Staying up all night to protect the boys was more exhausting than I took it for.
After Elgress and Vinnie left, Luke and Levi had their fill of food, grateful to have something than morsels of cooked meat in their aching bellies.
We kept the car on for the heater as the temperature outside dropped. Also, we needed a quick getaway if anyone else turned up.
The egg was my top priority now. It was the only family I had, and I was going to stop at nothing to make sure it was going to make it to hatch day.
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Luke and Levi answered the barrage of phone calls and messages from their parents to make sure they knew they were safe with me.
They could have easily gone home and let me leave, but they were adamant on making sure I would be as safe as they were.
I don't know what I'd do without such caring friends.
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As Luke and Levi slept, I searched the maps on my phone to plan my route. All the railway lines were twisting from the city center, along with busses, trams, and even ferries. Hell, if I even wanted to, I could do a car-share and get them to drop me off somewhere remote, for a hefty fee.
Everything was laid out. I just had to follow the tug of my heart.
Right now, it was a tight ball in my gut, rather than in my chest where it usually was. Sitting here as the others slept, I was filled with sadness that I would have to give up this demanding feeling so soon.
I liked being with Luke and Levi. Being here as lookout as they slept, reminded me of home. I was acting as their guardian, and that brewed up all sorts of mixed paternal feelings I shouldn't have been feeling towards my friends.
Still, I let myself have this guilty pleasure. For tonight, they were mine, and I would make sure they were returned safely.
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Leaving the car to stretch my legs, I saw it was just past one o'clock.
The van had its lights on. The other car had long vacated after realising they wouldn't have the peace they wanted. It was just the two of us.
Their door swung open, startling me on my way to the tap to fill an empty soft drink cup with much-needed water.
The old man blinked in surprise at having a visitor. Peering over, he saw the car and linked me to it.
The old man was stopped over, hardly a threat. He held a cup of steaming coffee in one hand as the other spotted hand planted on the side of the van.
I turned my head from him, focusing on the overflowing cup.
"Good morning" the old man called.
I just gave a little smile, straightening to drink.
"You're an oddly sorta fellow, aren't you?" he grinned.
What the hell did he mean by that?
Narrowing my eyes back at him, I returned to the tap.
"If you are thirsty, I have coffee I just brewed" the old man tilted his head and stepped out of the van "I have tea too. Petunia loves her tea."
He gave a little giggle. Placing a little dish on the tar, a fluffy orange cat with white smeared across its face promptly jumped down, rubbing around the man's blue and white striped pyjama trousers when he turned his back to fetch the kettle he returned with.
Why was he bothering himself with me? Didn't the old man have better things than to bother a snake?
"I'm busy, old man" I just replied.
"Old man!" he laughed, shaking his head "my name is Edwin."
Cool. I didn't need to know about him. He was still smiling at me so warmly. Was he blind too? Didn't he see I wasn't interested in him or his cat?
The car was unguarded. The longer I stood here, the more chance someone could come along a....
"Did you want some coffee?" Edwin interrupted my thoughts "I have a spare mug here. It was Effie's, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing with good company."
Of course he had a damn spare. And now he was going to get it. Great.
"I'm cool with the cup I've got" I held it up to shake it a little "I'm not interested, old man."
"Again with the 'old man'" he chuckled, taking a step towards me with the empty cup "you don't need to be so afraid of me, boy."
"Who says I'm afraid?" I shot back.
"Well, I see all sorts of fellows on my travels" he spoke as he approached the tap I backed away from "and you are travelling too, aren't you? Or are you running from something?"
"That's none of your business, ol..."
I paused when he stretched a hand out to turn the tap. There, up along his inner arm, was a faded green tattoo of letters and numbers.
He noticed me staring and peered at it, chuckling again.
"Don't mind that" he filled the cup and yanked on the tap to turn it off "that's in the past. Maybe it's the future too? Who knows."
He held out the cup of water to me. It was well-loved, with rings of coffee stains inside from years of use. The outside looked like it had been painted many decades ago.
Setting the paper cup down, I took the offering.
"Thanks."
"Come" he waved me over "come sit in the van. It's far more comfortable than here."
I glanced back to the car. Frowning, I didn't move.
"I shouldn't...."
"You'll see it still" he shook his head at me "why, you'll barely be away from your old car."
That was true. But I still didn't like that there was a field of vacant tar between me and them.
"Just for one cup" he insisted "I won't bite. I'll need my teeth for that."
I snorted, agreeing.
It should be fine. The water was fine. I knew it didn't have anything suspicious inside it.
"So, what brings you here?" Edwin started with a smile when I followed behind him "an ethnic lad like you?"
"Ethnic?" I snorted "I'm from here, old man."
"Don't see many cobras in these sunburnt lands" he smiled back "mainly easterns, browns, and red bellies. I can see you are neither of those."
Was he being racist? Or just blatantly observant? Age made him factual and straight to the point.
"And how about you?" I jeered back "what's an old guy like you doing travelling the roads with some cat?"
"Oh, seeing sights" Edwin bent to stroke the cats back that lifted to his touch "before my sight fades. Got to take in the beauty of it all while I can."
He sat closest to the open door, on the edge of the step built into the van. I took the open area beside him, feeling the warm metal press to my left.
My eyes found the tattoo again when he lifted his arm to drink. His cardigan was baggy and fell around his shrivelled frame with each sip. Something had happened to him to call forth this journey of discovery.
HE1.4-5HE5786.40.
What did all that mean?
"I guess something like this old thing would be fascinating to you" Edwin smiled again, sipping his coffee "did you listen during history in school?"
I shook my head, dropping my gaze to my water to not seem rude.
"I'm from out there. I've just...."
I hesitated, trying to gauge him from his warm eyes and smile.
"I've never seen anything like it before."
"Oh, well that's quite alright" Edwin chuckled, pulling up his cardigan sleeve to his elbow, even though it was already clearly visible "it's all got meaning to it."
Meaning? It all looked like a mixture of random things and dots to me.
"H stands for hybrid" Edwin began, poking the first letter "and the e is for echidna."
"Echidna?" I breathed, looking him over "you look like a normal human."
His skin may have been a bit leathery and scarred, but that was from the harsh sun and it's consequences. His short, thick nails were a little yellow, but he could have been a smoker in his younger years. He looked nothing like a hybrid; at least not the ones I had seen at Paragon.
"They fixed people like me" he explained "if it couldn't be fixed, it was thrown away. I didn't really know what it all was until I was a little older. I thought everyone was just fixed and released, like I was."
I grimaced, staying silent.
"I was the first-born, which is the one" Edwin moved along "my mother had five of us there. When we were lined up, I got told that I should say I was younger than eight. I told them I was five. That is my false age right there."
"Why?" I found the courage to look at him again "why did it matter how old you were?"
Edwin gave a little sigh, still smiling.
"I got told that if you were too old, you were unfixable. They decided that age was eight, for some reason. To them, to me, and to everyone else, I was five. They had no proof otherwise."
I nodded.
"This is my mother" he ran across the HE5786 "that's her number. She was the five thousandth and eighty sixth hybrid through. The fourty after that was the year. Nineteen fourty."
"Nineteen fourty?" I breathed in disbelief.
Edwin gave a little nod, taking another sip.
"I was nine. A scrawny nine too. It saved me. I'm ninety four now, but this arm is a healthy ninety."
He chuckled, snorting at his joke. I only politely smiled back, unsure if I should laugh at a dark situation like that, even if he was.
"How do they fix you?" I asked now "you said you were released."
"Oh, yes" he nodded, drinking again as we watched the car together "there were two ways through the doors. Humans got pushed through one, hybrids in another. They believed they could make hybrids more human by fixing the features into those of a human; smooth skin, sloped faces and the such. I used to have quills all over me. They took them out and pushed me with the humans."
"That's horrible!"
"For them!" Edwin's eyes sparkled with mischievousness "they didn't realize that an echidnas quills could grow back over time. Oh, Effie loved them. Here...."
Edwin passed me his mug so he could rise up and entered the van. I leant back to watch him shuffle down to the bed pushed in the back that had shelves above it. Opening one, he pulled down a tarnished golden photo frame.
I made sure he had enough space to sit back beside me. I swapped his mug for the frame he handed over.
"Oh, I was a devil back then" he beamed over the photo of a young man planted in front of a motorcycle, arms crossed; face stern. The jacket had quills pierced through the material along the arms and shoulders, lengthening at his back as he posed.
His hair was dark and curled at the front; hardly the white comb over he sported on his spotted head now.
A young woman hung off one arm, smiling. Her hair was pointed scales that ran down the bridge of her nose and across her cheekbones. She wore a spotted dress that was belted in the middle, revealing her thick, spiked tail. Her exposed legs weren't saved from the scales that ran up the sides of the skin. Her arms were covered in the armour, making them appear ballooned from the length.
"She was a pangolin. Back then, there were a lot of things you couldn't do, especially have a girlfriend like Effie. She didn't believe all the poppycock. The poor girl had to sit in a sidecar so she didn't get spiked by me."
Edwin laughed. I joined him now, imagining it all.
I saw the sidecar beside them. Behind them they had the curve of a bridge they parked in front of to capture the old brown photo.
"You would have loved her" Edwin sparkled as he gently took and held the photo frame "she was no nonsense too; a bit stand-offish with everything."
"Like me?" I chuckled.
"Oh, certainly" Edwin nodded, laughing again.
He placed the frame down beside him and faced it outwards. We just drank, taking in the darkness still blanketing the empty parking lot.
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Once his cup was drained and the cat was content, Edwin took the frame away and returned to pour tea into mine.
"Can't waste it" he beamed at me while pouring the dregs into his.
"Thank you."
I waited until he had returned inside to taste the air around it. It burned brightly and seemed fine.
"I haven't poisoned it, dear boy" Edwin snorted when he returned beside me.
I felt the cat rubbing against my back, butting it with their head for attention.
"I haven't had tea with a stranger before" I admitted.
"Well, then, we wouldn't be strangers if I knew your name" he smirked.
I guess that was ok. Edwin had been very courteous towards me so far and hadn't done anything malicious. He was just an old man who wanted someone to talk to that wasn't his demanding cat.
"It's Tsawilaun."
"Ah, what a mouthful" Edwin mumbled over his cup "and you were born into that?"
"Yes, Sir."
"You poor boy" Edwin joked, giggling.
I laughed with him, finally tasting the tea.
The intense black tea hit me first with its malt-like flavour beneath the smoked metallic punch. Sweet mango swirled into it, offering a little relief from the initial tea taste. It was silky on my forked tongue.
"The cat drinks this?" I reeled back with a little cough.
"Petunia loves her little bit of mango tea each morning" Edwin rubbed the head of the cat that wedged between us, purring "keeps her bones good."
"It's certainly woken me up" I blew out my breath and went for more.
It was something so bad it was good. The black tea made it a rocky experience to try and enjoy.
"You'll grow into the taste" Edwin laughed at me "I doubt you wild folk are sitting around, sipping tea out there."
"Definitely not" I snickered.
"Take some with you" Edwin rose again.
"Oh, I couldn't..."
I really didn't want to. What would I do with tea out there?
"Nonsense. It'll keep you going" Edwin called from within the van as he stopped behind me at the bench seat that was there, lifting the cushions to peel back the thin piece of board there.
I watched him grab a green decorated tin that he pulled a few teabags from to promptly squeeze into a plastic self-seal bag and hold out towards me.
"Ah, thanks."
"I'm sure you have plenty of water out there" Edwin grinned "and I'm sure you'll find a good cup. You can even steep the tea in the plastic bag there if you get desperate. It tastes really good cold too."
Sure. He made it sound like I'd be left with scraps out there. It was no portable home, but we had things that had been collected over many years. I think I remember fighting my sister for some doll she had been gifted by a curious person passing through one time. We had to patch it back up with sticks skewered through the neck after ripping it apart.
"I'll make sure everyone gets to try some" I pushed the bag into my pocket "thank you."
"And thank you for sitting with me" Edwin smiled, finishing his cup and shaking out the drops "I'll wash these out over there and let you be on your way."
Now that I was comfortable here, I didn't feel so tense. I could see that the car was still untouched, and I had someone new and interesting to chat to.
Gulping down the rest of my cooled tea so I could walk beside Edwin, we gathered again at the tap that I turned on to save his hands.
"Don't forget your rubbish" he pointed to the cup still standing there "nothing worse."
"Nothing worse?" I laughed back, and saw him smirk again "whatever you say."
I passed him back the cup so he could rinse and tip out the pounding water. As he was doing that, I took my rubbish to the bin.
On my way back to the man, I stopped to watch a car pass on the main road. Frozen in place as it went past the entrance, I saw another behind it start to peel inwards.
My heart leapt into my chest. Instantly I was off running.
"Thank you for everything!" I called to Edwin, who was confused "I've got to go!"
"Well, don't stress yourself too much, dear boy!" he waved back, quickly shuffling for the safety of his van.
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Grimacing, I solely focused on the car the boys were still sleeping inside, oblivious to the danger approaching them.
A red one pulled up alongside it. Pushing myself to my limits, I slammed my hands on the back of our car to try and wake the boys.
As the doors of the other car fling open, I planted myself between both cars.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be!" a familiar voice growled in warning.
The driver got out, heaving themselves up so they could be seen over the car.
"You're the one who helped us!" Levi gasped out the window to a patched dog with a black muzzle "you helped us back then! Why are you out here?"
"Look, it's nothing personal" they replied, a female "I figured you'd be somewhere near where you were supposed to be. Who thought it'd be in a Fasties parking lot, of all places?"
I noticed the silver duct tape wrapped around her wrists and throat. She wore long sleeves to try and cover her fur. I saw the other three with her were also sporting the same tape around those same appendages and ankles too.
I didn't recognize the others either. One was a black and brown doberman, to her right. The one at the front was a mostly furless, spotted thing with crazy white hair; and some long-haired golden retriever.
"You think a little bit of tape is going to stop me?" I scoffed at it, laughing.
All dogs. I could easily take them. They looked like ones plucked from random places too. This was no coordinated pack.
"Fuck you, you bitch!" Luke snarled.
I turned to see him hanging over the side of the car in the same way the patched dog did, stabbing a finger at her.
"Oh ho! So observant!" she laughed back.
He had the door open. He was leaving his back and my egg open for attack.
"Get back inside!" I snapped to him.
"We are in this together" he glared to me "and if they want to be bitten, so be it. They aren't human."
So he had remembered what I told him. I hadn't intended on it being used in this context, but at least he was thinking before he struck.
Levi left the car to stand beside me. He closed the door, glancing to me nervously.
"I've never bitten anyone" he leant in to whisper.
"Just stay behind me" I warned him.
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"Henry" the patched dog ordered the retriever "take Levi. Lexi, you get Luke up the back. Poncho; on me. We'll deal with Tawn."
"Like fuck you will" I snarled back to her.
Luke slid down from the car to close the door. He planted himself to my right, fiercely snapping at the retriever who looked to the leader fearfully.
"We need to make sure they don't get to the car" I told both boys "so we can leave."
"Oh, and you think we will let you just run away again?" the patchy white-haired one called Lexi jeered back.
I hissed at her, seeing her growl back, baring her fangs.
Those were going to hurt like hell if they found my skin. I had to make sure they didn't sink into either Levi or Luke.
"Get them" the patched one finally ordered.
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I stood my ground, billowing out as I hissed at Lexi. She darted around the back of their car and charged for Luke.
The retriever, Henry, didn't do the same. He decided to try and pass me, yelping when I snatched onto the long fur to crush my arms around his throat.
"I'm not letting you hurt him" I snarled down at his wide eyes.
Henry said nothing. He just snarled and pierced his teeth into my arm, making me release him as blood spilled onto the tar.
I raked my nails down the back of one leg when he wriggled free and rushed for Levi. Levi panicked, yelling and running around the back of the car for somewhere to hide himself.
"Get him!" the leader blustered to her ally, the doberman; Poncho "he's down!"
I felt her small body throw itself onto me. The doberman; a much larger and heavier person, slammed me back to the ground when I tried to wriggle free.
It couldn't happen like this! I couldn't go already!
Snapping at Poncho, I felt my hands being yanked roughly by the leader. She was trying to bind them with something, growling and grunting against my thrashing.
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Luke was already on Lexi, snapping his fangs into her taped neck. She yelped, trying to scurry back against his arms pinning her to him.
Levi was on the ground, pushing himself back from Henry who growled down at him. He whimpered and hissed, trying to fight off the dog who dropped to his knees to push Levi's arms to the tar.
"Get off me!" Levi whined as he struggled and kicked "let me go!"
"Let him go!" I snarled over to the retriever, who glanced at me blankly.
Tearing an arm free, I swing my fist into the side of the leader, startling her. Using the extra space to slide myself back, I bared my fangs and aimed for the exposed arm of Poncho.
He threw himself back and swung his taped arm up to chock my mouth. My fangs dribbled over the thick tape, trying to pump venom into his body.
A foot kicked out and stabbed me in the gut. Claws raked my shirt, tearing it.
Poncho scrambled free, twisting himself up to his feet so he could swing a leg towards my face when I charged again.
I darted to the side, snatching onto his leg and shredding down it with my nails. Using the torn flesh as an anchor, I propelled myself up his body to strike the side of his face along the way past.
It was like hitting the tar itself. My knuckles burned as if they had been broken on the impact. I felt the weight of the strike envelope my hand and work it's way into the bones themselves. Curling the same aching fist, I charged for Henry to swing my shoe into his chest and shove him back onto the tar when he was winded.
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My fist landed into his soft cheek, and then across his hard forehead. I pounded down onto his ribs; even along his wet lips when his teeth tried to snap around me.
My legs squeezed his sides to keep him in place and away from Levi who was on his feet instantly. The poor kid stood there tearfully, unsure of what to do.
Henry lifted his arms up to shield his face after he realised that shoving me only had me returning right back to his crushed ribs. I tore at his fur, hissing and striking for his face he kept deflecting from me on the damn tape gauntlets.
"Flower!" he begged, trying to buck me off "help!"
So that was the leader's name.
I tore my attention from Henry and towards the charging dog trying to target my side while I was distracted.
Levi hardened and ran at her instead. Staggering her backwards, he swung himself around onto her back, wrapping his arms around her throat and his legs across her middle. His fangs reared, missing her ear and sticking into the tape choker when she fell back to try and crush him.
Flower flipped onto her hands and knees to try and shake Levi from her. He held on tightly, tucking his head down when she raised up to her knees, swiping for his body.
Poncho slammed his hands into Levi's back to yank him off. He kicked him away when he tried to return, lunging for the kid when they snarled at each other.
"Flower!" Henry whimpered again.
"No, you focus on me, you bastard!" I hissed down at him as I folded his reaching arm back in so I could crush it under a knee and punch the soft lump that was his head.
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With Levi now dealing with Poncho, Flower returned like a fucking pest. She lunged for my raised fist, snatching it in her arms. When I turned to her, she jerked me from Henry, using my instability to jump onto my back and start mauling my shoulders.
Henry scampered free, even after I grabbed a handful of fur that slid from under my grip easily. Flower spat out the scales she tore up, focusing on locking her jaw around the muscle so she could tear her head from side to side.
"F-FUCK!" I screamed at the acid piercing further and deeper into my shoulder blade and spiralling into my ribs. I could feel my own cold blood coursing down my body, freezing the scales that had been momentarily warmed.
The darkness splattered onto the tar. Flower growled and huffed, chuckling at her success as my skin tore upwards into her hungry jaws.
Her nails pierced into my arm and other shoulder so she couldn't be thrown free. I screamed out when they burrowed in, plugging in my blood that spurted around them. It felt like I was having extra pieces of jagged bone hammered into my side and somewhere near my spine.
I needed to get her off me! She was going to fucking kill me before she dragged me back!
I didn't want to waste valuable venom only on one dog, but I guess it couldn't be helped.
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"Tawn!" Luke screeched when his wide eyes locked onto me.
He was standing over Lexi, her extended arm locked between his bent legs. He pressed a shoe against her face as he ignored her whimpers when she tried to pull herself free; clawing and yanking desperately.
Luke snarled at her and clamped down, promptly striking the arm with his foot as he cried out in anger.
I saw the arm snap below the elbow. I heard the bone crack beneath her chilling wail that gargled into the night and made all of us freeze. Luke promptly released her, the arm crooked and limp on the ground. Lexi rolled and screamed in agony at the brutal break. As she did, Luke sprinted for Poncho to leap at him, biting furiously at his throat while Levi targeted his middle.
He panicked, yelling as he spun around to try and dislodge the pair. Henry bolted over to try and aid his friend.
"Poncho!" Flower cried out, realising her team was now rattled and falling out of coordination.
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The bitch was mine now!
Rearing up, I now had the chance to heave my flooding shoulders up and stab my own nails into the shirt on her back. Yanking it forward, it pulled up to catch on her tensed shoulders. With her skin exposed, I felt her loosen around my throat in panic. The lapse was all I needed.
Twisting my torso around to face her, Flower gasped and tried to push away. I kept her squirming body locked in my hands that burrowed into her warm skin to spill hot blood down my squeezing fingers.
Collapsing only my top half, she screamed from the sudden fall. Panicked by the unnatural movements, her focus was only for freedom now. Her claws scratched frantically; her bloodied muzzle panting in fear.
She didn't even try to bite me now. She just wanted to get away from my face glaring right into her soul.
I snapped my jaw open, snarling at her. Flower yelped, sobbing and still yanking pitifully. All strength had left her. She was too shaken to hurt me anymore.
Twisting my legs around, I bent them up to slide around hers. I squeezed my arms around her ribs, tightening with each frantic breath she took.
"P-ple-a-ase" she gasped, sobbing "d-do-don't."
I hissed again, making her squeal and close her blinded eyes.
I tightened. She could barely breathe now. It was beautiful hearing her pant for the air I choked from her bleeding body. It matched her hammering heartbeat.
Flickering my tongue out against her cheek, she moaned in disgust through her panicked sobbing.
"H-HE-HELP!" she wailed for her friends, wriggling against me "HELP!!!"
And with that last lungful, I crushed beneath her ribs further.
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Flower's desperate attempts to breathe were now noisy; wheezing in weakly. Whenever her ribs pressed against my skin, I let her know I had full control over her life.
Looking over, Poncho was stumbling as he tried to advance on Levi. Luke rounded on the other side with one arm dangling through streams of his own blood.
Lexi had managed to get herself and her broken arm to the car where she was using duct tape to try and stabilize the bone again. Other rolls were spilled onto the ground in her desperate attempt to patch her self up.
I scanned the area, trying to find the golden fur of the last attacker.
Where was Henry?
"Get off her!"
Massive hands seized Flower's legs to tug on them. Her eyes rolled and fluttered when her crushed ribs were caught on my own coiled body.
Teeth snapped into my legs now, ripping the skin away almost instantly. Howling at the new splitting waves of fire pierced into me, the muscles retreated from the pain, loosening.
With another yank, Henry dragged Flower down further. I snatched on, determined to keep her in my constriction that was now positioned around her head.
I could feel cracking under my arms. I heard her gasp in a deep lungful of air, choking on it.
Her arms reached up to slap mine. She pulled her body from mine, trying to tug her head free.
Henry dove to my shoulder to try and maul where Flower already had. I focused my grip on him instead, freeing Flower as she tugged again; falling back roughly.
Now with Henry right in my hands, I struck at the flapping fur under his chin.
He yelped and tried to back up, but I wasn't going to lose another from my constriction so easily. I hadn't struck skin like I had hoped.
Wrapping my arms around his neck to force it towards me, I snapped into the side of his cheek.
My mouth pulled more fur. He snarled, turning his teeth on my face I tucked into his chest so the back of my hood would be torn instead.
Pushing up with my legs as he tore out scales and peppered me with gouges, I swung them around to clamp around his middle. Twisting, I slid my face from beneath him so I was now crushing his back.
Hissing and striking again, I tore up fur on the back of his neck. Tightening my arms around his, he buckled when I tugged them from under him. I moved upwards, keeping my legs tightened just under his rumbling gut.
If I couldn't choke Flower, I could certainly do it to Henry.
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"S-sto-p!" Flower begged breathlessly through her tears.
She got to her feet, staggering sideways and falling. As I tore up more chunks from the back of his shoulders and spat them out, she crawled towards me to try and weakly pry one arm from his.
I barely felt her. She realised she was getting nowhere, trying to bite me.
Her teeth had no more force than a humans. They couldn't even pierce my skin, like before.
She was weak. Henry was mine.
I unwound one arm to tighten it around his taped throat and pull it back towards me. The other followed, keeping Henry subdued.
I felt him swallowing against my skin. With his head tilted, he couldn't bite me. He could barely breathe without panting out his gaping jaws.
I tore more fur, lunging and hissing as I did. Shredding Henry's upper portion of his once luxurious coat, I finally spied the warm skin I had been searching for.
Right there, just under his ear.....
I reared back, feeling the venom trickle from my mouth as I steadied myself over the sweet spot. His heart was hammering now that he knew he could do nothing to stop me. His skin burned blissfully into mine from fear.
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"Tawn!" Luke whimpered, tearing my focus.
With fangs still poised, I snapped my eyes onto his voice to find him.
Poncho had Luke's throat firmly locked from the side. With Luke pressed against him, Poncho had his claws stabbed into his collarbone and stomach. Luke didn't dare move, even with his hands squeezed down by his sides.
Lexi was beside them with Levi. The terrified kid had his jaw wide open and taped in that fashion with one continuous loop around the back of his head. Tape looped around the back of his fangs and top of his mouth to keep his mouth open. It also blocked his nose so he had to rely on the sliver of space she had given him to breathe.
Neither had escaped unharmed. It looked like Levi was steadily bleeding from his side he clutched forcefully. Along his arms, torn scales and flesh flapped.
Luke had the same torn across him. There was a chunk hanging from his jaw that moved when he swallowed.
"Let Henry go!" Lexi demanded "and we will let them go!"
I tightened around Henry's throat, making him squeal.
"You came after us! You don't get to make demands!"
"And Poncho currently controls how well this one can breathe" Lexi tilted her head to Luke "so I think we do. Let Henry go."
I snarled back at seeing the fear in both boy's eyes. Poncho tightened, growling. Luke whined in pain, breathing in his tears.
"Awghn" Levi tried to plead my name.
I couldn't let them be hurt further. Luke would bleed out of his throat was torn that badly. Levi would suffocate if Lexi decided to cover that sliver with more tape.
"Bring them over here" I glared, loosening up to let Henry breathe.
He croaked, rubbing his throat. Flower gasped, crushing her head to his tearfully.
"We'll meet halfway" Lexi decided firmly "once you release Henry, you can have both of them."
What a sick fucking deal! How was I supposed to trust that she would give Levi back once I gave them this sobbing idiot?
"Back the fuck up" I snarled to Flower as I hoisted myself from Henry and dragged him up by the nape "if either of you tried something stupid, he dies."
I growled, making sure Flower got the message. She glared back, nodding slightly.
"Get the tape" I tilted my head to a roll abandoned nearby "bring it with you."
She looked confused but walked over to grab it. She was in no advantage for bargaining or snapping back with quips, so she remained silent.
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I shoved Henry forth roughly.
He inched along while I kept my nails firmly dug into his skin.
Poncho and Luke advanced too. Poncho never left Luke's neck, locked onto me the whole time.
We stopped at arm's length from each other. Blood trailed behind both sides from our multitude of wounds.
Flower waited for me, holding the roll tightly.
I knew Levi had bitten the doberman in his side when both had teamed up against him. My eyes slid down to the area, making Poncho growl back.
"If you don't want to die from the venom, I suggest you release him" I stated simply.
We had the upper-hand here. They were racing against the clock for their friend now.
Releasing him after brief hesitation, Poncho now gripped his bleeding site roughly.
Luke rushed for my side, hugging me.
"Are you hurt badly?" I looked him over, moving his head to the side to see just how deep his face had been mauled "stay still."
I snatched the tape from Flower to rip off a strip and press it to the skin. It staunched some of the flow and gave him instant relief.
I patched the area further, ripping off more clumps for along his arm and shoulder. The other still hung limply. I couldn't move it at all without him hissing in pain.
Luke was sorted for now. He would survive this.
I shoved Henry across and let Flower rush to his side. Poncho checked over his humiliated friend, growling at me once more. He was quickly draining of colour and strength.
He couldn't stay. Henry helped him to the car and sped out of the lot on the way for the hospital.
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"Now Levi" I snapped when the distraction was gone.
Flower gestured him over. Lexi limped across with her own taped broken arm and hostage, snarling at Luke who returned the hatred.
Levi whimpered. His eyes glistened up at me helplessly when he stood there with his inhumane muzzle.
"Hey, kid" I pulled him from the claws wrapped around him "are you ok?"
He shook his head, sobbing.
I checked him over the same way I had done with Luke, making sure to lift the side of his soaked shirt to patch up the deep torn chunk there.
Levi threw his arms around me, burying his head down under my chest as he gargled out more tears.
I laid a hand across him, keeping him guarded. I pulled Luke to my side, making sure he couldn't be snatched away again.
"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" I snarled to Flower "targeting children!"
"Come off it!" she threw a hand out to swing between them both "they poisoned Poncho! They're not children! They're old enough to know better!"
"And what do you expect to happen?" I narrowed my eyes at her "you are fighting snakes! Venomous snakes! You obviously knew what you were doing since you all turned up with tape on yourselves!"
Flower appeared guilty behind her bared teeth. Her eyes softened and she dropped them to Levi who whimpered and buried his head back into me.
"If you want to come after someone, you come after me" I warned her "Bruce was after the Stars, not these two."
"How could you have known that?" Lexi frowned back, barely a whisper.
"The real question is why you would risk your own fucking lives for money!" I growled back in disbelief "of all people, someone who helped them! Who helped me!"
I threw a hand up at Flower who hardened at it. She said nothing.
"I'm still going to take you in" she finally spoke.
I pushed Luke and Levi behind me.
"I almost killed you" I warned her "do you really want to die in a place like this? Really think about it before you make a move, because you certainly don't have as much fur as your friend did. It's just you and her now."
Flower glared, growling. She folded her arms, glancing to her broken-armed friend behind her.
I felt hands patting along my wounded shoulder. Luke and Levi were tearing the tape to stick it over me, like I had done with them.
My heart melted with each gentle pat that pushed into me.
"What will it be?" I asked.
I didn't have it in me for more torn flesh to be dropping off, but I wasn't about to let the boys come to more harm while I was here. I still needed to get Levi's jaws out of those binds.
"We don't need to waste more time on you" Flower waved a pawed hand "I'll just get the money of whoever else brings you in."
"No-one else is coming here" I approached her now, leaning over her snarling face "you are going to go back to Paragon and let everyone else know not to come out here. They'll see how badly you are both injured and listen."
"Like fuck I will" Flower scoffed "you don't tell me what to do!"
"Then how about I show you then?"
I curled my fist to strike it into Flower's stomach. She doubled over, groaning. While she was down, I stormed for Lexi, yanking her towards me by her broken arm so I could slice my fangs into her shoulder, spilling venom through her.
I wrapped my arms around her back to keep her pinned to me. Her only useable arm tried to scratch at my stomach and shove me away. I hissed through her skin, flashing my hood to Flower who stared on in shock.
"What the.....?"
Ripping my fangs from the soft skin, I shoved Lexi towards her friend. She gripped the two puncture marks, frozen in shock at what I had done.
"That should be a clear enough message" I tilted my head to her, curling my lip at Flower "don't fuck with me or them ever again, or it'll be you who has my fangs in your skin."
I spat the blood onto the ground. Flower was already on her phone to dial an ambulance. Her hands were trembling just trying to stab in the number.
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I walked past them to bundle the boys up, steering them towards the car. Levi turned to face me, drooling and crying in shame from having his jaws open for so long.
"Do we have anything to get this off?" I asked Luke.
He shook his head, turning Levi so he could scratch at the tape to find the end of it.
"W-wait!" Flower cried out.
She scurried towards us, sobbing as she held the phone in her shaking hands. I turned on her, blocking the way to Luke and Levi.
"They're not going to get here on time!" she pointed to Lexi "please! Please don't let her die!"
Flower wailed, gripping her phone tightly. The screen was counting the time on the call. It was just another reminder of every second that slipped through their fingers.
They had no car and no chance to share a ride with a stranger this time of night. I could let them wait it out, or help the ones who had attacked us.
"Please, Tawn!" Flower begged, gripping onto my shredded shirt "please! She needs a hospital! She'll die!"
I swiped her hands away, wrinkling my nose at her.
"You should have thought about that before you were so bloody stupid."
"I should have!" she sobbed, nodding "please, I'm begging you! Please! She's my friend!"
Flower wailed, sobbing loudly. A voice on the phone cut through, trying to speak sense into Flower enough to get a location.
I glared to Lexi who was panicking, clutching her shoulder. She paced, hyperventilating.
Urgh. She wasn't going to survive at all by pushing it further into her bloodstream like that.
"Get in the fucking car" I snapped to Flower "hang up the call. You'll drive."
"Y-yes" she agreed "thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Get your friend" I sighed in irritation "and hurry up!"
Flower nodded, scrambling for Lexi so she could usher her towards us after a quick hug. Her wide eyes were spilling with tears as she struggled to breathe.
"You, front" I jerked my head to Flower "you, in beside her."
They darted for their places as I opened the back door to help Levi inside. Rushing around to the other side, I slid in, cradling the egg in my lap. Luke took his original place by the window.
"Keys" I held out my hand to Levi.
He leant across to open the middle console. Flower peered inside and quickly fished them out.
"Drive to the hospital" I ordered Flower now "put the maps on your phone so you know what you are doing."
She nodded, trembling horribly. She swiped and pressed, handing the phone to Lexi.
The generic voice of the gps cut through. Flower shoved the car into drive so she could screech us out onto the road harshly.
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The egg jostled in my lap as she swerved and lurched. I pulled it close to stop it from toppling.
"Easy!" I snapped.
"Your friend isn't dying!" she bit back, promptly running a red light and speeding for the bridge ahead.
Levi sobbed beside me. I looked to Luke, peering down at his curled hands.
"This is my life" I told him as I carefully passed the egg to him "please, please keep it safe."
He nodded, wrapping his arms around it as far as he could go. His fingers spread to try and give him more stability.
I buckled myself in across my searing stomach and turned to Levi.
"Come here. Let's get that off you."
He sobbed, learning his head onto my shoulder. I bit through the pain, picking around his face to try and find the edge.
"Where the hell is it?" I mumbled when I lifted his head to scratch at the back of it.
"Nose" Lexi groaned out "on the nose."
Digging back along there, my nail finally snagged the jagged edge up on the left side. I teased across the tape so I could begin pulling it from his face.
Flower took a sharp corner, throwing me back towards Luke. His hands pressed into my back as I latched onto the side of Flower's seat to avoid cracking the egg.
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The gps was unnervingly calm to the chaos. The roads were empty and at Flower's mercy. She roared down the straight road, barrelling across a pedestrian crossing, narrowly avoiding the concrete island after it.
"You're going to get us killed!" I yelled to her tearful eyes.
"And she'll be dead if I don't go fast!" Flower snarled back, sobbing "I don't want anyone to die!"
Glaring at the back of her head, I pushed Levi's forth so I could follow the curving tape around the back and down to the front of his nose again.
It was going to hurt like a bastard when we got done to the scales. For now, the layers glided like butter from each other.
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Scrunching up the silver wad as I maneuvered around Levi's face again, I felt it resist at his torn ear hole.
Skin and scales. The tape was going to destroy them if I just foolishly tore it off.
I pressed the side of my hand to the edge of the tape. Feeding it slowly forwards, he whined in pain as the scales glued to it anyway; tearing.
"I'm sorry. I'm going as slow as I can."
He shook his head, crying. His hands reached for mine, feeling for the tape he pried from my fingers.
"Get it over with" Luke spoke, nodding once.
Levi puffed as he tried to psych himself up, squeezing his eyes shut before tearing the tape.
He screamed, warbling in agony as his scales were torn from his body. The voice of the gps was smothered by the sudden noise. Flower jerked against the wheel, swerving back into her lane.
I clamped a hand over his mouth to try and muffle the noise that had him pulling up from his seat, moaning.
"Again" I nodded.
His hardened eyes agreed. With a breath that sucked against my hand, he tore off the scales around his nose that was now free.
Shaking breaths filtered through the blood blooming to the surface. He groaned out another scream, sobbing.
"You can do it!" Luke leant across "just breathe and rip!"
Levi whimpered, balling up the end so he could slowly feed the tape from his cheek, crying the whole way across.
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He kept going at the steady pace, stopping a few times to have a moment to breathe through the blood dripping off his face. He bent his head so he could tear up the back of it, ripping out chunks of hair as he went.
I checked on Flower and saw the hospital signs looming ahead. Leaning forth to pull off my shirt, I grabbed the roll of tape to slap it on my shoulder and wind it around my armpit.
Unlike Levi, I wanted this to stay on. Age would make it eventually fall off. For now, this would keep everything in and staunch the bleeding.
Luke grabbed the roll when he saw I was struggling with my upper back. Handing it to me when I passed it back, he helped tape up the first wound.
Now, my legs. If I just wound it across, I should be fine. I didn't need Luke for that.
The rest of me wasn't too bad. I checked the holes in my sides, pressing a finger in to gauge the depth of them.
With a few more slaps of tape, I rolled my shredded shirt back on and smiled at my accomplishment.
I wasn't going to bleed out. I was getting the hang of all this.
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Dragging the car to a halt outside the emergency department of the hospital after following the signs for the red entrance, Flower fling herself out of the car so she could rush around to Lexi.
I let Luke jump out so I could organise the netting on the seat and take the egg from him to place it inside. Tying both end over my better shoulder, I tied the netting at the front securely.
Levi shuffled around towards me. He was still trying to work on the tape locking his law open. Tears streamed from the shame and pain.
Flower slapped one of Lexi's arms over her shoulder so she could help her weak friend towards the front doors.
We all watched them leave. Levi pulled frantically at the tape.
"Hey" I pulled his hands down from his face "this place will take care of it for you. They'll sort you out and get you something for the bleeding."
Levi couldn't talk. He looked like he desperately wanted to, but just hung his head.
"Make sure you do what the doctor says" I told Luke now as I pulled him close "no fighting the staff or flaring up at the nurses."
"Only if they start it first" he smirked back.
"And stay together" I placed a hand on a shoulder each, glancing across to meet both their tearful eyes "ring your parents as soon as you can. They'll be worried sick."
"You aren't coming?" Luke frowned at Levi, then me "you're hurt too."
"I also bit someone" I reminded him, ruffling his head "I'll be in too much trouble. Yours was self defence."
He looked away, obviously worried.
"It was self defence" I stated firmly, seeing him nod now "make sure you tell them that."
"Ok. I will" Luke mumbled, still not convincing me.
"Make sure you let me know when you heal up after you get out" I pulled Levi across to kiss the top of his head and ruffle it.
He sniffled, hugging me.
"And worry about yourself for once" I smiled to Luke, pulling him across too so I could kiss and rest my head on his "you've done enough for everyone else tonight. Get that arm working again, ok?"
He joined the hug, squeezing my right side that seared back.
"Careful" I chuckled when I retreated back "i'm still a bit tender."
"Oh" he looked to it, giggling as I scuffed his hair roughly.
My heart was aching seeing these two so battered and vulnerable. Still, they had smiles for me. I just wanted to protect them forever.
I couldn't. I had to tear myself from what I wanted most. They were in the best place for the care they desperately needed.
"Go on" I ushered them to move from the car "I've got to leave."
"Aygh agph" Levi tried to form words again.
"Try not to get into any more trouble" Luke wrapped his usable arm around his friend "we can't be there to drag you out of it next time."
I snorted at him, seeing both of them smiling and laughing back.
"Go" I shooed them as I took a few steps back "be safe."
"You too!" Luke called back.
Levi waved pitifully, sobbing again as they both moved around the car and towards the entrance.
Those precious boys.
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Wiping the tears from my smile, I turned my back on the bright lights of the hospital and focused on the darkness of the road winding away.
It was just me and the egg now.
Drawing myself up with courage, I started for the glittering lights of the skyscrapers in the distance. They almost looked like shining mountains below an ocean of stars. If I could push through them, I would find the safety of rolling lands and silence beyond.
Everything had to be redirected into making sure it survived the rest of my journey alone. As long as I still took breath, it wouldn't be put in harm's way again, I was sure of it.
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