opened her mouth.
“Oh for the love of God!” Keepsie said. She stomped back and grabbed the keys from the Librarian, pushing the surprised woman back as she did so.
“I’m tired of arguing with you people. You keep trying to hurt me afterward.”
Keepsie got one last look of Timson writhing on the floor and closed the door and left them, running down the hallway. The heroes trailed behind her helplessly, like kites.
"Where the hell are the exits in this place?" she mumbled, seeing no end to the hall. There was a turn to the right up ahead, so she headed for that.
One of the doors opened and Tattoo Devil’s sidekick, Cage, exited.
Keepsie nearly ran into her and stopped short. She yelled in surprise and lurched forward, reaching for Keepsie's katana.
She stopped inches from the weapon and her body went rigid. Keepsie laughed.
"You seriously didn’t think that would work, did you?" she asked. "But dammit, I wish one of you could tell me how to get out of here."
She took a step forward and Cage turned and fell into the odd gliding pace beside White Lightning, Heretic, Tattoo Devil and the samurai. They bumped together but otherwise moved without incident. Keepsie stopped when she heard a voice from inside a room.
"Keepsie? Is that you?"
The room Cage had exited was dark, but Keepsie recognized Michelle’s voice. Keepsie turned on the light and her friend winced. Michelle was tied to a chair and had a swollen eye and bloodied lip. She stared at Keepsie as if she were a ghost.
"I thought you were dead. Jesus, what happened?" Michelle said.
Keepsie used the tip of the katana to cut through Michelle’s ropes. "Not a good time for explanations. Do you know where the others are?"
"I think Peter is on the floor above this one," Michelle said, staring at Keepsie's burns.
Michelle led them down the hall. They spotted an EXIT sign, but Keepsie heard a shout behind them. A girl, about 15, appeared in front of them to block their way.
"You're not getting out of here," she said. Her eyes were wide and her hands shook.
“Aw, come on, kid, if you knew what had-“
“Stop, Blink,” came a voice from behind them. The Librarian ran up behind them, glaring at the girl.
“Who’s Blink?” Michelle whispered to Keepsie. “I didn’t know there was a new one.”
“And that’s the weirdest thing to have happened today?”
“Let them go,” the Librarian said to Blink.
“But-they have White Lightning!” the girl said.
“And they’ll take you too, if you cross them. This is one woman you are powerless around.”
The girl looked on the verge of tears. “How do you know?”
“Idiot,” the Librarian said. “How do I know anything?”
Blink scowled at Keepsie. "You're going to have to let them go at some point. And when you do, they're going to be pissed."
Keepsie grimaced. "Yeah, I expect they'll be mad enough to kill me. Don't worry about me, Blink, I can take care of myself as soon as I get some aloe."
She dragged her prisoners to the elevator and pushed the up button.
Blink disappeared again.
"The kid was right, though," Michelle said. "We can't take these guys with us forever."
The elevator arrived with a ding, and Michelle stepped aboard. Keepsie stayed outside, a smile spreading across her face.
"Are you coming?" Michelle asked.
"I want to try something." Keepsie stepped into the elevator and kept right inside the doors. Her hostages stayed behind her, but outside the elevator.
"Push the button."
The doors closed, and Keepsie and Michelle left Cage, White Lightning, Heretic, Tattoo Devil and the samurai frozen and outside the elevator.
Michelle laughed. "That’s awesome! What's going to happen now?"
"I have no idea," Keepsie said. "I've never done that before. Never had a chance to."
"But Keepsie, you don't have any hostages anymore," Michelle said.
Keepsie made a face. "Crap."
The elevator opened to an identical hallway to the one they had left.
Michelle ran ahead of Keepsie,
“Oh for the love of God!” Keepsie said. She stomped back and grabbed the keys from the Librarian, pushing the surprised woman back as she did so.
“I’m tired of arguing with you people. You keep trying to hurt me afterward.”
Keepsie got one last look of Timson writhing on the floor and closed the door and left them, running down the hallway. The heroes trailed behind her helplessly, like kites.
"Where the hell are the exits in this place?" she mumbled, seeing no end to the hall. There was a turn to the right up ahead, so she headed for that.
One of the doors opened and Tattoo Devil’s sidekick, Cage, exited.
Keepsie nearly ran into her and stopped short. She yelled in surprise and lurched forward, reaching for Keepsie's katana.
She stopped inches from the weapon and her body went rigid. Keepsie laughed.
"You seriously didn’t think that would work, did you?" she asked. "But dammit, I wish one of you could tell me how to get out of here."
She took a step forward and Cage turned and fell into the odd gliding pace beside White Lightning, Heretic, Tattoo Devil and the samurai. They bumped together but otherwise moved without incident. Keepsie stopped when she heard a voice from inside a room.
"Keepsie? Is that you?"
The room Cage had exited was dark, but Keepsie recognized Michelle’s voice. Keepsie turned on the light and her friend winced. Michelle was tied to a chair and had a swollen eye and bloodied lip. She stared at Keepsie as if she were a ghost.
"I thought you were dead. Jesus, what happened?" Michelle said.
Keepsie used the tip of the katana to cut through Michelle’s ropes. "Not a good time for explanations. Do you know where the others are?"
"I think Peter is on the floor above this one," Michelle said, staring at Keepsie's burns.
Michelle led them down the hall. They spotted an EXIT sign, but Keepsie heard a shout behind them. A girl, about 15, appeared in front of them to block their way.
"You're not getting out of here," she said. Her eyes were wide and her hands shook.
“Aw, come on, kid, if you knew what had-“
“Stop, Blink,” came a voice from behind them. The Librarian ran up behind them, glaring at the girl.
“Who’s Blink?” Michelle whispered to Keepsie. “I didn’t know there was a new one.”
“And that’s the weirdest thing to have happened today?”
“Let them go,” the Librarian said to Blink.
“But-they have White Lightning!” the girl said.
“And they’ll take you too, if you cross them. This is one woman you are powerless around.”
The girl looked on the verge of tears. “How do you know?”
“Idiot,” the Librarian said. “How do I know anything?”
Blink scowled at Keepsie. "You're going to have to let them go at some point. And when you do, they're going to be pissed."
Keepsie grimaced. "Yeah, I expect they'll be mad enough to kill me. Don't worry about me, Blink, I can take care of myself as soon as I get some aloe."
She dragged her prisoners to the elevator and pushed the up button.
Blink disappeared again.
"The kid was right, though," Michelle said. "We can't take these guys with us forever."
The elevator arrived with a ding, and Michelle stepped aboard. Keepsie stayed outside, a smile spreading across her face.
"Are you coming?" Michelle asked.
"I want to try something." Keepsie stepped into the elevator and kept right inside the doors. Her hostages stayed behind her, but outside the elevator.
"Push the button."
The doors closed, and Keepsie and Michelle left Cage, White Lightning, Heretic, Tattoo Devil and the samurai frozen and outside the elevator.
Michelle laughed. "That’s awesome! What's going to happen now?"
"I have no idea," Keepsie said. "I've never done that before. Never had a chance to."
"But Keepsie, you don't have any hostages anymore," Michelle said.
Keepsie made a face. "Crap."
The elevator opened to an identical hallway to the one they had left.
Michelle ran ahead of Keepsie,
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