Disclaimer: I own nothin' but just the plot.
A/N: This arc thus far has been extremely fun to write while a little difficult. Sometimes I write myself into a corner by trying to make a scene interesting but still able to be solved. I'm really excited to see where this goes!
I really didn't want to label this as a cross-over to FFVII since the only additions is just the three remnants; two of which make an appearance here. I don't really care for them much but for some reason I can't explain, I really like Loz. So I took some artistic liberty and made him able to function in society while still keeping the odd allure of his over sensitivity. Though he will be a minor character I wanted to introduce him as a potential romantic interest as well as one of the few who is on our protagonist's team. Weird I know but IDC GAIZ, Loz is sexy and he deserves a chance.
The end of this chapter has a sudden drop off and I'm sorry for that. The next addition will continue exactly where that left off. I really want to try to keep the chapters around 8k words, this one ran closer to 9k before even getting to the 'good shit'. Again sorry but next chapter will have some interesting plot developments.
Arc one: Stealing Souls
Chapter two
To my esteemed luck both parties seemed to operate on the opposite sides of town. Which meant that I would be possibly making two trips tonight. Both of the pack 'dens' were bars. The closest one was in the northern quarter of town about twenty minutes away from Merlin's, the other was on the south side about fifteen minutes from my home. Since I lived to the south east it made more sense to just go north first, regrettably.
The north side was notoriously a rough area. It had taken much longer to purge the area of ghouls and the like no thanks to the rubble of the old castle. This side of the city was practically built on myths and legends.
It took a little while to find the tavern where Seifer Almasy called his pack's home. The directions themselves were clear, it was the building that was the issue. It was very plain and hidden well in plain sight. I doubted they saw much business but then again that might have been the intention. The name of the tavern was hand painted over the entrance, "Moon on the Water". It sounded so relaxing.
I took a quick peek at the streets surrounding the building, there were a few cars parallel parked in front of it. The thought of there possibly being some humans in there brought relief to me, perhaps they would be less aggressive for it. There was always the chance that would cause the opposite reaction and they'd get more aggressive by feeling threatened. No way to be sure of which it would be until I was inside.
Quickly I shed my helmet and swung my bag over to sit in front of me, nestled between my legs on the bike. It took a moment of rummaging to find what I desired. I wasn't planning on going in there to start a fight but if it happened I really didn't want to be unarmed. Finally my efforts were rewarded when I located my knife. Well, 'knife' is a loose term. My 'knife' was really a nine-inch silver dagger. The silver made it highly effective against most types of magickal creatures, so unless there were any faeries in there it should be enough to protect me.
I found myself yet again being extremely grateful that I had decided to have a back sheath installed into my jacket. It wasn't quite as nice as a traditional one but it did the trick. The many interior pockets of my jacket did well to hold the straps of the sheath when it wasn't in use. Crossing the straps over my shoulder the sheath itself fell into position, laying diagonal across my spine. The hilt of the blade would jut to my right hand, making it very accessible if needed.
Satisfied with my state I grabbed my belongings and headed for the door. Moon on the Water was an older tavern, the building itself was made with old heavy woods, the front door being no exception. It had a few windows but all were drawn shut with heavy dark curtains. I hesitated before the door suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding.
Inside I could hear muffled voices, they sounded like they were having a disagreement. A few short moments of silence were interrupted my a loud growl followed by a crash. I sighed heavily, just my luck someone was feeling froggy. I tried the handle with some luck I found the door was unlocked.
I pushed the door harshly with my body, the old wood made it quite heavy and the hinges didn't seem well maintained. Squeezing my way in through the opening I made I let my belongings hit the floor, using my helmet to prop the door open. No one seemed to notice my entrance; well that or they did not care.
All eyes were on the north center of the room where a few toppled tables and chairs decorated the floor along with light blood splatters. Two great beasts the size of large men were in the center of it all, lashing out with tooth and claw.
It was then that I noticed the clear division in the room, the left side of the room was watching the blond furred wolf who seemed to be losing the altercation. The right side was watching what looked like a very large panther who was currently pinning the wolf down and sinking its teeth into its neck.
Snarls started to rise from the left side of the room, while the right seemed to just flick their eyes nervously from the two fighting to the others watching. They seemed so confused. Most of the ones on the right hand side looked to be on the younger side. There were a few that looked barely old enough to drive.
There was a strangled yelp from the wolf who was still fighting to get the panther off of him. Realizing that no one was going to intervene I was overcome with irritation. How could they be so careless? Next thing I knew I was running full speed at the two. I chanted a spell in my head as I ran, a simple 'defensive' spell that I used offensively.
I swung my leg hard as the spell manifested and completed, turning heavy and solid as my skin turned into stone before colliding with the panther's rib cage and sending it yowling in pain as it smashed into the base of the bar. The spell faded as quickly as it came to life. Stoneskin was a quick and easy spell, didn't take a lot of mana for small uses. My limitations with magick forced me to master it quickly, it had saved my life more than a few times.
Thinking about the impact the beast made I was pretty sure I broke the ribs I had kicked. I didn't think much of it, it was lycanthrope and it would heal quickly. I closed the distance and stood before him, shooting my best annoyed look. "I'd suggest you stay down, kitten."
The beast locked eyes with me and I found myself captivated by those swirling blue steel eyes. The color matched the winter sky before snowfall. There was a depth to the eyes, something that made them feel heavy, emotionally pained. It blinked at me, pupils dilating slightly before eyes narrowed and the look became murderous. "I'd suggest you turn around." His voice was nearly purring, strangely human coming from that throat.
Hastily I heeded his advice but still a little too late. The wolf slammed into me sending us to the floor. He was far heavier and stronger than myself. The way his teeth were bared along with the sound of his snarls ringing in my ears told me he wasn't looking to talk. I met his harsh gaze and found nothing like what I had with the panther. This one had given himself over to his beast for the moment.
The wolf's blue eyes swirled with rage, it was obvious he wasn't in control any longer. Swiftly I began to cast the spell again, this time on my fist. His head snapped forward, those great jaws gaping, searching for my throat. I shoved my fist into his mouth as the spell completed and grasped his bottom jaw tightly. With the enchantment I had kept him from reaching me, we were matched in strength as long as the spell held.
Knowing my magick wouldn't outlast his strength I tried a different method. I tightened my grip on his jaw while pulling his scruff back with my other hand. His head turned upright and I shifted my right hand harshly, yanking his jaw out and upward, earning a painful howl as I dislocated his jaw. I pulled my feet up under his chest and kicked him off me, sending back only a few feet. One of the girls from the left side of the room ran to him and cradled his head as his jaw dangled loosely.
I stood and dusted myself off. I pointed harshly to the wolf on the ground who was giving me a murderous stare, "Sit boy, stay." Everyone in the room was either glaring or growling at me, some doing both. A heavy sigh left my mouth as I unsheathed my dagger from my back and twirled it idly.
"I did not come here to play referee nor did I come here to fight with you. But heed this lesson, if you attack me I will defend myself."
More harsh eyes bore down on me. The girl with raven hair was still holding her wolf's head, trying to soothe him. I looked to the other side, a few of the ones here eyed me curiously, occasionally flicking their eyes to the blade I held. The panther was still in his position, licking his wounds. I found it interesting that none of his party went to his aid even though their body language just screamed their concern.
I cleared my throat lightly and brought the attention back to me. "I came here on Merlin's behalf, I work with the HBPD," I grabbed my badge from my jacket and flashed it to the room slowly before storing it again. "I'm detective Cloud Strife."
A few eyes went wide, some gasped, some snarled. The room was filled with a soft murmur.
The panther gave me a particularly venomous glare as he spoke, "Fenrir the Headsman..." His tone was not the purring he had used last. These words were like acid on his tongue, practically hissed.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Truly, I hated that nickname. It was unfortunate that most occasions when a bounty was offered and they target was listed as 'dead or alive' I brought them in dead. It was never intentional, I really didn't like killing but seldom does anyone want to accept punishment for their crimes.
"I assure you I'm not here for a bounty, I'm here to ask for your cooperation. I need to speak with Seifer Almasy and a Squall Leonhart. Are either of the two present?"
The raven haired girl glared at me from beside the blond wolf, "I don't think Ulfric Seifer will be doing much talking tonight."
"Maybe he should try to be less of a dick. He brought it upon himself."
Her lips twitched downwards like she was fighting a frown, it made me smile. Turning back to the bundled panther I eyed him curiously, "Am I to assume you're Squall?"
He blinked those luminous steely eyes at me, a slight twinge of annoyance flicked behind them, "Leon," he corrected.
I huffed lightly, "Are Leon and Squall the same person?"
The stare he gave me was perfectly condescending, as if saying, 'what the fuck do you think?' It was strange that someone could come off so blatantly rude and still seem charming. Weirdo.
Shrugging I decided to continue my explanation as both parties were present. "A lycanthrope was found murdered and we're not entirely sure if this is the start of a serial killing or not. One thing is certain that this person was targeted because of their species. The HBPD does not have the bodies to watch you all nor am I foolish enough to believe they would. Seifer, SQUALL," I made sure to emphasize his name to irritate him. To my pleasure, it surely did. "As pack leaders I expect you two to watch over your members carefully until this is over. I'd rather not have to find anymore bodies like the last..." I let my voice trail off. I couldn't keep the sadness out of my tone, it was a very human thing to do. Never was really able to hide my emotions well.
Again the raven hair woman spoke, "Who was killed?"
I was getting really sick of hearing that question. "Can't say but you should know soon enough. If any of you were friends with the victim I sincerely apologize for your loss. Please, I ask this of all of you, do NOT let your grief cloud your judgement. Don't look for trouble, don't travel alone if you can avoid it. In the meantime," for the second time that day I pulled out a few business cards of mine. "Top number will get you the station, bottom number is my personal work cell. When Fido's jaw heals up have him call me to follow up."
Once more the young woman spoke, I was starting to hate her voice. She was getting annoying fast. "Seifer is Ulfric, you need to address him with the respect."
"Lady, he's YOUR Ulfric, not mine. I don't care if he's Cerberus the hound of Hades himself, he's Fido to me until he can give ME the respect he wants so badly." She looked positively annoyed and it was oh-so satisfying to me.
Turning back to face the panther I was greeted by an odd sight. The glare he had before was completely dissolved and replaced with what looked like... amusement? I couldn't be reading that right. Yet his eyes were placid with a light twinkle, if he wasn't amused I didn't know what it meant. I shot him a soft smile, "Sorry about that kick, kitten. If anything comes up please call me, my service will be yours if you need it."
"Why?" This time it was young spiky haired brunette that spoke up. His blue eyes were deep as the ocean and bright as the sky at the same time. He was one of the young ones that was on Squall's side.
"Why what?" It was a serious question, though it sounded dumb.
"Why are you... Why would Fenrir the monster hunter want to help us...?" His voice was so soft, as if he feared the answer.
I gave him a good once-over. He was young, very young it seemed. He didn't look a day over fifteen. I smiled gently letting it reach up to my eyes to him, he seemed to respond to it, his posture turning less defensive and his eyes softening themselves.
"Monster hunter? That is a new one. Hm. Its a good thing there are no monsters here now, I'd hate to have more work on my hands." I gave a dry chuckle and spared a glance to Squall. Something about him just commanded my attention.
"But we're..."
This time I could see the insecurity in him, something told me he wasn't entirely comfortable with his affliction. "But you're people. Lycanthropes or not you still are very human and you deserve to feel as safe as everyone else does. You deserve the same protection and persecutions as well. The prejudices you face from your affliction I know as a magick user well. But magick or no magick I am still me and there is no shame in who I am nor should there be in who you are."
His blue eyes darkened a bit, he seemed deep in thought. I could feel Squall's eyes on me but I made no attempt to look at him again. Instead I headed for the door and gathered my belongings, gearing up for the last time that evening.
"I hope you will allow me to help you all, as I hope you will heed my warnings. Until next time." With that I left, squeezing out the front door and letting it shut heavily behind me.
As soon as the door shut and the night air hit me I paused and clutched my right arm. It hurt like hell from casing the entirety of it in the spell when Seifer attacked. I didn't have a large 'mana' pool, my magickal resources were limited. Elemental spells were less demanding for me because of my shaman heritage. They amount of magick or 'mana' they cost to use was drastically lower than it would be for a regular mage. However, without the aid of a grounding totem the user was afflicted by physical discomfort. For every action a reaction so to speak. I turned my arm to stone for thirty seconds so it felt like it had been trapped under one for equally long. My arm pulsed with a dull ache deeper than the skin, my leg however didn't bother me nearly as much.
Flexing my arm a few times I gritted my teeth through the harder pulses of pain. Eventually it got bearable enough to trust myself to drive. I slid my dagger back into my bag and stuffed the straps of the sheath back into the interior pockets of my jacket. It felt good to be putting my helmet on for the last time this evening.
Unfortunate that halfway through the drive my adrenaline wore off and the rest of my body joined the ache in my arm. Having a two hundred pound (or 90kg) wolf slam into you did NOT feel good. Especially when they slam you on your back on top of your sheathed blade and handle. I was certain I would have a bruise there, definitely not my idea of fun.
By the time I was home and settled in the peaceful south east side of town it was well past midnight. I barely managed to get through the door and into the shower. I took my time, washing myself thoroughly while recalling the night. Seifer I could already tell I wouldn't enjoy interacting with, he seemed like an over aggressive asshole. The wolves in general seemed irritating as all hell.
I thought about the young brunette. His sad tone haunted me, he seemed to long for normalcy. I hoped he would find himself, no one should have such an identity crisis at that tender age.
Then there was Squall. For some reason I couldn't get him out of my mind. His presence commanded attention though he himself didn't seem to want it. Those frosted steel eyes... I've never seen anything like them before. I felt a little disappointed for not having seen his human form. I found myself trying to imagine the body under the fur and claws. How much like his animal was he? A light blush dusted my cheeks at the silliness of the situation. I shook my head harshly and turned off the water. It was too late to think about this crap, I wasn't in my right mind. The day was taking its toll on me and as I plopped down on my bed with the towel still clinging to my hips I faded into a fitful sleep.
The next few days were spent researching and making phone calls, most surprising was the only call I received. Minnie called me three days after the incident, it was a relief to hear that she was safe and doing as best as one could in such a situation. It really helped to put my mind to ease. If the only thing that I had accomplished in the past three days was make sure she was safe I could live with that. Not the progress I wanted to make but I'd take it.
I must have gone over the reports and photos a million times trying to find something I hadn't seen before but it was impossible. Whomever this was they moved like a ghost. Three days into it and I didn't know anymore than I did the first day. I'd even tried contacting the two witches that Merlin listed. The closest one lived a few thousand miles away the other one had all but vanished off the face of the realm. Both were terribly unlikely to have a hand in such a matter.
So with all these developments or lack of, was I truly surprised when someone came knocking at my door at four in the morning the fourth day? No; not in the least. This didn't make me happier about it; usually this kind of wake up was a bad thing. Groaning I flung the comforter off me and shuffled out of the room.
The best part of my job was also the worst part of my job. I didn't have a set schedule, I basically just worked on call. Benefits from the position, so to speak. Unfortunately for whomever was at the door at this hour was going to see a very not work appropriate me. If its important enough to visit me at this hour they could deal with me answering the door in my boxer-briefs and wife-beater.
Another series of rapping started before I yanked the door open, "I'm up, I'm up." I ruffled my hair roughly before turning my eyes to my guest. "Ah, my favorite vampire."
A thick silence filled the air and his face was completely neutral, his crimson eyes pierced my baby blues, raven hair was pulled tightly back into a neat ponytail. Six feet of quiet, pale, and handsome. Actually, he looks a little paler than usual today...
I cleared my throat lightly and gave a soft smile, his visits always took me by surprise. "Good morning Vinnie, would you like to come in?"
Vincent kept his eyes locked on mine, his silence was probably the most deadpan give away that he wasn't human. Only the dead can be so quiet. He gave the slightest indication of a nod. It had taken me years of working with him to understand his character better. I used to think he was cold and callous, though truthfully he was anything but it. He was actually quite considerate, he just had a hard time expressing these kinds of things.
I smiled a little brighter as I ushered him inside. I liked to make it a point that every time I invited him in was because I wanted him there. Even though the unannounced visits were extremely uncommon, I never wanted him to feel like he was intruding. Something about him just made me want to show him his presence was desired.
He sat at the table and delicately folded his hands in front of him. He had such good manners and posture that it made me feel like a slob. I chuckled a little to myself for it, "What brings you today, Vinnie?"
"You asked me to contact you if there were further developments in your active case." His voice was so matter of fact, devoid of anything that could be described as emotion.
"Of course, was there a breakthrough?" Excitement filled me at the thought, I was beginning to be concerned about ever cracking this one.
"No, there was another murder."
Fuck.
He eyed me carefully before continuing, "Three individuals were murdered earlier this morning, around midnight. Only one of them was skinned, the other two were just mutilated. There are a few personal on the scene now but I thought it best you see it yourself."
I sighed deeply. I crossed the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the dishwasher and poured some of the coffee from the stove into it. I always made my coffee the night before so it was ready for me in the morning. The blend I favored tasted better after sitting a few hours so it worked even better for me.
"You were correct in that. I do want to examine it. Have they transported the bodies?"
"Yes, it was in a residential area they decided it would be better to move them faster. The scene itself is quite different than what you had from the last."
I nodded softly. Just three and a half days since finding the first and we have three more bodies. This was bad, very bad. Not to mention the drastic change of location for the crime. They were either getting careless or more confident. I really hoped it would be careless.
My mug had long since been filled, I put a little cream in it before placing it in the microwave to heat. In the reflection of the microwave door I caught a glimpse of Vincent swaying lightly. I smiled softly and turned to him, "Have you fed tonight?"
The response was the same as ever in these situations, a cold blank stare. "I do not need to feed every night like some greedy child."
I chuckled a little, "Have you fed this WEEK?"
It was one of the few questions that could make him show emotion, discomfort. I could tell he really wanted to lie but oddly enough he was a religious man and did not believe in lying. "... No."
No wonder why he was getting dizzy. As far as vampires go Vincent's as stubborn as they come. While most preferred a nightly feast he stretched it as long as he could in between meals. A dangerous game he played with himself, a vampire could go feral if the starve for too long. I'd only had one experience with a feral vampire and I'd just like to say never again. I still had the scars on my arm from where he attacked me.
It had always been a concern of mine that Vincent would stretch it too far and misjudge how long he could go without nourishment. He was someone I considered a good friend and my emotions for him worried me. Thats the one problem with being friends with something that could be so dangerous, you had to be sure that when the time came you'd be able to slay them. With Vincent I was never sure.
The microwave dinged signaling that my coffee was heated and ready to be consumed. I placed the mug on the counter and dug through my silverware drawer. Pulling out my paring knife I twirled it idly in my hand as I turned and grinned at Vincent.
"Come here please."
His eyes flicked from mine to the knife and something glimmered behind them, for a moment that crimson gaze had softened. "You don't have to do this Cloud. I can find a donor."
I mockingly pouted, "You'd prefer some vampire junkie's offering over mine? I'm heartbroken Vinnie."
Even though I knew that wasn't true it was an easy way to bait him. He wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth but if you're forced to drink something you don't enjoy it might as well taste good. Mage blood was a delicacy amongst vampires. Reluctantly, he came to stand by me at the sink. I flashed him another grin before pressing the cold blade into my skin and dragging it down, hard enough to strike the vein. The cut itself was only about two and a half inches long but it was deep enough to get the blood to flow freely.
Cutting myself didn't really phase me, its something I had done a few times for Vincent and many times for magick related purposes. Not to mention all the times I'd been sliced or stabbed from my job...
Vincent looked to me again, secretly asking for approval. It was kind of cute how he'd watch the wound spill. I don't think he knew he was doing it but he always had the expression of a child walking by an ice cream stall, a look filled with innocent desire. I nodded to him and he lowered his head and covered the wound with his mouth, tender but eager flicks of tongue worked around at it. It was an odd sensation, like someone making out with your wound but it always felt good.
While bites did heal better than a knife wound they were far more dangerous for the host. Too many bites from the same vampire could inflict the disease upon you and while I liked Vincent very much, I wasn't willing to give up my humanity for him. I'd deal with the cuts. Biting was also very intimate on both parties, it was akin to sexual intercourse which is something I know he would NOT be comfortable doing with another man. Those old religions, ah so stern. He had his god and I had my gods.
Being a weak shaman, the religion kind of came with the magick. We are elemental mages essentially. A lot of those primal forces have manifested into beings of higher power. While I don't worship them, I do acknowledge them. They can be quite active and your relationship with them influences your power. The elemental deity that you worship effects a lot of your potential abilities and their potency. Which might explain why I can only do basic alteration and earth magicks. Of the four main deities the earth deity is the most kind and forgiving.
Anytime I fed Vincent I seemed to always stop and reflect on my own history. Here was a man who stayed true to the word of his God even after so many years of hardship and what anyone else would see as abandonment. His devotion was incredible. I did kind of both pity and admire him, his history was so tragic and yet he was still so steadfast on his beliefs.
When he finally withdrew I inspected the wound. As usual he left it very clean, by the time I looked up at him he already had my first aid kit. He was so courteous, never did I have to ask him to help me with these things. It was his version of doing the dishes after a meal. With my wrist now tightly bound I gave him another soft smile before taking up my coffee. It had cooled enough to be comfortable to drink.
He eyed me almost curiously as I took the first sip, "Is that a good idea?"
"Hm?" Came my response of over the mug.
"It doesn't seem like a good idea to have so much caffeine after... donating."
"Ah," I took another generous sip. Gods I loved coffee. "To some it may be but I should be ok. You didn't take too much from me so I'm sure its fine." It wasn't a lie, some people didn't handle caffeine well after losing blood but its never really bothered me. As long as I still have a good amount left and for the moment I was feeling really great.
I cleared my throat lightly, "So, may I have the address please? I still have places to go."
Vincent nodded lightly, "Just go to the north side, near the castle. Once you turn on Warwick Ave you should see the other uniforms."
I quirked my eyebrows at him, "Warwick Ave? There are apartments lining the streets. How the in the hell do three people get murdered in such tight quarters..."
"Kadaj and Loz were there to investigate a noise complaint. Someone had called the station and reported screaming coming from the old library. As stated earlier only one of them was skinned, the other two had their throats torn out. It was difficult for them to examine much as the area was heavily infested."
"Infested?"
"Yes, there were rats everywhere. The bodies were moved so early to avoid further damage to them as they were eating them."
Something in my head clicked and I couldn't stifle my laugh, cryptic as it was. Vincent shot me a questioning look, or as close to it as one could manage and still appear neutral. "Its just... Its all so fucking brilliant. I've been trying to find the answers to the wrong questions. I overlooked a large bit of information. They killed Mickey because he was Rom to the Rodere, king of the wererats."
He nodded lightly.
"Because he was Rom he had the ability to call his spirit animal. If they are using his pelt they could control the rats. We've got a regular Pied Piper on our hands."
"Let us hope that unlike the tale of the Piper of Hamelin he doesn't turn to taking children."
I gave a solemn nod. Adults were bad enough, the thought of finding a child the same way disturbed me greatly. This was a good amount of information but definitely not worth three lives. I wondered why now they would start to worry about leaving bodies behind after leaving the first was found. It didn't make sense, nothing seemed to be following a pattern. For the first time in five years I was truly frustrated with a case.
I shook my head sternly in an attempt to shake the loose the irritation building inside of me. "Thank you Vinnie for the information. I'm going to change then I'll be on my way, you may leave now."
Crimson eyes locked mine curiously, "Did you not want me to accompany you?"
Casting a sideways glance my eyes flicked over to the digital clock on the stove top. It was already five am. "No, I don't think that would be wise. Too close to sunrise."
He nodded softly. I liked that about him, he didn't argue about my responses. As he turned to leave he stopped by the door for one last comment, "Kadaj and Loz are there, keep your wits about you."
I scrunched my nose in distaste. Great. "Thanks for the warning. See ya." With that the door shut and I was left alone in my apartment again. I felt a little tired then,, something about knowing I'd have to deal with Kadaj just insinuated the beginnings of a headache. Loz didn't bother me much, if at all. Out of the four silver haired men in the station Loz was the most humane.
Upon entering my bedroom I hastily shrugged on a pair of dark heavy denim jeans and a black ribbed cotton sleeveless shirt. Trudging on my leather jacket I caught a glimpse of myself in the small mirror in my room. With my messy spikes and snug fitting attire I couldn't help but snicker at the silliness of it all. I really did look like an asshole.
But considering I was going to be tramping around in rat infested rubble I didn't see the point in wearing my Sunday's finest. I hummed lightly to myself as I headed for the door stopping one last time to take my helmet and my keys from the coat rack by the door. Funny how I never put my jacket there.
After swiftly locking up I bounded down the stairs as quickly and silently as possible, I didn't want to wake up any of my neighbors with my elephant feet barreling down the hallway at five in the morning. I really liked living on the south east side of town. It was close to the station, about fifteen minutes away and also very quiet. Though I'd never admit it if someone asked I liked living on the third floor because it felt safer. Being that high off the ground gave me reassurance that someone would not come through my window and murder me in my sleep. Seems like an irrational fear but there were a lot of people that wanted me dead.
Forty-five minutes later I was turning onto Warwick Ave. As soon as I made the turn it was obvious Vinnie had given me the right directions. If the small crowd of spectators didn't give it away, the flashing lights did. Fortunately they seemed to respond fast enough that perimeters were set to keep the media vans far away. The last thing we needed was for these murders to turn into a question of morals. I could almost see the headline, 'Shapeshifter found slaughtered: VIGILANTE OR MURDERER?' Really, they made me sick. Reporters loved to play devil's advocate during interviews regarding any crime involving someone not entirely human. It was disgusting to see.
As soon as I parked and had my helmet off I pinched the bridge of my nose. These were never good situations, nothing about this was favorable. Groaning, I dropped my belongings to the curb my bike rested by. There were a few marked cars around it so I deemed it safe to just leave everything there. I walked by a few uniforms exchanging the slightest of acknowledgments until I got to the entrance of the old library.
A hand planted squarely in my chest followed by a curt snort, "No one invited you to our party." Kadaj's voice came curt and arrogant, his emerald eyes gleamed in the dim light. He had very straight, lengthy hair that sat just above his shoulder, soft facial features, a lithe body- toned but small still in frame, and matching height to mine. By most accounts he should have been incredibly beautiful but his harshness and extreme prejudice to the supernatural not unlike Sephiroth's made him very distasteful to me.
"Kadaj, what a pleasure to see you." I really had to fight to keep my neutral, Kadaj was one of the few people from the HBPD I really hated. "This is related to my current case, I'll be quick but I need to take a look around. You wouldn't deny a detective the right to do his job would you? I'd really hate to have to wake Auron up for this."
His smooth, pale lips, pressed into a thin line. I could see his brow twitching to furrow. By all rights, he had no authority to keep me from the scene unless I was truly causing a disturbance. I sighed and pushed his hand off my chest, as I went to walk past him he stepped in front of me again, pushing his palm into me with more force than the first time.
"Hold on Cinderella, you can't just show up to the ball without an invitation."
My brows knitted and furrowed and I let out an annoyed growl, "Here's your fucking invitation." I held my middle finger directly in front of his face and poked him in the forehead with it. "Now get out of my way, Kadaj." I was extremely glad I had chosen to leave my helmet at the bike, I've never been more tempted to hit someone with it in my life.
"You're a real piece of shit, Strife." He swatted at my hand, "Keep your fucking hand out of my face before I-"
"Kadaj, step outside."
We both turned to face the owner of that deep voice. Loz stood from a dark doorway, his bulky frame leaning against the wall. Even in the dim light his cat-like green eyes shone, his short hair like tufts of moonlight that peaked into well maintained sideburns. Kadaj growled low in his throat, clearly irritated by the presence of his partner.
"Loz he-"
"Whatever was done was in response to your badgering. Get out, Kadaj and let him do his work."
If there was one person I couldn't wrap my head around, Loz was it. He was a lot of things, really. Extremely expressive, openly emotional, playful, and sharp. Never before would I have described him as stern though, this was definitely new. Out of the four silver haired men, he was the most tolerable. I would go as far to even say that I liked him, he was a good man and a great officer.
"Get out now, Kadaj." His body language shifted, turning more aggressive.
Begrudgingly, the shorter of the two obliged. I was flattered when he took the time to shoot me the nastiest of looks before he departed. It actually made me smile, when did I get so petty?
Loz flicked his eyes to me from his post, his body relaxing a little. He nodded his head in the direction of the room behind him, "Are you coming or what?" His voice was teasing as always.
I grinned to him, "Yeah." Slowly I made my way over to him while taking in the scenery on the top level. Aside from a few dilapidated bookshelves and collapsed furniture from years of misuse and rot it showed no sign of the violence that had occurred downstairs.
The silver haired man leaning against the frame smirked to me as I closed the distance. His arms swept out with a small bow, ushering me into the dark hallway. I chortled, placing a hand on his shoulder as I walked by. "Thank you, Loz..." I let my hand trail off with my words.
A fine silver brow arched in return at the gesture. "Watch your step, the wood is old and weak. It won't support much weight."
I hummed a light response and heeded his words. The floorboards creaked loudly with every step and there were a few times where the wood sighed too stiffly for comfort. It really felt like it could come down at any moment. The stairwell itself was almost completely black, this building had no electricity and once you were in the stairwell you were cut off from the light of the street. The only illumination was coming from a flood light in the basement under the door, which was still more than a few paces away.
By all intensive purposes he should have had a flashlight for me to see; but where was the fun in that? We took our descent slow, my hands trailed the walls around me as guidance and to help steady myself. I was really glad I wasn't claustrophobic, I actually liked really small dark places.
Loz's voice penetrated through the sound of our echoing footsteps. He was so close to me, "Watch yourself, fifth step from the last has-"
"Hn?" I started as I took the next step. For some reason my brain decided now would be a good time to turn around to look at him. Two things happened in that moment: I realized it was still pitch black and I couldn't see him; my foot caught on a hole in the step and it crumbled under its weight.
"Fuck!" I stumbled with a startled cry. I teetered forward now fully aware of my imminent fall. Strong arms wound around me as I stumbled and steadied me. My back connected with something warm and solid; Loz's breath grazed against the nape of my neck.
He let loose a soft chuckle, his voice carrying vibrations in his chest that I could feel through the fabric of my jacket. "Told ya," His breath came hot against my ear. I was really glad it was so dark, I didn't want him to see the flush that was surely dusting my cheeks right now.
Wood scrapped against my boot as I yanked it from the hole. Loz's grip on me tightened until I had it free. "That could have hurt... Thanks." Play it cool bro, play it cool. He was still holding me close, it was making me a little uncouth. Pretty sure he didn't realize how intimate the position is.
The light from under the door illuminated the last step well enough, we were almost there. I didn't trust my body not to embarrass me if this held for much longer. Loz's hands were still resting on the plane of my stomach as I slinked slowly away from him. His grip tightened before he let it fall, his fingers grazed against my jacket as I made my slow descent. It was a few seconds before he could be heard following me.
What was that all about, I wondered. Standing in front of the door made my skin crawl. A terrible sense of foreboding overcame me, the area was just dripping with dark magick. I hesitated before the door, I didn't want to touch it.
"Sense something?"
I jolted immediately and he chuckled dryly. I had been so concentrated on the door I didn't notice him hovering behind me again. His breath tickled the back of my neck. So close, so painfully close again to me. Didn't he know what he was doing to me?!
I could feel him shift behind me coming to lean forward. He gave me a gentle push, just far enough for him to brush past me in the tight hallway. "Do you not," he paused for a few heartbeats, locking his emerald eyes in mine, "...want to touch it?"
My cheeks flamed, I was sure I was blushing up to my ears. In the years I had worked with the HBPD there wasn't many instances where I interacted with Loz. The few times I did he had always come off as cool and competent, the occasional once-over glance, but nothing like how shameless he was being now. I really didn't know how to respond to it.
It took me a few tries to gather my words, it seemed every time I opened my mouth my embarrassment would take over and I'd just be left gaping. All the while Loz kept his eyes in mine until about the third attempt. He laughed heartily before breaking my gaze and reaching for the door. He brushed past me a little closer than what was necessary for the space to push the door open. The harsh sting of light burned my eyes and took my mind off the awkwardness of our situation.
I covered my eyes and waited for them to stop constricting, waiting for the pain to cease. When it finally did I stepped slowly into the room. Loz was still holding the door open, he was oddly gentlemanly at times. As I walked through I flicked my eyes to him to find him watching me, a half smile gracing his lips. He looked so smug in that moment, yeah he definitely knew what he was doing.
A glimpse of periwinkle from the corner of my eye turned my gaze to the rest of the room. Ienzo, the other Ishida twin was leaning against the far wall behind the flood light. His eyes flicked over myself and then past me, I assumed to Loz. A small smile came to life on his face before he turned away.
I couldn't stop the flush from coming back to life. Great, now I'd have to deal with him teasing me too. Annoyed, I pinched the bridge of my nose while fighting a light dizzy spell. I had forgotten about my little visit from Vincent earlier that morning. I shouldn't be getting so excited so soon after. Fighting the urge to groan in discomfort I settled instead for a short heavy sigh.
Much to my luck there were very few people in the room and they only ones who cared about my presence had already had their say. The other three bodies just continued their work, shuffling through debris looking for anything that might be useful. Seeing them all go about their tasks so mundanely bothered me, I wished I didn't have to be the only one who felt like their skin was trying to crawl off. The basement was very cold and reeked of magick. Everything about this scene was drastically different from the first.
Taking a few hesitant steps forward I took in the area around me. It was a fairly large basement, though it seemed it was used as an extension for the library upstairs. There were old shelves lining the walls, some crashed onto the floor unable to stand against the weight of time. The flood lights both helped and didn't; Its light illuminated the area in front of it well but also caused the structures to cast heavier shadows on the ground.
There was a small clearing in the room, one area that was virtually clean of debris though it looked darker than the rest of the room. It was difficult to tell if it was a trick of the lighting or if it was the stain of magick I was seeing. Taking long strides towards the clearing I began to realize it was the latter. The closer I drew to it the more unsettled I felt yet oddly I felt compelled to continue. Something was drawing me to the back of the room.
I continued, walking around the scattered books and toppled shelving until my boots touched something fluid. This part of the room was far darker than the front, the flood light seemed unable to penetrate the thick blanket of darkness shrouding this corner. There was a soft scampering of feet from the shadows around me, such a small yet alarming noise to my ears.
Finally completely irritated with poor visibility, I cast a simple candlelight spell. Once it manifested it came to float over my head, illuminating the area around. Though once I could see I began to regret it. The squishy sound my boots made was because of the pool of drying blood I was now standing in. My face contorted in slight disgust at the revelation. Taking a peek around the rest of the room wasn't much better. The walls surrounding the pool I was in were splattered heavily with blood. Vincent wasn't kidding when he said they had their throats torn out, the stain patterns were pretty obvious.
A small dizzy spell hit me, causing me to stumble. I leaned heavily against the wall near the stain on the left wall. I took a few shallow breaths and tried to steady myself. The blood loss from earlier was starting to catch up with me.
"Hey, you okay there Spiky?" Loz's deep voice called from the entrance.
"I'm fine," He was already making his way over when I raised my hand to still his movements. I'd have to be careful about how I used my magick for the rest of the day if I wanted to drive home. I sighed heavily and put my hand on the wall to steady myself. The cold stone pulsed under my touch, a ripple of magick flaring to life in it. Hastily I withdrew my hand, I didn't want to find out the hard way what the spell was supposed to do.
Whatever spells had been used in this space seemed to be responding to my own magick. The shroud of darkness had blocked the light of the battery powered floodlight yet it allowed my spell to illuminate the area; the wall pulsed when I touched it. I wondered briefly what would happen if I used just a little more...
An idea manifested in my mind urging me to try something I'd never attempted. Holding out my hand I called the orb back to me and surprisingly it worked. A soft ball of light hummed in my grasp and I couldn't help but smile a little. Magick is the manifestation of the mind, it should have worked if I believed it to. I guided the orb to the wall and gently pushed it into it. I tried to visualize the result in my mind to help guide it into the structure. I pushed the orb inside the wall along with a small flare of magick causing it to spill. The spell spread throughout the walls and structures around us and under us, its soft light illuminating the room.
"Handy trick you have there, we could have used that earlier when the lights failed and the rats swarmed."
I let out a sigh as I turned to respond, "Well Ienzo, if people called me like they were supposed to perhaps we wouldn't have these complications." Immediately he opened his mouth to speak, causing me to raise a hand to silence him, "Please, Ienzo, not now. No sense arguing about what didn't happen. So please just drop it; I really need to focus to keep this spell up."
He looked me over for a moment before finally nodding. I was grateful he decided to comply. He was a nice guy, really; he just had an obnoxious habit of drawing everything out. Every fucking explanation had to be long winded and I just wasn't in the mood for it.
I felt a little bad about stretching the truth to him, I wasn't really certain how long the spell would last but it wasn't taking any more mana from me to channel it. I was however, still feeling dizzy and that made me want to get this over with as quick as possible.
Turning my attention back to the now illuminated walls I caught sight of something small and dark was etched into the wall. Its shadow was thick against the light of my spell. Curiously I stepped towards it, its dark energy swirled thick against my spell like smoke on a mirror. When I reached out for it the floorboards above started to creak and groan.
Closing A/N: Sorry for the slight cliff-hanger there, just had to end the chapter.