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Crossing Worlds (Minako2012 and Nekrosilisk88)

"Alright...I...guess I'll change...then" She said "Just be careful."

She watched him leave before sighing to herself it was her own fault for getting hurt. This case was already making her look less like a trained hunter with each second. She went into her room and quickly changed out of her bloodstained clothes and into some comfortable one. That consisted of a tanktop which unfortunately showed off two different scars that she usually kept hidden. The first was an exact replica of the marks left on the victims it was thicker it had been sliced right to the bone the other was a brand courtesy of the Kingsley family right on her upper arm.

"Well...he was probably gonna see em eventually" She muttered walking out of her room "Its not like they're my only ones..."

She ran a hand through her hair as Josef walked in the door.

"You want something to drink?" She asked going toward the kitchen "Soda...beer...water?"
 
As Josef came back in with his bag and the shotgun, he saw the two scars on her arms. He didn't say anything, but the one that matched her father's symbol definitely caught his attention. He set his bag down next to the couch and sat down.

“Beer's good. Got anything dark?” Minding his muzzle control, he swung the barrel of the shotgun across his lap, and ejected the three remaining shells from the tube. He gave it the action one more rack to make sure it was empty, and then dry fired it into the ground.

He was quiet at the moment, not sure what he should do. The air around him was bit awkward, but that was to be expected. He was here, alone, with a girl he found attractive, but didn't have any Idea what he should do. He hung his head and sighed. It felt like his whole world was caving in on him. Yesterday it had just been business as usual. Now he had a fallen angel hunting him, he was falling head over heels for a nephilim, he'd just gotten slammed into the wall by her brother who was a werewolf, and who knew what else was going to come at him tomorrow.
 
She grabbed a beer and a bottle of water and walked over to the couch looking at him. It was a horribly awkward silence but she didn't know what to say to him. He'd saved her life and her sanity but now that she was alone with him she wasn't really sure how to act. She was usually stuck with Mark but he was different he was a big goofball when they were alone. Lina hadn't spent time alone with someone like Mark then again she was more than a little gunshy about most guys.

"I'm sorry you got drug into this" She said breaking the silence "You shouldn't have been..."

She looked down at her bottle of water with a sigh she felt guilty for involving him. The world of Mythics isn't a fun place to be in for half breeds and humans aren't any better off. He was already involved and being ignorant would have made him an easy target but she still felt guilty.
 
Josef put his hand up to stop her. That he'd gotten dragged into this mess was his own fault, and he wasn't going to have her fretting over that. He'd made the decision then, and he was going to live with the consequences of it now.

“It's not your fault Lina. I pushed, and now I'm here. I made my choice than I have to accept and live with the consequences of it. It's just a lot to adjust to right now.” He popped the beer open and took a pull off the bottle. “At least I don't have to worry about getting mauled by a werewolf tonight.”
 
"Mark's too careful for that" She said "He wouldn't risk turning you."

She was being honest Mark might throw a punch but he would never shift just to fight someone. The last time she'd seen him shift was when he'd had to fight off Kingsley's servants. That thought just made her shiver and she pushed those memories out of her current thoughts.

"If you have any questions you can ask..." She said to him "I'll answer what I can."

He already knew alot so telling him more wouldn't hurt him any at least that's how she thought at any rate. She sipped from her water wondering what he'd ask her about if he asked anything. It wouldn't surprise her if he didn't want to know anymore about her world.
 
Josef paused for a moment when she said that her brother was too careful to risk turning him. He knew that, hell h'd seen just how much control Mark had in the brief little scrap they'd had earlier. It took him a minute to realize that she'd taken what he'd meant as a joke seriously. He couldn't help himself. What began as a wry smile ended with him almost doubled over laughing.

“So-sorry,” he paused for a minute, trying to get his breath back between intermittent bursts of laughter, “Meant for that to be a joke.” It took him a little bit to get back under control, but at least for him it helped break the awkward air around them. He looked back over at Lina, the wry smirk still on his face. “Questions, geez, too many to even know where to start.”

He leaned back and took another pull off his beer. He had a lot of things that he wanted to ask, but he also wanted to keep the tension down. “So, what exactly is Brimstone?”
 
"Oh..." She said softly a little embarassed.

She wasn't normally that serious things have been rather trying on her ability to joke at the moment. It made her feel awkward but at least she was calm but that was due to certain things. She was taken aback by the question she hadn't expected that but she nodded taking a drink.

"Well Brimstone is an organization that protects your world...from mine" She said "In simple terms..."

She should explain it better than that and she thought for a moment.

"We work closely with...governments...we are worldwide to maintain balance and peaceful coexistence between Mythics and Humans" She said "That means doing anything to first keep as few humans as possible from knowing about us second keep Mythics from attacking humand and third eliminate the ones that do...I think thats the basic gist...a full explanation would take hours..."

She meant it there were several branches and divisions and a council. Balance between the Angelic council and the demon court she really didn't want to give a full discussion of that.
 
Josef nodded his head. “Simple is probably good for now. Just need to focus on learning the basics. I can pick up the more detailed points as needed. Probably going to have to get a more detailed version of whats going on internally at some point, but we can burn that bridge when I actually have to deal with them.”


He paused for a moment and then took another pull off his beer. “So what are the rules regarding relationships between our worlds. Obviously it happens given that that's the common link between our victims. And as you said Brimstone's job is to keep us from finding out. Keeping something like that would be difficult for people in a close relationship.”

Granted it was a question that served two purposes, but the most pertinent was regarding the case.
 
"A relationship between a Mythic and a Human isn't forbidden but there are rules" She said "The human partner has to keep the secret...otherwise the Secret Keepers are brought in...silly name I know...but they aren't...and of course the partner has to be willing no mind control, mesmers, or anything along those lines."

She paused to get a drink she wasn't talking about Half Breeds at the moment they were a different entity.

"And Half Breed children are usually isolated from humans and of course their own kind...old prejudices are still far too common...so while relationships between them and humans are not forbidden...they're not common...but same rules apply don't go telling everyone and only willing partners...oh and of course obey the human's laws...its a rule of comingling..."

Mark had her father not ruined his childhood would have been an exception Lycans were never half breeds. It was a lucky thing Were creatures always had the same traits and they couldn't be diluted. Nephilim on the other hand were looked down on the purity of an angel tainted by the sins of humans.

"Mark isn't considered a half breed" She added "And Nephilim are registered as a different species...but we're half breeds its bueraceatic bullshit but there it is..."
 
Josef sat upright suddenly. “Wait a second. You mean Brimstone has to be told about any relationship between a mythic and human?” He took a pull off the beer again and then groaned. He fell back into the couch and facepalmed. Of course they'd track that kind of thing. And if they tracked it there would be records. There always were.

“Lina, what kind of registration is done when this happens? If there's some kind of database we can cross-reference with suspected members of the Hartman Society, I think we can pick out likely targets, possibly get a lead in to what's going on.”
 
"Yeah there are contracts of secrecy and of course if the relationship fails minds have to be wiped...its a ton of paperwork...I've heard...I'm a hunter I don't handle registration and such" She said with a shrug.

She probably should pay more attention to that sort of thing but she and Mark were usually in their own paperwork.

"Well when a Mythic kills a human reports on the victim are filed and of course cross checked for any reports of relationships...Mark and I filed our information on the victims and we double checked their partners...but with our policies we can't check past that...even Mythics have a right to privacy."

They'd need to talk to the partners again not that she was looking forward to reacquainting herself with the Kingsley family. The last vic had to date a vampire of course he did.

"Hey did the fourth victim have another mark...a Brand...on their upper arm..." She asked "Or...uh...any strange scars...like...puncture wounds."
 
Josef nodded. They did have a right to privacy, but given the situation they might have had an in that way. They'd try other routes first obviously, but if push came to shove, he was going to have to get that info somehow. He quirked an eyebrow when she asked him about markings on the last vic. He stopped and thought for a moment.

“I didn't see any brands, but he looked like he had track marks on his wrist, not too strange. Having them close to your neck is a little weird though.” He looked back over at Lina, and the marks on her arms. “Speaking of which you've got interesting ones yourself. Where'd you get those beauts from?”

It might have been an improper question, but he was legitimately curious, especially regarding the scar that matched the mark on the victims. He knew now that it was her father's mark, but that didn't explain why she had it engraved into her arm.
 
"Track marks...well he was with a vamp" She said softly "Without a brand...it rules out him being a Blood whore..."

She visibly winced when he asked about her own scars and let out a sigh she hadn't expected it but it wasn't something she normally liked to answer.

"I told you...he tried to kill me...my father I mean" She said softly not looking at Josef "I got his mark when I was twelve..."

She ran her fingers over it that one she could somewhat handle but she did not want to tell him about the Kingsley's brand.

"He said that it was to show that I'm an abomination...as if it were my fault for being born half angel" She said bitterness creeping into her voice "He said it was a horrible for a monster to bed a human...didn't stop him from touching my mom..."

She was gripping her glass so tight it had started to crack she was terrified of her father but she was angry about what he'd done. Her mother was out of her life for good the poor woman had been tortured until she was nothing her entire being stripped away. Lina had no idea where Brimstone had taken her and she wasn't allowed to know.

"If it weren't for him Mark...would be in a pack..." She added under her breath setting her glass down.
 
Josef quirked an eyebrow. “A blood whore?” He clicked through his sparse knowledge on vampires trying to figure out what that. He was generally trying to avoid popular fiction references, but there wasn't much else in the public eye these days as far vamps and werewolves went. He just shook his head not sure what to make of that term

He seemed a bit more solemn as he finished off his beer. Something had driven her to work in Brimstone, and she didn't like talking about it. He was the same in a lot of ways. He'd lost his father when he was still fairly young. He was old enough that he could remember him, but only just. Losing his father was the whole reason he'd joined the NYPD, and like her it wasn't something he like talking about.

“I'm sorry. Can't be easy dealing with something like that.”
 
"It isn't..." She said softly "But Mark...has it tougher..."

She never understood why he didn't hate her if it weren't for her father he'd have had a good life. It hurt her to think about what had been taken from him he'd been happy but now he sacrificed more than she'd ever ask.

"Anyway you asked what a Blood Whore is" She said as she stood up to replave her cracked water glass "Well its a vamp term...its what they call Hemo Addicts..."

She dumped the water out and tossed the glass before just grabbing a soda and walked back to the couch to sit down.

"A Hemo Addict is a person human or otherwise that recreationally drinks Vamp Blood" She said "Hemo as its called is addictive...more so than most human drugs...but it tends to run worse...its like steroids until it wears off..."

She shivered remembering what it felt like to drink Vampire blood but she pushed that thought out of her mind.

"Hemo Addicts and Blood Whores usually become dependant on vampires...the Kingsley family have long been suspected of creating Hemo Addicts and using then like Cattle bleeding them and giving them vamp blood to restore their strength" She said "Its a common practice...but hard to prove...the fourth vic was involved with them...so I thought they might have had a hand in it too"
 
Josef snapped his fingers. "Ah so they're kinda like the ghouls in Vampire: The Masquerade." He paused for a minute and then facepalmed again. Just what he needed her to know, he did roleplaying in his spare time. That was just about always a sure fire way to get friend zoned fast. Why did alcohol always have to loosen him up this fast? Go ahead tell the pretty girl how much of a nerd you are.

"So anyway... I wasn't looking for marks that weren't related to the case." At the moment he was trying to veer it back towards the case before she started asking about what he did when he wasn't working. "Fourth vic might have had another brand. Do you know what it would look like? Size, location, shape?"

He considered what she said about addicting people and then using them as cattle. It would be a bit of a stretch, but that could give them a way to force open negotiations with the Kingsleys if needed. "Do they move these addicts around at all?"
 
She started laughing when he mentioned Vampire: The Masquerade she hadn't taken him for a roleplayer.

"I wouldn't know...real vampires keep me busy enough" She said with a chuckle.

She nodded it made sense that he wouldn't look for non related marks. Then he asked what it would look like and she gulped looking away.

"Well...uhm..." She took a deep breath and pointed to the brand on her arm "This...is the Kingsley's...brand..."

It was large enough to be seen made in a circular patter. It consisted of a series of old world symbols arranged in a distinct pattern. She hated it but they made sure the brands could never be removed their blood whores would never be free from that past.

"Y-yeah...they do move them...but...you can't..." She sighed "They...haven't been caught...they have too much power..."

The damn family had enough pull to do anything they want they could visibly attack people in the streets and noone would be able to call foul. It was hell knowing her six months of torture were just swept under the rug.
 
Josef got a wry smirk on his face. "Not entirely true. If we could get enough evidence of them for either drug or human trafficking, the NYPD or FBI could step in and deal with them. Power only gets you so far in that kind of racket." Not entirely true perhaps, but given what it would mean it could at least trash their reputation thouroughly enough that their power base would be eroded significantly.

"As for getting the evidence, well that's the beauty of being a cop. We're allowed to use deception and trickery in order to elicit a confession. If I can feed them enough half truths to make them think we have a legitimate case, or suggest we have evidence linking them into this, they might slip and give us something real we can use a leverage."

"I'll call the coroner in the morning and give him a description of the brand. So how strong a lead do you think the vamps are into the case? I'd rather not pitch into them until necessary since they do still have that power base right now. Personally I'm feeling that our best bet is the Hartman Society, but we don't know where to find them."
 
She sighed shaking her head before standing up it wouldn't work she knew that for a fact. When Josef spoke of decieving them she turned to face him. She doubted that was a wise idea she remembered the one and only time she'd attempted to meet with a Kingsley.

"And you'll wake up in one of their torture rooms" She said "Josef...you're talking about the oldest Vampire clan in America...and...I...uses to think the same...but people disappear when they try to get at them"

There was no link beyond the victims boyfriend and that guy's family had forcefed her blood until she woukd do anything to get more. The thought of facing him down made her squirm the guy knew her completely and he hadn't wanted to let her go the first time.

"The vic was dating a Kingsley...thats the only link..." She said "We can...interview him...Mark said he was an outcast of that family."
 
Josef shook his head. He knew how dangerous this was, but at this point he had already accepted the fact that he could be killed by the end of this. That being said he wasn't about to go looking for trouble where he didn't need to. Confronting the entire Kingsley family was not his first choice, especially given the pain that thinking about that family obviously caused her. There was some history there, but he wasn't going to push. She'd tell him when she was ready.

"Trust me Lina, taking on a family that powerful is not high on my list of things to do, but if necessary, I will do what it takes. I'm playing by the rules as best I can here, but the rules I'm used to don't function as well in this game. I've already come to terms with what may happen as a result of all this, but i'm not letting another thug like this walk the streets and rob some kid of their father."

He blinked for a moment as a memory flashed through his mind and he gritted his teeth. Why was this hitting him now? Why when he needed to focus more that anything else. He stood up suddenly.

"Where's the guest room at? I need to change." Once he had it's location, he grabbed his duffel, and hurriedly made his way in. He locked the door behind him and collapsed on the floor. It was a good five minutes before he composed himself enough to change and come back out. He just threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and made his way into the kitchen.

He flipped through her cabinets and took a look in the fridge before he started cooking dinner. There was something relaxing about cooking fore him, and as he worked he seemed to be oddly at peace.
 
She was taken aback by what he said this case was getting personal for him but what could she say. This case had gone beyond personal for her it wasn't like she could make him quit. Then again if he just went home her father would murder him just to get at her.

"We're working the best we can to stop these killings" She said "I'm working...to stop him...."

When he stood up and asked where the guest room was she figured he was done talking.

"Its on the right side of mine" She said next to the bathroom.

When he left the room she sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands. She felt pathetic for being as freaked out as she was. Lina had worked hard to move past everything she'd been through but she just couldn't. The Kingsley Family and her father would be right behind her and she didn't know how to shake them.

"I'm a trained agent damnit" She said "I'm stronger than this...they shouldn't scare me still"

She stayed like that until she heard his door open and turned her head to watch him while he went to the kitchen. Her eyes silently followed him as he worked before she stood up and walked over to him. She wanted to know more but she didn't want to push not when both their emotions were running so high.

"You never asked if I had wings" She said leaning against the wall.

She was directing conversation to something more benign that the case or the Kingsleys.
 
Josef looked up from what he was prepping. His eyes seemed a little distant as he considered what she asked him. Honestly it wasn't something that had ever crossed his mind. Flawed as the information in the Torah might have been it was all he had to go by until Lina or Mark filled in the details. He pulled some chicken out of the fridge with some veggies and started to slice the chicken into neat pieces with a boning knife.

"It wasn't something I really thought about. The only angels ever expressly described as having wings in the scriptures are the Seraphim. I don't know how accurate that is, but the thought that I might be dealing with a one of the executioners of God's justice that had fallen is terrifying. It never occurred to me that the wings might be passed on."

He set the knife down and looked Lina dead in the eye. "I need to know something now Lina. I know you may hate the son of a bitch, but he's still your father. There's a bond that's been formed there whether you like it or not. Are you certain that you're fine working with me, knowing that I will not stop until either he's dead or I'm six feet under? Can you honestly cope with the fact that I am going to do everything in my power to kill him?

His voice was hard and sincere. With how far this case had escalated, he had to know how committed she was. To say you could kill someone was one thing, to actually do it, and then live with that knowledge afterward was a whole other can of worms.
 
"He isn't a Seraph" She said "Not that I've seen any Seraphim...though all Angels I've met have wings...not that I've met every angel."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest as he spoke he was right this was her father. Was there any part of her that did care about the monster who'd destroyed the lives of people she cared about. Her fingers ran along the scar on her collarbone and she took a breath.

"I want him stopped..." She said "I don't care how...he just needs to be stopped."

She didn't know if she'd be upset about him being killed but her feelings didn't matter when he was killing people. Mark would have no problems but he had no blood ties to the rotten bastard.

"Josef don't doubt my conviction" She said "He might be my father...but the lives of innocent people are worth so much more than any ties I have to him...but...anything that can kill him...would...kill me too...Angelic blood...means I can't handle weapins designed to kill Angels...but maybe I could teach you to..."
 
Josef nodded and smiled returning to cooking. She might not be happy about it in the end, but she would be able to live. It was a bit of relief. He hadn't doubted her conviction at all, rather he was doubting his ability carry through knowing that she might become a liability at some point. Now that he had a better idea of where things were standing he was more at ease.

“It wasn't you Lina, just something I had to know for my own peace of mind.” Finished with the prep work and got started looking around for a pot to finish making the soup. “So what kind of weapons are we talking about?”
 
"Look in the cabinet to the left of the stove" She said assuming he was looking for pots and pans.

She sat down at the bar that seperated the kitchen from the small dining area and thought for a moment. There were several kinds of weapons designed to kill Angels.

"Well thats a complicated question...there are several kinds of weapons that can kill angels...but I guess for our needs an Enochian Blade would be easiest to get...Mark keeps one in the apartment I think...I haven't looked...even touching the handle would literally burn me from the inside out...but I can teach you sword fighting...and maybe some Enochian language."

She grimaced at that thought she would never want to experience being burned inside out.

"There are others though...not all swords...some demon scythes can kill Angelic creatures...had a narrow miss with ont of those last year...Brimstone has daggers that are actually forged with Demonic blood in them they're extremely dangerous...and beyond illegal owning one is grounds for execution." She said "Well any Angel killers are strictly regulated...but you can get permission...Mark has his Enochian Blade because our father wasn't apprehended and he always believed he'd come back..."
 
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