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Parisian Misdirection

Final Act:

Night near the Parc du Champs de Mars

"Thanks Free"

The murmured words reached the immortal werewolf's ears as the frog witch that he held in his arms wrapped hers about him.

"Knew you could do it" Free replied, shifting Eruka's dainty frame to a more secure position, as he affectionately ruffled the young witch's hair. He stood just in front of the courtyard fountain at the center of the array of dead bodies that littered the area. Mizune, still in her adult form, stood just behind him, her eyes warily scanning the courtyard's sandy paths for any signs of movement. The sound of sirens hung in the air, muted for their distance from where the witch and the immortal stood.

"Is she alright?" Mizune asked, allowing her worried gaze to settle on Eruka's unconscious form.

"Looks that way" Free replied. "She's not glowin' anymore at least. Just a little cold, and little wet." He chuckled "Makes sense, since I found in the courtyard fountain."

A brief shadow of relief traipsed across Mizune's visage "I'm just glad she's safe. The way things were going I..." She swallowed, her voice gaining a slight tremor in it. "I don't…" she paused taking a small steadying breath "I'm not ready to lose her. Not yet."

"Yeah." Free said with a rakish grin. "Gotta say, I'm kinda attached to her too."

Mizune nodded. "Chi" she replied with an amiable smile. It only lasted for a moment however, as the mouse witch returned her gaze to the area around them. "We need to get out of here. The police are probably investigating the bus wreck right now. It's only a matter of time before they make their way in here."

Free's grin broadened "I think we can take 'em."

"And risk another stray bullet hurting Eruka?" Mizune replied "I think we've had enough adventure for one day."

Free's expression sobered a bit as he turned his eyes to the slumbering Eruka in his arms. He took in the sight of her dainty form for a moment. Resting tranquilly in his arms, a soft trusting smile on her lips as she breathed deep untroubled breaths, he was reminded once again of how young the frog witch was. And, also, of what she could grow to become.

"Maybe you're right." He replied, his grin returning in a slightly warmer capacity. "Maybe this is enough." He returned his gaze to Mizune. "Let's get out of here."

"Chi." Mizune replied "Follow me."

As Free followed Mizune to what would no doubt be some form of clandestine path through the Louvre that would allow them to escape detection, a pair of froggish eyes watched the witch and werewolf from behind one of the many windows that lined the Louvre's inner walls, thinly veiled interest burbling behind their appraising gaze. The watchful eyes belonged to a silver haired woman whose tan hued skin was hidden beneath black, sludge drenched body armor and sneaking gear.

Beside her stood a rather disheveled man in matching gear, though his was charred, scuffed, and ripped in all manner of ways. His arms ended just above the elbows, their ends wrapped in gauze and medical tape. The forearms and hands that were supposed to be attached there, were instead gripping on to the gun harnesses he wore, seeming to have a life of their own.

"I really don't like that mouse witch." The man said resignedly, "She's kinda sadistic."

The silver haired woman smiled in a perversely pleased manner as she watched the trio re-enter the museum, idly animating some of the sludge that was on her second chance vest and moving it to her right hand, where it began oscillating through various shapes and forms.

"Perhaps" she mused, forming the sludge into a tiny pyramid. "But you cannot deny her tenacity." Her smile broadened, "I fear you'd have turned out much worse for the wear, had I not taken full control when I did."

"She cut off my arms, Molok" The man replied blandly.

"It could have been far worse." Molok replied, as the sludge pyramid formed into a tiny faceless bust. "You could have lost your head, or had your body cut in twain." The bust demonstrated the effects of both of these outcomes as Molok noted them. "I doubt Arachne would go to the trouble of putting you back together at that point, Mr…?"

"Thesh." The haggard man answered.

"Ah" Molok said turning away from the window to face the thief. "Well then, Thesh, if you would please inform Madame Arachne of my delight in her gifts to me. Those thieves' bodies and souls will serve me well in the future. It was a grand gesture of courtesy for her to provide me with such a robust wardrobe on my return." The sludge in Molok's right hand shivered slightly before forming into a tiny yet intricate spider web. "I am honored and somewhat abashed by her offerings."

"So I take it you won't be coming with me to Arachnephobia, huh?" Thesh deadpanned

Molok shook his host's head. "Try not to be too disappointed, but when I'd found out that there was another of my lineage that remained, I had to investigate." He brought his host's hand to her chin in a thoughtful manner. "I feel that I am obligated to further examine the data I have acquired for the sake of my own kind. I'm sure Arachne will understand."

"Sure," Thesh returned darkly, "But I'd like to have something to good to report when I get back."

Molok chuckled, forming the sludge in his host's right hand into a likeness of the arachno-witch's head and neck "I think the chaos that we perpetrated on this night will be fine enough." The likeness smiled demurely as it eyed Thesh. "Especially if there are some converts to the Arachnephobian way." Molok turned his gaze back to the Louvre's Atrium, where enormous formations of ice were slowly melting in the light of the noonday sun. "I don't believe there will be any way of hiding the supernatural nature of what has just transpired." The Arachne likeness in Molok's hand winked in an uncharacteristically candid manner, "There certainly would be no other way of explaining your current condition."

Thesh nodded to this with a slight smirk. "Guess I'd better go spread the good word,then, huh?"

"Perhaps you should." Molok said as the arachne head reformed itself into the shape of a sphere. "Give Arachne my best will you? I think it will be quite some time before I am able to greet her properly."

"Will do, Molok." Thesh said as he turned to leave. "May you be in her good graces."

Molok sighed as the presumably undead man hurried off down the Louvre's halls. "Yet another man caught in her web of widowing wiles. The hypnotic influence of that woman still impresses me to this day."

As the gypsy parasite said this, the sound of bare feet on marble heralded the response of a young feminine voice, "It's the kind of influence one needs to become a godhead."

Molok turned, and found himself facing a young blond haired girl in a black hooded dress whose fabrics were emblazoned with the images of white snakes. She lowered her hood unveiling her serpentine eyes that were possessed of a self-aware cunning that belayed far more years of experience than her youthful appearance suggested. "I never could understand her fascination with that sort of thing."

"It appears the rumors of your demise were greatly exaggerated." Molok said as his host body gave the snake witch a bow of greeting, the spherical ball of sludge in his host's right hand melting and solidifying into a green outer coating on that hand. "You've aged well, Medusa."

"I'm flattered you recognize me in this form." Medusa replied, feigning childlike embarrassment.

"One never forgets a Gorgon Sister." Molok said with a brief smile. "What brings you to Paris on this fine afternoon?"

"The sights mostly." The witch replied simply. "I caught wind of this new ice and sludge exhibit and had to see it for myself." Medusa smirked "It looks like everyone involved gained something from its creation." Her smirk broadened into a more than slightly threatening smile. "However, my intuition says that a repeat performance would be ill advised."

"I doubt one will happen." Molok concurred, "The intention of this piece has been achieved."

"I hope so Molok." Medusa replied, her smile not wavering in the slightest. "Because I don't like to share."

"Duly noted." Molok returned "Let us hope that we never have to speak at length on that matter."

"Yes," Medusa chuckled "Well, I have a few lost subordinates to collect, so if you don't mind?"

"Of course" Molok said "It has been an honor and a pleasure Lady Gorgon."

Elsewhere in the city of Paris, a young frog witch stirred, just waking from a very restful slumber. The young witch stretched her arms languidly, rising to a seated position as she drowsily opened her eyes. The surroundings that lay before her were unfamiliar, the arrangement of the room and the pictures on its windowless walls not matching up to those of the apartment she had rented out in the Louvre district.

Nervous worry replaced whatever grogginess she had left in her as she warily scanned the room, her gaze eventually finding its way to the door. Noting with some confused trepidation that she'd apparently been tucked in when she'd arrived at this place, Eruka quietly disentangled herself from the covers of the bed and crept to the door. She opened it just a crack to survey the room beyond.

There didn't appear to be any movement in the next room from what little she could see of it. At the very least, the lights weren't on. However, she could hear the sound of heavy snoring coming from that direction. Someone was definitely in there.

She would have to be careful not to wake them.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Eruka edged her way through the door, careful not to make a sound as she entered what appeared to be a modestly sized living room. She was tense at first, however, the sight that greeted her as she scanned the room allayed whatever nervous fears she had about her current situation.

Just ahead of her, seated comfortably in a tall wooden arm chair was Mizune in her three mouse form, head propped up on a small pillow against the back of the chair as she slept peacefully. She was framed by a large window at the other side of the room, where the Parc du Champs de Mars could be seen, the lights of the Eiffel Tower gleaming brilliantly against the night sky.

Apparently, Eruka had been asleep for quite a while, not that she minded so much, as the scene before her was worth the lost time. If it weren't for the incessant snoring, the view would be perfect

The source of the snore lay sprawled on a couch to Eruka's right, his large frame barely fitting within the confines of its armrests, even with his head and legs propped up on their respective sides of the sofa. No doubt that was why he was snoring.

Eruka smiled resignedly at her friend "Free, you idiot."

Saying this, Eruka returned to her room briefly, grabbing a pillow from her bed, before once more entering the living room. Careful not to jostle her friend too much, she adjusted his legs to a more comfortable position and lifted his head just enough to place a pillow beneath it. Sure enough, Free's snoring halted. He murmured something intelligible in his sleep as his breaths became deep and full, a contented smile on his face.

"Better, huh?" she murmured with a chuckle "I guess there are times when you need my help."

As she watched him slumber on the couch in a slightly less haphazard position than before, she couldn't help but think how funny he looked. One would never suspect that he was a convict or an immortal werewolf, let alone both. He could easily rip a man to shreds. He could easily rip her to shreds.

But she knew he wouldn't.

There was no real reasoning behind it, no undeniable proof that he wouldn't turn on her if he felt like it. No, All she had was a feeling. Just a feeling. And she was willing to let that be enough.

As she made to return to her room, she took one last gaze at the Eiffel Tower, its form glittering against the night sky, echoing the lights of the city the sprawled beneath it.

"Maybe we'll go there next." She whispered. "It was high on his list after all."

She smiled as she quietly returned to her room, careful not to wake any of those who were still slumbering in the apartment. Little did she know that a certain werewolf was mirroring her smile, one eye open and watching.

"Thanks Eruka."