I can't feel a thing

[Kenneth Branagh]

"No."

He put all of the authority that he could muster behind the word. Ken pushed away from Kyle, who had his phone for some reason, and sat up straighter. He swallowed hard and took in a few deep breaths. It helped a little. Not much, but enough. Ken looked down at his mangled arm; it looked bad. It hurt like nobody's business too and he couldn't move it even a fraction but he gritted his teeth through the pain.

"I wasn't bitten. Turned. That thing. Not vampire or were. It was... something else. Shadows." He closed his eyes for a few long moments as dizziness swept over him. "Was magic. I have... at home. Antidotes and cures. Charms."

He couldn't convince Jem that he needed to be home because he wanted to see Niall with his own two eyes--alive and whole and unharmed. But if he used that as an excuse--something related to hunting and warding off dark magic--then maybe Jem would agree. Besides, the hospital was useless if he'd been turned. The most they could do was bandage him up and Ken could find a way to get that done himself.

"Take me home. Now."

[Jem Wilson]

No. Jem set his lips in a thin line. There was no way he was just taking Ken back to that place, especially with all the crap he was spewing. He understood that he might have items of use back home but he couldn't take Ken there. While he'd been in Hazleton, Jem had located the people to go to when they were in need. Hunters had each other's backs and that meant there were medical staff around to take care of him. They couldn't just take Ken to any doctor, especially if he'd been bitten and he was going to turn. If that was the case, Jem would put him down himself.

To Kyle, he said softly, "Go to Niall's and retrieve Ken's shit."

He pulled over to let Kyle out and kept Ken trapped in the back seat between Sinead and Corey. Then he drove away, leaving Kyle to take care of getting whatever things Ken thought might help. He spoke as if he were taking Ken back "home" to Niall's place but the whole time, he was heading into the mountains, where there was a facility set up for them. The road grew bumpy along the way and it looked like Ken had passed out.

"Not sure he's gonna make it!" Sinead shouted over the rumbling of the car's motor. Jem cursed under his breath but he kept going, turning down into what almost felt like a pit. All around them, growth disguised the fence that opened up for them as they arrived. Two people were waiting to place Ken onto a gurney and get him inside. Jem waited while they brought him inside, then looked at the others grimly.

"I'm going in. Sinead, Corey, you go back and make sure Kyle makes it. Try to stay together for now. We don't know who knows what now."

Once everything was arranged, he left the car to the pair and headed into the medical facility where Ken had been taken.

[Kyle O’Hare]

God fucking damnit.

Kyle trudged up the stairs of the shithole that called itself an apartment, muttering under his breath. How could one man fuck everything up so badly? The raid was supposed to be a cinch. An easy job--in and out.

But then Niall came around and while Ken was outside babysitting his junkie ass, all hell broke loose. Kyle slammed a fist into the wall in passing as he reached the landing of the third storey and shoved open the door with his foot.

The apartment manager said 3B. He spotted it immediately in peeling blue letters on a flimsy-looking door, and he marched up to it. "Open the fucking door Niall," Kyle barked authoritatively, and followed that up with a kick.

[Niall Gallagher]

Wh-what was happening? Niall waited. Waited. Waited. Nothing. He was starting to feel the worse stages of anxiety drawing over him like a shroud. Not knowing quite what to do with himself when all of his substances had been robbed for him, he shakily tapped out another cigarette and struggled to light it. His eyes remained outside the window, waiting.

And then there was a loud, intrusive knock. Niall threw his cigarette onto the back of the couch and immediately had to leap down onto it and pat it to put out the small fire it started on the couch bed. Then he froze. The voice wasn't Ken's. It was... Kyle's. And Kyle was none too friendly with Niall. Haha... that rhymed. No! No, he had to... do something. Scrambling off the bed, Niall tried to make himself presentable, pulling his silk robe closed and crossing the room barefoot. He swept his hair back and peered through the peephole.

Kyle. But... no Ken. Niall hesitantly opened the door but kept the chain lock up. He stared through the gap warily.

"Where's Ken?"

[Kyle O’Hare]

"None of your fucking business. Open the door, I need Ken's shit."

Kyle glared through the narrow gap in the door at Niall, none too pleased to be here. Behind him, he heard footsteps and two of the others joined him. Nobody here was exactly fond of Niall, and their expressions were one and the same--annoyed, angry, disgusted.

"Don't make trouble, laddie," Corey said in that lazy way of his, flicking Niall a crooked, cold smile. "Just open the door like a good boy and we'll be gone before you know it."

[Niall Gallagher]

"No," he said with the sassy face to go with it. No, he was not going to open the door to Kyle so he could come inside and raid all of Ken's stuff. And why did he need to take Ken's stuff anyway? A cold shiver ran down his spine, though he tried his best not to show it. He hated looking pathetic in front of these guys. And it wasn't just Kyle anymore. Two others were now flanking him and they were all giving him that terrible stare like they smelled something dead just under their nose. It almost made Niall want to check under his pits to make sure it wasn't him.

"You're the ones making trouble," he said back, putting his hand on the knob. "I'm going to tell the superintendent you're trying to break into my place."

But what he really wanted was Ken. He wanted to know--where was Ken? Why were they coming for his stuff? After Ken stopped answering him, and he didn't show up even though Niall waited by the window like a master-sick dog waiting for its owner, his gut said... something bad happened.

[Kyle O’Hare]

"Ah, well now, that's a shame," Corey said in the same smooth tone, clicking his tongue a few times. "I s'pose we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Kyle exchanged a meaningful look with Corey and then Sinead. They all nodded. As Corey and Sinead stepped back a pace, Kyle lifted a foot and planted his boot square against the door with a shuddering thud. If Niall wasn't opening the goddamn door then he was going to kick it down.

They didn't have time to bandy words about. Ken was probably dying—or worse, turning. If whatever shit he had could save him was inside, Kyle had to get it. He had to try his best to save a brother—a fellow hunter. Nobody was getting in the way of that. Especially not a piece of shit like Niall Gallagher.

"Open the fucking door or I'm kicking it down!" He said harshly, as he gave the door another kick.

[Niall Gallagher]

"No!" Niall shouted back, trying to shove the door closed before Kyle tried to bust his way in. Too late. He gave the door a good kick and to Niall's horror, he could see the chain's hook coming free from the wall. Heart bursting, Niall raced for the couch bed and grabbed onto his phone with both hands, holding it in front of his chest like a child might clutch a teddy bear.

"You're breaking and entering!" Niall cried. "This is illegal! A--a breach of privacy! I have rights, you know! I'm a citizen of this town and my superintendent is going to hear about this and--"

The door flew off the hinges with a dramatic crunch, slamming to the ground and denting the wooden flooring. Niall immediately leapt up onto his couch bed, standing up there with his legs together like a cartoon leaping away from a scary mouse.

"Get out! Get OUT! JC! JC! JORDAN! HELP! HELP! HEL--!" Sinead promptly shut him up by grasping him by the ear, pulling him down to his knees and turning his body so that she held his back against her front and slipped a sharp knife over his throat.

"Keep shouting," she warned him, "and see where that gets you."

Niall made a small sound but didn't continue carrying on with his protests. He did, however, watch as his place was ransacked and Ken's things in particular were picked through.

"What are you looking for? What happened to Ken?"

[Kyle O’Hare]

"Shut the fecker up," Kyle snarled as he tore the place apart, looking for whatever Ken thought would help him stave off the change. He didn't turn as Sinead grabbed Niall, and instead helped Corey tear apart the closet. Inside, at the very back, was a brown bag whose contents he turned out onto the couch bed.

"This is his bag." There were some charms inside, along with a few weapons and some sealed canisters. Not knowing what was inside, Kyle wasn't about to open them, so he bundled everything back into the bag and tossed it to Corey, who slung it over one shoulder. Just to be thorough, Kyle checked the bathroom too and satisfied himself that nothing there was of value. Lucky for them, Niall's shithole apartment was small—only two rooms.

"All right, let's get going." He didn't answer Niall's questions.

Corey, however, paused at the door. "It's better if you don't ask too many questions, laddie. We'll take care of Ken."

"Come on. Jem's waiting." Kyle pushed Corey out and nodded to Sinead, who let go of Niall and wiped her blade against the side of her leg. He shoved aside the splintered door on the way out, and swept down the hall. A door opened somewhere down the hall but he ignored it, intent on getting back to the medical facility with Ken's things.

[Kenneth Branagh]

Ken woke up in agony, with his arm on fire. He moaned and turned, trying to grasp at something with his uninjured arm, and felt hands pushing at him. There was a babble of voices, none of them Niall's, and he knew even in his addled state that he wasn't home. Niall wouldn't have let all these people in. The flat was their sanctuary, their home away from home, where they could be together without fear of judgment or scorn.

"Hold him down. Nina, hand me the syringe."

Something cold pushed into the crook of his arm and despite Ken's thrashing, he felt whatever was inside being injected into him. The blackness claimed him again and he fell back, as the voices closed in on him.

When he next awoke, he was alone. It took enormous effort just to open his eyes and when he looked around, he didn't recognize the room. There were blinds partially drawn over the window and golden-red rays of sunlight streamed in. Vaguely, Ken recognized that it was beginning to get dark and that the sun was setting.

Niall

Niall was never more than a thought away.

Ken pushed himself up and felt tubes clattering against his arm. He ripped them out and stood, swaying. Niall. He promised that he'd get back home, and Jem promised that he would take him there. Jem had lied. And Niall, was he waiting? Was he still there, wondering about Ken? Was he safe? Nothing mattered more to Ken than Niall being safe. Nothing. Not even his own health.

He stumbled across the room, still groggy and muzzy, but determined to get out. It took him several tries just to turn the doorknob and when he fell into the hallway, he was met by darkness. The smell of disinfectant told him that he was inside some type of hospital or clinic, after-hours. Ken heard low voices coming from one end of the hall so he staggered down the opposite end, hoping to find his way out and back to Niall.

When the voices grew alarmed, he hastened to find the exit. A lit Exit sign led him to the back door, which he shoved against with all his strength. The blast of cold air from outside lent strength to his clumsy limbs and he staggered as though drunk out into the back alley.

"Niall..." Using the wall as a guide, Ken made his way out into the street. He didn't know where he was but if he kept walking, he might eventually find a recognizable place or sign or street name. The injured arm dangled by his side, bandaged up but bleeding again. He felt the warm drops sliding down his hand and absently kept the hand against his trouser leg, so as not to leave a blood trail.

[Kaleo Kealoha]

Snoop. Snoop. Snoop.

Actually, he liked investigate better but he felt more like a snoop, wandering around this part of town. It was an awfully... quiet part of an already quiet little town. At least, after that debacle with the vampires, yeah. That was. Yeah. Kaleo raised a brow as he caught a whiff of blood on the breeze. The air was cool, a growing breeze in the air, clouds in the night sky. He knew a fight when he smelt one though. Or... he thought it was one when he looked up and saw the half-dead man shambling down the street.

Kaleo quickly took in his surroundings. Nobody currently after the guy but that could change in a matter of seconds. Not bothering to waste another moment, Kaleo jogged across the street toward the guy and caught him by the back in case he fell back.

"Hey, there. Looks like you could use a hand."

[Anthony Saint]

Spy, spy, spy.

Tony hated how a simple assignment was now turning into a fucking nightmare. Their higher-ups were pissed, their families were pissed—Tony's fiancee was having fits planning their wedding by herself—and everybody in the bloody town was pissed out of their minds. This whole town was like something out of a bad dream.

He followed Kaleo at a distance, so as not to appear suspicious. During the daytime, they were supposed to be the newly wed gay couple on their honeymoon. Whoever decided on their backstory was going to get a nutshot from Tony whenever they got back to HQ.

But at night, they didn't have to pretend and their job took precedence. Tony elected to keep to the shadows, in case somebody was following Kaleo, who presented himself as a giant target. At this time of the night, with the sun about to set, the freaks came out and it was Tony's job as his partner to make sure that he didn't get ambushed or caught off-guard.

When Kaleo broke off and ran towards a zombie-looking man, Tony cursed. He followed, trotting up in time to see the man falling into Kaleo. "He's bleeding," Tony said as he came up to inspect the stranger, who was muttering in a low voice. "What's he saying? Ni... Niall? 3B? Here, shift him this way. Let me look at his arm."

Clearly the arm was injured, but it had been expertly bandaged. Whatever wound underneath had simply opened and was bleeding again. Tony frowned as he ran gentle fingers over the gauze. "Check his pockets and see if he has any ID." Meanwhile, he tried to tie the bandages tighter to stem the flow of blood.

[Kaleo Kealoha]

"Looks pretty bad," Kaleo admitted, as he turned the man over so that Tony could get a better look at him. Honestly, he looked a step away from death, with ashen skin--a sure sign he'd bled out quite a bit. On top of that, it looked like he had recently been in a hospital; there was the forming bruise on the arm where a line had been inserted, probably to give blood and medicine. Why would a man leave the hospital in this shape?

Kaleo checked for ID and found it. The guy's name was in his wallet, along with some other usual essential items. There was a phone, too, which he handed over to Tony.

"Looks like his name is Kenneth Branagh. Branagh?" He tried the name out a couple times. People rarely got HIS name right first try either. Either first or last, which amused him, having grown up with it. Kenneth here might be the same. He might be the kind who got annoyed, though. Hard to tell, with a man whose face was only contorted in pain before he passed out.

"Think we should return him to the hospital. Looks like that's where he came from."

It was within walking distance, too.

[Anthony Saint]

"There's a clinic nearby too, if I remember correctly," Tony said absently as he flicked through the phone. He saw on the idle screen that the guy had a message, but didn't know the unlock code so gingerly he took one of the man's hands and pressed the thumb to the home button. It worked! He glanced up at Kaleo with a surprised little smile.

"Looks like he got a message just a couple of hours ago. I'll try to get in touch with somebody he knows." Wouldn't hurt to let his friend or family know that he wasn't dead--just really, really close to it, judging by the pale, waxy complexion of his face. As he messaged somebody named Niall, he heard the man groaning and stirring.

"...home..." Kenneth Branagh muttered, and Tony lowered the phone to look at him. His eyes weren't even open, but his lips moved and mouthed the word 'home' several more times. Luckily, somebody answered the texts.

"Hey, his friend says they live together." Tony inspected the heavily bandaged arm and shoulder again. "I think he'll make it, he just needs a lot of rest. Whoever put the bandages on did a pretty good job. C'mon, let's get him to his friend's place. Seems like that's where he wants to go anyway."

[Kaleo Kealoha]

"Hospital, clinic, that's what I meant," he said. Whichever. Actually, that was what he meant, the clinic. As far as he knew there wasn't any hospital located in the small town; they had to go to Portland for one of those. Small towns. Inconvenient. He hadn't yet told Tony that his family decided they wanted to come to see him here and he wished fervently that he never told them about where he was. Some small town on work? Why couldn't they just stay home?

Kaleo let out a sigh as he heard the man say home. Yeah, he got it. He got it, really. After Tony checked the wound again, Kaleo took care to lift the man gently and followed Tony, who seemed to have gotten in contact with a friend that could direct them to the man's home.

As they approached a rather rundown looking apartment building, he saw a man waving madly from the third floor, hanging so far out of the screen less window that he looked like he was seconds from tumbling head over heels straight onto hard concrete.

"Hey!" Kaleo barked gruffly at the man. "Get inside before you kill yourself!"