days with no one to hear her.
"They did?" Mercury asked, hoping for a clue as to who had kept her here while also trying to act friendly so she would relax enough to trust him to bring her to safety.
She nodded in response. "They said they were leaving me here and either you would come and get me or I would die. They didn't care which, but they thought it would be interesting to find out whether you would find me in time."
"I'm glad we found you in time," Mercury replied, but he shared a sharp look with Dane as he spoke. The enemy had to be watching the warehouse if they wanted to know whether Quicksilver could save the helpless kit. She had been locked up and left to a horrible death of starvation all so the enemy could get a read on Mercury and Dane. Which meant they knew Mercury and Dane were inside the facility. They had to get back to Nickel, now, before something terrible happened. "It's time to get you to safety."
He held out his hand for her to take. Mercury wanted to lunge forward and grab her, then make a run for Nickel, but if he scared her now she would never learn to trust him.
"What's your name?" he asked when she hesitated.
Finally she pushed the blanket back and swung her legs over the edge of the cot. "I'm Zinc," she replied, "and I don't think I'm strong enough to stand right now." She put her feet on the floor, and then grimaced. "I've been alone for a very long time."
There was no telling when they had abandoned the facility. It had been twenty-four hours since Dane had killed Jacobson and almost four days since Dane had snatched them all from the woods. Zinc was just a kit and she had been deprived of food and water for far too long. Of course she didn't have the strength to stand.
"Do I have your permission to carry you?" Mercury asked, hoping that none of his impatience leaked into his voice.
"Yes," she whispered haltingly. "Please get me out of here."
Mercury stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. She was far too light for a kit of her age, but his weakened legs still protested. Despite that, Mercury grit his teeth and carried her out the cell door, down the hallway, and out into the sitting room.
"There's magic in the air," Dane warned with a hiss when Mercury would have continued blindly hurrying to the hallway that led to the ladder. Instead he froze in place and let his magic search out what his eyes couldn't see.
There was magic in the air, he quickly confirmed, and it smelled destructive. Like a bomb , his brain supplied unhelpfully.
"I think we need to run," Mercury gasped, following his words with actions. His legs found new strength as he dashed through the sitting room and into the long hallway, Dane hot on his heels. The magic continued to swell around them, but it soon became mixed with more familiar water magic. Nickel had fought or maybe was still fighting above them. Mercury's legs moved even faster as fear for his kit buoyed his adrenaline. He reached the ladder in record time, but he couldn't climb with Zinc in his arms.
"I'll go first," Dane said. He climbed up the ladder and vanished through the trapdoor above.
The ground started shaking underneath Mercury's feet while he waited for Dane to reappear. It took a few seconds, during which time Mercury's heart started beating double time. What had happened to Nickel that Dane was taking so long? But then Dane reappeared. He was lying on his stomach with his head and arms through the trapdoor.
"Pass her up," he called. Mercury lifted Zinc upwards. She reached for Dane until their hands clasped and Dane pulled her up and out of sight. The floor was shaking even more now as if an earthquake was rumbling by. Water dripped down from the trapdoor as Mercury started climbing the ladder. It was wobbly, rocking side to side with the movement of the earth. He had to shift his weight to compensate so the ladder didn't tip, which made it even harder to climb. He tried to hurry, but he also didn't want to slip.
Dane's head
"They did?" Mercury asked, hoping for a clue as to who had kept her here while also trying to act friendly so she would relax enough to trust him to bring her to safety.
She nodded in response. "They said they were leaving me here and either you would come and get me or I would die. They didn't care which, but they thought it would be interesting to find out whether you would find me in time."
"I'm glad we found you in time," Mercury replied, but he shared a sharp look with Dane as he spoke. The enemy had to be watching the warehouse if they wanted to know whether Quicksilver could save the helpless kit. She had been locked up and left to a horrible death of starvation all so the enemy could get a read on Mercury and Dane. Which meant they knew Mercury and Dane were inside the facility. They had to get back to Nickel, now, before something terrible happened. "It's time to get you to safety."
He held out his hand for her to take. Mercury wanted to lunge forward and grab her, then make a run for Nickel, but if he scared her now she would never learn to trust him.
"What's your name?" he asked when she hesitated.
Finally she pushed the blanket back and swung her legs over the edge of the cot. "I'm Zinc," she replied, "and I don't think I'm strong enough to stand right now." She put her feet on the floor, and then grimaced. "I've been alone for a very long time."
There was no telling when they had abandoned the facility. It had been twenty-four hours since Dane had killed Jacobson and almost four days since Dane had snatched them all from the woods. Zinc was just a kit and she had been deprived of food and water for far too long. Of course she didn't have the strength to stand.
"Do I have your permission to carry you?" Mercury asked, hoping that none of his impatience leaked into his voice.
"Yes," she whispered haltingly. "Please get me out of here."
Mercury stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. She was far too light for a kit of her age, but his weakened legs still protested. Despite that, Mercury grit his teeth and carried her out the cell door, down the hallway, and out into the sitting room.
"There's magic in the air," Dane warned with a hiss when Mercury would have continued blindly hurrying to the hallway that led to the ladder. Instead he froze in place and let his magic search out what his eyes couldn't see.
There was magic in the air, he quickly confirmed, and it smelled destructive. Like a bomb , his brain supplied unhelpfully.
"I think we need to run," Mercury gasped, following his words with actions. His legs found new strength as he dashed through the sitting room and into the long hallway, Dane hot on his heels. The magic continued to swell around them, but it soon became mixed with more familiar water magic. Nickel had fought or maybe was still fighting above them. Mercury's legs moved even faster as fear for his kit buoyed his adrenaline. He reached the ladder in record time, but he couldn't climb with Zinc in his arms.
"I'll go first," Dane said. He climbed up the ladder and vanished through the trapdoor above.
The ground started shaking underneath Mercury's feet while he waited for Dane to reappear. It took a few seconds, during which time Mercury's heart started beating double time. What had happened to Nickel that Dane was taking so long? But then Dane reappeared. He was lying on his stomach with his head and arms through the trapdoor.
"Pass her up," he called. Mercury lifted Zinc upwards. She reached for Dane until their hands clasped and Dane pulled her up and out of sight. The floor was shaking even more now as if an earthquake was rumbling by. Water dripped down from the trapdoor as Mercury started climbing the ladder. It was wobbly, rocking side to side with the movement of the earth. He had to shift his weight to compensate so the ladder didn't tip, which made it even harder to climb. He tried to hurry, but he also didn't want to slip.
Dane's head
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