She didn't even knock when she arrived. The doorknob hadn't even twisted, the door simply creaked open. The detectives peeked from the plastic window from the kitchen to find her standing there next to Klaus holding a heavy bag and a couple of books in her arm. Vector practically burst through the door when he saw them, the cut on his cheek still fresh from when Charmy had seemingly levitated a butcher's knife from the kitchen block and sent it flying in his direction just an hour before. He was frazzled and tired, and so he approached her with wide eyes.
"Winona, I'm so glad you're here. If you got here any later I might not have a head!" His nervous, unhinged laughter made her give him a look of concern. Espio caught up to him, looking equally as tired but not quite as crazed as his partner. "Aren't we so glad to see her, Es?" He smiled at the Chameleon like a clown, though the sadness in his eyes still glinted.
"He gets weird when he's tired, but never like this" Espio whispered to Winona, who dropped her bag onto the floor as she looked up at the wavering Crocodile.
"Vector," She asked, "When's the last time you slept?"
"Couple days, but don't worry 'bout me!" Vector nodded and gestured for the pair to enter, "Charmy's in the closet upstairs, we had to get him away from the knives. I think he's a witch now too, he can levitate n' make things fly-"
"This man has lost it." Klaus muttered under his breath, "Is it really a good idea to have him around while we perform an exorcism?"
"Klaus, you must try and be kind." Winona whispered, "He's fragile. The energy must be altering his state of mind, no doubt progressed significantly by his exhaustion." She then whispered to Espio, "I hope you don't mind, but we can't have him around while we do this- he's on the brink of insanity. Mortals aren't meant to be exposed to their energy for such a long time. If we can put him to sleep, he should be just fine in the morning."
"I'm not sure that we'll be able to keep him away." Espio confessed with his arms crossed as they both watched the Crocodile sway in the spot where he stood, the floorboards creaking beneath his giant body as he did so. "He's so worried about Charmy, he hasn't left his side since it started."
"Then I'll just have to do some convincing." She stated with a shrug of her shoulder. "Vector, why don't you come here for a second? I'd like to tell you something very important." The Crocodile swayed over to her with a big goofy smile that she couldn't help but smirk at. When he was just a foot away from her, Espio watched her curiously as she held both of Vector's hands. She spoke like a mother, rubbing her thumb over his scales. The Ninja couldn't help but find himself in some sort of trance as he looked at her. "You're so tired, love. Why don't you give in? Wouldn't it be so nice to just sleep?"
"I can't sleep." Said Vector, "I have to protect Charmy."
"And you've done such a good job- but everybody has their limits, Vector. You've far surpassed yours. It's time to sleep now, okay?" She seemed to coax him until he reluctantly agreed, looking back into the kitchen before nodding. "Good boy." She smiled, then got onto her tip-toes so that she was just inches away from his face. Then, she whispered something that Espio couldn't understand. An incantation in another language. She then blew softly onto his face until his eyes fluttered, and his head dropped. He then slumped onto her like a ragdoll and she yelped in surprise as she struggled to support his body with her own. Espio rushed to her side and grabbed his partner. "I-I didn't expect him to just fall like that- usually they walk themselves over to their beds-"
"Don't worry about it," Espio sighed, "This isn't the first time I've had to do this." As he carried Vector's limp body to the office door on the left side of the bar, he remembered the last time he'd had to carry his partner like this. They were drunk- it was actually the first time Espio had gotten drunk. He wasn't even technically of age yet, but Vector insisted after the Zombot Pandemic that he should indulge. Espio disapproved at first, but as the night progressed, he slowly changed his mind. It was probably the most fun he'd ever had in his entire life. Sure, he made humiliating decisions, and he might have made a fool of himself- but he wouldn't take it back for the world. While they were hungover the next morning, Charmy took delight in playfully tormenting them about everything they had said and done the night before. Ridiculous things that Espio would never ordinarily say or do, nor remembered doing in the first place. Espio hasn't sipped alcohol since, but he would if Vector suggested it again after this whole ordeal.
Winona entered the Chaotix's home, looking all around. She peeked her head over the bar curiously, then looked at him as he laid Vector on the reclining chair in their office. "You boys like your liquor?"
He wondered for a second if she'd read his mind, but then he remembered that it was quite odd to operate a detective agency and a bar under the same roof. She was joking, of course. But the coincidence of it all caught him off guard. He shook his head, "Not really. We only tend the bar on weekends when we need the money."
"I see. Well, let's not waste any more time." She said, checking a dainty little watch on her left wrist, exposing a little crescent moon tattoo on her forearm. "It's five minutes to three," She glanced at her demon partner, who seemed agitated, "Klaus, are you ready to begin?"
"Hmph. Let's get this over with. Where's the boy?" The demon growled, then sniffed the air and looked up to the ceiling. "Upstairs. I smell the intruder upstairs."
"Poor boy can't be in good shape if you can sense the demon seeping from his pores." Winona said sadly, "Espio, can you bring us to him?" Espio nodded and brought the two of them upstairs. They maintained a bit of distance from the Ninja and bickered at one another incoherently. Though this piqued his interest, his priorities were elsewhere, so Espio didn't take the time to listen to their conversation.
They entered the hallway to Charmy's bedroom, and Espio pushed open the door. He brought them inside and opened the closet where the Bee sat, tied to a chair with rope. Winona crouched and put a hand on Charmy's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. When he didn't respond, she lifted his head delicately with a finger under his chin. Then, she caressed his pale cheek and flinched suddenly as if she was hit with static shock.
"He's freezing cold," She looked up at Klaus with fearful eyes, "Should I-?"
The demon seemed to know what she was going to say before she even said it. "-Absolutely not! Princess, I forbid you-"
"He is on the edge of death, Klaus." She began to beg him while Espio stood by, confused and sick with worry for Charmy, who stirred under her touch. "Please, just a drop. I won't give him any more-"
"The second that demon gets a taste of you, Princess, your brother will hear of it. I forbid you to put yourself in that position-"
"Not if this demon is dead by the time we are done with it, Klaus!" She began to raise her voice, "I won't let this boy die because I chose not to make a sacrifice."
Espio couldn't even speak. He hardly even understood what was going on, but by the sound of it, Winona had a cure for Charmy's deathly state- and Klaus was persistently against it. He felt… disgusted. He felt enraged. But the Chameleon bit his tongue and glared at the demon from the corner. He accepted that the situation was out of his hands, and in theirs. He had to have hope that they'd fix Charmy, or else he might slip into the same insane despair that Vector did. Klaus must have sensed his hostility, because the demon flashed his eyes at him.
"Espio, do you think I could borrow one of your little knives?" The Princess asked him in a far too casual tone.
"My kunai?" He looked at Winona with skepticism, "Why? What for?"
She lifted her hand to offer him a caring touch on the shoulder, but he recoiled. "It's not for him, it's for me." She mustered a smile, "Trust me."
He had no other choice but to put his blind faith into her, so with reluctance, he handed her the kunai that he kept hidden in his glove. She took it, but instead of holding it by the handle, she grabbed it firmly by the blade. Her blood protruded between her fingers as she removed the kunai and sat it on the toppled dresser on the ground. She then hovered her bloody fist over Charmy's head, allowing a single drop to drip right into the boy's mouth.
The results were instantaneous. Charmy's grey skin flushed with color, and his purple lips turned a healthy pink. His breathing eased, and he was no longer wheezing. Winona let out a relieved sigh, then looked up to Klaus with that proud smile of hers. However, her partner only returned a cold glare of disapproval. Her smile faded away just like that, replaced by a look of embarrassment. Espio could do nothing but stutter in astonishment.
"How-?"
"Witch blood is a great treat for a demon." Said Klaus bitterly, giving Espio nothing more than a sideways glance. Winona began to arrange candles from her bag onto the ground in the shape of a circle. "It's rejuvenating, a miracle potion. It would have no effect on the boy if he weren't currently possessed. However, we now have several worries on our hands as a consequence."
From their exchange, Espio could tell that there was a thick tension between Winona and Klaus. There must have been an argument prior to their arrival- a disagreement that followed them all the way to the Chaotix's doorstep. The two kept looking at each other behind their backs as they aligned the candles and herbs in their circle. Espio simply observed from his spot in the corner since he couldn't do much else.
"In that case," Espio looked at Winona, hoping to rebuild what little confidence she had before her demon partner had broken it down, "I'm grateful for you." The bright smile reappeared on her face, but Klaus was sure to crush it again as soon as he heard Espio's praise.
"Don't offer us your gratuity yet, Chameleon. We still have an exorcism to do."
Espio got a bad taste in his mouth when her smile faded once more.
When their intricate circle was assembled, Winona exhaled and closed her eyes, lifting her hands over it. The circle began to glow red, and an aura appeared on the floorboards of Charmy's bedroom. As her eyelids lifted, she revealed a glowing, otherworldly light. The power that radiated from her was insane- something Espio had never felt before. He didn't understand what she was doing, but what he did know was that she was amazing. If she were in his Clan, she'd surely be considered enlightened.
Her glowing ceased when a gasp was heard from the Bee behind them. Charmy's head stirred and a cackling escaped his lips. He looked at them with eyes that weren't his, exposing his cheeks with a wide smile. He looked at Winona as if amused. "Aw, you've brought me a snack." The Bee licked his lips, "That was so yummy. Maybe this time I'll get more than just a taste? Oh-" He laid his eyes upon Klaus, "What's this? A Demon? Working alongside a Witch? That's almost unheard of… tell me, Brother- are you her familiar? Is that why she keeps you starved…? Or do the two of you have something more… intimate?"
Klaus lunged forward at the Bee but both Espio and Winona stopped him before he could act. It took the two of them to hold him in his place. Espio could tell just from the vibration that Klaus emitted that he meant to harm Charmy. He could see it in his eyes- intention that was nothing but evil.
"Klaus, stop- Klaus!" Winona embraced him, and as if pacified by her touch, he stopped resisting. "He's just a boy, Klaus. You know better than to fall for their manipulation. Perhaps you should go now, go back to the hotel- you're reacting exactly how it wants you to." Espio took a step back. Klaus was looking down at her, entranced, looking almost intoxicated. Meanwhile, she looked up at him with nervousness- maybe even a little fear. The ninja felt as though he was seeing something that he shouldn't have seen.
"Yes, Princess." Klaus slurred obediently before disappearing into a puff of smoke. Winona blinked, smiling up at Espio awkwardly in an effort to hide the trembling of her hands.
"Let's continue. I'll need him inside of the circle. It's half past three, we don't have much more time."
Espio helped her carry Charmy over to her circle. As they sat him down, the demon stuck out the Bee's neck in Winona's direction- smelling her. She made a look of disgust and backed away as the demon laughed, scratching the wood floor as Charmy's body shifted in his seat.
"What do we do now?" Espio asked, looking up to Winona as she adjusted her glasses.
"She's going to read rites from her cute little book." Said the demon with a snarl, it then contorted Charmy's face into a pout. "And she's going to be oh so disappointed when it doesn't work."
Winona ignored the demon and grabbed one of her books, smearing the blood in her hand all over its leather cover. Espio felt so useless as he watched her working around Charmy quickly, a glass bottle full of a dusty substance in her hand. She certainly didn't look confident at all, but as she pulled a familiar stone out of her bag- the energy of the room shifted completely. The demon eyed the object with curiosity as she held it. The book in her other hand began to levitate in front of her so that she could hold the stone to her chest.
"Wait!" Espio peeked over her shoulder, "If there's something I can do, please put me to work. Surely my talents can be of use to you, I refuse to just stand around."
She looked at him with consideration, then looked to Charmy, who smiled at her from his seat. The Ninja hated looking at his partner in such a state- he looked like a twisted perverted version of himself. It wasn't right. Charmy's light was no longer there. Espio wanted normalcy. He wanted it so bad that he'd do anything. Winona seemed to realize that, and so she nodded.
"I could use your energy, though after this is all said and done you might feel quite awful-"
"What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't willing to make a sacrifice?"
"Your courage is admirable, Espio." She said. He was never used to genuine compliments, since he was always told that they got to his head. So, he shook off her praise.
"Just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it without fail."
"Sit there," She pointed behind Charmy on the other side of the circle, "Do whatever you need to do to concentrate your energy into the circle."
He obeyed, and seated himself right behind Charmy's chair. He straightened his back and crossed his legs. If he was going to do this, he was going to make sure it was done right. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, focusing all of the thoughts that crossed his mind into the circle. Every single thought- the good- memories of Vector and Charmy shouting from the living room as they played their video games together while Espio sat frustrated in his bedroom, praying for peace and quiet. Most wouldn't consider that a fond memory, but after years with the Chaotix he learned to appreciate their noise. If Espio couldn't hear the loud voices of his friends, then there was something horribly wrong. The world was not balanced without their innocent chaos.
Winona began to read out loud from her book and popped the cork from the bottle in her hand, prompting the demon to hiss from the center of the circle. Espio felt power like he'd never felt before as he sat with his eyes closed, listening to her incantations. He decided then to focus his frustrations into the circle- his exhaustion, his desperation. He could have sworn he heard Charmy's voice again, and so he opened his eyes, hoping to see his friend sitting there- hoping to recognize the innocence in Charmy's eyes again. But instead, he was met with an incredible scene.
Winona was floating, her hand was hovering over Charmy's head. Her eyes were glowing again, that heavenly light enveloped her as she pulled something out of Charmy's esophagus as she raised her hand. She spoke the words from the book in front of her quickly, and Charmy was now convulsing in his chair as a black ooze was lifted from his throat. She clutched that stone in her hands until her knuckles turned white. There was a flash that came from her eyes, and just like that- the black ooze evaporated. Charmy's body fell limp in the chair, and Winona fell to the ground once the clock struck four.
It all ended so quickly. The energy in the room calmed so significantly that at first, Espio didn't trust the sudden peace. He couldn't accept that it was all over, he had to see it for himself. He stood slowly and peeked behind Charmy to see that Winona was out cold on the floor. The Ninja then cautiously made his way to the Bee, crouching in front of him and putting a hand on his shoulder. Espio no longer sensed that dreadful evil inside of his friend. He looked down at Winona, who stirred, but did not wake up.
The room was a mess. Perhaps it was a metaphor for something. He laughed to himself, wondering if the disorder of the room was a symbol for the dysfunction of their lives. His life that he fought so desperately to maintain the balance of, it had no meaning without chaos. Or maybe, he was just a tired Chameleon, looking for something to distract his mind from what was probably one of the most stressful weeks of his life.
He needed a moment of rest now that the nausea was settling in- Winona was right, he was beginning to feel quite awful. He leaned himself up against the closet door in Charmy's bedroom and closed his eyes just for a moment.
Under his breath, he muttered:
"Case closed."