Burn Bright

When Gerard returned to the cave, Lindsay was standing outside the entrance looking livid. When she saw her husband she approached him, “What did you do?”

“What are you talking about?” Gerard snapped.

“Bandit came back in tears! She said something about you hurting Mikey! She had her first transformation…I thought you'd be happy!” Lindsay shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration.

Gerard was happy to hear that Bandit had returned home but just seeing his wife made his heart swell in anger. “Yes she had her first transformation but did she tell you what she changed into? She turned into a falcon! A falcon Lindsay!”

"So what?” Lindsay asked, confused to why her husband was upset.

“Don't act like you don't know! She isn't my daughter! When did you sleep with him?” Gerard asked his tone laced with venom.

“Of course she is your daughter Gerard! And who are you talking about? You were my one and only.” Lindsay stated, obviously offended.

“Cut the crap…you had to sleep with my brother. But can I ask you one question was it before or after the wedding? What did I do to deserve this?” Gerard was fuming now, Lindsay looked up at her husband in horror.

“I would never sleep with Mikey…Bandit is your daughter…she is ours! We created her Gerard! How dare you think such vile things about me.” Lindsay growled, “You are the only person I have ever slept with!”
Gerard sneered, “Sure I am, explain to me why Bandit is so much like my brother, why can she change into a falcon?”

“I don't know okay? But she is our daughter.” Lindsay repeated, suddenly she remember her daughter telling her about Gerard hurting Mikey, she looked around and saw no trace of him, “Gerard where is Mikey?”

Gerard laughed, “Of course you would be worried about him. I banished him, he is never coming back!”
Gerard pushed past his wife and into the cave. Lindsay stood still in shock, Mikey was banished. Gerard had exiled his own brother.

Bandit was inconsolable, Ryan was trying to calm her down. After Gerard told her about banishing Mikey, she broke down into tears. Mikey had been one of the only people that understood her, and now he was gone. Her own father had taken him away. Nobody had told her why Gerard was really upset, just that he was mad, and that Mikey was gone.

“It'll be okay B, after you dad calms down…I'm sure he'll allow Mikey to come back.” Ryan stated as he wrapped his arm around Bandit and rub her shoulder soothingly. When someone told Kristen about Mikey she began to scream at Gerard, she wasn't crying, but her voice was cracking and her face was red. Luke had to drag her outside to calm down before Gerard lost his temper.

“I just don't understand…why would he banish his own brother? I just can't believe he is gone, what if I never see him again?” Bandit mutter, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“I don't know, I'm sure that Gerard will come to his senses. Mikey will be back before you know it.” Ryan said, Bandit nodded and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

“I hope so.” Bandit muttered.

Mikey was walking in the forest, he couldn't fly for very long amount of time because of his injury. The bleeding had stopped about an hour ago, but the throbbing hadn't gone away. As night approached the temperature plummeted. Mikey pulled his sweater over his head and tried to find somewhere that he could start a small fire and get some sleep. Finally he found a small cave and gathered some wood for the fire.

After he got the fire started he settled in for the night, the fire helped keep the frost away. Mikey rubbed his hands together and then rubbed his arms. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was scared, what if Gerard never invited him back? Would he always be alone? He worried about Kristen…would she be okay? Would she find someone else now that he was gone? He was also worried about Bandit. Who would train her? Would Gerard ever accept her now that he thought that she wasn't his.

He couldn't believe that Gerard seriously thought that he would betray him like that. Mikey never slept with Lindsay, sure he had thought she was pretty, but as soon as Gerard showed interest in her he had backed off. Mikey felt so hurt that Gerard had banished him, but he felt even worse that Gerard really thought Bandit was his daughter.

Mikey was jolted from his thought when he heard twigs snapping in the distance, and pine needles breaking under the weight of someone. He shot up to his feet and tried to see though the trees and the darkness, he prayed that it was Gerard, that he had come to apologize and welcome him back to the tribe.

However he saw a couple pair of purple eyes glisten in the firelight, his heart dropped. It was warlocks, they had found him. Mikey tried to keep his nerves at bay before speaking, “What do you guys want?”

“The question is why are you all by yourself? After such a vicious attack on your people.” One of the warlocks smirked.

“Oh you know, I'm not going to let some moles like yourselves scare me. Why did you violate the treaty? We were at peace with your people.” Mikey growled.

One of the warlocks cocked its head, “You mean the treaty that forced us underground for years? We were all terrified to leave our home, to come outside because of your people.”

Mikey took a deep breath before morphing into a falcon and shooting up towards the sky, however his injured wing made things a lot more difficult. Balls of blue light shot up towards him, he tried his best to avoid them, but one hit him and he felt himself changing, unable to change back into a falcon he hit the ground hard.

Before blacking out Mikey heard one of the warlocks chuckle, “Ah the younger brother of the chief…Marcus will want us to bring him back…he’ll want to have a little chat.”

Notes