“I can’t even begin to properly apologize.” Vinn said trying not to make eye contact as Vicki stared at her feet.

“Vinn. Stop beating yourself up. We were both out of it, it was a medical emergency.” She explained.

“I mean yea, but…you gotta admit it was weird.”

“Oh my god, it was so weird, how are you that strong? You were just casually hugging, and I could NOT move you.”

"Nicole apparently finds that very comforting for some reason. Like being trapped in a safe place.”

“It’s fucking terrifying. Sorry, I don’t mean…” she stuttered, unable to gather the right words. “I just mean with you asleep and not aware of your surroundings if you suddenly dreamed about fighting in the arena, I’m just done for. It’s not your fault, I injected you with a bug neurotoxin, I’m lucky it didn’t kill you. We could have killed each other, but we didn’t, and we’re both fine. That’s what matters. My injuries healed, your poisoning has metabolized, I think. We're fine. "

“I just feel bad about the…ass thing.”

“Vinn you thought I was your wife, you’re an ass grabber, we all know that, you sleep on our couch, your hand is always on her ass, it’s fine. At least you’re not a sleep biter.”

“You kind of are.”

“Those are mostly from my nails, I was trying to get away. Vinn, your arms weight like a hundred pounds each.”

“This is gonna be weird and awkward for the rest of our lives, isn’t it?”

“Well…” she shrugged, The lights flickered on, and the elevator began to move upwards, stopping and making a ding sound as she grabbed the gun and pointed it with a few rounds left at the doors. They opened, and the moment she saw Jack, she dropped the gun and rushed to him.

“Oh, Jack, thank god you got here exactly now.” She sighed.

“What happened?” he asked in general.

“Long story, not for here or now, we’re fine, fine-ish. Vinn can you walk?”

“Yea I’m good. Little dizzy but fine.” He said climbing up.

“Let’s get out of here.” Vicki nodded, grabbing the gear and getting the hell out of that elevator.

Nicole and Jack blinked, both looking uncomfortable, Vinn pausing to finish his explanation.

“So…technically it was a medical procedure…with accidental additional minor details.” Vinn said, looking guilty and swallowing harshly.

“But it worked…” Jack said. “It saved her life, and it worked.”

“Yep.” Vicki said, with a playful POP at the end of the word.”

“I’m…” Nicole said looking at Vinn “Proud of you?” she winced.

“Okay, look, we’re adults here.” Jack blurted. “My girlfriend fed on your husband, in an emergency, and they got comfortable and handsy.”

“Oh, I’m so not comfortable at this very moment. I assure you.” Vinn replied.

“Nobody cheated, technically.” Jack said. “Vinn you saved her life, Vicki you did what you had to do to survive and honestly with the kinky orgy shit happening among the rest of this group the whole lockdown, this was pretty tame. Except the part where you both almost died. Let’s not act like high-schoolers and get all upset over a medically necessary series of weird events.”

“But you couldn’t feel the difference in her ass and mine?” Nicole blurted, looking slightly annoyed. Jack facepalmed and Vicki threw her hands up, blushing and staring wide-eyed at the floor. "I Just... I thought I had a special ass. I don't have much for tits, that's all I got, really."

“I was 90 percent unconscious from mind-altering neurotoxic venom in my veins and blood loss. I’ve only groped one human ass in my life and I don’t have a lot of comparison frame of ref-”

“Vinn, I’m joking. It’s fine. I’m just…I don’t know why I’m like this.” Nicole chuckled. “I mean, good for you, champ.” She said, giving him a confused and hesitant fist bump.

“So, back to the important details of the mission.” Jack said, clearing his throat. “Gizzy is captured, as intended, but no sign of Dee. No record of her, I did run into our friend Claybourne, or Loverboy63. He thinks she’s being auctioned off, and he’s bidding on what we think is her as we speak.” He said, as Zeph came around the corner, staring a hole in his phone and carrying a beer with a straw.

“I swear, if this is not her, and she’s just off casually banging some other dudes while I pay a million credits on a bottle of wine, I’m gonna be super pissed.” Zeph muttered.

“Well, we know either way that they ARE selling humans slaves, so we need to take this operation down.” Vicki barked.

“I agree, I’m just sayin…” Zeph said, his attention diverted to the sound of a stone door closing. He made a B-line to the basement and like a slow moving missile he pushed Hyde against the wall.

“You!” he said, shoving him back a good 6 feet.

“Claybourne, stand down.” Jack ordered aggressively.

I’m not gonna kill him, I’m just gonna fuck him up a little and then kill him later.” He said, starting to move forward again towards Hyde.

“STAND DOWN SOLDIER!” Jack yelled. Zeph stopped and held his hands out to show he didn’t have a weapon or the intent.

“You have some balls, son.” Hyde snipped.

“I’m 3 times your age, you jumbo plush fuckdoll. I'm not your damn son. Did you take Dee?” Zeph asked directly.

“Not recently.” Hyde smirked.

“Oh, you.” he said with a step.

“Both of you.” Jack barked, racking the slide on his pistol. “Everyone calm down and start communicating efficiently and precisely."

“Okay.” Zeph said. “I just talked to Mike, who said a girl fitting her description just showed up on the human auction board. Human…action…board. I keep hearing the name KRAKEN loosely mentioned around these people.”

“Mike, the drug dealer. You’re accusing me of abducting my own woman, based on the word of a drug dealer you intimidated for information? He was probably high as a kite and scared out of his mind. I’m not aware of any human auction, IF there even is one happening. Dee ran off with some prick on her fan page, and I could have sworn it was you.” he half accused.

“You see me standing here with Dee, rubbing that in your face like a winner? No? Well then that seems like maybe you got the wrong guy, dickcheese. I found Dee’s hair at the arcade stuck to the floor, and smelled Mike’s shitty trifecta of body sprays at the scene.”

“So she’s fucking Mike. Good. Mystery solved, you beat his ass for it, everything is right in the world.”

“You think a low level dealer is throwing more cash and Rizz than me? Callin bullshits on that. If you aren’t involved, and I’m skeptical, then MIKE still kidnapped her and put her on the auction. So let’s go drag Mikey’s ass down here and see if he knows you.”

“Of course he knows me, I buy coke off him once a week.” Hyde barked.

“So do I! But he seemed really nervous when I showed up last time, like he was expecting someone who wanted details. Mike is no mastermind, he’s working for someone, I bet if I put you in cuffs and a shock collar and bring him down here, he’ll feel a lot safer telling me who his boss is. Anyone object to that plan?” Zeph asked.

“Over my dead body.” Hyde growled. “No man is putting me in a collar.”

“Well I could put it on your dead body and that would do the same thing for this plan, if you wanna play that way, Bison burger.” Zeph growled, baring his fangs as his eyes glowed faintly green. Jack stepped between the,

“Hyde. Put your phone on the table. I wanna see the call records for the last week.” Jack said abruptly.

“That’s a bit personal, Jack.”

“I don’t care at this point. I’m not letting him kill you without proof of your crime, but I’ll damn sure invade your privacy a little to save Dee’s life, so... phone on the table, or I let him fight you.”

“Shoot me.” He bluffed.

“Ask again, slightly louder and step towards me when you do.” Jack requested, aiming for the kneecap.”

“Fine.” Hyde said “I need to unlock the thing first.” He said punching in the access code and laying it on the table. Jack tossed it to Nicole.

“Let me know if anything looks suspicious.” Jack said, still aimed steadily.

“Lotta calls to Dee, food orders, gambling house, the only thing suspicious is that there’s nothing suspicious. No unlabeled numbers, no Mike, no contacts with weird names. It’s not his phone. It’s a decoy.”

Stolen story; please report.

“Lack of evidence is not evidence, that’s called paranoia.” Hyde growled.

“I believe you.” Jack said, decocking the gun and holstering it. “Just get out of this basement before someone starts a fight, or YOU start something. Just piss off.” Jack said, looking frustrated. Hyde stomped off, slamming the door behind him on his way to the weight room.

“There’s no way The Jack of Hearts just bought that decoy bullshit.” Zeph scoffed.

“How do you know who I am, and of course I don’t believe him. I need him alive and thinking he’s got the edge if we wanna find Dee. You can’t intimidate that thing, Clay. You’re just causing problems trying. So calm down and let me think, and how do you know my calling card?”

“I’m just a fan, bro.”

“People who don’t exist on the records don’t have civilian fans. Who are you and how do you know me.”

“We work for the same people, Jack. Okay, you basically dominate the field and I just kinda…watch the game, but I got family in the business and I know who all of you are. You know what I mean when I say the rest is classified information. But we’re on the same team, just in very different leagues. Still would love to get that autograph. What’s the deal with the tension between you two?” he asked as Vinn and Vicki stood 10 feet apart against a 14-foot wall

“No reason.” She said.

“You guys have a fight or something? There’s this weird like…”

“There was a tactical situation last night, and he had to perform an emergency medical procedure in an elevator.” Jack explained vaguely

“I thought vampires regenerated. Oh shit, did you go suck-mode on Chewbacca?” Zeph smirked. “You did! Vinn you got vamp-sucked?”

“WRIST!…I sucked Vinn’s WRIST. Shouldn’t have to clarify that, but I’m gonna. I needed blood, can we stop bringing this up?” she asked.

“Kinda jealous, not gonna lie. Of course in that situation, I wouldn’t be much help, you do NOT wanna sink your teeth into my skin. Trust me. That’s bad for your teeth. Oh, and looky here…a text from Mike. How convenient that Hyde’s dealer, who he hasn’t called or texted for weeks according to the totally empty history, contacts HIM right after I convert him to a left-handed texter. I wonder what he’s reporting.” Zeph gasped.

“Awaiting product details in person.” Jack read. “Great that could be either Dee or a normal drug deal.”

“So how about we just put a gun in his back and march him to Mikey’s place, see what he’s up to?” asked Zeph

“The problem with that plan, is that Mikey knows all of us. We show up in teams, he’ll know we’re on to him. You especially. You show up, and he’ll lock down everything after that last incident.”

“That last incident got me Dee’s bidding number.”

“Or it got you bidding a million dollars on some old wine and off the track. We don’t know what is happening. He knows Vicki and Vinn as customers already, he knows me as someone to avoid, and you’re a red flag."

“What about Wednesday Adams over there? Mikey ever met her?” Zeph asked, looking at Nicole.

“Nope.” Shook Vinn. “Nicole’s tech support, not a field op. She’s not a killer.”

“Can she pull a trigger?” he asked.

“Vinn, it’s not the first time I’ve been alone with Hyde and a gun.” she assured.

“And you died, honey. You’re not a fighter, I’m not sending you alone down there with him again.”

“I’m not thrilled about it either, I’m scared. The only time I’m comfortable holding a gun is in the arcade shooter booth, and it’s plastic. But Dee is missing and everyone else is a known target.”

“Not sending you in there.” Vinn stated.

“No you’re not. I’m sending myself in there, ya big dork. I know the tunnels, I know Hyde, and my doppelgänger managed to keep him under halfway decent control. I can do this, Vinn. I got this.” she insisted nervously.

“Oh my god, what if I don’t got this?” Nicole said pacing the tunnel as Vicki got her fitted with a vest.

“You got this. You’re a tough chick. All you’re doing is keeping one hand on this remote and one hand on this gun.”

“Oh I’m such a dumb hoe, why did I agree to this…why did I VOLUNTEER for this?”

“Because Dee’s life is in danger and she can’t handle it. I’ll be right behind you.” She assured as Hyde buttoned his hoodie, the Delmarian kind with the slots for horn and ears. It covered the shock collar sufficiently. He walked ahead of her, and she followed, Vicki falling back with a clear shot range, blonde wig and glasses.

“You don’t need to fear me.” Hyde growled at Nicole.

“Oh right, I believe that. You may have sold my friend into slavery, but I’m totally safe with you.” She said lifting the remote and showing him it was on ten. “You seemed weirdly okay with wearing this as long as I’m holding the remote. You don’t think I can do it.”

“Oh I know you can, and have before. I’m very familiar with your darker side, little Nicole. I’m no man’s prison bitch, but I trust you with the trigger.” He smirked.

“Well that’s…just stupid because I’ll zap your ass at the slightest fuckery. You won’t enjoy it on ten and if I hold it down it stays down till you start smoldering from the ears.

“I’m honestly a little hurt, but I know you’re not her. Evee learned to trust me. She never truly loved me, but she understood me and stopped fearing me. Sending you was a smart move. Anyone else, if my life was directly in danger, I would have to die or kill to defend myself, but not you. I would stand between the threat and you, Nicole.”

“Oh gross, stop being like that. I know you fucked my clone, I don’t like that concept in the least, but it doesn’t mean I even like you. Clearly, she suffered some brain damage in the cloning process.”

“Nicole, you are the only one here that is safe, and that is my most honored word. Someone clearly is setting me up, and I will not go down for it, so people may die in the crossfire if it comes to that, but you have friends who would die or kill to protect you from me, and I would do the same to them to protect you from everything. You have no reason to fear these tunnels or me. And if Mike is the one abducting humans and selling them, well, then he needs to fear me the moment he looks at you with anything but respect.” He said. She took out the remote, turned it to 5 and put her finger on the button.

“Say one more sugar-coated line, and you’re gonna kiss the floor.”

“Don’t you dare threaten me with a good time, little one.” He chuckled.

“Should have put that collar on your balls.” She grumbled.

They reached the metal door, Hyde knocking on it and waiting very little time to knock again harder. Mike opened the slot.

“Speak one word and I’ll kill you. Open the door.” He said darkly. The door opened as Mike, hand in a cast and 2 black eyes, nervously stepped back. He refused to say a word, breathing heavily as though he wanted to.

“This is Nicole.” Hyde said calmly. Mike opened his mouth for a second, and Hyde pounded his hand on the shelf. “A single word, and your life ends, Mike. Now we have done business together for some time, but do not mistake our agreements for friendship when it comes to my more important values. I have heard rumors of you moving more than just product, human product. Now, before you make the mistake of defending yourself with your last words, let me say this clearly. This is Nicole. Nicole’s life is worth more than mine and mine is worth ten times what yours is, so if any harm comes to her by your actions, I will kill you and send your family the remains in jars. Now you will nod of that is understood.” He nodded. “Very good.”

“This is stupid. He’s giving us nothing.” Zeph said, hovering over the speaker as they watched from the body cam.

“I can’t tell if he’s tipping him off or just being Hyde. Nicole, we need you to ask Mike something, he needs to talk.”

“Did you take my friend?” she asked Mike. He looked at Hyde, unsure if he was allowed to answer.

“You can speak if spoken to, Mike, but with respect.” He allowed.

“I don’t know you, Nicole, but I don’t have your friend. I just sell drugs. Unless your friend took too much blow and OD’ed, I didn't harm her.”

“You know I’m not human, right?” she said, approaching him as Hyde nervously positioned his back to the wall. She leaned close to Mike and her eyes went black.

“I can see when someone is lying to me. I can smell the change in their sweat and see their body heat rise.”

“Dude, she can do that?” whispered Zeph to Jack.

“No, she’s bluffing off script. She can just see in the dark when she does that.”

“Shit, we could have really used that. Oh, for fuck's sake, 1.1 million, this is just insane, even if it is Dee.” He said, looking at his phone and bidding higher.

“Look, miss. Your friend is probably safe, I don’t have her, I don’t know where she is or even her damn last name. I sell shit to get you high or knock you out.”

“Like the memory darts they use in those little gray guns?” she asked.

“If you wanted, I could get you some.”

“So you don’t have any in stock already?” she asked.

“I…have a few, but they belong to a customer.”

“What’s his name?”

“I’m not allowed to drop names. That’s part of my business. Someone wants tranq, I get them tranq. I even hand-deliver sometimes for a very high fee.” He said nervously looking back at Hyde.

“Has Hyde ever ordered any?” she asked. He paused a moment and didn’t know how to answer. Not sure if she could actually read his lies or not.

“Hyde orders cocaine. Once a week. He likes to browse the styles.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“Just one vial, sometimes you gotta try new shit to see if you like it. Lotta people order the stuff. People who can’t sleep.” Mike shrugged.

“Hyde’s narcoleptic. He doesn’t need anything to sleep.” She smirked.

“We got him.” Zeph nodded.

Hyde looked at Mike and patted his right pocket, pointed to her and gave a subtle nod, before approaching him as if playing a role.

“Mike, I thought I could trust you. But you dropped the ball. You should have thrown it to me.” He said, nodding as a signal, he pushed over the shelf beside him and as Nicole jumped and turned, Mike grabbed for the right pocket, yanking the shock remote from her and tossing it to Hyde. He opened the back and removed the battery, turning the dial to 1 and breaking it off. Nicole drew a pistol and stopped Mike in his tracks.

“Anyone moves and I’ll shoot Mike!” She yelled.

“Go ahead, he’s a piece of shit.” Hyde scoffed, opening the drawer and pulling out a semi-auto ten gauge shotgun, barrel sawed off and pistol gripped.

She realized she was outgunned, and her hand began to shake as she debated who to pull the gun on. Vicki gave the door a hefty kick, trying to knock it down, SMG at her shoulder.

“Remove the magazine, Nicole.” Hyde said softly. A tear formed in her eye as she hesitated. She dropped the magazine out and let it hit the floor.

“Rack the slide.” He said. She did, and the last bullet flicked off into the shelves, now leaving her with an empty gun.

“Little bitch.” Mike said, smacking the gun out of her hand, and then promptly slamming back against the shelf as a barrel of buckshot perforated him from belly to throat. She turned as Hyde swiveled the gun to the door.

“You monster. You really took Dee.” she said, looking heartbroken.

“I told you I would never hurt you, Nicole. This gun isn’t for you. It’s for Vicki.” He said, firing several shots through the steel door as she ducked and dove out of the way. Checking her vest and making sure nothing got through.

He quickly planted his foot on the pistol, preventing her from grabbing it.

“You took Dee.” She said again.

“No, that asshole took Dee. I just paid him to do it.”

“You dated her, how could you?”

“Dee is only human. Humans are little more than pets to domesticate. I assure you though she is in good hands, safe, scared but safe. She will be sold to someone who will treat her well, teach her patiently, and she will learn to become a better human as a result. She is broken, like most humans, and she can be fixed with time and care.”

“And you actually believe that?” Nicole asked with tears in her eyes.

“She sells herself to strangers. Piece by piece, with no dignity or shame for her actions. She does what she wants, betrays her mates, I would know I’ve been on both sides of her doing that.”

“Okay, so she’s a cheating hoe, dump her and move on. That doesn’t give you the right to abduct her. I’m 99 percent human. Do you just think I’m 99 percent garbage?”

“You’re not broken, Nicole, you’re perfect as you are, and sadly for me...perfect with Vinn. Which is why you are going to run out that door and turn left, don’t stop till you reach the end of the hallway.”

“You’re not…making me come with you as a hostage?” she asked.

“I did that once. You were not happy with me. Run to him. Tell him you escaped, and I want nothing more than to track you down and take you for myself. Tell him I said you are mine.” He finished.

“Why?”

“Because then he will stay behind and protect you. From me and everyone who would harm you. You need him, and he needs to stay behind, because your other friends are going to hunt me down, and when they do, I’m going to kill every one of them that tries. If I have to kill Vinn, I would break your heart. Save him, and yourself. Lie to save his life. Jack and Vicki are out for blood. They chose their fate already, and though I am sorry I have to kill Vicki, I admit, I will enjoy facing Jack for the last time. He has it coming, and I will consider that a trophy kill. Everyone else is a tragic case of humans unable to mind their fucking business and stay off our moon. Run to Vinn. Keep him safe so he keeps you safe. Run.” He growled, lowering the shotgun to let her past. She sprinted and cut a hard left, never looking back as gunfire rang out and retaliation rounds followed. She hid behind the corner intersection, peaking out and hoping not to see Vicki lying dead in the hallway.