The Brotherhood of The Black Rats

4.26 The Crimson Breech

26| The Crimson Breech

Kai was choking when the smoke cleared and he found himself standing just outside the Staten Island safe house with his strength quickly faded. The Fairy grew heavy in his arms with each labored step as he crossed through the opulent suburban neighborhood as silent as a ghost.

The safe house was located next to a long-dormant lighthouse that had at one time been one of the tallest standing structures in all of the five boroughs. Now it sat atop a hillside far inland from the coast of Staten Island acting as a museum and national historic site nobody ever wanted to visit. In its shadow, rested a simple looking Prefab bungalow, the locals had taken to calling “The Crimson Breech,” shortly after it’s construction in the late nineteen fifties. Over the year’s it’s owners had shifted yet unique style had stayed the same long ago falling out of fashion with the mundane mansions surrounding it. It was the perfect place for the rats to lay low for a few days until they could figure out what to do with the girl.

“Open sesame,” said Kai through labored breaths. He heard the locks on the front door click open before it swung outward allowing him entry into the home.

He wasted little time in setting the fairy down on a comfy looking chase lounge, furnished straight from the nineteen seventies. He bolted across the living room passed the array of mundane kitsch and magical maladies that lined the hallways of the house. In the first floor bathroom he yanked back the shower curtain with enough force to nearly rip it’s plastic sheeting from the rings that held it place. Following standard protocol he let spun the hot knob to full strength before a rush of liquid sputtered than poured into the old tub. He made certain the small window was closed before exiting the room and shutting the door behind them, allowing steam to fill the small space.

He was half a minute into the kitchen pouring over the various potions and magical medicines Simon had laid for them, when he heard a loud thud come from within the steamy chamber.

“Thompkins!” exclaimed Kai as the door to the bathroom popped open and a wound and cramped figure exited from within trailing wisps of steam into the tiny hall.

Still lumbering in Troll form Thompkins held a hand over his waist where a large gash cut across his lower abdomen. What remained of his garments were covered in dried blood, with only onr suspender in place over his left shoulder.

“Thompkins!” said Kai once leading the Troll outside for more room “Are you alright!?”

“Tis, a scratch,” answered the Troll dramatically laughing away any sign of pain and discomfort as Kai applied one of Simon’s potions to a towel before handing it to his friend.

“I really hate teleporting,” said Kai through a fit of coughing as his lungs expelled exhaust from his own recent Steam Jump.

“How do you think she feels?” asked The Troll motioning back inside the house to the frail blue-haired fairy girl slumbering just within view. She did not look well. “The poor girl’s been ripped through enough realms this evening to kill a man, or at the very least drive him insane.” He added as the magical properties of the medicine went to work at his wounds.

“Is she going to be alright?” asked Kai watching from afar as the Troll placed the towel over his forehead

“I think so,” answered Thompkins. “She was only just beginning to acclimate herself with our devilishly dense mortal realm, when you ported out of there just now, it appears the process has started over again. The poor thing.”

“Damn,” said Kai looking down at the other potions Simon had left out for them. “Will anyone of these help?” he asked taking out a few of the bottles and bringing them over.