Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of it's characters, Disney does. I do not own Jo, ChocolateCoveredJockey does. I own Floaty, Trench, Bullet, Tasara, Melinda, Serena, and Charlie. The words Naga and Tuuli came from Amelia Atwater Rhodes Hawksong, the other words were created by ChocolateCoveredJockey and myself. I do not own Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher does.
The warehouse was dark, damp, and chilly, it had been untouched for years everything inside was coated with dust. Boxes and crates were piled up high towards the ceiling, rats scurried across the floor, leaving small droppings in their wake as evidence of their presence. A bright white beam cut through the still darkness followed by a whistle.
"Damn," Exclaimed 29 year old Bullet Hayden, "this damned place hasn't been touched in yeahs! What da hell could Trench want," he paused as a large rat crossed on the floor in the flash light beam, "in a rat nest like dis?"
"Don't know," replied 222 year old Jo as she stomped the sole of her boot down on a medium sized spider in disgust. She swiped cobwebs that hung over head away from her hair, "hey sis, can you do something about this junk-heap?"
Floaty, walking behind her sister, hadn't paid attention to the cobwebs over head since she wore a fedora, "I know a cleaning spell, but I'm not sure it'll clean all this."
"Can ya just do it?" Bullet asked, losing his patience slowly.
"I can't just do it, Bullet," Floaty replied, her dark brown eyes flashing, "magic takes a lot of energy, and right now I'm saivng my energy up for two things: finding that crystal, and fighting any of Spot's vampires if they happen to show up."
"Dis war is a laugh," smirked Bullet as he scratched his cheek, his lower face constantly had a five o'clock shadow on it.
"It's no laughing matter, half breed," hissed Jo, baring down her fangs at him, "we've lost our entire family in this war, as well as vampires and a less than a handful of humans that we care for."
"Shoah, no laughin' matta!" Snickered Bullet, until he found himself shoved into a crate so hard his chest hurt, "What da hell?"
"This war," sneered Floaty, her hand, palm up, shoved foward from a few feet away. Her finger tips and inner palm glew bright golden with magic as she pinned Bullet down, "I happen to know of your sister, Trisha, that was lost to this damned war you humans are having, half breed."
"Dat war ain't no laughin' matta!" Snapped Bullet.
"Then," Jo growled, "you understand, that war that you humans are having, is the exact same war thats going on with us vampires, only without the suicide bombers."
"The Tahkers are enough like suicidal maniacs if you ask me," Floaty replied, "they don't care if they kill themselves along with a few vampires. They're theory is the world will be a better place without us creatures of the night. Those Scar-heh!"
"Easy, Floats," Jo replied, "how about you let Bullet go now?" She asked, going down to her belt she wore that carried her pistols, and a sword.
Floaty sighed, and balled her hand into a fist, she whispered a few words in wizard-language that Jo didn't recognize, Bullet fell onto his bum.
"Esfindos a le findios!" Floaty shouted suddenly, raising her arms she focused on her energy, she gathered her energy to the tips of her fingers as a whirl wind of air and dust circled her, her jacket flapped upwards, her body glew golden. "Findos findois a le Crystavois!" She finished, the golden light leapt out of her body, the whirl wind went with it circling it. Boxes were thrown about, crates were ripped and twisted open, finally after all the debris were done settling from the sudden magical-finding storm two crystals, in shapes of two small daggers, glew bright golden with Floaty's magic.
Jo looked at the circle of clean floor, well some what clean floor, they stood in and made her way towards the crystals, "I love the fact that you're on our side, Sis!"
Floaty smiled and lowered her arms and hands, she picked her staff up from the ground; unlike all vampires who carried a pistol she didn't. She carried a sword, a wand, and her staff.
Jo grabbed the first crystal, but a second hand grabbed the second crystal, Jo looked up and hissed loudly at seeing Skittery.
Skittery growled at her and showed his fangs, his brown eyes changed color and glew a bright green color, "well, well, the Aphrodite-Rah, and her sister, who should be working for us, the Tuuli-Rah. I should have been expectin' ta see youse both."
"Back off, Skittery," Jo warned with a hiss, her eyes, along with their whites, turning black as she opened her mouth some and sneered, showing her long pearly white fangs that were sharper than most knives.
"We found it first, Skittery," Floaty hissed, her irises glew bright purple while her pupils glew golden. She lifted her lips away from her mouth and showed off her fangs that were just as sharp as her sister's.
Bullet hissed at Skittery, but had no fangs to show.
"The Half-Breedling feel left out?" Skittery snickered, before quickly pocketing the second crystal, he grabbed his sword faster than Bullet could blink and intended to send it down on Jo, but Jo had already grabbed her sword and quickly fought back with him.
"Get down!" Floaty growled as she shoved Bullet down to the floor as eight or nine of Spot's vampires jumped down from rafters of the old warehouse. "Kaleentha-debree-ah-attack-itha!" Floaty shouted, gathering enery quickly while she said it, her body glew once again, she spun on one foot, then extended both up turned palms, fingers splayed, and sent her magic into the debris that flew straight at Spot's vampires. Some of the vampires ducked, while others jumped and wiggled around the debris, while two or three were unlucky enough to get hit, cut, and knocked out, one killed, by the debris. Floaty watched the dead vampire's head get chopped off and fly past her, she raised an eyebrow, "watch out Jo, you're about to be bombed by a head."
Jo glanced behind her to see a vampire's head coming at her, she slashed at Skittery, kicked him away and spun on one foot, then kicked the head away from her and sent it hurtling at another vampire. The vampire, who was heading to help Skittery, grunted a surprised, "huh?" Before his buddy's head hit him hard in the stomach and sent him flying back into a wall, a second later he passed out, his body slumping to the floor.
Bullet sat up and wished like hell Star Gazer was there, he was a force to be reckoned with. He watched as Jo kicked and sword fought with Skitts, every now and then pushing him away long enough to kick, hit, or slash at another one of Spot's vampires heading towards her. He looked over at Floaty to see her standing a little bent over he wondered if she was hurt, then saw that she was using her staff to block a sword from hitting down at her. Each time she pushed the sword away she'd shove the end of her staff into a vampire's stomach and send him flying across the room. He grabbed his pistol and started firing at a few vampires who hissed and yelled loudly at him, he sneered back at them, his adrenaline rush kicked in, he jumped up onto his feet and started firing at vampires with both his pistol, his aim accurate and deadly.
A few minutes later the only vampires standing were Jo, Floaty, Bullet, and Skitts, Floaty, Jo and Bullet were all shocked to see Spot standing a little way away.
"C'mon, Skitts, lets beat it!"
"Ise wanna even dis score!" Skitts yelled and growled loudly, his voice echoing.
"Anudda time, we'se gotta go!" Spot yelled at him.
"Fine," sneered Skitts, he backed away from his enemys over towards Spot and started leaving with his leader.
Floaty froze when she saw Star Gazer come running at Spot, she wondered where he had come from, a second later she jumped in panic at seeing his silver sword was coated with dead man's blood. She used a quickening chant to quicken her run and pushed Spot out of the way, then raised her staff to block the attack.
"Floaty, what the hell are you doing?" Star Gazer asked, his voice ten times deeper since he was angry and in attack mode. His eyes were glowing bright green, the whites of his eyes were black. His fangs were longer than Floaty's and Jo's, but all males' fangs were longer than females' fangs were.
"Don't kill him," Floaty hissed.
"Why not? We're at war, killing him will end it."
"No, it will only make things worse, don't forget Spot has a second in command, Jack. I'm sure Jack has a third in command, a back up after back up just like Trench has. Killing Spot wouldn't be worh the trouble anyway, he rarely takes part in the fighting."
"Are you loyal to him now?" Star Gazer growled.
"No," Floaty replied, a growl in back of her throat, "but killing him wouldn't make any difference. It would only make his vampires better at fighting since they're leader was killed. We're stronger then they are right now, let's not do something stupid and mess that up."
Star Gazer sighed, "fine, you're right," he huffed, cleaning his blade on a white handkerchief he took from his trench coat's upper pocket he cleaned off the blade. Floaty eyes slowly stopped glowing and turned their usual shade of dark brown once again.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"I take you got both the crystals, Nashah?"
"No, and I'm not you're Nashah!" Snapped Jo as she walked into Trench's office in his mansion followed by Floaty, Bullet, and Star Gazer.
"What happened?" Trench asked calmly, as he turned he tugged the end of his left sleeve up, smoothing out imginary wrinkles again. His slicked back black hair and sharp nose made many vampires wonder if before he was turned he was an Itilian-Prince of some sort. His dark brown eyes that were nearly black met with each of his vampires' (and half vampire's) eyes. His voice sounded as if he were simply talking about the weather.
"Spot showed up," replied Star Gazer, "like he always does. But this time it wasn't just his men, he was there as well."
"He was, was he?" Trench questioned, an eyebrow raising.
"Yes," Floaty nodded, "he was there for the crystals of daylight as well. Skittery grabbed the second dagger, the male's dagger, before we could."
Trench sat down, the only sign of his anger was the fact he was biting down hard to keep from showing too much of his anger. He sighed and calmed a moment later, his face looking as if nothing wrong had happened, "well, we'll just have to get it back, now won't we?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skittery was still floored, amazed really, the Tuuli-Rah had saved Spot's life! The wizard could have easily helped to kill Spot, make his death faster, but instead knocked him down and used her staff to block the attack.
"Why would she do dat, Skitts?" Spot asked his technician, as well as one of his best friends; confusion shone in his constant glowing icy blue eyes. I'se know I'se got a t'ing for Floaty, I t'ink she likes me but I'se ain't shoah. If she does we'se kin only like eachodda on Neutral Grounds why would she risk her neck like dat foah me?
"I hear dat she's a few french fries short of a full Happy Meal, if ya catch my drift," Skitts replied as he and Spot headed for Neutral Grounds. Spot waited outside a door and kept an eye out for any of Trench's vampires or for any Tahkers, the night seemed quiet now; though many times one thing wasn't always what it seemed. Skitts came back out of the building a minute later redressed in semi-baggy dark denim jeans, a Linkin Park T-Shirt, and a thick gold chain with a medal of Tasara around his neck.
"She don't seem ta be," Replied Spot, "she was jist as sane as heh sistah."
"Says a lot about her sistah's sanity," snorted Skitts.
"Whose ah we discussin?"
Spot and Skitts turned and smiled at seeing Jack walk up dressed full out cowboy.
"Tryin' ta pick up a cow goil, Kelly?" Spot smirked as he shaked his best friend's, as well as his second in command's, hand.
"So what if I'se am? I'se ready for a Naga, I'se know it's dangerous for us ta even have a Nashah let alone a Naga, but I'se tired of wakin' up in bed alone aftah one night stands," Jack shrugged. "I'se got me eye on one goil," he sighed, "but wid dis war, I'se don't t'ink she an' I'se will be nothin' but friends wid benefits." He closed his eyes for a second and recalled the other night when he and Jo had spent all night in a hotel talking, laughing, drinking, and in bed, not just sleeping either.
"Boy," laughed, Skitts, "whoever dat goil is she's got ya whipped, Kelly! Yas may not be able ta find anudda goil but heh, ya look like yer awll but ready ta ask da goil ta be yer Naga!"
"I'se tried," Jack replied.
"One of Trench's?" Spot asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Jo," replied Jack with a smile.
"The Aphrodite-Rah, youse spent a night wid heh? Dats da big leagues!" Skitts beamed.
"Don't be such a pig about heh!" Snapped Jack, "she's a respectable woman! She's sad and tired of dis war!"
"We'se awll are," replied Spot, "as well as da woman ya want ta be yer naga is out in da open I'se would love ta have da Tuuli-Rah as my naga."
"Da wizard? Are youse nuts?" Skitts asked.
"No," replied Spot, "I'se like heh a lot. I'se also happen ta heah youse got youse eye on Melinda," smirked Spot watching as Skitt's face went bright red with a blush. Melinda worked for Trench, she was basically his accountant and didn't take part in too much of the fighting in the war. She lived on Neutral Grounds, when coming to work at night she was escorted by Mush and Barrel, two other of Trench's vampires.
"So what if I'se do?" Skitts exclaimed.
Spot and Jack laughed, shook their heads and walked to their favorite Neutral Grounds bar and dance club, Diomedes, which was ancient Greek for "thoughts of Zeus," it was Charlie's bar and club.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"So whose the mystery guy?" Questioned Floaty with a smile as she and sister walked into Diomedes, she watched as the crowd parted for them. She recognized a few of the vampires they had fought with earlier.
"Heya babes! Good fight!" Shouted one, raising his Martini glass to the two.
Jo waved at him but walked on with her sister, "Jack," she replied.
"I knew you had a thing for him," Floaty smiled.
"Ah, shut yer trap about it," laughed Jo as she mimicked Bullet when he had confessed to liking Serena, Skittery's little sister. "So, now, that the guy I like is out in the open, tell me yours."
"Spot."
"You want Spot Conlon? He's the leader of his vampires, well," Jo paused, "I should have known by when you saved his ass today."
"So?" Floaty asked, "I didn't save him just because I wish he were my mate, I saved him because it would have been wrong to kill him. He was literally an innocent bystander."
"He's the leader of his vampires, Floaty, he's far from innocent; Trench never goes to battles, and yet he's far from innocent," Jo replied as she slid into a booth, her sister sat on the other side of the booth.
Floaty folded her hands and rested her elbows on the table, "yea I know he's anything but innocent, but Spot...He really wasn't fighting, and he's already said out in the open he hates all this fighting and war. He really wants peace, we need to find a way to have peace."
"Trench won't stop until Spot, Jack, and Skittery are dead and until Spot's vampires declare Trench as their king," Jo sighed, "you know that."
"Do we ever really listen to Trench or Star Gazer? Star Gazer and almost every single vampire in Trench's clan are anything but loyal to Trench. They stay with him because we have too since he turned us, other than that they all turn to you and I and Star Gazer for jobs, we're the only ones that see Trench. What, we see Trench...Three times a year...Maybe? Just when he's after something! I mean really, what kind of leader is that?"
"I know, Floaty, I know," Jo sighed, "but the first people to move towards peace would have so much shit piled up on them they'd die under it."
"Not if the two vampires married," replied Floaty, raising an eyebrow. "Two...Powerful vampires, a vampire high up in one clan, and high up in another," she paused as a plan started coming to mind.
"Oh no," groaned Jo, knowing exactly where this was going to lead too. Her sister made good plans, and 99.9 percent of her plans worked, but that one percent that didn't work...
"You and Jack could date and marry, and Spot and I could marry, and the vampires would have to listen to us-" Floaty started.
"And what about Trench? He won't call a truce, ever, Floaty!" Jo sighed, "he'll fight all of us if he has too, you know that!"
"Can't if he's human."
"What?" Jo asked confused and dumbfounded.
"Not. If. He. Is. Human." Floaty replied slowly, "I have a spell that can turn a vampire into a human."
"Oh My Tasara," Jo whispered, "all this time you had that and you never told me!"
"I couldn't," replied Floaty, "the wizard who trained me told me there's a lotta vampires in this world who are want to be human again. I can only make 100 vampires back to human, that's it. This world is filled with what, 3, 4 million vampires, 2 million of them probably want to be human again!"
"I can see why you didn't tell me then," jo sighed, nodding, "well...Lets plan more before we do anything. Or try anything."
Floaty nodded in agreement.