Chapter 10

"The feeling is not the achievement. The ambition is not the achievement. The desire is not the training… people who start and end with their feelings aren't going anywhere productive." – Stephen Molyneux

"There she is. The Tiger's Decoy. Already a kilometer or more out to sea," the bus driver stated flatly. He handed Tsukune the pair of binoculars he lowered from his glowing eyes. Inscrutable, he leaned back in the golf cart driver's seat and puffed away at his cigar stub.

"I was told it just docked…" Tsukune murmured, confused. Putting the glasses to his eyes brought the enormous container ship into focus, heading out to sea. From where he sat atop the back of the passenger seat on the bus driver's golf cart he could just make out the name of the vessel. "How is this possible?" Tsukune handed the binoculars back to the bus driver.

"Heh heh heh. Fang Fang may have some answers," the bus driver speculated.

Tsukune's fist trembled, "But where is he!" Gnawing panic gripped his guts and two thoughts chilled his soul. His assurance to Yukari he would help Fang Fang and the witch doctor MnQobi's wild threats, declaring fairytale would take all his friends from him. The threats he hadn't taken seriously!

"I should take to the air," Tsukune said, his eyes taking in the enormity of the Yokohama shipyard.

"It might cut down the search time," the bus driver conceded.

Embarrassed, Tsukune's mouth became a straight line as his jaw clenched. "I can't seem to get the hang of using wings though. Imagine that."

"Heh heh heh," exhaling a column of bluish smoke, the bus driver crossed one leg over the other, regarding Tsukune with his hooded, incandescent eyes. "Not too hard to imagine, young man. You still have a human brain. Everything you've been through hasn't changed that."

"No?" Tsukune snapped, skeptical.

"Nope. You may be able to grow wings with your 'create' power, but, using them? Not just for gliding in combat mind you, but actual flight? Well…" the bus driver took a pull, exhaled smoke and chuckled. "That might not be the best course of action. Not without more practice."

"Forcing myself to use wings is going to hurt me?" Tsukune asked, frustration tainting his tone disrespectful. He immediately felt bad letting negativity color his attitude. Over the years, the bus driver had been very patient with him taking charge of Yokai Academy. He had even arranged for Issa Shuzen to instruct and protect him, a relationship he valued enormously. As the years passed, Tsukune had become supremely confident in his abilities, sure of his trajectory in life and relationships. For the first time, he feared the very real possibility he had grown complacent and overconfident.

He calmed himself before speaking again. "I don't think… Did you hear that?"

"You snapping at me? I heard it very clearly." the bus driver started, patiently. "You need to control…"

"No! Nuari, please listen." Tsukune held a hand up to his own ear, willing his elder to hear what he did. Finally, the squeaking rose above the din of forever churning commerce and human activity. Plaintive, inquisitive, the squeaks and high pitched groans were definitely not made by any of the surrounding machines, ships or cranes. They were animal in origin.

Tsukune focused, extending his vampire and magical powers until he perceived the leftover, etheric residue of a summoning spell. Not far away, in an empty container ship terminal, tendrils of magic floated downward like loosed spider webs, dissipating from Tsukune's enhanced vision. "Take us there!" he pointed melodramatically, falling back down into his seat.

"I'm on it!" the bus driver hit the pedal and the golf cart rocketed forward.

They raced by dock workers and sailors, and forklifts and containers, but the bus driver's path wove through as if none of it existed. Impatient, Tsukune stood up, trying to see past the edge of the paved terminal. He could make out tugboats below, their crews on deck, pointing at something, amazed. Following their gestures, Tsukune laid eyes on an oversized panda bobbing in the water, munching bamboo, without a care in the world.

"A Panda? Please, please no…" Blinking, he made out Fang Fang clinging to the Panda's back a second later. His blood stained some of the Panda's white fur. Tsukune removed his tie and threw off his suit coat which the bus driver caught, easily. Running at the edge, Tsukune hurdled, then took off high, diving straight for Fang Fang. Head down, Tsukune's entry into the water was flawless.

Moments later, with a plume of spray exploding around them, soaking the tugboat crews nearby, Tsukune burst from the water with Fang Fang in his arms. The crews of the tug boats howled appreciatively, or stared open mouthed at Tsukune alighting on the pavement of the terminal above them. More than a few checked their phones to make sure they had captured the scene.

As Tsukune touched down, emergency vehicles screeched to a halt, forming a semi-circle around them. Tsukune didn't notice, cradling his friend and calling his name over and over. Ponderously, Fang Fang's eyes cracked open. When he realized Tsukune supported him, his face relaxed and he smiled, drifting into unconsciousness.

"What do I do? Nuari! What can I do for him!" Tsukune was frantic. Rapidly, all the things he couldn't do tallied up in his mind, smothering all the remarkable things he could do, none of which seemed to matter at that moment.

Keeping a careful eye on the approaching dock security and medics, the bus driver stepped over to Tsukune and Fang Fang. "He's been shot. A few times. Apply pressure there," he pointed, puffing away at his cigar as it burnt down to a stub. "Do you want the humans to treat him?"

Tsukune's tear streaked face took on a savage aspect, "I should be able to do something for him!" he said, furiously.

The bus driver was not impressed with Tsukune's sincerity. "That is not relevant, young man. You are not a healer. Do you want the humans to treat him? They know bullet wounds."

Everyone, except the bus driver stopped. A hideous, anxiety laced horror crept into the back of everyone's mind! Dock workers stopped and sailors looked around in terror for the source of this utter dread. It raised the hairs on the backs of their necks, sent chills down their spines and ignited primal fear in everyone who sensed it. For the briefest instant, the young Chinese Yasha Fang Fang appeared to be in the arms of a twisted, black beast of indescribable destructive power.

Quick as an unannounced breeze, the sensation was gone as Tsukune's temper passed. A figment. A collective nightmare many would later chalk up to stress or a hallucination. The humans finished crossing the distance from their emergency vehicles to Tsukune, Fang Fang and the bus driver.

He addressed the closest paramedics. "Do what you can for him, here!" He looked up, "I need to get him back to Yokai academy!" Tsukune said urgently to the bus driver.

Wary, but eager to do their work. The paramedics set down their gear and swarmed around Tsukune and Fang Fang as the bus driver managed the rest of the crowd.

Kurumu traced her finger around the plate and ran it over her tongue, relishing the last drops of cinnamon syrup. The plate was probably cleaner now that she was finished, than when it had come from the dishwasher. Tomek may have been annoying, but that human knew how to stroke a Succubus' ego and her personal sweet tooth, Kurumu mused. She had never even heard of the items he crafted for her, but she imagined, somewhat flattered, he couldn't have slept much having prepared them. Tomek regaled her with cream cheese stuffed French toast, roasted pears with honeyed cinnamon and Scotch Eggs. She inhaled the lingering scents in the empty room, committing them for remembrance.

For fun, Kurumu had pretended not to be able to use a knife and fork correctly. Getting a lesson in that from Tomek made a humorously awkward start to the morning. Especially since he was so distracted. He wolfed down a small portion he had set aside, not even tasting anything, which, to Kurumu, seemed to be a shame. Yesterday morning the human had been focused, open with her and if she thought about it, outright warm. While unexpected, he had proven a welcome change from the oily creepiness of Nagare Kano.

Even after she threw hot tea in his eyes and hit him in the hotel lobby, kicked him in the throat and threatened to claw him in the limo, he had agreed to work with her in a way that was outside the parameters of his job. Even after she'd stolen alcohol from the bus driver's limo, he trusted her to help him infiltrate the Maio container ship. Even after she let him drop several stories into the bowels of the cargo ship, Tomek forgave her…

…and even made her breakfast the next day.

All without being charmed.

Kurumu mulled this over as she got dressed. She couldn't help but wonder if her awful behavior is what drove Tomek out of the room. He had excused himself after a stewardess visited their room declaring sweetly that things were slightly behind schedule. They were free to explore the southern portion of the island or attend a small breakfast reception on the upper deck, aft. Tomek encouraged her to mingle with the other monsters and promised he'd be back.

She slipped on a wine colored 'boho' chic romper and focused on tying up her hair, adding her usual accessories. Tomek had only left perhaps ten minutes ago, but it felt much longer than that. Staring at the mirror as it silently, expressionlessly stared back, drove the unnerving stillness deep into Kurumu's head. That primal silence had pursued her ever since Tsukune and Moka announced their engagement. Ever since their intent became clear to have a Romanian Orthodox wedding in Wallachia in honor of Akasha, and yes, Alucard. Ever since they had marked each other as mates. It was the lifeless silence of a broken succubus heart; Kurumu couldn't be around them.

Maybe Tomek was right. She should go and mingle with the other monsters on board the yacht, even if she was destined to be killed by one of them in the ring once this tournament finally got underway.

As she pulled on her calf length, slouchy boots, something made a small noise near the door. Kurumu turned in time to see an envelope shoved under the door. Confused she stared at it. Rushing, she snatched it up as if it would be pulled back through! Unremarkable, the small business envelope was labeled in a blue script that read "TZ" in English characters. Kurumu turned the envelope over, frowning when she saw the lipstick kiss on the back, acting as a seal. For the briefest moment, her succubus heart lurched, jealously.

Annoyed, Kurumu pulled open the cabin door, leaning out into the corridor. "Hey!" she yelled into the empty hallway, scanning left and right. That was peculiar. She was sorely tempted to open the missive, but, she had made enough bad decisions, she thought. She would simply deliver it to Tomek.

Determined, she made her way aft to the upper deck, the smell of food and sounds of a party guiding her. Arriving amidst the tables, chairs and milling crowd of monsters and humans, it was an open-air reiteration of the penthouse club the night before. Monsters and humans alike either watched her warily or beckoned her to come nearer. Kurumu made her way through the crowd, working it like a professional hostess at her own party. Skillfully, she extracted herself from any lengthy conversations and shied away from awkward opening lines, but not before more than a couple drinks found their way into her hand. Many attendees that formed her audience the night before were interested in a repeat performance when they all seemed to have her complete attention.

Kurumu caught sight of Ginei watching her from behind the small bar near the aft most part of the deck. He mouthed something, shook his head, tried subtly waving her over… she couldn't make any sense out of it. Waving at him she smiled, then looked away, the press of bodies separating them. There was only one set of eyes on her she was interested in. Her and a portly man in a black chef's coat and hat had made eye contact shortly after she crested the stairs, before she got distracted. His expression was one of momentary surprise, long enough to let Kurumu recognize that he knew something.

Finally, she made her way to the table where the chef manned two hot plates and a collection of sauté pans, cooking to order. "You were surprised to see me. But I don't know you." Kurumu destroyed her grave approach with an ill-timed hiccup, covering her mouth. Did she already have so much to drink, she wondered?

The Chef blushed, glancing around anxiously. While crowded, the deck was big and allowed them enough separation from the others to talk. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I'm looking for someone, hu…" Kurumu caught herself. In truth, she doubted her being a monster was any kind of secret here, but opted to be discreet. "A man. He's got brown hair and a partial beard. Bright eyes. Good looking… ish. About this tall," she raised her hand above her head. "And muscle-y. Probably wearing a suit." Her eyes fell to the table of hotplates and ingredients before the chef.

"Hungry? I figured you would have already eaten breakfast. Your boyfriend is quite the cook!" Chef Sean declared unabashedly.

Kurumu blushed. 'Boyfriend?' What was that about? "We're not together," she remarked blandly.

"Oh… well I thought… the way he talked about you and how much care he put into his cooking…" Chef Sean frowned a moment, looking away and nervously wiping out one of the Teflon sauté pans as he tried to recover. "So, um, yeah. He left the ship."

"Left?"

"Mm-hm. That way toward the starboard side of the yacht." He pointed with one of his spatulas. "The bays here can't accommodate a yacht as big as this, or the other one, but one of MacStephen's techboys came up with a big retractable gangplank. You can't miss it."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"Your boy… Tomek? Not exactly. He said he needed a minute to himself and a good beach to spend it on."

Kurumu beheld the heavily wooded island off the starboard. "Where…?"

"Head south. You'll find it." Chef Sean said, grinning. Just then a human approached him and they began a quick conversation about breakfast.

Gin watched Kurumu leave the ship, clearly with a purpose. She had deliberately avoided him and now she was leaving. He didn't know where anyone was and wondered just what the hell was going on… Irate, Gin glanced at the clock behind him, desperate for it to move faster so he could go on break. He was stuck.

"He is agitated, I can smell it." said the man watching Gin from the rail on the port side of the deck. He sat on the railing cross legged, demonstrating supreme balance.

His human companion stood next to him, nursing a Bloody Mary in her well-manicured hands. A very attractive Zapotec woman, her brother's aggressive, angry aspect kept other monsters and humans from approaching them. "What does that mean to us, Juan Carlos? He is working for the American tech-man. Leave it be."

"I can smell the wolf in him, Antonia" the seated man, Juan Carlos, commented, venom in his voice. "He works for the humans like a dog, but will not fight in this tournament? That arrogant ass thinks he is too good to soil his paws in the ring." He frowned deeply at his sister who stared back at him not flinching at his amber and green cat eyes

"He makes a mean Bloody Mary," Antonia said brightly, trying to lighten her brother's mood. Ever since the penthouse party, the Japanese werewolf occupied her brother's thoughts obsessively.

In an unnecessary show of his monster blood, Juan Carlos yawned deeply, his tongue enormous, his canines pronounced. Whiskers even sprouted from his cheeks next to his nose. "Hey! What do you think you are doing?" She was terrified her brother would transform right there. There was no telling how the other monsters would react. In an uncontrolled setting like this, it could lead to a brawl. Worse, it might compel MachStephen's witch doctor friend MnQobi to act against them! She glanced and saw the two of them mingling in the thick of the human investors. As ever, MnQobi's lean, dark consort seemed to be staring at them with her cold eyes.

Juan Carlos crossed his arms in a huff, silently dropping to the deck and leaning up against the railing. His eyes fixed on Ginei, bartending. "He insults me. His being here. His job. His scent. All of it. There will be a reckoning."

Antonia shook her head. 'Cats', she thought.

The rock skipped off the surface of the low waves a full five times. Kurumu had never seen anything like it. Sure, she had thrown rocks at water before, in ponds, fountains, at the beach. But this phenomenon of skipping them over the water was new to her. Was it a human thing? She couldn't remember Tsukune ever doing it…

Kurumu had followed the chef's directions, trusting that when he gestured, that actually was south. Regardless, she found Tomek on the beach just as the chef said he would be. The problem was, Kurumu couldn't exactly remember why she was looking for him. Something about lipstick, shoved under a door…

She hadn't meant to drink so much. She hadn't even been upset about Tsukune and Moka. Oddly, the more cocktails she imbibed, the more she did think about her two estranged friends. Maybe that was why she went looking for Tomek. He did weird, interesting stuff that took her mind off the misery of being a heart broken succubus.

Again, Tomek side armed a rock and it skipped two, three and four times across the water's surface. The shore they were on wasn't much of a beach for sunbathing or playing, Kurumu thought. With tumbled down trees stacked haphazardly around the shoreline that led down to tiny dark pebbles instead of sand, there wasn't much else to do except throw rocks, she surmised. Spying an especially big one, she grinned mischievously.

Tomek looked out at the horizon, not seeing the Sunshine Coast island's wooded surroundings. In his mind was a very different coastline on a very different continent. His friend, Nothembi had wanted to make a lot of money and retire early to a beach house, but in Sierra Leonne, not Canada. Being a Sanction for Yokai Academy did pay fairly well, so Nothembi's dream wasn't farfetched economically. But, now that she was dead…

He took a breath and blew out the exhale. Truth be told, he knew he had to get back to the yacht, but grieving this particular friend's untimely passing was taking longer than he thought it would. With a heavy lump in his throat and pained stomach, he wondered how exactly he'd make the Maio family pay for what they did to her. Would the Academy help? Would…

"Pa-LUNK!" a massive rock flew over his head and dropped heavily into the bay before him.

Tomek's hand flashed to the pistol in his shoulder holster. He spun and dropped into a crouch, but stopped short of drawing on… "Kurumu!" Instantly embarrassed and ashamed for nearly drawing on his ward, he slowly removed his hand from his windbreaker.

Kurumu laughed, much like when he first observed her at the Seattle penthouse party, She laughed her drunken party laugh, slapping her naked thigh as she bent over, her other arm out pointing at him. In the half-second before he realized she'd been drinking again, Tomek could only marvel at how beautiful she was this morning. Supple and curvaceous yet elf-thin, her flawless skin glowed in the forest light against her wine-colored clothes. The blush on her cheek bones and those large, walnut shaped wild violet eyes…

Tomek caught himself, trying to bring his adrenaline jacked thoughts under control. He perceived no effort to charm him, so why were his thoughts so totally focused on Kurumu's physicality? Tomek guessed correctly she had more than a few cocktails before coming to find him. He speculated she simply lost control of her succubus charm abilities as she became intoxicated. That had to be what was happening. He glanced about at the deep woods encircling the beach, realizing apprehensively he didn't want to be alone with Kurumu. Having watched her for close to two days, he knew what Kurumu was capable of with her powers. Having watched her for close to two days, he was more concerned she really wasn't employing any of her powers, consciously or involuntarily.

Luckily, Kurumu hadn't noticed him almost draw a weapon on her. He approached her swiftly, climbing the fallen tree trunks and cresting the crumbling earth incline where she stood. He caught the scent of lilies-of-the-valley and knew. "Kurumu, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, silly human!" came the immediate reply. Kurumu straightened up, hiccupped, then nearly burped, covering her mouth. "Oh no… that face you're making. You know."

Tomek gazed at her. Even her voice sounded melodious to him that morning.

"You were gone a really long time," she said putting her hands on her hips. Tomek stared at her, expressionless. Unnerving, but preferable to the silence of the cabin and somehow the milling humans and monsters on the yacht. It was like her heart was working again, thrumming rhythmically at the edge of her hearing. "I went up to the deck like you suggested," she continued, clearly irritated. "Suddenly all my admirers from the other night were buying me drinks…"

Tomek's eyebrows raised, silently demanding a genuine answer.

"I didn't want to be alone," Kurumu said, standing back and crossing her arms in a huff.

"Kurumu, there's a difference between being alone and being lonely," he said quietly. Now they were getting somewhere. It was back to the whole Tsukune-loves-Moka debacle that drove Kurumu into self-imposed exile, but at least it was a point from which Tomek could work. Normally his jobs for Yokai Academy were 90 percent observation. Making the arrest, the knockout or sometimes even the kill and the subsequent clean up divided the rest of the time. This job was 'round-the-clock immersive spy work and it was wearing on him.

Kurumu leaned in, her opulent hair swishing forward carrying a scent reminiscent of pomegranate. "I came here for a reason…" She laid one of her perfectly manicured hands on his shoulder. "…and not because that pudgy chef thinks you're my boyfriend. And not for company," even if you make me laugh, she finished in her mind.

Tomek rubbed his eyes between his thumb and fingers and stepped back from her. In his mind, he said a quiet goodbye to his dead friend, wishing her spirit the shoreline retirement she was denied in life. "Okay, we need to leave here. We can't be…" He lifted his eyes to meet hers, but, catching movement behind the succubus made him gape stupidly.

"What?"

He shook his head at her, staring past her.

"What?" Kurumu asked louder.

Irritated, Tomek grimaced and waved downward, indicating he needed her quiet with his other finger to his lips.

"What!" she yelled.

"Quiet!" Somehow, without her seeing, Tomek took her legs out from under her at the knees, covered her mouth and landed on the ground with her underneath him. He grunted, landing in such a way his arms took most of the impact, sparing her.

Tomek pressed his mouth up to her ear, whispering, yet still managing to sound incredibly angry. "Kurumu, shut your mouth! We've got real trouble!" He raised his head enough to see her eyes, but not expose their position. "Shhh…" Slowly he took his hand from her mouth, pointing up the small incline. "…through those trees."

Rage dwindled from her squinted, violet eyes and as Tomek eased up onto all fours, she rolled over onto her stomach, watching him until she couldn't any longer. When they finally broke eye contact, she retracted her claws and Tomek quietly recognized he'd come very close to being disemboweled. Just as slowly, neither of them making a sound, Tomek settled back down on her right side as they stared up the hill.

At last, Kurumu saw them, "Those are two of those kids… yesterday taking our picture," she whispered.

"And they were on the Tiger's Decoy as well." Tomek whispered back.

Kurumu raised her head some more as the two kids started moving out of their line of sight. "What is that they're carrying?"

"Tsurara's gun bag" Tomek replied darkly. "The snowflake medal on the shoulder strap caught the sun before, or I might not have heard them on the trail." This time he did draw his gun, thumbing the safety off and returning it his holster.

Kurumu's eyes widened, "What are you going to do?"

Tomek took a shuddering breath, controlling his anger. "Tsurara wouldn't give up her gun bag and they couldn't just take it from her, either. If they have it, she's in trouble. If she's in trouble… they're in trouble."

"That bag looks heavy… Those two are monsters," Kurumu raised herself up further, observing closely. She looked back at him, "Aren't they?"

As a predator, Kurumu had naturally better eyesight than Tomek when she focused. He was happy to see her using her assets, finally. "I don't know what kind, but a well-placed bullet is usually a decent equalizer. And Tsurara's given me the good ammo." Somehow, he had concealed parts of an ACR is his jacket. After brief assembly, he quietly pushed a clip home and clicked the safety off.

"Can I have a gun?" Kurumu asked, remembering the snow shooting weapons of the Snow Realm.

The patronizing look Tomek gave her would have earned him a slap any other time. At that moment, Kurumu knew she wasn't exactly at her best and accepted his judgment. "Go back to the yacht. Find Gin and tell him to get here right away."

"I'm staying with…"

Tomek leaned into her aggressively, taking her off guard, again. She gasped when she saw the expression in his eyes. His powerful left hand closed on her small shoulder. "We're not doing this Kurumu. We're not! I need you to fly back to the yacht as fast as you can and get Gin down here! Can you do that?"

Caught between indignant rage and something akin to awe, Kurumu gawked back at him. Tomek was just a human and she could sense the monster energy of those two carrying bag. When Tsukune acted on his bravado as a teenager, he had a cadre of monsters to back him up. If Kurumu left Tomek, what would he have? A couple of guns? "But… what if you..."

Tomek almost laughed at her, feeling a little manic as his adrenaline spiked. "I don't know what kind of monsters those are Kurumu! So, there's a lot of 'what if' to go around! We're done talking!" He released her shoulder, half throwing her away from him. She watched him, confused and furious, hurt and angry, as he talked quietly to himself, checking the compact rifle one more time.

He turned his wild eyes on her making her start. "We're breaking cover, together. You fly Kurumu. Fly as straight and fast as you can and don't look back. Get Gin to come here! When we leave this place, it's going to be together. I am counting on you now. Understand?"

Kurumu suspected these words were a kind of ritual Tomek performed before going into action. The last time he spoke similar words to her, she let him fall into the bowels of the Maio cargo ship. She nodded, resolved. This time would be different!

He turned away from her, bringing his legs underneath him ready to spring. The letter! Kurumu remembered the letter sealed with a kiss at that moment. "Tomek, I ha…"

"Go!" He burst from the brush with deliberate noise, moving quickly away from her, further up an incline. Kurumu, grit her teeth, her leathery black wings unfolding from her back as her tail snaked down from her spine. Tomek's feigned recklessness breaking cover concealed her leap as she shot upwards into the branches and boughs above them. Her wings contracted tightly, opening wide like a bat's as she rocketed toward the yacht.

"You two stop right there!"

The depth and authority of Tomek's voice almost made Kurumu do just that! She gnashed her teeth and flew faster, her tail straight out behind her.

The teen boy and girl stopped, staring doll-like at Tomek, not even breathing. His gamble and hollering at them seemed to have paid off. Neither one gave any indication they noticed Kurumu's retreat. As he got closer to them, he observed their eyes were entirely reflective black, but still gave the impression of being focused on him. Wracking his brain, he made an educated guess they weren't doppelgangers, but was also convinced these were not the original children he and Kurumu confronted in Seattle.

Without knowing what they were, he might as well have been approaching them with water balloons. As it stood, Tsurara had given him 5.56×45mm cartridges with silver tipped bullets for the rifle, hollow points for the pistol. Tsurara like to be prepared. That fact made this situation all the direr. How had they gotten the gun bag away from the snow woman? If she was dead…

Hurry up Gin, he thought.

"You have some things that don't belong to you!" Tomek shouted angrily, maintaining the authoritative tone. His rifle was barrel down, stock up as if he were simply patrolling the woods. No need to threaten them physically if his voice was proving enough to hold their attention. He wondered if they really were children.

"We will start with the easy part! Put the bag down!"

The boy turned to the girl. She cocked her head, bird like. Neither one moved to obey him. As one, their eyes fell back onto Tomek as he stopped next to an old growth lodgepole pine. His heart sank noticing they were smiling at him. Monsters didn't smile and flash their teeth casually like humans did, even in human form. It was a 'tell' for Tomek about their radius of effective attack, and he was inside of it now! A soft "shit", slid from his gritted teeth.

He gently took his finger off the side of the rifle and held the trigger, "These are not questions and I am not patient! Put down the bag and step back!"

The boy released the bag. It landed heavily, making Tomek sick to think what might be inside. The boy and girl weren't just smiling. Their mouths were stretching, past the point of where human lips and cheeks would have allowed. Their front teeth elongated at the same pace, stretching a full 5 inches from their bright pink gums.

"That's new…" Tomek said, still with no idea what he faced.

Energy arced between the two of them, soft and white at first becoming a full bolt of blue white energy. Tomek felt the hair rise on his neck and arms. Maybe being next to the tree wasn't the best plan…

A wolf's howl drowned out the crackling and popping of the arcing electricity between them as it burnt the air. Deep and furious, it echoed among the trees. Relieved, Tomek sighed, reaching into his jacket pocket and tossing the first piece of metal he grabbed, a folded utility knife. It hit the shoulder high arc of electricity between the pair, causing their bolt to discharge right between them. Their inhuman screeching ended when they landed on their backs, smoking in the brush.

Tomek kept the rifle up and ready. Not knowing what they were, he had no clue as to what happened and wasn't going to take chances. His patience was rewarded when two waif thin black women sat up from where the adolescents had fallen. Their black eyes rolled and focused on him, their upper teeth grown out, fanned into beaklike tips. "Yeah, that is new!" he said to himself.

Bringing their long legs to their sides with amazing speed, they sprung from the ground!