Lestat was still standing his ground, although Darren had finally resolved to come out of hiding. They locked eyes, the vampire who had become a rock star, and the rock star who had become a vampire.

"I am not weak, I'm just different from you.... You betrayed your kind by writing those books, and you know it!"

"I did not, no one believes those books anyway...."

"I believed them for the longest time, until I found out that I would never be one, then it lost all the appeal that it had had."

"You mean nothing to anyone, that is the way this world works!"

Dan cleared his throat, pausing them long enough to get a word in.

"You know, we shouldn't be arguing about these things when there are more important things to be fixing..."

"Like what?"

"Like the little problem we call Wolfbainians.... Didn't you know that Dagmantis is in town Lestat?"

Lestat glanced at him.

"Dag? Here? Now? Are you kidding? What is he after?"

"We don't know.... But he's taking things around here into his own hands. Karl has already had a go around with him, and he will be at the hotel tomorrow night to meet us..."

"Oh no no no...Dan, you were there...The Fang Wars in Berlin... You were there...God, he's after you! You were killing the last of his kind in that war!"

"What? That's was centuries ago!"

"Time has no boundaries for this creature, and thanks to Armand, our job has just grown three-fold. He made a vow to kill all of the ones who came from that war...And know he is here to claim you...."

**

Darren didn't say a word, just stared at Daniel like he had never seen him before.

"You? In Berlin? When was that?"

"Before your grandparents grandparents grandparents were even thought of. I've been around even longer than Lestat, and saw a lot more than I really wanted to. I was drafted into that war, and I didn't want to do what I needed to do..."

"Why would you ever need to kill them? What did they do to you?"

"Years of deaths. They killed our kind..."

Lestat interrupted.

"No, you invaded their space and territory, that is why they killed your kind. Your master was the first to fall to Dag, and no one has been able to stop him...And no one dares to try, they are all killed in the process...."

Silence filled the room. Darren sat on the couch, thinking...

"So this is the drawback to immortality.... The endless years of killing that lay ahead and behind..."

The door burst open, Karl pulling Ben through the door, and laying him on the floor. Dan ran to him, trying to get something out of him.

"What happened Karl?"

"He had a run in with Wolf, passed out when he found me...I don't know what he did to him...."

Lestat backed away, into the darkest corner of the room..."

You've brought the darkest enemy to our gates, and there is no way to stop him. Good luck to you, well, what there is left of you anyway..."

**

Dawn came quickly, and Darren was lightly sleeping off the supposed hang-over that he though that he had...That wasn't what it was really, but Lestat let him believe what he wanted for the moment, until he started going after people. Dan was sitting there in the silence, drinking a substance that would sustain him until Darren woke up and wanted to go.

**

Wolf had gone back to his hotel room, thinking of what was to come, and what had happened that night.

"You don't have to die to leave my world...Stand still and you've already departed..."

He hummed to himself, but nothing would clear his mind... He had to find the secret, the clue, the reason...And with Lestat floating around, it was going to be hard getting to Daniel if he didn't come on his own... He turned on his headset, "To the Moon and Back" began to play, and he laughed to himself....

"Oh yes...Space is only time out of mind my friend...That's all it is..."

**

Dan couldn't tell what time it was when he came to...He hadn't meant to fall into such a deep sleep, but the last night's events had taken a lot out of him. He scratched his head, running his fingers through his now long hair.

"I hate this...A new haircut every night just to look the same..."

He walked into the room where he had left Darren earlier that morning to see if he had woke up yet, but Darren wasn't there. In fact, he wasn't anywhere to be seen, and Daniel couldn't sense him anywhere near.

"Oh bloody hell...where did he go now???"

He continued to look around the room until he found a small note, Darren's scribbling.

"Hey Danny, Found the need to go out, will be back in a few...No worries, Darren..."

He raced through the basement and up the stairs, grabbing his glasses and hat as he went.

"Oh God I hope he doesn't run into Dagmantis...Lord knows what he would do to him..."

When he reached the street, there was no sign of Darren, no mind traces, nothing, and he sighed deeply...With powers like he now had, Darren wasn't just a danger to the general public, he was a danger to himself if he didn't know how to control it....

**

Wolf had lightly slept for most of the morning, just letting time have its run with him. A Savage Garden CD played softly in the background, just enough for him to hear.

"People tell me that I feel too much, but I don't care...People tell me that I need too much, but I don't care, no, I just don't care anymore.... Oh Darren, you were just so naive..."

He rolled off the bed and onto his feet, stretching his arms and yawning. He walked into the bathroom, staring at the reflection of himself in the mirror he groaned. He looked like he had been hit by a truck, and felt a lot like it too, so he stripped down and climbed into the shower. Unlike most 'pires, Wolf loved the feel of the water, but then again, dirt just never really stuck to him anymore like it used to. He sat in the bottom of the tub, meditating, or something close to it, but whatever it was, he was growing whiter with every moment that passed. His eyes opened slowly, water streaming down his face, and he smiled, showing both sets of razor sharp teeth.

"So, he does walk in the day...And he walks alone...Stupid Pyraid, you'll so easily be mine..."

He laughed a dark and evil laugh as he pulled himself up and out of the shower, stopping again as he saw himself in the mirror.

"You should have been born in this time...You would be such a sex symbol...Hmmm, maybe you already are...Guess I'll have to try it on some little tasty tid-bit a little later on..."

He grabbed his crotch, and laughed even harder.

"You'll get a workout yet...Hahahaha!"

**

Darren smiled, knowing how angry Daniel was going to be when he finally caught him, but he didn't care. He was beginning to realize the events of the night before, but if he was a vampire, how could he walk in the daylight? Some small thoughts ran through his head, nothing important, but something that any mortal might do. He scanned the streets around him, thinking for some strange reason of how good some of these people might taste if he had the chance...He shook his head, mumbling to himself.

"Darren, you need to get a grip man...You aren't that kind of person, so quit thinking that way."

People walking on the street only glanced at him, knowing who is was, but not stopping him. They stayed as far away from him as possible, crossing the small street if needed to stay out of his way. They saw his skin color, the glossiness of his eyes, the craziness in his glance, and knew that it wasn't like him. He didn't care, however, he just wanted to be there, in the middle of it all, almost a longing more than anything else...

"Stupid Pyraid, you'll so easily be mine..."

He heard it loud and clear from somewhere nearby. He looked across from where he stood, the huge hotel looming before him. It had come from there, and the voice sent shivers up and down his spine. Bit by bit, more was sinking in, and the more it did, the less he liked what was happening...

**

Dan had taken to the streets, searching desperately for his vanished comrade.

"I am never letting him out again...Never... Darren, I hope you hear this, I am never going to let you out of my sight again...Now please come back...Your life depends on it..."

Using an alley, he flew up to the top of an old apartment building, landing softly on the roof, scanning the horizon. He could feel something on the wind, something cold and unforgiving, like cold fingers reaching out for what was left of his soul. He felt the ice enter him, and he fell to his knees, yelling in pain. It tore through him like a dull knife ripping at his insides, blood tears forming in his eyes. It began to pull away, and he lay there crying, coughing, pushing the pain back.

"And they call this a gift! This evolution...Give me death before the blood runs dry in me from this evolution!"

He fell on his back, eyes blank and dim, breathing slowed. He had passed out there on the rooftop, alone in his solace.

**

Wolf was finally dressed, mostly anyway, and he sat on the edge of his bed staring at the shirt that he had bought to wear for the day...

"You know...The fashion industry is so unimaginative now...Used to be able to wear nothing at all without being arrested, now you have to wear these lousy excuses for clothes..."

He slipped it over his head, and flopped down on the pillows.

"Oh Dag, why did you have to find him now? Why not in a few more years, just to let the new one be more of a challenge? I have to take him now as well, just because of Daniel's stupidity. What a moron...Who would change a mortal just because some smart little covener suggested it, especially one like Ben? And why in the name of Memnoch did Lestat change him? What did he see in that kid besides a new guitar player?"

He sat back up, and began to pull his shoes on when the breath was ripped from his chest. He fell to the floor, raking at his lungs and heart. It felt like a cold hand, squeezing the life from him while he was still living. Then it faded away, leaving him close to comatose on the rug. He hadn't passed out, but he was close to it, and stayed as he was until he was sure that he could make it to the door.

"Need life, need blood, need help...Need to know what is doing this to me..."

He stumbled out his door and down the hall, gasping for breath that still wouldn't come back to him. As he came out the main doors, he could feel him, Daniel, close by, almost on top of him, but he was almost not there at all. He pulled up the collar on his jacket, and looked down the street, spotting the familiar Starbucks sign.

"Maybe some coffee will do for the time being...."

**

Darren had slipped through the doors unnoticed, ordered his usual cup of coffee, and sat in his usual both like it was any ordinary day. Although he loved the almond-flavored mocha that sat on the table before him, he didn't drink, he only looked at it for the longest time. Yelling in his head brought him out of it for a few moments, thinking that it might have been someone in the shop, but it wasn't, just another voice in his head that continued to plague him. He watched the people as they came in, and as they walked out, numerous cups of flavored coffee leaving with them, along with other things like foods, or perhaps what was left over in their wallets from a long spree downtown. But none of this bothered him as he sat, feeling as the heat escaped from his cup. A man sat at a table a few feet away, sipping his coffee. Darren could smell it, a Russian blend, strong too...

"Hmmm, vanilla and chocolate...interesting combination..."

He glanced at him quickly, just enough to get an image to think on for a while. The contradicting flavors matched the man who was drinking them, his silver goatee unbalancing his almost totally black outfit. His eyes were almost that color too, but with a hint of blue, not much, but enough for him to notice. He also got a feeling from him, like he was almost like him, but not quite. Like he had walked in his shoes although he had never seen him before in his life... Funny how strange things start to pop out when you are no longer one with the general population...

**

Wolf entered, ordered his usual, Black Russian with Vanilla Liqueur and Chocolate Schnops, and glanced around the room. It was then that he felt him, the young one, Darren, sitting across the room in a shadowed booth. "I'll take him now, to hell with waiting, he doesn't have what I need." He sat in the table a few feet away from Darren, and quietly sipped his coffee, keeping at least one eye on the very edgy Pyraid. He watched him glance back once, like he felt that he was being watched, but that was all. He never said a word, never looked back for another reminder. They sat that way for a few hours, until Wolf's coffee was gone, and Darren's was still there, but thoroughly chilled. Wolf watched as the people began to leave, the few that were there folding their newspapers and going home, until there were none left but them, sitting there in silence.

"I hear that Daniel had a good night last night...."

Darren flew out of his chair, landing to face Wolf.

"What do you care? Are you some crazed fan or something? You've been sitting here watching me all afternoon..."

"I would land under the something category I think, but that won't matter to you in a few moments!"

Wolf launched himself over the table and towards Darren, going in for the attack when he was shoot out of the air, landing hard on his right shoulder. He pushed himself up quickly, holding his left arm that was hanging lifelessly at his side, and growled at his assailant, snarling and showing rows of daggered teeth. Daniel stood in the doorway, pistol held in his stable hand, waiting for Wolf to attack again.

"You stay away from him Wolfbainian. He's no worry of yours..."

"You made him, he is a worry of mine. Take your leave Pyraid!"

Daniel fixed his stance.

"Come for us again, and you'll take another bullet..."

Wolf exploded with an invisible force, sending Darren flying to the back of the shop, and Daniel back out the door. The last he saw of Wolf was a shadow flying over him, and fading into the crowd beyond.

**

Darkness had come, and Daniel had taken Darren back to the meeting place where Ben, Lee, and Karl would be waiting. They all entered with solemn faces, all knowing what had gone on that day, and how close Darren had been to seeing Memnoch for the first time. He, on the other hand, was possibly the only one who didn't know, but Lestat was there at his side as well, because this was the night they were supposed to meet him, the Wolfbainian.

"So, do you think that he will still meet, even when Dan shot him this afternoon?"

Lestat looked at Karl.

"Almost definitely, that is if he hasn't changed since the last time I ran into him. He won't give up any chance of getting them as long as he can still manage. Don't be surprised if he isn't even hurt when we see him... Blood can do amazing things."

Ben lay on the floor, still too sore in his mind to want to move.

"Just give me one more shot at that lunatic, I'll nail him next time..."

Lee removed his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and looked to the group.

"He says that he's waiting, but he will only be there when he knows that we are unarmed. He also states that is was a dirty trick you pulled with that gun today, but it did nothing more than set him back two hours. Next time, you'll be the one set back."

Dan walked over to him, and starred into his eyes.

"How does he do that? I mean, send the message to only one?"

"He can do a lot of things that we can't explain, like that nifty little fading trick that he's used on almost all of us now. It's just another unexplained to add to the pile about this guy..."

**

Wolf had spent an hour sewing up his own wound, muscles and all before going on a rampage of the city. He took three mortals in the early evening, wanting to spend a little time with the last, a young woman, but realizing that he didn't have the time nor energy to do so. He hid them in allies where they would be found, eventually, but would think to be killed by dingoes or somesuch. When he was done, the pain was gone, but the sweet taste lingered on his lips, the taste of mortal life being given to him freely.

Wolf sat in the empty lounge when the six men came through the doors, Darren and Daniel in the middle, the rest flanking them.

"So we meet again Bullet Man. Not so brave now are we...Had to bring the back up with you... Don't think that I'd kill you here, do you?"

"I don't know what to think with you sneaking around like you are...You would have taken Darren in Starbucks if I hadn't have shown up..."

"That is my business, not yours. Any spawn of yours should be sent back to Memnoch where they belong, with the rest of your clan that let me live in Berlin. That was a mistake that you will never live down..."

"Oh, I'll live it down, just as soon as your dead."

"That won't happen I'm afraid. Your fate is already decided, I just need to carry it out. And before I forget, you should be ashamed of yourself making me believe that it was Armand...I know that it wasn't now, but that doesn't change anything really, just that I know what is wrong with you...Why you passed out this afternoon..."

Dan's eyes went wide...

"Tell me then, what is wrong?"

"This..."

Wolf brought his hand to his mouth and slashed his teeth across his own wrists. Dan instantly grabbed at his wrist, teeth marks clearly evident.

"It wasn't Armand that night in Paris...It was you, and that blood never went out of your system. I am you, and you are me, brother!"

Lestat stepped back into the shadows once more.

"Oh no, no no no...Oh lord no...."

Darren spun around, facing him with a glare.

"Oh would you shut up already?! That's the only thing that you've been able to say since they brought Ben back, and I'm tried of it...SO JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!"

Lestat bit his lower lip, ducking his head from the gazing eyes. Dan was still stuck to his position, holding his wrist and staring at Wolf.

"Why did you do this to me Dag? Why be paired with me? Why not Lestat or Armand or someone...???"

"Because...They weren't stupid enough to attack me...Not like you, you moron! You remember the words don't you? The one's that you wrote about his books?"

Wolf motioned over to Lestat.

"See, he's a moron too... There will always be someone who believes, no matter what, like our little friend here. But he will never understand what we are...."

Darren looked back, showing his teeth.

"You think that you are really something, don't you? Think you're the king of the chicken coup, huh?"

"Well, with all of you being chickens...I guess I am..."

"I didn't mean it like that... You know what I meant...."

"No, I don't know... I don't understand you Pyraids, and I don't frankly care that much either... I want this over with now..."

Dan walked towards him, getting closer than Ben and Lee preferred, but he wasn't to be stopped. He grabbed Wolf by the collar and pulled him out of his chair, throwing him a few feet away.

"Tell me now Wolfbainian...Why are you here now, and why are you after me when there are so many others here in this city? You know that there can't possibly be as many dingo kills as are being reported...."

Wolf got to his feet, snarling, sending Karl flying to hide behind the row of chairs in the back of the lounge.

"Oh man...Now you've done it... I would suggest getting out of here...NOW!!!! OF COURSE IF YOU ALL WANT TO BE EATEN, STICK AROUND FOR ABOUT TEN MORE SECONDS!!!!"

They all turned back to Wolf, who was looking a little hairier than before. Lestat fell to his knees.

"Oh God No....Why me? Why now??? Oh no no no...."

Wolf looked up, now fully changed, and snarled at Lestat.

"I thought they told you to SHUT UP!!! WHY CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE TOLD??? Oh yes, I forgot...YOU ARE THE BRAT PRINCE!!!!"

Lestat fell to his back, passed out, and Wolf quickly glided back to where Daniel stood firmly planted to the ground. He stopped only inches away, standing a full two feet taller than him now.

"So Mr. Silver Bullet, you think you can take me now? I'll make a little wager on it... I'll even give you a five minute head start..."

"Me? Run from you? Stinky breath lousy excuse for a Wolf, I could take you on any day!"

Wolf thought about this for a moment, and grinned, his silver teeth gleaming.

"You have sealed your fate, your friends will not be there to help you. But you have also forgotten something...If I kill you, I go on living, but if you kill me, you die. That's the way the blood runs. Either way, you lose, but your friends are free to go, even the young one if you will go for the hunt..."

Karl popped his head out for a few seconds, just to see what was going on before hiding once again.

"Like fallen soldiers we will learn. Once forgot and twice removed... Oh god...it's coming true... EVACUATE! HE'S GOING TO FRY US ALL!"

Karl freaked out, shot into the air from behind the chair, and missed the sunroof by three feet. They all heard the sickening crunch as he collided with the ceiling, and thudded back to the floor, landing in a lifeless heap.

"See, even your informant is a moron...You need to find better company...."

Dan scowled.

"Fine, I'll take your deal, but I have three days start..."

"Fine, Your time starts at sunrise..."

**

Meanwhile; In another part of the city, something was going down...

"Get a move on...We don't have all night, this place will be swarming with people in the morning. Get this body out of here!"

"Mell, we don't have the truck, we can't take it yet...."

"It would be Detective Mallyon to you, and get them down here now...When this hits the news, you won't see the light of day...."

"Oh, like no one in the place is going to notice all these cops out here in the middle of the night?"

"Shut up and do your job, Ericson...We don't have time for you to stand here and bull with me."

He turned away, heading back for the yellow tape as Mellina stood and sighed.

"What am I going to do with him? Two days on the force and he's already driving me up the wall!"

She walked back to her vehicle, and pulled a tape recorder from the compartment.

"January three, another body found, blond female, about mid-twenties. Several claw marks cover her body, looks almost like another dingo attack, but there are no dingoes in this part of Oz. Possibly same work as the other bodies found in the last week or so, totaling seventeen. Public is jumpy, fearing for safety, but no leads yet."

She put it back down, looking at it for a few seconds, but giving up on trying to record everything.

"Seventeen, same emo, left like they wanted them to be found, but set like an animal did it. What kind of basket case would do this?"

She watched as Steven Ericson continued to take pictures of the scene, and she cringed. She had never seen so much blood than in the past week, and she didn't like it at all.

"If it is an animal, what kind of animal would do that?"

**

Wolf was back in his room, packing, the stereo blaring out the songs of the men who wouldn't be among the 'living' in a few days. He no longer cared what would happen once he left this place, but he was prepared to chase Daniel to the ends of the earth, and there was no escape for him this time. He turned the news on for a moment, just to see what was happening, and saw a woman's face labeled as Det. Mellina Mallyon.

"Yes, we have found another body, but we are not releasing what condition it is in, nor what we think happened. However, we are warning the public in downtown Brisbane to be on the watch..."

He laughed.

"Oh, someone is interested in what I'm doing...Guess I need to go say hello before Daniel books town..."

**

Daniel was packing, only what he could carry, and getting ready to leave. Darren sat, intently watching his maker.

"So, do you think that he will really let me go like he said?"

"I doubt it...He's lost his mind to the point where he doesn't care anymore..."

"Can I go with you?"

Dan stopped packing and turned to face him.

"Boy is that a change, being asked if you can come...I guess as long as he still lives, we better stick together..."

By dawn they had left Brisbane, heading to who-knows-where.

"Ya know Darren, I get this stupid feeling that it's all going to work out alright..."