Xaviers!

"Word travels. Wanted to see how much of it was true."

"You're wantin' the boss," the voice chuckles. "Your death if you piss her off. Follow the light and don't try anything funny." The light began to back away, still shining on Sam.

"Don't threaten me while I'm still tolerating you," she says as she makes her way in.

"You're on the boss' turf now," the gang member said, "I'm just giving you a friendly warning." They made several turns and twists before they came out in a larger room with a high ceiling that looked like it had, at one time, been completely forgotten. Around the room were a scattering of people obviously training in various fighting techniques. The large man flicked the flashlight off, sliding a silver knife back into a sheath on his forearm. He led the way across the room to a small table where a young woman was talking to a group of other individuals. As they approached, Sam and Vivienne would catch "You made the right call. Too many wolves to tackle with just the two of you. At least we know more now. Get some rest." As they got closer, the young woman looked up, "Samantha McManus. I was wondering if you'd grace me with your presence."

"I haven't gone by that name in a long time."

"I have a good memory for faces and you haven't changed that much," the woman says, gesturing the rest of her companions away. She leans back in her rather stout looking chair. "Come here to sing my death song or whatever it is the Morrigan does?"

"I've come to make sure you're for real, and not just a ruse to draw out the resistance."

"If I was the latter, I would wager that I'd succeeded just by having you here. But I'm no flunky for the Authority, I would probably flunk their tests."

"Surprising, considering their recruitment. One would think it would be far too easy." Vivienne stepped from the doorway and stood beside Sam.

"Only if teeth can penetrate skin."

"That's not exactly a given, is it?"

"No, it's not," she says. "There's at least one werewolf pack who learned that the hard way and aren't roaming the streets anymore."

"We've been forced into a means to... co-opt the hairy little dears."

"How so?" She asks, gesturing to the vacated chairs. If Vivienne's appearance bothers her, she doesn't show it.

"One among us has been dealing with it since before the school fell," she says, sitting down.

"She's not controlled. We think we can help others."

"Lofty goal. You're sure you're not playing with a loaded gun?"

"I'd trust her with my life. Have, as well."

"Interesting. So what do you want from me? Aside from concrete assurances that I'm not some elaborate and expensive version of 'bait'?"

"I've already got a few of the gangs under me. I'm not saying you have to get religion or anything, but there's something appealing about having a network in London that can mobilize before the Authority even gets its trousers on."

Eliana quirks an eyebrow, "So you're the one that some of the other gangs have been creating those tags for?"

"Aye. A great many of them felt me even before they knew what I was."

"I'm not really the religious type, but I'm certain we could work together."

"I don't need your faith, or that of your gang. Your support is enough."

"Well, we've got a considerable amount of good will in the area and our territory's starting to expand outward. I'll do my best not to pick fights with any of yours if..."

One of her people came running up, "Boss! Tunnel runners coming in off the south side. Looks like they may have a bloodsucker with them." He glances nervously at Vivienne.

"Damn wharf rats," Eliana says, standing. "I've got to deal with this. If the Morrigan is up for a fight, you'd be more than welcome."

"I don't know what you've heard, but the Morrigan is rarely not up for a fight."

"I go where she goes." She smiled and gave the underling a wink.

"Good enough for me," Eliana says before calling out to her gang, "Crews 1 and 2, pack silver and cut off their retreat, Crews 3 and 4 with me. None of them get away, especially the vampire."

The group began splitting up with Eliana leading the larger part through some of the tunnels, "You ever fought tunnel runners before?"

"...after a fashion. I can keep my nose clean."

"Just don't let them bite you. Not a good way to go," Eliana says, "What is it with the authority and things that bite?"

She leads the way down several tunnels, finally fanning her people out behind pillars in a room that was very wide but with a very short ceiling. They can already hear the scraping/flapping sounds of the creatures running through the tunnels and Eliana motions for everyone to stay quiet.

The creatures boil out of a tunnel on the far side of the room. They looked as if rats had been crossed with men, but the cross was not pleasant to look at. They scamper across the room, weaving in between the pillars as they draw closer to the hidden group. Behind the small horde, a red-haired woman emerges watching the troops move and adjusting her hair idly.

As the horde comes even with the ambushers, Eliana raises her hand and drops it. The rats notice their opponents but not before the silver knives are in among them. The rest of the horde continues to try to press in behind, trying to find room to fight in the crowded space.

Vivienne moved through the shadows towards the red-head, Cal drawn and ready as she engages the other.

The Morrigan closes her eyes for a moment, feeling the flow of the horde, until nodding silently.

Then, one of the creatures nearer trips just at the right moment for those behind it to plow into it. The chain reaction starts to spread, and as it does she seeds the horde with ideas about just whose fault it is they're stumbling over each other.

The horde isn't particularly well-organized and several of the creatures start biting and clawing each other.

That is until the red head bursts into flames, a flaming whip appearing in her hand that seems to at least get a large portion of the group headed in the right direction again. "Now, now, sister," the red head says without turning to look at Vivienne, "what brings you down here? This is my kill."

"Defending an old friend, attempting to make a new one and ever one you are referring too will dictate my next action." Vivienne stepped out of the dark and stood by a thick pipe, not acting but feeling for the water within.

Now that Vivienne is closer, she can see that the woman's body didn't just burst into flames, it's composed of flames. The vampire lashes out with her whip, spurring the rear of the horde forward before she turns to face Vivienne, "I... don't know you." The whip snakes back and forth of its own accord.

Several of the tunnel runners on the fringes catch sight of Sam and begin scrambling in her direction, their eyes gleaming.

"I have no sire, no loyalty to the Authority and I cannot allow you to harm Samantha." She focused and pulled the water from the pipe to her, shaping it quickly to encasing her body in "armor".

The Morrigan surges forward, her arms growing thicker and covering with bony plating while her frame expands to put more leverage behind the large osseous cudgels she's formed. She bulls in, slamming the horde full force.

Vivienne Chinnoir wrote:"I have no sire, no loyalty to the Authority and I cannot allow you to harm Samantha." She focused and pulled the water from the pipe to her, shaping it quickly to encasing her body in "armor".

"Samantha is it?" She says, the whip forming into a sword and the whip appearing in her other hand. The whip begins to glow white, "I assume you're determined to dance with me then?"

Samantha McManus wrote:The Morrigan surges forward, her arms growing thicker and covering with bony plating while her frame expands to put more leverage behind the large osseous cudgels she's formed. She bulls in, slamming the horde full force.

The rodents aren't prepared for that, bowling backwards as Sam slams into them. Before much longer, though, she comes face-to-face with a much bigger one. He roars at her, lunging to grab her by one of her arms and trying to spin her around with impressive strength.

"If you insist." She mimicked her opponent, pulling the water into a whip, she lifted it above her head, rotating it and spraying the flame wielder as she advanced quickly.

Sam lets the creature begin the spin, putting her other arm out to take advantage of it. However she's gradually putting on mass and trying to turn the tables as to who is spinning who.

Vivienne Chinnoir wrote:"If you insist." She mimicked her opponent, pulling the water into a whip, she lifted it above her head, rotating it and spraying the flame wielder as she advanced quickly.

The sprayed water hisses into steam as the woman increases the heat of her flames to counter. She lashes out at Vivienne with her whip, following it with a sideways slash from her fire sword.

Samantha McManus wrote:Sam lets the creature begin the spin, putting her other arm out to take advantage of it. However she's gradually putting on mass and trying to turn the tables as to who is spinning who.

The weight shift seems to catch the large rat off guard and he's forced to let her go, stumbling backwards for a moment before he lunges in, claws and teeth flashing.