When Lorcan regained consciousness, he was reluctant to open his eyes. His head ached from the blow. Yet, he opened his eyes anyway. He was met by completely darkness save for a few holes in the ceiling. Sitting up, he realized what little light there was allowed him to see that the floor he sat on was concrete and the large room, for it was incredibly large, was filled with wooden crates. He guessed it was some sort of a warehouse.

Even though he couldn't see anyone else, he could feel their gazes on him. Stiffly, he got to his feet and looked around. He could see outlines of people but he couldn't guess how many there were. He tried to hide the fear that was building in him. The way they just watched him, it was as if they were waiting for something.

He was so relieved when one of them stepped out into the light that he visibly relaxed. "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked.

She either didn't hear his question- not likely- or just ignored for she didn't answer. She walked right up to him, looking him up and down. She walked around him, Lorcan's gaze never leaving her. She resumed her place in front of him but stepped back.

As he stood before him, he took her in. She was a fierce looking woman. She had short blond hair that was swept to one side and piercing green eyes. She had a nose piercing and a tattoo of a werewolf and vampire locked in battle along the entire length of her left arm. She wore a dark red tank top, black jeans and black boots.

"Who are you?" he repeated, though he doubted she would answer. Which was why he was surprised when she did.

"My name is Kat Myers." Her voice was light but there was a tone of authority in it. She also had an accent but he just couldn't place it.

"Why am I here? And where is here?"

"You were looking for us," she told him. "We don't get many people searching us out and we want to know why you have come."

"Us?" He watched as she raised a hand. Then, many people stepped out of the darkness. There had to be at least twenty people. They ranged in apparent age from children right up to middle-aged adults. Among them he spotted the two red-haired twins. A large man with a twisted jaw walked up to Kat and stood beside, and slightly behind, her.

"You were asking around for the Under-room," she explained.

"Ok," he said slowly.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, her expression hardening. "Who sent you?"

"My Captain sent me," he told her. "I come from the Nocturne."

Her eyes lit up with recognition when she heard the ship's name. "Ah, so what's the Captain gotten himself into now?"

Lorcan raised an eyebrow. Now? What was that supposed to mean? He pushed the thought away. "A… A member of our crew has been kidnapped by a crew of renegades. We need your help in getting her back."

"Her? I am thinking she is not merely a fellow crew member."

"No. She is my, ah, my girlfriend, I suppose."

"You suppose?" She looked skeptical.

Lorcan frowned. "Are you going to help or not?"

"Now, now, no need to be snippy," she said. "We will help you."

He watched as she suddenly turned and started walking away. He hurried after her. "Wait, how do you know the Captain?"

She didn't stop walking but did answer his question. "I used to travel on the Nocturne," she told him. "I stayed there a few years but realized it just wasn't for me. I couldn't stand being confined like that."

"Confined?"

"To the ship, to the donor."

"I prefer being able to come and go as I please, and being able to feed off who I want when I want."

Lorcan grimaced inwardly. I remembered that kind of life and couldn't understand how anyone would actually want to live it, though she did make it sound appealing.

"But I left the ship on good terms with the Captain," she went on, apparently ignorant of his discomfort. "I told him that if he ever had need of my help, all he had to do was ask."

He slowly nodded. "So, what exactly is the Under-room?"

Kat looked back at him and smiled. "You know the saying 'The underground of the city'?"

He nodded.

"Well, this place is so small, its underground can't really be considered such. So, Under-room."

He smiled weakly. Something seemed catch her attention because she looked over his shoulder. He followed her gaze to see the twins walking towards them. One was holding the bag of coins they'd stolen from him.

The only different in the two boys was their attire. One was wearing a tan, sleeveless shirt with dark brown pants while the other wore a dark red t-shirt and black pants. The one wearing brown handed the bag back to Lorcan.

"We're sorry about stealing your money," he said.

"So, why did your girlfriend get kidnapped?" the other brother asked.

"Uh, well, one of the renegades wanted her," he explained.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Lorcan told them.

"So, they just rocked up one night and took her?"

"Well, they had met each other before," he explained.

"Oh. Are you sure she didn't go willingly?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I was there."

The two boys looked at each other, at Lorcan and back. "I don't know," the red-clad brother said. "I seems pretty weird to me."

"Why would she want to go with him? He nearly killed her before!"

"Don't know. Maybe your junk wasn't fulfillin' her needs."

"What? She was my girlfriend, not my lover!" Lorcan didn't like where this was going. "She's only fourteen!"

"Ew! You pervert!"

"Maybe that's why she left," the brown-wearing brother said.

"Huh?"

"Maybe she's ready but he's like 'No!'. So she jumps ship to get it on with a guy that will."

"Or maybe he said yes but his junk ain't fulfillin' her needs."

"No way! That's stupid!"

"No, you're stupid!"

"No you are!"

Lorcan looked from one brother to another and back. He just knew this was going to be a long night.