A/N: I realize that I always start off with an apology for being delayed in updating, but this is seriously inexcusable. I am truly sorry to keep you guys waiting for about a month for a single update! Really, I write only because it brings me joy, and it seems to make you guys happy as well, and to disappoint you guys is something that obviously I wouldn't want to do. I hope this apology doesn't sound pretentious, I am honestly sorry for the wait.

As always, thank you for reading my story! Great thanks to those who leave comments every chapter. This one's for you, GreenPhoenix3, annabellex2, QurikySmile, Readplz, and my 'random' reviewer! Your comments always elevate me to another level. :D

Special shoutout to Science-Fantasy93 who I've mentioned before. She is truly an amazing writer who I feel definitely adds to the heart of the Jatie fandom. Her work is amazing, and if you haven't yet (which seems unlikely), definitely check her out!

[Science-Fantasy93]: I love that you take your time to write such a descriptive review for every chapter! Honestly, the attention that you give my story makes me crazy happy! Thanks! :D

Also, thanks to those you gave me a birthday shoutout! XO

Disclaimer: BTR is still not mine.

"Katie, you are brilliant!" Logan greeted her as she stepped into the meeting room back at headquarters.

"Why, thank you," she replied, bowing slightly in jest.

"We now have complete visual of the lair. I can create a diagram and send it to your phones almost immediately. Not only do we have the ground layout, but this also gives us a good estimate of the demons we'll have to take down. I've already listed a few in the database, the rest should be be up shortly. You just made this whole operation a whole lot easier." Logan said eagerly, showing the unit his scans of the demons on the large screen in the room.

James sat down in his seat. "Have you pinpointed Gabriel and Damien?"

Logan shook his head, frowning as he scrolled through the hit list. "No, it doesn't look like the micro bug caught any sight of them."

"I didn't think that they would make this easy for us. They probably have informants telling them what we've been up to," James said in his usual monotonous voice.

"We'll be able to get them though, right?" Lucy asked, looking at the others on the team.

Kendall twisted his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. "Damien and Gabriel aren't your average demons. These guys have been around forever. They only disappeared when Gustavo's unit managed to chase them away from L.A. for a little while. It was only a matter of time when they would return. I guess they picked now."

"What kind of demons are they?" Katie asked, looking between her brother and her partner.

"Damien is a Pilonder. Basically, a demon with a titanium shell and venomous saliva. You have to make sure that he never gets near you or else you're a goner. His physical construct makes our job next to impossible because, as far as we know, the only possible weak points on his body are his eyes and the tip of his tail and he always keeps it moving," Carlos informed the group.

"And Gabriel?" Katie continued to ask.

The guys looked at one another. "We're not sure." Logan finally answered. "As far as we know, he's the only one of his kind. There hasn't been enough information on him to identify what kind of demon he is. Or how to destroy him." He added gravely. "It's why we can only chase him out of town and not get rid of him outright."

"Well, shit." Lucy remarked after hearing Logan's description.

"We're stronger this time though." Jo stated. "We have better technology and more members on the unit. There's a chance that we can get rid of him without having to know what he is."

Everyone in the room looked at her skeptically.

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to think positively!" She cried.

"Carlos, Lucy, Katie − I want you guys warm up your crafts. We can't just rely on our guns for this hunt. Logan, I want you to take Cam on this one. She'll stay in the van and monitor you guys. We'll need you in the field tonight." Gustavo ordered, looking around the meeting room. "Cam's already sent up the earpieces and infrared lens so that you guys will be able to tell which ones are demons, as well as some spiffy double loaded mags. You'll be able to shoot more without worrying about reloading. I swear, that girl is making your jobs much easier than it was in my day." Gustavo said, giving a rare praise. He returned to his stern expression. "I want this all done tonight. No messes and definitely no injuries. Knight...Kendall, damn it, I keep forgetting there's two of you now, make sure that there are no stupid mistakes."

"What?" Kendall said, throwing his arms up. "I'm a very capable hunter."

"Sure, if you don't count the amount of times you've been bailed out by Carlos," Jo uttered under her breath but still allowing the whole room to hear.

"Har, har."

"Alright, I want the load of you to properly get into gear and be ready to head out in 30. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." The unit chorused. Gustavo gave a grim nod and beckoned Kelly to follow him out of the room.

"Good luck, guys." Kelly cried out before dashing after the manager.

"Alright. Suit up, we've got some fucking demons to kill," James said, staring at his team.

*buzz*

"Wow, Cam. These contact lenses are amazing. I can't believe that you designed them so that they are infrared enhanced. When Gustavo said lens, I thought he meant those heavy duty goggles that they wear in films."

*buzz*

"Aw, thanks, Katie. Yeah, it took a lot of work, but I finally managed to incorporate that technology into the lens. It makes it much easier for you guys to hunt around. And the neat thing about them is that you can easily turn them on and off by blinking three times rapidly. If you think that's impressive, you should see what I've done with Lucy's suit so she can pass electricity through her hands."

*buzz*

"Will you girls fucking shut up? This is a mission. Not some sort of gossip radio!" Carlos cried out. "I'm losing my focus."

*buzz*

"Everyone in position?" James' voice rang through the system, ignoring the bantering of the unit.

Everyone responded affirmatively.

*buzz*

"Remember, take down on sight. We can't allow any escapers. Kendall, Carlos, you guys get the Sciv and the Bartuga. Lucy, Jo, the Alcane and Gurtrund. Logan, you and I will get the remaining demons." James reminded them.

*buzz*

"Will you stop acting like I'm invisible! Include me in the tactics, asshole." Katie's angry voice buzzed through.

*buzz*

"Just get all the fucking Spitsers and Turfas, girl!" James answered, allowing the unit to catch a rare glimpse of him losing his cool.

*buzz*

"Thank you! If you just included me in the first place, I wouldn't have to get on your nerves!" Katie retorted, unaware that she was seeing a side of James that some of the others hadn't ever witnessed before.

Someone whistled audibly over the system, cluing James in that he had lost his focus.

*buzz*

"Carlos, Kendall, and Logan, storm the backdoor in five. Lucy, Jo, and I will take front door. Katie, you do the perimeter. Those guys will make a run for it immediately instead of fighting. Cam will have your back with the truck."

They all waited for Katie to make a snarky remark.

*buzz*

"He included me this time. That's all I wanted." She finally broke the silence. "So when do we actually do this?"

*buzz*

"The second that Cam shuts down the power in the place. It'll disarm the demons for a few seconds, but they'll still be able to see us. Those bastards and their demon eyes." Jo answered.

*buzz*

"Shutting down in ten, nine, eight..." Cam started counting.

*buzz*

"Fuck, my blood is pumping!" Carlos cried out in excitement.

*buzz*

"Katie, be careful." Kendall cautioned.

*buzz*

"You too, big brother."

*buzz*

"...two, one!"

The unit saw the lights in the building go out and quickly charged at the entrances. Seeing no humans in the mat, they made their way to the lair entrance, making sure to shoot down the demon behind that cash register and a couple demons standing by the machines. Kendall kicked down the door and gestured for the unit to head down before he followed. Katie stood guard at the top of the stairs, waiting for any weaker demons making a run.

James led the unit, gun in position. The rotting smell of decay suddenly filled his nostrils. He spotted a large lurking figure standing twenty feet in front of him. Looking at the outline of the creature, he knew exactly which one it was.

*buzz*

"Bartuga, 12 o'clock."

Carlos and Kendall ran ahead of him and took aim at the demon. Carlos raised his hand and brought down metal pipes around their target, trapping it instantaneously.

Kendall quickly shot multiple rounds at the Bartuga, aiming at the demon's head.

"You think you can just come in here and start destroying us? Amateurs." A wooden beam knocked Logan and Lucy to the ground.

Jo took stance and quickly aimed her gun in the direction the beam came from. A blur of blue zigzagged in front of her, before appearing right before her and thrusting her against the wall. Jo let out a groan before collapsing.

Lucy stood up and quickly shot out her hand to touch the blur. The creature froze and screamed under the electrical current passing through Lucy's fingers.

Jo got to her feet and shot at the frozen demon.

Meanwhile, James had snaked his way into the depths of the lair trying to trace anymore blue figures. He shot at a passing blue light in the distance that quickly went down.

*buzz*

"Fuck, James, where did you go?" Logan groaned into the earpiece. The wooden beam had knocked him out cold for a couple of minutes.

*buzz*

"Head northeast 29 paces." James responded, still keeping his gun up.

The unit heard Carlos cry out in victory over the system.

*buzz*

"Bartuga and Sciv are down, baby!"

"Looking for me, sweetheart?" A fireball came hurling at James' head. He moved to the side just in the nick of time. He pointed his gun again and shot at where the fireball came from.

*buzz*

"There's a Rocrot down here. Watch out." James warned the unit. A Rocrot was a demon who was able to turn itself invisible and undetectable by infrared technology. Having the ability to shoot fireballs from a distance made it one of the riskier types of demons the hunters had to face.

"James!" Logan appeared at James' side. "A Rocrot? We need to smoke the room." Setting off balls of smoke was one technique of catching a Rocrot; the movement of the Rocrot caught in the smoke and hunters were able to see it's path.

"We can't now. We still don't know what other demons are down here. The smoke will only increase the chance of escape." James replied with great reasoning.

Logan suddenly grabbed at his head, shutting his eyes. Within a few seconds he opened them wide. "Jo, get down, now! Now!" He screamed into his earpiece.

After hearing Logan's warning, Jo quickly ducked. A fireball missed her head by an inch coming from behind her.

Lucy gasped and shot in the direction behind her partner. A grunt was heard in the dark, but nothing more. She ran towards Jo to check on her.

"I'm alright. Did you get the Rocrot?" Jo asked, spinning around, hoping to see the demon. She placed a hand on her head where it knocked against the wall earlier.

Lucy shook her head. "It got away, but I think I hit it."

*buzz*

"I'll turn on the bullet tracker to see where it's going," Cam said from the truck. A short moment elapsed before Cam was heard again. "Got it. It's...it's upstairs!"

All members of the unit simultaneously cried out, "Katie!"

No answer came from the newest recruit.

*buzz*

"Cam, why can't we hear her?" Kendall's frantic voice passed through the system.

*buzz*

"I'm not sure. I can't seem to get any reading on her. Every form of communication is down. What the hell is going on?" Cam responded in frustration. She tapped into various systems to regain connection with Katie.

*buzz*

"I have to get to her!" Kendall screamed.

*buzz*

"No. Kendall, you stay down here and help the others round up the demons. I'm closer to the exit and her partner. I'll go." James ordered swiftly, running to the stairs.

As the unit disappeared from her sights, Katie kept a close eye on the exit. Just as James had predicted, a couple of Spitsers headed immediately up the stairs, sneaking past the unit.

"And just where do you think you guys are going?" Katie asked in amusement. The Spitsers, in their true forms hissed at her and tried to pounce on her. Luckily, they were still a distance away, and Katie was able to shoot them in the heart, killing them instantaneously. With the force of the bullets, the demons hit the shelf holding the laundry detergent, causing a fine mist of powder to raise into the air.

Looking at their dropped bodies on the ground, Katie coughed, waving her hands to clear the air. "Well, I can't leave you here. You'd be a safety hazard when the other guys return." She held her breath and moved to shift their bodies away from the lair entrance. Standing up and brushing her hands, she called into the intercom to see what the others were up to.

"I totally just kicked two Spitsers' asses!" Katie proclaimed, smiling to herself. The grin dropped when no one answered her. "Hello?" It was then she realized that she couldn't even hear the slight buzz that filled her ear when the earpiece was on. "Can anyone hear me?" She moved around to see if the earpiece would reconnect with the system. "Shit."

Just as Katie headed towards the backdoor to see if she could get some connection, she felt a cold burst of wind coming from behind her. She turned around only to see a shadowy figure coated in the laundry powder appear in front of her. It slowly approached her. Katie raised her gun. Katie could see a fanged grin in the shadow's face. It threw a fireball at Katie before charging at her, causing Katie to press herself against the wall. The shadow moved past her and headed out the door. "Holy shit!" Katie cried, chasing after it.

Finding herself in the back alley, Katie turned in circles with her gun raised, trying to spot the demon. She glanced down at her feet for a second when she saw a faint trail of green blood. She pulled her gun close to her and followed the trail. When she saw that the trail ended, she pointed her gun out.

"Think you can kill me with one of your measly weapons? One of your friends already took a shot and it was like nothing." A voice whispered behind her. Katie turned around quickly, only to have her gun knocked out her hands. The demon suddenly visualized in front of her.

Its distinct fanged grin and purple stripes on its greenish yellow face and smoking nostrils allowed Katie to identify the demon as a Rocrot.

"Oops, looks like you lost your little toy. I think I'm going to kill you without using any of my powers. It'll be satisfying to sink my teeth into that delicious flesh of yours." It ran a forked tongue across its fangs.

"Really? Because, I think I preferred it when I couldn't see you hideous face!" Katie responded out of habit.

The Rocrot froze before narrowing its eyes. "Why you insolent little brat. I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"Not today." A man's voice called out from behind it.

"What?" The demon turned around too late, a tirade of bullets hit the Rocrot, causing its form to disappear.

James stood looking at Katie with his Q-Gun pointed. He dropped his arm. "What's wrong with your earpiece?" He questioned the girl, as if she knew why her gear wasn't functioning properly.

Katie frowned, all thoughts of thanking her partner leaving her. "I don't know. It's not really my department is it?"

James frowned again before talking into his earpiece. "Found her, and the Rocrot. She's safe." He pointedly looked at Katie.

Just as Katie was about to shout so that the others can hear her, she saw a fireball hurling at James' head. She raised her hand and shot out a blast of cold air, ultimately freezing the flaming ball.

James, seeing the expression on Katie's face, turned around and shot into the air. The Rocrot reappeared again as the bullet passed through its neck. It choked for a few seconds in the air before falling to the ground, finally dying. A puddle of green blood started to spread underneath the demon carcass.

James looked over at Katie who was breathing heavily, eyes wide. "You must have done something to your earpiece. You almost fucked up the whole operation." He pointed his hand holding the gun to the Rocrot. "People could have died."

Hearing that last comment sparked something in Katie's eyes. "Excuse me? I just saved your life not five minutes ago, and somehow you manage to blame me for its escape? If you weren't the incompetent one who didn't stop it down in the lair, it wouldn't have been able to leave the building now, would it? So if you want to play the blame game, I suggest looking in the mirror."

James stepped closer to her, leaning down so that his face was merely a few centimetres away from hers. "I've had enough of your talkback, girl. Don't think that I'm going to go easy on you just because you're Kendall's sister or the fact that you just stepped out of training. I am your senior, and you best remember it," he snarled.

Unlike most people James had threatened in his life, the tiny brunette in front of him refused to cower. She maintained her stance, keeping her eyes narrowed. James could feel her angry breath pass through her lips.

James stepped back. "Don't let it happen, again."

*buzz*

"I'm coming back down." James said into his ear piece.

*buzz*

"Don't bother. It's all done. We've cleaned the lair." Logan responded immediately, despite hearing James' verbal spar with his new partner. "We're coming up, now."

James looked at Katie, who was still standing tall. "Come on." Katie went to grab her misplaced gun before the couple walked back into the mat in tense silence.

When Kendall spotted his sister, he ran towards her and pulled her into a bear hug. "Katie. Thank god, you're okay. I thought...I thought..." he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

"I'm okay, Kendall. Nothing happened to me. See? All in one piece!" Katie reassured her older brother. She frowned as she lifted a hand to a gash running across Kendall's forehead.

"Just a scratch, nothing to it," Kendall waved off his sister's worry.

"Update the count," James demanded of the unit, ruining the interaction between the siblings.

"We counted 11 bodies down there. Fourteen, if you include the Rocrot and the two Spitsers." Carlos answered James. "Here's a list of the demons." He handed over a miniature tablet to the unit captain.

James' expression remained grim. "There's no account of Damien or Gabriel on here." He looked sharply at the unit.

Jo spoke up, hesitantly. "We found an escape route when we searched the floor. Turns out they built an underground tunnel and barricaded it when they left. We couldn't follow their lead. Logan's in the van, trying to see if he can scan the lair electronically so that we can see where the tunnel leads to."

"There was also a number of human remains," Lucy added gravely. "Fifteen total. No IDs yet. Looks like the demons nested here for a while longer than we thought."

James didn't respond to the unit's failure. "Did someone contact JEN for clean up?"

"Yeah, they should be here soo−"

"Meet back at headquarters tomorrow morning at eight. We'll debrief then," James said, interrupting Lucy who was nursing her shoulder. "Kendall, Jo, stay behind; you're on clean-up duty."

"Yes, sir." The team chorused, watching James retreat from the scene. They knew him well enough that he wasn't satisfied with their performance tonight. They also knew him well enough to know that he needed to be alone in order to cool down.

A/N: To be honest, I'm not completely satisfied with how I wrote out the hunt, but I hope you guys liked it!

Also, I'm really going to try to update this story and HC as often as possible, but I've literally had no time to sit out and plan chapters much less write anything. I've actually taken to writing notes (and bits of story that I have no idea where it'll fit, but it's going in) on my phone whenever inspiration hits. My writing is always at the back of my mind, but obviously real life takes precedence. I did actually want to update HC as well, but I haven't had the time to edit the chapter, and I figured at least one story should be updated. I will do my best to get a new chapter of HC to you by next week!

Let me know what you think! Reviews are my cookies!

Love,

D

P.S. As much as I love Lucy, I have this feeling that they're going to pair her with James this season (I think I remember someone saying that there will be unexpected relationships). While it'll be great to see James finally get a girl, my poor Jatie heart just can't take it.