(Lyra P.O.V)

(M/C) and I arrived at Mary Malone's office. I knocked. The door opened revealing an excited Mary. "Lyra! Come in! Come in!"

I pulled (M/C) inside. 

"I'm so glad you came back," Mary breathed happily. 

"I told you I'd come back," I said. 

Mary flew a glance over to my new friend next to me. "Who is this?" 

"This is the boy I was connected to on your computer cave, through dust,"

Mary gave (M/C) a strange glance that made him a little quivering. I rubbed his hand to consul him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He looked at her a little distrustfully. 

"It's alright," I assured. "You can trust her,"

"(M/C). My name is (M/C),"

"He actually felt dust when I was communicating with it. He can feel it when it operates,"

(M/C) sent me a soft glare. I shrugged. "(M/C), Mary's computer cave can you answers to why you're connected to this substance," I turned to Mary. "Would it be okay if (M/C) has a go on your cave?"

"W...well..." Mary stuttered. "If he wants to do it,"

I turned to (M/C). "It won't be painful (M/C). It might be able to help," he remained rather stubborn like before. "Trust me,"

(M/C) took in a deep breath. "Okay," he accepted my words. "I'll do it. Just this once,"

Mary took us to the computer cave. We sat on seats. She held up the wires with pads to connect them to his temple. When she lifted them, he drew back a bit. 

"It won't hurt. I promise," Mary said soothingly. 

(M/C) turned to me and I rubbed his hand comfortably. 

He allowed Mary to connect him to the machine and she later turned the engine on. 

"I'm scared," he said with a fear which I had never seen in him before. 

"It'll be alright," I assured him. 

The computer began blurring a bit and he began to quiver. 

"Just relax your mind," I instructed. "Stop fighting it. Let it flow. Put your mind at a certain spot. Try think of what you want to happen,"

He closed his eyes. He took in deep breaths and let out long exhales. Then after a brief moment, I saw his mind was relaxing. Turning to the screen, I saw loads of strange pictures. Not exactly like the ones from the Alethiometer. But they looked like people. 

(M/C) opened his eyes. The moment he did, the images on the screen began changing into something else. "What is this?"

"That's Dust. It's telling you something," 

He turned to me. All I offered was a face of interest. 

He turned back to the screen. "So that's what it was doing. All those nights I couldn't sleep, all those feelings I was having...it was this Dust...telling me things. All this time, I wondered what all those pictures and dreams I wrote down in my journals meant..."

"It must be Dust...giving you answers. How are you feeling?"

"I feel...relaxed. It doesn't feel like I'm having a migraine or a horrible headache,"

"You just need your mind to feel relaxed," Mary said. "That's how this Dust flocks to your head like birds," 

"Thank you Lyra. I feel more relaxed than I have in such a long while," he answered after that. 

I smiled, happy that he was feeling so much better. 

"Wiat," he spoke up. 

"What is it?" I asked.

"Dust...it's telling me something," 

I looked anxiously at the screen. I saw a strange figure with wings. Almost like the statues outside the tower which (Y/N) and I saw the other day. 

"What's it saying?" I asked.

"It's saying that...that..."

"That what?" I didn't want to sound pushy. 

"Something is happening. I'm feeling some sort of strange change...happening to someone,"

Before we could talk, we heard a knock at the door. Mary stepped off her chair and walked over. She opened the door. I turned and saw a man with a creepy moustache in black clothing. It was him. The guy whom (Y/N) had distracted the other day. 

"Can I help you sir?" are asked.

In a rude way, e shoved past her. 

"Excuse me sir!" Mary tired to protested. 

"I want to talk with her," the guy pointed right at me. 

I gulped.

"Excuse me..."

"Could you all step into your office please?" he asked, keeping his glare right on me. 

With no choice, I disconnected (M/C) from the machine and we walked inside Malone's office to sit down.  

"We heard there was a child running unsupervised around St. Peter's College," he pulled out a chair and sat down in front of me. "What's your name?"

"Lizzie," I answered quickly. "What's yours?"

"What are you doing?" (M/C) asked skeptically. 

"I am just answering some questions,"

"Well...Lizzie...who's your friend here?"

"Luke. My brother," I answered.

"Well...I'm Inspector Walters. Where are you and your brother from?"

"London," 

"Who are you two staying with?"

"Some family friends," my pace began to increase. 

"What's their address?"

"Why do you want to know their address?" (M/C) asked. "We're not staying with criminals if that's what you're implying," 

Inspector Walters stared at (M/C) with great suspicion. 

"Is this really necessary?" Mary Malone asked. "We can wait for their parents you know?"

"Do you go to school?" The Inspector didn't pay any attention.

"Did you not hear a word Miss Malone just said?" (M/C) asked. 

The Inspector ignored him. 

"Do you two go to school?"

"Yes. But it's the holidays," I continued.

"Is this really necessary?" behind (M/C)'s tone of voice, I detected annoyance. 

"Why are you two here in Dr. Malone's office?"

"Because we're interested in her work," I answered. That was true. Well at least half true. 

"Lizzie and Luke are welcome here anytime," Malone spoke up again. 

"Are you staying with Will Parry?" the guy asked quickly. 

"Yes!" 

(M/C) P.O.V

I flashed my head at her. "Now you've done it," I hissed.

"Where is Will? And your other friend? Lyra," the man sneered. 

Lyra looked scared. Her con was discovered. 

"What do you want with them?" I spoke up. 

"Will is a murderer,"

"Don't you dare call him that!" I shouted. "A man was terrorising him and his mother,"

"Look here boy..." he drew on me. 

"Inspector, could I just talk to you for a moment?" Malone requested.

Keeping his glare glued on me and Lyra, Walters stood up and faced Malone with her back turned to us. Out of his sight, I saw her flicking her hand to the left. She was signalling us to run. 

Quick as a whip, I grabbed Lyra's hand and I pulled her through the door. Walters shouted at us to stop but we didn't. Quickly I pushed some boxes over to block the door. We ran down the corridors and out of the building. 

"Nice job Lyra," I berated her. 

"He spoke too fast!" she complained.

"You shouldn't  have answered!" I snapped. 

"I wasn't trying not to arrouse suspicion!"

"We never should have come here! Man! You never listen to anyone!"

"Hey! I was doing this for a reason! To help you! You're so ungrateful!"

"Ungrateful?!" I snapped, feeling almost tempted to stop. 

"Stop you two!" Walters wailed angrily behind us. I looked back and saw that he was closing in on us. 

Lyra pulled her rucksack off her bag. "Help me Pan!"

Pan popped out, turning into a magpie. "Turn left!"

We both turned left. Pan was our guide and our eyes in the sky. He led us through streets and over walls to the lower parts of town. I hoped we had lost that man because I was beginning to get a terrible stitch. We came to a road. I began to pant. 

"I think we lost him," Lyra said. 

"That's it. We're going back home and this time we are not coming back here,"

"That I can agree with," Lyra said. 

Just then...out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black car pulling along a street. The window opened revealing the dark skinned man at the museum. He glared right at me. The car pulled forward again. 

I narrowed my eyelids. 

"Lyra...meet me at the window," I said quickly. 

"What?"

Before she could stop me, I sprinted off to follow the man. I didn't care that I had promised Lyra I wouldn't go after him, but he deserved to die. For Lila's death!

(Lyra P.O.V) 

"Wait! (M/C!) Stop!" I shouted trying to catch up with him. But he disappeared.

I growled. I cursed him. 

Pan flew to my shoulders. "I can't believe it! He just left us!"

"He promised me he wouldn't go after that man!"

"How are we going to find our way back?!" Pan whimpered. 

"I don't know," 

Suddenly I felt a cloth over my mouth. Pan tried to fight back but I felt his strength wiegning. 

"Got you, you little critter," Walter's cold voice sneered.

The next thing I felt were my eyes shutting. 

(M/C P.O.V)

I tried to catch up to that car but he was driving away so quickly. I lost him around the corner. I cursed. I kicked the ground. I slumped down on the patio, crying into my hands. How can that man live whilst my best friend is dead? 

I thought about Lila. Her courage. Her wisdom. Her kindness. Thinking about her...seemed to made me think of Lyra. For some reason, both of them were very similar. I remembered Lyra again. I remembered leaving her alone. 

I cursed myself. I never should have left her. I ran straight back to where she was. To my shock, she wasn't there. All I saw was a cloth, damp. I lifted it up. I smelt it. Instantly I pulled back. I had nearly passed out, just sniffing it. 

I heard the pulling away of a vehicle. I turned and saw a while car with red lights. And just in the back, I saw Lyra's head. I cursed myself. She had been captured. And it was all my fault for leaving her. I had to rescue her. 

I am so sorry for not updating sooner. I've been really busy with university work and everything. I hope this makes up for it. It seems that poor Lyra has been captured. Will (M/C) rescue her?  And what will Will and (Y/N) do later? We'll have to wait and find out. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought.