Chapter 23: All Fall Down
"C'mon, you guys!" said Jenny anxiously. "There are some stores where we can call for help about three blocks this way and around the corner!"
"I know the stores you mean!" said Owen. The three kids began running down the street with Jenny taking the lead. There was a small grocery store, a coin laundromat, a Kosher Bakery and Deli, a hobby shop, and an ice-cream parlor a short distance from Jenny's house. Any one of them would have a telephone and hopefully a lot of people around. And even though the people would be muggles, any wizard or witch would think twice before trying anything stupid with so many witnesses around.
As they ran, Jenny thought that the grocery store or the Laundromat would be their best options. It was unlikely that the hobby shop and the ice-cream parlor would be open this early in the day. And the deli would be closed during the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday Morning.
Jenny did not have any money with her, but that did not matter. The emergency number for the FBS did not require any money to call from a payphone. And seconds after dialing for help, an Auror or Whitelighter would be there to get them to safety. Then then they could tell the Aurors that the grownups were in trouble back at the house. Probably send a Whitelighter, thought Jenny, they could orb to us instead of apparate - which would make a loud "bang" and attract too much unwanted attention.
They were about a block away from the corner when Corey abruptly grabbed Jenny's hand and pulled her off the sidewalk and between two houses towards the backyards, with Owen following along.
"What are you doing?" said Jenny.
"I saw some people on one of the side streets looking around," said Corey as he pulled Jenny behind a van parked on a driveway between the two houses. "It looked like one of them had a wand out. I don't think that they saw us, but they could be with the Malfoys, or something!"
"I don't think they saw us, either," said Owen as he cautiously peeked from behind the van. "But if they are looking for us, they're probably going to come this way, soon!"
"We gotta cut through the back yards," said Jenny, nearly out of breath. "We can get to the parking lot behind the store from there."
Without another word, the three children ran to the back of the line of houses. Jenny frowned. All of the backyards were enclosed by chain-link fences. But the good news was that a line of telephone poles ran in a common area about eight feet wide behind the fenced-in yards that probably went all the way back to the parking lot of the stores. What's more, Jenny could see a path worn in the grass. The neighborhood kids probably used this path as a regular short-cut to get to the stores.
The house to their left had a gate that they could use. Jenny figured that the house on the right had its gate on the other side. But the gate was not locked, and this meant that they would only have to climb the one fence to the common area.
Jenny nodded to Corey and Owen, and could see that they were sizing up the situation as well and came to the same conclusion. There were no swings, trampolines, sandboxes, or anything else that might suggest that any kids lived there. But there was a small toolshed near the back fence that they could hide behind, if need be.
Jenny reached for the latch on the gate in the fence but before she could open it, a large Doberman Pincer with cropped ears and tail came up to the gate and gave a low growl.
The three kids froze. Jenny did not have time to open the gate, so they were safe from being bitten. But if the dog began to bark, it would definitely alert the people coming after them . . . .
The dog eyed the children warily. Jenny said, "Please don't bark! Some bad men are after us! We won't go into your yard if you don't want us to, but please don't bark!"
Jenny would never know if what happened was by involuntary, reflexive magic, or because the dog could sense that they were in trouble. But the dog shifted from an aggressive posture to a more relaxed one, and began to wag her stubby little tail, looking up at the children with concern. "Thank you," said Jenny, barely louder than a whisper. But the dog didn't stop there. It ran over to the tool shed, and then back to the children. Again, the dog turned to walk back to the shed, but this time, she looked back, indicating that she wanted the three children to follow her back to the shed.
Jenny said, "Let's go," and opened the gate. When they were in the dog's backyard, Corey closed the gate behind them, and the children went to the shed which, like the gate, was unlocked, and went inside.
"C-close the door," said Corey, who was starting to feel the cold.
"We should leave the door wide open," said Owen quietly as he nodded to Jenny and smiled. "A friend of mine once said that if you do that, then anyone looking for you won't think to look somewhere the door is open." That made Jenny smile.
Then the dog began to bark loudly and the kids held their breaths. Cautiously, Jenny peaked out through a crack between the boards in the wall of the shed. Two men were standing outside of the gate as the dog barked aggressively at them, growling and snapping its teeth. Jenny could see that they both had wands. Moments later, the two men were gone. Though Jenny could not hear them talking over the dog's loud barking, she could guess what they must have been thinking: There is no way that those kids could be back there, in that shed. No way that they could have gotten past that angry mutt . . . .
Jenny turned back to Corey and Owen and smiled; a smile that quickly turned to a look of concern as Jenny saw Corey shivering, his arms wrapped around his wiry body.
Of the three of them, Owen was the only one fully dressed. Jenny, wearing jeans and a sweater, but in stocking feet, was next. But Corey only had on jeans, a tee-shirt, and a pair of white, athletic socks. He had swapped his blue-plaid pajama bottoms for his jeans when he woke up, planning to put on a sweatshirt and shoes when the Aurors actually arrived to take them to Salem. For that matter, if he had not worn socks to bed, he would have probably been barefoot, as he normally liked to be when he was indoors.
Jenny moved closer to Corey, putting her arms around him. "It'll be alright, Corey. We'll be able to leave in a minute or two, and once we get to the store, it will be warm there until the Aurors can get to us!"
Owen moved over to sit next to Corey on his other side, leaning into his new friend to share some body heat (but stopping short of putting his arms around him.) "We'd better get to that warm store soon, Jenny. Corey will be frozen solid if we stay here too much longer."
"I-I'll b-be OK, once we g-get moving, again," said Corey. Jenny nodded reassuringly, but was worried about her now-official boyfriend of less than a full day. As active as he was, Corey had very little body fat.
"The dog stopped barking," said Jenny. "I think those two men are gone, now. We should get moving." The three kids stood up to go, and Jenny cautiously peeked out the door of the shed. The dog that had helped them was sitting in front of the door, giving them a sympathetic look as she wagged her tail. Jenny smiled at the dog, gave her a pat on the head, and said, "Thanks, girl!"
The three kids then moved around the back of the shed, which was only about three feet from the chain-link fence that separated the house's backyard from the common area with the telephone poles with the pooch bringing up the rear. Corey asked Owen to climb the fence, first, so there would be one of them on each side to help Jenny over. When Owen and Jenny were safely over to the other side, Corey climbed up and over the fence, and jumped down, wincing in pain as he landed with a yelp.
"Corey, what's wrong?" said Jenny as her boyfriend gritted his teeth hard.
"Oh, man!" said Owen. "Don't look down, Jenny!"
But Jenny did look down, gasping in horror as she saw a red spot standing out starkly against the white of Corey's sock on his right foot. The red spot slowly spread out wider and wider. And in the center, Jenny saw the point of a rusty nail poking out.
Corey fell to his knees and began to cry. As he did so, Jenny and Owen saw that he had stepped on a board that was hidden by fallen leaves that had a nail coming through. Though the back yard that they just came from had been meticulously raked of all leaves, there was a large pile built-up against each side of the fences within the common area. And the pile they came down on was hiding some old boards. Some of them with nails in them.
"Oh, Corey, why couldn't you have worn shoes?" said Jenny.
But before Corey could reply, Owen said, "That nail would have probably gone through my sneakers if I landed on it; especially that hard!"
"We gotta get that out of him!" Jenny put her arms around Corey as she helped him sit with his back against the fence. From behind the fence, the dog whined softly, and licked Corey's ear through the chain links. Then Owen tried to pull the board and the nail away from his friend's foot, but Corey winced in agony when Owen barely touched it.
"L-leave - leave it in!" said Corey through clenched teeth. "Jenny, get Owen to a telephone and call for help! I'll be alright, for now. You can send someone for me when you and Owen are safe.
"Jenny, I need my mom and dad . . . !"
As Corey was speaking, Owen had removed his shirt and undershirt; giving his undershirt to Corey as he slipped his shirt back on. "Use this for the bleeding while we are gone!" Corey thanked Owen as he accepted the shirt.
Jenny added, "We'll have someone come and get you in a few minutes!" Then Jenny gave Corey a quick kiss straight on his lips.
"If I knew that you were going to do that," said Corey with a wan smile, "I w-would have stepped on a nail sooner . . . ."
"I love you," said Jenny. And then she and Owen began sprinting down the strip of common land to the stores at the other end.
"I love you, too." Jenny's kiss made Corey feel warm all over and he smiled. The sight of the rusty nail coming out of his foot made Corey feel a bit nauseous. But it was nothing that his mom couldn't fix with a wave of her wand. His main concern was for Jenny and Owen. But the worst thing that could happen to him is that the dog might alert the people in the house, who would find him and call for an ambulance, forcing him to wear a bandage and use crutches for at least a month! But with any luck, an Auror would apparate to him in a few minutes, and his mom would be able to make everything all better.
And then, once Jenny and Owen were safe, Corey's main worry would be if his dad wanted to give him a booster tetanus shot . . . .
Gingerly, Corey held Owen's tee-shirt against the wound to help stem the bleeding. Despite Jenny's quick kiss, Corey was beginning once more to feel the cold, and began to shiver. But then the dog from the yard jumped over the fence and came over to the wounded boy. She made a quiet whining sound as she sat on Corey's lap to help him stay warm, and gave him a reassuring lick on his cheek, as if to say that he would not be alone until help arrived.
"H-hey, girl," said Corey. "Thanks for everything! You're a really good dog!" The dog responded by wagging her tail. "You know w-what, ah," Corey checked the tag on the dog's collar, "Polly! That's a good name for a dog! You know what, Polly? I'm going to marry Jenny Jordan, someday! And Owen Flynn will be my Best Man!"
Corey hugged the dog, as much in thanks as to get warm. It wouldn't be too much longer until help arrived . . . .
It did not take Jenny Jordan and Owen Flynn long to reach the group of stores at the end of the common area corridor. They soon found themselves in the parking lot behind the hobby shop, the Kosher Bakery and Deli, and the laundromat. The grocery store and the ice cream parlor were on the other side of the street. Running around to the front of the stores, Jenny could see through the laundromat's plate glass windows that only three people were inside; an elderly woman and two college-age guys. And as luck would have it, both of the college guys were using two of the three payphones. The Kosher Deli was closed, of course, and the hobby shop would not open until nine.
Across the street, the ice cream parlor was closed, but the grocery store was open. Jenny could see that the parking lot was about half-full. Though the payphones were outside, none were being used at the moment, and a steady stream of customers was going in and out. Jenny turned to Owen and nodded. This was just what her father had told her to look for if she found herself in such a situation.
Jenny checked her watch. It was only a little after eight in the morning. Jenny could not believe that everything that had just happened to them had all occurred within the space of about a half an hour! But it would soon be ending. Corey would get the medical attention that he needed and Aurors would be sent to help her parents and the Lovegoods. And Owen would be safe and could show everyone about Storybrooke from his memories.
The traffic was too heavy to simply cross the street from where they were, so Jenny and Owen ran to the corner to use the crosswalk. The "Don't Walk" sign was lit, and Jenny desperately jabbed at the button, praying that the signal would change, half-hoping that some involuntary, reflexive magic would come into play. But the "Don't Walk" sign remained lit.
Jenny then realized how truly tired she was. Between almost no sleep the night before and her worry about what she heard the Aurors tell her and the quick escape from their home, Jenny had not felt this weak since the year before when she had the flu. She didn't have any reflexive magic in reserve to change a traffic light, much less heal Corey when he landed on that nail.
From behind them, a man's voice said, "Jenny Jordan, Owen Flynn?"
Jenny gasped, and then grabbed Owen's hand, preparing to sprint across the street. But the traffic was not letting up. Jenny then prepared to pull Owen over to the laundromat. But found that that way was blocked by another man. "It's alright, you two," said the second man smiling. "We're with the FBS."
Owen let out a sigh of relief, but Jenny tensed, and said, "You're not wizards!"
"No," said the first man. "We are actually with S.H.I.E.L.D., on loan to the FBS."
"If you give us a moment," said the second man. "We can show you our ID's . . . ."
Jenny remained tense as both men simultaneously reached into their jacket pockets, and each removed some very official-looking photo ID's. Unlike the characters in Cop Shows who would flash their badges quickly, and then returned them to their shirt pockets, these men handed their ID's to the children, allowing them to peruse them as carefully as they wanted to.
The first man, who was identified by his badge as Special Agent Michaels, said, "Jennifer, the Malfoys are in FBS / S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, and your family is safe."
The other man, identified by his badge as Special Agent Johnson, added, "Your parents, your little brother, Corey Martindale, and the Lovegoods have been escorted back to Salem. As soon as we get the two of you there, we can begin interviewing Owen."
"But we need to go, now," said Agent Michaels. "Our car is parked down the block. A witch is waiting for us a few blocks from here. Once we get you to her, she will be able to apparate the two of you to Salem."
Jenny and Owen handed the badges back to the men, and then followed them to their car. Once inside, they began driving further away from Jenny's new neighborhood in University City and into the nearby neighborhood of Olivette. The men drove straight through a nice looking residential neighborhood, turning left at an Elementary School and then right into the entrance of a park just opposite of the school.
A wooden sign at the entrance said "Welcome to Stacey Park," but Jenny frowned when she saw that the gates of the park were closed and locked. A sign posted on the gates stated that the park would be opening late that morning due to problems with the restrooms in the pavilion. Agent Michaels unlocked the gates, drove through, and then got out to lock the gates behind them. He then parked the car in the nearest available space and killed the engine.
Jenny said, "Why are we stopping here?"
Agent Johnson said, "The witch told us that apparating makes a lot of noise. So we needed a place where we could do this without attracting too much attention." He pointed to the large, open field at the other end of the park, where several baseball diamonds were set up. "She's meeting us way over there. Then, once you two are safely away, we can remove the sign from the park gates."
"Makes sense!" said Owen. But Jenny was starting to feel nervous.
As they began walking towards the baseball field, Jenny asked conversationally, "I wonder why they didn't just tell you to take us to the Floo Station, Owen. That would have been a lot easier."
"The Floo Station is closed, for now," said Agent Michaels, "to prevent any more of the Malfoy's minions from coming here without making a ruckus. That's reasonable, thought Jenny, who still felt uneasy, despite Agent Michaels' perfectly logical explanation. "But we've got to pick up the pace, kids. That witch will be here anytime now, and she specified that she wants to be in and out in a hurry."
"With any luck," said Agent Johnson smiling, "the locals will think that a car backfired a couple of times, or something, and that will be the end of it."
Though Owen could barely contain his excitement, Jenny could not help feeling more and more uneasy. Something was not quite right about this whole situation. It would have been one thing if she had called the FBS and someone apparated over to meet them, and all this happened. Sure, Agents Michaels and Johnson seemed like the real deal with their badges and all. And they did know about her family and the Lovegoods being held by the Malfoys until the FBS came to rescue them. Except . . . .
"Agent Michaels," said Jenny slowly. "How is Corey doing? I'm so worried about him. The Malfoys hurt him pretty badly. Is his arm alright?"
Without skipping a beat, Agent Michaels said, "Corey is one tough boy, Jenny. His mom fixed up his arm the moment we got him back to Salem."
Agent Johnson added, "He's worried about you and Owen, Jenny. We'd contact Salem now, but the FBS and S.H.I.E.L.D. are maintaining telephone and radio silence until you two are back with everyone else."
Jenny quickly sized-up the situation. They were almost halfway to the end of the baseball field, in the middle of about fifty square yards of open space. There would be no place to hide, and the gates to the park were locked. Without even realizing it, Jenny gasped, and that was all the telegraphing that "Agents Michaels and Johnson" needed.
"Agent Michaels" grabbed Jenny by her arm, holding her in a vicelike grip. But instead of "Agent Johnson" doing likewise with Owen, the fake S.H.I.E.L.D. agent got down on one knee before the boy; the better to speak with him face-to-face, and said, "Alright, Owen. I guess you must have figured out that my brother and I are not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But in this case, that is good for you, because S.H.I.E.L.D. has no more intention to rescue your father than these magic users do." He jerked his head back in Jenny's direction.
"What do you mean?" said Owen, more confused than worried. "If you are not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., then who are you?"
"Something better," said "Agent Michaels;" who had no problem restraining a frightened, ten-year-old girl. "Something much, much better: We are people who actually want to rescue your father from the magical, extra-dimensional Invaders in Maine!"
"We are from a group known as "The Home Office," said "Agent Johnson." "And while it might look otherwise, we are here to help you, Owen; you and everyone else in our world - unlike S.H.I.E.L.D., or magic users like this girl and her family."
"LET ME GO!" screamed Jenny as she struggled to break free of "Agent Michaels'" grip. "OWEN, RUN! SOMEBODY HELP US!"
"You can scream all you want to, little witch," said "Agent Michaels." "We are way too far from anyone who can hear you scream!"
But instead of running away, Owen shifted his gaze back and forth a few times from "Agent Michaels" to "Agent Johnson," and said, "W-why are you doing this . . . ?"
With a calm, reasonable voice, "Agent Johnson" said, "Please, Owen, if you will only give us a moment to explain what "The Home Office" is; then all will be clear."
"RUN, OWEN!" said Jenny again.
But Owen did not run. Though he looked uneasy at how "Agent Michaels" was holding Jenny, Owen said, "Alright, what's the Home Office?"
"An organization of concerned people who are trying to rid this world of any and all magic," replied Johnson. "Magic is unholy, and does not belong in our world."
"Magic caused us to lose our sister Wendy when we were kids," said Michaels. "It happened – let's just say that it happened some time ago, now. And we have lived with it for longer than you can imagine."
Jenny was still trying to squirm out of Michaels' grip. But in the back of her mind, she could not help but notice a slight change in Michaels' voice. For a moment, he almost sounded like he was talking the way the Lovegoods did.
"The Home Office is helping us rescue our sister from the powerful magic user who is holding her prisoner," said Johnson. "And please believe me; The Home Office wants to do the same for your father."
"So does the FBS!" said Jenny. "But they can't if you don't let them know what you saw when you were in Storybrooke!"
"Alright," said Johnson conversationally. "Let's say that the wizards and witches in this world really do care about rescuing your father from their friends in Maine –"
"They are not our friends!" said Jenny. "They invaded our world and made us run from our homes!"
"- they still plan to take their sweet time about it; but not us," continued Johnson despite Jenny's interruption.
Owen looked at Jenny. It was a look that made her shiver. It was not an angry look, or a mean look, or even a confused look: it was an "I'm waiting for an answer," look. Whatever else Owen was, he was open-minded, but not gullible. Jenny knew that if you made an amazing statement to Owen, you needed to back it up with equally amazing proof.
But Jenny knew that how she answered whatever Owen was about to ask her could make or break the situation (just like when they were talking in that dumpster what seemed like eons ago.) And even if Owen believed her over these two grown-ups, would they let Owen and Jenny go if Owen turned down their "offer?" Jenny already knew the answer to that one. But she had to try.
"Owen," said Jenny as calmly as she could, given the fact that Michaels still had her slender wrist in a vicelike grip. "Please; we want to help you. Everybody wants to help you. But whatever we do, we can't just rush Storybrooke with Aurors, Whitelighers and Meta-Humans and muggles in tanks and helicopters. I found out earlier this morning that Regina Mills is just too powerful.
"If we try to send in anyone to get your dad away from Storybrooke, then Regina will know that we are here – that this world is not a land without magic – and if she finds that out, she may try to attack us with her spell – her curse, actually!
"Regina has a curse that brought everyone from her kingdom into our world. Her land is now kind of sitting alongside the forest in Maine that she came into. But that is only because she wanted it to share the space. But if she thought that we were any kind of threat to her, then she could actually replace the forest with Storybrooke! She can replace one of our cities with something else with that curse - a whole bunch of our cities, if she wants to – anywhere on our world. And we wouldn't be able to stop her with anything that we've got!"
Johnson smiled, and said, "Owen, I think that what this witch is really trying to say is –"
But Owen Flynn held up his hand for silence, and Johnson stopped talking. Jenny felt a surge of relief when that happened. Owen had yet to make up his mind, and was prepared to listen to whatever Jenny had to say. He fixed Jenny with a neutral expression, and said, "How long have you known about this, Jenny?"
"Owen, I just found this out last night – actually, early this morning. I woke up really early and heard dad and Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood talking in the kitchen. You and Corey were fast asleep in the living room. They were talking to some Aurors who said that it wouldn't be safe to try to rescue your dad, now. That they needed to know more before they can do anything that would let Regina know that we have people who can do magic, too." Jenny began to sniffle, but held back her tears. "M-my daddy said that he couldn't stop Regina if she came to our house to hurt us! The Lovegoods said the same thing! I even saw her in the pensieve pull out a man's heart in her own world and crush it! It would take someone like the Sorcerer Supreme to fight her; and even then if Regina has a friend back in the Enchanted Realms who can start casting the curse for her, we wouldn't . . . we wouldn't . . . we couldn't . . . ."
"So . . . your people are not going to rescue my dad from Regina," said Owen.
"We . . . we can't help your dad, now," admitted Jenny softly. "I want to. But the grownups are right. Regina is too powerful for us to try anything right now.
"Owen, I can't imagine what it must be like to lose my mom and dad. And if it happened to me, I would want them back with me now. I know you must be upset, but if we tried to do what we want to do and make an all-out attack on Storybrooke, a lot of people would get killed! That's why the grownups need to see what you saw when you were there!
"Please, Owen, don't go with these guys! Let my family and the Lovegoods and the grownups in the FBS and S.H.I.E.L.D. help you!"
Michaels quipped, "By sitting on their butts while your dad suffers?"
Owen turned to Michaels, and said, "What would your Home Office do different for me."
"We'd rescue your dad, ASAP!" said Michaels.
Jenny stammered, "B-but that's what our people are going to do for you, Owen." She turned to the two adults, and added, "And get your sister back, too!"
Johnson said flatly, "We don't want your help, witch."
"Magic users are not to be trusted," added Michaels. "We learned that the hard way."
"A magic user took our sister, Wendy," said Johnson.
Jenny said, "But you can't blame us for that! Just because there are some bad magic users, that doesn't mean that we are all bad! Most of us are good! Just like there are good mutants and bad mutants and good meta-humans and bad meta-humans! Wizards and witches are people, too, Owen! I know you agree with that because you told me that you did!"
"Yeah, I did . . . ," said Owen evenly.
"My dad and the Lovegoods are nothing like Baron Mordo and Doctor Doom!" said Jenny. "Or the people who took their sister! My family is just like yours, except that we can do magic."
"And that is reason enough not to trust her, Owen," said Michaels. "Just ask yourself this: how, exactly, are people like Jenny Jordan and her dad and these Lovegoods able to do what they do?
"Think, Owen, do Jenny and her daddy have an "X-Gene," or something? Were they exposed to Delta or Gamma radiation? Does she actually come from some alien world, and gets her powers from our Yellow Sun?"
Johnson turned to Jenny, and added, "How about it, kid? Are you and your dad really some kind of meta-humans or mutates?"
"N-no, we're human, but –"
"It's alright, Jenny. You can tell us. We already know more than you could possibly imagine. And I am sure that Owen, here, would like to know it, as well."
"I already told you, Owen," said Jenny softly, "yesterday, when we talked in the park dumpster. Magic is not some form of telekinesis or mutant ability or superpower; it just is.
"Owen, I'm a person, just like you. But I have the ability to do magic. The way some people can sing or are good at sports like Corey is. It's a natural gift, Owen. But it doesn't make me any less of a person, like you are."
"But where does this "magic" come from, Owen?" pressed Michaels. "Look at this." Michaels reached into his jacket and removed a small electronic device. He pointed it at Jenny, and then showed the readout screen to Owen. "Flatscan. No altered or mutated DNA. And she says that she is a person like you . . . ?"
Jenny said, "Owen, I –"
"Well, witch?" said Johnson. "You have no scientific explanation of your powers? And you claim to be human like us?"
"How about it, Jenny?" added Michaels. "Are you an extraterrestrial? You can tell us. Explain your powers. Tell Owen how you can do what you can do."
Jenny looked at Owen, and said, "I told you. There is no scientific explanation. Magic just is!"
"Magic just is evil, Owen," said Johnson. "What more proof do you need that magic is unholy, and does not belong in our world? IT CAN'T BE EXPLAINED!"
Owen Flynn shifted his attention from Jennifer to Michaels and Johnson, unsure of what to think. Jenny had befriended him when no one else would, and seemed to try to help him. But when she found out about the grownups' plan to not rescue his dad from Regina Mills immediately, and did not tell him about it . . . .
A loud "bang" caught everyone by surprise as a woman with long dark hair in a Gothic black dress suddenly appeared. She was holding a wand and had it pointed directly at Michaels and Johnson.
"I'm Auror Wednesday Addams with the United States Federal Bureau of Sorcery! Step away from the children, "gentlemen!" Without taking her eyes off the two muggle men, she said, "Jenny, Owen, are you hurt? We're all worried about you two. Where is Corey –"
Before Agent Addams could say another word, the two men both drew odd looking pistols and fired. Michaels shot Agent Addams and Johnson shot Jenny.
Jenny gasped, instinctively bringing her hands to her chest where she had been struck, where she felt something warm and wet. Her eyes met Owen's, who was standing there in shock.
"Snap out of it, kid!" said Michaels as he and Johnson re-holstered their pistols. "They're not shot for real. These are paintball marker guns. But the balls aren't exactly loaded with paint."
Johnson added, "But they can't stop us from getting away with magic and getting you to safety, either!"
"I – I can't move!" said Jennifer, who was near panic. "What's happening? What have you done to me and Agent Addams?"
Agent Addams couldn't move, either, but that did not stop her from glowering at the two men, though she was speaking primarily to Jennifer. "Breathe rhythmically, Jennifer. This is serious, but the effects will wear off, eventually." She then addressed the two men, and added, "So the stories are true, I see. Squid-ink isn't just something that my Grandmamma and Uncle Fester told me in their bedtime stories to scare my brother and me into good behavior. "So, where on Earth did you get the squid-ink, "gentlemen?" Let me guess: was it Prince Namor . . . ?"
"What's happening to Jenny?" said Owen. The girl seemed to be gasping for breath.
"Merlin's beard!" said Agent Addams. "She's starting to hyperventilate! If she is injured in any way because of what you two did to her, then I'll . . . ."
"Turn us into frogs, or something, witch?" said Michaels dryly. "I'd like to see you try it with a layer of squid-ink on you before we leave. Ah, right on time. Look up . . . ."
Agent Addams could not move her neck, but she rolled her eyes skyward and saw a Bell 206 Jet Ranger coming closer and closer, obviously preparing to land in the baseball field. Seconds later, it landed. Michaels yelled over the engine and rotor noise, "I'm going to give you something that these people never gave you; a choice. You can come with us, or stay with these magic users.
"It's now or never, Owen! Come with us and we'll get your dad back and our sister back and drive all magic from our world!"
Johnson added, "Currently, the effects of squid-ink to dampen magic are only temporary. But our Home Office scientists are working on making this a more permanent solution to the magical plague. We are working to make it into a cure!"
"But to do this, we need more test subjects to experiment on," said Michaels. He looked at Agent Addams and Jennifer Jordan with a predator's eyes. "Fortunately for you two witches, we cannot bring you with us, now. Our mission is to rescue Owen and his father. But don't worry. We'll be coming for others like you, soon enough."
"So, Owen, are you coming, or not?" said Johnson. "Unlike with these people, the choice is yours."
"But remember this, Owen," added Michaels. "We never lied to you."
Jenny looked pleadingly at Owen. But Owen shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry, Jenny, but you did lie to me. And the Home Office will get my dad back, no matter what."
Jenny barely had her breathing under control, and could say nothing as she saw Owen join the two men in the helicopter. Moments later, they were airborne and Owen Flynn was gone.
What seemed like hours later, Jenny then heard three more "bangs" of apparation, as well as the sounds of three Aurors running up to them. She could not see who they were, but a husky male voice yelled, "Sis!"
Agent Addams said, "Don't touch me, Pugsley! Code Deep Blue Eight Protocol!"
"Wait, what?!" said the man's voice. "Seriously?!"
From the corner of her eye, Jenny saw a heavy set Wizard next to Agent Addams, as the two others, a thinner wizard and a young witch, backed away from Agent Addams and the agent named Pugsley, who was apparently Agent Addams brother.
"Oh, c'mon, you two!" said the Auror named Pugsley. "It's not the flu, or something! It isn't something you can catch just by being near her! And the effect is temporary!"
"But do we know that for certain?" said the other wizard cautiously.
"J-just following the protocol, sir!" said the young witch.
"Y-yeah, me too," said the wizard, who then took out a mirror and began babbling into it.
As the young wizard did this, the young witch pointed her wand at Agent Addams and Jenny, and said "Aguamenti Maxima!"
Jenny shrieked as she felt herself being drenched with cold water, made colder by the chilly morning air.
"Try "Aguamenti Maxima Tepidus," moron!" spat Agent Addams. "It's in the high 30's, you know!"
The witch amended her charm accordingly, and then Pugsley joined in with one of his own. As the young witch continued to rinse-off Jenny, Pugsley did the same to Agent Addams.
"What's their ETA?" said Pugsley to the young witch. "We can't go to Salem like this!"
"The muggle Hazmat Team will be here in moments to take us to the nearest Deep Blue Eight Decon Facility, sir."
"Hang in there, sis," said Pugsley to Agent Addams. "We'll have the two of you in Decon for a more thorough cleaning and testing, shortly . . . ."
As the Home Office Helicopter sped through the morning sky, Michaels said, "You won't regret your decision, Owen."
"I'll do whatever is necessary to get my dad back from that witch, Regina Mills," said Owen.
"But the first order of business is what to call you, now," said Johnson. "Those magic users and their human allies will be looking for Owen Flynn. You'll need a new name."
Owen thought about those comic books that his dad got him a little before he was taken by Regina Mills of Storybrooke, and said, "I'd like to be called Greg. Greg Mendell. Like the scientist.
"It's going to take science to defeat magic . . . ."
Both Michaels and Johnson nodded, and the helicopter flew on.