The beast hunted.

Sleek, lithe and silent as the death it delivered, it slipped through the shadows, eyes fixed upon its prey. There was no escape for it now, the beast knew that it was trapped, cornered, could almost smell its fear. Even if the prey didn't know… soon, all too soon it would feel the beast's power utterly destroy its pathetic life.

Of course, cornered prey often proved dangerous. The beast knew this, and still slunk closer. Closer. So close….the smell was intoxicati-

The light flicked on. "Vic? Victor?"

Victor Creed, all of four years old and deadly as a wooden spoon froze in the act of opening the lid of the biscuit tin. He blinked in the sudden light, then pouted.

"Maaaaaaamaaaaaa!!" He wailed. "You wecked it!!" He sat on the counter and folded his arms crossly. "Now can't hunt deh bithcky!!"

Mama Victoria yawned and scratched her cheek. "It's four inna m'rnin', Victor."

"Bithkit."

"Not now, Vic." Victoria murmured, going to the fridge and pulling out some milk, taking a drink and putting it back. "Bed."

"Dun wanna!"

"I don' care if'n ya don' or not. Bed, boy."

Victor screwed up his face and stuck his tongue out at her. "No!! Not tired 'ny way. Big boyth dun need thleep!!"

Mama couldn't help but smile at the lisping. Vic was getting new fangs – larger fangs – through and hadn't quite worked out how to fit his tongue around them yet. It was cute. "Oh? Really? Well y' ain' too big for Mama t' do this-" she grabbed one of his pointy ears and tugged him off the counter, "-are yeh?"

"Leggo!!" Victor whined, mewling slightly as Victoria led him back to their room by the ear. He cast one longing glance back at the biscuit tin. The beast would have its prey one day.

-

Victor was curled up when they found him. Shaking, pressed up against the wall and cold, oh so cold to the touch. Victoria bit back tears, remembering the baby in the rain, as she gently wiped the terrified tears off the boy's face. She was handed a blanket.

"Vic?" She said softly, wrapping it around her son despite the now ever-present flinch. "Can y' hear me, Vic?"

The blue, blue eyes flicked up to hers, and Victoria couldn't stop the tears as she met the fear. Old fear layered with new.

"It's okay, baby." She murmured. "What happened?" There were sounds of protest as the-the-the monster who'd hurt her boy was 'escorted' out. She already knew – or guessed – but she had to know. "C'mon, Vic." She said soothingly as the boy began to cry. She held her arms open, and Victor crawled into her lap, clinging to her and sobbing.

"I-i-it h-ha-happened again, Mama…."

Victoria looked up, meeting the eyes of another girl as Victor sobbed hard into her chest, claws digging in almost painfully. "He's seven, Teresa. Seven."

"I know, Viccy." The other woman shrugged. "Unless Mike does something…."

Victoria looked back down at her boy. "Mike won't have to. Five times, Teresa. He's pulling somethin'. On my boy." Once, maybe twice is an accident. But givin' the wankers keys? Lettin' 'em lock th' fuckin' door? "Hush now, Vic. It's okay. Mama won' let them get ya again."

-

Vic clawed his way further up the curtain, giggling almost hysterically as Mama flailed at him. He could hear the bath running and could smell the bathfoam. Ain't noooo way he was going into that.

"Victor Creed you come down right this minute!!"

Vic cackled, swinging across the curtains and scrambling up to the curtain rail. He'd done this so often that there were deep scratches and gouges in the plaster from his claws. He was nine now, though, and the rail creaked under his weight. "C'me an' get me!!"

Suddenly Mama's hand grew a broom handle, and Vic squeaked madly as she prodded him with it. He gripped the curtain and pulled himself a little higher….until the creaking suddenly became a crack coupled with a rip as the curtain came right away from the wall.

"Vic!! Victor!! Oh my god…"

Vic sneezed, pushing the curtain back and blinking at Mama through the plaster dust. He grinned. "Wow!!" He giggled, then sneezed again. "C'n I do tha' again?"

"No!!" Mama, obviously pleased and relieved that her boy hadn't killed himself, once again found the handy pointed ear. "Y're where I can reach ya now. Bath!!"

"Maaaaamaaaaaa!!!"