Anarchy's Mystery

Chapter 4 (NON CAPS (: )

Natalie silently walked into her house, dumping her bag on the chair. Working a double shift - one a night shift - was tiring. Even more so knowing that she wasn't finished with her jobs now. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of stale bread - a nice, nutritious dinner. She ripped it with her teeth and headed to her sister's room. She silently walked past the sleeping forms of her mother and sister and grabbed a dark jacket and shirt along with her black sneakers. After hurriedly getting changed she grabbed her keys and some coins and silently left the house once more.

Ahe was enveloped in the darkness of the street as she shifted form before taking off in a sprint. Running through the streets to Matt's store had become a custom for her. She ran through the streets until she reached the store. She appeared in her human form and stopped at the closed door. 'Shut down for Government Purposes' the sign read. Natalie frowned and hurried away. A hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into an alleyway. A small scream escaped from her mouth before she slammed her hand over it. She turned around to see Matt, holding her mother's medicine. She relaxed in relief.

"Matt, you're alright." She wrapped him in a hug, which he returned forcefully. Natalie pulled out from his embrace and looked at him, worried. "What happened?"

"The Renegades. They thought that I was selling drugs or something to the Anarchists. They shut me out and locked the door, but they let me grab some things before I left. I grabbed some of your mom's medicine on my way out. I knew she would need some soon." He held a couple bottles out to her, which she took with relief.

"You're a lifesaver Matt. And you're in luck, I've got the money with me tonight. Enough for both, by chance." Natalie held out the 24 gold coins and watched wistfully as they disappeared into Matt's pocket before she scored her face into a poker face once more. "Once again, thanks Matt. I shouldn't stay too long, the Renegades might find me or mom might wake up and I wouldn't be home." She smiled and pulled Matt into another quick hug. Natalie slid the medicine in her bag before taking a deep breath as she quickly morphed into a small, black alley cat with her red fur. She meowed at him before running off into the street, where she was immediately surrounded. A villain gang.

She instantly saw that they were not Renegades and took off sprinting at full speed to get out, a couple grabbed for her but she evaded their capture and went running full pace down a nearby alleyway, two men following her. She spun around a corner, coming face to face with another man. She skidded to a stop before taking in her surroundings. She ducked into a gutter to the side and dropped onto the floor, tail flicking. She heard the thud as the men collided and she took off running through the inside of the city. Slipping on a chain of a necklace that had been abandoned, she went flying and crashed into a wall. Her front paw exploded with pain and her vision went black.

A few hours later, Natalie woke up, her head spinning with pain. She instantly recognised the dirty sewer and quickly transformed into her human form, wincing in pain as her arm moved. Probably broken. She cursed under her breath before running through the gutters to find an exit, trying to keep her arm as still as possible. Reaching an exit, she quickly scrambled out onto the street and saw the sun rising. Sam and her mom would be awake soon. She was gonna be in so much trouble. She took off running down the street, trying to ignore the screaming pain in her arm, but failing miserably. If you haven't already guessed, Natalie has a very high pain tolerance, but this was bad. Unlocking the front door proved to be an interesting ordeal and she quickly threw her stuff on the floor and slid under the blanket.

"I knew you weren't here." She heard Samantha say as she entered the room, holding her old teddy bear. She looked up to see her sister standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. In so many ways, Samantha looked like her sister. They had the same pale skin, bright green eyes and hair length and they were around the same height and build. However, where Natalie had black hair with a red strip in it, Samantha had brown hair with a green strip. Her sister remained standing in the same spot.

"Why were you out all night? And what happened to your arm?" Natalie took the chance to look at her arm and saw the unnatural bend in the bone, and the bruising and swelling already severe.

"It doesn't matter, stuff happened. Is mom awake?" Natalie asked, brushing off the questions as if they were nothing. She climbed off the couch and tossed the blanket to the side.

"Yeah, she's been awake for like an hour and she was calling for you, but you didn't come. She knows you weren't home." Samantha.

"Why didn't you cover for me Sam?! We had a deal! You know why I have to do this!" Natalie groaned.

"I did! I told her you were out working an early shift! But that won't explain the probably broken arm!" Samantha argued, glaring at her sister.

"Fine, I'll tell her I tripped. Sorta true." Natalie sighed, walking down the hall to her mother, grabbing one of the old bottles of medication on the way.

"She won't believe you." Samantha called after her. "She was really worried." Natalie ignored her as she entered her mom's room.

"Hey mom." She looked to see her mother asleep again, and she tiptoed out and handed the medicine to Samantha. "Sorry Sam, but could you please wait here and give it to mom when she wakes up? I'll give you a note for school so they don't get mad." Sam sighed but agreed. After awkwardly writing a note with her left hand (She was right handed, and that was the broken one) she grabbed her bag again and headed off to Renegade Headquarters, exhausted. Not bothering with her usual secrecy, she hurried into the foyer and over to the lift. She'd painfully taken her jacket off and had it wrapped around her broken arm to hide the break. She walked into the Council room and sat on the floor, as there was no one there yet. She gently pulled the jacket off her arm and examined the swelling and bruising, the unnatural bend just below the elbow.

"What the hell happened to you?!" A voice asked, and she looked up to see the entire Council staring at her and her broken arm. She took a deep breath and didn't reply. This was gonna be a loooong day.