The Crow and the Falcon. (Nine)

*Why am I even here?* Damon asked himself. He slouched against his locker, sulking. *I'd be far more useful searching /out/ of school. But, no, little brother insists on things being as normal as possible. We've been here a week and a half out of five hundred years, now /this/ is what I'd call /ab/normal.* He sighed, and hummed quietly along to the music blasting into his ears from the headphones.

He jumped, startled out of his thoughts as a hand waved in front of his face. Zia jumped back herself, startled at his reaction.

"Boy, you're uptight." She told him.

"Uh, sorry. Miles away." He replied

"What're you listening to?"

Damon looked blank, then shook his head dazedly when she pointed to his Walkman. "Oh. All About Eve." He replied. She looked confused, so he elaborated a little. "A chirpy Goth band from the eighties."

"You're into that weird Goth shit?"

"Some of it. It suits my dark moods and temperament." He said, hitting stop on the stereo clipped to his belt. A few teachers had /tried/ to comment, but had thought the better of it when they saw the look he gave them.

"Fine. Weirdo." She grinned. "First lesson has been cancelled. Principal Morgan wants to see the whole school, so she called an assembly. Probably something to do with Tatum."

"They left that a bit late." Damon frowned.

"Huh?"

"You'd have thought she'd do it Tuesday, or yesterday at the latest."

"Maybe." Zia shrugged.

"I smell more trouble. Looks like Cookie might be right." A smile crept across his face. He liked a challenge. Zia stopped and looked at him strangely before shaking her head and following him again.

~*~

It hadn't really occurred to Stefan just how big Redditch High was until the entire student population was gathered in the auditorium. Fells Church had been a relatively small town; everyone pretty much knew everyone else. It wouldn't have surprised Stefan if there were a good amount of students here who didn't even know the names of a good deal of the others. *Well, you wanted anonymity.* He told himself. He spotted a familiar blue head towards the back, and wove his way through students to get to it.

"What's going on?" He asked Cookie. He glared at the boy sitting next to her, moving into the seat he quickly vacated.

"You're picking up bad habits from us." She grinned.

"Nope. Some inborn snobbery from being an aristocrat." He replied. "So what's this about?" He asked again.

Cookie shrugged. "Principal Morgan called an emergency assembly."

"/Emergency/ assembly? That doesn't sound good."

"No. It doesn't."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"You know what? I do too." Cookie muttered.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Stefan sighed and chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully, his attention turning to the front of the hall.

Principal Morgan was standing in front of a microphone that had been set up in the middle of the stage, a sombre expression on her face. She coughed to clear her throat before speaking.

"I wish I could say good morning to you all, but I'm afraid there is nothing good about it. As you are all aware, we suffered a tragic loss on Monday with the death of Tatum Kent. It has hit us hard, some more than others, and she will be sorely missed. To her friends, and anyone else who feels they need help through this, we have councillors willing to listen to you.

"It pains me greatly to say what I have to say next, especially considering that we are still in shock from Monday..."

"I feel sick." Cookie mumbled quietly, sinking down low in her seat, eyes shut tight. "I don't want to hear this." Stefan gave her a sympathetic glance, and hesitantly took her hand to comfort her. She gripped his hand tightly. The principal was still speaking.

"Early this morning Bernadette Garrett's body was discovered in the river, a few miles from her home." She paused as gasps and murmurs of shock filled the large room.

"Oh, Lord and Lady." Cookie moaned, pressure increasing on Stefan's hand. "Why did you give me this damnable 'gift'? Why do I have to know these things? Why did I have to be right? /Why/?" She whispered. It was only his sensitive hearing that let him catch the last of what she said. His heart went out to her. Relative silence fell over the room again as Principal Morgan started to speak again. Stefan could feel how uncomfortable she was having to do this. *No one should have to do this.* Stefan thought bitterly.

"Early signs indicate that it was the same person who killed Tatum Kent, and as of today, the police are searching for a possible serial killer. From the wounds dealt, the police are looking into possible ritual or cult killings. If you know anything, and I do mean /anything/ you /must/ tell the police. This is a deadly serious situation, and it is important that we try to prevent losing any more of you.

"On that note, the police are enforcing safety restrictions on all young people.

"One; A nine pm curfew is being placed on the town. Not one of you is allowed out after then, unless in the company of your parents.

"Two; No one is to be allowed out on their own, and preferably not even in pairs. Police are not ruling out that the killer has an accomplice. If you /must/ leave your house, make sure you are in a group of people you know and trust. This applies to during the day.

"Three; School /will/ be kept open. We have no idea how long this will last, and your education cannot suffer. Again, I must stress the point of travelling in groups, and I would prefer it if no one walked to and from school until this matter is resolved. If you don't have your own car, get your parents to drive you to school, your friends' parents, your older brothers or sisters. Take the school bus, get a taxi. But /do not/ go alone.

"Please remember, these rules are not here to punish you. They are being enforced to try and save lives. Follow them for your own good.

"One last important thing. So far, the deaths have been girls. I want all of you girls to be extra careful for that reason. Stick with the boys. I know that this is the nineties, and I'm fully aware that you can take care of yourselves in most cases. But the fact remains that the boys are physically stronger, and are able to take care of you if needs be.

"Boys, keep an eye out for yourselves, and for the girls. Just remember, don't go looking for trouble. We don't need casualties from fools trying to be heroes.

"You'll all be staying in school for the rest of today, but this mornings lessons are being cancelled for you to try and absorb the shock and information. Remember, your teachers and councillors are on hand if you need to talk, ask questions, or offer any information. Please, stay alive and well." As she left the stage Principal Morgan was shaking visibly. Stefan doubted anyone else had noticed. The murmuring started up again as students stayed where they were, unsure what to do. Stefan picked up snatches of conversation.

"...We're not safe. Any one of us could be next..."

"...There's a freaking lunatic on the loose, and instead of going out looking for him, they're holding /us/ prisoners. How is that fair?..."

"...Like, man, it's the aliens. It's gotta be abductions. They're experimenting on us like lab rats." Stefan shot the greasy haired boy an odd look. He held up his hands defensively. "Hey, man. You heard Morgan, she said they might be cult killings. Some people might call aliens a cult thing."

"Why don't you just keep insensitive opinions like that to yourself." Stefan snapped. "Now isn't the time or the place."

"Leave it, Stefan." Cookie said wearily. "He's just shocked. You're in my Biology class next, right?"

"Yeah." Stefan nodded.

"Good. I'll have company bunking then." Cookie said, making to leave the hall.

"Where are we going?" Stefan frowned.

"Jess and Zia's French class. That's the most comfortable room out of our first period lessons. We need to be together, and that's probably where the others will go."

"Okay." Stefan nodded. "Sounds reasonable."

"Yeah." Cookie grimaced and rubbed at her temples. After a moment her eyes widened in shock. "Adam." She whispered.

"Adam what?"

"Adam. Is he here? /Was/ he here?" She started looking around frantically. "Oh shit, what if he bunked and didn't hear this stuff? What if he's alone?" She was on the verge of hysterics.

Stefan grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Easy, easy. I'll go look for him, okay? What lesson does he have?"

"Okay." Cookie said nodding her head slowly. "He has Math first." Stefan smiled at her reassuringly, and started stretching out with his mind, searching out for Adam. He frowned when he didn't sense him, and started for the main auditorium doors. "Don't go out alone!" Cookie called after him, concern on his face.

He stopped and grinned back at her. ((Don't worry. I can take care of myself.)) He told her mentally. She nodded, and returned a weak grin. *Adam, where the hell are you?* He thought worriedly.

~*~

Adam wasn't in his Math class. No one had seen him, and the teacher became alarmed that he was missing. Stefan had lied, /lied/ he kept telling himself. He never lied outright. He'd told the teacher that he'd seen him in school this morning, that he was looking for him to borrow a book. The teacher had settled down, satisfied. Now Stefan was getting frustrated, and a little worried. He didn't /think/ that anyone would try and attack the boy; he was tall, and even if he wasn't overly muscular, he was well built and obviously able to hold his own in a fight. What was worrying Stefan was that he wasn't sure what they were up against exactly. If it /was/ supernatural or occult, then Adam could be putting himself in a great deal of danger.

The vampire stopped in the middle of the hallway, slamming his arm against the lockers in annoyance. This was getting him nowhere. *If he's bunking, he's not going to be on school grounds, is he.* He chided himself, leaning against the wall to think. *Or is he?* He mused as his gaze fell on the door opposite. The door to the girls' toilets. *Doesn't he have some cubicle he hides in to fiddle with that computer of his? Where?* Stefan boosted himself off the wall and into a run, slamming into every door that displayed the guys' sign. Until he found the cubicle with the tattered 'Out of Order' notice taped to the outside. He grinned. Someone was in there alright. It /felt/ like Adam, but he hadn't known him long enough to be entirely sure. Slipping into the cubicle next door, he boosted himself up off the toilet seat rim to find out for sure. *I'd better be right, or this is gonna be /really/ embarrassing.*

He breathed a sigh of relief as he recognised the figure sat on the toilet seat, head resting on arms, was his errant friend. Then the anger hit him. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?"

Adam's head snapped up. "Huh?"

"You've freaked your sister out, you've had /me/ worried, you've had you're teacher worried. What's worse is I actually /lied/ to cover your ass. Did you even bother to come hear what Principal Morgan had to say?"

"Yeah." Adam shrugged. "And?"

"And? Did you actually listen? Did you take any of it in? Don't bother answering, it looks all too much like you didn't." Stefan ranted. "'Rule' number two. No one is to go anyplace on their own. That was /no one/. That /includes/ you."

"Jeez. Get off my case, would you. I'm in /school/."

"So was Tatum. And she ended up on a slab in the morgue." Stefan growled. Adam actually flinched at that.

"I can take care of myself."

"/Not/ in this. There's something nasty at work here. Haven't you learned anything these past couple of days? Didn't Tuesday night tell you /anything/? There are things out there, dark things, things parents tell their kids to make them behave. But they're /real/, the monsters in the dark exist."

Adam arched a brow. "I live with witches. I /know/ that there's stuff out there."

Stefan shook his head, irritated. He made a snap decision, and boosted himself into the cubicle, fangs bared. He grabbed the startled boy by his shirt collar and rammed him against the wall, not hard enough to hurt, but forceful enough to convey his strength.

"Look at me, Adam Tate. /Look/." He snarled. "/I'm/ one of those things, I'm one of those dark creatures, I'm some people's worst nightmare. /We're/ out there, and we're /dangerous/."

"Let /go/." Adam was struggling to release himself, bristling with anger, and a little fear. "Freaking well get /off/ me."

Stefan tightened his grip a little, getting the point across that Adam was helpless, that the boy could do nothing. "I could kill you easily." He warned. "I could take you down, and you wouldn't even know about it if I so chose. I could drain you right here, right now. But I won't, because I care, because I don't like taking life. Whoever it is out there, /whatever/ it is, doesn't share the same beliefs that I do. It will take you down if it gets you alone, it will kill you, and it will /enjoy/ it. It will steal your Lifeforce, and it will do /bad/ things with it. Think on that. And then think long and hard about just /who/ you'll be hurting if you go and get yourself killed through your stupidity. Your mom, your sister, your friends. Me." Stefan released his grip on Adam's shirt and stared down at the floor. "It'll hurt if something happens to you, and what's more, I'll feel /responsible/ because it'd be as if I'd failed you because I hadn't protected you."

"I didn't ask for you to protect me." Adam muttered, but the anger had left his voice.

"No. But please excuse me if I can't shake of some old fifteenth century values." Stefan sighed, moving as far back from the boy as he could in the small space, to give him a little room. "Please, just stick with us. If you can't defend yourself against /me/, what are you going to do if something /worse/ catches you alone?"

"Okay, okay. Quit lecturing me. I /get/ it. You don't have to hammer it home any more." He said miserably.

"Good." Stefan replied wearily. He unlocked the cubicle door and slipped out. "Coming?" Adam followed him out a moment later.

"Let me guess. Zia's French class." Adam said as they left the bathroom.

"Bingo." Stefan said. He paused in the hall. "Wherever it is."

"This way." Adam sighed, jerking his head behind them. "Oh, /damn/..."

Lydia. Stefan assumed the blond with her was Bruce. He eyed them up and down warily.

"Such a shame about your friends." Lydia pouted, her voice oozing with mock sincerity. "And to think we moved here to get /away/ from angst. I'm beginning to think we should go home. It might be safer."

"I wish you would." Adam snapped, dragging Stefan away from them. Lydia's laughter followed them.

"But it's so much more /entertaining/ here." Bruce called after them. "Why would we want to leave when we can stay and annoy /you/?" He joined in with Lydia's laughter.

The hackles on Stefan's neck rose and he shuddered. "That was /not/ good." He said when they were out of earshot. "Lydia made me uneasy. The pair of them together made me want to bolt. Or kill them."

"That might not be such a bad idea." Adam growled. "Killing them, I mean. If you did, I wouldn't be sorry to seem them go."

Stefan glanced back over his shoulder. "I'd consider it, but they'd probably taste /real/ bad."

"Vampire humour. Wonderful." Adam rolled his eyes. "It might even be funny, if I were a member of your little 'society'."

"Oh, you don't even want to be /thinking/ about that." Stefan said quietly. Adam shrugged, silence between them the rest of the way to the French room.