>>”Carrick!... Tell me I wasn’t that bad as a teen!”

"You were not nearly as charming" Gawain deadpanned, watching Carrick fly after the woman. If they already knew the princess was useful, they would not have had her nearby. Maybe Carrick had the right idea. They needed to track her.

>>”Bad time to be sober... worse time to be them. Leave him, either he finds out where she is before us or we track him down later. Want to start interrogating? I’ll clean up.”

"Sure." Gawain walked back to the mirror he'd stashed a guy in. "Tell us where the princess is."

"F*** you, mutant."

Gawain blinked.

"Dude. I saw you throw lightning from your hands. Denial much?"

****

If Amethyst thought being an exchange student was bad, being a hostage was definitely worse. At first, they talked about luring Carrick in and exchanging her for gems; but it only took some loud protesting and a hard slap for them to figure out the truth about her powers. And now they did not want to exchange her at all.

They were in some kind of an abandoned building. It was probably not where the crazy people lived, but they had not moved her yet since they made the decision to keep her. They were up on a higher floor, with plastic covering the places where the windows should have been, and a whole lot of construction debris. They had the princess tied up, and she was glaring daggers at them, trying her very best not to do them the courtesy of crying any gems.

With the kid gone and Gawain in a mirror he could let loose a bit. The air was heavy with cold and Sam seemed to be moving faster than normal to anyone in range from his powers. He knew he’d be tired a bit after but they were in a hurry and he could sleep later. There was a rescue that needed doing before someone found out and gave him and any one affiliated with the mansion a world of headache.

Mirroring his thoughts his ice clone, formally his armor danced between cultist to cultist reforming as needed under Sam’s watchful eye. Someone cut it with air and the ice clone with it’s one hand managed an uppercut before reforming.

----

Carrick swooped low a few times toying with the cult member brushing against her robes with his fingers every time he swooped. Her direction was focused. She was heading somewhere. Where Carrick didn’t know but he knew it was a place she felt safe. The shifter eased back occasionally seeing if she changed directions. She didn’t.

Eventually the car she started driving parked near a construction site. Less than a few miles from what Carrick could guess. If two X-men couldn’t find this place anyone would be stupid to join their ranks. It screamed bad guy hideout. Hostage hideout... Carrick wasn’t exactly sure. Which was why he was flying overhead now trying to see anything useful.

His rage building the more he waited till finally he let out another roar.

Carrick was roaring in the distance, and Gawain could thoroughly relate to the feeling. He was not getting anywhere wit the guy in the mirror, other than the fact that dude kept denying he was a mutant, and claiming he was a magician. Mystic, or whatever. Magic was the last thing Gawain needed in his life, and he had seen too many crazy mutants in his life to believe it. But the fact remained that the guy was not telling where they stashed the princess.

***

A roar echoed through the building. The few cloaked figures guarding the place turned in surprise, and Amethyst raised her head. Was that...?
Leave it to the idiot griffin to try to be the knight in shining armor.

"Carrick!"

Sam’s ice clone mirrored Sam as they both charged the last person. Sam aimed low while the clone aimed high as they table topped the last robbed person. Standing upright and feeling the battered cultists tough the fog he created he smirked and signaled to the ice clone he was done with it. The clone jumped to the nearest body then pinned the person freezing in place. ”Any luck?” Sam asked Gawain.

”I got a few of them the others ran..."he said releasing his hold on the temperature around them. Everything slowed down for Sam and the drag of time seemed to exhaust him some. He looked up when he heard a roar off in the distance. ”You got to be kidding me.... you think he found them?” Sam asked looking in the direction and then scooping up Carrick’s ear piece the shifter dropped earlier.

”Think you can store this many?” Sam asked to Gawain trying to catch his breath.

---

Carrick didn’t know if he imagined it or it was another voice in his head but his heart skipped a beat. He felt like purring but knew it wasn’t the time. Below two people exited the building. His pulse quickened. ‘Fight?’ ”Fight!” he yelled as he dove tucking the wings close to his back.

The first person he grabbed gave a small yelp as Carrick landed on him with a heavy crash. His wings opened and he took off again, making sure not to be seen. The second person looked back to his partner and realized he was on the ground. Before he could call someone for backup Carrick struck again.

His tail flicked in excitement. His anger gave him direction. They had the Princess.

>>”You got to be kidding me.... you think he found them?”

"I have no idea. But this dimwit is not giving me anything either." Gawain frowned at Sam as the ice clone took the last cultist down. Carrick was either on the wrong track entirely, roaring randomly around the city, or he found a better solution to the search problem.

>>”Think you can store this many?”

"Nope" Gawain sighed "I can store a few and you'll need to tie down the rest. But we should definitely go find the kid before he eats someone."

***

Amethyst twisted as much as she could with her hands and feet bound, trying to see what was happening. Someone was yelling something, and others mover away to other parts of the building. Was Carrcik here? Were they fighting? It was maddening to not be able to see or know. "In here!"

A deep rumble echoed from his chest as he growled on the second target. There was a walkie talkie that clicked, “Is he out there still?” it was a females voice, the one he had been hunting. He reached down and picked it up not even trying to hide his accent. ”Clear.” Carrick left the limp bodies behind.

Thankfully he hadn’t killed anyone yet. Either due to luck or a fear what would happen next to him. He sniffed the air hearing her voice. Carrick fought the urge to purr. No wasn’t the time. ‘Mate?’ ”That’s her...” he responded as he entered the construction zone they were at.

Pushing the plastic aside he sniffed the air. ‘....’ this was the first time in his life Carrick waited for the beast’s thoughts. There was nothing so he moved forward crouching low to the ground as he moved from one plastic sheet to the next sniffing the air it smelled like her. Expensive.

‘Fight!’ Carrick rolled relying on his acrobatic skills he picked up from the circus and snapped up turning and sending a kick outwards after a jump. The person who tried pushing though the plastic was met with a kick to the face. They dropped and Carrick pushed through where they were coming from.

Carrick started purring, she was close. ”Ames? his sore voice forced out as he walked to the next sheet of plastic hoping she was on the other side. ”Love? Ya here?”

---

It took a few seconds to pin the collapsed bodies, they were fighting through pain so they didn’t voice too much of an argument when he approached and made things cold. ”This is Rime.” Sam said holding up his police radio. ”Need a pick up at...” he gave the location for where they were and where they needed a pick up. ”Magic? Mutants? Send a few extras.” he said not sure what else to add. The caused the asphalt to melt. They needed a specialist.

”Let’s go play catch up. Hopefully Carrick left a trail or one of your guests want to prevent their friends from being eaten...” Sam said as he hoped instilling a little more fear would help motivate someone to reveal a location. ”Seen the bodies after. Most of them are still alive.” he launched himself upwards.

Sam called in the cavalry, and they made sure all the cultists were secured. The ones that didn't get away, anyway. The fight was not over yet, not until Carrick calmed down and the princess was found. Those two things probably had to go hand in hand.

>>”Let’s go play catch up. Hopefully Carrick left a trail or one of your guests want to prevent their friends from being eaten... Seen the bodies after. Most of them are still alive.”

"Let's go catch up fast then" Gawain sighed, getting back into a nearby mirror and heading towards the direction of the previous roaring sound "Remind me never to put my daughter on this team?"

****

Everything was quiet all of a sudden. Amethyst looked around, trying to hear or see something, trying to guess what happened. The Beast was not usually this quiet. Did they...?

>>”Ames? Love? Ya here?”

"I'm here!" she called out, letting out the breath she had been holding. Having her hands and feet tied made it very hard to struggle to her feet (especially with a dress on), but she tried anway.

”I’m surprised you have your wife on the team.” he laughed a little despite the current situation. When he started to feel gravity’s pull on him ice formed under his feet in the form of a slide as he maneuvered after the sound of the roar. ”Your daughter will probably be running the team before long.”

---

His ears heard the movement of the plastic from the wind and his eyes darted to the source of the sound. He stopped purring trying to be silent still low to the ground his body reacted on it’s own until he heard her voice this time he was sure.

>>>"I'm here!"

Carrick’s attention focused to the sound and he knew where she was. He took off running until he pushed past a sheet of plastic. She was there and tied up. The sight upset him. She was here because of him. Carrick ran to her and hugged her. Ignoring his surroundings. He was sorry but he was still Carrick, ”Why ya tied up?” he asked looking around. ”Why ya hanging out here? No place for a princess...” he smirked and started purring his cat like eyes fixed on her.

”Sorry...” his tail flicked behind him as he pulled out a pocket knife and started to work on freeing her. ”Ya hurt?” he asked finally showing how worried he was on his face.

>>”I’m surprised you have your wife on the team.”

"You try have that conversation with her" Gawain smirked, following along from mirror to mirror as Sam used his ice slides.

>>”Your daughter will probably be running the team before long.”

"Bite your tongue."

The abandoned building was pretty obvious, but Gawain frowned anyway. "That whole thing is concrete and plastic. You'll need to get me some ice mirrors."

***

Carrick burst into the room and hugged her. He was not in beast form and he was not covered in blood. The princess sighed. Carrick probably did not even realize that he was purring, but the sound made her relax. maybe this whole nightmare was actually over.

>>”Why ya tied up? Why ya hanging out here? No place for a princess...”

"They wanted you." she muttered as he worked on freeing her "But then they found out I'm worth more."

>>”Sorry... Ya hurt?”

"A little" she admitted, rubbing her wrists. Where the rope had broken the skin she had rubies glimmering around the injury. She'd have bruises from the times they slapped her. "Nothing serious, though. Can we go home?..."

”I survived contract killers attempts than I can count.” he said skating on his slide, ”But not dumb. You’re wife scares me more. Even before the kid.” he said truthfully. A healthy fear of Becca meant he could keep asking if Gawain could come out and play. Sometimes the playground was too big for Sam alone.

”Make me.” he quipped back as they approached a building that screamed ‘hostage in here’ ”You think people would go out of their way not be obvious with a hideout.” he said wondering if this was a trap.

Sam didn’t wait to find out. When Gawain requested some mirrors on site Sam went on ahead. ”Coming right up!”

----

”Well they got me. Don't think they were ready for it.” he said with a little laugh then got serious when it came to her worth ”They have no idea, bad time for a relationship talk?” he asked tail flicking behind him happy to hear she still had a little of her normal royal attitude. Carrick was happy she was alright but ecstatic she was even willing to talk to him. He’d be blaming himself for a long time.

Looking at her wrists he spotted glint from the gems formed around her wrists. He grabbed her hands and helped her up gently despite his anger he felt for the cultists. He felt conflicted, wanting to roar and wanting so purr he cleared his throat ”Ya! We can get ya fixed up there.”

“No, I don’t think you will.” a voice said from behind one of the plastic sheets. There was a sudden gust of wind and the plastic sheets that formed the walls ripped free and flew away. Dirt and dust kicked up and Carrick closed his eyes but grabbed onto the princess. He wasn’t about to lose her again.

“You know it takes a lot of guts to try and cheat us. We have to make an example of you, so your kind knows they can’t stand in our way.” The dust died down and he opened his eyes squinting at first. ”Oh a foreigner? Pretty closed minded.” he said trying to make a joke. His pupils turned to slits again. Carrick realized they were surrounded.

>>”Well they got me. Don't think they were ready for it. They have no idea, bad time for a relationship talk?”

"A what now?" Amethyst blinked, a little wobbly on her feet as she was helped up. All she wanted to do was get back to the Mansion, take a bath, and try to forget this whole experience. Whatever talk he wanted to have would have to wait.

>>”Ya! We can get ya fixed up there.”

>>“No, I don’t think you will.”

Wind kicked up and dust and plastic sheets began to fly everywhere. Amethyst yelped, covering her eyes.

>>“You know it takes a lot of guts to try and cheat us. We have to make an example of you, so your kind knows they can’t stand in our way.”

>>”Oh a foreigner? Pretty closed minded.”

"Our kind?..." the princes frowned "What does that make them...?"

***

Suddenly a blast of wind came from the building, a few floors up. Gawain, waiting for Sam to create mirrors, looked up and swore.

"I think we found them."

>>"What does that make them...?"

”Biggots or just dumb? I mean, I’m good but they did fall for the old ‘switch it on’ pretty easily.” he asked the Princess before spotting a support beam to the ceiling. Carrick stepped to the side giving the princess a little push in that direction. If they were indeed surrounded having anything between them and the Princess made him feel a little better. ”It’s gonna be fine. All part of the plan.” he led quietly to the princess turning his back to her and opened his wings. Trying to hide her from everyone.

”Any chance ya want to just let us go?” he asked looking around counting the people around them. At least the ones he could see. ‘Fight?’ his throat started to rumble in a low growl while he started baring his teeth.

Carrick didn’t see a lot of options, the X-men should have been here already. They should have saved the day and he should have been listening how this was all his fault from the Princess back at the mansion. It was up to him to clean up his mess. He sighed, ”Yeah... Fight!” his body tensed for a second as he welcomed the pain which was only momentary. Adrenaline kicked in and he started pulling at his skin as it tightened on his body restricting his movement.

The robbed cultists didn’t know what to expect of the show until one of them chanted and shot forward a with a fist looking like stone. Carrick’s head lurched forward when he was struck he didn’t drop though. Standing tall he let them know they were messing with an Alpha. He puffed out his chest and roared loud before lunging forward at his attacker.

----

There was a blast of air and Sam watched the plastic shoot from the building. ”Add littering to the list next to kidnapping.” he tried to joke a blast of blue appeared near the group. Without the plastic sheets Sam had a clear line of sight now that he was on the ground.

There was a roar. Carrick was there. That much was apparent. He also looked... different. Sam never saw his other forms before. Now he wished he didn’t get the opportunity.

”Get her out of there!” he said signaling to Gawain before yelling to everyone else, ”Hey! You’re all under arrest. Please tell me you don’t want to go quietly!” the temperature dropped quickly ice erupting outwards from Sam.

The fight was not done, after all. Amethyst got to watch Carrick shift into his beast form for the second time, and it was still not a spectacle one could get used to. Even the enemy seemed to be taken aback by the change, and the princess covered her eyes, not sure she wanted to see what was about to come.

"Alright, your highness, we're getting you out of here."

Carrick was beasting out, which meant this place was going to become an awful mess in a few moments. Gawain popped out of an ice mirror near the support beam and grabbed the girl, trying not to spook her more than she already was. Carrying her through the mirrors to the opposite building, he deposited her on the roof at a safe distance. "Stay here. Don't go anywhere. We'll be back for you."

"Wait!... What are you going to do to him?"

Gawain sighed. The better question was what Carrick was going to do, before he regained control. Seemed like the whole teen crush thing was mutual. "He's gonna be fine."

‘Fight!’ Carrick growled as he punched the man whose body quickly became hard as stone. He stopped for a second when he spotted the Princess being relocated by someone who appeared in a reflection. ‘Fight!’ his beast form leapt from the man made of stone and ran to the reflection to only watch her disappear again. He just found her and she was gone again. He roared on the other side of the reflection wishing for her to come back.

”Carrick! Chill!” the shifter’s ears twitched at his name in recognition and he howled in response turning to the nearest person and closing his fist and throwing it into them. He was angry, he was in pain and he lost the Princess again.

Some ice erupted in steam as one of the cult members countered Sam’s ice with fire. It resolidified and the process continued till Sam could close the distance.

Carrick seeing a few distracted used this as an opportunity to get some aggression out. ‘Fight!’ they needed to pay they took her from him. They were keeping her from him. He growled forming his first words in his shifted form, ”....M-ine!” he leapt forward swiping his shifted hands to the nearest now distracted robbed member. Blood erupted from under their robes and they grabbed their neck as Carrick rolled and ran to the next target.

”Carrick! She’s fine!” Sam yelled as he tried to blast some cold at the kid while he leapt from one person to the next. He was only maiming. Each person collapsed and grabbed a limb or a wound was he doing this on purpose or was this just a happy coincidence? Sam leapt and dodged a flying I-beam.

By the time Gawain made it back to the fight, Carrick was busy taking care of their attackers. He could see his breath in the cold; no doubt Sam was doing his best to try to calm the beast down.

"Carrick! We've got her she's safe!"

"You can't even control your own kind!" shrieked a cloaked figure. This again. Gawain swore, moving into another mirror with a better vantage point before he came out to shoot some arrows. He was aiming to bring them down, but he was not happy with the kind of powers they were throwing around. There was something off about the whole thing. "What the hell is this, Elementals Anonymous?..."