A Meeting in the Sewer [Micah]

[Grey (DELETED 5068)]

-- The following transcript is a live chat roleplay --


<Grey> On Grey's way home from work, she absolutely no intentions of trudging through the muck and disgust of the sewers. Jesse had briefly instructed her that they were a way for their kind to navigate during the daytime and seek out recreations and meetings. A secret. Their kind. It made Grey angry that now she was a secret before. She assured Jesse that she would be careful who she spoke with, how she spoke, and when she could make appointments now. She had come into good standing with several regular customers of Auto Docs and knew that they would probably be a little disappointed to hear she was being moved to the night shift. That of which, Brock had created. She was a good employee, and had never really missed a day's work. That was, until she had that mishap.

Yes, she called it a mishap.

She had been bit not once, but twice by Vampires while she was still human. Both times, she was confused and woke up in different areas. It was an accident. Jesse was furious. He had come and picked her up at the bank, a place she knew that not only was safe but also open. She had been carted along, bruised with road rash along the right side of her body. It was a little comical, almost. And it was extremely terrifying. The ordeal lead to the several discussions, heated disagreements, and frustrations for the then human and Vampire couple. She wasn't ready. She loved her chocolate. She wanted her soda pop. She knew Jesse missed having her by his side when he excused himself at night, when he went off to take care of his own meals and his appointments or to see his family. She understood that. He didn't need to give her an excuse why she couldn't come. She never asked to, really. She'd just welcome him home with a smile and a tease, a kiss and tell him she had to be up early for work in the morning.

Grey was always adjustable. The life that she lead meant that she couldn't have structure. She couldn't have expectations. She couldn't ever count on anyone's words for face value or for honesty. She was always no good. She knew it, deep down inside of her very being - she was mistake. Her mother told her that time and time again. Always a mistake. The condom had broken and she was bound to this place. So, that was what lead her to the sewers. That was what lead her to uncover the manhole and trip on the way down. She wasn't used to the thin, rotted out ladder. Seeing the person leave that very manhole, seeing their guarded eyes, the stricken look on their face, and the limp in their step meant that Grey was supposed to steer clear. However, that peaked her curious nature and she had found herself down walking in the muck and not even bothering to breathe.

One mistaken gulp after letting out a curse and she knew now why this was a favored travel path of her kind. It was dark. And all the while she wiped her hands on her jeans and wished she would have brought a jacket that evening to conceal the weapons that Jesse had suggested she now carry - 'just in case', Grey moved forward. There were twists and turns. There was marking along the walls and not even an electrical light blinking. It was wet, and there was something that squeaked and ran ahead of her in the muck. It wasn't long before she got turned around. She took a left instead of a right and she thought that she was certainly on the path of no return before coming up upon a shadow. It was hunched over, and there were no certain distinguishing marks in the darkness that Grey could tell. She was new to this life. She was new to all the traits and qualms of those that sucked blood like her.

"Excuse me," She said to the hunched shadow. And that was what had done her in. Before she felt it, she heard it. The ricket of bullets first pelted off the stone and cement wall beside her head. Then she felt the burning pain searing her face. Bones shattered. There wasn't even time for a startled cry when she felt her jaw crack and her teeth rattle. She was choking on her own blood when she took cover. Why does everyone go for her face?! The gulp was a mistake, the shock of it all had her reeling for the next corner. She barely even had time to pull her weapon. There was a safety, right? Jesse had said something about clicking off the safety. She fumbled in the darkness, listening for the footsteps and not having enough time to figure the gun out. She kicked the stack of crated boxes, of plastic garbage and damned up bottles towards her attacker and that's when she felt the next ricochet of bullets off the water she had fallen into. Twisting, she grimaced as the pain ran up her left calf, shooting up her entire leg and sending fire into her groin.

She fled. She fled into a dead, limping run and wondered if that was the person who had hurt the other Vampire that had limped their way from the sewers not but moments ago. Gulping and trying to keep her sanity, in the darkness she flailed around along a wall. She used it to guide herself along another tunneled sewer. Eyes barely adjusted, now the right seemed to be swollen and closing. The trauma to her face had blood just gushing from the wounds until immortality started to kick in and dislodge the bullets from bone and start to knit the fragments back together. Trying to work her jaw, Grey ignored the wetness that was running down her face, itching her neck, and dripping onto her already ruined, sewer soaked shirt. Should she call out again? Should she say excuse me? Should she try and see if this shadow and rustle of clothes was an friend or foe?

Who was she kidding... She needed the hell out of here. While anger perked up her mood, the pain drove her another step or two as if trying to catch up to the moving mound of flesh. "He..." She cleared her throat, Fforde blood spilling into the air. Her voice was thick and full of pain. Exhaustion was overtaken by pain and the grimace on her face wasn't even seen. "Hey... Excuse me!"


<Micah> It was another quiet night. Absolutely nothing had been happening as of late, except for the occasional check to see if Pratt the coward was still tucked away in his hole. He was of course. No matter, they'd find him eventually. They always did, even if it took weeks in order to accomplish that. Micah was a somewhat patient man if he wanted something bad enough and Robert Pratt's head on a spike outside of the Eyrie was something that he wanted badly. Of course, he couldn't actually have his head but just having him dead was enough to sate the killer's bloodlust.

There were only so many times one could walk to floors of the Eyrie before it became boring. The quiet, while normally somewhat comforting, had become overwhelming. Almost stifling. Cabin fever had set in and he knew that he had to get out of there. Warmer weather had finally made an appearance and it wouldn't be long before he would rarely be inside.

There were a few things that he was low on and the only place he could get them was in the sewers. Micah scribble a quick note to his wife and took the elevator to one of the upper floors, then stepped through a portal that would put him in Bullwood. From there he took the transit to River Rock and climbed down the ladder and into the sewers. Navigating through the maze of darkened corridors was something that by now he could do with his eyes closed, and he did so now with a practiced ease that spoke of his familiarity with the passages.

He continued along, all of his senses open and tuned in for any danger that could possibly be lurking. As he turned one of the corners he managed to sneak up on a footsoldier that he disposed of quickly. He moved further down the path and was hit in the face with the scent of fresh blood. There was something familiar about it. He didn't think anything of it and kept going, only to be stopped by a voice. A female voice. It wasn't at all familiar to him and he was tempted to ignore it and keep moving but he didn't. “Can I help you?”


<Grey> She had braced for impact. She had started even to duck low against the wall, perhaps intent to see if she could get away from the potential of a new round of bullets flying her way. The blood was now slowing, not dripping quite as heavily down her neck. Her fingers smeared it. She brought one hand up to wipe the thick redness from her swollen eye. With each blink, it seemed to get a little less painful. She had no idea who she was talking to. It was a man, Grey now knew. Since there were no bullets that zoomed for her head again, she pushed off that wall. The blood oozed down her leg, tickling her skin and drizzling along at just a slow enough pace to aggravate her flesh.

There was a bullet - no, metal fragments that were lodged in her skin now causing ugly bumps along her jaw and her cheek. Her flesh was swollen, her skin bruised. Blood had matted into her hair, a bullet grazed her scalp and she bled like a stuck pig. Her hair had been pulled up prior, gathered into a sloppy bun and she was thankful that most of it had been out of the way. "Yes. Please. I... I got turned around. And then this asshole shot me. And... I don't know where I am. The sewers, I know. But, I mean where I am."

She rambled. She knew she was rambling. But, when she was nervous, she couldn't stop. It was a bad habit, and she grimaced, her words thick and her tongue hurt. "It's... It's just I knew I shouldn't have come down here." Christ, each thing she said was like teeth were getting pulled from her mouth without novocaine. Her head was pounding and the anger seemed to seep from her pores now. "But, I did. Come down here. And Jesse is going to be so pissed. ****. **** - He's going to be so irritated. Uhm... " She drifted off, her train of thought jumbled from the earlier upset with that man and his snarly bullets. She stopped a couple steps from the wall. She couldn't really make out the man in the darkness. No, not with one good eye.

"I don't know who it was that used that gun. But, I wasn't fast enough. He was really big, too." Yes, she certainly was rambling now. She looked over her shoulder, perhaps to see if that guy was going to round the corner at any minute. Soaked in her own blood, Grey sloshed another step forward. "He... Well... I just wanted to get out. To find a way out." She finished, and it was as if talking to him was a feat. Grey hadn't made many acquaintances within the city, and she certainly didn't seem to be good at making them while she was a Vampire!


<Micah> The hand that was holding his gun hung loosely at his side. He remained on guard even knowing that his heightened sense would alert him to any threat before it got too close. Even in the terrible lighting he could tell that the female was injured. The scent of fresh blood that he had smelled earlier was thick around her and he knew that he had found the source. While he couldn't make out just how badly she was injured he figured that she had probably had a run-in with a footsoldier and from what he could see, she hadn't emerged the victor.

She was rambling, trying to explain herself and all he really managed to get out of it was she was probably young, or newly turned. The sewers definitely wasn't the place for someone new to venture. The twisting, pitch black corridors could turn anyone around on their best day and if you didn't know your way it wasn't difficult to become lost. And if you didn't know anyone to call to help you then you had to rely on luck, otherwise you'd be well and truly fucked. “Yeah, well that can happen.” And then she mentioned Jesse. About how pissed he was going to be at her for venturing down below the city where it really wasn't safe. “What's your name?” A formality, as he had a hunch that he was pretty sure was spot on.


<Grey> There was no way that she would end up home before Jesse. She was sure that the trudge to the apartment in this state was enough to have her in tears by the time she got up to the seventh floor of the Towers. So, she licked her lower lip - something about tasting her own blood that had her swiping across the line again. She had shoved her own gun haphazardly back into her waistband and cared not to really draw it again. Well, that was unless that ****** behind her started shooting again. There was a slight discouraged pang that shot through her chest. Yes, she knew that anything could happen.

While she stood there, the bullet fragments would pierce her skin, forcing themselves out and she drew in a hissed breath. A sludge and slosh around her feet. She couldn't keep her weight on that left leg too much at the moment. She could feel the bacteria, the dirt, the tiny little microbes crawling on her skin. And this was just a different kind of dirty. A different kind of sludge. Funny, how once the dirt on her person never would have bothered her. Grey after all had begun to get used to how being clean felt. Baths were her new best friend.

"It... Well..." She agonized over telling someone her name. What... Well, she had already mentioned Jesse's. Oops. Did he have any enemies? Should she not tell someone her name? He didn't specifically tell her not to. Or to look out or steer clear of anyone while she remembered that sit down he had with her the day after her turning. "I... It's Grey, Mister." Mister. Sir. She called everyone something - a title, a bit of respect when on that personable level. She even knew her Please and Thank you's too. Manners were important, after all. Somewhere... Her father taught her that.

"That bloody ******** shot me up! I didn't even do anything to him. Or her. It. Whoever... stupid." She flexed her arm, smeared blood on her other wrist. "I'm not very good at this." Any of it. Oh, her shoulders fell and she grimaced with a huff. Yes. Grey certainly was moody.


<Micah> “Yeah.” He was amused and the tone of his voice made that perfectly clear. He checked his gun, releasing the empty clip and replacing it with another. Now that he knew that who she was there was no way he was going to walk away and leave her there. She was Jesse's childe, and so much more. Because of that Micah would make sure that she got back to the top safely. She was right about one thing – Jesse was indeed going to freak the **** out. He didn't know much about their relationship but he knew Jesse had gone to great lengths to protect her. Micah hadn't even known of her until the night they'd figured out what was wrong with the necromancer.

“Of course he shot you. Paladins and footsoldiers hate all things vampire. They shoot first and ask questions later.” He caught the way she was favoring her leg and stepped forward to wrap a firm hand around her bicep to help steady her. She wasn't used to being shot on a nightly basis like he was. By now the sting of a bullet to him was just a minor annoyance but to her it probably hurt like a *****.

He barely managed to repress a shudder. “Hell girl don't call me mister. That makes me feel old.” Micah didn't know much about this girl, just the few back and forth conversations her and Jesse had had on the Andras CrowNet. “Name's Micah. Just call me that. I don't stand on formalities.”


<Grey> Grey had stood there, listening to the man and his metal. Of course, Grey had worked a lot with metal. With plastic. With acids. With bases. With wires, tape, oil, and grease. They were all a medium for her work. She had taken a shower in Doc's locker room and managed to slip her cell phone and ID into her pocket before venturing back out into the night. The pressure on her face was quite painful. She thought for sure the bullet had ripped a path from one side of her jaw to the other, but with each word her tongue no longer felt as thick and her bruised up body started to heal.

"Paladins? Footsoldiers?" Grey had a confused look cross her face. The man might not have been able to see it, but as she shifted again, she swore she wouldn't pass out. No, she refused to be a damsel in distress and continued to talk through the aching pain and changes her body was going through to heal the wounds. "I... Well... That's not very nice. Why would they do something like that?" She questioned the man. She didn't shy away from the touch. She didn't even jerk. Okay, well... Maybe Grey did a little. She was only used to Jesse's touch and this man had a firm hand. Of course, Grey didn't complain when he took the brunt of some of her weight.

"The Micah? Like... the Micah? Jesse has spoken very highly of you and your companion. Velveteen, right?" Of course, Grey had personally met Velveteen - only under a different name entirely. "No formalities. Right. Then how the hell do I get out of this place? I don't particularly care for knowing someone can beat me to a bloody pulp."


<Micah> He stared at her rather blankly and completely unamused. Hadn't Jesse taught her anything? Surely he thought she'd get curious and wander off some night on her own. A tiny spark of anger ignited within him. He couldn't help it. Too many times had he seen what happens when young vampires aren't given all the information that should be available to them. Micah was willing to give Jesse the benefit of the doubt but Grey should have been told what was waiting for her should she decide to venture down below the city. “They're humans that hate vampires and most of the time the attack on sight if you aren't quick enough to sneak up and kill them first.” He really wanted to ask her what Jesse had told her but he refrained.

“I can't say that I've ever been called the Micah before. But unless you know another that's me.” At the sound of his wife's name a genuine smile curved his lips. “Yeah that's her. Though I just call her woman. Or Cougar. Or anything else that pops into my head.” He shrugged his shoulders completely unashamed. “I'm sure he's spoken of us. He's a good kid. Bit of an asshole at times but then I'm one all the time so he can be forgiven for that ****.” He glanced around, knowing exactly where they were. It wouldn't be difficult to get her back up top where it was safer. “Why were you down here anyways?”


<Grey> She wasn't even sure Micah cared to hear any of this. But now that he had grabbed onto her, she certainly seemed to take that as an invitation to lean. And she was leaning. Because her left calf hurt like hell and she was absolutely sure her new jeans were just ruined. With a deep breath, the smell of the sewers wasn't as bad as it originally had been. An assault to her senses was now an assault on her body and the pain distracted her. The sensation of nerves screaming and her bone crunching was the way her teeth ground together. Those poor molars.

"He did tell me that. He told me that there are those out there that hunt vampires. Us, I mean." Grey still, at times, had a difficult time referring to herself as a vampire. It was new to her, after all. "He told me that the sewers weren't a good idea. But, damn it. I am a big girl. Just... Not as big as I thought." She would check to see if she had her big girl panties on later, after all. There was a flair of defiance in her voice. Or perhaps, it was that she needed to learn. That she needed to grow. And even though Jesse wasn't there right now, she took it upon herself to clammer into the sewers when he had told her better.

"No, I know no other Micah. I don't know too many people here in this city. I met Solene once, but haven't seen her since. Then of course Jesse. And Brock. Brock is my boss at Auto Doc. I work there as a mechanic. And sometimes the front counter making sure no one steals ****. Some people have sticky fingers." And yes, Grey stole **** for a living before she had a steady paycheck.

"Cougar. That's nice." Grey grinned, and then stepped down too hard with her left leg, her knee giving out and she stumbled into her next step. "Whoops. Sorry." She muttered an apology, her weight not taking too kindly to the still healing leg. "And I was curious. I saw someone coming up through the manhole. And well... I wanted to check it out. Jesse told me about the Zombies and all. But, I guess they aren't here. I must have gotten some things mixed up. It's a lot, you know." A lot to take in. Grey reached up, with her smeared hand and tried to tuck some pesky hairs that hadn't been matted down to her face by the blood away from her eyes.


<Micah> A single eyebrow raised. Well at least she wasn't coming across like a shrinking violet. She had guts, and he could completely understand her need to prove herself. “Ain't got a thing to do with you being a big girl. He was right. It's dangerous down here, especially for a young one like yourself. These hunters and paladins will chew you up and spit you out before you could even get your weapon raised.” He gave her a pointed glance as if to say see what happens when you don't listen?

“Mhm I know all about sticky fingers. I steal **** on a nightly basis but at least its for a good cause. Building and factories round here have tons of useful **** that the wife uses, and some of it I find a use for too.” Which was one of the reasons he had been down in the sewers in the first place. He needed to gather the items Vel needed to craft another batch of knockout bombs to make his ventures into said buildings go a whole lot smoother.

He didn't mind her as she leaned against him. Better than her falling on her *** and getting dirtier than she already was. Once in awhile he could be a nice guy. “No you ain't gonna find zombies here. You'll find those over in the Quarantine Zone, which is where you should be. But right now, unless you can hop a high fence or walk across the water the only way you're gonna get there is through the sewers. And the sooner you learn the better.”


<Grey> Grey's senses adjusted to the darkness. She could almost make out the man's facial features. Of course, the shadows were thick and she was sure that it was not as hard for him to see down here than it was for her. The gun fire cracks were still dancing in her eyes. The yellow fire was quick to blind her in the beginning of the pseudo-battle. No, Grey couldn't even call it a battle because all she did was run away like a wounded creature, pouring blood and trying not to cry. The pain overran the tears, after all. She smirked. "They did chew me up and spit me out. ******* ********. Excuse my French. I struggled. They were so fast. I couldn't barely even raise my weapon before I already heard the bullets coming at me. I was.. shocked."

Yes, shocked. No, not that Jesse's warning had been the truth - after all, why would he lie to her? She was just shocked that someone would attack her. Unprovoked. "Yeah? Buildings and factories. I've seen some of them. What kind of stuff do you use?" Now, Grey was just making conversation. Distracting her from the irritation that she would ensue when Jesse found out she went into the sewers and got herself shot up. And she wouldn't dare tell Micah not to tell Jesse. Hah! She didn't have enough power nor know Micah well enough not to tell him what to do. Or let alone have any clout. Micah was right. She was too young of a vampire.

"The Quarantine Zone... Right. And that's where? I mean, I've never been there. I mean, I have, but only once when I got bit. So that's where you go to exercise? To get stronger, right? Jesse told me that I should take a couple days after being turned and then worry about training. That was a little while ago."


<Micah> “You'll come to find out that I've got the mouth of a sailor and there isn't much that's gonna offend me.” Wasn't the first time someone had attempted to apologize for their language and it sure wasn't going to be the last, but she needed to know if wasn't necessary. “They are fast, and they're strong. A vampire as young as you are doesn't really stand a chance. No offense.” Better to tack that on at the end. He was being completely honest with her but didn't really want to come across as an uncaring asshole. He was, but not to the ones that he considered his family and since Grey was Jesse's that put her in that category.

“All kinds of stuff. Nuts and bolts, copper pipe, all kinds of chemicals...” He could go on and on but he would rather get her out of the sewers first. He of course wouldn't let anything happen to her and right now the area that surrounded the two of them was quiet but that could change at the drop of a hat. Getting her out safely was priority.

“I can guide you over there but its a bit of a walk. And you're injured.” Either way she was going to have to walk, but Micah felt bad for her. Her first trip into the sewers had turned into a disaster and she had the battle wounds to prove it. “But yes Jesse is correct. Younger vampires go there to train and get stronger, but they aren't the only ones. The zombie ears are useful and the feral vampires drop things that are used too.” He wasn't looking forward to guiding her there while she was shot to hell. Though... “I'll tell you what. I'll head over and summon you into one of the buildings. Have you ever been summoned by anyone before?”

[Micah]

-- The following transcript is a live chat roleplay --


<Grey> "That's good to know. Sometimes my mouth gets away from me under certain circumstances." And right now, Grey certainly wasn't the best of herself. She felt lightheaded and a little nauseous. She didn't care to dry heave on Micah's shoes as the closed in space of that particular sewer seemed to get the better of her. No, she wasn't paranoid. She was just hurting and already agitated that she had to ask for help. She hated, loathed, despised asking for help. It took a lot for her to swallow her pride and call out 'Excuse me' a second time that night. Though the first had led to a big mistake, she was thankful the second had led her to Micah.

"I really am glad to finally meet you. You've really made a great impression on Jesse. He has nothing but good things to say." She voiced up, her words coming a little quicker now since the shrapnel had dislodged from bone and broken through her skin to rid of the foreign parts within her. The items that were stolen were basic, simple. They were building blocks of course for other things and Grey tucked that knowledge away. She did not steal well lately. No, Grey had happily handed over her cash or her new fangled debit card with pride that she had the money to actually back up her purchases. Money. It was something that Grey had a hard time with parting, as if unsure where her next dollar was despite the deposit of her paycheck into her bank account.

"Oh. A bit of a walk? I'm... Well..." She took a deep breath, her face crumpled. Not to where Micah would have to be worried about tears, but she nodded. "Jesse summoned me once to his area in Larch Court. It is a nice little place there. He has everything he needs in it. Comfortable." Come to think of it, Grey knew it to be a little bit more comfortable than even their apartment in Veil Towers. Lived in. It had knick knacks and mismatched furniture and a pinball game. She waivered between angry and irritated and sullen almost. There were so many things she hadn't been privy to in Jesse's life that she was almost disheartened that she didn't know that part of his life. Hell, most of his life. "I'd like that, please. I won't hold you back that way, either. In case, you know... Those Paladins would find us. I'm not too much quiet right now."

Grey hadn't been either, when trudging through the backed up sewer corridor. No, she'd been slapping the muck under her boots and sighing, grumbling under her breath and holding her own trying to find an exit that hadn't existed where she thought it did. "Thank you." She said to Micah, reaching over with her other hand and giving his upper arm a squeeze of appreciation.


<Micah> “While it's not the way that I expected to meet you for the first time, I will say that it's nice to meet you as well.” Vel had told him that Jesse had wanted to introduce them to Grey, but the right time hadn't come up. All of them had gotten distracted with other things and it wasn't anyone's fault really. Things just happened. He was glad though, that he had been the one to come across her in the sewer. Anyone else might have just left her there to fend for herself, like he had almost done but he had sensed something familiar in her and that was a big part of why he hadn't moved on.

“Jesse's a good guy. He's taken more than his fair share of ****.” That was putting it mildly. From the night that Jesse had chosen the faction over his sire the guy had taken more crap than was fair. But neither Micah nor Vel abandoned him. Through everything they had been by his side and now they'd taken him is as their own. It had been a good decision. All of Jesse's family, with the exception of the ones that hadn't responded or refused the offer, were fitting in nicely and Micah couldn't remember a time when his line was so active. It was overwhelming at times to be responsible for so many but he wouldn't change a thing about it.

“It will be easier on you. But you'll have to stay here.” He was reluctant to leave her there alone but he was going to have to. It was the only way unless he called someone to wait with her but that was really unnecessary. It wouldn't take him longer than five minutes to get over to the Flats which was where he planned to summon her. “Just...think of me as someone that you trust. In order for me to be able to summon you, you have to do that. I can't stress it enough.” Asking that of her was asking a lot. But if Jesse had spoken of him enough then perhaps she already knew she could trust him.

Reaching down into his boot he pulled out a dagger that he pressed into her hand. “Don't hesitate to use that if you have to. I'll be as fast as I can, I promise.” Giving her a final glance he pulled out the tome he carried with him at all times that would take him to the Eyrie. After reading the fae words he disappeared from her sight and landed back at home. Moving quickly he took the elevator and once the doors opened he stepped through the portal that would deposit him inside the supermarket. A few steps later he was inside the flats, concentrating on her enough to bring her to his side, hopefully in the same condition he'd left her in.


<Grey> Grey managed a painful smile to Micah as he was glad to meet her too. It said a lot, perhaps that Jesse even spoke of her. She knew the unhappiness that the two had expressed when she was still human. Velveteen had come to question Grey's knowledge of Jesse and just what she knew about him and his family - which wasn't much. This seemed to please the woman that the secret of their people had been upheld by Jesse even if he broke that rule of fraternizing with a human being. "He's told me some things. Everyone has a past. Everyone has issues." And she was kind to them. She was kind to the fact that the past was what made people what they were and change was inevitable. Everything was a choice in this day and age to a point. Yes, a point. Jesse had waited after all until she said she was ready. He respected her that much.

"I will. I promise, I trust you already. If Jesse says you are good people, Micah, then you are good people." And Grey took Jesse's word, even if she didn't listen to him about the sewers. When he pressed the dagger into her hand, she nodded. "Okay. I'll be quiet. I won't move much. I do trust you." She said softly, knowing how important it was to be quiet when he moved away. She took a few steps back until she was against the wall. And she lowered her head. Her chin was touching her chest and she just stayed there.

She didn't count minutes. She tried to listen for anything abnormal. For the differences in squeaks and the flow in water and the trudge of her boots through the thickness beneath her. And she thought of Jesse. Of his no doubt impending frustration with her. Scolding herself, she returned her thoughts to Micah. It was about him now. He was going to get her to safety. He was going to guide her up to these Flats. C... Flats. Right. And before she knew it, she was falling backwards when she had been leaning on a wall. Her arms shot out trying to right herself as the dagger was held in that ever defensive manner. "Oougff!" She teetered in mid-air.


<Micah> The Flats were crowded with vampires, zombies and the occasional feral. The spot he picked was somewhat towards the center of the lobby where it was mostly clear of others. He hadn't been gone all that long and so as he concentrated he hoped that she was ready. It wasn't like he could give her any warning really. Well, he could but Micah didn't think she'd appreciate it if he threw his thoughts into her mind. He didn't like to do that to others that hadn't given him permission to do so. Mindspeak was invasive to a lot of people, and many didn't like it when it was done without consent. The only two that he allowed to do that without having to ask were Vel and Zoey Jane. They were the only exceptions.

His arms shot out to steady her as she appeared in front of him. Now that she was in the light he could see her better. She really was shot to ****, covered in blood and the muck from the sewers. She was, for lack of a better word, a ******* mess. His lips pressed together and he shook his head. If Jesse were to see her now in this condition he'd flip the **** out and Micah couldn't blame him for that. He'd do the same thing if his wife were standing in front of him as Grey was now. He didn't comment on her appearance because he was sure she already knew how she looked.

A shuffling could be heard off to the side and a glance over showed a feral had noticed them. Nodding in its direction he gestured to her. “You should see what you're capable of. Have a go at that and see if you can kill it.” She needed to see what she could and couldn't do.


<Grey> On instinct, Grey's hands latched onto Micah's arms that steadied her. She was breathing heavy, the whole experience newer for her and she forgot what it had felt like. In the blink of an eye, she was gone from the sewers and now bathed in light and a hundred different noises. She grimaced, which meant the ugly bruised skin along her right face tightened, her cheek, nose, and chin were oddly swollen and her right eye was barely open. Her eyes were a bright blue, skin so very fair, and the long hair that was a dark chocolate was swept up in a haphazard way, the bun no longer cute but messy and drenched with her blood. Some things hadn't quite dried yet, and her left leg was riddled with a few bullet holes along her calf, but only one or two seemed to have pierced the flesh underneath the denim of her jeans.

She truly was a mess and she grimaced as she took a step back, the muck and disgust from the sewers sloshed along her boots. The brown and black gunk was smeared along the floor and she would have winced if it was carpet. Someone had to clean that up, right? "I... Okay." She didn't tell Micah she couldn't do it. She wanted to. She felt a little stronger in the time that she had spoken to the man in the sewer, but she took a few steps towards the fanged, snarling shuffle. A hand came up, wiped her face. As if to wipe away the unsure feelings that clouded her judgement. She could handle this. She could. It just took her a minute. She reached back for her gun. She had the safety disengaged by now. The snarling, snappy beast was almost a good five inches or so taller than her. And where Grey would never disclose her weight, her height was only about five feet and five inches.

She aimed, fired, and the bullets went wide. Perhaps that was because her hand was shaking. All that pent up energy and anger mixed with the feelings of not really knowing what the hell she was doing. And before long, the diseased beast leaped her way, and started to slam her head so hard that her forehead dented. Dented. Why did everyone go for her ******* face?! But it didn't take long for Grey to pop some more bullets off, again missing. Shelter was taken when she had kicked the beast off. And it grabbed her up again. It was strong. Too strong. Her conscious was screaming at her to get away, but that hard head of hers hit the ground again and it took everything Grey had in that moment to realize that she didn't have enough strength to even take down the snappy, fanged foe.

She fled the carpeted area, turning quickly to gather herself on the other side of the elevators out of the beast's sight while blood gushed from her new head wound and there were more bruises forming along the other side of her face. "****." She said, gulping down air while she looked up to see some unknown vampires just shaking their heads and a bartender filling requested drinks. This was crazy. She closed her eyes and thought for sure her alarm would wake her up soon. "Oooowww..." There was a bit of a whimper when she touched her forehead, bone crunched in was obvious. And that just made her all the more pissed off.


<Micah> Maybe he shouldn't have encouraged her to try. It was clear that she wasn't sure, but she was going to try anyways. Stubborn maybe. Or maybe she just didn't want to tell him no. She could have and he would have understood, especially with how beat up she already was from her jaunt into the sewers. But he wanted to see if she could. Why he didn't know. But she had to learn sometime so why shouldn't she start now? He didn't feel bad about it. She had to learn – he kept repeating that to himself over and over as he watched.

Her hand was shaking and because of that every single shot she fired went wild, missing her target by a mile. Micah winced as the battle unfolded in front of him. No Grey definitely was NOT ready to take on a feral vampire. Not yet anyways. But eventually she would be, and it would happen before she realized it.

He followed her as she scrambled away from the battle, pausing just long enough to drive his blade through the feral's skull effectively killing it. He collected the feral blood and moved on stopping just shy of her. “Ok so you aren't ready for that yet.” Micah did feel bad now. He'd pushed her to try and so she did and she had lost. “How about something easier?” It probably wasn't the time to have her try something else but he was worried that if he didn't she wouldn't try again. Another shuffling could be heard, followed by a low groan. A zombie. Perfect. Nice and slow, and easy. “One more time Grey. See if you can kill the zombie.” He kept his tone encouraging, hoping that it would help.


<Grey> Grey had been determined. She knew that she was going to get a tongue lashing for going into the sewers. There was no doubt about that. As she sat there, bleeding from her head once more and the bruise under her right eye and across the bridge of her nose was now getting bigger thanks to the trauma from the left side of her face. She took a few deep breaths, tried to assess the damage. Her right leg still was intact with no bullet holes. Her arms felt pretty steady besides the rush of adrenaline that caused them to shake. Could it even be adrenaline? Was she scared? ****, she didn't even know why she felt like her entire body was just one big jittery mess.

She had the dagger still poised in a death grip. Oh, she hadn't realized she did. Shooting with her non-dominant hand probably wasn't the best way to start off a fight. There was no doubt she was embarrassed too. Not even strong enough to kill a Feral Vampire! She swallowed that mistake down quite poorly. She stifled the apology that had been on the tip of her tongue. How awful for Micah to have to witness that painful debacle! Her left hand lifted, the gun put away in her lap and she tried to stem the blood flow. Her hair was coated in blood, now the remnants from the sewer muck and she grimaced when she felt her forehead and the splice of skin that oozed. "Yeah, easier would b- be best."

She couldn't even look up at the man at the moment. She still sat against the side of the elevator shaft, her smeared up body coating the painted wall behind her. Holding her throbbing head, it took a bit of time for that forehead to reform. She sat there while Micah no doubt looked down on her. Oh, how she wished the floor would open up and she'd just crawl inside of it. But, Grey stuck her chin out a bit - surprisingly, that wasn't dented. "This is a little harder than what I thought. Jesse wasn't joking." She muttered underneath her breath, lifting her eyes just enough to catch Micah's knees and the shuffle towards them followed by the moan of a certain distinguishable 'give me your brains' moan from television.

Was she even good enough to try and kill a Zombie? Did she even have enough strength left for that. When Micah's tone was encouraging and one that did not seem to waver in her ability to try and kill the next foe, Grey pushed herself up off the floor. Still holding the dagger, she sucked down a deep breath and looked to Micah. "Thank you. For this... I know it probably isn't how you wanted to spend your evening." And with that, Grey moved towards the creature. She struck out, full of piss and vinegar in anger. Her body was miserably hurting. Her head felt like it weighed a hundred and one pounds.

But, she lashed out. Her dagger slicing through the Zombie's leg. The growl and the chomp of teeth had her shifting over. There was a bite taken out of her. The hand pulled back, reaching for her gun while she stabbed the disgusting beast in the shoulder. And she rolled, shoving her gun into the creaking chest and fired! The Zombie let out its last groan, loud and agonizing before she took it's ear as it collapsed. She shoved the beast away, rolling and pushing her still dented-forehead self up. She waved the ear at Micah triumphantly and grinned in all of her bruised, swollen glory. "Look! Look! Hah!"


<Micah> Micah could sense her embarrassment but really there was no need for her to bed. He'd been young once himself but back then there hadn't been many ways for him to train and growing stronger was a slow and tedious process. Until the quarantine zone had been discovered a few months after his turning he had to rely on stealing and that had done next to nothing for him. “It's not meant to be easy Grey. But just imagine the sense of accomplishment you'll feel when you manage to take one of those down.” He gestured to another feral that was lingering in the distance.

True it wasn't how he had planned to spend his evening but it was a welcome change from the usual boring routine that he had fallen into. Running into Grey in the sewers had been a pleasant surprise and he hoped that Jesse wasn't too angry with her when he found out what she had gotten up to in his absence. At least she was out of the sewers and into a somewhat safer environment. That had to count for something after all.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would be able to take on the zombie. Zombies were slow and their reflexes sucked. The perfect target for a younger vampire to take down and as he watched the battle he discovered he was right. The zombie was so challenge and while the rotting corpse managed to get a couple of hits in on her in the end Grey was victorious as he knew she would be. Her excitement was contagious and he found himself grinning right along with her. “Congratulations Grey. I knew you could do it.”


<Grey> She felt a flood of accomplishment. It was a relief, truth be told that she finally was victorious. Now, hopefully, Jesse could be proud of her eventful evening. She sucked down a deep breath. She was plastered in grime, guts, and blood. Not all of it was her own, but she came over to Micah with a grin on her face. Well, as much of a grin as she could muster. It was a miracle all the teeth weren't knocked out of her head when those bullets from the shadow in the sewers hadn't riddled her up.

"Thank you!" She launched herself at him, wrapping him in a hug without even thinking about the fact that she was coated in different liquids that didn't smell ... all that good. She was so excited that she had forgotten all about personal space, and whatever blood that she had left in her system rushed to her cheeks in a full fledged blush. Her arms squeezed around the man for a moment before releasing him. He had helped her to figure out what foes she could trump down and that certainly said a lot!

"Oh! Here. Sorry. I forgot." She handed him back the dagger that was rightfully his and would still have that smile on her bruised, swollen face. Half of her forehead became undented since the fight with the Zombie and Grey managed to look a little more human instead of the dead walking. "I really appreciate it. I... Just... Well... Thank you."

She finally spit out. Smiling again to the man while she had shifted her weight, ready to kill more now that she knew they were a little slower and more on her obvious level to destroy. "I just hope that this stuff all goes away by the time Jesse lands his eyes on me. Oy. That will certainly be a doozy to explain!" She chuckled a bit, having motioned to her face. After all, it seemed she was always disfigured on her first meetings with males!


<Micah> He froze in place, arms hanging at his sides as the female launched herself at him. It was unexpected, the hug and he certainly hadn't been prepared for it. Physical contact usually wasn't something that he was all that comfortable with but it all depended on who it was. In his experience when a woman who wasn't his wife hugged him it was usually accompanied by tears and that made him uncomfortable. He didn't do tears well at all. But Grey wasn't crying which was a relief so he managed to give her an awkward pat on the back like one would give a sister or something. “You're welcome,” came the mumbled response.

He took the offered weapon hesitantly. It wasn't like he needed it or anything, not with his current blade and gun but it never hurt to have a backup just in case. He returned it to it's resting spot inside of his boot and awkwardly ran a hand against the back of his neck. “It was really no problem. While I’m sure its not the meeting that either of us expected I'm just glad I was able to help you out.” Jesse would have done the same for him, if the roles had been reversed. Of that he was sure of. “Are you sure you don't need this?” He gestured towards his foot where he'd returned the dagger to. “Do you even have a decent set of weapons?” That was something that he should have asked her ages ago but it hadn't occurred to him until now.

Micah looked her over, taking in the healing cuts and bruises on her face. She was still filthy and nothing but a good shower would cure that but the signs of healing were there. Already the bruises had lightened a few shades but he doubted they'd be completely gone before Jesse found her. “You look better. I'm sure Jesse won't be too terribly angry.” At least, that was what he hoped. Couldn't be too pissed at the girl for her curious nature after all.


<Grey> Grey detached herself quickly. After all, it wasn't a long hug. No, it was one of jubilee. The triumph certainly had her satisfied. She had finally killed something! And she got an ear to boot. Normally, Grey would have been disgusted, but she would try to remember what in the heck she was going to do with it. And that big of gross was not going to be going into her pockets, either. While she had given his weapon back, Grey looked at Micah with a bit of confusion upon her face. He didn't want it back? But, it was his! Biting her lower lip, Grey managed to shake her head. "I'm pretty sure. I mean, I have a broadsword and a rifle. Jesse and Brock both gave me one of those. Had to protect myself and everything."

She frowned now, at a personable distance from Micah and stood there leaking droplets of slowly oozing blood from the bullet wound in her calf yet. The metal of the bullet still lodged within her flesh and made it uncomfortable. However distracted, she concentrated on answering Micah's question while the recent events still had her a little excited. "Jesse gave me a St. James Broadsword too. I think that was what he called it. And some ammo. Did I need something else?" Her frown continued to Micah, unsure now of her own weapons. She wasn't good with guns, yet. They were awkward in her grip and she was so unused to their demands. Give her a wrench any day and she'd maul someone with it.

"Oh! Right. Jesse..." She grimaced. Reaching up with her left hand, she felt the bulging dent peeling itself back slowly and the matted blood in her hair. "He... Well. I don't know. I'm sure he'll be okay. I'll wait to call him, I think. Until this goes away. Might kill a couple more of those Zombies first, bide my time until my face goes down." She gingerly let her fingers press against the swollen nose and her engorged cheeks. Her lips turned down as she frowned to Micah now.

"He wouldn't be too happy if he saw the damage. If I give it some time to heal, he can't be too mad..." Her voice trailed off as she heard some shuffles off to the left and another Zombie seemed to open it's decayed mouth to let out a knowing groan that brains were once again closer.


<Micah> “That's a pretty good blade and it will serve you well.” He nodded then. No way would Jesse let her out of the house without a good set of weapons that she could use to defend herself. He'd figured as much but there was no harm in making sure. And she said that Brock dude had given her something as well so she was pretty well set. “You don't need anything else than what you have now. Me I just like having extra.” She didn't need to arm herself to the teeth and he really didn't either, but then again he was a paranoid ********.

It was getting late and he'd been gone longer than he'd planned to be. Vel would be wondering where he was if she wasn't already. There was nothing more that he could do for Grey now. He'd gotten her out of a sticky situation and made sure she had what she needed. It was probably safe for him to leave her to it and head home. “If you need me, I'm only a phone call or a text away. If you need help and can't get Jesse, call me. I'll be here as fast as I can be.”

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the tome that was bound to deliver him to the Eyrie. “It really was nice to meet you Grey. Hopefully the next time it will be under better circumstances.” He gave her a grin and opened the tome, reading the words that would activate the tome, and disappeared from her sight for the second time that night. It had been an eventful evening and all he wanted was to see his wife and get some sleep. Once the tome dropped him he set off to do just that.


<Grey> "Thank you again, Micah." She gave the man as much of a smile as she could muster. Her forehead now had completely come back to its original state but she could not say the same for her face. That would likely take another hour or more. She took a deep breath, lifted her hand and gave a proper wave to the man. He was thoughtful, that was for sure. It was obvious he cared for those that were important to him. She was thankful for that, because she didn't know how else she was going to get out of that mess and she knew Jesse had already warned her of the dangers of the sewer.

The 'I told you so' lesson was no doubt going to be coming soon enough and Grey shifted. Once Micah disappeared from sight, she'd take her residual anger and energy out on the shuffling, rotting creatures in order to pass the time before notifying Jesse that she ... would need his help too. Micah had certainly done enough. And where Grey was no slouch, she raised her gun and fired a couple more shots at the advancing zombie with their teeth chomping. This was certainly going to be a long night.