Artica:
My hands rested on my flat stomach, the sudden desire to have a baby haunting me. Shaking my head no, now was not the time. Several pregnant women walked past me, Deir leading the way. Sage followed close behind, my people all waving at me. Perhaps my blasted heat was coming soon, the thought of being pregnant making me salivate again. Three years had passed, the time soon approaching. Sage poked my shoulder, his arms wrapping around my waist.
"Seeing all of these pregnant women makes me want to fill you up with my hot seed." He growled huskily into my ear, scarlet burning my cheeks. "How many do you want? I want at least six. I have always loved a big family. Imagine you with a huge bump and extra squishy breasts." Jamming my elbow into his abs, this was just his demon side talking. Brushing off his little moment of craziness, it was time for me to focus. Sage's loving but lustful gaze kept distracting me in all of my meetings, the good thing being that Mouse was recording them all for me. Choosing to zone out, his arms wrapped around my waist once more. Sniffing the nape of my neck, a satisfied gasp escaped his lips. What the hell was his issue?
"Four weeks until your next heat." He whispered gruffly in my ear, my fingers drumming on the table. "Please let me do it. I want to see your womb full of my children. Please say something." Taking a deep breath, my narrowed eyes turned to his goofy grin. Apparently his heat was beginning to affect him, my hands cupping his. Dragging him into a private room, my hands pinned him to the wall.
"I want a baby too, but now is not the ti-" I began, his puppy dog eyes pleading with me to comply with his wish. "Okay, I will give you a baby. You must pick up some slack, Sage. Oh and one more thing, you can't do anything until then. " Cupping my face, the wide grin on his face told me that he had accepted my terms. Kissing my lips feverishly, this all seemed a bit rushed. Yet at the same time it felt so right. Picturing a swollen bump underneath my hands, a quiet smile brightened my face.
"I knew you would see it my way. A heat only comes every three years right, so why waste it." He bragged gleefully, spinning me around. "Soon you will be Mama Arty." Cocking my brow, the time on my clock told me it was time to go home. An elderly woman with cloudy eyes jammed a basket into my palms with a letter addressed to me on the top. Deir's messy handwriting taunted me, his attitude evident in the big letters. The walk back was relatively quiet, Mouse stealing me away the moment I stepped through the front door. Sage waved at me, his mind still in a blissful haze as she dragged me into her room. Slamming the door shut behind her, a panicked expression softened her usual cold demeanor.
"What's up, Mouse?" I inquired tiredly, tossing her a package of her cookies. "You seem out of sorts." Her head bowed in shame, a nervous smile cracking her lukewarm expression. Stumbling over her words, her hand grabbed my sleeve as I stood up.
"I like Sunshine!" She blurted out awkwardly, her sage eyes widening with shock at her words. "I love her golden sea of hair, and her silver eyes. She holds me all night long without complaint, but she doesn't know that I like her." Crossing my legs, Sage's request to have a baby gave rise to a bit of hell in my head. Taking her head into my lap, her gentle eyes watched me kindly. Playing with her hair, a tired smile dimmed my pale face.
"Do you remember what I said when I arrested you?" I inquired calmly, confusion dawning on her face. "I told you that I was going to get you out and gave you the code to hack into the prison. Most importantly, I told you to have a normal life but it appears that I took it all away from you. For that I am sorry. Just blurt it out like you did for me. Take your shot and maybe she likes your back." Her lips pressed into a thin line, her hand cupping mine. A tender blush rose to my cheeks, her sudden affectionate touch seeming really adorable. It reminded me of how Sage and I raised her on our own in the bunker we shared, her tiny voice shocking me out of my trance.
"Are you going to give Sage a baby with your next heat?" She asked quietly, my whole world stopping for a minute. "He has always wanted a family with you. I think you should do it. You two have always loved each other. You know me. I analyzed all of the options. Forgive me for thinking darkly as well, but if you give birth to a third generation then your bloodline will be continued if you get killed." Tears welled up in my eyes, a single tear plopping onto her face. My mind raced through all of the options, the worst case scenario sending my anxiety through the roof.
"I get what you are saying but what if I screw up." I whispered brokenly, not sure why I was whispering. "I will be a horrible m-" The crack of her hand slapping my cheek shattered the calm silence of her humming machines, a furious snarl curling on her lips. Rare tears flooded from her eyes, her fists clenching to the point of her palms bleeding.
"Don't you get it!" She barked severely, my breath hitching. "You raised me since I was two. Sage and you were like my father and mother, always giving me your proportion of food when I was extra hungry. You always beat up my bullies until they left me alone. Most importantly, you allowed me to escape in your place. You took the punishment for two years. You took the blame so I didn't have to suffer. You will be the greatest mother in the world, so don't say anything to the contrary." Sunny walked in, a soft pink sweatshirt and pink leather hugged her slender body. Twisting her hair into a simple side bun, her silver eyes lighting up at the sight of Mouse.
"I know you can't say anything, but I love you. I love you, Mouse!" She announced profoundly, scooping her into her arms. "You are a cranky little petite mouse that has scurried her way into my heart. From the moment I first saw you, my heart fluttered. Say you will be my girlfriend." Swinging her down, Mouse seemed lost in the moment. Her slender five foot four frame towered over Mouse's five foot frame, Sunny pressing her lips against hers sensually. Time stopped for them, my fingers wrapping around the basket of food. Scarlet burned their cheeks the moment Sunny released Mouse from her spell, my left foot out the door.
"Have fun you two." I chirped cheerfully, taking the food back into the kitchen. "I have a phone call to make." My empty footfalls echoed in the hall, Blizzard running up to me, his short white hair bouncing with each step. Skidding to a stop in front of me, his hands rested on his knees.
"I need you to break out my sister. She is a doctor as you know, and she was arrested for helping the people in the slums." He huffed, his face puffy with tears. "I will come with you." Raising my hand up in the air, that wouldn't do. His skills wouldn't be of any use at all, my teeth gritting. A doctor was the missing piece in my community, her expertise would be able to assist me with my pregnancy. The fact remained though, Blizzard was too emotionally involved to make any sound judgement in the case.
"I will free her, but you have to stay behind. Your emotions will cloud your judgment." I uttered simply, flashing him a polite smile. "I need her anyways. I have something planned and I think that my community could use a real doctor. I will need to prepare for a couple of weeks. My stitches do need to heal after all. Is that alright, Blizzard?" Bowing in my direction, relief washed away his visible nerves.
"I understand, but can I drive the getaway vehicle?" He asked cautiously, Sage popping up behind him. Smashing him down with his heel, a rage filled face glared in his direction. Growling through his gritted teeth, Blizzard had gone too far. Hiding a wicked grin underneath my hand, Sage pinned him against the wall. Blizzard shook underneath his grip.
"No one touches my bike but me." He warned icily, green energy swirling around his arms. "Sirius is my baby. So that is a no go. Come along, Arty. We have to make dinner for everyone." Dropping Blizzard to the floor, he dragged me into the kitchen. Pinning me to the wall, his hand ran up my thigh. Cupping my hands, his lips kissed mine lustfully. Time stopped, my heart beating out of my chest. Lowering my hands, his scent relaxed my muscles.
"Stop it." I whined pathetically, his arms wrapping around the small of my waist. "I won't do anything until our heat comes." A soft whine escaped his lips, his brow raising with playful suspicion. Clearing his throat, he took the basket of food from me. Setting it down on the counter, something was eating at him. Burying his head into the fridge, he put everything away.
"I was hoping to convince you to not help Blizzard. We both know how tight security is in that damn prison!" He roared thunderously, tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't lose you, not again." Slamming his fists on the table, the edge of the counter cut his knuckles. Pressing my lips into a thin line, the trauma of his time behind bars haunting him.
"I need her to have our baby." I blurted out anxiously, lowering my hand to my flat stomach."I am wise to medical ways, but I am so weak in that department. When it happens, there is no turning back. I want to carry your child." His expression softened, his black blood dripping to the floor. Saying nothing, I needed to get through to him. The dark side of his demon began to take over, my voice shaking like the rest of me.
"Did you hear me!" I shouted desperately, my voice cracking. "I want to be a family with you. I can't wait three years or however long. I need to be yours forever." Sinking to the floor, tears streamed down my cheeks. My mind flashed back to my final moment with my mother, a false sense sprinkling the truth. Her quivering eyes haunted my mind, the evil eyes of the warden causing me to whimper. Strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, Sage clutching me close to his chest. The shared trauma of that prison shook us both to our cores, his chin resting on my head.
"You can only go if I get to go." He promised sweetly, lowering his hand to my flat stomach. "I want a family as well. You don't have to right now if you don't want to. I don't want you to just do it for me." Shaking my head, he still didn't get it. Our family needed to happen, and I was ready.
"I want to be pregnant with your child. If life had gone right, we would be married and have a family already." I stammered nervously, cupping his hand on my stomach. "I don't know what it is, but this feels like the right time. Please become my father's child?" Surprise rounded his eyes, his gentle smile melting my heart. His ears popped up, my lips kissing his sweetly. Running my hand through his hair, his lips refused to let me go. Years of pent up love for each other exploded in his kiss, the world disappearing around us once more. Laying me down on the floor, his body pressed against mine. Releasing me from my spell, my breath hitched at his burning face.
"Sounds like a plan." He chirped cheerfully, jumping to his feet. "Let's get you to bed for rest. Those stitches won't heal themselves." Scooping me up, he carried me to our bed. Tucking me in, the twinkle in his eyes reminded me of the Sage I was a partner detective with. Kissing my forehead, his lips whispered the word sleep. Sweet slumber swept me off to dreamland, his gentle voice the last thing I heard.
A couple of weeks had passed, my trembling body standing a hundred yards from the maximum prison. Sage stood behind me, the trauma slapping me in the face. Unable to move, my shimmering mask covered my face. Pressing my earpiece deeper into my ear, Mouse's chewing irritated me.
"What would you like me to do, White Vixen?" She asked through a mouthful of tears, her fingers clicking away on her wall of keyboards. "I can enter the code to shut down the prison." That wouldn't do, then all of the violent prisoners would get out. Shaking my head, she really wasn't necessary except for shutting off all of the security cameras.
"Can't do that." I said bitterly, not wanting to go in. "We can't release the violent prisoners, especially the serial killers on death row. Just disable the cameras as we walk through the halls. Basically, erase the fact we were ever there. If I play my cards right, we can get her out with minimum casualties." A heavy pause hung on the other side, Mouse remaining quiet for too long.
"His son is the warden. Father Kent Wool is his name." She informed me cautiously, both Sage and I stiffening up. "Sorry but you had to know." A lump formed in my throat, her words stabbing me in the chest. Ignoring the silent panic attack, Sage hid his bike. Black lightning sparked around my staff, the weapon bouncing wildly off of my hip. Raising his gun, Sage waited patiently next to me. A horrified look met mine, his trauma more recent than mine.
"We can do this together." He stuttered horribly, his hands quaking harder with each passing second. Pulling his mask over his face, our boots pounded towards the source of our recent pain. A spotlight searched the grounds, Sage shoving me against the wall. His body pressed against mine, his face inches from mine. A small bit of his abs shimmered in the moonlight, scarlet burning my cheeks.
"You say you want to wait, but your look says otherwise." He joked tenderly, every cell in my body craving him. My ears flattened with embarrassment which was burning on my cheeks as he pulled his shirt down. Shaking my head, now was not the time. Climbing up the wall, he insisted on going first. Squeezing underneath the barbed wire, he guided me through. A cloud of dust obscured the moment we landed gracefully in the bustling exercise yard, all of the criminals I brought here shooting daggers in our direction. Raising my staff in the attack position, the gnarly looking men and women all threatened to charge at us. Smiling nervously, this all felt wrong. Hopefully none of them recognized me, my ass would be screwed if they knew who we were.
"We are just knocking them out, right?" He asked under bated breath, my head shaking. Pulling out ten packs of the good cigarettes, they all wagged their tongues. Taking a deep breath, this kind of commissary was as good as money. What I was about to do next would only land the prisoners in solitary confinement at the most, the basic rules having to be followed by even the most corrupt wardens.
"It is a downright shame I only have ten packs of cigarettes, so you are going to have to fight each for them." I turned cruelly, my wrists flicking them up in the air. Dragging him in between the next gate in and a shed, chaos erupted with a fantastic bang. One by one they all started punching each other, the kicks soon following after. Red alarms blared, ninety percent of the prison guards rushing to stop the fighting. Slipping in after the last guard, a wicked grin danced across my lips as I locked the door behind me. Sprinting ahead, twenty guards waited for us in their head to toe sleek back armor. Any resemblance of doubt left Sage's face, a new level of rage seething in his eyes. Raising his gun, his voice thundered in the hall. The way he spoke warned me of him losing his cool soon, the urge to tell him to calm down burning inside of me.
"Code name, Agent Sleep." He ordered sharply, the gun shifting into a large grenade style of gun. "Go ahead, I can hold them off. I have some beef with these idiots anyway." Hovering by his side, dread bubbled in my stomach. Gritting his teeth, his ring finger pulled the trigger.
"I said go!" He roared impatiently, shoving me forward. "I will be right behind you." Grabbing him by his collar, my lips locked with his passionately. Sinking closer to me, the whistling of the sleep bomb told me that I had better get going. My tail fluttered the moment I leapt over them, my finger pressing the call button on my ear piece.
"Mouse, are you disabling the cameras?" I questioned impatiently, listening to her blasted chewing. "I am going to need you to hack into her lock specifically. When I get to that point, I will give you the signal. Do you understand?" Waiting with bated breath, the heel of my boot slammed into one of the top tier's white armored agents. Curse this new warden for being wiser than his father. Swinging my staff into his face, his seven foot frame told me that he was no longer human but a full blown demon. None of his soul remained, his body essentially a husk. He had never made an agreement with his demon, resulting in a walking corpse. Tapping my foot on the cold concrete floor, white lightning spread like the sea. My staff had no effect on him, a bullet smashing through his helmet. Black sludge painted the wall, Sage hanging off of the next floor's railing. A dot of black flickered in each eye, the situation seeming to lose its control by the second.
"Could you put your lightning away?" He begged sarcastically, far from a good mood. "My fingers are getting tired." Tapping my foot once more, it flooded back into my staff. Jumping down next to me, his clawed fingers twitched irritably. Running forward, Mouse's voice buzzed into our ears.
"She is in the basement." She informed us with concern dripping in her voice. "Are you sure this is a smart idea? There is a perfect escape route if you want to quit now." A snarl curled on Sage's lips, his temper rising faster than usual. Almost seeing his eyebrow twitch, his limit had been met.
"What good are you if you can't find another way out if you aren't ready!" He snapped hotly, both of us taken back by his sudden temper. "She is my only way to get my family, and to make Blizzard truthfully happy. On top of that, our chances of survival would be considerably higher if we had her on our side. So look for one from the basement, you annoying little twit." Punching his shoulders, Mouse had only been concerned for us. His words were uncalled for, my heart shattering at his cracking mental state.
"He didn't mean any of that, Mouse." I assured her warmly, Mouse's tenseness changing her aura slightly. "Can you please find another way out, my dear friend?" Clicking in my ear ensued, her fingers probably moving a mile a minute. Pressing forward, several of the white guards blocked the entry. Cold footsteps echoed behind me, the number six hundred sixty six glowing on my arm. How could my prison number be glowing once more, Sage collapsed to his knees. Spinning on my heels, a horrifying sight greeting me. A younger version of the warden towered over me with his six foot four frame, a white pistol with the golden cross on the handle aimed for my head. Running his white gloved hand through his snow white hair, golden eyes glowered in my direction. The black priest attire seemed like a front, my patience wearing thin. Surely, a priest wouldn't kill anyone
"I, Father Kent Worth, vow to rid the world of your impurities." He introduced himself proudly, the holier than thou attitude ticking me off. "I won't let you bring more impurities into this world. I am aware your rotten heat is going to begin in two weeks. I will kill you. I propose a duel. This is a battle to the death. What do you say?" A flash of white caught my eyes, Blizzard flipping down behind me. His white wolf's mask shined in the pale lights of the prison, a pink cat flipping in behind Sage. The bright pink mask's diamonds sparkled, my brows cocking in disbelief. Way to listen to orders, Sage struggling to his feet. The number nine hundred ninety-nine glowed on his arms, his gun cocked in Kent's direction. Both of his ears popped up, the gun doubling in size. This was what I had hoped wouldn't happen, my mind working through all of the options.
"Forgive me for I have sinned, Father!" He taunted him cruelly, an upside down blue cross appearing on his gun. "I accept your duel but not to the death. If I win, you give me the kind doctor and no one else gets hurt. I am suggesting a shoot off. Whoever has the most points in three trials will get to walk away without consequences." Not responding, a screen lowered down behind us. The image of the good father experimenting on Sage played over and over again, a quiet fury boiling in my veins. How dare he do what his father did! The apple didn't fall too far from the tree, my brow cocking in pure hatred.
"No. Lord, grant me the glory to destroy the impurities that stand in front of me." He chanted confidently, pulling the trigger. Sage's bullets destroyed his upon impact, a crazed grin meeting my concerned face. Mouthing the word go, the White Wolf and Pink Cat shot me a thumbs up. My ears flattened with annoyance, his stubbornness was going to be the death of him. Launching myself over the line of guards, my staff changed into a giant scythe. Swinging it through their necks, their bodies decayed to a pile of white armor.
"Back up Sage!" I shouted over the blast of white lightning, running down the walls. "Don't die or I promise to kill you myself." Crashing through the hall, Mouse's voice guided me to special glass cell. A white haired doctor and red eyes paced back and forth, her hourglass figure matching my height. Her white wolf ears perked up at the sight of me, her filthy white tail wagging. A soiled white coat covered up her ripped black sweater and leather pencil skirt, a pair of red glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.
"Mouse, can you figure out the lock? I am ready." I urged with a slight annoyance, my staff shrinking back down to it's normal size. "I need to get back to help Sage and the others." The clicking stopped, a frustrated cry nearly busting my ear drum. Her breathing grew heavy with anger, my ears pinning back with fear.
"Pink Cat is there, isn't she?" She growled through gritted teeth, the clicking resuming. "Bring her home in one piece for me so I can beat her. I am trying but it won't let me through. Do you have any explosives on you. I would suggest your lightning, but that would take down the entire system. We can't have that, right?" Shifting through my boot, a small bomb spun in my palm. Jamming it onto the lock, my staff transformed into a dome. The seconds ticked by slowly, the beeping faster. A huge explosion rattled the black dome, the noise dying down. Folding back down onto itself, the glass had shattered. The doctor stumbled out, Mouse panicking in my ear. Her concern was so cute, affecting me in an odd way.
"I am fine, and I have the doctor." I informed her, her cheers causing a migraine to throb. "Are you okay? What is your name by the way? I am the White Vixen here to free you." Posing in a heroic pose, she chuckled softly to herself. Smiling warmly in her direction, my gloved hand hovered in her direction. Several scalpels spun in her palms, her wicked grin telling me that she could handle herself. Glass crunched underneath our boots, her wild eyes frightening me a bit. Skidding into the cell block, Sage was seconds from killing him. Knocking him to the ground, both of his eyes were black. Waving his gun around, a black wire shot from my wrist watch. The wire wrapped around Father Kent's body, his gun skidding to my feet. Sliding it over to the Pink Cat, she tucked it into her belt. His claws dug into my side, the doctor jamming a milky needle into his neck. Passing out, it was now up to me to drive the motorcycle.
"What did you guys drive here?" I asked exhaustively, rubbing my forehead. "Did you steal a car or something?" Cat and Wolf nodded, a new plan forming. Shoving the doctor in their direction, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"I can trust you will get her home safe. Go now!" I ordered brokenly, tucking Sage's gun into my inside pocket as they ran off with the doctor. "You will let us walk out and give us an hour's head start, Father Kent. This didn't happen, my associate is already erasing your cameras. You never had the doctor, and everyone will stand down. I don't want anyone to die today. Can we agree to that? Can you promise your God that? After today, we can be back to enemies. I look forward to meeting you next time." Radioing for everyone to stand down, my arms scooped up Sage. His ears floated back down, my staff severing the wire. Leaving him tied up, we only had a few minutes to get out of here. There was going to be no way he would hold up his end of the bargain. Sprinting through the halls, the chilly evening air lashed at my cheeks as I leapt over the two fences. All of the prisoners lay on the ground, officers mouthing thank you at me for sparing their lives. Leaves crunched with each step towards the bike, relief washing over me as he stirred awake. Taking the needle out of his neck, he slapped his face to wake himself up.
"Just punch in your code, so I can drive." I offered with an anxious grin, his head shaking. Rolling my eyes, he was being a stubborn bastard. Shifting in my boot, my fingers wrapped around a couple of black pills. If he was going to drive, then he needed the antidote to the sedative. Snatching them, he swallowed them dry. Blood soaked my side, his claws narrowly missing my ovaries. Ignoring the blood, the wounds throbbing dully. The car carrying the doctor wasn't that far ahead, alarms blaring behind us. The cloudy look in his eyes faded to his usual loving gaze, the goofy grin lighting up his face.
"I am in such a good mood right now." He laughed gleefully, still a little high from the shot. "I can drive, but we really should get going." Pulling me onto the bike, my vision blurred. Concern darkened his eyes, his arms wet with my blood. Typing in the code, the engine revved to life. No guards came after us, a pleasing bit of luck indeed. Unable to see straight, the darkness overtook me.