Butterflies in Winter

::Chapter 10:: Useless

Those words froze the trio in their tracks, Kit didn't breathe. It felt as though his heart had stopped in his chest. In spite of the panic, he forced himself to not move. Even if his every instinct was screaming at him to run.

Romany stiffened behind him, and for a moment Kit was sure she was going to give the game away. However, she was able to keep her cool.

"Surely that's not necessary, I thought we needed as many as we were able to get our hands on?" Her tone didn't as much as quiver when she spoke. "They're all useful, surely?"

Apparently unconvinced, Kit felt cold fingers prod at his left shoulder. "Look at him, he's useless," Kit forced himself not to flinch or tense. The words stung. He bit his tongue to stop the growl which rose to the back of his throat. "We need intact weirdos, this creature is of no use to us."

For half a second, she didn't say anything. Kit felt her fingers tighten around his shoulders as she struggled to think of something to say, anything to say.

"Whatever you say, but do us a favour," Romany explained. Not flinching a half beat as she spoke now. "This idiot managed to get a couple of foul swings in, let me be the one who kills him."

It was perhaps the worst plan that Kit had ever heard, but right now it was the only choice available to them. He could only pray that it wouldn't go terribly wrong.

Part of him panicked when there was no response, wondering if they had been caught and the man was preparing to kill them all there and then. Kit tensed very slightly, ready to leap to his feet at last moment, to fight to the death if that's what it took.

He had become so tense that when someone finally spoke again, he almost jumped. "Very well, wake him up, and I'll take this one down to the cells."

With a thud, Kit was thrown to the ground knocking his head back against the metal of the ship deck. He jerked upwards with a yell, 'waking up' he looked around in a panic. "The hell?" he growled, playing the part of a surprised hostage pretty well.

Dragged to his feet, Romany gripped him by the shoulders. "Give us your gun, we cant exactly cuff this one and I don't want him to try and run off."

Maddened he threw himself from left to right, trying to free himself of her grip. Swinging to try and catch her jaw, but pulling back at the last second. Kit tried his best to make it appear as though he was trying to break free.

The guard threw a gun to Romany, and she used the butt of it to smack Kit across the back of the head. "You might as well give up now," she said sternly. "It's over, make your peace with it, freak."

Kit watched her, fearfully. Part of it truthfully, the anger in her voice sounded so honest that a small piece of him wondered if they had been betrayed. He forced the thought out of his head, he may well be dead either way.

Now with the muzzle of the gun tucked carefully into the crevice of his back, he was forced to walk. He looked back at Max, to find the young man being led away into the depths of the ship. A part of him wondered if this was the last time that either of them would see the light of the sun.

As the pair walked across the ship and up a set of stairs in silence, as they reached the top deck of the ship. Kit was faced with the most morbid sight that he believed he had ever been faced with.

Lining the sides of the ship were cannons and mounted guns, he had seen that much from the shore. Yet towards the centre of the ship was a execution ground. He gulped when he saw the bloodstained ground, wondering how many of his friends had been taken here as well.

Romany lead the young man towards the centre of the ship, cocking her gun as she checked the chamber for bullets. She nodded to one of the guards lining the side of the ship.

"Kneel."

He did as he was told, lowering himself to his knees and watching her in silence. Waiting in silence. Kit stared at her, waiting for the saving grace. Begging that he hadn't misjudged the woman before him.

The longer this charade went on, the deeper the feeling of betrayal became. The fear growing larger and larger that these breaths were going to be his last. He tensed, prepared to take of running if that's what it came to, he had no intention of dying on his knees.

Everything felt numb as he waited for death to come. He watched the gun in silence, he didn't feel scared necessarily. More a terrifying feeling of defeat, he lowered his head. Giving in to his fate, accepting it.

She lifted her gun and pointed it to the side of the wolf's head, her finger on the trigger she paused.

"Go," she whispered.

Kit lunged.

On three legs again, he heard Romany turn around and shoot. A scream of pain told him that she had shot at least one of the guards but he didn't turn around to look. He pressed his nose to the ground, searching for any scent of his friends.

For about a minute, Kit had the element of surprise on his side as he raced back down the stairs and towards the place he had boarded the boat. His paws struggled to find purchase on the metal of the ship deck, and he scrabbled like a fawn taking it's first steps. He lunged forward, keeping to his legs as best as he could.

Quickly the enemy became aware of what was happening, and took chase. He dodged left and right through legs. He heard Romany following suit, more gunshots sounded as he ran through the ship. The adrenaline coursing through his veins, he barely noticed anything but the scent he was following.

Skidding to a stop, Kit was faced with a great door. Shut. No time to think, he through himself at the door as hard as he could. Trying to force it open, baring his teeth in anger as he lunged again and again.

When the door swung open, Kit fell through it with a thump. He looked up to see a surprised woman staring down at him, but before she had the chance to reach for her gun. He lunged past her and down deeper into the ship's depths.

It was almost a perfect pitch black, he glared through the darkness. Trying desperately to see anything, he let out a loud growl. Trying to alert anyone to his presence, only hoping that the person who heard it would be a friendly voice.

"That you Kit?" came a voice from the darkness. His tail lowered at the sound of the voice, his heart leaping with hope.

"Val? Where are you?" he called following the sound of the voice as best as he could. Somewhat bewildered by the darkness but he forced himself to come to his senses.

He pulled to a stop when he nearly smacked into a metal bar. Through the darkness, he caught sight of a set of eyes. "Val, thank god."

"Feeling is mutual," the puma replied. "Let me out of here, we don't have long."

Nodding, there was no time to shift but he found the lock to the cell and he bit down on it hard. He felt blood flood to his mouth as he did so, but he barely noticed as he worked as quickly as he could to tear it from it's place. It took a few seconds, but he was able to spit it out and drag the door open.

She lunged out and rubbed her head against Kit's. "Thanks," she muttered then looked up. "We need to find the others."

"Obviously," Kit responded and the pair lunged through the darkness. Now working together, they freed as many friends as they could. Until they stood thirteen strong, Kit tried not to feel the guilt which leapt to the back of his throat. They had lost four friends.

"You took your time," Max muttered with an attempt at amusement.

"I apologise, next time I'll try to be more efficient." growled Kit, vastly unamused. He twitched his ears back and forth with a sigh. "Let's go."

The group of survivors fought their way back threw the darkness, and to the door which led to their freedom.

Forcing it open. Kit recoiled at the sight before him, he exhaled when he found himself faced with forty men and women. Pointing guns at their heads.

Kit hesitated, backing off slightly at the sight and let out a low growl. His hesitation didn't last long, as the group lunged forward.