Sympathy for the Devil

[Aiden]

His mind was quickly trying to figure out how they were supposed to get rid of this thing. He recalled the basic story, just as he would in any other hunt. The only thing was, any other hunt Aiden brought upon himself, this one was forced upon him, and he was forced to fight to save his own skin. Okay, so...there was a mall founder, and a robber, and they fought, and they both killed each other, and the founder was buried here with his gun. The gun could be binding his spirit, as could his body if it was truly inside of that statue. His mind raced with possibilities. They couldn't very well just waltz over and open it to check. That thing was sealed shut, and would be a heavy mother to move. What to do?

When Yuki argued back, Aiden scowled and took of running down the main walkway. He needed to check that statue. "I don't care what you could have done, next time just frickin' do it and don't stand there!" he yelled as he ran the opposite direction. His eyes searched the mall for the statue. It was strange, he'd been there so many times, he'd been all over it, but now that he needed something in particular to save his life, he didn't know where to go. Finally, it came into sight, and he skidded to a halt in front of it. Just as he thought, it was sealed shut, completely. He studied the statue, and then ran up the frozen escalator. He needed some iron, at least.

He entered the shop he'd been in before, smashing the glass case, and drawing out the iron knives. In a close combat situation, if guns couldn't be used safely, the knives could work. He ran back out, carefully slinging the knives into a safe position, and took off down the upper level. He rounded the corner, and could see Yuki towards the end when he heard a gunshot from behind him. It missed him narrowly, and caused him to fall to the side, rolling on the ground. Turning to meet his opponent, he cursed loudly. This guy...this guy was different! "Are you FRICKIN' kidding me?!" he yelled, firing his gun before the bandit could fire his.

Scrambling up and making it over to Yuki, he handed her a knife. "Alright, so we need to crack that statue open. Any ideas?" he panted.

[Teagan]

Teagan squeezed her eyes closed as a gunshot echoed through the mall. Silently waiting to the count of three, she peeked out to see what the damage was. Well, she lived. That was good. And the ghost beside her had disappeared. Even better. Glancing up at Yuki when she addressed her, Teagan rolled her eyes in protest. It wasn’t that dumb of a question. She turned around, noticing everyone had disappeared in some direction or another, leaving her to her own accord.

Well, this sucked. She didn’t have a weapon, or any idea of where the ghosts might be. With a sigh, Teagan hurried back to the security office to gather up her equipment. No way she would ever get another chance to retrieve it. As she grasped the last one, she changed her mind and left it in its original hiding spot. No one had found it the first time around, so chances were it could stay hidden. And having an extra pair of eyes on different parts of the town couldn’t hurt that much.

A grin on her face, she closed the door behind her and started down the hallway that joined with the main walkways of the mall. Now to just find-

“Thief! Return the goods ye stole!”

Crap. Not again. Sneakers squeaked rapidly down the hall as Teagan ran for her life. The food court would have salt. If only she could make it there.

[Yuki]

As Yuki continued through the mall, ignoring Aiden's comeback after her remark, she wondered how they were going to defeat their oppenents (since there were in fact two now). They were ghosts, that much was certain. Now their bodies...what would cause a ghost to linger at a mall? She tried to remember local superstitions, anything from her reading, but couldn't think of any particular case in Portland. And then, her mind flashed back to the statue she had stood in front of upon her entrance to the mall. The man from the statue...and the story Aiden had told her. Of course! Rushing down the broken escalator, she made her way to the statue.

Once there, she met up with Aiden. Taking the knief from him, Yuki turned to look at the statue in an attempt to find an answer to Aiden's question. How could they get it open? She doubted the mall carried explosives. She didn't know how well fire would work either, it depended on the material of which the statue was made. Either way, it would be ages before a fire could do the job, and they didn't have "ages." They needed something quick, efficient. Her eyes darted around, searching for a solution, but before she could find anything, she heard rapid footsteps and a bellowing voice coming from a different part in the mall. Teagan. Without a second to waste, she ran in the direction of where the noise was coming from.

[Aiden]

An empty mall inhabited by two ghosts. Not even security had stuck around to see what would happen. And of course the three hunters that happened to live in town just so happened to be there at such a convenient time. Luckily the answer seemed to present itself somewhat quickly, what with the statue and all. With security out, they wouldn't know how the statue was broken, they would just assume that it was part of the chaos of whatever was happening, right?

Yuki looked like she was coming to help before turning the other direction, in which Aiden could hear a faint yelp. Great, he was alone to figure out how to break open a giant statue. Explosives in the mall? Not likely, it probably wasn't even legal. He needed something that could hit it, and hit it hard. His eyes wandered around the immediate area before turning down the main stretch of the downstairs, and at the very end was the answer.

A car. One of those stupid drawings that no one ever won. And the keys....security office. Had to be. Aiden took off sprinting, taking the downed escalator two steps at a time. Within minutes he was in the security office, pulling out drawers and nearly tearing his hair out. No keys. "Okay, okay, okay, they have to be here somewhere." It didn't make sense for them to be anywhere else. He pulled open all the cupboards, and when he had gone through nearly all of them, he found several sets of keys in one. He grabbed them all, not wasting time trying to let luck decide his fate.

Soon he was back downstairs, facing the car and trying the keys. After what felt like an eternity, he found the right key; at this point he didn't know where the ghosts or where his factionmates were. He hoped there was gas in the car as he climbed in and turned the ignition. The car started to turn over, but nothing. Start, nothing. Start, nothing. "Come on!" Aiden yelled through gritted teeth, slamming his fists on the steering wheel. He tried again. Nothing. Again. The engine roared to life.

The car screeched on the tile floor as it tried to find traction and took off down the middle of the mall, echoing loudly in the space. Aiden sat awkwardly with the door slightly open, and at the right time, he leaped out into a roll, cursing loudly as he slammed into a kiosk. There was an even louder noise as the car crashed into the statue...and the statue toppled over. Inside was not a body, but there was a gun.

"YUKI! TEAGAN! FIND SALT IN THE GOURMET SHOP BY THE BABY STORE AND MEET ME IN THE RESTAURANT BY THE STATUE!" Aiden bellowed into the mall, scooping up the gun and running into the restaurant, straight into the back and mentally cheering when he found what he was looking for; grease. A grease fire should burn long enough to destroy the gun...right? How the hell was he supposed to destroy a gun in fire?

[[For those very skeptical about this plan....I'm on the same page, and this is the best way I could figure out to destroy it. The gun wasn't my idea, I swear XD]]

[Teagan]

"I swear! I paid for the freakin' goods! Check my pocket for the receipt!" Teagan shouted, extremely frustrated. There was no other logical reaction for a small teen dangling from a plant hanging on the ceiling. The ghost had grabbed her hoodie and hung her up like she was a coat on a coat rack. The fabric tightened against her neck, the only way to find relief by holding tightly to the edge of the neckline and gripping on for dear life. "I promise!"

The ghost in front of her chuckled. "You think I ain't been around the town here, little missy? I know all the tricks and excuses." He drew in closer, causing the temperature of the air to drop momentarily. "You can't get nothin' past me."

"It's right there! Just look!" She gritted her teeth, wondering exactly how much longer she could hold herself up.

"Right. C'mon kid, they didn't make me sheriff because I had the tin star, you know."

"Who voted you in, a bunch of donkeys? You clearly aren't qualified for the job if you won't be thorough enough to check what I'm saying!"

"Why I ought to-"

Squealing tires shrieked through the building, immediately directing both Teagan and the ghost's attention away from the argument. A loud crash could be heard, and the girl's eyes flew wide open. What the heck had someone done?

The ghost's dark eyes narrowed. "Don't move," he growled, not bothering to look at her before he vanished into midair.

Teagan uncertainly glanced down at the floor a good twenty five feet below. "Where on earth would I go right now?" she meekly replied. Even Teagan Cassidy couldn't get herself out of this mess.

[Yuki]

A single shot echoed through the mall before the ghost even knew Yuki was behind him, and the creature vanished a puff of smoke. "You are going to find a way down here!" Yuki snapped, looking up at the child hanging from the plant on the ceiling. "I have no time to waste trying to find a way down for you. You're on your own, more pressing matters are at hand. I'm going to head up and toss you my gun," she said, progressing towards the escalator. "In case you were too occupied with your protesting to hear Aiden and his destructive commotion, he has, I am assuming, destroyed the statue and instructed that we locate the salt in this establishment. Seeing as you are currently immobilized," Yuki scoffed, now on the carpeting on the second floor. "I shall take care of that assignment. As for you," she said, nearing the railing, "try not to die."

Yuki could manage without a gun. The foolish child, however, could not--especially when she had gotten herself stuck to the ceiling. All she would have to do is find the gourmet shop, and with her supreme sense of direction and memory, she knew exactly where to go. She saw a visual in her head, as she had stopped in the store for her own cooking purposes earlier that day. All she had to do was back track. It was in the opposite direction. Teagan would have to hold her own until all was taken care of with the remainders of the ghosts.

Yuki leaned across the railing, staring apathetically at the girl a couple feet away from her. "I'm going to throw this gun," she said, holding the gun up to show the girl. "Don't you dare miss it, because I am not going back down to get it for you. If you don't catch it, you will remain defenseless until the job is done." And then, with one swift movement, Yuki tossed the gun over to the child. She had better catch it.

The minute she threw it, she darted back in the direction where the statue had been. It was upstairs, yet near the area Aiden had been. All was running somewhat smoothly, until of course--

"SO YOU ARE THE REAL THIEF!"

"Kuso!" she hissed under her breath. As if she really needed this right now. The gourmet shop was in side, now she would have to find the salt, all during the midst of warding a ghost. And she had no gun. Which meant it was going to be up to her dodging abilities. Luckily for her, that would not be difficult. She bolted into the store, found the aisle with the salt, the grabbed as many containers as she could, avoiding any attack from the ghost. He was slow with his shooting. Too dramatic. It seemed he felt the need to let out a bellow every single time he attacked, and that gave away his position, as well as the direction in which he would fire. Running outside, she sprinted down the escalators, and spotting Aiden, ran towards him.

"Here is the salt. Ghost on my trail. Take care of it."

And with that, she was off running back towards Teagan.

[Aiden]

Okay, all he needed to do was submerge the gun in the vat of grease, add salt, and set it on fire. Hopefully the heat would rise so much that at least some damage could be done to the gun enough to vanquish the ghost. What even set them off today, just the presence of the hunters in the building? "So much for getting shopping done," he mumbled under his breath as he cranked the setting for the heat to the highest possible, letting the oil burn even before he set it ablaze.

Then again, he could get anything he wanted right now. ...No, he'd rather use his fake credit cards.

Yuki ran into the room and passed off the salt, saying something about a ghost before dashing off again. Frowning, Aiden pulled out his phone in order to make sure they got the message about what was about to happen. The fire alarm will go off. We have seven minutes to grab our stuff and disappear. Meet me at the car.

He sent it, knowing a text would be easier than calling them. He poured the container of salt into the vat, and then pulled out his lighter--luckily this one was a cheap one, and he clicked the flame into existence, and dropped it in. Fire instantly engulfed the top of the oil, and after one more second, Aiden dropped the gun in, barrel out--the wood was more likely to go before the metal.

With that, he dashed over to the fire alarm, pulled it, and then sprinted out to where they left their things--he wasn't about to leave that sword. He did leave a few bag of whatever it was Teagan had given him, because he wasn't making a second trip. He ran for the exit, albeit awkwardly since his hands were full, and finally made it out to his car. The fire department would be here any minute, and they needed to leave.

[Teagan]

Dangling from an object hanging on the ceiling was not the first choice of recreational activities, if that's what her faction mate assumed. "Yeah, I'll get right on that," she sarcastically mutter back, trying to assess her situation. Her fingers ached from the tight grip around her neck, but she couldn't let go or she'd risk falling to her death. Not quite the way she planned on passing, thanks. The rest of the foreigner's words passed on deaf ears as Teagan struggled to remain balanced in the sweatshirt. Even with her small frame, any sudden movement could jerk her in an unstable direction.

The next thing she knew, Yuki appeared on the second floor, closer to her eye level...and she was going to throw a gun? "Are you kidding me? I can't catc-" Before the sentence fully passed her lips a dark object came sailing toward her head. If she reached out to grab it, her hold might slip and she'd fall. On the flip side, if she didn't, it might impale her head and then she'd be bleeding and falling.

With a small shriek, the girl shot her hand out, barely catching the trigger in her fingers before sliding it into the back of her pants. The plant jerked forward with her effort, causing the entire concoction of mismatched items to swing in a pendulum-like motion. Aw, crap. With a sinking feeling, Teagan realized that there was only one way down that didn't include dying.

She'd have to swing high enough that, when she let go of her sweatshirt, she could land on the second floor. Reluctantly, she swung her legs forward, and then back, created a stronger rhythm. The plant rocked back and forth, a creepy metallic screech emanating from the wires above. Higher...higher...and...NOW!

Heart racing, her fingers released their death grip and her arms rose up, allowing her to effortlessly slip from its hold. A sense of weightlessness passed over her as she flew mid-air over the rail of the second floor. Tumbling to the floor, she tucked into a roll and landed on her back, hair in every direction and with raspy breath. Ha. Teagan Cassidy would live to see another day.

Behind her, a giant fireball exploded, forcing a rush of hot air through the corridors of the building.

Yeah, time to ditch this popsicle stand. Needing no further warning, the girl scrambled to her feet and tried to remember which direction led to the closest exit.

[Yuki]

Ghost still hot on her trail, Yuki zoomed past Aiden, past the multitude of shops she had been enjoying in a leisurely fashion only hours ago, past the plants and the fountains, dodging rubble on the floor and inconveniently placed vendor stands, all the way until she reached the spot where Teagan was--or rather, had been. The girl was now on the second floor of the mall, not suspended from the ceiling, a surprised, yet triumphant look on her face, likely from the fact that she had managed to set food on the floor again. The pause in Yuki's observation was brief, but the minute she looked behind her--

"I'LL YE, YE GOOD FER NOTHING THIEF!"

Damn it! The ghost was persistent. It wasn't even that threatening, just downright annoying. Even with the bellow, Teagan hadn't noticed her yet. "Fire at it, fire at it!" she shouted at the girl, running towards her with the expectation that the girl would see her and the creature. Yuki really hoped that she knew how to control her skewed aim, because seeing as she was firing at the thing mid-chase, the girl could not afford to miss, or Yuki would be the one to take the blow. And if she hits me with a bullet, I swear I'll fire one back at her.

But once Yuki heard the explosion from the direction Aiden had been, suddenly the ghost became much less of a concern. She looked at her phone, and then saw the text Aiden had sent...four minutes ago?! Okay, so they had three minutes to get out. "This way," she barked at the girl, motioning for her to follow. Yuki knew the fastest and nearest way out. It was just a matter of getting back to the car in time.

[Teagan]

Teagan's eyes frantically darted from shop to shop, trying to locate a bright green exit sign. To her dismay, none appeared, and on she ran until a voice behind her redirected her attention.

"Forget the ghost! We've got bigger problems!" A rush of hot air swept past them, a faint scent of smoke hinting at what was to come. If it caught up with them, the ghost would be the last of their issues.

Luckily Yuki caught on quickly and seemed to know the direction of the exit. The smoke raced behind them, creating a motivating for to encourage them to run faster. Teagan felt the pressure of the large volume of mass giving them a final shove through the door, almost as if the mall was telling them to get out and stay out.

She nearly tripped over Yuki as she stumbled out. A cough tickled her throat, but they had to make it to the car safely before she could allow it exit. Outside the crowd gathered in bulk, eying the security guards warily. None of them knew quite why they had evacuated the mall so quickly, but the sudden plumes of smoke rising into the sky clued them into the dilemma. A concerned mummer ran among them, giving enough of a distraction to keep their eyes away from the two figures exiting the site.

Teagan leaned tiredly against the Camaro and let out the strong cough she had kept in. "Where's Aiden? Did he make it out?"

[Aiden]

The crowd apparently didn't take the hint well, and were still lingering outside the building with that rubber-necker vibe. Had they heard the gunshots from inside? He wouldn't know until the news report came out, but they could just assume there had been some sort of thief that had eluded the remaining security forces within the building. Yeah, that was it.

Honestly, Aiden didn't know if his attempt at destroying the gun would work or not, but he didn't plan on going back in the building right now. Smoke was now pouring out the windows, and luckily his car was parked away from the crowd so he was able to manage his escape with little to no notice. He placed the things he carried out in the trunk, and slid into the car.

It took another couple of minutes before he spotted Yuki's and Teagan's sprinting figures running towards the car. They stopped outside, surveying the damage. Just as he opened the door to tell them to get in, he heard his name. "Hey smart one, try getting in the car, will you?" Aiden teased, firing up the engine and pressing on the brake as soon as he shifted into drive. When the girls were safely in the car, Aiden pressed the gas, and lurked out of the scene, away from the ghosts.

And he promised himself he was never going shopping with them again.

[[End.]]