"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it."
Jane Wagner
Donald
Donald lost track of Chase a few seconds after Chase shifted forms. He said something about a gnat or smoke, but it didn't matter. Donald had eyes for the man at the desk, not Chase. The man had a jacket thrown over his arm as he headed for the door. Donald made sure to stand in the way, holding his hands up with wide eyes. It was easy to look worried when his wife and little brother were missing. "Excuse me – " Donald glanced down long enough to read the man's name tag – "Arthur, I was hoping we could talk more about what you saw last night? About my wife and brother?"
Arthur frowned, watching Donald. "I'm afraid I don't know anything else, sir."
Donald resisted grinding his teeth. If Chase could hear Yosemite Sam – by the way, who listened to shortwave radio at work? – then this Arthur knew a lot more than he was saying. How Douglas caught onto that was a mystery still, but Donald could ask when he found his missing family members. Donald lowered his hands, rubbing his knuckles with a thumb. "Please, just a moment? You're the last person who saw them, and I'm really worried."
Arthur was quiet for a second, glancing at the door over Donald's shoulder. This guy didn't look like any Hunter Donald would have suspected. He was shorter than Chase and scrawny, for starters. Donald couldn't see this guy getting near a demon, let alone winning in a fight. Was he just a background agent? Every army needed a support system. "Sir, I would love to help you, but I just got off my shift, and – "
"It'll only take a minute," Donald interrupted. That depended on Chase, but Donald was confident in the kid's abilities. Chase looked like a monster at first glance and had been spending enough time with Douglas to pick up a trick or two. He didn't want to keep Chase up longer than he needed to – it was easy to see that both Chase and Bree were exhausted – but the best way to get someone to answer questions was fear, right? "Please, I need to know exactly what you saw."
Arthur glanced at the door again before he nodded, sighing. "Okay, but it's not much."
"That's fine." Donald waved towards the inside of the lobby, resting a hand on Arthur's shoulders. "Is there anywhere quiet we can talk?"
Arthur hesitated for a second, then pointed towards the dining room. "It should be empty in there now."
That was more open than Donald wanted, but it would have to work. He didn't think Arthur would trust him enough to follow him into a backroom or something. Chase had to make sure Arthur didn't scream. They didn't need attention here. "Okay, come on." Donald nudged Arthur towards the dining room, hoping Chase was nearby. Arthur looked uncomfortable but followed along with Donald's urging. "Thank you so much for doing this, Arthur. I'm sure you want to go home."
Arthur nodded, looking over his shoulder at Donald so he could smile. "I can make it a few more minutes. Whatever it takes to find your loved ones."
A customer service answer if Donald had ever heard one. Donald nodded as he ushered Arthur through the door and turned to head towards the back of the room. "Excellent. Every detail is going to help, I'm sure."
Arthur nodded as Donald slowed down, letting a few steps grow between them. When Arthur turned around, he wore a tight smile. "So, what – "
His words cut off in a yelp as Chase dropped down from the ceiling. However, Arthur didn't get a yell out because Chase looped an arm around Arthur's head to cover the man's mouth. The other hooked around the man's shoulders, holding him tight. When Chase spoke, the words were surrounded by a growl. "If you scream, I'm biting your throat out, human. Understand?"
Donald tensed, his stomach dropping. For a split second, all his senses screamed that Arthur was in actual danger, that the man needed saving. The inhuman way Chase could move and act when he wanted to was unnerving. The tail lashing, the pinned ears, the bared fangs inches away from the blood vessels in Arthur's neck – it was terrifying.
Arthur himself paled, his eyes wide as he grabbed Chase's arms. Chase tensed his muscles, tossing his head back to get some hair out of his face. The kid needed a haircut. Donald forced a smile, gesturing at the scene. "I see you've met my djinni. He wants to hear everything about my wife and brother, too." Donald leaned forward, shaking his head as Arthur searched his face. "He's not very patient, so it's probably a good idea if you don't lie about it."
As it turned out, there was a difference between saying you fought demons and coming face-to-face with one. Arthur sang the second Chase let go of the man, a babbling wreck of a story about what happened to Tasha and Douglas. A message coming over Yosemite Sam – somehow still getting messages from Mission Creek – led Arthur to contact the Hunters he could speak to about "the man who knew how to kill Soad." Word traveled to the stricken town through word-of-mouth, and James arrived with a few people days later. By then, Douglas was suspicious of Arthur, so drugging him wouldn't have worked out.
..except for Tasha, who had convinced Douglas that a free cup of coffee was safe. She had offered him the perfect opportunity by ordering some coffee for herself. It was so easy to bring two.
Arthur hadn't intended to deal with two people. He figured it would be easier to drug them both than to try to make excuses to Tasha when only Douglas passed out. Arthur swore up and down that James said Tasha would be okay, but that was little comfort to Donald. Arthur had drugged his wife and brother and let them get carted off into a nest of demons by people who hated them. Nothing guaranteed that Tasha would be okay.
The only consolation was that James wouldn't be ready for Douglas. Gods knew what kind of hell Douglas was putting him through. Donald just hoped that James needed Douglas alive long enough for Bree to get them all there in the morning.
As for right now, Donald needed this man out of his sight. He wanted to hit something, and Arthur made a good target. Donald looked at Chase, whose half-tail was whipping back and forth. "I want you to follow this man home. If he talks to anybody about what happened here, you decide what to do with him."
Chase grinned, those teeth of his on full display. He blurred into a dark cloud, then a tiny insect flitted around in the air. Donald lost it in the light after a second. He turned back to Arthur, whose eyes were darting around as he tried to locate Chase. That was the point, honestly. If Arthur couldn't see Chase, he couldn't know that Chase would leave him at the hotel door. "We'll be gone in the morning," Donald said, getting Arthur's attention. "If you tell somebody that we're here before then, though, my djinni will get you. Any questions?"
Arthur shook his head, his eyes wide. "I won't tell anybody. I promise."
Donald offered Arthur a smile, waving. "Have a nice night, then."
Arthur hesitated a second, looking for Chase again. After that, he hurried off, walking like he was about to sprint out the door. To his credit, he was walking when he left the dining room.
Donald sank into the nearest chair and leaned his elbows on the table, burying his face in his hands. At least Soad was dead, and all his kids were back. That was where the positives ended. Bree and Adam would start glitching soon without their capsules. They weren't Chase; they weren't made entirely of essence. Sure, Bree hadn't been around to use her bionics until today, but that didn't mean her system was calibrated. Adam would probably be the first one to show problems. When they got back to Mission Creek, the kids would have to spend time in their capsules before they could go anywhere else.
That was less of a problem. Donald had kept a penthouse in his hometown, Centium City, that he used on business trips. It was large enough to hold the family, but it wasn't home. He would miss Mission Creek. He didn't doubt everybody else would, too. He would have to work out the logistics of staying in the city while their home was rebuilt.
While the whole town was rebuilt.
Trevor was another issue. The kid knew too much for them to let him go if he had anywhere to go at all. Donald had searched through NamUS and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for someone looking for the kid, but nothing came up. Even combing through social media turned up nothing. It was like Trevor came from nowhere at all. He either had nowhere to go or nobody who wanted him back. Donald couldn't just throw him into the foster system after what he went through, either. Douglas would riot, for starters, and who knew what would happen to Trevor?
"Mr. Davenport?"
Donald jumped, looking up. A human-looking Chase stood a few feet away, fidgeting from one foot to the other. Gone was the feral light glinting in his eye. He just looked tired now. So tired. Chase cocked his head, frowning. "You okay?"
Donald wasn't okay, but he couldn't tell Chase that. Wherever he and Bree had been over the past month, it was clear that they needed rest right now. Donald wasn't about to unload all of his problems onto Chase's shoulders that night. Standing up, Donald nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He offered Chase a smile while he gestured at the dining room door. "Come on. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Chase raised an eyebrow but nodded anyway. "Right." He let out a small laugh. "It'll be nice to sleep in an actual bed."
The next morning came too early. Adam had to carry Trevor, who was rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up. They only took a light breakfast before packing everything up. Donald never thought he'd be so grateful that they didn't have much anymore. Most everybody wound up with a bag they could carry as Donald checked out of the hotel. They could find another place to stay when they had Tasha and Douglas back.
Before they left for Mission Creek, they stopped by an outdoors store. Donald was determined not to run out of supplies this time. Adam had a couple of duffel bags by the time they left the store, these filled with dried emergency food kits and enough water bottles to get them through a couple of weeks. They weren't camping, exactly. The lab should be fine for sheltering in while they searched the town. If it took longer than two weeks, they had Bree now. She could sprint to Los Angeles to resupply when it was needed. They would survive this trip, especially with Soad dead.
Assuming the demons cleared out without their leader.
It was later than Donald liked when they were finally ready. He checked his watch, scowling. 10:26 A.M. wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. He just hoped Arthur held his tongue until now. Tapping Bree's shoulder, he rolled his weight back on one heel. "You'll need to use your GPS to find the lab. Mission Creek is unrecognizable. Drop them off, then come back for the rest of us."
Bree snorted, sweeping her hair up into a ponytail. "I got this." She grabbed Adam's and Chase's arms, avoiding demons as she did. Oly clung to Chase's shoulder as a parrot, preening her colorful feathers to perfection as she did. Yahn and Ysthry were more discreet, at least. Adam had two cats held against him, their tails twitching as they waited. Donald sighed as Trevor pressed closer to him, hiding behind his leg and clinging to his hand. Bree glanced around to make sure they were alone, then vanished in a gust of wind.
Leo took a deep breath, holding his bag. "Think Mom's okay?"
Donald stared off into space for a second before offering Leo a smile. "I hope so."
Bree came back a moment later, her eyes wide. Oly clung to her shoulder as Bree pointed back towards Mission Creek. "Did you know that Kevin took over the lab?"
Donald's eyes went wide. Kevin was alive? More importantly, he took over Donald's lab? Since when? "For what?"
Bree took hold of Donald's arm, taking a deep breath. "Hunters, apparently."
Chase
There were way too many people in the lab for my liking, and none of them liked us…except Kevin. They were aiming guns at me seconds after we opened the door. Bree stood in the hallway behind us for a second, then vanished when I hissed out a quick, "Run."
Adam let go of Ysthry and Yahn, who landed on their feet as Adam raised his fists. He stepped right towards the gun-wielding group of people – five of them in total – with his jaw set. "Put them down."
Kevin moved this time. He pushed himself out of his chair, holding his hands up as he stumbled towards us, staring at me with wide eyes. "Hang on, hang on. These kids live here."
"That's not a kid, and those aren't cats," a woman hissed, jerking her gun towards me. Someone who could see planes, it seemed. I looked human enough on plane one right now. I held my hands up, baring my teeth. Ysthry and Yahn were hiding behind my legs, their backs arched.
Kevin skirted around the woman, standing in front of the Hunters and their guns. A scent hit my nostrils, forcing me to wrinkle my nose. Somebody had an infection somewhere. Healing, but it was still present. "The point of coming here was to talk to Summoners, wasn't it?"
One of the men glanced at Kevin, then back at me. "It's not a Summoner, either."
"Don't call me an 'it,'" I grumbled, narrowing my eyes. I had no idea what Kevin was trying to do here, but I hoped it worked.
"I'm a Summoner." Adam's fists were still high in the air. It was almost like he thought he was bulletproof. I sucked in a breath when a couple focused their guns on him. Adam was less of a Summoner than Leo, and Leo rarely Summoned anything.
The first woman who spoke took over again, watching Adam through the rifle's sights. "Are those your demons?"
"Sarah, this is the guy I was telling you about," Kevin cut in, gesturing at Adam. "Demons just kind of love him." He gestured back at me. "These are Douglas' demons." He glanced down, saw Ysthry, and corrected himself. "Most of them are, anyway."
"What exactly is going on here?"
I jumped at Mr. Davenport's words. He nudged me out of the way, brushing past Adam with a scowl. Trevor took one look at the guns and let go of Mr. Davenport's hand, hanging close to Adam instead. Mr. Davenport's attention was on Kevin more than the Hunters, who were torn about something. A couple of them watched Adam and me while a few gave Mr. Davenport a startled look. Even the Sarah woman Kevin was addressing backed up a step. Mr. Davenport crossed his arms, glaring at Kevin. "Why are there people in my lab?"
Kevin raised his hands now, gesturing at the Hunters behind him. "They needed a better place to stay than the sewers, and – "
Mr. Davenport's voice raised an octave. He was speaking through his teeth and everything. "So you brought them here?"
"I can explain everything if – "
"These people kidnap Douglas and Tasha, and you bring them into my lab?" Mr. Davenport whirled on the Hunters, waving his arms. "Get out of my house!"
Leo and Bree appeared in my peripheries, watching everything. Oly was preening again, trying to fix the feathers that two trips with Bree messed up. Leo leaned close to me, whispering. "Is Kevin okay?"
I frowned, looking Kevin over more closely. Now that Leo mentioned it, he was pretty pale. I leaned closer to Leo. "I do smell an infection somewhere. Maybe he has it?"
Kevin was paler still at Mr. Davenport's words. "Wait, James got him?"
The Hunters backed away from the door, watching all of us now. They glanced at Sarah, waiting for her to do something, apparently. The leader, if I read this right. Sarah lowered her gun, frowning at Mr. Davenport as he turned back to Kevin. God, glad Mr. Davenport didn't think these people would shoot him. "Yeah, and he's bringing them both back here, apparently."
Kevin ran a hand down his face, muttering a string of curses. "Any idea how close they are to town?"
"In town, I assume," Bree answered, pointing over her shoulder. "We didn't see them on the way here."
Kevin glanced at Bree, sinking into his chair again with a sigh. "Great."
Sarah piped up at that moment. "That's actually perfect for you, isn't it?" The bickering stopped just long enough for us to stare at her. Sarah was calm as she turned to her little band of warriors. "Lower the guns."
The Hunters hesitated but lowered their weapons. After a second, Adam let his fists drop. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. This fight would've resulted in too many injuries, and it wasn't like we were firing on all cylinders. One look at us – literally everybody in the room – showed that we were all exhausted. Nobody had the energy for this.
Mr. Davenport narrowed his eyes at Sarah. Whatever Kevin had been doing before we arrived, Mr. Davenport was now in charge of our tiny faction. "How is that perfect?"
Sarah was four inches shorter than Mr. Davenport, but God, she could carry herself. She raised her chin, every bit in charge of the entire room as she looked Mr. Davenport up and down, then ignored him. She turned her attention to Kevin, nodding towards him. "You wanted us to talk to Summoners, right? As far as I'm concerned, James found one." She shrugged, smiling as Kevin sunk down in his chair. "Don't look like that. This is a hell of your own making, you know."
Kevin squeezed the arms of the chair, looking at the floor. "I know."
