A House with Many Doors

He just wanted a straight answer. Why was it so hard to give him one? He bit his lip in frustration. If Auryon had played a part in the terrible acts she had referenced, fine. He could accept that. But if it was the sole responsibility of Apophis, then things would be very different. It wouldn't matter that this Apophis wasn't the Apophis he had known; both were equally as bad. Manipulating someone's actions to that extent would make her just as bad as any of the Goa'uld.

But, instead, he was here trying to get a straightforward response. "What exactly are you?" he questioned, crossing his arms. "I know you're Apophis-"

Hadn't Auryon mentioned demons earlier? Why would she have been so eager to mention demonic magic if she wasn't well acquainted with them? He had never seen it in person, but the books of the Ancients had theorized that his kind could inhabit the bodies of the people from this plane of existence.

"Are you like me?"

"I'm a demon, but not like you, I don't think," she answers.

Laurel gingerly cupped her hands around the phone, looking at it with awe-filled eyes. James stood beside her, watching Raiden, as opposed to the phone.

"Thank you for letting me touch it," Laurel replied with a smile, and she held it like she was holding an egg - afraid to break it. "It's so light."

His shoulders slumped. After being alone for so long, he didn't know why he had thought it was wise to get his hopes up. Besides, he thought, Apophis isn't the type of person I want to have something in common with. "Do you have a specific name for your kind?"

"Demon, devil, evil spirit, lots and lots of names, most of which are vague and nonspecific."

"Yeah, smartphones are pretty light," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't say any more, simply watching Laurel to investigate the phone.

He shouldn't have been so surprised that none of the words were words used to describe his own kind, but he still felt deep disappointment. "Does the word 'djinn' apply?" he asked. He didn't know why he was so desperate. Apophis surely wasn't a good person, and she had made it clear that they weren't alike.

Laurel held it carefully, not sure how to interact with it. After a moment of looking at it, she handed it back. "That's so cool... so... what's your name? I'm Laurel."

"Peter," James followed curtly, giving the same name he gave the others for consistency's sake.

"My name's Raiden," he said, taking his phone back and sliding it into his pocket
"Nice to meet you two," he held out a hand to Laurel for a handshake. After, he'd hold out his hand to Peter to shake.

"I dunno, if it kills people maybe," she shrugs.

I really am the only one of my kind out here, aren't I?

His shoulders slumped. He hung his head down. He slipped his hands into his pockets. It was hard to tell where reality ended and where his act began. The heartbreak that accompanied a reminder of being alone was always difficult to handle, but there was also the need to trick Apophis into believing that his sorrow was the only thing on his mind.

He stared at the ground for another minute.

And then his guise shifted to a red-tailed hawk, and he made a hurried flight towards the open doorway.

Spoiler

AH RED TAIL AAAAAA

This catches her by surprise, but her reflexes don't fail her, though they may be delayed. A dagger misses his wing by mere centimeters, so close he can feel the breeze from it and hard enough where the thump as it imbeds itself in the wall is almost painful to hear. Her eyes flare red and she gives chase.

The dagger took him by surprise, and the sudden burst of pain as it passed by made a startled cry leave his beak. He instinctively drew the wing back. There had to be some little bit of iron or silver embedded in the dagger, which, unfortunately, put her at an advantage.

But then his flight became off balance, and he struggled to regain a steady flight. He went tumbling into the wall directly across the hallway, his guise hitting the ground with a loud thud. He assumed his previous human guise. It had been quite some time since he had last used a guise that didn't have two legs, and, though it was faster, he knew it would put him at a very noticeable disadvantage.

Still a bit dazed from his impact, he slowly began to get back up.

Raiden dropped to the floor to dodge a flying - well, flailing - bird that had spontaneously burst out from the room Leo and Auryon were in. He looked back as the bird transformed into Leo.
"Oh hey Leo, you alright there my dude?" Raiden asked as he stood up, dusting his knees. He assumed things didn't go well in there, and he watched the door closely.

Apophis comes racing in after him, her dagger reappearing in her hand. Her eyes are now glowing solid gold and slit-pupilled.