#biad chapter

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Roman Sanders stalked through the streets, keeping to the shadows. He knew that was, in fact, where those who he was hunting would also stay, but it was still the most effective way to get around unseen. Especially since it was mid-afternoon. 

This may have seemed counter-intuitive, but Roman wasn't actively hunting right now. At least, not yet. No, right now he was on a mission of reconnaissance. He had gotten wind of a monster of some sort living in this neighborhood. He never heard what the creature was, or much else, just that they had been… around. That was the trouble with relying on word-of-mouth, but it was all he had, really. Often times it was usually just people being paranoid, but fact of the matter was that there had been more than one testament of a monster around here, with some manner of consistency, although the descriptions varied. Which meant, Roman had to figure out what it was in order to defeat it. Some manner of shape shifting beast probably, which didn't necessarily narrow it down, when it came to monsters. 

Society had been shocked three decades ago when all those tall tales of monsters, and creatures that lurked in the night had turned out to be real. Apparently, they'd been around for centuries, but only took to revealing themselves fairly recently. Mostly, the reaction had been outwardly positive, Roman remembered as he crept around to the back of a house. Some people had been secretly scared of them, yes, but there hadn't been all that much outcry against them. 

Well, not in public, anyway. 

There were plenty of sources available for how to protect yourself against or 'supernatural beings,' or 'supes,' or whatever they called themselves, and how to treat them, some of what to expect, cultural things, (ha! As if these monsters had culture); all informational stuff, which Roman had looked at in order to prepare himself. He steered clear of those places that seemed to idealize the monsters, fawning over them. Roman shuddered just thinking about it, stepping behind a particularly thick shrub. 

But, if you knew where to look, smatterings of online communities that told of how to actually take care of them. In a more permanent manner. Roman tapped his fingers on his dagger, stake, and the variety of other items, including a lot of silver, in his pockets that he'd gone through over and over before he'd left. Just in case, he thought again to himself. The silver should take care of most monsters, and if silver didn't work, the stake and dagger didn't need to be silver to work on the other kinds. He nodded to himself. It definitely wasn't the first time he'd done this. Well, at least this part. 

The truth was, he'd never actually faced a monster. Not in combat. Not like he hadn't wanted to. Every other lead he'd gotten had been a dead end. Or, as Roman supposed, creeping around a set of garbage pails, peering around the corner of the house, an undead end. Ha!

Wait, no, that would mean it wasn't an undead end, because they'd turned out to not be a monster. Of course, the joke could still stand, just because he'd been looking for them, even if it hadn't panned out. Although, that brought up the question of whether or not it was an end, anyway, it was really more of a series of beginnings-

"May I help you?"

"GAAAIIII'M FINE!" Roman had been so caught up in his head that he hadn't even noticed the person standing at the doorway, garbage bag in hand. He cleared his throat to try and hide the flush that was rising on his cheeks. "I mean, that's alright, I don't need any assistance, thank you." The person at the door tilted their head. 

"Are you sure, kiddo? You're crouching behind my trash can." They raised their eyebrow, smiling slightly, not looking mad or even annoyed at all. 

"Of course! I'm just," he hesitated slightly, he didn't want to reveal too much, "stretching." He haphazardly started putting his leg out, bending over it, still crouched. This was…not his best idea. 

"Mhmm." They had both eyebrows raised now, their smile looking more like they were trying not to laugh. "Yes, I can see that."

"I'm in the middle of a rather intense game of hide and seek!" Roman insisted, bringing his leg back in. That much was true, at least. Just that the hiders weren't aware that he was seeking. 

"Will it disturb your game if I throw out my garbage?" They held the bag out, giving it a little shake. Roman quickly got up, standing back, gesturing at the pail. 

"No, of course!" They smiled, walking down the small stairs. Roman looked around. He was standing out in full view, maybe he should call this a loss, and come back later? Maybe in disguise. 

"My name's Patton! He/him." Roman looked up to see him tossing the garbage bag in before closing it up again. "I'd let you shake my hand, but it's sort of full of garbage. E-heh!" 

"I'm Roman," Roman smiled, taking a bow. "And it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance!"

"Well," Patton started, grin growing wide, "I know you're roamin' around my garbage, kiddo!" He laughed, and Roman couldn't help but join him, chuckling. Patton looked at him, still smiling. "It's nice to meet you, too, Roman! If there's anything you need, my house is a pretty good hiding spot?" He jerked his thumb back towards the door. 

Patton turned back, slowly going up the steps. Roman considered. Patton had been nice. Quite frankly, he was a little shocked that he hadn't called the cops, or threatened him in any manner. Roman wasn't exactly sure why he trusted him so much, but he was very likable. Both in personality and in face. He seemed very bubbly, but perhaps the type of person who feared monsters? It must have been his innate desire to protect the innocent. 

"Um!" He called out, and Patton immediately turned around. "I'm not exactly sure if it's legal in hide and seek to go into somebody's house, but maybe I'll take you up on that offer?" Patton beamed.

"Sure! Come on in!" He held open the door. "After you!"

"Thank you!" Roman nodded, smiling back, trotting up the stairs and into his house, and right into what appeared to be the kitchen. He stood, hands clasped behind his back as he idly surveyed the room, eyes going immediately to a box of dog biscuits on the counter, and a dog bowl on the floor. 

His smile widened into a toothy grin, looking at Patton as he washed his hands in the sink after closing the door. "Do you have a dog?!" His hands came in front of him, clenched in excited fists. He found himself bouncing in place a little.

Patton laughed, although it didn't sound mocking; his eyes were crinkled at the corners. 

"Nope, sorry, kiddo. We kind of only have a dog sometimes."

"Ah," Roman nodded. "I used to dogsit, too."

"Mm. So, what'd you wanna talk about?" He cocked his head to the side. Roman composed himself. 

"Well, I have a confession." Roman rolled his shoulders back. "I'm, not exactly playing hide and seek." 

"No," Patton put two hands over his mouth as he gasped, which also worked to hide his smile.

"Yes," Roman couldn't help himself, he leaned down, keeping his voice at a stage-whisper. "As a matter of fact, I'm on a mission to gather information." 

"Well that sounds pretty serious," his smile shifted a little as he took his hands away from his face. "Maybe we should talk about it over a cup of hot chocolate. What do you say?" He went to reach into his cabinet, presumably for the chocolate.

"Oh," Roman began, "I couldn't possibly impose more than I already am."

"If you're sure," Patton turned around and shrugged, the gesture big as he glanced at Roman out of the side of his eye. "I was going to have some anyway, although too much chocolate hurts my tummy, and I just have so much coco here." He took out the canister, giving it a little shake.

Dear lord, he actually said the word 'tummy' out loud. Roman almost hoped that he was wrong about the monster being near; Patton would get eaten alive. Roman played off the shudder that went through his body by adjusting his belt, and then put his palm on his chest. 

"Well, when you put it that way, it would be an honor to help you out." He grinned again, silently reaffirming to himself why he was trying to track down monsters to begin with. Patton sent another smile his way, gesturing to the table in the room. 

"Go ahead and have a seat!" He placed the coco on the counter, grabbing out a white mug, before hesitating, and put his hand on his chin in thought. "I guess that should be okay…" he mumbled to himself.  Roman took this time to pull out a chair and sit. He continued to look around the room while waiting, occasionally looking back at Patton, who had taken out another mug, which was darker than the first.

Roman idly tapped his finger against the tabletop as he watched him take out spoons, and then walk over to a metal plugged in pot. He didn't know what it was, and when Patton turned around to grab spoons from the drawer, he must have seen his expression, because he explained himself. 

"It's a hot water pot!" He started doling out powder into the mugs as he spoke. "My," There was an almost unnoticeable pause, "roommates come home from work soon, and they like to have hot water ready for tea, or coco, or coffee, or whatever." He tilted the pot into the dark mug, mixing in the water with a spoon. 

Roman felt that he was intruding upon something, somehow, but Patton just did the same in the white mug before getting something else from the original cabinet, and doing something that Roman couldn't quite see. He nodded showing that he was following, but the funny feeling remained

When Patton returned to the table he placed the dark mug, as well as a napkin in front of Roman, and took a seat with his own white one. Roman's eyes locked onto the mug he was given immediately, and his eyes light up. 

"Jack Skellington? I love Nightmare!" He turned it around to get a better look at it; it had Oogie on it, too. He looked up at Patton again, a little more subdued, "Actually, I love all Disney, and I keep a special place in my heart for every one of my precious babies."

Patton barked out a laugh at that, and Roman squinted to look at his mug. It was, indeed white, but now he could see little paw prints patterned all over it. And, right in the middle, the words "MY DAY IS RUFF BEFORE COFFEE" were displayed prominently. And now it was Roman's turn to let out a laugh. "Very nice."

"Wait, it's got a back!" And Patton turned it, carefully, around, and sure enough on the other side he could see "MY PURRFECT CUP" written. He chuckled at that one, too, before finally looking down at the napkin. There were two marshmallows on it. 

"Oh, how thoughtful." He noticed that Patton had placed one inside of his own mug, so it wasn't like he had gone out of his way, necessarily, but gosh he was just being so nice, and his grin just grew. "Thank you," he said sincerely, placing one of them in his cocoa. 

"Not a problem!" His grin faltered a little. "Actually, I'm kinda used to setting it up that way for V; that's his mug you're using." He started to idly swirl his drink with the spoon. "That's how he likes to drink it." He seemed more reserved suddenly, his nervousness evident. 

This was, well, he couldn't necessarily say this was out of character. He had only known Patton for such a small amount of time. It seemed silly. And yet. 

"Well, I hope that he won't mind me borrowing his delightful Disney drink-holder." Roman watched Patton carefully as his smile reappeared in full force again. It seemed strained. 

"Oh no," Patton insisted, stopping his stirring and putting his hands up, placating. Almost as though he was used to attempting to prevent an argument. "He won't mind, he's just," he paused, looking up, as though the molding had the answer that he was looking for. "Um. Shy? Around new people?" He took a sip. 

"You sound very certain about that." Roman was here for a purpose, true, but that didn't mean he ever stopped being a gentleman. That didn't mean that he stopped trying to protect the innocent in any manner that might call for. This 'V' was starting to concern him. 

"No, I swear, he's great; they both are." Patton smiled for real this time, softer than his usual grin. "He really does just have some problems with talking to new people." Roman nodded, accepting the explanation, but still hypervigilant as always, and finally taking a sip of his own. 

"Delicious!" He smiled at him, genuine compliment falling easily from his lips. "Truly you've outdone yourself!"

"Thank you!" Patton's full grin was back, "but aw, shucks, it was nothing!" And his reaction seemed genuine back. Not like he was unused to compliments, at least. Hm. Roman took another sip as Patton relaxed his head in his hands. "So, what were you trying to find out?" Roman swallowed as he considered his phrasing. 

He certainly didn't want to alarm Patton unduly, but he did want to stress how important it was to find the monster out. And also how dangerous it was to have it near this very house. He would need to exert caution, that's for sure, and to be wary of everyone. He exhaled. 

"Well, I was wondering, if you had seen anything," he gestured his hands forward, "unusual lately?" He mentally winced at how clichè that sounded. "I mean, around this neighborhood, specifically. Moreso than usual?"

"Hmm," Patton seemed to consider this seriously, "we've really only been here for half a year, Roman."

"Oh, well that's perfect!" Roman splayed his fingers apart earnestly. "I've only heard word start to spread about it for the past few months!" Patton took another sip, staring at the liquid in the mug, smile flickering down before he pulled it right back up. This took Roman aback so much that he had to take another drink to cover up his flinch. Alarm bells were ringing in his head. Maybe… maybe this 'V' character was even more insidious than he'd originally thought. Perhaps… he was doing something illegal that Patton was uncomfortable with? 

"Unusual how?" He looked at Roman right in the eyes. Luckily, Roman's years of theater practice meant that he could stare back without it becoming awkward. Apparently Patton didn't hold that same experience, soon thereafter turning away with a small laugh. Roman inhaled, exhaled, and contemplated his phrasing, head titled as though drawing his words from a teleprompter. 

"Oh, anything at all, really. Anything that would make you uncomfortable." Patton didn't react at all to that. Damn. Well, he might as well ask about his original quest, keeping an ear open about 'V'. "Perhaps noises in the middle of the night, untoward smells from anywhere, shadows that don't quite match up," he turned slightly in order to glance at Patton out of the corner of his eyes. "Maybe someone entering a house without sign that they've left again?" Now Patton reacted visually to the last one, cringing at what Roman was implying. He awkwardly turned it into a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. 

"That's maybe a little hard to tell, Roman." He exhaled, locking onto his gaze again. "Do you really think that's a concern for whoever you're looking to- I mean, you're looking for supernaturals, right?"

Roman was a little shocked that he picked up what his goal was. He hadn't been overly subtle, sure, but he hadn't been overtly frank, either. (Of course, he wasn't Frank, he was Roman.) He nodded, once, eyes wide and excited, listening closely.

Patton nodded back. "So, you are trying to find supernaturals?" Roman nodded more vigorously. "May I ask why?"

"I," he gulped, "believe there's reason to be cautious." He wasn't sure how much to reveal to him. He called them by the societally acceptable name, but he maybe he could get him to understand how important it was to be careful. "I know there's all the laws, but they're not perfect. I just," he caught his gaze again, making sure he understood this, "want to make sure that people are protected. In whatever way I can." 

"Mm…" he seemed unsettled, still. "You're doing it all by yourself?" He swirled the liquid in his mug that he was still holding. "You don't, have anyone waiting for you in case you get hurt or anything?" Roman's heart melted. It seemed Patton was just worried about him being hurt, himself. What a sweet guy. 

"Well," he smiled, "this is just the evidence gathering part." He flipped his hand, gesticulating, "once I find some, I'll probably tell a few," he wiggled his fingers as chose his words carefully; Patton was clearly a sensitive soul, "people who are more experienced in this matter," he settled on. "Who will know how to handle any... dangerous situations."

They stared at each other for a moment, when Patton's eyes widened, and flicked away for a moment, before he grinned, tooth-filled and cheeks tight. 

"Well, gee, that sounds like a great plan to me!" Roman blinked, bringing his head back an inch from how suddenly loud Patton was. Roman smiled, lopsided. 

"Oh, thank you, I-" 

"In fact, you probably should get started on that right now!" Patton stood up suddenly, chair screeching behind him. Roman frowned nervously. 

"Um," he fiddled with the handle of his mug. "Do you want me to help clean up?" He raised an eyebrow, what just happened? He didn't think he'd said anything offensive. 

"Nope, don't worry about it!" He grabbed his own hot chocolate quickly, sloshing a few drops over the side. Some of it got on his hand, but he only flinched a little, extra wide smile barely faltering. "I've got everything covered here! You just go along and figh- protect people!" He came around and slid Roman's chair out from the table. "After you!" 

"But, I was just supposed to be finding out information?" Roman's frown deepened as he turned to look at him. "And, you didn't even really tell me anything?" Patton laughed nervously, and he continued to slide his chair towards the door. He was… doing that with one hand. 

"Whoops, guess I forgot! Well, good luck supernaturaling people! I mean protecting fights!" He wasn't making any sense. And he was becoming increasingly distraught, and it all seemed to happen out of nowhere. 

Something was wrong. 

Roman frowned and stood up, throwing Patton off-balance momentarily before he clutched the chair closer to himself.

"Now wait just a moment, Patton!" He noticed his smile drop a bit. He put his hands on his hips. "What on Earth is going on here?!" 

"Um, you're very inspiring?" Roman took a step closer, arms stretched out, stopping short of grabbing his shoulders. 

"While that is true, I think we both know that that's not the reason you're acting like this so suddenly. Now I know that we just met, but I'd like to help you! Roman took another step forward, and Patton gulped. "But I'm going to need you to tell me the truth!"

And that's when the door slammed open. 

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Happy Halloween. :)

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Roman's head turned towards the sound, locking onto the two figures who had burst through the door. 

"Get away from him!" One of the figures shouted, as Roman automatically took a step in Patton's direction to shield him. But he barely had time to take in the sight of the black jacket that one of them was wearing before he saw it blur before his eyes. He quickly grabbed something silver from his pocket, and stuck his arms out and around his back to protect Patton, and braced for impact...but he wasn't hit. Instead, the speedster attempted to go right for Patton, stopping short of barreling into Roman's arms circling his form. He very obviously eyed the silver in his hand, and backed up a few steps, watching Roman all the while. 

Roman turned, expecting him to have done something to Patton, entrance him or similar, but all the stranger did was stand there, watching him. He chanced a glance at the other figure at the door, who had taken a few steps into the house, and he saw as second, bespectacled figure close the door. Roman gulped, reluctant to turn his back to an unknown yet clear threat, but he turned his head back to look at the first stranger. 

And stranger was certainly a good descriptor for someone who looked stranger than anyone he'd ever seen. Now that he was in the same position for a bit, he noticed his arms. Specifically, raised out in front of him, his hands that were clawed out, with literal claws. His eyes were dark and sunken, and most startlingly, he could see fangs. Then, he could see them even better when the fanged mouth opened up into a low hiss.

This all happened in under five seconds. He processed. He inhaled sharply as he came to a realization. 

"You must be V," he sneered. "What is that short for- Vampire?" Patton gasped from behind Roman's cage of arms. 

"I never thought of that before," he whispered to himself. He was being so brave in the face of his tormentors. 

"Brilliant deduction," the creature sneered, showing off the telltale fangs again. "Now get the hell out of our house." He glanced at Patton who was not cowering, not exactly, but just this side of uncomfortable, and Roman knew that he couldn't leave.

"Oh, I suppose you know all about hell," he sneered right back, feigning the confidence that he didn't feel at all, "considering as that's where you crawled out of, you monster!" And at that, Patton audibly flinched. Poor thing must be accustomed to getting some form of retribution at any sign of sticking up for himself. 

"You don't know anything about him." A sharp voice cut in coldly from behind him. And the stranger with the glasses stepped into his peripheral vision, before standing next to the vampire.

Not that he'd forgotten about the other one. It was just. The vampire was a more immediate threat. Of course, if this other… creature? He couldn't be sure what sort yet; appearances could be deceiving, after all. If anyone knew about what was happening with Patton (clearly some sort of vampiric control or manipulation involving keeping Patton captive,) then they were just as guilty!

"And don't you try anything with him either!" The vampire snarled at Roman, one arm twitching to point his sharp nails forward. Roman very specifically didn't swallow nervously, like he wanted to. Instead, he puffed his chest out more.

"I won't have to if you let Patton and me go." Patton made a sound, but Roman just stared the creature right in his eyes, which were glowing slightly, even in the light of the room. "Let him leave with me," he held steady, "and nobody gets hurt." Whoever wound up being hurt if they didn't comply was quite another matter, altogether. 

The vampire laughed lowly as the other one shifted closer, joining in the barrier to prevent him from leaving with their prisoner. It was clear now that he was in on the vampire's plot, too, whatever it was that he wanted with Patton to begin with. 

"Yeah," the vampire smirked, "nice try, but no." The smirk dropped from his face. "He's not leaving, especially not with the likes of you," he spat. "How many other of your little hunting buddies are waiting for you?" He glared at him, as though trying to squint the answer out of him. 

"Wh-" Roman was slightly surprised. Did he know? 

"He doesn't," a quiet voice came from behind him; Patton, he chanced a glance back, was avoiding everybody's gazes. "I asked him, nobody knows he's here that would…" he trailed off. Roman couldn't believe it. He'd betrayed him! That's why he'd been asking about backup? He thought he'd been worried about him! But, then again, he'd heard stories about vampires. Maybe he was under some form of control. Patton had seemed so genuine… he was sure there was a way to break his hold on him, or to run away and promise that he would never be punished again. He wasn't quite sure, maybe a mix of both.

"I, you-" He tried turning his anger into defiance, but the vampire rolled his eyes and misinterpreted his confusion. 

"You reek of silver." He moved his face closer to Roman's, like he was trying to intimidate him. He didn't back down. "I could smell it all over the street." 

"Additionally," the one in glasses spoke up, "both your gait and how you're distributing your weight implies that you're carrying weighted items, that you're unused to carrying, in your pocket." Roman looked at him, and now he staggered back a step, as he paled considerably. 

The second man's left eye was lit up.

That wasn't a figure of speech, either, not as though he was excited. It was physically emitting a light. It was moving, up and down, and it seemed to be scanning him. 

Roman felt all the words leave him, mouth now suddenly dry. Not only was he inhuman, but he wasn't like any sort of monster he'd seen or heard about before. He realized after a few moments that he'd been talking, but hadn't heard him over the rushing of blood in his ears. "...and furthermore, the material of your clothing would indicate-"

"What are you?!" Roman swallowed now, trying his best to put on his brave face again. If he could fake it in front of a vampire, he should be able to fake it in front of anyone. The vampire snarled again as the unknown creature's jaw snapped shut mid-sentence. Patton whimpered.

"I am human," the creature stated, and Roman narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe that at all. "I just have," he adjusted his glasses, and his eye shone brightly through the lenses, "some extra features." He tone was colder now, not that it hadn't been cold before. 

"It doesn't matter," the vampire snapped, quite literally, and he jumped, turning immediately to focus his attention on him. The so-called human wasn't as immediate a threat as he was. "You don't get to know about us, you don't get to ask the questions, you shouldn't be here anymore." His eyes locked onto Roman. "Now get out!"

"Not without Patton!" He stood his ground, not breaking his eyes away from the vampire's. He growled, something more feral than he'd have expected, even from a blood-sucking vampire. He flinched, blinking his eyes. He flinched even more when he punctuated the end of the noise by turning his head sharply towards Patton, the other pointed accusingly at him. 

"If Patton hadn't let you in, we wouldn't even be dealing with this idiot right now!" He glared at him, and Roman tried to compose himself, glancing behind his shoulder as Patton ducked his head down, avoiding everyone's gazes again, while the vampire's looked thunderous. "What were you even thinking, letting him in?! Didn't you realize how dangerous he could be?!" Roman squared up his shoulders at that. How dangerous he was?!

"I'm sorry," Patton sniffed, and oh no was he crying? "I just thought…" he trailed off, berated into feeling sorry for reaching out for help from these monsters. The other one sighed.

"What's done is done," he put a hand on the vampire's shoulder, which seemed to placate his mood a little, intense frown leveling out. "There's no use in arguing about it now."

Well, that almost seemed like he was trying to help Patton out. Whatever he was, whatever his part in this was, maybe he wasn't as bad as the vampire, Roman supposed. "Incidentally, I'd advise against trying to get to attack us with an eating utensil." The mechanical man put in, turning to look at him coldly, all traces of kindness and sympathy gone. His hand jolted back, and when he looked down he saw that, indeed, the silver he'd grabbed was a fork. "It will not go well for you," his eye flashed again. 

"Listen," Roman tried again, desperate for any way out of this that led the both of them out of these monsters' clutches. "If you could just-"

"No, you listen!" The vampire turned to him, snarling. "Whatever sick plans you have for Patton, you're not going to get him." He heaved a breath. "No matter what. If you take him, we'll hunt you down." The corner of his mouth lifted briefly. "Isn't that some irony? The supernaturals hunting the hunter." But Roman was frowning, confused. He tried to not let it show, and instead yelled back.

"My sick plans?" He'd have been insulted had the monster not proven himself to be capable of manipulation. "I'm trying to protect him, and get him away from your monstrous plans, you monster." Patton whimpered again as the vampire squinted his eyes at him. 

"What are you-" But the mechanical creature put a hand in front of his face, and he blinked, looking up at him. One of his eyes lit up again, and he felt a shudder of horror go through him as he watched him scan him. There was nothing he could do to combat something like that. He hurriedly tried to picture himself stabbing the two of them, in case he could read minds. 

"I believe," he began, light fading from his eye, "that he doesn't know about Patton." And the vampire's eyes widened, looking back and forth at the monster next to him, Roman, and Patton, who Roman was not looking at. Something was happening that he didn't understand, didn't like, and didn't trust at all. 

"I know plenty about Patton!" He insisted. "I know he's being kept here against-" The so-called human raised his hand, Roman stopped speaking, but eyed the appendage warily.

"Patton," he enunciated. "While I would not ask of you to put yourself in undue danger," Roman scoffed loudly. He was ignored. "I'm correct, aren't I?" Roman heard some movement behind him, but Patton didn't speak. "As I suspected." Apparently Patton had nodded. "Well, perhaps if you could tell him-"

"He's-!" The vampire protested, but the machine man merely stopped him with a hand again. 

"Could tell him that he should leave," he continued, "because you are in no danger."

"Bullshit!" Patton made an upset noise behind him. "I would never believe that he's safe here; not with everything I've seen, and everything he's said," both monsters turned towards Patton, who shuffled again, "all the things he's implied, and not to mention that you'll probably prey on him the second I turn my back."

"I…" that was Patton, and it definitely sounded like he'd been crying now. Roman daren't have attempted to turn around to console him, but he offered up his upturned hand behind him. He didn't take it. "I think I should tell him." The mechanical man went silent, eyeing him, and the vampire's eyes widened and then immediately narrowed, frowning and snarling again. 

"He's right there!" Okay, Roman was confused, but that was clearly directed at him and he frowned again. "You don't have to put yourself in danger to get rid of him!" A shiver made its way up his spine, but quite frankly, he couldn't understand how they were possibly twisting this to make him the bad guy.

"No, no, it's fine, I just." He heard an inhale and an exhale. "But, Roman?" He turned his head slightly while keeping his eyes on the other two. The air was so tense, he could practically cut it with the fork he clutched in his hand, so tightly his knuckles were white. "Could you step back a bit, let me have some room?"

"Don't-"

"But they'll-" The vampire and Roman seemed to have similar objections to Patton…doing whatever it was that he was doing. 

"It's fine." Patton insisted, voice strong. "Virgil and Logan won't hurt me, right?" The other two nodded, the vampire, Virgil evidently, was still scowling. "And Roman, you won't either, right?"

"Of course not! I would-"

"Promise? No matter what?" Patton was smiling, but he seemed melancholy. Roman nodded dumbly, getting an uneasy feeling. 

"Promise." He went back a few feet, keeping an eye on the other two, but one eye watching Patton to see what he was doing. Whatever it was, they were oddly compliant with Patton's directions. Which was not at all what he would have expected. That only served to add to his unease. 

"Okay." Patton took another step back, closed his eyes, his hands balled into fists, and his face scrunched up. This seemed to become quite a bit more scrunched than he expected, until he realized that his face was getting longer. 

Roman paled as he watched Patton's body start to change shape, grow hair, become pointier. Roman shut his eyes, vampire and his accomplice be damned, until he heard panting, and then a sharp bark that sounded like Patton's laugh. He looked, and there was a huge light-colored dog- no, wolf standing there. His jaw dropped open, and he heard the other two say something, as though they were calling out, a warning, but it sounded fuzzy and far away. Roman very suddenly realized that the conflicting information that he'd gathered about this place made sense now. It wasn't one monster, it was three. 

And then, his eyes rolling back into his head, Roman fainted.

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