Author's Note: Shadow seems to have found himself in a spot of bother. Oh dear. Anyone taking bets on how many interrogators are going to die?

The Rose watched from behind the glass as the vampire slowly ceased struggling and lay still. Shadow snapped his neck to make sure, before slowly collapsing as the anaesthetic gas finally knocked him out.

It was the fifth escape attempt in as many days, every single one had proven fatal for one of the guards. It had got to the point where people were refusing to guard the interrogation room.

Glaring furiously she rounded on one of the observers.

"I do believe you described the bindings as escape proof, correct?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Then please explain why the prisoner just succeeded in killing yet another guard?"

"I have no idea. Ma'am. But with your permission I would like to find out exactly how he escaped."

"Again? I would like to remind you that this is the fifth time you have given these same assurances." The glare she was levelling at him would have made gorgons proud.

"We have never had to contain someone quite as... proficient at escaping. What he's done should be impossible, the last set of manacles he got out of are designed to restrain morphed werewolves for God's sake!"

"See to it it doesn't happen again, because next time he gets out we will be terminating your employment."

"Understood." He said weakly.

Shadow woke slowly and groggily, same as every time they knocked him out with the gas. Blinking tears from his eyes furiously he bleerily saw the face of The Rose. Despite himself he smiled; and hated himself for it..

"So..." He said cheerily. "They've finally decided to put someone competent on guard I see."

"Flattery will get you nothing." The Rose said calmly, yet inside the compliment made her heart soar much to her annoyance.

"How long was I out?" He flexed his arms and was completely unsurprised by the lack of give in the steel manacles which had him bound to the chair.

"Roughly ten hours, now considering this is the first time we've spoken since your arrival I want you to know a few things."

"Fire away hot stuff." The glare only caused his grin to widen, thirty seconds and he was already under her skin. Result.

"We have your accomplices in custody -" She started.

"I bloody well doubt it." Shadow commented with a snort of disbelief.

"- including the vampire Holly." The Rose continued, ignoring Shadow's remarks.

"Accomplice? Holly?" He burst out laughing. "Dupe more like."

"Do go on?" The Rose said her voice sickeningly sweet in a style very much similar to a number of carnivorous plants.

"I always knew Holly was working for the late Mr. Redfern, why do you think the only poison in the... house that would work on humans had just enough to be barely sub-lethal."

"I think you're bullshitting Shadow, just trying to get her out of trouble."

"Think whatever you like, just know that when I get out of here I'm going to kill you, and unless you kill me soon there is no force on this planet that will stop me." Shadow braced himself and strained against the restraints. Rose couldn't help stepping back as the metal arm of the chair bent slightly.

As he strained further she went for the door, out of it in seconds.

Shadow had managed to get a single hand free, by snapping the arm of the chair, when he heard the gas hissing into the room, taking a deep breath before the room could fill he began to free the other arm, he put a hand in his mouth, removing the brace from his teeth and used it to unscrew the the shackles clamping his legs to the chair. He fervently hoped he wouldn't get captured this time as he was pretty sure they'd remove the brace on his bottom teeth now they knew they were just for show.

He jogged to the side of the room with the door than sprinted at the glass screen from which they were no doubt laughing at what seemed a fruitless. Having built up speed he leapt driving his foot into the glass. It didn't move an inch.

Then again it wasn't meant to. Using the foot as a springboard he shot upwards knocking out a ceiling panel, very thankful that the gas was heavier than air and also, as it had been installed specifically to contain him, the release was built into the floor to avoid compromising the integrity of the ceiling. He swiftly pulled himself up into the small space. He could afford a brief wait as they no doubt expected him to go immediately for either a weapons room or an exit.

He already had all the weapons he needed, not that he'd object to a firearm. Gritting his teeth he drove one of his nail into the back of his hand, sliding it back to create a long cut which began to weep blood. Forcing his fingers into the wound he pulled out the small knife implanted there.

He crawled forwards a few metres ignoring the pain of his hand and his not quite fully healed ankles. He kicked in a tile and dropped into the control. Wreaking carnage in seconds, ironically it turned out they'd locked the door to keep him out. It didn't prevent him shattering the lock with a powerful snap-kick.

Drawing a gun he'd removed from one of the corpses he wondered where to go next, if Holly was here then should he attempt a rescue? Probably not, if they were caught then they would surely think she was guilty. Track down the Rose? Again a bad idea considering she'd beaten him even when he was uninjured and especially dumb considering the other 'complication'.

So escape it was.

He set off at a sprint, things were looking up and freedom beckoned. Setting off at a sprint he couldn't help cursing his luck as the squad of Reapers rounded the corner, levelling their rifles in his direction in split-seconds.