Clarice carefully controlled her breathing as she focused on the moves she need to make to get through the course and hit her targets.

"NOW!" Brendan yelled, and she instantly shot forward, dodging and ducking, high leaps, low rolls, a spinning kick to slam a target down, then a follow up with a a dagger to the targets 'throat'.

Duck, roll, jump, spin, elbow slamming into another target, followed by a knee and ended with another dagger slice.

Summersault to the left, and slide, dagger jabbed upward in a quick thrust to 'disembowel' another target

. Roll, flip to feet, run, vault over a low wall, dodge slam the elbow into the throat of another target and follow through with dagger.. drop and roll to safety.

"Three targets dead in exactly 58 seconds."

"Three?! I got all four! " Clarice said, pushing herself to her feet and catching the towel Brendan tossed to her.

He shook his head. " Ye got all four, ye did not KILL all four. Ye only dissemboweled Numbe' Three ... 'e ain't gonna be dead fer a wee bit yet."

Clarice gave the tackle dummy in question a viscous kick in disgust. " Well damn.Can we do it again?"

Brendan shot her a galre. "No. We canno' do it again. Ye've already bin through it six times! Yer under a minute, jes' like ye wanted! Give it a rest, Lassie. Yer making me tired just watchin' ! " He clapped a hand on her shoulder then moved it up and gave her chin a playful chuck. "Besides, ye've killed all the dummies... yer gonna have to sew the buggers up again before ye do any more slicin and dicin."

Clarice gave a sigh, then saw Brendan roll his eyes at her and laughed, elbowing him in the stomach, then to add insult to injury, she smacked his ass with her tail. "Guess I'll just have to practice on you then, huh?"

He reached out and caught her around the waist. "I don' bloody think so, luv. Come on. Wha' do ye say we clean up and head out fer a pint?"

She broke free of his hold easily and spun laughing. "Sure.. I call dibs on the shower! Oh and Bren?" she called back over her shoulder. "This is America... we don't call it a 'pint'." She laughed again as she passed through the door, and heard something thud against the wall on the otherside. She leaned back around the door frame. " You missed. Badly ! " She barely dodged the next hurled object, as she made a run for the bathroom, laughing the entire way.

**

"You're staring again." she said with a smirk, sipping her drink.

Brendan chuckled, shaking his head as if to clear it. He turned an embarrased grin back to her. "I can't help it. Ye look..stunning."

She almost choked, and had to quickly set her drink down. " 'Stunning' ?" She asked, blinking away tears that wanted to form as she caught her breath. " Bren... please..."

He laughed, hanging his head back as far as he could. "Clarice, girl ye look fabulous in everythin' ye wear...but tha'..." He said, waving his beer at her black and silver dotted-print wrap dress. His eyes however seemed to be stuck at the deep ''v'' neckline. "Ye look magnificent in a dress, luv... and damned incredible in black! I wonder if'n ye'd look as great in yer demon form..."

She laughed, blushing at his comment."And you Bren, my dear dear friend.. have had a bit too much too drink." she laughed and playfully tried to steal away his beer.

He moved it out of her range, and shook a finger at her. "No I most certainly have not! I, my dear am a Scot! We were born to drink... plus there's my demon blood to consider, an' on top o' that, this is the weakest bloody crap I've ever had! Wha' d' they do.. fill the damned glass with water then add a bit fer colour?!"

Clarice laughed, blushing slightly at some of the looks they were getting from the bartender. "Bren, knock it off or you're going to get us kicked out." She chuckled, flicking a peanut at him.

He merely winked and caught the nut in his mouth. He chewed contentedly as he grabbed another handfull from the bowl on the table. "Seriously though, luv... ye don' think I look fabubulous in these jeans?"

Clarice caught herself just in time to avoid spiting a mouthful of martini across the table. "Yes, Bren. You do." She said, eyeing the skin tight hips and upper thighs of his jeans before they flared out at the bottoms. And the green and gold paisley print shirt peeking out from beneath the leather.. no no, what did he call it? ah 'pleather' jacket, looked incredible with his colouring. And his hair really did look great in the shoulder length shaggy style that seems to be all the rage. "I'll admit, the style really does suit you perfectly. This must be your year." She smiled and raised her glass as if in a toast.

He grinned broadly and tapped her glass with his own. "Damned good year!" he said, and knocked back the other half of the glass in a swallow. "Damn .. I appear to b' empty again..." he added with a sorrowful look to the bottom of his glass. "Shame they couldn't write some better damned music, though.. wha's it they call tha' crap again?" He asked, jerking the thumb of his peanut fill hand toward the jukebox in the far corner.

"Disco."

"Wha' a bloody stupid name."

"Excuse me." They turned to the waitress standing beside them. "Miss, there's a guy at the door who'd like to see you. He says he's a cop."

Bren winked at the waitress. "Thanks luv." He said, and grinned at Clarice when the waitress winked back. "See that? She winked at me.. woman's got taste. " He leaned as far out on his chair as he could and still remain off the floor to try to see to the cop. "So what do ye suppose a coppa' wants with ye?"

Clarice shrugged as she stood up, brushing the skirt of her dress down. She glanced up at Bren. "You're staring again."

"Ye got nice gams. Ye don't want men staring.. don't bloody show 'em off."

Clarice laughed as she grabbed her pocket book and headed for the door. "Want me to come wit' ye?" Brendan called, leaning back again in his chair to watch her walk away. She waved at him to stay put, and continued on.

The man standing just inside the door was dressed conservatively in a dark brown plaid jacket and brown slacks. A dark grey satin shirt matched the grey in the jacket nicely. She pegged him in his mid-forties... if he were human. A few more steps closer and she felt a familar creepy sensation that she'd learned meant she was approaching a supernatural. She continued after a brief pause, keeping a watchful eye on him. "I was told you wanted to speak with me. Is there a problem?"

He turned and gave her a polite smile."Bonnie Lahey?" he asked.

"I go by my middle name actually; Clarice."

"I'm sorry, Ms.Lahey." he ushered her to the side towards an empty booth. "I represent a very powerful..."

"Excuse me, "Clarice said,stopping by gthe table but refusing to sit down.She held up a hand interupting him. "I thought you told the waitress you were a cop?"

He chuckled, nodding, "I did, yes. and I am. Detecive Trebor." He said, removing his badge from his inner pocket and showing it to her. "But that has nothing to do with why I'm here." He tucked the badge back into his jacket. "I've been sent to give you this." He removed a slim black case from the other side of his jacket and handed it to her.

She reached out to take it then stopped, feeling the tingle of magic flowing off if it waves. She pulled back her hand without touching it. "What is it and who is it from, if you don't mind?"

He smiled. "Of course," He said and flipped open the lid. Clarice felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw the diamond choker inside. The sparkling diamonds were a mix of 'normal' white diamonds and those that appeared to be black.

"Holy fuck! Tha's a right pretty chunk of ice!" Clarice jumped, startled as Brendan's voice suddenly sounded at her ear. "Christ! Do you have to sneak up on me like that?!"

The lid snapped closed. "Excuse me, this is a private conversation."

"It's alright, he's my friend. Anything you have to say to me, you can say infront of him. And you'd better hurry up before more of my friends show up. Who sent this to me and why?"

The detective, held the case out to Clarice again, who crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to take it. "Who sent it and why."

"It's.. let me get this right.." he said, taking a peek at a piece of paper from his pocket. "Twenty eight birthday presents, and three graduation gifts rolled into one." He read, tucking the paper back into his pocket.

"Three graduations... ? I'm sorry, I only remember two."

" Two graduations from your schooling, and one ..... well, I suppose graduation might be the wrong term for it, but it's what he chose. Shall we say your ascention?" He smiled, still holding thecase out towards her. He noticed the blank lok on her face, but saw that her friend seemed to understand. "I'm just the messenger, I'm not good with explaining thse things on my own.. Why don't you explain?"

Clarice turned a questioning gaze to Brendan. "You know what he's babbling about? "

Brendan nodded. "I think so, luv.. I believe 'e's refferin' to yer... changin' to demon form and all."

Clarice turned back to the detecive to find him nodding and smiling. He lifted the box a bit higher... she continued to ignore it. "And exactly who would know about that? And why send a gift now for something that happened six years ago!"

"The change happened, yes. but it wasn't until recently that you've finally accepted it and have.. come into your own."

She recrossed her arms and stared him down. "Okay... so you're here with a gift for something that no one knows about."

"And .." He peeked at the paper again. "...two other graduations and tweny eight birthdays."

She nodded. "Yeah yeah... say that number a bit louder why don't you. I think there might still some people left in here that don't know how old I am yet. And you still haven't told me WHO SENT IT."

He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Now, Ms.Lahey, there's no reason to get upset. I'm just here as a messenger and delivery man.. I had no intention of upsetting you.I.."

"Who."

"Your father."

Clarice turned and walked back to their table, signalling the waitress for another drink.

"Wha.. but.." Brendan's gaze went back and forth between her and the jewel case the detective was still holding outstretched in his hand.He snapped it out of the man's hand, startling him. "I'll make sure she gets this. Tell her ol' man thanks a bunch." Brendan started to weave his way back through a group of patrons trying to leave to get back to Clarice when the detective tugged on his sleeve.

"There's more. I'm suppsed to tell her that her father has officailly named her Heir to the Title... this means that she now has the right to assume the title 'Lady Chaos'. "

Brendan suddenly went stalk still and almost lost his hold on the diamond case. "Chaos? You mean .. her father is..."

"Lord Chaos, yes. The 'king', so to speak, of all chaos demons, and ruler of... ."

"Yeah yeah ..." Brendan said, waving off the rest of the speech. "Holy fuck..." he mumbled, his free hand covering his mouth in shock. "I'm best fuckin' friends with royalty.. fuck me." He mumbled as he slowly made his way back to their table, never bothering to look back and see the detective leave.

He practically fell into his chair, then leaned forward and carefully set the case on the table between them, folding his hands on the table and leaning his chin on them. His eyes however were glued to Clarice. "I'm supposed to tell you the rest of the message."

Clarice tossed back the rest of her drink, signally for another before she'd even swallowed. "i don't want to hear it.

"Ye've been officailly named "Heir'.. tha' means yer now bloody fuckin' 'Lady chaos' he finished in a hissing whisper. "Why didn' ye ever tell me ye were a fuckin' PRINCESS'" He hissed, leaning across the table, the pulled back shooting glances around the room to see if anybody heard. "Does Faal know? Did ye tell him and no' me?"

"Does Faal know what?" Fall said, suddenly yanking a chair out and sitting beside Clarice as the waitress set her drink down.

Brendan waited for the waitress to leave then leane across and hissed at hims. "Did ye know she was the bloody fuckin' Lord Chaos' daughter?!"

Faal reared back in surprize. "Wha'?! No way." He chuckled, glancing at Clarice. "Wha's this fool goin' on about, luv?"

Brendan spun the box around and flipped open the lid. Faal'd eyes were immediatly locked on the necklace. "Holy fuck!Where did ye get that!? What'd ye do?! Rob a fuckin' jewerly store!"

Brendan snapped the lid shut and glared at him. "No ye idiot! It's a gift from her father! He named her the fuckin' HEIR!"

Faal was stunned into silence. Clarice managed tro finish off two more drinks before he managed to remember how to speak. "My...Holy..."He turned to Clarice."Wow... I always knew ye were special, luv.. just had no fuckin' clue HOW special."

Clarice sighed and shoved her empty glass to the side so she could bang her head on the table."Shut up. I don't want anything from him. I don't want anything to do with him. And I don't want his stupid 'title'."

Brendan scooted his chair around so that he was right up against her chair. Faal did the same on the opposite side. "Clarice. This is BIG! I don't know a lot about demon politics, but I don't think ye can't just refuse this! Bren.. tell her!"

Brendan reached out and lifted Clarices head off the table and turned her to look him in the eyes. "Clarice. Yer father, Lord Chaos, has chosen YOU. His choosin' an Heir is incrediblly important. Usually, the title goes to a son, an' he doesn't get to actually go by the name until his father decides t' step down, or is destroyed. Usually the latter and usually BY the son. The fact that he has chosin' a daughter ...and a HALF blood at that! It's unheard of! He's putting alot on the line here girl! If ye refuse the title... it could result in an all out civil war! All demon kind would see yer refusal as a sign of the Lord's weakness. They'd all be out to kill him and each other in a bid for the title! Everyne would see everyone else as a rival! No demon would be safe! And no half blood either since he named a half blood as his heir! Clarice! If ye refuse.. ye might as well be signin' all our death warrants!"

Clarice groaned and leaned back in her chair. "Great. So your telling me that I have to accept his gift and his Title. I don't have a choice."

Faal took her hand. "O'course ye have a choice, luv. It's just now one ye have in yer heart to make another way. If it was juts fullblood demons at stake here, I don' think ye'd give a shite, would ye?" Clarice snorted and began to idly play with the few remaining peanuts in the bowl, still steadfastly ignoring the box. "Right.. but tis all the half blood's too, luv.. yer people, whether they're chaos demons or not. And ye know now from experience, tha' most halfbloods don't wanna be.."

"Alright. Shut up. I'll do it. I'll be Lady Chaos..."she said staring at the box in fron of here. "Guess it sounds better then 'Clarice' anyhow... sure as hell sounds better then 'Bonnie'. She gave a sigh and flipped open the box, eyeing the jewels inside. She tilted her head to the side slightly as she lifted one end out of the box letting the light play amouhg the stones. " I guess it is pretty, isn't it?"

Fal grinned and stood up, stepping around behind her. He kissed the top of her head as he leaned over her to take the choker from her and fastenen it around her neck.

Clarice raised her fingers to her throat to touch the necklace, and caught a glimpse of Brendan out of the corner of her eye.

"Your staring again, Bren."

               *                      *                         *

"Hey, pal! Ye gotta come meet this lady! She's fuckin' fabulous! I trained 'er meself, and let me tell YOU, she is one kick ass hunter! Ye should've seen wha' she did on 'er first....!"

"Enough with that story, Bren! " Clarice laughed, and turned around to see her long time friend with his arm drapped over the shoulder of another man. "Hey, luv.. it's a fuckin' great story! But, anyways.. Jag m'man, this is the Lady Chaos. Luv, this is Jaguar Rockefeller. Fancies hisself somewha' of a vamp' hunter."

"I don't 'fancy' myself anything. I AM vampire hunter... as well as a bounty hunter."

Clarice looked the new comer over, knowing he was doing the same. He was taller then Bren's six foot... around six feet four.. maybe six five, would be her guess. He didn't look any older then early twenties, his face hairless with a hint of that boyishness still to it. His hair was dark brown and he had it gathered into a low ponytail. He had sunglasses on so she couldn't tell what colour his eyes were, but with the brown hair, she was betting brown as well. He was dressed all in black. : black jeans, a black t-shirt, a black leather duster, black combat-style boots. Even black fingerless gloves. She gave an inward sigh. ' oh god, another one of those..'

Finished with her brief appraisal, she held out her hand. He, however, wasn't finished his. He'd lowered his glasses to the end of his nose as he looked her over, then turned to Bren. "You're joking right? This is some kind of set up for a joke right? She's this kick ass new Hunter I've been hearing about?"

She was wrong. his eyes were blue. Go figure.

Clarice rolled her eyes and dropped her hand. She knew in her human form she didn't exactly appear threatening. Especially in jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. She was in her fourties now, but still looked like she was in her twenties. It was hard for people to take her seriously when she looked like a college kid. Meetings like this usually called for a bit of 'impression making' that made them look past her young human appearance. She smiled at him and drove a fist into his stomach then hammered his shoulder , dropping him to his knees. A following upper cut sent him flat on his back.

As he groaned and rolled slowly to his feet, Clarice bent down and smiled at him. "It was a pleasure meeting you too, Mr.Rockefeller. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." She turned her back to him and resumed enjoying the view from the balcony, binoculars at the ready.

She could hear Bren helping Jaguar to his feet, and pressed her lips together to avoid laughing as she eavesdropped on his bitching.

"Now come on, y' two! If yer gonna be partners, yer gonna have ta get along a wee bit better then tha' "

Clarice groaned at Bren's comment and yelled back over her shoulder at him. "I don't want a partner, Bren. I don't need a partner. I wish you'd call off this stupid search of yours. You're leaving our partnership.. fine. That's cool. But you do not need to find a replacement! IF and I repeat 'IF' I ever decide I want another partner, 'I' will find one myself, alright?"

"Luv, I...."

"Yeah, dude. You heard the lady. And for the record, the last person I'd ever want for a partner is some psyco bitch like her!"

* *

eight years later...

"See anything yet?"

"No Jag, not yet. Why don't you take watch for a bit instead of asking me every two minutes?" Chaos said, never taking her eyes off the motel room door across the street. She adjusted her position slightly. She had flipped a chair around and was kneeling on it, and there was a certain spot on the cushioned back that kept poking her in the armpit...

"Nah... you've got way better eye's then me, angel. Besides, I wouldn't enjoy that view half as much..."

She glanced at his reflection in the window. With a smirk she shifted into her demon form.

"You know... that is really creepy. But, it doesn't deplete the view any... the tail kinda ...... adds something ..."

A soft tapping at their door had him on his feet, gun in hand. She shifted back to human but kept to her watch knowing Jag would handle whoever was at the door.

"Hey! Alright! Glad you could join us, come on in..." Jag said, and she heard the shuffle of feet moving around the room and the soft click of the door closing. "you'll have to excuse my beutiful partner.. she's very job- oriented."

"Someone has to be, or we wouldn't get paid." she said with a smirk, hearing an answering chuckle from their visitor.

"Micheal MacDonnell, this is Lady Chaos. K, baby, Micheal's the witch I was telling you about."

"Jag...... don't call me baby."

"Sure thing, sweets."

Chaos gave a sigh, then perked up. "We've got movement. A light just came on." She felt both men move up to stand on either side of her.

Micheal squatted next to her chair. "Yer sure this is the fellow?"

Jag answered around her, leaning back to do so. "Yeah man. Picked up his trail two days ago .Led us straight to him"

Chaos spoke to Micheal, looking away from the window for the first time in an hour. There no lights on in their room, so they wouldn't be seen, but the windows provided more then enough light to see by. The man beside her was handsome by any standards; long dark hair pulled back in a tail that went wavy down his back, strong profile, even by moonlight and neon glow. She smiled at him, reminded of a childhood friend. "We haven't seen any sign of a kid with him. If he is the one responsible for kidnapping your brother's friend, then he's stashed him someplace else.Mac Donnell, hmm? Any relation to a Curtis?"

Micheal sighed at the news, then looked at her. "Curtis? Aye, m'da's name was Curtis. Why?

She smiled. "Thought as much.Grew up outside Dunbeath.Your da was one of my best friends."

Micheal leaned back away from the window and her. "Impossible... ye must be thinkin' of a diffrent Curtis... m' da died back when m' baby brother was still a toddler.... goin' on 'bout fifteen years now."

Chaos sighed at the news of her old friends death. "I'm sorry to hear that, Micheal .And no, I have the right Curtis. You look just like him..... hair's longer, but you've got his face... and his eyes..." She glanced back at the window. "I'm a lot older then I look." She said and stood up. "Looks like he's getting ready to move. You have a spell handy? I assume that's why you wanted to join us?" She asked, shifting to demon form.

Micheal looked stunned for a moment, staring at her. "I've got a few spells , aye.... but not fer 'im." He followed closely at her heel as they headed out the door. "but.. da never mentioned any Lady Chaos's..."

Sha gave a soft chuckle. "No, he wouldn't..he might've mentioned a Clarice, though."

"Clarice Lahey?!"

"Enough with the memory lane crap people... it's fun time." Jag said, pulling a second gun and giving them a grin before he bolted across the lot. They watched him take up a position behind a car, just as the motel room door opened and a tall thin man exited, suitcase in hand.

"Aye... tha's 'im." Micheal whispered in her ear.

She nodded towards a black sedan two vehicles over from Jag's hiding place. "That's his car there.. the black sedan with the dent in the rear panel." They waited as he popped the trunk and tossed the suitcase. after slamming it shut, he trotted over to the office to hand in his keys and pay his bill. Chaos and Micheal slipped over to where Jag was waiting for them, the sedan's back door open. Chaos slipped inside, staying on the floor. "You know the play, Jag..... try not to be seen this time...I don't want another repeat of last time. "

Jag gave a low chuckle and quietly closed the door, then motioned Micheal to follow him to the front of the lot where they had parked their car. They both slid in the black convertible, not bothing with the doors, and slid low in the seats so they wouldn't be easily seen. Jag had shot out the closest street light earlier to afford extra shadows just for this purpose. The fact that both men wore black also helped.

Chaos lay quiet and still, focusing, calling on her demon powers. She felt a crawling warmth cover her and then she suddenly felt a coolness, like a second skin settle over her. Her 'spell' in place she waited, knowing that should anyone look in at her, they'd see nothing but the shadowed floor. She rarely used her demon powers, although they certainly made things easier at times. After all these years, even though she accepted who and what she was, she still didn't like the way using her powers made her feel. Especailly shadow portals. Everytime she called on her powers this strongly she was left with a.... dark feeling... almost a slimey 'aftertaste' to her soul.

The drivers door opened and the car rocked as the her target climbed behind the wheel. She felt the car thrum to life and lay, content to listen and count the seconds as the car backed up and heaed out of the lot. She felt the thud as it went down the curb and pulled out onto the street.

* *

Jag and Micheal waited, watching the car almost disappear down the street, until all they could see were it's tail lights, then Jag started the engine and followed, sending a grin to Micheal. "Won't be long now."

They followed along, trying to stay a block or so behind, but always close enough to know it was him. When the car pulled onto the highway and left town, Jag chuckled and flipped on the radio. Def Leopard slammed into them, causing Micheal to cover his ears and glare at Jag. Jag just wiggled an eyebrow at him and smirked, but did turn the volume down .Slightly.

Five minutes out of town and the sedan pulled off onto a gravel side road. Jag switched the radio off, then turned off his head lights before making the turn to follow. The black car crept along as quietly as it could on gravel, it's drivers' eyes glued to the taillights in front if them, waiting for them to stop. The sedan turned again, vanished between trees. Jag gave a curse and sped up, reaching the turnoff point to discover a treelined dirt drive. There was no house in sight, just the long dark lane. He turned, the tires going almost silent on the dirt road and the trees helping to make the car almost invisable. The headlight bobbed slightly and then stopped, blinking out.

Jag had the car stopped as soon as the lights stopped and practically shut the car off at the same time the lights went our ahead of them. He silently slipped over the door, Micheal copying him on the far side, and the two slipped quietly up to the parked sedan. when they drew closer they saw the house. A huge sprawling manor style house sat to their left behind the sheilding of trees. Two lights shone faintly from an upper window, and two pale white globes shone atop two stone pillers at this end of a walkway leading to the front doror, where an old fashioned carriage style lamp hung above the door. Other then that the house was dark.

The driver's door opened and both men froze as the man stood. A shadowy form slid out of the car behind him, one hand on his neck, and Jag relaxed, jogging over to them. "Why didn't you get him to pull over sooner?!" Jag hissed at Chaos, who was still little more then a shadowy blur."We can't question him here!"

"No need." Her voice answered, sounded eerily hollow. "We had a nice chat on the drive over, didn't we Mr. Holden?" Holden gave a shudder at the voice at his ear. "Mr. Holden here has been very... co-operative. "Your young friend isn't here, Micheal. He's been taken to a facility somehwere to the west. Mr. Holden here doesn't know where it is. His job was to help 'aquire' him and hold him until someone came to get him. Apparently, the day you phoned us, Micheal, young Eire had already arrived here and Mr.Holden got a room at the motel. He's been running errands and stuff waiting for the team to arrive to pick up the boy...which they did two days ago. Sorry, Micheal."

Micheal stared at the house silently.

"Anybody home?" Jag asked, keeping a watch around them.

" Two. A man and a woman. There's a room in the basement where the 'specail guests' are kept. Mr' Holden was just stopping by to drop off some paper work before he left on another assignment."

A light appeared in a downstairs window and Jag and Micheal ducked behind the sedan. Chaos let herself fade back out a bit more, and slid behind Holden, pushing his ahead of her. She slid a brief case out of the car and placed it in his hand, prodding him towards the house.

The two men watched as holdne with his extra shadow glued to his back approached the front door, where a man in his fifties was standing in pajamas, robe and slippers. He handed the brief case over and nodded at something the man said, accepting a brown manilla envelope, then turned and headed back towards them, his extra shadow was now slightly to the front of him. The door closed and the light above the door went out, leaving them in the white glow from the globes.

Suddenly Holden yelled, dropping to the ground, whipping at rock at the front window which shattered with a loud crash. The man suddenly appeared back at the door, gun in hand staring wildy around. Holden scrambled across the lawn, pointing back towards the car, yelling about the two men and the shadow creature.

Gun shots rang out, and Jag and Micheal ducked more closely to the car. Jag peered out around a tire and got off a couple shots, hearing Micheal do the same. He hoped where ever Chaos was she was out of the line of fire. He suppressed a smile seeing Holden crumple, clutching his leg. *Damn nice shot..... looks like it shattered the kneecap.was that one me or Micheal.. nah, must have been me.* He slipped out form behind the car and ran for the trees, getting a better view of the house and the shooter at the front door.

The man's gun flew out of his hand, and a shadow suddenly wrapped itself around him, solidifying into a familiar leather clad, blue skinned bounty hunter. She had a wicked looking dagger placed against his throat and was hissing something in his ear as a sudden blast sounded and a large hole appeared in the read of the sedan. Micheal cursed and scrambled out, running towards Jag as another blast sounded, the shot kicking up dirt at his heels.

Jag glanced up at the first shot and saw the woman with the shotgun pointed at the car, tracking Micheal for the second shot.

half a second after the second blast rang out, Jag took his shot and saw the gun fall from the window, the woman falling back inside the room. He helped Micheal to his feet from where he'd sprawed on the ground at his feet, catching his breath.

They both glanced up at another shot and saw the man Chaos was holding crumple over, a large red stain spreading across his chest. "No! God no!. Look what you made me do!" Holden screamed, staring in horror at the man he'd shot by accident. Apparently chaos had pulled him in front of her as a shield at the last second. Before Holden could recover and take aim again, Chaos was across the yard and kicking his wrist. There was a sickening snap, and the gun flew away. He whimpered, curling into a ball, his knee a bloody mass of shattered bone and pulp, and a bit of white glistened from where the bone had pierced the skin on his wrist. Chaos walked over top of him, picking up the envelope he'd had, before joining Micheal and Jag.

"You want to search the house, go ahead. Just watch out for any spells in the basement. I don't believe there is... the older couple who lived here were norms, but you never know." She turned to Jag as Micheal ran up to the house. "This is the last time you take a job from a friend, okay?"

"This is the first time I've taken a job from a friend!" He called and jogged off after Micheal.

"You'll pay for this, you blue BITCH!" Holden screamed at her. "I work for the kind of people you don't want to piss off, and lady... you just pissed them off!"

She casually sauntered over to the man on the ground and squatted down beside him. "My dear man. *I* am the kind of person you don't want to piss off. And if you remember correctly, you were the one who killed him, not me." She played with the envelope, watching him for a second." I'm not affraid of a little no account errand boy like you, Holden. And I have no doubt I can handle anything you're bosses care to throw at me." she leaned down closer. "And I will find the boy, holden, and when I do, he better be alive and healthy or I'll come find you again." With that she stood up and gave hid head a viscious kick, knocking him unconcious.

She walked slowly towards the house, giving the guys time to search, and opened the envelope. Inside there was nothing but a sheet of paper with an adress, date and time and a stack of hundreds. She gave the stack a quick flip and guessed there was around ten grand. the note was no doubt where he was supposed to go for his next assignment. she shoved bother the cash and the note back into the envelope and waited by the door for the men. She knew they wouldn't find anything. She believed Holden was telling the truth, and the man had also said the boy was gone, and that he didn't know where either. Funny how something as simple as a search and follow job could suddenly blossom into something so much .... more.

She sat down on the front step, staring at Holden, her eyes narrowed to red slits. She had a feeling that this was job wasn't going to be either quick or easy. Looking at Holden and then at the envelope of cash in her hand, she was overcome by the feeling of... hugeness. Like whatever this was with the boy, was bigger then anything they'd come across before. She sighed, and leaned back against a stone railing, looking up at the stars. This job was going to take awhile, she decided, and it wouldn't end when they got the boy back... whatever this was, would keep going. She had this sudden urge to kill Holden, which went against everything she believed in. Not killing, no. but killing an unarmed, unconcious man... but she had this feeling that this unarmed, unconcious man was going to be a major pain in her ass in the time to come....