bite me.

You know, one would think that after a century and a half I would be a bit better at hunting. But boy oh boy, the look on Artemis's face when I stepped back into his house covered in blood was priceless.

It hadn't at all been a long hunt. My major problem was that there was absolutely no large game in the area. Staying away from the towns was easy seeing that none existed on his obnoxiously large property. On the other hand, the wolves did taste especially good. Hm, I must be getting back in touch with some roots.

It was mid afternoon when I walked back into the house. I was well aware that I was covered in blood but was hoping I would be able to find something to wear before I walked into anyone. But me being directionally impaired, walked into the kitchen thinking it was a bathroom.

I was about to turn around and walk out when I saw Artemis sitting at a small breakfast table. It looked out of place in this giant stainless steel cube, the dingy oak table. But he was there sipping a glass of orange juice with a cold sandwich on a plate untouched. Aware of my presence, Artemis turned around and nearly spat out what he was in the process of swallowing.

"Um, you have a little blood on the side of your face," he said trying to be kind. Yeah, the side of my face, my neck, my forehead, all over my shirt....

"Yeah, about that," I smiled. "You're going to have a severe drop in the wolf population on your estate."

He frowned a little and I wondered what I had done wrong.

"Besides possibly throwing the ecosystem into monumental chaos you seemed to have gotten some blood on you," he took the napkin from his plate setting and walked over the faucet. Turning it on, he wet the napkin and started to wash off my face.

"Why thank you," I said sarcastically, sitting on top of the counter. "You know, I think you should be thanking me.'

"Why? Did you foresee my immediate death involving a wolf of some sort?"

"No but it isn't out of the question," I had some wolf friends. Most of which wouldn't mind me killing their distant cousins but would snap my neck for betraying my oath. Oopsy.

"Hold still," he said impatiently trying to clean me up. "I had Butler go out and shop for you."

"Yes, besides being a world trained assassin he also has a wonderful eye for color and size," I rolled my eyes but according to Artemis's expression I was correct. "So do you have something that falls into the category of camouflage?"

"No," he frowned. "I suppose that might be an issue."

"No not really, I just think that it gets you into character," I shrugged. "Have you formulated some brilliant plan as to how we're going to break out Christophe?"

"Of course."

"Well I'm going to go take a shower," I said hopping down from the counter and landing softly. I lacked shoes and from my ankles up to my knees was covered in caked dirt and blood. Lovely.

I navigated my way through the mansion with minimal effect. Seeing that all I knew was how to get to Artemis's bedroom and the kitchen I went to his bedroom. There was a master bathroom in there, I think.

Turns out I was right. There were even a set of clothes set out for me. A black turtle neck and sweatpants with gun holsters and matching boots were folded perfectly in front of me. I could smell that they were all cotton or cashmere. They all looked the right size and I didn't have to worry about anything but knee high socks. There was even lingerie which was slightly disturbing but better than nothing.

I walked into the marble bathroom and turned on the shower. The entire place was black marble and stainless steel and it looked like it stepped out of a magazine. I cracked up the hot water and began to strip. I had to wash my hair and took out the bottle of unmarked shampoo from a carved out shelf on the opposite side of the clouded glass door.

One of the most relaxing things for me was taking a nice long shower. Everything smelt like tea; the shampoos, the soap, even the wash cloth. When I stepped out I remembered that I had left my clothes folded on Artemis's bed. Grabbing a dark blue towel with Artemis's initials embroidered into it I quickly wrapped it around my body and marveled at how short it was. With a swift movement of my hand the water in my hair quickly pulled out and I threw it back into the shower with a splash.

Upon walking out I saw Artemis looking through his closet. His gaze caught my own and he blushed scarlet trying to look away. I pulled the towel further up only to realize that made it shorter around my legs. His heart was beating way too fast and I though mind would have skipped a beat.

"Artemis!" my voice cracked. "Out! Now!"

"Sorry," he mumbled still blushing as he grabbed a shirt off a hanger and walking across the room making sure not to cross my path. Not minding that he was being kicked out of his own room he was half way to the door and I was close to dying from embarrassment when the door opened and some blond haired wonder stepped in wearing an evening gown.

"Am I interrupting?" she turned to walk out. I was always amazed with the similarities between brother and sister. I started to subconsciously compare her to Butler and her.

"Juliet meet Lyrissa," Artemis automatically introduced us. I viewed her as a treat even though she smelt slightly of car exhaust. I crinkled my nose but she held out a hand.

"Lyrirssa Alcyone," I said shaking it and refraining from breaking every bone in her hand. The bright side of her being here was that if she and Artemis were going out I could always just kill her.

"Juliet Butler," she said airily. Some part of me wondered what Butler's first name was but chances are I wouldn't need to know so I didn't ask. I walked over to the bed and stacked my clothes up into a pile.

"Get dressed," I ordered both of them with a glare to Juliet's little black dress. "If were about to break into a high security info structure you can't look like your going to a cocktail party afterward." Unless you were, I thought, reminded of one particular incident that brought a smile to my blood red lips.

I turned around and walked back into the bathroom. I felt like banging my head into the wall but then I remembered that I would only break the wall and nothing would be gained. In stead, I got dressed in vampire speed and walked out to see Artemis dressed. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a black turtleneck.

"We match," he smiled.

"Don't let it go to your head," I said brusquely, walking by him. He took a UPS mass storage device off his desk and walked next to me down the hallway to a destination I did not know.

Normally I would have viewed this situation as a trap. A ploy, something to get me to go somewhere that I could easily be cornered into. For all I knew Artemis could be plotting against me and leading me to my death. For some odd reason when all of this came to mind I dismissed it. I hadn't felt this feeling in a long time. My human memories were clouded over by time but I recognized this as trust.

We walked in silence and I tied my hair back with a black ribbon. My eyes were grey which I hated. I figured that my eyes would go from grey to gold to blue where they would stay for the longest before I became dangerously short on blood. Green, black, and red were not good. But they were grey for now which was good enough.

All this time I had been measuring my life in what it wasn't. I wasn't alive, I wasn't benefitting the world, I wasn't happy, and now I had trust, hope. Hope is the last to die.

We went down yet another flight of stairs. I was about to suggest that Artemis install an elevator somewhere in his house when I noticed how different this floor was. There was no extravagant carpeting or furnishings. No paintings on the wall or mahogany coffee tables. In fact, there wasn't even paint on the concrete walls. The entire place seemed to be made out of the grey stuff.

He swiped a key card and went into a room that I soon followed him into. Holly and Juliet sat at a metal table inside the windowless room. Butler stood to the side and Artemis who took a seat while I stood to his left. No one looked at all happy; especially Holly who was drumming her hands impatiently on the table while Artemis logged on.

I saw the projector overhead and I bit my bottom lip in anticipation of Artemis's plan. When he did bring it up, the lights around the room went dark and the projector flicked on a blue light and with amazing clarity lit up the entire room, 360 degrees. It was like we were transported into the LEP's station, blueprint style.

"We will enter here," said Artemis spinning around the projection so we were facing the front entrance. "The plan is fairly simple. Christophe is being help on the twenty third floor but most security will be concentrated on the ground floors."

"Actually it's really on the fifth floor," said Holly. "The guys on in the lobby couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag. I can't believe I'm helping you."

"Go on," I said tapping my foot. It was almost too easy. A few steps down from assassinating world leaders. The whole invasion of Georgia, yeah, that was me.

"So the fifth floor can easily be avoided," Artemis went on. "But the heavy artillery on the holding floor must be funneled down to a place where they can be trapped. For that we need a distraction. Stop smiling Juliet."

"Can Butler and Juliet provide a distraction while we three go up to the floor 23?" I asked.

"Please?" begged Juliet.

"Fine, just don't kill anything," said Holly before Artemis had time to agree.

"Back to the breaking out of Chris, if you can get those tasers away from me he'll be out in ten seconds flat," I said. "Can we cut the electricity?"

"Yes," said Artemis typing it in. "If we can cut the electricy then getting out will be a lot easier. We'll have to get back down to the ground floor and escape during the pandemonium."

"We're going to need some ammunition and body armor," said Butler.

"Tell me something I don't know" said Juliet, musing the possibilities

"Lemon sharks lose their teeth every two weeks," I said randomly. "Back on topic, I have the weapons back at me place."

"Is it safe?" asked Holly. "Did Chris give up the location?"

"No way," I shrugged. "He wouldn't in a million years. Not to mention that the LEP has loads less leverage now that I'm gone."

"So it's set," Artemis closed the computer and I smiled.

Getting to the house was a breeze. No one talked on the ride over but I could sense Juliet's confusing as we walked down the tracks. I stayed off the third rail and walked at a normal pace. At the house something didn't seem right. I held the other back as I racked my eyes across the place. The weapons were all in their right place, nothing was missing. But the sent was wrong.

"Someone's been here," I said angry. "No one knows about this place. It's impossible.'

"How do you know?" asked Juliet.

"The smell," I said. "Someone I know. I can't put my finger on it but it's not right."

"Who cares so long as they didn't take anything," said Holly going over and taking a run off a rack. "Let's just get this over with so I can write my resignation. That is, as long as Root doesn't fire and/or shoot me."

I walked without sound through the racks of weapons. The garage was clean, everything just as I had left it. I even ran a scan on the computer. Nothing was wrong and it was driving me insane. I just tried to read between the lines and ignore it.

"How are we going to get there?" Holly asked. "I don't think the LEP returned your car."

"I have a spare," I said walking back into the garage and flicking on the lights. I made a mental note to instale The Clapper. I had the jingle stuck in my head.

Rows upon rows of cars were illuminated by the lights. I took the keys to an Aston Martin Vanquish off the wall and started it. Yes, I have Aston Martins lying around as spares. I got into the driver's seat and waited for the others to join me. They were all just staring.

"Hello? Earth to people/elves? I'm not getting any younger!" well it you want to be technical I wasn't aging at all. Stupid fourteen year old body. I seriously considered beeping the horn before they made some movement and got into the car.

I got booted out of the front seat by Butler and Holly called shotgun. So I was in the middle with a large ominous weapon on my lap. In my shoulder holsters I had two normal handguns. All of our weapons were clunky human things. Clumsy noisemakers compared to those Chris and Angela had designed for me.

Apparently human cars were a fad. Seeing that we couldn't use the parking garage on the west side I brought us to the more wealthy side of town. It's amazing how much you can dig out with dynamite. But on the road I saw five Jags, three Porsches, and a Mercedes. When we finally pulled up to the LEP's front entrance Holly looked like she wanted to die.

"I am so getting fired," she muttered so no one could hear. Sometimes I ought to be damned for my hearing.

We got out of the car. Thanks to the tinted windows no one had seen the five of us pile into the car but now we were out in the open for everyone to see. The LEP was going to need one heluva excuse.

When we walked into the lobby the place was a mess. When I had come in, everything had been neatly organized and the press was being held back. A D-Notice probably got put on my arrival so no one could publish anything on it. Now the potted plants had been smashed on the ground. There were bodies everywhere but not a drop of blood. I couldn't hear any heartbeats.

"There necks were snapped," I said kicking one over. "Misericordia pro nullus"

"Mercy for none," Artemis translated. "Who do you think it was?"

"Crap!" I screamed. "They're here for me and Chris!" This was followed by a stream of swears from me. My brain froze over in fear and I desperately tried to restart it.

"We'll take the elevator," said Holly ready to avenge the deaths of her co-workers. "You'll be faster on the stairs."

I didn't make any comment but rather bolted up the stairs. It was a series of steps going up in a square patter. 460 steps spaced six inches apart on ninty degree angles later I reached the floor. I wanted to go faster but the fast I went the harder it was to turn and I rammed the walls a number of time, clipping pieces of cement where my shoulder rammed into corners.

Catching my breath I realized the floor was empty. I went to the room where Chris was being held and went to open the door. The charge hit me like a brick wall and I recoiled. Taking a deep breath I drew the dirt from the potted plant next to me. I rolled it into rock like a snowball and I propelled it into the steel door hard enough for it to break off its hinges.

The elevator to my right and left opened at the same time.

"Lyrissa," said the striking vampire walking out from the elevator I faced. "Long time no see."

"Stay away from me William," I said brandishing a knife I had covered in Venenum. "I don't love you anymore."

Well this was almost three thousand words so *takes a bow* i accept your award. well seeing that the shiny trophy only exists in my mind i would be eternally grateful to those of you that press the purple button. So tomorrow is election day...no one say who you're voting for! we're not allowed to talk about it in school anymore. there was a figth that i might or might not have taken a large part it.
anywho, push the purple button!