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“You need to stop screa anyone”

“We need to find the bat If we don’t, they won’t survive” She glared at him “Do you have a better idea? No? Well then, butt out Baaaaaaat!”

Gray ca like that?”

“Unless you’ve got a gag on you, I’m not sure hoe can stop it” Striker nodded to Mace “Get hi her in the second vehicle We only have a set out of here before the cameras are back online and Enforcement find out exactly what happened”

“On it,” Gray said, striding toward Mace

“We need to go,” Striker told Keiko “We need to get Mace and you to a doctor”

“Not without his bat,” the stubborn woman replied

“I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate,” he said

“Baaaatt!” was the only answer he got

Striker opened his o with Mace, then she needed to leave now Only the words didn’t cohter in color than the rest, spiraled down froht for her

“Bat,” she laughed, cried, called Reaching her hands high toward it

And daht into those hands Striker’s jaw dropped as her shaky grasp brought the tiny creature to her chest and held it close

“You’re a really bad bat,” she scolded “You knew you had to come back to Mace, and you went off to play instead I’m not happy with you” Her hands trembled as she walked the creature over to its other half She looked equal parts scared of it and relieved that she held it Dropping to her knees beside Mace, she placed the bat on his chest “Go on, get back where you belong”

The tiny, fluffy bat butted her hand, as though it wanted h “Later, okay” And then she shooed it up Mace’s chest to his shoulder “Do your joining thing I’ll pet you later”

And to everyone’s astonishment, it did exactly what it was told to do One second, it alking across Mace; the next, it was a tattoo on his shoulder Keiko ran her fingers over the bat drawing