Saint’s stones but the music was loud. Charlie squinted through the vapour laden air, trying to locate Jay through the heaving mass of bodies. He was tall, blow it. He should be easy to spot. But she was well below average height and sightlines were pretty spasmodic. People came here for fun? Charlie was feeling slightly nauseous with the competing odours of floral scents and sweat and the strobing lights didn’t help either. But the press was doing wonders for her [Expert Spatial Proprioception]. She could almost feel it levelling up as she tracked the erratic movement of bodies around her. She moved to one side as a drunken woman stumbled in her tipsy gyrations, adroitly avoiding a probable collision.

Ah ha. There he was. He had left the dance floor and was up at the bar. She started to move in his direction, slipping through the crowd.

“Hey sweet cheeks,” a happy young man turned to her. He smiled at her. He was talking to her? Well, actually he was shouting, just to be heard over the thumping beats. “Food gun hey?” Charlie frowned. That was nonsensical. The boys had told her all about guns. They had nothing to do with food. Or maybe they did? Some sort of speed eating system? He was leaning closer, his breath beery. Gross, the yeasty smell was overpowering. “Well I’m fun babe, wanna dance?” She parsed it over, he was asking her… Oh, if she wanted to dance with him. She glanced at the packed dance floor.

“No thanks,” she pointed vaguely towards the bar, “I’m with someone.”

But he wasn’t listening. To be honest, it was doubtful he would be able to hear anything at all over the pulsing of the music and the shouting of every other patron trying to communicate. It was mostly miming really with exaggerated gestures. And her hesitation had cost her, he had taken her other hand and was trying to lead her towards the dancing. With a twist she broke his hold, refusing to take a step. He turned back to her frowning, no doubt trying to work out how a slight wee thing like her was able to resist his manly allure. She pointed at the bar again. “I’m with him,” she shouted, pointing at Jay.

This time he saw her gesture and his gaze travelled back to Jay. Oh. She saw him slump slightly, before he smiled at her, “Ish cool babe. You have hun fey…” He frowned and tried again. “You have fun hey.” He turned and rejoined his group of friends. They slapped him on the back in commiserations. Charlie shrugged. Weird. Maybe it was some sort of male bonding thing. She rejoined Jay. He turned to her with a big smile, pushing a fancy looking glass her way. It was brightly multi coloured with a piece of fruit on the rim. She stared at it doubtfully. Everyone knew bright colours were dangerous.

“Hey Char! It's a rainbow cocktail.” Jay was enthusiastic. “Try it! It’s awesome.” He had a slightly different one, all blue. It was almost exactly as to what she pictured a Mana potion looked like. Hers was red and then yellow and then blue. Like it couldn’t make up its mind if it was a health, stamina or mana potion. It looked dangerous. Mixing potions was extremely fraught. Even taking them in close proximity was unwise. Just then Jay's phone rang. How he heard it over the noise surprised her. She only just caught the faintest hint through the din and her hearing was acute.

“Hey Glen, whasup!” Jay was boisterously loud; shouting into the flat little box. He straightened, frowned, his whole demeanour changing. “Sure. Crud! Yes. Where? Okay. Be right there.” He turned to her. “That was Glen,” he shouted somewhat unnecessarily. “He’s outside. He’s seen one of our old schoolmates. She’s in trouble. We’re going to try and catch him up before things go real bad.” He finished with an obscure exclamation; “Methheads.” That sounded like some sort of monster. She had heard of [Deathheads] but not [Meh Heads]. They were probably a weaker version, seeing this world was so soft. It was good there were any [Monsters] at all actually, otherwise that really crimped up levelling opportunities.

Charlie grimaced. She wasn’t surprised Glen was close by. In fact she had been surprised that he was okay with Jay taking her out. It had turned out clubbing was quite a different thing to what she thought. That was somewhat disappointing. She had been looking forward to beating something up and getting rid of some of the angst that was building up with the moon.

Jay tossed back his potion.

He looked at Charlie. “Be a shame to waste that Charlie.” She sighed. How bad could it be? This world was soft and she was tough. She copied Jay. Her eyes widened. It was surprisingly tasty. The total opposite of what potions were supposed to be like. She blinked. The [System] blinked too.

POISON RESISTED

Your skill [Sanctuary of Self] has nullified [Trivial Alcohol Poisoning].

[Toughness] +20% towards level up

Well. That was an easy way to level up her [Physical Resistance]. Though no doubt it would provide less benefit as her stats grew higher. She had spent her points on another attribute point for each of her stats yesterday. The cool down had doubled and the intensity of change was significantly greater. She was not looking forward to repeating the exercise tomorrow at all.

They were outside. The air was lonely and fresh, the nearly full moon hanging over them but the glow of the city obscuring any stars. Jay led them down the alleyway beside the club. Charlie looked about in appreciation. This was a high class alley. There was hardly any trash, no excrement and there were plenty of recesses and doorways to shelter in. There was a faint tinge of urine but nothing fresh. She would need to find out if it was claimed. Once winter kicked in, the park would probably be too exposed. Her ears twitched. That was weird. She hadn’t been able to do that before either. A snarl of a murmur reached her and then the sound of a scuffle. She prodded Jay. “Hurry. I can hear something happening.” Jay broke into a run, skidding around the corner and racing towards three figures who were surrounding a dumpster.

Charlie felt a slight twist of disappointment. They were human, not flying heads with earwings and spine stingers, system rot it. She sighed even as she sprinted after Jay. It had been too much to hope for. They were just [Gangers]. And there was Glen, fending them off with a makeshift quarterstaff. Behind him, crouched in between the dumpster and the wall was a girl. She was dishevelled, with a bruised face and torn top. She was stylishly dressed with what had probably been carefully tousled blond hair. Charlie turned her attention to the three assailants. They were lanky and all had a slightly unkempt look, dressed all in black with torn pants and heavy boots. One was bald, one had a mop of hair and the third a crest with shaved sides.

They heard Jay coming; he was making no effort to be silent. In fact he was deliberate in trying to gain their attention and Baldy and Crest obligingly turned to meet them.

“More little heroes,” sneered Baldy. “Spoiling a bit of armless fun.”

“Moe fun fo us,” lisped Crest. He had metal piercings through his face.

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“I’m left.” said Jay.

Charlie oriented on the right side one; Crest.

Both were holding pieces of a dismantled packing crate which they swung loosely in front of them.

Oh good, there was going to be some clubbing after all.

And then they were on them. Crest swung his rough truncheon at her. It was like he was moving through treacle, telegraphing his move and then moving at three quarter speed. Charlie dodged without breaking stride, going high even as beside her Jay went low, throwing himself into a skid under Baldies’ stabbing lunge. The lack of resistance caused both gangers to over extend. Jay reached up and grabbed Baldies’ arm as he took out his legs. With a twist he was astride him, going for a choke hold. Meanwhile Charlie ricocheted off the alley wall and wrapped herself around Crest’s shoulders. She suppressed an impulse to go for his throat with her teeth. She was not a monster. Instead she punched him in his rather prominent Adam's apple. It wouldn’t do to bite someone unless she was going to kill them, and both Glen and Jay had gone over with the rules of engagement. Subdue not kill. Killing would create more problems than it solved. Crest was gasping. She clapped her hands over his ears. Hard. And then for good measure, head butted him. He collapsed bonelessly. Ow. His facial piercings were hard. Head butting him hadn’t been the smartest of moves.

Charlie turned to see how Jay was doing. He had choked Baldy out.

And Glen?

Glen was in a bit of trouble. Mophead was the biggest of the three and he had bulled in over Glens staff pushing him back so that he got tangled up on the crouching girl, falling over her. Now that his reach was nullified, Glen was taking a beating. He had his arms up and was protecting his head. But the girl rose up behind the thug, with an empty bottle in her hand. Taking a step she smashed it over his head. Moppy was dazed but still in the fight. He made the mistake of switching to the girl. Glen took advantage with a rapid punch to his kidneys as he turned away, and then Jay was there, engulfing him in a grapple hold. The girl went for his eyes. Mops was done for. “Stop. Stop already” he gasped desperately fending off the girl.

“That's what she said.” Glen kicked him in the head. Good form, Charlie nodded. Mops folded into unconsciousness, Jay letting him collapse at his feet.

“You okay Rach?” Jay addressed the girl who was still heaving for breath. She clutched her side and then her head, nodding.

“They jumped me,” shock was setting in, “and dragged me down here.” She looked at them. “How did you…”

“I was outside the club and saw you from across the road.” Glen answered. “I called Jay and well, here we are,” he shrugged.

“Thank you.” Rachel had the shakes. “It happened so fast. I didn’t even see them until one of them attacked me.”

Glen patted her on the back. “Sit down, Rach. Take your time. We’ll see you home.”

Charlie looked at the unconscious gangsters. "So, if we can’t kill them. Can we loot them?" It was only fair. They were defeated. Back in [Kentron] they would have been corpses already. Stripped of everything valuable and in the river. This world was super precious about life though. So precious in fact, that in a sort of perverse twist it overemphasised death and in so doing devalued life. If even these [Scums] were worthy of life then it devalued it for everyone else. She was all for protecting the weak, the helpless, the children. But rapists, brigands, marauders and robbers got what they deserved. Thieving was okay. That was just stuff. But preying on others was monstrous. Monsters were fair game.

Rachel was staring at her. What? Did she have something on her face? Charlie self consciously smoothed back her hair. Oh, she was bleeding. It must have been Crest’s eyebrow stud. It was trivial. Her [Minor Regeneration] would heal that in next to no time.

“This is Charlie,” Jay introduced her. “Charlie, this is Rachel. We went to the same school until…” he didn’t finish his sentence.

“Until we were expelled, end of last year.” Glen was still bitter.

Rachel looked at them both. “There were a tonne of rumours why you didn’t graduate.” Her eyes returned to Charlie, widening ever so slightly, the cut had already healed over. That was unreal. “Why did you ask about killing them? Not that they don’t deserve it,” she hurried to add.

“Yeah, rapists are [Monsters],” Charlie said simply. “If humans prey on their own then they are worse than [Monsters]. We are weak enough without attacking ourselves. There are plenty of other [Monsters] out there who already threaten us. That’s their nature. For a human to abandon their humanity… Well, they need to be put down. Before they tear down more of us.” It was ironic, Charlie considered, she was closer to a [Monster] than these mugs. Yet they were the ones feasting on their own species. “You sure we shouldn’t just kill them?” she asked the boys. “We can ditch the bodies in the sea pretty easy.”

Rachel looked at both the boys with wide eyes. What had they got themselves into? Was this why they had been expelled?

Glen shook his head. “No Charlie,” he sighed, “we are not going murder-hobo on any humans, no matter how despicable they are.” He looked at her. “It would change us too much.” Ahh. this she could understand. She nodded. Change was inevitable, but it could be managed. Glen was wise.

“You are totally right Glen,” Charlie nodded. “The [System] will change you based on your actions. You are very wise.” She gave a quick bow of appreciation.

“System?” Rachel looked up at her. “What system are you talking about?”

Charlie looked at Glen and Jay. “Whoops?” she shrugged. “Tell her or no?” Charlie didn’t particularly care one way or the other. She just didn’t want to get locked up like some madwoman lunatic. That was Jay and Glen’s consensus too. Plus she didn’t have enough free points to invite Rachel anyway. And with no [SNP] there was no other way to join her.

“Glen? Jay?” Rachel was looking between them both. “Is this some sort of secret club? Seriously?” She was disbelieving. It seemed so juvenile and yet they had come without consideration of their own safety and rescued her. She couldn’t just laugh them off now.

“Yes seriously,” Jay nodded. That was unlike normal joking Jay, always cracking a joke. Never afraid to put his foot in his mouth.

The bald assailant stirred. Charlie unhurriedly stepped over and kicked him in the temple. Rachel winced. It was just so matter of fact, like putting out the trash.

Glen was looking at her. “Yes,” he decided. The [System] was here. It was only a matter of time until it spread, Glen was absolutely sure of this. “Invite her Charlie. It would be good to have a fourth.”

Rachel frowned; “a fourth what?” she asked, looking at Charlie expectantly.

Now Charlie frowned; “I can’t,” she said. “I don’t have enough [Free Points] to send an invite. I need to level up before I can invite anyone else.”

Rachel smiled. They were all so serious. Probably just trying to take her mind off her attack. And it was working too. She felt a lot calmer now.

“Here,” Charlie exclaimed, “I can show you.”

“No! Don’t!” Glen's cry was too late. For even as she spoke Charlie had held her hands up, fingers crooked in front of her. And they morphed into wicked claws, her hands and arms growing phenomenally. She stood taller, her shoulders broadening, a dark fur encasing her arms. “Stop! Charlie!” Glen was furious. This was stupid. Unnecessary. Charlie's clothes were way too tight, straining when all of a sudden she relaxed, hearing Glen’s cry. She reverted to her slight feminine shape. “What on earth were you thinking?” Glen was spitting mad. “This is not a game. What if you lost control? What if someone else saw you?”

Rachel felt faint. This couldn’t be real. Everything was coming from far away.

“Thaaat waaas sooo coooool!” Jay was miles away, totally oblivious to Glen’s ire. Rachel released her tenuous grasp on consciousness. “Charlie’s da bomb werewolf! When did you learn that girlfriend?” Jay turned to Rachel; “see?! Pretty coo… Oh!” he ducked down and moved Rachel’s slumped form into the recovery position. “Oops.”

“Well,” Glen muttered, “that could have gone better.”

Charlie shrugged, unrepentant, turning to their defeated opponents. “So… Loot them or leave them?” she asked again.