I was getting sick and tired of running.
Puck dragged me along anyway, probably mostly because I didn't have the breath to voice my protests. Looking back, I think I may have been in shock, because the only thing I could focus on was how stupid this all was, how it really had to be a big mistake, they had the wrong girl.
I planted my feet against the pavement and came to a dead halt. Puck, who'd been holding onto my wrist like I was some kind of wayward toddler, nearly flew off his feet.
"What the hell, kid?" He whirled around to look at me as if I were the lunatic here. "Come on! We've got to keep moving!"
"Let me GO!" Giving it all my strength, I wrenched my arm out of his grip angrily. "You're an idiot! You and that other guy are fighting over who gets to kidnap me, and you've both got the wrong damn person!" I was aware that my voice was steadily rising, but I couldn't bring myself to care. It wasn't like anybody was around anyway, they'd most likely be hiding from the pirates for the rest of the day. "Who does this?" I cried out indignantly. "What kind of kidnapper goes out and can't even find the right person?"
He probably thought I was hysterical or something, because he just stared at me for a good few seconds in silence.
Then he smiled at me.
Let me explain something about Puck. When he smiles at you, he makes you feel as if, at that exact moment, you are the center of his very universe. It's all a part of his insidious charm: you forget all about all of his past social gaffes, you forget that ten minutes before that, a physics equation or some random girl with a nice rack was far more able to hold his attention than you were, and you forget that he often doesn't seem to realize that socks are both supposed to match. I've since become pretty resistant to his charms, but just then, it was all pretty new to me, and I was lost.
"But I'm not kidnapping you, honey. Tengu, he was kidnapping you. I'm here to take you home. And besides," He reached his hand back out to me, this time offering me the choice whether to take it or not. "I'm not the one who tried to use you as a human shield. Do you really want to hang around and debate the issue with him when he catches up?"
Oh. Now that he said that last bit out loud, there was some logic in it. I took his hand, and this time took off running with him by my own volition.
"It's going to be locked." Puck tried the door anyway, cursing softly when it wouldn't open up for him. "Everybody ducked for cover when the pirates started shooting. Doubt they'll open up again until tomorrow. How're we going to fly your shuttle out of here if it's broken down, anyway?"
Puck fished something long and thin out of his pocket, sounding rather absentminded as he drove it into the locking mechanism on the door. "It was just some minor stuff, she'll run just fine. Guy said it should've been done hours ago, anyway....it's probably finished. There!" He grinned triumphantly as the doors slid open before us. The interior of the shop was abandoned, but the lights were at least still on, and Puck zeroed in on his target with ease, leaving me to follow behind.
"This....is your ship?" I didn't mean to sound quite so incredulous, but the monstrosity before us looked more like it belonged in a recycle tank than in the air. There were so many patches and scrapes in the finish that I had to wonder if anything left on the hull was actually paint at all. "And it......runs....?"
"Hey!" Puck protested, looking wounded as he ran a hand over the battered metal. "So she's seen better days on the outside. I've neglected a little bodywork. You'll change your tune once you're inside and you see her fly, though. The stuff this ship has under the hood'll put any one of those brand new, top of the line crafts to shame."
"Is that.......a dog?" I peered at the one bit of definitely identifiable paint left on the craft. "With goggles.....? What's a Sopwith Camel?"
"Your education leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. Here, get in." I hesitated; there was some last, lingering bit of common sense that warned me that once I got in, I was stuck. There'd be no getting away from him then, what was I going to do? Jump out the window and freefall back to the colony? "Oh. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking...it must be hard to leave all this." He gestured around us vaguely. "Or were you waiting to say your goodbyes to Tengu?"
Taking a deep breath, I climbed through the door he held open for me and closed my eyes when I heard it slam shut. There was no going back now.
