A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

As if time couldn't move quicker, the distance between them and the factory grew incredibly short. There was just one more turn in the road before the factory would come in sight. It only would be a few minutes before they reached that turn. (F/n) reminded herself of her conversation with Ether, and she told herself to count on him even if the statement would've seemed incredibly odd to make to herself before everything with the other creature had happened. She wondered how everyone in the back of the truck was doing, but she couldn't exactly head back there and ask. Hopefully, they would be able to carry through with their part of the plan, and, luckily, there was moonlight out to help guide them. They really did only have one shot at this.

Before she could think anymore on the subject, however, she saw something flash to the left of her. What it was clicked just as it hit her. It was time. The world faded from around her, and she felt herself lean to her right until her body slumped against the door. Her eyes closed, and darkness encompassed her. There was one last thought that passed through her mind before she became unconscious; pretend to sleep for as long as possible no matter what happens.

Ether's right hand returned to him, but he soon moved it closer to the shifter due to the upcoming curve. She was out cold, and he hoped that she wouldn't wake easily since that would permit him to make more noise and for longer. His hand rested on the shifter and performed the proper procedure, which was a little rough since his own nerves acted up for once. Admittedly, he was worried, but he knew that he couldn't show the emotion at all, or Callest would use it against him. Thankfully, his anger at Callest would hide his more troubled thoughts. A giggle escaped his lips as he thought about plunging his nails into the heart of Callest; the sounds and feeling would be pure sadistic rapture as he killed the creature who almost had killed his pink flower.

Rounding the curve and turning onto the straight part of the road, Ether focused his attention briefly on the driver's mirror. He saw Ren and Chris stop the car back at the curve. Good. He concentrated back on the path ahead. In the near distance, the factory stood. Its grey walls were raised three stories high, and most of the square-shaped windows on the levels were in poor condition. Ether could make out the main entrance doors, which had a large padlock and chains on them. Off to the left side was the ladder to the roof as well as the stairs to each level, and to the right was the entrance to the elevator. All around the building was a large barbwire fence, but the truck should be able to handle that.

Shifting up again, he accelerated the car, and his miles per hour increased. His hands gripped the wheel tight for the time being, but he was ready to fling himself over (f/n) when the truck crashed. Thankfully, there also were no people around the building or cars parked around it for that matter. It would just be Callest , him, (f/n) and the rest of the humans with them. He remained worried about his partner's wellbeing through the whole plan, but excitement rose in his bloodstream too. Finally, he could murder that a**hole.

The gate came closer, and he didn't slow down. He wondered what Callest was thinking in that moment as he heard and saw the semi truck raging towards the building. Ether began to count down on his fingers in his head. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Crash! Metal met the front of the truck, and the truck drove over it like it was nothing but thicker dirt. Behind the truck, the rest of the gate wobbled, but he paid little attention to that fact. Instead, his eyes averted completely to the entrance.

Pressing in the clutch and break a little bit, he only slowed the semi down by a small fraction. He removed his hands from the wheel, took off his seatbelt and threw himself over (f/n). As he did so, another loud crash was heard, and rubble tumbled down towards them. The semi managed to deflect some of it, and most of it hit the part between the front part of the truck and the storage.

Dust flew up around them as the rubble settled, and the old building moaned with the hit it just endured. Ether grew concerned that he might've made the impact too great, but the building did ease up a little bit after time. By now, though, Deidre, her father and Nick should be making their up to their positions. Due to the roof being part of the plan, Ether hoped that Callest would be on the third flood. If he wasn't, that would create some complications since her father was traveling to the third floor first too. There also was the concern that Callest wouldn't be standing anywhere near to the roof hatch.

Such thoughts almost consumed him before he pushed them out. He couldn't think about that right now. If the plan needed last minute adjustments, so be it; he'd make it work somehow. Besides, he couldn't stay in the semi forever. Lifting himself up, he looked down to (f/n) and saw that she was breathing steadily. There were no injuries on her, though; she might receive a few bruises later from the crash. They would heal, however, and that caused him to relax just a fraction since they still had Callest to deal with.

Now sitting up, he tested the driver's door. It creaked open before it swung back and forth lightly. Barely, it was holding on. The impact must've messed up with the door attachments in some way. Whatever the case, it wasn't important since they weren't taking the semi back. In fact, he would be running back to the funeral home, and (f/n) would be safely on her way there in Nick's car.

Carefully, he reached over to (f/n) and undid her seatbelt. It snapped back, and he lifted her up gently into his arms before he carried her out of the semi with him. When his feet touched the ground, he surveyed the damage and whistled. The entrance was creamed, and half of the truck had come into the building. Rubble rested all around, and dust seemed to dominate the air. What remaining glass had been left in the windows on the first floor had toppled out, and rocks had crushed the glass into even smaller pieces.

Looking over to his left, he saw the inside stairs. There was an elevator, but he didn't want to take that up and have the doors open to reveal Callest right in front of them. Before he took a step forward, however, he listened in to the surroundings. No footsteps met his ears, but he did hear what sounded like muffled shouts from up above before a cry of pain followed. The voice sounded feminine, and after he heard another muffled noise, he confirmed that the voice was (f/n)'s mother. He assumed that it would be, but for all he knew, Callest could've hidden her at another location and just brought some random woman to the factory with him. That possibility had worried him since things definitely would've taken an even more complicated turn. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

Soon enough, he reached the stairs, and he took loud, slow steps upwards in case the others still needed to get into position and they were waiting for another noisy distraction to cover up their own movement. It aided him in that the metal steps creaked under his and his flower's weight. Some of the steps felt loose, and he took his time even more when he came across those ones.

Once the first set of stairs went by, he looked out over the second floor. It was barren except for the four pillars that helped support the building. Three windows were on each side of the room, and across from them was the elevator. Its doors were closed. Most likely, it really was dead, but the shadows that lurked around the vessel would've made the picture perfect for the tunnels. Almost, he lost his thoughts to ideas of how he could've used that to torment his victims back in Cankerfell, but he forced himself to shove such thoughts aside. Right now wasn't the time for that.

Directing his attention to the next set of stairs, he began the climb to the final and third floor. The muffled noises grew louder before they were silenced. That time, he heard skin be impacted by what he could assume was one of Callest's hands or feet. Ether held (f/n) closer to his body, but he made sure that his left nails didn't dig into her skin. He did feel relieved that she looked peaceful in her sleep presently as it gave him all the more purpose to end Callest's life; he needed to protect that peace from the current nightmare that grew into her reality.

Only a few more steps remained ahead of him, and he took them even slower and louder than the last ones. They probably were the loudest steps he ever had executed, but he didn't regret a single one. The third floor began to greet his vision, and his very pale blue optics turned to his right steadily as his form emerged from the lower floor. At the top, he took the last step and saw his target.

Towards the farther right of the room, Callest stood just ahead of two of the pillars in the space. His hands were at his sides, and his posture was unyielding. He was standing as tall as he could, and a confidence emanated from him. A cruel smile was on his lips, but there was no amusement in it. Rather, it looked like he was angered and also disappointed that he had to take things so far.

Moving his hands to his black pants' pockets, his toes stretched along the floor while he made his shoulders straight and tight against his dark blue button-up. His nearly white hair hung down to his shoulders, and it was swept back while his bangs were swept right. Callest's very pale blue optics were alight with flame, but the flame was settled, not roaring; however, that could change depending on how the situation advanced. Given what Ether had planned, the younger creature felt that Callest's calm stature wouldn't remain that way.

On the ground and to his left, (f/n)'s mother was on her knees. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was leaning forward. A cloth gag was in her mouth, and bruises and cuts could be seen through the torn cloth of her shirt sleeves and pant legs. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and when she saw her daughter, she cried out again before Callest reached forward and tugged back on her darker (h/c) hair. That quieted her down after another cry parted from her lips. He looked incredibly annoyed before he shoved her forward so that her face almost hit the ground, but she managed to remain on her knees. Focusing on Ether now, though, Callest locked his gaze with the younger creature's and remarked with a casual tone, "So, you did decide to come. That's somewhat disappointing."