DISCLAIMER!!!! Quests and Bannons belong to HB. Risk is homeless, and Kit, Colin, Dana, Poseidon and January belong to me. February belong to me and my friend Rory. Use them and die a horrible potato death!

Shadowy Domain ch 6

January smiled as she saw her sister emerge from the sewer in her mind's eye. They were out and waiting for her, Jessie and Hadji.

"Hadj, I'm gonna shadowport us out of here. Take my hand." She reached out to each side of herself, touching Hadji's hand. Reaching for Jessie she became suddenly aware of the lack of scent. "Crap! She's gone! Must've fallen down one of the other tunnels. Hadji, I'm getting you to the others. Tell them what happened and I'll meet you outside."

With that Hadji was suddenly plunged into darkness as January shadowported. Blackness darker than any he had ever been in, heart stopping, eye popping black. The total absence of feeling didn't help, he couldn't even tell where his hands and arms were. He was just . . . floating. He knew Janaury was holding onto him, keeping him safe, but he couldn't feel the young woman who called herself Shadow. Then, shockingly, he was back in sunlight, out of the tunnels he'd been crawling through, and the light, scents, feeling, even his own body were a blessed experience.

"I'm leaving to get Jessie. She's missing." With that Shadow was gone.

Hadji looked up, taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, and looked at Jonny. The boy's face had gone white and the prospect of Jessie missing, even as he helped Race support himself.

"Where is she?" Jonny's voice was hoarse, and as Race looked at Hadji he saw that his eyes were also wide.

"We do not know, my friend. She could not be too far though."

***

"Why do you stay here if you don't like it?" Jessie quietly asked the darkness.

"Where else would we go? People scream when they see us." Colin answered, equally quiet.

"I doubt it. You're deformed, not monsters." She hadn't seen them, but knew this must be so. People could be so cruel, telling these kids they were freaks.

"No, we're monsters all right. No one would want us. THEY didn't want us." Kit whispered. Jessie turned her head at the other boy's voice, marveling at how quickly he'd turned from wanting to kill her to wanting to talk. He liked hearing about outside, apparently they'd never been out of this building.

"They're just jerks. Your parents must want you!"

There was silence.

"You do have parents, don't you?" Jessie asked.

Dana whispered from her corner, her voice tiny. "Our parents were test tubes."

Colin cleared his throat, then explained. "THEY were trying to make us more than human, and so fixed our DN--DN--DNO?"

"DNA." Jessie supplied.

"DNA so that we would be special. We never had real parents."

Jessie was silent, thinking. "You could leave anyway. These people don't want you here. They don't care about you."

"We don't have anywhere to go."

"You could go live in someone else's home, with a foster family. My best friend Hadji lives with a foster family."

"I like that name. Hadji." Dana rolled it across her tongue, changing the subject.

"Look, even if you guys don't want to leave, I DO! I don't like it here, I want to go see my dad again. Couldn't you help me escape? Please?" Jessie pleaded.

"We'd get in trouble . . ." Colin sounded uncertain.

"Please?"

***

She snuck through the shadows, silent as a cat. Stopping at a doorway she held her breath, then jumped in quickly, taking the three men by surprise and knocking them out without a sound. Silently, silently, she snuck to the other side of the room, the other door. That was Jessie's smell in there, where she had fallen from the chute. January would track her down.

***

"You put Race in the aircraft with the doctor?" Risk asked Poseidon.

Poseidon nodded.

"Good. February, can you get a fix on January's location?"

"Yeah, she's. . . there." They walked back into the sewer, Risk, Poseidon and February in front with Jonny close behind and Hadji bringing up the tail.

"Jess, you better be okay . . ." Jonny muttered.

***

Kit opened the grate, then reached down to pull Jessie up by her arms. "Step carefully, you're on a rafter." He said.

She had the impression of furry hands and sharp nails, then was set on her hands and knees on the thin beam.

"Come this way."

She felt the wood move slightly as Colin jumped up, then turned to help Dana behind him. She moved into the metal tube, flashing back on what had happened last time she was in one. She was very careful not to lean against any walls.

"Turn here. We'll take you as far as the door, but you have to leave without us." Kit said over his shoulder.

"We're grateful that you said we weren't freaks, but you haven't seen us." Colin said behind her. "We don't belong in your world."

Jessie pursed her lips. They were going to stay here and let those men beat on them some more. It wasn't right!

***

February found January faster than the sister thought she would, bringing the others with her. They crept through the halls silently, knocking guards out as they went. Even Hadji had gotten a few punches in.

"There's an entire group coming, Shadow, distract them and we'll get 'em."

It was something they'd done before, and Jonny knew how to act. he stepped back, picking up a chair that sat close at hand.

January stepped out, looking straight at the men. "Hey, fellas. I'm lost. Could you tell me where the bathroom is?" She smiled and stepped back around the corner as the doofs gave chase, only to be hit at various angles by (mostly) Jonny and Risk. It felt really good to take out his anger on these men, who might've hurt Jess.

They moved on quietly, entering a large cavernous area that was filled with men and guns. Risk frowned as they hid behind some large crates. How dare this room be a problem?!

Jonny glared at nothing in particular and wished they'd hurry up. Jessie might need him. Them. She might need them.

***

Kit took a deep breath, bracing for Jessie's scream. He knew that when he stepped out where she could see him she'd scream, everyone did. Some even tried to kill him. But going into the light was the only way he could get her out, and she was the only person, besides his brother and sister, who'd ever been nice. He'd at least do this for her.

He glanced back, his light sensitive eyes seeing Jess easily. "Watch out, you don't want to get caught here." Then he opened the grate and stepped out, thankful that the hall was empty.

Jessie walked into the light, grateful to be able to see again, and held back a sudden gasp. Before she was able to stop it, however, she took an involuntary step back, away from Kit. He was slightly taller than she was, with a mop of black, curly hair on classic Roman features. But that wasn't the scary part. From head to foot he was covered in black fur. But that wasn't the scary part either. He wore only jean pant cut-offs, no shoes or shirt. A long black tail twitched back and forth, and bright yellow cat-like eyes clouded with pain as he watched her reaction. Fangs peeped out of his lips, long white things that gleamed in the light. Claws in his fingers and toes were sharp, and one had dry blood on it. His long and slightly shaggy hair hung down, obscuring his heavy brows, and pointed ears twitched, catching each sound as it happened.

He ducked his head and turned, hurt that the reaction he'd expected had been the one she'd given, though not as bad as he'd thought.

"Jess, we need to come out too." Colin said from behind her.

She stepped forward and looked as the other cat-like boy emerged, smaller fangs in place of canine teeth. He had the same pointed ears, cat-like eyes, and tail. But Colin had a . . . human-ness about him that Kit didn't. His fur wasn't as thick, and his claws and fangs were smaller. He had whiskers, something the other boy lacked, and his eyes were tamer.

Jessie was ready when Dana emerged, and was surprised that the girl wasn't as animalistic as either of her brothers. She had long wavy ebony hair (all of them had curly black hair), a tail, teeny fangs and kitten claws. Her fur was so thin as to be almost not there, her eyes very human and blue. She had pointed ears, but the aura of gentleness about her made her less intimidating then the others.

"This way." Kit said finally. Jessie could hear the pain in his voice, something that hadn't been there before.

"Kit--I"

"Drop it. I told you we were freaks, didn't I?" He smiled bitterly and walked down the hallway, his feet silent, his walk terrifyingly cat-like.

Jessie looked at Colin, who looked away, and then at Dana. Dana smiled a little, then beckoned her to follow. Taking a deep breath Jessie walked behind them, wishing she'd held back the reaction. She felt as though a storm had broken the starting of friendship.

***

"Ready yet?" Jonny hissed.

"Not yet." Risk answered. Still they sat there, half an hour gone by. More people had gathered, not less, and Jonny was getting harder to control. She swallowed. This was why she didn't work with amateurs.

***

Kit turned and pulled Jessie after him, noticing in surprise that she didn't pull away. "We have to go over that beam. Colin and Dana will go together, Dana isn't as good at balancing as us, and you'll go with me. We go in pairs so that if one falls the other can get her. Uh, or him."

Jessie smiled at the slip. She doubted either boy ever fell.

Colin and Dana started across, moving silently over the wood and the giant cavernous room below. Looking down she saw a long drop and men hurrying around with weapons and crates.

"Let's go." Kit whispered.

Jessie started across, on hands and knees since the wood was rotten and barely bigger than a balance beam. She felt Kit's hands on her back, steadying her. The wood started to creak as they reached the middle and Jessie started to worry. Below them, men bustled around, busy with tasks.

She felt herself start to sweat and her hand slipped, and she felt herself caught by sharp claws in her bodysuit.

"Easy." Kit crooned. "Stand up."

He helped her stand, then started to rush her across. Twice she lost her footing and Kit caught her before she started to fall. They were almost three quarters of the way when the wood snapped under her weight, a small chunk falling to the ground where it shattered.

"Run!" Kit's voice came out in a growl, scaring her more than the men looking up where she walked.

***

Jonny looked up, following the wood chunk that had fallen. "Jess!" He hit Risk and pointed up, and she nodded. Overhead Jessie made the last leaps to safety, a man in a black suit catching her and pulling her over. Another man stood on the beam, making sure she made it safely.

"IT'S ONE OF THOSE CATS!" One of the men roared, and they all opened fire.

***

"KIT!" Jessie screamed as she watched safely from the ledge and Colin's arms. Bullets shot up, whirring around the infuriated cat/man. With a huge crack the beam broke, sending Kit flying downward amid blocks of wood and balls of lead.

***

Kit's mind whirled, trying to keep up with his cat-like instincts. An arm shot out, felt a rope whiz by and clamped down on it, ignoring the burn that started. Slowly, hissing, he stopped and felt the other things drop down below him. He snarled and started pulling up, using the strength he had to reach the level of wall where his siblings and Jessie stood. But he was still too far to reach it.

He started to twist his body, back and forth, making the rope swing. It swung wider, getting him closer, but not close enough. Gunfire started again and he felt one hit his life line as the thing vibrated. The rope started to break, unable to hold his weight, slight though it was, and he flung himself off, flying to catch the ledge.

***

Colin reached out, trying to grab his younger brother. Instead, Kit snagged the edge, his claws keeping him from slipping. Even there, he started to slip. Colin grabbed Kit, holding onto him tightly. He felt a growl in his throat and tensed, trying to pull Kit up.

***

Jessie held her breath, watching the brothers fight with gravity as gunshot zoomed by. Kit and Colin were snarling, showing fangs and claws. Kit bled where Colin's nails dug into his skin, trying to keep him up. Slowly the catman started to come up, his talons making deep gouges in the hard floor. With a sudden lunge as Kit found something for the hooks on his feet to purchase, he was up, standing on his feet on the concrete.

Jessie took a breath, then hit the boy. "Don't ever do that to me again!"

Colin grinned. "Come on, if you want out of here we have to go now." He raced to the other end, grabbed a pole and slid down to the floor, behind a large pile of crates. Jessie followed, the ride stopping her heart, with Dana going and Kit last, streaking the metal with blood. They turned and ran, keeping low and quiet so as not to be seen.

***

Jonny craned to look, but couldn't see what had happened to Jess. That was when he heard footsteps coming over the gunfire. Jessie rounded the corner and stopped, getting run into from behind by the figures in black.

"JESSIE!" He shouted, racing to see that she was all right with his own eyes. Reaching her he swooped her up, spun her around, gave her a giant hug--then realized what he was doing and put her down, his face turning red.

Jessie grinned. "Good to see you to, Jonny." She said, feeling her own face turn scarlet.

"Jess? We're gonna go now." Kit said in a hushed voice.

"Guys--couldn't you consider coming with us?" Jessie asked the cats again, stepping on Jonny's foot when she saw his eyes go wide. He wouldn't upset them like she had.

"You can get out of here by yourself now, we're staying." Colin said, watching Jonny suspiciously.

"But, guys--"

"You're coming with us. You know this area better then us and can tell us how to get out fast. Now." Dana looked up and shuddered at the sight of the gun the woman had pointed at them.

"Risk! Don't!" Jessie yelled, unable to believe that she would do something like that.

"Yeah, Risk. Don't." Said a quiet voice. That was when Jessie realized that everything around them had gone silent. She looked around, seeing for the first time the guns pointed at them.

"Why don't you come with us, peacefully." And he smiled.

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