The Island of Fear (complete)

37) Yet More Poison

isobeljones2000

Kate's POV: I struggled not to whimper as Damien left the room, holding his bloody knife in one paw. What was the purpose of just coming in and then going out again? Trying to second-guess that man was impossible. His motives could be anything!

"Kate!" Kwazii said again urgently, insistently. I swivelled my head towards him as best as I could and gave a weak smile.

"Hey Kwaz."

"Oh my ... Kate." My normally shining silver fur on my face was red and matted with blood from the gash his knife had left. But my arm - I couldn't look at it.

"Bad, huh?" I guessed. I could tell he was avoiding looking at it herself. The awkward way we were positioned: arms held up high above our heads and feet shackled firmly to the ground, was uncomfortable and meant I had to strain my neck to make eye contact with my brother.

"So what we gonna do now?" I asked lightly.

Kwazii looked worried. "Well shackles are never good. And where are the others?"

I didn't know. My heart ached for my friends, just a warm smile from Dashi or a comforting statement from Captain Barnacles would be enough or me. "At least he didn't separate us."

"Does your arm hurt?" he asked quietly.

Kwazii could always tell when I was lying. "Yes. But I'm fine. We need to get out of here. You know the Warden."

"I do know the Warden. Too well. And I know Lupo and Fiona will have our friends."

"Fiona's mad! And Lupo - well we've seen what he's like already..." I ponder. Kwazii struggled again, fighting against the chains that held him to the wall.

"One things for sure," I said loudly. "If he hurts you, I'm kneeing him in the groin again. Or worse."

Kwazii chuckled. But we knew my jokes couldn't get us out of this.

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

Lupo's POV: Fiona and I were chatting in the control room; this one had three additional monitors, one for each cell, so we could keep an eye on our victims. "So, Lupo." Fiona purred. "Damien tells me that you've coated all our weapons with a poison you created. Do be a dear and tell me about it."

I sneered. I did love talking about my creations, and this poison was one of my favorites. "Well, Fiona, you know that someone's been affected by this poison because the area near the entrance wound will turn a nasty shade of green." I explained, motioning towards the monitor that showed the two cats, Damien's victims. The silver one's right arm, sure enough, was the color of pond scum. "The poison doesn't act immediately. It takes a few minutes to get into the system. But when it does, the victim will feel excruciating acid-like pain, a burning sensation, and they will re-experience their worst memories. There is no antidote. Symptoms can last for several hours, eight at most. The poison is also not fatal. Extremely painful, but not deadly." I finished.

Fiona looked impressed, and just then, as if to prove my point, the affected cat cried out in pain. The female fox laughed. "Incredible, Lupo! I can't wait to try your poison on my own victims!" She then looks down at her heavily pregnant body. "He'll be born soon. Damien and I have already come up with a name. Andrew. Andrew Fox. His name, one day, will fill the world with terror!" She stated proudly.

I chuckled. I don't doubt it." I murmured.

I then realized that the Captain had just awoken. I decided to go and give him a warm welcome.

isobeljones2000

Captain Barnacles' POV: I woke with a gasp, my eyes flying open. The first thing I saw in front of me was an unconsious Selene, her eyes shut and her hands tied up above her in large heavy looking shackles. She looked strangely peaceful in sleep, as if her innocence was real. But I knew her eyes were filled with an age that she didn't have on her body, from pain in the past. Next to me I could see the unconscious form of Dashi hanging limply in a similar position to Selene. Her eye was blackened slightly, bruised around it. I wondered how she had obtained that injury and immediately felt defensive of her. Dashi was one of my best friends, and I was torn whether to be glad she was here or to wish that she was far far away from this place. These people.

"Oh so the sleeping beauty awakes," said a sarcastic voice from behind me. On reflex I growled, moving my hands slightly in their shackles and trying to pull away. But even my incredible strength couldn't budge the thick iron cuffs. I settled for a intense glare at the wolf in front of me, glaring into those amber eyes. Lupo held Derek in his arms, loosely. The toddler was oddly silent, his eyes open but he was very still.

"Let my crew go. Where are the rest?" I asked sharply. Lupo laughed harshly.

"Not one for pleasantries, are you lover boy? Well you stole my wife so I guess I'm not either. The rest are here. I have all your friends. And I know your worst fear is that you can't help your crewmates. Well I'm here to give you a demonstration."

"What do you want?" I growled.

Lupo shrugged. "Revenge." He walked past me, to Dashi and pulled out something from his belt.

"What's that?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"An adrenaline patch. It's no fun when they're unconscious." He slapped it to the side of Dashi's neck.

What's no fun when they're unconscious? I wondered. But I feared I knew the answer already...

"If you harm a single hair on her head -" I threaten. Lupo grins, flicking open a lighter and producing a single flame.

Dashi blinks her eyes open blearily, and they widen when she registers the hot flame near to her face. They're full of fear and I growl at Lupo again.

"Stop it. Stop it right now."

"But I haven't even started!" Lupo laughed psychologically. And he brought the flame closer and closer to Dashi's cheek.

KateSeleneMelody3OCS

Kwazii's POV: Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kate screamed. My eyes widened, and immediately I looked up at Kate's arm. To my utter demise, it was a sickly shade of green, which could mean only one thing. Poison. There must've been poison on the knife, and I couldn't help but blame myself for not noticing sooner. But even if I had noticed, could I have done something? 'Yes. There is always something you can do.' I thought.

"Kate!" I shouted. "Don't focus on the pain, on the poison! Focus on me, matey!" I shouted desperately.

My sister was shaking, obviously in a lot of pain. "Kwazii, we have to leave! We've got to get out of here!" She shouted. For a confusing second, I thought that she was really speaking to me. But no, her voice was more childlike, her eyes too unfocused, slightly cloudy and dazed, but also a wild, fearful look in them. "We can't stay with him! We have to run! You and I, we could make it!" She was remembering that time when we were six, the time we had come to a mutual agreement: we had to leave the foster home.

"Sir, it wasn't his fault! I dragged him into it! He wanted nothing to do with my escape plan!" She shouted.

"Kate, stop! Stop thinking about it! Think about something happy!" I shouted, even though I knew she was too far gone. She let out another scream, and all I could do was watch helplessly as my sister suffered. No. There had to be something I could do! There always is someway to help! "Think, Kwazii. How can you help her?" I muttered.

isobeljones2000

Tunip's POV: Every muscle in my body was begging me to just go back to the other Vegimals and Christian, to try work it out together, but I knew if we didn't go now we might have lost the Octonauts forever. So I waved to Barrot and Grouber to follow me, and headed cautiously forward into the darkness.

The tunnel was long, and after ten minutes Grouber nearly fell into me, knocking me over. I regained my balance and put a steadying hand on the purple Vegimal' s arm. He blinked at me, but said nothing. I think we were all terrified. How could we rescue all the Octonauts alone?

I was so lost in my thoughts I almost didn't notice the tunnel opening up, wider and lighter until I heard Barrot's gasp. The tunnel had closed up behind us and now we were standing in a gigantic cavern, the roof at least four times as high as the cave we had slept in that night. And on a podium in the middle of the cavern, meaning it was hovering above the floor, was a large metalic structure - a ship. A large steel rocket-shaped ship, almost like a factory!

Well Lupo and co did like to go over the top, I mused. As I stepped forward I saw something else - there was no ground. Instead, under the ship was a chasm descending into blackness.

And the only entrance was on a bridge - over the deep chasm.