The terrifying thought that went across my mind for only a second; after all she may have been killed by a creeper or something and thrown a tantrum. I’ve seen her do it, and God is it brutal, but this wasn’t like that at all. The food she had grabbed wasn’t thrown around the room, she hadn’t ripped the cushions out of the couch and even if she was that upset I highly doubt that she would beak the door that way it was.

“Luna?” I called, still not wanting to believe what was in the back of my mind, “Luna where are-“

I stepped on what remained of a lamp, the lamp from my bedroom. Someone had thrown it at something, because it was far too broken up to have just been dropped, not to forget the trace amounts of crimson liquid on several edges of it. My blood began to boil as well as chill, furious that someone had come into my home by force and possibly harmed someone I cared about as well as terrified for the same fact. I nearly hit my knees, but before I fell into despair I noticed something, a piece of fabric, fabric that didn’t belong to me, or Luna.

Somebody’s clothes… but who’s? It looked relatively new, sporting one of those patterns from a UFC fighter’s t-shirt brand or something close to that. The thought of the Trents went through my mind and then what they might do to Luna if they ever got their filthy hands on her, but the thought was fleeting. The Trents weren’t even smart enough to remember their own address let alone find another person’s via the phone book and track them down. Besides, Mr. King would’ve seen… a light bulb began to shine inside my head, Mr. King rarely misses something going past his office, maybe he saw whoever broke into my apartment, but Mr. King wasn’t really good about releasing information, but I had a few ways that may persuade him to release the information to me.

It’s been over a year since I’d kicked down a door, mainly because I’d left the Marines behind and it was rather difficult for me to do it in the first place, but the hinges flew off revealing a very surprised looking fat short man sitting in front of his computer, a Kleenex and a bottle of lotion in hand. I didn’t bother with talk, though he did manage to utter the first few words of what I assumed was ‘what the hell’ before I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall. The look on his face was one I hadn’t seen since I left the Marines, pure, unadulterated, primal fear and I wasn’t about to miss the golden opportunity that it gives for talking.

“Where is she?!” I roared, pressing my hand deeper into his throat, “Where’s Luna!?”

“I… I…” He wheezed struggling in my grasp, “I… don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Bullshit…” I growled, dragging him up the wall to where he was near the ceiling. “Now talk… I can do this for a very long time.”

Mr. King was silent, letting me believe that he was ready to talk. I released him allowing his fat ass to fall in the floor, he tried to scurry away, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. I grabbed him by his cankle and drug him across the floor and into the corner, leaving him with no option except answer to me.

“Now I’m going to ask again…” I said politely, “Where is Luna?”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about boy…” Mr. King hissed, pointing at me, “But now you’ve got to pay-“

He was interrupted by my hand wrapping around his own and putting it into a very uncomfortable position, one of the few things I’ve kept since I’ve left the service. “Maybe I should explain something about me…” I said, wrenching his hand even more, “You see this shirt…” I said pointing to the ‘S’ “I’m not exactly like the guy this shirt represents… I’m willing to do a lot of things to get what I want…”

“Go to hell…” Mr. King frowned; I just sighed and applied more pressure, making him scream like a little girl.

“Please let me finish…” I said, “You see… you already know that I was in the Marines, Recon to be exact…” I explained keeping him pinned in my grip, “But what you probably didn’t know is what I did there… you see, as Recon you have to go into some really nasty places to get information before the main force shows up…”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I’ve done things… things I’m not necessarily proud of as a man, but I did it to protect my fellow servicemen and woman…”

“I-I still don’t understand…” Mr. King stuttered.

“It means that over those years I accumulated a certain set of skills…” I said forebodingly, “Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you…” (I may have been paraphrasing Taken but I was telling the truth) “Tell me who came in here and took Luna and that will be the end of it… but if you refuse…” I let go of his hand, grabbed his coffee mug, shattered it against his desk and pressed it against his face, “That’ll be very hazardous to your health…”

“Ok… Ok…” Mr. King begged, “I-I’ll talk… please… just don’t hurt me…”

“Alright…” I said slowly pulling the shattered mug away from his face, “start talking…”

“Alright…” he groaned rubbing his hand, “Some guys came in… maybe three, four…”

“What were they wearing?” I asked, presenting the scrap of clothing “was it something like this?”

“I don’t know… my door was barely open.” Mr. King answered quickly, “It was dark minus the front light, and I closed my door after I saw them walk in.”

“You didn’t even bother to see who they were?” I asked clinching my fist, “Don’t you have a log or something?”

“People come in and out of this place like shit through a goose, Ryan…” Mr. King replied, “It’d be a waste of time and money to do something like that.”

“You’re not really telling me what I want hear Mr. King…” I said standing over him, the office’s light only revealing a towering shadow over him “Was there anything else.”

“Well…” Mr. King said doing his best to think about what happened, “I heard some guys, maybe the ones you’re looking for… something about a reward… and something else about… ‘College shit’ in their words…”

“Thank you Mr. King…” I said stepping away from him, “I think I know where to go now…”

“N-now what?” he asked, “What are you going to do to me?”

“First…” I snapped, causing him to fall back on his ass again, “I want you to call the police, tell them that there’s been a kidnapping, and tell them everything you told me…” I began to walk out of the room leaving Mr. King confused.

“Wait!” He said, stopping me only for a moment, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get the son of a bitch who took her…” I growled under my breath before Mr. King could try to stop me again.

I knew exactly where to go, Professor Moore, that guy was smart enough to do what the Trents weren’t capable of doing (other than read). He also more than likely had the cash to hire some thugs to break into my home and take Luna by surprise. It didn’t take me too long to get to the college, no more than twenty minutes, But then again I paid no heed to stoplights and speed limits. I didn’t really bother to find a parking spot, I just stopped as close as I could to the college, I’m sure that they could pay for new grass anyway.

Blowing through the door I ran as fast as I could to the Professor’s classroom, the door tightly sealed. I did my best to look inside, but the glass made it very hard to look inside. The lights weren’t on though, so more than likely they’d be somewhere else. I continued my search deeper into the building, frantically inspecting each room as I passed it. First floor, second floor, the closets not a single trace or clue of a whereabouts, my heart sank, I’d promised her three weeks ago that I’d keep her safe. I hit my knees, my only lead turned out to be fruitless; at least that’s what I thought. Before I could shout I heard something, a door slamming in the distance.

I rushed in the direction of the sound, knowing full well that it could’ve just been a janitor closing the door on one of his closets. I didn’t want to take that chance, I had to find Luna, I had to save her, but most of all… I had to make the people or person who took her pay.

While lost in thought the echoes of the door faded, leaving me with no clue which way to go again. I waited and I listened, hoping that who or whatever had closed the door would do it again. The sound came again, this time much closer and to my right. I followed the sound until I stood before a single door; ‘AUDITORIUM’ was in big bold letters on the frosted glass.

I’d already checked this room when I initially ran through the building searching for any hint of life. At that time when I checked the door it was locked, but this time when I fiddled around with the handle it squeaked open, allowing me access inside. I quietly made my way inside, the lights were barely on, but I could make out the outlines of some of the desks that were closer to the lights. I made my way down the alley, trying to be as quiet as possible. There were still at least two people in here with me and I didn’t want to alert them if they were the ones I was looking for. Then suddenly the lights went all the way up, revealing two figures standing at the auditorium’s stage. I slid myself behind one of the desks, hoping that they hadn’t noticed me, fortunately they didn’t.

I poked my head around the desk to see if I could get a quick look at the two that were down there. I didn’t get to look that long but I knew that they weren’t janitors because both their attire was way too formal for guys who clean up other people’s mess. I did my best to remain calm, they just might be two teachers working late and they chose this place to get their work done, but needless to say I was ready to react if they turned out to be the ones I thought they were. I continued to sneak as best as I could down to them. (It’d been a while since I’ve had to creep around somewhere, so I wasn’t necessarily at my peak form)

After managing to get a few rows closer I finally managed to hear them, but I only stumbled on the end of their conversation. “I accept…” one of them said in a voice I recognized, “No run along I wish to begin studying the specimen as soon as possible.”

Professor Moore, I bit my knuckles to restrain myself from exposing myself to whoever he was talking to. (I’d prefer a one on one beat down anyway) I heard the sound of footsteps off in the distance then though opening of what I could only imagine was a fire exit. Maybe thirty seconds after that I heard it open again, this time multiple people entered, but their steps sounded like they were stuttered, as if they were carrying something. Stopping I heard whoever the others were place something on the floor.

“Ah… excellent… I can’t wait to…” Professor Moore paused, “What did you do?!” he roared, “I specifically said that she was NOT to be harmed… Don’t say she gave you no choice, she just one girl… I don’t care that she ripped you’re oh-so-precious shirt, you’re lucky that I found you and offered to pay you nicely… fine here’s your money, now leave me to my work…”

Once again I had to use all of my will to remain in place, Luna was here, Professor Moore had hired some guys to do it and there was someone else involved that made some kind of pact with him. Needless to say waiting to hear the door close again was the most stressful time of my life outside the Marines, but in time I finally heard the sound of the door shut, leaving me to do what I had to do to get Luna out of here and back with me.

“I wish that they hadn’t done this to you my dear…” Professor Moore said sadly, “I’d prefer you’re input on what I was doing to you while I furthered my knowledge of your kind… but I guess I’ll have to go into this blind… now where did I put my notes...? Damn, I must’ve left them in my classroom, don’t worry now, I’ll be back in a minute.”

One minute was all I needed to Get her out of here, I thought to myself, but I don’t want to raise an alarm by beating the Professor to a bloody pulp, so I had to stay myself yet again and wait for my enemy to leave me to myself. I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me, that’s when I made myself as small as possible and given my size that’s rather hard to do. To my relief however he casually walked past the row I had concealed myself in, smiling happily to himself as he did so then the sound of an opening and closing door. I was finally alone, time to make my move.

I sprang up and looked to the stage and let out a sigh of relief, Luna was in a chair next to several tables with instruments I didn’t want to imagine where they’d be put while he was ‘studying’ her. I ran to her as fast as I could, nearly tripping over myself as I did so, I didn’t have much time and we needed to leave. Once I stood before her I saw that she had been tied to the chair around the waist, wrists and ankles. (What the hell was this guy planning to do to her?) The thought quickly left my mind when I noticed something else about her, a cut across her cheek with a matching bruise, someone had hit her, hit her hard. My blood began to boil, but a few deep breaths managed to calm me down to an extent.

“Luna?” I asked gently grabbing her face, “Luna wake up…”

She was unresponsive, still out from whatever had hit her, so I began to shake her slightly in hopes of getting a response. “Luna…” I said softly again, “Its Aedan, I’m here…”

This time there was a sign of life, a small grumble while her eyes barely opened; this was enough for me to stop shaking her and wrap my arms around the entirety of the chair. “Oh thank God…” I said fighting back tear, “thank God I’ve found you…”

“A… Aedan?” She replied weakly, “You… you’re back already?”

“Yes…” I said laughing a bit, “I’m already here; now all we have to do is go home…”

“I… I remember a knock at the door…” Luna said trying to reach for her head, but the bindings were still tightly in place, “Wha? What is this?”

“It’s alright Luna… I’m here now…” I then went to untie her hands, but as I did so Luna just had to make some remarks.

“This will certainly require some explanation…” She said weakly through a smile.

“I’ll get right on that…” I said returning the smile, fighting the knot, whoever tied this had to have been a boy scout or something, “but first I have to-“

A sharp pain rocketed across my back, causing me to roll over in pain then a shot at my left leg, why did he have to hit my left leg? I fell to the floor doing my best not to fall completely over I balanced myself on my fist. Luna looked to me in dismay, too weak to act on my behalf as another sharp pain jolted up my spine sending me completely to the floor.

“I’ve found my notes…” The Professor growled as I tried to struggle to my feet, only to be hit yet again by whatever he was wielding, “How did you know where to look?”

“A little birdie told me…” I shot back doing my best to hide the pain.

“I knew putting my faith in those hoodlums wouldn’t work…” he growled reaching for his phone, “Oh boys… we have a visitor… attend to him…”

The door opened revealing a small group of men that terrified me at the realization that Professor more had hired them. “Oh, look what we got here boys…” the eldest Trent said cracking his knuckles, “the faggot that cheap shotted us when we were about to score on his piece of ass.”

“I’m gonna bleed you so hard…” the middle one said, pulling out a switch blade and licking it, “Then we’ll make her bleed… but not like you…”

“Gentlemen please…” Professor Moore said rolling his eyes, “Just see to it that he’s taken care of properly… and you know what I mean.”

All the Trents nodded and surrounded me, my body tensed up, like hell I was going down without a fight, but what happened next threw me for a whole new loop. The youngest Trent pulled up a chair while the second oldest and youngest helped me into it. They all then grabbed chairs of their own and surrounded me in a half circle, Professor Moore making his way to me the whole time.

“You look surprised.” He said with a smile. “What did you expect?”

“I expected…” I began only to be cut off.

“Oh please, you think we can’t be the slightest bit civilized?”

“Says the guy who started beating me from behind…”

“You were getting in the way of progress.” Professor Moore said turning back to Luna “THAT progress…”

“What do you want with her?” I asked getting up, prompting the Trents to follow suit, until he motioned them to sit down again.

“I want to study her…” Professor Moore explained, “She is a gateway to knowledge beyond compare! A being from another universe… a universe created in someone’s MIND! Could you imagine the benefits?”

“You said that it would be a bad thing for travel between universes…” I said stepping even closer, “You said it would result in disasters that would be too much for anyone to bear.”

“That was before your little friend showed up.” Professor Moore said kneeling next to Luna’s once again unconscious form, “If we could learn from her how she traveled to our world, we could find so many things… meet so many cultures… the only limit is our imagination!” His smile grew uncomfortably larger with every second he looked at Luna, prompting even the Trents to look onward awkwardly.

“That still doesn’t explain the sudden change of heart…” I said snapping him out of his euphoria, “Why?”

“Ah yes… ‘Why’.” He said stepping away from Luna and back to me, “I may be a man of science, but I need money to pay for it, and our government has said they would pay me quite nicely if I were to offer my services in the study of this specimen.”

I was about to go postal on him for calling Luna that. She might not be human, but she has her own thoughts, fears, aspirations, interests, she was just as human as us, maybe even more so, but the sound of the door opened once again revealing the one person I never expected.

“G-Gordon?” I said shocked, all my rage replaced by surprise, “what the hell are you-“

“Aedan!” He said happily embracing me, “Glad to know you see it the Professor and I’s way, don’t worry we’ll take good care of Luna while she’s with us.”

“I… I don’t understand…” I said looking to Luna then him, “What… what’s going on?”

“Luna’s coming with me now Aedan…” Gordon said patting me on the back, “Don’t worry Professor Moore and I’ll take good care of her.”

“You… you TOLD him…” I said in disbelief, “YOU TOLD HIM ABOUT LUNA!”

I normally hit guys with glasses, or my friends for that matter, but I had been betrayed by the man who has had the title since preschool. My fist met the side of his face squarely, sending him to the ground with a violent thud. He looked back up to me shocked at my reaction.

“THE HELL AEDAN!” he yelled holding his face, “I thought you were done with her!”

“You can’t just tell some psychopath that there’s a girl from another universe living with me so he can hire thugs to break into my house, beat her and then kidnap he so he can perform experiments on her!” (That’s the first time I think anyone has EVER said that.)

“What?” Gordon said getting up, “He told me that you and Luna made the choice together… that you’d-“

“Afraid not…” Professor Moore said as his steel can slammed across the back of Gordon’s head, rendering him unconscious.

“NO!” I yelled reaching for him, but the Trents finally sprang into action, all five of them holding me back.

“I knew the moment I saw you looking at her that you’d never give her up willingly… so I called your friend her and… ‘Explained’ your situation.” He looked down to Gordon still lying motionless in the ground, “For being so smart he is quite gullible… he told me everything…”

“So you know everything about Luna…” I said still struggling in their grip. “That’s all he told you…”

“Not true…” The Professor said stopping just in front, of my face. “He told me a lot about you too… even the things you didn’t want her to know…”

He raised his cane again, but before he could strike a voice rang throughout the auditorium, Luna’s voice. “AEDAN!” she cried, struggling in her bonds.

“Oh, good she’s awake…” the Professor said turning his attention back to me, “Now she can see the secret you’ve been keeping from her.”

The Professor’s cane fell on my left leg again, but this time on the inside, sending my prosthetic lower leg flying across the floor. The sudden shifting of weight caused me to fall down to my knees (well technically knee), the weight of the Trents amplified on me, there was no way I was getting out of this. While the Professor and the Trents proceeded to beat a downed man. Despite my own pain I kept hearing her call my name, ‘AEDAN!’ I heard again and again ‘AEDAN!’ Then before I lost consciousness I looked over to Luna one last time, I was about to mouth something to her, but I noticed that her eyes shined as brightly as new headlights.

Then a sudden, blinding flash of light filled the entire auditorium. I could only hear what happened next yelling, screaming, what sounded like a laser cutting through the air, chairs, desks and all sorts of other things being blasted away. Then as quickly as it happened, silence, cold dead silence, minus the sound of hooves coming my way. I was still in a haze when I opened my eyes the first time, but I could see a figure standing over me, eyes glowing as a sphere over took it. I shook my head again and felt the soft touch of a hand that I have come to know… Luna’s.

“Are you unharmed?” She asked as I finally managed to see straight, “I thought you-“

I decided it was my turn to act on an ‘impulse’ before she could finish her statement. I grabbed her face and pulled her into me, initially she jerked away, but it didn’t take long for her to just melt into me. I didn’t know how long we were like that, but the only reason we were separated was due to a lack of air.

“I…I…” I managed to say still holding her close, “Oh God I thought I’d lost you…”

“I’d thought I’d lost you too…” she whispered back, finishing her statement with a gentle kiss of her own.

“Never again…” I said pulling her forehead to mine, “I won’t let anyone take you ever again…”

“Aedan…” Luna said softly, smiling at my promise “Does… Does this mean we’re a couple?”

I tried to laugh, but the pain was just too much at the time to do so. “I guess we are…” I said with a smile, looking around to see the devastation she had wrought on our foes. “Are… are they…”

“No.” she replied, “They’re not dead; I only had enough power to incapacitate them… for quite some time.”

“Then I guess they wouldn’t mind if we left…” I said finally letting Luna go.

“I think your assumption is correct…” Luna replied.

However, as she rose I saw something get up behind her, Professor Moore reaching into his coat. To my horror it was a pistol, Beretta M-9 and he was pointing it right at Luna. Without thought for my own wellbeing I drug Luna back down to me, rolling myself in between her and the Professor. Then came the unmistakable sound of a bullet leaving the chamber, almost instantly I felt a sharp pain in my lower back then the sound a woman screaming followed by more shots, then… all I heard… was nothing…

Author's Notes:

All I should really ask are the normal questions... I think this chapter speaks for itself.
P.S. I was up for a very... VERY long time to get this up for you guys, the next one will more than likely take some time though rest and all that stuff the normal human beings need