…
We're good soldiers, getting by
On the border of this life
And the darkness is no place
To be frightened, afraid
..

It took me longer than usual to get to sleep, and when I finally did settle the sun breached the horizon and lay siege to my eyes. I was tempted to just roll over and ignore the world for a few more hours but I could hear my mother; once awake you should stay awake, not a good way to start the day. I missed my mother, but I think it may be more guilt than anything for the way I left her alone.

Groaning I pulled down the blanket, running a hand into hair that barely had time to knot.
It was weird sleeping at night anyway.

Sitting up I sighed loudly as if to give someone the hint I was frustrated but of course I was on my own. Not that it really mattered; I would have been more uncomfortable with someone with me bothering me as to why I did sigh.

The air around me was cold and a heavy feeling fell onto me gradually as I moved. Washing it away with a blistering shower, I glanced at my phone as I dried my skin.
No messages or missed calls from Lance.
How unusual.
Normally by this time he would have checked up on me because I hadn't checked in to tell him I'm still alive. Maybe he finally learnt that I'm too good for that.

My clothes from yesterday were still a pile on the floor so like a good girl I picked them up, hanging them on a coat hanger. I may not be very lady like but I don't like to be a slob.
Dressing in my jeans and boots, I slipped on a long sleeved shirt, the grey fabric warm from the chilly bite in the air.

After braiding my hair quickly, I stood in the small kitchen; the sickly mix of orange and pink tiles along the wall making me feel worse. Quickly I made myself a coffee, a few generous helpings of sugar and milk, I got out of that hideous kitchen.
The fresh air six o'clock in the morning air hit me like a bucket of frozen water.
Toughening up I left the door ajar as I stepped out, gulping down my coffee to burn my throat.

I hated the cold.
It always served as a reminder to why I was here now. That night… that cold night my father first turned away from me.

I don't know what it was that woke me that night; the blinding light or the horrid feeling that set low in my stomach. I wasn't even really in bed, too upset to keep my eyes open as I heard my parents arguing. They never argued, no yelling or hitting or anything like that but I could still tell the difference.
It fell silent and the air outside was cold as I stood there, made worse when that thing wearing my father walked away. At the time I didn't know that it was Castiel but my father was no longer the same and my hate for Castiel would never be forgiven.

Who the hell gave him permission to destroy lives?
We were decent people; we prayed every day, attended church, believed and fought for our beliefs and that was how we were repaid. Of course God is not the same as us, he shows his affection differently, I just wished it wasn't by killing my father and having everyone I ever loved turn and walk away from me.
The only thing that kept me going was knowing that one day I would cross paths with him and I will show him what he turned me into.
Not only that, this… profession kept me busy and it wasn't without its perks.

I was half way through my coffee, watching as the sun and sky was slowly engulfed by heavy black cloud when a door opened just down from me.
The first thing I saw was a perfectly chiseled chest and I stared for a while until I realised who it belonged to.

Ben was stretching in the door frame, embracing what little sun there was left until it vanished and he dropped his arms, yawning. He remained there for a while as well, myself trying to vanish without being rude but he spotted me as he went to return to his own room. With a smile, he winked and shut the door behind him.
I breathed a sigh of relief; I was in no mood to talk, I probably would end up punching him.

Sighing heavily again, I finished my coffee and shut the door behind me.
Now my thoughts were consumed by Ben.
Ben Braeden. I needed to know more about him.

A dozen phones calls later and an empty cupboard of coffee I was no closer to finding out who Ben Braeden was or who the shape shifter was or any warmer.

I had kept my head down most of the morning and with a crack of my back I sat up properly.
'Great, thank you agent. Yeah just call me back on this number. Cheers.'
I snapped my phone shut and slid it across the table, rubbing my eyes as I grumbled to myself.

A sharp knock at the door made me flinch slightly, my hand falling to my gun beside me as I cautiously got to me feet. Slipping the lock free I opened the door and dropped my guard when Ben grinned.
Opening the door I tucked my gun into my jacket on the back of the chair again as Ben walked into the room, cringing at the sight of the kitchen.
'Mines a mix of purple and red with green flecks.' He seemed to pause for a minute and I raised my eyebrows. 'That could be the mold.'

I couldn't help but smirk slightly but held firm as I leant on the table, frowning at him.
'What do you want?'
'Whoa, manners…' he held up a white bag and gave me a weak smile as he shrugged a shoulder, 'I brought lunch, plus the suns out.'
I shook my head, bunching all the paper together and stuffing it away as I fiddled with a pen.
'Thanks but I've eaten.'
'Phh, please. You haven't left here all morning. Come on.'

He held the bag out to me but I just smiled, raising an eyebrow.
'Spying on me?'
'Checking up on me?'
We both held our gaze for a minute before he gave in, dropping the bag on the table and sighing. I didn't know if he looked offended or genuinely hurt or if he was going to laugh. He dusted off invisible dirt from his black shirt and with a shrug again he began to walk out, tapping my empty tin of coffee.

'How long you reckon you can last without that? Coffee won't keep you going and if you're watching my back tonight properly, I'll get mad.'
Snatching up the takeaway bag I shoved my phone in my pocket and followed him out the door, slapping his shoulder.
'Who said your leading?'

The sun was warmer now and I felt a lot better with warm burger in my stomach as well. Washing it down with a mouthful of coke, I pulled all my hair back so my pale skin could soak up as much as it could while it lasted.

Opening my eyes again, I shifted on the concrete railing and lifted my head off the cement post behind me, seeing Ben doing something similar.
Hunched over his car, he fiddled with the oil before wiping it on his shirt, dropping it over the side of the car bonnet as he slid the oil stick back in.

Now I'm not a perv or a cougar; because I'm pretty sure Ben is younger than me, but I am a woman and when there is a perfectly lean, tanned, muscular chest only several strides away I couldn't help but stare.

Ben hardly noticed, just continued to fiddle and tune with the motor of his beloved car.
Boys and their toys.

Luckily I was saved, reluctantly, by my phone ringing sharply above the light traffic noise.
'Johnson.'
I slid off the brick railing and moved quickly inside, grabbing a pen and paper to scribble down the dates and places the lady rattled off quickly from the other end of the line.
'Just catch this maniac.'
With that the line cut before I could say thanks.

I was a bit taken aback by her comment and abruptness but as I looked down and actually took in what the notes actually said.
It was completely random; the number of women butchered in each town but at least it moved in a relatively ordered line. All the towns, from memory, were close to the previous one. Which made sense, so it moved but then the time line was strange.

Still focusing on the notes, I leant against the wall, barely noticing Ben.
These creatures made a pattern and stuck to it; a genre a method… all that was missing was the reason and time line.
Ben was finishing his drink, sighing as the sun began to once again disappear behind the cloud.
'What's that?'

Not looking up, I stared at it one last time before I handed it up for Ben to inspect. His eyes narrowed and handed it back to me.
'I was confused by it to the first time, but the longer I stared at it, the more human it seemed to get.'
I frowned up at him, curious to hear what he had to say. It wasn't every day I came across another hunter, especially one that was a male and actually did research.
Ben turned, leaning his lower back on the wall, elbows back as he looked down at me. I straightened, still not comfortable in another presence.

Ben grinned as he tapped his empty Pepsi bottle on his chest.
'Think about it, a human man goes around killing women; why does he move on? Finished his pattern, not enough girls that fit under his category, but that can't be the case without one, so the last option is that it is being close to found out.'
My eyes narrowed, concentrating as Ben smirked.
'So, our shape shifter is not confident in changing appearances in order to remain hidden, it just moves on.' I said as I glanced back down at the paper.
'Right so I figured that one out… why beautiful young women?'

Ben caught my eyes and I stared, my thoughts going off track for a moment to when he said that I fit under the category as a victim in this things eyes. I held onto my blush, shaking my head and looking away from him and to the photos that were hanging on the wall inside.
'Exactly because of that reason…'
Ben raised an eyebrow and I gestured for him to follow me into my room, standing to stare at the photos of the victims. Cringing Ben gave me a strange look but I paid it no attention.
'This shape shifter isn't a he, it's a she… but why kill so many? Because…' Bens grin distracted me and I looked up at him and lost my train of thought yet again; I had to stop that.

It was a strange look, but not one like my friends used to give me. Whenever I thought about something, about someone I would try and think like them, be like them. I scored top marks in drama. I remembered arguing with my mother about what courses to take.
Be a doctor, people always need a doctor or become a police detective if I loved solving puzzles or join the army if I loved so much to give orders out. Wouldn't my mother be proud; I can be those two and so much more in a single day.
But the look that Ben was giving me was more of understanding.

'Don't worry, I do the same thing.' He reassured me as I tucked some hair behind my ear, folding my arms across my chest. 'I was always the freak at school.' He chuckled slightly but I could see the hurt cast a dark shade over his bright eyes.
Nodding my head slightly, I knew what that felt like. The one who knew more about knives than the discovery of America, the one who would rather shoot a gun rather than kick a soccer ball. That didn't matter, we were still human and didn't go around killing people; only monsters.
I frowned back at the pictures before I straightened my shoulders.
'Any way, tonight we are going to find out and get rid of this thing once and for all.'

The sun was only a few minutes away from setting when I slipped off my bike, silencing it quickly as I left the helmet hanging over the handle.
Ben wasn't far away, pulling up behind me in his black car. Stepping out he shrugged into his jacket properly and readied his two guns, tucking one into the pocket. I spun mine around, a silver blade as back up strapped to my back. He raised an eyebrow as we walked carefully across the road and I felt one of mine rise also.
'Show off.'

I was going to make a comment back but a light in the house we were about to enter flicked off and we both lifted out guns, aiming as we stalked closer to the house. Nudging my head, Ben disappeared to the back of the house and I continued to approach the front. The blinds were pulled so close I couldn't even squint to see in. A window on the side of the house was ajar and with gentle encouragement from a pocket knife it slip open and I slipped in.

As I suspected, it was dark. All the lights were off but as I moved around the almost empty bed room, the lounge room had an eerie glow about it from the light of the street lamp outside. Now actually focusing on the room, I ensure it was clear before I inspected the room. It was filled with objects; empty picture frames on the wall, vases of flower on the coffee table, even a few magazines arranged neatly. All of this… it was so fake.

It wanted to be normal.
All the moving and this house, did it have a job to? Did it interact with people every day?
A noise behind me made me spin, gun ready as I edged closer to it. The lounge room linked to the hallway, which I moved down slowly, inspecting each room as I passed. Everything was normal until I reached the end one. Its door was shut, but the lock on it was not shut properly.
It left in a hurry, it knew we were here.

My blood pumped a little faster at that thought but I kept my mind focused and eyes sharp as I pushed on the door. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting to see, but somehow this still made me shiver.
The picture frames on these walls were filled, the faces hardly recognizable behind the clean sheet of glass. The only thing that made it different to the pictures I had of them on my wall was that they were taken when they were dead. In these ones, they were still alive; frozen in their last moments of terror and pain.

The covered two of the walls, all of them neatly and carefully placed while the other wall had a map of the newspaper articles, all on these cases.
So Ben was right.
But so was I.
The dressing table was center of the room; the makeup and hair brushes neatly arranged.
It was a girl, that much was clear but it was not human. Why would she want to be getting ready in this room in front of all those faces…?

My mouth fell open as I realised, the answer so painfully obvious it made me sad that we hadn't thought of it earlier.
It knew what it was, it knew that whatever form it took it wouldn't be as beautiful or as pure as the women it killed. All these pictures, the killings, it was just a sick way for it to feel superior.

'Claire?'
Turning violently, I aimed my gun but relaxed when Ben simply raised his hands, the torch casting light enough for me to see his concerned face.
I gestured to the wall, and Ben used his torch to study the images as he moved slowly past me. His grunt of disapproval was loud in the quiet.
'I think maybe it does this to feel that it is at least prettier than these women.' Ben turned and nodded his head, looking slightly pale but then he gently gestured me out of the room.
'It isn't here, but I found something out the back.'

I was nervous as to what it was but when we got out there, Ben shone the torch on the deep hole in the middle of the yard, I couldn't help but smile.
'It leads down towards the sewers. Must have taken ages to dig and then cut the way through the pipe…'
I didn't wait, I grabbed his torch and made my way over to it, looking down into the darkness. It was ark outside now to, the sun completely gone behind the horizon. Glancing back the way we came; the house was empty and a car was still in the garage, which only left one real option the thing took to run.

Straightening my jacket and tightening my blade to my back, I began to climb down. Ben grabbed my arm roughly.
'Sure you don't want me to go first?'
I frowned but I don't think he saw it in the darkness.
'Please, I can look after myself.' But when he didn't let go of my arm I sighed forcefully and stood aside, allowing him to descend first. Suspicion grabbed hold of me and I quickly pulled out my dagger, grabbing Bens arm quickly, lifting his jacket sleeve and running the blade across his skin.
'Ouch! It's me! Damn suspicious woman, I try to do the right thing and I get sliced because of it.' He mumbled on his way down and after I climbed down also, standing in the damp dark tunnel I slapped the back of his head, silencing him.
'Shut up, damn whiney man,' showing him the knife before I did the same thing to my arm. 'It won't know we have them if it doesn't see them.'

Ben nodded his head, pushing out his bottom lip exaggeratingly as he smiled. Rolling my eyes, I lifted my gun and waited for Ben to do the same before we moved forward.
Objects and shape-shifting muck lay strewed across the wet floors, rats squealing as we tried to move quietly. After what felt like forever, we came across an open service room, inspecting it to find it empty. More items were stacked neatly on shelves and boxes clean from dust and dirt tucked neatly into corners.
'Trophies?' I asked as I showed Ben a driver's license of a victim. Ben nodded, holding up a bloodied dress.
'That would be my guess.'

Before I could say to move on, a dark shape move behind Ben and I opened my mouth to bark a warning. Ben saw it but the creature was already on him, knocking his gun from his hands. I tried to shoot it, but they were struggling too violently.
The woman was hissing is an animalistic way as she slashed and snapped at Ben. Surprisingly, he didn't cower away or even suck at fighting.

He was winning this little battle and I couldn't help but feel impressed with his skill.
Maybe having a partner on this hunt wasn't so bad.

I don't know if I wanted to tell anyone this, and I guess it is safe enough but I was starting to like Ben. He moved with such a raw grace that it almost looked violent. He took in his surroundings even as he kept his defense up. They spun a little and I had the chance to shoot again… but what if I missed? What if I hit Ben instead?

Distracted, I failed to see the shape shifter leap at me, slamming me back into the shelves. Handbags and dolls fell around us as I battled with the creature for control of the gun. Ben cried out my name, but all I could do was grunt as I kicked the woman off me. With a final growl she bolted, running down the tunnel we just emerged from.
Ben rushed to my side, helping me to my feet but I groaned, my shoulder aching badly.
'Go… go! I'll be right behind you.'

Ben looked unsure but I shoved him hard.
'She will kill again if you don't go and make sure she doesn't get out of this sewer!'
Nodding, he picked up the gun and torch, his footfalls slowly fading. Taking a deep breath, I held my arm close to my body, my shoulder hurting badly from the impact on the shelf. Finding my gun I scooped it up and searched almost blindly for something, only finding a toy that flashed. It wasn't the best light to use, but it was better than being attacked in the dark.

This bitch was gonna get it when I found it. Blowing my hair from my eyes, I readied my gun and squeezed the glowing toy in my hand tightly before I followed them, hoping that Ben wouldn't be hurt or dead ahead of me.

Sorry it took so long to get up guys, enjoy!
Silver-Kirin