Chapter Eighteen
Piper awoke slowly the next morning to find Cole's arms wrapped around her. She sighed contentedly as the warm glow of their love still surrounded her, but as she began to think about ways to wake him up, her brain brought questions to mind, questions that she'd refused to think about the previous night after he'd promised her that her sisters would not have to know of their actions but could no longer ignore in the light of day.
Cole had told her that he would leave her this morning if she wanted, and she knew he'd want to know the answer as soon as he awoke. The last thing she wanted was to lose him, but at the same time, she knew that her first duty should be to her family, especially now while they were all still grieving and struggling to find their way after their mother's and grandmother's deaths. They needed her to be there for them and to set the proper example that she knew her mother would want her to present, but she could never do that while letting Cole ignite such a wild passion within her.
She sighed, her heart breaking more with each new thought. She had to be there for her family, but she did not want to lose him. Yet she knew she could not have both and would have to make a choice that day. She glanced at Cole and found that he was still sleeping soundly. He'd want an answer when he awoke, but if she could get away before then, maybe she could buy herself some time.
Piper carefully lifted his arm and slowly slipped out from under him. She then gently laid his arm back down. She knew he was reaching for her when he grasped the sheet instead. For a moment, she thought of staying, but though she wanted to, she knew she could not. Turning her back to him, Piper began to gather her clothes and dress in the lifting dark.
Ororo knew she was in trouble the moment she woke for, though it had been the most blessedly wonderful thing she had ever enjoyed in her entire life, she had succumbed to the call of the wild the night before. She could feel Logan's body gently rising and falling as he slept, snoring loudly. He had completely blown her away! She'd dreamed of what it might be like to feel a love like the ones written about in the books Patricia had liked to read, the books she knew her godchildren had borrowed when their mother had not been looking, but never before had she actually thought it possible. Yet Logan made her feel all that and more. One look from him could make her melt, but one touch left her in need and wanton want!
Still, she had wanted more from him. She had wanted love, and though he'd told her that he loved her time and again, Ororo still doubted that he actually meant the words in full. Despite the feelings he sent sweeping through her, they had only known each other for a couple of days. She knew what he had been feeling had to have been desire, and she had fulfilled that desire last night. Now he would have no more need or want for her. After all, was that not the way men worked?
With tears stinging her eyes, Ororo flew silently from the bed. She escaped to the balcony where her clothes had been left the night before. She threw them on, then took to the skies.
The last thing Ororo had wanted to do was to return to the ground where she knew that she would run into Logan sooner or later, but she had no choice as she knew she had to check on her godchildren. The others should still be sleeping, but knowing Piper, she would be trying desperately to find something in the kitchen with which to fix breakfast. Just as she had known she would, Ororo found Piper in the kitchen, but what surprised her was that Piper's hands were shaking so much that she could scarcely pour the batter she'd prepared into its intended muffin tray.
"Piper?" Ororo asked in concern that only grew when she jumped at the calling of her name. "Piper?" Ororo quickly closed the distance between them and laid a gentle, reassuring hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Whatever's wrong, my dear?"
"A-A-Auntie 'Ro," Piper's voice trembled even more than her hands, affirming to Ororo that something was indeed dreadfully wrong. "H-H-Ha-Have you ever done something that you . . . well, didn't really regret but knew was bad . . . knew you shouldn't have?"
Ororo looked curiously at Piper. Did the girl somehow know what she had done last night? "I have," she admitted in a soft, almost hoarse whisper.
"And . . . And you found yourself with a choice you had to make?" Piper dared to continue as she was so desperate for advice. "A choice between what you knew was right and . . . and what you wanted . . . that really, really wasn't?"
Before Ororo could answer, the door swung open, and Phoebe stomped into the room. She slumped down into a chair at the table, put her chin in her hand, and sighed audibly. "Phoebe?" Ororo asked.
"I just don't believe it!" Phoebe exclaimed.
Ororo's eyes grew larger. Did she somehow know too! "Believe what?" Her voice could barely be heard.
"Believe what I did last night!"
"What did you do?" Piper asked her sister, her surprise and hope that her sister may have somehow done something worse than she had keeping her voice firm.
"Well," Phoebe admitted, "it's more what I didn't do, or what I let Joxxy get away with!" She dropped her shaking head into her hands. "I should've just took it away from him! He wouldn't have regretted it!"
"Piper," Ororo asked, glancing sideways at her, "what are you making this morning?"
"I was thinking pancakes, muffins, and whatever else I might be able to find to go along with them," she replied. It was then that she realized a way to get away from Phoebe until she was ready to face her younger sister. "But I need to go down to the basement and see if there's any preserves."
"I'll go with you," 'Ro quickly decided albeit much to Piper's silent dismay. By the light of the candle Piper had already lit, Ororo found another candle and the boxes of matches Piper had used to light the first.
Ororo was about to lead their way out of the room when Phoebe offered, "I'll go too."
"I need somebody to stay here and make sure the animals don't get in the batter," Piper told her sister quietly.
"They're nowhere -- !"
"Kit and the others are around here somewhere," Ororo reminded her.
Phoebe sighed and flounced back down into her chair. "Yeah," she agreed, "I guess you're right. Kit's probably in with one of those boy cats, but all we need is for some animal to eat whatever food we have left."
Ororo and Piper remained silent as they made their way through the house and into the basement. When the heavy basement door swung shut behind them, Piper jumped for the sound echoed in the room that was as quiet, dark, and still as she imagined a tomb would be. Her skin crawled, but she forced herself to show no sign of fright as she walked down the steps illuminated by the candle her godmother carried high. Still, neither spoke a word as they set about searching the rows of shelves for canned preserves.
It was Ororo who finally broke the silence as she and Piper examined the possible jars. "Piper . . . What were you trying to tell me in the kitchen?"
"Nothing important." Piper felt even worse the very second she lied to her.
"Piper," Ororo commanded gently, "do not lie to me. Now what is it truthfully?" When Piper did not answer, she surmised aloud, "I have done something to . . . upset you?"
"No!" Piper had barely began to answer her when they heard a sound like twittering. "What's that?" Piper whispered, her eyes instantly shooting wide.
"It's probably just a bird," Ororo tried to dismiss it. She shone the candle around but did not see anything.
"A bird?" Piper repeated doubtfully, her wild eyes frantically scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. "In the basement?"
They heard the twittering again, and this time, 'Ro located the sound. She stepped closer to the shelf and was about to shine the candle over the jars to see what was on the next row when she felt a change in the air from behind her. She was about to turn to look when Piper's tremoring voice called a warning to her. "A-A-A-Au-Aun . . . " She gave up that method and whispered instead, "D-D-D-Don't m-m-m-mo-move!"
Something heavy and loud slammed down behind them. The jars shook, and movement in their reflective glass caught 'Ro's attention. Her heart forgot to beat as she stared at the reflection. She had never seen a thing like it before! It was huge and towered above them both. Its head was not too far from hitting the ceiling. There was a crest like a bird's across its scaly, green head, but the row of razor-sharp teeth that glinted from its mouth was nothing akin to a bird! She swallowed hard, but before she could even think of doing anything, it was joined by a second.
She watched as the two sniffed the air and began to head closer their way. "P-Piper," she had to fight to keep her own voice from trembling. "When I tell you, run for the stairs, but . . . do not . . . move . . . until then . . . " Though Piper tried her best to be still, Ororo could feel her quivering like a leaf as the dinosaurs came ever closer, but still she waited as long as she dared, hoping to draw them into a trap, before acting.
Piper had thought the yell of command from her aunt was never going to come when at last Ororo hollered, "NOW!" She broke and ran for the stairs, trusting her aunt to follow her, but Ororo did not. Instead, she whirled around to face the dinosaurs and raised her arms, but just as her winds had began to whip up around them, one of their tails slammed into her. It knocked into her with such force that she was thrown into not only the first shelf but several past it. Glass shattered all around her, cutting her dark skin in a hundred places, and when she finally landed, Ororo did not move again.
Piper had already turned back to see what had happened, but she was frozen to the spot at the sight of the dinosaur's tail colliding with her aunt's front. When 'Ro did not rise back up, however, or even move, she finally managed to scream. "ORORO!" It was then that the dinosaurs returned their attention to her. One leapt for the stairs, but already Piper was running away from them and to her aunt.
Piper's heart thundered wildly in her chest. She had never been more afraid in her life, but all she could think about in that moment was reaching her aunt before she could lose her too! She had almost reached her when a group of smaller creatures raced forward from the shadows. She paused, realizing that she was cut off. She could hear the bigger dinosaurs coming steadily toward her from behind, and smaller ones of the same type cut her off from Ororo. What scared her even more, however, was the realization that not all of the smaller ones were in front of her. There were more of the creatures, and they were beginning to converge upon her aunt!
Piper started to look for a weapon. There was a hoe nearby, but just as she took one step toward it, the small ones attacked. They knocked her to the ground instantly, and she felt them biting and clawing her all over at once. Blood ran into her eyes even as she screamed . . .
Cole jerked awake as soon as he heard Piper's screams. Before he was totally to his senses, his body had already shimmered to where she was. He found himself in a dark room. "Piper?" he called in a worried voice.
The room was too quiet. It was like a tomb. He formed a fireball in his hand and lifted it upward. He could see nothing and only heard twitterings. Then he saw blood on the floor.
He followed the trail of blood, fear gripping his heart. He was all alone in a dark room yet he was more afraid not to find Piper quickly than he was of being attacked. Whatever had taken her seemed not to be there any more. His eyes darted quickly around the room. The twitterings seemed to be concentrated, and he knew that whatever was making the sound had taken Piper. "Piper?" he whispered but only his word came back to him.
Logan awakened and began to look for 'Ro. He wondered why she was hiding. He pulled his pants on as soon as he left the bed. He looked outside and noticed that her clothes were all gone. Maybe she'd only gone down and out? Part of him wanted to believe that. The other part told him, You're a Pirate. She only took ya for a ride. She don't wanna be stuck with ya.
Figures, he told himself, but ya did enjoy it. Oh, yeah! He had enjoyed it immensely, more so than he ever had with any other woman. Her wild side had been more than a match for his. Well, the sooner ya find her and talk to her, the sooner ya can find out the truth o' the matter, but if she don't want ya, there ain't anythin' ya can do about it.
He was on his way down the stairs when he heard screams. He sniffed the air. Something was definitely not right! He followed his nose to the kitchen where he could smell muffins baking and was startled by a door slamming shut. He headed straight for the door and opened it only to find Phoebe frozen in the doorway. "What's goin' on?" he asked her.
"Piper," Phoebe cried, "and Auntie 'Ro! They came down to get preserves, and then all Hell broke lose! There -- There were crashes and screams, and now I can't see anything! They might even be dead!" she wailed, tears racing down her cheeks.
"Phoebe, get a hold of yourself! Go get help and get some light down here. Go for Jack. Don't frighten the rest of the house yet. Hurry!" He pushed the door open and sent the girl scurrying.
Phoebe fled from the basement as if her own life depended on it. Her mind ran even faster than her feet as she wondered how in the world she was supposed to find Jack. She couldn't exactly sniff him out like some dog, so Phoebe finally simply screamed out, "JACK! JACK, HELP!"
Logan shook his head in dismay. "Figures. Tell a woman not to the wake house, and she wakes the entire house!" He began to work his way down the stairs. He could tell Cole was there. "Cole?" he called. "Have you found them?"
"No, but I found blood. She's close; I can feel her."
"'Ro's down here, too," Logan told him.
Cole was carefully making his way through the shattered glass and fallen shelves when movement caught his attention. He froze as his eyes traveled up to find two dinosaurs standing before him. One let out a twittering noise, then jumped straight for him. Cole shimmered and heard the beast crash into something. He appeared behind the second one and threw an energy ball at it.
Logan continued down the stairs. He saw the energy ball flash and hit something that roared. He figured it was one of the dinosaurs. He sniffed and found that the other dinosaur was at the bottom of the stairs, blocking his path. It had not moved since it had crashed there, but he figured it was only stunned.
Cole lobbed several of the energy balls at the second dinosaur, setting it to burn brilliantly.
A head poked through the door behind Logan, but the brunette paused for a minute at what she saw. "Sean," she called behind her, "take up the door. Kurt, Chong, you two stay back."
"But, Kitty -- "
She heard Chong start to protest and snapped back at him, "Now!" She knew he only wanted to help, but if he tried to use martial arts on this one, it'd only get his leg bitten off. Leaving them outside the door, Shadowcat and Lockheed moved further down the staircase. Her brown eyes were glued to the same dinosaur the one called Wolverine was watching. They watched as it shook its head and turned refocusing eyes onto them.
"Gotta get to the other side," Logan told her, "but I can't get through that thing. Cole's down there with Piper and 'Ro, but hasn't found 'em yet. They were taken by the dinosaurs." The dinosaur moved toward them. Logan could tell it was looking directly at them and thinking breakfast!
Kitty moved just as the dinosaur leaped for the stairs. She grabbed Wolverine, phasing them and 'Heed, where he was perched on her shoulder, as the dinosaur landed right where they stood.
Logan did not know how they had gotten to the other side -- literally through the stinking dinosaur! "Kitty, how we'd do that? Magic?" he asked even as he located Cole and moved closer to him.
"Not magic," she answered, keeping pace with him as they headed for Cole, "but something I like to call phasing. I am called the Shadowcat, after all," she reminded him.
"Your power amazes me! I knew you were called Shadowcat, but I didn't know why. I figured it had something to do with your piracy abilities."
Jack's eyes had flashed open at Phoebe's first yell. He woke up and disentangled himself from Will. Realizing he was naked and needed more clothes, he ran straight for the closet, grabbed two outfits, threw one to Will, and dressed himself quickly. He yelled back to Phoebe, "I'M COMING!", even as he reached for his sword and cane. He raced out into the hallway with Will right behind him.
"JACK!" Phoebe's fear continued to make her scream though she was now beginning to reach him. "IT'S PIPER . . . " she gasped for air, ". . . AND 'RO! IN THE BASEMENT!"
Dinosaurs! Jack thought. How in the Hell had they gotten into the house! He had thought that the house would be safe from them and had not even bothered to post a guard since the alarm that Clark had devised had been installed. He had checked for it and knew that the bells would have woken everybody, or so he'd thought. He had thought it to be a very clever design and had actually touched one of the bells to make sure that they would go off if something touched it. He had thought they were safe, so how had the dinosaurs got in?
Jack raced for the kitchen and almost collided with Chong who was toting a lantern. He took the lantern and headed for the door of the basement only to be confronted with Sean. "Sean, get out of the way! I have to get down to them! Who's down there?"
"Kitty, Wolverine . . . I di nae knae who all else, but she put me on this door for a reason." He froze as he heard something scratching at the door on the other side. His green eyes glanced over his shoulder as he said, "An' I bet that'd be the beastie now."
Jack and Will moved away from the door in order to prepare for fighting. "Open it," Jack commanded.
Sean shook his head. "Chong, ye get it." The Chinese man knew exactly what his Irish friend was thinking, and both he and Kurt moved out of the way as he slowly pulled the door open. Sean stood, waiting for the dinosaur, and let out with a sonic scream the very instant the door was opened and the raptor rushed forward.
Jack and Will moved far away as the door opened, but Jack knew a moment later that he should have moved even further and why Kurt had his hands clasped over his ears. They watched in disbelief as the dinosaur was blown backwards by the scream. Their ears echoed. Next time Sean was attacking, Jack would be sure to cover his ears!
He now rushed forward to look down the stairs. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he headed down the stairs but froze as he saw the dinosaur laying at the foot. Could he make it past it without waking it? He knew Will was behind him, but it was not his hand that gently grabbed his body from behind.
One second, Jack and Will had been on the stairs, but the next they glimpsed a strange land. It was dark, and all they could see were patches of land hanging out in the open and caves. They'd only just started to wonder where they were when their world flashed again. This time, they found themselves looking at Cole.
"Where are they?" Jack asked Cole though still wondering where the Hell he had just been and how he'd been there. He wondered how he'd even gotten down the stairs, and then he felt the hand release him. He turned to look at Father Wagner. "Father!" he asked, puzzlement clear on his face. "Was that Hell?"
"Of sorts, my son," Kurt admitted, his hidden tail twitching. "But ve must hold that discussion another time."
Jack nodded agreement even as he wondered if there was treasure in the land to be had.
"Kurt, you shouldn't be down here -- !"
"Kitty, Sean has the stairs, and I can be of help here." He removed two swords from the depths of his cloak and wielded them.
"Lead on, Cole," Jack told him.
Wolverine's claws were unsheathed, and he itched to get a hold of something.
Cole slowly began to lead the way, afraid of what he'd find and knowing that he'd die if Piper died. He rounded the rows of fallen shelves and saw in the corner a huddled mass. "Oh my Gods!" he whispered. "They're in there!"
"Then ve'll get them out."
The twittering raptors turned to face the oncoming group, reluctant to leave their prey on which they had just been dining. The first raptor raced straight at Cole and leaped for his face. Cole began to beat at the raptor with his bare hands as he had brought no weapons. He rolled away from the group and was still fighting with the raptor when he saw it suddenly catch on fire. He threw it away from him and looked up to see who had helped him. "Thanks!" he called to the purple dragon.
Wolverine took the next one, and his claws ripped its guts out. Seeing what was happening to their brothers, the others raced forward, and the fight ensued. Claws and swords flew, slicing and dicing at each bit of dinosaur flesh they were met with. Jack and Will soon turned back to back, and Kitty found her back against Wolverine's. Kurt protected his own front and back, his swords flying as he cut into each of the beasts that ran at him.
Cole returned to the spot where he'd been attacked and began to fight his way toward the corner. He was joined by Lockheed who continued burning the raptors. It was then Cole saw the remains of 'Ro and Piper. He raced to their side and turned Piper over with shaking hands only to have his stomach lurch upwards and his heart stop beating. He had expected to find her covered with blood and in really bad shape, but he had not expected what he found. The leather hung in shreds, revealing the places where whole bites had been taken out of her body. Her face was covered with blood, and her eyes were completely missing!
He felt for a pulse and thought there was none. He screamed his rage. How could she have been taken from him like this! He had searched his whole life for her, and she had been taken from him within seconds! He shimmered, holding her close to his body, her blood covering him, to the first floor where he was met by a group huddled together.
Katrina stepped forward and knelt by his side. "Cole?" she asked.
"She's going!"
Prue screamed, and she fell by her sister. "NO! SHE CAN'T!" Her younger sisters' screams joined hers as they, too, rushed forward and fell on their knees by Piper.
Though he'd been trying to keep as much distance between them as possible since awakening to the shocking revelation that he'd spent the night with her, Brendan now knelt beside Prue. He did not speak a word as he reached out and gently grasped Piper's wrist. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and his heart shattered for Prue and Cole both as he could not find a pulse. He dared not release Piper's wrist, however, for he did not want to have to tell them that she was gone.
Katrina reached out with her mind and tried to touch Piper's mind, but she couldn't find it. She then touched Brendan's. She's gone, isn't she? Oh my Gods, I can't do anything to help her! It's too late!
Brendan swallowed the emotions rising in him. It is, he admitted, but . . . Katrina, how do we . . . How do we tell them? Prue had already lost her mother and grandmother. To lose her sister on top of them might well kill her.
It was then, as Katrina and Brendan pondered the question that was on their minds, that a roar sounded from the staircase. Though she had not heard Katrina's thoughts, Cindy still picked up on the other cat's feelings.
Crystal looked down at the lioness. "No," she whispered softly. "It can't be." Piper had lived through the nightmare she'd called down upon her. Surely dinosaurs could not succeed where Frostbite had failed? She rushed from Lorne and her babies' sides and fell to her knees beside Katrina. "Let me try," she pleaded.
Katrina nodded. "If you can do anything, please try."
Crystal had started to lift her necklace off when Blue cooed urgently. Cindy appeared by Katrina's side and growled up to her, asking her if the spell was in place.
Katrina smiled despite the tears in her eyes. "We doubled the spell last night before retiring."
Crystal pulled her necklace off and placed it gently around Piper's neck. She watched with fear-filled eyes as the crystal merely lay against Piper's chest, but then, after what seemed to the ones gathered around Piper to be a lifetime, it finally began to glow.
Brendan lowered Piper's hand back down and reached out with gentle arms to Prue. "We need to give it room," he told her, and she let him move her.
Cole was in shock. He had been kneeling beside Piper, staring in disbelief. His whole world was there, and it was gone! There was nothing he could do about it! Tears were running down his face, and he was holding desperately to her hand.
Katrina moved around to him. "Cole, you'll have to let go so the crystal can do its job." Her hands touched both his shoulders, and he looked up at her with a bewildered, sad look on his face. "Let go," she told him again, and he did just as the crystal kicked in.
Joxer had pulled Phoebe backwards into his loving arms, but Carl was having trouble dragging Paige away. Cindy leapt over Piper's body and shoved Paige backwards into the Gnome. The two stumbled backwards together just as Piper's body lifted from the floor.
Blue light shot from Piper's body, calling her grieving spirit home. Her body rose high in the air and began turning every which way. The blue light engulfed her completely and seemed to be coming not only from the crystal but from her own body, as well.
Wolverine had watched as Cole had shimmered with Piper. He saw 'Ro laying there still as death, and he felt as though his heart was breaking. He continued to fight, trying to win his way to her side, when he heard Kitty call to him. "I could phase you through them," she told him, "but Kurt can get her to your doctor faster. You do have one, don't you?"
"Yes and healers! Kurt, would you please save 'Ro?" His voice cracked. Was it too late? Was she dead? He had seen the condition Piper was in. He feared 'Ro was just as bad if not already gone. Poor little darlin', he thought, to have to die underground, not in the sunshine that she loved so much!
"I shall do my best, mein freund," Kurt called back to Wolverine over the roar of the battle. He teleported out, leaving two of the raptors to crash into each other, and reappeared at Ororo's side. His yellow eyes gazed down at her blood-covered body. He did not know if they were in time but prayed that it was not too late even as he gathered her to him and bamfed into the living room. "I need a healer!" he called out, freezing only a moment thereafter as he saw Piper's blue-covered body nearly touching the ceiling.
Katrina raced over to 'Ro's side. She was in pretty bad shape but not as far gone as Piper. She looked up for her sister and saw Celina running toward her. Her hands reached out for her sister's, and they met over 'Ro's body. Concentrating everything they had, they began to heal 'Ro.
Faith had been standing beside Dawson, Salem, Lex, and Clark and watching the Priest. Though she had been surprised when he had appeared in the room's midst, she knew that he must have come from the fight, the same fight where Jack was surely trying desperately to fend off dinosaurs. "Kid," she whispered, "stay here." She ran forward and jumped Kurt from behind even as the Priest bamfed out.
The smell of brimstone filled the air, catching the boys by surprise. When the dark cloud settled, neither the Priest nor Faith were anywhere to be seen. "We gotta get down there," Lex said even as he headed for the kitchen. "They're going to need us."
Clark nodded. "And I don't know about you, but I'm sick of that Irish man trying to keep us back!"
Dawson shook his head. He could not believe the smell of brimstone that permeated the room! He desperately hoped that Faith had not been teleported to Hell! He wished that he had the ability to fight so that he could have gone too instead of being left staring at Salem who gawked back up at him.
Salem thought that he was glad he had been left out of that fight. Even the little dinosaurs were more than a match for him! The sounds of fighting reached the groups above stairs. The fighters wished that they could go below to help even though they knew that the basement was not big enough to hold all of them. The ones that didn't know how to fight wanted to help just as much but knew there was nothing they could do.
Lex approached Sean. "Are you going to move, or will Clark have to move you? We've got to get down there! Our friends need us!"
"I understand where ye boys are comin' from," Sean told them, "but I can nae simply step by an' let ye gi tae yer graves!"
"Maybe you can't," Clark told him, "but you're about to not have a lot of choice." He stepped beyond Lex as he spoke to face Sean. Before Sean even knew what had happened, Clark had picked him up, placed him aside, grabbed Lex, and raced down the steps followed by Xena and Gabrielle who had seen the boys and hoped they'd find a way past the frustrating Irish. Xena had tried to get past him before but had been screamed away.
They went down into the darkness and could tell that the fighting was spread all around. They were about to split and go in different directions to help when they heard a roar and were confronted with the first big dinosaur. Xena tried her chakram first, but it bounced off of the beast's hide and returned to her waiting hand.
Clark had fallen silent as he had been trying to think of how he had handled the situation yesterday. Now he wished to fly and found himself flying straight for the dinosaur. He shot his fists out, and they rammed into the beast. He kept going, pushing the raptor ahead of him.
The raptor was screaming in pain and terror and trying desperately to snatch Clark but could not reach anything but its own self. Its rage and frustration filled the small area, but as it turned, trying to reach Clark, it felt itself attacked by the others.
Faith leapt off of the Priest's back as soon as she found herself in the basement. Kurt whirled to face her. "Just vhat do you call that!"
"Hey," Faith returned with a shrug, "I needed a ride, and you were there!" Raising her sword high, she flew into the smaller raptors only a couple of feet away from Jack and Will. She called to Jack over the roar of battle, "MISS ME?"
"YEAH! WELCOME!" Jack called back as he continued to slash at the raptors. Every time one was killed, it seemed like another one took its place. He wondered if Hell had opened up and was spitting out raptors.
Will did not try to enter the conversation. Instead, he stayed with his back to Jack's, his sword flying away at the raptors. No matter how many they took out, however, more still came.
To Be Continued . . .
