Blood Bonds

Part 21 - Juke's to Blame

It was incredibly dark, so dark he couldn't see his own feet beneath him, as the little squirrel was roughly escorted through the building. He shook violently as his masked captors' hands wrapped around his thin arms and pulled him to the right, before shoving him forward. A soft click sounded behind him, and the flying squirrel spun around as he realized he had been locked inside a cell. He struggled to untie the rope bounding his wrists together, then ripped his scarf out of his mouth.

"Hey, let me out!" Ray demanded, banging on the cell door.

"Ray...?" A soft voice distracted him from his panic, and he turned and squinted into the darkness. It was impossible to see who was in the cell with him, and he stood his ground, frowning.

"Who are you?"

"Honey, it's me, Nutmeg!"

"Likely story." Ray scoffed, then stopped and did a double-take. "Wait, Mimic c-captured you?"

"Yes, he did. Do you think I'd just let him walk around wearing my skin if I could help it?" As his night vision slowly developed, Ray could see the silhouette of the Head Mistress standing across from him.

He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She scooped him up and twirled the little kid around, squeezing him, before slowing and setting him down.

"Ah, it's so good to have company." She sighed, resting her hands on his shoulders. "But it's sad to see you under these circumstances."

"Mimic's planning t-to do t-terrible things t-to F.V.R.!" The former member of Chaotix cried. "He's-!"

"I know, sweetheart. Dr. Snow's been keeping me updated." Her answer stunned him.

The yellow squirrel squinted up at the counselor as the two sat down on the floor of the cell together. "Why?"

"He wants think he can break me." Nutmeg chuckled lightly. "But us counselors have ways of counseling ourselves."

"How are w-we gonna get out?"

As he asked this question, he nervously pulled his bushy tail to his chest and hugged it, leaning against the shoulder of the older girl. The Head Mistress sighed and wrapped her arm fondly around him.

"We'll figure out that part soon, kiddo."

After her last answer, a mechanical whirring sounded from further up the hallway outside. It was the sound of two steel doors opening. A figure dressed from head to toe in black stepped out. Two creatures flanked his sides as they made their way down the hall.

"Stand guard here." The escort told them, stopping right outside the two squirrels' cell.

In the darkness, the two could make out bizarre shapes of monstrous beings, with long horns and sweeping tails. Ray let go of his tail and squeezed Nutmeg instead, shivering in fear.

"Is that... Zavok? And Zazz?" Nutmeg called out incredulously, but the ninja simply ignored her and headed to the front of the hallway, back the way he had come. The steel doors whirred shut behind him once more.

"Don't be afraid, little sunbeam." The pink squirrel stood up and pulled Ray to his feet. She let him clutch her arm as the two approached the cell door together.

"They're most likely under the MIND chip's influence." She softly stated, examining the two guards as they stood perfectly still, their backs to the prisoners.

"But I thought the MIND m-machine-?"

"Was broken? You're right, but I think what these two have are the external chips. Plus, there's no saying Snow couldn't have just rebuilt it. Can you see those black things on the backs of their necks?"