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Rachel ran through Florida City, taking a more casual pace to better follow the conversations she was filtering through; her focus was on anything connected to her cousin, Kate, and Club Balto.

She wasn’t in any particular rush; Mason had been pelted by questions from his two acquaintances before entering the soundproof room, but he didn’t give anything away, simply grunting responses.

He wasn’t that vocal about anything personal, grunting off their inquiries with general responses about how some people were insufferable and annoying; he just wanted to blow off some steam.

Nia had calmed down after making a few happy remarks regarding the weather and scenery; Rachel thought she was really just itching for someone else to comment on either of their looks so she could proudly take credit.

The girl’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she was more than a little proud of what she was.  The Living Denier was certainly impressive, Rachel couldn’t disagree with her.

A mild sea-scented breeze added to the clear skies, the hovering moon filling Rachel with energy, and in general, the lack of people in the area where she was running gave her a free sensation.  Nighttime jogs had always been a favorite of hers.  The night was much quieter than Miami, but that was a given, considering the Glades were around.

Still, the swirling energies fighting for control inside her breast were urging her muscles to be used.  The active white lunar light helped push that force into a dominant position and make any reservations melt, throwing her fears into a locked chest.  She was eager for combat, even with most of her Lunar Pool being filled with Flush energy.

Gisele was able to track where she was, and Hayan continued to occasionally teleport to her location from a pulse of white light when she drew too far away.  Rachel was beginning to conclude there was a max distance the blobs were able to be from her.

She had learned quite a few things about the local criminal underworld that shocked her, but it only made sense after The Oscillation.  Her cousin had entered Club Balto a while ago to cheers, and more than a few women were still whispering to friends about how wild he was, implying more things than just his fights that Rachel highly doubted, given their friends’ responses.

The cat-calls several women had made were a bit surprising, though; she didn’t expect him to be so popular.  He didn’t appear to be hurting for female attention with how often the Bear Beastkin was on in their conversations, yet it mostly came down to his looks, height, and muscle.  It made her curious about his decision to call Jessy over and why he was still pining over Clare.  He hadn't paid any of the whistles any mind or the sour groans that followed his rejection.

She recalled the events she’d heard when her aggravated cousin walked through the club, giving a grunt to the guard blocking the entrance to what appeared to be some kind of VIP room; she would have had to be far closer than her grandfather’s house to listen to their body’s responses, but the man’s nervous laughed was easy enough to detect.

“O-Oh, Creed!  Yo, what’s up, uh … yeah, yeah, give me a second to, umm, yeah…”

He held some kind of card to a toll tag access reader, unlocking the door; her cousin stalked through with the man and woman happily following.  A few greets were met on the other side from several men and women.

“What’s up, Creed!  Goin’ down, huh?  I might have to check it out, but the price, yo…”

“Hey, Creed, I was wondering if you had a girlfriend … oh, okay, then…”  She trailed off to a few men’s snickers as he just walked through another door, leading to what appeared to be a basement.

“Mh-hmm…”

“Some girls, right?”  The woman that followed her cousin giggled. 

The man chuckled.  “Aye, yo, it’s Creed; he’s a beast, ya know?”

“Heh, I know!”

The second guard at the foot of the stairs, popped his knuckles, clearing his throat when catching Mason and his two lackeys.  “Creed … they with you?”

“That’s right!”  The girl chimed.

Another grunt from her cousin and the man was opening the door.  “Aye, sucks I’m on duty … man, I wanna see what’s up…”

Her cousin had then went inside, and all other noise died, indicating the space was soundproof, and judging that there weren’t any sounds when the door opened, there was a secondary padded door.

Interesting security…  Rachel mused, unable to find any noise from the basement, even when drawing closer; however, her attention turned elsewhere as more information fed to her ears.

Finding Kate, the local loan shark that her cousin borrowed money from, wasn’t difficult.  Based on what she was hearing, Kate wasn’t the type of criminal that dealt with punks or people on Mason’s level, which meant she believed her cousin should have been able to pay back the substantial loan he’d taken.

Still, everything went back to Club Balto, and no one was saying much about what happened within; yes, there were hints about a fight club, but there had to be more to it with how people side-stepped even talking about that surface subject.  It was the prime criminal meet spot, and the reason for everyone being so tight-lipped soon became apparent with one conversation among the club’s VIP section.

Online criminal networks and thugs with connections in Miami, no more than 35-miles away from Florida City, had spread the news about sensory-type Demi being pulled in by authorities to crack down on illegal operations and incorrectly labeled her specifically as a threat to their operation, little did they know she wasn’t actively looking to be the natural disaster to organized crime.

The soundproof areas now made sense since she was a terror to the criminal underground after dismantling Terrell’s empire and devastating the upcomers trying to take his place.  The News anchor’s article about her working with the police to root out the group extorting her friend didn’t help her boogeyman image, either, nor the brutal actions she was willing to take with apparent immunity.

Although, the extreme soundproofing was kind of a funny alternative; if she was actively helping the police, then she’d know exactly where they’d consolidated their illegal operations.  In all honesty, the best solution would be online communication.

Every sketchy organization was on their toes after she’d taken the Miami underworld and bent it over her knee; so, with Club Balto being the central criminal hangout in Florida City, having a safe place to discuss things was vital.  They severely underestimated her hearing for the VIP area, but it was impressive that the owner had continued to pad everything beyond that point.

Rachel had to wonder how Mason kept his family relations with her under wraps with how frightening Scarlet, Maria, Fiona, and she were to the criminals in the area.  A few thugs were currently rewatching some of the leaked footage of Fiona’s raging sun-like fireball that devastated the entire pool area of the resort they fought at.

They were infamous in southeastern Florida.

She slowed down in the middle of an empty park when Richard finished being processed by the police and was given his phone call, contacting Kate; it was a bit aggravating that the man had the same first name as the intelligent doctor she’d probably be meeting with soon.

A smile lit Rachel’s lips as the conversation continued, and her pause gave enough time for Gisele to catch up; she was pushing her little bird with how her small chest was heaving, and she gave an annoyed squawk at Hayan’s jagged grin.

Rachel changed directions, heading for Saffron Indian Cuisine, where Kate was currently entertaining a potential business deal with two fences, looking for a rare painting investment.

Gisele gave a tired huff before taking to the air again.  Hayan happily hopped after her, far slower than the bird, but who needed speed when you could teleport?

Scanning the miles of current topics on the lips of tens of thousands of citizens, Rachel gathered information on the restaurant but learned little in the time it took to reach the establishment.

The owner nearly became a Bollywood producer but instead opened up the restaurant of his dreams; Kate appeared to be just a good friend.  He wasn’t involved in any shady practices as far as she could tell but simply hosted what he thought were legit business meetings for Kate during after hours, and she always paid well.

Kate paused her meeting with the men once she got the call, moving to the corner to answer; she wasn’t happy about the interruption.  “Yes?”

“Hey, uh … yeah, so we are kind of in the cage.  Ya know what I mean?”

“Excuse me?  I don’t think I do,” she dryly stated.  “Who is this, and why are you calling me?”

“Umm, yeah … right … this glowing bunny girl was there, and she messed us up; Travis is in the hospital, and we’re dealing with a bunch of issues.  We…”

“Glowing bunny girl…”  Kate cut him off.  “I’m confused, but let’s play this game.  You’re saying you were trying to do some illegal stuff and this glowing bunny girl shut you down?  Are you talking about Rachel, the Lunar Hare Mythickin that should be in Miami?”

“Err … yes, I think that’s her; it was like … her grandpa’s place or some shit, and … she knows why we were there.”

“...”

Kate was silent for several seconds.

“Eh … you there?”

“Okay, fun’s over; I’m done with this call.”  She promptly hung up.

One of the fences waiting for her to return caught her agitation.  “Something wrong, Kate?”

Kate breathed out a long, frustrated sigh, “... Shit.”  Composing herself with an apologetic smile, she walked back to the table.  “I apologize, gentlemen, but we will need to reschedule this meeting.”

“Excuse me?”  The other man muttered.  “You understand we have many other interested parties.  How soon are we talking?”

“I will get in touch with you when I know.”  She replied.  “Something urgent has popped up.”

Rachel jumped over fences and raced across rooftops, closing in on the restaurant; by the time she finished, Rachel was in position.  She totally knew I was listening.  Everything’s connecting in her head; I’m related to Mason.

The men were somewhat resistant to leave after coming all the way there to meet with her, but after a minute, she managed to see them off.  Walking them to the door to see Rachel standing with her hands clasped behind her back, wearing an innocent smile as they exited.

“Kate?”  One of the men asked with a confused frown, glancing between her provocative fantasy-like clothes and the woman.  “Is … this the reason you decided to cut our meeting short.”

“Indeed,” Rachel replied for her.  “I apologize for the inconvenience, Kate.”

The woman’s lips tucked under, brown eyes closing while probably shouting an internal curse.  After a short, calming breath, she nodded.  “Have a nice night, gentlemen.”

“What … in god’s name is that?”  The other man asked, pointing at the bouncing rabbit blob behind Rachel.  Both of their eyes widened and they took a step inside as Gisele fluttered down onto Rachel’s left shoulder, chest heaving.

“These?”  Rachel asked, reaching up to stroke Gisele’s side.  “These are my pets.  Now, if you’ll excuse me … Kate and I have some important business to discuss.”

“Ah, right, right … huh … did they come from those portals the President mentioned yesterday?”

“You could say that.”

Rachel brushed past the two, both eyeing her curves before she went out of sight inside the building; she weaved around the table to sit.  Kate waved the two off, one mumbling, “What’s up with your friend’s clothes?”

“Gotta admit, she makes it work,” the other chuckled.

He nodded, rubbing his tense left shoulder.  “I mean, when you look like that, you can make anything work.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Kate mumbled, closing the door on them; she didn’t leave the door, though, probably wondering if she should just try to run.

Nia piped up with a proud laugh.  “Mu-ha-ha-ha!  My curves strike again!  Did you see them look?  Did you?”

Mhm … they were definitely looking at you.

“Humph … well, when they look at you, they’re looking at me, too!  It’s a package deal; don’t be greedy…”

Heh, okay, Nia.

“Don’t!  I’m cute and edgy … people like my curves.”

They certainly do like curves … especially when some parts are showing.

“So, you’re saying I should cover up those areas so they’ll look at me?!”  Nia countered with a glaring tone.

This outfit is, well, so we don’t get hurt in battle, remember?  We’ve got the casual outfit for people to look at you.

“Oh, yeah … yeah, people do like my long wavy skirt and cute top, don’t they?”

Totally!

“I’m so cute!”

And we’ll make you even cuter as time goes on with lots and lots of outfits that will make me cute, too!

“Cute sisters!”

Hehe … you’re precious.

“I’m super precious; don’t even think about selling me!”

Never.

“Cause … cause I’m priceless…”  She mumbled defensively.

My cute, priceless, edgy little princess outfit, am I right?

“No way … I’m a princess, too?!  Mu-ha-ha-ha!  Yes, bask in my royal presence, peasants!”

Let’s not get too big of a head.  Rachel chuckled.  Now let me focus, edgy little princess.

“Oof … right, right, shut-up, shut-up … shhh.”

Rachel turned her smile to Kate as she slowly walked around the tables to sit across from her.  “You’re not going to run?”

Kate shivered after catching sight of her glowing four-leaf clover eyes, rubbing her left arm.  Sitting down, her cheeks puffed out while breathing, running her left hand through her shoulder-length blonde hair.

She forced a grin while situating herself across from Rachel.  “I … can hardly believe the rumors are real; you’re like Batman, showing up out of nowhere once mentioned.  What kind of world are we in now?”

Rachel watched her reach across the table to grab a bottle of expensive wine she was probably saving for when she acquired the painting but hesitated when Hayan hopped up to help himself to the leftover soup.

A hesitant laugh left her throat as she went through with the action, popping the top.  “Cute pet … reminds me of some of those Easter treats … eh...”  She trailed off as the white blob opened his mouth, revealing its slick interior, long tongue pulling the entire bowl into its mouth before spitting it out, giving her a challenging glare to say something.

Wow, you’ve got more of an attitude than I thought, Rachel mused.  I guess you’re reflective of the energy you embody.

Gisele hopped down from Rachel’s shoulders to help herself to some of her own food, her long, bony tail sneaking over to pull Kate’s creamy dish away from her.  The woman pulled back her chair as the sharp edge neared, taking the open bottle with her.

“Hmm,” Rachel leaned back, crossing her legs.  “So, where should we start?”

When Gisele’s tail successfully stole the woman’s food, Kate sighed, grabbing the nearby glass and pouring a drink.  “Want some?”

“Heh, you’re taking this rather well,” Rachel laughed.

Kate shrugged, downing a large portion of the wine she’d just poured.  “When it’s your time, it’s your time … is it my turn to be brought to justice?”  She asked, tone turning bitter.  “I’ve heard about the brutal things you’ve done to Ballesteros’s boys, and I’d rather avoid the painful bits.  So … what do you want from me?”  She asked with a low growl, focused on the red liquid in her cup.

“Oh, no, you’re mistaken, Kate,” Rachel cooed, causing the woman to look up.  “I’m not the Police, and I only work with the government for specific things, such as the portals the President talked about not long ago.  No … I’m here for personal matters.”

Kate’s lip twitched at the word ‘personal’ and cleared her throat.  “Creed is what … your brother?  God … this was not the way I thought I would die.”  She shook her head, looking up to level a somber stare at Rachel.  “Heh … not at all.  So, how are you going to work this one out?  Are you tracking the two men that saw you to take care of them later?  They did see you with me, after all, and is Adhar in the back going to be added to the hit list?”

Rachel’s smile turned sinister as she placed her hands across the table, leaning forward.  “You know, I’ve heard reports that South Beach had to use fire hoses to clean up the carnage I left in their streets, just to get the guts and fragmented bones plastered to the second and third story buildings.”

Kate choked while in the middle of her drink, coughing a little while spilling a bit of what was left in her second glass onto her lap, but Rachel continued, causing a shiver to run down the woman’s frame.

“I’ve turned storage containers to scrap when thrown at me, beat men powerful enough to throw them into paste across the asphalt, shattered every bone in people’s bodies for going after my friends.  Tell me, are you my enemy?”

The woman’s muscles tightened, and a single tear ran down her cheek while staring into Rachel’s emotionless eyes before shaking her head.  “N-No … I didn’t know who … I didn’t know you were related to … to…”

A small, secretive smile touched Rachel’s lips as she repeated Nia’s comment; the girl was releasing an evil laugh inside her head.  “The Easter Bunny may be nice … the Easter Hare is not.  You sent men to attack my grandfather’s house … do you think your ability to walk is just payment?  No, don’t look away … look into my eyes.”

“No … please, no,” she pleaded, legs pressing together in a panic, her tightening grip breaking the stem of the glass, cutting her hand, but she didn’t seem to notice, focus locked on Rachel’s indifferent eyes.

Gisele and Hayan were sending waves of energy, eagerly ready and willing to pounce on the woman.

“Hmm … that’s what I would do to you if you were my enemy.”  Leaning back, Rachel’s sinister expression flipped innocent on the spot.  “It’s a good thing you aren’t.  Right?”

Kate swiftly nodded.  “What do you want … money … whatever you want.  Your brother’s…”

“Cousin.”

“Cousin’s debt … umm, it’s nothing … I’m done … I’m gone.”

Rachel slowly shook her head.  “Not yet … tell me about my cousin.  Why did he borrow money from you?  What happened to him within the last two days?”

She released a hiss.  “Okay … okay … eh, I try not to get too interested in the new shit in Club Balto beyond the Demi fights and bets; the higher tier stuff is just not something I’m interested in like your cousin!”

“Oh … higher tier?  My cousin is involved in more than the cage fights?”

Kate tucked her lip under, noticing the gash in her hand bleeding out onto her blue dress; she felt the pain by her body’s movements, but Rachel was impressed with how much willpower she had to suppress her gut reaction.  Taking a napkin off the table, she wrapped it up with a long puff of air, applying pressure while hugging herself.

“Yes … he needed the loan to make it in, but he was supposed to repay it today, and when he didn’t … I had some boys follow him home and get the address of where he was staying.  I don’t get involved with the club’s cult shit.  Your cousin has a good reputation when it comes to fights and a spotless record.”

Rachel’s hands moved to her lap, leg bouncing a little with anticipation.  “It just takes money to get in?”

“Not just a little … Creed borrowed twenty grand from me,” she whimpered, sagging in her chair while rubbing her left temple.  “I don’t know what happens behind the scenes beyond the fight club … nothing.  There were just too many red flags for me; I don’t need that kind of trouble.  In fact…”

She gave Rachel a nervous laugh, wiping another tear from her left eye.  “After this … you won’t see me again; I’ll call some contacts and get a flight out.  Whatever hornet’s nest that’s about to be kicked, I want no part in it.”

Rachel chuckled.  “Good plan.  I appreciate your honesty … if I heard you were lying,” she said with a smirk, pointing at her ears, “then I would have started ripping your toes off.”

Kate’s saliva dried up, and she replied with a weak laugh.  “... So … are you done with me?”

“I suppose I am,” Rachel replied, getting to her feet before stretching left and right, showing her flexibility; Kate hadn’t mentioned Nia once, which had the girl a bit bothered.  “I wish you a peaceful trip.”

Kate nodded, swiftly getting to her feet and motioning to the back.  “I’m just going to say my goodbyes, and I’ll be on my way to the airport.  May I go?”

Rachel gestured for her to go on, turning to leave.  “I wouldn’t warn anyone; it doesn’t matter where you go, I can find you.”

“You have nothing to fear from me…”  She whispered, watching her back.

“Who said I was afraid?”  Rachel snickered in response, but she paused for a moment, considering the woman’s position.  Turning around, she cleared her throat with a bright smile, causing the woman’s eyes to widen with fright.  “You did send some thugs to my grandfather’s house, but it was my cousin that didn’t pay you back … write down an account and I’ll send you half.  Sound fair?”

“Umm … you aren’t playing with me?”

“Nope.  I’ll get the money back from my cousin; he was the one causing problems that I need to clean up.”  In all honesty, she didn’t want any trouble coming back to bite her grandfather and it seemed like Mason was causing a real mess.

“Alright…”

After taking the sheet of paper with the routing number and account, she exited the building with her pets.

Kate was already calling a guy with a private jet to get a flight to New York City.

Rachel raced to the seaside club, and the closer she got, the more interesting things became.  It was shocking to see a basement in Florida with the water table so high, but from what she heard within the earth, the club had a 3rd level basement.

Considering if you tried to dig more than 10-feet down, you’d get flooding, it was impressive that the original builder was able to get the equipment and materials for it.  It was against city code, and he’d need to bribe a contractor to do it, although, considering he’d recently purchased the place, the 3rd level would have been dug out years before.

The insulation level was quite impressive; even while standing beside the structure, she couldn’t penetrate the padding.  It was difficult enough to hear the fights happening in the 2nd level.  The ceilings, walls, and doors were heavily insulated for noise suppression, plus the music didn’t make filtering through the vibrations easy; it was as if it was explicitly designed to counter her.

Whoever had built the place was highly paranoid, and the guy who bought it and increased its security even more so; some criminals were just like that, though.  She figured it was for illegal underground storage; who would suspect a 3rd level basement in Florida City?

She had to hand it to the designer and the new owner; it was kind of stupid, but kind of genius at the same time.

Rachel had taken to the alleys and jumped across buildings to not draw attention with her speed, and stopped on the building’s roof.  Lingering by the edge, she followed the crowds of teens gathering out front with a low hum; the kids were hoping to get inside since it was turning into a local hotspot.  If some of the bouncers got paid, they would turn a blind eye if the kids could pass as young adults.

The fight currently taking place below her was barely audible to her past the cheers and shouts.  There was some kind of wolf Beastkin versus a Champion with the Fighter Tree.  The feral bare-knuckles combat was getting the large crowd hyped, calling for more blood, dodging, or brutal blows while betting.

Alright, Nia.  Let’s go back to our regular clothes.

“Huh?!  Wait, but aren’t we going to a dangerous place?  We must float down like the wings of a crimson hawk, ready to pluck them into oblivion!”

Mmh … I don’t really know what you mean by that.  Rachel chuckled, figuring the girl was just stringing together random words.  We need to look cute and non-threatening; it will better contrast our approach.

“Uh … are you sure?  I think people would be like … oh, snap, belts around her leg!  Ripped tights!  Oh, no, look how wicked her braid is!  We should totally hide; these clothes mean business!”

I want people to see how pretty we are, though.

“Oh … well, I mean, yeah, that’s cool, too,” She giggled, and her clothes flashed white, changing into their casual outfit.

Hopping down from the building and into the empty alley leading to the docks, Rachel made her way to the front with a bright smile.  She walked by all the average-looking women and men without clout in line, looking as innocent and gorgeous as she could manage.

Not one eye within the lot and entrance left her; the men were enamored, and women jealous as the guards took one look and motioned her inside with a chuckle.  “Have a nice night.”

“Thanks!”  She chimed.  “I heard a lot about this place,” she giggled, pointing to her ears.

They laughed while holding the door open; she had left Gisele and Hayan on the roof, much to their disappointment.

Entering the fancy club, she turned her head left and right, waving at the people that gave her interested looks, but her destination was clear—VIP.  The bouncers should have checked her ID, but being extremely attractive and exotic had many advantages she could take advantage of; of course, she’d only seen girls do things like this in shows, yet it seemed to work in practice.

She was someone that would rather be in a gym on her grind than in a club when given free time; this was the first time she’d entered a business like this.

Walking up to the security guard, Rachel said, “Hey, my boyfriend said I should meet him in here.”

“Oh?”  The guard mumbled but didn’t budge.  He wasn’t the only one to notice she was not a random Beastkin girl around the area.  “Aren’t you that Mythickin from Miami?”  He asked with a shiver running down his frame.

Rachel sighed as a few local criminals started spreading the word; most of the occupants were fascinated by her glow and looks, but there were smarter thugs in the club.  The bartender to her left was already informing security that she was here.

Figuring they’d try to escort her out in a somewhat peaceful manner to not make a scene, asking for her ID and the like, Rachel held out her hand.  “So, my name’s Rachel.”

“Eh … hey?  What’s your boyfriend’s…”  He reached out his hand to take hers, and she latched onto it like a vice, keeping her innocent smile.  “Woah, hey…”

He trailed off as she began to increase her pressure.  “Shh … I wouldn’t make a scene if you want to keep your hand.”  She giggled.

“... Wha … yo, you’re kidding … aye, cut it…”

“No, no, no,” she returned, causing him to almost bite his tongue as her grip tightened.

“Okay, okay … umm, yo, I get it … mmgh…”  He bit his lip, drawing blood as a soft pop came from his fingers; she’d dislocated a few.

The bartender made a face, getting ready to come over and see what was up, but the bouncer lifted his free hand with a forced grin, making a gesture that everything was fine.  “I … hope you know what you’re getting into, girl…”  He growled.

Rachel let him go, and he hid his stiff and trembling hand behind his back.  “Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing; I’m here for Creed,” she mused.  “Now be a good boy and open the door, or I can just force it open myself.”

His face turned a whiter shade as she mentioned the name, motioning to a few bouncers that came out of a side room.  “Creed … ahem … I see, umm … yeah, have a nice visit.”  He used his free hand to put his card to the electronic lock, opening it.

“I will, and you should get that hand checked out; I hope they give you insurance here,” she giggled.

She received a few whistles when she entered VIP before their expressions fell upon getting a closer look at her.  “... Wow, damn, girl!”

“Yo, come over … aww, shit.”

“Aye, if you don’t want her, then … wait, is that the Miami Mythickin…”

Rachel halted in the middle of the room, dropped her innocent act to give them an eager smile; two Beastkin thugs were coming through the downstairs doors to escort her out.  “In the flesh.  Tell me, which one of you wants to escort me below?”

The three groups in the room glanced at each other with a grimace.  None of them decided before the female and male Beastkin made it up the stairs and to the door.

“Ah, too slow,” Rachel sighed.  “I’ll choose one of you in a second; let me just handle some business real fast.”

“Eh … combat mode?”  Nia asked.

For these weaklings?  No.

“Okay, so pretty Nia gets to kick some butt!  This will be a first.”

A salamander Beastkin man named Ken, and a raccoon girl named Pepper, opened the door, solemn eyes latching onto her.

Ken cleared his throat.  “We’re going to have to ask you to leave.”

Pepper didn’t get a follow-up word as Rachel dashed forward without warning; their muscles barely had time to constrict and fur bristle.  The back of her left hand shot under Ken’s jaw, snapping his neck back and causing his brain to blank, right hand palming his chest and sending him flying at the concrete wall.

Ken struck the wall, gagging as the air in his lungs was forcefully expelled, rattled brain in a haze.

While he flew away, Rachel lowered her position in one swift motion, swiping Pepper’s feet out from under her before flipping around and snatching her stiff tail as she fell.  Rising, Rachel forced her butt into the air, holding her up by the tail and causing a choked squeak from the woman’s throat.

Rachel laughed while swinging the stunned and stiff Beastkin in a half circle; she struck the side of a table, snapping its supports.  She sank into the base of a couch, breaking part of it with a whimper.

Everyone was speechless while the wind whipped through the enclosed room from her rapid movements, women hiding behind the men and the men trying to hide behind the woman after their initial reaction.

Ken was curled into a ball on the floor, rasping; his lengthy tail curled around to his front, pressing tightly against his forehead.  Pepper was crying softly, clutching the base of her tail and lower back while stuck inside part of the couch a few women were occupying.  Both of the Beastkin had taken a reasonably powerful blow, but she was a little disappointed in them.

Rachel hissed while shaking her head.  “C’mon … I know a sixteen-year-old girl that would be on her feet and running at me after that … pathetic.”

Ken was still gasping, eyes bulging while fighting to find air; his earpiece was going off, asking if he’d taken care of her.

Her sinister grin and gaze shifted to the paralyzed VIP members.  “Point at someone that has access to go below?  Don’t make me wait.”

A woman pointed at a well-dressed man in a suit.  “H-He does … Jeff does!”

“Damn you, Kristie!  Uh, wait, wait … Tod does, too!”

“Don’t care,” she replied, grabbing his arm that tried to shove her back and dragging him across the floor to the door.  “Behave, or I’ll rip your arm off.”

His struggles swiftly faded.  “I’ll pay you … okay, okay!  Dammit!  Shit!”

Rachel’s smile turned innocent again, easily lifting the man off the ground and setting him on his feet.  “Let’s be convincing, Jeff!”

Her eyes turned to Ken as he struggled to his feet, still clutching his chest; he failed twice, left knee giving way.  “I’d stay down,” Rachel advised, licking her full lips.  “I’m in a rather aggressive mood at the moment with all this fighting going on below us.”

“I got it!”  Jeff grunted, straightening his jacket.  “Umm … heh, you just want me to get you into the room … right?”

“That a’boy,” Rachel smirked, fondly slapping his cheek.  “You see, Creed is my cousin, and I’d like to see what he’s been up to.”

“C-Creed is your cousin?”  Jeff mumbled, eyes widening while glancing over at the others.

Pepper was giving her a tearful glare.  “B-Bitch … you … I’ll kill you.”

However, the cold grin she gave the woman shut her mouth in an instant.  “Why don’t you try to make it an official match?  I’ll smear your blood all over the ground and make that face even uglier.”

“Man, you’re getting scary!”  Nia mumbled with a forced laugh.  “This whole mixed energy thing can really pull it out of you, huh?”

My blood’s just too hot right now.  Rachel replied.  The White Moon really does put me in a confrontational mood.

“Ugh … you’re making my pretty outfit look frightening, though…”

Fine, fine, go ahead and go battle mode.

“Okai!”  Nia chimed, voice turning dramatic while changing.  “I am known as the all-consuming light!  Tremble, mortals!  Forever will you rest; eternal lunar night falls upon you … sink into the endless abyss, scum!  Despair!  Lunar Nia wears the crown of judgment … the verdict … extinction!”

Nia may sound close to thirteen years old, but Rachel was beginning to think she was more along the lines of a mouthy nine-year-old.

The crowd gave her confused looks as her clothes changed, and she opened the door leading to the floor below with the guard.  She clicked her tongue, hearing orders come through his headset about her.  “Well, Jeff … looks like I won’t need you.”

She walked in, closing the door behind her while adding a passive smile, gripping her hands loosely above her tail.  Descending the stairs, the man gave her a hard glare.  “What did you do…”

“To Pepper and Ken?”  She innocently asked.  “Why don’t you find out yourself by going upstairs?”  He wasn’t standing directly in front of the door, so Rachel took the spot, looking at the heavy metal door.  “Hmm … well, isn’t this a sturdy door?”

Setting her left foot against the concrete stairs for leverage, Rachel forced her fingers into the side of the door, biting into the wall and bending the folded steel, destroying the locks.

The guard pressed up against the corner as he watched.  “Holy shit…”

“Oh, no,” she mused, giving him a cheeky grin, “your door doesn’t work; anyone could get in like this.  Guess I’ll let myself in.”

“Hey … just take my card,” he grumbled, shakily handing her the item.  “Damn … what kind of monster are you?”  He mumbled.

She chuckled at the comment, taking it and going through the next two doors, making it into the fighting club.  Four more dangerous-looking men, one Beastkin and three Champions were waiting for her on the other side, but a 5’4 man that went by Feno waved them away.

There was a bar in the corner and a spot for people to do various drugs; four pillars acted as the caged arena at the room’s center.

“Now, now, heh, let’s see what the Mythickin wants … I don’t suppose you’re here with a whole Police squad at your back?  I haven’t heard anything from my contacts.”

Rachel ignored the fight club manager, vision shifting over to her cousin across the room, easily visible with his height.  “Creed,” she called out in a sweet voice, waving at him with an innocent smile; she knew he could probably hear her voice since he was a Beastkin.

Mason’s gaze shot to her, nose creasing.  “Rachel … the hell are you doing here?”  He grumbled.

“Oh, you know Creed?”  Feno whispered, following her focus.  “That’s excellent … hmm, are you planning on…”  He trailed off as the hallway guard snuck in behind her to speak in his ear.

“Aye, yo!”  He hissed.

“What…”

“She literally just destroyed the front door … like bent the steel and tore out the concrete.”

“Huh?!”

Rachel casually walked around the preoccupied crowd, giving the combatants a wry turn of her lips; they were undoubtedly going hard at one another, but Elena could have probably kicked their asses.  Blood of multiple colors splattered across the ring, and there were signs of broken teeth, ears, and even a finger among countless damage to the floor and thick steel chain-link fence.

Mason waded through the throng, most making room when they noticed he was on the move.  “Rachel … you shouldn’t have followed me!  The hell are you wearing … yo, I don’t wanna see your breasts like that … shit,” he grumbled, cheeks coloring.

A few people called after him, wondering where he was going, but quit once they saw she was his destination; the women were giving her calculating glares.

“I grew a little interested, is all,” Rachel returned, giving him a shrug, “and sure, I get it.”  Nia, let’s go back to normal; Mason would rather see us pretty than edgy.

“Hmm … okay … let’s see … ah, I got it!  You are lucky this day, worms!  My darkness lifts … count your blessings, but know I will return!  Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

With that, her clothes returned to their simple designs.  Bypassing the stunned looks, she gave her cousin an amused smirk, nudging her head toward the ring while gripping her hands behind her back.  “So, a fight club?  What, you didn’t think I’d be interested in something like this?”

“No … I knew you would; I just didn’t want you here,” Mason grunted.  “Yo, let’s go…”

He walked toward the door but paused upon seeing Feno; the man was thoughtfully rubbing his chin while looking at her.

“Huh … Creed, I heard something about her being your cousin … you didn’t tell me you were related to Miami’s infamous Mythickin Lunar Hare.”

“No?”  Rachel cooed with a smirk.  “He must be embarrassed about me.  So, Feno, what would it take for me to throw my hat in the ring?  I could go right now.”

A rumble shook Mason’s throat.  “Rachel…”

“Yes, yes, I’m afraid that’s too soon, dear,” Feno chuckled.  “Let’s line it up for tomorrow, eh?  Of course, you have to at least come with 1 grand entry fee; everyone does,” he shrugged helplessly.  “What do you say?  You could make bank!  There’s a ranked competition happening over the next few days.”

A fire lit inside of Rachel’s breast.  “Great!  I’ll have it tomorrow.”

Before Mason could bluster anything out, she grabbed his big arm and forced him to follow her back through the door, waving the man goodbye.  “Later!”

“Rachel … Rachel!”  Mason shouted, pulling away as they made it to the second door leading out.  “What the hell is up with you just … just rolling in and stealing my shit!  Damn, why do you gotta be all up in my business, and the hell do you mean you’re gonna compete?!  This isn’t a game!”

“Heh, you don’t think I know that?”  Rachel giggled, forcing him to keep up with her as she walked up the stairs and into the VIP room.  He went silent for a moment while observing Ken and Pepper recovering on a nearby couch, sending knives with their eyes at her.

Rachel gave Pepper a wink.  “I’ll be back tomorrow; sharpen those fangs.”

“Bitch…”

Ken’s nostrils flared, rubbing his chest.  “We’ll be waiting…”

Mason’s nose was twitching, but he waited until they made it onto the street, Gisele and Hayan coming down to join them.  “What’s … your game?  You can’t just run into a place like Balto’s and make enemies like that … they’ll kill you!”  He shouted as they exited the main crowds.

“Look,” Rachel directed a sympathetic grin up at him.  “If anything, Mason, you don’t belong there.  Have you checked your attitude lately?  You haven’t yelled ‘catch these hands’ since I got here, and I’ve given you plenty of opportunities.”

“... You know … you’re right, and I’m getting real pissed at the bullshit, Rach,” he growled, rubbing his shoulders.  “Let’s go; you and me, and if I win, then you’ll back out and go the hell away … shit, I thought you’d be at least a bit more tolerable, but you’re still an ass.  What, you think you’re hot shit after some weak Miami crap?  Yo, and the hells with those skimpy … edgy clothes you had on, too … damn, didn’t think you were into all that cosplay shit.”

She lifted an eyebrow, giving her cousin a sidelong look.  “Weak Miami crap … the hell do you think I did because obviously, you don’t know shit.  If you want me to kick your ass again to prove I’m a real fighter and not some street punk, then I’ll lay you on your back again.  I won’t even go for a low-blow.”

“I wish you would,” Mason huffed.

“Damn,” Rachel snickered, “didn’t think you were into that whole S&M shit, and with your cousin?”

“Son of a … cut the shit!  Damn, okay, let’s go!”

Rachel motioned him to a nearby field.  “Heh, still got the mind of a boy going through puberty.  Hey, I’ll make you a deal, okay, Mr. Beta.”

His large muscles bulged at her taunts; she was really trying and still couldn’t get him to physically lash out.  Something really insane happened to him that had cowed her hot-headed cousin, and she didn’t like it.  He used to be a punk, but at least he had some balls and would stick up for himself, talking about true gender equality.

He was so mad he couldn’t even reply, so she went on, motioning to Hayan.  “Beat my pet, and I’ll head back home and leave you alone forever.”

Mason bared his teeth, his deep voice coming out in a shout.  “Dammit!  How far are you going to go!”  A thick orange glow surrounded his body as he turned to punt Hayan into the stratosphere.  “I’m sick of you, and this…”

Hayan hopped up more than twice his foot’s travel speed, creating a lunar disk as a platform, swapping positions to give her cousin an evil, jagged-toothed smirk before charging up his attack.  Her blob’s typically gelatinous form became charged with Lunar Energy, smashing into Mason’s astonished mug and just about sending him into a complete loop, landing hard on his belly.

“Oh.  My.  Goodness,” Nia mumbled in horror.  “Did you kill him?!  Mom’s gonna be pissed…”

Mom … and no, he’s not dead … just knocked out, she grumbled.

She bent down to check on her comatose block-head of a cousin; her ears twitched with agitation, scanning to make sure no one was around to see what just happened because Nia wouldn’t have been the only one to think a little pudgy rabbit blob just took a boy’s head off.

Hayan was grinning up at her with pride while hopping on top of his conquered foe, practically screaming, I am the greatest!

Rachel puffed out a long breath, scratching her temple; she didn’t think Hayan would flatten her cousin, but considering where he’d come from, she should have expected he could pack a punch.  Well, shit … uh, we’ll have to wait for him to wake up.  

It took three minutes for her cousin to regain consciousness; she breathed a sigh of relief.  It was time for her to be direct and just ask him what had him so agitated and entirely off his game because his attitude wasn’t sitting right with her.  Something had left him shook, and it wasn’t like him.

She blinked, catching sight of something colorful beside her cousin’s groaning form; bending down, she smiled at what appeared to be a leftover plastic Easter egg from the previous year, forgotten in a small hole that had been dug in the field.

Opening it, she giggled at the paper inside that had a Bible verse and old jolly rancher.  “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.  You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!  Isaiah 26:19.  Hehe … hey, Mason, it’s about you.”

“Eh?  What happened…”

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