In a secluded area, surrounded by towering trees, and domed by a dark sky, there was a man in the center. He sat in silence, not bothering to find a way out, trapped in his own mind. The forest was filled with nothing, but his endless chanting:

"EHT DNE SI RAEN!"

He repeated this distorted message over and over, but no one heard it but the trees, and the creature that lurked in the dark depths...

❇❇❇

It was a sunny day, and Bill hated every moment of it.

Don't get him wrong, he liked summer as much as the next guy. What he didn't like, though: was being dragged out of bed, by a pesky redhead in broad freaking daylight!

And to make matters worse, Wendy had insisted on taking the Cipher brothers to the town's lake. So here they were, Will overdoing it with the sunscreen, while Bill fought the urge to keep his eyes open. Around them, were the annoying sounds of laughter and splashing, as families hanged out around the vast water before them.

"Isn't this nice?" Wendy smiled, stretching in the sunlight.

She looked more human now, and it only took a change of wardrobe. She was now wearing a green checkered shirt, with a pair of jeans, and a hat. When Bill had asked about her attire, Wendy said she didn't like getting recognized by the mortals, something about too many autographs or stuff like that.

Bill narrowed his eyes at her. "Can you explain why we're here?"

Wendy tilted her head. "C'mon, this is your new home, don't you want to scout the sceneries?"

"What I want, is to sleep in all day," He shot back. "The plan was going perfectly, until you ruined it."

Will nudged his brother. "Don't be such a stick in the mud, this place is kinda nice. Oh look, some lovely seagulls--"

He screamed, when the birds started flapping around him furiously, until Wendy scared them away. After that, Will scrunched into a trembling ball, while covered in feathers.

"I changed my mind, can we go home now?"

"I second that," Bill agreed.

Wendy's gaze darted between the two, and she exhaled heavily. "I have a confession to make: I brought you two here for an important reason."

The twins looked at her with curiosity in their eyes. Wendy rubbed her arm hesitantly, before pointing towards the lake.

"You see that island over there?"

Bill squinted his eyes, and stared out over the water, and managed to spot a silhouette in the distance, barely visibly behind the layer of fog.

"Yeah, and what about it?" He demanded.

Wendy scratched the back of her head. "That's Scuttlebutt Island, it so happens that a monster lives there."

Will's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah. For centuries, it's been devouring residents and disappearing from sight. I tried a million ways to capture the beast, but it always avoids me and my traps."

Bill knitted his brow. "And what does this have to do with us?"

Wendy avoided their gaze, and looked out into the lake. "I came into realization, that this beast recognizes the scent of Guardians and I act as a repellent towards it. Meaning, I will need some bait to draw it out."

Understandably, the brothers both were taking this in with horror. Bill shook his head, furiously.

"Nope, not gonna happen!"

"Bill, hear me out--"

Bill glared. "Forget it, Red. I am not down with being fish food!"

"Can't you ask somebody else?" Will suggested. "Preferably, someone who doesn't mind getting eaten?"

"You think I haven't tried?" Wendy remarked. "You guys are my only hope, and I swear, nothing bad will happen to you while I'm around."

The blond regarded her with uncertainty. "If we do agree to this, what will you give us in return?"

"The satisfaction of helping out a friend?" She said, hopefully.

Bill narrowed his eyes, and Wendy sighed in defeat. "OK, what do you two want?"

"One word: money," Bill replied. "Our budget is a little tight, even with Will working at that raccoon invested diner."

Will shuddered. "So many raccoons..."

"Well, I live in the forest," The redhead pointed out. "So, I don't have any to spare."

Bill arched a brow. "Aren't you a being capable of accomplishing the impossible?"

"May I remind you, that I'm the Spirit of the Forest? My powers can't reach beyond nature." Wendy then paused, and a smirk grew on her face. "However, there is a other way to get some cash."

"I'm listening," Bill told her.

Wendy knelt down, so she was at their eye level. "If you get photographic proof of this monster, it'll make you really famous and rich beyond your wildest dreams."

A smile tugged at the blond's mouth. The idea did sound tempting. Meanwhile, Will was shaking his head.

"No, I refuse to be a part of this," He protested.

Bill ruffled his brother's hair. "Don't be like that, don't you want out of that job of yours with that creepy boss?"

Will crossed his arms. "For your information, Lazy Susan is a great boss."

Speaking of which, the diner lady suddenly made an appearance, walking passed them while holding a frying pan for some apparent reason.

"Hey there, kiddo!" She exclaimed, waving towards Will.

"Oh! Nice to see you, Lazy Susan!"

"Just a reminder, you're cleaning out the grease trap tomorrow," Susan told him. "And don't be surprise if you find something moving in there. Anyway, bye!"

She walked off, and Will turned back to Bill and Wendy. "Nevermind, I'm in."

Wendy smiled brightly. "Good. I'll go rent us a boat."

She stood and walked off, leaving the two brothers alone. Will made a distraught expression. "Did I seriously agree to be live bait?"

Bill nodded. "Yep."

The blue haired boy groaned into his palms. Unlike Will, Bill was much more relaxed over the matter. His lack of concern, probably originated from his countless escapes of death, whether inside or outside the town. Honestly, becoming monster bait seemed like a boring way to go compared to the other scenarios he landed himself into.

"Have trust in Wendy," Bill said, patting his brother's shoulders. "Also, this is the least we can do in return for the times she helped us."

Will sighed, sitting down on the earth, and hugging his knees to his chest. "Yeah, you're right. But, I have a really bad feeling about this."

Bill sit down beside him. "Relax, you've seen Wendy in action before, she will protect us."

"You're only saying that because you want the money."

"No, no...Well, yes."

"How are we gonna get a picture of this thing anyway?" Will questioned.

Bill smiled. "Patience. Dedication. And a lot of cameras." He jumped to his feet, and beckoned his brother forward. "To the gift shop!"

Will's shoulders slumped, and he reluctantly got up and followed Bill.

❇❇❇

A while later, the trio was sailing across the lake, in a rented boat. Wendy had shed off her disguise, wearing her signature fur pelts. Bill was currently stuffing his backpack with the cameras he recently bought.

Will rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you bought 13 cameras."

"I don't regret it," Bill remarked. "Have you ever seen horror movies? Camera problems is the first thing to look out for, that's why I have spares."

Wendy looked over from the steering wheel. "Shouldn't we be worried that the side character is the first one to get killed off in those kinds of movies?"

"That too," The blond said. "Also, sucks to be you, Will."

Will blinked. "What is that suppose to mean!?"

Bill didn't answer, instead he took out two cameras and handed them to Wendy and Will. "Here, I want you to keep these safe."

Wendy regarded the object quizzically. "OK, how do I use this...?"

She pressed the button, and accidentally flashed the thing into her eyes. She screamed, and threw the camera over the railing. Wendy blinked a couple of times, before looking apologetic.

"Um, my bad."

Bill dismissed this with a wave of his hand. "That's alright, we still have 12. You can share with Will."

"Actually, she can't," Will said, sheepishly.

"And, why not?"

Will pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Because I just threw mine overboard."

Bill looked him dead in the eye. "Why?"

"Hear me out....there was a bird."

"And your first instinct, was to throw a goddamn camera at it?"

The blue haired boy shrugged. "In retrospect, my actions are flawed."

Don't kill him. Don't kill him. Don't kill him, Bill's mind told him.

After resisting the urge to strangle his brother, Bill turned to the railings. The island was nearing, and bits of fog began to form around the ship. He fought back the creeping anxiety, trying to keep his brave posture.

He turned back to the others. "OK, since we're almost at our destination, we will need someone to lead the group. From this point, you may refer me as caption."

Wendy looked at him skeptically. "Uh, I've been to this island before, I should be caption."

"You're merely a compass, m'lady," Bill taunted. "Being caption is all about the façade, that you clearly lack."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "OK, how about I be co-captain?"

"There's no such thing as--"

Wendy snatched his backpack, and held it over the churning waters. "You were saying?"

"Alright, you can be co-captain!" Bill said, quickly.

The redhead smirked, and gave him back his stuff. "And as co-captain, I suggest we make a system in case any of us get lost."

Bill haven't thought about that, until it she mentioned it. "So, you have any suggestions?"

Wendy nodded, and held out her hand. The air shimmered by her palm, and then a item materialized in her grip. It was similar to a Viking horn, and she handed it to the brothers.

"Hold onto this," She told them. "If you find yourself someplace strange, blow on this, and I'll come running to save you."

Both nodded in return, and the redheaded Guardian shifted her gaze to the island, as it loomed closer. There was a jerk in the boat, as it finally reached land. Wendy was the first one to climb out.

"Hurry up," She said, looking at the twins. "We got a monster to banish."