, tortured. They were all volunteers, people who were homeless and hopeless. People far beyond anyone's help. Kira watched, as they were injected, probed, scraped, picked, poked, gassed, and potioned. The food they ate and the water they breathed was full of chemicals. One had to live in a terrarium, the air was green, and he spent his days literally floating around in his green air filled habitat. She watched as everyday they changed into deformed monsters. She watched as the monkeys either dropped or went insane. The object of this was to make her see that everyone, everything, had the potential to hurt her, someone else, or themselves. She watched from the inside of a cage as an older test subject grew to be seven feet tall and pounded on the bars of her cage, begging her to kill him and end his suffering. He was lightning fast and reminded Kira of a lizard. He had pleaded her for death and she huddled in the corner as his large, popping, yellow eyes stared at her. Reaching his hand towards her, closer and closer to her. The stench of blood and chemicals choking her, the screams of the rabid creatures and pained humans echoed through the room and the maniacal laughter shot through her like a bullet. The man reached closer, begging 'kill me! You can kill me! You're the one! Use your power! Damn you! Kill me! Kill me!'
"Daaaaaddyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed.
*
James's eyes shot open and he bolted upright. He had fallen asleep? James looked around and took a drink of the cold coffee he had set on his desk over an hour ago. James spent his days at the academy, desperately trying to find any information at all about the lab's new location. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were checking locations. James's eyes burned and he was slow moving, but the idea that his little girl was out there somewhere made him stay awake. How could he sleep while she suffered? He had always known Dumbledore to be able to solve anything, yet now he had nothing to say. Remus blamed himself and had been wearing himself out every night. Peter reported that Remus hadn't slept the entire week. James didn't think it was Remus's fault at all. Remus had been working for James ever since he'd lost his fifth job. James hadn't hesitated to share in his luck and hire Remus to do everything James hated to do at work. Which was Defense Against The Dart Arts. James hated having to write up reports and spend hours debating how to go about getting rid of some troll. Instead, he went to Remus and let him handle it. It worked quite well and both of them were very successful. Now, however, Remus looked tired all the time from not sleeping. He hadn't stopped for a break during the full moon either, no, he trudged on. Yet still, they hadn't found anything, they didn't even have a lead. The thought of this was diminishing as James apperated to his front door. James opened his front door, stumbled in, and fell onto the couch.
"Hello Padfoot" He moaned trying to wrench his eyes open.
"Prongs" Sirius yawned.
James sighed deeply and tried to see if he could apperate his spirit out of his body, that way he could keep looking and his body could get some sleep. Sirius looked like he wanted to do the same thing. Lily came down the stairs, dragging her feet and yawning. She slumped down on the couch next to James. They were completely silent, which was unusual for James and Sirius. James looked at the map and another area was crossed off. They had looked everywhere, and found nothing. James looked at the clock, another day had passed for his little girl, and he wasn't there for her. Another day of torture. James let out a breath and stared at the ceiling. 'Kira, where are you?' Remus returned shortly, he collapsed next to Lily and looked like death its self. His clothing torn, his hair unkempt.
"Padfoot, prong, Lily" Remus greeted, staring at the floor.
"Moony" James mumbled.
"Moony' Sirius nodded.
"Remus" Lily yawned.
"Nice look for you, by the way" James said, letting his head thud against a pillow.
Remus shook his hand at James, dismissing the teasing. He was too tired for playful taunts at that moment. Another area was marked off the map and the sun crept into the window, much to the disappointment off the extremely tired group of people who were trying to make it go back down.
"Morning Cota. Can't we all ever arrive at the same time and skip the greetings?" Sirius asked as Cota walked into the room with a 'Good morning, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, Lord James, Mrs. Lily'
"Cota" James greeted with a kind nod, liking Sirius's idea.
"Cota" Lily smiled sleepily.
"Cota" Remus said, making no sign that he knew he had just opened his mouth.
Then in waltzed Peter.
"Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Lily, Cota" Peter said, receiving a growl from Sirius.
"Wormtail" James greeted.
"Mr. Pettigrew" Cota mumbled.
"Wormtail" Sirius greeted.
Remus made a small noise of a greeting and that was it, he didn't seem to realize he was even awake.
"Peter" Lily waved slightly. Agreeing with Sirius that even these very casual greetings were tiring.
Peter dropped onto the floor and stared up at an imaginary spot on the ceiling. Cota dropped onto a puffy pillow on the floor as Sirius made a noise much like the sound an airplane makes when in a freefall. Cota landed on the pillow and Sirius made a 'crashing' sound.
"That is what it feels like" Cota yawned, having now officially crashed.
"Yeah, try cutting the engine earlier next time" James instructed.
"What?" Both Sirius and Cota asked.
James simply rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and moved his arms in a 'how the hell would I know?' expression. "I heard it in a movie" James explained.
Dumbledore apperated up and a loud crack was heard. He opened the door, giving a quick knock, but knowing everyone was too tired to open it.
"HI!" Sirius yelled, before Dumbledore could open his mouth. "And I think everyone agrees with me" He added.
"I'm going to go make coffee" Cota stated... not moving or able to gather the energy to move. He looks around, realization that he isn't moving hits, but he can't seem to care enough to act upon it.
"We're out of it" James stated, cursing how small a pound off coffee actually was.
"Correction" Cota glared at the rising sun. "I'm going to go make boiling water to throw on myself, then eat a coffee been... I'll transfigure a raisin into the coffee bean"
"All in favor of that idea" Sirius laughed as Cota stood up.
"Ay" Peter smiled.
"Ay" James raised his hand, letting it fall to his side with a dull thud and looking slightly startled at his inability to move it.
"Why, aren't you all energetic this morning" Dumbledore smiled, quite amused.
The room was silent until Lily jumped to her feet. "The neighbors have coffee! Lots of it!" She smiled. "Thank Merlin! Co-"
"Already ahead of ya!" Cota stated, leaping out the door, dressed and ready to go.
"Energetic lad, isn't he" Sirius grumbled. "I really hope he wasn't serious about that hot water idea" He added, thinking about it.
"He's a coffee addict" Lily stated in a matter of fact tone. "The painkillers and right awful and he has to take so many a day... yet they dissolve in the coffee and you can't taste them"
Dumbledore looked to the map as the conversation continued. There didn't seem to be a pattern, it was just random searching. "So, no leads yet" He sighed, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.
"Well... no, but... we-well-it-there-maybe-" Sirius droned, trying to find the silver lining.
"We'll find her" James stated. That was that, end of conversation, they'd find her and there was to be absolutely no questioning it.
Cota returned shortly, inhaling the sent of fresh coffee beans and disregarding everyone there. He had coffee, and that was what he was focusing on. Not the fact that he hadn't slept, not the fact that his shoulder was broken, nope, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee. When the coffee was ready, they drank the entire pound. This took them only as long as making each pot, and with magic that's pretty quick. When they were more awake, the search started over again. Cota still wasn't allowed to come. James had locked Patrick in a stall. Cota could have unlocked the stall, but the gate was too high to climb with his hurt shoulder, and James put an anti-magic spell on it so there was no way for Cota to unlock it. Cota spent his time in physical therapy for his shoulder, helping Lily, or filing info for the Order. He could barely bring himself to go into Kira's room. When it was time to begin the search again Cota, once again, requested to come. James answered with a familiar 'no' and then set out. Thus another day started.
Week two.
James was getting desperate and spent every waking moment searching. He always had his invisibility cloak with him and they were borrowing Moody's spare. He was a rider, trained and ready. And he was prepared to do anything to get Kira back. Today James was meeting Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They all met up at the house and discussed where to go. Cota had finally dragged himself into Kira's room. Maybe... well, he didn't know why he went. He just wanted to find... something. Cota saw her old sketches, the ones she had made the first few weeks she had been there. One in particular caught his eye.
James, Remus, Peter and Sirius were packed and ready to go for today's search. They were planning to search to the southwest today. It was the only direction left. James was constantly in an angered mood. His desperation, sadness, anger, and confusion put him into it. He acted as he did when he had first heard she was taken. He wanted to storm off and destroy everything, leave nothing unturned until he found her. The marauders set out-
"Wait!" Cota yelled, sprinting up and causing his shoulder to burst into a searing wave of pain. "James!"
James stopped, sighing. "What?" James asked, side glancing that Patrick was locked in his stall.
"Think, James!" Cota barked, trying to control his temper but failing as the pain rushed him. He took a breath and forced his temper down. "Where is the last place you'd think to look for the lab?"
"I don't have time for games. We already searched the old lab" James retorted. "It was crushed to the ground"
Cota smiled slightly. "What's under the ground?"
"What are you ta-" James stopped. Yes, why had the lab been destroyed? It was flat. Yet they had ordered it to be searched, not destroyed. James turned Gyriph and looked to Sirius, Peter, and Remus, as Cota walked over to him.
"Remember Kira's drawing? The one with the test monkeys and sickly looking creatures?" Cota stated, holding up the drawing. James saw the drawing, it had a man in a white lab coat, sitting at a desk, another man was walking around with a clipboard. There was a dead monkey in one cage and many biohazard signs. There were a lot of other creatures that James didn't even recognize and people sitting in chairs, reading magazines as liquid dripped into them through IV's. Some were wincing and some were lying on silver tables, their eyes fixed on some unknown object and their face contorted in pain as sweat dripped off their faces. "We searched that lab, and never found it"
"Which means it's hidden" James finished, a smile forming on his face.
"Lead the way" Remus nodded, also starting to smile.
"Game time!" Sirius yelled as they shot out of there like bats out of hell, like soda from a can dropped on the freeway, like the roadrunner from the coyote, like a bullet from a 44. Like a... okay, you get it.
They whooshed across fields, roads, mountains. The team used the horses because they were less likely to attract attention then brooms flying through the air. The sky had been cloudless all month. The marauders rode for hours untill they finally arrived at the lab. They stood, hidden in the trees surrounding it. Watching, waiting; Motionless for what seemed like forever when-
"There!" Sirius hissed, jerking his arm forward and pointing at a small dot. The dot was moving, the dot was a human. The human walked around and got in a jeep that James hadn't noticed before. This was the place. James stood as still as a statue, glaring death at the crumbled facility.
"If she's in there" James said, his voice a hunting whisper. "We'll get her out tonight. They'll pay for this" He stood motionless, Remus, Sirius and Peter turned back towards the house. James nodded them to go and they did, knowing how he must feel. "Hold on my girl, Daddy's coming" James whispered.
****
Mike: Ooooh, James is pissed!
Eve: Duh.
Mike: Okay... what needs to be explained... Who is the guy that gets into the jeep?
Eve: Is that really important?
Mike: Just answer the question.
Eve: It's Hatchel. There had been a file on him in the Lab that is how James knew they were at the right place.
Mike: Ah, Why is Dumbledore at the house?
Eve: 'cause, he cares a lot about Kira, and Harry, and-
Mike: Babbling
Eve:... Was I? Anyway, he is there because he knows Lily needs some support. Dumbledore helps her take care of Harry, while Cota is gone.
Mike: Okay,
