(co-written by O)
Mika and Claudia Harris both arrived home at the same time from work. Mika looked to see her wife carrying a plastic bag of groceries in her hand and her purse in the other.
"Don't tell me, you went and got snacks for Mason to make him feel better." Mika guessed with a smile.
"Yes, and I also got Fenrir some more of those dog treats he enjoyed so much when he first arrived here." Claudia said with a smile as she gave her wife a quick kiss on the lips.
"You're spoiling that dog." Mika chuckled.
"And you're spoiling our son so it's a win-win." Claudia joked.
Claudia didn't admit it to Mika, but she could tell that she had warmed up to Fenrir just as much as she had. The couple had never considered owning a pet during their time together. Both worked constantly to care for the family and they always said the kids weren't ready. Now, with Fenrir a part of their lives, they couldn't imagine life without him. They now understood why people often went overboard when it came to the family pet.
When Claudia came home from a tiring day at the town clerk's office, Fenrir would sometimes come over and sit next to or on Claudia's lap and it felt really relaxing to her. She could definitely see why her son had such a good relationship with him. A few times, she even played ball outside with Fenrir and Mason. Claudia had even caught Mika scratching Fenrir behind the ear as she reviewed inventory on her laptop. What surprised her though was when the couple sat on the couch one night. Claudia had peaked over Mika's shoulder, noticing her wife scrolling through web sites for exotic dog beds.
"Mason, Fenrir, your mom brought you some good snacks!" Mika called out to her son and their family dog taking off their shoes. Mika was a little concerned when she didn't hear Mason and Fenrir coming out of Mason's bedroom.
"Don't worry, Fenrir's with him, maybe he's just in the middle of one of his games again." Claudia suggested seeing the slight worry on Mika's face.
"Mason? Are you home honey?" Mika called out to her son, but instead of her son, she saw Nyx Tepes come out of Aaron's room, followed by Aaron himself.
"Hello Nyx, nice to see you here," Claudia said politely. "Aaron, where's your brother? He was home this morning when we left. So where is he?" Claudia asked tapping her foot and crossing her arms waiting for an answer from the two of them.
"I...I thought he was in his room, or I assumed that. Nyx, where'd Mason and Fenrir go?" Aaron replied as all eyes were now on Nyx who looked nervous.
"Okay, don't freak out but: Aaron's uncle Fukushu came to the Kane household after it was raided by the Superior Church and he's really determined to stop the church by any means necessary by going after them at their headquarters and he might kill Lilith Kane and her daughter, and Mason and Fenrir went to try and stop him because Fukushu will probably listen to Mason, and I didn't stop them because I wanted to stay with Aaron because Fukushu said some pretty hurtful things to him and I'm so sorry I didn't stop them, please don't be mad at me Mrs. and Mrs. Harris." Nyx said almost all in one breath.
Aaron, Nyx, and Mika could all see Claudia was holding in her breath in anger before she let out a loud scream bursting into her anthro flame tigress form before still changing. Out of the flames came Claudia, the petite blonde wizard standing next to her flaming avatar and looking flustered. For Nyx and Aaron they both gasped in astonishment. Neither knew Claudia was capable of such a feat.
"First of all Nyx, I am not mad at you and understand why you did what you did. Aaron, I'm not mad at you either, but you should've been watching your brother." Claudia said pointing her finger at her oldest son.
"So, what are we going to do now moms?" Aaron asked his mothers.
"Isn't it obvious?" Mika rhetorically asked her son as she changed into her jade kitsune form. "We're going to go help Mason, stop Fukushu, and finally put these Superior Church fanatics where belong, in hell." Mika said slamming her fist into her hand.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aaron asked.
"I've dealt with your uncle before when he was like this," Mika replied. "It's going to take all of us to stop him."
"I'll call Kari and Haley and tell them to bring Akira with them and meet up with us." Claudia said getting out her phone.
"I'm with you guys too." Aaron said shifting into his kintaro form as Nyx put her arm around Aaron's arm.
"So am I. Mason's just like another brother to me." Nyx confidently said as Mika smiled at her son and his girlfriend.
Before they left, Mika took her hand and brushed the front of Aaron's hair patting it down.
"Mother, please stop it." Aaron groaned putting his shoulders up in embarrassment.
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Geshp, Tom, and Alexa sat in the back of a S.P.E.A.R. truck with many other agents around them and Director Hailey Meyers in the very back of the truck taking a call on a phone about something that had just come up while they were on their way nodding as she talked into the phone. Alexa tried to keep her mind on the mission and not what had happened to her privately back at the house. She had learned to keep her work and her private life as seprate as she possibly could, although that was somewhat difficult considering that her boyfriend was sitting right next to her at the moment.
"You feeling alright?" Tom asked nudging her on the shoulder.
"Yeah, I am. Just thinking about the mission. I'm ready to get this whole thing over with, then maybe we can go on a vacation somewhere, like the mountains or California." Alexa said smiling.
"Uh...you know where I've always wanted to go to? Vermont." Tom admitted with a slight smile.
"What, why?" Alexa asked quietly.
"Well, when I was younger I watched the movie 'Beetlejuice' and thought that the town they filmed in looked beautiful to visit and I wanted to go there with someone, so I thought, why not Vermont?" Tom said.
"You know what? That does sound really nice, after this let's go to Vermont, just you and me." Alexa smiled.
"Ugh, can you please stop the pleasantries and focus on the mission at hand? I didn't just come back from the land of the dead to listen to you two swoon about romantic vacation spots." Geshp said shaking his head.
It had only been a few days since Geshp returned thanks to Fukushu returning him back to the living although he didn't thank him for it, since he was the one to have killed him in the first place.
"Alright, everyone shut up and listen. I just got informed through some of our contacts that we have two hostages inside. Their names are Lilith Kane and her daughter Alyssa Kane. No doubt these fanatics are trying to lure them to their side, so this has also turned into a rescue mission. Secondly, I've also been informed that the kitsune known as Fukushu is en route to this place as well. Now I know some of you have some resentment against him for what he did recently at S.P.E.A.R., but I want to make it clear that Fukushu is also a deadly swordsman and can kill anyone of you in a snap. So no one, and I do mean NO ONE, is to engage with him. Clear?" Director Meyers informed them all.
"Clear, Ma'am!" The S.P.E.A.R. agents, including Geshp, Tom, and Alexa all said at once.
"Good, now get ready, we're approaching our destination." Director Meyers said as they got their gear ready.
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Alyssa sat next to Lilith in their cell with her head on her mother's shoulders as she sung 'Sweet Child of Mine' to her trying to help brighten her mood, although it didn't seem to be helping much.
Suddenly they heard a door opening as they saw Sophie Kane walking back into their cell carrying a small cage in her hand. Alyssa went to the bars of their cell and grasped her hands around the bars looking at her aunt.
"Aunt Sophie! Aunt Sophie, please, you've got to listen to us, you're being manipulated by that Linda Michaels woman, she's not your real mother! She's been lying to you, she's a monster, she's...!" Seraphim smacked the bars of the cell hard frightening Alyssa as she fell down in fear holding back tears in her eyes.
"Shut up about my mother. She raised me and taught me everything I know. I don't know why you think we're family, but my mother wants to make you part of ours." Seraphim said putting the cage down on a nearby stool.
"Why do you still follow her? I've barely committed any crimes in my life and I helped take down a notorious werewolf criminal, I'm not a bad person. But your mother has taken plenty of innocent lives from the old....to the young, or so I've heard." Alyssa said.
Seraphim stepped closer to the cell and looked Alyssa and Lilith straight in the eyes as Lilith stood closely behind her daughter, holding her shoulders.
"When I was young, only 9 or 10 at the most, I was living with my mother for a few years by then. I thought something was missing in my life, but didn't know what it was. I had a home, I had my mother, I should've been happy, but I wasn't. Then one day, I was kidnapped by a vampire. He tortured me for several days, barely fed me, and preyed upon my fears. Finally after what felt like a week, my mother rescued me and disposed of the vampire. That....parasite taught me how cruel the world is and why my mother is my true family." Seraphim explained as Lilith and Alyssa looked surprised at the story she told the two of them.
"My mother came for me, and rescued me when I needed her the most. Where were you all these years....sister?" Seraphim asked almost mockingly as she turned around and left Lilith and Alyssa with the fairy Briar.
"I'm....I'm sorry for this." Briar said as she tried holding back tears.
"For what?" Alyssa asked.
"Linda, she.....she stole Sophie away from you Lilith. Yes, I know your names, I've known them for a long time. Linda's obsession has always been with the Kane family. After Ezekiel's attack on his family, she lied about Sophie being dead and raised her as her own daughter, but....she....she had me block out the memories of her old family, so Sophie would be more obedient. That's why she's so devoted to Linda, she doesn't know any other family besides Linda." Briar explained.
"Well....why don't you just fly away from all this, you're a fairy aren't you?" Lilith asked.
"I...I am....but I haven't felt like a true fairy in years. Not since Linda made me obedient to her." Briar said opening her fairy wings to show they had been clipped several times.
"Oh my god." Alyssa quietly said cupping her mouth.
"She clipped me down little by little, like some damned butterfly experiment!" Briar cried. "All I've wanted for years now is to go home to the fairy realm, and maybe asked my queen if she may be able to restore my beautiful wings. I....I haven't been back there in years, but I heard it's so beautiful there, and I've heard rumors that the queen has a lovely daughter. Oh, what I wouldn't give to leave this horrible place and see my home again." Briar sighed through her tears.
"So....maybe if you help us save my aunt Sophie, we can help you get home. What do you say?" Alyssa asked.
"I....I don't know, what if....what if Linda catches us? She'll clip my wings again." Briar said unsure.
"We promise you, we won't let that happen." Lilith swore to the fairy as Briar took a deep inhale and exhale.
"Alright, I'll tell you everything you need to know and then maybe we can think of an escape plan together." Briar said to them.
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Meanwhile, Seraphim, or Eliza stood outside the prison doors guarding anyone from entering or exiting it unless it was her mother.
Eliza felt her body and took out the picture she had grabbed from Alyssa earlier before she brought them to headquarters. She looked closely at the photograph and felt a tear falling from her eye, but she wasn't sure why.
'.....sweetie, it's almost time for dinner!' Eliza looked up thinking she heard a female voice call out to her.
"What?" Eliza asked looking around in confusion.
'Oh,........that's such a beautiful drawing, it looks just like your sister' Eliza heard the woman's voice almost clear as day, but couldn't think where she had heard it from.
'Oh no, your father's home. He.....he sounds angry,........just go to your sister, alright? Go protect your sister, baby, and be a good girl for mommy.' The female voice said to her.
Eliza had more tears in her eyes now, but she didn't know why she recognized the voice, or what the moment was from, but she knew it was sad for her, as she had tears in her eyes.
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Fukushu knelt gazing at the setting sun. He was close, he could smell it. The familiar odor, the scent of the Superior Church.
Unsheathing Ishi no katachi, Fukushu began a ritual. Wetting the blade of his katana in pure saki, the kitsune mumbled a Shinto prayer as tiny golden flames ignited from his nine tails.
"I beseech you my ancestors," he whispered. "Grant me the strength to purge the lands of my enemies. Let my blade strike true. And let all who threaten my people fall before me."
Standing once more Fukushu cleaned his blade with a flick of his wrist. The kitsune's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the horizon. He was close, so close....and none would stand in his way. Tonight, the Superior Church would learn about the Angel of Vengeance. Tonight, they would learn why all feared Fukushu.