Easily catching sight of the store, Armin shifted back to human form and went inside, looking to see if there were any blood bottles. Selecting a small one designed to be drunk in one sitting, he walked up to the checkout, paid, then left the store.

//Pleasant night. Maybe I'll walk back.//

He set off down the street towards the hotel, drinking his blood as he walked, enjoying the cool air.

{As he walked, there was the sound of a person stepping out of the alley behind him. As he passed that alley initially, the scent was that of a werewolf. Of course, the street still had quite a few people on it, but none were quite like this one. This person stepped out, leveled a crossbow at Armin, and fired. No preamble, no hesitation.}

Armin was busy drinking when he heard the distinctive sound of the crossbow firing. Caught completely off-guard, he barely managed to react. He awkwardly jerked aside so that the crossbow bolt, instead of going straight through him, passed his shoulder close enough to carve a chunk of flesh from it.

Sucking in a sharp breath, he spun around and tossed the half-empty bottle at his attacker, showering them in blood. He then shifted to hawk form and flew at them with the intention of following it up.

{The assailant tossed thier crossbow aside and pulled out a stake, rushing forward. They put up a hand when the blood came at them. Upon closer inspection, the assailant's identity would be clear. It was Sarah Garvey. A former ally, now wildly jabbing a stake at him.}

{In the wake of the fight, the people on the street took notice, becoming alarmed and backing away.}

Armin's small size made it easier to avoid the stake. He slipped past it, swiftly shifting back to human form. With one hand, he grabbed the arm that she was wielding her stake with. With the other, he punched her in the gut.

'You?' he exclaimed in recognition when he grabbed her.

{When he punched her, Sarah fell back with a grunt.}

Sarah: "Oh, don't look so surprised..."

{Just at that moment, someone pushed through the crowd, pulled a revolver, and fired at Armin. Looking at him would reveal him to be Sam Garvey. When he fired, the crowd screamed and scattered.}

Armin shifted to hawk form and swept up into the sky, leaving a few feathers behind.

//Hey, you maniacs!// he said to Sarah and Sam. //You're going to hit other people, shove off! And what are you doing here anyway?//

He circled above the street, close enough to hear everything below but far enough to make dodging bullets easier.

{Sarah got up, pulled out her own revolver, and started firing at Armin.}

Sam: "There's a bounty on your head, posted by the family of that girl you killed. Among other offenses."

{More hunters seem to have crawled out of the woodwork, some with birdshot, who also start firing at him.}

Armin nipped and darted above the area, making it harder for them to hit him, though they had some very near misses. He knew he should probably leave, but wanted to keep talking.

//Oh, just another lot of money-hungry bounty hunters, are you?// he said with disgust. //You know I didn't /want/ to do that, right?//

Sam: "Doesn't matter. This isn't about the money, it's about the principle. You don't get to kill kids and young women and walk away happy."

At Sam's words, Armin froze, not even trying to evade the bullets. After a moment, he managed to gather himself enough to speak.

//Now listen here,// he said, his words noticeably tense and sharp. //You're making a mistake. You're all humans, and you don't stand a chance against me and Dianne. I'm not being racist, it's just fact. You're wasting your time.//

Sam: "Actually, if our null zone wasn't otherwise occupied, we'd have had you on a platter by now. We got bigger fish to fry here than a low time thug like yourself."

{Before he could continue, a few armored police cars came screaming down the street, stopping at the scene.}

Sam: "It's the fuzz! Let's split!"

{With that, they all run back into the alley, firing at the officers who were piling out of the cars. Using a similar portal magic, as the Bloodrazor clan, they all flee.}

Armin didn't want to stick around and talk to the police. While they were busy fruitlessly chasing the Garveys, he swept away into the night. His mind was buzzing.

//So, they know about Windglen... Shit.//

He flew until he spotted the hotel. Instead of going through the main entrance, he flew up and around, to the window of his and Dianne's room. Latching on, his rapped at the glass with his beak.

{Dianne shook herself out of her dozing and opened the window.}

Dianne: "Armin? Why didn't you use the door? And what happened to your shoulder?"

Armin flapped into the room, then shifted back to human form, wincing from the gash in his shoulder. //Well, at least I wasn't wearing my new jacket...//

'Didn't want to walk in the front and have people wonder why I've got blood on me. Jerry's dad is here, along with a few other family members,' he said tersely.

{Dianne's expression becomes worry.}

Dianne: "What?! He attacked you?"

{Sighing heavily, she rubs her face.}

Dianne: "Well, now what, should we leave?"

Armin shrugged, then winced at the movement.

'I don't like the idea of running away because of a bunch of racist humans. This isn't like the Bloodrazor clan. We could run them over in the car if we wanted to. But I don't know what'll happen, or if they'll attack again...'

{Dianne just looks a little stressed.}

Dianne: "Ugh...Why can't they just leave us alone? Is it too much to ask for a peaceful vacation?"

'I don't think they're after you, at least,' said Armin. 'From what I remember, Lucci scared them into not coming after you. They only wanted me.'

Dianne: "Well, they'll have to deal with me to get to you..."

{She starts to agitatedly pace back and forth, cussing filthy about their current situation. Finally, she starts to get dressed.}

Dianne: "The first aid is in the truck. Stay here while I go get it. We're staying here tonight, then we're canceling our reservation and going home tomorrow."

Armin sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head wearily. He didn't want to leave just because of the Garveys, but he was unsure about staying, too. //They know about Windglen. That's not something Dianne can know, ever.//

'OK...'

Esme was sitting on her own bed, ears pricked, watching everyone with confusion. She was leaning back a little from Armin.

{Dianne was gone for a few minutes, returning with the first aid kit.}

Dianne: "Come into the bathroom, so I can patch you up."

Armin got up and followed her into the bathroom, taking off his bloodstained shirt and tossing it into the corner. The gouge in his shoulder from the crossbow was still bleeding sluggishly, too deep to have closed up yet.

{Dianne begins to disinfect and clean the wound.}

Dianne: "Tell me what happened. Did he ambush you? How many were there?"

Armin made a pained noise, clenching his fists at the intense stinging pain.

'It was... Sarah who appeared first. She came up behind me and fired a crossbow. That's what the cut is from. I knocked her down, and then Sam showed up, with a gun... I took to the sky to avoid being hit, but I saw more of them crawling out of the streets. Probably at least a dozen.'

Dianne: "Alright, that's manageable. Any idea why they decided to attack you?"

{As she spoke, she affixed a big bandage to his arm.}

'They claimed there was a bounty... Because of that girl I killed before the war... 'Among other things'. Should've known all that stuff I did for Sargon would come back to bite me.'

He didn't mention Windglen. He hoped to /never/ mention Windglen.

Dianne: "Is that so? Guess I'll have to track down the bounty holder and kill them. I'll need to slay the Old Man myself. My apologies to Jerry, but he sealed his own fate."

Armin didn't say anything. He just stood there tiredly, waiting for her to be done with his shoulder wound.

//Hmm. Merry Christmas, Jerry, we killed your dad. Yeah, that will go down well...//

{Dianne finished, and began to put the kit away.}

Dianne: "...You think we ought to tell Jerry about all this?"

'I suppose he deserves to know. Not sure how he's going to take it, but he probably always knew it might happen.'

Mindlessly throwing on a fresh shirt, he returned to the other room and promptly flopped onto the bed without further words.

{With worry filling her being, she pushes the beds together, changes back to her sleepwear, then climbs in after him.}

Dianne: "Let's just sleep. It's been a long day."

Armin rolled over and snuggled against her, trying to avoid putting weight on his bandaged arm.

//I'm sorry,// he thought to himself, burying his face in her shoulder. //I'm sorry, I couldn't help what I did... But I should have... Please don't leave.//

{Dianne pulls him close, unaware of his thoughts. With him comfortably against her, she quickly drifts off to sleep.}

(Skipping to morning?)

(Yes, can I go, or do you want to?)

(You go.)

----------------------------

{Early the next morning, the sleeping trio was disturbed by loud banging at the door.}

???: "This is the Alexandria Police! Open the door!"

Dianne: "Mmm...What?"

Armin jolted awake from an uneasy sleep, staring in alarm at the door. He scrambled up into a sitting position, nudging Dianne. 'Uhm... police.'

Esme lifted her head, looking less alarmed and merely curious.

Dianne: "Sh!t..."

{Getting up, she calmly opens the door. She's greeted by a massive werewolf in full body armor and armed with a variety of weapons. Off to the side was a vampire in similar gear.}

Police 1: "Dianne and Armin Alscher?"

Dianne: "Y-yes? Is there a problem?"

Police 2: "We've discovered a plot to assassinate you two. You need to come with us, for your own protection. Pack your things, ten minutes. Let's go."

Armin climbed to his feet, eyeing the pair uncertainly.

'Go with you where? We know someone's after us, and we can easily get out of the city on our own.'

Police 2: "If you're refering to that undead construct in the outskirts, the hunters found it and blew off a wing. He's not going anywhere."

Dianne: "What?! How?"

Police 1: "Mortar shell, m'am. We'll explain more at the station, but we need to go."

Armin glanced at Esme. 'Right...' he said. 'Can you two just give us one minute to get dressed, then we'll grab our belongings and take them out to our truck.'

//I am pretty glad we left everything else in there, now...//

Police 1: "Double time it."

{Dianne quickly gets dressed and packs everything she can. With Esme and everything she can carry, she looks to Armin.}

Armin had also gotten dressed, throwing on one of his jackets for warmth and extra protection if there was a fight. He then grabbed anything Dianne had left, and began to head out of the hotel.

{The officers led the way. Once they got to the lobby, the room was full of officers, securing the area. The trio was led outside and escorted to their truck.}

Police 1: "Follow the squadcar. We'll lead you in."

Armin unlocked the truck and jumped into the driver's seat, tossing their belongings into the back with the rest. Once Dianne and Esme were in, he set off in pursuit of the police car. His expression remained focused, with just a hint of nervousness.

{Dianne seemed pensive as well. If Titan was out of commision, it would be a much longer trip back home.}

Dianne: //Jeeze, Rex won't be happy about this...//

Esme was sitting on Dianne's lap, quiet yet alert, not understanding enough to be afraid.

'I'm glad we're in an armoured truck right now, and not a normal car...' Armin muttered, glancing out of the windows as he followed the cops. //I can't believe those bastards managed to take out Titan.//

{Dianne remained silent, looking worried. The police led them to the station. It was a large, concrete structure that looked more like a fortress than a police station. They were directed into an underground parking structure.}

Armin slowly followed them inside, looking around. He parked up where he was indicated to.

{Once they got out, they were led into an elevator by police. Going into the building, there were cops everywhere, talking, in offices, looking at cases. The police hq was massive with multiple floors and plenty of staff. Dianne, Armin, and Esme were directed to a secure room. Inside was full living quarters, with a battered Ardens in the corner and a bandaged, but angry looking Biceras lying on a bed.}

Dianne: "Ardens, what happened? Why are you here?"

Police 1: "If you'd just wait for the chief, he'll explain everything."

Armin glanced at Ardens and Biceras with clear surprise, but didn't let his gaze linger too long. He was now somewhat concerned that the hunters might have targeted the pair to get at him and Dianne. //No, that wouldn't make sense. They probably don't know we have any connection.//

Ardens: "I think I'll just let the chief explain..."

{Ardens seemed rather tired and weary. After a few minutes, the door opened, and a burly centaur walked in. Not the fabricated type that Dianne makes, but a live half man, half horse entity.
Centaur: "Hello, my name is Gene Alder. I'm the chief of police here in Alexandria. I'm sure you're all confused about why you're here, so allow me to elaborate. Our detectives have discovered a plot that threatens the four of you. The remnants of the Bloodrazor hunter clan have gathered with a few other criminal organizations in an effort to kill you. Two of you are former members of The Will of Death, so that is self explanatory. Armin once worked for Sargon's organization, and Biceras is just too loyal to let them attack Ardens. Last night, a group of hunters made an attempt on Ardens and Biceras' lives, throwing down a null zone and shooting in a populated area. They were thwarted, and not a second too soon."

'Dam.n,' said Armin quietly. 'So there's /Bloodrazors/ involved in this? You'd have thought those psychos would've learned their lesson from last time. Though I'm surprised they have someone who can make null zones.'

He glanced sideways at Ardens and Biceras. //Guess their vacation isn't going as planned, either.//

Chief Alder: "The Bloodrazor clan is very well equipped. Null zones are just one of a few things they have to combat magic users. In this situation, we are going to keep you all here until we can apprehend the hunters. Normally we'd just escort you back to your construct, but at 4:00 hours this morning, the hunters found your construct and attacked it. While they failed to destroy it, they destroyed one of its wings, so, getting you back to the safety of Soveriegn is not an option. Planes are not an option either, as a plane can't fight off a dragon attack like your construct could. For now, you'll just stay here in the station until we can clear the offenders out. Any questions?"

Armin shifted restlessly. 'No. Well, yes, I suppose. How are you going to stop them? I saw them drive through a portal last night, so unless you know where they're coming from, I don't see what you can do.'

Chief Alder: "Trust me, Mr. Alscher, this isn't our first rodeo.

Police 1: "Yeah, we're not those half ass Soverign soldiers you're used to. We get it done."

Dianne: "If we're going to stay here, and not leave, could I request you get something for me?"

Chief: "Of course. What do you need?"

Dianne: "My construct was guarding a crate of supplies. My armor is in there, and I'd like to have it."

Chief: "Of course. We'll arrange for someone to retrieve it."

Dianne: "Barnabas, go with them."

Police 1: "Whoah, you have a ghoul? Awesome..."

Armin sunk down into a chair, looking around to see exactly what was in their living quarters.

'Well, this is going to be boring...' he remarked.

Esme jumped onto the floor and starting sniffing around, absorbing the sights and smells of this odd new place.

{The living quarters consisted of a few bedrooms, two baths, and a communal kitchen. As the chief left, Biceras sits up frowning.}

Biceras: "So, they followed you jerks here? Yeah, thanks for almost getting us killed, as$holes..."

'Leave it,' said Armin quietly, but warningly. 'Come on, we had no idea this would happen, any more than you did. We deserve to have vacations too.'

Biceras: "They attacked you back in Soveriegn. Why didn't that king wipe them out? Or you, for that matter, Delilah? Isn't mass murder your thing?"

Ardens: "Enough, Biceras. It's been a rough enough night without you picking fights."

Dianne: "It's Dianne, now, Biceras. And I didn't pursue them because I actually have something to lose now. A family. Killing people in droves doesn't exactly set a good example."

Biceras: "You call this a family? A little shifter runt you adopted and a former murderer turned bum? You've had this for what, a month? She's not even your own flesh and blood."

Dianne: "Are you done? What do you hope to gain by insulting us?"

Armin raised his eyebrows in an unimpressed manner. 'What, so you're saying the fact that we adopted her means she's worth nothing? That she doesn't deserve to have a family because her own were wiped out by hunters? I'm glad you and Ardens don't seem to have children, if that's your attitude.'

Ardens: "We did...A long time ago..."

Biceras: "Just saying...at least we didn't lose ours and have to adopt...."

{At that, Dianne leapt up, looking very angry, prompting Ardens to get between them.}

Ardens: "Hey, hey, hey! Stop! Biceras!"

{Ardens hisses something at Biceras in Ferrosian, prompting the three of them to start heatedly talking amongst themselves. There was a lot of pointing and angry gesticulation, which eneded with Dianne exclaming something and stomping off to one of the bedrooms.}

Armin quickly stood up as well, moving as if to follow Dianne into the other room, before pausing to give Biceras a disgusted look.

'Mind explaining why you're such an asshole?' he said, trying to push down the rising anger in his chest.

Biceras: "What's to explain? She and I have never gotten along."

Ardens: "You could, if you'd just stop insulting her with every breath! But you don't want to, do you, Biceras?"

Biceras: "Why aren't you on my side? I /am/ your wife?!"

Ardens: "I'd like to be, but you're acting extremely distastefully! All I ask is that you two be civil, but you won't let dead feuds stay buried!"