Young Writers Society

Alex

Jaeger appeared, shoving me with his weapon. The blunt side, luckily, although I didn't let that sentiment show.

"I don't know who you think you're talking to like that," he snarled, "but I'll be more than glad to let you know. What, a little monster has got you all frazzled?" Frazzled? We'd almost been killed! As he continued taunting me, I felt my fists tighten and open, tighten and open. It was amazing how much I wanted to punch this idiot; his axe was the only thing preventing me from doing so.

He grabbed my shoulder roughly. "We don't have much time for tears here, do we? So I suggest you go and find that girl and tell her to suck it up." He shoved away. "Nobody got hurt, stop being babies and get over it."

Babies about it?! "You could have killed us!" I yelled. "Or was that what you wanted?" Jaeger was ignoring me, and Anton glared hatefully; I shoved him back again, not liking how close he was. I'd started to turn back around to leave, when I felt something touch my forehead. I looked up, saw an arm reaching up, and at the end... a gun.

There was dead, ringing silence. Murder was in his eyes. I felt perspiration build on my forehead, but suddenly I was freezing cold.

"Are you done?" he whispered. His eyes were glowing blood red. I opened my mouth for a moment, but decided not to say anything. His eyes glinted. "Good. Because I'm getting f***ing tired of hearing you whine. You, Darcy, Nathaniel and Korina... you're weak. Do you know what happens to weak monstromologists?" His eyes looked manic. He was snarling now. "They die. They die, or they get in the way and get their teammates killed."

I could see something moving in his eyes. His pupils were dilated, slits, like... like a hellhound's eyes. Trained, rabid, ready to kill and tear. I saw his finger twitching, saw it lift for one second.... and then he pulled.

I knew the clap of gunpowder was coming next, and then the bullet, but I flinched, drawing in a last, desperate breath. He actually did it.

Click.

Empty.

Anton was just looking at me. I stared, trying to keep my lungs taking in air. He just tried to kill me. He just tried to kill me. Oh my freaking God, he just tried to kill me!

Anton examined the gun. "Out of bullets," he muttered, absentmindedly. I backed away before he could think to use his hands.

"There's something seriously wrong with you," I stammered. Then I took a few more steps back, hesitated, and all but sprinted for the door.

Forcing myself to breathe, I leaned heavily against the wall outside, trying to keep myself from losing control and running away crying or something. What on earth is wrong with those people? I took another deep breath. He would have killed me! He tried to shoot me in the head! If that gun hadn't been out of bullets.... I shuddered.

Then I remembered the others standing there while he pointed the gun at my head. Smirking. Right. Hilarious! Hey, guys, Alex has a gun pointed at his head, about to have his brains blasted out! Tee-hee, what a loser!

Loosing a wordless shout of rage, I whirled around and punched the wall as hard as I could, not caring that it scratched my knuckles. At least it wouldn't laugh at me for being human!

Leaning my forehead against the smooth plaster, I took more deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I had to think clearly. I'd been told that was one of my best assets - intelligence - but I had to be able to employ it. Think rationally. Deduce. Reason. What did those four want? To whittle out the weak. How did they do that? By forcing danger down our throats, apparently.

Maybe the problem was that they saw our open-mindedness as weakness. Darcy was really the core of the issue, although I couldn't blame her - she had her beliefs, and she was more than entitled to them. Especially since she had some good points. And I'd seen her tree grab her while the monster was screaming at us - holding her away. Protecting her? Did that mean that monsters were capable of compassion?

I mentally balked at that conclusion. It was against everything everyone had ever known. Still... if it was true, it would change everything. Maybe there were some that didn't have such things... I shuddered again as an image of a foggy mountaintop appeared in my mind's eye. Okay, there were definitely some creatures that didn't have any compassion. There were monsters out there that needed to be killed or captured. But if Darcy was right, then maybe... no, it couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. That wasn't important right now. What was important was figuring out what to do about the current situation. Anton had just pointed a gun at my head and pulled the trigger. He'd seemed unaware that it was empty, which meant he had intended to shoot me. I'd never considered him capable of murder, but he'd just attempted it. If I really wanted, I could go to the police, but I knew that wouldn't solve my problems - it might make them worse. Most of the others would either hate me even more or lose even more respect for me. One of his buddies might try to kill me in response, or he'd try again, and whatever happened, it could easily cause our team to disintegrate - and that couldn't happen, not with the Bloodletters running around New York. But what if he tried it again? I knew I'd incited it out of him, but I hadn't expected him to get that angry. Maybe if I was careful, I wouldn't bring that hellhound side out of him again. It felt like losing, but it seemed the best and only way to keep myself safe. I'd let someone else know about it, too, just to keep my back safe. Probably Nathaniel, since he was the leader. Or close enough, anyways.

There were footsteps coming the end of the hall opposite of the training room. I turned, wondering who it could be. At the same time, I felt my phone in my pocket buzz in a text message.

Nathaniel,

"I'd kill anthropophagi for you," Darcy says and I have to control my surprise. No single person can take down an anthropophagus, I think to myself, much less several. But that fact that she understands and realized my hatred of the species is also surprising, so I just look up at her sharply.

"How did you..." I begin, but Darcy just gives a sad smile.

"We all have our demons. All it takes to see them is to take a good enough look," she says.

Implying that she had given a good enough look to me, to all of us, because I'm fairly sure that she knows about the others' as well. She cares, though she has a hard time showing it. I smile to myself, but it fades when I notice the troubled look on Darcy's face. Without thinking, I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Have you heard of Pellinore Warthrop?" I ask, and she almost looks offended.

"Of course I have," she says.

"Well, then you may know where I'm going with this. Warthrop once said 'Some must labour in the dark so that others may live in the light.' That's something all monstrumologists have to confront eventually, and it's what we're all dealing with right now. Anton and Jaeger, Miranda...I admit what they did was wrong, terrible. But there are things in their pasts that even we cannot comprehend, and it has changed them. If you can't forgive them, at least remember that," I hesitate, and then kiss the top of her head. She makes no move to stop me. The moment is broken by both of our phones going off at the same time. Torrance speaks quickly and forcefully.

"Get over here, Tallow. We've had and anonymous tip off."

Darcy and I look at each other, and get up simultaneously. By the time we reach the front hall of the Society, most of the others are there, except for Korina, who hurries in a minute after us, brushing dirt off of her pants.

Torrance is standing with his hands behind his back and speaks in his low voice as soon as we are all assembled, "There was a tip off, as I said earlier. If what you think is true, and the Bloodletters are responsible for these attacks, then this whole thing may be a set up, a trap. Normally, I wouldn't send juniors on a mission like this, but since some of you seem to think you can handle it," he glances at Anton and then me, "I'm letting you deal with this one. Be careful, and go armed and prepared to deal with anything. The caller listed this address as where the monster was sighted."

He hands me a slip of paper. If I remember right, this is an abandoned factory in the Upper East Side. I pass the address around. Before anyone else can, I grab the keys from Torrance. I don't want to deal with Anton's driving again. Several of the others glare, as per ususal. Oh well. However, before we can head down to the garage, another person bursts into the hall, panting.

"Wait! I'm your last member!" he gasps, skidding to a stop on the slick marble of the floor, "Adam. The Academy just sent me over."

I raise my eyebrows, and I can distinctly hear Anton and Jaeger snort. I can imagine Miranda rolling her eyes, and John's prim look of disapproval. Korina and Alex quickly introduce themselves. I address the new comer, as Torrance has gone back to his office.

"Right, I hope you have your gear, then, because we're going to investigate an anonymous tip off," Adam indicates that he has what he needs, and I nod, "Okay then, let's move."

The ride isn't as hectic as the last, but we arrive at the factory buzzing with energy. I turn around in my seat before the others get out.

"Okay, I know today has been...difficult," I say, "But we have to work together now, or we're all gonna end up dead. We may have issues with each other. We do, but don't let that get in the way. And remember, if this monster was laid down by the Bloodletters, it may not have a choice in what it's doing and will be terrified. The objective is to capture, not kill."

With that, I check that I have my knives in their sheathes and step out of the Range Rover.

In case you haven't noticed, roostangarar has posted the last profile, so we get another rookie monstrumologist for the mix! So, make sure to keep Adam in mind in future posts!

Anton Wolfe
The trip there was more than a little awkward. Alex refused to look at me, which was understandable. I still couldn't believe that I had tried to kill him. I hadn't even known that I could lose control like that. I would have to apologize. Not just to him but to the others as well. Putting that monster in Darcy's room had been stupid. Weren't we all here because we wanted to protect people against monsters? Yes, I would have to apologize to all of them, even though I still despised them.

We arrived by the factory and looked around. None of us could find anything, so we assumed that it would be inside the factory itself. A large steal door was chained to a bult in the ground. Adam, the new guy made an attempt to pull it open, which obviously didn't get us anywhere. The others discussed getting in through a window. I studied Jaegar's ax for a moment and then gestured towards it. Three seconds later the chain was neatly split in half.

"That saves us the climbing," John muttered. We all knew that his leg wasn't any good.

We all helped to pull the heavy door open. When stepping inside I realized that the windows didn't really contribute much light. That, combined with the fact that most of the giant room was filled with big machines didn't really help. "How much can you see?" I asked to no one in particular.

"About half the room."

I could see more, of course, since the darkness was no problem, but the machines blocked my view.

"We should look for a lightswitch," said Nathaniel. "We shouldn't try to search for it if we ca.."

I stopped listening as I heard something further inside. It sounded like claws against the concrete floor. Too quiet for any of the others to hear. I pulled my daggers and followed the noise as silently as I could. It didn't take long until I encountered a familiar scent trail.

I heard a click from the others. "Damn, it doesn't work."

"How do we know that it's even here?"

"It's a bunyip," I muttered as I reappeared from behind a machine. "It's somewhere around there." I nodded toward the darkest part of the room.

"Then that's where we'll have to start looking." Miranda didn't sound the least scared, more like exited.

"No, not if we can't see. We shouldn't take any unnecessary risks." Nathaniel again, trying to sound like he was in control.

"What about setting up a trap?" I frowned at Darcy's words. I didn't like where this was going.

Another faint sound, closer to us this time. I tried to spot it, but the damn thing was hiding behind the machines. The others kept talking, while I listened. It was silent again. Why couldn't I even hear it breath? A living creature could not be that silent. There it was again, but louder, closer, claws from four paws scraping the floor. Then I realized what it was doing. It was charging.

"Look out!" I yelled, but it was to late, it was targeting Korina. It came flying towards her in a huge leap. I was standing closest to her, and by instinkt i stepped infront of her and put my arm up. Stupid, but it was all I could think of.

I gritted my teeth as I felt its fangs sink down in my arm. The other stared for a moment, unbelieving, before attacking it. It seemed to realize that it had no chance against all of us, so it darted back into the darkness.

"Bunyips are immune to poison," I spat while checking my arm. It hurt, but not worse than I could handle. I cursed loudly, as I noticed that I couldn't hold my dagger properly. "I can't fight, but I can still act as your ears and eyes."

The others looked between each other, waiting for someone to decide what they should do. "Lets set up a trap," Nathaniel said finally. "You keep watch while we're setting it up."

Darcy

Anton jumped in front of Korina, protecting her from the bunyip. That was unexpected - she could tell by the looks everyone shared - but she almost smiled. It proved her theory, everyone and everything had more than one side. The new guy, Adam, didn't seem to quite understand why his new teammates looked so surprised.
"You're a good team," he said, standing next to Darcy, "Protecting each other like that."
Focused on soft sound of water dripping from somewhere in the dark, Darcy kept a straight face.
"Great team," she said. If it was me, he'd encourage the bunyip to go faster.

Nathaniel announced they will go by her idea, setting a trap, and the others, for once, agreed.
"It's a water creature," Miranda said, with a hint of boredom in her voice. "We need to get it out.."
"No." Everyone turned to Darcy as she spoke, and now Miranda seemed furious.
"What do you mean, no? It's a water creature. In water, it has advantage over us, how can you be so-"
"In water, it feels safe," Darcy said, keeping his voice low and controlled but fisting her hands. "If we get it out, it will freak and attack us all. We have the advantage, as long as we use the brain instead of whatever you have in its place."
For a moment, Miranda was genuinely left speechless, probably caught by a surprise, not expecting Darcy to actually insult her. She didn't care if what went on in Miranda's  head, so she turned to Anton.
"Can you see it?" someone asked, saving Darcy the trouble of thinking of another imaginative line. He nodded, pointing a finger in the dark.
"There's a big hole filled with water. It's swimming inside, but its watching us." 
Nathaniel frowned.
"So we'll have to swim in?"
"Let me go," Darcy said, catching his eyes. "I can try to.."
"You're suicidal," Jaegar stated as they moved closer to the hole. Deep and about a meter under their feet, they could see the water. It was dark and Darcy started doubting it was normal water at all. It was pretty obvious that neither Nathaniel nor anyone else will just give her green light. Taking an arrow from her set, she handed the crossbow and her bag to Adam, who eyed her with suspicion.
"Wait, you're not actually gonna-"
Darcy jumped.

She could imagine how mad they will later be, and was pretty sure that someone had to stop Nathaniel from jumping after her, but she couldn't care about that. It wasn't one of the monsters connected to someone's past. She had to try to calm it somehow, or the red men will send a lot more next time.

But it was hard to move, in freezing cold and somewhat thick liquid, and she suddenly couldn't dive out, held by the bunyip underwater. No, come on.. She couldn't talk underwater. She could do nothing without air. Darcy felt dizzy, as a bullet flew next to them. It was obviously shot only as a warning, as they could hardly aim good enough, and it passed half a meter from the monster, but that did the trick. It frightened,letting her go, and she managed to dive out, catching some kind of old rusty container floating at the middle of the hole. Almost as if it was set there for her to climb.

She couldn't see the others anymore. The monster slowly crawled to the container after her, and she moved back. She was shaking of cold, so hard that she could barely breath properly.
"I-I won't hurt you," Darcy whispered. It seemed it doesn't understand her at all, so she did the only thing she thought of - spoke the same words in old Irish.
The bunyip tilted its head to the side, staring at her, and Darcy wondered if Mr Anonymous was around. He said that the attack won't take place until tomorrow - was it possible this was just a coincidence? Darcy talked to it, wondering what the others are doing. Probably, they cursed her for being crazy. But she has her reasons, and if they knew.. They'll be in really, really big danger next time if she doesn't make it this time.
"Calm," she said slowly, standing up and leaving the arrow on the ground. The monster stood calm - for a moment, as if fighting with itself.

Then its eyes darkened, and Darcy knew none of them controlled it anymore.
"Wait," she whispered, but it jumped. Falling to the ground, Darcy could feel something around her ribs breaking. For the first time, she wanted someone to be there. She tried calming it down again, forcing herself to stand back up, and the monster backed away. With a short scream, it jumped back to the water - to fight the others. And Darcy's world swirled around her. She couldn't take another breath - and the next moment, everything turned black.
*

Nathaniel,

Bunyip. An Australian water monster, known for preying on things that approaches water holes in the outback. Somewhat like an otter crossed with a wolverine. One of the few creatures classifed under the title of "monster" that did not exclusively feed on humans. But this one would, I could be sure of that.

My mind barely has time to process this information before the creature shrieks and charges. Anton knocks Korina out of the way, taking the bite himself. This, of course, surprises us all. We exchange glances as the bunyip leaps back into the darkness with a definite splash. Anton is gritting his teeth and holding his arm.

"Bunyips are immune to poison," he manages to spit out, grimacing against the pain, "I can't fight, but I can still act as your ears and eyes."

I nod, and come to a decision, "Let's set up a trap," I say drawing my knives, and turning to Anton, "You keep watch while we're setting it up"

Miranda and Darcy about the merits of getting the creature out of the water or leaving it in. I agree with Darcy, but I can see that it's important for her to fight this battle on her own, so I remain silent. Alex approaches Anton.

"Can you see it?" he asks, and Anton nods.

"There's a big hole filled with water. It's swimming inside, but it's watching us."

I frown and glance at the pool, "So we'll have to swim in?" That's not a good prospect.

"Let me go," Darcy says, catching my eye, "I can try to..."

"You're suicidal," Jaeger says, with a hint of approval in his voice. Well, the group dynamic certainly has changed.

We peer down into the pool, hearing indistinct splashes and growls. I can't see anything. Darcy stares at the water and then turns to Adam, handing him her crossbow and bag. He is surprised.

"Wait, you're not actually gonna--,"

But she does.

"Darcy!" I yell, lunging forward as if to follow her. She doesn't hear, but if she had, I doubt it would have stopped her. Jaeger holds me back, his mechanical arm tight across my chest. I throw him off and lean over the edge of the pool. More splashing and growling, the occasional snippet of Darcy's voice. I stride around the sides of the hole, trying to see, but it's useless. Miranda, growing tired of inaction, cocks her .44 and tries to aim at the roiling water below.

"No!" I bellow, but before anyone can stop her, she fires. Nothing happens. A few minutes later, it quiets down. I let out a breath.

"She did it," I mutter, "She calmed it down," I can see vague shapes at the other side of the pool, a whispering voice. And then one of the shapes lunges at the other. There's a cracking sound, and then the bunyip bounds out of the hole, snarling. I slash at it with my knives.

"Darcy!" I yell again, but she doesn't say anything. I turn back to the bunyip and the rest of the team. The creature is surrounded, and it knows it. It wheels around, snapping its long fangs. And that's when I notice it: a small light, no, three lights, blinking just behind the beast's ear. Red, red, green, blue. Repeating over and over. As if in response, the bunyip growls even louder, becoming more and more agitated. When it turns its back on me, I pounce, tackling it. I hit it over the head with the pommel of one of my knives and it hits the floor, out cold. I take in a deep breath and then hurl myself down into the pool, swimming over to where Darcy lies unconscious. It looks like some of her ribs are broken. I pick her up carefully and sling her over my shoulder. It takes awhile, but I manage to climb out of the hole, back to the others. Alex and Anton are wrestling the prone body of the bunyip into a portable containment unit. I push past them all and lay Darcy across one of the seats of the Range Rover. Adam and Jaeger heave the PCU into the trunk and we drive off, back to the Society.

"You guys noticed the lights behind its ear?" I say to the others when we come to a red light. There are nods and various noises of ascent.

"They're definitely human in origin," Korina says, "Nothing in nature makes light like that."

"Wait, what?" Adam asks, confusion evident in his voice.

We fill him in on the situation, mentioning the missing proboscis on the aswang and the info we uncovered on the Bloodletters.

"So it's definitely them," Jaeger says grimly, "This proves it."

I nod and then remember the bit of prophecy I read earlier in the day. I pull it out of my pocket and pass it to the others.

"They obviously are talking about NYC," I say, as we pull into the Society's garage. Before anyone can agree or disagree, I hop out of the driver's seat and gently take Darcy from the car. While the others deal with the bunyip and discuss the prophecy, I carry her up to the infirmary, where our field doctor can fix her up.

Korina

The ride back was awkward to say the least. I had no idea what to say to Anton. He had protected me from the bunyip. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been Nathaniel, Alex, Darcy, or even our new member, Adam, but Anton hates me. Or so I thought.

And then there's Darcy. She was going down to calm the monster, and now she's unconscious. I never really think when I'm talking with the basilisk about the risk I'm taking, but now it all hits home. This is real life, people get hurt. And people could die. Including my friends. Do we really want to be arguing when we could lose each other at any moment?

The moment we got back, Nathaniel brought Darcy up to the infirmirary. We were supposed to be dealing with the bunyip and talking about the prophecy, but I was itching to get Anton alone, so I could ask him why. He even looked surprised himself.

Not that I believed I could trust him now. For all I knew, he had ulterior motives in helping me. Which reminded me. I still had to tell Darcy about how I wanted to study the basilisk alive. But now I hesitated. I had no right to put her in a situation where she could very well go the way of my sister. I decided to leave well enough alone.

With sidelong glances at each other, the others agreed to have Anton and I bring the bunyip to the monstrumarium. Alex looked ready to argue, but he was outvoted, so he settled for glaring at Anton's back.

Once I was sure we were alone, I whispered to Anton, "You saved me."

He kept his gaze averted. "It was nothing."

"Nothing? You can't even wield your dagger because you hurt your arm, and you tell me that's nothing?"

He glared at me, and I instinctively flinched. "It was nothing."

Anton Wolfe
Nathaniel carried Darcy to the infirmary, but I decided to stay behind and help with the Bunyip. Jumping down into that water had been insane. Was she really crazy enough to think that she could calm that beast down?

"Bro, you should let a doctor take a look at that," said Jaegar as he reach for my injured arm.

I immediately pulled back. "Don't touch me." He raised a curious eyebrow. "Poisonous blood, remember? And don't call me bro, my name is Anton."

I used my good arm to help them unload the PCU. It is decided that I and Korina should take the thing down to the monstrumarium, though Alex isn't happy about it. I would need to talk to him later.

"You saved me," she said quietly.

We passed the stuffed hellhound, and I had to force myself to breathe. "It was nothing," I muttered. Pure instinct.

"Nothing? You can't even wield your dagger because you hurt your arm, and you tell me that's nothing?"

I glared at her. Why couldn't she just shut up about it? "It was nothing," I repeated. "It just needs to be stitched up, then I'm fine." This bite mark was nothing compared to the ones the pack of hellhounds had caused me.

She didn't say anything more for a while, and we put the Bunyip where it was supposed to be. I was about to leave when she suddenly said: "I want to take a look at it." I didn't even have time to protest before Korina had opened the hatch and bent inside. As she examined the lights, or whatever it was, I glanced over at the entrance when I heard steps. Alex entered. He was probably afraid that I was going to do something to Korina.

"Alex." His head snapped towards me, anger and fear mixed in his eyes, but he held it back. I swallowed. I would have to say this sooner or later, so I might as well get it over with. "I'm sorry."

He stared at me, unbelieving. "Huh?" was all he managed to say.

I sighed. "I'm sorry that I tried to kill you." Korina froze, but didn't pull out from the cage. "When I get really angry, I lose it. Can't control myself. So I'm sorry.. And next time you see me like that you might want to run."

The Bunyip growled, so I grabbed the back of Korina's sweater and pulled her out, and Alex quickly closed the hatch. I looked down at my arm. Blood was dripping from my fingers to the floor. "I'm going to the infirmary," I said and quickly left. I couldn't even remember the last time I apologized to someone.

...

As I entered the infirmary I saw Nathaniel sitting next to Darcy. They were talking in hushed voices. At least she didn't get herself killed.. Which probably was a good thing. I sat down on the gurney beside them.

"Are you alright?" Once again that unbelieving look.

"A few broken ribs," she muttered.

I nodded. A familiar nurse asked me to take my hoodie of, and I did so most unwillingly. The black t-shirt underneath didn't cover the bite-marks on my arms. Of course, it wasn't just my arms that had bite marks. The hellhounds had left marks everywhere, but it was my arms and legs that looked the worst. "I'll have to stitch this up," she mumbled. "I'll run a blood sample at the same time, and check your blood pressure."

I sighed. Always so damn worried about my blood pressure. "I'll stitch it up myself, Ana. I don't want you to prick your finger or something."

"Seriously, Anton, you shouldn't drin.." I silenced her with a glare. "I'll get the thread and needle."

"Here a lot?" said Nathaniel. To my surprise he didn't sound like he was mocking me.

"Yeah," I muttered. God I was tired. This day had been far to long, and my stamina was.. Well, pathetic. I looked down at Darcy, before making up my mind. Putting that monster in her room had been a stupid idea. I was here to protect people and kill monsters, not use monsters to scare people. "I'm sorry about the Dobhar-chú. It was stupid." Both of them opened their mouths to say something, but I cut them of. "I just needed to know that you were actually capable of killing it, or else I wouldn't be able to trust you in the field.. But what we did was just stupid." I was not going to apologize for the tree. Having a man-eating tree in your room was just stupid, and it would've hurt her sooner or later.

Jaegar Pen

I linger back, watch as everyone peers curiously into the water Darcy jumps into, waiting. I suppose I should have been worried too, should have been watching for her just as the others were. I dropped my ax on the ground. This isn't what i came here for, to watch as we chased after some basic monster, to wait while someone tried to charm a snake. My fingers itched and twitched. I wanted to fight something. That's what I do, what I've always done, the only thing I know how to do. Fight.

I close my eyes and yawn. When I open them again Darcy is out, the monster is caught.
Hurrah? No, I shouldn't be so unappreciated. She did stay down there for a long time, and Nathaniel looks worried for her. Anton's still hurt, but he's taking it well. My team did good. My team...

..

I climb out of the backseat and head immediately to the cafeteria. I'm almost to the front does when I see Alex struggling with our caught monster. With a heavy sigh I turn around and go to help him. My stomach growls loudly in protest, but I ignore our with some effort. I swear I'm always hungry. Always eating. Alex starts add I approach him, his eyes go wide and then narrow in anger. I roll my own and pick up the dragging end of the monster. He's still glaring when I look up so I glare back.

"This isn't an apology," I greeted, smiling slightly.

"I want asking for one."

"I know, you're not that stupid. Turn around, I hate walking backwards."

He hesitates before turning around. We push past the front doors that someone holds open for us. The whole while were walking he looks a mixture of scared and angry. I am helping him, aren't I?

"A thank you would be appropriate," I say, forcing a grin.

Darcy

She woke up to dim light, white sheets and green walls, and moaned as she tried to sit up. Nathaniel, in the chair next to her, moved at the sound, raising his head from his hands.
"Darcy." He sounded at the same time relieved and almost threatening her. "Are you alright?"
She frowned a little, and everything came back - the factory, the bunyip, the waterish liquid, the expression in its eyes.. And the deal she made. She knew her eyes showed fear, but didn't even try to hide it.
"Nathaniel..," she whispered, and he seemed somewhat less worried. "Did you kill it? The bunyip?"
"No," he replied, "we captured it.. Darcy. For heavens sake.."
"It was listening," she cut, her eyes not leaving his. "It was."
"It's okay, no one expected you to be able to tame every-"
"I'm alive, am I not?" She was angry now. Angry at him for not listening, at herself for not having a proof and of the red men for making unpleasant surprises. "It didn't kill me, and I was such an easy prey that I'd kill myself in its place. Trust me. It was forced not to listen to me."

Nathaniel opened his mouth to answer her, as Anton suddenly appeared. Darcy frowned, wishing for him to leave them alone. If there wasn't for that call, she wondered, what would he do in the park? She liked the way he kissed her forehead - like someone who cares. Darcy didn't know much people who cared.
But Anton didn't leave - instead, he sat next to them.

"Are you alright?" Darcy and Nathaniel looked at him in the same way. He was asking if she was alright? That was as incredible as, well, him saving Korina before.

"A few broken ribs," Darcy muttered. He didn't need to know how dizzy she still felt. Or how scared that the next time they'll all die.

Anton nodded, as Ana the nurse approached him. He didn't seem particularly happy for having to remove his hoodie in their presence, but did it anyway. Darcy couldn't not spot the marks on his skin. He had his reasons to be the Monstrumologist he was, she gave him that for sure. But nevertheless, he had no right to treat her like less important just because she had no visible scars.
Ana said she'll check his blood and stitch him up, but he told her he'll do it himself. Darcy's mouth curled into a little smile as he said it. He could put it in as cold voice as he wished, but she knew he cared. He didn't want his blood to hurt other people. She turned serious again. Couldn't he understand that the monsters they hunted were exactly the same?

"Seriously, Anton", Ana said, "you shouldn't drin.." Anton glared at her warily and she changed the subject, leaving for the needle for him. Darcy turned to Nathaniel, who seemed to be concentrating on Anton. She was sure he noticed the strangeness of Ana's warning as well.

"Here a lot?" Nathaniel asked, putting up an almost concerned face.

"Yeah," Anton muttered. He seemed tired as he looked at Darcy. "I'm sorry about the Dobhar-chú. It was stupid." Both of them opened their mouths to say something, but Anton continued before giving them the chance. "I just needed to know that you were actually capable of killing it, or else I wouldn't be able to trust you in the field.. But what we did was just stupid."

Darcy stared at him for a while. Indeed, it was stupid. At least, though, he apologized. One down, two to go. I might need to almost die a couple more times, that seems to work.
She turned to Nathaniel again, speaking in soft voice.
"Hey, um.. Could you leave us a bit? Please?"
"Sure," he muttered, stood up and left, giving them both long looks before shutting the door behind himself.
Darcy made her effort to sit up, and Anton just stood there and stared at her.

"Why did you send him out?" He finally asked, so she took a deep breath. Taking her bag closer, the dug out her camera and handed it to him.
"Just look at it," she said, as he sat back with suspicion in his eyes. He frowned at first, maybe thinking she just wanted to show him that she knew who put the monster in her room, and than made a strange, closed expression as he got to the part she calmed the Dobhar-chú. Then he frowned again, stopping the camera.
"Monsters aren't pets," he said, concentrating on sewing his own arm. Darcy almost yelled at him to stop and look at her why they talk - but that would just be evil. "They never will be. You will eventually get yourself killed and eaten."
"Anton, I-"
"Why would you succeed with taming a monster, when no one else has?" He made it sound as cocky as usual, but she was sure she sees a bit more. Not quite jealousy - more like regret that he was never given the chance to live a different life and maybe consider her theories. In her eyes, it wasn't too late to start. By apologizing for the tree, that would be a nice beginning.
"Because I can," she said, letting her voice get cold and the nice Darcy lost again. She almost liked the feeling of not quite being herself. "You can apologize a thousand times, and still you'll owe me one."
"What do you want me to do?" He sounded mad, finishing the sewing. He took out his dagger and cut the thread, admiring his work for a moment. "Will do," he muttered, and then turned his attention back to her. "Who do you think you are? You're just a kid, you've never even seen real monsters."
Darcy felt her blood turning cold as ice. She could live through hate and fear of her uncommon philosophies. But no one could deny her being a proper Monstrumologist, and no one could talk about her in that way without having a clue. Her fingers fisted around the sheets.
"I've seen monsters," she said in silent, calmed, almost threatening voice. "I hunted a hellhound down once." She smiled a little at his expression, as his eyes turned redder. She didn't care. "It ate from my hand after a while. I even have a picture, if you wish to s-"
Getting up, he punched his dagger against her throat. Darcy's smile widened, as she grabbed his wrist with her fingers. His skin was much warmer, almost as if his blood has turned to fire. His eyes glowed, staring directly at hers, with hate and anger she's never seen in a human before. Yet there was something in that eyes, something of the Anton who apologized a moment earlier, the one who saved Korina at the factory. Something she saw at the bunyip as well, and she knew she didn't need to scream for help.
"Go ahead," she said softly, not leaving his eyes for a heartbeat. "Kill me."
For a moment, he seemed more than ready to listen - but she just couldn't care. Not that anyone else would if she died anyway. Except for maybe Nathaniel, but he'd forget her too, wouldn't he? Bringing herself back from the thoughts, she saw Anton's eyes loosing the wicked glow of hellhound poison running through his veins. His hand trembled a little, and she felt a tiny cut on her skin, but then he just removed the dagger and shook his head.
"No." He was breathing heavily now. "I'm not a monster."
"Good," she replied, and he looked away.
"You shouldn't be in this team. I can't imagine you having to be in any."
She almost grinned. Same to you, man.
"We're not together by an accident," she said instead. "I've seen the Academy's students, a lot of them could be a match to either of us. We were chosen for our strengths as much as for our weaknesses, because they knew we'll need to deal with more than just monsters running around." Her voice was calm now again. Unintentionally, but she used the same tone as when addressing the creatures. "Each one of us has something he needs the others for. It's just how it works, whether either of us liked it or not."
He almost seemed convinced for a moment.

"Talk all you want," he said then, coming closer again - close enough to kiss her, like Nathaniel did in the park. She imagined slapping herself. What the hell, Linn? But Anton didn't seem to notice. "You're a burden for this team. And if you don't get a grip and realize that they're called monsters for a reason, then you should quit before you get us all killed."
She bit her lip, smiling a small, evil smile again as she stared in his eyes. She liked the color, even when his dark side would take over.
"You need me," she said. "You don't seem to get it, but there will be the time when you'll wish for me to be around. When you'll desperately need me to control the part of you that you're allowing to take over too often.

He grabbed the collar of her shirt, pulling her closer as if he wanted to pierce her heart with the same dagger he out away a moment ago.

Korina walked in serious, turning worried as she spotted them. As Anton turned a bit to see who it was, Darcy couldn't help grimacing of pain, as he ignored her injury. He turned back and glared at her again for a moment, then pushing her back to the pillows. Pain ran through her whole body again, but she stubbornly decided not to make a sound. Anton growled, as Korina opened her mouth, maybe to call for help.
"Oh just f*** off both of you!" He said, turned and stormed out of the room.

Half a minute later, as Korina sat on the corner of her bed, Darcy couldn't believe he came back again. Avoiding both of their faces, he grabbed the hoodie from the chair and left again, shutting the door as quietly as a bomb.
Korina's eyebrow furred.
"What was that all about?" She asked, and Darcy shrugged. "How are you, better?"
Darcy smiled, raising her hand to check the cut on her throat. It burned a little, but was nothing serious. It wasn't that her stomach turned until she glanced at her fingers. She touched Anton's blood with them. It had already dried mostly, but still, she did it before touching her own. Frozen, Darcy wiped it off with a corner of her sheet.
"I'm fine," she said then. Korina glared at her neck.
"You're really bleeding, did he hurt you?"
I have no idea. Darcy wondered if she'd be dead by now already.
"Not so much, it looks worse than it is," she smiled, noticing her troubled face then. "Hey. Are you alright? You seem worried."
Korina sighed, looking as if she fights with herself.
"Darcy..." Her voice was low. "I wanted to tell you something."
*

Korina

I decided to go to the infirmary to visit Darcy. I still wasn't sure whether or not to tell her. On the one hand, she's probably the only one who can get through to the basilisk, which is still afraid of me. On the other hand, how can I ask her when she's just been hurt doing the very same thing?

Swinging the door open, all such thoughts disappeared from my mind. Anton was leaning over Darcy, gripping her collar. As I opened my mouth, hopefully to call for help but knowing I probably wouldn't manage to do more than gape, he pushed Darcy back. "Oh just f*** off both of you!" he said, turned and stormed out of the room.

Why do I always walk into the middle of these things? I want to be a peacemaker, but this goes a little far. A few moments later, Anton came back in, grabbed his hoodie, and left again. I don't think I'll ever understand him. I turned to Darcy. "What was that all about?" She just shrugged, so I continued nervously, "How are you, better?"

Darcy smiled and touched her neck. "I'm fine."

She's bleeding. Brave only goes to a certain extent."You're really bleeding, did he hurt you?"

"Not so much, it looks worse than it is. Hey. Are you alright? You seem worried."

Should I tell her? No, it wouldn't be safe. But she might be the only one who could do it, and what about Isa and all those other petrified people out there? But, oh I just don't know...

"Darcy...I wanted to tell you something."

Then I froze up. She was obviously curious, I could tell by the look on her face, but this wasn't right. This was my problem to solve; my risks to take. And, as always, there was another factor to continue. What would Anton do to her if she went and saved a basilisk. My dangers to face.

I said, with a forced cheerfulness, "Never mind, It's not important." With every step I took out of that room, I hated myself more, but what choice had I had?

Alex

As the others unloaded their equipment, I heaved at the unconscious bunyip, managing to drag it out of the car. I winced as its body hit the ground with a loud thud, but I was doing my best. Hauling it by its shoulders, I tried to haul the thing farther with nonexistent success. After a moment, I heard footsteps. Good - probably Korina or somebody had come to help.

My eyes widened for a moment as I recognized Jaeger coming up, and then I narrowed them suspiciously. What did he want?

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the beast's hind legs, bringing it around. I followed, still skeptical of this sudden helpfulness.

He noticed and smiled dryly. "This isn't an apology."

"I wasn't asking for one," I growled.

"I know, you're not that stupid." What was that supposed to mean? "Turn around, I hate walking backwards."

I hesitated, but remembered the incident in the training room. At least right now we were being somewhat civil. Pulling my end of the bunyip up, I did as he'd asked. I'm only doing this because I don't feel like bothering, I glared silently.

Sure you are, His eyes smirked back. "A thank you would be appropriate," he said aloud, that small, fake smile on his face.

I just grunted. Civility only went so far.

Korina suggested that she and Anton take the bunyip instead.

"Jaeger and I have got it already," I argued. Anton may have saved Korina's life, but they weren't buddies. She didn't know what he'd done today - she sure as heck wouldn't want to take the bunyip down with him if she did. But the others, for some reason, agreed that yes, it was a great idea to let the would-be murderer take Korina alone.

I waited for them to go, and for the others to thin out, before starting after them. There was no way I was letting Anton alone with Korina. Not on the same day he'd tried to murder me.

At first I didn't see them among all the stuffed and living monsters, but then I heard his voice.

"Alex."

He was standing there, watching me. Korina was bent into the hatch - if he tried anything now...

"I'm sorry."

I stared. Sorry? He was apologizing? Anton?

"Huh?" I stammered. I'd had a million challenges and arguments ready, but nothing for this.

He sighed. "I'm sorry that I tried to kill you." Korina stopped moving. Good - she ought to hear this. "When I get really angry, I lose it. Can't control myself. So I'm sorry.... And next time you see me like that you might want to run."

Before I could reply, there was a growl from the bunyip. Anton pulled Korina out before she could get her hand bitten off, and I slammed the hatch shut behind her. Then we all three stared at each other, half-awkwardly.

"I'm going to the infirmary," Anton finally said and left quickly, leaving Korina and I to watch him go.

After a long, very awkward silence, I finally said, "I'm going to bed," and left just as quickly as Anton. I didn't want to face any concerned questions. I was tired, I was confused, and I was still mad, although I was too exhausted to be really angry. Now that I'd mentioned my bed, it was a battle to keep my eyes open and my legs straight. Besides, Anton had explained himself. It wasn't worth dealing with anymore - not until I'd slept, anyways.

I shuffled into my room as if I was undead, threw on a more comfortable t-shirt, and collapsed into my bed. I was out in seconds.

Nathaniel,

I don't like leaving Darcy alone with Anton, even if it seems like he's changed. She can handle herself, though, even when injured. When out of the infirmary, I rub my hand tiredly over my face. It's been a long day, but I still need to talk with Torrance about the bunyip and the team dynamic. The others have all dispersed about their business and I don't feel like talking to any of them right now. So I make my way to Torrance's office, where he is again frowning down at various attack reports.

"Ah, Tallow," he says, glancing up at me, "I was just about to go looking for you. I hear it was bunyip?"

I nod, "Yes, sir. We brought it back alive. Darcy and Anton were injured. And there's something else as well..." Torrance raises an eyebrow and I continue, "I'll have to examine it more closely, but it appears that there's some sort of man-made implant at the base of its skull. It was flashing lights when we fought it."

Torrance's face is focused and I can see anger behind his eyes, "I see. More of the Bloodletter's work. You think this was a trap?"

"It seems pretty likely."

"Well, we can look into it in the morning. How is the team coming together? Any improvement?"

I consider before responding, "Yeah, I think there is. After what happened today...I think we'll be able to trust each other better, if not entirely. That will come in time, though. I hope."

"I'm sure it will," Torrance says, offering a small smile, "Well, now that you're back, do you fancy a game of chess?"

I raise my eyebrows. Gregor Torrance, asking to play chess with me? Where did that come from? "Sir?" I say.

He sighs, "Chess, Tallow. The game. I often find that it helps me relax and think. Would you like to play a game with me?"

"I guess, if that's what you want to do..."

"I'm asking you if you would like to."

I sigh, "Sure. Let's have a game."

We sit down at a small table at the other side of his office, by one of the bookcases. Torrance sets up a beautiful chess set: Onyx and marble, with exquisitely carved pieces. He gives me the white pieces, so I start the game. I'm good at chess, but Torrance is a master. He moves his pieces around decisively, barely needing to think before each turn. I, on the other hand, can barely keep up with him, only able to save a few of my pieces. After a few minutes, I am left with only two choices: I can move my queen to protect my king, which would lose the queen and leave me in check, or I can move the king and gain myself perhaps two or three more turns before Torrance puts me in checkmate. I lean back in my chair, trying to think of another move open to me. Nothing springs to mind. Torrance clears his throat.

"This reminds me of an old story," he says, "'The Lady and the Tiger.'"

I look up at him and he continues, "There was a princess in a kingdom many ages ago, and she fell in love with a man of lower birth. They were planning to run away, but the king caught them one night, and arrested the man on the spot. However, the king enjoyed games, and so instead of executing the man outright, he threw him into an arena, which had two doors. 'Behind one,' the king said, 'is a tiger. Behind the other is a lady whom the princess hates. If you open the door to the lady, you must marry her, but you may keep your life. If you open the door to the tiger...' The man does not know which to go through, and looks from one to the other several times before noticing his love, the princess, standing in the seats of the arena. She nods her head at the door on the left. The man smiles, believing she would not want to see him die and that the lady is behind the lefthand door. But he pauses before opening it. Would she want to see him married to the woman she hates? Probably not. So would she let her lover die to keep him from marrying the other woman? Or would she let him live, kept forever from her? That is the choice, the Lady, or the Tiger."

"Which door does he choose?" I ask, feeling oddly compelled by the story.

Torrance smiles again, "That is for you to decide, Tallow. Make your move."

I do. Still smiling, Torrance takes his turn, doing something I had not anticipated. He moves one pawn, and I realize that, even if I take one of his pieces with my queen, my king will remain surrounded.

"Checkmate," Torrance says, "Now, why don't you go get some rest. It's been a long day for all of us, and there will no doubt be more crises to deal with tomorrow."

I yawn and agree, "Thanks for the game," I say, and Torrance smiles and nods.

"Anytime."

I stumble up the main staircase and into my cramped room. I barely make it to the bed before sleep takes me.

My dreams are troubled and strange.

A cosmic game of chess, pieces being moved around a galaxy, and Torrance's floating head saying over and over "Checkmate."

The night air is cold as I run through the low trees. I am disoriented, tripping over roots and undergrowth. I can hear the snarls and slobbering of my pursuers coming closer, closer, closer...I burst into a clearing, and from all sides, I see movement in the shadows. Tall shapes moving and snarling. The first jumps into the moonlit clearing. I take a step back. A full-grown female anthropophagus, the alpha of her pack. Her white skin is smooth and taut over her muscled frame. Like all of her species, she has no head. Her dark, lidless eyes are set into her shoulders, glittering with hunger. Her huge arms and legs end it large hands, tipped with barbed talons, ready to rip into my flesh. Her mouth, set into her stomach, is full of teeth like a shark, dripping with saliva and reeking of rotten meat. Her pack all come into the moonlight, surrounding me. The alpha charges and I feel her jaws closing over my head...

I wake trembling and covered in sweat. I have not had that nightmare in over a year. I had it all the time after my parents' deaths, born from the final video they took on their expedition, which an unthinking relative showed me after their funeral. I was traumatized by it, seeing my parents ripped half a dozen different directions by headless bodies. I shake my head vigorously and go to get a drink of water. I slip back into bed and close my eyes, my breathing slowing. It will not happen here, to these people who I have known for only two days, but now care about. It can't. I won't let it.

Darcy

As the principal of the Academy walked in, his niece felt the room spinning around her. The green of the walls, the smell of the clean white sheets, the sound of hard breathing in the other part of the room, hidden by curtains, everything mixed together, and she twitched as her uncle touched her hand.
"Linn," he said softly, and Darcy gave her best to smile. He, just like everyone else, will just think she's in pain from her injury, and Darcy didn't plan to prove them wrong. "Dear.. How do you feel?"
Her lips were dry, her head was so dizzy she doubted she could manage to stand on her own, and every part of her body tinkered. She shrugged, or at least she felt like she did it right.
"Fine, really," she muttered, lying with every heartbeat. "I'll be up and ready to rock tomorrow."
He smiled, kissed her cheek and, saying something about being busy, left her alone again, with no company about her thoughts.

Ana, the nurse, gave her the medicine made of regenerative saliva of some monster, and Darcy knew she could really be healed enough in the morning to walk around and talk.
That would be, of course, if there wasn't the blood of a hellhound slowly infecting her own.

Darcy stopped hoping for the miracle of Anton's blood not being as dangerous as that of a real monster, as she lost the feeling of her own legs. She knew what will be happening next; the poison will spread, making her lose her ability to move, than slowly attacking organs one by one until they stop working. It will get to the brain in the very end, after an eternity of having her thoughts being the only active part of her.
She wanted to take her own poison, but the little vial was removed along with her usual clothes, and put tidily on a chair too far for her to reach. Feeling long, sharp pain around her lungs and struggling to breath, she just wanted to call and say goodbye - and what an idiot she was.
But she couldn't move. Her cell phone laid not ten centimeters from her hand, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't even control her fingers. Darcy felt tears of frustration burning her eyes. And the ones of fear, stronger than ever before.

A hand in black glove, sleeved in dark red, took her phone and moved it further, just then appearing in her sight.
Mr Anonymous stood not a meter away, staring into her eyes, holding a strange long needle in one and a key in the other hand - key to the room he locked as he closed the door. She wanted to say something, anything, to warn someone or just to make sure he's real, but the best she could do now, feeling as if some strange kind of acid is running through her mind, was to force herself to breathe.
He came closer, giving her a little smile. All she could do was to follow him with her eyes. What a joy you're the last person I'll see.
"Gifted," he muttered, "and stronger than she thinks. Tell me, miss Aislinn, how does it feel to die?"
You promised me. Her breathing turned faster, shallower and harder to stand. You promised me! You said we were the same...

Sharp pain pulled her out of the thoughts, as the long needle stabbed the skin of her hand. Darcy felt as if fire itself has been released into her body, burning everything in its way. She tried to make a sound as the red man was leaving - but there was nothing but a mix of too bright, too loud and too intense feelings, taking her over as she closed her eyes.

Shadows reached their hands, screaming her name as she ran through the endless labyrinth. Strings of thorns caught her wrists, strings of silver twirling around her, and squeezed her tightly, as shadows sang a song of whispers and tears. Mirrors surrounded her, countless and spinning, offering her reflections of her teammates one, and the monsters they held their personal demons, the next moment. She curled and closed her ears, stuck her head into her knees as she tried to disappear, to run, to hide...
Shadows moved and broke the mirrors, dark wings pierced her skin and cut the thorns around her. A man in red pulled the silver strings, and Aislinn Darcy fell apart.

When she opened her eyes again, meeting the evening outside and feeling completely lost, she was freezing, shaking as if she laid on ice. She could tell she had temperature, burning hotter than she ever recalled. But she could breath and she could move, and Nathaniel observed her as if he struggled with himself, holding the phone that still rang.
*

John Moore

John split the deck and shuffled it with a skill that can only be born of hours of boredom. The new guy, Adam sat opposite him – fidgeting and trying not to look excited at every bloody thing that happened in the Society, yes it had been shocking for everyone to find a place like the society existed but this was pushing it too far.

“I take it you like guns?” Adam asked, feeling some need to break the silence that John was enjoying so much. Moore raised an eyebrow: leaning against the table was the elephant gun. On his hip holster was a revolver, and in his shoulder holster was a Glock model 23.

“You could say that.” John muttered as he dealt the cards. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I’m a fan of shotguns.” Adam picked up his cards.

“Which make?”

“The one with two barrels.” John glared at him. “You know one on top of the other.” Adam glanced at his hand and broke out an infectious grin that somehow still left John with the urge to slap him.
“Royal flush.” Adam laid his cards down on the table. John frowned.

“We’re playing snap.” Adam’s grin went and his face screwed up.

“Son of a bitch!” He shouted in an oddly high pitch as he backhanded his cards off the table. John stared at him in a tense silence for a few seconds before Adam sheepishly smiled. “Sorry.” The newer hunter set about picking them up. Once they were given back John shuffled again and they set about playing – Adam getting it right this time.

“So why did you start hunting?” John asked as he threw down another card.

“Family issues. Brother.” Adam said, leaving it at that. John nodded.

“Dad, uncles, aunties, granddad myself.” John no longer had it in himself to get publicly emotional about it. “Hunting monsters as a family tradition has a habit of leaving a lot of early graves.”

“SNAP!” Adam slammed a card down. Good, John thought, he wasn’t the sombre kind.

“How many hunts you been on?” John asked as he reshuffled.

“Eh… today was my first.” Adam admitted. John stopped shuffling and stared at him.

“Training?” Adam glanced around awkwardly.

“I used to fight with my brother.” John sighed.

“No more cards – meet me in the training room in ten minutes.”