Me:I’m in.
Mason:One diversion coming up.
I heard a loud bang. Several people jumped up in the warehouse and took off. I snorted, “Amateurs.” I ran to the first room and kicked the door open. I grabbed the keys and took the bindings off the group of prisoners. They stared at me. I commented, “Now would be when you shimmer away and keep running… that’s a thing… that’s… common sense right now.” Several looked at me and nodded.
One stayed behind. I said, “I need to keep moving so…” He looked at me introducing himself, “I’m Virgil. They separated me from my sister. We have to find her.” I agreed, “Alright. Let’s go then.” We’d cleared three more rooms, but Virgil’s sister wasn’t in any of them.
I heard muffled screaming from below us. What the hell? What warehouse had a basement? I ran down and found a trap door. I opened it and jumped down into the dark. I saw a girl tied to a bed, trying to get away and completely incapable of doing so from her position.
A man, for lack of a better word, had the clear and obvious intent to rape her. I grabbed him and threw him off her and jumped on top of him quickly slitting his throat. Virgil yelled, “Valentina! Oh god! Oh god! Did they hurt you?”
Valentina whispered, “She saved me. He was going to rape me. He said it was the start of my training, but she saved me.” I shivered knowing from the papers I’d read from Princess Luna Haley Holloran, my Xander’s mom, exactly what the Ring meant when they talked about someone’s training.
I heard people upstairs again. I sighed and decided to press my luck. Demons didn’t often trust anyone who wasn’t a Demon but… I had saved them so… they should trust me a little. I whispered, “Any chance you could shimmer us outside? This took longer than I’d planned.”
Virgil grabbed me and shimmered us all outside. I started to jog to the getaway truck. To my surprise, they were following me.I turned asking, “Can I help you?” Valentina replied, “Where you go, I go. You saved my life. Both our lives. I swear an oath that I will protect you and serve you.”
I took of my mask. I told her, “I don’t need people to serve me… don’t say that.” Virgil laughed, “I go where Val goes. Plus, you don’t seem boring. I like it.” This went further than them shimmering me out and trusting me. Oaths… those were serious to all Supernatural’s.
I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to get them to leave. I waved my hands, “Fine. No oaths though. We can just… be friends or something. Let’s go.” We got in the truck. I guess I had two new members in the Resistance. That was good. Shimmering was helpful. That meant we could take things out of state.
I changed before sneaking back into the diner. I spotted Gamma Booker getting out of an SUV. I winced, “Crap.” Virgil asked, “What’s wrong?” I admitted, “I need to get inside… and…” He shimmered me inside then left. I sat down at the desk.
Hendrick shouted, “Gamma McCann, how…” I heard a hit and opened the door to the office. I gasped, “Hendrick!” I ran and touched his face. Gamma McCann ground out, “You were just in the office?” I replied, “Umm obviously… that’s the door I came out of…” He rolled his eyes and left.
Hendrick asked, “How the hell did you do that? You didn’t get back with Mason and Addison.” I replied, “So… I kind of have two people you guys should meet.” Virgil and Valentina shimmered in. Hendrick asked, “You added two Demons to our group?” Virgil answered, “We kind of added ourselves.”
I snorted, “Then you have to pick Bravo Names. I’m one.” Valetina giggled, “Is anyone four?” I admitted, “Nope.” She nodded, “Cool. I’ll be Bravo Four.” Virgil said, “I’ll be twenty.” Mason snorted, “Dax will lose his mind.” Virgil grinned, “Sounds fun.” They melded seamlessly into our group.
I sold enough stocks and bought an apartment building, and they moved in there. It amused them because they thought they’d continue to live in the diner. Before I knew it, I was back at the Undergrounds. Crush wasn’t there tonight, but I saw pity on several faces.
One fighter whispered, “They will die tonight.” I asked, “Who?” They turned and winced. I snorted, “So, you think I’m part of this ‘they’ because… obviously…” The guy in charge shouted, “Go see the prisoners, Swiffer. Feed them.” I asked, “Uhh what?” Another fighter said, “I’ll take you.” He drove me to another facility and handed me some fast food.
I was let inside and nearly threw up. They snorted, “You’re new.” A guard said, “She’s Swiffer.” They all stared at me like I was crazy. Well… they weren’t wrong. I immediately saw there was a girl and boy who were on their last leg. It was the guy from my first night that I swore to get out and save.
I left and told the guy driving I need a minute. He replied, “Everyone does their first time here… it’s… yeah.” I took off running then grabbed my phone. I called Virgil. He answered, “I need two bodies. One male and Female.” He shimmered to me grinning asking, “What are we doing?” I said, “They are going to take two fighters tonight. We need to get them out… or… well…. no or… they will die.” He nodded, “We are faking deaths. I’m into it.”
I admitted, “You’ll need to kill whoever is driving the car…so...” He laughed, “Goodie.” I thought about the schedules and told him, “Bring Caine, Sierra, and Mason.” He winked and shimmered away. I ran back and I was driven back to the fighting grounds.
I went and found the guy who ran everything. He asked, “What are you doing back here?” I said, “I want to make you an offer.” He snorted, “This will be good.” I said, “I want apercentage of what I win here.” He laughed, “Why would I give that to you?”
I answered, “For my silence. I saw Werewolf fighters I think the Werewolf Council would be interested in… investigating. Plus, the Supernatural Council would find you forcing fighters to fight to the death…. well… I could bring down at least five Supernatural groups on you.”
He stared at me. He admitted, “I did earn what your Aunt was paid from one fight. Should you survive tonight, you have a deal.” So, they really thought I was dying tonight. I nodded to him and went to get ready.
I left a phone we hoped they would steal. I waited until the guy who’d driven me walked in. The doctor was right behind him. I stood to leave but He grabbed my wrist. He urged, “Try tonight, pup. Ok?” I replied, “I’m not going to lose.” He winced and I left hearing them introducing me as the Swiffer.
Everyone roared and cheered. To my shock Alpha Edward, Beta Jean, and Gamma Booker were here. Trevor and his friends were too. I got in the ring. They announced, “The twin Alpha Terrors.” Oh good. They shouted, “The Kings of the cage.” Cage? Two of the biggest men I’d seen in my entire life got into the ring and a literal cage came down around us.
The crowd noise for them was deafening. I stared at them watching as they raised their fists. The one on the right had clear indicators. One had a weak knee, the other had a week elbow. Probably from a previous dislocation. Both had been drinking. They weren’t drunk but I could use that.
They turned to me, grinning. One asked, “Do you know what happens to our opponent?” I answered, “Uh huh… yup… I got it.” The other looked disappointed in my answer. He replied, “No, you don’t.” I snorted, “They die… right? I mean… I know I’m right.” They grinned, “And now it’s your turn.” I shrugged, “Ok.” They blinked, staring at me in shock.
I asked, “Is this how you usually fight? Because it’s not really…” They jumped into action. I took their hits while staying on my feet. One shouted, “Put your hands up!” I shrugged at him, and he hit me hard. They kicked and went at me. I went to a knee and took an uppercut. I glanced at a woman in the crowd, then did a double take. It looked like my mom. She screamed, “FIGHT BACK!” I whispered, “Mom.”
I caught one of the twin’s legs and pulled him upwards until he fell. I ran at the other and hooked my leg up around his neck and squeezed my thighs together. He gasped and hit my stomach. I punched him in the balls, and he went down.
When he fell unconscious, I looked for the other one. The crowd was screaming, and I felt a whoosh of air. I moved on instinct. The other roared and looked at his twin. He wasn’t dead though. His eyes fixed on me. He said, “I’ll rape in you this cage before I RIP YOUR BEATING HEART OUT!”
