Back on Earth (Portland Faction)

[Casey]

The demon’s body twitched on the ground one last time before finally collapsing. It still smoked around the wound and sparks reflect in it’s mouth and eyes. The hunter slowly walked across the wooden floor, the boards creaking eerily in the silence, and retrieved the weapon. He carefully whipped the blade against the handkerchief from his back pocket. After giving the now empty body one last look he turned his attention to the other three in the room. They were collapsed on the ground, blinking in shock and confusion and frankly looking slightly charred.

“That,” he said in a grim voice, “Wasn’t supposed to be able to get in.” He walked closer to the group, still mostly unseen in the dark room. “Neither are ghosts for that matter.”

The hunter pulled out a gun and aimed it at the only boy in the group. He cocked the trigger and threw a blade at his feet.

“It’s silver,” he stated, “Better start proving what you are before I liberate all of your heads from your shoulders”.

[Aiden]

Too many things were happening at once for Aiden to comprehend. His eyes followed the knife with ease, though, as it slid across the floor to him. He was relieved, on some level in his subconscious, that he called Aiden out first since Yuki and Teagan wouldn't realize what this person meant. He slowly reached forward, and grabbed the knife.

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"God damn douche bag!" Aiden nearly yelled, as he cut the driver off, receiving the blaring horn behind him. The blue sedan nearly four car lengths ahead of them was gaining speed. The demon inside, in Aiden's mind, could be related to Ariel, and since the latter had popped back up again, Aiden was intent on getting answers. It, or rather she, had also been killing people back all through Oregon, as Aiden had found out. Another hunter had given him and the girls a tip on where they might be able to find this demon, and when the attempt at a breaking, entering, and exorcising went wrong (when did it not?) it resulted in a car chase--just what Yuki and Teagan wanted. That last statement dripping with sarcasm, of course.

Ignoring the screams and complaints of the girls next to and behind him, Aiden pressed the gas pedal down further, and swerved into the next lane, his eyes not leaving the car. Why was he going through so much trouble now, just as Yuki and Teagan were inquiring? It was because right before the demon took off, there had been a hint, something that told Aiden that she might be in affiliation with Ariel. Of course, he had read too much into this one, and was wrong, but he wouldn't admit that, not that he even realized this fact. He did a quick glance into the mirrors to check for cops, and then looked back to the road.

"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!" Aiden screamed finally, as they approached the area of Seattle, Washington. He hadn't realized he'd gone that far, but in a blind rage, he was finally right behind the car. Of course, no rash moves would be done to damage his own means of transportation, so he drew out his gun, and shot twice at the tires in front of him. The first shot missed, the second hitting the tire and causing the demon to spin out. Aiden pulled himself back into the car, and then followed after the wreck. The demon was already on foot by the time things subsided, Aiden yelling at Yuki and Teagan to grab a gun and go as he was out the door. His breathing was loud in his ears, he could feel his heart pounding as he fell into rhythm behind her. He was faster, though, more agile, and he was gaining.

And right before he was close enough to grab her...a bright light came out of nowhere, blinding them all. He skidded to a halt, shielding his eyes, and promptly feeling a moment of weightlessness, and a sharp pain in his head, before he was collapsed on the floor in some building, watching the demon being killed...with a knife. What? How was that even possible? Everything began happening so fast, he was trying to take it in. There was someone else in the room, a knife slid across the floor, a threat was made.

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Sliding the blade across his forearm, blood seeped out of the wound, and dripped onto the floor. He then held the knife in the air, and passed it on to whoever grabbed it next--that, he didn't see. "We're human, we're friendlies," Aiden said carefully, trying to see who this person was.

[Teagan]

One way or another, Teagan Cassidy was certain that she would not live to see the sun set. Her pale face mirrored her thoughts as she tightly gripped the edge of her seat. Blood raced through her body and she began hyperventilating. A hunter had tipped them off to a demon in the nearby area, so the faction had decided to check out the situation. What Portland had found could only be referred to as disastrous. Upon (breaking and) entering the building, alarms had signaled their arrivals and put everyone in the building on full alert. Once they had managed to corner a demon in a trap in a back room, a leaking pipe influenced by demonic powers disrupted the exorcism.

And that led to an intense chase up the northern freeway, the sights of which Teagan knew were the last her eyes would ever set sight on. Not because the three pursued a dangerous demon, but because Aiden had taken “road rage” to another level. Her stomach lurched to her throat as he swerved to avoid another vehicle. Yuki and Teagan were thrown to the right, the latter of which nearly found herself strangled by the locked seatbelt that jerked her back.

“AIDEN! YOU’RE GOING TO KILL US!” Teagan screamed as Aiden slammed on the gas. “Is the demon REALLY worth this?” He was already going ninety miles per hour; surely the dingy car could take no more! She shrieked as cars darted left and right in front of them, avoiding the maniac driving. Could it get any worse? The sedan ahead of them finally turned off of the freeway and turned onto the streets of the next city. Wait a second, Teagan knew this area! Aiden pulled out his gun and aimed it at the car in front of them. Apparently, it could get worse. In his insanity, the boy was about to let loose around in the suburbs of her hometown. Gunshots echoed through the deserted street, forcing the leading car to spin out when a tire popped. Aiden flew from the car, leaving the girls to stumble out with green faces. After taking a moment for the world to stop spinning, Teagan bolted after him. Running with abnormal speed for a person with her stature, she caught up with Aiden just in time to see him catch up with the demon. Maybe they could finally end thi-

A bright flash of light flooded the room, causing Teagan’s vision to disappear. Unable to see what direction she was running, she toppled face first to the ground. Her head hit the hard, cold floor and she yelped in surprise. What the heck had caused that? As she opened her eyes, the toll of what she had just put her body through took effect. Her temple throbbed and dots swarmed in her sight. Ugh. Never again would she ever allow Aiden to drive like that. Her stomach lurched, agreeing. From her dazed state, she looked up to see if the faction leader had managed to catch the demon. He lay on the ground next to her, confused as a dark figure in front of them stabbed a knife into the demon. Wait-who was that?

The demon crumpled to the floor and the man turned towards them. Teagan tensed, not sure if she should feel relieved that this man had taken care of their situation, or worried that they were next on his list. And aiming a gun at Aiden’s head while tossing him a knife didn’t clear up the situation. What was the point of that? Teagan stayed still as Aiden did something unexpected by cutting himself with the knife, allowing a trickle of blood to roll down his arm. He then lifted it up so either she or Yuki could take it. Following suit, Teagan grabbed it. Although she was uncertain as to the point of the ritual, it didn’t hurt to play safe. She carefully wiped away Aiden’s blood from the knife before rolling up her sleeves and making a small nick on her shaking arm. Her head felt light as she watched a stream of crimson appear. For certain, she wouldn’t make it through the day. Not if it kept taking interesting turns like this. Her eyes glanced at the man in front of them before passing the knife to Yuki. But at this rate and if it meant she never had to ride in a car with Aiden again, she might welcome death.

[Yuki]

Yuki had emphasized her loathing for fast driving countless times before. She especially hated being in the same car while Aiden was driving, especially in the passenger seat. However, if she went in the back, how could she take control of the wheel when Aiden's speeding got out of control?

Unfortunately, in this particular scenario, Yuki did not dare set her hands on the wheel. She was too focused on trying to grasp everything that was happening. Outside, the cars passed by in a blur of color and sound, loud honks and angry drivers yelled at them left and right, screeching tires scraped the pavement as they moved forward, and Teagan's shouts for Aiden to drive slower cried out from behind. Yuki shot Aiden a deathly glare, warning him to stop driving, but his eyes were intent on the car ahead. She did not understand why Aiden was so determined to catch that demon. The day had started out with what seemed like any other typical hunt, which was now developing into an insane high-speed car chase. Her eyes widened as they passed the border of Oregon and crossed into the state of Washington.

"Aiden, what are you doing?! You are endangering both us and the lives of those around you with such wreckless abandon! We pose more of a threat than the demon itself!"

She spoke harshly, but it was as if Aiden hadn't heard. Yuki fought to control her breathing and to calm her racing heart. Her long nails dug into the leather seat so deeply she was sure the seat had ripped. "Aiden, stop this at once!" she yelled, trying to end the insanity, but he would not listen. She bit her lip, almost to the point where it bled. If she took the wheel from him at the speed they were going, the car would surely spin out of control and they would crash. Yuki could do nothing but hold her breath as they dodged death by mere seconds across the highway.

When the car finally veered to a stop, Yuki got out quickly, feeling the world spin around her. She felt somewhat nauseated as blood rushed to her head. Aiden shouted for them to get a gun, and Yuki saw through blurred vision as he ran after the demon. Without pausing to catch her breath, she grabbed a gun out of the trunk with agile speed, and bolted in his direction. At this rate, Aiden's blind rage was going to get him killed. Talking the crazed hunter out of the hunt would be impossible, she knew that. But he was in no condition to fight, and neither was Teagan, who looked positively sick to her stomach. Yuki would have to take care of this herself. If she could only get close enough to the demon to--

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light enveloped her vision. She shielded her eyes midst the pain that surged through her head and the sensation of the loss of gravity that encompassed her being. When she opened her eyes, for a split second, all was darkness, and then as she regained her sight, she alarmingly realized they were not at the same location they were just in. They were now in a building, and there was someone else inside the room--someone who stabbed the demon. Panting, she watched with confusion and anxiety as the supernatural being evaporated in dark smoke and the man got closer, demanding for them to "prove" what they were--and he had a gun.

Yuki's senses told her to get up and stand her guard, to fight if she must, but she knew that any sudden movement was unwise. He did kill a demon, which meant that he most likely he stood as an ally. But that was useless information. The three hunters could have defeated the demon without his help, the man's actions were unnecessary. And now he was threatening them. What she wanted to know was who he was, and what on earth had transpired between the flash of white light and the present moment. But now was not the time for questions. Whoever this man was, so long as he held the gun openly, Yuki viewed him as an enemy. She wished to wound him so that they could proceed with an interrogation, but Yuki calculated that she would not have time to draw her gun and fire at him before he shot one of them.

Immobilized by circumstance, she watched with apprehension as Aiden cut himself with the knife, and passed on the blade. Yuki observed as the blood trickled down his arm, and looked over at Teagan who mimicked the manuever. If anyone had to prove themselves as not being supernatural, it was that man, not them. However, if this was what would keep them alive until they received answers, so be it. Taking the knife from Teagan, she glared icily at the man and pressed the knife into her forearm. Feeling the cool blood against her skin, she gripped the knife tightly with her left hand. Yuki would not give up the weapon until the man put down the gun.

[Casey]

The hunter watched as each in turn cut their arm. As the knife passed to the last and proved their humanity he still didn’t lower his gun. He narrowed his eyes for a moment before saying, “Christo”. When none of them recoiled or eyes flashed black he lowered the weapon finally. Sighing he turned away and ran his free hand through his hair.

“I need a beer,” He muttered walking to the farther side of the room. The hunter reached under a table and dragged out a box that sounded like it was full of glass. He pulled out a bottle and twisted off the cap and took a long drink.

“Course something like this would happen,” he said leaning against the table,
box at his feet, “Honestly the second I got lightning bolts from Yuki, I knew it was you guys.” The hunter pulled two objects out of his jacket pocket, putting one in his lips. With a flick of a lighter a flame briefly lit his face. Dark brown hair. Brown eyes. Pale face with serious features. Defiantly younger than his voice, late twenties, early thirties at most.

“So,” he paused to take a drag from the cigarette, “I guess it would be too much to think you knew how you got here, huh?”

[Aiden]

His breathing hard, and the warm, thick blood tricking down his arm, he sat in silence, mouth open and panting as he waited for what he could only assume would be Yuki and Teagan sliding the blade across their arms and proving their humanity. His eyes never left the barrel of the gun, pointed straight at his head. He hadn't been in a position like this in who knew how long, and even at that, he still didn't know how he landed himself here. That flash had only lasted a few seconds, and suddenly they were in some building, on the ground, with someone standing above them, threatening to kill them...this was NOT going as planned, and for a fleeting moment, Aiden thought about texting Casey just to find out what the hell was going on...but he knew he would receive no answer.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity (because after all, Yuki and Teagan weren't the ones with the gun pointed at their heads) the hunter seemed to ease up slightly. He mentioned one word, at which Aiden didn't move, before he let the gun slack to his side. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding before giving a look to both sides, to Teagan and Yuki. However, when the hunter mentioned Yuki's name, Aiden's head snapped back to attention. Wait...he knew Yuki? He knew them? Aiden's mind jumped to Deacon for a moment, but no...that didn't match...

Repositioning himself so that he was in the position to move if need be, Aiden squinted his eyes in the darkness to try and make out the figure. "Who the hell are you...and what was with the knife?" Aiden asked, the latter coming back into his mind.

[Yuki]

Even when the man put down the gun, Yuki did not let her guard down. Why is he acting so casual? He complained about needing a beer, and in the darkness, Yuki faintly saw as he reached for a container under a table and heard the subsequent noise of the removal of a bottle cap. Still holding a grip on the knife, the man continued.

"Honestly, the second I got lightning bolts from Yuki, I knew it was you guys.”

Yuki's eyes widened and her grip tightened. He lit up a cigarette, and she locked her gaze on him. He knew who she was. He knew who they were. But how? She did not recognize him. How could he possibly know their identities? Every adult male hunter she knew passed through her mind, but none fit the man before her eyes. Yuki moved herself in a crouching position, not removing her eyes from the man before them. Before she could speak, Aiden asked the same question that weighed on her mind.

Who is he?

[Casey]

The hunter chuckled at Yuki’s reaction, always at the ready. He took another sip from his beer and set it back on the table.

“Calm down Kitty,” he smiled before putting the cigarette back in his mouth. Stalling for time after Aiden’s question he tilted back his head and let the smoke float out and gently up to the ceiling. To him they were dead and the dead could wait. Finally he reached down and grabbed another beer.

“Funny,” he threw the beer at Aiden, “Ya’ll look exactly the same as the day I met you. Plus a few dings but the same no the less.”

He pushed himself off the table and walked over to them. “Honestly I’m insulted,” he crouched down in front of them, closest to Aiden, “You don’t recognize me? Guess it might be because I’m not a string bean anymore.” Standing back up he moved to another table and set his jacket on it and picked up a large object with a handle. With a satisfying click light filled the area it was on.

The hunter wore a thin wife beater, dark blue jeans and biker boots. On the inside of both forearms was a pentagram based symbol which in a way matched the anti-possession mark barely visible over his heart. There where chains of strange languages going up and around his muscular arms as well. He had to be at least seven inches taller than Aiden.

“Can’t leave this thing on for too long,” he motioned the lamp,”Don’t know what might see it. In the mean time, allow me to reintroduce myself, I’m Arthur Rook.”

[Aiden]

This was...insane. That was an understatement, but the only word Aiden could find. They had just been outside, chasing a demon, and a light teleported them inside some building? The more he thought about it, the more it seemed...extraterrestrial. Still, he didn't have quite the room he needed to be moving around and figuring out what happened, seeing as there was the cool, metal barrel of a gun staring him straight in the eyes, extending out of the darkness. He hoped that Teagan wouldn't wuss out and try to avoid cutting herself, though he knew that Yuki would. It was just a waiting game, he sat in the silence, his arms still raised. The blood was now dripping on the floor, a small, maroon puddle forming rather quickly. His torn skin burned with pain, but he ignored it. His eyes tried to pierce the darkness and figure out who this mystery person was, but he couldn't.

The part that weirded him out the most, though, was that this person, this hunter with a magical demon-killing knife, knew them. By name. So they either had a stalker, or Jeff and Deacon got to talking. When the figure moved away, Aiden thought about standing, but decided not to take his chances. Then the hunter said something to make Aiden stop in his tracks. The day they met? Who the hell was this guy? Aiden caught the beer, and looked it over carefully, making sure it wasn't some poison or concoction, before opening it, and taking a hesitant sip. However, when the hunter announced his identity, his hand gripped so hard around the neck of the bottle, it wouldn't have taken another hair before it shattered. Aiden stood up abruptly, drawing his gun, and pointing it at the hunter.

"Who the hell are you?" he repeated, the gun trained on "Art." He took a few steps backwards towards the girls, and then cocked the gun. "Arthur Rook is a teenager, with no tattoos, he doesn't drink, hell, he wouldn't even let me drink. So tell me again, who are you?" Aiden hissed. The bottle of beer was left abandoned on the floor, and Aiden didn't care about his warning about the light. "What are you?" he added, though that question was in vain, since he had said Christo aloud.

[Teagan]

That guy was Art? Teagan frowned in complete confusion. No he wasn’t, Art was half his height and body mass. Not to mention Aiden had correctly pointed out the smoking and drinking factors. “Ha, funny,” she pushed herself up off of the ground and cracked her neck. Well, it seemed like her old theory of “hunters were delusional” had regained its validity. Sure, the last time it turned out there was a whole other dimension that existed she had no idea of, but this time, most abnormal possibilities had been ruled out.

Her vision sputtered again, but when it cleared, her face bunched into confusion again. It suddenly dawned on her that the room didn’t quite look the same as it had when she had run in after Aiden moments earlier. The floor was wooden now, whereas before, it had been stone cold. And the room hadn’t been so dark…well, before the guy in front of them turned on the light. “Guys...this isn’t the room we ran into before, is it?”

[Yuki]

Arthur Rook? Impossible. The man was obviously lying, trying to confuse their minds. He, or rather, it was something supernatural, something that was attempting to lure them into a trap. No sooner had these thoughts crossed her mind had Aiden drawn his gun at the man, arriving at the same conclusion. Yuki didn't know Arthur that well, but she knew enough to see that he was a well-behaved child, around Teagan's age. This man was more like Deacon, drinking beer and calling her by that horrid nickname. The physical description didn't match, neither did his personality. The man was obviously setting up a pretense.

"My name isn't Kitty," she snarled, pulling out her gun and aiming it at him directly after Aiden. Yuki saw from the corner of her eye that Teagan was absolutely baffled. She didn't seem to be taking in the situation at hand as immediately as the other two hunters. After a momentary pause, the girl made a remark that made Yuki's head pound from its stupidity.

"Brilliant deduction. And grass is green, in case you haven't noticed that yet either," she snapped. Yuki returned her focus to the man before her. "We are well-trained in fighting the supernatural. Attempting to trick us or escape would end in your death," she said coldly. "Although, if you are indeed something supernatural, death is the only fate you may embrace."

[Casey]

“Suppose he didn’t smoke either,” Arthur snorted before inhaling more smoke for emphasis, “And I was fine with you drinking, Deacon was the one that couldn’t stand it,” he paused before adding in a hollow voice, “People change Aiden.” He raised an eyebrow when he and Yuki pointed guns at them but otherwise ignored it. Instead he turned his attention to Teagan and gave her a quick smile that looked like it could have belonged to his brother, “No it’s hilarious”.

He set the lamp on the floor and started off toward the box he had gotten the beer from, “I figure this is the first time either of you have pointed a gun at me,” he crouched down and began digging through the box, “It’s a little old hat for me. Didn’t think it was going to happen again but God loves to mess with me.” After a few moments and grumblings he finally pulled out a picture frame and whipped the dust off it with his jeans.

It was a picture of Portland faction in 2011. Aiden was sitting in a park bench next to Yuki with a slight smile on his face. Yuki just looked stoic and annoyed. On the right side of the picture a young (well slightly older to the other three) Art was laughing while Teagan rode piggy, back flashing a peace sign at the camera. Aiden and Yuki had been pissed when they found out they’d had their picture taken but then again the frame he now held originally belonged to the former faction leader.

Arthur quickly drew himself out of his memories and looked over his shoulder at the group, “Like to keep all my important stuff in one place”.
He strolled back to the group ignoring the guns and held the picture out to them.

[Aiden]

The only logical explanation was a shape shifter. In that way, he could still bear a resemblance to Art, but make him appear older. What it was getting at was insane--time travel wasn't possible. That meant there was no way that this man could be Art. A shape shifter, maybe a ghost, though that didn't seem likely. It was drinking and inhaling real, material objects. Maybe it was as simple as a demon, but then again...there were anti-possession tattoos and he had said the word Christo aloud, so that was out of the question. Still, this shifter had been stupid enough to give them a weapon to do it in: the silver knife. He could get it from Yuki, and then...he sighed mentally as Yuki lost her cool, and traded the knife for the gun. Security, yes, but still, she wasn't thinking as far ahead as she should have been.

Then Teagan's comment came, and Aiden rolled his eyes. "A little slow on the uptake, aren't you?" he growled, keeping his eyes and his gun on the man in front of them. "If this next part hasn't come to you yet, it has something do due with that flash of light, surely," he spat, and then listened to 'Art.' "People don't change by aging overnight. Do you think we're stupid? Arthur Rook is a teenager, buddy, not an adult as," he glanced over the tattoos and his outfit, "detailed as yourself. Hell, he can't even admit he has a thing for Teagan," he threw out, more of a teasing comment to the real Art than actual evidence.

"God? If you were a real hunter, you'd know that there is no such thing," Aiden said fiercely, his grip on the gun tightening as 'Art' moved away. The barrel stayed trained on his back the whole time, and when he turned around and gave Aiden the photo, he flinched as he looked at it. Was this guy serious? "There's a little thing called photoshop, its easy enough to do. Look," Aiden said, moving forward in an instant, and grabbing his shirt, moving the barrel of the gun underneath Art's chin. "Quit fooling around, and tell me who the hell you are." His threat was no more than an animalistic type of growl, one that showed he was serious about killing the enemy that was invading his territory. The picture had fallen to the floor in front of the girls.

[Teagan]

Of course she should have expected sarcastic replies from Aiden and Yuki. How else would they respond? Obviously not in a serious manner. Her question was valid! Maybe not as important as deciding if the guy in front of them was really Art or not (which at the moment, didn’t look promising), but randomly appearing in another area held its own level of importance. Like what force brought them here. Clearly the other two faction members viewed the imposter as the more pressing matter. As Teagan lifted herself up, they both drew their guns with instant aim. Not even wasting a blink of worry, Arthur commented on her remark. As he grinned, she eerily remembered the same look on Deacon’s face back in Keystone. A small part of her froze and seriously considered his time travel theory. Could it be possible?

Aiden didn’t think so. Threat after threat poured from his mouth but held no effect on the oldest in the room. He simply returned to the box he had withdrawn the beers from and began fishing for another item. Teagan studied him closely, now that she was in an upright position. Tattoos and the style of clothes really didn’t match from what she remembered of Art. Not that she knew him that well; she had spent less than a week in Keystone.

“….admit he has a thing for Teagan.”

"What did you say?" Teagan responded a second late. She raised an eyebrow. Art had a thing for her? When had that appeared, and how had she not noticed it? Girls almost always noticed these things. She and Aiden would most definitely have a talk later on. Or, maybe not. That would be a very awkward conversation. As would it be if she mentioned it around Yuki. Crud. She would have to ponder it alone. Her musings were interrupted when Aiden grabbed the man by the chest and aimed the gun point blank. A clanking of wood against wood sounded next to her when Arthur dropped a picture frame. Teagan picked it up curiously, wondering how dangerous the Hunter could be if he handed over portraits to a stranger. She let out a small gasp when her eyes scanned the image. That was….her? And on Art’s back? Yuki and Aiden seemed their normal selves, but her spot in the shot surprised her. Never before had she ridden on someone’s back. In her stubbornness about her height, not even her closest friends and relatives were granted that privilege. Aiden had mentioned that this could’ve been made in photoshop, but Teagan knew that a picture was usually needed as a reference to start. And at no time in the past had she ever posed like that. Slowly, the time travel theory became more compelling. Beyond the question of how they arrived there, another took form: what had her relationship been with Art?

[Yuki]

Aiden had a point. Although...Yuki had not noticed that Arthur harbored romantic feelings towards Teagan. Had they known each other long? Disregarding that comment and focusing on the more pressing manner of discovering what the man before them was, she tightened her grip on the gun, and reached for the knife which she had put in her pocket. She wasn't sure what he was, but it occurred to Yuki that if the gun didn't harm him, the silver knife would.

As the man spoke, Yuki coldy glared at him. Of course it was the first time either of them had aimed a gun at the being--the first, and what would be the last if he didn't start explaining what had happened. "Arthur" was obviously trying to fool them, making it sound as if he was indeed an older version of the teenage Arthur they knew. And, of course, this situation was an "old hat" for the man. How many times had he eluded hunters at point blank? From his reaction, it must've been multiple, for he handled their aggressive manuever with little surprise. Yuki maintained her gaze upon him, analyzing his every move, and watched cautiously as he wiped the dust off a picture. What is he doing?

As the man approached them, Aiden briefly glanced at it, and retorted that it was probably made with the computer program, Photoshop. Yuki was curious as to what was contained in the picture, though she deduced that the man was probably trying to confuse them even more, making his impression of Arthur seem realistic. But how could a picture prove that? Yuki was positive they had never taken any together. The man didn't even have his facts straight.

She watched from the corner of her eye as Teagan gasped. Honestly, how convincing could it be? Impatient, Yuki took steps back without removing her aim at the being, and looked at the picture that was still held in the hands of a shocked Teagan. In the photo, she and Aiden were sitting on a bench, while Teagan was mounted upon Arthur's back. It was an odd sight, and it was clear from the girl's expression that she wasn't close enough friends with Arthur to do such a thing. Yuki looked at herself on the bench. She had never been there before, she was sure of it. She could have definitely been placed in the picture with photoshop. The photo had to be a fake. Aiden spoke, threatening the being to explain himself. Dismissing the picture, Yuki returned to her original place and focused on aiming at the man before them.