Okay, it's been awhile, but I'm back.

Lab Rats Squad: Douglas' instincts have been wrong before, though...

Phoenix and Wheaton: I kinda tweaked your character a bit. Hope that's alright.

AzulaTano: I strongly believe that something is going on in that man's head that we're not seeing. O.o

Shades of X:. I really, really appreciate it. :)

Bree?

"Zara doesn't own Lab Rats or anything you recognize. If you don't recognize it, it's probably hers. Bree's new friend belongs to Phoenix and Wheaton."


"Son, the greatest trick the Devil pulled was convincing the world there was only one of him."

David Wong, John Dies at the End (John Dies at the End, #1)


"Perhaps you are making a cat's paw of me with Phillotson all this time. Upon my word it almost seems so-to see you sitting up there so prim."

Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure


Bree

When she could easily lift the sword with both hands and hold it a bit with one, the demon returned.

Bree had forgotten about him, since he disappeared after she saw him for the first time. Now, though, he was leaning against a pile of treasures, smiling at her. Chase growled a bit before wandering off to a different pile to continue polishing. Bree, however, was intrigued. She nodded a bit. "Hello."

The demon smiled, his teeth gleaming a bit. "Hello again. Are you ready to learn how to use that blade?"

Bree glanced at the lava pool Apollyon frequented. He might have been out at the moment, but that could change quickly.

"Don't worry about him," the demon said, casually waving her obvious concerns away. "He can't do a thing to us."

"He can't do a thing to you, maybe," Bree corrected.

"He wouldn't dare bother you," he responded. "Not while I'm here."

Bree still wasn't convinced. "He's probably on his way here," she noted. "He can read my mind."

"I took care of that problem," her companion said, impatience creeping into his voice. "He can't touch your mind now."

Bree was startled. She tilted her head a bit. "How?"

"I forgot how inquisitive humans are," the demon sighed. He was smiling slightly, though. "Always asking questions. If you must know, I pulled some strings."

Bree instantly wanted to know what strings he had pulled, and to whom they were attached, but she found herself looking at Chase instead.

Seeming to read her thoughts, the demon frowned. "No, no, my child. Polly has too strong of a hold on your brother. He is convinced that the voice of Apollyon is his own, and that he's acting of his own accord, even though he's not. There's nothing we can do for him." After a pause, the corner of the demon's mouth twitched slightly. "You know how gullible your brother can be."

"So that evil little voice in his head was Apollyon this whole time?" Bree asked slowly. "He just convinced Chase that it was his own thoughts?"

The demon nodded. "Polly is called The Father of Lies for a reason. He is very good at what he does."

"Then why could he ignore the voices on Earth?" Bree found herself asking.

"Because Apollyon isn't strong enough to exercise any control over him across the veil that separates these worlds. It depends on whether or not the person wants to listen to him there. Here, they would have no choice."

Bree furrowed her brow. "They?"

The demon sighed again at the question. "I'm starting to think you don't want to learn how to use the sword."

"I do," Bree said quickly. "But...well..."

"Yes, a few humans can hear the wicked chattering of Apollyon in their heads," the demon answered. "Even fewer listen. Something usually has to trigger the shift in their mental state to allow them to hear Polly." He pushed away from the treasure pile. "Now lift the sword. We don't have all night."

Bree wanted to press for more information on the subject, but her mentor was clearly finished. "Why bother? It's not like I can fight my way out of here and back home."

"You can," the demon said, smiling. "You just have to know how." He casually yanked a smaller sword from a treasure pile. "Now, remember to be careful with that. The blade can cut through anything."

Bree sighed, lifting it as high as her opponent's sword. Maybe this would prove useful at some point, but she couldn't see it doing much at the moment.

The demon lunged suddenly, the steel of his blade flashing towards her. Bree yelped as her sword suddenly went flying from her grip, her arm jarred painfully by the force of the blow. "What the hell?" she snapped, rubbing her hand.

The demon spread his arms wide. "Why didn't you stop me?"

Bree scowled, picking up the sword again. "You didn't exactly warn me."

He tilted his head, confusion written across his face. "You need an invitation to defend yourself?"

Bree ground her teeth, but sighed. "Fine. Let's try again." This time, she barely got the blade lifted before it was flying from her hand again, her arm burning.

Her mentor grinned playfully. "This is why I'm here. You need to learn how to use that."

Bree snorted, muttering. "I don't recall asking for your help."

"You didn't," the demon answered, "but a friend of your brother's did."

When he nodded at Chase's back, Bree frowned. The only real friend he had outside of the family was Sam. "How did she -"

"He," corrected the demon.

"He?" Bree rubbed her eyes, confused. After a moment of thinking over everybody it could possibly be, she looked up again. "He who?"

The demon waved casually. "You've never met him. He died before you were born."

Bree was more confused by this statement. "Chase is younger than me, though. How could he possibly know this guy?"

He grinned. "The thin veil on Samhain afforded Chase the opportunity you never had. Now, lift your sword. Oh, and stop thinking of me as a demon. I'm not."

Bree, both confused by the explanation and surprised by the statement that followed, had trouble finding words. He could hear her thoughts?

"Absolutely. Just because we can stop Apollyon from hearing you, doesn't mean that we can't." He gestured at the sword on the ground. "Come on, my child. Pick up your sword."

Bree picked up the sword. If he wasn't a demon, then what was he? "What should I call you, then?"

"I have many names in many different languages," he answered vaguely.

"What about in my language?" Bree asked, confused.

The man - creature? - grinned. "My name is unimportant. But, if you have to call me something, I suppose you can simply call me Mors."

Bree nodded. "Okay, then."

"Good." Mors then pointed at her. "Now, lift your sword, and let's try again."


"If you're reading this...Congratulations, you're alive. If that's not something to smile about, then I don't know what is."

Chad Sugg, Monsters Under Your Head


"It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars."

Richard Evans


Samantha

As it turned out, escaping to the surface was easier than she thought it would be. On their daily jogs through the sewers, all Sam had to do was fall to the back of the group, then slowly let them outrun her. Eventually, the group was out of sight, and Sam was able to climb through a manhole to freedom. Bonus prize: All the magic that was ringing in her ears since the Hunters found her faded, easing her headache significantly.

The hard part started there. All of the landmarks she remembered were gone. In fact, the whole of Mission Creek was gone. All that was left were ruins. It would be much, much harder to find the Davenport mansion now, much less any secret passage beneath it.

Sam wished Kevin had been just a bit more descriptive. It certainly would've helped.

With the knowledge that the Hunters would eventually notice her absence and come looking, she started making her way through the wasteland as best as she could. If the ruined streets made a turn that she thought was familiar, she followed it. If she could've sworn that the rubble looked like it came from a building she knew, she would let that guide her.

Unfortunately, many streets curved, and many buildings were made of similar material. Finally, Sam was forced to admit that she was hopelessly lost in her own hometown. How humiliating.

Sam sat on a sturdy chunk of concrete, sighing. This was a hopeless mission, anyways. She should've stayed with the Hunters. Even if, by some miracle, she found this secret lab in the rubble of her friend's home, there was no guarantee that Douglas was even there anymore. Then how would she find him? She couldn't search blindly forever!

In the midst of her hopelessness, Sam finally noticed that she could hear ringing again. A few craters had rung with remnants of the magic that was used to create them, but she had picked this particular spot because it was quiet.

Sam subconsciously drew out a small knife that the Hunters had given to those they rescued and looked around, bracing herself. A demon, no matter how awesome it might be, wasn't about to get her without a fight.

After a second, the ringing stopped. Sam narrowed her eyes. The demon was in its original form now. So be it.

The silence was broken again by gleeful laughter. "What do you plan on doing with that thing? Tickling me?"

Relief washed over Sam as she grinned and put her knife away. "Oly!"

The small imp climbed over a section of what was likely a roof, showing herself to Sam. "Of all the people I expected to survive," she said, "you were not one."

Sam picked Oly up, letting the gargoyle climb on her shoulder. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. What are you doing out here?"

Oly snorted, brushing dust off her wings as she explained. "Master wants me to find his boyfriend. I say he's dead, but nobody ever listens to me."

"He's not dead," Sam responded, wincing a bit. "But he's not doing that great. The Hunters have him, and they're planning on tracking Douglas down now."

Oly shrugged. "Not my problem. I was just told to find him, not rescue him."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Right. The point is that I need to find Douglas."

"He's in Los Angeles now," provided the little gargoyle. "The whole family evacuated a few days ago."

Sam nodded. "Then let's go."

Oly frowned as Sam started walking south. "Why? Master can take care of himself. Besides, it's nice here, and Los Angeles is so far away."

"It's not like you're putting in any effort," Sam pointed out. "You're riding on my shoulder."

As if accenting the point that Sam was basically her human steed, Oly stretched out casually across Sam's shoulders. "So?"

"So shut up," Sam answered, carefully navigating an unstable bit of debris. "Or I'll drop you down in the sewers with the Hunters just to spare me from your whining, princess."

Oly snorted a laugh. "Have I ever told you that I like you? Because I do."

Sam smiled. At least she had a friend to talk to, because she was in for a long walk.