I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: For Ginsteer over on A03 who saw more potential to continue from the prior word of the day ... not beta'd ...
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O
Word of the Day: Tenacious. 1. firm, tight, fast, clinging; strong, forceful, powerful, unshakable, immovable, iron. 2. a tenacious opponent: persevering, persistent, determined, dogged, strong-willed, tireless, indefatigable, resolute, patient, unflagging, staunch, steadfast, untiring, unwavering, unswerving, unshakable, unyielding, insistent; stubborn, intransigent, obstinate, obdurate, stiff-necked; rock-ribbed; pertinacious.
As the kahuna's chants picked up in their intensity, Steve knew her ultimatums weren't being heeded. Her face was flushed, her eyes hardly open as she threw everything she had at ... well, at whatever the hell it was hunkered down. Nothing was really working though. At least not in the way either of them had expected. He'd anticipated some kind of quiet little chat with incense or smudge sticks. An interlude of sorts that would quietly purge it from the depths of the bunker. Steve thought that just maybe the kahuna had too. For all he knew, Nana TashiʻAukai had expected a placid vacating of some benign spirit or another. Instead, she'd riled the damned thing up and was being met with malevolence. He could feel it. Hell, he could sure as hell smell it! And, with a glance towards the orange-jacketed Department of Public Works foreman, Steve could see that the man's original boastful pride was slowly unraveling as he edged back the way they'd come.
"That thing can't be real?" The foreman blurted out before gagging on the putrid smell. "What is it?"
Stunned by the sight himself, Steve watched as the inky shadow elongated within the mouth of the bunker's entrance. It was blacker than he'd remembered - thicker and heavier. Almost tangible now.
"Is that thing for real?" The foreman choked out again, now virtually hiding behind Steve.
"Yup," Steve said, nodding once without taking his eyes off the undulating shape. He'd half assumed nothing would happen. That just maybe he and Danny had experienced some kind of weird anomaly or even over-dramatized things. He'd never assumed it would literally appear without so much as a pause. It was as if the damned thing had been waiting for them; then again maybe it had sensed what was coming when the Kahuna had begun the ho`oma`ema`e `ana ritual.
Steve glanced towards the woman. She refused to back down. She seemed to barely register the malodor. She was committed to the cause to cleanse the grounds before the DPW gated the land off from trespassers and he was duly impressed. Eyes widening, Steve inhaled sharply as it suddenly swooped down to daringly flit around the Kahuna's body.
"Holy shit ... that thing is as mad as hell," the foreman muttered and Steve nodded again. He felt it too. Its anger even resonated within his own head and startled by its evilness, Steve suddenly blinked: it knew him. He began to doubt this plan he'd contrived as the shape nearly obliterated the slight form of the kahuna. He'd no right to ask her to go this far. He'd thought he'd done the right thing by engaging her help. Now though? They all seemed to be in way over their heads and Steve began to sketch out a hasty plan to scrub this particular mission.
Their best bet was to cordon off the whole damned site and get the hell out. Let it stay right where it was!
Nonetheless, Nana TashiʻAukai held her ground fiercely battling it back as it circled her once and then twice. He only knew she battled on by the sound of her voice which never failed in its purpose. Stubborn to the hilt, Steve was still surprised when she seemed to win this initial standoff. But then Steve wondered if she'd really won or if its attention was merely diverted: to him.
It was Steve's turn to take an accidental step backwards as a question was posed to him. A question that only he could hear.
Where is he?
The words were purred inside his head with a false, child-like falsetto quality. Sounding so innocent, its intensity conversely brought Steve down to a knee as if he'd been punched between the eyes. He gasped out loud as a vise settled around his temples, squeezing harder and harder. A pulse beat pounded relentlessly between his ears and the voice increased in volume.
Where? Where! Is he here? Is he?
It mocked him inside his mind's eye. This thing without shape or substance. Outside of himself, Steve sensed TashiʻAukai moving around him and with a start, Steve knew it had released her to move on to him. This was good. As he held its attention, Steve felt the change happening. The thing wasn't as strong. He felt it loosen ... just a bit ... and he smiled back triumphantly. It was definitely weakening; losing its power.
Where?
It was still strong enough though as it pressed him again and Steve began to gag anew on its putrid stench. Something skittered like cold fingers across his brain and he fell all the way to his hands and knees.
I'll have you ...both.
Head hanging low, Steve wavered there, rocking back and forth. He stayed there even as the foreman dashed away leaving TashiʻAukai to bravely joined him on the ground still shouting out native words Steve didn't understand. It budged again and lost its hold even more and yet, Steve was incapable of communicating that to TashiʻAukai. But she must have also sensed it because she refused to stop. For a few blessed moments, Steve felt it blink out and he breathed in, the things' touch completely gone.
"We'll bury you before that happens," Steve hissed out between his clenched teeth as a tendril of evil eked back in. He glanced up, meeting TashiʻAukai's dark brown eyes. She was amazingly calm and just as tenacious as ever. She offered him a smile through her litany of prayers and offerings. "Keep going ... don't stop ... it's working," he added for the Kahuna's sake because, even if it was resisting, her incantations were indeed working.
"Almost," she said breathlessly. "But ... it's ... strong ..." Her voice cut off and she winced as it came slithering back and Steve grimaced as well when it spoke to him. Weaker, yes, but as equally tenacious as the Kahuna.
He's here ... yesssssssss?
Steve thought about Danny then, imagined him up by the car with Lou Grover where he'd insisted that Danny remain until the ritual ended and the fence installation completed. Shit ... he tried to void the thoughts from his mind and failed. Fingers wrapped around his temple, inside and out, and Steve scrubbed lamely at the painful spot.
Danny was up top. Waiting for him and before Steve could cordon off that thought, its broken purr became a pleased sigh and its intrigued whisper cut him loose. TashiʻAukai sounded pleased but Steve was petrified as he tried to shake the eerie feelings away and get to his feet. He heard an almost distant whisper again just as he was forcing himself back up to his feet, his hand on TashiʻAukai shoulder to drag her along with him back to the small dusty area where their cars were parked.
Ah. There ...there ... he is!
It was pleased - triumphant even - and Steve knew before he looked up. In horror, Steve looked up the path to see his partner already halfway down the trail. Danny's jog was light but determined, his gun drawn. Between them, the shadow lurked ominously and Steve heard it whisper its delight.
"No, no, no, no, no! Danny get back! What are you doing! Get the hell out of here!" Steve shouted as he dragged TashiʻAukai along with him. "Get out ... stay back!"
~ to be continued ~