Darkness Brings Terrible Things

[Aiden]

The demon did in fact have a demanding presence in the room, he was sure that the humans failed to wrap their feeble minds around the technicalities of the hierarchies of Hell and the demons. Sure, there were the obvious things, like the black eyed demons, red eyed demons, and yellow, white, so on and so forth. That stuff was child's play. Black eyes could have so much more potential, and for a demon of his stature, those meat suits had better get out of his way. People to kill, lives to wreck, Hell to break loose, he had better things to be doing. However, killing the group of hunters that had taken residence in Portland was high on his list. Portland was often his playing ground, and no one else.

The two hunters were easy enough, flying through the crowds of now motionless demons. The one was actually bleeding out, dying. Splendid, really, although splendid didn't look like the word of use for the host that the demon was possessing. The man was built, muscles bulging in his arms. He stood square in the center of the room, well aware of any sort of devil's trap around him. No salt lines, or other possible mishaps. Time for things to look up in the demon's favor.

Playing games with humans could be quite amusing, and as the foreigner watched her friends be attacked, she looked absolutely lost. Really, how did the demon kid expect these females of all people to fight the supernatural? And her question? Boy, that was original. "Well aren't you the intimidating one. To be honest, there are several reasons that come to mind when I think of how badly we wish to dispatch you bags of disgusting organs. There is the fact that you kill us, primarily. You're narrowing down our presence here, after all. I mean, really, all we want to do is open some doors, show the world what we can offer, but you," he said, taking a few steps forward, and shaking his index finger, "for some reason you just can't let us."

He stepped over a pile of broken wood, facing his opponent. "And I dare you to try that exorcism on me, see where it gets you," he added with a growl, his eyes flaring black once more.

[Yuki]

Steadying her aim, Yuki's lock on the demon's dark eyes did not falter. "Your kind has nothing to offer but destruction and bloodshed," she spat, taking a pace or two back as the being neared her. As it stepped over the wood, she tensed, knowing that there was only so much room between her and the wall behind her. She was not foolish enough to let herself be cornered, but also did not want to get too close to the enemy either. Damn it! There just wasn't a way out. Yuki was surrounded, clearly outnumbered and outpowered. Her only two allies were down, and there was no hoping for reinforcements. The demon taunted her into reciting the exorcism, but Yuki had a feeling that it wouldn't work. And even if she started it, he could very well attack her and end it before she even reached the midway point. The option of running away was present, but Yuki would never run from an enemy, especially if it meant leaving her faction mates unguarded--she would rather die ten times over than commit such a cowardly action.

No...if she went down, it would be with honor.

The grip on her gun tightened. She could feel a drop of sweat roll down her face as the tension in the room increased tenfold. She sensed the desire for bloodshed running through the minds of the "henchmen" demons, and feared that they would prey on the incapcitated bodies of Aiden and Teagan lest she take immediate action. But what could she do? How could she defeat an army of demons single-handedly?

...She couldn't. Yuki hated to admit it, but she was well aware that even with her skill level, she could not fight and vanquish the alarming number of enemies in the tavern. She'd have to divide them somehow, or...

Isolate the leader.

Taking a bold step forward, she leered at the so-called leader of the demons. ""If you are so powerful as to suggest that it is foolish in 'trying that exorcism,' why do you bring them along?" Yuki motioned towards the surrounding demons., clutching the knife in her hand, and maintaining the gun aimed at the host body's heart. "I am aware that you demons have no sense of honor, but to treat others as if they were your personal cronies? It disgusts me. It may turn the odds in your favor, but there is no victory in a battle won effortlessly. At least we hunters act to a relatively individual degree--that is to say, we most certainy do not send armies to invade the places we wish to cleanse," she added accusingly.

"I know your battle strategy, if it can even be called that. You send your "minions" to do all the dirty work, and then arrive at the scene, but do nothing yourself as they follow blindly. They suffer all the casualties, while you sit back and watch. It's pitiful." Taking another step forward, the distance between her and the demon now measured only a couple feet. And...was it her imagination, or was the knife becoming increasingly cold in her hand?

Yuki's tone and glare became challenging. "If you are truly the leader you claim to be, fight me one-on-one, you filthy scum."

[Aiden]

The demon brushed the girl's comment aside, shaking his head and spreading his arms out. "Au contraire, we grant people their deepest desires, take their woes away, give them strength," he said, motioning in Aiden's direction, "and save peoples' lives," he said, motioning in Teagan's direction. "And what comes with your kind? War, genocide, consumerism, destroying the world--and that's without Hell on their side. Really, you're so insulting."

At Yuki's next statement, he furrowed his brow, looking extremely disgusted. “You think I brought them here on my own?” the demon laughed harshly. “I couldn’t have stopped them if I had wanted to! Your group has created such a ruckus that they refuse to miss a chance for revenge. Ain’t that right, fellas?” A round of chuckles and cheers resounded all around him. "You guys are a hot commodity, didn't you know? So frickin' irritating, taking control of the area and sending us back to Hell. Don't you know what it's like? It's...well, hellish."

He could sense a growing discomfort in the air, a direct result of the girl’s claims. None of it held any truth, but the concept of the demonic hierarchy and logistics of whom obeyed who often became muddled in the minds of demons. Until someone came along to remind the bunch of idiots who was boss, that was. "Do you know how long the line was at the gate? You can't blame me for being late, by the time I heard it was open, thousands had gotten out."

A smirk etched itself on the host’s face as the girl continued her rant on honor and pride. Really, who was she kidding? Did she even realize who she was talking to? The demon had no issue fighting her one on one; he’d easily dominate any competition, demon or human alike. “Alright,” he replied, rolling up his sleeves. With a shrug of his shoulders, he nonchalantly responded to her threat. "Fine," he said, raising his hand and telekinetically lifting Teagan's limp and bleeding body into the air, and slamming her body into Yuki, knocking the older hunter over, and letting Teagan's body land on the bar top, blood spattering across the room. "Your move, hunter," he said in a deep voice.

[Yuki]

As she listened to the demon's reply, Yuki narrowed her eyes. There was no use in attempting to conversate with a demon. She was wasting her breath. A demon would never see reason--he would never understand that although humans were indeed capable of great evil, they were also capable of great good. Demons were not. They were, in essence, a spawn of the devil himself, if not literally, than metaphorcally. They lied. They manipulated. They cheated. Of all the books she had read, no demon had ever committed an action with the intent of helping anyone other than themselves or in the name of Lucifer and Hell. It was surely no different with the demon that stood before her. His commentary refelcted this very fact.

Yuki inwardly smiled as he accepted her challenge. Now that it was just them two, she could focus solely on a single enemy. It was definitely a better alternative to facing him and a cluster of lower-leveled demons. Even if this leader demon had a great deal of strength, he couldn't surpass her own capabilities. Perhaps she wasn't as physically adept as he was, but she made up for that more than enough with her sheer will power and intelligence. It wouldn't be easy. But when had it ever been simple? She didn't know what kind of powers he had, or how powerful they indeed were, if at all. But it didn't matter. There was no other option.

Not letting him out of her sight, her grip tightened on her two weapons. The handle of knife had become frigid, to the point where it felt as if she were clutching ice. If her focus had been on her mother's knife, and not on her foe, Yuki would've noticed the thin, light-blue lines now glowing softly in a symmetrical spiral pattern across the blade. Just as she was about to glance over at the knife, the demon rose his hand and subsequently, Teagan's body was lifted in the air. Yuki clenched her teeth in anger. Why was he doing that to her?! They were supposed to fight one-on-one! Teagan was losing too much blood! He couldn't use her as some kind of toy, she'd die! Suddenly, he flung her bleeding body in Yuki's direction. Kuso! In an attempt to move the knife away from the front of her body, so that Teagan would not be injured by it, she was unable to escape the blow. Crashing onto the hard floor, she recoiled as her back took the brunt of the injury. It felt as if a shockwave had passed internally throughout her body.

But Yuki had no time to dwell on her injuries, or the possibility of breaking a bone, if not several. All she could think about was making sure Teagan was alive, and keeping that disgusting fiend away from her or Aiden's body. Yuki bolted up, resisting the urge to cringe from the pain that resonated throughout her being. She ran over to Teagan's body on the bar top, and looked over the girl. A pool of blood was forming under her body, dripping from the multiple cuts that covered her skin. Not good, not good. She doesn't have much longer. They needed to get her to a hospital. Even with all of th herbal remedies at the tavern, nothing would be able to heal Teagan except intensive medical care. Yuki had never treated wounds so severe as the ones she saw on the child, and she was alarmed by the amount of blood she had lost. That son of a...

Whirling around, she aimed her gun at the demon and fired three consecutive shots, all to the heart. The knife, now in her right hand, continued to decrease in temperature, and oblivious to Yuki, the markings now glowed violently. "I said this match was between you and me. Leave my teammates out of this!' she hissed icily.

[Aiden]

"You hunters are so verbose," he said as the woman in front of him remained silent. He was sure that she was calling him a liar or something to that extent, a hypocrite perhaps, in her mind, but alas, he wasn't a mind-reading demon, at least not for another few hundred years. He waited, waited, waited. "I just want you to know that you're losing my attention, and making me more likely to do something rash," he warned, right before he chose to use her friend's body against her.

He chuckled as she shot up and rushed over in the direction of her friends; so typical. Act as a martyr so the woman would die while her friend bled out and the other died from blood loss, brain damage, or internal bleeding, whatever he had sustained on his trip over. This fight was painfully easy thus far, for his opponent was hurting from the collision just moments ago, while he was still standing, untouched.

He jerked back a total of three times suddenly, blood seeping from the wounds. He glanced down at the gunshots, and back at her. "I'm not human, you know. I can sustain my host past his expiration date," he said, advancing forward like nothing had happened. "And it is between you and I, thank you very much. I just chose my weapon based on my environment," he said. Taking several more steps forward, he finally stopped when he decided he had closed enough distance, and rose his hand. "Now then," he said, balling it into a fist. Yuki rose into the air and was drawn towards him, where he let her drop. Then, using the strength of his host, he let a punch fly into her stomach, and another towards her face.

[Yuki]

Rarely did anyone ever land a hit on Yuki. And when they did, the injuries were minor and it did not afflict her in the least bit. Additionally, the hit they landed tended to be their last, as either Yuki would finish them off, or Aiden and Teagan were there to finish it for her. In this scenario, however, with Aiden and Teagan out of the picture, and fighting a higher skilled demon than she was used to, the blows hit her like a train hitting an unsuspecting car. The pain, though familiar, felt alien at the same time. On the floor, she backed away and scrambled back to her feet, coughing in an attempt to breathe normally. A sharp pain stung her side, and Yuki looked down to see a red stain seeping through her shirt around a tear.

...It was her knife. In the process of when he had lifted her, the knife had grazed her side and ripped her shirt. Yuki winced in pain, but kept her eyes fixated on the enemy. Somehow, she had not let go of the weapons in her hands. Had she done so, she wouldn't have suffered the cut. But at least she wasn't defenseless. At least, not technically. In reality, Yuki felt as if her defenses were completely uselss. If three shots had hardly injured the demon, what would? It wasn't as if she could draw a devil's trap and encase him, then perform the exorcism. And if she started the exorcism, there was no way she'd finish it in time--he wouldn't let her.

She looked over at Teagan. The bright red blood that now spread across the counter reflected itself in Yuki's hazel eyes. The girl was out cold, pale, vulnerable. Then, Yuki looked over where Aiden had fallen. She could not see past the counter, but she was positive that he was there in a similar, if not worse state.

She returned her fixation to the demon as thoughts raged through her mind. This wasn't how it was going to end. It couldn't end like this. She would not fall to the hands of a demon. The Portland faction would not fall to the hands of a demon. She wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't allow that filthy, vile scumbag to rip apart the place she called home, or to kill the people she regarded as friends. After everything that had happened, and everything that was yet to come--no, she was not done here. And that demon would pay for bringing harm to the people she defended, and who in turn defended her. That demon would die.

A seering cold pulsated through her wrist. Surprised, Yuki looked down, half expecting to see her hand cut off, or some sign of loss of circulation in the general area. Instead, what she caught sight of was a wispy blue aura of smoke that encircled her hand and the knife in it. The blade glowed fervently, and Yuki felt a chill go down her spine. What's happening with this knife? The more she stared at it, the angrier she felt. But it wasn't a wild anger--no, it was much unlike the demon rage Aiden exhibited. This was a controlled anger. It was cold, sharp, acute, apathetic. It made Yuki feel as if two icy claws were gripping her neck, lightly tracing the veins inside. It was as if hail had penetrated every blood vessel in her body, and were all now working towards one goal:

Defeating the demon before her.

Devoid of emotion, Yuki charged in silence and slashed at the demon's chest. As she did, a bone-chilling sensation passed through her body, and the aura from her wrist spread and encased itself in the wound she had imprinted on the demon. Sharp ice particles pierced his skin like miniature daggers, and as Yuki drew back, the particles followed the knife and returned within the blade. She glared at him cooly from afar, but said nothing.

[Aiden]

The demon stood in command, the others watching closely now. They would jump in given the chance, anything for the ability to gain power, anything to feel the flesh being ripped apart, anything to take a feeble human life. The human looked dazed, confused, looking about the room, back and forth. She clutched the knife in her hand, she looked at her dying friend, and he wouldn't miss his chance to taunt her.

"The longer you stand there, the more you're letting her die, the more irreparable damage she'll sustain," he called out, and then she moved. She charged him, knife out, and he felt the blade slide through his skin, through the space between the ribs of his host, and into the body's cavity. The only thing that caught him off guard as the fact that he felt...pain. It was a strange sensation, demons only felt pain in Hell, not by human weapons. The area around the wound was cold, and as he looked down he saw shards of ice entering further into the skin, making the wound larger than it should have been.

Hissing for a moment and no longer, he grabbed her wrist and twisted sharply, hoping that the knife would be knocked away and he could regain control. "Your reputation preceeds you," he growled, feeling the host's blood drip from the wound. "Yuki Oshiro, you're supposed to be a lethal warrior, straight off the boat. You finally have the advantage, and you can't get a lethal hit?"

With a wave of his hand, Teagan's body flew from the bar top to the wall, where she was pinned with shards of glass and other sharp debris. "Let's see how well you can distract me from my game of darts," he growled, raising a piece of sharp wood into the air. He was about to flick his wrist when he stopped, his face frowning.

Internally he groaned, he felt the pain worsening, the wound must have been worse than he thought. He had a high tolerance when it came to pain, he could survive the exit from Hell, but this, he knew something bad when he...in this case felt it. The blood was soaking into the shirt at an alarming rate, and he knew that in order to survive, he'd have to leave. And leaving the situation as it stood at the moment was unacceptable. Could he draw her away and kill her in the process? Outside of her domain, where he could add leverage to his side, yes, he could. But would she leave her friends?

"Yuki Oshiro, undefeated heavyweight of Japan, who can't even kill a demon with some knife on the first shot. Tell you what; you can chase me out and finish me off, keep that spot off your record, or you can go save your friends and let me escape." He looked at the rest of the demons, and they nodded, knowing that either way, they were about to leave. "Make your choice hunter, your friend is short on time," he said, backing away slowly. "Don't dwell too long on Morton, Oshiro."

[Yuki]

Kuso. The knife hadn't cut all the way through. She had applied sufficient force. It hadn't been enough. Still, she was surprised that the knife had cut him at all. What on earth was this mysterious weapon her mother had given her? Why had it been able to injure a demon? She had not encountered much texts, if any, about human weapons that could hurt a demon. That would be an issue she would ponder later. She would have to stay alive for that to happen.

As the demon gripped her hand, Yuki struggled to break away. She wriggled her hands within his grasp, and in a couple seconds, her hands were free, back at her side. True, the demon's physical strength did indeed exceed her own, but not to an extent where she couldn't put up a decent fight. He had the upperhand in both his height and his body mass, but Yuki was not a weak individual, and she had martial arts training. She backed away, and as she furthered the distance between them, he began to insult her, likely in an attempt to goad her into attacking. Again, Yuki said nothing. He wouldn't be able to ensnare her so easily, physically or mentally.

However, dealing with his telekinetic abilties were a different matter entirely. Her body tensed as she helplessly watched Teagan hit the wall with such a force that a few remaining glasses shook on a near counter. In her hands, the knife pulsated, sending an icy wave throughout her wrist that felt as if frost needles had penetrated her skin. Ignoring the freezing sensation, Yuki darted to Teagan's side, seeing a clear pathway in front of her. But before she could reach the girl, Yuki glimpsed from the corner of her eye as the demon began to lift a wooden stake into the air, likening his violent act to that of a game of darts. Arrogant mongrel. Running as fast as she could, she stood in front of Teagan, ready to take the blow. She could take a wooden stake, so long as it didn't hit any vital points. She would have to be quick to dodge it, but it could be done, she just had to calculate the timing properly. And if it hit, then...well, that just couldn't happen.

Ready for what she had to confront, Yuki eyed the demon challengingly, but just as he was about to lunge the stake at her, he paused, and frowned. Yuki looked at him wearily. What was he doing?

And then, he began to speak. She listened cautiously, prepared in case he decided to try a sneak attack while she was somewhat distracted. As he finished his little discourse, she leered at him, eyes full with icy hatred. Yuki did not move from her defensive position, and she did not remove her gaze from his filthy countenance. For whatever reason, he had decided to back out of the fight. And...Morton? Was that his name? Not that it mattered. Only opponents who were honorable would she desire to know the name of. This disgusting creature held no respect from her. Again, the knife sent a frigid shockwave throughou her body that made Yuki tremble slightly. The decision she now had to make was evident. The options he presented were not options at all, as Yuki knew from before he even presented them what choice she would make if the fight ever came to a point in which she had to choose between killing him or keeping her faction safe. If a fighter fought only for the sake of fighting, there would be no respect in that. Fighters fight to get stronger, so that they can defend. It was as simple as that.

Disregarding the coldness she now felt, she glared darkly at the demon, and spoke only one word:

"Go."

[Aiden]

A smirk held on his face, his comments had certainly gotten to her. She wasn't showing it, but that was her pride he had just insulted, and demons talked. He knew that Yuki Oshiro wouldn't let a target get away so easily, wouldn't let her honor be tarnished. It was amusing to see her try and fight, to fend him off alone when she was no match. The three of them together arguably, and admittedly, might pose a slim chance, but he'd wiped two of them out easily.

It appeared that his telekinetic powers would be his best bet, because Oshiro wasn't attacking him to prevent him from using them, but simply trying to cope with the damage they caused. She was even acting as a martyr to protect her already dying frined from another blow. What was the point of that? If he stabbed her, than she would die, and there would be no chance for her friend to recover--humans, so narrow-minded. Protect each other, and for what? Bringing about your own death.

However, whatever wound she had been able to inflict on him (he hadn't stopped to check it out) was now worsening, and he needed to get out of the host before he was too injured to fight. He waited for her choice, and when she told him to go, another smirk tugged onto his lips. "As you wish, going," he said, sweeping his hand out in a semi-dramatic bow. As he backed away though, he clenched his fist, focusing on the dying girl pinned to the wall.

Teagan was now being deprived of air, her face quickly turning a nice shade of blue as Marek continued backing out towards the doorway, the other demons following. He held his fist, watching Oshiro deal with the new blow, and he held it as long as possible before Oshiro would have come after him, before he wrenched his hosts head back, and escaped in a plume of black smoke. Surely one of Teagan's lungs was collapsed by that point.

[Yuki]

Steadily holding her gaze, she watched apprehensively as the demon gave a bow. So sickening. It was as if he thought this was nothing more than child's play--an act in which he was merely fulfilling his role. Yuki was disgusted that he would bow at all--an movement of such respect, performed by a demon who had no regard for what the action signified. She narrowed her eyes as he backed away. A part of her desired nothing more than to go after him, to kill him where he stood. But she couldn't leave Teagan and Aiden alone, and aside from that, it would simply be pointless. What she needed was to asses the health of her teammates and acquire medical assistance in the areas where her own knowledge was limited. As far as she knew, Aiden hadn't received any more harm from the demon other than from the initial strike. Teagan, on the other hand...

Teagan! Yuki whirled around upon hearing the girl gasp, and then watched her body as it was compressed by an unseen force. The veins in her skin, all the more prominent now, made it soher entire body acquired a pale blue tone. No oxygen! "Let her go!" Yuki yelled at the demon, pointing her gun at him. Just as she fired, he vanished in a sudden stream of black smoke. He was gone, and the other demons had followed suit. "Damn you!" she hissed angrily. It was over. She had survived...so why? …Why did it feel like she had lost the battle?

Yuki rushed over to Teagan, removing her from the pinned position on the wall, looking over her body, observing her injuries. "Damn it all," she whispered under her breath. Teagan wasn't conscious. Blood was spilled everywhere. Her cuts were deep, her bruises numerous. Her breathing, short gasps of air, as if each breath was a struggle. The girl had suffered much physical pain for someone of her age and build. Running into the kitchen, Yuki opened “her” cabinet (as it had been rightfully labeled, as all of her herbs and cooking ingredients were placed inside), and grabbed a couple that would ease her wounds. Luckily, Yuki had some in a miniature herb bag, along with a first aid kit, ready in case of an emergency situation such as this one. Placing some of the medicinal powder on her fingers, she ran back to Teagan and placed it on the visible wounds. Moving her delicately, she placed Teagan in a posture where she would receive better circulation, and bandaged whatever she could. By the time she was done, Teagan had the likening of a mummy, completely wrapped in bandages to and fro. But at least her breathing was steadier, and her skin complexion was no longer dangerously pale. Still pale, but not to the point of being completely drained of color. Once Yuki was confident that her condition was somewhat stable, she decided she would go check on Aiden.

However, when she approached the area where she could’ve sworn their faction leader landed, he was no where to be found. Yuki searched fervently, then scoured the entire tavern, but to no avail. He was…gone. Yuki pressed her palms into her face. Where was he?! Had he gone after the demon, somehow? Had he escaped midst the battle to scour for backup? No…she would’ve seen something! His body couldn’t just disappear!
Suddenly, she heard what sounded like mumbling or groaning coming from behind her. She dashed over to Teagan, and looked over the child with hardened concern. Yuki put on a somewhat aloof front, her countenance appearing more frustrated and angry than uneasy, but deep inside, Yuki was incredibly worried for the girl.

“Teagan! Teagan, can you hear me?”

[Teagan]

One most days, the teenager from Washington hated the darkness and everything it stood for: evil, uncertainty, death. But at the moment, she didn't fully understand the appreciation that she would develop for it, eventually viewing it more as a safe haven than a torture chamber. It protected her mind from the sensations her nerves recorded that flew off the charts. A pain she could barely contain if conscious. She never felt the sharp objects pinning her to the wall, nor was she aware when Merrick squeezed the last of the oxygen supply from her lungs, effectively collapsing one of them.

But once Yuki applied her home remedies to the girl, Teagan almost wished that the results would have been the same as her chance of winning a cook-off. Actually working quite effectively, the small girl slowly returned to the present, slipping out of the safety of blackness.

The first thing she did was jerk up, trying everything in her power to BREATHE.

Teagan let out a hacking cough, choking on her throat while attempting to breathe. A sharp pain ripped through her shoulder and to her back, causing more gasps as she struggled to get enough oxygen in her system. Her eyes blinked in every direction, panicking and unfocused. Why couldn't she breathe? What had happened? Why was she in so much PAIN?! Why wouldn't the PAIN STOP? Her hands slid across the floor, attempts to grab onto something running into a barrier created by the loss of mobility.

A dark shape appeared in front of her, holding steady. Teagan squinted, face twisted in agony as she tried to focus her vision on the figure. Fire radiated up her arms and a throbbing sensation in the back of her head distracted her, and she let out a muffled cry, the coughing continuing with any attempt to relieve her burning lungs. Blood spat out from her lips, originating from something within and leaving a salty taste on her tongue. She needed help; someone needed to STOP THE PAIN. With all the force she could muster, Teagan blinked until a familiar face came into focus. A relieved look crossed her face before dark spots in her eyes reminded her of how she had been cut off from the air supply. They swarmed the edge of her vision, threatening to subdue the rest.

To her alarm, as she leaned back down to the ground, Teagan's sight began losing clarity. Her eyes darted around the ceiling, trying to find something to focus on. Vaguely she heard frantic echoes of a voice, but a small, dangling object caught her attention. Was that was she thought it was? Aside from the soul-tearing torture she had barely withstood, and the effects of it still wreaking havoc on her body, the only thing Teagan could now think about was that small black object loosely drifting in the rubble.

It was the last thing she saw before -with a cough that shredded her throat- darkness claimed her once again.

[Yuki]

Yuki watched in horror as the girl convulsed. What was going on?! She looked over Teagan helplessly. "Teagan, you need to calm down! Teagan!" But it was as if she couldn't hear. Her eyes darted about frantically, like she had no vision, and she coughed desperately, gasping for air. Luckily, Yuki had school instruction on medical conditions, though it was not extensive, and she immediately began trying to figure out what was wrong. All the while, Teagan reached her hand out, almost clawing out the floor from pain. Yuki knew that whatever was affecting Teagan, it had to do with her ribs, lungs, or heart. Her violent coughts made it so this would be obvious to even someone with no medical knowledge. As the girl cringed and shivered, howling in pain, Yuki placed the palm of her own hand, bloodied from the fight with the demon, and pressed it against the middle of her body, attempting to feel around her rib cage for any sign of damage her internal system.

It didn't take long for Yuki to know that she had broken a rib, if not multiple. But even worse, she felt that the area was also swollen, and the skin was cold, even colder than the rest of her body. Earlier, she had been ghostly white. She had no air. The centralized location of this lack of oxygen couid only mean that she wasn't getting enough ocygen to her heart or lungs, meaning that her body was not producing enough oxygen either. Was it her heart, or lungs? It could be either. If she had suffered an injury to the chest, more specifically, the rib cage, it could cause an anomally in the body that would push air intareas where air was not needed, or it could seal air out. As Yuki moved her way up to examine the major artery in her neck, she noted the fast pulse rate and their extreme blue-colored hue. Teagan let out a cry, and spat out a dark red fluid from her mouth--blood. Yuki's heart began to race. Teagan needed help, IMMEDIATELY. While she could not diagnose anything for certain, she did know that whatever it was, the solution would be to help her BREATHE, because at the moment, something was obstructing Teagan's ability to acquire oxygen, and there was no remedy that she could produce at the tavern for it. No plant was going to heal Teagan at this critical of an injury. She needed surgery, NOW.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes began closing. No, no, no, no, no... "Teagan! Teagan, stay with me! Don't you dare close your eyes! Teagan! Teagan!"

No matter how much Yuki called out her name, the girl's eyes continued to drift shut. Her gaze seemed focused on an object, and it was as if all her attention was fixated on something in the distance. Nothing could break that focus, and it was in the direction of that very object that Teagan's eyelids finally gave way, and the girl's body became limp. A sinking feeling penetrated Yuki's heart, and she immediately felt for a pulse. She was...still alive. A pulse, small, but still present. And then relief. But Yuki's relief was short-lived. She knew that Teagan did not have long to live if she didn't seek help immediately. Initially, she had wanted to treat both her and Aiden's injuries to avoid contacting authorities, but she saw no other choice now. Teagan needed professional help, and Yuki was no surgeon. To make matters worse, there was still the issue of the disappearance of Aiden. What had happened to him? How had he vanished from the tavern without so much of a single trace? These thoughts haunted her mind as she ran up the stairs for her cellphone.

She knew what she had to do. If Aiden had disappeared from the tavern, and had been able to get away, than certainly he was in a better condition than Teagan. Besides, he could take care of himself, not to mention that Teagan's aid in locating him would be of help, but this was something that could not happen, clearly, in her current physical state. And there was always the possibility that Aiden would come back to the tavern later of his own accord. The conclusion was evident: Teagan's condition came first. She dialed thAmerica's emegency number, 911, and after telling the woman who had picked up the phone that a robbery had occurred at the Crossroads Tavern and defining herself as a customer, Yuki requested medical aid, stating that a girl who had most likely heard the commotion from outside the tavern, had charged mindlessly inside and as a result, had been beaten and possibly shot.She alsor reported property damage, but decided to leave out the detail of its missing owner. That was a tidbit of information that she preferred to keep private.

During the phone call, Yuki had progressed towards Teagan once again to monitor her condition. By the time she had finished the call, he girl appeared to be stable, but yuki couldn't be certain. Damn it, she thought angrily, burying her head in her hands. She had failed. She had not succeeded in defeating the enemy. What honor was their in a match with no victor? None. Their was no honor in remaining alive when her faction leader had disappeared, and her faction mate had suffered injuries that put her at risk of death. Why was she not suffering? Why was she still alive? She should have killed the enemy at all costs. But she hadn't. Yuki lifted her head from her hands to look at the girl. No one should ever go through what she had gone through. Yuki stood up, grabbed a seat cushion from the floor, and placed it against Teagan's chest. That would at least ease the breathing until the paramedics arrived. Yuki secured the cushion firmly in place, then glanced over at Teagan's face. It was messy, bloody, bruised. She brushed aside the strands from Teagan's eyes and tucked them behind her ears, then looked in the direction that Teagan had seem so fixated on earlier. What had she been looking at? Yuki stared intently, then caught a glimmer of a black object in the middle of a pile of rubble. Frowning, she left Teagan's side to examine it. It was....a camera?

A camera. ....A camera! Yuki sprung to it, and picking it up from the mess on the ground, she examined it. It was a little beat up, but still functioning. She could use this to see what had happened to Aiden! Hopefully, the footage was not damaged midst the battle. But this finding was better than nothing.

And then came the sound of sirens. Yuki bolted upstairs and placed the camera in her purse, than ran back downstairs, just as the emergency units proceeded to enter the tavern. Yuki watched silently as Teagan was whisked away on a stretcher, and remained so when officers arrived to question her, answering straight-forwardly, but simply. She did not know the indentity of the theives, but there were multiple, dressed in black, carrying weapons. They had ransacked the tavern, but fortunately, the civilians had all gotten away safely, except for the girl. As for herself, she had hid in a closet upstairs and locked herself in her room, as she dwelled at the tavern. The owner was not present, as he had gone to run errands and left the bartender in charge for a couple hours. She had gotten away as well. And that was that. No more, no less. However, she did want to make sure the child was alright, and insisted on going with them to the hospital. After demanding this, and giving them a cold glare when they at first resisted, they soon consented, but she would only be able to remain with the girl for as long as the hospital permitted.

It was going to be a long night.

[Teagan]

Out of all the years he had worked for the local hospital, Dr. Millak the only thing that came close to the condition of his newest patient was the injuries sustained by the victim of a fatal drunk driving accident. This girl, a teenager in critical condition who had been rushed in by EMS's the night before was in a state he rarely saw. He rubbed a dry hand through short red curls as he reviewed the notes on his clipboard. In a moment, the doctor would run a check up on the girl to ensure that all the steps and precautions they had taken were working correctly.

And that the stitches were holding.

And that the bruises were healing.

Dr. Millak didn't know what kind of creep did this to a small girl, but it made his fingers tremble in rage. The situation hit home; having a young daughter of his own, he couldn't fathom what his reaction would be if he ever came across her in a state similar to this. Caught in the middle of a bar fight, the report had stated. What was a girl this age doing in a bar? Didn't they educate kids on the effects of drinking anymore or had society given up on their youth.

Shaking his head, he gripped the cold metal doorknob and made his way into the room. To his surprise, a young woman sat in the guest chair, silent. No family had been listed as available or contacted, so who was this?

"Good morning," he nodded to the woman, clipboard moving to his side. "Only family is allowed in right now. Our visiting hours don't start until 10. If you would be as kind to step out, I need to examine my patient."

[Yuki]

It had felt like a long trip to the hospital, though it surely wasn't any more than twenty minutes, if even that. Yuki had lost all sense of time as she watched Teagan beside her in the back of the ambulance they resided in. After a rushed entry to the building, and follow-up emergency procedures, Yuki had remained in the waiting room for as long as she could, and when the hospital closed, she had paid for a room at a nearby hotel, though the money was spent in vain, as she got little to no sleep. The next morning, Yuki was at the hospital doors before they opened, and when they did, she went back to the waiting room until she was once again allowed to see Teagan. Walking into the girl's room, a wave of relief surged through her when she saw that she was in what appeared to be a stable condition. Standing by her side, she gently pressed her fingers on Teagan's wrist. Her pulse was a little slow, but still much more normal than it had been at the tavern.

Now she would just wait until Teagan came around, and then they would get out of there as soon as possible to look for Aiden. Letting out a sigh, she took a seat in her chair and looked around at the bland room. Hospitals were all the same, no matter where you went, she supposed. Same white, plain surfaces and walls, and that indescribable hospital scent. After an hour or so had passed, and Yuki had looked through the medical journal magazines the doctor had subscribed to, the doctor himself walked in. As he did,
Yuki caught a glimpse of his nametag. Dr. Millak. He looked over at her, and Yuki looked right back with a hard stare.

"Good morning. Only family is allowed in right now. Our visiting hours don't start until 10. If you would be as kind to step out, I need to examine my patient."

His tone was somewhat nice, and she understood the retrictions the company placed on him, but even so, she did not plan on exiting the room. "I am the closest being to family that the girl has. You may carry on your examination with me in here. Besides, if she were awake, I am certain she would not protest," Yuki answered, unblinking.

[Teagan]

Millak paused, taken aback by the girl's forceful response. Outbursts from visitors were a normal occurrence, but he knew how to deal with them. After one dealt with fanatical parents and lovers, one could generally deal with anything. Still, for being so young, this woman gave off a "don't-mess-with-me" vibe he understood, but didn't appreciate.

"Regardless of whether Ms. Cassidy would approve or not, I do need to do my examination without the presence of others in the room. I'm going to have to insist that you leave for the moment." He moved over to the side of the patient's bed, giving her a brief once over. Stable, no signs of recession, which was good, but no signs of progress either. Chances were she'd spent a good deal of time at the hospital if she didn't start progressing at all. The lung hadn't collapsed again, but she'd still need to remain on life-support until she gained conciousnes...

...silence in the room. No footsteps to indicate the woman had left, which meant...Dr. Millak glanced behind him, and the wrinkles around his eyes softened.

He stepped back to get a better view of her. "I can tell you care a lot, and I'm sure she'd appreciate your dedication to staying by her side. It must be hard for you to see Teagan like this, but I'm going to do everything I can to make it right. But to do that, I'm going to need some time. And you're going to need to get some rest yourself." He turned down to his clipboard, reviewing some notes. "She's suffering from tension pnemothorax, and it's not something that heals overnight. Among a number of other fractures, she won't be discharged for a couple more days."

Millak looked up from the paper. "And that's only given she wakes up within the next twenty-four hours. If we add in the head trauma that there's sufficient evidence of, you'll be here for another 72 hours without her waking up. When she does wake up, Teagan's going to need someone familiar next to her. It won't help if you're just as exhausted as she is. Go home; get some rest. You'll need it soon enough. In the meantime, let me do the worrying for you." He smiled at her calmly. "Is that okay?"