"I don't need a reason, I just wanna break the rules"

"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

THE NEXT DAY, Sevyn woke up around mid-afternoon, surprisingly, because she was having a hard time sleeping. She couldn't figure out why, other than the fact that she seemed to sleep better when she was in the cave with her boys.

And yes, she could now admit to herself that they were her boys. But what she didn't want to admit to herself was that she indeed slept better in the cave. That made her think back to the confident look David and Marko gave her when they brought up her moving in.

She wouldn't do it. She liked her little bungalow, and she was eager to start making it hers once all this stuff was over. No, moving in would be ridiculous for so many reasons. And what with it being the '80s, rent was so cheap! Sevyn was confident that she could sweet-talk the landlady into allowing her to rent-to-own.

Since she was awake and didn't foresee herself falling back to sleep anytime soon, she decided to get up and do some much-needed chores.

After her tasks were completed, she dressed in a pair of elephant-print harem pants and a cropped, sleeveless t-shirt, capped off with a pair of sandals. She did her usual makeup before setting off for the boardwalk just before sunset.

For some reason, she wanted to set eyes on the Frog brothers, maybe pick up some comics for Laddie. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but what could it hurt? They most likely won't believe her. Yeah, she was sure it would be fine.

As she slowly walked down the boardwalk during the day for the first time in a couple of months, she thought about the consequences that could occur from meeting Edgar and Allen.

Before she knew it, she was walking up to the comic bookstore. She thought about how this was a real place in her universe – she always wanted to go visit and take a picture of the signed copy of "Destroy All Vampires."

The oppressive August heat followed her inside the store, the nape of her neck growing damp with perspiration. A fleeting thought pondered what California was like in the winter. She hoped it would be much colder. Sevyn preferred a colder climate.

The heat wasn't the only thing following her. As she perused the aisles of the store, she could feel a pair of eyes fixed on her. Sevyn couldn't help but smile to herself as she meandered around, watching the two brothers creep behind her a small way away. She hummed a tune quietly to herself as she browsed and kept the kids in sight.

The brothers watched as the pink-haired girl disappeared around the corner of an aisle. The two sped to catch up to her, but when they rounded the corner, she wasn't there. They both looked at each other, silently asking the other what was going on when a voice behind them startled them out of their confusion.

"Can I help you?" Sevyn spoke up suddenly, smirking as the boys jumped and turned around to gawk at her.

"How did you get behind us so fast?" Alan asked with a glare, his expression mirrored by Edgar.

"The better question is, why are you following me?" Sevyn raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, her hands in her pockets.

"Scoping out the bride of Nosferatu. You're not welcome here, girl," Edgar sneered, his arms crossed over his chest in what he probably thought was an intimidating position.

"Bride of Nosferatu? That's clever, I like that," she said with a chuckle. "But I have no idea what you're talking about – I'm just here to buy some comics for a kid I know. So, if you wouldn't mind," she let the sentence hang there before turning back around to search some more.

To no one's surprise, the boys followed.

"What we're talking about is the fact that you've been seen hanging around the local vampire coven. We don't associate with the undead," Alan replied, still trying to get rid of her.

"Who? The Lost Boys? You think they are vampires?" She spoke slowly, as if the two were mentally unwell. Let it be said that Sevyn has always been a great liar. Her face matched her incredulous tone, her turquoise eyes taking them both in as if they were unstable.

Which, she honestly thought they may be.

"Don't lie to us, lady. How do you explain all the disappearances that happen around them, huh?" Alan asked as if he had her boxed into a corner.

"Or how they are never seen during the day?" Edgar added, his perpetual glare focused on her.

Sevyn rolled her eyes. "You mean the disappearances that happen several times a day here, all associating with different people. What about the Surf Nazis? People go missing around them all the time, are they vampires?" she questioned them, her hip popped to the side with attitude. "As for the day thing, I can tell you those boys party hard all night long, it's not surprising at all that they don't wake up until the sun goes down," she explained before going digging through her bag.

"Here, I have proof they aren't vampires," Sevyn announced distractedly as she got out a small stack of polaroids all featuring various combinations of her and the boys partying at her place. She handed them over to the boys, a smug expression fixed to her face. She knew they wouldn't think to question whether they had been invited into her house in order for those pictures to be taken. No, based on the dinner with Max scene, it's obvious they didn't study their material.

The brothers sifted through the pictures slowly, studying them carefully for any tampering. When they found none, they gave each other a look that said they had a lot to discuss when she left.

"Okay, fine, so they aren't vampires. But they definitely are here in Santa Carla! We've seen the evidence, it's everywhere if you know what you're looking for." Edgar walked away as Alan spoke, returning to hand off a copy of "Destroy All Vampires."

She scoffed internally as she leafed through the comic, humoring the boys. "And what is this supposed to be?"

"That's a guide to survival here in Santa Carla. You surviving this long is a miracle, you fit the profile for these vamps," Alan said. "You, lady, are vampire bait. Our number is on the back, pray you never have to call us."

"Right," she muttered, drawing out the word. Sevyn rolled the book up into a tight cylinder and swatted her opposite palm a few times. "Well, thanks a lot, boys. You gave me a lot to think about. Glad we could clear up some miscommunications. It's been real, but I gotta jet."

Sevyn offered the two a jaunty salute and turned around to leave without buying anything. As soon as she was far enough away, she tossed the comic in the trash, getting rid of it.

As she walked around waiting for sunset, she wondered about that interaction. She was curious to know if she had successfully planted a seed of doubt within the two. The thing was, ultimately, it wouldn't matter. It might keep them off their trail temporarily, but when the Emersons call them to kill the boys, they will be convinced.

The pink-haired thief wandered around the boardwalk, eating a bag of candied almonds while occasionally swiping the odd wallet or piece of jewelry. By the time the sun had set, she had a small amount of loot stashed in her bag as she approached her boys waiting at their normal spot.

When Sevyn got close, she reached into her bag and took out a stack of Thor comics that she took from the Frog brothers while they were distracted. She handed the stack off to Laddie who looked thrilled at her haul.

"Those are for you, buddy," she said, offering him a small smile.

When she looked up, her gaze connected with a pair of ice-cold eyes that were shining with fury while the rest of his face remained stoic. But the emotion was there, she could read it clearly after being around him for so long and often being on the receiving end of it. That look spelled nothing good for her.

David was mad, and Sevyn was fucked.