The Children of Erebus

XXX

It was close upon midnight as I found my feet pacing and pacing again. The rhythm, the only thing keeping me from truly losing it at that point, it was also the source of Dragon's frustration with me as he refused to explain his "brilliant" plan. I was about ready to scream at him, to the point I was forced to bite my tongue, literally, to keep from giving in to the ever-growing urge.

What was I thinking, leaving her to saunter about? Next time, I'm tying her to me; or at least put a tracking device on her. Dragon's voice ultimately broke through my train of hazy thoughts. I hated my emotions, they always left me feeling like a complete imbecile: illogical and rash.

"Raven has her intercom, doesn't she?" He asked typing furiously on the laptop; so forcefully that I'd feared it would break at any moment.

"I believe so..." More pacing from me as his typing increased in volume. Between the two of us, it was an absurd duet of what worry must sound like.

"We can simply back-trace one of her older texts or phone calls to the source and then pinpoint her location. It's just a little risky because a good hacker would be able to pick up the signal easily. An even better one would've disabled it." I gaped at him.

"No, shit Sherlock! In which case we do what?" I argued losing it, though tried to cool myself off afterwards, without success. "It is risky, most of the idiots down there are hackers and good ones at that. They'll pick up on the signal and know we've broken the golden rule, then all of us will be dead. I can't let that happen." He sighed in disgust, resuming his urgent typing as he attempted to locate Raven's link.

"What was it you always told me? If you're too afraid to fight you'll never win?" He looked up from his computer and pinned me with a harsh stare. "You've broken the golden rule a long time ago Black. Ever since the day I first met you with Firefly and you saved our lives from Digger. You then broke it again the day you allowed us to treat your eyes, and again when you started calling us brother and sister. And if you want to get real practical you've never in your life obeyed the golden rule, because you've always worshipped the ground Skrymer walked upon and saw her as this divine entity. Same with all of us, hear? Sunshine already broke the golden rule; he's doing it right now. I, like you, have never obeyed that damned law because I've always loved my sister and you. Darling is even worse! He's willing to stick out his neck for total strangers. Hawk is... I am not sure, but Grace she loves you, Black, you're her big brother; all of us are. Now our sister is out there all by herself and you expect me to sit around and do nothing?! I can't do that. I am getting Raven back with or without you. She deserves better." I sighed in disgust. Of course, I wasn't to abandon Raven, but I wasn't going to sacrifice any of them to get to her, least of all Dragon. I refused to put him in that situation, but I knew that even if I was to try to talk him out of it he wouldn't listen. Though I did attempt to anyway.

"Fine. But promise me one thing," I acquired.

"Anything..."

"You'll stay behind and if I say we're screwed you take your butt and the rest of the gang far away from here and never concern yourself with what happens to me."

"You never let me finish my sentence. Anything but that!"

"But Dragon, please. You're the only one who can get them out if something happens." I pleaded.

"That's not true, Hawk and Sunshine can. You'll need a sniper, a friend at your back. Like hell, I am leaving without you!" He argued. Typical him. I clenched my teeth in frustration at his blatant stubbornness and idiocy.

"But Drag-" He held his hand up to silence me. The frantic beat of his typing had vanished completely, my pacing was forgotten as my feet never took the next step. I stood there looking at him over my shoulder, my breath held in anticipation of the news about to follow as his honey eyes found mine.