Demonic Happenings

Vincent paused and looked back over his shoulder, "I need to go, I will be fine and I will return in 30 minutes or so," he gave her a warm smile and opened the door.

"There are bases all over the world, but the cities are usually in the busiest places. The closest one is in Washington." Drake stated to Zeke, "I think we should go to a city, but either way neither of your vampire friends are going to be let in..." He turned his attention to Devon on the last sentence.
He was right. The underground cities and bases were heavily guarded and didn't let just any one in. For any non-human to get in they had to prove that they were going to be loyal to the association first. Unless someone way up the command chain got them in.

"I'm sure Zack could shelter us or get us in..." Colt said lightly, much calmer now. She tried not to look the disgusted expression on Drakes face. But he was much higher up then any of them.

Devon watched Vincent leave, concerned written on her face. She had a suspicion about what he needed to do, but it didn't change the fact that it was far too dangerous right now. She would have to hope he came back quickly.

She returned her attention to the conversation instead. "Then we go to Washington," she replied. "I'm sure you can help if Zack can't, right?" She cast Drake a flat glare, sensing his thoughts. "I'm not turning out a new vampire and the guy I'm actually trying to protect. That's messed up."

"I want to help," Zeke announced suddenly. He looked between Drake and Devon, somehow looking both determined and beseeching. "Tell them I want to help. And Vincent's in huge trouble, they can't just throw him out either."

Drake shrugged a little to Devon and then looked at Zeke again. He didn't say anything though.

"I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with hunting?" Colt questioned their dark haired friend.

Drake let out a long sigh and ran a hand back through his hair. "I guess we will just have to try, and if I can't get them in, then we can try Zack." He mumbled something about not wanting to see Zack, but calling him a different and less pleasant name.

Zeke chewed the inside of his lip. "Well, I mean, not really," he admitted. "But--like Devon said, I can't really leave right now. I'm sort of stuck with you guys for a bit. And if that's going to be the case, then maybe I should learn to do something to help. I can't just weigh you guys down the whole time."

Devon sighed deeply. The day's exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her again, and she didn't relish a trip to the Association with two vampires in tow. "We'll make it happen," she said decisively. "One way or another. They're strict, but the HA exists for this reason."

Colt pulled her legs to her chest a little tighter. "I suppose you are stuck with us..." She repeated quietly. Her head was throbbing and the night events wouldn't stop playing back in her head like a bad dream. But at least no one died... This time.

Drake noticed that Devon seemed tired, "you girls can have my room," he offered, almost gently. "You two need to rest the most." He crossed the room and picked up the blood bag that Zeke had dropped earlier and handed it to him again, giving him a stern look.
"I can tell you are young.. But I can also tell you need to drink.."

Ronnie was motionless in his spot, but slowly his color seemed to be coming back to him.

Zeke took the blood bag, wrinkling his nose as its heavy, liquid weight settled into his hands. Just the sight of it turned his stomach, let alone feeling it slosh around in the plastic bag unappealingly. But Drake was right. It was getting harder and harder to deny himself by the minute . . . and if he was going to be of any use to anyone, he couldn't starve himself.

Devon sighed heavily. The last thing she really wanted to do was sleep, even though her body was aching for rest. "Yeah, okay. Thanks," she said to Drake. "We'll figure out how to deal with the bureaucracy tomorrow."

"If your friend doesn't come back soon I will find him," Drake added before tucking his hands into his coat and leaning against the wall. "I'm assuming he went out to find his own blood source?"

Colt slowly pushed herself up from the couch, a bit shaky and painful. She waited a second to make sure she wouldn't fall over before heading off quietly to Drakes room.

"I guess so," Devon said slowly, although she couldn't be sure. She trusted Vincent, of course, and knew he would never do anything he shouldn't--but there was just too much danger, and she had to wonder if this was really the best option.

Still, she had no choice but to let it go. Vincent was an adult--one much, much older than her--and she was so tired she could barely stand. She gave a half-hearted wave as she hauled herself off to the bedroom behind Colt.

Zeke was left alone with the bag of blood, sitting primly and stiffly with it held in his lap. Eventually, he took a deep breath, brought the bag to his lips, and tore the corner off with his teeth. Maybe, if he was quick, it wouldn't be so bad. Like doing shots. But with blood.

Colt just kicked off her shoes and crawled into Drakes perfectly made bed. It seemed like it hadn't been used in months. He slept, unlike most vampires, but not very often. The blankets were warm and soft and she curled into a ball under them, taking up a small section of the bed.

Drake was quiet for a moment, starring at the bedroom door. When he finally shook his vision away he gave Zeke a empathetic look.
"Is it the blood itself? or the being a monster and eating people thing?" He asked quietly. His hair was a silvery white, like Vincents patch, indicating that he had gone through a struggle of his own.

Devon kicked off her boots and draped her jacket atop them, sliding into the other side of the bed. Though the sheets were clean and warm, she lay awake for awhile, staring at the ceiling. She really hoped the HA would be willing to help them all.

Zeke looked up, surprised that Drake was even acknowledging him, let alone asking questions. "Um--well, both, really," he said, dropping his gaze back to his lap. "I mean, the eating people is gross, but at least this isn't really people. But I don't . . . do well with blood. Usually I can't even look at it without fainting."

"Well... You haven't fainted," Drake pointed out mildly. "So that means you will get better with time." He pulled his phone out of his pocket to look at the time. He would have to go look for Vincent soon.
"I'm going to have to look for that vampire. But I will give you my number so you can keep an eye on things and call me if there is trouble.." He pulled up the tab on his phone that said what the devices number was and under hand tossed it to him.

Colt had been quiet for a long time, presumably asleep. But she wasn't. Her shoulders started to shake lightly as she tried to hold back her sobs. She held her breath tightly in her chest, hoping not to wake Devon.

Zeke fumbled to catch the phone without dropping the open bag of blood, and just barely managed. He set Drake's phone on his knee, copied the number into his own phone, and gave it back. He would wait until Drake left before he even tried to swallow the blood. Fewer people to witness if he make himself horribly sick.

Devon fell into a light doze after some time, but it didn't take much for her to wake again. As soon as she heard the soft gasps of Colt beside her, she was immediately awake and alert. "Colt?" she murmured, squinting through the darkness at her friend. "What's up?"

Drake took his phone back and shoved it in his pocket before heading for the door. He sighed deeply before pulling up his red scarf and setting out into the cold night air.

Colt quickly tried to wipe the tears off her face and take a deep breath.
"N-Nothing," she half whimpered. She sniffed a little, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.." her voice cracked as she tried not to cry as she spoke.

Once Drake was gone, Zeke picked up the blood again, swallowed hard, and then sucked down teh contents as quickly as he could. The taste was horrible, threatening to gag him--but it worked to sate his hunger, he noticed, with both relief and a feeling of sickness. This was his life now.

"Don't worry about it. Everything wakes me up." Devon propped herself on her elbow to look at Colt. "C'mon. You don't have to tell me but it's obviously not nothing."

Colt couldn't make eye contact with her long time friend.
"I just..." She sighed again to to try and steady her voice. "I was already emotional cause I'm getting stupidly attached like I always do and seeing Villie.... So suddenly shook me up. I was so scared..." She paused for a moment and tears spilled over her eyes again.
Colt wasn't the type to get so worked up over a fight, even when they had been close to death before.
"If Drake hadn't shown up... We would be dead.. Or worse... Villie could have taken us..." She looked up her friend then, barely able to see her through the darkness.
"I don't want to go back."

Devon listened in solemn silence until Colt was finished. For a moment, she didn't have the words, because what could she say? Their lives as Hunters were always dangerous, it was part of the job--and Villie terrified her, too.

"Well," she started with a sigh, "we're not dead, or stuck with him. Nobody's going to go back to him. He's evil and powerful, but we're going to stop him one way or another. We've got the whole Association behind us."

Colt nodded a little, obviously not convinced. But she knew that she was also being a little paranoid and dramatic. But it was hard not to be.
"I guess... I just need to get it out of my system..." She concluded, the tiredness in her voice making her yawn.
"Sorry.."

"Don't worry about it," Devon assured. She reached over to pat Colt on the shoulder once before sliding back down into a lying position. "Really. Just try to get some rest--we had a really long day, and we're gonna be driving forever in the next few days."

Colt didn't answer as her heavy eyelids quickly pulled her into an uncounsous state.

After another 30 minutes Drake returned with Vincent in tow.They brought in a few familiar bags that smelt like ashes and blood. They had gone back to the motel to gather what was left of their things and thankfully most of it seemed to be salvageable. Drake headed back outside for a moment before returning with the cooler of the blood that Devon had stashed earlier. Vincent checked on Ronnie and gave Zeke a short smile. They both had been able to drink and both looked better for it.
"Hopefully that will cheer the ladies up a little," Vincent said happily, but quietly, hoping not to wake them in the next room.

Zeke found that he couldn't sleep--even after eating, or maybe because of it--so he was still awake when the others returned. He tidied up after himself, rearranged what few belongings had been brought to the house, and then spent some time lying on the couch waiting for sleep to claim him.

"Oh, good," he said when he saw the others return, bags in tow. "I thought all of that was gone." He paused, chewing the inside of his lip briefly. "Any sign of what's-his-name? Is he still gone?"

"I doubt he will be back any time soon with how bad he looked," Drake answered Zeke before walking to the small kitchen to put down a bag of food he grabbed for the few that needed to eat.

Vincent sighed softly before finally taking a seat on the edge of the couch. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Hopefully for a long while.."

Zeke nodded once, but he wasn't completely convinced. Villie was clearly more powerful than anyone knew how to handle, and was definitely more than he had ever seen before. Regardless, even if Villie didn't come back tonight, he would be back soon.

"So," he started, arms folded across his chest in an unconscious defensive gesture, "If I . . . tried to get involved. To help. What would I need to do?"

Drake raised a silvery eyebrow at the younger vampire, looking him up and down. He didn't seem like a fighter.. But he wasn't deranged like most vampires so obviously he was tougher then he looked.
"You would have to get approval from the counsel and then pick a mentor and follow their training for a few years or more. Being a vampire you would have to prove yourself ten time more worthy of the title of a demon hunter." His bright blue eyes settled on a bit of the wood floor across the room.
"Then the counsel has to accept you in, after some trials, and you follow your mentor around for a few more years until you move up the ranks and can be on your own.."

Vincent was barely listening, thinking about what his brother might be up to.

Zeke nods again, although the thought of fighting alarms him immensely. But if he has nothing else, if it's what he can do to help for now . . .

"Alright," he says, and hopes he sounds more confident than he feels. "I guess we'll give it a try."

----

The next few days are an uneventful blur of landscapes and long black highways, as they make their way out of Nebraska and toward the northwest. They drive through the nights and hide out during the day when possible, making a beeline for Washington with minimum stops. The entire area is permeated with a bit of fear, the anxiety of knowing Villie could be right behind them and show up at any point. The hope is that the headquarters in Seattle will protect them, but thy have to make it there, first.

Devon manages to sleep off the worst of her injuries, and spends most of the drive in a state of heightened awareness. Who knows if they'll survive Villie getting the drop on them. Not only that, but there's no guarantee the headquarters will even take them in--she and the others have enough status to usually get refuge, but only just. A handful of turned "unnatural" werewolves with a new vampire . . . who knew.

Zeke was anxious as well, though for different reasons. He didn't want to do any of this, not really. But where would he go? What could he do, besides follow these people? His family didn't care much where he was, and he was incapable of handling his own blood supply or navigating what was happening without someone else. For now, he was stuck.

Their worries hung over their heads like a miasma as the Seattle skyline finally came into view.

Colt had been fairly quiet through the trip while she gained back her sanity. She was extra jumpy- not just on alert- but she seemed to get startled by everything and changed into her wolf form out of reflex often. Most days she ended up taking a spot on the floor in her wolf form. No one really questioned her. But Drake gave her a hard time for it. Not as hard as he would usually joke with her, but enough to keep her teasing him back and not so distant from the group.
As time went she seemed to grow more restless but less jumpy and when she would take off by herself every chance she could, they new it was because they were only a week away from the full moon.

Vincent remained in high spirits, convinced they weren't in urgent danger from his brother. Ronnie was recovered by the next night, if anything, just a bit sore. And Drake and him seemed to be at odds, growling at each other and disagreeing about every single thing. But when asked, they just shrugged as if they didn't care. They were probably just too alike.

They ended up going back for Devon's car so they could all fit into two instead of cramming into one. When they come up on Seattle Colt and Zeke were with Drake and Vincent and Ronnie were with Devon. The old vampire had just gotten done explaining his distaste in cars and all large machinery. They seemed unsafe and for all of his scholaryness he couldn't wrap his head around how they worked. But he was set back into silence as he looked up in awe at the city lights and tall buildings. He has seen it before, but it always seemed so different.

Colt watched the lights drift by out of the window, quietly twisting her hair between her fingers.

Devon's attention was on the road ahead--Seattle was notoriously difficult to drive in and was basically not a planned city by any means--but she couldn't help a glance from the corner of her eye at Vincent. For all his experience, he just hadn't quite adapted to modern times. It was an odd mix of annoying and endearing--moreso the latter when she caught him staring up at the skyline.

"Well," she said with a private smile, "If it weren't for all this 'modern nonsense,' we wouldn't have gotten here basically ever."

-

Zeke was quiet for most of the drive, his thoughts elsewhere. He had never been to Seattle--had never been anywhere near the state of Washington before, really--and was mostly content to enjoy the sights as they went.

Still, he was aware of Colt at his side, who had been uncharacteristically jumpy for the last few days. He didn't blame her, but it was a disheartening sight.

"You alright?" he asked, reaching across with his shoe to gently nudge her leg.

Vincent chuckled lightly, "I suppose so. Perhaps I am just stuck in the past, but things were much more simple back then. "

"Yeah.. Simple... Everyone died at a young age, I was basically a slave and getting around took days or longer." Ronnie grumbled from the back seat. He had no problem advancing through the ages since it did happen pretty slowly. He would often force Vincent to ware clothing that would make him blend in better. And he knew how to drive and use the internet.

----

Colt jumped lightly before nodding at Zeke, "yeah, I just haven't been in a HA city in a long time. We aren't always the most welcome type, depending on who's in charge.... Plus..Full moon in close. Just feel tense."

Devon laughed softly. "That's true, on both counts. Personally, I'll take cars and not getting the plague if it means things are a little more complicated. And guns that don't take twenty minutes to reload."

The sun had set some time ago, and as they drew closer to the city proper, their way was lit by dozens of orange street lamps and the headlights of a hundred cars. Everyone was unaware that underneath the bustling city, a secret organization functioned beneath in perfect synchronicity. Devon wondered how the HA functioned back in the day, before instant communication and advanced travel.

She also wondered how the HA would react to her, given the time of the month. They were a few days off the full moon, but she was already feeling antsy and restless, and it would only worsen as the days went on. Those in charge might be reluctant to have her and Colt around.

--

"Yeah, it sounds like they can be kind of . . . weird, about some of y--us." Zeke caught himself just in time. It was easy to forget, sometimes, that he was technically one of the them now--a demon, of sorts. "How do you usually handle the full moon? Are you guys going to be okay?"

"I agree, I supposed I may be stuck in the past because I still long for the days where I was just a human... Even though I barely remember what that was like." Vincent trailed off a little, his violet eyes still fixed out the car window, a small smile on his mouth.

----

"Yeah," Colt sighed deeply to calm her racing heart. "We usually just drug ourselves and sleep through it. Safer then trying to cage us in, and we have it down to an art form..." Though she acted calm her body was tense and her eyes were brighter then usual.
"Plus HA usually have places where we can lock ourselves up if need be."

Drake made a disgruntled sound from the front seat.

"That was awhile ago," Devon agrees, finally turning her attention fully back to the road. "I imagine it might be difficult, being raised one way and then having to change so much." Traffic was getting tighter as they reached downtown, but soon they would weave through all of it and find the emptier parts of town. Then they would be able to get to the HA proper.

--

"That sounds awful," Zeke says, biting his lip. "I mean, I guess you handle it however you have to, but still."

"So, I have never actually been inside of the hunters association..." Vincent added to change the subject, "I hope it is more pleasant then it sounds."

----

Colt shrugged lightly, "I would rather wake up a little hung over then wake up covered in my friends blood."

"I don't know Colt, that sounds like a good party.." Drake laughed a little, but obviously he was joking. She reached up and lightly slapped the back of his head.

"Don't worry Zeke, it's all not as bad as it sounds." She smiled at him.

The cars neared a parking garage that seemed to be saved for a business, but was actually a place for Hunters and agents to park. Drake paused long enough near the gate to scan a card and then continued through when it lifted to find a spot in a dark corner.

"Usually it is," Devon says, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. "It's a big organization, but it also serves as a sanctuary of sorts. They--we--want to take care of everyone. But it's not always perfect, and sometimes the base leaders are . . . shitty, about who they take."

She parked her car next to Drake's and followed quickly behind the others. She pat down her back pocket for her card, ensuring it was there as they went.

"Do all werewolves have to do that?" Zeke asks, jogging to keep up with everyone else. "Every month?"

Colt shoved her hands into her pockets and followed Drake.
"Wha? Oh. Uh, no." She stammered, nearly forgetting what they were talking about.
"People who were born as werewolves don't, but that isn't very common."

Vincent and Ronnie quietly kept pace with Devon, unsure of what was going to happen.
Drake lead the group to an elevator and pressed the down arrow button, holding it down for a long moment until it beeped softly and the doors began to close.

"We were both bitten by another werewolf. Our type tend to go crazy more often, with out someone to teach you how there is no way you can control yourself just day to day," Colt explained quietly once they got into the elevator. "There is nothing we can do about controlling ourselves on the full moon... It is what it is."

"As such, a lot of the HA doesn't really like us much," Devon chimed in. "We're good enough hunters that they usually respect us, but not everyone's that nice."

"But that's stupid," Zeke says. He looks mildly uncomfortable as the elevator doors shut behind them, and the lift kicked into gear. "If you're already hunters and everything, why should they care?"

"Because there's always that chance. That's part of why Hunters exist in the first place."

Drake made a very very light and low growl. One that would be hard for even his friends to pick up. One he was unaware that he was doing. His jaw clenched together as he thought of how them and others like them had been treated. It was hard to remember that not everyone in the HA wasn't like that.

Colt glanced back toward him when she caught the sound. It wasn't normal for him. She caught the very lightly movement of his long coat tail behind him. She wanted to question him about it, but she could tell by his expression that he wasn't in the mood.

"They aren't all like that," she added softly as she looked toward the front of the elevator.

"No," Devon agrees. "They're not. It's just the ones that do kinda stand out for being assholes. But I think we'll be okay. I'm more worried about you at this point." She glances at Zeke. "But we won't let them kick you out."

The elevator seems to go for miles, deep underground. It is several minutes before it finally slows back to a halt, grinding lightly on the gears, and the doors slide open again. Beyond is a narrow, rectangular hallway, lit by electrical lights every few feet. The hall opens up into a small room not unlike a doctor's waiting room, sparsely decorated. In the back is a large steel door, flanked on either side by visibly armed Hunters. As the group approaches, the Hunters raise their weapons slightly, blocking the way in.

"ID?" demands the one on the left, a strongly-built young woman with a stony expression. Devon produces her own ID, which the Hunter scrutinizes for a long moment for returning. Then she looks at the others and asks, "Who are the rest of you?"

Colt quickly dug for her ID and handed it to the guard with a polite smile.
Drake handed his to the other guard, still looking pissed off.

"These are our friends, they need a place to hide from our mutual enemy," she said, motioned back to the other three of the group that couldn't produce an ID.

Vincent really wanted to be polite and introduce himself, but he decided that may not be what they were looking for. He stood straight though, trying to look proper and pleasant. Ronnie was slouched with his arms folder over his chest and a bored look on his face.

The guard looked over Drake's and Colt's IDs and returned them, looking no less suspicious. Then she looked over the others, her gaze focusing on Vincent and Zeke.

"You brought two unidentified vampires to our doorstep," she said. "You know we can't just allow anyone in."

"We know," Devon agreed. "Listen. It's very important. Vincent here is being pursued by a very, very powerful vampire--someone we can't handle on our own, and who needs to be brought to the organization's attention. That vampire's pursuing all of us."

"And how can we trust them?"

"The same way you trust us. What damage can two vampires, one of whom just turned and has no powers to speak of, really do in a small town full of Hunters?"

The second guard took a while to hand back Drakes ID before speaking, "Mr Kraven, you need to report to the counsel..."

The hair on the back of Colt's neck stood up on end, "what! Why!?" She exclaimed for Drake, knowing that if the counsel wanted to see you, it usually wasn't a good thing. But Drake seemed completely unsurprised.

"Well, I will if you let our friends in too, we will keep and eye on them. Wont let them drink any body or find out an secrets," he voice was calm but internally the idea of speaking to the counsel made his stomach flip.

The guard looked toward his partner to see what she wanted to do.

"Damn, what did you do?" Devon whispered to Drake.

The other Hunter looked displeased, but finally she sighed and said, "Alright. I don't like it, but there's no actual reason to turn you out." She grabbed an ID out of her pocket and tapped it against a scanner on the door. There was a faint whirr, and then several low thunks of metal, before the door swung open. The Hunter turned back to the group, a distrustful gaze on Zeke and Vincent, and added, "But we'll be keeping an eye on you."

Zeke swallowed hard and nodded. It was easy to tell that these were people he shouldn't argue with.

Drake gave a short shrug to Devon, he didn't know what they wanted to see him for. It could have been a lot of things... Accidentally killing humans a couple missions ago... Not responding to mission alerts... Not turning in his missions or just not completing them... Who knew?

Vincent gave the guard a nod and a smile, "I would not expect any different."

"Maybe they are going to promote you?" Colt suggested s the group moved through the door.

"To what?" Drake asked, "I'm already a Master Hunter..." The group walked out to the sound of a bustling city (but with out the sounds of cars). Vincent was instantly awe struck as he looked around. It was almost literally a city under Seattle. It expanded further then he could see, with buildings of all sizes. Some seemed to be very old, but some newer. And though there was a ceiling held up by tall pillars, it was very well lit. The streets weren't crowded but they weren't empty. Everyone seemed to be busy doing something, no one was just standing around. Lots of Hunters, but mostly normal looking people taking care of the city and it's residents.
"This is much bigger then I imagined," Vincent said, almost breathlessly in his excitement.

"Wow," Zeke breathed, eyes widening as he took in the sights before him. Devon had mentioned offhand that the larger bases were like small cities, but he had underestimated just how accurate that was. "I didn't think the HA was so big. I just thought it was a few of you."

"Well, there's a big world to take care of, so there's gotta be more than just us." Devon smiled a little at Vincent's and Zeke's awe. She had been much the same way the first time she set foot in a proper base, nearly ten years ago. "C'mon. There's a shelter down the way for new people and Hunters just stopping in. They'll help us out until we figure out what we need to do next."

She led the way down the main street, toward a newer, two-story building. This one appeared a little busier than the others, with a few people going in and out as the group approached, most of whom looked to be more Hunters.

As the group walked they were starred at by many, but not all, hunters. Most seemed to confused and a little concerned about the two new vampires.
A couple said hello to Colt but kept it very short as to not waste time. But they seemed friendly.

"If you didn't get paid it's because you didn't complete the mission to standards," a males voice rang through the air as they entered the buys building.
Drakes shoulder slumped and he groaned loudly and complained about something under his breath.
"But I did!" An angry females voice shouted.
"Whoa, no need to get so angry, if you feel it's unfair then take it up with the counsel.."

Colt froze and stood on her tippy toes to look around the room for the source of the voice. Her eyes locked onto someone on the opposite side and she made a happy squealing noise before darting into the crowd toward him.

Devon made a slightly annoyed face at the sound of the shouting, and would have put her ears back if she could have. Yelling was always just a little more grating to someone with heightened senses.

As Colt bolted off, Zeke watched her go, then turned a confused glance to the others. "Someone you guys know?" he asked.

"I think so," replied Devon. "Should be fun."

There was a thump, the sound of papers falling, and a short shout of surprise.

Vincent just looked confused but then smiled to himself, when they finally got to the spot Colt had ran to.
She had her arms wrapped tightly around a male with spiked red hair and orange eyes, and her face squished into his chest. He looked shocked but happy, and hugged her back tightly.
"Colt, you are getting to strong to keep doing that to me," he laughed, rubbing a hand through her hair. He was well built, and his clothes were half made up of light armor and he had a few weapons on his back, showing that he was too a hunter.
She didn't loosen her grip at all on him though.

He just pet her head and looked up to see the group.
"Oh! Hey Devon, I didn't think she was here alone.." He chimed happily. He looked over her shoulder, "it's good to see you too Drake."

"Fuck off Zack," Drake groaned, gritting his teeth and looking the other direction.

"Oh man, hey Zack!" Devon said, pleased to see a familiar face. "What's up? I thought you had a base to run."

Zeke hesitated near the back of the group a little, uncertain how the new man would react to him and Vincent. Not everyone was openly hostile towards the vampires, but he knew enough now to be wary. All he wanted was a shower and a clean bed, two things he could not always claim from the motels on the road.

Zack laughed again, "well there was a leak on information and my base was evacuated.." He put his hands on Colts shoulder to push her away slightly.
"You couldn't have missed me that much."

She looked up at him and smiled, almost looking childish before letting go.
"I just didn't think I was going to see you here... But surprises are nice!"

"I didn't think I would see you guys either, what are you doing here and who are your friends?" His orange eyes trailed over the group, his smile dropping ever so slightly when he looked at Zeke and Vincent. He returned his gaze to Colt, concerned now, "should I be worried?"

"Not from us!" Zeke piped up, then immediately seemed to shrink back. He cleared his throat and said, "I mean. We're not the concern. I don't think. I'm just kind of here?"

Devon's smile dimmed a bit. "Well, one of them," she said, gesturing toward Zeke, "is a stray we picked up. New vampire, you know. The other, however . . ." She glanced toward Vincent, then at Zack again. "Well. He's in a bit of trouble. We should probably talk in private about that."

If Vincent could have gone pale, he would have. "What? No! Never, not me..." He was panicked at first but sort of trailed off when he realized Devon was joking. He chuckled nervously and blushed a little.

"Zeke, Vincent and Ronnie." Colt motioned to the three of them. "We are all actually hiding from Villie. He wants Vincent for somethi-"

"WHAT." Zack interrupted, his voice and expression heavy with concern and a little anger. He turned his attention back to Devon.
"What happened to keeping her away from that bastard??"

Devon bristled, visibly agitated by the accusation. "It's not like we invited him into our hotel!" she replied. "Look, we knew Vincent from awhile back, we knew Villie was trouble, and Vincent is Villie's brother, so whatever Villie wants with him can't be good. We thought we were pretty far off when he just appeared in the middle of our place. That's actually why we're here in the first place."