*All dragons copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 14

The Plot Thickens

Gareth looked up at Player with awe, "How did he get so huge?! I thought I was the only one who could do that!" Gareth tried not to look afraid, but it was hard, staring up who knew how many feet just to look at Player's chest!

Player looked down and saw Gareth shaking, "You okay?" He realized just what it was Gareth was staring at, "I never told you, did I?"

Gareth slowly shook his head.

"It's another thing that came with acting like an animal. I can actually hear them and talk to them too, you know..." Player shrank back to his normal size while he spoke. Once Gareth got over seeing Player get so huge, they were able to start searching again.

They had been searching for a long time as it was, with no sign of slowing down, "Where are they?!! Player and I have scoured the train station and the harbor here, but we haven't found a thing! Where the hell are they?!!!" Gareth was starting to let his anger get the better of him, "Player! Let's check the station again! We still haven't found them!"

"We should split up!" Player shouted, "We'd be able to cover more ground that way!"

"And I'm saying that if we do that, one of us will get captured and then where would we be?!! We need to stay together!" Gareth felt a headache coming from all the shouting.

"The concert--" "What about when--" Gareth tried to shut out the voices, but started getting louder. He realized what was happening and concentrated on Hana's voice. Instantly she shouted in his mind. Gareth knew where to go, "Player, I think I know where to look! C'mon!"

They flew deep into the city, landing by an abandoned house. Player was staring at the house, confused, "Gareth, I could swear I've seen this house before..."

"No time, Player. Let's search it." Gareth opened the door. There wasn't much to look at inside the house, "Well that's odd..." Gareth thought as he came toward a wall, "This crack looks like it shouldn't be here..." Gareth pushed slightly on the crack. When he did, it completely disappeared, "It moved!" He searched the wall for the crack again, certain now that it hid something, "Player, get over here! I found something!" Player was there in an instant. Without asking, Player slammed a fist into a section on the wall. Gareth stopped him from doing it again, "Player, what are you doing?!! They'll hear us!"

"They already did." Gareth froze when he heard the voice, "Turn around slowly, and don't you dare think about changing forms."

Gareth turned toward Peter's voice, "I swear, Peter. I should have killed you back when I had the chance."

"Funny thing, that. Hana said the same thing. Oh well, you made the mistake, not me." Peter laughed, "Let's go join your friends, shall we?" Gareth scowled at the gun in Peter's hand. Peter saw him stare, "You like it? I bought it just for this occasion. Go ahead, do something I don't like. I've been wanting to try this out all day."

"Like I'd give you the chance. Where are they?!" Gareth shouted.

"Be patient, Gareth. You'll join them all soon enough." Peter waved his gun, "Start moving. Gareth, I have a special place made just for you and Hana. This time I thought of everything. There is no way you can stop me now!!!!!"

"You sure about that?" Gareth thought as he walked down the now revealed passage, "I'm not finished yet. Not by a long shot."

"Bill, what happened?" Sarrah asked when she reached the lab, "Babe hasn't answered any of my calls, and he should have been done by now."

Bill looked up from a console he was staring at, "I've been monitering him ever since you told me he left, Sarrah. His bio-signs are all fine. Everything seems to be running fine...maybe he just got a bit delayed?"

Sarrah frowned, "Then why won't he answer my calls? It's not like him to ignore me...I think something's wrong. We should go to Bay City and check for ourselves."

Bill started to follow, but something on the console caught his eye, "Sarrah...come look at this."

"What is it?" She walked over to see what he was staring at.

"Babe's tracking signal just went offline! Look there goes his cannon! He's shutting himself down, Sarrah!" Bill looked ready to burst with the questions he undoubtedly had.

Sarrah could agree with him there, "His last signal came from Bay City. We are getting on the next train."

Player was led to the rest of the band, and thankfully, to Tammy as well. When he saw her he ran, only to be stopped by a gryphon jumping right in front of him. Player wouldn't give up, though, "Are you alright, Tammy? Did they hurt you?!"

N--no. They--they didn't h--hurt me..." Tammy shivered a little where she sat.

"Alright you, get moving!" The gryphon pointed toward an empty chair with his gun, "We know what you can do...If you try to change at all, you'll be electrocuted."

The chair looked like it was made completely from metal. There were handcuffs attached to each arm of the chair, as well as something that resembled a bracelet which was hanging where his neck would go. More cuffs were attached to the front legs of the chair, and there was even a chain waiting for his tail at the back! Player made himself sound tough, "Like that is gonna do anything to me? I bet you're just bluffing about the changing thing. I could probably break outta that in no time."

The gryphon smiled. He looked over at the rest of the band who were tied up in simialr chairs, "Ace Jackson, give your friend here a demonstration."

Ace weakly lifted his head, "Not again...please, not again..."

"Do it!" The gryphon waved his gun menacingly.

A look of fear crossed Ace's face. Player watched as Ace started to glow, then flinched when Ace cried out. Small bolts of electricity shot across his body, and when they left, Ace slumped back down into his previous position. Player felt his mouth go dry.

"Plus, these chains are flame retardant. You can't burn through them." The gryphon laughed and tied Player up.

It took Player one try to find out just how right the gryphon had been.

Peter was beside himself with glee. Everything had gone exactly as planned, and now there was no one left to stop him! He showed his triumphant smile to Gareth, "Ready for your room? I hope you like it!" He laughed as he opened the door. He'd thought it all up himself, "I have to thank you for giving me the idea, Gareth. I doubt there's anything deadlier..."

The room's floor was covered in foot-long, razor-sharp spikes. The walls sparked occasionally with electricity, and highly sensitive chains were all that kept the prisoner from falling to their death. The best part though, was that soon Gareth would be hanging up there, suspended by chains that would shock him if he made the slightest move. Hana was already there, unable to do anything but wait for what Peter would do next.

"Well, Gareth, what do you think?"

Gareth had no choice but to ket them chain him up as well, they strung him up so that he was in the same position as Hana, "I'm going to kill you for this, Peter. I don't care if the Protector comes to save you again. When I get out of here, you're dead."

Peter cackled. He forced himself to calm before answering, "It's a good thing you can't leave then. Your chains are channeling the electricity from the walls. If you so much as shift to make yourself comfortable, you'll get shocked. You're positioned in such a way that, if you do manage to get out of the chains, you'll hit the spikes and kill yourself. Changing your form won't help you here. There's nothing for any extra arms to grab!"

"What about the door?" Gareth smiled. Peter hadn't thought of everything.

"The door will start channeling electricity the moment it is closed. I told you Gareth. I thought of everything." Peter pressed a button on the outside of the room. Gareth chains suddenly started rising off the ground, "Just try to save yourself, Gareth! These chains of mine are taking you to the top of the ceiling while I take my prize." He turned to a Razor holding a gun, "If he tries to escape while he's up there, shoot him. I have something I want to take down." Hana's chains started shifting, slowly lowering her to the safe area where Peter stood. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward him, "I get to have all to myself tonight, Hana. If you refuse, you'll have the death of eight friends on your hands."

Hana cringed where she stood.

Peter pressed another button which released the chains holding her.

Gareth knew what he was saying, "PETER!!!!!! I SWEAR, IF I FIND ONE BRUISE ON HER AT ALL YOU WILL DIE!!!!!!!!! PETER!! PETER!!!!!!!!!!" Gareth shouted as they walked away. The Razor pressed a button that lowered Gareth back to his original height, then closed the door.

Hana shivered as Peter took her to another room, "Now what do I do? Peter has everyone under his control! Peter knows he can't be beaten! He's--he's going to--" The thought sickened her.

Peter led her through corridor after corridor. He stopped in one hall that had several doors attached to it. He walked to the one at the very end. Opening the door, Peter motioned for her to walk inside. Hana gulped, "I'm doomed!" The room's floor was like a gigantic bed, made for just one thing...