Playtime's Over [Elle/CJ]

[Aiden]

DiMaggio's Orphanage.

The bright light burned Aiden's eyes when he flipped his phone open, reading the small time stamp on the message. "I know you're all happy that I'm your man again, but seriously Casey, some sleep would be nice."

The spreading of Malcolm's ashes served as an epiphany for the faction leader of Portland. Since then, they gained two members, and things were back on track. They weren't dealing with heavy personal drama, and Aiden was considerably happier. But it wasn't just the attitudes that changed, but the morale, too. Because they were up two members, he was now aware that he was running one of the biggest factions now, only tied with Austin. Not only that, but Elle was already an established hunter, so that eliminated training time by half.

Training with CJ was something of a comfort. Even though Aiden was pretty much past all of the deaths in his life, CJ went through very much the same thing. They were able to relate to each other, instead of simply being called moody or bipolar. By now he knew that CJ believed people to pity him, but not Aiden. Aiden sympathized with him, and he hoped that if there was one person that CJ could trust, it would be him.

Duties were divided now, especially since they were back in their original game. Teagan was in charge of finding tips and following up on said tips in an attempt to locate the Winchesters. Yuki was taking the lead on hunts, finding them and organizing them (who was going, and when) while Aiden was following up on leads with Art, and training CJ. Elle, since she was new, was sort of at the disposal of whoever needed her. She was smart and because of her ability to adapt in a situation, Aiden wasn't keeping her rooted in one spot.

It was about the time when he sat Teagan and Yuki down to tell them about the changes in the faction that Casey began texting him again. The first time he heard from the man wasn't actually a text, but a phone call. Granted the voice was changed, Aiden could easily tell that, but it caught him way off guard nonetheless. "For a while I was beginning to think it was time to give up on you. I'm satisfied to see that you've seen the light. Just remember, you help me, I help you." After that a steady stream of jobs and tips came in, reminding him that Casey was watching them in more than a stalkeresque fashion.

So a few hours later, after falling back asleep and continuing to rest, Aiden shuffled downstairs and cracked open his laptop at the bar. DiMaggio's Orphanage quickly came up in the most recent posts, because there was some sort of virus going around the building that was making kids sick, sick enough to fall into comas. They were getting help from the local hospitals, and it was something in the early stages.

It wasn't actually an orphanage; as CJ would know, the orphanages in the United States were phased out starting in the 1950's and were replaced by adoption and foster care agencies. Pretty much when a kid was an orphan, there wasn't much of a wait before they were with a family. As he researched, he found that the building kept it's name, and was actually an adoption agency with the title of DiMaggio's Adoption Agency, and the building they renovated for business was once an orphanage.

All that aside, it was quickly apparent what was going on. When the kids came in and out to meet families or return to foster families, they were running into a shtriga along the way. "Awesome," Aiden said dryly, remembering his last run in with a shtriga--shtrigas and summer camp and Teagan nearly dying. Yeah. Fun.

Aiden had a feeling that Casey purposely gave him this job because he knew that Aiden would take, and that CJ would probably advocate taking it if there was any doubt. CJ and Elle didn't know it, but Aiden had a soft spot for kids in trouble, and would usually take any job involving them right away. Now it was a matter of organization.

Over time Aiden realized that playing it by ear from the start was generally a bad idea, and started to plan things accordingly. For this, he would bring Elle and CJ along, so CJ could get some exposure, but there was some more use for Elle being there. Yuki and Teagan would stay behind and keep up with their assigned jobs.

It first involved explaining things to the two, because they obviously needed to weed out who the shtriga could be. He and Elle would pose as a couple, young yes, interested in adopting a young child. Their ID's and paperwork would reveal they were actually older than they let on, in their late 20's. CJ would play Aiden's younger brother, tagging along to help them pick. Next, Elle called the agency to arrange a visit date, using her female ways to make sure it happened.

Lastly, it involved a drive down to the Los Angeles area of California. It took a day and a half, stopping at a hotel instead of driving straight through like a speed demon. They stopped at a local burger joint for lunch before, in order to plan. "Okay, so all of the workers have to be ok'd by the state, since its a big deal. I was able to get a list of the staff, and while I don't have their schedules, I'm guessing the majority will be there. Now shtrigas usually sleep, or well, hibernate, whatever you want to call it. That means they've either been working undercover, which I doubt, or they're new. Or, what I'm thinking, is that they aren't with the agency, but the janitorial staff or some secondary company within the building. An unknown that could have been "hired in" weeks ago. Now, only three kids have been affected, but that's not alright. We can't let any of these kids die."

"Here's the plan, unless you can come up with a better idea. We get a kid to visit, at least 10 years old or older, and talk them up enough so they're confident enough to show us around the place. As we're walking, talking, 'getting a feel for their personality,' one of us will break off and start talking to the staff, see if anyone new is there. That'll either be Elle or I, I'm thinking me just because kids usually feel more comfortable around a female. Elle, I know this is going to require more social interaction than meets your daily quota, but I've got to know you're in this, alright? Once we find out who it is, we either follow them home, or come back tomorrow and get them alone, take them out, and we're done. Souls will go back to the kids, they all go on living..." he was going to say happily, but he knew that wasn't true. "...their lives. How's that sound?"[/blockquote]

[CJ]

Although his new life was just plain peachy, CJ wasn't used to the whole freedom of things. Sure he now had much higher responsibility, what with learning the ways of a Hunter and keeping the peace among the normal folk, but at least he didn't have to worry about those pathetic excuses for parents that he always got stuck with. Life was awesome, which is why he frowned when Aiden told him they were going to an adoption agency. He shook his head at the idea of heading to one, much less on his own free will, but in the end he went along for the ride.

While on the road, CJ began reading up on shtrigas, so as he could have a better understanding of them. The more he read, the more his mind kept coming up with the same thought-Shtrigas are tricky bastards. Able to blend in with the crowd, having a soft spot for children, and completely invulnerable unless they were feeding. That last part brought an idea to his head that didn't need to be said out loud because everyone was probably already thinking it. They were going to need to use someone as bait. This thought just made CJ shudder.

The rest of the trip was taken with CJ reading up on different monsters and how to get rid of them. When they finally arrived at the burger joint where Aiden told them his plan, CJ sat quietly listening to every detail. So they were getting a 10 year old kid to help them out. CJ, seeing as he spent some time in an adoption agency, knew how to help out both Aiden and Elle.

"I'm good with your plan, but I'm going to help you out with it. For the kid, you're going to want a 10 year old boy. I'm not trying to sound sexist, but the boys in adoption agencies are usually less talkative then the girls, which means they will be able to help us around without wasting our time with unnecessary questions or dribble about their favorite food or what not. Now for the second company, we can ignore them completely. There is no way in hell an adoption agency will allow for a worker that isn't part of the adoption agency staff to get anywhere near the children, unless it's the janitorial staff. Technically they aren't allowed to get near the children, but they are allowed to walk around anywhere within the building."

CJ paused here, saying everything he had to say. There was no reason to go any further, especially into looking at the new staff members, because he agreed with Aiden on this point. New staff members, actually scratch that, new workers in any place were usually given the worst jobs that no one wants to do, and in an agency that meant helping out children with every little thing the child could not do.

The only little problem CJ had was all their fake documents. He didn't think they would fool anyone, but Aiden was doing this far longer than he was, so CJ trusted him with this. Plus, if anything actually happened that would get him arrested, CJ was going to hightail it out of there leaving only a puff of smoke where his body once was.

[Elle]

Elle leaned back in her chair, teetering on the back two legs. The lone ceiling fan of the burger joint twirled lazily, doing nothing to keep the California heat away. And yet, she didn't care. Elle had always preferred hot weather to cold. In the heat, she didn't quite notice how the hairs on the back of her neck were constantly raised. That was a feeling that she'd learned to both love and hate over the years. While it had proved helpful on many an occasion, it wasn't pleasant and it definitely didn't help when trying to trust new people. That was hard enough as it was. Sure, the Portland crew seemed like trustworthy, dedicated hunters. But how was Elle to know? She'd barely joined them. She didn't know anything about them beyond face value, which was admittedly how she liked it. The less you knew, the less you were affected when death hit. And death hit often in the hunting business.

Aiden explained the plan carefully, emphasizing the importance of every minute detail. Elle liked the way he talked. Clear and to the point. He didn't waste time with flowery words or unnecessary chit chat. His focus was on the mission at hand. Elle listened intently, absorbing and memorizing every word. She let her eyes drift closed, allowing her to block out any distractions. Everything had to go according to plan. As per usual, lives were at stake.

When Aiden addressed her, her eyes shot open again.

"I'm in," she said, without hesitation. "I'm antisocial, not heartless."

She shrugged awkwardly and looked to CJ, who was adding his two cents to the conversation. She hadn't really cared much to study the kid. He was small, a little dopey, and hadn't addressed her at all yet (as far as she could remember.) Where she was concerned, he was more a liability than an asset. He'd barely been training, whereas she and Aiden were both seasoned hunters. When trouble came along - and it always came along - she and Aiden would be able to handle the pressure. She was sure CJ would bolt. The look on his face during the part of the conversation relating to the forged documents told her that she was right. Elle hoped he'd prove her wrong, but ever the pessimist, the had low expectations.

As the conversation drew on, she began to get antsy. Never stay in one place too long. It makes you an easier target. She decided that something needed to be done and jumped in.

"Unless we have something else to discuss, I propose we head out." Elle extended her hand across the table to Aiden. "Ready to go, loverboy?"

[Aiden]

Aiden took an immediate liking to Elle once she joined the group. Her background in hunting was a plus, it eliminated a need for more hours of initial training. On top of that, and what caught Aiden's attention more, was that she was straight and to the point. No criticizing his plans like Yuki, no pranks mid-speech like Teagan. Sure those two were his best friends, but they took some getting used to, and Elle, well, she was mostly business.

CJ, however, was a different story; he still had some learning to do. "No, no, we want a good look at the place, a lot of time to observe the employees and make sure we have a grasp of the place. The kid doesn't matter, not as much as us getting them to show us around. We need to make them feel like they're showing us around, not that we're forcing them.

"But one of does definitely needs to slip off now, find the janitorial staff and talk to them. They're there nearly all day, you know kids; messy, spilling things, still learning hygiene. I'm thinking that you and Elle will stay with the kid--female influence, and CJ the kid that's just like them--while I go looking. This is going to be a little tricky, so please, let's keep this as smooth as possible."

He crumpled up a wrapper and placed it on the tray in front of him once he finished his food. "That brings us to the nasty bit of business; luring the shtriga out. We've got to be in there tonight, wherever the kids are staying..." Aiden paused for a moment. "On second thought, maybe it's a foster parent. This is going to be complicated."

He drummed his fingers on the table, and then looked at the both of them. "Okay, here's what we'll do. Get in, follow the plan using the kid to show us around. I'll slip off, talk to some people. I'll find out who the last few people were to come in contact with the kid who most recently got sick. There's got to be some sort of pattern here."

After they finished their food, they drove over to the building, only for Aiden to slow his speed down the street, looking at the scene before him. FDA, Poison control, and various other agencies were parked outside, with a group of people looking on. "Or we go to plan B," Aiden said under his breath, reaching over and pulling the glove compartment open. He pulled out three leather books, and then grabbed a stack of fake ID's. After searching through them for a moment, he shoved three ID's into the books, and then handed Elle and CJ theirs.

"Adam Cobb, Jane Baldwin, and Eric Edlund," he said, the last name said with a gesture towards himself. "We're with the CDC, so CJ, act your age." He got out of the car, and approached the line of officers standing in front of the crowd. "Eric Edlund, CDC. These are my partners," he introduced.

"You don't look like CDC."

"Not everyone is suit and ties, buddy. We need mobility in this field. Look, all we want to do is get inside so we can make sure these kids are safe, alright?"

"Sure, right. Go on through."

Aiden stepped through the space that opened up, and up the steps, holding onto the bag that was marked as medical supplies. Once they were inside, he looked at CJ, knowing Elle would realize this. "Make sure you keep that badge with you in case anyone asks for ID, alright? Some might think you belong here...grow some facial hair while you're at it," he joked, a sly grin on his face.

"Alright, let's split up and talk to the employees that are in here. Shtriga might be around."

[CJ]

So they headed out to the Agency with the plan in their heads, ready to set it in motion, when all of a sudden the view of, what seemed to be five hundred people, came into plain sight. Wonderful! thought CJ sarcastically. Now what were they going to do? With all these people around, they couldn't just walk inside like nothing was going on. He turned to Aiden to ask what they were going to do know, but it seemed like Aiden already had something in mind. Sure enough, CJ was handed a book, and when inspecting it realized there was a fake ID in there. His first fake ID, the feeling was wonderful, or at least it would have been if he was using it to get into a club and not an Agency to hunt a shtriga.

Now that the plan had changed, and they had actually walked inside the Agency (who knew that would actually work!) it was time to start investigating. He nodded to Aiden when he told him to keep his ID with him at all time, and completely ignored the grow facial hair comment. If he doesn't respond to it, it never happened, plus it wasn't his fault he couldn't grow any facial hair, he blamed genetics.

So CJ left the herd to go and look for clues. While walking around, he tried to study any individual in order to try and figure out if they were behaving strangely. Nope, none of them were. They all seemed to be normal, working individuals with no strange behavior at all, but he knew that one of them wasn't human, he just didn't know which one. CJ ended up in front of a door that read Vanessa Kudrow. CJ shrugged to himself and walked in.

The office was like any other office that could be seen. There was a desk with a computer on it, certain personal items, paper neatly organized, and a women with eyes that seemed to be scanning CJ, as if judging him just for the way he looked. CJ took a quick look around the room to make sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and then approached the woman.

"Hello Ms. Kudrow," CJ held out a hand for her to shake, "My name is Adam Cobb and I'm here with the CDC in order to get to the bottom of these mysterious ailments."

Ms. Kudrow raised an eyebrow. "Well, Mr. Cobb, I'll need to see some identification from you if you would be so kind." CJ gladly reached into his leather book and pulled out the ID that Aiden had given him, and passed it on to Ms. Kudrow. She studied it, handed it back to CJ, and gestured for him to sit down, which CJ kindly accepted. "Mr. Cobb, How can I help you today?"

"As I told you, I'm from the CDC and I'm here with my colleagues investigating this sudden outbreak. Now, I need to ask you what it is you do here?"

"I have no clue why my job here has anything to do with the sick children? Are you trying to say that I somehow got these children sick?" CJ laughed at her question. He didn't mean to, but she was just so serious when asking it that it blurted out of him. He calmed himself down and regained his composure.

"Sorry about that, it's just that your question came out of the blue. No, the reason I ask you this question is to find out how much contact you have with these children in order to find out if the disease they have can be passed on through human touch."

"Oh! In that case, my job here is to organize and record all the information of the children that pass through here. I record all their personal information, when they arrived here, if they were adopted or sent to a foster home, to which foster home or adopted parents they left with, and if they need any special attention at all."

"Tell me, when you do all this, are you ever in front of the child?"

"No, Mr. Cobb I'm not. The only way I actually see that child is through a picture that they send me."

"All right then, thank you for your time." CJ stood up to leave, but Ms. Kudrow's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mr. Cobb, you did not ask me anything about the children that are sick?" Crap! She's right! Now what was CJ going to do? Thankfully he had his back turned or Ms. Kudrow could tell right away that he was freaking out from his facial expression. He got it! Now to find out if his lie would work.

CJ turned around, this time with a smile replacing his freaked out expression. "I didn't ask because it isn't part of my department. I'm only here to see if outside sources have any contact with the child, and if they show any abnormal symptoms." Ms. Kudrow thought about this for awhile, which worried CJ, but then she just nodded her head, and CJ left.

From what she told him, she couldn't have any contact with the children at all, but this could be a lie. Seeing as she knows when they enter and when they leave, there is a possibility that she could be the shtriga. So CJ texted this idea over to Aiden and left to find another person to investigate.

[Elle]

Elle held her fake ID confidently. It wan't like she hadn't done this a hundred times over, right? Besides, if anything went south, she had her trusty gun safely tucked away. Humans? They were no problem. Shtriga, on the other hand... She pushed the thought out of her mind, attempting to focus. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Aiden smooth talked their way into the building with ease. Elle raised an eyebrow at him as they entered, impressed. The boy was good at what he did, she'd give him that.

"Showtime," she whispered, nudging him softly before walking off in the opposite direction from CJ.

Poor kid. She had a sneaking feeling that his inexperience would botch their whole operation. She could only hope for the best. But then, optimism never had been her strong point. Fingers crossed, he wouldn't get himself killed. And heaven help him if he were the one to find the shtriga first.

The agency was cold and dispassionate. Elle could feel the resentment from the children and staff alike steeping in the walls. It made her want to shiver, but she kept her composure and searched for someone she could talk to. Right turn, twenty feet, then left corridor. She kept track of her location, noting the potential escape routes. If there was one thing her life had taught her, it was to have an exit strategy. Always.
Finally, she came upon a lone wooden door with the placard: Adrian Callaway, Nurse. The nurse's office, hm? What better place for a shtriga to hole up?

Elle straightened her shirt, double checked that her badge, and raised a hand to knock on the door. She didn't make it that far. Before she could move, something heavy hit her across the top of the head and her world went black.

[Aiden]

CJ went one way, and Elle went another. There were a couple of ways he could go, but he was planning carefully. There were no kids, so their descriptive minds were out of the picture. The CDC and other agencies were around, not to mention that the press was banging on the front door trying to be the first to get the story by this point. Straightening his jacket, Aiden decided that he would go forward, looking between a group of three people ahead of him. Two females, one male. All mid thirties. Exhausted looking. And by the looks of things, they answered so many questions they weren't even paying attention to who was asking them now.

Aiden walked up, pulling out his badge for a quick flash. "I'm with the CDC. Can any of you describe the symptoms of the kids for me?" He figured a direct question would get him his answer the quickest.

"Well I'm one of the health supervisors. I help with meals while the kids spend the day here. Nothing's changed, the meal plans are the same."

"So the kids came and went, and just fell into comas on their own?" he asked, skeptical.

"Comas? Where on earth did you hear that?" asked the second woman. "For the CDC, you sure are uninformed. They haven't been in any comas. They're pretty sick, but they're all still conscious. I think one is about to go comatose they're so sick, but that would be induced on the doctor's part."

"Oh, right. They're calling in back up, I got the brief, brief version of the story. But I am sure that there was a report saying that a child died, something about damage to their liver? Can you tell me about that?"

"Yeah...Katrina. She was a sweet girl. The doctors did an autopsy when she passed, to, you know, study the virus and its effects. They said it destroyed the liver, just ate it up."

His gaze dropped, his eyes searching the air for an answer. There was no way that this was a shtriga, but he had heard something like this before. What was it? Where? When?

"Thanks," he got out, walking away. His head was still lost. Not a shtriga. Not a vampire. Not a werewolf. Not a Crier. No demon, no ghost. Ghost sickness? Nah, this sounded methodical, planned. He went over the black book of creatures he hunted with Malcolm, but nothing was coming up. Maybe he could call Bobby? There was no answers the past few times that he called, though. Jeff? Maybe.

Something hard hit his shoulder, and he quickly looked up into the faces of two more women. Both looked worn down, and one had bloodshot eyes upon meeting his gaze. "Oh, you're with the CDC," one of them said, looking at the badge that was tucked inside Aiden's pocket. "How long until this is over?"

"We're looking into it right now, I'm afraid I can't tell you how long."

"I doubt it'll be much longer," the woman with the bloodshot eyes said. "They've been at it for days, I mean, how many ways are there to find the source of an illness?"

"That's true, I don't understand why they keep making us show up to work when we're not even doing anything but answering the same questions over and over. I think you're right, it shouldn't last much longer."

"Sorry for running into you ladies, but I've got work to do, so if you'll excuse me..." Aiden said quickly, brushing past them and pulling out his phone. This wasn't a shtriga. Not by any means. This meant they had to change their hunting plan, because right now they weren't outfitted for whatever it was they were hunting. First he dialed Elle's number, but got no response.

A minute later, he heard the other line pick up. "CJ, hey its me. Have you seen Elle? I need to talk to you guys and she isn't answering," he explained quickly. "Listen, just meet me by the front doors and I'll tell you whats up while we look for her," Aiden added, heading back to the lobby.

[CJ]

"Ma'am, do you have a...never mind. Sir, a moment of...yeah well screw you too." The hall was busy with people, walking back and forth, going in and out of rooms, and none of them were noticing CJ at all. He scowled at them for ignoring him and decided to continue on his way until he found someone else to interview.

CJ's quest to find another person to interview was a failure. Everywhere he went people were busy, and the only person that didn't look busy (which was a janitor) gave him the finger! Sheesh, people these days could be such jerks, but it could have been CJ's fault. Screaming out "Hey Jumpsuit!" was probably not the most intelligent thing to do. CJ was about to give up when his phone rang. It was Aiden, and that could mean they found something out. CJ answered his phone and heard what Aiden had to say.

CJ hung up and headed for the front door. Elle was missing? CJ wondered what could have happened to her, if anything happened to her at all. It could just be that her phone has no signal and that's why she's not answering. It was a possibility, and a much better one then the other things going through CJ's mind. The thoughts kept him so busy that CJ didn't notice when he made it to the front entrance. He looked around and saw Aiden.

"All right, what's going on?" CJ jumped straight to the point after approaching Aiden. If something was going down, then there was no time to kill.

[Aiden]

In minutes he was back in the lobby with CJ. He tried Elle's phone once more on the way, just to make sure, and again there was no answer. It went straight to voice mail. He approached the younger hunter, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, either she isn't answering, or the monster has her. Either way, I'm not happy," he said quietly. "I know enough to say that whatever this thing is, its smart. It's purposely making the kids sick, probably to get more access to them. One is dead out of the dozens that are sick, and the damage to the liver is the key factor here."

He paused, pacing a little in front of CJ. Most of the time he knew what he was dealing with, but this? This was something new. He stopped when he heard one of the real officials in the building approach his commanding supervisor. "The second victim is out of autopsy. The virus is going for the heart, too. Pretty much all eaten up, and it split the skin wide open."

He looked at CJ. "C'mon, let's go to the car. I need my laptop." He pushed CJ towards the front door, and walked down the crowded sidewalks to the Camaro. He slid in, reached beneath his seat, and cracked the laptop open. He hacked into the agency's wifi--a trick he picked up from Miles--and then opened up his browser. It wasn't completely reliable, but it would give him a vague idea of what they were facing.

Monster feeds on children eats livers hearts. Nothing related came up, just sites with strands of what he typed in. He drummed his fingers next to the mouse pad, trying to think. Suddenly, he added two words to the search. Blood shot eyes. After that, links for Philippine folklore came up.

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After the young man walked away, the woman bade farewell to her coworker, and walked around a corner, slipping into a room and facing the girl before her. This was no CDC agent, this was a hunter. The fake badge said it all. For years she was careful in her methods, and now hunters were showing up. She locked the door, and approached the younger woman, who was bound to a chair with a piece of fabric tied around her mouth.

"You're going to tell me how you found me, and after that, I'm going to eat that heart of yours," she hissed, pulling out a knife and running it across the hunter's knuckles.

[CJ]

CJ waited patiently as Aiden tried to make contact with Elle again, but still no luck. Where could she be? CJ thought that the person who was going to get captured or lost was him, seeing as he had as much experience at hunting as a newborn, but not Elle. This was starting to get much more bothersome than CJ expected.

CJ also overheard the officials talking about the autopsy of the dead child. From what Aiden told him and from what he overheard, these children were dying because there organs were being eaten? CJ couldn't remember everything about the shtriga, but he was pretty sure organs were not on their list of favorite foods. So what the hell were they hunting?

"I can walk you know!" CJ side stepped Aiden and walked behind him. He might be new at hunting, but walking was second nature to him, and CJ didn't need anyone pushing him. When they arrived to the Camaro, CJ got in and watched as Aiden searched for whatever they were hunting. CJ was impressed at Aiden's hacking skills, but what surprised him the most were the words bloodshot eyes. Did Aiden know something that CJ didn't? Not a very smart question, of course Aiden knew things CJ didn't. Looking back at the laptop, CJ saw sites for Philippine folklore. Philippine's? The last time CJ checked, they were in Los Angeles and not the Philippines. Nevertheless, the first search caught CJ's attention.

"Aswang? Is that what we're hunting?"

[Elle]

Elle came to abruptly, head splitting and ears ringing. She knew better than to cry out from the pain, but it hit her so quickly, she couldn't stifle a muffled groan. She realized immediately that someone had gagged her. It felt like a strip of fabric. Maybe a strip of t-shirt. She could taste the coppery tang of blood in it. A bubble of panic rose in her.

Focus, she ordered herself. Calm down and focus.

She did a quick mental inventory of her body. Everything ached. She could feel sticky blood running down her neck and shoulder, matting her hair and gluing it to her skin. She assumed it was from the head wound that most likely came from when she was hit over the head with...what? A frikking 2x4? However, everything seemed to be in one piece.

Once she was sure that she had full control of her emotions, Elle forced her eyes open with full expectations of seeing the worst. But when her eyes focused and she carefully looked around, she saw...nothing. She was in what looked like a hospital room, albeit a run down one. Plain, greyish walls and one small cot behind her. She was duct taped to an ancient looking wooden chair in the corner opposite the door. There were no windows.

Elle's mind began to race, her practical gears finally coming to life. She needed to get out of the room and find Aidan. Together, they could take down whoever, or whatever, was terrorizing this place.

Or you could be bait, a small voice in the back of her mind volunteered. Just stay here. You know Aidan'll find you. It'd be better to keep the thing stationary, right?

Elle frowned. She didn't like being that team member. Inactivity didn't work for her. But theoretically, the voice in her head was right. Before she could make a decision, though, the door creaked open. A woman slipped in and shut it quietly behind her. Elle surveyed her carefully while the woman walked towards her very slowly.

"You're going to tell me how you found me," the woman hissed softly, pulling a knife out of her pocket. Elle lifted her head defiantly. The woman chuckled. "And after that, I'm going to eat that heart of yours."

[Aiden]

Bloodshot eyes was apparently the key. When you had almost a decade of experience, things that weren't every day tended to end up helping you along in some fashion. The woman had no reason to be so tired; if the building was closed for the past few days pending interviews and investigations, there was no way that they were keeping the employees there that late, or bringing them in that early. Not only that, but they just weren't naturally bloodshot, it was heavier, but subtly. Like crossroad's demon red.

He read over the information. Salt burnt their skin--good, they had that at least. But how did you dispose of one? His eyes scanned over the information before moving on to another site. This wasn't even reliable, but they were short on time. Salt. Check. To kill an aswang one must stake or burn it. Either was a viable way at the moment, because they always had a lighter and lighter fluid. But a stake might be the better route, since it wouldn't create any alarms in the building.

He closed the laptop and threw it under the seat, flung himself out of the car, and around to the trunk. He pulled a latch, and the siding on the trunk popped off on one side to reveal tools neatly organized. He pulled off two stakes, handed one to CJ, and then grabbed two small containers of salt.

"Salt to make sure we've got the right monster, stake it in the heart if you can. Top priority is getting Elle out alive." He tucked the stake beneath his jacket, put the container in his pocket, and then set off back towards the door. If CJ felt like he was moving fast, it was because he was. Never had he lost a team mate on a hunt, and Malcolm was the only loss he was going to accept in this field.

He flashed his badge, reentered the building, and then motioned CJ to the left. It was going to be a process of checking rooms, but how long could it take? She was in the building, it would be too obvious bringing a body out of it.

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The woman approached Elle, rolling her head on her neck. "I was doing so well at covering this all up, or so I thought. How was I supposed to know the chemists would figure out that formula? Nevertheless, time to put an end to this charade and move somewhere else." She adjusted her grip on the knife, grabbed the girl's arm, and drew the blade across her bicep.

"I've got a lot more of that if you don't tell me how you guys figured me out. Or I can rip your heart out while you're watching. Your pick." She placed the knife on Elle's cheek, and tilted her head. "I'm not a patient person, hunter. And I've got a craving for blood right now. I'd suggest talking."

[CJ]

After taking the supplies Aiden had handed him, CJ took precaution to hide them in a way where they didn't seem too visible to the naked eye. After this was done, CJ followed Aiden back into the building. Once inside the building, CJ took a quick look around to see if anyone had bloodshot red eyes, but no one did. CJ's glimpsed over at Aiden, and noticed his cue to go left and headed over.

Walking down the hallway was taking longer then expected. CJ opened every door he walked by, excused himself when the individual did not have any of the characteristics of the Aswang, and continued on his way. It took less than five minutes to do all this, but it felt like an eternity. Every second that was wasted was another second where something could happen to Elle, and CJ needed to hurry up.

There was only one door left before he had to turn the corner. The door looked like every other one in the building (except it had the words Storage Room painted on it), but the sense of dread coming from it made CJ hesitate. After gathering his courage, CJ reached for the doorknob and turned...to find out that it was locked. Weird, why would anyone want to close the storage room?

"Is there a Janitor in there? We have a mess happening and there is no one around to clean it up, so I suggest that you hurry up and get the hell outside and do your job," CJ said after knocking on the door.

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"A quiet one huh. Well let's see how quiet you really are when your heart is beating on the outside." With this, the Aswang took the knife and was ready to cut into the nuisance of a hunter when she heard the knock on the door. Growling to herself, she slipped the knife into her sleeve, gagged the hunter so she wouldn't be able to speak, and slipped outside.

"What do you want, can't you see I'm busy?!"

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Staring at CJ was a woman with the reddest eyes he had ever seen before in his life. Jackpot! Before doing anything, CJ knew he needed backup, and so he tried something that was probably kind of stupid.

"Your not a janitor, seeing as you're clearly not dressed as one, and your eyes are red as hell. Are you drugged? You know it's a against the law and this company's policy to do drugs right?"

"I'm not drugged, I just haven't been getting a good night's sleep. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm busy right now." Anyone with half a mind could tell that the woman was extremely agitated, and CJ was forcing himself to keep a straight face and not laugh at this.

"Hold on, if you really aren't drugged as you say, then you wouldn't mind if my supervisor comes along would you?" CJ told the Aswang, with his phone out ready to call Aiden.

The Aswang was getting desperate, she couldn't leave that hunter in there for long. Someone else could come, walk inside, and notice a woman tied up to a chair. She could take care of the guy in front of her, but the same problem of someone coming stopped her from doing anything-so she decided to humor him.

"Fine, call your damn supervisor, but make it quick."

CJ hit the send button and waited for the call to connect. Once it did, he jumped straight into the topic.

"Sir, you better come down here to the left side of the building in front of the Supply Closet. I just apprehended a woman with eyes that look as if they were drugged." With this, CJ hung up. There was no need to say anymore, and hopefully Aiden understood what he was trying to say.

"There, you're finished. Now I'm going back inside if you don't mind." As she turned around, CJ grabbed a handful of the salt Aiden had given him and flung it at the back of her neck. Where the salt made contact came a nice sizzle of the skin burning.

The Aswang turned around and hissed out the word hunter. CJ was in trouble, but all he needed to do was buy time until Aiden showed up.

[Elle]

The aswang drew her blade across Elle's arm. Blood gushed freely from the wound. Elle winced. That was going to need stitches.

"I've got a lot more of that if you don't tell me how you guys figured me out. Or I can rip your heart out while you're watching. Your pick." She dragged the tip of the knife across Elle's cheek, the cool of the metal sending shivers down her spine. The sharp blade brought out a thin line of blood. "I'd suggest talking."

Elle stared up at the aswang defiantly. They both knew she had no intention of talking. The real question was whether Elle would be tortured before murdered. The aswang drew her blade up in the air, preparing to strike. Elle closed her eyes, hoping for a last second miracle.

That miracle came in the form of a knock on the door.

"Damn it," the aswang swore under her breath. She tied a piece of cloth tightly around Elle's mouth, being none too gently about it. "I'll be back. Enjoy your extra minute of life." She cackled as she slid the knife up into her sleeve and headed for the door.

The second the aswang was gone, Elle leapt into action. Her arms had been taped down, but her feet hadn't. It only took a second to get to her feet and swing the chair as hard as she could against the cot. It splintered and fell to pieces with only one blow. Elle grinned. Her arms were still duct taped to pieces of wood, but the pieces were no longer connected by anything. In quick motions, she peeled away the tape and let the wood clatter to the ground. She searched the pile of rubble for a piece of wood sharp enough to use as a weapon. Picking one, she knelt behind where she knew she'd be obscured by the door and waited for the aswang's return. The doorknob began to turn. She readied her weapon.

[Aiden]

Aiden took the right, walking down a hallway that was crawling with reporters that somehow managed to make it inside the building. The reporters were basically grabbing any open employee in the building, so that left Aiden stuck trying to grab stragglers. Instead, he opted to check the rooms in the hallway, since they weren't being currently occupied. He slipped into one, did a quick search of the desk, and with no promising results aside from finding out that it was Stephanie from accounting's birthday on Friday, he slipped back out of the room and was ready to enter the next one when his phone rang.

It was CJ, it took him a second to realize that since he wasn't used to talking to him over the phone, but it was definitely CJ. Come to the left side of the building to the Supply Closet? Oh, wait, he found the aswang.

Crap. He would.

Aiden clicked the phone shut and spun on his heel, trying to move through the crowd as quickly as possible without alerting attention that would trap him there or cause a rush of reporters to follow. Once he was in the empty lobby, he sprinted over to the left side, down the hall, and stopped where a woman, the one he'd seen earlier, and CJ were standing outside a room, presumably the supply closet.

"What seems to be the issue here?" Aiden asked, but without continuing the charade he grabbed the stake hidden within his jacket, and plunged it downward. The aswang made some sort of noise that wasn't human, tumbled out of the way, and rolled towards the door. "I already killed your hunter friend, one down is good enough. Besides, you can't stop me!" it hissed, leaning against the door.

"CJ move!" Aiden yelled, lunging forward and trying for another stab, but the aswang was faster than he expected, grabbed his wrist, and twisted, causing him to release the stake. It clattered to the floor, and Aiden kneed the woman in the stomach in order to get her grip to release.

The aswang doubled over, and decided it was in her best interest to hide in the closet, where she could at least have a moment to draw her knife. She wrenched the door open, grabbed the piece of debris that brushed against her foot, and threw it at CJ before turning around to enter the room.