Lost – Part Four

AN: What!? Another part to the story already?! What are the odds? lol I’m very inspired to crank this story out right now so I’m taking the bull by the horns and working towards its completion. I’ve also got even more ideas for things I could write for the Defenders story as drabbles so I’m hoping to crank some of those out as well as me and Be prepare to start up another RP with them. So without further adieu, let’s jump back into the story! Thanks for reading 🙂

*~For Be~*

Thad’s expression twisted into a grimace as he trudged up the muddied pathway along the mountain, the storm’s wrath now fully on the offense as rain pelted against the fabric of his umbrella. There was no escaping the roaring winds however, any hopes of staying dry tossed along with them as his dirtied, soaked trousers and dress shirt clung to his frame. If matters were less severe, Thad would grumble a complaint under his breath and mourn the loss of a perfectly good outfit. But his mind was elsewhere now and with the weather’s change his panic grew within his heart.

“At this rate, the rain will wash away any clue that was left behind,” Thad cursed aloud as he followed in behind Kiam, the guard’s focus on the woods around them as they climbed higher along the path. “She could be anywhere…”

“We will find her, we have every able body searching for her and plus she has Bruin with her. Don’t worry, we’ll find them both,” Kiam reminded his employer, the son of the Normanle family offering a sincere glance in his direction. He was right. Everyone was working towards finding the missing princess and her mischievous beast. They’d find them. They had to. “Kelphalos still not able to get a signal?”

The red glow of the core on Thad’s shoulder pulsed at the address, Kelphalos beeping in retort at the question. Along the surface of the core, it read once again that there was no signal from Adelle’s tablet. Wherever she was, she was without her lifeline.

“Nothing. Not even a pulse of where she could have been,” Thad muttered as he gently teased the core’s gel skin with his finger, Kelphalos relishing in the attention. “I just-I just don’t get it. I told her to stay within eye sight of the main estate. Where could she have gone?”

Kiam paused his steps to glance over his shoulder towards Thad, offering a raised brow for his words. “You really asking that question? Have you met your wards?”

Exhaustion washed over Thad’s expression at Kiam’s remark. “You’re right. What was I thinking? They’ve been pure troublemakers for the last several months. But still…Adelle would have seen the storm brewing. Why didn’t she come back?”

The two men exchanged a look before continuing their trek up the mountain. There was no need to voice what Thad was beginning to surmise in his brain. It was very likely that the reason Adelle hadn’t returned was because she was left hurt somewhere…or worse. Thad didn’t want to believe that. He needed to find her. Now.

It had been nearly an hour into the search when a familiar noise called above the heavy rainfall, Thad’s eyes widening as he reached for Kiam to stop. Both men paused and watched a soggy mound of fur leap from the wood towards them, the beast known as Bruin barking loudly as he circled the two men proudly.

“Bruin!” Thad called out as he reached for the creature, his movements pausing as the dog came to a halt and seemingly glared at his approach. Of course the beast would remember his dislike for the man, though Thad still wasn’t quite sure why. But now was not the time to fear being the unfortunate victim of a dog bite. So he slowly continued his motion, being as gentle as possible as not to spook the dog into fleeing. The beast leaned forward and provided a hesitant sniff of the man’s hand, before snuffing at him and allowing him forward. “That’s a good boy.”

Carefully Thad brushed his fingers through the soaked fur, inwardly squirming at the feel but still offering a bit of comfort to the clearly frustrated creature. The beast was tense for a moment before snuggling into Thad’s touch, the man grinning up at Kiam at the evident sign of trust. This had never happened before…ever…

“Well, we found the beast, now where’s the princess?” Kiam remarked as he knelt down beside the pair, noting the ripped leash still clinging to Bruin’s collar. “Looks like the leash snapped which may be a big reason why Adelle isn’t attached at the hip to him. She may be up the mountain trying to find this guy who got away from her.”

“Or something else entirely,” Thad added as he scratched behind Bruin’s ears, hoping to keep Bruin as calm as possible as he contemplated their next move. “Where’s she at boy? Can you help us find Adelle?”

Bruin’s head tilted at the address, not really understanding what was being asked of him. However, that didn’t seem to deter Thad in the least. He rose to his feet and took hold of the remains of the leash, keeping the umbrella above the beast as he began the trek once again up the mountain path, Kiam falling in close at his heels. At first the beast seemed stubborn in his wishes, clearly wanting to head back home where he could dress the lake house in mud from his latest venture. However, something seemed to click for Bruin as they stepped along the path, the beast soon falling in step with Thad as he sniffed the air. That’s it – someone was missing. His special person, his heart and soul – he needed to find her. Together, they would find her.

*~*~*~*~*

Every inch of Adelle was now covered in mud as she crawled through the difficult terrain, her body screaming at her with every motion begging for her to stop, to rest, to cease this trek and simply settle for whatever life has thrown at her. But with each roar of thunder above, Adelle pushed herself further, cursing her body at every chance that she would not give up. No, she needed to find shelter. She needed to be safe. She had to take care of herself. After all, it was because of her choice to not heed Thad’s warning that she got herself into this mess. Deal with the consequences and save herself. That was what she needed to do.

Relief began to wash over her along with the pelting rain as she managed to pull her way under the cover of the rockface, her body pressing into the cool stone as she pulled herself into a sitting position out of the curtains of the storm. Water still managed to blow into the small opening but it was better than nothing as she curled up onto herself and forced her hands to cover her ears for the coming bouts of thunder that rolled with the clouds above.

Breathe. Just breathe. Everything was fine. She was alive. That meant there was hope. Hope for safety beyond this hellscape she found herself in.

A blinding light crackled along the sky outside as Adelle sunk into her seat, tears rolling down her cheeks as the thunderous crash followed suit afterwards. Damn this storm. Why was everything against her today? Her honey orbs struggled to stay open as she sunk further and further into an uncomfortable ball, her mind screaming at her to stay away. Stay conscious. Don’t fall asleep, no matter what! There was no telling if she would ever be able to wake up if she did.

“I-I just want to go home,” Adelle whimpered into her cave as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks, leaving trails in the mud that had caked there. But how? How was she going to get back? She couldn’t walk. She was lord knows how far down the mountain after her fall. Every time she moved, there was pain. And of course, the storm looming overhead kept her frozen in place, the crashes above growing far too much for the injured woman to handle as she cowered there, unable to flee to the safety of her closet like many times before. What was she going to do?

The sudden sound of footsteps sloshing through the mud and puddles caught the woman’s ears as Adelle’s eyes widened, a honey gaze turning to stare out at the chaotic world beyond her hiding spot. Was it Thad and Elliot? Did they manage to find her after all? Hope began to bubble up in her chest as the footsteps grew closer and closer…

And then a looming figure came into her vision, covered up in dark clothing save for a devastating glare as he scanned the area around him. Adelle…recognized those eyes. Hands reached up to cover her mouth to ensure her struggled gasps did not escape, the woman dragging herself as far back in her hiding spot as she could. Clearly she must have been in a nightmare…because Orville Hertz, one of her abusers stood right outside waiting to pounce.

*~Part Four End~*

Lost – Part Three

AN: Finally continuing this little story since I’m inspired by news from Be that we’ll be starting up a new chapter in our Defenders RP. I can’t wait to continue exploring our characters again! And so I wanted to celebrate by actually working to finish this little story I concocted. Originally I was going to have this wrap up quicker but I had an idea in mind for what really happened on that mountain and wanted to tease possibilities for our Defenders RP going forward. Hope you guys enjoy!

Check out Part One here and Part Two here. There’s probably gonna be a few more parts so let’s hope I can crank these out soonest 🙂 Thanks for reading!

*~For Be~*

The swirling gray clouds rolled above the estate, the faintest hints of thunder beginning to bubble up from within the stormy center. Sweat cascaded down Thad’s brow as he peered up at the sky, his worry growing more and more with each passing second. Adelle hated thunder and lightning. It left her a cowering mess; however, she usually had someplace safe to hunker down for the night with Thad and Elliot there to keep her calm. Not this time…

It had been twenty minutes since Thad had noticed Adelle and her dog Bruin had vanished from sight and panic had begun to set in not only for himself but the others who carried on the search for her. The main grounds were void of any sign of her, Kiam taking lead in beginning to assemble search parties to carry on their hunt along the trails. Once Elliot came stumbling back up from the docks, Thad looked to his ward with the slimmest trace of hope that the missing pair would be bounding after him to babble apologies and chuckle at his jumping to conclusions when she left his sight for but a moment. However, that hope vanished as he took in Elliot’s expression, a panicked frown on his lips as he shuffled to his companion’s side.

“Nothing?” Thad asked, running a hand through his disheveled blond locks. It seemed his pristine looks were falling more and more by the wayside the last few months thanks to his troublesome wards. “Not even a hint of where she could be?”

Elliot shook his head at the question, his eyes scanning the treeline carefully as he settled in beside Thad. “I don’t think she ever made it to the water because there were no signs of her or Bruin there. I’m guessing by the looks of things, nothing turned up here as well?”

“You’d be right,” Thad retorted, his sleeve wiping away the beads of sweat on his brow as he followed Elliot’s stare. “We’re assembling search parties and going along the trails to search for them. There’s bound to be some clues along the way, especially with Bruin along for the ride. That beast is probably leaving a trail of fur and claw marks to lead us right to her.”

A hint of a fond smile teased at the corner’s of Elliot’s lips as he stretched his good arm across his chest, De chirping from his shoulder. “Well then, let’s get out there and find the Princess,” he began to say; however, a familiar, firm grip of a hand poised itself on the pilot’s shoulder, holding him in place. He glared towards his guardian who looked determined to hold his ward back from whatever awaited them on the trails. Oh hell no – there was no way he was staying behind. Not with Adelle missing. “I’m going too. I could hike that entire mountain faster than the lot of you. And I’ve got good eyesight and can find her in a heartbeat.”

Thad rolled his eyes at his companion’s determined declaration before kindly gesturing to the injured arm currently in a cast. “I don’t doubt your skills Elliot. But I’m going to insist you stay here. Have you looked over yourself lately? You’re a wreck. And frankly…I don’t want to have to worry about both my wards getting lost in the woods right now.”

A narrowed gaze fell on the man from his ward. Elliot couldn’t blame Thad for his worries, especially after everything he’d put him through these last several months with Oscar and so forth. But he didn’t want to get put on the sidelines. Not when someone so important to him was currently missing. “And have you looked at yourself, Thad? You’re a wreck yourself and I don’t think you’re thinking straight. You need me out there with you. So let me come with and we can find Adelle together.”

Elliot noted the tired expression on Thad’s face as he shook his head, once again running his fingers through his blond locks to calm the heartbeat likely clattering against his bones threatening to escape. He didn’t deny his ward’s words, only keeping his focus on that moment and what he needed to do. And that was keep one of his wards out of harm’s way while he took charge to find the other and bring her home. “Elliot…please…just stay put here and let me know if she finds her way back before we find her…please…”

There it was…that tired desperation… Elliot’s frown deepened as he eyes fell to the ground beneath his feet. He wasn’t going to win this argument. He knew that before it even began. “Thad…she’s scared of storms…”

“I know she is, which is why I’m going to find her as quickly as I can and bring her home,” Thad answered with a nod, his hold squeezing tight to his ward’s shoulder to provide some sort of comfort from their growing fears. “And you’ll be here to welcome us back with open arms when we do…well, open arm anyway.”

Elliot allowed a chuckle to escape his lips as he waved off his companion’s hold with a resigning nod. “Fine, I’ll stay behind. You go play hero and find Adelle. Bring her home.”

Thad’s only response with a familiar grin and a nod before he stepped away towards where Kiam had begun gathering groups to separate into search parties. Soon, everyone had left the main estate as they begun to climb the trails up the mountain, leaving Elliot standing alone by the stairs unsure of what to do. He was stiff as a board for a good while before another roll of thunder erupted above him, his gaze lifting towards the swirling clouds above. He inwardly cursed, knowing well enough that Adelle was absolutely terrified of that sound. And without them by her side, who knew how she was holding up out there. They needed to find her…and fast….

*~*~*~*~*

The moment the first rumble of thunder could be heard from the woods, Adelle was a shivering mess, the woman struggling to hold back her weeping as she desperately searched for anything to help her. She had no idea how much time had passed since her tumble over the cliffside. All she knew was the pain she felt throughout her body, and that a storm was rolling in. That was a terrible combination in and of itself. Her body shook violently as she desperately clung to a nearby tree trunk and tried her best to lift herself to her feet. Alas, her bruised leg and ankle saw to her remaining on the ground, her strength zapped completely from her limbs as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She needed to find a way to escape the storm. Thad and Elliot had yet to appear and with each passing second any hope of a rescue was dwindling from her thoughts. There was no time for tears. She had to take action to save herself. Even if her body fought against her wishes, she needed to seek shelter and come up with a plan.

The pitter patter of raindrops began to fall through the web of branches above, the chilled liquid dripping onto her dirtied skin and forcing her sense of urgency even further. Gritting her teeth, Adelle adjusted herself onto the dirt below, laying her stomach on the forming mud trail as her honey gaze searched desperately about her for something…anything…She peered along the cliffside and noticed a small opening a ways in the distance, something that could possibly be a cave that would be large enough to cover her from the storm. Her body quaked at her movements and prepared for the charge forward as Adelle bit back her cries of pain, the woman crawling her way towards what she hoped would be safety from the storm.

*~*~*~*~*

High above the woods along the cliff’s edge shuffled a single figure, the pouring rain curtaining him from view as he welcomed the cover from the prying pup that had caught on to his location earlier that day and nearly blew his cover. A wicked grin fell upon his lips as he turned heel from where he knew Adelle Hughes had fallen, the man lifting up her discarded bag from the ground and making his way off the beaten path towards cover. Peering inside, he found her tablet, the device banged up and powered down likely from the abuse of the fall. In addition, he noticed a lone Rubik’s Cube left unsolved, the man taking the device in his hold before tossing it over his shoulder unceremoniously to be claimed by the woods themselves.

Once satisfied with his search, the man sought some cover from the rain underneath the canopy of the trees before pulling out a phone and dialing the familiar number with ease. A few rings sounded before a frustrated voice piped in from the other side, clearly frustrated with whatever interruption came his way.

“This better be good, Hertz,” the voice grumbled on the other end expectantly.

“Oh it is Crane, it’s fucking great actually,” the man, named Orville Hertz, second hand to Artemis Crane, mused as he looked over his shoulder towards where the cliff’s edge waited. “I found your girl. I found Adelle Hughes. And if she didn’t get herself killed from rolling down a hill, I may have her back home by morning.”

*~Part Three End~*