One for the team

Aeryn flipped open her cell phone and hit the speed dial for her mother's phone. Rachel's baby was running a temperature of 100 and she wasn't sure what to do about it. Her mother was in Manhattan at an art auction, while Aeryn had agreed to baby-sit for her mother's friend so she could attend a movie with her husband.

"Yes what is it sweetheart their about to start" said her mother into her phone. She had moved towards the back of the room so she could answer her phone without being rude. "Kailey's sick and Rachel didn't take her phone" said Aeryn "easy baby calm down now what's wrong with her?" said her mom.

"She's running a fever and coughing" said Aeryn "does she have any children's pain reliever?" said mom "hold on I'll check, can I call you back?" said Aeryn "yes but hurry, their going to start soon" said mom Aeryn ran into Rachel's bathroom and dug through the medicine cabinet.

She found a bottle of infant drops and followed the directions. She gave little Hailey the recommended dose and put her in her swing. Then she called her mom back. "Well is she all right?" said mom "yes I think so I gave her the amount it said, thanks mom," said Aeryn. Though she privately wished she had more control over her healing ability, so Hailey didn't have to wait for medicine to work. Her mother was about to say something more when, Aeryn heard some one scream in the background on the other end of mom's phone.

"What was that?" said Aeryn for some reason Aeryn was feeling a bit anxious."Oh we just lost the power its all right" said her mom Aeryn could hear people gasping on her mom's end "oh my god," said her mother "mom?" said Aeryn. Aeryn could hear the terror in her mom's voice. "No he couldn't have found me here" said her mom softly. "Mom what's happening?" Said Aeryn "Shush I'm putting you on speaker, just listen" said her mother

She sounded terrified so Aeryn did just that. A man's voice came on the other end. He was talking about a race that he claimed was very much alive. "Mom?" Aeryn whispered. A lead lump had formed in her stomach, her mother was in serious danger, and she had to get out of there.

"Save this" said her mom. Her mom snapped the photo of the man and hit send. Just as a white hand closed on her mom's wrist. "You should ask dear lady before you take someone's photo" said a smooth voice. Aeryn retrieved the photo with shaking hands as she listened to her mother's whimper of fear. A pale-faced man with thoroughly creepy luminescent eyes filled her screen.

Aeryn swallowed a lump in her throat. There was no doubt what stared out of her screen wasn't human. "Please, you're hurting me," whispered her mom. "What are you doing stop" said her mother. "Why do you smell like one of us?" said the man. Aeryn lifted the phone to her ear and said on impulse "let her go!" she demanded "and who are you to order a prince to do anything?" said the man "if you were really a prince you would have better manners" Aeryn blurted back.

The man laughed. "Such arrogance, even your children share it" he threw the phone on her mothers' lap and she picked it up. "Mother get out of there he means to hurt you" said Aeryn. "Sit down!" Aeryn heard him yell from her end of the phone. "Mom record this send the stream," said Aeryn. "Aeryn baby I love you" said her mom "I will remind you hollow empty creatures, why you should fear the dark" said the man. He had just said that when Aeryn started receiving the video.

"Mom run!" Aeryn screamed into the phone. then her mother screamed and the phone was knocked from her hands. It spun across the floor recording a scene of mass hysteria and terror. "MOM!" Aeryn screamed. The phone came to rest by a mans out stretched hand. A white hand picked it up. Whoever it was pointed the phone so it could record the scene then closed the phone. Aeryn hit stop and collapsed to the floor and cried. Her mom was dead, she was sure of it, and her killer would never be found. On impulse Aeryn hit redial one last time. The man's voice answered it.

"Are you still watching child?" he said his voice was cruel as ice and it sent shivers down her spine. "Why?" she whispered into the phone he chuckled at her audacity "perhaps we will meet and discus it" he said calmly. Aeryn's eyes went wide. oh no, her mom had filled out the if found statement on the opening screen of her cell phone. He had her address and she was the one person who could identify him.

Rachel came home a few hours later and found Aeryn in hysterics. She insisted on driving the girl home but Aeryn had no intention of going home. She was convinced he would find her there. Instead Aeryn drove her own car to Manhattan. She would get a hotel room if necessary.

There was a crowd gathered around the building several people were interviewing some older government looking guy. She was forced to park on the next block and walk in. Aeryn wove her way through the crowd, looking for a way past everyone. Part of her wanted to check to see if her mother had indeed gotten out.

Even if that part was irrational, she still had to act on it. She was still trying to sneak closer when the top floor of the building exploded in flames. A body hurled out of one of the windows. Aeryn took a few steps back as the man, or was it creature smashed in the top of a police car. The crowd moved back expecting him to move, only he wasn't.

While the crowd stayed back Aeryn boldly moved forward. She needed answers and it had just come from inside. She climbed onto the hood of the car."Hey you all right?" she asked he moaned, and Aeryn swore. She reached out and grabbed his wrist and sent a jolt of healing power through his frame.

The creature blinked and opened his eyes. He turned and gazed at her with a puzzled look on his face. "Thanks kid" he said. Then he got up and turned his attention to the crowd. A few minutes later two others came out the buildings front door. The crowd converged and Aeryn used that opportunity to slip back towards a very suspicious trash truck. When the group started to head towards the truck she came out of hiding. Only to be stopped by armed guards in military uniforms.

"Maam I have to ask you to step back" said the guard "I need to talk to them" said Aeryn "maam I'm sorry I can't allow you any closer" said the guard. Aeryn decided on impulse to do something totally crazy in her book and shouted "hey look a distraction!" the guard turned on reflex and Aeryn slid past him and ran towards the group that had just come from the building.

"Wait I have to talk to you!" Aeryn yelled. The guard was chasing her now and she almost ran into her quarry instead of halting in front of them. "Easy kid, what seems to be the problem?" said hb. "I have something I have to show you, "said Aeryn "what you want my picture?" said hb "no I'm sure I can get that off the Internet now, but I have to show you this" said Aeryn. she held up her cell "seen a cell phone before kid" said hb

The woman smacked him in the arm "what's on it honey" said the woman "pictures and video of what happened in there" said Aeryn. The guard halted beside her "what' is going on here?" said the bald guy "hey Tom this girl here says she has video of what happened" said hb "well if you'll just hand it over right here young lady" said the man

"No way, so you can put it in a vault and pretend it didn't happen, my mom was in there, and I want her killer caught" said Aeryn. "Your mother was in there?" said the fish dude "ah Christ kid" said hb "either way that's irrelevant, lets see this video young lady" said Tom. "No its not he still has her phone and he knows where I live" said Aeryn "Tom, she healed me, kids got talent maybe we should hear her out" said hb."Your afraid he'll come after you," said the blue guy.

"Come on dear" said the woman "I'm Liz this is hb, or red as I like to call him," said Liz. She led Aeryn into the truck. "Blue guy is Abe," said Red. Aeryn nodded "now why don't you tell us what happened" said Liz "what happened to top secret" complained Tom. "Actually our charter allows us to recruit" said Abe. Tom glared at him and the fish man smirked. "Well I was babysitting for a friend of my mom's and I called my mom cause the baby was sick" said Aeryn "and so?" said Tom "Tom shut up" said red "anyways I called her and she gave me some advice" said Aeryn "then I heard screaming and well you have to hear the rest to believe it" said Aeryn

She pulled up the video and hit play. After the video was done she showed them his picture. "And you say he claimed the crown of bathmora?" said Abe "so what do you think, is he a whack job?" said Hb "I do not believe his sanity to be an issue though he is most definitely what he claims to be" said Abe "how the heck can you tell that?" said Tom "easy his belt bears the symbol of his house and rank" said Abe "like a crest" said Aeryn. "Exactly yes," said Abe