Merry Friggin'.. Whatever.

[Mikhail Vida]

"I didn't think you were.  But I had to make sure."

The fact that she wasn't working for anyone spoke a few different things about her.  First, that she did work for others, occassionally.  Second, that she wasn't permanantly bound to anyone.  Good; things would've gotten complicated, if she had been.

"If you hadn't bolted in the store.  You know I'm a Vida just as well as I know you are.  And that was just a little bit harsh, all things considered, though I'd think a few dozen times before hugging a complete stranger too, in this day and age."

The bums were now conferring amongst themselves, looking eagerly from one another to the two witches apparently fighting in the middle of the empty subway station.

Her next statement confused him, though.  

"Why would Dominique want you erased?  If you're not working for them and haven't been turned, I should think she'd be glad to know there are more Vidas out there."

[Danielle Vida]

She didn't even pay attention to what the man was saying at this point, her concentration having left him to follow the onslaught of bums suddenly closer than they were before.

The stench washed over her senses like a wave of nausea when you find week-old milk sitting on the counter. Vampires. And here she was, paralyzed, arguing with a cousin, or whatever he was, pretty much like a sitting duck.

"Shut up," she said. "Shut up, and listen."

If she could see them.. they could see her. Or that was her theory. Right about now she wasn't exactly hiding who she was. She could think of how many would love to say they'd killed a Vida. Today wasn't going to be that day, not if she could help it.

[Mikhail Vida]

Mikhail released the nerves without moving his arm - better not to let them think they'd been spotted - and nodded ever so slightly to Dani.  His voice a couple levels quieter, he said, "You'll be able to move again in a second.  Don't do anything till I tell you to."

Mik's other hand, still inside his coat, grasped the hilt of his sword.  One of the bums made another step closer, and then started running toward them, teeth bared.  "Now!" he said, stepping around Dani to meet the vampire's charge, his blade drawn and flashing around in a silver-edged black arc.

The vampire saw the blade about a tenth of a second before it passed through its neck; he never felt another thing.  The others hung back, ready to leap at the first hint of weakness.

Mik could only hope Dani was armed... otherwise, this was going to get ugly, fast.

[Danielle Vida]

She only had fifteen bullets in her clip, and if she didn't plan it right, she'd just run out. She'd absently grabbed a chain as she'd left her apartment. It was long and slender, and it doubled as a necklace when looped. It appeared golden, but the inlay was a reddish-amber colour. Firestone. She kept it on her neck, though. She'd only pull it off if she got a good chance to strangle someone.

It was cool that she had backup, though. With her left hand, she drew her Baby Eagle, shooting one square in the face just as he began to move forward. Predictable. She didn't know if she'd get that chance again.

"You boys going to stand there all day?" she asked, a slight drawl to her voice as she channeled John Wayne. An ol' fashioned standoff in a damn subway tunnel. Could this be any more clich??

Mik had big stabby, and she had kaboom. The question was, were they smart enough to just fuck off or were they going to stay 'til the Vidas killed them all?

[Mikhail Vida]

Mik felt it before he could do anything about it, the probing lash of a vampire's mind seeking to roll his own.  With a sneer of contempt, he doubled the lash back over on itself, and watched as one of the remaining vampires snarled with rage.  There were five of them left, now, in a kind of staggered 'W' formation.  The one who'd just tried to roll him formed the back left vertex of that W.  By the way the others were acting, he was something of a leader; a leader who'd just shown weakness.

Mik smirked as he watched them.  Two looked ready to charge; two more looked ready to run away.  The leader looked like he didn't really know what to do, and was just kinda standing there.

It was fairly obvious none of them had been even remotely prepared to be confronted by a hunter and a mercenary, even when they'd noted that the two of them were witches.  The leader, perhaps regaining some semblance of his composure, barked an order.  The others turned toward him, then scattered and ran for it.  Mik considered giving chase, then decided against it.  Better to have someone to spread the word that the Vidas were still at the top of their game, no matter what was going on in the family.

Mik turned back to Dani, who still had her weapon drawn and aimed in his general direction.  In a gesture of good faith, Mik lowered his own weapon, but didn't put it away.  That strange tension was back, somewhat amplified by the pressence of drawn weapons...

[Danielle Vida]

Danielle shot one of them in the back of the head for good measure. She made it a point not to draw that gun unless she wanted to use it. The others didn't even notice, they were so busy running.

She slowly put it back from whence it came, walking to and fro across the subway platform, making sure there weren't any more lurking baddies waiting for them. She walked back in Mik's general direction when the tunnel began to shake on the announcement of an approaching train.

"Well, what now?" she asked, nearly having to yell over the subway cars as they began to whizz by.