"His eyes were glowing." Scott tells Argent as they sit in his office.
"There was something almost ritualistic about it." Argent continues as Allison patches his face up. "Like it was looking right into his soul."
"That's the same thing it did to me." Isaac agrees.
"That's what they did to everyone." Allison says.
Scott's brows furrow in realization. "Not everyone. They only came after the werewolves."
"And Red and I." Asher pointed out.
"Red?" Isaac looked at her.
"Oh, Lydia." Asher corrected herself.
Allison looked over at her, a certain sparkle in her eye. Asher gave her a confused look.
"Anyone with a connection to the supernatural." Chris rounded it out.
"Then who was the guy they went after in Japan?" Isaac asked.
"A kumicho. A yazuka boss." Chris tells them. "It was my first gun deal. I was only eighteen and it was supposed to be a simple exchange. Except Gerard left out the minor detail of the buyers being yakuza. He wanted to see if I could adapt in the moment. Testing my ability to improvise."
"Or your ability to survive." Allison said.
"The moment the sun went down it was like they materialized out of the shadows." Chris recalled. "They had swords, not curved like katanas but straight, black steel. Like ninjatos."
"Swords terrify me." Asher muttered.
"What did they want?" Scott got back on track, not drawing any attention to Asher.
"To get to the kumicho." Chris answered.
Asher fidgeted in her seat, bringing her legs up and sitting criss-cross apple-sauce. She sighed as she listened to the story the man told them.
"They cut down every living thing in their way." He continued.
Isaac's hand reached up to touch the backwards five scar behind his ear. "Did they mark him like they did us?"
"Not exactly." Chris explained.
"What was he?" Asher leaned forward slightly.
"I don't know. But there might be someone who does." He said. "There were few others that survived that night. One of them was a man named Katashi... They called him SilverFinger because of an unusual prosthetic."
"I bet that makes him popular with the ladies." Asher smirked.
"Asher." Allison said sternly, but she had a small smile on her face.
"Sorry."
"And it looked like he was getting ready to take them all on himself." Chris started again after sending Asher a small look. He told them about how he pushed himself up and fired a shot at one of the ninjas. "I've known for a while Katashi was in the country. I spent yesterday tracking him down."
Isaac pointed at the wound Allison just finished patching up. "Didn't look like he wanted to be found."
"Not particularly, no." Chris shook his head.
"You think he knows what they are? Or what they want?" Scott questioned.
"Maybe." He says.
"What if he doesn't want to talk?" Allison asks.
"What if he doesn't even remember you?" Isaac adds as Chris pushes himself up from his chair.
The man grabs the wooden box that sits on his desk. He spins it to face them. "He'll remember this." Chris opens the box, revealing a broken mask. One of the ninja's masks. "I know it didn't kill it it. I'm not sure you can. But I slowed it down long enough for us to get out of there."
Asher stood up and walked over to the rest of them. She reached in the box and pulled out a pice of the mask. It was cold against her palm and the moment it touched her skin, she had a bad feeling.
"If there's a way to kill it then we better find it because these dumb ninjas are already on my last nerve." Asher dropped the mask back into the box.
"What was behind the mask?" Scott narrowed his eyes at the piece of the mask he was holding.
"Darkness. Absolute darkness." Chris said bluntly.
"Well... That's not terrifying at all." Asher pursed her lips.
--------------------
Asher was in her car, currently parked in the school's parking lot, when her phone rang. Her brows furrowed at the number she didn't recognize.
"Uh, hello?" She answered.
"Asher Lewis?" A feminine voice from the other end asked.
It took a moment but Asher recognized the voice.
"What do you want?" She clenched her jaw.
"I just want to see you." The voice said.
What unsettled Asher was that she sounded sincere.
"No. Absolutely not. You and that dumbass Mike can stay out of my life like you have been for the past nine years." Asher snapped. "You didn't care when I left, so don't pretend you care about me now."
"Asher, sweetie, your fath-" She started.
"No." Asher stopped her.
"Okay, okay. Mike... passed away last night." The woman told her.
Asher froze. She didn't know what to say. Asher never thought she would hear those words. "W-What?"
"I know we haven't reached out, and that probably hurt, but I'm holding a memorial for him on Saturday. I was hoping you would come." She continues.
"I gotta go." Asher said.
"Wait-"
But Asher didn't. She hung up and her phone dropped to her lap. And she just sat there, staring off into the distance. Asher didn't know what to feel. Suddenly, someone knocked on the window, making her jump.
Standing there was Lydia. The girl gestured for her to roll the window down. Which Asher did.
"Are you okay?" Lydia furrowed her brows.
Asher swallowed, trying to find the words. "Uh, well... My father died."
Lydia was quiet for a moment. "Your biological one?"
Asher nodded.
"I'm sorry." Lydia said softly. "That's terrible."
"Is it? He sucked." Asher let out a dry chuckle. "I don't know."
Lydia suddenly pulled open the car door, startling Asher. "Come on, Asher. Let's just try to get through the school day."
Asher reluctantly rolled her window back up. She stepped out of the car, her combat boots stomping against the pavement. Lydia waited for her to shut the door before wrapping her arm around Asher's.
"Just school and then you can go home and watch New Girl or maybe Iron Man." Lydia smiled at her.
Asher looked down with a chuckle. "I do like Iron Man."
Lydia started walking, leading Asher. "Yeah, you do."
Asher just stared at her as they walked and her knees felt weak. Lydia did that to her and it was honestly scary. Sure, Asher's been attracted to girls before, but these feelings... These real feelings were something that she'd never felt. And she had no idea what to do.
--------------------
Unfortunately for Asher, Lydia had a class across campus to get to, leaving her alone. Asher knew she couldn't be alone, so she met up with the twins. Who were following Scott around.
"Did you tell him?" Ethan asks the alpha as he and Aiden push open a pair of double doors.
"No. He's got enough on his mind right now." Scott answers.
"If they're coming for you in a few hours, then so do you." Aiden says, sending a glance in Asher's direction.
Asher trails behind them. She's deep in thought and she hasn't said a word. And that concerned Aiden.
"What if it's not me?" Scott turns, stopping them in the hall. "Okay, what if I'm not the one they want?"
Asher grunts, running into Ethan's back. "Sorry." She mumbles.
"Who else is there?" Ethan asks after pulling Asher forward, steadying her.
Scott turns back the way he was originally facing, his eyes landing on Kira walking down the stairs. His eyes widen slightly in realization. Kira catches his gaze, sending him a tight-lipped smile.
Asher looks up, seeing the twins looking down at her. She looks between the two with a confused expression.
"What?"
--------------------
Considering it was now after school and Asher had no one to keep her distracted from her own thoughts, she was falling apart.
The lion was sitting in her car, which was sitting in her driveway. She pulled down the overhead mirror, staring at herself. She hadn't been crying but her eyes were bloodshot. Asher closed her eyes for a second, opening them again to see them glowing purple.
Asher just stared at them. She knew her rank was changing. She knew she wouldn't be a lion cub forever, the name itself was demeaning. But Asher wasn't ready to be a lioness. The girl just got into a pack, she couldn't possibly lead one. So, she faded the glow away, her plain brown eyes staring back at her.
Feeling her phone buzz in her back pocket, Asher groaned. She pulled her phone out, seeing a text from Aiden. He was asking, well more like telling, her to come help out with Scott. Asher furrowed her brows. She had no idea what was going on with Scott.
What she did know, was that she wanted to run. So, that's exactly what she did.
Asher got out of her car and immediately shifted into her lion form. She ran all the way to Scott's house, which was where AIden told her to go, without stopping. She hid behind a bush on the side of his house to shift back before walking up to the back door.
Her brows furrowed seeing Scott's dad about to walk in. The man turns at the sound of her footsteps, his face instantly changing into amusement as if he knew something she didn't.
"Mr. McCall." Asher greeted.
"Asher." He nods.
The lion paused, blinking. "Ah, you figured it out, did you?"
The man nodded, seemingly proud of himself.
"Cool. Don't really care anyone, anyway." She shrugged, walking past him and into the house.
McCall followed after her. Asher instantly walked over to the fridge to get a drink, something she knew Melissa wouldn't care about. The girl turned around as Scott and Kira came barreling down the stairs.
Scott glanced at Asher, who now had a RedBull in her hand, before ignoring it and turning to face his dad. He didn't mind Asher being there, and the RedBulls were there for her. She used to come around a lot before she had moved in with Deaton, so Melissa had bought some for her.
"What are you doing here?" Scott asked. "And why do you still have a key?"
Asher walked over to them, not wanting to be around his father.
McCall raised his eyebrows. "Funny you mention keys. Because while I have a key to this house, I'm not exactly sure how you got a key to my office."
The man turned his laptop around and opened it. A picture of Scott and Kira appeared.
Asher looked at them, a confused expression on her face. But she didn't say anything.
The two just stared at it, not knowing how to explain themselves.
"Let me help you out here. This kind of thing usually begins with something along the lines of, "It's not what you think." Or, "I can explain."" McCall says.
Asher rocks on the balls of her feet and her eyes drift to look outside the window. It was starting to get dark and nerves were building up inside of her. She already had a lot going on and demonic ninjas were not something she wanted to deal with. But, Aiden had texted her to go to Scott's and she knew it was because of the stupid demonic ninjas.
"Dad, let me help you out." Scott's voice snaps Asher back into reality. "You need to leave."
"I will. With a satisfactory explanation." The man countered.
"Go get a warrant." Scott sassed.
"I don't need a warrant. I'm your father." McCall's voice got louder.
The man was starting to remind Asher of her own father, just with less of the, purposefully, abusiveness.
"No, you're a gene donor. I got my hair color from you. And that's all I got." Scott said. "So, you're not allowed to play tough dad with me."
Asher took a sip of the drink in her hand as Melissa finally entered the house.
"Hey, what's going on?" She asked.
"Maybe one of you can explain." McCall said, looking between Scott and Kira.
"Scott..." Kira got his attention to the darkness that was starting to spread outside.
Asher's ears pricked up and she could tell something was wrong. She walked past Scott and set the can down on the table.
"Who the hell is this?" McCall pulls his gun.
The kids turn to the direction McCall starts walking in, seeing one of ninjas there.
"Dad, no!" Scott warns.
But the man doesn't listen as he walks closer to it.
"Dude, you need to stop." Asher calls after him.
And then the ninja's sword goes through his shoulder and Kira lets out a high pitched scream.
"Dad!" Scott starts towards him.
Melissa follows, crouching down next to the man. Scott looks up with a growl, his teeth bared.
The front door suddenly busts open. The only person that moves is Melissa dragging McCall out of the way.
Derek suddenly slides into the house fully shifted and roars at the ninja, who responds by holding it's sword up.
The two wolves suddenly jump into a fight, slashing and dodging the ninja.
Asher holds a hand out in front of Kira, keeping her from the action.
"Mom, the ash!" Scott yelled.
Asher's ears prick up again. She grabs Kira by the shoulders, pulling her to the side and away from the ninja that faded in behind them. Asher rolls her neck, shifting.
Just as she growls at the thing, the windows to her right shatter as two figures jump through them. Ethan and Aiden land side-by-side, catching the ninjas attention.
Asher backs up in front of Kira once more, determined not to let anything happen to her.
Ethan and Aiden growl, standing up and jumping at the ninja. The two engage in a fight with it, keeping it away from the girls.
Asher hears two of ninjas get thrown out of the house, peeking her head out to look at Scott.
"Mom, now! Do it now!" Scott shouts.
Melissa watched Derek fight the final one, quickly following the wolf as he pushes it through the front door. Derek steps aside and Melissa throws a jar of ash at the ground and it smashes, a mountain ash barrier instantly forming.
Asher lets Kira go, watching at the girl walks over to the door to watch the ninja. Asher, who's completely exhausted even though she didn't throw a single punch, groans when she sees the glass everywhere. Even on her RedBull. She throws the can away, deciding to walk over to Ethan.
He looks down at her, his brows furrowing at the expression on her face. "Everything okay?"
Asher responds by resting her forehead on his bicep. She closes her eyes and just stands there, leaning against him. "Tired." She said.
Ethan nods, but he was worried about her. She was never this quiet and it was bothering both him and Aiden.
As Scott and Derek walk back into the room, Scott slows to a stop next to her.
"And why are you here?" He asked.
Asher lifts her head up, turning to look at him. "Aiden told me to come. Had nothing better to do." She shrugs.
Scott nods. He could smell the anxiety radiating off of her, but he didn't know what was causing it.
"Scott, this isn't good!" Melissa yells from where she's trying to keep his dad from literally dying on their floor.
--------------------
It had been a few minutes and Asher had continued to rest against Ethan, who was doing the complete opposite as he was on high alert.
"It's Kira, right?" Aiden smiled down at the girl.
Asher instantly turned around, Ethan following her action. She tilted her head.
"You gonna to tell us what you are?" Aiden asked.
"What? What do you mean?" Kira took a step back in panic.
Aiden reached down at grabbed her wrist.
"Aiden, please." Asher sighed.
"Watch." He commanded.
The boy pulled Kira's hand toward the barrier, and she allowed it. As soon as her palm touched it, she bounced back, the barrier giving off a blue light.
Asher blinked. She knew Kira had to be something, but she hadn't necessarily processed the information.
"See that?" Aiden raised his eyebrows.
The two walked over to them.
"She can't go through it either." Aiden said.
"We can see that, dumbass." Asher scoffed.
"So, what are you?" Aiden looked back at Kira.
"She's a kitsune, idiot." Derek told them as he walked back in the room.
"Hey." Asher glared at him as Kira turned to face him.
"Use your eyes." He said, ignoring Asher.
There seemed to be a lot of that going around lately.
"You can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned to conceal it yet." Derek continued. "She probably doesn't know what kind she is either."
Asher walks closer to him, just to get out of the bubble the twins had locked her in. She grabs Kira's wrist and pulls her with. She adjusts them so that Asher is facing Kira and they have a few feet between them.
Asher glows her eyes, hoping they don't change to purple this time, and looks at Kira. Her jaw drops slightly at the aura around her. It's a tall fox looking figure, and it's glowing orange. It's edges are moving slightly, as if on fire.
Her gold eyes fade away and she nods. "It looks cool."
Kira smiles slightly at her.
--------------------
It was now just the twins, Asher, and Derek in the room because Kira pulled Scott away to talk. Asher had migrated to sitting criss-cross-applesauce on the floor. Why? Because she can.
"I wasn't gonna hurt her." Aiden says, noticing how Derek was acting.
Derek nods just a little. "Not yet."
"Why do you think we're here, Derek? For a study group? We're here to protect Scott." Aiden tells him.
"We're trying to fight for him." Ethan adds.
"I'm sure you are." Derek smiles in amusement, still with his back to them.
Asher furrows her brows at him, thinking he was creepy.
"I'm sure you'd kill for him." Derek finally turns around. "But are you willing to die for him?"
Asher looked at her hands in her lap, going over his words in her head. Because, what if they were? Does that mean they will? And soon? Asher can't loose anyone else. She just got control again, she can't lose it. She refuses.
--------------------
The entire house rumbles as the ninjas started to strike at the ash.
Asher, who is now on her feet and standing in the kitchen, rubs her hands together. She was anxious, sure, but she was mainly just distracted by her thoughts. She really didn't feel like fighting. What she felt like doing was either watching New Girl with Deaton, and sometimes Danny, or learning Latin from Lydia. She had started taking lessons from the girl after Lydia had found out that Asher can speak Russian. Lydia proposed that she could learn Russin from her, and Asher could learn Latin from her. It was going pretty well.
Dishes start to smash on the ground, adding even more glass to the floor. Asher grimaces, knowing the McCall's don't really have the money to replace and fix everything.
"Guys?" Ethan starts. "We have a problem."
Everyone looks at the backdoor. They see two of the ninjas attempt to break through the ash, and they're getting close.
Asher takes a step back as she's the closest one to the door. She watches the ninjas intently, making note of every move they make.
"Allison, please tell me you have something." Scott says after Allison called him. "They're here. They're trying to get in."
"Yeah, and if we stand here any longer then they will get in." Asher grumbles.
"Okay, okay, listen." Allison starts, and Asher focuses her hearing. "They're Japenese demons. They're called the Oni. They're looking for someone possessed. Someone with a dark spirit attached to them."
"A nogitsune." Scott said.
"How'd you know that?" Allison questions. "Scott?"
Asher turns to look at the front door, seeing an Oni attacking the barrier. "Jesus Christ."
"Just.. Tell me what else." Scott urges.
"Okay, they won't hurt you. They know you're supernatural but once they do this check, once they realize you're not carrying with you this dark spirit, then they won't hurt you. I promise." Allison explains.
But it doesn't ease Asher's nerves.
"All they're looking for is the nogitsune." Allison finishes.
Asher looks back at Scott as he pulls the phone away from his ear.
"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira says, her voice shaking slightly out of fear. "They're looking for me."
Scott faces her. "They're looking for a dark spirit. And I know it's not you."
"Scott, we're gonna have to do something." Derek tells him, on edge from the Oni.
Asher gasps as the Oni at the back door finally break the barrier. She flicks her claws out, facing them.
Two of the Oni step through the threshold.
"Don't do anything." Scott says.
Asher falters. "Uh, do what now?"
"Is he serious?" Aiden scoffs.
The Oni simultaneously walk towards them, their eyes on Kira and Scott.
"I said, don't do anything." Scott repeats.
Asher sighs and lets her claws go back into her skin. She steps to the side to let them through.
Scott turns around and holds out his hand for Kira. The girl takes it.
"Trust me." Scott whispers.
Kira nods, and the two slowly walk towards the demons. Asher pushes the twins back, allowing them to walk through. They stop and now the Oni step towards them.
One of them grabs the side of Scott's face, it's eyes glowing that neon yellow. It's friend does the same to Kira. The two slowly fall to the knees.
Asher glides over to stand behind Kira to catch her if she falls.
Behind her, Aiden tries towards the Oni, but Derek grabs his jacket and forces him to stay put.
The Oni finally let them go, Scott falling on his side first. Asher catches Kira before her head can hit the ground. She carefully rests her there before moving back. She doesn't want to bother the Oni.
As soon as the demons disappear, Asher leans over Kira and Derek runs toward Scott.
Asher feels Ethan drop down beside her, but she's focused on Kira. The lion hesitantly moves her hair and checks behind the girl's ear. A sigh of relief escapes her lips as she sees the backwards 5 scar.
"You're you." Asher whispers.
A ghost of a smile appears on Kira's face.
Asher helps her to a sitting position. She pulls her jacket off, which is actually Danny's but she stole it, and wraps it around her friend.
"There you go." She says.
-------------------------
An hour or so after the fiasco at Scott's house, Asher had made it back home. She was now sitting on her bed and staring at her phone.
On her phone screen, was her recent callers list and at the very top was her mother. The number wasn't saved, of course, but seeing it there was still shaking.
She took a breath. Asher huffed and threw her phone down. She put her head in her hands and thought everything over.
Should she go to the memorial? For her abusive and murderer of a father? Or for her mother? Or just to spite him? Or to remember Harlow?
Harlow was Asher's little sister. She had died when Asher was seven, Harlow herself being five. And it was her stupid father's fault. He killed her and then made Asher think it was all her fault.
So, should she go? To remind everyone what he did? To see the shocked faces of his dumb ass friends that his eldest daughter is alive and, well not thriving, but doing okay? To finally confront her mother?
Or should Asher just skip it all together?
A knock on her door suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts. Asher looked up to the twins standing there. The lion furrowed her brows.
"Hey, Ash." Aiden said as they walked in.
"What are you doing here? And how'd you get in?" Asher asked.
Ethan sat down beside her. "Oh, we actually knocked this time."
Aiden nodded.
"Finally you learn some manners." Asher retorts.
The twins roll their eyes before Ethan speaks up again. "So, are you gonna tell us what's been going on?"
Asher groaned, falling backwards onto her bed. Her head hits her pillow and she closes her eyes. "Listen, it's got nothing to do with you guys, so don't worry about it, okay?"
She knew if she told them, they'd try to help and she didn't want that right now.
Aiden finally sits down too. He grabs Asher's wrists and pulls her back up. "Just tell us. You do trust us, right?"
Asher nods. "Of course I do. More than anyone."
"Then let us in." Ethan says.
Asher was silent for a few minutes. She started to mess around with the charm bracelet on her wrist. It was Harlow's.
"Mike died." Asher finally tells them. "Evelyn, my- My mother... called me this morning and invited me to his memorial."
The twins looked at each other. They knew what Asher's family had done to her and her sister, and they now hated them. Aiden blinked, not knowing what to say. Ethan sighed and rubbed a hand down his face.
"Are you... gonna go?" He finally looked at her.
"That's the question, isn't it?" Asher nodded.
"I say you go." Aiden says.
"What?" Asher's eyes went wide. "Why would you say that?"
"Sure, he was an asshole, but he's still your dad, right?" Aiden shrugged.
Asher scoffed. "He killed my sister. He's not my dad. My dad died a few weeks ago."
Aiden held his hands up. "Maybe you could get some closure, then. Talk to your mother."
Ethan looked at him warily. "I- I agree. Closure's important, Ash."
Asher pushed herself off the bed and looked at them with a very angry expression.
"Listen! Just go and see his body, maybe you'll start to feel better." Ethan suggested.
"You think seeing him would make me feel better? You think I need closure?" Asher shook her head. "I would rather die than see that man's face. Even if he's dead."
The twins both looked down.
"I think you two should go home. We've got school tomorrow." Asher said softly.
"What? Asher-" Aiden stood up.
"Please." She closed her eyes.
Ethan stood up with a nod. "Okay, Ash. But just think about it."
He started towards the door. Asher opened her eyes to see Aiden still standing there.
"You should go." He said one final time. "See your mom and get the closure you need."
Asher pushed him towards the door as she felt tears prickling her eyes. "I got the closure I needed the day I left!" She yelled as she finally got them out of her room.
A tear fell from her eye as she shut the door.
"Fucking hell..." Her back hit the door and she put her head in her hands.
authors note:
and ash's sister was finally revealed!! ugh i feel so bad for doing so much to this poor girl.
i hated how lydia wasn't in this episode, so i added her hehehe
so sorry i havent posted in a while, ive been working on my stranger things fic a lot. now, i wasnt going to update tonight, i was gonna wait til i had a good amount of chapters done, but people are asking for more ash, so.... heres a few chapters for you guys <3
thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed!!