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The Alderman Estate, New York, Earth-27. 1345 Hours, 11 JULY 1974 R.E.
The walls of the resplendent hall were covered in solid wood paneling with designs of leaves and other natural images carved into the distant eaves. Between the arches hung shimmering chandeliers, lightly strewn with glittering crystals that captured the amber glow. A thick red carpet covered the floor, rolling past oaken doors with golden handles and images of vines. Pictures depicting the proud pedigree of the owners of the estate were contained in exquisitely carved, gilded frames. At periodic intervals, wooden tables were set with some gaudy sign of wealth whether in the form of a vase from a distant dynasty or a confounding example of modern art.
Tending to them was a stout woman in a modest black gown, her duster sweeping over the valuables with a practiced hand, ferreting out any grime that lurked within the crevices. She straightened the portraits and centered the other items, occasionally drawing a rag from a pocket in her white apron to rub out a smudge. The cord of a set of earphones reached up from another pocket and her shuffling down the hall was accompanied by her soft singing and the tapping of her toes upon the soft carpet. Lost in her work and music, she did not notice the figure calling for her until a hand descended to lightly touch upon her shoulder.
The shawl wrapped about her head unfolded into a large pair of ears as she jumped, turning to face the mistress of the house. Three-fingered hands tipped in claws pulled out the earbuds and she stuffed them into her pocket, pausing the CD player as she did so. Leathery wings were folded along her supple arms, flattened to avoid knocking over the treasures that she worked around. Suppressing a grimace at being caught unaware, the bat-woman bowed her head apologetically to the dark-furred woman in a pale evening gown.
"Sorry, ma'am," she muttered. "I meant no disrespect. Whaddaya need of me?"
The dober-woman, a purebred naturally, reached up to tug upon one of her pointed ears as she asked, "Oh, I didn't want to interrupt you, Mrs. Free, but I've been looking for my sapphire earrings. The ones shaped like raindrops. I had hoped to wear them for this evening's parties, but I can't seem to find them anywhere."
"Afraid not, ma'am," she confessed, her face straight as she gave a small shake of her head. "Do you remember where you had'em last?"
"I wonder if maybe - I suppose - I'm sorry. Did you say something, dear?" she muttered before turning her cerulean eyes back towards the shorter woman.
"Where you had'em last," she repeated and the stately woman waved a hand dismissively.
"I was certain I had left them in my lockbox, but they must be around here somewhere. Keep an eye out for them, won't you, dear?"
"Of course, ma'am," she nodded dutifully even as the prim lady swept away and bustled down the hallway without ever breaking her stately pace. Patiently watching her departure, the maid waited for her to reach the end of the hall and turn the corner before she dropped her concerned expression and whirled about. Her gaze scoured the shadows of the distant ceiling, flashing about the eaves.
"Bella!" she hissed, keeping her voice low. "Get down here! NOW!"
"Miss me, mommy?"
Jumping at the sudden voice that emerged from behind her, she quit her search of the overhead and turned to glower at her diminutive daughter who stood obediently upon the ground. Attired in bib overalls, which did not hinder her oversized wings that dragged along the ground beside her, she beamed up at her mother who finally dropped her glare. Giving a sigh and small shake of her head, she placed a wing upon her back and pushed her forward, glancing towards the end of the wall nervously before crouching in front of her.
"How many times does mommy have to tell you not to do dat?" she scolded quietly, keeping one large ear swiveled towards where the mistress had departed.
"Do what?" she said, her voice high-pitched and pitted with regular squeaks. Her flared ears twitched as she quirked her head, never breaking eye contact.
"Sneak around," she explained shortly before recalling why she had summoned her to begin with. Thrusting a hand forward, she demanded, "Hand it over."
Without any hesitation or denial, Bella withdrew a necklace from her pocket, the broad, golden crescent set with several, sizable emeralds. Setting it in her mother's waiting hand, she looked back up to her with a broad grin as the elder woman stared dumbly at the valuable before dropping her head in slight exasperation.
"Da earrin's, darlin'," she stressed. "I meant da earrin's."
"Oh!" she chirped before she searched her side pockets to withdraw the requested pair, which she added to the necklace. Her gaze lingered longingly upon it for a moment before she looked up to her mother and pleaded, "Can I have shiny sparkly then?"
"No," she answered flatly and began to withdraw her hand before she paused. Her gaze narrowed at the child who gazed up at her with open adoration. "Anydin' else?"
"Ummm," Bella pursed her lips together as her eyes rolled back as though trying to search her head for the information. She began to pat down her pockets before reaching one on her leg. "Ah!"
Slipping a finger into it, she pulled out a platinum band that twined about several diamonds, immaculately polished. Her mother took it gingerly, her hand shaking slightly as she gaped at the ring.
"D-d-dis is da master's ring! He never takes it off!"
"Not on purpose," she giggled and the elder's gaze shifted back to her daughter.
"How did'ja even get dis?!"
"Slipped the shiny silver circle offa his furry finger!" she sang enthusiastically, bouncing slightly as she clasped her hands together. Her mother watched her in bewilderment before sighing and giving another shake of her head, an overly common practice for her. Sliding the pilfered treasures into the pocket upon her apron, she wrapped them in a largely unused cloth to stifle their noise. Lowering herself again, she set her hands upon her daughter's shoulders, stilling her beyond a small shake to accentuate her point.
"Bella, darlin', we've talked about dis. You can't go and take stuff dat doesn't belong to you. Especially not from dese places, or you can't come to work wid mommy anymore. Okay?"
"Then I can go to daddy's work?" she asked, her brief pout disappearing as she perked up at the idea.
The maid paused at the suggestion, flashing back to terrified screams as fire and ash filled the sky, and she shuddered as she shook her head to clear away the memory.
"Absolutely not. You'll hafta stay at home, and you won't be allowed to go outside and play or anydin' until your dad or I get back."
"But that's not fair!" she whined despairingly.
"Tough," she sniffed as she straightened. "You can't go around takin' stuff dat isn't yours."
"But it's all super shiny and sparkly and stuff!"
"Moondrop, you're a bat. Not a magpie. Stop actin' like one."
"Yes, mommy," she answered, hanging her head to stare at her clawed feet. Looking down at her, the mother rolled her eyes at the plaintive display before unfurling her wings and sweeping down to gather the youth into her arms. Wrapping her in her wings, she lifted her upward and rained dozens of kisses upon her face. Bella gasped, squirming and giggling as she tried to break from her mother's grasp or at least shield herself with her wings, but the elder bat-woman circumvented her defenses and routed her escapes. Finally managing to slip from her hold, Bella almost seemed to slither around her mother, clambering onto her back to sit atop her shoulders, peeking from between her large ears.
Smiling up at her, she blew a kiss that caused Bella to duck back down with a giggle though she returned seconds later, snickering as her glittering eyes watched her mother who passed her a spare rag.
"You handle all da stuff dat mommy can't reach, okay?"
She nodded eagerly and turned to inspected the nearest frame as her mother felt in her pockets, ensuring the valuables were still there as she mumbled to herself, "And I'll try to figure outta way to get dese back widdout anybody noticin' anydin'."
Raven's Room, Titan's Tower. 0907 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
In the Tower that presided over the crystalline waters, Raven sat upon the edge of her circular bed, cradling a battered Communicator in her hands. Her cloak splayed out across the bed beside her, hours past when she would typically be moving about the Tower. She had pulled whatever lingering emotions she could when they had discovered it in the alley off of where they had battled Kraken. There were no signs of combat or any form of struggle within the corridor, only the Communicator tucked under the dumpster. Robin had attempted to collect fingerprints and search for other evidence within the cluttered space, but the former had been in an overabundance and the latter had been scarce to the point of nonexistence.
She had searched the alley in her own way, finding only muted emotions, which had been hard to distinguish, and a devious glee from the street and the faded bricks of the walls. Cyborg had used the various types of vision within his cybernetic eye, but the exodus of the inhabitants of the flanking buildings had ruined any chance that he would uncover anything helpful. Starfire had immediately taken to the air and searched the surrounding area, but when it became apparent that Beast Boy had disappeared, Robin had seized control of the situation.
He had assigned Raven to take the injured Cyborg back to the Tower, and had only been mildly surprised by her unusually vocal protest before she had settled into reluctant agreement. Starfire had stood watch over the unconscious Kraken while Raven delivered Robin and Cyborg to the infirmary before returning to the canvas the city. After passing the villain to the custody of the police, Starfire joined her, and Robin had coordinated the search from the Tower. As they scoured the city, searching his favorite places and spreading from there, Cyborg had rushed to make repairs and join them.
Her distant musing was ruptured by gentle knocks at her door and she drew in a steadying breath as she looked up, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Starfire's voice sounded from beyond her portal, gentle and and supporting.
"Friend Raven, are you awake?"
"Yes," she croaked. Standing up, she clipped the extra Communicator to to her belt and summoned her cloak, wrapping it about her body before heading to the door. It opened at her presence, revealing the curvaceous redhead who appeared harried, able to find little sleep with their teammate missing. Her emerald eyes caught sight of the extra Communicator upon her belt as her covering wardrobe shifted, and she winced.
"We will find him," she assured her and the sorceress nodded.
"I know," she nodded. She hesitated, realizing how cold she sounded before she added, "But, I appreciate the support. I simply . . . It . . . He was right there, right - I was right there, and now he's-he's just . . . gone."
"Only for now," she said. "Now, come. You must eat."
There was a stern command in her voice that reminded Raven that her friend had been born and initially raised as a princess. She floated down the hallway after her and they emerged together into the main room that was already occupied by Cyborg and Robin. The skeletal limbs that the former had quickly fitted to his injured body the previous night were now replaced with full arms and demonstrated their functionality by racing between two keyboards, tapping into all the channels that he could access. Will poured from both of them but Raven could taste the stubbornness as she approached and see the mass graveyard for emptied energy drinks.
"I take it that they spent the entire night there?" she asked.
"I am afraid that they are not as receptive to reason as you are," the redhead huffed before lifting off her feet and flying forward to cut between the boys and the consoles, spreading her arms to bar their way. They protested her interference but fell silent as her eyes flashed and she declared, "It is the time of the breaking of the fast. Not for the watching of cameras."
"I haven't finished programmin' the facial recognition patterns. I mean, BB's got thousands of different forms he could be in. Once I finish, it'll alert us if any of the traffic or security cams spot any of them," Cyborg argued. The tall girl's gaze narrowed as its glow intensified and Cyborg stepped away before trudging towards the fridge. Giving an appeased nod, she turned her glare upon Robin who raised his hands in surrender.
"I'm going, I'm going," he promised and turned. His small smile faded upon seeing Raven and it turned to concern as he approached and wondered, "Hey. You doing okay?"
"He's a friend to all of us. I am doing as well as anybody else," she said with a slight more bite in her voice than she intended.
Robin took no affront, but seemed about to press the issue before he was ushered towards the kitchen by his girlfriend. The sorceress blinked in surprise and watched them curiously before reaching up to open the cabinets and collect the necessities for her tea, not trusting her powers in her current emotional state. As she set the water to boil, she accepted a bagel slathered with cream cheese that was pressed into her hands by Cyborg. They shared a silent, grim exchange before he lifted his plate, laden with reheated slices of pizza and a bagel, and marched pointedly back towards the computers.
The young couple sat close together at the table, subtly leaning against each other for support as they ate their fare and amethyst eyes drifted between the two exhibits until the shrill whistle of her tea kettle intruded upon her observation. Pulling a cloth pad from the handle of the oven, she lifted the pot and poured its steaming contents into the waiting mug. The tea bag bobbed in the water as she turned off the stove and set the kettle on a cold heating coil and picked up the plate with the other half of her bagel upon it. Grabbing the cup in the other, she moved to the table, placing a sizable distance between herself and the nestling pair.
"I am going out to search for Garfield again," she declared before cautiously sipping her tea.
"As soon as I'm done here, I'll join you," Cyborg volunteered between generous bites of his makeshift breakfast.
"You need to rest," interjected the Boy Wonder. "You've been up the whole night. You can't just go driving around like that."
"I shall accompany her," said the redhead.
"What if he suddenly went feral?" mused the techno-teen as he whirled about, dragging his hand across his head. "What it he somehow turned into the Beast again, and he's out there, wanderin' around, just waitin' to get shot by some jumpy gun nut?"
"Thank you for putting that idea in our heads," said the cloaked girl sourly.
"We've already contacted all the nearby zoos and vets," Robin pointed out. "They know to be on the lookout for any weird, green animals. Just like the police."
"Right. Cause they aren't busy with that break-in at that weapons lab we got called about or all those robberies or a dozen other things," he grumbled, his voice growing in intensity. "But what if he ran into the forest or something? Maybe he knocked his head and actually thinks that he's some sorta animal."
"You are strangely fatalistic about friend Beast Boy's fate."
He threw up his arms and snapped, "Last time that my little buddy went missin', he nearly got taken into space by some dumb slab of an alien. I'm not gonna let that happen again."
There was a lull in the room as Cyborg's words rang through it and he dropped his head into his hands as he sighed. Lifting his head, he muttered, "Sorry, Star. Didn't mean to shout like that. I'm-I'm gonna go recharge. If anything happens-"
"We'll wake you," Robin promised. The large youth smiled gratefully and grabbed his plate, still largely untouched, before heading for his room. After he had passed, Starfire looked to the young man pressed to her side.
"You should rest as well, boyfriend Robin," she admonished.
"I've learned a few tricks on going without sleep," he said though it did not seem to reassure her. Raven collected her empty dishware and strode to the sink before turning to face her friends.
"I'm heading out. Victor may have been right. I want to check out the woods, some of the other nearby wilderness."
"I shall accompany you," Starfire kissed Robin's cheek and then lifted from behind the table to float beside her friend. She waved her farewell, which the dark-haired boy returned as the pair disappeared into a dark portal. It opened over the edge of Jump City and they spilled from it, catching themselves almost instantly. Raven looked over the verdant expanse before them as the portal closed and Starfire followed her gaze.
"We will need to descend amongst them," she noted. "We are going to be here a while."
"For however long it takes," she answered.
Without any further words, the sorceress descended upon the arboreal realm, weaving through the gaps of the canopy while Starfire made for an alternate route. Touching down in the sun-dappled ground between the old trunks, she glanced about and felt the tiny spikes of fear as smaller animals scattered at her presence. They disappeared into their shelters even if she had been unable to find their physical form to begin with, and dove deep into their sanctuaries. Drawing in a deep breath, she settled into the lotus position, naturally rising into the air as she did so and began her mantra.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos . . . Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos . . ."
Her soul self pulled from her physical body and hovered for an instant before drifting through the trees, the various animals and their emotions shining like stars in the sky. She glided over them, passing by them as she sought out the familiar mental barriers that had held against her curiosity multiple times before. In the distance, she could feel Starfire swooping through the trees, concern and affection nearly blinding her to anything else. Turning from the shining girl, her soul self set on a new path, questing through the forest.
A part of her mind wandered as she did though she quickly subdued the worrisome thoughts about her friend's fate. However, as she buried those fretful wonderments, a part of her mind fed her memories of her interactions with the changeling, but then cruelly stole them away. She was left imagining her life and future without him, and suddenly, she found herself missing even those meetings that had ended in frustration and anger. As that realization washed over her, her soul self shuddered, and somewhere in her mind, one of the manifestations of her emotions stirred.
Premiani Penthouse. 0846 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
". . . babe. Boss babe!"
"Hmm?" Alondra Arnetti looked up from the scrambled eggs that she had been aimlessly stirring about her large plate. Cash frowned at her from where he stood by the sink, a washcloth and dirty pan in hand but neither moving as he studied her worriedly. Her hair had not been treated to its usual grooming this early in the morning and it cascaded in messy tangles about her face. In place of the long dresses that she preferred was a simple tank top and a pair of pink boxer shorts.
"Is everything copacetic, boss babe?"
"I - yes. Yes, of course," she said, straightening upon her stool.
"You're . . . distraught. Your appetency for vittles appears attenuated, which is never an auspicious augury," he noted, finally scrubbing at the pan.
"Are you calling me fat? Because, honestly, I can't tell," she demanded crossly, her distant expression replaced with one of annoyance and her guardian scoffed at the idea as he rinsed out the pan.
"Hardly. Your physique remains ever pulchritudinous," he assured her. "Nevertheless, you appear disconcerted."
"I have . . . I've been thinking."
"Yuck."
She gave a small chuckle as she continued to swirl her fork through her breakfast. Her lips flattened into a line and she sighed, "I . . . Do you think we should have come out here?"
"The governance of a felonious consortium is an aptitude significantly beyond my ken, but according to my calculations, we appear to be cumulating a profit, meager though it may currently be, and it demonstrates definite potential for aggrandizement."
"No, that's not . . . I meant, should we . . . Should we be taking on all these heroes? All the problems they bring?"
"The pajama coterie is hardly neoteric," he shrugged, finishing his work at the sink before joining her at the island and dropping his elbows onto the tabletop. "Something else perturbs you."
"That's . . . no. Nothing," she said, her voice growing firm and resolute. "Anyway, on to business. Did you catch any of that idiota's fight the other day?"
"Regrettably, no."
"What? How? He was just . . . hanging there. For hours. Or close enough. How could you possibly not have cameras on him?"
"The level I was competing against necessitated completion," he grunted and she gave a long groan.
"You suck at your job."
"I am nonpareil at my vocation. You simply perpetually assign me extraneous taskings that exceed my capacity as your bodyguard."
"It's not like you can't multitask or something. What about that night where you were running three different games? You certainly had no trouble keeping track of all of that."
"Entirely divergent matters," he retorted, waving a hand dismissively.
"Uh-huh. I'm sure. Speaking of 'entirely divergent matters,' since you failed so spectacularly at getting me any Titan fights on film, what about the . . . the . . ."
She hesitated before stirring her coffee with the small spoon in its dish before taking a long draught of the harsh liquid. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a bolstering breath and continued, "Any news on the Cornell girl?"
"Her surgery proved successful and she is scheduled for release before the end of the day," he reported and she nodded.
"Good. I'm glad she's fine," she murmured, her voice softening as she smiled into her mug. She wiped away the expression after catching the sight of Cash's quirked brow and ordered, "Keep an eye on that, and let me know when they're headed out. What about the others?"
"The biker consortium remains belligerent, but obedient. Doyle's, former, crew are more of the latter, less of the former, though they retain a sense of wariness."
"As well they should. And Signore Smith and Signorina Lee?"
"They merit further observation. Or immediate execution. I could remove them simultaneously - they're perpetrating an affair behind her husband's back."
"How scandalous. Alas, we're going to be refraining from the - what's that one word you like?"
"Orifice? Defenestration? Brouhaha? Perforation?"
"Si, that last one. Continue watching them, and keep me informed. I don't want you taking matters into your own hands again."
"That was a singular occurrence," he grumbled. "For which you should be more appreciative. Most individuals would be endlessly grateful for the utter elimination of an enemy element."
"There were other ways, better ways, to have handled the situation," she said as she took another deep drink from her mug. She frowned at the porcelain bottom she could see as she pulled it away and passed the cup to her bodyguard who obediently rose from his seat to fill it. As he returned, she held up a finger and pointed towards the fridge. "Ah! Don't forget the special ingredient."
He frowned, "Boss babe, even for your considerable constitution, it is rather early."
"Cashy, it's never too early," she said and he reluctantly opened the fridge, pulling out a mostly empty bottle of vodka. She smiled as she watched him pour it into the coffee and advised, "Be sure not to skimp. Oh, and make a note that we need to restock the booze. It's getting low."
His usual verbosity was replaced with a grunt as he returned the frosty bottle to the fridge and passed her the mug. Taking a deep breath of the aroma wafting from it, she sighed in relief and knocked it back, drinking deeply.
Main Room, Titan's Tower. 1028 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
Over the years, Robin had built up a rather expansive list of his least favorite things. The order changed on a regular basis, even if Slade did always manage to hover somewhere in the top three spots, and additions were made all too frequently.
Informing family members of situations was racing towards the top as he began to understand why Batman kept so much internalized.
"What do you mean he's gone?" Elasti-Girl demanded, distress soaking her voice and face as she stared at him from the large monitor of the television.
"Are you certain he hasn't just run off somewhere?" Mento added, his voice tense and expression stern to hide the worry he shared with his wife.
"We were fighting a criminal by the name of Kraken. At some point during the confusion, Beast Boy disappeared," he answered as stoically as he could manage. He was familiar with the flat line of Mento's mouth, the harsh stare that he could feel dissecting him even through the screen. It was an all too familiar sensation. "We can't find any signs of a struggle, but I don't think he just ran away. None of us do."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"Steve!"
"I'm not saying th-"
"What other information do you have?" Elasti-Girl demanded, ignoring the elder man's protests as she faced the brightly attired youth again.
"His Communicator was left at the scene, so we can't track him through that. However, we've been conducting searches and Cyborg tapped into the city's cameras. If any of them spot Beast Boy, we'll know."
"Have you tried talking to this Kraken fellow?" Mento interjected.
"I've put in a request. The police should be getting back to me shortly."
"Wait. If you seriously believe Garfield is missing, why the Hell are you just waiting around?"
"Stepping on the toes of the police isn't going to help the issue. In fact, it would probably hurt it more. Right now, the police are sparring the patrols they can to help us find Beast Boy. They even have a few K-9 units out. I'm not going to give them a reason to be reluctant to help us."
"Hmm," the man scoffed, folding his arms over his broad chest as Elasti-Girl nodded.
"All right. We're going to be on our way over there as soon as we can."
"We'll try to be," Mento corrected. "The Brotherhood of Dada has the Painting again. They could threaten thousan-"
"You think I don't know that?!" she demanded, rounding upon him as her eyes flashed. Robin blinked in surprise as the stony visage cracked and he held up his hands appeasingly as she began to grow, towering over him. "This is our son, Steve! Our son is missing and still all you can think about is the God damned mission!"
"Rita, I -"
"No! No excuses! I know that the Mr. Nobody is dangerous. I know that the Painting is dangerous. I know the bad that could come out of this. Don't think for a second that I don't know what's at stake here," she seethed before managing to calm herself. She took several breaths before she looked down at him in disappointment and snapped, "I'm just not sure that you do."
Turning towards the screen, her expression softened and she pleaded, "Please, Robin, just - just find my son."
He gave a clumsy nod, "I - we'll find him. I promise."
She gave a relieved smile, "Thank you. Now, I'm going to tell Steve and Larry about the situation."
Her image quickly disappeared from the screen, Mento dumbly watching her leave, and Robin prepared to end the call before the leader of the Doom Patrol spoke.
"So, you really think he's missing? That somebody took him?"
His surprise stalled his answer for only a second before he returned, "Yeah. I do. Beast Boy wouldn't just bail on us - not without some sort of explanation."
"No, he wouldn't," he agreed before he sighed, hanging his head. The silence stretched between them again and Robin shifted his weight, opening his mouth before the senior hero spoke again. "I can't - I can't just leave Nobody and his goons to run rampant. Even if they didn't have the Painting. It's - you might think I'm heartless. Cold. But, I want you to understand, if I could be there, right now, I would be. In a flash. And there wouldn't be a mind left unsundered in your city until I found my boy."
Robin shifted uncomfortably under the hard stare focused upon him, managing a shaky nod as he finally found his voice. "I, uh, I believe you, sir. Mento. But, like I promised, we'll find him. No reason to go and start sundering any minds or anything."
"We'll see about that," he muttered before leaning back. "Mento out."
The transmission cut off and Robin released a breath that he hadn't known that he had been holding as he powered down the television. He took several steps before he collapsed onto the couch, dropping his head back and closing his eyes. His mind conjured the likely scene of Beast Boy's disappearance once again and he cycled through what he remembered of their fight with Kraken, searching for something he had missed. There were no signs, no hints that he could recall to help with locating his wayward friend and teammate. Kraken's subterranean assault had forced them all to separate, to focus on protecting themselves and anybody in their immediate vicinity just to avoid getting caught, but even with the confusion, he should have been aware of the rest of the team, as their leader if not their friend.
Within the dark recesses of his mind, a dry voice tinged with disappoint noted that he wouldn't have missed anything. He would have been able to handle all of it, keeping himself and his allies safe, without even breaking a sweat.
Sitting up, he caught off that line of thinking and after a moment to clear his head, he stood and strode over to the island, where he had left the folder of what little evidence they had collected. The police had found a blue fiber caught in the Communicator, but it had been no more than a cotton thread, all too commonly found in any manner of clothes. An underdressed vagrant in the alley had hinted at knowing something, but the young detective quickly realized the man was enjoying the cot in his cell. As he had told the elder couple, there had been no signs of a struggle within the side street and his mind wandered to the possibility of somebody using a hostage as leverage against the changeling.
His musings were interrupted by the chiming of his Communicator and he yanked it upward, flipping it open.
"Any luck finding him?"
The dour-faced man blinked in surprise, green eyes flickering away for a second before he said, "Umm . . . what?"
"Detective Montgomery," he sighed, recognizing the Titans' primary liaison with the Jump City Police Department. "Sorry. Things've been . . ."
"Hey, I get it, kid," he gave a tired smile. "You don't have to explain it to me. And while I can't give you an update on the search or anything, I can give you some good news."
"A talk with Kraken?"
"Yep. It's all been cleared. Be down to the station in about an hour or so, and we'll have everything set up."
"Thanks, Detective."
"Hey, no problem, kid. See you then."
"Definitely."
He closed the Communicator as the call ended and stared at the T emblazoned across its surface for a moment before fixing it back onto his belt and grabbing a slip of paper from the notepad on the fridge, leaving a message as he prepared to leave.
Jump City Memorial Hospital. 1138 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
"Are you sure we can't keep the wheelchair?"
"Why? Are you having trouble walking?"
"No. It's just fun to ride in," Matilda Cornell smiled up into the haggard face of her father. "I think I could totally pull off a wheelie in this thing."
"After all the hassle to get you out of here, not in this hospital, you won't," Gertrude snapped as the family rode the elevator to the bottom floor. The stout woman was attired in a matronly dress with a floral print while her husband was in a suit that did not look as distressed as when he had first visited them in the hospital. Leaning down, the thin man whispered into the ear of the young brunette.
"She never said anything about the parking lot."
"Daniel, stop encouraging her!"
The door opened and the trio emerged into the lobby of the hospital, Daniel wheeling his daughter towards the door, slowly picking up speed under the exasperated glare of his wife. As the doors slid open before them, he surged forward and hopped on the back of her chair, the pair cheering as they zoomed onto the sidewalk.
"Left, left!" he called.
"I don't know how to turn in this thing!" she confessed with an excited laugh as they streaked towards the curb. Gertrude leapt in front of the pair, grabbing the handles and gritting her teeth as she stopped them before they went over the edge. They both flinched at her glare and averted their gaze as she wheeled them backwards.
"We finally made it out of there," she grumbled. "Let's try to avoid turning around and having to go back in."
"But, mom . . ."
"No 'buts,' little lady. Except that one that is getting out of that chair and into the van," she directed sternly, interrupting her daughter's groan.
"You should listen to your mother, chica," advised a cool voice, tinged with a light accent. "As frustrating as they are, they tend to know best."
The family turned as one to face Alondra Arnetti, biting into a crisp, red apple as the menacing bulk of her bodyguard loomed at her side. Her contemporary attire had been traded for a figure-hugging dress of crimson that stood in stark contrast to her pale skin. It enhanced her slight bust and a slit traveled dangerously high upon her supple thigh along the side. A golden chain was clasped about her slender neck and a sapphire that outdid the purest blue of the ocean dangled right before the valley of her slight bust. Daniel pulled his daughter from the chair as the svelte woman turned her carnivorous smile upon her and passed the confused girl to his wife.
"Go wait in the car," he instructed. "I'll be there shortly."
"Don't do anything stupid," Gertrude instructed before following his instructions, keeping herself between her eldest child and the criminal pair.
"Mom, who are those guys?"
"Nobody you need to worry about, dearie. Now, hurry along. Daddy has some business to discuss."
After they had moved from ear shot, Alondra chuckled, a rich, velvety sound as she strode to a bench and lowered herself upon it, creating another sharp crack as she tore away a chunk of the apple. As she chewed upon it, she looked to the thin man imploringly and patted the empty space next to her. He approached, but stopped short of sitting alongside her, stubbornly standing as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"What do you want?" he demanded harshly.
"Be wary of your inflection," Cash growled before Alondra placed a hand upon his forearm.
"Un piccolo uccello told me that your daughter was being discharged today. I just had to come and make sure that she was all right."
"She's fine. Now, leave."
She sighed at his snarl and turned, gazing off in the direction that his family had departed towards.
"It's strange, isn't it? Her heart's severely damaged in the car crash and in desperate need of replacement. Like every other heart that gets hurt. Yet, despite being a new entry onto the transplant list and the daughter of a mob boss - excuse me, alleged mob boss - she has a new one pumping in her little chest within hours," she mused, almost as though talking to herself.
His eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about?"
"Do you know your daughter's blood type?"
He faltered, brow furrowing further in confusion, but she continued without his answer.
"O negative. It's great for donating, but notoriously difficult to find a match for. E 'pittosto raro. And, in my line of work, rather expensive."
"That - her heart - you don't mean that -" he sputtered as she turned back to him with a smile.
"That I had a hand in its - what's the word you would use, Cash?"
"Procurement," he supplied with a grunt.
She snapped her fingers and nodded, "Yes, that's it. Gracias. Now, Danny boy, you might be thinking, 'well, I've got the heart. Now I can just take this perra out.' But, I should probably mention that little addition made to your daughter's surgery."
"What did you do to her?!" he demanded, taking a step forward as his hands clenched into fists. Cash intercepted him, placing a hand against the trembling man's chest and holding him in place as Alondra sighed and looked out across the parking lot. In a stately car, Gertrude pulled her daughter away from the window as the latter tried to spy on her father's meeting. The pale woman's lips pulled into a vicious smile.
"It's absolutely amazing what we can do with technology nowadays, isn't it? I mean, not only do we have pacemakers, but we can develop a machine to control somebody's heartbeat. And all at the press of a button! Simplemente increíble," she sighed as she held out her hand and Cash passed a small remote into it. She smiled at Daniel as Cash barred his way again and grinned, "Care for a demonstration?"
"NO!" he shouted and he shot forward, slipping about the broad man. One hand clasped about her wrist and the other closed around her throat with surprising strength, managing to shake the smug expression from her face. However, it was quickly replaced with anger and as her lips twisted into a scowl, Daniel was ripped away and hauled into the air, feet kicking futilely as they dangled above the sidewalk.
"Refrain from percussing the boss babe," growled her bodyguard, dispassionately watching the man scrabble for breath, scratching at his skin. His nails caught on his wrist and ripped long scars across it, but the large man did not flinch at the injury. Alondra stood, her face calm now as she placed a hand on Cash's forearm, lowering it to the ground and he reluctantly released the man's neck, letting him gasp for breath.
"Be careful, Danny boy. This isn't the only button. And, well, if I'm not around to keep an eye on my boys, who knows? Their trigger fingers might just get itchy. Oh, and I should probably mention that if it gets out of range, the device on her heart immediately goes into shutdown mode. So, you might want to stick around town."
With a velvety chuckle, she tossed the controller to him and he scrambled to catch it, only to stare at it in horror as it nestled innocuously in his palm.
"You owe me your daughter's life, Danny boy. And if you ever think about crossing me, I won't hesitate to collect," she said matter-of-factly. Smiling brightly, she leaned forward and kissed the air beside his cheeks in a deliberate performance. Pulling back, she patted him upon the shoulder while Cash loomed behind her. "Now, I'm off. I hope that you and your family have a nice day, Signore Cornell. Oh, and since I figured you'd be going to pick up dear Benjamin, I took the liberty of sending a fruit basket to your mother-in-law's house. Un regalo. Ciao."
Smirking at the man's tortured expression, Cash released a dark guffaw and then lumbered after his mistress. He stood despondently upon the sidewalk, watching them swagger away before he collapsed onto the vacated bench, dropping his head into his hands.
Precinct 413, JCPD. 1207 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
"Is he ready yet?"
"Just about. Boys said they wanted to do another check of the restraints and everything. Guy there used to be some sorta black ops, special forces super soldier. His whole military file's hella redacted," Detective Alexander Montgomery chattered to Robin as they stood behind the one-way mirror.
On its other side, a pair of officers conducted their study of Kraken's restraints, heavy cuffs covering his hands and clamped together. His ankles were bound together by more conventional cuffs and both sets were connected to a loop bolted into the floor. He stared ahead listlessly, sitting perfectly still, moved only when the pair trapping him were checking their work. Robin stared into the cool eyes that could not see him and his mouth twisted into a frown.
"I don't care what he used to be. If he's the reason that my friend is missing, I'm going to give him a reason to be scared of me," snarled the youth. Detective Montgomery paused in his chewing of several gummy worms and swallowed them before he cleared his throat.
"Kid, if he's behind anything, you can bet I'll do whatever I can to help. But I can't let you go beating on this dude or anything. Be hella bad - for both of us," he warned apprehensively.
"Give me a little credit, detective," smiled the boy deviously. "I don't need to lay a single finger on a person to make them scared."
Pushing his mouth to one side, the officer glanced down the foot and a half that separated their eyes and quirked a brow as he nodded, "Uh-huh."
There was a knock on the glass and the two turned to see one of the pair flash a thumbs-up before following his partner out the door. With a sigh, Detective Montgomery tossed another handful of gummy worms into his mouth and mumbled, "Looks like you're up, kid. Good luck."
"Thanks," he muttered as he stepped from the door and took the few steps down the hallway to the next. Drawing in a deep breath, he calmed what few nerves skittered about and exhaled before twisting the handle to the door and entering the chilled, evenly lit room. Kraken gave no sign of noting his presence, maintaining his vigil upon his reflection as though expecting it to suddenly leap from the glass. Approaching the table, Robin stood by the empty seat but did not take it, not wanting to refuse the superior ground that standing provided him.
"Mr. Fitzroy," he said. "Formerly Sgt. Fitzroy of the United States Navy Seals. Also known as Kraken."
"You can call me Gene," he supplied evenly. "Why are you here? Are the police here so inept that they need children to do their interrogations as well?"
"I have questions that I need you to answer," he answered.
"How can you not see it? See how they're using you? Hell, haven't you ever asked yourself while the Batman lets you jump around in all those bright colors while he hides in the shadows? I'm surprised he didn't just name you 'The Boy Target.'"
Ignoring his suggestions, the youth set his palms against the table and snarled, "What happened to my friend?"
"Your friend?"
"Beast Boy. He went missing after our fight with you. Where is he?"
"The shape-shifter? Missing?" he asked, arching a brow. "I can promise that I had nothing to do with his disappearance."
"You were just making that speech about how you were going to hang our corpses from that bridge," he accused. "And now you want me to believe that you didn't have anything to do with Beast Boy's disappearance?"
"Because I didn't. Am I surprised he's disappeared? No. I hope he wised up. I hope he abandoned you and your death wish. But, I doubt it. No, he's probably been taken by some madman - and if that's what it takes to get you kids to quit this, I can live with that."
Robin narrowed his gaze at the elder man who maintained a steady expression under the harsh stare, eyes fixed straight ahead. Finally, the hero sank into his seat, clasping his hands in front of him and studying the man across the table who still refused to meet his gaze. Neither of them said anything for a moment, but the dark-haired boy finally broke the silence.
"Most of the information has been wiped from your military record, but there are still bits and pieces left. And there's always other sources of information. You joined straight out of high school. You rocketed through the ranks before joining the Seals. Things get a little hazy after that, but you joined some sort of inter military task force."
"Tracing my history isn't going to help you find your friend. Even if I had something to do with it."
"You spent a lot of the time out of the states. Handling crises all over the world. Some I can't even pronounce. Others, however . . . China, Siberia, Britain, Venezuela, all over Africa . . ."
He trailed off as he caught the ex-solider's eyes tightening before his visage was quickly wiped clean. Keeping the victorious smile from his face, the boy continued, "Now, it doesn't say anything about what you did down there, but given all your talk about kids and fighting wars, I can make a few guesses."
"Don't," he growled threateningly, but Robin's gaze merely hardened.
"So, what? You lose some friends to child soldiers and decide to take it out on every kid who's fighting for something you don't think they should be?"
". . . We didn't lose anybody," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
Within the gauntlets disabling his nanocells, Gene balled his hands into fists as he gritted his teeth, "We. Didn't. Lose. Anybody."
"What then? What made you into this -"
"We killed them. An entire camp," he admitted, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "It was . . . some sort of training camp. Some wannabe dictator was using kids as soldiers again, but he was doing something to them. Brainwashing, hypnotizing, whatever. Nobody could break it. He'd turned hundreds of children into killing machines."
He sucked into a breath and released it in a shaky breath before he continued, "They'd found the camp where they . . . where they broke the kids. They sent us, they sent America's best professional killers, to 'solve the problem.' So we did. The way they taught us to. And that we burnt that Hell, and everybody in it, to the ground."
His gaze snapped up and he hissed, "So, that's why I'm like this. That's why I'm doing this. Until somebody finally understands."
Rocking back, he slammed his shoes against the table, shoving it at Robin as he pushed away, breaking the links of the chain tethering his hands to the floor. He bashed them against the chain on his ankle cuffs, shattering them in time to kick his chair into the air and launch it at the hero pouncing towards him. Batting aside the metal furnishing, Robin inadvertently opened himself up to the following attack, thrown backwards as Gene rammed into him. As he tried to stand, his foe's heel landed upon his hand and twisted, forcing him to cry out in pain and release his weapon. The heavy gauntlets pressed against his throat, cutting off his airway and dragging him up the wall until he was eye level with the criminal.
"I'm sorry," he said though his face betrayed no distress as he stoically accepted the dwindling strikes made against his body. "I'm sorry, but if you can't learn, maybe you can teach somebody else why children shouldn't play soldier."
"I . . . It's pronounced . . ." he struggled, trying to push away force on his throat. "It's pronounced . . . hero."
The door flew open to admit Detective Montgomery who, with a gummy worm still dangling from his mouth, raised his pistol and fired in a single, smooth motion. Gene shouted as the round bit into his shoulder and spun him away from the youth, dropping the boy to the floor. Recovering far quicker than he should have, the villain rounded on the detective who trained his sight upon him.
"Another step, and the next one goes through a lung," he said coldly. "Or your heart. Or both. I'm fairly certain that's anatomically possible."
He paused, eyes flickering upward as he considered the threat before he nodded, "I should have enough time then."
"Don't!" warned the officer as a foot lifted only for a red blur to arc through the air and bite into Gene's chest. He glanced at it in annoyance, recognizing the birdarang seconds before his body suddenly tensed and his teeth smashed together. Toppling backwards, he writhed and twitched upon the ground for several seconds before falling still. Detective Montgomery approached carefully, checking that he was unconscious before turning to Robin and helping him to his feet as he returned his firearm to its holster.
"You all right, kid?"
"Mostly," he coughed, massaging his throat. "Thanks."
"Hey, don't mention it. I'm just glad you're okay. But, uh, I'm not sure they're going to let you question Mr. Fitzroy here anymore," he grimaced, gesturing to the man on the floor as a puddle of blood grew beneath him.
"That's fine," Robin sighed. "He didn't know anything else anyway."
The young hero straightened and looked about the wreckage of the room, wincing as he turned to the detective.
"Sorry about the table."
"Eh. It was kinda getting old anyway."
Wolfman Manor, Outskirts of Jump City. 2028 Hours, 22 AUGUST 2014
In a grand house, one that could easily accommodate several of its lesser brethren, a family of four gathered about the marble-topped island in their kitchen for a late dinner. Their humble attired was contrasted by their surroundings and they laughed easily as they chatted about their days, the two siblings struggling to talk over each other before they were simultaneously hushed. The father completed his story and then the mother allowed her children to talk, only realizing her mistake when words burst from both of them like water from a ruptured dam. She tried to restore order to their discussion as the husband chuckled and reached over to lay a comforting hand upon her shoulder.
Far from the warm conversation of the kitchen, a spire rose from the end of the mansion, a grotesque perched upon each of its four corners. The fearsome figures of stone each presided over a cardinal direction, remnants of a superstitious ancestor who was certain that the effigies protected him from threats both natural and otherwise. Each was unique though they were all a mishmash of various intimidating features and shared the same general shape. Gaping mouths filled with fangs, great wings, and burly bodies though roosting birds had diminished some of their majesty.
As they waited in the darkness, a large ear twitched atop one of them.
Suddenly, the shadow that had been crouched upon the member of the quartet, pushed off and dropped through the air before arms extended, revealing great, leathery wings that caught the air. The lithe figure glided through the air before giving a small flap and then folding its limbs, dropping onto the balcony of the master bedroom.
Bella Free shook her head and sighed at the latch that closed the double doors until she slid a claw between them, lifting the futile attempt to keep those with ill intent out.
"Separation does not equal security, sillies," she muttered as she eased into the room, pushing through the satin curtains, light footsteps not making a sound. She navigated confidently through the darkness, periodically clicking her tongue and pausing whenever her ears picked up a robust sound from down below. Her brown fur was complimented by black clothes that were fitted to her body, while an equally dark backpack with clips on its straps was pulled over her shoulders. Undoing them, she opened the specially designed carrier and made her way to the dresser where the jewelry box sat.
She hummed a nonsensical tune to herself as she inspected the ornate container before retrieving a pair of lockpicks hidden in the band of her shorts. Her ear angled towards it and she ceased her humming, opting to stick her tongue from her mouth, as she focused on her work and she was soon rewarded with a click as the tumblers slid into place. Lifting the lid, she beamed at her reward and swiftly began to move her new treasures into her bag, wrapping each in a dark cloth before it was placed inside. As she finished emptying the silvery box, she closed it and set the lock once again. A ray of moonlight crept through the open window and she paused as it fell upon the dresser, illuminating a photo held in a silvery frame.
She approached hesitantly, staring at it curiously for a moment before reaching out to gently trace the glass preserving the family photo. The group smiled proudly out at her, huddled close together with no pretense evident. It had not been taken in a studio, but had spontaneously captured at the edge of a river, all of them drenched and wearing life vests. A plastic oar was clasped in the father's hand while his other arm was thrown about his wife's shoulder, pulling her close beamed at the camera. In front of them, their children struggled to keep the other from putting their hands behind their head though they both managed to turn and smile in time for the picture.
Bella had picked up the photo as the moonlight had retreated behind a cloud once again, trailing outside to continue her inspection of it. She nearly dropped it at a high-pitched whine and she hurriedly stuffed it into her backpack before drawing a phone out of one of the front pockets. Glancing at the name of the caller, she grinned brightly and answered quickly though she kept her voice low.
"Miss me, Icky?" she purred.
"With e'ery cell'o my bein', Bella," he muttered. "Where are ya?"
"Oh, simply shopping," she snickered. "Drowning in all these delicious deals and discounts."
"Yeah, three fing'ed, I bet. Now, unfurl those pretty wings'o yers n' flap on back here. We have sum finishin' touches t' g'over," he directed.
"Be right there, sexy, scaled, and surly. Love you," she singsonged, tilting her head as she pulled her backpack on, closing the clips.
There was a brief second of expectant silence before he grudgingly admitted, "Love y'too."
Pleased by the confession, she ended the call and tossed it back into her backpack, closing all its pockets. Turning about, she closed the balcony doors and then hopped onto the rail, spreading her wide wings. Leaping into the night air, she sank several yards before powerful flaps carried her upward, lifting her to blend with the dark clouds overhead. She circled the mansion once, looking at it wistfully before she promised herself, "Someday."
Turning away, she flew towards the bright lights of the sprawling city she and her colony had settled in. It had been over a year since they had tumbled through a tear in their world into this new one, and Bella still had trouble accepting the size, light, and sounds of the cities. The strange, sparsely furred inhabitants of the world rushed about at all hours, day or night, and she was equally perplexed and excited by the fervent nightlife. They poured across the sidewalks or through the streets in their roaring, belching cars, obsessed with their tiny, glowing boxes. She marveled at how, even with the legions of colorfully garbed individuals populating their world that none of them ever looked up.
Her musing came to an end as the unfinished building came into view and she lowered her altitude, tucking her wings to cleanly drop through the hole for a window. Spreading them abruptly, she caught herself and dropping soundlessly to the floor. Lowering her wings, she hummed to herself and her talons clicked against the floor as she made her way out of the barren room. She paused in the hallway, ears swiveling at the sound of patient tapping and turned herself about to duck into another room where Holly sat before a series of networked screens upon the ground. A number of phones were plugged into them, some partially disassembled, and several curious devices were scattered around her. Slipping forward, Bella swept her wings over the woodpecker's face and sang to her.
"Guess who, my beautiful, beaky brainiac."
"B-Bella!" she chirped. "Y-y-you - I-I-I'm busy!"
"Well, I figured that, silly," she said as she let her wings fall away and rested her chin upon her companion's thin shoulder. The younger woman shuddered at the contact, but her guest paid no heed to it as she marveled at the collection before her. "Where'd you get all the lil' lighty boxes?"
"They're cellphones. A-and K-K-Kay grabbed them for me. Umm, c-c-could you p-please get off?"
"What? After you apparently asked our bombastic baboon to bag the boxes, but not moi? The mistress of all things stealy?"
"I-its just that he- well, I mean, he has an easier time moving around down i-in the city and stuff, y'know? I-it's not like I doubted you or anything, I s-swear!"
While not entirely appeased, Bella decided that she had flustered her colleague enough and straightened, inspecting the claws on her fingers off-handedly.
"Excuses, excuses. I mean, there's almost enough of the strange sort that I could stroll around without being noticed," she teased. Holly turned to face her, but before she could offer any further protests, Bella leaned forward again and asked, "So, what wonder are we working on?"
"N-nothing much. I'm just keeping track of schedules and some other things on the guards. It's amazing how much personal stuff the people over here just leave on these."
"Sounds stupendous. But, you're coming down for Icky's planning session, right?"
"I-I'll be there in a minute. I told him that I needed to finish this up, and he said-he said it was fine."
"All righty then. Just hurry down," Bella asked as she ruffled the tuft of feather's emerging from the back of Holly's and skipped towards the door. She waved her farewell over her shoulder, missing the longing gaze and blush hidden by colorful feathers as she ducked back into the hallway. Following it to the incomplete elevator shaft, Bella dropped downward, completing several lazy circles before she swooped onto the floor below. Kay jumped at her sudden appearance, and she giggled as he shook his head.
"You're gonna give somebody a heart attack someday with all that flapping around," he grumbled.
"Oh, please. Like your face hasn't done so already, my sanity-slipping simian," she teased as she danced past him.
He smirked, "Well, I'm afraid that we can't all be as pretty as me."
"If you don't hurry up, our 'fearless leader' will make sure that neither of you are very pretty anymore," Sonia called from a doorway up ahead. Kay chuckled at the threat and jogged down the hall, but the winged woman paced evenly with a slight swing to her hips, pausing to smirk at the fire-bellied figure who scowled down at her.
"You know, my silicon-stuffed salamander, I just can't imagine my Icky messing up his favorite face," she said and Sonia's glare intensified.
"I'm a newt," she returned haughtily. "And you two can't run the show forever. Eventually, you're going to slip up."
"And I'm sure you'll let me know when I do," she smiled graciously, only further infuriating the figure in the slinky white dress. Giggling, she ducked past her and bounded over to drape her self across the reptilian man and curl about him. "Icky, Icky, Icky! How's the planning going?"
"Th'plan's complete. Jus' need t'make sure that none of y'mess it up," he rumbled as he reached over his shoulder and pulled her into his lap.
She grinned up at him and leaned forward to plant a kiss upon his long snout before righting herself and settling in his lap. She unbuckled her backpack and hastily opened it only to pause at the sight of the picture she had stolen. It mesmerized her for a moment as she cradled it between her hands until she shook the fog clear from her head and placed it gingerly upon the ground. Diving back into the bag, she pulled her loot out and unfurled it upon the ground, beaming at them like freshly opened Christmas gifts as heavy hands fell upon her shoulders, massaging them. She cooed at the touch, leaning back into it as Toch nuzzled the end of his snout against the top of her head.
"Bella, I love ya," he began. "But half this stuff in't worth movin'."
"But look!" she exclaimed, holding up a ring composed of twining, diamond-studded bands. "It's super shiny!"
"Y'rilly need t'be more discernin' in yer thiev'ry," he sighed. "Magpie's are pickier than ya."
"Well, if a certain somebody hadn't interrupted me, I would've stolen everything. So I wouldn't have to be discerning."
"Hrrnh," he rumbled before glancing to the other pair in the room, expectantly waiting.
He pulled out a dingy pocket watch that had once shimmered with a golden sheen and been decorated by some noble crest, but both had been lost to the abuse it had been subjected to before it had found its way into Toch's possession. Flipping its lid open, he glared at the still-precise hands and then looked up again as Kay dropped onto a long crate with a sigh and Sonia posted several feet away, arms crossed over her considerable bosom.
"Where's Holly? Sh'said sh'was almost done," he demanded, ire rumbling in his growl.
"Here!" yelped the woman in question as she raced into the room, clutching a laptop under her wing. "I'm here! I had-had to finish some stuff."
"And yer done now?" he growled.
She paused, eyes glancing backwards for a second before she nodded, "I should-I should be, ye-yes."
"Good," he said as he spread the blueprints before him. His clawed fingers went to several circles drawn in red and the paths that led from them. "Each o' th'guards has their own patterns n' places they tend t'go. Holly goddin their phones, found their schedules, n' messed with that whole GPS thin'. These are th'general patterns they follow."
"First step is taking them out, right?" Kay smirked eagerly.
"Knock 'em out," Toch clarified, reminding the snickering man. "No deaths."
"Ahhhh. Spoilsport," he groaned and then giggled.
"Phones are set fer when th'guards start their patrols. Take'em out, quietly. 'Fore they can alert others."
"And if we can't?" asked the curvaceous woman.
"Adjust. No need t'kill'em."
"Need, maybe not. But, there are certainly reasons," Sonia pressed. "If we simply leave them unconscious, there's the possibility that they'll wake up and attack us from behind. Not so much if they're dead."
"Ooh, the talking boobs bring up a good point," Kay said, pointing at her as she growled at him. He paused and then leered, "Several, actually."
"We've had this conve'sation 'fore. Jus' keep on yer toes, or whate'er damn digits you got, n' don't leddem git th'drop on ya," Toch snapped and the arguments quickly dissipated. A hand reached up to stroke along his powerful jaw and Bella cooed to him until he finally calmed and sighed. Lifting his head again, he continued, "Kay grabbed some weap'nry that we're gonna hafta figger out 'fore we move."
"Wait, wait. You-you said 'we,' like you, you . . ." Holly interjected, her eyes growing wide. "I mean, you don't - you can't mean-"
"All o' us. We're all goin' in."
"N-n-no, but I-I-I-I don't - I don't do - don't do that -"
"Hey, hey, settle, sweetie," urged the lithe woman who flitted from Toch's lap to the girl's side. She wrapped a wing about her huddled form and pressed her head against her own. "We'll be right there with you. Every step of the way."
"It'll be just like when we didn't have all these hanger-ons," Sonia looked to the youth with a smirk. "Just . . . more guns."
"Kay n' I have already set up th' 'scape route. Grab anythin' n' e'erythin' that y'can carry n' then bring it here," he directed them towards a green circle located towards the center of the museum. "Be th'rough. Yer gonna have, at most, an hour. The 'larms been taken care of. Right, Holly?"
Seemingly have recovered from her near catatonia at the revelation that she would be joining their escapades, the long-billed girl jolted and nodded, "Ye-yes. They've - they shouldn't be any problem."
"Anything in particular that we're going for?" Sonia asked.
"Yer discretion," he shrugged before looking towards Kay who was rocking eagerly upon his crate. "Go 'head n' crack open yer damn toy chest 'fore you give yerself an ane'rysm."
Cackling excitedly, he rolled backwards, simultaneously sliding out of his boots and revealing the prehensile toes that grabbed the lid and ripped it away. He threw it aside as he stood and posed over them, gleefully rubbing his hands together.
"When we figure out how to get back home, we're totally bringing these with us."
Whoo! That was a doozy, yeah? It ran a little bit longer than we were originally planning for it to go.
So, most of the bat people from Zoo World (placeholder name for Toch and Bella's reality) have fairly long arms, regardless if they're capable of flight or not. For most of her childhood, Bella's wings were abnormally large, even for her species, and she would have to hold them over her head to run around or else she had a tendency to trip over them. Also, she stole a larger part of that last section than intended. Fitting for a thief, no?
Anyway, please review and we hope you enjoyed!