"So is Whisp allowed?" She asked, her tail flicking.

Zi watched, not really having much to say at the moment.

Whisper crossed her arms. "Nope. Nothing related to my name. Now do we have a deal or not?" It was up to Bee now whether or not to accept her terms. But she hoped Bee would accept. Her stance betrayed her possible ulterior motives, her left foot back and right foot a little closer in Bee's direction. It was like she was a viper waiting to strike. Now, she wasn't but looks could be deceiving.

"And I want access to the human world as I please unless I'm needed here," She added, realizing this was the perfect moment to get a bit more from the deal. If she could get enough to satiate herself, she'd be a perfect guard. If she decided the position wasn't for her, well, she'd be a formidable enemy if it came to it. She leaned back a little, her weight mostly on her left foot.

She frowned a bit, thinking. Her right foot tapped the ground a couple of times as she thought, soon the taps became A Familiar beat that her mom used to sing to her with. Her ear twitched as she monentairely taken into a memory.

The memory starts when Bee was a little girl, about 6 or 5 and she was a small thing, her wings barely having came in yet and her eyes bright and playful. Her mother, who was a beautiful bee hybrid with the usual black and yellow stripes a Bee always has. Her mother was humming Bee a soft song that she often sane to her while her father, A wolf hellhound hybrid, was playing a small Guitar, they where both smiling at their little daughter, the second creature born in this place, this city. Nightlight city.

There where now only about 5 people who where born in this place, all of them where treated like royalty because they enter got to see the wonderful, horrifying human realm, but Bee, the special little girl she was. Was gifted with the task to protect the key to the human realm, she was marked with the task at age 10. Her parents dying when she was only 15. Which in why she got her first bodyguard. Zi. Zi was always one who never wanted to play or do anything Bee liked so she got another bodyguard, who wad just plane rude to her.

Bee finally found a way to entertain herself and others, so she began to sing, quickly becoming the most popular singer in the whole city, she was liked by almost everyone. Of course there where those who always booed for. For what reason she never knew. And she never found out. Many people tried to harm or kill her during her shows. And that's how her bodyguard, Ritcher, had passed away. Defending her.

She snapped back into the present, she wasn't gone long, probably a minute or two. Her foot tapping stopped as she looked at Whisper. "Hmm, I guess I can work that out, but you will never, absolutely Never touch this key, understand?" She almost snarled, her tail and mane red, she actually looked scary

Zi studied Whisper, waiting for a response.

Whisper crossed her arms, leaning forward a little on her right foot. Her expression changed, knowing the threat in Bee's voice was legitimate. She wasn't intimidated one bit. Okay, maybe she is a bit intimidating, but not much, She allowed herself that bit of weakness. If Bee was to be her new employer, respect would be earned, not given freely. "I have no intent of doing so," She responded coyly. And it was true. She had no further intention of touching the key in any manner. "Or I would have left you to die." She added, a slight threat in her voice.

She very easily could have taken the key and left Bee to die, but she hadn't. She'd known the shapeshifter boy, Jaden Cassia, would be after the key and she refused to let it fall into his hands. She'd always had an issue with the Cassia boy, even in life...

It took her a moment to register that she'd forgotten something, remembering just in time for it to not seem like she'd screwed up. "Speaking of death, don't you dare threaten me again." Well, that threat was obvious. But it was empty. She wouldn't lay a harmful hand on Bee, but Bee wouldn't know that. Her hand had moved to the hilt of the dagger she kept strapped at her hip, and she pulled it away. Startling Zi wouldn't be good, but she was always up to fight if it came down to it; she hoped it didn't.



Jaden paced on the sidewalk outside the party, which had fallen into chaos. He was on the phone with a man- his boss. "The woman was there. She knew I would be there... no, I didn't get it... look, I'm not getting shot for the sake of a stupid key. We can get it an- there are other ways to get it! Stop- fine. I'll do it myself," He hung up, pissed off. He'd just been fired. He had no firm income now, but at least he could simply change forms to portray himself as somebody more popular.

He should have been notified that the unknown woman would be there, but he hadn't been. He didn't know her name, but he knew exactly who she was. An ex CIA/FBI undercover agent who went by the alias Basalisk Russ, an extremely good fighter to the point where even Jaden was no match for her, and a threat to everybody around her. He'd given her that scar, relishing in his victory against her. If that woman got on Bee's good side and was entrusted with access to the human world, well, everybody Jaden loved was totally and completely screwed.

As he stood there on the sidewalk, he was plunged into a flashback of his own...

Jaden was a kid again on the family farm. The family was struggling to stay afloat financially so they were making a deal with an investor and his teenage daughter that day. The daughter had beautiful light skin, sea-blue eyes, and dark hair. Even as an infant, Jaden had found her ravishing. There was yelling coming from the kitchen, but the girl kept his attention on his toys; he was only three at the time so it wasn't very difficult. The voices coming from the kitchen were taught with anger and fear.

After a while of what appeared to be a debate, the investor and his daughter left. "I'm sorry, little one," she'd said to Jaden that day, for a reason he only understood fourteen years later... and he would never forgive her...

She growled a bit but winced when her wing attempted to buzz, her mane and tail speckling with white as she winced, taking a breath through her teeth. "Ow." She said quietly.

Zi's hand moved toward his pistol at his side but he made no sudden movements. "We really should go back to the house, Mistress..." He suggested.

Jaden returned to the present, still thinking about the flashback. It had shaken him, to say the least, but he wasn't quite disturbed by it. He looked up as somebody approached him, an employee of his that had also been at the party. "Somebody saved the key-holder. Possibly the woman you have been looking for. She just got employed by the key-holder," The employee, nameless to Jaden, told him. Jaden nodded. "What were her main features?"

"Black face mask. Wearing full black. Light skin. Dark hair. Medically trained. Most likely combat trained as well. Probably American, Army veteran. Heavily armed." Jaden nodded and shooed the employee away.

With the image of the investor's daughter in his head, he took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He still had her number, which he had forgotten to delete after he had broken up with her, though the breakup was a story for another time. She was still saved in her phone as "🖤Basalisk Russ🖤" as a reminder of what he was going up against. Russ would use his old emotions at any chance she got, and she would not fail; she never failed with him. Of course, he had failed her; that's what she had manipulated him into thinking. He still thought that, even after a year of telling himself it was the other way around and even torturing her to the brink of death and leaving her with a scar that she refused to accept.

In Jaden's mind, Basalisk Russ was a manipulator and a liar. She was also a Blackheart, a fact that petrified him. He relished in thoughts of finally killing her for a while before sighing and shaking his head.

He hesitated then hit call.



Whisper's phone rang. She frowned, perplexed as to who could be calling her. She had no calls scheduled. She removed the phone from her pocket, studying the screen. An unknown called ID, unknown number, and a potential spam alert. Near the center of her screen was a "report number?" button in bright red. Her X(hang up/reject) and A(answer/accept) buttons remained in their usual place at the lower corners of the screen. Many claimed her phone was set up strangely, but she liked the setup. She knew it was a blocked number due to the "unknown number" but was not completely sure how the call still got through. Most likely a contact that she had forgotten to delete.

Huh. I guess I have to answer it, She thought, holding up a hand for a moment of quiet as she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Russ." A cold voice, most likely nearby. Possibly even the shooter himself.

"Who is this?" Confusion; not many people knew her alias in Nightlight City(far fewer knew her name at all) unless they'd known her in her first life. That narrowed down who it was.

"I'm surprised the amazing Basalisk Russ does not recognize my voice. You know who I am." And she did. It was the one and only Jaden Cassia, her old nemisis and ex-boyfriend(a story for another time); she hated him with a burning passion that now sparked in her eyes.

"Cassia?" Annoyance. She distinctly disliked whoever "Cassia" was.

"Right on point. Come outside. Let us speak in the presence of each other, just us, on our lonesome. Like old times." Right. Old times had been so long ago Whisper hardly remembered them. That had been before she'd been essentially drafted into the CIA's undercover operations, where she had chosen to stay after that.

"No, thanks, I'd rather not." Surprisingly polite.

"You scared of me?" Taunting her.

"No. Just fine where I am is all." There was a note of fear in her voice. Almost indetectable, but there.

"You're scared." He clearly wanted her to get mad at him. She didn't give him that satisfaction.

"Why would I be?" A challenge, though she sounded unmoved for the most part.

"Bee was shot tonight. You saved her life."

"Yeah, is there a problem with this fact?" Passive aggression. A last resort for her.

"Yes, actually. I wanted that key." At which point Whisper put the phone on speaker.

"So you're the one who shot her?" Investigative.

"Me? No, no. I would never. But I have friends who would." A scoff. Sarcasm, almost.

"Like who? Your little pet Damian Ryder?" An obvious dig to get whoever was on the other end of the phone to say who'd shot Bee, and a point where Whisper glanced at Zi.

"Spot on, actually. I'm impressed, Russ. You've gotten better." Clearly fake. Damian Ryder hadn’t even been there, Whisper knew that; he was her contact too.

"And you've gotten lazier. What's the point of calling me, Cassia?" Weary of the conversation.

"Oh, I just wanted to congradulate you for getting the job as Bee's bodyguard. And to tell you to never interfere in my projects again." So he was nearby. That narrowed down his location options, at least for Whisper.

"No promises, Jaden Cassia." The choice to use his full name hadn't appeared difficult, but it had been. This would tell him that she had put the phone on speaker.

The caller spoke with a laugh now, as if taunting Whisper. "Be vigilant, Basalisk Russ. I will get that key somehow."

The caller hung up. Whisper pocketed the phone and started pacing as she muttered obcenities under her breath. This was worse than she had thought. Bee and Zi would have questions, and she would answer them to a point. She had to protect the key, no matter the cost.

Her hands checked over her weaponry by default: her daggers at her hips, pistol near her back pocket, dagger up her left sleeve. The only place she left untouched was her ankles and lower legs. She had weapons there too, but didn't exactly want Zi knowing all her hiding places. She also skipped over the pistols she kept looped in her bra straps, those a new feature her hands were not yet used to checking. She had started keeping them there after she'd been captured. After this, she pocketed her hands, still pacing. The check had taken all of thirty seconds, perhaps even fewer.

Bee looked over at Whisper, her hand wrapping around the key. "Who was it? What did they want?" She asked, her ears pinned to her head. Her mane and tail where a lot of colors, meaning usually stress.

Zi quietly listened to the conversation, a frown crossing his face. If Whisper knew who the threat was, that was one thing. If the threat knew who Whisper was, that was another. He nodded at Bee's questions. "Yes, enlighten us, would you?" He'd noticed it when Whisper glanced at him. "You seem to know who they were?"

Whisper was quiet for a moment as she glared at Zi. But eventually, she spoke. When she did, her voice was quiet and for a fleeting moment there was a hint of fear.

"That was Jaden Cassia. He's a shapeshifter and vampire hybrid who, a given, is after the key. He has spies everywhere. When he was alive [her tone said she'd clearly accepted they were on their second life], he was a well-known criminal across the globe. I was close, and no, not in kahoots, with him while undercover. That relationship with him was..." She paused, her fingers tracing the design of her dagger's sheath, "complicated [there was something underlying in her tone that wasn't just about the undercover assignment, but about something personal]. Knowing him, he'll try to get the key each time Bee does a show. I have reason to believe he was behind tonight's shooting, but he may not be. There's no reason to worry though," She paused before smiling with confidence the rest of her face didn't reflect, "He's never fought me before. As for the name he called me," She again paused, quieting for a moment before shrugging, "I may as well tell you this," She muttered before continuing, "Basalisk Russ was the name I used while undercover for the CIA and is the name I'd prefer to continue using now."

Her words had taken all of around two and a half minutes, and she had paced the entire time, her fingers playing at her weapons that she normally wouldn't have revealed but knew the other two were already aware of(daggers at her hips, pistol beside one of the daggers). Once she fell silent, she sighed. The scar she bore was from the same criminal she was facing again. Both of them would be more prepared for the meeting, Whisper perhaps even having the advantage since she would have an acid mage and a Bee on her side. There was a knock at the door that led backstage and she whipped around to face it.

"Who is it?"

"I suggest that if you want to keep your show-girl safe, use the back door. It's gone to hell out there.

Bee watched Whisper pace around as she explained the situation. Her ears flicking back as she heard all this. Her tail curled. She couldn't move her shoulder or wing now because the pain had made it numb now. She sighed inwardly as Whisper went to the door. Her ears perking again as she tried and failed to catch what the mysterious person and Whisper had said. Her hand closing around the key she always wore as a necklace around her neck. Not ready to fight or whatever was going to happen.

Zi sighed at the unknown voice's words. Well, he's trying to kill her, He guessed. Nobody ever worded a kind gesture as a threat, even if it was unintentional. Besides, the back door was most likely rigged or a setup for an ambush- knowing his luck. He moved closer to Bee, pretty much glaring daggers at Whisper. He put a hand on Bee's shoulder, a weak attempt to be comforting considering his normal attitude and such. "So what are we up against? Genosist? Axe murderer type? Evil genius hacker? You can't just tell us nothing and expect us to believe you, not with what's at stake." His tone was challenging. He was trying to Whisper piss off while getting information; his usual behavior at the rate this was going.

Whisper glared right back at Zi, her smirk hidden behind her black mask. She took out one of her pistols and inspected it, her eyes flicking between it and Zi. She wouldn't shoot him, but she wasn't against acting like she would. "Actually, I can," She shrugged, not answering Zi's question. "I've already said more than I-"

"On and on. Do you ever get tired of lying? What are we up against?" Zi repeated the question with a snarl, suddenly stepping away from Bee and towards Whisper. He saw the pistol, and drew his own. But he wasn't kidding. If she made to threaten him again, he would shoot her. And while he might not bother killing her, he had no intention of letting the disrespect stand. He was her boss, technically. He wasn't about to get called off by Bee either.

Whisper almost laughed, her eyes glittering with sick entertainment. She was smirking behind her mask. "I've already said more than I-" She sighed, cutting herself off. "I'm not answering you when you're threatening me." She used her empty hand to adjust her mask a little, considering it had slid down a fraction. It hadn't fallen far enough to be noticeable, but she always fixed it if it even moved an inch.

Zi stepped forward again, turning his pistol fully on Whisper. "Take off the mask." He ordered. It was a sudden change of events, but he wanted to see if she'd take orders from him even when there was tension. "And put the pistol away."

That got Whisper to freeze. She hadn't expected that. Her eyes flicked toward Bee but she decided against getting the girl involved. This was Whisper's fight, and Whisper's alone. Well, Whisper and Zi's. She met Zi's gaze, determination set in her glare. "No." She raised her own pistol, turned on not Zi, but Bee. Zi wouldn't dare when Bee was on the line. It was unfair, but life was unfair.

Zi switched the safety on his pistol off. "Put it away and take off the mask. Now." He wasn't joking. He lowered the pistol a fraction, toward Whisper's leg. He wouldn't kill her, as aforementioned, but he was damn willing to hurt her. Even if Bee might get mad at him- unlikely, considering Whisper had just turned a pistol on her.

Okay never mind. He would. Whisper sighed. She eventually lowered the pistol, with an apparent reluctance to do so. She returned it to her holster, shooting Bee an apologetic glance as she slowly and clearly lifted her hand to remove the mask. She hated that she was doing this, but it wasn't worth fighting Zi for her pride. Pride had always been her flaw. She hesitated.

Zi fingered the trigger, though he was a bit suspicious that Whisper was going to try something. "Now." He snapped, taking one final step closer to her. He was so close the pistol was almost touching her. He didn't care if she would hate him for the years to come, no, he only really cared that she understood who was in charge. She was used to a hostile environment with a strict pecking order so it wouldn't be too hard, right? He hoped he was right about her.

Whisper gave him a death glare, swallowed her pride, and took the mask off. Her scar was red against her pale skin, a mark she would forever bear. "Happy now?" She spat, her voice betraying how wounded she was by this event. She hated showing her scar more than she had to. She never removed the mask publicly, not even to eat or drink. This pissed her off and hurt her, something her expression now showed clearly without the safety of her mask, which dangled from her hand at her side. If Zi didn't want to trust her, so be it. If he so much as continued to toe the line, she was worried she would snap; that's where the fear in her voice came from- the fear of what she might do to Zi.

Zi finally lowered the pistol and returned it to the holster at his side. He stepped back, his eyes studying her face: the set line of her jaw, the hurt in her eyes mixing with the anger. The expression of a woman who had just been stripped of her pride and half her dignity. While that hadn't been his intention, he guessed she knew now. "Did you get your revenge on them?" His voice was gentle now, as if nothing had happened, as he indicated her scar.

Whisper didn't respond. No, Ling, I didn't. I killed him, but now he's here. Vengence never rests. You know I'll have to hurt you back, right? She knew he couldn't hear her thoughts, so she cussed him out silently as she turned away from him and Bee to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She slipped the mask back on, swallowing back a sob. Everything was coming back now; the hell she'd been through returning to her mind as if it had been yesterday. She needed to get out of the room. She stepped out the door, slamming it hard behind her. She didn't understand how Zi could act like he hadn't just threatened to shoot her. She'd known from the moment she'd first spoken to him that he was in charge in any situation, even if he was incompetent when it came to actually doing any protecting.

Zi cursed. He hadn't meant to piss her off. He didn't exactly want to see what Bee's reaction would be, but he forced himself to turn around anyway and face her. His face was completely blank, showing none of the emotions that were going on in his head. The only betrayal was that old greenish tint in his eyes- his magic restraining itself. Whenever his eyes got like that, one would learn quickly, he was pissed.

Whisper ducked out the back door, a mistake she’d never have made if Zi hadn’t bothered her. Her mask was still dangling from her fingertips, about ready to fall. The blow was swift and strong, sending her collapsing to the ground like a sack of potatoes. She recovered pretty rapidly, but her attacker was on her, pinning her down. She couldn’t reach any of her weapons, and she didn’t dare try. She didn’t need to look up to know there was a gun pointed at her head. Her fingers closed around the mask, curling into a fist. The ground was, slightly a given it being the ground, dusty and she wished she had her mask on still. A laugh bubbled up inside her but she tamped it down. This was pathetic of her, unable to fight back. She easily could have disarmed her opponent, but with Zi’s behavior, the thought didn’t even cross her mind. Someone grabbed her by the shoulder and flipped her over, gun still pointed at her. Well, there were two someones. One of them she recognized, a cold mix of fear and hate taking root in her as her face went even more pale. “Cassia.”

“Seen a ghost, Russ?”

Bees ears where lowered. Her mane and tail kinda dull colors. Mostly because the numbness was kinda spreading. But that wasn't the point currently. There was much more situations that needed to be handled. And she wanted to fix it all. But that probably wasn't going to happen. Her ears flicked as she heard something, she frowned and got worried a bit. She stood, her arm hanging a bit limp because of her numb shoulder. "I have a strange feeling something happened." She said, ear flicking a bit.

Zi shrugged. "She can handle herself. She'll be fine," It was the most confident about anybody he'd been in a while and he surprised himself. Odd. I shouldn't be liking her, but I find her good. Frick.

"Get rid of her. Don't hurt her too badly," Jaden ordered his friends. Whisper tried to kick him but he stepped back, letting his demon friend yank Whisper up by the shirt collar. He changed into Whisper and peeled the mask from her hands, slipping it on. Since she wasn't wearing her mask when he'd used her form, he had to use the actual mask. He nodded to his friends. "Get her out of here."

Whisper twisted and kicked, trying to get free. But a hand clamped around her throat and she stopped within seconds. Yep. I'm going to die here. I should have known he would do this... She thought, cursing herself. She cried out as a blindfold was suddenly wrapped around her eyes, the world going black...

Her tail flicked. "Ok I know there is something wrong! We have to check on Whisper now!" She said, her mane and tail going a dull red. Dull because of the still numbness and all. Her ears lowered worridly for Whisper. Knowing that if she was in danger than whoever they where up against had to be mighty strong.

He shook his head. "She can handle herself. We need to go now, Mistress, before whoever it is who is after you does something," He repeated.