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A person cannot be judged as good or evil, the truth is that they are both, they are people.
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* Ian -
Ian was in high spirits as they drove to the meeting with the Mages of the Kin.
“I think the arrangement is pretty good.” He defended. “We show the rest the Night Watch has teeth, we get brownie points with the Kin, and the Tiandihui get fucked over.”
“I maintain you’re a fuck-toy in the making,” Grim sighed dramatically.
Ian pumped his eyebrows, tilted his head towards Ember, and said with a shit-eating grin, “I’m already a fuck-toy in the making.”
Grim’s laugh was long, loud, and wheezing.
Then Ember put an elbow into his ribs. “Okay, okay, enough. Can we get back on track here?”
Her ‘subtle’ hint was enough even for him to grasp. He was accustomed to this. It was clear Dani wasn’t.
“Alright, let’s recap; we’re helping the Kin with their Vampire problem. They’ve already paid, so we can’t go back now. That being the case, what can you tell me about Vampires? Can I control them like any other undead?”
“They’re not undead,” Grim sighed, flipping pages of his book. The apparition held within traced a line with a translucent finger. “Vampire, Vampire, Vampire-ah!” He spun the book around to present the splayed pages to him. “Here ya go. Ain’t they sweet?”
Disappointed to learn that Vampirism wasn't an undead condition, he read on. As far as he understood, it was more of a viral mutation which altered genetics. It made the host sensitive to light - though nowhere near enough to burn them to cinders - and reliant on uninfected blood for sustenance. And as Ember so succinctly put it, taking in excessive amounts of new blood tended to kill off the fluffy, puppy-loving, ethical portions of their brains. In return, of course, they got increased speed and strength, longer lives, the ability to see in the dark, and an unlimited supply of ‘date-rape’ drugs flowing through their system.
"Seriously?" He demanded. "They put a kill order on 'me,' but let these virtueless parasites run around free?"
Ember pursed her lips, "There are many Vampires who feed only in moderation. They can be as sane as you or me."
Ian thought about that. "Then there should definitely be a kill order out on them," He firmly concluded. A laugh burst forth from Dani, captivating him with how light the Slayer sounded. He sighed. He was really beginning to dislike this Order that would inflict young girls with what she'd been through.
‘Not to mention the stuff she ‘isn’t’ saying.’ He worked his teeth together in a tight lipped frown.
Something had passed between Ember and the Slayer, though he didn’t know what about. If it was something he needed to know ,he trusted Ember to tell him. The silent look she sent him said ‘not-now.’ He kept his eyes forward as his mind went to the task ahead.
His promise of Night Watch assistance had garnered mixed results, yet he still felt good in his decision. Let his mentor and teacher mock him for it, he had his reasons for offering a helping hand to the struggling Kin. Not least amongst them the principle of two weak potential enemies was much easier to fend off than a guaranteed strong one.
He scanned their surroundings with a broad, disinterested sweep. They were heading away from the city centre, and with it the interesting architecture, skyscrapers, and anything else of note had gone with it. Now, like the edges of an anthill, they were on the height of the buildings around them were on a gradual decline. Most were between the three and five story mark, brownstones that blurred the line between the truely urban sprawl and the suburbian eutopia beyond.
He checked the location on his phone. They were close. Bobby, the leader of all Night Watch efforts in the city, had forwarded him the address not long after Dani returned from the bathroom. They were to meet at a Kin backed front and go from there.
Showing the table the address, “Looks like we’re up.”
“Can I come?” Dani put forward in a rush.
“Do you have enough to go in, or do you need us to stop and get you more ammo?”
“I should be fine,” Dani flexed her fingers.
“Ember?” He consulted.
Ember made a show of stretching her arms over her head, wiggling her shoulders seductively. “It could be fun,” She purred. “I like a girl who can handle a stiff rod.”
“Oh for-” Grim spluttered into Ember's joyous laughter.
‘Strange how she’s allowed to make jokes,’ Ian thought. ‘Then again, maybe there was more to it.’
Upon their arrival at the Faction backed front, Ian tried to relax the tension within his shoulders as he went about crafting a Ward. Wards, unlike spells, were meant to last. He however, was shit at them. Unlike most of Necromancy, which was founded more in clarity of intent and power, Wards, and Runecraft in general, required designing a structure. He was on his third attempt at a compulsion to prevent his car from being towed for illegal parking, when a voice called out
"Don't bother." Turning, he saw one of the Castille sisters, the Champions of the Kin Faction, leaning against a wall without any sign of how she’d arrived. She was much the same as he remembered her. Her hair was thinly braided across her shoulders, amber eyes bright in the early morning grey. With her sleeveless leather vest pulled tight across her torso, arms bare beyond her gloved hands, and ending in a combination of combat boots and biker babe trousers. There were no illusions to her capabilities. "We'll make sure no one touches it."
Ian chuckled, "I hope so. Otherwise some poor meter-maid’s going to get the shock of their life."
“You’re late.” The head-to-toe leather clad woman shouldered herself from the wall. Chinning towards the hitherto unseen Assassin stepping out, “Who’s this bimbo?”
“She’s my psychic medium,” Ian stated seriously.
“What?” She frowned.
“It’s real serious work,” Ian took on a look of contemplation. “She figures out who I want killed and sorts out all the middle work.” He grinned wolfishly.
Their contact's unamused death glare was ruined with Ember’s lilting laughter.
“Did you just make that up?” Ember snickered.
“Are you mocking me?” The girl got feisty.
Ian’s smirk didn’t waver under the ugly glare. To Ember, “Yea, I couldn’t help myself, figured insulting each other is how these people say hello..” To the girl, “No, I was trying to lighten the mood. We’re about to get into some serious shit, and I don’t want anyone getting trigger happy because of some pre-game jitters.”
Everyone knew it was a blatant lie. The problem for the unnamed Mage was the momentum of the moment. It was against her. Fighting him over the slight would only make her look petty, or she could let it go and take the loss. Ian caught the hesitation, the girl swelling as she decided which thinly veiled barb to go after.
“Don’t presume to tell me what my people will or won’t do, Warlock,” She hissed, “And this isn’t a game.” Slinging a satchel onto her back with a metallic clink.
“I dunno about that,” Ember grinned. “Make it a competition. Whoever bags the most leeches, wins.”
“Wasn’t it you that said it wasn’t about the number you have, but how ‘powerful’ they are?” Ian taunted his lover.
“Good point,” Ember delighted with hungry eyes.
“You are revolting,” Their contact shuddered.
“Tell me about it,” Grim muttered from an occupied Scraps.
“Can’t you keep your vile perversions to yourself?” The girl continued. “God, I can’t believe I’m being forced to work with things like you.”
“Feel free to leave if you can’t handle the real world. I wasn’t planning on you being much help anyway,” Ember replied snidely
“Like I’d leave an abomination like you unsupervised,”
Ian had to give her credit, the girl could cast judgement without concern for her safety. The silence consumed them, shifting to avoid the darting eyes of the nervous bystanders.
“You’re lucky I honour my commitments,” Ian noted mildly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She sneered, chin raised haughtily over her leather jacket.
“That’s two, and I’ve killed people for less.” He remained outwardly calm, letting his gaze harden.
“You think you could?” She dared, stepping close enough for her warmth to abate the morning chill.
“Yes.” He stated matter-of-factly. “See, you’ve moved into my personal space and haven’t taken in the bigger picture. Now, I’m sure some sniper somewhere is tracking us as we speak, only now you’ve blocked their bead on me. I’ve got my back to my car so a shot coming from behind is going to have… trouble. Meanwhile,” He continued, unhurried, as if recounting a dull meeting, “Either Ember or I fry you like bacon where you stand. Before you hit the ground, the other raises a shield to protect us both. Which, I’ll remind you, is something you’ve seen us do.”
Examining his nails, he went on casually, as if the jolts of her enforcers weren’t visible. “Your backup - hiding in the wings - come racing out to find me and my allies are already canvassing the area for anyone that’s breathing in a way we don’t like. Out come the guns,” He gave a nod to Dani, “Fists,” This time nodding to the Grim-Scraps combo, “And spells, and we end up with even more of your thin-on-the-ground resources squandered by your arrogance.” He eyed her, gazes locked, resting his elbow on the roof of his car. “Congrat’s, you’re dead. Your family’d still be on the hook for some serious capital, ‘and’ you’re back where you started, only much worse off for it. The other Factions will ‘know’ they can’t work with you.”
He said it all with an easy smile. With their visions locked, he let that smile die slowly, the amusement bleeding from his eyes. He didn’t know how much of what he’d said was invented or true. That didn’t matter. He was making a statement, here and now, that he would ‘not’ accept her attitude. Not to him, or to anyone else with him. He wasn’t going to be pushed around. They needed him, he didn’t need them.
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‘Better to remind her of that before we go any further.’ He concluded, all the while watching for the woman’s features.
Do you have any idea the shit that’ll come your way if I end up dead after coming to meet you?” She sounded very self-assured until…
“I’ll use a Ouiji board and let you know how it turns out.”
His side got it. Hers didn’t. That was alright, the sniggers killed her anger. There was no room left to manoeuvre, no comeback or witty retort. A nice bonus, Ian noted as he straightened, was the unease hedging in. Evidently not many dared speak to the bitch this way.
“Fine,” She stepped back, examining him as she did. “You’ve made your point. Where do you want to start?"
He pointed to the shop, already walking towards it, and said, "In there."
He left her to stare incredulously at his back.
inside, Ian veered to a corner booth where a familiar life signature called to him. He recognised the Inquisition Witch, mousy brown hair, a shy smile, and a faint blush the hallmark that she remembered him. She was sitting with a bag of cookies and coffee. “It’s good to see you again. Lily, right?” He asked by way of introductions.
Doing admirably to hide her blush, the Agent nodded. “Yes. It’s good to see you too.”
Ian knew the reason for her blush. Their first encounter had left her stripped naked and bruised amid the unconscious forms of her four fellow trainees. The well intended idiots had come to arrest him, gone in without backup, eager to prove themselves, blasted their way into his motel room, and found a fist of black rags coming the other way. It went down so fast he and Ember hadn’t had the chance to get involved. Considering what he’d done at the Inquisition HQ - or rather, what Ember and Scraps had done while breaking him out of custody - she should consider herself lucky the only thing she lost were her panties. Speaking of which…
“How's your teammate?” Ian purposefully tossed out there. At her confused quirk of the head, he added, “The redhead guy that ended up in the ceiling lights.”
Recognition flared; fear, admiration, scorn, concern and… amusement, all pushed to the surface of her mind under Ians gentle probing. It was a little invasive to go scouring her thoughts like he was, but what did he care? She was an Agent of the governing body of magic that persecuted him the moment he’d shown affinity with Necromancy.
“He’s uh, doing okay.” Her words tripped slightly as she broke eye contact.
Ian stowed further pleasantries as the others piled into the booth. As he handed his keys, reluctantly, to one of the Champions underlings, Ian took in the breakfast diner. It was a typical ‘ma-n-pa’ style, with plenty of booths, a menu of simple flavours and deluxe coffees. Brown faux leather seats in chromed furniture, paper tablecloth in red and white checkers. It was a nice place, if a little garish. As the place filled, Ember kicked him under the table, so Ian ordered her one of the mocha-choca-crappy-latte things ‘with caramel swirl,’ then got down to business.
“First off,” Ian asked the Kin enforcer, "What's your name?"
"What's it to you?" The Kin enforcer retorted defensively.
Ian felt his temper start to rise. ‘Was everything going to be a fight with this chick?’ Then a rueful smile took over. "Fine, be that way. But if I have to shout for you in the dark I'm going to call you Snookums."
She growled threateningly.
They waited.
"It's Rosalie," She admitted gruffly, daring him to crack a smile. "And my sister is Eveline."
Ian didn't disappoint, savouring their names like a rich wine. "Beautiful Rose and lovely Eve." He was rewarded with another one of her seemingly endless glares. ‘Probably trying to figure out why the biker bitch get-up isn’t working.’
He watched her watching him. He could almost see the conflict within. She wanted to snap at him. She wanted to reclaim dominion over their dynamic. He was the intruder in her domain, and she didn’t like it. That was fine, he didn’t expect her to like him. But it was clear the way she, and her Faction at large, had been operating wasn’t working.
‘Better to shake things up from the start,’ Ember’s voice echoed in his thoughts. ‘Make them think you’re crazy, make them underestimate you.’
He kept smiling. The wider his smile, the greater her indignation. Which, of course, just made him smile all the wider. ‘It’s like she’s only got one mode - anger or angrier.’
“Just don’t die before the Vampires are dealt with,” Rose sniffed.
“Do I need to remind you of our exhibition at the arena?” Ember cooed, eyes flashing.
Ian took it by the shudder, she didn’t. As for exhibition, that was certainly one way to put it. Every Faction in, around, and related to, Seattle had been gathered at the behest of the Sponsors. Who these mythical individuals actually were was a mystery. They wielded power, and that’s all that mattered. It was in that meeting that Ian, along with Ember, had accepted the challenge of a rival Faction over territory and spheres of influence. The dumb-fuck had mouthed off one time to many, and had answered for his insult with his life. Ember had done most of the work, cementing his cover as a Warlock. If they knew he was a Necromancer, it would be like announcing open season on his ass.
Before Rose could fire off whatever it was she had concocted, Ian steered them back to task. “What can you tell us about the Vampires?” That was, after all, the reason he was bloody here. That, and the fool’s insult that he had intercepted. He was still waiting for a thank-you. ‘Gonna be waiting a damn long time no doubt.’
“Eve’s still canvassing for a good starting point,” Rose allowed, falling back into authority. “As you know, we’ve been watching them for weeks. They’re using something underground to access most of our territory.”
That was the other reason Ian, and his cadre of companions, was currently working with the Kin. Their territory wasn’t producing, and the Sponsors wanted it addressed. The Kin wanted it addressed too, but the squabbling of the Factions on their borders prevented it. It was a neat little bind they’d found themselves in. That was until he and thus the Night Watch, offered a helping hand. He had a name to make for himself, and they needed another Mage.
Ian worked his lips. "In that case I think the main problem we need to address is manpower.”
The tanned girl gave a snort of annoyance. Rolling her eyes, "Obviously," She declared.
Ian ignored her tone and continued, "What I meant is that if we start at one location and work our way through each room and level, those that make a run for it are simply going to escape out of the other exits.”
This had been Dani’s point, and it was one worth exploring. The Kin were a powerful Faction, and he wanted to know what they were bringing to the table. Considering they weren’t able to deal with this internally, Dani had been right to be concerned.
“Now, I don't see this as a major problem,” He shrugged. “Getting rid of them in the long run, I’d already figured, will need multiple purges. But what happens when a bunch of angry and scared Vampires run out into the open? What's to stop them from just massacring people in the streets?"
Lily smiled, pony-tail quivering in her excitement, "The Bureau knows we're about to poke a hornet's nest. They're standing by in case we need damage control. All it will take is one call from me confirming that they've committed a crime and we'll have this place flooded with my people."
Rose’s features hardened into that of an Easter Island head. It was clear she wasn’t keen on Inquisition Field Agents running around in her territory. Whatever her side wanted kept ‘off-the-books,’ it wasn’t worth risking the help.
"I’ve got a question," Ian wondered, "Why hasn't there been a single recorded violation on their part so far?"
Rose grimaced as violently as if she’d swallowed a cup of warm sick. "It's their leader, Cassandra Devereux.” She explained. “That soulless bitch makes Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Bathory look like innocent kittens. She also rules with an iron fist and any who cross her know their death will be painful, and prolonged. She had enormous wealth before she was infected, and she's used it to build quite an empire. I can't even guess what Long offered to get her to agree to this."
By unspoken agreement, they all knew the Tiandihui Faction schemer had left his Chinese fingerprints all over this mess.
Ember smiled, showing off her fangs, "It's nice to know that his investment will be going to waste."
“What’s he got against you guys anyway?” Ian felt obliged to ask.
Rose’s knuckles cracked within her studded gloves. “The greedy bastard took offence over something,” Giving as much truth as she was willing to give.
“Greedy huh?” Ian mused. “Either you took something he thought was his, or he wanted more from a deal and he didn’t get it.”
“We needed something he had, he needed something we had. We made a deal and he did his part, we did ours - everyone left with what they wanted.” Rose opened up a smidge.
“What did he want? He strikes me as the type to take, not ask.”
“A job came in and he wanted us to back out - we did. When it came his turn, he fought for it and lost anyway.” Brown eyes snapped to meet Ian’s green. “Accept that someone at some time decided to use our services over his and he’s held a grudge.” She finished with a sip of coffee.
“Then where did all the blood suckers come from?” Dani asked next.
Rose had clammed up so it landed on the only other local to respond. “Territory changes hands a lot,” Lily jumped in. “It’s not so- much they appeared all at once. Likeness joins with likeness,” She said with a wave of her hand. “They all want the same thing and can only go about getting it in so many ways. Eventually they start pairing up and it snowballs.”
“They weren’t always a problem,” Rose admitted. “Only in the last few months…”
“Let me guess, when Long showed up?” Ian asked sardonically. it astounded him that none of the other Factions had put this together. It came as no surprise those in the high backed chairs didn’t care - he’d already come to the conclusion they were only in it for themselves.
The conversation was truncated when Rose’s phone chimed. Even through her hushed tones, from the amount of backward glances, the purpose of the call was obvious. When she rejoined the table, she didn’t look happy.
“Eveline has a starting point,” She revealed.
“Excellent,” Ian rubbed his palms together. “When do we start?”
“Why are you looking forward to this?” Rose wondered aloud.
“As compared to what? Dreading the inevitable is stupid and wastes energy.” Ian related. “Worry about the things you ‘can’ control and accept the things you can’t.”
“You make no sense,” Rose shook her head.
“It makes perfect sense,” Dani defended. “We can’t control the sunrise so why get stressed over it. Make the most of the day and do what you can in it. We’re here to do a job, let’s get it done.”
“That’s the spirit,” Ian said with a wink.
“You are such an idiot,” Ember scoffed.
“Who are you again?” Rose demanded of Dani.
The moment stretched. Ian worked to keep his features neutral. A very similar question once asked by Ember to him late the evening prior.
“I’m a new recruit,” Dani ‘almost’ lied. She was, in fact, a new recruit - in a sense.
“Whatever,” Rose huffed in exasperation. “Can we get back on target?”
“You don’t get out much do you?” Ember teased, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Yeah lighten up,” Ian grinned while putting an arm around Ember’s waist. “You could be dead in an hour, make your moments matter.”
“I’d rather stay alive,” Rose countered.
“Does one exclude the other?” Ian asked philosophically.
“You don’t know what it’s like around here.”
Flexing his Magic and extending his control over the immediate environment, he Willed a cookie from Lily’s bag and divided it up between himself, Dani and Ember, but remained quiet.
“Don’t presume you’re the only one that’s had it tough, Sweet-Cheeks,” Grim took over where Ian wouldn’t.
Ian felt the conversation grow distant, quiet - as he retreated into his memories. He didn’t know what her world had been like, but he knew what his world had always been. His forced emergence into the magical world hadn’t been smooth. Snuffing an out of control Pyromancer in front of thirty witnesses was a surefire way to get the authorities sticking their noses into his business. A pang of injustice still clung to that memory. He’d saved the lives of innocent civilians from the deranged Wizard and what did he get? A blown up home, scaring his only childhood friend half to death, and being forced on the run. If he’d have been any other kind of Mage, anything other than a ‘Necromancer,’ those same pricks on high would have offered him a cushy job…, but no.
Grim, his mentor and surrogate parent from the age of nine, when his own parents had split, forewarned him of the ‘kill-on-sight’ decree Necromancers were under. From the moment he’d witnessed his sisters murder at the hands of a Werewolf he’d been condemned to die. It wasn’t a case of eat-or-be-eaten; it was a case of kill-to-survive. A subtle difference, he knew, but the devil was in the detail.
Grim had taught him that intent was the great governing law for magic. Fancy words and strings of gibberish didn’t matter to him, that was for Wizards and Witches. The difference between living and dying had, more times than he felt comfortable with admitting, been down to how he ‘looked’ at the situation. It thus came as a pleasant surprise to find Dani shared his mentality.
Scraping chairs announced the shift from discussion to action, and Ian joined them in the act. He pushed his memories down and away, it was time to focus.