I Must Be Crazy

“Now that, kids, is what we in the business call ‘overkill’,” said Zariya once she was human again.
Hadrian shot her a glare, dusting a bit of dirt off his waistcoat. “I didn’t see you doing anything.”
“I was too busy saving Sparky here.” Zariya pressed down on the policeman’s back with her foot. “Get up, man! Honestly, just lying around.”
Hadrian went and picked up his jacket from where it was lying on the ground and dusted that off too before putting it back on. “Help the poor man to his feet. He’s just been mown down by a flying werewolf.”
“Are you saying I’m fat? You’re just on a role for name calling today, I see,” Zariya said, pulling the policeman to his feet. He shrugged her off and backed away.
“What…”
“Oh no, not question time.”
“Zariya, just let him speak.”
“What the hell were you thinking? You just killed that kid!” the policeman shouted at Hadrian, gesturing violently at the truck.
“Tiar,” said Markus softly, still hanging onto Tracy. “Tiar. Is she… dead?”
“Of course she’s dead, you stupid boy, a truck just fell on her!” bellowed the policeman. He blinked suddenly, realising something, and turned back to Hadrian. “How did you do that, anyway? It’s a truck… you… pushed it over… and… there was a dog here a moment ago…”
Zariya sighed, and put a hand on his shoulder. “Just go back to your car and drive away. Okay? It’s easier.”
“We’re surrounded by people having mental meltdowns today,” Crispin remarked, unravelling his jumper. He’d finished one sleeve and was moving onto the other. “Maybe it’s contagious.”
There was a sudden commotion as one of the doors of the primary school flew open, and Lissy was expelled violently from within. She ran to Tracy and Markus, shouting, “What happened, what happened? Are you alright?”
Tracy let go of Markus to hug her, just as Miss Plum also appeared in the doorway and strode towards the teachers; behind her, an audience of small faces appeared in the window, and some peered out of the door.
“I saw that! I saw all of that! So did they! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Do you really think it wise to get involved when you understand nothing of what just happened?” Hadrian asked calmly. Miss Plum glared at him.
“A truck just crushed a girl in full view of whole classes of children!” she cried. “What kind of thing is that for them to see? They’ll be scarred for the rest of their lives!”
“Look into the road,” said Hadrian, taking her shoulders and gently turning her around to look. “Do you see that red mess? That was a policeman. A living, breathing human being, less than a few minutes ago. And now he is, if you pardon my vulgarity, mincemeat. In fact, not even mincemeat. Be glad that they didn’t see that happening, because we did. And we’re not complaining.” He released her, ignoring the horrified look she was giving him. “In fact, once they lift that truck they won’t find any crushed girl beneath it, let me assure you. All that little stunt did was force her to leave temporarily.”
“So she’s not dead?” Markus blurted, at last moving from his sister’s side so he could hear what the vampire was saying more easily. “What do you mean, force her to leave?”
“The more I explain, the more complicated it becomes to make you understand,” he sighed. “Very well, I’ll try. Tiar is not quite of this world. As a demon, she is part of… a kind of alternate dimension, I suppose, yes, that’s the best way of describing it to someone with no knowledge of these things. If anything happens to her which would, if she was a human, kill her, then she is automatically transported back to her own world. She won’t be able to get back for a short while now, so we have a grace period to prepare for her return.”
“Demons? Alternate worlds? Do you think I’m insane or, or just stupid?” Miss Plum said weakly, shaking her head.
“Neither, my dear, in fact I was hoping you would be open-minded enough to accept this without question, but apparently I underestimated you.” Hadrian glanced at Markus and Tracy. “Do you two understand?” They nodded, but Miss Plum still wasn’t finished.
“You’ve brainwashed these two as well? What is this? Some kind of cult or something?”
Crispin sighed. “I hate it when it’s like talking to a wall. Can we just go?”
“I agree,” said Hadrian darkly. “In fact, we shall. Crispin, have you anything to clean up this mess?”
The scientist glanced into the road. “I think I do. Can you lift up the truck again? It looks a little suspicious there, and when the driver comes back he’ll be annoyed.”
“I suppose so. And then we’ll go…” Hadrian frowned. “To the Vaun house, I suppose. Yes, that seems best.”

Once they reached the Vaun house, Markus went upstairs. Tracy watched him go up the stairs, then sighed and followed the others into the living room.
“We need to hire a demon hunter,” Hadrian was saying. “While it’s all very good tipping vehicles over on top of her, we lack the knowledge and understanding to defeat her once and for all, or banish her back to her world, or whatever it is which would work best.”
“You can hire demon hunters from the agency?” Tracy asked, sitting down on the couch. Lissy climbed into her lap.
“Oh yes. You can hire most things from the agency. Why would you be able to hire demons if you can’t hire demon hunters?” said Hadrian with a wry smile. “You can also hire vampire slayers, and just general monster hunters. You can hire the disease, and you can hire the cure. Business is business, after all.”
“No werewolf hunters, might I add, we’re clearly wonderful additions to all communities,” remarked Zariya, sitting down on the arm of the couch.
“I believe you come under the definition of monsters,” Hadrian said, with a touch of triumph, earning himself a glare.
“But can we afford a demon hunter?” asked Tracy. The others blinked at her. “I mean… we still haven’t had to pay anything for Darcie, and I’m sure we’re going to have to start soon. No-one’s told us anything about prices. What if it costs more than we can afford?” She blushed. “I mean, I know… I know it’s our fault, but…”
Hadrian sat down next to her. “Tell me, Tracy, do you know why Markus hired that girl?”
“I suppose he wanted someone to help him. Someone he didn’t know. Because - because he wouldn’t tell us.”
He nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Unfortunately his choice in helpers was not the best, although I believe those at the agency were partly to blame. Isaiah does, on occasion, get it into his mind to cause some havoc. I suppose it must be quite boring, spending your life in one place. But still.” He stood up again. “We should go. There’s no time like the present to deal with past sins. Go and get Markus, Tracy, we shouldn’t leave him alone.”