The after-work rush was starting to build in the subway system beneath New York City, as thousands of commuters hurried to get home after a long day on the job. Most walked quickly, keeping their eyes down and their hands shoved deep into their pockets. Some, however, walked more slowly and took notice of the masses of humanity around them. The subway was the place where all classes mingled, from the business people in suits and dresses to the homeless hunkered down in the corners with their cardboard signs and tin cups.

In one corner, a short blonde girl stood playing a worn-out violin. Her skill wasn't exactly exceptional, but the open case at her feet was full of change and small bills anyway. The uninformed passer-by might wonder at the unexpected success of the teenager with a mediocre violin, until they read the cardboard sign that had been leaned against the case: "BLIND, ANYTHING HELPS."

Anya smiled softly as she continued to play, already aware that tonight was going to be successful. However, her premonitions hadn't been all good; there was some unidentified threat in the near future. But it wasn't here yet, and if her vision of a case full of ones and fives was correct, the Bruschevs would be eating well tonight.

Victoria walked carefully through the streets. The city was a sort of a haven for her kind: the population was diverse and large and there were plenty of places for them to thrive. She came to a halt in front of the Keller Hotel, a building long since abandoned. She rolled out her lock-picking kit and began to work on the door until the sound of success filled her ears.

Looking both ways, she slipped into the building. Victoria sat herself down on an old lobby couch and rubbed her temples in frustration. One of her contacts informed her that another Immortal was dead and she did nothing to stop it. In all her life, she knew the price of being one of the oldest. She went into hiding while her brethren died, while they were scared of their powers and had no idea what control was. She could have helped them, they were desperate and she could have done so much to help them. Yet here she was: alive while so many were lost.

She leaped to her feet and flipped the couch over, kicking it repeatedly. Tears fell from eyes as frustration finally boiled to a climax. She stopped her tirade to catch her breath, the couch almost in places from the weakness of rot and her blows. She fell to her knees and hung her head. Her people deserved better and she needed to protect them.

(Sorry that she is not near you, I just had this in my starter. It wasn't letting me post it and I was just like:"GAH!" I had to resize it 4 times in MS Word to get the character limit -.-")

Felix wiped her brow as she put the last of the equipment away; another long day of training clients, but better yet pay-day. Today she was wearing a form-fitting black tank-top with a pair of worn jeans with holes in the knees and dark combat boots. A black hooded cloak adorned her back, clasping over her chest, but her co-workers and clients were used to her wearing things like that. Trench coats, cloaks, sometimes even capes. Felix never went anywhere without one, and for good reason. She stretched her arms up in the air and arched her back before turning and heading for the counter where a burly man was re-stocking some small goods. She moved around behind the counter and bent down to grab her back-pack, slinging it over her shoulder before walking back around towards the front door. "I'm gonna head off now Marty, I'll see ya later." Felix said with a casual wave of her hand. The man smiled at her and waved back. "Alright, take care Felix."

It was a rather nice out as she walked down the street towards the subway, and she took her time and enjoyed the weather. Eventually she worked her way down into the subway until she could hear the distant sound of a violin. Felix visibly perked up, her green eyes searching as she pushed her way through the small crowd and out into a more open space. She jogged over to a blonde girl playing a violin and grinned at her, knowing full well the other girl would know she was there from the sound of her boots. "Hey there Anya, are you ready to go home?" Her green eyes glanced down at her case. "You did pretty well today." She said with a hint of pride in her voice. It always amazed her how much Anya could do despite her blindness.

Familiar bootsteps made Anya lower her violin with a huge grin. "Felix!" She knelt and felt around with one hand until she located her case, and put her instrument away over top of whatever money had been deposited there. Then she picked up her signed and tucked it into the outside pocket of the case, and stood back up. As she did, she shouldered her burden and put her arms out in the direction of Felix's voice, silently asking for a hug.

A little way down the platform, a tall figure stepped off the train. A brown bomber jacket concealed twin pistols, and a grey t-shirt covered a silver crucifix that hung around his neck. He had received word that there was a Fighter who was frequently spotted in this station, and he was determined to find it. Matthias burned with anger at the idea that an unholy Immortal would present itself in such a crowded place. There were so many people here, and a Fighter was a threat to every single one of them.

Suddenly, Anya stiffened. "Felix. A threat coming. A tall redheaded boy."

Felix's grin spread and she reached out to gently pull the little blonde to her, embracing her. She reached up and lightly ruffled her hair, a sign of affection she often used on her. However at Anya's words Felix's face immediately hardened, her arms clutching Anya to her protectively as her green eyes scanned the area. She had learned to take the young girl's visions seriously a long time ago. Felix turned and quickly pushed Anya towards an exit as she glanced around at the people passing by. "Hurry, we gotta get out of here." Her voice was barely a whisper, but she knew that Anya could hear her better than anyone else would have. And there she was, and for a moment Felix paused as her eyes fixated on him. Tall and redheaded, wearing a brown jacket. Suddenly Felix's pushing became more frantic shoves. "He's here!" She hissed into Anya's ear.

Anya almost lost her balance as Felix started pushing her toward the exit, but she hurried as much as she dared, making sure to keep near to Felix's warm, protective presence. She followed her friend's instructions without question, knowing that Felix could easily take care of both of them. She had learned long ago from her visions the extent of Felix's capabilities, and trusted her with her life. As much as she would rather be able to take care of herself, there was no one she would rather depend on than Felix.

Matthias was scanning the crowd with expertly trained eyes. If there was a Fighter here, it wouldn't take him long to identify it. His job was made easier when he saw two women rushing through the train station, the taller one forcibly leading the smaller one. A flash of the short one's eyes and he knew she was a Seeker: her blindness was why she had to be led. In that instant, the taller one's head turned, and her eyes landed directly on him. Matthias' eyes narrowed. She had tattoos on either side of her eyes.

As the two hurried frantically away from him, Matthias strode confidently after them, not yet bothering to break into a run. He knew that the Seeker would slow them down, and he would be able to catch them easily. Besides, it would cause less of a scene if he could get the two of them away from the mass of humanity centered around the train station. Of course, it was hard to get away from people altogether in New York, but this was the Bronx, and a few stray gunshots would probably go unnoticed.

Anya stumbled up the stairs to the street, despite her best efforts to keep her feet on track. They were moving too fast for her to measure the distance of each step correctly, and her Sight wasn't helping: her vision was too full of images of running and hiding. However, for a moment, there was a scene of the two of them in the Bruschev's living room, gasping for breath, but safe. "I think we're gonna make it," Anya said out loud. "But we gotta hurry."

(Last post of mine before bed I have school tomorrow .-.)

Leaving the security of the hotel, Victoria shifted into her eagle form and began to scan the city. If she was going to redeem herself in any way, she needed to start now. She flew over the area she watched the most: The Bronx. It was essentially a mine field of Immortal residents and the Hunters knew that. Looking down, she saw two girls that looked as though they were running from something or someone. She dove down and saw what they were running from: a redheaded boy. She bore her talons and charged at the boy, trying her best to distract him, if only for a moment, from the two young girls.

Felix continued to roughly push and shove poor Anya, for a moment forgetting to be gentle. She was far too concerned with getting her friend out and away from the redheaded man. When they reached the stairs Felix slowed down a little when she noticed Anya struggling with them. It wasn't long before they were outside, but she knew the man had to be on their tail. "Right, here." Suddenly her strong arms scooped up Anya, violin case and all. She crouched a bit as she held the girl bridal style against her chest, her green eyes narrowing. With a burst of strength Felix launched them forward, gaining speed as her booted feet pounded against the pavement. 'Faster, faster, I have to go faster!' Felix's thoughts screamed in her head as she pushed harder and harder to gain momentum.

(Rest well~)

Matthias took the stairs two at a time, his fingers itching to go for his guns. The roughness of the way the Fighter treated the Seeker just confirmed his belief that Immortals were heartless animals. Obviously all this one cared about was survival, not the comfort or health of her accomplice. The blind one was obviously having trouble keeping up. When he burst out onto the city street, it took him a moment to realize where they had gone. Then the Fighter shot out of a crouch and sprinted away, carrying the Seeker in her arms. That Seeker must be extremely powerful to be that important to a Fighter. He was surprised she hadn't left the blind one behind already.

With a smirk, he reached for his guns. He didn't get a chance, however, as suddenly there was a huge feathered bird in his face. He threw one hand up to his face to guard his eyes from the bird's vicious talons, his other hand gripping his pistol and drawing it out. In a desperate attempt to get away from the attacking creature, Matthias braced himself and flopped down onto his back, putting enough space between him and the bird for him to send a couple bullets toward it. Without waiting to see if they connected, he rolled one one side, got back to his feet, and took off after the Fighter. He cursed under his breath when he realized that the two had disappeared from sight, and promptly ducked indoors to get away from the crazy bird.

Anya saw him give up the chase and sighed. "He's not following us anymore. But let's hurry home. He got a good look at both of our faces."

Felix took a chance and glanced behind her; no one was following them, just like Anya had predicted. Even so she didn't let up her pace. Her eyes narrowed and she scowled. "Shit..well--" The dark-haired woman slowed down to a jog as Anya's home came into view. When they reached the front door Felix stopped, her arms tightening around the small woman in her arms. "Just, don't go anywhere without me for a while. Okay?" Felix buried her face into her short blonde hair for comfort. Anya was the most precious person in the world to her; Felix didn't know what she would do if something happened to her. She knew Anya had visions of the future on her side, but as far as she could tell they didn't show her every danger. If that man showed up when she wasn't around..

Slowly Felix lowered Anya down until her feet touched the ground, but she didn't take her hands off her shoulders. No, she wouldn't let that happen. Even if it meant calling in to work or staying over with her crazy family Felix wouldn't leave her alone until she knew the danger had passed. The older woman gave her young friend a wry smile as she shifted her weight. "How about I stay over tonight? Do you think mama and papa bear would mind? It has been a while."

Garret was leaning against the high-school brick wall, the rotting crows and pigeons dancing at his feet while Percy sat by his side. As night began to fall, and the school parking lot remained empty, he righted himself, striking his finger down towards the undead birds and said, "And back to the dirt with you.", and with that they almost immediately sank into the ground. He then began walking "home". Percy eagerly followed, his scruffy tail wagging behind him. The two of them took the public bus, and when the bus driver asked him to leave because of Percy, Garret simply payed extra. The bus driver simply shook her head and let him pass. He got off the bus at a bus stop around the abandoned warehouse he lived in, and began walking.

All of the sudden, he managed to see to girls rush past him, and he caught a glimpse of one of their faces, an unnatural tattoo of a wing, seemingly burnt onto her face more than the usual inky tattoo. He heard something cry out and looked to his left to see a man getting mauled by... an eagle? Fair enough. Percy began growling at the red-haired man, and Garret decided it was a good idea to run after the two women.

Brazen rose from the dirt, brushing off his hands. He turned to his expectant daughter. "We're very close, now," he said, "This area was recently disturbed, and these birds...Well, we're close." He paused, moving carefully over the ground, when he saw Percy's tracks. "Come along now, we have a solid trail." Father and daughter maneuvered along, Brazen tracking the dog, Elsidy following obediently behind him. She hated wearing the veiled hat when the day grew late and the sunlight began to die; even with artificial lighting everywhere, it was still difficult to see.

They arrived at a bus stop and Braze swore lightly. He moved to the bus schedule, scanning it over, before whipping out his phone to look up the bus route. Elsidy plopped down in the bench. How could her father love this so dearly? Tracking was boring. They were never going to find the other Summoner! Brazen spent a few moments looking over the trail. "If I had to guess," he said in a slow murmur, "He or she'd have gotten off at the fourth spot from here. Abandoned buildings are in that area. Good place to hide out. Come on, then, back to the car." Sighing, Elsidy rose and obeyed.

Anya's feet gingerly touched the ground, and she leaned on Felix for a moment to get her balance as she stood on her own two feet. She appreciated the way her friend kept one arm around her shoulders; it made it much easier to maintain her equilibrium. Being blind made balancing difficult because she had no visual reference point around which to orient herself. Having Felix there as a physical reference point made it easier to find and keep her balance.n

nOnce she was comfortable on her feet, she slipped one hand into her pocket and extracted a single key attached to a small plastic keychain. The keychain had a noisemaker in it so that Anya could find it without help. With her other hand she reached out until she touched the door, and slid her hand around on the wood until she found the doorknob. Then she unlocked the door with relative ease and stepped into the house, pulling Felix along with her. The family would be happy to see the older girl; they had welcomed her into the family when they saw how good she was at taking care of their daughter.n

nInside, two tall blonde boys lounged on a moth-eaten couch and a man with an impressive mustache sat at the dinner table, poring over a stack of papers. All three looked up when the door opened, and a care-worn woman looking in from the kitchen. The family made various exclamations of delight at seeing the two girls, and the boys both jumped to their feet.

n"Welcome home, you two," said the older of the two boys, a tall man in his late twenties named Jakob. He gingerly took her violin case and took it to the table to count his sister's earnings. "You did good today," he observed, as he set the violin aside on the table. The comment was enough to make their father look up from his papers and smile.n

n"Hey, Felix," greeted the younger, a stocky twenty-something named Ivan. A glance over the two of them made him frown. "Are you okay?"

n"There's enough here for a pizza!" Jakob interjected. That got Mrs. Bruschev's attention and she came into the living room from the kitchen, recounting the money over Jakob's shoulder to confirm. She grinned. "Pizza it is!" she cried, and hurried back into the kitchen to get her telephone to call the local pizza delivery station.n

n"Anya, what happened?" Ivan had lowered his voice now.

nAnya shook her head. "Don't worry, Ivan. We're safe now." She knew that wouldn't satisfy him, but she also knew that her safety was the top priority of her family. The best she could do was assure them that everything was fine now.

nMrs. Bruschev looked up from the phone. "Felix, will you be joining us for dinner?"

Felix waited patiently as Anya got out the key and found the doorknob, her arm still lightly resting across her small shoulders. Despite her looks the little blonde was a strong girl and could do almost everything by herself as long as someone didn't jump in and do it for her. Soon enough Felix found herself being dragged inside, mentally bracing herself; as much as she loved Anya's family they could be a little overwhelming at times. Sure enough as soon as they were inside her two brothers jumped up to to greet them. Felix gave the boys a crooked grin. "Hey guys. Hey mom, hey pops." For a moment she was distracted by Ivan, who as usual seemed to know when something was wrong.

Felix stretched her arms up into the air before resting one on top of the young man's head, leaning a good deal of her weight onto him. "He,y hey! Who do you think you're talking to? This is me and Anya, when the two of us are put together we're unstoppable!" She clenched her free hand into a fist. And although she was wearing an air of confidence and arrogance, deep down inside Felix knew better. No one was invincible, and there was real danger out there. But she didn't want Anya's family to worry.

The young woman stood upright, releasing Ivan as she went into the kitchen to join Anya's parents. "Sure, if it's no problem. Also I was wondering if I could stay over tonight, Henry's been meowing all night and I can't get any sleep." Felix complained, moving to stand behind Mr. Bruschev's chair. She set her hands on the back of it and leaned down close to his head. "Hey pops.." Felix murmured so only he would hear her. One of her hands slipped into her pocket, withdrawing two crumpled twenties which she discreetly placed in his large hand. Sometimes she tried to give pops any leftover money she could spare from her checks, but he wasn't always willing to take it.

Garret ran after the two women, trying to call to them, but they were too far away to hear. He looked behind him to make sure the red-headed man wasn't chasing after him. To make sure, he summoned a couple rotting dogs, one a border-collie, its fur barely hanging onto it, and a German shepherd, half of his jaw exposed, to cover up his tracks. As they came to a crossroads the two other dogs ran different directions, while Garret and Percy kept chasing the two girls. After a few miles of running, the two summoned dogs sank back into the ground.

Garret eventually made his way to the house they entered, and he rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Once he did, he walked to the front of the house and knocked on the door.

Victoria avoided the bullets narrowly, one grazing her wing. She flew a bit staggered toward the direction of the girls. It was the only chance she had to try and reunite with her brethren; she needed to take it in order for her species to survive. Perching on a tree, she shifted into her human form and noticed blood dripping down her arm. Her graze had opened more. She cursed slightly and jumped from the tree, keeping in the shadows as she covered her face with her hood.

She approached the home which the two girls and now boy ended up. The boy was still at the door waiting for an answer when his dog noticed her, growling at her presence. Victoria growled back before turning her attention to the boy. "Friend or foe?" She asked from the shadows.

Ivan stood patiently under Felix's crushing arms, a wry smile decorating his face. As Jakob finished counting and sorting his sister's earnings for the day, he went over and took her arm, leading her to the couch. Anya could make it to the couch by herself; she had the entire inside of the house memorized and could navigate it with ease. But the rest of the family never tired of helping her, and so she allowed their attentions without comment.

Mr. Bruschev looked up from his papers when he felt the bills touch his hand. "Felicity," he murmured, using Felix's full name. "We don't need--"

"Take it, Daddy," Anya interrupted. "There's two more coming for dinner."

As if on cue, there came a knock on the door. Everyone looked up, and Ivan and Jakob stiffened. Because of Anya's differences, they were always wary about unexpected visitors; Ivan was especially worried today because he had seen what a panic she and Felix had been in when they arrived at the house. Whoever was at the door could very well be the reason they had looked so frightened.

"Well, open the door, Ivan," Anya instructed. "They're like us, they're no danger. Ooo, and one of them has a dog!" She grinned. The Bruschevs had never been able to afford a proper pet, and Mrs. Bruschev had never been keen on having an animal around to get underfoot when one of her children couldn't see her feet in the first place. But Anya loved animals, and dearly wished for a dog, although she understood why they couldn't have one.

Ivan went to the door and opened it to allow the visitors inside.

Brazen's hunt was delayed longer than he liked in finding a place to park, but once he arrived at the bus stop, his eyes gleamed as he resumed following his prey. He paused and murmured another curse as he reached a point where several tracks led off in different directions.

"Well, no surprise...he or she wouldn't want someone following 'em home," Brazen murmured as Elsidy lingered nearby, looking bored. "I doubt any of these are the right trail. I'll have to look for other clues." He searched the area, but the trail of the other Summoner was lost. Running a hand over his face, Brazen leaned against the nearest wall. They'd have to pick up the trail when it existed again.

Perhaps he should go to that warehouse he'd guessed about. There certainly weren't tracks leading that direction. Brazen waved for Elsidy to follow and he headed off, Google Maps his guide.

He paused as he caught trail of something else - a tiny splatter of blood. "I don't think that's him," Brazen murmured, "but...hm." He turned and began to follow the trail of blood, albeit the wrong way, where Victoria was fleeing.

Felix visibly stiffened along with Ivan and Jakob. Her gaze quickly went to Anya, and although she trusted her friend she couldn't help but feel tense. Felix strode over to the couch and sat on the arm of it before crossing her arms over her chest, making sure that she was between whoever came inside and Anya. Her expression was hard and guarded despite the fact that Anya didn't seem to think the newcomers were a threat to them. But what had she meant that they were like them..? Did she mean that they had wings or could see the future? Felix had never met anyone like herself, the closest she had found was her friend Anya. She had no idea who or what immortals were, or hunters for that matter, though she had run into several cross-bearing psychos before.

Garret thought to himself as they waited and pet Percy's scruffy coat. Who was that man aiming at the women, and why was he being mauled by an eagle in New York. He turned to look at the woman asking him the question. "If it keeps me from getting killed, then it's friend." Just then, his knock was answered by a stocky blonde man. He thanked him as he walked through the doorway. He turned back around to look at the two girls, the one with the blank eyes and the one with the face tattoo. He stared at them for a moment before promptly saying, "What the hell was that?!"