[center][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Other%20-%20Heroes%20Reborn%20RP%20-%20Characters/Character%20-%20Post%20Gifs/Athena%20Hale_zpsnp9aavhq.gif[/img][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Other%20-%20Heroes%20Reborn%20RP%20-%20Characters/Character%20-%20Post%20Gifs/Dylan%20Cox_zps3yr1yrdy.gif[/img][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Other%20-%20Heroes%20Reborn%20RP%20-%20Characters/Character%20-%20Post%20Gifs/Aira%20Renee%20Rivera_zpsbgf4gglt.gif[/img]
[h1][color=RosyBrown]Athena Hale[/color], [color=saddlebrown]Dylan Cox[/color] and [color=HotPink]Aira Renee Rivera[/color][/h1]
[h2]Dylan's House ~ Lake Tahoe, California[/h2][/center]

Dylan lay next to the lovely woman he had met showering last night. His arm curled around Athena, holding her close to his body. He looked over and kissed the top of her head, then laid there simply basking in the moment. His hand running up and down her arm. 

The moment was ruined when a sudden knock came on the front door. At first he was simply irritated that someone Would bother them at this hour of the morning. As He was getting out of bed and slipping on his clothes, he remembered what his sister had told him.

"One moment! I have to get dressed!" Dylan shouted. "Athena, you have to be ready to get Aira out of here. I don't know who is at the door but more likely than not they're here for Aira Because Jaenelle failed her mission." he said as he hopped into his pants.

The morning had been perfect… really, there was no better ending to the night they had just shared in each others company- that was until the loud rapping on the front door hit their ears, and cruelly ripped them from the bliss of laying with their bodies pressed up against each other. Frowning heavily and with obvious annoyance towards the fact that their morning had been ruined by the intrusion of another, Athena slowly lifted herself up and into a sitting position, seemingly not even bothered as the sheets fell down to pool on her lap; her dark eyes never once leaving his, though holding a saddened tinge to them as she watched him getting dressed.

“..to be honest, I'd rather just ignore the prick, and stay here in bed with you… who knows, maybe they'll get sick of waiting, and will just leave.” Pausing a moment to let her rather lame attempt at wishful thinking sink in, she shot him a small though only half apologetic smile as she began to move once more, her body slipping out from under the sheets as she crawled across to sit in front of him on the edge of the bed, “..I'm not leaving without you, Dylan; you said last night that I wasn't alone anymore- that we were gunna do this together… and even if I did get away with her, she's registered with a chip…”

"And you're not alone. I don't doubt your ability to keep her safe, but if it's quantum at the door they'll surely have sent someone more capable than my sister to do the job. The best way to keep her safe right now is for you to get her out of here while I take care of Quantum. As for the chip, I can remove it. It will be painful but they shouldn't be able to track her if we remove it." he said as he made his way to the door of his room. "Coming!" he shouted again. "Please Athena. Once I take the chip out, wait for me to answer the door. If it's quantum just get her out of here."

Twisting her body slightly over the bed, she slid herself forward and off the edge, lifting up onto her feet for only a moment before she was on the move, her hand reaching out to grab a gentle hold of his forearm, her other hand lifting up to rest lightly against his chest as a worried look flickered  across her face, “You might be confident in my skills; but that isn't the issue here, Dylan… I'm scared… I'm not a registered evo; Quantum doesn't know anything about me, my powers- they don't even know that I exist…”

Shutting her eyes tightly for a moment, she turned her head away and to the side, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to collect and make sense of the thoughts running through her mind at the time, “..I'll do what you want- I'll get her as far away from here as I can, and I'll keep her safe while we wait for you to catch up to us… but if Quantum find out about me-... that you-... just please promise me you'll be careful…”

He stopped when he felt her touch, and turned to face her. He wrapped his arms around Athena in a loving embrace, holding her close to him for a moment. With a small kiss on the head he brought his arms back to his side's. He reached up and gently took her chin in his hand. Softly turning her head to face him he looked down into her eyes.

"Everything will be all right. As long as you and Aira make it away from here, I can hold off whoever is at the door. Then I'll come and find you. Just head south and when I'm finished up here I'll head the same way and find you." Dylan brought his hand away from her face and looked down at it. Suddenly something began to emerge from his flesh; it was the tracking device he was implanted with when he was registered as an evo. He turned his hand and dropped it on the floor. "You'll need to hold Aira's hand as I remove her chip. Let's get it over with." he said taking Athena's hand and leading her out of His room to the door of Aira's.

Feeling his gentle touch slipping away from her altogether, Athena nodded her head lightly in understanding of what it was that he was asking of her, her dark gaze lightly gliding about the room before finally it came to land on a black shirt lain crumpled over the floor, letting out a soft and almost inaudible sigh of relief at the very sight of it, she hurried over to pick it up and shake it out; the woman once more returning to his side as she slipped it on over her body, and began to do up the buttons  while listening to what he had to say about the chip- if Aira was going to see her in her human form, than she’d be damned before she let the eight year old see her stark naked.

“..okay... let’s do this...” Hesitating for a moment in the hallway as he lead the way into Aira’s bedroom, she shot a glance in the direction of the front door, uncertainty flickering across the surface of her eyes though she pushed the feeling to the side and instead hurried after him; a small smile playing over her lips as she caught sight of the girl lifting up the bottom of her sheets so she could look under the bed for something she had seemingly lost.

"Aira, what on earth are you doing out of bed?" Dylan asked as he watched her looking under the bed for something. "And what are you looking for?" he questioned, completely forgetting the fact that the woman he just slept with was Aira's bunny. "Never mind you can tell me later. But right now Aira, we have to get you out of here. Remember the bad man? Well he may be here." Dylan lied. He didn't know if it was the supposed bad man or not. He didn't even know if it was a man. "I want you to hold my friends hand, can you do that for me Aira?"

She wasn’t there... she wasn’t [i]in[/i] the bed; she wasn’t [i]under[/i] the bed- the only place she hadn’t looked was the cupboard which was on the far side of the room, its door left ajar only slightly, though with more than enough room for a small bunny to go slipping through. Scrunching up her face in an attempt to not cry at the fact that she couldn’t find her best friend, Aira awkwardly pulled herself out from under the bed, her body twisting slightly over the ground as she instead chose to sit up, her body leant against the mattress and her eyes glistening with tears to come as she looked up at Dylan and the woman she didn’t recognize.

“T-The bad mans here..? Did-... Did he take Athena..? I-I can’t find her...” As the words slipped through her lips and out into the open for everyone to hear, the tears she had in her eyes finally began to bubble over before streaming down her cheeks, and falling down to stain the front of her still paint-covered nightdress.

Oh god, she was looking for her rabbit, Athena. Dylan had to think quick on this one. The poor little girls tears tugged at his heart strings ever so much. This must be one hell of a night for Aira, first being taken from her parents by a stranger, now being taken away by another stranger. The giant of a man knelt down and bent forward wrapping his arms around the crying girl, patting a couple of times on her back. He then pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her in those sweet little watery eyes of hers.

"Yes, the bad man took Athena, but don't you worry Aira, I won't let him harm Athena or you. I'll get Athena from the bad man, but I need you to do me a big favor. I need you to be a brave girl and get my new friend here out of here. She's special, just like you, and me. If you can get her to safety I'll get Athena from the bad man and bring her back to you. Can you do that for me Aira?" Dylan asked, knowing he wouldn't be bringing back a white rabbit for her. But he had to comfort her somehow, he couldn't stand to see her so sad.

How hadn’t she thought that this was going to happen... Feeling a sharp and guilt-ridden pain shooting through her heart at the sight of Aira crying in Dylan’s arms, Athena shifted quite awkwardly over the spot in which she stood, her left arm coming up to wrap over her chest while her right arm continued up further, her head tilting guiltily to the side as she rubbed sheepishly at the back of her neck- how could she not feel bad about what her actions had done to the poor girl..? The fact that the two of them had chosen to spend the night together, had caused Aira pain... and above that, had caused him to have to lie to cover up what had really happened... oh God; she was a horrible person...

Daring a chance after hearing Dylan’s request of the young girl, Athena turned her gaze back over to where the pair was sat on the ground, watching with slight pride as the eight year old looked over his shoulder at her before then nodding her head in answer to the question- she hated the fact that they had to lie to Aira... but with the possibility of Quantum being on the other side of that door; there really was no other way for them to do this...

“..hey Aira... I’m scared of the bad man too... do you think I could come over there and hold your hand..?” Waiting for a moment as the girl looked back and once again nodded her head, Athena gave her a small smile, the woman’s feet silently carrying her across the room and over to them before she knelt down by her side, hesitating for only a moment before finally, she took a gentle though firm hold of the girls hand; her dark eyes flicking up to meet with Dylan’s as she gave him a nod, letting him know that it was now or never.

Dylan was going to be heartbroken at what he was about to do. This little girl had been through so much in one night, and it just kept getting worse. He held her other hand flat between his own two hands. He hated to have to do this to her, he knew it was going to hurt. 

"Be strong Aira" he said, pausing only for a moment before the chip burst out of her hand and into his own. In this moment he created a soundproof barrier by causing the vectors of any sound in the room to simply be redirected into the wooden floor which would absorb the sound of her cries of pain. 

The shrill sound of the girls pained scream filled the room, causing Athena to scrunch up her face, and reminding her of a banshee’s wail- it was heartbreaking... one of the worst sounds that she had ever had the experience of hearing; and one that she hoped she would never again have the need to hear. The poor girl had been through so much already; a fair bit of that pain due to herself and Dylan, though it couldn’t be helped... it was a necessary type of evil that had to be inflicted if they were going to be able to keep her safe.

Unable to take the young girls uncontrollable weeping any longer than she already had, Athena pulled her hands away from the child’s, her arms gently and protectively wrapping around her small frame, pulling her close against her chest as she did all that she could to console her; her own eyes glistening with tears as she turned to look back over at Dylan as though searching for what it was that they were supposed to do now.

Dylan met Athena's eyes, with sadness clear in his own. This night had been a roller-coaster of emotions, and he couldn't even begin to understand the pain Athena was feeling. Having protected this girl for a year now, while Dylan had only known the sweet thing for one night. Extending his soundproof barrier to the window, he raised it up for them to escape out of once he confirmed if it was quantum or not. He almost hoped that it was quantum, or this would have all been for nothing. Dylan reduced the soundproof barrier so that it was just around Athena and Aira. Sound could get in but it couldn't get out. He stood up from the grown and looked down at the two.

"You should be able to hear whomever is at the door say their purpose. Of they mention quantum or Aira or even if they want to step foot in this house you run. Head south and I'll catch up. I'm sorry Aira... Remember be brave." he said as he turned to leave the room.

Relaxing her hold around the small child once Dylan had turned away from her, Athena pulled back to look down at the girls tear strewn face, her own eyes red and brimming with tears at the pain they had inflicted as she let her full attention turn down to the child’s palm; the flesh torn open and stained red with blood from where the chip had been forcefully ripped from her flesh- the very sight of it caused her stomach to churn, and her heart to sink ever lower within her chest... justified or not; how could they have ever done this to a child...

Dropping both her hands down to the material that made up the shirt that she had stolen from Dylan earlier, she took a tight hold of it before she pulled, the sound of it ripping apart filling the air as she tore a lengthy piece off so that she could use it to bandage up the child’s hand, her gaze lifting back up to look at Dylan every so often as he explained to her just what it was that he wanted her to do- this was crazy... the moment that they met up again after all of this, they had to speak; this was no way to raise this girl. Catching sight of him trying to leave the room, Athena hurried to finish tying the make-shift bandage before she scrambled up from the ground, her feet carrying her back across the room after him.

“..Dylan, wait..!” Reaching out once she got close enough, she once again took a hold of his hand, her other lifting to rest delicately against his cheek, her thumb lightly brushing back and forth over the skin just under his eye for but a moment before she once more met his gaze, “..please; I need you to make sure that she’s on my back, and that she’s holding on properly- even if she’s holding onto my mane, I don’t care... And-...”

Hesitating for only a moment before finally deciding what it was that she wanted to do, she pushed herself up and onto the balls of her feet, her eyes fluttering to a close as she pressed her lips softly against his own, allowing them to linger there for as long as she possibly could before eventually, she pulled back again, her cheeks though dark in color still gaining a light tinge of red as her eyes searched his own for the promise she wanted him to make, “..come back to me... please...”

He felt her hand in his own, and the gentle caress of her thumb underneath his eye. His eyes were glossed over, the sorrow in his eyes were clear. This girl had reminded him of his own little sister when she was just a little girl, and it killed him to see her in such pain, pain that he inflicted. He nodded, showing he understood what he had to do. 

Then their lips met once more, and they lingered there for what seemed an eternity. But this was different than the first kiss they had shared. This wasn't a kiss of lust, but of love. He met the haze of her dark eyes, and stared into them as she told him to come back. He had no Idea who was waiting for him at the door. It could be an evo that could completely obliterate him. But no matter what lay behind that door He would fight to his grave to protect these two. It would be one of the most worth while things he would have done in his life. 

"Let's get her straddled up shall we... I can't make any promises, because I don't know what's outside that door. But I will promise to fight my hardest for you, and Aira. And if I come out on top, I will come back." he had already lied to one of the girls, he didn't want to make an empty promise to the other. There was no telling if he could make it back to her or not. He would try his damnedest; but what if that wasn't good enough?

She couldn’t help but stare into his eyes; so full of pain... of honesty... it was clear as day that it was a promise he wanted to make, though just couldn’t bring himself to give her that false hope that they would again end up with one another, when there was always that big possibility that they wouldn’t- the thought alone caused pain to shoot through her heart, and for her eyes to sting with the tears she knew were threatening to bubble over and run down her cheeks... though she knew she couldn’t do that; she had to be strong... [i]he[/i] needed her to be strong, at least for Aira’s sake, “..I know you will, Dylan... you will beat whatever is waiting for you; and then you will come and find us... You’re strong, and I know you can do this- I believe in you...”

Leaning up to once more press her lips against his own, though this time allowing slightly more passion to flow out through the action, Athena pulled herself away from him completely before she could change her mind again, her dark eyes closing as she took a couple of steps back, keeping distance between her and the other two as she turned her back to them both, her dark eyes shutting tightly as a slightly pained yell escaped from her lips; the bones in her body seeming to physically crack and move about under her flesh as she began to change, the sudden change in both shape and size causing the shirt she had borrowed to rip apart, and fall to the ground as golden fur emerged ever slowly from under her skin before eventually she dropped down onto all fours, the once pained yell twisting til it was the threatening roar of the king of the jungle itself.

Huffing out a few short breaths in reaction to the transformation she hadn’t made in what felt like years, Athena lifted her head up high, taking a moment to shake out large mane that now adorned her figure, her tail flicking back and forth every so often before finally, she turned her head around to look back at him, the familiar dark eyes that were her own staring up at him expectantly before she lowered herself down to the floor, her muzzle lightly resting over her paws as she waited patiently.

Dylan embraced Athena's lips, matching her passion before she stepped back and began her transformation. Her pained yell pierced him to his core. Once the transformation was complete, her roar rattling in his chest. It left him in awe for a moment, before he remembered that was a roar of pain. He stepped around the lion in the middle of the room and lifted Aira onto Athena's back. 

"Ok Aira, you need to hold on tight." He said as he took her hands in his own, and placed them on each side of Athena's mane. "Hang on tightly to her mane. Keep you legs tight. Whatever you do, don't let go. And remember, keep her safe for me" Dylan said looking into the eyes of Aira. Then knelt down and looked into the dark eyes of this magnificent beast. "I'll find you, both, if things go well" he said looking back up to Aira then standing up straight. 

He walked to the open door of what was Aira's room for the night, taking one long look at the two before He walked out of the room. He made his way down the hallway and stood in front of the door for a moment, taking a deep breath and then opening the door. 

"Hey sorry, I just finished up in bed with my girl, had to get dressed. I'm sure you know how that is my man" Dylan said with a total change in his personality. This was trainer Dylan, the fun outgoing man who builds you up. "Anyways what brings you here at such an early hour? Is everything alright?"