"How did one vampire kick all of our asses?" Joliene grumbled, inspecting her forearm with feigned disgust. The night before it had been scrapped bloody, let today fresh pink skin had stolen across the wound. The unexpected boon knotted her stomach, calling up the blonde's claim that they healed faster than before. Did that mean that a knife in the gut was a minor discomfort? How else had she changed? Forcing herself not to dwell on it, she tuned in to hear Mike worrying about Janna's whereabouts.
"Yeah, that's not like her." Vicky agreed from the couch. "But neither are spaz attacks."
"Point taken." Mike said awkwardly, which led to a long, awkward pause. With a roll of her eyes, Joliene hopped to her feet.
"So, anyway. We should find that bitch and pummel the hell out of her- and the blonde, too- she strike anyone else as weird?"
"She was just stabbed." Ashley put in. "That leads to weirdness- and you don't mean to pummel Kendra, do you? I mean, she's part of your Slayer thing."
"Our weird with a beard club." Vicky corrected warmly. "So, let's vamoose."
"I don't think she bought your story." Vicky jibed her brother as the administrator of the youth home hustled away from them. "I mean, I get that you do practicals- but taking high school kids along on your practicals don't make much sense."
"I need so many credits." Mike maintained. "So much for trying to convince Robbins this is an actual sociologic relevance."
"Displaced Slayers?" Ashley suggested. "The new up and coming phenomenon."
"What did you say?" The four turned to discover that a harried looking man was standing beside them. He appeared to be in his late thirties and was wearing a suit that looked better than any on sale at the Men's Warehouse. Cobalt colored eyes were intensely focused on Ashley, who was uncomfortable with realizing she'd been indiscreet. "Ahh… my friend was going to study the sociological impact of.. Slayer…"
"The band?" Joliene criticized "That's your cover-"
"Cover page not required." Vicky piped up, shooting Joliene a black look.
"Will you stop babbling? Any one with a bit of sense knows that you're talking about Slayers."
"Wha- how do you know?"
"I'm here to meet mine." He shifted, holding out a piece of paper in his hand. "Kendra Wiley. Are any of you-"
"No." Joliene replied shortly. "And yes."
The man stared at her blankly, obviously thinking that she was putting him on.
"Who are you?" Mike frowned, sizing up the newcomer.
"Person whose actually supposed to be here." The man spoke with an unflappable confidence.
"Name's Lex."
"As in Luthor?" Mike grasped.
"As in Caldwell. Idiot." Lex remarked disdainfully, regarding Mike coldly.
"Its just-"
"Yeah, woo- Superman. Moving on." Briskly, Lex sized up the women with Mike and spoke to the group. "I'm here looking for my Slayer and you're babbling about them where any Tom Dick and Harry can hear. Note- probably not a good idea, mmkay? Anyone of you Kendra?"
"Nope." Mike interjected, with a touch of an attitude. "So how do you know-"
"Why do you say mine like you own her?" Vicky cut across her brother unapologetically.
"Oh, its not propriety rights, dove. It's responsibility. Partnership. We're destined for each other along life's lonely paths- but not in a pervy way." He seemed to want to elaborate on how abrupt he'd modified that last bit- but his eyes focused on Vicky's.
"Hey now." His eyes slid over her sting, tracing along her cheekbones to bruises that had already healed.
"Haven't had that long, have you? Reckon you won't."
"Two steps back, England." Mike interposed himself between his sister and the newcomer, his frown prominent. "You need to work on improving your non – pervy ways."
"How come he cues in on her?" Joliene huffed. "I'm a helluva-"
"Jo!" Ashley warned, but the newcomer was laughing openly.
"No need to close ranks. I'm not the bogeyman. I train Slayers."
"We train." Mike responded, bristling with defensiveness.
"Do you." Lex responded smoothly. "Lets become best pals. Later after we surgically remove the stick lodged up your ass- so. Kendra. "
"She's gone apeshit since she was changed." Joliene explained, point blank.
"Called." Lex corrected, his eyes lighting on Joliene. "So, if she's not here-"
"We just found that out." Ashley explained, pulling out of glaring at Joliene. "She's chasing after a – truant."
"Clever girl." Lex said warmly, seeming pleased. "Shouldn't take long, its day."
"She hasn't seemed to pick up on that. Chasing them through cemeteries and all that hasn't clued her in…"
"Less clever." Lex deflated somewhat. "Shall we talk strategy?"
Mike's cell rang and he excused himself from the groups discussion of where Kendra might be looking. He returned a minute later, explaining "That was Janna's mom- she found Janna's purse on her porch last night, but she never knew Janna was there. She didn't come home last night, so I have to go."
"Oh, of course." Lex nodded his understanding. "I'd offer to come with you, but a twenty something year old women as opposed to a seventeen year old girl with no idea what's happening to her-"
"I get it." Mike said shortly. "Its nothing I can't handle."
"I'll come." Vicky offered.
While Mike and Vicky headed out to look for Janna, Ashley returned to Kendra's room. The room had the same vaguely peaches & cream color scheme as the other four bedrooms, making it feel like a college dorm as opposed to a home. As Ashley honed in on the wall above the bed, she noticed a collage of candid photos. One of them troubled her greatly as she snatched it from the wall and returned to the hall where Joliene stood alone. She explained Lex's absence in that he was pilfering Kendra's file. He returned mid sentence and midstride.
"-She's not visiting family. She doesn't have any. She was born to a drug addict in prison, whose since OD'd. Father unknown."
"Problem." Ashley broke in, flashing the photo she'd taken. Joliene saw the issue and swore, angry.
"What?" Lex questioned. "This is the vamp from the cemetery." Ashley's finger stabbed the smiling brunette girl posing with Kendra in the photo. "Kelly." She read the back of the photo. "This is from last year; I'm guessing they go back."
"Let's start lookin'." Joliene suggested. "Vamps hiding somewhere, but I bet Kendra's looking for her."
"You go on." Lex suggested, sounding distracted. "Meet at my place later."
The young women agreed and began loping towards downtown, leaving Lex staring down at the personal file.