It was a funny thing, how so many people could seem to disappear from somewhere within a very similar window of time, but it had happened again and Calamity was down a few faces.

Michael Fothergill, The Mad Wolf himself, lost in a crazed haze, unsure of himself more than normal, struggling after his conversations with Oberyn and Jaxon as to what he was willing to do to get what he wanted. As much as he thrived on senseless killing...when it was people he had grown close to, it hit differently, but proving himself to the person who had taken him so completely, whose own trust the Mad Wolf had shattered remained at odds with everything else. So Mike did what he always did, ignored his responsibilities and the consequences of his actions and ran. He just ran, as he always did, sights on the next functional state where he could start anew. His own pack. His own life. But even a twisted mind has memories, and those he left behind in Calamity haunt his mind, for reasons both good and bad.

Another to leave the state, although for reasons less selfish, was Cardelle Mackie. No one could be quite sure just how long ago the Mackie disappeared, but with the vampires hunt for him heating up, and both his family and friends in constant danger because of him, the wilderness surrounding the state proved to be the best bet. From here he could keep mobile and keep hidden, using his hunter skills to their best use, picking off rogue demons and rogue vampires not affiliated with any group to slowly whittle down the pool of enemies the humans would continually have to endure. Part of him hopes he’ll find Asher out here, or Bram, maybe both? A team of three would be better than a team of one.

Lan Darqen however, did not fare as well. The Invidias took off to his secret compound, in the dead of night as he always did, the intention to kill and take the souls of all his followers, bringing him back up to his full strength, to return and show Azagi exactly what he thought of her escapades with Jakoris and Azarius. The beating was going to be extraordinary. But Lan never made it to the compound, never got the opportunity to reach his old levels of strength. It seemed that the people he had collected had others that had been looking for them, hunting teams from various other states all out to find their friends, and stumbling upon the one demon that had them. The fight wasn’t even that spectacular, Lan being taken out with relative ease without any kind of advantage, his body fading away into nothing. No blaze of glory, no monument to him...just a nameless demon to these people, and nobody back in Calamity would even know, or really care, that he was dead. Properly.

At the very least, Dodger could now sleep easy, knowing that Lan no longer had it in for him, but it seemed the Letharger’s path was preoccupied with other things. His search for Lennel remained unsuccessful, but the means he had taken to assist in that endeavour left their dark mark on him. Does this mean Dodger is evil now? No, not at all, but after years of being bottom of the demons food chain he’s finally realising that he needs to take action when he can to remain comfortable. Luckily, his sin allows him this, stealing the energy from humans he wanders across to keep himself going. He will find Lenn, and when he does, he can finally sleep again.

The enigma surrounding Fox Lucero seems to have shattered within the state of Calamity, and as per routine, not that he would admit to it, Fox decided to move on, to other settlements, other areas and other states where he can bring forth his brand of chaos once again. Somewhere his new guinea pigs don’t know what to expect, somewhere cryptic clues attached to drained corpses are something new and something to be feared. As with the last time, and the time before, and the time before, his name is changed, Fox Lucero is an alias only for Calamity, and he shall never been seen again. The only thing that remains is the suited figure in the darkness, with science on his mind, murder in his eye, and a trail of bodies all deemed failures in his wake.

For Raoul Darcy, it seemed things had been going too smoothly, after finally gaining some control over his magic, feeling like he was making more progress by simply being around Esme than he had in years. He was making friends. He was building relationships. And then one night, coming home from Beserkers, something hits across the back of his head and he blackout. Upon waking, he’s bound, head covered, unsure where he is or what exactly is going on, his magic going crazy sending crimson electrical bursts but they do nothing to help free him. As far as Raoul is aware, his mother has found him again, and is taking him back to the coven, intent on punishing him for escaping her grasp. His current status remains unknown.

.

Jaxon smiled at the blonde’s sudden burst of defiance, having always enjoyed it when certain people made the stupid decision to challenge him in any way. Mike, of course, was one of them. In fact, it was this particular trait that had first caught his eye..and his chatter, which he was getting a generous dose of right now. If only the topic he had brought up himself didn’t have to ruin it. “..yeah. She’s gonna.” The alpha’s lip trembled slightly, anger and regret still nagging at him, and frowned at what was said next. “I did not think you and the Mackie would be such good pals..but you agreed to shelter him for some time so I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised you got accuainted.” A scoff and back to that stern, distant look of his.

And sure, the alpha did shut his mouth, sensing the agitation that bubbled under the surface of Mike’s perfectly nice face. A face that …what? Fucked with demons. “Shit, kid..that’s got to be the lowest you’ve ever sunk to. Such stark contrast with the likes of me.” Reed had chosen to completely ignore the part where he said he would be the one coming after him mostly because one, he thought it insane but two, he did not think he had ever heard or seen the other look so afraid, let alone concerned. Shuffling his feet, it was only after an abrupt pause that Jaxon leaned forward, his clasped hands almost touching..gracing Mike’s. “..that won’t happen, Mike. I wouldn’t let you..do yourself like that. That’s not how you go.” Jesus fuck. “Will, Hollis, Peyton..look at me. What the bloody mindfuck game is that asshole playing with you? What’s got you so fucking desperate!? If it meant nothing, why would he even care?”

-

Mike couldn’t help but smirk, knowing Jaxon well enough now that the small tones in his voice gave away more of his thought processes than he would usually care to let on. “Not happy with her getting so close to the mutt, are ya?” Not that it was any of Mike’s business; it wasn’t his pack, Aiden was his own man to do as he pleased, and honestly if the two wolves became an item, at least it left a gap at Obi’s side that Mike was hopeful to fill again. He quickly switched back to the topic of Bram with a nod, “we can’t remember who it was that tried to kill the other first, but after a couple of attempts at that, we both sat down after for a drink...found out we got more shit in common than we realised.” They’d been there for each other ever since. Bram had crashed with Mike after the human’s turn, Bram had cared for Mike the first night he’d come home after breaking from Liliana’s cage, patching him up the best he could. Even now, with the Mackie out in the woods somewhere, Mike knew if he called upon him, or the other he, they’d be there.

The Delta shook his head. “Don’t patronise us,” his tone already defeated, “we met this demon once at the theatre, the night the human hideout exploded, then we bumped into him again at the Equinox festival and-” he didn’t need to say much else, “-shit happens with us in alleyways. And it wasn’t a fight.” Honestly, Mike couldn’t get Drac out of his head sometimes, and he figured it was an imprint left by the demons lustful effects, but couldn’t be sure. Obi would be happy when the demon was dead, but honestly, so would Mike. Jax leant forwards, hands brushing gently across Mike’s, but The Mad Wolf pulled away, paranoid that even physical touch could give them away. “You wouldn’t have a choice mate. Whatever way you look at it, we’re dead. He kills us if we refuse. You kill us if we can’t be stopped.” He chuckled, but there was a weirdly anxious twang to his laugh, eyes glistening just a little with forming tears, “we could barely put a dent in Hollis and the guy can barely fucking walk...so what hope would we have against all of you, by ourselves?”

Even a simple question felt difficult to answer, and Mike swallowed but his throat was dry despite the amounts of beer he’d been drinking. Amber eyes looked up at Jax finally, giving the Alpha his full attention. “No mindfuck. No games. No compulsion. We...had a talk. An actual talk. He uh...dropped the word love...and he’s never...never done that. So he cares...because the person he’s given himself to has betrayed his trust once, unwillingly...and doesn’t need to know about the second time, that was willingly.” Now he did reach forward, grabbing the others hands and squeezing them tightly. “Jaxon, we don’t ask you for much, but we’re asking you this, please, you cannot tell anyone what happened with us at the cabin.”

When he agreed, Peyton smiled, her worry faded away. She knew sometimes she was too trusting, people had told her that before, but so far it had never steered her wrong. “I can agree to that. You know it says a lot about you that you care, even though you’re in a stressful situation right now,” she added, things like this were exactly why she never judged someone on their species. “Come on, the club’s around the corner. They’d let me stay in a private room until my energy comes back,” she suggested, leading the way with a tilt of her head.

-

“I’m only in this situation because I care. If I didn’t, I could be at home, asleep, or just on the couch wrapped in a blanket, doing absolutely fuck all, but instead I’m out here in the cold, stealing souls from humans that don’t deserve their souls stolen, and about to suck the energy and stamina from a friend so I can go and search for my better half, who may or may not have drowned when the Mer flooded our home.” He stopped, letting out short, shallow breaths. That was the most he’d probably ever said in one go...and it felt good to get his feelings out, no matter how aggressively it might have come across. Dodger reached out, took her hand, and followed alongside as they made their way to the club. “Make sure they check on you. Regularly. Or have someone stay with you. With water at the very least, because you’re not going to want to get it yourself, or even drink it yourself. Peyton,” he stopped her, holding her by her arms and turning her to face him. “This is serious. This is a sin for a reason. It’s not supposed to be an experience that is easy or pleasant.”

cody let out a yelp as she was gripped by the other, roughly, hands in her hair and tugging, pushing her into the middle of the room. “what the fuck, man?” they found themselves yelling, hearing the metallic ringing and cracking of something within the house but even cody couldn’t say what. “that was mean!” she was on edge, like she could feel every single metallic thing within the house in the myre, every tiny thing. “all i wanted was to enjoy the pretty house. and no, no one’s told me that. why can’t i? it’s just four walls and a roof. what’s so wrong with that?”

-

“Everyone is so fucking quick to say it’s us demons that are the problem, but it’s the rest of you.” Something in the house creaked, unusually loud for such a quaint little place, built by fae supposedly meaning it was structurally sound, but Lan wasn’t concerned with that yet. He had a stranger to deal with. A pest. “It’s my four walls and roof. Mine. Not yours. Mine.” He needed this person out; the last thing he needed was Azagi wandering in to see him stood shirtless with a random person in their living room. “You got to the count of three to start moving sweet cheeks, or we’re gonna have a real problem.”

-

Oberyn was silent as he listened to Mike speak, seeming to deliberate over his words. Perhaps self control was just something he had mastered far more than the wolf and so basic needs and desires rarely overwhelmed the vampire. He could be tempted and rarely denied himself anything he might want, but he was used to others obeying him no matter what the rule or command be. He knew first had what demonic influence could feel like, Zeus while not a demon, had the same power to infatuate those around him. Perhaps Mike was simply susceptible to it. “Perhaps.” Was all Oberyn said on the matter. 

He could almost feel the hope and wanting in Mike’s voice when he repeated Oberyn’s words of love, but the vampire would not say them again. Love was something he still didn’t fully believe he could feel anymore, not when time eroded all things. And he wasn’t quite sure he could truly give his full, true love to someone who wasn’t utterly devoted to him. 

He was surprised Mike didn’t take the bait of freedom to do as he pleased, but Oberyn was determined to test the other every which way he could. “Bring me the demons head, I will consider things then.” He replied, leaving things open ended to see the wolf’s reaction. 

-

Perhaps. Such a simple word but it spoke more than anything else Oberyn could have said in that same moment. It didn’t confirm anything Mike was saying, didn’t offer much insight into how Oberyn took Mike’s words and his explanations. Which meant there was nothing more that could or should be said.

While his hopes were lifted by the mentioning of love, the silence that followed again said more. Had it been a slip of the tongue? A phrase not meant to be usher out into the open air. The wolf simply sighed, shuffling from his position on the ground and making his way back to the other side of Oberyn’s desk, picking up the sheets of paper he’d ragefully flung across the room.

“We understand,” he said, nodding as he places the last of the files back on the vampires desk, coming back to stand at his side for a brief moment, knowing there was nothing else more to say so opting instead to plant a small kiss at Oberyn’s temple, turning quickly to head back towards the door of the office. Another pause, and he turned again, leaning on the doorframe, looking back in at his lover and the dishevelled demeanour that this whole situation had prompted him to take on. “We are sorry...about all of this. And we do love you.” Mike wasn’t going to take the easy way out of this. “We’ll make this right.” And with that he turned and left, wondering how he was supposed to get a hold of Dracias and bring the demon’s head back into the pit of Vociferous.

Zane stared at the other before snorting. “Right.” Throwing tantrums then. Zane took a sip of his drink, leaning back in his chair. He noticed the other’s eyes, and where it went. His wings. A wide smile played on the fallen’s lips. “You don’t come in contact with wings often?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “Aren’t they common here in Calamity?” 

-

Lan’s fingertips danced across the bar, tapping out a chaotic beat as he waited impatiently for the stranger to finish his drink. And now he was being questioned. Great, just what he needed. “Not that often. Not wings like yours anyway.” The best kind of wings. “Someone I used to be close had wings like yours. Gorgeous things. Majestic. Surprisingly soft. But things between us didn’t exactly work out.”

Cecilia waited and listened to him explain, she wasn’t one to be easily disturbed by things, but she was confused by his explanation. “So…you just like to terrify them and then kill them? To what end? Is it really an experiment if you don’t allow them to better themselves?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing. “Do you take anyone at random or only those who have done something to deserve this?” she asked further. Sure, she had killed before, but every one of her victims had done something atrocious to deserve what they got.

-

“There are certain functions of the brain that can only be accessed when a person is put under such immense pressure, so terrified for their very existence. Things work differently. Cogs start turning in ways they normally do not. Not a fight or flight but a...something else. Something I, admittedly, have never been able to put my fingers on exactly.” He had centuries of research behind him, but never seemed to get any closer to his goal. Which was what exactly? Sometimes he got so consumed in the bloodlust and the game of it all that he forgot the science behind it all, forgot his reasonings for starting this in the first place. “If they win their game, they’re better. Smart enough to survive. Worthy of living another day. All random of course, I need all samples, not just one specific variable. Every human is different, allegedly, after all.”

“Why do you have to go there anyways?” Peyton finally asked, worry in her eyes. She knew how much his family meant to him, and couldn’t imagine how it must have hurt to be away for all these years. “I don’t understand why you can’t help the Forgotten here.” Sure her thoughts were a little selfish right now, she’d lost a lot of people she’d been close to over her life already, and she wasn’t looking forward to the day when he would tell her he was leaving again.

-

“The Forgotten needs allies that are capable, so they sent some of us to other Kingdoms to help train up their forces. The best of the best stayed here, and the next rank down could be deployed elsewhere. I may not be at my brothers level yet, but I’m still damn good,” he explained with a confident smile, but the worried expression across her face didn’t go unnoticed to him. “But I can stay now. I’m needed here more than there. These others have had eight years under our training, the same shit that Jake put me through that got me to where I am now. They can cope without me now, they’re at a level in which they can.” He wrapped his arm around her tighter, pulling her in closer until he could plant a gentle kiss on her temple.

Zane only shrugged his shoulders, reached forward, and wrapped his fingers around the glass that contained his drink. “Demanding, aren’t we?” The fallen stretched his wings and snorted. “You going to be patient enough to wait for your next drink, or should I just steal someone else’s again?”

-

“Not demanding,” he huffed, arms folding across his chest like a pissed off child, “just don’t like it when people take my shit.” Eyes glanced back catching sight of the wings, something about wings were so pretty and again the urge to just reach out and touch them had to be held back. Last time he’d done that things hadn’t exactly gone Lan’s way. “Fine...I can wait.” It meant he got to look at those wings for longer.

“I did. Brother, sister. Powerful, good. Not me. They’re a perfect little family without me.” They’d figured that out a long time ago, that they needed rid of Cody to have the perfect, powerful witch family they’d always wanted. She had no idea where they were now, if they were living or dead but most of them didn’t care. They didn’t have it in them to worry about their family, as well as protecting themselves. “I’m not a FREAK! don’t call me that.” Cody growled, knuckles turning white with how hard she was gripping the gun, holding it close to her still as though it was all the protection in the world that they had. “Why would you want to help? I remember you. You’re Esme’s brother. You were mean.”

-

His brows knitted together, listening to them for maybe the first time, a slight resonance with his own life. A brother and sister...one powerful and good...and then him. “Yea well...perfect families are overrated.” Was he sympathising? No, couldn’t be, and her shouting only reminded him why he wasn’t in the first place. “Ye are though. An’ I’m helpin’ cause it’s the right thin’ t’do. ‘cause Es wants me to make more of an effort with her people, an’ that includes people like you.” He shouldn’t be so openly negative towards her, but maybe that was the one thing his mother instilled in him that still lingered, the disapproval and distain towards Bloodwraithes. Which made what she did to him all the more fitting. Hate those people, and therefore hate yourself. “Take it or leave it Cody. I ain’t hangin’ around fer long.” At least he could tell Esme he’d tried to help; that was better than nothing.