His eyelids were heavy. So was his head. His neck throbbed in pain from the awkward angle Remus had his head in.

He heard the soft clunking of someone's boots on the floor as they slowly crept around him. They circled his chair slowly always pausing directly behind him, waiting for him to cringe; but he did not.

Remus instead opened his eyes part way. He was in a small windowless room devoid of furniture, except from the chair he was currently bound to, and a metal table. Ash stood still behind him.

"Enjoy your little nap?" she asked "you must have been tired after all that running you did today."

She let out a sharp breath of laughter and positioned herself so she was speaking straight into his ear.

"You didn't think we'd let the new guy run around with a wand without some sort of protection for the others, did you?" she laughed again making Remus jump involuntarily in his seat "You know who you remind me of? My baby brother."

Remus looked into her cold blue eyes but quickly found her gaze too menacing and looked down at the dirty tiled floor. She grinned icily before beginning to pace around him once more.

"My brother was mommy and daddy's little man," she continued her voice awash with condescension "he never was very smart and he got himself into some trouble, thought he could become a monster hunter."

She laughed again but this time it was hollow, her black hair hid most of her face, giving the visible parts a gaunt look. A sneer formed on her pale face that seemed almost like a grimace of shame.

"He decided to go out on a full moon to hunt. I found his bedroom empty and went out looking for him. By the time I got there he was half eaten but I could still see that dumb look on his face. Of course my moronic brother had to go and end my life too. I didn't only lose my arm that night.," she seemed to start in the realisation that she had given away more then she had bargained for.

She slammed her fist angrily on the table, then glared down at Remus. She walked up slowly and raised her hand.

The door behind them opened. Ash froze. A male voice cleared it's throat causing Ash to slowly lower her hand instinctively, her eyes fixed on the stranger behind Remus.

"That will do for now, Ashley, thank you for your help," a cool deep voice stated in a business like manor.

Ash flinched at the use of her full name but did not correct the man, instead she shot another glare in Remus' direction and proceeded to stomp out of the room. Remus heard the man close the door behind her and stop for a moment, taking a breath.

"I am terribly sorry for all this mistreatment you've gone through," he spoke even more calmly then before, "we are under a lot of pressure due to the recent murder of a USMLF official. Those wizards seem pretty sure it was one of our kind."

He walked round the table drawing up a chair out of nowhere and sat himself down. Remus immediately recognised him as the man at the end of the alleyway, though this man didn't seem like the mysterious stranger that had left Remus in wonder before. Apart from the clean tailored suit, he seemed like a regular guy, you wouldn't give him a second glance if he passed you in the street or in a corner shop. But there was something in his smile, his smile could calm down a whole room. It had a disarming effect that no one could really explain. Remus found it ridiculous what with his current predicament but he found that he couldn't help but want to know more about this stranger sat in front of him.

As if on cue the white toothed, over dressed man leaned forward in a rehearsed friendly gesture, grin still in place "I must have bored you with all my politics, you seem a bit dazed," his smile only grew wider "they call me the General though I never was a military man."

He stuck out his hand but then noticed Remus' bound wrists, taking a knife out of his pocket he released Remus from the rope who immediately rubbed his wrists from the discomfort. The General ran a hand through his chestnut hair and sighed briefly.

"I'm sure you have been given an entirely wrong impression of this place," his tone grew more serious, "Listen, Mr Lupin despite your escape attempt you seem like a smart and fairly reasonable man. It goes without saying that your magical ability will be more than useful to us, but I can't let you back into our world if I am in constant fear of you being a flight risk."

Remus met the man's warm hazel gaze, "then let me go."

The smile dropped entirely from the General's face, his eyes darkened to an inky slate colour, his pale skin was more prominent without the distraction of his smile. He looked ill.

"The only way you will be able to leave The W-zone is in a coffin"

He threw himself from his chair before marching to the door, he turned back around once he'd reached it.

"And believe me, that can be arranged."

The door was slammed shut behind him.

It was due to that conversation that two weeks later Remus found himself as a devoted soldier in Ash's team. It was also due to that conversation that Remus found himself vacillating between staying on the General's good side and avoiding him completely. How could anyone run an entire civilisation (if you could even call it that) when they could hardly manage their emotions?

But everyone else seemed to trust the man in the suit so Remus decided to let it be. Instead he worked at learning as much as possible about the W-zone and it's inhabitants as he could. He found that the deeper he dug the more insane it got.

He learned that five major drug lords work the main streets, each having gangs and thugs to carry out their transactions. In each gang there were at least two pimps who use their women to get men (and some women's) information. He heard about the terrible murders committed in the most public places, prostitutes being hacked to pieces for going against their boss' wishes, men being drowned, burned, shot or stabbed just for looking at someone funny. It was true that if not for the soldiers these streets would've unfolded into total anarchy long ago.

It was in the same alleyway where Remus first saw The General that he first met the H.O.W.L pack.

There had been on a raid in Minax's bar which then moved out onto the streets in a ridiculous standoff between the inebriated mobsters and the exhausted soldiers. After being under constant fire Remus spotted two guys trying to get away. He tailed them, spilling into the identical side streets and darkened closes. Running flat out and diving behind a rubbish bin when the assailants returned fire. On and on he chased, through the labyrinth of filthy alleys, only to turn a corner and find they had vanished. He searched the nearby buildings and streets but found that no one could tell him where the dealers were. Then when Remus began to walk around again he quickly found himself lost with no team member in sight.

That's when he saw the familiar alleyway he had been captured in only two weeks before. he trundled down it, fatigue finally taking effect. That's when he felt it. A muscular arm wrapped around his neck from behind. His breath stuck in his throat. He struggled against him but the longer he went without air the weaker he got. A blinding pain erupted in his lower back, his eyes watered, he gasped in desperation as black spots filled his sight and began to expand. Hot liquid poured down his back. His legs gave under his own weight, at some point he was released from his strangle hold, but he barley noticed as he fell to the ground. He sucked in a breath, but he was still dizzy and all around him the liquid spread out in a circular shape.

"We are not your slaves!" his attacker shouted.

"Down with the W-zone! Bring on the H.O.W.L!" a chorus screamed.

"Freedom for the wolves!" The first voice bellowed.

"Kick the rich ones down!" The chorus answered.

The world kept on spinning around him and as the black spots closed over Remus had only enough time to hear a female voice scream.

"Help!"