I belatedly realized that I posted this on AO3 and not on here. I had planned to post it the day before so that it would be on Friday the 13th, but plans change. Plus, I just plain forgot. As always, enjoy and tell me what you think.


She sat at the edge of the roof, legs dangling and gray eyes on the horizon. The sun would be up soon, and she would be forced to sleep. But for now, she sat fiddling with the plastic card in her hands, nimble fingers memorizing the license she obtained a little more than a year ago. It was almost ridiculous how she came to this moment. She was centuries away from the miserable servant she had been. Forced to comply to a family who thought they were better than others just because they had tamed her. When she had enough and planned her escape, the old magic binding her nearly stripped her of life. But she survived and traveled the world, endlessly looking for a safety that did not exist for her kind. Always evading the family who hunted her down to drag her back into servitude. They failed time and time again, but she wasn't free.

And now, how society had changed. License to kill. Literally. How stupid yet exhilarating at the same time. She had been captured by the Elite Hunters and thought it was finally the end, only to be given a choice. She had to go on record of her existence so that she could be monitored and get a license so that her needs could be regulated. Agree to the terms or refuse and be struck down on the spot. Anyone would have gladly chosen the former, but she had seen those who refused and were no longer alive.

She let out a sigh and glanced down at her ID, a small red asterisk in the bottom right corner. Barely noticeable to the average person. But not to her, beings like her, and any authority serving the government. That card was the only thing keeping her alive. She gritted her teeth at the man across the street yelling at his wife and kids for the umpteenth time. If only she wasn't on constant surveillance, she would end him. That woman and her children didn't deserve such treatment.

She closed her eyes and took a calming breath then stood up, clawed feet gripping the edge of the apartment complex. Her tail relaxed until it swung low to the ground. She could feel the sun approaching. Sleep here like so many of her kind or go inside? Did it matter? She sighed and retreated from the edge to go inside. Sometimes it felt better to be indoors where the false safety of her home would make her feel at least a bit normal. She set the card on her dresser when she entered her room and crawled into bed, tucking her wings against her back. She didn't have to wait long for the sun's rays to find her. The process that followed was quick and painless. She fell asleep knowing that her body would remain impenetrable stone until sunset. So it has been since the day she escaped servitude. It was her punishment for the freedom she craved.

When she woke up, she was as human as could be. Wings, tail, fangs, claws, pointed ears, and horns gone. Her skin was pale instead of slate gray, but her eyes remained a light shade of gray. She rolled out of bed to find less holey clothing and start her 'day'. The night was the only time of day she was able to roam. She hadn't seen the sun in so long, and if anyone asked, she would say she missed it. She added her new card to the other cards in the compartment in the back of her phone case and pocketed it. She made a living as a security guard of Hollywood Arts, a performing arts college. The night shift was no ones' favorite so getting the job was a breeze.

It was strange to be doing the exact thing she had been doing centuries ago, minus the bloodshed, but here she was. Years of running and she had finally settled in this busy city that didn't sleep. It was perfect for her. If only it could last. At some point she would be found again, and then she would have to run once more. But for now, she was safe. She was tying up her boots when she thought that and scoffed at the word. No one was safe. Human, monster, no one. It was all a carefully constructed ruse, a delicate balance between human and monster. Monsters had to obey human law or go extinct.

Jade left her house and headed down the street. No car needed. She could run faster than any car could go. She scanned her surroundings before speeding into a jog. Minutes later she had built it into a run that grew steadily in speed. She slowed when she reached her destination, keeping an eye out for anyone. She came out from the alley she routinely stopped in and came out to the street a block down from the large school. Performance art. She wasn't a fan, but interesting enough to eavesdrop on late working students scattered around campus. She checked in with the office and then made her rounds as usual.

What wasn't usual was the scent she picked up two hours into her shift. Werewolf? Not musky. Dead. Vampire? Not cloying. Rotten. Zombie? Possibly. She turned in the direction it came from, speed walking. It was rare when a zombie succumbed to its hunger now that medicine was available to keep them from rotting and craving human flesh. But sometimes it happened. She tracked the smell to a parking lot behind the east wing, stopping at the sight of a zombie stalking a couple too lost in each other to notice the danger. He looked familiar.

It took her a moment to realize that she had seen him here and there around campus and always wrote him off as a student. The first time she caught him hanging around the girls' bathroom she demanded his name. Sinjin. What a creeper. His medication must have kept him out of her radar. Why did he stop taking them? Jade snuck up on him and whisked him away before anyone was the wiser, only stopping behind a building on the outskirts of the school. She checked the streets for passersby and stuck to the shadows. The zombie struggled to escape, trying to bite. She shoved him against the wall when he managed to get his teeth on her arm, though he couldn't draw blood. She hissed her agitation, baring short fangs.

"You aren't human," he gagged, scowling at the taste.

"No, I'm not. Now are you going to tell me why you're hunting out of limits?" she demanded, iron grip on his throat.

"What are you? Your flesh is hard as stone," he rambled, eyes unfocused. He was starving.

"Listen, I'm not going to ask you again," she said, shaking him. He whined and started pawing at her hand.

"I can't do it anymore! The medication. The laws. Have you not had human flesh? The way it feels. The way it tastes. Don't you miss it?" he questioned, desperate. She swallowed hard, trying not to think of the very thing he proposed. Because she knew what he meant. She had her fair share over the years. And even now when she was lucky enough to be assigned a criminal from the preapproved list to kill. Serious criminals, murderers, people with no humanity left. She swallowed building saliva and turned her thoughts away.

"No. Go home. Take your medication. Clean yourself up and then get a Hunting License if you have to. If you don't comply, you're dead. Don't you understand?" she stated, looking over his pasty complexion and red tinged eyes. At this rate his cover would be blown soon.

"No! Let me go! I can't do this anymore! I won't!" he screamed, fighting from her hold. She let him go and he shoved her out of the way. She watched as he ran down the street like a maniac. She shook her head. He would be gone in the morning. The Hunters would be dispatched to remove him. She returned to campus and continued her shift.

It went by without any other disturbances, and she returned home in time to eat a meat heavy meal before preparing for sunrise. Three days later she received her seventh approved criminal. Right on time. It was as if they knew when she was starting to give in. It fell perfectly on a day off and she wasted no time tracking down her meal.

She looked over the email while she walked. Usually, it contained all kinds of information about the human she hunted. Past crimes, current crimes, whether they had been to jail yet or evaded the law. Where they lived or were hiding out. A picture and an age. Her only job was to make sure no one found the body or else make it look like an accident. Vampires must have a job on their hands seeing as they only needed blood. But not her. She wanted it all. Flesh, blood, bone, everything. She thrived on it. Werewolves were almost the same in that they only had bones to hide. Zombies and ghouls fell somewhere between.

She stopped thinking when she reached the large house she was looking for. It was located in a quiet neighborhood, unlike the broken down and ugly apartments she usually found the lowest criminals in. A few lived in average housing, but nothing like this. Who was she tracking that lived so well off? And with a family of three others? She scented the air, trying to tell them apart. She glanced down at her phone, at the picture of the young adult with bright brown eyes. She didn't look like a killer, but her record was steadily increasing. Breaking and entering, vandalism, stealing, assault, and a current suspect in an open hit and run case. She couldn't believe that someone with such an open and honest face could be capable of such crimes.

She carefully moved closer to begin her search. Two older adults in one room. Not them. One room was promising. She climbed the building to check inside but she didn't match the picture, so Jade moved on to the next room. The window was left open and the scent that drifted out of it made her pause. At least her target smelled really good. She looked inside but no one was there. She focused her senses and realized that her target had left the house.

She picked up the scent outside the front door, freshly made minutes ago. She followed it down the sidewalk, excitement growing. She was already planning a way to get her alone. She knew how to charm and distract both men and women. The trail led her to a park and onto a dirt trail. It then veered off course and left safety to wind through a created path past some bushes. Was this human trying to get herself killed?

Jade continued, slowing down when she saw her jogging up ahead. She was dressed in workout gear and a hat, her hair pulled back in a ponytail to come out the hole above the strap in the back. She sped up, ready to bring down her target as soon as possible now that they were this far out. She approached on light feet, claws at the ready and teeth sharpening. She rushed forward at a turn and sideswiped the human, knocking her off the path and into the foliage. She cried out but a clawed hand clamped over her mouth, holding her down.

It was easy to stop her from flailing with her free hand. Her scent called to her, and she bared her teeth, but she stopped at the look of fear in her eyes. Most of her prey immediately started to struggle. But this one didn't. She remained pinned under Jade, whimpering and seconds from crying. Was it a trick?

Jade growled and moved to tear out her throat, but again, she froze at the panicked scream muffled against her cold grip. She leaned back, suspicious but curious.

"Why aren't you fighting?" she questioned gruffly, her voice a rolling growl. She released the human's face so she could talk but all she received was blubbering. She rolled her eyes.

"P-please, don't k-kill me. Please," she finally cried out. What was going on? Either this human was good at pretending or there had to be a mistake.

"I'm gonna regret this," Jade muttered to herself with certainty, yet she eased off the human who scurried away and curled up.

"Look, I'm sorry. You were on the list," she explained, pulling out her phone and hoping the girl wouldn't take the misunderstanding to authorities and have her executed for a mistake that wasn't her own.

"W-what list?" the human questioned.

"A list of criminals I'm allowed to kill. You're convicted of petty crimes as well as a suspect in a hit and run case," she explained. The human's eyes widened at that.

"Trina," she whispered to herself, but superior hearing caught it.

"Is that who I'm supposed to be after?" Jade asked the human.

"N-no. Neither of us. Forget it. Please, let me go. I won't say anything," she rambled, trying to get up, but her legs shook too much to support her. She fell, but Jade was already there to catch her. She was quick to push her away.

"This hasn't happened before," Jade remarked, eyeing the frightened human.

"What's your name?" she demanded.

"Tori. Um, well Victoria Vega. See?" she quickly replied, pulling out her ID for Jade to see.

"Shit. I really am after your sister. It says Trina Vega here," she said, showing the human her phone. Everything on the screen was true to her older sister except for the picture.

"Everyone always confuses us for some reason," Tori mumbled with a shake of her head.

"Fuck, now what? I was looking forward to this," Jade grumbled.

"Wait. Monsters really exist? And the government allows you to hunt people?" Tori questioned.

"Eh, well, I shouldn't-" she started to deny, but Tori suddenly grabbed her by her jacket, expression fierce.

"You just tried to eat me! I deserve an explanation!" she ordered.

"One I'm not allowed to give you!" Jade shouted back, throwing off the human's hands. Tori instantly remembered who she was dealing with and backed off.

"Can I at least know your name?" she asked quietly.

"So you can report me? No," Jade replied, moving to climb out of the bushes and onto the dirt path. Tori followed clumsily.

"No, to thank you for not going through with it. I heard rumors that monsters existed, but there was never any solid proof. People said they were regulated by the government, but those rumors were hard to believe too. But here you are and-" Tori began, only for her words to silence at the growl directed at her.

"Fine! My name is Jade," she finally replied. Tori stopped in place, frozen on the spot when Jade advanced on her. She realized the human was eyeing her teeth and took a step back, trying to relax.

"Jade…does that mean there's no hope for my sister?" Tori wondered.

"How should I know? I don't question why I'm assigned to the people I hunt, and it isn't like I stop to play twenty questions with my target either," Jade huffed out, checking the time. Tori flinched at the truthful reply.

"I always suspected Trina of doing illegal things with that guy she was going out with, but I didn't think she would be involved in a crime that killed someone," Tori admitted with a shrug.

"Not my problem. I'm going home. This was a waste of time. I'm putting in a complaint and they better make up for it," Jade said, already typing it out while starting down the path. Tori rushed to keep up with her.

"The least you could do is walk me back. I'm kind of on edge now," she pleaded. Jade shot her a glance.

"I don't owe you anything. This wasn't my mistake," she responded evenly, speeding up her pace.

"Please! Please don't leave me out here. What if others are approved to hunt me down? What if they don't stop like you did? Just stick around until I get home, all right?" Tori begged. Jade raised a brow at the desperate human. She enjoyed begging. Always had. It felt all the more worth it when she sunk her teeth in flesh despite their cries for mercy.

"Fine. But I'm not your bodyguard or anything and I can't stick around past getting you home. I need to be home by sunrise," she acquiesced. Curiosity alighted on the human's face.

"What are you? You aren't a vampire," she decided.

"How would you know?" Jade said.

"You're pale but your eyes didn't glow when you attacked. More than your canines were sharp, which means you don't only drink blood," she theorized. Both Jade's brows rose at the curious human. She paid attention to all that while being attacked.

"You're right. I'm not a vampire," she allowed, returning to the main path of the park.

"Really? I was right? So what are you?" Tori asked.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you. My name is enough," Jade snapped, brushing off the human.

"Fine," she said, running to catch up with Jade's fast pace.

"What happened to being afraid?" Jade demanded, clearly irritated. Tori shrugged.

"If you were dangerous, you would have ignored me and I wouldn't be here," she concluded.

"Just because I happen to have a conscience doesn't mean it's safe to be around me. In fact, the first time I caught your scent I looked forward to finding you. I was convinced you would taste good, and I couldn't wait to see if I was right," Jade admitted with a curling smirk when Tori shuddered in disgust and fear.

"Werewolf?" she guessed, trying to stave off the shiver down her spine. Jade scoffed.

"As if. They'd eat anything that crosses their path," she denied. They stopped talking the rest of the way back. Tori was lost in thought and Jade was glad to finally have some silence. She followed Tori on autopilot, and she slowed to a stop when they were down the street from her house. Jade came to a stop ahead of her when she realized Tori stopped walking.

"What now?" she asked.

"We can part ways here," Tori answered.

"Why? Afraid to be seen with me?" Jade taunted.

"Yes, actually. But not for the reasons you think," Tori responded, brushing past Jade.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jade called after her. But she didn't get a reply. She resolved to follow from a distance to make sure the human made it home. If only to keep her word. Once she was safely inside, Jade checked the time again. She had to finish reporting the issue. She sent an email ahead of her arrival so that by the time she reached the office of the Elite Hunter division hidden inside the police station, they knew who she was.

They made sure Tori's picture was taken down and updated with her sister's picture after many questions and confusion. Jade explained that she put two and two together when she entered Tori's room and found clues that didn't match with the report she was given. She didn't mention talking to Tori. It was concluded that someone made a mistake with the picture and nothing more, but Jade had a sneaking suspicion that something was going on. Jade made sure they would never assign her to the older Vega sister and then she was on her way. She made it home with enough time to pull off her jacket and lay down to relax before slowly turning to stone under the rays of the rising sun. She hated when she didn't get a chance to rest before she was forced to sleep.

By the time the sun set on another day, and she was free to move, she had to stretch. She flexed her wings with a roll of her shoulders and allowed some time to be herself and then assumed her human guise. She frowned at another ruined shirt while shrugging it off for another. At least her jacket was intact. She quickly ate her way through a steak, a whole chicken, some thick cut ham slices, and four eggs then traded her street clothes for her uniform. Hopefully it was enough to keep her hunger at bay until she was given another target. She reached the campus in record time and took a moment to enjoy the night from a bench not far from the office. She picked at the flowers in the nearby planter until a familiar scent caught her attention.

"Tori?" she inquired, turning to see the human walking toward her. She jumped to her feet.

"Jade. I didn't know you were a security guard here," she greeted.

"I didn't know you were a student here," Jade countered, looking at the bag and books she carried.

"It wasn't official until today. I had a late class but I'm heading home now," she answered, gesturing behind her at the parking lot. Jade nodded and moved to pass her, but Tori stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"About last night…" she began. Jade shook her head.

"Forget it. You should be fine now. I reported the mix up. No one will be looking for you," she explained.

"Oh, thanks," Tori said, dropping her hand, but the warmth lingered.

"No problem," Jade replied, stepping away from her. A thought came to mind, and she suddenly leaned in close.

"But if I ever find out you told someone about me, I'll be back for you. Understand?" she growled low. Tori jerked away from her.

"You don't have to threaten me, you know. I wouldn't have told anyone," Tori shot back, surprising Jade with her sudden tenacity. Where was that frightened girl from last night?

"I didn't survive this long to be tattled on by a child," Jade sneered.

"I'm not a child," Tori refuted.

"To me you're a toddler," Jade spat, walking away. Tori scowled at her, fingers clenched hard on her books. No one irritated her as easily as Jade just did. She prided herself on her patience and tolerance. But not when it came to Jade. And how ironic that the one person she had no qualms fighting with just so happened to not be a person at all, but a monster. What kind, she still didn't know, but she wanted to find out. Curiosity was in her nature. Jade might not want anything to do with her, but Tori was already invested in getting to know her. Jade wasn't interested in further communication. Humans were nothing but drama. She kept walking, feeling the human's eyes on her all the way into the office.

"Stupid girl," she grumbled to herself, coming up to the desk. Luckily, her shift took her thoughts off Tori Vega. Especially when she caught some students having sex in one of the bathrooms. She heard them several feet away and could smell them too. She reveled in scaring the crap out of them with a fist on the stall door and demanded that they come out. They stumbled out half-dressed and scurried away while she threatened to tell on them for messing around outside their dorm after curfew. She wouldn't tell on them of course, but she liked to make them think that she would. She headed home feeling a bit more relaxed concerning her talk with Tori. She could already tell that the human would prove to be a nuisance. She just seemed like the type that wouldn't leave things alone. Jade spent the rest of her time thinking on the couch until the sun caught her, forcing her to sleep.