Where The Heart Is

Taking Advantage

Note: Anon prompt: Mystery Skulls prompt if you're alright with it! It would probably take place sometime after Best Served Cold. A sneaky, less than friendly spirit finds an opportunity and takes advantage of the whole bleeding soul thing. Slight chaos ensues. Child: Just letting you guys know, I have three more prompts. I think I'm gonna stop taking prompts for now because I'm gonna start the 3rd fic after the prompts are done. *sigh* I couldn't hold off as much as I hoped I would…

…...

"Hey Arthur! I left the flowers on her mat!" Lewis phased through the front door, wincing as he noticed Mystery asleep on the couch. He lowered his volume, gliding down the hall. "Kept a distance, but I got to see her take them. She smiled. I missed her smile. Thanks Arthur," He phased through the workshop door. "Why don't we talk about how I can… start…. paying…" He blinked.

It wasn't uncommon for Arthur to fall asleep over a project, it never had been even back when Lewis was alive, and the pose he found Arthur in wasn't so very different than those times. Yet from the moment he entered the room, something struck him as almost obscenely wrong.

Was it the fact that Arthur's eyes were open? Or the way that his cheek pressed against various work implements? Was it the fact that his face was bleeding from hitting those implements, or the way his arms hung, pointed limply toward the floor?

"Arthur!" Lewis darted forward, grabbing his friend and sitting him straight. He snatched a nearby greasy rag, shuddering as he did, and wiped the blood off Arthur's face. Shallow cuts, luckily he hadn't been working with anything really dangerous. "Arthur what happened?"

Arthur's eyes rolled over to Lewis listlessly. He grunted, lifting his shoulders slowly and dropping them back as if the shrug cost him all his energy.

"Did you pass out?" Lewis pulled back an eyelid. He had no idea what he was looking for, but it disturbed him even further that Arthur made no move to bat his hand away. "Arthur what's your problem?" He let go of Arthur's face, looking around the room. He grabbed Arthur's favorite tiny welder and held it up. "Hey Arthur, it'd be a shame if I snapped this, wouldn't it?" He took it in both hands, bending it slightly.

Arthur's head just rolled to the side, and he sighed.

Lewis dropped the tool and darted out to the living room. Seizing Mystery by the collar, he hauled the half-awake dog over to the workshop. He phased through the door, but Mystery's head hit the wood hard. He yowled, biting Lewis' hand to force a release.

"Sorry!" Lewis opened the door to face a bristling Mystery. "Sorry, but Arthur!" He pointed at his friend.

Mystery's fur settled as he padded into the workshop, limping carefully around projects in various stages of completion, nudging Arthur's limp hand with his nose. The hand recoiled, and Arthur pulled back from Mystery hard. He scrambled to his feet, staggering back to the wall, eyeing the dog with something like terror.

Mystery's eyes narrowed, and his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"He wasn't moving!" Lewis protested. "He was just lying there! What…"

Mystery's eyes began to glow as he prepared to shift, but Arthur burst past them, out the door and into the hall.

"Catch him!" Mystery snarled, bursting into Kitsune form. "I can't go out there, bring him to me NOW."

Lewis paused, eyeing Mystery. He'd been in Arthur's mind, had seen his conversation with Mystery. Was Arthur running from Mystery for good reason?

"Do what I say Ghost!" Mystery snapped at him. "Arthur's bleed is being leeched! He's not himself, I have to remove the spirit!"

Lewis' eyes widened. Of course, the bleed. He spun around, donning human appearance as he darted after Arthur. The front door hung open, and he sped out the door and onto the streets.

Arthur's soul was bleeding, but Lewis could no longer sense it. He'd been able to sense it before, had even benefitted from some of the extra energy while helping Arthur get around, but the trail was gone. He faded out of visibility, leaping into the air and landing on the top of a telephone pole. From there he surveyed the area, looking for…

There. A flash of orange, running down the street, arms flailing. Lewis shot after him, grabbing the back of his jacket and yanking him to a sudden stop.

"LEGGO!" Arthur shouted, struggling against thin air. "STOP, LEMME GO!"

"Easy, Arthur, it's me!" Lewis hissed in his ear. "We gotta get back to Mystery."

Arthur struggled harder, wrenching an arm free of the jacket. "NO HE'LL EAT EVERYTHING!"

"What are you talking about?" Lewis wrapped his arms around Arthur, pinning his arms and effectively restraining him. "You've got a leech, he's gonna take care of it."

"NOOOO!" Arthur kicked, hyperventilating. "YOU CAN'T, LEW! DON'T TAKE ME BACK! HE'LL KILL ME!"

Lewis tensed. Mystery said there was a leech, making Arthur act weird, but Mystery had kept secrets from all of them. Would he hurt Arthur? But Arthur trusted Mystery. He'd gone and saved the dog and died to do it.

Lewis lifted Arthur off his feet, blazing a fast trail back to Arthur's house. He kicked the door shut behind him, and returned to the workshop. Mystery lay along the wall, eyes burning, paws crossed calmly in front, waiting. Lewis kicked the workshop door shut as well, then dropped Arthur to the ground. He pressed against the door, blocking it as Arthur turned and began wrenching at the handle.

"You would dare," The kitsune snarled slowly, "Feed off a soul that is mine?" He rose to three legs, practically filling the room as Arthur cowered into a corner. "I may be injured, but I am far from finished, and you," His lips pulled back completely, exposing sharp and dripping fangs. "You would dare touch WHAT IS MINE."

He lunged forward as Arthur screamed. Lewis gripped the doorknob, more to keep himself in place than to keep the door closed. Mystery's teeth parted just over Arthur's head, and he inhaled deeply. As he did, a black shadow drained out of Arthur, sliding into Mystery's jaws. The kitsune snapped his mouth shut, seething a moment longer, before lowering his snout to nudge Arthur.

Arthur lay limp against the wall, staring up at Mystery in bewilderment. "M-m-m-m-m…." He gave a groan of frustration. "M-m-m-...f-f-f-f!"

"If you're wondering what just happened, and why you were suddenly afraid of me, there was a leech." Mystery lay down, resting his chin across Arthur's legs gingerly. "Spirits that leech don't necessarily possess, but they feed off soul energy. Your bleed attracted it. It fed off your passions and excitement, anything you enjoy in life, taking all that for itself. It knew what I was on sight though, and its terror became yours."

Arthur winced, slowly raising a hand and resting it heavily on the muzzle in his lap. "M's-s-s-s-s-so-o-o-rry…"

"Don't be. I should have been watching more carefully. Fortunately, Lewis alerted me in time, and brought you back."

Arthur glanced over at Lewis, a weak smile on his face. "Th-th-th…"

"You're welcome." Lewis removed his hand from the doorknob, the handle warped to the shape of his hand. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"He needs to rest." Mystery readjusted himself so that he curled around Arthur. "The remainder of the day. I will do what I can for him. Would you bring some food for him? It is better if he doesn't move much today." Arthur's eyes were already half-closed as he nestled in the warm fur.

Lewis hesitated. "Mystery… what happened to the leeching spirit?"

"You saw what happened Lewis." Mystery's voice was flat. "It won't be bothering anybody again."

Lewis pressed against the door, half phased through it as he asked, "Is that just what happens to spirits around you?"

Mystery's head craned around until he was staring at Lewis.

"I understand that you are still coming to terms with what I am, and your own state, but understand that you will never be in danger from me, Lewis."

Lewis nodded once, before ducking out and heading for the kitchen. Arthur trusted Mystery, and that was good enough for Lewis.