Muahaha!

I just finished putting a horrible twist to Ice Crystals. OOOoooh, you guys will like it, I hope. Ready or not, here come more complications!

              “Get out,” I growled softly to her. Then, with a snort of contempt and a flick of my wrist, I set her tumbling through the air and she hit the stone wall next to the door with her back. Tears streamed down her eyes and she gasped when her wings were crushed. I flinched, thinking of how my own wings would do with the same situation.

            Sugar stumbled to her feet, and staggered out of Chef’s area. 

            The last shimmer of her shirt faded. There was a scream, and assuming it was Sugar, I tuned her out. Shadow stumbled in, looking baffled.

            “Is she okay?” he asked. I noticed his shirt was different than yesterday’s. I mentally shrugged. He must’ve cleaned up.

            “She got touchy,” Spark explained, his shocks subsiding. Shadow darkened.

            “Expect that from her,” he warned us, then caught sight of Cougar still shaking with rage.

            “She’d better…not come…near….me…again,” Cougar spat out. I pressed my wings closer, knowing to well how easily Cougar can kill.

            “Do you think fresh air would do us all a favor? Chef?” Shadow inclined his head. “Why don’t you leave a pile of food here and lets all go into the desert for open air.”

            So we did.

            A dust bomb exploded near me. Shrieking in a very hawk-like manor, I snapped my head up. In response, my attacker giggled.

            “Shadow!” I protested, leaping up. As I did I scooped up some of the desert earth for a weapon. “Spark, cover me!” I jumped to join Shadow in the sky. Spark let out a war-cry. I flung my weapon at Shadow. He sputtered, smiling. Then, ducking and maneuvering close to the cliff wall, he used the wall as a launch pad and hurled himself at me. I fell backwards, allowing him to fly over me. I pulled a swift barrel-roll to come face-to-face with Shadow again.

            “Gotcha!” he laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist. Below us I heard a squeal from Chef as Spark tossed his dust onto her. My cheeks flamed. Gently, I tugged myself out of his grip.

            In the distance, I saw a shape. It gave off the same vibe as the blob did. I backed in mid-air, and into Shadow. The back of my neck prickled. It was coming for us…fast.

            “Spark! Cougar! Chef!” I cried out in alarm. They stopped what they were doing to look at me. Ruffled, I dove down to them. Shadow angled his bat wings and followed me. I landed roughly, dust spewing out from me.

            “Something’s come toward us really fast, and I don’t think it’s a tourist truck,” I explained. Shadow glanced out into the desert. Spark reached out for my hand, which had become a habit when either of us was nervous or scared. Cougar sidled up to Shadow, naturally feeling the urge to protect his best friend. Chef constructed a bow and arrow.

            We all flattened ourselves into the bushes that were planted long ago by the ancient race that lived here. Spark pressed close to me. The shape grew and grew until I could define it as a massive tank, only without the big gun-thinger. I sensed Shadow and Cougar tense, while Chef whipped out her book and formed a huge gun.

            The tank stopped. A red beam of light spilled out of the tank, and then retreated. Nothing else happened. The wind swayed our bushes, but we remained concealed. And I relaxed too soon.

            As soon as my muscles released tension, a loud burst of noise and I was being dragged painfully by my wings. I screamed. Spark leapt forward, only to be hit in the middle of the forehead with a gun of some sort. He stumbled, and fell still.     

            “Spark!” I cried raggedly. Men in black suits surrounded him and carried him toward the tank. Vain to free my friend, I struggled.

            “Spark, no! No!” I clenched my stomach, throwing my feet above my head while holding onto the arm of my captor for support, and kicked him in the face. He gasped, and let go. Instantly, I spun and threw five punches and two kicks in between at him. Shadow jumped from his hiding place and hared to where Spark was being loaded. Chef unleashed her gun. Cougar snarled, pouncing onto the nearest opponent. His tail lashed.

            Flicking my wings, I shot over the men and to Spark. Shadow was holding out on his own, but they were still managing to inch him to the tank. I didn’t know why these men were here, but they were attacking us, so I would fight to my death.

            Suddenly, there was a gunshot. Not the loud bang of Chef’s gun, but the whistle of a handgun. Pain exploded in my right wing. I flapped hard with both wings, gritting my teeth against the pain.

            “Crystal, die won’t you?”

            I went numb. My wings stopped working, and I plummeted.

            “Crystal!” Shadow saw my fall. But just then he was overcome by men. My blood ran cool, ice settling on my skin. A figure stood over me, holding the silhouette of a gun.

            “You were a failure,” he growled. “Do you know what you put your mother and me through? Now you can never return.” I shivered, the ice became crisp. It invaded my mind, chilling it numb.

            “D-dad?” I hissed weakly. He moved so that the sun glinted of his familiar features. I never noticed it before, but he looked horrid. His smile made me feel like there was acid in my stomach. Never had I seen him smile, just smirk slightly. Never.

            “Hey honey,” he whispered back, and pulled the trigger.