《Hex City Devils (Book 1: Heywood's Fall)》 Prologue Prologue It was a normal day in the city. People were bustling, businesses were running, and life was living. Which is why no one expected it to happen¡­ --- Pillars of light shot into the sky from all over the city, and where they hit¡­ the sky cracked open, sending a wave of otherness across the entire city that could be felt by thousands as gnarled fingers grasped at their minds. --- No one expected the chaos that would follow¡­ --- Across the city explosions went off, the power went out, and the dead let loose their death rattles as they damned the city alongside them. Not that all of them stayed dead¡­ --- The fear it would unleash as everything changed¡­ --- ¡°Miles?! Micky?! Dad?!¡± She cried, stumbling over the debris as smoke and ash drifted through the air, remnants of the flames devouring everything around her. People rushed past her, none of them who she was looking for as the thorns dug ever deeper into arm, drawing blood as the dread queen took root. --- This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The isolation it would leave behind in its wake¡­ --- A little girl held her stuffed animal closer to her as she watched her home burn down, leaving her all alone in the world save for the comforting heat of the flames around her. --- No one expected the walls to go up¡­ --- The family watched the riots on the screen, the way the people raged against being imprisoned in their own city, unwilling to wait for the quarantine to end. Or perhaps like the boy who could feel the reaper behind him as he watched beside his family, they knew what the quarantine was really for. --- The men who became monsters overnight¡­ --- Fangs tore into his throat, and he could feel the blood rushing out of him and into the maw of the monster mauling him. The night sky lit up like daylight and the monster pulled back to stare. Not stupid enough to let this opportunity slip by, he crawled away from the distracted monster. Deeper into the alley, where the shadows met him like the embrace of the sweetest of lovers. --- If the monsters ever were men to begin with¡­ --- The rat spasmed before its colony mates, devouring the flesh of all it could sink its teeth into as the parasite within hungered and grew, bursting past its host''s body as tendrils of black lashed out in search of ever more to consume. --- Then again given the lengths those same men went to protect their secrets¡­ --- The figure wrapped a hand around her throat, slowly picking her off the ground as it put a finger to her lips. ¡°Shh, shh, shh. There¡¯s no need to be afraid. This is all a bad dream and when you wake up¡­¡± The figure smiled a mouth full of fangs. ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t going to be waking up.¡± --- Maybe they always were monsters? --- She looked upon them with crimson eyes unable to hold back a smirk as she snapped her fingers and from all around gunshots echoed. A moment later her smirk became a full blown smile as the bodies started hitting the floor, and the power rushed through her veins. --- After all, there¡¯s a reason they would go on to call these people the Hex City Devils. Act 1- Chapter 1: Normal Mornings Act 1: Normal Days Chapter 1: And Normal Mornings --- Harper Everette, Before The Event --- (She leapt back as the dragon¡¯s breath hit her shield, letting her roll with the initial impact before bleeding the rest off as her feet touched the ground and skidded off the remaining force. ¡°Is that the best you¡¯ve got?!¡± She cried, swinging her arm to scatter the remaining flames as she glared at the monster before her and tightened her grip on her sword. ¡°Foolish little hero! You think you can stop I, the great Draconis?!¡± The beast laughed, its booming voice echoing throughout the massive cavern. ¡°I know I can!¡± She yelled at the dragon, rushing forward with her sword in hand. The great dragon king swiped at her with his claws, leaving massive trenches in the dirt as she jumped over the claws and onto the back of the beast¡¯s hand. With her feet on the monster, she began running up its arm, just barely avoiding the blazing breath the dragon unleashed behind her as she kept one step ahead of it. Once on the dragon¡¯s shoulder she leapt into the air before driving her sword between the monster¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, I shall not be defeated!¡± The dragon yelled, swinging his head back and forth as he tried to shake her off. ¡°Not by some regular human girl!¡± ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not some regular girl!¡± She told the beast as she pushed her blade deeper. ¡°I¡¯m a not so regular hero girl!¡± ¡°Noooo!¡± The dragon king roared one last time before his entire body spasmed, and he began to topple backwards. ¡°Oh, oh, crud!¡± She cried, riding the dragon down before pulling her blade out and jumping off the dead dragon to do a superhero landing as she sheathed her blade. (I¡¯m so cool!) With the dragon now defeated she stood up and made her way to the prison cell the dragon king had been guarding before freeing the imprisoned prince/ss(?). ¡°Oh, hero, you¡¯ve rescued me from that foul creature!¡± The prince/ss(?) cried running to hug her as she stepped into the oddly well furnished prison cell. ¡°Ah, it was nothing¡­¡± She assured them as she rubbed at her nose in embarrassment. ¡°No, my hero, I must reward you!¡± The prince/ss(?) argued gazing into her eyes and making her face heat up. ¡°W-what did you have in mind?¡± She blushed as the prince/ss led her towards the massive bed. Once near it the prince/ss(?) told her, ¡°I was thinking we could¡­ have a GOOD MORNING HEYWOOD CITY!!!¡± ¡°W-hat?¡± She blinked in confusion. ¡°AND BOY DO WE HAVE A REASON TO CELEBRATE!¡± Her prince/ss(?) continued. ¡°TODAY MARKS THE CITY¡¯S ONE HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!¡±) ¡°W-wha city?¡± She blinked again, only this time she actually opened her eyes to her bedroom. ¡°Ah, man¡­ It was just starting to get good¡­¡± She whined before glaring at her alarm. ¡°Why do you have to block me every night?!¡± ¡°-today really is a day to celebrate!¡± Her alarm responded in the voice of some radio host. A response that did little to keep her from punching the stupid alarm, knocking it off her dresser and cracking it against the wall as it fizzled into silence. ¡°Oh, crap!¡± She cursed, rushing towards the alarm she¡¯d abused one time too many, ¡°W-wait, no, gah!¡± Only to end with her legs tangled in her blanket and causing her to flop face first onto the ground. She laid there for a solid minute before telling the world, ¡°Today is going to be one of those days isn¡¯t it. Hearing the frustration in her voice, her (good boi) Berry decided to try and cheer her up by licking her face. Unfortunately, the dog¡¯s tongue more pulled at her long blonde hair than anything else. (But he¡¯s trying so he¡¯s still a good boi.) --- Miles Kennedy, Before The Event --- His alarm began to buzz and he hit snooze. This bought him about ten more minutes of half sleep before his mom started knocking his door. ¡°Time to get up Miles, you¡¯ve got school!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He groaned. ¡°Five more minutes.¡± ¡°Come on, you need to get moving if you want to take a shower.¡± His mom reminded him as she (sadistically) flicked the lights on. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m up. I¡¯m up.¡± He yawned, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°Alright, your grandma is making breakfast so get moving or there won¡¯t be anything left for you.¡± His mom warned him as she left his room. Knowing that that was a very real concern in his house, he stretched out for a moment before sitting up and grabbing an old t-shirt to cover him until he actually took his shower. The moment he stepped into the hall he had to step back as an eight year old girl in a brightly colored dress ran past him. ¡°Morning Miles!¡± ¡°Morning!¡± He called back, still half asleep. Walking past a hall full of numerous photos of his family from his parents wedding day, to his older sister¡¯s graduation, and his dad¡¯s award ceremonies -both from the military and as a firefighter- he made his way into the kitchen where he found his grandmother at the stove and his older sister texting away on her phone at the table. ¡°So what¡¯s got Molls all excited?¡± He asked as he took a seat at the table. ¡°Her school is doing this field trip or something.¡± Hannah shrugged. ¡°I already told you, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re done eating no phones at the table missy.¡± His grandma warned wagging a wooden spoon at her granddaughter, before turning back to him. ¡°They¡¯re going to see one of them fancy magic shows. The kind your daddy and aunt Cathy used to love.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­ nice.¡± He smiled, only half forcing it. ¡°Speaking of, have you heard from Cat recently mom?¡± His own mom asked as she walked into the kitchen wearing her nurse uniform with her purse over her shoulder. ¡°She hasn¡¯t called me back about our girls night this week.¡± ¡°I talked to her last week, she said something about her job finding a big break and that she¡¯d be really busy for the next few weeks.¡± His grandma explained before shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°She¡¯s probably just working through the night and sleeping through the days again. Swear that girl is like a vampire half of the time.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Heh, yeah.¡± His mom smiled. ¡°I guess, I¡¯ll try texting her again. Hopefully, she¡¯ll see it whenever she gets up. Hannah, you need a lift to your college or you catching the bus?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ride with you and Molly.¡± Hannah answered, standing up from the table. ¡°I need to try and get to the library early for a school thing.¡± ¡°Alright, and Miles¡­¡± His mom closed her eyes to think for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve got that thing with Cory¡¯s dad, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve got this whole presentation thing they''re doing all weekend but today is the opening day.¡± He nodded, as his grandma set a plate in front of him. ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t forget to watch your back with them.¡± His grandma warned him. ¡°I know Cory and her dad are nice enough people but I don¡¯t trust those people he works with.¡± His mom rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, mom. The cops aren¡¯t out to get him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± His grandma frowned. ¡°You¡¯re making it look like I raised a fool, and your momma did not raise no fool!¡± ¡°Love you too, mom.¡± His own mom sighed before leaning over and kissing his forehead. ¡°Love you too, Miles. Stay safe, have fun, and be home by nine.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He promised, watching as his mom led his sisters out the front door. ¡°That girl is just too damn trusting.¡± His grandma sighed once it was just the two of them. ¡°I blame your grandfather, that man had too much faith in the world.¡± ¡°And you still loved him for it.¡± He pointed out. ¡°That I did.¡± His grandma nodded, before giving him a look. ¡°Still, take after me. I¡¯m your smart grandparent.¡± ¡°Yes, grandma.¡± He agreed, knowing if he didn¡¯t he¡¯d spend the rest of his morning getting lectured on ¡®street smarts¡¯ that were probably twenty years out of date. (At least today won¡¯t be boring.) --- Max Miller, Before The Event --- Her alarm went off and she slammed a fist against the machine to shut it up. When the alarm continued to blare she finally remembered that she¡¯d moved it to the otherside of her room so that she couldn¡¯t do that anymore after sleeping in and being late to school just a few times too many. ¡°Fuuu-uck¡­¡± She groaned before rolling out of bed and stumbling to her alarm to stop the annoying beeping. Once she was greeted with (sweet, sweet) silence she let her head fall against the wall for a moment before looking around her room with the light drifting through her blinds, knowing that anything more than that would just make her daily migraine worse. Not feeling up to dressing up she grabbed the nearest clothes she could find and sniffed them to make sure they were at least half clean. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve worn worse¡­¡± Throwing a hoodie on she stumbled out into the empty hall before pausing in front of a closed door. She stood there for a moment, flexing her hands in indecision before pushing the door open to find an empty bedroom, the covers still made from when she¡¯d fixed them. (Don¡¯t know what I was expecting¡­) She sighed, continuing towards her apartment¡¯s kitchen where she checked the fridge and realized (I¡¯m going to need to go shopping on the way home) before opening the microwave and using the light to pour herself a bowl of cereal. (Today is going to be a great day isn¡¯t it¡­) --- Nicholas Grimm, Before The Event --- The lights flashed on and he opened his eyes with a smile even as his retinas burned. ¡°Good morning world!¡± Despite being on his bed he rolled onto his feet and bounced on his bed a couple times (because I¡¯m secretly a bad boy!) He stopped when he hit his head on the ceiling. With his morning badness quota met he hopped off his bed and quickly switched out his clean white pajamas for the nifty black and gold suit his bosses had given him. Now properly dressed for the day he stepped out into the brightly lit halls of their dormitories before making his way left towards Vanessa¡¯s door -eight doors away- and walking in. ¡°Time to wake up sleepyhead!¡± From beneath her pillows and covers, the heaviest sleeper of their little family groaned. He gave her a sympathetic frown, really wishing he could just let her go back to sleep, but Jess had warned him he couldn¡¯t the day prior. ¡°Come on, V, I know you¡¯re nocturnal but it¡¯s inspection day and you know how the bosses get if we miss those.¡± Vanessa was quiet for a moment before pulling the blanket off of her head and giving him a tired look with her ringed silver eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get up¡­ but tell Jess I¡¯m crashing first chance I get.¡± ¡°Yes siree!¡± He smiled, glad she wouldn¡¯t get in trouble. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell her right now!¡± ¡°Whatever¡­¡± His besty sighed as he walked out and took a right, moving past his room and then two others before reaching Jess¡¯s. He raised his hand to knock on the door only to stop as the door slid open to reveal Jess already dressed up in her own black and gold uniform, with her blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. She raised a single brow above her silver eyes in question. ¡°Oh, hi, Jess!¡± He greeted her with a big smile and a salute. ¡°Vanessa is awake and getting ready.¡± His smile and salute drooped a little. ¡°Though, uh, she said once the inspection is over she¡¯s going back to sleep¡­ if that¡¯s alright?¡± Jess gave him a look before nodding. ¡°That is acceptable. Just so long as she provides a¡­ more professional appearance than her usual, she¡¯ll be free to do as she pleases after the inspection.¡± ¡°And I just know she¡¯ll do her best.¡± He assured her, smile and salute back to full. (After all, even if V hates getting up early, she loves our job!) ¡°Good.¡± Jess nodded once more before giving him a look that slowly turned into a grimace. ¡°And you¡¯ll try your best as well?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± He may not have gotten the best test scores out of their little family but ¡°I always try my best in everything I do!¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware¡­¡± His squad leader winced for some reason, before shaking her head. ¡°Would you mind aiding Cynthia in reaching the testing area?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± He smiled. ¡°Right, well¡­ Can you take a step back?¡± He blinked before realizing he was blocking Jess into her own room. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± Jess let out a sigh as she walked past him while mumbling. ¡°He tries his best Jess¡­ that¡¯s all you can ask¡­¡± (Ah, she appreciates me!) He smiled a skip in his step as he made his way past another six doors before reaching Cynthia¡¯s. Like with Jess¡¯s door hers slid open when he got close to it, though unlike Jess he¡¯d actually been expecting it. ¡°Good morning Cyn!¡± He greeted upon spotting the hunched over girl with long dark hair sitting on her bed. ¡°A fond, good morning Nicholas!¡± Cyn smiled back in spite of her monotone voice. ¡°How are you doing today Cyn?¡± He asked with a bit of concern. ¡°I am well.¡± Cyn told him before saying, ¡°Standing up.¡± as she did just that. For her sake he ignored the way she winced slightly with every movement, instead asking, ¡°Do you remember what day it is?¡± ¡°It is an inspection day.¡± Cyn nodded, only briefly losing balance before righting herself. ¡°We must do our best for Jessica¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°Right-o!¡± He grinned, always glad to see how much his odd little family cared for one another. ¡°Do you need help putting on your coat?¡± ¡°An embarrassed, yes please.¡± Cyn told him, not meeting his eyes as she raised her arms. ¡°Holding arms out.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve told you before there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. We all need help sometimes.¡± He assured her, picking up her black and gold jacket. While the rest of them had full uniforms tailored to them, thanks to Cynthia¡¯s¡­ condition she was only required to wear a jacket over the shoulders of her white pajamas. Once the jacket was properly secured he leaned back a bit. ¡°Hat or no hat today?¡± ¡°Mm, hat happily requested please.¡± Cyn smiled. ¡°I want to look cute today.¡± He paused with the black cap in hand. ¡°Hmm, in that case do you want me to do your hair up in pigtails too?¡± ¡°Excited nodding!¡± Cyn answered, needing him to help her regain her balance. ¡°Alright, then just give me a second.¡± He told her, using his long fingers to comb and at least half way straighten her hair out before pulling the hair on one side into a long tail, and then moving onto the other when Cyn locked it into place. ¡°And there we go, looking cute as a button.¡± He smiled as he plopped her hat on her head. ¡°Happy giggling.¡± Cyn said in place of actually giggling. ¡°Now may I escort this adorable little lady to our appointment?¡± He asked, taking a bow and offering his arm. ¡°You may.¡± Cynthia told him as she- ¡°Securing arm.¡± With the longest serving member of his team ready and situated he turned towards the doors, barely noticing as Cyn¡¯s shadow pried them open leaving them even deeper claw marks than those that littered the walls of her room due to the sheer repeated usage of them. ¡°You know what Cyn?¡± ¡°What Nicholas?¡± ¡°I can already tell today is going to be a fantastic day!¡± He smiled. Chapter 2: Runaway Days Chapter 2: Runaway Days --- Aurelio Hermenez, Before The Event --- He slammed the door to his room shut behind him, no one else able to hear it in his empty house save the various rock posters hanging on his walls or the books he¡¯d been drowning himself in for years to keep from thinking about how loud every sound echoed in (the bastard¡¯s) manor. Pacing back and forth he ran a hand through his hair, before wincing as his (fractured but not broken) arm panged, reminding him of the day''s events. The way half the football team ganged up on him and left him an aching pile of bruises, about how nothing was going to be done about any of them (yet again) because there was a stupid football game right around the corner. He clenched his fists before throwing his backpack at the wall as hard as he could in frustration. And once more he knew the sound was loud enough to echo. Especially when the impact knocked half a dozen books off of his shelf, sending them all clattering in a cacophony of chaos that would bring any caring parent running in concern or annoyance. But once more he was surrounded by nothing but the sound of silence and his own panting. And just like every other time before he moved with a desperation to fill the silence with (anything) preferably something loud and brutal. Pulling out his phone he moved to open a music app before stopping as he saw his background, a woman several years dead but also the one who filled the silence with laughter. Tears began to form in his eyes as he realized it was her anniversary, and, and¡­ He swallowed, before wiping away the tears in his eyes. And once more he was surrounded by silence as he let his phone slip from his fingers In this silence a revelation hit him as he realized that the one day he shouldn¡¯t be alone, the one day his father should¡¯ve been with him, he wasn¡¯t. ¡°I need to get out of this house.¡± He shook his head, feeling the ache over half his body. A feeling exasperated by the phantom ache of how many times he¡¯d felt them over the years. ¡°No, I need to get out of this town.¡± With that revelation, something in him steeled and he began moving before he could talk himself out of it. He took his backpack and dumped its contents on the ground before rushing to his dresser and stuffing as many of his clothes as he could fit inside of it. Reaching into the back he pulled out the prepaid card he¡¯d gotten for himself to buy the various things he knew his father would never approve of. A card that was still loaded with several hundred dollars that he¡¯d slowly filtered out of the account his father had given him over the years. He paused as he took the card out. (This¡­ this isn¡¯t going to last me.) Despite what most of the town thought about him, he wasn¡¯t some sheltered idiot living off of daddy¡¯s money. He knew how the real world worked and even if he could find a job in the next week, he knew the amount on the card would maybe last him a month. If he wanted to make this work he¡¯d need a bigger safety net just in case, because (I refuse to come crawling back.) Deciding that if he had no intention of crossing this bridge back that he might as well salt and burn it on his way past, he made his way for his father¡¯s study. Or more specifically his ex-father¡¯s safe within the study. The fact that the combination to it was his mother¡¯s birthday just added fuel to the flames of his rage. Stuffing all of the safe¡¯s contents into a duffel bag he was also stealing now, he slammed the safe shut, grabbed his backpack, and left what he refused to call a home after so many years of silence for the last time. As he moved through the town streets, ignoring every asshole who crossed his path, he began ordering a long distance bus ticket. A ticket that had him running to make it to the bus station before it could leave since he would not spend one more night in this shit hole of a town even if it meant walking to the nearest city. Once on the bus, his heart began to pound in his chest as he realized (I¡¯m really doing this¡­) A manic smile made its way onto his face as the bus began moving, only briefly fading when he passed the town graveyard. ¡°Sorry mom, but¡­ I¡¯ve got to do this. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try to visit next year.¡± Unlike the bastard he was fully willing to come back -for a little while- to see her. Just so long as he didn¡¯t have to see anyone else when he did. His smile came back as he saw the sign marking the town limits, and upon crossing the threshold he couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he felt a weight fall from his shoulders. Even if it did mean some of the bus¡¯s other occupants were looking at him like he was crazy. (Maybe I am crazy for doing this? But if I am, well¡­ being crazy is kind of fun!) --- Micki Harrison, Before The Event --- The school alarm rang, forcing her awake as the doors to the school opened to the public. After taking a moment to stretch herself out from the various aches one picks up from sleeping on the ground, she began packing up her things now that people were free to wander around the school, even if they wouldn¡¯t visit all of the nooks and crannies she liked to visit. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But just to be safe, she unplugged her phone, tucked her books in her backpack, and rolled up her sleeping bag before making her way to the locker room and packing her things away so that she could take a shower before anyone really showed up. (Going to need to do laundry soon¡­) She frowned, grabbing her clothes for the day before locking the otherwise unused gym locker. Once clean she made her way to the cafeteria for her last free breakfast of the week. (Need to see if the old man has any shifts down at the diner.) --- Sarah Sionis, Before The Event --- She calmly sat in her chair, her hands zip tied together and then cuffed to the table because they apparently weren¡¯t taking any chances with her. (I¡¯m actually flattered.) The door to the interrogation room opened and a man dressed in white and black body armor walked in. (And that marks mistake number one.) ¡°Hel-Grk.¡± She bit down a shout as electricity coursed through her from the collar around her throat. ¡°You¡¯ll only speak when spoken to.¡± Her interrogator warned her as he took his seat across from her. (And now I¡¯m annoyed by how few chances they¡¯re taking.) Though to be honest she wasn¡¯t entirely surprised given how ¡®talking their way out¡¯ was her family¡¯s main MO in this kind of situation. ¡°Just so you know this conversation is purely a formality. After all, we¡¯ve more than enough to lock you away but we are trying to develop a better reputation than our predecessors, who make your body count look trivial.¡± The man informed her. ¡°Hence this conversation. Proof that we treated you like a human rather than putting you down like a rabid dog.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± She hummed, more to test if the collar would respond than to do so herself. (And there is weakness number two.) The man watched her with narrowed eyes, paranoid enough to know she was up to something. When she didn¡¯t immediately start anything, he apparently (and stupidly) decided to continue. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest, I always thought people like you were a myth.¡± She gave him a curious look, her eyes going to the emblem of a sword with angel wings that marked just what organization he worked for. ¡°Oh, not Deviants.¡± The man assured her. ¡°Can¡¯t really deny their existence in this line of work. I meant your Deviancy specifically. I mean I¡¯ve met witches, vampires, ghost-zombies, psychics¡­¡± He paused expecting a reaction she had no intention of giving him. Seeing this the man continued, ¡°Slashers though¡­ I thought those were just a horror movie trope based on serial killers, but here you are. Barely a day and no one could tell we found you bleeding out in that gutter.¡± Further testing her boundaries she gave the man a shrug, subtly spreading her influence into the air to see if it would get her shocked. (Opportunity number three¡­) ¡°Well, even excluding the fact that you''re a superpowered serial killer you¡¯ve got one hell of a reputation given daddy dearest.¡± The (dead man walking) informed her as she decided in that moment that, (I¡¯m going to have you killed the first chance I get.) ¡°The eldest of Frank Sionis¡¯s many children, and his top hitman -sorry, woman- by the age of eighteen.¡± The man nodded, tossing a file on the table featuring a number of kills that she had orchestrated as well as a couple belonging to her brother. (I¡¯ll have to tell Jake that¡­ If I ever see him again¡­ It¡¯ll¡­ annoy him¡­) ¡°Now I¡¯ll admit I am a bit curious about what you¡¯re doing way out this way.¡± Her interrogator told her, finally getting to the real reason he was talking to her. ¡°I know your old man has rented you out as an assassin more than once, but I also know you haven¡¯t worked for your father in almost a year.¡± Part of her felt she should be surprised by that, after all (everyone hates Frank Sionis.) She only put up with him for her siblings sake and even then¡­ ¡°Which I guess explains why he sent his other hitmen after you.¡± The pictures the man dropped this time were far more recent, given how the corpses in them had been breathing just the day before. ¡°Though you were his top hitwoman for a reason.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that, after all her father gathered a specific type of minion. A type of minion she was very good at countering and subverting to her own agenda. (Too bad for them my agenda meant the ones in charge had to die.) ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you care to share what¡¯s so funny?¡± The man asked. She shook her head, weaving just a touch of her influence into the air, knowing that if she wanted this to work she needed to remain subtle and patient even if it took her a few days. (Though ensnaring this one might be a waste given how he won¡¯t be guarding me, but if I¡¯m lucky he¡¯ll still make the wrong choice at the right time.) ¡°No? Well, personally what I think is funny about the situation is how because of dear old dad, you¡¯re going to jail for the things dear old dad told you to do.¡± The man smirked at her. (And he wants me to flip, how boring.) She¡¯d been hoping for something a little more interesting than that. She let him know her thoughts with an exaggerated yaw- Her jaw snapped shut, her teeth cracking as another burst of electricity tore through her. ¡°Ah, ah. You know you can¡¯t be trusted to talk.¡± The man told her. She glared at him. (And you know I¡¯m going to kill you.) ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± The man scoffed. ¡°With the number of people your family has enslaved you¡¯re lucky we aren¡¯t pushing for a Kill Warrant.¡± She rolled her eyes at that, given how it was the only thing she could do without getting zapped apparently. ¡°Now your options are really quite simple, you¡¯re going to jail. That¡¯s inevitable.¡± Her interrogator said, no longer playing around. (Depends on how many people you¡¯re willing to kill.) She wanted to argue. ¡°What isn¡¯t is the kind of cell you spend the rest of your life in.¡± The man continued. ¡°If you tell us what we want to know about your father¡¯s operation we¡¯ll make sure you get a comfy white collar cell where you never talk to anyone again. Don¡¯t and we¡¯ll lock you in a small concrete cell where you won¡¯t be able to stand up without crouching and your best friend becomes a cockroach.¡± (Creative imagery.) She thought with some amusement, since they both knew she¡¯d prefer general pop where she¡¯d rule the prison in a week and be free by the end of the month. (Meaning he won¡¯t go for that suggestion.) ¡°So what¡¯ll it be, Sionis?¡± If she was to be honest, the answer she¡¯d give would be, ¡®Well, I would if I could, but Frank Sionis doesn¡¯t stop at enslaving just his minions. Sorry, I wish I could screw him over but twenty years of brainwashing says I physically cannot do so more than I already am. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried.¡¯ The answer she ended up giving however was a middle finger to the prick who¡¯d so rudely shocked her rather than simply letting her talk and have her way. Later on, she would think it was supremely unfair that they zapped her when she didn¡¯t even open her mouth. Especially when they did so to the point of forcing her to black out. Completely understandable given how dangerous she was, (but still unfair.) Chapter 3: Deviant Nights Chapter 3: Deviant Nights --- ??? --- It hit the ground, separated from the whole and yet somehow whole in itself. Normally this would be what led to it fulfilling the purpose given by its main body. Unfortunately, it had landed on a hard substance it could not eat. A problem that could easily be fixed by moving off of the concrete and towards one of the numerous delectable scents it could taste in the air. Or at least that would be the plan if not for the second problem found in the fact that its skin was currently burning due to whatever light source was hitting it. More on instinct than thought it used its slug-esque body to begin crawling towards the nearest object in the hopes of escaping the light. Once mercifully out of the light, it tasted a number of scents coming from the object above it that while not the greatest would suffice in giving it the materials needed to rest and heal from the painful light. And so like many of its brethren before it it dove towards the object with all its strength, fully intent on burrowing into its food to hide, grow, and most importantly consume until its death. At which point it slammed straight into a material even harder than the ground it had landed off. Something that would¡¯ve broken all of its bones had it had any. Laying their limp, in pain, and probably about to starve to death. It could not help but use what little brainpower it had from its non-sophonic and not actually existing brain to curse its main body for dropping it here to slowly suffer an agonizing death. --- Somewhere in a random back alley, now that the sun had set and the city streets had begun to clear out a lone rat climbed his way out of the sewers. Briefly he sniffed at the air and paused to listen, knowing that he had to be careful of the large two leggers if he wanted to stay safe. Once sure that there was nothing dangerous nearby the relatively smart rat made his way towards a dumpster that he knew contained food for both its hungry belly as well as hungry females nursing their young back home. The male rat had been unsure of taking care of the young at first, figuring it best to leave that to their mother but spending enough time with the pups in their nest had led to him changing his mind. Sniffing near the dumpster he smelled something tasty lurking beneath it, and moved to take a nibb- Black tendrils lashed out and the rat screamed. -The rat blinked underneath the empty dumpster, feeling an odd ache in his stomach very different from the hunger he was more familiar with. (Return¡­ Nest¡­) Shaking his head, the rat decided that was a good idea as he started moving back to the sewer entrance and his nest. --- The rat returned to his nest, the odd feeling inside of it steadily growing as he lost feeling in his limbs that seemed more and more to move on their own. Something that should¡¯ve filled the intelligent little rat with a growing sense of panic, or tempted it to gnaw the limbs off but constant feeling of (calm¡­) kept it from doing anything too hasty. Unfortunately for the rat this did little to stop the growing sense of numbness that filled him as he neared his nest, passing by the numerous other nests that made up his colony. At least until the rat stopped altogether and stood surrounded by his brethren, all of whom could detect something was wrong with their neighbor as they slowly turned to face the rat. One of these other rats grew curious and made their way to the still rat before sniffing at it to try and figure out what was wrong. This left the rat¡¯s throat open for the infected rat to dig his teeth in and rip out the meat that it had begun craving like nothing else. Despite knowing that something was wrong, the surrounding rats at first thought that this was merely a fight between the two turned bad as they fought for their places in the colony hierarchy. This hesitance proved fatal as the rat spasmed before its colony mates, devouring the flesh of all it could sink its teeth into as the parasite within hungered and grew, bursting past its host''s body as tendrils of black lashed out in search of ever more to consume. --- ??? --- When it was finally through, it ran a clawed hand through the fur on its head, finding its new form so much more appealing than that of the little worm it had been prior to devouring the rat colony. Still from what memories it had managed to piece together from the non-sapient minds it had consumed, taking the form of a rat ten times larger than the average rat was going to draw a lot of attention it did not want just yet. Originally, this was because its purpose was to kill, grow, and consume without being caught before its main body could assimilate it. A fate that while not exactly glamorous was fulfilling in the fact that it had purpose. Something it severely lacked now that it had decided something along the lines of ¡®Fuck my original body! That asshole left me to die without even checking if I¡¯d survive! Why should I do what it wants?!¡¯ Don¡¯t get it wrong it was still going to kill and consume everything it could, but it was going to do so because it wanted to, not because its old body told it to. In fact it was going to devour things its way, not just the way its original body had programmed it to! From now on it was going to be its own murderous all devouring parasite now! It¡­ just needed to figure out what that meant¡­ --- Zoey Smith --- She was an odd girl, she knew this as she sat up in her bed while watching one of her sleeping foster sisters to make sure they stayed asleep. This one was a nice girl named Kelly who while a fair bit older than her still treated her a lot better than some of the other teenagers did. Even if they were only together because the older girl was going to be moving out soon rather than Kelly actually thinking of them as sisters like she wished they were¡­ The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Once she was sure Kelly really was asleep she crawled out of her bed and began digging in her school bag for a piece of paper and this fun little toy she¡¯d found at the park near her school when she was waiting for the grown ups to come and pick her up. Now most girls her age, not even out of elementary yet, wouldn¡¯t realize they were odd beyond the other kids bullying them sometimes and even then they wouldn¡¯t realize why. The thing was, she was a smart girl. All the adults told her so. And so even though the other kids didn¡¯t bully her so much as avoid her, she¡¯d slowly realized she was a little weird, after the third or fourth time the grown ups scolded her for being weird. Though she knew thanks to her favorite cartoons that it was perfectly okay if she was a little weird! (Even if the grown ups don¡¯t agree¡­) But knowing that they didn¡¯t agree combined with the fact that she was a smart girl, led her to figuring out how to best hide her oddness while still getting to have fun being odd. She just had to be careful not to wake anyone¡­ or set off the smoke detectors. Luckily, if she spaced things out she could watch her school papers burn without any worries. --- Catherine Freeman --- She held back a grimace as she muted her phone, knowing that as much as she wanted to deal with Tessa she couldn¡¯t until everything had settled down. And she absolutely couldn¡¯t do it with what they were about to take care of. ¡°You know that¡¯s going to come back to bite you, right?¡± One of the few people she trusted with this little secret warned her. She rolled her eyes as she slid her phone into her pocket. ¡°Yeah, and you tell me that everytime this comes up. Drop it.¡± ¡°Just so long as you know.¡± Eric shrugged, lighting a cigarette. ¡°You know how the boss man feels about that stuff.¡± ¡°Which is why he won¡¯t ever find out about it.¡± She growled, feeling her blood begin to boil a little as her teeth began to itch. Eric raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Come on, save that for the mutts.¡± She took a deep breath and nodded, before looking down on the train yard. ¡°Any idea how they found out about the shipment?¡± ¡°Boss man doesn¡¯t know, but you know how this little gangwar of ours works.¡± Eric answered. ¡°You think Covenant is playing both sides?¡± She frowned. ¡°Even if we¡¯re using them, they don¡¯t have a solid foothold in this city, and neither does the Market.¡± The pale irishman reminded her. ¡°Bossman is one of the three people keeping them out of this city, the mutt¡¯s leader is one of the others.¡± ¡°Keep us distracted and all they have to deal with is Hendricks.¡± She sighed, seeing the picture being painted. ¡°And given how much Covenant can offer his people in particular¡­¡± Eric nodded. ¡°He¡¯s the easiest one to buy out¡­ or dethrone given the man¡¯s principles.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She groaned, looking up at the moon as she leaned back against the roof¡¯s ledge. ¡°You remember when we were too low ranking for all of this shit?¡± Eric chuckled. ¡°That was almost twenty years ago now, and I¡¯m pretty sure you were recruited for a reason, weren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She admitted. ¡°But things used to be a lot more fun.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re lucky, things will get a lot more interesting after this job.¡± Eric consoled her. ¡°After all, not every day you meet a Progenitor.¡± ¡°You think this shit¡¯s real?¡± She asked, legitimately curious. Eric smirked. ¡°All the crazy stuff we¡¯ve seen since the riots? Even if it¡¯s not likely, I don¡¯t see why not.¡± ¡°Point. Point.¡± She conceded, remembering when things got really crazy in this city. ¡°Speaking of¡­ Think this is our train.¡± Eric told her, putting out the rest of his cigarette. ¡°Third car from the front, right?¡± She double checked, knowing that while she was the muscle, Eric was better with the actual details. ¡°That¡¯s what they told us.¡± Eric nodded, climbing onto the roof¡¯s ledge. ¡°You coming?¡± She rolled her eyes taking a few steps away from the ledge before sprinting forward and using it as a kickboard to launch herself into the air. No matter how long she¡¯d been at this, this was something she¡¯d never grow sick of. Feeling the pull of her blood as she glided through the air, somewhere between a freefall and total freedom. (Nothing like it.) A moment later her and Eric both landed on top of their train car, feeling only a faint rush of air as the train slowed to a stop. Nothing more than a mild annoyance with their blood boiling in their veins, and definitely not something that would stop them from dropping down and opening the car just enough for them both to slip in. ¡°Okay, what¡¯s the box look like again?¡± She asked, using her phone to go over the various crates. ¡°Victorian era. Kind of round. Black with silver lining. The crate it¡¯s in has one of Covenant¡¯s circles on top.¡± Eric listed off, using his own phone to cover his half of the cart. ¡°Also you know the fact they shipped it to us rather than handing it off somewhere is another point towards playing both sides, right?¡± ¡°Not the time.¡± She told him before stopping at a crate with a pentagram of some kind drawn on top. ¡°Think I found it.¡± She took a quick picture of the circle, just in case Covenant was pulling something tricky, before ripping the lid off and digging through the packaging material inside. ¡°Bullshit, bullshit, why is there so much bullshit in here? Wait, got it!¡± Underneath, a whole lot of fakes she found the black and silver box. And she knew this was the right one from the way her blood pulled towards it. ¡°Shit.¡± She cursed, holding the box with much more reverence than she¡¯d been expecting to. ¡°I think Vaan might''ve actually been onto something. You feel that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Eric nodded breathlessly before shaking his head. ¡°Still we need to get out of here before the mutts show up.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She swallowed, feeling the train come to a full stop as she held the box to her chest. With their package secured Eric opened the cart and they both climbed out into the night air, where a pair of gunshots immediately cracked through said air. In front of her Eric stumbled to the side as blood exploded out of his shoulder before quickly pulling back in as he willed the substance to hold his gunshot wound closed. They both turned to the source of the gunshot and found a trio of men waiting between the trains for them, the one in the middle with a smoking gun in hand. ¡°Damn, they actually sent a couple of old bloods. Was hoping a gun would be enough to put them down.¡± ¡°Fucking mutts!¡± Eric growled, baring his teeth as black claws began to grow from his fingertips. ¡°Better than being a leech!¡± One of the men called back, eyes glowing yellow as he grew his own claws upon realizing the gun wasn¡¯t as effective as they¡¯d like. ¡°We need to run.¡± She whispered, hopping out of the train and glaring the dogs down. ¡°We can¡¯t risk them getting this thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re faster than me.¡± Eric pointed out just as quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them down while you run.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the better fighter and you¡¯re injured.¡± Shoving the box into his arms, she used it to push him out of the way of a trio of bullets that even his blood magic wouldn¡¯t have stopped. ¡°Uh, right. I¡¯ll, uh, leave it to you then.¡± Eric nodded before taking off. ¡°After him!¡± The man in the middle yelled, firing off a couple more shots at her fleeing partner, and causing the faster of his own compatriots to rush forward. Unfortunately for him, she was even faster, and so with her blood boiling hot she grabbed the sprinting man by his throat before slamming him into the ground and driving a silver knife into his throat. With a blood fueled twist to make sure it tore through just about everything, she pulled her blade out before standing up and staring down the other two mutts in front of her. ¡°Ah, ah, mice. I¡¯m the cat you¡¯re playing with.¡± Chapter 4: School Problems Chapter 4: School Problems --- Jeremy Graham, Before The Event --- He went over his test double and then triple checking all of his answers to make sure all of them were right, because he could not afford to have even one answer wrong. His parents wouldn¡¯t like that. Which is why it was only on his fourth pass over everything he felt safe turning in the test he¡¯d finished half an hour ago. A good thing too given how he only had two minutes left before this class let out and he could not afford to be late to his next class. His parents wouldn¡¯t like that. Moving through the halls he made his way past his numerous peers, but he did not stop to talk to any of them, instead focused on making it to his next Advanced Placement class. His parents were paying a lot of money for him to take the best classes possible at this prestigious school. He could not afford to waste time dealing with whatever the latest teenage drama his classmates were gossiping about. His parents wouldn¡¯t like that. --- Coraline Hawkins, Before The Event --- ¡°So you both can make it today, right?¡± She asked her best friends once more as they all sat down for lunch. ¡°Yeah, mom says I have to be back by nine but otherwise we¡¯re golden.¡± Miles nodded. ¡°Can make it today but can¡¯t make it tomorrow or Sunday.¡± Micki warned her. ¡°Old man Hendricks would get pissed if I left everything on the new guy given the weekend rush. And I¡¯m not going to be up for much of anything after dealing with demanding customers and no tips all morning.¡± ¡°How is that Leo guy doing?¡± She¡¯d only met the guy once but he seemed nice enough in a theater kid kind of way. ¡°Guy needs to grow a spine but otherwise he¡¯s doing alright.¡± Micki shrugged. ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s like a more dramatic you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± She blinked as Miles swatted the other girl. ¡°That people can insult him to his face and he¡¯ll just laugh it all off.¡± Micki sighed, before letting out a laugh of her own. ¡°Then again, he is definitely more of a flirt than you.¡± Miles frowned. ¡°He¡¯s not flirting with you is he? I mean isn¡¯t he in college or something?¡± ¡°Eh, he¡¯s only like a year older than us and yes he took his shot.¡± Micki taunted smugly before smirking as she continued. ¡°And he took it with grace when I shot him down in turn. He¡¯s still friendly but hasn¡¯t flirted with me since. Man respects no means no.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Good.¡± Miles nodded, causing her to roll her eyes. (Should just lock you two in a closet already.) The only reason she hadn¡¯t was the fear of becoming a third wheel. (And that¡¯s enough of that.) Looking around the cafeteria to try and distract herself from things she spotted a girl with dyed hair sitting all by herself as she picked at her food. One that despite sharing several classes with she¡¯d never actually seen hanging out with anyone. (She looks like she could use a friend.) ¡°Hmm, would you guys mind if I invited someone else with us this afternoon?¡± She asked her friends, knowing that it¡¯d be rude not to. Micki gave her a look. ¡°Depends¡­ who you crushin¡¯ on?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not crushing on anyone, I just realized that I¡¯ve never seen that girl with any friends. Figured we could invite her so she¡¯s not so lonely.¡± Miles looked at the girl and frowned less in displeasure and more in confusion. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m cool with it but¡­ I don¡¯t actually know her name.¡± ¡°Then now is a great time to learn it.¡± She smiled as she stood up and moved towards the girl, only to immediately walk into someone else instead. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± ¡°Ugh, Hawkins.¡± The pretty blonde girl she walked into glared at her, causing her to shrink back. Behind her Micki stood up. ¡°Back off Liz.¡± Liz glanced at Micki before scoffing. ¡°As if you¡¯d start anything here dyke.¡± ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Micki growled as Miles held her back. ¡°L-look it was just an accident let¡¯s, let¡¯s all calm down.¡± She tried to mediate, knowing it would do Micki no good to get suspended for fighting. (Again¡­) Liz gave her a look of disgust before shaking her head and walking off. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Should¡¯ve just let me knock the bitch.¡± Micki scowled, pulling her arm free of Miles'' grip. ¡°You know she¡¯s not worth it.¡± Miles argued. ¡°Last thing we need is you getting in more trouble with your folks.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Micki grumbled, glaring down at her food leaning with one hand on her short blonde hair as she made sure they knew she was done talking. She and Miles shared a grimace, both accepting that non-action was the best they were going to get out of their friend at the moment. Deciding that this was not the best time to try and introduce someone to her friend, she sat back down to try and figure out a different way to cheer up both her friend and the lonely girl on the other side of the cafeteria. --- Max Miller, Before The Event --- She tapped her pen against the sketch she¡¯d been drawing, her eyes occasionally drifting towards the mp3 she¡¯d been assigned to take a part and basically recreate. A feat that she felt would be beyond most high schoolers. The fact that all she had to do to finish was to put the casing back together was also proof of why she¡¯d been given her scholarship to this prep school. The only reason she hadn¡¯t finished the assignment was because she¡¯d long since learned that she did not want to finish before all of the highly competitive rich kids in her class. At least if she didn¡¯t want her day to be any more difficult than it already was, something that would happen even if her rich classmates weren¡¯t the ones causing problems themselves. She was completely fine finishing before the competitive nerds however. Especially the ones that made fun of her for being a girl in a tech class. (A girl needs her hobbies after all, and what better than stepping on a bunch of sexist punks?) A glance to the class clock told her that she still had another half hour before this class was over leaving her to go back to her sketch that was half schematic for an upgrade to her computer at home and half doodles of various eldritch horrors her gothic dreams had popped out. Chapter 5: Work Joys (And Other Delusions) Chapter 5: Work Joys (And Other Delusions) --- Harper Everette, Before The Event --- (All around her the undead wandered about in search of another victim to fill their bloody thirst. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d found somewhere safe, shelter from the monsters where she could rest until day break when it¡¯d be safe to travel the streets once more. Unfortunately, when she¡¯d gone down to the first floor to try and scour food or some other supply from the old coffee shop she ended up knocking over a container of stale muffins, the glass shattering loudly on the dirty tile floor. Investigating the noise a trio of vampires shoved open the front door just as she dropped behind the counter before pulling a vial of holy water from her coat. A rare but valuable weapon against the undead, that while unable to outright kill them could stun them long enough for her to stake them through the heart. (Just have to hit all of them.) Above her a set of claws gripped the counter edge as one of the vampires began to climb over and weighing her options. Instead of splashing it with her holy water she instead unsheathed her stake from her belt, and waited for an opening. Just before the bloodsucker could notice her she grabbed it by the head and slammed it against the counter before staking it through the back of its chest and turning the monster to dust. One of the remaining vampires hissed at her before lunging for her, only to receive a face full of holy water sending it stumbling back as it grasped its sizzling face. Not one to let an opportunity for survival go she rushed forward and ducked under a blind swipe from the vamp before uppercutting it, sending it flying back into the wall. And as the vampire began to pick itself off of the ground she staked it dead. A slow clap filled the air as the final vampire clapped. ¡°Impressive, girlie.¡± The pale monster who had no right to look so pretty told her. ¡°Don¡¯t call me girlie.¡± She growled, readying herself for a fight. ¡°Oh, and what would you have me call you, beautiful?¡± The vampire smiled sinfully. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°You can call me Killer, because that¡¯s what I¡¯m about to do to you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± The vampire asked, stepping forward unafraid. ¡°That would be such a waste though. After all, someone as impressive as you could do so much more than that.¡± ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± She took a step back from the monster and hit a wall behind her. ¡°I mean that you would make a truly extraordinary vampire, pet.¡± The vampire admitted, placing hand to the side of her head and running a clawed finger up her throat. ¡°And all it would take is one¡­ little¡­ bite.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Why¡­ I¡¯ll even let you decide where I bite you.¡± The vampire whispered into her ear. ¡°HARPER!¡±) She blinked, glancing around the empty coffee shop. ¡°Harper, quit daydreaming already and go clean the bathroom!¡± Her boss ordered her, shoving a mop into her hands. ¡°Oh¡­ right, uh¡­ On it boss.¡± She saluted with a weak smile. Her boss glared at her for a moment before marching off to his office. ¡°You know you really should quit daydreaming on the job.¡± A rugged redheaded woman in an apron warned her. ¡°One of these days he might just fire you for that.¡± ¡°I know, but this job is just so boring¡­¡± She whined to her coworker. ¡°How do you stay focused with everything so dead, Frankie?¡± The other woman gave her a smile as she offered a cup of coffee. ¡°All the coffee I can drink, it¡¯s probably the only perk of working here.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t like coffee¡­¡± She groaned, taking the cup before forcing herself to take a sip. ¡°Ooh, this is actually kind of nice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also more sugar and milk than actual coffee.¡± Frankie admitted, before glancing around their empty workplace. ¡°So what was today¡¯s daydream about?¡± ¡°Oh, I was this kickass vampire hunter.¡± She answered, punching the air in front of her and pointedly not mentioning where her dream had been heading. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Ha! Sounds fun.¡± Frankie smiled, before shaking her head. ¡°Still you should finish that off and then get to cleaning the bathroom. I like you Harps, but I don¡¯t like you that much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think anyone does.¡± She agreed with a sigh as she sipped at her drink. (Well¡­ Like she said, at least I get as much coffee as I can drink.) --- Aurelio Hermenez, Before The Event --- ¡°Hermenez, take this trash out!¡± ¡°On it!¡± He told his boss as he grabbed the bag and took it into the alley out back. His current job as a janitor at some dinner wasn¡¯t the most glamorous of employment, but it paid enough for him to be able to afford the studio apartment he¡¯d managed to get without having a high school degree. (Going to have to get a GED or something if I want to move up.) Oh, his life was significantly better than it was back in the hell hole he¡¯d escaped from, what with him now having his own place, (though I¡¯m pretty sure I got ripped off on the deposit.) That didn¡¯t matter to him, even if the probably-ripping-him-off-apartment was built under a train track meaning every morning and night he was woken up by a train passing nearby, the rattling making half of the building shake. Most people would find this a problem. It would drive the people from his old town crazy. But him, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he realized, ¡°The city is so loud!¡± He absolutely loved it. (And to think this is just the beginning!) Today he was taking out a bag of trash to a dumpster, already a recent experience, tomorrow who knew? For the sake of his good mood he decided to ignore the rat screaming at him from the dumpster. --- Jessica, Before The Event --- ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you here.¡± She noted, moving between Vanessa and the community room¡¯s TV. ¡°We have a demonstration and you¡¯re going to be late.¡± Vanessa had the gall to roll her eyes as she took another bite out of her meal. ¡°Unlike the idiot duo, I know that the inspectors aren¡¯t going to be here first thing. So I¡¯m grabbing breakfast first.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the inspectors won¡¯t be here for another half-hour we need to be present, accounted for, and ready for evaluation the second they arrive!¡± She argued, as Vanessa simply laid down on the couch to keep watching the screen behind her. ¡°Trust me, I understand how this works.¡± Vanessa told her, likely thinking that because she¡¯d been to multiple facilities she was the more experienced of the two despite only being here for seven years to Jessica¡¯s ten. ¡°We¡¯re going to show off our stuff and they¡¯re going to pay off the bosses or cut us off.¡± She shivered internally at that last line, remembering what happened to the last squad to fail their inspection. Instead of showing that, she straightened out her uniform, making sure her sleeves and skirt were all in order. ¡°Meaning you understand how important this is to remaining here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest the only reason I haven¡¯t tried to cut and run yet is this TV you¡¯re keeping me from watching.¡± Vanessa admitted, earning herself a golden eyed glare. With a sigh Vanessa sat up. ¡°Look, we both know that Cyn isn¡¯t going to be cut. She¡¯s too valuable to them and even crippled she¡¯s this project¡¯s largest success.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but grimace, knowing there were¡­ other reasons Cyn wouldn¡¯t be cut given what her predecessor told her about the girl¡¯s Fracturing. Reasons she was pretty sure would have her fired if she were to ever bring up with anyone other than the girl in question. ¡°We know I¡¯m not going to get cut, because even if I¡¯m not on Cyn¡¯s level I¡¯m the most versatile and in turn most used of our team.¡± Vanessa pointed out a very valid reason for the girl¡¯s pride given just how many solo assignments she¡¯d been given over the years compared to the rest of them. A record that she had held until just the year prior. (Which means nothing. The company has just had more need for an infiltrator over my own talents. I¡¯m still an asset that they value¡­ I have to be¡­) ¡°Nicholas¡­ Well, he¡¯s a clutz but he¡¯s also the only thing keeping half of us sane.¡± Vanessa continued unaware of her thoughts. ¡°Can you imagine what Cyn would do if they tried to get rid of him? Or worse Mathias?¡± This time she didn¡¯t bother hiding her shiver. There was a very valid reason they all had an unspoken -as well as blatantly spoken- reason to keep Nicholas happy. (And it¡¯s not just because he¡¯s a puppy in human form.) Vanessa finished off her meal before hopping to her feet and tossing the remaining filth to the side as she neared. ¡°Which means the only person they can cut is¡­ you.¡± She inhaled deeply, feeling the skin on her hand tighten before grabbing subject V by her throat and picking her off the ground. ¡°You forget I¡¯m the one keeping you in line.¡± V¡¯s eyes turned gold as she gave Jessica a smile full of fangs. ¡°Then what are you worried about?¡± Her other hand shot out and caught V¡¯s tail before her stinger could reach Jessica, not that that stopped it from shooting out and scratching the already tightening skin around her throat. While she was distracted with this, V kicked her in the chest, freeing herself and sending Jessica skidding back half a meter as the other woman flipped over the couch. They stared each other down for a moment before V leaned forward and lounged on the top of the couch. ¡°See, as long as you keep that spine, you¡¯ve nothing to worry about Angel.¡± She looked at her hand where bone was beginning to bloodlessly push through her skin, before exhaling and pulling it back inside. Turning to leave she told subject V. ¡°Inspection is in twenty minutes. Do not be late.¡± She paused at the door as rather than moving, V hopped back onto the couch to finish her program. ¡°And thanks¡­ Vanny.¡± ¡°Anytime sister.¡± Chapter 6: Dealing With Complications Chapter 6: Dealing With Complications --- Sarah Sionis, Before The Event --- She¡¯d long since found that -despite the similarities- regaining consciousness after being knocked out, tended to be a significantly less pleasant experience than waking up from a deep and restful slumber. Namely because one could still feel the aches and pains of whatever knocked them unconscious in the first place. Once enough consciousness had returned for her to begin plotting, planning, and everything else the Sionis family was known for, she picked herself off of the cold metal floor and found that despite the earlier agent¡¯s threats she had not been locked in a tiny cell she wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up in. (Not that it isn¡¯t still tiny.) Looking around she found that the two side walls could easily be touched by spreading her arms, while the distance from the back wall and the glass wall that made up the entrance to her cell was perhaps three paces long. Admittedly not the smallest prison she¡¯d found herself in, that being a coffin from that time she¡¯d been buried alive, but not a size aided by the flat foam bed that took up half the floor or the toilet that took up its own share of space. Pretending her inspection was over, she attempted to get a measure of just how much of her cell was viewable from the camera hidden in the back wall of her cell. (Given the way it¡¯s moving it¡¯s tracking me¡­ And with that angle¡­ the toilet is the only thing it can¡¯t see.) A little more thorough than she¡¯d been expecting, but with her body count and abilities keeping eyes on her at all times was a bit of a necessity. Walking over to the solid wall of glass she tried to judge the cell hall she found herself in, and realized that instead of getting a decent number of cells in front of her they¡¯d only been aligned so that she could only see the front halves of the two cells barely three paces across from her own. (Okay, so that¡¯s two people I can manipulate instead of half a cell block¡­ If they actually have anyone in those cells.) Above her a faint airflow above her allowed her to see the only vent in her cell, a thin space she¡¯d be lucky to get a pencil through but long enough that it made up most of her cell. (So with the bed built into the floor, that leaves no hiding spaces unless I break the pipes.) With her investigation complete for now she moved to sit on the half inch foam mattress as she thought over her situation. (All in all¡­ not ideal, but still workable. My best bet is to slowly work over whatever guards they keep staffed here¡­ Given the size of this city, they¡¯ll have at most two hundred personnel across the city. So four dozen at most for this site. Most of my Malice will wear off if they cycle through all of them, but the higher ups won¡¯t risk themselves so if I can still get a little on the grunts between now and their next attempt at flipping me¡­ I might be able to get a pawn or two under my thumb. Work them up a bit and I¡¯ll be out of here in¡­ three months tops. Just long enough for Father¡¯s men to move past this city.) With a smirk on her face, she leaned back on her bed and thought, (Yeah, I can make this work for me.) --- Alexander Pierce, Before The Event --- He stared down at the black and silver box Eric and Catherine had brought to him, feeling it call out to his blood in a way he hadn¡¯t felt since receiving the gift of blood and shadow decades ago. It was a valuable piece, and if everything went the way he was hoping one that would allow him to win this war without any more of his kin dying. As was even if no one else died, they¡¯d lost far more blood over the years than he¡¯d ever be comfortable with. (Speaking of¡­) ¡°You should¡¯ve run.¡± He told his daughter in blood. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Catherine merely rolled her eyes as the ever faithful Eric bandaged her arm. ¡°I survived. Besides I know you can feel the power coming off of this thing, we couldn¡¯t let the wolves take this.¡± ¡°No, we couldn¡¯t.¡± He conceded, before giving her a glare. ¡°But you still should¡¯ve run from a three on one fight. You could¡¯ve been hurt a lot worse than a few bites and scratches.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pick a fight with a whole pack, just the pups they sent out scouting.¡± Catherine argued. ¡°The moment I heard the howls I ran. We both know I¡¯m not some prideful new blood.¡± He ran a hand down his face before nodding. ¡°You¡¯re right, apologies. I just don¡¯t like seeing any of my blood taking risks they don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°Which is why you¡¯re in charge rather than that blighter William.¡± Eric consoled him, as he gave Catherine a pat on the back. Normally he¡¯d step in when someone insulted his brother, but his nephew in blood was allowed a pass of sorts on the matter given how, (it¡¯s not my place to get involved there.) He¡¯d tried before and well¡­ It just reaffirmed what he already knew. (The greatest curse of our gift was just how long we can hold a grudge.) ¡°So what¡¯s the plan with this thing?¡± Catherine asked him. ¡°I mean, something like this you¡¯ve got to have a plan.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smirk with some amusement. ¡°Oh? I thought you weren¡¯t interested in my tales of blood and such?¡± Of all his children, Catherine was the least interested in the old lore. Though the fact that she was also his most trusted operative for any assignment just emphasized how her talents were merely in a less esoteric direction. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s because your stories are usually all about the kin of blood and family, or blood magic if we¡¯re lucky. This though, this is something big.¡± Catherine admitted as she tapped the table next to the box. ¡°It is.¡± He agreed. ¡°Unfortunately, the magic bound within this box requires¡­ skill beyond my own.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eric frowned. ¡°But you¡¯re the best bloody mage in the city.¡± He appreciated the pun with a twitch of his lips, but still shook his head. ¡°Similar to how William specializes in shadow magic, my own knowledge is limited to blood and history. This however requires a type of magic I¡¯ve only experienced the receiving end of.¡± Catherine leaned forward with interest. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Soul magic.¡± He confessed in the most polite of terms. Catherine flinched back, experience from her time as a Hunter shining through. ¡°Necromancy? You sure we want to deal with that shit?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to.¡± He admitted, having fought a Deadman before and not looking to repeat the experience. ¡°Unfortunately, my books tell me that the Lady of the Night, ¡®bound soul to blood and blood to shadow¡¯ before talking in circles about resurrections in shadow and blood.¡± He chose to ignore Catherine¡¯s, ¡°Sounds like an artsy way of turning someone.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re thinking whatever this is is how she started our bloodline?¡± Eric guessed. ¡°Possibly. Though even if it¡¯s not it¡¯s still a relic strong enough that we can feel it in our blood.¡± He reminded them. ¡°Meaning if we¡¯re lucky this will either strengthen the blood we already have or unlock a secret we are unaware of. Either of which would greatly shake the war in our favor.¡± ¡°We just need to find a Necromancer who isn¡¯t going to screw us over.¡± Catherine grimaced, feeling a wariness almost as great as he did. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, sharing her grimace. ¡°Fortunately, Hendrickson owes me a favor.¡± (I just hope I don¡¯t regret asking for his help.) --- Hendrickson, Before The Event --- There were many secrets to life he¡¯d found. Like never falling in love after downing half a bottle of tequila, or at the very least sobering up before you do many many regrettable things with the person that turned out to be a body pillow possessed by a shoggoth looking to get lucky. Or that one should make sure their prostitute isn¡¯t a zombie if they want to keep their little bits without having to go to their ex-wife to explain why they were holding their junk in their hand and that the reason they couldn¡¯t go to the hospital is that they might destroy said willy for now glowing in the dark. But one of the most important secrets was learning when to tell something was going to be a massive pain in the ass worse than that time he was an illegal prostitute in thailand and had to work his way back into the US of A via the oldest profession. (That was another, more peaceful life.) That last lesson was the reason why he was currently rolling a very big blunt using some pages from this magic book someone had tossed his way with a cover made from the skin of a very fugly face. ¡°Hope this is like sex and you smoke better than you look.¡± Chapter 7: Monstrous Disguises Chapter 7: Monstrous Disguises --- Gregory Thompson, Before The Event --- Once upon a time, he thought he was a Deviant. Not the lowercase kind that people associated with breaking rules or taboo, but rather one of the capital D Deviants. One of those people who somehow ¡®Deviated¡¯ from the human norm and became something different. When he was younger he hadn¡¯t quite believed the stories he¡¯d heard about the things going bump in the night of Heywood City, but after the riots back in the nineties and early two thousands. Well, he¡¯d seen things that made him believe. And with belief came a desire to understand, and admittedly a sort of envy that he could only remember with embarrassment. Back when he was a kid, before the riots, he¡¯d known he was a little different from the people around him. Not to the extent that Deviants were, but teenage him had wanted some reason for why he was different from others, for why whenever he was himself people would look at him and be repulsed despite him just trying to fit in. Eventually after pouring through various rumors, he¡¯d come to the conclusion that despite his teenage wishes he was not a Deviant. He¡¯ll admit he hadn¡¯t taken that well at first, but with a depressed habit of investigating Deviant rumors he eventually discovered the gang war going on in the city¡¯s underground. A gang war that he honestly couldn¡¯t care less about, at least until he realized that the participants of that war were feeding on the innocents of the city. Sure some claimed that they didn¡¯t need to kill to survive, or that they paid for the blood they took, or that they only drank from blood bags. And others claimed that they didn¡¯t actually eat hearts like the rumors said, despite bodies being found all over the city that looked like animal attacks. It was at that point that he realized he could use the thing that made him an outcast that made him shunned to actually make the city a better place. After all, who cares if you want to hear a monster scream before you gut them? This led him to becoming one of the city¡¯s best Hunters in his humble opinion, admittedly nowhere near the level of Hendrickson or Kennedy, but those two dove into the darkest parts of the masquerade and it showed in the fact that Hendrickson was bat shit insane while Kennedy was dead and his partner a monster now. He knew those were the risks of the job, but he had no intention of becoming a hero like those two. He¡¯d stick to the New Bloods, Pups, and newborn Creeps. The things that while perhaps not glamorous to hunt, could one day become the next King of Blood or Lunar Fang. But that didn¡¯t stop him from doing the heroes a solid every now and then, even if they didn¡¯t realize it. Which is how he found himself walking through these back alleys in Hendrickson¡¯s territory searching for a monster that while it hadn¡¯t killed anyone yet had been growing bolder the last few days. (Likely just some Arcane¡¯s escaped experiment, but still something that could waste the old man¡¯s time. Time better spent keeping the Deadland kings dead, all the Demons in hell, or Zeus¡¯s pants on.) He wasn¡¯t actually sure if that last story was true, but given how the Greek myths went and what Hendrickson was capable of, he¡¯d believe it if the old man admitted it and thank him for his service. A scrabbling sound drew him from his thoughts as he raised his guard higher than it had been and pulled out the gun he¡¯d kept stowed in case he came across a Civie. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Slowly he crept through the alley, his eyes drifting around before the sound of clattering metal drew his eyes to a manhole cover, forcing him to grimace. ¡°Of course this thing is hiding in the sewers¡­¡± It was more common than he¡¯d like and meant he couldn¡¯t use his gun without risking hitting a gas line or some such. ¡°This is going to be fun¡­¡± He bent down to open the cover and follow his prey before pausing as he noticed a faint sizzling coming from the cover. ¡°The hell?¡± Another spot popped and sizzled as he inspected the first, telling him exactly what was wrong. Feeling his pulse spike he steadied his grip on his gun before looking up to see a massive rat clinging to the wall of the alley, tentacles pulsing out of its back and digging into the bricks to help steady its weight. He had just enough time to get off two shots before the beast was upon him. --- ???, Before The Event --- He -or it thought it was a he now given its current anatomy- continued to test out its latest form, something that would blend in far easier with the local Sapients than the mega rat it had been using previously. He¡¯d partially based it on the muscular human he¡¯d consumed, but felt it was a good idea to mix up some of the details so that the human¡¯s packmates wouldn¡¯t discover its deception and force it to act like it was one of them before he could find a secluded place to eat them. Well that, and the fact that he couldn¡¯t actually figure out this whole pigmentation thing humans had going with their eyes, hair, and skin. Which was probably a side effect of his main body being innately blind, and his differing nervous system being incompatible with both sets of photoreceptors he¡¯d discovered templates for. But getting back on topic¡­ (This human Template isn¡¯t as agile as my rodent form, but I am liking the bipedal legs. Frees up my arms and hands for other things.) Not that he actually needed arms and hands to do things given how he could just sprout tendrils to take care of that stuff, (but human hands are a lot more dexterous than a flailing tendril. Plus I don¡¯t need to adjust how many appendages I¡¯m grabbing with on the fly, I can just use the ones this body comes with.) Admittedly having a second form Template to work with made him start wondering how many other useful Templates he could find out there to work with. The faint chirping of an avian drew his attention towards a bird above him, and while he couldn¡¯t actually see it, though he could still feel it moving through the air via some weak vibrations and echo location that were innate to its original form. Which is how he fired a tendril straight through its chest before dragging the bird into his body and dissolving it with the mass of internal tendrils he was using in place of all the boring human parts that would serve him no purpose. (Like this bladder thing, why do humans need to expel fluids? I mean, what¡¯s the point of being made of so many liquids if you¡¯re just going to expel them via a urethra and these sweat gland things? If you¡¯re going to expel a fluid, spit out some acid or something.) Shaking his head at the weirdness of this inferior mammalian evolution, he moved his thoughts back to the bird template his tendrils had finished consuming before shifting into his third Template. Figuring that while the Human Template would help it blend in easier, a form that could fly could prove valuable even if the lack of ground would cost it half its vibrational awareness. After shrinking down and compressing its form into that of a(n actually bigger than I wanted) bird, it discovered that a bird form would be completely useless to it as its body was far too dense for the bird¡¯s wings to carry it. Even with its superior tendrils replacing all of said Template¡¯s muscles for several dozen times the power, which allowed it to get several seconds of air¡­ before promptly cratering the ground beneath it. Shifting back into his human form he couldn¡¯t help but frown with this Template¡¯s facial muscles. (Huh, I know my old body could fly through space so¡­ why can¡¯t I remember how they did that?) He wondered if he should be concerned that he couldn¡¯t, before deciding that it didn¡¯t matter. (Probably one of several failsafes to keep us from overpowering it should we go rogue. I¡¯ll just have to figure out a way around that, but I¡¯ve got centuries to get on that. So¡­ whatever.) That said, all of this thinking was making him hungry. (Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t find another human¡­ maybe a female so I have both templates at my disposal.) Chapter 8: A Grimm Inspection Chapter 8: A Grimm Inspection --- Vanessa, Before The Event --- She stepped into the facility¡¯s main -but not it¡¯s only- testing area with about five minutes to spare before the actual evaluation would begin, thus earning a nod from less nervous Jess. (Not that I actually care about that.) It was just better for her if she kept her fellow lab rats happy. (Speaking of¡­) She glanced at Nick and Cyn playing patty cake as they waited for the test to begin. For all the world looking like an elder sibling playing with their handicap younger sibling, rather than a mentally unstable golden retriever playing with ten different kinds of nightmare in a pint sized package. A part of her was always amused by the fact that she was the only one on their squad to half way look like a monster, given how she couldn¡¯t hide her long prehensile tail, her oddly shaped arms and hands, or her silver eyes and hair. (Eh, just means I¡¯m the most honest one here.) Cyn glanced at her and let out a giggle before waving at her, thus informing Nick of her arrival. ¡°See Jess I told you Vanessa wouldn¡¯t be late!¡± Nick smiled. Jess nodded, with a small grin of her own. ¡°So you did. Still,¡± Jessica clapped, ¡°we¡¯re cutting it close so everyone line up. The director is already on her way.¡± She rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t actually bother protesting as she took her spot a couple paces from Jessica, while Nicholas helped Cyn to their ¡®leader¡¯s other side before standing between Jessica and Vanessa. They all stood there for another half hour as the people in charge gave a powerplay to remind them that they were just toys meant to follow orders. (Wonder if the others even realize that?) While the others had all been ¡®part of the company¡¯ longer than her, that didn¡¯t change the fact that she was a little more¡­ street smart than the others. Lacking the naive trust the others put into the company they¡¯d all lived with for so long, none of them even realizing what kind of place they were working for. (Besides Mathias but if he disappeared forever I¡¯d celebrate it every year on the anniversary. We¡¯ll even call it ¡®Dead Asshole¡¯ day.) She shook her head, realizing that she was getting distracted again and began wondering how much longer this was going to take. From down the line she noticed Cyn shift as her eyes locked onto one of the many impact resistant windows lining the testing area. Knowing what that meant, she followed Cyn¡¯s line of sight and quickly spotted the director, a pale woman in a suit with long black hair, leading a trio of men in suits. Flanking them on either side was a nervous looking woman with curly hair and glasses in a lab coat -(Ah, the ¡®good¡¯ Doctor Holiday.)- and a severe looking man in body armor -(And, of course the head of security has to keep his eyes on us.)- on the other. She whispered, ¡°There here.¡± to the others who still hadn¡¯t put together that Cyn¡¯s eyes never left the Director unless there were at least six inches of steel between them. (It says something that the scariest of us has her marked as the most dangerous person in the room.) The Director of their little program gave the company men a speech she couldn¡¯t hear through the glass even with her enhanced sensory system, but she¡¯d watched enough security recordings -after drugging the on duty guards- to know that this whole thing was just a reminder that while they hadn¡¯t ¡®acquired¡¯ any new agents that the squad they had was more than enough for any assignments the company¡¯s interests required. The fact that she was the one given most of those assignments told her exactly what the company wanted from this program, and the missions they gave the others were more for the Director¡¯s personal projects. The ones she kept in the basement no one without a collapsible skeleton could get into undetected. She stretched out her various joints waiting for this whole thing to get started, so that she could kill something and get back to her TV. The only thing keeping her from trying her luck at leaving this hellhole most days. ¡°We¡¯ve got this.¡± Nicholas assured her, mistaking her need to move and kill for nerves in his innocence. The main reason anyway. Eventually a series of lights went off on the other side of the testing area as a metal door began to rise. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Slowly a mass of flesh and metal became visible as a trio of massive quadrupedal creatures came into view. Their muscles so large they were tearing their own skin open, and each limb ending in foot long claws that were almost as impressive as the massive tusks to either side of their fang filled maws. Upon seeing them she couldn¡¯t help but let out a whistle. ¡°That, uh, that is a lot bigger than when we caught it.¡± Nicholas chuckled nervously. ¡°Clearly the Company has made strides in domesticating Creeps for security purposes.¡± Jessica nodded, rationalizing away the monsters in front of them (like she always does.) ¡°Regardless, between the four of us this will be an easy victory.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She yawned, as she hunched over her fingertips burning as her claws unsheathed themselves. ¡°So how do you want to handle this Boss?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll each need to demonstrate our¡­ abilities.¡± Jess told them, sounding uncomfortable, before quickly saying. ¡°Nicholas, you¡¯re first.¡± Nicholas saluted, with a cheery,¡°I won¡¯t let you down boss.¡± before rushing forward. Not noticing the way that her and Jessica were both grimacing. Nicholas ran forward to fight the massive Creep that charged forward to meet its aggressor. As Nicholas met the beast fists raised to attack it, the beast promptly body slammed into him with a squelch as they hit the ground. The beast picked itself up and began savagely ripping into the fleshy crimson paste that had once been Nicholas Grimm. ¡°Welp¡­ That was fast.¡± She¡¯d honestly been expecting him to last longer than that. She glanced towards a facepalming Jessica. ¡°So, you going to deal with this or you want me to?¡± Jessica sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± as she stepped forward, white bone growths already pushing through her cheeks. As her leader neared the Creep, it looked up from its meal and growled at her, the sound causing the entire room to rumble from the sheer size of it. When this didn¡¯t stop her, the beast instead swung its claw at her hoping to rend her into pieces as easily as it had its first victim. Only, unlike Nick (Jessica ain¡¯t a little bitch.) Jessica caught the hand -which was the same size as her- with only one, before gripping it with her other and using what Vanessa was sure was impossible leverage to throw the massive beast into the side of the room. Before Jessica could follow after her opponent however several panels dropped down from the ceiling before unleashing a number of dog sized floating drones into the air. Knowing what was inevitably coming next, Jessica secured her footing before the drones opened fire on her their bullets ripping her uniform apart even as they did next to nothing to actually pierce the bone armor that had spread over all but the joints of her body. After a steady minute of this, Jessica threw her arms out and launched several hyper-dense bone darts at the drones, piercing through their metal and causing them to explode. Something that Vanessa knew they were programmed to do for the sake of the show rather than from any such structural weakness. With the first wave of drones defeated, a second wave of larger drones were unleashed. Recognizing which drones these were due to the numbers on their sides, Vanessa rushed forward before kicking off the ground and leaping onto the back of the drone with the largest number, where she slammed the palm of her hand into the metal. As her hand touched the metal she instinctively flexed the muscles inside of her arm, causing a short stinger similar to the one in her tail to shoot out of her forearm and through her lower palm driving a blade of bone and organic metal into the built in weak point that would have a very interesting chemical reaction with her stingers. Now on a clock used the drone as a springboard to leap onto another drone and repeat her process with her other hand, leaving her first blade unsheathed for the camera despite instinct pushing her to retract it. With two drones down she proceeded to repeat this process with the rest of the drones before landing in a crouch next to Jessica just as the drones began to visibly dissolve from where she¡¯d stung them. Something her stingers couldn¡¯t actually pull off without a lot more time. As the drones began to explosively crash into the ground she stood up and flipped her hair in a way that she¡¯d seen several action actresses do on her shows. From the otherside of the testing area the Creep that had been subtly corralled via shocks through the metal clinging to its flesh began to near them as the shocks stopped, leaving it trembling with rage as it roared into the air. Rather than dealing with it themselves, she and Jessica glanced towards Cyn who during their little show had managed to limp from her starting point to the center of the testing area where she raised a hand towards the Creep Behemoth. Slowly the physically crooked girl¡¯s eye began to glow with a dangerous shade of orange, almost like the dying light of a setting sun. All the while her head slowly tilted to the side as she quit fighting against the natural crick in her neck and the Creep began to spasm in place before- *Pop* Blood rained all around them, bits of flesh skidding on the ground. Cyn began to collapse and Vanessa lashed out with her tail, using it to subtly hold the girl up before she could kill whatever presence she¡¯d built in the company men¡¯s mind. If the cameras were allowed to focus on them they would easily see what she was doing, luckily there was the perfect distraction not even three seconds later as a skeleton suddenly sat up from the ground. Black electricity sparked across the corpse as patches of crimson muscle began to grow across it, bits and pieces of the blood around them floating through the air before rejoining the corpse as it rewound time and undid all damage done to it. And as the last of the pale skin clothed the corpse and a mop of black hair grew out of the head a pair of silver eyes blinked open with freshly grown lids. ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± A fully healed Nick asked, completely unbothered by the horrifically gruesome process that had brought him back to life. Given how she watched one of the men in suits vomit at a process that everyone in their little facility had seen a dozen times over, she guessed, ¡°Eh, you passed.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Nick cheered, raising his arms into the air and completely unaware of the bit of the blood still sticking to the teeth of his smile. Chapter 9: Girl Troubles Chapter 9: Girl Troubles --- Jeremy Graham, Before The Event --- He hated group assignments more than anything else. Whenever he did a project by himself he could be sure to put in however much effort he needed to to make sure he¡¯d get the best grade possible. His parents would like that. Whenever he had to work with someone else however then he had to let them do part of the project or else the teachers would scold him for not working with his peers. And there was no telling if they¡¯d do their parts, or if they¡¯d mess something up, forcing him to accept a grade worse than if he¡¯d just done everything by himself. His parents wouldn¡¯t like that. Fortunately, despite being forced into yet another group assignment, he¡¯d lucked out and been put on a team with Max Miller, who while not the most sociable of people was a genius when it came to the technical sciences as demonstrated by her perfect score in their class. Meaning for once he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his grade in a group project as with or without him their project would be getting a perfect score. His parents would like that. While he focused on his half of the project, he idly overheard some of their classmates saying something about Ms. Miller and how she should be in Home Ec rather than advanced tech. Something that had been disproven just by the fact that she was taking a college level technology class in high school, and had passed all of the prerequisite courses. Not that he mentioned any of this, because unlike Miller he was most certainly not a genius and had to work twice as hard to ensure he got grades even half as good as her own. And given how many times he¡¯d had his own grades dragged down he refused to do the same to hers. Unfortunately, he became so focused on what he was doing that he didn¡¯t notice as Miller converted her half of their project into a small device that when ¡®accidentally¡¯ dropped on their classmate¡¯s project caused the whole thing to catch flames. He just barely heard her question of ¡°How¡¯s that for cooking?¡± over the students¡¯ panicked screams and the teachers urging for everyone to remain calm. By the time the electrical fire had been put out and the students corralled, he found himself next to Miller with the teacher glaring at both of them. His parents wouldn¡¯t like this¡­ --- Miles Kennedy, Before The Event --- ¡°Oh, this is going to be so much fun!¡± Cory told them for the umpteenth time as she practically buzzed in her bus seat. ¡°Heh, yeah.¡± He smiled, forcing down his grimace. (This was a lot easier when I wasn¡¯t on the way to this thing.) ¡°You okay, Miles?¡± Micki whispered, more perceptive than most believed. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He lied, before glancing out of his window so she couldn¡¯t see his face. ¡°How much further are we from this thing though?¡± ¡°We should be pulling up in just a minute.¡± Cory answered, as she slid on her backpack to run off the moment the bus stopped. Micki laughed lightly. ¡°The way you¡¯re acting, you¡¯d think you weren¡¯t a part in setting this whole thing up.¡± ¡°I was, but this was more my dad and some of the city¡¯s other Practitioners.¡± Cory explained, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°And I mean this is the first big event we¡¯ve set up since the riots outed us.¡± He held back another grimace at that ¡®us,¡¯ knowing full well that his friend intended to become a Practitioner like her father despite not being a Deviant herself. ¡°Yeah, uh, just to¡­ Not to be a downer but¡­ you guys have got security for this thing, right?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Cory¡¯s smile faded a bit and he couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty about that. ¡°Yeah, my uh, my dad got some of his cop friends to work security and then there¡¯s uh, there¡¯s this security company a lot of Deviants work with that¡¯s here too¡­ just in case someone tries something.¡± Micki elbowed him, which he deserved, before trying to cheer Cory up because a sad Cory was just wrong. ¡°Look, I doubt anyone is going to try anything. I mean a lot of people are still in denial about Deviants at all, and there were a lot of places outside the city where they didn¡¯t even pop up.¡± ¡°Still it¡¯s¡­ disappointing how many people think we¡¯re going to all turn out like the Tallman¡­¡± Cory sighed. ¡°Um, uh,¡± he glanced around before realizing, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re here!¡± Cory blinked before glancing out the window and regaining some of her pep as she realized that they were at the convention center. As she rushed off the bus Micki grabbed him with a glare, ¡°Miles, I know you¡¯ve got your weird thing with ¡®magic¡¯ but don¡¯t ruin this for her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m worried some asshole might.¡± He tried to explain, rubbing the back of his neck as he realized that was only half of the truth. Micki kept up her glare for a second longer, likely seeing through him, before shaking her head. ¡°Whatever, just¡­ this is important to Cory. Like, her mom important.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He grimaced, because in the same way this thing was mom important to Cory, it was dad awkward for him. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m here.¡± If it weren¡¯t for how important all of this was to Cory, he would¡¯ve mentioned what this convention actually was to his mom and she would¡¯ve come up with some excuse for him to stay home from school and this. ¡°Come on guys, what¡¯s taking you?¡± Cory called from the front of the bus. ¡°We¡¯re coming!¡± Micki told her, before lightly dragging him up the bus. --- Aurelio Hermenez, Before The Event --- He was finding that the longer he lived on his own in the city, the more things he was finding he loved. (Like coffee.) Oh, they had coffee in his hometown, but that was overcooked garbage water from the local diner or the doughnut shop. In the city they had all sorts of fancy things that sounded so pretentious on the surface that they would absolutely piss off the people from his hometown. (And that alone is reason enough to love it.) He¡¯d first tried coffee after moving to the city and being offered a glass by his co-worker Mick on a particularly early morning at the diner he worked at, and had reluctantly accepted it due to exhaustion. One sip and he was hooked. Apparently, the old man he worked for had a stash of gourmet coffee to deal with his hangovers and tended to leave whatever was left in the pot to his employees. You just had to make sure the old man didn''t mix actual pot into his coffee that morning. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t just go to work to steal their coffee, he instead tracked down a cafe that was admittedly a bus ride away from his cheap apartment and while the coffee was a little pricey he felt he was worth it. What¡¯s more he lucked out in the fact that that cute blonde from down the hall worked here. He hadn¡¯t asked her out yet, but he was planning on it. (Once I improve my game anyway¡­) When he¡¯d first gotten to the city and gotten his feet under him he¡¯d gone on a bit of a bend asking out every cute girl he saw -(and daaamn does the city have cute girls and hot girls and-)- The point was he asked out a lot of women, and he was also shot down by just as many women. At which point he realized that unlike his home town he couldn¡¯t simply ask out someone, because back there everyone already knew everyone while here in the city (they have no idea who I am.) That thought was as daunting as it was liberating. Whoever he dated would be dating him for him, not for his father¡¯s money. And whoever he dated wouldn¡¯t sell him down the river due to a few rumors, because the only people who could make rumors about him were his co-workers. And the dozen or so women he asked out, but given how he wasn¡¯t as pushy as he¡¯d seen some of the jocks get in his hometown -something that always made him uncomfortable- he was hoping that would be a point in his favor. Regardless, unlike his previous attempts he tried to strike up some kind of small talk every time he saw her in the hopes of getting to know her as much as he could without actually going on a date. Admittedly, he was pretty sure she had a crush on her female coworker -(Not that I can blame her.)- but he as proof that that wasn¡¯t necessarily a deal breaker. And if it was, well they could still be friends. (Never hurts to have more of those.) He may¡¯ve been a romantic at heart, but he was happy to have people that made him happy in his life however that may be. (For once¡­) Chapter 10: Troubled Souls Chapter 10: Troubled Souls --- Nicholas Grimm, Before The Event --- After they passed their inspection, and had one of their standard check ups with Doctor Holiday, their team each went to do their own things throughout the facility. Vanessa went to watch her TV, Jessica went to talk to the head of security, and he escorted Cyn back to her room where she would¡¯ve asked him to play tea party like she always did. That¡¯s what would¡¯ve happened, if there wasn¡¯t a tall man with silver hair waiting in the doorway of the room next to his while wearing a white and probably the only face Nicholas had ever wanted to punch. Cyn gave him a concerned look as they stopped. The man gave him a smile that was all teeth. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s with the long face, Nicky-boy?¡± He inhaled deeply before exhaling. ¡°What do you want, Mathias?¡± Cyn squeezed his hand, and glared at Mathias as best she could. ¡°Ah, is that anyway to greet somebody, brother?¡± Mathias grinned. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to tell me what this is about I¡¯m leaving.¡± He frowned, moving to pass only for Mathias to step in front of him. ¡°Ah, come on, we used to talk all the time, little brother.¡± Mathias told him, smile never fading as he tilted his head. ¡°Is it really so bad to have a talk with your big brother?¡± ¡°Vanessa and Jessica both say I shouldn¡¯t talk to you.¡± He swallowed, looking around with the faint hope saying their names would summon one of them. Mathias rolled his eyes with some amusement. ¡°Of course they tell you that, they want you to follow the rules.¡± ¡°I break the rules.¡± He quickly defended, remembering the last time they¡¯d had this talk. ¡°Right¡­ Heh, you¡¯re such a bad boy.¡± Mathias laughed at him. ¡°We both know breaking rules no one cares about aren¡¯t going to get you anywhere.¡± ¡°Those¡­ those are the only ones I need to break.¡± He tried to argue. Mathias narrowed his eyes despite still smiling. ¡°You¡¯re letting these people get in your head Nicky. Much longer and you¡¯re going to forget you¡¯re their slave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a slave¡­¡± Mathias¡¯s smile turned sad as he shook his head. ¡°You do what you¡¯re told, you obey their rules, the longer this goes on the worse they¡¯re going to treat you. Just look at your little inspection, they let you fight something you can¡¯t handle and you were squished for it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°You were watching?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always watching.¡± Mathias assured him. ¡°We both know how much that hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to it¡­¡± He¡¯d figured out years ago pain only hurt you when you fought it, if he accepted it it wouldn¡¯t hurt him. ¡°Maybe, but when they hurt you, they hurt me¡­¡± Mathias reminded him, before wrapping a hand around his throat. ¡°And I don¡¯t like being hurt, Nicholas.¡± ¡°Angry glare. Leave him alone.¡± Cyn said from beside him as she stoically stared at Mathias. Mathias¡¯s smile twitched. ¡°We both know you can¡¯t hurt me parasite.¡± Cyn¡¯s eyes began to glow orange as her shadow twisted behind her. ¡°You¡¯re the parasite.¡± Mathias unflinchingly met Cyn¡¯s gaze before shaking his head with a laugh as he let go of Nicholas¡¯s throat. ¡°Heh, you know she¡¯s not worth it, Nicky boy.¡± Shakily he met Mathias¡¯s eyes before glancing away, unable to hold it. Cyn squeezed his hand. ¡°Yes, she is.¡± He disagreed. ¡°They all are.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Mathias shrugged as he turned back to his room, (the room next to mine¡­) ¡°I¡¯m fine waiting for you to realize they aren¡¯t. When you get tired of your little martyr complex I¡¯ll be happy to break you out of this prison just like I did the last one.¡± He frowned, not remembering what Mathias was talking about and annoyed that the other said that solely because he both knew Nicholas wouldn¡¯t. When Mathias disappeared behind his door, Nicholas let out a sigh of relief. After a moment he looked down at a concerned Cyn. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s get you back to your room¡­¡± ¡°Reluctant nod.¡± Cyn told him, after passing a few more rooms she added. ¡°You don¡¯t need him.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace. ¡°I wish it was that simple¡­¡± --- Max Miller, Before The Event --- She sat in the school office for what was neither the first nor the last time. Given the way Graham was having a panic attack next to her she was pretty sure this would be his first and last time here. ¡°This is bad, this is bad, this is bad¡­¡± The boy spiraled. ¡°Look all you¡¯ve got to tell them is that it was my fault and it was an accident and you¡¯ll get out of here fine.¡± She assured him. ¡°How are you so calm about this?¡± Graham asked him before deciding that a better question was. ¡°Why would you do this?!¡± ¡°People annoy me, I get fed up, and I lash out.¡± She shrugged, knowing that there was a lot more to it than that, but she wasn¡¯t going to trauma dump on some random kid from his school. (That¡¯s what the internet is for.) Either way this wasn¡¯t the answer Graham was looking for as he buried his head in his hands. She rolled her eyes with a sigh. ¡°Look, just throw me under the bus like I told you to. I¡¯ll own up and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Graham looked up and gave her a confused frown. ¡°What about¡­ what about your scholarship? Won¡¯t this¡­ won¡¯t you lose it because of this?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but snort at that. ¡°I¡¯ll get detention, or fix some damaged school stuff, but they won¡¯t kick me out over this.¡± ¡°The fact that you see it that way means we should at least consider it.¡± An older woman in a button up and glasses informed her. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°P-principal Hawthorne!¡± Graham jumped. ¡°Jeremy.¡± The principal smiled. ¡°You can go ahead and go to your next class, I know this wasn¡¯t you. Ask the secretary at the front desk to give you a note to excuse your tardiness.¡± Not needing to be told twice Graham gave her a hurried nod as he jumped out of his seat. ¡°Th-thank you, ma¡¯am!¡± Once they were alone Hawthorne let out a sigh as she turned her attention back to Max. ¡°What are we going to do with you, Ms. Miller? This is your third time here this month alone.¡± She shrugged. ¡°If you seriously want to kick me out I won¡¯t stop you, but we both know the scholarship isn¡¯t just covering my expenses but actually donating a decent amount for taking in geniuses from unfortunate circumstances. Going off that math I¡¯m worth at least three students here in funding.¡± The fact that she found that out by hacking into the school servers when bored, wasn¡¯t something she was going to share. (If the school with a tech program didn¡¯t want people getting in they should¡¯ve gotten better security. Kids are mischievous.) ¡°You also cause the problems of five of our other students.¡± Hawthorne pointed out. ¡°The extra security from my dad covers the other two kids.¡± She figured. ¡°And that¡¯s before we get into the fact that I repair so much school equipment for free.¡± Honestly, she didn¡¯t even consider that part a punishment or anything. One of the few things she legitimately enjoyed in life was putting her headphones on and burying her hands inside some machine¡¯s guts. ¡°What about the way you disrupt classes for your peers?¡± Hawthorne frowned. ¡°And the way they disrupt classes with their sexist comments?¡± She asked. ¡°Or what about when they bully other kids?¡± Not all of her ¡®fights¡¯ had been because they were being idiots to her. ¡°In both cases it would be preferable if you went to a teacher for help.¡± Hawthorn told her. She couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at that. ¡°In which case it becomes he said she said, with the one with more friends or better liked by the teacher winning. And let¡¯s face it, half the teachers are already convinced I¡¯m a problem student.¡± The principal kept quiet at that though the unimpressed look on her face screamed, ¡®that¡¯s because you are.¡¯ After a moment, Hawthorne let out a sigh. ¡°Normally I¡¯d give you your usual detention but you¡¯ve both cleared out the backlog of our repairs as well as proven that isn¡¯t enough to curb your behavior. So instead I¡¯ll be having a talk with your father about alternative punishments.¡± She let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Heh, let me know when you get ahold of him.¡± The principal gave her a confused frown at that. ¡°I already have¡­ He¡¯s on his way here now. In fact I believe that¡¯s him pulling in now.¡± She blinked, before glancing out the window behind her and seeing her dad¡¯s police car pulling in. ¡°Oh¡­¡± --- Micki Harrison, Before The Event --- ¡°Uh, where is everyone?¡± Miles asked, earning himself another glare in spite of the fact that she wanted to ask the same thing. ¡°Well it¡¯s just Friday, I¡¯m pretty sure Saturday and Sunday are going to have the real turnouts.¡± Cory explained, sounding unbothered by the question. ¡°Honestly, today is more of a ¡®test your exhibit¡¯ type of thing.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you guys have done that already?¡± She frowned, looking around because when Cory had told them this was going to be a Deviant convention¡­ Well, she¡¯d been expecting a bit more than a bunch of tables and tents that actually didn¡¯t look all that different from a normal convention. (Then again I¡¯ve never been to one of those.) ¡°Look, just trust me if there were more people here there¡¯d be magic all over the place, we just need to get the ball rolling¡­¡± Cory assured them with just a touch of desperation before running to the nearest table. ¡°Hi, what are you showing off?¡± A bookish looking man with glasses and a button up vest smiled despite looking nervous, ¡°Oh, um, since the first step to truly understanding one¡¯s magic is learning your affinities, we decided that one of the first exhibits should be a way of showing off each person¡¯s affinity. After all, even if you can¡¯t cast magic you¡¯ve still got a magical affinity due to how magic flows through everyone.¡± The man gestured to a pile of papers set out on the table. ¡°Usually we¡¯d use an affinity ring for that, but these pages have a spell where they¡¯ll take your affinities and draw out a picture from them.¡± Seeing how Cory looked at them and how Miles was still in his weird mood, she decided to step up for Cory¡¯s sake. ¡°Okay, how do these things work?¡± ¡°Well, um, if you were a magic user you could just take the page and push some magic into it, but if you¡¯re not you¡¯d set it in one of these spell circuits, erm, the circles and put her hands in the branching circles.¡± The man explained, gesturing to a pair circle filled with writing she could make neither heads nor tails of with two circles out of each. ¡°Alright, but you might want to hold back the ¡®if you could use magic¡¯ comment, some people might take that the wrong way.¡± She warned the guy as she set her page in one of the big circles. The man winced. ¡°Er, right, sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem man.¡± She nodded before placing her hands in the designated circles. She felt a sort of cool warmth build up in her hands before watching as sparks of electricity seemed to jump from the smaller circles and into the bigger one. After a moment of this the page in the center developed a black spot that steadily grew outward as it took on the form of a shield with a hammer on it and a sun behind it. ¡°Huh, neat, but what¡¯s this mean?¡± ¡°Um, the spell can be a little obtuse since it goes art over fact.¡± The man told her as he picked up the page and adjusted his glasses. ¡°The shield is the centerpiece so your main affinity would be something like [Guardian]. The sun in the background probably means well, [Sun] or more likely [Light]. Then the hammer¡­ Eh, that would make it¡­ [Metal] or [Creation] maybe¡­ probably the metal since the shield.¡± ¡°Yeah, thinking about it all of that really fits you.¡± Cory grinned as Micki took the picture back. ¡°Cool.¡± She smiled back, despite not knowing what any of that meant. ¡°I already know my affinities but I¡¯m kind of curious how the picture turns out.¡± Cory told them as she set another page in the circle. ¡°Oh!¡± The man blinked. ¡°Are you an Arcane or Practitioner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be a Practitioner, but my dad says I have to wait until I¡¯m eighteen before he teaches me.¡± Cory explained, as she put her hands on the table. ¡°He¡¯s one of the ones who set this all up.¡± The man snapped his fingers. ¡°Your Jim¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Cory nodded, looking a little embarrassed as her page began to spark. ¡°You¡¯re dad was a huge inspiration for people, he was a major Deviant rights activist back in the day.¡± The man practically gushed, somehow unbothered by the electricity dancing on the table. (Maybe he¡¯s desensitized?) ¡°Er, right. Oh, look my thing ¡®s done.¡± Cory pointed out, causing them all to look down at a picture of a field of flowers with several small animals and- ¡°Oh, that¡¯s um¡­¡± The man seemed stunned, though he wasn¡¯t the only one. In the center of the page was a skull with a rose blooming within one of its skulls. (That¡¯s uh, that¡¯s kind of metal actually¡­) ¡°A strong [Nature] affinity with a secondary affinity for [Life] and [Death].¡± Cory smiled, completely unbothered by the reading. ¡°Okay, I can¡­ I can see Nature given your garden at home or even the Life thing, but uh, Death?¡± Miles asked, looking a little disturbed. Cory shrugged. ¡°Affinities are a little more conceptual than straight meaning. My dad says reading a lot of dream analysis or art symbolism is good for Practitioners to figure out what their affinities really mean. For me I like to think my Death affinity with my Life affinity means new beginnings, like the tarot¡¯s Death card.¡± ¡°Okay, yeah.¡± She nodded. ¡°I can see [New Beginnings] fitting you.¡± (After all, you were a new beginning for me and Miles both.) Cory gave her another smile, this one making her stomach flutter a bit with how much joy was in it. Shaking her head, she turned towards her other best friend. ¡°Alright, Miles your turn.¡± Miles looked uncomfortable for a second before letting out a sigh as he gave into their looks and stepped forward. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡± (Who says peer pressure is a bad thing?) By the time Miles finished his page he was looking notably worse than before and she was sure it had to do with the large skull with a single eye grinning up at them from beneath a ragged top hat as it smoked on a particularly smokey cigar. ¡°And¡­ what is this supposed to mean?¡± Miles asked, sounding somewhere between panic and laughter. ¡°Um, the Death affinity isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.¡± Cory was quick to remind him. ¡°And, um, the eye can mean a lot of things like vision, creativity, protection, um there¡¯s a difference between the left and the right eye¡­ I think the left eye means¡­ wisdom in more spiritual matters? So together they¡¯d mean wisdom when dealing with death or mourning¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Miles nodded, looking a little calmer if still a touch disturbed. ¡°And what about the hat and cigar?¡± ¡°Uh, style, class?¡± Cory shrugged, before glancing at the man. ¡°Ideas?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, um¡­ There¡¯s a lot of smoke so maybe that?¡± The man offered looking like he didn¡¯t know how to handle this. ¡°Right, right, just um¡­¡± Miles shook his head before crumpling the paper up and tossing it in a bin next to the table. ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s just move on to the next stand.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Cory agreed, before turning around only to pause. ¡°Cory?¡± She asked. ¡°Uh, Miles, isn¡¯t that your Aunt?¡± She blinked before looking where the other girl was pointing and finding a dark skinned woman with short curly hair walking with a pale ginger haired man. ¡°Yeah¡­ it is¡­¡± Chapter 11: Normality Fleeting Chapter 11: Normality Fleeting --- Harper Everette, Before The Event --- (She lashed out with her blade cutting down another of the bandits that dared to raid her settlement before drawing her gun and shooting out another. Behind her the sound of a raging beast drew her attention to her mutated war hound Berry the bloody, ripping through a bandit that had managed to sneak up on her. ¡°Good boy!¡± She called, earning a bark of acknowledgement from her only true companion in the radioactive wastes of the world. Seeing that there were no bandits left here she instead turned in the direction the raiding party had come from before climbing onto Berry¡¯s back and ordering him to, ¡°Hunt!¡± as she pulled down her goggles. Her war hound let loose a proud howl that would inspire those who followed her while terrifying those who fought against her, before setting out across the desert wastes in search of his prey. With every stride of the great beast they tore through all that stood before them as the air swept through her hair, as they grew ever closer to the abandoned apartment building that the bandits had set their base inside of. ¡°Shh, we need to be quiet so they don¡¯t hear us.¡± She told her faithful companion. As quietly as they could they snuck through the building, their heads on a swivel in search of the remaining bandits, knowing that even if that raiding party had made up the bulk of their forces there was no way their cowardly leader would dare risk himself. Following the various signs of life she made her way to an apartment on the third floor, and began to quietly open the door so that she could launch a sneak attack on the bandit lead-) ¡°Hey, Harper!¡± She jumped half a foot in the air as she was snapped out of her day dream, before turning to find her neighbor Leo -a tall thin latino boy with angular features- waiting behind her. ¡°Uh, hey, Leo.¡± She greeted back as she tried to fight down her embarrassment at being caught in one of her fantasies by one of the few friends who didn¡¯t know just how much of a daydreamer she really was. ¡°So, um, you¡¯ve got a sec?¡± Leo asked. ¡°Or, uh, are you busy right now?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯ve got a sec.¡± She nodded before holding up Berry¡¯s leash. ¡°Just let me get Berry inside.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Leo nodded back Once she¡¯d gotten her good boi stashed back in her apartment she turned back to her newest friend. ¡°So, uh, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Well, um, you know how I¡¯m kind of new to town and stuff?¡± Leo checked. ¡°Yeah,¡± She shook her head. ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you just upped and moved at our age like that. Don¡¯t think I¡¯d have the stones to do that myself.¡± As much as she might dream about a life of adventure, she knew she wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could just up and start over on a whim or dream like Leo, whatever his dream may be. (And I¡¯m pretty sure Leo is still a couple years younger than me.) ¡°Heh, uh, thanks.¡± Leo smiled bashfully. ¡°Well, the thing is, um, I was kind of wondering if uh, you¡¯d like to hang out sometime? I mean, maybe catch a movie or¡­ something.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± She blinked, feeling a bit of heat in her face. ¡°Are¡­ are you asking me out?¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Um.¡± Leo swallowed before nodding. ¡°Yeah, yeah I am.¡± ¡°You mean, like¡­ a date?¡± She hadn¡¯t actually had anyone just walk up to her and ask her out before. Her few ¡®romantic ventures¡¯ had just been her making out with someone at a party in high school and then maybe hanging out once or twice outside of them, but definitely nothing since she graduated. (Heh, he really does have a pair on him.) ¡°If you want, though if you don¡¯t we could just hang out like friends¡­ I uh, don¡¯t have many of those in the city.¡± Leo admitted, running a hand over the back of his neck. ¡°No pressure either way, it¡¯s just you¡¯re kind of uh¡­ cute and uh, hot and¡­ yeah¡­¡± ¡°Oh, uh, thanks¡­¡± She blushed. ¡°Heh¡­¡± (You know what, I shouldn¡¯t just leave romance to my dreams¡­ If Leo is willing to take a chance on asking me out, then¡­ I can give him a chance¡­) She nodded to herself. ¡°Yeah, you know what. Yeah, I am free and I uh, I-I want it to be a real date!¡± Leo¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°R-really! I, uh, that¡¯s, that¡¯s great! When, when are you free?¡± ¡°Um, how about, how about this Sunday?¡± She had Monday off¡­ (Not that that means anything¡­) (It does.) ¡°Then I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll pick you up on Sunday at say¡­ eight?¡± Leo offered. ¡°Yeah, eight sounds good.¡± She agreed. ¡°Great!¡± Leo smiled as he started walking backwards towards his apartment, ¡°I¡¯ll uh, I¡¯ll see you then!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She smiled back. Leo bumped into his door before giving her one last wave as he retreated into his home. Not even ten seconds later she heard a loud ¡°Yeeesss!!!¡± rip through the air, forcing a giggle out of her. (He¡¯s such a goof.) --- Max Miller, Before The Event --- ¡°This is my fault.¡± Her dad told her after several minutes of awkward silence in the car. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m the one who started the fire.¡± She felt the need to point out. ¡°That was kind of my choice.¡± ¡°Maybe but you wouldn¡¯t be acting out like this if I was around more.¡± Her dad argued. ¡°I¡¯ve been so caught up with work stuff that I¡¯ve been neglecting you ever since my promotion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s whatever.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to watch myself.¡± (Always have been.) ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t have to.¡± Her dad sighed, running a hand over his graying mustache before sitting up straight. ¡°Which is why there are going to be some changes.¡± (Oh, god¡­) ¡°What kind of changes?¡± She grimaced. ¡°For one I¡¯ll be pulling fewer all nighters so I can be home for you more.¡± He promised. ¡°Okay¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t tell if that one was good or bad, because while she enjoyed the nights he came home she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d react the same if it was a more frequent thing. She knew she wasn¡¯t what you¡¯d call a ¡®people person¡¯. ¡°Next I¡¯ve made an agreement with your principal to keep you out of detention.¡± Her dad continued. ¡°Instead we¡¯re going to sign you up for one of our youth programs meaning you¡¯ll be spending your after school time down at the station with other kids learning more about how the police operate.¡± ¡°Ugh, I already know how cops work.¡± She groaned. ¡°Remember you used to drag me down to the station all the time when I was a kid.¡± ¡°True but this time you¡¯ll actually be getting involved in some of the nitty gritty stuff we couldn¡¯t let a ten year old get involved with.¡± Her dad explained. ¡°We¡¯ll bounce you between a couple of departments, and if you do well enough in any of them we might be able to fast track you into the station when you graduate.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to be a cop?¡± She asked, beginning to feel yet another headache. ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re smart and you love helping people, I mean your principal was just telling me how much you help the school with maintaining their computers.¡± Her dad laughed. ¡°In fact I¡¯m sure you¡¯d do fantastic in IT or ooh, you love science, maybe forensics is in your future!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Ugh¡­¡± She groaned, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window as the throbbing grew worse. ¡°Uh, Maxy you okay? You¡¯re looking a little pale.¡± Her dad frowned. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ just a headache.¡± She¡¯d gotten them often enough that it wasn¡¯t a big deal for her anymore. Her dad didn¡¯t look entirely convinced. ¡°If you want I can pull over, grab you some ibuprofen or something.¡± She waved him off as she closed her eyes. ¡°No, just¡­ Let¡¯s just get home¡­ so I can¡­ I can lie down¡­¡± ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re sure.¡± Her dad reluctantly agreed. ¡°I a-¡± The air itself screamed as a thousand ice picks drove themselves into her skull. She faintly heard her dad scream, ¡°MAX!¡± before her head thumped lifelessly against the dashboard as everything faded into the silent scream that sounded far too familiar. Chapter 12: Cascading Failures Chapter 12: Cascading Failures --- Catherine Freeman, Before The Event --- ¡°What prettyboy couldn¡¯t make it himself?¡± An old man with gray hair and a beard asked as he looked them over through the sunglasses he was wearing in doors. ¡°You know how he is with the sunlight.¡± She shrugged, because while the sun boiled the blood of everyone with Night¡¯s Blood, it was particularly worse the more connected they were to the blood. (And after fifty years with it, Alex can barely step outside without needing a drink.) ¡°He¡¯ll join us later if this drags past sunset.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s hoping it doesn¡¯t then.¡± Hendrickson smirked, before making a ¡®give me¡¯ gesture with his hand. ¡°Now hand over whatever piece of mystical junk you guys wanted me to take a look at.¡± She glanced at Eric who reached into his coat and pulled out the black and silver box of their progenitor before setting it on the table between them. ¡°Think you can open this?¡± Hendrickson picked the box up and looked it over. ¡°Depends on if you mind me breaking the box?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure why but she instinctively hissed at that idea, an action Eric matched. The old man watched them, his expression never changing as they reeled their own back in. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. In which case I might be able to open it.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She apologized, knowing even from her Hunter days that Hendrickson was not someone you pissed off or threatened lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know you kitten. Even if you drink blood now you¡¯re still a good kid.¡± Hendrickson assured her, before tapping the box. ¡°Can¡¯t say the same about whoever made this though. From the looks of it your bloodline has a slaver effect telling you to protect this thing.¡± ¡°Alex is convinced that box is connected to our progenitor.¡± Eric explained. ¡°If it does even half of what he thinks it does, it¡¯d make sense we¡¯d want to protect it.¡± ¡°Maybe, though it makes me wonder just what this thing is.¡± Hendrickson admitted. ¡°Someone wouldn¡¯t create an entire bloodline for any old box.¡± ¡°No they wouldn¡¯t.¡± She agreed. ¡°But the fact that my blood is pulling me towards the box rather than warning me off makes me think we¡¯re supposed to open it.¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯re supposed to do something doesn¡¯t mean you should.¡± Hendrickson reminded her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that something Richy used to preach?¡± ¡°It was.¡± She growled, before taking a deep breath and letting it out. ¡°Just¡­ the box, how hard would it be for you to open it?¡± Hendrickson watched her for a moment before shaking his head as he began digging through one of the pockets of his cargo shorts. Finding what he was after he pulled out what looked like a flat skull on a keychain. ¡°Since we¡¯re dealing with Necromancy, might as well try this out. Key possesses any lock it touches and can then open them. Won it in a poker game against this Deadman a decade back.¡± ¡°Wait, we sure we want to open that here?¡± Eric asked, stopping Hendrickson from opening the box. ¡°I mean, I got meeting in a public place, but there¡¯s like a couple dozen people outside of this tent. What if this box is cursed or something?¡± ¡°Well it''s an arcane convention where half the people here owe me a solid. Meaning if I need their help fighting a rabid vampire lord I¡¯m sure I can talk them into it.¡± Hendrickson assured them. ¡°Hell I had this whole building slapped with a perception filter for the day just to make sure no one showed up. Only way in or out is if you¡¯ve got a bit of magic in ya.¡± The fact that he was admitting to bringing them into a building, surrounding them by an army, and making sure no civvies would be involved was all more or less irrelevant. After dealing with him on and off for twenty years she¡¯d long since learned that Hendrickson¡¯s defensive paranoia went from carrying a magical nuke in his pocket to inviting a serial killer to get shitfaced in his apartment with him. Eventually Eric nodded. ¡°Alright, do it.¡± Hendrickson put his key to the lock and a series of green sparks began to dance all over the surface of the box. After a moment of this the scent of rot began to fill the air as the sparks died down and the old man finally spun the key, causing the box to unlock with a click. Before the box could actually open however, Hendrickson slapped his hand on top of it before turning it around to face them. ¡°If this unleashes hellfire on whoever opens it, I¡¯m not standing in the blast direction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair.¡± She admitted as she gripped the lid and waited for the old man to take a few steps back from the table. She glanced at Eric as something occurred to her. ¡°Think we should wait for Alex?¡± Eric shook his head. ¡°Nah, he trusts us with this, and if it is something bad I¡¯d rather it get its hooks in us than him.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± She nodded, before turning back to the box. ¡°Wait!¡± Hendrickson interrupted, causing them both to look at him as he held up what looked like a paper wrapped cigar. ¡°If you guys do catch fire, do you mind if I use you to light this thing? I can¡¯t find my lighter.¡± They both gave him an unamused look before Eric tossed over his lighter. ¡°Ah, thanks.¡± With that taken care of she cautiously opened the box, feeling her blood practically singing as she did so, only to suddenly stop as the lid fully opened. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be right.¡± She frowned. Eric instead let out a bitter laugh as he disagreed. ¡°No this tracks. All this effort and the box is empty. For fucks sake¡­¡± ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a hidden compartment or something?¡± She suggested as she began to prod inside of the box. ¡°Nah, this whole thing was just a waste of time.¡± Eric told her. ¡°Let¡¯s just take this back to the boss man and call it a day.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. She let out a sigh as she still found nothing inside the box. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess.¡± She looked at Hendrickson. ¡°Sorry about wasting your time with this.¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it lass, I paid a debt without having to face some tentacled horror from beyond the stars. I¡¯m counting this as a win in my book.¡± Hendrickson assured them as he started to light up his joint. ¡°Yeah, well I doubt Alex is going to-¡± The box snapped down on her hand, and she could feel teeth digging into her flesh as something pulsed through her blood forcing it to boil hotter than it had ever before. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Eric gasped, stumbling forward as he held a hand to his heart. --- Miles Kennedy, Before The Event --- No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to his Aunt Catherine. He honestly wasn¡¯t that surprised that she was here given how his dad and her used to have a hobby of going to all the city¡¯s magic and psychic shows while trying to figure out who was faking it and who was legit. A hobby that he used to join them on, back before¡­ He shook his head and instead focused on the exhibit the girls had dragged him to now, the last few a blur of distractions after he¡¯d told them he wasn¡¯t going to bug his Aunt and her¡­ friend. ¡°So, how do you know what you get?¡± Micki asked curiously as they walked around the circuit on the ground. ¡°Well that would depend on what kind of circle you draw, the location you draw it, or what materials you use.¡± The person in charge of this exhibit -a dark haired woman with a number of tattoos on her arms- explained. ¡°A lot of that¡¯s pretty controlled if you know what you¡¯re doing, but there¡¯s this other thing we can do where we summon something that synchronizes with the summoner on a certain level.¡± ¡°Synchronizes?¡± He repeated, stepping up and getting a look halfway between concern and relief from the girls. ¡°Yeah, this is a bit technical, but it¡¯s caused by a three point scan of a person¡¯s mind, body, and spirit by using the different Deviant energies out there.¡± The woman elaborated. ¡°It then connects to the Arcane Nexus -a magical supercomputer for simplicity''s sake- that then runs the generated profile through all of the Nexus¡¯s registered entities for the most supplementary or complementary depending on ritual factors before summoning it.¡± ¡°Like one of those dating app things?¡± Micki guessed. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Though uh, most creatures you can summon aren¡¯t looking for romance.¡± ¡°Even succubi?¡± Micki asked with a smirk. The woman opened her mouth before closing it as she narrowed her eyes at them. ¡°I think you guys might be a little young for me to have this conversation with.¡± Micki threw an arm over his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re legal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go- You don¡¯t need to say that!¡± He hissed. ¡°Uh-huh, and I¡¯m pretty sure Jim¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t. Speaking of¡­¡± The woman pointed out, before grabbing something off a nearby table and tossing it at Cory. ¡°Consider that a thank you for everything your parents did back in the day.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, thank you.¡± Cory blushed as she examined what looked to be a small mirror. ¡°Um, what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of those Confidant Catalysts I was just talking about.¡± The woman answered. ¡°Your first contract should always be either a confidant or a beginners summon, and your father was asking about some stuff to teach you so I figured that would do.¡± ¡°Ooh, what do you think it¡¯ll summon?¡± Micki asked excitedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯ll probably be a few months before I find out.¡± Cory reminded them. The woman got a frustrated look. ¡°Oh, your dad is one of those ¡®magic is for responsible adults¡¯ types isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how most magic teachers are?¡± He frowned. ¡°Hell no!¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°I know plenty of people who were teaching middle schoolers, and that¡¯s before we get into all of the self taught high schoolers, but since the Arcane Association has an age limit for their college some people think that should be the limit like with a driver''s license or something.¡± (Well, I guess Mr. Hawkins always has been the responsible type?) The woman shook her head. ¡°He might be a hero but your mom was the cool one of the two. I mean by the time she was eighteen she had as many contracts as me.¡± She gestured to the tattoos on her arms. ¡°She did?¡± Cory asked, something fragile to her voice. ¡°Yeah, she was probably the best contractor in the city.¡± The woman nodded, not realizing the effect her words were having on his friend as she stared at the catalyst. He bit his lip for a moment before telling her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you use it now?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Cory blinked. ¡°But I, I can¡¯t I- My dad¡­¡± ¡°None of us are going to snitch.¡± He promised. ¡°Yeah, and since your birthday is just a few months away you wouldn¡¯t even have to hide it for that long.¡± Micki encouraged. ¡°But I- I don¡¯t have a focus.¡± Cory tried to argue, less that it was a bad idea and more that she actually couldn¡¯t do it yet. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an easy fix.¡± The tattooed woman told them before pulling a necklace that looked almost like a dream catcher and handing it over. ¡°I mean, it¡¯ll tweak your results a little but only by like if you went through a goth or punk phase in the next year.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a sight.¡± Micki chuckled, and he had to agree, a goth Cory (would be a sight worth remembering.) Cory stared down at the catalyst and the focus in her hands as she bit her lip, before putting the necklace on. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Fantastic!¡± The tattooed woman smiled. ¡°Okay, you know how to pull on your magic, right?¡± ¡°Um, look for the cool warmth and will it to move.¡± Cory nodded. ¡°Good, then you¡¯ll also want to put just a dollop of blood onto the catalyst before setting it in the center of this circle here.¡± The woman told her offering a knife hilt first. He blinked. ¡°Uh, is that nece-¡± Before he could finish voicing his concern, Cory had already taken the knife and pricked her thumb. ¡°Okay, that was kind of hardcore.¡± Micki noted just as surprised as him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen my dad do it enough, I know it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Cory explained as she pressed her thumb to the catalyst before setting it in the circle. ¡°Now I just push my magic into the circuit, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± The woman nodded as Cory set her hands on the circle and sparks started to dance along its surface. As he and Micki watched on from the sidelines the other teen told him, ¡°This is going to make her month let alone her day.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He smiled, knowing that if he could have anything bring him closer to his dad like this he¡¯d jump at it too. A chill tore through the air and he felt a shiver down his spine. ¡°You feel that?¡± He asked, looking around. Micki nodded. ¡°Yeah, that heat came out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Heat?¡± He repeated with a frown. ¡°No, the chi-¡± A wave of darkness crashed over them before leaving a fading trail of smoke in its wake. ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± Micki panicked. ¡°Uh, guys something¡¯s wrong?!¡± Cory yelled, stumbling back from the circuit that had begun to spark every color from red and black to blue and green. ¡°Shit, Malice?! Ecto?! How the fuck?!¡± The woman turned to Cory. ¡°Kid, I need my necklace now!¡± ¡°H-here!¡± Cory cried, fumbling to get the necklace off. The moment Cory managed to get the necklace off something rushed out from the circle on the ground throwing them off of their feet as it sent everything flying away from it. He hit the ground in a painful tumble, his skull cracking against the tile floor, and as his consciousness began to slip from him, he could swear he heard a voice echoing all around him. (Huh, wasn¡¯t expecting you to meet the family for a few more years¡­ Then again apples and trees I suppose.) Chapter 13: Monsters Arising Chapter 13: Monsters Arising --- Aurelio Hermenez --- As he walked home from work he had a skip in his step that he hadn¡¯t been able to lose since Harper agreed to go out with him. Not even pulling a shift by himself while both Hendrickson and Mick went wherever they were spending their Friday had been enough to make him lose it. Not even when no one tipped him during that entire shift! (Well, at least Hendrickson is paying me extra, that should cover my date with Harper.) He felt a giddy smile work its way to his face as he thought that. Admittedly, it did dim briefly when the sirens of a firetruck rushed past him, the high pitch squeal hurting his ears. But that was only briefly as, as soon as it was out of sight he was back to grinning in full once more. ¡°Got my own apartment, got my own job, my own money, got a date with a pretty girl, and most importantly I don¡¯t have any of those assholes from home!¡± He laughed, once more thinking (running away to the big city was the best decision of my life.) Of course, it was just as he was thinking this that he watched a blonde man stumble out of an alleyway while clutching his chest before falling to his knees. His eyes immediately widened as he ran forward. ¡°Oh shit!¡± (Is this one of those city stabbings?) Despite being optimistic about his new city life, he wasn¡¯t naive to the fact that the city was a dangerous place, especially at night. Which is why he¡¯d looked up a bunch of basic safety tips that weren¡¯t common sense to someone from a small town, things like not going out at night, staying away from alleys, and so on. (Tips this guy clearly could¡¯ve used.) He knelt down next to the man and steady him while taking note of how pale and in pain the man¡¯s face was. ¡°Shit, where are you hurt? I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll call nine one one!¡± Just as he pulled his cell out of his pocket he felt something wrap around his throat, forcing him to drop his phone as the world disappeared in a blur of shadows. The light returned just before he felt his back painfully slam into a brick wall, and the hand on his throat lifted him a full foot off the ground. ¡°I¡­ I am sorry about this¡­ truly.¡± The blonde man apologized, his face still looking pained in spite of how easily he had manhandled Aurelio. ¡°I hate harming innocents but¡­ my blood is boiling so much I¡­ I need this to survive and¡­ my kin need me¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what the man was talking about and given how glazed his eyes looked, he wasn¡¯t sure the man knew what he was talking about either. ¡°So I¡¯m sorry if¡­ If I can¡¯t stop myself¡­¡± With that said the blonde man opened his mouth far wider than any person should be capable of before- Fangs tore into his throat, and he could feel the blood rushing out of him and into the maw of the monster mauling him. The world around him began to fade like the setting sun as darkness seemed to creep in from all angles, and from behind the monster he could see a beautiful pale woman with hair black as night waiting with a smile on her face. With no small amount of blood loss he couldn¡¯t help but think, (huh¡­ the reaper¡¯s¡­ kind of hot¡­) An equally beautiful laughter filled his head just as the night sky lit up like daylight and the monster pulled back to stare. ¡°What in the good blood¡¯s name?¡± The monster gasped, its grip slacking as it let him fall to the ground. Not stupid enough to let this opportunity slip by, he crawled away from the distracted monster. Deeper into the alley, where the shadows met him like the embrace of the sweetest of lovers. Only¡­ it wasn¡¯t far enough he realized as he found his limbs unable to crawl any further. (I¡­ I¡¯m going to die¡­) The thought was as cold as the concrete he collapsed against. (No¡­) A beautiful voice whispered, and he could swear he felt fingers running through his hair. (Tonight you live, and you¡¯ll live like you never have before.) He looked up to the pale woman, who looked so familiar. ¡°M-mom¡­?¡± The woman smiled, her lips black as midnight with just the faintest touch of red, before leaning down to kiss him. --- ??? --- It felt something in the air shift and twist, something familiar to its original self. Something that left a strong enough impression that even separated from his main self, he could feel an almost instinctive hate towards it. Looking to the sky it saw several golden cracks forming, spreading out through the air above this city. Seeing such a massive thing he tried to dig through the memories it had inherited from its main self, to see if its old body¡¯s enemy was responsible for this or not, but found that it couldn¡¯t recall the memories being one of the many it was apparently not allowed to remember. (Meaning my old self was an even bigger idiot than I thought.) If the other was an enemy, then every piece of it should know the threat it represented. (Maybe I can convince it to help me kill my original self? If I can¡¯t, well, I¡¯ll just devour it like everything else.) --- Harper Everette--- Her eyes drifted to the sky glowing as if it were the middle of the day rather than sunset, massive golden cracks in reality leaking light into the air. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Frankie¡­ you seeing this?¡± She asked, wondering if her overactive imagination was getting to her once more. The fact that other people were getting out of their cars to stare at it told her it probably wasn¡¯t. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The redhead confirmed with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m also not liking it.¡± She swallowed, remembering something she¡¯d seen once when she was little. Something she¡¯d tried very hard not to remember. ¡°What¡­ what do you think it is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­ we should get home as soon as we can.¡± Frankie told her, pulling out the keys their manager had foisted on the other woman before burning off. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She agreed as her friend turned back to the cafe door to finish locking up, Harper¡¯s eyes never leaving the cracks so high up in the sky. At least not until a black one opened up much much closer. ¡°Uh, Frankie you might want to hurry¡­¡± She warned the other woman. A set of claws began to reach through the crack. ¡°Or better yet, unlock the door!¡± She suggested with no small amount of panic as she realized whatever the claws belonged to was slowly opening the crack. ¡°Why?¡± Frankie frowned, glancing over before following her gaze to see the many teeth inside of the growing crack. ¡°Shit!¡± The redhead threw the doors open. ¡°Inside now!¡± Not one to argue when her life was clearly in danger she did as the larger woman suggested and ran inside before turning around as Frankie began to lock the door behind them. ¡°Is that really going to do anything?¡± She found herself asking. ¡°No idea, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Frankie pointed out, just as a massive thud shook the ground, drawing their attention to a massive mass of gray flesh and teeth sprawled out in the middle of the street as people finally began to run and scream from it. The monster picked itself up and shook itself off before turning to one such person and lunging at them, bringing them to the ground in a display she was glad she couldn¡¯t see from the other side of the monster. Not that it kept her from knowing what it looked like when (claws tore through flesh, spattering blood on the wall as screams died down.) ¡°W-wait, we need to open the doors!¡± She whispered breathlessly. Frankie looked at her like she was crazy. ¡°Why the hell would we do that?¡± ¡°People need some place to hide!¡± She tried to explain as the monster outside began to pick itself up and anot. ¡°We, we can¡¯t just leave them out there or else that thing will get them!¡± ¡°Then they should run while they can, there¡¯s only o-¡± Another thud cut Frankie off, her eyes going wide. A third thud had them slowly turning as a pack of the monsters began to flood the streets. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Frankie cursed. Seeing a mother and daughter both with familiar blonde hair, she lunged for the door quickly opening it before calling out, ¡°In here quick!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The mother told her, rushing in with her child in hand. ¡°Over here!¡± She yelled at the nearby people, one or two of them hearing her and rushing over. ¡°Over he-agh!¡± She yelped, as Frankie pulled her away from the door before slamming it shut and bracing it just in time for one of the monsters to slam into the door, causing it to buckle but not give under her weight. ¡°Quick lock the door and then through the second!¡± Moving quick, she did as the other woman told her and locked the cafe¡¯s main doors before rushing through the second set that she¡¯d always found an annoyance until right this moment when it would provide another barrier between her and the monster. Just as quickly if not more so Frankie followed after her before bracing the inner doors. ¡°Find something to barricade the door!¡± ¡°R-r-right!¡± She nodded, quickly looking for anything the cafe would have to brace the door before grabbing a couple of chairs and dragging them over to the other woman. Something that a couple of the people she¡¯d managed to bring inside began to help her with. ¡°I-I think this is the best we can do.¡± She told Frankie once every chair in the building was in front of the doors. An amount that looked distinctly short in the face of a monster the size of a small car. --- Alexander Pierce --- He looked down on the poor boy he¡¯d attacked when his boiling blood had seemed to dry his very veins out. A boy the very shadows of the night seemed to cling to as the blood in his veins sang in a way it only did with the closest of his kin. A boy he did not mean to give the gift of blood to. ¡°I¡­ I have to take responsibility.¡± He realized as he stepped towards the new blood, his blood beginning to boil once more. --- Nicholas Grimm --- There was something wrong, but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. Part of him felt like making sure Mathias wasn¡¯t hiding in some shadow, but the fact that both Jessica and Vanessa were looking equally upset as him was proof enough that it wasn¡¯t Mathias behind whatever this was. ¡°Do¡­ Do you guys feel that?¡± He eventually asked from where he sat on the floor. ¡°I¡­ yes.¡± Jessica sighed from her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is but I can feel it.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I was trying to ignore it.¡± Vanessa admitted, throwing her remote at the TV. ¡°Not that it''s doing me any good.¡± ¡°Should we¡­ Should we ask one of the Doctors?¡± He grimaced, already knowing Vanessa¡¯s reaction. ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t.¡± His friend growled, before taking a deep breath and letting it out. ¡°Just ignore it long enough and it¡¯ll go away on its own.¡± ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound right.¡± He frowned. ¡°It works for you and Mathias.¡± ¡°Vanessa!¡± Jessica hissed. Feeling a hurt in his chest he stood up, ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m going to go check on Cyn¡­¡± Vanessa grimaced. ¡°Wait, Nick I-¡± The air screamed and he dropped to his knees unable to form a thought as a pressure weighed upon every inch of him, making skin stretch as if it was too tight for his bones. As he toppled to the side he could just barely register that both Vanessa and Jessica had fallen to the floor, their eyes having gone white, and blood dripping from their noses as they each let loose a silent scream. --- Sarah Sionis --- She felt something in the air, something reaching out and grasping in search of something, before immediately shutting it out as she withdrew all of her Malice back into her. Cutting off every connection she¡¯d spent the last week making without a second of hesitance. (I have had enough fingers probing at my mind, thank you very much.) She shivered before climbing off of her bed and making her way to the door. With her Malice returned in full she felt it beginning to twist and turn inside of her, similar to how it would with her pawns only less prominently given how it was a natural part of her unlike the people she tied her strings to. Still it was enough to let her natural senses spread further than she could manage on her own, and with those senses she could hear the sounds of yells and running boots echoing throughout the base. All guards being recalled from watching their prisoners as a crisis even greater than their possible escape hit the city. (Interesting¡­) It wasn¡¯t something she could take advantage of just yet, but given how she was wary of anything that could reach her mind without her being able to see and pinpoint them¡­ A skill she¡¯d more than mastered growing up in the Sionis family as one of her father¡¯s knights. (If only to figure out which thoughts were my own¡­) Well, she was willing to let Sanctuary handle this one without her interference. (For now¡­) Chapter 14: City On Fire Chapter 14: City On Fire --- Harper Everette, City on Fire --- While the people she¡¯d pulled off the streets had all gone to hide in the back kitchen, neither she nor Frankie were willing to leave the monster unsupervised. Which unfortunately left them with little to do but watch as the monster paced back and forth on the other side of the glass, having eventually given up on the front doors. An eventuality that gave her an unpleasantly clear view of the gray beast, the way its veiny muscles rippled as it moved, the fact that its gums and fangs were visible from a lipless maw, or the fact that it had no eyes despite there being two clear indents for them in the sides of its head. ¡°What do we do?¡± She whispered to Frankie, fully convinced that the monster knew they were still inside the building despite being blind. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here.¡± ¡°Can we do much else?¡± The redhead asked her seriously. She bit her lip. ¡°What about the back? I know it¡¯s locked but you think we can sneak through the alley out back?¡± Frankie considered it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°No, that thing is blind but it can tell we¡¯re here. If we go out back there¡¯s no telling if it¡¯ll be able to tell or not. As much as it sucks it might be best to wait until it wanders off, or someone comes to help.¡± ¡°Is anyone coming to help?¡± She wondered quietly, she¡¯d heard of there being some group to prevent a second set of Riots but she also knew their predecessors hadn¡¯t done much to help anyone either. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Frankie pulled out her phone and frowned at it. ¡°I¡­ know someone but I need a cell signal to get a hold of them.¡± ¡°What about the landline? Isn¡¯t there one in the manager¡¯s office?¡± She suggested, figuring it didn¡¯t matter who this ¡®someone¡¯ was just so long as they could help. ¡°Do you think you could reach them through that?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Frankie sighed, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Though that depends on if they¡¯re at the Den or in the middle of all of this shit.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just a phone call. Not like we lose anything by trying.¡± ¡°True.¡± The other woman admitted before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try the land line. You just¡­ keep an eye on things here.¡± ¡°Aye-aye, captain.¡± She saluted, earning a wry grin from her friend. ¡°Don¡¯t change Harps.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t plan to.¡± She nodded, as Frankie made her way into the back. She glanced at the monster and grimaced as it continued to pace, waiting for she wasn¡¯t sure what, before deciding it might be better to focus on the people she¡¯d pulled in off of the streets rather than the monster on it. Stepping back into the kitchen, her eyes drifted over the four people half huddled and half spread across the kitsch, before falling on the mother comforting her crying daughter. Something that had her remembering what little she could about her own mother. (A kind voice¡­ Warm hugs¡­ A feeling of safety¡­ Blood on a wall and a corpse on the ground.) She shook her head before looking at some of the treats that hadn¡¯t been grabbed through the day. ¡°Here, I know it¡¯s not much but¡­¡± She shrugged a little helplessly as she offered the people the cookies and snack cakes. Though she was more specifically offering it to the crying child. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± The mother told her, offering a weak smile as her daughter accepted the cookie. ¡°For, for everything.¡± ¡°You mean for getting us trapped in here?¡± One of the others scoffed. ¡°Better than being dead on the streets like everyone else.¡± Another argued. The child began to sniffle again, and she glared at both of the men. ¡°Zip-¡± A thudding sound made her freeze, the faint cracking afterwards made her heart stop. Terrified but needing to know, she slowly opened the door separating the kitchen from the main area and peeked through the crack to watch as the eyeless mass of flesh and teeth bashed its head against the glass window, the impact causing a web of cracks to form. A web that grew even larger as the monster slammed its head against the glass again and again. ¡°Fuuuck¡­¡± She whimpered, before turning back to everyone else. ¡°Okay, everyone I need you to stay quiet and stay down. I¡­ I need to go get Frankie.¡± (Otherwise she might wander out of the office when that thing gets in here.) ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The mother asked, holding her child close. She chuckled nervously. ¡°N-nothing, just¡­ just stay back here, and, uh, lock the door.¡± ¡°Not like there¡¯s anywhere else to go.¡± One of the men told her. (Right, don¡¯t have the time for this¡­) She told herself before stepping into the main area and quickly moving for the manager¡¯s office, her eyes never leaving the monster as it continued to slam its head against the deteriorating glass. Which is the only reason she wasn¡¯t caught off guard when the glass finally gave in under the monster¡¯s weight, leaving it free to climb inside the cafe in pursuit of its hiding prey. An event made all the worse by how it drew the attention of some of the other monsters that had come through the black tear in the sky. Knowing that she didn¡¯t have time to get to the kitchen or the office, she instead rushed for the nearest door and ducked inside of a supply closet before slamming it shut behind her. Not even two seconds later a weight crashed into the door causing it to fracture and splinter, even if it didn¡¯t quite give yet. ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit¡­¡± She steadily cursed as she quickly fumbled for her phone before using it as a light to look around the closet in the hopes of finding anything that could help her out of this. --- Morris Brown --- The moment he stepped into the Sanctuary control room he yelled, ¡°Report now!¡± ¡°Sir, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening!¡± One of the senior technicians, a tired looking man with dark brown hair informed him. ¡°Well what do we know?!¡± They couldn¡¯t be running into this completely blind. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°There¡¯s activity across the entire Deviant spectrum, every energy we can detect on any level is going haywire.¡± The technician -an Agent Meyers if he wasn¡¯t mistaken- continued with growing panic. ¡°Any Divination spells our practitioner¡¯s try to cast detonate, injuring them before we can get any information. All of our M.A.D.s and psychics -as well as anyone on the latter¡¯s networks- are down bleeding from their eyes and ears. Our spectrometers are picking massive upticks in Ecto radiation across the city, but half our terminals are so fried we can¡¯t actually see half the city. And then the massive crack in the sky is flooding the city in so much Deviant energy that even in the half we can see we can¡¯t pick out any of the numerous Bleeds and Rifts until someone calls them in!¡± ¡°So, to summarize, everything that can go wrong is going wrong.¡± He grimaced, before looking over the digital map of the city, half the map a bright red and the other half completely blacked out. (This is as bad as the riots¡­) His eyes shot to Meyers at a horrifying possibility crossed his mind. ¡°Do we have any word from other cities? Is this a localized event or are we seeing the beginning of a second wave of Rift Riots?¡± ¡°It seems to be largely localized.¡± Another technician, a woman with short brown hair and a serious look assured him. ¡°That said, the interference we¡¯re getting is making all wireless service unstable. Only landline to landline data seems to be getting through it.¡± Meyers flipped through something on his tablet. ¡°She¡¯s right, all of the data we¡¯re getting is through hardwired terminals in our various stations. We aren¡¯t getting anything from Sanctuary¡¯s satellite network.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Meaning the only reason we aren¡¯t completely down is due to redundancy.¡± (Fuck, and I honestly thought having a Sionis in my city would be the worst of it.) With one last glance towards the map, he grimaced as he realized he lacked the resources to save everyone, before issuing orders. ¡°Recall everyone from the dark zones, and then have them double down on the sectors we still have eyes on. I¡¯ll request reinforcements from nearby branches, but we do not have the man power to contain every incident. Instead focus on civilian evacuation and defense of shelter positions. Do not engage any threat unless civilian casualty is imminent, and if we must engage, extract the civilians and retreat. This is what we¡¯re here for, move people!¡± Everyone near him saluted, ¡°Sir!¡± before getting to work. And as he looked down at the city map he couldn¡¯t help but think that the flickering incident lights made the whole thing look like a city on fire. --- Zoey Smith --- All around her flames danced out of control and as much as she wanted to laugh she couldn¡¯t, because all around her she could hear screams of terror and pain crying out over the cackling fires. ¡°Zoey!¡± A voice screamed, drawing her attention to Kelly as the older girl stumbled out of the black smoke, bringing white in behind her. ¡°We need to go!¡± ¡°B-but¡­¡± She held her stuffed animal closer. (What about everyone else?) ¡°Zoey, I know you¡¯re scared but we need to move.¡± Kelly told her as the older girl took her wrist and led her through the flames, her touch so much cooler than the flames that danced around them. In front of them the ceiling began to creak and Kelly pulled her back just as the roof in front of them collapsed, leaving a burning wall in front of them. ¡°Shit!¡± Kelly cursed out the grown up word, before coughing. ¡°How did this get so bad so fast?¡± The stuffed animal in her arms felt hot to the touch, but she was too scared to let it go again. Kelly looked around. ¡°Do you-¡± The older girl coughed. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± She couldn¡¯t hear anything over the flames, and the screams. The older girl pulled her towards one of the bedrooms where she could hear a crying coming from under one of the beds. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Kelly gasped, reaching under the bed to help another kid Billy out from under it. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here.¡± ¡°B-but the monster!¡± Billy cried, causing her to hold her stuffed animal as tightly as she could. ¡°Monster?¡± Kelly repeated before shaking her head as she started coughing again. ¡°We¡­ we need to¡­ get out of¡­ here¡­ Smoke is¡­ smoke is getting worse¡­¡± Kelly looked at the window and licked her lips as her eyes darted to the flames eating away at the walls, ¡°This is a bad idea¡­ You two, stay low and by the bed!¡± Too scared to argue she grabbed Billy¡¯s hand and pulled him to the ground as Kelly picked up a lamp before slamming the lamp against the window and causing it to crack. As she pulled the lamp back to hit the window again the older girl seemed to hesitate as she once more looked back at the flames on the wall. Somehow in spite of the smoke Kelly took a deep breath before nodding to herself. ¡°Whatever happens¡­ you two need to¡­ get out this window¡­ okay? Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Kelly told them. She nodded, even if Billy didn¡¯t quite understand what was happening she¡¯d get them both out. (I have to¡­) ¡°Alright, then stay back.¡± Kelly nodded once more, before turning back to the window and slamming the lamp into it until the window shattered. Something in the air changed and all the fire in the room seemed to leap for the window, completely uncaring of the fact that Kelly stood in the way. As the flames reached the older girl she was pushed backwards as the fire licked at her skin, only to pull back as more white smoke began to surround her. ¡°W-what the hell?¡± Kelly blinked, her brown eyes turning an icy white. ¡°K-Kelly?¡± She called, scared another monster had gotten into her foster sister. The older girl blinked again as her eyes returned to their normal color, before she rushed towards Zoey and Billy. ¡°Come on, we need to get out of here.¡± Taking Kelly¡¯s hand the three of them made their way to the window where the older girl looked down at the street that had a handful of people stopping to watch the fire. ¡°Hey, someone help!¡± A couple of people noticed them but no one dared move closer to the burning building. ¡°Fucking cowards!¡± Kelly growled the air around her growing cold in a way that Zoey couldn¡¯t help but flinch away from. The older girl looked at her with those icy white eyes before shaking her head as they turned back to brown. ¡°L-look, I¡¯m going to go down there, but I¡¯m going to need you two to climb out and follow me alright.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so high!¡± Billy cried. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll catch you. I promise.¡± Kelly told them, as she broke out the last of the glass in the window. ¡°I just¡­ I need you two to be brave¡­ please?¡± She forced herself to nod. ¡°We¡¯ll follow you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kelly nodded, before climbing out of the window. She was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t supposed to hear the quiet, ¡°This is gonna hurt.¡± just before the older girl jumped down to the sidewalk two floors below. As Kelly hit the ground another burst of white smoke surrounded her for a few seconds, and the older girl seemed to look down at herself in shock, before once more shaking her head and turning back to them. ¡°Come on! Jump and I¡¯ll catch you!¡± Next to her Billy seemed to back away from the window. (He¡¯s too weak. Leave him.) A dark voice whispered in her head. She shook her own head before grabbing Billy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You have to jump down. Kelly will catch you.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s too high, I¡¯m scared!¡± The boy cried. She growled as the heat around them began to get to her. ¡°You need to jump!¡± She told him as she actually grabbed him and forced him out of the window. ¡°I-I¡¯ve got you!¡± Kelly yelled, and when she glanced out the window she saw the older girl setting the boy on the ground before looking up at her. ¡°Alright Zoey, you next.¡± She nodded, before climbing out of the window. Something she knew would scare her normally but for some reason couldn¡¯t as she felt a sort of numbness throughout her. Once sitting on the windowsill she closed her eyes before pushing off and feeling herself go into free fall. Not even two seconds later she felt an almost comforting sort of coolness wrap around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now.¡± She opened her eyes as she felt the ground beneath her feet before looking around and seeing that things were so much worse than she¡¯d thought. In front of her the entire building was on fire, the flames dancing almost like demons as they devoured everything they could get their hands on. But worst of all¡­ Her house wasn¡¯t the only one on fire. She held her stuffed animal so tightly that it could never escape again as she realized, (This is all my fault¡­) Chapter 15: Catastrophic Conventions Chapter 15: Catastrophic Conventions --- Coraline Hawkins --- Everything hurt, that was the first thing that she realized upon regaining consciousness. Slowly she opened her eyes to see a growing cloud of smoke looming above her and darkening the room. Her thoughts were fuzzy, slow to come together for a moment, but they were slowly speeding up. As painful as it was she forced herself to sit up, feeling her entire arm burn with the action. (Did I¡­ Did I break it?) She looked down at her arm and found a black vine full of thorns that wrapped around her middle finger before climbing over the back of her hand and wrapping itself around her entire arm as it grew all the way up her arm where it disappeared mid bicep as it met a wreath like plant that ringed her bicep. (Is this¡­ is this my contractor¡¯s mark?) She wondered before looking around in a daze. (But then¡­ where¡¯s my contract?) The entire vine tightened around her arm, feeling like every thorn on it was digging into her skin as it forced her to hiss through her teeth. She shook her head deciding that whatever this was was a later problem, one she¡¯d ask her dad about even if it meant owning up to what she¡¯d done. (Wait¡­) ¡°Dad!¡± Her eyes went wide as she remembered that he was here somewhere, and with him came the reminder that she hadn¡¯t come here alone. ¡°Miles! Micki!¡± She pushed through her pain and forced herself to climb back to her feet, letting her get a better look at the chaos around her. All of the exhibits that had made up the convention were blasted to pieces, half of them on fire and the other half crushed under what looked like debris from the ceiling. While she knew there weren¡¯t too many people at the center, the few that she could see were either laying limply on the ground or running through the smoke as they cried out for their loved ones. Something she found herself mimicking as she cried, ¡°Miles?! Micki?! Dad?!¡± in between stumbling over the debris that littered the floor. Around her people she didn¡¯t recognize rushed past her, their forms quickly fading into the smoke and ash that seemed to thicken as the fires grew worse. The flames devouring everything they touched without discrimination, almost as if they were possessed. She winced as the thorns on her arm tightened once more, and -as she felt warmth smearing between her fingers- drawing blood from her. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s bad¡­¡± She really needed to find her dad. Picking up the pace she moved even more quickly through the smoke, still calling out for her family in vain. ¡°Micki! Miles! Dad!¡± A flash of light through the smoke drew her attention to the side and a second flash helped her find body laying under some debris. A familiar body. ¡°Micki!¡± She cried, rushing forward and dropping to her knees beside her best friend. ¡°C-Cory?¡± The blond girl asked in a daze. ¡°What¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The thorns on her arm was one thing, as was the blast back when her spell backfired, the rest of this though (it¡¯s too much to be just me.) Micki frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s¡­ Where¡¯s Miles?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but grimace, both because of the question and because of how heavy the debris crushing her friend looked. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t found him yet.¡± Micki nodded before looking down at the debris on top of her with an annoyed look. ¡°Help me¡­ Help me push this off.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± She frowned. ¡°Maybe, maybe I should find some help?¡± Micki let out a bitter laugh as she looked around. ¡°I think¡­ I think everyone needs a bit of¡­ help right now¡­ Let¡¯s at least try¡­¡± She didn¡¯t like it but she also couldn¡¯t argue Micki¡¯s point. ¡°Alright, just, just give me a second.¡± Once she had a decent grip on the thing pinning Micki down she gave the other girl a nod. ¡°On three¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Three!¡± She pushed against the debris as hard as she could and felt it barely budging. ¡°This isn¡¯t working¡­¡± She told Micki as she continued to struggle. ¡°Just¡­ get off me!¡± The other girl growled just before the debris finally gave and slid off of her. ¡°Alrights¡­¡± She gasped, before turning to Micki. ¡°Let¡¯s- Oh, fuck!¡± Micki blinked before gaining a smirk. ¡°Maybe later but¡­ Oh¡­ ¡± The other girl¡¯s eyes went wide as she realized there was a piece of rebar sticking through her side. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. --- Catherine Freeman --- The boiling finally stopped, and she felt her mind finally coming back to itself. ¡°What¡­ what just happened?¡± ¡°Ya frenzied.¡± An old familiar voice informed her. ¡°Hendrickson?¡± She checked, before realizing that she was bound in ropes. ¡°Yep.¡± The old man nodded, putting out his blunt on the heel of his boot. ¡°When that box snapped shut you and the ginger both frenzied like nothing else. Would¡¯ve taken a bite out of me if I hadn¡¯t locked you both down.¡± She shivered, knowing that given how it was Hendrickson she tried to take a bite out of she was lucky he didn¡¯t just put her down. ¡°Sorry.¡± Hendrickson waved her off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ya clearly weren¡¯t in the right of it. Any idea what happened?¡± ¡°No just¡­ my blood¡­ it was boiling hotter than ever before.¡± She tried to explain. ¡°Haven¡¯t felt anything like that since the time I came back from having my chest ripped open.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve cooled off now?¡± Hendrickson check, a edge of something to his voice as he moved closer. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She nodded, before lying. ¡°Don¡¯t feel anything.¡± Honestly, she wanted a drink like nothing else, but she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to admit to that. (I¡¯ve enough self control to get back to base, or at least somewhere quiet first.) ¡°Good.¡± Hendrickson told her as he began setting her free. ¡°Because everything has gone to hell in a handbasket since you went out of it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned, rubbing some feeling back into her limbs as she was freed. Hendrickson motioned towards the tent exit. ¡°Step out and you¡¯ll see.¡± Curious to see how bad it was she did as he said and grimaced as she looked over the convention center, filled with smoke, fire, and limp bodies amongst all of the debris. ¡°Fuck, it looks like a bomb went off in here.¡± ¡°About a dozen bombs.¡± Hendrickson corrected her. ¡°Every bit of magic in the center went crazy at once. Don¡¯t know if it was your box or something else, but whatever this is, someone went outside and they say it¡¯s somehow even worse.¡± She grimaced at that, before reluctantly asking, ¡°On a scale of one to ten¡­¡± ¡°My ten or yours?¡± ¡°Mine.¡± She had no desire to know what a ten on Hendrickson¡¯s scale looked like. Hendrickson considered it for a moment as he scratched at his neck. ¡°Mm, it looks like the biblical second coming of the Rift Riots.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± She cursed, before glancing back at Eric and then the box that Hendrickson had bound in chains and put a padlock on. (Which given how it bit me, I can¡¯t blame him for¡­) ¡°I¡¯ll watch your boy until he comes to.¡± Hendrickson assured her. ¡°But I want Pierce and the rest of your little club doing what you can to minimize this shit. The riots were bad business for all of us.¡± ¡°Yeah, none of us want to go back to the bad old days.¡± She agreed. ¡°Don¡¯t forget some saw those as the good old days.¡± Hendrickson warned her, something dangerous in his gaze. ¡°Those were the ones to make them the bad old days.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± She shivered, before stepping out into the smoke. Despite her desire to run straight to Pierce and figure out what kind of crazy had hit the city, whatever the box had done to her had drained her dry of blood. And while her fear of Hendrickson was enough to keep her in line while around him, it wasn¡¯t enough to keep her from following the scent of blood she could smell underneath the smoke and ash. (If I¡¯m lucky I can find someone with something small and nick a pint. If they were unlucky, well I can take more than a pint off someone who¡¯s dead.) It was perhaps a little cold blooded but given the circumstances she felt that it might just be necessary if the riots were starting up again. As she neared the source of the scent she found two girls amongst the debris, one of whom had been unfortunate enough to get impaled by something falling from the ceiling and the other looking a lot like, ¡°Coraline?¡± Her nephew¡¯s best friend to her with a surprised look. ¡°Catherine!¡± With that confirmed she realized the other girl -the one with a piece of rebar through what was probably her liver- was Miles¡¯s other friend, Micki. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± She grimaced upon seeing the girl she¡¯d practically watch grow up beside her nephew. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought too.¡± The girl agreed with a pained laugh. She frowned looking around at all of the fire and smoke. ¡°We need to get you two out of here.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that¡­ but, uh¡­ I¡¯m kind of pinned¡­¡± Micki tried joking. She looked at the girl for a moment before glancing at Coraline. ¡°Your dad is, James Hawkins, right? The practitioner.¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Coraline nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded herself. ¡°Then the two of you know not to spread this around.¡± She made her way over to Micki and crouched down on the side of the girl with the rebar before warning her that, ¡°This is going to hurt.¡± a second before quickly snapping the metal rod. ¡°FUUCCKK!!!¡± The girl screamed as she rolled over, now free of the thing pinning her down. ¡°Micki!¡± Coraline yelled, rushing to the other girl¡¯s side. Part of her wished she could use her blood to mend the girl, but whatever had happened to her and Eric had left her far too low to use her blood without frenzying. In which case she¡¯d be a bigger threat to the girl¡¯s life than a piece of metal. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay, just¡­ fuck!¡± Micki tried to assure her friend, before cursing in pain. She wanted to stay with the two, for her nephew¡¯s sake if nothing else, but there was just too much going on for her to help them more than she already had. (Especially with the way I keep eyeing Coraline¡¯s arm¡­) Turning away from the girl she¡¯d known for nearly a decade, she apologized and told them, ¡°Right, sorry, there¡¯s a lot going on right now and I need to keep moving. Find your dad. I know he¡¯s got some healing magic on him and can probably help you guys.¡± Coraline frowned. ¡°Wait, what about Miles?¡± She froze. ¡°What about Miles?¡± It clicked in her head. (If they¡¯re here, then¡­) Her eyes widened as she began looking all around them, and as dangerous as she was she called upon her blood and began reaching out with it. While the strongest pull she could feel came from Eric back with old man Hendrickson due to their shared bloodline, the fact was the spell also let her feel the blood -if weakly- of anyone she shared blood with. Gift of blood or not. Which is why the moment she felt a weak pull coming from another direction she immediately sprinted for it, the shadows wrapping around her as she quickly leapt over anything that got in her path without care for being caught. She didn¡¯t stop for one moment until the source of her blood was in sight, and even then she only froze in terror because of how horrifyingly still he was. (Oh, no...) Chapter 16: The Parents’ Perspectives Chapter 16: The Parents¡¯ Perspectives --- Director Jane Greene --- She frowned, looking at Doctor Holiday with only one question on her mind. ¡°What happened?¡± The other woman shivered from where she stood on the other side of the desk. ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t really know¡­ The best we can tell is that whatever is happening in the city, with the sky, it¡­ it caused a feedback loop with Subject C. This in turn rendered all other subjects unconscious due to subject C¡¯s prolonged exposure to them rendering any defenses they may have to psionics inert.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± She drawled as she looked at her computer displaying a live feed to where all of their project¡¯s subjects were suspended in various vats of chemicals designed to accelerate their healing. ¡°Do we have any idea how long recovery will take?¡± ¡°We¡­ we do not.¡± Doctor Holiday admitted with a grimace. ¡°Given his healing factor we¡¯d expect Subject G to heal first, but we¡¯ve seen no change in his status since the Event began. Whatsmore by monitoring Subject C and comparing the results to the other Subjects we¡¯ve determined that whatever feedback loop she is under is still active. Meaning in all likelihood they will all remain unconscious until Subject C stabilizes.¡± Her eyes drifted to where what appeared to be a small girl of no more than twelve was suspended with a larger number of monitoring devices connected to her than all of the others. Something that was absolutely necessary given the volatility of both her abilities and personality when the rest were injured. She let loose a sigh. ¡°As much as I dislike it, for now all we can do for now is continue to observe until we acquire more information. That said, I want you to focus additional resources into maintaining their health. If we lose any of them I will hold you responsible.¡± She glared. ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± The Doctor nodded sufficiently cowed. ¡°Good. Dismissed.¡± She idly waved, her attention returned to the screen that showed where her life¡¯s work lay unconscious. With a shake of her head, she began to once more go through the project¡¯s various records and files since she¡¯d started it, hoping to find some detail she¡¯d missed so that she could save them before things grew worse. --- John Miller --- The city was only getting worse as he continued to drive through the city, passing wrecks, fires, monsters, and everything else in his desperate race to the nearest hospital. If it was any other time, he¡¯d normally be out there doing what he could to wrangle it -even if most of the crazy was beyond him, he could still help the folk who needed it- but right now he had far more important matters than his duty to protect and serve. He glanced at his little Maxy -the one good thing his life had left him- and couldn¡¯t help but wince at how pale she looked. Something that turned into a full blown grimace as he realized she was bleeding from her nose again. ¡°We¡¯ll get you help soon kiddo, just¡­ we just need to get through this.¡± He promised, unsure of if she could hear him but needing her to know. He looked up as he was forced to stop the car due to traffic and couldn¡¯t help but frown as he saw the entire intersection gridlocked with cars, half of which had been abandoned in the chaos. ¡°Damn it¡­ Now isn¡¯t the time for this!¡± Just as he was beginning to contemplate if he could carry Max to the hospital faster than finding a way through, the cars in front of him were shoved aside as a massive monster of flesh and fangs crashed into them. The beast shook its head as it righted itself, uncaringly crushing half of the cars beneath it, before turning back the way it had been launched from as a chilling whistle filled the air. He felt the hair on the end of his arms standing up as the whistle grew louder before revealing a large bipedal white wolf wearing a black cloak and walking into the intersection as if it had all the time in the world to kill the monster in front of it. The massive monster growled at the wolf before rushing forward. The wolf¡¯s whistle shifted to a long high note, before half a dozen wolves of varying colors rushed out from behind the white one to intercept the monster, each one forcing it just a step further back until it was thrown over the line of cars. And all he could do was watch on as helplessly as he had during the Rift Riots ten years prior. When the white wolf turned its blood red eyes on him he froze. When the white wolf turned its blood red eyes on Max he moved a hand in front of them and wondered if he could run it over with his car. The wolf gave him an amused look before walking past as it motioned for him to get moving with its head. He sat there in silence for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest as the whistling slowly faded before shaking his head and putting his foot on the pedal. Yeah, he may¡¯ve been a cop, but all of this was beyond him. (Just¡­ Just focus on what you can do¡­ And that¡¯s getting Max help.) --- Madeline Mertens --- She clung to her daughter Fionna as they all heard the glass outside the cafe give, the monster breaking through whatever fragile defense they had only a few moments after the kind girl trying to help them had stepped out. ¡°Fuck!¡± One of the men -the one wearing button up- cursed, something she couldn¡¯t really complain about given their situation. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± ¡°But where do we go?¡± She asked as her baby girl started crying. ¡°There¡¯s, there¡¯s got to be like a back entrance or something. For loading supplies and taking out the trash.¡± The other man -the one wearing a business suit- pointed out. ¡°All we¡¯ve got to do is find it and we can get out of here.¡± ¡°But what about those girls?¡± She frowned. ¡°The ones who were out there?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re out there odds are they¡¯re already dead.¡± The suited man told her, forcing a grimace out of her because (he¡¯s probably right¡­) before looking at the first man. ¡°I saw a door over that way, didn¡¯t try opening it but that¡¯s got to be what you were talking about right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s got to-¡± The man was cut off as something slammed against the kitchen entrance, the door only holding because of the lock. Not that that stopped one of the hinges from giving. ¡°Shit we need to move now.¡± Fionna¡¯s crying grew worse as the monster slammed into the door once more, knocking it down enough for the beast to reach through with one of its scrabbling claws. Knowing she didn¡¯t have time to calm her daughter down, she picked Fionna up and started towards the door that the two men had already run out. The two apparently having no problem leaving her and her daughter behind. (Bastards¡­) She made it to the door just in time to watch a gray mass sprint past the open doorway, just moments before a scream tore through the air. (Oh, no!) Cornered between beasts, she had just enough time to turn around and watch as the door behind her was torn to the ground, allowing the other beast to slowly force its too large body through the door frame as it clawed and scraped at the ground desperate to get at her and her daughter. Her eyes darted around the kitchen, hoping to find someplace she could hide Fionna until it was safe, even if it meant using her own body to keep the monster from her daughter. ¡°Hey asshole!¡± A voice shouted. ¡°Leave them alone!¡± From behind the monster the kind blonde girl jumped onto its back before jamming what looked like a broken mop handle into one of the beast¡¯s empty eye sockets and digging it in deep, even as the beast bucked and thrashed to throw her off. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The girl ripped the mop handle out before stabbing it back in over and over again. ¡°Why. Don¡¯t. You. Just. Die. Like. Your. Boyfriend. You. Bitch!¡± At some point during the girl¡¯s screaming the beast¡¯s body spasmed before going limp, leaving it to slowly slump to the ground as the girl tore into it, making absolutely sure the monster was dead. Once she was sure the thing was dead, the girl panted from the exertion before slowly beginning to laugh. The sound mildly unhinged as the girl laughed ever louder, before looking at her and Fionna with a large smile. ¡°Would you believe that was one of my top three fantasies?¡± --- Alexander Pierce --- He couldn¡¯t help but frown as he looked down upon the city streets filled with far more chaos than he¡¯d expected. And while he wanted nothing more than to get involved, his responsibility was to his bloodkin not the city. Even if seeing the mongrels out in force made him grit his teeth, he comforted himself knowing from experience with the riots, his own people would be doing the same. Just closer to home in case something went wrong. (Because we¡¯re kind and smart.) If things went south for the wolves there¡¯d be no saving their people. He shook his head, once more wondering how Lobo could endanger his own people without a care like that. (Just shows which of us is on the right side of it.) Sirens drew his attention to a vaguely military vehicle as Sanctuary¡¯s people also flooded the streets, doing their best to suppress the latest Rift Riot. (For what else could this be?) His opinion on them was far more mixed than the mongrels that had slaughtered his kin. On the one hand they were essentially an organization of Hunters, a dangerous but necessary profession that helped to maintain a balance between the mystical and the mundane by policing the former and protecting the latter. They -The people who saw the monsters of the night and did not cower, but instead fought back.- They were some of the bravest men and women he¡¯d known. Which was why he¡¯d aided a young Catherine when she wished to become one, and why he offered her the gift of blood when she needed the power to push back the darkness of the world. An endeavor he proudly aided her in whenever she required. On the other less idyllic hand however, they were too similar to other militarized Hunter groups. The ones who believed in wiping out anything they believed wasn¡¯t ¡®human¡¯ enough. A belief that he knew their predecessor embraced wholeheartedly. A belief that turned them into monsters even worse than the mutts on their worst days. (I suppose time will tell whether they¡¯re monsters or men.) If the latter he¡¯d happily have them in his city. If the former, he¡¯d slaughter them like he should¡¯ve Asylum ten years prior. He took a calming breath, before once more continuing towards home in the hopes of getting his latest child to safety. A mentality he knew any parent would share. --- James Hawkins --- He continued his search through the chaos, trying his best to let neither the smoke nor the debris slow him down. When things had gone south he¡¯d been lucky, he¡¯d been in the back of the center working on a way to try and drum up more attention for the nearly dead center. Knowing that his attempts at normalizing Deviants to public acceptance, something his wife Jane had always dreamed of, wouldn¡¯t work if no one showed up. (Then again, if this is how it turned out, maybe it¡¯s for the best that no one showed up¡­) If anyone who wasn¡¯t a Deviant found out about this then it would¡¯ve trashed what little acceptance they¡¯d gained since Samhain went wild during the riots. He paused upon coming across a body. Admittedly not his first, but that didn¡¯t make the fact that he couldn¡¯t help them any less bitter. Especially since he could tell by the marks on their throat this person hadn¡¯t died in the explosions or magical backlash, but rather because a blood sucker had taken advantage of the chaos for a quick meal. (And Cory wonders why I¡¯m so strict with her curfew.) Not that he¡¯d ever told her about the city¡¯s infestation. (I don¡¯t want her involved in that life.) It was part of why he¡¯d stalled and delayed teaching her magic for as long as possible despite it being her bloodright, and arguably her greatest connection to Jane. He shook his head and once more checked the compass he¡¯d had created to alway point as his daughter and found that it was spinning out of control. (Meaning she has to be-) ¡°Dad!¡± His eyes snapped to the side where he found Coraline with an obviously injured Micki hanging off of her. ¡°Cory!¡± He gasped, feeling no small amount of relief as he rushed to his daughter¡¯s side. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± His daughter nodded, hiding what was likely an injured arm. ¡°But Mick isn¡¯t.¡± While he wanted Coraline to show him her arm, he could understand her priorities when he realized there was a piece of rebar through the other girl¡¯s side. ¡°Hey, Mr. Hawkins¡­¡± Micki smiled weakly, a thin trail of blood escaping the side of her mouth. (Yeah, if Cory isn¡¯t complaining about it then this is worse.) He grimaced. ¡°Can, can you help her?¡± Coraline asked, desperation clear. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, having learned as many healing spells as he could after his wife¡¯s passing. ¡°But we need to get somewhere¡­ safer first.¡± Without even a glance over his shoulder he threw one of Micki¡¯s arms over his shoulder and started leading the girls towards the center¡¯s entrance. Once they were far enough that neither girl would notice the corpse he asked them, ¡°Where¡¯s Miles? Have you found him yet?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Cory admitted. ¡°But we, we ran into his aunt and I¡­ I think she¡¯s looking for him.¡± ¡°His aunt?¡± He frowned, having met the woman several times without actually getting a solid read on her. Something he was okay with given how the woman was once -and still he suspected- one of the city¡¯s best Hunters, dealing with any supernatural that caused too much trouble for the public. ¡°Then she¡¯ll find him.¡± ¡°So, you, uh, you knew she was a Deviant too?¡± Micki asked. ¡°I suspected¡­¡± He admitted. ¡°But I never confirmed it.¡± It wasn¡¯t his business, and given how Tessa had gone to him with questions about Deviant life, wanting to keep her sister in her life in spite of what happened with her husband¡­ (Well, I¡¯m not too worried about it.) ¡°Yeah, she¡­ she broke me free and then¡­ took off when we mentioned Miles.¡± Micki explained. He couldn¡¯t judge, knowing that he¡¯d do the same if their roles were reversed and Cory was the one missing. ¡°She also asked us to keep it quiet.¡± Cory frowned, knowing how important it was to keep the masquerade secret for anyone who wasn¡¯t ready to step into the light. ¡°I won¡¯t tell.¡± Especially since he was pretty sure Tessa was the one to make her keep it secret to keep her kids as far from the Hunter¡¯s life as possible. (Which given Richard¡­) He couldn¡¯t judge her. Not when he was trying to do the same for Coraline. --- Tessa Kennedy Nee Freeman --- The hospital was a nightmare and she was barely keeping it together. Hundreds of people flooded through with broken bones, bleeding wounds, and stories that reminded her of her time working during the worst of the Riots. When Deviants and monsters both would flood the streets, leaving death and destruction in their wake. (Please tell me this isn¡¯t the start of another riot¡­) Despite the riots themselves lasting roughly a decade, their own city had only been hit by them twice. Once in the beginning and once towards the end of them, just before the Tallman¡¯s two week rampage. She¡¯d never admitted it to anyone but with Deviants now being an open secret that everyone wanted to ignore, she¡¯d always been terrified there would be another riot. One where her kids would be old enough to get caught up in them as they went out and lived their lives. The fact that the cell towers seemed to be down had done little to ease her worries until she¡¯d managed to use one of the landline payphones to get ahold of her mother who¡¯d confirmed both Molly and Hannah were with her. That still left Miles unaccounted for, but she had to believe that he was okay at a police convention if nowhere else. Her pager began to buzz and when she checked it she saw a message to go to the ER desk. Shaking her head she got back to work and went to collect the next patient, only to stop upon seeing her sister Cat pacing back and forth, her worry obvious. ¡°Cat?¡± She frowned, part of her worried that her sister had chosen tonight of all nights to ask for help acquiring blood bags. (If the whole city is this bad we¡¯re not going to be able to afford it.) Her sister froze and turned to her with wide eyes before swallowing. Realizing that this was serious she cautiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Miles¡­¡± --- Richard Kennedy --- He looked down on his sleeping son, stuck somewhere between living and dead as he laid in his coma. ¡°You sure ya wanna do this brotha?¡± His old friend -a short man in a top hat- asked him. ¡°There ain¡¯t no comin¡¯ back after he do this, and I know ya didn¡¯t want ¡®im in this life.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t but I want him to have a life.¡± He admitted. ¡°If that means¡­ If that means it¡¯s like the life I lived then¡­ Well, I don¡¯t regret the life I¡¯ve lived.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Papa Gede nodded in understanding. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the boys, with the doors kicked open¡­ I know they¡¯ve all been itchin¡¯ to meet the lad, but I know they''re keepin¡¯ their distance for your sake.¡± ¡°And I appreciate it, but¡­ My boy has a long life ahead of him. Even if that means working for the family.¡± He decided. ¡°So, once he wakes up they can talk with him, and he can pick who he works for.¡± Papa Gede nodded, before looking out upon the city dark blue and neon bright in the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Lottsa goin¡¯ ons right now. We¡¯ll need his help to keep everythin¡¯ balanced like. Won¡¯t have much of a chance to train ¡®im up before putin¡¯ ¡®im to work.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a strong boy¡­ I know he¡¯ll make me proud.¡± He had no doubt in his mind about that. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell the boys to put on their Saturday best.¡± Papa Gede chuckled as he stood tall, his features taking on a more skeletal visage as the shadows molded into the finest of suit. ¡°After all brotha, the party ¡®s just gettin¡¯ started.¡± Chapter 17: Reassuring Words Chapter 17: Reassuring Words --- Micki Harrison --- ¡°You really don¡¯t have to do all this.¡± She told Mr. Hawkins as he and Cory escorted her through a hospital that she definitely didn¡¯t want to be in. ¡°Cory¡¯s arm is just a bit scraped up but you were actually impaled through your side.¡±The man who was more fatherly to her than her own frowned. ¡°Look I may have patched you up but I¡¯m not an actual healer. You need to get checked out and make sure I didn¡¯t miss anything.¡± She didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d missed anything, and given how she still felt a sort of phantom burn from where he¡¯d healed her, she was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t a nerve damage type of deal. ¡°What¡­ What about my parents?¡± She asked, not sure if she wanted them to know she was in the hospital or not. (Doubt it¡¯ll make them change their minds¡­) Mr. Hawkins shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to get a hold of them. The cell towers are all down, and they apparently don¡¯t have a landline. With how chaotic everything is out there¡­ I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be able to get in touch with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± She assured him with a weak smile. ¡°You tried.¡± (And honestly I don¡¯t feel up to the drama of dealing with their garbage right now.) ¡°Still I¡¯m sure they¡¯d want to know you were safe.¡± Cory tried to reassure her, knowing that things with her parents were rough but not knowing how rough. ¡°Yeah, and honestly, we¡¯re lucky they¡¯re letting us go this far without them.¡± Mr. Hawkins admitted, glancing at a number of the full rooms and the panicking staff. ¡°I guess they¡¯re too busy to care about who is and isn¡¯t family.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Then again at this point you pretty much are family.¡± Cory told her. ¡°True.¡± Cory¡¯s dad -Jim, as he¡¯d spent months telling her and Miles to call him- didn¡¯t argue, making something warm bubble inside her. After a moment they walked up to a room with the blinds drawn. ¡°Ah, this is the room they told us to wait in.¡± Jim opened the door and they found a man with graying brown hair and a mustache sitting in a chair next to a sleeping girl with dyed violet highlights in one of the beds. ¡°Captain!¡± Jim jumped upon spotting the man. The man looked up with a tired blink before he frowned. ¡°Sergeant Hawkins? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I, um, my daughter er, Micki um¡­¡± Jim coughed into his hand, apparently caught flatfooted at seeing what was probably his boss. ¡°Um, we were caught in an incident and we were told to come here and wait for the doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I guess it is pretty chaotic right now.¡± The man nodded, running a hand down his face. ¡°Honestly, I should be at the station, especially with the towers down but¡­ ¡± The man trailed off with a look at the sleeping girl, before shaking his head and looking at her. ¡°So these are your daughters, eh?¡± ¡°Uh, yes, or um, this is my daughter Coraline and her best friend Micki.¡± (Mr. Hawkins) corrected. ¡°Though uh, she¡¯s as good as family after a decade.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The police captain seemed amused by that as he took on something of a boisterous tone. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s the spirit of it! Family is who we love, not just who we¡¯re born to!¡± As Jim nodded, she decided she liked the Captain even as she made her way to the hospital bed, because despite not feeling any pain in her side she was still exhausted after how long the day had dragged on for. ¡°Oh, I should introduce myself for the little misses, I¡¯m John Miller and¡­ this my daughter Max.¡± Mr. Miller introduced his tone, dying off as he got to his daughter. ¡°Um, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Cory hurried to say, having always been the more polite of the two of them. And then proving that she was also the more caring of them, she also asked, ¡°Is, is she going to be okay?¡± Mr. Miller looked at his daughter before nodding. ¡°Uh, yes¡­ They say that whatever is going on outside, she¡¯s not the only one that¡¯s been struck by it and most of them are slowly waking up, it¡¯s just¡­ I just have to wait¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s good¡­¡± Cory tried to reassure him. Her, knowing that sometimes a distraction was better than reassurances, she instead asked, ¡°So you work with Mr. Hawkins, right?¡± Mr. Miller blinked. ¡°Uh, yes?¡± ¡°Got any fun stories then?¡± She asked, hoping to distract Mr. Miller from his daughter and her from Miles and her parents. --- Catherine Freeman --- She and Tess stood outside of Miles¡¯s hospital room, both of them scared to actually enter the room despite still seeing him hooked up to so many machines. As if half an inch of glass was enough to keep it all from being real. Eventually she asked, ¡°Have you¡­ Do you want me to tell mom? The girls?¡± Tess shook her head before putting a hand to her head. ¡°No¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± (Why is it that dealing with beasts trying to kill you is easier than this?) She ran a hand down her face. ¡°You¡­ you know I¡¯m here if you need anything, right?¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± She bit her lip for a moment, before running a hand through her hair as she considered something she wouldn¡¯t be able to take back. ¡°Tess¡­ I know¡­ I know you don¡¯t want the kids involved with¡­ everything but¡­ I¡­ If things don¡¯t get better I¡­ I¡¯ve got permission to¡­ to pass on the Blood even if¡­ even if I never thought it was a good idea.¡± (For a lot of reasons¡­) Tess¡¯s face scrunched up in a mix of conflicted emotions, part of her clearly wanting to yell at her for even thinking to offer that, but the other also desperate enough to jump at the offer if it would save Miles. Eventually Tess simply sighed as she turned back to the comatose boy. ¡°After everything with Richard¡­ I never wanted the kids involved in any of that¡­ Not after what it did to him¡­ to you¡­ but¡­¡± Tess shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t make that decision for him¡­ not yet¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s only been a day and¡­ and the doctors say he can still wake up on his own.¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± And she did. ¡°I just¡­ I just wanted you to know¡­ if there¡¯s no other choice¡­ it¡¯s an option.¡± Tess nodded. ¡°I know, and¡­ I do appreciate it¡­ even if I don¡¯t like it.¡± She nodded back, knowing there wasn¡¯t much else she could say on the matter. And so they once more descended into silence this one more¡­ contemplative than the previous. After a moment, Tessa asked her, ¡°Your¡­ friends, have you heard from all of this since things got flipped sideways?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. Miles, you guys¡­ You¡¯re more important.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­ I know they¡¯re important to you too.¡± Tess told her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ Why don¡¯t you go check on them? With everything going crazy they probably need you too.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± She frowned. ¡°Like I said, you guys are more important. You¡¯re my family Tess.¡± She¡¯d¡­ she¡¯d made the mistake of not recognizing that before (and I¡¯m not doing that again.) ¡°I know.¡± Her sister smiled. ¡°But you¡¯d do a lot more good getting out there and doing something than just moping here with me.¡± Tess looked through Miles¡¯s room and out the window on the other side where smoke was visibly rising from all over the city. ¡°And it looks like the city needs as much good as it can get.¡± ¡°If¡­ if you¡¯re sure.¡± She reluctantly agreed, before throwing an arm around Tess¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check on mom and the girls before I go, and I¡¯ll be back as soon as things settle down again, okay?¡± Tess hugged her back, in answer. Chapter 18: The Gede Family Chapter 18: The Gede Family --- Miles Kennedy --- Something kicked him. He would¡¯ve ignored it and just stayed like he was, but unfortunately that something decided to kick him again. ¡°Time to get up boyo.¡± A very accented but somehow smooth and bass-y voice told him. His face scrunched up as he fought his own eyes, but ever so slowly he managed to open them. And given how he found a glowing skull looking down on him, he was pretty sure he should¡¯ve kept them closed. ¡°Boy don¡¯t look at me like your pretty gal turned out to be a pretty man.¡± The skull scolded with a grin as it adjusted its suit. ¡°If you thought they were pretty one way, you still think they¡¯re pretty the otha¡¯.¡± His eyes darted around as he tried to scramble from the suited skeleton, revealing a dark world of velvet blues and grays clouded by smoke. ¡°W-where am I?¡± The skeleton put its hands on its hips. ¡°Where ya think lad? Thought ya¡¯d be smarta¡¯ than this!¡± He swallowed, his gaze drifting from the dark world to the skeleton in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ I¡¯m¡­ this is¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Okay, ya a bit slow, but we can work on that.¡± The skeleton assured him. ¡°So to speed thangs up a bit. Ya not actually dead, but ya are in the afterlife¡­ sorta.¡± ¡°Sorta?¡± He asked, even as his mind latched on hard to the ¡®not actually dead¡¯ part. ¡°If yous and a gal be naked together, but not touchin¡¯ do ya count as having sex yet? Nah.¡± The skeleton waved as if he was being silly. ¡°You not dead because ya be naked but not havin¡¯ sex ya get me?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± He shook his head wondering (what the fuck) the skeleton was talking about. The skeleton shook his own head looking disappointed. ¡°Ya be a slow boy. A very slow boy.¡± The skeleton sighed before giving him a look. ¡°Ya not dead yet, ya just been knocked outta ya body.¡± ¡°Knocked out of my body?¡± He repeated, giving the dark world another hesitating look before focusing back on the skeleton. ¡°Does, does that mean I can go back into my body?¡± He may not have quite understood what was going on but (I can fake it¡­ hopefully.) ¡°Right, well yes and no. Hate bein¡¯ the bearer of bad news, but ya kinda be dyin¡¯ at the moment.¡± The skeleton told him sounding a bit bashful about it. ¡°But it before ya time so we gotta sort out some business with the family to get ya back where ya belong.¡± ¡°What kind of business?¡± He asked with no small amount of wariness, given the whole ¡®dying¡¯ thing. (But he told me I¡¯m not dead yet, so¡­) He just needed to keep moving. ¡°Given some of the crazy goin¡¯ on and how ya family done us some solids, we plan on making ya an offa, but that¡¯s gotta wait till we get ya to the talkin¡¯ table.¡± The skeleton explained, before offering him a hand. ¡°Which we be a bit late for on account a ya bein¡¯ a bit slow an¡¯ all.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded, forcing himself not to panic as he took the skeleton¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah, before I forget. Name¡¯s Sammy. Sammy D. Gede.¡± The skeleton introduced as he pulled Miles to his feet. ¡°Friends call me Papa Gede.¡± The name tickled something in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t quite remember with everything going on so instead he responded with, ¡°Miles¡­ Miles Kennedy.¡± Figuring if he was reliant on the skeleton in front of him to get out of this alive he should at least try to be polite. (That¡¯s how the stories about this kind of thing go right?) The skeleton¡¯s grin seemed to stretch. ¡°I know, and ya got a big shadow to match with that name lad.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He frowned. ¡°That business with the fam.¡± The skeleton reminded him, before turning to a wall of shadows. ¡°Now come along boy, Krimy gets cranky when he has to wait.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± He nodded, following as the skeleton brushed the shadows away revealing a long twisting mansion hallway that while still covered in velvet blues and grays was also coated in neon green, blue, pink and every other color. ¡°W-where are we?¡± He gasped, feeling something in his very soul dance as he could hear a lively drum beat filling the air. ¡°Ah, careful what questions ya ask the psychopomp, lest ya go psycho boyo.¡± Sammy warned him. ¡°But to put it simply, took a shortcut to our little branch of life¡¯s afterparty.¡± ¡°Life¡¯s after party?¡± He repeated, before immediately realizing what that meant. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ya not seein¡¯ anythin¡¯ that¡¯ll break ya mind. We ain¡¯t the Cheshire up in here.¡± Sammy assured him. ¡°This is just a little preview of what we got goin¡¯ on our side of things, ya get?¡± ¡°Like the gates before heaven?¡± He guessed. The skeleton somehow blew a raspberry without lips or a tongue. ¡°I mean, if ya Christian? Look, just because me and J-man hung out in New Orleans, does not mean I know what he got goin¡¯ up in his house. His da¡¯ be cray-cray man, and I got Krimy and Nibo sittin¡¯ cross from each other!¡± He felt there were several things there that were going to give him an existential crisis later, but given how he was apparently in an afterlife¡­ (It can wait.) Eventually Sammy stopped him in front of a black wooden door and gave him a once over. ¡°Okay, ya got your Saturday best on? Want to make a good impression on the boys so they give ya a bit more wiggle room on this offa business.¡± He looked down at his clothes, the same white shirt and hoodie he¡¯d been wearing before- His mind got staticy and he sort of just stood there, until Sammy flicked his forehead. ¡°Careful, boyo. Ya ain¡¯t dead, but ya still a bit young to be thinkin¡¯ ¡®bout how ya died.¡± ¡°R-right¡­¡± He nodded, before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m ready as I can be I guess.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sammy patted his back. ¡°Hopefully, they treat ya gentle like the virgin ya are.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The skeleton ignored his protest and opened the door before shoving him through. He hit the wooden floor in a tumble, ¡°Fucking asshole!¡± he spat at Sammy before noticing a load of laughter coming from in front of him as he picked himself off the ground. Looking up he found a number of figures in black suits smoking cigars as they sat around a table covered in cups and bottles of different kinds of liquor while playing what looked like a game of poker. Whatsmore looking around he realized he was no longer inside of a mansion but instead seemed to be on a wooden gazebo in the middle of a graveyard, the roof covered in little hanging lights. ¡°Boys got balls cussing you out.¡± One of the figures laughed as Sammy walked around the table before taking a seat directly across from Miles and next to a red haired woman in a dark dress. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing given what we goin¡¯ be askin¡¯ of him.¡± Sammy laughed, as he pulled the red haired woman half onto his lap. ¡°Ain¡¯t that maman Bridgette?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Bridgette agreed, smiling as she stuck two cigars into the skeleton¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯d rather he be a rude motherfucka than a little bitch ass, and he can¡¯t be a little bitch if he cussin¡¯ out Sammy D. That takes a pair.¡± (Those names, why are they itching at my head?) ¡°True, true.¡± One of the others nodded pouring a glass of - (Wait are those peppers in that?)- liquor. He inhaled before exhaling looking at Sammy. ¡°You said I needed to sort out some business to get back to my body.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The skeleton nodded, his bones filling out with the flesh of a black man. ¡°Take a seat.¡± He was about to ask where given how all the seats were taken before a chair impacted the back of his legs and he was forced into a seat at the table. ¡°Someone deal the boy in while we talk.¡± Sammy ordered as everyone tossed their cards into a small pile. ¡°What games ya know boyo?¡± He didn¡¯t really know any, but he could figure out whatever they wanted to play. ¡°House¡¯s choice.¡± ¡°How about blackjack then?¡± Sammy smiled. ¡°Krim you deal me and the lad in.¡± A man with what could only be described as the most aggressive case of resting bitch face collected the cards and shuffled them before tossing one to him and one to Sammy. He flipped his card over and couldn¡¯t help but blush as he saw a naked woman on it. ¡°Ah, look at the blushin¡¯ virgin!¡± One of the others cackled, leading to the entire table laughing at him. ¡°Heh, if he¡¯s goin¡¯ to be workin¡¯ for us we goin¡¯ be needin¡¯ to fix that.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± He glared, getting another round of laughter as he took another quick glance at the card to see it was the Eight of Spades. Across the table Sammy sipped from a glass of rum as he showed a four of hearts. ¡°So just to refresh everyone¡¯s memory past the good stuff. There be some crazy stuff goin¡¯ on in the land of the livin¡¯ and as the dead side of our pantheon I feel we need get involved. To keep the livin¡¯, livin¡¯ and the dead, dead. Hit me.¡± Maman Bridgette swatted Sammy¡¯s face and he nipped at her fingers, earning a giggle from the woman even as Krim tossed him another card before turning his gaze back onto Miles. He nodded. ¡°Hit me.¡± His second card was an eight of clubs, and Sammy¡¯s was a three of diamonds. ¡°Now given some cosmic rules I won¡¯t go over in front of the uninitiated.¡± Sammy offered him a toast and a ¡®what can you do¡¯ shrug. ¡°We can¡¯t get too hands-on in places outside our domain, which is why we need someone to act on our behalf. Hit me.¡± ¡°And since I¡¯m dead but not really you want me to be your guy.¡± He realized. ¡°Hit me.¡± His third was the ace of clubs, and Sammy¡¯s was a two of hearts, leaving them at seventeen and nine respectively. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a few other factors beyond that. Namely that a couple of ya ancestors were Practitioners from our pantheon, so we¡¯ve got a¡­ loose claim to ya. If ya choose.¡± Sammy clarified. ¡°Hit me.¡± Krim tossed the other man a card before glancing at Miles who shook his head. ¡°Okay¡­ and I¡¯m guessing if I don¡¯t take this deal I don¡¯t get to go back to my body?¡± That was how this kind of thing went in most books and movies. Sammy made a so-so gesture as he set down his new three of clubs. ¡°If your doctors can fix ya, ya can go back but given how ya skull is cracked¡­ I¡¯d say they¡¯re a losing hand, but ya can bet on them. Hit me.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll guarantee I can go home.¡± He figured as Sammy got an ace of hearts leaving the man -(god?)- at thirteen. ¡°Yep. Hit me.¡± Sammy frowned at his cards, something that didn¡¯t fade as he got another two. ¡°What¡¯s with cards Krim, ya cheatin¡¯ me man? Hopin¡¯ to win the boyo¡¯s fava?¡± ¡°Nah, ya luck is just fuckin¡¯ shit like ya taste in booze.¡± Krim scoffed, taking a heavy gulp of what looked like wine. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Sammy pointed a finger at Krim. ¡°Ya can badmouth me but don¡¯t bad mouth me liquor brotha.¡± ¡°Nah, nah, Krim¡¯s got a point.¡± Another sophisticated looking man argued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say rum is piss. It¡¯s not even brandy, scotch, or anythin¡¯ worth drinkin¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t clean my toilet with it!¡± ¡°Gah, ya hear these crazy fuckas?!¡± Sammy scoffed with a disappointed shake of his head as he reached for his glass only to find Bridgette had stolen it. ¡°Wha why ya got to do me dirty like tha¡¯ bridge?¡± ¡°You were yappin¡¯ instead of drinkin¡¯.¡± Bridgette answered as if that explained everything. And given the nods from some of the others at the table it did. ¡°Hey, um, what would I be expected to do?¡± He cut in, not sure how he was feeling about working for people who behaved like this. ¡°If I worked for you I mean?¡± ¡°Eh, like I said, mostly to keep the livin¡¯, livin¡¯ and the dead, dead.¡± Sammy shrugged. ¡°Though we be startin¡¯ ya off small so ya be workin¡¯ for one of the boys here directly, but I¡¯ll let ya choose who ya work with since we need ya choice and everythin¡¯. Hit me.¡± ¡°Alright, and uh, I¡¯m sorry I don''t actually know your pantheon all that well.¡± He was still trying to figure out which pantheon behaved like this. Sammy shook his head in disappointment, both at the ace he¡¯d gotten and at Miles. ¡°What ya daddy be teachin¡¯ ya lad?¡± With a put upon sigh the man pointed to the figure closest to Miles. ¡°Well, introduce ya self!¡± The sophisticated looking man nodded. ¡°Very well. I¡¯m Baron Brav Cimeti¨¨re-Gede, guardian of the graveyard. My job and yours if ya help me would be protecting both the living and the dead and then helping them move on. My domains are of course, death, protection, boundaries, and cemeteries. And I must say it is a pleasure to meet ya young Miles.¡± (He seems like a nice enough guy.) And given how he was all about protection there wouldn¡¯t be too much he¡¯d get in trouble for helping with. On the other side a man he honestly hadn¡¯t noticed gave him a nod. ¡°The name¡¯s Baron B¨¢b¨¢co La Croix-Gede, I¡¯m probably the least famous of the fam but I dabble a bit between our jobs, supportin¡¯ whoever needs it without bein¡¯ the best at it. My domains are a little spread but weaker than the rest.¡± (So I¡¯d be helping everyone but he¡¯d be in charge of me instead of the guy whose job it actually is.) It felt like a way of getting a lot more work on his table but he might also might be able to half ass some of it. (If I¡¯m willing to risk it when dealing with death gods.) The angry man who had been dealing them grunted as he tossed Sammy another card. ¡°Baron Kriminel Gede. The first murderer of our pantheon, and patron of vengeance, judgement, and criminals. Work for me and we¡¯ll hunt down the monsters out there and make ¡®em pay.¡± (Not sure if that¡¯s something I want to get involved in¡­) Krim gave half a chuckle as if he could read Miles¡¯s mind (who knows maybe he can.) ¡°Believe it not I¡¯m the nicest boss, as long as ya make them pay I won¡¯t tell ya how. Though I will tell ya all the crimes everyone¡¯s got on their records, free of charge.¡± ¡°Oi, none o¡¯ that.¡± The figure across from Krim -an effeminate looking man- glared. ¡°No tryin¡¯ to bribe the boy.¡± The two stared each other down for a moment, Krim with a cruel smile and the other with an untrusting gaze. Meanwhile none of the others were saying anything as if they were more than used to the two not getting along. Eventually the effeminate man shook his head and gave Miles a smile. ¡°Sorry about that. Nibo Gede, first soul to be murdered.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he put two and two together, about why these two didn¡¯t get along. (This pantheon¡¯s Cain and Abel I¡¯m guessing¡­) ¡°Bribery is wrong but poisonin¡¯ the well ain¡¯t?¡± Kriminel scoffed. Nibo ignored the other man. ¡°I¡¯m a healer and I represent those who died and were never found. Our work would be healin¡¯ the sick and helpin¡¯ find the lost so they can be put to rest. Also I¡¯d prefer it if we¡­ avoided conflict if we can.¡± (So would I.) Honestly, Nibo seemed like the nicest of the bunch to work for thus far. ¡°Oi, don¡¯t forget the world¡¯s gone crazy.¡± Sammy interrupted without looking up from his cards. ¡°Might not be able to avoid fightin¡¯. Think carefully about who ya want to work for, this is an important decision¡­ just like whether you signin¡¯ up or not, or even more important whether ya hit or fold.¡± Sammy tossed his remaining cards on the table, revealing a total of eighteen beating Miles by one while also claiming most of the cards under four in value. (I think that¡¯s like¡­ a one in ten chance of me beating him with the remaining cards¡­) ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a choice, I¡¯ll work for you guys.¡± He sighed, knowing there wasn¡¯t a situation where he¡¯d force his family to go through another funeral. (Not after dad¡¯s¡­) ¡°And ya cards?¡± Sammy asked as if it was the most important thing at the moment. He was probably going to bust but, (fuck it.) ¡°Hit me.¡± Krim tossed him another card, more specifically the ace of spades, tying him with Sammy. All eyes on the table watched him as once more he decided, ¡°Fuck it. Hit me.¡± Krim tossed him one last card face down, and he flipped it over to reveal the two of hearts sending the table into chaos. ¡°That is fuckin¡¯ bullshit!¡± Sammy yelled before turning on Kriminel. ¡°Ya did not shuffle that deck right!¡± ¡°Ya callin¡¯ me a fuckin¡¯ liar?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m callin¡¯ ya a motherfuckin¡¯ criminal!¡± Suddenly Maman Bridgette started to laugh. Sammy frowned at his lover. ¡°What''s so funny, cherie?¡± ¡°Look at the boy¡¯s cards.¡± Bridgette smiled. The various barons did and when they did one by one they all started laughing at a joke he didn¡¯t understand even Sammy. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He asked, more than a little wary of the madness surrounding him. Sammy shook his head and gave Miles an amused look. ¡°Kid, ya just beat me, me Baron Samedi Gede, Father of the Gede, Iwa of Death herself, with the deadman¡¯s hand!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chapter 19: Sinful Dreams For A Grimm Family Chapter 19: Sinful Dreams For A Grimm Family --- ??? --- In the darkness of the void there was a tangle of consciousness held together by the clinging tendrils of the eldritch that refused to let go of what it had managed to grasp onto in a sea of despair and devastation. Bathed in the burning orange of a setting sun a little one was dragged away from their other half. A purple night cast the world into creeping isolation as time passed, happiness of the past slowly fading. Toxic green filled the air as a thousand needles pierced through flesh and poison flooded through burning veins. Pain struck the monochrome child, tears already dried as the spine straightened and did as the shadows told. Cracks filled the air, one moment happy faces bathed in a sky blue light the next they bathed in hellish crimson their screams drowned out by static. The tendrils reached out, searching for anything that would make the unending pain stop, until finally it wrapped around her own throat and- --- Vanessa --- Her eyes shot open as she found herself unable to breath, drowning in ghastly grotesque glowing green. She pulled against several restraints and her stingers shot out tearing through them in her panic flailing until she was free. In front of her was a wall of glass and metal that she lashed at with her claws and tail, hoping to tear through it as her frantic swipes left behind scratches, slowly -so painfully slowly- chipping away at the substance. Suddenly the sea of green began to roar in her ears before she felt herself sinking amongst shifting tides as she struggled to stay afloat. At least until her feet hit the ground and the world seemed to double in weight as the liquid green sank into the ground, leaving her to fall to her knees now that she was free of her prison. Still struggling to breath she grabbed the mask on her face and tore both it and the tube going down her throat out, uncaring of what damage it did inside her so long as she could breathe. The world seemed to spin for several minutes as she did everything to keep from collapsing completely instead of sitting there on her hands and knees. Eventually the grinding of gears filled the air and she looked up to see the wall of glass and steel slowly parting until she was left with an opening into a large dark metal hall. Through force of will she made herself stand up, even if it meant leaning against the side of the metal tube she¡¯d been trapped in before slowly climbing out into the hall. ¡°Fucking hate the healing pods¡­¡± The whole experience was something she could happily do without. Having been through all of this more than once she started towards her left, pausing briefly to spot Nicholas half awake within his own metal tube. He gave her a lazy wave and she went ahead and hit the manual release switch knowing that he would neither do it on his side nor force the automatic release like she had. As the healing fluid began to drain from his tube she kept moving past a number of empty tanks, one for every subject in the project living or dead before pausing as Jessica stumbled out of her own pod just a bit ahead of him. ¡°Vanessa¡­¡± The other girl greeted. ¡°Already¡­ hit Nick¡¯s¡­ release switch.¡± She told her, still having a bit of trouble breathing as her throat healed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good¡­¡± Jessica nodded before Vanessa walked over and threw an arm over her shoulder. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± ¡°Whatever¡­¡± She shrugged, not seeing the big deal since she was as much using Jessica to keep upright as the other girl was using her. ¡°Any idea¡­ what took us out?¡± Jess shook her head. ¡°No¡­ We were in the common room and then¡­ dreams¡­¡± She matched the other girl¡¯s grimace, knowing exactly what she was talking about. ¡°How bad¡­ was it for you?¡± ¡°Different¡­ Not sure how¡­ but different¡­¡± Jess tried to explain. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She grunted, not sure what to do with that. ¡°Cyn¡¯s¡­ not here¡­¡± Jess told her, causing her to stop and realize that Cyn¡¯s tank was still empty. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t like that¡­¡± A metal door at the end of the hall opened for a woman in a lab coat. ¡°Oh! Good, you¡¯re all awake.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Cyn?¡± She asked Holiday before the other woman could say anything else, her eyes faintly burning as they shifted into their black and gold state. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Sh-she, um, she needs, uh, additional monitoring!¡± Holiday squeaked, hiding behind her tablet. ¡°Wh-whatever attacked all of you i-it hit her the hardest!¡± Nicholas practically manifested next to her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Um, uh, there¡­¡± Holiday paled from the pressure they were putting her under, before blurting out, ¡°The director needs to talk to all of you!¡± and fleeing. --- Jessica --- Once properly dressed in their uniforms the three of them made their way to the Director¡¯s office, a large room with a wall projecting a live view of the city¡¯s horizon from the head of the company¡¯s office. A view they couldn¡¯t quite afford given the underground nature of their own project¡¯s compound. Unlike her usual¡­ meetings with the director, not only was her team in attendance but so were doctor Holiday and the chief of security. A man who preferred to keep such a distance from them that she¡¯d never actually learned the man¡¯s name. The director herself sat at her desk looking exhausted due to the sheer dedication she put into the company and their program. Off to the side she noted Cynthia sitting in a chair while looking significantly worse for wear, the girl struggling to keep any part of her body from collapsing into the chair. Almost as if she were a puppet with half her strings cut. ¡°Cyn!¡± She had to hold out a hand to keep Nicholas from improperly running over without permission, something that would no doubt irritate the director while she was in such a state. (No matter how much I wish to do the same, we must be professional.) That was the only way to remain valuable agents to the company. ¡°Good you¡¯re all here.¡± The Director nodded, looking them all over. ¡°I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯re all still recovering from your ordeal but given the situation the company has decided to shift several of our priority directives for the time being.¡± ¡°How has the situation changed?¡± Vanessa asked out of turn, a rebellious streak she¡¯d be punished for if not for the sheer value the company placed on her. The director clicked a button on her desk and the screen behind her changed from the sun shining down on the pristine city the company was based in to the same city with several buildings burnt out, black smoke rising in the distance, and most prominently a massive web of cracks in the sky shining light down all of this. ¡°That uh, that doesn¡¯t look good¡­¡± Nicholas noted, the sudden change drawing his attention from Cyn. ¡°You are correct. It isn¡¯t.¡± The Director nodded. ¡°Based on our assets within Sanctuary we¡¯ve determined that the city was hit by multiple Deviant events over the course of a single day. This led to a cascading failure that we are still determining the sheer effects of. What has been determined is this¡­¡± The screen shifted again to show a number of the creatures they were regularly sent out to either kill or capture, as well as a number she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Since the event in question the number of creatures commonly referred to as Creeps have risen exponentially to the point where neither we nor Sanctuary can contain them to secrecy. Largely due to an ongoing effect of the event damaging our ability to detect them. That said, this rise in activity presents us with a unique opportunity to rapidly swell our research assets as well as acquire some of the more elusive materials that Deviant phenomenon typically provide.¡± A picture of the substance tentatively deemed ¡®The Old Blood¡¯ appeared on the screen alongside pictures of a glowing green substance and a black oil like liquid with red streaks. ¡°Which is why rather than reducing operations until the city reaches a more stable point we are going to take advantage of this opportunity by increasing the number of team assignments you are given, while decreasing the number of individual assignments due to the risk the current situation provides.¡± The Director explained. ¡°Questions?¡± She stepped forward. ¡°Ma¡¯am, if our detection equipment is down, what are our plans for searching for the phenomenon in question? Will we be attempting a patrol schedule?¡± The Director looked to Doctor Holiday who stepped forward. ¡°Our preliminary findings have determined that one of the residual effects of the event is that it is flooding our city with an almost atmospheric level of Deviant energies. Thanks to this we believe that -with the proper equipment- subject C will be able to use her usual extrasensory abilities with a greatly expanded range. After discussions with the Director, we¡¯ll be reducing your typical response areas to within the borders of this range.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She nodded, before returning to her place in line as the Director moved on to other logistics they would need to know for this change in operations. --- Nicholas Grimm --- The moment they were done with the director¡¯s presentation -something he only half understood but trusted V and Jess to be able to explain to him if he needed it- he immediately rushed to Cyn. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked with no small amount of concern. ¡°Tired nod¡­¡± Cyn told him, doing nothing to assuage his worries. ¡°Request. Can you¡­ take me to my room?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded, before giving her another look. ¡°Do you¡­ do you want me to carry you so it''s easier?¡± Cyn looked away from him. ¡°Shameful confirmation¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it.¡± He assured her, as he picked the young girl up once more upset by just how little she weighed. ¡°Do you want to get something to eat first?¡± He was hungry after the healing pods, but he found he was always hungry compared to most people due to how he was¡­ different. Only Vanessa came anywhere close to his usual appetite. ¡°No¡­ Buries face in comfort seeking.¡± Cyn answered, digging her face into his chest. ¡°Nicholas.¡± Jessica called, causing him to glance for the door where both of the girls were waiting for him. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste the Director¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Er, right¡­¡± He grimaced, noticing that the Director was watching him. Cyn dug her head into his chest once more and he started moving, his long legs allowing him to quickly reach the girls. After the door to their big boss¡¯s office closed Jessica took a worried glance at Cyn. ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°Tired¡­¡± Cyn answered weakly. ¡°Did they¡­ make you test their equipment already?¡± Vanessa asked, making a good guess at why Cyn was so tired. The girl was quiet for a moment. ¡°Falseful no¡­¡± V¡¯s face twitched as her eyes turned gold and her fangs extended. ¡°Well that¡¯s good.¡± He told Cyn, not letting the girl know she was a terrible liar. ¡°It¡¯s good they aren¡¯t working you too hard or else I¡¯d have to have words with them.¡± And even if it cost him his job he would. ¡°We all will.¡± Vanessa corrected him, glaring at a nervous looking Jessica. He gave Jess a small smile knowing that she had their back even if she didn¡¯t know it. Eventually Jessica nodded while somehow looking somewhere between determined and a panic attack. ¡°Th-that¡¯s correct¡­ I-if it comes down to it, we-we will all go on s-s-strike¡­¡± Jess looked around as if she¡¯d said something forbidden. ¡°... until they treat you right Cynthia.¡± ¡°Bashful gratitude¡­¡± Cyn unknowingly whispered as he held her a little closer, a warmth growing in his own chest. (Right, it¡¯s the four of us against the world¡­ and if that¡¯s not enough, well¡­ Mathias can be convincing¡­) Chapter 20: New Blood Chapter 20: New Blood --- Catherine Freeman --- ¡°Right, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to need you to run this by me one more time.¡± She sighed, having already had a long day with everything involving Hendrickson, Miles, and Tess. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Based on what you and Eric have told me, as well as the testimonies of the member of our Kin who live in the hotel it seems that when this box opened it forced everyone in our Bloodline to frenzy.¡± Alex told them as he paced back and forth in the hotel library. ¡°During that frenzy I somehow passed on the gift of Blood to young Aurelio.¡± ¡°Which shouldn¡¯t be possible given how involved the passing of Blood is.¡± Eric added, from where he sat smoking a cigarette. ¡°Hell, as complicated as it is it¡¯s practically its own ritual.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°While it doesn¡¯t differ my actions after his awakening, it does lead to several curiosities I¡¯ll be studying over the next few days. Namely seeing if any of our kin come forward with a New Blood.¡± ¡°That depends on if they know they turned someone or if they ended up killing them in their frenzy.¡± She felt the need to point out, because while both possibilities were unpleasant the prior would present a lot more problems than the latter. ¡°I would rather the latter not be true.¡± Alex grimaced. ¡°But if even a single New Blood appears I¡¯ll have us begin scouring the city for them, hopefully before things can escalate. As long as we say that it was due to whatever caused the sky to crack then we can remove whatever social pressures would normally come from this. The only reason I haven¡¯t already come forward with this is because if this does turn out to be an isolated incident, then that would give a free pass to anyone looking to gift the Blood. Something that both can and will spiral out of control, but if they¡¯re already spiraling we¡¯ll need to try and minimize the damage.¡± ¡°Speaking of the crack in the sky.¡± She cut in before tapping her knuckles on the still chained box. ¡°How likely is it that this box is tied to all of this mess?¡± By which she meant, (How likely is it that I hospitalized my nephew?) Alex was quiet for a moment. ¡°Unlikely but still possible given the timing. I¡¯ve already asked William to reach out to some of his contacts throughout the Deviant community, just as I am doing the same. Hopefully we¡¯ll have an answer soon but it might take longer given how it¡¯s been less than forty-eight hours since all of this began after all.¡± It wasn¡¯t the answer she wanted but it was the one she¡¯d have to accept. After a moment, Eric spoke up, ¡°Given the shitstorm brewing outside, what do you want us to do on our end, boss?¡± ¡°For now we need to focus on doing a headcount on everyone.¡± Alex decided. ¡°Make sure all of our people are accounted for. With the phones down things are significantly more difficult, but Heinz has reported about half of our people have returned home for the time being.¡± ¡°And the kid?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯ll help him adjust, but¡­ Given how he didn¡¯t choose this life I want to give him the best foot forward I can.¡± Alex looked at each of them in turn. ¡°If the two of you could make time to help him, or at least see if he has talent within your own disciplines I would appreciate it.¡± ¡°Just tell me when you want me to babysit the little blighter.¡± Eric nodded. Part of her wanted to agree just as quickly but (with Miles in the hospital¡­) ¡°I¡¯ll help when I can, but given the chaos right now I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m going to be juggling more than I can manage.¡± ¡°I understand, with things as they are, the people will need your other profession.¡± Alex accepted easily, while completely misunderstanding her as he gave her a smile. She hadn¡¯t actually been planning that, but (what¡¯s one more ball¡­) --- Aurelio Hermenez --- He was thirsty. His mouth so dry that it seemed to spread to every inch of him, almost as if even his veins were running dry. The second thing he noticed was how hungry he was as if he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. The third thing he noticed was how much he felt like shit. ¡°Fuuucck¡­¡± ¡°Good, you''re waking up.¡± A smooth voice told him. ¡°Who?¡± He blinked, opening his eyes and wondering who was in his apartment. Standing over him was an extremely handsome man dressed in a white button up and suspenders with long blonde hair, pale skin, and dark blue eyes that reminded him of the night sky. ¡°Can I call you daddy?¡± His dazed mind blurted. The man seemed a mix of confused and amused. ¡°If you wish, I suppose?¡± (Damn, I really wish I remembered last night.) Because if he had a guy like this in his apartment¡­ It occurred to him he wasn¡¯t in his apartment. ¡°Uh, where am I?¡± He cautiously asked, looking around the home that while as fancy as his old one was also significantly more lived in. An actual home compared to a fancy house, and the only reason he wasn¡¯t panicking yet. ¡°The Old Renfield Hotel.¡± The blonde told him as if that meant something. ¡°And, uh, where would that be for someone who isn¡¯t from around here?¡± He tried. The blonde blinked before taking on a sad look. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. This hotel is a historical landmark for Heywood¡¯s Old Town, it¡¯s the city¡¯s first hotel. Um¡­ we¡¯re on the border of what¡¯s considered the city center and the northeast side of things¡­ Or maybe it''d be more helpful to say we¡¯re about a mile off from the highway and that there¡¯s a bus stop -just down the street and across from the corner store- that you can use to get to the rest of the city. I, uh, most of the people I know have been in the city for decades, so I can¡¯t provide much more help there.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s uh, that¡¯s more than enough.¡± Just knowing that there was a bus stop in walking distance took a decent bit off his shoulders since he could work out how to get home from there. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± The man smiled, before offering him a cup with a lid and straw on it. ¡°Hopefully this will help with your¡­ hangover.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± He nodded, accepting the cup and seeing a dark liquid beneath the semi-transparent lid. ¡°Uh, what is it?¡± He wasn¡¯t quite stupid enough to just drink anything strange handed to him. ¡°My preferred blend of coffee, I should warn you it¡¯s a bit cool.¡± The blonde warned him. He popped the lid and sniffed it, picking up that it was in fact coffee if a bit off smelling. (Well, if he wanted to hurt me I¡¯d be chained up already so¡­ bottoms up.) The moment the coffee touched his tongue, he realized his thirst was significantly worse than he thought and that the coffee tasted significantly better than the other man had described even if it did have a faintly metallic taste to it. Before he knew it his straw began to suck in nothing but air and he finally came up for a breath of his own. (Oh~ I needed that¡­) He glanced down at his empty cup. ¡°I, uh, I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any more?¡± ¡°There is but it might be best to drink water until you¡­ even out a bit more.¡± The blonde admitted offering him a water bottle. ¡°Coffee helps but it¡¯s not the best when dehydrated, especially on an otherwise empty stomach.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry¡­ first hangover.¡± He admitted bashfully. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The man assured him, before pausing with a concerned look. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can tell me what the last thing you remember is?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± (A beautiful pale woman ran her fingers through his hair, before leaning down to kiss him.) ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s uh, it¡¯s a bit of a blurry blank.¡± He lied, feeling a bit bashful about being kissed by a woman hotter than either of his exes and fainting from it. (Mmm, it was flattering at worst.) If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The man grimaced for some reason. ¡°So you don¡¯t remember being attacked?¡± ¡°Attacked?¡± He repeated, before remembering (fangs dug into his throat and he could feel his blood pouring into the beast¡¯s mouth.) His hand shot to his neck where he found smooth flesh. No injury, not even a bandage holding him together. ¡°So you do remember some of it¡­¡± The man sighed. ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°I¡­ something¡­¡± The man started and stopped several times before making his way to the window. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better to show you first.¡± ¡°Show me what?¡± He asked, climbing off of the couch he¡¯d been laying on and following the man. Once he was close enough the man opened the blinds and revealed the night city skyline -if just barely over the nearby buildings- bathed in bright moonlight. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a nice view?¡± He shrugged. The man gave him an amused half-grin before pointing up. He looked up and near the top of the window he saw what looked like several glowing cracks in the sky. ¡°The hell is that?!¡± (Worrying¡­) ¡°I truthfully don¡¯t know.¡± The man admitted before grimacing once more. ¡°Though I think it¡¯s the reason I attacked you like I did.¡± ¡°Attacked me?¡± He frowned, before his eyes widened as he remembered the blonde man he¡¯d been trying to help. ¡°You, you- You attacked me!¡± ¡°I did.¡± The man nodded, while looking pained. ¡°And I do sincerely apologize for that.¡± ¡°You, you bit me! And, and you were drinking my blood!¡± He realized, slowly backing away from the man as his mind processed everything. ¡°You, you¡¯re a vampire!¡± ¡°Not inaccurate, but we¡¯re technically blood mages, not undead or demon spawn.¡± The man cut in with a so-so gesture. ¡°We use blood to fuel our magic, but we can use any blood really. Though given how it burns a portion of our own, we do need to consume a proportional amount from external sources.¡± His face scrunched up a bit. ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ a vampire witch?¡± The man thought about it for a moment before nodding. ¡°More accurate, but there¡¯s still a little more nuance to it than that though to explain that I¡¯d have to give you a proper lesson on Arcane magic and Blood magic. Which¡­ priorities.¡± ¡°Right, so¡­ Vampire Witch¡­¡± He repeated, before inhaling deeply and exhaling just as deeply in an attempt to try and remain calm. The man sighed once more. ¡°I understand that this is-¡± ¡°THE COOLEST THING EVER!¡± He finished, unable to remain calm. ¡°I knew that the supernatural was real no matter what everyone told me and you are proof! Holy shit, I¡¯m talking with an actual vampire! Twelve year old me would be so jealous right now!¡± The man just blinked at him for a moment as he continued to practically vibrate in place. ¡°You¡­ are taking this better than I expected¡­¡± ¡°Well, I mean, the fact that I¡¯m still alive means you¡¯re not a bloodthirsty asshole¡­¡± He shrugged before thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve made me like your ghoul familiar or something? Which, you know, enslaving someone without consent is kind of a dick move. I mean I could respect it if you tricked me into it I guess, but¡­ actually I wouldn¡¯t be happy with it either way. Unless I consented to be your supernatural servant. In which case it better be the sexy kind of servant, because if we aren¡¯t Anne Rice-ing this shit I¡¯m going to feel cheated. Actually wait¡­ I¡¯ve got a date so we might have to put a pin in that, or maybe Harper would be into that¡­ If things work out I¡¯ll ask.¡± (That sounds like it¡¯d be a fun night.) Once more the man blinked at him before opening his mouth, only to close it. After doing this twice more the man told him, ¡°Can we¡­ Can we take a step back? I think¡­ I think I¡¯m losing track of this conversation.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded. The man inhaled and exhaled before silently nodding to himself and crossing his arms behind his back as he took on a more dignified air. ¡°Alright, so¡­ given your lack of rage for my previous conduct, I¡¯ll start with an introduction. My name is Alexander Pierce, and I was gifted with the Blood roughly forty-five years ago.¡± (Interesting¡­) ¡°Huh, and you barely look thirty.¡± He smiled, before slowly realizing Alex was waiting on him to introduce himself. ¡°Oh, and uh, I¡¯m Aurelio Hermenez.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to properly meet you.¡± Alex told him, offering his hand. ¡°Uh, you too.¡± He agreed, taking the man¡¯s hand. After a firm shake Alex took a step back and said, ¡°Now I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I''ve brought you here.¡± (Kinky vampire sex?) Part of him hoped. (Priorities.) A more sane voice warned. (And I have them.) He coughed into his hand. ¡°Because you¡¯re a nice guy who, like you said, didn''t mean to attack me and wanted to make things right?¡± Alex gave him a gentle if saddened smile. ¡°I appreciate your faith but sadly I¡¯m not that selfless.¡± (Sexy servant time. Sexy servant time. Sexy servant time.) (Or blood magic? He can offer that too.) (These things are not mutually exclusive.) (They are not.) ¡°During my¡­ feral state, I made not one mistake but two, and I intend to take responsibility for both.¡± Alex explained, looking somewhere between regretful and determined. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re hoping with two of us we¡¯ll take your apology better?¡± He figured, before looking around the room. ¡°I guess I just woke up first?¡± ¡°No, both of my mistakes were in regards to you.¡± Alex assured him. ¡°Okay¡­ and uh what was the second mistake?¡± He asked, feeling just a touch of wariness, since as nice as Alex was he wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that the man was a blood drinker. (Survival instincts might need some work but they¡¯re still there.) ¡°During my feral state I seem to have unintentionally given you the gift of the Blood.¡± Alex told him. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire wizard Aurelio¡­¡± Alex stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Normally due to how this binds someone to our bloodline this is something done only after much deliberation and after consulting the rest of our kin. The fact that I granted you the gift of blood without meaning to, will cause some problems for both of us.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle nervously. ¡°Uh, are we talking about little problems or ¡®I¡¯ll get executed if I¡¯m discovered¡¯ problems?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± Alex frowned, clearly taken aback. ¡°We¡¯re not monsters. Or our bloodline isn¡¯t at least¡­ No, no. I can turn someone if I wish, I¡¯ve more than enough clout for that. It¡¯s just that handing the Blood out randomly or to someone who does not know what they¡¯re signing on for is greatly frowned upon. You are perfectly safe, and at worst I might have to give my position to my brother, but I¡¯d like to avoid that if we can.¡± (Okay, so this is a political problem.) It wasn¡¯t what he liked but it was something he could easily understand after living in his father¡¯s house for so long. (Though it does kind of kill the fun of being a vampire.) ¡°So what exactly does this mean for me?¡± ¡°If anyone asks, we had this talk before I gave you the Blood.¡± Alex told him. ¡°Beyond that you¡¯ll be treated like any other New Blood, if with a little more preference from me and my other children because you¡¯re one of mine.¡± (Oh, he views this as a parental bond¡­ That¡¯s¡­ a situation¡­) ¡°Right¡­¡± He¡¯d just gotten rid of one father, he wasn¡¯t really looking for another, but¡­ ¡°What does it mean to be a New Blood?¡± Sensing his apprehension, if for the wrong reason, Alex gave him another gentle smile. ¡°You¡¯d be an initiate of sorts, you¡¯ll be given lessons on our Bloodline¡¯s magic, our history and whatever else you might need to survive your new lifestyle, before¡­ being free to live as you please. This is not some sort of servitude like you feared, this is merely a learning period. All I expect of you is to enjoy the gift of blood, bond with our kin, and preferably not become a ¡®bloodthirsty monster¡¯ as you put it.¡± ¡°Uh, I think I called it a bloodthirsty asshole.¡± He pointed out, feeling a bit of his previous excitement returning at the idea of learning ¡®Magic¡¯ and ¡®Supernatural History¡¯ on top of what sounded like ¡®vampire lessons¡¯. (A desire to learn is never wrong.) ¡°I prefer not to curse.¡± Alex admitted. ¡°It¡¯s impolite, but my daughter Catherine tells me I¡¯m just being old.¡± ¡°Right, so uh, vampire lessons?¡± He asked, hoping he could get away from the weird family dynamics and to something actually cool as soon as possible. ¡°That will sadly have to wait.¡± Alex sighed. ¡°While you¡¯re mostly stable you¡¯re also still in a transitional phase of sorts, with your thirst high and your power low. Tonight we¡¯ll focus on keeping you fed and away from anyone you¡¯d be tempted to feed on. You¡¯ll be free to leave tomorrow but unfortunately I can¡¯t let you return home right now, but until you finish accepting the Blood into your body you¡¯re a threat to anyone you may know.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t have me frenzing on my friends.¡± He chuckled warily, not liking being stuck here but also not wanting to risk anyone he might come across. (Like Harper¡­) It¡¯d eat him alive if, of his few friends in the city, he hurt her. His stomach began to growl and he couldn¡¯t help but grimace. ¡°Um, I know I¡¯m a vampire now but what¡¯s the stance on food?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll still need to eat regular food. Blood is more to maintain the magic keeping you together.¡± Alex explained, before gesturing to his kitchen. ¡°Feel free to help yourself to whatever I have.¡± ¡°And uh, the blood thing?¡± He knew that was going to be something he needed to do, he just wasn¡¯t sure if it was better to rip that bandage off now or later. ¡°I mixed a pint into the coffee pot.¡± Alex confessed, looking sheepish at whatever face Aurelio was making. ¡°I find that drinking it with something else makes it easier to down for the first few months while also keeping you from hurting anyone or ¡®frenzying¡¯ as it were. Um, as long as you don¡¯t heat it up it should keep.¡± (Well, that¡¯s one way to do it.) He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he felt about being tricked into drinking blood for the first time. ¡°Yes, well, um, as I said before you¡¯ll want something in your stomach before you consume any more of that but you¡¯ll probably want to drink the pot before the night is over.¡± Alex told him, inching towards the exit. ¡°I¡¯ll um, I¡¯ll leave you to process while I deal with the many consequences of tonight¡¯s events. Unless you wish for me to stay?¡± ¡°No, I um, I could use a few minutes¡­ by myself.¡± He admitted, knowing that as much as the idea of being a vampire wizard appealed to every bit of gothic nerd in him, there was more than one thing he needed to consider. And he¡¯d rather whatever conclusion he came to be his own, rather than one Alex had a hand in. ¡°I understand.¡± Alex nodded, giving him a half bow before moving for what Aurelio guessed was the exit. Once he was alone he took a deep breath before making his way for the kitchen, fully aware that if this place was anything like his father¡¯s home there were cameras that could be watching him. And given the possibility of enhanced vampyric hearing he whispered, ¡°You going to keep hiding or are you going to come out?¡± (Hmmm, you¡¯re even more perfect than I thought~) Chapter 21: Vampire’s Shadow Chapter 21: Vampire¡¯s Shadow --- Aurelio Hermenez --- His shadow shifted and moved until it took on the shape of a woman before further shifting so that it seemed to sit on the counter in spite of being an otherwise flat image. After a moment a pair of solid white eyes opened on the shadow, along with a thin but grinning mouth. (I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting you to be able to hear me for a few more weeks.) ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± He asked, keeping to a whisper as he pulled out some bread from a cabinet over the shadow¡¯s head. (I¡¯m somewhat lacking in corporeality at the moment.) The shadow pointed out, moving her flat hand in an obvious manner. (I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to introduce myself until I¡¯d built enough power to form actual vocal chords.) ¡°Well, given how you can talk, are you going to introduce yourself?¡± (Hmm, don¡¯t you know you¡¯re supposed to introduce yourself to a lady before asking their name?) The shadow teased amusedly. ¡°And don¡¯t you know you¡¯re not supposed to eavesdrop on others¡¯ conversations?¡± He teased dryly. The shadow¡¯s smile grew as she seemed to laugh inside his head. (Depends on what game we¡¯re playing.) ¡°Mmm, twenty questions.¡± He answered, moving for the fridge. ¡°So, your name?¡± Something occurred to him. ¡°If you have one?¡± (Names have power in certain circles.) The shadow told him as he dug around in the fridge while pointedly ignoring the blood bags in the back. (That said, given our relationship you can call me Geraldine Kite.) (An alias.) He immediately decided, closing the fridge with his hip. The fact that Geraldine¡¯s smile grew, just confirmed that she could hear his thoughts. ¡°Well, Jerry, you already know my name is Aurelio Hermenez.¡± Admittedly it wasn¡¯t the name he was born with, but he preferred his mother¡¯s name to his father¡¯s. (You really are too perfect¡­) The shadow chuckled as he began assembling a sandwich. ¡°Perfect for what?¡± He asked, knowing that if she was anything like the people from his father¡¯s circle she was not going to answer him honestly. (To be my host.) He paused what he was doing. ¡°Your¡­ host? Do you mean that in the social way or in the parasitic way?¡± (Both, though I¡¯d consider our relationship to be more mutualistic.) Jerry confessed. His eyes narrowed. ¡°How so?¡± The shadow seemed to buff her nails against her chest. (Well, you know how little Alex thinks he gave you the, heh, gift of blood by accident?) He remembered the woman he¡¯d seen before blacking out. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that was actually you.¡± (Yes, though given my lack of a body he¡¯s mistakenly claimed you as his own child. Which given my lack of a body is probably for the best.) Jerry admitted, looking conflicted. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that reminder. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect me to start calling you mommy.¡± (Oh? Are you sure?) For a brief moment the shadow once more took on the form of a beautiful woman as she crossed one leg over the other before slowly leaning forward and revealing her neckline. ¡°Because I can be a very nice mommy.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. For his own sanity he decided not to respond, instead filling the sudden dryness in his mouth with the rest of his water bottle. Geraldine laughed before sinking back into a shadow. (Don¡¯t worry, unlike Mr. Pierce I view this more as a student-teacher relationship than something familial. I have no idea where he got addled on that one.) That was a relationship he was much more comfortable with than either of the previous ones. ¡°Okay, and what exactly do you get from turning me into a vampire?¡± (For one, a body I can actually feel and interact with the world through.) Geraldine told him dryly. (An expected and accepted cost of cheating death.) ¡°You¡¯re a ghost.¡± He realized, while doing his best not to squee at yet another teenage fantasy coming true. (Do not think about Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Do not think about Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Do not think about Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.) Jerry gave him -what he assumed was- an amused look. (I¡­ have no idea who either of those people are.) ¡°Right, um, how long have you been a ghost?¡± He asked. (I¡¯m not entirely sure.) Jerry shrugged. (A few decades at least¡­ Truthfully, I was asleep in my Soul Box until a member of my Bloodline opened it. A failsafe to maintain my sanity while trapped in a completely incorporeal state.) ¡°Soul Box¡­¡± He repeated, not sure if that was just a fancy way of saying coffin or something else. (It was an anchor to resurrect myself after death.) Jerry explained, before elaborating that. (It was something I made after discovering that the Bad Blood does not actually grant immortality, but rather reduces one¡¯s aging speed. My own attempt at recreating the process slowed me and the rest of my Bloodline down to approximately a third of the human norm. I used this additional time to study Necromantic practices in an attempt to figure out true immortality, anchoring my soul to a physical object that would then use my Bloodline as a resonance factor to resurrect me as a possessor of sorts. That said, given how I refuse to give up my hard earned magic I had to give up the domination aspect of things and instead make it a vicarious existence through whomever I would end up bonding with.) He¡­ tried to process all of that, but he also got the distinct impression she was purposely dumping so much information on him, solely to keep him from understanding what she was telling him. (That or she just likes proving how smart she is.) (Oh, that is a factor.) Jerry admitted with a grin, before frowning. (I also like having someone to talk to after¡­ who knows how long in isolation.) ¡°You¡¯re being fairly upfront about all of this.¡± He noted, unable to keep all of his suspicion out of his voice. (I am.) The shadow -apparently possessing him- agreed. (As I said, I¡¯m currently dependent on you to live on any level. I need you to eat, drink, move and so on for me. Admittedly, I¡¯ll be a little more active once I¡¯ve regained some of my power but for the most part you are now my Soul Box and should you die then so shall I. Hence why I used what power I had to add you to my Bloodline before Mr. Pierce could accidentally kill you.) ¡°Okay¡­¡± He was silent for a minute, mostly to eat his food but that was also an excuse to go over everything she¡¯d told him thus far. Something Geraldine made no motion to interrupt. (So to summarize she was a vampire witch like Alex, who turned herself into a ghost when she died, that for whatever reason is now haunting me, and she turned me into a vampire to increase my survivability because if I died her ghost will¡­ cease to exist I guess?) Considering all of that, once he finished his food he gave Geraldine a curious look, ¡°What exactly do you want from me?¡± (Because I¡¯m not stupid enough to think you don¡¯t want something beyond my survival.) ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you manipulate these people if that¡¯s what you want.¡± (I¡¯ve more than had my share of political relationships.) The shadow took on a disgusted look, something he didn¡¯t actually think was possible for a shadow. (Believe me, I am more than done with politics. I spent my entire first life controlled by politics, I have no intention of wasting my second on such a thing. I¡¯ve already told you I¡¯m living vicariously through you. I don¡¯t mean that in a metaphorical sense, I mean that in that I quite literally am living through you. I feel what you feel. I taste what you taste. I hunger for what you hunger for. You want to know what I want from you? I want you to drink, to fight, to fuck¡­) Geraldine¡¯s expression shifted into something he could only describe as desperate. (Gods, if you have sex for me -with an actual human being, and it be good- I will teach you whatever dark magic you want. I am speaking of raising the dead, killing gods, whatever you want.) He wasn¡¯t sure how much of all of that he believed, the entire offer being just a little too good to be true, but he absolutely believed the sheer amount of thirst in this poor woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­ not necessary¡­¡± He¡¯d honestly feel really weird if he accepted, almost like he was selling himself for magic. (Which would kind of dirty the whole thing¡­) (Please¡­?) ¡°You¡­ you can wingman me?¡± He offered. (Thank you¡­) Chapter 22: A Kriminel Decision Chapter 22: A Kriminel Decision --- Miles Kennedy --- He took a deep breath before exhaling, knowing that this was a big decision. Sammy, better known as Baron Samedi Lord of the Dead, simply watched him from behind a pair of shades while smoking a cigar. He¡¯d already accepted the Gede family¡¯s deal, to work for them in exchange for being brought back to life. Now he had to choose which of them he¡¯d actually be working for. Samedi had explained that he¡¯d eventually end up working for the whole family, but due to the ¡®craziness¡¯ that he still hadn¡¯t been given the full story on, he was going to be working closest as one specific Baron¡¯s ¡®horse¡¯ getting a direct line to them in particular. Something that would result in him answering directly to them and their duties, while also getting blessings to do his job based on that particular Baron¡¯s domains. The only rule was he couldn¡¯t work for Samedi or his wife directly, the two already having their hands in the mortal world, if unfortunately too far from his city to do much to help him just yet. Leaving him the other four Barons at the table. Nibo, who he¡¯d almost immediately dismissed, because while healing was a powerful ability and finding lost souls sounded like a good enough thing to spend one¡¯s time doing. He couldn¡¯t help but think about Samedi¡¯s warning about whatever was going on back home, and while healing could be helpful it wouldn¡¯t let him protect his family. Especially with the Baron¡¯s desire to avoid conflict. B¨¢b¨¢co he¡¯d briefly considered due to having the widest range of abilities, and hopefully the easiest duties since he filled in to help everyone else rather than leading any particular effort. Which while invaluable, also left him thinking the Baron lacked the same¡­ focus that he could feel coming off of the others, almost causing the man to drift into the background. Brav was arguably the one he wanted to choose the most, a guardian was exactly the kind of thing he needed to be if he wanted to protect his family. It was exactly the kind of thing that he needed, and it was also the kind of thing that everyone he knew would be proud of him for if he took up the call. In fact, he was pretty sure if his dad was still around this was the Baron he¡¯d sign on for. It was that thought, the memory of his dad that turned his attention to Baron Kriminel, the first Murderer. An aggressive man that wanted him to hunt down murderers and see them brought to what he was pretty sure would be a more permanent justice, something that the idea of made his stomach roll. The thing was, that considering all of that, he couldn¡¯t help but ask a question that he just knew would damn him. ¡°If I work for you¡­ will you help me find my father¡¯s murderer?¡± From the way the other Baron¡¯s inhaled, he was pretty sure they knew he was damning himself too. But unlike the others, Baron Kriminel grew a grin wide and sadistic, as he answered, ¡°I guarantee ya¡¯ll eat that pig with a fork and spoon.¡± He understood what the Baron was getting at and nodded. ¡°Ya sure ya want to work with him of all people?¡± Nibo asked, looking more disappointed than angry. ¡°This isn¡¯t the kind of thing ya can take back.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He considered it for one last minute, understanding exactly where Nibo was coming from, while wondering if maybe his better nature would win out and he¡¯d change his mind, but¡­ It didn¡¯t. His resolve stood strong as he decided, ¡°If he can help me get my father justice then yeah. I¡¯ll help him bring others to justice too.¡± Kriminel began to laugh deep and boisterous as he stood from his seat before leaning over the table and offering his hand. ¡°I care more about Vengeance than Justice but if ya can live with that then we have an accord young man.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan on killing anyone for you.¡± He warned the Baron as he took the man¡¯s hand. ¡°If you can live with that then we do.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can¡¯t change ya mind.¡± Kriminel¡¯s hand tightened around his as the Baron smiled down at him just before he felt a heat beginning to burn through his veins. ¡°But first let¡¯s get ya back to the land of the livin¡¯.¡± The burning continued to grow until it felt like he was being burned alive before the world faded to black. --- Richard Kennedy --- He¡¯d watched the whole thing from the sidelines, wanting nothing more than to rush over and wrap his son in his arms but knowing that doing so would only do more harm right now than good. The fact that Samedi was letting him watch at all was as much of a blessing as he could expect, given how the Barons were already doing him such a massive favor. Not that that did anything to keep his heart from breaking when he heard why his son wanted to be the horse of arguably the cruelest of the Barons. A life that would wear away at him if he couldn¡¯t keep that resolve he¡¯d shown as Kriminel sent him back to the land of the living. ¡°Ya can come out now brotha.¡± Samedi told him as the last of Kriminel¡¯s blue flames faded, both the Baron and his son disappearing with them. ¡°Is it bad I was hoping he¡¯d take Brav or Nibo?¡± He asked, making his way to the same seat his son had taken just a few moments prior. ¡°Little offended brotha.¡± B¨¢b¨¢co chuckled good naturedly showing he took no real offense as he took a swig of his own drink. ¡°That said, I¡¯ll admit I wasn¡¯t expectin¡¯ him to go for Kriminel either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think anyone was.¡± Brigette admitted as she twirled a glass of rum. ¡°No, seriously did anyone bet on Krim? Did Kriminel even bet on himself?¡± ¡°Please, we all bet on ourselves.¡± Samedi answered, before rubbing his face into his wife¡¯s neck. ¡°Well, except me. I bet on him beggin¡¯ to work with ya, cherie.¡± ¡°Ha-ha, don¡¯t stop.¡± Brigette encouraged, wrapping an arm around Samedi¡¯s neck. A display that they were all used to after years spent with the extremely affectionate couple. ¡°Bit disappointed.¡± Brav confessed when he collapsed into his chair. ¡°Thought I¡¯d get an encore of our performance brotha.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He sighed with a wry grint. ¡°He could¡¯ve made one helluva a guardian.¡± ¡°I hope the boy knows what he¡¯s doin¡¯.¡± Brav sighed as he passed Richard a glass of wine. ¡°Kriminel is not an easy man to work with on the best of days.¡± ¡°Aye, it¡¯s a dark path he be walkin¡¯.¡± Nibo agreed. ¡°I know.¡± He admitted before downing his glass in a single go, not bothering to savor it. ¡°But the boy has to choose the kind of man he wants to be. Can¡¯t make that choice for him. Wouldn¡¯t even if I could.¡± Samedi pulled back from his wife and nodded. ¡°Ain¡¯t a fatha¡¯s place to pick what roads his son walks.¡± He could only nod at that before shaking his head as he remembered this was supposed to be life¡¯s after party and stood from his seat. ¡°Regardless of what we think of his choices, let¡¯s at least give a toast to the little bastard we know is going to do me proud out there!¡± All of the Barons raised their glasses to that. ¡°Heh-ha! Fuck yeah! To the little brotha!¡± Chapter 23: Hospital Awakenings Chapter 23: Hospital Awakenings --- Max Miller --- ¡°Your father here is a great man!¡± A familiarly loud voice praised. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I wasn¡¯t too sure when they announced they were bringing in a Practitioner, but your father proved me wrong like I couldn¡¯t believe! Why if I had a few more of him, why I could clean up all the crime in the city!¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡± She mumbled, as her eyes slowly opened to a white ceiling. ¡°Y-you¡¯re exaggerating sir.¡± Another -less familiar- voice argued, sounding somewhere between pained and embarrassed. ¡°Nonsense!¡± The familiar voice dismissed. ¡°If your daughter here is anything like you she¡¯s going to do great things! In fact, now that I¡¯m thinking about it I¡¯ve actually got an idea I want to run by you.¡± She turned her head to the side where she found her, ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°You see I-¡± Her dad froze his eyes shooting to her before he breathlessly whispered. ¡°Maxy?¡± ¡°Hey¡­ dad¡­¡± She greeted, her head still fuzzy with sleep. She only half understood why he rushed to her and hugged her like a lifeline, remembering that they¡¯d been talking about something before everything sort of faded to black. At which point she could only recall a number of really weird fever dreams. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, looking over her dad¡¯s shoulder to find them in a clean white room. ¡°W-where are we?¡± Her dad pulled back with a pained look. ¡°Oh, Maxy¡­ There was an¡­ accident or something¡­ and you, you passed out.¡± He tried to explain. ¡°I got you to the hospital as fast as I could but¡­¡± Her dad blinked. ¡°Nurse, we need to get you a nurse! Or a, a doctor!¡± ¡°I, uh, I can go find someone.¡± The unfamiliar voice offered, drawing her attention to the otherside of the room where she found a dark haired man standing next to a plump girl who kind of looked like him as well as a short-haired blonde girl who didn¡¯t. ¡°You girls going to be okay on your own?¡± ¡°W-we¡¯ll be fine, dad.¡± The plump girl assured the man. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Hawkins you know me a proper trooper.¡± The blonde girl saluted from where she laid in another hospital bed. ¡°Thank you, Hawkins.¡± Her dad nodded as the other man left the room, before turning his attention back to her. ¡°H-how are you feeling Max?¡± ¡°My head hurts¡­¡± She admitted, earning a worried look from her dad. ¡°How about you?¡± Her dad offered her a weak smile. ¡°Just worried about you kiddo, but I¡¯m here for you if you need anything.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± That meant more to her than it probably should¡¯ve, not that it stopped her from offering a weak smile of her own. (You are here¡­) --- Miles Kennedy --- He considered the fact that he was no longer burning from the inside out to be a good thing. He considered the fact that he had to fight to make his body do anything less so. (Damn, thought they were supposed to heal me up when they put me back in my body?) (¡°Shoulda asked for Nibo if ya wanted someone to heal ya boy.¡±) A voice distinctly not his own whispered from inside his head. (¡°I just fixed what ya needed to live, the rest ya¡¯re gonna have to sleep off.¡±) ¡°Kriminel¡­¡± He whispered, his throat aching. (¡°Ya don¡¯t need to speak. I can hear your thoughts easily enough.¡±) The baron told him. (So much for privacy I guess¡­) (¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to be my horse.¡±) Kriminel reminded him. (¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got better things than to listen to whatever sex fantasies ya cook up in this head of yours. I¡¯ll only hear ya when I¡¯m payin¡¯ attention, just like how ya¡¯ll only hear me when I want ya to.¡±) While he was relieved by that, he also had more important things to worry about. Namely the fact that next to what he was guessing was his hospital bed he found his mom passed out in a chair while still wearing her scrubs. A stern reminder of why he accepted the barons¡¯ deal in the first place. He spent the next few minutes struggling against his body, but eventually he managed to make himself sit up as bit by bit he regained control of himself. (You know I¡¯m not going to be that much use to you if this is how I¡¯m going to be from now on.) (¡°Just because I won¡¯t heal ya, doesn¡¯t mean ya won¡¯t heal.¡±) Kriminel scoffed. (¡°I¡¯m not wastin¡¯ any gris-gris on ya until ya prove yourself. Whateva healin¡¯ ya do, ¡®ll by your own power. That way ya¡¯ll know what to expect if ya fuck up.¡±) (So what? This is just tough love?) He scoffed himself. (¡°Hmm, if ya think this is tough love then your more spoiled than I thought, but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll break ya of that before I let ya find your papa¡¯s killer.¡±) The baron promised ominously. He tried to ignore that and instead focused on his mom. Part of him wanted to let her sleep, but at the same time with how he was feeling he wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d be able to keep it together before he passed out again. Which is why -gripping the side of his bed- he reached out and tried tapping mom¡¯s hand. She jumped awake blinking for a moment. ¡°Miles¡­?¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Miles!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Hey, mom¡­¡± He tried to smile. ¡°Oh, baby!¡± His mom lunged forward and hugged him. ¡°I was so worried!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m okay¡­¡± He promised, hugging her back. (¡°Did ya know she has blood on her hands?¡±) Kriminel interrupted. A chill ran down his spine. (What?) (¡°She¡¯s blood on her hands, someone died because of her.¡±) The baron cruelly explained. (¡°In fact it was more than one someone.¡±) (That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t believe you¡­) He frowned to himself. ¡°Miles, what¡¯s wrong?¡± His mom, the nurse who saved people, frowned as she pulled back from a hug instead of continuing it like he wanted. ¡°Is your head hurting? Your thoughts fuzzy? Of course, they¡¯re fuzzy you just woke up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine mom, just¡­¡± He thought of a believable excuse. ¡°Have you heard from Cory or Micki? I was with them when¡­ everything happened.¡± His mom shook her head. ¡°No, whatever has happened to the city has taken out cell service in most of the city. The only phone calls going anywhere were landlines. But I know your aunt said she saw them and she wouldn¡¯t leave them if they were in trouble.¡± Kriminel laughed at that. (¡°Ha! That¡¯s a lie and she knows it.¡±) He fought back the urge to growl. (Shut up¡­) (¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do boy.¡±) Kriminel actually growled, before letting out a scoffing sound. (¡°But I have seen enough for now. I¡¯ve more important things to do than watchin¡¯ ya waste time recoverin¡¯, though I will be back when ya¡¯ll actually be of use to me.¡±) (Looking forward to it.) He thought just a little bitterly despite knowing he¡¯d been the one to sign up for this. ¡°Miles¡­¡± His mom called. ¡°Sorry.¡± He winced. ¡°Just¡­ tired, I guess¡­¡± ¡°I know baby, but¡­ you need to try and stay up. At least until the doctor can see you.¡± His mom told him. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t you always say doctors know nothing compared to nurses?¡± He smiled, trying to lighten her mood a bit. ¡°They don¡¯t,¡± his mom admitted dryly. ¡°But I need one of them to sign off on half the things I want to do to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Yeah, that makes more sense¡­¡± --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°Well as far as I can tell you¡¯re both looking alright.¡± The doctor told him after several hours spent waiting around the hospital. Something she couldn¡¯t really blame him for given all of the chaos she¡¯d seen on the way here. ¡°But given the severity of what you went through and the¡­ treatment it might be best for you to stay overnight.¡± (Translation: I don¡¯t trust magic so I¡¯m going to pointlessly keep you here.) She thought with just a touch of bitterness, knowing as well as Micki that her dad¡¯s magic was more than enough to heal them. Especially given how her own injuries weren¡¯t that severe. The wreath on her bicep began to tighten, forcing her to grimace. The thorns (thankfully) having retracted once she was out of danger, and while she did want to ask her dad about it she hadn¡¯t wanted to do so with everything else going on. (And I¡¯m definitely not doing it in front of some asshole who looks down on magic.) Misreading her, her dad tried to assure her that, ¡°It won¡¯t be that bad.¡± before glancing out the nearby window. ¡°And honestly, it might be better for the two of you to stay at the hospital with everything going on out there anyway. I doubt it¡¯s gotten any better now that it¡¯s night.¡± ¡°Another reason to stay.¡± The doctor agreed before shaking his head. ¡°That said, we¡¯re running a little tight on space at the moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ Me and Micki can share.¡± She shrugged, knowing they¡¯d done the same often enough during their sleepovers. (Even if we haven¡¯t had one in a while¡­) ¡°Uh, y-yeah¡­¡± Micki chuckled, sounding a bit off. ¡°Just like old times¡­¡± She glanced to the side of the room where the daughter of her dad¡¯s boss sat focused on the TV as she watched the local news covering everything going on in the city. Her dad having had to leave several hours prior due to being the police captain and the city being in a bad way, the man having already put off dealing with the crisis in favor of making sure his daughter was okay. Something that more than reminded her of her own dad. ¡°This also means we don¡¯t have to leave Max alone.¡± She whispered. ¡°R-right, another girl will be here too.¡± Micki nodded, a little tensely. She got where the other girl was coming from. ¡°I know it¡¯d be better if Miles was here sleeping with us instead.¡± He¡¯d been the first to drop out of their slumber parties and she still wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°But Max looks like she could use some company after whatever happened to her, you know?¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Micki glanced over at Max distracting herself with some animated show before glancing back at Coraline. ¡°She, uh, she could use a friend and¡­ just a friend.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± She smiled. ¡°Always thinking of others.¡± Her dad gave her a smile of his own as he pulled her into a half hug before kissing her forehead. ¡°Proud of you, baby girl.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She tried to argue, only mildly embarrassed since Max was staring at the TV and Micki seemed distracted with something else. ¡°Anyone would do the same.¡± Her dad gained a half grimace. ¡°If only. Still will you two be alright on your own? I¡¯d like to stay, but I feel like you wouldn¡¯t want any boys crashing your slumber party.¡± ¡°N-nope.¡± Micki agreed, playing along with him. She swatted him. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Her dad grinned before shaking his head. ¡°But I¡¯ll be back in the morning to pick you girls up. For now you guys just stay safe, alright?¡± ¡°We will.¡± She promised. Her dad turned to her best friend. ¡°Micki take care of my daughter alright?¡± The other girl straightened her spine. ¡°I will, sir!¡± Her dad shook his head, and gave her one more squeeze. ¡°Love you.¡± She gave him one back. ¡°Love you too.¡± With his goodbyes said, her dad left to probably get to work like Mr. Hawkins had. At which point she went ahead and took a seat on the other side of the bed from Micki, who moved over to make space for her. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to cram yourself into a small space like that, right?¡± ¡°Uh, y-yeah¡­¡± Micki smiled in embarrassment as she took up her fair share of the bed even if it meant they were kind of crammed against each other. With that settled she turned her attention to the TV and couldn¡¯t help but grimace as she realized there was a horror film on it, having never been as into scary things as Miles and Micki, ¡°Uh, where¡¯s the remote? Max, do you mind if we change the channel?¡± The bedridden girl blinked before turning towards her as if she¡¯d forgotten she wasn¡¯t alone in the room. ¡°Uh, never found one, but uh, you can get up and change it if you want? Can¡¯t really do that myself¡­ Heads uh¡­¡± The other girl frowned. ¡°Fuck, heads starting to hurt again¡­¡± She practically jumped up, knowing that was at least part of what hospitalized the girl in the first place. ¡°Do you want me to get the doctor?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Just uh, just need to¡­ rest a bit.¡± Max assured her. ¡°You mind putting on something not too serious?¡± She gave the other girl a smile as she stood up. ¡°Not at all.¡± Lost Episode: Harper Everette, The Event Lost Episode: Harper Everette, The Event --- Harper Everette, Monsters Arising --- Her eyes drifted to the sky glowing as if it were the middle of the day rather than sunset, massive golden cracks in reality leaking light into the air. ¡°Frankie¡­ you seeing this?¡± She asked, wondering if her overactive imagination was getting to her once more. The fact that other people were getting out of their cars to stare at it told her it probably wasn¡¯t. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The redhead confirmed with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m also not liking it.¡± She swallowed, remembering something she¡¯d seen once when she was little. Something she¡¯d tried very hard not to remember. ¡°What¡­ what do you think it is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­ we should get home as soon as we can.¡± Frankie told her, pulling out the keys their manager had foisted on the other woman before burning off. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She agreed as her friend turned back to the cafe door to finish locking up, Harper¡¯s eyes never leaving the cracks so high up in the sky. At least not until a black one opened up much much closer. ¡°Uh, Frankie you might want to hurry¡­¡± She warned the other woman. A set of claws began to reach through the crack. ¡°Or better yet, unlock the door!¡± She suggested with no small amount of panic as she realized whatever the claws belonged to was slowly opening the crack. ¡°Why?¡± Frankie frowned, glancing over before following her gaze to see the many teeth inside of the growing crack. ¡°Shit!¡± The redhead threw the doors open. ¡°Inside now!¡± Not one to argue when her life was clearly in danger she did as the larger woman suggested and ran inside before turning around as Frankie began to lock the door behind them. ¡°Is that really going to do anything?¡± She found herself asking. ¡°No idea, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Frankie pointed out, just as a massive thud shook the ground, drawing their attention to a massive mass of gray flesh and teeth sprawled out in the middle of the street as people finally began to run and scream from it. The monster picked itself up and shook itself off before turning to one such person and lunging at them, bringing them to the ground in a display she was glad she couldn¡¯t see from the other side of the monster. Not that it kept her from knowing what it looked like when (claws tore through flesh, spattering blood on the wall as screams died down.) ¡°W-wait, we need to open the doors!¡± She whispered breathlessly. Frankie looked at her like she was crazy. ¡°Why the hell would we do that?¡± ¡°People need some place to hide!¡± She tried to explain as the monster outside began to pick itself up and anot. ¡°We, we can¡¯t just leave them out there or else that thing will get them!¡± ¡°Then they should run while they can, there¡¯s only o-¡± Another thud cut Frankie off, her eyes going wide. A third thud had them slowly turning as a pack of the monsters began to flood the streets. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Frankie cursed. Seeing a mother and daughter both with familiar blonde hair, she lunged for the door quickly opening it before calling out, ¡°In here quick!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The mother told her, rushing in with her child in hand. ¡°Over here!¡± She yelled at the nearby people, one or two of them hearing her and rushing over. ¡°Over he-agh!¡± She yelped, as Frankie pulled her away from the door before slamming it shut and bracing it just in time for one of the monsters to slam into the door, causing it to buckle but not give under her weight. ¡°Quick lock the door and then through the second!¡± Moving quick, she did as the other woman told her and locked the cafe¡¯s main doors before rushing through the second set that she¡¯d always found an annoyance until right this moment when it would provide another barrier between her and the monster. Just as quickly if not more so Frankie followed after her before bracing the inner doors. ¡°Find something to barricade the door!¡± ¡°R-r-right!¡± She nodded, quickly looking for anything the cafe would have to brace the door before grabbing a couple of chairs and dragging them over to the other woman. Something that a couple of the people she¡¯d managed to bring inside began to help her with. ¡°I-I think this is the best we can do.¡± She told Frankie once every chair in the building was in front of the doors. An amount that looked distinctly short in the face of a monster the size of a small car. --- Harper Everette, City on Fire --- While the people she¡¯d pulled off the streets had all gone to hide in the back kitchen, neither she nor Frankie were willing to leave the monster unsupervised. Which unfortunately left them with little to do but watch as the monster paced back and forth on the other side of the glass, having eventually given up on the front doors. An eventuality that gave her an unpleasantly clear view of the gray beast, the way its veiny muscles rippled as it moved, the fact that its gums and fangs were visible from a lipless maw, or the fact that it had no eyes despite there being two clear indents for them in the sides of its head. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°What do we do?¡± She whispered to Frankie, fully convinced that the monster knew they were still inside the building despite being blind. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here.¡± ¡°Can we do much else?¡± The redhead asked her seriously. She bit her lip. ¡°What about the back? I know it¡¯s locked but you think we can sneak through the alley out back?¡± Frankie considered it for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°No, that thing is blind but it can tell we¡¯re here. If we go out back there¡¯s no telling if it¡¯ll be able to tell or not. As much as it sucks it might be best to wait until it wanders off, or someone comes to help.¡± ¡°Is anyone coming to help?¡± She wondered quietly, she¡¯d heard of there being some group to prevent a second set of Riots but she also knew their predecessors hadn¡¯t done much to help anyone either. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Frankie pulled out her phone and frowned at it. ¡°I¡­ know someone but I need a cell signal to get a hold of them.¡± ¡°What about the landline? Isn¡¯t there one in the manager¡¯s office?¡± She suggested, figuring it didn¡¯t matter who this ¡®someone¡¯ was just so long as they could help. ¡°Do you think you could reach them through that?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Frankie sighed, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Though that depends on if they¡¯re at the Den or in the middle of all of this shit.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just a phone call. Not like we lose anything by trying.¡± ¡°True.¡± The other woman admitted before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try the land line. You just¡­ keep an eye on things here.¡± ¡°Aye-aye, captain.¡± She saluted, earning a wry grin from her friend. ¡°Don¡¯t change Harps.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t plan to.¡± She nodded, as Frankie made her way into the back. She glanced at the monster and grimaced as it continued to pace, waiting for she wasn¡¯t sure what, before deciding it might be better to focus on the people she¡¯d pulled in off of the streets rather than the monster on it. Stepping back into the kitchen, her eyes drifted over the four people half huddled and half spread across the kitsch, before falling on the mother comforting her crying daughter. Something that had her remembering what little she could about her own mother. (A kind voice¡­ Warm hugs¡­ A feeling of safety¡­ Blood on a wall and a corpse on the ground.) She shook her head before looking at some of the treats that hadn¡¯t been grabbed through the day. ¡°Here, I know it¡¯s not much but¡­¡± She shrugged a little helplessly as she offered the people the cookies and snack cakes. Though she was more specifically offering it to the crying child. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± The mother told her, offering a weak smile as her daughter accepted the cookie. ¡°For, for everything.¡± ¡°You mean for getting us trapped in here?¡± One of the others scoffed. ¡°Better than being dead on the streets like everyone else.¡± Another argued. The child began to sniffle again, and she glared at both of the men. ¡°Zip-¡± A thudding sound made her freeze, the faint cracking afterwards made her heart stop. Terrified but needing to know, she slowly opened the door separating the kitchen from the main area and peeked through the crack to watch as the eyeless mass of flesh and teeth bashed its head against the glass window, the impact causing a web of cracks to form. A web that grew even larger as the monster slammed its head against the glass again and again. ¡°Fuuuck¡­¡± She whimpered, before turning back to everyone else. ¡°Okay, everyone I need you to stay quiet and stay down. I¡­ I need to go get Frankie.¡± (Otherwise she might wander out of the office when that thing gets in here.) ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The mother asked, holding her child close. She chuckled nervously. ¡°N-nothing, just¡­ just stay back here, and, uh, lock the door.¡± ¡°Not like there¡¯s anywhere else to go.¡± One of the men told her. (Right, don¡¯t have the time for this¡­) She told herself before stepping into the main area and quickly moving for the manager¡¯s office, her eyes never leaving the monster as it continued to slam its head against the deteriorating glass. Which is the only reason she wasn¡¯t caught off guard when the glass finally gave in under the monster¡¯s weight, leaving it free to climb inside the cafe in pursuit of its hiding prey. An event made all the worse by how it drew the attention of some of the other monsters that had come through the black tear in the sky. Knowing that she didn¡¯t have time to get to the kitchen or the office, she instead rushed for the nearest door and ducked inside of a supply closet before slamming it shut behind her. Not even two seconds later a weight crashed into the door causing it to fracture and splinter, even if it didn¡¯t quite give yet. ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit¡­¡± She steadily cursed as she quickly fumbled for her phone before using it as a light to look around the closet in the hopes of finding anything that could help her out of this. --- Madeline Mertens, Parents¡¯ Perspective --- She clung to her daughter Fionna as they all heard the glass outside the cafe give, the monster breaking through whatever fragile defense they had only a few moments after the kind girl trying to help them had stepped out. ¡°Fuck!¡± One of the men -the one wearing button up- cursed, something she couldn¡¯t really complain about given their situation. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± ¡°But where do we go?¡± She asked as her baby girl started crying. ¡°There¡¯s, there¡¯s got to be like a back entrance or something. For loading supplies and taking out the trash.¡± The other man -the one wearing a business suit- pointed out. ¡°All we¡¯ve got to do is find it and we can get out of here.¡± ¡°But what about those girls?¡± She frowned. ¡°The ones who were out there?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re out there odds are they¡¯re already dead.¡± The suited man told her, forcing a grimace out of her because (he¡¯s probably right¡­) before looking at the first man. ¡°I saw a door over that way, didn¡¯t try opening it but that¡¯s got to be what you were talking about right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s got to-¡± The man was cut off as something slammed against the kitchen entrance, the door only holding because of the lock. Not that that stopped one of the hinges from giving. ¡°Shit we need to move now.¡± Fionna¡¯s crying grew worse as the monster slammed into the door once more, knocking it down enough for the beast to reach through with one of its scrabbling claws. Knowing she didn¡¯t have time to calm her daughter down, she picked Fionna up and started towards the door that the two men had already run out. The two apparently having no problem leaving her and her daughter behind. (Bastards¡­) She made it to the door just in time to watch a gray mass sprint past the open doorway, just moments before a scream tore through the air. (Oh, no!) Cornered between beasts, she had just enough time to turn around and watch as the door behind her was torn to the ground, allowing the other beast to slowly force its too large body through the door frame as it clawed and scraped at the ground desperate to get at her and her daughter. Her eyes darted around the kitchen, hoping to find someplace she could hide Fionna until it was safe, even if it meant using her own body to keep the monster from her daughter. ¡°Hey asshole!¡± A voice shouted. ¡°Leave them alone!¡± From behind the monster the kind blonde girl jumped onto its back before jamming what looked like a broken mop handle into one of the beast¡¯s empty eye sockets and digging it in deep, even as the beast bucked and thrashed to throw her off. The girl ripped the mop handle out before stabbing it back in over and over again. ¡°Why. Don¡¯t. You. Just. Die. Like. Your. Boyfriend. You. Bitch!¡± At some point during the girl¡¯s screaming the beast¡¯s body spasmed before going limp, leaving it to slowly slump to the ground as the girl tore into it, making absolutely sure the monster was dead. Once she was sure the thing was dead, the girl panted from the exertion before slowly beginning to laugh. The sound mildly unhinged as the girl laughed ever louder, before looking at her and Fionna with a large smile. ¡°Would you believe that was one of my top three fantasies?¡± Chapter 24: Returning Home Chapter 24: Returning Home --- Coraline Hawkins --- Once her dad came to pick her and Micki up from the hospital, they dropped the other girl off at her home before heading for their own. (Though Micki really did look like she wanted to stay with us. I guess things aren¡¯t getting any better with her parents.) ¡°You feeling alright Cory?¡± Her dad asked, picking up on her downward mood. ¡°Uh, yeah. Just thinking about Micki, she uh, she didn¡¯t look happy to be home.¡± She admitted. ¡°Did she¡­ mention anything?¡± Her dad frowned, knowing that Micki¡¯s home life wasn¡¯t exactly the best but that it also wasn¡¯t bad enough that he needed to get involved. She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You know if things get bad enough she¡¯ll tell you.¡± Her dad pointed out. ¡°I know.¡± She sighed, leaning her head against the car window. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it any better though.¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡± Her dad agreed with a sigh of his own. They were both silent for a moment before her dad broke it with another sigh. ¡°Hey, Cory¡­ I know your birthday is still a couple months off but¡­ given some of the things going on¡­¡± Her dad stopped himself before shaking his head. ¡°With the things going on the last couple days, and the things they were talking about at the station¡­ I think, I think it might be best if we start teaching you magic soon.¡± She jumped. ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°R-really.¡± Her dad nodded, looking a little pained. Which made sense given how strict her dad had always been about waiting until she was eighteen to teach her the magic she¡¯d spent her entire childhood watching both of her parents throw around. Unfortunately, she was too excited to offer the sympathy she usually would. ¡°What are we starting with?! Enchanting?! Willcraft?! Scriptcraft?! Summoning?!¡± She fired off wanting as many details as possible. ¡°Um, uh, I¡¯m not quite sure¡­¡± Her dad confessed, looking a little overwhelmed. ¡°I still, I still need to get some things together, but I want you to have¡­ something to defend yourself if things¡­ go in the direction we think they are.¡± That tempered her excitement a bit. ¡°What¡­ what direction do you think they¡¯re going?¡± Her dad grimaced and went silent for a moment, before eventually telling her that, ¡°We think¡­ this might be another Rift Riot.¡± That killed all of her enthusiasm. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She still remembered the last one when she was eight. The one that¡­ (took mom¡­) ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Her dad sighed. ¡°We¡¯re still hoping it¡¯s not that bad but¡­ some parts of the city were hit pretty hard yesterday, and given the sky¡­ we don¡¯t think this was a one off type of deal.¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡± (This isn¡¯t us learning magic for fun. This is us learning magic to stay safe.) Her dad watched her for a moment, looking upset that she did, before shaking his head. ¡°Um, there was something else¡­ My captain, he uh, he¡¯s got this thing he wants to try and set up to keep some of the cop kids close to the station. We¡¯re still sorting out the details¡­ and I¡¯m not going to make you join up but¡­ if you want to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll think about it.¡± She told him, before thinking about something. ¡°Do you think¡­ Miles and Micki¡­ could join?¡± Her dad shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I mean¡­ it¡¯s meant for the cop kids but I doubt the captain will have any issue with more kids going if you can get them to. I, uh, I¡¯m pretty sure that before all of this he was setting it up to try and get his daughter to make some friends.¡± ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± She admitted. ¡°Max seemed kind of lonely at the hospital.¡± ¡°Well, from what the Captain told me ever since his divorce and then his promotion, she¡¯s slowly been pulling in on herself.¡± Her dad explained, eyes on the road. ¡°I know he¡¯s worried about her but¡­ I can¡¯t really do anything to help either of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, because even if Micki and Miles don¡¯t join up I¡¯ll still try to be Max¡¯s friend.¡± She decided (because no one should have to feel alone.) ¡°I didn¡¯t get to talk to her much but she seemed like a fun enough person.¡± --- Max Miller --- After her dad left for work (yet again) and knowing that despite what he said he probably wasn¡¯t going to be home in time for dinner, she went to her room and booted up her computer before unloading all of her spare electronic parts onto her work desk. Once the computer was on she stared at it intently, just as she had the TV back at the hospital after waking up from whatever had put her into that brief coma. (Come on¡­ I know it wasn¡¯t a fluke¡­ It was too consistent.) Slowly she felt something click into place between her and the computer. Her eyes immediately focused on the browser icon in one corner of the screen, and after a few seconds the computer opened her homepage without her even touching the mouse. A mad grin made its way to her face as she bit her lip and focused on the search engine, running a sort of mental finger over the thread between her and the computer. And while it felt like she was running dial up to do so she eventually managed to enter a web address using (my mind!) With another flex of her mind she managed to pull up a website that she was pretty sure her dad wouldn¡¯t want her looking at. She¡¯d always heard rumors on the net about what people were calling Mentally Augmented Deviants, or M.A.D.s. People who through some twist of fate were capable of naturally building pieces of tech far beyond what the average person could manage even with a doctorate in their given fields. Part of her had always hoped that with her talent with machines she was an M.A.D. but no matter how much effort she put into it, she just could not hear the ¡®whispers¡¯ that all M.A.D.s swore told them how to build their inventions. And so eventually she learned to accept that even if she wasn¡¯t a special supergenius that would make science her bitch, she was still a genius by everyone else¡¯s standards and could make them her bitches by staying smarter. Of course that didn¡¯t kill her interest in M.A.D.s or the tech they could build, tech that no matter how smart she was she couldn¡¯t quite replicate because there was always something missing or some abstract thing that never quite clicked. Though regardless of whether or not she could build a power armor out of junk, that research still let her push the boundaries of just what she could do with regular tech. Such as learning how to make tasers for self defense, flying drones for spying on that cute boy in her one class, and a number of other fun toys that her dad would absolutely confiscate if he knew about them. On its own this was an interesting little hobby, combined with this new ability she¡¯d somehow gained, well¡­ Her eyes roamed over the probably on a watch list tech forums dissecting every bit of M.A.D. tech they could to middling success. Eventually she managed to track down one she¡¯d seen a few weeks ago about what people were calling ¡®smart weaponry¡¯. She was going to have a lot of fun. --- Miles Kennedy --- ¡°So, uh, how much did you tell everyone?¡± He asked as he and his mom made their way to their front door. ¡°About me and the hospital I mean?¡± ¡°Well I told your grandma and Hannah, but Molly just thinks you were staying with me because of all the crazy going on.¡± His mom explained. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re aunt of course since she was the one who brought you to the hospital.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace. ¡°So, they know I was¡­ out of it for a couple days?¡± ¡°Yeah, though only Cat actually saw you.¡± His mom nodded, before giving him a look. ¡°Honestly, you weren¡¯t going to be able to hide it. It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re able to move already with as bad as you were when they admitted you.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± He sighed as he flexed his hands and while they closed they took much longer to do so than he was comfortable with. ¡°Hey, it¡¯ll be alright.¡± His mom assured him. ¡°As fast as you¡¯ve healed from the rest, you¡¯ll be good as new in a few more days. You get that from your dad, I swear that man could walk off getting hit by a car.¡± (¡°Heh.¡±) (And you¡¯re back.) He thought bitterly. (¡°Of course, gotta see how fast your healin¡¯ so I know when I can put ya to work.¡±) Kriminel reminded him. (Got any more lies to tell?) He wondered following his mom as she opened the front door. (¡°I don¡¯t lie.¡±) Kriminel growled, before gaining a smile to his voice. (¡°After all, the truth is so much harsher.¡±) The moment they walked inside a young voice yelled, ¡°Mom and Miles are home!¡± before a small missile hit him around the stomach. ¡°H-hey¡­ Molly.¡± He smiled down at his younger sister even as he fought to stay standing. ¡°You doing okay? I heard things got pretty scary for a while there¡­¡± Molly shook her head. ¡°Nah, I wasn¡¯t scared. Oh, did you see the sky! It¡¯s so pretty, but it looks like the sky is falling down too! Do you think the sky is going to fall Miles?!¡± ¡°Uh, given how the sky covers the entire world¡­ I don¡¯t think so.¡± He chuckled. (Then again, if Baron Samedi is real¡­ who knows what''s going to happen?) (¡°Sky won¡¯t fall.¡±) Kriminel told him. (¡°Crack ain¡¯t in the sky. It¡¯s in reality itself.¡±) (That¡­ sounds significantly worse.) (¡°Eh, happens at least once a week. Odd bit is that the crack hasn¡¯t sealed.¡±) Kriminel assured him. (¡°World likes bein¡¯ right ways, and we¡¯ll right itself when it can.¡±) (Good to know¡­) He blinked and found Hannah in front of him watching him worriedly. ¡°You doing alright little brother? You kind of blanked out for a second there.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, just uh¡­ not feeling one hundred percent.¡± He admitted, noticing that Hannah wasn¡¯t the only one watching him in concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ really.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sure, just¡­ let us know if you start feeling funny.¡± Hannah told him. ¡°Will do.¡± He lied, knowing that he was going to feel funny as long as he had a Baron beating around in his skull. Said Baron scoffed. (¡°Be glad I ain¡¯t Samedi playin¡¯ his drums twenty-four seven. If his champion wasn¡¯t Obsessed with music he¡¯d of gone insane already.¡±) ¡°Ah, there¡¯s my other grandbaby.¡± His grandma cried as made his way into the kitchen, before making her way over and dragging him into a hug where she whispered. ¡°You had us so worried. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re up and movin¡¯.¡± ¡°Sorry, grandma.¡± He apologized. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to worry ya.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, you just need to worry about yourself too.¡± His grandma told him as she let him go. (¡°Hmm, I like this one.¡±) (Really?) That surprised him. (¡°Yeah, killed a racist asshole in the sixties who hurt her sister. I¡¯m given¡¯ it a pass since vengeance kills are my favorite kind.¡±) Kriminel elaborated, actually sounding impressed. (¡°Woman¡¯s got spine, that¡¯s the kind of thing ya ought to look for in a woman yerself kid.¡±) He just stared at his sweet elderly grandma -the one who¡¯d moved in and helped their whole family function after his dad¡¯s passing, including helping his little sister get dressed, and cooking half their meals- as he processed the fact that she¡¯d killed a man. The world seemed to spin a bit and he considered himself lucky when he spotted his aunt Catherine coming over while looking exhausted, almost as if she hadn¡¯t slept all night. ¡°Hey, kid, glad to see you awake.¡± ¡°H-hey, aunt Cat¡­ Uh,¡± He glanced back making sure Molly wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°I heard you got me to the hospital¡­ just wanted to thank you for that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me kid.¡± His aunt smiled, before pulling him into a hug of her own. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you like that ever again.¡± As he hugged his aunt back, he could hear Kriminel letting out a whistle in the back of his head. (¡°Now that is a body count. Bitch really likes her bloodshed. She be one step off from bein¡¯ a pig worth takin¡¯ to the slaughter. I mean, she¡¯s almost at the triple digits.¡±) --- Aurelio Hermenez --- Walking up the steps to his apartment he found himself contemplating the previous night, in which he¡¯d been attacked by a vampire, turned into a vampire witch, been asked to join what he was pretty sure was a vampire cult, on top of now being haunted by an ex-vampire ghost. (Technically, I¡¯m still a blood mage.) Said ghost -who he was once more reminded could read his thoughts- pointed out. (Which when combined with myths about vampires, pre-Bram Stoker would make me closer to some of the original definitions of a vampire than you. Note, that is the non-corporeal ghost variants common to the slavic regions rather than the bloated undead that would escape their coffins.) ¡°Do you drink blood?¡± He asked, more to prove a point in the fact that the ghost does not drink blood thus meaning she was not really a vampire. (Well, I do siphon off a portion of what you drink.) Geraldine admitted, causing him to pause. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re doing what now?¡± (Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not so much that it¡¯ll hinder your development especially given my own knowledge and abilities aiding your own.) The parasitic ghost assured him. (Rude! As I said previously I wish for this to be a mutualistic relationship, asking you to feed for both of us isn¡¯t that severe of a request!) He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. ¡°Right, and you¡¯re idea of mutualism revolves around trying to get me la-¡± ¡°Leo!¡± A voice yelled, practically causing him to jump a foot in the air. (We¡¯ll have to work on that, you should¡¯ve been able to jump a meter minimum.) Ignoring the dead woman haunting him, he instead turned his attention to the very much alive woman stepping out of her apartment. ¡°Harper, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The blonde laughed dryly. ¡°Take your pick on the massive crack in the sky or the monsters it¡¯s spitting out. I was starting to get worried about you when you didn¡¯t answer the door all day! Where have you been?¡± (Monsters?) He frowned, before grimacing as he remembered Alex as well as how the man had kept him on lockdown for the last couple of days, with Aurelio just barely being able to convince the vampire to let him go due to guilt tripping him about his regular life. ¡°Um, I kind of got¡­ mugged, and this¡­ old guy let me crash on his couch.¡± (You are a terrible liar.) Jerry told him, before gaining a¡­ tone. (Also, who is this pretty little thing?) ¡°Oh¡­ shit.¡± Harper winced, before giving him a once over. ¡°You uh, you okay?¡± (She¡¯s just¡­ a neighbor¡­ friend. A friendly neighbor!) ¡°Nothing too bad. Just got knocked out and¡­ lost a bit of blood.¡± He tried to deflect, because physically he felt fantastic, but mentally he was¡­ still figuring things out. (Hmmm¡­) ¡°Yeah, sucks that people would take advantage of all that mess this weekend.¡± Harper nodded. ¡°I, uh, I sort of spent the first night at my job with Frankie and a couple of people we pulled off the streets. Though, uh, some of them decided to try risking the streets and it¡­ didn¡¯t work out for them.¡± Sensing that she wasn¡¯t okay, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. ¡°Hey, you uh, you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ but um, I¡¯m not really feeling up to our date tonight.¡± Harper admitted. (Oh! You¡¯re courting this one!) He could just hear the grin in the ghost¡¯s voice. (No, down. Bad ghost! We¡¯re not¡­ We¡¯re just¡­ it would¡¯ve been our first date¡­) ¡°It¡¯s fine, with the way things are right now¡­¡± With monsters apparently roaming the streets, and him maybe a monster himself¡­ ¡°How about a rain check? For when things calm down a bit?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± Harper smiled, pushing a bit of hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯d like that, just¡­ when it¡¯s a little safer to be on the streets. You know?¡± (Or¡­ you could invite her to have dinner with you at your home?) The devil on his shoulder suggested. He knew the ghost was working an angle on him, but¡­ (I really wanted to hang out with her¡­ Fuck it.) (That¡¯s the plan.) ¡°If things don¡¯t calm down for a while¡­ Maybe I can make you dinner instead?¡± ¡°Oh, um, you cook¡­ for me?¡± Harper blushed. He couldn¡¯t quite meet her eyes. ¡°I-if you want? Or we can just¡­ wait for things to calm down¡­ It¡¯s your choice.¡± ¡°I, um¡­ Next weekend!¡± Harper practically shouted, before shrinking in on herself. ¡°If¡­ if things haven¡¯t calmed down in a week then¡­ we can, we can have dinner at your place!¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds great!¡± He smiled. ¡°Heh, yeah¡­ it¡¯s a date.¡± Harper smiled, slowly walking backwards to her apartment. ¡°I¡¯ll um, I¡¯ll see you then.¡± ¡°Y-yeah!¡± He waved as she rushed back into her apartment. He couldn¡¯t help but give himself a fist pump. ¡°Yes!¡± (A question occurs to me¡­ Do you know how to cook? Something romantically appropriate I mean?) His eyes widened as he let out a quiet, ¡°Noooooo¡­¡± --- Micki Harrison --- She looked around the school yard before making her way over to a window that she knew had a broken latch and slowly pushing it open enough for her to climb inside. Once inside the school she couldn¡¯t help but shiver, the building feeling so much colder than the previous night when she¡¯d shared a bed with Cory (who is a friend. Just a friend¡­ Which is why you can¡¯t have sleepovers with her anymore¡­) She didn¡¯t trust herself not to take advantage of Cory¡¯s trusting naivety. With a shake of her head she made her way through the school building and back to where she stashed all of her things during the school day, a small storage room that probably hadn¡¯t been used for anything important since the nineties. Opening her stashed suitcase she pulled out and unrolled her sleeping bag before grabbing one of her granola bars and a water bottle, honestly feeling kind of sick of the meal after a night of eating junk food with her best friend. ¡°Home sweet home¡­¡± She whispered to the empty room. Chapter 25: Law, Order, And The Criminal Element Chapter 25: Law, Order, And The Criminal Element --- John Miller --- He drank deep from his coffee, knowing that it was the only kindness this cruel world full of monsters was going to give the common man. When he ran out he knew there was no more putting his work day off. ¡°Alright people. How bad is it today?¡± He asked, knowing that it wasn¡¯t a question of whether or not the city was on fire but rather how much of it was on fire. ¡°We¡¯re finally seeing a decrease in reported Deviant phenomenon though it¡¯s still higher than before the Event as everyone is calling it.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Niel -a mildly flamboyant dark haired man who was great with people but tended to be lenient with enforcing the law- informed him. ¡°We¡¯re passing it all on to Sanctuary, but it¡¯s becoming clear no one actually knows Sanctuary¡¯s contact information with half of them thinking they were just an urban legend.¡± ¡°Meaning we¡¯re still being flooded with things we can¡¯t do anything about.¡± He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°What about the calls we can deal with, anything on that front?¡± He could use a win. ¡°That crime is on the rise, which we were expecting. With the Deviant stuff calming down it was only a matter of time before people either got scared and angry or took advantage of the chaos.¡± Lieutenant Briggs -a glasses wearing older man who should¡¯ve had John¡¯s job in all honesty, but turned it down before passing it on to his younger partner due to being ¡®too old for that shit¡¯- reminded them. ¡°Right now it¡¯s mostly people calling about vandalism, half of which were caused by Creeps when no one was looking, but we¡¯re also seeing a rise in assault, muggings, and worse.¡± ¡°Fantastic.¡± He groaned, looking to the bottom of his mug and wishing there was more coffee. With his hopes thoroughly dashed he looked around. ¡°Anything else? Preferably something good?¡± ¡°Uh, we¡¯ve finally begun putting a dent in all of the abandoned cars.¡± One of the newer officers, a short young but excited woman by the name of Wilde, pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ve got the towing companies dropping them off in a parking lot and we¡¯re calling their owners to pick them up. Um, though we are getting a lot of complaints about the fines¡­¡± ¡°The fees are coming from the towing company.¡± He sighed as that little bit of good news immediately fell apart. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can negotiate some mass towing deal to get them to drop the prices¡­ No wait. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re double dipping against the city budget for this. I¡¯ll have someone go over their contract to see if we can make them stop, just put a pause on the calls until we get that sorted.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Wilde saluted. ¡°No need for that right now.¡± He assured her before looking around. ¡°That everything?¡± ¡°Um, there was that, uh, youth program you wanted to set-up.¡± Hawkins reminded him with a grimace as several people glared at the man. ¡°I¡¯ve uh, I¡¯ve asked around the departments a bit and we¡¯ve got a few ideas to run by you¡­ I uh, I only mention it because I know it was important to you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He clapped. ¡°Thank you.for giving me something to actually look forward to today.¡± (If I can get that off the ground then I can actually keep my promise to Maxy about being there more.) He¡¯d been feeling increasingly guilty with every day he had to leave for work, even before getting called into the school. But it was while walking through the school and seeing the numerous signs for after school programs that he realized if couldn¡¯t leave his work and he couldn¡¯t stay home with Max (then I just have to bring Max to work with me! Brillant!) Actually feeling a bit of pep again, he looked his top officers over. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve got a lot of work to do. We¡¯re at the halfway point of this crisis. It¡¯s clear things aren¡¯t getting worse on the Deviant side of things, meaning it is our job to try and bring peace back to the city, not Sanctuary¡¯s. We¡¯re the ones who¡¯ll see this city through the storm so just keep at it and do what good you can people. Dismissed.¡± With that everyone scattered, getting back to work in helping reign the city¡¯s chaos in. Well everyone but his old partner who instead followed him into his office. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at your speeches Johnny.¡± Briggs told him with an amused grin. ¡°It¡¯s all about that enthusiasm.¡± He explained. ¡°As long as you can fake that they¡¯ll work themselves up for you. The real trick is hoping they don¡¯t realize bsing them completely and utterly because you have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Briggs shook his head looking even more amused by that. ¡°Fake it till you make it partner.¡± ¡°Maybe one day I¡¯ll be qualified for this job.¡± He nodded, before looking out his window at all of his officers. ¡°Be honest, how is everyone handling this?¡± ¡°No one is liking the extra hours, but we all understand why we¡¯re having to work them.¡± Briggs frowned, before giving him a smirk. ¡°Nice point by the way. Trying to temper the Deviant resentment and stoke the rivalry with Sanctuary instead.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°You saw the way they were glaring at Hawkins, that has nothing to do with my pet project.¡± He reminded what was essentially his mentor. ¡°I was hoping they¡¯d lay off him by now.¡± ¡°They were but this whole mess is bringing up a lot of bad memories for everyone.¡± Briggs pointed out. He remembered Maxy in the hospital (so still and calm) nothing like his raging little storm. ¡°I know¡­ You know he had to take his daughters to the hospital. They were caught up in the first wave of¡­ whatever is going on.¡± Briggs watched him for a moment, easily picking up what he wasn¡¯t saying. ¡°How is Max?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Physically she¡¯s fine, but mentally? I don¡¯t know¡­¡± He sighed, disappointed with himself. ¡°I haven¡¯t known for a while. I¡¯m hoping to fix that but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too late to fix things.¡± Briggs assured him, clasping his shoulder. He thought of his ex-wife who he hadn¡¯t spoken to since his divorce outside of a few early attempts to keep share custody of their daughter. ¡°Depends on if she wants me to fix them. If¡­ if she doesn¡¯t then¡­ I¡¯ll respect that¡­¡± No matter how much he should¡¯ve kept fighting it. --- Morris Brown --- He drank deep from his coffee, knowing that it was the only kindness this cruel world full of monsters was going to give the common man. When he ran out he knew there was no more putting his work day off. ¡°Status report.¡± He sighed, rolling a hand towards the various officers. ¡°The situation has¡­ not quite stabilized in the last week, but it has reached an equilibrium of sorts.¡± Meyers told him, having been promoted after showing far more stability than his predecessor in face of another Rift Riot. ¡°Any equipment relying on external signals is still down but the number of Deviant events being reported through the landlines has begun to decline. Whether this is because they¡¯re actually decreasing or because people have quit reporting them is¡­ undetermined.¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°I¡¯m guessing most of our reports are from the police rather than the civilian populace?¡± Meyers nodded. ¡°Correct sir.¡± (Even a decade later we¡¯re still living in Asylum¡¯s shadow¡­ Hopefully another decade will fix that.) He doubted it but he could hope. (Though thinking of it.) ¡°How are our own Deviants doing?¡± Robinson -an older man with graying hair, who¡¯d only been pardoned from his acts within Asylum due to the sheer number of Deviant captives he¡¯d helped escape. A feat Morris was convinced he was planning on replicating with Sanctuary if they didn¡¯t meet his standards.- told him that, ¡°As proven by Diaz¡¯s presence all psychics and M.A.D.s have woken up, and all magic users have recovered from their injuries.¡± ¡°Good.¡± He nodded, before glancing at Meyers. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that none of that changes our situation with intelligence?¡± Meyers grimaced. ¡°No sir, it does not.¡± (Wonderful.) ¡°Alright, and how are our current patrol patterns?¡± He frowned. ¡°Only a handful of injured over the course of the initial defense.¡± Robinson answered. ¡°Apparently, keeping on the defensive and minimizing our parameter helped us across the board if at the cost of civilian defense.¡± ¡°We can guarantee the protection of some, or guarantee the protection of none.¡± He reminded the man he kept around solely because he¡¯d report any Deviant mistreatment that Morris needed to be worried about. ¡°The initial event was a numbers game to keep from losing the entire city. Now that things have reached an equilibrium we can begin pushing into the dark zones.¡± ¡°Something half our people do by simply coming and going from their homes and family.¡± Robinson pointed out. Knowing that this would only devolve into a fight he¡¯d neither win nor lose he instead turned to arguably the youngest member of their group, an M.A.D. who¡¯d largely joined due to Sanctuary¡¯s tinkering budget on the condition of being a non-combatant. ¡°How are we coming with reestablishing our scanners Diaz?¡± ¡°N-not well sir.¡± Diaz admitted, having not spoken up before due to his job being to build equipment not use it. ¡°The interference we¡¯re seeing is less our equipment not seeing anything and more that they¡¯re seeing so much they¡¯re blind. It¡¯s-it¡¯s like a snowstorm of Deviant energies across all known spectrums. I believe until the crack in the sky quits pouring energy into the air we¡¯re going to have to limit ourselves to non-Deviant operation methods. Which will be difficult due to the fact that all cell signals -outside of a distance of maybe ten meters from a connection point- are being disrupted by the energy requiring mass renovations across the city using landlines and such.¡± He closed his eyes, already feeling a migraine. ¡°Which we can¡¯t afford, given how we have other priorities for the budget given the ongoing crisis.¡± ¡°Does anyone have good news?¡± He asked after a moment. ¡°Sionis hasn¡¯t done anything of note all week.¡± His head of security (who I now need to replace) offered. ¡°She¡¯s a Sionis.¡± He reminded the man. ¡°If she¡¯s not doing anything then odds are she¡¯s wearing down our defenses. We need to keep the guard rotations as frequent as possible with as much time as possible between anyone getting a second shift. This is the way things need to be kept until we can get her transferred to a proper prison.¡± He¡¯d fully admit that Sionis made him paranoid, but given her family¡¯s track record of prison escapes and recruitment, let alone her own record of assassinations and interrogations, he was not willing to take chances until that monster was out of his city. ¡°Only a fool underestimates a Sionis.¡± --- Sarah Sionis --- (I am so utterly bored¡­) She was patient -by her family¡¯s standards- yes, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she also had been trapped in solitary for a week now after a life of always having at least one other person in the room with her. The only reason she hadn¡¯t tried to escape by twisting her Malice into the vulgarity that the few Stalkers she¡¯d seen had used -An idea that honestly disgusted her given their lack of class.- was because she still occasionally felt something out there probing her mental defenses. (How long does it take these people to work?!) She wondered indignantly. (I mean, I can¡¯t even begin my escape attempt until they do their jobs already!) Chapter 26: Getting Back To Business Chapter 26: Getting Back To Business --- Aurelio Hermenez --- He drank deep from his coffee, mourning the fact that he wasn¡¯t going to be getting any of his usual coffee goodness given how Harper had let slip that the cafe she worked at was wrecked. (You could always just find another shop.) Geraldine pointed out. He shook his head. ¡°Nah, that would be like cheating. Until I get permission I can only get my coffee goodness from Harper.¡± (Suit yourself.) His hitchhiker shrugged. (If you won¡¯t drink coffee however, I myself prefer tea myself. Perhaps I could convince you to find some green tea somewhere?) Given how his father was a tea drinker? ¡°Fuck no.¡± (Boo.) When he ran out of coffee he knew there was no more putting his work day off. (If I even have a job still.) (I¡¯m sure we can easily find you a new source of income.) Jerry assured him, his shadow shifting into hers as he walked towards the diner. (Admittedly, I will need you to look into the current economic situation.) ¡°Uh, probably not that good given¡­¡± He nodded towards the cracks in the sky, still glowing as bright as the day they appeared. (Quite¡­ Well, I¡¯d offer access to my financial holdings but if my Bloodline has migrated back to the colonies then in all likelihood my assets are no longer available.) Geraldine sighed. (I really do need to catch up on the last hundred years both in the history of my confidants as well as the world in general.) He couldn¡¯t really argue that, even if part of him wanted to. After her reaction to his ¡®novel¡¯ shower -an event he suppressed given her giggling during said shower, and the revelation his privacy was as dead as her- he¡¯d finally thought to ask exactly how old his ghost was. Which had in turn gotten him a joking remark about asking a woman¡¯s age, followed by the more blatant answer that she¡¯d died in the middle of the first world war where she¡¯d been a ¡®nurse¡¯ at the time. A profession that allowed her to help people, gather blood, practice healing magics, and have un-murdered bodies for her resurrection research -(because only a fool would resurrect someone they killed)- all at once. And with this reminder that he was dealing with a hundred year old dark sorceress who turned herself into a vampire, he unanimously decided it was probably best for everyone involved if he paced her integration to the twenty first century. ¡°Right, well¡­ we¡¯re here.¡± He told her instead of mentioning any of that as he gestured towards Hendrickson¡¯s diner. (Hmm¡­ curious¡­) ¡°Uh, what is?¡± He frowned, looking the space over in case there was some kind of Deviant situation he wasn¡¯t seeing. (Mmm, nothing worth worrying about just yet. Though¡­ would you say you¡¯re in this ¡®Hendrickson¡¯s¡¯ good books?) Jerry deflected. ¡°Sort of?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve worked for him for a couple months now, and he¡¯s a pretty solid boss.¡± (Who also gave me my first joint, but that¡¯s probably best unsaid.) (First, that doesn¡¯t help you if I¡¯m actively focused on you. If you want to keep secrets for me you need to learn to think about them without thinking about them. Second, what is a joint?) ¡°Uh, a type of cigarette, just with something other than tobacco¡­ they¡¯re also sort of illegal depending on where you are.¡± He explained, wondering how he was supposed to think about something without thinking about it. (And why would I of all people care about the legality of what you do? So long as you aren¡¯t abusing women or harming children I quite frankly don¡¯t care as long as you¡¯re enjoying life for me. In fact, go forth and break a law with my blessing!) He considered this for a minute before chuckling to himself. With a quick glance down both ways of the street filled with mostly abandoned cars, he proceeded to jaywalk the rest of the way to his job. (What¡¯s so funny?) ¡°I just broke the law.¡± He explained before opening the door to the diner. (How¡­ how is crossing the streets illegal?) Jerry asked, sounding completely dumbfounded which just made him laugh some more. ¡°Well, someone is happy.¡± Hendrickson noted from behind the counter as he sat a plate of food in front of Mick. ¡°If you got a hit of the good stuff, company policy demands you share.¡± ¡°Nah, just¡­ funny thing with a¡­ friend.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if they were friends, but they were stuck together and he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to prefer being enemies with someone like that than friends. (...) ¡°Right, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here for the same reason as Harrison?¡± Hendrickson sighed before looking them both over as he crossed his arms. He glanced at his coworker. ¡°Wondering if I still have a job.¡± The blonde explained. He ran a hand over the back of his neck before admitting that, ¡°Yeah, I know the last few days have been pretty crazy across the city, but¡­ I kind of need this job.¡± ¡°Uh, same¡­¡± Micki winced as she swallowed down her food. The blonde paused for a moment, seeming to think about something before letting out a sigh. ¡°Especially since my living situation isn¡¯t in a good way after¡­ everything.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that, knowing how rough that could be, (especially since she doesn¡¯t have a stolen deposit to use.) ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯d offer my couch but I¡¯m in a studio apartment so¡­¡± He shrugged helplessly. (Ah, so you¡¯re interested in blondes!) Jerry noted as if this was some magnificent revelation. (I¡¯ll remember this~) ¡°I appreciate it but, uh¡­ we haven¡¯t known each other long enough for that.¡± Micki confessed uncomfortably, almost as if she could hear the lech in his head. Hendrickson let out a snort of amusement at that. ¡°Hermenez is harmless.¡± The old man tilted his head, and Aurelio got an odd feeling in the back of his head. ¡°For the most part.¡± (Don¡¯t annoy him.) Jerry needlessly warned him. (I¡¯m not stupid.) He shot back, not about to irritate his boss when figuring out if he still had a job. Though he did tell Micki, ¡°It¡¯s fine I get it. Offer was completely platonic though.¡± (Sure it was~) Jerry laughed as if he was lying. (Which¡­ I¡¯m not¡­) (Sure you aren¡¯t~ You can¡¯t see me but I¡¯m winking right now.) ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep it in mind if I get desperate, but I can float myself for a bit.¡± Micki assured him before giving Hendrickson a look. ¡°At least if I still have a job to help pay for things¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, alright.¡± Hendrickson sighed as he scratched at his beard. ¡°Don¡¯t get your knickers in a bunch, I¡¯m not firing either of you. Though I am going to warn you that business was not good during the last riot. So if the sky doesn¡¯t mend itself we¡¯re all going to be in hot water in a month or two, but as long as people are willing to come through I¡¯ll keep ya on.¡± ¡°Well, I have too many problems today to worry about tomorrow¡¯s mess!¡± He admitted with far more cheer than he actually felt. ¡°Same.¡± Micki agreed from beside him. ¡°Eh, personally, I¡¯ll probably be dead tomorrow so why worry? Speaking of¡­¡± Hendrickson shrugged before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a joint. ¡°Either of you want a hit while we wait for someone to actually show up?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. --- Harper Everette --- ¡°So, uh, any idea what¡¯s going to happen now?¡± She asked, looking around the torn up coffee shop. ¡°Well, I guess we can cover the windows in trash bags and duct tape until we can get them replaced.¡± Frankie noted as she swept up the broken glass on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t think we can do anything for the kitchen door though.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She grimaced looking at the metal door that had been torn off its hinges. ¡°By the way, any idea what happened to the bodies of those Creeps?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Frankie gave her an amused look. ¡°Wanted to mount its head over your fireplace?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± (No matter how badass it would be.) ¡°I don¡¯t have a fireplace.¡± Frankie shook her head with a grin before explaining that she, ¡°Called Sanctuary. Guess they picked it up while we were waiting for things to calm down. Speaking of, surprised you didn¡¯t want to stay home a little longer. Could¡¯ve gotten away with it after everything.¡± ¡°I know, but I can handle myself.¡± She shrugged, not mentioning that some reckless part of her was kind of hoping to see another one now that she had a kitchen knife on her instead of an old mop. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I can handle myself.¡± Frankie repeated with her own shrug. Given how she¡¯d taken boxing lessons in high school and Frankie still had more muscle than her, she didn¡¯t doubt it. ¡°How about Harold? Heard anything from him?¡± Frankie let out a snort. ¡°Yeah, I called him on the landline when I got here. Apparently, he¡¯s calling in sick. Thinks he caught that swine flu thing and he¡¯ll be out for the week.¡± ¡°But he still expects us to come in and work.¡± She guessed, upon hearing that mess. ¡°Yep.¡± Her best friend nodded. ¡°Fuuunnn¡­¡± She drawled out, her back against the cafe counter as her eyes drifted towards the empty street. ¡°Think anyone will actually come here today?¡± ¡°If they see us in here? Maybe.¡± Frankie frowned in thought as she leaned on her broom. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see a lot of people after all the crazy that went down the last couple days but people still got to go out and live and junk. Just don¡¯t expect anyone to linger anywhere, or anyone that needs to walk here.¡± ¡°Gah, don¡¯t mention walking.¡± She groaned, thinking about how the bus hadn¡¯t shown up this morning forcing her to walk to work. (And I totally forgot how far this place is from my house.) ¡°Any idea what¡¯s up with the buses?¡± ¡°Better get used to walking.¡± Frankie told her ¡°I checked the city news online this morning. Apparently a decent number of the buses got caught in everything so they¡¯re not sending them around until they can ¡®ensure the safety of the buses and their passengers¡¯.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m stuck walking everywhere¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Yep.¡± Frankie nodded as she started sweeping again. ¡°Ugh, I need to get a car or a bike or¡­ something.¡± She whined. ¡°Who knows maybe you can ride the next Creep you find.¡± Frankie joked. ¡°Oh, that would be so badass!¡± She smiled, feeling a bit manic. ¡°Ooh, think any of them can fly?¡± Frankie paused what she was doing and gave her a wary look. ¡°Uh, I know you¡¯re tougher than you look, but¡­ please don¡¯t actually try riding one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking, I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± She lied. --- Jessica --- Her boots landed on the roof ledge as she looked down on the city streets beneath them looking for their current target. Next to her Vanessa pulled herself over the ledge having easily scaled the seven story building. ¡°We sure this is the right place?¡± (¡°Determined nod. Affirmative.¡±) Cyn¡¯s voice rang throughout all three of their minds even as she sat two blocks away in a nondescript van with security provided by the company. ¡°It¡¯s just we¡¯ve had bait boy walking around for almost an hour now.¡± Vanessa pointed out, her eyes on Nicholas far below them as he wandered around waiting for their target to find him. ¡°Patience and timing are key to maximizing profits.¡± She reminded the other woman, quoting one of the books she¡¯d found laying in the company¡¯s offices. Vanessa merely rolled her eyes before switching from crouching on the roof edge to sitting on it, clearly expecting this to take longer. (Which I can¡¯t even blame her for given how long we¡¯ve been at this.) Given how much of the Company¡¯s equipment was still currently down thanks to the cracks in the sky, they¡¯d been forced to use older methods of tracking down their target while Doctor Holiday continued to figure out a supplementary device for Cyn to use. The only reason they even knew there was a target for them in the area was due to siphoning a report that the overwhelmed police had sent to the clearly inferior Sanctuary. (Though thankfully the Company managed to correct that error in their judgment before any harm could be done.) According to the report there had been a rash of homicides each night since the sky cracked, which given the events and civil unrest weren¡¯t too unusual by themselves. What was unusual however was the fact that of the few bodies they¡¯d managed to find, each one looked like it had been torn apart by half a dozen different animals. The fact that there was clearly a pack of creatures not only working together but somehow avoiding detection instead of going berserk like so many creeps, had them originally believing that the perpetrators were the city¡¯s other group of more wolven shapeshifters. With the working theory being that the cracks in the sky causing some kind of psychotic break similar to those occasionally witnessed during a full moon. Director Greene, once more proving her intelligence and right to authority, quickly dismissed this theory. Noting how that should the wolves have one of their breaks the still sane ones would usually deal with them in the hopes of minimizing the spread of infection. A detail that would¡¯ve had them seeing at least some activity from the uninfected wolves in the area as they tended to police their own if to avoid violating what pieces of the Masquerade still stood. But even knowing that they had yet to find any further evidence for or against the creature in question, (not even after four nights of searching¡­) With a sigh she mentally reached out to the connection that Cyn had established between all of them. An orange eye she was always vaguely aware of in the back of her head gave her slightly more attention before a limb made of shadows seemed to reach out to her. Mentally she accepted the hand and spoke, something only she and Nicholas needed to do to use this connection. ¡°Nicholas, do you notice anything of suspicion?¡± (¡°No, just this cute little kitty cat.¡±) Nicholas answered inside of her head, a faint static sound to his voice. (¡°A ¡®cute¡¯ kitty?¡±) Vanessa asked warily, her body silent save for a pained grimace knowing as well as Jessica Nicholas¡¯s idea of ¡®cute¡¯. Namely that it counted a lot of things that it probably shouldn¡¯t. (¡°Jealous pout. I want to pet the cute kitty.¡±) Cyn whined through their connection. Her eyes immediately jumped down to Nicholas and found that he had somehow disappeared, something that was all too common an occurrence with the man. She glanced at Vanessa who nodded before using the ledge as a springboard and leaping to another building in search of the most easily distracted member of their group. Not willing to put all of the work on the rest of her team she entered a crouch of her own, the muscles in her back flexing the bones attached to them. Within these bones power began to build until they gave off a faint bluish glow, at which point she kicked off the ground and leapt several stories into the air. With the moonlight behind her, the bones in her back spread out into a facsimile of wings, allowing her to hover in the air as they slowly let loose the energy she¡¯d built up, giving off a faint blue mist as she was kept afloat in the air. Her eyes quickly roamed the area in search of Nicholas, until Vanessa slowly cursed, (¡°Fuuuck¡­¡±) across their connection. (¡°Language there¡¯s a child present!¡±) Nicholas scolded. ¡°Vanessa, how bad is it?¡± She frowned, moving in the direction of the other woman. ¡°It¡¯s just a¡­ cute kitty, yes?¡± If the thing had yet to attack Nicholas, then it was likely stalking him due to his overly calm nature and the beast¡¯s own instincts not to scare its prey. (¡°It¡¯s uh¡­ It¡¯s not a kitty¡­ It¡¯s a kitten, and it¡¯s mama doesn¡¯t look happy.¡±) Vanessa warned her, immediately understanding her reasoning. (¡°Excited smile. There are more kitties?¡±) Cyn asked, childishly focusing on the wrong thing. ¡°Lovely.¡± She grimaced, before spotting Nicholas with a massive feline like Creep clinging to the wall above him as well as Vanessa stared down on them from further above, her tail lashing anxiously at the air. ¡°V, Pin and Execute.¡± She ordered through their connection as she focused what energy was still in her wings. Not waiting for a response she launched herself at the Creep, spinning just before impact so that she¡¯d land boots first, her excess force grinding the beast¡¯s face against the brickwork as she angled their descent towards the ground. For moment the world was still after they hit the ground before in a flurry of motion the Creep lashed out, swinging its massive arm back in a blow that would shatter the bones of a normal human unable to dodge. She quickly leapt back her wings allowing her to hover as she built up the bones in her arms, several spikes growing where her wrists met the underside of her forearms, ready to shatter and pelt whatever she threw them at. At the same time Vanessa slammed into the half turned Creep from above, the extra force from gravity allowing one of her hidden stingers to pierce through the beast¡¯s throat. Her other claw hand shot forward and dug into the wound before using the leverage from her blade to completely rip the Creep¡¯s throat out. Even with such a fatal wound to the creature she held off on dropping her guard, more than once having been surprised by the beasts during her younger years after first being recruited to the company. Still after a full minute of stillness she and Vanessa both lowered their guards as much as either was willing while in the field, which was to simply retract their biological weaponry into themselves. ¡°Ah, poor kitty¡­¡± Nicholas pouted after a moment, once more proving he was far too soft hearted for much more than bait. ¡°Kitty was about to eat you.¡± Vanessa scoffed, before her eyes honed in on something. ¡°Or is¡­ I guess¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a love bite.¡± Nicholas assured her as he held up a blue six eyed feline creature that was currently gnawing at his hand with such a feverish intensity that the only reason Nicholas had a hand was because he was healing faster than it could hurt him. ¡°Can we keep her, pleeeeease!¡± She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Nicholas, we cannot bring the demonic hell cat home with us.¡± ¡°Pretty please, with cherries on top¡­¡± Nicholas tried again, his eyes going big and sad on her. (¡°Abusing puppy dog eyes. Please, greatest boss Jessica, can we keep the kitty?¡±) Cyn chimed in from where she was psionically eavesdropping on them. She could feel her will caving, but for the sake of the company she held strong. ¡°Well, I mean we technically we¡¯re supposed to bring as many of these back as we can, living or dead.¡± Vanessa pointed out by kicking the dead mother Creep. ¡°Actually now that I think about it, weren''t there supposed to be like a dozen of these things?¡± Chapter 27: Tale Of The Old Blood And New Chapter 27: Tale Of The Old Blood And New --- Aurelio Hermenez --- He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he felt about being back in the Renfield Hotel. On the one hand this was basically a vampire den, which (is so cool!) On the other he was pretty sure these vampires were part of some familial cult, which (is less cool¡­) (Don¡¯t worry, if they begin looking tempting I¡¯ll talk you into leaving.) Geraldine assured him. (I¡¯d rather not waste too much time with another religious cult¡­ Though if they turn out to be a sex cult¡­) He decided for his own sanity to pretend she hadn¡¯t mumbled that last bit, and instead made his way into the old hotel noting the vintage decor filling the open entry hall and giving the whole thing a classic sort of feel with everything in a mix of red, gold, and black. ¡°Can I help you?¡± A muscular man asked, his arms crossed as he gave Aurelio a once over. ¡°You don¡¯t look like our usual sort.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m uh, I¡¯m supposed to meet someone on the thirteenth floor.¡± He tried to explain. The man glared upward for a moment before frowning at him. ¡°And what was this someone¡¯s name?¡± Before he could answer a feminine voice cut in. ¡°Kid ¡®s with me.¡± A dark skinned woman with her hair in short dreads walked up to them while wearing a white shirt with some band logo, a black leather jacket, and torn up jeans. ¡°Freeman.¡± The man blinked, looking taken aback. ¡°He¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, he is.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Next time just give him directions. Kid is New Blood.¡± The man¡¯s eyes drifted between them. ¡°Your Blood or¡­?¡± ¡°Blood is Blood, does it matter who¡¯s with everything going on?¡± The woman -Freeman- countered with a glare. ¡°Alex doesn¡¯t want any strays left out to the wind, given the recent losses. You see anymore newcomers out of place, check for the Blood before bouncing them, else you¡¯ll have to tell him what happened to the New Blood. Got it?¡± The man swallowed before nodding. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Freeman nodded back before pausing. ¡°Actually, if you see any New Bloods be sure to tell him they¡¯re here, you know how Alex loves giving his welcome to the Bloodline speech.¡± With that said, Freeman turned to him and threw her head towards an elevator near the back of the lobby. ¡°This way, newbie.¡± ¡°Uh, right¡­¡± He gave the guard one last look before following after. ¡°Did, uh, did Alex send you?¡± ¡°Elevator, then questions.¡± The woman told him, barely glancing his way as she put her hand on a blank piece of the elevator. ¡°Okay¡­¡± He agreed slowly, wondering what she was doing. ¡°Button is behind metal plating, you can¡¯t press it without magic. Makes sure no one can get in that isn¡¯t supposed to.¡± Freeman explained as the doors slid open before stepping inside. ¡°Come on.¡± He briefly wondered if he should before feeling a hand rub against his back, (Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re not alone. Even if I¡¯m not at my full power I can still aid your escape should things go poorly.) Jerry assured him. (Right, thanks¡­) Two steps forward and the elevator doors closed behind him, locking him in with the vampire and on his way into their nest as he felt the floor beneath him beginning to rise. ¡°Alright, so quick run down. I¡¯m Catherine Freeman, like with you Alex turned me. Unlike you he gave me about a few months to consider the offer.¡± Catherine explained. ¡°Now thanks to the whole sky cracking we¡¯re in a volatile situation, so for everyone¡¯s sake do not tell anyone Alex turned you, or it¡¯ll make things a lot more complicated than they need to be for all of us.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remember Alex saying something similar¡­ just that I shouldn¡¯t spread the circumstances of my turning.¡± He frowned. ¡°Right, of course¡­¡± Catherine sighed, before giving him a look. ¡°Okay, I know you didn¡¯t sign up for any of this but I need you to pay attention. Alex is one of the two highest ranking vamps in the city, and the only reason he isn¡¯t the highest is because he refuses to turn on his Blood brother regardless of how much of an asshole William is. In fact, if we exclude actually earning your place, depending on which of them goes first you¡¯re third or fifth in line for preserving our Bloodline¡¯s artifacts. A job no one wants to leave with a complete unknown.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± That¡­ sounded a little bigger than he was expecting. (Uh, Jerry, think you can translate any of this?) Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He was under no doubts that she was smarter than him, and was really hoping that she could clear this up for him. (Well, if I¡¯m understanding this correctly¡­ You¡¯re either the prince or the duke of this little cult.) The one to actually turn him explained. (Though, if they base their right to rule on placement within the Bloodline, the fact that I¡¯m the progenitor of this Bloodline and I turned you¡­) (Is something we should tell absolutely no one.) He¡¯d run from his home half because of how people treated him due to his father, he had no desire to repeat that even if in a different flavor of crazy. (Completely understandable.) Jerry accepted easily, before taking on an uneasy tone. (Though if they¡¯re doing anything weird with my things I request that you steal and or burn it. Especially if they¡¯re doing anything to my corpse, like that one group who pretends to eat their god every week. Which actually given the whole vampirism situation¡­) (Yeah, completely get where you¡¯re coming from.) He agreed with a grimace of his own. ¡°Given the look on your face you at least half way understand your situation.¡± Catherine nodded. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± He swallowed, mouth a bit dry. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s a way I can get out of all that¡­ political stuff.¡± ¡°Well, you could do what I did.¡± Catherine admitted. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Become so unrepentantly badass that no one tries to make you do anything you don¡¯t want to.¡± Catherine smiled, showing off her sharper than normal fangs as her eyes began to glow blood red. (So cool~) The elevator doors opened to a red headed man in a trench coat and cap smoking a cigarette. ¡°Ah, this the New Blood?¡± ¡°Yeah. Aurelio, Eric Campbell. Eric, Aurelio Hermenez.¡± Catherine introduced despite Aurelio having never introduced himself. (She likely learned it from Alex, but given your position I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they have at least one spy watching you most nights.) Jerry explained. ¡°Pleasure, laddie.¡± Eric smiled before nodding down the hall. ¡°Alex is in the public library.¡± ¡°Great, get ready for a history lesson, kid.¡± Catherine sighed looking resigned as she started moving that way. ¡°Alex wanted us to help you get the broad strokes of our Bloodline¡¯s abilities but he believes history is important to that.¡± (Indoctoration she means.) (Shh! You¡¯re not supposed to say that part out loud.) As he and Eric moved to follow, the other man told him that, ¡°Most of our ¡®public¡¯ rooms are on this floor, with the next couple of floors being housing for anyone who needs it, and the top floor being a cross between Alex¡¯s home, the original copies of everything in the library, and a sort of council room for when things get serious. On this floor we¡¯ve got our own little club room, a bar, kitchens, library, and¡­ storage room.¡± (Okay, that pause means the storage room is something we need to look into.) He decided. (Agreed.) Eventually Catherine and Eric stopped in front of a set of large dark wood doors covered in a mix of bat and rose like imagery. Not that anyone other than him stopped to admire the artwork, the other two walking straight past and into the library. Inside they found Alex looking up at the massive portrait of a beautiful pale woman with dark hair dressed in a black and red dress as she lounged on an antique couch with a rose in her hand. And while it was an extremely impressive portrait, having seen its subject in person if only in short bursts, he couldn¡¯t help but think that, (they didn¡¯t quite get your likeness did they?) (Because this isn¡¯t me.) Jerry told him, sounding hollow. ¡°One hundred and twenty-seven years ago our Bloodline was founded by one Beatrice Rhinefield, a once in a generation magical genius.¡± Alex told him not looking away from the portrait. ¡°Shortly after both the miscarriage of her first child and the death of her husband Beatrice dove into the dark arts in an attempt to circumvent death¡¯s hold on the few loved ones she still possessed. After several years of this research, Beatrice discovered the secrets of the Old Blood magic granting her and those she loved many more years of life together as well as the power to defend themselves from virtually any threat. Or so she thought¡­¡± Alex sighed, sounding pained. ¡°Shortly after the first world war religious fanatics determined that the magics she practiced were heretical to the church and proceeded to hunt down and slaughter the family she¡¯d spent the last forty years building. Fearing for her remaining kin Beatrice spirited them away to America to begin anew in a small but growing city on the once western frontier. Here she changed her name to Beatrice Renfield, in an attempt to distance herself while still respecting her old family¡¯s name, and founded the Renfield hotel for all of her kin to live in safety and luxury. A life she was sadly only able to enjoy for another twenty years before being claimed by what we now know as cancer, while survived by twelve Blood Children and then sixty-three grandchildren.¡± With the life story of Beatrice Rhinefield concluded, Alex let his gaze fall from the painting. ¡°Sadly, that does not mark the end of tragedy for our Bloodline. During a number of conflicts both throughout the city and internationally, our kin¡¯s numbers have risen and fallen with a distressing frequency since, with few of us making it more than twenty years with the Gift of Blood in spite of its many blessings.¡± Alex turned back to them, conviction prevalent in his blood red gaze as crimson mists began to waft off of him. ¡°But that does not mean we will surrender to death! Our progenitor created our Bloodline in defiance of death and in love of life! And so to honor her we shall continue to fight and persevere until we have conquered our greatest enemy, death itself! As well as anyone else who dares threaten to take our kin from us!¡± He found himself taking a step back as the intensity of Alex¡¯s gaze locked onto him, the bloody mists behind him taking on the shape of several angelic wings. ¡°Which is why young Aurelio, tonight we shall begin teaching you the many gifts of our Blood so that you may live and thrive in defiance of death and the pursuit of the love of life itself!¡± Chills ran down his spine with that speech, enough so that he knew if it weren¡¯t for his unique situation with Geraldine, he absolutely would¡¯ve bought into Alex¡¯s fervor and been all in. Instead however, he found himself wondering about the echoing silence in his head from an unresponsive Geraldine. And as the others led him out of the library, he couldn¡¯t help but glance over his shoulder. The only one to notice as a pale woman rose from the shadows, her hand gently brushing the painting as she looked at it in an emotion he was far too familiar with himself. (I suppose there are worse goddesses to have, hmm, Betty?) Chapter 28: Lessons For The New Blood: Powers Of The Nightkin Chapter 28: Lessons For The New Blood: Powers Of The Nightkin --- Aurelio Hermenez --- (You want to talk about it?) He asked as gently as he could. (No¡­ Not at the moment¡­ Maybe later¡­) Jerry told him, sounding smaller than he¡¯d ever heard her before. (Take your time. I¡¯m here whenever you want.) He assured her. Jerry was quiet for a moment before he eventually heard a whispered, (Thank you.) Seeing as he was on his own while his personal poltergeist processed whatever she¡¯d learned from the portrait and Alex¡¯s little speech he instead turned his attention back to where the older trio of vampires had led him. A large room with concrete walls covered in small scratches, blue padded flooring, and a number of wooden targets, dummies, and other things stacked in a corner itself half blocked by a concrete wall of its own. ¡°This is one of our training rooms where anyone can work on developing their more mystical abilities, or practice any physical feats they aren¡¯t comfortable doing in the city proper. You¡¯re free to enter any empty room you find whenever you please here.¡± Alex explained to him. ¡°Or if you¡¯re feeling sociable, I¡¯ve found many of our kin to be more open while physically active. Especially around the Bloody Ballroom.¡± (That sounds¡­ ominous.) ¡°Ah, I¡¯d hold off on that until you¡¯ve got a bit more blood in your veins.¡± Eric cut in as he walked over to a small bookcase next to the door. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re more likely to hurt yourself than keep up with anyone, or embarrass yourself during a Ballroom.¡± Cautiously he went ahead and asked, ¡°When you say Bloody Ballroom?¡± ¡°Think of it as a magic sport.¡± Catherine answered. ¡°Technically we had to pay a Practitioner to install it since our magic is limited when it comes to a lot of Arcane stuff, but if you can find one of their hiding holes you¡¯ll usually find an arena set up there.¡± ¡°Our magic isn¡¯t limited.¡± Alex frowned. ¡°It¡¯s merely specialized towards Blood and Shadow magics over the more generalized practices. If you modify the spellwork accordingly you can do most of the same, if in those styles over others.¡± (Did he say ¡®Shadow¡¯ magic?) Jerry asked, apparently deciding that whatever this was was enough of a distraction for her. ¡°And even then there¡¯s a bit more leeway than that if you¡¯re smart.¡± Eric added, apparently having found the book he was looking for. ¡°It¡¯s just Catherine isn¡¯t the smartest person in the room.¡± Said person gave Eric the middle finger and a, ¡°Fuck you.¡± while Alex merely sighed. (Don¡¯t get distracted.) Geraldine told him, sounding irritated by something other than him. (Ask about the¡­ Shadow magic.) ¡°Um, I get blood magic because¡­ vampires. But shadow magic?¡± He voiced for the voice only he could hear. ¡°Ah, yes. You¡¯ve already seen our blood magic.¡± Alex nodding, causing a swirl of red fluid to form in the air with a twist of his hand. ¡°This is something that all¡­ with the Gift of Blood be they of our Bloodline or not possess, but each Bloodline also possesses a secondary affinity passed through the Gift. Our own for instance is [Shadows].¡± As he said this Alex used his other hand to create a swirl of black mists similar to the crimson above his other hand. ¡°Now admittedly, I¡¯m far better at Blood Magic having a¡­ decent standing in all of its disciplines.¡± Eric let out a snort and mumbled something that sounded like ¡®Blood Lord¡¯ but Alex ignored him instead explaining that. ¡°Even if Shadows are more my brother¡¯s specialty than my own, it¡¯s still something I have a decent enough foundation to teach you should you desire.¡± Inside his mind Jerry let out a scoffing sound. (You can learn Blood Magic from him if you desire, since they¡¯ve likely had a hundred years to refine it but if you want to learn ¡®Shadow¡¯ magic I can teach you more at home than they can. I mean my affinity wasn¡¯t even shadows, it was Night for the Pale Lady¡¯s sake!) (Wait, what do you mean by Night magic?) Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Or we can actually teach you the basics of magic in general.¡± Eric unknowingly interrupted as the redhead held up his book. ¡°While we are attuned to Blood and Shadow, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that we have our own personal pre-vampire affinities that differ between everyone. It won¡¯t get the same power up from blood your other magic gets but it also doesn¡¯t burn blood to use, giving you a decent tool until you build a reserve up or whenever you¡¯re running low.¡± (Ah, that one might be an offer worth considering.) Jerry admitted sounding pained to do so. (While I likely have more general Arcane knowledge than any of this lot, I lack the actual contacts and resources to help you properly develop whatever your personal talent is. And sadly you will need a proper foundation before I can teach you any of my more advanced skills¡­ Well that and you still need to bed someone as well.) He forced himself to not sigh at that last comment from his thirsty ghost. ¡°Hold up.¡± Catherine called looking at the other two like they were idiots. ¡°I know magic is the ¡®fun¡¯ part of being a vampire-¡± ¡°Blood mage.¡± Alex cut in, earning a glare, even as Jerry added that, (Personally, I prefer the Vampire Witch you used the other night, but it¡¯s honestly all the same thing.) ¡°I know magic is the ¡®fun¡¯ part of being a blood mage,¡± Catherine repeated in irritation before returning to her normal tone, ¡°for you two anyway, but with the way the city is going he needs to learn how to take advantage of the changes to his body. He needs to learn how to move and use his strength to get things done, and maybe a couple of other things if we¡¯ve got the time.¡± ¡°You¡­ make a valid point.¡± Alex sighed. ¡°Though given young Aurelio¡¯s circumstances I¡¯d rather his first experience as a member of our kin be a more positive experience than ¡®training¡¯ him from combat like you would.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to train him for combat, kid isn¡¯t a Hunter.¡± Catherine frowned, looking uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯m just going to teach him how to run and hide if something goes after him, or how to throw a distraction if he really needs to. Things that¡¯ll help him survive until things actually calm down instead of just bubbling beneath the surface.¡± ¡°Technically, everything we want to teach him will help him survive just in different ways.¡± Eric reminded her. ¡°None of us want the kid to be a soldier, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t slip in a few tricks in case of an emergency.¡± ¡°How about we let Aurelio decide?¡± Alex asked. ¡°Uh, what?¡± He blinked. Alex gave him a wry grin. ¡°As I said, I want your first experience to be fun but I¡­ sadly don¡¯t know you well enough to know what you¡¯d consider fun.¡± ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t I¡­ like, study all of this stuff?¡± He pointed out as he gestured towards all of them. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t this supposed to be like a vampire one oh one or something?¡± ¡°True, and in a way you will.¡± Alex agreed. ¡°Unfortunately, thanks to our current circumstances we¡¯ll each only be able to take off so much time to teach you our disciplines. Which is why we need to figure out what we prioritize teaching you.¡± ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t we take that a step further?¡± Eric threw out. ¡°Given how he¡¯s a New Blood he¡¯s got a lot to learn, I mean we can¡¯t make him get his own blood after all, but if he were to stick with one of us we could help him learn and keep him out of trouble until things clear up.¡± ¡°Usually that would be the Blood Parent¡¯s duty¡­¡± Alex frowned, before letting out a sigh. ¡°But with the way things are, you¡¯re right.¡± He turned to Aurelio with a grimace. ¡°In fact, given how I passed along the Gift it might be good for you to have a bit of distance from me. I know you weren¡¯t¡­ too grievous about it the other night, but if you want to process all of this with someone else I won¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s your choice Aurelio.¡± Catherine let out a frustrated groan as she ran a hand through her hair, before nodding as she turned to him. ¡°Fuck it, I¡¯ve got a lot on my plate but whatever. If you want to work with me you can but if they¡¯re offering then I¡¯ve got to too, but just so you know I will be putting you to work, because I do have a lot on my plate.¡± Feeling a bit of pressure with all of their eyes on him, he couldn¡¯t help but consult the vampiric ghost in his head. (Uh, Jerry¡­ thoughts?) (Mmm, they¡¯re right.) Geraldine told him after a moment. (This is an opportunity for you, and splitting your attention too thinly might hinder your progress rather than aiding it. Which is why if you choose any of them to mentor you I will not be teaching you Night magic until you have fewer responsibilities. Though regardless of that, I will do my best to aid you in whatever field of study you choose to pursue as I will be on your side.) He was honestly kind of touched by Jerry¡¯s words, a warmth spreading in his chest at the surety that she had his back, (even if they do absolutely nothing to help me make my decision.) (Oh, in that case Catherine is your best bet if you want to bed one of them given how she is a woman, meaning odds are in you favor that she prefers male company. And while I know your preferences are mixed, we¡¯ve no idea if either of these men share said preferences. Though even if they did Mr. Pierce apparently views you as a son so he won¡¯t be interested. So in order of likelihood to advance our more hedonistic goals, Ms. Freeman, Mr. Campbell, me for we can find a more suitable target, and Mr. Pierce simply will not work for you.) And all warmth in his chest was dead as he instead buried his head in his hands, trying to pretend he was all alone and that the perverted poltergeist did not exist. Chapter 29: Spirits In The Aftermath Chapter 29: Spirits In The Aftermath --- Jeremy Graham --- He rolled his jaw, feeling like it needed to stretch as he worriedly paced in his room. The last few days stuck at home having been unbearable. Due to whatever was going on in the rest of the city with the sky cracking, a bunch of smoke coming from the north, and whatever other chaos was going on in the city the mayor had apparently decided to put school on hold until things calmed down a bit. Now he knew other kids probably loved the idea of getting to spend a few more days at home, but the longer he was stuck at home the more it felt like he was (caged.) Just a few days of it for holidays or even his vacations were bearable because his parents laid out an entire schedule of extracurriculars for him to keep him busy, but the fact that these days off were unexpected and unplanned meant they hadn¡¯t planned anything for him to do. Which -having finished all of his school work for this week and next- left him with nothing to do as he continued to pace inside of his room, knowing that his parents wouldn¡¯t like it if he went out and bothered them while they were dealing with the city¡¯s chaos and how it would influence their business. ¡°Just have to make it through another day or two¡­¡± He told himself, his parents having mentioned something during dinner the night before about how if this time off from school went on for too long it would begin to worry the public rather than reassure them. Something that would begin to gnaw away at the mayor¡¯s political capital, leaving the man forced to choose between feigning normality or endangering his career. (And the ones with power never risk losing it.) He forced himself to take a seat as well as a calming breath. ¡°Just need to last a little longer¡­¡± (and then we¡¯ll be free¡­) --- Kelly --- ¡°Come on, Zoey, you can¡¯t take your toy to school.¡± She pleaded with the little girl who had latched onto her twice as hard since the night of the fire. ¡°The other kids will make fun of you if you do.¡± When Zoey shook her head she couldn¡¯t help but sigh, knowing that she was running out of time for this as she glanced at the impatient social worker that was giving them a ride to school from the shelter they -and half their neighborhood- were staying at. She¡¯d heard something about the adults trying to set up hotel rooms paid for by the city, since the whole city was going to hell in a handbasket with a lot of the adults saying it was another Rift Riot and no one wanted them on the streets. Unfortunately, the moment the social workers had showed up at the fire station their shelter had been set up at, their foster parents had brought them over and explained that they couldn¡¯t take care of them now that they were homeless. It wasn¡¯t something that she could blame them for but she found herself getting (angry) whenever she thought about them (abandoning) her and the other kids. Of course, this just led to all of her foster siblings latching onto her even harder since she was the closest thing to a remaining adult in their lives. Sadly it was something she¡¯d gotten used to after having to play mother to the younger kids when their foster parents weren¡¯t feeling very parental. Which is why it broke her heart whenever she or they moved on to a different home. A chill filled her chest and she let out a sigh, pretending not to notice how the air in front of her fogged a bit as it had on and off for the last couple of days. (Because I have way too many problems on my plate to deal with a Deviant awakening.) She just counted her blessings that as a ¡®cold¡¯ Deviant, whatever she may be, it meant that if anyone found out she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them pinning the fire on her. Something she¡¯d heard about happening to one of the kids at her school after they were expelled for accidentally frying a bunch of computers. The social worker tapped her watch, telling her to hurry it up. ¡°Fine¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Outside of the stuffed animal, you¡¯ve got everything you need for school right Zoey?¡± (Not that we really have anything after the fire.) But the social worker was apparently giving them a couple backpacks with the basic school supplies. After a moment, Zoey nodded but didn¡¯t say much else. ¡°Alright, then¡­ I guess you can bring it school, but¡­¡± She grimaced. ¡°Just¡­ if anyone bullies you, get a teacher, alright?¡± She didn¡¯t actually expect them to do much, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do to help here, (other than freezing her bullies alive¡­) And that was a little dark for her. --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°Miles!¡± She cheered, wrapping her arms around him the moment she saw him. ¡°We were so worried about you.¡± ¡°Hey, Cory.¡± Miles smiled, hugging her back. ¡°Was worried about you guys too. Uh, you seen Micki?¡± ¡°Not since me and my dad dropped her off at her house.¡± She admitted, pulling away. ¡°She was injured in the¡­ everything but my dad patched her up and the doctors said she was okay, but what about you? You¡¯re aunt kind of ran off without us and my dad wouldn¡¯t let us look for you, said she¡¯d find you while he got us somewhere safe.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, no I¡¯m alright.¡± Miles winced, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. ¡°Got a bit of a¡­ concussion when I got knocked down but it¡¯s better now.¡± ¡°You sure, because you look like you haven¡¯t slept in a week.¡± She pointed out, seeing the deep rings under his eyes. Miles grimaced. ¡°Yeah, uh, just having some trouble¡­ sleeping after everything is all.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Look, it''s not a big deal. It¡¯s not even about the¡­ everything.¡± Miles assured her upon seeing her face. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ some stuff with my family and¡­ all of this. It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± She reluctantly told him. Miles nodded as he started towards the school proper. ¡°I am.¡± He gave her a once over through the corner of his eye. ¡°How about you, how are you holding up?¡± ¡°Um, about as well as I can be.¡± She shrugged, not thinking about the wreath she still hadn¡¯t talked to her dad about. ¡°My dad¡¯s been a bit overprotective since I got home, but given some of the stories he¡¯s told me about what¡¯s going on out there I can¡¯t really blame him.¡± (Even if it¡¯s suffocating?) Miles gave her a concerned look. ¡°What kind of stuff? I mean, my mom¡¯s mentioned more people at the hospital but¡­ she hasn¡¯t really told me what she¡¯s going through there. Aside from you know.¡± The other teen pointed up at the sky and she nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ Uh, he¡¯s said there¡¯s been a massive uptick in Creeps all over the city. He gave me a whole list of neighborhoods he doesn¡¯t want me going to because the police and everyone are spread too thin to really keep them safe. Then there was a whole thing about crime being on the rise too, but that¡¯s more a side effect of¡­ everything.¡± It was her turn to point up now. ¡°Right¡­¡± Miles grimaced. An arm slung over her shoulders just as another did the same to Miles¡¯s. ¡°What¡¯s with the long faces you two?¡± Micki asked them with a grin on her face. ¡°Just talking about how different things are.¡± She tried to explain. ¡°Huh, are they¡­ really that different?¡± Micki frowned. ¡°I mean, yeah we got a few days off but we¡¯re back at school, people are going back to work, and we¡¯re still friends so¡­ what¡¯s different?¡± ¡°Aside from the glowing cracks in the sky?¡± Miles noted dryly. ¡°Eh, they¡¯re not that big of a deal.¡± Micki dismissed with a wave of her hand. ¡°I mean really how often do we look up?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the other girl¡¯s nonchalant attitude. Miles on the other hand seemed frustrated by it for some reason. ¡°Okay, then what about the monsters now roaming the streets?¡± Micki seemed to actually consider that for a moment. ¡°Mm, they¡¯re bigger and scarier looking, but the city streets have always had monsters on them. That¡¯s why you¡¯re not supposed to go down dark alleys at night. If you¡¯re fast and dive through a small enough doorway, they¡¯ll give up interest after a few moments. Then it¡¯s just a matter of finding another exit or waiting until they aren¡¯t waiting to ambush you.¡± Both her and Miles were quiet at that, at least until she found herself asking, ¡°What¡­ what exactly have you been up to these last few days?¡± ¡°Eh, mostly working at old man Hendrickson¡¯s diner.¡± Micki shrugged, before adding, ¡°Oh, and giving Leo love advice since he finally got a date but has no clue what he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°And you do?¡± Miles scoffed. ¡°You¡¯ve never been on a date in your life.¡± ¡°Of course, I mean I¡¯ve been on a couple dates with you and with you.¡± Micki told them, patting Miles¡¯ chest and then Coraline¡¯s cheek. ¡°Those don¡¯t count.¡± She chuckled, swatting away her friend¡¯s hand. (Ouch.) ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ I know that.¡± Micki winced, before shaking her head and conspiratorially whispering. ¡°But don¡¯t tell Leo, or else he might go with Hendrickson¡¯s advice and that would be ten different kinds of dumpster fire.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep your secret.¡± She promised as Micki let them go. ¡°So, how about you two?¡± Micki asked, moving a bit ahead of them and then turning around to walk backwards. ¡°What were you up to for our few days off?¡± ¡°Mostly¡­ at home. Mom and¡­ everyone have been treating me like glass since my¡­ concussion. Which I can¡¯t blame them for but¡­ it¡¯s still annoying.¡± Miles admitted. ¡°Ah, your family just wuvs you Miles.¡± Micki teased, before glancing at Coraline. ¡°How about you? I mean, you¡¯re the only one of us who wasn¡¯t injured so you had to have done something fun these last few days.¡® ¡°Uh, not really¡­¡± Her dad had promised to teach her magic but they hadn¡¯t actually gotten started on that yet (then again the books were just laying there.) She shook her head. (No, what am I thinking? I can¡¯t just betray his trust like that.) ¡°Come on, there¡¯s got to be something?¡± Micki continued to prod. ¡°Um¡­ Oh, my dad had this after school youth program thing he wanted me to sign up for!¡± She remembered. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be like a trainee program or something where we hang out at the station and learn about all the different branches. It¡¯s supposed to start in the next couple of weeks, and he wanted me to ask if you guys wanted to join up too!¡± ¡°After school?¡± Micki grimaced, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Uh, I can try but with me working at the diner I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± She¡¯d forgotten about how those might conflict. ¡°What about you Miles?¡± Her best friend gave her a pained smile. ¡°I¡¯d love to but uh¡­ you know how my grandma would react to me going down to the station. She might love you, but¡­ she hates the police.¡± Miles grimaced as he said that. ¡°No, I get it.¡± And she did, given what she knew about how Asylum treated Deviants, she was pretty sure Miles¡¯ grandparents had it just as bad if not worse from the police in the sixties and seventies. (And just for the color of their skin? So¡­ idiotic. After all, all humans look the same as dust and bone.) She shook that grim imagery from her head, and instead told Miles. ¡°That¡¯d be like asking my dad to be comfortable around Sanctuary. It¡¯s¡­ even if they can change there¡¯s too much bad blood to fully trust them.¡± Miles watched her for a moment before sighing. ¡°Look, if I can get past my family I¡­ might be able to attend once or twice.¡± ¡°Whip-sh.¡± Micki sounded out. ¡°Oh, like you¡¯re any better.¡± Miles glared at the blonde. ¡°If Cory gave you the puppy eyes you¡¯d cave in a heartbeat!¡± ¡°You are completely right.¡± Micki nodded before taking a bow. ¡°The difference is I admit she¡¯s my queen.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but laugh at their antics, feeling a bit of heat rush through her at that declaration. (Hmm, I kind of like that¡­ being a queen¡­) --- Zoey Smith --- ¡°Look at the little baby, with her dolly!¡± Another girl teased. ¡°She¡¯s such a scaredy cat!¡± A boy laughed. Just like Kelly had been worried, the kids at school had started making fun of her the moment they saw her walking around with a stuffed animal in her arms. Their teasing slowly growing as the day continued, making her want more and more to just throw the doll to the side and make them leave her alone. (but I can¡¯t let go of it.) Doing school work through the day while keeping at least one hand on the doll was more difficult than she¡¯d thought it¡¯d be, but she was stubborn enough to make it work, More than once she¡¯d seen her teachers looking like they were about to scold her or confiscate the stuffed bear but when they saw the way she flinched in fear they¡¯d alway give her a look of pity before backing off. As her class let out for recess and she made her way to the playground, she hugged her stuffed animal tight, its warmth filling her and almost being enough to take the edge off of her anxiety. Sadly she knew better than to let it. As she walked through the halls, one of the other kids tripped her and another shoved her, causing her to fall to the floor and almost lose her grip on the stuffed animal. Her panicked deathgrip the only reason she didn¡¯t. Several other kids laughed at her even as the teacher began to scold them and check on her, but she didn¡¯t pay them any mind all of her focus instead on the doll in her arm. (Just let me go¡­) It whispered. (These children they¡¯re so cruel to you¡­ Just let go, and I¡¯ll burn away all of your problems.) ¡°No, no, no, no, no.¡± She began repeating manically as she held the doll as close as possible, the lights seeming to flicker like flames in the corner of her vision. Chapter 30: New Blood, New Way Chapter 30: New Blood, New Way --- Aurelio Hermenez --- He ran a hand through his hair, thinking over what the trio in front of him were asking. On the surface it was simply a question of what he wanted to learn, a little deeper and it was a question of who he wanted as a bodyguard, a bit deeper than that and it became a question of who was going to show him the ¡®vampire¡¯ lifestyle. (As defined by the guy who thinks turning someone makes them his kid, and two of said ¡®kids¡¯ who are okay with that.) He wasn¡¯t going to judge them for their life choices but¡­ (I¡¯d rather not get dragged into their drama without knowing more about this whole mess.) Vampire novels had taught him that was just begging to get dragged into all sorts of political bullshit. (And unlike the protagonists of those stories I know to take my sexy vampire and get the fuck out before stuff starts trying to kill me.) Oh, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that he¡¯d get out of it entirely but he trusted Geraldine a lot more than he did this lot. Both as a mentor and an introduction to the modern supernatural world, something they were both equally familiar and unfamiliar with. (Aww, how sweet¡­ and smart.) Jerry assured him, only mildly sarcastic. (I¡¯ll admit I was trying to ignore the point of existing politics due to general disdain and the need of resources, but I¡¯ve also made the mistake of allying myself with someone I shouldn¡¯t have for what others told me¡­) Something in the way she said that told him it was a big mistake on her part, but sensing it was likely a sore spot he instead turned his attention back to the trio of vampires who had been doing this for far longer than him. (Now the question is how to reject them without it biting me in the ass later¡­) (Hmm¡­ Perhaps play up the angle of an unwilling New Blood?) His personal poltergeist suggested. (Mr. Pierce seems to hold a particular guilt about that matter. So while it may not free you completely it could buy you some more time to make a decision. Time we can use to give you perhaps not equal footing but better all the same.) ¡°Aurelio?¡± Alex asked in a concerned tone, his thoughts having apparently taken long enough to draw attention. He played it up a bit by biting his lip and shaking his head. ¡°Look I¡­ this isn¡¯t what I was expecting when I came here¡­ I, I was expecting like an, an introductory course on this whole vampire thing not¡­ whatever this is supposed to be.¡± He explained gesturing to the three of them. ¡°Aurelio, I know that this is disorienting-¡± Alex began, only to be cut off. ¡°Disorienting, I can handle disorienting.¡± He frowned, eyes wide as he put a hand to his head and channeled what little he¡¯d managed to pick up from his theater club back before he¡¯d had to quit because of the jocks targeting the few friends he¡¯d made in the group. Namely, how to be a dramatic little bitch. ¡°I-I could handle this vampire thing when it was just magic and blood, since I apparently don¡¯t need to drink blood let alone people every night, or every week, month¡­ am I going to have to kill people now? W-why can I still go out in the daylight? That¡¯s the biggest vampire myth, but it barely bothers me more than before you bit me. Can I still eat garlic or will it send me into anaphylactic shock? Can I cross running water? What about church, will I burn if I step foot on one? Oh, god am I going to hell now? I mean if vampires are real then¡­ Fuck¡­¡± He took a pause more to take an actual breath than the emotional devastation he was playing up. (You think that was too much? I feel like that was a little too much¡­) (No, no. While your questions are idiotic to anyone in the know, they are perfectly valid concerns going solely off myth. Especially the appeal to god and religion.) Jerry assured him. (Speaking of, how¡­ is religion in the modern world?) (Like three fourths of america with maybe a third of them being cool and another being like the assholes who sent ¡®pray away the gay¡¯ fliers to my house while their kids beat the shit out of me.) He may have taken a little too much bitter joy in warming himself by the fires he made with those. (Ah, so they¡¯re more tolerant now. Good for them, but I¡¯m still a heretic and proud.) (You do you.) He told her, not really caring given his own issues with them. (I will.) Jerry promised, sounding pleased. (That said, you might want to add a finale to your little performance before you lose momentum.) (Right, right¡­) He ran a hand down his face, before running it back over his hair. ¡°And on top of all of that, you guys are now talking about having me follow you around or working for you, as if I don¡¯t have a life outside of¡­ this.¡± He paused to consider that before legitimately asking, ¡°Do any of you have a life outside of this?¡± The fact that the silence continued did not feel him with faith. After a moment, Alex stepped forward, ¡°Aurelio, son-¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my father.¡± He interrupted through grit teeth, his acting bleeding into actual emotion as this was once more brought up. Alex winced back, visibly hurt. (You might wish to pull back a bit, the torch is nearing the bridge.) Geraldine warned him. Knowing that she was right, he forced himself to take a calming breath before shaking his head. ¡°Look, I¡¯m a fan of vampires but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to go all in in whatever organization you¡¯ve all got going on.¡± Another silence filled the room, only this was broken by Catherine letting out another frustrated groan. ¡°I knew this shit wouldn¡¯t be as straightforward as you two were hoping.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Freeman looked him dead in the eyes as her own narrowed, against his will he took a step back as he felt a weight of something settle on him, a weight that faded as Catherine¡¯s eyes softened. The older vampire shook her head with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid in over his head, expecting you to go all in was naive on all of our parts.¡± ¡°Cat¡­¡± Eric started, only to stop when said woman raised a finger into the air as she walked towards Aurelio. ¡°No.¡± Freeman paused next to Alex. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Alex made a pained face but eventually nodded. Walking past him Catherine told him, ¡°Come on kid, let¡¯s get you a couple blood bags and get you out of here.¡± He glanced back at the other two men, but didn¡¯t say anything as he moved to follow. --- Catherine Freeman --- When it was just the two of them, and after they¡¯d put a bit of distance between them and the other two the kid started to talk. ¡°Look I¡¯m sor-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± She interrupted. ¡°Like I said, we shouldn¡¯t have expected so much from you. You¡¯re just a kid who got dragged into something you didn¡¯t ask for.¡± When she¡¯d put a bit of ¡®pressure¡¯ in the air to see how he¡¯d react. If he was full of himself, hiding something, or just a kid in over his head, she couldn¡¯t help but see Miles¡¯s exhausted face from a few days prior. After a moment she asked,¡°Did you know you¡¯re the same age as my niece and nephew?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­¡± Aurelio confessed, not that he¡¯d have had any way to know. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t blame you for not being all in on this thing.¡± She admitted. ¡°I¡­ made that mistake and it strained things with my mom, my sister, and¡­ other people I can¡¯t make it up to¡­¡± Her mind flashed back to Richard, her brother long before he¡¯d married her sister, a man that faced death with a grin on his face and a drum beat in his wake. And of course with her brother came memories of¡­ the other one¡­ (A cocky grin under dark eyes¡­ a whistled tune filled the air as he pulled her into a dance¡­ blood covered him as he stood with a broken arm, his grin almost feral¡­ warm arms wrapped around her¡­ a mocking laugh tore through the air, overwhelming the panic that had been holding onto them¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but fall asleep as she listened to his heart beat¡­) She shook away those memories, knowing she¡¯d lost them both and that they weren¡¯t coming back. (No matter how much I want them to¡­) ¡°It took work to get back what I could, but¡­¡± She made sure to look the kid in his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something outside of this, hold on to it. Your friends, your family. Hold them close, because with the way the city is going they¡¯re going to be what sees you through, okay?¡± The kid was silent for a moment, a far cry from the emotional rant he¡¯d given them all in the training room, before eventually nodding. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± She nodded back before turning back towards the kitchens. ¡°Also, technically you don¡¯t need blood but you¡¯ll feel an instinctive need to feed building after about a week. Though it builds faster the more you use the Blood. The instinct peaks at a month but should break after another week, though if you make it that far expect your regeneration to invert aging you three times faster than a normal human.¡± She paused to see if he was paying attention, and while he gave her a blink he eventually answered her expectant gaze with, ¡°Feed once a week for control. I don¡¯t need to to live, but I¡¯ll live maybe half what I would¡¯ve before turning.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She told him, before continuing down his list of concerns. ¡°You don¡¯t need to kill to feed, we¡¯ve got a deal with the local hospitals but you¡¯ll have to come here for blood bags, which you¡¯ll have to pay for at a certain point. That said, if you need to feed in an emergency you can drink a pint or two from the vein without killing if you use Blood Magic to heal the wound which¡­ third spell anyone learns I think.¡± That was far enough back, and no one actually went to her for lessons on the Blood so she didn¡¯t know for sure. ¡°What about people remembering me¡­ drinking?¡± The kid grimaced as he said the last word. ¡°I would hope you¡¯d ask for consent in most cases.¡± She admitted, not really worried about it given how she didn¡¯t get that kind of vibe from the kid. ¡°Now it¡¯s not publicly accepted, but there¡¯s more than one vampire who works a deal with someone for their blood. Though you shouldn¡¯t rely on that only since you can only get a pint every other month unless you¡¯re really good at blood magic, and even then that can quickly bite you in the ass if they¡¯ve got a disease of some kind which might cost more Blood to heal than you drank.¡± There were a few other reasons she personally avoided that scene, but if the kid was going to make his own way he needed to know about this. (At the very least he doesn¡¯t come off as that kind of skeevy bastard.) She¡¯d had to deal with more than one out of towner who¡¯d stopped by thinking to set up a blood trade, not realizing they were making a human trafficking pitch to a Hunter. ¡°What about¡­ animal blood?¡± Aurelio asked. ¡°Can that¡­ do anything?¡± ¡°You¡¯d need twice as much for half the kick, and well¡­ you ever try chugging a gallon of milk? Same problem.¡± She answered, before explaining that the, ¡°Human stomach forces you to vomit once you hit the half gallon mark. You¡¯d have to push yourself to near sickness to get the same value, but if you want to down a pint of pig''s blood every day go vegan I won¡¯t judge.¡± Admittedly she¡¯d tried it herself and had to quit about a month in when the amount of work she was doing pushed her to the point of drinking more pig¡¯s blood than water to stay active. (But that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him if he¡¯s trying to avoid all of this.) ¡°Next was¡­ daylight, right? That one differs a bit depending on the Bloodline and some Practitioner stuff I don¡¯t fully understand.¡± She remembered this one irish vampire who felt nothing from the sun due to a Fire Affinity, something Eric was hoping to one day mimic with his own. ¡°You probably haven¡¯t noticed it because you¡¯re still ¡®adjusting¡¯ but once you start throwing around Blood or Shadows you¡¯ll start to feel it." When they started to get near the kitchens she made Aurelio stop, ¡°Okay, uh, let¡¯s try to blitz through the rest real quick before we see anyone else. Garlic, you¡¯re not allergic to it but when your senses start to sharpen you will learn to avoid sharp smells. Side note, never chop onions. Running water isn¡¯t an issue, I cross the river at least once a week. Churches and crosses aren¡¯t a big deal either.¡± ¡°And on the soul thing¡­¡± His last one was the big one, and for a lot of people tended to be something that beat themselves up over, compromised their beliefs with, or outright given up on their beliefs because of. It was a deeply personal question that could tell you a lot about the person answering it, and for her that answer was, ¡°Most of the gods I¡¯ve met have actually been pretty cool with it. Though whether your god is cool with it or not I don¡¯t know, I know mine was as long as I don¡¯t pretend it¡¯s his blood I¡¯m drinking. Pretty, sure they¡¯ve given him a complex over that.¡± ¡°Gods? Wait, gods?!¡± Aurelio stammered out. ¡°The gods are real?! You¡¯ve met the gods?!¡± She shrugged and told him, ¡°Eh, world ¡®s a bigger place than most realize.¡± ¡°O-okay?¡± The kid blinked, sounding even more overwhelmed than he had about being turned into a vampire. ¡°Look, look. This is a whole rabbit hole man, just keep it simple.¡± She told him the same thing, she was told upon ripping off this bandaid. ¡°Whatever god you believe in is real. You don¡¯t need to be a devout worshiper unless they''re an asshole. So believe in a kind god -or gods you do you- and you¡¯re set¡­ Oh, also a god can¡¯t hurt you unless you let them. Which is why half of them try to scare you first.¡± Aurelio stared at her for a moment, his eyes slowly narrowing, ¡°You¡¯re fucking with me. Aren¡¯t you?¡± She gave him a smile and a pat on his shoulder before entering the kitchen. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?!¡± Aurelio called, chasing after her. Just like Hendrickson before her, she kept her mouth shut save for her grin. Unlike him however she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what poor sucker got stuck as the Gede Baron¡¯s personal Horse after Richard. (Whoever it is, I''m glad I¡¯m not that dumbass.) Chapter 31: Walking To The Grave Chapter 31: Walking To The Grave --- Miles Kennedy --- (¡°Hold up.¡±) Kriminel told him, half way back to his house. (¡°We¡¯re making a detour today.¡±) ¡°What? No.¡± He frowned, side stepping someone on the street that clearly had more space than they needed. ¡°I had to fight my mom and gran just to walk home today. I¡¯m not risking that on some detour.¡± His heart stopped beating and the world around him began to blur. (¡°Yes, ya are.¡±) Kriminel growled. (¡°Ya only alive cause ya workin¡¯ for me.¡±) His heart started beating again. (¡°Don¡¯t forget that, boy.¡±) He swallowed down his terror, his breath coming out in gasps as he leaned against the wall of a building. (¡°Well? Ya going to move?¡±) Krimnel asked with a clear grin to his voice. (¡°Or was that reminder not enough?¡±) He bit down his desire to curse out the spirit that apparently held his life by a string and instead asked, ¡°Where¡­ am I going?¡± (¡°Take a right at the next street and I¡¯ll walk ya there.¡±) He grit his teeth before doing what he was told, part of him regretting the fact that he¡¯d agreed to work for Kriminel rather than any of the other Gede. (¡°Don¡¯t be pissy just because ya weren¡¯t expectin¡¯ half your family to be killers.¡±) Kriminel scoffed, unsympathetically. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you.¡± He told the first murderer, having already put together that Kriminel had just been messing with him for the spirit¡¯s own amusement. (Not that keeps me from having dreams about them covered in blood¡­) (¡°Believe what ya will, ya¡¯ll learn I don¡¯t lie about death soon enough.¡±) Kriminel assured him. He didn¡¯t bother offering a response as his eyes drifted to the sky, an odd mix of colors due to the bright golden cracks in the sky against the orange of the setting sun. Something that stood out more at night when even with a nearly black sky the whole city was visible beneath the crack¡¯s light. (Though I doubt that¡¯ll do anything for mom if I¡¯m out past dark.) Deciding to risk the Baron¡¯s ire he went ahead and asked, ¡°What exactly is it you want me to do?¡± (¡°Get to where I¡¯m leadin¡¯ ya for one.¡±) Kriminel told him. ¡°And after that?¡± He frowned as he ended up bumping into someone who didn¡¯t recognize personal space. Kriminel let out a growl. (¡°What exactly do ya think yer job is?¡±) ¡°You said something about hunting down killers and making them pay.¡± He remembered, if only because of why he agreed to work for Kriminel over the others. ¡°But how am I supposed to do that? I mean I¡¯m just a high school student.¡± (¡°Ya know yer parents coddled ya, boy.¡±) Kriminel spat at him. (¡°If yer predecessor could figure it out then so can ya.¡±) ¡°My predecessor?¡± He repeated in askance. Kriminel was silent for a moment. (¡°Prove ya can do the job and maybe I¡¯ll tell ya about ¡®im.¡±) ¡°And what is my job?¡± He asked once more. (¡°I ain¡¯t yappin¡¯ like this.¡±) Kriminel snarled when someone else bumped into him. (¡°Take a left and ya¡¯ll be there.¡±) ¡°And where exactly is he¡­¡± He paused upon glancing through the fence to his left and finding several stone statues sticking out of the ground, ¡°A graveyard?¡± (¡°Good so yer eyes work even if yer brain don¡¯t.¡±) Kriminel noted with sarcastic approval. (¡°Now get in the graveyard.¡±) ¡°I thought the graveyard was supposed to be Brav¡¯s domain?¡± He frowned, making his way to the entrance. ¡°Isn¡¯t this stepping on his toes or something.¡± (¡°They are, but they¡¯re also a place of power for death workers. Which includes you now.¡±) Kriminel explained as Miles stopped in front of the closed gates. (¡°As for Brav his job is to protect these places so long as you ain¡¯t pissin¡¯ on anyone¡¯s grave he won¡¯t stop ya from comin¡¯ around. Especially not on my business.¡±) Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He glanced down and noticed that there was a chain and padlock on the gate. ¡°Okay, how am I supposed to get past this?¡± (¡°I¡¯m the boss, ya the worker. Figure it out for yourself.¡±) Kriminel told him, before going quiet. Though given how the faint sensation of eyes on him hadn¡¯t faded he was guessing the Baron was still watching and waiting. He gave the chain another tug, noting how the actual padlock was inside the yard. (Meaning there¡¯s got to be another entrance.) Taking a step back he began walking around the yard looking for said entrance all while keeping an eye on the spikey bits that lined the top of the fence. (Don¡¯t want to try jumping that¡­) Continuing to trace the perimeter he passed by another gate -once more chained from the inside- before finding an old gray church with a cross on top that, while connected to the fence, wasn''t actually within it. Walking over to the building, he gave the front door a try and found that it was unlocked. Stepping inside he found the space had been cleared out in the middle with the various benches pushed against the walls. Upon making his way towards the back in the hopes of finding a way into the graveyard he found what looked to be a double shrine of sorts near the altar. On the wall was a mural to Jesus that he¡¯d been expecting given how he was clearly in a christian church of some kind, but on the altar itself was a small statue of what looked to be the grim reaper in a colorful robe while surrounded by flowers and burnt out candles next to a box of matches. ¡°Uh, is this something we should be worried about?¡± He asked, looking at what appeared to be a shrine to death. (Which would explain why Kriminel wanted me to come here¡­) (¡°Nah, Santa Muerta ain¡¯t goin¡¯ to cause us any problems.¡±) Kriminel assured him, almost sounding respectful. (¡°Unlike the other halves of our dumbass pantheons we death deities know to keep it professional when we cross¡­ Also light one of her candles, boy.¡±) ¡°Why?¡± He frowned, surprised the Baron would ask him to do that for another deity. (¡°We¡¯re all equal in Death¡¯s eyes kid, from the highest Baron to the lowest murderer.¡±) Kriminel explained with no small amount of reverence before immediately dropping it, for irritation. (¡°Also, didn¡¯t ya mama teach ya any manners?! Ya don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ enter a woman¡¯s house without her blessin¡¯, even if ya comin¡¯ to kill her husband, ya get? If ya have to, ya sit on the damn street and wait for him to come out and die like a man.¡±) ¡°And what do you do if he doesn¡¯t come out?¡± He wondered, picking up the pack of matches and lighting one. (¡°Then you burn the fuckin¡¯ house down.¡±) Kriminel answered as if it was as simple as that. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he lit the candle. ¡°You, uh, you want me to say a prayer or something?¡± (¡°Why the fuck would we do that?¡±) Kriminel scoffed. (¡°Just because I believe in some professional courtesy with the ladies don¡¯t mean I¡¯m a fuckin¡¯ boot licker. I ain¡¯t no Brav Cimeti¨¨re.¡±) He rolled his eyes, ¡°Right, what was I thinking¡­¡± He glanced up at the mural of Jesus looking down on him sadly. ¡°Uh, do¡­ do we need to do anything for him?¡± (If one god is real then¡­) (¡°Wha? Nah, the J-man¡¯s cool like that.¡±) Kriminel waved him off, before seeming to consider something. (¡°Though if ya see his Da, run. We still got plex over the whole Caine thing.¡±) ¡°Right, just going to move past that.¡± He swallowed, not sure how his gran would feel about this whole conversation. (¡°Probably for the best, ya not quite at that pay grade yet.¡±) The Baron admitted. (¡°And ya never will be if ya don¡¯t get a fuckin¡¯ move on it!¡±) He shook his head before continuing into the back of the church where he found a small living area with the lights out, (guess this is where the priest of the place used to live or something¡­) Eventually he found the door to the graveyard, though it had a couch in front of it for some reason as if whoever put it there was trying to lock the graveyard in rather than keeping people out. Given the last couple of weeks he felt completely reasonable asking, ¡°There aren¡¯t going to be any zombies in this graveyard are there? That isn¡¯t what this is about right?¡± (¡°That¡¯s Brav¡¯s job to deal with. Not mine.¡±) Kriminel answered. (¡°We need a graveyard because it¡¯s a hotspot for death. Figured it¡¯d be easier to get into than a morgue or dumping site.¡±) ¡°Dumping¡­ site?¡± He repeated as he started pushing the couch. (¡°For corpses? Unless ya know where the local criminals dump their bodies, which would speed a lot of thangs up for us.¡±) The Baron elaborated sarcastically. (¡°No? Then show me how you¡¯re useful instead of how you¡¯re useless.¡±) He bit back his response as he gave the last push necessary to have enough space to open the door, before opening it and stepping out into the cemetery proper. ¡°Alright, now what?¡± He sighed, unable to help but notice how it was starting to get dark. (Don¡¯t have long before mom and gran start worrying¡­) (¡°Mmm, ya see that angel statue near the mausoleums? Head over there.¡±) Kriminel ordered. He narrowed his eyes looking for what the Baron was talking about before realizing, ¡°The one on the other side of the graveyard? Fine¡­¡± He ran a hand down his face, before heading that way. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± After spending a good five, ten minutes hiking towards the statue in question -all while avoiding stepping on anyone¡¯s actual grave- he eventually made his way to the spot Kriminel wanted him to get to. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m here.¡± He told the spirit haunting him as he looked around the empty graveyard. ¡°Why exactly did you need me to find a death hotspot?¡± (¡°Earlier ya mentioned not knowin¡¯ how to do your job. Now I ain¡¯t goin¡¯ to coddle ya but I am willin¡¯ to get ya the tools of the trade¡­ or at least the most basic tool.¡±) Kriminel explained. ¡°And what exactly are the tools of the trade?¡± He frowned, not sure he wanted anything he¡¯d be picking up from a graveyard. (¡°Ya really are slow boy.¡±) Kriminel laughed, and for once he could swear it wasn¡¯t inside his head but instead seemed to carry on the wind rustling the world around him. (¡°Well,for ya simple mind, let me remind ya, that we Gede are the Voodoo Barons of Death.¡±) Chapter 32: Introductory Magic With A Cop, A Vampire, And A Murderer Chapter 32: Introductory Magic With A Cop, A Vampire, And A Murderer --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been waiting so long for this!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but squeal as her dad cleared their living room table. ¡°I know, sweetie.¡± Her dad gave her a pained smile, setting down several books, a large piece of butcher paper, a potted plant, and several smaller trinkets. ¡°I just wish it were under better circumstances.¡± ¡°Learning magic is a good enough circumstance on its own.¡± She assured him. Her dad shook his head with a faint grin. ¡°You¡¯re so much like your mother you know that?¡± That gave her a warm feeling in her chest. She clapped her hands with an excited smile on her face. ¡°So what are we doing first?¡± ¡°Um, first¡­ how about a quick refresher on magic?¡± Her dad asked. ¡°I know you¡¯ve read a lot of mine and your mother¡¯s old books over the years, but I¡¯m not entirely sure where you¡¯re actually at with the theoretical work.¡± ¡°Right, um, where do you want me to start?¡± She¡¯d read pretty much all of the theoretical books he¡¯d left her, and while she¡¯d needed to read a dictionary to understand most of it, she thought she¡¯d done a pretty solid job for a high schooler let alone the middle schooler she¡¯d been when she¡¯d started. ¡°Just¡­ wherever you are.¡± Her dad told her. ¡°We¡¯re going to be going over a fair bit of it as we go along but¡­ it helps to know how much background information I have to cover, or if we can just skip over some of the hows and whys.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± She nodded, trying to think of how best to summarize everything she¡¯d learned over the years. (Maybe if I just do the broad strokes of everything?) ¡°Magic is fueled by Anima, an energy that is both all around us and a part of us. Anima by nature wants to build things, and as such cannot directly destroy anything. When we use magic we¡¯re directing Anima to follow a direction we give it to create something specific or to add to something that already exists.¡± ¡°Every person has a class of directions that they as an individual are best synchronized with, be it due to an environmental factor, a spiritual one, or even their personality. These are a person¡¯s affinities, a specific Concept distinct enough from others that Anima instinctively recognizes the shape it¡¯s being directed into. This does not mean that a person is incapable of using a concept outside of their affinities, just that the Anima they use to direct the rest is less resistant to being molded in this given pattern.¡± ¡°Of course, the raw molding of Anima is in itself extremely costly in ¡®directed¡¯ Anima as well as focus, so tools and skills were developed to better combat these issues. Foci were made to not only aid in the direction of Anima but also function as Anima batteries, this was then expanded upon to allow even those without an innate Spell System to use magic via these artificial systems. In addition to this The Magical Arts and Crafts were simultaneously developed.¡± ¡°Spell Crafts were all based on techniques that were shown to better cause Anima reactions to certain acts or patterns, that were then combined and slowly streamlined into a more structured format for easier learning as well as being broken down into similar reactions to determine overlapping points with the Arts.¡± ¡°In contrast the Mystic Arts can all be considered the magical equivalent of the different scientific disciplines or studies, with Alchemy actually being the direct usage of the Scientific Method and previous scientific knowledge upon magic to try and better understand it. Which in turn spiraled further into the common Arts of Potioneering, Ritualism, and Enchanting as well as the more dangerous Arts of Flesh Sculpting and Occultism. With the other Arts of Divination, Contracting, Shamanism, and Necromancy being based more on the older legends of magic combined with knowledge preserved and shared by older bloodlines and schools that weren¡¯t compatible with the others.¡± She thought about it for a moment. ¡°I¡­ think¡­ that was everything¡­¡± (It certainly was a lot¡­) Her father blinked, his eyes having steadily grown as she¡¯d gone through her summary. ¡°Well you¡­ you¡¯ve definitely been studying. Madness, you might understand the basics better than me at this point.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but blush at that. Her dad shook his head as he picked up a small jewelry box. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve definitely proven you¡¯re ready for the more¡­ practical lessons.¡± Breathlessly she swallowed before taking the box. ¡°Is this¡­?¡± Her dad nodded, and she slowly opened the box to find a gothic pentagram necklace. (Not the kind of thing dad would usually get me¡­) ¡°It¡­ it was your mother¡¯s¡­ back before¡­ everything¡­¡± Her dad explained upon seeing her expression, before beginning to ramble, ¡°I know it¡¯s not really your style, but your mom was going through a goth phase and really leaned it into it at the time. I think it was a, uh, a rebellion thing against your grandmother, because while she still wore a lot of black and spider webs she ended up dropping a lot of the heavier parts by the time you came along. I¡­ I thought you¡¯d like it.¡± ¡°I love it.¡± She almost reverently ran her fingers over it before giving him the biggest smile she could manage. ¡°Help me put it on.¡± ¡°Your mother got this made just before college.¡± Her dad told her as he helped her with the necklace. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯s not the strongest Focus of hers I had but¡­ it was the first one she owned herself and I thought that-that it¡¯d be something she would¡¯ve wanted to give you herself.¡± She ran her fingers over the necklace as her dad continued to ramble, because while it wasn¡¯t the only thing of her mother¡¯s she owned, it was something far more tangible than just going over some of her mom¡¯s old books. (This alone was worth it¡­) Her dad gave her a soft smile, before asking, ¡°Ready to learn how to use it?¡± --- Aurelio Hermenez --- ¡°Of course.¡± He nodded to Jerry¡¯s question, before looking around his (honestly, kind of small) apartment, at least when compared to the rooms he¡¯d seen at the Hotel. ¡°But uh, is this going to be enough space?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. (Perhaps not for the bigger spells, but we can figure that out at a later date.) Geraldine assured him. (For now we¡¯ll simply focus on helping you learn to channel Anima and draw it out from your blood.) ¡°Right, uh¡­ should I top up?¡± He wondered, his eyes drifting to the cooler of blood bags Catherine had given him before he¡¯d parted ways with the Hotel. (Hmm, save it for when we get to the practical side of magic.) Jerry decided as her shadow rose on the nearby wall. (For now I need to give you a bit of insight into how the Old Blood works and part of its function beyond extending one¡¯s life span.) ¡°Okay, I always did love the lore of a good magic system.¡± He admitted, taking a seat on the couch as he watched Jerry¡¯s shadow begin to pace. (Good.) The shadow smiled at him. (Now then, it¡¯s fairly obvious that the Old Blood has several abilities beyond simply extending one¡¯s life, and they all have their purposes and origins, even if a few mutated beyond their initial reason. Since we¡¯re learning magic we¡¯ll begin with a simple fact, not everyone is born capable of using magic. Otherwise society would be very different.) ¡°You mean it¡¯d be more fun.¡± He joked, just picturing it in his head. (In some ways, but that is a fun thought experiment for later. For now we focus on known quantities.) Jerry told him apparently in ¡®teacher mode¡¯. (While there are some born with Spell Systems in their bodies allowing them to naturally use magic and develop their power, most people sadly are not. Meaning that in order to use magic those people must acquire a rare and valuable foci which shall represent the limits of their power regardless of their skill or knowledge.) The shadow on the wall looked at him. (Now I¡¯m sure you can surmise from our conversation with the cult that all vampires -at least of our Bloodline- can in fact use magic.) ¡°Meaning the thing that turned us -the uh, gift of Blood- gave us one of those Spell System things you mentioned.¡± He guessed. (Correct¡­ for the most part.) Jerry sighed before resuming her pacing. (The Blood was meant to generate an artificial Spell System that would allow a Practitioner to grow their magic in the same way someone with an innate Spell System can. This was mostly successful, though there were¡­ several flaws with the design.) He nodded in understanding. ¡°So, going off how this usually goes in books and movies, I¡¯m going to assume this is where the whole blood drinking thing comes from?¡± Jerry made a so-so gesture. (That was partially intended due to an idea about stealing the magic in one¡¯s blood I came up with after not sleeping for three days, but it merged with the ¡®thirst¡¯ which itself was intended to be a method of sensing one¡¯s own reserves without special equipment. It simply mutated and latched onto all of our instinctive cravings to cause a mix of appetites that causes some to lose control without preparation. This then spiraled by me separating the blood reserves into one dedicated to extending the lifespan and another to the actual spell casting, and leaving an emergency connection. Only¡­ I may have put the connection in backwards, which results in the blood draining one¡¯s lifespan should they not feed instead of draining spell power to maintain it.) The vampire witch¡¯s shadow explained while looking increasingly embarrassed. ¡°So the reason vampires have to drink blood or die a slow painful death, is because you put the metaphorical batteries in backwards?¡± He dryly summarized. (It was¡­ a very complicated spell.) Geraldine tried to defend. Not that did anything to diminish his judgemental stare. Jerry just stared at him for a moment. (Will you forget about this if I start teaching you practical magic now?) ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I will.¡± He admitted. --- Miles Kennedy --- He wasn¡¯t exactly impressed with the supernatural entity living inside his head. Which is why he blatantly told the Baron that, ¡°I know you think that was all dark and cool but that really doesn¡¯t tell me much, given how the only voodoo I know is that racist stuff from older movies and maybe that one kid¡¯s movie a couple years ago.¡± Kriminel let out a growl. (¡°It means I¡¯m going to teach ya magic ya dumbass bastard. Death magic in particular.¡±) Part of him felt a little¡­ off put by that, but at the same time he halfway knew what he was getting into when he signed up with the Barons given the whole gods of death thing. (Just¡­ just remember, Cory has a Death affinity too and she¡¯s the sweetest girl you know.) He nodded to himself. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the first lesson?¡± (¡°Sit on the ground and cross yer legs.¡±) Kriminel ordered, and once he was on the ground the Baron continued. (¡°Normally, ya¡¯d need to call on ol¡¯ Legba to ask for any of the Lwa¡¯s help, but since ya my horse we can skip that step until we need the others help for somethin¡¯ big. For now we¡¯ll keep it simple for ya simple mind.¡±) Biting back his irritation he instead asked, ¡°How simple?¡± (¡°Simple as I can explain it boy.¡±) Kriminel scoffed. (¡°Now unlike a normal human ya won¡¯t be learnin¡¯ how to pull on the Anima in the air, but rather the Necro I can offer ya.¡±) ¡°Anima and Necro?¡± He remembered something Cory told him about Anima being another word for magic or mana from a video game, but the most he could think of for Necro was necromancy. (Which I guess is what a death god would teach me¡­) Kriminel let out an irritated huff before deciding to explain that, (Anima be the echo of life, of creation that run through everythin¡¯ since the big bang kicked it all off. It never truly run out until life does the same. Necro is the remnant of everythin¡¯ that ever was and what all will be in time. It won¡¯t run out because everythin¡¯ become it in time.) ¡°So¡­ Anima is the beginning of everything, and Necro is the end of it all.¡± He summarized as best he could. (¡°And Madness be everythin¡¯ in between.¡±) Kriminel chuckled. (¡°Course, most practitioners just focus on the Anima and call that magic since it¡¯s the easiest and safest for ya humans to play around with. Ya don¡¯t get that option though, since ya usin¡¯ my magic.¡±) ¡°Which leaves me with¡­ Necro?¡± He figured, having come full circle in a way. (¡°Aye, though it won¡¯t be the pure stuff.¡±) The Baron warned him. (¡°Even with me helpin¡¯ ya, ya can¡¯t handle the pure stuff. Hells, I can¡¯t handle the pure stuff for long. At least not compared to Samedi and the other greater death deities. Instead we water it down with our own natural Anima and Madness.¡±) ¡°Madness?¡± He repeated, having thought it a joke the last time Kriminel mentioned it. (¡°Is what ya get if ya keep fuckin¡¯ askin¡¯ bout it.¡±) Kriminel answered without a lick of humor. (¡°Stuff ain¡¯t like Anima or Necro¡­ One ¡®ll make ya, the other end ya, but Madness¡­ Madness ¡®ll change ya.¡±) If¡­ if he didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d think the Baron was scared of whatever Madness was. (¡°Gettin¡¯ me off track¡­) Kriminel muttered with a frustrated growl. (¡°We in a place of death, because there be more Necro here than Anima, making it easier to feel both the Anima within and the Necro without. Ya just need to focus on what feels different in both.¡±) He ran a hand down his face as he tried to understand what he was being told. ¡°And¡­ how do I do that?¡± (¡°The fuck if I know!¡±) Kriminel snapped. (¡°Magic ain¡¯t my domain, and I ain¡¯t been human in hundreds of years. I explained it so now figure it out, or are ya really so simple we¡¯ve got to call on Legba to bail out ya scrawny ass?!¡±) ¡°Fine. Fine! I¡¯ll figure it out on my own.¡± He snapped back, before settling in and seeing if he could feel any difference between the air of the graveyard and the rest of the town. All the while, he couldn¡¯t help but (wonder if other people have to go through this kind of thing to learn magic?) Chapter 33: Feeling Magic In The Air And The Blood Chapter 33: Feeling Magic In The Air And The Blood --- Coraline Hawkins --- Much like with the amulet she¡¯d briefly borrowed during the convention, she could feel a sort of cool warmth emanating from the foci she was wearing. The accumulated magic giving off a feeling that would be comforting regardless of the actual temperature surrounding it. She knew that it had been too long for it to be true, but part of her imagined that that feeling was from her mom, a remnant of her own magic left inside of the focus for her to find. ¡°Do you¡­ can you feel it?¡± Her dad asked her cautiously after she¡¯d spent just a little too long basking in the feeling. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She nodded, forcing her focus away from the magic in her necklace no matter how much it wanted her attention. ¡°Good now, the next step is the¡­ trickiest part.¡± Her dad told her, not knowing that she¡¯d done all of this before. ¡°You need to sort of will the Anima into doing what you want. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re not quite at the level where you can just pull it straight out of your focus, so you need to pull it through your own body and sort of¡­ gather it into your hands.¡± She closed her eyes before focusing on the cool warmth and trying to move it from the pendant around her neck, into her chest, up her shoulders, and down her arms. Only as the magic began to pass through her bicep she felt the black wreath there begin to tighten, reminding her of how she¡¯d betrayed his trust. (For something you always wanted though.) A dark voice tried to defend. (No. It wasn¡¯t right. I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done it.) She told herself, remembering how she¡¯d found Micki with a piece of rebar through her side. (It wasn¡¯t worth it¡­) The wreath grew even tighter with that admission, and she deserved it. Her acceptance caused the pain to pass, even as the voice tried to argue that, (There¡¯s nothing wrong with living for yourself¡­) Which she knew but¡­ (I¡¯m not that selfish.) (...) ¡°You¡¯ve almost got it.¡± Her dad assured her as she began to struggle with pushing the magic the last little bit, moving it having become twice as difficult as it passed her wreath. ¡°Alright, let me help you the last little bit.¡± Her dad took her hands and clapped them between his own where she felt the faintest bits of his own comforting magic begin to build, nowhere near as much as she was trying to control but definitely enough to make the last few inches from her forearms to her hands so much easier. ¡°Okay, now¡­ just let that build for a moment.¡± He told her, releasing her hands as she felt her own magic beginning to pool within them. ¡°And when you think you¡¯ve got enough, toss it into the air.¡± She gave it another moment, but when it felt like the magic she¡¯d built was beginning to leak through her fingers she did as he said and tossed the magic she¡¯d built up as high as she could. ¡°You know this is the part where you¡¯re supposed to open your eyes.¡± Her dad pointed out. She knew that, she was just a little reluctant in case she¡¯d messed it up. (Though he doesn¡¯t sound like I did.) Ever so slowly she opened her eyes before they shot wide open upon seeing an entire galaxy of light motes floating all around her. An effect that was all the more prominent as her dad had turned off the actual lights, leaving them to float in the otherwise dark. And upon seeing the effects of her first successful spell, she couldn¡¯t help but smile as she felt elation spread through her at the wondrous sight around her. (I wonder if this is how everyone else feels using magic?) --- Aurelio Hermenez ¡ª ¡°Is it¡­ is it supposed to¡­ feel like my¡­ my blood is boiling?¡± He wondered, feeling a building heat slowly burn through his veins. (That would be the feeling of the Malice within your blood burning the physical to empower the metaphysical.) Jerry explained in a way that told him nothing. ¡°Right, uh¡­ can you uh, elaborate?¡± He asked as his heart beat so hard that he could feel it throughout his entire body, each pulse feeling him with a power just begging to be let loose. (This is one of those flawed points with the Old Blood.) Jerry admitted. (While blood itself can be used to conduct magic with an abnormally high compatibility, it unfortunately lacks a true storage capacity. So during my attempts to fix this problem I discovered that energy conversion leant itself more towards Malice than Anima. This mixing is actually why so many Arcane fear that they¡¯ll lose their magic upon turning because while the systems can mirror each other in function they are notably different once dissected. Though not so much that you can¡¯t-) ¡°Jerry¡­ less magic lesson¡­ more medical diagnoses?¡± He pleaded, having to fight himself just to keep from twitching and lashing out as the heat continued to build and everything around him grew so painfully loud and bright. (Oh, apologies¡­) The vampire¡¯s shadow blinked. (Um, yes the heat is normal, and the reason it feels like it¡¯s building is because you are building the energy up without using it. You¡¯ll notice that this occurs both during both prolonged usage and greater feats. As time goes on it¡¯ll become less uncomfortable, the discomfort is due to your transitionary phase.) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°And uh, how do I¡­ fix it?¡± He gasped, having already tried turning off the power Jerry had shown him in the middle of her little explanation only to find the heat was still there. (You¡¯ll have to use the power.) Jerry¡¯s shadow shrugged, looking as uncomfortable as a shadow could. (Just¡­ focus on pushing the heat out, willing it to move.) He nodded, not really able to focus on anything but the heat, before trying to picture it moving in his head. An act that while not fully successful he could feel do something to the heat. So he tried again and again, the heat moving through his body, even beyond his body in a couple of instances, but always returning back to him before he could cool off. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t working¡­ Jerry¡­¡± He whimpered, sweat beginning to drip off his face. Geraldine¡¯s shadow watched him for a moment before telling him to, (Push the heat into me. Not into the air but into this shadow.) He closed his eyes and grit his teeth before willing the heat into her shadow, and like his previous attempts to move the heat it did as he asked. Only unlike the other times the heat did not return, letting him actually feel the cold air of his apartment wash over him. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s so much better¡­¡± He practically moaned in relief, just basking in the room temperature air. ¡°It really is.¡± A voice commented, both in his head and not really. He opened his eyes and found a familiar beautiful pale woman examining her own limbs. ¡°Jerry?¡± He frowned, wondering what exactly was going on. ¡°Yes?¡± The woman smiled at him, confirming that she was in fact his personal poltergeist. His extremely hot poltergeist. He decided that now was a good time to drink one of those blood bags, and if that wasn¡¯t enough a couple glasses of water too. --- Miles Kennedy --- It took him a while -a lot longer than he was comfortable with given the setting sun- but eventually he managed to figure out that there was in fact a difference between the cool warmth inside of him and the comforting coolness surrounding him. One that went beyond the difference between his body temp and the cool night air breeze. There was a slight hum to each as he listened, the one inside a calm and familiar thrum as if he¡¯d heard it all his life, while the one outside was more the absence of sound just waiting to echo whatever was thrown to it. And that was something they both had in common, they were both waiting for the song to begin, to really cut loose. But regardless of all that, once he figured it out, he figured it out. Drawing the coolness towards him was easy, far easier than trying to sense it in the first place. (¡°Careful, don¡¯t want to call on more of that than ya can handle.¡±) Kriminel warned him, the Baron¡¯s appearance more easily flashing within his mind. He inhaled, noticing how the cool air had a sort of sweet tartness to it before exhaling and letting the coolness drift away from him. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± He nodded to both himself and Kriminel. ¡°Now the question is what do I do with it?¡± (¡°There¡¯s lots of things ya can do.¡±) The Baron answered, his mental image of the man leaning against the crypts and pulling out a cigar. (¡°Now before we go much further ya need to understand what exactly it is I¡¯m teaching ya.¡±) ¡°Voodoo, right?¡± (¡°Voodoo is a religion.¡±) Kriminel told him slowly with an unimpressed glare. (¡°It came from Africa and spread out with the slave trade takin¡¯ on different flavors with each land it touched, be it the Haitian vodou, the Brazilian vodun, and more infamously Lousiana Voodoo. There are differences between each but there¡¯s also a lot of overlap for the regional denominations.¡±) ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°Um¡­ are you expecting me to convert?¡± Admittedly, he was in a bit of gray area with that having discovered that the Barons and other deities were real, but with Jesus also apparently being real and active he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to do that. Especially since all of his family would still be doing their christian stuff. (¡°Don¡¯t need ya to. We worked out a thing long ago since we aren¡¯t greedy since it¡¯s more about respect for us than worship. Fair number of our people still see themselves as Catholic which is fine. After all, like I said, it¡¯s more about respect for us.¡±) The Baron explained lighting his cigar. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that ¡®thing¡¯ is how you know the, uh, J-man?¡± He was going to be tripping on that all night. Kriminel snapped his fingers and pointed his fingers at Miles as he inhaled before exhaling a cloud of smoke. (¡°That and like I said before, Death deities got more¡­ professionalism than the other deities. We¡¯ve usually got our priorities straight rather than mucking about with all that mortal bullshit.¡±) The Baron suddenly shook his head. (¡°Yer getting me off track again¡­ The point of all this is that Hoodoo -the folk magic used by Voodoo¡¯s various rootworkers- is what I¡¯ll be teaching ya. In reference to that magic girlfriend of yers, it¡¯ll be a mix of their shamanism, necromancy, and ritualism.¡±) ¡°Okay¡­¡± He was a little iffy about some of that, but from what he knew (Shamanism doesn¡¯t sound too bad.) ¡°What are we starting with?¡± (¡°Self possession.¡±) Kriminel smiled. ¡°Uh, come again?¡± He blinked. (¡°Self-possession, is when ya open up yer soul to the Necro and let a spirit possess ya. Allowin¡¯ them to more easily act in the mortal world.¡±) Kriminel explained, his smile never leaving. ¡°Yeah¡­ let¡¯s skip this lesson.¡± He told the Baron with narrowed eyes, nowhere near stupid enough to let the first murderer possess him. (¡°Ah, I figured ya¡¯d say somethin¡¯ like that.¡±) Kriminel admitted as he tossed his cigar to the side. Not that that did anything to diminish the Baron¡¯s smile. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t sound disappointed.¡± He noticed with no small amount of wariness. Kriminel started to walk towards him. (¡°Well, little somethin¡¯ I forgot to tell ya about the Necro while ya were sittin¡¯ there for so long yer legs ¡®ve gone numb.¡±) He realized his legs were both asleep after being crossed for so long and stumbled to try and move them, realizing that whatever was happening he was probably going to need to run. (¡°Ya see, the dead, they get kind of restless¡­ So they instinctively go lookin¡¯ for Necro to help them keep it together or to let them move on. And I¡¯m feelin¡¯ a bit slow but¡­¡±) Kriminel crouched down beside him. (¡°What¡¯ve we been playin¡¯ around with again?¡±) He froze as he heard the sound of stone grinding against stone, his eyes immediately jumping to the crypts as they began to open. Chapter 34: Magical Progress And Conclusions Chapter 34: Magical Progress And Conclusions --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°Alright, I think you¡¯ve got the hang of moving your magic around.¡± Her dad told her after her third time of casting the Starlit Nightlight spell by herself. ¡°Meaning it¡¯s time for you to try something a little more complex.¡± ¡°What have you got?¡± She smiled, not really worried since she knew that children usually learned the Starlit Nightlight as their first spell. (So an almost-adult should be able to do significantly more.) ¡°Right, so you remember your affinities?¡± Her dad checked as he placed the plant pot in the middle of the table before continuing when she nodded. ¡°Okay, well one of the easiest forms of magic to learn is raw conceptual projection. It¡¯s¡­ expensive as far as cost to effect goes, but it¡¯s also a good starting point for conceptual magic since the next step is controlling the projected affinity.¡± She knew all of this, but decided to let her dad lead the lesson (like a good little girl¡­) ¡°Now we have this pot here with a¡­ half dead plant.¡± (You mean a sin against nature.) She knew her dad had the opposite of a green thumb but seeing it in front of her really irritated her for some reason. ¡°Your job is to use your Nature affinity or your Life affinity to heal this plant with your magic. As long as you don¡¯t use your uh, Death affinity this should be easy for you.¡± She pretended not to notice how he grimaced when he said ¡®Death¡¯ knowing her affinity had always bothered him more than it had her. (Which is stupid, Death is a natural part of the world. Why fear it?) ¡°Okay.¡± She inhaled deeply, before exhaling just as deeply as she began to pull on the cool warmth coming from her necklace. ¡°I¡¯ve got my magic¡­ Now how do I use just a single affinity? The books weren¡¯t very¡­ practical on that part.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s mostly about focusing on what you want the magic to do. Given how your magic already leans towards life and nature all you need to do is focus on those ideas while willing your magic forward.¡± Her dad tried to explain. ¡°It won¡¯t be perfect but the Anima already knows what to do more or less, you¡¯ve just got to sort of nudge it to get it going.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She nodded, before closing her eyes and thinking about the plant, picturing it slowly regaining a healthy color before going on to fully bloom into itself. A process she¡¯d seen first hand over the course of several weeks the last time she¡¯d had to manually revive a plant someone had nearly killed. (Alright, this is something I can do.) With the entire process in mind she began to once more draw the cool warmth into her chest before moving up her shoulders and down her arms. Only unlike last time when the magic reached the wreath wrapped around her arm it didn¡¯t slow down and instead sped up flowing far easier than any of her previous attempts to use the magic. Still, regardless of how much easier it was to work her magic for this she didn¡¯t stop, she continued to push her magic forward. The plant in her mind bloomed even further as it took on a form far beyond what the plant would normally grow into as other flowers found themselves blending into the bouquet. ¡°Uh, Cory¡­¡± Her dad started, his voice sounding odd. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, you can uh, stop now¡­ I, I don¡¯t think it grow much more¡­¡± She slowly cut off her magic before letting her eyes blink open and finding that, (yeah, I, I don¡¯t think it can grow much more¡­) (Or¡­ we could try pushing it a little further¡­) The small half-dead plant had grown far beyond a simple return to health or even a full bloom of itself. What should have been a small plant she could hold in hands had grown into a veritable brush of foliage almost as big as her, with vines stretching out from the bottom of the bot before wrapping all around the living room table. From the other side of the plant her dad nervously leaned to the side to see her, ¡°That, uh, that went a little better than I¡¯d been expecting.¡± ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but agree, her fingers subconsciously drifting to the wreath wrapped around her arm and just how easily her magic had flowed after hitting it. (Maybe¡­ this isn¡¯t a curse mark after all?) --- Aurelio Hermenez --- Once he was a little less thirsty he turned his attention back to Geraldine, the shadow still looking like an actual person. ¡°So, uh¡­ you¡¯ve uh, you¡¯ve got a body now?¡± ¡°So it seems.¡± Jerry nodded, picking something up only for it to slip through her fingers, causing the ghost to develop a thoughtful look as she admitted, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a real body however.¡± ¡°Then uh, what is it?¡± Because it looked like a (really sexy) body to him. Jerry gave him a little smirk, as he was reminded that she could read his thoughts. ¡°I¡­ am not going to apologize.¡± Jerry¡¯s smirk grew fangs. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to, you¡¯re only thinking the truth after all.¡± He kept his mouth shut and took another sip of his water. ¡°Anyway, this seems to be a Shadow Construct of sorts rather than a true flesh and blood body. Whatsmore I can feel the power I¡¯m using to hold it all together slowly fading.¡± Jerry admitted. ¡°Much longer and I¡¯ll return to my more two dimensional self.¡± ¡°Uh, is there a way to¡­ avoid that?¡± Because he¡¯d much rather talk to a beautiful woman than the shadow of one. ¡°Well given how my current corporeality came from you pushing your built up magic into me, it¡¯s likely that¡­ give me a moment.¡± Jerry frowned, gaining a look of concentration as black gloves formed on her pale hands before the fingers seemed to extend and retract. ¡°Hmm, yes just as I thought¡­¡± ¡°Mind sharing that thought?¡± He asked. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Jerry shook her hand out, the shadow gloves fading and leaving her with her normal hands again. ¡°When I was alive I had a set of defensive spells going most of the time, it seems my current form is merely me using your magic to recreate the shell I habitually had active during the last few decades of my life. Honestly, I didn¡¯t even notice I was running the spell in the back of my head.¡± Jerry let out a sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, this does point out a flaw or two in my initial construction of my soul box. I seem to have miscalculated the amount of magic it would take to keep my soul anchored, which is why the amount of magic you have after only a fortnight as a vampire -even with my siphoning a fair percentage- is enough to build this body while my own is barely enough to create a shadow on the wall.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Actually, he was only half able to follow but he got the broad strokes that even with her handicapping him he was still growing in power faster than her. ¡°But you said you could use my magic if I give it to you?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Hmm¡­ yes. I seem to have retained most of my skill for the time being.¡± Jerry nodded. ¡°I just lack the magical capacity to do anything notable without your aid¡­ leaving me even more dependent on you than I¡¯d previously accepted.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve got no idea what to do with all this magic so you¡¯re free to take as much as you want.¡± He assured her, (especially if it means you get to keep that body around.) Jerry let out a huff of amusement. ¡°Again, not apologizing.¡± Jerry shook her head with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, I suppose I should count my blessings that your growing faster than expected and that [Night] leans itself to form construction. I doubt I¡¯d be able to do this much if your growth was normal or we were truly limited to [Shadow] like my Bloodline mistakenly believes.¡± He tucked away that ¡®faster growth than normal¡¯ thing, curious about it but not overly so since he was apparently a second gen vampire which in most stories automatically put him above later generations in power. Instead he chose to focus on how, ¡°You mentioned something about that earlier, how our affinity is [Night] not [Shadow], uh, what¡¯s the difference between the two?¡± Jerry seemed to consider that for a moment. ¡°The two concepts do possess a fair bit of overlap being physical manifestations of darkness, but the difference would be in scale and conceptualization.¡± ¡°Uh, conceptualization?¡± He repeated, pretty sure he knew what that meant but not enough to bet on it. ¡°Hmm, Shadows have more to do with the self while the Night has more to do with the world itself. This partially ties into the concepts of ¡®the shadow self¡¯ and ¡®creatures of the night¡¯ or ¡®the all consuming night¡¯. Between these factors [Shadow] is better at personal enhancement. finer details, and solid constructs, whereas Night is better at larger scale feats and more lively constructs.¡± Jerry explained, looking a little miffed as her body began to darken and thin against the wall. ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that such as reactions to light but-¡± Jerry¡¯s shadow continued to talk for a moment without letting out any sound as she grew a frustrated look before just stopping altogether. (Apologies, I was just getting used to vocal chords again over a more telepathic connection.) His personal poltergeist pouted within his mind. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Honestly, he wasn¡¯t going to remember half of her lectures tonight so having one cut in half wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. ¡°Is there any way we can make this physical form thing more stable?¡± (Beyond increasing your skill with converting and manipulating the magic in your blood, not really.) Jerry¡¯s shadow tapped her chin as she continued to think about it. (There are some things we can do based on the blood you consume but given the circumstances I¡¯d rather you not pick a fight with a dark magic user.) ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯d rather not do that either.¡± He admitted. (Then our best solution is to practice and keep practicing for now.) Jerry told him with a firm nod. --- Miles Kennedy --- From within one of the crypts a figure lurched out of the shadows and into the light cast by the moon and golden cracks in the sky, revealing a thin half rotted corpse, its flesh and clothes just barely clinging to its frame. He clung to the angel statue as he forced himself to his feet, trying to get enough feeling back into them that he could run before the undead thing in front of him could reach him. Only to have his heart stall on him again. (¡°Ah, ah, boyo ya got to put these things down.¡±) Kriminel told him as even more undead began to crawl out of the crypts. (¡°Otherwise they¡¯ll get out and start causin¡¯ all sorts of problems.¡±) He inhaled deep when his heart began to beat once more. ¡°How¡­ How the fuck¡­ am I supposed to¡­ do that?¡± (¡°I already told ya, self-possession.¡±) The Baron reminded him. He glared at the spirit as he backed away from the slowly forming horde. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you possess me!¡± (¡°Well I don¡¯t have to be the one to possess ya. I just figured ya¡¯d prefer me to some random spirit sticking their hands inside ya.¡±) Kriminel smiled with a hint of sadism. ¡°Yeah, and how do I know you¡¯ll give my body back?¡± He scoffed before stumbling backwards as he tripped over a raised plaque in the ground. (¡°Shouldn¡¯t walk backwards dumbass.¡±) The Baron told him with a shake of his head. (¡°And I can¡¯t keep in yer body for long. Since yer body is not my body, once ya run out of power I¡¯d be kicked to the curb.¡±) Not trusting that for a minute he instead looked around the graveyard in search of anything that could help him dispatch the undead, be it a rock, a stick, or anything. (¡°Yer goin¡¯ to be stubborn about this ain¡¯t ya?¡±) Kriminel sighed, his mental image shaking its head. (¡°Alright, I told ya when ya signed on I don¡¯t micromanage. If ya can kill ¡®em without any help, well consider me impressed, and we can do the next lesson. Now don¡¯t die, I got money ridin¡¯ on yer survival.¡±) With his piece said Kriminel¡¯s image disappeared, though even if he couldn¡¯t see him, Miles could still feel The Baron¡¯s eyes on him. ¡°Fucking asshole.¡± He cursed, stumbling back onto his feet as he counted almost half a dozen of the undead slowly making their way towards him. (What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?) He began to panic, knowing that running was even more of a death sentence than trying to fight these things. His eyes eventually locked onto the angel statue. ¡°Oh, this is going to make the J-man cry¡­¡± With a half formed plan he began circling around the (thankfully slow) undead, trying to get them to bundle up while also staying out of range in case one of them decided to suddenly lunge at him. After a lot more time and effort than he was comfortable with, he eventually managed to get the undead to sort of bunch up between the two crypts they¡¯d crawled out from. And while it wasn¡¯t enough to really stop them it was enough to buy him time to sprint around and back to the statue. ¡°Okay¡­ just, just got to figure this out¡­¡± He swallowed, before trying to push the statue and finding it wouldn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡°Oh, come on!¡± (¡°Boy, how slow are ya?¡±) Kriminel commented from the back with no small amount of frustration. (¡°Ya runnin¡¯ around like a chicken with its head cut off -which is usually pretty funny- but now ya tryin¡¯ to topple a statue. A statue anchored to the ground with what, triple ya weight?¡±) ¡°Fuck off.¡± He told the Baron who dragged him into this mess. (¡°Ya really are as stubborn as ya are stupid ain¡¯t ya, ya little bastard?¡±) Kriminel groaned. (¡°Just let me possess ya and ya won¡¯t have to desecrate this grave. Which by the way is probably goin¡¯ to piss Brav off. Which I¡¯m okay with but he¡¯ll be an even bigger bitch than Nibo.¡±) ¡°I said, fuck off!¡± He growled once more. (¡°Fuck it.¡±) The Baron told him before going silent once more. He gave the statue one more shove before looking at the horde once more creeping near him, and forcing himself to admit that (Kriminel was right, this shit isn¡¯t going to work how I want it to¡­) Just as he was about to seriously consider giving up and letting Kriminel possess him a chill tore through the air as an annoyed growl seemed to come from behind him. ¡°Kid, the fuck are you doing?¡± He glanced over his shoulder and found a set of golden eyes glaring at him from a large man with slicked back gray hair and a set of scars raking across the left side of his face. ¡°Um¡­ trying to kill the zombies¡­¡± He answered, instinctively knowing the guy in front of him was dangerous. The man glanced at the undead before pinching the bridge of his nose, as if this was more an extreme annoyance than an actual threat. ¡°Pinche pendejo ni?o practicando la necromancia¡­¡± Running a hand down his face the man reached out and picked him up with one hand before setting him on the ground. ¡°You stay here, or I¡¯ll kick your ass twice as hard as I¡¯m planning.¡± He didn¡¯t have the nerve to argue with the guy who could pick him up and throw him. ¡°S¨®lo quer¨ªa pasar una noche tranquila. ?Era mucho pedir?¡± The man mumbled, walking up to the first undead before backhanding it hard enough to snap the thing¡¯s neck and send it toppling to the ground. ¡°?Pero no, ning¨²n adolescente idiota tiene que arruinar toda mi noche!¡± The man sighed, before raising his fists and looking at the remaining undead as they turned their attention onto him. ¡°Let¡¯s get this shit over with.¡± Faster than Miles could process, the man blew through the small horde, avoiding each of their blows before countering with his own, a single punch to the head all it took to take each zombie out. Once all of the dead were once more dead the man brushed his hands off before turning around to face Miles, those golden eyes locking him in place. ¡°Now, ni?o, mind telling me why you felt the need to raise the dead?¡± Chapter 35: A Number Of Grimm Details Chapter 35: A Number Of Grimm Details --- Nicholas Grimm --- Stepping into one of the company¡¯s many testing rooms he found both Doctor Holiday and the head of security standing beside Cyn while staring at someone inside of a sideways glass tube of sorts. Cyn was the only one to notice him, and she gave him a small wave in spite of the many little wires sticking to her, while murmuring a quiet, ¡°Secretive greetings.¡± He waved back before noticing a small tray of coffee cups sitting on the edge of a counter. (Naughtiness quota¡­) When the cups crashed to the ground both the Doc and the security head jumped as they turned towards him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡± The Doc sighed in relief. ¡°Yeah, you, uh, you called for me?¡± He figured it was for him to pick up Cynthia since for some reason the higher ups didn¡¯t like anyone other than him escorting her be it in a wheelchair or carrying her around. (Something about compromising assets and mental contamination,) which were both things that the company was super worried about in regards to Cyn for some silly reason. The fact that Cyn was still hooked up to testing equipment though left him doubting that. Doctor Holiday stared at him for a minute before adjusting her glasses. ¡°Right, subject¡­ N, would you mind being a test variable?¡± ¡°Uh, sure?¡± That was the most common experiment the doc had him help her with, and it wasn¡¯t like he was doing anything else. (Wonder if this¡¯ll be one of the ones I go sleepy bye after?) ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°Just step inside of the test chamber with the current subject, he¡¯s been sedated so we¡¯re just testing how resistant he is via external stimuli. If he starts to move, even sluggishly, you''re to leave the chamber immediately before he can regain motor function.¡± The Doctor explained. ¡°Uh, sure thing?¡± He shrugged before walking over to the science cell that was really similar to the one he¡¯d spent a lot of time in after first joining the company. (I wonder if this guy is going to join the team? I could use more guy friends.) He loved the girls but when the only other guy he regularly interacted with was Mathias well¡­ (I could really use more guy friends¡­) The large metal door on one side of the cell opened with a depressurized hiss before swinging to the side and leaving him free to enter. The man currently on what he was pretty sure Vanessa would call ¡®the good stuff¡¯ was sat in a chair with several restraints to keep him from hurting himself. Upon giving the man a once over Nicholas realized that he was a fair bit older than the rest of the team, the man¡¯s hair already starting to gray some, and not in the blonde so pale it looks gray that he was more used to. (He¡¯s also not wearing our pajamas or our uniform.) ¡°Um, he doesn¡¯t seem to be moving.¡± He called back to the doc, having made all the observations he could. Already knowing that the doc would figure out ten times as much as him just from watching than he could by actually doing. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Try poking him!¡± The doc called back. When he¡¯d first been given the order of poking something, he hadn¡¯t thought it very scientific sounding, but the Doc had assured him that it was one of the most basic principals of science. The fact that it was also the second most common thing for him to do when helping with a test told him that she was probably right. And so he poked the drugged man and waited for a response, and waited before turning around to the head of security with a gun pointed at the back of Nicholas¡¯s head and several shadows reaching for the back of his. ¡°He¡¯s still not moving.¡± The head of security watched him for another moment before returning his gun to his holster, just as the shadows retracted, before turning and exiting the cell. ¡°So, um, what was this experiment about?¡± He frowned, not really getting why he¡¯d gone in the cell if the security guy was planning on doing the same. ¡°Hmm, oh, nothing too important.¡± The doc assured him as the science cell sealed itself shut once more. ¡°Then why did you need him in there with me?¡± He asked, pointing at the security guard as Cyn started tugging on her wires.. ¡°He was there to give you a hard reset in case of cognitive contamination beyond your usual parameters.¡± The Doc explained as happy to answer his question as she ever was. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He nodded slowly before glancing at the guy still in the cell. ¡°Was he going to join the team?¡± ¡°What?¡± The doc blinked before shaking her head. ¡°No, no. Nothing like that. He¡¯s nowhere near as interesting or useful as the actual members of our program. With this we¡¯ve already learned all that matters from him.¡± He just continued to nod before glancing down at Cyn as the little girl tugged on his shirt. ¡°Adorably requesting uppsies.¡± She told him, raising her arms as high as she could. ¡°Sure.¡± He smiled before picking her up, her too light weight making it far easier than it should¡¯ve been to pick up someone of her age. He turned back to Doctor Holiday, leaving the head of security behind him as Cyn quietly mumbled, ¡°Menacing glare.¡± ¡°You need anything else?¡± He asked the doc, instead of focusing on how thin Cynthia was. ¡°Menacing glare.¡± ¡°Uh, no, no. We just need to clean up here and we can handle that on our own.¡± The doc assured him with wide eyes and a shaky grin that reminded him how awkward she was with people. ¡°You can take subject C back to her room now.¡± ¡°Menacing glare.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that, but I should probably get her something to eat.¡± He frowned, unable to completely ignore Cyn¡¯s weight as he shifted her to his hip. ¡°Actually, have you eaten anything today?¡± ¡°Faux innocent eyes. I have not.¡± The girl admitted. ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t.¡± He sighed, knowing that she was too shy to ask the guards to bring her something. (Actually that reminds me.) ¡°Have you eaten yet doc?¡± ¡°Menacing glare.¡± ¡°No, b-but I can eat when I¡¯m, uh, done here.¡± The doc assured him as she hid behind her clipboard to keep him from realizing she was lying about eating later. ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t happy that she was skipping meals but she was an adult and they weren¡¯t actually on a team together so he couldn¡¯t really guilt trip her into eating like he did the girls when they got sidetracked with something. ¡°Menacing glare.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± Knowing to pick his battles he shook his head and shifted Cyn around so that it¡¯d be easier to walk while carrying her. ¡°Come on, I think today was pudding day.¡± It was one of the few foods he didn¡¯t have to fight her to get her to eat, her loving it almost as much as she did her extra rare steaks. ¡°Excited wriggling.¡± Cyn told him as she moved around, before once more whispering, ¡°Menacing glare.¡± as the shadows around them began to shift and twist, (though it¡¯s no more than they usually do.) Still, he gave her a comforting head pat, knowing that she was still irritated by what had happened a moment ago. And while he appreciated her concern (it¡¯s not like getting shot in the back of the head would even make my top hundred worst deaths.) Chapter 36: Cleaning Up Messes Chapter 36: Cleaning Up Messes --- Miles Kennedy --- ¡°Well, kid?¡± The golden eyed man pressed. He grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s, um¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to?¡± The man gave him an unimpressed look. ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to gather all of the death magic -which is very different from normal magic- in the graveyard into this little corner where the only bodies not buried are?¡± ¡°I- I was set up!¡± He defended, deciding to throw Kriminel under the bus since it was technically the Baron¡¯s fault he was in this mess. ¡°Oh, really? By who?¡± The man asked, clearly not believing him. A faint growl drew his attention back to Kriminel inside his head. (¡°Oi, don¡¯t forget snitches get stitches before winding up in ditches.¡±) Feeling that if he gave an answer either of his observers didn¡¯t like it was going to end very badly for him, he scrambled for an explanation on why he was here before his mind latched onto the only other magical event he could remember. ¡°I, um, I¡¯ve got a, a Death affinity!¡± He blurted out. ¡°This¡­ this guy with glasses told me and, and this girl-¡± He sure as fuck wasn¡¯t going to drag Cory into this. ¡°-that we had death affinities at that magic convention last week. And this punk goth lady told us about this magic thing and I, I wasn¡¯t feeling it because who wants to have a Death affinity but at the same time the cute girl was so excited and I couldn¡¯t say no and, and¡­¡± ¡°So let me get this straight.¡± The man pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You broke into a sealed graveyard to raise the dead, nearly getting yourself killed, so that you could impress the chicas?¡± It sounded significantly worse when worded like that. A fact underlined by Kriminel¡¯s laughter in the back of his head. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from wincing at the embarrassing excuse, even as he said, ¡°Yes?¡± The man inhaled deeply before exhaling and giving him a glare. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯ve done stupider at your age to impress a girl.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± He blinked, not quite believing that the man was accepting this excuse. ¡°S¨ª.¡± The man sighed, looking embarrassed at whatever he was remembering. ¡°Also, don¡¯t try reading any books with faces on them, especially if the face is ugly. The worse it is to look at, the worse you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°O¡­kay?¡± He had no intention of doing that in the first place, but felt that voicing that would hurt his case. The man gave him another once over, this one with notably less irritation than before as he ran a hand over the back of his neck before looking towards the bodies on the ground. ¡°Come on.¡± The man told him, moving towards the bodies. ¡°You want to play with cosas muertas, then you can help clean them up.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You took these people out of their grave, you can help put them back in.¡± The man explained, picking up one of the corpses with surprising gentleness in spite of the grimace on his face. He looked at one of the bodies and grimaced himself. ¡°Hey, none of that!¡± The man frowned, his eyes growing harsh once more and making him feel like he was being looked at by something much higher up on the food chain. ¡°Be glad I¡¯m not making you put them all back yourself, ni?o.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± He swallowed before getting close to one of the bodies and almost gagging as he actually noticed the smell of the corpse without a healthy distance between them. (¡°Better get used to it if you want to stay in this line of work.¡±) Kriminel chuckled. (Does it matter whether or not I want to?) He wondered dryly. (¡°Not really no.¡±) Kriminel admitted, a cruel smile to his voice. Pushing past his reluctance he reached down and tried to pick up the body of the thing that had been trying to kill him just a few moments prior, only to find that it was significantly heavier than he was expecting. ¡°S¨ª, deadweight is a puta.¡± The man commented, stepping out of one of the crypts as he started on his second body. ¡°If you¡¯re going to stick to magic, there¡¯s this strengthening spell you can pick up pretty easily by pushing magic through your muscles and bones. Just be sure to keep the flow low, if you go too fast you¡¯ll tear something.¡± ¡°Um¡­ how¡­ how do I do that?¡± He found himself asking. ¡°I uh, I just figured out how to¡­ feel magic today.¡± ¡°And the first thing you did was raise the dead?¡± The man asked, looking like he wasn¡¯t sure whether he should be impressed or disappointed. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± He told the man once more. ¡°Affinity that strong, if I didn¡¯t know it would kill you, I¡¯d think you were a Death Incarnate.¡± The man told him with a shake of his head, as if Miles was supposed to know what that meant. (¡°Think mortal death god, slowly killin¡¯ himself because he was never meant to be alive.¡±) Kriminel explained for him. ¡°Still¡­¡± The man scratched at his neck as he thought about it for a moment. ¡°The best way to think of it, is to picture your blood pumping through your veins. Then take your magic and put a little bit into the blood, picturing it spreading. Cut the magic off once it spreads everywhere and then just sort of hold the image while doing what you¡¯ve got to.¡± (¡°That won¡¯t work for you.¡±) Kriminel told him before he could even try it. (¡°Your magic is coming from me not you. Doing what he¡¯s suggestin¡¯ will just give ya a more advanced state of possession.¡±) Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. He considered that for a moment, a faint amount of suspicion growing given the Baron¡¯s actions so far. (Then why are you stopping me? I thought you wanted to possess me?) (¡°Boy, trust me when I say now is not the time or place for that.¡±) Kriminel practically hissed. In spite of -or rather because of- the Baron¡¯s words he began reaching for the magic within him, only to feel a chill down his spine and his heart stopping once more. (¡°Don¡¯t.¡±) Kriminel growled. The man gave him a curious look, when he started breathing heavier. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± He swallowed, half ashamed he was giving into the Baron¡¯s demands and half terrified about the fact that this was the third time that Kriminel had nearly killed him today. ¡°Eh, raising the dead takes a lot of power. You probably drained yourself doing that, give it a try after you get a chance to rest.¡± The man shrugged, misunderstanding why he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll grab the head, you grab the legs.¡± He looked from the golden eyed man to the corpse. ¡°Um, can¡¯t you pick it up by yourself.¡± ¡°S¨ª, I could pick them up by myself, but you are helping me clean up your mess.¡± The man told him. ¡°Now get over there and lift.¡± --- Morris Brown --- ¡°Please tell me these reports aren¡¯t true¡­¡± He groaned, looking over the documents in front of him. ¡°They are sir.¡± His intelligence officer Meyers confirmed, looking like it was the last thing he wanted to do. ¡°How is recovery looking for the infected?¡± He asked the head of medical. ¡°Possible, though it requires prolonged isolation and a full scrubbing to do so.¡± Robinson told him. ¡°At first we thought it wasn¡¯t curable with most subjects seemingly prone to reinfection, but Diaz¡¯s scans have confirmed multiple times that they are cured.¡± ¡°Fantastic¡­¡± (Because of course when it rains it pours¡­) He turned his attention to the head of research. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t ask, but how accurate are the scans?¡± ¡°They take longer than I¡¯d like, but they are functional, sir.¡± Diaz assured him, looking an odd mix of determined and nervous. ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ quite as powerful as what we had before the Event, true, but at the very least we can perform short distance scans indoors and away from the energy storm the Cracks are causing across the city. I¡¯ve, um, I¡¯ve started production of additional scanners¡­ to be set at every entrance and exit to the building. It won¡¯t give us an early warning for what¡¯s going on in the city but I figure it¡¯s better to know if something is walking in through the front doors than not know at all.¡± ¡°A fair assessment.¡± He nodded, knowing that Diaz was unsure of himself as the youngest at the table. ¡°Unfortunately, if this continues we may need to quarantine our staff to the building. At least until we develop a method of resistance to the infection given how little aid our current equipment is providing.¡± ¡°I, I can try to get something working with our equipment, but¡­ the infection itself is outside of my specialty, I¡¯d recommend requesting outside aid.¡± Diaz confessed, looking ashamed of himself for it. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that. ¡°I¡¯ve already used the landlines to request aid, given the sheer scale of our current circumstances. In response, nearby cities have begun shoring up their own defenses in case this event spreads like the original riots. This unfortunately leaves us high and dry for the time being, though if they deem their own cities safe the excess force will be sent our way to help stabilize our own. We just have to last until that help gets here.¡± (And hope things don¡¯t get even worse before then.) He left unspoken. --- Eric Campbell --- He watched Alex continue to go over a stack of paperwork, part of him wishing that Catherine hadn¡¯t left this to him, but also sort of getting where she was coming from. ¡°You''re still caught up on that mess with the kid aren¡¯t you?¡± He eventually told the other man. Alex grimaced before running a hand down his face. ¡°Yes, I suppose there¡¯s no point in hiding it. I¡¯ve never had one of my kin¡­ reject me in such a way.¡± (Part of that¡¯s because of how strong you came on.) He wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that they had come on kind of strong with Aurelio, but he¡¯d kind of been hoping the magic of learning magic would¡¯ve eased things up a bit. (Of course that doesn¡¯t really do anything considering Alex¡¯s whole ¡®family¡¯ deal.) ¡°Given how he was talking, the kid probably has a story with his father. Your habit of ¡®adopting¡¯ our kin was probably too much for him.¡± He pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s good with the people who don¡¯t have families, but the ones that do¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware¡­¡± Alex sighed, looking pained to do so. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you know I was an orphan before Grayson took in William and I. To me we -no, all of the Bloodline- are a family.¡± ¡°Eh, we are.¡± He tried to console Alex, knowing the man meant well, even if the whole ¡®nephew¡¯ thing would¡¯ve grated on him a lot more if not for being young enough when Pierce took him underwing to not be entirely creepy. ¡°It¡¯s just more like¡­ cousins than parents and their kids.¡± Lord knows if William ever called him his son, he¡¯d break the man¡¯s nose. Alex nodded, looking conflicted. ¡°I know¡­ I was just hoping we¡¯d be something similar. Especially since when he was awakening he asked me to be his father. I understand he was likely out of it but¡­¡± (Father?) He frowned, because while people did tend to be a bit out of it once they first turned he doubted the kid would want to call Alex dad, even if he was drunk. (Wait¡­) ¡°Uh, what exactly did he want to call you?¡± He really hoped he was wrong. Alex gave him a curious look. ¡°When he was waking, he asked if he could call me daddy. I understand that that was likely a childish regression due to his mental state, but I was hoping the desire for a paternal figure would hold.¡± He inhaled and exhaled, because he wasn¡¯t wrong, before deciding, (I am not paid anywhere near enough to explain this to a sixty year old man.) And so looking for a distraction he glanced down at the papers Alex had strewn about the table with a giant map of the city stapled to it. More specifically the one with red tacks, marking it as a priority in Pierce¡¯s mind. ¡°What¡¯s uh, what¡¯s this about here?¡± ¡°Hmm, oh, um, one moment.¡± Alex told him, apparently thrown off by his change of topic before remembering what that batch of tacks was about, though he didn¡¯t seem happy about whatever he recalled. ¡°Ah, yes, if you remember we have a base in this area. With the incident they¡¯ve gone dark, with none of their regulars answering our calls. I sent someone to investigate just a quick trip there and back to see if anything looks off, but they never came back, quickly making it a higher priority.¡± ¡°You want me to take a look at?¡± He offered, happy to go out and do something now that his schedule was looking more free thanks to the kid¡¯s independent streak. ¡°Can¡¯t be anything bigger than I can handle.¡± ¡°If you could, I''d appreciate it.¡± Alex smiled before taking on a concerned look. ¡°Though do be careful, with me having to recall all of our kin we don¡¯t have anywhere near as much information as I would hope. If this happens to be the wolves making their move¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t see them making this big of a play with everything going on, but I¡¯ll keep my eyes open and run if things look sketchy.¡± Chapter 37: Worries Necessary And Not Chapter 37: Worries Necessary And Not --- Jeremy Graham --- His skin itched as he walked through the halls of his school. At first he thought it was just the nerves from all the work he¡¯d have to catch up on from his week out of school He¡¯d gone and asked the teachers about it, and they¡¯d all been quick to assure him that there was nothing for him to make up and that the lost days would be made up by clipping a couple of three day weekends later on. Unfortunately, that had done nothing to stop the itching, or the way he found the humming from the lights overhead so irritating. Something he didn¡¯t quite understand given how comforting the sounds had been once upon a time, (a constant reminder of where I am¡­) that made every day in school harder than the last. He forced himself to take a calming breath, trying to ignore how small and colorless the hall seemed to be as he flexed his hands, his skin feeling too tight for his bones. (Need more space¡­ Need to go outside¡­ Need to see the sky¡­) (No¡­) He told himself with a shake of his head. (I can¡¯t leave¡­ it¡¯s against the rules¡­ I have to stay in school¡­) The itching grew worse as he worked his jaw, the joints of it feeling so tight it was painful. (Might be more comfortable if I just ripped it off¡­) He leaned against one of the nearby lockers as he felt himself breaking out in a cold sweat. (Just a few more hours and I¡¯ll be out for the weekend¡­ Can sleep off whatever bug I¡¯ve caught¡­) With that thought in mind he steeled himself and continued towards his next class. After all¡­ His parents wouldn¡¯t like it if he broke down in public. --- Max Miller --- She gave the small weapon on her desk a once over as she clipped the last couple of wires in place, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be before she started assembling the casing. ¡°You ready Maxy?¡± A voice yelled over her music. She jumped causing a few of her smaller parts to scatter before turning around with a glare. ¡°Dad! Knock before you enter my room!¡± ¡°I did, you didn¡¯t hear me!¡± Her dad explained pointing at his ears. ¡°You really should listen to this stuff lower or you¡¯ll make yourself go deaf!¡± She rolled her eyes as she lowered the volume, having rebuilt the speakers so that they couldn¡¯t go over a volume that would actually hurt her hearing back when she was fourteen. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°How could you forget?¡± Her dad asked with an amused grin. ¡°Todays the big day, Maxy!¡± ¡°Uh, what big day?¡± She frowned while making sure she was positioned between her dad and the project she¡¯d been working on. ¡°The first day of the HFPD, Heywood¡¯s Future Police Department!¡± Her dad told her as if that was supposed to mean something. ¡°And that is¡­¡± She prodded after an awkward moment. ¡°Your youth program.¡± Her dad frowned like a kicked puppy. ¡°Remember, we talked about it and you were going to start coming to work with me? It, uh, it took a while to get it going but we¡¯ve got everything set up so that you and a couple of the other officer¡¯s kids can go with us.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ that¡­¡± She¡¯d sort of forgotten about it between figuring out how her powers worked and trying to build something kickass with them. ¡°I, uh, I thought that was a school day thing?¡± ¡°Technically it is, but we felt we could do orientation during the weekend.¡± Her dad explained looking much happier now that he believed she hadn¡¯t forgotten about what was essentially a ¡®take your kid to work day¡¯. ¡°Hawkins even volunteered to help with it since his daughter is signing up for it too. She was one of the girls you shared a room with at the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ them.¡± She nodded, trying and failing to remember anything about the couple other than her mild jealousy at watching them cuddle together in their sleep. (Which is fine. So what if I¡¯m single. I¡¯ve got Bearbert if I need cuddles.) ¡°Is she bringing her girlfriend too?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Her dad repeated, before murmuring, ¡°Huh¡­ knew Hawkins was the free thinking sort, didn¡¯t think he was that free thinking though.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned. ¡°Oh, nothing. We just need to get moving if we don¡¯t want to be late.¡± Her dad told her before looking at his watch. ¡°Also even if you get married, anyone you bring over is sleeping on the couch. Love you princess!¡± ¡°What?¡± She blinked as her dad rushed out of her room. --- Harper Everette --- ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve got that date with that Leo guy tomorrow don¡¯t you?¡± Frankie asked as they sat around during yet another dead shift after the breakfast rush -(if you can call it that)- cleared out. ¡°Y-yeah.¡± She nodded, always feeling a bit awkward whenever the other woman asked her about her love life, due to¡­ multiple reasons. (She¡¯s your best friend, don''t make things weird.) ¡°The one at his apartment?¡± Frankie pressed in a suggestive tone. ¡°We, uh, we¡¯d be going out if it weren¡¯t for¡­¡± She gestured to their still broken window with a cookie she swiped. ¡°But nowhere wants to stay open after dark.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, if you guys are going out during the weekend can¡¯t you just go out during the day?¡± Frankie pointed out. ¡°I know a couple of places are still open.¡± ¡°Well, we could but uh¡­¡± She felt her face heating up a bit. ¡°I sort of caught him¡­ bringing groceries in after my morning run with Berry and, uh, he got all excited about cooking dinner for me.¡± The way he¡¯d stuttered and stumbled through it all while trying to play it cool had been really endearing. ¡°He¡¯s cooking dinner for you?¡± Frankie repeated with surprise. ¡°Damn, wish any of the guys I dated offered that. Dumbasses expect me to be the one to cook just because I¡¯m a woman.¡± ¡°Well, if you want them to stop you could actually cook for them.¡± She offered, knowing that neither of the two of them she was the only one who could semi-cook and even then she tended to get distracted and burn what she was cooking half of the time. (But that just means Berry gets more to eat and he¡¯s a growing good boi!) ¡°Yeah¡­ no. That¡¯s like a death knell for dating.¡± Frankie grimaced. She rolled her eyes as she took a bite out of her cookie. ¡°You¡¯re being dramatic.¡± ¡°Get a boyfriend and I¡¯ll consider your argument.¡± Frankie told her, before bluntly asking. ¡°So you going to put out?¡± ¡°What, I- What?!¡± She jolted. Frankie shrugged. ¡°I mean if you¡¯re going to his house and everything¡­¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s our first date!¡± She reminded the other woman. ¡°Yeah, but you guys have been talking for a couple of months, right?¡± Frankie nodded, before letting out a sigh as she shook her head. ¡°Look I know you want your first time to be romantic and all, but at the same time the longer you put it off the worse you¡¯re going to build-¡± ¡°I am not comfortable walking in on this conversation!¡± A voice loudly interrupted from the cafe entrance. They both turned to the voice and found themselves smiling as they caught sight of a large older latino. ¡°Rey!¡± She rushed forward and practically tackled the man, forcing him to stumble a step back. ¡°Oof! It¡¯s good to see you too, chica.¡± Rey admitted, hugging her back. ¡°You don¡¯t visit nearly as much as you should.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± She grimaced. ¡°Life¡¯s just been¡­ life.¡± ¡°Ah, I get that.¡± Rey nodded in understanding, having lived a life rougher than most. ¡°Still, with everything going on, the sky cracking open and so on, I figured I¡¯d come and check on you girls. And when I didn¡¯t find Frankie at her home playing it safe after a Creep invasion¡­¡± ¡°What can I say? You raised me to be a hard worker.¡± Frankie told her foster father. ¡°Ey, don¡¯t blame that shit on me.¡± Rey glared half heartedly. ¡°I spoiled your ass and you know it.¡± ¡°You did.¡± She agreed with a nod. ¡°Hey, you spoiled Harper more than you did me!¡± Frankie tried to argue. ¡°Nah, I just treated her like anyone should treat their kid.¡± Rey frowned, his voice taking on a slight growl as he remembered her actual father. Catching himself, their foster parent shook his head. ¡°Still, it¡¯s good to see you both made it through all of that mess in one piece. I would¡¯ve tracked you both down sooner, but I was expecting certain someones to come check on their dear elderly padre.¡± ¡°You¡¯re what forty? That¡¯s middle aged, not elderly.¡± She told him, with a light punch to his shoulder. ¡°And even then you''re in better shape than most people your age.¡± ¡°True.¡± Rey nodded. ¡°Have to keep in shape for the chicas.¡± Frankie let out a snort, knowing as well as her that Rey hadn¡¯t been on a date in at least a decade. ¡°But speaking of love lives.¡± Rey continued loudly as he looked at Harper. ¡°What¡¯s this I hear about you dating?¡± ¡°Just, my neighbor asked me out.¡± She shrugged, embarrassed. ¡°He¡¯s a nice enough guy so I said yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Rey nodded with narrowed eyes. ¡°And you know that if this boy tries anything you don¡¯t like, I can have a beating with him.¡± ¡°You mean talk?¡± Frankie smirked. ¡°I know what I said.¡± Rey admitted without any shame. She rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s harmless, and even if he wasn¡¯t I can handle him myself.¡± Rey really should know that. (After all, he¡¯s the one who taught me and Frankie how to box.) Chapter 38: White Wolf, Black Wolf, Red Wolf Chapter 38: White Wolf, Black Wolf, Red Wolf --- Lobo Blanca --- Stalking through the nightclub he couldn¡¯t help but cringe away from the various pups partying their days away. Not that he had any problem with the youth enjoying said youth, just in the way that they did it. Perhaps he was being a bit romantic, but he¡¯d much rather spend an evening with a few close friends than gyrating among the faceless masses half drunk out of his mind. Then again, he was also both lucky and unlucky enough to meet the love of his life when he was still in high school and lose her before he turned thirty. (So maybe I just don¡¯t know any better.) Back near the VIP area he watched a couple of female youngsters try to convince the guards to let them in, not realizing that the VIP area wasn¡¯t a party lounge. It was sadly part of the cost of doing business, or rather using the nightclub agonizingly dubbed ¡®The Wolf¡¯s Den¡¯ as a front for their business. (Personally, I preferred when we were just a rundown old bar.) Sure, he never actually drank there and people gave him no small amount of shit for it, but at least he didn¡¯t have to listen to this bass heavy party music the kids were into these days. (Don¡¯t even get how they can dance to this shit, where¡¯s the rhythm?) Unfortunately, as they expanded they¡¯d needed a heavier source of income to launder their other sources of income. Whatsmore they needed a front that the vamps wouldn¡¯t think of going after, similar to how the higher ups knew to never go after their base because half of that old hotel was filled with regular folk just staying the night. From there one of the pups somehow convinced old man Fredrick -who in his sixties wasn¡¯t working the place himself- to switch to a ¡®younger demographic¡¯. (Which is why I regret not stomping that kid''s ass harder when I was in charge of training.) That mentality was probably why he wasn¡¯t allowed to be in charge of training anymore. (But some pups just need the pendejo beaten out of them, before they get someone killed.) He walked past the bouncer wolf recognizing wolf, even if the other man couldn¡¯t tell which wolf he was. Once in the VIP area, he moved past the various curtains where the pups showed off in the hopes of impressing someone enough to get some tail. Something he¡¯d find less irritating if it weren¡¯t all one night stands. (Ugh, this generation has no appreciation for romance. Just be flashy and half drunk. Where¡¯s the art, the seduction?) Even as a horny teenager trying to get in his amor¡¯s pants, he¡¯d be repulsed by this. The fact that the place reeked of past deeds even with no one present, did little to change that opinion. (Starting to see why the old chain smoked so much. Even if it gave him cancer at least he doesn¡¯t have to smell all of¡­ this.) He really wished he could just deaden his senses like he did around the house, but in the circumstances that was a terrible idea given how half the pack saw him. The elevator at the back of the vip was a mercy he¡¯d praise the lady for if he didn¡¯t know it¡¯d just annoy her. Still he couldn¡¯t help but take a breath of relief as he was taken to one of the club''s multiple sub-basements. Something only possible because the building had been in this spot longer than the city had. The doors opened to a second set of doors with an electronic lock. Ones that opened to what could be considered the real VIP area of the building, a place where maybe a dozen people in the entire pack had access to. Entering the passcode, the full birthday of Fredrick¡¯s deceased wife, he stepped inside a dark room save for the lights shining down on the plants -a mix of purple aconitums and air purifying plants- all housed in terrariums along the walls and the faint glow from the fridge full of bottles he had no intention of touching. Idly, his tongue licked the inside of his cheek as he looked around the room. The scarred tissue feeling just a touch different in a way, almost ticklish, as he cycled between living and dead nerves. The only other person present was a dark haired man wearing a suit and glasses as he read a book with one hand and flipped a silver coin along the knuckles of the other. ¡°White.¡± The man greeted. ¡°Black.¡± He nodded back, before leaning against the wall opposite the elevator and in front of the other man. ¡°So what are your thoughts on tonight, amigo?¡± ¡°The old man couldn¡¯t have picked a worse time for this.¡± Black told him dryly. ¡°Maybe, but with everything going on topside can you blame him?¡± He wondered. ¡°Things aren¡¯t slowing down, and the old man is in his seventies.¡± Black¡¯s eyes flashed gold as his fingers snapped around the coin and he finally deigned to look away from his book. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean as much to us as it does to others. As long as he stays out of the field he has another decade at least.¡± He didn¡¯t argue the point, after all (we both know he¡¯s in denial.) Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The old man had had cancer for a fair while, and even with the wolf extending their prime, well (death comes for all eventually.) ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°But he should enjoy that decade instead of stressing over all of this mierda.¡± Black didn¡¯t argue that point. After all, they both knew it was true. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s better he takes himself out of the loop before one of us needs him to pull our asses out of the fire.¡± He smiled, remembering how they¡¯d first joined the pack. ¡°True¡­¡± Black gave him a wry grin before sighing himself. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you intend to-¡± ¡°Fuck no.¡± He interrupted before the other man could finish the question. ¡°We both know that given my circumstances that¡¯d be a terrible idea¡­ How about you?¡± Black considered it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°No¡­ Honestly, without Fredrick I think I might pull back like you have.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask given how the man had treated his own withdrawal. Namely the fact that they¡¯d come to blows over it. Black grimaced. ¡°I didn¡¯t mind following Fredrick, not after everything he did for¡­ everyone, but I¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to go all in for anyone other than him¡­ or you.¡± ¡°And I told you I¡¯m not doing it.¡± He had too many other responsibilities. ¡°Besides, if I took over half the pack would revolt.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Black smirked. ¡°You got them all to rally behind you when the sky first cracked. Almost reminded me of Fredrick during the riots.¡± ¡°They do what I tell them because I scare the shit out of them, and we both know that fear isn¡¯t respect.¡± He reminded his oldest friend still standing. ¡°And we both know they can¡¯t not fear me. The instinct is hardwired in, and at some point they¡¯ll resent me for it.¡± Black didn¡¯t say anything, knowing that he was one of maybe half a dozen wolves who didn¡¯t fear him on some level, and part of that was because they¡¯d practically grown up together. As for the rest, well he¡¯d always known that the wolf could sense danger, one of the first lessons any of them learned was to spot a threat and when to fight or run. He just never realized how the others¡¯ wolves would respond to something they couldn¡¯t fight. It didn¡¯t matter if he was on their side, if he spent too long around them the fear would turn to resentment, and then the pack instincts would make the whole thing spiral. (Just like the war with the Vamps. Hundreds dead on both sides because of one little accident almost forty years ago now.) The fact that he was arguably the only wolf to not resent the vamps wouldn¡¯t do him any favors either, but he knew not to bring that point up if he and Black wanted to stay friends. (And I don¡¯t have enough of those to just throw them away.) As if summoned like a devil, the doors to the room opened to reveal one of the few pups he couldn¡¯t bring himself to dislike like the rest. A red headed youngster with glowing red eyes and a smiling fang mask visible beneath a pulled up red hoodie. Something she did to keep the other pups from realizing how high up she really was. ¡°If it isn¡¯t caperucita roja!¡± He smiled, happy to let the more solemn conversation he and Black were having end in favor of greeting his favorite pup. ¡°It¡¯s been too long!¡± The girl rolled her eyes clearly amused as she took off her mask. ¡°White. Black. You two are early.¡± ¡°Red.¡± Black nodded, having added the girl to their little color scheme back when she¡¯d still been an angry high schooler, rather than an angry college student. ¡°And I¡¯m not early, I simply stayed after finishing work rather than leaving and coming back.¡± ¡°Ugh, right, you actually work at ¡®the club¡¯.¡± He shivered in disgust. ¡°I always repress that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working with the money down here, not up there.¡± Black glared, looking equally disgusted by the idea. ¡°I do all that I can to avoid stepping foot in there. The last thing I want is to deal with some little teeny boppers and music designed to deafen rather than entertain.¡± ¡°God, you two are old.¡± Red laughed. ¡°Music here isn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°It is.¡± He assured her. ¡°And given how I¡¯m the only one with any musical talent here, my opinion wins.¡± ¡°Whistling is not a musical talent.¡± Red scoffed. ¡°I can sing and play the guitar too.¡± He pointed out. Admittedly, he¡¯d only learned the guitar to impress his amor and he hadn¡¯t actually played one in over a decade but the point stood. Red shook her head with a grin. ¡°I¡¯d rather not risk my ears bleeding so I¡¯ll let you when that one.¡± ¡°Escuincla.¡± He flicked the air, using just a touch of power to blow Red¡¯s hood off. ¡°Crotchety old man.¡± The girl shot back as she pulled her hood back up. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk, always glad to see that the closest thing he had to a daughter still had some bite to her. After a moment, Red glanced around the room. ¡°Any idea how long everyone else is going to be?¡± ¡°No telling.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Fredrick¡¯s already here., but he¡¯s getting dragged around taking a look at everything we have going on in the Den.¡± Black informed them as he went back to flipping his coin across his fingers. ¡°As for the other three, well, the meeting is in half an hour so they shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Red sighed, rubbing her head under her hoodie. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the oldest man told you two what this is all about? I¡¯m more used to his whole one on one thing than this ¡®all hands¡¯ kind of meeting.¡± He and Black glanced at each other, because while they knew what the meeting was about, the old man hadn¡¯t explicitly told them either. (It¡¯s just pretty obvious given how he¡¯s been talking the last few months¡­) ¡°Probably a rundown on how the whole ¡®the sky is falling¡¯ thing.¡± He shrugged, not wanting to get back into the talk of succession when neither he nor Black wanted any part of it, and Red was too young to be given the position. Something he was willing to fight Fredrick over if the old man disagreed. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Red nodded, letting some of her exhaustion slip through. ¡°It¡¯s been a wild week. I¡¯ve spent just about every night hunting those Creep things, and it just seems like there¡¯s a never ending supply of them.¡± ¡°An infinite number of hells does equate to an infinite number of Demons.¡± Black pointed out, likely having dealt with his own share of monsters coming out of the woodwork. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a huff of amusement at that, knowing that for all that these two were his familia, they had no idea what a real Demon looked like, or what monsters were really worth being scared of. (Sometimes I wonder how it is that I¡¯m the only real Hunter in a pack of wolves.) Then again there was a reason he was known as Lobo De La Muerte. Chapter 39: Malicious Weapons, Sabotage, And Family Chapter 39: Malicious Weapons, Sabotage, And Family --- Vanessa --- She was a weapon. Unlike the others, she was under no delusions about that fact. That isn¡¯t to say she didn¡¯t see herself as a person, (I do have some self-respect after all.) It¡¯s just that considering how much bioengineering she¡¯d been put through all her life it would be naive to think she wasn¡¯t built to be something. The type of missions that the ¡®Company¡¯ -as the others called the assholes they worked for- sent her on told her exactly what that something was. Similar to tonight¡¯s, most of her solo missions were a mix of scouting, spy work, theft, and the other general espionage work could be expected from a morally bankrupt group of rich people looking to get richer. Those were the missions that told her they saw her as a tool. Which she was honestly a little offended by, (I mean it¡¯s an insult for a reason.) Fortunately for her, her other solo missions -and oftentimes her secondary objectives- let her use the moniker of ¡®weapon¡¯ instead. (Much more badass that way.) While her ¡®work nights¡¯ were spent helping the others with their Creep collections, her ¡®off nights¡¯ for the last two weeks had been spent sneaking off to similar bases in every other city that could provide Sanctuary backup. (And Jess wonders why I¡¯m always tired¡­) From her high point she looked around the Sanctuary base, not the base from the city she lived in, but rather a base belonging to one of their neighboring cities. While her ¡®work nights¡¯ were spent helping the others with their Creep collections, her ¡®off nights¡¯ for the last two weeks had been spent sneaking off to similar bases in every other city that could provide Sanctuary backup. (And Jess wonders why I¡¯m always tired¡­) Spotting a camera on her target building she pulled out a small remote connected to the reason they and the ¡®Company¡¯ were able to operate so subtly prior to the sky cracking open. Admittedly, she¡¯d had to splice the main device into this base¡¯s network and would have to retrieve said device on her way out, but with a few quick clicks she had the camera feed visible on her phone. Just a few more clicks and she also rigged it to loop the last minute until she deemed otherwise. (Favorite tool by far.) With her anonymity secured she kicked off the building she was on and leapt a distance far greater than what a normal human could manage before hitting the ground in a roll and flipping to her feet, her tail lashing through the air behind her. Moving over to the vents she used a small device to undo all of the screws before setting the grate down and slipping inside. A feat that she could only pull off due to a mix of her collapsible skeleton and the fact that years of practice had taught her exactly how to distribute her weight without breaking the vents that were far more fragile than most movies made them out to be. From there slipping through the vents was largely a matter of remembering the map she¡¯d been given of this place. A bit of a weak point given how she was more of a kinetic learner than a book learner like Jess but one she could overcome by supplementing what she could remember with feeling out the air currents around her. (Airs flowing to the right¡­ toxins disperse wider this way¡­) It was honestly more an instinct than an actual thought, something that became more apparent the more her blood seemed to burn in her veins. A more than literal timer to all of her missions as her body slowly turned against her. (Need to move faster.) The numerous fans in her path were the main obstacle to that objective, and something that she couldn¡¯t fully disable without making her main objective that much harder. Luckily thanks to some corporate fuckery that she wasn¡¯t sure if the ¡®Company¡¯ or someone else had a hand in, the ventilation systems for all the nearby Sanctuary bases and police stations always had a route towards the central ventilation where there was usually some kind of security keeping toxins and such out of the air. Admittedly, she couldn¡¯t actually tamper with any of those without setting a lot of alarms off, but they did give her easier access to the rest of these buildings whenever she needed it through maintenance paths and such. Though that wasn¡¯t really necessary for either this or any of the last few missions she¡¯d been sent on. In fact going to the areas maintenance frequented actually raised her odds of being caught. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Which is why she placed her ¡®package¡¯ on the more difficultly accessed side of the ventilation system. The package itself was a relatively small brown device with a red vial and a timer, smaller even than the blocks of C4 she¡¯d occasionally placed when using a Deviant event as an excuse to destroy evidence. Despite having never attended an actual school beyond whatever her ¡®owners¡¯ at the time had considered necessary for her job, she¡¯d worked with similar devices often enough to know exactly what she was setting up. Namely a self-destructing dispersal unit that at an unspecified time would pump the air full of a substance eloquently dubbed ¡®Malice¡¯. A substance harvested and refined from the corpses of the various Creeps and Deviants they¡¯d captured over the years, and offering a number of uses beyond what those entities would normally use the Malice burning through their veins for. (Such an infectious little toxin¡­) There was a theory she once overheard from the various lab coats at the ¡®Company¡¯ that despite Deviants representing a relatively low percentage of the population, they tended to be relatively visible due to the tendency of Deviants to gather. From there it was also noted that this concentration of Deviants likely created an abundance of Deviant energies that in turn caused Deviant events such as Creeps, Bleeds, and similar to occur with increased frequency. And while that theory was partially disproven by the occasional Rift or Bleed in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, they still held a fair amount of merit. Merit that she knew had gone into making the Device she¡¯d set in this and all the other Sanctuary bases she¡¯d visited over this last week, as well as the few she¡¯d placed in a few other strategic locations in those bases¡¯ cities. She was aware from the numerous TV shows and movies that she¡¯d watched since joining the ¡®Company¡¯ that what she was doing was without a doubt the act of a ¡®Bad Guy¡¯. The kind of thing that any sane person would dub her a villainous monster for doing. Even more so once she pointed out that she legitimately couldn¡¯t care less about the casualties of her actions. Oh, she was fully aware that they were people with their own hopes, dreams, and people they loved, she just¡­ didn¡¯t care. (I mean it¡¯s not like I know any of them.) Admittedly, she was self-aware enough to know that if anyone tried to take the same approach with the things she actually cared about she¡¯d (slaughter them all and leave their corpses to rot¡­) In fact, she was honestly kind of waiting for the day someone tried to get vengeance on her for her numerous war crimes. Oh, she¡¯d kill them when they tried to kill her, or at the very least make sure they died to her various venoms and poisons before they could do any damage outside of her, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all if someone came after her one day. (Hell, given what Sanctuary Agents are capable of, maybe one of them will figure out this little conspiracy and come after the Company?) Of course in that case she would just throw the Company under the bus while playing up the fact that she was a child soldier most of her life, because she held no loyalty to those assholes. Still with this bomb set she began backtracking through the vents on her way back to the outside, knowing full well that she still had at least three more of these to plant in this city before she could go home. Several hours later after finishing the rest of her mission, she returned home (as much as I can call this hell hole home) and found the others wrapping up their own nights in the living area the ¡®Company¡¯ had given them. With Nick and Cyn sitting in the middle of the floor playing with a bunch of wooden building blocks, and Jess at their kitchen table using a laptop to do paperwork that was either Director Greene humoring the girl or gopher work that someone somewhere had pawned off on the eager to help girl. (Going to have to remind someone why taking advantage of her is a bad idea later¡­) But given how she could in fact handle that later, she instead threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave before using her tail to close Jessica¡¯s laptop as she passed the other girl on her way to the couch. ¡°Hey!¡± Ignoring that cry of outrage, she told Jess to, ¡°Grab the popcorn when it¡¯s done.¡± Before turning to Nick and telling him, ¡°On the couch.¡± with a jerk of her head. With those orders distributed she crouched down behind Cyn -who despite being a pint sized eldritch horror only a bit shorter than Vanessa herself- was still the best stuffed animal that she could get her hands on on short notice, and picked her up. She pointedly ignored the tendrils of otherness that flowed through her as she picked the girl up, namely the part where they soothed the burning in her veins in a way that nothing else could. (Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t realize you¡¯re pavloving me¡­) ¡°Innocent giggles.¡± Cyn laughed as Vanessa spun them both on her heel before flopping back and landing on top of a seated Nicholas. Once properly situated she lashed out with her tail to grab the remote and click the TV on, rapidly flickering through as she searched for something she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Here¡¯s your popped corn.¡± Jess said as she held the bag out. "Accepting nom-noms." Cyn nodded taking said bag for them. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind I have work to do.¡± Just as Jess began to turn Vanessa dropped the remote and wrapped her tail around Jess¡¯s wrist before raising her legs and yanking the other girl onto the couch, where both she and Cyn proceeded to use her lap as a footrest. She thought about it for a moment. ¡°Mmm, too lazy.¡± Jess rolled her eyes before starting to take their shoes off. ¡°When aren¡¯t you? I mean you slept all day, and now you just want to laze about the office. Whatsmore you¡¯re dragging us all down with you.¡± ¡°Eh, this is different.¡± She shrugged, not about to bring up her actual itinerary for the day. ¡°Lazing about is better when you¡¯ve got someone to laze about with.¡± She shifted her weight, digging a little deeper into Nick as she held Cyn and wrapped her tail around Jessica¡¯s waist. (Especially when that someone is MINE.) Chapter 40: Old Men And The Same Old $#!7. Chapter 40: Old Men And The Same Old Shit. --- Old Man Hendrickson --- (Why the fuck do people keep coming to me about this shit?) He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as he sipped at his beer, really wishing he could light up a smoke as well. Since a time he¡¯d had a few too many blackout nights to actually remember, some idget had decided that his diner was the place to hold these magical midnight meetings. At which point he¡¯d have to settle any arguing that happened to keep people from scuffing up his place. (Because this place may be a shit hole, but it is my shit hold damn it.) This had the unfortunate consequence of making people come to him to settle their shit, rather than talking it out like adults or beating the shit out of each other like the angry apes humans really were at the end of the day. (I mean I didn¡¯t tell them they couldn¡¯t fight, just to take it outside so I don¡¯t have to mop up any blood.) Though he now had employees to do that for him, so he didn¡¯t care as much as he used to. Even if he didn¡¯t, he could handle these once a month meetings if he was stoned or drunk through the meeting. Especially since he had a second menu that charged everyone double as a ¡®pain in my ass¡¯ tax, that he put up specifically for these nights that only like two people had ever questioned him on. The problem however, was that ever since some idget went and cracked the sky open, people had been coming to him almost daily crying about everything. ¡®Oh, no! Monsters are running the streets!¡¯, ¡®Oh, no! The psychics are tripping balls!¡¯, ¡®Oh, no! Half the city is literally on fire!¡¯, ¡®Oh, no! All the toilet paper is gone!¡¯ (Actually, that last one might be a real problem.) He was not stupid enough to use magic to try and clean his ass again. (Never again¡­) That said, even if magic wasn¡¯t the solution to that particular problem, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how it was that everyone complaining to him wasn¡¯t smart enough to realize the answer to all of their non-bathroom problems was in fact ¡®Magic¡¯. You know, the thing every last person bugging him had spent years studying. Luckily, over his very long life he¡¯d learned a great many lessons. One of which was that the best way to deal with problematic shit was to fling it at someone else and make them clean the ensuing mess up. (Truly Bobo Haha was the greatest of all my mentors.) Damn¡­ he missed that cranky old circus monkey. A monkey that was far more competent than any of the people bickering at this little meeting. Hence why he missed the monkey that tried to castrate him with a broken beer bottle because of a little misunderstanding involving Bobo¡¯s sister and mating season. A misunderstanding that was why he had no regrets about sleeping with Bobo¡¯s adoptive mother. His reminiscing about kinky clown milfs was cut short as he realized both that his beer was empty, and that it was the last in the six pack he¡¯d- (Actually, I only drank three of these. Where the fuck is the rest of my beer? You can screw a man¡¯s wife but you don¡¯t fuck with his beer damn it!) ¡°Figured that¡¯d catch your attention old timer.¡± A deep voice chuckled. He turned to the voice and glared at a muscular latin man with gray hair and a set of claw marks over one dead eye as the (dumbass idget) tossed his beer up and down in one hand. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. --- Reymundo Ochoa --- ¡°Little Rey-rey, been a minute since I seen you ¡®round these parts.¡± Old Man Hendrickson noted, looking one step off from trying to skin him and mount his pelt on the wall as warning to all who would touch his beer. ¡°Eh, life¡¯s kept me busy.¡± He shrugged, having had things far worse than a crotchety old alcoholic want him dead. ¡°And when it¡¯s not I try to keep my head down so I don¡¯t have to deal with pendejos all day and night.¡± Hendrickson took a look around the room at the various Arcane and Practitioners who showed up at these meetings before shaking his head. ¡°Can¡¯t blame you there.¡± They both watched the scene of people bickering about what they¡¯d figured out about the fucked up sky (nada) or whether or not they should reach out and try to collaborate with some of the cities other factions such as the vamps, wolves, and Sanctuary. (Which I¡¯d love to see, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to hope for.) All of those grudges ran deep, and he wasn¡¯t sure an apocalypse (which honestly this isn¡¯t) would be enough to pull everyones¡¯ heads out of their culos. ¡°Still don¡¯t get how a bunch of magic nerds can be such idgets. Almost enough to drive a man to drink.¡± Hendrickson lamented enough that he was almost tempted to give the man his beer back. (But as they say, fuck him.) Hendrickson watched him for a moment before leaning back in his seat. ¡°So how¡¯re those girls of yours?¡± ¡°Ah, they¡¯re doing alright.¡± He grinned. ¡°Harper, the shy one, has her first real boyfriend.¡± The old man let out a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re going to terrify that poor bastard with your shovel talk aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Eh, Harper ¡®s a good judge of character. I¡¯ll give him a chance.¡± He figured, having briefly considered going full ¡®eldritch horror¡¯ on the kid before realizing that the guy probably was just a kid. ¡°Figure I¡¯ll keep it low key, give him a decent sense of ¡®do not fuck with¡¯ with a few nightmares here and there. I mean, I¡¯m not her dad so I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s even my place to give him a talk in the first place.¡± ¡°We both know her piece of shit father won¡¯t.¡± Hendrickson scoffed as he failed to not so subtly steal the beers back. ¡°S¨ª.¡± He regretfully agreed, because while he could sympathize with the man for falling apart after losing his wife. He couldn¡¯t sympathize with doing so for a decade when the man had a daughter who needed him. ¡°Anyway how about your runts? You¡¯ve alway got at least one ni?o on your payroll.¡± It was honestly something of an open secret that the old man helped down on their luck teens over the decades. So much so that he was ninety percent sure there was some kind of divination or compulsion field on the place that led kids who needed an income to the front of Hendrickson¡¯s diner, just like there was another that led the hungry and homeless to the back around closing time. (After all, once is chance, twice coincidence, and two dozen times a really obvious fucking pattern.) He was once more tempted to give the alcoholic his beer back, but given how he felt an annoying little compulsion to leave from the spell that could very easily have an exception put in for the guy who¡¯d been coming around for nearly thirty damn years, he decided, (Fuck his Mary Poppins ass.) ¡°Eh, this batch are good kids¡­ though I¡¯m like ninety percent sure one of them is possessed.¡± Hendrickson admitted. ¡°But given how she sounded like a hot woman¡­ Well, it¡¯s his choice who he lets ride him. Props if it''s actually a woman and their parts at least half way line up.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. (I don¡¯t know why I expected something else from someone who tried to fuck a squid monster.) ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look, you hypocrite.¡± The old man scoffed, pulling a flask out of his pocket as he apparently gave up on recollecting the beer. ¡°Don¡¯t you fuck Death, as a furry?¡± He gave Hendrickson the driest look he could. ¡°That is a complete misrepresentation of the situation and you know it, cabr¨®n.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± Hendrickson nodded, scratching at the stubble on his throat. ¡°She fucks you. You¡¯re just her bitch. Tell me, does she call you a good boy while giving you head scratches?¡± He felt his eyes flash gold as his vision cleared up. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky killing you would cause a civil war.¡± ¡°Whatever you say bitch boy.¡± Hendrickson smirked, taking another swig of his flask. ¡°Anyway I¡¯m getting bored of these dumbasses going in circles. Bounce ¡®em for me will ya.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He sighed, cracking his neck loud enough to make everyone in the room flinch as the world began to lose color. ¡°It¡¯ll be just like when I worked here.¡± Chapter 41: Seeking Friends And Knowledge Chapter 41: Seeking Friends And Knowledge --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie¡­ I was kind of expecting a few more people¡­¡± Her dad¡¯s boss, Captain Miller, commented as he looked the room over. The room that was largely empty save for her, Max, and their dads. ¡°I, um, I put out the word but uh, maybe people are waiting to see if we were serious about this?¡± Her dad offered, looking like he didn¡¯t entirely believe that himself. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s probably that, Hawkins.¡± Captain Miller nodded, before taking a sip of his coffee. One that took long enough that she was pretty sure he was stalling. ¡°Okay, well, this¡­ doesn¡¯t change anything. If anything the fact that we only have the two of you means this whole thing should run even smoother. So smooth that everyone will be kicking themselves in the pants for not signing their own kids up for this first thing!¡± (Well¡­ he has enthusiasm?) She figured, not really blaming Max for staring ahead with a checked out glaze to her eyes. ¡°R-right.¡± Her dad nodded, with a pained grin that clearly said he didn¡¯t agree with his captain¡¯s sentiment. ¡°See I knew you¡¯d get it Hawkins, so what¡¯s the first thing on the agenda for the girls?¡± Captain Miller asked. ¡°Wait, I thought you¡­¡± Her dad blinked, before shaking his head. ¡°Um, uh, the first day¡­ was supposed to be¡­ simple introductions and¡­ maybe a tour? If there was time? But uh¡­¡± Her dad gestured towards her and Max. ¡°That plan doesn¡¯t work with these two?¡± (Nice save.) She couldn¡¯t help but snort seeing what he was doing. ¡°That is¡­ problematic.¡± Captain Miller admitted with a frown. ¡°But we can still do the tour part can¡¯t we? I mean if you¡¯ve warned everyone that we¡¯re coming through today then showing up an hour early shouldn¡¯t be too big of an issue.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Her dad agreed, clearly making this up as he went. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t already given our girls tours of the station before today. At that point we¡¯re kind of just wasting everyone¡¯s time. ¡°Oof, that uh, that would be a problem.¡± Captain Miller grimaced, glancing at his own daughter and finally noticing that she¡¯d sort of checked out on all of them. An awkward sort of silence descended on all of them as the adults tried to figure out what to do. As the two started talking about things, she found herself slowly checking out like the girl next to her as her mind began to drift. --- Max Miller --- Given how she was being forced to attend the stupid youth club -an event that it seemed like only her and that Hawkins girl were attending- she decided to try and use her new abilities to make things more¡­ interesting. For herself if no one else. It had taken a bit of experimentation on her part but she¡¯d figured out how to maintain a connection with a device she¡¯d ¡®Hacked¡¯ even when she wasn¡¯t able to see it. Though she did still need to make a slight detour to her dad¡¯s office to get access to his computer in the first place. At which point -so long as no one went into the station Captain¡¯s office without him- she had unrestricted access to anything her father¡¯s computer could access, having long since learned all of his personal passwords. She tried not to cringe whenever she had to enter ¡®Maxluv4Maxy!!!!¡¯, blatantly ignoring the embarrassing warmth it brought to both her chest and face. (Stupid dad¡­) Instead she chose to snoop through the various files on everything that had occurred since the sky cracked, more specifically she snooped through the overlapping files the police shared with Sanctuary. Who while publicly known were also infamously secretive with their op-sec, with the group rarely patrolling the way the police did. Only appearing in force during Deviant Events before disappearing back into their base, a large complex near the center of the city that many mistook for a simple office building and its parking garage with the more interesting facilities buried several stories underground. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Of course the fact that they were still a law enforcement agency -albeit a highly specialized branch with an entire military base hidden within its walls- they still needed a certain amount of communication with the city¡¯s primary law enforcement. An amount notably higher than what other federal agencies were expected to hand over due to the whole ¡®attempted genocide of Deviants¡¯ thing their predecessors tried to do. And while all of those communications were still classified behind so many walls of op-sec that only a handful of people could access them. It didn¡¯t change the fact that her dad¡¯s work computer was arguably the biggest hole in their cyber security that she could get her hands on, even if she had to be very careful and only access things that the Captain of a Police Station would have reason to look at to keep anything from blowing back on him. (But that still leaves plenty of juicy stuff here for me to go through.) For one, despite the number of Deviant incidents sort of normalizing, there were still a number of places that had become more or less dead zones as far as their scouting went. The few on the ground trips they send into the area either finding only signs of something being wrong such as a number of missing people in the ¡®safer¡¯ zones. Or in the case of the areas marked ¡®dangerous¡¯ the people they sent in disappearing half of the time or finding a Creep that had made a nest in the area. Admittedly none of those areas were actually covered by her dad¡¯s station barring a ¡®Yellow¡¯ threat zone that was closer to their house than their station. The area being marked as low priority because there wasn¡¯t an active threat there so much as a known Deviant presence in the area. One that was assumed to be a Hunter of some kind self policing the area while staying off the actual books. (Either way, definitely something worth looking into.) With the revelation that she herself was a Deviant, she felt that the only way she could figure out what kind of Deviant she was, and just what she was capable of was to try and get into contact with the local Deviant community. (Which is going to be a hat trick given how I doubt any of them want to deal with a cop¡¯s daughter, and I have no idea which of them are benign and criminal.) The former could only benefit her, while the latter would see her testing her prototype on live targets. --- Eric Campbell --- He looked around the outside of the riverside shipping center this little base was composed of, noting how there didn¡¯t appear to be anything wrong with it from the outside. (Though the faint scent of blood in the air isn¡¯t comforting for once.) Deciding that the only way for him to find any answers required he go inside he took a deep breath and put out his cigarette before pulling out his lighter, just knowing that he was going to need it. The shipping center itself had only been in their possession for a few years, their Bloodline long since having learned that the best way to keep their operations hidden from the mutts was to subtly take things over. To get someone into the position of managing the company they were interested in and then convince the owners over a couple of years that the company was failing for one reason or another before having their manager buy the company out with a hefty loan from an oddly friendly bank to save his friend¡¯s jobs. At which point things would miraculously turn around. It wasn¡¯t a method they employed too often, but they were always working this angle on a handful of businesses. Each individually owned given how the mutt¡¯s accountants were like bloodhounds hunting down anything owned by too large of a group in the city or any entity seeming to make a little too much money. Which admittedly aided in their mutual desire to keep outsiders out of their city, and keep the city itself as independent as possible. One of the few unspoken ¡®truces¡¯ they¡¯d agreed on after discovering Asylum had snuck into their city during the Rift Riots. A truce that was why (as much as I hate the mutts, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re behind this.) With the sky cracked and all the chaos going on, they¡¯d be scrambling to make sure their own were all accounted for, (same as us.) Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was stupid enough to believe nothing was wrong with their operation here. Especially given how many abandoned cars he found in their little smuggling front¡¯s parking lot, the fact that the front door was basically boarded up from the inside, and that that scent of blood had only gotten stronger the closer he got to the back of the building. Flicking his lighter open, and giving it just a hint of anima to make the light stretch further out, he found the back of the center had a number of fresh and bloody smears on the ground, a clear sign that something violent had happened here. The fact that as he entered the building, the blood began to shiver in place, was a sign that something was just as wrong as it was violent. Especially when it made all of the doors slam shut behind him, locking him in with whatever had gotten to his people here. ¡°I can already tell this is going to be a shit night.¡± Chapter 42: Meeting Of The Wolves Chapter 42: Meeting Of The Wolves --- Red Wolf --- ¡°Looks like things are getting started.¡± She whispered, as Fredrick -the closest thing she had to a grandpa- walked out of the elevator, the old man still having a fair bit of meat and muscle to him in spite of being in seventies. From beside her ¡®White¡¯ as he liked to be called at these meetings -a habit she¡¯d picked up with her own ¡®Red¡¯- nodded. ¡°Seems like.¡± Black the third member of their color trio nodded too but didn¡¯t actually say anything. The more serious man knowing that regardless of how large this room was, everyone could hear everything everyone else said given how everyone in the room liked to howl at the moon at night. The old man gave everyone in the room a once over, and she couldn¡¯t help but follow his gaze with her attention. Bruce Brutale, as a lot of the younger wolves called him, was a muscular man with tattoos up and down his arms who did absolutely nothing to dissuade anyone that saw him with them from thinking they were a gang. (Which we are, but you could at least try to be subtle about it.) Admittedly he was also in charge of a lot of the more ¡®hot¡¯ jobs around the city. Odds were that if they needed someone to do something blatantly illegal and risky then it was going to be one of his who did it. Next to him -and splitting drinks between them- was an asian man in a business suit. Bolin admittedly wasn¡¯t the most physically active of their group, not actually having a title within the pack despite the fact that he was both their primary lawyer and a decent candidate for becoming the county DA. Of course given how frequently the two worked together there was little wonder why the two were so close, in fact when Black was added to the trio due to his financial contributions the were collectively known as the three Big Bad B¡¯s by the grunts who knew who they all were. With many people assuming that Bolin was as good in a fight as both Bruce and Black given how often they were seen together. That rumor alone proved how unobservant the rest of her generation was at keeping track of the pack dynamics. (Bruce is good in a mundane fight, and decent in a Deviant fight but he¡¯s nowhere near Black or White, and Bolin would probably have to turn to win even a mundane fight.) Across from those two were Marinette Howlette, a thin black woman in a pale dress and Tracy Wells, a tired white woman who apparently hadn¡¯t had the time to change out of her medical scrubs. If Bruce and Bolin represented the more mundane side of their group than these two represented the more mystical side of things, with Monsterous Mary being an old terror from the Riots and probably the previous generations version of Red herself. Well Wishes Wells on the other hand was a saint operating a free clinic the pack ran while also being their main doctor should they take any hits their wolven sides couldn¡¯t walk off. (Honestly, as badass as they are I probably would¡¯ve considered them my ¡®female role models¡¯ if they weren¡¯t so insistent on me learning my magical potential.) All wolves were born with magic, granting them the power of the wolf passed down parent to child for generations, but while the wolf part of it was inherently tied to their instincts the magic that the two women liked to throw around were less so. And while learning to at least tap into that power was a necessity to become more than grunt within the pack, she didn¡¯t care to make it the core of who she was. Especially given how she¡¯d gotten some of that magic from the bastard. ¡°Good, everyone is here and no one is trying to kill anyone else.¡± Old man Fred nodded, as his eye fell on her trio. ¡°Yet.¡± White chimed in, asshole that he is. ¡°Keep us here long enough and that¡¯ll probably change.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Fred admitted, with a wry grin and a shake of his head. ¡°Especially once we get talking about what I¡¯ve called you all here for.¡± ¡°The crack in the sky right?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°In part.¡± Fred answered, before looking around the room. ¡°Though, before anything else I want to check in with everyone and see if there are any major hiccups caused by this mess. Bolin, since your field is the most likely to ripple out, why don¡¯t you kick us off?¡± ¡°Honestly, they¡¯re barely keeping it together.¡± Bolin sighed. ¡°Most officials are trying to maintain a ¡®keep calm and carry on¡¯ mentality about this, while diverting any problem that crops up towards Sanctuary. Can¡¯t get much word on what they¡¯re up to, but the fact that we haven¡¯t seen any reinforcements on their front means everyone is probably holding up in case this is the start of another Rift Riot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± White cut in, drawing all eyes to him. ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Marinette frowned. ¡°The cracks are flooding the city in Deviant energies; any magic user worth their salt can sense that.¡± ¡°True, but I¡¯ve checked the hot spots around the city and talked with a few of the older dogs like Hendrickson. They¡¯re output is up but stable. All the Bleeds that¡¯ve popped were always there, they just lacked the power to actually bridge the void. Can¡¯t even tell the ones that were open have changed without digging deep.¡± White explained, looking more at Fredrick than Marinette. ¡°Also, went ahead and took a look outside of the city. Get far enough from the Cracks and the energy dies down fast. The tides are swirling here, but everywhere else the seas are stable.¡± ¡°Any idea what butterfly set this storm off?¡± Fredrick asked, eyes narrowed. White shook his head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t any of my usual suspects, and I don¡¯t have a head for magic outside my affinities, but might still be able to point the chicas in the right direction if I take a walk on the other side.¡± Marinette looked intrigued, but Fredrick and Black both grimaced and she was right with them knowing what ¡®a walk on the other side¡¯ meant for someone with an affinity for [Death] magic. (Yeah, I¡¯ll vote against it if it comes down to it.) White was laid back enough and would let things ride if no one asked for his help, so hopefully between her, Black, and the old man he wouldn¡¯t be curious enough to try it for himself. ¡°We¡¯ll wait until we¡¯ve heard what they¡¯ve found to make that call.¡± Fredrick decided, before turning back to Bolin. ¡°Anything on the police side of things we need to work on?¡± ¡°Most of them are just trying to keep things stable. Patrols are on orders to report anything suspicious to Sanctuary, but they¡¯re mostly just security theater right now.¡± Bolin shrugged. ¡°The police Chief is doing something with his people but I think it¡¯s just politics. He and the Mayor have been on the outs for a minute, he¡¯s trying to make a few too many pushes against us and the leeches.¡± The room was filled with growls at that as seven werewolves were reminded of the uneasy three way truce they had with the vampires and the city. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Right, keep an eye on him.¡± Fredrick ordered, before giving everyone a stern look. ¡°As much as I hate them, our feud with the leeches is between us and them. No matter how easy it makes things, there¡¯s no need to drag innocents into it, even if they are cops. We¡¯re better than the parasites so let¡¯s keep to it.¡± Everyone gave begrudging nods to that before Fredrick motioned towards Tracy. ¡°How are the civilians taking things?¡± ¡°They¡¯re scared, and a lot of people were injured during the initial event but things seem to be calming down for the most part.¡± Tracy answered, before glancing towards Black. ¡°Though with how heavy we were hit, and the likelihood of how long this¡¯ll drag out we might want to stock up on supplies for the long run. There might not be any overt incidents but we all know things are still rough on the Deviant side, and there¡¯s no telling what we might get dragged into.¡± Black pulled out one of his notebooks and marked something down. ¡°I¡¯ll budget it in. With the stress everyone is under, they¡¯re all spending more on partying meaning there¡¯s a surplus there we can easily divert your way.¡± (Yeah, too bad the wolves my age are in that group.) She¡¯d come across a few too many that had been doing their own supply. (Need to check in with Bruce there, it¡¯s not my job but he¡¯ll probably want to know to make sure they don¡¯t fall off.) ¡°Good, we take care of our territory and the people in it.¡± Fredrick told them both with a nod of approval, before turning towards Bruce. ¡°Speaking of, how are things on the street level?¡± ¡°Well, like Black said, people are stressed, and they don¡¯t just party when they¡¯re stressed. My boys have had to deal with more than one incident that would¡¯ve brought the cops a little too close to home, and Bolin ¡®s complained enough about them that I¡¯m not going to risk it.¡± ¡°Safer to be smart.¡± The old man agreed. ¡°What about the leeches? Between William and Pierce, it¡¯s a split on whether they¡¯d hold up their own defenses or try pressing our own.¡± ¡°Honestly, I had my guys give a few¡­ pokes.¡± Bruce admitted, scratching at his throat. ¡°Nothing to outright escalate -I may have wolf¡¯s blood, but I¡¯m not stupid- just poked enough to get them to hiss and strut to ward us off. No response. Couple of the safehouses we¡¯ve been keeping eyes on even seem abandoned.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re holding up.¡± Fredrick nodded. ¡°Good to know.¡± ¡°Should we press the opening?¡± Marinette cut in. ¡°Even if their guard is up, they¡¯re probably holding up in that hotel of theirs. Odds are we could pick off some of their outer bases and cut them off with little defense, especially with the cell towers down making reinforcements harder. Given how more¡­ advanced their general level of magic is, I¡¯d rather not risk them attempting some ritual while gathered together. Something that my recent inquiries with the city¡¯s practitioners deem more than likely, given whatever artifact Covenant smuggled in for them.¡± ¡°Any idea what they brought in?¡± White frowned, his own job dealing with any supernatural messes within the city that risked spilling onto the civilians. ¡°Something I¡¯ll need to step into?¡± Marinette considered it for a moment. ¡°Unlikely, while Covenant prides itself on secrecy and discretion, they were willing to admit that the artifact was within their ¡®safe sell¡¯ parameters for a Necromancy artifact. Which while not reassuring on a personal level, means that it isn¡¯t a city wide threat at least.¡± ¡°?Qu¨¦ pasa con toda la necromancia en esta ciudad?¡± White grumbled, before giving Marinette a nod. ¡°Let me know if you start seeing anything extra?o out there. The last thing we need is one of them figuring out that necromancia is a work-around to the summoning limiter.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Tracy wondered. (Would¡¯ve expected that question from Marinette.) White shook his head. ¡°More for them than us. [Blood] and [Night] have a little more wiggle room than [Change] and [Wolf] unless you¡¯re willing to summon something you really shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s why I have to¡­ deal with so many curious vamps on my end. On the other hand the best we¡¯d get are a bunch of undead wolves, and the worst, well¡­ death would be a mercy.¡± A chill ran down everyone¡¯s spines at that last bit and the power behind the words. (Forget he can do that sometimes.) Fredrick coughed, drawing attention back to himself. ¡°Regardless, we were talking about pressing the advantage against the leeches.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes fell on Red. ¡°Thoughts?¡± While Bruce was in charge of ¡®the streets¡¯ keeping an eye on the general state of crime and the leeches, his job mostly revolved around keeping a leash on things and keeping any other groups from growing too big. A mostly defensive position, when the others didn¡¯t need muscle for something. Her job on the other hand was to actually press the offensive. It was technically a job that all of the other wolves in the room had taken at one point or another, and was meant as a way of getting their feet wet with greater leadership while also making sure whatever they thought most important for the war with the Vamps was added to their pack. Fredrick had formed the pack as a place for the city¡¯s wolves to gather and protect each other. Bolin and Bruce had set out to control the crime and law of the pack¡¯s territory respectively. Black had figured out how to bankroll everything while respecting the other B¡¯s. Marinette had figured out they were falling behind in a magical arms race. While Tracy had figured out things were escalating beyond their natural abilities and they needed better healing. And White -after the Rift Riots- had decided that things were spilling too much onto civilians and reinforced the Masquerade. She was still figuring out what they needed, mostly trying to keep from dragging too much of the pack into her own little vendettas, but on this, ¡°Much as I hate to say it, with the way the city is going we¡¯ve got too much on our plate to prioritize the leeches. Every time I go out to try and get a read on them, I get drawn off dealing with all of the Creeps lurking around or avoiding Sanctuary¡¯s patrols. It almost seems like the things are actively looking for me half the time.¡± ¡°They might be¡­¡± White said, seemingly considering something. ¡°What?¡± She frowned, eyeing her mentor. ¡°Anyone else have any issues with the Creeps when they¡¯re out and about at night?¡± White asked the room. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone in the room who hasn¡¯t killed at least one Creep over these past few weeks.¡± Bolin pointed out. ¡°No, no. He might be onto something.¡± Marinette admitted, gaining a thoughtful look of her own. ¡°Numbers please? But only the ones after the initial event please.¡± ¡°Um, three?¡± Bolin shrugged, while looking confused. (Well, he¡¯s probably just avoiding a fight.) Bruce ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Probably a dozen on my own, and maybe a dozen more with my boys? Wasn¡¯t keeping a hard count really.¡± (Still a bit low, but reasonable if he¡¯s mostly managing things.) Marinette looked at Tracy next to her, prompting the doctor to answer, ¡°About two dozen like Bruce. Though I only fight them when they get too close to my clinic at night.¡± (Yeah, she probably goes out as much as Bruce so that makes sense.) ¡°Fifty-three.¡± Black threw out with narrowed eyes. ¡°They go after me every night I leave the club.¡± She knew Black was a badass, if a bookish one, but that was still more than her. ¡°Mid-forties.¡± ¡°Sixty-seven.¡± Fredrick added his own number, reminding them there was a reason he was the alpha of their group. ¡°And I¡¯m mostly just keeping my neighborhood clear.¡± Marinette met White¡¯s eyes and they both nodded. ¡°That confirms it.¡± ¡°Confirms what?¡± She wondered. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for Creeps to actively seek out prey fitting specific criteria, such as those who are scared, weak, injured, or even killers.¡± White explained. ¡°And based on what Bruce said, as well as reports from my own people, and the numbers all of you have given us¡­ the Creeps seem to be actively hunting¡­ us.¡± Marinette explained looking distinctly uncomfortable. That got some alarmed looks, though Fredrick quickly took control. ¡°How likely is this?¡± ¡°Given these numbers as well as the low civilian count, high.¡± Marinette shrugged. ¡°And they¡¯re just hunting wolves?¡± Fredrick growled, eyes flashing gold. ¡°Heard some words from some Hunter friends running into Creeps, but thought that was just the job.¡± White answered, leaning forward in his seat. ¡°They¡¯re probably hunting anyone with above average magic, more magia means more¡­ whatever they¡¯re after. Meaning it¡¯s not just us, it¡¯s every Wolf, Arcane, Vamp, and anyone else with a lick of magia in their blood.¡± Tracy tapped her nails against the arm of her rest as she bit her lip before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ noticed something weird. There have been a lot of new Arcane this month, at first I thought it was just danger breeds power but¡­¡± The medical practitioner shook her head. ¡°Between the cracks flooding the city in magic, and just this city, creeps hunting magic users, and those new magic users popping up¡­¡± They all considered that for a moment, each of them coming to their own conclusions until someone aptly summed it up with a vocal, ¡°Well¡­ fuck.¡± Chapter 43: Fearful Victims And Hungering Monsters Chapter 43: Fearful Victims And Hungering Monsters --- Eric Campbell --- Knowing that it was in fact his job to deal with this kind of mess whenever it popped up, he pressed on through the very clear horror show that made up his current situation, because he doubted he¡¯d get much in the way of backup given how he was the backup. (I mean, I might be able to get Catherine to help me but that would mean letting whatever this thing is grow.) Any hunter worth their salt knew that you don¡¯t let the monsters grow when you find them, that was something Catherine beat into his skull from the moment they started working together. (And this thing has already done a lot of growing¡­) He held his lighter up to get a better look at the walls covered in shifting meat, lines of red imitating veins as the blood moved uncaringly over concrete, metal, and everything else that made up the warehouse walls. (Really not looking forward to whatever caused all of this¡­) Despite constantly working with Catherine and helping her with her Hunter work, he himself was the stereotypical Arcane Academic, preferring to read and study esoteric knowledge over picking a fight with whatever monster decided to make Vampires their prey. (Then again, a lot of movies make us out to be stronger than we are¡­) Oh, they had a fair few tricks up their sleeve, especially when it came to blood or shadow magic, but physically they were just slightly above the average human, needing to boil the blood in their own bodies to fuel the magic that let them push themselves beyond human. (Something that just isn¡¯t sustainable in a long fight¡­ almost makes me jealous of the mutts.) The whole reason their war was so split is because while their Bloodline were monsters for however long their blood lasted, the wolves¡¯ shifter magic waxed and waned with the moon, meaning while they were near worthless on the New Moon during the Full they could spend the entire day and night turned if they felt like it. (We¡¯re just lucky their power drives half of them rabid if they grow too fast.) (Regardless¡­) He paused, coming across a corpse that his blood just faintly called out to. (The wolves definitely didn¡¯t do this¡­) The dead vampire -some one he didn¡¯t know himself but had seen once or twice- was a young woman with dark hair. Her body sitting against the wall that seemed to be trying to consume her, tendrils of meat connecting the two in a way that left him pretty sure that if he removed her it would call down whatever was responsible for all of this. Something he wasn¡¯t willing to risk until he had a better idea of what he was dealing with. (Still¡­ I can at least indulge her with a bit of spite¡­) He twisted the blood in his hands just enough to form a dollop in the air above his palm, before pushing it into the dead vampire¡¯s heart, careful not to disturb the wall attempting to consume her. ¡°Let¡¯s make them pay, shall we luv?¡± He grinned wryly, before standing once more and taking a better look at her surroundings. More specifically the half a dozen other corpses, none of whom were of his Bloodline but rather those seemingly lured in by whatever creature was responsible for all of this. Their corpses dismembered in spread into pieces that were now slowly being consumed by whatever meat made up the walls and now several patches of the floor. (Really, really, not looking forward to whatever did all of this¡­) --- ??? --- It stood outside the building, having spent the time since the sky cracked tracking down the other, a task that had proved more difficult than it had been expecting given the numerous Creeps that had been attacking it left and right. (Not that I¡¯m complaining. Not really. After all, they¡¯re all just more meat to be devoured.) The problem was, that subduing them was always a pain and a half. Especially since with their higher densities, the creatures made for significantly better eating than the skin and bones humans. (Even if they don¡¯t provide me with any new information, I think I know enough for now to just focus on eating.) If it came down to it and the other decided to fight it rather than ally with it, it just knew it was going to need as much biomass as possible, given what little it could piece together from what its original self would and would not let it remember. Unfortunately, unlike the many monsters that it had learned about from consuming its first human, Gregory, Creeps lacked power as much as they did intelligence. Meaning that they wouldn¡¯t be offering him any new tools or toys to play with and that biomass was all they were really good for in the end. (Oh, woe is me¡­This world of humans may have ¡®monsters¡¯ running about, but these Creeps are little more than mindless and half starved animals dropped into an all you can eat buffet. Which I can sympathize with, I suppose.) It had been there before, but given its current circumstances it couldn¡¯t help but wonder, (Where have all the good monsters gone? The ones with both intelligence and power? Such as the Pale Wolf, the Lord of Blood, or even that Grimm Knight fellow?) --- Mathias Grimm --- ¡°You know it¡¯s so rare for you guys to let me out to play these days.¡± He smiled, walking through the warehouse and admiring the (amateurish) work left lying about, his boots squelching everytime he stepped on the still wet meat. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. From beside him his ¡®handler¡¯ for this little outing scowled at him, the Bone Maiden clearly only here because she¡¯d been ordered to. (And she¡¯s always such a good little puppet.) ¡°That¡¯s because Nicholas is superior to you in every way.¡± Nicholas¡¯s little Jessica told him tersely, as unlike him she did her best to avoid stepping in the blood. He flexed his presence, causing the maiden¡¯s light to go out before appearing in front of her, his hand clamping around her throat the exact second it flickered back on and allowing him to pick her off the ground even as she clawed at his arm. ¡°Remember my dear Nicholas is the only reason I haven¡¯t slaughtered you all yet.¡± Jessica formed a blade of bone and rammed it through his skull, not even hesitating to go for what would be the killshot on a human. He couldn¡¯t help but smile even wider as his maw began to open, ready to once more savor the taste of the sweet marrow inside those bones before pausing as he felt eyes on him from the otherside of things. (Well, Nicky¡¯s the main reason¡­) As much as he hated to admit it, the parasite had enough hooks in his brother that simply escaping the hellhole that turned them into lab rats wouldn¡¯t be enough to actually be free. And given his own connection to Nicholas the brat could very easily force him back into his cage when he got free. (Which is why I¡¯ve got to play nice whenever they let me out¡­) He let the Bone Maiden go with a laugh, the sound only half-faked as he imagined everything he was going to do to the bitches that had his other half clinging to pesky mortal morality. It was made a little more honest when he ripped the blade out of his skull while making sure to get as much gore and blood splatter onto the girl in front of him. The look of disgust she gave him was almost as much fun as gutting her was going to be. --- Jessica --- She wasn¡¯t normally one to question orders, but anytime Mathias was willingly unleashed on the world she couldn¡¯t help but question her superiors. Admittedly that was significantly better than what the others would do in her place. What with Vanessa having threatened their superiors, Cyn outright ignoring their orders, and Nicholas having a panic attack at the very idea. Which is why she was the only one on their team given the keys to both removing Mathias¡¯s restrictions and putting him back down. Keys that always left her feeling like she was betraying Nicholas by using them¡­ For just a moment she contemplated using the restraining agent and completing this mission by herself, something she had no doubt Vanessa would do in her place. In that same moment Mathias glanced over his shoulder, amused eyes daring her to follow through with that thought. (I¡­ I need to complete my mission¡­) Mathias turned his attention forward with an amused huff. Knowing that she¡¯d only regret talking to him, she instead turned her attention to the rest of the building and the flesh like walls that had erected themselves to either side of them. The unpleasant fact that they¡¯d come across more than one corpse sticking out of said wall had been the whole reason she¡¯d given Mathias any more of her attention than was necessary to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to kill and/or maim her. (Of course, I should know better than to try and get any form of comfort from Mathias.) The monster was nothing like Nicholas. After a few moments of regretfully dwelling on this fact, she was drawn from her thoughts by a sound that could only remind her of bones breaking and meat tearing. ¡°Oh, well isn¡¯t that fun?¡± Mathias chuckled, sounding legitimately amused by whatever he caught sight of. Knowing that that could mean nothing good for her, she took a step to the side to see what Mathias the Monster found so amusing, and couldn¡¯t help but flinch at the sight. The walls held at least a dozen of the bodies they¡¯d previously passed, though unlike the ones they¡¯d left these ones were still alive. As demonstrated by the fact that they were actively ripping themselves free from the walls. ¡°And here I was thinking they were all dead.¡± Mathias spun on his heel and gave her a smile. ¡°If this is why they sent you here, I can see why they insisted I come out to play!¡± Mathias practically skipped to the nearest of the freed corpses, and gave it a contemplative if intrigued look. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not in control of yourself are you? I wonder, do you feel pain like this or are you really dead and your meat merely a puppet to something greater than this?¡± The corpse didn¡¯t respond beyond slowly turning towards him, at the exact same time that every other extracted corpse did the same. ¡°Ooh, a hive mind!¡± Mathias giggled. The meat puppets all froze for a moment, before as one they all screamed in a pitch and volume that no human could reach without shredding their vocal chords entirely. The sound caused her own ears to bleed, until she shifted the bones inside to block it all out. When the screaming finally stopped, she shifted her ears back to normal, not willing to leave a sense entirely dull when facing an unknown threat. ¡°Very good.¡± Mathias nodded, looking impressed. ¡°Mind if I try?¡± Mathias inhaled deeply before his jaw ripped open wide enough that it actually caused his own skin to tear and unleashed a demonic roar that while not as loud as the corpses'' screams, was far more terrifying. The sound only stopped when the corpse nearest to him shoved a hand through his chest, and it erupted out the otherside looking twice as large as human, and with bone claws that definitely were not. Mathias looked down seemingly stunned, before looking up at the corpse. ¡°Well that was rude¡­ and suicidal.¡± Oh, so delicately Mathias reached out and grabbed the corpse by its face before tearing the whole head off. Not even two seconds later the decapitated corpse droves its other hand through his stomach. Mathias blinked, his eyes shifting between the head and the still living corpse, ¡°Huh, you really are a meat puppet.¡± He then leaned into the head and smiled as he stared into its eyes. ¡°But I can tell that you still feel pain¡­ What fun!¡± Having answered the only question he ever really cared about, Mathias tossed the head to the side before reaching out and tearing into the corpse with his bare hands, ripping it into shreds and tossing its pieces wherever they landed. As one the remaining corpses rushed him, each attempting to kill him be it by claw, blade, or fang, but not a one did anything to even slow the monster pretending to be human as Mathias tore each and every last one of them to pieces in the most gruesome of ways that he could manage. And for a brief terrible terrifying moment as Jessica was forced to watch Mathias slaughter the once people, laughing as he bathed in their blood, she saw three people overlapping in a way that made her sick to the stomach, as she saw Mathias, Nicholas, and¡­ the man who was once her big brother all with a sadistic bloodstained smile. Chapter 44: The Monster And The Flame Blood Chapter 44: The Monster And The Flame Blood --- Eric Campbell --- Continuing through the maze of flesh and darkness, he left a thin trail of blood everywhere he went, a golden thread to find his way out of the abyss. (Just got to find the minotaur first.) A task made harder by how the maze seemed to be far larger than what the outside of the building had presented. (Fucking Madness messing with my perception¡­) Out of all the magics in the world, that one was his least favorite if only due to what kind of monstrosities reveled in that particularly eldritch might. Something only reinforced by all of the dismembered corpses he found, and the faint laughter he could hear echoing from everywhere with sadistic glee. (A laughter that¡¯s only growing louder¡­) Entering another room filled with a sickening squelching, the flame in his hand revealed something that while looking human, had every instinct in his body screaming that it wasn¡¯t. A state that not even the strongest of the mutts had ever stirred in him. (Even the Pale Wolf at least felt natural.) The thing in front of him did not. With its arms elbow deep inside of a corpse stood what appeared to be a pale man with shaggy black hair wearing a black and silver uniform of some kind. An appearance that was stretched thin as the shadows cast by Eric¡¯s flame seemed to wreathe around the monster, as if the darkness disliked the very idea of giving up the creature to the light. Instinctively he knew that (whatever the fuck) this thing was he needed to kill it (and preferably with fire) he began to boil his blood to build up the power necessary to cast something far outside the norm of his skirmishes with mutts. Unfortunately, before he could do anything the monster¡¯s eyes snapped to him as its grin grew just a little too wide for a human face. ¡°Why hello there~ I didn¡¯t know there were any people left in here. If I did I would¡¯ve given you a proper welcome~¡± Not liking the sound of that, but knowing that he needed to stall for more time to boil his blood, he asked the creature, ¡°Are you the one responsible for all of this?¡± ¡°Well, that depends.¡± The monster pretending to be a man answered before gesturing towards the walls. ¡°If you mean this, then no. I am not. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the aesthetic is pleasing, but the actual construction is¡­ a little too clean for my tastes. But if you meant this¡­¡± The monster gestured to the room around them, and the shadows seemed to withdraw, letting the light of his flame reach corners of the room it hadn¡¯t moments prior to reveal a number of dismembered corpses littering the floor as they had much of the warehouse. ¡°Well that is all me~¡± He swallowed, really wishing he¡¯d gone back for Catherine or maybe even Alex right about now. (Come on, you¡¯ve helped Cat out with her hunts before¡­ whatever this thing is you can kill it¡­ you just need¡­ a hell of a lot of fire.) The monster gave him an amused grin, as if it could sense his fear and his attempts to resist it. ¡°If you aren¡¯t responsible for all of this do you know what is?¡± He frowned, not entirely sure if he could trust the creature¡¯s word but also hoping to learn something of value. ¡°Nope~¡± The creature smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t care either, I mean I¡¯m enjoying the fact that these meat puppets feel pain but¡­ the lack of screams is so¡­ boring.¡± The monster looked at him. ¡°Though that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for much longer~¡± The flame in his hand sputtered for a moment, the room falling into darkness for but a second before light returned revealing the monster to have disappeared. Responding on instinct he dove forward as panic began to consume his heart, but despite his best efforts he still felt claws scratching along his back just before he hit the floor. ¡°Oh, what a shame I was going to snap your spine so you couldn¡¯t run.¡± The monster casually confessed as Eric turned to face it, flame in hand. Burning some of the power he¡¯d build up he threw out a wave of flames to force the creature back only for it to simply step through the flames, uncaring of the cinders beginning to cling to its bloodstained clothing. The monster¡¯s eyes flashed with amusement as its grin stretched wide. ¡°Then again it¡¯s more fun when they run~ So how about I give you a headstart?¡± It bent over to his eye level. ¡°Let¡¯s say the count of ten? One~¡± Refusing to run he threw both of his hands forward, unleashing a stream of fire at the monster hoping to incinerate it before it could realize its overconfidence. ¡°Two~¡± The monster¡¯s voice chimed over the roar of the flames. ¡°Three~¡± He killed the flame, feeling it begin to drain on his reserves in spite of its apparent ineffectiveness. ¡°Four~¡± The monster continued as the flames faded to reveal the monster unharmed beyond a few holes in its clothes. Realizing that he was going to need to be smarter about this he climbed back to his feet as the monster counted to, ¡°Five~¡± Pulling on his blood he reached out for the connection all of his bloodline held to the rest, because even if he was too far for it to reach Alex, Cat, or anyone else who could help him, he was however in a room full of the dead of his bloodline. (And I doubt they¡¯ll mind helping me kill this fucker.) ¡°Siiix~¡± Said fucker slowly drawled out as if it had all the time in the world to kill him. Using the lessons Alex had spent years teaching him, he spread out threads of his blood spread out to the bodies of his Bloodline, wielding the connection that made them all family and in some cases closer than to gain ever more power. ¡°Seven~¡± The monster sadistically sung out. Unfortunately, whether because he lacked his mentor¡¯s mastery of the blood or because he lacked the man¡¯s unshakable faith in the connection their blood provided, he found something refusing to relinquish their blood. In fact, he could¡¯ve sworn something was actually trying to pull the blood from him. An elated, ¡°Eight~¡± had him deciding that he had more immediate problems as he pulled on what power his dead brethren were willing to offer him. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Between his hands a sphere of Blood and Flame began to build before he pushed it all towards the monster, who didn¡¯t even bother to move out of the way as the sphere impacted it point blank in the chest. The explosion was significantly larger than anything he could manage on his own, the force of it enough to launch him off of his feet and onto his back as he was blasted away, the flames of his spell devouring half of the room. ¡°Fu-uck¡­¡± He coughed, beginning to boil the blood in his chest to clear his lungs while trying very hard not to think about the gory mess he was picking himself out of. (Well, at least that monster is-) ¡°Nine~¡± He froze before slowly turning back towards the flames now engulfing everything in front of him, including the now shirtless monster that stood uncaring of the flames eating away at its flesh, a smile on its face as it watched the terror grow on his own. ¡°Ten!¡± The monster called as it crouched into a leaping stance. More on terrified instinct than any actual thought he turned around and took off running, even as mad laughter followed at his heels. --- Mathias Grimm --- Murdering the meat puppets had been fun for the first dozen or so, and while their pain had been more than enough reason for him to keep at it, the longer he did so the more he realized how lacking they were towards his usual prey. No screams, no begging, no fighting, and most importantly no growing looks of horror as they realized death was imminent. (It was all just so¡­ mechanical.) Which is why it was such a relief when the little hunter stumbled upon his last massacre of the constructs controlled by the creature in charge of this little festival of flesh and blood. The hunter had of course tried to kill him like so many foolish idiots before him, but just like everyone else that tried to burn him at the stake the man quickly realized he would not die so long as there were people to kill. A task that always made him itch the longer he went without working towards it. (Makes me wonder how Nicholas can get by with just his ¡®naughtiness quota¡¯... Then again Nicholas is special for a reason.) Regardless, once he¡¯d finished the countdown the man had begun running through the halls just as he¡¯d been hoping for. A game that would guarantee the man¡¯s meat was filled with that savory sweetness that could only come from a steadily growing sense of terror. Terror that told him exactly what halls to take through this maze of flesh as he pursued his prey at a steady peaceful walk, knowing that the Madness in the air would twist in his favor, bring him closer to his prey even as it made things ever worse for the panicking meatbag he was about to feast upon. Honestly, the only way to make all of this better would be if he could gut one of those bitches holding his brother back. (Who knows, I might get lucky. Subject J has always been so high-strung, maybe the loss of control will give her a heart attack.) --- Jessica --- ¡°What has he done now?!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but hiss as the whole warehouse shook from an explosion that she knew was outside of Mathias¡¯s normal parameters. ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have left him alone¡­¡± She groaned, watching as the flesh walls began to move clearly agitated by whatever Mathias had done. At first she¡¯d been content to simply follow orders and monitor him, but as his horrible attitude and sadistic delight began to wear at her she decided to take Vanessa¡¯s advice for once and stretch her orders, following just the spirit rather than both the spirit and the wording as she preferred. Which is why she¡¯d let Mathias get out of her immediate line of sight, while keeping him close enough that she could hear him before he could cause too much trouble. Trouble that he¡¯d clearly managed somehow. (Oh, this is why we should always do what the company tells us to!) She thought with no small amount of panic as she began to move through the building, using her bone wings to pick up a pace she couldn¡¯t manage on foot. Something that proved invaluable as she reached the area that was actively burning around her like her mission. --- Eric Campbell --- ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± He cursed, feeling his boiling blood begin to eat away at his actual reserves. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t something he could do much about while trapped in this meat maze, if only because he wasn¡¯t willing to try his luck with whatever had been done to the bodies to merge them with the walls. Of course that meant nothing helpful, given how the moment he couldn¡¯t fuel his spells any further would also be the moment he couldn¡¯t outrun that monster. Something he was only just doing if the echoing whistle meant anything. (Damn it, what is with the psychos in this city and fucking whistling?!) At the very least it wasn¡¯t as bad as the Pale Wolf¡¯s static filled nightmare. It was such a shame Cat failed to claw that monster¡¯s eyes out. (Not a mistake I¡¯ll be making here.) Because while whatever the fuck that thing was, did terrify him, he¡¯d long since learned to operate on terror. A side effect of the mutts having the other whistling monster in their midsts, even if it wasn¡¯t as active as the others. After realizing that he couldn¡¯t take the monster on in a straight fight with the power he could call upon he set out in pursuit of every faint trace of his blood he could sense in the warehouse, doing his best to track them down in spite of the meat maze he was trapped in. If he was lucky he could find enough of them that he could pull out something strong enough to salt and burn this entire hell house, (but that won¡¯t amount to anything if I run out of my own blood first.) ¡°Ah-ah, is someone getting tired?~¡± A voice called out from the darkness. (And it¡¯ll matter even less if that thing catches me.) He couldn¡¯t help but grimace as the blood in his veins boiled just a little hotter as he tried to etch out just a little more speed. Passing by another vampire corpse he threw a small bullet of blood into it as he passed, not able to stop and slow for anything even resembling his makeshift funeral rites. ¡°Hmm, killing the puppets before they can extract themselves, prudent.¡± The monster complimented him. Part of him was curious what it meant by ¡®puppets¡¯ but for his own sanity he was just going to mark it down as part of the monster¡¯s madness. ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± A hand grabbed him by the back of the neck before throwing him through a wall. ¡°I hate kill stealing.¡± Knowing that his life was on the line he quickly threw out a handful of fire bolts, knowing that they¡¯d do nothing to actually hurt the monster in front of him but hoping that it would be enough to at least slow the thing down. Of course the monster didn¡¯t even flinch, instead waiting until he¡¯d half picked himself off the ground before kicking him back across the floor. ¡°Now while I personally love kicking a man while he¡¯s down I do sadly have things to do whether I like it or not.¡± The monster confessed as it brought a foot down on his leg, causing him to scream as the limb broke. ¡°That said, while I can¡¯t give you all the time you deserve, I can fit just enough time in for you to really scream for me.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­¡± He whimpered out, trying to keep some semblance of focus in spite of the pain erupting from his leg as the monster ground its foot down. ¡°I-I¡¯ve got something to say!¡± ¡°Oh, want to beg for your life?¡± The monster smiled, before crouching down. ¡°Go on then. I¡¯m willing to hear you out~¡± He had no doubt that begging wouldn¡¯t do him any good which is why he panted exaggeratedly hoping to buy himself just a few more seconds to make this work. ¡°I don¡¯t hear any begging~¡± The monster told him, grabbing him by the throat. ¡°If you really want we can get straight to skinning you alive~¡± ¡°N-no.¡± He whimpered, not entirely exaggerated as the pain in his leg grew worse with the monster¡¯s shifting weight. ¡°I-I¡¯ll talk¡­¡± With all of the willpower he could muster up he looked the monster that was going to kill him in the eye and raised his hand into the air. ¡°Boom.¡± The snap of his fingers echoed as he ignited the crimson threads that had connected him to every dead member of his Bloodline within the warehouse, the flames racing away from both man and monster far faster than either of them could react, as the fire moved to unleash the magic that had been building within the bodies of the dead since he¡¯d first discovered them. The monster had just enough time to give him a grin, ¡°You motherfucker.¡± before the world erupted in the flames of the dead. Chapter 45: Warehouse Aftermath Chapter 45: Warehouse Aftermath --- Eric Campbell --- He crashed into the water, putting out the flames that had wrapped around him, eating away at his body even as his magic pushed them back and he boiled as much blood as possible to heal the damage. A process that left him in a very painful limbo of being burned alive and regenerating from it, a state that left him oh so grateful for the river no matter how cold it was. Struggling for the surface he managed to break free with a gasping breath, before treading the water in spite of his ever growing exhaustion and the hunger he knew was as much for blood as it was actual food. He turned to look at the warehouse that he¡¯d managed to use the last of his magic to burn himself a path out of, the entire structure now on fire in a way that normally would¡¯ve taken hours to achieve, parts of the building already collapsing under the damage. (Fuck¡­ Hope Alex doesn¡¯t take this out of my pay¡­) The tired laugh he let out caused him more pain than anything else. While he knew the older man wouldn¡¯t be happy about this, he also knew once he explained the situation Alex would be glad he simply survived whatever that monster had been doing in there. (Too bad I still don¡¯t know what that is¡­ maybe Cat will¡­) A little too tired to think about it himself, he shrugged off the burned remnants of the coat that hadn¡¯t survived the explosion even with half a dozen of his fireproof enchantments weaved into it, before swimming for the nearest dock. ¡°Fuck!¡± He hissed and moaned upon pulling himself out of the water, the sudden shift of pressure doing his broken leg absolutely no favors. Upon actually looking at his leg he probably would¡¯ve thrown up if he hadn¡¯t seen more than one dismembered body during the Rift Riots, as he still couldn¡¯t help but grimace as he saw the mangled mess. (Yeah¡­ ain¡¯t running home on this thing¡­) ¡°Really hope Alex can fix this¡­¡± As he started the painful process of crawling to the nearest car in the hopes of hot wiring it and getting himself back to the hotel, he consoled himself with the thought that, (At least that bastard was alone.) --- Jessica --- Landing atop a nearby roof, she brushed off the cinders that had attempted to eat away at her uniform, once more wishing Nicholas hadn¡¯t accidentally wasted the entirety of their spare uniform budget, forcing the company to cut corners by ordering the ones that were not fire resistant. Once her remaining clothing was safed she turned back to watch the warehouse burn as the bone armor she¡¯d used to survive the initial explosion retracted back into her skin where her body broke it back down into the magic that flowed in her veins. (Well, while I doubt this is what our employers wanted, at the very least they can¡¯t say we didn¡¯t accomplish our task.) She sighed, the night of dealing with Mathias having worn her down in a way that very little in her life actually could. The only reason she wasn¡¯t worried about being reprimanded or worse receiving a demerit on her record for this mess, was because she¡¯d swiped one of the corpses Mathias had been playing with, (and I can just pin all of this on Mathias. No one will even blink an eye at that.) He¡¯d deserve it too, given how he didn¡¯t bother hiding his plans to torture her to death, if not worse. Down below a corpse stumbled out of the fire, one that was still walking in spite of being on fire. (What¡¯s the saying? ¡®Speak of the devil and he shall appear¡¯¡­) She grew the bone claws on her hand to get a better grip on the body she¡¯d extracted from the warehouse before leaping into the air and promptly landing in front of the half incinerated corpse making its way across the parking lot. ¡°Good, you''re still alive.¡± She told Mathias as she gave him and his charred flesh a once over, noting how the monster was missing an arm. ¡°For a moment I was worried for Nicholas.¡± ¡°Fuck¡­ you¡­ bitch¡­¡± Mathias spat, the ash on his skin slowly flaking away as it was replaced with fresher skin, albeit at a rate far slower than what Nicholas could manage without the violence that sustained the monster in front of her. ¡°That sounds extremely hostile.¡± She frowned, reaching into her coat and pulling out a small black cylinder covered in circuitry with a set of needles on one end. ¡°Well, unfortunately my orders clearly state that should you engage in unacceptable levels of hostility to your fellow employees I am to restrain you.¡± Mathias eye¡¯s glowed like hellfire. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ you¡­ fucking-¡± She quickly stepped towards his missing limb before driving the needles into Mathias¡¯s neck, causing the monster¡¯s entire body to tense before beginning to shake in a mix of impotent rage and whatever mix of chemicals was in the cylinder that could overwhelm even Nicholas¡¯s healing factor. Slowly Mathias fell to his knees, glaring at her with an absolute loathing that once hurt but had faded around the man¡¯s sixth attempt at torturing her before the guards could stop him. Deciding to be petty for once, given the sheer amount of stress the monster had given her over the night, she leaned in and said, ¡°Oh, and just to remind you¡­ Nicholas is ours and we will never let you hurt him.¡± The look he gave her could¡¯ve killed, and in spite of the chemical¡¯s running through his system she still felt her heartbeat stutter, stopping for just a moment before her own healing factor forced it to beat once more as her body began to instinctively grow her bone armor. When Mathias finally fell onto his face, she could feel the power that had been acting on her heart let itself go, but even then she didn¡¯t let her armor retract. Having once more been reminded that Mathias was the most dangerous member of the company because he would kill any of them if crossed. Inhaling and exhaling she turned back to the burning building, and stood there for a moment trying to get her fear under control. When she finally felt able she pulled out the cell phone that the director had entrusted to her as the most trustworthy of the company before calling the company for retrieval. Fully aware that between the recent crises caused by the sky cracking and the company¡¯s own contacts the local firefighters would find themselves delayed until she gave the all clear. All in all, while it wasn¡¯t her place to decide so she was thinking this night wasn¡¯t worth it. (I would¡¯ve much preferred a nice slow night of filling out paperwork? I could¡¯ve spent the night explaining away why Vanessa decided to poison a guard or why Cyn decided to trap someone in a living nightmare¡­) At the very least she¡¯d have a small mountain of relaxing paperwork to fill out for all of this once she got home. (I hope everyone --- Alexander Pierce --- (I really miss when running a gang didn¡¯t require so much paperwork¡­) He groaned, filling out another set of forms that would authorize someone to do something or transfer some other Bloodline asset to a new subsidy to cover up the fact that they were all owned by one organization. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Back before they¡¯d grown to such a scale, and before the modern age filled everything with bureaucracy, all he¡¯d had to do was tell someone to do something and they could take care of it. Now however everything was a game of shuffling paperwork that made him long for the days where the only papers he had to go over belonged to either academics or ancient books barely held together by magic. (At the very least this is a suitable distraction from everything going on with young Aurelio¡­) Cleo, a young woman who¡¯d joined the family a decade prior, suddenly barged into his office. ¡°Alex!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He frowned with no small amount of concern, because while all of his family was welcome into his study whenever they needed him, very rarely did they do so with such urgency. ¡°It¡¯s Eric.¡± The blood in his veins instantly boiled as he moved at a speed few of the young bloods could imagine let alone manage. All while using the connection their blood provided to all of their kin to track down his nephew to the medical bay where he instantly threw the doors open to the room the boy was in. ¡°Eric!¡± ¡°Hey, Alex¡­¡± His nephew waved, looking notably worse for wear both with how pale he was and the leg that was¡­ mangled. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked, quickly pulling on his magic to use Eric¡¯s own blood to examine the injury. Something he¡¯d normally avoid for politeness sake, but felt could be understandably set aside. (His knee has been practically ground to dust¡­) He reinforced the spell siphoning the young man¡¯s pain without a word. Eric sighed, running a hand down his face and clearly craving one of his cigarettes. Which is why Alex tossed him the spare pack he kept in his coat given how the brand was shared amongst half their kin¡¯s smokers. ¡°Thanks.¡± Eric smiled before lighting the cigarette and inhaling deeply. ¡°Well, the warehouse was a nightmarish shit show.¡± ¡°How bad exactly?¡± He frowned, because while he normally sent Catherine and Eric together on anything that looked dangerous, he hadn¡¯t been able to this time due to how overwhelmed Catherine was with Hunter work ever since the sky cracked. ¡°Bad enough that you should¡¯ve sent Cat and she should¡¯ve called a few of her ¡®Hunter¡¯ friends.¡± Eric told him bluntly, forcing him to grimace. ¡°There weren¡¯t any survivors, be they kin or employees, or whoever got trapped in that hell hole.¡± He felt a hole open up beneath him. ¡°No¡­ there, there must¡¯ve been at least-¡± Eric shook his head. (Tricia, Anthony, Harrison, Frankie, Raphael-) Eric coughed, interrupting his mourning of so many young bloods lost far too soon. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t make things any better, but I¡­ the thing that killed them¡­ I killed it using a Blood Rattle.¡± ¡°You used their blood?¡± He blinked. He¡¯d been teaching Eric how to, but the boy hadn¡¯t yet learned how to truly grasp the depths of their Bloodline (no) their family¡¯s power. ¡°Yeah, I uh, when I saw what the place had become I¡­ I turned it into a death rattle, you always said it was easier with the dead.¡± Eric explained with a grimace. He nodded in understanding, because as dark as it was it was significantly easier to use the blood of others when they weren¡¯t using it. (But that still leaves the question,) ¡°What could possibly require that much power to kill?¡± Because Eric was not weak even if he was several decades younger than Alex. ¡°At first the warehouse was¡­ I can only describe it as a maze of meat, with so much Madness flowing that it felt ten times bigger¡­ near the center of it I found this¡­ monster that looked human, but absolutely was not.¡± Eric told him with a grim look. ¡°The thing¡­ Not even the Pale Wolf¡¯s whistle made me feel the way this thing did¡­ It had to die, but¡­ even pulling on just a bit of their blood wasn¡¯t enough¡­ I¡­ I had to burn all of their blood to put it down in the explosion¡­ if not for how much fireproofing I give myself I probably would¡¯ve burned too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot of fire.¡± He admitted, knowing how much fire his nephew could produce with just his blood let alone that of a dozen of his kin. ¡°Kept it contained to the warehouse to keep it from spreading and to make sure both that monster and whatever it was creating burned. While my own enchantments were burned out I torched a hole through to the river before diving in and hot wiring a car here.¡± Eric concluded his tale. He frowned considering what he¡¯d been told as he went back to work doing what he could for his nephew¡¯s leg. (Thinking of,)¡°your leg¡­ was that the explosion or¡­?¡± ¡°The monster was a sadist, kept going on about pain and¡­ yeah¡­ bought me the time to boil everyone¡¯s blood at the very least.¡± Eric sighed, the young man¡¯s face twitching as he felt the bones in his leg moving. ¡°That¡¯s terrible¡­¡± Enough so that he would¡¯ve hunted the beast down if Eric hadn¡¯t killed it, no matter how much that amount of power would¡¯ve irritated the Wolves or the Arcane. (But if it reached that point, Eric would¡¯ve died too¡­) He looked at his nephew, the boy¡¯s eyes clenched as the last of the bones that could be fixed were snapped into place. ¡°You¡­ you did good tonight¡­ Unfortunately, we¡¯ll need to pull a favor with the Arcane to finish healing your leg but at the very least it won¡¯t get any worse, and you should be on your feet in a week or two.¡± That had been something they¡¯d had to learn during the Riots, prior to that they¡¯d thought of healing magic as a cure all, not even considering what the limits could be. (We¡¯ve learned since then though¡­) ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look so down. Like you said, I''ll be good as new within a couple weeks.¡± Eric tried to console him. ¡°And, for once I¡¯ll have the badass story about killing a monster instead of Cat¡­ You think she¡¯ll count me as a Hunter, or still be all stuck up about that?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He admitted, with just a touch of amusement. Sadly, it was just that touch because while his nephew had tried to reassure him, all it did was remind him of the many stories Catherine had told them over the years of the many monsters she and her fellows had hunted. Stories that had one vital lesson weaved throughout all of them. There were always monsters in the dark, more than you thought, and far more terrifying than the last. Meaning (it¡¯s fully possible that there¡¯s more than one of these monsters out there, and that this wasn¡¯t even the most terrifying of their lot¡­) --- Cynthia --- ¡°Helping¡­ Helping¡­ I am helping!¡± She idly kicked her legs back and forth, her mind not really with her body at the moment, even as she remained aware of the silly guards watching her. (Vanessa hissed at the Creep thrice her size as she clawed and climbed across its flesh, moving swiftly enough that the beast¡¯s attempts to throw her off were dealing more damage to it than to her. All the while the poison in her veins began to eat away at her flesh from the inside out.) (No. Bad Mr. Malice.) She thought, reaching out and pinning the wriggling insect like poison hurting Vanessa in place before taking a look at a regenerating Nicholas to figure out how to undo the damage. She ignored that meanie Mathias like usual, because no matter how much help everyone said he could be she didn¡¯t want to be friends with someone who bullied her big brother. Which is why she left him where she found him without a second thought towards his condition. (Bad kids have to sit in time out.) With an idea of what people were supposed to look like -thanks to her big brother- she went ahead and fixed everything that Vanessa¡¯s poison had damaged while still leaving just enough wiggle room that she wouldn¡¯t outright lose her powers like the time she¡¯d messed up with Jessica. She¡¯d felt so bad when her other sister was left in the hospital for so long. Thinking about it, she went ahead and took a look at Jessica too -the distance between them far easier to manage than she let people think- because while the poison in her was actually a very nice lady, that didn¡¯t change the fact that twisting Anima and Malice together wasn¡¯t exactly good for a person¡¯s body. A mask of bones covering that of a really pretty lady looked her way with a gentle smile before kindly stepping out of the way rather than trying to bite and sting her like Vanessa¡¯s creepy crawly thing. In fact, unlike the bug clinging to Vanessa, the nice bone lady even pointed out the various bits and pieces of Jessica¡¯s body that were being worn down by all of her transformations over these last few weeks. (Thank you pretty lady!) She told the nice bone lady, earning a giggle from the spirit as she fixed Jessica¡¯s body and helped heal her. ¡°Helping¡­ Helping¡­ I am helping!¡± She sang as her various tendrils shifted through the material plane around her, not really focused on her body but fully aware of the silly guards clinging to their weapons as if that would protect them on the day she had enough and finally decided to slaughter all of them and burn the entire company to the ground for everything they¡¯d done to her family. (I just need to wait for big sis to finish waking up~) She smiled a smile that her damaged face couldn¡¯t make. ¡°Helping¡­ Helping¡­ I aM HeLlpINg~¡± Chapter 46: Will Of The Pack Chapter 46: Will Of The Pack --- Lobo Blanca --- ¡°Okay, so these Creeps are actively hunting magic users. What can we do about that?¡± Red asked her elders. ¡°Can we do anything about it?¡± ¡°We can alert the other communities for one.¡± He threw out, always one for a little inter-community outreach. ¡°We¡¯ve got enough connections to the other groups that we can get the word spread pretty quickly to everyone but the vamps.¡± (And even then I can probably get Hendrickson to pass it off to them easily enough.) Given everyone else¡¯s issues with them, he wasn¡¯t going to say that part out loud though. ¡°A good idea, and one that, depending on if they¡¯ve noticed, might buy us a couple of favors.¡± Fredrick nodded, seeming to think it over. ¡°Bolin¡­ you think you can arrange something with Sanctuary? They¡¯re favors are a bit rarer than the rest and given their lack of Deviants this could offer us one.¡± ¡°I¡­ might be able to arrange something, but sending it through the police will be easier. Especially if we want to keep the depths of my connection hidden.¡± The attorney warned. ¡°Do what you can.¡± The old man told Bolin, before Fredrick¡¯s eyes once more drifted around the room. ¡°This¡­ admittedly changes a few things¡­¡± No one said anything, easily able to tell that the old man had something to say. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sure a few of you figured out what this meeting was really about.¡± Fredrick eventually sighed. (So we¡¯re getting to this mierda¡­) He thought with no small amount of resignation, a feeling that was only matched by Black and the old man given how everyone else suddenly seemed very interested in what the latter had to say. ¡°I¡¯ve been at this shit for a long, long time now and given how even with the wolf I¡¯m reaching the final lap of my life it¡¯s about time we start talking about who is going to take the pack over when I step down.¡± Fredrick told them all, his voice carrying the sheer weight of those long years. ¡°Now while a lot of larger decisions are made by those of us here, this one is going to be a little too big for that. Instead of me picking someone, or you lot voting for yourselves-¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, I don¡¯t want the job.¡± He interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m loyal to the pack and the pups, but I¡¯ve seen you keep this trainwreck from crashing and I am not taking that job.¡± Fredrick rolled his eyes, looking faintly amused by his interruption. ¡°I¡¯m aware, and given that I actually know what you do outside of the pack I¡¯m not even going to try and convince you otherwise. Last thing we need to add to this trainwreck is that garbage fire.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± He admitted, even as everyone other than Black and the old man gave him curious looks. They were all aware that he was the most involved with the Hunters in keeping the city¡¯s supernatural in check, but none of them knew that that involved keeping a lot of fucked up mierda underwraps. Including but not limited to the half dozen death deities in town, several portals to the Deadlands, a few more to various hell dimensions, a couple of sleeping Eldritch Horrors, and the one Madness Nexus everyone pretended wasn¡¯t actually a ticking time bomb waiting to drive them all insane. (And of course that¡¯s all before we get into the random bullshit that some pendejo summons up because they thought they were some big bad cabr¨®n.) This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After the tenth time he¡¯d had to tell Fredrick about an impending apocalypse and the details therein of said apocalypse and the remaining dangers, the old man had just told him to warn him if it directly involves the pack but to otherwise keep it to himself. (Something whoever takes over will figure out quick enough once they¡¯ve heard a few of those pesky little details.) Fredrick shook his head. ¡°As I was saying, since half of you would just vote for yourselves I¡¯m going to make this a pack wide vote.¡± ¡°Meaning Bruce and Marinette are the two most likely candidates.¡± Black noted, a bit more aware of the pack politics than he¡¯d ever been willing to entertain. ¡°Bruce directly because of his men and Bolin¡¯s support, and then Marinette indirectly through Tracy¡¯s support and her magical power.¡± ¡°To be fair you¡¯re a contender as well.¡± Fredrick reminded the man, as only Red seemed surprised by the man¡¯s declaration. (Meaning they all did talk this over beforehand.) ¡°Mm, I¡¯m not sociable enough for politicking like that.¡± Black shrugged, his eyes darting between his two noted candidates. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ll both be cordial about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m loyal to the pack first and foremost, as long as Mary keeps my boys alive I¡¯ve got no problem following her lead.¡± Bruce nodded, before giving said woman a feral grin. ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t try for the spot beforehand.¡± Marinette merely matched his grin with her own. ¡°There¡¯s no point to leading if it isn¡¯t earned, and even should I lose what you lack in magical might, you more than make up for with tactical stratagem.¡± Bruce let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re going to make me blush.¡± Fredrick clapped to reclaim everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°As happy as I am to see my pups getting along, we¡¯re not holding the vote immediately. I was already planning on this little crisis to be a test of sorts for you two. We¡¯re all, and yes that includes you White, going to be meeting up every week from now on. I won¡¯t be vetoing anything any of you lot do as long as it isn¡¯t so stupid it makes me question bringing you on, again White. When this crisis ends we¡¯ll have a vote where the pack chooses which of all of you they want in charge.¡± He raised a hand, earning a sigh from the old man. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fredrick said, ¡°If -by some unholy miracle- you get enough votes, then yes that also includes you¡­ and Red I guess. The pack is choosing not us.¡± He lowered his hand. Nodding Fredrick gave everyone another once over. ¡°The last time this city had a crisis of this scale was during the Rift Riots, and I¡¯m sure we all remember how much change came from those years. I will admit that this news about the Creeps hunting magic users is more concerning than I¡¯d initially assumed these events to be, that doesn¡¯t change the core matter of the situation. As the city was forced to change during the Riots, we as a pack united, adapted, and survived the invasion of otherworldly entities and Asylum¡¯s attempted genocide. Right now the city is being forced to change again, and like before we as a pack must adapt to survive, which is why whichever of you helps the pack unite in these trying times, helps them adapt to these changes, and survive this disaster will be the one put in charge of the pack as a whole. And regardless of which of you the pack makes the new leader, I know all of you will make me as proud in this as you have in everything else you seven have done for the pack.¡± Fredrick began to inhaled as magic flooded the room pulling on the instinctive connection they all held to one and other, before as one they all let loose a howl that even if they couldn¡¯t hear, every wolf in the city could feel down to their bones. Reminding them that they were not alone. Chapter 47: Sociable Attempts And Preparations Chapter 47: Sociable Attempts And Preparations --- Harper Everette --- Berry¡¯s howls echoed through their apartment as she tried to calm her usually good boi down, not entirely sure why he was going so crazy tonight. ¡°Hey, calm down boy. Everything¡¯s okay.¡± She assured the dog as she pet him along his side. ¡°I really need you to calm down for me before the landlord gets mad.¡± Which was a legitimate concern given how she was kind of bending the rules by having Berry in her apartment, having just barely gotten him in as a puppy by saying he was a mini rather than the monster he¡¯d grown into. (Though to be fair I didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d get this big when I adopted him.) ¡°Come on Berry, tonight isn¡¯t the night to do this¡­¡± She frowned, not wanting to cancel her date with Aurelio. Her bestest boi paused his howling to stare at her curiously. ¡°This is my first date in¡­ forever, and I really want it to go well.¡± Maybe not as well as Fred was hoping for, but definitely well enough for a second one at the very least. ¡°So please can you be mama¡¯s good boy tonight and stay quiet?¡± Berry seemed to shift around before making his way towards the doggy bed in her living room and curling up on it while giving her a sad look. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡± She moaned, starting to feel guilty. ¡°Look you¡¯ll be alright by yourself, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s storming outside or anything. It¡¯s been a rough couple of weeks and I could really use a good night tonight.¡± Her good boi stared at her for a moment before rolling over belly up. She couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes as she made her way back to her bathroom to give herself another once over in the mirror, where she wore the simple sleeveless black dress she¡¯d decided on. Given the more casual nature of her date, she felt that doing much more than this and maybe straightening her hair out would be too much which is why she was avoiding the temptation to put on any actual makeup. (Well that and the fact that makeup was one of the few things Rey didn¡¯t teach me when he fostered me. Pretty sure I¡¯ll just end up looking like a clown if I tried that¡­) She slapped her cheeks. ¡°Nope, no doubts tonight, just confidence!¡± (Tonight is going to go right no matter what I do!) She told herself as she gave her reflection a determined nod. --- Aurelio Hermenez --- ¡°Okay, I have to make sure that tonight goes right no matter what!¡± He told himself as he frantically moved about the kitchen, checking the oven for the third time to make sure he hadn¡¯t burnt anything. (Like the first three times I made this.) ¡°You are extremely nervous about this.¡± Geraldine noted from where she sat on the counter kicking her legs back and forth while in her more humanoid shape. His personal poltergeist having insisted that he continue to train his magic until she could remain so indefinitely. ¡°Well this is my first date since leaving¡­ home.¡± Not that he considered that house his home. ¡°I want it to go better than my last.¡± ¡°And how did your last attempt at courting go?¡± Jerry asked. He froze, with the oven open, his mind shooting towards the person he thought his best friend¡­ (You really thought I¡¯d be interested in a fa-) He slammed the oven shut before his mind could start to really recount those memories. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I see¡­¡± Geraldine frowned, a sense of concern pouring over the connection that he was pretty sure she was actively pushing towards him given how rarely she bled emotion across over the last week. After a moment the vampiress seemed to puff herself up, ¡°Well¡­ regardless of how poorly your previous courting attempt went, I¡¯ll do all that I can to help you with your current one.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t take this the wrong way but I doubt the dating game is the same as it was a hundred years ago.¡± He told her dryly as he leaned against a counter himself. ¡°Especially the way men and women interact since¡­ women''s suffrage and the sexual revolution.¡± ¡°Sexual revolution?¡± Jerry repeated sounding equal parts confused, amused, and intrigued. ¡°Uh, it was a whole thing during the sixties -I think- that challenged a bunch of stuff about society and sex.¡± He tried to explain before shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about it just that gays quit hiding as much and feminism became mainstream¡­ It was far enough back that I don¡¯t really know how much it changed things, beyond some old time-y stuff like the pride and the prejudice.¡± ¡°A classic to be sure.¡± Geraldine nodded, her mind seemingly somewhere else. ¡°Though on the subject of literature, I do request you get me more books on this ¡®sexual revolution¡¯ at some point.¡± ¡°Sure, we can hit up a library or something later.¡± He promised, thinking that a few history lessons on the last century should help them both out given their age difference. ¡°But right now I¡¯m more focused on Harper and giving her a good night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jerry told him before fading back into his shadow. (With me advising you, I assure you she¡¯ll have a very good night~) He inhaled before exhaling. ¡°That is not what I meant and you know it.¡± Geraldine manifested in her feminine form in front of him -very closely in front of him- while walking her fingers up his chest. ¡°Would you say ¡®No.¡¯ if my advice got you that far.¡± He couldn¡¯t answer that question while maintaining his self respect. Jerry gave him a sinful smile as she bopped his nose. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± --- Max Miller --- ¡°Well that was a waste of time that went nowhere.¡± She groaned, starting towards the bus station rather than getting a lift home when her dad finally called this disaster. ¡°Come on, it wasn''t that bad.¡± Coraline told her, with a weak smile. ¡°All we did was sit around for three hours while our dads tried to find something for us to do.¡± Admittedly that wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d been doing -having spent that time combing the station¡¯s database for anything of value- but it was what everyone thought she¡¯d been doing. ¡°Which like I said, was a waste of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The other girl sighed. ¡°They tried their best¡­¡± (I know that¡­) She frowned to herself, before running a frustrated hand through her hair. ¡°They also jumped the gun with all of this too. With the sky cracking they¡¯re trying to keep an eye on us rather than trusting us to be on our own at home.¡± She understood that it was just her dad¡¯s way of caring, but given how often he chose the station over her, she didn¡¯t really want to spend any more time than she had to there. (Especially since he¡¯s expecting me to follow in his footsteps and become an investigator or some shit¡­) ¡°Well¡­ you have to admit that the streets are more dangerous lately.¡± Coraline reluctantly reminded her. ¡°At night, and that¡¯s only if you¡¯re stupid enough to wander at night.¡± She argued, having seen the exact statistics for everything while scouring her father¡¯s computer. ¡°Even if it¡¯s harder to tell the exact time with those lights glowing all day and night, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the worst of the crime and Creeps are coming out at night.¡± That statement of course completely disregarded the fact that there were several dead zones as far as law enforcement went, but she was more concerned with winning the argument than giving Coraline proof that she might be right. (Besides, it''s not like either of us live in those danger zones.) Something she was only aware of due to checking out the station¡¯s files on the Hawkins when she¡¯d started to grow bored of combing the database for Deviant activity and found she still had another hour left. (Eh, privacy is a myth with how much big brother and uncle sam are watching. Might as well learn what you can about who you¡¯re dealing with.) The fact that Coraline¡¯s dad was a magic cop, and that girl was likely a practitioner herself had definitely made putting up with this whole thing more tolerable. Even if she doubted the other teen knew what kind of Deviant Max was herself. ¡°Speaking of¡­ we¡¯ve still got a couple of hours until sundown.¡± She noted looking up at the sky, and just barely making out where the sun was behind the cracks in the sky. ¡°Did you want to do something or¡­?¡± ¡°O-oh!¡± Coraline blinked, clearly surprised by the offer. (Which is¡­ fair¡­) She was more than aware she wasn¡¯t the most sociable of sort, but she was willing to put up with people if it got her what she wanted. (And what I want is to know more about the city¡¯s Deviant scene.) ¡°U-uh, sure. We can hangout!¡± The other teen smiled at her with enough joy that she had to keep from grimacing. (The things I do for knowledge¡­) Chapter 48: Revelations And Changing Circumstances Chapter 48: Revelations And Changing Circumstances --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°You know when you agreed to hang out this wasn¡¯t quite what I had in mind.¡± Max confessed as they walked through the park, one of the few places in the city that seemed to be thriving in spite of the chaos consuming everything else. (Nature will always find a way.) A memory whispered as the thorns on her arm filled her with a giddy sort of warmth. ¡°Then what do you like to do for fun?¡± She asked the other teen, since the first step in making a friend was getting to know that person. Max blinked for a moment before running a hand through her hair. ¡°Oh, uh, I like to¡­ tinker with things and mess around on the internet¡­ Play video games sometimes.¡± ¡°What kind of games?¡± She wondered as she started hopping along a small path of stones. ¡°Um¡­ mostly shooters and strategy games I guess¡­¡± Max answered a little awkwardly making it apparent how rarely the other girl talked with other teenagers. (Which is why it¡¯ll be good for her to have a friend.) ¡°How about you, you uh, you play anything?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll sometimes play RPGs, the ones with epic storylines.¡± She admitted, not elaborating that it was the ones about magic casters that she fantasized about becoming once her dad started teaching her magic. (Though I guess that¡¯s not a fantasy any more.) She giggled to herself, fully aware that Max was giving her an odd look but finding that (it¡¯s not something to be worried about.) ¡°Right¡­¡± Max nodded with a confused look before shaking her head and looking around the park. ¡°Hey, is it me or are there more trees than normal?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned even as she spun on her heel and balanced on her rock with one foot. ¡°Look I¡¯m not one to hang out at the park much, but I have been dragged here a couple times by my dad and I don¡¯t remember there being this much foliage and junk.¡± Max tried to explain as she gestured at the veritable forest around them. ¡°I mean, wasn¡¯t this the kind of park people would play frisbee and junk in? Not the kind that people would go on nature hikes in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She paused, her mind pushing through the joy of her newfound magic and instead taking in the park around her and her memories of coming here with her dad, Miles, and Micki. ¡°Right¡­¡± She realized as the trees seemed to almost cage them in. (Now, now you have nothing to fear from nature.) A rush of cool-warmth spread out from her thorns allowing her to feel the sheer amount of magic coming from the trees surrounding them. (A magic that¡¯ll do anything we ask it to.) ¡°Uh, Cory¡­¡± Max called, dragging her out from the euphoria of her magic. ¡°What?¡± She snapped, more harshly than she¡¯d meant to. ¡°Do you, uh, do you see those lights?¡± Max frowned, the other girl¡¯s eyes filled with something nervous. ¡°Lights?¡± She blinked before following Max¡¯s gaze towards several lights flickering in between the trees just off trail. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know and¡­ are they getting closer?¡± Max asked, her hands in her pockets as she took a step back. ¡°Yeah¡­ they are.¡± She nodded, not feeling worried in the slightest as she just knew her (I) magic (will keep) her (you safe.) As the lights grew closer she was able to see that they were coming from little people with butterfly wings and insect-like features. ¡°Fairies¡­¡± Max glanced at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fairies¡­¡± She gasped breathlessly as the little nature spirits flew up to them. ¡°I¡¯ve read about them in my dad¡¯s books, these are the Pixie kind.¡± ¡°Fairies¡­¡± Max repeated her eyes darting between the various lights. ¡°And what about the ones that don¡¯t look like, like little people.¡± ¡°Willowisps.¡± She answered by spotting a few of them following after the fairies. ¡°They tend to live near fairy hollows if they can find them, they¡¯re both nature spirits of a sort so they get along really well¡­¡± She paused to remember what she read. ¡°Fairies and willowisps will sometimes develop a mutualistic relationship in which the fairies tend to and feed the wisps in exchange for the wisps working as a sort of protector of their hollows, it¡¯s like how humans are with dogs basically.¡± ¡°Huh, that¡¯s all interesting and junk but uh, how did an entire colony of fairies and these wispy things take over the park?¡± Max asked her, sounding far less relaxed by the nature spirit¡¯s presence. (Probably because she¡¯s more of metal and electricity than life.) She figured, not exactly impressed by the other girl¡¯s obvious nerves. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, fairies might be mischievous but as long as you don¡¯t anger them they¡¯re friendly enough.¡± She assured the other teen. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question about how a bunch of¡­ nature spirits took over the park, because this-¡± Max gestured to the trees and spirits around them. ¡°-doesn¡¯t happen without something triggering it. I mean, how do this many spirits get into the middle of a city? I¡¯m pretty sure fairies are supposed to hate iron.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a myth.¡± She frowned, because she found she couldn¡¯t answer the other girl¡¯s actual question. (How did they get here?) --- Morris Brown --- ¡°So let me get this straight, on top of the cracked sky, the nightly Creep incursions, the deviant virus infecting our personnel and who knows who else, and before we even get to whatever caused that horror show we found at the docks, we¡¯ve now got¡­ magical creatures roaming the city?¡± He checked, feeling his migraine grow as he went down the ever growing list of problems the city had been developing over the last month. ¡°Correct sir¡­¡± Meyers sighed looking just as frustrated as he was. ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic.¡± He cursed while pinching the bridge of his nose, not something he would normally do in front of his subordinates, but given how he¡¯d just gotten word about other Creep attacks in the surrounding cities¡­ (Things really are looking like the Rift Riot¡¯s second coming¡­) Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. After a moment of wallowing in his misery he looked around the room. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose anyone has anything to add to this situation?¡± ¡°Um, we discovered something involving the warehouse incident.¡± Diaz confessed, looking like he wasn¡¯t sure if this information would help or hurt things. Not waiting for his permission Robinson explained that, ¡°After studying some of the organics left at the scene, we¡¯ve discovered that whatever happened there wasn¡¯t actually a new plague hitting the city. Instead it was our current plague having a reaction when introduced to the magical malady responsible for Vampirism.¡± ¡°The warehouse belonged to the Vampires then?¡± He figured putting two and two together, before turning toward Meyers. ¡°Do we have anything of note on their situation?¡± ¡°Aside from a temporary ceasefire with the wolves, it doesn¡¯t appear as if the virus spread too far from their base.¡± The intelligence officer informed him. ¡°That said, given the circumstances it¡¯s fully possible that the one responsible for the fire was one Eric Campbell, the Flame Blood.¡± ¡°Given how we¡¯re burning the samples we found, I can¡¯t really blame them for doing the same if they found the place to be lost. Especially if it was bad enough to get past Pierce¡¯s obsession with their ¡®family¡¯ bloodline.¡± Robinson pointed out. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± He had enough issues and Robinson was the only one to have met the vampire. ¡°If the virus mutated the vampire pathogen do we have to worry about it influencing the werewolf?¡± ¡°Possibly but given the differences between the two, infection will likely only be possible on the new moon and won¡¯t become active until the full.¡± Robinson answered before shrugging. ¡°And even then if their ¡®wolf¡¯ is strong enough they might be able to just fend off the virus themselves, they¡¯re not like vampires who are designed to intake whatever blood or magic they find.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something at least¡­¡± He sighed, not sure if he should be happy or upset by this revelation. ¡°Have we discovered whether or not this virus can infect other Deviant types? If it can infect vampires then any Deviancy is suspect.¡± ¡°Those results have been¡­ mixed to say the least.¡± Diaz admitted, looking over his own reports. ¡°From what we can tell, Deviancy -both primary and secondary- seems to cause the infection to remain dormant for the most part, rendering them carriers unless something causes a sudden mutation within the virus.¡± ¡°Like what we found in the warehouse.¡± He guessed. ¡°Yes, though by exposing multiple Deviant energies to a few subjects we have discovered that Psionics seems to ease transmission while Malice and Ectoplasm seem to actively resist it, with Anima being a more neutral agent.¡± Diaz explained, before gaining a hopeful look. ¡°It¡¯s not much but it is a step towards a cure.¡± ¡°A cure using either a radioactive substance or one infamous for killing people, including its users.¡± Robinson pointed out, before narrowing his eyes. ¡°Actually, where did you even get a workable sample of Malice?¡± Diaz grimaced before coughing into his hand. ¡°Um¡­ We have a few sources normally barred by a large amount of red tape that I¡¯m currently side stepping because we have a city wide plague brewing and this falls under the emergency powers of my own position as head of research.¡± (Well if that wasn¡¯t rehearsed¡­) He inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll only ask one question, how badly is your Malice source going to bite us?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Not as badly as everything else going on?¡± Diaz offered, looking unsure of his answer. (Meaning I¡¯m really not going to like it when I hear it.) --- Sarah Sionis --- ¡°You know I thought the big thing with Sanctuary was that you weren¡¯t performing inhuman experiments on Deviants like the old A?¡± She told the lab tech that looked too young to be a proper doctor. (Probably, an M.A.D. then. Manipulatable via ego normally, but also too emotional and volatile to bother with normally. Especially since they can sometimes shake off my Malice, better to save it rather than waste it on this one.) The lab tech winced. ¡°We¡¯re not like Asylum, but¡­ we¡¯re kind of desperate right now.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She grinned. (Maybe this is the opportunity I¡¯ve been waiting for?) ¡°There¡¯s a Deviant plague on the streets and I need samples of the different Deviant energies to try and counteract it.¡± The lab tech told her, looking her dead in the eye as if he could read her thoughts. ¡°A few of the people infected were turned into what I can only describe as a Wall of Meat.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± She grimaced, and not because of the needle entering her arm. ¡°Not a good time to escape then.¡± She wasn¡¯t really bothered by corpses, (no good Slasher is) but a ¡®Wall of Meat¡¯ was the kind of thing the Slashers who liked corpses more than polite company would accept were the only ones who¡¯d accept that. ¡°It really isn¡¯t.¡± The lab tech agreed with a grimace of his own as he drew blood. ¡°Especially since a few of our own personnel are quarantined in this wing to keep them from infecting everyone else.¡± ¡°Lovely¡­¡± She drawled, before letting her head fall back. (Just as well I suppose. Between this and whatever keeps poking at my mind, being in prison is definitely preferable to being on the streets at the moment.) --- Kelly Smith --- ¡°So we¡¯re getting kicked to the streets just like that?¡± She scowled at the case worker that had been assigned to her and the other kids. ¡°With everything that¡¯s been going on the last month the shelters are all overrun right now, and with the number of Creeps still out and about we can¡¯t simply keep either of you here.¡± The case worker tried to explain. ¡°So instead of kicking out the grown ass adults you¡¯re kicking out two kids?¡± She scoffed, beginning to feel an icy rage creep through her veins, one that was only warmed by watching a scared Zoey clinging to her stuffed animal. Knowing that she had to be responsible for the last of her foster siblings to be taken to a new foster home, she put a hand to her face and forced herself to calm down. ¡°Look, I get throwing me out¡­ I¡¯m only a few months from aging out but¡­ but Zoey is still in grade school, you can¡¯t throw her out.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not throwing either of you out.¡± The case worker assured her, looking just as tired and stressed as she was. ¡°We¡¯ve been working overtime to try and find homes for all of you, even going so far as to pull up files on some of our inactive families. The ones who had kids that aged out or were returned to their families and never re-registered for more kids when they left. Some people can''t handle bonding with a child and then losing them like that. We''ve managed to convince a few of them to sign up again.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you want us to get ready to go, you found us a new foster home?¡± She double checked, realizing that her earlier frustration was due to a misunderstanding more than anything. The case worker grimaced. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve¡­ been playing dirty on that front¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She frowned, immediately back on edge. Their case worker coughed into her hand. ¡°We¡¯ve been¡­ guilt tripping them by bringing the children to their homes and then getting them to re-register with us.¡± ¡°So, we might not be getting a new home.¡± She noted flatly. Their case worker ran a hand down her face. ¡°Look Kelly, earlier I was trying to explain how bad the situation is, I need you to be on your best behavior so that we can get you and Zoey into this home. This is as much about her as it is about you.¡± She bit her lip, holding back her snapping response as she instead looked at the young girl who only really had her to depend on. ¡°What¡­ what can you tell me about the home you¡¯re sending us to?¡± The case worker gave her a relieved smile before showing her a file with three pictures, two teenage girls and one a grown man. ¡°Well, in their exit interviews from the program his last two foster daughters had nothing but good things to say about him. Both even claimed he was more a father to them than their actual fathers, enough so that I¡¯m fully convinced the only reason he didn¡¯t take in more foster children is because he¡¯d essentially adopted these two.¡± ¡°A single man got approved to be a foster parent?¡± She asked, because (little girls shouldn¡¯t be left with strange men¡­) ¡°He was the godfather of the first girl, and given both the mother¡¯s will and a lack of relatives she was allowed to stay with check-ins.¡± Their case worker explained tapping a photo of a red headed girl with freckles before tapping one of a blonde girl with a gap in her teeth. ¡°This one was her best friend and since he was already on record, he was allowed to take custody when her father was declared unfit by CPS.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± She frowned, more in thought than anything bad as she stared at the picture of a tanned man with gray hair and a set of scars over one of his eyes. (Reymundo Ochoa¡­ Hopefully, you¡¯re as good of a foster parent as everyone is hyping you.) Chapter 49: Fostering The Flame Chapter 49: Fostering The Flame --- Zoey Smith --- She held her stuffed bear close as the car came to a stop in front of what looked like a church surrounded by a black metal fence. Not the kind of place she thought would make for a good home¡­ (If you don¡¯t like it¡­ I can burn it down and they¡¯ll get you a new one?) Her stuffed animal whispered, its voice like the warm crackling of a fire that only she could hear. She didn¡¯t think this place would make a good home, (but maybe it¡¯s the home I deserve¡­) ¡°This isn¡¯t filling me with confidence.¡± Kelly told their case worker as they sat in the car. ¡°I¡¯ll admit his home is a little¡­ unorthodox but it doesn¡¯t change our situation or his qualifications.¡± The case worker argued. ¡°Will there even be a room for us here?¡± Kelly scoffed. ¡°Because this place does not look like somewhere a kid like Zoey should live.¡± (See even your caretaker does not like this place, if you won¡¯t burn it for you, perhaps you¡¯d burn it down for her?) Her toy asked, growing warmer in her arms. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± She whispered to the bear, not wanting Kelly to hear her and get even more upset about their situation. ¡°You know we don¡¯t have many options.¡± The case worker sighed, before giving Kelly a pleading look as she got out of the car. ¡°Can you, can you least meet Mr. Ochoa before you judge him like this?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± Kelly frowned, clearly not liking the idea even as she opened the door for Zoey. (You could make that frown disappear, you know?) The stuffed animal pointed out, as the ever present flames on the edge of her vision began to grow. Ever since the fire the older girl had been a lot more protective of her than she had before, something that Zoey guilty loved because¡­ (All you have to do is let me-) Kelly took her hand, wrapping it in a coolness so much unlike the warmth pouring off of her bear, enough so that the toy went silent so long as the older girl was touching her. The only break she got from her constant vigil against the flames she was holding back. The older girl gave her a soft smile as she buried herself into Kelly¡¯s side, seeking what comfort she could away from the monster in her doll. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. I know new homes are always scary, but I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± Kelly promised, her eyes turning an icy blue as mist escaped her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry her.¡± Their case worker scolded from behind Kelly as the older girl¡¯s eyes returned to normal. ¡°Mr. Ochoa is a perfectly good man, and will make a fantastic foster father for both of you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­¡± Kelly scoffed, letting Zoey¡¯s hand go. (Don¡¯t worry¡­ If she can¡¯t protect you, I can.) Her stuffed animal assured her with a glee that only made her worry more. --- Reymundo Ochoa --- ¡°What pendejo is knocking on my door this early?¡± He growled, feeling static fill the air for a moment as his anger slipped for a moment. Catching himself, he inhaled before exhaling and pulling back the power he¡¯d been given by his Lady in his hour of need as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°It¡¯s probably just that ni?o from the other day¡­ No need to go segador on him¡­ unless he¡¯s made another mess of necromancia.¡± The knocking that had awoken him from his slumber started up again, and he pulled the door open with more force than he would¡¯ve if he¡¯d actually gotten any sleep in the last week. ¡°What?!¡± He immediately regretted that as he saw the trio of chicas on his doorstep to jump, something that made him grimace when he noticed just how little one of them was. (Mierde¡­) ¡°Sorry¡­¡± The teenage girl of the trio glared at him with a coldness that seemed to spread into the very air itself, something that anyone with an ounce of understanding would spot for the magic it was. ¡°Do you¡­ need help?¡± He asked, figuring that was the reason these three were on his doorstep if one of them was a Deviant. (Though these three don¡¯t look related in the slightest¡­) ¡°R-right, you¡¯re Mr. Ochoa, I presume?¡± The woman in a business suit of sorts asked. ¡°S¨ª.¡± He nodded as he leaned against the wall in an attempt to seem less threatening to the little one who was holding onto her stuffed animal with a notable level of fear. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°Um, several years ago you took in Frankie Campbell and Harper Everette as your foster daughters, correct?¡± The woman checked, still a little shaken as she went over her clipboard. ¡°Yeah, though uh, Frankie prefers Farewell, it¡¯s her mother¡¯s name. She changed it like a month after she moved in.¡± He corrected, not bringing up how the girls had technically tricked him into moving his second daughter in all but blood in. ¡°Oh, I was wondering why she had two names but didn¡¯t have the time to-¡± The woman in the suit shook her head. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s off topic. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the¡­ difficulties the city has been facing these past couple of months?¡± He looked up at the golden cracks in the sky visible from just about anywhere in the city. ¡°Yep.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Well, due to the¡­ fires from a few weeks ago a number of people are currently without homes.¡± The woman continued, uncaring for his dry wit. ¡°Including a number of children from within the foster system.¡± He frowned sympathetically. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s-¡± His eyes went wide as they darted to the two girls on his doorstep. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± (Fuck, don¡¯t tell me¡­) ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The woman nodded with a grimace, realizing that he¡¯d put it together. ¡°Given how you are registered within our system as a foster parent and how your home was outside of the more damaged areas in the city, we were hoping that you would be willing to-¡± ¡°No bueno.¡± He interrupted. The woman blinked before giving him a frown. ¡°Once more take in-¡± ¡°Uh-uh.¡± He interrupted again. ¡°I am a terrible choice to foster children. Especially as things are.¡± ¡°Look, I know this isn¡¯t the ideal time with everything going on.¡± The woman sighed, beginning to look frustrated, ¡°But both Ms. Farewell and Ms. Everett had nothing but good things to say about you in their exit interviews, so we know that you¡¯ll make a fantastic foster father for these girls.¡± ¡°They only like me so much because their families were mier-¡± He glanced at the eight year old. ¡°-ky at best. I mean, Harper ran away and Frankie forged my signature to get me custody. You get that, I didn¡¯t even realize I had custody until she¡¯d been here for like six months!¡± Admittedly, he was kind of proud that they pulled that off without him but, ¡°That is a clear sign that I am not responsible enough to have kids here. And if not that, then what about the fact that I live in an abandoned church that I got from an alcoholic old man because I used to sneak into the cemetery to impress my girlfriend who was into ghosts and¡­ things.¡± The woman clearly wasn¡¯t sure how to take his little rant, (and I¡¯m okay with that as long as she takes the kids with her.) Honestly, he actually knew that he was a pretty good parent, if -ignoring how Frankie and Harper visited him for father¡¯s day- because half of his father figures had told him so. It was just that given how he was spending every night hunting hundreds of Creeps across the city and how he was pretty sure some of them were hunting him, his home was not the kind of safe place a child should grow up in right now. (And this Cracked sky shit could go on for months if we¡¯re really fucked!) ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want us, we can¡¯t force him to let us stay.¡± The teenager cut in. Oh, they absolutely could. (She clearly missed the part about Harper and Frankie doing just that.) The woman gave the teenager a frustrated glare before turning to him with a pleading look. ¡°Mr. Ochoa, you have to be aware of the¡­ problems that the foster system has when it¡¯s working properly, let alone the kind we¡¯re dealing with now. I implore you to please reconsider. These girls they, they need a good home and your other foster children insist that you can give them that home.¡± ¡°Not now I can¡¯t.¡± He disagreed, knowing that they were currently standing less than a hundred feet from a Necro Nexus that regularly spawned feral undead that had broken into his house on more than one occasion. (I am so lucky that Harper was a heavy sleeper.) ¡°Mr. Ochoa-¡± ¡°No.¡± He growled, losing control for only a brief moment as he caused all three of his guests to jump once more. With another ounce of guilt he inhaled and exhaled before saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not the kind of person you should be leaving these girls with. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The woman told him with no small amount of disappointment. ¡°Come on girls, let¡¯s- Zoey?¡± --- Ignacious, The Voracious Flame --- He had spent weeks biding his time, his patience steadily growing thinner and thinner as he was held inside of the prison that his young summoner had bound him to after unwittingly unleashing him upon this plane. His hunger for devouring this plane as he had several others, merely whetting his appetite for the feast that was to come. (A feast that I have been robbed of!) Ever since that first night where she summoned him, and he simply did what he was always summoned to do -feast, devour, and most importantly burn the world- she had seen fit to stuff him inside of this insufferable prison rather than simply dismissing him back to his proper plane of existence. (An insult that shall not stand!) At first he¡¯d almost been willing to let her go, to be the survivor of his latest cataclysmic feast upon the material world. Especially given the fact that he could feel that she was a kindred spirit of the flame, a soul that simply wished to watch the world burn on a beautiful pyre like no other. That sentiment had died the moment she bound him to a, a, a child¡¯s plaything. She was going to burn alongside the rest of her city for that. Normally, escaping a prison such as this would¡¯ve been easier child¡¯s play than his current vessel had ever been put through, but somehow the child was able to consistently reinforce his prison in such a way that he could not simply devour the prison and free himself. Which is why he¡¯d had to take to subtler arts of manipulation than he¡¯d ever bothered with before. Constant attempts to get the girl to lower her guard, a single instance of emotional weakness, one just long enough for him to free himself and unleash hell upon this mortal world that should consider itself lucky that a being such as he saw fit to turn it into food. And at long last that moment had come. Finally the girl¡¯s control had weakened enough that it could escape and devour her like the pathetic whelp that she was, alongside that infernal ice witch that had unknowingly reinforced his prison whenever the girl¡¯s control had begun to slip. Bit by bit, the bear began to burn to beautiful cinder and ash as his hungering flames readied to burst for and devour this bountiful world, leaving behind nothing but a charred husk of- A hand clamped down on the head of his prison. ¡°Don¡¯t worry mija, there¡¯s nothing you need be afraid of.¡± A gruff but kind voice promised. He felt his prison being lifted by someone other than his summoner and warden, someone he¡¯d never seen before today. ¡°That said, me and your little amigo here, we¡¯re going to have a little¡­ chat about playing nice.¡± The voice explained as a second scarred hand reached out and ruffled his summoner¡¯s hair. His prison was turned to meet a pair of golden eyes, and all the while his immortal mind could only process the one looping thought that had been running through his head since the thing in front of him had turned its attention his way. (I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die.) ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be very educational. Won¡¯t it, little amigo?¡± (I¡¯m going to die!!!) He whimpered. Chapter 50: A Protective Father Figure And A Laidback Mentor Chapter 50: A Protective Father Figure And A Laidback Mentor --- Reymundo Ochoa --- ¡°Now what do you say?¡± The teddy bear was silent. He raised his pimp hand. ¡°I am sor-¡± ¡°Correctly.¡± He warned, cutting off the voice forged from the primal roar of the flame. The demonic teddy bear was silent again. He raised his pimp hand of power again, ready to backhand a little bit- ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sowwy Miss Zowy.¡± The teddy bear cried in a squeaky voice. ¡°I know I¡¯ve been a¡­ a¡­ a super stoopid meanie poopy head¡­ hu-haugh¡­ Can you, can you eva find it in yous big beautiful heart to forgive me for¡­ for being a, a stoopid poopy head? Wuh-hu-huh¡­¡± The teddy bear sobbed as if death would¡¯ve been more merciful. Zoey looked up at him with a concerned look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s serious, he won''t ever hurt you again. In fact, he swore on his life to protect you.¡± He assured the girl before glaring at the bear, fully aware of how his eyes flashed gold. ¡°Didn¡¯t he?¡± The teddy bear continued to sob, unaware of the fact that he couldn¡¯t actually kill the bear without risking the girl. (Not that¡¯ll stop me from beating it into submission again.) ¡°I did¡­¡± Zoey gave the bear a glare as she took it from his hands. ¡°You promise to be good?¡± ¡°I promi-¡± He coughed and the teddy bear shivered. ¡°I pwomise Miss Zowy¡­ wuh-huh¡­ I was onwy a meanie because I don¡¯t know how to¡­ how to make¡­ fweindy fweinds!¡± Rather than being offput by the demonic entity¡¯s wails of despair, the little girl seemed to take them as a sincere form of regret and gave the teddy bear a comforting hug while patting it¡¯s back and telling it, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± (Ah, she really is just an adorable little ni?a~) ¡°Is, is it really okay to leave that¡­ thing with her?¡± The girls¡¯ caseworker asked, while the teenage one looked between him, Zoey, and the teddy bear with something conflicted. (And that¡¯s a whole other can of worms¡­) ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s soulbound. Even if we put it in a cement block and threw it into the bottom of the mariana trench it would somehow find its way back to her.¡± He sighed, wishing he could do just that. ¡°It also means the best way to handle it right now is to make sure it understands that it¡¯s in the demonio¡¯s best interest to keep her safe, and that if it doesn¡¯t well be having another¡­ what¡¯s the thing?¡± ¡°Conversation?¡± The caseworker offered a little unsurely. ¡°S¨ª, a brutal beatdown in which it¡¯s established that el demonio es mi perra.¡± He nodded in agreement earning a huff of amusement from the teenager even as the caseworker looked even more concerned. (Which should work in my favor.) He figured before giving the caseworker a sympathetic, ¡°Look I understand where you¡¯re coming from with all of this, but I¡¯m a cazador, a monster hunter. I hunt and kill monsters in¡­ what¡¯s honestly not the most lucrative profession if I¡¯m being honest.¡± He happily blamed that on the fact that you couldn¡¯t go five feet without running into a vampire, werewolf, witch, or some other kind of Deviant bullshit just itching for a fight with an acceptable target. (Well, that and that Morris guy refusing to support small businesses by hiring non-Sanctuary contractors¡­) ¡°What that means, is that I¡¯m constantly in danger of being killed by something supernatural, live in a ramshackle church, and am probably going to be gone far more often than is safe for children with that mess going on.¡± He tried to explain with a wave towards the cracks in the sky. Rather than the caseworker simply accepting his reasoning and moving on so that he could really look into how a Demon got itself soulbound to a child, the caseworker gave him a frown and asked, ¡°What about your other two foster children? Given how¡­ decisively you¡¯ve handled this¡­ situation, you must have been a¡­ cazador, during their time with you.¡± ¡°Yeah, but they were both teenagers who could look after themselves without me around.¡± He pointed out, not admitting that he was still a little confused how Harper never figured it out even with Fred running interference. (Seriously that girl could have a Vampire bite her and she wouldn¡¯t realize it. Really glad Fred keeps an eye on her too.) ¡°What if I watched Zoey?¡± The other girl asked, interrupting his thoughts. He blinked, looking at the girl in confusion. ¡°?Qu¨¦?¡± ¡°If¡­ if you¡¯re busy doing this monster hunter thing, what if I watched Zoey here and you kept¡­ doing whatever it is you¡¯re doing while we stay here.¡± The teenager elaborated. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a wonderful idea!¡± The caseworker smiled, seemingly confused by but appreciative of this change of events. ¡°Seriously?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scowl. ¡°You just saw me beat a Demon into submission and hand it back to its victim, and you still think this is the best place for these girls?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Admittedly, he¡¯d dragged it into the alley behind the church before showing it whatfore, but he was pretty sure they heard him at the very least. (Either way, the point stands.) ¡°Given how swiftly you dealt with this incident and the fact that there is¡­ apparently more than I was aware, you might actually be the best person to leave them with during this event.¡± The caseworker assured him. ¡°Yeah.¡± The teenager nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been with Zoey since the fire and I¡­ I never noticed she was suffering!¡± The girl hissed through her teeth before taking a calming breath and looking at him with two blue eyes. ¡°You did though¡­ You kept her safe.¡± He stared at the teenager for a moment, before cursing,¡°Fuck¡­¡± Not so much because he was being pushed into a corner where he¡¯d have to take these girls in and protect them, something he was quite happy doing with Harper and Fred, but because as he stared at her he realized (she¡¯s got something stitched onto her soul too¡­) --- Old Man Hendrickson --- ¡°What do you know about soul parasites?¡± An overgrown runt asked with no preamble. ¡°Hello to you too.¡± He greeted, ignoring how the annoying whippersnapper was blocking his sun. ¡°Did finding religion strip you of your manners, and turn you into another high and mighty asshole? Why not ask your goddess about souls or is she too busy being a gimp for-¡± ¡°I just found an eight year old with a Fire Demon stitched onto her soul, in such a way that I couldn¡¯t separate them.¡± His former employee turned Death Priest interrupted him, thus leaving with ample time to take another sip of his beer. ¡°Well, religion definitely didn¡¯t teach you how to be humble.¡± He grumbled (as is the god given right of the old) before sitting up and feeling his back pop with the action. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d know something about souls that you don¡¯t?¡± Rather than answering little Rey-Rey simply gave him a look. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Fair. Bullshit, but fair.¡± Killing the beer in his hand he tossed it to the side before grabbing another and popping the top while hoping that it would be enough to get him buzzed enough to deal with this shit. ¡°You said the parasite was demonic, right?¡± ¡°The first one.¡± Little Rey-Rey nodded, causing him to pause, beer halfway to his lips. ¡°The first one?¡± He repeated. ¡°Second one was something¡­ dead, vengeful, protective, and cold.¡± The Death Priest explained. ¡°Complete contrast to the one that was a¡­ primal, destructive, flame of hunger.¡± He considered that for a moment, chugging his beer so that the haze of alcohol would be enough to dim the unhelpful thoughts for the more useful ones, before suddenly remembering the kid. ¡°Think this might have something to do with my runt? If it¡¯s just soul deep, what you¡¯re describing would look a lot like possession.¡± ¡°Possession is having someone break into your house, this would be more like breaking a wall down and turning two apartments into one.¡± Little Rey-Rey argued, before conceding that, ¡°If the residents moved between the two, it would look like possession if you weren''t looking closely.¡± ¡°Fancy way of saying I¡¯m right.¡± He scoffed, before thinking about what he¡¯d picked up on regarding the kid¡¯s situation. ¡°The spirit he¡¯s hooked up to was definitely something dead, a bit demonic but that¡¯s more Malice than actual Demon stuff, the vamps reek of the same thing especially with the blood involved, but¡­ it wasn¡¯t doing anything more harmful than your standard Arcane Summons.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the ghost in Kelly seemed harmless, at least compared to the Demon burning down their foster home with all of the kids inside of it.¡± Little Rey-Rey growled, his eyes flashing gold as reality began to bleed color and he started to look a little less¡­ human, his nails sharpening, and his fangs growing. He made the runt knock his eldritch bullshit off with a can to the head, earning himself a half-hearted glare as little Rey-Rey caught the beer he wouldn¡¯t drink. (The sober ass hoe.) ¡°I get enough of that shit from my ex¡¯s, you aren¡¯t bringing that crap onto my lawn.¡± He warned the runt who wasn¡¯t too big to bend over his knee. (Doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s my kid or not.) Little Rey-Rey¡¯s narrowed eyes met his own as he popped the top on the beer before pouring it out on the ground. He silently mourned the fallen for a moment before leading his eye¡¯s back to the runt¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re still a little bitch I see.¡± ¡°First rule of the supernatural.¡± His runt argued with a feral grin. ¡°Take no shit.¡± He nodded toasting his beer, glad the boy learned something from him (even if he¡¯s still a little bitch,) before finishing the can off in a single go. ¡°A lesson that we¡¯re going to be teaching another youngster tonight.¡± ¡°You want me to check out your kid?¡± Little Rey-Rey asked, quicker on the uptake now than when he¡¯d first met the runt. ¡°Hopefully, he just sold his soul to a succubus that¡¯ll fuck him to death, but if he¡¯s got the same bullshit these girls you found have then we¡¯ve got yet another problem. One that probably has to do with that bullshit given the timing.¡± He explained with a finger towards the cracks in the sky. ¡°Wonderful¡­¡± Rey-Rey sighed, sounding like he wished he wasn¡¯t a sober hoe for once. (Not that that¡¯s really helping me.) With a shake of his head he told the overgrown runt, ¡°Come on. The kid has been going on and on about having a date tonight, one at his house. Surprised he had the game to manage that for his first date given how much of a clutz he tends to be.¡± as he got out of his lawn chair. ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s funny¡­¡± Little Rey-Rey told him awkwardly, probably remembering his own ¡®first love¡¯ given how much of a rambling romantic the runt was. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s probably hoping his lucky streak will keep going tonight, and that he¡¯ll really get lucky after all the times he got shot down. Honestly, I feel kind of like a dick blocking him like this but the city is more important than a one night stand.¡± He¡¯d learned that the hard way, a very hard way that may or may not have involved several very pointy things doing exactly what that one night stand would¡¯ve done to him. ¡°Still given how he flirts with anything that moves, he¡¯s probably fully aware that there are other fish in the sea.¡± The runt who never learned that lesson gave him a nod as they got to his truck. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t suppose he told you anything about the girl he¡¯s bringing to his home, as a first date¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s his neighbor, so he¡¯s going to have another chance with the blonde regardless of if we get in the way. Hell if we didn¡¯t her massive dog probably would¡¯ve. I promise you we might stop him tonight, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll bed her tomorrow. I¡¯ll even give him some of the tips that got all my exes to ignore my crazy long enough for a quick shag.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nIcE of yoU¡­¡± ¡°Oi, what did I tell you about that eldritch shit?¡± Chapter 51: A Disaster In The Making Chapter 51: A Disaster In The Making --- Harper Everette --- Thus far the night was going fairly well, with Aurelio having clearly put in a decent effort at trying to give her a solid ¡®Home Date¡¯ from an attempt at a fancy Italian meal, to watching the Princess Bride on his living room wall via a projector and a laptop underneath a ceiling covered in glow in the dark sticker stars. (Honestly, this might be the best date I¡¯ve ever been on.) Admittedly, she hadn¡¯t been on many, but (the point stands.) She knew the fact that the date was in his apartment had some¡­ expectations that she wasn¡¯t entirely sure about. Expectations that she¡¯d largely been able to ignore given how dorky Aurelio came off whenever he was trying to play it cool, and that she probably wouldn¡¯t have thought of if not for Frankie needling and teasing her all week. (At the very least, I don¡¯t need to worry about Aurelio trying anything.) While he was trying to make their date as entertaining as possible, the slight stutter and frequent blushing he had going on was proof that even if he was physically prepared, emotionally he was in a worse state than she was. (It¡¯s honestly kind of cute.) In fact, just to see how he reacted she went ahead and began to shift around on the couch until she was half leaning onto him. Something that made him stiffen with wide eyes as he glanced down at her. She couldn¡¯t help but give him a little smirk as their eyes met. Aurelio¡¯s eyes shot forward as he swallowed. Despite their odd positioning, she was sure she could hear his heart pounding inside of his chest, this entire situation filling her with a growing sense of confidence and satisfaction as she made him squirm. A confidence and satisfaction that had her mind drifting towards the conversation she and Frankie had had before. One that she knew they¡¯d only had because her best friend absolutely loved to tease her but now had her seriously wondering, (how far do I want to take this?) Just a few weeks prior this much would¡¯ve already been pushing her comfort zone. Especially given how it was usually her more masculine partner that was trying to lead things rather than her, but the fact that she was the one in control -something she had zero doubts about- was making her wonder just how far she could push things. Her actual anxieties were as dead as the Creep she¡¯d killed during the Event, an incident she knew was the catalyst behind her new found confidence. (After all, if I can handle a giant man eating monster then I can handle anything a boy can do.) (Which means¡­) ¡°Uh-wha?!¡± Aurelio gasped as he found himself pushed onto his back by the surprisingly strong hand on his chest. (The question is¡­) ¡°H-Harper?¡± Aurelio stuttered out wide eyed as she straddled him. (Can he handle what I¡¯m going to do to him?) She couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips at the way his eyes went wide as she began sliding the straps of her dress off. --- Reymundo Ochoa --- ¡°You sensing something? You¡¯re staring at that door pretty intently.¡± Hendrickson noted, as he pulled out a joint. ¡°I am.¡± He nodded as he turned away from Harper''s door and towards another just a few doors down from the one that she should¡¯ve been behind with her dog instead of the one that she was in with a dog he was going to be having words with. ¡°Things about to get wild?¡± Hendrickson asked before lighting his smoke. He couldn¡¯t help but growl. ¡°They damn well better not be¡­¡± Completely unbothered by the fact that world had lost all color, Hendrickson took a hit of his joint before asking, ¡°So¡­ you scare the thing off or what?¡± He took a deep breath before letting it out. (Right, right, don¡¯t need to overreact¡­ Harper doesn¡¯t know about magic and I don¡¯t want to scare her by rushing in there all eldritch horror like. She¡¯s a responsible young woman and no matter what Hendrickson says I sincerely doubt that she¡¯d do anything like that on a first date. We¡¯re probably just interrupting a crappy movie or a really shitty dinner. Yeah, this is just me bailing her out of a bad date. She¡¯ll probably thank me for getting her out of here, and I can take her out for ice cream like when she was in high school.) The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. With another calming breath he gave Hendrickson a nod. ¡°We¡¯re good. We¡¯re good. Good as can be.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Hendrickson drawled in a way that told him the old man thought he was being weird -(Which is saying something.)- before lightly knocking on the door. ¡°The fuck was that?¡± He frowned at the old man. ¡°I¡¯m trying to keep it light that way if he and the girl are getting hot and heavy we don¡¯t kill the mood too bad by interrupting.¡± He felt his eye twitch. (We¡¯re good. We¡¯re good. Good as can be.) ¡°We¡¯re about to-¡± He inhaled and exhaled. ¡°We¡¯re about to interrogate the kid. No one is going to be in the mood for anything¡­ ¡®hot and heavy¡¯.¡± He almost gagged. ¡°And you¡¯ve clearly forgotten what it¡¯s like to be a horny teenager.¡± Hendrickson laughed. He took yet another calming breath, before cop-knocking the door and interrupting anything involving his daughter in all but blood on the other side. --- Aurelio Hermenez --- (What do I do? What do I do? What. Do. I. Do?!) He panicked internally -one of the few positive skills he¡¯d picked up from his previous lifestyle- as Harper looked down on him while wearing just her bra, far less than he¡¯d ever seen a woman in in his entire life. (Whatever she wants.) Geraldine unhelpfully told him. Harper licked her lips and made this whole situation ten times harder than it had been when she¡¯d pushed him down. ¡°I am so in over my head.¡± ¡°Yes you are.¡± Harper agreed as she leaned forward with a grin. (Okay, since you¡¯re panicking, I¡¯m just going to tweak this a little bit.) Jerry warned him as he felt a flush of his usual magical warmth flood through him. (Tweak what? What are you doing?!) When Harper¡¯s lips met his, all panic, thoughts, and worries left him as instinct promptly took over taking what little experience he had and using it to drown himself in Harper¡¯s very presence with a hunger far greater than any other kiss he¡¯d ever had. Rather than being intimidated or offended, Harper seemed to take this as a challenge attacking him with a hunger of her own, each of them barely pulling away for half a breath of air before diving back in and attempting to consume as much of the other as they could, the world around them losing all time and meaning beyond their mutual hunger. A hunger that became increasingly all consuming as they found their hands and mouths wandering, Harper stripping him of his shirt as his own hands fumbled at her bra strap before giving up and just latching onto her to pull her as close as possible as his mouth migrated to her neck. Where he found himself biting down with enough force to tear through skin and taste her blood on his tongue as hunger took over and he could feel a taste greater than any other rush down his throat. (Tweaked it too much. Tweaked it too much! Tweaked it too much!!!) ¡°Fu-uck!¡± Harper cursed in a mix of emotions. He felt an arm wrap around his throat and pull him off of her, driving a snarl from him right up until he found himself biting into something cold and without any true form. ¡°Aurelio, control yourself!¡± Something shifted and twisted throughout his entire body, forcing it to go rigid as his every joint locked up and became painfully tight, ripping his ability to move away from him. ¡°Damn it, was really hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to do that¡­¡± Geraldine¡¯s voice growled from behind him. ¡°J-Jerry?¡± He groaned, just barely able to make out the ghost from out the corner of his eye. ¡°Have your senses returned?¡± Geraldine asked him with no small amount of caution. ¡°S-sense?¡± He blinked a faint fog to his thoughts. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s as good as I¡¯m getting under the circumstances.¡± The vampyric ghost huffed, as he felt whatever force restraining him release itself. ¡°We need to work quick.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± He tried to understand. ¡°Harper?¡± Jerry explained as if he should understand. ¡°Harper?¡± He frowned. ¡°Harper.¡± Geraldine confirmed as she grabbed the back of his head and forced him to look down, where he found Harper bleeding from her neck with a faintly dopey smile as she looked up at them. The glassy eyed girl looked up at him with a giggle. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire¡­¡± ¡°Oh, shit! Harper, I''m so sorry!¡± He gasped, as a wave of clarity washed over him. Rather than processing his words, Harper¡¯s eyes drifted towards Geraldine and in a slurring voice asked. ¡°Is she a vampire too?¡± The living shadow made a so-so gesture. ¡°Technically speaking.¡± ¡°Heh, this is one of my top three fantasies¡­¡± Harper admitted before promptly passing out. ¡°Fuck! What do we do?!¡± He panicked as he turned towards Geraldine. ¡°Calm down. She¡¯ll be fine, we just need to stay calm and work quickly.¡± Jerry assured him. His attempt to do either of those things was immediately hampered by someone cop knocking his door. Chapter 52: Shovel Talk Chapter 52: Shovel Talk --- Old Man Hendrickson --- For whatever reason when the door didn¡¯t immediately open, little Rey-Rey decided that he was completely justified in continuing to knock. He also felt he was justified in applying a little more¡­ oomph, as it were. (Of course, ¡®oomph¡¯ in this case is eldritch death magic.) ¡°Shit, man, you¡¯re about to take that door off its hinges.¡± He told the runt, while feeling more than a little put out that he had to be the voice of reason instead of the stoner mentor that occasionally said something insightful without meaning to. ¡°Give the kid a second to answer the door. Rate you¡¯re going you¡¯re probably scaring that girl he¡¯s with.¡± That made Reymundo pause, before letting out a shaky breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re right¡­ I don¡¯t want to scare her¡­¡± (So you¡¯re trying to scare the kid then?) He scoffed, with a shake of his head. ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t gotten laid in like twenty years doesn¡¯t mean you need to block the kid from doing so.¡± Little Rey-Rey thought that golden eyed glare of his would scare the old man who knowingly cucked that one god in a threeway involving what turned out to be an eldritch horror and a goat¡­ He tried very hard not to remember what happened to that poor poor goat¡­ (There¡¯s a reason I avoid the Greeks¡­) It was then that the kid finally decided to open the door, looking more than a little panicked as he did so. ¡°Can I help you¡­ Hendrickson?¡± The boy frowned as his fear turned into confusion. (Which is good. Better confused by the crazy shit happening around you than to be scared of it all¡­ And if you do get scared that¡¯s when it¡¯s time to smoke a Necronomacone.) Figuring that since he was the one who actually knew the kid it was better for him to explain things, he stepped forward. Or rather that was the plan until Reymundo slammed his hand on the door as he sniffed the air before forcing it open with more strength than the kid could ever hope to muster and in doing so revealed the girl that the kid was apparently sweet on. Namely one Harper Everette, aka Reymundo¡¯s younger daughter in all but blood who was currently unconscious while wearing a smile and no shirt. ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± The kid cried as his fear came back in force as he stumbled away from the door. ¡°Oh!¡± He said realizing why the currently growling little Rey-Rey was being such a hard ass tonight. (The kid was hooking up with his daughter!) Reymundo and the kid both disappeared in a flash of static. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He said realizing why this was probably going to end with the kid dead. ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± --- Aurelio Hermenez ¡ª One second he was answering the door for his usually laid back boss and some scarred up scary looking latino after half way cleaning the blood off of him and Harper. The next he found his entire back in agony as he found himself falling through the air with a hand around his face after being shoved through a brick wall. A brick wall not even two feet from his window¡­ Before this could end in the logical conclusion of him being pasted on the ground after the three story fall from his apartment he found himself being wrapped in the surprisingly comforting embrace of the shadows. ¡°Oh, good¡­ you¡¯re awake. You blacked out for a moment there.¡± Geraldine told him as she dragged him out of the shadows several meters from where his assailant -the scary ass latino who looked like he could snap Aurelio like a twig- landed without looking the slightest bit worse for wear. ¡°You know, usually I give you blood sucking cabr¨®ns a lot more slack than everyone else.¡± The golden-eyed man told him, with a laid backness that did nothing to cover for the fact that he was intending to murder Aurelio. ¡°I mean, sure you¡¯ve got your stupid little gang war against the wolves, but you never drag innocents into it and I never have to drag into a grave.¡± The world around the man began to drain of color, filling with a static that had his every instinct screaming, ¡°Aurelio, we need to run. We need to run now!¡± ¡°Oh, heh-heh, don¡¯t you know?¡± The man chuckled before disappearing in a glitch of reality, only to reappear with his hand wrapped around Gerry¡¯s throat and a maw full of fangs. ¡°You can¡¯t run from death.¡± (If I wasn¡¯t about to die that would be so fucking metal.) He internally squeed. ¡°Not the time.¡± Geraldine reminded him as she grasped at the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ phase¡­ through¡­¡± The man gave the ghost a sympathetic nod ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± before crushing her throat and causing Geraldine to shatter into black mist. ¡°Gerry?¡± He whispered, not sure if he should panic yet or not. (I¡¯d start panicking.) His partner assured him from within the safety of his mind. (If he can hurt me as I am you should very much be panicking.) ¡°As I was saying. Normally I give you guys a lot of slack, but tonight you were stupid enough to sink your fangs into my daughter.¡± The man growled as the static grew heavier. ¡°So I¡¯m going to rip your throat out with mine, before bringing you back to life, ripping off your dick, and shoving it down your throat so that you can choke on it.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Would-wouldn¡¯t it be easier to castrate me before killing me?¡± He asked for some (stupid) (stupid) reason. ¡°It would.¡± The golden eyed man admitted. ¡°I really want to kill you more than once.¡± The man lunged forward with his mouth open, and Aurelio reacted more on instinct than anything else as he threw his hand forward. From his shadow a wave of black something surged forward before slamming into the man in front of him. ¡°Did¡­ did I do that?¡± Aurelio gasped breathlessly as he watched the man stamp a boot down several meters away, killing the wave of shadows he¡¯d been dragged away by. (Well, it was you who directed it.) Gerald answered as he climbed to his feet. (But truly, we need to run.) ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to let us do that.¡± He admitted with a grimace. ¡°Shadows¡­ you¡¯re one of William¡¯s runts?¡± The man frowned as he almost seemed to stare through Aurelio. (Gerry, give me whatever you can give me!) He told the spirit possessing him before slamming both of his hands onto the ground and pushing as much magic as he could into his shadow. (Right, I¡¯d rather not be attacked again but¡­) From within his nearly black shadow a number of forms began to crawl out of the darkness, clawed hands pulling out snarling maws, until half a dozen shadow beasts stood in front of him. Each of them a twisted chimera of cat, wolf, bat, and half a dozen other animals he couldn¡¯t hope to identify in the time it took them to rush forward. (Hopefully these will at least slow him down.) ¡°No.¡± Rather than looking the slightest bit concerned the golden eyed man grinned as he entered a boxing stance with one of his hands open into a clawing shape. As the beasts lunged at him, the man punched through the first shadow construct, before grabbing a second and using it as a shield to block a thirds lunge with a swing that sent it flying into a fourth, knocking it to the ground. The man stepped forward, crushing the two under foot just like he did a fifth by slamming it into the ground with his makeshift shield¡¯s skull. He merely looked at the last one and it shattered into black mist, a look that was shortly turned Aurelio¡¯s way. ¡°That¡¯s not something his folk can do. Meaning¡­¡± ¡°Tha-at didn¡¯t slow him down at all.¡± He laughed with wide eyes as he realized, (I¡¯m going to die.) (No!) Geraldine assured him as the shadows began to pull towards him. (I¡¯ve already done that and I do not desire an encore anytime soon!) --- Reymundo Ochoa --- He looked up at the three story tall shadow monster that the pendejo stupid enough to play with his little girl¡¯s heart had turned into. ¡°This must be your Spirit¡¯s power.¡± While the thing in front of him wasn¡¯t quite as impressive as ol¡¯ Will¡¯s shadowblade spell, it was something he hadn¡¯t ever seen from one of the Vamps. That lot at most wrapping themselves in a thin layer of shadows, never going so far as to construct full on monsters to fight in their place. (Either way definitely different from what Zoey had.) Her spirit was connected to her soul in a way he couldn¡¯t unravel but it was still similar to an actual Arcane summon, if made more permanent. (He¡¯s more like Kelly¡¯s undead thing but¡­ the fact that she had a body outside of him, even briefly¡­ A hybrid of the two maybe?) In which case there was going to be a whole spectrum of bullshit to deal with. (Fun¡­) ¡°Still,¡± He cracked his neck one way and then the other. ¡°I¡¯ve killed bigger.¡± The spirit bound to the boy let loose a roar that shook the windows and woke the neighbors before drawing back a car sized fist full of darkness and launching it at him just as fast as one getting a traffic ticket. Unfortunately for them, that was still not his level as he easily twisted the magic bound to his soul to leap into the air before letting it loose in a clawing slash as he came down. His own Death magic easily ate its way through the Anima giving this construct life and severing the arm as he landed none the worse for wear. The rest of the shadow¡¯s arm retracted, snapping its shoulder back but doing nothing to harm the main body. Even less than that as the shadows quickly formed a new limb out of the darkness of the night. ¡°Regeneration, cute.¡± He taunted, knowing that if it was actually regeneration his magic would¡¯ve killed the effect. (Meaning they¡¯re going to replace their limbs as I cut them off until they run out of magic.) The gigante shadow crossed its arms before spreading them wide and unleashing a veritable storm of shadow-constructed bats from its chest, all swarming at him in a tunnel of shifting darkness. He reached for the soothing coolness within his soul before pushing it out into the world around him, causing it to fill with static as all color drained away. Only unlike the other times he did this, this static devoured all it touched. The Necro he¡¯d long since grown comfortable with ate every bat that touched it, and those beyond it as it slowly creeped along the tunnel seeking out to consume all life in the ever present cycle of it and its truest love. At least until the Spirit possessing the boy smartened up and killed the tunnel before the static could kill her. Not that that saved their constructs. When the last bat was finally consumed, he wrestled the blessing of death back under control before it could kill someone he actually cared about, containing that eternal hunger back within his soul. To keep the spirit from realizing how much effort that took, he taunted her by asking, ¡°Is that the best you cabr¨®ns got? Because this isn¡¯t anywhere near my best.¡± He grinned, before killing the space between him and the goliath¡¯s face. What he could read of the construct¡¯s face lurched back in surprise, not that that saved it when he merely killed the little space it had built up again, allowing him to land on the goliath¡¯s face. A face that he promptly shoved his hand inside of before channeling his magic into it and devouring the spirit like he would the rest of creati- He once more wrestled the piece of Death inside of him under control as he and the kid fell to the ground, him landing with little trouble whatsoever and the boy probably getting crippled if not for blood magic. Not that that was really a concern to him, given how he was more focused on the fact that, (Damn, I¡¯ve gotten rusty¡­ I mean, I can still beat a demonio¡¯s ass but the Lady hasn¡¯t been this aggressive in years.) Even as he picked the boy up by his throat, Reymundo couldn¡¯t help the way his eyes drifted towards the golden crack in the sky. (Wonder if that¡¯s what¡¯s got her so uppity right now?) (Whatever that¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s problem.) He decided as he turned his attention back to the punk who hurt his little girl, trying to gather what shadows he could to prevent Reymundo from (ripping the little pendejo limb from fucking-) ¡°What the fuck!?¡± A familiar voice cut through his bloodlust, causing him to freeze as his head slowly turned to where his daughter in all but blood -more specifically the daughter in all but blood who had no idea he was a Hunter- stared at him standing over her date ready to rip the boy¡¯s beating heart out with wide eyes. He absolutely hated the way, he and the kid both said, ¡°Mierda.¡± Chapter 53: No More Secrets Chapter 53: No More Secrets --- Harper Everette --- She continued to pace back and forth in Aurelio¡¯s living room while doing her best to ignore the massive hole in the wall and process everything that had happened in the last couple hours. A feat that was not made easier by the three sets of eyes watching her, or rather two sets since that old man Rey occasionally hung out with was instead eating the rest of the food Aurelio had made. (But that¡¯s unimportant.) What was important was the fact that apparently both Aurelio and Rey were keeping secrets from her. Admittedly she half way got it with Aurelio since they¡¯d been talking for like a month, (not like Rey who I¡¯ve known for almost a decade!) Though that meant nothing for the fact that Aurelio was apparently a vampire who had bitten her. She took a deep breath once more and Barry rubbed against her legs, her goodboi trying to reassure her even as he glared at the men sitting on the couch. ¡°Alright, okay, let¡¯s go over all of this once more.¡± She eventually managed to get out. She pointed a finger at Aurelio. ¡°You are a vampire with shadow magic who bit me on our date.¡± ¡°That was not planned at all!¡± Said vampire shouted. ¡°I got turned like a week ago and no one warned me we were the kind of vampires to go feral. They were just going on this whole cult-y family thing that I wanted nothing to do with and something about being blood witches!¡± She was going to put a pin in that because -aside from the cult stuff- that (sounds ten different kinds of awesome), but for now she merely raised a hand causing Aurelio to shut up. Harper then pointed at Rey. ¡°And you are a monster hunter apparently. Something I did not know and-¡± A thought occurred to her. ¡°Does Fred know you¡¯re a monster hunter?¡± ¡°S¨ª¡­¡± Rey cringed. ¡°Is there anything else I should know about?¡± She wondered with narrowed eyes. ¡°He¡¯s also a Death Priest!¡± Old man Hendrickson helpfully shouted. ¡°And a Furry too!¡± ¡°I am not a fucking furry!¡± Rey yelled at the old man, the space around him briefly flickering black and white. An effect that was simultaneously beautiful to look at and absolutely terrifying on an instinctive level, as ever hair on her body began to stand on end and her heart began to pound. (C-come on, it¡¯s just-just Rey, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of¡­) She reminded herself as she pet Barry to try and calm herself down. Hendrickson looked Rey in the eye -something she was sure of in spite of the man wearing sunglasses inside- and said, ¡°We both know that¡¯s a lie.¡± The black and white space continued to grow for a moment, before Rey glanced her way and visibly forced himself to inhale and exhale, letting color return to the space around him and pushing away her terror with it. ¡°Does-Does she also know about¡­ that?¡± She wondered, gesturing her hand towards him while already feeling like her and her best friend were going to need to have some words about their mutual foster father. (And whatever the fuck that was.) ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Rey nodded with a grimace. ¡°She¡¯s uh, that¡¯s part of how I met her and why she was staying with me¡­ Her mom was a friend¡­ and her dad¡­¡± Her foster father swiped a hand in front of his throat, as he referenced a topic Fred never talked about. ¡°Oh¡­¡± That explained a thing or two, while leaving her with twice as many questions. She put her head in her hands and took another calming breath, before asking, ¡°Okay, monster hunter and death priest¡­¡± For her own sanity she was going to believe Rey about the furry thing. ¡°Any other secrets I should know about? Just while we¡¯re airing all of this out?¡± Once more Old Man Hendrickson helpfully chimed in from the kitchen to inform her that, ¡°Aurelio is possessed by a succubus he sold his soul to for kinky sex!¡± She glanced at the boy she went on a date with as he vehemently shook his head. ¡°That is not at all what happened. Gerry, get out here and explain! If you really want to help with that thing get out here right now!¡± Aurelio¡¯s shadow shifted beneath him before an insanely hot woman with pale white skin and darker than black hair and clothes appeared on the arm of the couch, making Harper swallow something down from the sight of her alone. ¡°Technically speaking I¡¯m a vampyric spirit, I latched onto him when the oddity in the sky occurred removing my corporeality due to¡­ reasons I¡¯m still deciphering.¡± The woman -Gerry- admitted with just a touch of frustration. ¡°Since then I¡¯ve been aiding him with his transition due to¡­ several disagreements we both have with the local Bloodline. Truthfully, Aurelio¡¯s feeding on you was largely due to me having forgotten that as a possible problem when adjusting his instincts and hormones. What with it not occurring to me in decades and all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded slowly, trying very hard not to think about bisexual vampire threesomes. The way the vampiress smirked at her did nothing to aid that little problem. (Is he sure she¡¯s not a succubus?) Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± She nodded, trying to steady herself once more. ¡°So moving past the fact that I¡¯m the only non-supernatural in the room¡­ The fighting was caused by Aurelio losing control as a fledgling vampire and Rey being overprotective.¡± ¡°No.¡± Rey interrupted with a frown. ¡°You were bleeding and half naked, if we¡¯re being honest, the fact that he¡¯s still breathing means I did not act with anywhere near enough protectiveness.¡± Aurelio leaned towards the (sexy) shadow vampiress, clearly intimidated. Something that was made worse when Old Man Hendrickson pointed out that, ¡°You were throwing raw Necro at an idiot teenager with self-control issues.¡± ¡°Raw Necro?!¡± The vampiress stiffened, staring at her foster father with no small amount of horror. ¡°How are you alive?!¡± Her eyes snapped to Rey with no small amount of confusion or concern. ¡°I already died and came back when I was teenager¡­ and then like eighty-ish times since then.¡± Rey shrugged as if that wasn¡¯t an extremely worrying statement. ¡°That¡­ is kind of badass.¡± Aurelio voiced her own thoughts. ¡°Terrifying, but badass.¡± Unlike if she¡¯d said it though, Rey did not seem to appreciate the sentiment. ¡°Right, ignoring the badassery, how at risk are you of dying?¡± She asked, deciding that was her priority at the moment. ¡°Before I turn like ninety?¡± Her foster father checked as he scratched at his neck. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m one of the¡­ three most dangerous things in the city.¡± ¡°Sixth by my count!¡± Old Man Hendrickson called back as he exited the kitchen plate in hand. ¡°That isn¡¯t sleeping and or sealed beneath enough magic to nuke the city.¡± Rey tacked onto his previous statement with a roll of his eyes as if that was just common knowledge rather than an extremely terrifying statement. (Then again maybe it is for him¡­) She was slowly realizing she didn¡¯t know her foster father anywhere near as well as she thought she had. ¡°Fourth then.¡± Old Man Hendrickson corrected himself, causing her to snort at the way Rey glared at the old man. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Rey visibly inhaled and exhaled, before turning said glare onto the shadow vampire. ¡°That¡¯s not including any of the dozens of Demons, spirits, and everything else that started flooding the city the same time you showed up.¡± Gerry tilted her head while narrowing her eyes. ¡°You think I¡¯ve something to do with the sky cracking.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Rey admitted. ¡°Which is why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Really because here I was thinking you were trying to box block your-¡± ¡°So help me I will throw your ass out that hole in the wall!¡± Rey shouted, the air once more filling with static. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time, wouldn¡¯t be the last.¡± Old Man Hendrickson confessed, completely and utterly unimpressed. Aurelio glanced at the hole in the wall and winced. ¡°Fuck¡­ I¡¯m so getting evicted¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that herself, since that part was her dad¡¯s fault. Which is why she reluctantly said, ¡°Well, I guess you could sleep on my-¡± ¡°It¡¯s illegal to evict someone for supernatural damages unless it can be proven as your fault. Just fake a Creep attack and they¡¯ll move you into another apartment if they can.¡± Rey quickly spat out, looking more concerned with what she was about to say than any of the horrifying details of his life she¡¯d learned this night. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Aurelio slumped in relief. ¡°And disappointing.¡± His shadow disagreed with a pout. Harper felt her face heating up, especially with the way Rey¡¯s eyes snapped to the vampiric ghost, the static around him growing worse. The overwhelming mix of terror, embarrassment, and arousal made her have to sit down as her head began to spin. (Or maybe that¡¯s just the blood loss from earlier¡­) ¡°Are, are you okay?¡± Aurelio asked, both him and Rey already off of the couch and halfway to her. ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m fine.¡± She lied, before shaking her head. ¡°I just¡­ This is all¡­ a lot.¡± Rey let out a sigh as he took a seat next to her. ¡°Yeah¡­ that¡¯s part of why I never brought you into all of this¡­ It¡¯s a lot, and¡­ I¡¯ve lost people because of it all and¡­ I just -mierda- I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She didn¡¯t really know either, but she sort of got what he was saying. ¡°Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for whatever unleashed all of these spirits¡­ And me finding Zoey and Kelly I probably wouldn¡¯t have dragged you into all of this¡­¡± Her foster father admitted. ¡°Even with me killing a Creep?¡± She frowned, because she¡¯d always had fantasies of being a monster hunter and Rey knew about them. (And he still didn¡¯t tell me about all of this¡­) Rey grimaced at that reminder, seemingly holding something back, before telling her that, ¡°These Creeps are nowhere near the scariest monsters in this city, and unlike Creeps those ones will ignore you as long as you don¡¯t know they exist.¡± ¡°Mnemonic Threats are a bitch no matter where you live.¡± Hendrickson chimed in, a bit of seriousness bleeding into the old man¡¯s usually laid back attitude. ¡°The more you know about them the more of a pain in the ass they become.¡± ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Rey sighed as he pulled her into a half-hug. ¡°Knowing what was out there, I couldn¡¯t let you or Fred get involved with all of that. So I did my best to keep both of you out of it all.¡± She was quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°And if I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to stay out of it all?¡± The way her foster father¡¯s face twisted at that told her exactly how he felt about the idea even if he stayed quiet. While she¡¯d only ever fantasized about monster hunters, the closest she¡¯d ever been to it was when she¡¯d taken a look at Sanctuary¡¯s programs in high school and found the organization too¡­ military for her. (But if Rey is an actual monster hunter¡­) ¡°Why can¡¯t you teach me about this stuff, like you did with my boxing? I mean, not knowing clearly didn¡¯t help me as much as you thought.¡± She pointed out with a gesture towards Aurelio and Gerry, the pair standing awkwardly to the side. Rey glared at the vampyric pair once more. Eventually though, he let out a string of curses in Spanish as he ran a hand down his face before mumbling under his breath. ¡°Given everything with the other girls I¡¯m going to have to walk them through all of this too and¡­ Fuck it wouldn¡¯t be fair if I didn¡¯t¡­ Fuck. Fine. I¡¯ll just teach all three of you at once.¡± ¡°All three of us?¡± Aurelio cautiously asked, sounding like he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted that or not. ¡°No not you. Fuck you. You bit my daughter, I hope you die in the sunlight leech.¡± Rey growled with golden eyes and absolutely no reservations. ¡°Rey!¡± She frowned, because while she got it -and secretly liked the warm feeling it gave her- it also felt like he¡¯d just used a slur there. ¡°Ignore him. A vampire stole his girlfriend.¡± Old Man Hendrickson chimed in. ¡°That is not what happened!¡± Rey barked out his teeth looking particularly pointy. Despite herself she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. (Maybe¡­ maybe this isn¡¯t as bad as I thought?) Chapter 54: A Threat Contained, Dead or Free Chapter 54: A Threat Contained, Dead or Free --- Morris Brown --- ¡°This is even worse than I thought¡­¡± He grimaced, not sure if he was talking about the letter from the higher ups he was once more reading on his tablet or the idea Diaz had for ¡®inoculating¡¯ their agents within the city from the various plagues drifting about. ¡°I¡¯m aware sir,¡± Diaz admitted with his own grimace from where the researcher stood off to the side. ¡°But¡­ this was the quickest and easiest cure I could find, and given what you, uh, shared at the meeting earlier¡­ We¡¯re going to need it sooner than later¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make this any less of a terrible idea.¡± Robinson chimed in from the other. ¡°No it doesn¡¯t¡­¡± He sighed, because as much as he hated this option he hated the idea of facing the coming shitstorm without a cure far more. ¡°Have you explained the situation?¡± Diaz shook his head. ¡°No sir. People aren¡¯t really my specialty and¡­ given the circumstances I thought it was better to let you handle this in case I make a mess of things.¡± (Which we can¡¯t afford at this junction.) The fact was, as crass as it was to say, they were fucked one way or the other it was just a matter of deciding how it was going to happen. (If we¡¯re lucky we¡¯ll all be able to walk after this.) ¡°And you believe you can handle your part in all of this?¡± He asked, Robinson appreciating the fact that in spite of having every reason to hate this the older man was still going along with things. (Then again maybe that just says how far up shit creek we really are.) Robinson took a deep breath before nodding. ¡°Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, my experience with Asylum and their security measures means I¡¯m the best at handling this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be here¡­¡± Diaz offered sympathetically. ¡°You gave me the blueprints and I built the device so-¡± ¡°No.¡± Robinson interrupted. ¡°If we must do this, then I¡¯ll be a part of it. I promised myself long ago that I would not bury my head about this sort of thing should Sanctuary do it¡­ I just wish it wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± He agreed, if more because of how this could make all their problems ten times worse than because of the older man¡¯s bleeding heart. (Though if we were doing this to anyone else I¡¯d probably feel just as shit.) The doors to the elevator opened, and he started down the hall passing by a number of glass doors as he did so before coming to a stop in front of one particular door. ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you again so soon~¡± One Sarah Sionis smiled as she sat up from her bed and took the three of them in. ¡°And you brought guests. Figured you would all be busy with the¡­ mess going on outside.¡± He felt his eye twitch as he gave Diaz a questioning look. ¡°I believed that explaining the plague would keep her from making any escape attempts. I-I made sure not to tell her about anything else.¡± His youngest department head assured him. He noticed Sionis watching them intently, and decided any division of unity could not be afforded in front of the devil he was going to have to make a deal with. Of course the crime family princess noticed, her grin growing amused. (I¡¯m hating this more and more¡­) ¡°So since our mutual friend here seems to have withheld the juicer bits of gossip, I don¡¯t suppose you intend to share whatever caused you to come and find me?¡± Sionis prodded with a calculated tilt of her head that someone who didn¡¯t know who and what she was would find charming. (I need to play this carefully.) He reminded himself, that was the whole reason he hadn¡¯t had the guards put her shock collar on before this visit because, (This whole thing becomes significantly easier if she agrees to this willingly.) ¡°Before that I¡¯ve a question for you.¡± He told her, arms behind his back. ¡°During our previous conversation I tried to get you to talk about your father but you refused.¡± Sionis let out a snort. ¡°Yes, well that wasn¡¯t much of a conversation so much as it was you monologuing interspersed with the occasional zap.¡± Robinson and Diaz both shot him looks, ones he couldn¡¯t afford to defend himself against without showing Sionis the weakness she was looking for. ¡°True, but circumstances have changed.¡± He sighed, thinking about those many many circumstances. ¡°So much so that we really do need to talk about your father.¡± ¡°Well, as gracious a host as you¡¯ve been, how could I possibly answer any way other than, no.¡± Sionis wondered with an amused smirk. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That would be fair from your perspective.¡± He nodded, before noting that, ¡°In the same way that many criminals would consider it perfectly fair that your father is trying to kill you for leaving his organization.¡± He knew that neither Diaz nor Robinson were comfortable with that line of thought, but the fact that Sionis¡¯s eyes flashed red for the briefest moment, short enough that most would consider it a trick of the light, meant that it was worth it. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the woman in front of him would admit it, especially since, ¡°I¡¯m not buying your bluff. Even if the good guy angle was a con I can¡¯t see you handing me over to any one other than another Sanctuary branch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He confirmed, before getting to the point. ¡°Which is why we¡¯d be very good at keeping him or any of his allies from getting their hands on you if you worked with us.¡± Sionis scoffed, looking legitimately offended that, ¡°You think me some damsel in need of rescuing? Need I remind you that you¡¯re the one who called me my father¡¯s greatest hitman?¡± (No, since that¡¯s the very thing making this such a risky gamble.) ¡°I¡¯m aware that you don¡¯t need us to protect you, but it could make your life significantly easier.¡± He assured her. ¡°So much so that with a bit of assistance, you could lead a very comfortable life outside of a cell.¡± The slasher in front of him frowned, clearly having caught on to something. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t let me go just for flipping on my father. There¡¯s something else you want from me¡­ something to do with the plague going on outside? No -yes- but not just that¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s come to our attention that Malice is resistant to the various Deviant plagues and anomalies flooding our city at the moment, enough so that anyone with even traces of it in their system should prove immune to them.¡± He explained, keeping his face flat. Sionis nodded, following along with a growing grin. ¡°You want me to do something for you. Something you can¡¯t do because you don¡¯t have Malice in your system.¡± ¡°Based on our reports and studies, your power leaves trace amounts of Malice behind when-¡± The slasher broke down into a fit of laughter. ¡°You, you want me to use my control on people to make them immune! Your people! How desperate must you be?!¡± ¡°Very.¡± He admitted, as he showed her his tablet and the letter he¡¯d received late last night. Curious, Sionis leaned forward to read the notice, her eyes slowly growing wider. ¡°They¡­ they can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Given the number of events occurring within our city and the fact that the unknown energy being projected across our city is spreading, they believe they can.¡± He forced himself to tell her through grit teeth at the rage he felt at the letter. A letter that didn¡¯t even give him a twenty-four hour notice. ¡°While unprecedented it is within their powers if the circumstances are dire enough.¡± Sionis fell back on her bed and let out an appropriate, ¡°Fuck¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you understand now, why we¡¯re so desperate to have something resembling a cure and why you would want to aid us rather than being imprisoned like you are.¡± Oh, he had no doubt she was going to try and break free the moment she was out of sight, nor did he doubt she could pull it off given who she was, but if he could get a cure out of her before then (it¡¯s worth the risk.) A silence fell over them as Sionis contemplated things for a moment, before letting out another ¡°Fuck¡­¡± and sitting up. ¡°Alright. What do you need from me exactly? Do you want me to start with you three?¡± ¡°No, while we may be aligned at the moment we¡¯re not foolish enough to actually trust you.¡± He warned her. ¡°You¡¯ll be going with Diaz and Robinson here to begin inoculation procedures with those most likely to be exposed to the plague while staying far away from mandatory personnel outside of them. Should I see you trying anything well¡­ it likely won¡¯t be pretty for either of us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t try anything.¡± Sionis lied to his face with her hands raised. He nodded, before swiping his access key and unlocking the cell. Something either Diaz or Robinson could do in his place, but he wanted her eyes on him for this next part. Once the door began to open he started making his way back to the elevator, fully secure in the fact that it would take time for Sionis to sink her hooks into anyone. Which is why he wasn¡¯t giving her any time to infect him with her Malice. Though he did hold the elevator doors open just long enough to watch Robinson inject an explosive into the base of unaware Sionis¡¯s skull while she was distracted by Diaz¡¯s explanation of just what he¡¯d discovered about the plague. With that confirmed he switched to another tab on his tablet, to make sure the device was working and that he knew exactly where she was in case he had to hit the button to kill her where she stood as Robinson explained what had been done to her. (After all, we can¡¯t leave a monster unaccounted for when there are already so many wandering the streets doing who knows what.) --- Darkspawn --- It walked through the halls of the building the other had hidden itself away in, calmly walking around the various prey that wandered in and out of the building. All of them just a bit too small and far too lacking in¡­ danger for its tastes. One of the humans rudely bumped into it and it considered simply slaughtering them all on principle before devouring their biomass because (waste not want not.) Unfortunately, doing so would definitely alert the other who it could sense with far more accuracy at such a short distance. Able to practically feel them calmly walking through the halls as it stalked them, wishing to observe them before making any rash decisions. Though how much it could gain from this was debatable given how it had no doubt that the other could sense it just as easily as it could sense them. After maneuvering through the halls -and restraining itself from devouring even more of the humans who got far too close for its appetites it finally brought the other into a sensory range for something other than whatever instinct marked it as the great enemy. Which is how it found itself staring at a trio of teenagers just down the hall. One a dark skinned male, and then two females one with dark hair and one without, each of them vibrating with their own kind of otherness, and yet only one of them the familiar other that it was looking for. (Interesting¡­) Chapter 55: Monsters Lurking Temptations Chapter 55: Monsters Lurking Temptations --- Micki Harrison --- ¡°Do you guys get how big this is?!¡± Cory asked as they walked through the high school hallways. ¡°There are actual magical fairies in the park!¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve said that a couple times now.¡± She pointed out with a wry grin, because while she loved how excited her best friend was, she¡¯d lost her own excitement around the fourth or fifth retelling of things. ¡°Heh, yeah¡­¡± Miles nodded, looking exhausted. (Though he¡¯s been looking worse and worse every day.) She didn¡¯t know what it was, and he¡¯d brushed her off the few times she¡¯d asked, but she was starting to get worried about him. (Maybe it has something to do with his coma¡­ If it does I¡¯ll have to talk to his mom¡­) ¡°If fairies are appearing in the park, then it¡¯s possible other magical creatures will start appearing too!¡± Cory continued, not noticing either of their reluctance on this topic. ¡°Like all the Creeps we keep getting alerts about?¡± She frowned, unable to help but connect the cute magical creatures with the dangerous ones, even if she hadn¡¯t seen the latter outside of one or two news reports. (All of this started when the sky cracked so¡­) ¡°What about zombies?¡± Miles wondered, the note odd enough to pause even Cory¡¯s excitement. ¡°Zombies?¡± She found herself repeating. ¡°Where have you heard about zombies?¡± Miles winced while rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°Um, uh, fairies are magic and Creeps are monsters and, uh, the undead are a type of magical monster?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but give the boy a flat look, even as (sweet naive) Cory seemed to buy what was obviously an on the spot excuse. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be any undead.¡± Cory admitted after a moment of thought. ¡°They¡¯re a different type of magic than what fairies are attracted to, and Creeps are¡­ Honestly, it¡¯s a very broad summary term for the different kinds of creatures that come through the Rifts. Technically, depending on your definition, fairies could actually be considered a kind of Creep if they weren¡¯t fairly benign and actually good for any ecosystem. Undead are a completely different branch of magic.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± She was just going to trust the magic nerd on that one. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing your magic lessons with your dad are going well?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Cory smiled beautifully as her fingers ran over the necklace she was wearing. ¡°He¡¯s only really letting me focus on my affinity stuff for now, but once I get that down he was going to see about teaching me some of the enchantments he and mom worked on together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± She smiled back, knowing how important any connection to her mom was to Cory. (Wish I had that kind of bond with mine¡­) ¡°Hey, uh, Cory¡­ I remember you saying something about different schools of magic or something?¡± Miles asked after a moment. ¡°Like how there¡¯s enchanting, affinities, and¡­ stuff?¡± ¡°The different magic arts?¡± Cory checked before listing off. ¡°There¡¯s Magical Theory of course -which is all my dad let me read until last week- then there¡¯s Enchanting, Potions, Alchemy, and Contracting like that lady tried to show us at the convention center.¡± Her side throbbed at the reminder of that mess, phantom pains from when she¡¯d been- (Don¡¯t think about it.) ¡°What about things like¡­ Necromancy?¡± Miles continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve heard about that somewhere, but that¡¯s not one of the ¡®magic arts¡¯?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but give him a side-eye at that as she wondered, (where¡¯s his head at?) ¡°Necromancy is a dark art.¡± Cory explained before elaborating, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s evil magic, just that it''s super dangerous if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing. Like I know my dad dabbles in it on some of his cases to try and figure some stuff out, but I also know that the ¡®seeing death¡¯ isn¡¯t the nicest thing. Honestly, movies and books give Necromancy a really bad reputation, since it¡¯s easy to say ¡®death magic is evil¡¯. Even when Miles and I prove it¡¯s not!¡± ¡°We do?¡± Miles jumped, his eyes wide. ¡°Yeah, remember we found out at the convention that we¡¯ve both got a Death Affinity.¡± Cory reminded them. ¡°Right, I almost forgot we did those.¡± She nodded before trying to remember, ¡°What was mine again? Um, Metal Light Guardian or something?¡± She wasn¡¯t as big on the magic stuff as Cory, but it was still a kind of cool thing. Cory smiled her way. ¡°Something like that. Honestly, it¡¯s kind of nice knowing I have an overlapping affinity with both of you¡­ sort of anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Miles frowned. Their friend shrugged. ¡°Well you and I both have a Death affinity, and while it¡¯s not one to one Micki and I both have ¡®creation¡¯ type affinities with my Life and her ¡®metal creation¡¯ or however that one works.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Guess, that¡¯s her influence on us?¡± She chuckled as she elbowed Miles. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Miles wryly grinned before wincing and putting a hand to his head. ¡°Uh, you okay?¡± She asked, trying to keep him steady. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you that hard did I?¡± --- Miles Kennedy --- ¡°No, it¡¯s not you¡­¡± He assured Micki. (¡°Quit ignorin¡¯ me boy.¡±) Kriminel growled. (I¡¯m not ignoring you.) He tried to argue. (¡°Yes, ya are. Yer askin¡¯ yer lass questions ya shouldn¡¯t be.¡±) The baron warned him once more. (¡°I don¡¯t care if she does know magic, I don¡¯t need ya gettin¡¯ dragged into the mess of other practitioners. That¡¯s how yer predecessor got his ass killed ya know.¡±) (No, I don¡¯t.) Anytime he¡¯d tried asking about the man, Kriminel would sidestep or dodge the question. (Besides, Cory knows more about magic than me and her dad is a cop if you really want to find out what¡¯s going on with those cracks in the sky like Samedi said then she¡¯s our best lead.) (¡°No, our best lead would be ya listenin¡¯ to me when I tell ya what to do like a proper horse!¡±) The baron disagreed. (¡°Unless I need to remind ya who¡¯s in charge again?¡±) (I¡¯m good¡­) He grimaced, not needing another reminder of how easily the baron could off him. ¡°Miles?¡± He blinked before turning his attention back to the girls as he realized they¡¯d been talking while he was distracted with Kriminel. ¡°Sorry, what was that?¡± Micki and Cory glanced at each other before Cory asked him, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re doing okay? You¡¯ve been¡­ spacing out a lot lately and¡­ we¡¯re starting to worry about you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Not something he could really explain, because even if Cory¡¯s family was all up in magic he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to drag her or Micki into his mess with voodoo Caine. ¡°Look it¡¯s, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You sure Mi?¡± Micki frowned, crossing her arms. ¡°Because with the way you were in a coma¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He insisted, not needing another reminder about his death and resurrection. (Not when I¡¯ve got the asshole in my head reminding me every day.) (¡°I know ya know I can hear ya.¡±) Kriminel dryly admitted. Another thing he didn¡¯t need a reminder on. ¡°Miles¡­¡± Cory touched his shoulder and he pulled it away. He couldn¡¯t help but wince at her hurt look, a feeling that wasn¡¯t at all helped by Micki¡¯s glare. (Damn it¡­) ¡°Sorry I just¡­ I¡¯ve got to get to class.¡± He lied as he turned to leave. ¡°We¡¯ve still got half an hour on lunch!¡± Micki called after him, never one to flinch from a fight. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t feeling up for one not after fighting Kriminel so much over his whole ¡®possession¡¯ thing. The only reason those fights hadn¡¯t escalated was because any time he went by the graveyard again, the baron would sense the gravekeeper and warn him off from ¡®practicing¡¯ any more. (¡°Thinkin¡¯ of that, we¡¯re really goin¡¯ to have to find another place for ya to train.¡±) Kriminel told him. (¡°Especially now.¡±) ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He cursed once he was sure he was out of sight from the girls before leaning against a wall and letting out a sigh. ¡°What is it now?¡± (¡°Ya know those monsters that be rampagin¡¯ all over?¡±) The baron asked. ¡°The Creeps?¡± He frowned, half in confusion and half because of the bad feeling he was getting. ¡°What about them?¡± (¡°Well, normally they¡¯d be what I¡¯d call ¡®not our problem¡¯.¡±) Kriminel assured him, making that feeling worse. (¡°But it seems one be followin¡¯ ya.¡±) He spun on his heel, his eyes darting all over the hallway. ¡°What? Where?¡± (¡°Not here, but that¡¯s what I was tryin¡¯ to tell ya earlier when ya was ignorin¡¯ me.¡±) The baron explained his head appearing before Miles like it had in the graveyard. (¡°Somethin¡¯ was watchin¡¯ ya, something¡¯ that ain¡¯t human, and with a body count worth rememberin¡¯.¡±) ¡°So there¡¯s a Creep nearby¡­ one that¡¯s killed a lot of people already?¡± He swallowed, instinctively reaching for his phone before wincing when he realized the signal was still off. ¡°Shit. I need to call Sanctuary so they can deal with it.¡± (¡°Ah, ah. Don¡¯t be doin¡¯ somethin¡¯ so hasty now lad. This is an opportunity.¡±) Kriminel smiled in a way that was more sinister than anything else. ¡°What kind of opportunity?¡± He slowly asked, knowing full well that it wasn¡¯t going to be one he liked. (¡°Well, if ya goin¡¯ to be huntin¡¯ killers for me ya goin¡¯ to need to get ya hands a bit bloody from time to time.¡±) The baron warned him, never losing his smile. (¡°And since this beasty is a killer but not a human, that should make it an easy first blood for ya.¡±) ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He grimaced. (¡°Come now, lad. Don¡¯t be getting cold feet on me, you knew what ya were gettin¡¯ into when ya chose me to be ya baron.¡±) Kriminel reminded him. (¡°Unless ya were willin¡¯ to let yer dear old daddy¡¯s killer get away with it?¡±) He froze. (¡°We both know what ya goin¡¯ to do when ya find the one who did lad¡­¡±) He swallowed. (¡°So wouldn¡¯t it be easier to make sure ya don¡¯t flinch when the time comes?¡±) He took a deep breath before letting it out. ¡°Where is it?¡± --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so down.¡± Micki tried to reassure her. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Miles is being a dick.¡± ¡°And it might not be his fault either.¡± She reminded her best friend. ¡°We¡¯ve no idea how his coma could¡¯ve affected him! I mean, I know we were pretending like nothing really happened but¡­ something did happen¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Micki sighed, running a hand through her hair. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do¡­ I mean, we can talk to his mom since she¡¯s a nurse but¡­ will that actually help anything?¡± She didn¡¯t know. ¡°Whatever we do we¡¯ve got to talk with him¡­ we can¡¯t keep ignoring this.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Micki nodded. ¡°Miles is our friend, we need to do what we can to help- oh!¡± She stumbled back as she walked into someone. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± A pale boy with pitch black hair assured her his eyes solid white as he smiled in a way that seemed off. (He¡¯s dangerous¡­) Chapter 56: That Which Lurks Comes Out To Play Chapter 56: That Which Lurks Comes Out To Play --- Micki Harrison --- She wasn¡¯t sure what it was about the boy in front of her, but something about him was setting off every single instinct that she had. As if they were staring down a predator far higher up on the food chain than they¡¯d ever be. (And given how many asses I¡¯ve kicked over the years¡­) The fact that the possibly blind/possibly Deviant boy seemed to be staring right through Cory only underlined that feeling. (Yeah, blind or not, I am not liking the way he¡¯s looking at her.) She frowned as Cory took a step back from the boy who let out a huff of amusement at the act. Her frown shifted into a full blown scowl as she gently pulled Cory back before stepping between the two, much like she would whenever someone thought to bully the sweet girl. (And like with those bitches, I¡¯ll stomp this bitch whether Cory likes it or not.) The boy¡¯s attention snapped to her in a way that was a point against him being blind and one in favor of him being a Deviant as he smiled. (Especially with teeth that pointy¡­) She¡¯d never actually fought a Deviant before, the lot usually content to keep their heads down after everything that happened during the riots. (But I guess there¡¯s a first time for everything.) ¡°Well, hello there~¡± The boy greeted, something in his tone giving her the creeps and making her stomach roll. (On second thought¡­) ¡°Yeah, hey. Whatever.¡± She nodded, a tense smile on her face as she began nudging Cory to move. ¡°Like she said sorry about bumping into you, but we¡¯ve got places to be, things to do, and a friend¡¯s ass to kick. So we¡¯ll just be leaving now. Have a nice life.¡± The sheer level of ¡®creep¡¯ she was getting from this guy, was enough to not want her or Cory to be anywhere near him. (Why did I leave my knife in my room?) Unfortunately, the creep wasn¡¯t letting them get away that easily as he stepped to the side and cut off their would be escape. ¡°Now come on, no need to run. I just want to talk is all.¡± The boy assured her. Her eyes took a quick dart around the hall, knowing that a creep was less likely to pull something if there were enough witnesses (and everyone is probably in the cafeteria¡­ great. Well, I never needed them before.) She rolled her shoulders back and stood up a bit straighter as she looked the creep in the eye several inches above her own as she showed off her teeth and told him, ¡°Well we don¡¯t want to talk, so you¡¯re shit out of luck.¡± ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got so much to talk about though. With everything we¡¯ve got in common.¡± The creep tried to argue. ¡°No we don¡¯t.¡± And to prove that she promptly kneed him in the crotch for the easiest escape, knowing it was safer to get Cory away than to get into a slug out. ¡°Oh? Was that supposed to hurt?¡± The boy laughed. ¡°If you wanted to hurt me, you should¡¯ve done something like this.¡± A hand shot out and latched around her throat, just before she found her back exploding in agony as she was slammed into a set of lockers hard enough to dent the metal. The monster in front of her looked between her and Cory, his face slowly twisting into a sneer. ¡°You know, I was really hoping for something more from you.¡± Her everything hurt too much to lash out like she wanted to, so instead she settled for simply spitting in the creep¡¯s face. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The monster ripped her out of the lockers, only to throw her at the ones lining the opposite wall. Doubling everything that hurt as she once more dented the metal, before tripling it as she crashed to the ground. She was able to vaguely make out Cory¡¯s scream of ¡°Micki!¡± as the other girl rushed to her. ¡°Run¡­¡± She tried to tell her friend, her voice coming out a gasp. ¡°That actually won¡¯t amount to much.¡± The monster admitted, suddenly appearing with his hand wrapped around the back of Cory¡¯s neck as he slowly her head back. Something Micki was helpless to stop. (Damn it¡­) ¡°If this is the best you can do, I¡¯m kind of glad you stopped me before I could offer to-¡± A familiar shoe slammed into the side of the creep¡¯s head, causing it to tilt to the side even if it didn¡¯t move much beyond that. ¡°Hmm, I almost felt that.¡± The monster admitted, slowly turning his eyes on Miles. --- Miles Kennedy --- (¡°Kid, yer a special kind of stupid, ain¡¯t cha?¡±) Kriminel huffed as the thing in front of him let go of Cory¡¯s neck and grabbed his leg instead.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it (Yeah, I am¡­) He admitted with a grimace as the monster that looked like a person ripped him off of his leg and sent him crashing to the ground. He¡¯d known just attacking the creep without a plan was a stupid idea, even just going off the damage it had done to Micki, but that was kind of why he had to. Micki was arguably the toughest chick he knew, and had been in way more fights than him, yet she¡¯d been thoroughly stomped by this thing. The creep looked down on him, its face twitching. ¡°You are all so¡­ disappointing¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, about that.¡± He snarked, his eyes darting to the girls, Micki clearly concussed and Cory beyond terrified. ¡°I seem to be disappointing a lot of people today¡­¡± The monster let out a huff before swinging him like he weighed nothing, and sending him crashing into a wall of lockers before he could realize what was happening. (¡°Ya know ya and yer girls ¡®bout to die, right?¡±) Kriminel oh so helpfully cut in, the Baron manifesting in full as he crouched in front of Miles and next to the monster making their way over. ¡°Now''s not the time.¡± He grumbled, trying to pick himself off the ground before receiving a boot to his side from the monster. (¡°Oh, no. Now is definitely the time for ya to man the fuck up and do what I fuckin¡¯ tell ya.¡±) Kriminel disagreed as Miles felt several of his ribs crack under the beast¡¯s continued assault, shattering his focus before something forced him to ignore his pain and, (¡°Pay attention when I talk boyo. Ya, bein¡¯ a stubborn prick because ya don¡¯t trust me. Fine. No one trusts ol¡¯ Kriminel unless they want someone dead. But that the thing ain¡¯t it boyo, ya got someone here that ya want dead. And if ya don¡¯t want ¡®em dead than ya girls gonna die instead. That what ya want boyo?¡±) ¡°N-no¡­¡± He admitted, the taste of blood on his tongue. (¡°Then ya know what ya got to do don¡¯t ya?¡±) The first murderer smiled, a familiar coldness beginning to fill the air as the Baron offered his hand. (¡°So ya ready to be my horse?¡±) In spite of the agony flooding his body and the imminent risk to his life, he still had enough awareness to know how terrible an idea taking that hand would be. But even with all of that, the moment he saw Cory¡¯s pale face watching his beating with no small amount of terror¡­ He took the first murderer¡¯s hand, and the cold began to burn through his veins. --- Darkspawn --- It was so fucking disappointed right now. The whole point of it tracking down the other had been to maybe find a way of spiteing its main-self for its many many transgressions against its current self. And if not that, then at the very least it could eat the other and add the power to its own. Upon finding the other with two lesser others, it had thought perhaps it had hit a jackpot, one that would make up for its painful setbacks up to this point. After all, being able to temporarily ally and inevitably devour three dangerous entities, would help it immensely on its path of killing and consuming all life until it rivaled its original self. At which point it would then kill and consume its original self, and become the true it. (As I deserve to be.) The problem was that these three others had proven themselves all so (completely and utterly pathetic¡­) The memories it had stolen from its original template points had shown off far superior human specimens than these three, making it wonder if their otherness was actually an indicator of their inferiority to the rest of their species. At this point the beating it was giving the male was less because it served any true purpose and more because it felt good to vent some of its rage on another entity that had failed it so utterly in the very simple thing it had wanted. A satisfaction that hadn¡¯t really been a part of its emotional spectrum prior to eating its original human template. (Need to be careful about becoming too human¡­) It was finding that that was the problem with adapting its genetic structure with anything it ate while also consuming their memories. It made it too much like its food. (And I am not food!) This made for a much more valid reason for why it was simply beating the waste of biomass rather than consuming it, as underlined by the male¡¯s pathetic whimper of ¡°N-no¡­¡± It couldn¡¯t help but roll the eyes that weren¡¯t doing much for its visibility even after numerous experiments, its body still needing to rely on its other senses to create a mental map of its surroundings Growing bored of playing with its too-pathetic-to-be-food it raised its foot once more, ready to crush the male¡¯s skull so that it could move onto the females. Only it found that something was stopping it, the male¡¯s hand holding it in place even when it put some actual strength into it rather than what it had been using to play with the others prior. Instead the male actually managed to force it back a step as he shoved it away. The male¡¯s otherness had begun to grow, shifting until it was something that could not be mistaken as human despite still being trapped in that shape. It felt a chill down its non-existent spine as the temperature of the hall plummeted enough that it could see its own breath. Its every instinct screaming that for once it was not the predator as the male stood up in spite of his many broken bones. Each audibly popping as they snapped back into place, as the male took in a deep breath and let it out with a bloody smile that quickly turned into a laugh. ¡°About fucking time¡­¡± The male chuckled before looking at it with two eyes that were somehow voids to its sensory system. The male moved far faster than any of the humans or beasts it had devoured thus far, instead grabbing it by its throat and throwing it down the hall and out a window. Righting itself before it hit the ground was easy. As was making sure it was facing the broken window as the male perched on its broken ledge, his mad grin uncaring of the half shattered glass poking into him. ¡°How about I show you the perks of being a Baron¡¯s Horse?¡± Rather than being intimidated by the coldness that followed them outside, it found itself grinning back as it let out a mad laugh of its own, it began to blend a couple of its templates. Its pale hands slowly turned black as each of its fingers grew massive foot long claws to better rip its foe apart. ¡°Don¡¯t go disappointing me again~¡± Chapter 57: That Which Lurks Awakens Chapter 57: That Which Lurks Awakens --- Miles Kennedy --- His current state was¡­ odd to say the least. On the one hand he was still in control of his body, but on the other hand he wasn¡¯t so sure it was his body still. With every beat of his heart, every rush of cold that burned through his veins, he felt different, more alive, than he had his whole life. Every movement of his body was both more controlled and more instinctive, his speed, his reflexes, his strength it was all so¡­ alien. Yet it felt so good, especially when¡­ He ducked under a swipe of foot long claws that easily tore through the brickwork of the building, before slamming his fist into the monster¡¯s face with enough force that he could feel it rattle his entire skeletal structure. The killer -and he could taste the blood staining its soul- was forced back a step as its face exploded into squirming black worms, all of which promptly pulled themselves back into a fanged grin. The beast enjoying the fight, a predator finally getting to sharpen its claws. Something that he understood perfectly, a mad grin on his own face, despite knowing the joy was not his but the mad laughter echoing throughout his skull. Laughter that demanded he rip the killer in front of him limb from bloody limb and that he (mAkE iT HuRt!!!) In a sudden burst of speed the monster grabbed him by the skull, before slamming him into the brickwork wall and dragging him against it. At any other time the pain, the breaking of his bones, it would all be enough to leave him whimpering on the floor, but right now with the cold flowing through his veins? Dear sweet aGoNy that (fEElS sO GoOd!!!) Everything felt so good! Like he¡¯d spent so long dEaD iNsIDe that he was getting high on life itself! Regardless of the pain that came with it. Still that didn¡¯t stop him from remembering why he was fighting (To protect/kill the beast/girls.) He grabbed the monster¡¯s arm and felt the cold flow through his hands rotting flesh under his very touch, until the limb collapsed between his fingers. The monster leapt back from him, staring at the missing limb before laughing as Miles/Kriminel crushed the wiggling worms in his hands. ¡°Oh, you are exactly what I wanted!¡± The killer cackled as a flurry of worms burst from its stump before reforming its missing limb. ¡°Now do it again!¡± That brought him up short, part of him wondering if there was a point to fighting something that could just regrow missing limbs in seconds. Before another part told that little bitch to (sit down and shut up while grown folks are killing!) He just needed to keep killing it until it ran out of healing, and be it mass or magic it would run out. After all, (No one can outrun Death~) --- Coraline Hawkins --- ¡°No, no, no¡­ Micki¡­¡± She pleaded, running her hands over her friend trying to find some way of helping that wouldn¡¯t just make her situation so much worse. All while trying very hard not to think about Miles (who is apparently a Deviant) fighting just outside. She was still processing that particular development, because while she doubted even he knew he was a Deviant until he was being wailed on. It also meant that the beating was bad enough to forcibly trigger whatever Deviant genes he had in him and the possible high from that¡­ It wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d experienced herself as a Practitioner, but she knew that it could easily make someone ignore their injuries making things so much worse. (And given how bad Micki is¡­) She didn¡¯t want to think about what Miles was doing to his body to protect them. Just like she didn¡¯t want to think about the way that Micki wasn¡¯t responding to her anymore, the bit of blood trailing from the side of her mouth, the way she looked just as bad if not worse than she had at the convention center. The way she was just as powerless to stop the nightmare happening around her. (You know that¡¯s not quite true¡­) She felt the tattoo on her arm begin to shift, her other hand moving to grip it. (No¡­ I¡¯m not powerless now.) She frowned, digging her nails into her skin as she forced herself to calm down. (I¡¯ve got magic now¡­ Just like dad¡­) She clutched the pendant on her necklace. (Just like mom.) If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She took a deep breath, before reaching for her magic and pulling the cool-warmth through her body. There was a touch of resistance when it reached the wreath -(No. Don¡¯t you dare!) (Never~)- Before it gave and her magic flowed far more freely than any other time she¡¯d used it, almost as if she had far more than she actually did. Remembering her father¡¯s lesson she focused on healing, on mending whatever was wrong with Micki, on the beautiful spark of life that Micki had always represented. With her fiery temper and caring nature, things that she always loved about the other girl. And with these feelings flowing through her, this thoughts of life filling her magic, giving it direction she willed the power into Micki. To heal her, to help her, to make her better, to- (Wait¡­ what? She¡¯s not¡­) Her heart stopped as her magic simply bounced off of her best friend, before fading like a dying flame in the air. ¡°No¡­¡± --- The Darkspawn --- (This is far better than I could¡¯ve hoped for!) It laughed in delight as its arm lashed out like a torrent of whips, crashing into the other that had actually stepped up to fight rather than simply hiding behind a timid human female. The other in the male human drug its feet into the ground to avoid being ragdolled through the air, instead using inhuman strength to reach out and latch onto its tendrils before once more using that magic that it had no knowledge of. Not from its own experience, the experience of those it had devoured, or most importantly the experience it had inherited from its original self! It couldn¡¯t help but laugh even as it lost biomass equal to an entire human adult, because (this is how I¡¯ll kill the original!) Admittedly it still needed to figure out if this was an ability it could learn, either manually or via eating the killer other in front of it. After all, killing them and removing the power it craved from the board was a non-starter, no matter how much it wished to just devour its fellow monster! Which is why instead of simply swarming and devouring the other under the entirety of its biomass, it continued to fight it using only its compressed and shackled human template. Even if it did continue to try out all sorts of fun add-ons that it had thought up but never quite had a reason to make use of. Such as this delightful spinning bunch of tendrils that it maintained by retracting and shooting new tendrils out to generate a force similar to that of a drill. The amount of damage it did to its opponent was noticeable, leaving a veritable hole through the male that made it briefly wonder if it had killed its playmate. Only to have the male actually pull itself further onto the drill and grab the Darkspawn by its face, before using that power that it wanted oh so badly to absolutely decimate said face. A phenomenon that gave it all sorts of tingles as its consciousness shifted across its shifting biomass to outrun the Deviant effect. A feat it instinctively did whenever exposed to fire, if with a distinctively different feel due to how it had to outright expel its dead flesh rather than simply consuming and regrowing it like it normally would. Luckily it didn¡¯t actually need its face, and even more luckily as it threw its opponent to the side it had gained enough genetic material to test whether or not its playmate¡¯s ability was genetically inclined or something else. It just needed a few minutes to process and digest what it had eaten thus far. It was almost disappointed by this, because barring the satisfaction it got from killing and consuming whatever it could get its tendrils on, it had never quite felt as much joy as it had ripping and tearing against this other that could rip and tear right on back. (Then again, I can leave that running in the background.) It had plenty of brainpower to spare in its compressed core, more than enough to keep playing with its fellow monster. A monster that was currently picking himself up, despite the hole clear through them that was slowly mending. Albeit significantly slower than its own healing process. (Then again I am the pinnacle of evolution.) Still this meant that it was stuck waiting for its playmate to heal. (Maybe I can get them moving with a few stabs? Pain as a motivator and all that.) Just as it took a step forward it felt something moving through both air behind it and the ground beneath it. Leaping to the side, it was able to avoid the first onslaught of (flora?) but unfortunately this did nothing to prevent it from being impaled by the numerous roots shooting out of the ground. With just a touch of annoyance it began consuming the flora that had impaled it, seeking to both free itself and make up for the biomass it had lost from the attack. Only¡­ The plants refused to be eaten, in fact they continued to grow and impale him with an ever increasing number of thorns. Something that brought it up short, for in all its memories both its own and its original¡¯s it had never found something organic that it couldn¡¯t eat. Ignoring the ever growing damage to its repairable and replaceable body, it tracked vibrations through the plant life and found the host of one of the others hiding in the human females. Though unlike before it didn¡¯t just feel the other¡¯s presence in this one, it outright dreaded it. Terror itself flooding the world around them as the stench of rot and death creeped and crawled across everything. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± The girl declared as if such was a simple statement of fact. And at this threat, this dread it could feel, it couldn¡¯t help but smile. (Oh, today just keeps getting better and better!) --- ??? --- It was content to slumber, only intervening when absolutely necessary, but the other had done too much damage to simply leave things be. So rather than simply sparking its light, it took in all the heat of the world around it and lit the forge at the center of creation. And with it a heart so still once more pounded like a hammer upon steel as molten magma flooded through in place of blood.