The sun had risen on another day, and our captive heroes were ready to prepare for their escape.

”You doin alright, Fitri?” Layla asked as she linked hands with him through their cages.

”Gyugh, it feels like my whole body is drinking warm soda, but yeah I’m good!” His own hand was touching the metal near the lock on his and Mackenzie's cage, as it slowly rusted and aged.

”Stay steady, I gotta really focus on your hands.” Mackenzie said, their own hands clasped around Layla and Fitri’s.

Myeong-Suk watched them all, making sure their thoughts stayed steady, but she couldn’t help looking towards Teddy in the back, whose thoughts she couldn’t hear at this time.

It had only been a little bit since they concocted this plan of theirs with his assistance.

“There’s a lot I can’t really explain for you guys, but something has awakened some unique powers in you, that’ll be our key to getting out of here.”

”Why don’t we just bust out right now?” Layla questioned, ready to open her door.

”We don’t know how far away from the city we are, or what kind of guards are out there. I do know the ones in charge, the ones who do a lot of the driving, have already left for the evening. So, to avoid them hunting after you all come morning, we need to do this at night.” Teddy explained.

“With the way you’re talking,” Mackenzie began, “Do you know what we can do?”

”Not exactly, but…I’m getting a little sense of it. It might sound weird, but there’s a bit of a scent to you all that wasn’t there before.”

”Ah I hope I didn’t fart in my dream.” Fitri impulsively spoke, making Teddy chuckle.

”Layla, you already had a scent of oxidization and rot,”

”Gee, thanks.” She rolled her eyes.

”Myeong-Suk, you have more of a wafting scent. Fitri, yours is very intense and energetic, and Mackenzie, you have a fresh, healthy kind of scent. It’s hard to really describe them, but I think that has something to do with what you can do. Layla at this moment has the power to erode, while Myeong-Suk can read thoughts, ephemeral between you all. I think Mackenzie might have something restorative, and Fitri has something energetic, either creating or connecting.”

"That’s a very descriptive hunch, Teddy.” Layla said with a hint of suspicion.

”I’ll be honest, I’ve met a few people who have powers like you guys, so it’s a familiar scent. But, unique in its own way.” As the sun began to rise, Teddy could feel his consciousness slipping.

”I don’t have much time. Layla, erode your cages however you need to. When night falls, I’ll take care of whichever guard comes for us. Ideally it won’t be that bastard with the eerie eyes, but I’ll be able to take him down if I have to. Once I do, we’ll find some manner of keys to one of their vehicles. One of you can drive, right?”

”I can, but I don’t have a car so I’m not well practiced.” Mackenzie spoke up.

”It’ll have to do. You four will drive like hell back to the city, ditch the license plate at your earliest chance. There’s a bar over in University Place called Discorama,”

”Wait that retro revival club!?” Myeong-Suk lit up in excitement.

”The very same! I have a…well, let’s call him my brother, who runs it. His name is Gervais, and he’ll be able to get you guys the help you really need. When you get there, tell him Teddy sent you, and tell him everything that has happened here.”

”Wait…Teddy, dude, you’re talking like you aren’t coming with us? If we’re busting out, we’re ALL busting out!” Fitri demanded.

”Yeah, let me rust your cage too, you don’t deserve to be trapped here like this!” Layla spoke up, with the other two affirming their statements.

Teddy chuckled softly. “You’re all really kind, but I’ll be able to handle myself. You four’s biggest priority has to be your own safety and escape. Mine is going to be tearing this place to the ground.”

”Dude, are you a vampire hunter!?” Fitri asked, putting pieces together.

”That’s the short version, I suppose!”

”Well, at least let me break your cage open.” Layla enforced.

”No need, I took care of that while you four were taken away.” With his foot, he gently opened and closed his cage door a slight bit. “The cuff too! Just promise me, no matter what happens, you four are going to escape.”

After a beat of uncomfortable silence, Layla used her eroding touch to tear off a piece of her shirt, using the rust to write down her phone number. She passed it to Fitri, who gave it to Teddy.

”We’ll go, but you gotta stay safe too. And I want you to tell me. If this works, if we survive, we’ll have you to thank for our lives.”

”All I’m doing is directing, you four have the power to save…yourselves…” He was starting to fade as the sun rose. “But…I’ll do as you ask. Now…prepare…and wait…” 

He fell to sleep, with the others worried about the lack of breath coming from him. But, they followed his suggestions and got to work.

“Alright, now give it a little push, if there are guards out there we don’t wanna tip them off.” Layla said once the metal looked properly rusted.

With a short and careful exertion of force, Fitri did just that, making the lock pop out. 

“Are your hands alright? I don’t know how much this whole rot touch does.” Layla asked.

”Yeah! I don’t know if it was Kenzie’s healing or what, but I’m all good! So…now we wait I guess.” Fitri said, sitting back in the cage.

Much silence passed, as the others settled with their feelings, the sensation of their abilities, and their anxieties over what happens next.

Eventually, Myeong-Suk is the one who breaks the silence. “Hey, when we all get out of here, we need to go clubbing together!”

”Really? Do I look like a club person?” Layla replied.

”Well not yet, but I’m sure if I take you to a gloomy goth bar you’ll be right at home!” She cackled, poking at her newfound friend’s shoulder.

“That’d be hella fun! I can’t stay out too late though, shelters got a real tight curfew.” Fitri awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

”Shit, I’ve got to find a place to stay too, until my dickhead dad gets over himself.” Mackenzie lamented.

”Eh, y’all can come stay at my place. I got a spare room.” Layla nonchalantly said.

”Really!?” They both shouted in shock.

”Look, if this plan works, you two will be people I’ve survived a life-or-death situation with, I think that qualifies company to keep. So long as you don’t make a mess or, I don’t know, burn it down or whatever?” She phrased it like something simple, but it hit them both really hard.

”Ay, as soon as I find a job I’ll pay you whatever you ask, Laylay!”

”Don’t call me that, and you don’t have to worry about that. The place is covered, we just gotta worry about half the utilities and, like, groceries and stuff.”

”Then I’m coming over too!” Myeong-Suk hopped to wrap her arms around Layla’s shoulders.

”Do you not have a place either?”

”I mean, I got a dorm over at UWT, but it’s soooo drab, and comes with a lot of strings. Hanging with my new magic buddies would be soooo much better!”

Layla let out a sigh, but also gave the slightest hint of a smile. “Fine, but no drugs and no random hookups.”

”Aw none!?”

”I mean, like weed I guess is whatever, but no bumps in the bathroom!” She reinforced, half-joking.

”Hmm, that’s fair!” The party girl giggled in response.

Despite their anxieties, the group all managed to get some sleep in before their grand plan, as morning fell to the afternoon. But, it wouldn’t be too long before Myeong-Suk’s mind woke itself up, as sunset was quickly coming to an end.

At the same time, she began to read Teddy’s thoughts once more. “Teddy?” She asked, quietly.

”Yeah, Myeong-Suk?” He wearily asked, shaking off the stasis.

”…You’re a good person, no matter what happens.” She spoke with weight from a deduction she alone had made for certain. It shocked Teddy, but he merely smiled.

”I wouldn’t say that just yet, but thank you.”

With a psychic alarm to each of the others going off, Myeong-Suk woke them up, as footsteps started to head towards the door.

“It’s your lucky day, kids!” One of the lackeys was the one to enter the door. Specifically, Fitri recognized it as one of the ones who had knocked him out. 

“Our little bloodhound here is going to be the one we’re dealing with tonight!”

”Leave him alone!” Myeong-Suk threw herself onto the front of the cage, pretending to shake it back and forth in vain.

The lackey put his hand through the cage to grab at her face. “Oh, don’t you worry party girl, we’ll have plenty of time together in the future. But, orders are orders!” He threw her to the back of the cage, making it clatter and shake. Thankfully, he had already passed as the door slightly swung open before Layla subtly closed it.

”Now come on punk, your blood is gonna help us find more lovely little subjects here. What the-?” He went to unlock Teddy’s cage, but found the lock already melted away.

”Took ya long enough.”

With a violent lunge, Teddy ripped his shackled hand violently from its lock, tearing and mangling it along the way. He pushed the cage door open, tripping the lackey, and pounced onto him in the same movement.

With an animalistic growl, he revealed his sharp fangs as he plunged them into the lackey’s neck, messily draining him as he fell to the ground. As he drank, he used the acquired blood to mend his newly torn hand, the flesh knitting together and bones returning to their proper shape with sickening squelches and cracks.

Myeong-Suk couldn’t help but look away, while the others looked on in shock at this situation. Layla had her doubts, given his lack of breath, but she didn’t expect this.

”You…you’re one of them!?” Layla stuttered.

As Teddy finished his meal, he reached to a hidden holster on his back which held a pair of large knives. In short order he took one and raked it across the lackey’s throat, decapitating him in just two swings.

The body quickly started to decompose in a manner of seconds, as Teddy rifled through his pockets, tossing Mackenzie a set of keys.

Despite his lower face being absolutely coated in dripping crimson blood, Teddy still wore a gentle smile, and remorseful gaze. “Go. Get out of here, before the others start suspecting something. I’ll clear the way.” He began to walk towards the door, producing the second knife from his holster.

Layla hesitated, but only for a moment. “Teddy!” He stopped, and turned to look over his shoulder. “Your promise still stands. Stay safe.”

He chuckled. “You got it, kid.”

He let the door slowly swing open, and then was gone in a flash. In mere seconds, shocked screams and gunshots could be heard further away as the four of them stepped out of their cages.

”Okay I have to be honest I am rethinking this plan in light of that!” Mackenzie stuttered, clutching the keys for dear life.

”Hey! Just because Teddy is a vampire doesn’t mean he was lying to us! It’s scary, but he clearly doesn’t like these people either!” Myeong-Suk defended.

”But what if he’s just a part of a different group that also wants to kidnap us!?”

”Guys! We can argue about that once we get out! We don’t have much time!” Fitri shouted, more serious than he had been. Everyone nodded in acceptance, and they all began to rush from the room.

Looking around, they were tucked away in a corner of a warehouse, full of dust-covered crates and decrepit cars. They were hesitant to move forward, but Myeong-Suk did her best to search for any thoughts outside of them.

”We’re good, let’s move along the edge!” She suggested, whispering.

As they moved along, hiding behind the crates and debris, they had to duck away at one point as another lackey was trying to run away. But, they quickly saw Teddy rush from seemingly nowhere, cutting him down at the ankles, before decapitating him while the lackey pleaded for mercy.

This did not make anyone feel easier, but they had to keep moving.

Thankfully, while the warehouse was large, the edge allowed them to move quickly in a straight line, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were able to peak out a window to the outside.

Unfortunately, there were multiple cars lined up outside. “Shit, how are we gonna tell which one it is?” Fitri asked, being the tallest and therefore the lookout.

”I got one idea, but it won’t be stealthy.” Mackenzie said, holding up the key fob.

They each looked at each other. “Once we find out, we bum rush the car and anyone in the way. Fitri, think you can manage that?” Layla asked.

”You got it baby-laby!”

”That one’s also a no.”

With Fitri ready to lead the charge, all four of them peaked their heads from around the open shutter gate of the warehouse as Mackenzie pointed the key fob towards the cars.

With a double click of the lock button, the car let out a small honk and flashed its lights. Unfortunately, it also alerted and illuminated the eerie eyed man, who had been standing right in front of it.

”Shit!” Layla whispered.

”Crap!” Mackenzie stuttered.

”Fuck!” Myeong-Suk squeaked.

”Hell yeah!” Fitri nearly shouted.

The eerie man was curious, and first turned around to look at the car, before he heard the sound of footsteps. Turning to face the four, he saw Fitri rushing towards him with eyes locked and determined.

”Hmmph, cute.” He said with a smug smirk. “Stop.” He tried to command with a gleam of his eyes. However, this time, the hold he had previously held effortlessly over them slid off Fitri’s mind like water.

”What the fu-” Was all he could utter, before Fitri planted his foot in the ground and landed a punch to the face that he put all of his strength into, knocking the eerie man to the ground with a wet crack.

”Holy fuck! Did you just kill him!?” Myeong-Suk yelled.

”I dunno and I don’t really care right now! We gotta go!”

Mackenzie quickly got into the drivers seat and started the car. “Myeong-Suk, you know where this club is, yeah? Get in the passenger seat!”

She quickly jumped in as Fitri piled into the back. Layla took a second to use her decaying touch to rust the metal on the rear license plate, ripping it from the car.

As she got in, Mackenzie wasted no time as they all buckled up, putting the car into reverse and tearing down the nearest road with a loud roar of the engine.

Inside the warehouse, Teddy heard the car roar away, and smiled the brightest he had in a manner of weeks. “They did it! I guess I really do need to uphold my end of the bargain.”

As he went to move, he saw the eerie man walk in the front gate of the warehouse, his face impacted and neck twisted nearly 180 degrees. But, he merely twisted it back around with an equally wet snap, and used his right hand, now a claw made of bone and sinew, to massage his facial structure back to the way it was.

”Mr. Ford. I do hope you understand I cannot allow all of my assets to just up and run away.” He jutted that claw into one of the dusty crates, which contained imprisoned mutilated bodies, and in short order it transformed into a twisted and sinewy monster of its own.

”But of course! I just hope you understand that I am really not keen on staying your asset, so don’t be offended when I gut you like the minnow you are.”

”Hmm. Cute.” The eerie man snarled, readying himself to destroy him once and for all.

While at first the road was dark and uncertain, soon streetlights and signs made the way very clear. The four of them were making their way into Fife, littered with gas stations, truck stops, and fast food. The lights of downtown Tacoma coming into view were a miraculous vision of home for the four, as Mackenzie just barely avoided bursting into tears in order to keep his vision steady.

Once they made it into Tacoma proper, they decided the best course of action would be to take one of the longest main streets, 19th, all the way down to where they needed to turn in University Place, a mostly residential city directly connected to Tacoma to the west.

With it being a normal street rather than a highway, the stoplights and slower speed limits gave more time for thinking and discussing.

"So, again, are we sure we want to just follow what Teddy said? Like...I'm not doubting that he helped us massively, but he was a vampire too! I don't feel like just blanket trusting him." Mackenzie brought up.

"I couldn't read a lot of his thoughts, but what I did pick up on, it was all very genuine. Teddy...he certainly is scary, but he isn't, y'know, evil." Myeong-Suk added on.

"I don't wanna sound like an asshole, but could that have been, I dunno, a front?"

"You think he'd keep a front up in his own mind?"

"Once he found out you were a mind reader, maybe!"

"Okay okay, let's think about it this way: either Teddy was telling the truth, and this Gervais guy will really be able to help us, or he wasn't and we use our cool new magic powers to beat our way out again!" Fitri suggested.

"How can we if they got all that brainwashing nonsense?" Mackenzie argued.

"I don't think that can affect us anymore," Fitri revealed. "That spooky guy, he tried it on me back there, and like I felt it try to take hold, but it couldn't! I was looking right at him too!"

"Maybe, since we're not just normal people now, we have a resistance to their powers?" Layla theorized.

"Okay but we can still be imprisoned or just, y'know, killed! I've read vampire fiction they like to keep their secrets!"

"I've also read magic stories, and we have secrets to keep too now. Look, if Teddy was willing to let us go despite knowing about Vampires, someone he calls a brother might too. I'm with Fitri, worse case scenario, we bust out again."

"Me too! I trust Teddy! After all, he risked his life...his unlife? Anyways, he put himself in harms way to make sure we could escape! Why do that if he was just going to betray us?" Myeong-Suk added.

Mackenzie let out an anxious sigh. "I don't like this, but I'm outnumbered. I just hope you guys are right."

Once they get to Tacoma Community College, a large campus situated along 19th, the four of them decided there was the best place to ditch the car, just in case it had some kind of tracking installed. From there, they would be able to take the bus route 2 to their destination.

"Wait, shit, we don't have any of our things! How're we gonna pay for the bus?" Mackenzie worried.

"Ah, it's late! Most drivers are nice enough to let me on even when I'm really strugglin'!" Fitri added on.

"Right but, all four of us?"

"Ohoho, just leave it to me~!" Myeong-Suk said confidently. As the bus arrived and the doors swung open, the four waited for the couple of passengers to get off, before they approached the bus driver.

"Excuse me, but me and my friends here have really been struggling to get back home, we've gotten all sorts of lost~! Would it be okay if we just got on? We're not going far~!" She said. Not only did she add a physical persuasion, taking advantage of her less-than-chaste costume, but also did her best to visualize her mental powers swaying the bus driver.

There was a beat of silence as the driver stared blankly. "Yeah sure, go on back."

While in reality the bus driver just didn't want to worry about it, Myeong-Suk counted it as a feat of her mental prowess, and Fitri at least was joining in, impressed and in awe of her quick mastery.

It took only a few minutes for the bus to stop at a main intersection, which coincidentally had a metaphysical shop nearby. "Huh, Teddy said that he had met other people with powers like us, I wonder if that store has any actual magic in it?" Mackenzie wondered.

But that store was not to be their destination. Just down the road on that intersection was the recently built disco revival themed dance club, Discorama!

"God this feels so cringe worthy." Layla said with exhaustion, looking at the neon sign above the door.

"Whaat? Nooo! Disco is great! C'mon let's get inside!" Myeong-Suk led her by the hand as the other two followed after.

As they all entered, there was in fact funky disco music playing, with neon lights and a genuine disco ball illuminating a dance floor. While very few people were dressed in vintage attire, it did seem to be a moderate hit at the very least.

"Just realized, he didn't tell us who to talk to outside of that Gervais guy." Layla commented.

"Well, he said he was the owner, so I'm sure if we talk to one of the bartenders they'll know him." Mackenzie explained.

"C'mon Myo! We gotta stay focused this time, we'll come back later for fun dancin!" Fitri reigned in the party girl who wanted to let loose after everything.

Walking up to the bar, Layla saw a tired looking woman with tanned skin and vitiligo with long brown dreadlocks. Aside from the woman having much lighter skin than him, Layla could see them being related, especially as the young man had his own patch of vitiligo occupying the whole upper-left corner of his face and hair just about as long of the same texture.

"Excuse me," Mackenzie led as he approached the bar. "We're looking to talk to, uh, Gervais? We were told he was the owner of the bar."

"He's out for the night. Leave a message." She responded flatly, producing a comment card.

"Uh, w-we actually need to urgently talk to him." He responded, uncertain about this whole thing.

"Sorry, but he's busy. Leave a message or come back later."

"B-But...the thing is...uh-"

"Teddy sent us." Layla cut in. This got the woman's full attention.

"Look, a lot of shit has happened these last couple days, and I can't just go blurting it out here. Teddy told us to come here and talk to Gervais. Now, can we talk to him, or not?"

There was an intense beat of silence, somewhat lessened by the fact that a remix of Stayin' Alive was playing.

"Follow me."

Nervously, the four of them followed the woman to a side room, which looked to be a private meeting room of sorts.

"It'll take him some time to get here, but I'll let him know. If you need anything, just use the phone. It's on the house for now." She pointed towards a landline attached to the side of the room.

The second the door closed, as if on cue, all of their stomachs growled with a passion.

"OH FUCK IT'S BEEN LIKE TWO WHOLE DAYS!" Fitri realized as his stomach began to cramp.

"FOOD! BAR FOOD! NEED!" Myeong-Suk growled as she searched for a menu.

For Layla and Mackenzie, however, despite still feeling hunger, thirst, exhaustion, among other physical pains, what they felt the most was realization. While they weren't sure how this was going to pan out, they had made it. They had survived. They were free.

They were able to compose themselves for enough time to pick and order some food, as the bar had a surprisingly robust menu, before the weight of everything finally was enough, and one by one each of them burst into tears. Some from panic, some from stress, but mostly just sheer elation at the fact that they had lived to see another day.

"I have an update, White Queen." The eerie man said, leaning up against the side of the warehouse. "No, unfortunately, not one you'll be happy with. It seems Mr. Ford was craftier than we gave him credit for. He has escaped, along with...along with the subjects."

Sinewy tendons and nerves flailed from the stump of his right arm, violently torn off, as behind him a warehouse full of mutated corpses lay silent and still, large swathes cut and bitten into their flesh.

"The subjects escaped, presumably, into the city. Mr. Ford escaped on foot, but he was injured. I can request a search team to-...No, of course. I shall re-prioritize for the subjects. Yes, ma'am. Forgive me, ma'am. Roger that."

After he hung up the phone, the eerie man took several deep breaths, even if he did not need to do so. But, it failed to calm him down, and with a violent swipe of his left arm he gashed into the metal siding of the warehouse with a ferocious roar.

"Those impudent little BLOODBAGS! I am going to find them and drain their blood for myself! And then, oooh then, I shall rend the head off of that Assamite gnat! I will not be made a fool of twice! DO YOU HEAR ME!? NOT! TWICE!" He screamed into the night sky.