Navigating thru what seemed as an endless labyrinth of hallways I said silent prayer after silent prayer that Huthesis and hopefully my friends would be ok.

Finally reaching the room where I had seen the slight sign of life using my supernatural vision. I encountered two heavily built men standing in front of a frail slumped over form.

"I think you over did it Bob. You where supposed to try and get information out of her not knock her out cold again." Hissed the smaller of the two men and I'm being really generous when I say smaller. These two looked like flesh and bone versions of the Kool-aid man and the stay puff marshmallow guy .

"Oh.. Sorry Joe, I din't mean to slap the little elf around so much." slurred Bob in a deep southern accent. Great I was going to have to get into a fight with another team of Bob and Joe if I had a dime for every time this happened since the War started I would be a millionaire. "What we gonna do now, Joe?"

"Hit it with the amulet, It should bring it back. The boss said it would."

"Awww, Joe. It's a her I think," seemed like Bob was a stupid as he was big. This should have brought me some relief, but seeing Huthesis chained to a wall slumped over clearly gravely hurt only getting her out of here would bring me that.

"Give me that thing you Idiot." Joe snapped at poor stupid Bob, and ripped a clear glass sphere from Bob's hand and smacked Huthesis with it. I led out an involuntary growl, thankfully it was low enough for Joe and Bob to hear. The orb began to glow an bright emerald green, and I felt a surged of healing magic leave the amulet and it begun to repair whatever damaged Bubba and Twiddle Dumb had done. After a few seconds the emerald green light dimmed and Huthesis gasped, "Welcome back, little elf. Were where we? "

"We were at you getting very badly hurt." Huthesis responded her voice hoarse from either lack of use or from the damaged the two men had done.

"She's funny Joe, I like her. Can I keep her?" Bob interrupted the staring contests between Huthesis and Joe.

"You can keep whatever pieces are left, if the unnatural little thing doesn't talk" Joe spat out, and slapped Huthesis . To her credit she did not even flinch, I knew she intended to keep the attention of the two men while I prepared myself. I was sure she had sensed me the second she was brought back to conscious with the strange amulet.

"Actually, sweet pea. I'm more natural than you. I was made by the creator before you Apes learned to walk and talk. Well, in your case your apparently having trouble doing both."

Joe the slightly smarter of the two raised his hand to strike Huthesis again, but before he could I yelled, "Hey Bubba, why don't you pick on someone who is not chained up to a wall." And with a quick flick of my hands sent the two men smashing against the wall. I expected both my magic reserve and my body to complain, but they both felt re-freshed and ready two slap around Kool-Aid man and Stay-Puff boy.

"You gonna be sorry for that." shouted Joe reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small vile that look uncomfortably close to the ones we Others used to carry around potions in. It glow a soft white and I could feel the magic that had been worked into the concoction. Before I could react, Joe gulped down the contents of the vial, and his body began to violently shake. I could hear the breaking and ripping of flesh and instantly understood what the potion was. It was a shifting potion, It was meant to turn Joe into gods knew what but what unsettled me the most was that most shifters had a natural defense against most brands of magic and I was going to have to rely on hand to hand where Joe would probably have the upper hand.

After a few minutes of debating what to do with Beastie's body setting it on fire, so all that had been left was a big pile of ash was out of the question. Pyromancer magic work on drawing heat from somewhere and the only place warm enough at the moment was me, and I refused to risk lowering my body temperature and risk hypothermia. I could have used a cloaking spell, but my body screaming for sleep or at least some rest groaned at the idea. So I stuffed Beastie in some janitor's closet, very spy movie like, but without all the glamour.

I caught the reflection of my face on one of the windows on my way towards the other side of the compound. There were a handful of very colorful bruises on my face, with plashes of dried blood. To put it gently, I looked like absolute shit. But the way I looked was the least of my worries, I had to focus on saving my friends and I at least knew that Huthesis, one of the few Elves left in the world was at least alive. I prayed that the others were also, and that Luke one of the few and newly born Technomancers's, talents had not been discovered. If the humans discovered he possessed the ability to magically control their technology, we were going to be in trouble. Gods knew how they would react, well I had a good idea they would try and nuke us again. And I wasn't sure if the magical hacking skills of a Technomancer would be able to stop it, and I rather it stayed an unanswered question.

I violently shock my head in an attempt to shake off the million and one doom scenarios running all at once thru it. But all I managed to accomplish was another wave of nausea, shit Beastie must have hit me a lot harder than I thought and I sent a wave of healing magic to my head to heal any damaged from the fight. My body groaned in disagreement, as if telling me "Hey, stupid we are running on low and you want to use our left over energy to heal a silly bump in the head!" I dint listen, and decided to go on with the healing. The healing magic instantly repaired any damage the big old oaf had done to my head and I felt refresh and ready for another round. But I knew better I knew that it was the "high" as I called it of the healing magic. I fought the happy side effect of my healing so that I could focus on my plan to rescue my friends or at least Huthesis, who I at least knew was still alive. That Elf was full of surprises and so where the humans.

LYCEOUS? LYCEOUS? ARE YOU OK? Huthesis, panic voice invaded my musing.

"I'm ok. Just a little wrestling match with gods know what the hell that was. These humans are full of surprises." It wasn't every day I talked with a voice in my head. Yeah crack a joke or two, go on I'll give you some time. So I wasn't sure if I had to speak my responses out loud or not, but for some reason it made me feel less crazy and it was more comforting. "Huthesis.... It dint have an aura, or any body heat, the thing was completely immune and undetectable to my senses. What the hell is going on in this place?"

I don't know Lyceous, something bad that's for certain before we got captured I sensed demon magic. I could hear the panic in her voice, it sent a cold hard shiver down my spine. Humans and demons fighting against the Others? Do the humans hate us so much that they would make deals with demons to get rid of us? So much for the lesser of two evils.

"Do you think, they would make pacts? Do they hate us that much?"

I'm not sure, but there is something extremely unnatural going in this compound. I want to believe that humans aren't stupid enough to consort with demons, but all they have done since this whole war began. Begs to convince me otherwise, lets pray that this has another explanation.

"Beastie!" I shouted much louder than I intended. Followed by a few murmured curses and scanned the area to make sure i had not attracted any unwanted attention.

Beastie? who is Beastie?

"The thing I just wiped the floor with, I'm so stupid I should have at least removed its mask and tried to figure out what it was." I said while slapping my head in the classic "why didn't I see what before!" way.

Sometimes, Lyceous you are used to seeing so much with your gift that when you don't see with it you forget you have another five senses. She used her what I called "mom" tone. She often used it whenever she wanted to firmly and lovingly prove a point.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you my Vision wasn't clear, something was blocking it, everything was foggy and fragmented. I should have told you Hut, I shouldn't have been so hard headed. We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me" Tears began to fill my eyes, I fought the guilt trying to push me to my knees. "Something is happening, my magic is changing, I'm changing, I'm scared Hut. You are too, I saw your eyes full of fear when I unleashed all that power during the fight. What's going on, if you know something please tell me."

Lyceous, it was the fear of an old tired elf. I thought we were all going to die, that's what I was afraid of. Her tone sounded controlled and disconnected, if it had not been in my thoughts It would have most likely convinced me.

"Your lying... What is going with me Hut, what am I turning into?" Anger, anger like I have never felt before started to rise thru my entire being. I began to shake from it and my eyes filled with tears but not because I was sad anymore but because I was angry.

Lyceous please- a sharp pain shot thru my head, making my vision blurry and knocking the wind out of me.

"Hut, are you still there? Hut?" I managed to choke out in between rapid shallow breaths, both from the pain in the new panic I was feeling. Something was wrong. I scanned the compound and this time I could see two bright auras near the slight almost lifeless ones I had seen earlier and hoped had been my friends. These two knew aura's where bright with anger, they stood around a faint forest green aura, which after our mind to mind connection I recognized as Huthesis. I took another moment to inspect the other faint auras but unable to see anything more than a thing gray line hope that it was my friends and I dashed at full speed hoping I would get there in time to save Huthesis.

The smell of ozone filled the empty halls, big magic had been summoned in this place or a major "fire" fight had taken place. Odd that a human compound would have the smell of pure magic. My intuition told me that there was something off, and remembering I was out of the circles magic that constrained my magical abilities, I scanned the compound for any signs of life. As far as my magically augmented senses could tell the only signs of life where in a room on the other side of the compound, but they barely registered. Sending my emotions on a wild roller coaster ride. I was thrilled to be free and that escape from the compound seemed like it was going to be a walk in the park. But worried that my friends where those week signs of life and I wasn't going to get to them in time.

I rushed thru the twisting mace like hallways, whispering a silent prayer to the universe, hoping my friends where all ok. Guilt began to weigh in, I should have told them that somehow my ability to predict possible futures had rendered foggy visions of the outcome of our mission. I possibly could have saved their lives, I could have avoided all this only if I had not been so stubborn. Now only where my friends lost or worst dead, I had essentially handed one of our biggest advantages to the enemy.

Lyceous... Lyceous! Is that you! Huthesis's melodic voice invaded my thoughts.

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you?" I whispered back, the warm feeling of hope rushing thru my body, fighting the guilt away.

Not sure, it's dark and my magic is not working. I'm surprised I can do this much. Adam must have taken at least one anti-magic ward down. But when you are done feeling sorry for yourself you should go back to the compound and get re-enforcements. These people aren't regular humans.

What I wanted to say was, "I noticed, I spent the last few hours getting slapped around by some human-shark hybrid. Something weird is going on." but what came out was a loud "humph!" as something hard as stone hit me on the side of my head. I went ass over tea kettle, my vision went blurry, and the warm feeling of rushing blood covered my entire head. "You son of a bitch, you are gonna pay for that!" I yelled scanning the area for whatever or who ever hit me, and kicked forward with all my might. No augmented strength just pure rage. My foot connected with something solid and a the loud cracking sound of bone breaking and an inhuman roar broke the ringing in my ears. With another primal roar the six foot something fully suited and masked human, or humanoid thing in front of me rushed me. It came at me so fast that it startled me long enough for it to crashed into me, making us roll around the way you do when you are spinning uncontrollably down a hill, minus all the laughter. Our rolling came to a hard stop with the masked humanoid on top of me. It let out another primal roar that sent chills down my spine and began to wail on me. I called on my magic and prayed that it would react before I passed out, and released it with the intent to make a solid physical shield. A loud bang, and another high pitch roar, told me that both me and my magic had been quick enough. I took the chance to augment my strength with a quick spell, and pushed the beastie off.

"Let's see what you are made up princes!" There I go again with my classic cheesy movie hero lines, I can't help it, it's a really bad habit but it's so hard to quit. I like bringing bad humor into dire situations it makes me feel like I at least have control of something. Beastie did not appreciate my humor and let out another of those half animal half man roars and tried to rush me one more time with his freaky speed. I was ready for it this time and used my magic to build a solid shield in the shape of a brick wall covering the entire hallway. Beastie crashed into it as hard as a tsunami and threatening my shield to collapse, but the fact that my shield held its ground startle Beastie and gave me the chance to go on the offensive. I whispered another enchantment and augmented my speed, and with my already magically enhanced strength went all cage fighter style on Beastie taking out all my frustration of losing my friends, being trapped in a magical circle with some Shark-Human nurse beating on me and the fact that somehow it had fooled my senses into thinking it wasn't there.

It took a while Beastie put up a hell of a fight, making me wonder if I should brush up on my combat magic skills. The downside of being a magical jack of all trades like me is that sometimes the little bit of everything you knew could at some point be not enough. Luckily this hadn't be that time, but it reminded me that I better start picking up a few more tricks.

Date Unknown....

The last time I had used a sleeper hold on someone, I had been ten years old. My wonderful witty and unstoppable tongue had gotten me in trouble with one of the local bullies. I was smaller than most kids, if not all the kids in my class. But what I lacked in size I made up with a sharp tongue. And The fact that I knew I packed enough magical power at the age of ten to shuffle around the streets of my entire town like a bad jigsaw puzzle didn't help to keep me modest. It took my parents three days to undo my handy work, between setting everything back to its original place and work some major memory magic on everyone who noticed.

Jean, the meanest and biggest bully wanted my lunch money. And it turned out that "if you went a diet piglet you wouldn't need to steal peoples lunch money!" Was not a very effective comeback to someone offering you a "knuckle sandwich" if you "didn't hand over your lunch money." Jean Brown, was a four foot five, ninety pound ten year old. I was a slim four foot, with a sixty eight pound weight when soaking wet.

J.B. as his minions called him, punch me straight in the face, keeping true on his "knuckle sandwich promise." My vision filled with stars and I think I hear every bird in creation both flying and singing around my head, just like the images in the cartoons. I violently shock my head from side to side trying to shake the stars and the pain spreading across my face, but that proved to be a not so smart idea. It caused my stomach to turn and my breakfast tried to use the opportunity to escape. J.B. lifted his way to big for a ten year old, but completely ok for an ogre arms, and roared in triumph and his minions, mindlessly cheered his apparent triumph.

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings piglet and I'm going to make your fat ass sign!" I shouted. As I rushed J.B. with impossible speed, impossible for must humans, but I'm not entirely human if you haven't cough up to that point yet.

Before J.B. even noticed I was back on my feet, with my hands wrapped around his tree trunk size neck, and with a whispered incantation I had memorized in case of an emergency just like this one. I augmented my strength, J.B. unable to fight back, went peacefully to sleep.

Now my hands where wrapped around Nurse Sharkie's neck in the same manner they had been once wrapped around Piglet's. Interesting how the only two people I have ever used the sleeper hold, resembled animals. I had to remember to come up with a good joke after I managed to escape where ever the hell I was. I whispered the same incantation to augment my strength and make the sleeper hold more effective, and bamm! The happy sharp tooth doctor hit the ground like a sack of fish.

I kept my promise and used his body like a giant Mr Clean Magic Eraser, and erased the drawn power circle breaking the hold it had on both me and my magic. Took a moment to re-draw it and call its magic up once more. Keeping the good old doc in there for a long while, hopefully giving me enough time to find a way out of whatever this place was and if I got lucky find my friends, and maybe even some answers.

Date Unknown.....

I had one of those "Last Time On..." moments. Trying to figure out how I ended up here. Trapped inside some weird lab, with some sort of nurse-shark hybrid. The images of the Elder stating the existence of the "others" on CNN and MSNBC apparently FOX News din't wanna endorse the existence of non-humans, that sure was a shocker. There I go again with my inability to stop my sarcasm. Images and screams of clairvoyants being burnt at the stake. The screams of the innocent and not so innocent humans dying at the hands of the enraged Were's.

A blow to my stomach brought me back to reality. "What the hell was that for!" I said panting as another blow struck the side of my face. "I'm going to break both of your hands Nurse Sharky once I get out of here." I tried to put as much hate as I could into my words, the fact that I couldn't remember how I had ended up here worried me. It did more than worry me it made me afraid. I had managed to charm the locks open on the shackles that where keeping me defenseless only to find out that I was trapped inside a power circle. Where I was more defenseless, than when I thought that my only problems where a crazy man with bad teeth and my hands tied to a wall.

Being inside a power circle meant most of magic was going to be useless. Any low magic like my little charming the locks trick would work. But nothing that could really get me out of here in one piece. I had to somehow get Sharkboy to break the circle but so far all I had managed to achive was an array of what would end up being colorful bruises, without even getting shark-freak to step one foot inside the circle.

"I can smell you fear, little worm." Sharkman hissed as if tasting the air for something. I assure you it was a lot more disturbing than the most disturbing image your mind would be able to conjure.

"I'm not sure that's fear your smelling. I had beans for lunch." I taunted and pressed me body tightly against the wall. I had to get him to come closer. If I could managed to pull him into the circle I could use him to break it. "So is super smell your shark-evil-villain power? Bad teeth and super smell. I bet you get all the ladies."

Sharkman did not even flinch at any of my comments He just continued to rummage the table. "So really, Sharkboy how you get your teeth? Or even better where you leave Lava Girl? Get it? Gods I crack myself up-oh come on, you aren't gonna ignore me are you? Trying to ignore me is only going to encourage me more. Ok fine, I'll tell you what. Break the circle now and I wont have to break your hands, I'll just rough you up a bit. I mean, really you don't think I'm not going to find a way out of here do-"

"Shut up!" he yelled. His face turned a beat red.

"Oh, oh, shark rage incoming?" I chuckled out still tightly pressed against the wall. If he was going to try and slap me again I was ready for it and after I kicked his ugly ass, I would break the circle using his unconscious body as a giant magic eraser. That must have been his snapping point because he rushed me at a speed I would never associate with someone in a lab coat. It would have startled me if I wasn't used to the unexpected and it turned out that thanks to my weird genes where ever they came from made me faster than Dr. Bad Teeth. I strafed out of his wild blow, grabbed and pulled him into the circle in a blink of an eye. Flashed and Impish smile and whispered full of anticipation "Seams like your in trouble now doc."

Date Unknown...

The man in front of me if i could call it a man. Had shoulder jet black hair, grey eyes and a mouth full of pointed teeth. Yes, they where literally pointed teeth they reminded me of the teeth I has seen on shark's. Gods do I miss the good old days where during June I'd rush home to watch Shark week on the Discovery channel.

My day dreaming was ended by a sharp sting that ran across the right side of my face. "Pay attention worm." hissed shark man.

"I got distracted by your chompers. What your dentist all went extinct or something? Really man, how do you brush those things?"

Shark man slapped me a second time. "Be quite, you worthless worm."

"You know, you need material. I believe that the first rule of being a bad guy is to have funny, witty or degrading things to call their captives other than worms. You know I've been told that wit and sarcasm are part of my many gifts. Want me to help you out?" The shark man slapped me a third time. The ability to stay quite is definitely not one of my gifts at this rate id end up all bruised by the end up whatever it was day or night. "Fine, I get it ill be quite but give me something to call you other than shark man." Another slap, great. I really need to learn how to control my impulses.

"My name is not important, what is important you abomination is that after I get the information I need from you, I will drain you of your magic and kill you."

"None of you can ever resist can you? Always going off about your big bad evil plan." I chuckled out, then thought "crap, here it comes" and not a second to late another slap. Shark man smiled a toothy grin and turned around. He began to walk towards the other side of the room towards along sterile looking table. "Are those your umm," I cleared my throat and in my best "Dr. Frankenstine" voice yelled "experiments." deranged cackle and all.

"Ill enjoy eliminating you. You annoying twit." Shark man spat. As he rummaged thru the contents of the table. I had to do something, I had to start looking for a way out of here. I couldn't sit here and continue taunt shark man.

I was more of a magical magpie picking up shiny bits of magic here and there, learning enough to survive but never enough to be an expert on anything. Figure a jack of all trades would always have a job in dire times. It payed off. I had picked a little trick from a street magician. No, not a David Blaine, hands to fast illusionist. A real street magician. A witch who used the beat and energy of the city to work magic. Remembering the simple spell, I whispered it and charmed the locks open. As I sighed in relief shark man spat "the circle will be harder to charm than the locks, but that does not matter. Actually in a matter of seconds you wont matter. My plan will be flawless. You cannot win."

I sighed over dramatically, "gods really? Don't you know every time an evil nurse or what ever the hell you are says that. A kitten dies. Wait. Is it a kitten or is it the the evil nurse? Gods I can never remember." I flashed shark man an impish smile, hoping that he would fall for plan A, I dint really wanna have to run with Plan B.

Date unknown...

It had been a trap. The humans where waiting for us and we where all capture or worst dead. I had failed to foresee their trap, I had failed everyone. I have no idea why my gift had failed in warning me of this trap or how the humans seamed to know exactly where we would all be and exactly what abilities we all possessed. How they had all been able to see thru the glamour spell. The illusion that the spell bestowed should have fulled the sight of a human if any crossed out path. Not only had the humans seen thru the spell but some showed signs of having strength and speed at almost supernatural levels. I had heard rumors of their experiments and their genetic manipulations, but these humans glowed with magic. I could still hear Adam's voice growling in his impressive snow white wolf form. "The reek of magic Lyceous. Old and dark magic," before he dashed to fight a group of superhumanly fast soldiers who had been flanking Huthesis and Luke. We fought for our lives, the anger of seeing my friends in danger awoke in me a power I had no idea laid withing me. The air around me crackled with intense power, the earth quaked at my feet. I felt as if anything I willed would come to pass. As the strength of my friends began to fail, I willed their strength anew and witness them fight on with new refreshed and stronger wills.

One of the soldiers took careful aim at Huthesis with some device I had never encountered.The thing he was holding shot a long metal chain with a ear piercing cry, bringing Huthesis to her knees. I willed my new found power to protect her and it answered my request. Forming a powerful shield around her of pure energy. Huthesis scanned the battle, in an attempt I assume to find where this magic protecting her came from. I flashed her a smile letting her know that I was the cause. She inturn shook her head violently from side to side as if trying to shake a horrific vision from her sight. She began to yell "No, no, no. This can't be. No, not now." her voice full of panic. My heart shattered, she should have been happy I saved her life, she should have been grateful. My visions started to turn red at the edges with rage. How could she had been so ungrateful, I had saved her life. I had save all of their lives. Then with a loud crack my vision went black and my body crashed against the cold wet floor.

Now I stood shackled to some wall in the human compound asking my self what in hell had happened.

I hear the air lock releasing on the automatic door and the muffled voices of what seamed excited chatter.

"Leave me with him, I'll break him. He will tell me what we need to know." spoke in deep man's voice.

"But sir, I am to document everything." yelped a second man's voice. This voice has higher in pitch and much more nasal than any voice should ever be allowed to be.

"Little Cromius, I have to do this alone. You wouldn't want to make me unhappy would you." responded the first man's voice in a well rehearsed tone.

"No, no sir. As you wish sir." chirped who I assumed was "Little Cromius" followed by the sound of quick agitated foot steps.

"Well, well. A real life Atlantian in our mist. To think that we thought all of you where extinct like the vile vermin you are." spat the deep voice. "Open your eyes and look at your end you worm of vomit."

I opened my eyes but not because he had told me to but because my rebut would have a stronger effect if I stared the man down. "Nice line did you steal it from the dummies guide to being an evil guy? Whats next, you gonna tell me your whole plan for world dominion and then make some lame and elaborate attempt to kill me which I escape?" my voice came out hoarse. Making me wander how much time had I spent unconscious ...