#GRUG IS GONNA DO IT FOR REAL THIS TIME

[wolfcha1k]

"One look and I can't catch my breath Two souls into one flesh When you're not next to me I'm incomplete 'Cause I'm on fire like a thousand suns I couldn't put it out even if I wanted to These flames tonight Look into my eyes and say you want me, too Like I want you"

"All my life I've been looking for a place my parents wanted me to find, and I found it… but now? All I can think about is Eep. My best friend, my first… and only love."

Summary: Guy and Eep reflect on what has happened in the wake of these two crazy moons since their Tomorrow was challenged. There's damage that needs to be fixed and broken hearts to mend. - <3 - I used a ton of references from the movie as well as loosely traced bits, the kiss was referenced from the ending of "A New Age". I wanted to draw a proper cover for my new "chapter" for my "The Sun Was a Wayfarer" series, which is a bunch of one shots/little stand alone stories set in the same timeline despite it kinda skipping around a bunch. This one is "All I Can Think Of" as of now it takes place after "It's Our Nature" and before "A Tomorrow of Our Own", ngl, this chapter was mostly to practice writing kisses, I had some fun actually writing it. Usually I get hella embarrased lol I'm gonna paste the story beneath the picture, hope you like ~

The Sun Was a Wayfarer - Series

<Previous> Its Our Nature <next> A Tomorrow of Our Own

The moment Guy saw a chance to get away from the Pack he took it, quickly grabbing for Eep's hand to pull her down a random direction into the garden. She started in surprise before willingly following him with a trust Guy didn't feel he deserved anymore after last night. Guy didn't stop until he felt they were far enough away that nobody would find them without looking very hard, hidden behind some of the large gourds and corn.

He spun around to face her, letting out a long sigh. Guy just needed a moment to look at her, dark eyes worried and concerned as the adrenaline of what happened just a few hours ago finally seeped out of his body. Guy was covered in bruises and ached all over but it was nothing compared to the pain of when he thought he lost her forever three times in the span of just two terrifying days of his life. Somehow The End of the World felt miniscule in comparison now that Eep was his world.

His Tomorrow.

He rested his shaky hands on her shoulders, relief making him dizzy. Eep supported the sudden slumping of his weight, her green eyes wide with concern. "Guy! What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he said, a tired smile on his face as he looked at her.

She held him up by the arms before lifting him up into hers. Eep sat down on the grass and positioned him on her lap, stroking the fringe of hair away from his face.

She could see the swollen purple bruises on his cheek and the black eye he had, his lower lip looked swollen and puffy. "You had a bad day," she sighed, cuddling him close.

"Yeah," he managed to chuckle, finding some amusement out of her words. "But it's better now that you're here…" He pressed a tired, sloppy kiss to her shoulder and rested his forehead there after. "Empathis on the better."

She just tugged him closer, as if her arms could squeeze the exhaustion and nerves right out of him. "I'm sorry," Eep suddenly said, muffling her face against his cheek. He felt moisture against his skin and the slight tremor in her arms and shoulders. "I'm really sorry."

Her warbled words cut him like a knife and he used his head to nudge her back so he could look at her. He could see the beginnings of tears on her eyelashes, gaze watery as she blinked it away stubbornly. Guy reached his hand to touch her face, feeling her recoil a bit before relaxing into his palm. He wiped his thumb under her eye, catching a tear.

He realized his own eyes felt moist all of a sudden, it'd been an emotionally charged couple of days. "It's okay, Eep. You didn't do anything wrong, I was just so stupid."

She sighed heavily, unwinding an arm from around his body so she could cover his hand with her calloused palm. Eep said nothing for several long moments, just clutched his hand like a life line.

"Eep?"

Eep finally looked at him, tearing her eyes from the random direction she'd sent her sights towards. "Yeah?"

"You're not hurt, are you?" Guy sat up a bit in her lap, cautiously letting his palms trace her broad shoulders, fingers squeezing tentatively to see if she would flinch. He knew she was good at hiding things like injuries, nursing them in private as to avoid upsetting Grug, it'd also extended to him now. She was strong but that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to worry over her.

"No, I don't have a scratch on me," she assured him but Guy didn't stop checking her. Eep let him fuss though, knowing it would make him feel better if he came to the conclusion himself. His touch felt nice though, Eep realizing how starved she was for it since being separated from each other.

He touched her back, her arms, her ribs, anywhere his hands could reach in a modest way, careful in his examination. After running a hand down her leg, his eyes fell to where the prohestic was once on her pinkie toe. "I'm so, so glad you actually don't have a toe there," he sighed, knowing it was one of the most nonsensical, bizarre phrases he'd ever uttered in his seventeen years of life.

"Guess getting bit by that bearyena came in handy for once," Eep quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little.

He also was relieved she hadn't been ripped in half during the struggle, it had to be a miracle of some kind. Guy didn't voice this though, just traced his hands slowly back up her body so he could hold her waist. He missed her so much and he was quick to show her that, words failing him as he gently brushed her lips in a kiss. He let his hands slide up her back to lovingly stroke her shoulders, feeling the muscles ripple under his palms. She shivered and he shook, he pulled her closer as if to warm them both but still the trembling never stopped.

He always did love her shoulders and muscles, the clinical and practical part of him admired the strength and power there, how they could flex and be used to take down beasts twice her size. Then there was the simplicity of just being a man who loved a beautiful woman and it inspired a different kind of appreciation in him.

One that he knew Grug who absolutely skewer him alive for, his heart longing and aching as he hugged Eep. He never knew he could be so needy, it should have been pathetic as a puppy following its master for attention, never satisfied.

They'd shared an intense kiss over the raging flames but it still wasn't enough after the longest dry spell he had ever known since meeting her. After that first kiss in the ocean, he never got enough of her now. He was greedy and never was ashamed of that when it came to loving her.

He only wanted to be with her until there were no more Tomorrows that crossed the sky.

Eep quickly cupped his face in her hands and surged forward against him, her ferocity taking him by surprise. He practically squeaked when he felt the nip of her teeth on his bruised lip but somehow he couldn't care less. Just welcomed it, tilting his head and taking in the taste of her as he brushed her tongue with his. It was like fire and he was more than happy to be burned, letting Eep fly with him like the wild tiger in his stories.

He drew away a moment, just the slightest breath away as he spoke, pressing a few rapid kisses to her lips with each word. "You." Kiss. "Have." Kiss. "No idea." Kiss. Kiss. "How much I missed you," Guy finished in a rush, breathless as he lowered his head to trail a series of kisses down the column of her throat, grazing his teeth lightly on the skin of her collarbone.

There was a hitch in her breath at the affection. "Can't be more than I missed you."

He went to nuzzle her ear, placing a chase kiss on her earlobe. Eep arched into him and he clutched her tight as if she were water slipping through his fingers. "I thought I was going to die seeing you up there," Guy uttered in a strained voice. He could picture it so clearly, seeing her leaping and bounding across skeletal remains hanging precariously from old tendrils of vine. The spiny mandrilla closed on her heels and he could do nothing but watch, screaming her name out in desperation until his throat went raw. "I screwed up and almost didn't get to fix it."

Guy felt Eep nudge his head away from her so they could look at each other properly again. She just traced her thumb over his cheek, tender as she marked one of his hand print shaped bruises. "You saved me," she finally said, leaning forward to steal a kiss, smiling against his lips as they brushed, once, twice and finally a proper one that had Guy's toes curling and his head fuzzy. "I was so happy when I saw you again, Guy."

He'd been more than shocked to have seen Eep and the others arrive, riding Chunky and a pack of wolfspiders. He had practically given his last rights, resolving painfully he would never see her again, never fix what he had done to her. His first and only love, he didn't need to meet any other girls to know what he felt was real and it was more than just a beautiful teenage romance.

"You want to talk about heroics? How many people come swooping in on a tiger and take on a giant monster single handedly," Guy pressed his forehead against hers, awed by her courage and humbled by her love for him. "And here I picked a tree over you."

"It wasn't just a tree," she lightly scolded him much to his surprise. "I get it now."

Guy felt moisture collect on his eyelashes and without another thought, closed the distance between them once more. He let his hands roam, touching every part of her out of fear he would forget how warm and solid her body felt in his arms. It was almost like a dream, eyes shut tightly and listening to the soft little gasps in her breath, the way her chest heaved against his own. He hated needing to breathe when all he wanted was this, reluctantly pulling away as he felt light headed, exhilarated and breathless.

"Never again," he promised her, nuzzling his nose against hers. Eep practically purred at the loving attention, letting her palms rest on his shoulders to gently knead the tension there. He shuddered, forehead pressed into hers, knowing the gesture meant so much more than simple touch to her. "I'd rather chop off both my legs than lose you again. Please never scare me like that, I couldn't bare it."

She kissed his lips, gentle before in all her passionate nature, looped her arms around his neck and kissed him enough that Guy was convinced he'd forget his own name.

But that was okay, because she reminded him, pulling away. "Guy, I love you," she only said, beaming at him.

"Please say it again," he pleaded.

"I love you."

He felt his eyes growing glassy again and Eep kissed a tear away from below his eye, soft and tender. He smiled at her, embracing her tightly once more from his comfortable position in her lap. "I love you more," he murmured, kissing her shoulder.

"I love you more," she protested, lightly shoving him to nibble his ear, feeling his weight push into her.

"No, I said I love you more first."

"And I'm telling you I love you more right back," she purred, lifting her neck to give him better access to her jawline when he started to press an open mouth kiss there.

He felt her pulse rush under his lips like she'd ran a marathon, skin flushed as red as her hair. He couldn't help but kiss her again and again.

"You're so stubborn," he grumbled good naturedly, nuzzling her.

"Takes one to know one, babe." Eep grinned at him, stroking the nape of his neck and fiddling with his top knot.

It was just them now and feeling thrilled that he had her to himself, gently nudged her down, feeling her eyes bore into his. Guy braced his arms above her, not caring his muscles throbbed in protest. He could see the sun as it set shimmering there, burning with more than mere fire.

Her eyes were nearly amber in the low light of the evening, glinting with love. Those same eyes reminded him of the first night they met, curious and glowing as the fire flickered. He touched her face, fingers curling under her chin, taking in her flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips. It was a good look for her. She was beautiful, and no amount of sleeping suns in the sky would ever compare.

There must have been something in his expression for he saw her tremble and emotion swelled within him as he shut his eyes. He ached in more ways than just the pain from the ordeal with getting pummeled by a bunch of punch monkeys.

No more words were spoken for a long time, whoever reached for whom first he didn't care. All that mattered was now she was in his arms, heart pressed against heart and the gentle whispers of breath against lips. She arched into him and it took all his might to remember how to breathe. She palmed his shoulder suddenly with a growl, pushing him beneath her and he didn't fight her.

No one and no thing would ever separate them again, he thought as he caught her lips once more in a fluid movement.

Grug had panicked when he realized Guy and Eep had disappeared. After today, who could really blame him for it? Everyone was quick to volunteer to find them, Ugga crouching to encourage Sandy to use that skilled sense of smell of hers. The fierce little tot bounded into the fields, disappearing into the tall grass and crops.

"She's got the scent!" Gran exclaimed, hobbling after her youngest granddaughter.

Grug just worried and worried, Ugga absently massaging a kink out of his large neck. "Relax, the farm is safe. I'm sure Eep and Guy are alright, Grug."

"Still," he began with a frown. "I'd feel better knowing that with my own eyes, honey."

They'd followed Sandy through the gardens, the farther they went the more Grug fretted. It felt too long when Sandy finally paused, several large bushes and crops shielding the view. She pawed in the direction of it, turning to giggle and pounce into Ugga's awaiting arms.

"Good girl, Sandy," she praised, pressing her cheek against hers fondly.

Grug lead the way, parting the foliage. Everyone shoved about behind him and attempted to peak around him, making the caveman huff in annoyance.

The family came upon the couple hidden amongst the fields of other worldly produce, cozy together on the grass as they traded needy little kisses. Alternating between whispering, giggling and pressing a small kiss here or there, Guy and Eep were content in their bubble. Guy was curled up as content as a house cat right in her lap, Eep's arms around him in a hug. The sight would have infuriated Grug once upon a time ago but he'd seen a lot in just two days.

Things changed and so did he. His daughter deserved happiness and having seen just how broken Guy had been over her, he knew it wasn't just puppy love.

It was full grown.

"Aw," Dawn gushed as she peeked over Grug's shoulders, standing on her tiptoes. "How cute, are they always like that?"

The typical young boy that he was, Thunk made a face, his travel window lowering. "Bleh," he only said. "Again already?"

Gran snorted and leaned over to Dawn to say inconspicuously, "You have no idea, smart girl."

Belt's only response from around Dawn's torso was to make a swooning gesture, unwinding an arm to drape it over his face. Dawn chuckled when immediately after the sloth was gushing over Sash who'd leaned down to nuzzle noses with Guy's little friend. "I get the picture."

Hope folded her hands to her chest, "I can't believe we tried breaking them up… who does that?"

The words Hope said affected Grug more than he wanted to admit and guilt swelled inside him.

Ugga patted him gently on the shoulder, rousing her mate's quiet contemplation. "Well?" Ugga asked him in that soft voice of hers, gray eyes shifting back towards Guy and Eep.

"Leave them be," Grug told her and the others, shaking his head with a reserved little smile. He felt sad but there was a fatherly resolve in his heart. Eep would always be his little girl but he had to accept she had her own life to live now.

One with many Tomorrows that he knew Guy could give her, there was no doubt the young man was going to give her the world on a silver platter. The thought of her leaving was like a knife in his heart, even Guy would be a tough bone to swallow, after all, Grug had called him son. And as a father, he only wanted what was best for them, even if it meant it wasn't here with him anymore.

Gran stomped her cane on the grass. "Who are you and what have you done with our Lunkhead?"

Grug grunted, "What? I'm not allowed to have a change of heart now?"

Ugga leaned her head against his fondly. "I'm proud of you, big guy."

Grug didn't want to get emotional, feeling the moisture gather in his eyes. Phil threw an arm over his shoulders on the side Ugga didn't occupy.

"Something on your mind, bro?" His eyes were sympathetic.

He sniffled, "Nothing, really." Grug shrugged Phil's arm off and sighed.

"You can tell me," Phil encouraged, lifting a hand in an encouraging manner.

"I don't wanna."

"I'm knocking on the door, big guy. Let me in!" He persisted.

Grug side eyed him, knowing no matter what he said the lanky Betterman was going to get his way. "It's just… gonna be hard to let them go," he said, the words slightly warbled. He was a big scary caveman but he'd always been soft in the heart despite the stoney exterior.

Gran scoffed, the old matriarch beginning to hobble away. "There's our Grug now. The big baby."

Phil patted him on the back, "There, there, it'll be alright. Besides, I have a solution to your little problem."

He looked uncertain as Phil led him away from the serene couple, the rest of the family following behind. "What do you mean 'solution'?"

"Let's just say it's a wedding present for our favorite pair of lovebirds, Gruggers. You can help me get it ready, they'll take one look at it and want to stay forever." Phil then fondly nudged his friend's back. "Just please learn to use doors, Guy won't be happy if you tear a hole in their little love nest. Knocking will save you a lot of grief too."

"Love nest?" Grug echoed and for a moment the protective father that wanted to smother his daughter peeked out.

Before he could regret his decision, it was a joint effort to shove him towards the large tree on the property, hefting a sigh and pouting as Ugga just laughed.

And oblivious to the world around them, Guy and Eep stayed stuck together, joint by the heart.

[thewildwaffle]

Abduction - Chapter 24

My goal is to finish this by November so I can participate in NaNoWriMo with a new story. Or at least that’s the current plan. That means in order to make that happen, I’ve got a lot of writing to do in not a lot of time. I think it’s doable though. The next chapter is already well underway, as I was going to make it part of this one, but it was going long (in writing and time) and the chapter I have planned afterward (what will be 25) would fit better if I split it up.

As always, any comments, critiques, suggestions, anything- are very welcome and appreciated. Not only do they help me improve my writing, but they also help with motivation and ideas. You all are the best, stay lovely!

First Chapter      Previous Chapter     Next Chapter

***

The wristband wasn’t too tight or too loose. In fact, she could almost forget it was there if it wasn't still on her wrist every time she looked down.

She followed her guards down the corridor back to the holding cell. Carson whined and leaned against her hand as they went. He really didn’t like that muzzle. It had been decided that even though they could keep the dog with them, he had to be muzzled when outside the holding cell or Drin’s lab. It made sense, she supposed. From their perspective, Carson was a massive canine predator that could potentially attack at any given moment. He wouldn’t though. Not without good reason. He was actually a pretty well-trained dog. He didn’t mind being leashed, but he hated the muzzle.

“Soon, Carson, it’s okay boy,” Wenona scratched his ear gently.

They rounded the final corner to their holding cell and her guards paused. She nearly walked into them. Confused, she looked up and around. There wasn’t anyone else in the hall. Did they somehow make a wrong turn? No, this was the right place. She could basically walk here from Drin’s lab in her sleep by now, and that was definitely their room beyond the glass. So what’s the big…

Where were the guards? Not her guards of course, but where were the guards that were supposed to be with Mike?

Her lead guard, Chook or something like that, activated her comm device with a flick of a thin wrist.

“Team 4, this is Team 2 Leader, state your position.”

There were two soft beeps to signal the end of the message. Everyone listened intently for the response.

It took a few moments to get one, but finally, a voice came back through the small speakers. “Team 2, this is Team Leader 4, we are returning to the position now.”

Chook’s thin yellow face scrunched and she clacked her beak irritably, “And why, please tell, were you away from your position to begin with?”

“We were called away to help deal with the issues in sector 18.”

“You were called away,” Chook’s voice got so shrill that Carson began whining again. Wenona scratched at his ears again to soothe him while she shot a glare at Chook for bugging her dog. Or, not her dog, the dog. The. Carson.

Not that Chook noticed anyway. “What grug-head called you away from your post watching the human?” The response again took a few moments, but by the time it came, they could already hear the actual voices of Team Leader 2 coming down the hall. “Our orders were from Lieutenant Commander Grayk. Human Mike was asleep and we were needed with rounding up and recapture in Sector 18. If you have a problem with that, I suppose you can take it up with Commander Rozar.”

Before they had finished their last sentence, Team 2 Leader had rounded the opposite corner, flanked by three other aliens on his team. Two more yellow, featherless bird-looking aliens and two more gray tree bark-textured aliens. They weren’t often on guard duty, but Wenona had noticed that a few would regularly rotate in now and again.

Chook huffed loudly and led Wenona to the door of the holding cell. She brushed off the help and went in by herself. Carson followed, still keeping his head close to her hip.

Immediately, she knew something was off. Carson usually went right to where Mike was in the room. He liked Wenona alright, but it was clear that Mike was his favorite human. It was a fact that Wenona did her best to not get jealous. But Carson walked up to the mound of blankets she had assumed Mike was asleep under, sniffed it, whined, and looked back to Wenona with the most forlorn look she’d ever seen on a dog.

Mike wasn’t here.

She glanced back at the door behind her. The guards didn’t know. They hadn’t even looked in the room after she and Carson walked in. They still hadn’t even shut the door, they were too busy talking, Chook was still there with one long-fingered hand resting just to the side of the door’s control panel.

Her first impulse was to break out, rush the door. But then the words of the guards’ conversation started to register.

“...was a breakout. The whole section of cells completely set loose. They’ve had to down a few specimens, most of the prisoners at least had enough sense to surrender immediately.”

“Most?”

“There were still a few out, but they had enough to finish rounding them up, so we were sent back.”

Wenona completely turned around to the door. A breakout? Who? Is that where Mike was? He probably caused it. It sounded like something he’d do.

Ugh. Couldn’t he have at least run this plan by her first? She probably would have tried to stop him, yeah, but maybe she could have at least helped him think things through. Seriously, what had he been thinking? What was he going to do now? Get caught? What was that going to do to the plans they’d been making so far? She felt for the small blade she had tucked into her sash. Her mind swirled with plans, ideas, trying to think ahead, trying to deal with this new curveball.

“...try coming for the humans?”

What now? Who was this? Who’s coming? She started listening in again, but the guards were finally starting to close the door. It wasn’t sound-proof, but it still would be the end of hearing what the heck was going on around here.

She should make a run for it. Take a page out of Mike’s book and just go. She turned around to face the door. Her muscles tensed, preparing to spring forward, rush the guards, go! But she didn’t. She stood there frozen, hesitant. What would she do when she got out? Where would she go? Who was out and might try “coming for the humans”? There were too many variables! Too much unknown!

The door shut with a click. It wasn’t a loud click, but it might as well have been an echoing boom to Wenona. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Now what? What could she-?

She should have gone! No! That wouldn’t have been the smart move. But would it have been the right move? She didn’t know. She didn’t know and the options and results of what could have been kept bouncing around in her head. She chose wrong. She chose wrong- she should have gone! No. No- she chose right, now she can lay low and see how things play out. But what if that took too long? Mike. Is. Gone. He is gone and she should have escaped when she had a chance, but she blew it because she’s too dang cautious.

The guards were still outside, but it appeared that Chook and his team were on their way out. She walked slowly around the room, trying to act natural.Her hands were shaking now. Her whole arms were trembling a little bit. She folded them across herself to keep them still. She felt the cuff Drin had put on her wrist. That was gonna have to go. If she got out- or when, when she got out, she’d need to get that dumb thing off. Drin had said it was a health monitor, but honestly, if there wasn’t some sort of tracking device in with it, that would just be plain stupid on his part.

Carson barked and nearly made her jump. He had settled on the edge of the blankets, sniffing around the spot where Mike had stuffed some pillows to look like he was there. The guards looked at them curiously. Carson barked again.

“Shh! No, stop! It’s okay, it’s okay, be quiet!” The last thing she needed was to have the guards come in and find out Mike was gone. She sat down next to Carson and started petting his head comfortingly. He rested his head in Wenona’s lap while his tail thumped rhythmically against the “bed”. That seemed to do the trick.

“So now what?” It was a question partly to Carson, but mostly to herself.

Now what indeed. Before, she had just wanted to come back to the room, get some sleep, and figure out what to do about Drin’s tracker band with Mike and how it would affect their plans of getting out of here. Those plans were shot and now she needed to figure out what to do. Her nose prickled and it felt like her heart was being squeezed tight. She should do something, anything. But she didn’t know what. She tried thinking of an escape route, but her mind just wouldn’t stay still long enough on one idea to plan anything reasonable.

What had Mike been thinking? He probably hadn’t thought. Where was he now? What was he doing? Was he coming back?

She stood up at that. Would Mike come back? Of course he would, she had no doubt. If he didn’t get himself killed before then, that is. That last part was quite a real concern. He could be a real idiot, but circumstances had made him her idiot. She couldn’t sit around and wait to be rescued. She was no damsel in distress, she was Wenona Peters, and she was getting out of here! 

Somehow.

A loud alarm made bother her and Carson jump. She covered her ears and Carson ran around barking, looking for the source of the noise that seemed to be coming from everywhere. She had to take a few deep breaths to calm down her heart rate. As she did, she glanced to the guards outside the room. Even though she could only make out just a little more than their silhouettes, she could tell they were just as tense and confused as she was.

This was it.

This was just what she needed.

She was going to act this time. She had to. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it was something. Was it a smart plan? Maybe not, but maybe she could pull a ‘Mike’ and get out of here anyway.

She screamed loud enough to rival the blaring alarms. As convincingly as she could, she collapsed. She managed to let her head and shoulders hit the soft blankets, but her hip wasn’t quite as lucky. She’d probably get a bruise there, but honestly, if that’s the worst she has to deal with by the time she got out of here, then that would be amazing.

Carson was at her side instantly, sniffing her face and nudging her, barking nervously as if to rouse her. She stayed still. She had one chance to make this look as convincing as possible. It took only a few moments before she heard the holding cell door open.

“Get that beast under control!” Wenona could see three guards enter through nearly-closed eyes. One held a long pole, like the kind dogcatchers use. Carson growled as they approached hesitantly.

“Did you see what happened?” “No, I just looked in and she was down!” “Oh, Klern beyond, she’s not bleeding, is she? Tell me there’s no blood.” “Call the medics. And get Drin down here now!” “Do we have a readout on her vitals?” “Chekk, get that monster out of the way. I don’t see any blood. Just do your flargin’ job!”

Carson was pulled away and Wenona felt her guard’s clawed hands fumble under her nose. She held her breath. They moved their hands to her neck, likely to check for a pulse, but they put it on the wrong part, over a muscle. They wouldn’t find a pulse there. 

“Frewan,” the guard muttered.

They started pushing her to roll her onto her back, but as soon as the arm Wenona had fallen on was free, she grabbed the nearest guard by the leg and in a move that surprised even her, she threw them halfway across the room. She rolled with the throw, sweeping a leg to knock down the next closest guard. She jumped at them, grabbing their blaster from their holster. The guard who now had Carson at the end of the pole stared blankly at her, eyes wide open, too shocked to move. Wenona wrenched the pole out of their hands, released the loop that held Carson, and before the guard could draw their blaster, swung the end of the pole up at their head. They went down with a thud. She grabbed their blaster too. Best be as armed as possible right now.

A beam of light shot right in front of her face. She flinched back. The guard she had thrown across the room was back up, blaster pointed directly at her. She dove towards the still-open door. The fourth guard, who had been calling in medics, had only just realized what was going on inside the holding cell and couldn’t react quick enough as Wenona barreled into them and threw them hard into the ground.

A sharp jolt hit her in the side. It felt like electricity shooting across her skin. She felt herself be thrown back against the wall, or maybe it was the spasmodic reaction of her legs that sent her back. In any case, she hit hard. Hard enough to see stars. The first guard limped forward, blaster fixed on her.

Only a few steps away from the door of the holding cell, there was a deep and low growl. The guard screamed as Carson attacked, biting and shaking their blaster arm. They dropped the weapon and fell backward, trying to get away from the massive “Earth Beast” still on them.

Wenona winced as she pushed herself back up to her feet. She leaned against the wall, shaking her legs until she felt they could support her completely. Everything felt like a weird mixture of tingling and numbness. Except for her head and right side of her body where she’d hit the wall. Those hurt. She could feel her heartbeat throbbing at the impact spots, and where she must have been shot.

She reached out for the door frame and stumbled to it, rebalancing herself for a moment. The fourth guard’s blaster was on the floor. She didn’t quite trust herself to bend down to pick it up, so she carefully shuffled forward and dragged it closer to her with her foot, then kicked it back out the door behind her.

“Carson, come here boy.” Her voice felt too high and soft, but Carson heard it and came. He kept himself between her and the guard who was now clutching their arm and trying to get back up. Wenona reached for the control panel she had seen the guards use before. She didn’t need to understand whatever language it was in to recognize symbols for ‘shut door.’

She sighed with relief as she rested her head against the wall. She did it. She knew this was just the start of getting out of here, but it was a successful start.

“Guard Team 4, this is Drin. What is so important that you had to summon for me at this time of the cycle? End.”

Shoot. The communicator. She could barely hear it over the alarms that were still going off. Wenona hobbled to the fallen fourth guard. She probably should have shoved him in the holding cell too. Although, she really didn’t feel like she had the strength to right now, and it turned out to work in her favor anyway. She struggled for a bit with the controls of the comm device.

“Guard Team 4. I am losing patience. Respond or I will be writing your entire team up for insubordination and incompetence. End.”

Wenona must have hit something right because a soft click sounded on and off. She hit it again. “Uh, this is Guard Team 4,” She thought she did a pretty good impersonation of the guards if she did say so herself. “We apologize for the miscommunication. Everything is fine here. Nothing to report.”

The line was quiet for a moment. Maybe she didn’t do as good of an impersonation as she thought.

“You are on duty with the humans, yes? My readings show Wenona with an elevated heart rate. End.”

Shoot. Oh shoot. She took a few breaths, trying to calm down her heart. Could he read it right now? How fast did the readouts show up? Oh, shoot.

“There was… a fight… between her and the… her and Mike. Nothing serious, they’ve calmed down now. Think the alarm scared them a bit too. We’re all fine here. You can… go back to whatever you were doing... End.”

“Mmmhhhhmmmmmm…” Wenona scowled. Drin’s condescending attitude wasn’t even being directed at her, and it still managed to tick her off. “I believe I sent another band to be fitted for Mike. Why hasn’t it been activated yet? End.”

Wenona wasn’t sure she’d seen Drin give the guards another tracker with the guards when she left his lab. Though the fact that she didn’t see it didn’t mean much. She’d been a bit preoccupied being angry and trying to smuggle out her blade. 

Her blade! She could rid herself of the dumb tracker band! But then Drin wouldn’t be getting her readings. But, she countered to herself, then she wouldn’t be able to be tracked.

“We’ll get right on it, sir, we apologize for the delay. End.”

“And get someone on those alarms, would you? Some of us are trying to rest. End and over.”

Wenona sighed. He’d bought it. She slipped the communicator into the folds of her sash. She felt for her blade. She was lucky it hadn’t cut her in all the…

Where was it? She couldn’t feel it. It must have fallen out, but she couldn’t see it on the floor out here. She even tried shifting the fallen fourth guard. Nothing. She barely managed to not fall over when her head started swimming.

It was quiet. She looked up. The alarms had stopped. Good. Not only was it loud and annoying, but it would have kept security on high alert if they’d kept going. She just needed to wait for things to die down.

“How are you still up?” Wenona jumped. The guard Carson had attacked was at the door leaning against it, looking out at her. No. Not at her. They couldn’t see through the terrible one-way window. “I know you’re still up. I can hear you out there. How in gadring are you still up after that shot?”

Wenona tenderly rubbed the spot where she’d been hit. 

“Eh.” She shrugged, even though they couldn’t see her, and carefully slid down the wall to sit, resting her back against the wall by the door. If she’d dropped her blade in the holding cell, she had no way to cut the dumb tracker off. Her best bet now was to wait until Drin was back asleep and couldn’t monitor her while she made a break for it. In the meantime, she could rest, gather her strength. 

She smiled. Considering the outcome of the last time she’d broken out of an alien cell, she’d done remarkably well just now.

She picked up the two stolen blasters she had dropped. They were the same. All the guards she had seen had one exactly like these.

“‘Set blasters to stun,’ am I right?” She looked up at the guard who followed her voice down, though still not able to actually see her. “Guess your ‘stun’ settings aren’t strong enough to keep me down.”

The guard had a number of new swears and phrases Wenona hadn’t heard before, but they stopped suddenly when Carson began growling again.

“Good boy.” She pet his head. She figured she’d give herself five minutes. Five minutes, and then it was time for step two of getting off this ship. Whatever step two happened to be.

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