When they rolled up to the McDonald's, Gilbert immediately spotted a bar across the street and dragged the other two over with him. Alfred didn't know if he was responsible enough for this.

"So what do ya want?"

"That." The boy pointed at the Big Mac combo on the board.

"Good choice, dude. One of my faves."

When the order was ready, Alfred led the boy to a table away from other people so he couldn't like whisper to a grandma or something "Help I'm a kidnapped child, use your old lady purse to beat him up!" Alfred watched closely as the kid opened the special box that McDonald's delivered their Big Mac in. It was like a fast food silver platter. Only the best for the best burger on the menu. The kid stared at the box for a minute. If it had been Alfred, that thing would have been gone by now.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

The kid peeked under the bun like he was looking for poison. As if Alfred would poison him. That would be ridiculous. Why would they keep him with them so long and then hurt the little guy. Alfred gave him a winning smile.

"It's not poisoned, dude. You saw the bag the whole time we had it."

The kid sniffed it and then took a small bite. He chewed for a second before looking up and glaring at Alfred.

"Stop looking at me, Perverted Fucker."

"I'm not looking at you. I'm looking at the burger."

"Okay, Creeper."

"It's just been a long time since I've had one. I loved those things."

"Just go buy one."

"Every time I try to eat one, I ralph all over the place and get really sick."

"I can kind of understand. This thing is making me feel kind of nauseas." The kid made a face of distaste or maybe that's just how his face always looked. It was hard to tell. His eyebrows always pointed down in an angry face.

"Oh don't tell me you're some hippie dippie love the Earth only organic type like Mattie."

The kid looked away and didn't respond.

"I've been meaning to ask you. How is Mattie?"

"Alive. Why do you care?"

"He's changed a lot. Like really changed. He looks so different. It was kind of funny how he tried to get me with a hockey stick, hehe. Just like when we were kids."

For such a loud and angry child, the kid was being really quiet.

"I miss him, ya know. When I was taken, I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Taken?"

"Yeah, I got accidentally turned and those guys took me before I could go hurt a bunch of people. I did eat my cat though. I still have nightmares about it."

"Are they going to turn me?"

"Dunno. I think Antonio just wants you as a familiar."

"And that would be?"

"Food that they keep on tap for whenever. I'm also pretty sure Francis bones his so, there's that too."

The kid looked disgusted. Alfred couldn't really blame him. He was like 14 and a guy and these old dudes just kidnapped him to make him a blood and sex buddy.

"Why hasn't he done that stuff to me yet?"

"He said something about the garlic being so thick in your blood that he could open an Italian restaurant or something like that. I feel kind of bad about this whole thing."

"Why the fuck would you care?"

"Kid, even I can tell you're not into him. I've met his other familiars and they're like all over him. I was led to believe this was an agreement."

"I'm not a kid. And no, I'm not 'into him.' I just want to go home."

Alfred watched the kid rest his head on his arms. This was wrong. He understood attacking a den of hunters for Gilbert's brother but this kid wasn't involved. Everything had been ripped from Alfred. He hoped that one day he'd be able to go back, but he knew things would never be the same. He couldn't let that happen to this kid. He knew what he had to do.

"Hey, buddy, you gotta stay strong."

He slid a clip of money across the table under the kids crossed arms.

"The family behind you is leaving out the side door. Walk out with them and convince them to let you catch a ride. Go south for a bit, then home."

The kids head shot up and he stared into Alfred's eyes as if waiting for him to scream "Surprise! It's a joke!"

"Go now!"

The kid stood up quickly and walked with purpose after the family. Alfred watched him speak to the mother. She looked him up and down sizing him up before agreeing to let him sit up front with her. Alfred waited until the car had been out of sight for several minutes before pulling out his cell phone and calling Francis.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Over a week had passed since Emil last ate. When he was hungry he was stronger, less emotions, more irrational. Other perks were no bodies or missing persons so the hunters wouldn't see him coming. The biggest down side was he needed to move carefully as his rotting was progressing quickly without him at least snacking on animals. He found the place Lukas was being held easily. So he watched and he waited.

He walked to the entrance only the hunters used. Their back door. Where they kept their vehicles. And where they wouldn't think twice about opening the door. No one would escape tonight. He removed the thick jacket he'd used to hide his rotting skin. He wanted their last image of him to haunt them all the way to hell. Emil lifted his hand that had the most flesh left and knocked. He stood just out of the door way so they would have to open the door all the way to see him. He couldn't have those trained reflexes slamming the door shut. He could find other ways in but they would have too much warning.

The door opened to a beautiful girl. Her face glowed from youth and recent laughter. Her smile fell away as she took in his appearance. Before her brain could even command her muscles to move, Emil attacked. One of his hands was little more than bones and worked effectively as claws. He swiped across her face and neck, aiming for her jugular. She screamed as she fell. There was a pause for mere seconds before two men came around the corner and opened fire. The bullets rattled through his body, hitting bone and tissue. He felt nothing.

He took a small running start and leapt on the taller one, sinking his exposed teeth into the man's throat. He kept his teeth clenched as he pulled away to cause the most damage. He felt the resistance of sinew and vessels tearing when he jerked back. The screaming and gunfire increased. A shot went directly through Emil's least rotten eye. He focused on the man coming down the stairs with a shotgun. He went for the attack for even without eyes he could still see. This man was between him and Master. Between him and his brother.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The monster, drenched in blood with pieces of flesh dangling from its teeth, attacked Vash with supernatural speed. Vash used the barrel of his gun to block its biting mouth. Tino was changing his clip with shaking hands. Mathew lifted his hockey stick above his head, ready to spear the skeleton beast through its skull.

"Let the wizard out!"

Vash threw his weight into knocking the creature back far enough for Mathew to squeeze through and get up the stairs. When Mathew opened the door. The wizard boy was sitting in the center of his bunk with his eyes closed. Mathew grabbed the keys from where Vash had left them in his haste to get downstairs.

"Release me and this will all stop."

"Stop it and I'll release you."

"Then you will be the last to fall when he comes for me."

Maybe there was a way for Mathew to stop it himself. If he knew what it was, maybe he could find a weakness.

"What is that thing?!"

"My brother."

There wasn't time. Even if the wizard were being helpful, everyone would be dead before he could do any research. Mathew unlocked the cage and pointed his hockey stick at the wizard.

"If anyone else dies, you die."

"As if you could stop one such as me."

For a moment Mathew felt a pressure on his body and static in the air. It was gone quickly as the wizard walked past him. Mathew followed closely. He kept his weapon ready to strike. As they came into view of the room, the creature lugged Vash's head at Roderich and Tino.

"Stop, Emil."

It froze and slowly turned to face the wizard. It had no eyes, only gaping holes, yet it watched the wizard. Its brother. Mathew's eyes met Roderich's. He knew what he had to do.

With as little movement as possible, Mathew turned to the stake end of his hockey stick and shoved it up through the back of the wizard's skull with all the strength he could muster. A blue wave of light burst through the room and the creature fell to its knees and crumbled into a heap of bones just as the wizard expelled his last breath.

0o0o0o0o0o

Arthur was just getting ready for the morning. His breakfast of sausages and toast, while a little black, smelled scrumptious. He shooed off a fairy trying to steal a sausage and scolded it for its misdeed. His favorite tea kettle had just started whistling when he felt a pain in the base of his skull. Only once had he felt this energy before and yet he immediately knew what it meant. The Wizard of the West was dead.

AN: Guess who the other great wizards are. Also I thought if I hurried up and got this chapter out then fanfic karma would make some of my fave fanfics update. Please work. I need updates.