Here Comes The Son (Ghost Band / Papa Emeritus fic)

Come Together, Together as One

Ethan's apartment was worn down, small and cramped, especially now with four ghouls inside.

"Wow!" Rain began, looking around with distaste. "I've seen goblin pits bigger than this," he gave a scornful laugh. "Humans live like this?"
"This one does," Ethan replied, insulted by the remark. "Who are you anyway?"

The realisation had dawned on Ethan that, at least while they needed him, he had nothing to fear from them. Later might be different but he hoped to charm them into letting him live but he knew that a lot depended on how useful he could be to them.

"Papa's ghouls, that's all you need to know." Aurora explained without elaborating.
"I need something to play these on," Rain waved the DVDs in Ethan's direction.
"Over there," Ethan pointed to a TV and DVD player.

Rain nodded and he and Swiss took a seat in front of the TV while Aurora guarded Ethan.

"Oh, and I need a charger for this phone," Swiss added, looking back over his shoulder towards Ethan.

Peering at the phone, Ethan finally shook his head as he recognised the make and knew he didn't have the appropriate cable.

"No, not got one of them," he announced - it was the wrong response.
"Remember we said you would do everything we told you to?" Dew placed a finger on Ethan's chest.
"I can't magic up something I don't have!" Ethan objected. "What do you expect me to do? Pull it out of my ass?"
"If you don't come up with something in about twenty seconds, I will reach into your ass and pull your stomach out through it. Do you understand me?" Dew growled quietly.
"You're not going to do that, you need me to find your precious singer," he sniped, moments before realising that if he was trying for a charm offensive, he was falling considerably short of the target.

Aurora spun him around to face her, placing a claw under his chin and pressing upwards forcing his head to tilt back slightly. As he stared at her, four inch horns rose from her head, pointed and curved forward, her nose lengthened to more of a goat-like appearance, but beneath that, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth broadened to display them to full effect. Her arms now appeared like those given to movie werewolves - long and slender yet muscular ending in clawed hands, and her legs fawn-like complete with cloven hooves. Her entire body seemed dark and leathery, with the finishing touch a long tail which she brought forward, curling the tip around his neck.

"I can keep you alive for a very long time, if I put my mind to it," she said, her voice almost hissing the words.
"Wh... what are you?" Ethan stammered. "How are you making me see you like that? What did you slip me?"

Aurora tightened the grip on his neck with her tail.

"I didn't do anything to you," she laughed. "This is what I really look like when I'm not pretending to be human for the sake of a troll like you!"
"You're calling me a troll, looking like that?"

The words were out before he realised it and there was no way of taking them back. Aurora's tail tightened around his neck, but even more terrifying was Swiss punching him hard in the back and forcing him to the floor, gasping as the air was driven from his lungs. Pulling him up to his knees, Swiss ran a claw lightly across his shirt, slicing clean through it without effort and drawing blood from his chest below. Ethan hissed in pain as blood oozed from the searing hot, fresh wound.

"Apologise to the lady," Swiss growled.

Ethan's head swam as he glanced at Swiss, full glamour gone and now looking very similar to Aurora, but taller, broader and somehow even more vicious.

"I... I..."

Ethan felt as if fear had snatched away his ability to form a coherent thought, never mind a sentence, despite the very clear instruction. Another low growl from Swiss followed by a lengthening of his mouth, his teeth edging closer to the terrified man.