Silence. She hated that stupid noise. The sound of nothing was a pointless thing, but sometimes it had its perks, like keeping someone out of sight, Herself for example. It was best to keep quiet when one was on the run from a mass-murdering Hunter. Not a simple task for a vampire, especially when your face was all over social media and you were expected to show up for a gig in a few hours.

"Can't this chick just gimmie a break?" Vinyl grumbled. At least she had managed to keep Rarity and Sweetie Belle out of the Hunters sights. But for how long? If this Hunter had picked up her trail then eventually she'd find her sisters. Vinyl sighed as she realized what she had to do.

"Ugh, you better appreciate this Rare-bear." she grumbled, slipping out of the shadows and marching into the street. The Hunter had to be watching and with her out in the open like this she was bound to make her move. Vinyl tilted her head to the side as a bullet whizzed by.

From the sting she felt against her cheek it was most likely Witches Bane laced in silver. She grinned, looking up at a bell tower. The shot had to come from there. She doubted her persurer was Magian, they normally stayed as far away from Witches Bane as possible. Even the ones in the Royal Guard preferred their own charms to the foul mineral. A Skyborn would've ridden the clouds for better cover and vanished without a trace after the gunshot. So it had to be a Gaian, which meant they were on foot.

"Bad move buddy." Vinyl vanished in a flash of light, appearing a short distance down the road, another flash and she was in front of the Bell Tower, just as the door opened to reveal a young woman carrying a sniper rifle. Vinyl had to admit, she wasn't bad looking for a Hunter, that only made what she was about to do that much harder.

"Look girlie. You know who I am, you know what I am. But you don't know anything about me. You turn around and leave and we won't have any problems..." Vinyl began, gasping as a blade sliced into her cheek. Had she not moved at the last second it would've buried itself into her temple. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, seeing a second hunter.

Oh shit, theres two of em. Vinyl realized, vanishing moments before an onslaught of gunfire pierced the stand she had been in front of.

"Damnit. Octavia, how many times do I have to tell you. The first shot is the most important." the second hunter sighed.

"I-I'm sorry. I hesitated...she just seems so..."

"Human? Did the bastards who took your sister seem human?" the second Hunter growled.

"A-at first...yes..." she lowered her head

"and then?" the Hunter demanded.

"Th-they..." tears began to sting her eyes, the girl shaking and clutching her weapon close

"Thats right. These are monsters Octavia and they won't stop at anything to get their way. We can't afford to hesitate. Give them an inch and they'll take your head off.""

"Speak for yourself!" Vinyl yelled from behind a building, the second hunter drawing her pistols.

"Show yourself freak!" she demanded.

"On one condition! You gotta hear me out! I'm Vinyl freakin' Scratch! If I was a threat, do you think I'd get donations from the blood bank?!" she yelled.

"Likely story. You probably Mesmerized the people there. How do I know I can even trust a monster like you."

"Because instead of tearing the cute ones head off, I ran. Your throwin' arm is slow. Heck, I coulda killed the two of you while you were arguing, seen a lotta hunters go down that way." Vinyl continued to argue. She only needed a few more minutes, then the roads would be full of people heading out for the lunch rush and she could vanish into the crowd.

"C-Cute?! I am not cute!" Octavia fumed, pausing as the Second hunter put a hand on her shoulder, nodding her head towards the sniper. Octavia nodded, laying on her stomach and propping up the weapon.

"Alright, lets talk then. If you really mean what you say and we can trust you, then I want some info. If you aren't the one tearing apart Celamont, then who is?"

"Right, cause its totally a smart idea for me to step around the corner and get shot at. How can I trust you?" Vinyl called out.

"Give me a name and I'll give you a chance."

"Fine, you want names. Show up at my club." Vinyl pulled a pair of backstage passes out of her pocket, tossing them around the corner. The Second hunter kept her pistol ready as she picked up the passes. By the time she glanced back up, Vinyl was gone. She swore under her breath, holstering the pistol.

"Come on Octavia, we need to go before we're spotted."

"Yes Miss Cheerilee."

Celamont: Two weeks ago

Vinyl sighed to herself as she picked up her shipment for the month, making sure she had enough for Rarity. Sweetie Belle was still way too young to consider such things, but still, she would keep an eye on her. Officially on Paper she visited the blood bank for Transfusions and experiments to treat an unknown disease.

In truth, she was collecting blood donations to keep her family and herself sane and under control. Vinyl herself was a key part in maintaining silence and peace between humans and vampires, but things weren't going so well.

Lately Vinyl had noticed people simply vanishing. One minute there and the next...gone without a trace. What was worse was that she recognized the handiwork. A group of underground freaks running a blood bank of their own. Though they worked in live produce. She had been trying for months to find them, but no one in her circles dared to cross Big Boss.

She grit her teeth, taking a calming breath and adjusting the straps on her bag. She needed to get home and check on Rarity. Word moved fast in the underworld and Celamont was already drowning in thugs. It wouldn't take Big Boss long to figure out she was chasing him and then...She paused as a scream filled the air, swearing under her breath and chasing after the sound.

Not this time you bastards! Vinyl roared as she came crashing through a window, seeing a pair of thugs standing over a pair of women. Vinyl grit her teeth at the scene. One of the woman had obviously been made a meal of, she could only guess the other walked in on the scene, what with the puddle of blood under them and the girl desperately trying to keep pressure on the wound.

She had seen enough.

Vinyl reached into her vest, pulling out a small dagger, the two thugs hissing as she twirled it between her fingers.

"Yea, you know what this is. You got two options boys. You can tell me where Big Boss is hiding, or I can mail you to him in pieces." she threatened, one hand gripping her bag. The two glanced at one another, bursting into laughter.

"Sorry little Hunter, but you can't do anything if you're dead." the first thug grinned, flashing his fangs. Vinyl sighed, removing her shades, the two men gasping as they saw her eyes.

"I'm no Hunter, but I'll be damned if I watch you bastards slaughter anyone else!" Vinyl roared, swinging the bag and smashing one thug through a nearby wall, the second reached for her, only to get the blade jammed into his chin. Vinyl glared at him, staring into his eyes and watching him die.

She jerked back, pulling the blade free and panting slightly. She gasped as goon one tackled her, hyped up on a fresh kill and hungry for vengeance. Vinyl struggled to hold him back, trying to reach her bag.

I just had to be the damn hero. News flash Vinyl, you haven't eaten in a week! What the hell were you thinking?! she argued with herself, roaring as she slammed her elbow across the thugs face, panting and scrambling to her feet. Her hand shook as she gripped the blade. During the struggle she had sliced her hand, steam rising from the wound.

"So it is you. Vanessa Diamondheart Filigree. Well, Big Boss has been lookin' for a reason to take your pampered ass down." he chuckled, easily dodging under her bag as she swung once more, sliding around her as she stabbed with the blade.

Crap...this is gonna hurt. Vinyl grunted as the thug slammed his leg into her gut, kicking her through the window she came in. She tumbled across the ground, crying out in pain as the blade sank into her leg. She felt her vision begin to fade, panting and trying to pull the blade free. The thug marched towards her, raising up his leg to finish her.

"Any last words bitch?"

"Hey ugly!" a voice called out, followed by a shotgun blast. Vinyl stared with wide eyes as the thug fell on top of her.

Thats...Silver powder? Is that a Hunter?! Oh shit! Move Vinyl! she struggled to pull free, eyes wide as the shotgun barrel rested inches from her face.

"You two made this easy for me, fighting among yourselves like the animals you are. I thank you for that much. But now you can return to the pit you crawled out of."

"Yea...your mom has some strong legs...could barely feel my face when I finally got out." Vinyl joked, grinning as she closed her eyes. If she was going out, she'd go out with a bang damnit. She flinched as a scream filled the air.

The Hunter paused, possibly thinking that Vinyl would never get free in her condition as she turned away to check on the victims of the attack.

Vinyl let go of the breath she had been holding, summoning as much magic as she could and teleporting down the road, quickly ducking into an alleyway.

She leaned against a small house, biting down on her arm as she pulled the blade from her leg.

"Stupid fucking knife...damnit all to..." she froze, sinking into the shadows behind the house.

"Where the fuck are Scathe and Brawler?" a man swore as he walked past.

"Said they were goin' on lunchbreak boss."

"Here?! Those idiots are probably dead...Word on the street is theres a Hunter in town. Same one that gave the big man that scar." the first sighed. The second whistled and chuckled.

"Oh man, I bet he's lookin' forward to round two."

"Shut it Dusk. This isn't some stupid joke. We gotta find those two idiots before they ruin the entire operation." Vinyl held her breath as the two sniffed the air. She had seconds before they caught her scent. Thirsty, dizzy, and wounded by her own blade, she'd never make it past these guys. She shut her eyes tightly, praying to whatever gods she could think of.

If I get out of this, I swear, I'll go sober for like a week. she cracked an eye open, seeing a cloaked figure standing before the two vampires.

"Who the fuck are you?" Dusk demanded.

"I'm just the cleanup crew." the figure said, drawing a short sword. The two men chuckled, vanishing as they leapt at him. With a quick flourish of the blade the two fell, clutching their throats.

"Don't worry, its not Silver. You'll survive this. When you recover, tell Big Boss, the Knights are coming." the figure glanced down the alleyway, spotting her. She stumbled backwards, crying out as her leg gave out. The figure walked towards her, Vinyl weakly holding up her blade. Today just wasn't her day...

"I didn't kill them, why would I kill you?" he asked.

"You didn't kill them, and me an them aren't exactly friends. More than enough reason." Vinyl spat.

"True. But I'm on your side in this. Which reminds me, you should get a move on, your sisters are worried about you." he snapped his fingers and vanished.

The hell was that? Didn't even smell like a Magian, but that was definitely magic...and whats with that sword? Vinyl sighed, head pounding as she called to her magic once more, teleporting outside her home. She sighed as she stumbled in through the backdoor, Rarity staring up at her with wide eyes.

Aw shit

"Honestly Vinyl...how many times are you going to come home hurt like this?" Rarity pouted, cleaning the wound in her leg.

"I told you Rare-bear. Its nothin' to worry about. Just got a little roughed up getting home."

"Then why is there a stab wound in your leg?" Rarity wondered, raising an eyebrow.

When did she learn to use cute as a weapon?! Vinyl cleared her throat, leaning back in her chair.

"Some guy at the club wanted an extra show and got a good shot in before my bouncer showed up. Really Rarity, you don't gotta worry about me." Vinyl smiled nervously, hoping she would buy it. Rarity eventually sighed, dragging the first aid kit away.

"Don't forget your midnight snack!" Vinyl called. Rarity froze, turning around and grabbing one of the packets from the table. Vinyl sighed, checking the bandage on her leg.

Had she really come home hurt so many times? Rarity was practically a Nurse. Her thoughts shifted to earlier that day. The two thugs, Scathe and Brawler, dead by her hand and by a Hunter. Two more, one by the name of Dusk, the other still a mystery and a boy in a cloak. A boy with powerful magic, but wasn't Magian.

"What else uses magic like that though?" Vinyl wondered, wincing as she stood. It was gonna be a long week. She made her way through her rather large living space, left behind by her father. She inherited everything after his death. The Mansion in Upper Celamont, the family Fortune, and all the rights and problems of being Head of a Clan. Even if the clan was just her, her teenage sister Rarity and baby sister Sweetie Belle. The Filigree house was on its last legs ever since her father left.

It didn't help that they were competing with Big Boss. She hung her head as she grasped the railing on the stairs. A silver dagger sat in her jacket pocket as a reminder of that day.

"AHHHHH!' Sweetie Belle screamed. Vinyl reached for the dagger as she rushed into the little girls room. Sweetie Belle curled up in her blankets and pointing to the closet. Vinyl nodded, flipping the dagger and holding it above her head. She shoved the closet open and blinked as she found a plush cat.

Really Belle? I don't have time for this. Vinyl groaned.

"Another nightmare?" Vinyl asked, tucking the dagger away. Sweetie Belle nodded glumly, still curled up in her blankets. Vinyl smiled as she sat on the bed.

"You wanna come spend the night in my bed?" Vinyl asked. Sweetie Belle nodded quickly, snatching up her favorite blanky and grabbing hold of her sisters hand. The two made their way down the hall toward the master bedroom, Vinyl slightly hunched over to keep a hold of her sisters hand.

"Up ya go." she said softly, lifting the young Magian into bed. Sweetie Belle waited until her big sister climbed in to get comfy, holding her blanky close and sucking on her thumb as her sister rested an arm over her.

"Sleep tight kiddo..." she whispered, kissing her forehead gently. Vinyl lay awake, Sweetie Belle snuggling close to her while she stared out the window.

"A Hunter in town that put a mark on Big Boss...I wonder..."

Early the next morning, Rarity found Vinyl once again in her 'training room'. Which was a room full of broken workout equipment. It was all in working order before the Eldest had claimed it. She spotted her sister stretching out her injured leg.

"I'm getting ready for school Vinyl." she called out.

"Alright, mind waking up Belle? I'll be out in a minute." Vinyl said through gritted teeth. Rarity sighed, leaving her sister to her workout. Vinyl waited a moment before relaxing.

"You still there?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yea, I'm here. But I dunno what you expect me to do V." a rough voice answered through her Bluetooth.

"Look, just dig up some dirt on a guy named Dusk, he works for BB."

"Whoa, hey. Look, I know the big man sent a hit out on your pops...but this is some deep shit your gettin' into V."

"I need to do this. You gonna do it or what?" Vinyl demanded.

"I better get paid for this."

"You're still alive aren't you?" Vinyl asked, not wanting for an answer before tossing the headset away.

So you're comin' for me huh? Good. Just another reason for me to tear your head off Vinyl slammed the door behind her, pausing as Rarity stared up at her.

"H-Have a good day at school." Vinyl stammered, sighing as her sister left. Normally she wouldn't let her out of the house, but her 'school' was in the building next door, a private school funded by her father and kept under heavy guard by those still loyal to the Filigree house. A knock at the front door announced the arrival of Sweetie Belle's caretaker. Vinyl smiled as she pulled the door open.

"Oh, hello Madam Filigree, its nice to see you again."

"You don't have to be so formal Miss Velvet. Just Vinyl is fine." Vinyl mumbled. Though she was happy someone respected her enough to address her as Madam Filigree, it was a title she wasn't comfortable with. Twilight Velvet was a good friend of her father, someone she could truly trust. She wouldn't dare to leave her sisters in the care of anyone else.

"Nonsense, you're a Noble, you deserve the respect of one, especially after...well, lets not bring up tragic tales shall we? Is she awake?" Twilight smiled. Vinyl nodded, letting her in and locking the door. Twilight stared at her for a moment, taking note of the bandages, before clearing her throat.

"Oh Sweetie Belle!" Twilight called out, smiling broadly as the girl rushed down the stairs and hugged her leg.

"She really missed ya." Vinyl chuckled.

"If I may speak freely..." Twilight paused for a moment

"You know you can." Vinyl chuckled

"She wouldn't need me if you were home more Madam." Twilight said softly as she lifted Sweetie Belle. Vinyl stood there in shock as the housemaid exited the room.

Even my damn nanny is gettin' on my case...I just gotta finish this...after that...I'll be a better sister

Nothing, No new leads. Dusk had vanished without a trace and Vinyl was left with nothing but empty warehouses where people had once been stashed.

"I'm sorry V, the operation moves so quickly...by the time I get a hit its already gone."

"Its cool. Paychecks in the mail, keep your head down, I might need you again later."

"You got it V, stay cool." the line quickly went dead, Vinyl left alone with her thoughts in yet another warehouse. It smelled of blood and fear. She leaned against the wall, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out a small flask, quickly chugging down its contents. It was gonna be another long night. Tucking the flask away she made her way down the street, adjusting her shades and sinking into the shadows of Downtown Celamont.

Cold trails, nothin but week old scents on panicking Magians. How are they keeping that many in check? BB's boys are all Gaian powerhouses. One binding spell would be all it'd take to put em down. Unless... Vinyl paused for a moment.

Unless they have collars... her thoughts flashed back to the boy.

"Don't worry, its not Silver. You'll survive this. When you recover, tell Big Boss, the Knights are coming."

"Maybe...maybe they raided one of Celestia's bunkers, stole some collars. Nah, that can't be it." Vinyl mumbled. Her train of thought was cut short upon arriving at her destination.

Club Wub, her own personal slice of Celamont. Vampires, Hunters and Knights could all go to hell for a few hours, she had a show to put on.

Present Time

"As soon as she gives us the list of names, take her out."

"I-Is this really necessary? I mean...that day...she fought to save me."

"They don't have souls or a conscience Octavia. She was probably just trying to butter you up and make you her next meal. I've said it before, these are monsters, they don't care about us." Cheerilee argued, flashing her pass to the bouncer.

"She's expectin' ya in the back." the man rumbled. Octavia flashed her own pass, the man grinning.

"She mentioned you especially, somethin 'bout not harmin' a hair on the cute ones head." he chuckled as Octavia blushed, the Gaian dragged into the club by her partner.

"Get a hold of yourself Octavia. Who knows how many of them could be in here?" Cheerilee hissed. Octavia was silent for a moment before realization dawned on her.

"Th-then we are walking into a trap?!" she gasped

"Somewhat of a trap. It will make sense soon, I promise. For now, do as I say and keep quiet." Cheerilee ordered, making her way through the crowd. Music pumped from every wall, fueling the crowd into a party frenzy.

It was hard enough to keep calm in this situation, knowing that everyone could very well be vampires, it didn't help that she could barely see past the crowd or hear herself think.

Eventually Cheerilee and Octavia pierced the other side of the crowd, once more forced to flash their passes, though this bouncer held up his hand, stopping them from passing.

"I'll need your shotgun, the wires, the grenades, knives, mouth blade under your tongue, the silver needles hidden in your hair and behind your ear as well as one of your pistols." he ordered.

"You're letting her keep the other?" Octavia questioned.

"A show of faith. Ain't gonna make you go in defenseless, Vinyl likes a fair fight. She's got a dagger made outta silver in her jacket pocket and a flask of donated blood in the other."

"Why bother telling me all of this?" Cheerilee demanded, handing over her assortment of weaponry.

"Like I told ya lady, Vinyl likes a fair fight an she don't want no trouble from the Hunters. An 'fore ya ask, we ain't vamps. Just ol' family friends." the bouncer opened his eyes wide, getting close to Cheerilee.

"Ain't even Mesmerized neither. Speakin o which." he stood upright, pulling two pairs of glasses out of his pocket.

"Double layered, keeps vamps from gettin in your head. Gift from the boss lady and another show o' good faith." he said as he held them out. Octavia slipped them on instantly, Cheerilee however stared at them for a good long while before tucking them away.

"Alright, enough messing around, let us in." Cheerilee demanded.

"Sorry; Boss said the cute one first. Said you'd just get straight to the fightin' an all she wants to do is talk."

"I'll be fine miss...She didn't hurt me before, why would she hurt me now?"

"Its a trap Octavia. She'll trick you and then use you against me." Cheerilee warned. Octavia took a slow breath, walking past the giant at the door. The sounds of the club slowly died away as she neared the room in the back.

It also became much darker, at least until she opened the door at the end of the hall, groaning and shielding her eyes against the sudden glare of light.

"Whoops, sorry about that." Vinyl chuckled nervously, dimming the lights slightly. Octavia stared for a moment. Vinyl wore a sleeveless blue shirt underneath a short white jacket, a pair of blue jeans completing her outfit. A simple pair of headphones hung around her neck and her trademark shades hid her eyes.

"What are the point of those if I have the glasses?" Octavia thought aloud.

"Thing about vampires, when we're in danger, our body fights any way it can to keep us alive. Which means usin' the Mesmir to take away someones free will. Not my style." Vinyl answered, leaning back on a leather couch.

"Your body guard didn't check me for weapons." Octavia pointed out

"I told him not to. He's a sweet guy at heart, but kind of a perv. Though, thats not what we're here to talk about." Vinyl sat up, reaching into her coat pocket. Octavia drew a pistol from her pocket, pointing it her.

"Chill sweet cheeks." Vinyl said, pulling a paper from her pocket. Octavia kept her gun focused on the vampire. Vinyl sighed, unfolding the paper and placing it on the table.

"A list of names, all the ones I could grab. They work for a powerful gang lord by the name of Big Boss and no one wants to help me take em out cause it means bein' on their bad side." Vinyl leaned back once more, staring at the ceiling.

"And you want us to help you?" Octavia asked.

"I'd rather do it myself. A lotta Hunters have died goin' after this guy. Word on the street though...is your trigger happy friend marked him." Vinyl grinned.

"Marked? I-I'm afraid I don't..."

"She left him with a permanent scar." Vinyl interrupted.

"I see..."

"No, I don't think ya do. Big Boss feeds off of hoards of people on a daily basis. His followers consider him a God among us. Even a low class vampire recovers from a bad wound, but its rare we take a hit that lasts forever." Vinyl placed her hands on the table, Octavia shaking slightly and keeping the gun aimed directly at her head.

"Those guys who took out your friend? They were his goons. Scathe and Brawler, two of his higher ups who thought they were invincible. I've been trying to track these bastards for months. I was hopin' to keep one of em alive for info, but your friend shot him full of silver powder." Vinyl scoffed, shaking her head.

"Heck, she's probably on her way down that hall right now, ready to blow my brains out. So, here is what I want. If your friend manages to kill me, you gotta take this list, call the number on the back and track these bastards down." Vinyl growled. Octavia lifted the paper, glancing at the back.

"Whats this second number?" Octavia wondered.

"Thats for my sisters...to tell them I'm not comin' home." Vinyl hung her head as Cheerilee kicked the door open. Octavia threw herself between the Hunter and the Vampire.

"Out of the way Octavia!" Cheerilee yelled.

"Why?! Because she's a vampire?! What if you're wrong?!" Octavia demanded.

"I will shoot you if I have to Octavia." Cheerilee warned. Vinyl sighed, putting a hand on Octavia's shoulder.

"Will you do what I asked?" Vinyl said softly. Octavia stammered for a moment before giving a nod. Vinyl smiled, shoving Octavia out of the way and throwing out her arms.

"Go on, do it, shoot me. let Big Boss win." Vinyl chuckled. Cheerilee grit her teeth, grabbing Vinyl's shirt and shoving the gun hard against her temple.

"How do you know that name?" she demanded.

"The bastard killed my father...he's taking down anyone who doesn't worship the ground his fat ass walks on and that includes me. So go ahead, pull the damn trigger!" Vinyl yelled. Cheerilee grit her teeth, slamming the pistol across Vinyl's face.

The vampire gave no resistance, simply falling to the ground in a heap. Cheerilee sighed, planting her foot on Vinyls back, aiming her pistol at her head.

"I'll finish you here and now, and Big Boss is next." Cheerilee spat as she pulled the trigger.