Ultimately Mrs. White failed to persuade the priest to let her adopt Luca in light of his sickness having better care in hands of nurse Angelica. Convinced that being best for him as she has no medical experience, she decided to spend money and time on him and his friends whenever possible, with just short three years left of them being in her classroom. This led to Luca being dragged daily to watch movies, eat out, feed ducks at the park, and do any other activity Mrs. White thought to be appropriate. Having visited nearly all water parks and swimming pools during the passing year in Massachusetts, Buffy made a plan for the gang to become pirates without a boat, just swimming butterfly style all around the High Seas to board vessels and take their crews’ for ransom.

Tenth birthday spent sleeping over at Summers's apartment, Luca didn’t think much of his parents anymore. Becoming thinner and weaker each passing month replaced his worries, blood being extracted from his veins in huge amounts every weekend subsiding his energy. Acting strong in front of people he had relationships with, internally he felt very feeble. An insistence to train ‘The Force’ by physical means didn’t help except exhausting himself day after day. Negative emotions accumulated, to the point he doubted if sooner or later he might drop dead walking down the street.

“Those two sure stick together.” a voice sounded beside the thicket Oz and Luca usually used to walk back to the orphanage.

“What to do about the ginger one? Our task is only the other one.” with a leisurely tone someone else asked. Looking around, the boys couldn’t see who was talking, it seemed as if void itself was making noise.

“Gho-ghosts! Every man for himself!” Oz tried to escape, but a hand clothed in black gloves appeared from behind and took a tight hold of his neck. At the same time, Luca didn’t process what was happening and stood dumbly on the spot making it easy for yet another hand emerging from nowhere to grab him around the chest and lifting him up.

“Just strangle the worthless brat.” capes covering both of them lost the invisibility effect upon moving, revealing ruthless grinning faces of the boy’s captors.

“Let him go, what are you doing! Help, help!” screamed his lungs Luca, trashing about any way he could, trying to free himself of man’s hold.

“Wait a minute then. Shut up kid, soon you might wish the one going to hell first be yourself, heh.” man behind Oz tightened his hold, the boy not able to make a sound bulging his eyes at Luca. “Look carefully, he dies because our master wants to see you.” sadistically taunting Luca, the man enjoyed looking at his futile movements.

Seconds felt like minutes as Oz's bloodshot eyes suddenly turned vertical, clothes tight on the thin frame of his body ripped to shreds, his mouth stretched forward, fur covering all visible skin.

“Watch out!” tried to warn his accomplice man holding Luca, not successful as Oz scratched the hand holding him as hard as he could. No choice but to let go with an ugly face, he used the other hand to punch Oz to the ground. Now, dog-like howling came from the creature’s fanged mouth, no semblance of Oz's former appearance remaining.

“Damn werewolf cub, I knew gingers have something wrong going on altogether.” kicking the creature trying to catch its breath, the man spoke angrily.

“Don’t get bitten, idiot. Just shoot the mutt a couple times to make sure, we have Silent Circle either way.” seeing his partner able to handle juvenile Oz with ease, the man holding Luca advised. Reminded of such possibility, his colleague hurriedly distanced himself from the werewolf and fumbled underneath the cape for a pistol.

Meanwhile, Luca closed his eyes and stopped moving upon realizing he can’t possibly overpower a grown man. Desperate situation of both him and his best friend being on someone’s mercy made him go from panic to cold fury. Why are those bastards trying to execute Oz and kidnap me? We didn’t do anything to deserve this! Assholes! Garbage! Get out! Disappear! raged Luca in his mind, unknowingly to all parties at the scene a connection rapidly constructing between his mind and soul. Massive energy hidden within his body agitated by his will and emotions, ready to follow its owner’s wishes. Luca’s resolve at the moment was strong enough to push out all of ‘The Force’ to do his bidding, it found a channel outside and rushed out. Luca could almost hear a faint cheering of the energy cloud now set free and invisibly enveloping everyone.

“Get lost bastards!” he shouted, the cloud flowing unimpeded into would-be kidnappers. Immediate dizziness sent him into a coma at the split millisecond he lost the link to his energy fully submerged inside his foes.

At this exact moment, two silhouettes in black wearing second-hand Invisibility Cloaks appeared in a blizzard raining down the ice size of a quail eggs in the middle of Greenland, one of them hugging air, the second one touching around his waist.

Snarling for breath with his tongue hanging out, Oz in animal form lost his sensibility crawling in circles on all fours, eventually stumbling to see Luca’s motionless body. Shock and worry about his friend restored a bit of his intellect. Sharply clawed paws in no way appropriate to touch soft skin of another human, unless meaning them harm, temporarily prevented him from trying to help. Sitting down to meditate in an attempt of restoring his normal form, in half an hour Oz turned back. After confirming Luca’s breathing, he sat down for another ten minutes dumbfounded about their encounter and where exactly their assailants disappeared.

Realizing nothing can be done by just thinking, he sprang to action giving up the duo’s bags and lifting Luca by his armpits to drag him rest of the way into the orphanage. Huffing and sweating all the way, on weekdays what should take ten minutes stretching infinitely, he traversed the deserted cemetery like a grave keeper ready to put Luca’s body six feet under. In retrospect, regret surfaced in his mind if they had taken a normal route somebody could help him, and maybe kidnappers wouldn’t dare do it in the open. Completely losing strength upon reaching cemetery gates, he left Luca and ran for aid.

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Coming back with the guard who carried Luca to the empty infirmary, nurse Angelica not at work for some reason today. Notifying Sister Collins and Father Roberts as quickly as he could, the guard went back to his desk while they stood looking at a sitting half-naked Oz, visible bruises around his neck and torso, and pale as a corpse but otherwise fine lying down Luca.

“So what happened young man?” asked Father Roberts, his piercing glare on changes in Oz’s expression.

“Luca collapsed halfway and I had to bring him back, my shirt ripped on some branches and, and this bruises because I fell down a couple times…” with dodging eyes uncertainly replied Oz, not in any way a suitable liar. A bit of blood stuck under his nails not overlooked by the priest made him deduce quite a lot already, only question is if his pupil killed someone on his first transformation into a werewolf. Yes, Father Roberts knew Oz is a half-werewolf on his mother's side, therefore will ultimately grow up to be able to change while by nature retaining part of his self-control.

“Okay, go eat a bite and rest in your room. Sister and I will take care of it.” not a time to dismantle him on the spot, decided priest.

“But Luca…” with eyes full of concern Oz wanted to stay and tend to his friend.

“No but, you are superfluous here. Go rest and we will talk tomorrow.” this time ordered more sternly Father Roberts.

“Yes…” with one last look, Oz left the room. Sister Collins spent the time touching Luca to look for wounds relying on her experience giving Father Roberts first aid for decades before they settled down in Boston.

“Anything?” asked the priest.

“No damage that I can ascertain. Most likely his illness surfaced, Angelica's medicine doesn’t seem to work so well.” professionally concluded Sister Collins.

“Have you seen her today?” Father Roberts in his investigative mode noticed a connection.

“She didn’t come to work.” simply replied Sister Collins.

“Hm, I’m off to track back boy’s route. They had to have an uncommon event happen.” Father Roberts found an obvious place secluded from the world by dense forestry where a fight occurred just an hour ago. Traces of two men and Oz clawing at the ground confirmed his suspicion but left him puzzled. Lack of a large amount of blood suggested their ambushers failed and decided to leave, but why? Suddenly an understanding flashed, Oz transformation had to scare them off. Common thieves or criminals had a great probability to run immediately on sight of extraordinary world members revealing themselves. Eighty percent sure, the priest started looking in circles further from the place of incident, maybe they abandoned a bag or lost a wallet that would enable him to arrest scum daring enough to set their sights on his pupils.

“If only those trash had a trace of corruption…” muttered in disappointment at not being able to easily use a tracking ritual priest. Shine of metal conspicuous among greenery interrupted his half-absent thoughts, bending down to pick up a steel hoop, he knew what it was. Silent Circle common on the black market, with a single use of creating a soundproof barrier, its radius and time of existence depending on quality of mage enchanting it.

“Not so harmless and innocent then.” Father Roberts reevaluated the attackers, people able to use such items prone to be trained and supplied by one of the underground forces. Out of clues to pursue, he went back and got into his car to drive to Angelica’s rental apartment. She recently notified him and Sister Collins about moving into an upscale penthouse in midtown, when asked where she had the money for it from, she claimed to have inherited a small fortune.

Through the security guards that fortunately were faithful believers, not stopping the priest at all, he arrived in front of her doors. Not getting any response, he took out a set of lockpicks from inside the cassock. In just five seconds of fiddling with experience, lock clicked and the door ceased to be an obstacle.

Father Roberts's intuition turned right yet again, as he saw Angelica’s body laid on a leather sofa drained of vital fluids.

“Vampires…” he whispered, suppressed hate in his voice. Brainstorming possible motives of people that murdered his employee and attacked the orphanage, revenge for all bloodkin he turned to ashes along the years first coming to mind. Second, those cases are not combined at all, a simple coincidence inexplicably making them happen at the same time. Angelica could very well provoke a vampire greedy for her blood anywhere with her innocent looks. Shaking his head to clear himself from making excuses, guilt for his lack of protection put aside. Investigation had to continue and culprits had to be brought to justice.

An open book on a nightstand behind the deceased head took his attention away, curious about her last moments, he started reading,

‘...cider makes all the difference if applied in amounts enough, but never completely replaces pure spring water. Right proportion of both for maximum aroma and clarity is the connoisseur’s test. Don’t mix any other liquids or slight sweetness apples provide will get diluted too much and be completely lost in taste even to a refined palate…’

“Cocktail book? Doesn’t look like it at all.” whispered Father Roberts flipping the book around for its title. ‘Dracula’s Guide to Raising Bloodslaves’ on the cover reminded him of countless times burning exactly this book along with people, no, insects beheaded by him. Petrified, he recalled Angelica making Luca pass out drunk one weekend, arguing with Sister Collins about medical reasons for making him drink three whole bottles. Monthly blood tests and freakishly large syringes that he didn’t overthink before now made him tremble.

Completely fooled by ‘darkness under the lantern’ for years was a blow no dark creature managed to deal to his confidence. Looking at the now shriveled, formerly pretty face of Angelica gritting his teeth, he wished to be the one to kill her. Fire in his eyes subsided after a while, fire to consume this apartment had to be lit up. Praying and sprinkling Holy Water on all walls, floors, and ceilings, he made them fireproof. An abundance of alcohol on the luxurious bar counter made purifying the place easier than usual. Lighting a match, Father Roberts left, throwing it behind.