Stockholm Syndrome

[Gen]

Raeph almost giggled at Cernan's reaction. His excitement was short lived, however, as he watched the other fox pull out the shard of metal that had previously found it's home in Raeph's shoulder. He didn't like that it was still with them. Anything that could harm either of them was bad news and a bad memory that he'd much rather not have. He reluctantly walked over to the table and sat down, though he'd refuse to touch the metal.

"We haven't been threatened by humans since we were young... maybe that's why this is such a surprise." Raeph said plainly.

He frowned and looked away, able to still smell his own blood on the metal. He could smell the toxic metals that had been used to create the alloy. Iron and Silver hadn't been used against demons in centuries, but only because humans had forgotten that they'd even existed, but salt? Raeph wasn't a witch and he didn't consider himself a spirit. Not yet, at least.

"... It's kind of funny..." Raeph said after a long moment of silence.

He flicked the shard back to Cernan. He was vulnerable to iron and silver, but it had been so long since anyone had thought to use it on him that he'd become complacent. He'd forgotten. There was no longer any need to worry, until now.

"How could I forget something like that..." he breathed.

[Cernan]

Cernan picked up the shard and quickly pocketed it again. He was not done with it yet. He got up to pour the coffee which had just finished brewing grabbing a cup, and gesturing that Ahearn should grab one too.

"It has been a very long time as you said, and you have become too accustomed to them, living among them, forgetting that they are dangerous creatures. Their easy life has caused you to forget what it is to fight for existence. This is not the first time, and they are not the first ones to craft weapons like this, but they have gotten better."

Cernan's own words made him stop and think. He was reminded of a sword he had once made, wrought from fallen iron that had similar properties. He had not used it in a very long time, his own power having become enough to subdue his enemies.

"You may recall that even you and I used weapons like that once."

Cernan took a sip of the coffee he was holding, his eyes closing as an expression of joy crossed his face. He wasn't sure why, but he really liked the stuff.

[Amara<3]

Keera had followed, slowly, all the signs that Cernan had left her - she only went slowly because of the fact that she needed to make sure no one was going to follow her. All the signs, and her heightened senses thanks to Ninko (the fox in her) led her to a rather specific door, to which she could tell her was not far from. She took a deep breath, took a step closer, and knocked, just like she would as a police officer. She barely knew how to in any other way. She decided not to say anything so as to not spook whoever he was with.

[Cernan]

Cernan was rather shocked to say the least when the knock on the door came. His ears turned towards the front door followed by the rest of him. Who could it possibly be he wondered. If it were the attackers surely they wouldn't bother to knock, and it was too early yet for anyone who may have been visitors of the former couple who had lived in the house to be about.

Figuring there was no other way to find out who it was, he headed towards the door, not putting down his coffee as he went. He hesitated slightly when he reached the door. He really didn't know who it was out there. He reached out and opened the door anyway, to be greeted by the sight of a woman in some sort of official looking uniform. It took him a second to recognize the aura he was feeling, then suddenly his eyes went wide his pupils expanding suddenly, then contracting back to slits as they darted around as if trying to see something that wasn't there.

"Ah, Lady Keera it's a surprise to see you here. Come in and have a coffee..." He thought for a moment, guessing as to what the uniform might be, "officer. I see you have acquired a fox since last we met."

He held the door open for her beckoning her to come inside.

[Gen]

Raeph couldn't really say that he liked hot coffee all that much, but but grabbed a mug anyway and made himself a cup, a little heavy with the cream and sugar. At least this way he didn't have to feel so silly for sitting at the table with Cernan. It was a little odd, seeing him in this setting. It also created a deep sense of longing within him. To be able to live a normal life with Cernan was but a dream.

He let Cernan continue on about the bullet and the humans, but he didn't much want to talk about it right now. That thing had been inside of him. A human had gotten the better of him. It was embarrassing. It hurt his pride very much. He simply let the fox speak, only really pretending to listen but thinking about less serious things, like where he was going to get a new cellphone, or his next cup of iced coffee.

Hot coffee simply didn't do anything for him.

His heart lurched when he heard the knock at the door, eyes wide as he looked up to Cernan. The expression on his face was irritated. He wanted to ask Cernan what exactly had done in the time Raeph had lost. Still, he would hold off on any irrational behavior as he watched the larger fox stand up and head for the door. He waited impatiently, his leg bouncing under the table. It felt like an eternity before he heard Cernan speak again, only to speak a name he remembered well enough not to really care for. Of course, there weren't very many other people he really cared for, anyway...

He was able to relax after a moment, letting out a soft sigh.

"...Pfft... Lady..." Raeph said softly, chuckling and shaking his head before taking a sip of his coffee.

[Amara<3]

Keera raised an eyebrow at Cernan holding a cup of coffee when he opened the door. It was a little shocking to see the coffee but she shook it off. She didn't know him well enough to truly say it was weird. After he spoke, she even gave him a half smile, before hearing Raeph in the other room. "I heard that," she said, but the smile didn't falter. Her attention back to Cernan, she nodded shortly at his invitation and walked in. She waited until Cernan closed the door to speak again. "Coffee drinker now?" She asked idly, but grew a little irritated with her own question. Not waiting for a reply she moved on. "I didn't follow you all this way for a coffee break, Cernan. I'm sure you know that." She paused, walking in to see Raeph, or Ahearn as she'd originally met him as. "Also, I call my counterpart Ninko. She was quite helpful in following you and pinpointing this spot. I've come to rely a lot on her."

Even with this slight transformation on the outside appearance, whileit was slightly hidden, a lot had changed in terms of power and ability for her. Aside from Ninko, something else was slightly off about her, as if there was a sort of imbalance that was always just on the edge of breaking. Like there was maybe too much power being held up inside, even if completely hidden to any human and and their technology.

[Cernan]

Cernan closed the door behind Keera, though not before looking out to check if anyone had followed, and followed her into the kitchen. As he did he was also trying to sense her out, and asses how much of an asset she might be in their attempted escape. She had changed considerably since last the had met, but he doubted it was for the worse.

"No, I don't imagine you did. So tell me what did you follow us for?"

Cernan moved past Keera and into the kitchen, topping off his cup of coffee but leaving enough for another in the pot. He then went to the fridge, opening it and peering in. He looked in for a few second before finding what he was looking for, pulling out a small tin.

"For that matter, what brought you to this country in the first place?"

Cernan sat back down at the table. The chair creaked under his weight, being his and the combined mass of the two people he had absorbed, it really wasn't designed for such stress. He was deliberately acting as if they had all the time in the world, as he would not admit to being worried. Not to Keera anyway. They had been uneasy allies for a long time, but Cernan did not consider her someone he could show weakness too. She had been a rival capable of matching him, and likely still was, and that made her dangerous.

Cernan stared at the can trying to figure out how you were supposed to open it, settling on piercing it with his claws and peeling back the lid. When he did a powerful odour of fermented fish filled the room. He pulled out one of the fermented herrings and popped it in his mouth, before offering it around to Keera and Ahearn. In spite of his usual convictions, he had come to be very found of several of the food delicacies he had tried in the time he had been in the city.

"Surströmming?"

[Gen]

Raeph listened as the two talked at the door. He would make a face and mockingly mouth her words as she announced that she could hear the black fox's snarky remark, and then stuck his tongue out to give a little raspberry. He went back to sipping at his coffee, a little annoyed by her presence already. There was already so much competition with the humans right now, to have a powerful demon on the table as well seemed to make things a little more unpredictable.

He only watched as the two returned to the kitchen. Maybe it was a slight bit of immaturity on his part, but Raeph was finding that even her scent annoyed him slightly. He lifted his mug and kept it close to his lips, breathing in the sweet scent instead. He frowned to Cernan, a brow arched as he watched him sit back. He was about to take another sip of his coffee when he heard the crack of the can. The stench that followed was so terrible that Raeph couldn't even smell his coffee, forcing him to place the mug down loudly on the table with a sigh. He shook his head when the fox offered him some and then crossed his arms and looked away from the two of them.

"...What the hell is she doing here? You knew she was following us?" Raeph said, glaring sideways to the white fox.

He was irritated by the idea that Cernan may have led her to them. He couldn't trust her, he didn't know her well enough. He doubted the white fox could honestly say he trusted her. Few creatures on this earth could match him. They were already in enough trouble with the presence of a demon to distract them. He didn't understand what Cernan was playing at by inviting her in.

[Amara<3]

Keera watched Certain carefully as he took his time with human things. "There was a tab on the side Cernan. I take vacations on my job, that's why I'm here. I'm trying to make my rounds on the planet right now, see what new things there are to see." She paused, shaking her head at the fish with a small smile. "I saw you save him," Keera gestured to Raeph. "Then I watched you run away. Something like that is enough to intrigue me. So I followed you." Keera wondered whether or not she should bother staying here much longer than this conversation, so she didn't bother sitting down. Don't run off right away. If they found out Ahearn was a fox demon, they will eventually find you out as well. Ninko whispered in her mind. That being said, do be careful.

She took a breath, smelling the fish, but frowned for another reason. "I have no interest in staying long, since they will consider me a demon as well, just being seen with you. I've kept my cover for quite some time, and blowing it just to help you doesn't seem like a good enough reason. If I can help without revealing myself then I will. So on the topic of helping, do you have any idea what those machines are made of?"

[Cernan]

Cernan shot a sharp a glance at Ahearn.

"I knew someone was following us, although I wasn't sure who, Keera has changed considerably since our last meeting. I sensed someone who either could be an ally or needed help."

Cernan turned his attention back to Keera, his tails twitching in irritation as he found he patience had suddenly run out.

"If you want to leave, and if you think you still can then do. No one is keeping you here. Their trap is already laid though. They would likely have found us by now, or at least be out looking if they were interested in chasing us at this point. They haven't and they aren't, they are waiting."

Cernan had risen to his feet while addressing talking, and the twitches in his tails had changed into them thrashing about, smashing the chair he had been sitting on and the table as well. His anger was building, not only at the situation he was in and those hunting him, but with the two people he found himself in the company of.

"Do you not find it suspicious that three of us" Cernan placed a strong emphasis here, "and yourself Keera should all find ourselves drawn here for no good reason? Do you not understand that they are luring us here and then killing us? You should be less concerned with your little game of playing human. They will never accept you, you will never have their life. If they knew what you were, any human you know would just as likely try to kill you as those ones out there right now!"

Cernan stopped, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. He took several more deep breaths, trying to calm himself before opening his eyes again.

"If you want to stay hidden, and remain unseen fine. If you want to help us, and satisfy your own curiosity, try to capture one of the machines, or salvage any we manage to destroy. Maybe we could figure out how they work and put a stop to this here and now."

[Amara<3]

Keera watched in mild curiousity as Cernan rose and let his anger rise. "You don't seem to have changed much, Cernan. At least I've learned to keep my cool," she said, sounding a bit agitated. "If they can do anything we can, they do now know where we are. I've been playing human to try and stay in the loop of things. I was offered to go into a special forces unit some time ago, and while I wanted to accept I had a bad feeling about it, and declined. This may be what they had wanted me for, and if I had said yes, then maybe I might not be here right now. They could have been screening for demons at that point. I don't know. Maybe some of those humans are demons brought in specifically to work on killing the rest, thinking in the end that they may be spared, which is a foolish notion." She seemed to be thinking deeply about this possibility. "Could be how they know where to look, too. You know, aside from the random outbursts of vastly stronger demons than the rest."

[Cernan]

Cernan couldn't help but glare at Keera. She could be right, but the thought of it, demons turning on their own kind to help humans had him seething. He'd had enough. It was time to go. He had seen the sun rising through the kitchen window, the humans would be starting to scurry about their daily live and from what he had seen this would be their best chance to escape. Their attackers didn't seem keen on being observed.

"Maybe. It's time to leave." He said to Keera as he walked past her.

He walked out into the hallway and to the front door. Opening it he saw, as he expected, humans all along the street leaving their houses, or preparing to judging by all the lights shining through the windows. He stood in the doorway without turning back he spoke.

"Herin, burn this place down."

He had used Ahearn's real name so that he would know, he was serious. He was mad.

[Gen]

While the two were bickering, Raeph sighed to himself and decided on making a drink. He walked into the kitchen and filled a cup with ice, cream and sugar, and then poured in the coffee. It was really the only way that he could stand to drink it. One might think with his affinity to fire that Raeph would have an appreciation for hot beverages, but it was quite the opposite.

He had only just returned to his seat, beginning immediately to sip at his cool, sweet coffee, when Cernan stormed out into the hall. The young man looked up to Keera and shrugged, sitting back with both hands on his cup. She was right about Cernan's temper. It was the one aspect about the man that he was sure would never change much. He looked up with a bit of concern when Cernan turned back and made his order. It was so drastic. Whatever Cernan was up to right now would certainly have it's consequences for all of them. Even Raeph had to admit, however, that it seemed as though eventually they would have to reveal themselves one way or another. A revolution was upon them.

Raeph let out a soft sigh and looked down, taking another sip of his cold drink while he still could. Cernan was making this personal, and since he'd decided to return to the white fox's side, it was apparently personal to himself as well. He set the drink down and slid it a little further across the table. The temperature in the room would abruptly rise to sweltering hights, hitting the other two in a wave.

"You should probably get out now..." Raeph said. " ... 30 seconds should be enough time. Wait on the street, it'll be contained. For the most part..."

He crossed his arms and glared up to Cernan. He wasn't very happy with the man right now. All he'd wanted to do was make their escape from the city and never look back. The wallpaper on the walls began to peel, the temperature's rising hire. Steam seemed to begin to rise from Raeph's body. Patches of the walls would suddenly begin to burn and the light bulbs burst with a flash. He raised a brow.

"Let's make a scene..."

(Figured I'd give someone a chance to respond before we make this "scene"...)

[Amara<3]

If there was one thing Keera couldn't stand, it was fire. The first initial wave was enough to make her bare teeth and her eyes flashed at Raeph. She understood Cernan's command - but not the means of doing so until Raeph began to heat up. She also knew that put her in danger of multiple things. Burning, for one, but secondly... all this power being thrown around unnecessarily was giving her a headache. These two were going to destroy her before she got to the bottom of this militia bullcrap before they were ALL dead. Like lightning she was at the door and walking out behind Cernan. She couldn't believe this, were they that stupid? "You realize that us walking out right before a fire looks very bad, don't you? Especially me, in an officer's uniform. I hope you know what you're doing. You aren't involved with humans like I am, they aren't as stupid as they used to be."

[Gen]

Raeph liked the command about as much as Keera, maybe even less, but Cernan was right. Thinking on it, everything was escalating much too quickly and they knew far too little about their enemy. The humans had never been this technologically advanced before now, nor had they had such a firm grasp on magic or anything ethereal for that matter. Whether anyone realized it or not, the entire city was upon the precipice of something incredible. A shift in power.

It was bad luck that Raeph and Cernan found themselves here at the turn, but it was yet to be determined who's luck it was that was so terrible. Theirs, or the humans?

He waited for Cernan and Keera to escape into the street before he really let loose. He knew that he would still have to cap the release at some point or he would level the block, but he hadn't stretched his legs in so long. It was kind of fun. The heat could already be felt outside as the fire spread through the house and charred the walls. The windows shattered, letting the flames roar out and snake their way up the building.

He emerged behind the two with a grin on his face as the fire licked him and ruffled his hair. Raeph was about to make a joke and tease Keera, but the urge immediately left him. His expression vanished and his heart sank, his blood running cold. His ears flicked and his eyes darted about frantically, taking in, to his horror, the realization that they were leaving far too late.

The militia had already cleared the area of any pedestrians it seemed and were waiting for them. Surely they didn't expect the third party, but it didn't matter. If they carried those field generators, even having the great Keera with them would mean nothing. The group was large, Raeph counting at least thirty soldiers, lining the streets and rooftops around them. They were all poised and ready to fire.

In fact, in the miniscule amount of time it took for Raeph to process everything, he could hear the clicking as the triggers were pulled, the eruptions as the pins ignited their projectiles, and even see the silver bullets nearing them. His eyes were wide as he perceived everything in fractions of a second. Having recovered much of his strength, he knew that he had plenty of time to react, but was it enough time for the other two to react?

A pit formed in his stomach. He glanced to the two standing before him. There was no way that he could jump with both of them. Keera had just admitted that she was carrying another being with her, subjugated or not, and Cernan was heavy enough on his own let alone with whomever or whatever he had taken recently. He could take one, maybe, but not both. If he took Cernan, he would have to leave Keera which would put her in even more risk and possibly cause her demise. He couldn't do that to her. She was innocent here, dragged into this mess by the two of them now. However, he couldn't just leave Cernan. He couldn't fathom the guilt and pain he would experience knowing that he'd left his once mate to possibly die. It would most certainly cause a major psychological break, and without someone to bring him back, the humans would be the last of anyone's worries.

A knot formed in his throat. It wasn't something that he was particularly talented with, and he was sure that it would hurt like hell, but there was really only one choice for him. He lunged forward and gripped either of them by the shoulder. They would feel a gut wrenching drop and he was sure the technique strained their bodies just as much as his own. They would seem to shimmer and shudder slightly in appearance.

"You'd better come back for me!" He growled, and in the instant before the projectiles would reach them, Keera and Cernan would vanish from the scene, appearing several blocks away with a rather rocky landing.

Raeph took the full brunt of the attack. His arms raised up to guard his head and he hunched down some, the automatic fire pelting him with silver and almost tenderizing his tough skin. It pushed him back, and then he felt it. First one, then another, then several more. The silver had weakened him enough that they were now penetrating him. The fox cried out and fell back into the house, scrambling around the door and into the corner at the bottom of the stairs. He curled up as the gunfire shredded the already brittle walls around him, glancing him here and there. Raeph panted and gasped as the pain of the toxic metal burned through him, and as he felt he couldn't take anymore, he would let out an earth shaking roar.

After a moment the gunfire would stop and with the exception of the roaring flames, the block went silent. Raeph shook and huffed. Why was this happening? They hadn't even used their little devices yet. He began pulling out the bullets, seething as the metal burned and smoldered against his skin. The fox climbed to his feet and in a flash was at the top of the flight of stairs and walking down the hall toward the front of the building. At the end of the hall he could see a soldier at the window and already aiming down at him. There would be no time for him to fire, however.

...wicked... wicked little Herin...

In another blink Raeph was already at the window. From outside the wall would erupt in a cloud of dust and stone as a long, black, massive claw snagged and held the soldier, and then pulled him back in with a shrill cry. A shiver ran through Raeph as he looked to the man, ripping off his headgear. He appeared normal again, but he was feeling far from it. His lips spread into a broad, inhuman grin and his fangs seemed much longer and more jagged than before, his copper irises glowing red hot.

...let me out...

The man reached behind him and pulled out one of the familiar metal spheres, clearly trying to activate it with just his one hand, the other holding Raeph's hand which found itself around the human's neck. Raeph's free hand darted out and gripped the human's, enclosing it around the sphere and then crushing the both of them, causing the human to scream out in pain. He let go of the bloody mess and gripped the man's collar, the hand that had held his neck curling in the man's hair and pulling his head back. His grin broadened as he leaned over the helpless soldier and inhaled deeply, all of his color draining from him as a feint light left him in wisps and snaked their way into Raeph's mouth, nose and eyes. He dropped the lifeless body to the floor and walked to the gaping hole in the wall, looking out onto everyone. His wounds had already healed and he was feeling more energetic and powerful than ever before.

He'd never preyed upon a human before.

... they're like little batteries, huh?...

The militia opened fire suddenly, many of them launching their field generators, but Raeph would be far too fast for them at this point. He inhaled deeply, his arms appearing to guard over his face again for a moment, and then outstretched as he threw his head back with a roar. The wave of heat and energy that flowed from him was sinister and without control, Raeph quickly losing himself. The flames that engulfed the house they had stayed in roared and writhed, reaching up into the sky and taking the shape of what appeared to be a great stallion rearing back. It vanished in an instant, of course. The walls of the buildings shuddered and the glass windows all along the block shattered, raining shards upon the soldiers. The concussive wave served to deflect the initial wave of projectiles and caused an overload in the field generators that had been thrown, the volley bursting into puffs of smoke and circuitry.

He could kill every one of them. He wanted to kill every one of them. He wanted to consume every one of them.

... yesss, indulge... wicked little Herin...

* * *

No sooner that the two landed a group of men were already upon them. They didn't open fire just yet, however. They circled around Cernan and Keera, rifles raised and poised to fire.

"Two more just appeared. Apprehend or Execute?" One of the soldiers said.

The radio crackled a bit and then a voice would say, "Orders are to execute on sight."

They group aimed down at the two, but just as they were about to open fire one of the group would cry out and crumple over onto the ground, holding his shoulder. A long arrow protruded from it. They looked up and around the rooftops until they spotted a tall, lithe young man standing over the ledge, another arrow already drawn back. He fired the second one, impaling another soldier's hand and causing him to drop his firearm while the rest of them fired upon the archer, who immediately ducked and fled back further onto the roof.

"Someone get up there!" One of the men roared.

"But it's just a human--"

"Sympathizers are to be treated equally! Execute him now!"