The rev of the Ninja engine was loud in her ears as the metallic chassis tore through traffic. She could barely think straight as she weaved in and out of the cars in her path. But she couldn't hear the honks and angry yells that followed in her wake, her mind was far to busy yelling at her. Why hadn't she remembered today was the day? She'd gotten some connections here over the past ten years – but would they be enough? Perhaps the Cheshire could help her – though her last scrape with him had ended in one of her wings nearly being sheered off! No he was definitely a last resort. She just had to get to the museum – see if Merlin was there if not Mayor White would surely know where he was or even better where he'd hidden that damned vase!<br/><br/>She knew however she couldn't got to Nimue – not until she had proof of what Pan had done, it was part of the reason she hadn't returned to Neverland or any of the Fae kingdom since that fateful day. Unless she could prove Pan's betrayal she felt she had no place in her old home. While she didn't exactly hate Odense she didn't exactly love it either. She was only lucky she was Mettalzauber – other's of her kind often didn't fair so well with Iron here like she could. Suddenly the blare of a horn coming from her right slammed her attention back to where she was.<br/><br/>She pulled on the brakes and nearly toppled over the handle bars for as fast as she'd been going. Glaring at the cars to her right her eyes shone a brighter tint of green behind the black visor of her helmet but quickly dimmed when she realized they had the right of way and she was almost half way into the intersection. She shook her head “Keep it together Bell!” She reprimanded herself. The light changed shortly after and she sped on through – she was close to the museum now, only a few blocks away she could make it find whoever she needed too and then get on with all this and hopefully be home soon! Her true home!<br/><br/>All thoughts were suddenly washed away though, as a sound she hated over all else sounded through the air. Her head wrenched back and she stopped looking up into the sky and sure enough there he was. Her heart stopped death in her chest and a gut wrenching pain moved through her body as he stomach twisted into knots. “No...” she barely breathed the single word out as she watched the green clothed menace shoot across the sky echoing out his stupid crow again and again as he zipped off. She was to late! How could she be so useless!!!!<br/><br/>Someone behind her was laying on their horn but she barely took notice her head slowly dropping as the realization of her failure – yet again – settled over her. She looked up as the car behind her bumped against the back tire of her motorcycle and she quickly gunned it to get out of the way. She realized then that Pan had been at the museum all along! A crowd of people were starting to form at windows and the entrance to the place, the vase she could just make out as she zipped past was shattered on the sidewalk. She jerked back to herself however as a black Limo pulled out before her and she had to veer sharply to miss collision with it. She made an abrupt turn onto the alley it had left and stopped the bike there, her feet touching down to stabilize the heavy vehicle she slowly slid her helmet off and into her lap looking down at it's reflective surface she saw there only a failure. Her hands suddenly lifted to cup against her face and she felt tears nearly threatening to come. She scrubbed her eyes roughly with the palms of her hands and lifted back up shaking her head – this was no time for tears.<br/><br/>She kicked the stand down on her bike and made her way into the Museum through the side entrance. People were all a chatter – maybe she could pick up something useful among their conversations. Sadly as she moved through the exhibits the census was the same. Pan was back – as was Merlin's Apprentice. She wondered about the other man that had been sucked into the vase those ten years ago – she hadn't really thought of him much but she did remember that the two had seemed familiar. She wondered why Pan had never mentioned him to her in their time together – not that he'd ever really mentioned much about his past to her. Blue green eyes studied the floor as she walked back the way she'd come. Perhaps he could help her? He surely seemed to have stood a chance when last she'd seen him facing off against Pan when he'd been after her. She wondered though – why?<br/><br/>She shook her head and figured it was time to find someone with some answers as she made her way back out of the museum. O'malley would have his ear to the ground surely – he was an alley cat – or at least that is what most would call him, a vagabond who meandered the streets and rarely did an honest days work but hell he was reliable when it came to find things out in this crazy city. He'd even been the one to introduce her to Doc when she'd realized after Pan's disappearance that she had no where to go. Pan had been her everything for so very long – she had idolized him and followed him like a lost pup! She was so very ashamed of that now a days. Doc had let her crash the back storage room of the garage until she earned enough for her own tiny place to call home.<br/><br/>She had a feeling she knew where O'malley would be too – she wasn't that far off from him either. Straddling her bike she kicked the engine over and headed for the big cathedral church. O'malley liked to hang out there and play cards with the gargoyles.<br/><br/>Twenty minutes later she was heading up the steps to the back entrance of the church – she had to be sneaky about how she got in here the Church Patrons and Keepers were not exactly fond of her, or O'Malley for that matter. She would shrink down if she needed to – but luckily for her no one met her path on the way up to the bell towers. She had to put shoulder to the large ancient oaken doors as she reached the top though – either by age or rust the hinges on the door always seemed to catch. Peeking in she asked<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"> “Victor you here? I'm looking for O'malley...” </span>It was day time so of course the gargoyle's would be indoors, she stepped through the door and entered the room properly – set around one of the gigantic bell's prop-posts was a table with cards strewn out across the table and four men with hands full of them.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“Go Fish!”</span>A man with deep red orange hair and golden yellow eyes called, his cloths a little worse for the wear, with miss – match patches in places and a set of grubby old fingerless gloves would be Thomas O'malley.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#808080">“We're not rudy well playing Go Fish you dolt!”</span>Hugo, a rather portly looking fellow who's nose almost reminded Bell of a pig's snout was yelling back at O'malley.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffffff">“What are we playing again?” </span>That would be Laverne, the eldest of the three Gargoyle's, who's eyebrows were great bushes over his squinted eyes whilst he studied the playing cards held in his own hands.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffffff"> “Was it Rummy? Or Black Jacket?” </span>He asked his voice wavering due to his age.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ccff">“It was 'Black Jack '”</span>said the final and tallest man Victor, putting emphasis on the name of the game in hopes of cementing it into the elder's mind<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ccff">“Laverne you really must pay more attention! But that is beside the point – look here we have a visitor!” </span>Victor stood from the table after placing his cards face down on the table. Hugo quickly picked them up to take a peek while the others all turned to look at Bell.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ccff">“Bell what brings you here?” </span>Victor asked with worry in his ancient eyes.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ccff"> “You look as though you've seen a ghost!”</span>He placed a hand on Bell's shoulder and she sniffed back tears that still threatened her. O'malley also seemed to notice her badly hidden pain and looked back down to his cards.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“Pan's back”</span>He stated with an air of finality in his voice, he hoped she would let it cement her mind.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">“H-How did you know?”</span>She asked Thomas while her hand held onto Victor's which still sat on her shoulder – using it half in support to keep her own knees from buckling.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“Darling you know this by now I'm King of the Highway, prince of the boulevard! Scat Cat and the others from my rat pack have been picking up news all along the roads”</span>He of course meant his other vagabond friends. She shook her head as he explained<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“You better get your head on straight miss – or this time you'll surely loose what you're looking to get back”</span>He said with an air of mystery – though she trusted and loved the gargoyles she didn't exactly explain a lot of things to them and O'Malley knew this.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">“O'malley why was the other man – Merlin's Apprentice so ready to stand up to Pan?”</span>Bell asked sort of out of left field.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“Oh him! Ha well of course he would wouldn't he – sorta the heroic type after all I would say. But then again I'm just an ole alley cat what do I know of magicians – maybe you should go ask him for yourself! He hangs out at that shop in Old Town the Arcana Cabana I believe”</span>of course he didn't believe – he knew and Bell knew to stick by what he'd believed.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">“Victor – I know you can't go out now, but could you watch the skies for me at night? Tell O'Malley of anything you catch Pan at but don't get to close!” </span>She smiled thankfully as Victor nodded placing one hand on his chest and bowing his head at her request.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">“We're gonna need more help O'malley – I just don't know where to start looking for it!” </span>She was of course right after all this city for all it's joys had it's fair share of dark goings on and devious characters.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff4d4d">“I just told ya love – start at that shop in Old Town – I'll keep Scat Cat and the boy's ears to the pavement for ya too though I expect something for my troubles later on down the road”</span>He gave her a wide grin and nodded – she returned the nod and patted Victor's hand before turning to head back out and eased out of the church on stealthy toes.<br/><br/>Once outside she nearly had a heart attack as her phone sounded. She yanked it from her pocket at glared at the small device – she'd never gotten use to them in all honesty. She swiped and unlocked the screen and saw she had five missed calls from Doc, and a ton of messages from Lily. She sighed and shook her head she didn't have time for them right now – besides what would she bloody well say? Sorry I have to go and avenge my Kingdom's fallen Guardian and somehow kill my ex-lover? Riiighhht! She shook her head and re - locked the phone sticking it back in her jacket pocket as she straddled her bike – kicked the stand up and then jump started the engine. She would head to Old Town maybe someone at the Arcana Cabana could point her in the right direction to find Merlin's Apprentice.