Lee sat impatiently at his desk. Minutes before, he sent a scout to inform and fetch the exorcists he would be sending on the newest mission he had received. The contents of it bothered him. A murder on the border of Switzerland. This case mirrored several others in Switzerland. A bloody, mangled body, almost inhuman in the way it was killed. Blood splattered on every surface within ten feet of it, as if the body had exploded. No known murderer in their known history matched these killings. No known murderer had been able to leave such a bloody scene. Worst of all, without a trace. It was as if the victim was the only one present. Local authorities immediately linked the recent murders together.
Lee tapped his pen rhythmically against his paper-covered desk. Since their organization was called, the killer was suspected to be a demon. Cases like this weren't uncommon to them. A few murders at the hands, or claws, of a demon? Simple. However, demons were rarely intelligent enough to kill then hide effectively, let alone start a string of murders without being at least glimpsed. Most killed blindly with little thought as to the consequences of being seen or killing in broad daylight. This demon was obviously of higher intelligence and was having a grand time messing with their heads. Lee's thoughts were interrupted when the exorcists walked in.
"Yo, you called for us?" Clay asked. Behind him, Asher, Encke, and Vincent filed in. Asher purposefully distanced himself from Encke, standing on Clay's left while Encke was on his right.
"I have a new mission for all of you. I'm afraid there has been another murder in Switzerland."
"Is this related to the last case we had there?" Vincent asked.
Lee nodded grimly. "There's a good chance it is. Normally, four exorcists would be too much for one mission. However, the demon we are dealing with is crafty. He kills and leaves nothing as evidence. The only tie we have it that all the murder victims' bodies are, for lack of a better word, mutilated. Also, I want Encke to have some experience in the field."
Asher hid his scowl, his eyes narrowing in distaste. He knew this mission wasn't in need of four exorcists. Vincent or Clay and himself would be enough. Encke, however, was merely a poison-tipped thorn in his side.
"You're train departs tomorrow morning at nine, so get there early." Lee dismissed them.
Asher immediately turned down a separate hallway and away from the group. His energy was running low. His body felt heavy. The pills from earlier that morning kept his nausea and brunt of the headaches at bay, but last night's fit had done a number on him. He knew is condition was worsened. The pills only dulled the pain, never eliminated it. Asher decided he would rest until the next morning. Even unconscious, his dreams were plagued with repeats of his torturous nightmares. They taunted and played with his mind every time he shut his eyes.
Meanwhile, Clay wanted to scream out in built-up frustration. His best friend was avoiding him. He was obviously in terrible shape, anyone could see that, but refused to let anyone in on the secrets Clay didn't know he had. Lee had asked him to spy on Asher, claiming in was for his own good. Clay wondered whether or not this was true. Kinze, Vincent, everyone, was kept in the dark and forced to watch Asher suffer from the sidelines, wanting so desperately to reach out towards the young blonde only to miss by an inch. He seethed inside.
Clay stopped. "Hey, Encke? Do you think you can find your way back to your room on your own? I need to talk to Vincent. Important mission stuff." Encke looked hesitant but agreed. Clay quickly dismissed him and dragged the dumbfounded Vincent down another hall.
Once out of earshot and anyone's line of sight, Vincent addressed the silent Clay. "What is it, redhead?"
"How much?"
Vincent looked at Clay strangely. "How much what?"
"How much do you know about Asher's condition? Vincent, I know you know more than you're letting on." Clay said coolly.
Vincent almost had to raise his brow at the use of his full name. Clay rarely, if ever, used his full name. When he didn't answer, Clay spoke again.
"You were the one to take him to the hospital, weren't you?"
Vincent scowled. He pulled Clay up to his face by the front of his shirt collar. "How did you know?"
Clay didn't even bother to struggled, but kept his cold gaze firm. "I have my ways." Clay shot back evenly.
Vincent narrowed his eyes. He clicked his tongue. "What a pain."
"You were the one to take him the the hospital wing." Clay repeated. "You must know some about his condition. Or maybe what happened to get him in the hospital?"
Vincent held down a snarl. "No, I don't. Listen, all I know is Asher is no better than a walking corpse right now. He doesn't eat because he can't hold it down. The doctor gave him pills to help with that. Far as I can tell, it's improving his overall condition, but barely. He can talk again, after all."
Clay's eyes widened. "Again?"
Vincent swore brashly in his mind, biting his tongue. Damn, he wasn't supposed to mention that. Too late now. "He lost his voice the other day."
Clay's conflicted eyes moved from Vincent to the floor. "I'm worried, Vincent." There was that full name again. "Something's wrong. Lee asked me to start keeping an eye on Asher and tell him if he starts acting strange. I think he knows something. Asher's been coughing like crazy lately. I'm pretty sure I saw blood on the train. I don't know if he's sick or what, but it's just getting worse. He gets annoyed easier and snaps more. He doesn't sleep. Anyone with half a mind can see that. Not long ago, I was walking past his room and I heard him screaming. When I got in, he was writhing on his bed like he was in pain. His forehead was covered in sweat. I woke him up and he told me he was fine."
Vincent's jaw clenched. It was worse than he thought. He dropped Clay back to the ground, ignoring him as he took a moment to regain his balance and stay on his feet.
"Also," Clay added, "Asher seems terrified of Encke. Just letting you know."
After a moment, Vincent spoke again. "What will you do about Kinze?"
"What about her?"
"Will you tell her? She has the right to know."
Clay shook in head. "No. You know how she'll take it. It'll do nothing but upset her. I don't want to see her sad."
Vincent nodded. "She'll kill us when she finds out. Hope you're prepared because I'm not taking the blame for that. You and Asher. She's not stupid, Clay. She'll find out."
Clay chuckled. "I know, Vince. I'll work it out when she does."
Vince glowered. "Don't call me that."
"But why, Vince?"
"I'm going to kill you."
"You couldn't kill me; you love me too much."
"The feeling is unrequited."
"Way to kill my dreams."
"I'm glad I did. I don't want any part of them nor do I want to be in them. Besides, I'm pretty sure your thoughts are filled with someone else. You know who." Vincent said.
Clay's face turned cherry-red. "W-who do you mean?"
"You know who. Or do I need to say it outloud?" Vincent sneered.
"No! No. Not necessary. Nope. Negative." Clay spluttered. "Oh, hear that? That must be one of the scouts calling me! I'll be right there! Gotta go, Vincent!" Clay took off down the hall, rounding a sharp corner and successfully knocking a tray out of a young scout's hands before going out of sight.
Vincent rolled his eyes. "Not like I was actually going to. What does he take me for?" A small voice in his head argued back, saying that he would indeed say who it was outloud. Vincent thought for a moment, rethinking his answer. "Yeah, I probably would."

The air in the train was thick with aprenshion. Asher sat nearest to the window, staring out blankly. Vincent sat across from him, arms folded and eyes shut as if asleep. His posture told them he wasn't, but was alert and listening for any sound that seemed out of place to him. Encke sat beside him, his smile seemingly frozen on his face. Clay sat beside Asher, head resting in his hands and elbows digging into his knees. Not that he minded. The tense air and the overwhelming boredom was beginning to get to him.
Clay let out an exasperated sigh, alerting the others of his boredom. When no one responded, he leant back further on the seat, kicking his legs up and sighing louder. No reactions. Clay, a bit miffed by being ignored, threw up his hands and dramatically let out a loud, long sigh.
Vincent cracked an eye open. "Bored already?"
"It's so boring in here!" Clay whined. "No ones talking, either. It's awkward!"
"It was only awkward when you mentioned it." Asher added, gaze not shifting.
Clay huffed. "Well, it is now, so do something!"
"Go bother the other passengers." Vincent said.
"Thats exactly what Asher told me to do last time! I almost got seen by some weirdo in another car!"
"The only weird one here is you, Clay." Asher said flatly.
"Says the kid with the practically white hair."
"Says the idiot with his head on fire."
"At least mine has color."
"Blonde is a color of hair, stupid. It's not white. Just pale."
Clay pounded his fist on his open palm in realization. "Oh, so like an old man's hair?"
Asher had a tick form in his forehead. "I'm not an old man."
"Right, you're a little kid then."
Asher growled. "I'm not a little kid either."
"Well which one is it? You're younger than all of us and yet you look like an old man!"
"I don't look like an old man!" Asher protested. He snapped his head around to glare at Clay. The sudden outburst caused him to cough a few times, but he held the rest back.
"Whatever, dude. You're just never happy." Clay drawled, turning away and whistling innocently.
Asher scoffed. "I'll be happy once I push you out the window."
"You wouldn't do that. You care too much under that I-Hate-Everyone exterior."
"I would if it shuts you up." Asher pointed out. "And I don't hate everyone. Just annoying people."
"That's just harsh, you sadist." Clay pouted.
"Whatever you say-"
"Will you shut up!" Vincent snapped. He was glowering at the two bickering exorcists. "I swear you get more annoying by the day."
Clay frowned. "Why is everyone being so mean?" He said dramatically, fake tears threatening to fall. "Encke, don't you agree that they are being mean?"
Asher had almost forgotten Encke was in the car with them. He had kept silent the entire way, smiling creepily and seemingly watching and observing. He grit his teeth. That smile made him clearly tense up and hunch his shoulders slightly. He stared at the boy with accusing eyes as he waited for his answer.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
What a load of crap, Asher thought. Yet, Clay clearly bought it and proceeded to complain to Encke about how cruel they were to him. Asher would normally be entertained by this little charade. Encke's presence made him unusually hostile. Uneasy. Asher held back the urge to snort at Encke's answer.
Vincent, however, gave his own little short of annoyance closing his eyes again. "Annoying." He murmured.
Asher turned back to the window. He wondered what this mission would contain. Would they be fighting another strong demon? The same demon? It's more-or-less in the same area and escaped last time. Asher somehow knew his body wouldn't hold up against a major fight. As if the strain of no sleep wasn't bad enough. Asher had gotten used to his eyes being out of focus. His ears had begun to ring, but Asher casually blamed Clay's loud outburst. Nothing more.

Switzerland, Asher remarked, was nice. The climate he liked, the look of the buildings, the accent, all of it. The cool breeze caused him to shiver. Not because of the cold, but with a little squirm of happiness. Something he hadn't felt in awhile. The cool air rushing at him lessened the pain in his body instead of making it ache worse. The cold took away the pain like ice on a bruise would. Granted, it made his hair stand on end. It was still cold, whether he liked it or not.
The only problem, was Asher's throat. The crisp air made his throat raw. He was back at square one again. He could talk, but not without rasping out in pain. The others seemed to believe him when he said he would rather not speak only because of the air. He didn't catch the suspicious glance shared between Vincent and Clay. No, he was much too focused on Encke, who said nothing and only smiled. Asher had quickly dismissed himself while the trio found their inn.
Asher inhaled deeply, reveling in the feeling of the coolness spread throughout his sore lungs. It stung, but in a good way. Breathing out through his mouth, he felt a cough coming on and quickly suppressed it. It wasn't a fit like usual, so he had no reason to worry.
"You're gonna freeze out here."
Asher jumped a foot in the air, whipping around to face Clay. Clay gave him a confused look. Asher cursed. He had to pay better attention. His skill was slipping. "I'm fine." He said softly.
Clay looked at him, seeing through his obvious lie. "You're the one who said your throat was sore. Staying out here isn't going to help with that. The manager made some tea. It's nice and warm inside."
"I like it out here." Asher said shortly.
Clay gave up and stood beside Asher. He followed his gaze up to the sky. Finding nothing, he turned to the blonde in confusion.
"The sky looks different."
"It might snow."
"Maybe."
Small talk was followed by silence. Not that Asher minded. Clay shifted from one foot to the other. He must've thought it was awkward. Or maybe he was just impatient. "You're not really just staying out here to stare at the sky all day are you?"
Asher shrugged nonchalantly. He knew the cold wasn't helping. It was probably making it worse in the long run while numbing the pain.
"I'm going to drag you back. Getting sick on a mission isn't going to be fun." Clay threatened.
Asher ignored his threat.
"Alright, let's go." Clay, always a man of his word, picked Asher up by the waist and hoisted him over his shoulder. The blonde let out a little squeak of alarm. "Woah. I knew you were tiny but, Dude, what do you weigh? Twenty pounds?"
Asher squirmed in his grasp. "Shut up, Cla-" Asher went into a sudden fit of coughing.
Clay immediately put Asher back on the ground where he collapsed onto his knees. "Asher, buddy, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. He pat Asher lightly on the back, wondering feverishly what he could do. Asher didn't notice the panic that was rushing through Clay as he was too focused on the panic that overtook himself. One hand held himself steady while the other was clutching the area between his heart and neck. Clay looked at Asher in horror as blood splattered the ground. Asher crumpled under the stress, the major coughing subsiding into smaller coughs. His throat just couldn't take it. Clay helped him sit up, holding him upright and steady as his body was wracked with shivers and coughs.
Asher gave him a bashful, rueful smile. "I guess you were right." He choked.
Clay wanted to cringe at that smile. That pained, forced smile. "Who the hell smiles right after coughing their lungs out?"
"Me apparently." A little speck of white landed on Asher's nose. "Oh, look, snow. You were right again." He laughed at the deadpan expression on Clay's face. "Relax, I'm fine."
Clay scoffed. "You said that before."
"And I meant it. I was fine when you asked and I'm fine now." With Clay's help, Asher stood. "Don't tell the others okay? It'll just be a problem in the end."
Clay nodded mutely. He wouldn't tell anyone save Vincent.
"Then let's go inside. Tea sounds pretty good. And you'll freeze if you stay out here much longer." Asher teased. He left Clay and headed toward the inn.
"I should be telling you that!" Clay raced after him, not hard seeing as he was walking.
Asher immediately regretted the tea. No. Not good. Not good. Bad idea. Asher yelped as the scalding liquid hit his tongue. He reflexively spit it out. All over an unhappy Vincent.
Vincent snarled. He stood up, easily a head above Asher. "Brat." He threatened.
Asher took a step back form the towering exorcist.
"Be thankful we're in public. I can't kill you in someone else's place." Vincent hissed, making Asher stand rigid. He gulped as Vincent went to sit back down.
Clay was chuckling softly to himself. Encke was, well, being his usual silent, creepy self.
"What's so funny, Clay?" Asher emphasized his name.
"Hm? Oh, nothing! I wasn't even laughing."
"Oh, my ears must be going deaf then." Asher rolled his eyes.
"See? Told you you were an old man!"
Asher held his cup of liquid lava over Clay's head, tilting it ever so slightly. "Old man, huh?"
Clay took one look at the cup and shrunk down in his chair. "Nope. You heard nothing."
"That's what I thought."
Asher sat back down. A small smile made it's way to his lips. A little bit of warmth spread throughout his body. A sense of normalcy that he'd missed. The pills, in his opinion at the moment, were truly helping to keep him alive. They allowed him to survive without actual food and dulled the pain from his headaches. However, over a week of no sleep was taking it's toll. Asher barely realized in the darkness of the room, but his balance was slightly off. His eyes were drooping and his shoulders were shaking. He passed that off for being cold. His vision was blurred, but he blamed it on the lighting. A little spark of defiance lit his chest, screaming at him to come to his senses. That was the rational side of him. The other side, however, seemed to completely ignore it's opposite. It kept Asher's mind from finding it's way back on track, swaying back and forth from complete sanity. But, Asher didn't notice.
The others, Asher remarked, were as lively as before. Clay was teasing Vincent about something Asher didn't quite pick up on. Encke was the little thorn in his side that kept the puzzle of happiness from being complete. Encke stayed silent, throwing in a laugh at appropriate intervals as he watched the two bicker. For a split second, that innocent smile twisted into a sadistic, predatory grin.
Asher hastily rubbed his eyes. Had he imagined that? Encke's usual smile was back in place, nothing out of the ordinary. The thought made the little sense of happiness and normalcy in Asher crumble miserably. He hunched his shoulders, sinking into the couch, hoping he could just melt into it so no one could see him. To get away from this broken scene.