The Wayward Assassin

AN: A day later than I normally post, I know. A lack of motivation last week combined with rearranging and cleaning my entire room yesterday are my reasons. Sometimes, things just happen. I try to post regularly on Sunday, but sometimes it just doesn't work that way. So, apologies for being a day late, but at least it's out.

Alright, this is the first part of 'The Wayward Assassin'. I'm not sure how many parts it's going to be, but right now I'm thinking three or four with the latter being more likely. I have the whole thing planned out, but how it translates to word count, I'm not sure. Guess we'll all find out together.

Enjoy Deathbringer's adventures!

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire. Nimbus, Sobek, Mistral, and Veneno are my OCs. Bloodwalker belongs to SpyroAndSisuFan. Certus, Solstice, and Swiftback belong to Epsilon33. Bear belongs to Schwanze. The concept for the character Soulseer partially belongs to SpyroAndSisuFan. Mystic belongs to Flerovium.

When you told me to leave all those weeks ago, I didn't immediately leave the rainforest. I stuck around for a little bit, just watching you from a distance. I know that sounds a bit creepy, but I thought that maybe you were just angry at me, and that you didn't actually mean what you said. I thought maybe I could pop back in after a week or two after you calmed down. I thought, by then, you'd surely be upset for snapping at me and sending me away like that.

I thought a lot of things...

The one thing I didn't think was that you were serious. I never actually expected you to hate me as much as you did. I never expected you to be happier with me gone. It took five days for me to accept the truth, and that's when I left.

I headed north. Since you clearly wanted to be rid of me, I figured sticking around the rainforest was a bad idea. Even if I decided to live on the other side of it, I'd still be reminded of how terrible things between us were. A change of scenery was warranted, and I figured the Sky Kingdom was the best place to start. A dragon can find anything there, so I was sure I could find something to do there. Someone would have need of a bodyguard, I was sure. I mean...I had ten years' experience in the position even if my boss ended up hating me. And everyone knew who I was...or so I assumed. Surely, I'd be in high demand?

Turns out, recent events have made Nightwings suspicious again. No one would say it to my face, but I think my presence scared them. Turns out a lot of dragons did know me. I heard a lot of whispers. Some were thinking I'd snapped after years of abuse and was now freelancing as an assassin again. The cult was mentioned more than a few times, though never to my face. Well...until I met a certain Sandwing there.

Six weeks ago, Sky Kingdom:

How did it come to this?

Three days after my arrival in the Sky Kingdom, and I was already drowning my sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. And it wasn't even the good stuff that Greatness kept stock. That stuff was expensive, and places like where I currently found myself wouldn't—and didn't—keep it in stock. No, this stuff was basically swill. Unfortunately, this water-downed beer was pretty much all I could afford.

The city was unusually busy. Apparently, Queen Ruby was getting married and had given the entire continent an invitation. Not that every dragon on Pyrrhia would show up, but still, the city was at its limit, and more were arriving daily. Inns were cramped. Dragons were having to pay premium rates to share a room with up to three others. Food and drink were more expensive now that demand was skyrocketing.

There was even a small city of tents being pitched outside the western gates, which was outside the poor district, to hold the overflow from the inns. Those who couldn't afford rooms—or could but couldn't find one—paid a smaller fee to stay in the tent city. And those that couldn't afford that were staying in the wilderness surrounding the city. Guards were rounding those up. Apparently, if you weren't paying, you weren't welcome.

Of course, dragons like me could find ways around that. I had a knack for roughing it without being caught. It's not like I had the money to do anything else. Glory never paid me. Currency wasn't needed in the Rain Kingdom very often except for outside trade, and only the Queen dealt with that stuff.

I'm not very proud to admit it, but the little coin I had to even pay for these drinks was stolen. I wouldn't say I'm a particularly great pickpocket, but I knew enough to get some easy scores.

Of course, I wasn't even sure these drinks were worth it, I'd already had three of the damn things, and I was barely even buzzed. That's how slim the alcohol content in them were. And these three drinks had cost thirty coins, which was outrageous! Normally, these would cost four each, not ten!

Not that I was surprised. As I said, prices were being hiked across the city, but this place, while packed, wasn't as busy as some I'd seen. We were in the poorest part of the poor district, and the place was absolutely filthy and filled with all kinds of seedy types, so that could be one reason. More likely was because it was run by a shifty-looking Sandwing. I hate to be the one to follow stereotypes, but he was probably hiking the prices higher than necessary while watering-down the beer more than usual.

With the amount of suckers in here, which admittedly included me, he'd probably be rich by the time the crowds finally thinned in a couple of weeks.

I was sitting at the bar, which was pretty crowded itself, though there was an empty spot to my left. I knew it wouldn't be empty for long, though, so I was debating whether or not to stick around and have another drink or to just leave. As I stared at the latest empty bottle clasped between my claws, my prediction came true. Another dragon did sit next to me, though I noticed a few in other spots leave when he arrived. At first, I didn't think much of it.

"Hey, Scorpio!" he called the bartender. I assumed that meant he was a regular if he was calling the bartender by name, and in such a friendly manner. "A drink for me and my friend here. And make sure it's the good stuff."

I hadn't noticed a second dragon sit next to him, so when I raised my head in confusion a short moment later, I was genuinely shocked to see a glass of whiskey sitting in front of me. I blinked at it a few times before looking to the dragon who had seemingly paid for a drink for me. Only, the Sandwing next to me hadn't placed down any coin.

Suspicion hit me. No one in a place like this just buys an expensive drink for someone unless they mean business, be that good or bad. I turned to ask what this dragon wanted from me when my eyes widened. Sitting next to me, silhouetted against the faint interior light, was a dragon I recognized from all of the dragon skull tattoos along his neck.

Instantly, I was on guard. "What do you want with me, Vulture?"

The old Sandwing glanced at me with a smirk, though I found no comfort from the maliciousness in his eyes. Old he may be, but he was still as dangerous as ever. "It seems my reputation precedes me..." Then, he downed his drink before setting his glance down and gesturing at the other glass of whiskey sitting in front of me. "First, I'd like to share a drink with you. This stuff isn't exactly cheap, so it'd be a shame to waste it."

"You have to know I'm not going to drink anything you offer me," I shot back.

But that only made the Sandwing sigh heavily. "Oh, very well..." With that, he reached over and grabbed my drink, downing that, too, before setting the glass aside. Huh...apparently it wasn't poisoned. "Not that I blame you for mistrusting me, but...for now, I'm more interested in simply talking."

I glared at him. "Nothing is ever 'simple' when talking to you. I ask again: what do you want with me? In fact, what are you even doing here?" I gestured around us, referencing the fact we were in the Skywing capital.

He chuckled. "Can a dragon not stop for a drink at his own establishment?" I glanced between him and the Sandwing bartender. Suddenly, things were starting to make sense. No wonder the Sandwing was engaging in shady business practices if he was working for Vulture.

"Not when his establishment is on the other side of the continent from where he's supposed to be," I shot back.

That made him laugh, but once he was done, he turned to me with a small smile, though it didn't reach his dark eyes. "I have some...business in the city. Dragons to meet, payments to be collected, punishments to be dished out..." He trailed off with a wicked grin. It didn't take a genius to realize he meant murdering someone.

A quick glance around showed that there was no getting out of this. Not alive, anyway. They tried to hide it, but patrons all across the bar were watching me. If I made any move against Vulture, the entire crowd would be on me in an instant. That meant I had to humor him. "And what business do you have with me?" I asked, looking him in the eye to show him I wasn't afraid of him.

He chuckled again. It wasn't a comforting sound. "Fortunately for you, it's merely the first of the items on that little list of mine. I have no intention of harming you in any way. I've a proposition for you, one you might be interested in. Whatever your answer, you'll be free to walk out those doors without so much as a scrape."

I barely stopped myself from snorting. From the way he worded it, and the way I knew he operated, I'd be free to go, but if I said 'no', as soon as I was outside, I'd be dead. Or he'd send someone after me later. Either way, no matter what he said, I didn't have a choice in the matter. Still, it was best to humor him. "What sort of proposition?"

"I want you to work for me." Seeing me flinch, the old Sandwing grinned like a predator cornering its prey. "But I know you'd not do anything for me willingly, which is why I plan on giving you something in exchange for services rendered. Or shall I say, someone."

"Unless you somehow captured Glory and the entirety of Pyrrhia doesn't know about it, I'm not interested," he immediately shot back.

The dark smile I received in turn was enough to make my claw inch its way closer to my satchel. "Well...not yet, I haven't. Make no mistake, I could if I wanted to. She isn't as untouchable as Thorn is. The only reason I've not made a move against her is because it doesn't serve my interests to do so."

"You better not touch her..." I warned him with a growl, which made his smile fall.

"And what do you think you can do to stop me, Deathbringer?" He gestured at the crowd around us. "Make a single threatening move against me, and you'll be gutted in an instant. You may be a good assassin, one of the best, but you stand no chance outnumbered like this." After a short glaring contest, his smile returned. "Besides, why would you care about Glory? She clearly doesn't care about you, else you wouldn't be here."

I huffed, not wanting to show him just how much that affected me. "I made a mistake."

I jumped when he slammed a claw down on the bar. "And that makes it alright for her to verbally abuse you for four years!? For someone who likes to preach peace and happiness to the rest of the continent, she seems to be nothing but a fucking hypocrite when it comes to you! What do you owe her!?"

As much as I hated how Vulture was talking smack about my friend and Queen, his statements and questions made me pause in thought. She wasn't really my friend anymore, was she? Else, as he said, I wouldn't be here if she was. After our last argument, and how happy she seemed after I left...was it wrong to think she hated me? I growled softly to myself as I realized what he was doing. He was trying to make me doubt my loyalty to Glory...and I hated to admit that it was working. "Stop with the mind games, will you?"

There was more I was going to say, but he scoffed and cut me off. "Mind games? No, my lad, I'm not playing any games. Instead, I'm trying to wake you up to the truth." The look he gave me was so serious that I couldn't help but believe his next words, no matter how I tried to refute them. "She doesn't care about you."

I looked away, clenching my jaw, though I did see him smirk viciously in my peripherals. "Would you like a drink now?" I remained silent for a long moment, internally fuming at myself, at Vulture, and at Glory. I knew he was right, and I hated him for pointing it out. I hated myself for trying to deny it, to think me and Glory could fix things in the future. And I hated—no...even now, I couldn't bring myself to hate her. I was angry with her, certainly. But hatred? No.

Never.

But that moment of silence allowed me to realize something else. Whatever Vulture was involved with probably had something to do with the murders that Icewing was sent down to investigate. Even if it wasn't guaranteed, it was highly likely that they were connected. That meant, it was likely that me and Glory would cross paths if I accepted Vulture's offer.

I wanted to see her reaction. I wanted to hear what she had to say and see what she would do upon learning she drove me far enough away to join Vulture. Only then, would I know if she truly did care about me or if my 'betrayal' was just another thing she expected me to do, another low bar she wasn't surprised I hit. Once I knew that, well...I'd never kill her. But at that point, I doubted I'd care enough about her to save her life if someone else tried.

The line of thought I was currently going down almost made me feel sick, so I eventually nodded to Vulture's question. The bartender wasted no time in pouring yet another glass of whiskey for me, and I downed the whole thing in one go. Maybe it wasn't smart drinking such strong alcohol with such a dangerous dragon sitting next to me, but I couldn't find it in myself to care.

What I did care about, however, was something else he'd said. "So, if not Glory, who do you have as leverage over me?"

"Leverage?" he repeated before chuckling. "No, Deathbringer. The dragon I have in mind isn't my prisoner. He works for me, too. This is an opportunity for you to finally meet him, to work with him, to get to know him."

"You're saying a bunch of things, but you're still not giving me a name," I snarked.

"Oh, alright. It seems you have no patience for theatrics at the moment." He chuckled and only when I was looking at him, giving him my full attention, did he answer. "Your father."

Any thoughts of me remaining calm and collected throughout this conversation died instantly upon hearing his answer. Air seemed to be sucked from my lungs as my eyes flew open. "W-What?"

My mother, Quickstrike, had only ever mentioned him once that I remember. I think he disappeared before I turned a year old. I have no memory of him or what he looks like. Throughout the years, I've sent out feelers to see if I could find out where he was, or if he was dead, what happened to him. Until now, I'd heard almost nothing. The last rumors of him I heard were almost seven years ago now, and those said he was snooping around the Scorpion Den when he disappeared. When I tried to follow that rumor, nothing came of it. I'd given up hope of learning the truth of my father, but now Vulture was saying he was alive and working for him!?

Caution and suspicion tempered my anxiety and excitement, but that only made Vulture scoff. "Don't bother denying your interest. I know you've been looking for him for a long time now. Soulseer's been interested in meeting you, too, but I ordered him to stay away. This is your only chance to see him. Refuse, and you'll never get the chance to meet him. Accept...and you get your father back. All you have to do for me are a few odd and end jobs every now and then. Maybe give me a few nuggets of information I know is in that head of yours."

I had already been thinking about saying yes after his arguments about Glory and my subsequent line of thought. Now, however, there was no thought needed. My answer was instantaneous. "I'm in."

After all, where else could I go? This almost felt like signing my soul away, but I felt it was worth it. Glory clearly didn't care about me, and this was a chance to meet my father. He was right about my father's name, too. Maybe he only knew it because of my inquiries, which he clearly knew about, but I was willing to take that chance.

Like Vulture said, this could be an opportunity. Maybe I could gather information or act as a double agent. Maybe I could convince my father to break his ties with Vulture's group and join me. It was probably all easier said than done, but I wanted to try. I had no doubt in my mind that Vulture didn't take my agreement to mean I was suddenly loyal to him, but he grinned at my answer, regardless. And for the first time, that grin wasn't quite as malicious.

"Excellent..." He wrapped a wing around my back and pulled me close. "Welcome to the family, Deathbringer..." There was a chorus of cheers from the crowd, and I couldn't help but give a small smile. I was more nervous than I can ever remember being, but I didn't plan on backing out now, mostly because I knew I wouldn't survive denying him now. He set a token down in front of me, one I didn't recognize. It was made of gold, and the face was that of a dragon's skull. The other side was a scorpion as I found out when I picked it up to study it. "Go ahead on to my old compound in the Scorpion Den. One of my associates will meet you there."

"What about you?" I decided to ask after a moment.

"I've some more business to attend to before I leave," he said simply, and I had to wonder which dragon was getting offed tonight. Though, I doubted he'd be here himself to do such dirty work when he had an entire roster of cronies to do it for him. So maybe, like me, there was another dragon he wanted to recruit. "I'll be heading out day after tomorrow at the latest, otherwise, I'd travel back to the Sand Kingdom with you."

Well, I wasn't going to say it aloud, but I was glad he wasn't travelling with me. It'd definitely be harder to sleep peacefully with the continent's most infamous criminal as my travelling companion. "Guess I'll head out, then..."

The barkeep had just poured him another drink, and he didn't even glance at me when he spoke. "You do that..." The contents of his latest drink disappeared down his gullet, and I decided that was as much of a dismissal as I needed.

I didn't stick around. As soon as I was outside, I made straight for the west gate, and once outside, I flew as far as I could before my wings felt like they'd fall off. It was way past midnight by that point, which meant I'd been flying for nearly fourteen hours nonstop. I was hungry, I was tired, and I was thirsty, but having put so many miles behind me, I felt safe enough to deal with those issues.

Even still, once food and water were taken care of, I still couldn't sleep very well. That was my first time meeting Vulture face-to-face. I'd heard the stories of him. I'd helped Thorn try and track him down or stop his plots in the past, but this was the first time I'd ever seen him. I never understood why dragons were so scared of him since he was so old. I mean, he was way past his prime, so even if he could still fight, he wouldn't stand much of a chance against a younger, more agile opponent like myself.

But after meeting him, I now understood. It wasn't his physical capabilities that made him so terrifying, it was his demeanor—his cunning mind. He knew exactly what to say to get me to believe him without arousing my suspicion in the moment, and he did all that without even pausing to think. The flow of that conversation was as natural as if we'd been discussing the weather.

And his eyes...

Merely the memory of them made me shudder. They were so dark, filled with such malevolence and intelligence despite his age. And ever time he smiled, that malevolence only seemed to grow more pronounced. It was as if all traces of warmth and kindness had long since been sucked out of them. And all that was left was a cold and calculating evil.

Did I really just agree to work with that guy?

I found myself constantly fiddling with his token as I lay there in the dark, unable to sleep, and unwilling to light a fire. It was a constant reminder that, yes, I had done that.

The trip to the Scorpion Den wasn't much to talk about. Nothing really happened despite my constant paranoia that this was all a trick and one of his lackies was out to gut me in my sleep. Forest paved way to mountains, and mountains changed to desert. I gave Jade Mountain a wide berth. I didn't want anyone I knew stumbling across me and asking what I was doing so far out here. Anything I told them would end up in Glory's ear eventually, and I didn't want her knowing where I was.

So it was better to just avoid such confrontations if possible. There was really only one way to make sure my current whereabouts remained hidden...but I didn't want to hurt anyone. Not only did I not want to hurt a friend, I didn't want Glory to have another reason to hate me. As much as I was doing this to find my father, I was doing this for her, too.

Or so I told myself.

It was a way to reassure myself that what I was doing wasn't a complete betrayal of her trust. Then again, how long would it take for me to become one of Vulture's loyal pet assassins? He had a way of twisting minds, evidenced by the reason I was out here in the first place. Given enough time, I was sure even I would crumble against his arguments...and that thought terrified me.

There was nothing I could do about it except get in and out as fast as possible while keeping my interactions with him to a minimum. Just because I was working for him now, didn't mean I was loyal to him. Right? Once I got what I wanted, I could leave. I may piss him off and secure myself a dangerous enemy, but I could leave.

Such were the thoughts that occupied me during my flight.

When I finally arrived at the Den eight days after leaving the Sky Kingdom, I was still just as conflicted. However, the Den wasn't the type of place to just stroll through while distracted by inner turmoil. I had to keep my eyes open to make sure I wasn't pickpocketed or jumped.

From the moment I entered the Den, I could feel eyes watching me. And I wasn't talking about the stares I got from the dragons in the street, though a lot of them did watch me—some with suspicion and others with shock or surprise. I guess Nightwings weren't all that common in this place. Then again, as I continued further in, it became clear that dragons other than Sandwings weren't all that common here.

I saw a scattering of Skywings and Mudwings, but I didn't see a single dragon from any of the other tribes. No hybrids, either. There were some places with a much more...conservative view on hybrids across Pyrrhia, and I didn't doubt that this was one of them. Any that stepped foot here were probably killed or enslaved. Any that were born here probably got the same treatment.

That was all just speculation, of course, but the Scorpion Den wasn't considered the most lawless and unfriendly place on the continent for nothing. The place was half-decent when Thorn was around. Her and the Outclaws kept things in check for the most part. After she became Queen, however, things went downhill fast.

Now...the place was filthy. And I don't mean that in just a figurative sense, either. Yes, corruption and vice were the name of the game here, but I also meant filthy in a literal sense, too. There was trash everywhere. And based on the smell, I could take a pretty good guess what a lot of the brown stuff all over the place was. Let's just say, it was a good idea to watch where you step. Thankfully, the main streets seemed clear of excrement, but I couldn't say the same for the smaller streets and allies, which absolutely reeked of urine and vomit.

Why would anyone in their right mind choose to live here?

I only had to recall my own purpose here to figure that question out. One, they were either working for Vulture, in which case they had no choice but to stay here. Or two, they were being extorted or blackmailed by Vulture, in which case they had no choice but to stay here.

Put simply, they had no choice but to stay here.

Nothing happened to me personally, though I did count at least three thefts, two pickpockets, one assault, two separate incidents of public indecency, and four clear con jobs in progress. This truly was nothing but a hive of scum and villainy.

In fact, as I continued down the main streets towards Vulture's old compound, which was now visible in the distance, I noticed that a lot of the dragons who were watching me seemed...afraid almost. Apparently, they had figured out where I was going and were actively avoiding me. Now, whether it was because they thought I was Vulture's ally or enemy, I couldn't say. I imagined some were thinking one way with others thinking the other way.

The compound, despite clearly being abandoned—and by the looks of, for some number of years now—was empty. No one was squatting inside or milling about the grounds, which lead him to assume that this empty building wasn't quite so empty as it looked. The walls were still intact, though the main gate was wide open. With an open invitation like that, I wondered how many dragons had tried sheltering inside and how many of those had been killed or captured.

The stone paths were cracked, and a lot of the old flower beds were either overgrown with weeds or just plain dead. The fountain was completely dry of water, and pieces of the stone were chipped or broken off to end up lying in the basin. The paint on the building was faded, and in some spots, bare brick was visible beneath the veneer. Some of the small shacks and outbuildings around the property had partially caved in. Others were lacking doors to show empty spaces where supplies used to be stored or where dragons used to sleep.

The one thing that really stood out among this carefully crafted illusion was the main door. The wood looked old and chipped, the paint was faded, but it was still sitting securely upon its hinges unlike the doors of the other, smaller buildings as I'd seen. And when I opened it, it swung outward easily without a single squeak, meaning this door was well taken care of.

The inside, however, despite my expectations, was as empty and abandoned-looking as the outside. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere. The air was musty and dusty, which bothered my sinuses and made me sneeze a few times. What furniture was left was either broken down or pushed to the walls, though all of it was covered with dust. There were about six or seven old barrels stuffed in one corner. The floor looked as if it hadn't been swept since it was deserted.

As I went further in and looked around, a single thought came to mind. "Why would he send me here?" Even though the door seemed in one piece, the inside looked as empty and deserted as the outside had.

"Well, well, look who it is..." The unfamiliar voice made me spin around in surprise. I hadn't heard anyone come in, which made me internally wince. First, Vulture snuck up on me and now this? Maybe I was rustier than I thought...

I recognized the female Nightwing standing in the open doorway, watching me with a curious suspicion. We weren't well-acquainted, but we'd crossed paths a few times before. Of course, with her being here, you can imagine what those encounters had entailed. "Mystic...what are you doing here?"

She snorted and glared at me, her suspicion rising. "I think I should be asking you that question, Deathbringer. I belong in places like this. What's Glory's little stooge doing snooping around the Scorpion Den?" She paused long enough to look me up and down. "And I suggest you answer quickly before I decide to silence you forever."

"Based on our last few encounters, I usually come out on top," I shot back. She just grinned, though it wasn't as menacing as Vulture's were. When she said nothing and merely stepped closer, I thought it best to answer her question. I pulled the token out of my pouch and showed it to her briefly before flicking to the floor in front of her. "Vulture sent me. Told me to wait here for one of his associates."

She picked up the token and studied it. "Really?" Her tone was curious, though also a bit skeptical. However, after a few seconds more, she placed the token in her own pouch and snorted again, this time in amusement. All the tension in her posture evaporated in an instant. "Well...color me surprised. I'd heard that Glory dismissed you, but I didn't think you would ever join up with the likes of him."

I studied her in mild surprise. "That's it? I show you the token, and suddenly we're friends?"

She scoffed, as if I'd said the most hilariously stupid thing ever. "Friends? No. But if you're here with Vulture's token, then that means you're legit. Offense intended, but there's no way you could get it from him otherwise. You've dulled significantly over the years, Deathy. Your name doesn't strike the same fear into dragons as it used to. I'd be angry for you making us Nightwing assassins look like a joke, but the shitshow between you and Glory is too hilarious to hold it against you."

Not that I wasn't angry over her insult, but I figured it was best to not antagonize the first dragon in Vulture's organization that I met. Speaking of... "You never answered my question, though. What's a Nightwing terrorist with a grudge against the Icewings doing with Vulture?"

She scoffed again. "Did the years dull your brain, as well? Why do you think? Resources. Vulture's got a hundred times more resources than my little band did when we were solo. Sure, I was a bit hesitant to work for him at first, but now?" She chuckled. "After a few years, I've come to admire him enough to give him control of my organization and fully commit to his." She walked further into the room and began circling around me like a shark in the water. I didn't move except for my head to show I wasn't concerned about the threat she posed. "That cunning mind of his is a real turn-on for me." She sighed wistfully as I grimaced in disgust. "If only I wasn't married, and he was about thirty years younger..."

Only one thing needed to be said. "Ew..."

She laughed and jumped over me to land on my left side. "What's the matter, Deathy?" she asked, leaning in until our snouts were uncomfortably close. "You a prude or something?" She didn't give me a chance to answer before she blinked seductively a few times, which made me even more uncomfortable. Then, she pulled away with a teasing laugh. "Don't worry...spend a few months in this place, and you'll be as down and dirty as the rest of us."

Not wanting to think about that any more than I had to, I quickly changed the subject. "Only asking because until now, I've never been on the receiving end of anything but your claws, but...are you normally like this?"

"My wit's always been as sharp as my claws," she snickered. "But...I will admit to being in a phenomenally good mood right now. I just got back from killing some of Thorn's spies, who were heckling my poor husband—watching him, asking him questions, that sort of thing. And if that wasn't good enough, as a 'thank you', he promised me a home-cooked meal and a night of hard sex tonight, so...yeah, not a lot can ruin my mood right now."

"Right..." Well, I try to avoid talking about that, and she ends up bringing it right back somehow. "Sorry I asked...Moving on, though, Vulture said my father was here?" At her curious look, I drop his name. "Soulseer?"

"Oh, yeah..." She nodded, recognition in her voice. "I know him. He's in the field right now working with..." She paused, eyeing me. A hint of distrust entered her gaze as she continued. "...One of our assets in the Sandwing capital." Apparently, I was going to need to earn the right to privileged information. Just because I was in didn't mean I was in. "He should be back in a few days."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" I asked. "You guys have a basement or something?"

She snorted. "You think you get to see our secret base already...that's cute." Finally, she broke away, giving me some space to breathe, though once she picked up the token, she was right back in front of me. I had to rear my head back since she again leaned forward as if trying to kiss me, and our chests ended up touching. My gaze darted left and right, anywhere but the teasing grin on Mystic's face. After a few more seconds, I felt her grab one of my claws and stick the token in it. "Go to the Barb & Dagger Inn and show this to the innkeeper," she whispered, her hot breath tickling my neck. "He'll set you up a room for free." She paused for a moment before leaning forward again, and my eyes went wide when she softly nibbled the underside of my jaw. "Moons, you're hot..." she breathed. Then, she pulled away with a flirtatious wink before dashing out of the building. Her scent lingered behind for a few seconds before the dusty covered it up.

Once she was gone, I released an explosive exhale, having held my breath for nearly a minute because of her 'advances'. "What the what? What was that about?" Not that she wasn't an attractive Nightwing because she absolutely was, but one, she already said she was married. And two, which was much more important, she'd tried to kill me in the past at least four times!

That whole interaction was rather uncomfortable, but I suppose that's what happens when you live in a place like this. At least I had a new destination, though. I thought that maybe I should find another inn just in case she came back for seconds or something but decided I better go where I was told. I don't know how high she ranked in Vulture's organization, but I should probably follow her orders, if only to prove I could follow orders.

And so, back out into the streets I went. As I gazed around at the filthy buildings and streets, I could only hope this inn I was going to was at least somewhat clean.

AN: First off, to Flerovium (and anyone else who's letting me use their characters), if I do something with them that you don't like, tell me, and I'll change it. I felt this little reminder was particularly necessary for some of the behavior and language in this chapter. I tried to portray Mystic as a bit of a femme fatale due to her occupation and current place of residence. But again, if you don't like it, I'll change it.

Second, it seems the groups' suspicion about DB being involved with Vulture is right. What does that mean? Guess we'll find out.

Let me know what you thought about this new arc so far. Are the characters believable? Is DB's internal struggle realistic? You know, that sort of stuff. I always appreciate it.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22