"And this is where you go… You see? You just click on this. Yeah… Look! And ta-daaaaa…" Rhage mimiced a victorious gesture with his hands making Bloodletter flinch back in the fear of losing his eyes, although not too far because of the lack of place on the small couch they were resting on. Blondie grabbed so called notebook and turned the screen to the side for him.
"It´s a fucking Youtube man, you can find any videos there," he fake coughed, "actually not every, if you know what I mean."
Bloodletter look stunned.
"No, I don´t."

The small series of laugh and smiles were heard across the room with brothers and their shellans present, everyone who heard the statement. His eyes flew across the room. Phury was playing some game with his mate Cormia on the ground and he was deadly focused. More like he would be if he was planning some death mission instead of throwing the dice on the board. Zsadist sat in the distance with Bella and their young. Every time the small girl wandered through the room on her four and ended up near him, the big "scary" guy jumped out and carried her away. Right now he seemed to be the most dangerous one, because of the protective aggression he let out in the air each time he eyed the stranger among them.

Rhage´s Mary was missing. She and the king´s shellan excused themselves half an hour ago and they haven´t returned yet. But Rhage himself was so much taken into things he was showing to Bloodletter that he didn´t even notice her absence, the same for the king, who was sitting occupied with tones of paper behind the table.
"It works the same as the TV, but here you can search for what you would like to see…"
"TV?"
Rhage stopped in the middle of clicking. "Oh, hell, I should start with that one…"
"That´s the big black flat thing on your wall, you need to have remote control to use it," explained Phury looking away from his game. Obviously just lost it. "You should have let me win for once, leelan," he whispered toward his shellan´s ear teasing her.

Bloodletter knew he would never be here with them, seeing all of this, if there wasn´t for a last night fight in the street. The one in which was his son and his friend missing and the one in which he prevented Phury from getting shot right into middle of his chest. It all happened too quickly for him to remember all detailes. He saw the brother in a danger and he knew he had to do something immediately. Watching out for those people were the only option how to get closer, that much he knew.
Now Bloodletter remembered his talk with Scribe Virgin after queen and king left his room. It was their first meeting after she tossed him into this world without any preparation or a proper hint what to do and where to go. Fortunately, the fate took its turn.

-"I didn´t ask you why you agreed to my plan," she said, her voice calm and steady.
Bloodletter smiled, the feeling of superiority filled him.
She maybe decides who ends up in the paradise and who not, but it was certain she has never seen how the hell looked like from the first hand. And she was curious.
"I didn´t want to rot in that place any longer, it is that simple."
"So after all, you are doing this for yourself."-
He said yes. But in his mind something deep down was whispering, he is a liar.

"You know what is hell about?" he heard himself talk suddenly, "you experience the worst scenarios of your life… all over again."
"I imagined it like this."
"It is not just that."
She was still standing behind his back and he didn´t try to move either.
"You see the bad what happened to you and the bad you did. But ironically the far worse are deeds you´ve done to someone. In that place I saw what I´ve done to my son million times."
He gave himself few seconds to continue.
"It wasn´t only the scene how I remembered it. I felt all…"
Now he looked at her.
"I´ve destroyed him."
What he could tell on his defense? That he was a one screwed motherfucker, who didn´t know what to do with himself, or his soldiers or his own son? He had always seen the child only a handicap for a warrior, who needed to fight for the survival of the race. He´d treated him like any other man in the camp."
"Like an animal," she ended his thought making him twitch.
"Yes, like that."
"Are you regretting it?"
Bloodletter was about to response in different words: "I thought, I´ll made him strong, independent. But I was wrong." The same way how I was raised up.
"You´ll see what you´ve made of him. Sooner or later."

Bloodletter woke up from his memories remembering this to be the last sentence he heard before she left. The brothers were still on the same positions as in the time, when his thoughts started to drift away, but now their heads were all indicating on the two newcomers entering the large living room.
"Hey, you two, mind to join us finally?" Someone uttered a question, but more after that was heard, even the king eyed them a little bit furiously, but then seeing that the dramatic atmosphere between them has successfully changed, he just let out a deep breath.
"Next time, when you want a time off to fix your…" he looked at the small girl and Zsadist standing behind her – his brows almost connected expressing quiet warning, "things… what about leaving some message for your… concerned and loving king, eh?"
"Yeah. Sure."
"Of course."

Bloodletter watched the two of them be ordered by a king to get ready for the night – all nice and politely. And soon after they uttered some greetings, both indeed left for their business and Rhage suddenly raised his head from the computer grinning.
"What is it, Hollywood?" asked the scarred one holding his daughter with one arm and his shellan by her side also preparing for a leave.
"I just… heh, am I the only one seeing this a little strange? Well," he began to explain, his smile even widened, "how can be they so good after they returned from a Commodore?"
"You should watch your mouth, man, have you got too much teeth?"
He showed his hands in a protective gesture.
"Ok… sensitive subject… I get it." But his smile didn´t go any near smaller.

He and Bloodletter were the only folks left, after everyone cleared the space. Good time to ask things. Maybe the only time, he´ll get.
"What was this about?" Rhage´s eyes met his, but the playful joy was gone.
"It´s a kind of intern stuff, buddy. Sorry… hey, where are you going? Hey, come on! Don´t be mad! I can tell you something about me, if you want… I have plenty of that… Hey!"

He caught him regardless later on the stairs. The only meaningful information Bloodletter got was, when blondie said: "They are close, you saw what cop does… We are only joking around." And he remembered just that in the moment, Butch stopped him alone on their way from the mansion.
"Hey, man, ugh, I wanted to thank you… you know, for helping V with me two nights ago?"
He was in the full armor, guns lightly visible under his jacket, plenty of hidden knives on the other places as well.
"Any time," Bloodletter saw that he had something else on his mind.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Was it bad… like really bad? Did V freak out a lot? I´m kinda scarred to ask him, we are finally getting well again."

Bloodletter remained silent thinking about what to say. He played the evening all over again before his eyes. He decided to tell the truth. "I remember him yelling at anyone who wanted to touch you, taking you all by himself to the car. He had to drive it, but he did it only with one hand, with other one he was holding you. We were very silent after we realized he was counting your heartbeats. He didn´t move from you, when you were sleeping, not even once."
Bloodletter didn´t try to hide that he was impressed by this acting. And he purposely chose the words according to this impression. He has never had such a friend.
"He cares about you deeply."
Because the connection, he thought. The two of them were bonded to each other in a very special way, he saw that the same moment as Butch´s body asked for his son, needed him to clear him from the darkness, they all felt. Although Bloodletter was scared to hell from that gloved hand - maybe even more than from what he witnessed as "eating part" - he had clearly seen that Vishous is saving him, healing, drawing him back to this world. He didn´t know that the hand of his could bring anything else than destruction. He learnt better.
"Shit. I´ve hoped… eh… So I´ve probably deserved those punches after all." The small smile appeared on his lips.
"Thank you, really."
You shouldn´t be thanking me, lad. He didn´t say it out loud, however he would bet the man knew it.

OOO

Butch gripped the dagger hard in his hand, feeling the coldness of the steal with his fingers. His eyes pinned to the lesser´s pale skin appearing in the light of the street lamp as he was slowly moving with his friend in cop´s and V´s direction.
"Look, finally some fun for us tonight."
It was already two hours of the night shift behind them with no one crossing their path. They were pumped up and all ready for some good fight and aftermath.
Vishous copying Butch´s movements, making a small distance between them, not too large, if anything went wrong in some case, added a gun to the blade in his hand.
"I´ll take the one on the left."
Butch heard a muttered agreement, before they both startled up for their man, feeling the familiar wave of adrenalin taking over. The night was young and promising. All brothers were on the strings to find some proper information about the missing girls for a good while and maybe to do some proper damage in the process too. And tonight?
Butch wasn´t any near good in predicting future as V was, but something was telling him, they will succeed.

His boots thundered in the silence of the empty streets as he run towards the stinking figure, who had just spotted him drawing his gun from the coat at the same moment.
The motherfucker didn´t got a chance.
The weapon fell out from his hand as it was a baby doll held by a three years old child, caused by Butch´s hands performing the very well trained maneuver he remembered from the academy. The lesser ended on the ground pinned with Butch´s dagger to the fucking cement as the to-do-list on the notice board. The black blood running wild from the wound and more came after Butch pulled out his Glock and took few shots to the moaning body, just to be sure, he won´t be going anywhere before questioning.
He turned to the side looking for V, with a delighted expression on his face, assured by the sudden silence that his fight was over as well. What a fucking surprise was finding him standing in front of the bastard vulnerable with his eyes almost closed and gun pointed at his heart.

OOO

Some scientists are saying that we now live in am age, when time passes faster than it had had in past. It is considered to be not only our belief or point of view, but a result of the earth´s core´s frequency rising with decades. In different words it means that our second doesn´t last a second anymore. It´s twice more faster. So is the minute and the hour.
Butch read the damn article like week ago and suddenly he remembered every word… no, not just remembered, he felt it present on his own skin.

It was the time running. The time between the realization and reaction. The time, that could kill or save.
The second he raised his hand and pulled the trigger didn´t last twice as fast… it didn´t last at all… He just did it in no time.

Feeling the overwhelming satisfaction as he heard a bullet penetrating his target´s head and dagger running for his heart, no more shots were made as the lesser swayed down. He almost cried out of pure relief. The terror but didn´t leave him at all, it made him want to grab the stupid vampire in front of him and beat some good sense into his empty head.
"What the fuck was that?" he asked halfway close.
"Do you have a death wish, brother?"
It wasn´t like V couldn´t handle one rat on his own. Jesus Christ, he could easily make a fucking torch of himself if nothing else.

Butch approached him kicking the lesser´s gun out of reach just in case. He wanted to ask him again what was that about… he thought this shits were already behind them.
But he asked: "Are you okay?" instead noticing the cut on his hand bleeding, Butch´s voice changing in a concerned tone however didn´t lose all YOU IDIOT STYLE so easy.
"Perfect fine," the cold answer hit him right into his face reminding him that the brother wasn´t just all love-talkie, the most time he just acted like a fucking iceberg he was. How could he forget it was never that simple with him?
"What happened?"
"Leave it, cop." Fuckin´Asshole.

There was no need of searching anything sterile, because of Vishous simply tearing up his own T-shirt at the bottom and making himself a bandage in the all Rambo-style. Without any asking for help. Typical. Then he bent over to pick up something from the ground – his gun. How the hell did it get there?
Suddenly, the last parts of the theory processed by Butch´s police mode, fit into right places and he knew the answer without searching in those diamond eyes.
"Was it your head again?"

The frown.
Silence.
Bingo… 1:0 for Butch.

Well, it wasn´t so unexpected. Despite V´s enormous effort to hide his discomfort during the last few days, Butch was aware of that he was still having the problems. One wrinkled forehead, shutting his eyes, when the light was too bright, his hand moving time to time away from his goatee on his temple.
He did notice this.
But in the same time he knew, there wasn´t a single thing he could do about it. It was certain as hell how Vishous would react, if he´d tried to confront him. So instead cop was waiting and hoping he will come to him when he´ll feel like it. No pushing. No forced comfort. That was until of course he decided to become a fucking salt pillar just when the bad guy feels like shooting someone.
"Hey, I´m talking to you!"
"I said, leave it," his strict answer didn´t approve any room for negotiating.
"No fucking way."

His face formed into mask of stone, eyes avoiding any contact. "We have a work to do." Butch was shoved off like he didn´t weight any more than a little girl, so V could bent over the bleeding but still present lesser on the ground.
"I will be very clear. You tell me, where are you bastards holding the girls and I don´t let Dhestroyer to eat you. I´ll kill you instead. How do you like it, motherfucker?"
His hair showed the remains of brown shade. Maybe a week ago they were just like Butch´s.
"I… don´t want… to… die…" He was spitting the blood.
"You should have thought about it before you joined Omega´s little party."
The lesser´s eyes were glistening. He was shaking his head, making even more blood escaping his body after the movement.
"I didn´t… know…"
This didn´t lead anywhere. It was far too late to be sorry or regretful, thought Butch leaving the argument for now.
"Tell us, where are the girls, if you know. Do a one good thing before you die." The man´s face twisted in emotions, he blinked, his lower lip moving awkwardly.
"Don´t… know… the phone…" Butch realized that he was trying to point at his comrade.
"His… phone… I don´… know…"
Cop went for it searching in the pockets.
"Got it."

He handed it to Vishous, who unlocked it and typed something on the screen.
"The fucking i-phone, unbelievable…" he heard him murmuring.
"Is there something?"
The positive answer was at least a step forward. However they didn´t celebrate in advance - the sudden progress could mean information or empty hands on the end.
"What do we do with him?"
Butch didn´t regret listening to his senses on this matter. The guy told them the truth – as it seemed. He was obviously screwed up. Cop let him decide.
"Want to go back or to free yourself?"
"I don´… wan´… back…"
Good choice.

This time cop held his promise. He did his thing quickly, leaving the darkness infect his body only for it to be pulled out later with the help of his brother in the safety of the Pit. There in the bed with warm body next to him, healing him and embracing, Butch didn´t want Vishous to leave him. No matter how mad he was about the thing earlier.
"I need to check up the phone," was the reason, why was Butch left alone in the sheets anyway. He cursed. A lot. But he understood.

The confirmation that he had done a right thing back there in the street came an hour later in the king office with everyone present. The phone was lying on the big oak table next to the laptop, where the information was running on the screen and V on the right side encircling the spot red on the map.
"We can´t be sure. It can be a trap. The messages were scripted in codes, but still it was too easy compared to how long we are already trying to find the girls."
"You were there, Butch, what do you think?" The king was staring at him like everyone else, "was he telling the truth?"
"It´s not like we have a choice."

They needed to check the place no matter if it was a trap or not.
"That´s right."
The king then started to bark orders and the plans began to run wild. All brothers were giving their ideas about the best way how to get unnoticed to the old farmhouse which represented the red mark in the nearby of Hudson. It would be wise to go see the place first, but no one suggested such a thing. They simply didn´t want to waste any more time. According to what was left in the lesser´s phone, the girls were alive, but that fact could change every second.

The rescue mission was held next night. Brothers were full of expectation, but they also kept their shits together. Every one of them wanted to return back to his shellan. And Butch wanted to return to his scotch , so he could think about how to make V a little bit more social.
And when the hour came, from everything, what happened, the one moment carved into his memory forever. The moment, when he, Rhage and Vishous opened the door of the basement and from the dark were carried quiet yips, followed by a pale ghost girls faces appearing in the switched light.

That was the cop´s work - make them feel safe, ensure them they were saved and no one will ever hurt them, especially not brothers. Hell, it wasn´t as easy as it sounded.
The girls were scared to death. They were prepared to die, not to be found.

And that was the big moment, when V suddenly stepped out, approaching the first girl – the youngest one with his gloved hand raised towards her. He said something in old language. The girl pushed down the sobs breaking from her throat and her eyes filled with new tears. She took his hand and ran against his chest with a force, which made him take a step back. He actually hugged her too for a few heartbeats, then he let her go and the brothers took her out. The rest of the girls and women followed the example, but stayed near Vishous never being far behind him as they left their prison.
They counted six of them.
"There weren´t any more girls with you?"
The one with the blond dirty hair who looked like copying the best nodded.
"We were nine on the start, but they took three girls away, later said they were… they killed them…"
So they were late after all. Butch´s mood went dark as others did too. The priority was to transport the girls as fast as they could. They were still on the enemy´s territory, although they managed to kill the two guards.

Vishous drove the escalade. There was something on cop´s mind when he placed his ass in the Jeep with Rhage as passenger.
"What did he tell them?"
"V?"
"Yeah…"
Rhage looked out of the window, when the engine screamed with rage.
"I´m like you. Look at me and take my hand. I´m taking you home… That´s what he said."