Bound By Blood (Yuna & Emperor_Nero's 1x1)

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

The world had recently - and literally - all but gone to hell. Humanity was practically gone. Nowadays, vampires seemed to dominate not just the States but the entire world. It was something that no one really prepared for. And now, most of everyone had paid the price because of it. Even her hometown of Taos, New Mexico, had wound up having most of it's human residents replaced with the damn vampires.

Fucking bloodsuckers. Ugh, I can't wait to leave and get to my real job.

Nina's head shook from side to side, a wave of disbelief overwhelming her. This new change had happened about five years ago when Nina had been fifteen. Despite all the time that passed, it felt as if everything had happened more recently, like a few days or so had gone by as opposed to several years.

"Not like it fucking matters anymore," she murmured in annoyance, sighing as she leaned against a wall. Her head glanced around as finally, Nina's workplace came into view. She'd been on a brief but well-deserved and needed break. The sounds from outside, however, all but spelled out the others were getting impatient for their meals and drinks. Thankfully, the night was almost over. When it did end, she could leave and meet up with the few other rebels who were helping her out. It was mainly with supplies, particularly silver bullets, but ah well. It was something and that was definitely better than nothing.

Of course, only those close to her even knew that Nina was even involved at all with the rebels. If anyone found out ... well ... it would definitely cause far too many complications for her if not a far worse fate.

Her mind abruptly shifted topics once again as it realized she was still, even if barely, on duty. That was certainly another thing Nina could do without besides the lack of humans, her job. But she couldn't lie to herself either. It was one of the few legal places left. And Nina had far too much pride to dare let herself sink to something like prostitution, even though tons of other women had given in and done just that. The job was horrible all in all. The only real slightly redeeming feature were the tips, although the redhead knew better. She was given such generous 'donations' not because she worked her ass off, but because tons of perverted men flooded into the restaurant she worked at night after night.

A few had even been bold enough to try to sneak gropes off her, not caring if it was for her ass, chest, or in between her legs. Of course, those pathetic idiots always got taken care of in the form of being kicked out or banned if they tried to repeat that crap.

After thinking more on it, Nina supposed that too was another blessing. What few other humans did work with her at least gave genuine damns about Nina. It was nice to see not all of humanity had gone away.

But .. for now ... she had to leave the quiet, empty room she'd been hiding away in. An annoyed groan passed her lips before she pushed herself away from the wall and walked outside to her next table.

An exhausted but mostly genuine smile crossed Nina's face as she pulled a small notepad out and clicked down on a blue pen that matched the color of her eyes. "Evening. What can I get for you, sir?" she inquired, shifting between looking down at the new customer and the paper in front of her, ready to write at a moment's notice.

Nero Archon, Head of the Department of Control and Management in the Southern America, had a job that sounded simple and peaceful. But it was not. The secret would be hidden in the two words left off the official name of his department that should have been there. "Of Humanity"

His job, simply put, was to put humanity in its place below the vampiric race and to crush rebel groups. The task force he controlled, termed by the New Age Government as Enforcers but known to the rebellious groups as Reapers, were ruthless, efficient, and quiet. No one escaped the Reapers. Not even the most quick of human rebels. Nero, who was equally infamous in these rebel groups, was often termed "the Puppetmaster", when not simply referred to as "you know, that bastard" or "the twisted son of a bitch." Few liked Nero, but he cared little.

Prostitution remained illegal, where vampires were involved. The New Age Government didn't care what humans did to each other, but a vampire with a STD would be a viable weakness in their genetic perfection, and that they could not allow. Executions were the only punishment- vampires would be injected with a blend of holy water, silver slivers, and neurotoxins, which would kill them quickly but painfully. Humans would simply be drained of blood and then their bodies burned. Simple and effective. Humans would often be taken into the homes of vampires as blood slaves, serving as both a meal and sexual release. After one bite, a human would easily become addicted to the sensation, and often a genetic bond would form in their brain so that the hormones and chemicals the bite delivered would be tied specifically to one vampire, making them dependant. It was a ruthless way to keep women coming back for more even as the drug degraded them and made them more and more willing.

On the other hand, those that could resist it became dangerous. Rebel groups would hire them to kill off vampires during sexual acts or feeding, or both, as the actions often occurred simultaneously. And it was part of Nero's job to hunt down these women (and men, as female vampires enjoyed them for the same purpose, and not all vampires were attracted to the opposite sex.)

And so he found himself in New Mexico, investigating some uprisings and suspicious deaths of local officials. It was awful work. But, for publicity's sake he was here, in a little restaurant, to use this as an intimidation technique. Not many rebels would do much if they knew they were on the government's radar. Especially if the Puppetmaster was in town, with his personal squad of Reapers patrolling the area. It might take a silver bullet to kill a vampire, but lead ones worked just fine for humans.

As the pretty waitress approached, he looked up, his short black hair ruffled across his head, amber-red eyes that marked him as the vampiric kind. His skin was pale and nearly translucent, his fingers long and slender. A black pistol was clipped to his belt, but he had other, more quiet weapons on his body elsewhere. "Good evening." He said precisely, his pale lips moving slightly. Her aroma of life was tempting and intoxicating. The temptation to sink his fangs into her was strong, but he resisted. Perhaps he could seduce her. "I don't normally eat, but I will defer to the waitress's good judgement. What is particularly good tonight, beautiful?" He said softly. He was alone at the table, and appeared about twenty-eight, but she would probably know exactly who he was. And that he was under watch always.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

The first thing Nina easily noticed in between her glances were Nero's eyes. Nowadays, vampires were so easy to spot. In fact, many didn't even hide their presence much anymore. It pissed her off as the act alone felt like an arrogant act of sorts. True, they did have reasons to be acting in such a way. But that didn't mean Nina liked it nor did she have to. An inward sigh echoed in her head as her pen rested against the notepad upon hearing Nero finally speak.

His name, however, was one thing Nina did not know. She never took the time to learn them, only which people were still the rare humans and which were her true targets. He definitely fell under the latter. But she wouldn't make any foolish moves here. Besides, her gun was back in her own place. While Nina did have a bit of martial arts under her belt, she wouldn't try going toe-to-toe against a vampire. That was even stupider than trying to deal with one in a very public place.

"Well," Her head tilted upward this time as she began to honestly help give some good recommendations. She'd try to do her waitress duties for the time being and simultaneously play the civil card. Nothing else would get her anywhere and hell, at least he wasn't being one of the typically crude bastards she usually had to deal with. So she'd be nice. "Wine, especially the red for a drink. Nachos tend to be really good as appetizers or a main course, whichever the customer prefers. A lot have been getting cheese quesadillas, enchiladas, and burritos; sometimes a mix of all of the above. Mexican isn't very well known for their desserts but if you want, I can see what I can do in that department."

The now twenty-year old woman went quiet, her pen angling once again so she could write down now that the obvious vampire had been given a reply. As curious as she was to wanting to ask why he was really here, she restrained herself. That simple act of questioning could easily separate her from the normal humans or those involved with the rebels. She was meant to be nothing more than a gorgeous waitress and she'd thus play that part out until she got dismissed from her work. Thankfully, that would be after he was done with his meals for the night. So she continued to remind herself of that very knowledge to avoid seeming too anxious to get out.

Just a bit longer, just a bit longer ...

Nero leaned back in his chair slowly, eyes scraping over the slender, attractive body before him, not bothering to conceal the attraction he felt. "A red wine then, the best in house. No nachos, just a chicken quesadilla." He decided. Before the girl could turn to go, he placed a hand on her arm, holding her by the table for a moment.

"Just a second, lovely. Being a waitress, I'm sure you hear all kinds of things... You haven't heard anything interesting lately. Information is well rewarded, you know." He muttered, his lips moving but not appearing to form the words he spoke. A counter to anyone who might lip-read him. He didn't truly expect the waitress to have anything of note or to be willing to say it. But if she had something, it might be worth his time. He removed his cold hand from her arm. "And on a completely different note, you are extremely beautiful, and yet a free human. Interesting." It was strange. Typically, beautiful and sexy women would have been claimed, willing or not, by a vampire lord or lady. A free one indicated a strong will, or powerful friends. Either were interesting to Nero.

He leaned back, away from her, straightening the all-black suit he wore. His chiseled, pale face cut a contrast with the fabric and made him more impressive, more strong within the lighting of the restaurant. A small smile curled at his lips. A smile that knew everything and would use it against you.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

"Of course, sir." Nina replied. Her pen had finished writing the order down and slid back into her pocket as Nero's hand found her arm. To a normal human, it wouldn't be obvious. But Nero would definitely detect Nina had tensed up from the touch. It was simple enough to know how she typically reacted to it. In fact, if she were out of the restaurant, he would be meeting the much more aggressive side of her. But as it was, her obligations were keeping Nina much more tame than she wished to be.

All the same, Nina forced herself to calm down and think on Nero's words. They definitely had several points to them. Moreover, she could reply with an honest and simultaneously false reply. But would it be wise? As fast and strong as vampires were, she hadn't heard of any that had the ability to read minds on those they hadn't bitten. So ... she should be safe; at least that was what the logic and thoughts going through her mind said.

"Just a lot of restlessness, honestly. However, a few seem more so than usual. I haven't heard exact details nor a solution about it. But it is an out-of-place bit of information to hear given how people never used to be quite like this before."

She gave a seemingly casual shrug of her shoulders, feeling proud and confident in her reply, before bowing her head to Nero. "I'll be right back with the wine."

And before anymore questions could be directed to her, Nina walked behind the doors and into the kitchen. Her heart had probably been racing when she'd spoken to Nero. If it wasn't, however, she could definitely feel it doing so now. After allowing herself to take a few deep breaths and get her pulse more normal, Nina pushed herself away from against the wall.

First thing was first; she set up the ticket so the cooks knew what to get Nero. A few steps of navigating herself around and soon Nina found the wine and a clean, empty glass. She'd purposely chosen one of the bottles that had been slightly chilled to better enhance the flavor of the alcohol. As Nina found a corkscrew, she placed it above the top and opened the bottle. A slight pop echoed through the room as she carefully placed the glass on a tray, next proceeding to pour the wine into the glass.

She then placed the cork back into the bottle and tucked it firmly yet gently - to avoid breaking it - under her right arm. The tray went into her left hand as she carried herself and the two items out, soon arriving back beside Nero.

"Here you go, sir. Consider this on the restaurant." she replied, setting the tray down and placing the glass down in front of Nero first. The wine bottle soon followed as she placed it beside his glass. "Do you need anything else before I have to leave for a while?" Nina inquired.

He noticed her tensing, her increased heartrate, and knew something was up. She knew a lot more than she was telling him, and that wouldn't be allowed. But instead of nabbing her now... Perhaps she could be used. As he released her and she vanished in the back room, he pressed the black button concealed in one of his cuff links, activating the little microphone hidden in the collar of his shirt.

"There is a waitress here who knows something. Blue eyes. Red hair. Slender." He whispered quietly. Follow her with a team, find out what she's doing." He instructed, and then released the little button. There was no response, but he didn't need one to know that the deadly Reapers were moving into position to watch every exit of the place, ready to follow their mark.

The advancements in technology since the takeover were huge. But only the government truly benefited from them, and the Reapers were a perfect example. Fully clad in black, skin-tight fabric which was durable and nearly bullet-proof (though not always), they wore black helmets with a tinted visor, and were equipped with top of the line gear. The suits allowed them to be active day or night, protecting the sensitive vampire skin and eyes from bleeding dry in the sunlight. Sunlight would break down vampiric cells like sulfuric acid, and the results were just as disgusting.

Additionally, all Reapers carried a assault rifle and a long-bladed knife, as well as grappling hooks, climbing gear, first aid kit, and their helmets had heat sensors equipped. They were the ultimate hunters. Then some Reapers specialized in Sniper work or in Stealth, adding a whole additional level of dangerousness to the group.

Nero had never been failed by the Reapers. The special forces group had lost a total of five vampires since the takeover. The normal New Age Military had taken a lot more casualties and was less effective.

Nina, as he gathered from her name tag, returned with the wine and food, and he gave her a small nod. "Thank you. No, that will be all. You are dismissed." He said, a little smirk on his lips. He knew she wouldn't like being dismissed, and he wanted to see her react.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

In truth, it wasn't that Nero said she could leave which bothered her. Oh no. It was more like how he said it, as if ordering a maid away. That was what silently infuriated her. Nina definitely felt her temper begin to flare, threatening to reveal itself before she quickly calmed herself. Her head bowed as she smiled back to Nero. "Of course, sir. Your food should be ready soon." Without another word, she turned on her heels and headed behind the doors once again. The second she knew she was out of sight and earshot, an annoyed scoff passed her lips as she continued to walk further on.

"Smug, arrogant, son-of-a-bitch ... " she growled, locking herself in the bathroom. She didn't actually have to use it. But it was one of the quieter places she could hide away in. It was also one of the few places in the restaurant that was safe from security cameras. Thus, she could always pull her phone out and keep in touch with other members of the rebellion without worrying about being caught.

As Nina turned her cell phone on, she saw at least two or three new text messages saying they had to try to meet tonight. A frown crossed her face as she shook her head no. Deft fingers hit the 'reply' button as she began quickly replying to each message, sending the same answer. It was short but sweet and - hopefully - would get her point across.

"Not tonight. Far too dangerous. I'll call tonight but no face-to-face meetings. Trust me on this."
-Nina

It had already dawned in Nina's mind that she probably should have just said no to whether she'd known anything or not. And the fact she had gone on and said a half-truth, half-lie instead may have been the wrong move to make. That being said, she knew that from here on out, Nina would have to be much more careful. As each reply got sent, Nina deleted all the messages on her phone, regardless of whether they had been in her sent box or inbox. Standing up, she turned her phone off and pocketed it away, heading to the sink as she then began to wash her hands.

No sooner than she walked out of the bathroom did one of the other waitresses nearly bump into her.

"There you are! The order for your last table is ready."

"Good. Thank you, Maria." After giving her co-worker a polite smile, she headed towards the waiting tray, grasped it with her right hand and headed quickly but carefully to Nero's table.

"Your quesadillas, sir. I hope you enjoy everything." Deciding the check for him could wait, she excused herself, turning once again to leave. However, she purposely kept to a slow pace, just in case he asked for something else. That way, she'd at least be able to hear his words.

As he saw the waitress slip out of the kitchen door, Nero played a tone off of his phone, then acted as if he needed to answer it, placing it to his ear and playing a random voice track on low volume. He nodded his thanks to the girl and waved her away once more, speaking quietly, as if to keep his words from her, but just loud enough to not.

"No, we'll be done for this evening. Keep the normal patrols, but the investigations and ransoms searches can be paused for now. We aren't getting anything with them. But try to get me more cell phone surveillance in the area, we can gather plenty of intel quickly that way." His eyes remained on the table, but he watched Nina's body language and what bits of her expression he could see as she made he way across the restaurant. In truth, none of those things would happen, but she wouldn't notice. She would think her cell phone was being monitored, or she would tell herself that the random searches were no longer happening, but they would continue until the rebels hiding within this town were rooted out. He hung up the phone a minute or two after she had slipped away.

Nero ate at a slow pace, watching people exit the restaurant before accepting his bill, and preparing to leave

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

A slight frown crossed Nina's face. She didn't hear all of what Nero said. But the words 'patrols', 'investigations' and 'ransoms' had definitely gotten her attention. And she did indeed fear something had been done with her phone. But ... that couldn't be. Even if someone had hacked into it, she would have been alerted for one. Two, it would take much more than a few mere seconds to find the same messages she'd read and sent off. So ... no. Something was very wrong and off. And now, she was more anxious to be let off duty and head home. There were clearly some things she needed to deal with tonight. Not tomorrow, not the day after. Tonight.

But ... how in the hell is everything happening so fast?

She used peripheral vision to sneak back towards Nero for a few seconds. It almost felt too convenient that he had appeared tonight. She could have ignored everything, including his presence. But between all that had happened and reached her ears since she'd began waiting for him ... no. It just didn't feel like a mere coincidence. Nina couldn't prove or place how her logic was right. But she was almost certain her guess was somehow correct.

Even still, you have about half an hour before you can do much about it.

As the reminder raced through her mind, Nina disappeared once again from view. Instead of heading back into the bathroom, she went into a small lounge for staff members. She didn't have to do anything until about twenty or so minutes, around the time Nero should be done eating.

Before then, however, she did some quick thinking. As much as she had wanted to keep her promise and get back in touch with her contacts, maybe she should keep a low profile tonight. Nodding to herself, Nina stood up with Nero's check in her hand. Walking out, she arrived yet again beside him and placed the sheet of paper upside-down on his table.

"Thank you for coming over tonight. I hope everything was good for you." She then began gathering the empty glass and plate and placing them all upon the tray. Once they entered the kitchen, she would be free to clock herself out and finally go home, something she was very much looking forward to. It had been a very, very long night.

"It was just fine, thank you." Nero said with a smile, standing and paying the bill, dropping a tip to the table. His eyes raked down her body once more, taking in the beauty of her flesh before he went. He turned and slipped out the door of the restaurant, walking quickly down the street, turning a corner into an alley.

Parked in the dark shadows of this alleyway, was a large black tour bus, with tinted windows and "DCM" stamped in white on the side. Nero walked up to the door, and tapped twice on the panel of glass. It slid open, and he stepped into the large vehicle, his attention going to the large screen on the back wall. On it were various trackers they had planted on several rebel targets. Nero snatched a headset from a nearby countertop, sliding it over his head an positioning the microphone in front of his mouth.

"All right! Team one, you tail the girl. Get me her home address and anyone who visits her and any place she goes. Stay on her. Team two, you'll take out Target 871 tonight. Use as stealthy of an approach as possible, preferably a sniper shot through a window. We don't want anyone hearing a fight in the middle of the night. If we take him out quietly, we can cover it up, say it was an accident or something. Team three, you'll continue surveillance of the next target. Learn her routines, her contacts, and, when she's not home, the layout of her house. She seems to have a bit of information- we'll search her house covertly tomorrow, and if there's anything interesting, we'll take her in for questioning. Teams four and five, you cover the bus and be on standby in case there's an alert in the city. I have a feeling our friends might be restless tonight." Nero ordered, his voice clean and clear and uninterrupted. "Teams, confirm orders."

"Team one calling in, tailing the mark. Recording home location and contacts. Confirmed."
"Team two calling in, assassinating Target 871, quietly. Confirmed."
"Team three calling in, intel gather on newest target. Confirmed."
"Team four, defend and standby. Confirmed."
"Team five, defending and standing by. Confirmed."

Nero nodded quietly as each team leader confirmed their orders. The pale, tall, muscular man paced to a black chair in the center of the bus, surrounded by screens. Four technicians worked away at computers facing outward, analyzing data and finding suspicious characters that might lead to a rebellious threat.

"Let our evening begin!"

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

A few minutes after Nero left, so did Nina. A sigh of relief left her lips as she walked out towards her car, which had been parked in the parking lot. It had cost her parents a bit more than usual, but they had bought her a Ford Expedition for her eighteenth birthday as a high school graduation gift. As the keys were taken out of her pocket, she placed them in the ignition and headed back to her efficiency. It took about twenty minutes to finish the drive. Before she arrived at her residence, however, her eyes checked the rear-view mirror. There had been a few times she'd almost sworn the same car or person had gone by her. But .. no. That sounded silly. Her head shook as she forced herself to forget about that and focused upon getting to her destination.

As the drive ended, Nina stepped out, locked her car, and walked inside. Her feet guided Nina right to her room, where she fell on her bed, lying upon her back. An exhausted but content sigh of relief passed her lips. Her hand reached beside her as she took a sheet of paper that had been lying down on a mantle next to her bed. Her smile widened as she glanced at her work schedule. Sure enough, she had tomorrow off.

Good. It'll give you time to get some stuff.

Her hand then moved down to the pocket where her cell phone had been put away. Her fingers moved quickly, signaling she had memorized the number that was being dialed rather well. Placing the phone against her right ear, she heard the leader finally pick up after three rings.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me. I think I'm gonna need some extras. Why? Call it intuition. Mhm. I know it'll cost extra. Yeah, of course I've got it. So, when can you send those over? Hmmm ... two boxes should suffice. Nah, that's not too much. Tomorrow morning? Great. The sooner, the better. Mhm, yeah. Thanks."

And with that, Nina hung up. She always was careful about not addressing anyone in the rebellion by their names unless it was absolutely needed. The same applied to mentioning the exact names of items she purchased. Luke, the man she'd just finished talking to, knew what she'd requested. Two boxes of silver bullets.

Mind you, Nina was never foolish to go seek out vampires by herself. However, with the feeling that something huge was about to happen, she preferred to be ready and her ammunition was almost gone. Thus, she was playing it safe as opposed to sorry.

As far as routines went, Nina didn't have any that were set in stone. She tended to do whatever came naturally to her. And on this night, her body insisted to get sleep. Kyle would be at her place probably around 5-6 AM with the bullets and she'd need to be fully conscious by then. Seconds after she closed her blue eyes, Nina found herself fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

"Team one, calling in, sir." One of the technicians said, and znero nodded, tapping his keyboard as he spoke.

"Go ahead, team one."

"the mark just made a call. We're on her roof and used some of the eavesdropping equipment. She asked for two boxes of an unspecified product, to be delivered tomorrow morning. No name." The team leader reported, his voice sealed in by his helmet, keeping any noise from disturbing the world around him.

"Good work. Keep watch on the house. Radio team four when the courior arrives in the morning. Team four, that delivery man will be your mark. She was careful enough to keep his name unspoken and the product unmentioned. Team one, see if you can get a glimpse in that box." Nero ordered. He hadn't been able to lock onto Nina's phone signal and tap her communications, but he might be able to the next time she made a call.

"Team two, we have the target in sight. Permission to execute?"

Nero grinned. another rebel would fall. He had been part of a raid on New Age weapons storage houses, and a distributor of those weapons. Not for any longer.

"Kill him."

Just a block away from Nina, a silenced sniper rifle flashed, followed by a crash of glass as the deadly bullet slammed through a window and through the skull of the target.

"Team two, reporting. Target elimenated. Radioing for a cleanup team."

Nero grinned. Tonight had been a good night. A new lead, an elimenated problem, and no casualties. Everyone would hold positons and wait out the night. His teams would trade off watches and go for days. He, however, would rest for the night. He stole away to the private room in the back of the bus, the secluded dark, and slipped into a death-like sleep until morning.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

As soon as the time reached five in the morning, Nina's eyes shot open. She'd always had a pretty damn good internal alarm clock and today was no exception. As she sat up, Nina realized she'd fallen asleep in her clothes .. again. It was a habit she tended to repeat frequently. Ah well. It wasn't the worst thing she could do over and over again she figured. The tank top, bra, underwear, and jeans were all removed off her body and tossed into a hamper. A few steps later, Nina found herself in front of her dresser drawer. Her hands reached in and grabbed a new outfit consisting of a skirt, tube top, and panties. The top would basically be both that and a bra so she didn't bother with the real thing.

Keeping the clothes held against her chest, Nina then walked out of her room and entered a nearby bathroom. The clothes were all set down on the unused sink as the huntress got a fresh towel hung up on the rack. Her eyes looked around, making sure everything she needed was in place and nothing was missing. After double checking a few times, Nina nodded and turned the water on, getting it to a lukewarm temperature that favored the more hotter feeling before stepping in.

Even during the shower, the feeling of eyes being upon Nina continued to pester her.

... Don't be fucking stupid. The only people who are even somewhat close to you are those in the rebellion. They wouldn't be doing anything overly stupid.

Despite her trying to reassure herself, the feeling still lingered. Nina's head shook from side to side as she took a long, deep breath, trying to calm herself. After ten more minutes in the shower, she finished washing her body and hair. The last article of clothing had gone over her body when the doorbell rang. She darted quickly to the front door, not bothering to grab any socks or shoes for now.

Sure enough, Luke was waiting outside. As the sight of a still slightly wet Nina came into view, he snapped his fingers. "Damnit, I keep missing those moments." he teased, referring to the fact Nina had just left the shower.

The comment made Nina roll her eyes as she took the boxes from his hands. "Hmph. Keep dreaming, sweetie. Lemme go grab your payment real fast." Before that, though, she first set the two containers down on a shelf nearby, causing the bullets to lightly clink against one another. No more than a minute passed before Nina returned with a Benjamin in her hands. Soon, the exchange was made as Luke got paid for his delivery.

His head bowed politely to Nina before he turned and left, going back into his car and driving away.

Nina, on the other hand, closed and locked her door then went into her room with the ammunition. There wasn't much but Luke had put a bit of tape over the top of the boxes to make sure none of the bullets fell out. Not like Nina didn't have a solution for that.

Moving to the drawer with her lingerie, she moved a few bras and sets of panties aside to reveal a switchblade and three pistols. Taking all the weapons with her, she set all but the small blade down, which remained in her right hand. Flipping the knife open, she cut the boxes open before hiding the blade back into it's sheath.

After another brief glance around her room, Nina began loading each pistol one at a time. That nagging sensation of not being alone still teased her, making a frown cross her face. The feeling of the silver bullets and seeing all the firearms nearby made her feel all the more safer and better on her decision to have gotten these. If she truly had been followed .. well .. she would be ready, at least.

Nero was awoken by the tone of a radio call. He sat up slowly, sliding the headset back on.

"Nero." He snapped, and moved out the door of his room into the main part of the bus, where the tinted windows kept out the harsh rays of the sun.

"Team one, reporting. Target has received her package and... From watching through her window, they appear to be silver bullets. She has several pistols and a knife." The team leader reported. Then another voice stepped in.

"Team four, reporting in. We followed the mark, and we appear to have located the base of operations for this ammo distribution business. It's been flagged on the bus's GPS system."

Nero turned around and sure enough, the main screen had an additional red dot marking a new site. Additionally, a red dot had labeled Nina's home.

"All right everyone. Your orders stand. Team four. Follow any visitors to the business and any deliveries made, and flag the locations. This distribution center will be a wonderful lead." Nero ordered, taking a seat in his chair. He tapped fingers lightly on his desk. "Team one. Keep an eye on the girl. If she leaves her house, let me know, and follow her. We'll try to nab her if she leaves the house. If she doesn't, we'll watch her until late tonight before making another move. All team members feeling fine?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Standby for future orders."

"Sir, what about her weaponry?"

Nero raised an eyebrow. "What about it?" He said, his tone dangerous.

"If she's armed, isn't she a threat? How will we take her without getting fired upon?"

Nero scowled. These soldiers thought they were in charge. "That's my job. Focus on yours." He snapped, and disconnected the radio line, and began to consider the map, making connections between different points and analyzing the various people they had flagged.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

With the mere feeling of someone else being nearby still haunting her, Nina was very tempted to leave her house. But it was far too early. Maybe later ... no ... definitely later. There were few places open and those weren't anywhere that appealed to her. Her eyes glanced around her room a few times before she finally figured out what to do for now. All of the weapons except for one of the pistols were placed away in their respective hiding spots. The one that remained nearby Nina was placed under her pillow. The safety was, of course, on. But at least it would be in reach.

By the time Nina woke up, it'd be almost lunchtime. Stretching out, Nina looked down at herself. As much as she liked her skirt, it might be smarter to go out in jeans. Nodding to herself after thinking on it for a bit, Nina slid out of the skirt and grabbed a new pair of denims, slipping into them next. The gun went into her right pocket so she could pull it out, deactivate the safety, and fire. Only if needed, yes. But still, it'd be easier to get out and at the ready if she put it there as opposed to anywhere else.

Next, she got her car keys and started up the ignition. There were a few other restaurants that she had never been able to check out before. Now that she finally had a free day off, Nina intended on taking advantage of the chance. Turning the car into reverse, she pulled out of the driveway and began leaving her home, heading towards downtown Taos.

The sun was now high in the sky, at its most deadly to the night-creatures. Nero sat, scowling at his screen, waiting for results. He needed that girl. And it would be much easier if she would just leave the house. But no! She had spent the last few hours sleeping.

Then, finally a call.

"Team one, target is moving out. Headed downtown on I-80."

Nero smiled slightly, his fingers tapping on the newly printed distribution list that had been photographed by team four while observing the warehouse. "Good! Follow her. Find out her destination and standby to abduct her if possible. She's got information I want."

"Sir, she took one of her weapons with her."

"Understood. You'll have to have her outgunned. Hopefully she stays at her location until dark, because then I can join you for the attempt." Nero said. The gun didn't concern him. No human would start firing a gun when there were five pointed at them. He turned and scowled out the tinted window at the filtered sunlight, cursing the heat and brightness in the sky, which still caused him to squint and his flesh to crawl even when he was perfectly safe.

He would capture the girl and take her to the nearby headquarters, built in a lovely manor in the countryside. There he would interrogate her with whatever measures were necessary to extract the information he wanted. She would break for him. She would answer his questions and do what he said. And then he would have a lovely little blood source and willing slave to enjoy.

He could already imagine what he might do to her.

"Team four, you are to meet up with team one. If she's going to a rebellion meeting, we might have a chance to take out several agents. Five, you're still on defense. Two, standby for instructions. Three, bring your intel to the van and rest for an hour." He instructed, and leaned back in his chair to wait, watching Amina's car from the helmet cameras of his soldiers on the rooftops and in cars.

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

While Nina's first thoughts had been to go to a restaurant, she began to have second doubts. Was that even a smart location? Part of her said yes, the other no. If she truly was being followed, no sane person would be able to just ... make any abrupt moves while she was in a public place. Right? But without any definite proof or information on any people who might be following her, Nina had no idea if she could be able to prepare herself. Guns could only do so much, especially with limited ammunition.

Tch, you probably should have brought more bullets with you.

The thought made her frown at herself. How had she been so stupid, so careless?! Even if this all turned out to be nothing ... it was still much better to be safer than sorry. And now, she may have ruined things for herself.

Her head quickly shook from side to side. She didn't want to think about any of those thoughts. Even if they may be true, there was nothing that proved this for sure; right, wrong or otherwise. So until then, she'd just focus on the here and now. Her stomach grumbled to remind herself of why she had even gotten in the car in the first place.

Food it is then ... she mused, getting off of the highway after a few more minutes and turning towards a nearby Subway. As much as she did love Mexican - among other foods - it was nice sometimes to have a change in what one was typically used to. And right now, Nina wanted a break from Mexican food. She worked at a place that served that type of food. She definitely could do with something else for now.

As Nina parked her car, she took a long and very deep breath to calm herself. Next, she locked her car and pocketed her keys away after stepping out. After sneaking a quick glance around and failing to find anyone suspicious-looking, she then began to enter the Subway, albeit at a slightly fast pace. The faster she got inside, the more she'd feel safe.

As she approached the Subway, one of the Reapers stepped out of the shadows of the alley. Then another, on the other side. Both had their guns raised. Unknown to her, they were loaded with tranquilizer darts. On the buildings above, two more Reapers with sniper rifles had their sights trained on the girl. She wouldn't even get a chance to fire the weapon, more than likely and if she did, it wouldn't do much good.

"Go for your weapon and we'll fire before you touch it." The nearest Reaper, who carried a special weapon, a shock baton, said, slowly approaching her. "Put your hands on your head." He ordered.

As he neared her, a black car roared around the corner, pulling into the parking lot and spinning so one side faced the scene. A back door opened, and Nero was revealed, hidden from the sun within the vehicle. He gestured to her with a finger, and the Reaper went to remove the gun from Nina's pocket. "Get in the car." He said, his voice flat and filtered through the helmet speakers. Nero smirked slightly, as if saying;

"Checkmate."

http://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpghttp://i59.tinypic.com/jv3hpf.jpg

Sure enough, Nina's hand had gone for her firearms the second the first Reaper came into view. She'd never seen or heard of them. But common sense hinted if not fully spelled out that this couldn't be anything good. The thought was confirmed when she saw they had their own gun. The sight made her heart race and hand pause, staying at her side all the while still inches away from her pocket. Her teeth gripped her lower lip as she shot an infuriated glare towards the first Reaper. Her blue eyes glanced around, actually turning her head and using peripheral vision at the same time to notice this one person wasn't definitely the only individual nearby. Though honestly, as much as it annoyed Nina, she knew it wouldn't have mattered. The first person to have their weapon ready tended to be the first one to win a gunfight.

"The fuck is this?!" she inquired, an angry tone mixed with venom and ice leaving her voice. The movements were easy to identify as reluctant but all the same, Nina did put her hands on her head.

During the silence, Nina tried to figure it out herself. Some sort of ... hostage scenario? But why? It wasn't like she had anything on her. It'd be much easier to figure out if the visor hadn't been covering these guys' faces. That being said, Nina was pretty sure these weren't human and not just because they were rare as it was. Her mind went back to the last vampire she'd served last night, making a frown cross her face.

There's something important about him that I missed, isn't there?

Suddenly, everything was beginning to click and register to her.

That son-of-a-bitch!

She had, it seemed, said far too much last night. Her grip on her lower lip tightened more.

Fuck! And I was careful on my verbal reply! How in the fuck?!

The demand for her to get in the car forced Nina to leave her thoughts. Slowly but surely, she began taking step after step and slid inside, being careful to avoid hitting her head. She said nothing aloud as Nina sat down, keeping her hands upon her head while her gaze went to the floor of the car.