Author's Note: A big thanks to Tina X for the review, I am rather proud of my fight scenes and i's the one thing for which I have never had a negative review, so thanks again, it's nice to know I can do something right. Anyway I imagine most of you reading this aren't actually in it for the Author's Note, for the few who are feel free to skip to the next chapter once it's up but as I was saying...

Here's the chapter.

Nine months of training had made them tough, fast and mean or as Shadow would say it 'barely acceptable' of course they would never be able to rank high in his books but that was unavoidable considering the list of those who he actually viewed as a threat in single combat could be counted on the fingers of both hands. Still he had to admit they worked well together as a team.

Sally was weak at close quarters despite his best efforts but the other three compensated by taking more than their fair share of opponents – all trained fighters that Daybreak had sent over to help him, if Shadow were honest he distrusted Daybreak slightly and often wondered what they got out of this. Sally had however turned out to be a natural sniper and when it came to ambushes and other scenarios he'd set up where they had time to fortify the area beforehand she had proven invaluable.

Aislinn had developed into the natural leader of the group and was in Shadow's opinion the most well rounded of the four.

Nick was now a master of the close quarters and able to use over twenty kinds of hand-to-hand weapon with some proficiency or as Shadow thought of him 'dangerous enough to be a minor threat' admittedly part of that thought was ego but the majority wasn't. Sadly though Nick was very uncomfortable around guns and was barely proficient even by a normal humans standards.

Dan has moved his political smarts to battleplans, able to seamlessly incorporate blueprints and resources into strategies which were almost works of art in themselves, even Shadow was impressed.

Shadow himself had not been idle, he'd managed to recreate his vampire poison from memory and had prevented his skills degrading further.

Now however was the time for their first mission.

Shadow typed the passcode into the warehouse's access panel before heaving the door open. Once the five of them were inside he closed it before taking the lead, his handgun out in front of him, a short blade in the other hand.

It took a few minutes to get to the control room, he stopped his team with a quick handsignal to wait there before stepping out. The gun in his hand wheezed five times, each shot a death toll for a vampire, and then they were upon him. A werewolf had reacted more quickly than the others and bore him to the ground where the fighting became brutal and bloody as Shadow fought to keep the werewolf too close to use it's claws but also staying out of range of the ferocious jaws; a single bite capable of ripping him apart. He stabbed it repeatedly in the chest, took a deep breath, still stabbing then he shouted.

"Now."

Like a wave of death the four leapt from the shadows, their guns barking furiously as the heavy weapons tore into the Nightworlders who were almost upon them. As one three of them cast down their guns and drew their weapons.

Ash pulled out a pair of elegant sickles, the light weapons deadly in her fast moving hands. Nick removed his bo staff from his back, the long length of tempered metal barely weighing anything compared to his strength and the stave a far more versatile weapon with so many opponents. Dan had perhaps the oddest weapon of all, yet it suited his precise mind and tactical thinking. The nunchuks were the least lethal of the weapons in the room but were very difficult to defend against.

As the remaining nightworlders leapt into battle a single vampire hung back, watching Shadow fight the werewolf whose were getting weaker and weaker as Shadow continued to stab into it's chest.

The fight was over quickly, ten nightworlders died in the time it took Shadow to roll the werewolf's corpse off him. He got to his feet in time to see his team raise the dart guns he'd given them at the vampire who'd hung back.

His action was almost a reflex, conscious thought at least never got the chance for a vote on his course of action.

He dived knocking the vampire to the ground, the darts went over their heads. He quickl stood up and helped the slightly winded vampire to their feet. Who promptly snaked an arm around his throat and gently applied a scalpel to the skin.

"Either I get out of here or your boss gets a new hole to breath through!" She shouted. Shadow saw Sally raise her gun, she could probably make the shot Shadow reasoned.

"Sally, no." The command was calm, clipped and precise. "Now is not a time for rash action I think. Anyway. You aren't actually going to hurt me are you?... Holly."

Author's Note: And another cliffhanger folk. As always please R&R even if it's just criticism however I am always open to ideas so those are equally welcome.