We Are Bulletproof

[Activates the hex]

Goodbye Charlie

I'm sorry Charlie

(In tiny tiny print)
I love you. Be safe.

[A compulsion hex is imprinted on the next note]

Leave Hazleton

If I go ancients will destroy town. I'm sorry. GO

Ancients. All here. Danger. You need to leave before
Too late

[Written on a tiny scrap of paper, delivered by a scruffy mouse]

CharlieYouNeedToLeaveTown.GetOutOfHere-Tempi

@Charlie Ayers

"We're doing it! It's working! It—"

Then, like a giant hand slamming into them, Tempie was knocked back. The barrier reformed, strong and impenetrable, and as Tempie lifted her head, she saw her family and coven there at the entrance of the room. Witches and warlocks were chanting, bringing the barrier up, separating them from Teddy who had shrunk into the furthest reaches of his cell now.

A sob broke out from the very back of Tempie's throat. Without thinking, she clung to Charlie and buried her face into his shoulder. It was no use now. They couldn't fight against the entire coven of elders and experienced witches...

Hard, strong hands seized her then, forcing her apart from Charlie. She clawed and scratched like a wild creature but it was no use. They pulled them away from each other—Robbie too, though he hardly struggled—and Tempie shrieked at them to let her go, all to no avail.

"Tempie..."

Teddy's voice was a rough, low croak. He reached out but the force that kept them out also pushed Teddy back. Tempie let out a cry as her heart wrenched again, throbbing in her chest. Those monsters! They were torturing him down here! "Teddy, stay back! We'll get you out!"

She grasped onto Charlie's hand and in that moment, she couldn't remember feeling more fond of anyone in her life. Even if he made that terrible noise at the sight of Teddy--which Tempie heard, oh yes--he was still here. He was here for her when no one else was and Tempie couldn't have been any more grateful.

"NO!" Yang's frantic voice echoed in her mind but she tried hard to shut him out. He was the enemy! Of course he'd try to stop them! She glared at his still-frozen form once, and then turned back to her brother. Tempie focused all of her power, every single bit of it, onto the cage. She willed her magic to bore through it, to drill through and break the barrier. All the while, in the back of her mind, she knew that her family must be closing in but she refused to stop trying.

Sweat beaded on her temple as the barrier buckled. It didn't break, though. "More Charlie! A little more!" She sensed the cracks forming now, spidering all along the face of the invisible wall. Tempie felt like her heart would explode, and every inch of her burned with the exertion, but some feverish inner demon spurred her on. Even when something sharp and metallic tickled the back of her throat, she kept trying. If it killed her, she was going to free Teddy!

"Teddy!"

Tempie ran into the room after Yang and Patches and the giant of a man, calling out her brother's pet name, only to see them frozen in place. At least, the last two were. Patches was kneeling, looking horribly ill, and then--POOF!--he was a cat again. Tempie ran to pick him up, cradling his limp form protectively.

"Teddy stop it! You're hurting him! He's a friend!" She ran to the cage that held her brother and her heart just about broke at the sight of him. He looked like he'd been starved for months. His entire body had wasted away to nothing; she could see the bones protruding from his hands and his cheeks. His hair fell lank by his temples and his eyes--there was something inhuman about the way he hungrily looked out at her.

"Teddy, hold on, I'll get you out!"

With Yang and the giant apparently incapacitated, Tempie looked around for a key. That was pretty stupid, though, because the entire cage had no doors. Magic. It was sealed. She tried to put a hand out to touch it but recoiled as the magic pushed her back. "Charlie! Help! It's sealed!"

"Oh, you can, and you will."

Tempie bristled at his tone. Rude! It was rude to command Charlie, to demand Patches' contract, even if they were... betrothed. Because Tempie knew exactly how that felt, she sympathized with Patches even more. Patches should be free to marry whomever he wanted! If it wasn't this man, then Yang just had to accept that Patches didn't love him!

"You leave Patches alone!" She slid to stand in front of both Patches and Charlie protectively. "And give me my brother! I know you have him locked up here!"

"...oh? He's your brother? You've come to rescue him."

Tempie swallowed. Then nodded. "Yes. And I'm taking him with or without your help, so... so stand aside!"

But to her dismay, a large figure appeared in the doorway, stooping almost bent double to get out. She gasped. Another guardian? On top of this strange man who wanted to marry a cat? The second guardian was frowning, and when he spoke, his voice was a low, booming rumble.

"Ey! Ye kids don't belong 'ere! Get out!" He swiped at them, pushing them back and away from the room where Tempie's brother was being held hostage.

"You--you two know each other?" Tempie asked in disbelief as she stepped back, and closer to Charlie. Definitely away from the stranger looming up on them. The man's power was immense. Even without doing anything, Tempie could feel his magic in the air--ancient magic, of such a high order that her mind could barely comprehend it.

"You--you wretch! You no-good lousy irresponsible--" Yang sputtered off, he was so indignant. He kicked at Patches again, and Tempie let out a cry. But the man's foot stopped just short and it looked like he almost didn't really want to kick him. Like he just wanted to vent his frustrations out on poor, innocent, sweet, helpful Patches.

"Don't kick him!" Tempie glared, finding some of her bravery back. "Stop attacking Patches, he hasn't done anything to you!"

"Oh PATCHES, is it? Is that the name he's going by now?" Yang's breast rose and fell visibly in his great--and baffling--anger. "Hiding here all this time, shirking his responsibilities? Eh? Patches?!"

Tempie's brain hurt. She wasn't following any of this, really, and when she looked over at Charlie and Robbie, she thought stupidly that they might know. But they probably didn't. "Who... are you?" she asked again, and Yang's stare in her direction made her squeeze Charlie's hand tightly.

"I," Yang said as he drew himself to his full height, "am Patches'... What do you damn humans call it..." He seemed to struggle to find the word. "Betrothed!"

"I—"

Tempie couldn't exactly refute the fact that three people—or two people and one staring brother—were better than one. Charlie and Patches had helped her a great deal up to now, but that was also why she didn't want them to get hurt!

"I—" She tried to articulate her fears and concerns, but Patches cut across all of them. Tempie stared at the familiar form of the cat slinking their way. "Patches!" She broke free of Charlie to scoop him up, giving him a great big hug. "Oh Patches! Thank you!"

Before Tempie could go any further, she heard something clunk open. A door. Swiftly she turned, ready to attack—a hex on her lips already—and then she gaped. A man stood in the door way, staring at them.

"Who are you?!" She asked, almost at the same time as the stranger.

"I'm Yang!" He replied crossly, but now his eyes were on Patches. Something like horror crossed his face. "You!" And then he kicked out at Patches. "You have SOME NERVE showing your face around here again!"

"No Charlie! If they catch you--and Robbie--they'll kill you!" She almost had to tack on Charlie's brother, because he was just so... easy to forget. He was an afterthought most of the time, except when he thrust himself into their lives. Usually to glare at Tempie, or to be a creep peeking through keyholes.

"I can't let that happen again! I can't..." She broke off and her voice broke a little too. Tempie blinked hard, willing herself not to get too emotional. That was her problem, they said--she was too sensitive. It didn't do for a witch of her bearing and blood and caliber to be sensitive, so they forced her to bottle everything up and to keep her nose in the air, the way that a Hazleton ought to.

She clung to Charlie's hand for a second longer, then threw her arms around him. What a stupid man. Stupid, stupid Charlie with his hopeful eyes and his eagerness to please, even when his own life--and the life of his brother--was at stake. "Just leave! Please!"

"Temperance?"

"Where is she?"

"I saw her go in here..."

The muffled voices faded behind them as Tempie ran for her life, dragging Charlie, dragging Charlie's brother along with her. There were two wrists in her hands, such was her frantic rush to get away. Her uncle had to have seen her disappearing into the secret tunnel. They would be blasting through the wall soon and then they'd be caught and--

All of a sudden, the world twisted. Tempie came to a violent halt with her stomach churning and looked around in bewilderment. The dank, cold tunnel had given away to a hallway lined with doors. But directly in front of them was an imposing door that clearly betrayed its true function.

"This... He's here!" Tempie dropped their wrists and ran to the door, putting out a hand to feel the magical barriers surrounding it. Dear Patches. Wonderful Patches. His portal led them directly to where Tempie's brother was imprisoned! "We have to get inside! He's in here!"

She turned to see Charlie's brother with a hand on Charlie's arm. He whispered something into Charlie's ear, something vaguely like an urgent plea for him to leave. Tempie's eyes narrowed but... he was right. Now that Charlie had gotten her here, his job was done and he didn't have to put himself in the path of danger.

"...you two should go. Before my family catches up with us." Her hand slid out, without hesitation, and touched the side of Charlie's hand. "...thank you."

They were almost there! That secret entrance hidden behind a long wall hanging was known only to Tempie and her brother. They discovered it purely by chance one day, when they were children, fooling around the grounds. Tempie used to slip out late at night to meet with... him.

She tried to push those thoughts away as they neared the maroon hanging. No use turning bitter thoughts towards the past now, when the future seemed even more bleak. Her hand in Charlie's shook; her fingers tightened around his. Behind them, she was aware of Charlie's brother following them like a silent wraith. He seemed to know what was going on, even if she wasn't sure what he thought of the whole escapade. When she looked over her shoulder at him—and also to make sure they weren't followed—she saw that his face was as blank as ever.

"Almost there," she whispered to Charlie, moments before her uncle's voice rang out. Tempie's head flew around. She stared at the still-empty hallway, but already she heard footsteps. "Hurry!" Tempie was running for the secret way out, dragging Charlie with her. "Here! In here!" She swept open the hanging and fumbled with the wall, dropping Charlie's hand so that her frantic fingers could cover more ground.

Click!

She pressed into a part of the wall and a switch flicked. Then part of the wall swung open, revealing a long, black tunnel.