Butch: -Life always had a way of getting in the way of things that needed to be done. Somewhere in the middle of fighting for the race, sucking down lessers, and recovering from all of the above; Iâd let someone fall by the wayside. And that simply wasnât my style. I flashed back to the night that I found a male on the verge of death surrounded by pools of blood, both black and his own red. Iâd hauled his ass out of there and got him the help that he needed to recover. But that was really the bare minimum of things that I could do. I was not a half assed kind of guy. In my days as a human I fought hard to get women in programs that would get them away from their pimps and off the streets. And now here I was dropping the ball big time. Sure I didnât owe this guy anything, I didnât know him from Adam, but I didnât need to know his life story to know that he needed help. If he continued down the road he was going, flying solo into a war, he would end up dead one night. And that would be on me. He could turn out to be some kind of psychopath but I wouldnât know that until Iâd actually talked to him when he was more aware of his surroundings. The few words that we got in with each other had been under less than ideal conditions. I half wondered if he even remembered me. I was pretty sure that Havers wasnât going to volunteer all kinds of cheery information about me. To the surgeon, I was still that freak of a human who came in with a serious case of lesseritis. The fact that I was a vampire and a Brother now probably never occurred to him. I still remembered those countless days of being locked up in quarantine where the only thing keeping me alive was Vishous. I actually owed the Doc a frickin kiss, or maybe just a hug, he probably wouldnât appreciate the smooching. Aside from saving my life, that was when I truly realized how I felt about my best buddy. Yeah, that kind of thing would probably just make Havers break out in a case of the hives. To say he had a stick up his ass was putting it mildly, that guy had the whole damn tree up there. But he knew his shit. I knew for a fact that when I handed Deghenerate over to Havers, he was going to get fixed up. And here I only stayed long enough to make sure that he was out of the red before I had to jet. A Brother needing backup called me away and it simply devolved from there to the point where I now I had to do my research to even find the guy again. I didnât even realize that his name was actually Deghenerate until I had questioned Havers. Half the stuff the bloodied male was speaking that night seemed to be a mismatch born of delirium. One minute he was cursing me out and the next he was offering up prayers of thanks. Vampire names still took some getting use to for me. There were no Tom, Dick or Harry's in their mix. No, most of their names were words that brought up images in and of themselves. With that theory in mind than other words that Deghenerate had thrown out probably had names attached to them as well. He told me his name, I just didnât realize it at the time. So I searched back through my memory bank and called up what else he said in that moment. Iâd written the words down on my notepad. Pain, Maul, vengeance. Three words and each of them could be a name. It was so damn little to go on but Iâd worked with less before. So what did I do? I did what any good cop does when they are searching for info, I hit the streets. Of course this wasnât going to be your typical canvas type job. No, I had to restrict myself to places that vampires hung out. I started at the clinic and actually came away with quite a bit of information. It wasnât hard to pull up families and names from someone who kept meticulous records. Mhaul was the other name. And they were brothers. The male was apparently dead now. Which explained the vengeance part. From there it was just a matter of asking enough people the right questions. I ran down the longest trail of âa friend of my brotherâs cousinâs best friendâs motherâ that Iâd ever seen until I finally found someone that use to date Mhaul. In the end, it paid off. I stood across the street from an apartment building, making notes of who came and went. I didnât have an exact number but I had the feeling I was in the right place. Then, bigger than life, out came Deghenerate. Just a glance at him told me that he was loaded down for another fun night of slice and dice. I wondered how much of this he actually did. He obviously knew his way around a blade. I couldnât really blame him. The stories that Iâd caught about his family told me what was going on here. Well, now it was time to put up or shut up. I pushed off the wall I was leaning against and tossed my cigarette down a storm drain. Casually walking across the street, I fell into step behind the other male.- Deghenerate: Healing.. The one thing no matter how strong you are, you cannot escape and I had done my fair share of healing in the weeks after I had received help from the stranger whoâd taken me under his wing and to the hospital I had, in truth horrific nightmares about. As strong and committed as I was to my personal cause, and to establishing myself as a male of worth to honour my parents and alongside Mhaul, the best friend who had become true family to me before his death. I had thought I had achieved that. The hospital though was a part of my past that I couldnât face again and when Iâd woken post surgery and seen those familiar walls once more, I had fought to escape the Hell that was the small confines of the hospital bed - Havers of course had tried to placate me but all I saw was the past coming back to haunt me. Weeks spent in a private room in the wake of the death of my parents. The agony of multiple wounds healing and then the constant arguments that I would not, could not feed from any female lest I harm them. Havers had torn me a new one reminding me that I had been rescued by someone of true worth, though the tone of his voice made me wonder just how well the Doctor was at Poker⊠He couldnât lie to save himself. Returning to the apartment had been one of the hardest things I had had to face in recent years, I saw once more the night of his death - the body lying on the floor broken and defeated. Even as I opened the door, I saw blood and Lesser ink covering my skin. Red and black, black and red⊠everywhere I looked and the stench of death seemed to linger there although I probably imagined a good ninety percent of the smell I thought came from the vast lounge space. I had to honour my best friend, I had survived and Mhaul had been left behind to rest in the cold earth; honouring him both providing financial support to the Caldwell civilians who were similar to me in so many ways - I had just been lucky to come from a wealthy background. I could also fight and fight well. Heading out once more into the darkness was like coming home and with my Glocks safely within reach below my trench coat fully loaded and elegant throwing daggers and Shuriken were hidden about my person leaving me with my babies - the ornate and razor sharp daggers I loved to plough through bone and muscle to pierce through where the Lesserâs heart should have lain. The beauty in battle was in the weaponry and I knew mine as intimately as a male knew their mate, or so I would imagine having never allowed myself the luxury to love. Paying no attention to anyone around me, I blanked out the call of the hookers who called out their wares and how I could enjoy their company for a Jackson and if I merely fancied them on their knees servicing me - a Budgie would suffice. Even on my worst nights of craving the carnal knowledge of a female, I wouldnât share my money and accept their wares; instead the few who frequently stood near the building would be given a Benjamin each and a large coffee to warm their chilled form. No, my attention was on what lay ahead for me - somewhere out there were Lessers and possibly the few who had attacked Mhaul on the night we had partied the night away. I wanted revenge on Lessers in general, but those specific fuckers who were somewhere out in the darkness of Caldwell would have an especially pleasant attack care of the fury that lay bubbling below the surface. Sipping the coffee Iâd purchased to give me clarity to both think and fight, I headed past raucous clubs with their clientele in various states of inebriation given the hour of the night, I weaved between the cars that were parked close to various bikes that littered the road. Every detail of the road normally registering in my mind now becoming a blur as my focus shifted to the sound coming from behind me - someone was following me, they werenât trying all too hard to not be discovered. Breathing in slowly, the air around me didnât make me want to heave up the sickly sweet scent of baby powder so whoever was trailing me wasnât a Lesser so at least I wouldnât get one of their damn bullets through my spinal column, or skull given their recent behaviour that pointed to someone training them in the art of homicide. Which made me wonder, who else would take such an interest in me? Heavy boots hit the puddles of what I silently hoped were of water as I left the bar districts behind and entered the quiet graveyard needing to stop at Mhaulâs grave to ensure his resting place hadnât been vandalised by the worthless humans who saw money in everything from hot parts to their own bodies.. Keeping to the shadows beneath Weeping Willows, I moved past marble stones lined up like soldiers on parade, my head facing forward as I listened out for the shadow at my heel. Human or otherwise, he or she.. though the weight of foot on stone made me think he, was going to becoming face to face with the muzzle of my gun if he didnât disappear anytime soon. Butch: -It was true that you could really learn a lot about a person by simply watching them. As a detective, I'd learned that long ago. The male in front of me didn't falter in his steps, not once. He knew for a fact that someone was following him but he didn't outwardly betray the fact. He wasn't scared of me, not in the least. There were no sharp corners where he could catch a glimpse of me. Nothing that revealed that he even cared in the least. But he knew that I was there. The set of his shoulders told me that he was ready to throw down at a moment's notice. Interesting that he still hadn't turned around. Probably a good thing for me since he would probably turn with a gun in his hand. I waited for it. Watched to see if he would go for his gun. I sure as shitting wasn't going to be standing right there behind him if he was going to draw down on me. Fuck that noise. I'd be ducking behind the nearest car, tree, trash can, frickin whatever. I wasn't that damn stupid. I couldn't decide if he was or not though. Was it stupidity or just a lack of caring? I recalled the scene that I'd run across when I found him. There was no doubt in my head that Deghenerate had a death wish. We got to the graveyard and my steps were the ones that faltered. I had seen too many of the bodies that were laid to rest here. Janie wasn't here, thank fuck. But I still had seen far too many of these victims at their very worst moment. I hated cemeteries. My hand scrubbed over my face. I decided that this cat and mouse game had gone on long enough.- You could just turn around and see who it is, you know. -I spoke loud enough for my voice to carry and no louder.- There is no shame in it. -I opted for leaning against the nearest tree, well away from the line of graves in front of me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my pack of cigarettes. The bright flare illuminated my face a moment and was gone again with an exhale of smoke.- Deghenerate: âI could have, but I think we both know I had my mind on here. They won't hurt you, yâknow.â Turning to face the male whose voice was one I knew from that almost dreamlike state I had been in when lying in the gutter. I was face to face with the male I had asked Havers about and had received only a shrug and a noncommittal mutter that I had been lucky it was him who he found me and not someone without training. Iâd not pushed it anymore once Havers refused to tell me where my saviour had come from; Iâd wanted to thank him even if death in battle would have been a worthy way to die. Yet here we were, and as much as I wanted to go to the grave marked only by a small stone engraved with a single âMâ? I was curious as to why this male who seemed to be built heavier than any male I had encountered, had followed me. âI owe you my life, I can't remember much about that night once I hit the floor except being carried. Iâm guessing that was you and not one of those pallid fuckers? So.. yeah thank you..? Sorry I don't know your name, I asked the Doc but heâs wired tighter than any pimp you find in the shadows. He sure as fuck keeps secrets well..â The contempt I felt for Havers lay below the surface, bubbling away as I thought of my past but that had to stay where it was. It didn't serve any purpose for anyone to let out my anger because heâd saved my life.. Shrugging my shoulders, I tugged out the battered pack of Marlboro from the inside of my coat and lit up. Each inhalation of the smoke soothed my mind and made me focus on the here and now. On the male who seemed so uncomfortable of where we were both standing. âGive me a minute, and we can talk..â I needed to do something that seemed so foolish, but I had seen humans do it in the winter when I could emerge into the world earlier. Swiftly side stepping the stones, I made my way to Mhaulâs grave and tugged out the broken blade that had once been his training dagger. Humans lay flowers, but that to me seemed pointless, this however? Was showing respect to my friend, burying the blade in the dirt, I mumbled my apologies once more and stood swiftly. My attention now was solely on the male who was agitated at the edge of the graveyard. Time to find out why he had sought me out, and also how? I hid my identity well in the business literature choosing a human name, Daniel, as one I went by. No one knew who or what I truly was there, not because I was concerned for my own safety, no, it had been decided we would protect ourselves to protect those souls we helped. Lifting my eyes to take in the male, I couldn't help but notice he was packing some heavy duty weaponry below his jacket. Explained how he had been able to get me out of that Hell I had found myself in weeks ago. âSo.. you want to get a beer or something? You look a little unsettled.â Butch: You have no idea what these bodies would demand of me if they could but rise. -I blew out another puff of smoke and stayed right the fuck where I was. Let him mourn his dead as he wished to, I would stay right here thank you very much.- You can't remember my name? -Gasping dramatically and pressing my palm to my chest.- I'm hurt. Wounded. Truly. I mean you were so coherent and with it when we met. You even carved me up like a turkey dinner and still I don't get even a favorable mention? Dang... cold, just cold. -I chuckled and dropped my spent smoke, stamping it out with a shitkicker.- Funny, the doctor told me exactly what I needed to know. Guess it's all in who ya know. -I smirked like the cocker little fucker that I could be at times. Havers wasn't supposed to give out information about the Brotherhood. That he'd actually stuck to that was somewhat of a shocker to me. But above all things, the doctor was a stickler for tradition. As much as he might hate me, he still respected what I was. I watched the male do his thing and it really didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this must be where his brother was buried. I gave him his moment, I'd give him as long as he frickin wanted. The need to grieve for lost loved ones was something that haunted me through a majority of my life. It really wasn't until recently that I'd finally moved past Janie's death. The hash marks on my back were now covered with another tattoo done by Vishous that meant just as much to me as the marks once had. It wasn't an overnight process and it was only thanks to V that I'd made it through the other side. I wondered if this death affected Deghenerate and his life as much as my sister's had. She was the driving force that pushed me into the academy and later becoming a detective. I wanted to catch the fuckers that would do something like that to another being. One of the few words that the male had said to me had been his brother's name with vengeance attached to it. There were worse things that would make you go out every night to kill lesser. I eyed him as he came back toward me. It was good to see him up and moving like he should be. Not flopping and bleeding all over the place. Watching him, I could believe that he'd taken out those lesser.- Ah, I must have touched off something warm and fuzzy in ya if you're offering to buy me beer. You are buying right? I mean I did save your life and all, so that should at least warrant some kind of liquid payment. -I grinned wide and held out my hand.- Butch O'Neal, nice to meet you again, now that you aren't oozing blood all over the place and impersonating a really heavy sack of potatoes. Deghenerate: âYeah, Iâm buying - you choose the place. I was a mess that night, I owe you my life - the Dhund was the last place I would have liked to have ended up.. and I know in truth, my actions would have led to that.â There was something about this male, Butch, that made me open up, made me feel like I had when spending time with my best friend. A sense of familiarity and belonging in a way I had thought would be impossible to experience again. It was strange though, the male was clearly one of our own but his name was slang for a mortal name; Iâd learnt that much spending time with the humans who lived in my apartment building and around the small area of Caldwell that had been home since the massacre of my family. Unlike so many of our kind, I respected the humans around us and saw that they served a purpose in our world even if they were denied the truth of our presence. Drawing my leather around me to stop any part of me touching the granite stones that stood like soldiers in a row, they may have been merely stone but I knew the symbolism and somehow the concept of the markers to where the dead lay left me chilled to the core. Looking at the male as he hovered on the edge of the graveyard I recognised the haunted look in his eyes, death no matter how much we prepare ourselves for it? Will not ever escape our thoughts, our memories, or the very fight we had to partake in because of the Lessers and their sadistic need to destroy our kind. Vampires who offered no threat to anyone. I may have killed these cruel and territorial monsters, but annihilating them didnât mean I understood them. They killed vampires for sport in truth, not for necessity, often targeting the weak civilians rather than the trained warriors amongst us. âHavers⊠heâs a total jackass but heâs one Hell of a Doctor, I thought I was going to die that night - and the night after as I lay in that damn hospital bed feeling like I did before the transition.â Sweet Virgin, what I would have given for some of that red smoke Rhev sold somewhat discreetly to the vamps in the know. Not that I had any in years given the fact it denied me the clarity of being able to process information or make any decisions - especially the right ones. Walking with Butch back into the more populated area of Caldwell, I left the grief behind me, but the underlying desire to switch my normal smoke for something stronger didnât fade away. If I had a hit, maybe the thousand or so questions I had for Butch would fade away⊠â... so Butch, how come the human name? Donât get me wrong it suits you but - well, itâs not one I imagine many parents choosing for their young - the Old Country ways never seem to leave us no matter how hard we try.â I may have been pushing at the male at my side, but I was curious about the one I owed my life too, a male I would be offering my allegiance and placed my body and weapons before him to offer myself as one to fight for him. The idea when my Father had spoken of doing such a thing to one who saved a life had made me think of a Grimm fairy tale, a knight pledging allegiance to one who who had rescued them from a dire past. This male, Butch didnât know me, had no reason to stop the Lessers in their attack as it could have led to them turning on him in their game of one upmanship - clearly I was walking alongside someone who was important to someone. He gave off the Devil may care emotion whilst sporting leathers that were expensive and customised to fit him and no one else in the way military wear could be adapted to be comfortable and practical in the battle they were in. Ignoring the calls of the hookers looking for a client that would pay enough to stop the backhand of their pimp bruising an overly blusher covered cheek, I lifted my eyes to the heavens and met only the neon lights that screamed of chaos and of desperation lost amongst the need to find acceptance and love even for a night from a stranger⊠Maybe, just maybe Butch was here to give me the one answer I had for a question I had repeatedly asked myself⊠âWhere did I belong.â âDrinks on me till we fall out the bar right?â Butch: -I walked with Deghenerate away from the cemetery, no longer following behind him like some kind of creeper. I had to admit that I liked the guy. He called shit like he saw it with very little bullshit in between. I just kind of naturally led us both toward the Escalade. I wasn't about to leave her all alone like I did the last time I ran into this guy.- Aw, you are gonna be my new best drinking buddy if you keep saying sweet things like 'I'm buying' and 'let's get fall down drunk'. If we are tying one on then we better keep it safe. -I winked at Deghenerate while flashing a little bit of fang. There were fewer better ways to get to know someone than sharing a few drinks. Of course my tolerance for alcohol was something off the charts now that I was a vampire. Sure, I'd gotten plastered but it took a hell of a lot more than a few beers to get there. I stopped mid step when I got a good look at the women working the corner. Normally I tried not to pay too much attention to them but I knew one of them. She was shorter than most and tried to make up for it with mile-high stilettos. Her hair that was once a beautiful dark brown was now bleached out and resembled straw more than anything. Candy... Hell... I couldn't even count how many times her pimp had beaten the shit out of her. There was a program that I helped start that was focused on getting these women off the street. In fact, Candy helped me get it started. Hell... This is what happens when you walk away from your life. I motioned for Deghenerate to give me a minute and I made my way over to the girl. I know, bad call, I'm supposed to be dead and people from my previous life aren't supposed to know about me. Blah, blah, blah. It didn't stop me. I strode right up to her and kept right on going until her back hit the wall. I needed her far enough away from the rest of them that they wouldn't overhear. Of course the up close and personal she flowed with as easily as water. She didn't recognize me. I didn't expect her to. I wasn't exactly the same as I use to be. On the plus side, she seemed to be relatively sober. All the classic come ons weren't slurred. Her hands were all over me but I didn't pay it any attention. I leaned in so that I could talk directly into her ear.- Why are you still out here, Beth? -It was her real name and not many people knew it so it shocked her a bit.- I worked my ass off to get you off the damn streets and here you are again. Where's your son, Beth? Where is Alex tonight? -She gasped and pulled back enough so that she could see my face. Yeah, now she knew who I was. I arched a brow, waiting for some kind of an answer to my question. One minute she was happy and the next she was pissed. She hauled off and slapped me for all that she was worth. My head snapped to the side but came right back front and center. 'You left me! You left all of us! What were we supposed to do? No one else gave a shit about a buncha crack whores trying to get away from it all. We thought you were dead but here you fucking are staring me in the face asking me what the fuck happened?!! What the fuck do you think happened when you gave up on us too?!' My brows cut deep furrows into my forehead. The program was at a point where it would run itself, it didn't need me anymore. At least that was what I thought. I remembered all of the times that I hounded after people to keep things going and suddenly I saw so clearly what had happened. It had all gone to shit, to put it simply.- That's not how it happened, Beth... -She slapped me again. I guess I deserved it. I assumed that people would keep things going after I slipped out of the real world and that's just not how things happened. 'Fuck you, Butch. Now get out of here so I can make some money.'- Wait... -I stopped her and dug into my inside pocket. Her pimp would beat the crap out of her if she didn't get something from me. I pulled out all that I had, it wasn't really my money anyway. I took her hand and placed something close to a five hundred dollars in her hand.- Don't give him but maybe five bucks from that. The rest of that is for you and your boy, not drugs. I'm serious, Beth. -She nodded and I walked away with a scowl on my face. It pissed me off that I couldn't talk to Jose anymore. The fact that V had to wipe me out of his memory was probably why no one had kept up with this. No one was around to push for it because they didn't know. I came back to Deghenerate, the whole reason why I was even out here tonight, and simply kept walking toward the Escalade. When we got close enough, I hit the button and the doors unlocked. I didn't talk again until after I had the SUV started.- Brian is the name that I was born with and if you can't tell from my outrageous accent, I'm not exactly from around these parts. I'm new to this life and I sometimes forget that you vamps like those crazy names. You can call me Dhestroyer if it makes you feel better but I really wish that you wouldn't cause I might not answer to it. -I laughed because it was so true. I only vaguely identified as that guy, I was still Butch, the hard ass cop. I watched Candy/Beth in my rearview as I pulled out. It was a crying shame that simply taking out the pimp wouldn't help girls like her. There would just be someone bigger and badder that would come along. I didn't really want the whole experience to sour the night though so I pulled away and tucked that concern away for another night. Right now I was here for the guy next to me. I couldn't save them all. I pointed the SUV further into town and didn't stop until I was parked in our customary spot around the back of ZeroSum.- I take it you don't have any objections to coming here. Deghenerate: âNot at all.. At least here you donât find too many drinks watered down unlike some of the bars around here.â Nodding slowly, I let myself out the SUV and found myself on terra firma once more, I welcome feeling for my weary body after recent events - I couldnât explain it but despite my love for sweet rides, I had taken to walking and running through Caldwell, perhaps it was the feeling of freedom it gave me and the knowledge that I couldnât be trapped in a metal cage if the Lesser bastards decided to work on their bomb skills? I dunno but it did seem to make sense. Following my new companion into ZeroSum, I nodded to the familiar security and smiled at one of the barmaids whoâd given me her number a week before and for the first time in what felt like an eternity? Iâd considered calling her and hooking up - a vow of chastity was hard at times when the loneliness in a vast bed gets the better of you and she was beautiful and definitely human. Human females at least wouldnât awaken the need to feed within me and cause an unfortunate situation to occur. Unsure of where heâd want to sit, given the crowded space bar the VIP section that was scarce of clientele at this hour of the night. Signalling to the barmaid to get her attention once more, I watched with casual amusement at the blush in her skin as our eyes met and smiled. Turning from her (I had no idea of her name, poor female..) towards Butch I nudged my head towards the vast choice of spirits. âWhatâs your poison then Butch, theyâre on me till we decide weâre done.â Ordering a double Goose for myself opting for vodka over scotch for a night, I subconsciously looked around taking in what each person was doing, needing to reassure myself that there wasnât any threat to me or those of our kind who were in here hoping to just relax. Chuckling softly, I was thankful in that moment that none of Sumâs security could read my mind as Iâd be on the receiving end of a physical or metaphorical kick in the ass for doubting their checks on 99 per cent of the clientele as they entered the door of the club. Instinct it seemed would always be my most primal way of surviving and I couldnât help but watch every move anyone made, my hand that appeared to hand casually at my side always in truth close to the blade at my right side. Half listening to the male as he ordered his drink, my mind was on the reason he had gone to so much trouble to hunt me down, in my eyes, I was nothing special and was doing what needed to be done. I mean, I had told Havers to thank Butch if he encountered him again and that I was grateful that someone had been there to save my sorry ass but that hadnât needed him to find me. Sipping my drink to welcome the soothing burn, I closed my eyes and uttered thanks to the Virgin that I was alive once more - a habit I had gotten into recently. âSo⊠tell me what brought you to shadowing my movement tonight, not that I mind knowing thereâs someone there to save me from the Lessers who seem to be enmass in their attacks recently but I get the feeling youâre not usually out here alone.â I had a feeling I was taking a gamble asking Butch for some honesty but straight talking was the way I worked - my Father had told me only politicians both in the human and the vampire world waxed lyrical and spoke in such poetic terms that no one knew what they truly meant and I agreed. Honesty came from telling someone exactly what you thought and why. Stumbling as a group of drunken girls pushed past me I growled low under my breath and winced at the unwelcomed feeling of being uncertain of myself hit me once more - every nudge I got even accidental ones made my mind flash back to that night and all I could see a Lesser forcing a blade through my ribs. Cursing, I prayed it went unheard by my companion and closed my eyes, unaware of my hand gripping his arm tightly as I willed myself back into the here and now. âWhat.. what I would give for my damn chance to annihilate those Lessers and maybe find a way to ask the King to allow meâŠâ Butch: -I wasn't here because the drinks were good. I was here because I knew there was a certain amount of 'shop' that we could talk that would never reach outside of these walls. Rehv ran a tight ship. And he would never allow something along the lines of vampires, lesser and symphath wander free in these human's minds. There was a reason the cops had never found any dirt on the club even though it was a large source of the city's drugs. Deghenerate was obviously familiar with the joint. He greeted security and staff as if he was a common fixture. Maybe that was why he didn't notice when we didn't wait in the line that wrapped around the building. Perhaps that was just everyday shit for this guy. It certainly was for me now but that extended to all Brothers. I watched him more than I watched anything else. Sure, I took in my surroundings like any well trained cop would naturally, but I was more interested in learning about the one that sat beside me than I was in what the masses were doing. I leaned with my back to the bar. For all the world it looked like I was watching the crowd in front of me. I half turned and smiled at the bartender.- Lagavulin. -She already knew and was reaching for it before I asked. I took the drink and flashed the chick a wink before turning back around. This wasn't where I prefered to be when I was here. In the thick of it. I couldn't even remember the last time that I'd stepped up to this bar. His choice of goose instantly reminded me of my vodka guzzling husband. I smiled but kept back the reason. I slowly turned toward Deghenerate as he started talking. I certainly didn't need to loosen his lips with any alcohol. Not that it was my plan in the first place. I almost told him to shut the fuck up because he was surrounded by frickin humans. I was this person once. At least he hadn't said the V word. Lesser was something no one would understand. I grabbed my drink and slung my arm around the other man's shoulder.- Come with me, my friend. Let's move this conversation away from... here. -My eyes spun to indicate the crowd that was way too close for my liking. His tight grip on my arm told me just how truly uncomfortable he was with crowds. He suggested going out for drinks but I think that he might have been better just staying home. I squeezed his shoulder at the mention of the King. I was damn near pulling him through the crowd now. There was no halting on our way to the VIP section, the rope was gone before I even got close. I took him to the table at the far back, next to the emergency exit. The Brother's long standing table. As soon as our butts were planted fresh drinks showed up. I waited until the waitress was gone before I turned again to the male next to me.- I'm a blunt sonofabitch but even I know when not to say certain things. You talk murder and violence loud enough and everyone around you will listen. -I sank back into the seat, more at ease now that we were away from the ears that might hear some fucked up shit. I kicked my feet up on the bench across from me and downed the Lag in front of me. I already knew that the man sitting next to me had what it took. That wasn't why I was here. I was here because he needed me to be here. He hit on it exactly when he said that I was not usually alone out there. That was what separated us from him. We had back up. He needed it, or he would end up dead.- And what if you could find a way to ask the King what you wanted to? What then Deghenerate? Would you take orders or would you simply be a loose canon? Deghenerate: âIf I could find a wayâŠ?â Momentarily stunned by the words coming from the man sitting so relaxed at my side, I wondered why he would ask such a question - the King was someone I had been so doubtful of until recently but I had learnt to respect what he wanted to do. The male wasnât as aged in his mind as I had once thought him to be - and I wanted to prove myself to be a loyal citizen to my King, and to the entire race of which I was proud to be one of. Nodding my thanks as my glass was magically filled my mind went to the group of males I had once seen sitting here relaxing over an assortment of liquors and beverages; there had been something about them that screamed out authority and sheer dominance. A thousand questions filled my mind but I opted to keep them solely there - for safety of my own sanity. âI⊠I would take orders but I admit, I would also question authority, itâs the way I am built but it depends on what it was I was doing. My battle against Lessers is one that is personal, both to avenge my family but also to find the redemption I long since believed I would never find. I am not a good male Butch, but I am a good fighter who wants to protect those who are incapable of protecting themselves. Iâve seen too many of our kind be taken from families, and either be returned to them for funeral? Or simply disappear without trace. You catch my drift I know that.. and I get why you manhandled me up here, guess Iâm not used to not having Mhaul at my side to talk quietly with me. See the small booth in the corner? Yeah.. that was our quiet place but it feels wrong to sit there without him yâknow?â I felt as the two of us sat there together, that I was being interviewed for something I hadnât applied for - not necessarily because the way Butch was speaking to me but the way he watched everything I did. Leaning my head back to watch the crowd, I smiled to myself - I preferred my own apartment after a fight but Mhaul had insisted that I had to come out and drink to celebrate if we killed some of the Lesser bastards - and if they got away, we drank to console each other and silently raise several glasses to the Scribe Virgin herself. Swallowing the glass of Goose, I took a moment to think once more of the unusual questions I had been asked.. âI want to do something more than earn a fuck ton of green from the business I had with my best friend, having a lot of money maybe good, but having a purpose - a reason to get up and live? Thatâs worth a lot more than a fist full of Benjamins.. So care to elaborate Butch on your cryptic questions?â Butch: -My lips pursed as I listened to Deghenerate. He really wasn't telling me anything that I didn't know already. I'd read him accurately and now I was just waiting for him to confirm it. I nodded into my drink and took a sip. I wasn't ready for hardcore drinking. Hell, it might not even be on the menu tonight at all. Just depended on how much I wanted to pay attention to what was doing.- I wasn't asking if you were a mindless automaton. What I want to know is if you even have the ability to work with others anymore or if you have been a lone wolf for so long that it's all you know. -I glanced to the booth that he indicated and tried remembering if I had ever seen him over there with his brother. I couldn't pull the memory out so I must not have. I was pretty good with faces and remembering my surroundings. It was a skill that was ingrained in me now.- If this place brings up too many memories for you, we can go somewhere else. I'm not looking to poke at a sore spot for you. I came here because I know what comes in and out of this club and conversations like this don't leave. Unless they are held out on the dance floor that is. -I laughed and took another sip of Lag. It was empty before I knew it and I set the glass at the edge of the table for the waitress. I could only dance around the subject so long. I knew that. Deghenerate wasn't stupid, he knew something was up. It did surprise me that he really hadn't put two and two together though. Who the fuck did he think I was? I mean seriously. Was it so astounding that I might be a Brother? Or was he just jerking my chain? Was I just some random do-gooder that came along at the right time? Hardly.- It wasn't a mistake that I ended up in that alley with you the other night. -We will just start at the beginning and go slow. I laughed to myself and kept going.- I sensed that there were lesser nearby. And I knew that they were dying. One by one. Out like a light. -I leaned on my elbows over the table, getting that much closer so I wouldn't have to talk louder over the noise of the place.- I was coming toward you the moment I felt them, because that's what I do. And I wondered what I would see when I finally got there. Might have been Bastards. Then I really would have been fucked. -My gaze bore into his, letting him soak in that information for a minute.- Turned out to be a glymera playing warrior and almost getting himself killed in the process. As a rule, I don't like the bunch. They are stuck up pricks that always find a way of making my life harder. So when I question you, have no doubt, it is to see if you are a glymera or a warrior. One I can help, the other one I wouldn't wipe my own ass with. -I leaned back once more and smiled at the waitress as she replaced the empties.- Thanks darlin. -I threw in a wink and she flounced off. She knew by now that I was off the menu or she would have thrown in the extra services package that landed people in the back stalls. My face smoothed back into place as I turned to the male across from me once more.- You are right to wonder what the hell I'm doing here right now with you. -The corner of my lip twitched upward.- I like to know who I'm taking into battle. Deghenerate: âWho you take intoâŠâ My eyes lifted slowly from my glass to look at Butch, something made me realise the seriousness of this casual conversation. It was if my mind went through every doubt, every question and every memory of this very table. The males I had seen sitting here were always on edge, and their appearance had always unnerved me and made me feel the one thing I certainly wasnât. Small.. A group of males who kept themselves to themselves, who ensured that they didnât draw any attention to themselves. Males who clearly were packing and yet security left them the Hell alone⊠âYou.. Youâre a Brother?â I felt in that moment as I barely managed to complete a simple sentence as if I were the scrawny weak male I had been prior to the transition. Breathless and unable to actually formulate a cognitive thought I reached blindly for my glass of Goose wanting the bottle to be magically there rather than the tumbler that definitely did not contain enough alcohol for this conversation. It explained how precise he had been when my neck had needed saving, and how damn quiet and awkward Havers had got when I had pursued him for information on the male at my side. Of course the members of the Kingâs own bodyguards and personal army deserved to have their identities kept quiet, I knew from reading the various books my Father had kept, that so many of the Brotherhood had been lost to the Lessers I had fought against. I had as a child seen the tales in the same way Arthurian legends made a human child wide eyed and want to be knight or soldier protecting a King and a beautiful Queen. âI⊠I owe my life to a Brother donât I? I place my life in your hands and I am truly in your debt, and I apologise for my behaviour towards you. In answer to your question, you are taking a male who is loyal, who believes in the greater good and although my failings are that to have believed the King had forsaken us all⊠I would fight till my last breath for him and his Queen.â Taking a breath, I looked around the bar, my mind overflowing with thoughts and realisations of what was possibly happening.. I didnât feel this was the right place for this conversation - and I trusted Butch with my life. âWould.. You like to take this conversation to my apartment, I now understand why you were concerned about my improper way of talking earlier, once more I apologise for how impolite I was.â Butch: -I could see the moment that it all really sank in for him. It was like some kind of blinder had been pulled away and he was left blinking. I gave him a moment and sat there sipping my Lag. I really wasn't going for this piss yourself kind of awkwardness. I might be a Brother but it wasn't like I started out life that way. Hell, I hadn't even started out as a vampire. It was damn near miraculous that I was a Brother to begin with. I waved the hand that was still holding my drink.- Look. There's nothing to apologize for. It's not like you missed a step while dancing and stepped on my foot. I'm just a fucking guy who happened to be in the right place at the right time to help your ass out. Not like you didn't have that sitch handled in the first place. Only thing you were in danger of was bleeding out on the street. Aaand possibly drawing more lesser to the smell. There is that too. But I digress. -I set my glass down, wrapping my fingers around the cold and wet surface.- I happen to like you. -I shrugged with a smile.- I think that you'd be a good fit and the trainee program is starting to come along. -I glanced around the club and then returned my gaze back to Deghenerate.- We can leave if you want to but like I said, nothing gets out of this place that Rehv doesn't want to. He runs a tight ship. Seriously. Stop apologising. -I took another swig of my drink.- We are two guys who came in here to have some drinks and celebrate the fact that you aren't pushing up daisies. Life is good. -I lounged back in my seat, leaving a glass half full so the waitress wouldn't feel the need to stop by just yet. My hands folded over my stomach and an easy kind of grin settled on my face.- It's not just Wrath and Kisa anymore now you know. They have a son too. And that fucker is growing fast. -I laughed and shook my head. One hand came up to rub the back of my neck.- You don't have jump on anything right now. I just wanted to track you down and put the offer out there. I did wrong by not finding you sooner and I feel bad about it. I just kinda got caught up in things. You know how it goes. Was a bitch finding you though. Gotta say. Coulda left me a card or something. I had to pull out all the stops and track you all stalker style. I'm sure some of your associates think the popo is after ya now. Which is actually kinda accurate since I used to be a cop and all. Deghenerate: The idea of doing something rewarding, of using the skills I had honed to be used for the greater good made me smile. It was exactly what I wanted, despite being of money as all Glymera were, I hated the sense of entitlement and the naivety that seemed to go along with it as well as the vast majority of males who were born to the prestigious few families acting like they would melt like sugar in the rain. I had spent my time in gyms alongside humans trying to gain strength and muscle on my scrawny form, and later⊠after my transition I had lived in the gym rather than the boardroom. Butch was offering me everything I wanted.. And it took a split second for me to nod. âIâm in. Couldnât think of a better excuse to hand the business over to anyone other than me⊠maybe some of the humans Iâve got of the streets.â Chuckling to myself, I murmured about how I went out of my way to make myself part of the human community of Caldwell as much as I could. âI figured, best way to survive is to emerge myself in business, spend my time around humans as much as possible, Hell I think Iâve spent enough nights locked up by Caldwellâs finest when the beer flowed a little too well to have a cell named after me⊠Canât say I recognise you though Butch - let me guess you were good at catching the good guys? Anyway - as I said, Iâm in. Maybe this is the way I get my redemption and forgiveness from the Scribe Virgin for the.. Foolishness of youth shall we say?â Nursing the drink, I smiled to myself. This was why I had gone out that night when instinct told me I was making a mistake, this was the reason I had fought against the Lessers despite there being far more than one male should have taken on their own. I never believed in fate or kismet or whatever you wanted to call it, but listening to Butch talk, I accepted it easily enough. Even losing my best friend, losing the one person who was as close to me as a blood born brother in Mhaul, the need for revenge that had eaten at me till I had been coated in the black tar-like goop that ran through the veins of the Lessers. I felt like I had been given the best gift a child could be given on the day of the birth. âThe King has a family? I can almost see my parents offering thanks to the Virgin for his blessing - I remember before their deaths that they would kneel in prayer for the King and his family. They wanted nothing more than to see the King and the Brotherhood protect the race from not only Lessers but all threats to us all⊠So did I, until their death and I lost my way. So⊠where do I sign up for Brotherhood training 1 oh 1?â Butch: Look at you all loving on humans. -I grinned wide enough to show a little too much fang and dialed it back at the last minute.- A man after my own heart. -My thumb played with the ring on my finger as I listened. I really couldn't help but like the guy. We grew up totally different but we were more similar than maybe he knew. Deathwish brought on death of a family member, check. Willing to help out those that were less fortunate, double check. A focused drive to clean up the streets, yup. Religious mama, you betcha.- You wouldn't have wanted to see me, Deghenerate. I was the one that caught murderers so the drunk tank was a little far off my beat. But yes, I was good at my job. Still am. -I huffed out a laugh and downed the rest of my drink, waving off any further refills. I didn't want to get so pissed that I couldn't drive the SUV home.- We've all done stupid shit. I'm certainly not immune to that one myself. -I wasn't about to spill my past that involved drugs both using and dealing. That wasn't who I was now and it hadn't been for a long time.- I'm not going to knock your faith, cause I'd be pissed if you belittled mine, so I'm just going to nod and smile bout that Scribe shit. She's... something else alright. -I considered my slate clean when it came to V's mother. She'd fucked with us hard but she also came through when I really needed to save my Hellren. She probably still didn't like me and the feeling was mutual. But I didn't actively curse her anymore. It was a little fucked up to think that she was my mother-in-law now. I tried not to dwell on it too hard. I know V didn't. I sat there for a few and thought about what I should do with this guy now that I knew he was all in. This was Z's deal here and I kind of had to turn it over to him now. I pulled out my phone, leaning my forearms on the table as I typed out a text to @DamagedBrother: I'm bringing in a new recruit to Darius's. Name's Deghenerate. I've checked him out. He'll be a nice addition. I tucked the phone away and smiled over the table at my drinking buddy. I would still have to talk to Z in person but he should know ahead of time what was up.- Ready for a road trip? Deghenerate: The way he spoke about the Scribe Virgin made me wonder if the male had had first hand experience of her great power. Truth was, religions that the humans around me fascinated me - I spent hours reading the texts of each faith, driven by curiosity and an inner desire to see if the salvation I craved from the Virgin was given to others. In truth, I had been left confused by the way humans lived, and how far they had fallen from the words spoken to them by their Gods. I didn't however, judge. Listening to him talk, had made me feel like perhaps the solitude I had enforced on myself wasnât the way to honor my family and best friend.. Within the training programme he spoke of, I would perfect my rough skills, would perhaps be able to find a family.. friends who had like minded beliefs. âI⊠Yes. Yes I would very much like to serve the King. A road trip sounds good after all, the entertainment here is sadly disappointing. I do enjoy seeing security go down with a drunk mortal or two before going on a hunting expedition. Gets the blood flowing to rip out a throat or two before making them realise death would have been a better deal rather than shaking hands with the Devil.â The remains of the Goose caught my eye, and a drink should never ever be wasted. With a grin, I knocked back the glass uttering a silent thanks to the Virgin for not forsaking her fallen child. I was like a human child on their birthday, excited and curious as to where Butch would be taking me. I trusted him, a feeling I rarely had with strangers and yet, I welcomed the male into my life. I owed him a debt, and yet it had been he himself who had offered me the chance to honor it. âSo do I get bundled into your SUV blindfolded or am I permitted a chance to see where my life will be given purpose?â Butch: -I slid out of the booth and stopped right there, turning my head back to my companion.- Hey now, here you were one second all cool with humans and the next enjoying watching them get the shit beat outta em. -I laughed because I had been that drunken fool more than a few times myself. Maybe not in this place, but still.- Not all of them are on their way to making bargains with the Omega. Just maybe some of them. Like that guy. -I pointed to some punk who stood against the wall and randomly 'shook hands' with people passing by. Yeah, no one was that damn friendly. He was dealing. And the Omega did seem to like the drug dealers. Or maybe that was the forelesser dragging from the bottom of the pile. It didn't matter so long as they weren't a bunch of highly trained ninjas. That would seriously suck. I didn't bother going back through the mess of bodies and simply took Deghenerate out the door next to us. There was a reason this was the Brother's table, there was a quick escape. It was always understood that the door was ours to use and everyone else could fuck off. I got to the Escalade and peered over the hood at the other guy. The corner of my lip twitched upward.- See, now you're just gettin kinky. Next thing I know, you'll be asking for the cuffs. Which I always have. In case you are wondering. -I laughed hard and ducked inside the vehicle.- Nah man, this aint like that. Not like I'm taking you directly to the King or some shit. Hell, that would really get his panties in a wad. -I turned out into the street and headed away from the shittier parts of Caldwell.- We are just going to head over to the house that was set aside for the trainees. Never know, there might actually be some other ones there. They tend to come and go. Which is exactly why it's where it is. So you can come and go whenever you want. -The drive didn't actually take all that long. Suddenly, we were there. Darius's place.- It all started here. -I didn't realize that I was talking out loud as I looked at the place. I recovered and just kept going.- This is where I met the Brotherhood. Where I found out about vampires. Where I met Vishous. -That night came back to me in a wave. I closed my eyes to steady myself.- Seems like a lifetime ago. -I looked back at Deghenerate with a lopsided smile.- Alright. Let's go find you a room. -I unlocked the door and ushered the other guy inside. The place was just like I remembered it. Up there on the left was the room that my twin had stayed in for a while until he escaped and ran away. Tess stayed in another room while Z and I watched over her. Vishous and I spent our first night together in another room upstairs. We talked all night about everything and nothing. I came to stay here when I had a mental breakdown over killing an innocent. It was where I came to attempt to heal when what I really needed was at home the entire time. It was strange how many different memories this place had. And now it was about to form more. Too bad Darius never saw it. From what I understood the guy was the genuine article. I would have liked to know him.- Deghenerate: Standing before a building that stood as a testament of a time gone by, I couldn't help but wonder if my life would become more.. well anything other the downright shit. The fact Butch had gone to this amount of trouble to not only locate me but also then bring me here to see I guess a brother who changed recruits into the newest Black Dagger warriors made me think I might have found that second chance saloon after all. âYou ever regret finding out what you really were? I mean you could have escaped Caldwell and the nightmares that hide around every corner..â The digs being offered to me as another place to rest my head were something my Mahmen would have been in both awe and envy over. Trailing after the Irish lilted vampire, I found myself looking at every sculpture; every finely painted artwork housed in a gilded frame. It was like being at the family homestead only with a fuck load more museum worthy pieces for me to not fall into. âThis place⊠feels like home just without the bickering over forcing me into an arranged relationship to some descendent of Sweet Virgin whoeverâŠâ Unaware that I had spoken aloud of a more hostile time of my life, I shook my head. Briefly running fingers through the messy fringe that Iâd meant to get Candy to cut, I tried to clear my head of the early years of my life. Immediately my mind wandered to the almost innocent girl and her overly zealous douchebag of a pimp. Shit, what could I do to help them from here⊠Not the time or place - or fucking company for that matter to chic-flick, back to the business at hand. âSo.. have you managed to sway many into this training programme, can't of been easy for the King to sway the Glymera members who still believe it's the Dark Ages?â Stopping to admire a marble sculpture that had a look of Michelangeloâs âDavid,â I shrugged heavy set shoulders at Butch with a smile. I was ready to sign on the dotted line, but sure as eggs were eggs, a pussed off Glymera Mahmen was worse than a lioness any day of the week. â... only, I don't fancy waking up to an irate female because her young decided to play soldier yâ feel me?â Butch: -The question kind of took me off guard. Did I regret all of this? Taking into account the stuff that Deghenerate didn't know about me even. Things like the darker side of shit that I saw every damn night. The serial killer lesser that I was hunting, the pain and anguish that my mate and I went through, the Omega filth that was still very much a part of me, and the fact that I took in pure evil every time that I sucked another lesser down. All of that and still my answer was simple.- No. I don't regret it. Not one minute. I always felt like I didn't belong. An outcast from my family, a detective that had no real friends. I went home every night and sat in a one room apartment, drinking way too much Lag and watching reruns of Sox games. I was miserable. I watched so many scum bags get off on technicalities that I was beginning to seriously hate my job. And that was the one thing that gave me any purpose. Now I don't only track down killers, but I get to meet out justice. You pair that up with the fact that I found the one person that I was meant to be with and you have one seriously happy Southie with a big ole fat erection. -I grinned wide as hell and flashed the other guy a wink.- Shit just happens how it was meant to happen. I consider myself damn lucky. I can't even imagine what hell an arranged marriage would be like. That's some seriously old school bullshit right there. -I looked where Deghenerate was. It brought back memories of when I wandered this house trying to find peace. So many things happened under this roof. It was like a frickin national treasure. Or maybe that was a racial treasure. Who the fuck cares? This place held importance to so many different people. Darius was still having an influence on things even beyond the grave.- I can't say since we didn't really hit up a lotta glymera when we went looking for candidates. I know of two trainees right now. I know for a fact one of them chose not to live here. And I'm not sure about the other one. I think he still lives here. -I shrugged.- It's not like you have to. That was never something that was forced. But you gotta admit, the neighborhood is a hell of a lot nicer than the one you were staying in. Pick a room, don't pick a room. Least now you know where to go to meet up. I'm going to give Zsadist the word that you are in. It's not really my bag from here on out but you better believe that I'll be keeping an eye on ya.
