A New Beginning

Chapter Nine

"...wretched little Agents.."

"...shall be the death of me..."

"...meet my wrath..."

Butler wiggled back and forth across the slippery dungeon floor.

"What's the matter darling? Someone break your toys?" Joann teased. Butler growled, "Argh! Your suicidal friends got past my ambush. I knew those savaged beasts were no good in battle..." Joann flashed a smile. "Too bad, so sad. Your demonic breath is all that's keeping me here. Don't think I like your company or anything." Butler trotted towards Joann inside her cell. "Well, you're welcome to spend eternity down here." Butler roared maliciously. "Because I'm planning to give you company!" With that, Joann's eyes widen as she realized what Butler said, "NO!" Her yells were drowned by the cave's hard wall.

• • •

"You know, they make a cute couple," Matthew noted. Bond stopped whistling, "Huh? Who?" Matthew gave Elizabeth a sideways glance. "Julia and Joseph." Bond had a thoughtful look on her face as she considered this. Just as she was about to respond, Chad interrupted. "Guys, look!" He pointed at a nearby hill. The others squinted. "What?" They chorused. "Nothing. Just having fun," he laughed. Romanov glared. His eyebrows and hands went up as he slowly backed away. Sebastian suddenly stopped making Bond run into him. "Ow!"

"Oh sorry Elizabeth, it's just that I feel something..." he faded. "Oh not this crap again," Chad groaned. "Play nice!" Romanov snapped. "What's wrong Sebastian?" she asked stepping towards him. "Something...someone...is coming," he gasped, almost tripping over his own feet. On top on the hill was Butler herself.

Seeing her, Romanov gripped her sword and Bond had to restrain herself from acting on suicide mode.

"Finally showed yourself in flesh and bones, eh?! After hiding behind your stupid minions!" Bond shouted as she took one step towards the seahorse.

Butler cackled. "I'm not planning to kill your little gang of silly ballerinas," Butler advances towards them till she loomed in front of them. "In fact, I just want to make Joann miserable!" Butler swooped down and snatched Bond and Chad up. Romanov, Matthew, and Sebastian, took out their weapons and lashed out, but Butler used dark, black magic to vanish into thin air.

"Dammit!" Romanov cursed and shook her fist at the sky.

• • •

Joann was trying to lick her nose when Butler evaporated outside her cell. Dragging two unconscious figures behind her, Joann stared with a terrified look. Butler chained up Bond and Chad next to Joann as she screamed and shook her chains to try and help. Butler smiled at Joann and slithered down the cave and out of sight. Joann saw her friends stir but remained passed out. She hung her head and silently cried hot tears.

• • •

Romanov whirled on her heels, pacing thoughtfully with her eyebrows knitted together. She had worn a path in the springy grass, and it had flattened for a good three yards on either side of her. She walked with her hands clasped behind her back, and her gaze trained on the scuffed-up combat boots on her feet; the laces of which were slowly coming undone. Every so often she paused as if to say something: opening her mouth and raising a finger, but every time she dropped her hand and clenched her jaw and kept right on pacing.

And it was starting to annoy the heck out of Matthew.

"Won't you take a seat?" he groaned eventually, as she turned again, "You're driving me nuts!" Romanov shook her head, lips pressed together. With a resigned sigh, Matthew fell back and stared up at the sky, where a few stars twinkled through the cloud cover. He listened to the lulling sound of feet crunching on grass, and had sunk into a semi-conscious state, hardly noticing when the movement stopped. When he did, he raised his head a bit and looked critically at Romanov, who was standing with a finger to her chin.