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Abducted (pt 2)

Justin groaned as his body stirred, eyes fluttering open to see that he was somewhere in an unfamiliar place. Sunlight filtering through gaps overhead. Thankful for his luck, he turned his head left and right. There was nothing out of the ordinary, only that he was in some old, dilapidated warehouse. 'Where am I?'

He moved his arms and legs around, testing to see if they were bound by magical or physical means and to his surprise, there was none. Further investigation told him that he was lying on the ground. After taking a moment to sit up and stand did he fully survey the area around him. "What happened?" He wondered aloud, panic slowly beginning to take hold of him. All he remembered was going to the bathroom, feeling some sort of presence and then somehow being unconscious.

"I see you're awake! Good..." A voice echoed out of nowhere, startling the young panda enough to make him jump. Seeing this, the mysterious person cackled in delight. "Already tense and you haven't even seen me yet!"

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Justin demanded, his body trembling out of fear as he looked around his surroundings, trying to figure out where this person or creature was hiding.

"Hmmm...I suppose it would be boring if I stayed in the shadows forever." The mysterious figure sighed and soon, there were the sounds of flapping being heard before a body appeared directly in front of him. "Here I am!"

A yelp escaped the young panda as he jumped back, his heart thudding hard in his chest from the sudden scare. After calming himself down a little, confusion clouded his mind as he gazed at the being before him. It was a male, furless and pale-skinned with leathery black wings sprouting from his back. Ebony, sharp horns protruded from the top of his mop-styled red hair. It didn't take long for him to recognize what he was seeing. "You're an incubus."

Remembering from his studies, it has been said that Incubi lie upon sleeping women to perform sexual activities, and if such things are repeated, the results are either deterioration of health, mental state or death. Most women of the world feared such a creature while some held no such belief, believing it to be just a mere fairy tale to frighten little girls into behaving.

The incubus took a gracious bow, seemingly gracious. "Someone's been doing their homework. I can't tell you how bothersome it is to teach some random mortal about me before they're disposed of."

This made Justin's fur stand on end and his eyes go wide the moment he heard those words slip out. 'Disposed of?! I have to get out of here!' He quickly turned around and started to book it, only for him to hear the sound of fingers snapping. Suddenly, his body became still, unable to move a single inch. He decided at this moment to be smart and not struggle, for it would have been no use. "Dammit!"

"Since you're not trying to get yourself free, I take it you already know what this spell is." Chuckling, the incubus made its way around to face Justin, a smile on his thin, pink lips. "I'm beginning to enjoy you little pet. However, I can't let you leave. Well no, I'm ordered to not let you leave...or die by accident. A shame, really."

"Wait...you're not doing this of your own volition?" Justin inquired, his ears flattening against his skull. Confusion presented itself to him again. "Who told you to--"

"Tsk, tsk tsk. Now, now...sharing things like that is no fun! And believe me, if I had things my way, you would be dead by now but here we are." The being sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're here for a show and if things go well, then a big surprise will unfold! Now, as for me stopping you, well...if you had taken another step, your body would have blown up into itty bitty, bloody little pieces. Of course, if someone were to try and save you, they'll die along with you." He explained cheerily and casually, as if this were completely normal. "Don't worry though, I'll keep you company! And before I forget, my name's Chris. Nice to meet you!"

The young panda looked down, now noticing what was underneath him the whole time. A magic circle, one that was designed for trapping people and magical, otherworldly beings. It glowed an ominous purple light. "Wh-what is this? I'm bait? What are you going to do to me?"

Chris let out a tired sigh before backing up and moving away, his back facing Justin. "A little rude to not introduce yourself, but whatever. And putting it bluntly, yes, you're here just for that reason. But have no fear, little pet, I'm not going to do anything to you. Not for a good while anyways, so sit back and relax!"

Justin growled under his breath as he watched the Incubus take a seat on a nearby chair. There was no way he was going to let some demon use him like this! As he contemplated on how to disrupt the magical flow of the trap, a single question suddenly came to mind. "Umm, just curious. Out of all the students, why choose me?"

"Hmm...I would say it's because you can barely put up a fight, but that's not entirely the case." Chris explained, a smile tugging at his lips from the embarrassed and defeated expression that crossed the young panda's face. "Oh don't look so down! You're useful! You know certain people that are of great interest."

Justin said nothing, already knowing exactly who he was talking about. He knew his brother was involved. 'But wait...he said people so it's not just one person. Who else could be of interest?' His brows furrowed in deep thought. _'Does someone have a secret they're hiding or is it something else? Either way, I need to figure a way out and fast!' _

~ ~ ~

"Wait!" Rowen called out to Xun, causing the panda to pause on the stairs and turn, noticing that the bracelet had activated. For a brief moment, he wondered if it could be done at will. "We all know how much your brother means to you, but you can't just blindly rush in! There needs to be a plan first."

"A plan? I'm not going to sit around and wait when Justin needs me!" Xun growled, then turned back around to resume his steps. Before he could go any further, a paw quickly grabbed hold of his wrist.

"Xun, please!" Rowen pleaded, his amethyst eyes radiating sadness as he looked into the glowing emeralds of his lover. "You'll get hurt or worse. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I know, but I made a promise that I would protect him!" The panda snapped and brought up his right wrist. "And as long as I have this, I won't get hurt. You've all seen what I can do."

Rowen's features contorted into a snarl as he growled. He wasn't going to have any of this nonsense. "Clearly, but you don't know the full extent of its powers here! You don't know its limits! Do you really think that you're going to rescue Justin so easily? What if it becomes too much for you to handle or somehow the bracelet stops working? You'll be out of options and what then?"

For a long, tense moment the panda didn't say a word, only staring as he seemed to be contemplating and debating within himself. This went on for a minute or two, the very atmosphere still until a heavy sigh was drawn out and the bracelet returned to its normal state. "Fine...only because you bring up a fair point."

Rowen let out a breath of air he had no idea he was holding in. He closed his eyes and nodded, delivering a silent prayer to the gods, then gently grabbed hold of Xun's paw to give it a squeeze. "Thank you for listening. I don't know why, but I feel apprehensive about this. However, your brother will be rescued, I promise, but with all of us present."

Xun nodded, seeming to fully understand what was being said as he smiled warmly at the lion. "Yeah...thanks for talking sense into me. But umm, is the planning going to be done in the basement or...?"

A light chuckle ran through Rowen at the question, shaking his head in the process. "No, in the living room. I told them to do this after you stormed out so we should wait for them up there."

With that said, they went up the stairs and passed through a corridor leading to the living room area and sat down, waiting for everyone to arrive. All while this was going on, Xun's phone rang multiple times.

"You should probably tell them what's going on." Rowen suggested, a small smile on his lips. Despite the situation they were in, he didn't want the panda to be in anymore trouble than he was already in.

"Thanks for the advice, but all it would do is have them wanting to come along and getting hurt. I'm not risking that chance." Xun responded with a shake of his head and took out his phone, tapping it once before putting it back in his pocket.

"If you say so..." Rowen breathed a soft sigh and left the matter alone. Although it was admirable of him to care about the safety of his parents, he felt that they should at least be aware of the situation. As he became wrapped up in his own musings, the sound of footsteps could be heard, snapping him into reality just in time to see everyone coming in and taking their seats.

"Alright, let's begin." Jake announced, his eyes taking in all that were present. "We know where Justin is and we know what is holding him captive, but we're not sure what we'll be up against. There could possibly be an ambush or multiple traps waiting for us the moment we set foot inside."

"Okay, so...what are we gonna do then?" James asked as he idly scratched his head. "I mean, are we going to sneak ourselves in or something?"

Cameron shook his head. "That won't really work. And even if it did, things wouldn't go so easy because you forget, there are demons that are well versed in magic like us. I wouldn't be surprised if there was one or several that's prepared to see through an invisibility spell."

Gwen cupped her chin in thought, her brows furrowing. "So we can't exactly hide ourselves, or trick them..."

"I got an idea!" Damien announced, causing everyone to look at him. "Why don't we just blind them somehow?"

The cheetah blinked a few times, an expression of shock evident on his face as he stared at the husky. "That's possibly the smartest thing I've ever heard you say. But it'll probably take more than just that."

Jake hummed and help a finger. "Hold on there, Cameron. Your friend might just be onto something here. It could work...we just need the help of you and Rowen. As well as mages that can use air."

James rose his paw a little. "I'm your guy. My affinity is wind so I got you covered."

A frown crossed the shepherd's features for a moment. "Only one...a bit troubling, but we can improvise," he mumbled, stroking his chin before shaking his head, "it has to work."

"Do you need any help from us?" Damien inquired, pointing a finger at the panda who in turn had the same questioning look.

"For this plan to set in motion? Probably. The rest of you just do what you always do. Now, are there any questions before we go?" Jake swept his eyes upon the area, waiting to see if anyone needed to get something off their chest.

There was only silence, everyone anxious and ready to move at a moment's notice. It may have been a simple kidnapping, but the situation was crucial.

Rowen kept his mouth shut, having said nothing throughout the whole thing. He still didn't trust the canine, no matter how good his intentions were. He knew deep down that he was being stubborn and possibly foolish, but there was a nagging feeling that just wouldn't go away.

Jake stood up and began to leave the room, grabbing his satchel in the process. "Alright, I'll get myself changed and we can go."

As soon as he left, the sound of buzzing could be heard and Xun let out a soft sigh before taking his phone out of his pocket again, glaring at the object. "I'll be back. Gotta take this." He announced and left.

"His parents must be worried sick." Gwen said, her ears drooping as she had a sad look in her eyes.

"Well they have every right to be and I don't blame them." Cameron said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hearing that one of your children being kidnapped does raise alarm, and you would do anything to get them back, safe and unharmed."

"Yeah..." Damien hung his head, ears tucked against his skull. He looked very defeated, more than likely wondering how the parents might feel at this moment.

The atmosphere quickly became heavy with dread, everyone's -save for the cheetah- gaze downcast.

"We'll get him back." Rowen announced, getting everyone to focus on him and his reassuring smile. It slightly faltered as he saw the lingering doubt in their faces, then came back as he noticed their spirits were rising back up.

As they all conversed on how to proceed if things should backfire, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. Turning their heads, it revealed to be Xun, his expression being one of relief.

After coming over to sit down, he soon spoke up. "It was our mom this time, wanting me to tell her where I was at since I'm not home." A small sigh escaped and he rubbed his head as he continued. "I had to basically beg her to not come and get herself and dad involved. It took a lot of convincing to get her to believe that we would get my brother back, but eventually she understood."

A soft giggle rose from Gwen, a smile on her lips. "Of course it would, hun. This is mama bear we're talking about!"

Xun snorted, grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, a terrifying one that scares even the meanest and manliest looking guy on earth."

Laughter soon began to fill the air. It was a touching scene, so nice and peaceful that everyone almost forgot the danger they were going to face. However, reality came to the table as Jake entered, causing everyone to turn and notice his new getup.

The first thing to notice was that he was wearing a trench coat that fit his build with a shirt underneath. Next were his pants; around his belt were three pouches on each side of his hips containing who knows what. Last were the footwear, being that of combat boots. Everything was all black.

Noticing the curious stares, Jake let out a small chuckle. "I'm a mundane. I can't protect myself with magic like all of you can. Is everyone ready to go?"

"I think so, but..." Gwen began, a small blush beginning to appear on her cheeks, getting a raised eyebrow from the shepherd. Suddenly, she shook her head furiously, laughing nervously. "Nothing! Never mind, we're good."

"Okay..." Jake tilted his head in the typical canine fashion, then swept his gaze upon the people in the room, getting nods all around. "Alright, let's get going. We have no time to waste."

With that said, everyone stood up and followed behind the dog on the way out. After getting outside and saying their farewells to the servants did the door close and everyone hopped into their vehicles.

Rowen chose not to go in his truck, instead having decided to go with Xun. When he got a curious look for doing it, he chuckled. "It's for me to make sure you're okay and yes, it's also because I like to be in your presence at all times bear bear."

Hearing the nickname again got the panda groaning and slapping his forehead, then gave a sideways glare. "Stop calling me that, please." He pleaded before letting a small smile grace his lips as he turned on the engine. "But, umm...thanks. I was...actually thinking about that too, to be honest."

"Really?" The lion raised a brow, surprised to hear this, but was quite happy nonetheless. "Well then, I'll be sure to be around more often."

"Good!" Xun made his way out of the driveway and onto the road with Gwen and James following behind. "Thankfully I know where the warehouse is. We just have to hurry."

Rowen gazed at the panda with concern in his eyes, worried that things might somehow go wrong. He reached out and gently took hold of his free paw, giving a soft squeeze every now and then.

~ ~ ~

Justin slowly grew frustrated over the magic circle he was trying to puzzle out. The design and overall mechanism of the spell was very complex. All while doing this, he tried to subtly play it off like he was doing nothing of the sort as the incubus kept a close eye on him. "I'm honestly surprised you're not bored of keeping watch. I sure would be if I were in your shoes."

Chris snorted, then let out a chuckle. "Oh trust me, I would do anything right now other than this, but orders are orders." He sighed, his face settling into a pout as he crossed his arms over his chest, then suddenly brightened up. "I know! How about a little questionnaire to pass the time?"

The panda gave a flat look after hearing the inquiry. "No, thanks."

"Aww, come on! It won't be hard ones, promise." Chris continued, smiling as he saw Justin still not being interested as he gave an even flatter stare. Soon, a soft sigh escaped before getting up from the chair and walked over to squat down, surprising him in the process, his once cheery demeanor gone. "Look, I already know what you're doing and honestly, it's impressive, but cut it out. You can't move, so why waste time?"

"W-what?" Justin squeaked, beads of sweat appearing on his fur. The sudden change of tone and behavior scared him. And not only this, but how did this demon figure him out so easily? "I'm just interested in this trap you've put me in is all!"

"Oh, you definitely are, I'll give you that much." The incubus smiled again, holding no mirth like it had earlier and chuckled at the growing confusion that was being displayed. "However, I pay very much attention to a mortal's face. You were trying to spot a weakness, then warn your friends."

Justin grit his teeth, glaring at Chris with much hatred in his eyes. "You can't keep me here forever!"

Chris slowly stood back upright and placed a hand on his hips before rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Obviously not, since you age and look very ugly while doing so." He remarked, giggling a little at what he just said, his cheerfulness coming back in full swing. "Oh my, the cavalry is almost here."

Justin's ears perked up upon hearing that and a small smile graced his lips. However, it soon began to falter as he saw the incubus' normally red eyes shift to black, covering the sclera. "What the hells?"

No sooner had those words left him, the sound of fingers snapping could be heard. Following that was a bright flash of light, the intensity being too much for the panda, causing him to shut his eyes tight.

He didn't know what was going on, but just as quick as the light came, it was gone. As he slowly opened his eyes, his expression became one of pure shock. The once empty warehouse suddenly became full of demons of various species, most of them the panda already knew while some he didn't recognize.

"Now then," Chris spoke, causing Justin to whip his head around as a deep chuckle ran through him, "let the show begin!"

~ ~ ~

Xun stared at the building before him, a frown having settled on his face as he prepared for whatever was to come. He could feel demons everywhere inside, though something felt off. He didn't know how or why, but something deep inside was telling him to be extra careful. "There's a lot in here...I don't know how many there are in numbers though."

"Doesn't matter," Damien growled, a ball of flame hovering near the palm of his paw, "I'm gonna roast every single one of them!" He moved his arm back, ready to throw until a paw quickly grabbed hold of his wrist, earning a yelp of surprise.

"Stick to the plan." Jake warned, his voice firm and authoritative as he stared hard into the husky's eyes. After a few grumbles did the flames go out and was released from the iron grip.

"So wait," James tilted his head and gave Xun a curious look, "you can sense these things?"

The panda nodded. "It's pretty handy! Only thing is, I can't tell how many there are, like now for instance." He sighed a little in frustration after admitting that, but quickly shook it off.

A smirk appeared on the cougar's lips, his tail whipping in excitement. "That's sweet! Now I'm liking you even more yin-yang!"

Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I swear you have a one track mind..."

Cameron cleared his throat several times to catch everyone's attention. "Can we get this over with already? We don't have time to chit chat all day."

"He's right." Rowen remarked, then took a glance at Jake. "Ready when you are."

Reaching behind his back, the Australian shepherd pulled out what appeared to be a blunt, medium-sized metal object, effectively raising eyebrows.

"Umm...I don't know if that's gonna..." Damien started, then soon trailed off as he and everyone else watched the object extend into a quarterstaff at the push of a button. "Okay, that was pretty cool!"

Smirking, Jake flipped the staff horizontally before moving his thumbs toward the center. Soon, the staff popped open, showing a hint of something inside as light from the sun reflected off its surface. All eyes were trained on him as he slowly slid both ends apart, revealing two hidden blades inside, each one looking very sharp and slightly curved. When the tips came out and gleamed in the sunlight, he swung both of his arms back, the sound of air being sliced.

Xun could only stare with his mouth slightly agape. "Whoa...I had no idea you carried swords around!"

Jake chuckled in amusement. "As I said before we left, I can't protect myself like the rest of you, so I make do with what I can. I had this weapon specially made to fit my style of fighting."

With that said, the group strode toward the warehouse, its entirety looming with each step they took. As they reached an old, rusted door, there was no sound, only dead silence and the feeling of demonic power.

"Remember everyone, be careful and watch your surroundings." Rowen began in a barely audible whisper, a bead of sweat running down his head.

"What? Why? I don't hear anything." Damien snorted and reached for the handle. "There's probably just one--"

Before his paw could go any further, Xun quickly grabbed hold of his wrist, just in time as the bracelet activated. He didn't say a word, only gazed at the doorknob, ignoring the bewilderment that was cast his way. However, this didn't last long as it glowed violet.

"Oh...I didn't know that, hehe." Damien laughed nervously, his cheeks burning in embarrassment after having his wrist released.

"Hold on...yin-yang can make his eyes glow?" James blinked a couple of times, making sure he wasn't imagining things. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah...we'll explain that later. Anyway, how are we going to get through this?" Gwen crossed her arms over her chest.

Rowen cupped his chin in thought, his brows furrowing. "We can't exactly break it down, for that would just be us fully alerting them of our presence." He glanced towards the panda who stood where he was, staring at the door. "Xun?"

Not responding, Xun kept a steady eye on the trap before him, his mind somehow being able to figure out how it worked and disarm it. He wasn't sure how this was possible, but it made sense to him. Without hesitation, he reached out with his right paw, a faint white light appearing and the glow on the doorknob vanished.

"Did...did you just...?" James stammered out, shock and awe apparent in his voice and face. "Dude...you've gotta teach me that!"

"I don't think that's possible." Cameron mumbled, an unreadable expression showing as he watched the panda. "That sort of spell he got rid of would take us all a little while to crack."

"Well, we got rid of one problem," Gwen remarked and nodded at the entrance to the warehouse, "now to deal with the rest."

"She's right. And as much as we all want to know how you did that, we have to focus on the task at hand." Jake said, a frown settling onto his face. "Let's move."

On an unspoken signal, Cameron reached out and pulled the door open, letting everyone and himself through. Inside, everyone's eyes widened in shock at the scene before them.

"There's so many..." Rowen muttered under his breath, face contorted into a snarl.

Demons. They were everywhere, all around the warehouse, making it seemed cramped from the sheer numbers. It was hard to tell where it all began or ended. The whole thing was unnerving at best, especially for the fact that now all eyes were on them, hunger and bloodlust showing itself in all of them.

"Ah, the guests have arrived!" A cheery voice announced among the throng, alerting the group enough to make them tense in anticipation, their ears perking as clapping could soon be heard. "Welcome, mortals!"

"Where are you?" Damien growled, bringing out a ball of flame. "Show your face, you coward!"

"Bold words coming from someone who's clearly outnumbered and outmatched." The mysterious person responded, chuckling before heaving a sigh. "But you're right, it is rude to not introduce myself."

The demons began moving about, parting themselves away from each other to form a single path way. At the end of it lay an incubus, and near his side was Justin.

Xun immediately breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his little brother, unharmed no less. However, this didn't last long as he focused his attention back to the incubus who was all but smiling. "Let him go. Now!"

The demon gasped and hugged himself, mockingly shivering. "Ooooh, sending chills down my spine you are!" He cackled. "Sorry boy, but I can't do that. I'm under orders. And be glad I am too, otherwise my lovely friends here would have made a meal out of him. Anywho, I'm Chris! Nice to meet you fine folk!"

Having had enough, Xun raised a paw, grabbing about half of the demons on the left side of the warehouse, lifting them up before becoming consumed by flames. However, just as soon as they were gone, more suddenly took their place.

"What?!" Gwen exclaimed. "How was he able to replace them so fast?"

"No idea, but thanks to this, we know that he's our top priority!" Rowen said as he glared daggers at the creature.

"Oh my, whatever shall I do?" Chris placed two hands upon his cheeks, then snapped his fingers, all at once getting the horde of demons to act and advance towards the group. "You'll have to get through that if you want a piece of me. Have fun!"

"Damn, what are we gonna do?" Damien growled, looking left and right. "How's he controlling so many at once?"

"Dunno, but we're not gonna find out by sitting here!" James' clothes and fur began to sway rapidly as he summoned the power of air.

Without any hesitation or warning, three demons rushed forward, aiming for Xun as they sprang into the air, claws extended.

Xun braced himself, more than ready to demonstrate his powers again. However, before he could do anything, a large bubble of water appeared, effectively trapping all of them and a blade of wind slicing their bodies in half. When they vanished into dust, he looked over his shoulder to see Rowen and James side by side.

"Like I said, I'm going to protect you." The lion winked, then suddenly took out two demons that were coming for them with a torrent of water.

"All of us are." James snorted, noticing Gwen, Damien and Jake going into the fray. "We got your back. And don't worry, we'll handle things here. You go and get that son of a bitch."

"I..." The panda started, then trailed off before shaking his head furiously. This wasn't the time or place to start worrying if they were all going to be okay. "Alright, but be careful, all of you!"

"Of course, bear bear!" Rowen responded, grinning a little at the glare he got, then frowned as he glanced at the cougar who in turn did the same before giving each other a nod.

Xun watched the two join in with the others, slinging spells left and right to fend themselves off against the many demons that seemed to never end. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Chris, smiling like this was all a game to him. Without hesitation, he unleashed his magic to clear himself a path and quickly made his way over, all the while that feeling he had felt earlier coming back in full force. With each step he took, it grew stronger.

Meanwhile the Incubus watched in delight, not at all trying to run away or stop him in his tracks. "That's it boy, come here and show me what you're made of!" He taunted as he spread his arms out, not even trying to defend himself.

The display and behavior was odd, making Xun second guess himself. Just what was this creature planning? He quickly shirked away those plaguing thoughts off, for his brother and kidnapper were within arm's reach. This was his chance.

"No! Xun, get back!" Justin suddenly shouted, throwing him completely off guard.

A confused expression crossed Xun's face after closing the distance between himself and Chris before it quickly became one of shock as he was lifted up from the ground. Eyes wide, he focused his attention back to the incubus who simply stood there, smirking. "Wha--?" He began, then cut himself short as his body was thrown across the warehouse, crashing into a wall, a pained groan escaping.

"Xun!" Rowen shouted out and snarled as he started to cut his way through the horde to get to the panda. However, he didn't get far as one after another sprung up, effectively blocking his path.

Noticing that he was in trouble, everyone doubled their efforts in an attempt to try and help. But just like the lion, this was all for naught, each demon being cut down only to be quickly replaced in its place.

Xun slowly raised his head, a dull ringing in his ears as he got the breath knocked out of him. Everything started to hurt, but he tried not to focus on that, for his brother's life was on the line. As sound came back to his senses, he looked around, trying to find out where the mysterious attacker was. 'Where are they hiding?' He thought as he struggled to break himself free, quickly finding out that he was in a binding spell. 'How? When did--'

However, that came to a full halt, his ears perking up to the sound of Chris chuckling. "I'm afraid it's no use, mortal. You can't escape when he gets himself involved, especially when he's very interested in you."

"Who? The one who gave you orders to kidnap my brother and keep him hostage?" The panda growled, his anger toward the incubus growing with each passing second. He wanted to give him a much needed painful lesson for messing with his family. His temper quickly began to fade as the atmosphere suddenly became filled with dread. Once again, that uneasy feeling came back, only this time it was completely overwhelming, threatening to swallow him whole.

Even the horde of mindless demons stopped what they were doing as they all turned in a single direction and kneeled, surprising the group but otherwise did not make any movements, lest it was all some sort of trick.

All was silent. The very air around them was still. Everyone held their breath for whatever was about to happen. Then, suddenly, a deep and commanding voice could be heard echoing throughout the warehouse as it uttered two words. "Diànw? ti?nsh?."

Chills went down Xun's spine the moment he heard that and looked around, frantic. He didn't understand why or how, but he felt very frightened. Something was very wrong here. A bead of nervous sweat formed at his head and ran down his fur.

Soon, a cloud of thick, black smoke formed into existence, almost near where Chris was kneeling. A powerful presence could be felt emanating from there, making everyone stare in both fear and amazement. Keeping their eyes fixated on this, a figure began to slowly rise to the surface, cloaked in everlasting darkness. Nothing discernible of a feature could be made. Overwhelming power oozed out of this being, causing everyone to be still like a statue. After fully being exposed to natural light did the smoke vanish, along with the darkness.

Standing there in the very center of the warehouse was a male wolf with pure, snow-like white fur, covering from head to toe. He looked absolutely stunning, if not beautiful. The physique he had was that of an athletic build, toned to perfection. His fur gleamed in the sunlight, almost rivaling the light of a full moon. He looked, in all sense of the word, flawless. The only thing disrupting this beauty were his eyes, for the pupil, iris and sclera were black as night.

"Did you enjoy the show, master?" Chris inquired with a smile. "The other one is here too, just as you predicted."

In answer, the wolf merely glanced down at the incubus, expression unreadable before focusing his attention to Xun. "Yes, the one who is bestowed power by the very things they fight." His voice was a deep baritone, yet smooth like honey.

Xun raised a brow at this, curious to know what he meant by that, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. He needed to get himself and everyone out of here. After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he concentrated on the binds that held him. 'It's okay, just focus...'

"However!" The wolf shouted out, breaking the panda's concentration as he disappeared and reappeared near him in the blink of an eye. "My interest greatly lies with you." He reached out with a paw and gently stroked his cheek, causing him to jerk away and shudder at the touch.

"Get away from him!" Justin growled.

There was a brief moment of tense silence, the wolf keeping his gaze steadily on Xun while he made no movement whatsoever. Soon, there were sounds of electricity crackling in the air, then Justin screaming out in pain.

"Hey, quit it!" Damien shouted, his steps moving on his own as he summoned a ball of fire, ready to toss it. Just as he reared his body back, an arm slammed hard into his stomach, the flame quickly dying out as he hugged himself. "Dammit, Cam..."

Cameron was at his side immediately, a hard frown on his face. "Idiot! Stop being reckless for once!" He hissed, getting a wry smirk from the husky before he doubled over, groaning.

Gwen quickly glanced over to the two. "Don't be too rough on him."

"I'll be fine," Damien grunted out and chuckled as he looked up at her, "I take this kind of stuff on a daily basis." He ignored the confused look that crossed her features as he struggled to get himself to stand.

"If you so much as harm a single fur on his head, I'll make you suffer!" Rowen shouted, a dangerous and menacing snarl being let out.

"Better count me in!" James said, the wind around his form, kicking up into almost dangerous levels.

The wolf paid no attention to any of what was going on or being said, his fixation still on Xun as if he were a marvelous subject that was never seen before. "Chris," he called out the incubus, "entertain our guests for a while, will you?"

Chris opened his eyes and raised his head with a mischievous grin on his lips. "Yes, sir! As you wish." He began to stand upright, the horde of demons doing the same before turning his gaze toward the group and snapped his fingers. At once under his command, they started moving again, closing in on them as they braced themselves for another fight.

"Now then, where were we?" The wolf cocked his head, brightening up a second later. "Ah, yes! I see you've chosen yourself another vessel." He once again caressed the panda's cheek, moving his paw away just in time as teeth chomped down. "Feisty, too. Just like the other one."

This made Xun pause. There was someone else who had the bracelet before he did? "Like who? What do you mean? Please, tell me what you know!" He pleaded, hoping to finally get some answers this time. It was ridiculous, but what choice did he have?

"I weep for you, Diànw? ti?nsh?, for you will never truly know freedom." He went on as if nothing was ever spoken, dashing the panda's hopes away. "How many times will you fight for these lesser beings? How much longer until you finally give in to your true nature?"

Xun didn't respond, not at all sure how to answer. Even if he were to talk, he wouldn't get anything out of him. 'And this is the second time that name has been brought up. Just who or what is this anyway?'

A heavy sigh came and the wolf shook his head, followed by an expression of what appeared to be sadness on his face. "As expected, nothing. You always were the silent type, but I suppose that's what happens when you lay dormant for a long period of time, never to be truly awakened." He gazed at the panda's face with much intensity, searching.

Xun stared right back, wondering what he was planning. None of what he said made any sense to him, but he needed answers, here and now. "Look, I don't know your game here but-ngh!" He cut off mid sentence, grunting from feeling a sharp, sudden pain in his chest. Looking down, his eyes widened in horror as he saw that a paw had lodged itself inside of him.

"I see...I was wrong. So close, yet so far..." The wolf whispered, a small smile on his lips before twisting his arm, causing the panda to cough up blood and let out an agonized scream. "Now what is this? It seems as though you're...no, I have to be certain." He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Justin who was trying in vain to break himself free. Raising an arm, he pointed a finger straight at him.

"Let him go! Please..." The young panda pleaded, his body still not able to move. He whimpered slightly, eyes already tearing up.

"No! Justin, move!" Damien shouted, throwing fireball after another as he tried to make his way over as fast as possible.

Before he could take another step, Chris blasted him away with a powerful blast of telekinesis. "Sorry, but like I said the first time, you'll have to go through me. Too bad for your friend here, can hardly lift a finger and he's going to die!"

Time began to slow down in Xun's tired eyes as he watched the events unfold, feeling himself growing weak from the amount of blood loss. He opened his mouth, forming words but no sound came, only a small croak and blood pouring out of his muzzle. He tried to lift his arms but the strength he had was quickly fading away. 'No...no...no! I need to save him and everyone here!' The sounds of fighting and shouting were becoming distant, almost like a memory to him as his eyes began to close and his body slowly going limp. Soon, darkness enveloped his vision and his senses became numb.

. . .

Floating. It was the same as last time, yet somehow different. The warmth he was already acquainted with filled his very being. He had been here before. "But...why?"

Pondering over this, a strange and somehow familiar voice spoke within the never ending darkness. "Have you the desire to live?" It asked, the tone of its voice sounding like any other person, yet otherworldly at the same time.

Xun didn't answer right away, not sure whether to trust this newcomer or not. Were they friend or foe? Would they help him? And if so, how? There were many questions burning in his mind that he wanted answered, but there was only one that stood out. "Are you Diànw? ti?nsh??" He asked, getting no response. Unperturbed, he continued with one question after another, hoping that one would stick. But alas, nothing would get whoever or whatever it is talking.

"I shall repeat myself, mortal. Have you the desire to live?" It said, having purposefully ignored everything Xun had thrown. There wasn't a hint of annoyance or anything thereof to indicate impatience.

A small sigh was let out. He wasn't going to get anywhere with this and was left once again to wonder about his powers. But this wasn't the time to be thinking about that. "Funny way of asking, but yes, I do."

If the being was satisfied or not, He wouldn't know, but it spoke another question. "Have you the desire to take back what is yours?"

In that moment, flashes of imagery came into the panda's mind, them being of his little brother being kidnapped and among various others of the past. He let out a menacing growl. "Yes."

"Have you the desire for power?"

This gave Xun some pause, thinking back on every single movie and television show he watched where this exact sort of thing came at a terrible price. Too many times did he see that being powerful ended up with major regret. But as of this moment, did he really have much of a choice to deny this opportunity? "I...I do."

As those words left his mouth, an unfamiliar wave of magic and warmth wrapped around his very being, spreading through him. "Then I shall help you."

~ ~ ~

"Xun!!!" Rowen cried out, the pain and anguish evident in his voice from seeing him grow still and lifeless. His ears perked up to the sound of the incubus chuckling and glared up at him with seething fury.

"Seems like this guy was all talk and no show. Too bad, really. I was hoping to have some fun with him." Chris pouted, then smirked at the anger that was practically oozing out of the lion. "Oh my, someone's upset!"

James summoned a blade of wind, sending it toward the incubus at semi close range, only for it to miss him by a hair. "Dammit! I'm going to beat the ever loving shit out of you when I get my hands on you!"

"Ha! And leave me out?" Gwen summoned three huge pillars of hard rock from the ground, then hurled them at the creature, only to be dodged effortlessly.

"Hey! We have someone else to worry about!" Cameron warned, getting everyone to look back at him with curiosity and slight annoyance before noticing what he was referring to.

Rowen's eyes went wide at the sight of red light appearing at the tip of the wolf's clawed finger. It was aimed straight at Justin. Panic rose within him, thinking on what to do and how to do it.

As he pondered, a claw had swung in his direction, aiming for his head. It never connected, thanks to the Australian shepherd coming to the rescue with a slash to the midsection of a demon. "Don't stand there! You have to keep moving and fight!"

"I know that!" The lion retorted, maneuvering his way around a flurry of fatal swipes. "But we have to save him somehow! We should--"

"Not yet!" Jake interrupted after cutting down four demons at once with ease, looking graceful in the midst of combat.

"What?!" Damien shouted, a growl passing his lips. "What do you mean 'not yet?' Justin's about to die! We need to do something, now!"

"Look, I'm all up for saving him but what are we gonna do about this Chris dude? He's kind of in the way!" James commented, blasting out wave after wave of air, his fatigue showing. "And I don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to get tired here."

Gwen let out a grunt, having had taken out a quarter of demons after cracking open the very earth before closing it up. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel it too. This is honestly a nightmare at this rate."

Cameron stared at the incubus. "The source of it all is from him. If we can just get close enough and beat him, this will all stop."

Rowen was just about to question how until he felt a strong surge of magic stir in the air. Looking up, he saw a beam of red light shoot forth, heading straight to the vulnerable young panda. Without any hesitation or regards of his surroundings, he tried to make his way through the unending horde, dodging any fatal strike that came his way.

Everyone soon joined him, desperate to save Justin from his cruel fate. Mustering up enough strength, they were trying to make a path to him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a cloud of black smoke enveloped him, just in time as the beam passed through. Everyone stopped and held their breath. A tense moment of silence passed, the mindless demons having ceased their movements. Soon, the smoke began to vanish, slowly revealing Justin who was, without a doubt, unscathed.

"What?!" Chris exclaimed, an expression of annoyance crossing his features. "How is this possible?" He glanced over to the wolf and quickly did his eyes become wide like dinner plates at what he was witnessing.

It was Xun, free from his bindings with his fatal wound miraculously healed. An aura surrounded his body as he floated just like the wolf before him who seemed to be in total shock of having his bloodied arm grabbed, evidently already yanked from his chest.

"Is that really...yin-yang?" James inquired in awe as he took in the sight, an excited sparkle in his eyes.

No one could respond, for all eyes were directed at the panda who were more than likely thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, this brief moment of peace came to an end as Chris growled and ordered the demons to attack before flying over to the wolf.

In quick reaction, Xun glanced over to the incubus, making him stop in his tracks. Then, without so much as raising a paw, a flash of extremely bright light erupted forth. Following it, a shriek unlike any other echoed throughout the warehouse.

Rowen shielded his eyes, flattening his ears soon after as an almost deafening chorus of roars rung out. When it came to a swift end, he removed his arm and slowly opened his eyes to see that all of the demons were gone, including Chris. "What on earth...?" He muttered to himself, amazed and curious as to how this happened.

A deep chuckle broke him from his small reverie, looking up to see the wolf smiling, seemingly overjoyed. "So this is your power...at last I'm able to experience it! I have to say, I'm quite impressed. And here I was, worried you would never awaken." He reached out with a paw to once again touch the panda's face, only to pause midway and frown as his flesh began to burn, forcing him to quickly pull back and break himself free. "Alas, you're only a mere fledgling."

Xun slowly cocked his head to the side, silent as he stared at the wolf as if curious. He stayed this way for a moment before spears, bathed in white light appeared, surrounding him. One suddenly short forth, only to graze the other's fur. Then another, and another until all rained down upon him.

The wolf let out a growl of annoyance, then yelped as his body was flung across, crashing into a wall. He tried to move, but it was futile as he was quickly bound, the spears closing in on him at high speeds.

Rowen watched all of this in awe struck silence, his mind racing with a million questions but most of all, hoping this strike would do it. He couldn't keep his eyes away as the deadly weapons made direct contact, making the wolf let out a demonic roar, a sound so horrible that he had to flatten his ears again.

As it died down, Jake spoke up, the tone in his voice urgent. "Now, do it now! He'll recover! We don't have much time!"

"What?!" Gwen exclaimed, bewilderment showing in her eyes. "You can't be serious! He's down!"

"No, he's not!" The shepherd growled in response, his eyes going between Xun and the bloodied wolf before focusing his attention back to the group. "Trust me, it needs to happen now!"

"But--" Damien started and stopped at the hard glare he was getting.

"No, he's right. That didn't kill or hurt him as we'd like to believe." Cameron commented, making everyone glance toward him curiously. "It's just a feeling I have."

James' eyes shifted, seemingly unsure of what to say or do, then let out a growl. "Well I'm not gonna stand here and twiddle my thumbs! Let's do this already!"

Rowen's brows furrowed. "I hope this works..." He mumbled and raised a paw, water beginning to form and take shape from the very air. 'All of those years practicing with dad is paying off.'

The cheetah was right beside him doing the very same without much effort, showing no hint of being nervous or fatigued, only calm and collected. "We might have to speed things along." He nodded at Damien.

For a second, the husky tilted his head in a confused manner until he quickly brightened up after getting the hint. "Ohh, I gotcha!" The palm of his paws soon became alight with fire, his heat already vaporizing the water.

In no time, mist had begun to appear thanks to their efforts. With the added help of James kicking up wind, it quickly spread its way into the warehouse, filling not only the ground but everywhere at once, creating a dense enough mist.

"Okay," the cougar spoke up, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice as he looked for Jake, squinting his eyes, "now what?"

"Now we hope that our friend is fast enough." Jake replied, an unreadable expression having settled on his face.

Rowen focused his eyes on Xun, seeing him clearly through the mist. He still had no idea what was going on, but he watched him move in incredible speeds from one spot to another. One second he was standing still in mid air, then the next he was right beside Justin inside the trap.

"W-what?! How did you do that?" Justin exclaimed, then shook his head and frowned at the ground underneath him. "A-anyway, we have to be fast about this spell or that thing will--" His words were cut short the moment he was swept off his feet bridal style and the area they stood in shimmered with a soft, white light.

Before Rowen or anyone could even grasp as to what was happening, they were all suddenly outside of the warehouse, clearly disoriented.

"How the hells...?" Gwen started as she looked around frantically, more than likely making sure this wasn't some sort of an illusion. "What just happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" James exclaimed. "Damn, is this what you guys go through on a daily basis?"

Damien shook his head. "I wouldn't say that, but--" he paused as his ears perked up before turning around, smiling wide at who he was seeing, then ran over. "Justin! You're okay!"

Justin braced himself the moment he touched ground, almost falling on his posterior due to the force of nature that was the husky. "Whoa, easy there! But yeah, I'm fine thanks to my big brother." He looked up at the older panda, only to frown a second later. "At least...I think it's him."

Rowen slowly came up to Xun, his mind beginning to burn with a million questions. With each step he took, he felt intense waves of magic flowing through the boy's entire being. "I'm not sure either, but he's definitely powerful." His eyes never strayed away from his lover, who in turn was looking back at him, slowly tilting his head.

"Powerful or not, we don't know--" Cameron began, then cut himself short at the sound of soft laughter.

"How?! Yin-yang beat his ass down!" James shouted, having already summoned up his element again.

"I thoroughly enjoyed myself children, so I thank you for giving me quality entertainment. And don't worry, I will not come after any of you for my interest has been piqued." The wolf said, his voice seeming to come from all around. "However, before I go...there is one thing I would like to say. To the one who has been bestowed a wondrous gift, your efforts are in vain. Farewell, and may our paths cross again." With those parting words, the presence they all have felt suddenly vanished, leaving no trace behind.

"Strange, I wonder what he meant by that." Rowen mused, trying to decipher who he was addressing before shaking his head. That matter would come later, for right now the main concern was his lover and his mysterious powers. 'Speaking of which...' He shifted his gaze and saw that Xun was in the same state.

"Regardless, at least we got out of there alive." Cameron commented, then paid attention to the glowing panda. "And as I was saying, powerful or not, we don't know what we're dealing with here."

Gwen tilted her head after cupping her chin, her brows furrowing as she contemplated. "What I want to know, and I'm sure everyone here agrees with me, is how you knew that was going to happen." She said, her eyes focused on Jake who didn't give much reaction to the scrutiny.

Rowen nodded, having his attention elsewhere for the moment. "Indeed, the timing was almost perfect. You certainly foresaw this chain of events, so why hold it?" He wanted answers, wanted the whole truth to come to light. Just who is Jacob Fields?

A heavy sigh rolled off the Australian shepherd's tongue as he shook his head, gaze averted to the ground. "I can't tell you, and for good reason. And shouldn't you be more concerned about Xun and how he hasn't died? Or wonder what that demon even wanted to begin with?"

"Although I don't like the fact you're keeping secrets from us," Cameron said, giving Jake a hard look before shaking his head and continuing, "you're right."

"True, and I'd be lying if I said all he wanted was to see my brother's power." Justin said and quickly corrected himself. "Er..Diànw? ti?nsh?'s anyway. For what purpose, I don't even know."

"So they never spilled any info to you, huh?" Gwen placed a paw to her forehead and heaved a heavy sigh. "Lovely, more questions."

"Umm, guys?" James spoke up in an attempt to get everyone's attention, but to no avail.

Damien peered closer at the young panda and moved around, checking to make sure there weren't any physical injuries. "Did they do anything to your mind or magic? Your brother and parents were very worried about you."

A small blush appeared on Justin's cheeks, but didn't do anything to push the husky away. "N-no, I'm fine, thanks." He sighed soon after, his shoulders slumping. "I figured they would worry, since it's natural. I'm just more surprised Xun convinced mom to not come. And that's very hard to do."

Gwen had a warm smile on her lips as she came up to give the young panda a gentle hug. "Well we're all glad you're safe."

"Guys, you really should look at this!" James spoke up again, getting irritated looks from everyone before quickly turning into one of shock.

The glow that surrounded Xun had begun to fade. As he slowly returned to normal, he placed a paw to his head, groaning. "What...happened?" He muttered in a dazed state, eyes half closed.

Rowen was upon him in an instant as he grabbed his shoulders to make sure he was steady. He also checked the hole in his shirt where the demon's whole paw had been, silently praying to the gods that there weren't any fatal wounds, though he did wonder how such a thing was healed. "Are you okay? Are you feeling any pain in your chest?"

Xun shook his head in reply. "No...should I?" He looked at the lion, then focused his attention to everyone else before noticing his little brother. "Justin! And everyone too! You're all okay, but...how?"

Cameron raised a brow, looking perplexed. "You don't remember what you did back there?"

"You went completely god mode on that guy!" Damien shouted, his excitement all the more apparent by his tail wagging in furious speed. "Which, by the way, we don't even know his name."

Mass confusion settled on Xun's features. Before he could even say anything, a grunt of pain was heard after Justin rushed in to hug him, tears streaming down his face. "W-whoa, what's wrong?"

Sniffling, the young panda held on tighter, making him complain a little. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm just...we all saw you die." He said, still holding onto him as if his life depended on it.

Smiling a warm smile, the older panda returned the affection, albeit in a weak fashion. "I don't really know what happened, but as long as you and everyone is safe, that's all that matters to me." He let out a small chuckle before suddenly going still and closing his eyes.

Thankfully close by, Rowen grabbed hold of his body so as to keep him from falling to the ground and possibly injuring himself more than he's already been through. After doing so did he put a finger on his neck, checking his pulse. All while doing this, he ignored a jealous glare being sent his direction. Feeling a steady beat, he breathed a sigh of relief. "It's alright. He's only unconscious."

"Oh, thank gods! I was afraid that he..." Gwen trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as she shook her head.

"Well, given what he just pulled off, it's only natural." Cameron stated, his attention going back from the warehouse to Xun a few times. "That demon was powerful though...and his message does hold some concern."

"Yes, it does," Jake spoke up in full agreement to what was said, "but as much as I would like to try and theorize on his goals, I'm sure everyone here would like to go home. And Xun definitely needs some much needed rest."

Rowen swept the sleeping panda into his arms. "Sounds like a plan. Come on, Justin." He made his way over to the car with the young panda on his trail after saying his goodbyes.

A frown had settled on James' face as he started to go after them, but stopped when he heard Jake's voice. "What do you want?"

Crossing his arms over his chest and giving the cougar a hard look did he reply. "I'm making sure you're on your best behavior. My personal ride is currently unavailable and Gwen here is going to be occupied with Damien and Cameron."

Gwen opened her mouth to protest, then stopped herself a second later, an evil grin coming on. "Yup, he's right! I'll take you two on home." She made a gesture with her paw as she made her way over to her car.

Rowen had a smug grin of satisfaction upon hearing a groan coming from James before climbing himself inside. After making sure that Xun was alright in the back and his sibling was seated, he drove off. "I know everyone has said this already, but I'm very glad you're okay and that you're unharmed." He said in an effort to make some small talk.

"Thanks, I appreciate the sympathy." Justin replied with a smile, then quickly frowned as he looked back over his shoulder to his brother who was sound asleep. "To be honest, I fully believed I wouldn't survive, or that any of you would."

"I don't blame you for thinking that. They were quite formidable opponents." He frowned upon uttering those words and took a deep breath to concentrate on the road ahead. 'I have to get stronger! I need to be able to protect him!' He shouted mentally at himself, then furiously shook his head and smiled. "Regardless, we live to fight another day and enjoy our lives."

The young panda nodded, a small smile on his lips as he looked out the window. "Thanks, Rowen."

~ ~ ~

Xun opened his eyes with a start, jolting up from his sleeping position and quickly looked around. His eyes settled on a familiar white lion who happened to be calmly reading a book. "Rowen?! Where am I? What are you doing here? Where's Justin?"

Rowen jumped slightly from the sudden burst of sound and looked up. His mouth became slightly agape for a moment before getting up from his seat and hurrying over to give a warm and tight embrace. "It's alright, he's in his room safe and sound. You're both at home. As for me being here, I brought you."

Blinking a couple of times and pinching himself to make sure all of this wasn't a dream, he gazed around the area again. He was indeed in his room, at home. "I don't...ugh." He placed a paw to his forehead, then quickly gasped. "Wait...oh, no! You're here so that means...oh, gods! Did they freak? Did they show embarrassing photos of me?"

"Well--" Rowen began, but didn't get another word in as the panda kept going.

"Oh my gods, did they bet in front of you?" Xun asked, pausing to wait for a response, only to put up a paw a second later. "No, don't tell me. I already know. They did all of this in that order! Gods, why can't they just be normal and just accept me without adding extra? Ugh!"

"They--" The lion tried once more, only to be shut down. He sighed deeply, a small smile on his lips as he shook his head.

"I bet it was mom who won again. Man, dad really needs to stop going against her. By the way, I just now noticed it's night time and that worries me because--" Xun gasped as he was embraced again and his cheek was being nuzzled fiercely.

"Despite everything that happened earlier, you're still such a dork, bear bear." Rowen said, his voice almost dropped down to a whisper.

Snorting, Xun crossed his arms over his chest, his face and posture set on to pouting. "You'll never stop calling me that, will you? After all these--huh? Rowen?" He had a worried look about him as he felt the other boy's body tremble, his ears perking at the sound of sniffling. "Hey, it's okay. Shhh..." He reached up to wrap his arms around him, softly stroking his head.

"I thought I lost you for good. I thought...gods I'm happy you're alive." The lion held on for a moment longer, not at all seeming to let go as he broke, full on sobbing.

This lasted for a few minutes, Xun consoling to the best of his ability until the other boy got himself under control. "All better?"

Rowen nodded, eyes almost red from crying. "Yes, thank you. Sorry for that, it's just--"

Xun shook his head, interrupting what he was going to say next, a smile on his lips. "Don't ever apologize for letting your feelings show. I'm still not sure what happened, but from your reaction, I can already tell it was a lot."

"Yeah, your parents took the news...not so well. Don't worry, I didn't tell them everything! Just enough so they wouldn't get on your case. Speaking of which, I should be going. My dad said I could stay for awhile, but I don't want to stretch the nice gesture anymore than I already have." He sighed and leaned forward to give the panda a nice, deep kiss. Feeling satisfied, he leaned back and stood up, his steps already heading toward the door. "We'll talk some more after this weekend, promise. Have a good night, bear bear."

"You too!" The panda watched him leave, a content sigh rolling off his tongue as he lay back down, getting ready for sleep. However, just as he closed his eyes, the door to his room opened. His instincts kick started immediately and he jolted upright, only to halt himself as he saw it was Justin. "Oh! Might wanna knock next time. What's wrong?"

"Sorry, but can I sleep in your room tonight? After what happened today, I don't want either of us to be alone." Justin suggested, looking tired and vulnerable.

Xun raised a brow. He definitely needed to get some info once school comes back into rotation. Or at the very least, ask his brother all of what happened. "Sure, I don't mind." He scooted himself over to make room. As soon as he did so, his little brother climbed into bed and snuggled against him. "Goodnight, lil' bro."

"Good night, big bro." The young panda replied, a yawn escaping as his eyes quickly started to close.

The older panda watched him for a short while, overly glad to see his sibling safe and back home. 'I'll need to get some info on this bracelet, but where do I start?' He thought as his eyes grew heavy and finally slumber overtook him.