Chapter 18: Plan [G]

Griffin only briefly saw them pull out their shock sticks, until Penny jumped. The lair? The room was dark, musty, and unfamiliar.

Penny shot a look at him. "They'll be up any minute," she told him. Her tears were non-existent now; only thing you could see on her face was pain and anguish.

"Where are we?" Griffin asked, pulling a concealed knife from his back pocket.

"Attic," she told him while rummaging through a box.

Griffin turned, hearing footsteps and banging on a door. Penny must've found what she was looking for. When he looked back at her, she was standing up and holding a metallic baseball bat. Griffin smirked. "Nice weapon." Penny smiled devilishly at him as the door burst open. She reached over, grabbing Griffin's forearm and jumped. He heard one of the tethers be launched, but it missed.

They were in a living room now. He looked and saw her with her back pressed against the steps. Griffin decided it would be best to join her. He jumped next to her, knife in hand. The woman was the first down the steps. Penny swung the bat as she jumped, nailing the woman in the face and kicked her in the chest. The woman fell back, face covered in blood, as the man and Liam raced down the stairs.

Liam launched a tether that latched on Penny's right upper arm, causing her to drop the bat. She screamed out and pulled away as Griffin jumped behind the man, who was about to shock her. He thrusted the knife into the man's lower back. The man's eyes grew wide and Liam kicked Griffin. Griffin dodged. Close one. Penny managed to get the tether off as Griffin simultaneously jumped and punched, aiming for Liam's jaw. Liam was thrown back, landing on the top step.

Griffin glanced at Penny, checking to see if she was alright. Her eyes were wide as she yelled, "Griffin, behind you!" Liam launched himself at Griffin, shock stick in hand. He zapped Griffin in the neck and punched him in the stomach. Griffin flinched back with a gasp for air. Next thing he knew, Penny was behind Liam with the bat, trying to strangle him. Liam threw her off like she was a rag doll, landing on the floor next to the unconscious bloody woman.

The electricity was fading and Griffin jumped twice: once behind Liam and then back in front of him. He leaped on him, pounding his fists into Liam's face.

"Enough!" Penny yelled. Both sensed her jump in front of them to the top of the stairs.

Griffin made sure to pull one of Liam's arms, hard enough to hear it snap. Liam clenched his jaw tightly, causing his scream to be more of a rumble.

Penny walked down two steps to them, shock stick from the already dead Paladin man in hand. She zapped Liam once in the shoulder. "Why did you kill my father?" Griffin could hear the sorrow in her voice.

Liam coughed blood. "He wanted us to kill him. Practically begged us. Said he had nothing left." This struck a nerve in Penny, obviously, because she shocked him again. How much more can this bloke take? Griffin wondered as he felt Liam twitch.

"..." Penny stood silent. "Where's my brother? Did you kill him, too?" She angrily asked. Griffin looked from Penny to the dying man. Liam simply grinned as a car roared into the driveway outside. She shocked him once more in the neck. This time, he didn't twitch. She dropped the shock stick in disgust and shakily tried to sit.

Griffin got up. Knowing they had to leave, he hurried up to Penny and held her close as he jumped. And he knew better than to escape to the lair, so he jumped to the next place that came into his mind: Nagasaki.

Griffin and Penny stood in the living room of her old place in Nagasaki. Penny instantly collapsed in his arms. He dropped to the ground slowly, doing his best to comfort her. "It's over. You're okay," he told her. She was trembling and burying her face in his chest. He could still hear her muffled sobs. He rubbed her back. "You did good Penny." He felt something warm on his bare arm. She was wounded he saw as he looked down at her. Does she notice she's bleeding? He pulled her away, but she clinged to him. "Penny, you're bleeding," he said as he tried again. This time she let go.

Penny looked at her arm where she was cut and bleeding with puffy red eyes. She used her opposite hand to grasp it. "Sorry..." she muttered.

Griffin shook his head. "Let's get that cleaned up." He stood and helped her up, then jumped.

Read, review & let me know about who you think could encapture Penny visually! Thanks.