Smells Like Teen Spirit

[Teagan]

"I don't care if he said not to follow. Whatever the hell just happened to him is not something anyone should have to figure out alone." Even if he did have a clue, as the demon had hinted before death, and hadn't mentioned anything to them. "We shouldn't expect him to tell us everything, right? I mean, neither of you know anymore about my background than pertains to training. And it's not like you go around sharing your life story either. It takes a day's work to get anything more than a sarcastic or demeaning comment out of you!" Teagan impulsively took a step forward before realizing exactly who she was yelling at, and how much of a world of pain she would be in if said person took it the wrong way.

She stepped back and sent Yuki a glare before removing her sweatshirt. The amount of water it had collected would only slow her down, weighing heavily against her skin. Teagan tossed it behind her to the base of the door. The rain beat against her skin and slid across her arms, no longer barred by fabric, but the girl didn't care.

With firm determination, she started heading in the direction Aiden had run off. She would find him alone, if that's what needed to happen. An image of his blood red eyes flashed in her mind. But would she be able to do it by herself? What would happen if he slipped into that primitive mode again? As much as she hated to admit it, she needed Yuki. Teagan turned back, the anger vanishing. "Look," she finally confessed. "Aiden ran after me back in Keystone after Art told me about the supernatural. I had run away from the place I was supposed to be an thrust into a world that freaked me out. Despite the fact I didn't want anyone to follow, I needed someone to. Because otherwise...." Her eyes darkened. "Otherwise I don't know what I would've done with my life. Gone to school and died by werewolf or something.

"It was never about what I wanted, but what I needed, and he realized that and chased after me. And right now? Right now he needs us." Teagan searched Yuki's eyes, letting her know exactly how important this was. "And please don't give me a crap about the rain, because it didn't stop him before and it's not going to stop us. Every second we waste talking he gets farther ahead. Will you please come with me?"

[Yuki]

What did she...what did she just say?!

Yuki stared back at the girl, in utter shock. No one had ever talked to her in that manner. No friend, acquaintance, peer, teacher--not even her mother--had ever used that tone with her. The girl took a step forward, and Yuki furrowed her eyebrows, simultaneously incredulous, yet perplexed. As Teagan stepped back and sent her a glare, Yuki thought for sure she would be enraged with the girl. She should have been furious. Who the hell did that child think she was? And yet, as the girl threw her sweatshirt to the ground and ran off in the same direction as Aiden, she didn't feel angry with her at all. She was, in fact...impressed.

The rain beat down on Yuki, her jacket feeling heavy and cold against the bare skin of her arms underneath. The puddle she stood in was steadily increasing in depth, causing the bottom of her jeans to absorb the water, which was now dripping into her boots. Yuki stared after the girl, now a couple feet away, unsure of how to proceed. She was pissed at Aiden for leaving them. But...if she had been in his situation, would she not have had the same reaction? Yuki bit her lip in thought. Why was she so angry? Surely, the most important factor in the situation was to find him, gain information as to what had transpired and what in fact the demon was trying to relay to them. And his leave should not have been that unexpected--he needed time to be alone, to think, to process, to contemplate.

Teagan turned around, her expression much less fierce than it had been a minute or so ago. Yuki looked back, confusion washing over her. Why was she angry with Aiden, and not with the girl? She felt...proud that the girl had stood up to her?! And she was seeing reason in what she said. So what was it..?

Was it the fact that she trusted Aiden and Teagan, and Aiden had clearly been witholding information from them, hunting alone? Or was it that she felt like he had deserted them for his own selfish reasons, completely disregarding the two? When Teagan had left the faction, Yuki had understood--the girl was trying to change the future, prevent what was to happen by averting herself from the life of a hunter. Yuki knew it woudl have been a miracle if Teagan did not return to the faction. The lifestyle they had chosen, or rather, had been forced into was not one that could be abanonded so easily. But this...what was Aiden trying to escape, or prevent? And why wasn't he telling them about it? How could they trust their factionleader if he did not trust them?

She brushed off strands of wet hair from her face. Perhaps the sake is to blame for the spike in emotion. She closed her eyes in thought when the girl was finished. ...She was right. Teagan was right. Not that Yuki would never admit it aloud. But Aiden did need them. There was no need for the anger and frustration she felt, not now. She could be angry with him later. But right now...it was not the time. If they waited longer, it would only be harder to find him.

"Fine," was the curt reply she gave, and as Yuki stepped forward, she removed her jacket and tossed it next to Teagan's. She was too proud to confess she had been over-reacting, and Yuki hoped the girl understood her compliance to look for Aiden with her as her form of apology.

[Aiden]

The rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon, but that didn’t stopped the confused youth from sprinting at full speed through every puddle, up every muddy hill, or under every stream of water running off of a roof somewhere. He didn’t even know where he was going, there was no destination in mind, only to run, get away from Yuki and Teagan, and make sure that he wouldn’t hurt them.

He remembered exactly what happened, with stunning clarity. His mind, while overshadowed by whatever demonic characteristics that were imbedded in his blood, was unable to seize control back, and not only that, but he had hulked out! He had seen the fear in their eyes, and a part of the demon in him had intended on attacking them, ripping them apart and continuing the rampage. He wouldn’t let that happen.

And it suddenly all made sense, why in those past weeks of hunting Ariel those instances he played off as adrenaline rushes and other freak body processes were really his demon blood beginning to surface. A pang of guilt stabbed through him as he realized that he was heaving for air, indicating that he had been running for a while. Yuki and Teagan knew that he was trying to seek revenge, cold blooded retribution, without them. He had just told them about his family, and now this had come out. They were going to try to intervene, and he couldn’t let them. Ariel had some vendetta or something against him, and he couldn’t let them get tangled up in it, because she wouldn’t hesitate to kill them. And they weren’t going to be happy about that.

He stopped, in a dense thicket of trees. The rain here was thinned out due to the cover of the branches overhead, though the occasional dying leaf would give way, and more rain would reach the ground. Facing the tree, everything boiling up inside of him, all the confusion, and rage, and fear, and all of it became embodied in Aiden’s fist as it collided with the nearest tree. Again. Again. Again again again.

It wasn’t long after that he caught the sound of footsteps splashing through the same puddles he had moments ago, and he turned to see his factionmates. His hand stayed balled up on the tree, blood dripping down from the cuts on his knuckles.

“I…I don’t even…I have demon blood in me,” he panted, his tone wild. “I mean…I saw it. I saw you,” he said, looking at Teagan. “Hell, I’m something I make us hunt!” he yelled over the thunder. “I’m a monster, a supernatural being. You’re scared of me, and Ariel…Ariel is in Portland. I’ve known that for months, I’ve been trying to kill her. Yeah, those nights out scouting or tracking stuff? I was after her. I’ve been lying to you guys, and look where that got me.”

His fist slipped off of the wet bark, and his shoulders slumped. “I…..I don’t even know what to say. I’m sorry guys, I won’t blame you if you go home.” And by home, he meant not the tavern. That was compromised, too, apparently. The demons knew that the hunters were there. This was all one big mess.

[Teagan]

Her shoes sloshed through the puddles of mud, effectively drenching her shoes and rendering them into heavy weights. Teagan pressed on, unnoticing and uncaring. All that mattered at the moment was reaching Aiden.

To her relief, the faint sounds of Yuki’s footsteps echoed behind her. Good. This was how it was supposed to be; them working as a team. By themselves, they were nothing. Apart…well, summer camp proved to be a great example of what happened when they split up. The college fiasco too. Teagan picked up her pace, knowing that they needed to make up time they had lost arguing. The thick downpour prevented sight too far ahead, so Teagan focus on the melting footprints barely visible on the ground before her.

By the time the footprints showed signs of slowing down, Teagan couldn’t even tell where she was. The rain felt cool against her skin, mocking the heat she generated for nothing. Where was Aiden? “Yuki,” she panted, placing an arm against a tree. “Can you see him?” Her eyes darted left and right as she squeezed them, feeling her energy drain after the long night.

The mist started to dissolve, and suddenly there Aiden was, fist against the tree, bloodied. His voice cut through the darkness, competing with the volume of the rainfall. The primitive rampage left no trace but a deep despair clearly painted across his face. Teagan was torn by the raw emotion; she’d never wish anguish like this on her enemies, much less their faction leader. A shiver flew across her as Aiden glanced at her.

Demon blood? How was that even possible? A million questions ran through her mind, forcing her into silence as they flashed by. What did that mean for him? Was he really a monster like he claimed to be? But…but…he couldn’t be! Monsters were distinctively evil, and the hunters’ sole task was to protect humankind from said evil. Monsters hurt, killed, and destroyed, but Aiden didn’t do any of that. Unless ridding the world of demons, vampires, and other unnatural predators counted as the same cold blood killing he prevented. And then there was the matter with Ariel. The sting of betrayal still remained, but Teagan reminded herself of her earlier reasoning she drilled into Yuki: as the leader, he did have the right to keep some things from them if the matters weren’t pressing. As much as she wished for him to confide in them, Teagan refused to be angered by it.

Go home? Had she heard him right? “No, Aiden, we’re not going home.” She briefly wondered how long it would take the supernatural world to infiltrate Seattle. What would happen to her parents? To her friends? No way.

[Yuki]

Running behind Teagan with her drenched jeans and soaked hair, Yuki ignored every scratch and scrape that cut her skin as she paced through the trees. Her eyes darted about for any sign of Aiden, but it was near impossible to see anything, much less anyone through the density of the rain. Where was he now? What was Aiden hoping to accomplish in running away from them? Would he allow them near when they did find him? And what would happen if…well, if whatever had happened before happened again?

The girl spoke over the roar of the rain. “Can you see him?” she asked, looking wildly about her. Yuki squinted her eyes. Was that…a shadow? “There!” Yuki said, pointing in front of them. As they neared the figure, it became clear that the silhouette she had seen was indeed Aiden. Her eyes fell over their downcast faction leader. A cold shiver ran through Yuki’s spine. The blood on his knuckles mixed with the rainwater, making his hands appear a murky red. With dripping hair and ripped clothes, Aiden appeared completely disheveled. She felt a sudden impulse for her and Teagan to run to his side, to tend to his wounds, but something about the way he stood told her that he may not want them near. His voice came out, distraught, angry, confused, hurt.

Demon blood. Thoughts whirled through her head, over and over again. What…how did he have demon blood in him? Why hadn’t he told them? Why hadn’t he told them anything? They could’ve helped him. They could’ve searched for a way to get rid of it—the demon blood. There had to be a way. There had to be a way to stop that…that transformation from occurring from being released. They could’ve done something about it if had just just told them. Was Ariel the one who did this? Was he set on revenge, not only because she was the one responsible for the death of his family, but also because she was the one who caused this demon blood condition?

Whatever the cause, there was one thing Yuki was certain of: Aiden was not a monster. He was not one of the creatures they hunted—no, he was nothing like them. They killed in cold-blood, without reason. They attacked and acted upon instinct, for the sake of fulfilling their own selfish desires. Aiden did not. He protected, he led. Along with her and Teagan, they defended those without defenses, those who were unaware of the true monsters of the world. The being that arose earlier, the one that had almost attacked them—Aiden was within it, contained. It wasn’t him. It just wasn’t.

But what could they do to help? They would find a way. They had to. Aiden lowered his fist away from the tree.

Home? Home? The way he had said it—he…he didn’t mean the tavern. For her, he meant Japan. Okinawa—“home.” She looked down, staring at the floor silently. There was nothing there for her anymore. A couple months ago, if he had given her some certainty that her mother was safe, along with the opportunity to return, she wouldn’t have doubted the offer for even a second. But now? Too much had happened in Portland. She couldn’t return to Okinawa, to the temple life, to get a job, mediocre in comparison to what her occupation was now. At least here, she was doing something worthwhile. She wouldn’t return just because of some incident like this.

Suddenly, Yuki looked up at him, and narrowed her eyes. Did he…did he want them to leave? After everything they had gone through?! Did he not get it?! How many times had they said it?! They were a team. T-E-A-M. What was the use in any of them facing things alone when they were unstoppable together?! Yuki clenched her fists. The fool! How dare he even suggest that they leave?!

“BAKA YARO!”

She marched over to Aiden and grasped his shoulder firmly, forcing him to turn around. It took all her strength to stop herself from slapping him.“You stupid idiot ! What the hell are you saying?! If you think we’re going anywhere without you, after we ran after you through the pouring rain and got bruises and cuts, as well as drenched clothes, you’re sadly mistaken! You think you can get rid of us that easily?! You think we’d just leave you here?! You know what?! I almost did! But then Teagan over there convinced me otherwise, because she made me realize that you’re acting out of fear, and from what you’ve been saying, it’s obvious you don’t realize what’s really going on! We are afraid, perhaps, but so are you! And now we’re here to help, and now you try and send us away?! We want to provide you the strength to face this, we’re not just going to leave! I don’t know about Teagan, but I could care less if you have this so-called “demon blood.” We’ll find a way to get rid of it! We’ll help you overcome it, but not ALONE! You fool, we’re not going home without you!”

Yuki stepped back and crossed her arms, giving him a hardened stare. Baka!

Behind her, Teagan stood blankly scratching her head with her hand. “What she said,” she agreed.

[Aiden]

The end of his rant had kind of been a cop out, because no matter how much Aiden wanted them to stay, he couldn’t really blame them for all the months of work that had been ruined in one night. Why should he not blame them for being scared? He was super strong, super fast, bulked up, like an animal. And the animal almost attacked Teagan, but somehow, some way, Aiden had pulled himself out of the demon state and ran off before it resurfaced. Luckily it didn’t, and he remained…human, he guessed he would deem the term.

However, his offer for them to leave apparently showed what he hoped for, that the idea of a faction had been ingrained within all of them, and that they were now unified. Neither of them showed fear in their eyes, in fact, with that comment the looks went from sympathetic with a hint of confusion to irritated…and with Yuki, downright fuming. The rain almost evaporated off of her with the ferocity of her anger. They weren’t going home, but he didn’t expect Yuki to charge him and seize his shoulder. He almost expected her to slap him, and his hand was ready to wrap around her wrist if that happened.

Her words seared through him, it was basically a scolding that he would give one of them. Deep down he was…honored that they felt that way, although, the fact that Yuki did consider leaving didn’t. But Teagan had showed Yuki that it was out of fear, a statement that Aiden himself was still trying to deny. Aiden didn’t get scared, he was the fearless faction leader! But he was scared out of his mind right now, because he didn’t want to hurt them. He could care less what happened to him, as long as the other two survived.

The only other problem that Aiden had with her speech was that she made the demon blood sound like some sickness that they could get rid of, and he knew that once things calmed down, and that awkward stage had passed, he would have to explain that there wasn’t a cure for it. He’d read about it in the past, and he knew that it wasn’t any normal affliction. Unless some miracle from above occurred—which it wouldn’t, since angels and the like didn’t exist—there was no curing it, and they needed to know that.

Still, by the end of Yuki’s speech, he couldn’t control the laugh that bubbled up out of him into the open. It continued for a few seconds before he looked at Teagan and smiled weakly. “I think that this is the nicest that she’s ever been to me,” he said before stepping forward, ignoring the throbbing in his hand.

“You guys really love me that much? Jeez, what’s wrong with you?” he joked, punching Yuki playfully in the shoulder with his good hand. “Fine, let’s go home…to the tavern, I mean. Not home, but---never mind. Anyone know the way back?”

Deep down, Aiden was still freaked out as hell.