Dean was a machine of *god awful* violence when given his lead, and Donovan had given it. The first man who came through the door got a fist-full of Donovan armor, but the second found himself yanked to the side by a shadow. Dean’s enchanted dagger found the crease of the man’s neck and slipped across with enough force that it made a wet, zipper-like sound and the head came free entirely.<br/><br/>“Huh?” Dean said, not expecting his strength to be quite so augmented. Whipping his wonderfully braided hair around his chiseled cheeks, rolled one shoulder and tossed the head out, toward the woman on the horse. Of course he called, “Catch, pretty lady!” as he did it.<br/><br/>“Nifty little fox-girl-thing,” Dean muttered, sensing movement behind rather than seeing it. He’d thought that Aza might be trying to prowl out, but didn’t see her. Instead, four armored men – apparently having broken into the building from the rear exit, came rushing in. A thrown dagger to the gorget took one in a spray of blood. Then Dean was flinging himself at them, the shadows boiling around his body – making it impossible to know where phantasm ended and flesh began. Striking out at the dozens of shadowy tentacles writhing around Dean was damn near impossible, particularly while even one of his short blades was in play – bouncing here and there, striking armor, finding a leather strap, slicing it, then rebounding to hit another man with the pommel. His off-hand was likewise nightmarish, tripping and tugging, and generally misbehaving.<br/><br/>A few seconds later, one of the three men was down on the floor, an eye missing, Dean calling, “Hahaha! That’s why we don’t *stare* at people, fuckface!”<br/><br/>Clearly Dean was having a great time. And then he caught the disguised Aza trying to prowl her way out. “Oh, no you fucking do not.” A shadow, thick and muscular, shot from the man’s feet to wrap around the little fox, tugging her in his direction. Right into the middle of combat.<br/><br/>Say one thing for Dean. But don’t say he’s a thinker.<br/>