-1"Nines?" Damsel called. She sounded worried?

Yeah?

"Nines! Wake up yah lazy piece'a-"

"Look! He's opening his eyes!" Skelter pointed out before Jack could even finish his sentence

Opening my…?

God damn it!

"Nines? You okay?" Damsel asked.

My intentions were to tell her I was fine, that my head was a little sore, but other than that, no problem. What came out though… Well I couldn't even figure out what it was.

"Haha! He sounds like Skelter after too many drinks!" Jack said, finding this rather amusing. Judging by the silence, my guess was Skelter was attempting to death glare Jack. It wasn't going to work though, never did.

"Would you guys shut it?! Nines just got a bullet put through his head and all you idiots can do is sit there and make jokes?!"

"I wasn't making a jo-"

"Shut it!"

Skelter fell quiet, but I heard him mumble "It was Jack".

"W…Wait…A bullet?" I asked before I even realized what I was doing

"Yeah, that dumb bitch fucking cammie Therese shot you when Skelter went to grab you. God, I hate those two brats!"

I couldn't help but laugh. Well, I tried to laugh anyway.

"Are you…Laughing? Nines! What the hell? You scare the fuck out of us by getting shot in the head and blanking out, and hell! We didn't know if you'd even make it, and all you can do is laugh?! God, you guys are all the same!" Damsel burst out.

It was only now that I'd managed to open my eyes and I could see Jack taking her back downstairs to the bar where she could cool off.

Ah… The Last Round. Felt good to be back somewhere familiar, I knew I was safe here.

"You okay, Nines? She did get you pretty good. I mean, we all tried to stop her but-"

I put my hand up, signaling Skelter to stop. I didn't need their apologies, they'd obviously done all they needed… And them just being here was good enough for me.

But those Asylum girls.

They were in for hell.

They dared to put my friends…no…my family in danger and shoot me in the head? To even imagine any of the anarchs in my position…

It was far too hard to bear.

I was careless, reckless, thoughtless… And I could have had my only family killed

Never again.

And the second that I could get up without my head screaming at me to sit the fuck back down, those twins had it coming.

While I recovered, I guess I had time to think…

To listen…

While the whole world screams in my ear.

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"Nines? Nines, where're you going? You only woke up like…Fuck… 3 hours ago" Damsel said, looking at the watch on her wrist… that was probably stolen off a dead body.

"I'm going over to the Asy-"

"No! No, Nines, you are going nowhere near that pla-"

"Damsel, don't. Please, just don't. They need to be sorted out"

"…Well you have to at least let me come with you the-"

"I don't have to do anything. And I'm going alone, Damsel. That's final"

"Bu-"

"This is not open for discussion!" I snapped, leaving and slamming the bar door behind me… Well, slamming it to some degree.

In a huff, I walked to where the taxi would usually be sitting, and of course, it was there. The taxi driver looked over with a knowing smile. He probably knew more about the whole area than any of us vampires… Even though he was one. But he didn't choose sides… He was neutral party.

"To Santa Monica, I pressume?" he asked as I opened the door. It was a pointless question, he knew the answer…

But I answered yes anyway, shutting the door and leaning against the arm rest. The car started with a rumble, a sound that gave away the car's old age, unlike the ever immortal race of vampires.

Immortal until you mess with a vampire's family and said vampire comes to kill you…

Little did I know…

That's not how the night was going to end…

In fact, it was far…faaar off,

And I still can't decide whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

I know one thing for sure though…

Heh…

It was certainly a memorable thing.