Fear the Night

Chapter 6: The First Night

Isabella and Yukio stood a good distance from the cage as Faye the Drone snarled at them, pacing the width of her cell as Maverick stood at her dish on the chain outside the cell.

“What’s the matter, babe?” he smirked at her. “Don’t like an audience?”

“Sh-Should you tease her like that?” Yukio trembled in fear, keeping his eyes on Faye.

“Oh, I talk to her like that all the time,” Maverick replied, waving him off and still looking at the Drone himself then kneeled in front of the dish and gently urged, “Come on, Faye. You did it yesterday. Did you forget?”

“Maybe she’s not hungry?” Isabella guessed and Maverick sighed.

“This is breakfast for her,” he replied. “She should be hungry.” He stood tall with another sigh and turned to them to say, “Well, might as well introduce you to her.”

“Uh, we’re ok,” Yukio replied as the two stared at him with wide eyes. “We don’t need—”

“We’ll start with you,” Maverick chuckled and grabbed the other man’s arm. Yukio shook his head vigorously as Maverick continued to pull him closer to the cell.

“Say ‘hello,’ Yukio,” he said, patting the man’s shoulder reassuringly.

“He-Hello,” Yukio sputtered with a slight frown of wonder as to why he was doing this. “Hello, Faye.”

She snarled and tried to reach for him through the bars but he jumped and ducked behind Maverick to escape her reach, even though he was out of it by a few inches. Maverick chuckled again and looked at Isabella. All he had to do was hold his hand out and she stepped toward him, taking his hand which made her heart skip a beat. Yukio watched them both carefully as Maverick pulled Isabella in front of him.

“This is Isabella, hun,” he smiled at Faye. “She’s the one that named you.”

The Drone suddenly froze, her yellow eyes staring intently at Isabella. Maverick didn’t fail to notice this and frowned in wonder when Faye pulled back into her cell. Isabella shifted on her feet, feeling liked the creature was evaluating her which Maverick knew she was.

This is new, he thought to himself. She looks like she’s sizing Bell up.

“Maverick,” Isabella muttered out of the corner of her mouth, snapping him from his thoughts. “Why is she staring at me like that?”

“I don’t know, Bell,” he admitted and couldn’t help adding, “Maybe it’s actually a boy and your pretty face is making an impression on him?”

“W-What?!” she breathed and instantly turned red as she headed to where Yukio was standing next to the stairs. “You’re very amusing, Maverick!”

“Extremely,” Yukio chimed in sarcastically, narrowing his eyes in suspicion at Maverick as he added, “Hilarious.”

“I’m here, just for that purpose,” Maverick smiled, turning toward them and bowing low. “I live only to entertain and amuse.”

Isabella giggled and Yukio shot his glare at her. He didn’t like the way this was going. He was for the match at first, but they didn’t have time for it now. Suits and Drones were after Maverick; a fugitive’s life wasn’t for Isabella. But, if they ended up falling for each other, he wouldn’t stand between them.

“Maverick! Look!” Isabella gasped pointing toward the cell and Maverick whirled around to see Faye pulling the dish through the bars.

“Decided you were hungry, huh?” he smiled and knelt down as Faye began devouring her food. “Hey, Yukio, could you get the notebook out of that safe, for me?”

Yukio nodded and did as instructed as Isabella cautiously approached the cell and knelt down next to Maverick.

“Do you do this every night?” she wondered.

“Every night since she’s been here,” he confirmed. “And every night until Lock-Dah.”

“What’s Lock-Dah?” Yukio asked as he handed Maverick the notebook.

“That’s the day the first Drone appeared,” he explained, making himself comfortable to write. “The 40th anniversary is this year, in the 39 days, actually.”

“I didn’t know you had a holiday for that,” Yukio said, sitting next to Isabella as she sat from kneeling. “Why would you wanna celebrate something like that?”

“It’s not so much a celebration as a remembrance,” Maverick replied.

“Why would you have to remember it?” Yukio wondered. “You don’t need a special day to remind you that there’s creatures out there that could kill and eat you, do you?”

“Not really,” Maverick chuckled. “But that’s not what’s being remembered.

“Forty years ago, this Country was ruled by a man the people appointed as President who had a daughter but no wife. Whenever he made an appearance with his daughter, over time, she started to look paler and paler. It might have been because of her long black hair or lack of sunlight…no one knows for sure.

“She was never happy, hardly ever smiled and never laughed. Everyone thought she was going through a dark phase since she was young and had no mother for most of her life. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case.

“One night, the President’s secret police found him bloody and dead in his room and his daughter was nowhere to be found. They thought someone had killed him and kidnapped the daughter, but when one of the night patrolmen was on duty outside the home, he spotted someone…or rather, something that looked like the girl and reported it.

“But instead of trying to help her, they reported her dead and said that everyone should stay inside their homes at night. They set a curfew and everything, telling people it wasn’t safe to be out after sunset.

“Later on, people found out why. The Suits keep the laws set down by the last President and they’ve been making up some of new laws we live with now.”

He paused and scoffed, hissing, “Damned Suits.”

“How do you know so much about what happened if the police told everyone she was dead and you weren’t even born yet?” Isabella wondered as Maverick shut the notebook. He looked to them with a sigh.

“Because that night patrolman who saw the first Drone was my father,” he replied, solemnly.

Before either Isabella of Yukio could respond they heard scratching above their heads at the top of the staircase.

“Oh, no,” Maverick breathed as he stood and all three looked to the stairs.

“What is it?” Isabella wondered, hesitantly.

“The door,” he replied, not looking at her. “It’s unlocked!”

“But you said they have trouble with doors!” Yukio reminded him as he and Isabella scrambled to their feet while Maverick dropped the notebook and ran up the stairs.

“They figured out how to open mine!” he called and Yukio and Isabella ran after him.

“You said they were stupid!” Yukio shot back at the bottom of the stairs.

“Now is not the time for this conversation!” Maverick growled at the top of the stairs, gripping a huge handle on the door to keep it closed.

“I’ll help!” Yukio called to him then turned to Isabella at the bottom step to order, “Stay down here.”

She nodded and Yukio hurried up the stairs to grip the other end of the handle. The door started lifting slightly and the two men pulled as hard as they could, struggling to keep the door shut. They heard the Drones snarling and scratching above them and felt them trying to get the door up to get in.

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“Isabella stared at the staircase in terror, her face paling as she also heard the scratching and snarls. She backed away from the stairs until her back came to the bars of Faye’s cell. All she could hear was her own heart thumping in her chest in panic. She frowned slightly when she felt the end of her cloak lift up slightly, but didn’t turn around.

She sensed like she was being watched and shivered when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A low growl rumbled behind her and she gave a gasp but it was cut short when she was yanked back by the hood of her cloak. The back of her head wedged between the bars but the knot of her cloak around her neck choking her and keeping her from yelling for help.

“Mine,” she heard a voice growl into her ear, but that was all she heard.

She talks?! Isabella thought to herself, but that was the extent of the thought as she lifted her hands to the knot of her cloak. She could feel Faye’s grip tighten on the cloak to pull her tighter against the bars. Isabella’s fingers couldn’t untie her cloak fast enough but when she finally did untie it she shoved herself forward and onto the ground with a grunt.

Faye flew back from the sudden slack and snarled as she crawled toward the bars and reached for Isabella. The woman tried to back away but the Drone gripped her ankle tightly, digging her nails into Isabella’s skin and causing her to let out a cry of pain.

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“Yukio and Maverick heard the cry and looked at each other in horror.

“Go help her!” Maverick spat, bracing himself to take all of the pull of the door. “I got this! Go!”

Yukio let go and the door opened just a little but Maverick yanked it back down with all his strength and braced himself with one foot against the wall.

Yukio scrambled down the stairs and stopped dead at the bottom in wide-eyed terror. Isabella was bracing herself feet first against the bars of Faye’s cell while the Drone was still gripping her ankle, trying to pull her close enough to kill her.

“Get off of her!” Yukio growled, running toward the cell. He bent down and Isabella latched onto his arm as he tried to pry Faye’s hand from her ankle.

“I said let go, you stupid bitch!” he snarled at Faye and stood to slam his foot into the Drone’s face. She howled in pain and let go of Isabella’s ankle as Yukio pulled her far enough away from the cell. She was crying and wouldn’t let go of his arm as she used her uninjured leg to shove herself as far away from the cell as possible.

“Go---!” she choked, then swallowed before trying again, “Go help Maverick!”

“Hell no!” Yukio spat, sitting to pull her closer as they both watched Faye skulk around in her cell. “I gotta make sure she doesn’t do that again!”

“I’ll go sit on the bed,” she shuddered. “Go help him!”

“Shit!”

They both jumped when they heard Maverick’s shout and Yukio scrambled to his feet, pulling Isabella with him. He helped her around the corner to the bed and sat her down on it then ran back toward the stairs. When he reached the top, he saw Maverick still holding the door shut but only with one hand.

“What happened?!” he asked when Yukio grabbed the handle to help.

“Faye attacked Isabella Yukio replied, struggling with the door and Maverick looked at him with wide eyes.

“Is she alright?!” he snapped.

“She’s alive,” Yukio assured him. “It’s only her ankle. Damn thing tried to kill her!” He looked down at Maverick’s right hand then asked, “What happened to you?”

“I was stupid and slid my hand where I shouldn’t have,” he replied in an emotionless tone. “Broke my fingers.”

The door jumped a little more than before and when the two men slammed it shut again, the Drones above snarled and hissed in anger.

“You said this thing had a lock on it?!” Yukio recalled, still struggling with the door.

“It’s outside!” Maverick struggled as well. He suddenly had more strength in his left arm from anger at the Drones outside and the one below in the cell. Setting his jaw he loosened his grip a little then shoved Yukio against the wall so that he lost grip of the handle.

“What the hell---?!”

“Let one in,” Maverick instructed in a dark tone and Yukio stared at him in disbelief.

“Let one in?!” he echoed in a shriek. “Are you nuts?!”

“Back up,” Maverick instructed as some fingers curled around the edge of the door. “Get on the other side of me.”

Yukio hesitated but did as he was told.

“When I tell you, pull the door back down,” maverick said and Yukio gripped the handle ready to do as he was told. The fingers at the edge of the door curled and before either of the men blinked, a Drone’s face was in the entrance and snarling straight into Maverick’s face.

“Now!”

The two men slammed the door back down and the Drone wailed in pain but snarled in Maverick’s face again.

“Let go!” he yelled at Yukio and the other man did as he was told while Maverick held onto the door with his bionic arm. He let the door up then slammed it back down on the Drone’s head. He did this several times as Yukio backed against the wall, horror over his face. He’d never send anyone as angry as Maverick was at that moment and it scared him.

Thumps and cracks were heard as Maverick continued slamming the door on the Drone’s head. Soon the creature wasn’t moving and its tongue was hanging out of its mouth while its head fell limp in the entrance.

Maverick stopped slamming the door on the Drone and panted for breath. Ignoring the pain in his broken fingers, he shoved the Drone up and out then slammed the door shut.

“What now?” Yukio whispered, maintaining the silence that was followed by the slam of the door.

“Now,” Maverick breathed in thought. “Now…when I tell you, you’re gonna slam this door shut behind me.”

“What are you gonna do?!” Yukio wondered, but realization hit him and he stared at Maverick in disbelief then hissed, “You’re not gonna go out there, are you?!”

“If we expect to be safe down here till morning I have to lock the door,” Maverick replied. “They’ll be too busy eating. Just open the door slowly, let me out and after I lock it, shut it behind me when I get back in.”

“You’re crazy!” Yukio growled. “Suicidal! You can’t expect me to let you do this!”

“If it was just me and you, I’d tell you, I’d tell you to stay here and hold the door shut with me,” Maverick shot back. “But we have to protect Isabella! We have to take care of her and keep her safe! We can’t be messing around up here with these things! Now, slowly open the door before I shove you outta the way and to this myself!”

Yukio stared at Maverick for moment but nodded and gazed at the door, gripping the handle with both hands. He slowly pushed it open as Maverick just as slowly stepped out and into the dark alley above.

He watched the Drones at the other and of the alley tearing apart the one he’d killed then stood next to the door and pulled a brick out of the wall he was closer to. Reaching into the hole he’d made, he flipped a switch on the side and shoved the brick back in.

Yukio jumped when he saw bolts with slanted tops come from the wall just above the frame of the trap door. Maverick was about to jump into the opening again when he heard a growl behind him. He turned slowly and saw another Drone about to pounce at him, making him sigh in exasperation.

“Yukio,” he called. “Shut the door.”

“What?!” Yukio hissed, looking out enough to look around the alley. He looked to the direction Maverick was facing and paled instantly. “Shit!”

“Shut the door!” Maverick snarled seeing the Drone crouch lower to the ground. “The button on the far wall will unlock it in the morning. Shut the goddamn door!”

“Not without you, Mave!” Yukio argued.

Maverick growled in irritation and spun around just as the Drone launched itself at him. He shoved Yukio down with his foot and slammed the door shut after him. The Drone landed on Maverick’s back, pinning him face first to the ground.

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”““Mave!” Yukio shouted, slamming his hands on the door, but knowing it wouldn’t open. “Dammit!”

He ran down the stairs and ran to one of the boxes that he’d brought, not noticing Isabella limp around the corner and stare at him, then look around the small room.

“Where’s Maverick?” she asked timidly with wide eyes and Yukio whirled around to stare back at her with his own wide-eyed expression.

Stay on the bed,” he told her, then turned back to rummage through the box. “I’ll be right back.”

He lifted a gun fro the box and cocked it as Isabella stared at him in disbelief.

“You’ll be right back?!” she shrieked as Yukio stood and headed to the stairs. “What are you doing?!”

“Get in the bedroom!” he snarled and ran up the stairs as she stared at him.

Yukio stopped at the top and looked at the walls, looking for the button Maverick had told him about. He found a red button at eyes level and pressed it with his whole fist. He heard the bolts pull back into the wall and braced himself for anything that might come through.

He slowly pushed the door open and heard Maverick grunting and shouting along with snarls, growls and hisses from the Drones. He stuck his head up from the entrance and saw Maverick pinned against a wall by a Drone, his foot on the thing’s chest. Yukio didn’t bother looking anywhere else and swung his armed hand out in front of him, took aim and fired.

Maverick winced when he heard the shot and felt blood spatter over his face as the Drone he’d been fighting fell sideways, dead from the headshot. He looked at Yukio with wide eyes but the other man kept aiming his gun in his direction.

“I told you---!”

“Save it and get your ass over here!” Yukio spat, firing again. Maverick looked behind him, hearing the bullet whiz past his ear and saw a Drone jerk back, mid-leap fall to the ground, dead.

“Hurry up!” Yukio called again and Maverick scrambled on all fours toward the door as Yukio got out completely. “I’ll lock it again.”

“Look out!” Maverick shouted as he got in the door and Yukio spun around and shot another Drone charging toward them. He turned to the wall and yanked the brick Maverick had pulled out before from the wall.

“Yukio!” Maverick shouted again, but before the other man could respond he’d grabbed the gun and shot three Drones. “I’ll cover you!”

Yukio flipped the switch, shoved the brick back in the wall then jumped into the trap door and Maverick shot another Drone before ducking in and shutting the door behind him. They sat on the steps and panted to catch their breath and Maverick glared at Yukio.

“First of all,” he panted, still holding Yukio’s gun. “I told you to stay here, and second of all, where the hell did you get this gun?!”

“It was my father’s,” Yukio panted back. “And if I didn’t go after you I would’ve gotten an earful from Izzy.”

They both looked at each other with wide eyes and scrambled down the stairs to round the corner into Maverick’s bedroom.

“Izzy!”

“Bell!”

Both men looked at each other with a frown each then turned back to Isabella who was sitting on the bed, blood drops running from the places Faye had dug her nails into her skin.

“Boys,” she replied and Yukio ran toward her to sit on the bed with her and hug her tightly.

“What the hell happened?!” Maverick demanded, hurrying to his nightstand and pulling out a roll of gauze.

“Faye attacked me,” Isabella answered as Yukio still hugged her and she held onto his arm. “She grabbed my cloak and she was right next to my ear when she spoke to me.”

Maverick froze and stared at Isabella with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“She spoke?!” he nearly shrieked and Isabella nodded vigorously.

“She stood, too,” she went on. “She said, ‘Mine’ and tried to choke me to death!”

“‘Mine’?” Maverick echoed, placing Yukio’s gun on the nightstand as he faced her. “What’s supposed to be hers?”

“Hello!” Yukio shouted, gesturing to Isabella’s ankle and the two looked at him. “Her ankle is bleeding here!”

“Yukio, there should be some disinfectant in my box, could you get it?” Isabella replied and Yukio nodded, leaving a tender kiss on the side of her head before standing to do what he was told.

Maverick walked toward her, knelt down in front of her, the roll of gauze in his hand and gently lifted her foot onto his knee. She shot her gaze at him as he looked back at her with wide eyes.

“Is it broken?” he asked and she only shook her head. “It doesn’t feel broken at all?”

She shook her head again, not able to find her voice. He nodded in return and turned to her ankle again, using his hands to wipe away the streams of blood from her skin.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled and Isabella swallowed, trying to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. “I didn’t think she’d attack. She’s never done that to me. Sure, she’s tried to grab me few times but the one time she did it was…playful.”

“It’s not your fault,” Isabella breathed and he looked up at her again. “You couldn’t have possibly known what she’d do. And you were busy trying to keep the other Drones from killing us. It’s not your fault.”

“Bell,” Maverick smiled, warmly, “you’re such a great girl, ya know?” I’m sorry you got mixed onto this. You and Yukio.”

“I-It’s no big deal,” she sputtered as she blushed from his expression.

“Izzy!” Yukio called, rounding the corner into the room. “Here’s the disinfectant and a cloth to wipe the blood from your ankle.”

He handed then to Maverick who stayed in his position in front of Isabella and dabbed the cloth with the bottled disinfectant as Yukio sat back down next to Isabella and maverick looked up at her.

“This is gonna sting,” he warned and she nodded bracing herself. Pain stung on her wounds as he wiped her ankle clean and Yukio watched in evaluation at the care Maverick in healing Isabella. Wasn’t this the same man who just a few moments ago pounded a Drone to death and shot a few others?

Maverick finished wiping away the blood then wrapped the gauze around she ankle as she stared at him with wide eyes. He cut the excess gauze away with his teeth, causing her to stiffen when his breath fanned her skin only for a moment. He straightened and knotted the bandage then smiled up at her.

“There,” he smiled, still. “All done.”

Yukio watched the pair closely as Maverick gently let Isabella’s foot off of his knee then stood and held his hands toward her. She frowned up at him then looked at Yukio who only shrugged and stood as well to walk away. She turned back to Maverick who frowned back at her.

“What’s wrong?” he wondered. “I’m only gonna help you up.” He smirked playfully then added, “I promise to behave.”

“W-What?!” she chuckled, nervously.

“Just give me your hands,” he chuckled back, amused at her embarrassment. Finally, Isabella placed her hands in his and he helped her up onto her good foot then steadied her on it.

“Try putting your weight on it,” he advised. “See if it’s sprained.”

She nodded and did what she was told. When she placed her foot on the ground and felt no pain she smiled up at him and assured him, “I’m fine. It’s only the scratches.”

“You call those scratches?!” he laughed, gesturing to her ankle and she nodded with a giggle. He shook his head but froze when she place her hands on his shoulders. He met her gaze as she continued smiling.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have bandaged myself up.”

“I-It’s nothing,” he sputtered, rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand, having ignored the pain in his broken fingers the whole time. “Now we’re even. You helped with my ankle, so…” He caught her gaze and felt his throat close up so he cleared it then looked back at the cell Faye was stalking around in and back at Isabella to say, “Do me a favor, won’t you, Bell?”

“Sure, Maverick,” she nodded with a slight frown. “What is it?”

He leaned in closer making her jerk her hands off of his shoulders, but he gripped her hands in his before she could escape.

“Don’t go anywhere near Faye’s cell for while, ok?” he murmured and Isabella froze to look into his eyes with wonder in hers. “Yukio would yell at me if I let you get hurt again.”

“I told you it wasn’t---!”

“I know,” he interrupted. “But I still want you to stay away from it. I…really don’t want you to get hurt…again.”

Isabella smiled and pulled her hands from his to wrap them around his neck and hug him, making Maverick stiffen and his eyes shifted in wonder of what to do.

“You’re very sweet, Maverick,” she murmured then pulled away to look at his face. “You play the tough guy, but I bet your heart is made of sugar.”

“Uh…” he sputtered then chuckled, nervously. “I, uh…I don’t think---”

“I should go see what Yukio’s doing,” Isabella smiled and patted his cheek before stepping around him and toward the main room.

Maverick stood still for a moment then touched his cheek and turned just in time to see Isabella turn the corner and smiled.

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”Isabella rolled her eyes as she walked away from Maverick and thought, ‘Your heart is made of sugar’?! Izzy, you idiot!

She turned the corner and gasped to see Yukio sitting on the bottom step of the staircase, a smirk over his lips. Rolling her eyes again she placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“What are you smirking at?” she snapped, seeing his amused expression. He scoffed and stood, still smirking as she raised an eyebrow at him.

“You like him,” he murmured. “And it’s more than wanting to be his friend.”

Isabella’s face dropped and she glanced back in Maverick’s direction then turned to Yukio with a silencing finger over her lips as she whispered, “Swear you won’t even hint to it, please?”

Yukio scoffed and waved her off, heading to unpack the boxes.