[IC] Red & The Wolf

[QuinnWolfe]

It had been 2 days since Sam arrived in the city and he was already ready to leave. He was starting to think that the agency really fucked up their intel this time, as not once on any of his missions had he ever seen a werewolf capable of blending in with human society. Sam was a hunter for the Red Hoods, sometimes just called the Hoods, an organization that put together teams of hunters to track down and rid the world of werewolves using information from The Forestry, an intelligence agency. He had worked for them for about 8 years now, and had started in the bottom ranks. Now he was a team leader, code name Red, of a squad of 6. Normally, their hunts were quite different- usually they involved fast chases throughout the woods, lots of fighting and danger. Sometimes they happened in towns, or cities, and it was even more chaotic. But not this time. This time, the Red Hoods wanted this done with precision. The less collateral damage the better, and the more low key the better. Beyond not wanting too cause undue trauma to the surrounding population, they also wanted to avoid causing any panic that werewolves now lived among humans. Though, despite the intel he'd received, Sam was not convinced that was even true.

"Can't believe this shit." He grumbled under his breath, as he played with his lighter in his hand. This had to be the worst job they ever took, he had never spent so much time waiting around in his life. But this stake out was crucial to making sure their mission went off without a hitch. Sam was currently waiting in an alley across the street. His squad members were positioned at various other points in pairs of two.

"The least Boss could've done is gave us some money for some food. Unfair to put us within smells distance of a bakery and we can't even partake in a little undercover and try some of the goods." Said Grimm, real name Mikey, over the radio. Sam rolled his eyes.

"I know you're hungry but you really want dog food?" Sam radioed back, smirking on his end. It was getting to be evening, if it was the same as the previous night the owner- their target- should be getting ready to close up shop for the night any time now. "Any signs of BB?" BB- Big Bad, the code name they used for their target.

"Nada. But I will let you know." Grimm replied.

[DawningAurora]

“Martin, why don’t you leave early tonight. I can close up by myself. You can stay clock into if you like,” Eddie said, his accent still thick despite living in the US for over 2 decades.

“Are you sure boss?” Martin said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of leaving early. Martin is one of those kids who had a bad raising, got into some trouble, and ended up in juvie. After that, his parents disowned him, and now he was living alone despite being only 18 and not even out of high school. Eddie took pity on the kid and gave him a job despite not needing the help. Mother did always say people like Martin will change the world and he wanted to be part of that.

“Yes, I am sure Martin. Kana and Kazue are sleeping over with a friend so I don’t need to be home early. Go and don’t get into any trouble, you hear?” Martin said.

“I won’t, and thank you!” Martin quickly gathered his things, and before he left, Eddie gave the kids a twenty for dinner. He didn't even give Martin the time to answer before pushing him out the door.

Martin gave a light sigh and a shake of his head before returning to his work, which happened to be a bunch of paperwork to get ready for the holiday season. It was a slow and laborious process coupled with the quietness of the store and the lack of customers made it all so much worse. As the hours passed, Eddie found himself wanting to fall asleep, that was until the bell of the door echoed through the store. He perked up like a dog and looked over to see a mother coming through with several children bouncing after her.

“Wow look at all the cookies!”

“Mom I want that one!”

“Mom look at this one it's a dog!”

The store was immediately filled with laugher and excitement as the children ran around the store, looking at all the sugary sweets. A few of them knocked over the decorations as they ran, causing them to get an ear full from their mother. Eddie couldn’t help but smile while watching them. It reminded him of when his girls were still small. Emma, the oldest was away in college studying medicinal while the younger ones, Kana and Kazue, a pair of twins, were in their teens years and practically out of the nest. What he would do to have a house full of kids running around again. If only that was possible.

The excitement in the store only grew as the kids picked out what they want, and brought them to the counter. “I’m so sorry about them. Giving them more sugar might not be the best idea,” The mother said apologetically as she brought over a large decorated cake as well as what the kids picked out.

“No worries. Children must be children,” Eddie said with a warm smile. He checked out the cake and gave what the kids picked out for free. After bagging up the cake and handing the kids their sweets, he walked them out of the store. “Now kids, what should you say to your mother?”

“Thank you mom!” all of them said in unison.

“And you have a good night,” He said to the mother before opening the door for them. All of the kids funned through and ran back to their car in excitement. Their mother gave him another apologetic look before running after them.

Eddie waved them goodbye and was about to close the door when his nose picked up something strange, gunpowder? He looked around the area, his eye narrowing in suspicion. He tentatively closed the door and flipped over the open sign. He quickly cleaned up and left. Something in the pits of his stomach told him it was going to be a rough night.

[QuinnWolfe]

It was when the mother and children entered the store that Sam decided to move to a slightly different position, climbing up a fire escape to get a better vantage point. This way he could better direct his teams when it came time to move in. Shouldn’t be too much longer now.

“Hm,” Sam hummed thoughtfully to himself, watching as the mother left with her children. Maybe the extra caution they were told to take with this mission wasn’t completely unwarranted. After all, the other hunts that took place in cities usually led to a lot of carnage. He caught a brief glimpse of the target in the doorway and looked through the scope of his gun to get a closer look. This was definitely their target, but still Sam was having a hard time believing it. The guy looked so…normal. Hell, he looked practically harmless, just an average dude. If this guy turned out to be a normal human, there was going to be hell to pay back at The Forestry. What an absolute disaster that would be. He watched as the man looked around the area, waiting to see if he would be noticed though confident he couldn’t be made from his position. He didn’t appear to be spotted but he could tell the guy knew something was up. He watched the guy then go back inside and flip the sign over. “BB sighted. Stand by.” he confirmed to his team over the radio.

Once the man left for the night it was time to go. “Okay- follow with caution, Big Bad is leaving Grandma’s House.” Now it was time for him to move too. Heading down the fire escape, he followed from a distance, one of his teams would follow from the rooftops covering the rest of them as a sniper. Sam usually just directed his teams, and often they were the ones to go in and make the kills. But this mission was different so it called for different tactics. Sam wanted to get up close this time, to be sure they really had the right guy. This guy didn’t look like a monster, and Sam only killed monsters.

It was only just evening, so the city was still a little bit busy but there were less people on the streets than before. This was ideal. Sam was hoping to track the werewolf home, but at least if a fight broke out before that there would be minimal collateral damage.

[DawningAurora]

Eddie carefully watched his surroundings as he headed down the busy streets. He felt eyes on his back and a strange tingling down his spine, something was trailing him or several something. Please don’t be another feral. He had to deal with one barely a month ago, and his wounds still haven’t fully healed. They were becoming more common and dangerous as of late. It would be more trouble than he would like to deal with tonight.

“Damnit,” Eddie mumbled, realizing he can’t go home tonight. It would put his entire family in danger if a feral found where it lived, hell if anything found where he lived. Eddie lets out a long sigh and decided to make a pit stop at a liquor store to pick up a cheap bottle of scotch before heading out again. He checked into a nearby hotel and immediately collapsed onto the bed. He hated this life, of course, the genes skipped a generation, so none of his family knew what he is. He just needed someone, anyone, to share his struggles or, at the very least, not think he’s crazy when he told them he’s a werewolf.

Groaning, Eddie got off his back, grabbed the bottle of scotch, and took a big swig, feeling it burn on the way down. Another downside to being a werewolf, alcohol did nothing other than taste good. Eddie set down the bottle and entered the bathroom for a long hot shower. Maybe that will help his nerves.

Nearly 30 minutes later, Eddie left the bathroom in nothing but a towel. He poured himself a glass of scotch before stepping out onto the balcony, groaning as the cold night wind brushed against his bare skin. The season was beginning to turn, meaning his wolf was going to become more active, meaning more trouble was coming his way. Eddie pushed the fact he was facing imminent danger away and focused on the beautiful view in front of him. His room was on the 15th floor of a relatively high-class hotel. It was more expensive he liked, but hell, he is going to need it if there was going to be a fight tonight.

Eddie began sipping on the alcohol while enjoying the view as he waited for whatever that was trailing him to come. Hopefully, they were quicker than not. He just wanted to get this over with. As much as he loved his daughters, he needed at least a day alone.

[QuinnWolfe]

“Fuck.” Sam swore under his breath as they headed into a busier part of town. The situation was getting a little riskier and Sam was almost tempted to delay their confrontation for another day, letting tonight just be a night of more recon. But he knew that wouldn’t actually do them any good, they would continue to run into this same situation every day. If the Hoods hadn’t insisted on taking a more cautious approach, they would’ve already gone in and eliminated the target by now. There would’ve been casualties, sure. But casualties were unavoidable it seemed. Continuing to follow, he watched as their target went into a hotel and he sighed. “Take point at the exits, I’m going in alone.” he commanded over the radio.

“You sure about that, Red?” one of his squad radioed back.

“Yes, because I trust you guys to have my back.” Sam said, and he meant it too. His team was dependable, and they had been through some pretty hairy situations together. “Grimm, I’m going to need you to watch my gear. Going to have to strip down for this.” He wouldn’t go in completely unarmed of course. But while his bulkiness might not catch much attention on the street, maybe just a weird look or two, it would make him stand out like a sore thumb in a luxury hotel. After dropping off his gear with Mikey, Sam headed into the hotel and over to the front desk. He had to now figure out where the target was and how to get to him, already concocting a story to get him in.

“Hi, I’m here to see Eddie Kudo…” He held up his phone to show a picture. “We, uh, matched on Howlr and he invited me up to his room.” The woman at the front desk’s eyes went wide and her cheeks turned a bright pink. Flustered, she took a quick look at her computer.

“Uhh, he’s in room 1512…” She said, “But I should call him first to confirm.” However, by the time she had gotten to the latter half of her sentence, Sam had already turned and headed straight for the elevator. He wasn’t concerned about the lock. One of the few benefits to this nontraditional mission was that the Red Hoods had gone out of their way to supply them with extra tech for things like this, they were going to great lengths to assure no alarm was raised.

Once he reached the 15th floor, he walked down the hall to the room. Luckily for him, there was no one else in the hallway. It took him a moment with the door, but he got it open and walked inside, surprisingly still in the form of a man. He raised his hands, to show he meant no harm. At least, not yet. He still didn’t entirely believe that this man was a werewolf.

“Do you know why I am here?”

[DawningAurora]

Eddie was growing impatient at the lack of action. He expected the feral to find him by now and attack or at the very least confront him. It usually worked this way. He makes himself visible to the feral, and sooner or later, it would come running trying to kill him. Wolves don’t like it when other wolves enter their territory, so a beast running on pure instinct would be fuming at the fact he was here. And the reason he chose a place like this was to make sure the feral stayed human, giving him the upper hand. Eddie was so tense with anticipation that the ringing of the phone caused him to take a fighting stance.

“Chikushou,” Eddie mumbled as he walked over to the ringing phone. He picked up and said hello to be surprised by the reception lady. She told him about the Howlr situation, causing a deep blush to creep onto his face. It had been years since he even touched Howlr, and he certainly did not invite anyone up to his room. As he began to question the receptionist, the door to his room flung open as a scruffy looking man walked inside with his hands in the air.

“Okay?” Eddie said, confused as to what was happening, “thank you for informing me ma’am. You have a good night” Eddie hung up the phone and turned to face the stranger that had just broken into his room. He certainly didn’t smell like a feral and seemed to be more sane than the average beast. Through there was a strange aura to the man that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Was it the way he stood and conducted himself? His posture and form show that he wasn’t your average civilian. There was also the same gun power smell he detected before. It was a scent that couldn’t be covered up so easily and was a tall take sign of trouble.

“No?” Eddie responded when the man questioned him. Eddie was beginning to feel extremely self-conscious being naked in front of the stranger. He only stayed naked because he expected a fight, and now that there wasn’t one, it felt indecent.

“Can I help you, sir? If you are here to steal something. I don’t have anything. Other than a good bottle scotch,” Eddie mused with a small chuckle. He gave the man a genuine smile as he waited for his next move. One would think to be afraid in a situation like this, but Eddie was confident he can take this man down if the need arises. There was also the fact the stranger asked him if he was why he was here.

[QuinnWolfe]

When the man answered him in such a way, Sam lowered his hands slowly, keeping them at his sides. It wasn’t exactly confirmation that this man was only a man, but he definitely was considerably more human than any of the beasts Sam was usually tracking down. It was very strange to say the least. And as he took in the situation, or rather as he took in the full sight of the other man standing there nude, it was also very awkward. Eddie was a bit bigger built than Sam, but Sam was accustomed to his targets being larger than him, though he wasn’t typically around them in their human forms. At least, not for very long. “My, my, what big… eyes… you have..” he murmured to himself, clearing his throat as he glanced away.

“I wish I could say I was here for something as miniscule as stealing…” Sam said, chuckling. Eyeing the scotch, he noticed it had been drunk but the man didn’t appear to be even the slightest bit buzzed, he seemed fully alert and aware. “That is a nice bottle you got there though, how are you enjoying it?”

Pushing the door shut, he stepped further into the room. “So it seems you and I have a bit of a dilemma now.” he said, going over and sitting in one of the chairs by the window. “And neither of us can leave until we figure out a solution.” Sam couldn’t go back to the Red Hoods empty handed and without explanation, and he had left his team with instructions to kill on sight if they saw the target leave the building unless further instructed not to.

“You see, I get paid to kill monsters. Are you a monster, Eddie?”

[DawningAurora]

Eddie was beyond confused as to why the stranger was now quoting little red riding hood. It was barely above a whisper, and if he wasn’t a werewolf he doubt he could have heard it. Because of this, Eddie decided to ignore it. There was still so much he didn’t know. This stranger broke into his room with seeming knowledgeable about him. He wasn't just your average crook.

“Then why are you here?” Eddie asked, but the question went unanswered. Instead, the stranger asked about his bottle of scotch. “It’s okay. Could be a bit stronger,” Eddie answers cautiously. Even if he mentioned it, it was still a strange thing to ask. If he thought about it, this entire situation was strange.

When the stranger closed the door, Eddie let’s put a sigh of relief. He did not need someone walking by to see him in nothing more than a towel. “Dilemma how?” Eddie asked while watching the man move across the room. He sat down by the window, which confused him even more. If this man was here to get something from him, then why would he give up his advantage by the door? It was the only way in or out of this room. Unless you want to jump out of the 10th floor.

The next thing that came out of the stranger's mouth sent chills down Eddie’s back. [i]Monsters[/1]. That word echoed in Eddie's head several times over as unwanted memories resurfaced. He has been called that more time than he could count and it doesn't get any easier. Could this man know about werewolves? How could he? Unless he was one himself, but Eddie was sure that the stranger was human. “Monsters? As in criminals? I can assure you I haven’t vomited anything crimes. At least none that I know of,” Eddie answered, not allowing his real reaction to show.

[QuinnWolfe]

Sam watched the other man carefully from where he sat. This whole interaction was so much different than even he imagined it to be. This was nothing like a usual werewolf hunt, this was much closer to a game of chess. He'd been hoping to stay as subtle as possible, so that way if his suspicions were right and the other was a human, then minimal information was leaked about the mission and potentially the whole organization. When Eddie answered him, he crooked a brow. So, this guy either didn't know or was playing dumb. Well, if it was true this guy is a werewolf then Sam supposed the Red Hoods were right to exercise caution with this mission. He had never met a werewolf this smart or patient. So far, it was seeming more and more like this guy was nothing to worry about but Sam knew better than to let down his guard when there was still no definitive answer to that.

"Hmm, I suppose that's one way of putting it." Sam mused. Werewolves did often, in his experience, act in criminal ways. "But more specifically, werewolves." It was time to stop beating around the bush and get straight to it. His hope was that, if the the guy was a human, then maybe he and all this would just seem crazy. But if it did turn out that he was a werewolf, then well, Sam was ready to take him down. His hands were already resting right over where he was concealing his gun.

[DawningAurora]

Eddie stared wide eyes at the stranger when he said he was looking for werewolves. His suspicions were true. There are people out there that are aware of his kind, and he can only assume they are hunting him. Could the stranger be part of the government? Unlikely as they wouldn’t risk fighting a war with people who can be anywhere, be anyone. Maybe a rebellious group of mythical? No, this man was one hundred percent human. So what could it be? Eddie’s eyes narrowed at the man as he tried to think of his next words.

“Werewolves? Like the movies? You cannot be serious,” Eddie said, playing the ignorant human role to see if he can get anything else from the human. He was about to continue when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He quickly spun around and stared at the door. There was a horrible stench in the air, and his instincts are telling him that there is danger.

He knew this feeling well, there were rogues in the building and they are not far away. The same floor maybe, but definitely close. There also seem to be more than one by the intensity of their scent. What are they doing here? Rogues are the reject of werewolf kind usually for committing some crime. This made them undesirable for packs, organized groups of werewolves, and thus are outcasts. Most of them hold a grudge or resentment for being rejected and often hunt any wolves they can find. But why are they here? He usually didn’t have problems with rogues since he wasn’t part of a pack. Could they be here for the stranger?

Eddie turned and looked back at the man before mumbling, "Fuking.” He can tell there was murderous intent in the air. This is going to be a long night,

“Fine, you win stranger. Yes, I am a werewolf," Eddie said against his better judgment, "Now listen. There are more werewolves in the building and they are not the nice ones. I can only assume they are hunting you. So unless you don't want to die, I suggest we work together."

[QuinnWolfe]

When the other man at first continued to play dumb, Sam was almost convinced that they had the wrong guy. Damn it, what the hell kind of intel are we working with these days?! He thought to himself, sighing audibly. When Eddie spun around suddenly however, Sam raised a brow curiously, waiting and listening as he figured it had just been a noise from the hallway he'd missed at first, perhaps a knock on the door. But there was no noise, that he was aware of so he was unsure of what suddenly had the man alerted. He wasn't kept in the dark for too long though, and the info he was given was a lot to process. So they did have the right target, this guy really was a werewolf. From what Eddie said, Sam could only deduce that Eddie was one of the "nice" werewolves but such an idea seemed ludicrous. "No such thing as a nice werewolf." He said. And yet, he couldn't deny that Eddie wasn't particularly awful. Not once had Sam seen this guy act violently, his reactions were measured and cautious, and he seemed smart and even quite emotionally intelligent. Nothing like any werewolf Sam had encountered in his life.

The thought of working together was certainly out of the question. After all, if the werewolf was this smart who's to say this wasn't all some kind of ploy to gain the upper hand now that he'd been caught? "Hold up." He said. Taking his radio from his pocket, he spoke into it, "Alpha team, what's your status?" There was no response. "Alpha team, do you copy?" Again, there was no response. This was not good. "Beta team, your status?" No response from them either, and his gut told him he'd only get the same response from the Omega team. And suddenly it sank in that Eddie could very well be right. His team were plenty capable on their missions, but for this one they'd been expecting only a single werewolf and they had expected to deal with it quietly. They were not prepared to deal with multiple werewolves, and probably had been caught off guard. He could only hope they were still alive, but for now he needed to focus on his own survival.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" This was absolutely a worst case scenario. But there was no time to be angry. Sam gave Eddie a hard look, pulling out his gun as he then said, "These better not be friends of yours furball, or else I will put a silver bullet in every one of your heads." If his team was dead & he made it out of there, he still might. "Now, I don't suppose you have a plan?" Things were about to really go off the rails, so much for being discreet.

However, before anything else could be discussed, there was a knock on the door. Then, an even louder bang and after that a loud crash the door came down. "Get down!" Sam shouted, giving Eddie only enough time to do so before before he opened fire.

[DawningAurora]

“You’re not wrong, there are no nice werewolves. There are those who resign to live in their own world and there are those who want to rule the world,” Eddie mutter. His hands weren’t clean, probably more stained with blood than those who were hunting them, but he refrained from mentioning that. The stranger didn’t need another reason to not trust him. Not saying anything else, Eddie walked over to the pile of clothes that were neatly folded on the nightstand. Without hesitation, he dropped his towel and began to get dressed. He didn’t care that the stranger saw everything he had to offer now that their lives are at risk.

As he got dressed he couldn’t help but be concerned at the other man’s distress. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Rogues don’t take prisoner,” Eddie mumbled as if he knew from personal experience. Though he couldn’t believe this man brought 3 separate teams to hunt down one werewolf. This made him rather glad they didn’t clash because the last thing he wanted was to kill humans.

“Excuse me? Furball?” Eddie swung around glared at the man only to see him holding a gun which he presumed was loaded with silver. Grumbling something incoherent, Eddie turned away and put on the rest of his clothes. When the man asked about a plan, Eddie stopped and thought about it. He didn’t have a plan other than surviving the night to see his daughters again. He couldn't live with the thought of leaving them alone.

Lost in through, he didn’t hear the footsteps getting closer or the knock on the door before it was too late. Several shots were fired. Pain shot through his arm as he dove to the side. “Fucking,” Eddie growled as his side hit the ground. He clutched the bullet shot on his upper arm, holding in several more curses. With quick haste, Eddie dug into his arm and pulled out the bullet that burned like fire. He quickly threw it to the side before letting out a sigh of relief. The silver left a stinging sensation inside his wound and on his fingers. He did not miss the feeling of silver.

Eddie didn’t hover for long before jumping to his feet. He looked over at the door to see a dead body on the ground, bright red blood already pooling on the carpet. “Guess it’s too late to talk,” Eddie mused as he ripped a portion of the sheets to use as a bandage. He bit down on his teeth as he tried the makeshift bandage around his wound. That silver was prohibiting any of his natural healing which meant he had to endure the pain for a while, a long while.

“Okay, you asked about a plan. If we get to the third floor then I have an idea,’ Eddie said but not giving any more information on it. If he did, he was 100% sure the man would refuse. Hell, he could probably refuse. “Do you trust me?"

[QuinnWolfe]

Sam hadn't meant to injure Eddie, but he couldn't say he was particularly upset to have hurt a werewolf. This was however, not a good thing for their survival as right now he was in the entirely insane predicament of needing this beast's help. At least for now, they were both still alive. Given what Eddie had told him, he couldn't say the same for the rest of his team and who knows who else in the hotel was a casualty of this mess. He hadn't failed a mission this bad since he was just a recruit. He waited and watched as the other patched himself up, but not letting his guard down and ready to shoot again if someone walked up on them.

When Eddie started talking about a plan, he listened and couldn't help but wonder why he was being so vague. And then Eddie asked Sam if he trusted him. Trust a werewolf? The very idea was ludicrous and yet, Sam didn't have a whole lot of options then. His training told him he should just put a bullet in the werewolf's head right now and find a way to get himself out. But now, even knowing for sure about the other's true nature, there was some nagging thought in the back of Sam's mind that still saw the humanity in Eddie that he'd witnessed all night and for the last few days observing him. Surely that was worth something? Hell, Sam had shot him and Eddie still hadn't turned on him or lost himself in some kind of beastly rage like Sam would typically expect from a werewolf.

"Trust might be stretching it, but I like our chances better together." He said, deciding he was ready to go along with Eddie.

[DawningAurora]

Eddie stared at the man, trying to get a read on the stranger. He couldn’t tell if the other person was lying and would just shoot him when he turned his back, but he had few options in the matter. Now that they know he’s here, he needed help escaping. “That’s something,” Eddie muttered, “well since we’ll be working together, can I at least know your name? You apparently already know mine.”

While waiting for the other person to answer, Eddie dragged the dead body into the room, checking the coast before closing the door. His gaze felt heavy as he got a good look at the dead person. He looked to be young, mid-twenties maybe. Still with so much life to live, and now he’s dead. Clenching his hand into a fist, he closed the eye of the person then said, “I’m so sorry you had to die. Safe travels.”

Before standing up, he searched the body and found a gun hidden in the jacket. He gave it a sniff and recoiled from the scent, “Silver alloy,” Eddie mumbled. It was an alloy created by werewolves to kill both, humans and other wolves. A deadly invention he wished didn’t exist. “Here maybe you can take the ammo. It’s 9 millimeters,” Eddie said, then toss the gun over to the stranger. He then stood up and walked over to the door. He listened for any noise before opening it.

“Coast is clear. After you,” Eddie said with a glare.

[QuinnWolfe]

"Sam." Sam answered plainly, when Eddie asked for his name. He supposed it was only fair at this point, especially if they were going to be working together to survive and escape. Though, once they made it out of there he was unsure of what would happen. But now was not the time to be thinking about that, there was still a chance they wouldn't make it out at all.

Raising a brow, he watched as Eddie brought the body into the room and wished it's spirit safe travels. Perhaps this was some werewolf thing that Sam was unaware of but he couldn't imagine having any sympathy for that wolf losing it's life. Hunters like him didn't shed tears or say prayers for the beasts they put down. Those emotions were saved for fellow humans. Yet another thing that made it harder and harder to continue seeing Eddie as some kind of monster. "I wouldn't be too sorry, if he'd had it his way you'd be the one in his position." he said. Truthfully, if any of this had gone to plan, Sam would've had it that way too so perhaps he wasn't one to be judging. "I guess though, I can appreciate your respect for the dead."

At least the other knew how to still look at this practically, another weapon in their hands was a good thing. "Resourceful." he acknowledged, catching the gun. This would help a lot, as Sam had left most of his gear- spare ammo included- with his team. In hindsight, that wasn't the best call. But truly, this whole mission had been fucked. He took the ammo and tossed the gun aside before turning to Eddie. His eyes narrowed as the other man suggested that he go first, a little suspicious that this could be some sort of set up. But both of them had plenty of reason to not trust the other. Sitting and squabbling over petty things would only result in both of their deaths and well, he supposed he had already given Eddie enough warning of what to expect should he try anything. Giving the other man a nod, he walked past him into the hall.

They didn't know what may lie in wait for them on the floors below. The elevator would be the quickest and easiest way to reach the third floor, if it was still working. Sam walked down the hall with a fairly quick pace, gun in his hands and ready for whatever may come their way. He also remained aware of Eddie following behind him, still ready in case this did go bad. Upon reaching the elevator he pressed the button, but then moved back as he waited for it to come to their floor. After all, they didn't know who might be on that elevator.

When the doors opened, it was lucky for them that the inside was empty. Well, almost. The walls, floor and ceiling of the elevator car were all painted a gruesome shade of red, covered in blood. Two bodies lay on the floor, which Sam barely recognized as two of his teammates. Death was not all that uncommon in their line of work, but Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't a little shaken up by it. As the leader of their team, he couldn't help but feel responsible for the way things turned out. Walking into the elevator, he sighed a shakey breath. "You fought well, I'm sorry I failed you.." He said said softly before returning his attention to Eddie. "Well, it's not ideal... But this is our ride down."

Once the other got on the elevator, he pushed the button for the third floor. However, this would not be their first stop as just after passing several floors, they stopped on the fifth floor.

[DawningAurora]

“Don’t you dare speak ill of the dead," Eddie growled when Sam made his comment about the dead, "and I doubt that. He was barely a puppy out of the den. I doubt he stood a chance if we fought. even a fragile human like you could beat him."

Eddie was a little surprised when Sam agreed to go first. He would have thought that Sam would’ve put up some sort of fight, not that he was complaining. After Sam left the room, Eddie closed the door and followed the man to the elevator. It was the quickest way down, but it would not have been his first choice. They would be forced to fight if they encounter another rogue entering the elevator. Though he didn’t complain. It was an option, and they had very few at the moment.

Eddie's eyes widen when the door to the elevator opened. Blood and chunks of flesh covered the inside of the tiny space. Two dead bodies ripped to shreds sat on the floor. He nearly recoiled from the stench of blood but stopped himself. What came as a shock was that these were Sam's squad. Organized and well quieted. Who did Sam work for, and what reason did they have for hunting werewolves?

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Eddie said quietly before stepping onto the elevator.

The ride down was tense and gruesome. His enhanced sense did not help with the smell and the danger of encountering another rogue, made for a less than enjoyable ride. Eventually, the door of the elevator opened, but it wasn’t the third floor as intended, but the fifth and on the other side of the door were three men, three werewolves.

Eddie did not hesitate to punch the unsuspecting person in the face. He could feel bones cracking as the person fell to the ground. Knocked out from the blow “I got the one to the left,” Eddie yelled as he tackled the person to left. He shoved them back but was unable to knock them down.

“Fucking bastard,” the man yelled as he drew his gun.

Eddie grabbed the man’s wrist raising to the ceiling as several gunshots were fired. With a crushing grip, Eddie forced the gun to drop before pulling the man forward. He grabbed the person’s head, quickly slammed it into his knees, causing the man to drop with a heavy thud. Eddie made sure to not cause any fatal injuries, something he doubt Sam would appreciate.

[QuinnWolfe]

Sam had to admit, he had doubts about Eddie's reflexes before when the other hadn't quite managed to dodge his bullets but those doubts were quickly cast aside when the elevator doors opened. Any thoughts he had that the other might be working with the group of werewolves was also now looking less likely. Frankly, a little caught off guard from the sudden stop and still a bit distracted by being surrounded by the gory remains of his squad mates, he suddenly found himself in an altercation as he was grabbed by the werewolf to the right and pulled from the elevator. However, it did not take him long at all to then react to the situation. In a fight with a werewolf, there was little to no room for hesitation. Shoving the other man off of him, Sam gave him a hard kick in the knee resulting in a loud "crack" as the man's bones were forced to bend in ways they shouldn't, breaking. As the man collapsed to the ground, Sam drew his gun and aimed it at his head. Unlike his wolven, temporary team mate, Sam had no intentions of resolving any of this less than lethally. Fuck the job at this point, this was revenge.

"For Mikey and Rachel." He said as he pulled the trigger. Given Eddie's reaction to the last werewolf he'd killed, he was sure the other wouldn't be so happy. But at the moment he wasn't thinking about Eddie's feelings, and as long as the other didn't stand in his way that was all he cared.

With the other two attackers on the ground, he looked to Eddie. "For someone who's supposed to be a werewolf you sure are bad at killing." he said. "But no matter, it would be my pleasure to finish the job." Saying this, he then aimed his gun at one of the unconscious men's heads.

[DawningAurora]

Eddie closed and eyes and looked away when Sam took his revenge on his opponent. The sound echoed through his head several times reminding him who he really was working with, a remorseless werewolf hunter. He looked back when the noise left his head only to see Sam lined his gun with the unconscious werewolf’s head. He quickly grabbed the barrel of the gun forcing it away from the unconscious person. His grip was so tight that there was an audible crack to the metal casing of the gun. He looked Sam in the eye, his own glowing amber with emotions.

“Whatever you may think of us werewolves but we are still people, people with family and loved ones,” Eddie's voice was quiet and pleading. He knew flighting the man would be pointless and leave both of them dead, so he can only hope Sam had some sympathy left in him. “So please. Just leave them.”

Eddie stayed stubborn, gripping the man’s gun and threatening to crush it into pieces. He was not going to back down from this, though time was ticking. He had no doubt the other rogues would have heard the gunshots by now. They would be on their way, so he needed to convince Sam quickly. “Killing them won’t bring your allies back. It will only cause you to spiral. You were willing to work with me, so I know you have some…humanity left in you.”

[QuinnWolfe]

Sam glared at the other man when he was stopped just before he could pull the trigger. He couldn't understand why Eddie felt such a way about the very people who were trying to kill them, and after seeing what they had done in the elevator. In his training as a hunter of the Red Hoods, it had been drilled into him that the only fate such beasts as these deserved was death and yet here Eddie was suggesting that they deserved to have lives as humans do. Family? Loved ones? It...honestly hadn't ever even occurred to Sam that werewolves had anyone they cared about other than themselves. Even in his rage, this idea gave him some pause. And when Eddie spoke of humanity, Sam frowned. Who was he to speak of humanity? Yet, Sam couldn't deny that the other had a point, it wouldn't bring back his squad. Not only that but they were running out of time.

Relaxing his grip on the gun, Sam took his finger off the trigger. "They deserve to die." He said, though with significantly less conviction in his voice and even some doubt, though he wasn't yet ready to admit that to himself. "But...we need to get out of here." He looked around the hall and pointed over to a sign on the all. "Stairs are that way. Not worth trying the elevator again, we're close enough." Every second that passed made their situation more precarious. Beyond the werewolves, he was sure it wouldn't be long before the police showed up if they hadn't already. And while the Hoods may see themselves as serving out their own form of justice, they weren't necessarily a legally sanctioned group.

Once the other released his gun, Sam started down the hallway towards the stairs. They passed the 4th floor on their way down but Sam caught a glimpse of the hall and saw 2 more men, who he could only presume were also werewolves searching for them.

[DawningAurora]

Eddie let out a sigh when Sam backed down. He was glad the man had some reason left in him and whatever organization he worked for hadn’t brained washed him completely. That piece of information was still a mystery to him. He hadn’t heard about any werewolf hunting organization, but the rogues surely had, and he had living proof next to him. “No one deserves to due Sam,” Eddie said, then released the gun. He then agreed when Sam suggested that they needed to leave. He was even more glad when Sam suggested the stairs. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in that elevator with all that blood.

As Eddie followed Sam down the stairs, he stopped between the fourth and third. He grabbed Sam’s shoulder to stop him before looking around. It was too quiet. They are close to the ground floor and yet he can’t hear anyone, no footsteps, no weapons being drawn, no radio being answered. Eddie listened for a moment longer before yelling, “RUN.”

Immediately the door to the third floor flung open as several armed men flooded the stairs. Eddie grabbed Sam, dragging him up the stairs and into the fourth floor. “They’re human,” he manage to say as they burst through the door where they were greeted by the two men from before. He paid them no mind and ran down the hall, still dragging Sam along with him. Instead of running to the other set of stairs, he broke down a room door and went inside. Luckily for them, it was empty.

Eddie closed the door and stood against it, listening as the group of men ran past them towards the other set of stairs. “Right, this is the point I start to sound crazy. I can survive the jump from this floor even while carrying you. The question is do you trust me because there is no way we are escaping through the front door." He wasn't completely lying when he said that. While he could survive, he would not come out of it unscathed. It would hurt like hell for the next few weeks, but at least they will be alive.