AVERY'S POV

My heart pounds hard as I stumble to a stop, letting my breath catch up to me. With so many people in the woods I'll bet there is a town nearby. I have a feeling I will have a better chance finding my dogs in civilization rather than out here in the woods. I take in a deep breath before breathing out a sigh, trying to locate a road. There has to be one around here somewhere.

I head through a few deer trails, keeping alert for either that strange brown haired boy or the bunny man thing. I don't want anything to do with either of them. I breathe out a sigh as I see an arm swinging at me in my peripheral vision. I whip back and against a chest before the arm gets around my neck and tightly squeezes.

"Guh-!" I whine as a body presses up from behind to reduce my movement. He forces me to awkwardly bend over backwards, controlling my movement by taking hold of my head.

"That wasn't very nice of you, Miss Foreigner. You punched me when my guard was down and I was being nice." The brunette's voice purrs as his arm tightens. H-He found me-!My throat begins to close up from the crushing force before my arms whip up and grip the suffocating limb. I dig my nails into his arm and drag it down far enough to work my chin under his arm so he can't choke me out.

"O-O-O...ff-!" I wheeze, feeling my heart race faster and faster. I can't die. No, not here. Jett and Jaiden are still lost and if I'm killed here, there's very little chance of anyone finding my body.

"And~ down the hatch!" He eagerly grins as his fingers dig into my hair and force my head back. His other hand comes around with the vial in hand and thumb over the top. I open my mouth to scream but his thumb smashes against my lips, prying my jaw open with the vial itself. The glass scraps against the edges of my sensitive teeth, the choking liquid pouring into my mouth. I shove my back against him and try to get him off balance as my tongue blocks the back of my mouth, forcing some of the liquid to drip down my cheeks while most remained in my mouth.

"Awe~ that's not fair. You need to swallow the potion in order to play the game." His voice near sadistically purrs as he shoves the entire vial down my throat. The thick vial gets stuck against the back of my throat as my eyes widen, unable to breath at all while the cool liquid slithers into my stomach. N-No, it might be poison or - I ... I ...

I will go to hell sooner than die here in a forest with this kid.

"That's a good girl." He smugly purrs, his arm loosening up while the vial itself chokes me. My fingers latch onto his arm before my leg shoots back and smacks against his knee.

"WHOA-!" He excitedly shouts, startled but pleased. I bend forward and flip the boy right over my shoulder and onto the ground before retreating a few steps, dropping to my knees I shove my hand into my mouth. My finger grip the back of the vial and rip it out of my mouth, tossing it aside as I sputter and cough to get my breath back. L-Lucky it wasn't any further down my throat or I would have s-swallowed it. I bite back a frightened growl as I glare over my shoulder at him. I need to either run or hurt him. Run fast enough that I can lose him or hurt him so he can't get back up and follow me.

"Ooh~ impressive! I thought I was going to have to give you the Heimlich maneuver!" He cheerfully laughs, picking up the vial coated in saliva. He wipes the dirt off on his sleeve as I wobble to my feet. R-Run, don't hurt him. He's still just a kid. I take a few shaky steps, attempting to make another getaway before his hand latches onto my arm.

"Hey, Miss Foreigner, you're not going to leave your vial are you-," he starts before I whip around with an elbow to the temple. He gives me the slip and ducks out of the way, bouncing back a little bit with a cheeky grin on his face. "Awe~ you wanna fight me? You sure that's a good idea?" He asks with a dangerous smile.

"I don't," I honestly say, putting my fists up near my cheeks as my right legs slides back a bit. My knees bend as I start swaying a bit, taking a deep breath before exhaling and analyzing my target, "but if you touch me a third time I will drop you."

"Ha ha! You can fight? I wanna see~," he happily purrs as he unbuckles his sword from his hip. My eyes flash as I hop from foot to foot, slipping a finger over my nose and taking off my glasses before tossing them back towards where I plan to leave after dropping him. I don't need them. Those are just for show, really but my brothers got me those as a gift after I made the decision to quit MMA. I didn't want to, but I ... but I didn't want to be called a dike or be judged for my hobbies and, for a short while, my profession. Call me a ninny or call me a sissy. Call me self conscious or call me a freak. Be my guest.

But when you raise a fist to me you will not walk away.

"Fun~! But, you don't fight with a weapon I guess." The teen chuckles before tossing his sword into the woods. He eyes me with interest, trying to awkwardly copy my movement. I let the tension leave my body with the next exhale, waiting for his next move. His training is mainly based on the sword. His movement is clean but the power behind it messy. He's a hard hitter, not a precise attacker from what I gather right now.

"Sorry, but I don't know how to go easy." He apologizes with cool eyes before he grins, "I've never really trained with hand to hand combat before ha ha!" A joker. A kidder. A mocker. Someone who can't fight well with fists and instead relies on weapons. If I can get him on the ground I will win, hands down. The normal human being is awkward when fighting on the ground because movement is limited.

I remain silent before making the first lunge, watching for his sloppy counter attack to the large opening I left. He grins and jumps forward, aiming with a poorly formed uppercut. My head barely moves to the side, feeling his knuckles scrape against my jaw before shooting my arm out and around the back of his head and yanks his head into my collarbone before forcing his head a little lower. Being taller I need to maintain control, not allowing his body to move freely.

"Ooh~ a booby shot?" He laughs, mocking my muay thai clinch as he pushes his head into my chest. My fingers dig into his hair as I pull my leg back before driving it into his gut. He bulks, realizing the true danger he is in before putting his hands up to catch the next one. I bring my arm back and lighten up the hold, letting him try to tear his head back as a normal reaction before swinging my elbow around and digging it into the side of his head. He stumbles back, holding the bleeding cut as I dance back. He knows I'm a threat now so he has a choice. Continue or be driven into the ground.

"Ha ... ha ha ha ha ha!" He laughs, seeming enthralled, "this is so much fun! You actually got a hit!" He says, pulling his head down to reveal how large the gash was. My heart trembles as I watch the blood stream down his face. I hit him hard enough to knock someone out but he's still standing. I ... I need to take out his legs somehow. At least sprain an ankle so he can't run after me.

"Alright~ no more going easy I guess." He grins before whipping forward. I bounce back and wait until he's close enough, immediately realizing the bear hug he's attempting despite the poor cover up.

The moment his fingers touch my arms I drop down to one knee and grab his leg, using his own momentum to knock him clear off his feet. He drops to the side as I force his leg up and, ignoring the other leg going around for a kick, wrap my legs around his thigh and hook my arm around his ankle. I need to sprain it. I have to. The unexpectedly hard kick from his other leg despite the awkward position smacks into me, making me falls down over his ankle at an awkward ankle. Crap-!

I feel the tendons and bones in his ankle strain before suddenly giving out beneath the thin layer of the long boot, crushed under my body and at the unintentional angle of falling. The kid takes in a sudden breath before I let go and roll onto my legs, hopping back as I survey his awkwardly twisted foot. T-That was not my intention! I meant to strain it, not break it!

"Ha ha ha ha ha wow that hurts!" He laughs as he sits up, realizing the fight is over. He lifts up his limp foot and looks at it with a cheeky smile, probably too hyped up on adrenaline to realize just how bad it is.

"I-I'M SO SORRY!" I instinctively shout as I drop down and stare at his broken foot. O-Oh, my gosh, crap that's not good! "I-I-I only meant to sprain your ankle but you kicked me over!" I sit by his leg and gently touch the calf oh his foot and start to untie the laces.

"Huh? Aren't you going to run?" He asks, looking confused as I very gently slip his shoe off. My eyes widen as the sorely red and irritated skin is already starting to balloon up, making his foot stiff but his ankle free moving.

"B-But I broke your foot!" I cry, mortified. I've got to get him to a doctor and then run for my life from him. I can't just leave him out here, he'll die!

"So? It will be fixed in a Time Change or two." He laughs, not at all caring about it. I nervously stare at the foot before going off to the side and picking up my glasses, setting them on before hopping off where I saw him throw his blade. He perks up as I reemerge from the bushes, noticing his sword now buckles around my slimmer waist.

"Ha ha am I being robbed?" He laughs with a wide grin, seeming to enjoy the thought. I kneel down right beside him and grab his arm before hooking the other around the injured leg's knee. Before he can say anything I pick him right up off the ground in the form of a fireman carry.

"Ha ha ha ha ha I'm being kidnapped!" He shouts with delight with a grin on his face. I glance at the signs and spy the word 'town' on one before heading down that general direction. How in the world did I miss that?

"S-Sorry ... really, really sorry. I'll take you to a hospital." I say, swallowing my fright of walking through town with the kid over my shoulders. This ... is not something a girl would do, carrying a boy over her shoulders. But I need to help him. I ... can endure the r-ridicule. This is my fault. I shiver at the thought of what others will think as I try to hurry down the path but not jostle the kid around too much.

"No need. I'm heading to the Art Museum now since Julius is there." He answers, seeming the enjoy the fact I could not only lift him up but also carry him. He's fairly light but he's also heavier than I thought he would be.

"Julius?" I ask, assuming he's a doctor for wherever this Art museum is.

"Yes," he breathes with a smile as his eyes seem to sadden, "he's my best friend."

"Then, I will bring you to Julius." And then run for my life and away from this kid.

GGGGGGGG THIS IS A TIME SKIP IT WON'T LET ME PUT A STUPID LINE IN OR SOMETHING GGGGGGGGG

The town lights shine through the darkness as I head towards them, thankful to have finally sound civilization. My muscles tremble and ache from the long search as I finally come to a stop and rest for a bit near a bench. The soles of my feet ache from carrying the boy and walking around for so long. Goodness I'm tired. The kid's body trembles with laughter before it bursts out in a loud, ear popping blow.

"I'm amazed you could run so fast with me on your back!" The man heartily laughs as I wobble forward. Last night was a nightmare. We were chased by a bear with two babies and, with little to no warning, the sky suddenly changed from night to sunrise! I can't ... I can't take much more of this. I just can't. If this is some messed up dream from drinking too much diet Pepsi before bed then please wake up soon!

"Ha ha! We finally made it to town! The Art Museum is that way." The kid points out with a broad grin. I lazily crane my head back to stare at him. Is it? Is it really? Because I've been walking around for hours and we just made it to town. He took me down some unmarked paths and, assuming he knew the area, followed them right into the den of a grumpy mother bear. Is it possible he just has a terrible sense of direction?

"I think I'm going to asks for directions." I say, looking around the near empty street before spying a lone man kneeling by the edge of a shop, propping the leg of a broken table up with a few bricks.

"Awe~ you don't trust me?" He laughs as I walk up behind the hunched over man and gently tap him on the shoulder. I'm sure he will be nice enough to help me.

"Um, excuse me, could you tell me where the Art Museum is-?!" I jolt at the end, frightened as I stare into smooth slopes on the man's head where his eyes should be. W-Where are his eyes?!

"Ma'am?" He asks, tilting his head in confusion. I-I-Is that normal? Is that some sort of serious health condition? I-I shouldn't stare, it's rude. I nervously gulp as my legs start to tremble a bit, wanting to run away but I hold firm.

"U-U-U-Uh, y-y-y-y-yes, er, can you please tell me where the A-Art Museum is?" I stiffly ask, nervously gulping. Don't stare at his face don't stare at his face d-don't stare at his face-! I listen closely for his instruction, pointedly looking away and trying not to rudely gawk at him.

" ... uh, sure?" He says, clearly puzzle as to why I'm so stiff, "the Art Museum is just over there," he says, pointing me in the right direction.

"Thank you-!" I quickly say, adjusting the boy on my shoulders before dashing off. What happened to his eyes?! There were no scars or anything so where were they? Even if it was some sort of horrible disfiguration at birth he would still have some sort of scar tissue there. But ... i-it felt like he was staring right at me even without actual eye balls.

"H-Hey, is that the queen's dog?!" The man shouts. I glance back at him the moment he said dog, immediately looking around for an actual dog. Dog? Could it be Jaiden or Jett?

"H-Hierr." I call, looking around and listen intently for the tapping of paws. If he saw a dog maybe it's one of my dogs?

"Uh oh~ you talked to the wrong faceless, Miss Foreigner," the boy laughs, "ha ha, we're in trouble now!"

"W-Wrong faceless?" I stutter as I turn back around face the man as he pulls out a small pocket watch from his jacket. Why did he call him a faceless? My eyes widen as the pocket watch fades and visibly reassembles in the blink of an eye into a gun.

"I-It turned into a gun!?" I cry, startled as I wobble back from the man. How? How did a watch turn into a handgun?! "W-Watch! It was a watch a second ago!"

"You murdered my father, dog." The faceless coldly states, his hand trembling as he keeps the barrel locked onto the boy. M-Murder? Just who am I carrying right now?! And how could a kid this young commit something like a murder? My head whips back, spying the boy's cheerful smile.

"I couldn't help it! He was a witness and tried to attack me." He laughs, doing nothing at all to help the situation and instead makes it worse. I frantically whip my head back and forth, struggling to think of a way to calm the situation down. Isn't there something else you could have said?!

"W-W-Wait, let's talk about this-," I start, stumbling back as he takes a few steps forward. Please, please don't involve me I'm just helping someone so why am I being punished?!

"No. This man killed him-!" He starts before the end of a gun slipped out of a nearby alley and pressed against the side of his head.

"Hey, hey now, it's not nice scaring a little lady." A deep voice chuckles as the man steps into the light with a cocky grin.

"B-Bermudas-!" The man squeaks before the man in a hard hat taps the end of the barrel against his head.

"D-Don't shoot, don't shoot!" I cry, trying not to get anyone killed here. Why do all of these people have guns? Scary, that's scary!

"Gun down. We aren't here to cause trouble today." He grins. The man shudders and reluctantly lowers his guns, clearly too frightened to try and go against the large men.

"Are you alright, Miss Avery?" Another man asks, nearly making me jump out of my skin in fright. I spin around, spying another thinner man approach me with a shovel in hand. Are these guys construction workers who saw the confrontation?

"W-W-Wait, how do you know my n-name?" I stammer, taking an uneasy step back from him. Should I try to outrun him? But then they can gun me down.

"Oh, here let me take him." He says, reaching for Ace.

"S-Sure?" I stammer, letting him slide Ace off my shoulders and onto his one shoulder. He casts a glance over Ace's foot, giving it hardly any more attention before looking back up to me.

"From the tags of what I assume is your dog." He says, disclosing no other information about the dog.

"O-Oh, you've found one? I-Is it Jaiden or Jett? O-Or, I mean, a German Shepherd or a Doberman?" I nervously stammer, glancing back at the confrontation not too far away.

"Oh, you have two dogs? We only found one. Well, more like he found us. It's the German Shepherd." He reassures with a bright smile.

"T-Thank goodness," I breathe. I'm glad I found at least one of them. I glance over to the two men again, watching the hard hat man holding the back of the smaller man's neck and gruffly muttering something into his ear. The man in the hard hat smacks the offender upside the head as though he was a misbehaving child, making him stumble before he takes off running. I tense as he turns to me, startled to see a friendly smile on his face.

"You alright Miss? I can track him down if you'd like." He laughs, keeping his gun pointed towards the ground.

"N-N-No, t-that, um, that's alright, t-th-thank you." I nervously stammer, looking at the man who's about my height but perhaps a smidge shorter. It's a little hard to tell with the hard hat on. N-Not that height matters but ... to me, it's nice looking up to someone every now and then rather than looking down.

"Alright then. Would you like to come see your dog?" The man offers with a grin.

"Y-Yes! U-U-Um, yes please." I say, remembering to tack on manners.

"Well aren't you a sweetheart." He laughs, clapping me over the shoulder before leading the way with the thinner and more polite construction worker walking behind us.

"Awe~ have I been forgotten about?" Ace speaks up with a laugh before looking another way, "isn't the Art Museum that way?"

"It's not."

"Are you sure-,"

"Positive." Both workers say in unison as if they've been through this situation before with him.

JERICHO'S POV

"Where did that dog go?" I mutter aloud as I walk around the Art Museum for him. I take my eyes off of him for a moment and he wanders off somewhere. Luckily I was able to give him a proper bath but he slipped away when I turned to get the towel for him. My head snaps to the side as I hear loud barking coming from inside one of the rooms. My clock drops in concern as I hurry over, finding the door unlocked. I remember shutting that door specifically so how in the world did he get inside the rabbit room?

I throw the door back, spying the old dog having a jolly good time chasing after the screaming rabbits. Many of them took to the paintings, hopping inside as quickly as they could but he corners one of them, barking loudly with his tail wagging. The young rabbit cowers into the corner, jumping each time the dog juts his head in.

"Hey, hey!" I shout, loudly clapping my hands to get his attention. He steadily ignores me as I hurry inside, watching him inch up to the rabbit and start to gently run his tongue over the young rabbit's back. The little rabbit trembles with fright as Jaiden licks it as if he were thanking it for the fun and apologizing for giving it such a scare.

"Come on Jaiden, it's not nice terrorizing my merchandise." I chuckle, half expecting the rabbit to keel over from a heart attack. My rabbits can't go off dying on me so I'm afraid I have to pull him away from his fun. I reach in front of him and gently pick the white rabbit up, balancing it in a single hand. Troublesome boy, he could have killed one.

Jaiden hops to his feet, happily pawing after me with his tongue lolling out off his mouth and chest heaving with lingering excitement. My eyes scan the room, trying to see if there is any blood or, worse yet, bunny bodies laying around. It doesn't look like he killed any. He must have been chasing them for the fun of it. I kneel before a painting and let the bunny hop inside, watching it immediately dash off to a burrow and hide underneath.

Jaiden sits next to me and stares at the painting, playfully growling at the frenzied bunnies hopping around inside. I let out a heavy sigh and pat his head, slipping my hand under his harness before dragging the resistant dog out. I'm glad he didn't hurt any of them but now I have to close this room off and let the bunnies get comfortable enough to leave the paintings and enter the room on their own.

"Is something the matter, Don?" A worker asks as he approaches, spying the dog in hand before darting a troubled gaze to the room.

"Who left the door open?" I calmly ask, shutting the door and locking it for good measure before letting the dog go. He shakes himself out, licking the air before sniffing the ground and finding something else to amuse himself with.

"No one, Don. It was shut when I walked past it not too long ago." The servant says, casting the door a suspicious look.

"Just to be sure, search the Art Museum for unwanted company. I don't want to have a shoot out with the foreigner when he or she comes." I order. I don't want to frighten the foreigner out of his or her mind. I'm sure he or she is frightened right now but, by returning the dog I'm sure to get on friendly terms with the outsider. I smile and reach down to pet the dog on the head, feeling nothing but empty air. My head snaps up, spying an empty space before mad rounds of loud barking sounds in the fish room. That door was closed before but he must have opened it somehow.

"It looks like we have a little escape artist dog on our hands." I chuckle, not too bothered about the dog being in the tank room. That room has small time fish and no large predators. As long as he doesn't float into the water he will be fine. The thought troubles me as I head over to it, hearing a sharp and high pitched yelp before the dog skitters out of the room with a gash on its back leg.

"Ha ha, this dog is has eyes and a harness like the other one."

"Cool! I wonder if he can fight too?" Excited voices shout from within the room. My clock drops as I dart in the direction of the voices. S***, what are those twins doing here?! Jaiden whips around, teeth barred as Dee, one of the bloody twins, leaps from the room and brings his axe down over the elderly canine.

"HEY!" I loudly shout, making his head snap towards me. The axe misses it's mark as the dog lunges forward, sinking his teeth into Dee's arm holding the upper portion of the axe.

"OW!" He shouts, clearly pained as Dum shifts his axe into a pistol and brings the butt of it down over the dog's head.

"Hey, let go!" He shouts. Jaiden's grip remains firm as Dum brings it down over his head again before hopping back and aiming for him.

BANG

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*GASP* WHAT HAS BECOME OF POOR JAIDEN?! 10 REVIEWS to find out :3