I wait

by ~crystalquirt

This one said it was never finished, but I remember what happened next -maybe I never uploaded the end – it wasn't missing much. I'm working on it now.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Tobey pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself even thinner, trying to be invisible.

Unable to stand not knowing how close Kong Li was, Tobey tilted his head forward just a little but quickly sucked in his breath as he pulled his head back against the wall. He did it so quickly; he banged his head. Biting his lip and holding his breath to keep from groaning out loud, Tobey froze.

When the pain passed, only his eyes moved to measure the distance between the ground and the bottom of the fire escape only ten feet away. Tobey heard a footstep and the crack of Kong Li's staff as he struck an empty cardboard box, thinking his prey might be hiding there. Tobey breathed a sigh of relief but realized he wouldn't make it to the fire escape. Kong Li was too close.

Tobey frowned when he thought again, that this man that was looking for him, intending to hurt him or capture him was really his father. He'd been hiding and running for days, as Kong Li tried to capture him. He didn't dare go home. Going home would put the others in danger.

The boy with the white patch of hair wore a stern expression for only a moment, as he heard Kong Li make another noise. It was a garbage can that was magically picked up with a wave of his father's hand and thrown across the alley. Tobey's expression softened from anger to a fearful one.

"Tobey! Come out of there. You and I both know you're trapped. I don't even have to hurry - I can just wait here until you come out on your own or die of dehydration."

Kong Li sat on the overturned trash can and continued. "How long do you think you can take the suspense? I know you're not very patient."

Tobey remained silent, and very still, except for his stomach muscles as he tried hard to breathe without a sound. Wait, I have to wait, he thought.

But Tobey's mind was racing. What do I do? I can't let him catch me! Wait. It's been this long; I can wait a little longer.

I don't know how many days ago it was when I was fighting with Sid and ran into Kong Li, we were caught completely off-guard. I guess we were both too mad to be paying attention to our surroundings. But Sue wasn't. She was ready and saved both of us.

Tobey quietly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and when he leaned back against the wall again, his hand went to cover his mouth as he remembered something else.

I can't believe it, but Kong Li just almost caught me just now and now I've trapped myself in this alley. Kong Li said he would take me back. He thinks he can just take me away from my real family and I'll do what he wants. He's dreamin'! He only wants me now that Nana has taught me to be a good fighter and I'm old enough that he thinks I could help him.

Tobey wiped the sweat off of his brow, moving slowly and silently. It sounded like Kong Li still hadn't moved.

He's just dragging this out to torture me. He's hoping I'll make a mistake - that I'll just rush out to fight him.

"Tobey!" Kong Li called, laughing, "Come out. Don't tell me you're chicken."

Tobey heard Kong Li laugh and felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. I'm not chicken, I'm braver than Sue or Sid, but I gotta admit, Sue was so brave and thanks to her, I got away at least for a short time.

I'm glad that when I ran, Kong Loser chased me and left my friends alone. I think Sue was hurt when she saved us, and Sid needed to help her without having to deal with Kong Li first.

Tobey took a deep, silent breath. I hope Sue - I hope they're both okay.

Tobey patted his side, looking for his phone to be sure the sound was turned off and to make sure the GPS was turned on. But he gasped softly; My phone's gone! I must have lost it while I was fighting! . .

Tobey's head fell forward, chin on his chest. He felt like giving up. He was exhausted and sore all over. Running his fingers through his hair to smooth it back, he noticed his fingers were shaking.

I wish I could check on Sue and Sid, but if I do somehow make it back to Wu's Garden, then my father, will know where to find me for sure . . . Dad. That's a joke. Right? Sid, Sue, and Nana are my real family!

Without my phone, I don't even know what time it is. It's night time at least, so it'll be easier to hide. But then what? It's been days I'm sure since I ate anything. I'm starving, and I wish I were home now. I wish I didn't get mad at Sid and throw that stupid tantrum.

If I were home, I'd be reading my RoboCats Rule comic books. Or Sid would be teasing me about reading them. I promise I will never get mad at him when he teases me again, not even about being stinky. Just let me get out of this, and back to my family. I even miss Mr. Wu yelling at me.

Tobey nearly panicked and pressed himself even more tightly against the wall. He could hear Kong Li walking toward him.

With his hands pressed to his temples, he hoped to stay hidden as he squatted down to sit on his heels. He turned his hips, so his knees were against the wall.

At least my white tank top and my hair are dirty enough. I'm as gray all over as the dirt in this alley.

He stayed perfectly still as Kong Li stepped from behind the corner, and into his line of sight.

******************* THREE DELIVERY **********************

Sue held her painful side as she got up from the booth in the restaurant's dining room. No one was watching her. She walked to the front door, thinking, We have to find Tobey! He's out there someplace, in danger!

It had been days since the fight and their Nana, Mei Hua thought Sue was just sore. Mei Hua didn't object and even encouraged them to go out and look for Tobey again. The first few nights, Nana was out all night looking for Tobey too. Now she was staying home, trying to locate him with magic.

Sue heard Sid yell, "Hurry up," as he took off on his bike.

He was already outside. Sue watched him pedal away, thinking, Sid didn't know I was hurt, I haven't told anyone, and guess I hide it well, and really, I'm not, I can't be.

Sue took a deeper breath, and it hurt. She held her arm against her side briefly before she got on her bike, bracing herself for an uncomfortable ride.

"I can't be hurt until we know Tobey is safe." she whispered.

Sue thought back about the bang on her head, and the crushing blow to her body that she took when the bricks from a wall, blasted by one of Kong Li's fireballs came down on her.

Mei Hua had been down in the hours already. She knew Kong Li was up to something but didn't know what. And then, when Tobey didn't come back with Sue and Sid, Mei Hua got out different recipes and worked several different spells, trying to find Kong Li and Tobey.

Mr. Wu and Barney were oblivious. Barney didn't even notice that Tobey was gone. Mr. Wu noticed, once, but thought Tobey was just goofing off someplace.

Mei Hua didn't bother to tell her son and grandson since it would only make them worry. Also telling them that Tobey was missing might result in having to tell them why.

Barney and Mr. Wu would really freak out if they knew what Sid, Sue, Tobey and Mei Hua had been doing all this time.

While Sue strained to breathe a little harder from pedaling, Sue thought about how badly Mr. Wu would freak out if he knew Mei Hua was doing magic, and that they had such a powerful, evil enemy.

No one would understand that we have to stop him, we are the only ones who could. Every time Kong Li comes up with a new plan to destroy us, Chinatown and the whole world, we have to be there, and right now we have to get Tobey back with us.

Tobey had never been gone this long before, even when Sid teased him and made him mad, he usually just goes to the arcade and the ice cream shack for a few hours.

This time Kong Li is after him, and he won't give up.

I know Sid feels awful, and he just keeps repeating that he wishes he could take everything back, but once mean spirited words are spoken, it's too late.

Sid was standing up, pedaling as fast as he could go. Sue mumbled, "Sid took the teasing too far when he called Tobey skunk-stink-butt."

Sue was keeping up until the chain came off her bike's gears.

"Sid! Wait up!" She yelled, but he didn't. Even if he heard her, he was too upset to wait.

Instead of trying to fix her bike, Sue watched Sid's signal, a little red dot on her phone's map of Chinatown.

Sue wished that she would see two little red dots flashing together. That would mean that Sid had found Tobey and this nightmare was over.

******************* THREE DELIVERY **********************

Sid stood on his pedals most of the way up a hill until he got a pain in his side. He stopped, leaning down over his handlebars to try and catch his breath.

"Sue'll catch up." Sid reasoned, "I know she's got me on her phone's GPS. She hasn't turned it off since Tobey went missing."

I don't think Kong Li will hurt him, at least not physically, but he is capable of hurting Tobey, in so many other ways, I'm sure I can't even imagine. WE have to find Tobey and pray that Kong Loser hasn't found him yet.

Sid stood up on his pedals again to finish getting up the hill after that brief rest. He stayed standing as he started back down the hill on the other side and his bike slid a little going around the first corner he came to.

Sid was going so fast. He kept his bike upright but scared himself a little. He touched his brakes to slow down.

"If I crash it'll just waste time that Tobey might not have." Sid's cell phone rang, and he answered, "Hello." he answered.

"I'm behind you about I block. I went down Orchard to check around the Ice Cream Shop." Sue said quickly.

"Tobey won't go there, or to Wu's Garden, while Kong Li is still chasing him," Sid said, solemnly.

"What's the plan, then?" Sue asked.

"I really have no plan," Sid answered, "except that I want to find Kong Li, as much as I hope we find Tobey."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid finding one, we might find both. What if Kong Li has found him already? That could be why we haven't found either one of them out in the streets."

"Tobey could be suffering terribly, and it's all my fault! Why was I such a jerk to him? I've called him stinky lots of times but never said his black and white skunk hair matched his stinky skunk smell. I guess for him, teasing him about his hair was going too far."

"It'll be okay, Sid."

"Yeah, we'll find him, but I don't understand why Kong Li took off after Tobey that time. Usually, Kong Li just runs away after we beat him."

"But we didn't beat him, remember? I was down, and you had to dig me out from under the bricks. Tobey took off, trying to protect us, to keep Kong Li's attention and give you time to help me."

"You're right." Sid said, "Tobey saved us, but unfortunately for Tobey, his plan turned back on him."

"Right, since Eugene saw him yesterday, he probably hasn't been captured. We have to find him and stop Kong Li before it's too late."

"Yeah but Tobey told Eugene to tell us that the Loser was still after him. It might already be too late."

"Sue, I thought I lost you, and I'm glad you're okay, but I'm not sure I haven't lost Tobey. Even if he's okay, he might never talk to me again."

"Hey, are those flashes of light, ahead in the alley - from the car's headlights?" Sue pointed.

"No, that's not just headlights from the cars on the next block. It's magic. Kong Li magic."

"Let's Go!"

******************* THREE DELIVERY **********************

Kong Li looked right at Tobey. It was like he knew where he was all the time. The evil man smiled the most maniacal smile Tobey had ever seen.

Tobey panicked, like a trapped animal and jumped into the air. He was airborne almost over Kong Li's head, but it was too late.

With a simple wave of his hand, Kong Li trapped Tobey in a clear bubble mid-jump. Tobey smashed into the inside of the bubble and made it oval and wavy for a moment.

Tobey screamed, "No! Let me go!"

He landed on his feet and started kicking and punching the magical force shield. He knew it was futile, even if he had been feeling his best, but he'd been three days without eating, so his fight with the bubble didn't last long.

Following the magical lights and flashes, Tobey made when he tried to kick his way out of the bubble, Sid and Sue came to the entrance of the alley, but the flashes had turned to a steady glow.

Tobey was at the center of the glow, being held suspended in the air. He looked as if he was frozen. Kong Li held both hands out toward Tobey and chanted an incantation that Sue and Sid hadn't heard before.

"Stop!" Sue yelled, "Stop whatever you're doing to him!"

Kong Li heard her, but didn't look over at her and Sid, he knew they were there even before she yelled, but all his attention was on the spell he worked on Tobey.

Kong Li finished the last line of the spell and turned around to face Sue and Sid. They were running at him but stopped in their tracks when he turned to face them.

"You're too late." Kong Li laughed maniacally. "He's Mine! My son - I've taken him back!"

Tobey Continued . . .