[ TT ] A child is kidnapped . Outraged , the monsters that live under their bed and in their closet vow to find them .

`` Tonight will be a good one! She will be screaming before midnight i reckon!'' Grippa the Rippa was chortling a little as he spoke, or perhaps growled, to the others. All ten limbs shivered with anticipation, making *ting-ting* sounds as his claws clacked together. 
 
 `` You have n't heard?'' gasped the Cloud of Darkness, currently going by the name Davina `` She has been *kidnapped*! Her mother is distraught, and her father is freaking out... the men who called earlier said to not call the police, and they would know if Susans parents did! What can we do?'' 
 
 Davina was as scared sounding as Grippa had ever heard from any Cloud, and that was a cause for concern for sure. How could they do their jobs if their Cloud of Darkness was to afraid to spread out and mask the lights? 
 
 `` This is a good family, and a nice place to work, we *have* to do something to help!'' Kia the Smotherer-with-Blankets spoke up, her whiskers twitching, her speaking was an unusual occurance in itself, she was generally quietly efficient, one of the things Grippa liked the most about her `` I like little Sophie, her screams are wonderful, and I am not about to let someone hurt her physically! She is still being trained to be tough by us, she can not cope alone!'' 
 
 `` Right!'' Grippa broke in `` We are in agreement then? We will have to help her... But where is she? How can we find her if she has been taken?'' 
 
 `` *I looked into Sophies daddies brain when they called a few minutes ago*'' 
 
 `` Err... Who said that?'' Grippa was a bit worried, he had heard of a voice like that, but it could n't be... could it? `` Dave... Is that you?'' 
 
 `` *Yes*'' said Dave 
 
 `` Ahh, ok... Errr... Would you be able to tell us where they are perhaps?'' Grippa tried to keep the fear out of his voice, but was failing a little to conceal his worries. 
 
 `` *Yes*'' said Dave 
 
 `` Err... Great! Err... So... Err... Where is she?'' 
 
 `` *Not far, but in a bad part of town*'' said Dave 
 
 `` Ok, well perhaps you can lead us there then?'' Grippa continued `` Right team, we will need our A game to do this! Human men are not so easy to scare as children, but we can do it! We can get a plan together as we travel... Dave? Err... Can you lead the way? It's just we ca n't *actually* see you...'' 
 
 `` *No need. I can take us there instantly, we will appear outside in a hidden spot, and then we can free Sophie! *'' said Dave `` *By the way, there are twenty kidnappers, all ex special forces soldiers, so kill five each yes? *'' 
 
 `` Err, fine, no problems, scaring might not be enough I suppose! And maybe on who kills who we can play it by ear as it were? So basic plan is Davina spreads into the whole house, and then we kill all the kidnappers and let her family know where to find her? Any objections? No? Good... Dave, when you are ready!'' 
 
 Time and space twisted, and the group were now in the darkness out the back of a large old rundown house. 
 
 `` Right, I can sense twenty one humans, twenty adult males and one female child, lets get to work'' said Davina as she spread out and started to pour though the cracks in the windows, and with a giggled `` lights out!'' she slipped the last of her cloud into the house, and the lights were all doused at once. 
 
 Shouts of fear and concern were heard from the house, and they got worse when the men realised that their flashlights were n't working either. 
 
 `` MAKE A HOLE!'' screamed Grippa the Rippa as he charged the patio doors, spreading and swinging his six upper limbs in a flurry as he exploded through the glass and wood, the kidnapper who was standing the other side was killed by the flying glass, but Grippa still shredded him for good measure, pieces of human flying all over the room. Two other men started to spray bullets from their weapons, but they had no effect as Grippa lunged at the nearest one, ripping the man into slices with all sixty claws at once. As the third man turned towards the sounds of butchery a throw rug on the floor swept up and wrapped him up, and then started to twist around. Grippa watched with interest, he had never seen a Smotherer kill before, and, as he wondered how effective the twisting would be, he noted the blood starting to come through the material as the mans screams were cut off with a gurgle. A second later and a very wet splashing sound happened along with the sounds of snapping bones and joints, and blood poured onto the floor from the rug. 
 
 `` I wrung him out!'' shouted Kia `` I have never killed before, but they forced our hands!'' 
 
 Grippa smiled, as he heard screaming from upstairs, and then door to the next room burst open and eight men wearing night vision goggles swung in blazing with their weapons. Grippa attacked instantly, and decapitated the first two men as he split their guns into shards, and impaled the second two through their stomachs as he moved forwards. Either side of him ropes from the curtains swept past and entangled two more of the mens throats, rapidly sawing through their necks. The screaming upstairs intensified, and then was cut off quickly by a flurry of single shots. The only noise from upstairs was the girl crying, and the only noise downstairs was the two remaining men trying to run and falling over things in the darkness. As they reached the main door the fibres from the welcome mat unravelled and twisted the men together, and then tightened inexorably until the screams stopped and the men were co-mingled flesh and broken bones. 
 
 `` Got them!'' Kia was exultant, and Grippa was a little disturbed by how much she seemed to enjoy this.'Were *all* Smotherers so blood thirsty when enraged?' he wondered to himself. 
 
 Grippa went upstairs cautiously, he was sure Dave had somehow made the kidnappers kill themselves, and was concerned about how it could affect him, but he needed to check on Sophie. 
 
 As he climbed the stairs he had to step over a lot of bodies, all with self inflicted gunshots to the skull, there were more bodies in the hall, Sophies cries got louder as he made his way down the corridor, and he saw the final group of dead enemy at the bottom of the bed Sophie, unharmed, was sitting on. 
 
 `` Sophie'' Grippa clacked out to her `` We have come to save you, but we are scary to look at, so you do n't have to, but if you want to see us then ask one day ok? Dave, err... What did you do?'' 
 
 `` *What I do best Grippa, I play with their own fears, and enhance them! I do it inside their minds, and the only way to get me out is to kill themselves. Since they all had guns it was more effective than usual. Her parents now know the address, and are on their way... Have a good weekend Grippa*'' 
 
 and the sense that Dave was there vanished... 
 
 `` Thhaa-aannks'' stammered Sophie `` You are the monsters from my house are n't you? Why ca n't I see anything?'' 
 
 `` That's right sweetie'' said Davina `` we are *your* monsters, and you ca n't see because i have covered all with darkness, so you do n't have to see what happened to the bad men here!'' 
 
 Kia was walking up the stairs at this point, taking care to avoid the blood pools and keep her fur clean. 
 
 `` Take my paw'' Kia broke in `` I will lead you outside and we can wait there... away from the smells!'' 
 
 Sophie agreed and was led out of the house as the first police cars raced up the driveway, after telling her to wait for the police Grippa, Kia and Davina slipped silently around the corner, and, as they lingered to make sure the police were good to Sophie, Kia asked `` Grippa? what *is* Dave? I mean, how does he do what he does in their heads?'' 
 
 Grippa paused a moment, and took a breath. `` I have been told, only told mind you, that Dave is loss personified, he is able to make a human think everything and everyone they care about is dead and/or destroyed, and that those loved ones suffered for ages before death... All in an instant too, few humans can withstand that! Children can because they do n't understand loss as deeply when they are young, so they just get some dread... but for an adult the grief is overwhelming, and Dave can say things to them as they suffer, to make it all worse, and that is how he does things like this! And it freaks me out!'' Grippa claws clattered together as he shuddered again 
 
 `` But Grippa, you Rippa's are mostly blades armour and teeth! How can you be afraid of Dave?'' Kia looked surprised as she stared at Grippas chitinous face 
 
 He shuffled a bit as he answered `` I am afraid of Dave, because I never want to feel I have lost...'' he paused to look at her eyes. 
 
 `` You!''
