This definitely took more than two weeks.
Edwards anxiety began to grow, Skarloey tried his best to comfort his old friend but he was growing anxious to. He had suspected that Shale might consider leaving given everything that he had gathered but he remained optimistic that wasn't the case. The elder narrow gauge engine fiddled uncomfortably with the glass knife Shale had handed him. He wished he never needed to use it.
"I'm sure Shale is safe Edward. She knows these streets well so I doubt she'd get lost."
His expression didn't change. "That's not what I'm worried about, old friend. I feel… well, anxious for Shale. I can't explain why."
"Guess that's the 'gut feeling' Shale kept talkin bout." Duncan added. "Though am I the only one who feels like we're bein' watched?"
Renneas simply shrugged. He was more concerned with watching the younger engines playing around inside the broken building. Edward continued to fiddle with his necklace as he watched the sky. Clouds had begun to form in the sky, reflecting the ominous feeling the others had.
Eventually, he stood up, much to Skarloeys surprise. "I'm going to look for her, could one of you come with me?"
"Well, I suppose there's no harm." Skarloey mussed. "But Shale told us to stay."
"True, but if she hadn't returned to go back to base." Duncan pointed out, stepping out from the rubble. "So we should go."
"But Shale may be in trouble and we need to do something."he slammed a fist into his open hand in a determined manner. "We have to."
Peter and Falcon followed behind and each made a nodding motion. Though Falcon seemed reluctant, he did agree. "Yea, I hate to admit it but he's got a good point. At least we can make sure she's safe. And didn't she say we needed to stay in a group?"
"Not to mention it could give us an opportunity to apply what she's taught us." Rusty added. "There is a risk but I'm willing to take it."
Skarloey sighed. He wanted to argue but it was four against two. So he felt compelled to agree. But part of him still wondered if this was the right decision. "I-I'm not sure. It would be safer if we stayed here. What if we got lost?"
"It's not like we'll go far." Peter stated. "Just around that alley. I'm sure nobody would bother us."
"As optimistic that sounds I have to disagree." Renneas argued. "The last time we were in an alley we found Shale badly broken down. And she seemed to imply that people like that are commonplace."
"That's because she was alone!" Edward raised his voice plunder than each of them expected. When he noticed that he tried to reign himself in. "Pardon the outburst, but my point still stands. If Shale is in trouble then we should help her. We need to help her if she's in trouble. If we can stop her from getting hurt then we should do something."
"And even if someone tries somethin' we can take em' easily." Duncan smirked.
"Duncan!"
"What?" He gave an indignant snort. "Not like I was plannin' anything serious. Broken bone at worse. Just enough to get away."
"Not that I'm supporting violence." Rust cut in. "But we should be prepared to defend ourselves in case something happens."
"Couldn't we at least try to talk things out first?" Peter asked.
Falcon shrugged. "Well, we could always try but I doubt it'll work often."
He tugged at the hem of his turtleneck. "Wouldn't hurts to try. I don't like the idea of hurting others. Even if it is for out protection."
"Neither do I, but is is a necessity for our situation."
Renneas looked to his brother. They didn't want to argue with there points. But it wasn't out of spite, it was out of concern for the others along with timidity. Anyways, they were outvoted. So they caved in. "Alright, but we should stay close together. Nobody split up."
That's when each of them heard a faint yelling from the alley. Edward was already on his feet and running across the street. Skarloey and Renneas called out for him to wait while the rest followed in suit. The brothers had to hold the others back as a car drove across the street but Edward managed to dash ahead anyways.
His head whipped around the ally frantically. His eyes narrowed down on four men in front of him. They looked like standard police officers. One had a slight limp and one had a cloth bandage wrapped over their elbow. But what set him of was Shale slung over their shoulders, cuffed and unconscious with a white van behind them, the back doors open.
"Shale!"
The men's attention was immediately drawn to him but he didn't care. He made a dead sprint towards them, but one hastily fumbled at his belt and pulled out a small black box. Edward didn't understand why he had it pointed at him until he felt something cause his limbs to spaz, causing him to fall to the floor in a twitching mess. His tongue tasted metal and he couldn't seem to form words. There was no pain, so he tried to stand again shakily.
Said man who had shot the taser stomped up and kicked him in the ribs and gave a gruff laugh. Sending him rolling across the ground. "Hey, should we take this one too? Boss would be happy to get another one of his products back and this one literary came running."
Edward felt the air in his lungs fly out and he gasped hard trying to catch his breath. But again, there was no pain. He got to his feet and ran to Shale again, the others footsteps could be heard and the men saw them running up the street in front of them.
"Forget it. You heard what the boss said, we'd need reinforcements to take them all in." They all jumped inside the van and one man hit the side to signal they were set. "Go! Drive!"
They pulled the doors shut as the van sped out. Edward had managed to coordinate his legs long enough to stand up and run. He staggered and almost tripped but even if he didn't, it would make little difference. He was only about another cars length behind them when another man in a mask rolled down the window and pointed something in his direction. It was small, silver and cylindrical snapped. Edward had no idea what it did. That's when a loud crack rang through the air and he screamed in shock as he felt something shoot into his leg with the force of a mudslide.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Rain had began to fall and Edward slipped and fell face first onto the ground with a splash. He ground to a stop and could make out the van turning a corner and speeding off. When he tried to pull up his leg it felt limp and his mind was beginning to haze. Frustration, Grief and a mess of other emotions began to build and all he could do was curl in on himself and let the rain mix with his tears. The bullet that had pierced his calf had begun to leak a black liquid in a steady stream onto the pavement, pooling around his crippled body.
Once Skarloey and the rest of the engines turned the corner, Peter Sam screamed in shock when he saw his friend lying there and Duncan seemed close to doing the same, only fueled by anger than disgust. Falcon cupped a hand over his mouth, turning to purge onto the side of the alley wall. Rusty had rushed up along with the brothers and kneeled by his side.
"Edward?! Edward!" He cried. Shaking his shoulder as he saw his eyes start to droop behind his limp black hair. "Please, somebody, help him!"
Panic filled his eyes as Renneas looked to the still leaking bullet hole then back to his brother. "What are we going to do? Skarloey, what can we do!?"
His hands were shaking furiously now. Skarloey was hyperventilating now, his breaths coming in ragged spikes and sliced with harsh hiccups. Peter, Falcon, Rusty and Duncan were yelling at each other while trading ideas how to help her. Renneas had begun to grab at his shoulder, calling out to him through the haze. He didn't know what to do, Edward was bleeding-possibly even dying right in front of his eyes and he couldn't do anything.
He was completely useless.
Renneas saw how his brother had frozen, eyes glazed over in panic. He himself was at a lose with that to do but his instincts told him to make sure Edward was awake. And he was, but just barely. He grabbed at his shoulders and shook hard, calling out to him. "Edward! Edward! Can you hear us? Please, stay with us! We can get you help, but just stay awake!" He turned up his face to look him in his half lidded eyes.
He moved to squeeze his hand and let out a breath he didn't know he held when he felt the other engine reciprocate the action. Then he turned to his brother. Still frozen in place.
"Skarloey? Skarloey!"
Through he saw his lips move, he could hardly make out his voice through the panic. "I-I'm useless. I can't do anything."
Duncan was at his side and had also somehow managed to hear what he said. Skarloeys cheek suddenly stung when he felt something slap him across the face. Renneas was too stunned to say anything. He was this close to losing it and screaming at the other engine for striking his brother.
Skarloey turned to face the other engine in shock. But Duncan didn't recoil. "Would you get a hold of yourself! First thing, we gotta get out of this famed rain and find someone who can do somethin! But we ain't gonna get anything done if you fall apart like a rusty piston!"
Skarloeys breath seemed to even out and his eyes come back into focus. "Y-y-your right. We need to find help ourselves." He moved to pull one arm over his shoulder and Renneas copied the motion on the other side.
"Right, and who exactly are we supposed to go for that?" Falcon snapped. "We don't have any money and we gotta pay for those doctors."
Skarloey paled again. Duncan scrunched his nose and shoved his hands into the pockets of Shales jacket. All he pulled out were some scraps of paper and pebbles. He flipped his drooping hair out of his face. "Shit, he's got a point. We got no bandaged for this. But let's just get out of this damned rain."
The others just nodded in silence. Skarloey and Renneas helped to pull Edward up. The other engines cleared the way and watched for any cars or other humans. They kept a tight huddle as they walked with Edward, keeping him in the center. They lead them back through the alley and towards the old ruined building, it was the closest shelter they had. But as they made it halfway through they heard someone calling out along with the increasing sound of splashing footsteps
"Wait, Renneas? Skarloey?"
They all snapped behind to see a man standing behind then. The others didn't even have time to yell stop as Duncan charged down and tackled whoever that was. He jabbed his elbow into his chest and kneed him in the gut. The other man cried out and curled in on himself, hugging his middle.
"Go! Get Edward outta here!" He screamed, pressing his foot into his rib cage. "I'll hold 'em of, just go!"
"Stephen!"
"Duncan!"
Peter ran up from the group as a woman ran to the man's side. Duncan thought that Peter was running to help scare the woman off but didn't expected to be pushed of. He was thrown down and landed on his elbow on the pavement. Peter glared at him while his hands hovered over, not knowing how to help. "We didn't know if he would hurt us! Now you might have broken him!"
The woman simply skidded across the ground and knelt by his side. "Oh, no, no, Stephen? Stephen!"
"M-mfine." He grit his teeth and forced a smile and craned his head to look at Duncan. "One hell of a swing ya got there."
"You did what?" She yelled. "Why on earth did you do this!"
"Well, not like we expected you lot to help us. 'S What you got for suprisin' us."
Falcon then realized something. "Wait, what are you doing here." All eyes were set on the twins now. Each with various expressions ranging from fear to anger. Brigitte saw how they seemed to form a barrier around the two brothers. And even though Duncan had backed of, he still glared at her brother who had pushed himself onto his elbows.
"We heard someone calling out for help, so we listened." She stated plainly.
"Yeah right, like it's that simple." Falcon shoved the sister back. "What were you doin' down here anyways?"
"Falcon, that is enough." Renneas snapped, louder than necessary. "These hum- Brigitte and Stephen have offered us help. Help that we need gravely. We can't whittle away our time bickering."
He glanced over to Skarloey who gave a hesitant nod. They both motioned for the others to stand aside and let the twins take in Edwards slouched form. Brigitte's hand flew to her mouth and Stephen cringed once they glanced at the still leaking wound. "Oh, oh dear. Our house is just down the street. We can let you stay for as long as you need."
She then went to try and pull her brother up but staggered under the weight. "Don't worry, Bridge. M'fine." He tried to stand but hissed and fell to his knee. "Damn, think somethins' busted."
Peters frown deepened as he directed it towards Duncan. Who - while bashful - didn't seem outwardly guilty. "Here, I can help you. I hope your not to badly damaged." He slung one arm over his shoulder and helped to pull him up. Stephen let out a gasp which shocked him into almost dropping him again.
"Woah! Woah, it's fine. Just didn't expect you lot to be so strong."
Brigitte glanced at them, eying their skin before lead the motley crew out of the mouth of the alley. She broke out into a slow sprint and the others followed her across the sidewalk and towards a simple row of attached houses. The one in question being the same as the rest save for the smears of colour across the sidewalk and porch. Greens, blues, reds and yellows that vaguely resembles crude drawings of flowers and animals. Brigitte glanced longingly at the drawings before stepping up and pulling out a key.
She twisted the knob and pushed it open. Motioning for the others to step inside. "Here, please. Come in."
Renneas and Skarloey eyed the building, the others reflected the emotion. The last time all of them were in a combined space, they woke up in new bodies. She could sense their hesitation. "Please, Edward needs help. I won't have him dying on my doorstep without knowing I could have helped."
That was the push they needed. Skarloey and Renneas had to shift around a bit to keep Edward from dragging his feet but they ascended slowly with the others following behind, pressing together even tighter than before. Stephen limped inside and leaned against a small table, pointing forwards.
"The livin' rooms back there. You guys can set yourselves down there. Kitchens to the side, grab what ya' want." Stephen leaned against the railing, letting the others pass through first.
The engines stepped inside the house, now slightly soaked and wet hair dripping across the hard floor ground. It was well lit and the warmth was a welcome feeling. They pushed through the narrow hallways together and set Edward down on the large and slightly worn sofa. Skarloey sat with him, cradling his head in his lap. Renneas stood beside him while the others formed around them.
Brigitte helped her brother though and locked the door. She took one last glance outside, signing in relief to see nobody else. She glanced back to the 'brothers' standing, noting how none of them remained still. If she could compare them, it would be to a litter of stray cats. Anxious and skittering. They looked at the walls and glared at random objects as if they expected the walls to either collapse onto them or for someone to jump out and attack them.
"You thinkin' bout it too, huh?" Stephen wheezed, reading his sisters expression. "Should we-"
"No, there scared. If we do they'll just run away. Edward needs our help." Her face was solem, recalling memories she'd rather forget. She helped her brother forward and into the living room, setting him down on one of the reading chairs. "I'll need to grab some bandages and tongs. Skarloey, could you pull up Edwards pants? It'll make it easier to get to the wound."
Skarloey was startled by the request but complied. The material was loose so it was easy. But it also exposed the full extent of the damage. The bullet itself wasn't stuck in his leg, instead it had gone through at an angle and exited through the back. Brigitte came rushing back with a large bundle of fabrics and knelt by his side. She had a needle and thread in her hand, intent on sewing it shut.
"Hold on." Duncan grabbed her hand. "How so we know you aren't gonna make it worse?"
"Duncan, please." Skarloey begged. "We don't have a choice. Just let her repair him."
"And if it comes down to it, we could just beat the crap outta them." Falcon chipped. Both brothers gave him appalled looks but he just shrugged and gestured to Stephen. "Wouldn't be to hard."
She just sighed, Bridgette didn't blame them for their attitude. She didn't voice any complaints and kept herself foucused on Edward. The pungent smell of oil made her wrinkle her nose but she just tried to ignore it. She glanced up to Edward, who's eyelids fluttered but he remained awake. "This might sting a bit."
That was all the warning he got. She pulled out a bottle of medical alcohol, pressed a small towel to the opening, tipped it over and then gently brushed the area around the bullet. She was surprised to see Edward showed no signs of discomfort. Then again, she also knew they weren't human. Brigitte then popped open a tube filled with a salve meant to help with healing cuts or abrasions. Granted, this was leagues above anything like that but it was all they had and Brigitte wasn't trained to deal with these kinds of things.
After applying a generous amount of the medicine, she began to wrap the wound in a bandage. She looked up to Edward again, Renneas gently coaxing him awake and brushing back the wet strands of hair. He blinked and looked down but he pulled himself back when he saw how close she was.
"Carefu!" She reaches out, but hesitated. "Your gonna be sore for a couple days, Edward. So don't strain yourself."
He simply glanced down and brushed his hand over the stark white bandages. Confusion etched on his face. "Don't worry. I'm fine, it doesn't hurt."
"You were just shot and you don't even feel it?" Stephen asked indignantly. "Christ, you guys are crazy."
The rest of the engines either glared or receded after that comment. Brigitte frowned at his comment. "What he means to say is that the fact you can't feel any pain is just… well, not normal."
"I don't think that sounds any better, sis."
"Oh shut up." She waved his comment away and looked back to the boys. "Anyways, just keep of that leg for a bit Edward. You can stay here as long as you need too."
She noticed a twitching frown on Skarloeys face, but it was swiftly replaced with a polite smile. "Thank you Miss Brigitte and Mister Stephen. We're sorry to be taking up your… living room for the time."
Listening to the slight hesitation and question in his voice only confirmed her suspicions. But all she could do for them now was to keep them comfortable and try to keep the truth from them for now. She turned back to Stephen as he pulled up his shirt. Large purple and red bruises formed over his rib cage and when she prodded one section, he hissed in pain.
"Yea, somethins' defiantly broken." He grimaced. She hit her lip, they could go to the doctors in the morning. And while they could do the same for Edward, she didn't trust the doctors with them. Likely the whole town was riddles with spies. It was a miracle they'd flown under the radar for this long. They'd just have to hope the wound wouldn't be infected.
"Just don't move, we'll get it checked over in the morning." She glanced to the clock -three thirty - then to the boys. "I'll be in the kitchen, you want anything?"
"Sis, I'm fine." He tried to sit up but curled one of his hands around the broken rib. Brigitte just rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder back down. "Really, I can get the damn apple."
She was already headed towards the kitchen. "Just sit down and shut up." She yelled back. The brunette scanned the cupboards for something they could all eat. There wasn't much - there were only ever three mouths to feed - but she managed to gather up an assortment of cereals, fruits, and a half empty bag of chips.
Meanwhile with the engines, half continued to watch Stephen nervously while the rest kept glancing around the room. Renneas in particular was eying a small bookshelf, squinting to read the spines. There was something titled 'A Midsummers Dream' that caught his attention but he didn't want to leave his place beside his brother and friends. That, and he didn't know if he was allowed to touch their things.
Peter and Falcon remained huddled together with their backs against the couch, Peters head began to slouch against Falcons shoulder, blinking periodically to try and stay awake. The normally prissy engine didn't mind, as long as he was comfortable. He kept one hand folded over his while the other was balled in a fist as a warning.
Rusty's shoulders were slightly hiked up as he leaned sat by the other end of the couch. He switched between watching Stephen or watching the walls and door. He didn't enjoy being stuck inside of a confined space again, but he didn't let it show.
Duncan was being blatant about how much he didn't want to be here and how much he didn't like Stephen. Outright glaring at him, as if daring him to step closer. He was beginning to feel a little sorry for breaking one of his ribs, but he reasoned that it would just make running away easier for them. If it came down to that.
All the while, Skarloeys fidgeting was growing. He could not keep his hands still to save his life. The eldest alternated between fiddling with his hands, the cuffs of his sleeves, Edwards hair and his collar. He knew that some of the others were anxious, he was too. But they'd just have to wait here until Edward got better.
But then what, Shale was taken, taken by, by… them. They didn't know where, they didn't know why and they had absolutely no clue how to bring her back.
And who knows what they'd do to her?.
