The Non-Existant

Sorry this took so long to get out. I had a mild case of writers block, but extensive reading of porn cured me.

XxX XxX

Jacob shuddered as he jogged slowly through Central Park, the fog shivering around his feet. The feeling that he wasn't alone here kept growing. The picture Mikki had painted of what was lurking in the small forest here, it made him more then a little unsure.

The obnoxious call of a raven caught his attention and his head jerked to the right. It was sitting on a branch, beady red eyes locked onto him. It was larger then a normal raven, and as he took a deep breath, his olfactory sensors picked up a different scent.

It was harsh and slightly metallic. The smell of old blood and with it, death. Jacob took a deep breath, and kept running. He didn't want the thing to know he knew what it was. He wasn't sure if it made a difference, but he didn't want to take any chances.

“Jacob, have you spotted anything?” Mikki's voice came clearly through his earbuds. She had equipped a small camera as well, but he had yet to switch it on.

“A raven. It's larger then normal and it's got red eyes.”

“That's it then. I'm sending in Freya and Tahi.” There was the faint sound of clicking, Mikki tapping away on her keyboard. “They'll meet you in five minutes. If you hear anything like bells, get the fuck out of there.” The mechanic sounded more then a little nervous.

Jacob nodded before he remembered that the redhead couldn't see him. “Affirmative.”

XxX XxX

He could faintly make out two shapes in the fog. It had gotten worse, thickening up and playing hell on his advanced senses. Sounds and shapes swirled through it, making him wonder what else was playing around here.

A jingle hit his ears, so faint he almost thought he'd imagined it. Adrenaline burst through his body as he shifted forms too fast for the human eye to catch. Another jingle and the mist parted where his head had been seconds earlier.

The Kludde landed heavily, burning red eyes latching onto Jacob's leopard form. It growled, a low rumbling sound, strings of saliva dripping from heavy jaws. Jacob's back arched, fur standing on end as he hissed and spat at the creature.

It took a step towards him, claws flexing on the pavement. The snow leopard hissed once more, the darted off the trail into the fog. He could hear the beast behind him. Seconds passed and there was a loud CRUNCH followed by a whimpering yelp.

“JACOB!!?” Freya's voice was loud and slightly terrified, not wanting to show emotion and unable to stop it from sneaking into her words. “WE GOT IT. WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!”

XxX XxX

Freya paced, trying not to chew on her fingernails. It had been five minutes since Tahi had smashed her hand through the spine of the Kludde. It was growling at them, writhing and shifting between shapes. Lupine to feline to avian. Tahi had called in to base, letting Mikki know that they had caught the creature alive, as specified.

“Jacob?” Freya called out again, wanting desperately to believe that Jacob had gotten away safely, that nothing had happened to him, that he wasn't laying in the fog, bleeding out. A soft shuffle behind her had her whirling, weapon in her hand and pointed to where the noise had come from.

Jacob slid from the fog as if he was part of it. His fur was still puffed, sticking out everywhere, and he couldn't help spitting violently as Freya approached him. Why was he still in animal form?

“Tahi. Jacob's not shifting back.”

“There is nothing to worry about. When he is in a hazardous situation he feels safer in feline form. When he feels the danger has passed he will revert to human.” The cyborg cocked her head at the leopard, bending and lifting the Kludde as if it were a child's stuffed toy. “I will start the vehicle”

“Come here.” Freya crouched, holding out a hand. She'd done the same thing to the feral cat's that lived around the base. The leopard eyed her hand with distrust and Freya had to remind herself that this was still the adorable blonde that she couldn't help but stalk. “I'm not about to try anything Jacob. Not at the moment.” She tried out a smirk, though her mouth quivered.

A long white tail lashed twice before Jacob stalked forward, allowing Freya to pick him up and cuddle him close to her.

“Baby, you're shaking.” Freya pressed her lips to Jacob's head, nuzzling him. “I can't blame you. I would be too if that thing came after me.” The trip back to the car was silent, as was the ride home.

XxX XxX

“So.....what do we do now?” Freya stared at the large dark shape on the table. Red eyes were pinning her with a stare that sent chills down her spine. This thing was bad news, all the way.

“We do nothing. You need to go, make sure no one else comes into the lab till I'm done.” Mikki's voice was monotone, the older woman staring at her with confusion. Mikki, weird, tiny Mikki was gonna take on this thing?

“I ain't leaving you with this.” Freya crossed her arms, daring the mechanic to try anything. Hazel met green, both women refusing to back down.

“I can't have anyone else in here Freya. I'm sending this thing back to where it came from.”

“Really think you can scare me off?”

“Freya, I made a contract with the Fey when I was younger. I cannot have anyone else in the room or the contract becomes null and void.” It was odd to see Mikki so dull, not to have her vibrating with emotion and curiosity.

XxX XxX

In the end Mikki had called Tahi, and the half cyborg dragged Freya out of the room. She had aimed her eyes, one cold silver, the other a mechanical grey and the merc had gone without a word.

The mechanic stood by herself now, heart beating as it always did when she was about to contact the other realm. She had finished the ruins a minute earlier, her arms stained in blood from the elbow down. It was messy business contacting someone powerful enough to remove a dark spirit from this side of the realm. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the small black lamb that had served as the sacrifice.

Looked like lamb chops for supper. Once the Kludde was gone she's skin it and hand it over to Tahi, the cyborg could always make up a story about where it came from. The half human was the only one who knew about the ritual that went with contacting the other realm. Not even Jacob knew about it, and Mikki had used it to rescue him. He didn't remember the trip through the realm of Fey, and the mechanic wasn't about to clue him in, there were somethings that just needed to be forgotten.

Taking a deep breath she began to chant, stepping forward and slicing open her wrist. She let a few drops spill onto the ruin at her feet. The power was building inside her, like a balloon that would never pop, that would expand until it crushed her organs and stole her life. Stepping around the circle she let her blood fall on each ruin, keeping up the chant until her lungs were aching.

As the last red droplet fell on the last ruin the power in her chest drained out, leaving her breathless and weak. Mikki forced her knees to lock, refusing to be seen as weak before the entity who now stood before her. Disdain clear on his beautiful features, in his eyes, a shade that humans could never describe.

“Why have you called me here, female?”

“Something of your's has been preying on my people Mies. I won't stand for it.” Those clear eyes narrowed, taking in the sight of the Kludde next to him. He turned his attention back to the deceptively frail woman in front of him. Something like admiration pumped through him once before he quashed it. There was no reason to show the human that he considered her something of an acquaintance now.

“You think I care that a Kludde has been snacking on humans?” The sneer deepened. “Less of you to stink. Less to destroy the planet with your apelike ways. Why should I care about what's eating you pitiful mud monkeys?” Mikki could see the light of humor in his eyes, it was enough to ease the crimson pulse of temper, knowing Mies wanted to get a rise out of her.

“This” She gestured to the beast, it had awakened and was thrashing against it's bonds, growling and snapping at the air, “doesn't belong here.”

“Mmm hmmm.” The tall Fey stared down at his nails, picking at them in a perfect imitation of a disinterested human. “Give me an incentive to take him back.” His eyes flashed up to meet Mikki's, held them. The woman held her ground, refusing to back down though she knew what he asked.

“I'll give you an hour.”

“A year.”

“A day.”

“Nine months.” Mies could feel a smirk building.

“Two days.”

“Six months.”

“A week.”

“Three months.”

“Two weeks.”

“A month.”

“Done.” Mikki clenched her jaw, waiting for the pull in her navel, knowing as always that she was slowly trading away parts of herself that she could never get back, and as always, she could care less.

XxX XxX


Kouri glared at the door and the guard who stood outside of it. Freya had come to her, bitching about Tahi dragging her out of the lab so Mikki could make a deal with the Fey. The Doctor had been outside the lab in five minutes, panting from the run. Tahi had refused to let her in, saying that anyone else in the room would only put Mikki in danger. Kouri could do nothing but pace and curse the cyborg.

She'd gone to sit down about an hour ago, staring at the ceiling and wondering what was going on inside the lab. The locks creaked open, and Tahi turned, ready for what anyone else would have started screaming at.

Kouri got a single glance at the inside of the lab before the door clicked shut and a corpse pale Mikki was hanging onto Tahi as if her life depended on it. The Doctor was on her feet in an instant.

“What the hell happened. There's blood all over the fucking room.” Her voice had risen, a mixture of fear and anger.

“Doctor, you need to calm down. Mikki?” Tahi turned, and Kouri stalked closer, wanting to hear what the mechanic had to say for herself, wondering what kind of excuse she could come up with.

“A month. I need to sleep. Please let me sleep.” Mikki's voice was cracking, her eyes shut. Tears were slipping through and she was shaking. Kouri could feel rage blinding her.

“Who.Did.This?”

“There is nothing you can do Doctor. The one who did this is no one you can reach. I can assure you that one such as yourself would never want to make the attempt of contacting him.” Tahi spoke motionlessly, scooping up the mechanic and starting down the hall. Kouri could wait until Mikki was settled in. That included an IV and sedatives, for the memories that masqueraded as nightmares.

XxX XxX

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???” Kouri all but screamed as Tahi stepped out of the room. She was slammed up against the wall before she could finish the sentence, a cold metal arm jammed against her throat.

“Do not disturb Michelle.”

“I want to know what happened to her.” Kouri glared into the cold eyes of the half cyborg.

“You should already know from all the information you gathered previously.” The doctor couldn't help the flinch at that ice cold tone. Yeah, she shouldn't have drugged the petite redhead, but come on could you really blame her. All those secrets wrapped up in that sexy little body.

Her eyes widened as a slurred voice whispered through her memories.

Mies is the worst. He takes all of you and makes you beg him to take the rest. Every time I come back I can still feel him on me, in me. He's the reason I hate men.

“Who's Mies?” Kouri whispered, perversely enjoying the way Tahi's human eye widened. Anyone else wouldn't have caught the tiny twitch, anyone not having studied the cyborg for her subtle emotions.

“Do not speak his name, you risk calling him upon us.”

“So what, he's some sort of demon?” Kouri scoffed. There were no such things as Demons. She would believe in the supernatural crap because she'd seen it with her own eyes, but demons? NO fucking way.

“You would not understand.” Tahi blinked once, stepping back smoothly to guard the door. There were no visitors when Mikki got back, not for at least a week. The mechanic needed that much time to put herself back together, at the minimum.

“She said a month, she wasn't in that room for longer then three hours.”

“Why do humans assume time is relative in every location?” Tahi blinked again, and the slight twitching of facial muscles let Kouri know that this conversation was over.


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This one's for you Tom. Now stop bugging me. XDDDDD