MSI


Brenda fidgeted uncomfortably as Banyan eyed Brad or Rowan or whatever he was going to go by. It made her uncomfortable thinking of this man, now a boy, who was clad in flesh copied from Willow.

Sayuri noticed the revenant's discomfort. Deciding to change the subject she spoke up. "So how did you find Brenda, Bree?"

"By accident. It was part of a series of errands I've been working on that seemed to be continually derailed. The vampires started it, however. Maximillian Strauss called me to the Tremere chantry to share some information they had gathered. Now that I know what happened to you I have some new leads on that case."

"How does all that connect?" Reiko wondered.

"You see, during Calibration there were many deaths but some formed patterns. Some of them were only coincidence but others were more elusive. Several people on the vampire's Anarch faction list of enemies found themselves wiped out. Some happened to be near the necrotic corrosion zones Dan recorded as he helped plan the advance on the graveyard in Hollywood."

"You think it was the guy that attacked me? Abram's former ghoul?" Sayuri asked.

"I think so, yes I was chasing old crime scenes and looking for eyewitnesses to a long list of suspicious happenings. Many of these didn't pan out or were unrelated to the larger case. Many of them I put a pin in to check back on later. One derailed my investigation completely," she said, eyeing Brenda

Brenda shrugged and, while getting up, took her now empty plate to the cafeteria tray return to be washed.


Carl's Dinner


"Yeah, no," Bree said with a shake of her head. She was sitting across the table from Juanita. Bree would have preferred a booth. The chairs here were trash. Carl's dive dinner didn't have a wheelchair-accessible booth for the paraplegic Hunter

Carl's was a depressing sight. The dejected staff trudged around with barely more life than the zombies that so recently infested this city. Calibration had given Carl Martin a reprieve. Arjeet Goya's plans to hire the cafe staff out from under Carl had been put on hold. He had to deal with the after-effects of the battle at the Sweet Rest destroying his hotel. The staff had been preparing to make the jump in unison to a new boss. They had dreamed of leaving Carl out in the cold with no workers. Their dreams of devastating their tormentor were yanked away. Having hope and then getting it taken away had damaged their spirits. It had eaten at them more than the constant grind of being worn down daily. The petty abuses scoured away the soul of everyone working for Carl.

"Come on, Bree, you used to patrol around here and you are a much better detective than James. Normally this isn't an issue but we are stretched thin. There are dark things that took the opportunity to set up nests closer to prey. Others infiltrate the physical world from the spiritual planes. Not to mention leftover undead from the battle. They may be free from central control now but that doesn't mean they were good people. We don't have the hands to do this in a timely fashion."

"I thought you would want me to get on with my investigation. This mystery being might have been what killed Jesus. I know you have a lot of unresolved feelings there."

"I loved that stupid, arrogant, ignorant man almost as much as I despised him. His death was pretty cut and dry, however. We looked into it. He chose to turn on some vampires who were trying to help him fight zombies. His own ignorant prejudice is what finally killed him, not some mystery attacker.

"He would have wanted us to find these new hunters and bring them in. He wouldn't have wanted them to get killed because no one had the time to support them. Look, the information I gave you on all the stuff we found is going to save you legwork. It's at least a fair trade to spend some time looking for these new hunters for us."

Bree sipped her coffee and slowly nodded. It wasn't worth arguing over. She had already been derailed several times. Everyone seemed to have something to do. Earlier that day she'd had a tense confrontation with one of the lieutenants from the Devil's Wolves. He had tried to pump her for contact information for Kimura. She had referred him to Kashi's new lawyer, Campeggio. Let the gang deal with the stalling tactics of a man who billed a few grand an hour to talk to people.

"Okay, here is the information we have: they seem to have established a hunting ground around this area. There are at least two, maybe as many as five not all of them are imbued but at least one is. They're shit at hiding their work. With the paranormal being partly out in the open that's going to lead to cops who ask the right questions. They'll get a visit to their door if they don't get some training. I'd rather they not end up in a standoff with the police."

"Agreed. I don't think the supernatural is going to stay in the shadows for more than another year, Juanita. You guys better put that up on your grapevine. Campeggio said the vampires are planning on coming out into the open soon. The ghoul police in Louisiana and Vital Fluids will come clean. That will sell the image of vampires as forces of law and order who don't need to hunt down their fellow man. It will be slick and polished. If the hunters don't have a plan you're going to get left out in the cold. This Lone Ranger crap is going to have to end."

"Didn't you blow up an oil refinery?"

"That was DeAngelo! Also, I said the Wild West is ending, not that it's over. I'm not saying stop the posse just to make sure you can call it a posse, not a mob."

"Yeah, yeah we're working on that. Spectre is in the lead on it. The scuttlebutt on seems to be we will go legit at the exact same moment the vampires do. He's coordinating it that way. Spectre makes good enough points even those who feel as Jesus did agree it's our best option, even if they don't like it."

"Well, that's good. I think we are going to do the same loose plan, next Calibration I think."

"Next. You mean this is going to happen again?"

"Every year from here on out. Each year the barriers will be weaker. Each year more things will make it through. The undead might not be such a problem now. The Underworld is back in the hands of mortal ghosts. However, we are estimating twice as many spirits, elemental and fae. Maybe even some demons."

Juanita rubbed her eyes as a wave of weariness washed through her.

"Look, that makes it even worse. We lost about one in twenty hunters this time. You gotta find these newbies. They're going to need all the training and help they can get to survive the next one."

"Yeah, that's one we have in our corner. Now we know the next one is coming so we can prepare. I'd better get on looking for them then. If you need me you have my number. Oh, if it's something that doesn't need to go through the phone my mom has started going to Spectre Books. Mom's honing her magic with the hedge mages. Some of your more mystical members might want to check that out. A friend of mine is thinking about teaching a class on unlocking more powerful magic. They need to get a few more to sign up."

"I'll pass the word."

They finished their meal and headed out. Juanita was off to investigate a haunting while Bree headed off to look for evidence of the new Hunters.

Most of the spots Juanita marked on the map were in Inglewood and Ladera Heights. There was one outlier. A very decayed corpse had been found dismembered near the beach.

Choosing to handle the exception first, Bree plotted a course on her smartphone and drove toward the beach. She knew one guy out that way who might have heard something. So, she pulled into a parking place and headed towards a small building wedged among the sites meant to drain tourist's wallets.

As she walked to the door someone was coming out. A short pale girl with loose black curls. She strode away with the hurried pace of someone with somewhere to be.

Bree entered the shop. A cowbell on a string clattered as she opened the door. The air in the shop smelled of sand, surf, incense, and sun care products. None of that could mask the smell of weed underneath.

"Hey man, if you're here about lessons or a custom board we're way behind and had to stop taking orders. Lost my best employee," the owner Leo said without looking up.

"Thought Kashi was your only employee?" Bree asked.

Leo looked up with a start. "Hey man, this is like a legal business. I got a license for it and everything."

"I'm not a cop anymore Leo and I'm not here to catch you selling dime bags to high schoolers."

"Oh? Are you looking for Kashi maybe? 'Cause he left, man. He's gone and moved. Somewhere out on the Gulf of Mexico. Not sure he's gonna like it, the water's nice but the surf's not so hot."

"No, I already knew that. I'm a P.I. now, Leo. I'm out here looking into the dead body found last week."

"Oh, that. Yeah, it was a vampire. Must have been hiding in the sewer and came up for blood or something."

"Really how did you figure that out?"

"I saw it before the ambulance took it to the morgue. They figured it was a zombie but I saw those teeth. With the severed head and hole in its chest right where the heart goes. Yup, vampire I figure, if zombies are real so are they. I reckon someone else knows they're real too and did him in."

"Good reasoning."

"Yeah, I have my moments. But who's got you looking into vampires, man?"

"Some concerned citizens who want anyone trying to protect LA from ghouls and ghosts to know they're not alone."

"Oh wow, man, like a supernatural neighborhood watch. Hey! They take donations? I got like eight more of these Surf Shacks up and down the coast. Tourism takes a hit, it can really kick my butt you know."

"I'll pass on the offer. For now, Leo, tell me anything you can think of that might help me find the ones that killed this one."

"Hmm, that's a tough one, let me think man."

Leo gave her a long look. Bree started to suspect he had completely lost track of what he was thinking about. That suspicion was only confirmed when he snapped his fingers and made a proclamation.

"I'm closing the shop man! We're going to get some bulgogi!"

"I was asking about the vampire, not lunch. I already ate."

"Better find some room then. I was up at the Korean market talking to some folks about - you know 'herbal remedies.' Anyhow, the undead came up. He said they didn't have to worry about all that, they had their guns and some new friends. At the time, I didn't give it much thought, man. You know how them Koreans are. They love their rifles. The undead didn't do any better getting at them than any of the riots we've had. Thinking back just now the new friends part man you know that sounds kinda like something important."

"You know. I think you're right again. Okay, let's go get some barbecue."

The odd pair took off. Not trusting Leo's moped, Bree drove. When they reached the market she let Leo do the talking. After talking with the owner, he spoke to Bree again.

"He said it's a group that Jinny Lim's boyfriend runs with. I don't know her but the boyfriend is a Japanese dude who goes to Inglewood High."

"Good lead."

"Sounds like none of them liked a Japanese boy dating one of theirs but they forgave him for being a stand-up guy during the undead mess. They really took a shine to him when he brought two Sin-in with him. Umm, the best translation I got is 'heroes.' You know the sort in Buddhist legends? Martial arts master who could wrestle demons and toss fireballs."

"Yeah, I gotcha."

"Japanese kid at Inglewood? That doesn't line up. Kashi was over at Sweet Rest."

"There's another Japanese kid out there. He and Kashi hung out some. I don't remember the name but I'll bet Banyan or one of Kashi's friends will."

"Hey, two birds, man. Banny has been hiring some of the local kids to help clean up the rentals old Lady Johnson owns."

"Another good tip. I tell you, good info, translation services. You're a valuable guy Leo. Where did you learn all this?"

"I learned the language when I was in Korea."

"I didn't think you were old enough to have fought in the Korean War?"

"No man, I wasn't over there for war. I was over there for agriculture. Before I retired I was an irrigation engineer. Field placement, water transport systems, crop water needs, drainage rates, and all that shit. You might say the war came to me anyhow," Leo said mysteriously.

Bree raised an eyebrow. At that, Leo lifted his shirt and lowered the side of his pants, revealing a set of overlapping scars going further down his leg as well as up his torso.

"Holy shit! What happened?"

"Old river mine. Whatever chain or mooring had secured it snapped when we turned the pumps on for the new systems. Bitch floated right up the intakes and blew our work to hell. The whole damn operation turned into fragments. They were picking glass, concrete, and metal out of my ass for months. They gave me pills for the pain but once they ran out I turned to Mother Nature for my remedy."

"Ahh self-medicating."

"Can't go back to work. Too bad too. I got friends in weed. Now that it's going legal they want to use me. but I can't work over the table. The old charges kill me on getting approval to work with important stuff."

Bree thought for a moment. She then pulled a Campeggio, Schmidt and Lewiston business card out of her wallet and handed it to Leo.

"Call that number, tell them who gave you the card, and that I'd consider it a favor if they looked into ways to fix your problem getting back into irrigation."

"Oh wow, these guys are high dollar, man. Yeah, I'll call for sure!"

Bree dropped Leo back at the shack and drove inland headed to Edith Johnsons' former house. No one was home, so she looked around the neighborhood. Spotting some familiar faces she made her way over.

"Sam Montgomery? Hold up!"

Sam turned with a look of annoyance and dislike on her face. It gave Bree momentary pause. "Are you even a cop anymore?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm a PI. Look, this won't take long."

"Yeah, that's what they always say."

"First, I'm looking for Banyan. Second, what was the name of that Japanese kid who used to hang with you, Lane and Walker?"

"I think Banyan is at the Sweet Rest. She said something about passing out paychecks. She helps run the clean-up crews for the owner."

"Alright, and the kid?"

"That would be Toshi. Don't recall the last name but he's a senior so go by our old school you'll find him in the student registry."

"Look I know I caused you some trouble as a cop-"

"Trouble? You don't even know the meaning. My parents were not nearly as understanding as Banyan. When they found out I was screwing around, they hit the roof."

"Then you shouldn't have been screwing Kashi in a parked car on a school night."

"We were seventeen where else were we supposed to fuck?"

"Had you given the idea of not fucking around some thought?"

Sam leapt up into the cab of a truck and cranked the engine. She sneered at Bree angrily. "Have you considered fucking off?"

Bree watched the angry teen drive away. "Not like I'm the one who wrote the public lewdness laws," she muttered to no one.

Bree leaned up against her car while scrolling through the phone. The school had a social media page. Most of the sports teams were on display somewhere in it. She scrolled through the pages till she found the boy she was looking for: Toshi Hashimoto. Pleased at saving a trip to the high school, Bree got back into her car. As she drove bavk through the neighborhood, she passed a work crew that was filling in a sinkhole that had nearly swallowed old lady Peasebury's car.

Bree got an odd feeling as she passed the crew she gave them a good once over before she departed. Unsure as to what was triggering her instincts she continued on heading out to the former site of the Sweet Rest Inn.


What remained of the Sweet Rest was piles of rubble; the last of its standing walls had been knocked down. Bree spied Ajeet Goya as she parked her car. She left her car and jogged up to him, waiting for a break in his conversation with some of the contractors.

"Mr. Goya is Banyan Kimura here today?"

"Hmm? Oh, Bree Madigan! Good to see you. No Banny is out sick, an infected molar. I think she took two weeks off for oral surgery. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Bree cursed to herself. That was just her luck. Pondering her options she decided to see what she could accomplish here.

"I was looking for a friend of Kashi's. Have you seen Toshi Hashimoto?"

"Can't say that I have. Only friend of Kashi's I've given work to is a girl named Brenda Lee. She should be on shift in a bit, she just started yesterday. She might know Toshi."

Bree nodded. "All this cleaning up can't be easy. Have you thought about how it's going to go back up?"

"It won't be the same. Building codes have changed. The insurance will fight me on what replacement costs are. You know the whole 'close enough' to what it was versus what it would cost to put it back exactly as it was. If those bloodsuckers had their way, I would end up with a cheap motel with the same number of rooms all half the size. I know a few tricks to fight back and while the old building was durable, it also didn't make the most effective use of space. Come on inside the trailer here I'll show you the plans."

They stepped inside where Arjeet pulled up the plans on a large screen.

"There they are. "

"So you're going to move things around a bit?"

"Yes, I am. The main building will be a block rather than wings around an inner courtyard. Do you remember where the restaurant was? I'm flipping it to the other side and putting a dining room front and center. It will have a separate door making it into its own building that has a conjoining wall. That will work better than being inside the hotel structure. Then, over there, I will have a bit of space left over from simplifying the parking lot and loading dock. So, in front of the restaurant closer to the road I'll cut out a lot. That lot I will rent to my cousin. Now that he's taken up majority ownership he will install a Goyamart. That will be after the insurance and separate from the rebuilding work."

"Quick stop and gas, a restaurant, and a hotel separate enough to be run as individual businesses?"

"Exactly. Simplifies health codes and tax records. I am looking for business partners to help with the development. If this is done right It won't delay my long-range plans too much for expanding the LLC. It might even be more profitable long term. I had overbuilt the old Sweet Rest and was on the edge of pricing myself out of the local market. It was the nicest place around, but, honestly, I made more from the party rental and such than the rooms. With this design that all would be part of the restaurant, not the hotel."

"Looks like you've put some thought into this."

"You have to if you want to stay ahead of the pencil pushers who will chisel every dime from you. I might be delayed in my plans but I will not give up. In the meanwhile will be helping set up good jobs for some people. Hopefully, it won't be long before I run abusive jackasses like Carl Martin out of business."

"He offends you?"

"Deeply. He works only a modest amount while forcing his subordinates to work very hard. He gives back nothing and wonders why everyone working for him is adversarial. Men like him wonder why no one is motivated to make their business succeed. They don't own the business; they have no motivation to see it succeed. He offers them nothing another substandard employer will not give them. He litters the world with burned-out distrustful people.

All you have to do is give people more than the minimum. Give them a reason to care about your business, a reason to help promote your investment to success. A good Christmas bonus when sales are up. A bit of understanding when they go through hardship and foremost treat them like people you know, not assets you are trying to maximize."

"I hear that. My father used to say something similar that the road to being a bad cop was when you started treating everyone like perps, not people."

"Your father was a good man. Ah! There's Brenda. I see her outside. Let's go out there, I'll introduce you."

Arjeet stepped out and called to the young woman. He explained who Bree was and what she needed. Bree herself barely paid attention to what he was saying. Instead, her mind was racing. She eyed Brenda realizing she was the same girl she'd seen leaving Leo's shop. Suddenly suspicious, she made the connection that had been eluding her before. Brenda had been among the crews that were working at the Peasebury house.

"Sorry Mr. Goya I'm not sure I can help. I worked some odd jobs with Kashi before but I never really hung out with him or his friends. I'm not sure I can be much help to the lady here," Brenda said evasively.

"Right, well, it was worth a try. Thanks for your time."

"Sorry, I couldn't be more help."

"Good luck with the renovation plans, Arjeet. I'd best be off to follow some other leads," Bree said in farewell as she headed for her car. She pretended to drive off before pulling over and parking a few blocks away. She took off her black leather jacket and put on a Chicago Cubs windbreaker. She put her hair up in a bun and covered it with a matching ballcap.

Bree got out of her car and walked back to where she could see the work site. She moved about keeping the area just in view as she milled about along with foot traffic. She found a good spot to watch unobserved in an alley. Behind the cover of some stacked boxes of refuse she kept an eye on things. She stayed until Brenda got off work. Noting the bus she got on, Bree raced to her car and followed. She hung back far enough not to be noticed but close enough to see if Brenda left the vehicle. Bree saw her subject get off the bus and go into a gym.

Bree knew gyms were popular spots for the better-off homeless to get a shower. She found a place to idle while still keeping watch. After about an hour, Brenda came out and pretty soon a car pulled up. Brenda got inside. Bree tailed them till they came to Carl's Dinner. When the driver got out of the car, Bree recognized it as Debbie, one of the regular waitresses.

Bree found a place to park. Knowing Carl, the girl would work seven hours and thirty minutes. That gave him the greatest return on work to break time investment. One ten-minute break and a half-hour unpaid lunch. There was nowhere close to get food and Carl didn't even allow the staff to bring outside food. So the poor souls who worked here had the choice of eating at the restaurant or doing without. Carl, of course, offered no discounts.

Bree put her headphones on and started an audiobook on her car's media player. Carl's was twenty-four hours. The overnighters had it easiest, however. They had to deal with Carl the least. Right on time, Brenda exited the building and took off on a skateboard.

Following her, Bree found her making a circuit of places checking on houses in a way that might have been mistaken for casing them for future robbery. Something told Bree it wasn't that, however. Her methods were off. It was more like she was checking them for damage or danger. Having seen enough, Bree drove ahead of Brenda's path and got out of the car to step out in front of her.

"You're not what you seem. If Kashi doesn't know you, you're going to be in big trouble. You're working his old job, keeping tabs on his mother and friends. You had better not be planning anything stupid because if you are, you'll have to deal with him and that's after you deal with me."

"Kashi wrote me the letter to get on at Leo's. I'm doing him a favor by keeping an eye on some people while he's away."

"If Kashi was worried about people he left behind, he'd have asked me to watch out for them."

Brenda shook her head. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he knows I'd do it. It's sort of who I am."

"All he told me about you was that you knew about the supernatural, but had diarrhea of the mouth. He said no secret was ever safe with you and to do all that I could to stay away from you."

Bree's eyes narrowed but upon contemplation, she decided that did sound like something he'd say.

"Right. Did you kill the vampire out at Leo's"

"No."

Bree stood looking at the smaller woman finally raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I know who did. Why are you looking for them?"

"At least one of them has an imbuement; they are what the supernatural world calls a Hunter. The local Hunters need to find them and train them before they pull too much heat on everyone's head."

"I guess that does fall under the heading of protecting them. So it would fit my mission."

"Mission?"

Brenda shook her head. "I was to stay secret for as long as I could. An ace in the hole is worth more than one face up on the table."

"Yeah, well, if you aren't going to tell me you're going to tell Banyan."

"Yeah, I guess. Kashi did say you were 'the narc-iest narc who ever narced' so I guess my cover is blown. I'm Brenda-Lee Moldovan. I died during Calibration. My overall mission given by the powers and will of the Underworld is to protect the nascent Oracle of the Tenth Sphere. However, Kashi is working on that. So, I'm protecting anyone they could use to get leverage on her."

"Okay. We'll circle back to that but for now, who killed the vampire at the beach?"

"A group of Kashi's friends. If we hurry down to North Park you might find them."

"Come on. You're coming with me. We'll sort this mess out and then we'll find Banyan."

Brenda shrugged, a resigned look on her face, and followed Bree to her car. "I was warned against arguing with you. Miss Willow says you mean well but are worse than a bulldog with a bone when it comes to letting something go."

"Coming from that girl that's rich."

"Don't insult Miss Willow!" Brenda exclaimed.

Bree stopped a pithy comeback, something in the tone gave her pause. There was something odd about the way this girl had responded. Mulling it over while she cranked the car, Bree worked on what it was.

After a few minutes, she decided to press forward and explain. "You know I used to look after Willow when she was little. Sometimes a part of caring about someone is knowing their weaknesses so you can help protect them where they are not strong. That's not criticism, it's knowledge."

"Not when wielded like a blunt pole it's not."

"Now with that I will agree. It's been a long hard day so maybe I was a bit shorter with you than I normally would be. Willow does have some issues with getting overly invested and not being able to let go. If you are her protector you need to know that. You also need to know that neither Kashi nor Willow give their mother enough credit. Banyan is one of the strongest people I know."

"Alright, I'll try to remember that," Brenda replied in a much calmer tone.

Bree drove on some more, asking incidental questions about Brenda's life while sharing some stories of her own. They found common ground in both having formed a very poor opinion of Mike.

"We should be getting close. What are they looking for out here?"

"Nothing, just a meeting spot. They've been patrolling out this way lately. They're chasing rumors of a monster. I watch them when I can but the older friends were lower on my list behind Banyan and Willow's friends Kim and Ken."

Bree parked her car and got out. "It will be easier to catch them unaware on foot."

The sun had not yet come up. Bree had experience with skulking about after dusk and Brenda's night vision was supernaturally keen. They slipped up to see four teens talking. Bree recognized three of them. Toshi Hashimoto, Samatha Montgomery, and Justin Lane. There was a girl with Toshi that fit the vague description she had of Jinny Lim.

Bree was about to move forward to talk to them when the darkness nearby animated and attacked them. Small inhuman goblins made of liquid night oozed up out of the shadows cast by the streetlights

Toshi and Jinny snatched AR-15s from the back of Justin's truck. The Lim girl was well-trained and had an excellent shooting stance. She had gone into a stable but not rigid posture and her rifle was properly seated to absorb recoil. She was looking right down the site firing directly into the center of mass of her targets. The girl had even had the presence of mind to slip her hearing protection on.

It was Toshi who surprised Bree. He was completely the opposite. Toshi had taken off into motion firing not from the shoulder but from the hip. His movement never stopped. He was dodging weaving and in a few cases hitting anything that got close with the butt of his weapon. These wild antics should have prevented him from hitting anything but air. He was constantly nailing his targets nonetheless.

Many of them did not seem to react to the onslaught of fire. It was then that Justin bellowed in his deep voice, "Some of them are illusions!" He lifted a baseball bat that crackled with a weird chromatic flame. Bree had seen videos of a hunter wielding such energy before.

Sam had drawn a bow and nocked an arrow. She loosed it into the shade between some trees. Three-quarters of the monsters vanished. "He's still out there, I just suppressed him!" She exclaimed.

"On it!" Justin replied, rushing off like an offensive lineman bat held high in some bizarre fusion of sports.

Bree drew her pistol and started adding her firepower to the mix, stepping out so she could be easily seen. Brenda ran for the fray, leapt over the creature Justin was attacking, grabbed one of his accomplices and spun around wielding him as a club to beat the one she'd just leapt over, helping Justin in the process.

The teens were startled at the sudden backup. The stutter in their motions was only momentary as they continued their work. A sickening crunch came from the shadows where Justin had charged and the monsters went into a wild panic. Their leader incapacitated, the minions were quickly mopped up.

"Hey, this guy didn't age up or melt or anything when I took him down!" Justin exclaimed.

"He's not undead, he's a Slaugh. There were some among the creatures I fought with Kashi and Mike in Alabama," Brenda replied.

Justin looked up from his fallen foe and noticed Brenda and Bree for the first time. "Oh shit! The fuzz."

Before any of them could say anything else Bree spoke up. "The Slaugh are fairy creatures. These smaller monsters must have been poppets, semi-intelligent creations of raw glamor. It's highly suspicious that one of the changelings had so much glamor. It's going to be hard to prove self-defense with all its creations and illusions having melted away to shadow."

"Prove? You don't think we're going to stay here?" Sam exclaimed.

"Have you thought about what happens if you leave? The changelings aren't like vampires or zombies. They might have fairy souls but they also have a human one and leave a very human corpse. It's something Hunters have to learn to deal with before they get far."

"The local kids have all been having nightmares; they've all been sick, pale, cold, missing school. Sounded like they were having their blood drained. We asked around and got a few to talk about the monsters that came out of the shadows and did things to scare them. That was the thing that made them sick. I guess word got back that we were snooping around," Toshi reasoned.

"Lucky for you this is just why I was looking for you. You kids aren't alone, there are already Hunters at work in this city. If you let them, they will help you. They also support each other. I'll call them to come help clean this up. As much as I hate it, the normal police aren't ready to handle things like this," Bree explained.

"Wait, you're going to help us instead of just squealing?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's what I do."

"Since when?" Justin and Sam asked in unison.

"Keep it up smart asses and I'll put the cellphone up. Then you can clean up your own mistakes."

"Ahh, there's the Bree Madigan I remember," Sam quipped.


MSI


"So wait Sam and Justin are imbued?" Banyan asked.

"Yes, while Toshi and Jinny are just very well armed. Toshi fought the undead alongside Jinny's family and neighbors. He later bragged about fighting the undead to his friends. Sam and Justin explained to Toshi that during Calibration, while fighting the undead themselves, they'd gained some sort of superpowers. So, they had the brilliant idea to team up. While two teenagers might be overwhelmed against the hordes of darkness, four would surely be up to the task of defending L.A. against all comers," Bree said somewhat mockingly.

"Sounds about right. You may have forgotten, but I remember what it was like being a kid," Lucy said with a snort.

Bree got up and poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. She gave Lucy a look that the old woman seemed completely unaffected by.

"Oh come on, that was funny!" Sakura interjected.

"What did they do with the Slaugh?" Heather asked.

"The Hunters had documented the body so they could find out who he was. They could then report his crimes to the local Fae Court. I used one of my powers to burn the body to ash. Then they just vacuumed him up for disposal," Bree answered.

"Wow, that's useful. A power like that has to be a lifesaver in a big battle. The clean up is the hardest part of this job," Tex said.

"True, but now that that's out of the way, let's hear it, Miss Primadonna. You wanted to be last so spill it! Let's hear this story of yours," Lucy said to Sakura.