Balance The Realms Nov 2024 - May 2025

[Denix Vames]

Raven's eyes glowed. He stood with a glare as he raised a hand. Ready to kill. Death gently pushed his hand down, "Let the royals of Hell deal with this. They know what to do." He guided Raven to the table where he offered a slice of pepperoni pizza. Charles sighed, "I'm not sure if we can get through to that boy. What do you think, Amelia?"

---

Will got up from his computer and walked over, "You did what you had to do. You're life and the hostage's life was in danger. You had a good reason to shoot." He touched his shoulder, "I've had my fair share of gun fights. What you did wasn't wrong. How about you go home for the rest of the day? Get some rest and hang out with your boyfriend?"

---

James carefully opened two sugar packets. Worried about destroying anything. He steadied his hand as he poured the milk. Once he set it down, his hand was shaking. "I still have concerns. I keep destroying things. I don't know if I can really do anything without breaking it. This was a struggle already just making coffee."

---

Blaire nonchalantly waved her hand as she poured another drink, "You've lived how long under Lucifer's reign and you still can't seem to figure that out? Of course, it does happen late sometimes. As for finding you a willing partner, I guess you'd have to find someone you can actually. You can't just ask a random vamp. You don't know what their intentions are. I suggest dating first."

---

Sawyer couldn't help but stare at Kat. His heart raced fast. Hearing his own heartbeats in his ears. He felt like his face was flushed. Feeling glad that Kat couldn't see a thing right now.

[Shadowess]

Stevie was taken aback when Raven stood and seemed ready to strike him. He stared at him with a mixture of shock and hurt as more tears rolled down his cheeks. In his mind, he had just poured his heart out to him only to be threatened in return. Unfortunately, this only reinforced his paranoia that everyone was against him and he was ultimately alone in the world. 
"The roy-?" he started then stared at Amelia and Charles as the realisation dawned on him. If the other being really was Death and they all had the power to appear out of nowhere then it wasn't much of a leap to assume these two might actually be Devils. "No..." he groaned "No... You're going to take me to Hell aren't you?"

Amelia looked back at Stevie with soft eyes. "Why would you think that?" she asked gently. 
"Why else? Because I killed people!" Stevie wept and gripped his hair.
"Do you feel bad about that?" Amelia asked and for a moment Stevie didn't answer as he continued to sob. He then looked up at her with dull eyes. "No," he answered simply hollowly. Then he unleashed the power that he had spent this time building up. This caused all the glass, pottery and ceramicware in the room to spontaniously explode. While the others were distracting by this, he made a run for the door. Not wanting to stick around so that the Devils could drag him to Hell.

---

"Yeah... I'll do that..." Malone answered distractedly. "Thanks, boss," he said sincerely. Then something occurred to him and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't at least make Will aware of it. "Boss? The Demon in the lockup... he said something about a contract. The dancer he used as a hostage seemed terrified of leaving him too. Something's not right."

---

May looked from James to his cup with a small smile. "Well, you've done well so far. Not so much as a chip in the cup." she smiled a little wider at him. "Practice makes perfect. If you're not used to doing something a certain way then you just need to take it one step at a time and one day at a time. I just know that in time you'll get the hang of it." 

---

"Ah, no..." Damien quickly shook his head. "I was in love once and I never want to feel that kind of pain again..." he stopped, realising how much he was telling her and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm just not ready for anything serious. I was thinking I'd just, you know, focus on finding myself for a while." he paid her for the second drink and knocked that one back too.

---

Gravel crunched and clacked outside their hiding place. Growing louder the closer they came. One set of footsteps. Then two. Three. If there were more it was hard to tell over the overlapping sounds of tiny rocks tumbling and sea waves crashing outside the little shed. Kat gulped silently. His heart pounding hard as he tried to listen through the sounds of his and Sawyer's combined breathing. His grip on the shed door was tight and grew tighter the closer those footsteps came. His eyes widened a little as the footsteps stopped right outside the shed and they could hear men muttering to each other in barely audible Japanese.

Someone tried to pull the shed door and Kat held it firmly in place. They tried again and Kat maintained his grip.
"Locked..." they'd hear one of them say. Then the gradual sounds of the footsteps moving away. When they were far enough that Kat could no longer hear them, he let out a relieved breath and turned his head to look at Sawyer. By now his eyes had adjusted slightly to the dark and he could just about make out his face. "That was too close..." he whispered, not wanting to risk speaking any louder in case those men were still close enough to hear.

[Denix Vames]

Raven raised his hands and stopped every single shard in place. Taking them gently to the floor. He took a bite out of his slice, "This is delicious!" Charles clenched his fists, "We have another problem now. How the hell are we going to get that kid to calm down and listen to reason?" Raven sighed, "I don't think you can. I'm not even from here but I wasn't even enough for him to trust."

---

Will's body suddenly glowed purple after hearing about a contract. "Don't worry. I'll take care of that."

He disappeared. Forcing the suspect to destroy the contract by torturing him. It wasn't something he would ever do but this case wasn't exactly normal.

---

James said, "Thanks. I appreciate the encouragement."

---

Blaire set the bottle down, "How about you have this one on the house? I make plenty of money for this club as is. Giving out a bottle once in a while doesn't hurt my paycheck."

---

Sawyer whispered, "How long should we wait here?" He tried to move his feet as he was uncomfortable. Tripping over some items, he accidentally leaned against Kat. His hands touching his bare chest, "Sorry."

[Shadowess]

Amelia stared at the shards all over the floor and looked back at Raven. "I don't know... the way he spoke to you..." she looked back at the door that Stevie had fled through. "Charles we might need the help of some kind of psychologist for this one. That kid was very... hot and cold. He obviously cares about what he's done and the people he gets close to but then..." she recalled how quickly and jarringly his eyes had dulled when talking to her. Like a light went out and she had suddenly been talking to someone else. Someone who didn't care. "It was like he flicked a switch and turned his emotions off." she looked back at the group with sad eyes. "He must've been terribly abused to be able to do that."

---

It wasn't unusual by now for Will to vanish or have some kind of aura about him so Malone didn't even bat an eye to what had happened. He simply felt relieved to have told someone he trusted about what had happened. He stepped out of the office and decided to take Will up on his offer of taking the rest of the day off. He headed home.

---

May gave him a warm smile. "You're capable of being gentle," she told him confidently. "Like when you protected me from that patient... and just now when you touched my hand," she reassured him. "I feel safe around you." she blushed then lifted her cup to her lips and finished the rest of her coffee. "I should head home. I have laundry to do, research for my paper, take a shower and with any luck I'll even have time for some sleep before my next shift eight hours from now..." Meaning that after doing her chores she'll only be able to get a few hours sleep before getting up for the next shift. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's the hectic life of working in medicine for you!" she tapped her nails on the table thoughtfully and bit her lip a little before asking nervously. "Would you mind walking me home?" 

---

He looked at Blaire in surprise then smiled with a thankful nod. Not just appreciative of the free booze but also the understanding ear. He poured himself another glass. Then another. And another. Before long the bottle was empty and he couldn't even remember walking onto the dancefloor. Finding himself dancing among a huddle of sweating, moving, pale limbs with no clue nor care as to how long he'd been there. Faces around him were a blur as he allowed himself this one night to give in to his impulses and dance for as long as he wanted. His cravings continued to gnaw at him but in the dizzying alcoholic haze, he paid it little attention.

---

Kat stared down at Sawyer, unsure of how to react so just nodded at his apology. He had tensed as well because the trip had made some noise and he took a few seconds to listen for any more approaching footsteps. Silence. "I don't know..." he whispered. "Long enough to leave the area completely, I know that... We might be here a while." though he hid it well, he wasn't just nervous about the people outside hearing them. He could feel Sawyer's warm breath on his cold skin and it caused something in him to stir.

[Denix Vames]

Raven replied, "He told me everything. His father is a terrible man." Death took his hand, "We must close that portal before more damage is done. I'll take him there. You two can handle the boy." The duo disappeared.

---

Travis was watching TV with Pickles by his side. He soon fell asleep on the couch with the dog. Malone would find them both there.

---

James had finished his coffee. He nodded, "Of course. In fact, I can guard you at all times if you'd like."

---

A vampire grabbed at Damian's waist and made his move to brush himself against him. He had pale skin, long dark brown hair that reached his shoulders, and a black suit. Despite his appearance, his eyes showed violence with a sickening grin.

---

Sawyer bit his lip, "Aren't there already gone? I mean c'mon!" He couldn't stop staring at his lips. He wanted to suddenly kiss him but refrained in case Kat wasn't interested.

[Shadowess]

Amelia nodded to Death then turned to look at Charles with a worried expression. "From one problem to another... would we have it any other way though?" she half smiled though her eyes were still full of sadness. Particularly after what Raven had told them. "What should we do? I don't think we're qualified to help him..."

---

Malone walked through the door and smiled at the sleeping pair on the couch. He locked the door behind him and then went to grab a blanket which he carefully laid over them. He then walked into the bathroom to wash his face. As water dripped from his face, he gripped the sides of the sink and cried quietly.

---

"That's flattering but honestly, I just need to be walked home for today." May grinned, amused but also touched by his offer. "Especially after those riots today... I'm actually glad you came by when you did. Just because the riots have stopped doesn't mean there won't still be thieves or worse lurking around." she stood and put her coat back on then picked up her handbag. "Ready when you are."

---

Too drunk to distinguish between interest and malice, Damien only felt pleasant surprise that a vampire was coming onto him already. But then again, he had no idea how long he'd actually been dancing for so for all he knew this could just be the first vampire in hours. Not that it mattered to him now. He turned his head slightly to get a look at the male that had grabbed him and all he saw was dark beauty. Completely missing the threat, he continued to dance with him.

With flushed cheeks, he decided to simply do what felt natural and moved along with him to the music. He turned his head to look at him again and gave him his charming grin... or at least what he thought was his charming grin. It was hard to tell when you're so drunk you can barely feel your face anymore. "I'm Damien!" he told him over the music.

---

"Shh!" Kat strained to listen, worried Sawyer's voice might attract unwanted attention. When there was no sound, he relaxed a little. "We can't take the risk. For all we know this shed might be surrounded. They will have found our belongings in that warehouse. The next logical move would be to search the area... thoroughly. They've already tried this shed and given up but we can't rule out that they're not still nearby searching other buildings just because we can't hear them here." he whispered to him. "Trust me when I say, Red Fox, you don't want to take the risk with these people."

[Denix Vames]

"Then we need to track him down and put him in a place where he can't harm himself or other people." ,said Charles.

---

Raven had closed the portal. Giving every realm a sense of peace once again. Death would appear with him by David. He smirked, "Did you really think I would let this boy be lost? He has finally found his place here." Raven nervously rubbed his arm, "So I closed the portal. I didn't know how bad things would get. Also sorry about nearly killing everyone. It's a long story."

---

Travis moved a bit after feeling a gust of wind against his face. He opened his eyes and slowly caught on to the sounds of crying. He walked over to the bathroom and said, "Malone?"

---

"Of course." James opened the door for her. He walked by her side as he kept looking in different directions. Making sure that nothing or no one would attempt to harm her.

---

The vampire replied, "I'm Samson! How about we have some private time outside?"

---

Sawyer sighed. He whispered, "I could say the same about the CIA. But we can't be like this forever."

[Shadowess]

Amelia frowned but nodded in reluctant agreement. She didn't like the idea of locking the boy up but he was dangerous. "He's just human. We should be able to teleport to him but we'll need to be careful. He might have powers but compared to us he'd be easy to hurt."

---

David guffawed at the pair as they arrived and explained what had happened. On the one hand he was angry with Death for tricking him. Sure David had told him he couldn't just leave but realistically there was little he could have done to stop him. So if Death had made it known to David that he was going to leave regardless, David could have at least kept to his orders of keeping him safe by going with him. But now, Death had made certain that David had failed in his duties. 

On the other hand, he was relieved that the boy had seen reason and closed the portal. Perhaps now the council will back off and allow the child to settle in to his new home. "Well, I'm glad everything turned out alright in the end. We should probably let Gabriel and Life know that the danger has passed."

---

Malone jumped a little at the quiet sound and looked at Travis in surprise. It always shocked him in a good way when he spoke. But right now he was trying to pull himself back together so as not to worry him. "I'm ok." He told him. "It's just been a hard day, that's all. How're you and Pickles?"

---

As they walked, May hesitated then tucked her hand through his elbow to hold his arm. Her cheeks turned pink as she did.

---

"Outside?" Damien called over the music, slightly confused. "But doesn't this place have rooms?" He felt his cheeks redden a little as he asked but ignored his nerves as he turned to wrap his arms around Samson's shoulders to keep dancing with him. "Or we could go to your place?" His words slurred slightly, giving away how drunk he really was.

---

"Alright, fine..." Kat whispered and he slowly, silently opened the shed door. He looked around warily but couldn't see anyone. Gesturing for Sawyer to follow they jogged along the docks while looking around. Keeping an eye out for ADIEU's thugs as well as a new place for them to lay low.

[Denix Vames]

"True enough." Charles and Amelia would teleport themselves to Stevie. It didn't take long for Charles to knock him out. "Now, I'm sure there's a hospital somewhere that could help him. I assume there will be Angels there too. We can tell them about this boy. In fact, they could be one of those angelic wristbands on him so he doesn't cause a fuss."

---

Death nodded. Raven followed him. Gabriel raised a brow, "Huh! Guess you were the right person to talk to him after all." "Yes but not many tend to listen despite evidence of my actions." Death unlocked the cage and allowed Life to get out. He snapped his fingers. Life was once again in his human form. He stretched out his muscles, "Finally! That cage was a pain in the ass!" He pointed at Raven, "Is this the boy? No way did you actually convince him!" Death crossed his arms and smirked. Life sighed, "Guess I was being an ass. Although, I am impressed that you turned me into a chicken. Seemed like something I would have done too." He playfully elbowed Death's side. Death found himself actually smiling because of his brother. He quickly cleared his throat, "Since there is no danger now, you may go."

Life pat his back, "Why would I leave when I've got to apologize to my niece? I have a lot to make up for." He nodded at Raven, "Let me guess. My nephew?" Death replied, "Nothing gets past you."

Raven walked over to David, "I heard that I did something terrible to someone. I'm really sorry. Can I see them? I think I can fix what happened."

---

Travis gave a thumbs up to let him know they were all good. He lowered his hand soon after and gently hugged him. Letting him know that he wasn't alone.

---

James blushed too. He caught his breath, "Thank you May. For giving me something to believe in. Despite time, if you call to me, I will always be there to help you."

---

"Of course. My house is far nicer than the noise anyways." Samson guided him to the car outside. Helping him into the passenger seat before getting to the driver's side. He soon started the car and drove down the road.

---

Sawyer clutched his head, "I wish I could just find a way to contact an agent from headquarters. Any one of them could have teleported us to safety. Most of them aren't human so we could have an advantage against these guys. But that's only wishful thinking." He rubbed his temple, "I really got us into a fucking shit pile, didn't I?"

[Shadowess]

Amelia quickly caught Stevie before he could hit the floor. "That's a good idea. He might be human but I think one of those bracelets might help." she lifted him into her arms and looked at Charles. "Maybe you could request one from Heaven while I take him to our friends in New York. I'm sure they'll be able to help us talk reason into him."

---

"Well, not you personally. The portal did. My daughter Hades was transformed into a Hell Hound. Do you think you could change her back?" David asked Raven.
La Tramoggia strode into the hall with the Reaper not far behind. At first, she looked a little tired from the tour but when she saw Life back to his old self, she soon perked up. "My muse!" she called over and hurried over to him excitedly.

Lilly and Azrael reappeared back in the hall. Both of them looked troubled. Quickly, Azrael walked over to Death and whispered to him that the place Bob had been staying in had been broken into. They'd been unable to track where Bob had gone and Azrael hadn't been able to teleport to him either, which could only mean certain runes were being used to conceal his location. Lilly looked at Raven with mild confusion. Recognising him as the boy from the portal but the last time they saw each other was when she'd lost control of her powers and Death had cut her in half.

---

Malone wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. He pulled away to smile at him before kissing him and holding on for a moment. He then pressed his lips lovingly to Travis's forehead as well. "Let's watch some TV?" he asked, wanting to relax and take his mind off things. He also signed the words with his hands, having been doing so to practice communicating with Travis while he struggled to speak.

---

"Thank you," May said softly, smiling up at him. It wasn't long before they reached her apartment. She let him walk her inside and all the way to her door before stopping to look at him. "Um, this is me..." she said, nodding to the door. "I enjoyed our coffee together. I'll let you know when my next day off is. Maybe we can do something for the day?" she suggested. She was half tempted to invite him in but knew it was far too soon for that. Instead, she looked at him expectantly. 

---

"Is this a Rolls-Royce?!" Damien slurred, impressed by the man's style. He got in and admired the detailing and how smooth the ride felt as they began to drive. He was vaguely aware that he was taking a large risk and should be being more careful. But his drunkenness combined with his ego made him confident that he could handle any situation, especially now that he had his powers back. He relaxed in the seat as it gradually warmed up and lulled his head to one side to look at Samson. He was excited about what was happening but also nervous. This was new to him and he didn't want to disappoint this man by having no clue about what he was doing. "I've never um... I've gone out with girls before but you're my first..." he told him and bit his lip while admiring him. "You're beautiful though."

---

"I am as much to blame," Kat said with a sigh as he continued to look around them. He glanced over at the streets and the closed shops on the waterfront. One of which was an electronics store. "I have an idea. Watch my back," he said before darting off towards the store. He knew that if those agents were still around, they would hear the commotion he was about to make but it may be their best chance to leave the country in one piece. He picked up a nearby trash can and threw it into the window of the electronics store, setting the alarms off. Moving quickly, he dove inside and grabbed an old cheap phone with a sim card. He then ran out and ran towards Sawyer before taking off with him further down the docks, away from the source of the noise, being careful to stay hidden among the various little sheds along the way. While they ran he passed the phone and sim to Sawyer. "Call your people. Get them to pick us up before those bastards catch up to us!"

[Denix Vames]

Charles nodded, "I hope they're better at this than we could ever be." He disappeared.

---

Life hugged her tightly, "I missed having arms. It's so good to see you."

Raven said, "I-" His eyes widened at the sight of Lily. Death seemed concerned as he stood there. He clutched his head and headed to his throne. Sitting there with unfortunate thoughts in his head. Everyone looked to him in that moment. He finally spoke, "Lily's friend has been taken. The one called Bob? If not even my own can find him then I fear runes are keeping him from escaping his prison. I don't know what to do."

Raven stepped forward, "I know my powers are different here but maybe I can try and detect the runes?" He glanced at David, "And I think I can reverse the damage that I did." He frowned, "It's the least I can do after all the suffering that I caused."

Life awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "I also should help. I was being an ass earlier." He touched Lily's shoulder but this time his grip was firm but gentle. With a smile, he said, "I do have a niece to protect, don't I? And her friends are my friends."

Death smiled at the family he had, "Very well. Azrael take Life and Raven to the vacant room. It is where they will be able to concentrate the most on their powers."

---

Travis nodded. Instead of horror movies, he would pick a sitcom. Knowing that Malone needed some cheesy humor.

---

James said, "Anything that you would want to do. I want to know what you like." He nodded, "Good night." He headed out. "Damien?" He had spoken out loud to catch his attention. Not sure if this would work. His hope was that Damien would appear and take him back home.

---

Samson smiled, "Thank you. You're handsome yourself." He soon parked at his driveway. Helping Damien inside and to a sofa chair before locking the door. The blinds were over the windows to avoid sunlight. He suddenly grabbed Damien by his jacket and pinned him to the floor. His fangs protruded. "It's too easy these days!"

---

Sawyer slipped the sim card in and dialed up a number. Once he reached a line, he requested for a ride. Explaining the whole ordeal in a short summary. An agent appeared and grabbed the two. They soon appeared in an interrogation room. Sawyer stood in front of Kat, "Don't! Please sir! He's not like that! He's a good man. Don't do anything to him! Just let him go. I can take the blame." An agent replied, "You should know better than to say things like that. He's gotten to your head. We will keep you locked up until questioning."

Two agents grabbed Sawyer as he struggled, "No! Let me go!"

 

[Shadowess]

Amelia sighed. "I hope so too..." she looked down at Stevie's sleeping featured and wondered how they'd ever talk sense into such an angry and paranoid child. She teleported to Carter and Sebastian, wherever they were at the moment. Feeling that they might be the best men for this particular job.

---

Lilly had looked back at Raven awkwardly but she was too worried about Bob to be bothered by his staring. She looked up at Life when he spoke about protecting her and her friends. The anger she had felt towards him earlier evaporated with a new, curious emotion. Is this what it felt like to have family support?

"Runes?" La Tramoggia tilted her head slightly. "Ah-! King Death?" she addressed him hurriedly before the others could leave. Then she paused before awkwardly curtseying. "Runes are a Tricksters practice. Perhaps we can strike a bargain?" she suggested and gestured to Azrael who glared back at her. "I will help to find this Bob, neutralise these runes and remove my curse from your- ah... trusted advisor. In return, you swear not to destroy me for my crimes of stealing more lives for myself. It is a good deal, no?"

---

Malone settled on the couch and smiled as Travis switched the TV to sitcoms. He pet Pickes who had jumped up from all the movement and lay down on his lap instead. "This is better. You know, I feel so lucky to have you two in my life." Malone sighed contentedly. "Things could have turned out so much worse for me... what happened today reminded me of that. I'll never take this life for granted."

---

May watched James walk away, slightly disappointed but then she figured he mustn't be familiar with typical romantic stories, especially considering the things he'd told her earlier. She smiled to herself as she walked into her apartment. Regardless of how it ended, it had still been a good date.

---

When Samson had helped Damien to the couch, he relaxed there for a moment. The fresh air had made him feel a little more drunk than he'd felt before leaving the club and he mused on how odd that logic is while he watched Samson closing the blinds. He then heard James in his head and sighed, not wanting to be disturbed while he was experimenting. 'Hey man, Hope your date is going good. I figured I'd have some fun of my own tonight. There's a spare key under the mat. Let yourself in and don't wait up.' he thought to him quickly as he watched Samson approaching him. He was nervous but he grinned in spite of it. Excited to try something new. 

The next thing he knew, he was on the floor with Samson on top of him. For a dizzying moment, he wasn't sure what had happened and stared up at Samson in confusion. Then his eyes landed on his fangs. Logically, he knew he was in danger. That if this vampire didn't know he was a Devil he would find out soon and letting him drink his blood would risk him growing too weak to fight him off as the vampire took his strength for his own. But Damien wasn't thinking logically. His cravings for venom had peaked to an agonising level at the mere sight of those fangs and he froze. Unable to speak or move as he waited for the inevitable relief.

---

Kat looked around wildly. Although aware of the supernatural, he still wasn't used to the teleporting aspect. He watched Sawyer as he was being dragged away and gave him a calm smile. "Red Fox, I'll be fine," he told him. He had no idea if that was true but he didn't want Sawyer to worry about him. "I'll see you soon, my friend." he then turned to look at the agents in the room with a serious expression. "My name is Katsura of the Yakuza. I wish to defect and seek the protection of your country. I will tell you everything that I know in return."

[Denix Vames]

Carter had been drinking a nice hot cup of blood on the couch. He turned to Amelia, "You know one of these days, we've got to hang out when there isn't danger around every corner." Sebastian had been sitting right next to him with his own cup.

---

Death took a deep breath, "Normally I would disagree on such a notion. However, I have learned many things recently. I will accept your deal. I only ask one more thing. That you help me when you are called just as you will help me now. Believe it or not, I find your skills to be impressive and most invaluable."

---

Travis kissed his cheek. He uttered, "L-Lucky....too."

---

James wondered how he was able to hear Damien's voice. Did Damien have the ability to place his voice in anyone's head? Either way, it seemed like he could feel or at least hear something was wrong. Immediately, he ran towards the direction of the fear he felt.

Samson bit into his neck. Taking some blood and enjoying the taste as he realized what Damien was. James suddenly busted the door down. He glared at Samson. Picking him up by his neck, he began to squeeze as Samson struggled. Until his neck finally broke. He threw the vampire aside and helped Damien up. "You should have known better. You were nearly killed."

---

The agent placed a recording device on the table. "Sit and tell me everything. We can guarantee your protection so long as you remain truthful." He sat down and hit the button to record.

[Shadowess]

"Where's the fun in that?" Amelia joked as she stood awkwardly in front of them with this unconscious boy in her arms. 
"Who's the kid?" Sebastian asked curiously. 
"Stevie... at least that's what his friend called him. He's... he needs help. A lot of help. I thought one or both of you might have more luck talking sense into him than me or Charles have had. Charles has just gone to get some angelic restraints. This kid is crazy wicked powerful."

---

"Of course, your highness!" The Hopper bowed to him deeply. Happy that her bargain had been agreed to. The compliment was a bonus. She stood tall and turned to face Azrael, Life and Raven. "Well boys, let's break some runes and curses!"
Azrael took their hands and teleported them all to the vacant room. "Show me this Bob. Have any of you seen his face?" The Hopper asked. Azrael projected an image of Bob's face into her mind. Immediately, La Tramoggia paced the room and focussed. She began to chant in an ancient tongue and her eyes turned milky white. The spell would allow her to use the runes as 'eyes' to see Bob's current location. "I see him. It's a padded cell," she told them quickly. "But...The cell is moving," she added curiously then she gasped. "It is some kind of cargo ship. Bob is not the only prisoner. Armed soldiers are patrolling the deck and other levels." she opened her eyes and looked at the men seriously. 

"I can tap into the runes to grant us a brief window to teleport there. Be prepared for fighting. They outnumber us but they seem human." She looked at Azrael. "I must break my curse on you first," she said as she lifted her hand. Azrael caught her wrist and smirked at her. "So you can strand us there? No, break the curse AFTER we escape. If this curse links us like you say then if I die, you die. Maybe that'll motivate you enough to not just save your own skin when things get hairy!"
La Tramoggia bristled and yanked her hand away in annoyance but didn't argue. He was smarter than she anticipated. "Take my hands, all of you. Show no mercy for these men will give you none in turn!" she held her hands out for them and began chanting again frantically.

---

"You're getting good at that." Malone praised him in a soft voice before kissing his cheek.

---

Damien hadn't been aware that he'd been projecting anything to James after he'd told him to let himself into his flat. As soon as Samson's fangs sank into his throat, he'd gasped sharply. Then he felt the venom working in his system, washing away the pain of his cravings and filling him with pure ecstasy. His eyes had rolled back and he'd tilted his head back to make Samson's feeding more comfortable. He couldn't help little moans escaping him and he lifted a hand to run it through his hair. "Oh, fuck! That feels amazing! Don't stop!" he breathed drunkenly. 

Then the pleasure stopped abruptly. He groaned in protest and became aware of the tenderness in his neck. He then dove to his feet when he opened his eyes to see James strangling Samson. "Stop!" he gasped but heard the snap and knew he was too late to stop him. 
The broken neck wouldn't kill Samson. Especially with Damien's blood now in his system. But Damien wasn't thinking straight and was still very much drunk. Even more so now with the combination of bloodless and venom in his system than he had been before. He looked guiltily at James as he was scolded. "I was fine! I wanted this!" he yelled back, frustrated. Then stopped as he realised what he'd just told him. "I wanted it... I wanted his venom... I wanted him." he burst into tears. "I liked it," he admitted shamefully. "I'm going home..." he stumbled towards the door, barely able to keep his balance.

---

Kat hesitantly sat down and stared at the recording device for a moment. He took a moment to gather himself. Defecting wasn't an easy thing to come to terms with but now it was a matter of doing what was right. Nervously, he opened his mouth and began telling the agents everything that he knew. About his clan. The men he'd worked with that ADIUE had gunned down ruthlessly to cover their tracks after the quake. That he had no idea where the new ADIUE was based but that they were making deals with other countries for protection. Getting involved with politics. Gaining the support and funding of high-ranking leaders. That they were not as absent from the US as they might have previously assumed. There were agents, assassins and gangs working in secret with black markets to kidnap and smuggle supernatural beings overseas. When he finished, he sat in silence as he stared at the table, coming to terms with what his clan would have once considered a massive betrayal.

[Denix Vames]

Carter set his cup down on the coffee table, "That doesn't sound good." Charles appeared and placed the wristband over Stevie's wrist, "Good to see you two again. It seems that all is well." "As good as it can get. But look, I had kids but I don't know if I had them long enough to prepare myself to give other kids therapy."

---

Once they appeared in the ship, the battle was on. Raven easily turned the soldiers into dust. Casting his magic to stop bullets and annihilate any soldier that came his way.

---

Travis smiled. He buried his head into his shoulder. Enjoying the quiet moment they had together.

---

James frowned. Realizing that he had messed things up. He grabbed his arm, "Wait! Damien, I didn't-" "How dare you?" He turned to the vampire. Samson's bones could be heard crunching and mending back together as he got up. His eyes were red, "I will not let you take my meal away." "You were going to kill him?" Samson studied James before taking a step back, "A werewolf? How did you get a werewolf for a lap dog?" He seemed frightened now. Knowing that at any moment, he could end up dead. James couldn't help but marched towards him. He cracked his knuckles, "You took advantage of what he wanted. You took advantage of him. I am his friend and I will not let anyone hurt him."

---

The agent ended the recording once he got the whole story. "We will place you in a cell for now while we question our own agent."

Some time had past. An agent brought Sawyer to Kat's cell which he unlocked. The agent spoke, "It would seem that the situation had changed while he was on an assignment. We have changed both of your identities and given a home provided by the government in the UK. You will both be driven to the airport and given your tickets. Money will be sent so that you can start off with a reasonable sum."

Sawyer blushed. Realizing his choice wouldn't make sense to Kat. So he said, "I like you. I don't want you to be alone in case someone finds you. The CIA are good at their jobs but they have seen the enemy counteract their plans. Just think of me as your personal bodyguard and friend." He winked.

The house would be one a story place in the middle of the forest. Not too far off from a town where they could get what they needed. It would be in Germany.

[Shadowess]

"We have to try," Amelia said sadly as she looked at Carter. Stevie stirred and Amelia looked at him suddenly. She looked around the room quickly before placing him in the armchair. She then walked behind the chair and placed her hands on his shoulders. 
"Wha-? Raven?" Stevie groaned and squinted his eyes open. Upon seeing strangers he jumped and tried to dart out of the chair but Amelia held him firmly in place. 

"It's ok, we just want to talk," Amelia said gently. 
"Fuck off!" He growled and aimed his hand at Carter... but nothing happened. He looked confused and jutted his hand out again. Still nothing. He then looked at the new bracelet around his wrist and tried to take it off but it wouldn't budge. "What the-? What is this? What did you do to me?!"
"Oh, we're going to have our hands full..." Sebastian commented. "I'll pop the kettle on..." he walked into the kitchen to make the boy a hot chocolate.

---

La Tramoggia also flexed her abilities, though she was more doing it to show off for Life than anything. She chanted and strutted down the deck while moving her hands in intricate patterns around her. As she did the soldiers ahead of her struggled to control their own limbs, turning their weapons on themselves before opening fire. She didn't survive centuries on jumping bodies alone. 

Azreal summoned his scythe and muttered a few prayers under his breath as he cut down soldier after soldier. 
One by one, bodies dropped and their souls stood in terrified awe, wondering what fate awaited them now that their lives had ended.

---

Damien stood woozily in the doorway as he watched the vampire get back to his feet. As soon as he saw those red eyes he realised what he'd done. He looked warily at James. In normal circumstances his venom would kill a vampire like Samson but not with Devil blood in his veins. As long as Damien's blood was still in his system, this vampire was immune to both werewolf venom and sunlight. That's not even mentioning the increase in strength and speed that he'd given him. Even his powers were now his, including teleporting, even if it was only temporary. As drunk as he was, Damien knew he'd taken enough for it to last at least a couple of days. 

It wouldn't take Samson long to figure it out either and until then he needed to get himself and James away from him. At least Samson's current belief that James could kill him gave them enough of an advantage to put distance between them and Damien really didn't want James to be put in danger just because he'd needed a fix of venom. "James," he called over. "Let's just go. Now."

---

Kat was confused for a number of reasons. He hadn't expected Sawyer to be sent with him to live their new lives but once Sawyer had explained it, it made sense to him. The other thing that confused him was that the UK had given them a home in Germany. He was certain that Germany was within the European Union, not the United Kingdom. Upon further inspection of the documents, however, he spotted a couple of banking numbers that made it all make sense. Of course, the property's deed had been paid for through several accounts in different countries. It made tracking the real buyer a lot harder for hackers. He smiled. "You people are smarter than my bosses told me," he said, impressed. He looked at Sawyer and nodded. "With the two of us looking out for each other, we should be safe." he looked back at the documents and frowned a little. "My new name is Chan?" he cocked an eyebrow at the agent.

[Denix Vames]

Carter shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to kill me." He gave a serious expression, "But she's right kid. We only want to know what's going on. Why the hell do you think you need to kill anyone?"

---

Life simply turned some of the soldiers into bugs and squished them for fun. He couldn't help but give La Tramoggia a sensual look, "Looking good out there baby!"

Raven groaned, "Can't you guys save the flirting after we win?"

---

James immediately listened and follow Damien out. He had heard the change in his voice and knew he was being serious. Samson only watched them leave before shouting, "Don't ever come back!" The door was slammed shut.

It was silent as they walked before James said, "I'm sorry. I was concerned."

---

The agent nervously chuckled, "Well we had to come up with something." Sawyer rolled his eyes, "Let me rephrase what I said earlier. The CIA is good at hiding. Not picking out names." The agent looked at Sawyer, "And you are Jake." Sawyer sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose, "See what I mean?"

[Shadowess]

"Why else? It's kill or be killed," he answered sourly. "Get your fucking hands off me!" he then snapped at Amelia. 
"I think we might need a swear jar for this one," Amelia smirked and kept a firm grip on his shoulders. 
"He told me about you," Stevie growled up at her. "Devil whore!"
Amelia glared and had to resist the urge to snap his shoulder bones like twigs. "Who? Who's 'he'?"
"My only true friend... but he's dead." Stevie turned and huffed. He'd been referring to his flute. 

---

"Oh, young one. There's nothing more thrilling than flirting mid-battle! You will understand when you grow more." she laughed before rapidly moving her hands from her sides into an X over her chest. As she did, the necks of the three soldiers that had run down a set of steps towards them snapped simultaneously. She winked at Life then gasped and gripped her upper arm as a stray bullet grazed it. 

Azreal gripped his arm as well and could feel the blood soaking into his black robe. "Stop playing around!" he shouted at her irritably. "Where are the prisoners located?"
"Lower deck. Some at the back end of the boat in cells disguised as shipping containers too." La Tramoggia called back. She aimed a hand at a soldier trying to rush her and closed her fist, crushing his brain and causing blood to pour from every orifice in his head. 

---

Damien glanced back at Samson's house. He had every intention of coming back when he'd recovered enough of his strength to be able to fight back if needed. He had an idea of a proposition that could benefit them both. For now, he turned his attention ahead of them as they walked away. 

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "No, you were right." he sighed and looked up at the stars. He took a breath of the fresh air, trying to sober up a bit. "In my desire to have just one fucking night of carefree fun, I put us both in danger. I was reckless. I'm sorry." he looked sideways at James. "Thank you for pulling him off me... I didn't know his true intentions..." he looked ahead of them and was quiet again for a few minutes. "How did your date go by the way?"

---

"Jake?" Kat said but with his accent, it sounded more like 'Jack'. He sighed and looked at the paperwork again. "I guess I can't complain. It was either this or..." he trailed off, imagining the horrors ADIEU might've inflicted on them. "When do we leave?" he asked the agent.

[Denix Vames]

Carter raised a brow, "You're gonna have to be more specific kid. We want to help you but we can't do that unless you tell us everything." He pulled out a small photo of his family and handed it to him. "I know what it feels like to lose everything and to feel like you're all alone. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can find a new family and make some friends. Not everyone wants to use you."

---

"We need to split up and opened the containers! We have to take the prisoners somewhere safe!" ,said Raven. Life turned to Azrael, "Got any ideas for a home for lost people?"

---

James perked up a bit when Damien asked, "It was actually great. She loved every second of seeing me as much as I did when I saw her. Her heart is so strong but filled with kindness. She's an amazing person. The hospital is lucky to have her. She actually wants to see me again." He suddenly had tears running down his cheeks as he smiled, "May is the first person to make me feel like I have a place in this world. One that doesn't involve violence."

---

"Right now. I'll someone drive you both to the airport." ,said the agent. Another agent guided them outside where a car was parked. The agent got in the car as did both Sawyer and Kat. On the road to the airport, Sawyer took a deep breath. He glanced at Kat, "Guess we've got a house now and we didn't even need to build any credit." A joke that he poked in to hopefully ease the tension of what just happened earlier.