Happy 2 month anniversary, Molly! 8D

off topic: Pashmina left me without warning yesterday. And I figured out how to put the line thingamabob in my stories! It took me forever to figure it out, but…yeah, lets just get on with the story.

It was instinct.

Molly raised her wings high up in the air, eyes wide. She didn't think of a single plan or option; just don't let Liam get shot. She stared the alligator dead in the eye, trembling. What do I do?

She didn't know what the correct thing to do was. Should she try to fly or something? Grab Peanut and bolt? Attack the alligator? She couldn't focus. She only remembered his command; Come here.

There was no other option. His ugly, scaly fingers curled around the trigger. She had to surrender. Escape didn't matter; she just needed Liam alive.

She walked towards him.

"Thats my girl," he cackled. He gripped her wing so tightly she gasped in pain. Should she say something? Or should she just be dragged along dumbly, like a child?

Thats what you are. A child. You can't do anything. You can only sit by. Don't you get it? You failed. You're a failure. They're going to perform the Operation on everyone now because you FAILED!

Molly looked at Liam. He wasn't unconscious, like she had guessed. His eyes were stunned, almost vacant. She had to think. It couldn't be entirely hopeless. There had to be some kind of way.

Molly turned her head and saw Alfonso, against the wall. He had blood on him. Molly stared at him, trying to telepathically tell him how sorry she was.

Alfonso weakly grinned at her and tossed her a small, thick stick. Molly caught it and glanced at her capturer. Somehow, he hadn't noticed. He was busy saying something to Liam. He dragged them into the cages and locked them, then picked up Alfonso like a feather and carried him off somewhere.

Maybe they'd do the Operation on him, too.

"I'm sorry," Molly murmured. Her voice was surprisingly steady.

"What for? I would've done the same thing." he replied. His voice was ragged.

"What happened?" Molly whispered.

"You went in and this gigantic alligator walked in. Chief ran for it, but that alligator guy beat the crap out of me and Alfonso."

"Are you alright?" Molly gasped.

"Yeah, I guess. My head hurts."

Molly rubbed the spot where Terry had bumped her on the head earlier. "Same."

"What did Alfonso toss you?" he queried.

"I don't know." Molly observed the small sticklike object. It was faintly familiar.

"Let me see." Molly handed Liam the object through the bars of their cages. Liam sucked in his breath and Molly's heart leaped.

"T-this is a taser gun," he hissed.

"Huh?"

"Thats the thing those two alligators shot us with. It sends electricity into you and renders you completely useless."

"Great," Molly said. "But how can we use it to get us out? Other than shooting the guards?"

"If we can get out of these cages, no alligator will stand in our way." Liam aimed towards the wall and pulled the trigger. It made a ti-ti-ti-ti noise rapidly, sparks flaring off the tip.

"This thing has enough voltage to knock you out," Liam said in wonder.

"Again, great," Molly snapped. "But it's useless if we can't get out of these cages."

"Don't you see?" Liam said excitedly. "Once they take us out to do the Operation, bam, we shoot them with this little guy and bolt!"

Molly frowned. "But…what about Peanut? And Alfonso? And Chief?"

"Well, sometimes sacrifices gotta be made."

"What?! Thats as stupid as 'screw Peanut'! We have to get them all out."

Liam sighed. "Peanut's been Operated on, there's nothing we can-"

The door burst open and two gators in white coats stepped in. They quietly unlocked the doors and dragged Liam and Molly out of their cages. Liam winked at Molly, whipped out the taser, and aimed it at the one holding him. They let out cries of alarm that were quickly silenced.

"Run," Liam said tersely. Molly froze. I have to save Peanut!

Molly heard the door open and she whirled around. Backup? No, it was the pink squirrel herself.

"Whats going on, slacker?" she questioned, looking around.

"No time!" Molly grabbed her arm. "RUN!"

"Is this a race? If it is, I dunno if I can win…I'm pretty short, but-"

"Lets play a game called Don't Say Anything or You Lose," Liam hissed. Molly hadn't ever seen him like this, his eyes shifting, his pose tight and face concentrated.

Peanut grinned and pretended to zip her lips. If this squirrel knew what the heck she's running from…

"Help!"

Molly whirled around and saw Chief, held down by two guards. Liam pointed the taser at the guards.

"They're taking me to the Operation! Help!"

Molly heard more guards clomping behind her. They're surrounding us!

Time seemed to slow down. If they saved Chief, they'd get caught; if they ran, they could escape, but Chief would be Operated on. Liam seemed to be boarding the same train of thought. Molly looked at him.

"We're sorry, Chief," Liam choked out.

"You lose!" Peanut said triumphantly. Molly had already forgotten about their 'game'.

The footsteps were getting louder behind them.

"But sometimes, sacrifices have to be made." Liam's hand tightened on the taser and he grabbed Molly's wing. "I'm sorry."

They all bolted the instant the backup guards burst in, yelling and cursing.

"RUN!" Liam yelled, and whirled around, shooting electricity. All thought left Molly's mind, replaced by a wild, primitive instinct to save herself. She opened her wings, closed her eyes, and pushed off.

She hadn't actually flown before, and flying wouldn't exactly help her all that much in this narrow tunnel, but she did it anyway. She heard Peanut cheering beneath her.

"Follow me!" Molly yelled, swooping down the tunnel. Well, flying did have an advantage; it was a LOT faster than walking. She saw Liam panting as he followed her, scooped up Peanut, and poured on speed. Humans are fast, she observed.

"I didn't know you could fly," Liam puffed.

"I'm a duck," Molly replied. Liam grinned his million-dollar smile and Molly grinned back, and spread her wings, slamming into a ladder.

"Owwww!" Molly huffed. She whirled around and spotted Liam behind her, his face red.

"You're fast," he panted. Molly didn't respond, looking at the ladder.

"Lets go," Liam said, catching his breath. Suddenly Peanut gasped.

"Peanut?" Molly asked.

"Can't…leave…tunnel…" she hissed, and she dropped down from Liam's arms.

"GUAAAAAAAAAARDS!" she shrieked.

"What the hell?" Liam yelled, reaching for her. "Stop! We're escaping!"

"You CAN'T escape!" Peanut snarled. Liam saw about ten alligators rushing down the corridor.

"Up! Go up! Go up the damn ladder, Molly! NOW!"

Molly scrambled for the ladder, and saw Liam wield the taser. It was too small to handle that many guards.

He wasn't going to be able to escape.

"Not on my watch!" Molly snapped, and lunged for the nearest alligator, kicking him in the face. "Go for their eyes!"

But there was only three of them against so many, and Peanut seemed to be on the wrong side. She felt a cold barrel of a gun against her head.

"The Operation can suck it," one snapped. "I'm killing this duck whether my programming likes it or no-OW!"

Alfonso kicked the gator in the head, quickly followed by Chief.

"Need help?" Chief puffed.

"Thanks," Molly gasped, her heart hammering. She'd ask questions later. "Come on, up the ladder!"

They all scrambled up, Alfonso gripping Peanut as she yelled for help.

"They're kidnapping meeee!" she wailed.

They burst into a field with train tracks. As luck would have it, a train was chugging along on them now.

"Wait!" Liam gasped, waving his hand. The train stopped.

"What're yall doing out here in the middle o' nowhere?" the train driver-a monkey- asked, confused.

"No time," Liam said impatiently. "Can you drive us to-"

"Banana," Molly interrupted. That was the name of Peanut's town. "We need to drop off Peanut over here. And then could you drive us to Solaris?"

"Banana and Solaris are pretty far from here," he grunted. "But, hey, as long as you pay me."

"Stop for Solaris, stop for Solaris!"

Liam and Molly got up, exhausted. "You guys gonna be okay?" Liam asked Alfonso and Liam. Alfonso nodded.

During the train ride, Alfonso said he had fought with the big alligator that had threatened to shoot Liam-Kevin-and run for it. He had seen Chief along the way and had tased the guards holding him with the spare taser he kept in his pocket, then run for Molly and Liam's rescue.

"Sorry for not saving you back there," Liam told Chief awkwardly.

"Gaha! I would've done the same thing!" Chief laughed.

Liam gave him a mock hurt expression and grabbed Molly's wing.

"Lets go," he said.

They stepped off the train and Molly breathed in the air of Solaris.

"Home Sweet Home," Liam sighed. The sun was rising, which meant they were in that prison for at least a day. Hopefully nobody had noticed.

Liam looked down at Molly. "We beat them. Alfonso can save Chief, and I can save you, and maybe there will be humans again." Molly looked into his eyes.

They were full of tears.

We're home.