016 Camera Doesn't Lie

"... what now?" Fell in silence for a few minutes, Themis finally said, reluctant to admit that Metis was right, as always.

"Now," Metis sighed, "you get back to your investigation on her, just like the Lord's order. Menoetius, you will--"

"I'll go and check out what Kitty's been doing today." Menoetius took over the sentence and went for the door after.

Metis was gonna say "help Themis". Both Metis and Themis knew Menoetius was really upset this time. He had never passed ANY chance to spend time with Themis like this.

Appearently, going against Erebus's order was upsetting him a lot, not to mention Themis did that out of her affection on Erebus, when she couldn't see that Menoetius had been there for her all this time.

"... Whatever with him." Themis forced some words out of herself. She was NOT used to Menoetius being cold to her because he NEVER gets mad at her, and he had always been warm to her no matter how she treated him.

"You see the world with clear eyes. Reason is your thing. But maybe you should start to look at yourself to see what's right under your nose." Metis just shook her head at Themis's denying of the fact that she also enjoyed Menoetius's attention on her.

"Where are YOU going?" Seeing Metis heading for the door, Themis asked with surprise.

"Stay here until I get back." Metis didn't even turn back, "We need dinner."

"It's okay, I'll just grab something on my way home." Themis tried to stop her.

"By 'we' I mean me and our Lord's new mate." Metis frowned at Themis, stressing on the "new mate" when she said that, warningly.

Yes, there might be some cloud over Kitty's identity, but it didn't change the fact that Erebus DID mark her. It's never light for a werewolf, and Themis's resistance came more from her personal feeling in Metis's judgement.

Metis was also cautious on Kitty. Kitty WAS, after all, a new comer with mystery around her. Metis was upset at the fact that Themis was even ignoring Erebus's feeling and judgement to nurture her own one-sided love.

Themis was left all alone in the bar, feeling horrible.

Metis had never been so harsh on her.

She was well aware that she only came to confront Kitty with the first information she caught that seemed sketchy on Kitty was because it was such a burn in her eyes to see Kitty being with Erebus.

She felt as if Erebus rejected her again, when he marked a stranger on first sight. But never had Themis felt so sad and horrible at the same time. There was someone by herside before.

Menoetius, Menoetius was ALWAYS there: when she was happy, when she was upset, when she complainted about Erebus not noticing her, AND when she rejects Menoetius with cold looks.

And the Dim Patuonus, they had always been supportive about her feelings towards the Lord. Even Erebus himself had been gentle with her when she tried to show some affection, and nice as always no matter what. He never made her feel bad or awkward over this.

She felt like she not only lost Erebus to Kitty, but also her family on the same day.

She stood in the middle of the bar, and couldn't even go and sit down somewhere because shame took away her every bit of strength. She just wanted to not be noticed, as if she didn't move, she did not exist.

"Come and help." Themis didn't even know when Metis came back. She followed Metis blindly into the kitchen with her head kept low, not wanting to say anything. And Metis didn't force her either. She just gave simple instructions and cooked dinner with her.

Dinner was on the table, warm with steam. And Metis and Themis fell into silence again.

"I... I'm sorry." Themis finally said, tears out of her eyes the moment those words came out.

Metis took her in her arms and gently patted her on the back: "I know it must be hard on you too. It's okay..."

"Thanks, Metis..." Themis burst into tears. She finally felt a bit better knowing that Metis was still the same Metis.

It was good to know that you have a family around to give you a hug when you feel horrible.

"Do you want to go and ask Kitty to come down?" Metis asked in a soft voice. Themis knew she needed to solve this herself or she wouldn't get past this, so she was grateful for Metis's gentle way of encouraging her.

"Hmm... I, I don't know..." Themis tightened her hands around Metis for a second and let go. She felt good of Metis's acceptance, but she just couldn't bring herself around to make the same offer for Kitty.

Kitty was just a stranger, crashing into their lives.

The fact of Erebus's marking Kitty had not sunk in. It felt to Themis as if Kitty would just crash out of there in no time, and she could go back to the life where her biggest worry was her lacking of courage to declare her feelings to Erebus.

"Have some potato. I'll go fetch her." Metis just simply nodded without judging. It couldn't have been easy for Themis, too. She understood.

"Menoetius, you are back!" Metis exclaimed a bit when she nearly crashed into Menoetius outside of the kitchen door, "What's the hurry?!"

"I went around and looked into what Kitty has been today, and I found this!" Menoetius held his phone high and far, nearly into Metis's face.

"Calm down and let me see!" Metis took over his phone before he pouches her with it instead.

It was a short surveillance video, shot with Menoetius's phone off another screen obviously. Metis rolled her eyes at the horrible quality of the video, and Menoetius nudged on her arm: "Just watch!"

It was a street camera with a fixed angle on a few stores. Two men walked into the shot right at the beginning of the video. They walked in a slow way, dawdling around as if just wandering around. Suddenly, they turn to look at one of the stores, and walked towards it and disappeared behind the door, as if called over.

Not long after, the door opened again, and from there came out an old lady. She went out of the shot in the direction the two men were taking before they went into the shop, and after a few minutes, she came back, with someone following her...

It was Kitty!

"What--?!" Themis started, but Metis stopped her with a gesture: "Just watch. It's not over."

Themis shut up and turned her eyes back onto Menoetius's phone. Four people went in, and no one is coming back out. After a long time, the door suddenly opened and Kitty came out with a hurried look.

She disappeared out of the camera shot right away. And the video stopped.

Both Metis and Themis looked up at Menoetius for some explanation, and Menoetius, who finally got back his breath, burst these words out: "There's no back door of that shop."

"What are you saying?" Metis frowned, worried about the answer.

"She went in there to meet the two men." Themis said in a cold voice. Metis and Menoetius both turned to look at her, and she shrugged: "It's what you think, too, isn't it?"

"We cannot be sure." Metis fell into deep thoughts, but this time, Menoetius didn't agree with her.

"I looked into the two men, too." Menoetius said slowly.

"Well?" Metis and Themis both urged him to spill it out.

"They are Perses's men."