Trials With Errors (Part 2)

Maeve's First Blackout With A Missing Brother.

Maeve and the 118 made home in the firehouse for 5 days so far.

They had to share the house with another house and it was slightly more crowded than usual. Maeve slept on a pillow under Bobby's bed, and she decided to not eat in the firehouse because the food left sucked.

"Cap, powdered eggs?" Chimney exclaimed, looking at the eggs in disgust. "Can't you save some of the good stuff at the back of the fridge for the A-shift?"

"Sorry Chimney, but we can't keep that generator running 24/7, we're going to burn too much fuel." Bobby replied. "Seriously? Maeve, Hen, can you believe this-..."

"If you want, I can get you some pigeon?" Maeve suggested, chewing on some of the birds she got outside.

"... I'll pass this time, kiddo.."

...

The next morning, the 118 had to leave for a mission.

"Why are they calling us for the animals? Won't that be up to animal control?" Buck asked. "I asked about animal control, they've been busy since the breakout."

"Yeah, they got a lion in Griffin park."

"They have been everywhere since the break out." Chimney added. "Yeah but this is not like me and Eddie bagging a turkey in a neighborhood."

"They got some serious predators. Tigers, monkeys, wolves!" Buck exclaimed. "You forgot something Buck."

"What?"

"We have a predator too."

The street of Hollywood was torn apart, littered in papers while animals roamed free. Everyone else walked in slowly, proceeding with caution.

"You guys are scaredy cats." Maeve sighed, walking in like there wasn't a giraffe nearby. The place was overrun with wild animals, but it didn't seem to bother the shape-shifter.

"They said something about an animal attack. Cap, I don't see any humans." Hen said. Chimney turned the corner and spotted someone injured.

"Guys, over here!" He called, the man had a compound fracture and the area around his eyes were purple.

He said his boss was still inside, with some weird animal. "Hen, you're with me. Eddie, Chimney, you're with him. Buck and Maeve, you're on animal controls."

"Yay, animals!" Maeve squealed, making Bobby chuckle. "Huh, what does that mean? What do we do?" Buck asked, confused.

"See an animal acting out, control it."

10 minutes later, Bobby wished he brought Maeve in. He and Hen were cornered by two alpacas and they were hungry for human blood. "Cap, it would be amazing time for you to call for a certain someone."

"Knowing Maeve, she would never hurt an animal on purpose." Bobby replied, backing away slowly. Meanwhile, outside, Maeve heard what the two said.

Master of eavesdropping, after all.

Quickly, she snuck around back and entered the shop. Immediately, she saw the captain and paramedic being cornered by the alpacas and the shape-shifter lunged for the animals.

She didn't come out for 5 minutes but when she did, her mouth was covered in blood. "Did you-..."

"Eat the alpacas? Yes, I did. It was them or me, I chose me." Maeve smiled innocently. "You are as adorable as you are scary." Buck smiled, and Maeve rolled her eyes. "Then I choose scary."

As they were packing up, Eddie couldn't help but ask.

"You and Hen ran from an alpaca?" Eddie asked, almost laughing. "Two alpacas and there was no running." Bobby replied, and from behind, Maeve shook her head.

But it was like Bobby heard it.

The fire captain turned around and gave her a 'really?' look, to which the shape-shifter smirked.

"Get on the truck."

...

"Listen, Maeve, we got it settled here. Why don't you go home? Micheal and David will watch you for the time-being." Bobby asked. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"It's better than being here, kid. If there's any problem, you can always come back, okay?" Maeve contemplated the idea for a bit and nodded. "Alright, I guess, I'll cut my shift short."

"And today, you better sleep."

"Okay, okay!" Maeve chuckled, giving Bobby one last hug before grabbing her bag. "See you later, Daddy!"

"Bye, kid." Maeve exited the dark firehouse and morphed into a bird before taking off into the sky. Once she returned to the house, she landed back as a human and noticed the open door.

Curious, Maeve peeked inside and noticed that it was incredibly crowded. "Maeve, aren't you supposed to be at work?" Micheal asked, standing at the kitchen island.

"Bobby sent me home to rest, guess he was desperate for me to leave and not eat any more birds."

"Oh... well uh, how about you go talk with Harry and his new friend?" He smiled, brushing off what she said. Maeve excitedly threw off her bag and looked for her brother.

But he wasn't home.

Confused, Maeve went outside and saw someone putting Harry in their car's trunk. She rushed over, and paused when she saw who it was. "Ha... Harry...?" She whimpered.

"Ah, Maeve, just who I need..." The man turned around and it was who it was. "H-Hudson...?" Maeve stumbled back. Her eyes darted to Harry and her blood ran cold.

In that minute she was distracted, Hudson held her down, holding a chloroform soaked towel over her mouth and nose. Maeve struggled, kicking against the man but it was too late.

A few minutes later, everything went dark.

...

"Bobby! Can you reach home before me? I'm ten minutes out." Athena called, sounding frantic. "No, traffic's going to be a nightmare. Why, what's going on?"

"Bobby, I was so focused on Hudson showing up at the victim's house that I forgot..."

"You're a victim too... and so is..." The fire captain's eyes widened and he immediately ran downstairs, throwing Chimney a walkie talkie.

"Chim, you're in charge. Can't explain, I'm taking the captain's truck." Bobby was sure he broke several driving laws on the way to the house, and he practically broke in.

Athena's Captain, Elaine, Athena and Micheal were already in the living room, looking panicked.

"Is she here?" Bobby asked frantically, panting like he forgot to breathe on the way here. "Is who here?" Athena's captain asked. "Maeve, I sent her home an hour ago! Is she here?"

"You sent her-..." But Athena paused mid sentence, it finally sank in what happened. "Oh no... Hudson."

Half way across town, Maeve was sedated and chained in the back seat of the car while Harry was in the trunk. Her eyelids fluttered open, trying to take in the blurry surroundings.

It took her a few seconds to realise where she was.

"Don't bother trying to say anything." Jeffrey smirked. "I basically gave the amount of chloroform to drug an elephant..."

Maeve shook her head, pulling on the cuffs on her hand. "Ah, ah, ah... if you pull on those anymore, I'm gonna have to let you face the consequences."

"W... where's... Harry...?" Maeve growled, still groggy from the drugs.

"Oh, he's in the truck. I know a place where no one... will never find you again. And if you don't do as I say... I will kill that pathetic excuse of a firehouse and burn everything else to the ground."

The car drove for a very long time. An agonisingly long time, and Maeve had hoped that the cars that they passed by would stop and notice something.

None of them did.

But finally, the car stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Jeffery got out the car, and walked away, inside a nearby house that looked relatively abandoned.

As soon as the car was out of sight, Maeve bit on her chains. It took a while, but the chains finally snapped and Maeve busted out the car window.

Quickly, she moved to the back and opened the trunk. "Harry!" She whispered, and the boy made some muffled noises, trying to talk. Maeve took off the duct tape and untied the boy.

"Quick, hide!" He stated, shoving the girl under the car. The two huddled together, and the sounds of Jeffery's footsteps approached and they held their breaths.

Jeffery immediately noticed the open car trunk and cursed under his breath. "Where are you, kids?" He called, circling the area. Just as they thought they were safe, Jeffery pulled them out.

"Ah!" Harry yelped, and Maeve immediately kicked the man back. He grabbed the both of them, and struggled them into the car. A person with their dog walked by, and stopped to see what was happening.

"What are you doing to those kids?" She asked fearfully. "It's okay, Mam. I'm a police officer. These rascals have been breaking and entering, so I'm going to arrest them and take-..."

"Don't listen to him! Please, you have a phone right? Record, please!" Harry pleaded, and Maeve agreed, trying to keep the officer back. Thankfully, she did record.

But then, Jeffery pulled out a police badge.

Athena's police badge.

He handcuffed Maeve and stuffed the two into the back, before driving away. "You're in so much trouble, when my parents find you, you're dead." Harry glared.

"Talking about your mom?" Jeff snorted.

"I'm talking about Bobby and my dad, they are going to whoop your ass." Just as he said that, the car screeched to a halt. "We get off here." Jeff growled, pulling Harry out.

"Hey, wait, leave him alone!" Maeve cried, kicking the door. Jeffery turned back and pulled the shape-shifter out as well, holding a blade to her throat.

"Dragon.. now." He demanded, pushing her to the ground. "Leave her alone!" Harry objected, but Jeffery then held the blade to his throat and it made Maeve freeze.

"Ah... so this is your weakness... your little family..." The criminal hummed, pressing the blade a bit harder against Harry's neck. "W-wait-!! Please... don't hurt him.." Maeve whimpered.

"Then, turn into a dragon and shut your mouth."

Scared for Harry's life, Maeve looked down and tore off the handcuffs before shape-shifting into a dragon. Jeffery handcuffed Harry and threw him next to Maeve, his knife glistening from the street lamp lights.

Jeffery pressed his foot down on Maeve's head, making the dragon shift uncomfortably. "Hold still... this... is gonna hurt." Maeve opened her eyes and watched the knife press against her left wing.

"Wait, stop, it's gonna hurt her!" Harry shouted, but Jeffery slid no mind. 'No... don't, please... stop! Stop, stop, stop, it hurts!' Maeve thought to herself as tears fell from her eyes.

Jeffery slashed off her left wing, making the dragon scream in pain. "Oh, don't be such a baby..." he rolled his eyes, one hand gripping Maeve's right wing as the young firefighter morphed back to normal.

It hurt so bad.

"Stop, you're hurting her!" Harry shouted again. "Sorry, kid... but the monster's gotta pay."

He pressed the knife down on her other wing, and Maeve gasped in pain. "No, no, no, stop! Please, don't- AH!" She sobbed as her other wing fell beside her.

Maeve clutched her body, blood flowing from her back. "Aw, not so tough now, aren't ya?" The criminal laughed, grabbing her by her hair as he ran the blade down her arm hard, making more blood spill.

"Don't you touch her!" Harry growled.

"Pfft, the damage is already done, kid... I de-winged your monster and now... she's nothing..."

What if she really is a monster..?

She doesn't want to be one.

She's supposed to save people, and now, she was the reason Harry was kidnapped. Maybe, she deserved for her wings to get cut off.

...

Bobby watched the video of Jeffery forcing Harry and Maeve into his car, and it filled him with rage.

They found the person who took this video and she directed them to where she last saw the two. The fire captain came with the 118, and Micheal because he couldn't say no.

They followed some car tracks which led to an unholy scene.

In the dirt, amongst the puddles of blood was a pair of wings. They resembled Maeve's, but she was nowhere to be found. "Did he...?" Hen asked, giving the wings a pointed look.

"... He cut off Maeve's wings." Bobby muttered, picking one up. "S-she c-can grow them back, right?" Buck asked fearfully, but Bobby didn't answer.

He just kept staring at the blood of his daughter.

"Bobby, we gotta go. The faster we find them, the less blood Maeve would lose." Micheal said, backing away from the scene. Bobby stared at the blood for a little longer, before turning away.

He got in the truck and a call came from Athena.

"Bobby, find anything?" Athena asked. Bobby stayed quiet before a moment and sighed. "I... I found Maeve's wings... Hudson... cut them off..." He could hear Athena gasp softly, but she didn't say anything.

"... A-any leads...?" She whispered, trying to breathe. "I-..."

"Wait... I'm getting a call from... Bobby, I have to go." Athena hanged up and Bobby's eyebrows furrowed. Who called Athena that made her hang up so fast?

...

"You two will stay in here until I come and get you... or not. Either way, she's gonna die before the firefighters get here." Jeffery smirked, throwing the two in.

Blood had soaked through Maeve's shirt and she was on the bridge of unconsciousness.

"You won't get away with this." Harry hissed, spitting in his face. It made the criminal laugh, and run the blade down the boy's face, making a cut deep enough for him to whimper in pain.

"I bet, kiddo."

He closed the door, sealing the two in darkness.

"I-it's gonna be okay, Maeve... M-mum will find us and... and you will live, okay?" He whispered, pulling Maeve closer. Harry searched around with his hands and found a cloth, seemed like Hudson left it there for them.

He took it and turned Maeve around, pressing it on her back.

Maeve made a yelp of pain, shifting uncomfortably under the cloth. "J-just keep breathing... Help will come..."

"... eventually."

It took hours, maybe even a day. But when Maeve opened her eyes again, she found her hand being gripped by someone else's.

The hand was white and big, and for a split second, Maeve thought it was Hudson. She yanked her hands back, and held out her fists to whoever was there.

The figure put his hands out and the young firefighter finally made out who it was.

It was Bobby.

"Hey kid..." Bobby said calmly, and Maeve slowly put her fists down. She looked around frantically, but stopped when a sharp pain hit her back. "Woah, woah, be careful..."

"It's okay... you're safe now... Hudson can't hurt you anymore.."

The young firefighter took in her surroundings finally, it was a hospital. She could tell by the fluorescent lights and medicine smell, and the air finally allowed itself back into her lungs.

She looked down at her hands, and then at Bobby and tears filled her eyes. "Daddy!" She sobbed, hugging the man, despite the pain in her back.

"Hey, hey, it's okay... he can't hurt you anymore..."

"... Promise...?"

"Promise."