Chapter 4: Breakout
When Krystal arrived at Café de Panther, her assigned station for the day, a peculiar sight greeted her. All the waitresses were gathered around the cash register talking in hushed tones. They appeared to be having some kind of argument, and Krystal decided to investigate. She approached the counter, removing, as she did so, the long overcoat she wore over her uniform and hanging over the counter. "Hey, what's up?" She enquired of the other waitresses. They all turned and gave Krystal a strange appraising look. Then an idea seemed to dawn over them and their expressions became pleasant.
"Hi, Kursed!" grinned a pretty little blond dog whose name was Elle. "How's it going?"
"Alright, I guess." Krystal replied pretending not to listen as she went behind the counter to retrieve her pad and pen. "What were you guys arguing about?" she asked testing the water. A strong sense of deception flowed from the group.
"Oh, we're not arguing!" A yellow furred vixen named Ali assured her. "We were just talking about how busy we are today!" Ali's face was sincere, but her mind exuded fear and disgust. She was obviously lying so that she didn't have to cover a customer she didn't like. "Listen, I was just about to get table 16 over there, but since you're here, I'm just going to go back to my room now! Would you mind....?" Ali's voice trailed off and she gestured at Krystal.
Krystal read into her co-worker's intentions, there wasn't any malevolence there, but the vixen was still concealing something, something none of them wanted to do. "Why can't one of you do it?" Krystal enquired, gesturing at the other 4 girls with her pen. The waitresses faces turned red as they tried to come up with excuse.
"Uh, work!" yipped Elle.
"Yeah, we're really busy!" a brown furred vixen called Danni picked up, gesturing around and groaning at the courtyard. The other girls gave similar answers and Krystal gave them a shrug.
"Okay, whatever. I'll get table 16." She began walking towards the unwanted table, jotting down a few notes on her pad. She could feel waves of relief alleviate the waitresses' troubled minds and thoughts like: "Better her than me." crossed their minds. Krystal didn't know who this guy was, but he must be a pretty big douche bag to repulse every waitress in the café.
Of course there was another option she'd forgotten to consider. As she approached the table there was a loud wretching sound and Krystal jumped nearly dropping her pad. Rasper sat at the table clasping his throat in one of his trade mark coughing spells. Krystal now understood why Ali and the other waitresses had been so eager to pass this one onto her. Her heart quivered as that same pitying feeling overwhelmed her. Rasper stopped coughing and sat back up to his chair, his head hanging to one side. Krystal composed herself and determined not to back down from the challenge. Who knows? She might even learn something about him she previously didn't know. Holding her head up high, Krystal walked right up to Rasper and looked down at him. Swallowing she spoke, "Is there something I can help you with, sir? Do you need anything?"
Rasper's gaze shifted to the blue-furred vixen, his invisible eyes bored holes right into hers. Determined not to back down, Krystal didn't blink or break eye contact, she just stared back trying to see past the mask and into his eyes. She could sense something struggling against the fog of medication that clouded his/her brain. A higher brain power perhaps? Oh, let it win! Let it win! I want you to say something! Something I can work with! Krystal pushed her thoughts into the thick cloud cover of sedation pouring all her curiosity, concern, and pity into them. Suddenly, something inside Rasper's head gave way and a small dark hole appeared in Krystal's mental rendering of his mind.
"K...KKK...Kursed?" The hoarse whisper from Rasper's mouth startled Krystal and she poured encouragement into that hole. Yes! That's it! Talk! Talk to me! I want to know who you are! Tell me! Please! She felt a stirring of consciousness echoed from inside the darkness of his mind, something like a groan escaped through the whole. Krystal's excitement was peaking now. Her eyes were wide and all her energy was channeled through her telepathy, trying to clear away the fog away from the awakening mind. Just a little more...
"Kursed?" a delicate black-furred hand placed itself on her shoulder, shaking her. Krystal willed whoever it was to go away and leave her alone! She was so close! So close to unshackling Rasper's mind that nothing else mattered! Even if it was Wolf's hand gripping her shoulder and shaking her more insistently, she couldn't care less! "Kursed? Kursed! What wrong with you!"
"Go away!" Krystal said tearing her self away for a millisecond. Rasper's mind would be open to her if she could just widen the hole! Suddenly, there was a buzzing sound and a puff of smoke began rising to Rasper's face. No! Krystal screamed mentally. Without thinking she bent down and quickly began inhaling all of the smoke she could bear. Krystal let out a long wretching cough as the sedative began working its way into her system. She saw a soft mist cloud her mental eyes, making it harder to stare through the hole, which had narrowed slightly with the reintroduction of the drug. Determined not to be beaten, Krystal did the best she could to clear away the haze in front of her. Hello? She shouted through the hole, hoping that someone would answer. Another soft groan emanated from within. Krystal was determined though, and decided that the only thing to do was attempt a Mental Middle Ground. A visual representation of both individuals thoughts. On Cerinia, it was usually used intimately between mates, and in accordance Krystal had only ever done it with hers. But if she wanted to uncover the truth behind Rasper's identity she felt she had no choice. Putting her hands on either side of Rasper's masked head, Krystal brought their foreheads together, establishing a link, and jumping through the dark hole in Rasper's mask.
It was dark. Krystal couldn't tell where she was exactly. Only that she was in a field. The only light came from above her, where a hole in the vast cloud cover let in a circle of bright, warm light. Krystal became aware that she was naked, but this was no surprise to her. In a MMG state, your thoughts were laid bare before your partner and nothing could be hidden. Krystal's fur color had also changed from Storm blue, to her natural sapphire, and her fur tattoos were again visible. She looked around desperately for Rasper's consciousness, but he was nowhere in the pool of light. "Hello?" She shouted into the dark field. Something on her left stirred an rolled over in the grass. Krystal's gaze snapped in that direction and she was just in time to see a thick, chestnut colored tail slide back into the darkness. Krystal began running towards where the tail had been. Suddenly, the ground shook beneath her feet and the window of sunlight began to shrink. "No!" Krystal shouted at the hole willing it to stop. "Not now! I'm so close!" Krystal had a choice to make. She knew if she stayed the hole would close completely, and the MMG would distablize, and she would be trapped in Rasper's mind until an opening was made again! But if she went back she might never be able to reach Rasper for a long time!
Unfortunately, the answer was obvious. Krystal concentrated and began rising into the air towards the diminishing circle. As she floated out through the hole, she looked down again. Someone was standing beneath her. "I'll be back for you! I promise!" Krystal shouted as she rose into the haze of her own mind.
As the hole closed completely, she could swear she heard someone shout in a sleepy mid-toned voice: "Okay! I'll be waiting!"
Krystal's eyes snapped open and she released the head of a screaming Rasper. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out Rasper's figure covered in white smoke. The enigmatic entity's hands clutched its throat and the screaming mixed in with coughing. Krystal became aware that someone was slapping her cheek. "Krystal? Krystal can you hear me? What the hell's wrong!" Krystal recognized the whispered voice to be Katt's, which would explain why her real name had been used. Krystal began shaking her head from side to side, trying to rid her mind of the fog caused by the smoke she'd inhaled. "I'm okay Katt!" Krystal said drozily, sitting up to look her friend in the face. "What's happening to Rasper?"
"How should I know?" Katt answered staring back at the suffering creature. "You had your heads mashed together, and all of a sudden his hands go to his throat, and he tries to pull off that color. He started screaming and smoke started billowing from that collar! I was just trying to get you off of him!"
Krystal realized that the collar was designed so that if the wearer tried to take it off, to give him a good shock, and start spurting more smoke to subdue the resistance. Rasper's screaming had attention, and soon two bulky canine guards came striding over to investigate.
"Hey quiet down, scum!" Rasper continued screaming and coughing, unable to comply. The guard raised foot to kick Rasper. "I said: Shut up!" As the guard brought his kick upward, Rasper, displaying incredible reflexes for some one in his position, caught the leg. The large dog looked startled, and froze for an instant. Rasper reached up to the holster on the guard's leg and in one swift movement drew the blaster and fired it into the astonished dog's eyes. The guard dropped to the floor stunned, and Rasper stood up and pointed it at his companion. The second guard narrowly avoided Rasper's second shot, and dived behind another table in the café. Krystal was dumbstruck. She could only feel a fierce instinct behind his actions but it was still impressive. If this was what he was capable of while heavily drugged, than she'd be terrified to meet him alone when he was sober.
Rasper put the blaster pistol to the still smoking collar and pulled the trigger. The collar smoked and sputtered for a moment, and then the ugly smoke stopped coming. Rasper was breathing heavily as his body fought the last of the sedative, and he gripped the table. At last, he was free of the smoke! The second guard stood up from his cover behind the table and fired a red laser bolt at Rasper. The recovering Rasper rolled nimbly aside and fired his own blast. This one took the guard in the forehead, and the dog whined and dropped to the deck. Rasper ran behind the table and retrieved the second pistol. The commotion had attracted more guards and many thugs who wanted a piece of the action. Rasper eyed the approaching group warily. He widened his stance and tossed one of the pistols behind him and into Krystal's hands. Krystal was confused by the gesture, and was forced to assume that he wanted her to back him up. Apparently, he'd labeled her as a friend and expected her co-operation in his escape attempt. Krystal knew she couldn't interfere because of the contract Wolf had made her sign, and she felt sorry for that fact, because she wanted to help desperately.
Rasper fired twice, dropping two of the smaller thugs and launched a flying kick at a third more bulky ape. The kick connected with the guard's stomach and Rasper brought his left leg up under the chin, while simultaneously grabbing the guard's pistol, and pushing off in a flip, firing the pistol at the ape's chest. Rasper landed on the floor in a kneel, and the ape fell heavily to the floor. Rasper then crossed his arms and rapid fired into the semi-circle of aggressors, catching most in the head and chest. A lone fox sped towards Rasper, his hand raised in attempt to punch him. Rasper hissed and kneeled down swiftly, blasting the tail restraint of his leg. Rasper swiped his leg and tail across the fox's legs, causing them to buckle. With a grunt the vulpine dropped to the floor and Rasper fired into the space between his eyes. All of a sudden a roar issued from behind Rasper as a large tiger swung a long pipe horizontally at Rasper's torso. Rasper ducked the blow and fired into the tiger's groin. There was a loud yowl as the tiger grasped his crotch and dropped the pole. Rasper seized the pipe and swung it into the cat's face, knocking him out cold.
"Hey, a thousand credits to whoever drops that guy!" A scared looking guard shouted from a safe distance away. There was a loud cheer and many shouts of "Let's get 'em boys!" as every thug in Sargasso stood up and charged at Rasper. Realizing he was far too outnumbered to continue fighting, Rasper did a long back flip, landing lightly on Krystal's shoulders and pushed off, using her shoulder's as a spring board to grab an over hanging service ladder. There were many cries of dissatisfaction from the mob, as their query climbed up and away onto the overhead ramps, and began running swiftly towards the lifts. Krystal felt a surge of joy for him. After who knows hog long of being imprisoned he was going to escape. She could feel his mind becoming clearer and some rational thought return to his brain, like a sleepy child opening it's eyes after a long sleep. He stopped moving momentarily and turned slowly to face the mass below him. Krystal felt faint thought patterns of confusion run through Rasper's head. Thought's like: "Where am I? How'd I get here?" and "Why am I wearing this mask?" Rasper reached up and pulled at the black sack on his head. The collar impeded his attempt at its removal and he tried to break the collar off, bending all his strength on it. There was a faint breaking sound as part of the casing broke of in his gloved hand. Realizing for the first time that he had a blaster in his pocket, the awakening Rasper adjusted the setting and pointed it at the collar's bulb. He fired and the bulb was blown away in a flash of red light. Pulling the remnants of the band from around his neck, Rasper pulled away the black covering. Krystal squinted and widened her eyes, trying her hardest to make-out her project's true face. He had chestnut colored fur, and tall pointed ears, but that was all she could determine, and that was hard enough to go on, seeing as it was common for most canines and vulpines. He was just to far away to see clearly.
"Can you see his face, Katt?" Krystal asked her friend, hoping she could provide some description.
"Nope, he's just too far away." Katt replied, dashing Krystal's hopes. She would've just taken a dive into his mind normally, but she wasn't close enough to get an accurate reading. Rasper rubbed his neck where the collar had previously been and cracked his neck from side to side. Suddenly, his ears perked and he turned towards the lift, who's doors were sliding open. Krystal felt a surge of recognition, anger, and fear from Rasper and there was a loud blasting sound as a blue laser bolt soared into his face. Krystal's heart dropped as he went down. No! He was so close to being free! She watched in horror as the tall figures of Wolf O'Donnell and Panther Caroso came into to view, eying the limp figure on the ground. Panther turned to Wolf and said something to the lupine who gave Panther a look and picked up the unconscious Rasper. Fitting the bag over his head again, Wolf addressed t the crowd.
"Go back to your own business! There's nothing to see here! And if anyone tries to intercept us on our way down to the detention center, they'll find themselves dead!" There was a general murmur of voices and Krystal watched as Panther and Wolf disappeared from view. The crowd began to disperse again. Krystal felt a feeling of let down grip her heart. She turned to Katt and looked into her friends eyes.
"Are you okay, Krystal?" Katt asked. She didn't answer, but nodded sadly and began walking away. "Kursed?" Katt called after her friend. "What's wrong?" Krystal didn't reply. She was feeling so bad for Rasper. He was amazing! He was strong, smart, resourceful, and determined, and that was just on instinct. He could be so much more than what he was and yet Star Wolf wasted his talent and kept him drugged, working in a smelly garbage room. Krystal made up her mind, then and there to help Rasper escape if she got the chance. She wouldn't betray his trust again. But in order to do that she needed a plan.
As she passed a table where several ruffians were sitting, a grey avian whistled and smacked her ass. "Hey, baby! You're looking particularly fine today! Why don't you and I get out of here after your shift and have some "good times!"
Krystal froze. She was on the verge of giving the bird a swift kick in the nads, but instead she turned back to him and gave a sexy smile. "Oh, gee. I don't know. You might be a little too rough for a girl like me." She leaned down and put her muzzle close to his ear. "What's your room number?"
The avian smiled lustfully. "24567."
"Nice...I'll be over about 8...and I better get a big tip for this." She slid her hand slowly down the avian's arm suggestively. "See you then." Krystal stood up and walked slowly away. The avian and his friends whistled again and started grasping shoulders. Krystal felt disgusted with herself. She had just promised sex to a ruffian she didn't even know. But if she was going to help Rasper, she needed to duck below the radar, and being a bad girl wasn't going to help. But if she became a "good girl" maybe that would jack down her popularity, and allow her more access to places she needed to be. She retrieved her pen and pad from the table, and went back to work, formulating plans that needed to be made.
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