As Daniel pulled the car into park, Azrael stared up at the oppressive building with apprehension. The windows were full of darting black shadows, the door to the main entrance had been ripped from its hinges. The graffiti scrawled on the decaying walls didn't help the scene either. Kids, he thought as he screwed his nose up, surveying the vandalism. They have no idea what they are messing with. He got out of the car and went to the back to find their equipment. There would be no need for the other bags, but Azrael made sure to slip his good luck charm into his pocket.

A small caravan was parked just out of the building's perimeter. A man left it and walked up to them, grinning nervously. "Daniel and Azrayl Barton?" he questioned, pronouncing Azrael's name wrong. It irked him when people did this.

"It's Azrael, actually," he snapped, shouldering the bag of equipment and glancing over to his brother. "But I assume you are Mark, right?"

As he studied the building, Daniel shivered. Distantly, though he shut himself off from the presence, he could hear crying. Calling. Shouting. All sad, angry, vengeful, a combination of sorrow and anger. He shook his head, ridding his mind of their cries and calls, the clustering about the windows between the odd energies of demonic forces, and breathed out, putting on his calm expression and slowly sliding into the same state of mind. He stepped around next to his brother, shouldering his bag as Mark stuttered a bit, obviously put off by Azrael’s words.

“Calm down, Azzy.” Daniel sighed, and rolled his eyes. “If I had a nickle for every time someone said your name wrong, I’d not have to write my books!” With a chuckle, Daniel put out his hand, and Mark took it with a relieved expression. His wife approached from behind, a rather worried expression behind the small smile.

“I’m Mallory.” She said, extending her hand after Mark. “We’re so glad you arrived. Things aren’t exactly... normal around here. You can probably already tell.” She gestured to the building, but Daniel could also see things wandering the grounds. Pale things, because the sun was so bright already.

Azrael glanced over to his brother, seeing straight away that Daniel could see things. He knew his brother well, and the expressions on his face was a way they communicated without speech. He looked over the building again, seeing the ark shadows clawing at the crumbling walls. He shook himself, ridding his mind of any apprehension. Demons fed on negative emotions, and their favourite snack was fear. He had to admit he was admiring how brave Mark and Mallory were for staying on the grounds.

"OK, tell us about the building. What you want done and what not..." Azrael sighed, ignoring his manners. He didn't need to sugar-coat everything, he wanted the cold hard facts.

"Well, it is the Rowanwood Asylum, served as a place for the insane, homeless and elderly for 50 years. We bought it quite cheap a few months ago... Don't know much more about it," Mallory explained, as Mark seemed to be still taken aback from Azrael's behaviour. They started across the lawn, towards the entrance to the building. They walked through broken and crumbling security walls and into an overgrown garden. The atmosphere was of rage and sadness. "We were going to knock it down, but things keep happening to the construction crews..."

Azrael glanced over to Daniel again. "What sort of things?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Mallory sighed and waved her hand as if trying to chase away a cloud of flies.

"They hear things, see people who aren't really there... Get attacked..." she said, the last part she spoke quietly and with a shudder. This was what Azrael was dreading.

"Scratches? Three marks, that burn on contact and only show for a few minutes?" he questioned. Mark nodded. "Do they ever draw blood?" This was a sign of a very powerful demon. Very rarely were they able to physically harm a human. To draw blood was almost impossible for weaker ones to do. His heart sunk when he saw Mark nodding in reply.

Daniel sighed. He had to force himself to be his calmer, somewhat upbeat self and not focus on the things that surrounded them. It definitely sounded bad by the way Mallory explained it, and the scratches were just a classic, very well-known sign overused in supernatural horror movies and dramatized ghost-hunting television shows. As they stepped up to the broken-down series of double doors that would lead inside, they paused. Daniel glanced at his brother, then took out two of his necklaces. One had been blessed by a monk he'd met by chance overseas, and one had been blessed by a ninety-year-old cardinal two countries over from there. One was a cross with an oval background, encrusted with honest rubies, and another was an orb infused with a spirit's purity before they had moved on with Daniel's help. Both assisted in keeping him safe when he was alone, but they weren't completely foolproof.

"Okay, guys. If you're looking for the one with the equipment, don't look at me." He pulled his backpack off and rummaged around, finding a pair of goggles. Many times during their investigations and hauntings he'd lost his glasses, broken them, even had found the metal frames had been melted to the floor, completely useless. He'd spent several thousand dollars since reuniting with Azrael for their combined work, and finally got enough sense to find someone that could make prescription goggles for him during their work. Placing his glasses in a hard case, he set them in a small pocket and put the goggles on. They'd have to be ready, and get started at once. "Just about everything electronic shorts out or explodes if I so much as touch it---Azzy's the one that tends to record happenings for proof of reality. I, on the other hand, have my salts, waters, spells, and rituals that can be completed on my own to focus on and help or banish weaker spirits. Considering the strength of the presences Azrael and I feel, I think it's a good idea to let them escape first so they're not continuously corrupted or harmed."

Daniel looked to his brother for confirmation. He usually went with whatever Az said, though sometimes it wasn't exactly the best route for the weak, innocent, or trapped spirits. This time he felt it was a very necessary thing to do, to help the spirits first so the demonic presence couldn't draw on what was left of their energy and grow ever stronger. And the obvious signs that a gate had been opened was just worse---it would probably corrupt the spirits and anger them to the point that poltergeists would be born.

Azrael dug in the backpack filled with equipment, deciding that he wouldn't be needing most of the stuff he brought. He took out a special recorder and turned it on, attaching it to his shirt. This device could pick up the faint sounds of spirit voices, and helped prove that their work was in fact real. He glanced at Daniel again and then turned back to the couple. "Since you have been attacked, have you been having nightmares... Bad mood swings... Trouble in your personal life?" he questioned them.

"Mark seems to be the worse effected by this place," Mallory said quietly, giving her husband a worried look. He nodded slowly, his face showing fear as he noticed how close they were to the opening of the building. "He's had nightmares, sudden violent mood swings... He is really not like this."

"I suggest you two vacate the premises while we are cleansing the place, and go to this priest for help. It seems there is a negative energy attached to Mark and an exorcist is required. It's best to go to a priest rather let me do it," he said, sounding kinder than usual. He had pulled out a card with an address and phone number printed on it. His good friend was a recognised exorcist and he always referred possessed people to him. He lived near here so it wouldn't be a hassle for the couple to go there.

"All my brother and I need to know is what floor are you attacked. I don't think it is wise for either of you to enter this building right now. The dark energy can sense we are here. They can get rather pissed off," Azrael laughed slightly, shouldering his bag and pulling out his other equipment. The herb infused ionised water, the blessed silver crosses, the box of salts and herbs.

"The basement seems to be the most active... Also the morgue, which is located on the 3rd floor," Mallory explained. Azrael nodded, glancing back at the building. "What do you think Danny?" he looked over at his brother, feeling ready to fight the evil the place had to offer.

Daniel glanced sideways as he dug in his largest bag, pulling a few items out---a silver and a bronze cross, both on thin leather straps that fitted on his wrist, and a couple thin bottles he put into his pockets for easier access. "Well, I think we'd do well in avoiding those places for the time being." He said after a moment. "If the demonic presences are drawing off the presence and energies of the other spirits on the grounds, I'd do well in getting them crossed over so the demons can't obliterate them entirely or grow too overpowered."

His salt barriers would, with little doubt, be unable to keep demonic presences contained at all. They were best used for prying or clingy spirits. Still, he pulled one of the drawstring bags out and tied it onto one of his beltloops, looking into the hallway leading to the atrium. "I see a lot of spirits, Azzy, it'll take a while to put them at ease. If you can stick around and make sure I don't wander into 'danger areas', I'll be able to clear out the main rooms, patient holds, cafeteria, and anywhere a patient or doctor's jilted or lost spirit would be held to."

He dug into his bag again, pulling a small case out and handing it to Azrael. "It'd probably be best to split up after that, though. Since you can see what I can't, I'd think it best to paint a warning on any wall or door I shouldn't go near or down." His author's mind was planning it out again. What could he do? What could Azrael do? What could one do to help the other, and what would happen after that? It'd be best to get Mark and Mallory out as soon as possible, however. He looked toward them. "You two get going, okay? Neither of you need to be sticking around---go on to the exorcist before something bad happens. A possession or attached spirit can stick with you even after you leave the place of the haunting."

Mark and Mallory both nodded, and as they turned to leave, Mallory took hold of Mark's hand and squeezed. Daniel smiled slightly, then turned to the door and stepped into the buzzing of the strung lights one of the couple had put up to light the way inside. It was like walking through jell, the presence and combined sadness, anger, and fear was almost difficult to walk through.

They wandered slowly through the halls, Daniel doing his thing while Azrael listened and kept an eyes out for anything particularly bad. He could feel the oppression within the walls, the sadness and pain and suffering. Demons are attracted to these sorts of energies. He couldn't see or sense anything so far, making him wonder if the attacks were simply sad and angry spirits. As they approached the third floor, his thoughts changed dramatically. He could see the darkness and shadows moving through the rooms, trying to hide from his brother's rituals and the power they felt coming from Azrael.

He quickly grabbed Daniel before they could reach the stairs leading up. "No. Not there," he warned, staring through the darkness and seeing the creatures with claws and glowing eyes, staring back with absolute hatred. "They are up there."

As they walked, Daniel used his salts in favor of conserving his water. This was toned light pink naturally, and was used to set weary or fearful souls at ease even in the most oppressive or frightening situations. He pinched a little at a time, tossing it over the walls, the floor, on abandoned gurneys and over desks, muttering words of calming he had to believe in: "Trust the words of the living who want to help you. Find yourself an eternal resting place, away from oppression, away from your fear and anger, let your soul find peace. Open the door and find the light, I can help you. Ignore the demons amongst you, come forth and congregate in peace of mind. Find your brothers and your sisters, hold on to them, comfort them, and say goodbye to pain."

Daniel often dug deep into his heart to say what he had to say, to truly feel what he wanted the lost and imprisoned spirits to feel. And he did see them, bowing their head as he passed, smiling a tired smile as the light, fine salt showered them. And as was often when he spoke, Daniel felt his eyes water, and he had to work to blink the tears back and focus. It was a sign he was doing well, and convincing himself as well as the spirits within earshot.

He gasped when Azrael grabbed hold of him, then looked to where they'd originally been headed. He didn't see anything, but he could definitely feel it. Anger, rage, unspeakable and without equal. "Right." Daniel said, and stepped backward. "I won't go there quite yet. I still feel a lot of sadness on this floor, but it's emanating upward from down below too. I have a feeling there are a lot of spirits held captive by whatever's in the basement." Stepping back, he went away from the demonic beings lurking in the stairwell. There was still so much to be taken care of on this floor, and another sweep of the first floor would be a good idea.

Azrael cast a weary look back at the staircase before following his brother across the second and first floor once again. He may not be able to see the spirits, but he could feel them all around. He felt their energies disappearing, the feelings of fear, rage and sadness dispersing. Every now and then, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow watching them from a distance, but the demons didn't seem to have much power on these floors. The gate must be in the basement and third floors, he thought as they wandered past another dark shadow.

"Danny, be careful. A few of the weaker ones have come up to see what we are doing," he warned Daniel, as he steered his brother away from another shadow. "I think it's best we go down to the basement and try and close the gate before you do any more cleansing."

He could see them now. The weak spirits had become restless, coming out from their hiding places to see what was happening. Often they would simply vanish as Daniel’s kind voice ushered them out of their dark moods, but the exceptionally hindered ones seemed to struggle, their eyes pleading from the distance between them and the brothers. Daniel nodded. “I’ll be able to put up a weak barrier preventing the spirits from following us, but I can’t make any promises that it’ll hinder any more demonic forces.”

As they made their way toward the basement, Daniel continuously stopped to say a quick blessing and mark the walls with a bit of water from the bottle he’d screwed a spray cap onto. As they approached the basement, though, Daniel’s sense of unease returned, and while he shook it away, sensations of ice sliding down his spine made him shudder hard.

Azrael cautiously led his brother down a rotting wooden staircase, making sure not to fall through the old floorboards. It seemed that these stairs were rarely used when the hospital was working, as it led to the storage rooms and laundry mainly. He could feel the oppressive energy become more stronger as they came closer and closer to the basement floor. He muttered a quick prayer in a strange language that he had learnt, keeping his hand on his cross and pure water.

As they reached the basement, Azrael could see the darkness radiating from a room near the end of the hallway. The tall shadows here were able to take shapes and forms of humanoid animals, though for some reason they didn't try and attack the brothers. Azrael gulped, for the first time in awhile he felt a little scared. "They're just... watching..." he whispered to Daniel, gazing up at an especially tall shadow that had the horns of a goat and the wings of a bat. "There might be something... Stronger down here..."

Daniel never quite felt as apprehensive as his brother when specifically facing demons. He couldn’t see them anywhere but in his dreams, and while he should feel more fearful or worried about being around those he couldn’t even see, Daniel could give them his own version of appearance, and often made them look ridiculous or comical. It took some of the seriousness away.

“Well... Wherever this master demon is, best to find it quick. I can feel... spiritual energy flowing past, but I can’t see them.” He reached up to straighten his goggles, wondering why it had taken so long for him to get them in the first place. Lead the way, Azzy. I’ve got your back.” Stepping a bit closer, Daniel glanced around. He could pinpoint where each demonic being was, but they shifted fluidly, which made it difficult to keep hold of.

Azrael wasn't sure what they would be facing, slowly creeping along the dark hallways under constant supervision of the tall shadows. He could hear them growling and speaking in their strange language. He moved closer to his brother, placing a hand on Daniel's forehead and whispering a strong protection charm. The last thing he wanted was for his twin to become possessed again. He pulled out the water and flicked it at the walls, flinching at the screams from the demons and watching them flee. The oppressive aura was less potent now.

They approached the door at the end, where Azreal could sense something large inside. He stopped Daniel and peered into the dark room, gasping at what he saw. "A Gate, brother... A big one... Guarded by some sort of large demon... It is directly channeling the energy from the other Gates we saw in the forest... This is going to take awhile..."

Daniel shook his head, mustering his imagination to assist him. Through the door he could feel the devastating negative energy radiating, obviously relating the power forced to remain in a very condensed area. He could feel two separate energies, though, one of the gate and the other, its protector. No doubt this was the demon that had created the gate, but Daniel was never entirely sure how the demon got through in the first place.

He sighed, grasping his blessed necklaces and resigning himself to his thoughts, allowing every oppressive presence the appearance of some ridiculous thing. “Lead on.” He said, noting he was prepared for whatever came next. “This is your best section of work, after all.”

Azrael hesitated, about to ask his brother to leave the area. He shook his head and ignored that feeling of worry and protection. He would be useless without Daniel to lend him some of his power. "Be prepared," he muttered and stepped into the dark shadows of oppressive energy. The room had been twisted, cut in half by a large vortex that smelt of fire and brimstone. Dark shadows with glowing red and yellow eyes watched them enter from within their portal. Without the power to see these things Azrael could see, the room would seem darker than usual and feel very "scary". One could even spot something from the corner of their eyes as the power was so great.

He pulled out his salts and precious stones, moving closer to the portal and placing them gently on the corners. As he moved to place the third stone, however, a rush of dark energy pushed him off his feet and slammed him to the ground. Azrael had the breath knocked out of him, but still got back up, glaring up at the tall dark creature standing before them now. He poured the salts onto the palm of his hand and threw it at the creature, chanting a prayer of protection. The creature backed off, but still watched them from afar with a smirk.

"With the power I hold within my body, and also the power my brother holds, I close this Gate and banish the evil that resides here. Foul beasts of shadow and flame, begone from this place!" he grasped for Daniel's hand and summoned the strange power he felt burning within him.

While Azrael, as he’d spoken of in the past, might see an open gate surrounded by its summoners and guardian, Daniel could only feel the oppressive power of the demons. Sometimes he might see a shadow flicker on the edge of his vision, but the goggles over his face made it difficult to see anything at the direct end of his sight. While others might be able to handle it well, or not feel the absolute pull, Daniel’s hair and clothes were pulled at by invisible hands reaching out and grasping at him, pulling his body forward until he steeled himself against the sensation and stepped closer to Azrael. Daniel was of little more use than giving his power to Azrael.

Glancing sideways, Daniel reached forward and grabbed Azrael’s hand tightly. Immediately he could feel an electric energy run through his arm and his heart speed up. His life-power had twined with that of his brother’s, and his was being funneled through their contact. Gritting his teeth, Daniel focused a bit harder. The first time he’d shared energy, it had almost caused him to pass out. He’d grown accustomed to it after such a long time.

Azrael finished the circle, placing the last stone right in front of the gate. The demons screamed and lunged at him, but the power between the brothers was too strong. He glared up at the guardian and spoke the final prayers in the most powerful and loudest voice he could. Demons hated strength, as they dwelt primarily on fear and misery. To be commanded by a human was something they detested, but this one could not fight back. Soon the gate slowly closed, the gems glowing brightly before dimming and turning black.

Panting and sweating, Azrael collapsed in place, letting go of his brother's hand. It had taken a lot from him this time. "It's... It's gone for now," he said to Daniel, trying to stand back up. "Help me get these stones... They need to be cleansed with the water and then thrown into a river or stream."

Daniel’s heart was racing hard, as if he’d just run a hundred miles at full sprint. Shaking his head, he set his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “S-stay there, I’ll get them.” He had lent his energy, but when the gate closed, a surge had sent some of Azrael’s into his body. Staggering slightly, Daniel went around to pick up each stone. They felt heavier than they appeared, and held a darkness that didn’t seem possible. “Az, I hope you can take care of it on your own. I saw an embankment off to the left of the building, it’s probably got a stream running. With this gate closed I’m sensing more freedom for the spirits. It’ll give me time to help them cross over before they’re lured up to the higher levels. Think you can handle it?”

Azrael nodded once, taking the tainted stones from his brother and placing them carefully on a bed of salts. Taking out the ionised water, he sprayed them all carefully, making sure to drench each one entirely. He could hear the screams and roars of the demons he had trapped inside the stones, and slowly they became quieter. Breathing out heavily, Azrael wrapped each one in cloth made from special plants and then placed them inside a small box.

He stood and looked about, sensing that the darkness had been banished. No one should get attacked again, but he would still recommend the couple to get a priest in to bless the place. Sometimes Gates and Doors could reopen, even after a banishment. He picked up his stuff and went to find Daniel in the upper floors.

Before the third floor, Daniel was stopped at an old water fountain. It was full of dust and a bit of debris from the peeling wall over it, and when he tried it, found it didn’t work---it was still attached to a water source, but only a very slight trail of water trickled out. Hopefully the bottles of fresh water they brought with them would be enough.

Stepping away, he started toward the stairwell to the third floor to wait on Azrael. He hadn’t been gone long, but the creek wasn’t far. He paused at the stairwell, unwilling to go much further without Azrael near. As he set his bag down, something approached from the left and put its cold hands on his chest. A pale, but human face peered at him from the shade of the hallway. “Who are you...?” She asked quietly.

Her cold hands were immediately recognized to Daniel---a spirit. “I’m Daniel Barton. My brother and I are here to help you.”

“Help...” She looked confused. “We’ve been trapped here so long... So long...” She looked down. “Do you really think you can help us?”

“We’ll see. I won’t make any promises I can’t keep for now, okay?” The spirit’s eyes widened, and she backed away. He tried to speak again, but it vanished before he could.

Azrael found Daniel near a rusted looking fountain. Having put each stone in individual wooden boxes and then placing them carefully into his bag, he would dispose of them later. "What's next, Dan?" he asked, panting slightly from the effort. It had taken them quite a bit of energy to close the Gate and he could still feel the effects of the demon's lingering on his skin. He pulled out his EMF pump, switching it on and moving it about the room. The energy from this device gave spirits enough substance to show themselves or speak, sometimes enough energy for Azrael to see them as well.

A small moaning sounded down one of the hallways. "There's still so many trapped here."