If you enjoyed this story let me know! There is a sequel that I'll gladly post if people are interested.
Ravyn tries her hardest to contain herself as Matt and Shannon approach their table. She attempts to focus herself on AJ, tuning out what Matt is saying entirely, so she doesn't seem so desperate to get back to Shannon. But a moment later Edge delivers a stiff punch to her Prince's jaw. Ravyn nearly leaps over the table to go after Edge, but AJ holds her back. Vampiro sees her concern and backhands her across the face sending her sprawling onto AJ. Vampiro's hit causes Shannon to lose it. He goes after Vampiro, teeth bared. Matt manages to pull him back just long enough to issue a challenge to Vampiro, who accepts with a smug laugh. Matt drags Shannon back to the table and their group leaves the club shortly after.
Vampiro turns to look AJ dead in the eye. "If you can't keep your pet under control, I suggest you try something a little more effective," he snarls, dropping a black velvet bag onto the table. "Go on."
AJ picks up the bag and peers inside to find a silver chain. He can tell that this is a test and he knows that Ravyn will understand. He turns the bag inside out, spilling the chain onto the table. Using the velvet bag as a glove he picks up the chain and gently drapes it across her thighs. Immediately her flesh begins to bubble and burn under the silver. She writhes in pain until her lower body becomes immobile. Silver, while not deadly, drains a vampire's energy and acts as a restraint. A vampire can't remove silver from themselves and must rely on someone else to free them. She looks at him, understanding exactly why he had to do it, but wishing that he hadn't.
Vampiro, Desmond and Edge wander off to cause trouble elsewhere in the club. James stands up from the table, but remains close by. AJ pulls Ravyn close to him careful not to let the silver touch him.
"Remember you asked me to tell you if you took it too far?" She grumbles through gritted teeth. "Too far."
He half smiles at her attempt to lighten the mood and just holds her close to him whispering apologies any time the silver shifts causing new burns. Vampiro keeps them at the club for a few more hours, as if he wants to torture her with the silver. When they finally leave AJ carries her to the car with the chain still embedded in her legs. He delicately sets her down into the back seat. As he tries to figure out how he's going to remove the silver Vampiro slaps a pair of black leather gloves into his chest. He takes them gratefully and slides into the back seat with her. James starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot. Any attempt to remove the chain is thwarted by James' insane driving. Ravyn is in too much pain to even sass him about being careful with her car. The moment they're parked AJ scoops her up and takes her down to his room. He carefully puts her down on the bed and locks the door behind them.
He starts to apologize again but she shushes him, "Just get this shit off of me."
He slips the black gloves onto his hands and gets to work removing the chain, trying to do as little damage as he can. Deep crevices of burned flesh remain where the silver had been. Once it's clear of her skin he drops the chain back into the velvet bag and throws it across the room angrily. Ravyn grimaces in pain as her body slowly begins to heal itself. AJ pulls her into his arms as she tries to fight sobs. A bloody tear falls to the bed. Ravyn lifts her head to look AJ in the eye. She reaches up to wipe a red tear from his eye before kissing his cheek.
"I'm okay," she promises him. "Really. I'll be fine."
"I know. But that's not the point," he grumbles. "I had to hurt you tonight in front of everyone. I'm not willing to play this game again. We're getting out of this tomorrow, one way or another. I promise."
She holds him tight, appreciating that he's willing to make that kind of sacrifice for her. They crawl into bed and pull the covers up over their heads. They talk for a little while longer about their escape plan. Eventually Ravyn falls asleep with AJ's head on her shoulder.
The next night they awake and dress for battle. AJ had heard Matt's challenge and knew that there would be no club tonight. Before they leave his room AJ grabs the velvet bag of chain and slips it into his pocket. He pulls Ravyn close and hugs her tightly. He can tell by the look in her eyes that she's ready to fight.
"Remember, I've got to be on Vampiro's team at the beginning of this," he reminds her. "Once is starts, we won't let him win."
She nods as she watches him psych himself up to be an asshole. He unlocks the door and shoots her a wink before grabbing her roughly by the wrist. She fakes protest in disdain the entire way as he drags her to the car. AJ pretends to be angry with her for her behavior the night before. James buys every moment of their act. James follows Vampiro's car to some remote location outside of town. It's far enough away from any residential areas that they wouldn't be heard. The area looks like an abandoned industrial park. Concrete warehouse buildings surround a large blacktop parking lot. There are rusted out abandoned cars all over, making it look more like a junkyard than and industrial park. Vampiro gets everyone out of the cars and gets them ready for a fight.
They're leaning against the cars as Matt pulls into the lot. Shannon is the first one out of the vehicle. The Mohawk is spiked up and he's got war paint smeared on his face. Jeff is at his side painted up like some sort of demon that only he could imagine. Matt, Jenn and Shane stand just behind them. They're eyes are almost glowing with rage. Shannon looks over at Ravyn before standing nose to nose with AJ. Luckily no one can hear their conversation, because the battle has begun.
AJ tells Shannon his plan between hisses and growls as they pretend to brawl with each other. Ravyn runs to Jenn to help her contend with James. Jeff is busy dragging Edge's face across the pavement. He drop to his knees and slams Edge's face into the asphalt a few time. Matt is trying to fend off Vampiro, but he's not strong enough. AJ sees that the time is drawing close. Jenn has James under control for the time being so Ravyn runs to help Matt. She drops to her hands and knees behind Vampiro. Matt shoves him backwards over Ravyn and he falls to the ground. He goes down with a thud from their school yard tactic. When he gets back to his feet he's shaking with fury. Matt launches himself at him with fists flying. He's quickly tossed to the side and Vampiro turns his focus to Ravyn. He grabs her by the throat and picks her high up off the ground. She scratches and kicks at him doing little more than successfully shredding his shirt. He laughs at her efforts as she kicks at him again. When he grows bored he throws her painfully onto the hood of a nearby car.
AJ and Shannon have to resist the urge to run to her side. Shane and Matt descend on Vampiro, leaving Shannon to deal with Desmond. AJ stands tall, ready to make his move. As he maneuvers himself behind Matt and Shane he feels a strong hand on his shoulder. He's spun around and comes face to face with a vampire he's never seen before. He has long dirty blonde curls and muscular tattooed arms. AJ prepares to defend himself when he hears Ravyn yell.
"Scotty, not him!" She struggles to sit up on the hood of the car. "Dread locks."
AJ breathes a sigh of relief as the man removes his hand and turns for Vampiro. He tackles Vampiro to the ground and hovers over his chest for a moment. Then he starts unleashing punch after punch to Vampiro's head and upper body. When the rest of his clan sees Vampiro clearly outmatched they swarm his attacker. He tosses Edge through the windshield of a car with ease. Desmond and James prove to be a bit more of an issue. Vampiro begins to stir behind the fighting trio. AJ slips a black glove onto his hand and pulls the velvet bag from his pocket.
Shannon sees what he's doing and falls to his hands and knees on AJ's side of the three men fighting. AJ takes off running towards them. He steps up onto Shannon's back and dives over them. Twisting through the air he takes Vampiro out just as he had gotten back to his feet. AJ pulls the silver chain for the bag with his gloved hand and drapes it across Vampiro's bare chest. His flesh begins to burn, instantly sticking him to the spot. With their leader subdued the rest of his clan is taken out quickly as everyone else works as a team.
AJ picks up a piece of splintered wood and walks over to Vampiro snarling. "Thanks for the silver," AJ sneers. "Works like a charm." He raises the make shift stake over Vampiro's chest, but pauses when he feels Ravyn's hand on his.
"Don't be like him," she advises. "You're better than this." He sighs, knowing that she's right. But before he can drop the stake it's taken from his hand. "Scott..." Ravyn's voice trails off.
She watches him lift Vampiro's head by the dread locks, silver still stuck in his flesh. He drags him around the corner of one of the cement buildings, out of sight of the group. They hear a primal scream followed by a bright flash of light, then nothing. A moment later the man Ravyn had called Scott comes back around the corner of the building. Ravyn walks up to him and hugs him tightly. The group looks on curiously as she leads him back to where the others had gathered.
"Guys, this is Scott," she explains. "My brother. My maker." She introduces him to everyone, though he feels like he knows them already.
He turns to face AJ and Shannon, "Thank you. I know you two have been especially close with Ravyn. I'm glad she had you guys looking out for her." Him and Shane are instantly sucked into a deep conversation about the later comic books.
Ravyn rolls her eyes as they discuss the finer points of the latest issue of one of their favorite comics. "If I don't stop you guys now we'll be out here until sunrise," she laughs. "Did you come all this way alone?"
He shakes his head, "The other three are at the club. We should probably go find them before they get into any trouble."
Scott walks over to James and pulls the keys to Ravyn's car out of his pocket. He gets behind the wheel of the car with AJ climbing into the passenger seat. Ravyn and Shannon get into the back seat, thrilled to finally be together again.
"Are you ok?" He asks brushing a stray hair out of her face.
"I'm fine," she informs him. "AJ was really good to me."
"Thank you," Shannon says putting a hand on AJ's shoulder. "If I hadn't known better I would have totally bought your act. It was brilliant."
"That's was all Ravyn," AJ admits. "We knew you would be the easy one to convince. It was harder making Vampiro and his goons believe it."
We had to get a little creative a few times," Ravyn tells him. "But it was for the better." Shannon looks at her with a mixture of concern and confusion. She lifts up the side of her shirt to show him AJ's initials scarred into her skin.
"Dude, why would you do that?" Shannon begins to get angry.
"She made me do it!" AJ explains. "I wasn't going to sleep with your girlfriend. And the only way I could keep those other guys away from her was to claim her as mine."
Scott immediately understands, "Thank you. I would have had to kill all of them if it weren't for you. You kept her safe in the only way you could. That means a lot to me and my family."
"Plus I got this neat scar out of it!" Ravyn jokes.
Shannon reaches out to run a finger along the scarred flesh. "Thanks for everything you've done," he finally says. "I'm glad she had you there." Ravyn nestles herself up against him and relaxes while Scott drives to the club.
Ravyn is the first one through the club doors. Her eyes immediately fall on her brothers and sister at the bar. "Ty! Daffney! Lodi!" She squeals running up to them. One brother, Tyler, is built like Shane with long black hair tied back into a ponytail and a well trimmed other, Lodi, a bleached blonde with leather pants and a muscle shirt picks her up and spins her around. As he sets her down Daffney hugs her excitedly.
"Daff, I've got someone you have to meet," she grins. Ravyn drags the dark haired girl back towards the door of the club and introduces her to AJ. She smiles to herself when they hit it off right from the start. She leaves them alone and goes to find the Prince. She finds him sitting alone at Vampiro's table, waiting for her. She slides in next to him and kisses him deeply for the first time in days. He slides closer to her and wraps his arms around her.
"AJ really was good to you wasn't he," he realizes.
"He was," she agrees. "Without him I would have been in a lot of trouble."
"Did it hurt?" He asks about the scar.
"Really bad at first," she nods. "But now it's just a mildly annoying pain."
She felt him gaze across the room, distracted by something. He watches as Corino and Jericho walk into the club. They made their way over to the long table where their two families were sitting. They only spent a few minutes at the table talking to Matt before looking satisfied and leaving the club. Shannon leads her over to the table where they sit between Matt and Scott.
Matt laughs, "Prince, you just missed the most ridiculous conversation. Corino and Jericho came here to tell me that they were ready to take action against Vampiro. They asked how we wanted them to proceed."
"I told them he wouldn't be a problem anymore," Scott smirks. "Told them he left town when I got here."
"And they believed that?" Ravyn asks in disbelief.
"Of course they did," Scott grins. "Then they mumbled something about 'remember the Masquerade' and walked out."
The table bursts into laughter finally able to relax. They didn't know each other terribly well yet, but they could tell that they would get along just fine. Ravyn knew they'd all be able to work together under The Masquerade.