Stockholm Syndrome

[Gen]

Winter had seemed to had just been dumped out of the sky overnight for the city this year, and it only grew more harsh as the season went on. For whatever reason the weather this year seemed to surprise everyone, and as natives of the region not many were easily surprised by the weather patterns here. Some said it was the work of a spirit or a deity, but most of those superstitions were dismissed and laughed off these days. No one believed in spirits or monsters anymore...

It was what had drawn Raeph. He'd been here before, when he was very young and living a different life. Many things had changed for him since then, but one thing always lingered in the back of his mind. One face. He didn't know what compelled him after so many years, but Raeph found himself drawn to the city of Stockholm in the off chance that he might be here. He could be the cause of the strange weather pattern. He was compelled to find him. The face that haunted him...

Raeph had spent many a day and night looking for clues to the whereabouts of his mark, but in this weather of constant snow and wind it was difficult even for an experienced fox. He hated the cold weather and the snow. Passing bars he would hear rumors of a tall, pale man, and though the information was vague, Raeph had to investigate. Just in case.

Tonight he roamed the streets on some such vague information. A tall, pale man had been seen around the bars down near the bay, ordering strange food and wandering dark allies. It sounded shadey, but Raeph wasn't going to risk it. Immediately he set out through the city, combing thoroughly the district that had been described, but he couldn't pick up on anything. The streets were too busy, but once he slipped behind the buildings he could definitely tell that someone was near. He could smell the scent of a fox, definitely. The buildings had broken the wind, and the snow fell a little more gently in here, giving him a little bit of relief. His heartbeat quickened, his blood growing hot under his skin. It was difficult to mask his aura when he got so excited. Maybe he really was here.

Raeph tried not to look too conspicuous. He didn't want to run into any trouble with raising the suspicions of the locals. All he needed was to have to change his appearance just because someone thought he was creepy. He didn't have much trouble blending in though. All he had to do was hide his ears and tails. He dressed of course in a more modern fashion. Still, a young man in a suit and p-coat wandering the allies was still a man wandering the allies.

The young man smiled, brows arching as he breathed in the calmer air, definitely smelling the fox. He was close. Or at least closer than he'd been. But the city was like a maze. Raeph thought about finding a better vantage point, finding a fire escape to quickly climb up until he could reach the top of the buildings. Now he could see further down more avenues, though he'd nearly lost the scent up here. The wind would surely carry his scent into the night. Maybe the other fox would seek him out as well?

Raeph remained here for a moment, his eyes gazing out over the city. It was quite beautiful here. He was certain even he could appreciate something about this place. He must, if he were here. The young man smiled, copper eyes falling slightly as he reminisced. It hadn't all been bad, after all. He was about to drop into a small square clearing below when he heard a strange noise. A loud crack not too far behind him. It had made his heart skip a beat, but what happened next took him totally by surprise.

Impact on his right shoulder. He cried out, a loud, deep roar echoing through the night as the jolt threw him off balance and sent him spinning over the edge. Raeph crashed against a dumpster in the clearing and rolled onto the ground, groaning sickly as he did.

What the hell was that?! He thought.

His brow furrowed and he groaned out even more as he tried to regain some semblance of focus, slowly climbing to his feet. He winced as he noticed his shoulder still stung, and as he reached back to touch it, he found that he was actually bleeding. His eyes widened. Someone had injured him, and he hadn't even seen it coming. He couldn't blame the weather, either. The young man growled as he dug into the wound to pull out a shard of the projectile, his eyes widening even further as he realized that it was a bullet. Silver, by the looks of it. His jaw clenched and he growled.

"Who the hell uses silver bullets?!" Growled Raeph.

His heart skipped a beat again as he suddenly felt a strange presence. It didn't feel dangerous to him, but he was so confused right now he couldn't be sure. He looked back to find an older man in what appeared to be a some sort of infantry gear standing at the other end of the clearing. He was grinning. He was human. He was only human. Two men dropped down on zip lines behind him, and then two more behind Raeph. Suddenly he could hear barking and his heart raced.

"You'd be surprised at what actually works on your kind!" The man called back. "Salt, Silver, Iron... Dogs. Spirits, Demons... whatever the hell you are... It's about time someone dealt with you."
Raeph's blood ran cold as to his horror two german shepherds came running up from behind the older gentleman. Dogs had a natural ability to penetrate his defenses if they got close enough, though they were still vulnerable to his magics.

"I hate dogs..." Raeph said, inhaling deeply.

He leaned in, putting much of his weight on one leg. He could feel the fire begging to be released, and he fully intended to oblige. There was a sudden flash as he exhaled, the air errupting into flames and expanding toward the dogs. It was only out of the corner of his eye that he caught a glimpse of the strange spherical device hurling passed him. With a whir and a click it seemed to open, a bright flash of light engulfing everyone in the alley. The fire evaporated immediately and before engulfing the dogs.

They broke through with wild vigor, and it was all Raeph could do to put his arm up in just enough time for the dog to latch onto it. He could feel strangely his body growing weaker. He couldn't muster the energy to throw the dog off of him, or flash step away from them. Raeph ripped his arm free and tried to push the dog away so that he could have just enough time to kick the second one away. He found himself bitten again, but this time he would lift the dog, wrapping his arm around it's neck and twisting it harshly. Raeph dropped the body to the floor.

"Detain him!" The man ordered.

The two men behind Raeph closed in fast, but even though Raeph seemed to be without his magic, he still had had a millennia to learn hand to hand combat. As a rifle was raised on him he would push it up and away from him, causing the man to discharge it by accident. He shoved him into his companion, using the small space of the alley they'd come up behind him in to his advantage.

His shoulder still hurt, making it difficult to get the amount of leverage he really needed to disable these men. As they fell on top of one another against the wall, Raeph punched the man on top with incredible force to his stomach, causing him to lose his breath, and then struck it hard against the other man's head behind him, which in turn hit the wall behind him.

Raeph could hear the other two coming up behind him, turning only in enough time be tackled to the ground not by the men that had been advancing through the square, but by two more assailants dropping from the rooftop again.

"What the hell is going on?!" Raeph cried out, his heart racing. His blood ran cold as he watched the older, unmasked man walking up to him.

"We've known about you for quite some time now. We just had to wait until we were ready to confront you." The man said, grinning broadly under his mustache. "This was no accident tonight, my friend. You were hunted..."

Raeph's eyes widened as the man raised a rifle, aiming down at him. What had he missed? How had the humans become so advanced here already? Was he really away from the world that long? His stomach turned. He'd just wanted to say one thing to him.

[Cernan]

Stockholm. It was a nice enough city, for something made by humans. Even Cernan could appreciate it's charm, though he preferred the old part of the city, finding it more familiar. Though why exactly he had come to the city even he could not say for sure.

He had been far away to the north, where humans rarely ventured. He had come to accept that humans would spread out over the planet, even into what had once been exclusively his territory, however he still preferred to avoid them. One day though he had felt a sudden and powerful compulsion which had him start heading south. He had walked for weeks, not really knowing where he was heading until he had found himself on the outskirts of a city. He recognized it, barely, and forgoing his usual distaste for it disguised his appearance as he entered. He still stuck out though, as even without ears and tails a man wandering the streets wearing only a cloak and fur pants was still strange. So he went to the nearest store and bought some clothes. The people in the store had looked at him strangely when he first entered, and even stranger when he could only produce several old gold coins as payment. In the end though one of the stores clerks paid for Cernan's purchases and gladly accepted the gold in exchange. He had bought a simple black dress shirt, and grey pants. The clerk had also convinced him to take a grey sports jacket, but could not convince Cernan to relinquish his fur cloak. So he left, in his eyes perfectly disguised as a human, though he could not explain why he had gone to the trouble. That was when he realized something may be wrong.

At first, Cernan had found himself enjoying the city in spite of himself. He greatly enjoyed their coffee, and exploring the old parts of the town brought back memories. He could remember when the humans had first settled the area. As time went on though his discomfort grew. He had been drawn to the city by an unknown force. He had disguised himself, attempting to fit in for no good reason, and he stayed in the city for far longer then he normally would have, he knew something was wrong and yet he still didn't want to leave. It was a trap. His instincts were screaming this at him, and even consciously he knew it, yet he ignored the feeling. Something was keeping him here. The fact that he knew it, and yet was still being made to ignore it should have been enough, but Cernan was sure that even if it was a trap there was nothing so powerful that it could actually threaten him. So he stayed. Mostly sticking around the areas of Gamla Stan and the harbour.

After nearly a month of being in the city Cernan had settled into a sort of pattern. First he had exchanged his gold for the local currency, learning he had far overpaid for his clothes in the process. He spent most of his days in either coffee shops or bars along the harbour. The people there were mostly too polite or to drunk to really take notice of how he stood out. Those that did were usually too intimidated by his size to say anything. Once in awhile he would get a weird look when he tried to order certain things. It seemed that his understanding of their culture and their language was outdated. At night he would walk through the narrow alleys of the city, having no need for rest. A robber had made the mistake of trying to attack Cernan once. It had not ended well for the man. Cernan would hear the rumours later, as people talked of how a notorious thug had been found torn to pieces. Crime had apparently gone down since then.

It was on one such Cernan had first noticed it, a familiar scent on the breeze. Ahearn. He would always know that scent, no matter how much time had passed. He wondered if it was coincidence or if Ahearn had come looking for him. From the scent though he was a fair distance away, and after a moment of mulling it over Cernan decided to head to him. It had been a long time, and despite their often chaotic history Cernan figured it would be good to see him again. He had started in the direction at first at a leisurely rate when he heard the roar. There was no mistaking the pain in it. Cernan scaled a wall and started running in it's direction, jumping over rooftops as he went arriving at the alley where Ahearn was in time to see him pinned, with a man standing above him raising his rifle to take a shot. He would not get the chance, Cernan lept from the roof landing on the head of one of the men holding Ahearn down, crushing his skull , and putting himself in between the rifle and Ahearn. With one hand he reached out and grabbed the rifle holder by the neck lifting him off the ground squeezing enough to choke him, but not quite hard enough to snap his neck. He didn't want to kill him just yet. Cernan turned his head just enough so his eyes could meet Ahearn's, giving a kick to the other man holding him down, knocking him off and into a wall.

"Get up" he snarled, contempt quite obvious in his tone. "Do not let these vermin beat you."

His eyes then snapped back to the man he was holding. he squeezed harder, causing the man's eyes to bulge out before dropping to him to the ground, stepping forward so that one foot was on his chest holding him to the ground. "Tell me who you are, and maybe someone will be able to recognize your corpse."

[Gen]

Raeph felt a chill run down his spine as he was tackled to the ground. How on earth had the humans managed this? In one fell swoop, with only just a handful of them, they'd managed to disable his magic and out-maneuver him in combat. It was like they had trained for this. As though they had expected to be dealing with the supernatural. Raeph didn't like it. Since when did the humans believe in him? He'd thought those days had long passed.

The young man closed his eyes, brow furrowed and jaw clenched as his head lowered to the ground. He'd seen this many times before. This was his defeat. There was no peace in it, however. In this realization, Raeph was enraged. He'd only come here for one purpose, only to meet his fate? Perhaps the universe had finally had enough of his troublesome ways.

Then it fell. The large, heavy figure that would prove to be his savior. He was surprised to feel his entire left side freed as the man holding it had been dispatched. He bared no remorse for this individual. The speed in which the newcomer then disabled the squad leader was impressive. Even despite the field, though weakening by now, he seemed to move effortlessly, where Raeph had great difficulty.

It was him.

Raeph's heart lept as the man kicked the last standing assailant off of him, freeing him finally, though he was still awestruck. He watched as Cernan advanced upon the leader, all the while keeping the man next to him within view. As the assailant scrambled to his feet, raising his rifle on Cernan, Raeph immediately stood up to confront their attacker. Swiftly his hand would grip the barrel of the rifle and jerk it upward fast and hard, striking the man in the face to disorient him. A sharp knee to the gut and then a quick right hook ensured the man was out cold.

Raeph growled and groaned in pain and frustration as he stood up and walked around the two. As much as he wanted to rip this man apart right now, he knew that if he interfered with Cernan when he was like this, it wouldn't end well for him. He was already in trouble.

How could he allow them to get the jump on him? He was a shame to his master. He was sure Cernan felt that way... he could hear it...

His jaw clenched as he came to the spherical device that generated the wave. He knew that this was the source not just because he'd seen it deployed, but he could feel the field on his skin. It was like a film that covered him. Static. It was growing steadily weaker, but Raeph was impatient. He smashed it under his heal, and in the instant the field was gone, Raeph's presence was essentially announced across the block. Having been held back for so long, the fox's suddenly released energy instantly heated much of the surrounding area drastically, causing a great amount of fog to roll through the alleys and much of the snow and ice on the ground and walls to melt in a very short time.

Raeph sighed, relieved. The field was suffocating.

"Killing him isn't going to do anything." Raeph said. "This wasn't random. They were too organized. There's more of them."

He didn't dare look Cernan in the eyes right now. Slowly he walked back to him, standing behind him again. It was strange how some behaviors could slip away, and others lingered silently. He watched in silent frustration as the man refused to answer. He knew it would be any time now before Cernan had had enough.

Suddenly it was there again. A glint in the night, in the empty air above them, falling. It was the same sphere. Raeph suddenly felt the field envelop him again, and he watched in shock as several more dropped and deployed along the alley, extending the field. His head shot up to see a number more attackers, however many he was too frantic to count, already aiming down at them.

"Cernan!" He cried out, grabbing the man and pulling him down. It was just in time, as the men perched above them opened fire into the alley.

Raeph took Cernan's hand instinctually, more as though the fox was a child to be guided, and tugged at him as he ran to the end of the alley and around a sharp corner. Once they were out of the field, either one of them could carry the other away easily. Maybe Cernan still could. He was scared to think that even his master would be as harshly affected by the field as he was.

[Cernan]

Cernan was shocked to say the least when Ahearn had smashed the first sphere. He had not truly noticed it's influence until it was gone. With it's destruction it felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He snarled at Ahearn though when he tried to tell Cernan there was no need to kill the man he had underfoot now. As if vengeance wasn't reason enough, that wasn't his plan though. He intended to make the man talk, to shatter each bone in the mans body one by one until he told all there was to tell before killing him. He would have too if the weight hadn't returned. This time though he felt it as the humans deployed several of... whatever it was they were using. How the men had such a device, and what it was he wanted to find out. Only Ahearn pulling him down as shots rang above his head disrupted him.

So shocked was Cernan that he allowed Ahearn to lead him down the alley, offering no resistance to being pulled along like a dog on a lead. He simply could not believe what he had just experienced. These men were hunting them, on top of that he had not even noticed the other men on the rooftops before they had come down on them. Part of him wanted to stay and fight, but he allowed himself to pulled to safety. As they got towards the end of the alley and away from the field Cernan's pace picked up until he was the one pulling on Ahearn. He knew where to go, he had been in the city for a while after all and had mapped it out pretty well. Still running and not looking back he spoke to Ahearn again.

"I hope your magic is still as good as it used to be, you're going to need to disguise us both." As he ran he saw what he was looking for, the tunnelbana station. He pulled Ahearn sharply forward as they approached the metro station. "As soon as we pass through it's doors, you must change our appearance."

Not waiting for an answer Cernan gave another sharp pull as they reached the doors, hoping Ahearn would be able to follow the instructions as they bursted into the station.

[Gen]

It was difficult for Raeph to concentrate with the field in full effect, engulfing him and clouding his senses. All he had to rely on was now somewhat blurred vision and incredibly dulled hearing. He imagined this must be what it's like to be human. He didn't even feel as though he was a part of the world around him anymore; Cut from it by these devices. It was such a disconcerting feeling. More so even than being shot. By a human, no less.

He growled again. How on earth had he not noticed them? How had they even managed to come up with any of this? Damn them. He knew the species could be clever, but he never imagined this. They had always been so focused on each other, finding new ways to kill and maim one another. Why had they taken an interest in foxes so suddenly? Something must have happened here.

Raeph glared back at Cernan, another chill running down his spine. This time, however, he was filled with a burst of incredible anger and frustration. Did Cernan alert the humans? He never remembered the white fox being so clumsy, and he doubted that he'd have done it on purpose.

And then it was Cernan leading. He grunted when he was tugged away into a new direction, and his heart dropped when he'd heard the fox call back to him about his magic. He was trying so hard already to raise it, but this damn static blanket not only caused it to dissipate before it was even expelled from or absorbed into his body, it also came with an added effect of causing pain. It had started as a muscle ache, but now it was like someone was pouring acid through his arteries. What was worse was that every time he felt like they must have traveled far enough by now, he saw yet another device drop.

"Dammit, how many of these things do they have?!" Raeph cried out. It was rhetorical, of course. Cernan seemed just as surprised as he was.

He gripped the man's hand so hard, so afraid to let go, that he was sure if they were at full strength it would probably cause the fox discomfort. There was no one else in the world he could rely on more. It was perfect timing that the fox would appear, and though still angry with the whole situation, Cernan's possible influence especially, he still couldn't help but to smile in the back of his mind.

Just like old times... The fox found himself thinking. They fled very seldom, but it was always something like this when they did. A surprise. Someone more than they'd first appeared to be. Wolves. How he hated wolves...

His heart felt as though it had stopped once they came to the doors of the station. It seemed that the field extended right to the doors, which meant that he would only have a fraction of a second to change their appearance. Raeph didn't even have any thoughts on how to make them appear. It took planning to raise a strong glamour. Preparation. There was no way. The humans would see right through them, he was sure of it.

And what if the field extended into the station? It was energy. What if it treated the walls like a screen rather than a barrier? His mind raced with thoughts like these as Cernan's hand pushed on the door. Raeph closed his eyes, clenching them tight as he tried to concentrate, trusting Cernan to lead him safely.

There was a sudden burst of heat, filling the room they'd just entered and causing a surprisingly heavy gust to rush through the building as Raeph's energy displaced the air. He didn't dare open his eyes just yet. The fox panted heavily, still injured and bleeding.

When he finally had mustered the courage to open his eyes, he smiled broadly. They were on Cernan, and he was quite pleased with himself. He hadn't had enough time to muster anything grand. Their appearances couldn't be changed completely in the nano second he'd had as they crashed through the doors, but what he'd done would serve just as well.

Raeph appeared as a much younger self. More toned and slender than his adult body, his face considerably more boyish now. His cheeks were even a little rosy. His eyes as big and bright as ever and his raven hair trimmed up nicely, bangs framing his eyes ever so neatly, just brushing his cheeks. Cernan would appear just as young, barely even the human equivalent to an adult. Handsome as ever. He grinned, blushing a little.

"Always liked the idea of long hair on you..." He said as he teasingly pulled at the at the neat ponytail he'd given the older fox.

Their hair color, skin color, even their eyes remained the same. He was sure it wouldn't be satisfactory for the other fox, but it was the best Raeph could do under the circumstances. Then he noticed the stares. The young man looked back to see so many people watching them. They couldn't know that it was Raeph that had caused the sudden gust of hot air, but he knew that it was still probably a suspicious coincidence.

"Holy crap, did you guys hear that?" He said suddenly. Panting still, and still a bit shocked over what had just happened anyway, it was easier for him to play this off. "A car just exploded right on the street corner! HUGE fire. Huge."

Raeph gripped the man's hand and pulled him through the crowd. Many of the humans, so stunned and now of course curious, immediately began making their way to the doors. It was just in time, too, as the older gentlemen that had been leading their assailants opened the doors to the station. He tried to push through the crowd, growling in frustration as he was all but forced back into the night. Raeph turned back to see him and their eyes met once again. Locked. He felt a fire burning in his chest suddenly. He'd never felt this sort of desire to fight a human, but he wanted this man. The young boy grinned devilishly, winking to the old soldier.

With so many people passing, and everyone either eager to catch their train or rush up to the doors to see what had happened, Raeph was comfortable that they were finally home free. Raeph laced his fingers through the other fox's fingers, standing back up against him.

"Ready?" He said, not really waiting for an answer.

Cernan would feel a tug, like he was falling through the floor, and suddenly the two of them would be in an empty, dark tunnel. Raeph let go of the fox's hand, and immediately turned back to shove him into the wall.

"Did I just get shot because of you?!" He growled angrily, his young copper eyes glowing brightly as they did when he was filled with fire like this. "What did you do?!"

[Cernan]

Cernan felt the field following them. When Ahearn called out he quickly glanced back seeing more of the strange devices dropping. The damn humans were determined, he could only hope his suspicions about their tactics was correct.

As they burst through the door of the tunnelbana Cernan's faith in Ahearn and suspicions about the men's tactics were both validated. He felt that horrid squirmy feel wash over him and he knew it to be Ahearn's magic. He despised the feeling that came from illusionary magic. At the same time he felt the weight lift, and the growing constriction he had been feeling in his chest disapated. They had made it, and were safe, at least for the moment. Cernan looked to Ahearn a very slight smile forming at what he saw, which quickly changed to an almost comic scowl when Ahearn tugged on his newly appeared ponytail. What was it about them that always brought them together like this?

Then Ahearn shouted something about a car, which broke the moment, but caused another slight smile. It was good to see that Ahearn's instincts were still sharp. As the people pressed to the doors, Cernan also caught a glimpse of the man hunting them. As suspected he did not attack in this crowded place. he did not however attempt to bait the man. Cernan's hatred and wrath was far more cold and sterile then Ahearn's. He wished only to eliminate him. Then the man was gone, and the scene of the crowded station as he was tugged into the blackness.

Cernan had only a moment to glance around at his new surroundings trying to figure out here Ahearn had pulled them before he was pushed into the wall. He growled slightly but checked his anger. He knew Ahearn was injured, and probably far more frightened then he was at the moment. He locked eyes with Ahearn, his steely Azure eyes gazing deep into Ahearn's bright copper ones. He had not until that moment realized how much he had missed them. He reached forward and gently brushed some of Ahearn's bangs from in front of his eyes before answering.

"I don't know..." he paused for a second as he tried to add up all that he had seen. "Maybe, but I don't think so. They don't seem to have a particular target, but they were well prepared. This wasn't their first hunt."

[Gen]

Raeph could feel the fury quickly escaping him. Those cold, icy eyes were never so cold to him, and now they looked at him with intent he hadn't seen from the man in such a very long time. He flinched when he felt the man's hand brush him, and though his body seemed as though it would give in, and he would lean into it, Raeph instead forced himself to turn away. He wanted answers before anything else.

It didn't last long, though. His resistance. As soon as Cernan spoke, he knew what the fox said to be truth. Cernan never had any reason to lie to him. He knew eventually Raeph would see through it anyway. Trickery and Deceit were his game, not Cernan's. He crossed his arms and continued to glare at to glare at the older fox, a brow raising, arched suspiciously. His body fidgeted some as he stood in place, trying to remain adamant against the other fox. Soon he bit his lower lip and then sighed, his arms falling. He turned away as he seethed, forgetting that he'd been shot.

"There must still be a fragment..." he growled, reaching back over his shoulder.

He'd never been shot before, so this was a whole new experience. The pain would have been almost exciting to the fox if it wasn't so annoying and outright baffling. A human had never been able to injure him before. Sure, a witch or priestess had occasionally ensnared him once or twice, but it was never anything he couldn't handle. Human's were weak, blind and arrogant... how had they managed this?

"Whether they've had practice or not... something feels off about this." Raeph said softly, his brow furrowed and his eyes closed as he leaned against the far wall, still clutching his shoulder as he picked at it. "Since when do organized militia believe in spirits and monsters? Since when have the human's been so clever to sneak up on a fox? Since when have their damned, God-forsaken projectile---- Contraptions ever pierced our skin?"

Raeph mulled it all over for a moment. There was that field generator, as well. How had they come up with something like that? The humans now had the ability to suppress the energies of other beings? Slowly he looked back to Cernan.

"I only came to... to try... and make amends..." The young boy admitted, quickly looking away in his embarrassment. He hated being so soft in front of Cernan sometimes. Once his master, he only ever remembered the man as strong, hard, and cunning. It was awkward trying to talk sentiments to a man like that. "I planned to seek your forgiveness... however you might mean to make me earn it... maybe then I could forgive myself, too. Then maybe we could just vacation out here for awhile-- hahah... Looks like that's not going to happen."

He glared off into the dark a moment. He realized he was emotional. Everything was happening so quickly, and he truly had only meant to find Cernan. To seek solace in his old master. He never imagined any danger would come from any other source other than Cernan. Not out here.

"We should leave the city as soon as possible. I don't like it..." Raeph growled. "If humans are able to hurt us now, then I'm afraid we could be outmatched."

He didn't bother looking to Cernan. He was sure his statement would irritate the man. No one was more dangerous than he. It was simply a fact both of them were accustomed to living with.

"There's too many. If this turns into an uprising against our kind, it'll be like battling the ocean tides. Humans have grown far too numerous for us to rule over these days..."

[Cernan]

Cernan watched Ahearn intently as he spoke, listening with an uncharacteristic patience. He was worried about the wound which Ahearn was still picking at. He too was considering who the people hunting them may be, and how to kill them. Over the many years of his long life he had encountered demon hunters in many different forms. In ancient days past there were cults, and in more recent times religious orders, but none like what they had just encountered, and none anywhere near as prepared and equipped.

He was definitely more then irritated at the suggestion of running from them, but that all barely registered when compared to the shock of hearing Ahearn beg his forgiveness. Somewhere deep down in a place Cernan did not like to recognize as a part of him, hearing that Ahearn thought that he should have to earn it hurt.

When Ahearn had stopped talking, there was moment of silence and stillness before Cernan pulled the boys head to his chest in an embrace.

"We can worry about forgiveness later. For now we can run if that's what you prefer." he gave the boys hair a gentle stroke before going on. "But first we have to get that fragment out of you."

Cernan's grip on Ahearn tightened as he reached one hand up to the wound. He knew this would be painful as he would have to cut the fragment out. Whatever it was , it was hindering Ahearn's natural healing ability, once it was out he would be okay. He leaned his head down slightly to whisper into Ahearn's ear.

"Just try to stay still." He tried to say it as softly as possible.

Cernan pulled Ahearn in even tighter plunging the claws on his hand into the hole left by the bullet, slicing deep in until he felt the shard at the tip of one of them. Carefully he cut around it, slicing out the fragment and the flesh it had been embedded in, and taking a hold of it pulled the fragment and the small chunk of flesh out of Ahearn's shoulder. Once the shard was out Cernan's grip on Ahearn loosened, but he did not let him go entirely.

"When your ready, we can go" he whispered again into Ahearn's ear.

[Amara<3]

((I'm going to attempt a post, I don't have long but if you guys don't want me involved in this rp then just let me know. I don't know if there's anything specifically planned so... yeah. Here goes.))

Keera sat on a rooftop in Stockholm, watching as these humans attacked a somewhat familiar fox demon. Had she met this one before? She was about to go in there and lend a hand when she heard and saw what else was coming. Two entirely different things. Cernan being the first. She was pleasantly surprised to see this demon, even though their encounters had never been the greatest. The nexy she saw was more humans bearing guns and other weapon-type orbs. She felt Cernan's power weaken ever so slightly, but this helped her understand what this other fox had to do with anything. It was Ahearn, she'd only ever met the fox once, when she had nothing to do with foxes, especially Cernan.

Cernan seemed to have everything under control, until a whole swarm of the same equiped humans started popping up around the two. She wondered why none had noticed her. She hadn't noticed Cernan at all except for when he rushed over there, and from where he appeared, aside from the alley, she had no idea. He was doing pretty good in that department. Then the weirdest thing she'd seen and felt in the longest time was a demon or fox fleeing from humans. What the hell kind of barrier was that?

Keera felt the two rush off and then moments later seemed to drop through the ground. She wasn't too fond of this as she was tempted to go see what happened to them, and now getting to them would be impossible. She didn't care if she was discovered as a demon, except that she was a rather well-known police officer of a different city. Hell, she was still in uniform watching this. Something drew her here, and she thought maybe it was to figure this out and either squash these organized humans, or figure out a way to make their weapons useless. There was only one problem, she didn't even know what these weapons truly contained.

She decided with all these human malitia about, that getting off the building should be done in a human-like manner... take the ladder. She did as she saw a helicopter fly past her. Good thing she took the ladder or they would have been on her butt next. Being seen as a human for many years was good, hiding that she was a demon AND had a fox spirit in her now was difficult, but still do-able. She walked silently through the alley toward the group, but turned right before the barrier would do anything to her. She didn't want to sound an alarm if it had one, alerting them of her prescence. She ducked through into the subway station and looked around. People were buzzing about some kids that had said something about a car explosion and Keera wondered if that were them.

"Did you see a car explode outside?" someone asked her, and stared blankly. Truth or lie? Might as well speak truth.

"No, I haven't seen anything," she started. Then came the lie. "I actually came down here to see what the sudden noise was all about, but from listening to everyone down here I think I can figure it out."

"An off duty cop is never off duty," one of the other bystanders said to her.

"That's right," Keera laughed. "Does anyone have an idea of where these children went?"

"No, officer, it's like they just disappeared. Everyone was so interested in seeing that car, that nobody paid any attention to where those two troublemakers went to."

"That's a shame, I would have liked to ask them what the point of that was," she replied, and shook her head, her now shorter dyed blonde hair swaying on her head. It was rather warm still, and she wondered if they were exactly underneath the station, or if they disappeared somewhere else entirely. She let a small prickle of her power seep into the ground to search for them, or at least alert them that she was there. She both wanted and needed to know what this barrier and humans were doing to them.

[Gen]

Raeph never really was ever sure of how to think of Cernan. Just when he was sure he'd gotten a handle on the man's behavior, there was always some twist or loop or hurdle he would throw at the younger fox. His heart fluttered in his chest as the man pulled him in and held him against him. He was taken aback to say the least. The young man even flinched as Cernan's hand raised to stroke his hair.

But no blow ever came. Cernan wasn't punishing him, he was consoling him. Something Raeph had forgotten was even possible for the man. Maybe it was just their time apart, and whatever resentment between the two that had always bubbled up that clouded the boy's memories. Even now, ever so slowly he was beginning to remember how warm the winter fox could be.

He closed his eyes, hands raising up behind the fox to embrace him so tightly. It was like being home again. Raeph almost didn't hear the man's comment, and it didn't even register in his mind what would be happening until it was too late.

The pain was incredible. Something only Cernan could inflict on him, or at least he'd thought before he was shot. His claws were like surgical steel, diving into his flesh seemingly so effortlessly. It was still living tissue, and though Raeph was tough, he wasn't at all used to being sliced open like this. He tried to stifle a cry as he felt the fox digging out the chunk, his arm tense, his claws digging at the man's shirt behind him. It was almost too much to bear, and when he thought he would give in and howl in agony, Raeph bit down. Hard. His fangs sank into Cernan's chest through his shirt. His body shuddered even as the man withdrew, and with his fingers not so delicately removed the metal fragment.

Some long moments would pass after it was removed before he could even see straight again. His head spinning still, panting heavily, Raeph slowly released the fox from his iron jaws. He stumbled back into the wall and then slid down to the ground. Beads of sweat had formed over his brow. His arm lay limp beside him, his shoulder throbbing and bleeding excessively. Steam rose from his wound as his body finally started to come around, his cells kicking into overdrive to regenerate the lost or damaged tissue. It was taking alot longer than usual, but at least the fragment was gone.

At least he was here.

Raeph wiped his mouth of Cernan's blood. He refused to look up at the man, embarrassed at his own weakness.

"My apologies..." He grumbled, slowly trying to climb back to his feet, though his legs seemed to have lost much of their strength. "Please... we should leave now... don't let me slow you down. I'll be fine, I just... I was caught off guard. I never expected... anything like this... I guess I've just gotten lazy..."

The boy sighed softly, using one hand against the wall to steady himself. He still found it impossible to look up at Cernan. First he had to save him from a gang of humans, and then he had to play doctor for him.

Some things never changed.

[Cernan]

Cernan let Ahearn stumble away from him, letting him have some space and dignity while he pulled himself together. He also quickly pocketed the fragment of the bullet. He may have agreed to flee, but that didn't mean he wasn't also planning to fight, and knowing what they were up against would be important. He then passed his hand over the bite mark Ahearn had left. His thick, translucent blood freezing then transmuting into both flesh and cloth so that there was no sign of the punctures left.

Cernan watched Ahearn get to his feet, but didn't help him. No that he was not concerned for his immediate safety he figured it better to let Ahearn recover his pride as well.

"I think you caught them off guard too. That projectile would have been lethal to most, I don't think they expected you to survive. Shows what they know about us. Don't push yourself too hard though, it might take a while for you to recover. Come on."

Cernan held out a hand for Ahearn to take, but as he did he felt something, a slight aura permeating the rocks and the air, coming from above. He thought he knew it, but wasn't sure, it was hard to tell. He did know that meant someone was above them, probably trying to reach them. He wasn't sure if that was someone they could trust or not, but he decided to risk it.

"Hang on."

Cernan walked to the wall and pressed his hand onto the wall. He concentrated for a second sending his own aura up. Above them, in between the tracks of the train an icicle would appear, coming out of the ground at an angle pointing northwards up the track. He hoped whoever was up there would see it and understand. He then turned to Ahearn.

"We should head north, if I'm right we are in an old metro tunnel, it should come to another station where we can get out in a few miles."

Cernan turned and started to walk, keeping a slow pace, and watching to make sure Ahearn didn't fall behind, or start to struggle too much.

[Gen]

Raeph only glanced to the man as he regained some of his composure. A strange feeling filled him in the other fox's presence. Something building. Something he hadn't felt in such a very long time. It warmed what was left of the coal of a heart in his chest...

He wouldn't speak to the winter fox, but without hesitation Raeph took his hand, lacing his fingers through the taller man's with a grip that threatened never to let go. The sensation continued to permeate his body, penetrating his hard surface and seaping deep into his soul. The boy smiled slightly in the dark, turning his head from the white fox so as not to be seen. He nodded when he was told that they would continue walking.

Raeph had already turned away and was ready to continue on when the fox pulled away. It wasn't until then that he had turned finally to look directly at Cernan, watching him. He sighed softly, letting his fingers slip away. Raeph was still far too exhausted by his experience to realize that they were being followed, but he wouldn't ever doubt Cernan's senses. His brow furrowed, hairs standing on end on the back of his neck.

When the fox was finally finished Raeph simply followed behind him, silent but remained very close. He was practically a child again.

[Amara<3]

Keera felt a response and, being so attuned to ice herself, felt something build up on the train track. As a train pulled away, it revealed an almost invisible bit of ice, distinctly pointing North, up the track. She hummed for a moment, wondering whether or not to take the track itself or to follow above ground. Remembering she was still in uniform, she decided it wouldn't look too weird if she walked up the tracks. She pulled her long black flash light from her waist, clicked it on, and then jumped down onto the track and began walking.

"Something wrong, officer?" someone asked, others watching her, some whispering.

"No, but if no one saw the two leave to go outside, and they aren't in here, the only plausible option would be that they snuck on to the tracks and are going down that way," she pointed with the flash light, turning and smiling to the concerned man who had spoken to her. He seemed to be watching intently, and in a business suit, which was interesting. "Don't be alarmed, they aren't dangerous, or they would have pulled some sort of a stunt in here before running off. You can be assured that it is safe to go home now."

"Is this going to be on the news?" a woman asked, Keera tried hard not to grind her teeth.

"I doubt it, but if they continue to make any amount of chaos, it very well could escalate to that," Keera suggested, a soft but forced smile on her lips. "I do need to try and catch up to them if they went this way though, the trains here are rather quick to appear, and we don't need them getting hurt."

[Cernan]

As Cernan walked down the tunnel he would occasionally drag his claws along the walls of it. He was trying to feel where they were. Through the walls though he could not feel much, the manmade concrete dulling his senses, but he could feel the water of the ocean that surrounded the island of Gamla Stan. He had a rough idea of where they were going, he had spent most of his time in the city wandering around, but had never had need nor want to actually go on a train, but he knew central station had to be the next stop, but he wasn't sure how far it was. He figured he would know when he felt the water give way to land, then he would look for some sort of exit. There would have to be old service tunnels around, hopefully leading into central. That would be the best place to get away, the large crowds would mask their presence, and the denser city that had been built up on the mainland in recent years would also provide cover.

Walking down the tunnel in the dark and quiet Cernan found himself thinking of all that had happened and what had led to them being here in the first place, and the more he thought about it the more it troubled him. Some things added up, but others did not. There was that demonic energy he had felt earlier, familiar but he could not place it. Was it an ally, or enemy or perhaps a trick? If it was an ally, or even just another hunted demon, why were they here too? Then there was the trap that had been sprung on Ahearn. Why had they caught Ahearn and not himself? He had been in the city longer and was surely more noticeable. Ahearn had only been in the city for a short time looking for Cernan, saying he had thought he was there due to the shift in the weather. Something was wrong with that though, and it had been gnawing at the back of his mind for a while. Cernan thought for a moment and he realized what it was. Ahearn could only have noticed that shift only if he had already been in the area already. Something must have drawn him to the city, much as it had Cernan himself. Cernan's pace slowed a bit at first then he stopped and turned to Ahearn.

"Ahearn... tell me again why did you come to Stockholm?"

[Amara<3]

Keera walked the tunnel, not totally sure of how fast to go or if she was following the two foxes properly. Did this subway tunnel follow the tunnels underneath? What if someone saw the ice and thought to follow along behind her, finding out where the two of them went and then deciding by default that Keera was one of them, too? She growled slightly at that thought. It wouldn't be hard for one of those militia, or a group of them, to follow her potentially undetected. If they sprung on Cernan and Ahearn like that, who's to say they couldn't do it to her?

Figuring that Cernan hadn't been here all that long, she wondered if he'd come up on the next exit from those tunnels... she didn't have the faintest clue as to which this stop would be, not having been here long enough. The tunnels hadn't been here the last time she was around the area, so his clue was as good as hers. She decided to keep going and try to keep her senses open and probing gently around her, just in case.

Coming to a corner, she stopped just past it, waiting silently to see if she was being followed or not. No lights were following, but that didn't really mean too much. She decided that if she put a layer of ice on the ground that one of two things would happen. Either no one would notice it because no one was following, or they would notice and then deem her instantly as a demon and attack her right where she stood. She didn't like not knowing, but she couldn't risk being found out, not after having worked so hard and gotten so far in to the human world. It was a shame that it could all end so quickly. Whether they could kill her or not was still up for debate, since the only time she did manage to die was when her entire body was reduced to less than ash - not even a hair of her left. Other than that, she had yet to come across anything that would prove to be fatal... not even Cernan managed to kill her when they met, and she silently wondered, smiling to herself, He could still be a little butt hurt over that one, since even the last time we met, he didn't seem too pleased to see me... even if that was so long ago.