<span style="font-weight: bold"> Office of Dr. Julien Summerfield </span><br/><br/>"Ah, ah ,ah... you shouldn't be so greedy Dr. Summerfield," a voice paused to let out a light, bubbly chuckle in spite of the situation before adding, "...it’s a sin".<br/><br/>Just after those forsaken lines were spoken, Julien found himself jerk backwards. One light orb burnt through his shoulder pad and welded itself into his skin whereas the other burnt his right clavicle and neck.<br/><br/>Everything suddenly freezing for a second. Bright light exploding within the vicinity of the room. Before the next set of events staggered forwards rapidly. In jerky and almost disorientating movement.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">“What..?!”</span>he grunted like an outwordly creature through his fangs. Flying backwards from the impact of the shots that had been delivered to his torso.<br/><br/>He made certain to backflip and land deftly upon his two feet. His beastly reflexes refusing to take a hit like that and show any remorse whatsoever.<br/><br/>His wounds boiled, bubbled and blistered within his amethyst skin. Before settling down to caurtisized lacerations.<br/>No matter, they’d heal within minutes. It would take more than some dazzling light to send him to his grave.<br/>He turned and looked at Carly, straightening his shirt and tie in a solemn fashion. The fire crackling in the distance as his merciless eyes began to scan the room.<br/><br/>The cat was still out of it.<br/><br/>Had he not heard a taunting voice, he would’ve assumed some interference from her part whilst channelling. Perhaps her dead mother?<br/><br/>However, he had significant reason to believe someone was very close by. And well concealed, at that.<br/><br/>He’d normally be able to pick out an earthly civilian through infrared vision. Or at least be able to smell them with his acute lurker senses.<br/><br/>However, in this instance, he couldn’t tell who or what it was that attacked him.<br/><br/>He had to admit. He was<span style="font-style: italic">impressed</span>. Someone had actually entered his domain and attacked him. They didn’t even try to make a secret of it.<br/><br/>“Remarkable moves you have there, sniper,” he dubbed the attacker. Sweeping the room with his keen eyes again “if you wanted an appointment you could’ve just asked my PA.”<br/><br/>He walked through the room again. Looking at a grand mirror which had an intricately decorated carved wooden border. He rubbed a finger through the wound across his clavicle and licked it.<br/><br/>Nothing.  At least, he couldn’t trace it back to a civilian nor one of his kind.<br/><br/>Which meant the being was one of two things. Either a super natural he had never come across before. Or someone from the Heaven alliance.<br/><br/>The silence and brooding nature of the beast was enough to suffocate anyone who would’ve been conscious in the room right now.<br/>He continued to have his back turned to the rest of the domain. Including his desk, exit door, and Carly who still lay there unconscious on the chair.<br/><br/>His distance only made the situation slightly less unnerving. He was almost behaving like a panther. Hiding out and waiting for his prey to turn up.<br/><br/>“If you have anything to say, say it now or forever hold your peace…” Julien continued to face the mirror. The eyes within the reflection burning as much as the devil himself.<br/><br/>“…because I have plans for this girl now that I know what she is. And quite frankly… you just got in the way.”<br/><br/>____________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> LA Moulin Rouge Red light district </span><br/><br/>Zach continued to lean against the wall. Frowning as he continued to wallow in his own thoughts. Thankfully, no one as outrageous as the last bunny girl had disturbed him tonight.<br/><br/>He calculated the night was still half way through. Which was a bit of a pity. He wanted his shift to be over sooner. He stared at the night sky. The inky blankness of the sky making the air feel oppressive. There was also a full moon out tonight.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">'Usually a night where disasters took place.’</span>He thought to himself.<br/><br/>Who had told him that? Was it someone close to him? Family or friend or someone’s opinion he may have once cared for? Truth be told, it<br/>had been so long, that he couldn’t recall nor had the motivation to do so.<br/><br/>He sighed wearily, before turning to go inside the club. It was his break during his shift and he thought maybe a mild drink would take the edge off the present.<br/><br/>His eyes remained narrowed. Green eyes shining through the darkness as he passed through the corridors which were decorated with red curtains. The thumping mindless music was pounding louder and louder. A beat which would require someone to be in an alternate state of mind in order to appreciate it.<br/><br/>He arrived through the entrance to the main setting. Darkness, music, pulsating red lights dazzling the room overwhelmingly. Crowds of people were hitting it on the dancefloor whilst pole dancers showed off their moves on stage within various perimeters of the room.<br/><br/>Zach knew the place well enough to slip and slide in between people so that he could get to drink counter.<br/>He mouthed his order followed by using ritual sign language with his hands. A double bourbon and coke. The usual.<br/>The order was served up instantly by a stout and muscular looking human man. One who looked like he was better suited to being  a bouncer as opposed to a bartender.<br/><br/>Zach settled the account and walked off to sit in a quiet corner. Watching as everyone danced and interacted on all levels of incoherent and drunk.<br/><br/>“Hey man,” a rat took a seat beside the dog. The two exchanging a quick customary handshake, before turning to look at the crowds again.<br/><br/>Zach knew Clyde reasonably well. He was just a rat. A sneaky and shady one at that. Every night he had a story to tell about someone he had duped into buying something extravagant or sold stocks which didn’t even exist to gullible gamblers. He also collected goods that he sold on the black market. How he acquired half the things he did was beyond Zach’s knowledge. Some of the things he got his paws on were also quite bizarre and out of this world.<br/><br/>As interesting as the rat was, at this point, he would’ve rather have treated Clyde like he’d treat his buried family. Not to go digging up dirt.<br/><br/>Clyde dropped by at the club almost every night but just as easy disappeared again once he was done with what he had to say or do.<br/><br/>This time, Clyde didn’t have a story to tell. Rather, he nudged Zach and kept pointing to someone in the distance.<br/><br/>“You see that fella there?” he said with a faint Irish accent “he be new here! I kin tell by the jahcket!” the rat laughed, knocking back his gin and tonic.<br/><br/>“Just the jacket, Clyde?” Zach pointed his head at an angle inquisitively.<br/><br/>“Nah… more to it… can’t put me claw on it tho…” Clyde explained, unable to justify himself which was unusual for him.<br/><br/>“…you seen him around yourself pet?”<br/><br/>Zach narrowed his eyes as he tried to focus on the individual Clyde was referring to.<br/>He was a tall human. With a stylish but dark attire. Long trench coat?<br/>He seemed to be enjoying himself somewhat in the club and definitely appeared to have much more coherent rhythm than the surrounding drunkards.<br/><br/>“Can’t say I have, Clyde,” Zach gulped down some of the coke. But winced at doing so too fast.<br/><br/>“… does it even matter? People come and go here like a rash anyway.”<br/><br/>“Ya too dismissive ya know that Zacharias?” Clyde said to him “you can’t just keep goin’ ignorin tha bloody world around ya. Or one day, a fella like that is goin’ ta mug ya!”<br/><br/>“Judging from the quality of his jacket Clyde, he probably doesn’t resort to doing the things you do,” Zach explained “he’s probably just a regular 9-5pm working guy.”<br/><br/>“Don’t judge ah book by its cover. That’s what mam always told me,” Clyde knuckled the dog in the shoulder, which he didn’t appreciate too much as he grimaced “Zach… open yer eyes sunshine. You might just notice a thing or two. It’ll be fer yer own good.”<br/><br/>With that, Clyde finished the last of his gin and tonic, before shifting away from his seat. Disappearing within the shadows. No trace of him having been there at all.<br/><br/>Zacharias checked his watch. It was time to attend to his the other half of his shift.<br/>He took one good hard look at man last time. The man, unbeknown to him, who was Nathaniel.<br/>Had he seen him somewhere before?<br/><br/>The ability to drive that thought any further was quickly dissipated by Zach’s lack of motivation for life in general. He walked back outside to resume the role of the club bouncer.<br/><br/>_____________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"> Florist </span><br/><br/>Athena’s fennec ears perked up somewhat over her shoulders as she heard of Olive’s willingness to help her find Declan.<br/>So he had heard a scream too. The one she had heard outside the record score. It must’ve been a horrific attack if the cry for help was loud enough to extend to the Florist location as well.<br/><br/>However, it really had been a long time since they parted ways. What was taking him so long? Where could he be? The questions were unnerving and unsettling.<br/><br/>She noted Olive put some shoes on. Pro active and ready to head outside.<br/>Having shown Olive her hands, which puzzled her somewhat she had to admit, she gave the half panda girl a confused look when she asked her to wipe her hands on a towel. Complaining that it reeked of metal.<br/><br/>“Metal…?” Athena asked confused “it’s blood. I was investigating an assault scene… not digging around in a scrapyard. Why would I smell of metal?!” the fennec demanded.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">‘Great.’ </span>Olive thought to herself. This was getting inconvenient. She wanted to help Athena and Declan. Really she wanted to. She knew she was going to have her work cut out for her. Working with two highly inquisitive civilian beings. Not just because of their profession but because it was within their nature to ask so many questions. It seemed.<br/><br/>“There’s iron in blood right?” Olive asked rhetorically. Before Athena could interrupt, the half panda cut her off again “please. Just wipe your hands on the towel.”<br/><br/>Athena reluctantly complied. Gingerly picking up the towel, she proceeded to draw the smears of crusty blood off her hands.<br/><br/>She wasn’t really too sure what to do with the towel. Trying to maintain a sense of polite house keeping, she simply folded it up and left it on the counter. It’s one fresh and pristine look now contaminated with blood stains.<br/><br/>She then turned and faced Olive.<br/>“…thanks again for your help…” Athena scratched the back of her head “guess we better make tracks.”<br/><br/>As they began to make their way through the shop door and outside, Athena turned to look at Olive.<br/>“By the way, I don’t think I caught your name…” Athena trailed off as she turned back to look at the distance ahead. Hoping they’d find Declan safely and securely. Especially given the incident with that man on the peer.<br/><br/>He would have to be the 2nd priority.