Chapter Two (Newell)
I woke up to the warmth and comfort of a bed.
I had almost expected to wake up on a cold concrete floor or a cardboard box. I forced my eyes to open, peering over the blankets at the window where rays of sunlight cast across the hotel room. The sounds of the city outside mingling with the sound of the shower in the bathroom, indicating Xed was already up and ready for another long day.
I sighed, furrowing my brow in frustration as I pulled the blankets closer to myself. I didn't want to get up; I really did not. I wanted to lay in this bed for just a while longer, but there was no luxery in this kind of life. Staying in one place for too long could result in serious consequences that I really had no time to deal with right now.
I slowly sat up, keeping the blankets up to my waist as I rubbed at my eyes before yawning. I licked my lips, mouth once again dry from lack of a feeding. I should have drank from the oni last night, but Xed hadn't eaten in days and part of me wondered if he got hungry enough, would he eat me? I didn't want to take the chance. I had to feed him regularly.
Xed's species usually went into a frenzy when they were starving.
My species usually curled up and waited to die. Blood is what kept us going, our fuel to continue living and moving. Without it, we were probably weaker than humans. The thought made me curl my lip in repungence until I noticed a set of clothes at the end of the bed. I blinked, surprised as I looked up to make sure Xed wasn't coming out before I reached for the clothes.
A long sleeved black shirt, a pair of soft sweatpants and jeans, socks, sneakers, and even a jacket along with a small backpack. I raised an eyebrow.
Xed had gone out on his own to purchase these? I hadn't even heard him get up, but then, I had trouble waking up when I really tired. I was relieved to have new clothes, though. I was tired of traveling in the same outfit for months. And with the sweatpants, I would no longer need to sleep naked. Not that that bothered me; it was just the fact that I was sleeping naked beside another man that irked me.
Part of me trusted Xed, of course. He was doing so much for me. However, another part of me did not want to get too close to him. The fact that I was naked and he was naked, but also because I loathed feeling his body. It was a body I constantly dreamt of having, but couldn't. Xed was the one who had the perfect body.
Anger made my chest tight as I clenched the blankets in my fists, taking deep breathes to calm down. Even I had to admit that my temper tended to get out of control, but it was only because everyone else kept pushing it and Xed was unintentionally making me angry.
The bathroom door opened and I looked up as Xed came out, a towel around his shoulders. He wore a black v-neck shirt and black jeans, his boots thumping on the floor as he approached the bed. He looked at me for a moment in a way that made me wonder if he knew what I was thinking before he pointed to the clothes. I nodded, but waited until I sat on his side of the bed with his back turned before I dared to get out of the bed and rinse off the stink from the sheets before I changed into the shirt and jeans. I pulled on the socks and sneakers before stuffing everything else into the small back pack that I threw over my shoulder.
"We should get moving. That rat last night was the only thing I'd eaten in two days." I told him, making him nod and stand up. He folded up the towel and returned it to the bathroom, and even took the time to make the beds for the maids before we left the room quickly, passing by the lobby. I frowned, however, when I noticed the old woman wasn't standing behind the desk.
And the rich scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
Xed also stopped and turned to look at me. I glanced back at him to see that he found this suspicious as well. I turned and approached the desk, then slowly walked around it before I spotted a trail of blood leading to the closet behind the desk. I narrowed my eyes and walked toward it, reaching out to open the door, but Xed caught me by the shoulder. I shot him a nasty glare and he let go, then shook his head and pointed to the door.
I frowned, then stepped away from the door and let Xed open it. As soon as the door opened, the old woman's corpse tumbled out onto the floor. The thick scent of blood made me dizzy, my mouth watering for a taste of it. The old woman's throat had been slit, her eyes still open and staring into nothingness.
"Either that oni's friend caught up with us or someone wasn't fond of this woman... Either way, her death is very convenient. I was wondering if I'd even be able to make it out of New York on just that rat." I took the back pack off, letting it slump to the floor. Xed lifted the woman against the desk in a sitting position before I approached her, licking my fangs to wetten them before I lifted her wrist, burying my mouth against it, biting hard. I drank for a few moments, savoring the rich taste of her blood.
Xed was watching me intently. I could see the gears working in his head, but for what, I wasn't sure. I would need to find a source of water to throw him into in order to find out what he knew. While we were pretty good with communicating silently, it wasn't the same as verbal communication.
"See if there's a pool here." I told Xed before I returned to sucking the woman dry. Xed nodded and opened up one of the books on the desk, searching through it. I licked the last of the blood off my lips, sighing contentedly. I stood up, grabbing my bag as Xed held the book toward me and pointed to the index that indicated that there was a pool, but it was empty. I frowned, then waved the book off. Xed put it aside and followed me as I walked around toward the entrance.
"Then we find a different way. I'm not going to waste my time trying to fill a pool that's probably contaminated. Let's head as far west as possible. I would much rather be in California than New York. At least California has bearable temperatures." I muttered, walking out the door. Xed just followed in silence.
We walked along the sidewalk, easily blending in with the afternoon crowds. No one stopped to question us. A few people stared in awe at Xed's height, but otherwise, we were left alone. Thankfully, we managed to leave the bad side of town and traveled toward the better side where mostly business folk ran from place to place. University students and couples bustled by, giggling and chattering excitedly on cell phones or with each other. Speaking of cell phones, several people walked with their eyes down at their phones, smashing into people and not even bothering to apologize.
I loathed technology, I noted in disgust as Xed and I stopped at a light while the traffic whirred by in a flurry of colors and shiny windows. I lifted my head to stare up at the skyscrapers that towered high into the air. I literally had to tilt my head back as far as I could to be able to look up at the ridiculously tall office buildings. The sunlight glinted off them, hurting my eyes, so I looked away just as the light changed, giving us the go ahead.
We walked in silence, Xed and I, amongst thousands of people that spoke and laughed. Humans that had so many things to do. A job, a family, friends, children, pets, co-workers. Humans with lives so simplistic it paled in comparison to many others I'd known.
We turned onto another street when a billboard caught my eye, my eyes narrowing in disgust as I paused, Xed at my side. The billboard was quite large and extravagent, advertising a company called Gothica Incorporated. A company I knew all too well, especially the leader.
It was more than just a simple finance company. It was the base of my species, the clan that was run by the tyrant named Vladimir Van Gothica. A powerful pureblood that had slowly become the dictator of the Court of Seven. The Court of Seven had once been a powerful group that ran our society, our species. A representative from each clan came forward and made the votes for their people.
Unfortunately, the Court was growing weary as the human population esculated. They were becoming more and more, building more homes and becoming more aware of the world around them. The Court had wanted to take our species and hide them away, but Vladimir protested. Vladimir and his wife, Elizabeth, that is.
Or should I simply say Elizabeth? The woman was a dictator in every sense of the word. She wanted the world to be the way she wanted it. When she and Vladimir married, she brought all her wants and needs to Vladimir's attention. Vladimir, being the sap he was, did everything she said and killed off members of the Court, using his mysterious telekinetic powers. Unfortunately, the deaths of the Court were creating riots. Elizabeth had driven herself into a corner.
And to make matters worse, she was pregnant with their son, Storm Von Gothica. Vladimir continued killing at Elizabeth's request, even though she'd turn around and scream at him for it. The man was nothing more than her pawn, but he couldn't, wouldn't see it because he was in love her.
Love was a poison. A trick. A trap. The lowest of the low used the excuse of love in order to gain what they wanted without getting their hands dirty.
Elizabeth attempted to kill Vladimir twice, but failed both times and the final time, she was killed by Vladimir's powers while he slept. Vladimir was left to care for his son and to fight off terrorists who fought his word.
Granted, I had been one of them. I hated humans. I wanted them to go where they belonged-- in cages to await being used as our food. Again, to me, they were cattle. Cattle were to be rounded up and kept in cages to wait for their fate.
But that was then and this is now.
And now was all about survival.
I no longer had time to chase after Vladimir and his idiotic clan. I only had to live. Live and find a way to get back everything I had lost. I wanted my money back. I wanted my home back. I wanted my life back, no matter how miserable I had thought it before. Nothing was worse than having to live like a common street rat.
We stopped at another light and this time, Xed touched my shoulder. I frowned, but didn't look at him because I knew exactly what he was alerting me too. The smell of it permeated the air thickly and burned my nostrils. I narrowed my eyes, then cocked my head to the side, scanning the crowds around us. It was difficult to pinpoint the scent from the scents of humans mingling together. And seeing was just as problematic considering that there were almost a hundred people smashed in on the sidewalks and cars zooming by.
"Where?" I asked quietly. Xed scanned the crowds for a moment, then looked down at me and gestured with his head toward the right. I turned my head in that direction, finding the scent strongest before I nodded. The light changed and we walked across the street, moving quickly toward another block where it was less populated.
I hated being followed, especially by pathetic creatures such as oni.
We slipped into an alleyway that led between a few tall buildings and shops. Predictably, the oni followed us right in. We turned to face him as he came in. He paused for a second. He was a rather small oni with slicked back dark hair and sunglasses on his head. He wore a black suit beneath a long black coat.
"Is there a reason you're following us?" I asked dryly. The oni frowned, then scowled as he clenched his fists.
"You killed three of my anikis last night, you little brat," He sneered, making me raise an eyebrow, "And my oyabun isn't going to let you off so easily." I gave him a droll stare as I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket.
"That's nice and all, I appreciate the attention, but I don't have time for your playground games." I answered, watching his cheeks turn red with anger, green eyes flashing.
"Do not mock the yakuza, you little shit! You think you can get away with this?" He demanded angrily, taking a threatening step toward me, but Xed took one toward him and the oni instantly retreated, baring his fangs at us hatefully.
"I just came to warn you, because from now on, the yakuza will be watching you and you will have no way out of New York until you've paid for what you've done to my brothers. I may not be able to touch you, but you have yet to meet the rest of our clan." He snarled, then whirled on his heel and stalked out of the alley.
As soon as I left, my lips worked into a frown. Yakuza, I thought bitterly. As if Zephyra hunting me wasn't bad enough, now I had the yakuza trailing my every step. There was no doubt that they would carry out on their threat.
And this wasn't an ordinary yakuza group, or your run-of-the-mill mafia gang.
This was a yakuza of oni, demons that will no doubt carry their vegeance through all the way to the end, when I was lying bloody at the feet of their head honcho, the oyabun. The yakuza gang was different from any other mafia in the sense that the yakuza considered each other family, and a very structured family at that. There were several minor bosses before reaching the main boss. And of course, that was the father of the group. The minor members of the yakuza were his sons, brothers to each other.
And I had just killed three of their family members.
Fantastic.
"Did you know they were yakuza?" I asked Xed, who frowned at me. I had a feeling he had no idea what I was talking about. I sighed in frustration, looking back in the direction the oni had disappeared in.
"Yakuza is a Japanese gang, Xed," I explained dryly, "But unlike other gangs, these guys are far more structured, strict, and very keen on ripping apart anyone who's harmed them. They're a family, and we just killed three of their members." Xed stared at me for a moment, then tilted his head and pointed down the alleyway toward the subway station that could easily carry us to the outskirts of the city. I shook my head, though.
"By now, they've probably got several members staking out the subway stations to make sure we don't leave. They'll also have members hiding out in the airports as a precaution, not that it's much use. We don't have enough money for a ticket. And a bus is out of the question. The yakuza would have no problem blowing it up to kill us-- if that's what they want. They might just hunt us down to torture us. And I for one am not a fan of torture. We need to find somewhere to hide out for a while." I decided, and started walking along the alleyway with Xed beside me.
I tried to go through a list of places in New York, and while the list was incredibly long, it wouldn't last forever. The yakuza would hunt us down until they had us. They would tear the city apart and the oni from before found us so easily; I assumed it was because he'd been following us from the beginning and I had just passed off his stench as an open sewer gate.
We had just reached the end of the alley when a sudden wave of nausea struck me. I hesitated for a moment, trying to catch my bearing, but the feeling continued to swell up inside me, burning its way up my throat. Xed frowned, looking at me in concern. I shook my head as a response, opening my mouth to speak, but I quickly clapped my hand over my mouth and turned away from him, vomiting harshly into a nearby pile of garbage.
Of course, seeing as I fed only on blood, I vomited up all the blood I had drank from the old woman back at the motel.
I slid down onto my knees, breathing hard as blood dripped from my lips to the ground. Xed stared at me in surprise, eyes wide and questioning. I managed to catch my breath before seething past clenched teeth.
"Her blood was poisoned." I spat. Xed frowned and knelt down beside me as I managed to recover, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand.
I should have known. I was too busy focusing on my hunger to even bother thinking about whether or not her blood was safe. And now I was paying for that stupidity.
They did something to her blood to make me vomit. And now my body was weaker without the blood I needed to fuel myself, and the poison in her blood was probably lurking somewhere inside my thinning blood stream. I needed to get fresh, clean blood in myself fast.
I looked up past my hair, breathing hard as I looked out onto the sidewalk where a few people went by every so often. I didn't want to have to do this, but I had no choice now. My body was growing weaker by the second and soon, the sunlight would blister my skin.
"Hide." I ordered Xed, who frowned for a second, then nodded obediently before he backed away into the alley, further until he was hiding a good ways away before I took a deep breath, forcing myself to straight. I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing tears to well up in my eyes. I broke into loud sobs, reaching up to wipe at my cheeks every so often. I made sure to sob loudly, in a way that would make humans ache.
I had done this plenty of times. Not only to humans, but to my own species. I'd done it to my mother plenty of times and she had always tried to make me stop, thinking I was really in pain. I was never in pain. Pain was unnecessary. Crying over something never made it better-- Unless you were trying to rip off a human, in which case, it worked perfectly.
It didn't take long for a woman to pause outside the alley, peering in. Her eyes widened behind her glasses as she spotted me. She looked around, peered into the alley closely as if checking to make sure there was no one waiting to jump her before she hurried into the alleyway, holding her purse close to her.
"Excuse me? Little boy, are you okay?" She asked softly, her expression softening in sympathy as she spotted me. I choked on a sob, sniffling and hugging my jacket close to myself.
"M-My mommy. I can't find my mommy," I sobbed, easily changing my voice to sound more childish and innocent, "She brought me here and told me to stay, but she hasn't come back." The woman's expression crumbled as she knelt in front of me, taking a handkerchief from her purse. She reached up to wipe my tears away, her hand brushing the hair out of my eyes. She grimaced.
"Just look at you, you poor thing. Are you cold? It's nearly winter. This isn't the place for a kid." She sighed, studying my face. She went to pull back so she could stand, but I caught her by the arms, pulling her so her neck was just within range for me to bite. I looked at her for a moment longer, watching her eyes flicker suspiciously now.
"I am not a child." I told her sternly, watching her eyes widen in surprise before I moved quickly, biting down into her throat. She opened her mouth to cry out, but I clapped my hand over her mouth, digging my nails into her. She tried to pull back, making me wince as I tried to keep a hold on her.
Much to my relief, Xed appeared out of nowhere and held her in place, allowing me to drink deeply from her throat. Her fresh sweet blood filled my mouth, gushing down my throat and sloshing into my empty stomach. I practically moaned at the taste, sucking the blood hard into my mouth, digging my fangs deeper. I nearly sucked her dry before my stomach protested, telling me that enough was enough. I stepped back, letting the woman hit the alley floor.
I peered around Xed to make sure no one on the sidewalk had noticed. Of course they hadn't. It was a city and someone easily could have been trampled to death and no one would have noticed. I looked up at Xed, who was staring down at the woman with a blank stare.
"Finish her," I ordered, "The last thing we need are the human authorities coming after us. Zephyra and the yakuza are enough." Xed nodded, reaching down and lifting the woman into his arms, walking deeper into the alley so he could have privacy. I licked the blood off my lips, turning my head to stare out at the street with narrowed eyes.
"... the yakuza will be watching you and you will have no way out of New York..."
Watching me. I had no doubt they were watching me now. Surely that oni from before hadn't approached us alone. He must have others following him, and now they were watching us. From where, I couldn't be sure.
Another reason I loathed the city. There were too many smells in the air to pinpoint an exact one. It was almost like moving around in fog now. I wouldn't be able to pick up on their scents until they were close enough-- close enough to kill me.
Now would be the perfect time to be paranoid, I decided. I could no longer drink from victims that were already dead or dying, nor the ones that were connected to the yakuza. In fact, whatever was in the blood of that old woman would surely be in the clan's blood now as well, so biting them would also prove to be quite the mistake. I wasn't sure if whatever it was could effect Xed or not either, but I couldn't take the risk. Xed was the only thing that stood between myself and death.
So far anyway.
He could easily give up on trying to protect me and turn on me instead. His species naturally fed on vampires. In fact, vampires were one of their favorites.
I looked up as Xed approached me again, looking as clean as he did earlier. I was relieved that despite the gruesome sounds of his feeding, he managed to be polite and clean up afterwards. It helped that he devoured every last bit of his victims. His stomach could easily break down bones and nails and even teeth. I was also surprised that there wasn't even hair left over when he was finished. He only left behind the clothes that he promptly threw away.
And the money that he was now counting out before handing to me. I took the wad of cash he'd taken from the woman's wallet, relieved to see we now had a couple more hundred dollars to take with us.
"We need to find somewhere to hide, and quickly. The yakuza don't take their time when it comes to exacting revenge." I muttered, making Xed nod. We stepped out from the alley onto the sidewalk, scanning the crowds that moved past without a care in the world. A few women would pass hot stares over Xed, who paid them no mind as he scanned the streets. Even a couple men slowed down to lick their lips at him. A small spark of envy flared up inside me.
I had only ever gotten women that wanted to pinch my cheeks and pull my hair and dress me up. I never had a woman look at me sexually. Even if she did, she'd probably feel disgusting, like a pedophile. And men? There were plenty of men who had tried to grab me from my parents when I was younger, but my mother had always fought back angrily and causing harm to her resulted in Edward attacking the other person-- and then me for being the fault of it all.
I had been told that because of my condition, my sexual desire was very low key and while it was, that did not mean it was absent. I still craved to be touched, still craved to be kissed, but it would never happen. I was alone.
Thinking about it was making me angry again.
"Let's stay at the nearest hotel," I muttered at last to Xed, who glanced at me before nodding slowly as he lifted his head to stare out over the heads of the afternoon crowd, "We can hide out there and plan our next move." We moved through the crowd that was bustling excitedly because some street performer decided to stop and play his electric guitar.
I grimaced as people bumped into me. It was incredibly frustrating to be so small in a world so big. No, it was downright infuriating. It didn't help that through the crowd, Xed grabbed my hand to keep me from being pulled away. I felt like I had touched fire. I wanted to let go and push his hand away, maybe even bite it, but we'd been in this situation back in Rome.
He'd let go of my hand and I was lost within minutes because of the huge crowd. So despite my feelings, I had no choice, but to keep a hold on Xed's hand. In an attempt to not get angry and hurt him, I daydreamed.
And for some odd reason, I was remembering the first time I had met Vladimir Van Gothica.
It was at a party at the Gothica Mansion in Virginia, in the mountains and away from the humans. It was a party to celebrate the winter solstice. Hundreds of very well respected people had been invited, including my mother and father. I had been six-years-old at the time, so no one thought twice about the fact that I had been small. At the time, both my parents valued me, putting as much money as the could into training me to become the heir of the Drakon Clan.
The old Gothica Mansion was quite large and old, made of stone and four stories high with five wings. The party was being held in the main wing in the ballroom that was about as large as a football field. Several fountains had been set up around the room, thick red blood bubbling freely from the spouts and pouring into glasses that were being held under to be refilled. The marble floor glistened in the light of expensive glass chandeliers.
Men and women from all over the world, from our species, gathered around, chatting and laughing away without a care in the world. Why should they be worried? We were unstoppable. We were powerful. We were beautiful... We were perfect.
My mother had taken extra care in pampering me that day. She'd trimmed and styled my hair, bought me an expensive tuxedo, and given me enough blood before we left so that I wouldn't want to drink from the fountains, as the fountains were spewing a special type of blood called Blood Wine.
Usually red wine mixed with the rarest blood type of them all.
And it was incredibly intoxicating. Only few of our people could handle it. A mere human would probably die after one sip because of how strong it was.
"This mansion is quite extravagant," My mother was gushing, her eyes searching the ballroom interior in awe, "We should think of purchasing one in Europe next time we visit. Don't you think, Edward?" My mother was a gorgeous woman. Her pitch black hair was long with thick curls that fell down her back, eyes a very pale blue, like ice. And like my father's. He was taller than her, muscular at the time and dressed in a tuxedo with diamond cuffs. He hardly looked impressed, but then, he never really liked the Gothica Clan. He'd only come as a representative of our clan.
"Sweetheart," My mother said, kneeling to get in front of me as she fixed my bow tie, before she smiled, resting her smooth, soft hand on my cheek, "We're going to introduce you to all the future heirs of the Court of Seven, but don't be afraid. They're very nice."
"Quit patronizing him, Aurora," Edward muttered, his pale eyes searching the ballroom, "The Court of Seven is not a children's game. He should not be making friends with them." Aurora frowned for a moment, then shook her head and smiled at me again.
"Don't listen to him, darling. You can be friends with whoever you want." She informed me. Edward gave her an irritated stare before looking up. His expression instantly became friendly and welcoming. I turned, standing between my parents, watching as the Gothica representatives and their heir made their way toward us.
Vladimir was a couple years older, and taller. His black hair was a bit on the long side, slicked back from his face, as was the style back then. His cold blue eyes seemed to absorb everything around him, constantly learning. He wore a black and gold designed tuxedo and walked with the posture of an adult. At the time, I had envied him. My father was always chiding me for walking incorrectly.
Vladimir's parents were just as dignified and beautiful. His father's hair was as black as night, eyes like silver, matching the vest of his tuxedo. His mustache was sleek and sharp under his L-shaped nose, and his smile revealed a pair of fangs. Beside him was his wife, incredibly tall and pretty wearing a long, form-fitting blue dress with loose sleeves and a low cut collar.
"Edward," Mr. Gothica greeted with a warm friendly smile as he shook my father's hand before embracing him, "It's good to see you again, my friend. It's been much too long." Edward chuckled politely.
"Been quite busy. My company's been buying out the nearby businesses and the townspeople are causing quite a ruckus over it." He admitted with a shrug. Mr. Gothica nodded in understanding, then smiled at Aurora.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Aurora. You're more beautiful every time I see you." He took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. He seemed to be oblivious to the fact that his wife was watching him with murder in her eyes. Mrs. Gothica had always been incredibly jealous.
"This must be your son," Mr. Gothica said, smiling down at me, kneeling so we were almost at eye level, "Aren't you just precious? What's your name, young man?"
"Newell Calhoun Drakon." I replied as politely as I could manage. I almost expected my father to scold me, but he remained composed with that plastic smile still etched onto his face. Mr. Gothica grinned.
"What a perfect name. It suits you. And how old are you, Newell?"
"Six and a half."
"So big," Mr. Gothica exclaimed, "You're growing up so quickly. You're making me feel old. As if Vladimir wasn't already tormenting me." To my surprise, Vladimir scoffed rudely. I waited for his father to scold him or snap, but he didn't. He just flicked Vladimir in the cheek before standing up straight.
"Well, let us not discuss business in front of the children," Mr. Gothica decided with a chuckle, "Vladimir, keep Newell company while your mother and I show the Drakons around." Vladimir just nodded silently, but didn't look all too excited by the order. He just watched as his parents walked off with my own. I watched them leave, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. My mother, at least, was always with me in social situations. I had yet to grasp the concept of a proper conversation, especially with someone important. I turned back to Vladimir, who was staring at me with this enigmatic expression.
"Your father is nice." I said at last. Vladimir stared at me for a moment, then smirked as his eyes drifted to the side so he could watch our parents before he looked back at me.
"He likes children, but he hates adults. I assume it's because he's a child himself half the time. What of your father? I don't mean to sound rude, but his smile is fake." He informed. I blinked at that, looking back over at my father. At the time, I hadn't noticed. I was too young to understand the difference between a fake smile and a real smile.
"It is?" I asked. Vladimir nodded.
"I don't think he likes my father."
"But they always talk."
"Talking doesn't make people friends."
"Oh." I remembered feeling embarrassed. I had been disappointed. I assumed talking to Vladimir would make us friends, and he noticed as well. At the time, he had just smiled and tilted his head to peer into my face.
"Did you want to be my friend, Newell?" He had questioned.
"Is that okay?" I asked.
"Of course," Vladimir answered kindly, still wearing a smile, "I've never had a friend before. Have you?"
"No."
"Excellent. We can be first friends." At the time, I had been more worried than excited at the conversation. Vladimir had taught me that smiles could be fake, and talking did not make you friends with someone. Had his smiles been fake? Probably. And we had not become friends...
But rather... Enemies.