Author's note: brief mention of sedatives used at the end of chapter.

Chapter Three

They lay in a tangle on the floor for an instant. The ship purred beneath them, and a soft jerk signaled that they had disengaged from the Express. They didn't have time to do anything before they were sliding across the room as the ship jumped into a warp. The friends crashed into the wall, Dan Heng still half-buried beneath March. The ship stabilized at its new speed, and March mumbled something into Dan Heng's shirt. He fought for breath and finally managed to gasp, "What?"

She rolled over, shoving herself off of him and struggling awkwardly into a sitting position. "I said, for the record, I don't think your abs are that much softer than the floor. You work out too much." She wrinkled her nose at him.

Dan Heng huffed a short laugh. "I'll take that under advisement." It took a bit of maneuvering, but he eventually succeeded in getting to a kneeling position. He looked across at March.

Her laughter was gone, and she was studying him with a scared look. "What are we going to do, Dan Heng? Welt and Himeko are still back on the Express. We just made a jump… we could be anywhere by now. How will they find us?" She drew her knees up to her chest, looking small and vulnerable. Dan Heng ached for her innocent heart.

"March, settle down. Think of this as just another Trailblazing mission. This isn't exactly our first time getting arrested. We'll think of something." He kept his demeanor relaxed, knowing March would trust his word.

True to form, the girl's shoulders eased. "Well, all right, as long as you have a plan."

He nodded. "I do."

Relief flooded her bright eyes, and she scolded him teasingly. "Well that would've been nice to know before I wasted all the energy on being stressed!"

Mildly he responded, "I hadn't quite finalized the entire plan, and losing a bit of energy never hurt you anyway." As she squawked indignantly, he thought, I can't let her know that the Curio only works for one person. She'd never let me send her out of here without me.

He tested his bonds, trying to see if he could pull loose, but Silver Wolf had enhanced the ropes with a digital covering that protected them from everything he tried. Frustrated, he tried to reach for his pocket dimension anyway. It didn't respond to his bound hands. He exhaled slowly, trying to think.

"So… what part of the plan are we at now?" March was watching him with a desperate hope in her eyes.

Calmly Dan Heng answered, "The part where we wait. Right now there's not much that either of us can do." When she opened her mouth to protest, he added, "I'm also quite sure we're under observation, so I won't give you any more details,"

She thought that over for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Okay, I get it. But you promise we'll get out of this?"

He nodded. "I promise that before you know it, you'll be telling Welt and Himeko all about our adventure." I probably won't be there, so you'll have to tell the story by yourself this time, March.

The young fighter's fingers curled into fists as he thought. He yawned as his mind flicked through options, discarding each as soon as it occurred to him. A second later, though, he pushed to his feet, alarm bells going off in his head. "March, what's that scent?"

"What scent?" It hit March about then, and she blinked. "That smells… kinda nice! Have you started wearing cologne, Dan Heng?" She yawned, a dreamy smile tugging at her lips.

He strove to keep his voice level. "No. It's not me. I think… March, you may want to lay down."

Her eyes narrowed, instantly losing the wandering smile. "Dan Heng, you're scaring me. What's so bad about that pretty smell?"

"It's a sedative." When she looked blank, he elaborated shortly, "It'll put us to sleep."

She jolted. "Wait, what?!"

He stepped closer to her, showing her a veneer of confidence. "Just rest. It's not time to act yet anyway. Get some sleep, March. It will be fine."

She still looked uncertain, but he stared at her with calm, challenging eyes until she caved. "All right. I guess there's nothing we can do about it anyways." She yawned. "I really do feel… so sleepy…" Her lashes fluttered. Dan Heng nudged her gently.

"Lie down so you don't hurt yourself by falling over." She obliged, already half-asleep.

He stepped back to the wall across from the door. Carefully he sat down facing the door, his back propped against the wall. He waited until he was sure March was asleep, then said aloud, "What does it say for your power when you have to drug a teenage girl and an unarmed man in bonds?" His lashes fell to his cheeks for an instant, but he opened his eyes with an effort and forced himself to stay awake for a moment longer. "I hope you have made your arrangements for after your deaths, Stellaron Hunters. You are about to become the hunted." He lost the battle with the encroaching darkness, his chin falling to his chest as his body slumped. Welt… Himeko… I swear I will return March to you… Even should it cost me my life…

Author's note: Next chapter contains violence, so be please proceed with caution. No blood or serious injuries.