Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial. Part 8: Stir it up.

Sleek, dark furniture filled the restaurant-bar, forming a neat contrast to the white walls and purple-black carpet. It was luxurious, that was for sure. Yet, the leather couches and low tables gave the place a comfortable feel to it. It reminded Leif of some sort of opium den rather than an opulent bar owned by an even more opulent man.

Armani suit and loafers, gold rings, silken green shirt and a pair of similarly coloured, intelligent eyes. The leader of the richest gang in the city – and he certainly looked the part. Leif watched closely as the man flashed a charming smile at the young woman serving them – she couldn’t have been older than twenty, well over ten years younger then smiling Daluco – who blushed a deep shade of red, backing off with a mutter that she’d bring their food shortly.

Then, the pair were alone in a private room. More black leather couches – even more expensive than those in the bar below – were set around a hardwood table. There was something about this room… it felt older and Leif could almost feel the energy that thrummed through the walls. This was no ordinary establishment.

Lifting the expensive scotch to his lips without waiting for Daluco to make the move first, the Norwegian smiled. It was good. And the bar was nice. Yet he didn’t feel quite at home. Luca would, he thought, the young Italian would have lapped this up.

“The scotch might be free, Daluco...” Taking the opportunity to speak as the elemental leader swirled his glass, Leif leant back in on the comfortable seat. “But are the women?” He gestured to the door where the pretty young waitress had disappeared.

“Please, it’s George. And I’m sure I can find you something more suitable...” He nodded coolly, finally taking a sip of his alcohol. Leif got the message: the little blonde was a Storm (he’d caught sight of her songbird effigia) and the leader’s little pet. For the moment, at any rate. Perhaps it was a good thing he’d come here instead of Luca, the Italian certainly wouldn’t have taken heed from Daluco’s little warning.

“You’re working with the humans, now,” the Norwegian got down to business, “so why do you need our supplies?” After all, the Blues specialised in illegal weaponry. Just as the Storms dabbled in the fine art of trading the rarer illegal items.

“Let me tell you something about gang politics, Mr. Evans,” Daluco leant forward as if about to divulge some form of secret. Leif simply remained where he was, but made sure to look attentive, even if his mind was wandering back to the young blonde. “Are you listening?”

“Yes.” Sharp, grey eyes focussed, once more, on the older man.

“It doesn’t matter who you are dealing with, or how well you think you can trust them. Always have a backup plan. Always maintain good contacts. For example, I wouldn’t trust you, my friend, as far as I could throw you.”

The vampire grinned at that, a dark, wolfish gesture. “I wouldn’t trust me, either.”

When Daluco chuckled, it was a rich, deep sound. “So you see my point. The humans will be good enough for now, help us be rid of those damned lycans – and maybe even the vampires, too.” He sounded all too sure of himself, as if he was certain the new alliance would tip the balance in the city. Leif wasn’t so sure. While the Storms were the wealthiest gang, the Shuriken were the largest and, arguably, the most dangerous creatures. Granted, vampiric speed and elemental powers were certainly something to be wary of.

“So this means we’re in business, then?” Slipping a back calling card across the table, towards the elemental, Leif cocked his head to the side, quirking a brow. “Call when you know exactly what you want – and how much.”

Daluco was not in the least bit intimidated, “it’s always good to cut right to the chase when dealing business. Of course, then you miss out on the luxuries that come with wooing your business partner into a deal...”

The vampire was already on his feet. “You want that, then talk to my associate. Unless you’re going to offer me one of these little dolls the next time I come...”

“You don’t want one, now?” The Storms leader seemed genuinely surprised.

“Not tonight. I have other business.” He nodded, holding out his hand.

“We’ll be seeing more of each other, I have no doubts there.” Daluco stood, then, after withdrawing his hand, stepped back watching the Norwegian move towards the door.

Leif said nothing, simply nodded as he strode down the stairs and back into the cigar-smoke-clouded, warm bar. Running long fingers through is dyed purple-pink hair, the vampire gazed easily about the room, pausing at the foot of the stairwell. It was then that something caught his eye – the pretty young blonde, heading towards the stairs before which he stood. She paused, of course, when she reached the tall vampire who was all but blocking her path. Leif could tell by the look in her eyes, she’d been called back upstairs by the elemental leader.

“...excuse me, sir.” Her voice was calm, polite and more than a little shy.

Leif moved aside, a rough, wolfish grin slipping onto his laps, one that exposed his sharp fangs. As the waitress moved to pass him, though, she was blocked by Leif’s arm. The woman seemed momentarily confused until she noticed the black calling card in his hand. Gently, she took it from his grip, wide, blue eyes meeting his glittering gray pair. Then, the woman was scurrying up the stairs, shoving the card into the pocket of her short black skirt. If she was to pick it up later, she was certain to notice the address and the time scrawled on the back in white ink.

Daluco’s girl? Well, not for very long. After all, Luca would have done exactly the same thing – might as give his Italian associate a run for his money... and his reputation. Daluco, though, would receive something much more interesting...

Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial Part 7: There really is a first time for everything.

((Just a note on this - this actually got posted about a month ago but due to HTML difficulty, was never visible. I have just discovered that so there will be two posts tonight. This one and the one meant to be put up this weekend. This is actually supposed to be part 6 (with "part 6" below being part 7) but it isn't too important and it's simpler just to add this on. And now, without further ado - part "7".))

“Damien.”

The young vampire who’d been laying on the couch now sat up as his name, spoken somewhat sharply, broke the silence in the TV room of the Scythe base. When he matched the familiar, feminine voice to the sight before him, he glowered. “What?”

Kylie raised her hand, beckoning him over with one finger. “We’re going hunting. Get up.” As Damien opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head. “No. I don’t want any BS about how you’re not hungry. You are and I’m not just gonna set you loose on the city. I turned you, that makes you my responsibility. Let’s go.”

Damien continued to glare at her but then got off the couch, heaving a heavy sigh as he did. He took his time walking across the room, the only form of defiance he would allow himself against one of the gang’s 2ICs. “Since when do you care?”

Kylie pushed him out the door ahead of her, a small smile on her lips as she shook her head. “Ah, there’s that bright and sunny personality I’ve grown to love. And they say vampires are gloomy...” He was still moving slowly so she pushed him again, forcing him to take faster steps.

Damien glared briefly at her but increased his pace as they headed for the elevator that would bring from the underground base to the club that stood over it. The cat at his heels shot an apologetic look towards Flint, the cougar beside Kylie. The other feline just shook his head, seemingly amused rather than bothered.

Once they were above ground, Kylie led him out onto the street and they set out on foot, heading west. Damien glanced briefly at Kylie before looking forward again. “We’re staying close by?”

Kylie slowed slightly. “No point in wandering away from our home turf when our meal is willing to come to us. Unless you want to go elsewhere?” Damien shook his head, shrugging at the same time, and she sped up again. There was silence for a minute or so and then Kylie spoke again. “You doing alright? With the vampire thing, I mean?”

"Mhmm.”

A few beats of silence followed the sound and then Kylie laughed softly. “You’re in a talkative mood tonight, I see. Maybe you’ll cheer up once we feed you.”

Damien just made a non-committal noise, but he highly doubted it. It wasn’t hunger that had him annoyed at Kylie. The older vampire didn’t push the subject, though, instead nodding towards the club outside of which they now stood. Damien got the clear hint and turned.

As the two vampires entered the club, high-energy, synthesized music washed over them. The dance floor was packed with people and the bar was far from empty. Tongues of flame shot from the ceiling, stopping just short of the heads of the dancers below. The metal walls, too, danced with fire which heated them to a gentle red glow but didn’t ignite anything.

Kylie looked over at Damien and, noting the way his wide eyes were fastened on the flames. She chuckled. “Welcome to Hades, youngling. Even though this is on our turf there are a lot of elementals here. Hopefully we can find someone who wants to feed you but, if not, I’m sure we can find some Storm willing to start a fight, at which point we can just kick their ass and drain them, instead.”

Damien followed Kylie over to the bar. Or...started there, anyway. They didn’t make it far, though. As though Kylie’s mention of violent Storms was a summons, two men suddenly stepped in front of the vampire pair, stopping their progress.

The taller of the two narrowed his eyes, looking from Kylie to Damien and then back. “Why don’t you two just go on back to your base?”

Kylie shook her head, smirking a little bit. “Why? This is our turf, even if it is a little overrun with vermin these days.” She looked around the club with distaste, eyes lingering on a few elementals wearing the colours associated with the Storms.

The shorter, stockier of the men suddenly stepped forward, one hand going to the front of Kylie’s shirt and pulling her close. “You wanna start something, Scythe?”

Kylie smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.” Her first flew out, just a blur to the elementals, and buried itself in the man’s stomach. As he doubled over, groaning, his companion raised his hand, sparks dancing between his fingertips.

Damien had been surprised by the sudden appearance of the men and the even more sudden beginning of the fight, but as the electricity began to build in the Storm’s palm, he lunged forward, a knife appearing in his pale hand. Of course, attacking an electric elemental with a metal, short-range weapon was rarely a good idea and, as the blade slashed at its target, nicking the elemental’s arm, an electric current ran through it to Damien who yelped, dropping the knife.

Kylie rolled her eyes, one foot sweeping out to knock the feet out from under the man who was now recovering from the breathlessness her punch had caused. Just as she turned to help Damien with his opponent, she stopped, taking a quick step back and raising her hands in a gesture of surrender.

The other three combatants followed her suddenly contrite gaze to a large man who was scowling down at them. He was flanked on either side by a woman and another man. They were, if their uniforms were any indication, bouncers for the club and, based on their expressions, they were not pleased.

The front man, whose oddly reptilian eyes and the thin line of scales along his hairline and down his neck marked him as a lycan, turned his cool gaze on each of the four fighters in turn before settling on Kylie. “Take it outside.”

A slow smile came over Kylie’s face. He wasn’t telling her to stop, just to leave, and he now started ushering them all towards the door, ignoring the promises of the Storms to settle down if they weren’t made to leave.

Flint scanned the area as he accompanied his vampire and the others out of the club. It didn’t take long to find the lycan bouncer’s squirrel Effigia trailing behind them. “Shuriken?”

The squirrel looked over at him, eyes narrowing as she gave him a critical onceover. Then, she nodded.

The cougar nodded in response and then turned away from her to continue out of the club. That made sense - a Shuriken would obviously side with a Scythe over a Storm, given the current gang politics.

As the Storms made to run off, the lycan reached out, grabbing them each by one arm. He looked from Kylie to Damien. “You want them, still?”

Kylie grinned, happy to have found such a useful ally. “Just one is fine. I’m just trying to feed the boy.” She nodded towards Damien. “I’ve already eaten.”

The lycan shoved the electric elemental away, keeping hold of the other. The now-free elemental once more summoned a ball of electricity to his hand, straightening and glaring at Kyle, Damien, and the three bouncers. “If you think I’m just gonna leave and abandon him, you’re...”

He trailed off as the other male bouncer stepped forward with a grin, revealing fangs. “Well, you could stick around. I’m rather hungry, myself.”

The woman bouncer chuckled, but she seemed a little nervous. Clearly she wasn’t as comfortable with all these threats of violence as her co-workers were. “I’m...gonna go back inside.” She looked briefly between her colleagues and, when she got no protest, she turned and slipped back inside the building, disappearing into the crowds before the doors even closed.

The electric elemental looked at the three vampires with wide eyes and then took a few quick steps back. “I...I’ll go, then.” He shot his friend an apologetic glance and then turned, fleeing.

The man who’d just been abandoned tried to pull free, filling instantly with defensive anger. “Well I’m not going to just let any of you leeches anywhere near my neck. You’ll have to kill me first.”

The lycan, still holding on to the man’s arm with one hand, brought his other to the elemental’s throat, tightening just enough to frighten him before pausing and looking at Damien. “Do you need him alive?”

“Uh...” Damien, eyes wide, looked at Kylie. He didn’t want to be the one to order the man’s death, but he was selfish enough that he’d rather have the man killed than have to worry about getting attacked while he was trying to feed. “I can just drink bagged blood. Really, it’s fine.”

Kylie made a dismissive noise. “Nonsense.” She looked at the lycan. “Kill him. We don’t need a heartbeat to get blood.”

“Wait!” The elemental, panic in his eyes, grabbed the lycan’s hand just as his fingers started to flex around his throat. “I’ll...I’ll feed him.” He sounded disgusted by the prospect, but more afraid of what would happen if he refused.

“Oh good boy.” Kylie smiled approvingly and then looked around. “Though maybe we should move this party elsewhere. We’re attracting a bit of attention.” Sure enough, people passing on the sidewalk were pausing to stare at the group of vampires and the single lycan. One even had her phone out, no doubt calling the police.

The lycan nodded. “I can’t just wander off while working. You gonna be fine on your own?”

Kylie nodded. “Give ‘im to me.” She reached for the elemental, taking hold of his arm as the lycan released him. “You won’t cause any trouble, will you?” Her voice was friendly, like she was talking to a puppy who’d misbehaved.

As the bouncers went back inside and Kylie started to pull the elemental down the sidewalk, he looked fearfully from her to Damien and back and shook his head. “You’re not...you’re not going to kill me, are you?”

Kylie steered him into an alley, Damien following a step behind. “Of course not. It’s just like donating blood, except that it’s much more direct. You get to see exactly who you’re helping. Doesn’t that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?”

The trio was now halfway down the length of the alley and well out of the sight of anyone who wasn’t making a concentrated effort to see them. Kylie pressed the elemental to the wall. “Alright boys. Go ahead.”

Damien stepped forward, aware of the elemental’s eyes on him though he kept his own gaze fastened on the man’s neck, avoiding his eyes. “Sorry...” The word was muttered quietly as he stepped forward once more, closing the small distance between them.

Before he could lower his mouth to the elemental’s neck, Kylie put a hand on Damien’s shoulder, stopping him. “Don’t apologize. First off, you’re a vampire and he’s your food. Secondly, you’re a Scythe and he’s your enemy. Those are two very good reasons not to be sorry. Just bite him and if you hurt him or he doesn’t like it...” She shrugged. “Sucks for him.”

Damien looked at her and nodded. “Right. Sor-” The expression on her face stopped him and he just nodded. Without another word, he lifted one hand to the elemental’s head, tangling his fingers in his hair and pulling his head to the side to expose his throat. Lowering his lips to the man’s neck, Damien took a deep breath, both to brace himself and to savour the smell of the man’s blood beneath his skin, and then he opened his mouth and bit down.

The elemental yelped, moving away from the pain automatically. Just as automatically, Damien wrapped one arm around his victim’s waist, stepping forward a little bit more so that he had the man pinned against the wall with his own body. The Storm sucked in a sharp breath and stilled, stiff in Damien’s hold.

Kylie smiled, highly amused by all of this, and walked away to lean against the opposite wall, watching the pair. “So, you a pup or the Storms are just pathetic?”

The elemental had had his eyes clenched tightly shut but now they opened and he stared at Kylie in surprise for a few seconds, silent. Then, voice tight, he spoke through gritted teeth. “The Storms are not pathetic. As soon as people find out about this, my gang’ll kick your gang’s ass.”

Kylie laughed. “Oh, you’re cute.” She shook her head, clearly not bothered by the threat. She was silent for a second, studying the elemental and then she pushed off the wall, crossing the alley to the two men. She raised one hand to caress the elemental’s cheek. “Now why would your gang come hunt us down? Do you deny that you’re enjoying this?”

The elemental jerked his face away, avoiding the vampiress’ touch as well as he could while he was pinned to the wall and had a pair of fangs sunk into his neck. “Don’t touch me, bitch.”

Kylie dropped her hand to her side. “It’s not your fault you like it. Our bite is meant to be pleasant. It’s much easier to hunt, you know, when your prey comes to you.” Her hand lifted again, her fingertips brushing gently across the man’s cheek before trailing down his neck, her fingernails skimming softly over the side of his neck that Damien wasn’t drinking from. “Some people become rather obsessed with vampires after they’ve been bitten once. Of course, the effect is different on everyone, but some people will come back begging for more. Will that be you? Hmm? Are you going to beg for more when he’s done?”

The elemental shuddered, glaring at her. Damien, mouth still on the man’s neck, murmured quietly, “Kylie, stop. Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?”

The words were muffled but understandable and Kylie grinned. “My food, Damien? Last I checked you were the one eating, and my mother never told me anything about playing with other peoples’ food.”

Damien just responded by releasing the man’s hair and reaching back, shoving Kylie away. The message was clear - stop. Kylie smiled, amused, but she did stop baiting the elemental. They were all silent, except for the slightly quickened breathing of both men.

After a half-minute or so of silence, Damien lifted his mouth from the man’s neck, licking his lips. The elemental turned to look at the young vampire, blinking at him. He looked a little dizzy, so Damien carefully lowered him to the ground, where he sat leaning against the wall.

Damien looked from the elemental to Kylie. “So do we just...leave him? Or...?”

Kylie nodded, looking Damien over and smirking. “Mhmm, he can call a cab. Or,” she chuckled, “his precious gang. Let’s get you home. I think you need a cold shower.”

Damien blushed, glaring at Kylie. “It’s not...I’m not...” He gestured to the elemental angrily. “It’s not because of him. Feeding felt good. I’d probably have a hard-on if you’d given me bagged blood, too.”

Kylie just took Damien’s arm, leading him out of the alley. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”

Damien jerked his arm from Kylie’s hold, glaring at her. “It’s the blood, damn it.”

“Of course it is. It happens to everyone.” So why were she and the two Effigia snickering softly as they headed back to the base?

Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial. Part 6: Second try.

"I don't want to hear it." Sheridan raised her eyes a little, no longer examining the reflected image of her neck but, instead, looking a little higher to see the dog that appeared above her shoulder in the mirror. Jace was laying on her bed, watching her as she leaned forward, tilting her head slightly to let the light shine unobstructed on her neck.

"I wasn't going to say anything." Jace sounded ever-so-innocent, as though he'd not just been mentally snickering moments before.

Sheridan frowned and then turned away from the mirror, muttering softly, "You don't really have to..."

What had Sheridan sighing and Jace snickering was a mark on Sheridan's neck. All the other bruises and scratches, evidence of her make out session (which had turned to something more) with Leif against the wall a few days ago, had faded quickly, thanks to that nifty little vampiric healing. Only this bite, deeper than the others, remained. Luckily it was faint - the bruising was gone and the wounds had faded to pale scars which, in a day or two, would disappear entirely.

Unfortunately, Sheridan didn't really want to wait a day or two. She'd been supposed to meet Zero the day she'd run in to Leif but, when she got to the club nearly an hour late, her best friend had been gone. Not exactly shocking - Sheridan wouldn't have stuck around, either. She figured she owed Zero an explanation, or at least an apology, but she really didn’t want to explain just what had kept her. Zero, she was guessing, would not be impressed. She'd waited until her neck looked a little less abused, but she couldn't really keep waiting. Anyway, she did want to see her friend, sometime this week preferably.

"Whatever. Screw it. She won't notice." She hoped that was true and chose to ignore Jace's small, sceptical snort. Grateful that the chilly fall weather gave her a way of hiding the bite, at least for a little while, she wound a scarf around her neck, pulled on a jacket and, zipping it up, left her apartment, Jace at her heels.

It didn't take long before Sheridan was leaving the residential sector in the centre of the city behind and entering the warehouse district. As she drove, her eyes scanned the surroundings, and each alley got a quick examination as she whizzed past.

Jace watched her in silence for a few blocks and then spoke up, mocking her gently. "Lookin' for your lover boy?" The only response he got was a swift glare before his vampire returned her gaze firmly to the road, ignoring the next few alleys that they passed. Though he'd originally been joking, he now got a little serious. "Look, Sheridan. I don't know what happened to you back there the other day, but -"

"Drop it, Jace." Sheridan didn't take her eyes off the road, but her grip tightened slightly on the wheel and, as she stopped in front of a building, she slammed the car in to park a little more viciously than was probably necessary. She was out of the car with her door closed before Jace could say more (not that he couldn't speak to her anyway) and as she closed the passenger door after letting him out, he just barely managed to whisk his tail out of the way before it was caught.

He stood still a second, gazing at his annoyed vampire before catching up to her as she crossed the parking lot. "Woah, calm down. Consider it dropped. By me, anyway..." Because if Zero realized Sheridan had missed their meeting to fuck some random guy against an alley wall, Jace was pretty sure she'd have a thing or two to say about it.

Sheridan suppressed a groan, not really looking forward to that conversation, and then breezed through the door of Zero's mechanic shop. She winced slightly as Zero's music nearly deafened her, then looked around. It didn't take long to locate her friend, who was currently lying beneath a shiny, expensive-looking car, only her legs visible. Sheridan walked across the oil-stained concrete, stopping before the unidentifiable (to her, anyway) vehicle and lightly kicking one of the black combat boots that protruded from under the car.

When her friend remained motionless, giving Sheridan no response whatsoever (not that she'd have been able to hear said response with the current blasting of the music) Sheridan frowned slightly, concerned for a moment. Then, at the prompting of Jace, she looked up and spotted Demon laying atop the car.

"Oh good. You're not dead." The words were muttered to Zero, though Sheridan looked at Demon as she spoke them. She looked around, quickly spotting the source of the music. A CD player sat on a cluttered shelf, nestled in among tools and greasy rags.

In two quick strides, Sheridan had reached the shelf and she lifted her hand to the CD player. Her fingers brushed lightly over the "stop" button as she hesitated, tempted. Zero, though, would not likely appreciate it if Sheridan were to kill her music altogether so, instead, she just turned it down. Way down. It was still audible, but barely.

Zero, it appeared, didn't appreciate having the music turned down any more than she enjoyed having it stopped completely. The lycan suddenly appeared out from under the car, sitting up and glaring at Sheridan. "What the hell? That was Guns n' Roses, you don't just turn down "Paradise City"."

Sheridan raised an eyebrow. "And hello to you, too. The fact that the word "paradise" appears anywhere in that song, let alone in the title, has got to be the greatest irony known to mankind. Anyway, I was doing you a favour. I'm not sure the entire city wants to share in your idea of paradise, and I'm much nicer than someone else might be if they were forced to listen to your music." It wasn't really that bad, actually. Apart from the volume, the song had been ok. But hey - what was the point of being someone's best friend if you couldn't insult their music?

"Right...that makes sense." Jace shook his head, amused. He was ignored.

Zero snorted softly, giving Sheridan a mildly disdainful look. "You don't get an opinion until you start listening to real music." She didn't move from her spot on her roller board, apparently content to glare at Sheridan from the taller woman's waist-level.

Sheridan walked over to Zero, fighting back a smile - she was amused, rather than offended, by Zero’s insult to her musical taste. "Hey. My music is awesome." Zero looked unimpressed - apparently those weren't the words she'd use to describe the techno music that typically played when Sheridan got control of the radio. Sheridan ignored the look; she had reached her friend by now and she held out a hand. "You gonna get up, or just stare at my belly button for the rest of the night?"

"So long as you turn the music back up a little." Zero stood, grabbing an oil-stained rag that lay across the hood of the car. She wiped her hands off and then, a little too casually, looked up at Sheridan and spoke again. "Oh...and how about learning how not to forget plans you set?"

Sheridan ignored the bit about the music. She had no desire to do that and, if Zero was absolutely determined to have the music she could do it herself. Sheridan focused instead on the shorter blonde's second request. "I didn't forget. I just got...detained on my way there and by the time I got there you were gone."

Zero walked over to the CD player, turning it up as the strains of a new song's intro drifted from the speakers. She cast a concerned look back at her friend. "Detained? What the hell happened? You alright?"

Sheridan shook her head, quick to lay Zero's fears to rest. "I'm fine. It could have gone much worse, but-"

She was cut off by Jace, who spoke to both her and Demon. "...but luckily, Sheridan's a whore and didn't mind the detention."

The wolf atop the car lifted his head, expression doing a fair imitation of a human quirking one brow. "Well, we knew that." The dog's words were passed along to Zero, since Sheridan's abrupt halting of her speech would otherwise make no sense at all.

Zero eyed Sheridan for a few seconds, clearly unimpressed. "...you dumped me off for a quick lay?" Turning away from the music, she headed back to the car, disappearing behind the raised hood.

Sheridan winced and, with a sigh, she walked around to the front of the car, leaning a hip against it as she attempted to undo the damage her Effigia was doing. "No, I..." She paused, frowning, and then continued, hoping this didn't sound too horrible. "I was on my way to you, then saw a skip and decided to grab him real quick before heading the rest of the way to the car. It wasn't about sex. That just happened to be the best strategy I could think of to catch him at the time."

Jace snorted softly. "Right...'cause that worked sooo well. He walked off and you were left, unarmed and panting, against the alley wall." Again, his words were clear to the wolf as well as Sheridan.

Zero continued tinkering around with some unidentifiable (to Sheridan) chunk of metal beneath the hood, not acknowledging her friend or the fact that she now stood only a foot away. "So, you dumped me off for a skip who you used as a quick lay?" She was silent a few seconds, during which she glanced briefly at Sheridan before returning her gaze to the car's insides. "...did you at least apprehend him?" Demon, who'd clearly not passed along Jace's comment, started snickering softly.

"Look, you're kind of missing the point here. The point is, I didn't dump you. I'd have loved to meet with you, but it's hard to do that when some guy ten inches taller than you has you pinned to the wall with his fangs at your throat." Sheridan sounded a little annoyed now, but it wasn't that she didn't recognize that she was at fault. In fact, it was because she was at fault, and knew it, that she was getting defensive. She felt guilty enough about abandoning Zero for sex, without the lycan rubbing it in.

Zero, though, was not swayed by Sheridan's irritation. She snorted softly. "I know you, and I bet you weren't too bothered by it. Which skip was it? I'll have to go after him next time."

Sheridan couldn't really defend herself on the topic of her promiscuity, which Zero knew plenty about, but she didn't like the implication that she couldn't do her job, even if it seemed to be true. "Even if I had been bothered by it, I don't think he'd have cared. It was Leif Evans. You could be grateful that I'm not, you know, lying dead in some alley somewhere."

Zero turned away from her car and stared at Sheridan in silence for a few seconds. "Evans? As in...the Norwegian? You fucked the Norwegian crime lord? And...I should be concerned for your safety?" She shook her head, voice getting a little sarcastic. "You don't get any sympathy. What'd he do, hold you at gun point?"

"Not...exactly..."

Jace, apparently, felt that more details were needed than that. "He started leaving, she didn't like being brushed off that easily, and so she had the brilliant idea of handcuffing him to herself."

Jace turned her head to look at the dog and sighed. "Yeah...that one..."

There was a beat of silence and then Demon started laughing and Zero gave Sheridan a look that indicated she was surprised by the level of promiscuity Sheridan had reached.

Sheridan averted her gaze, looking at the floor. "Well, at least one of us is getting laid." The muttered words weren't exactly a brilliant response, but they were the first thing that came to mind. She looked back at Zero. "Anyway, the fact that I'm willing to do anything to bring in a skip could be considered a positive attribute. I'm devoted to my job."

Jace snorted. "That argument, of course, works much better when you actually do bring him in after the whole sex thing."

Zero's words communicated a similar idea, though Demon hadn't passed the dog's words along. "Well? Where is he, then? Or, better yet, show me the body receipt from the cops." As she stopped speaking, she got a thoughtful look on her face, like she was considering something. "Evans is bad news; you've read the file. So either bring him in or stay the hell away from him."

"Yeah, I know...I'm working on it. He just took me by surprise." She shook her head, frustrated. "I didn't have any effect on him. Like...at all. Even while we were having sex he was still very clearly in control of himself."

"And you."

Sheridan grimaced. "Yeah...and me. It was like he was a mirror. Instead of him getting all weak-willed and compliant, I was the one losing all sense of logic and..." She shook her head. "It wasn't fun. I mean, the sex was, yeah, but... Anyway, now that I know he reflects it back at me I won't attempt anything like that to begin with. If he starts causing trouble I'll just shoot him or something."

Zero eyed her in disbelief. "Look, the guy's not bad-looking; you don't need to make up wild excuses to have slept with him."

Sheridan frowned at Zero, clearly not pleased with her complete disregard of what was, to her, a fairly concerning issue. "...one second I'm a whore and now you're condoning my behaviour? Make up your mind."

"No, I'm condoning your whorish behaviour. It's not exactly a shock." Zero ignored the snappish irritation in Sheridan's voice.

Sheridan snorted softly. "Oh, well that’s great. Anyway, I'm not making stuff up. Like I said, it didn't start about the sex. I really did have only his capture in mind...right up until he pinned me to the wall and did...I dunno. Whatever it is he did. All of a sudden, though, bringing him in didn't seem nearly as important as getting him to kiss me."

“Just don't go jumping him again without backup. If you need help, I’ll take forty percent of the bounty...hell, I need the cash.”

“Awesome...a babysitter. Just what I always wanted. I’ll be fine, Zero. But if I need you I’ll call.” If it had been anyone else, Sheridan would have been pissed at the implication that she couldn’t bring someone in on her own, even if it was true. “Anyway, why do you need cash? Aren’t gangsters s’pposed to live some super glamorous life full of sex, drugs, and money? Your lovely leader not treating you right?”

Zero turned back to the car, fiddling with the radiator cap. "I need to save for the day Keme finally kicks my ass out of the Shuriken. The ass is getting more bitter each day..." She sounded a little amused, but Sheridan could tell it was mostly forced. There was a hint of seriousness to her tone that indicated she didn't find Keme's moodiness even remotely funny.

"You doing anything in particular to make him bitter, or he's just being PMS-y?" Sheridan was smiling a little, her tone light, but Zero would be able to pick up the subtle note of concern in her words.

"I dunno, I guess I should stop trying to get under his skin." Zero turned and grinned wolfishly at Sheridan before going back to tinkering with the car. "Besides, he's worried that the majority of the gang's on my side. Not everyone was happy with the takeover, contrary to popular belief..."

Sheridan laughed softly. "Imagine that. A gang leader not being happy that most of his people side with a woman who hates him. We live in a crazy world, my friend." Sobering, she continued. "Think you could just...I dunno. Kill him and take his spot? Being the popular, adored person that you are?"

Zero laughed. "Unless I want to stoop to his level and kill the bastard in cold blood, no. I...look, I'll deal with it when it comes up. For now, I've got more important things to deal with. Like the fact that this car is completely fucked..."

Sheridan shook her head, amused. "You need to work on your priorities, sweetheart. Maybe you should be less concerned about the fact that the car is fucked and more concerned about the fact that you haven't been in...what...months? Years? Decades? Ever?" She was exaggerating, of course, but compared to Sheridan, Zero looked like a nun. "You need to get out more. You know...not spend your Friday nights in a garage, messing about with a car engine?"

Zero turned, rather abruptly. "Alright, then. Take me out. But I'm not jumping any random men. I don't do that. At least this time you won’t stand me up..." She snickered, holding her greasy hands out in an examination-inviting manner. "How do I look?"

Sheridan looked her over, taking in her scruffy, grease-smeared appearance. "You look..." She shook her head, fighting the urge to laugh. Zero’s appearance was somewhat endearing, but it wasn’t going to get her laid. "...like you. Which isn't exactly a good thing, at the moment. You need a shower. And the men won't be random; I'll pick them out for you." She smiled.

"Ugh, no. No random men. I'll go bother Kain if I want sex...but I could use a strong drink..." Zero walked off towards the office of the garage, waving her hand around the room she was leaving. "Make yourself at home."

Sheridan shook her head. "You could use more than a strong drink, but we can deal with that once I see what I have to work with." As Zero disappeared through the door on the other end of the room, Sheridan looked around, taking in the oil stains on the concrete and the cars that stood in various stages of repair. "Yeah...this is exactly what my home looks like..." Leaning back against the car, she crossed her arms and waited.

Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial. Part 5: Standards.

"So they're getting cocky, then?" Elongated canines bared in a scowl, the man shook his head. "Had the same issue with the humans the other night." Then, the irritated glare turned into something much more sinister.

The blonde man opposite him quirked a brow, folding his arms, but he said nothing. He didn't need to. No, Keme could guess exactly what his hierarchy had done with the humans as easily as if he could delve into the other lycan's mind. All he needed to know was that there had been blood, and lots of it.

"Next time I'll deliver the bodies to Truax's doorstep." Came the harsh little growl from the younger lycan.

A low, rumbling chuckle drifted from Keme's throat. "To tell you the truth, that's a nice idea. They've allied themselves with the Storms." His voice turned darker, now, though still held the same, grating tones. Well, he was entitled to be angry - after all, the elemental gang had caused them enough grief throughout the years and if the Baskerville punks aligned with them... things could become very messy for the Shuriken.

"I knew it!" The hierarchy stood, tail lashing as he strode from one end of the office to the other. Keme sat up in his leather chair, one hand running idly across the desk in front of him. A desk that had once belonged to his predecessor. Oh how he'd enjoyed ripping the throne from the over-confident Leo's hands...

Attention turning back towards his hierarchy, Keme considered the young Tres' threat. Before he could answer, though, his eyes were on the office door that had slipped open. He'd been aware of the approaching footsteps but hadn't figured anyone would be game enough to simply open his door without so much as knocking. Or, at least, he was shocked until a familiar scent hit his sensitive receptors and a tiny, dark smile lit his face.

"Am I late?" When she moved, it was with cool, calculated precision - the kind that good hunters prided themselves on. Even Tres had stopped in his agitated pacing to set his eyes on the woman whose pale hair hid a pair of similarly-coloured white ears. She stopped in front of Keme's desk, holding herself well as she met his gaze with an even stare.

"Not at all. In fact..." He took a moment to shift his gaze across her lithe figure. "I have a job for you."

The woman didn't bother to ask if she'd enjoy it; the little grin on Keme's face made it clear she would. While the female lycan's face remained impassive, she couldn't help the eager twitch of her tail. "Oh?"

"Tres can join you." The Shuriken leader added then, before the woman could argue, continued, "I want you to find me some Baskerville Blues. Not many, just a small handful. And once you've done that, your job is complete."

For a moment, Tres stared between the older lycans, clearly confused at their matching hints of smiles. Then, a grin of his own worked its way across his face. "When do we start, Boss?"

Turning golden eyes towards the lynx lycan, Keme answered without hesitation. "Tonight. I want them to know what they're dealing with by sunrise."

Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial. Part 4: The wrong side of town.

The bar rippled with energy. For the first ten minutes, the patrons had simply watched the band, cheered a little and clapped when they thought it was necessary. The next ten minutes saw the braver, or perhaps just the more inebriated, getting up to dance and jump around. It had taken them half an hour on-stage to get the crowd going, and now the small sea of people below them were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Hey, hey mama, Said the way you move, Gonna make you sweat, Gonna make you groove..."

It took alcohol, a good band and songs that everyone would know to manage such a turnout. The Distance had been playing at this particular bar for the past two years and, needless to say, the patrons of the Blue Rock were always up for the classic rock tunes the quartet pulled out. Mixed, every now and then, with their own original songs, of course.


"Oh, oh child way you shake that thing, Gonna make you burn, Gonna make you sting..."

It wasn't just the music, though. No, The Distance never failed to put on a show that was worthwhile. Cheers of delight filled the bar as flames danced across the neck of the singer's guitar on the word 'burn'. It was as if the instrument had suddenly turned into some form of artful flamethrower. They shot over the headstock, halting a few inches from the dark roof. The singer grinned into the microphone during the next riff, ignoring the panicked little voice in his head. "Ajax! Watch where you're pointing those flames, you'll singe my fur!" The cowboy didn't have the heart to tell the raven she wasn't a mammal. Besides, he was far too busy.


"I gotta roll, Can't stand still, Got a flame in my heart, Can't get my fill."

Flames twirled around the microphone stand, this time, but they were not alone. A dark substance twisted through them as they twirled out above the audience. Normally, the mass of shadow would have been hard to see against the black of the roof but, surrounded by tongues of flame that wrapped in tendrils around it, the shape of a rose was easily seen. A rose that looked as if the tips of its petals were alight and its stem was made entirely of fire entwined with darkness. Above the delighted yells of the audience, a shrill sound could barely be made out. A peregrine falcon swooped along the ceiling, darting around the large mass of flame before settling atop an un-used mic stand nearby, seemingly proud of itself.

"Show off." The falcon turned her head towards the speaker, eyeing the feline that looked more like a miniature snow leopard than an ordinary house cat. The grey cat was currently stretched across the side of the stage, her tail swishing languidly across the open case of a bass guitar. "You can't talk, Eros, look at your elemental over there." The falcon, Valance, snickered quietly.

A few feet away, Ajax felt the pressure of another bare, sweat-covered back pressing against his own. He glanced towards the dark-haired bassist as the other elemental leant in to sing into Ajax's microphone. They stood, back to back, as the flaming rose disappeared from above the heads of the audience.

Excited yells filled the room once more. Or, at least, Ajax had thought they were excited. It wasn't until the short wave of panic filled the room that the cowboy's attention turned towards the audience. A fight? At the Blue Rock? That was unusual; the place was normally pretty peaceful. The standing crowd surged momentarily towards the stage as they fight drew closer and a figure tumbled onto the two-foot raised platform on which the band played. The figure was followed shortly by another young man, though this was no accidental fall. The pale blonde vaulted onto the stage, though he didn't stop there. Billy, their lead guitarist, didn't have time to get out of the way - the blonde had moved far too quickly - before he was tackled to the ground.

Ajax moved to dump his guitar on the floor, but it was their drummer, Jay, who made it to the scene first. Sure, he was considerably smaller - both in height and mass - than the pale man that had jumped Billy, but that didn't stop him from diving right on into the scuffle. As Dean dropped his bass, moving towards the fray, Ajax took a moment to survey the room. People had stopped dancing and the bouncers were cutting their way through the crowd. They were stopped, though, by at least half a dozen angered figures. The rest of the audience was unsure of what to do - several small fights had broken out while others had backed towards the bar, or other walls. Yells and a few animalistic growls filled the room, but that was not what had Ajax so worried.

No, it was the fact that the men and women holding off the bouncers were all accompanied by felines. Not to mention many of them were clad in jackets and bandannas - red and black, in colour.

"This is what you get." Ajax's attention, and the attention of those nearby, was turned towards the blond man from whose grip Dean and Jay had managed to wrest Billy. Now, they had the pale man pinned to the ground as he thrashed. "Fuckin' Storms. This is Scythe turf! Keep your elemental asses on your own grounds."

Now, the bouncers had gotten the vampires in the audience under control, and a brief silence fell through the audience. Turning his attention from the wolf-eared head of security that stalked towards the stage, Ajax moved towards Billy, offering him a hand up. The dark-haired elemental was bleeding heavily from the nose, and his long, dark hair was a mess.

"The Rock's neutral ground." A low, husked growl from the head of security came from behind the cowboy and his friend. The lycan stalked towards the captive vampire, ready to take over from Dean and Jay. But not before the red-and-black clad vampire's livid eyes turned to Jay.

"You're a vampire... what're you doing with these Storms? You know what the elementals do, don't you?" He grinned wickedly, baring his fangs in a way that made Ajax think he wasn't quite as sober as his actions had seemed. "Fuckin' scum they-" The vampire didn't have time to finish for, with a light growl, Jay swung a vicious punch in his direction.

"Scythes." He spat, jerking backwards as the bouncer grabbed hold of the gang member. Already, the trouble-makers were being dragged outside. Ajax assumed the cops were on the way.

"You right, Black?" Dean turned dark blue eyes on the third elemental, addressing him by his last name as he quirking a brow. The guitarist was angry; the tiny sparks of static electricity that surrounded his form were proof of that. He nodded all the same, hand to his still-bleeding nose.

"You don't look alright..." Jay was eyeing Billy, trying to mask the concern on his features. He looked away, though, when Dean cast him a curious glance. Moving away, the blonde strode to his drum kit, picking up the long, yellow snake that had wound herself around the tom toms, and placed the reptile around his shoulders.

Stepping towards the nearest mic, Ajax tipped his cowboy hat towards the shocked audience. "Right. So that li'l intervene calls for a ten minute break. Don't worry though, we'll be back in a bit, y'all stick around, now." A ruffle of feathers signalled the landing of the small raven on his shoulder and Ajax raised a comforting hand to her scruffy head. The peregrine falcon also swooped down, landing on Billy's outstretched arm, and eyeing the Storms member with concern. She was not the only one; Jay walked alongside the electricity elemental as the band headed towards the back room.

"And you used to wonder why I always said I'd never join the Scythes, even if I had a cat for an Effigia..." He shook his head, fangs showing as he grinned wryly. Billy snorted softly, wincing as it sent a sharp burst of pain through his nose. Overhearing, Ajax jumped forward, slinging an arm around Billy's shoulders, ignoring the tingle of electric current that seemed to emanate from the guitarist's body.

"It's all worth it, though. The gang's like family." He slung his other arm around Jay's small shoulders. With their age, they looked like a trio of frat boys after a brawl. Dean, an extra year older than Ajax's 24, snorted softly from behind them.

"I'm with Jay D." He commented, hand moving to stroke the head of his Mau cat companion. "Fuck the gangs. Even if they weren't so picky with their effigia, it's a bad idea."

The cowboy just shrugged, chuckling as Dean stole his hat. "Rhys," he called the other elemental by his first name, a rarity. "You don't know what yer missin'."

Chapter 1: Circumstantial Denial. Part 3: What goes around, comes around.

"Guess I ain't seen nothin' yet." The Brooklyn accent carried a hint of amusement to it, the ice blue eyes, though, were completely serious. "Well you've seen a lot so far, detective... hell, I think this is the last little 'information evening' you'll need. Once you've seen a newly turned lycan, you've seen it all." The blonde officer was at the wheel, keeping an eye on darkened sky. He, too, sounded amused, but not for the same reason as the detective.

Detective Chase Archer would certainly be in for something new, tonight. They both knew that. Sure, he'd been in Caligation for 2 months, and thought he'd seen it all. Elementals that could conjure up a storm across half the city, vampires that fed off of bizarre emotions and even the huge, sometimes demonic, beasts that stalked the streets at night. Although none he had come across were the same as what he would deal with tonight.

Buildings passed them, forms that began to shift ever so subtly as they headed further south. Perhaps it was the moon as it shifted behind some cloud, or perhaps it was the streets themselves, but the colours seemed to drain from the landscape. Taller buildings became apartment blocks that slowly reduced into old, run down, grey warehouse many of which were inactive. Even from the safety of their vehicle, the scent of danger was strong in the air. Archer didn't need supernatural abilities to sense that, he'd been around it majority of his life. It was just that this city was far different from his time in the army, or even on the streets of New York.

Not the type to get antsy, the detective still found himself keeping a watchful eye out the window. Not even near-bullet-proof glass could stop the creatures that lurked the south. From what he'd seen, some of them were big enough to tip the car upside down in one tackle. Perhaps he was imagining it but Archer could feel several sets of eyes following their vehicle. Imaginary fiends or not, he was grateful when they'd altered their course to the east a little and the warehouses had thinned before transforming into small workshops and heavy foliage.

Then, there was darkness. Still on the beaten track to the south-east of the city's central area, there was forest. And plenty of it. Only the headlights of the large SUV were enough to cut through the darkness that hung thickly about the place. Every so often the full moon broke down through the tree-line. Archer was too busy peering off into the darkness to notice when they'd reached their destination. By the time the car had stopped, though, his pale eyes rested upon a gate. It was huge, concrete for the first eight feet with an extra three of razor-wire. He had no idea how large the area it enclosed was, but it certainly had the air of a jail. Even if it was only a temporary one.

Stepping from the car, he opened the hatched boot, watching as a sleek feline leapt gratefully onto soft ground. "Mmm much better than concrete." Came the whiskey-husked female voice in his head as the snow leopard stretched herself out. Then, she turned her attention to the blonde officer, "perhaps you should come down here, too?" Though it was not to the man she spoke - he wouldn't have heard her, anyway. Instead, a small pink nose poked its way from the officer's pocket.

The mouse was unimpressed with the feline's comment. "Don't you eat bigger things than me?" She queried, keeping to her safe place in her counterpart's shirt pocket.

"I'm watching my weight..." With a baring of teeth that seemed almost in imitation of a human grin, the large feline kept a close eye on her target.

"Hellion..." Although Archer couldn't hear the conversation between the effigia, he could more than sense it. The cat snorted softly, casting the mouse one final, fanged hiss before turning her attention on something more interesting. Such as the small building they had arrived at, just inside the gate.

They'd traversed a small staircase to reach the small room that reminded him of the PD's common room, but now they overlooked a grassed area about half the size of an Olympic pool. A few trees dotted the area, though even from this distance Archer could see they were distorted, limbs hanging off at odd angles and vicious gouges across their trunks. He was suddenly thankful that the huge window through which they looked, was barred.

"Where is it?" He turned towards the young officer that had been lounging on a wooden chair since they'd entered. The young man pointed out the window. Helpful.

Opening his mouth to speak, Archer was suddenly halted as something came into view. A sleek, golden feline though much larger than any he'd ever seen. The lioness was in the centre of the fenced-in area, stalking around in circles, head down, ears back. Furious, it seemed. Nearby was another lion, smaller than the other, though that was exceedingly rare for the animal kingdom. Of course, this was a lycan in comparison to a regular lion...

"She's not as violent. Only tried to get out once... guess the electric shock registered pretty quickly." The officer who had been there when the pair had arrived, spoke with nonchalance, as if he had seen such things a hundred times. After all, he probably had.

As if to put lie to the officer's words, the beast beneath them whirled suddenly. The roar that left its throat was unlike that of any normal lion, it held a certain metallic grate to it - an eerie sound. Snarling, she swiped at the nearest tree - her claws cut through nearest branch like razors - leaving it even more of a dismembered stump than it had previously been. Archer was expecting her to continue the onslaught, turn the tree into a disfigured hunk of wood. Apparently so were the other cops for, as the lycan wrenched herself away from the tree, they both eyed the scene with curiosity.

Though the lycan did not stop. No, instead she turned claws and teeth to her own body, slashing at one of her long limbs before catching it within her sharp fangs. The male lion looked suddenly alarmed, moving a step forward, head cocking to the side. The lioness simply jerked away from him, flinging herself at the nearest wall before crumpling to its base in a trembling pile.

Looking closer, now, Archer could make out the various trails of blood across the lioness's golden fur. Had she been doing that all night?

"Think that's finally done it?" The blonde officer glanced towards his younger associate.

The other cop nodded, "yeah, she's been at it all night. S'about time."

At first Archer had no idea what they were talking about, and cast a curious glance at the officer with the mouse effgia. The man simply nodded back towards the scene below them and Archer turned his gaze on the... lioness? No, there was no lycan any more, simply a young woman, curled in a bloody heap at the bottom of a wall that suddenly seemed all to extreme for such a small, blonde thing.

Before he could turn away, blankets and clothing were dumped into his hands and door down to the fenced-in area was opened. "Don't worry," the young officer shrugged, "she won't be able to turn back until next month, now." Still, even with a young woman bleeding out in the cold, he managed to sound uncaring. Archer nodded in reply and made his way down to the woman. Her effigia was curled up, huge at her side, in an attempt to keep the young woman warm.

Upon arrival at the scene, Archer noted instantly that the young woman was unconscious. Her effigia seemed not to mind as the detective wrapped the young woman in a blanket, lifting her unconscious form into his arms, noting the subtle twitch of her ears... the ears of a lion. If that was the first transformation a lion took, he was beginning to think avoiding the streets at full moon might be a smart move.