Although still sounding like it was just around to give people tetanus and collapse buildings, the Rusty Nail had paid homage to the Underground for over 90 years. It was actually coming up on it's 100th anniversary of serving miscreants and ruffians.

The thing that keeps it around was that within the walls nobody is allowed to be Hunted. The Hunters and Hunted alike could stop by here for a drink. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they were just People. People who occasionally got into fistfights, but not over bounties.

There was even the unwritten rule that no bounties were to be chased outside. Unwritten, and broken often, but there was a chance that it would be observed. And definitely no kills to be made outside, that was just bad karma.

Everybody went there... So naturally, it's where trouble accumulated.

---

The bar wasn't as loud as it used to be. There seemed to be a scared silence muffling the gossip, turning it into nervous whispers and awkward pauses.

Nobody had expected Laud the Badass to be capable of such a mundane thing like dying.

The short dwarf had been one of the most feared, respected, admired Hunters in the city. No, scratch that-the absolute best there was. He had scoffed at the rumors going around that there was a Hunter out there killing just to kill, the bounties unclaimed, going by the name of Twilight, since the majority of the kills were made about the time the sun was just exiting the horizon. Laud had a bounty of twenty-five dollars, for a parking ticket. Something he cared about with as much passion as he cared about spitting.

Laud was too badass to spit.

Then a week ago his head was found a good twelve feet from his body, the alleyway wall splattered with arterial spray, a dagger embedded in his body that pinned his printed-out bounty onto his back. Although some of the blood on his mouth wasn't his, and the cops think he got a good bite in.

Edom agreed that was a pretty badass way to go, and continued drinking in silence, matching the gaps in conversation around him.

The vampire was mostly worried because criminals were appearing who had bounties connected to them, where the police hadn't actually connected the crime with an actual suspect yet. Edom didn't tell anybody of his worry, but it was there. Every day, one or two more criminals ended up dead. As a Hunter, Edom should mostly be concerned about his livelihood being stolen. What he did more of was stay the hell off the streets around sunset. Or sunrise. Never too careful.

A well dressed man entered the bar and looked around and sighed,"Seems like the hunters are mourning their comrade."He muttered aloud, walking to, and sitting at the bar."At least he wasent after anyone I know,"He breathed. He turned to the bartender and raiseda hand to get his attention,"I need a Burbon please."He said laying a few bills on the table,"Keep them comming." He added as he turned to inspect the other patrons in the bar.

A young woman with short blue hair enters right behind the well-dressed man. A few of the bar patrons look up at her with something like recognition, but can't quite place where they know her from. She smiles to herself. Most people who see Jane at work don't recognize her in jeans and a t-shirt. She overhears the man, who is now sitting at the bar, talking to himself and rolls her eyes. Spying Edom, she heads to the stool next to him at the bar. "Lonely man desperately seeking the attention his mother never gave him at 9 o'clock," she says in a very low voice, indicating the well-dressed man. "Think that bourbon will fill the hole in his heart?"

"Because I know all about filling holes," Edom responded with an attempt at a randy wink, but he was too nervous to make it anything but a normal, familiar one. He had heard the guy talking to himself with his superior hearing, but just didn't care. He shook his half-empty bottle at her, not quite drunk but on his way. "Want some Jack, Jane? Guy needs all the loving he can get."

Across the way, a Hunted was definitely not mourning Laud the Badass. He wasn't even mourning the other bounties, because no one mourns the wicked. Tak, part pixie, was just chewing his fingernails nervously, wondering if he was important enough to be next. There was so little information on this guy that it's not like he could retaliate electronically. He had the sense to make his rainbow hair a dull brown, especially when he saw Edom and that other Hunter chilling at the bar. Edom had taken a shot at him before. Tak wanted to have a shot or two in peace.

The news switched from a happy story of lost puppies being found to Srs Bsns lady, frowning at the coverage. "The masked murderer, whom the police are calling Twilight, may claim more victims than previously thought per night. Bodies are turning up with the same MO that have been dead several days, and have been apparently moved into more public places. Police worry about copycat killings and urge the public for any further info on this masked man. So far, the police only know that the attacker seems to be male, and unusually tall, with some people placing him at 6 feet seven inches. The authorities urge the public to stay indoors whenever possible, not just around twilight. The MO of attacking bounties could change, they say--"

The channel was switched to sports by the bartender, Sam. Not like anybody could hear it besides those with superhearing, but it was still depressing news, in any case.

Unfortunately for her the "well dressed" stranger had taken a seat next to Alice, who had been quietly nursing her drink and half listening to the conversations around her. In no mood to deal with people who talked to themselves in order to garner attention, she discretely got up and moved away, slipping onto a stool two seats down from Jane and Edom. 

The doors to the Rusty Nail opened up and a moon elf by the name of Lance came strutting into the bar, a mischievous smile on his face. Dressed in all black with a bald head, Lance walked lazily to the bar, smiling at the ladies of tables closest to him. "Hey! Why is everyone looking so down, it is a glorious setting we have here, we should all be drinking merrily!" Finally coming to the bar, Lance placed himself on the other side of Jane as she was talking to the stranger. Looking at the barkeep, he said as loud as possible, "Ding dong, the badass is dead!" Flopping bills bound together from what must have looked like stolen money from a small bank onto the bar, Lance turned around and shouted, "A round of drinks for everyone at the bar, let's celebrate!" Feeling quite pleased with himself, he noticed Jane and wolf whistled at her.

"Everyone except me," Jane says, signaling Sam to not include her in Lance's round of drinks. She sends a sidelong glare to the moon elf. "Whatever your relationship to Laud was is your business, but Hunter and Hunted alike called him the Badass for a reason. Didn't deserve to go out the way he did." Her voice is low and even. She turns back to Edom. "Wanna get a table? I'm starting to feel suffocated from all the hot air up here."

The welldresed man glanced up at the Moon Elf and smiled,"Well thank you stranger, I think I'll take that round."He said as his drink was refilled,"The names Trey, friend. And who might you be?"He asked before knocking back his whole drink in one gulp then turning towards Jane and Edom,"And by the way, I wasen just talking to myself Hunter, I was mentally corelating information. It helps if you do it out-loud."He said with a sneer, as he hates all hunters but follows the rules; written and unwritten of the bar.

Edom rolled his eyes and nodded at Jane's request to move, his most enthusiastic motion all day. He took the drink the guy bought him and poured it out: one for the homies. At least annoying elf-boy could afford it. "You know how it is with a pot full of crazy... best to not stir it," he murmured to Jane. The Hunted could kiss his perfectly formed ass for all Edom cared. He did pause, though. "You do realize that if Twilight could take out Laud, he could probably kill you by sneezing, right?" he asked the obnoxious Hunted buying rounds, a pointed look going to the stolen money before his hand slipped to Jane's back and he was leading the woman through the crowd with a chivalrous air. It was what got him so worked up. Killing Laud was a message. Before, it was explainable why those people died, everybody else felt like they had a chance. With Laud... if this continued, all the Hunted would die. It was that simple.

Lance smiled and raised a glass to Jane's glare and gave her a wink, if for anything else just in spite. Turning back to the well dressed stranger, the moon elf started his conversation. "Well Trey, pleasure to meet ya here. The name's Lance. So what brings you out here to the Rusty Nail?" While speaking, Lance couldn't help but notice that Trey as he called himself, was very well dressed, and Lance knew by heart that well dressed people carried well valued items. Then his attention was drawn to Edom and his comments to Lance. Turning half way to the pair the moon elf responded. "Well there is some logic to that but you have to remember, the badass was somewhat of a fatass. Sure he was powerful but I'm certain I can stick to the shadows better than he can." His attention back to Trey, he downed his drink, motioned for the barkeep to refill and waited Trey's response.

Alice continued to sit quietly, listening to conversations around her. The truth was Laud's death had shaken her up a bit and she felt more then a little unsettled. If he could be killed that way, then everyone was fair game. She also didn't like certain peoples nonchalant attitudes about it. Yes Laud had been a hunter, and yes he was a bit of an ass, but he was still the best and that demanded respect.  "Sam, another please." She said smiling at the bartender and pushing her empty glass forward.

"Yes ma'am," Sam said in a conversational voice, not an attempt to be overly formal. As he began the refill process, some asshole got ahold of the remote and started flipping through channels. They accidentally went a little past the soccer game on and ended up at the news again.

"--the dead-or-alive bounty on Twilight, whose body count is now up to sixteen, has been set by police, the community, and many business leaders at--"

The channel was switched back at that moment, but Edom had seen the figure. And frozen midway through making his way across the floor. Sam was yelling at the pricks to set down the remote, but all the noise in the bar faded to a low hum as Edom's eyes popped out, still staring at the screen. Dead zombie Jesus H. Christ on a pogo stick. That money could keep anybody in luxury the rest of their lives.

Jane is surprised that the stranger could hear any comments she made while speaking in a low voice to her friend, but before she can wonder too much about it Edom sweeps her away from the bar. Ordinarily she'd make a snide comment about the sexism of leading her away, but for now she's fine with the relief from the two men with egos as big as their pocketbooks. She spots an empty booth to the side and b-lines for it, missing the price set for Twilight but guessing it to be enough to look into later.

Trey grinned at the pairs actions and was about to respond to Lance when he saw the bounty amount and choked on his drink,"Gah! What?!"He near shouted and then hasitly wiped his mouth and pretended ignorance."I come here for a drink in peace Lance,"He said as he subtly shifted into a position from which he could make it to the door in under 4 steps,"By the way friend, I know of your reputation and i suggest you try nothing with me.He said with a grin."Oh, and it seems that our hunter friend over there has a new target, what say we avoid him eh?"Trey said, dropping a tip on the bar and stretching a bit; the buldge of a rather large handgun evident under his left arm.

Alice finished off about half her second drink and then stood up. Reaching for her purse she took out some cash and put it down on the bar. "I'm calling it a night Sam, I'll see you later." She said putting her coat on and moving for the door.

Edom slid into the spot in the booth right across from Jane, eyes wide. He was in enough shock to miss the fact that a brown-haired boy looking very much like a rainbow-haired part-pixie he chased was lounging with a deer-in-headlights look right outside the booth. "Did you see that number, Jane?" Edom hissed. Everybody else had, and the buzz was almost overwhelming. "I didn't even think all three of the bounties had that much money!"

Before Alice could open the door it swung open, Squealer shuffling inside. His one good eye is open wide, pupil dilated, breathing heavy and wheezy. A filthy rag is in his hands and he's wiping his long fingers off, shoving past Alice to get to the back. He kept muttering something, the only distinguishing word was 'alleyway.' He had probably just picked up something in the alley by The Rusty Nail that was too gross even for him. Which might explain why Sam was glaring at Squealer like something caught on the bottom of his shoe.

Lance was startled when Trey burst out loud at the TV, though not looking at the broadcast, the moon elf missed how much the bounty actually way. Looking at Trey with disbelief about his pretended ignorance, he let the outburst by but locked it up in his mind. "Peace...it's a flighty temptress isn't it. And don't worry friend, it didn't even cross my mind to pick pocket you," Lance said with a friendly grin, though in fact that very idea was still on his mind. I gotta be wary of this one, the moon elf thought to himself. Leaning forward to whisper to Trey, the moon elf said, "And thanks for pointing out the hunter, I agree let's steer clear of him." The bulge of the large handgun did not go unnoticed to Lance as he put that image in his brain as well. Throwing Sam about $500 worth of a tip, Lance kept telling himself, Don't trust him, he knows way to much, get ready to run to the shadows if anything happens. Stay on your guard. Standing up from his chair, Lance looked at Trey and spoke. "So I assume you're a hunted, what did you do if you don't mind me asking of course."

Squealers' shove caught Alice by surprise and knocked her off balance, causing her to stumble back and accidentally bump into Lance. "Jesus Christ, Squealer! Watch where you're going!" She snapped at him, trying to right herself.

Trey glanced up at him and frowned,"I dont like talking about it as currently there is noone after my bounty."He said as he pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and popped two pills from it into his mouth and shuddered a bit,"These taste horrible, anyways I'm not currently pursued and would like to keep it thata way, no disrespect."

Jane shakes her head in response to Edom's question, but her attention is at the commotion at the door. "Look what the cat dragged in," she says, tilting her head to indicate Squealer. She recalls Squealer as being rather... eccentric, but now he's acting a bit over-the-top even for him. "I forget, is Squealer back on the coke these days?"

Squealer flinches from Alice, cowering like the woman is going to hit him. Not letting her get that opportunity, he was scurrying off to disappear in the back.

"Er, either that or he's dabbling in dealing now," Edom said, scratching his chin. "I had to pay him in coke last time I wanted some pretty valuable information. He seemed pretty happy to get it." Edom looked completely unapologetic for both dealing coke and enabling a possible cokehead. It was an important bounty, and Edom was behind on rent. Besides, it was just Squealer. "So how's stripping working for you? Are you still hot naked?" He had caught a few words of what Squealer had been muttering and was glancing at the door, curious as to what sort of damage Squealer had done in the alleyway.

In the meantime, Sam accepted Lance's tip without even really acknowledging it much beyond a nod at the tipper. Yes, he's seen everything. Twice.

"One of my regulars tells me I'm 'hotter than the devil's vagina,' so ordinarily I'd say yes..." Jane leans back in her seat and folds her arms across her chest, giving Edom a wry smile. "...But I am conscious when I strip, and I know that's a big turn-off for you."

"Y'know, it's not really the consciousness that gets me, it's the beating heart," Edom snipped back, placing a pale hand over his own silent heart. "Undead all the way, kiddo. I just feel like women get hotter as they get colder. That's all." He grinned, full of fang.

Jane reaches across the table and takes Edom's hand, placing it over her heart - and brushing it ever so slightly against her breasts. "Well I guess this would be a huge, huge turn-off for you then," she says with a wicked smile. She lets go of his hand abruptly.

Lance turns around after Alice was shoved his way so she accidently bumped into him. Any woman shoved onto him was always a good thing. "Well hello there pretty lady, I know it's hard to keep your footing when I'm here," Lance said, though knowing full well it had been an accident. Looking up for a second, he noticed Squealer being a bit more unusual than he already was. 

"I dunno, give me a minute," Edom purred, letting his hand stay where Jane put it. And maybe a little lower. He winked, knowing he was probably going to get kicked for that, and withdrew the cold digits. "If there was someone who could get my blood beating hot it'd be you, babe," he said with another wide smile.

Someone kinda ruined the sexytime happening between Alice and Lance momentarily by shoving between them, hopping between feet. "Sorry, gotta piss," he muttered, slurring his speech a little. Sadly, it wasn't too odd for someone to forego the bathrooms to pee outside in the alleyway. With as many people as this place saw a night, the restrooms were about as dangerous as having a million-dollar bounty on one's head.

He was heading back inside a moment later, eyes wide. "Sam, call the cops. There's another one. Outside, around the corner." Sam's eyebrows raised. It was obvious what the guy was talking about.

Another body.

Immediately the whole bar was at attention. Hunted were filing out amid murmurs of 'so close?'; the Rusty Nail might be a safe place, even sacred in its no-kill-zone policy, but the cops-and apparently Twilight-were willing to get a little sacrilegious. Even Hunters weren't sticking around. The bar wasn't safe anymore. Another message to the population. 

Alice had been about to make a witty comeback to Lances' pick up line when they guy came back in and announced that there was a body outside. She stepped closer to Lance so as not to be in the way of people exiting and turned to face the guy who had just come back in. "Did you get a good look at the body?" 

The guy nodded, but was turning to leave. Sloppily. He was kinda drunk. "Throat slit so clean if it weren't for the blood I wouldn't know him from someone sleeping. Now I gotta..." He motioned towards the door, and then left... he wasn't about to wait for Alice's permission to get the hell out. It was just the beginning of twilight that day. There was still another hour, maybe, before people felt safe.

Edom was jumpy himself. "Jane... maybe we oughta bounce," he muttered, standing up from the booth. His eyes were dark with some indescribable emotion.

Jane nods, having no objection to this idea. "I've got a shift starting soon, walk me to work?" She tries her best to make the suggestion sound casual, but really she wouldn't mind the vampire's company just in case... well, just in case.

"Yeah," Edom replied with a slow nod. He could probably run to his apartment and get there before the two get to Jane's strip club, but being in a group was preferable right now... and he did have a rather chivalrous nature. So he got up with Jane and escorted her to the door, baring fang at anybody who jostled too close, only getting jumpier once they made it outside.

Police sirens started up and everybody picked up on clearing out. The only person not moving towards the door was flitting to the back, running a hand through his hair to change it back to the rainbow color before he grabbed Squealer and shoved him up against a wall. For being so skinny, Tak had a bit of throwing power. "You came in from the alleyway, wiping your hands," the part-pixie murmured, eyes gleaming with curiosity more than anything. "You knew what was out there. Probably saw something... interesting. Talk to me."

Squealer, true to his name, squealed. "I knows nothing!" he hissed, twisting himself from Tak's grasp and disappearing into the crowd.

Alice turned to Lance and laid a hand on his arm distractedly, "Sorry for bumping into you." She said and then turned to head outside, trying to make her way through the people pushing towards the door.

Trey sighed as he heard the news and decided against heading towards the door and instead got up and swiftly went out the back winding up in the alley, nodding to the few bums still there.

Only one of the bums nodded back, clearing the hell out, for no sane bum (of which there were a few) would stick around a body for long. The other looked up guiltily and backed away from the body, moving out with a wallet in his hand. It wasn't really needed; once again, a printed-out bounty was on the scene. Stabbed into the guy's chest, and there was blood on the handle and on the guy's hands. ...plus all over his neck, of course. Odd, there was no real visible incision, but his neck was practically all red.

Lance ran his hand over his bald head, wondering what to do at this time. Probably not a good idea to stick around, the piggies should get here sooner rather than later. Feeling Alice's hand on his shoulder and then her dissapearing, the moon elf hormones rose just for a minute. Thinking while he was moving silently, the thief dove into the shadows, and only the most perfect vision could catch him while he was in there. Into the shadows, fading in with the night.

In the back of the alley, where the thickest and most lack of light dwelled watched a black shape. Completely still, the figure --if one could call it that-- shifted ever so slightly. Could be your mind playing tricks on you, or it was one ninja of a cat, but you might have sworn you saw light glint off of it's slit eyes. The Glass Viper shifted again, confident that she was completely unnoticable until someone flitted into her space. She supressed a growl to keep herself unnoticed.

Alice finally made it out onto the street and away from the crowd. Glancing around, she peered down the alleyway next to the bar. She was mildly curious about the body but she didn't want to take the chance of getting into trouble....not after what happened to Laud. Pulling her collar up and shoving her hands in her pockets against the cold, she headed down the side walk away from the bar. She need to make sure she wasn't being followed by anyone and then she would catch a cab to her uptown apartment. 

Trey sighed and massaged his head, trying to stave off a headache,"Damn this is gonna complicate thing a great deal."He muttered aloud. Glancing around he darkened alleyway he causually strode away from the body but decided to stick nearby; as a casual observer of course.

---

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_{back to perfect bounty}