Misfits, Inc. (23 page)

L
ucinda tightened her grip on Hailey’s neck.  Her hard fingers
were crushing her throat and the tips of her claws now pierced the skin,
allowing droplets of blood to run down her neck.  It would be a race to see
whether Lucinda would slice her jugular or crush her throat first.  Hailey
clutched Lucinda’s wrist and summoned every ounce of strength she had left
within her.  Nothing happened.  The cougar’s lifeless body twitched, catching
both women’s attention.  Lucinda groaned lowly with annoyance, although it had
no effect on her viselike grip on Hailey’s throat.

“Why won’t that damned thing stay dead?”

From a few feet away, Rafe saw Lucinda holding
Hailey by the throat, but Marcus wasn’t about to let him through to rescue
her.  Rafe leaped into a fast, hard kick, struck Marcus in the chest, and sent
him flying backward into Lucinda.  Lucinda and Marcus crashed to the floor, taking
Hailey with them.  Hailey was tossed further away from the other two.  Despite
being momentarily dazed, she looked across the floor and saw the necklace
within her reach just beneath the coffee table.  Hailey grabbed the necklace. 
Before she could get to her feet, Lucinda saw her with the necklace, violently
tossed Marcus off her, and leaped for Hailey.  Hailey saw the menacing woman
about to pounce on her and rolled out of her path.  Lucinda struck the coffee
table with enough force that it should have seriously injured her, but it
barely slowed her down.  Hailey realized she was seriously outmatched in her
weakened condition against her inhuman boss.  She scrambled to her feet as
Lucinda slashed at her, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws.  Rafe looked across
the room at Hailey as Marcus came back at him.

“Hailey, run!”

As Hailey looked back at Rafe, Marcus slashed him
across his abdomen, leaving bleeding scratches.  Hailey cried out, fearing for
the worst.  If Rafe knew he’d been injured, he didn’t show it.  Instead, Rafe
spun into a roundhouse kick and struck Marcus harshly across the face.

Rafe met Hailey’s concerned stare across the room. 
“Go!” he shouted his orders.

Lucinda leaped for Hailey with her claws slashing
for her face.  Hailey gasped and, against her better judgement, bolted for the
door, leaving Rafe to his own devices.  Lucinda grabbed the discarded gun from
the floor and ran after her.  The black panther suddenly emerged with renewed
vigor from the cougar’s pelt.  The pelt disintegrated.  Marcus lunged for Rafe
and both crashed onto the coffee table.  The table broke beneath their combined
weight, leaving Marcus on top of Rafe.  The panther ran across the suite for
the door, momentarily stopped, and slashed Marcus across the back before running
from the room.  Marcus cried out from the deep gashes across his back.  That
split second was all Rafe needed to get out from under Marcus.  Both men jumped
to their feet and prepared for another round of punishment.  Rafe kicked Marcus
in the chest as his claws slashed Rafe’s leg.

Rafe cried out from the sudden surge of pain,
caught his balance, and kicked with his left leg, nailing Marcus in the mouth. 
Marcus flew backwards several steps but still didn’t go down.  Rafe clutched
his bleeding leg, sneered, and approached Marcus.  Marcus again slashed at
Rafe, aiming for his throat.  Rafe attempted to block his claws and received
four gashes across his lower arm.  He cried out and clutched his bleeding arm. 
Despite his injuries, Rafe kicked Marcus in the groin so hard it elevated him
from the floor.  Marcus clutched himself and fell to his knees.  Rafe attempted
to catch his breath and slowly approached Marcus on the floor.  He crouched
over him and grabbed him by the throat with blood-covered hands, prepared to
deliver the deathblow.  Marcus suddenly came to life and slashed Rafe across
the chest, slicing him to the bone.  Rafe cried out and fell onto his backside
on the broken coffee table while clutching his bleeding chest.

Marcus slowly moved to his knees, maneuvered over
Rafe, and was about to slash him across the throat.  Rafe raised his free hand,
which held the broken coffee table leg, and impaled Marcus through the chest
with the thick shard of wood.  Marcus gasped and slowly moved to his feet while
clutching the jagged wood in his chest.  Rafe weakly moved to his feet, now
panting to catch his breath.  Marcus attempted to pull the wood from his
chest.  Despite his weakened state, Rafe delivered a hard kick, driving the
wood deeper into Marcus’ chest.  Marcus gasped as blood ran from his mouth
while staring into Rafe’s determined, hateful eyes.  Marcus remained standing a
moment or two then collapsed to the floor.  Rafe clutched his bleeding chest,
almost as if feeling the enormous pain for the first time, looked at the
massive amount of blood spilling onto his hand, and frowned his annoyance.

“This day officially sucks,” he muttered.

“Rafe,” Vance was heard calling out from across the
room.  “Where’s Hailey?”

Rafe slowly turned toward Vance in the doorway and
weakly shook his head.  “I don’t know.”

Vance saw Rafe’s blood-soaked body and appeared
horrified by his injuries.  “Rafe--?”

“Hailey needs you,” he announced nearly out of
breath.  “I’ll be along shortly.  I need to rest a moment.”

Vance stared at Rafe’s severe injuries with concern
then slowly backed away.  They both knew the inevitable outcome, but neither
said it.

“Yeah, you’ve got it,” Vance said softly, almost
choking on his words.  “I’ll look after her.”

As Vance ran from the suite, Rafe slowly collapsed
onto the sofa and rested his head against the back.

†

T
he sky remained dark and threatening as the wind continued to
whip.  The creatures were no longer a threat, but the storm was still
sideswiping them.  Lucinda silently walked along the roof looking for Hailey. 
She tapped her claws together then looked at the helicopter still positioned
where she had landed it several days ago.  She grinned, exposing her sharp
fangs as she approached the helicopter.  She ran her claws along the side of the
helicopter, making a hideous grinding sound as she left scratches along the
glossy exterior.  She threw open the back door to reveal Hailey hiding on the
floor.  Lucinda maintained her evil smile and extended her clawed hand.  Her
bloodstained claws were long and sharp, commanding Hailey’s attention.

“I’ll take my necklace now,” Lucinda snarled while
smiling victoriously.

“You mean this?” Skyler’s voice was heard shouting
from behind her.

Lucinda turned with surprise to see Skyler standing
several yards away with the necklace dangling from his fingers.  His smile
mocked her.

“You want it?” he asked while taunting her with
it.  His smile twisted into a sneer.  “Come and get it, bitch.”

Lucinda aimed Marcus’ gun at Skyler.  Hailey no
longer pretended to be the frightened victim and kicked the gun upward from
Lucinda’s hand.  The gun flew back at Hailey, who attempted to catch it, struck
the inside front windshield, and fell to the floor with a distinctive clatter. 
Lucinda glared at Hailey but was obviously less concerned with her at the
moment and turned for Skyler.  When Skyler saw her claws and fangs, his mocking
smile immediately dropped to that of horror.

“Okay, no one mentioned claws and fangs!”

Lucinda lunged for Skyler.  He cried out and bolted
from her path, literally running up the half wall and flipping off it like a
deranged ninja.  Lucinda didn’t have time to stop and struck the half wall with
tremendous force.  She slammed her palms on the ledge, snarled her displeasure,
and spun toward him with rage in her yellow cat eyes.  Skyler was momentarily
intimidated by her animal like eyes but quickly rebounded.  He backed up
several steps, dangled the necklace, and grinned.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty--”

Lucinda snarled with rage and lunged for him, slashing
with her claws.  The black panther suddenly leaped past Skyler and snatched the
necklace from his hand with its mouth.  The panther stopped not far from them,
arched its back while looking at Lucinda, and growled as the necklace dangled
from its teeth.

“Oops, wrong kitty,” Skyler remarked.

Lucinda cried out and slashed at Skyler with her
claws, nearly slicing him.  He managed to leap out of her path with his own
cat-like reflexes then nervously smiled.

“Gotta go!”

Skyler ran across the roof for the door and
collided with Delaney, who mysteriously appeared almost out of nowhere.  He
slashed Skyler’s arm with his own claws.  Skyler fell against the closed door,
clutching his bleeding arm, and stared helplessly at Delaney.  Skyler’s look
then turned angry.

“Owe, that hurt, you son-of-a-bitch!”

Lucinda glared at the growling panther.  “I’ll be
back to claim my necklace once I kill your reason for existing.”

She turned toward the helicopter, about to collect
her prize, when she came face-to-face with Hailey, who stood directly behind
her.  Hailey swung a metal pipe for Lucinda’s head.  Lucinda caught the pipe
with her claws, surprising Hailey, and casually cast it aside.  Hailey backed
away from her without taking her eyes from her.  Now would be a good time for
her powers to return.

“Never mind the freak, Delaney,” Lucinda called
back while staring at Hailey.  “He’ll be dealt with easily enough once this
one’s dead.”

Skyler stared past Delaney at Lucinda and appeared
offended.  “You’re one to talk, hairball!”

“Get my necklace,” Lucinda ordered her man without
taking her eyes off Hailey.  “I’ll deal with the princess.”  She cocked her
head slightly and gave Hailey a quick once over.  “Once she’s eliminated, her
council loses their powers.”

Delaney turned his attention from Skyler to the
panther with the necklace in its mouth.  The panther growled at him.  Skyler
still clutched his bleeding arm and looked at Hailey across the roof from him.

“Hailey, do something!”

Only one thing came to mind as she helplessly watched
the scene about to unfold.

“Kitty, run!” Hailey cried out.

The panther turned and ran with the necklace. 
Delaney attempted to pounce on the panther but missed and hit the roof floor. 
The panther leaped onto the half wall and dived into a nearby tree.  The tree
swayed and the panther was no longer seen.  Delaney didn’t hesitate and leaped
into the tree after the large cat.  Skyler stared at Hailey across the roof
with a dumbfounded look.

“Not exactly what I had in mind, Hail.”

“It’s the best I’ve got,” Hailey called back.

Lucinda turned to Hailey with rage clearly in her
yellow cat eyes.  “I’ve had enough of you and your pathetic council.  It’s time
to end this.”

She raised her clawed hand to slash her throat. 
The roof door was suddenly thrown open, casting Skyler carelessly across the
roof, to reveal Vance in full ‘knight in shining armor’ mode.  Even Hailey
couldn’t deny his dashing charm with the way he stood in the doorway like some
medieval savior. 

“Not another one,” Lucinda cried out with frustration. 
“You’re like bugs crawling out of the woodwork!”

“Or better yet,” Vance announced as he grinned,
“bats from a belfry.”

Vance held his hands in the air.  There was a
strange sound against the stormy sky.  A large, dark swarm rapidly closed in. 
Lucinda appeared bewildered and took a step back.  She seemed frightened for
the first time.  A huge swarm of exceedingly large bats flew toward them.

Vance laughed evilly and waved his arms wildly in
the air.  “Fly my pretties--fly!”

Lucinda cried out as the bats swarmed around her in
a black tornado.  She shielded her face and screamed while attempting to keep
them away.

After Vance had his moment, he looked at Hailey and
turned serious.  “Hailey, Rafe’s been injured pretty badly.  You need to, you
know, do your
touchy
thing.”

“My vision--” Skyler gasped.

Hailey hurried for the open roof door and nearly
ran over Logan, who was just arriving.  Logan took a moment to catch his
breath, having run up the stairs, and then stared with surprise at the swarm of
large bats flying around Lucinda.  He smiled while nodding his approval. 

“Now
that
is cool.”

“Delaney is trying to get the necklace from kitty,”
Skyler announced and finally released his injured arm once the bleeding had
stopped.

“Where?” Logan asked.

Logan, Vance, and Skyler approached the edge of the
roof and looked into the swaying trees.  Logan held out his hand and
concentrated.  The tree branches bent and vines rapidly grew along the trees. 
They heard Delaney screaming. 

“I wouldn’t worry,” Logan announced cheerfully. 
“Delaney is a little tied up right now.”  He then looked around and appeared
curious.  “Where’s Rafe?”

There was an awkward silence as Vance and Skyler
exchanged concerned looks.

“He’s been injured,” Skyler reported in a timid
tone.

“It’s pretty serious,” Vance added.

Logan’s expression dropped.