Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Bowie had life’s his head slightly and looked at Jameson when he made his exclamation, wondering why the man was so surprised. He soon realized that he must not have expected for the sleeping one to have two sleeping visitors. As the man came over and reached out for him, Bowie contemplated whether he was going to allow it. He liked being held, but he really wanted to have a warm nap right now, and the sleeping one’s body was very warm, like a rock in the sun.

Ah well, he decided that a bit of attention would be nice. He could always come back down if the big one’s body wasn’t warm like the sleeping one’s.

Opening the door, Sabastian then walked in and saw Jameson and Bowie looking at each other. A big smile to his face as he said, “Bowie! There you are!”

The snake looked over at him and bobbed his head head excitedly. He had been wondering when the strong one would come see him, having sensed him earlier. It made the snake happy that they had found the strong one, as the last time he had been with them, everyone had been wearing the sad faces.

The blonde walked over and reached out, rubbing the snake’s head with two of his fingers affectionately.

Damien followed behind, walking in after Vin had entered and closing the door behind him. He smiled, watching how happy the snake and Sabastian were to see each other. Other than that though, he was quiet, his gaze drifting to Tommy and Jesse.

——————————————

Why? Why did his touch and his cock make her body react this way? It added insult to injury the way he was able to coax such overwhelming feelings of pleasure from her, the woman hating each time she tingled or squirmed from his efforts. She wondered what his face looked like, whether he was still gazing with that cool neutrality or whether he was had scarier look on his face. In that way, she was grateful she was shielded by the towel over her eyes.

Under her hand, she couldn’t stop herself from making muffled whimpers and moans, only able to reduce the volume of her noises borne from her reluctant pleasure. The pace of his hips was at a sensual rhythm one might say, those slow strokes making sure that she felt every inch of him sliding against her silky insides. That combined with the way his palm had taken over against her clit had Sayori’s pussy melting eagerly for him.

She could feel his big cock twitching frequently inside her, and she imagined that he was using his boundless self-control to keep himself from cumming. Perhaps the bath had really turned him on, but he wanted to enjoy himself with her for a longer period of time. At one point as he went very deeply, it felt like he lingered for longer than his average thrust, his cock twitching with the urge to cum. However, he kept going afterwards, likely having had to take a moment to come back from the edge.She could have sworn she felt a bit of heat, but at the time of his hesitancy his palm had grinded so deliciously upon her that she had shivered and been distracted. God, she was so wet now, the woman noticing that her pussy was becoming even more slick.

It came to a point where she was panting for breath, her hand having to be removed from where it was pressed against her mouth in order for her to get more air. Those pouty lips of hers were in a soft O shape as she panted. There was nothing muffling her now, and she hated the sound of her own musical voice echoing slightly in the bathroom. It was not a song she would ever willingly sing for him, though the fact that she couldn’t control it didn’t reduce her shame.

Her legs hugged the sides of his waist slightly, her blue-toenailed toes curling slightly as he picked up the pace a bit. His hand was felt snaking its way upward, soon rubbing and squeezing her, that pert nipple of hers being rubbed and teased against his palm. She was shaking with both the erotic sensations lavished upon her, and the will she was exerting to try and keep control. Unfortunately, Sayori’s will was only so strong and she soon found her chest arching upward as a sweet moan escaped her lips, her pussy spasming and squeezing his cock as she doused him.

 

[Drobabes]

"Bowie, huh?" Jameson asked, looking over and giving the group a smile.

The sudden noise in the room, combined with the movement on his chest, drew Tommy out of his slumber. He tried to reach up with his broken hand to rub his eyes, but winced with pain and stopped. By the time he had begun to blink the sleep from his eyes, Bowie had turned his little head towards the young mans face and was flicking his tongue out at him, concerned for why the warm one had made a sound of pain. Upon his vision clearing, Tommy went stiff and his eyes went a bit wide as he stared into those two small purple jewels.

"Why is there a snake in my face?" Tommy said nervously, and from across the room, Vin let out a laugh at the young man's reaction.

"It's good to see you awake Tour Guide."

Tommy looked over, blinking his eyes a few times as if he were trying dispel some illusion.

"Vin? What are you doing here?"

He looked down at the little lady in his arms then, and started to nudge her a bit with his own small movements, thinking that she probably wouldn't appreciate a large group of people just staring at her while she slept.

"I had a little run in with the guy who damn near put you six feet under" he said with a grin, walking over to the side of the bed where Jameson was standing. As soon as he was close enough, Bowie reached out and slithered over the man's shoulders. His body heat was much higher than most of the soft squishy one's who usually liked to hold him, and his scent pleasant to the serpent. Now, with the snake hanging out on the man's shoulders, Tommy thought the guy looked even cooler.

"If I had know he was giving you trouble, I might have messed him up a bit more for ya."

While he was mostly just joking for the young man, and as happy and relieved as he was to see him out of his coma, it was all pain and rage fueled bark. There would have been no way for Vin to take the mountain of a man, though he might have died trying anyway. Especially know what he did now.

______________________________________________________

He held still as she came, though his hands kept up their soft attentions for a moment longer, really wanting to draw it out and have her milking his cock for as long as possible. When it was at last done, he had to remind himself to wipe the jackal like grin from his face, lest he give it away just a moment too soon.

"Mm," he hummed, sliding his hand up from her pussy and softly taking the rag from her face. By that time, his face was neutral once more, only the ghost of a smile touching his lips as his eyes roamed over her blushing cheeks.

"That's my good little pet."

He pulled himself from her soft folds, her cunt feeling as if it were trying to keep him lodged within her. Once he was free, he used the wet rag to clean himself up a bit before tossing the now soiled material into a clothes hamper, and tucking away his still engorged member. If the impending pleasure of being able to watch the horror light upon her face wasn't more thrilling, he might have used her soft flesh for a second round. As it were, he merely stepped back and then offered his hand to her, know that she would have a difficult time getting down from that tall counter on her own.

His icy eyes watched her every move, waiting for her to sit up and feel the heat that would soon pour between her legs.

 

[Poprockz]

Those little jostles made Jesse stir, the young woman looking around sleepily before settling on Tommy and smiling softly. Seeing him sitting there with his eyes open was a dream come true, sweeter than anything she could experience while sleeping. Though she next heard Vin’s voice, the woman looking up at him in surprise and then delight.

“Well, if you had gotten to mess him up, I would have made you cookies for the rest of your life, Voodoo man. He deserves a kick to the ribs for every evil thing he’s done. If it wasn’t for that medicine, Tommy might not have recovered as well as he did.” She sighed and reached out, taking the hand of Tommy’s that wasn’t irrevocably injured and rubbing it affectionately with her thumb. He was healing very well to be sure, but she too was worried that his other hand wouldn’t be recoverable.

Sabastian nodded, being reminded of Vin’s state when he had come to see him. Speaking of which, he wondered how Vin was feeling in that regard. He seemed fine, but who knew if his internal injuries were completely healed. “Yeah, the gel is really some miracle shit. It can even regrow limbs, I’ve heard. Though it’s a long and very painful process since you need to scrape it off and reapply it for a long time until it finishes the job. I think the General had proved it by regrowing a finger.”

——————————————

"Mm. That's my good little pet."

Though the rag had just been removed from her eyes, she couldn’t look at him for a moment, her face turning to the side as her eyes teared up slightly. It was humiliating to have cum for him once again, but at least it was over. She did find it a bit odd that he hadn’t followed his lust to it’s final conclusion, but perhaps he got off on the ego boost of coercing her into orgasm herself.

The woman slowly sat up, pulling the towel more securely around her shoulders with one hand while reaching out with the other and taking the General’s hand. The sooner she could get back to the room and rest, the better. Putting some pressure on his hand, she slipped down from the counter and onto her own feet. When her feet touched the ground and she was standing on her own, she paused for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

It felt like her juices were spilling down and oozing down her thighs, though that wasn’t something that typically happened unless she was having sex standing up and was extremely wet. Reaching down, her fingers dipped between her legs and came back, her eyes widening as she saw the milky-white cum on her fingers. How was this possible?! He hadn’t even cum inside her, having held off the whole time.

The towel slid off her shoulders and down to the floor as her other hand let it go, the woman in a bit of shock.

“N-no,” she uttered in horror, staring at her fingers, her bottom lip trembling slightly. Her heart was pounding quickly in fear and she almost felt a bit unsteady. Sayori had to avoid getting pregnant at all costs, the idea of bearing his child sounding like a nightmare. She felt so opposed to it, that she would probably have agreed to walking on the spikes whenever her feet were healed if it meant not bearing his child.

“Mm.” She shook her head after that fearful noise and looked around, her mind on somehow getting his seed flushed from her. Her eyes spied his shower with a detachable nozzle, her body moving swiftly and decisively in that direction.

 

[Drobabes]

Now that he was more awake and alert, and finally feeling just a bit better, Tommy was returning back to that shy, boyish personality that had led to his palms embarrassingly sweating the first time they had ever held hands. His cheeks begin to flush a bit, especially when Delvin gives a small laugh to her offer of cookies. He wanted to be suave and cool in front of the bigger man, and even though the laugh was not directed at him in anyway, Tommy still couldn't help but be embarrassed to be stuck in such a soft position.

Still, he made no move to push Jesse away, and almost instinctually squeezed her hand back when she held his. If it weren't for the fact that the room was packed with people, he might have even had to adjust his boxer shorts a bit.

"Yeah, the gel is really some miracle shit...I think the General had proved it by regrowing a finger."

Both Jameson and Vin gave Sabastian a look that was one part horrified, and one part disgusted, but it was Tommy who leaned up a bit and spoke.

"I tried to find information on how he made it, but there wasn't anything in the documents that I read. And when we used some of it on his Second, he was really calculated with how much he told me about it. If we could make some of that stuff here, I think it might give us, maybe not an advantage, but at least even the field a bit."

_____________________________________

He was on her before she ever even got close, taking just one quick step before wrapping a huge fist up into her scalp and yanking her by her hair back to him. And, as if he still wanted to play the charade of being 'gentle', he quickly pulled her against his chest and began to softly stroke her back while his other hand held a tight grip in her hair. The smile on his lips was twisted once more, though he was careful to keep it from leaking into his tone.

"Shh my little bird. Behave. Or am I going to have to put a belt on you,"

He pulled her head back so that she was looking at him, their eyes meeting as he brought a finger up to run it gently down her jawline.

"Hmm? I have one that would fit you perfectly."

His grin became twisted again; his cock twitching in his pants once more, both at the look in her eyes and the warmth of her small body against his groin. After a momentary pause, he bends down slowly and places his lips against her ear, and his hand quickly slides down from her cheek to her waist, and then back around to grip her plush bottom with a painful squeeze.

"I would be careful what you do next, my little lamb. You may tempt me into filling up every one of your tight little holes before I return you to your room."

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian tilted his head slightly and crossed his arms, a little smirk growing on his face. "Well... Unfortunately you're going to have a tough time getting your hands on the stuff unless you're really lucky." Oh man, he was really looking forward to giving them the inside scoop on the gel. The reactions he was going to get from them all were going to be so priceless.

For dramatic effect, he walked over to the little bottle and grabbed a little paper cup nearby, dripping some of it into the cup for them all to see the texture of it. "The reason for that is because it can't be manufactured. Not by humans, anyway. What you have here..." The smirk turned into a full-on shit-eating grin, "is zombie goo. It's literally produced by a special kind of half- zombie and comes out of one of their tentacles. Most half-zombies produce a kind of glue that's similar, but it only seals cuts and stuff. This shit is special, and Kuznet was getting it from Quint, the zombie he currently has locked up. They're basically milking him for it."

-----------------------------------------------------------

A yip of pain came from her as that painful grip in her hair pulled her back to him, his large body towering over her as his clothes pressed against her bare skin. She could feel the hand on her back, but it was anything but comforting. Her petite body trembled in fear, not fear for the General himself though. No, her fear of getting pregnant with his child even surpassed her fear of death and pain, the woman having to concentrate on breathing so that she didn't hyperventilate.

"Shh my little bird. Behave. Or am I going to have to put a belt on you, Hmm? I have one that would fit you perfectly.""

When he tilted her head up to look at him, her eyes were very wide and panicked, almost not even seeming to focus on his face. Indeed, she was trying very hard to keep ahold of herself, and the evil look that bloomed on his face didn't help. The embarrassment of being naked before him was the last thing on her mind, her mind whizzing through different things she could do to try to prevent his seed coming to fruition. She wasn't even paying attention to her body until she felt that squeeze to her ass, his large hand easily cupping her plump cheek.

"I would be careful what you do next, my little lamb. You may tempt me into filling up every one of your tight little holes before I return you to your room."

It occurred to her that Kuznet might not realize why she was so upset. Perhaps the General had grabbed her because she had started to swiftly walk away from him, thinking that she was doing something she shouldn't or trying to get away from him. If she explained the situation, it was possible that he might allow her this one thing. He had been so gentle before, so he was obviously in a good mood, so there was hope in her heart that she could avoid such a terrible fate.

Her terrified eyes were able be made to focus on him as she began to plead her case desperately as though her very life depended on it. "General... You came inside me earlier and I'm not on any birth control. I will walk on spikes, take a belt, or have my body take you wherever you want, but please... I'm begging you, please let me wash myself, or give me some sort of contraceptive. I can't get pregnant! I can't. Please..." While she couldn't get on her knees and beg with him holding her, she placed her hands on his chest and moved them up until they rested on his pecs, those dainty hands of hers shaking uncontrollably.

"Please, General, please..."

 

[Drobabes]

Bowie didn't quite understand what was so funny, but he felt the mirth from Sabastian so he began to bob his little head. Vin looked between the two of them, his brows knitting a bit as he took in that devilish little grin on the blonds face. Suddenly, he really didn't want to know what was in that medicine.

They all then watched as Sabastian made his way over to it, picking it up and pouring a bit into a cup. Delvin remembered having to drink that shit, and the texture of it had almost made him gag. It had been like trying to drink straight honey, though the taste was nothing so pleasant.

"What you have here...is zombie goo."

"What?..." Tommy said, his look of curiosity quickly turning into one of horror, which then proceeded to shift to a look so familiar that Jameson ran over and grabbed a trash can from the ground. No sooner had he shoved it into the young man's hand had Tommy began to gag.

Vin had been standing there, looking at Sabastian with a bit of a blank, but also slightly betrayed, look in his eyes. How could he have let him drink that shit? He didn't care if it took him three months to heal, he would have rather that than...drink another man's excretions?! Is that what he had done?!

He heaved a bit, turning his gaze away as he brought a hand up to his mouth. The smell of fresh vomit was quickly filling the room, and it was only making it worse. Suddenly he was making his way towards the exit, reaching up and quickly pulling Bowie from his shoulders as he all but dropped him into Damien's arms.

"I need some a-heuh!"

He couldn't finish, so he just covered his mouth again and walked out.

"I fucking hate you Jameson" Tommy whined between a heave. The poor guy looked offended, glaring down at the teen.

"How was I supposed to know what it was?"
_________________________________________

Oh but they were so beautiful when they cried. When they were filled with such terror, that they were willing to beg for the cruelest of punishments if it meant they could avoid the inevitable. He was very tempted to take her again, perhaps even bending her over his lovely piece of furniture in his room, but alas, he had duties to attend to. It would only make his dessert all the sweeter when he came home, however.

Finally letting go of her hair, he reaches up and takes her hands within his own, rubbing each one gently to feel her soft skin before he brings them together and guides them towards his mouth. He places a sweet kiss upon her fingers before letting them go and bringing his hands back down. One huge hand goes to her shoulder, and the other wraps around her neck, squeezing her with just enough force to keep a good grip as he back her up all the way to the door, and then pins her against the hard surface as he stares down at her with delighted madness.

"Now why would I give you something to prevent the very thing I am trying to accomplish, Sayori. Have you forgotten that you are mine now? I will use you how I please."

His hips thrust forward into her small belly, his cock still thick beneath the fabric of his pants.

"Perhaps that ring of pearls around your neck is too grand a gesture, like a pretty collar on a pretty pet."

Those glacial eyes stared through her as they traveled down her face and to where his hand was holding her windpipe, only releasing her for a brief moment to toy with the necklace as he whispered:

"Perhaps a bell would be more fitting. Something to remind you of what you truly are, each and every time you move."

Suddenly his eyes shoot back up, finally seeing her through her terrified gaze. He didn't make any further moves, nor did he say anything else. And though his gaze had become neutral once more, he almost seemed to be waiting for something. Maybe for her to fuck up, or simply give into him once more.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien almost fumbled with the snake as it was shoved into his hands, but Bowie was quick to slither around his wrist to make sure he didn't fall. From there, he draped himself around the soft one's shoulders and watched the rest of them with his little tongue flicking out occasionally. The steely-eyed man had a bit of a disgusted look on his face as he imagined drinking from a zombie's tentacle. He imagined it was like when Sabastian had squirted that stuff on Cora's arm, and the thought of drinking that seemed pretty unappetizing.

When Jameson came over with the bowl and Tommy started to puke, Jesse was forced to let go of his hand as he kept the bowl steady. She too thought it was pretty fucking gross, but worth it if it meant that Tommy was alive. Part of her wished that Sabastian had kept that smug little mouth of his shut though. Reaching over, Jesse rubbed Tommy's shoulder as he emptied his stomach, not really able to do much else in light of the circumstances.

Though Sabastian wrinkled his nose at the smell of the vomit, he still had a grin on his face as he watched Tommy gag. He supposed that this was the price they paid for having a miracle recovery from a miracle... excretion. His eye watched Vin leave, and he thought to himself that while it was definitely hilarious, he should probably check on the guy in a moment.

"I fucking hate you Jameson"

"How was I supposed to know what it was?"

A chuckle left Sabastian as he patted Tommy's shoulder and leisurely walked toward the door. "Well, you know now. You're going to have to drink some more of that stuff if you ever want to be able to get out of that bed and walk on your own two feet. Just think of it as someone donating plasma to you, only the plasma is a viscous liquid you have to drink or rub onto your skin."

Jesse frowned, "come on, Sabastian. You don't have to make it even grosser. Now you're just being a dick."

The blonde shrugged and continued to radiate mirth, opening the door and exiting the room before looking around for Vin and following his scent until he found him.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Now why would I give you something to prevent the very thing I am trying to accomplish, Sayori. Have you forgotten that you are mine now? I will use you how I please."

That thick meat rubbing against her through his pants was only met with revulsion, the woman cringing slightly before his words truly sunk in.

While Sayori could choose how she deliberately responded to him, she would never be able to hide her initial reactions and emotions. Several things flashed through her gaze. The first thing that came to her eyes was shock and horror. She couldn't believe that he actually wanted to get her pregnant and was actively trying to do so. Was it because Cora couldn't bear children and now Sayori was the only female captive he could impregnate? Even so, why did he even want to be a father? If there was anyone less suited to being a parent, she couldn't think of one.

The next thing that flushed through her was despair and more panic, the woman starting to shrink away from him. Well, at least as much as she could while being pinned against a door. Her shoulders hunched inward slightly and her torso angled itself a bit to the side. Though they were shaking, her arms went around herself in what looked like a self-soothing gesture. The eventuality of her stomach swelling with life, life borne of someone so evil was truly horrific. It would follow her wherever she went, a constant reminder of what his dirty seed had done, the seed currently running down her thighs.

It would be a constant reminder for Quint as well. Quint would look at her with such pity, such sorrow for not being able to do anything for her. It hurt to think of him in pain; she knew she was going to suffer in this place, but it only made it worse that her own suffering hurt her dear friend.

Kuznet was always so strong, so clever, and so manipulative. It was as though he knew what she was going to do before she did it, perhaps even orchestrating all of her reactions in advance. It was infuriating to think that he was pulling her strings like a puppet, playing into his hands each time. It didn't seem like she was getting any wiser in this place, having actually allowed herself to relax around him. Sayori felt betrayed, ashamed, and foolish, her tears sliding down her cheeks with no signs of stopping.

"What does it matter what you put around my neck? Does a bird ever forget that it lives in a cage?" her voice was quiet but dejected.

 

[Drobabes]

"You're going to have to drink some more of that stuff...Just think of it as someone donating plasma to you, only the plasma is a viscous liquid you have to drink or rub onto your skin."

The young lad couldn't help it as a second round of his own viscous liquid came spilling from his lips and his chest shook a bit with the effort. Jameson just took a step back, not wanting to be in the splash zone. He also agreed with Jesse though-he really kind of was just rubbing it in at this point.

Bowie watched Sabastian walk by, and as he was nearing the door, the little noodle climbed up on Damien's head and then thrust his body out. Much like at the lake, he seems to be trying to direct the steely eyed man, as if to say, "Go! Mush!"

...

Outside, Vin was just standing by the side of the building, his arms crossed and seemingly taking some deep breaths. When Sabastian comes out, he shoots him a bit of a disgruntled look before looking over his shoulder.

"If we have everything we need, then let's get going. And don't," he says, shivering a little and hunching his shoulders up.

"Say another word about that...medicine."

Enough playing around, it was time to hit the road.
_______________________________

Perhaps the next time he decided to bring his toy out, he might invite Jonathon to play. The looks that had passed across her quickly paling face were true art, and could have been immortalized in a photograph forever. He was not feeling up to sharing just yet, though. Not until he had had his fill.

"What does it matter what you put around my neck? Does a bird ever forget that it lives in a cage?"

"Hmph" he said, almost a bit of a sneering laugh in his tone as he let go of her neck in favour of wiping away some of those stray tears.

"Not often. Once in a while though, if they are not handled with care..." he spoke slowly, finally taking a step back from her, though he didn't go far.

"They may forget how fragile they are, and break a wing while trying to fly away."

He smiled then, pulling her away from the door so that he could open it and lead her out. Her sweater was forgotten on the floor behind them, Kuznet perhaps not feeling merciful enough now to allow her the decency to cover herself until he had deposited her into her cage once more.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien got the hint, sighing with a little smile on his face. The snake could be so cute sometimes, and he couldn't help but feel a warm affection for him. Turning to the other three people in the room, his smile turned a bit more polite, but it was obviously genuine.

"I'm going to get some fresh air too." With that, he turned and left, knowing that it was possible it would be the last time he saw any of them. There was no reason to say goodbye as that would only alert them to the fact that something was amiss. Still. He hoped that each of them was successful in what they wanted to do. It seemed as though being with the rebels was going to be a dangerous thing to chose to do, all three of them likely going to be in danger not only from Zombies but also from that madman who wanted to stomp them out. Odds were that one of them would be dead before the end of the year, and yet he hoped sincerely that they all managed to survive and keep hold of what was important to them.

......

He felt just a little bit bad for how Vin looked just a bit pale- just a little. Sabastian still couldn't stop his lips from curling up smugly, strolling up to Vin and listening to his little request. It made him chuckle softly, his hands clasping behind his back as he leaned forward slightly. "I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best just for you." His eye lingered on Vin with a teasing look before he turned and started to stride to the car.

At that moment, Damien came outside and glanced at Vin before walking with them to the car with a snake on his head. Most of the soldiers thought it was a hat and ended up not noticing. Those that were observant enough to actually notice that it was a real, living snake did a double take and often stared before shaking their heads and walking away.

When the three of them got to the car, they loaded up. It ended up being Vin in the driver's seat and Damien in the passenger seat while Sabastian took the back. Sabastian didn't know it, but Damien knew why Vin wanted the arrangement to be this way. Vin wanted to be in control of the wheel; while Damien could try to grab the wheel and steer them off course, Sabastian would be able to see it coming and could subdue him very quickly if need be. The steely-eyed man didn't mind though, knowing it was only reasonable for him to be taking such precautions especially when it was Cora on the line.

He was starting to get knots in his stomach, thinking about her. What would she be like when they found her? There was a lingering fear in his heart that she might simply be a broken person with no light in her eyes. If that were the case, he would take care of her nonetheless, but it would absolutely break his heart. Based on the video, there was no way to tell whether it was taken on the first day or not, but he had no doubt that the man had been taking Cora as much as he pleased, uncaring of how she felt.

When they found her and they were safe, Damien needed to apologize for what he had done to her. It was heavier on his conscience than it had ever been, ever since he had seen her empty face of pleasure. If there was no future for the two of them, he at least wanted her to know how sorry he was. Then, if Cora didn't accept him or his apology, he would have to be a better person without her to honor his mistakes and the mercy she had shown him until this point. Maybe she did still love him though. Did he dare hope that the words in the video were for him?

They drove for quite a bit, using the nap to navigate and thankfully not running into anyone on the road. Eventually, they ended up in a forest, all of them a bit on edge as they drove along the road. Based on the map, it had been decided that the cliff was the safest way to approach, the only way in which they wouldn't be seen from a mile off. For that reason, they turned off the road and drove for a bit in the forest before coming to a place where they could go no farther. From there, they walked a short distance to the cliff.

Sabastian looked up and paled a bit, looking over to Vin and saying, "so uh, I'm climbing up while holding both of you? I'm a pretty good climber, but just in case things go south, I just want you to know that I love you." He glanced at Damien and added, "and you're pretty cool too, Damien."

The tall man simply nodded, understanding that one of them might not make it back, seeing as this was a very dangerous thing they were doing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"JAMESON!" Robert burst into the room, panting and looking a bit panicked, his eyes passing over Jesse, Tommy, and Kyle before landing on Jameson himself. "Sabastian is gone! I can't feel him anywhere and their car is gone! What happened?! Is everyone okay?!" He paused and wiped his forehead, wrinkling his own nose at the lingering scent of vomit.

The young lady at Tommy's side looked up, startled. "What do you mean? He was just here earlier today. Him and Vin and Damien."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon getting back to the room, Sayori glanced at Cora's sleeping form and sniffed, wiping some of her own tears before going to the closet to get something to wear before going into the bathroom to clean herself off. What she really wanted was a pair of pants and a shirt, but that wasn't in the cards, not with the General's tastes. The best she found was a pair of cutesy overalls.

Once she was cleaned and dressed, Sayori crawled into the bed next to Cora and cried herself to sleep.

 

[Drobabes]

Kyle had managed to get in a brief nap, at long last, and though it didn't last long, it had refreshed him enough. Still, the stress of everything probably wouldn't be leaving his sore body for another week, if he had to guess.

Once he had gotten up, he had headed straight over to the medical bay. At first glance, he had been worried that Tommy was getting worse, but when his friend had failed to indulge what had really set his stomach off, relief had washed through him. He had then spent the better part of five minutes trying to tease it out of the tall Tour Guide, but Tommy was one tough can of beans when he wanted to be. Kyle was just thinking about switching up his tactic when Robert had come bursting into the room.

"JAMESON!"

He wasn't one to usually jump, but that had actually startled the man, causing his hands to flinch and his stack of medical notes to go spilling to the ground as he let out a curse. Upon hearing what Robert had to say next, though, his eyes went wide and he stood up quickly.

"What?! No, everyone's fine, but they didn't say they were going anywhere. They came in, I think looking for that pet snake, and then they all went outside for some air."

Kyle had gotten a bit stiff, though he tried to hide it. He couldn't hide the way his eyes darted between the two older men, though, and when he looked down at Tommy, they both shared a an unspoken agreement.

From there, Kyle started to try to inch his way towards the door while the two guys talked, and Tommy simply remained seated, looking concerned but, no way in hell giving away anything away that might point to his buddy. He had no idea what Kyle knew, but if he wasn't willing to say, then Tommy wasn't willing to talk.
_____________________________________________________________

The car ride was a heavy, silent trip. For multiple reasons, of course, though Vin guessed that Sabastian was assuming it was only because they were going to attempt a rescue mission that might end it utter failure. For himself, though, he was largely plagued by guilt and fear. Guilt for having walked them all into this obvious trap, and fear of now losing something that he wasn't sure if he could stand to lose. While yes, the thought of Damien maybe pulling some kind of crazy driving move to shake them all up had crossed his mind at one point, it had just as quickly been followed by his own desire to steer them away and take off with Sabastian. His thoughts kept on like that for some time until, eventually, they had to come to a halt as they had arrived at their destination. There was no more avoiding it now.

"I'm a pretty good climber, but just in case things go south, I just want you to know that I love you."

Getting out of the car and standing before that cliff was daunting, but to hear the fear in Sabastian's voice was even worse. He reaches out and pulls him in close, placing a tender kiss upon his hair as he gives his shoulder a little squeeze.

"I love you too, but we have to get her out of there, so let's just pretend like failure isn't an option."

Tough words for someone who was struggling to keep his hands from shaking.

 

[Poprockz]

Robert had glanced at Kyle, caught by the incremental movement he was making toward the door. At first he thought that the young man might be a bit uncomfortable with the situation and wanted to leave it to him and Jameson. However, his eyes zeroed in on the guilt on Kyle's face. If there was one thing Robert was used to seeing and could discern very quickly, it was guilt.

"Oh no you don't." The red-haired zombie quickly moved in front of Kyle to block off his exit, towering over him, a frown on his face. "Where are they? You know something, don't you?" Though he still wore the sunglasses that hid his eyes, it could be assumed that his eyes were burning under those shades. They only made him look more intimidating though, his presence commanding Kyle to tell them what he knew.

-----------------------------------------------------

The little man sighed and closed his eyes during the kiss to his head, feeling how the big man was shaking as he gently hugged him. Honestly, he assumed they were all scared, but as Vin spoke, he had to agree with him. They simply had to act as though they were going to be successful as to do anything else would be to open themselves up for failure and doubt.

Sabastian smiled and pulled back, kissing the man on the lips sweetly for a moment, his hand coming up to Vin's cheek and holding him until it was over. At that time, he stepped back and wrapped a tentacle around the man's waist. Another went to Damien and did the same, the steely-eyed man looking pretty nervous about it. To be held so far off the ground with a tentacle around him was not his idea of a fun time. Still, if it was for Cora, he would suck it up and bear with it until they got to the top. Bowie was wrapped around his head still, the Snake holding on snugly.

And then, the half-zombie began to climb. It was a bit unsettling to Damien how easily Sabastian held both of them, as if they weighed nothing at all. All the while, the man focused on climbing carefully but steadily. Though two of his tentacles were occupied, the other two helped stabilize him and grab certain rocks that he couldn't reach. To him, it almost felt as though he was climbing by himself with two extra strong arms.

Technically, Sabastian estimated that he could have jumped all the way to the top of the cliff, but that would be a huge risk for all of them, the man still unsure about the extent of his strength and how to safely land. It took a while, but eventually he neared the top of the cliff, panting slightly. When he got near enough, he reached up with the tentacles holding on to the other two, setting them down on solid ground at the top before pulling himself up as well.

They looked around, seeing the big house, two sheds, and a driveway, all of them on edge. Damien was wary, trying to spy if there were any of Kuznet's lackies around. Turning to them, he quietly said, "I'm sure he wouldn't just leave her alone. We should make some kind of distraction."

The half-zombie's nose wrinkled slightly and he sneezed. "Yeah, we should. Jesus, what is this, a weapon's cache? There's gunpowder spilled on the ground near that shed in the back. Maybe we could grab some weapons?"

 

[Drobabes]

"Oh no you don't."

There was a split second where Kyle had contemplated bolting for the door, and on the bed, Tommy had flinched. Though when Robert suddenly stepped up in front of him, he knew it was too late.

Looking between the two men, seeing Jameson march up to him with that expecting glare, he knew he had missed his chance. With a little sigh, he deflated before them and then looked down at the ground.

"The tall guy, Damien I think is his name, came up to me earlier and wanted a map."

"What map?" Jameson growled, his anger suddenly leaking through as he took another step forward. And with a gulp, Kyle knew he better answer, and answer quick.

"I swear I didn't know about this or I would have stopped him, but Zac found out where General Kuznet's house is. He took a vehicle out last night, and some climbing gear."

His green eyes met both of theirs, and then he swallowed hard.

"He wanted revenge for what had happened to Tommy."

"What?!" the young man yelled from the bed, his whole body tensing up with fear and anger.

"That fucking idiot could have gotten himself killed, not to mention if anyone followed him back!"

"Oh like you're any better you dick licker! Going off on some renegade mission that, surprise surprise, ended up with me having to drag your sorry ass out of a pile of corpses!"

"Enough!" Jameson suddenly yelled. He let the silence settle for a moment, and then he very pointedly glared down at Kyle.

"Go find Stanley. Tell him exactly what you just told me, and tell him to get ready. We might have to evacuate. Jesse," he said, turning his gaze over to her.

"Go tell your dad what's going on, and Robert, go with Kyle to see Stanley. Help him with loading the supplies up. I will come find you and tell you when, or if, we need to move. I need to talk with Tommy in private first, though."

Just before Kyle left the room, Jameson gave him a look of disapproval and deep disappointment.

"I can't believe you kept this to yourself soldier. Every moment since Zac left that property has been a moment wasted, and you" he said, pointing an accusatory finger at his chest.

"Fucked up just as badly as he did. You both just put everyone in this compounds lives at risk. Get the fuck out of my sight."

Kyle had withered under his harsh tone, only managing to stand up straight and give him a salute when he was ordered to leave. As soon as he turned away, he reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes. From the bed, Tommy could only watch with sympathy in his heart. He knew his best friend had just learned a harsh lesson-that sometimes loyalty to the ones you loved had to be sat aside if it meant putting the livelihoods of numerous others first.
______________________________

After their nap, Cora had woken and resumed her usual activity of sitting by the window. The dream she had had was a lovely one. It had mixed her memories of Sarah and the beach, with the trip that they had all taken to the lake just before everything had happened with Sabastian. But, while it had filled her with joy at the time, it had only further hammered in her depression and despair upon waking and realizing that that's all it had been-just a dream.

She hadn't said a word to Sayori, nor had she been with it enough to really notice anything out of the ordinary. She had simply sat and watched as Jonathon came and went from the shed where her brother was being kept, always returning to his van with some vial of this or that. Why he felt the need to keep him down there instead of just in the house was beyond her. Perhaps Ray just didn't feel like sharing his other toys yet. And speaking of that pile of human filth, she wondered where he was.

He had been visiting them quite a bit over the last two days, and she couldn't help but be suspicious of why. Even though she was tired, defeated, and on the verge of completely checking out, she was still with it enough to notice little changes in him like that and she was smart enough to contemplate on it. It gave her mind something to focus on, as well, though her only conclusion was that he was either very hungry to slake his appetite...or he was blowing off steam.

Sayori stirring in her peripheral vision almost caused her to miss the movement at the edge of the treeline. At first she thought she was hallucinating-as what she was seeing couldn't possibly be real. But, upon seeing them move again, she knew her eyes hadn't deceived her a second time.

Her whole world came to a stop as she saw his face. That hansom, gorgeous face with those dangerous steel eyes that could be so soft and gentle when he looked at her, and so full of love and affection, that, had she not been blessed with the feeling of it, she knew she would have found a way to truly do herself in by now.

Though she did not move, hot tears began to spill down her cheeks as her heart rate kicked up and she felt a quivering from the bottom of her feet, right into the very depths of her soul. What was he doing here?! How had he found her?! She didn't know, and she didn't care because it didn't matter. He was here now, and not just him, but Sabastian and Vin too. They were alive! God, they were alive and they all looked so good, and she didn't know what had happened to grant them all this miracle, but she suddenly knew that she couldn't fuck this up. She had to help.

Again, she did not move. As to move, to give any indication at all that she had seen something, would have been caught by the cameras. But she had to find a way to distract Jonathon, and whoever else was here, if there was someone else here. But how?
___________________________

On the other side of the yard, Jonathon heard the car pulling up the driveway, but he didn't glance up from his work. The only thing he saw from the peripheal of his vision was the hot, candy apple red, of Niles car as he parked his Ferrari a few yards away and got out. The officer looked around warily before making his way over to Jonathon.

"Where's the mutts? They're usually rubbing their filthy dirt all over my legs by now."

"I haven't seen them all afternoon. Unusual, but I am not a pet sitter."

"Right, speaking of pets, how's the test going? Find anything new on our precious little gift down there?"

Jonathon stood up, choosing to ignore the distaste and disdain in Niles tone.

"A bit. This new combination seems to be the most potent in suppressing his psychic abilities, but it's leaving him barely conscious. I can't get him to stand up, and asking him questions is damn near useless, so the last dose I gave him was a bit less. It is still doing the trick, but at least now he can talk, albeit only slig-"

"Rainy daaay, go far away,
I'm tired of bluuues, I've gone through."

Both Jonathon and Niles looked towards the little speaker that was hooked up to the cameras in the room, but it was Niles who broke the silence after there was a pause.

"What the fuck is that little bitch doing? She knows she's not allowed to sing."

"Go away, you rainy day, far away; out of my mind."

"Perhaps she is broken" Jonathon said casually, looking over towards the house.

"No she's not" Niles said, his voice heated as he started to step towards the house.

"Not yet, anyway."

Jonathon let out a sigh as he sat his equipment down, and then he began to follow him in. Niles could not be trusted, unfortunately, and Jonathon didn't feel like explaining for the mess he had not himself made.

"I should've knooown when times, they got haaard,
You'd go and steeaal, awaaay..."
_________________________________________

The ride up had certainly not been a pleasant one for Vin either. He wasn't grossed out by Sabastian's appendage, or even now, scared of it's strength anymore, but the sickening feeling of being dangled so high up over a cliff certainly left him feeling a bit lightheaded. Once they were finally on solid ground again, Vin took a moment to just sit there and feel the dirt underneath his hands before he collected himself enough to get low and look around.

"Yeah, we should. Jesus, what is this, a weapon's cache? There's gunpowder spilled on the ground near that shed in the back. Maybe we could grab some weapons?"

"That's not a bad idea, I doubt our dinky little pistols are going to hold up against a full on assault rifle if they come at us."

Of course, the plan was not to get spotted in the first place, but it never hurt to have a back up idea.

 

[Poprockz]

The half-zombie was appalled at what he was hearing from Kyle, and while he was of the forgiving sort, he couldn't help but feel a bit of anger at the young man. Jameson was right, both Zac and Kyle had put everyone at risk, including his wife, and any other civilians that were with them. It was a dumb thing to do, even though their hearts were in the right place.

Robert sighed with frustration and adjusted his glasses, nodding at Jameson before leaving with Kyle to go find Stanley. They would have to move quickly, but it was lucky that they hadn't unloaded any of the new supplies yet, which would make it easier to get the rest of the supplies loaded up more quickly.

Jesse also frowned at Kyle, thinking to herself that he should have just spat it out when Zac came back. Everyone knew they were friends and all, but this was important shit. She couldn't disagree with Kyle when he mentioned the part about Tommy though. They were really all idiots, Tommy, Zac, and Kyle, she just happened to be partial to Tommy's specific brand of dumb.

Standing up, she answered Jameson with a, "yes sir," before looking at Tommy. "I'll be back."

With that, she jogged out of the room like a woman on a mission. Her dad was going to be just as pissed about what happened. After all, the base they had right now was a really good location and it was a shame to have to move so soon.

----------------------------------------------

Sayori sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, contemplating whether she wanted to get up or let the blissful numb of sleep wrap her up in its warm embrace again. What was the use of being awake when there was nothing to do but wait for Kuznet to come home? And that certainly wasn't something she awaited with baited breath. She wished Quint were there, wishing he would hold her and comfort her like he always did. He didn't necessarily say that things would be alright, but he said he would be right there beside her and that was enough. Though he was only in the shed near the house, he felt so far away.

With a sigh, she was about to lay back down when she heard Cora start to sing. Looking over with wide eyes, Sayori watched as tears streamed down the other woman's face and that beautiful melody came from her lips. Though she herself had hummed a little for Cora, she had soon learned that Kuznet did not like music whatsoever, the man basically outlawing it within the house. The fact that Cora was singing was a blatant act of disobedience and would certainly earn her some anger from the big man if he found out.

Very quickly, Sayori jumped out of bed and walked over to Cora, kneeling in front of her chair and leaning forward with a very concerned look. "Cora," she tried to say over her singing, "please stop! You're going to get in trouble!" However, at that moment, Sayori started to feel nauseous, her heart rate spiking as she felt like she might vomit. The woman got up and skittered to the restroom, crouching with her knees together near the toilet just in case she lost the contents of her stomach. Was this morning sickness? Was she pregnant? The more she worried about it, the more nauseous she felt, the small woman rocking back slightly forward and back on her feet with a hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach.

--------------------------------------------------------

With that suggestion being made, Damien thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know. I have no problem killing any one of them, but Cora doesn't like killing. I think she would be upset to find out that we got her out by getting blood on our hands. Besides, if we come at them guns blazing or get in a firefight with them, they could grab Cora as a hostage and it would be game over. Maybe we could do something to surprise them and keep them busy?"

Sabastian had a conflicted look on his face. "Okay... I don't think I prefer killing either, but I doubt there's a way to do what you're wanting to do. I could totally knock some trees down, but that wouldn't really be much of a distraction. Besides, we don't know how many are here. It's unlikely Kuznet's here, but Jonathan, Niles, and Francisco could all be roaming around, hypothetically."

The little noodle on Damien's head wasn't really paying attention to them, his jeweled little eyes focused on the silhouette of Cora in the window. He bobbed up and down happily, though Sabastian largely ignored him as well, being to distracted by the conversation to really analyze the snake's mood and therefore assuming he was just excited to be rescuing Cora

 

[Drobabes]

As soon as they were out of the room, Jameson turned to Tommy and quickly walked over to the bed. He reached between the mattress and the bed-frame and pulled out a radio. It was just an ordinary radio, by all means, but it was the only one that had direct contact to Francisco. It was set up with stealth in mind first, however, so it wouldn't let his voice carry over the line until Francis himself hit a switch to allow it.

He sat down on the chair, his knee tapping nervously as he turned it on and then hit the button to let the man know he was trying to get through. For about two minutes, there was nothing, and then:

"I thought I told you I would contact you."

"Sorry, but it's a slight emergency."

Jameson gave him the run down quickly, knowing that time was of the essence, and when he was done, he met Tommy's own worried gaze with a frown.

"Can he walk?"

"Not yet."

"Well he better figure it out. Have him drink a whole bottle of that medicine if you need to. In the mean time, keep your channel open but don't fly the coop just yet. Let me see what I can do."

"Yes sir."

After the line was disconnected, Jameson raised an eyebrow at Tommy.

"Well you heard him, drink up soldier. I'm sure it's better than drinking your own piss in a survival situation."

"...not really, sir."
_________________________________________

Francisco had really had to pull some strings to get out of his duties, and while he figured he had about two hours before the Three Musketeers showed up, he didn't waste a moment of it. He had stopped by the lab first, to grab some necessary supplies, and then quickly made his way up to the property. Once there, he had used some of Jonathon's cloaking tech to hide his vehicle and then trekked it on foot to the woods to lure the dogs away.

Just like puppies following their momma's tail, it hadn't taken much but some kind words and few coos of affection here or there, and once he was done with them, there was nothing to show of the animals but some blood and a bit of fur on some bushes.

He had just finished getting back down to the trail and was about to hop in his car when he saw Niles pulling up the road. He had almost forgotten he had taken the second shift today, but it was no matter. Little bitch boy was always suspicious of what he was doing, so it wasn't like this would be much different.
__________________

Cora had simply closed her eyes when Sayori had come up to her, and used the opportunity to move her chin away slightly, as if she were rejecting the small women. It was just as well-she really couldn't have Sayori knowing what she was really up to.

When the women fled into the bathroom, she continued on with her singing, her voice only breaking slightly when she saw her beautiful Bowie doing his heartwarming little head bob.

Suddenly the door was flung open, and although she did flinch, she didn't stop her voice from singing it's lonely tune until Niles wrapped a fist through her hair and yanked her from her seat. Only then did she finally break and let out a scream, knowing that it was just the right time to let her friends know where she was.
_________________________

Vin was listening to their opinions, and although he didn't want to kill either, the idea of grabbing the guns was more for if they got cornered or caught. He definitely didn't want to try to take them out, but if they were trying to sneak away and someone started opening fire on them, well what would they do? Surrender? It was much too late for that.

A scream ripped through the air, only slightly muffled by the huge house on the hill, and Vin looked up just in time to see that dark Officer that had done a large majority of the 'interrogations' on him. His stomach felt sick-not with fear, but with rage, and he wished he could simply launch a grenade into that twisted fucks face. Just blow him to smithereens.

"Wait, Sabastian?! You said it was a large supply? Let's blow it up! That has to get their attention."

He looked up at the window again, his heart starting to pound harder.

 

[Poprockz]

Cora wasn’t the only one who jumped at Niles’ abrupt entrance. Sayori flinched and looked over to see the man approach and grab the other woman’s hair,
His grip cruel and no doubt done with the intent to cause her pain. They hadn’t seen Niles for a while, at least not up close. Honestly she preferred it that way. Francisco was fake, but he was also kind, and Jonathan was largely reserved and polite, seemingly not interested enough to be getting close to them nor abusing them.

Though Sayori felt sick to her stomach, seeing him grab her friend and make her scream sickened her more, the smaller lady getting up and rushing into the room to see if she could plead with him. It had never worked, but Sayori wasn’t going to give up when Cora was obviously being mistreated. Just singing didn’t warrant such violence, and it shouldn’t have been up to Niles to punish them.

Approaching them, Sayori reached out, her hands hovering near Niles without touching him as she started to beg him in a fearful and pleading tone. “Officer, please let her go! She was just singing, she’s been really down lately and she-heuugg!”

It been neither planned nor expected, but Sayori found herself vomiting on the tall Officer just as Jonathan entered the room. Unfortunately for Niles, it went right onto his hip and down his pant leg, her lunch having been a delicious chili that Francisco had whipped up. It was not lost on her how when she had thrown up on Francisco, it had also been chili and a brief thought flashed through her mind that maybe she should avoid the dish in the future.

—————————————-

That scream prompted both Sabastian and Damien to zero in on the window as well, Sabastian glaring up at Niles. That fucking bastard was always trying to make everyone around him miserable, the sadistic fuck enjoying that rush to his ego when he flounced his power. What he wouldn’t give to smack the man around a bit as repayment for all he had done to them all.

Damien almost started forward toward the house, but a tentacle around his waist stopped him, yanking him back as he started to get up and move forward. He had been so consumed by concern for Cora that he had reacted without thinking. With a nod at Sabastian he settled down and swallowed, his eyes burning into the window. They needed to move fast before the situation escalated.

She was right there, within sight. Soon he would be able to hear her sweet voice, hold her warm body, and see those gorgeous hazel eyes of hers. He would have been giddy with excitement if he wasn’t so angry at that Officer up there and nervous about the mission itself.

"Wait, Sabastian?! You said it was a large supply? Let's blow it up! That has to get their attention."

The blonde’s eyes lit up and he gave Vin a thumbs up as he responded, “yeah! That would be fucking great! They’d be so preoccupied with putting the fire out that they wouldn’t be able to come after us. I can’t get close to the fire though, so it’s going to have to be one of you.”

“I’ll do it.” Damien said quickly, patting down his clothes before realizing that he was lacking the most important thing for that line of action. “I uh... don’t have a lighter or anything though.”

 

[Drobabes]

The grip in her hair was painful but bearable, and had it been any other time than now, she wouldn't have given Niles the pleasure of hearing her pain. As it were, though, she simply let him have his fun, whimpering and playing along as he glared down at her with a sneer of satisfaction, likely because he had finally gotten a reaction from her.

"Did you forget the rules? Or did you just miss me?"

"No!"

"No what, you little whore? Answer me right!"

Jonathon stepped into the room casually, lingering near the back wall just inside the entrance. Much like with the dogs, he didn't feel it was his duty to baby sit. He would step in, however, if Niles decided to take it too far.

"Officer, please let her go!"

"Mind your business bitch, unless you want to take her punishment for h-"

The Officer froze as he first heard, and then felt that warm, vile, human excretion cover a good portion of his pants. His grip in Cora's hair slowly loosened until she was dropped down to the floor, and his face began to twist into a look of pure, evil, rage as it slowly turned down to the floor. Cora whimpered once more, but this time it wasn't because of the pain, but the look in his dark twisted eyes as they slowly turned and narrowed in on Sayori.

"I'm going to shove my dick so far down your throat you'll feel it in that whore ass of yours" he growled, then turned and took a step towards the little women. Cora turned and all but ran over to Jonathon, and though she hated him just as much as Niles, she still humbled herself enough to grab onto his shirt sleeve and beg him.

"Johnny please, he'll kill her! Please!"

His dull blue eyes looked down at her with all the feeling of a soulless robot, and then he clicked his tongue as he shrugged her hand off of his arm and stepped forward, putting a hand on Niles shoulder.

"Go change, Niles. It's going to start soaking through your clothes and then into your skin."

Of course, that was a lie. The skin didn't just absorb liquids so easily, but Jonathon knew just what to say to prod the man's fears, and with an enraged but nervous look, Niles shot Sayori one last glare before he turned on his heels and exited the room.

Cora knew he was likely only heading to the guest bedroom to grab a change of pants and clean up, but the fact that he was now out of sight only added to her growing concern for her friends. What if he went down those stairs before they were ready? What if he caught them?!

"Where's he going?" she asks nervously, stepping towards the door.

"If he grabs something to hurt her, Ray is going to be mad."

She only made it to the door frame before she felt Jonathon's hand on her shoulder, stopping her, and though he only touched her briefly, a shiver went down her spine as his fingers seemed to have lingered going down her skin.

"He's just changing I'm sure. Go sit down Cora, and do not start singing again or I might not stop him next time."
_____________________________________

"I uh... don’t have a lighter or anything though."

"No, you should go get Cora" Vin said, reaching into his pocket and making sure he still had his own lighter. He then quickly started gathering some small sticks from the ground and setting them in a pile before him.

"You're quieter than I am, and if they lock her in, you'll be able to pick it. I need Sabastian to come with me so he can smell if anyone starts heading our way."

Once he had a nice pile, he bundled them up and then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, using it to tie the sticks together. He didn't want to be anywhere near the cache when it exploded, but he needed a way to get the flame in there, and have it burn long enough to get things heated.

"Besides, we both know you suck at making fires" he said, flashing Damien a small grin, though it faded just as quickly as it had come. Vin almost felt embarrassed for having let himself joke like that with the guy, but then again, maybe it was just the adrenaline getting to him.

"Just wait for the boom before you sneak in, you don't want them catching you on their way out. You ready Sabastian?" he said, looking into his eyes for a lingering moment. This was it, and if they didn't do this right, then he wanted his last memories to be of that angelic face.

 

[Poprockz]

The look on Officer Niles' face chilled her to the bone, Sayori cowering and moving backward as those hateful eyes of his found her and he made his threat. The only silver lining to the fact that he was probably going to beat her senseless and force her to take his dick was that if he injured her enough, her body might not be as willing to accept a pregnancy; he also seemed intent on taking her in her mouth or her ass, so she wouldn't have to worry about his own seed trying to sneak its way into her womb.

Still, she didn't want this, didn't want the pain that she knew he was going to inflict upon her for her grievous error. Sayori closed her eyes and braced herself as Niles advanced and Cora begged Jonathan to intervene, the woman not really expecting the other man to help her. To her surprise though, she heard the other man speaking up and redirecting Niles' attention to the fact that he needed to clean up. She peeked her eyes open and saw Niles' last glare before he stomped away, the woman letting out a relieved sigh. Even so, she was still shaking a bit from that encounter.

"Where's he going? If he grabs something to hurt her, Ray is going to be mad."

Sayori's look turned anxious again, glancing at Cora and then back to Jonathan to see his response. It was true, Niles seemed like the sort of person who could hold on to grudges like no other, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn't punish her when he got back.

"He's just changing I'm sure. Go sit down Cora, and do not start singing again or I might not stop him next time."

That wasn't very reassuring, but she supposed it would have to do.

"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes going from Cora to Jonathan and back. She meant it for both of them, Jonathan for stepping in, and Cora for asking him to do so. The Officer didn't have to keep Niles from doing anything since he himself would be responsible for his own actions, but he had decided that it was better to keep her in one piece rather than an unresponsive blood stain after Niles was done with her. She had no idea that Cora's actions were due to the fact that they would soon be rescued from their tower.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"No, you should go get Cora. You're quieter than I am, and if they lock her in, you'll be able to pick it. I need Sabastian to come with me so he can smell if anyone starts heading our way."

The steely-eyed man had to admit that Vin was making very good sense. He indeed would probably be better at infiltration, and Sabastian would be handy to have around anyway if things went south with them near the shed. Part of him wondered why Vin was trusting him with that part though. If he wanted to, he could grab Cora, hijack one of the cars, and get out of dodge before he would be any the wiser. Not that he would, but he felt a bit touched that Vin didn't think that he would run away without giving Vin the chance to have a talk with Cora.

"Besides, we both know you suck at making fires."

Damien gave Vin a bit of a surprised look before his expression turned to a little smile. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was on the money with that one. So far, he had been unable to successfully make a fire without Vin's help. When they ended up splitting up, Damien would have to figure it out and get better at that if he wanted to successfully reach the rebels again.

"True," he simply admitted.

"Just wait for the boom before you sneak in, you don't want them catching you on their way out. You ready Sabastian?"

A nod was given to him by Damien, Sabastian looking into Vin's eyes. The blonde swallowed and shook his hands out for a moment before letting out a calming breath. This was it, the big rescue. If they fucked up, then everything could go to shit, but if they were successful then it would be well worth it. He couldn't say he wasn't scared though, the thought of being killed or watching any of the rest of them be hurt was terrifying, making his heart beat quickly.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's go." With that, he crept forward with Vin, keeping to the treeline until they quickly skirted around the house and reached the shed. When they got there, the blonde stood back a bit, knowing that the fire would likely cause him to freeze or bolt if he got too close.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora looked back at the two of them, giving Sayori a little nod before her eyes went back to the door frame again. She would of course, go sit down again, though now that she knew what was going on outside, she wasn't sure if she could sit at the window again. She was much too nervous now and might give it away if her eyes started scanning the ground.

After another moment of hesitation, she finally turned around and gave Jonathon a bit of a sour look. Maybe if she kept acting bratty, it might convince the man to stick around for a moment to keep her in line.

"Yes you would" she said, her tone just the slightest bit haughty. Jonathon had usually been on the outskirts in their lives, always sitting at some park bench to make sure they walked straight home, or lingering around the mall when they had to put on an act of normalcy and go out with a 'friend'. However, when he had been around them in closer manner, he had never ceased to give her the creeps; always waiting for some opportune time to touch her soft skin, and let his eyes linger when it was most unnecessary. He could also be just as stern and cold as Ray when he wanted to be, so the twins had learned to give him a healthy amount of respect.

"You'll stop him because you're just as responsible for her well being as mine, while you're here."

She dared to hold his steady gaze as she walked by, finally plopping herself down on the bed and waiting.
__________________________________

Having to trust Sabastian's nose, and his own senses, Vin took a chance and snuck a bit closer to the shed. He stopped just before going in, looking for any traps or heaven only knew what else, and then he stepped in.

While there were no obvious weapons laying around, there was some boxes of ammo, and a few small containers of what looked like gun powder. There was also a work bench with more boxes, these one's containing empty shells, and Vin wondered if this was what Sabastian had smelled. Then again, he had been loading up supplies for Jameson for a while now, so if he said it was a large stash, then likely the General had just hidden his real cache under the floorboards or something.

He almost felt a bit guilty as he dipped his hand in the powder and got a large fistful, backing out of the shed and leaving a small trail of powder on the ground. If they weren't in such dire need of getting in, and getting out, he might have liked to try and raid the sick bastard and ensure that, at least a few, of his supplies could no longer be used by him.

Once he was somewhat close to Sabastian, but not so close as to freak him out, he stopped and took out his lighter. He had made the small trail of gunpowder for in case his nerves got the better of him, and his aim missed. He was of course still going to launch the bundle of sticks, now slowly coming to life with the flame licking below their clothe tie, but he still wanted a way to get a fire in there without him having to get close.

The line of powder would be unnecessary, as Vin took one last look around and then threw the flaming wood, his aim true and landing right on top of one of the small containers. Immediately Vin turned around and ran back, grabbing Sabastian and pulling him against his chest as he ducked them behind a tree. He had no idea how bad the explosion would be, but he didn't want them getting hit with shrapnel or pieces of sharp wood from the shed.

He only had about enough time to say, "Cover your ears!" before they would hear and feel the explosion.

It shook the ground below them like an earthquake, it's reverberating boom being as loud as if someone had been but a few meters away from a direct lightning strike. For a few seconds after the initial boom, there was nothing, and then...

BOOM!
BOOM!

Two more blasts seemed to shake the whole mountain, the fire and shock wave having likely spread to down below and hitting whatever stores of ammunition he was keeping down there. It seemed to knock right through Vin's bones, rattling the very frame of his skeleton, and then leaving his ears ringing.
_______________________

From a high point on the property, Francisco dropped his cigarette in his lap, and his binoculars went fumbling to the floorboard of his car. He had to quickly grab it before it left a nice burn on his crotch, and then he started laughing like a maniac when he felt the second and third boom radiate through his skin.

"That's how you do it!"

His grin was ear to ear as he put his car in gear, kicking up dust as he backed up and then, heard the whine of his tires squealing over the ringing in his ears.
_______________________

Both Jonathon and Niles were damn near thrown to the ground from the explosion, having felt it much closer to the house. For one long moment, they stood frozen, and then upon the proceeding explosions, both of the Officers started to move. Niles yanked his fresh pants up, threw the dirty laundry in the nearest basket, and had his dick tucked and zipped away by the time he made it to the foot of the stairs.

"What the fuck was that?!" he yelled up, meeting Jonathon's gaze as he came out.

"I don't know. Radio Ray and get my van started."

He then turned and, giving one glance to the girls, slammed the door on them and locked them in. He would get them out in a moment, but he needed to asses the situation and make sure it was safe to bring them outside.

...

Cora sat on the bed for only a moment, her eyes wide, until she heard Jonathon's boots go flying down the stairs. And then, she ran to the window and looked out-searching.

 

[Poprockz]

The lighting of the shed was nerve-wracking, Sabastian waiting with baited breath as Vin got things kicked off. He had no idea that the explosions were going to be that intense, so he found himself grateful that Vin had grabbed him and warned him to cover his ears. He did so, two tentacles coming out to hold Vin against him for support, the blonde a bit shaken up by that first blast. It was odd, even the thought of that blazing fire made his blood run cold. Fortunately, Vin's body was warm against his own, grounding him and keeping him from getting too ruffled.

Once it was over and no further explosions happened, he uncovered his ears and let out a shaky breath, resting his forehead against Vin's chest while trying to think about what should be done next. Those mis-matched eyes found Vin's as he tilted his chin up after a moment to speak, "once they come, we need to grab a car so I can get everyone down safely. I don't have enough arms for everybody, but it would be easy to hold onto the car by itself.

Suddenly, he got a whiff of Jonathon's scent, his eyes flicking in the direction of the house. One of his hands came up to cover Vin's mouth, a finger coming up to his own lips to signal that someone was coming. If Jonathan started in their direction, he was going to have to go up into the tree with Vin, but for now he simply held still.

------------------------------------------------------------

Sayori's eyes widened and she glanced at Cora with a bit of concern, but also a hint of admiration. She was such a brave person to have said that to him, though some might argue that it was also foolishness. Still, she respected how Cora clung to her own dignity despite the circumstances. It made her feel happy that Cora was on her side and that someday they might become close friends like herself and Quint.

BOOM!

BOOM BOOM!

The blasts made her squeak in fright as the house shook, looking around with wild eyes as she tried to figure out what the hell was going on. It seemed she wasn't the only one surprised by the unexpected blasts, the woman watching as Jonathan quickly left the room and ran down the Stairs to leave with Niles. She could hear the click of the door's lock so she knew they were now locked in; it made her nervous, being trapped when obviously something was happening just outside the house. Her nausea was forgotten, her mind no longer preoccupied with thoughts of pregnancy.

Cora's movements caught her eye, the little lady wondering what she was looking for. After sitting there and staring in shock for a minute, she got up and strode over. When she got to the window though, there was nothing to be seen.

----------------------------------------------------------------

There was nothing to be seen because while Cora might have seen it, Sayori didn't come over in time to see Damien dart forward and into the house. He had waited until the two men had jogged out in different directions before moving swiftly but quietly to the door. They had neglected to lock it, probably assuming that the lock on the bedroom door would be enough to keep the two women in there. Because of this, he was able to slip in without wasting any time.

His eyes quickly scanned the place, his eyes finding many pictures of Cora and Quint on the walls, ranging in different ages. There were quite a few, an excessive amount, actually. It only made him hate the General more, the photos a reminder of how obsessed he was and how badly the sick bastard wanted to capture every bit of Cora from her experiences to her body. It was time to face her, to discover what had become of the the woman he loved and see if there was still affection in her heart for him.

When he reached the door, he tried the knob and found it to be locked. That was fine, he could always pick it. He was about to reach for his hairpins in his pocket, but it would seem that the snake on his shoulders had other plans. With a well-placed smack, the snake literally punched a hole in the door with his tail where the doorknob was, the door swinging open uselessly as the surprised man first looked at the snake and then up to... Cora.

He sucked in a breath, simply looking at her for a moment and feeling as though his heart might burst out of his chest. She was so beautiful, so familiar, and so lovely. She was wearing a dress that seemed to be more the General's tastes than her own, but she looked so stunning nonetheless. It wasn't enough though, he needed to feel her, to hear that beautiful voice of hers.

While Vin may not have approved, he couldn't help himself, running forward and lifting her up by her waist, spinning her around, and then letting her down again. The man's arms went tightly around her, one hand going around her waist to pull her against him wile the other slid up her neck to weave into her hair. His steely-eyes smoldered into hers for a moment before he bent down and took her mouth as though it was the last kiss he was ever going to get. She was divine, and tasted like what true happiness must be. It felt like he was whole now, like he hand found the other piece of himself that he needed above all else. He found her. He finally found her again.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin let out a shaky breath as well, his adrenaline pumping full force through his veins. It had worked, hopefully, but now the circumstances were going to largely depend on timing, luck, and their own abilities to stay the hell out of sight.

"once they come, we need to grab a car so I can get everyone down safely. I don't have enough arms for everybody, but it would be easy to hold onto the car by itself."

"Right" he answered shakily, looking around.

"Maybe we can-"

Suddenly he felt those cool fingers against his lips and he bit his tongue, pausing for a brief second until he brought his own hand up to slowly pull his down, and then very carefully turning his face in the direction that Sabastian was looking.

He watched as the two Officers came out, the darker toned one heading straight for an army van, while the other one started to walk towards what was left of the shed, his eyes searching the yard like a hawk. Suddenly there was another sound, a car, and with a sickening feeling, Delvin wondered if it was the General.

The car that rode up seemed to small to fit that huge mountain of a man, however, and indeed the Officer that stepped out was not the twisted monster, but none other than the one that had knocked him unconscious. Vin didn't make a sound, but he glared daggers into the son-of-a-bitch.
...

"Jonathon, what happened?!" Francisco yelled, grabbing the other officers attention before he had time to get too close.

"The cache exploded! We were in the house when it happened, we're not sure what's going on yet."

"Did you radio in?"

"Not yet."

"Well go ahead and do that. Where are the girls?"

"They're where they need to be" Niles growled, coming out of the van and looking between the two of them.

"Didn't you have some soldiers to train today, Fran?"

"That's the least of our concerns right now Niles, we need to get this fire under control-look at where the wind is blowing it. If it makes it down that mountain, it can spread into town and reach the plant, and I doubt you feel like cleaning up nuclear waste for the next twenty or thirty years."

The two Officers were glaring each other down, Jonathon having already walked off as he began to talk to Kuznet. It was only a few seconds that they were able to call off their little stand off, as very quickly, Jonathon was back by their side.

"Aright, orders are to get the flames under control. If it starts to spread towards the house, we'll evacuate then. Let's go Niles."

Fran shot him a smug grin, and the dark Officer scoffed at him before turning and walking away with Jonathon. For just a brief second, Francisco stayed where he was and looked around the yard, and under Sabastian's little body, he would be able to feel Delvin tense up as the Officers eyes lingered their way. He was almost sure that they had been spotted, but before he had a chance to make a move, Francis just walked away, seemingly going to help get the flames under control before they had a chance to do some real damage.

"Holy shit" Vin said on a shaky breath before leaning his head back against the tree, breathing hard for a minute.
________________________________

"Where are they?" she breathed, her voice hitching a bit with desperation. The next thing she knew, there was a loud crack and pop on the door, the door handle flying across the room until it hit the wall and bounced off. She turned quickly, terrified that it was one of the Officers come to grab them, or Ray himself, but instead it was...it was...

"Damien."

His name was barely a whisper on her lips, her eyes glossing over as she took in the sight of him. Was she dreaming? Was this a cruel joke, perhaps drug induced by something Ray had snuck into her food? No, it couldn't be, and when he came to her she reached for him as well, desperate to feel his warmth.

It was everything she had dared to pray for, and as he lifted her up, she couldn't help but let out a girly squeal that ended on a sob. She was laughing and crying, overjoyed with love and affection, terrified, but yet so relieved that she felt like her heart might crumble in her chest and her knees would fail her. Indeed, she even felt so weak as to sway when he finally set her down, but he would never let her fall, would he? Not with that look in his eyes.

The kiss they shared was intense, and she found her hands wrapping around him and holding him in just the same way, breathing in his familiar scent as his tongue reminded her own of what he tasted like. It was heaven, and she never wanted it to end, but when it finally did and she was able to pull back enough to look at him, there was only one thing she could say:

"I love you."

She sobbed hard, both of her hands going up to the sides of his face to gently pull him into another kiss as her body shook with her crying, and she only stopped between heavy breaths to say a few words here or there.

"I love you so much! I'm so sorry!"

She didn't even know what she was apologizing for. For dragging him into this? For what she had been forced to do on that tape? For him needing to risk his life to save her, or, maybe more importantly, just the fact that she had left to go check on her beloved snake, only to never return to him. She had left him, something that she had sworn to herself that she would never do. Cora had never wanted to hurt him like that-not like this.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian too let out a sigh of relief. "Holy shit" was right, that having been too close a call. It wasn't necessarily that he was afraid of Francisco, more that he was afraid of what he would have to do if they got into a confrontation. Both of them would have to play their own parts as though they were enemies with no regard for each other's lives and that could not only mean injury for one, but both of them. He didn't intend to die by Fran's hand, but he knew that if the man was forced to put them down, he would without hesitation. What he was working toward was simply too important not to.

At the same time, it wasn't in character for Sabastian to kill Francisco so Kuznet might not be suspicious if he simply broke the man's legs, but still. He didn't want to have to harm the older man, especially not with Niles around. He suspected that Niles had it in for Francisco and might possibly use the situation to his benefit if Francisco was rendered unable to defend himself. If he died, then a lot of people died with him. There was a great weight on his shoulders and while killing the General would largely stop some of the madness and cruelty, it wouldn't save those who were hidden away just like Cora was.

"Fuck, I about had a heart attack," Sabastian whispered, running his hand through his hair.

With a shake of his head, he took Vin's hand and started to creep with him toward the driveway. What he hadn't noticed was that the other shed had caught fire. He didn't think much of it, seeing as he couldn't sense Quint anywhere near. It really made his heart heavy, knowing that they wouldn't be able to save him too, but that was the way it was and there was nothing he could do about it. Vin was led around the shed with a wide berth before they continued in the trees until they were near the cars.

------------------------------------------------------------

"I love you."

He felt the way she caressed him so gently, tears falling from her eyes from joy. She was happy enough to see him to shed tears and that touched his heart deeply. Damien himself was overjoyed that she still had feelings for him, that she hadn't had a change of heart nor had she let herself succumb to the blissful numb that offered sweet whispers of relief. He couldn't help but shed a few tears as well, his eyes watering as he was pulled into a kiss that she initiated.

"I love you so much! I'm so sorry!"

Her lips were just as soft as he remembered them, the man melting between those tender hands of hers. Between kisses, he heard what she was saying, but he didn't understand why she was apologizing. She had nothing to be sorry for, nothing. Cora had been the one most wronged any way one looked at it, having been stolen away and tortured, raped, and controlled.

When their lips separated once more, he hugged her tightly to his firm chest and whispered, "I love you too. God Cora, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."

While Cora may not have known exactly what she was apologizing for, Damien did. He was apologizing for her having to go through hell for the past four days, for what she had endured while that bastard filmed her, for not getting there sooner, for almost killing Vin, the list went on. But what he was most sorry for was how he had treated her initially at the cabin. At the beginning, all she was given by him was what Kuznet had given her for years- a man possessing her body, taking it with lust and greed without any true connection between them.

His steely eyes found her once more as he pulled back and moved his hands to lightly rest upon her hips, still not quite willing to lift his hands from her lest he blink and wake up from this dream. With glistening eyes he said spoke once more, his voice cracking in the middle of his sentence.

"Come with me, we're going to take you away from this place."

Bowie bobbed on Damien's shoulder, stretching out his body until he was able to boop that cute little snoot against Cora's nose as if to say that he too was very happy to see her once again.

It seemed as though the two of them had forgotten about Sayori's presence, the woman having stepped back in shock when Damien came running in and to Cora. She couldn't believe that Damien was here. While she desperately wanted to escape, she wanted nothing to do with this awful man. Her brows her furrowed as those big brown eyes of hers narrowed at him warily, deciding that for now she would come with them until such time as she could get away from the creep.

Sayori found it odd though that he seemed genuinely in love with Cora, either that or he was putting on a pretty good act. She wouldn't put it past him to do so though, the man being the type to use low tricks like that to get what he wanted. In this case, it was Cora's affection. Nothing was said by her though, the woman simply waiting quietly for them to lead the way so they could regroup with Quint and the rest of whoever had come.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin followed closely behind, not willing to let his hand go as they stayed in the edge of the treeline. Once they had gotten a bit closer to the cars, though, he wasn't sure what to do.

"Are you just going to grab one, or?..." he whispered. Unlike his spunky little cousin, he had no clue how to hot-wire a car. Sabastian had said he would load them up into one, but once they got down the hill, then what? They all just loaded up into Damien's car? They might not fit with so many people and the supplies.
_______________________

Cora couldn't stop crying. She was simply too overwhelmed with relief and hope, and though she knew they were not out of the woods just yet, she still felt safe within his arms. She had been so terrified that Ray had already captured him, was only teasing her with the idea of him still being out there, and though she had not let herself linger on those dark thoughts for long, they had certainly crept into her soul and began to claw away at her hope.

"Come with me, we're going to take you away from this place."

Her heart swelled and her lip trembled as she let out another sob. For so many years she had prayed to whoever would listen, for someone to come save her from her glass tower, and now here he was. He wasn't Prince Charming or a knight, but she wasn't Snow White. She didn't believe in true love, in fairy tales, but she certainly believed in him.

When Bowie's little head came down to boop her nose, she let out a choked laugh and brought her hand up to quickly rub her fingers under his chin and neck. She then looked deeply into those liquid pools of steel and gave him a smile that absolutely beamed with affection. Her eyes then left him, and though she refused to take her left hand away from his hip, she did finally acknowledge Sayori by reaching out to her with her right hand.

"Sayori, come with us. Please."

Her hazel eyes were wet and pleading, knowing, perhaps more than anyone else could, how much she likely hated Damien and didn't trust him. But she wasn't asking the little women to trust the tall man. Only her.

"It'll be alright, I promise you."

 

[Poprockz]

Glancing at Vin, Sabastian crept forward and replied, "yeah. I'm going to check to see if any of them have their keys. What we'll do is put everyone in the car on the way down, then we'll split into two groups, each group taking a car. There's no way we'll fit in just one."

The red car was cool and eye-catching, but Sabastian checked the Van first, and then the other car. Unfortunately they both had their keys missing and he too didn't really know how to hotwire one. He was starting to get a bit nervous until he saw that the red one still had its keys intact. "Bingo!" the blonde exclaimed under his breath, grabbing the keys and tucking them into his pocket. He didn't want them to have to fish for them on the floor of the car if they fell or something.

He then picked up the car with two of his tentacles as though it was a toy and looked at Vin. "Alright, we need to set this by the cliff, come on."

--------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps this place had changed her, or perhaps something inside her had lost its light, but as she looked into Cora's eyes all she saw was naivety. There was no way that Cora could promise that it would be alright- it would never be alright. To say that it would was reckless, and she wasn't going to be fooled by Damien again if she could help it. Sayori had been tricked and lied to many times, the evidence of it on her back, hand, and soul, and she didn't think Damien had changed at all. It was merely that he was no longer powerful enough to command the influence he used to have which was why he was playing nice.

That being said, she wasn't going to stick around here either. When the General got back, he was going to be angry, and Sayori likely wouldn't survive the violent nature of his wrath. She was going to go with them, as she had little choice. Kuznet's reach was likely very long and he would find her if she went to any military hub or refugee camp they had eyes on. The only way she was going to survive was if she went somewhere obscure. That presented itself with its own problems; she had always lived in the city and had no idea how to survive on her own. And... she didn't want to leave Quint, the man who had brought her back from the brink more than once.

The woman simply nodded at Cora before her eyes narrowed and glared at Damien, not taking Cora's hand as she might have wanted. Instead, Sayori walked past them and started to make her way down the stairs. "Let's go get Quint and leave."

To say that Sayori's gaze made Damien uncomfortable was an understatement. Her eyes seemed to accuse him, those brown depths holding nothing but contempt for the man. He couldn't deny that her judgement of him was justified, especially now that he understood just how cruel his actions had been. There wasn't anything he could really say to make it better, and he didn't know how to apologize or whether now was the time to do so. Before he was able to do anything, Sayori was gone, the man turning to Cora and making a heavy sigh.

"We should go too." With that, he took her hand and led her down the staircase after the petite woman. The three of them exited the house and Damien turned to Cora once more, "where is Quint, exactly?"

Nearby, Sayori had stopped in her tracks, a look of absolute horror on her face as she saw the flames starting to engulf the shed that Quint was in.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin watched in awe, reminded once again of just how freakin strong Sabastian was. How had this amazing man allowed him to capture his heart? Or, maybe it was just the other way around. In any case, Vin gave him a grin and a nod, taking a quick look around to make sure the officers weren't nearby before they began to sneak off.
__________________________________

While the reaction wasn't exactly unexpected, Cora was just glad that she was willing to come with them. She couldn't fault her for the way she looked at Damien, nor would she be angry or upset with her for not taking her hand.

She followed them both down the stairs, sticking close to Damien's side as she kept her eyes on their surroundings. She wasn't sure how Damien found out about Quint still being alive, but she could only guess it was because Sabastian had told him.

Once they were outside, she had opened her mouth to answer him, her eyes naturally scanning the yard in the direction of where he was being kept. Though, the second she spotted the flames, her voice caught in her throat.

She didn't even realize she was running, but just like back at the mansion, when that zombie had almost bit her, her legs carried her with such speed that had she not been stopped, she likely would have been inside that building before Damien even had time to yell out her name. However, perhaps because Bowie had come to know Cora better than anyone, and could sense the expression in her body language, he knew that something was not right. That, combined with the way she was running towards something so dangerous-a huge mountain of flames, the snake simply reacted.

In less than a second, he launched his little body off of Damien's shoulders, and like some kind of ancient creature from a mythological story, his little body twisted and slithered across that grassy yard as if he were floating on air.

He caught her quickly, wrapping his long tail around her legs and then using his torso to keep her from falling face first into the ground. He held her securely, but gently, even as she began to fight like a pinned cat.

"No! Let me go! I can't lose him again, please! Quinton!"
________________________________

Francisco was moving quickly to clear a trail, but he ultimately had to wait on some of their own men to make it up that huge mountain. They could only do so much with three people, after all. He was just turning around to head back to his car, his goal being to go get the chainsaw and start cutting down some of the larger shrubbery, when he heard her voice echo out over the sound of the quick licking flames.

"QUIINTOON!"

His head jerked up towards the house, and with one glance back at Niles and Jonathon, they all started heading for his car to pile in and get back up there. He didn't wait for them to get in before he tried to start it up, but when he turned the key and nothing happened-not even a click, he started sweating.

"Fuck!"

He jumped out and started running up the trail, ignoring the pain in his knees as the hammering of his heart drowned anything but the fear coursing through his veins.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien couldn't see the expression on Sayori's face so he wasn't aware that something was wrong until Cora bolted in the direction of the shed. He ran after her without hesitation, though he didn't know what was going on until he saw that what she was running toward was a shed... that was on fire. The realization dawned on him that Quint was in that building, a feeling of terror and dread filling him up. Why hadn't Sabastian felt him? Why had this shed caught on fire, it was the other shed they were supposed to have blown up. Judging from the massive explosion, he could only deduce that it had blown several pieces of wood onto the shed that had been on fire, lighting it up as well.

He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't catch up no matter how hard he pumped his legs. Cora was truly a force to be reckoned with when it came to running, so he was starting to fear that she might actually run into the burning building. Thankfully, he felt Bowie launch himself forward and intercept her, stopping her far enough from the shed that Bowie himself wasn't too afraid from the fire. Had they gotten much closer, Bowie wouldn't have been able to grab her as the flames would have scared him off even if he wanted to help.

"No! Let me go! I can't lose him again, please! Quinton!

"QUIINTOON!"

Once he caught up with her, Damien looked between the shed and Cora, knowing that he couldn't let her go in there for fear that she might not come out. The whole point of their rescue mission was to bring her back safe and by God he was going to make sure she walked away from this place. Even if Bowie remained wrapped around her and they carted her off, she was going to be heartbroken. The pain of losing her brother had hit her so hard the first time, he wasn't sure if she could take it if she lost him once more, especially in this way. His steely eyes saw the pain in her eyes, the desperation to save him and he couldn't ignore it- he was going to save that man if he had to walk into that fiery shed himself.

The man quickly reached up and pulled off his shirt, dropping it on the ground before crouching in front of her with a serious expression, his hands going to either side of her face. "Look at me. Cora look at me!" Once he had her attention, he gave her an intense look, trying to burn the image of her face into his mind. If he was going in there, he wanted to be able to picture her face perfectly if he wasn't able to make it out.

"Stay here. You're not strong enough to carry him. I love you." With that spoken quickly, he kissed her forehead and darted into the building without giving her time to argue. His toned back disappeared from view as he entered the shed and descended the stairs; Damien was going to try to do this as quickly as he could. Jonathan had left the door open, likely intending on going back down with another vial from his Van. Ideally, both he and Quint would make it out alive, but if that wasn't in the cards, then at least he figured a good toss would put Quint high enough on the stairs for them to drag him out.

God, there was so much smoke, the man coughing as he searched around. His eyes watered as he looked, finally spying a door which he ran to. Unfortunately it was locked, the man cursing as he looked around for something he could use before realizing with frustrated irritation that he already had the hairpins in his pocket. Once he was back at the door, he was able to get it open after a few tries. While the lock itself was a simple one, his shaking hands fumbled a bit from the stress of the situation. He really needed to pick up the pace- there was no time for mistakes.

The smoke and fire was only getting worse, the man profusely sweating from the heat, panting for breath and coughing intermittently as he entered the room. He assumed that the man sitting on the floor with his back against the wall was Quint, based on the fact that he looked very similarly to Cora. Wasting no time, he grabbed a folded sheet and went over to a sink nearby, turning it on and drenching it in water. It was laid on the ground before he started to grab Quint and pull him in the middle of it.

"Come on, Cora needs you. Please trust me." His eyes and tone were desperate, hoping that Quint wouldn't fight him on this.

------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn't particularly easy to sneak around with a bright red sports car, but they somehow managed, making it to the cliff where Sabastian set it down and withdrew his extra arms.

"QUIINTOON!"

He jumped and looked in the direction Cora's scream was coming from, the man becoming a bit pale. There was no way Quint was there, was he? When they arrived, Sabastian hadn't felt Quint's presence at all, not knowing that he was even on the premises. But if Quint hadn't been in the house with Cora and Sayori then... he was in one of the sheds?! But they were both on fire now from the plumes of smoke he could see.

Sabastian gave Vin a panicked look and started sprinting in Cora's direction.