I will do some thinking on how to rewrite it, then, should I decide to. Thank you.

I don't own Lab Rats or anything you recognize. If you don't recognize it, it's probably mine.


"All warfare is based on deception."

Sun Tzu, The Art of War


Samantha

"Look alive, human. There's a group up ahead."

Sam slowed down, squinting into the distance. She couldn't see anybody at all. She turned her head to look up at Oly, who was standing tall on her aching shoulders. Maybe it was a group of people who could help her get to Los Angeles. She sure hoped so. She was starving. She hadn't eaten anything since she left the Hunters behind in the sewers of Mission Creek. She should have planned better, but she didn't think she could have slipped supplies out without drawing attention to herself. Either way, it was too late to turn back now. "Who?"

The gargoyle cocked her head and crouched on her shoulders again, her tail draping over the other side of Sam's neck. "I can't tell yet, but they're heading this way. There's maybe five of them?" She shrugged, settling her wings on her back. "They're too far away right now."

"You're telling me." Sam still couldn't see anything, but Oly's eyes were better than hers. Most demons' eyes were. She stopped in the ditch, looking around her. She didn't want to run into a group until she knew who they were and why they were heading towards Mission Creek instead of running away. The highway was to her left, way too open for her to hide. There wasn't anything but open fields to her right for a while still, but she could see the beginnings of shrubs, trees, or some kind of growth ahead. She could hide in there pretty well.

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Sam started walking again. Oly lowered herself further to lay across Sam's shoulders so she could balance better. At least spread out, her weight was easier for Sam to bear. She blew a breath out as Oly raised her nose up, smelling the air. Sam didn't think the imp would catch any scents; the wind was blowing the wrong way. "They're probably just military guys or something," Oly speculated.

"They aren't enough of them for that, genius," Sam said. Five was a small number of people for the military to send into Mission Creek.

Oly snapped her beak in protest. "Maybe it's a few tourists, then. Who cares?"

Sam blew some strands of hair out of her face. The only tourists who would be heading to Mission Creek would be people she didn't want to deal with. "Just keep an eye on them for me. I don't want to run into a bunch of looters." There was no telling how they would react to a lone teenager. She didn't want to find out. She kept her eyes on her decided hiding spot ahead. She could wait for them to pass, then keep pushing towards the safety of the big city. Maybe her parents would be there. Nobody had actually seen them die. All she had seen was her home burning down and a bunch of demons. There was a slim chance that they survived - a slightly better chance that at least one of them had - but that was a chance she wanted to hang on to.

It was odd. She hadn't had time to think about it down in those sewers. There was always something to do, things to keep her busy until she just dropped into her bed from exhaustion. Now that she had the free time to let her mind wander, she found herself clinging to a hope she wanted to pan out. People had escaped. At least some of the Davenports had escaped, according to Oly. She wouldn't be here if Douglas wasn't alive somewhere. She hoped Chase was still alive, too. The next best thing to finding her parents would be to find her best friend. She just wanted to find somebody she knew. Once she did that, she could figure out where to go from there.

Sam saw what looked like it might be the group of people Oly was talking about after a while. Smudges on the horizon, all on foot. Oly was smelling the air again, squinting. "Six people," she reported. She stood up on Sam's shoulder again, her hands resting on the top of Sam's head as she leaned forward.

Sam stopped again, standing in the tall grass that heralded the beginning of her hiding spot. "Hurry up," she groused. She was looking forward to sitting for a while in the grass and shrubs she had stumbled on. It would be a nice break.

Oly didn't break her stance. "Shut up, human. I'm focusing."

Sam rolled her eyes and shifted her weight back on one heel. She didn't know what Oly was trying to see in this group of people. She just hoped they hadn't noticed her yet. At any rate, her silhouette would be thrown off by Oly. She let her eyes wander over the growth in front of her. The sooner she found a spot to crawl into, the sooner she could get out of the way of these people. That bush had some space near it that looked promising, but she didn't know how hidden it would be until she shoved her way into it.

Oly suddenly leapt off her shoulders, landing on the ground with a thump. She pointed at the group, hopping up and down. "It's Master!"

Sam rolled her shoulders, relieved that the imp's weight was gone. She squinted again, frowning. She still couldn't make out any details. "Douglas?" Why would Douglas be coming back to Mission Creek? She looked down at Oly. "Is it the Davenports?"

Oly shook her head, snapping her beak again. "Just Tasha and Master. I don't recognize the others." She sat back on her haunches, her wings spreading out for a second. "They're tied up. I think they're prisoners." She crossed her arms now, sitting fully even as Sam's stomach dropped. "How is Master supposed to Dismiss me if he's tied up?"

"He wouldn't Dismiss you, anyways." Sam bent down, scooping Oly up and moving to her chosen hiding spot. She crouched down, shoving her way through grass and branches with wide eyes. "Listen: James said he was going for Douglas when Kevin wouldn't talk. I'm betting those other guys are Hunters."

Oly's yellow eyes widened. "I don't want to deal with that." She held onto Sam's arm, her tail wrapping around Sam's waist. "Do you know how much silver they probably have on them?"

"A ton." Sam knew all too well how much silver a single Hunter could carry. She had a silver knife, herself. She sat down fully, surrounded by a tight curtain of brush. This was as hidden as she was going to get on short notice. "We have to help them."

"Why?" Oly stepped off of Sam's arms to sit in her lap, looking Sam in the eye. "This is Master's problem, not mine. I'm not losing my wings for this."

Sam let out a huff of a sigh. She had almost forgotten for a second there that Oly was a demon. "Look, I've been with these guys since the demons took over. I know who most of them are." She shifted her position. Oly was perched in such a way that her leg was starting to fall asleep. "If we can get close enough to see who they are, I can tell you how each one ticks...maybe."

Oly crossed her arms. "Oh, yeah, you can maybe do it. That makes me feel better." She pointed at herself, snarling. "I'm an imp. I'm going to be their first target if we get close to them. I don't want to be a trophy!"

Sam opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. Oly was right. If they saw a demon, they would shoot first and ask questions later. It wouldn't surprise her if James was out there with a couple of people who could see planes. Depending on how many they could see, Oly might not be able to disguise herself at all.

But what if...

A slow smile spread across Sam's face. "But what if you're already dead?"

Oly scowled at her. She turned a circle, hopping off of Sam's lap to stand in the grass around them before she faced Sam again, her fists resting on her hips. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"


"...The ball drops. Start ticking to a new clock. Get back up and take another shot. Oh, pour the hard liquor and get up. Get up!..."

Nothing More, "Don't Stop"


Bree

"Chasey, come on, it's me. You wouldn't-"

Bree had to dive to the side to avoid another bolt of energy. She hit the ground rolling, tucking the sword in and popping back up on her feet as soon as she got them under her again. She blew a breath out, lifting the sword up to point at Chase. He was the very image of pissed. His ears were laid back, his tail lashed constantly. His wings were out to the side in some kind of effort to make himself seem bigger. Bree held up her free hand towards him, letting the tip of the sword dip. "Chase, you don't want to do this. It's not you."

Chase pulled in a deep breath, standing up slightly before he released it in an inhuman roar. Okay, so he didn't want to talk just then.

Bree took a few steps back. She didn't know what to expect here. She could talk him out of Apollyon's control, but only for seconds at a time. Would it work now that Apollyon was fully focused on him now, or was she about to find out what it was like to fight a bionic djinni? She could handle Chase, but Îngrijirea Vânătoare? She didn't know how he would fight if he was leaning this hard into his demonic side.

It would be awesome to have her bionics right about now.

Apollyon's many heads poked back into the cavern as Bree and Chase stared each other down. His claws scraped the stone floor, a reminder of just how large he really was. She spared the demon a couple of glances. She didn't want to get too close to him. She had a feeling that all of the heads agreed that it would be more amusing to watch the siblings fight to the death, but she didn't want to test that out. "Chase-"

Chase raised glowing hands again, snarling. "Nothing in here belongs to you. It's mine, all mine!" He pointed at her. "Every jewel, every crown, every tapestry, every sword, every demon, your brother, even you!"

It was so much easier to tell that this wasn't Chase when Apollyon didn't make an effort to sound like her brother.

She kept the sword blade trained on Chase, stepping to the side. Chase mirrored her, following her around in a circle. He crouched into a defensive position, his fingers flexing. Okay, she'd seen Spike do that before. Maybe this would be similar? "Chase, come on. I know you're in there." She fought to keep her voice as calm as possible, despite everything. "I know you don't want to kill me."

Chase shook his head, his tail lashing as he shot a couple of energy bolts at her again.

Bree leapt to the side, avoiding one bolt. The other grazed her arm, burning away some of her shirt sleeve in the process. Bree couldn't stop a shriek from escaping her as the pain erupted. It felt like someone used a branding iron to cut into her. She didn't even feel blood running down her skin. It was almost like the bolt was ethereal flame of some kind.

"You're nothing but a toy!" Chase's fingers were starting to glow again. "I can break my toys whenever I feel like it!" He took a step forward, his jaw tightening.

He then took a step back, his hands starting to shake.

Bree ground her teeth, breathing hard. She hoped that meant Chase was fighting back. "Chasey, please."

Chase was frozen on the spot. His entire body started to tremble, his breathing accelerating. His eyes shifted from clear to dazed a few times in the span of a second.

Bree shifted her stance so her injured shoulder was towards him. Maybe seeing what he did would help him, even if she found any movement excruciating. The injury started to radiate pain beyond its boundaries, spreading through her body at an alarming rate. It felt like she was burning from the inside out.

She had seen Krane take a hit like this, though. He survived. So could she...assuming his bionics hadn't been what saved him. It sure felt like she was about to die, and he had only hit her arm. How demons could take a hit like that and walk it off, she couldn't begin to understand. She forced herself to breathe deeply, in through her nose, out through her mouth. It wasn't hard to use her pulse to judge how long to hold out the action; she could feel her heart pounding in her arm. Breathe in for two beats, hold the breath for four, breathe out for two, repeat. It kept her panic at bay, at the very least. Panic was what she couldn't do.

Bree raised the sword again, keeping the cry she wanted to let out to a whimper. She managed to speak through gritted teeth, biting down a flare of nausea. "Chase, if you don't stop, you're going to kill me, and you know it."

That seemed to get somewhere. He took another step back, his eyes widening. He stood out of the crouch, flexing his fingers. "Bree..."

He ducked his head, shaking it hard. Out of the corner of her eye, Bree saw one of Apollyon's heads shaking, too. Could it be that this was the one that had Chase right then? Would it matter? She couldn't do anything about it. It was a miracle she was still standing, if she was honest with herself. Her legs wanted to give out on her.

Chase's head snapped back up, his expression hard again. Her few seconds were gone. She blew out another shaky breath. "Chase, you can do this."

He raised his hands, but hesitated again. Apollyon snarled something she didn't understand, shaking the cavern around them. A tense second passed, Bree watching Chase with her sword raised as she tried to keep her ragged breathing in check, and Chase standing with his hands raised high, staring her down.

Bree swallowed hard. She just hoped her watering eyes tugged at his heartstrings. "Chase, that voice in your head isn't you. You know that. He lied. He's using you."

Chase's arms shook. Apollyon roared. The cavern echoed his fury.

Bree's arms shook. The sword seemed to vibrate in her hand.

Chase flexed his fingers, hissing. Fog rose around Bree, thick and coiling around itself like a living thing. In seconds, she couldn't see Chase anymore. She looked around her, trying to move as little as possible. She couldn't see anything anymore. The next time Apollyon ordered Chase to attack, she wouldn't see it coming.

At least the fog was cooling. It eased some of the pain in her body. She wouldn't die in total agony.

"Bree-"

Chase again. His voice was strained, like he was being strangled. Bree lifted her sword higher than before. He was quiet again. "Chase?"

"That sword...cuts anything..."

Apollyon screeched. "Kill her already!"

Bree quivered in the fog. What was that supposed to help her do? There wasn't anything to cut. "Chase-"

"It cuts through anything!" Chase's voice was clear now. He had more lucidity now than he had in a while. "Bree, we control the laws of physics here! The sword can cut through different..."

Apollyon must have control again.

Bree tightened her hold on the sword hilt, swallowing. Of all the times Chase went on a long-winded explanation, it had to be right now? If he figured out Mors' plan, he should have said it while he was lucid! She bit her lip hard, thinking. There wasn't anything she could possibly cut, even if physics could be manipulated. She couldn't make heads or tails of what Chase was trying to say.

Something was moving in the fog. A shadow, growing larger with each passing second. It was far too large to be Chase this time. Bree swung the sword harder than she ever had, the action sending a shockwave of agony through her body. The blade whistled through the air, a sound drowned out by her scream. She didn't know what was coming for her, and she could deal with a bit of pain just to stay in one piece.

The shadow morphed into one of Apollyon's heads, his teeth bared. A growl rumbled up from his throat as he opened his mouth and turned his head to the side to bite her in half.

The sword struck Apollyon's top fang, jarring her arm. She clenched her teeth to keep the pained howl inside. She wasn't going to give Apollyon the satisfaction of eating her while she was screaming.

Apollyon's teeth never closed on her. He recoiled with a high-pitched roar, the fog shrouding the head again. A spray of blood, black as night, drenched her completely. The blood coated her burn, a sensation not unlike someone pouring a bottle of rubbing alcohol on it.

And the tip of one massive, yellow fang dropped to the floor at her feet, sliced clean through. Silence filled the cavern to the point that she could hear nothing but her breathing. The temperature of Chase's fog around her dropped, easing the pain in most of her body. Panting through gritted teeth, Bree lowered the sword and shook her head, some of the blood flying off in droplets.

Well, she did something. She didn't know what exactly was different, but something in the air had changed, and she could feel it.

"Bree!"

Chase again, calling out to her. Maybe the pain of losing a tooth had distracted Apollyon. "For fuck sake, you can cut through dimensions with that thing! Go home!"

Wait, seriously? Bree glanced at the sword for a split second. Was that what Mors was trying to tell her the entire time? Why didn't he just say that in the first place? What was the point of all the sword training? More importantly, how the hell did she cut into the next dimension?

Roars, howls, and snarls rang through the air. Shadows on shadows started to barrel through the mist towards where Apollyon's head had been. She could see very few details among the demons barreling past her. She spat to clear enough of Apollyon's blood out of her mouth to talk, raising her voice. "How?"

Chase let out a roar that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, the sound blending in with the cacophony the demons raised. Something was happening to him that she couldn't see. "Imagine a wall or curtain or something with Earth on the other side. I don't know! Figure it out!"

Bree shook her head again. She only had one free hand, and she didn't want to move it much. The wound Chase had given her hurt worse with movement, and she didn't want to let go of the sword just to wipe her eyes. Apollyon used to be on Earth, didn't he? What had he said? Some kind of barrier or veil or something had dropped between the two worlds, right? What would that look like? A curtain dropping on a stage?

Would that work?

Chase roared again. "Hurry up!"

Bree swallowed and closed her eyes. All she could do was imagine that she was cutting her way through a curtain and see what happened, right? A curtain with The Lab on the other side. She raised the sword again and swung, imagining that the blade was slicing through the curtain in her mind's eye. The tip of the sword tapped the floor of the cave with a quiet clink.

Then, she felt the breeze.

Bree's eyes snapped open only for her to squint again. An impossible line of bright, gold light extended vertically in front of her, blowing the fog away from it. Holy shit, she actually did it! Wherever this thing dropped them, it had to be better than here. "Chase-"

His voice was straining again. "Summoning! Go!"

Bree swallowed hard, hesitating. She didn't want to leave Chase behind in this den of rioting demons, especially with Apollyon roaring now. She didn't know what would happen to him if she took the sword and just vanished. How fast could he be summoned? Would it be fast enough, if Apollyon wanted to destroy him?

The light started to close from the top of the line, running down the length of the tear.

Wincing, holding the sword tight, Bree stepped into the light.

Leo nearly jumped out of his skin when Bree let out a scream, a sword dropping to the ground from thin air and her arm dripping blood. She didn't know where she was, and she didn't care. She had only one thought: find somewhere cold again. Without the fog Chase had generated, she felt like her body was burning again. In a blur of speed and color, she located a bathroom and nearly threw herself into the bathtub, wrenching on the shower knob with desperate, shaking hands. The second icy water hit her skin, she let out a sob of relief.

"Bree?" Leo poked his head into the bathroom, his eyes wide. A kid Bree had never seen before imitated the action. "What happened? Why-"

Bree stopped his rush of questions as she sunk down to sit in the tub, shuddering. "Later! Summon Chase! Hurry!"