A blast from the past

A small girl was sitting on a park bench, her eyes upturned towards the sky. She seemed to be considering something... or everything... The girl in question had short blonde hair cut into an A frame and she had wide green eyes. A rather adorable nine year old. She bounced up and ran over to the swings, her hair bouncing as she did so. Jumping on she began to swing, back and forth in a rhythmic motion.

As she did so the girl began to sing, an old nursery rhyme.
"A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds
And when the weeds begin to grow
It's like a garden full of snow
And when the snow begins to fall
It's like a bird upon the wall
And when the bird away does fly
It's like an eagle in the sky
And when the sky begins to roar
It's like a lion at the door
And when the door begins to crack
It's like a stick across your back
And when your back begins to smart
It's like a penknife in your heart
And when your heart begins to bleed
You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed."

She abruptly stopped swinging and singing as a person walked by... her green eyes followed them, almost as if she knew something...

It was another sunny day in Los Angeles, Sam was definitely loving his time here, it was a much better place to live than back home, although a small part of him did miss it. He completed his daily routine of showering, gussying up, picking out his clothing, although he seemed to find himself wearing the same red and black hoodie that he loved so much, he had also recently purchased an interesting pendant that caught his eye, he slung that over his head and watched it jangle from side to side until it stopped dead in the centre. Sam walked out of his bedroom with a spring in his step, he felt like today was going to be a great day, and it was even better when he was met by Amber holding a plate of buttered toast in her hand waiting for him, he gladly took the plate and crunched down on it, devouring both pieces of toasted bread in a matter of minutes. He quickly checked his phone and was not surprised to see he had no messages or missed calls, he slid the phone into his pocket as he stood by the window and stared outside as citizens of the city went about their lives and the birds flew threw the air with ease.

Sam pushed himself off of the window and looked to Amber "I think I am going to take a walk, I'll be back... whenever!" he felt really happy for some strange reason, he scooped up his keys from the bowl he regularly keeps them in and locked his door on the way out. He sped down the stairs and walked outside, feeling the warmth of the sun against his skin and the breeze flowing through his new black hair which he had done several days ago. He simply stood with a smile as strangers walked by him, some wondering what he was doing, others smiling back in return. Sam did not know where he was going to go, he just started walking, his journey ended up taking him past several cafe's, shopping malls and even a park where he saw a delightful little girl enjoying her time on the swing, Sam felt like his life ws starting to look up and nothing could stop him.

The little girl jumped off the swing, landing on her feet.
“Heya mister!” She waved, looking delighted like only a little kid could. “Watcha doin?”
After waiting for his response she trailed after him.
Her green eyes blinked innocently up at him before stating in a flat amused tone, “Your hair looks ridiculous Sam. Why black of all colors?”

Zoe latched on to his hand, still as the little girl. The small child looked pleased with herself and adjusted her overalls with one hand, untwisting the strap so it wasn’t digging into her shoulder. The childlike Zoe was still walking in that strange skipping fashion, pulling Sam along as she did so. Her hand vanished into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. Zoe turned it over in her tiny hand before opening it and punching in a number. After several seconds she handed him back to him. If Sam were to look he would find the name Catalina in his contacts.

“Only for emergencies!” She sang as they passed another couple. The woman smiled at Zoe and she smiled back, waving a hand.
"You niece is adorable," The woman said before walking by.
"At least she didn't assume I was your kid..." Zoe said dryly. "Guess blonde hair and green eyes isn't quite your thing."

Sam continued walking past the park when he heard a small child shout for him, he turned around to see the girl that was on the swing heading over to him, he did not stop, he simply slowed down and was walking backwards whilst watching the girl, when she asked what he was doing, he answered "Just taking a walk" with a smile, he pushed his arms out by his side but due to his hands being in his pockets, they did not go very far. He turned back away from the curious kid and continued to walk, he noticed the little girl edging up beside him, she was following him now, and it crept Sam out a little bit.

Wait... Did she just say-... The girl knew his name and knew that he was not a natural black haired guy, Sam's mind was going haywire as he thought of who it could be, but then when he thought that no one but Zoe would be that aggressive against just a simple haircut, it was obvious that she had just put on some kind of child form to trick him. It had been a few weeks since they last saw each other and it appeared she could still recognize him, even with his new hair style. In a matter of seconds, the delightful little girl was not so delightful anymore.

"What do you want Zoe?" he said coldly, as if asking her to leave at the same time, but when her small hand grasped his, he realized that she was here to stay. The hand grasping came as a surprise to Sam, she had really soft hands and quite a tight grip, Sam almost had visions of what it would be like to have kids in the future, although he would prefer it if they were not exactly the same as this child. Instead of answering his question, she dove into his pocket and yanked out his phone, Sam noticed immediately, but knew Zoe was far too stubborn to give it back and if she did, she would keep trying until she got what she wanted... kind of like a real kid. She flipped his phone open and appeared to save a contact number into his phone, why? He did not know, but she handed it back to him and he saw that it was her phone number, but under the name Catalina instead, strange because he was expecting the name Zoe...

Sam and child form Zoe, who had been skipping down the street for some time now, dragging Sam forward in the process, walked by a man and a women who were clearly out shopping, the man was carrying most of the bags as they both looked into a store window, as they moved away the woman noticed Sam and Zoe venturing by them... Niece!? The pair did not look like each other in anyway, but he wasn't exactly going to say that this wasn't his child, that could cause all kinds of problems he did not want...

"I don't want her to assume you are my kid... I don't want her to assume you are my niece... I don't want us to hold hands anymore..." Sam released his grip of Zoe's hand and showed a face of fake amusement at her jab at his genetics. "Do you actually want something from me? Some gauze? ducktape? Or are you just here to ruin my day?" he said plainly, trying to say it in the nicest way possible so he does not get judged by the people around him.

A look of hurt flickered across the child’s face before it hardened into stone… the same look Zoe had given Sam when they had first met.

“Fine. I was hunting nearby and figured I’d stop by and say hi. Is that wrong or illegal?” The words came out sharp and she abruptly let go of his hand. In truth, Zoe had come to seek emotional shelter… the demon she was tracking had something to do with her family’s murders. She had wanted to check to see if Sam was safe. “What’s gotten into you?”

The gap-toothed child in front of him looked hurt, like he had just kicked a puppy. Before he had a chance to open his mouth, Zoe growled faintly, “You know what forget it. Forget I ever showed up; forget that the demon that ruined my life and killed my child is running around this town. Forget it.”

These words came out cold and angry, as far as she was concerned she didn’t do anything wrong. The child backed away from him, shaking her head from side to side. Then she turned and sprinted into the crowd. She shifted back into her regular form and leaned against the wall. No tears came… just frustration… and anger… the information about her child being killed had accidently slipped out; vaguely Zoe wondered what he would do with that info. She sighed, reigning in her temper… Zoe had a job to do and her tracking senses turned on.
On a roof she sat, inhaling the air.

Maybe Sam had been pretty harsh on her, whenever Zoe turned up, trouble usually followed and Sam was just having too good of a day for her to come along and bring him into her business... but that is exactly what she did and it made Sam feel terribly for it. Sam had always assumed Zoe to have a tough exterior, to be able to deflect insults like that with ease, but with her past becoming a factor in her search, it appeared to open up a gate that Sam had never seen before. Before he could apologize, she had already darted off into a crowd and became lost in it, Sam felt the pain come out of her mouth when she said this demon had killed her child, Sam did not even know she had a child, a loved one yes, but a child, no.

Sam took a deep breath of disgust, he was disgusted at himself for jumping to a quick conclusion to why Zoe was here when it sounded like she only wanted his help, he just wanted to walk to the nearest wall and bang his head against it. He turned to the crowd and stood up on his toes to try and get a better look, but she could not be seen. Sam ran to the nearest alleyway and shook his head, asking himself why he was doing this, he climbed his way up to the roof by using bricks out of line and metal poles. He stood over the crowd and still cold not see Zoe, he looked around the rooftops and noticed her not so far away.

Sam teleported a small distance behind her, he did not want to be too close and startle her, especially if she was still mad at him. "Look... I'm sorry ok? Sorry for what happened just then, I shouldn't have been so cold to you, to be honest I kind of missed you around... And I'm sorry for whatever happened to your child, the last thing I ever want to happen to me is to lose a loved one, I can understand the pain you're are in... And if you need any help, or maybe just a shoulder, I'll be there." She still had her back to him, but she could hear what he was saying, it was an apology he truly meant, he just hoped Zoe would accept it.

Zoe wiped quickly at her face… Zoe didn’t cry often, unless she was feeling alone… terribly and utterly alone… Sam was one of the few people she trusted and he had gone and snapped it like a string… She stiffened when she heard the man himself behind her. Zoe waited several moments, regaining her composure, then turning around. There were no evidence of the tears, just a stone faced hunter.

“You should have thought of that sooner,” She stated coolly, her eyes narrowing. Zoe stood, stalking her way towards him. She opened her mouth to say something more but her nose twitched, she jerked her head around.

Then she swore softly and under her breath, “Stupid, so stupid!”
At the edge of the fence was a pale white creature, with jagged teeth and claws….

“Figured it out Arae?” The demon cackled, it moved forward disjointedly, creeping forward like a spider. “You have always have had a soft spot for mortals.”
Its black eyes lingered on Sam, “Tell me human, do you know what an Arae is? To be exact they are Greek… a Demon much like myself and rare in between… and very delicious… I won’t say no to a human either. Isn’t that right Zephyr? Your mate was quite tasty; I could see why you liked him so much.”

Zoe growled, moving in front of Sam. Her body seemed to have shifted and the changes were microscopic. Her muscle seemed to stand out more and her teeth turned to points.
But the demon wasn’t done talking, “Of course I didn’t have the pleasure of killing him that was someone different. The child didn’t even cry out…”
The growl in Zoe’s throat deepened.

Sam watched this monster torment Zoe over her shoulder, she moved in front of him in order to protect him, but did he really need protecting? He wads in the best form of his life and he could certainly handle himself in a scrap, sure this thing was no ordinary human, but he could still put up some kind of fight and if Sam didn't do anything, the insults would keep on coming until Zoe couldn't stand it any longer. Sam put his hand slowly on Zoe's right shoulder as he moved around her and a step towards this beast.

"Hey Ugly! How about you back those words up with some actions huh?" Sam flicked his shoulders to make his loose hoodie rest more comfortably on his shoulders, he grabbed the pendant around his neck and kissed it, as if it was some kind of good luck charm, he then stuffed it down his white tank top so it does not cause a distraction. The strange demon almost seemed disrespected that a human was talking to it. "That is, if you can find me..." Sam's entire body became clouded in black smoke until his body was completely black, his eyes shined a sharp red as the smog surrounding him began to move away from him along the ground, 5 single strands of smog flew away from Sam and sprouted upwards to form copies of himself, which one was he? Only he knew and he was just waiting for the demon to choose wrong so he can make him pay, not just for what he said now, but what he had done to Zoe in the past.

“Sam!” Zoe called out, looking frantically from copy to identical copy. Her anger at him had totally dissipated for the time being but she did need this creature alive. She bounded forward, pulling her katana out of some hidden recesses of her pant legs. The Demon spun, claws outstretched. One of its many eyes fixed on her while the other ones lingered on the many Sams dancing around him. Her sword made contact with the claws and it rang out across the sky.

They sparred for several moments before she was knocked off the edge of the roof; Clinging on by her fingertips. The demon turned and gave Sam his attention. Deadly mistake. Zoe’s body changed again and massive black wings sprouted from her shoulders, her claws came out as well as her fangs. Katana laid in the dust of the alley.

As far as any regular mortal was concerned, Zoe was all demon now. Her eyes had turned into an electric blue and the claws were black. Slowly she crept forward, allowing Sam to have his turn.

The demons eyes darted from clone to clone as it tried to pinpoint the real Sam. Sam was remaining completely still, as did all of the other clones, making it harder for the demon to find him. In the end, the demon leaped forwards and sliced through a clone, causing it to dissipate into the air as if it had never existed, this gave Sam the opportunity he needed, he stepped out of his hiding spot and ran forward with fast pace and bad intentions. He kicked one of the legs of the beast and caused it to lower the ground, giving Sam less of a height to reach. He connected with a few fists to the face of the demon, he really did not want to touch this revolting thing, but he would gladly touch it if it was with a clenched fist and a fast speed. The demon scrambled back to its feet as it continued to swipe for Sam with its sharp claws, Sam backflipped backwards to give himself some breathing room before advancing again. He executed a one handed cartwheel to dodge a low sweeping claw, he then attempted to leap over the beast altogether, he jumped and stretched the get over the tall being, it swung at him with its tail, Sam could see it coming, it was almost in slow motion, but the tail narrowly missed, it was so close that it created a tear on the middle of the tank top he was wearing.

Sam planned on landing on the ground behind the demon, but he found himself to be on top of it! The beast moved around rapidly to shake Sam off, but Sam had a firm grip on some of the scales along its back, with the demon distracted with Sam's shenanigans, hopefully it would not noticed Zoe coming in, who looked very different from before the fight.

Zoe slunk forward, her black eyes fixed on the demon, before she tackled it around the middle, sending the trio flying. The demon hissed, trying to get back to its feet and glaring at Zoe, who in turn bared her own fangs. There was a brief scramble and Zoe was clearly on top. Her feet pinned the hands and her knees pressed down on the chest cavity, suffocating it slowly and painfully.

“Who killed Adrian,” She asked in a deadly voice, reliving some pressure. Her voice sounded like two pieces of shale rubbing together. Much different from her regular human voice, it hissed strangely from between her pointed teeth.

“I will never tell,” The demon gasped. “He screamed and begged for mercy, like the petty mortal he was. No slayer ever would have begged. Oh how he tried to bargain when we brought out the half-breed. “

The demon cackled like a madman, high and shrill. But it was cut short as Zoe had darted forward and her fangs sank into its neck. Then she let go, backing away a few steps, her face curiously emotionless even in her demon form. The other demon thrashed on the ground, the skin discoloring, bubbling, and twisting… within five minutes it had died and disintegrated to ash. Slowly, Zoe turned back into her human form… her eyes glazed over with tears; her heart had been squeezed tight in pain. It hurt… it hurt so much…

Sam was relatively in control of the situation, besides being flung around on the back of a large demon. In a matter of seconds he was sent flying through the air as Zoe crashed into the pair of them, pinning the demon to the ground and sending Sam a short distance away, Sam tried to roll through the air so he could land on his back to cause less damage to himself, but he did not land very comfortably and it caused him to get a scratch down his cheek.

Sam laid on the ground for a few seconds so he could move passed the pain in his back, he pushed himself to his knees in time to watch Zoe sink her teeth into the beast, Sam had finally seen Zoe's teeth in action and it was a lot different than he had expected, the beast began to go crazy, rolling around on the ground and writhing in pain, its skin bubbled and boiled and the beast shrieked until it dissipated into ash and dissapeared into the wind. Sam watched as Zoe returned to what Sam knew her to look like and she looked pretty upset with everything that had happened, without a second thought he darted over to her, he put both of his arms between hers and rested them on her back as he pulled her in close for a hug. Zoe wasn't exactly a fan of Sam touching her, but Sam felt it was necessary to do it in the state she was in.

Zoe didn’t even stiffen when Sam touched her, pulling the demon into a hug. Instead she buried her head in his chest and fought back the tears that threatened her. Zoe sat like that of several moments before returning his hug in a fierce grip and pulling away, she stopped however when she noticed the scratch on his face; Sam’s fingers were still linked around her.

“Sam, you have a scratch on your face,” She used her own hand to trace the spot as if it had been on her own face. It wasn’t too bad but it would need to be cleaned out. But fortunately the wound wasn’t too dire, the two had managed to escape mostly unscathed as far as Zoe could see. Her wrist hurt slightly from catching herself on the edge of the roof earlier.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” She asked concerned, Zoe was looking up at him with dark blue eyes. The day wasn't even half way through by she was exhausted. True she had been up for twenty four hours tracking this thing but that was no excuse. Not that Zoe considered the situation she realized she had been very stupid in leading the demon to Sam... that shouldn't have happened.

Sam was glad Zoe had returned the hug, it was a sign of trust and forgiveness. Zoe pulled away and the two were still at arms length from each other, Sam still had a reassuring smile on his face, hoping that Zoe would be ok after this traumatic event, although Sam also thought Zoe would have slightly enjoyed it. Sam had felt the tiny sharp pain on his face when it happened, he knew it was not very serious, but he watched as Zoe recreated its shape on her cheek, he wiped at it and had a small amount of smeared blood left on the back of his hand, "It's nothing really" he said, he did not worry about it and neither should Zoe.

After Zoe asked if he was hurt, he checked the rest of his body, it appears the only other thing that was damaged was his tank top, it was still in one piece altogether, but there was a large gash in the middle that revealed some of his body. "I don't think so, I'll just need a new shirt... how about you?" This battle was far more personal for Zoe, Sam should be the one asking if she was ok, not the other way around.

“You sure you okay?” She asked, chewing the edge of her lip with her eyes fixed on his face.
Zoe gave him the dead face, meaning she didn’t want to talk about how she was feeling and she wasn’t going to open up on it anytime soon. She was as good as clammed up unless Sam managed to convince her otherwise.

Her eyes lowered to the jagged tear showing a patch of muscled skin. Hesitantly, she poked it and made a face.

“Since when do you wear tank tops?” She hadn’t noticed it earlier as her brain had been distracted. It was strangely satisfying to poke him but Zoe resisted the temptation to do so again. First the hair and now the tank tops, hng...

Suddenly she was aware that he was still touching her causing Zoe to unwrap his arms from around her, backed up a few steps and shoved her hands in the jacket pockets. Sometimes there was an emotional wall with Zoe and sometimes not, at this particular moment it had showed back up.