Co-operation

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"No. Absolutely not!" Ruby Lockhart's grey eyes were narrowed in defiance, despite the fact she was stood in her commander's office right then. "Bringing them in will only bring more questions and red tape!" She insisted, her slender fists balled up by her sides.
"This isn't a discussion, Lockhart. I have my orders, and now you have yours." The grey haired man told her, though he sounded somewhat weary, like he was all too accustomed to these childish outbursts. "You are to meet your new partner at 8pm and brief them on the case. The sooner we clear this whole mess up, the sooner I can go back to letting you do things your way, alright? Believe me, I don't want these blind fools involved anymore than you do, but this last case has made local news. We need to stop it before it goes national, or global."
Ruby's lips pursed together as she continued to scowl, seeming to be considering all this new information. There was a reason she didn't have a partner; no one could put up with her hotheaded, shoot first ask questions later attitude. It created mountains of paper work, but unfortunately she came from a long line of the divisions pure bred hunters, and her skills were... invaluable. 
"Fine!" She huffed at last. "But if this yokel ends up dead because they couldn't do what I said or panics when faced with the truth, I won't be held to blame!" Having said that, she stormed from the office, waves of dark hair swinging behind her before the door slammed shut.

There was a darkness in Ruby’s eyes that betrayed just how hard she was trying to contain her magic right then. She would rip the town apart for Piper, and the other woman knew that. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” She told the other woman, her voice trembling. “Piper... I need you.” She breathed. Just as Piper had needed Ruby to get her through her pain, the other woman had needed her best friend after what her brothers own best friend had done to his sister. She closed her eyes as a fat tear leaked free, which she quickly wiped away. “You know I have to honour your promise.” She told her after a moment. “I’ll find the sleeping concoction.” Despite her words, Ruby had little intention of holding up her end of this particular promise.

Piper put her hand to the glass, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Tell him the truth before he falls asleep. Okay? Tell him I love him. That I was just scared..." She whispered.
 Long black talons rested on her shoulders and yellow eyes appeared behind her. "Poor innocent soul. Don't cry. Save that for tonight. Our joining will require many of them." The demon purred leaning his head to the side to kiss Piper's neck.

Before she could reign her temper in Ruby’s fist had snapped out, shattering the mirror in front of her. She couldn’t do as Piper asked. Jett was trained just as well as she was, and taking him out of the picture wasn’t wise, in case Ruby herself failed.
The young woman changed her clothing, checked her gear, then disappeared without giving Jett any warning at all. Now she knew it was Azazel, finding him would be easy. The only clue she had left behind was a crude rune depicting his name smeared on her bedroom wall.

"Fuck." Tobias roared, staring down at the shattered mirror on Ruby's bedroom floor. "Jett, your sister has gone demon hunting without us. We don't have time to play with the human. Put him to sleep and lock him in the bar."

Jett wasn’t thrilled that Tobias had appeared inside his sister’s bedroom without coming through the rest of the apartment first. To him it was a clear sign the other hunter had been after something quite specific. “Well go catch the fucking asshole yourself.” He growled as he moved down the hall to the sound of Tobias’ voice. Of course that statement died when he saw the glowing red rune on the wall. “That useless witch!” He growled, simply to mask the worry he clearly had for his twin. “Azazel!? She went after fucking Azazel of all things alone?!”

"you know her. She thinks she can do everything on her own." Tobi muttered. "I wish she'd at least let me help. She never would. Always had her head too high to see me..." He knelt to pick up a piece of glass and handed it to Jett. 
Piper was in it, dancing her gyspy dance. Each one had a different meaning. This one was grief.

Jett started at the glass for a moment, then squeezed it so hard in his palm that blood spilled free. “She hasn’t been the same since we were teenagers.” He breathed. “Something happened to Ruby... and I know she told Piper.” He swallowed that little glimpse into the past and looked back up at Tobias. “You love her, don’t you?” He asked, though already knew the answer. “Then you understand why I have to get Piper back. I have to make things right again.”
Jett thought he had all the answers. He had no idea of the secrets the order were keeping. None of them did.

"you love the Gypsy?" Tobias asked, his eyes darkening to storm clouds. "That's dangerous, boy. Her kind is dangerous as it is." He took a piece of the mirror and slid it in his shirt pocket. 
"As far as what happened to your sister...you have no one to blame but yourself."

It wasn’t lost on Jett that Tobias hadn’t actually given him a definitive answer. “Last night, Piper told me she tried to contact Ruby, but was unable. Let me guess... you had my sister on her back?” He snorted and shook his head. “You deserve each other, pair of selfish cowards.”
Having said that he headed for the door again. “I’ll fix this, like always. You... go find the human, or something!”

Ruby had used a spell and an odd looking crystal to locate Azazel. She was dressed entirely in black, hoping to go unnoticed for as long as she could. The young woman didn’t know her warlock always knew exactly where she was. She didn’t even have a plan, driven by nothing but her love for her friend.

Tobias appeared before Jett, slamming a fist into his nose. The power behind it sent him sprawling. "I was not the one screwing a harpie. You are the one who screws everything not nailed down. This is your fault. You babysit the human. Let the adults handle this."

Jett sat up, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. “You would drag Ruby out of there and forget Piper.” He observed. “I won’t leave you the choice of saving just one of them. This is a family matter, you sure as fucking hell aren’t family!”

Tobias said nothing, remembering the times he had let Ruby's brother die or had killed him himself. Nothing got between him and his beloved. He'd fought too hard for her.  The thought complete he walked away, the door slamming shut behind him.

Piper sat in the cenet of the circle with Azezal beside her. While another monster performed the ceremony, this demon whispered to her. He spoke kindly which was strange. He promised to make her a true queen of darkness and give her the world. He would please her. She would see. Soon she would forget the sorcerer. Or anyone else for that matter.

Ruby was inside Azazel’s strong hold already. It seemed his men were only on the look out for Jett, not his headstrong sister. Though she loved Piper more than anything, she was ashamed to admit that she was thinking about Tobias too, wondering why she seemed so willing to drop everything just for one look, one touch from him.

Jett was angry as a bull by the time he had cleaned himself up and returned to his own home for his guns. He and Ruby had endured rigorous training with all kinds of weapons, but he liked guns the most. They were impersonal. He would make Tobias pay once Piper was safe.

"You stupid girl." Tobias had finally caught up with her, leaving Jett to face a two headed beast alone. He'd taken all the ammo with him.
He knew that he'd face the consequences once Ruby realized what he'd done. He always did. But right now he had to get to Ruby before she did something insane. She was good at that.

Ruby narrowed her grey eyes at Tobias before dragging his large frame into a nearby alcove as two guards came close, a gloved hand pressed over his mouth. “What the hell are you doing here?!” She hissed once the coast was clear. “Has anyone seen you?!”

Jett was rather in his element as he took the beast on. His rage was so raw that he didn’t even need his precious guns. Piper was in danger, and he wanted to rip apart anyone who had even come close to her.

"should they have?" Tobi asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I can make that happen if it would make you happy?" He purred, leaning close to kiss her lips. 

When Jett arrived at the ceremony, he'd find that he was already there somehow. 
Piper clung to what she thought was him, thinking she'd been saved.

Ruby realised she was pouting prettily when Tobias said this, something she often made fun of other women for. “What’s the matter, don’t you trust me?” She breathed, tweaking his nose playfully with a wink. Few people saw the playful side the young hunter.

“Fuck...” Jett knew right away that this didn’t bode well for any of them. How was he supposed to contend with a doppelgänger, whilst also keeping Piper safe? The young man hunted much like his sister, keeping to the shadows, but if the need called for it, he would use brute force just like Tobias.

"You know the answer to that." Tobias said almost darkly. He was gentle however as he rubbed his rough fingers over her cheeks. "Why did you leave without me?"

Piper truly believed that Jett had kept his word and rescued her from the demon. 
The ceremony she'd seen had been an illusion. Azezal had done it all to get the innocent girl to be as willing as he needed her to be. And what better way to get her willing than using the face of the man she'd always loved.

“What, I need you permission to do my job now?” Ruby asked rather defensively, though her eyes did flutter somewhat as Tobias’ rough fingers rubbed against her smooth cheeks.

Jett was within earshot now, able to hear everything being said. He kept his gaze on Piper, using magic to remind her of the taste of their stolen kisses, and how this man before her tasted nothing like him. He was bringing up the memory of their first kiss, of the awkwardness in knowing they would no longer be simply ‘friends’.

"You don't do it alone. That's the reason you have a partner." Tobias said firmly. "You don't have to do everything alone. It's the reason the Order cre... brought me here. For you. Are we clear?"

Piper stepped back when then man in front of her finished the kiss. The moment their lips met she knew it was wrong. She didn't need magic to tell her that. 
But all those feelings that the demon was keeping from her came rushing back in a second. They made her heart break all over again. She turned to run, only to have Jett grab her by the hair. "You denied me once, you won't do it again." He hissed.

Ruby was so very far from clear. “Then why did they bring in that norm?” She asked quietly. “If you are here just for me... why do you only come to me when you have an itch to scratch?” She was loathe to realise that she too had the same itches just as frequently.

That was all it took to bring the real Jett jumping from the shadows, a blade cutting through Piper’s hair and freeing her in the time it took for anyone to realise he was even there.

Tobias didn't answer. He simply chuckled and stepped back, "you're little friend needs you. She's running you of time. I've heard the whispers. Azezal plans to take her at the witching hour."

Piper didn't even wait to see what had set her free. She'd pout about her hair later,l. For now she stumbled further into the darkness, a furoous demon gaining size and speed behind her.

As always, Tobias managed to sour Ruby’s mood just as easily as he was able to have her moaning his name. They either burned with anger or passion, no real middle ground. “Asshole.” She growled as she shoved him away from her roughly to continue her hunt for Piper.

Jett was stood between Piper’s escape and the demon, a cocky grin on his lips as he goaded the large creature. “Guess she just wasn’t that unto you, huh?” He sneered.

Piper would find her, tumbling into her best friend and sending them both rolling into the dirt. "Jett...monster...kissing...married...I'm sorry!" She wailed loudly, throwing her arms around Ruby as they came to a stop.
"Well if that doesn't alert the neighborhood..." Tobias hissed.

Jett would again find himself facing himself. "Guess I'll find a whore tonight and try again tomorrow." His voice purred back at him.

Ruby embraced her friend tightly, whispering that it would be okay, though she was scowling over Piper’s shoulder at Tobias. “Well I never asked you to come here.” She told him curtly before returning her attention to Piper. “Don’t worry, Jett can take care of himself. He came here just for you, and now I need to get you out of here.”

Jett was taking a few steps away, simply in his eagerness to get to Piper. “Yeah, only way you will get anything is if you wear a damn fine face like mine.”

"Bog demons," Tobias grunted, pulling out his gun as a horrible squishing sound filled the air. "Play hero catch up later." 

"Go, boy. Find her." Azezal said as he watched Jett backing away from him. "The ceremony is over. She is sealed to me. Nothing you do will matter now."

Ruby was quick to push Piper behind her and stand back to back with Tobias, the other woman protectively sandwiched between them. The sounds were coming from all around, and she really didn’t want one of these things exploding all over her. “You should take Poper and get out here. I can find my brother quicker than you can.”

“Maybe, but it can make me feel real good.” Jett remarked, a dagger flying through the air and slamming into Azazel’s shoulder. He grinned, then set off sprinting in the direction Piper had gone.

"I don't care about your brother!" Tobias snapped. "The gypsy's safety is too priority now. The Order demands it. Especially knowing that she is what Azezal is after. Jett will be fine."

Piper was lost in thought as Tobias barked orders like he was in control. She had the fleeting notion that Ruby was about to lose her temper. The last time she'd done it there had been fire and lots of it.
Her mind returned to that first stolen kiss that she'd been reminded of...
She'd been the one to initiate it. Ruby had gone to get something from the store and she and Jett were arguing about the need for magic. She saw no use for it. It terrified her. 
She'd stood there watching him tell her off for nearly fifteen minutes when she could take it no longer. She grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his. It had been awkward and wonderful all at the same time. Then they were staring at one another, seeing something in the other they hadn't before. The friendship had taken a turn for that moment. It could never be what it was again. 
If she'd only known then...
A bog demon exploded on her and Ruby as Tobias continued to give instruction. Piper screamed as the creature's blood melted like acid on her skin. It was not her day...

Piper had been right to worry. Every bog demon around them erupted in blue flame in the same moment as the dark haired woman turned to glare up at the other warlock. The only time Ruby exhibited such power was when she was beyond angry. Unfortunately, this unpredictable magic hadn’t stopped her brother’s best friend from violating her when she had rejected his advances.

Tobi cursed the acid raining over them, knowing he'd pushed her too far. The last time he done that she'd gotten angry enough to sink an entire ocean liner. She had not survived it. She never did. 
"You proved your point." He said gruffly, "I'm still not playing babysitter to that sniveling brother of yours."