A/N: I've re-posted chapter two. I actually took out some information that I'm hoping you'll all have either overlooked before or have forgotten by now, because I've decided I don't want you to know about it yet. So you may want to go back and re-read it. And hey, reviews are always a nice touch...

Chapter Three- Uneasy

The first two had gone down easily enough, but it was the third guard that Tal was worried about. It wasn't that he thought he couldn't take him, but that the hulking vampyre might get out some sort of warning or something before he went down.You'll fall hard, won't ya big fella?

Andi's amused chuckle resounded through his mind. Need some help my young grasshopper?

Ah yes, please... enlighten me with the wondrous knowledge you're privy to due to the whole 2 minutes and 35 seconds of seniority you wield over me he drawled sarcastically, keeping a wary eye on the guard the whole time.

No sorry, you've misunderstood she quipped. I was referring to my superior ability to kick ass.

Talan smirked lightly at their playful banter. Even Hunting never seemed to get them out of their playful moods.

Seriously though, just a suggestion she added. Don't try a knife at the throat. He'd have your arm off in a heartbeat.

Without hesitation he slid the blade he had begun to draw back into its sheath at his waist. She had a point.

I'd go for a bullet at the back of the knee. Silence it. Take out one leg, and on a guy that bit it should be easy enough to take out the other with a kick.

Working it through in his head he fine tuned the details and came through with a fairly simple strategy. He didn't bother wondering how Andi knew the circumstances, just as he never questioned how they knew their exact age difference down to the second... they just did. Silently sending his thanks he drew his semi-automatic side arm and aimed it with a sure hand. But aiming wouldn't be the hard part. Fixing his gaze on his target he carefully crept forward; knees bent slightly. Exhaling softly and reaching quickly to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow he readied his weapon. The broad back of his target was still facing him, arms crossed and watching the door to the dance floor, he suspected nothing. Reluctantly pulling his gaze from the undead bouncer, he focused on his gun. This would be the difficult part. Reaching out with his mind he moved through the cold steel of the weapon and then beyond. The hallway itself was a complex web of thoughts, notions, impulses floating through the air. Concentrating, with practiced ease, he delicately tugged them all together into one tangible thread. Keeping a firm hold on the line he retreated back into himself. Squeezing the trigger he gave the psychic thread a mighty tug, and the hall dropped into dizzying disorient. Tal flashed forward with super-human speed, dropping into a crouch he flung out his left leg and spun. As the vampyre fell to his knees, his right leg, gushing cold blood from the bullet would, gave out and he pitched forward onto his face, landing in an undignified sprawl. Taking advantage of the situation Tal planted his knee in between the heaving shoulder blades. Snarling in frustration, the vampyre tried to throw the smaller warrior off, but froze almost immediately, collapsing limply to the floor with Tal's dagger imbedded in his left shoulder, piercing his chilling heart. Rolling swiftly to his side Tal crouched on the ground to the right of the body and watched with familiar detachment as it exploded silently into dust. Reaching for his blade, he pulled it from where it still stood upright, sharp point buried in the floor. He extended his hand, pressing it flat against the cold metal door that led to a balcony above the extensive dance floor. Venturing out to gently probe with his mind, thankful that he had "silenced" his gunshot, as no one seemed to have noticed anything. Not that they could have heard an atomic bomb over the pounding music, but you can never be too careful. He and Andi had discovered that nifty trick about a year ago. By deliberately disrupting a certain aspect of a person's thought process they found they could manipulate perceptions. The gunfire a few moments ago had emitted no noise for one simple reason: Talan had temporarily distorted the perception of sound in the hallway to anyone nearby; he'd simply suggested that it didn't exist. And so it hadn't. Rising, he stepped to the doorway and awaited Andi's signal.

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The fifth vampyre fell to a pile of dust as Andi looked on with grim satisfaction. A feeling of unease swept through her, a faint prickle, and she whipped around. The dim hallway, sharpened to daylight brightness with her impeccable night-vision, proved to be clear. Narrowing her eyes, she hesitated before turning back around. Sighing, she stared idly at the mound of ashes on the floor in front of her as she contemplated her next move. She and Tal always planned out their missions meticulously, but something was pulling her away from the main dance floor, or rather warning her away from it. As she stood pondering this mysterious intuition she passively studied the pile of dust at her feet. A few grains shifted and in a move born purely of instinct she whipped around without hesitation, plunging her sai into what had, only moments ago been thin air. The three- pronged weapon, resembling a small triton, sank deep into vampyre flesh. She let out a slow, shaky breath as the undead creature turned to a fine powder and coated the floor in a thin gray blanket. She was somewhat shaken. She hadn't even heard him coming. No vampyre had taken her by surprise in quite some time. And it wasn't that she was getting sloppy; on the contrary, she felt very clear-minded. But there was something...

Everything all right? Came Tal's worried voice, effectively cutting through her bewildered thought process.

Distractedly, she replied that she was fine. Let's get this over with she sighed heavily. She wouldn't be caught off guard again.

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A/N: Alright everybody. My apologies. This has been a LONG, LONG time coming. I'm already working on typing up the next chapter, and I should have it posted within the next day or two. Who knows? Now that it's summer I might be able to actually sit down and get some serious ground covered in this story. I would like to take some time to thank a few people though. My whole two reviewers (to whom I am eternally grateful) and one other very important person.

Desperatedesiremaliciousi: Hey girl. Thanks for reading this for me. You know how stressed and stuff I've been lately. And yes...that little bit in chapter two was a bit familiar wasn't it? ( Thanks Cari. Volim te. Fe'nos tol.

Elvesmagic010: What can I say? Thank you....so much. It appears that you've spent more time with this story than anyone else on Thanks again. Your reviews are greatly appreciated, as is your kindness.

Morning Fey: Hey Shelly. I can't possibly begin to thank you enough. You have been more helpful and more supportive than anyone else I've talked to in a LONG time. I can honestly say that if it hadn't been for you I might have just let this story drift away and never have updated again. Thanks. Much love.

Hey to everyone. You should go check out morning fey's stuff. It's amazing if you like SS fics. See ya soon

Kisses, Ember.