Legacy 106: Nature vs. Nurture
Part 2
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When Wyatt and Dylan materialized, they were standing in the hallway of the Halliwell manor. Wyatt called out if anyone was home, but there was no response. Chris was away and Henry was probably still at school. He could not call his cousins either, as they were visiting their mother across the country. It would be tricky dealing with the Manticores alone, but he would just have to manage somehow. He suspected Dylan would be able to defend himself, though he did not seem all that used to his demonic side. He had probably been suppressing it his entire life.
"We shouldn't be at your house." Dylan said worried. "The Manticores might track me here and that could endanger your entire family."
"My family is used to demonic invasions." Wyatt remarked. "Or did you miss the entire city turning into witch hating zombies a few days ago?"
"I think I missed that." Dylan said with a confused frown. "And I think I am glad I did."
"You should be. Anyway, the manor is probably the safest place right now." Wyatt said. "I am sure my mother wrote her vanquishing potion in the Book of Shadows." Wyatt wanted to head up to the attic, but then suddenly realized he had forgotten something. "Oh crap, we don't have any potion ingredients."
"Is that a problem?" Dylan asked.
"Pretty big problem." Wyatt replied. "No ingredients, no potions. Maybe we can get some at Magic School."
"I can't go to Magic School." Dylan said. "The whole demonic barrier thing."
"That applies to half-demons?" Wyatt asked. "That is unfair, I mean, you're good."
"I don't think the barrier understands that." Dylan remarked. "Believe me, I have tried. It sensed one drop of demonic blood and zapped me."
"Then we need to get some at the store." Wyatt said. "I need a few minutes, to put away my gear and check the book. You think you'll be alright?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Dylan said with a nod. "And just so you know, I really appreciate the help. I know it has been years since we've seen each other."
"Seriously, if you are going to thank me again, I am going to punch you." Wyatt said annoyed. "It's not that special. I am sure you would to the same."
"I am not so sure." Dylan replied nervously. "I am not that brave, not like you. I am always afraid that if I get too involved with magic, my demonic side will take over. That I'll go all exorcist and my head will twist around or something."
"Trust me, that will not happen." Wyatt said with a smile. "But I know how you feel. Don't worry, I will be back in a minute."
"Okay." Dylan replied.
Wyatt headed upstairs and dropped his photography equipment in his room. He then headed up to the attic to check the Book of Shadows. Like he suspected, his mother had written her potion down next to the Manticore page. Wyatt grabbed a pen and wrote the ingredients on a piece of paper. At times like this, he wished the book would allow itself to be copied or photographed. He was about to head back downstairs when Dylan came running into the attic.
"They found us." Dylan said. "They are getting close."
"What? How can they track you down so fast?" Wyatt asked surprised. "You're not somehow emitting some kind of high pitched signal, are you?"
"Not that I know off, perhaps they can sense me because I am like them." Dylan replied.
"Well, we don't have time to figure it out." Wyatt said. "We can think of something later. Let's go."
Wyatt held out his hand Dylan grabbed it. Together, they once again dematerialized into orbs and disappeared before the Manticores could find them. When they reappeared, they were standing in a small alley somewhere in China town. It was starting to feel like they were playing a game of cat and mouse, and Wyatt hated being the mouse.
"What are we doing here?" Dylan asked.
"Like I said, we need potion ingredients." Wyatt explained as they left the alley and crossed the street. "This is where we always go to get our supplies."
They entered a small herbal store and Wyatt started collecting the ingredients while Dylan waited nervously. While he was distracted, Dylan picked up a small jar with blue powder and studied it, though Wyatt quickly took it away once he noticed him holding it.
"Careful. That stuff will knock you out for a day." Wyatt said.
"Thanks, sensei." Dylan replied with a mocking bow. "How do you know so much about this anyway?"
"My mom taught me." Wyatt replied.
"That is nice." Dylan said with a smile. "It must be great to learn about magic like that. My dad always pretended that we were completely normal. We never even talked about my heritage. I guess it brought back bad memories."
"What do you mean?" Wyatt asked.
"Well, my mother was a Manticore." Dylan explained with a sigh. "They take mortal men to mate with and then kill them. My dad was lucky to escape, but the entire thing must have been traumatic. And that is where I came in."
"Oh, I never thought about that." Wyatt admitted as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can't even imagine how that would feel for you, knowing what happened back then."
"It's alright. My dad fought hard to get me back, and I know he loved me no matter what." Dylan said. "Could we just change the subject, please?"
"Yeah sure. I think I got everything we need." Wyatt said.
Wyatt and Dylan headed to the counter and waited until the old Chinese lady checked out all the ingredients. However, she kept giving them funny looks, while Wyatt was quickly growing impatient with her slow pace. He looked at Dylan and the half-demon smiled back at him. He had seemed nervous the entire day, though Wyatt figured it was just because of the Manticores. When the old lady was finished, she placed all the ingredients in a plastic bag. Suddenly, Dylan grabbed his arm and gave him a warning look. In the distance, Wyatt heard screeching.
"Not again." Wyatt remarked. "Time to go."
Wyatt grabbed the bag from the old lady and ran outside with Dylan right behind him. When they reached the alley, they were suddenly surrounded by three Manticores. Wyatt held out his hand and a metal bar orbed in his hands. When one of the demons attacked, he hit it across the head, though he was immediately knocked down by another. Meanwhile, the third one grabbed Dylan and threw him against the wall.
Holding out his hands, Wyatt quickly raised a force field around himself as he stood up. The Manticores slashed against the field with their claws, though they could not break through. Wyatt then extended his shield and knocked them back. He called for the metal bar and orbed it straight into the chest of a Manticore, vanquishing it instantly. The others screeched and charged at Wyatt.
Suddenly Dylan appeared in front of Wyatt and unleashed a deafening sonic scream. The Manticores stopped and seemed intimidated. As he grabbed his ears in pain, Wyatt watched as Dylan argued with the demons. However, when one was about to attack, Dylan moved at superhuman speed and threw it across the alley, impaling it on a fence. The demon screeched in pain as it exploded. Dylan turned to the other Manticore with a violent took, and it trembled in fear and ran away. Dylan then helped Wyatt up and they disappeared in a blur.
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Wyatt felt himself being pulled across the city at high speed and everything appeared as a blur. They crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and went down a long road through a forest. Suddenly Dylan tripped and they crashed to the ground, rolling through the dirt as they came to a rough halt. When they finally stopped, Wyatt felt Dylan lying on top of him. He looked up and their eyes met. Dylan seemed tense and remained silent. He was probably listening for more Manticores. Suddenly Dylan crawled up and a blush appeared on his face.
"Sorry, I am not really used to traveling at high speed." Dylan said quickly as he wiped the dirt off his jacket.
"No problem." Wyatt said as he stood up. "I think you did amazing. Those Manticores would have ripped me in half if you had not stopped them. What did you say to them?"
"I…I'm not sure… I was just angry and I told them to get away." Dylan replied. "I don't know how they keep finding me."
"I am not sure either, but I might know a way to keep you safe." Wyatt said. He closed his eyes and focused as he held out his hand in a waving motion. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Dylan frowning confused.
"Did I miss something?" Dylan asked. "Was that some kind of Jedi mind trick?"
"No, I cloaked you." Wyatt replied with a smile. "This way, no evil should be able to sense or even see you. It is like you vanished completely."
"I didn't know you could do that." Dylan replied.
"Well, Whitelighters have some pretty neat tricks." Wyatt replied.
"I wish I was half Whitelighter instead of half monster." Dylan admitted.
"You're not a monster." Wyatt said.
"I feel like one every time I use my powers." Dylan replied. "Manticores are aggressive, whenever I open myself to that side of me, that aggression comes out."
"Just try to remember that you're a good person, and that you have friends." Wyatt said. "You're human, the other half does not matter. Come on, I know a place not far from here."
Dylan nodded and they started walking down the road. Wyatt held on to the plastic bag of ingredients, which had luckily survived. They were a little outside of the city, and he knew a motel around here. It was cheap and looked a bit outdated and rundown, but the Manticores would still be looking for them, so the manor was not safe. After checking in and getting a key, the guys headed to the last room on the ground floor.
"No offense, but a motel?" Dylan asked as they headed into the room.
"Not fancy enough for you? Would you prefer a luxury suite with a bay view?" Wyatt remarked dryly.
"You know what I mean." Dylan replied.
"Just kidding. I know it is not perfect, but it will do just fine." Wyatt said. "And since we'll need some time to brew the potion, we should get comfortable, as we'll be here for a while."
"How are you going to make a potion here?" Dylan asked.
Wyatt looked around and saw his options were indeed limited. The motel room was old and cheap, with a small twin bed, a desk and a television that looked at least a century old. There was a small bathroom, but not much else.
"I think there is a convenience store nearby." Wyatt said. "All we need is a pan and a small fire to brew the potion. Do we need anything else?"
"That depends on how long we'll be here, but some food would be great. I haven't eaten all day." Dylan replied. "Oh, you should get some Doritos!"
"Doritos?" Wyatt asked with a frown.
"What? They are my favorite." Dylan replied with a shrug and a smile. "Nacho Cheese please."
"I'll see what I can do, just stay here. You're cloaked, but I am not taking any chances." Wyatt said.
Wyatt left the motel and headed for the convenience store. Once inside, Wyatt grabbed what he needed along with food and drinks. As he shopped, he thought back to earlier and tried to figure out why Dylan had been so nervous all day. Was he worried about the Manticores or was there more going on? And how did the demons keep finding them? He couldn't figure out either answer, so he decided to drop it and headed to the register.
When Wyatt got back to the motel room, Dylan was sitting on the bed trying to get the TV started. Wyatt tossed him the bag of Doritos and the half-demon greedily opened it and started eating. Wyatt took a six-pack of beer out of the grocery bag and opened one. He took a sip and leaned against the desk.
"Did you find everything we need?" Dylan asked.
"Yeah, I will get started right away. The potion will take at least a few hours to brew." Wyatt said.
"A few hours?" Dylan asked surprised. "That means we'll be here all night!"
"Yeah, better get comfortable." Wyatt replied as he tossed him a beer.
After finishing his beer, Wyatt started working on the potion. He set the portable stove he bought on the desk and soon the water started to boil. He added the ingredients just like his mother had described. By the time he was finished, it had started getting dark outside. At the same time, Dylan had given up on the TV and was lying on the bed with a bored expression.
"Alright, now it just needs to boil for a while." Wyatt informed him.
"What do we do in the meantime?" Dylan asked.
"I don't know, eat, watch TV, maybe get a few hours of sleep." Wyatt suggested.
"If you can get this TV to work…" Dylan replied as he tossed the remote. "The stupid thing isn't working."
"Let me try." Wyatt said as he grabbed another couple of beers and sat down on the bed next to him. He took the remote and tried to turn on the TV, but the thing was probably broken.
"So, back at the manor, when you said you understood how I felt about my demonic side, what did you mean by that?" Dylan suddenly asked.
"It's complicated." Wyatt replied. "I know how it feels to be afraid of turning evil. Back when I was a teenager, I found out that in an alternate future, I would grow up to become this evil overlord, corrupted by my power. It freaked me out."
"What happened?" Dylan asked.
"I lost most of my power." Wyatt replied. "But that fear never really went away."
"That's how it feels for me as well." Dylan said. "I know there is this demonic side buried somewhere inside of me. It is like I lived my entire life worrying about it, never being able to enjoy stuff."
"Because you're afraid that if you let go, that evil will come out…" Wyatt reasoned.
"Exactly." Dylan said with a nod. "Wow, I've never been able to talk about this before. It feels good."
"Well, then I guess it is a good thing you have me now." Wyatt replied with a smile.
Dylan smiled nervously and took a sip of his beer. Wyatt did the same and turned to reach for the chips. However, before he could, Dylan placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to kiss him. Their lips locked and Wyatt was completely caught off guard. He felt too stunned to move or do anything. When Dylan sensed his hesitation, he stopped and quickly stood up.
"Oh God. I am so sorry. I completely misread the situation." Dylan said panicky as he started pacing.
Wyatt was confused and did not know what to say. Suddenly, he realized why Dylan had been acting so nervous the entire time. Had he done something to give him the impression he was interested? He did not even know Dylan liked guys that way.
"I should go!" Dylan said and he ran toward the door.
"No!" Wyatt called out. "I won't be able to cloak you if you go too far."
"Well, I can't stay here. Man, I screwed up big time!" Dylan replied.
"No, you didn't." Wyatt said as she stood up. "I am sorry. I should have reacted differently. I was just too surprised."
"It is not your fault I misunderstood things." Dylan said upset. "I never should have assumed you were interested. It was just a stupid impulse."
"Did I do something that gave you the impression I liked you?" Wyatt asked with a frown.
"I don't know!" Dylan called out. "I am stressed, I am freaking out. You made me feel calm and safe. I jumped to conclusions. You were just being a friend and I took it for something different. You are probably not even attracted to guys. You're straight, right?"
"I…" Wyatt replied after a short pause and thought back to the kiss. "I am, at least I never even considered it. Well, there was this one guy at college, but it was just a drunk experiment. I guess I never questioned it, I always liked girls. What about you?"
"I've never been attracted to girls." Dylan admitted. "I have always known I was gay. I think I even had a crush on you back when we were thirteen."
"I'm sorry." Wyatt said.
"Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for." Dylan said with a sigh. "Let's just forget it ever happened, alright?"
Wyatt remained silent as he found himself hesitating. Although he always assumed he was just interested in girls, he could not deny the kiss had made him feel something. It had not felt wrong. He did not know what it meant, but he was not sure he could just forget it and pretend it never happened. He needed to think about this.
"Alright, we can forget it for now." Wyatt said reluctantly. "I think we're both stressed and tired. Maybe we should try to get some sleep."
"Okay. I could definitely use some sleep." Dylan replied with a relieved sigh. He then looked at the bed and seemed conflicted. "How do you want to do this? We only have the one bed."
"It's big enough." Wyatt replied as he studied the bed. "I don't mind, do you?"
"I guess not." Dylan replied.
As Dylan headed into the bathroom, Wyatt checked on the potion. He turned off the fire and let it stew so it would be ready in the morning. He sighed as he sat down the bed and took off his shoes. He felt so uncomfortable with the situation and really did not know what to do or say. When Dylan came back, Wyatt told him he was taking a shower and quickly headed into the bathroom.
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