Fight or Flight

[amithethird]

"Maybe you're adopted," Cassius said, half teasing. He shrugged and gave her a little smile.
He jumped when he heard a voice. He turned to see Axel coming out of the kitchen. Deadly garden? What?

[Puppy_Paws]

"What the hell are you talking about Axel?"
"When you were gone I did some exploring. Turns out there's a garden full of all sorts of nasty things. But guess who I happened to find in there." Axel said, stepping aside to reveal Maeko.
"Rae.." Xiah breathed. "It-can't be. You...you're dead. I saw you stick that dagger into your heart! How are you-this is impossible!"
"First of all, before I explain anything, I would like come clean with you about somethings. My name isn't Rae. It's Maeko. I'm not human either. I'm a shapeshifter. Secondly, the dagger missed my heart. For some reason that I still cannot imagine the same boy that had tortured me saved me. However not long after I had recovered they went and locked me in that horrid jungle of a garden. Now before you blow up in my face I just want to tell you that I had reasons for deceiving you." Maeko said.
"Sterling...saved you? I didn't know that part..." Xiah whispered. "You said you had reasons. What were they?"
"Shapeshifters are exceedingly rare nowadays. That makes us extremely valuable to the selfish and greedy. I was running from someone who wished to use me and my powers for financial gain when I was caught by the Embers. I used a fake name and since Shapeshifters have no unique characteristics it was no problem fooling them into thinking I was human."
".............."
"Silence is either a very good or a very bad thing. Let's hope it's a good thing." Axel whispers.

[amithethird]

Cassius stared at Xiah and Maeko, trying to follow the conversation. So much was happening so fast. Xiah's friend was alive, and a shapeshifter. And she was...trapped in Xiah's kitchen? Ok. And then Sterling...save her? What? He was so confused. He looked at Axel.
"And how exactly did you find a garden in the kitchen anyway?" he asked.

[Puppy_Paws]

"What do I look like, a walking talking magic encyclopedia? I don't know how I found it! It just appeared out of the f**king wall!" Axel said.
"Axel, calm down. It was just a question."
"Yeah, but I sure wish featherbrain would learn to use his mind so he wouldn't ask me stupid questions anymore." Axel mumbled.
Xiah turned to Cassius and gave him a look that said, 'I know she can be mean, but that doesn't mean she's evil. If you try being nice she might catch on and be nicer to you.'

[amithethird]

Cassius was about to snap at Axel, but Xiah gave him a look and he went silent. He sighed.
"Doesn't matter," he said. He looked at Maeko, "What did you mean by Sterling saved you?"

It was getting dark quickly. The sun had almost set. Sterling couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed a coat and his backpack and slipped out the back door. He took a deep breath and started off into the forest.

Somewhere up in the trees, hidden from sight, were a boy and a girl in black uniforms. On their chests were green patches with symbols that vaguely resembled smoke. They watched Sterling's house with disinterest. Nothing had happened for a while now.
"Hey, I think I saw movement over there," the girl whispered.
The boy immediately stopped whittling away at the stick in his hands with his knife and looked into the trees. There was a flash of movement and silvery hair before whatever it was disappeared.
"I think that's him," the boy said, "Go tell Psych he's making a run for it. I'll tail him."
The girl nodded and without a word the two go down from the trees and went silently their separate ways.

[Puppy_Paws]

"I don't remember much, but I remember he took me to the infirmary. If he didn't want me to live, if he really was as bad as he seemed to be he would've left me there to bleed out." Maeko said.
"He never mentioned that part to us." Xiah whispered. "That changes so much."

[amithethird]

Cassius resisted the urge to say "I told you he wasn't capable of that". He remembered he'd been just as on board with leaving him as Xiah had been.
"So what now then?" he asked.

Sterling had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He should have waited longer. He should have waited for completely darkness. Now he had the worst feeling that he was being followed. Feelings like that usually turned out to be right in his case. His instincts were rarely wrong.
He stopped and looked around a moment, listening. He withdrew his knife and took a deep breath. He started walked again, waiting for the scout to make a mistake. He used the techniques he'd learned in the gang to walk silently along the forest floor. He listened very carefully until-
Rustle
The tiniest of sounds reached his ears. Behind him and off to the side. He spun around and threw his knife towards the sound. There was the swish of undergrowth and then a surprised gasp. Sterling paused a moment. Had the knife hit the target? He came closer to the bushes. Suddenly someone burst out of the brush and tackled him. He was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the scout and he was pinned up against a tree. The scout had a cut on his cheek. He'd missed then, but just barely.
The scout's attack and hold on him was clumsy and obviously not practiced much. Sterling was able to easily slip out of the man's grasp. He darted behind him, inching towards the brush. The scout spun around to face him.
"Look," Sterling said, "This doesn't have to get ugly. Just turn around and go back and let me go my way."
The scout snorted.
"I don't think so."
"You can't fight me. We both know you're not cut out for it," Sterling said.
"We'll see about that," he said, and he lunged.

(Alright, I've got to go to bed. Don't interfere just yet. Let Xiah, Cass, and company talk things out a bit. I've still got things I want to write. Good night. )

[Puppy_Paws]

"Sterling told us to leave, he's on his own. There's nothing we can do to help him now." Xiah said.
"Hold on, am I missing something? Cause I feel like I'm the only one here who has no idea what you all are talking about." Axel said.

[amithethird]

Cassius wanted to protest, but some of what Xiah said made sense. As he said before there were more than three of them, all trained fighters, and only two of them. And even if Sterling had saved this one person, who was to say there wasn't someone he didn't? He looked at Axel when she spoke.
"It's no concern of yours," he said.

Sterling easily evaded the man's attack. He was a good scout, but he was clumsy when attacking. Taking him down would be no problem. As the scout lunged forward, Sterling dodged to the side and punched him in the side. The man cried out in pain and stumbled back. Sterling delivered another punch to the man's gut and set him sprawling on his back. Sterling planted his foot on the man's throat.
"Now I suggest you walk away before I break your neck," he hissed. He wouldn't actually do it, but this scout didn't know that. The man looked mildly terrified. He gave a tiny nod.
"Dear me, Silver, beating up on the scouts again? Not sure why I'm surprised," came a voice.
Sterling turned his head, keeping his foot on the scout's neck. Psych had arrived with Driftwood, Robo, and at least four others. Sterling's heart sank. Fighting wasn't an option anymore. He couldn't go up against all of them and expect to win. He had one option it would seem. Run.
He turned and sprinted into the undergrowth.
"After him!" he heard Psych yell, followed by the sounds of brush being flattered behind him.

[Puppy_Paws]

((Just let me know when or if the others should come in))

"Alright, geez, calm your feather's bird brain." Axel scoffed.
"Do I really have to treat you two like children for you to be nicer?" Xiah said, sighing as she sunk into the sofa.