The shadow of the ally held a predator, though the hunted didn't know it. The two were mistaken in the fact that they were the hunters. This night, Animal, as she had come to be called, would remind them that just because they held guns did not make them invulnerable. This night, Animal would bring them down like the deer they were.

Curious blue eyes watched their every move, sharp mind taking in every detail. The eyes were unusual, and had become a key point in recognizing the predator. The one survivor of her attacks couldn't remember anything but her eyes, but that was enough. Her eyes were the key to her terror.

When the sky was covered with clouds, or the lights were dim, they were an unremarkable gray, a shade that usually signified blindness. But when the sky was bright, or night had fallen, her eyes faded from a bright aquamarine at the edge to a deep sapphire in the center. A ring of silver, vivid and shining with reflected light, marked her different from everyone else. It circled through the blue, a ring around the pupil, a tag for identifying her. A duller silver veined through the blue as well, but the ring was what made everyone fear.

These blue eyes flicked between the prey, noting everything. The tattooed hands, and the slight limp the taller walked with, suggesting an old wound. They both favored their right legs, just barely enough to notice, which signified they were right-handed. An attack from the left would be best, when she finally laid her trap.

She knew why they had come. The birds whispered of their intent. They had come to hunt her. But they had made the mistake of leaving their home territory and entering hers. A simple mistake, but a deadly one. They thought cities were the same. However, it was Animal that knew every twist and turn in these back allies. Not they. And it was Animal that would be the victor tonight.

The slightly taller one said her name, the one the television reporters had given her. Animal listened for a brief moment, then slid away, unseen. It was time to spring the trap.

"Are you sure we're in the right area?" a voice with an Irish lilt asked, and his companion turned and looked at him.

"You were the one that said we should get her, and now you want to stop? Will ya' make up your fucking mind?"

"Oi, I didn't say I wanted to stop. I was just wondering if we were in the right fucking area. Besides, you said that killing the 'Animal of Albany' would be the perfect way to announce our return."

"We escape from prison, and we don't even go to our own city. We should have fucking gone after her later. After we fucking killed those Italian bastards."

"Well, we're here now, and we might as well fucking finish what we started. Now come on, let's get moving."

"At least we don't have a fucking rope to carry with us…", the shorter one muttered.

"Will you drop the fucking rope already? Besides, didn't we use it?"

The smaller of the two brothers remained quiet, and Connor turned away in irritation. The 'Saints of Boston' had finally escaped after eight months in hell, and the bond between them had suffered. They were still close, but not as close as they used to be.

The Saints. The ones that had hunted down the villains in the famed city of Boston. They had brought down people the police could only dream of getting, but casualties had been suffered. Rocco had been the first. A victim of his own 'family', the Yakavettas. Then Romeo. He wasn't dead, but he might as well have been. They hadn't seen him since that last fated battle where their father had fallen. Now it was just the two again, as it had begun, and they were hunting down a mass-murderer from Albany, New York.

Animal. The name fit her. She 'hunted' her victims, anyone that had the misfortune of crossing her path, and devoured them. Not the entire body, but enough to be gruesome. Her one virtue was that she had never harmed children, as the one survivor had been. And he had only been able to recall her eyes. "The eyes of a moonlight shadow", the child had said, but when asked, he couldn't explain what that meant.

According to the news, she had originated in a small northern town. Not all the details were known, but she had attacked a little-known drug family, and brutally murdered them all. Then she had vanished. She struck again and again over the years, but left no evidence other than bodies. She materialized from nothing, and vanished again. That was how she had earned the name Ghost up north.

Then she had moved south to larger cities, and it was in them that she developed the habit of eating her prey. That was how she had earned the name Animal, because, like a starving wolf, she hunted down everything in sight. And like a mad one, she attacked her own kind.

The sudden rattling of a kicked bottle drew their attention, and they looked just in time to see a fleeting shadow. Their target was on the move.

In near-tandem, as true synchronicity is the stuff of fable, they pursued silently, intently. They rushed through the dark allies and abandoned streets, catching mere glimpses of their prey: a shadow, a flash of dark hair, the sound of rapid panting. They chased her for nearly a mile through the twisting streets before she suddenly vanished in a dead-end alleyway.

"Where the fuck did she go?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"You were the one following her!"

"And what were you doing!"

"Following you!"

Through this exchange, they had been slowly rotating, looking for the object of their interest. But in the dead-end ally, there was nowhere for her to go. It was like she had vanished, like her previous identity as the Ghost.

The brothers turned to face each other, and Murphy had enough time to register a sudden widening of his brother's eyes before a silent weight crashed into his left side.

He shouted in surprise and pain as a short but thick knife blade dived deep into his side, then was yanked out again as the weight leaped off him, shoving itself toward his brother. Before it leaped, Murphy glanced up in time to see startling blue eyes, a ring of silver flashing through them, accompanied by a delighted grin.

"The eyes of a moonlight shadow." The words of the boy ran through his mind as he fell to his knees, and the Animal of Albany leaped toward his brother.

"Connor!" he screamed, but the Animal was already on him, clinging to his back and burying her teeth in the flesh of his neck. Connor struggled to wrestle the muzzle of his gun between them, but she snarled and stabbed him with a deceptive-looking knife, hitting into his right shoulder. He screamed and she released him, only to crouch at his feet while he struggled to move his right arm, the one holding the weapon.

Before he could move, however, she spun and lashed a kick at his weak knee, the one he had injured jumping off a five-story building to save his brother. There was a dull crack as it dislocated, and Connor fell to the ground, moaning.

The Animal turned swiftly to the fallen Murphy, who had struggled to his feet again and was aiming the pistol at her. She growled deeply and leaped again, wringing his gun arm behind him as she spun around to cling to his back, teeth within easy reach of his throat, perched on him like a giant cat.

He froze, struggling to hold her weight with blood pouring down his side. He heard a thick rumbling, and realized it was her imitating a purr, sniffing at his neck.

"Silly hunters", she murmured in his ear, and he couldn't repress a shiver. Something hot and slimy dragged up his neck, and it took him a moment to realize it was her tongue, tracing the line in his neck that carried life, traces of his brother's blood still mixed with her saliva.

She hissed suddenly and opened her mouth wide, preparing to tear out his throat, but gave a short scream as something collided with her head, knocking her down off of him and away. He fell to his knees, and looked up to see his brother there, holding the large rock he had used to save his brother.

"Murphy, are you alright?" Connor asked in a thin voice, and he nodded, breathless. Connor pulled out his other gun into his left hand, as sure as the right, and aimed at the Animal, who lay crouched and hissing as she held her head, glaring up at them.

The swiftness of the attack had surprised them, as well as they direction it had come from. Later, as they ran through the fight, they realized that she had led them on a chase through the streets, luring them into a place of her choosing. When they had failed to see her, it was because she was hiding in a small crack in a wall deeply hidden by shadows. She had been waiting for one of them to turn their backs on her, and she had struck, like the Animal she was named for.

But now, she crouched before them, defiant but recognizing her death as she stared up the muzzle of a silenced pistol.

Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! She had noticed it the moment she had attacked them, but by then it was too late to pull away from her attack. She hadn't realized it before, but they smelled too similar to be anything else. She hadn't realized they were brothers.

She also had not counted on the bond of loyalty between them. The blow she had placed on the taller one's weak knee should have kept him down until she killed the shorter one, but she hadn't realized how devoted they were to each other. She hadn't realized the extent that they would protect each other.

A mistake, a small miscalculation. That was all it was. But now she would pay the dearest price.

Silently, already beginning a death-prayer in her mind, she waited for the taller one to pull the trigger.

The two brothers looked down at the snarling creature before them, angry. This plan had gone so wrong. It was as if fate had conspired this, or some other higher power, to remind them that they had to be cautious. But they had forgotten, and would carry the new scars as a reminder.

"Why did you trap us like that?" Connor demanded, pulling back the hammer of the pistol. Animal only looked up at them, still snarling softly, though Murphy could see the beginnings of a smile working its way onto her face.

"Talk! I know you can!" Murphy shouted, frustrated. He could still feel her tongue crawling up his neck like some disgusting worm.

"You come on my territory, no? You come to hunt the Hunter, did you not? Did you think that the Animal would let you get away with this insolence?"

The voice, raw and raspy from disuse, startled them. They honestly had not expected her to answer them. But she had created new questions that needed to be answered.

"How did you know we were here? Who told you we were coming?" Murphy pulled back the hammer of his own gun as well, shaking with a deep fear. Her voice, combined with her eyes- the eyes of a moonlight shadow- reacted to an old fear, a fear of the things that dwelled in the dark. A quick glance at his brother showed the same fear working its way up as well.

A choking laugh escaped her throat, and she shook with mirth.

"Always think that I must be told. They always do. But I knew of your arrival the instant you stepped into my city. The birds, rats, cats, and coyotes all spoke of you. 'New hunters', they said. So the Animal went to watch these new hunters, to see if they would be a threat to the Animal. Only she found that they had come to hunt the Hunter. So she decided to hunt them first. Could not let herself get killed, could she?"

She chuckled, eyes half-shut, but still watching them, cautious. She was careful. And insane.

"What are you talking about? The animals told you?"

"Not the way you think. They don't speak in words. They speak in smells, looks, posture. They carried caution on them. They recognize fellow predators, and they knew to watch you. You were new. So the Animal listened to them, and watched you as well." She laughed. "Been a long time since the Animal has spoken human words."

Both the brothers were silent, arms trembling. The way she spoke, and those eyes, brought ancient fears back to life. She was some demon, escaped from hell, and sent to punish them for the misdeeds they had done.

The Animal's eyes lit up when she noticed the sign of weakness. Even though it hurt her to talk, throat sore from disuse and growls, she knew the effect that her voice had on humans. The raspy growling tones awakened old fears in people, one she took advantage of. And she knew her eyes were different. No others had rings of silver in their eyes. But the ring, which gave her incredible night vision, came at a price. One she didn't share with anyone.

"What should we do with her?" Connor asked his brother in a language they called 'Irish', though it really was a mixture of languages. Murphy could only stare at his brother.

"We should fucking kill her! What else are we going to do with her?"

"Maybe... Maybe we can use her. Think about it, she was able to take us out. And doing what we do is a lot easier with three people..."

"I can't believe you're asking this! Look, in this situation it's kill or be killed. I don't trust her to watch my back the way Rocco and Romeo did. She'd be just as fucking likely to slit our throats while our backs are turned!"

"I think we can use her."

Murphy growled at his brother.

"If you want to keep her, then fine. But I'm not fucking doing anything with your new 'pet'."

They turned to study the Animal again, noting uncomfortably that she was looking at them with bright, vivid interest. Connor almost changed his mind, before realizing that it would have meant admitting his brother was right.

"Alright, listen up. We'll fucking let you live if, and only if, you work for us. And I don't want to see a knife in my brother's back the moment I turn around."

To their immense surprise, Animal started laughing dryly, convulsing with hysterics.

"You want to keep the Animal as a pet? Fine, then I will agree to your terms. It does not matter to me who I kill. Just point me in the right direction, and your monster will take care of the rest. But get in my way, and I will attack you as well. I take it we're agreed?"

They were silent for an uncomfortable moment, before they both nodded simultaneously.

"Fine."

Regretfully, they both tucked their guns away, while Animal just as slowly folded her thick-bladed knife and slipped it into a pocket, watching them cautiously with blood dribbling down her face. The brothers took this moment to take stock of their own wounds, Connor with the bite on his neck and the newly-dislocated knee, and Murphy with the knife wound in his side, bleeding a dangerous amount.

Silently, they three watched each other, measuring. Then, Animal growled gruffly.

"Come."

She turned and sped away, and the two brothers were confused at her sudden change in speech. Before, she had been extravagant in her words. Now, she barely talked.

With one last look at each other, they both followed as best as they could down the dark streets, each supporting the other.

"Where the fuck are we?" Murphy asked, and Animal turned around and gave him an irritated glare before answering.

"I live here."

They stood in front of an old building, what looked like an ancient house from before the city grew up around it. The dilapidated building looked like it might fall at any moment.

"Is it fucking safe?"

"It will stand."

She walked into the shadows of the building, clearly expecting both to follow. Giving each other glances, they hobbled in after her, exhausted. It had taken most of their energy to get here, after a two-mile walk, and Murphy was in danger of fainting from loss of blood.

When they entered the building, they were surprised to see that it was actually well lit, and had sparse furniture.

"You can drink the water from the white bucket. It's clean."

They started at her voice, then followed her gesture over to a white bucket against the wall. It was mostly full of water, and Connor guided his brother over to it and set him down gently, concerned. His brother's face was looking deathly pale. He helped his brother slake his thirst, then quenched his own before looking again at Animal.

She was holding a mirror up to the side of her head crusted with blood, peering at it from the corner of her eye while she carefully dabbed away the dried mess. When she dubbed it as clean as she could get with a rag, she grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and drenched her wound in it, hissing at the sting. Connor felt a surge of satisfaction at the wound the rock had given her.

When the gash was fully clean, she studied it for a brief moment more before setting the mirror down, turning her gaze to the brothers. The silver in her eyes flashed with reflected light for a brief moment, sending a shiver down Connor's spine.

She grabbed a bag and moved toward them suddenly, kneeling at Murphy's side and pulling something out of the black bag.

Connor shoved her away from his brother, taking a defensive stance between them. Animal glared up at him from the ground and snarled.

"I need to take care of his side before he bleeds to death."

Connor could see her point, but was still reluctant to move. He shuffled to the side, staying close to keep a careful eye on her.

"Do anything wrong, and I will shoot you."

She ignored him and lifted up Murphy's shirt, studying the wound she had left deep in his side. Reaching for a clean rag, she dipped it in the bucket of water and dabbed carefully at the wound, clearing it so she could see better. Murphy moaned with pain every time she accidentally brushed it, but there was nothing to be done about that.

When it was clean, she frowned and pulled out her bottle of alcohol, dumping it into the wound. Murphy cried out, and Connor reached out to hit her.

"This needs to be done, or it will become infected."

He stilled his hand, and, frustrated, lowered it.

Animal continued what she was doing, using her fingers to pry apart the lips of the wound slightly, flushing it with the alcohol again. When she dubbed it clean, she reached again into her bag, pulling out sewing needles and fishing line.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing with that?"

"Stitches", came the irritated answer, and she bent her head to thread the needle.

"You know how to do stitches?"

"Not hard. Learned on myself."

Needle threaded, she leaned toward Murphy, who had gained consciousness and was watching her tensely. Making a quick motion, she stabbed the needle into his flesh close to the wound and drew the line through it, until she pulled almost the entire length through. Making a matching hole on the other side, she drew the wound closed in that spot with a quick tug, then tied a knot, snipping the line when she was done. Then she proceeded to the next stitch. By the time she was done, Murphy had four stitches in his side, as neat-looking as if he had gone to a hospital.

She studied her stitches for a moment, and, apparently satisfied, she turned away, rustling through some bins in the corner of the room. She threw something at them, and Connor caught the package in his hands, tense. However, he realized that it was just a package of Oreo's.

"Those are for him to eat. Make sure he eats them all, then get him to drink as much water as he can."

Murphy reached for the package, and Connor tore it open for him. Feeling nervous under the disconcerting gaze of Animal, Murphy ate and drank, before slumping against the wall to watch her.

As soon as he was finished, she moved forward toward Connor, standing to see the wound her teeth had left on his neck. He flinched away, but held still at her growl.

"Not that bad. Just need to clean it. Then we will fix your leg."

Connor paled at the thought, but she either ignored it or didn't notice it. Motioning for him to sit, she kneeled beside him and cleaned the wound, dressing it with a bandage. Then she turned to Murphy.

"Feeling strong?"

"Why?"

"Need you to hold him still so I can reset leg. It will hurt."

Murphy nodded, then slid over to his brother, who had his injured leg stretched out awkwardly in front of him. He wrapped his arm around his brother, then nodded at the waiting Animal.

"I will count to three, then pull the leg so it will set right. Ready?" She waited for their nod, then began counting. "One-"

With a sudden wrenching motion, she pulled the leg, startling them both, and Connor screamed and clenched his brother's hand at the pain. With a set look, Animal twisted the leg and slid it back into place, an audible popping noise issuing forth from the joint. Connor could feel a sudden relief as the knee was corrected, but it still pained him.

"What the fuck happened to three?" Murphy yelled accusingly.

"He would have tensed and made it worse. I might not have been able to correct the leg, and instead tore the muscles. Would you have preferred that?"

"Don't ever do that again."

"Then don't dislocate your leg", she retorted, obviously hiding a laugh.

The brothers both growled at her and glared, but released each other and slid back against the wall, feeling exhausted. Animal dug through her bin and pulled out a package of beef jerky, throwing it to Connor, pulling out her own and tearing it open with her teeth. Growling as she gnawed the dried meat, she stared off blankly, and Connor opened his own package and wearily started eating. It was tough to chew, but he had to admit he felt better after eating something.

With a sudden yawn that made the brothers jump, Animal sniffed the air and curled up against the opposite wall, quickly sliding into sleep. Despite resisting it as much as they could, the brothers found themselves following her, leaning against one another for support, both physical and mental.