The Test, For Power Or For Trust

Chapter 9

The howl was loud enough to shake the entire cave. The group outside panicked. "Shes in trouble!" Dakota said. CJ wasted no time to transform and get into the cave. Since her form was smaller, she had no issue getting through the small hole. CJ bolted through the tunnel but paused when she got to the split path. The noise coming from each path was equally as loud, and Randys howl had stopped. She tried to sniff the air but couldn't smell past all the dust. She patted her feet against the floor, trying to figure it out. The tunnel started shaking. It was going to collapse soon. She ran down the left tunnel in a panic, not knowing it was the wrong one.

Randy growled and snapped at the bats trying to swarm her. Then she would yelp when she tugged on her tail too hard. She howled again and it echoed through the cavern. Across the tunnel, CJ heard her, but couldn't get to her. CJ tried to turn around to go the other way, but the rock she stood on cracked and she came barreling down into a pit of water. Not knowing whats in the dark murky water, she immediately swam to the side, and hugged the wall of the cave. There isnt much room between the water and the wall. "Guys! Help!" CJ yelled out, hoping itd be loud enough. Back in the cavern, Randy heard her, and howled again, worried about what might have happened to CJ.

Outside, the group panicked. "What can we do?" Jax asked. "Im going in" Dakota said. She shape-shifted into her own wolf form and squeezed into the hole. "She couldn't have done that earlier?" Blade asked. "Shes our last hope. None of us can shape-shift. Well... you can, but you wont" Leah said to Silver. "You think I wouldnt if I could?" Silver said. From inside, Dakota barked like crazy. Nova squinted at the rock and saw through it. "Theres a split path. CJ must have taken the wrong one." Nova said. "And now Dakota doesnt know where to go" Jax said. Nova kept looking. She saw CJ and Randy in their seperate caves. "Ok. Tell Dakota to go right. We have to get CJ out from the outside" Nova said. Jax bent down to the hole. "Go right!" She yelled.

Dakota bolted down the right path and skidded to a stop seeing the situation that Randy is in. Dakota ran to her and pushed the rock off her tail. Randy got up immediately. Dakota transformed into one of the giant bats and led them back up to the ceiling so Randy could get the fang and get out. Dakota slipped away and transformed back to the wolf, so she could join Randy. The two bolted out but the main tunnel had collapsed. CJ yelled again. "Guys!" She screamed. Randy and Dakota ran to her and stopped on the ledge. Dakota barked and CJ looked up at them. She wagged her tail. "Thank god. Dont jump! Theres something in there!" CJ said gesturing to the water. The cavern shook again. If they dont jump, they'll never get to CJ before this place collapses. Dakota jumped and transformed into a shark before she hit the water. Another fin surfaced the water and soon the two sharks were fighting it out. While Dakota kept it distracted, Randy jumped in and swam to CJ. Randy whined a little. "Yeah Im ok. Are you?" CJ asked. Randy huffed. "You think you broke your tail?" CJ said. Randy growled. "It got crushed by a rock. Yeah thatll do it" CJ said. Randy whined again. "Dont whine at me just because I can talk in my dog form" CJ said. The cave shook again. "How are we getting out of here?" CJ asked. Randy whined again. "The tunnel collapsed?! Shit" CJ said.

Back outside, the girls ran to the left side of the cave. The ground suddenly dipped down, and they ran down the slope. "Ok, CJ should be right here" Nova said. She looked through the wall again. "Randy and Dakota are with her" Nova said. "How are we gonna get them out?" Ashley asked. "There has to be a way we can break the rock" Nova said. "Cant you do something?" Crystal asked Blade. "Uh... no" Blade said nervously. "What? Cant you blast through it?" Leah asked. "Cant you?" Blade asked, getting defensive. Leah looked back to the rock. "I can try" she said. Nova scanned the rock. "Blast here" she said pointing. "Ok. Back up" Leah said. They all moved aside and Leah pointed out her arms. "This is gonna hurt" she said bracing herself. A thick white beam came out of her hands and started eating away at the rock. She used it like a lazer and carved out a hole in the side. Blade watched her in admiration. She didnt know angels could use that much power. Leah stopped and dropped to her knees. Blade knelt to her. "Are you ok?" She asked. "Yeah. That just takes a lot" Leah panted. Nova went to the circle that Leah made and pushed as hard as she could to get it to move. "You have super strength?" Jax asked. "No, but Im stronger then most humans" Nova groaned.

Inside, CJ and Randy were freaked out by the lazer cutting the wall. "What is that?!" CJ said. Randy barked. "You think its them?" CJ asked. Randy barked again. "Yeah I hope so too" CJ said. Rocks started to fall from the ceiling and one of them hit the shark in the water. Dakota changed back to the wolf and joined the others. She barked a few times. "I can see its collapsing!" CJ yelled. The lazer stopped and then the disk of rock started sliding out. "Whats happening?" CJ asked. Dakota barked and wagged her tail. "It has to be them. No one else would do something this crazy for no reason" CJ said. The disk hit the ground with a loud thud and the three girls zoomed out the hole as fast as they could before the entire cave collapsed behind them. Dakota and CJ changed back to normal. They were still soaking wet. Crystal hugged CJ. "Are you ok?" She asked. "Yeah" CJ panted. "I like you with wet fur" Crystal whispered. CJ smiled. "Why isnt she changing back?" Ashley asked. They turned to Randy. "Her tail might be broken. If she changes back, itll break her tail bone and cause even more damage" CJ said. "How do you know that?" Ashley asked. "Dog mutants like myself get compared to werewolves so often that I know a lot about them. Even though my ears and tail stick out in my human form, unlike hers" CJ said. Silver bent down to Randy. "I got ya" she said. She gently placed her hand on Randys tail and it glowed again. "Didnt think you'd have to do that again so soon" Blade said. They stopped glowing and Silver stood up. "You're good" she said. Randy changed back to her human form and spit the fang into her hand. She smacked her tounge. "Thats gross" she said. "Hey Im just glad you got it" Jax said. "Im just glad you're alive" Dakota said. Randys heart swelled with her words. "Me too" she said.