Here's the next chapter! This is a slower chapter but I like how it came out and besides Zak needs a little thinking time. We're getting closer to Zak finally breaking down and telling what happend in Weird World. I'm so estatic (not that happy that I'm soon going to reveal his tortures but yeah...X3) anyways I'm afraid I'll spill what happens soon if I don't get working on the next chapter! Enjoy R&R plz!

6- Solitary Confinement, Self Reflection

"Isabel is that you?" Zak asked as he rested his hand on something fuzzy and for a moment thought it was the light sweat shirt Isabel had been wearing.

"No." Temoria said softly.

"Who's on my tail?" Celestic groaned. There was a yelp and rustling.

"I'm so sorry Celestic!" Isabel said softly. Zak tapped his hand on the cool metal.

"Hey Celestic, why aren't you, y'know glowing?" Zak asked. There was a little more rustling and Zak felt something climbing up onto his lap, then the feel of tiny forepaws on his chest.

"I can't glow, when I'm stressed," Celestic inquired then added sheepishly. "This is Zak right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Do I really have to explain?" The vulpine whispered harshly into Zak's ear. Zak's eyes widened as he got what the tiny fox was saying.

"I see, well can you hurry up and become unstressed? It'd be cool to see what we're in." There was a knocking, then a tapping.

"Well it's defiantly metal," Isabel's voice rang out softly. "They don't want us to get out, that's for sure. I'm not going to even flatter myself they're probably after Celestic and Temoria, I'll be lucky to be a hostage." She giggled softly and continued to feel around. Zak shuffled slowly over to the only other human inhabitance in this limited space, on his hands and knees. He felt the hem of her skirt under the tips of his fingers and shifted to sit down. More shifting from Isabel and Zak could tell she was sitting too.

It'd be lovely if their eyes could adjust, but alas not light infiltrated this metallic prison. Kind of sucked that humans didn't have night vision and even then Zak wasn't sure that'd help their situation. If, no wait not ifs, while they're being kidnapped why the heck would the 'kidnappers' install a handle to get out? The teen smiled to himself, he'd have to tuck that little nugget of information away for later use if the time came.

"I guess we just play the waiting game huh?" Isabel piped up softly. "I wasn't expecting to be kidnapped this week." Zak frowned he knew she was joking but still, what if she got hurt or something worse?

"Sorry 'bout that…" Zak said softly scratching the back of his head. He felt the jade eyed girl rest her hand on his shoulder.

"Just kidding." She voiced it this time. "I wonder who that lady was and why she kidnapped us…" Silence spread out for a long moment before Celestic spoke up.

"Maybe she works for someone?" The fox child suggested from across the metal imprisonment.

"But who'd kidnap kids and what most would assume exotic …" Isabel trailed off, the air seemed to thicken. And she looked worriedly at the source, Zak.

"I dunno," The boy's voice came out hollow. "but I have a feeling I know who's behind this...Temoria, Celestic since you're pretty important to both worlds balances, stay near me and Iz." Eventually Celestic ended up in Isabel's lap and Temoria in Zak's. The two humans protectively wrapped their arms around the two spirits. This was going to be a long wait.

They didn't know how much more time passed and eventually the Cryptid Tamer heard Isabel's breathing slow and her weight shifting. He reached out slowly and gently lad her down on his lap after all the metal floor wouldn't be comfortable. He decided on shifting Celestic who gladly moved to the teen's shoulder, willing to move out of the way for one of his best friends. Temoria eventually ended up curled up near Isabel's stomach though the cat didn't sleep.

Zak kept vigil as his companions one by one dozed off, he hadn't the slightest clue to how long they'd been held here, but the aches in his joints told him it must've quite some time.

His thoughts slowly wandered, surely his mom found out by know and had assembled the whole family to be searching for them. His heart thumped painfully in his chest, what if he was taken back to Weird World? He was positive Argost was behind this.

The boy visibly shook his throat constricting painfully. He, he couldn't go back there. No way! He'd much rather be hung upside down by his ankles as bait for some monster than go back to that hell hole. What Argost did…the boy chocked back hard on a sob. He chewed his lip and closed his eyes, no crying he had to be strong! But…he was just a kid. He hated to admit it but he was just a kid, fighting in a battle even adults could barely survive through.

Deep down on one side he wished he could live a normal life, but on the other he loved what he did. Not many kids got to hang around such amazing creatures that were Cryptid. And not many were blessed with powers like his. The teen remembered what his dad said, about in history there is a balance for evil, the good that was destined to destroy it, or fail the Earth. All of those people in history were kids at one time right? Zak nodded mentally. How…the boy wondered. How could they deal with all of that? Isn't that a lot to push on one kid?

He wished he was three again, and listening to all those story books about a land were everything was alright, nothing horrid ever happened. Now that he thought more into it he never really had the chance to be a kid. Sure he goofed off sometimes during their earlier missions, but that wasn't a problem back then, that was before Argost and the Kur Stone. After their first encounter his parents…changed in some way, he had a hard time deciphering it. Though it clicked shortly after.

They'd always been protective yes but they seemed more critical now, if he messed up he was scolded for it, good naturally and with worried love. They expected so much of him yet never asked him how he felt about being the so called mighty 'Cryptid Tamer destined to save the Earth!'

He didn't ask for this power! Yet he couldn't deny it, something deep inside wouldn't allow him to. He had to except it he was chosen because he was lucky, really would he have been special without his powers. Speaking of his powers and him himself he seemed different than normal kids. He was stronger and more agile on his better days. No way training could make him have this much endurance it just didn't seem possible, perhaps his powers not only gave him the ability to calm Cryptids but also effected his body. Just what was this power anyways? Where did it come from? He didn't inherit from his par-

Before he could go further into self analysis, a splitting headache, no wait, he gripped his head tightly with his free hand and groaned, no this was a migraine. To much thinking and not enough sleep he guessed sluggishly.

A sigh escaped his parted lips as he leaned his head against the cool metal, the cold metallic imprisonment soothing his throbbing head. He closed his eyes and was so tempted to let himself be whisked into blessed darkness, but the three sleeping forms that lay around him reminded him that he had a responsibility. He was just a kid but he was the only leadership they had at the moment, especially if they were being taken to, he shuddered, Weird World.

Suddenly his migraine intensified as the door, which was slightly in front of them, but more to the left opened. Just like when he'd met Celestic the teen shied away from the light and gave a grunt of disdain. The light coming into the containment awakened his companions who soon became alert. Isabel rubbed her eyes.

"What's going o-" She was cut off on a yelp as a large hand shot out and grabbed a hold of her small wrist, dragging her out of the prison and into the light. It was silent and each one tried getting to their feet, their limbs protesting with the sudden movements. "L-Let me go!"

Those three frightened words got Celestic moving faster than any of them and he was soon flying out at full speed. A sudden yelp, like a dog getting one of its claws ripped echoed into the chamber, and Temoria soon joined the other three in the light. Zak was the next out stumbling numbly out his legs asleep, he almost face planted onto the ground but managed to catch himself with his hands. Much to his relief because underneath him was concrete and that could've seriously hurt if he'd face planted. After all his hands were stinging in protest this very moment, however that didn't matter now.

Down in an almost bowing position Zak lifted his head and immediately glared at their captor. The boy slowly hissed out the name.

"Van Rook!"

Well we'll be heading back to Drew who by this time is p.o'd royally at me most likely.

Drew: Keep me from my baby any longer in this story and I'll impale you!

Oooh 'kay then! Well stay tuned for the next chappie! Again R&R *ducks from fire sword swing.* Stranger Danger! Stranger Danger! *runs away.*

Drew: You know who I am! *chases after.*