So ah... This happened tonight. Hope it doesn't suck. xx
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Artemis raised her bow and took the shot. It was an impossible mark, but for the goddess it was as simple as breathing. With a smug smile, she handed her weapon over to me. I didn't like this whole, archery thing. Mum had given up trying to teach me, but Artemis was not my mother and being a billion years old apparently gave you the patience of a saint and the stubbornness of a grounded teenager intensified by infinity.

"Now, you do it." She instructed.

"You know, these days, in this world, we have these things called sniper rifles. You can-"

"Do it." Artemis cut me off, her tone a little more forceful now. "Your weapons do not appeal to me. Even your blade seems so, barbaric."

"Don't talk about my sword that way." I fake being offended, but her lectures on the right choice of weaponry were a new form of a torture. "Okay, how about we make this interesting. If I can hit the target, better than you, we stop all this and take a break?"

"Better?" She laughed, and then signaled for me to go.

These last few weeks, her private lessons had taught me more than I thought I could ever know. A couple of days after my fail of a visit, she and a reluctant Hermes, had come to see me. She'd offered her support, should the time come when even the Powers had to pick sides, she and her sibling would offer their loyalties to Cain. Something happened after they left that night, but Artemis refused to say a word about any of it. Even Hermes was Team Fallen now, and so whatever happened must have have been real bad.

"The arrogance of this one! To think she could best the Huntress and-" Hermes snickering promptly ended as my arrow split through the feather and wood of Artemis's. What I failed to tell them was, I did additional practice with Cain whenever they weren't around so my terrible aim had quickly progressed.

"Okay, so about that break. I was thinking you two could be, I dunno, normal and we could go eat?" I suggested hopefully, my stomach growling in agreement.

"Eat, in your world?" Hermes frowned.

"A deal is a deal Hermes." Artemis sighed, and gave a little nod.

Instantly their robes and fancy toga's vanished and both were dressed in more twenty first century appropriate attire. The training arena Hermes had taken us to vanished and we ended up in the car park at the front of the campus.

"Ah, you sure you two being here is a good idea?" I whispered, looking around cautiously.

"We are very well hidden. Now, how about we go on one of these?" Artemis pointed at Drew's motorbike with wide eyes and a huge grin.

"You've never been on a bike?" I find that hard to believe.

"We don't have them in our world and they weren't in yours the last time we stayed here." Hermes snapped. "I refuse to get on it."

"Of course you do. Well, I'll take you on mine Art. Kill joy over there can just meet us at the restaurant." I decide.

Artemis clicks her fingers and sure enough my bike appears beside us. Excitedly she takes a helmet and just as she goes to put it on, Logan appears at the front door. I can't help cringing, feeling like we've just been caught doing something we shouldn't be doing, which I guess is kind of true. It's then I notice how tired he's looking, and trying to remember the last time we just, chilled and hung out alone, I come up blank. It's been weeks.

"There you are, I thought you were going to be in the library?" He quizzes. Sweat has wet his shirt in a big v on his chest, while his hair is a twisted mess. He's been working hard, absorbing as much of Cain's training as the rest of them, maybe too hard.

"I was, I just ran into some friends and decided to take a break." I lie, instantly feeling terrible.

Logan looks at the due suspiciously, before he looks at me and I hate the disappointment I see in his eyes. Instantly I go over to him, but he only seems to get tenser as he stands up taller and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Friends?" He quizzes.

"I'm Diana!" Artemis exclaims, much to excitedly and rushes over to us. "Nice to meet you Logan. Heard so much about you!"

"I've never heard a thing about you." Logan greets coldly, giving me that look that I know means he wants an explanation.

"Well you know how Elise can be." She grinned. "Why don't you join us?"

"Thanks, but not today."

"Shame." Hermes grumbled from behind us.

"Well, come on then, let's go!" Artemis spun away from Logan and seconds later I heard the click of the strap of her helmet going on.

"Elise, a second?" Logan took my arm and pulled me back towards the campus. "Where have you been? Cain is looking for you, then asked me if I knew what you were doing because apparently you keep disappearing on him and-"

"You found her." Now I really cringe as Cain appears beside Logan. I manage to resist the urge to turn and look behind me, as Hermes constant whinging to Artemis hasn't stopped. "Elise, what's going on?"

"What's going on with me, what's going on with you two? I didn't realise I was required to check in on a regular basis!"

Instantly Cain groans and rubs his forehead before getting distracted by the duo behind me. "Who are they?"

"Who?" I ask innocently, and glance over my shoulder. "Them? Oh, just some, friends."

"What are they?" He growls under his breath.

"Distant friends?"

Hermes and Artemis stopped their argument, only this time when I looked at them; they weren't them. Hermes had changed his appearance to someone who looked about ten. His neck looked too long for his body, which was skinny and all limbs - like he hadn't grown into himself just yet, while Artemis could pass as Penny's twin. Clever, but was a change of face enough to fool Cain?

I got my answer a second later when he threw his head back and laughed; a horrible, cold, evil sound that sent a shiver up my spine and had Logan grabbing my arm once more to pull me away so I wasn't stuck between the obvious conflict. He moved toward them before I could even try to stop him, and pulling free of Logan, chased after him.

"Cain!" I called out, but he didn't listen.

Smartly, or maybe stupidly, the duo were a picture of perfect fear as they started to retreat at his approach.

"You think I wouldn't know?" He growled as his hands lit up with a golden light.

"Stop it!" I screamed now.

"Why are you here? For her, is that the plan?"

Hermes looked at Artemis and she shook her head, a subtle movement you'd probably miss if you weren't paying attention. They were going to stay disguised, play dumb and I knew it wouldn't work. Cain knew who they were and working out the best time for them to come out was pointless now. I ran now, and skidding around my bike, ended up blocking the pair from Cain once more. He had no choice other than to see me now and the look in his eye was one I'd never seen before. Rage, unlike anything I'd known anyone to have reflected back at me; I could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Calm down, please!" He wasn't listening and on instinct, I pulled out the dagger, and felt it vibrate in my hand; like the sword, it seemed to have a mind of its own when it knew it was about to be used. "Cain! Stop!"

I heard Artemis suck in a breath, my back practically against her now.

"You need to get away from them, now, Elise." Cain demanded, much too calmly.

"No."

"Now!" He roared.

"No!" I yelled back just as the rage left his face and something else appeared instead.

"You know who they are, don't you?" Cain asked in disbelief. "You're, working with them?"

"It's not like that."

"Then tell me, what the fuck, it is like?"

"Don't be hard on the girl." Artemis spoke up, and glancing back she was no longer hiding; Hermes either.

"You should be thanking her." Hermes added.

"Okay, I'll humor you all. Tell me, why should I be thanking her for this betrayal?" Cain snapped sarcastically, the glow in his hands vanishing as Portia appeared beside Logan who had come over too. "You're only delaying the inevitable."

"Which is?" The other god stupidly asked.

"Your deaths." Cain shrugged, and out of no where a golden cage surrounded the three of us.

I heard Logan shout his protest, and Portia only the sound was muffled. I had a feeling this was more than just a cage and with each breath, the air seemed to vanish. My lungs felt like they were on fire and as each second passed, my bones felt as if they were turning to jelly. Artemis was quick though, and before I could hit the ground, she caught me.

"Now, speak. Tell me this tale." Cain leered.

Looking out at the carpark, Logan was gone and Portia was holding Cain's arm, saying something I couldn't hear. For whatever reason, my eyes moved to my arm as it fell loosely at my side, and the half moon stared back completely unaffected by what was happening now.

"Everything has changed, brother." Artemis told Cain, though I doubt he was even listening. "We merely seek to help you return home. Let the girl go, you need her."

Cain ignored her, kind of. "Changed, how?"

"Nothing is as it was. The Powers are out of control, and our attempts at change have failed. Only you can do what must be done. We need you to return home." Hermes appeared in front of me, his palm resting on my forehead, but he started to fade, so far away. "They fear you, because of her and if you do not let her out, you do not need us to condemn you. You will do it yourself."

"Elise, fight it." Artemis whispered, but I didn't want to.

_____________________

It was dark when I opened my eyes, making me wonder if I had even opened them at all. It still hurt to breath, and slowly looking around I knew I was at home, in my room. In the moon lit window, a shadow stood motionless, staring out at the nothing that was there and for the first time ever, seeing Cain had me feeling sick with fear.

The cage.

I passed out, I must have and slowly I moved my hand along my leg as I looked for my dagger; any weapon, but there was nothing there. Instead, I slipped my hand down the side of my bed and trying to keep as still as possible, felt along the edge of the mattress until the cold, metal hardness of the pocket knife greeted me. I'd barely managed to lift up to my side when Cain turned around.

"I'm sorry, please know that." He spoke so softly, I wasn't even sure I heard him. All the anger from earlier was gone and all that was left was his remorse. "Elise, don't."

I stopped fiddling with the knife, silently cursing the stupid thing for not opening for me and reluctantly rolled over so I was now facing him. Instantly he came to sit at my side, kneeling down beside the bed I could see clearer now my eyes had adjusted.

"Are you going to try and stab me with that?" Cain asked.

"No." I sighed in defeat before admitting the reason why. "I can't get the blade out."

"What else have you got hidden around here?"

"There may or may not be a machete behind the bedside table." For some reason, this makes him smile. "Don't look so happy, I didn't tell you which one and I didn't say I wasn't going to make a go for it."

"All good points and you're not going to try and get it. You don't need to, I'm not here to hurt you."

"See, I could have believed that up until how ever long it was that you what, suffocated me in a cell?" I couldn't stop myself from getting a little snappy and sat up. Cain instantly put his hand out, and rolling my eyes, I dropped the pocket knife in it. "I get it, you're pissed, but I thought you could have given me the benefit of the doubt and let me explain what was going on."

"I know. I'm sorry. I got a little carried away." He started and I only snorted in response. "You held a dagger at me, one that could actually hurt me Elise. You were with them. Do you blame me for getting a little defensive?"

"Where are they? You didn't, oh gods, Cain, please tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't." He quickly confirmed. "Seems as though my siblings have had a change of heart as far as I'm concerned. Don't trust them, but for now we have called a truce."

"So, now what?" I ask, clueless as to what this would actually mean - for all of us.

"I have to tell you something Elise. Last month, Portia had a vision."

"She did? She said she'd been having trouble with them lately." Cain gave a slight nod and something told me he didn't quite believe that.

"Right. She told me you were going to ask something of me, and I would oblige. You are my weakness, and they know this. Artemis and Hermes, proved that to me earlier. They befriended you, knowing you were the way in."

"But they-" I started.

"Have good intentions, now. I know that, and I know you want to believe that it's all true, but before of all these little revelations, why would Apollo give you the dagger so easily? Not with any hope or intention of it being used against me?" He only watered a seed of suspicion I'd been dealing with already. "Exactly. Now, I'm guessing your little, train all of us to make us stronger, plan was what she was talking about."

"Makes sense. She didn't tell you what it was?"

"No, she couldn't hear clearly." He said it like the words alone tasted bad. "I took time giving you my answer as I needed think it through, the pros and cons, and to see if she saw anything else after I made my decision. She didn't, but what she also told me..."

Cain paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She said that you would die and this time I wouldn't be able to bring you back."

My mouth opened, but I couldn't think of anything to say. "Oh."

"There's something else too, and I'm telling you so hopefully you'll understand what happened a bit more." He spoke slowly, letting each word sink in.

"There's more?" Did I really want to hear it?

"The only one I have to fear, is you."

"Me?" Waving a dagger at him probably wasn't the best idea then, but I had my own secrets too. "I know."

"You know?" He asked doubtfully.

"When you got me and Penny out of the arena, and-"

"You never did end up telling me about that."

"Now is as good of a time than any right?" I smiled awkwardly, before letting out what happened and before I was done, he ended up moving back to the window. "Cain?"

"They came to you?" He finally asked a few minutes later.

"I'm not going to kill you! I was just, trying to get you to calm down before and clearly that backfired, but come one. If I had a dollar for every time someone said-"

"I can't kill you Elise." He stated firmly, before turned to look at me once more and I wished he hadn't. There was something so vulnerable to him, like all the walls had been stripped away and there was just, him. "Yet you seem to have so many paths that lead you to killing me. Hardly seems fair, does it?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Fate has never been kind to me."

  I got up and went to stand at his side. "Forget fate, and all these visions. We decide."

"You are foolish to think that."

"I will make sure, as will the others, that you get to go home. I will be here, where I belong and that will be that. How can I possibly kill you when we're literally worlds apart?" It made perfect sense to me, yet this only seemed to trouble him further.

"Tell me Elise," He started thoughtfully. "What exactly was the outcome you hoped for by staring all this training business. Artemis hinted at something, but refused to say anything more than you had an idea. Your ideas normally worry me."

It seemed so stupid now, especially after that little speech about getting him home. "Well, I had this idea, that since you didn't have anything, or anyone to really go back for, you would make friends here and get involved with training us so much, that maybe, you'd rather stay. You seem so lonely sometimes and what is back there for you?"

"You wanted me to stay?" This really seemed to surprise him.

"I saw you laughing with Zane the other day, and the way you looked so proud at that young group of Slayers when they finally managed to complete the obstacle course without fake dying. I've been watching everything these last few weeks and I've never known you, not even as Darius, to look so, happy." He just stared at me, his expression not giving even a clue of his thoughts away. "Plus, if you were no longer wanting to go home, the Powers might back the fuck off and leave us alone, and we could just carry on our lives, you know?"

"After everything you have been through, all that you have seen, that was your plan?" I kind of felt like he was mocking me, just like when Dad and everyone rejected my idea.

"It's because of everything that I came up with that plan. I wanted a peaceful solution, where we all stopped trying to kill each other and we wouldn't have to get into a fight we wouldn't be able to win. It's not just about my family and friends, but all of my kind. We face enough every day and night with the monsters already in this world, and-"

"I understand. I forget how young you truly are Elise. By the way, I was never here." Cain leaned down, and placed a whisper of a kiss on my forehead; the whole act feeling way more intimate than what it was. Then, he was just gone.

My door opened then and Logan came in, followed by Alfie. I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding and turned on the lamp.

"You okay? Should you be up?" He asked instantly.

"I'm fine, slept it all off, what ever it was." But I wasn't okay and Logan knew it too. I could tell because instantly he was there, his arms wrapping around me in a way that I loved. It made me feel grounded, safe and now thinking about what ever just happened, didn't seem so serious.

"Remind me again why we shouldn't just kill him now?" Logan mumbled against my hair.

"Who?"

"Cain."

"Forget it. I shouldn't have hidden them from you all." I sighed, feeling catlike as I rubbed my cheek against his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too. I feel like I haven't seen you for months." Logan didn't even flinch as Alfie joined in our group hug. "Your Mum has cooked enough dinner to feed the campus, but I think your new god friends will be able to make a dent in it all."

"God friends? They're here?" I quickly let him go.

"Yeah, Huntington played mediator once you were out of it, and they all had a bit of pow-wow. A truce was reached, so no more sneaking around anymore okay?" He scolded.

"Okay."

"You agreed way to quickly." Logan frowned.

I patted Alfies head and as I heard the pop of a champagne bottle, he was quick to leave us. "Want to skip dinner and go somewhere else?"

"Only if it still involves dinner? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be soon. Come on." I left a note on my bed, and we climbed out the window. Luckily my bike was back in it's place in my parents garage and I didn't even argue when Logan made it obvious I wasn't the one to drive tonight.

We ended up in town and finding a burger place got takeaway before heading up to a local look out. For now, all our problems were left back at the academy and we were just two teenagers enjoying each others company. It was nice and exactly what we both needed, at least until my mind went back into thinking mode. Not even Logan's expertly placed kisses could distract me.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm alone out here tonight?" Logan managed to snap me out of it and as if to prove a point that he wasn't, I focused solely on kissing him. "I have no problems with more of that, but what is happening in that head of yours?"

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Out with it."

"Fine. Everyone keeps saying I'm the way key for Cain to get home right?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"How do I even do that? I can't open portals, and it just occurred to me, that I have no idea what any of this actually involves!" I paused for a second. "What if I can work out how to do it on my own, in my own terms and we can all just move on. Like oops, my bad, opened a portal, off you go now, bon voyage?"

"Most portals usually require a sacrifice." Logan answered grimly.

"Oh, true. But no, not all! Payters doesn't. It's just around.  What if the one to Cain's world is just, around?"

"If it was that easy, don't you think he would have done it by now?"

"Yes, but that's why he needs me. Maybe I am the one to find it?" I wonder.

"Maybe. So, tomorrow portal hunting starts?" Logan doesn't sound happy, but goes with it anyway.

"But we really can't tell anyone."

"Well no, because the gods will probably start a new game of try and kill the Bunting again. Plus your Dad and the rest are still plotting against our resident God, and not forget the other two we have now have joining the team. And of course there's Cain, but well who knows what he'll end up doing. Just another day in the life of Elise Bunting." He teased, but it was that last part I was worried about.

"Tomorrow though, right?" I kissed him again and the message was clear.

"Tomorrow." He agreed. "I thought I was starting to lose you again."

"I'm like the bad smell in your boots, I'm not going anywhere."

Logan leaned closer, so his nose was pressed against my neck and breathed in deeply. "Oh yup, you're definitely a bad smell alright!"

"Seriously?" I gasped dramatically. "Well if that's-"

In a heartbeat I was pinned beneath him and just as we discussed, for tonight - everything was forgotten and it would be until tomorrow, because that bitch had to come along and pop that little bubble of ignorance we surrounded ourselves in.