It's beena week, but I'm finally back and now for your patience to be rewarded! I'll be putting up the next chapter tommorrow, but believe me, there's pletny in here to keep you going! Review as much as you want (I'm very shallow).

Chap. 4

Dangerous Returns

The group entered the library and quickly set up at a table. "Ok, so who does what first?" Martin asked as he slung his notebook down. "Well, we need to grab some books about the Mississippi first, so we can figure out the locations on the actual river." Rivers suggested. "I'll do that part. I really don't want to just sit here." Lisa said. "I'll help you. I definitely don't wanna write for an hour and a half." Martin suggested. "I'll mark the important parts of the books. You wanna help, Rivers?" asked Bart. "Sure." The older boy answered. "I guess I'll write it down and match up the locations and occurrences." Katie said. "OK then, let's get to work." said Rivers, as he pulled out his copy of Huck Finn.

Lisa and Martin left quickly to find the books. Bart and Rivers turned to the book for information, while Katie took out her notebook and jotted down everything that they managed to agree on. Given their content knowledge and differing attitudes towards the text, it wasn't much at first. "I don't really think that we need to label what happened with Huck's father as an occurrence." Rivers argued. "Dude, that's what set him off on the whole thing. We have to mention it." Bart said. "True, but it doesn't happen on the river. And that's what we need for a good grade" Rivers said as he stretched out his hand to unmark the passage in the book. But as he did, Rivers suddenly hissed in pain and drew back his hand. "What's wrong?" asked Katie, putting down her notebook. "It's my joints." Rivers said, as he tried to move his hands enough to rub them. "Feels like they're on fire."

"Here, let me." Katie said, as she took Rivers' hands in her own and began to massage them. As the boy's face began to drain of it's pained expression, Bart asked, "How long have you had that?" "Actually, only the last month or so." Rivers answered. "I don't really know what it is. It feels like I've got arthritis or something, but it isn't constant. It's just an intense burning that comes and goes." "Hey that kinda sounds like Katie's headaches." Bart said. "What do you mean?" asked Rivers, turning his gaze to the boy's sister. "Well, lately I've been getting these intense headaches." Katie said. "I don't know why but I'm scared to tell my parents. I don't want to hear that I have a brain tumor. I mean, I think I'd have more then a headache and that's the only thing." "Well, I feel the same way about my hands." Rivers said. "By the way, they feel a lot better now. Thanks."

"Oh, uh, no problem." Katie said as Rivers slowly pulled away his hands. "Maybe I could do something for your headaches too." The boy said. "No, that's ok." Katie replied, a bit nervously. "Really, I'd like to help." Rivers said, "Well, I guessI'd be willing totry." Katie replied. But before anything else could happen, Bart said, in that annoying little-brother tone that all of them can do so well, "Do you guys want to be alone?"

After that, Lisa and Martin returned with the books and the group resumed work. Of course, Katie took a spare look at Rivers whenever she could. It was strange to her, that she had become attracted to him so quickly. Rivers was everything that she was not; calm, confident, and handsome. She should know that he was out of her league. But no matter how hard she tried, Katie always felt her eyes being drawn back to his face. She anxiously tried to bury herself in the project, trying to divert her attention away from him. It worked for a while, but like all things, their time in the library came to an end. The librarian eventually came to them and said that the library would be closing in ten minutes, and that they had to pack up and leave. Luckily by this point, they had done most of the 'grunt work' involved in the project, so they felt they had achieved a good night's work.

The group exited the library, taking in the cool night air. "So, I think that went well." Rivers said. "Yeah, the rest of this thing should be cake now." Bart agreed. "All we need is some cardboard and stuff to make the diorama with." "Great. I can't wait to start." Lisa said sarcastically. "Come on Riv, let's go home." She said, and started to walk down the block. But she stopped after a moment when she realized that no one was following her. "Uh guys, what are you doing?" she asked. "You live this way?" Katie asked. "Yeah, over on Maple." "That's only a few blocks away from me and Bart." "And I live on Pine and that's not much further from there." Martin said. "Weird." said Lisa. "Well, I guess our parents won't have to worry about us walking alone. C'mon." They began to walk together down the street, as Martin said, "Actually my dad told me something funny tonight…"

But they had bigger concerns then being alone in the night. All children fear the dark, and tonight, these children were about to understand why. As they walked along, a being hopped along the rooftops, watching them every step of the way. Finally, he gained some ground on them and stopped to watch. As they walked along, a pair of glowing yellow eyes came to rest beside the figure. A deep-seated growl, like that of a tiger and a rabid dog issued from below those eyes. But the figure simply turned and looked. The growl subsided and the eyes slunk downwards. Reaching out his hands, the figure took the eyes back up and whispered something in the darkness. The eyes gleamed again, and then, three more pairs of eyes joined them. The figure turned back to the group then, and resumed jumping the buildings, with the eyes following all the way.

"So we used to play together as kids?" Rivers said in disbelief. "Yeah, apparently our parents all know each other." Martin explained as they walked down the street. "Man, then it's pretty funny we all ended up in the same group." Bart said. "Yeah, almost too funny." Lisa said. "Oh not this again!" Rivers cried in exasperation. "Why is it every time something a little bit odd happens, you think something is wrong? Why are you so paranoid? It's not like somebody is out to get us or something!"

Before Lisa could answer, a howl cut through the night air, chilling the bones of all who heard it. "What was that?" asked Katie. "A coyote?" "It can't be. The closest coyotes are by Nappanee." Rivers said. Suddenly Bart's eyes widened in horror and he screamed, "Over there!" The group turned to see what had made the howl. It was a huge creature, in the shape of a dog, but amplified with terrible strength, perverted until it was all claws and teeth. Four yellow eyes glowed in its head, and its hairless body glistened with muscle. Slowly, it began to advance on them, drool leaking from its mouth.

"Um, nice doggy?" Bart said as they began to back away. "Oh like that ever works!" Martin snapped. "Hey I'm good with animals!" Bart snapped back. "I'm not sure that even is an animal." Rivers replied. "Anyone have a plan?" "Um….. RUNAWAY!" They yelled as the dog-creature finally made a lunge for them. They dodged it and ran down a nearby alley.

"Ohmanohmanohmanohman!" Martin chanted as they continued to run. But then he heard a yelp from behind him. Whipping around, he saw that Katie had slipped on the length of her skirt and had tripped. He also saw the dog only a few feet away. If he ran, he'd get away, but the thing would eat Katie. "I must be crazy." He muttered, as he put all of his athletic ability to use. Martin sped across the alleyway, grabbed Katie's shirt and pulled her back just before the creature snapped its jaws shut. Throwing the girl onto his shoulders, he began to run once again, putting considerable distance between himself and the monster. Of course, fear does have that amazing motivational ability.

He caught up with the others in another part of the alley. "You guys ok?" Lisa asked, as Martin lowered Katie to the ground. "Yeah I think so." He panted out. "What is that thing?" Katie asked. "I don't know, but it seems to want to introduce itself." Lisa said. "We gotta get out of here." "Actually," Bart said suddenly. "That might be a problem." The group turned and saw what he meant. Standing in front of them were three more of the dog creatures, and the breathing behind them said the other was nearby. Slowly, the creatures advanced, tightening their grip on the group. The children drew closer, trembling, expecting to die at any moment. And they might have, had not a voice yelled from above, "HALT!"

The dogs looked up at the sound of the voice, as their master descended down. He was a man dressed in black armor, his face invisible in the shadows. As he came forward a bit, he stretched out his hand to one of the dogs. The creature licked it tenderly. Turning to face the children, the figure said, "You're in a lot of trouble aren't you?" "W-Who are you?" Rivers stammered out. Ignoring the question, the figure continued. "Oh yes, a lot of trouble. Why, you're out here alone, in the city on a night like tonight. I truly pity you. After all, I might have just killed you a bit later. Now I have to send your bloody heads to your parents' doorsteps. Sad. It was going to be such fun the other way." "What do our parents have to do with this?" Lisa demanded. The figure's response was to come out of the shadows fully, revealing his face. He wore a strange mask; its right half of it was black, with no eye opening. The other was bright orange, with one gleaming eye. Even after twenty years, it was a face well known. "Slade!" they all whispered in unison. "I'm glad I'm remembered." The villain replied. "But you're dead!" Katie sputtered out. "Well, that doesn't mean I stay that way. Didn't your parents teach you that?" Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Slade shook his head. "I see that they have not. Well, after my pets devour you, you'll find the answers." Slade began to make a motion with his hands, to signal the dogs to attack.

But then a pair of voices rang out; "Slade, stop!" "Leave the children alone!" The villain paused then, looking behind him. All he saw was a streetlamp shining its glow down onto the night. "Come out where I can see you, my friends." He called out, as though someone could hear him. But someone did. An inky blackness gathered underneath the streetlamp, as the light from it grew brighter. Suddenly both faded away, and two figures, dressed in gold and black, stood there. "They have nothing to do with this Slade." Black said. "Leave them." "Do you take me for a fool?" Slade asked. "I now what they can do. I know what you plan for them. I will not let it happen." "It doesn't matter." Gold answered. "You don't have much time left. Soon you'll leave, and we'll do the rest." "We? There is no 'we' any longer! Your friends are gone! You are the last of your brotherhood." "Wrong." Black replied. "One remains, and he is giving us a powerful weapon to defeat you."

"Then I suppose I'll have to stop you first." Slade answered. Two of the dogs came to him, surrounding him with teeth bared. The two figures stood silent. Then Black reached behind his cape and drew forth a long, elegant sword. Its blade glistened in the dim moonlight, as he held it in a fighting stance. Gold raised her hand to her face and suddenly a blade, as long as the sword of her companion popped out of her gauntlet. This blade glowed purely in the streetlamps' light. She raised it to her face, in a warrior's stance. The two briefly looked at one another, and then Black said three words; "Rock and Roar." And they charged.