Shadow's Dance| 2nd Version

Chapter 17: Shadows

The tournament continues as the anxiety of being alone again stuck in her mind like sap on tree bark. The knives, muzzle, cages, guns, chains and electricity all surfaced. Her skin pricked at the memory of pain, nerves remembering injury and her eyes seeing blood. Blood spilt by her and others. Everyone sacrificed something, some more than others. Lives were lost, innocent or guilty it didn't matter.

She wasn't lucky. She still had guilt. She still had the weight of death. She still had blood stained claws and fur. She still had fire in her eyes. She still had a brain full of danger. She still had the curse that caused it all.

Nothing changed except the setting and it's light.

The damp, cool air flowed through the building. Nocturnal animals were alive and sounded off to one another. Jane wanted a mission, anything to keep her occupied and away from the vault she desperately kept locked. With a heavy heart she returned to her room and tried to once again sleep. No such luck was present so Jane waited till the sun finally arose.

Fixing her fur slightly Jane dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Heading to the living room she plopped on the couch and watched as the sun rose higher into the sky. Fluffy clouds were scattered in the sky. Hints of life in bushes and behind leaves could be seen. Everything shined with light of the new sun. It looked picture perfect.

A blood curtailing screech echoed the halls. It rang its power throughout the inside of the mountain. Her ear twitched but there wasn't another reaction.A chill ran down Jane's back but she didn't move from the view.

Robin was running towards the sound when he saw her sitting there. "Come on, we need to find where that come from."

"Why?"

"It could be an attack."

"It's not."

"And how would you know?Did you set us up?"

"No, just a hunch."

"Then who is it?"

"I'll be there in 5, go chase your attacker."

Huffing Robin ran down a hallway after deciding that it wasn't worth arguing. Jane stood up and moved closer to the window. After a few second she was in a empty room, heroes scattered to find the sound 's source.

Alone and away from them her nose told of another. Someone who was long gone. Picking up the slight clinking of claws and feet planting on a surface then lifting off. Fabric rustled and a slow, steady breath could be heard from above. She could hear the steady heart beat of another as it grew closer.

Smiling slightly at their ignorance her mouth opened to let out a soft sound."You followed me here. I'm glad."

The shadows talked. "So smart yet so gullible. I was wondering how long it would take once you got out."

It's direction was distorted, coming from different angles.

"I missed you. Why don't you come out?"Jane said in a soothing voice.

Jane heard the cloth follow gravity as rubber shoes hit the ground. Turning to face her she saw that it was indeed Herring. Her red soft fur was singed with a darker red, the whites of her arm looked like they were coated in dirt. Her pants held a pair of daggers. She was obviously in a stealth suit that was well worn but a different symbol was on her shoulder, one that Jane didn't recognize. Yet her silver eyes softened at the sight of her.

"You really are alive."

Red leaped into a longing hug overdue for years. Lifting apart slightly but not the grip Red look up at Jane.

"And you knew Agni was dead. I gave you hints, I tried."

"I saw them. Why did you send a message through the Astral Plane? Why send my to Namir?"

"All I did was open your eyes."

"Stay. Stay with me, I can hide you."

"They have probably already looked at the cameras, they found me, it's too late."

"It is never too late Ablenkungsmanöver."

"Romantic when you wish so stop the German Black Sheep." Red smiles and looked into her eyes but saw trickling sadness in them.

"Don't day that name, please."

"What have they done to humble you?"

"It's not them, it's after all those years. Phantom did this to me. They gave me a number, scars and gave me something else too..."

The two tuned to see speech less group.

"Them."

Red Herring's eyes lit up a bright red but Jane had a had on her shoulder.

"Looks like you need to explain the whole story to all of us."