In Darker Corners of the City

New Orleans had a darker history, mainly serving as one of the main entrances to the underworld. It was filled with dark and light creatures alike. Darker ones lurked in shadows, waiting to prey on innocents or other magical beings. Where as the lighter ones waited to protect. Zoe Winters however fell under neither of those categories, her dark blue hood drawn up, hiding her long red hair. Over top of her blue sweatshirt was a black, battered, leather jacket with silver fastens. Her long legs were clad in a pair of jeans and a pair of combat boots, her weapons were hidden all over her, knives and guns as well as other pointy and deadly objects.

Moving forward with grace and speed, she growled advancing on the lesser demon before her. Begging for mercy. What the demon did was hide information from her, an equivalent to being a traitor or a spy. Zoe's fangs had come out with a hiss. Before the demon knew it, Zoe was upon him. Straddling him and pinning his arms above his head with one hand before her fangs sank into their jugular. Then it was all over as soon as her venom reached his heart. Standing and kicking the corpse away, Zoe's fangs vanished back up into her head, leaving her to lick and clean the blood off her face.

"Sleep well," She addressed the smoking corpse before entering the street again. All demonic attributes had vanished and she looked like a woman in her early twenties devoid of all murder and blood. Her hood had even fallen off to show pale freckled skin and bright blue eyes. Hunger panged in her stomach and she looked around for a place to eat.

New Orleans, an interesting enough city and one steeped within the supernatural, a fact that this Ethereal was more than aware of. He had mingled with a few of the magical population as of late, mostly a few rogue vampires and a rather surely werewolf that only needed a quick reprimand to learn its place. Now however he was simply enjoying himself, not bothered by the weather conditions currently, though perhaps that was just because his mind was elsewhere.

He was dressed in a simple polo shirt, khaki colored cargo shorts and tennis shoes that Andrew had strongly suggested, though it was more like him forcing the male to wear them. Dark brown hair was kept at medium length, barely falling over silver pools flecked with neon green, eyes that were constantly unnatural looking. He sipped lightly on a warm espresso, sitting on a bus bench waiting for public transportation to do its stuff.

It was within this moment that he sensed something, a release of a familiar energy, one that only really manifested at this level for two reasons: His father was about, or something of a considerable power died. This drew Michael’s inquisitive nature out more than anything, a sly smirk forming upon his lips as he took another sip of the caffeine filled beverage and stood to his feet.

”Well isn’t this interesting.” He mused with a smirk approaching the source of the energy, though upon arriving all he saw was what looked like a crime scene, or so he surmised from the police gathering around it. ”Strange.” The young looking male hummed musingly as he walked past a freckled female.

Zoe had blended back into the crowd, the demon’s aura had returned to the human state which it originally was. She noticed a figure lurking out of the corner of her eye and she felt her stomach turn cold. An angel. What would an angle want with a dead demon?

She returned to watching the human cops, feeling a pang of sadness when she saw one with dark hair remove his hat and wipe his brow. Zoe forced herself to turn away and walk away from the site, twisting the silver ring on her hand as she went. Unlike when she was younger, Zoe no longer found satisfaction in killing. As she reached the edge of town her form rippled and there was a stray leggy dog in her place, sandy colored with dark eyes and a wet nose. Zoe’s mind was churning; several powerful creatures had been at the scene of the demon’s death. She had drawn more attention than she had bargained for and Zoe was not happy about that. Best try and leave before it got sticky.

It was within his investigation that Michael took note of a strange source of energy near him, one that was far different than the dispersing Nether formed by the sudden death. Looking around, he saw some one interesting looking upon the humans that were milling around the scene, though there was nothing there from what he managed to pick out; nothing but ash. A winged figure looked down upon the scene, one within the shadows and that caught his interest infinitely. However, it was multiple other sources of energy within the area that also caught his interest, each trying to hide itself. So he was dealing with an angel, and a source that was steadily moving away from him, perhaps the redhead that he walked by not long ago, or something else.

The Ethereal mused over this, looking at the scene from a safe distance, though humans were rarely suspicious of those not draped in dark clothing. That was however when he saw what looked like an opportunity to step into the fun, one of the cops stepping out of the middle of everything, and within a rather secluded part of the scene too. What better way to take a look than by assuming the identity of one of the officers. As long as he did nothing major, then there would be no problems on his end, and not like they would notice too much if a difference.

So with caution, Michael snuck up behind the poor mook, who seemed to be simply trekking back to his squad car, checking something out and not in the least expecting the young male to appear from nowhere. Before he could really react, Michael formed a dark purple colored baseball bat and with a silent trunk, the man was reduced to unconsciousness. With him thrown in the nearest trash bin thing, after Michael took in his features, Michael would get to work, taking his form with only a small purple mist marking the transformation. Now he was a young looking officer in his mid twenties, with short brown hair and the same expression that he last saw the guy wearing.

With greater access to the scene, the transformed Ethereal walked back onto the scene, an older looking officer scrutinizing him before turning back upon a strange pile of black dust upon the concrete. Being within this position gave him greater access for sure, but he could only go so far with how limited his knowledge on things were, and that made him aggravated that he didn’t have some way to look through a person’s mind, something that would need to be thought of later. For now however, he would have to work on a preliminary search, and then move from there. Most around him had already come to the conclusion that something inhuman had happened, though Michael was more privy on that idea.

When everything cleared up, Michael would return to his squad car, though his partner would not find his partner to be too friendly; considering that he got the same treatment as the one whose form he stole. Inserting the key into the ignition he was off, tracing a waning source of energy close by.

The sandy dog wandered into a park that had lots of children playing, a few ran over to her shouting “DOGGIE” excitedly at the top of their lungs. Zoe sat down and wagged her tail patiently as children tugged on her hair and ears. Being a dog wasn’t so bad and she didn’t mind it. Lots of affection tended to come her way as well as kind people. Avoiding dog catchers was the only issue as well as cruel and unusual people. But generally she did not have a problem.

Zoe laid down in the shade as the children slowly lost interest and wandered back down to the toys. She visited here often so she was no stranger to the regulars. Her eyes were half closed, seemingly asleep as the cop car rolled around the corner. The energies around quivered and Zoe forced herself to stay seemingly asleep. There was something in that cop car and another thing close behind.

Driving was a simple matter for the Ethereal to learn, especially once Andrew forced him behind the wheel of a car. Sure the first few times he managed to make some marginal errors, but by a month he was driving well, and no one that didn’t know him thought he was a good driver. It was the feel of the steering wheel that seemed to please the male more than anything, the feel of controlling the vehicle with only a small bit of plastic and leather. It was also the fact that taking the form of a cop had some perks, like people looking at you with absolute fear, as if you could bring the hammer of justice down upon them at any moment, unless they were innocent.

A source of strange energy was following him, one that he remembered belonging to a figure that he caught a glimpse of not too long ago. If that shadowy figure was following him, then Michael had more than enough reason to check what it was. Perhaps he could lead the fool into a trap and then deal with him there, capture the thing and find out more about what he was. If need be, he would even have to kill it but assumptions would not be made yet. He hummed rhythmically, car gliding along the road as best a squad car could under Michael’s careful control.

Luckily close to the park was what looked like a simple donut shop, a place where cops were stereotypically shown to frequent in some popular media. It was lucky that the male did indeed enjoy donuts, so everything would fit together perfectly, as he parked and stepped out. The store was within its final hours before closing time and that was more than enough time for the male to get what he wanted and perhaps to draw in his stalker. This little shop looked adjacent to a park where he sensed something else, Michael looking over it before walking into the shop and up to the counter, giving the woman at the front a sweet smile. ”A Dozen éclairs please.”

Whatever was in the squad car definitely had some impressive power. Keeping up with the agonizingly slow human contraption was easy. Leaving him with only his thoughts to occupy himself with. So he took it upon himself to look further into this creature. Most being's magical signature was masked if it wasn't active, however with a proper amount of time someone with adequate senses could pick up on a more precise range of power. And this particular creatures magical emissions had him on verge of salivating. Unfortunately another thing to note when that happened was that usually the creatures that did this to him could also do hefty amounts of damage to his inferior physical form. This would lead him to be very careful in whatever he did for however long he was in the presence of this being. Still he would continue to follow the would be cop if only to figure on his destination, and perhaps even unravel his origins.

As he was pondering on what other powers besides shifting that his current object of interest might possess, the car started to slow it's slow cruise down to an even slower crawl. This made him worry that his initial assumption that this being was following the other was in fact incorrect. A quick look around the area provided only an old run down donut shop for a possible destination. And there was not even a faint magical signal near it. Donuts why did he want donuts? Interesting to say the least. As the figure took it's first steps away from the car the now gliding angel circled the surrounding area, he would wait for his prey to enter the building before he landed.

When the creature finally ended his slow stroll to the door and had vanished from sight for more than a few mere moments Michael brought himself down in front of the shop. As his feet touched down upon the ground his wings were shifting growing smaller within moments they were incapable of full flight, a few seconds more and they were no longer able to lift Michael off the ground, and an little more than an instant later they were gone entirely. His wings were not the only things changing however, as he walked towards the shop he began to grow smaller his broad shoulder and long legs shrinking into a physique that would still be considered tall by human standards but was no where near rivaling the giant physique that he just possessed. His hair began to resend and his features shifted into an entirely different formation, this marked the end of the transformation, he was now officially human, his magical signature reflected this as well, it was now no more than slightly above  mundane level now.

The whole transformation had only taken a little under a minute, it was highly unlikely that anyone saw it, regardless if they did or not Michael only cared somewhat. Approaching the door to the small shop Michael approached a dusty vending machine shoved in the corner of the small room, and using some of the money that he had left over from who knows when he grabbed some Cherrywine, oddly enough it was one of the few human beverages that he had taken a liking to. He then went and positioned himself in a booth near the corner, and proceeded to take a closer look at his powerful new prey.

Zoe waited until the two figures passed before getting to her feet, shifting into her regular form. The hair retracted into her skin and soon she was her usual gingery and freckly self. Standing she groaned, her bones and muscles protesting .

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she looked around, her senses on high alert. The massive aura had vanished but the other was still around. Her tracker senses jumped with excitement and Zoe growled faintly to herself. To go and poke her nose into an adventure or to not be an idiot? Pfftt, the answer was obvious, be an idiot and join in on an adventure!

Making sure she looked decent the woman entered the café where the stronger power had entered. Attempting to make sure she seemed as human as possible, she pulled out her cell phone, scrolling through old texts. Zoe leaned against the counter and ordered a coffee as well as a sammich. Coffee was handy; it killed her demon stench or just about any stench.
After retreating to her booth, Zoe began to eat her sandwich.

Michael waited only a few short seconds before his sweets were handed to him, mouth salivating despite the fact that he indeed did not really need to eat. He could sense that the strange energy signature was following him, something about it unnerving him slightly, but not by too much. A hungering sensation that would make most people cringe, and perhaps run away, however he was not like most people. Holding one éclair within his hand, Michael took a tentative bite as he closed his eyes tightly, everything growing distant, fuzzy except for that sixth sense of his. It was within this moment that he was painfully aware of so many auras within his range of sensing, little flames that went about their daily lives, including one that caught his interest. It was a bright golden flame that was flickering, wavering every so often as if it would go out.

Amidst the small pale white flames of humanity with almost indistinguishable differences, this one stood out like a signal pyre. The owner of this flame was following him, that much Michael could be sure of, and what they wanted would be found out soon enough. In a moment however this flame…diminished? It lowered itself to the level of a human flame, one that was small and weak. Perhaps he was masking his aura in the hopes of coming in unnoticed, and that would not work now. Eyes snapped open, world returning to color as his senses returned, and he heard someone walk through the entrance. Someone in inconspicuous clothing, though he was already more than aware of the identity of the male that was walking the door, or atleast that he was the one stalking him.

It was within this moment of following the stalker that Michael did not take notice of the other one entering the donut shop, the red haired demon. The target of interest chose to sit down and Michael could have chosen to confront him then and there, but that suggested that he was absolutely sure he could deal with whatever he was. Quickly thinking over the many ways that he could end the male, Michael stood up and sat down at the booth across from him. ”I’ll be brief as possible with this. Why are you following me?”

Michael was simply taking in the boy's swirling black energy, it was dormant yes, but oh so potent. It bled off of him like sweat and Michael was getting small scraps of energy flung into his face repeatedly every few seconds or so. He was not exactly paying attention to the movements of the aura however, so when the boy began on his way to approach him it caught him slightly off guard. To be fair however Michael was never fully unaware of his surroundings and picked up on it before the kid was even done taking his first steps towards the cheap old dilapidated booth in which he was currently lounging.

Once he made the quick trip however, he quickly sat down and made no effort whatsoever to make any form of small talk, which was certainly a shame in of itself. Small talk was one of the only things that made human kind bearable in the least. As long as it didn't make them dreadfully pestering that is. But alas he was painfully straight to the point, making nothing less than direct eye contact no less, and chucking a dreadfully bland mismatch of words at the unaffected Angel. ”I’ll be brief as possible with this. Why are you following me?” Michael smiled, an attempt to put the being at ease, even unlikely as it would be that it work, and shortly thereafter he began to formulate and meld together what would no doubt be a much more tasteful and appealing string of syllables.

"My dear boy, you say that as if I'd appreciate the bluntness. And alas even if I did the question in of itself was dreadfully daft and most certainly not very well thought out now was it. Though if only to entertain you're tastes, I will also take a swing at what you refer to as bluntness." Michael was still eased back into his chair seemingly relaxed, but in reality every muscle in his body was ready to move. Then again this was always the case due to his amazing aptitude for speed.

Pausing briefly before he spoke his next few words, Michael threw another slightly smaller, almost smirk-like smile towards the boy, slowly leaning into the table, getting close to him as he spoke. "There is only ever one reason why someone ever stalks another short of insanity my boy, and that is to ascertain the information as to where their going." Michael leaned back into the old fading red leather as the last few words left his lips, causing it to release a squeaking sound as do all leather goods.

As he settled himself back into his seemingly comfortable position another idea floated it's way through his network of thoughts. Something he couldn't help but adding in. Even if it revealed a little too much. After all his interrogator was so keen on getting to the point anyway. Michael was sure he would appreciate it. "And for some, to understand where they've been." Perhaps this encounter would bear fruits in the long run. Though at the moment his hunger was beginning to creep it's way back in, and gnaw at his thoughts once again. He would soon become impatient if things didn't progress.  

Zoe was eating her sandwich when something caught her eye, two people conversing. Making sure not to stare at them, she strained her ears. Finding the human ears not strong enough she altered them just a little bit so she could hear, but before doing so she let down her long dark red hair. Zoe’s ears looked human but she was able to pick up what they were saying now with ease inside the little café. They were threatening each other. The demon kept her face indifferent as she returned to her beef sandwich, judging from the way both of themselves conversed they considered each other the prey and themselves the predator. Interesting… This entire situation felt wrong… off…