Chapter Twenty-One: The Mink Wants the Fox

Artica:

Sage slumbered in the corner, a small smile dawning on my face. The myriad of wires greeted me, my own design confusing me. Pulling out her blueprint, every wire was clearly labeled. Laying down my tools, my vision blurred. Intense stomach pain crippled me, silent tears streamed down my cheeks. Pushing past the pain, a bead of sweat dripped off my brow. Plopping onto my stool, a couple of kicks fluttered against the surface of my bump. Tossing my sweatshirt off, it did little to help my fever. Burying my head into my work, another sharp jolt of pain twitched my muscles. Poking a button, her secret panel whirred over the wire. Cursing to myself, the panel had been fried. Why did i fry the damn thing? Going back to my bench, I unlocked the drawer with spare parts. Slamming it down on the desk, Sage snapped awake. Resting his hands on his knees, a migraine began to throb. That was the one of the many side effects from the new medicine, the fact that I could eat was the only thing keeping me on the damn drug. The next dose was in a few hours, the healing effects starting to wear off. Focusing on the task at hand, Sage pulled up a stool. Always the gentleman, his eager eyes couldn't leave my face.

"Tell me what you need and I will hand it to you." He offered lovingly, kissing the top of my head. "I do know my tools." Cupping his face, my lips kissed his sensually, his hands sliding down to my bump. Time stopped, his heart beating as fast as mine. Pulling me into a warm embrace, he refused to let me go. Burying his head into my neck, tears soaked my neck. The cool breeze tickled my neck, my hair still needing a good styling. My ears flattened, my tail wagging at his embrace.

"I feel so ugly without my hair." I admitted sheepishly, Sage cupping my face. "Just admit it." Crimson colored his cheeks, his head shaking. Biting my lips, my ears pinned back.

"I think you look cuter with short hair. I have never seen it this short. Look at how adorable it makes your ears look." He gushed with a million dollar grin, kissing me hungrily. "Give it a shot for me. If you don't like it, it will grow back out. Now let's get Steph up and running." Hours passed of me replacing chips and him talking my ear off about much he adored me. Blushing to the point of my cheeks aching, he held up the three remaining chips that would bring her back to life. Clicking them into place, color flushed her body. The panel slid back into place, Steph rolled onto the floor. Jumping to her feet, a wild look haunted her features. Tossing her a white tank top and skirt, she tugged them on. Let the adventure begin.

"What the hell did you do to me!" She demanded ferociously, reaching for her missing weapon. "Why do I not want to murder you right now!" Clearing my throat, I tossed her a new and improved staff. The officers made sure to destroy her former weapon, learning from my escape. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her fingers tracing the sleek bone white staff. Tossing her the midnight black heron mask, sobs wracked her body. The color change had been last minute but she reminded me of a heron with her sharp wit and grace. For years we have battled each other, neither of us wanting to kill the other person. Please be nice to me.

"You are a part of the team now, Black Heron." I announced with a bright smile. "That new weapon uses the old technology and allows you to change it into anything. Have fun. I think someone wants to see you." Unlocking the door, an eager Wolfston skidded into the room. Dropping her staff and mask, she leapt into her arms. Wolfston spun her around, planting hungry kisses on Steph's lips. Tears flooded from their eyes, their fingers running through each other's waves. Wolfston's tail wagged a mile a minute, her ears bouncing up and down. Spinning her around again, they refused to let each other go. Setting down Steph, Wolfston smashed into me. A rich graciousness glittered in her wet eyes, her embrace strengthening by the second. Holding me by the shoulders, a crooked grin twitched on her lips.

"I am so sorry for my behavior. Thank you so much for bringing her back to me." She blubbered uncontrollably, hugging again. "I promise to make her behave. You are the best captain ever." A deep crimson painted my cheeks, a nervous smile twitching on my lips. Peeling her off of me, my hands resting on her shoulders. Curiosity glistened her eyes, my throat clearing.

"I programmed her hate for me out of her, so you don't have to worry about that." I assured her, blood building up in my mouth. "I have to go take my medication before I start to cough up all my blood. Dinner will be in a couple of hours. Steph, it is nice to be working with you again. One fair warning, if you try to kill any of us your system will fry itself. See you at the dinner table." Narrowing her eyes in my direction, Wolfston calmed her down. Dusting off my tank top, Sage scooped up my sweatshirt. Stepping out of my workshop, Mouse hopped onto my back. A pair of scissors glittered in her hands, a sly grin spreading cheek to cheek.

"If you are going to cut my hair you should really let me sit down, Mouse." I teased playfully, ruffling her hair. Carrying her to my bedroom, the bed groaned the moment she landed on my bed. Picking up a vial of my new medicine, I downed it real quick. The numbing effects hid the stomach pain, my internal bleeding slowing to a stop. Giving birth was going to kill me if I didn't stay on top of my new regime. Sitting up straight, Mouse began to work her magic. Few people knew about her hair styling skills, her voice snapping me out of my train of thought.

"What made you cut it all off?" She inquired sweetly, hugging me from behind. "You know what, the change should be good for you. Close your eyes so your little sister can surprise you." Closing my eyes, her song took me back to one of my favorite days of just her and me.

"Do you really have today off while my brother is working?" A five year old Mouse squealed excitedly, spinning around. Her hair bounced around, her sage eyes glittering with adventure. Her sage summer dress swallowed her, her worn brown leather backpack hung off of her back. Today was Sage's birthday and we were getting his cake and a present. I sent him on a wild goose chase to get him off of my tail. Seven year old me crouched down to her level, her hair grazing the clean floor. Pulling on the extra material, her nimble fingers tied a bow. Smoothing out her matching summer dress, Mouse had wanted to be twins that day. Taking her hands, they walked out into the bustling streets, the cars rushing by. Walking over to the bus stop, she hopped onto my lap. The morning sun bathed us, her next question causing my younger self to choke on her spit.

"Do you love my brother?" She asked bluntly, playing with her hair. "I hope you do so we can be a perfect little family." My lips parted to speak, the bus saving me. Scooping up her two foot body into my arms, her tiny arms wrapped around my neck. Dropping a coin into slot, the electric gate fizzled out. Taking a seat in the back, her head rested on my chest. Resting my chin on her head, moments like these had kept me going. Watching the screen, our stop was the next one. Glancing around at the cold steel seats, the bus was reserved for the poorest people. The bus hissed to a stop once more, Mouse's snores echoed in her ears. Carrying her off, the shopping district was lined with booths containing every item one could ever need. Sighing, I took off my shawl. Creating a sling around her chest, she tucked Mouse into the pocket. Hanging her bag off of my shoulder, my tired feet pressed forward. Scanning the worn booths, nothing was jumping out to her. Stopping at the booth with motorcycle items, a polite conversation resulted in her getting him an antique motorcycle badge. Moving on, she stopped at the bakery. The cheery elderly woman passed her a cake, refusing to take any payment. Whistling to herself, Mouse stirred awake. Popping out of her pocket, she skidded to a stop in front of the old computer booth. Wandering over, she watched Mouse jump up and down at a busted pile of computer parts.

"Can I have that?" She pleaded with puppy dog eyes, puffing out her bottom lip. How could anyone refuse that look? Crouching down to her level, her stern gaze met Mouse. Ruffling the top of her head, a negotiation began. Harsh words passed between us, the price getting cut in half. Gathering the parts into a box, Mouse skipped next to her. The bus ride home was filled with the nonstop talking from Mouse and how she wanted to learn how to use computers. Getting off at our stop, the bus hissed away. Carrying the stuff up to the room, they set up a makeshift table. Popping his cake into our room's refrigerator, her other hands grabbed her tools. Working on the old parts, a functioning computer came to life. No words could describe the look on Mouse's face.

"Mouse, I am going to teach you how to code and hack into systems if you want to. We can't have you on the field. How does that sound?" I suggested cautiously, her grin growing wider. Leaping into my arms, a tuckered out seven year old Sage stumbled in. Scrambling over the refrigerator, the cake rested in my younger self's palms.

"Happy birthday!" They both yelled, Sage tearing up. "We missed you."

Snapping fingers brought me back to reality, Mouse holding up a mirror. My breath hitched at the reverse bomb, my fingers playing with the longer length in the front. Feeling the back, fluffy layers tickled the tips of my fingers. Yanking her in for a motherly hug, her head rested on my chest.

"Thank you, little Mouse." I thanked her graciously, Mouse squirming out of my arms. "I have to make dinner. Do you want to help?" Dusting off my outfit, she swept my hair onto the floor. Helping me up, she hooked her elbow into mine. The other girls plastered themselves to my side, Steph hanging back. Of course, they wanted to learn how to cook. Taking a deep breath, they all sat down in front of me. Pulling out pads of paper, a fit of laughter burst from my lips. Taking all their pads away, they needed to learn by practicing. Gasps echoed around me as Steph popped up next to me, a knife spinning in her palm.

"Girls, we are going to show you how to do it right. This woman here cooked for me more than once. We all need to learn to cook in case she is sick or something." Steph ordered with a wink, sliding them the pads I had taken. "Take good notes. We are going to rock this." Scanning the crowd, my eyes all saw them in their uniforms of tank tops and skirts. Tatianna placed pencils next to each pad, the students were ready to learn. Opening the closet behind me, I had a surprise for them all. Olive aprons dangled off of my arms, each of their names were engraved on them.

"We can't have cooks without aprons." I laughed nervously, watching their faces light up. "I can't seem to get rid of you. You all win. Take notes today because tomorrow you start to learn how to cut. How does that sound." Flashing them my polite smile, my nerves were fraying. What did I just do? Dropping their aprons over their heads, their eager hands tied neat bows. Today's menu was pancakes with a side of hash. Their eyes watched as we chopped potatoes and onions while creating a sweet batter. Steph cooked the hash while I flipped pancake after pancake. Pencils scribbled across the page, the final resulted in a pristine pile of pancakes and hash. Sage poked his head in, Alfred not far behind him. Both were freshly showered, the faint redness of exercise still haunting their cheeks.

"We'll set the table." Sage bragged adorably, scooping up the plates. "Nice to see you accepting your shadows. Let's eat." The stools groaned, my friends hanging their aprons on the golden hooks lining the wall. Skipping out, my legs gave out. Steph hovered over me, concern flashing in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She queried gently, sliding down next to me. "It isn't like you to be this sick. I know you saw me in the cave. I chose not to say anything because I wanted you to rescue me. How pathetic of me. I made experimentation illegal after seeing the damage it did to your body. Can I be honest? I always wanted to be more like you. People hated me for my style of leadership while everyone would bend over backwards for you. You could have stolen the capital had you kept your position. I let you get away with as many crimes as I could until I got caught. Point is, I am sorry that I hurt you. Will you ever forgive me?" Clutching her close to my chest, her tears soaked my shoulders.

"How could I not forgive you?" I assured her sweetly, my hand rubbing her back. "The moment I saw you getting tossed around was the moment I decided to rescue you. Don't worry about me. I created a new medicine to maintain my health. It will take some time to get to full strength. The side effects are minimal." A quiet rage burned in her eyes, her hands grabbing my shoulders. Tears of passion stained her pale cheeks, my shoulders groaning underneath her grip.

"How can you talk like that! You sacrifice and sacrifice but when was the last time someone took care of you. You look like hell and yet you keep going as if you aren't seriously ill." She fumed bitterly, shaking me. "You rescued me even though I put you through Hell. What's wrong with you! Starting now, I will make food three times a week. That allows you to cook for the remaining four days to relieve your stress. My eyes scanned you a second ago and your chronic internal bleeding is out of control. Don't worry about my relationship with Alfred. We can work it out on our own. I consider it water under the br-" The room spun around me, my bones creaking in protest. Cupping her shoulders, the shaking slowed to a halt.

"He had no right to hit you so I understand if you hate him." I blurted out oddly, attempting not to toss up a glob of blood. "Hash it out with him but don't kill him please. I would like not to lose my newest friend." Rising to my feet, tears welled up in her eyes. Turning to leave, her body smashed into mine. Her arms wrapped around my waist, my trembling hand ruffling the top of her head.

"I don't want to be angry anymore." She wept brokenly into my shoulder, her vulnerability was a new thing for her. "You reunited me with my lover and I can't thank you enough." Hiding my hand behind my back, my fingers snapped. Feeling an onyx Heron in my palm, it was my turn to comfort her. Hovering it in front of her face, her quaking fingers curled around the detailed stuffed animal. Hugging it to her chest, she spun around.

"I figured no one ever gave anything to you as a new robot. Enjoy your gift." I continued serenely, ignoring the blood pooling in my mouth. "Why don't you go show everyone else?" Sprinting out of the room, my bare feet pounded towards the trash can. Coughing up blood, no one needed to know about this. Cleaning up my face, Steph's words still ran through my mind. How could someone so serious be a small child on the inside? Wandering out to the dining room table, everyone greeted me. Taking my spot next to Sage, my eyes scanned my newfound family. Steph sat down on Wolfston's lap, her bright red blouse and cream skirt seeming to be an attempt to dress up. Talking to me all at once, my hand silenced them.

"Let's say a prayer before we eat." I suggested lightly, hoping some grace from our god would increase our luck as we bowed our heads. "Thank you Lord for our meal. May your light bless our journey ahead." Passing the plates around, conversations erupted around me. Voices faded in and out, my fingers clutching one of the napkins. Pretending to wipe my mouth, a quiet cough resulted in a splatter of blood. Eating my portions as fast I could choke down, the taste of blood poisoned the taste of the food. Pushing my plate away, everyone watched as I excused myself. Heading into my bedroom, the internal bleeding had been becoming worse. When was I going to get better? My eyes fell on the bathtub, the room blurring. Crashing to the floor, my body seized. One final twitch rattled my body, a rough darkness coming over me.

A blood red moon bathed the foggy wasteland, dead trees twisted up from the black sands. Struggling to sit up, a tall slender woman approached me. Wild emerald curls floated around her shoulders, her rounded chocolate mink ears twitched with excitement. Inky black eyes glittered with malice, her emerald corset shirt did little for her petite frame, the black leather pants clung to her slender but muscular legs. Flicking a couple of steel fans, my hands reached for my staff. Cursing to myself, my boots were back home. Struggling to my feet, her chocolate brown tail waged with her maniacal grin. Sprinting away, a flick of her wrists sent barrage steel blades in my direction. Crashing to the ground, my body curled into a ball. Tortured screams burst from my lips with every blade slicing up every inch of my tender flesh, her hands clapping. Popping up in front of me, she lifted up my chin with her finger.

"I am Mink, the new president. How is it going, White Vixen? I have been so hungry to devour you. I am going to kill you here and now. Then I am going to gather your body and roast you up. Foxes taste delectable." She introduced herself, her long tongue licking her black lips. "I killed the former president. He deserved it but I am going to be so much worse. I am going to murder everyone after you die. It turns me on just seeing you like this. Get up and fight me like the legend they say you are. You might need this." Kicking my staff into my twitching fingers, she took a couple of steps back. When I couldn't move, her boot slammed into the back of my head. The crack of my skull sickened me, a migraine throbbing to life. Blood soaked the back of my head, the sand crunching with each failed attempt to stand. One last attempt had me on my feet, lightning crackling to life. My blood painted the sand, every step was met with protest from my aching muscles. Spinning my staff in front of me, a healing spell healed my wounds. Strength returned slowly, her fans raised in the air. Flicking her wrists, another wall of blades flew in my direction. The speed of my staff doubled, half of them cutting me this time. Gears whirred, my staff shifting into dual fans. Charging at her, our fans clashed violently. Metal scraped against metal, my constant attacks throwing her off. Kicking her in the chest, the sheer force began to knock her back. Grabbing my ankle last minute, her boot slammed into my chest. Sending me up into the air, horror gripped me at the sight of her launching off of the tree. Spinning in the air, a single flick of my wrist sent bolts of lightning in her direction. Unable to dodge them all, small burns covered her skin. Brushing off the pain, she flicked her wrists. Curling into a ball, my body took the full force of her attack. Landing clumsily, the fans weren't working for me. Gears whirred as the fans changed into dual blades, her blurry form inches from mine. Jumping over her, I reversed the direction of my blades. Pushing off of her back, a swift swing cut off her hands. Inky blood poured from her stumps, a cloud of sand obscured my fall. The dull snap of my arm widened my eyes with alarm, a tortured scream shattered the night air. Crawling towards her fans, one touch with my lightning torched them into dust. Struggling to my feet, my busted left arm dangled limply by my side. Wiping the blood off of my face, the world faded back to my bedroom.

Laying in a growing pool of my own blood, my left arm remained broken. The sounds of dinner still echoed in the hall, a groan leaving my lips. Sitting up, a sigh of relief flooded from my lips at my unharmed bump. Using the bed frame to stand up, my legs nearly gave out. Using the wall, a sense of desperation echoed with every slam of the cabinets. Finding my secret stash of healing herbs, I tripped over the tub. If I didn't get this going, I would be dead when someone found me. Sliding into the tub, my good hand turned on the water. Dumping the herbs into the rising water, a soft glow illuminated the clear surface. Tears welled up in my eyes, the clear silk bag rested in my good palm. This was the last gift from Father Roland, my left arm beginning to heal along with the cuts. A broken wail left my lips, the weight of his death getting to me. Hugging it to my chest, Sage skidded in. The trail of his bloody footprints brought up my usual amount of guilt, the water splashing as he climbed in behind me. Holding my bump, his chin rested on the top of my head. Letting all of my emotions go, he remained by my side. Will this pain ever end?