[center][i]Please allow me to introduce myself...[/i]

-Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil[/center]

[hider=Last Night]

Quickly, far too quickly, the roof under his feet was running out. The edge loomed closer. 

Haggerty's heightened senses could smell the man- no, whatever he was, he wasn't a [i]man[/i]- chasing him. Flowery cologne, just barely masking the reek of spoiled meat. 

The roof ran out. Haggerty leapt. 

Streets and alleys yawned out below him like dimly lit canyons, and for a delirious moment Haggerty spun and took in the city around him. High rises with windows blazing. Cars like ants crawling along Delerth Avenue. The Y train clattering down elevated tracks. The moon full and orange, glaring down at Santa Somabra like the eye of an angry titan or god.

Then he crashed through the skylight of the building opposite. He landed hard on a wooden floor, planks crunching beneath him. 

A woman screamed, there were gasps and murmurs. 

Haggerty looked around. Apparently he had interrupted a dinner party. Seven of them, well dressed. Nice apartment, richly appointed. There was a woman next to him struggling to her feet, covered in glass from the shattered skylight, covered in blood. 

The Urge hit Haggerty hard. A gusher, so close. How could he not? A man rushed over to help the woman up. Haggerty paused. He knew he needed to run. He knew what was chasing him. But...

Haggerty lunged at the woman, shoving aside the man who had come to her aid. The rest of the humans ran, some shrieking, some dialing frantically on their phones.

Haggerty paid no attention. He licked the woman's glass-and-blood covered arm for one long, lascivious second before sinking his teeth into her jugular and draining her in four quick gulps.

Life surged through his limbs. Let the bastard try to take him now...

On cue, there was a heavy [i]thud[/i] and crunch of broken glass next to where Haggerty knelt over his now bloodless prey. 

Haggerty dropped the corpse and stood, facing his former pursuer. They were still for a moment as they assessed each other.

Haggerty was tall, lanky and thin, pale in complexion and baring long fangs. His face, framed by long black hair, was covered in the tattoos of the Nyte Kings, his eyes were crimson-and-black pits. 

The other man was short, thickset, shaved bald. He wore an expensive three piece suit, and his royal blue tie matched his pocket square. He was smirking, as though the scene around him was very mildly entertaining.

"Hello William," he said, "I believe you have something that belongs to my employers."

Haggerty laughed, a low gurgling sound as blood sputtered down his chin. "You're fucked, Kurtz. No one can on take a full fed King, not even a... whatever you are."

The other man shrugged and stepped forward, "Give me the pendant, William."

Haggerty swung at Kurtz, who batted the fist away with an almost lazy slap. The vampire snarled and dove at him.

The fight lasted three minutes, two and a half minutes longer than it would have had William Haggerty, Nyte King, not been freshly fed. It ended with the vampire splayed across the half-collapsed dinning room table, a finely wrought dagger protruding from under his ribs. Kurtz was leaning over him, clutching the vampire's head.

"Foolish to steal from us, William," said Kurtz, grabbing the necklace that lay around the vampire's neck and pulling it off with a snap. Kurtz let go of the Nyte King, tucking the pendant into his jacket. Haggerty twitched and gasped.

"Even more foolish to stand and fight. There are leeches in this city I would think twice about crossing..." said Kurtz, pulling his knife from the vampire's side, "...but you are not one of them. Goodnight, William."

Kurtz picked up a leg from the broken table, studied it a moment, then smiled faintly as he plunged it through the wounded Nyte King's chest.

William Haggerty shrieked and writhed as he melted into ash.

[/hider]

"...all a misunderstanding. Haggerty acted alone. They want you to know that," said the thrall. She was a gorgeous twentysomething, well dressed and well spoken. Just out of college, probably working in advertising or finance. Out of character for the Nyte Kings- but perhaps they were getting smart.

Kurtz smiled, revealing a row of perfect teeth. "Well, that's very reassuring. You can tell your friends that I understand, as does the rest of the Firm, which is always happy to do business where mutual profit can be found."

He cut into his steak. Blood poured onto the rest of his plate, staining the whites of his eggs. Around him, the brunch crowd tittered and giggled and gossiped and stared at their phones. His companion sipped her mimosa, looking relieved. 

"I should mention," said Kurtz, bright eyes glittering in the morning light, "That my forgiveness has its limits. Should something like this happen again..."

"It won't" said the thrall, quickly, "They won't let-"

Kurtz held up a hand. He was still smiling. "They say that. Still, you tell your friends that if it happens again, I'll remind them of how the food chain works in this city."

He stabbed a hunk of steak and slid the bleeding flesh into his mouth.

"I- I'll tell them," said the thrall. Tears welled in her eyes. "They don't like me talking like that to them. They get angry and-"

Kurtz sighed and dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin, catching a drop of steak juice before it dripped onto his suit, "A shame, them getting their claws on such a...on someone like you. What's your name?"

"My name?" asked the thrall, suddenly confused. She looked for a moment like a person half-waking from a dream, "Diana."

"Beautiful," said Kurtz, "How did they get you?"

"I...it's hard to remember," she said.

"Try," he said, gently. 

"A club, I think, I dunno when. I met one at the bar and his eyes..."

Kurtz nodded, "Well, Diana, when you go back to them, you tell them to release you, as a sign of courtesy to me and the Firm. I don't like seeing young women of such promise in the service of lowborn [i]leeches[/i]."

"Thank you," whispered Diana, grasping Kurtz's hand. She jerked back in revulsion as soon as her skin touched his. 

Across the restaurant patio, a girl began shrieking at the maitre d' about the smoking policy. Kurtz turned to look, head cocked to one side, like a curious predator.

"Such rudeness," he said, eyes narrowing.