The next morning, Valkyrie woke up and walked downstairs. Vendetta was in the living room. Valkyrie ate a quick breakfast then rode behind the vampire on the Motorbike-of-Doom as she now called it. They reached the Sanctuary and walked in. Tipstaff said the others that had arrived were in the lounge room so Valkyrie led the way down the hall.

The lounge room was a small kitchenette, with a couch, TV, table and fridge. It was mostly used for Sanctuary agents and employees to use to relax on their lunch breaks. Skulduggery, Dusk, Ravel, Jack, Ghastly, Sanguine, Fletcher and Shoe were already there. Shoe was talking to Ray-Roy, giggling and twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

Her eyes flickered to Vendetta a narrowed. Ray-Roy looked up and saw the vampire, his face immediately breaking out in a grin. He walked over to Vendetta as she and sat down next to Dusk on the small couch. Dusk didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Hey Pretty Lady," Ray-Roy said cheerfully.

"Shut up," Vendetta growled back.

"Aw come on, I know you like that name."

"It's actually quite the opposite."

"Do you want me to break your arm again?"

"No."

"Then shut up and stay quiet."

"Whatever you say Pretty Lady." It was obvious he was enjoying this.

Vendetta growled.

Valkyrie was finding herself being amused by the two as Fletcher walked up to her, his hair as ridiculous as always.

"Hey," Fletcher said.

"Hey," Valkyrie said back. "How was it yesterday? You know, being paired up with a criminal?"

Fletcher shrugged. "Fine. Shoe wouldn't stop talking about that Ray-Roy guy. I think she has a crush on him."

"Ah." Valkyrie said. "Does she know he likes Vendetta?"

"She wouldn't shut up about how much she hated Vendetta either."

"Got it."

"How was it for you?"

"It was okay." Valkyrie shrugged. "The motorbike rides are terrifying. Not to mention I'm paired up with a crazy, even-more-horrifying vampire who wants to kill me. But other than that it was fine."

Fletcher scoffed. "Oh come on. She can't be that scary. So what if she's a vampire who wants to kill you? Deep down, she is a girl. And all girls at heart are big softies. Hiding behind that fake look of hatred I'm sure is a sweet, innocent little girl who is afraid to come out of her shell for fear of being crushed by society. Isn't that right?" Fletcher patted Vendetta on the head. "Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? Who's a- Ow! She bit me!"

Fletcher staggered back, gripping his bloody hand. Vendetta licked the blood off her lips. Valkyrie fought the urge to laugh. "Fletch? I don't think it's a good idea to call her 'sweet' or 'innocent.'"

"You're lucky I didn't rip your throat out," Vendetta said. Fletcher paled.

"I gotta go clean this," Fletcher walked out of the room. Valkyrie rolled her eyes and turned as Skulduggery walked up to her. "Hello Valkyrie, have fun with your sleep-over?"

Valkyrie sighed. "It was fine." She thought about telling Skulduggery about Caelan then decided against it. They already had enough on their minds without worrying about the vampire. "What about you?"

Skulduggery seemed to scowl and crossed his arms over his chest. "Dusk threw a lamp at me."

"Why?"

"He said that I couldn't be quiet."

"He was right."

"What are you talking about?"

"You never shut up. You're record for being quiet without having an injury is about ten seconds. And that was after finding out what I did to your house when you almost went into shock."

"Hey, I can so be quiet."

"Prove it."

A moment of silence passed.

"I'm bored. When are the others arriving?"

Valkyrie sighed. "Any time now. Do you think any killed each other?"

"Probably."

"Do you think some will have killed the other by the end of this?"

"Definitely."

"Want to bet?"

"Sure."

"I'm betting Ghastly and Sanguine."

"Same here."

Valkyrie let her thoughts wander. She thought about the strange connection between Dusk and Vendetta and the new revelation of Caelan coming back. What was going to happen? Would Vendetta like him? Would Caelan go all crazy and try to kill her? Valkyrie hoped he didn't come back to her, she did not appreciate the thought of that creepy vampire watching her again although, as she suddenly realized, he had been watching her all this time she thought he was gone. The thought sent shivers up her spine.

Valkyrie shook her head quickly, trying to clear her mind.

"You alright?"

Valkyrie looked up and realized Skulduggery was looking at her curiously.

"Yeah," she said. "Just thinking. What's the plan for today?"

"Well Dusk and I are heading over to look into a lead over in East Dublin. What about you?"

"We're going to be heading over to the place Ode was kidnapped."

Valkyrie and Skulduggery looked over at Vendetta. The vampire was flicking calmly through an old weapon magazine, her eyes never leaving the page.

"Great!" Skulduggery said brightly. "Now Dusk and I will head out. Come on Dusk," Skulduggery walked out of the room.

Vendetta and Dusk glanced at each other. Something seemed to pass between them, than Dusk stood and followed Skulduggery out. Vendetta stood as well.

"Come on." Vendetta walked away. Valkyrie hurried after her. They emerged back in the sunlight and Vendetta pulled out a pair of sunglasses. As she slipped them on, Valkyrie noticed that the vampire was wearing a pair of black leather fingerless gloves. The type that looked like the gloves where the fabric only went up about an inch with the bit attached to put over the tips only that piece was missing.

"Where'd you get the gloves?" Valkyrie asked. She had never seen ones like them around town.

"Ray-Roy bought them for me a few years ago when we were in America." Vendetta fingered the gloves, readjusting them slightly.

"Why?"

Vendetta hesitated. "I'm just going to say he was trying to make up for something."

…

Vendetta definitely wasn't going to tell Cain about the whole story about the gloves. The story where, some years ago, on the job she first met Ray-Roy, she and the Texan had gotten into a heated fight. In the end, weapons had gotten involved and Ray-Roy had cut her with his straight razor, identical to the one his father had. Later on, he had bought her the gloves to help cover up the scar that now slashed across the palm of her hand. She had never exactly looked at it before, keeping the gloves on as much as possible and even when she had to take them off she averted her gaze from her palm.

Cain raised an eyebrow at that then shrugged. She looked over at Vendetta's motorbike, her eyes flickered with uncertainty. Vendetta was aware of the dark haired girl's fear of her driving and didn't hate that fact. "So," Cain said. "Where exactly are we going?"

"A man who I think may know someone who is involved in this." Vendetta's voice was tight as she spoke. Neither her or Dusk liked this man.

"Who is it?" Cain asked.

….

They arrived at Fairview Court Apartments on the Motor Bike of Doom and entered the dirty building in silence. Valkyrie recognized this place of course. The last time she had been here Dusk had thrown her over the railing and she had been shoved into a pit full of Infected. Valkyrie watched Vendetta climb the steps, the vampire not even feeling any burning in her legs. Valkyrie was envious of that. They reached the top and Vendetta pounded on the steel door.

A moment later, the door was opened and a man glanced at them. He was slightly pale and seemed a bit shaky.

"Where is Moloch?" Vendetta said.

The man jerked his head back into the apartment then moved past them, going down the hall and disappearing around a corner. Valkyrie followed Vendetta in, knowing that the man had probably just given blood to feed Moloch and his pack.

They found Moloch sitting on a couch, a dog tag chain hanging around his neck and tracksuit bottoms being his only other clothing. Valkyrie watched the make vampire's eyes flicker to her. "Ah, you are back. What are you doing here this time may I ask?" then he saw Vendetta.

"And who might you be?" Moloch stood with that strange, unusual grace. He crossed his arms and looked her up and down. "I don't believe we've met."

"I don't usually socialize," Vendetta replied, her voice cold and even. "We are here to talk to you about something. Something concerning the-

Vendetta broke off her sentence as soon as a woman walked in from a back room.

"What are you doing here?"

Vendetta's eyes were filled with pure hatred. Her lip was curled back to reveal her teeth and suddenly there was a giant knife in each hand. Valkyrie felt herself freeze up.

The woman's eyes narrowed. She was thin and wiry, with course brown hair. Her features were sharp and cruel and she wasn't a vampire. "Vendetta," she growled.

Vendetta hissed in response. "Shut up Ophelia. Get out of here before I rip you apart in the most painful way imagined."

"I wouldn't put it past you. Freak."

Vendetta lunged and the two went down, snarling and hissing and clawing. Moloch ended up trying to pull the two apart, needing Valkyrie to use necromancy to help. The two girls were held back with the shadows and Valkyrie looked at Moloch.

"We're here because we heard you might know something about some people who do kidnapping for hire that have recently come out of hibernation. Is this true?"

Moloch thought for a moment, eyeing the other two as if he expected them to somehow break out of the holds and go back to mauling each other. "Yes, I have heard that a man by the name of Adam Wreck has been back in the business recently. He is notorious for helping with kidnapping and killing for hire."

"Great," Valkyrie said, relieved to be finally getting somewhere. "Do you know where he is?"

"East Dublin County, North Cray Street. Working out of some old warehouses there."

Valkyrie nodded. "Thank you. Um, do you think it's okay to release them now?"

Moloch looked at Ophelia and Vendetta, who were glaring murderously at each other like they wanted to crush the other with just their gazes. "I suppose."

Valkyrie hesitated then let the shadows dissipate. The two stood for a moment, looking at each other than Vendetta began to slowly move to the door. As she went to go, Moloch's gaze turned curious. "You look like someone," he said. "Have I met you before?"

Vendetta's eyes flickered to him. "No, but I have heard a lot about you."

"Any of it good?"

"Depends on your definition of 'good.'" Vendetta looked at Valkyrie. "We're leaving." Her gaze shifted back to Ophelia, who hadn't moved a centimeter. "For now."

….

Valkyrie called Skulduggery after Vendetta had pulled over at a coffee shop, saying they needed to tell the others to get to East Dublin County immediately. Vendetta stood next to the Motor-Bike-of-Doom while Valkyrie went to get a cup of coffee. She came back and they stood in silence for a minute, Vendetta didn't look at her.

Ever since they had left Moloch's apartment Vendetta had seemed to get more agitated and Valkyrie was beginning to fear that she wouldn't make it through the hour alive. Maybe less then that.

"The others will meet us at the warehouse," Vendetta said making Valkyrie jump. "They are tying up a lead they have and will be there in about an hour."

Valkyrie nodded slowly, careful not to make a sudden movement or say anything. Like the vampire was a bomb about to go off.

Vendetta's eyes flickered to her. Other than that she didn't move. Another five minutes went by. Valkyrie finished her coffee. And suddenly Vendetta was yelling "Get down!" and slamming her to the ground.

Bullets lacerated the ground where they had just been standing. Valkyrie was being pressed to the floor as screams filled the air. She tried to get up but Vendetta snarled in her ear, "Stay down."

Valkyrie complied and stayed that way until the gunfire stopped and Vendetta leaped up. She had a large knife in her hand and she blurred away. Valkyrie stood quickly and looked around for the attackers. She saw a dark figure up in a window across the street.

She waved her hand and the shadows grabbed the man and yanked him out the window. Someone came up behind her and whacked her in the side with a chair. Valkyrie went sprawling, cracking her head against a table. She opened her eyes in time to see the same man coming at her again. She clicked her fingers and threw the fire into his face.

The man stumbled away, screaming. Valkyrie stood and turned another ran at her and she used the shadows to throw him away. Sirens rang in the distance. Valkyrie lunged out onto the street, turning as yet another came towards her. This time he managed to punch her in the face, throwing her against the coffee shop.

She felt the air rush out of her lungs and saw stars as he hit her again. Valkyrie shoved upwards, her elbow cracking into his jaw. She blinked rapidly, seeing the attacker stumbling back. He shook his head and looked up, coming at her with a snarl.

Valkyrie shoved at the air, hurling him across the street. He landed hard on a car, bouncing off. Valkyrie rushed at him, hurling sharpened shadows as she ran. The man howled as they connected with several different points on his body.

She reached him and kicked him in the chin. His head snapped back against the car, his eyes rolling into his head as he collapsed. Valkyrie looked around and saw Vendetta slice a man's throat open with a knife. The blood joined the rest on her clothes and she cocked her head, like she was listening.

A moment later, she hurried over and grabbed Valkyrie's arm. "Wreck must have gotten word that we were onto him. So he sent some guys over here to kill us. That was the last of them so let's get out of here before the mortals show up."

Valkyrie nodded and they jumped onto the Motor-Bike-of-Doom and sped away towards East Dublin.

Hey guys! Sorry this update took longer, I had finals this week and the semester was ending so I was busy. I managed to get op the first chapter for Vendetta and Ray-Roy's backstories as well so if you guys want to read that go right ahead! :)

The poll has now ended, final tally:

For Ven-Ray (yes, that is what I will call the pairing): 5

Against: 1

Thanks guys for giving me your opinions! Here's another question for you:

What kind of things do you want to see in this story? Relationship wise? Like more on Vendetta and Dusk or Ray-Roy and Sanguine or Jack and his twins? Ray-Roy and Vendetta?

Things like that. Just leave it in a review or PM me just like before. Thanks so much! And I'm glad you guys like these characters and the stories! I really appreciate it! :)