*Drakis, Drannus, and Darkarth copyrighted to Eric Huston

*All other characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 4

Peter's Revenge

 

                Drakis landed at the edge of Yann city and walked the rest of the way.  He probed the area with his mind until he found who he was looking for, "Darkarth, are they okay?"  He waited for an answer.

                "Back already Drakis?  I thought you would at least wait until they reached Bay city."  Darkarth said through the link, "I will conect your mind with Gareth and Hana."

                Drakis sighed and waited.  When Darkarth spoke again, it was to say they were all connected.  Drakis spoke directly to them, "I heard that someone shot at your house.  Did anything happen?"

                Hana's voice replied, "Gareth's been shot."

                "WHAT?!!!"

                He could almost hear Gareth laugh, "There's a first time for everything, eh?"

                "You're at the hospital?"

                "Yeah."

                "I'm coming over."  He walked calmly to the hospital and came up to Gareth's room.  Gareth waved with his unbandaged hand, "Gareth, do you have any idea who did this?"

                Gareth scowled, "I can think of two specifically.  I was going to check up and see if one of them was still behind bars this morning, but my plans are litterally shot now."

                "I'll check for you."

                "You would?  Man, that'd be great.  Thanks, Drakis."  Gareth sighed and stared at the door.

                "What's wrong Gareth?"

                "Hana left to go pick up Ingrid from school.  She should have just gotten there when you called.  I've been waiting for her."

                "Drakis, are you still there?!"

                "Yes Hana, what is it?"  He made sure Gareth was still in the link before Hana replied.

                "INGRID'S GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                Gareth gasped.  Drakis turned to look at him and panicked.  Gareth's eyes were wide open, and the machines attached to him were shouting something, but Drakis didn't need those to know what had happened, "Gareth, snap out of it!"  He shook his friend hard, trying to bring him out fo shock before--a loud and long beep burst in Gareth's room.  Doctor's rushed in trying their hardest to get Gareth's heart working again, but it was too late.  By the time he'd been stabilized, Gareth had passed out from his heart attack, "Hana, get back here.  I'll go look for her."

                "But I still haven't checked home...she might have taken the bus."

 

*Note:  This section written by Eric Huston

 

                "Gareth just had a heart attack!  Get back here!"  He closed the link and walked into the ER's main building, using his powers to search once more for the familiar pattern that was Dakarth, "Where are you?"

                He recieved a reply, "Where I always am."  He looked to his left, and sure enough, the psychic was there, "As usual, you've come here for some information.  I know who took your friend's child, and now has one of your own children trying to stop them."

                "What!  Who took her!  And what do you mean by one of my children?"

                "No need to shout.  Peter, Gareth's nemesis, took her."

                "He's fried."  Drakis thought.

                "I wouldn't count on that.  And, your son Drannus is following them.  As powerful as he is, he still can't use magnetism yet."

                "Where are they?"  The psychic razor told him, and he dashed off with magnetically augumented speed into the night.  He recieved a last message from the psychic, "Don't worry. Tamaria knows."

 

*Note:  This section written by John Harbaugh

 

                Drannus walked along the trail he'd seen Ingrid and Tom walk, "I'm sure they went this way.  I don't trust Tom's dad about this."  He saw them and hid in the bushes to watch for what would happen.

                Ingrid was helping them unpack a tent from the back of a school bus, "Mr. Whitman, why do you keep watching the sky?"

                Tom's dad glanced at Ingrid, "Oh, no reason.  I just like watching birds pass by."

                Drannus noticed Tom look at his dad kind of awkwardly, "He's lying!!!  He's watching for someone, not something!"  Drannus wanted so much to get out right then and take Ingrid back home, but he didn't dare.  Tom's dad looked like he knew how to fight, and Drannus wasn't sure yet if he'd be able to beat him.  There was suddenly a loud noise, like a helicopter, directly overhead.  Drannus' eyes widened, "How'd they get it past my notice!  I would've at least noticed their presence!"  He watched as a white mountain dragon dressed in a white suit jumped out of the helicopter.  From then on, he was mesmerized by a force he hadn't seen until too late.

 

                Peter had used his chip to block out the helicopter's engine sounds.  He smiled to himself as he saw the dragon jump from the helicopter, and made his chip have everyone who was watching this besides those in the helicopter, the mountain dragon, and himself see Peter lung at the white mountain dragon.  Ingrid and Tom saw a fight ensue, when he was really only talking to the dragon, "Well, I have her for you."

                "Excellent!  Our boss will be pleased, Peter."

                "Good for him.  This was so Amy could be rehired into the group."  He shook his finger under the white dragon's head, "Just don't hurt my son when you take him too.  You have to make sure he sees no one he might recognize, or the whole thing'll be ruined.  If anything happens to him I will short the chip you have in there myself!!"

                "Realx, Peter.  Your son will be perfectly safe.  Although, we may need to handle him kind of roughly to make it look real."

                "Just don't give him anything beyond a scratch or a bruise."

                "Certainly.  Now if you'll excuse me..."  The white dragon walked over, looking as menacing as possible, and grabbed both children, one in each arm.  He jumped back onto the helicopter and waved at Peter as they flew off.  When they were far enough gone, Peter let the illussion drop.

 

                Drannus shook his head, "What just happened?"  The way Mr. Whitman walked seemed wrong with the fight he'd just been in.  Drannus noticed it, "He's not limping or bleeding!  That white dragon cut his leg open, I'm sure of it!  The whole thing was a fake!  GRANDPA!!!!!!!!!"

                Drannus waited a moment as Darkarth answered, "Drannus, you have found them?"

                "At the campgrounds right outside Yann city.  You won't believe what just happened!!!!!"

                "I already know."

                "Tell dad where I am, okay?"

                "I will...Just don't get yourself hurt, Drannus.  Make sure you tell me where you stop."  With that, Darkarth closed the link, leaving Drannus to continue on his own.

 

                Hana paced back and forth in the waiting room, gulping back her nausea every extra second she had to wait.  Gareth had slipped into a coma after the heart attack, and the doctors would not let her in until they were sure Gareth would be fine, "I shouldn't have told them like that.  I should have come over and broke it to him more gently..."  she sat down, feeling like she'd spent all of her energy.  Ben wiggled a little in her arms, but only to find a more comfortable spot and fall asleep.  She had been waiting the entire night for Gareth to wake up, and had been told many times by the doctors that she should go home and get some rest, if not for her then at least Ben.  She would have none of those comments, and stayed.  One doctor in particular kept trying to persuade her to go home.

                At that moment, the very doctor poked his head out.  He was a blue feathered winged gryphon, and he kept trying to make her go home so much that she was tempted to punch him to make him shut up, "Excuse me, Mrs. Brik?"

                "Can I see Gareth yet?"

                "No, but I--"

                "Then shut up.  I will not go home until I have seen him awake."

                "But Maam!  Your son there absolutely must get his rest.  He is not more than a month old!"

                "Shut up damn you!  I will not be told to go home unless I can see Gareth!"

                "No, you don't understand.  Look at your son, maam."

                Hana did, but saw nothing wrong with him, "What?"

                "Look!  See how much he squirms in his sleep?  That isn't natural for a baby!"

                "My son isn't natural.  Take a closer look.  He, as you said, isn't more than a month old, but he is not in animal form!  He has three fingers per hand.  My daughter didn't have an animal form as a baby either, and she squirmed like this in her sleep all the time.  There is nothing wrong with my son."

                The doctor scowled for a second, then sighed, "Maam, you should not be here so long.  I understand how concerned you are for your husband, but staying here does not help him.  We will contact you the moment he wakes."

                "I'm staying."

                "Maam, must you be so stubborn?  The longer you stay here, the more we have to remember you.  You are doing nothing more than causing a distraction in this hospital.  If you truly wish to help your husband, we need you to go home.  Please, Mrs. Brik, I don't care if you come back at sunrise, but we need you to go home."

                Hana sat down on a chair, "I said I'm staying."

                "Maam, don't make me call the police.  I have no wish to make them place you under house arrest.  Just go home now, and we will work twice as hard on your husband.  Can we make that deal?"

                "Will you promise?"

                "Certainly.  I promise that, if you leave for home right now, we will work twice as hard to keep your husband safe."

                "Then I will leave."  Hana got up and headed home.  She wanted more than anything to have Gareth back as soon as possible.

 

                Once she had gone, Peter dropped the illusion, "Damn it, she hates taking no for an answer!  I can't believe she tried that hard to stay!!"  The feathers and wings vanished, replaced by his scales and fins.  He quietly followed her home, thankful that she had finally gone, "I get to have her tonight.  I'll just need a convincing illusion, and it has to feel like a dream...if I made myself look like Gareth, she would accept me easily.  The color's going to be hard though...hmm..."  Peter made his plans all the way to Hana's house, using his micro-chip to make himself unseen.  He was able to get inside without any trouble.  He waited an hour for Hana to fall asleep, and when she finally did, he began.  He tip-toed into the bedroom, casting the image of Gareth in Hana's mind.  It would only last for a short while, but he didn't need long, and it would take care of the color problem his chip had.  He slid under the covers and shook Hana awake.  She sleepily looked around.  The image of Gareth would give Peter about fifteen minutes with her.

                "Hana, are you okay?"  He flinched and pulled his clothes off before she noticed.

                "I'm fine Gareth..."  She said Gareth's name.  That meant that she had had a dream with him in it before waking.

                "Perfect.  She'll think she's still dreaming the entire time."  He cleared his throat a little, "You were starting to cry in your sleep, dear.  Are you sure you're okay?"

                "I'm fine...I've just been worried since you've been in the hospital.  Why are you out?.."

                "I was never in the hospital, Hana.  You promised me tonight that we could have sex.  You know how much I've been wanting this..."

                She chuckled lightly, "Silly fool, you want it every night.  Look, your clothes vanished again..."

                "Please?  You promised..."

                "Oh, why not?"  Hana leaned over and hugged him.  Peter smiled and slowly slid his hand in her nightgown to bring it up.  She grinned and helped him, taking it completely off.  Moments later they were panting and breathing hard, taken in by the romantic feel of everything.  The illusion Peter had cast in Hana's mind wore off, and realization dawned in her eyes.  She started to scream, but it was too late.  Peter slammed his head into hers and knocked her out before she could draw enough breath.  He had his way with her the entire night, and left before the sun came up, smiling to himself.  Before he left, he changed the sheets on the bed to give her the thought that it had all truly been a dream.

                "I finally did it.  She'll think it was all a dream, and I will have a child from her!!!"  It dawned on him that he would need to find a way to make sure she didn't abort the pregnancy, but he would come to that obsticle when he had to.  For now, he'd won, and she had no idea, "Now Amy has to carry out step two..."

 

*Darkarth, Drannus, and Drakis are copyrighted to Eric Huston

*All other characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 5

Mysteries

 

                That morning, Hana woke screaming.  She could remember everything that had happened last night up until their foreheads had collided.  Breathing hard, she checked the sheets.  There wasn't a sign of last night on them anywhere.  The room did not have any smell whatsoever except the usual smell it had.  Her breathing slowed a little, "It was all a dream then.  Thank god it was all just a dream."  The only thing that might have said otherwise was her nightgown, which lay on the floor.  Of course, such things happened in her sleep all the time, so she couldn't account that for anything.  Ben woke crying in the next room, taking her thoughts from the horrible dream she'd had, "It's okay Ben.  I'm here now.  It's okay..."  She took him out of the crib and rocked him back and forth until he stopped.  For a moment, she looked at his adorable face, using it as something to sooth her troubled mind.

                "Thank you."  A voice spoke in her mind.  At first she thought it was merely Drakis speaking to her again, until she realized that the voice had the sound of a child, "I was scared..."

                Hana glanced around, unsure of the voice, "Who spoke?  Show yourself."

                "I'm right here, mother."

                Hana gasped and stared at Ben.  He was looking at her in such an odd way..."Ben?!"

                "Yes?"  herself and splashed water all over her face z.  She was sure she was still dreaming, "What are you doing?"

                "I..."  She looked at her son straight on, "You're the one speaking?  But Gareth can't do that...he can hear other thoughts, yes.  But he can't speak back like that except to animals...how long could you do this?"

                Ben did not answer back.  He had fallen asleep in her arms.  Sighing and busily trying to adjust to everything that was happening, she took Ben with her back to the hospital.

 

                "I don't understand...why did this happen to me?.."  Gareth asked aloud.  The dark figures did not answer, "Say something.  I need to know why this all happened to me."

                "Do you?  Such powers are not to be questioned.  The Guardian knows this better than you, human."

                "The Guardian?  You mean Drakis, right?  But I need to know..."

                "He said the same thing, yet he does not know why either.  What have you gained with your powers?"

                "A family...a life among friends...but I--"

                "What more do you need to know then?  Are these treasures not enough?"  One dark figure turned toward him.  His face was hidden in a large hood, reminding Gareth of every story he'd heard about the grim reaper.  As a child, he'd never forgotten those frightening stories, and this figure fit the bill perfectly, "The gift you were given can be taken away.  Do not question what you need not question."

                Another dark figure turned toward him as the first turned away, "To understand what you want to know, you would need to be one of us.  It shall be years before such a thing can occur."

                "What are you?"  He asked.

                The second figure's hood slipped slightly, revealing blood-red eyes, "It is not for you to know, mortal."

                The next dark figure turned toward him as the second one turned back.  The hood slipped on this one as well, but instead of blood and destruction hidden bneath the hood, Gareth thought he saw kindness beyond anything else.  He paid the most attention to the third, "Gareth, you have fought hard and well, but you must not question the knowledge of ourselves.  We have yet to accomplish many things, and must not reveal our secrets to anyone.  Be patient, and enjoy what you have been given."

                The other two figures turned back to him, and all three spoke as one, "Gareth, return to the world of mortals.  The Child of Reckoning has been chosen, and you are to teach him."

                Gareth's eyes shot open in the hospital.  He looked around, shocked when Hana was not there, "Where did she go?!!  Where did she go?"  He calmed himself and searched for her mind, heaving a sigh of relief when he found it just then entering the hospital.  Ben was with her again.

                A few minutes later, Hana was up in Gareth's room, handing Ben over to him, "Gareth, you won't believe what just happened.  Listen to Benjamin's thoughts."

                Gareth, uncertain of what she was trying to say, did so, "What's she trying to prove?"

                "Daddy?"  Gareth half-jumped in his bed at the voice, "When can you come back?  Mother misses you."

                "What?  Are you speaking to me?"

                "Yes.  As you are speaking to me.  What is wrong?"

                Gareth shook, "But--but I can only talk to animals like that...I can't talk to anthros..."

                "What about that other black one?  You spoke like that yesterday."

                "But I--he made that possible, not me!  I can only hear thoughts..."

                Ben wiggled around on Gareth's lap, even though he was unable to move on his own.  Gareth, now shocked beyond words, handed him back to Hana and carefully laid down on the bed.  Hana put a hand on his shoulder, "Did he do it to you too?"

                "Yes, he did...what does this mean?..

 

                "Make it stop.  I can see everything happen if I do something wrong.  I don't want this burden.  I did not ask for it.  I can't let myself fail...if I do, there will be so much death, so much sadness...it will be because of me.  Why must I be the child?..I do not want to cause all the pain I am capable of.  Even as a newborn, I will change the course of events...I already have in the lives of my parents, yet they do not realize it.  Every bit of pain is mine to feel, all sorrow, every regret.  I can feel the lives of thousands inside me.  Each emotion they have is also mine.  The joy, the excitement, the killing...I must live with it all.  What must I do to avoid such a curse?  How may I hide from it?  I must not die, for fear of destroying everyone as it is.  I am supposed to save so many..."  Around him he could feel the warmth of his mother.  Her arms were holing him near her, near the only place of safety he had ever known.  His eyes were closed as he tried to relive that small time of safety from the world.  He tried to imagine everything dark and warm again, that place in his mother's womb where he could cause no damage to anyone's lives.  The reasuring sound of his mother's heartbeat calmed him, but it did not make him feel safe again, "There is no way to go back.  I must live now..."

 

                "My dad'll stop you!  He's smart and strong!  He has lots of friends that know how to help him!  You'll see!"  Tom struggled in the grasp of the white dragon.  He wanted to be able to fight back, but the anthro's grip was too strong!

                Ingrid sat, quivering in the dragon's other arm.  Her silver mark shined for a second, or was it gold?  At that particular angle, he couldn't quite tell, "What are--what are you going to do to us?.."  She whispered.

                The white dragon laughed, "The boy doesn't really matter to us except as a hostage.  As long as we have him, his father won't come to your rescue.  As for you, we have some tests."

                "What?..What tests?.."

                The white dragon leaned closer to her and whispered something in her ear that Tom couldn't make out.  Whatever he'd said made her gasp and start crying.  Tom scowled, "You leave her alone!"  He jammed his elbow into the white dragon's chest and shoved the arm around him out of the way.  He nearly jumped out of the helecopter, but someone caught him first.  He looked back to see the white dragon clutching his tail.  He started squeezing on it so hard that the end of his tail went purple!  Tom pulled at it, but the grip was too strong.  He was forced back to the dragon's lap, where he stayed until they landed.The white dragon smiled down at them.

                "Sleep tight kids."

                Tom gasped as he suddenly felt sleepy.  He fought off the strange fatigue for as long as possible, seeing Ingrid succumb to it first, then fell asleep.

 

                Drannus heaved in and out as he struggled to keep going.  He almost didn't have the strength to keep up a glide!  The helecopter had long since left his sight, and he had no idea if he was still going the right way.  Too tired to think straight, he started to drift downward too steeply.  He shook his head to get his mind back into focus, and panicked upon seeing the ground race up at him.  He shut his eyes, preparing for his last moment of life.

                As soon as it had happened, it stopped.  Drannus opened his eys to see he was still floating in the sky, "Drannus, your father came."

                "Thanks Grandpa."

                "You're welcome."

                Drakis swooped out of the sky and set his son down, "Next time Drannus, tell me you're leaving before you actually go.  You can't use magnetism yet..."

                "But dad, I saw the whole thing!  Peter is--"

                "Faking it.  I was sure of that from the start."  Drakis finished the sentence, "Do you still want to help?"

                "Yeah, so long as you don't send me home."

                "Send you home?!  Drannus, you know me better than that!  Listen, the helecopter went to Hop city.  The only way we're gonna get there before tomorrow is with my magnetism, so hold on tight!"  Drannus climbed onto Drakis' back and clung to him until they slowed.  The sun was about to set, but they were right outside the city, "Okay Drannus, keep watch for anything that looks suspiscious.  I need you to make sure we aren't being followed, okay?"

                "Okay..."  Drannus scanned the street they were on, glancing behind him more than in front.  Drakis soon pulled his attention away.

                "Drannus, it's late.  We should find a place to sleep for the night and search more tomorrow."

                "But what about--"

                "I know, Drannus.  The problem is, we can't stay up all night.  If we don't get some sleep--and by we I mean mostly you--then there is no way we will be able to stay focused.  I promise I'll wake you the moment I get up, just you promise me that you'll try to sleep."

                "I promise..."

 

                Hana had just finished putting away the groceries she'd bought when someone knocked on the front door.  She made sure Ben would be alright until she came back, then answered it by opening it a crack, "Hello?"

                "Hana?.."

                Hana slammed the door shut, "What the hell is she doing here?!!!!!!!"  She leaned against the door as she shouted, "GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!"

                "Hana, will you listen?  Please?.."

                "GO!!!!!!!!!!!"  She listened to the response, becoming confused when she heard sobs.  She debated on whether or not to open the door, then decided on opening it just a crack, "Go away."  She said through clenched teeth.  Gareth was no longer under Amy's strange addiction, and there was no way she wanted it to happen again, "Now."

                Amy was sitting on the front step, bawling into her hands, "Hana, can we talk?"  Amy sounded frightened, unsure of herself, "I--I heard about your daughter and I--I wanted to say how sorry I was for you."

                "What, so you could gloat in my face?!  I have no doubt that it was either you or Peter who took her."

                "And I don't blame you at all, but I swear, we didn't."  Amy dried her tears a little before she started crying again.

                Hana sighed, but didn't open the door any further, "What's wrong?"

                Amy calmed herself before she spoke.  It came out rather hurried, shaking all the way, "My son was kidnapped."

                Hana stared at Amy, "You had a son?  With whom?"

                "P--P--Peter."

                "WHAT?!!!!!"  Hana couldn't believe her ears, "But he's sterile!  There is no possible way for him to aid in bearing children!"

                Amy nodded, "But it's his, nonetheless.  I haven't had another man since we married.  Our son is named Tom."

                "Tom?  Then that means--DAMN!"  She opened the door a little more, "Your son is a water dragon with wings?"

                "Yes, and the wings have little golden tips."

                Hana gasped.  That fit the description perfectly.  Little by little, she found herself opening the door wider.  She eventually was sitting by Amy and trying to comfort her.