{Broken Glass/Group One} Blue Flu?

[Alexandrea]

As she finished up another Shock Cage, Alexandrea Quartermaine swallowed a lump in her throat. The threats of attacks on her kind that had been posted on the Crownet were what had motivated the blonde to start stockpiling weapons and traps but right at that moment Alex was just crafting up a storm to stay busy so she didn't dwell on the horrific news of the past few days. The reality of so much fear and terror visited upon so many innocents made the idle gossip of some unknown vampire seem trivial compared to the violent actions that so many extremists had just unleashed in Paris.

The sensitive Allurist had decorated her shop with the blue, white and red flags of France and had dressed completely in black; excepting for a trio of ribbons wrapped around her wrist that matched the flags. Her face was scrubbed clean of any makeup and her hair pulled up into a tight bun. The smile which seldom left Alexandrea's lips was completely absent and her eyes were all red and puffy from crying on and off for the last two days and nights.

But there was work to be done, there was always work to be done. The blonde was glad of that, as it kept her busy so she didn't get too overwhelmed by her emotions. And in the back of Alex's mind... the threat of possible attacks right at home in Harper Rock still whispered. It would be hard to believe that anyone could or would stage some kind or violence right after what had just happened in Paris but it was always better to be prepared.

Storing away the last few traps in a locker and stashing a few more guns and extra rounds of ammo under a floorboard in the back room of her shop, Alexandrea wondered if perhaps she should just close the shop early and call it an early 'night'. She no longer was burned by the sun but she did like to nap after the sunrise for a few hours and the blonde was feeling exceptionally tired after an emotionally draining weekend.

After opening up her cellphone the Allurist sent off a quick text to her thrall Harry, checking in to be sure there hadn't been any new developments. The man was the Commissioner of Police and Alexandrea had instructed him to be on high alert, just in case the rumoured threats to Vampire kind were legitimate.


Harry got the message but rather than text back, the human dialed Alex's number. It was not just because the older man hated to text. He had too much to say. He didn't bother with pleasantries when Alexandrea answered but instead dove right in and got quickly to the point for once.

"Blondie, you better get ready for something I think." The gravely voice began; "Over half the force called in 'sick' today and it wasn't anything planned by my office. I'm on my way over there now so hold off on doing anything nutty like barricading the doors until I get there." Hanging up, Harry grabbed his coat and hat and headed out the door.

Quickly she sent a brief message to Odin, the owner of the mall, asking him to come by if he could and briefly sharing a few of what she knew for sure were the facts. She tried not to bother the Killer too much but knew this was something he would want to know about as soon as possible.

And then with a sigh, Alex put her cell away and had started pulling back out the guns she had only just put away... just when the sounds of glass shattering echoed through the 8th Dimension Mall.

Moving quickly to the front of her store, Alexandrea went to lock the door when she remembered Harry was on his way to help. Taking a position to the side of the entryway she had a rapid fire gun at the ready in her hand while she strained to hear what was going on outside; but heard nothing but an eerie silence, unusual even at that ungodly early hour of the day.

[Satine]

Satine gave no huge concern towards the plights of the outside world around her. She was not a part of it and for the most part didn’t care. What was in it that mattered to her? Nothing. Not unless it was a tidal wave of threat rolling towards her then perhaps. What was really going to happen? Blood was spilling between the living and they were all supposedly clueless. Clueless to the fact that they had a far bigger threat growing than political agendas and religious wars to win. Something far more deadly than any man made bombs or written laws and beliefs was looming and waiting to take over. It was the vampiric race and it was rising and strengthening at an alarming rate.

The young necromancer had just finished picking up what was needed for the bar from one of the suppliers who happened to still be hanging out in their shop in 8th Dimension Mall. Dragging her filled bags along and feeling the drain of her energy catching up with her she moved at a faster pace than she felt comfortable maintaining. This was the one part of being what she was that she didn’t ever get used to. It was like being on the best high at the best party and having it crashed and shut down. She loved being alert and hated missing anything but even her brain was following with the rest of her and wearing down. She needed to get back to her bed. It was one of those moments that had her wishing she was closer than she was to the comfort it provided her with.

Satine pulled out her cell and sent a text to Bugsy to let him know she was in the mall and she was on her way home. Hopefully he would get it if his eyelids had not already been inspired to seal shut into a typical chemically induced coma. If he didn’t Juice Box was likely nearby her husband and would get word. The blood thief always covered the bases and looked out for both of them. Hopefully the next few minutes would prove that was still the case. If not she was certifiably screwed.

Just as she made her way towards the front doors the sound of glass shattering close by grabbed her attention. Not just a random bottle or small plate. It sounded like a task force was heading in with a battering ram.

What the hell time was what it?

That was her first thought as her silver orbs scanned the perimeter around her and hoped to find a place to dodge the commotion. She was all for jumping into anything popping up but not when the sun was about to kick her *** for not being closer to home. This party girl was heading out for shut eye. Just as her legs started feeling like warm jello she heard the shots of gunfire in the distance as well as more glass breaking. She looked around as her feet stumbled through the motions of one step in front of the other. She pulled out her cell and fumbled through a nearly disoriented text.

-Can’t get there. Shooting. In mall. Need help. So ******* tired-

Silver orbs rolled up as their lids threatened to close. Quartermaine Custom Creations was visible long enough for her to enter it in the text then hit send. She locked the cell screen and slid it into her pocket and held on to her bags as more shots and breaking erupted behind her.

Why now?

That was Satine's last thought as she gave in to what even she in all her limited vampiric power could not fight. The inevitable first rays of the sun were creeping across the world outside the mall doors. With the pull of the rising sun above the massive building she became toast to the world around her landing on the mall floor.

[Xian]

It had been over a year since Xian had been transformed, and he found that he still didn't miss the sun. At least a part of him had assumed he would, eventually, though he admitted this thought was likely from all the stories he had read. Vampires miss the sun! It is part of our curse! Oh woe is the vampire, for the curse denies us the kiss of the sun!

Perhaps that part of him would be proven right, but at the moment the sun was more bane and timepiece than something he missed from his mortal life. Perhaps that was because he had mostly been a night-owl to begin with. And maybe it was also in part because he had been confused when he had transformed and did not have his mortal memories when he awakened a vampire.

And maybe because the sun would be his death if he ever lay beneath it again.

Every day, all the sun was to him was something to be avoided, whose position in the sky told him that his day was now over. Sunrise compelled him to sleep, though it wasn't exhaustion that he felt and drove him to the confused mists of his dreams. The feeling was similar, but it was closer to being cut off from his source of strength and will. At the same time, there was an almost unbearable weight that slowed his movements, and a confusion that filled his mind.

He had learned quickly enough that the sun burned his kind; his sire had told him, and his curiosity had filled in the details. He had tested the kiss of the sun one day, and had been rewarded with a burnt hand. He had fled from the sunlight that tiring morning as flames had burst from his hand, and he remembered little of what happened after.

His Other knew what happened, though. Xian's Other was his Protector, the strong one, the cautious one, the one who woke Second, and kept him from harm. He had watched with some curiosity as Xian placed their hand under the sun, and it was he that choked down the panic to smother the flames and retreat into darkness.

By the time Xian had wakened at sundown, he had no recollection of how he had managed to return to his bloodline home. His Other knew, but he wasn't talking, and he didn't even know he existed. It remained a mystery to him, much like how his hand had appeared to be completely healed, despite still being a little stiff and painful.

Since then, he had avoided the sun almost completely. The First to Wake did so out of fear, while the Other did so out of caution.

It had been months since the First had been truly awake, and the Other was unsure what had caused him to disappear into his own mind. This caused him some concern, but also some relief; he found that Xian was sometimes dangerous to himself, and saw it as his job to keep them safe. If Xian wanted to retreat from the world, all the better.

This had allowed the Other to learn what he wanted about the world around him, and the city in particular. He had roamed the streets freely, making contacts and acquaintances among his kind, even friends, after a fashion. He had a growing confidence of himself, and a growing faith in his awareness of the city's pulse.

Just weeks ago, however, his relatively peaceful nights were disturbed by a message from the Lionelli Castle. It had been a warning to the vampires of the city, that the mortals around them were growing restive, and that something would happen soon. The Castle then shut tightly, and no Lionelli were spotted outside it since.

He reached out to his contacts, listened to rumors, and offered to pay well for hard information. He got little, but this only caused him more concern.

He considered his bloodline's sanctuary safe, at least safe enough to resist direct attack for a while. Many of his kin were older and far more powerful than he, and their home boasted of defenses and traps that could prevent the entry of most mortals.

However, Xian's Other remembered the sun. This was their great weakness, and while he had heard of vampires that could stay awake in the day, and even rumors of those that did not burn under the rays of the sun, he was not one of those.

Cautiously, he learned what he could about the defenses his kin had installed, and sought out those who could make them. These were their only defense when the sun was up, and their bodies lethargic, and the Other wanted to understand how much he could trust these defenses.

Eventually, he learned of a vampire that had installed herself as a shop owner at the 8th Dimension Mall - a vampire who was an expert at traps and defenses that could help those of their kind. This had led him to visit the mall that night, well before sunrise, with enough time to return to the safety of his home. But the night conspired against him, and something beyond his control kept him there far longer than he had planned.

A Third had awakened, and forced the Other to retreat into his own mind.

[Andrew Shedim]

The Killer rested comfortably on the couch wearing only his Yankees boxers, smoking a blunt as he watched the news. By some of the reports it sounded as though some of the citizens of Harper Rock were beginning to believe there was more to this city than what their entrusted leaders were letting on. Drew could not help but smile to himself “good for them” he thought “either the mortals in this city are getting smarter or the undead are just getting sloppier” but his train of thought was quickly interrupted by the sudden appearance of Juice. The blood thief had burst into the room without so much as a knock, a look of concern on his face “Boss, I'm starting to get worried about Satine.” Drew placed the still burning blunt into the ashtray as he turned to face the man “I know it's late, but she's capable of taking care of herself Mike” “sir, I'm not questioning that. With all the rumors going around about vigilante humans I just think both of you should, I don't know, be a little more careful.” Drew got to his feet and approached the man slowly “she went to 8th Dimension to pick up a few supplies, I'm sure she's fine. Why don't you just get back down to the club and keep an eye on things until she gets back.” Juice nodded and without another word disappeared into the elevator that would put him directly in Wonderland.

The gangster had already slipped on his black denim jeans and converse, during his chat with Juice he had felt that burn that told him Satine needed him and he wasn't going to waste more time in getting to her. As he slipped on the faded black t-shirt his eyes caught his phone, he had two missed messages. With a single swipe he brought the messages up, both from Satine. She was in trouble! “****” he mouthed to himself but thankfully she was close to Alexandrea’s place of business, convenient that his tome would take him right there. He grabbed his pistol with a few extra clips and opened the tome, quickly reading the words that would put him inside the shop.

He noticed Alexandrea and a man he did not recognize but his only focus was getting to Satine. He could already feel himself getting a little tired but he had grown accustomed to staying awake in the daylight hours. As he ran into the hallway it was the chaos that first caught his attention, was the mall actually a target for this petty vigilantism? No matter, plans could be made later, first was getting Satine inside. With a pistol in one hand, ready to fire at anyone that moved, he threw his wife over his shoulder and brought her inside. “Do have some place she can rest?” his eyes slowly traveling across the room “and do any of you know exactly what the **** is going on out there?”

[Andrew Shedim]

From The Perspective of Michael Traylor
An Explosives Expert for the City of Harper Rock Demolitions

I always thought there was something wrong in this city, that there were more things living in it than just us humans, no matter what those damn politicians might say, I ain't a stupid guy. Had a cousin disappear on me one night, just up and ******* vanished and the cops tried to say maybe he just wanted a new life, hell, Danny had a wife, two kids, and one more on the way. He was a damn happy man! What kind of guy would do that?

Then there were all these things on the tv, vampires, other crazy demon ****. Well if there's going to be any demons in my city I'm going to make sure they don't just get a free pass to walk around, kill who they want, and expect the rest of us to just take it! **** No!! My truck has plenty of things to blow a little bit up and I always carry a pistol, so come on boys! Let's go cause some **** for these undead assholes!!

The email was sent off to everyone on Michael's mailing list as he stepped outside

The truck had already been loaded, he didn't really unload his truck every night when he got home from work and his pistol was still in his glove compartment. By everything he had learned on the street one of the best places to hit would be the 8th Dimension Mall, there might be lots of human causalities but to make an omelet (or send a message) you had to break a few eggs. He was sure he had not put his location in the email he had sent to all of his other vigilante/militia buddies but he'd make sure he got there attention with this first attack. His eyes seemed to glisten as he started his engine and made his way towards the mall. It was still a little dark out so he couldn't help but keep an eye out for a stray vampire, not that he'd be able to tell what one looked like even if he wanted to.

The sweat was making his hands sticky as he pulled into the parking lot, parking his truck close to the large glass storefront windows. The grizzled man laid out a strip over the entirety of the front door, wiping his hands on his dusty jeans “are you actually going to do this Mike?” he thought to himself “**** yeah you are, teach these bloodsuckin sons of bitches this isn't there feeding ground anymore” and his mind had been made up. Climbing back into the front of the truck he set the first charge off, the glass blowing to smithereens. When the dust had finally began to settle, sirens blasting in the far off distance, he grabbed his pistol and ran inside, firing the gun wildly. He saw a few people drop, unsure if they were human or vampire, he still carried two grenades on his work belt if he could find a couple of blood drinkers hurdled up together.

Andrew Shedim Takes Notice of the sudden Influx of Commotion

Satine was fast asleep, his eyes silently plead to Alexandrea and the stranger he did not yet know by name, to watch over her. He grabbed the pistols and stormed out of the store front to meet this lunatic head on, his wife was useless in her daily slumber, though he may be tired himself, smoke billowing off him in the daylight his resolution made up for it. As he turned the corner he could see a crazed man fired shots at innocent humans, enough was enough. One of them were about to die right here in the mall.

“Hey, you crazy *** ***********!” Drew shouted from the balcony, springing down the flights to land a few feet away from him “what the **** is your problem?” He could see the man's eyes were bloodshot and frenzied but his pistols were ready to fire.

Michael Traylor

“You're one of them ain'tcha? One of those blood drinkers all over the news! The way the vampire shrugged only pissed Michael off more, besides, this son of ***** was carrying two pistols and smoke was billowing off his entire body!! “DIE!!!” the man rushed him, emptying his clip, every shot missing it's mark, for even in this state, Drew still had the speed to evade a not all there human.

As the man finally reached him, Drew extended a hand, seizing his throat. “I don't know what your ******* problem is but you have caused too many problems to live.” He shoved one of the pistols into Michael's throat but before he pulled the trigger he heard a pin fall to the ground, his eyes followed the sound, only to see a grenade pin had dropped. As fast as he could he pulled the trigger, shoved the man, and jumped into a flying fetal position as the blast scorched his clothing, sending him crashing into the marble wall, leaving the Killer completely motionless.

Drew

The gangster tried to stand, to run back upstairs to safety but he was too badly injured. It felt like every bone in his body was broken, his skin melting away, but he still found himself crawling. With any luck one of his companions would take the risk to save him, maybe even feed him, if not then he was prepared to fight and die where he lay, grateful that he had not only saved Satine but the lives of the other two he had briefly shared a haven with.

[Odin]

Odin was in his office in the back corner of the mall. It was nearing a new day and he hurried to finish some paperwork he wanted to get out of the way. The mall was now open 24 hours upon the request of more than a few shop owners. There were not a lot of patrons wandering the mall yet at the wee hours of the morning, but he imagined as Christmas neared that would change.

"Stupid paperwork," he grumbled under his breath as he grabbed up an advertising flyer layout and crumpled it into a ball before bouncing it off the wall and into the trash can. The faint noise of what sounded like glass shattering made him raise his head up and stare in the general direction of where the sound came from. He stood up from his desk thinking that the noise must have come from the front of the mall. He then heard two gunshots, very close to his location.

"What the hell," he growled as he stepped quickly across the floor, heading for the control room. He opened his office door and nearly tripped over Nate, one of his security guards. Upon quick inspection, it was clear the man was dead. He figured the guard was coming to alert him of something.

Obviously this was not part of any of the holiday activities planned for the mall.

Son of a ***** - it's always something.

In another few moments Odin entered the large room with dozens of monitors and various devices. Someone was hunched under the main control panel, doing something with a small box-shaped item in his hands. The man turned quickly when he heard the door open and grabbed for his handgun. Odin was quicker and grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him up, knocking the gun out of the trespasser's hand at the same time.

"What's the meaning of this?" the Vampire demanded.

His only reply was a smug grin.

With his free hand, Odin opened a drawer and withdrew a roll of duct tape. The intruder took that opportunity to punch Odin in the face. The action was returned with an immediate mirrored reaction, with the exception that the man now had the imprint of a roll of tape on his face. Odin was careful not to knock him out. He tossed the dazed human into an office chair and quickly taped his wrists to the arms of the chair. A wave of smelling salts under his nose and the man was a bit more alert. Odin then went and called out a security code over the intercom to alert the staff.

He went back to the interrogation. "I'll only ask once again nicely - what the hell is going on?" Odin insisted.

Still no answer.

Odin grabbed the man's hand and bent three of his fingers backward, breaking them with a small snap.

"Ow!" he howled. After he caught his breath he mumbled, "Where the hell is Ruby?"

"Maybe Ruby's dead," Odin sneered.

Additional gunshots rang out through the mall.

"Tell me what is going on now." Odin snapped, "How many in your group?"

"I'm not telling you ****," the thug responded and spit on the Vampire's boots.

"I believe you will. Maybe a compound fracture will loosen your tongue," Odin growled, a moment before he grabbed the man's arm and snapped it upward, effectively pushing the radius bone up to rip through the flesh.

With the jagged edge of the bone sticking at an odd angle through his forearm, the intruder finally decided he had something to say.

"We know what you are," he said as he grimaced from the pain. He then got a grip and glared at Odin. "That's right, you and all the others. We are going to remove you blood-suckers from existence."

Lovely

Now it was Odin's turn to grin smugly.

"Interrogation's over," he said bluntly.

The Vampire placed his hands on either side of the terrorist's head.

"Do you know how ******* hard it is to find good security people?" Odin growled.

He moved his thumbs into the soon-to-be-dead perpetrator's eyes, and shoved them into the sockets.

The man's wail of agony was short-lived as Odin proceeded to crush his head.

Piece of ****.

Odin ducked under the main control panel to make sure the bomb was disarmed, then grabbed his glock and headed out the door, locking it behind him. He could hear screams throughout the main floor, and security guards yelling out for people to clear the mall among other things. A quick glance as he headed toward the front of the 8th Dimension was proof enough that Nate wasn't the only casualty.

Alexandrea's voice interrupted his own thoughts. It was still unnerving to him to have someone else suddenly start talking in his head. She was still in the mall as well and seemed to have a bit more information. She asked him to come to her shop, Quartermaine's Custom Creations. Her place was one of the closest ones to the front of the mall.

"On my way," he said under his breath, though he knew she couldn't hear his response.

On his path to Alexandrea's shop he saw a crumpled body on the floor. This one wasn't human.

What a mess you are.

Odin carefully picked up the other Vampire and headed to Quartermaine's. He kicked at the locked door a few times.

"Open the damned door."

[Alexandrea]

Ruby (an image of; http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k210/ ... AAbIqi.jpg )

The middle aged woman with flaming red hair cracked her gum loudly as she wandered the mall. She had arrived early and was, ‘casing the joint’ as they say. Ruby pulled out her pocket watch, a heirloom of her grandfather’s. He had also been a sorcerer like her, and it was his influence that had led Ruby to seek out like-minded humans that could see the truth about Harper Rock and all the evils that dwelled there.

The watch was carefully replaced in her vest pocket and Ruby started towards the appointed place. Everyone’s watches had been synchronized for maximum efficiency. By now, Angus should already be in place in the control room and ready for her special delivery. The redhead unconsciously patted the knapsack she carried over shoulder. It was filled with the extra parts and explosives Angus had wanted brought in, fully expecting that his own supply would already have been set out into place and he would need to restock. At least that was the plan. Or their part of phase one, at least.

Ruby didn’t mind playing gopher this round, her time was coming up next. With the vantage point she had in mind at the top of the escalator, the self proclaimed psychic and part time sniper was looking forward to picking off vampires like ducks in a shooting gallery. But then Harry showed up.

Harry

The old man was feeling his age as he rushed from his office and into a cab. The driver took him as far as the Bullwood train station before the flat tires happened. Someone had liberally littered the road with nails, tasks, broken glass and other tire loving trinkets. To top it off, the train wasn’t moving yet for another 5 minutes when Harry first arrived but a quick flash of his badge from the commissioner of police had the attendant agreeing to have the train leave immediately and run express to Wickbridge.

The short walk to the mall was uneventful, the streets in Redwood seemed clear of debris and the area was quiet. Too quiet… it gave Harry the willies. He shouldn’t have worried. He hadn’t been in the mall more than a minute when the everything started to go to hell. Harry headed right for the entrance to Quartermaine Custom Creations but then spotted a familiar redhead just standing by the reflecting pool near the escalator. “Ruby!” The old man shouted out and moved quickly to her side. “It’s not safe out here, come with me!”

Harry knew Ruby from years ago before he was the commissioner. She was a gifted psychic that had helped the police many times over the years. He always thought she was a kick. He wasn’t amused by her resistance to his attempt at helping her, however. And ignored her questions and complaints with a gruff; “It’s police business! I need you out of the way!” as he strong armed her into Alex’s shop.

Alexandrea

Once Harry was safe inside, Alex locked the doors and nodded at the human woman he had befriended. She looked around at the other vampire that had arrived just before Harry and whom she didn’t know, getting ready to introduce herself and ask his name but before she could, another man arrived. Alexandrea recognised Andrew, he was a regular customer and one of the first buyers of one of the tomes she had bound to her shop. Unaware of his intentions, the Allurist shouted out to him and even tried to grab his arm as he rushed passed her and into the Mall. “Drew! Don’t go out there!”

But he was out the door before she could stop him. Alex chewed at her bottom lip and had just decided to go after the younger man when she spotted him already sprinting back towards the store. And he wasn’t alone. A woman was over his shoulder as he came running inside and even though Alexandrea couldn’t see her face the empathic Allurist knew in her gut that it had to be Drew’s wife, Satine. The bond between them was almost palatable in the air, even with the female vampire unconscious. Alexandrea felt a bit of envy at the pair but it faded quickly as Drew asked about a place for his wife to rest.

“This way, follow me.” Alex responded with a nod, and hurried into the back room. She quickly removed the floor boards and emptied out her stash of guns and traps. Overstock of a shipment of printed tee shirts went in to replace them and pad the hidey hole’s floor, leaving enough room for two average sized humans “Lay her down in here, Drew. If we have to, we can cover it up with the floorboards and some furniture to hide her later. But I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”

Harry had tagged along, with a nosy Ruby on his heels, him chewing on an unlit cigar. “It’s gonna get worse before it gets better. I can practically guarantee it;" the older man said with a grumble as the redheaded woman just watched everything. “Oh. Ruby. Alex. Alex, Ruby. I don’t know the others.”

“Hello, Ruby. And, yeah Harry… that’s what I’m afraid of… “ The Allurist replied with a sigh, ignoring her thrall’s prompt of making any further introductions and then turned to look Andrew in the eyes.

“There was something said by someone who claimed to be Lionelli on Crownet, perhaps you saw it? It was a warning of an organized attack on our kind, supposedly by humans… not the Lionelli themselves. Most scoffed at the head’s up but I’ve been preparing for awhile now just in case. And I’m glad I did. As it appears now that the warning was not just idle talk.”

The noises out in the mall were getting louder and more frequent even as the blonde spoke and after giving her a pleading look that Alex understood completely, Andrew darted back out of the shop.

With a gesture to Harry, The blonde one and the balding one covered up the slumbering Satine with the floorboards, just in case; once Alex had made sure that the other female was as comfortable as she could be. A quick toss of a throw rug on the floor over the hidden space would have to do for now. Alex had to know what was going on outside her store and left Harry and Ruby behind, telling them to stay put and then heading to the front room.

The blonde kept one eye looking in at her shop and the other looking out the door as she strained to hear anything besides gunshots, shouts and things getting broken. It was a voice she was listening for, Odin’s. The door was locked, but she knew he was on his way. She wanted make sure he would able to enter the shop as quickly as possible, since the snipers seemed to be shooting at anything that moved. And she had thought she would have heard from him by now. How much time had actually passed? Alex wasn’t sure and didn’t feel inclined to check, preferring to focus all her attention on what was going on around her.

Andrew was out of her line of sight when the explosion hit and the blonde almost stumbled and lost her balance, the force of the impact had been close. TOO close. She wondered where Drew was and if he was okay, trying to spot him through the glass of the locked door. But instead it was Odin she saw, and he had Andrew with him.

Odin’s kicking the door startled Alex only a moment and she grinned as he yelled out to be let in, opening the door wide and moving to the side to let her favourite Killer and his passenger inside. Unfortunately, the blonde was so busy looking at Odin that she missed the shadow of a man as he darted inside behind the Vampires until it was too late... and the hunter was already inside the QCC with them.

The man wasted no time is aiming a gun right into Alex’s face, and the blonde smacked it away with a hiss and then took a step back as the human quickly drew a short sword. Alexandrea was grateful that she had chosen to wear tights under her wrap around skirt and as she undid it, the blonde twirled around on her toes tossing the black length of fabric over her attacker's face while bringing her leg up to kick him hard in the head with her dainty boot; complete with it’s hidden razor blade tip.
.
He fell to the ground but wasn't down for the count just yet, ripping away Alex’s skirt from his face with his free hand and throwing it off to the side just in time to fend off the knife Alex was bringing down towards his chest. The blonde had straddled the human's prone form and was squeezing his chest hard enough with her knees that the sounds of his ribs cracking could be heard in the back room. One of her slender hands reached out to break the man’s sword hand causing him to drop the blade and her other wielded her own blade. The man didn't cry out in pain at all but just kept trying to fend off Alex's knife as she continued to slash at his hands until they were bloodied and raw. And missing a few fingers, more or less.

Once his struggles started to ease up and allowed her to, Alexandrea pressed the tip of her dagger to his throat with a wide grin that showed off her fangs. Curious from the commotion, Harry and Ruby had left the back room to peer out at the situation, and neither Alex nor Harry caught the slight gasp of the Sorceress at she stared at the human man she knew in dismay. Helping her friend Charlie was out of the question. For now.

The Allurist stared down at the man underneath of her as she started to speak, but her words were not addressed to him. They were for the ears of her own kind, even though they were spoken out loudly enough for human or vampire ears.

"There was a blood thief once that used to run around dressed like the Batman. No, seriously. Anyway, the point is he was force fed the blood that made him a blood thief by the Broussards."
Alex paused and bit her lower lip, a bit dismayed at herself for finding the idea that was crossing her mind so amusing. But, moral issues could wait. Her idea was a practical and logical solution.

"And he was addicted immediately. I'm friends with some blood thieves, one of my very best friends used to be one. And I'm telling you, our blood is like a drug to humans." The blonde continued, unaware of Andrew’s past as a bloodthief or of his current status as a Necuratist.

"We don't need to kill anyone, all we need to do is get control over them. Make them tell us all they know. And I'm willing to use my own blood to do it if we can agree my plan is the best one."


Forgotten for the moment, the redheaded Ruby sucked in her breath along with her emotions and knew what she had to do. She would have to make sure that Charlie didn’t live long enough to spill his guts.

[Satine]

Hooch Westhuis was licking his fingers like a professional buffet buster as he elbowed the fridge door open in the fire station kitchen. The small round container in his free hand was tossed and rolled onto the top shelf where it belonged. In Hooch’s mind Kimchi cream cheese spread was too good to waste. The spice exploded beneath his nose when his lips parted to nibble the last dropping on the side of his finger. The other hand that he planned on having filled with a bagel came up to his mouth and he exhaled into it. He might as well check how rough the early morning breath was before Turner caught up with him. It wasn’t the type of spice in the morning his partner appreciated being introduced in a morning kiss. The backdraft of korean spices he could hardly pronounce hit his face and confirmed he needed a toothbrush worse than he needed the bagel waiting on the kitchen counter.

The sounds of heavy boots pressing into the tile in the distance alerted him he was soon to meet up with his other half. He sighed which brought gave the cloud of spicy cheese spread reason to expand. If he didn't make tracks to the locker where he kept his basket full of clean up supplies he was going to be busted and he was going to be out of a kiss. That just wasn’t going to happen. While the bristles scrubbed quickly over his gums and teeth the right hand poured some mouthwash into an owl printed dixie cup. The things he did for Turner. Then again the things Turner did for him seemed to outweigh his own efforts. Simply put that the man was worth it and a whole lot more. Now if only Turner’s mother would get out of their hair over the holiday plans things would be perfect.

The faucet shut off while the small paper cup tipped back. Once empty it was balled up with one squeeze of his hand and tossed. The sound of his loud gargling hopefully would distract hungry hands from his abandoned bagel perched on the counter where he last saw it. His day was just starting and that was the fuel he needed to help put out medical fires. That and coffee. Turner made the coffee. Bad *** coffee that should come with warning labels. You had no chance of falling asleep on the job during the lull between calls when you had his concoction moving through your system.

When the tall, tightly toned dark haired and green eyed male finished putting his basket back where he stored it he finally caught the reports of what no one expects to hear on the local news. Increased missing, lost or presumed dead in a city once known for its ability to leave doors unlocked and never have an issue. Everything had changed dramatically and despite it no one was talking about the root of the problem. He knew it was only a matter of time. His skin was already crawling with the awareness that he still found hard to stomach when he allowed enough time to be given to it. He was going to be ready when things finally went down. The calls for emergency response blasted over the noise of the television. Seems the 8th Dimension Mall was in all kinds of hurt. He looked at his watch and called out as he passed his bagel by and grabbed his jacket.

"It's time to roll!" The sounds of feet hustling to the rhythm of his own assured him he was not riding alone.

[Andrew Shedim]

The warm water cascading from the shower head felt great, relaxing to the young EMT as he prepared for another rigorous day. Turner could already feel today was going to be a long one; he and his husband Hooch had spent the night at the fire station just in case they were needed for another crisis. He had started a pot of his intense special brew coffee before his husband had even woken up, if he wasn't quick to steal the shower first who knows when he'd get a chance. With all the recent crazy **** that had been springing up in Harper Rock lately the two medics had rarely had any quiet time together and with the holidays right around the corner they had both been dealing with the incessant nagging of his loving but overbearing mother Wanda.

He made his way into the kitchen, his towel tied tightly around his waist, to grab some coffee before getting into his uniform. “Good morning babe” he smiled at the handsome man, leaning in for a kiss before pausing just short of his lips “gah, I don't see how you eat that ****, your mouth smells like a rancid Korean kitchen mixed with mint!” he smirked before planting his lips firmly anyway. Quickly he filled his mug, mixing in just a little sugar and milk before disappearing back into the bathroom to get dressed. Minutes later the scrawny, dark haired man reemerged wearing his pressed uniform, sitting at the table across from where his husband continued munching his repulsive smelling breakfast.

“Have you heard all the crazy ******** people have been talking about?” he laughed quietly “all those people talking about vampires and all that crap? Not sure what these people have been smoking but when we get some vacation time, remind me to buy some. Oh, and was talking to my mom about Christmas plans” but his sentence was cut short by the emergency response and Hooch's “time to roll” he quickly grabbed their dachshund companion, Schotze, still sleeping in his bed before heading out at the heels of his husband. The little dog was with them literally everywhere they went, even when they worked. Whatever lay ahead of them at the 8th Dimension Mall sure as **** wasn't going to be fun but the duo were some of the best medics in the city and lives were going to be saved.

[Satine]

Hooch brushed a hand over Shotze’s bobbing head as he was plopped down in his make shift seat between the drivers and passengers side of the rig. The low power induced roll of the idling diesel engine was quieted as soon as he closed the door and started buckling up. While the large wall of steel moved upward the wheels were already in motion. The cab interior was not quiet for long. The dispatcher rattles off the current scene and what to expect. It is appearing to be anything but a stable situation. His blood is already pumping faster and despite the constant risk to the profession he chose ten years earlier he lives for the rush of the danger and the unexpected. It it like the thrill of being in urban war without having to sport the gang colors or getting shot up.

The flip of a switch above his head has the sirens calling out as the wheels start rolling on the one vehicle anyone having a bad night is grateful to see coming at them. The repetitive shrill being cut into short beeps that catch the distracted drivers attention echo through the cab. Turning left into the two lanes in front of them gives Hooch a last chance to look over to Turner. It was that topic again and it was time for him to offer up an answer to what his husband had been pointing out prior to his discovery of the Kimchi indulgence on his fingers.

“This town needs an enema!” Hooch’s delivery of a Jack Nicholson channeling The Joker leaves a lot to be desired. However, to his benefit it was Turner next to him. Being in the company of the one who sleeps, eats and chose to listen to his goofy *** cut up for the last five years helps tremendously where the delivery otherwise fails. “Yes, I have and I would much rather have this rolling box of bandages filled with enough explosives and firepower to sterilize the streets but…” The shot of his right hand interrupts his train of thought while slamming into the switch. It blasts the annoying sound of the sirens breaking up in final notice as they sail into an intersection. “We got lives to save, right?” He releases the switch once the intersection is cleared and shakes his head not taking his eyes off the road in front of them. “And Christmas plans to deal with…” He nods to the radio. “Call in the ETA. Mall is two minutes.”