Tap!


    Just as his fingers were about to make contact, another hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him cold.


    Gen''s eyes widened in shock. The hand belonged to a man with a nk iron mask. X, she realized with a mixture of surprise and relief. When did he get here?


    Mchi snarled, trying to yank his hand free, but X''s grip was strong. "Not so fast, pervert." X said, his voice calm and authoritative. "No matter how hard you are, touching a sleeping man isn''t the answer."


    "What?" Mchi looked up in confusion.


    "This reminds me of the old days." X ced a hand around Mchi''s shoulders like they were old friends. "You, me, Ezra, his two wives and whateverdies you bring to the party. Slugging it out like a real rave. Good times, man. Good times." X pretended to wipe a tear from his mask and sniffed theatrically.


    Gen quickly took advantage of Mchi''s distraction. Sheunched herself at the nearest shadow creature, using the knife she''d taken from the vampire minion to slice through its ethereal form. The creature dissipated with a howl, and she turned her attention to the second one, Olivia already back on her feet and joining the fight.


    X held Mchi in ce, their struggle a battle of pure strength. "You won''t win this," Mchi hissed, his eyes zing with fury.


    "We''ll see about that," X replied coolly, tightening his grip.


    Gen and Olivia made quick work of the remaining shadow creature, theirbined efforts quickly overwhelming it. With the immediate threats neutralized, they turned their attention back to Mchi and X.


    "Finish him," Gen urged, her eyes burning with determination."Kill him."


    "Uhhh..." X tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"


    "What are you talking about?" Gen frowned. "Didn''t youe here to fight?"


    "Actually, no." X scratched his chin awkwardly. "I was just watching but if Mchi touched Ezra, the show would surely be over. I can''t let that happen."


    Mchi yanked his hand free and leapt away from X. "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of. This doesn''t concern you."


    Gen and Olivia tensed, watching the two vampires.


    "I know." X sighed. "You know what? Let''s all just go home."


    "Go home? This isn''t over." Mchi spat, before attacking once more.


    ********


    Ezra woke up to a discordant sound of shouts, crashes, and the unmistakable sounds of a fight going on. His head throbbed, the lingering pain from whatever had knocked him out clouding his thoughts.


    As his vision cleared, he found himself in the middle of a chaotic melee. Hazy memories flitted through his mind. He knew the man in the nk mask. Memories of crowding around a table filled his head. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Was the man a friend or an enemy?


    A red chainshed out close to where he was. He ducked as instinct took over, and he prepared to defend himself against anyone who approached.


    He staggered to his feet, his senses sharpened by adrenaline. Two familiar women, one ck haired and one white haired, were locked inbat with two identically dressed female vampires. In the corner of the room, the masked man fought against a short man, exchanging powerful blows.


    What''s going on? He stumbled.


    "If I can''t have him, no one else can have him." Memories floated into his head of the twodies standing above him as he bled to death.


    "You''ll kill him?"


    "Yes."


    The memory stood out. They wanted to kill me. They''re my enemies.


    Ezra''s confusion turned to resolve. He couldn''t trust anyone until he knew who was on his side. Heshed out at the nearest figure, the ck haired female vampire with white wings, his strength fueled by desperation.


    She spun to face him, surprise shing in her eyes before she countered his attack.


    "Ezra, stop!" She shouted, but her voice barely prated the fog in his mind. The sounds she was making washed over him like static.


    Ezra swung at the vampire,nding a solid punch that sent her sprawling. He turned just in time to see the masked man and the short man dance closer, locked in a brutal exchange, their movements blurring with speed.


    His head swam as a memory of the two men standing against him in battle flitted through his mind. He couldn''t let them get close! Deciding that attack was the best defence, he charged at the two fighters, aiming to take them down.


    The masked man blocked his attack, his red eyes shining through and narrowing behind the mask. "What''s this? Our VIP is up! Wakey, wakey. Have a nice nap?"


    A tail burst out of the base of his spine, spearing through where the short man''s head had been.


    "Down boy!" The masked man barked, but Ezra''s mind was too clouded toprehend the words. "The elders are speaking."


    He pressed his attack, driving the masked man back with a series of powerful blows. His tail moved behind him as his Aura spread through the room, giving him a wide range of vision. The short man dodged stabs of the tail, trying and failing to get closer to Ezra.


    "I think.... confused... we need.... stop him..... hurts....." Ezra could hear the voices of the two women as they conversed behind him as they fought their opponents.


    The white haired one stabbed a hand through her opponent''s heart and bit into her neck, drinking the blood with an expression of ecstasy. His vision doubled for a moment and he saw thedy, naked, with a simr expression.


    The ck haired one disengaged from her opponent with a swift kick and moved towards him. The white haired vampire engaged the remaining opponent in battle, blood dripping from her lips, a crazed smile on her face.


    "I''m on it," The ck haireddy cried out.


    On what? Ezra''s brain stuttered before producing a natural conclusion. Killing me? Never!


    The short vampire took advantage of the chaos, summoning a cloud of dark energy that rippled through the warehouse, disrupting everyone''s movements. Heughed, the sound chilling and triumphant. "Perfect! That''s it!"


    Ezra felt the dark energy wash over him, seeping into him andtching onto something inside of him. The haze in his head lifted a bit.


    He switched targets, charging at the short vampire with a roar. The man met his attack head-on, their sh sending shockwaves through the room.


    The masked man moved to join him but his tail swished around, unnaturally fast, holding him off. "We.... stop him.... or..... like this... forever." the man called out to the twodies.


    I.... knew it. They''re.... together.....to kill me.


    Ezra continued to strike at the short man, watching everyone else through his Aura. The short man was the most immediate threat. He wanted to steal something from within him. Something he would never part with.


    The man parried his blows with ease, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "More!" The tearing sensation in Ezra''s gut grew greater. The force was at it''s breaking point.


    "EZRAAAAA!" The loud voice of the white haired woman pierced through the fog in his brain. "WHO IS IN CONTROL? YOU OR THE BEAST?"


    For a moment, Ezra hesitated, his gaze flickering between everyone in the room. What?


    Something clicked in his brain and it all came rushing back. Dying at the casino. Meeting Olivia and Gen. Fighting X and Mchi. iming Vren. The force that had been tearing at the monster in his gut slipped away like it no longer had any purchase.


    "Uh oh." X''s voice filled the silence.


    "You''re back." Gen met his gaze, grinning widely. "Good. Let''s finish this."