He knew something was wrong the moment they pulled up to the house. The front door was left wide open. It could only mean trouble, but Butler was used to walking into trouble, so he turned to his sister and charge and told them to stay put in the driveway. He didn't like the idea of leaving them there, but it was better than taking them with him into potential danger, and besides, Juliet was more than capable of protecting Artemis in his brief absence.

He entered the house with his gun drawn. Everything was dark, but Butler didn't dare turn on a light, lest he make his presence known. He had only made his way through half the building before he felt someone else's gun at the side of his head.

How had someone managed to sneak up on him?

"Put your weapon down," the other man said. Butler had no choice but to listen. "Now walk back towards the door. Don't try anything."

He wasn't about to let this man anywhere neat Artemis or Juliet, so, naturally, he tried something.

In less than two seconds, Butler had the man in a headlock, his gun forgotten on the ground. He let the man breathe, but brought a knife to his throat instead.

"Are you alone?"

"N-no," the man suddenly laughed. "I wouldn't have left your friends out all by themselves…."

Butler's heart stopped. With the man still in his hold, he picked up the gun and rushed back to the door. He didn't like what he saw outside.

Juliet was thrashing, it taking three people to restrain her. Two of her captors had bruised faces and bloody noses. Butler couldn't help but feel proud of her.

The his attention went to Artemis. There was a single man behind him, holding him by the neck with long, spidery fingers. His other hand was rising up the boy's shirt and Butler noticed just how uncomfortable he was. The man appeared to be whispering to him, and Butler could see him shaking from where he stood multiple yards away.

The man holding Artemis looked up and saw Butler in the doorway. "Come on out, Mr. Butler!" he called. "Join the party."

He stepped into the sunlight with his hostage. "Let them go," he said. "Or he dies." He pressed the knife deeper into the man's neck.

Without hesitation, the man holding Artemis brought out a gun, aimed it, and killed Butler's hostage with a shot to the head. Artemis flinched at the sound of the gun in his ear.

"The only people with significance here are you, me, your sister, and your master. Everyone else is… disposable."

Butler let the dead man he was holding fall to the ground. "What do you want?"

"I want nothing more than to destroy you."

"Why?"

"You don't even remember!"

"Why don't you remind me?"

"You killed my daughter. Three years ago. There was a fire. You could have saved her but you chose to save this boy instead, not even willing to go back for her. And you don't even remember."

He didn't recall any of this. He knew he hadn't been in a fire three years ago, so why was this man so convinced that he had been?

"You must be mistaking me for someone else."

"No! No, you were there. You killed my daughter, so now I will kill those important to you."

Butler raised the gun he got from his hostage. "I will drop you."

The man laughed. "Only after I kill your principle, and your sister. As long as I kill them before you kill me, I will be happy."

The man whispered more into Artemis's ear, and the boy's eyes widened.

"Put down your gun, Mr. Butler. Let's make a deal."

He complied, seeing no other option.

"Pick one."

"Excuse me?"

"Pick one. Your sister or your master. One I will release, the other I will take with me."

"You're not taking anyone with you."

"Oh, but I am. Don't worry, you'll get to come, too. So pick one."

He looked to the two people he cared about most in the world. Juliet had stopped struggling once the gun was shot, but her handlers were clearly wary of her. Artemis just looked uncharacteristically scared. Butler wondered what the man had whispered to him.

The decision wasn't an easy one, but he knew what he had to do. Juliet was a Butler, she would be able to take whatever was thrown at her.

"Let Artemis go," he said.

The man didn't look surprised in the least, and neither did Juliet. "You'll pick this brat over your own blood? Tsk tsk tsk. Very well. Juliet will be staying here."

"What?! You said-"

"I know what I said. Obviously the boy's safety is important to you - more important than even your sister's. Why on earth would I leave him behind?"

"I'm going to kill you for this."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure you'll try."

Then the man did something that made Butler's blood boll. He kissed Artemis right on the lips. The boy tried to pull away but the man wouldn't let him. Then the man recoiled, slapping Artemis across the face.

"You bit me! You little shit!" He hit him again, and again. Artemis fell to the ground. Butler wanted to go to him, to stop the man, but there were guns pointed at the three of them and moving would be unwise.

When Artemis was upright again, the man made another move. "Bite me again, and I'll kill young Juliet." The man rubbed a thumb over Artemis's cheekbone where a bruise would likely form and kissed him again. His other hand cupped at the boy's groin.

You-" he pointed to a lackey when he pulled away, "-get the injections."

A syringe was presented to him almost immediately, and he brought it to Artemis's neck. He thrashed and struggled but couldn't stop what was about to happen and he went slack in the man's arms when the concoction was emptied into his system. Juliet went next.

Three of the men came for Butler next but they were careful. He gave each of them a dangerous look, daring them to come near him.

"I'll come quietly," he said.

"Oh, no, no. We can't have you conscious to see where we're taking you. How stupid do you think I am?"

Very, Butler thought, If you're bold enough to threaten my family.

When Butler looked at the man again, he was twirling a knife between his fingers. Butler didn't want to know what he would do with it.

"Accept the injection or we can do this the hard way. It's up to you."

One of the men approached Butler with the needle, slowly, silently testing if it was safe to keep going.

Butler didn't stop him, and soon he was out like a light as well.