​     "Shawnacy, I need you here," Noel said into his com. "We need to get these people out of this shooting gallery and into our van."

​     Shawnacy tapped twice on her own com to indicate she both heard and understood. She wished she could stay, though. Estelle was starting to have a bit of a problem with Hoby and those dozens of arms of his. She spun away from the two of them and collapsed her staff to clip back to her belt. Then,

     WHAP!

     Belle Strom, the Silver Scorpion, slammed into Nacy a second time. 

​     The Silver Scorpion's tail whipped around to bury a pincer into Shawnacy's shoulder. The pain of it made Nacy's whole body spasm, and then...oh no. Nacy realized she could no longer move. There'd been some kind of drug in that pincer, some kind of paralyzing agent.

     Oh no. Oh no.

​     "Shawnacy!" Noel barked into his com. "Shawnacy, we need you! Where are you?"

​     He waited to hear the tap tap of her reply.

     It didn't come.

​     "Shawnacy!"

​                                                      CONTINUE