Author's Note: Ok, now that I've actually read what I write on the site I know that almost all my partitioning is for some reason automatically edited out by the upload software, I will eventully get round to correcting this in all chapters in all fics but for now you'll have to settle for it never happening again.

Metal clashed against metal, the brutal rhythm had been going for over a hour but neither Shadow or Holly had conceded a break, despite their new closeness they hadn't lost their competitive edges or their egos for that matter. Sally watched with slight boredom, the fight had lost all excitement for her within the first twenty minutes – there was only so long you could watch people not quite managing to kill each other. Some minor excitement was added when Nick walked in and sat beside her allowing something of a running commentary.

"So how long they been at it?" asked Nick, watching the blades move in complex patterns based more on anticipation than actual response, annoyingly the anticipation had so far proven correct to the millimetre.

"'bout an hour." Sally replied slightly coldly, despite everything she hadn't entirely gotten over her aversion to Nightworlders.

"When do you think they'll finish?"

"When one of them actually falls unconscious from fatigue or blood loss, whichever is first." Now that Sally had said it Nick could see trails of blood surrounding the two from various minor wounds.

As the clang of steel on steel went through a few seconds of unusual fierceness Nick remarked, "It's almost like they really are trying to kill each other."

Sally snorted, "They are trying to kill each other, I've seen those blades pass within millimetres of eviscerating each other."

Nick sighed. "Shouldn't we stop them?"

"Feel free to try, I for one actually like being in possession of all my limbs."

The rhythm intensified, this time building to a steely crescendo as Holly's dagger came spinning past their ears at the same time as both of Shadow's katanas embedded themselves in the floor. Holly slashed with her remaining weapon – a brutal looking kama – but Shadow swung his hand across his body and stopped the blade while drawing a dagger from his sleeve with the other hand, it stopped just drawing blood from under Holly's chin, Shadow felt a gentle prick underneath his armpit. The two at last came to a halt. Careful not to accidently kill one another as they did so they slowly extracted themselves from the others presence, the interlocked arms now consisting of only the hand holding the kama and Shadow's hand which currently had the kama embedded in it. Holly pulled the weapon out with a quick jerk, Shadow didn't even wince.

The two stepped back, bowed to each other then walked away.

"Did he just...? On purpose?" Nick asked, somewhat put off by Shadow's calmness at his injuries.

"Yep, and it isn't the first time. I turn up to watch a fight like this every day."

"You mean they cut each other to ribbons daily?"

"Yeah."

"Weird..."

Sally shrugged, "Well they say love hurts..."

Holly found Shadow in the main control room working away at getting the computer network back online.

"What am I supposed to call you now? Shadow? David? Giles? Or do you have some other name I should know?"

Shadow shuffled out from under the computers.

"Well that was direct." He sighed. "I don't know Holly, whichever you prefer." He got back under the computers.

"Was your entire life a lie?"

"Most of it. It's how I stayed alive. Anyway I wasn't the only one keeping secrets, I knew you were a vamp but how the fuck did you become a Reaper?" Shadow asked.

"I trained a lot." There was an amused snort from under the computers.

"So now what?" Holly inquired. "What happens to me now?"

"Well first I'm going to get this place back to operational capacity, then reengineer my armour and so on and so forth, then I'm planning on a political career."

"And me?"

"I told you Holly. You're free to come and go as you please. If you choose to sell us out then fine, I'll live with it."

"Can I get you anything?"

"A cup of tea would be nice, milk no sugar."

Grumbling slightly Holly left in search of the kitchen.

Shadow sighed once she was out of hearing range. Holly had refused to drink his blood since that first day and had so far refused to leave the facility, he could tell she was beginning to weaken. If she didn't change her mind soon he'd have to start drastic measures.

Still the conundrum of Holly would have to wait for now there were hard drives to network.

Author's Note: Hope it was worth the wait. Also I am aware my chapters need a bit of fixing.