#for bones being extra attentive to Jim’s health after *bringing him back to life*

[theshadowrealmitself]

Current aos McKirk thoughts: Bones hanging out on the bridge like he usually does, starts complaining about his legs hurting from all the standing he’s doing and makes a move to go back to medbay, so Jim, who likes having Bones on the bridge, offers to share the captain’s chair with him

[caindoglover]

Shadow Trail

Back to your regularly scheduled programming. Sort of (haha).

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12767841/13/The-Creepslayerz

Enjoy!

“Come on, Steve, it’s time to go,” Eli urges. “Time for some recon.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Steve rolls his eyes, but smiles fondly despite himself. “I’m ready for some creepslayin’.” He holds his fist out.

Eli grins and bumps his fist against Steve’s. He pivots and leads the way out of the house and to the Vespa. Together they ride with a clearing as their destination. The day before they heard whispers of strange creatures being spotted coming here. Only they don’t make it there before something else catches their eye.

There aren’t many people out on the street this late, so that’s a bit odd in and of itself, but it isn’t exactly a head turner, people do go out for midnight walks. What brings Eli to attention is who the person is, or at least who he thought it was. “Hey, Steve, stop.” He tugs at Steve’s sleeve.

Steve frowns and eyes Eli strangely, but he stops his vehicle in an instant. “What’s wrong, Peppers? Did you forget something?” Sometimes when he gets too giddy he does have a tendency to let things slip his mind.

Eli shakes his head. “No, back there.” He twists around. “I thought I saw Claire.”

Steve blinks. “Claire? As in Claire not trollhunting and definitely not on a late night date with Jim?” He too turns around to get a look.

“Jim and Toby weren’t there. But I don’t know about the trollhunting. I didn’t get a good enough look. We were going pretty fast.” He shoots Steve a meaningful look.

Steve makes a face. “Excuse you. I only go as fast as you let me. You have a crazy need for speed, dude.” He flashes a grin.

Eli looks at him as if he is stupid. “Yeah. Well, anyway, we should go back and see if it was really her, why she is out.”

Steve hums. “And so far from her house.” He would never admit it, but when he obsessed over Jim and that ridiculous ‘Jim Lake Disease’ he had followed both Toby and Claire home on separate occasions and knew where they lived in relation to here.

“Let’s go!” Eli points.

Steve makes a hard turn and speeds along. Their pace is painfully slow if you ask him, but it is necessary to both better spot her and so they don’t pass her up. No more than a minute late she comes into view. “It is her.” That streak of hair is unmistakable.

“Claire,” Eli calls. “Hey, Claire. What are you doing all the way out here?”

Steve scoffs and scowls at her lack of response. “Rude.” He gives his Vespa a little extra gas so they are slightly ahead of her. “We’re talking to you Miss Priss-” he stops cold at the sight of her eyes. They are a sickening yellow and it chills him down to the bone. For a beat he even forgets how to breathe or move.

“Steve!” Eli squeaks as the vehicle tilts.

Steve snaps to attention and clenches his hands out of instinct, springing them forward.

Eli yelps, clutches Steve’s shirt with all his might, and presses his face between his shoulder blades.

Steve fights for control but he can’t keep them from swerving and slamming into the curb. On impact they’re thrown from the vehicle and land in a heap on the ground. Steve groans and presses a hand to his head. Well…it’s better than the last time he wrecked it. That’s for sure. At least he’s still conscious. “Eli…” he mumbles. He feels around for him.

No response.

Steve’s heart leaps into his throat and he jerks his head up. Ew, too fast. Head rush. “Eli,” he urges. His friend is sprawled out face up right in front of him. He shakes his shoulder.

Eli makes a soft sound and his eyes flutter open. “I told you, you go too fast.”

Steve puffs out a laugh and shakes his head. “Your girlie screaming is what made me go fast, nerd. I was at a grandma pace before that.”

Eli grunts. “Wha’d you freeze for? Did you see something?”

Steve’s eyes widen. “You didn’t?” He pushes himself into a sitting position. “Dude, her eyes. They were fifty million kinds of wrong. They were a super creepy yellow and the whites were completely black.”

Eli blinks over and over, willing the fog over his mind to clear. He has no time to be out of it. “Whoa, whoa, wait.” He sits up and his head swims. “So you’re talking like, demonic possession.” He scoots around until he finally faces Steve.

Steve snickers only after he does an onceover of Eli’s face. Not a single scratch. Good. The kid was just out of it in a general sense. “It’s like your own House on the Hill haunt. Which number would this be, huh?” He smirks.

Eli scowls. “This is serious creepslayerz business, not a board game.” He points a finger in Steve’s face. “More importantly,” he touches a hand to Steve’s lip, “you’re hurt.”

Steve smiles. “Nothing I can’t live with it.” He gently pushes Eli’s hand away. “The only way you’ll get me to go home is if you can prove I have a concussion.” He shoots Eli a knowing look. Eli may be smart, but he is in no way sly about his intentions when it comes to Steve’s health.

Eli pouts. “Fine.” He can’t really complain. He can’t deny he is intrigued by what Steve said about Claire. “So what do we do? Follow her?” He looks past Steve. He can’t see her anymore. They definitely have some ground to cover.

Steve glances over his shoulder. “My flippin’ Vespa’s busted up so no way are we using that,” he huffs and crosses his arms.

Eli shakes his head. “It’s not good for stealth anyway. We’ll do better on foot.” He leaps to his feet and holds out a hand. “So if we’re going, let’s get going or we’ll lose her.”

Steve shrugs and lets Eli help him to his feet. He’ll just have to fix the Vespa when they double back after all this.

They hurry in the direction she was headed before they crashed. They keep a lookout for her in every yard and side street, not at all sure what she is up to. She could be going anywhere. Only as they reach the first split in the road do they really start to wonder, “Should we split up?” Steve looks to Eli.

Eli’s eyes widen. “Are you crazy? That’s how everyone dies in movies.”

Steve laughs. “This isn’t a movie, dorkus. This is real life.”

Eli crosses his arms. “And statistically speaking, in real life, the odds of finding a moving target don’t go up a significant amount if two people split up. Besides, we’re stronger together.” He smiles and holds up a fist. “And if her spooky eyes mean anything, we’ll need each other.”

Steve smiles and hits his fist in return. “Fine. We’ll both keep going straight.” They pick up the pace and ten minutes later Claire comes into view again. They slink in and out of the bushes and trees as they edge closer, closer, up until they are practically on top of her. From here it becomes obvious that her walk is stilted and there is a strange lifelessness to her face.

“Whoa,” Eli exclaims as he glimpses her eyes fully for the first time.

Steve slaps a hand over Eli’s mouth and pulls him down. Claire doesn’t seem to be aware of anything around her right now, but he’d rather not risk Eli’s squeaky voice grabbing her attention and turning her wrath on them. Because it would be wrath. With eyes like that there is no other outcome.

“Sorry,” Eli mumbles into Steve’s hand.

Steve waits a minute, lets the distance grow, before he moves his hand.

“But oh my gosh you were so right,” Eli presses his knuckles to his lips as his eyes sparkle. “Her eyes are so freaky. They pierce to your soul.” His laughter is low and giddy.

Steve elbows him in the arm and eyes him as if he is crazy.

Eli flinches and scowls in return. “What?” He rubs his arm. He really wishes Steve would quit with that. “I can’t help that it’s the coolest things I’ve ever seen.” It easily beats out goblins and trolls and, well, everything!

“I don’t care how cool it is. If you aren’t quiet you’re gonna get us killed.”

Eli flips a hand at Steve. “Let’s keep going.” No time for breaks or to talk. He pops up and scurries to catch up.

Steve sighs and shakes his head, a smile splitting his lips as he follows.

No more than a minute later Claire comes to an abrupt stop and lifts her arm high in the air, extending her staff to its full length. It turns pure black, she shoots a portal from the tip just big enough for one, and she steps through, the portal disappearing behind her.

Eli gasps and his hands shoot to his mouth. “She did it!” he squeals, bouncing up and down. “She did the thing. She did the thing.” He laughs and his face breaks out in a wide grin. He has seen her do it a handful of times by now, but it is just as awe-inspiring as the first time.

Steve blinks twice to try and dispel his own shock. It is quite the sight. Not that he’d ever admit it. “You nerd,” he scoffs, smiling down at Eli. “This is bad you know. Now we have no idea where she went.”

“Right,” Eli breathes. Then his eyes widen. “Right!” He snaps his fingers. “Steve!” He spins around. “Remember the thing? The Shadow Duster?” Wow what a lame name.

Steve snorts, barely holding back laughter. Yeah, this is why he names things. “Oh, yeah!” He snaps his fingers in return. “Do you have it on you?”

Eli crosses his arms and scoffs. “Do you really think so little of me?” He raises a brow.

Steve starts. In that moment Eli looks so much like him it’s scary. No, no time for that. “Your bag.” He moves around Eli and unzips the backpack, digging through it for the device. Not long after they became sort of occasional helpers of Jim and his team, Eli studied all their powers and tried his hardest to come up with ways to limit their powers just in case push came to shove. For Claire it was the ‘Shadow Duster’. Her portals leave trace amounts of dark energy and with this they can track where they let out. “Found it!” He holds it up.

Eli grabs it. “Awesome.” He flips it on and it begins to tick away. “Let’s go after her then.” Again. Man this is a lot of following. But it’s for the greater good. Creepslayerz don’t complain! He buries his nose in the device and walks.

Steve grumbles. Right about now is when his Vespa would come in handy. Oh well. Like Eli likes to say constantly, creeplslayerz don’t complain. He hurries along at Eli’s side, keeping watch for any creeper that might appear. Lord knows Eli isn’t paying any attention to anything going on around him anymore.

They walk for what feels like hours – maybe it is – before Eli comes to an abrupt halt and Steve nearly runs him over. “Here!” Eli pops his head up.

Steve makes a face at the sight before them. It is a rounded metal area – factory? ���completely overgrown and very obviously abandoned. The door set before them is red with rust and when he tries it, it doesn’t budge. “Here?” he repeats. “What the heck would she come here for?” He looks to Eli.

Eli shrugs. “Why would I know? Besides, it’s a demonic possession, it doesn’t have to make sense. At least not yet. We don’t know enough.” Demonic possession is their best guess at the moment anyway.

Steve turns his gaze upward. The walls reach far beyond his sight. There’s no way they’re getting over. “Let’s go around. See if there’s another way in.”

They make their way through the brush and overgrowth, examining every square inch of the perimeter in their quest to gain entry. Steve keeps an eye on the higher area while Eli looks lower. They find plenty of doors, but each one they try is rusted shut just like the first. Only about halfway around do they stumble upon something of use.

“Hey!” Eli pipes. He gets down on his knees, heedless of the possibility of poison ivy. “Check it out.” The ground dips down some and gives way to a patch of concrete where a small grate is visible.

Steve bends over with his hands on his knees, but he refuses to get into the greenery. “You think it’ll move?” He frowns.

Eli shrugs. “Might as well give it a try.” He bounces to his feet and steps away. “Give it a good ol’ kick.” He laughs as he demonstrates.

Steve rolls his eyes. “Aye, aye captain.” He raises a foot and slams it on the grate. It snaps, brittle as glass. “Dude…” He can only stare for a long moment. “That was wicked.”

Eli laughs. “Alright, well,” he bends down once more, “it’s pretty small.” He gives Steve a tentative sideways glance.

Steve looks back at him. For a second his expression doesn’t shift. Then recognition hits hard. His eyes snap open, wide with alarm, and his mouth gapes. “Nu-uh. No way. You’ve gotta be out of your mind.”

“Aw, come on.” Eli stamps a foot as he stands. “We came all the way out here. We can’t just go back now.”

Steve narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. “You’re the one who said not an hour ago that splitting up is how everyone dies.”

Eli sighs. “This is different. I know where you are and you know where I am.”

Steve shakes his head. “I’m not letting you go in there alone. It’s my job to protect you. And I can’t do that if I’m not with you.”

Eli shrugs his bag off and digs around in it. He grabs out the two walkie talkies. “Look.” He holds one out. “We can talk to each other the whole time with these. Okay?” Eli looks deep into Steve’s murky brown eyes. Usually complacent, they are torn by conflict.

Steve stares back. Eli’s green eyes are as bright as ever and that same spark of intrigue and adventure is there now that was there that first night creepslaying. It makes his resolve waver and he hates himself for it. He wants to refuse, to force Eli to stay by him so that he knows his friend is safe and sound, but…

“I’ll be okay,” Eli says softly. He can do this. He doesn’t need a protector. He is just as capable as Jim or Steve. At the very least he can sniff out what demon Claire is up to.

Steve swallows hard. He takes the device and holds it close. “I know you will, nerd.”

Eli cracks a smile. “Just keep watch. And…” He averts his eyes and bites his lip. “…keep talking to me. Alright?”

“Of course, Pepperbuddy.” Steve nudges Eli in the shoulder.

Eli plucks a flashlight out before he shifts his bag onto his back again and sits so his legs dangle over the hole where the grate once was. Ok. Here goes everything. He drops, water splattering as he lands. He brings the walkie talkie to his lips and speaks, “I’m in.” Anything to hear Steve’s voice. Also to test the volume.

“Can you see anything?” Steve peers into the hole. It’s pitch black as far as he can tell. Then again, he isn’t the one with the flashlight.

Eli flinches at how loud Steve’s voice is over the device. He turns it down a few notches and clicks on the flashlight. “Just a pipe with water right now.” He runs his hand along the wall. “Very unhygienic.”

“That would bother you, wouldn’t it?” He half laughs.

“Hey, it matters.” Eli picks up the pace, careful not to trip over any of the junk strewn about. He imagines Steve doing just that in his haste and snickers to himself.

Steve flicks at his nails and kicks at the brush. So useless. So nothing to do. He’s just there. God if only he could have followed Eli. “You still there?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of cold in here.” He shudders.

“Guess you should have brought your cute snowman sweater.” Steve grins.

“Shut up,” he says a little too loudly and his voice echoes off the walls. He shines the light farther ahead. “Oh. Looks like there might be something.”

Steve perks. “Yeah? What?” He waits with baited breath.

Eli shakes his head. “Not sure yet. Maybe a way into the main area. Maybe that’s where she is.” He had to put the tracker in the bag in order to carry the flashlight and walkie talkie. But she has to be here somewhere, and here isn’t too big. He pushes onward, coming out into a wide open area. It is dimly lit but in that light he can tell that everything is dilapidated to match the outside. He starts. Wait…light. That’s not right.

From around a fallen pillar steps Claire. Her eyes are that same yellow, but her expression has shifted. Her lips are twisted into a smirk. “Hello, little one,” her voice is foreign, eerie.

Her voice makes Eli’s stomach drop and his body freeze.

“I must say, I’m impressed that you were able to follow her all the way here.”

Eli’s eyes widen. “H-Her?” he chokes out the word.

“Yes,” she purrs. “My vessel.” She stretches her arm out along with the staff. “She’s quite lovely, isn’t she? Quite capable.” Her eyes turn sharply downward.

“Eli?” Steve’s voice comes through. “Eli, what do you see?”

The sound of his voice snaps Eli out of it and he stumbles back. He scrambles toward the tunnel.

She casts her staff down and summons a portal to blanket the exit.

Eli yelps and skids to a halt, narrowly stopping himself from sliding through. He stares with wide eyes full of clashing fear and awe. He trembles as he turns slowly to look at Claire’s face.

She clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I wouldn’t go that way if I were you.” Her lips twist into a devilish grin. “That is, unless you want to suffer a fate worse than death.”

Eli draws in a deep breath, sets his shoulders, and speaks as steadily as possible, “What do you want with Claire?”

“Come now. You’re smarter than that.” She slinks forward. “I know it.” She draws a slender finger along Eli’s cheek. “And I don’t like repeating myself.”

Eli flinches away from her touch and ducks his head at her sharp tone. “A vessel…” he murmurs. “You’re trapped…” his eyes dart from side to side as his mind whirs. “…can’t move around without her.”

“Indeed.”

Eli frowns and his brow furrows. “But me…” He doesn’t dare finish that thought. If she really hasn’t considered it, he doesn’t want to put it in her head.

She chortles. “You foolish child. Did you really think I didn’t know you were following me?” She folds her arms over her chest.

Eli clenches his fists to try and contain his shaking.

“I let you follow. Led you here specifically. A place your large friend could not follow.”

It’s no use. He shakes openly. The fear is overwhelming and dulls the shine of his green eyes. He scarcely breathes. He’s not getting out of here. His mind screams this. It’s over. He really can’t handle it.

“Oh,” she stretches out the word. “You’re trembling. A delicious emotion.” She slides her tongue across her upper lip. “I’d almost like to keep you.” She reaches toward him.

Eli shrinks away.

She chuckles. “But, I’ll settle for the tracker.” She holds a hand out. “Then I’ll let you go.”

Eli blinks. S-Seriously? His heart skips a beat and he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He fumbles for his bag and the device inside.

“Eli,” Steve’s voice is urgent.

Eli nearly drops the bag as Steve’s voice pierces the air.

“Eli! Are you there? Come on. Answer me. Eli.”

Again the sound of his voice throws Eli off. But after three tries he finally gets ahold of the tracker and practically throws it at her.

She smiles at him, but her eyes are drawn to the walkie talkie.

Eli is not blind to her attention and hurries to do away with any reason she might have to focus on it. He brings the speaker to his lips and says, his voice wavering, “Ste-”

She bats the device away from his mouth.

Eli stares blankly.

Her lips curl impishly and a dangerous glint lights her eyes. “There’s only one thing more delicious than fear.” She stalks closer and towers over him.

Eli’s eyes widen and terror twists his face. His heart beats relentlessly.

Steve runs a hand through his hair over and over again as he paces. “Eli! Come. On.” He swears he heard the beginning of his name through the static, but the sharp silence that followed only causes his fear and unease to skyrocket. His breathing is quick and his heart pounds in his ears. He comes to a halt before the hole and stares it down, willing Eli to appear at the other side. No, it’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay. Eli is smart. Eli is fine.

There is a whoosh of air and Steve jerks to attention, a black hole set before his eyes. He blinks and out steps Claire, or at least her body. Those yellow eyes staring back at him let him know it is in fact not her. Steve clenches his hands, grits his teeth, and narrows his eyes as he sees she has Eli in a headlock. He readies to punch her out. “Don’t make me hurt you.” He doesn’t care whose body it is, he’ll do anything to get Eli back.

She laughs out loud. “Don’t make me maim him.” She draws a knife from her purse and holds it an inch from Eli’s eye.

Horror flashes in Steve’s eyes and he falters.

Eli whimpers, tears welling in his eyes. “Steve…”

“I’m keeping your little friend.” She smiles. “I know I promised he could leave, but alas, as I told him, there’s one thing more delectable than fear.” She steps toward the portal. “And you’ve given it to me.” One more step and they disappear.

“Eli!” Steve bellows, lurching forward. His fingertips just graze the black before it vanishes into nothingness. “Eli.” His voice fades into the same emptiness as the portal and that truth numbs him. His expression goes blank and he just stands, motionless. Gradually his legs begin to wobble beneath him as the weight of reality increases until it is too much for him to carry and he sinks to his knees.

“Damn it Eli,” he screams, punching the ground. The backlash is intense, but it’s only a momentary distraction from his emotions. “I told you not to go, I told you,” his voice cracks. “Eli…” a sob leaps from his throat and then it’s over. He presses his forehead to the ground and hides the tears as they stream down his face. He was right there. Right. There. And yet he couldn’t save Eli. Doesn’t even know where he is anymore. He clenches his hand and realizes the walkie talkie is still there. He draws it to his lips and babbles, every word trembling just like him, “Eli, I’m sorry. So sorry. I don’t know if you can hear me. If you can she can too.” He runs a hand through his hair. “But I don’t care. I want you to know. I’m coming for you. I promise. I’m going to find you. No matter what. I will.”

Claire walks with a purpose, dragging Eli along. She goes before the Pale Lady’s throne and flings him into a circle of stones. “And there you’ll stay.”

Eli wipes at his eyes before he tentatively pushes himself up and crawls to the edge. He extends a finger toward a single stone and gasps and jerks his hand away as an electric shock rockets through his body. He shoves his finger into his mouth to try and cure the burning sensation. He might have been amazed and curious if he wasn’t so strangled by terror.

She tosses the walkie talkie and it skids to a stop just outside of the ring of stones.

Eli slowly draws his gaze up to her face. Why? Why not let him at least speak to Steve? That’s when Steve’s voice crackles through the device and he jumps. He scrambles as close as he can get without touching the barrier, his breath held and eyes wide. He hangs on to every word Steve says, clings to the promise, and keeps it close to his heart.

She kneels.

The Pale Lady stands tall. “Well done, my child. I now have the most powerful emotion to feed on in my time here alone.” Her lips curl in satisfaction. “Love.”

Oh, no! A wild plot appeared! Yes, I have betrayed the very summary of my story by leaving it off on such a horrible cliffhanger but I saw a post a while back mentioning something about these two and Claire and really wanted to play with the idea. Sorry if I killed you by doing this. lol Also, I have no idea about how anything involving the Pale Lady works, I'm pretty sure it's still vague according to the show but it's been a while since I've watched the previous seasons so maybe I forgot something. As such I'm basically doing whatever I want as far as she's concerned. If I think it's cool, it's happening, like her feeding on emotions. Ultimately everything I do is for the feels. So I hope you like.

@glassnail