Stockholm Syndrome

[Cernan]

Cernan's eyebrows knitted slightly into a frown. He could tell something was bothering Ahearn, but he was hiding it. He figured it would be best to leave it be for the time though.

"I'm worried because you've been injured, exhausted and we're still being pursued. You can rest I'll keep guard."

Cernan glanced out the window again, then down at the phone he had caught. He tossed it back at Ahearn.

"Keep your human machines."

Cernan walked over to the doorway of the room, stopping to grab his clothes. Putting on only the pants he leaned against the door frame. He had never been found of shirts. He pulled out the shard he had pocketed earlier examining it. How had they made something so potent, and how had they been able to find them? As he continued studying the shard a thought suddenly came to him. His eyes snapped back to Ahearn.

"The machine you have. How does it work?"

[Gen]

Raeph let out a chuckle when he heard the other fox dismiss the equipment and felt it land on the bed. He'd reach down for it and then start playing a game on it he'd come to find very addicting. Cernan may not have approved, but in recent years Raeph had come to very much enjoy human technology. It made things convenient, and it was often thoroughly amusing to him. Of course, he'd always been more attracted to more lavish living.

A smirk crossed his lips and his brow arched slightly, but he wouldn't make any sudden movements or remarks. Cernan was curious about the device? This was too good. He rolled onto his back, continuing to play the game, and shrugged his shoulders.

"They call it a cellular telephone." He replied, glancing over to the fox. He felt a swell of pride suddenly, knowing something that Cernan didn't. "It can send and receive signals through the air via sort of beacons around the globe. They can even use it to identify their location as well as map routes to whatever destinations..."

Raeph trailed off, realizing what he'd just said and how it might irritate or even startle the white fox. They were being hunted. Of course this looked bad. A soft groan escaped him and he began to wonder if he hadn't been the cause of his own attack. Of course he couldn't know that not only would the humans have to identify his number, frequency, carrier and the like to locate him, but they'd also need to know that he even had one. How likely was it that a demon or spirit would be relying on human technology, after all. He looked up to the fox wide eyed and shook his head, sitting up and clutching the device to his chest.

"But my game... I've gotten so far!" he whined, his ears pressing back against his head.

[Cernan]

Cernan could not believe what he was hearing. For a few seconds he just stood there staring at Ahearn with a look of shear exasperation. They were being hunted, and he was willingly carrying a tracking device. Trying his best to stay calm and not be too harsh to Ahearn he retorted.

"Get rid of it. It's just a game, not worth dying for is it?"

Cernan didn't make a move to take it or force Ahearn, he didn't want to make a fight of it, instead he remained where he was glaring at Ahearn.

[Gen]

The younger fox whimpered a little, taking a rather awkwardly long moment to ponder whether or not it really was worth their safety. He shook his head at Cernan. He'd been stuck on this level for so long that he was almost willing to get caught again if it meant that he might finish it and finally be able to move on. Raeph's hands moved behind him, tucking the device under him, his left hand still clasped firmly, protectively, around it.

"No." Raeph said defiantly. "You don't understand-- it's really hard! I spent so much time-- I had to steal so much money to buy everything! This took alot of work, you know."

His knees rose up toward his chest and he'd quickly tuck it between his legs instead, clamping them tightly together around it and his hand.

"You're gonna hafta take it from me, old man..." He growled cutely, frowning a little.

[Cernan]

Cernan found his patience suddenly wearing very thin. He had never been one for humour, and their current situation had done nothing to improve that. He actually snarled a little at Ahearn. Still he didn't want to fight. He dug a hand into one of the hidden pockets of his cloak pulling out a gold coin which he tossed to Ahearn.

"That should pay for new one if we ever get out of here. Now get rid of it, unless you would prefer to fight this battle yourself."

Cernan continued to glare at Ahearn, locking eyes with him, almost daring Ahearn to defy him.

[Gen]

Raeph frowned a little more seriously now, somehow managing to feel guilty while the other fox stared him down. It was amazing the power those eyes had over him. Frightening, even. He sighed and relaxed his body, still frowning to Cernan, and eventually would concede to the fox. He wondered if Cernan was serious about leaving him, but decided that it was beset not to tempt it. He'd come all this way, and even if his immediate safety wasn't as important as beating his little game, being with Cernan was.

Slowly he draped his legs over the bed, looking back to Cernan and pouting, and then stood up from the bed. As the blanket fell away, revealing the younger man, the moonlight from the window would set his fair, smooth flesh a glow, contrasting greatly with the rest of the darkness around them. He'd walk to the window and stop at it, turning back to give another pouting expression for a moment before holding the device outside. Another sigh and Raeph would crush the phone, dropping the pieces to the street below.

"There. Happy?" He grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest, his back to the fox.

[Cernan]

Cernan continued to glare at Ahearn. He was definitely not happy.

"No. We are still being hunted, we need to figure out a way out of this city."

Cernan's glares softened some, he was being overly harsh he knew.

"We cannot just jump out, going to the ocean will leave us exposed, and you disadvantaged. Going through the city will be long, and I am not very familiar with it. If only we had some sort of map..."

[Gen]

Raeph almost laughed at the continued expression, realizing that he had touched a nerve. It had been so long since Cernan had looked like this. He could remember the expression like it had only just been on his face the previous day, however. Being hunted by humans was something they hadn't experienced in a very, very long time. As they grew older and more experienced, it seemed that the human race had only just stayed where they were, inching along their evolutionary path. With a few exceptions, of course.

Slowly the younger fox walked over to his master, his strong arms wrapping around Cernan's body, his own warm mass pressing to him. He'd rest his cheek on the white fox's chest and listen to his heartbeat again, his own once again in sync. Sometimes he wondered if it always beat with the same rhythm, despite however far apart they might be from one another. It was a romantic notion; one he wasn't sure his master would share.

And then the suggestion came, the irony so blatantly obvious that it may as well have carried a weight that nearly knocked Raeph over. He was almost angry at the statement, but after a moment he couldn't help but to laugh. He buried his face in the fox's chest and chuckled away for a moment, eventually shaking his head.

"The phone was a map..." he would finally say with a sigh, his forehead still to Cernan's chest.

[Cernan]

Cernan looked down at the younger fox now wrapped around hi and laughing, he was about to ask what was funny when Ahearn answered before he could ask. The irony was not entirely beyond him, but he was sure he had made the right choice. He did not trust human machines.

"It was a two way map, it could have led them to us. Besides you have become too complacent on human luxuries."

Cernan looked about at the room they were in. A little slice of warmth and security in a harsh cold world. It was easy to see how Ahearn might like the human life, but it was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. They had to escape. This really was the only thing on his mind now.

"Listen, are you well enough to fight now? We should attempt to leave soon, maybe in the day when there are more people to cover our movements, but soon."

[Gen]

He didn't like feeling like he was being reprimanded by the fox. Of course he'd become accustomed to human luxuries. Whenever he was away from Cernan he would take refuge among the mortals of this world. Unlike Cernan, he'd always found them so interesting and so amusing, and as they'd recently confirmed for him, Raeph had always believed them to have great potential. He sighed.

"Sorry..." The younger fox would say.

His hand would trail around to Cernan's abdomen, warm, soft fingers gently running up and down the solid terrain. He smiled. It had been so long since he'd been able to be this near the fox, able to touch him like this. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he could leave it behind to chase whatever it was that he would chase. Raeph shrugged and then patted the fox's chest gently before walking to the side of the bed where his clothes were. He'd slip on his pants and then sit down, looking at the shreaded hole in his shirt and vest where the bullet had struck him. He knew he wasn't supposed to, but Raeph would close his eyes and think on it for a moment, the threads of the material seeming to stitch themselves seemlessly. It was only a small hole. No big deal...

"... I'm sure I'll be okay." Raeph said, pulling on the rest of his clothes. He did love to dress in snappy human clothes. "Thank you, sir."

[Cernan]

"Don't call me sir, Ahearn."

Cernan let out a small sigh, he hated when Ahearn called him sir or master, as if he was still Cernan's apprentice.

Cernanalso picked up the rest of his clothes, unfastening and dropping his cloak as he put them on, then draping the cloak back over. He had noticed the first rays of sun starting over the horizon, it would be time to leave soon.

"I'll put some coffee on, then we should leave."

Cernn ducked as he walked out the door of the bedroom and headed down the stairs to see if he could find some coffee to make, oblivious to the irony of the fact that he had just chided Ahearn for indulging in human luxuries.

[Gen]

Raeph grinned and almost let out a chuckle when he he heard the other fox, looking up to him with a single brow raised.

"Don't call me by that name." He said firmly.

He didn't feel guilty about watching Cernan dress. If anything he was a little disappointed that it had to happen so soon, but the white fox was right. They had to leave soon. This couple had family. He could see it in their photos. He could smell the multitude of bodies that had been in and out of this home. They were known, and they would be missed. It bothered him a little to think about where they might have gone. He was sure Cernan had something to do with it, but he wouldn't pursue the matter. He wouldn't be too far behind Cernan, having stopped in the bathroom to freshen up a little.

"Maybe we can ask for directions..." Raeph teased as he walked down the stairs to meet Cernan.

[Cernan]

Ahearn would be greeted coming into the kitchen by the sight of Cernan, glaring at the stove and poking at it wildly. He had found the coffee, and the pot, a simple percolator kind that made coffee on the stove, but was having difficulty with the stove itself.

"Yes maybe... You know to work these human machines, turn it Ah- what am I supposed to call you now?"

He looked up to Ahearn, but still continued poking at the stove erratically.

[Gen]

The fox wasn't sure how to react. His expression was somewhere between thorough amusement with his former master and utter exasperation. He raised a brow and shook his head, sighing softly to himself as he walked over to the stove and turned it on. He tried not to laugh at the fox, the sight of the seven foot tall barbarian poking the metal appliance almost more than he could handle.

"Some things you have to do more than poke to turn on, Cernan." Raeph said teasingly.

He sighed again, turning around and leaning back against the counter while they waited. He smiled and closed his eyes, tilting his head down.

"I'm sorry... just... call me Uh-Hearn..." The younger fox said, smiling slightly, a light blush on his cheeks.

[Cernan]

Cernan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Ahearn's comment, it was so long ago. He knew his real name now of course but it would always be Ahearn to him.

"Ahearn it is then."

Cernan sat down at the little breakfast table that was in the kitchen while he waited for the coffee to brew, again pulling out the metal shard that he had extracted from Ahearn's wound. He examined some more for a moment before flicking it onto the table. His fingers for a moment appearing slightly burned where he had touched it.

"Come see what you can make of this. It seems whoever was making these has done some studying. Salt and iron, but traces of other elements as well."