The streets of Lungmen were lively with people full of hunger for life. Its boulevards were vibrant with business. Produce and services were abound. The industry was alive, prospering well despite all the setbacks and destruction Reunion had brought in the past.

  The wounds were mended, and all looked for a better future, for a more comfortable tomorrow on this landship.

  Yet, despite all the lights and all the glimmer of the main thoroughfares. This city, mighty and prosperous as it was, also had its dark side. Poverty and misery, cut-throat businesses and exploitation. Where crime and even genocidal massacres were a reality even if well swept under the rug. It was no utopia for those with the eyes to see.

  But none of that mattered, not today at least.

  Provence and I were in nondescript city attires as we perused the street of an avenue. It was almost time for our meeting.

  It was an unremarkable building among all the others as we walked towards it. A subtle high class establishment that usually catered to those wishing to keep their businesses under the table. Through the help of Texas as a middle man, the Emperor managed to make an appointment with a certain character. A character, for a man it could be called no longer.

  I knew the one we were about to meet quite personally. Almost intimately so, despite him never having met me in person. So did Provence.

  I spoke a simple password to the desk greeter, and he simply told us the number of our room. The establishment seemed empty, but then again that was the scope of this place.

  -''Ah, finally we meet!'' I spoke cheerfully as I entered the room.

  I was walking towards our guest as I heard the clank of the door closing and locking behind us. He was dumbstruck as who we could have possibly been. He gave to rise, his hand already coming to shake eagerly another.

  Only mine went straight into his face. Punching it hard and bashing his head against the table with the glass drink in between, smashing itself on his temple.

  -''Aah! What the fuck do-'' I cut him off as I punched him right in his face once more. Spinning him like a rag doll as he fell fully on the table.

  While he was out of it I quickly searched him for any weapons. Depriving him of a handgun, proceeding with tying his arms and legs with zip ties.

  -Whah, what do you want?! Actually, I don't care, you can take whatever you want off me!

  -Quite an expensive bottle you've ordered. You must be loaded.

  -Yeah! My wallet is full, take it!

  -Unlike your life though, blood money can still be used for good.

  -''Wha-'' I cut him out as I punched his already bloodied face once more.

  -Trying to bullshit me, thinking you'll get away cheaply? As if you haven't already deposited most of your money in a bank account. Quite a hefty amount for the sloppy work you did.

  -Fuck you!

  -''How daring.'' I replied sarcastically.

  -Some model father you must be for your two young children. Your wife though must be mature enough to be disappointed. If she ever had a soul herself to care that is.

  -What the fuck are you saying!?

  The next words I spoke petrified him with an expression of awakened anguish. I dished out their names, addresses, the amount of money in his bank account, and even more intimate knowledge.

  -It would be such a shame if something befell them.

  -You fucking maniac! Leave them the Hell out of this!

  -Give me the passwords and authentications for your bank account.

  -Fuck you! That money is ours!

  -Money over family then? Fine choice. I never really needed you to tell me anyway, I was just personally curious what you'd choose.

  -''The fuck did they do to you?! Leave them out of this-aaah!'' I cut him off as I used the stock of his own handgun to break one of his knee's.

  Provence stood in the shadows. Watching impassively at the whole scene, and at the dying man. She had no pity to give.

  -You are a craven man, you disgraced catastrophe messenger.

  -''Hey, hey, hey, I'm not a catast-AAAAH!'' He bellowed as I broke his other knee.

  -Don't lie to me, we already know.

  -I was!... I am no more!

  -I sure bet. After robbing the village blind and also getting paid before leaving.

  -Not even having the courtesy to at least tell them that the catastrophe would hit them.

  -But then I guess they would have had less money to pay you with. Having to relocate and all that entailed to take care of their lives.

  The man was silent at having been found out, yet his breathing was desperate, distressed at being caught.

  -Courtesy and decency are human traits that distinguish us from bandits and animals. You were found lacking both.

  -...do you know how many survived from that village of over three hundred souls? Five, including only, and only one child.

  -Not that you would care. You have your own to feed right? To Hell with everyone else, they were fair game to you, wasn't it?

  -Leave my family out of this!

  -Unlike you, we are not scum. Even if your partner tacitly kept ever knowing what you did secret.

  -However, your account money, we will take that. Give it where it's needed. Atone for some of the misery you created in this world.

  -The fuck you will! My family needs that!

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  -Your family will pull their weight even without their bread winner. I wouldn't worry, they have it much better living here in Lungmen than most.

  -''Wa, wai, waiit-AAAAAH.'' He screamed in great agony as I broke both his arm wrists, one after the other.

  -You think you deserve to live? I wouldn't put it above you. Of course, even vermin would wish so.

  -But there's no redemption for the likes of you. You willingly stepped upon hundreds of corpses, again and again. And you knew well what you were doing.

  -I know that was not the first village you have lied and left to be destroyed. You could have changed your ways long ago, but you just refused. The thought probably didn't even pass your mind.

  -NO! I DON'T DESERVE THIS! YOU WON'T GET AWAY! THEY WILL FIND OUT!!!

  -''Moral of the story. You can buy new stuff. But you can't buy a new life. Neither do the dead people you've betrayed.'' I ended saying before breaking his jaw with my hardest first yet. He gave a chocked gurgle as he could barely speak anymore.

  -I prolonged your suffering a bit, but it's nothing compared to what those you've let down had to suffer through.

  -''Guuh! Graaah, cough! GWAAA!!!'' He gurgled like a dying animal.

  He bellowed maniacally as I broke one of his arms on my leg. Leisurely taking my time in breaking the other as well. The man was now screaming in pure mind breaking agony besides his weeps. He was a broken creature that would never be able to walk again even if he had lived further.

  As much as I was itching to inflict true, devastating pain to this scum I refrained from it. I had to keep it as clean as I could for the clean-up crew, it was better that way. Also... I had to be careful with my bloodlust. I couldn't succumb... no, I would never succumb again.

  This was a job, just like any other. I would do what I must, feeling the sense of satisfaction at true justice being brought, and that would be all. I would be diligent about it. I clenched my fist, stopping the trembling it had. Provence surely saw it... but I could trust her. It was righteous vengeance stirring my thirst to inflict cruelty upon those deserving, but it would cut too close to the worst of memories.

  I took a plastic bag out of my pocket, enveloping his head until I reached the neck. Tying it around with a zipper. Then I leaned onto a wall, observing coldly as the treacherous catastrophe messenger was finally catching up with his sins. The train of atonement for him having long left.

  Finally, at one point, he stopped struggling. I stood there for three more minutes just to be sure before checking his pulse. He was gone. I fished his wallet out and checked it. He wasn't lying about that, it was loaded. I took all the cash before slipping the wallet back in his pocket.

  I beckoned my lupa and we left. Nodding to the desk greeter that we were done, and that they could ''clean'' the room.

  -''She's waiting for us.'' Provence informed me after a very brief phone call.

  We left through one of the back exits and entered a simple car that Lungmen was filled of.

  -We appreciate the lift Cellinia.

  -''No problem.'' Texas replied casually as she put the car on the move. ''Where to?''

  -''Hmmm.'' I wondered for a moment, looking outside and seeing several stalls with food vendors.

  I was getting an idea as I was pulling my gloves off along the rest of my outfit. Provence doing the same as we shed our clothes and replaced them with a new set. Another measure to cover our tracks.

  -Provence, do you know where families coming from the barrenlands are housed in Lungmen?

  -Yes of course, but why do you ask?

  -''You'll see.'' I answered before addressing Texas. ''Take us to a bakery you know is cheap but of decent quality.

  -''Sure thing.'' She answered as she took a corner on a different street.

  Of course we were all in this. I have long searched for the perpetrator of that disaster that befell that one village. Once I've found him Provence knew as well, and she was in on it. We had an inevitable argument over the matter, but in the end she relented to do it my way. Clean, and fast.

  -''Sometimes things need to get done now. Without a committee vote and two months worth of paperwork.'' I have told Provence at the time.

  -And for all that we found out he might as well hire the best legal defence in Lungmen. Imagine him exiting the tribunal with a grin and a pat on his back for all the people he left to die.

  That last argument had infuriated my lupa as cool as she was on the outside. But inside she was burning at the image I presented. Of course, we knew the limits of our vigilante quest, we would dish out retribution where it was due and no more.

  Texas was on agreement with us when I told her the basics of what we needed. And I knew she spared no amount of influence she had with the Emperor to arrange everything. From his invitation to his disposal, all would be taken care of by the experts with the tightest of lips.

  We exited the car while Texas waited for us. Provence and I then went to a reception area where there were a lot of kids around. There we served a fresh baked goodie to each kid that was in that small complex. Some of the parents came to personally thank us and I shared some equal sums to them, bidding them to cover their necessities. Seems people like us were few and far between. But the catastrophe refugees never stopped arriving.

  As we returned back to the car Texas was finishing munching her own pie that I gifted her. Noting later that the cream pies that I baked personally back at home were much more pleasing.

  -''I didn't expect that, it was thoughtful of you.'' Provence noted sincerely.

  -A small gesture. It's the least that money could do.

  -What about the sum we got from his account?

  -There are quite a few operators and employees on our landship that struggle to pay for their oripathy treatment, we'll see about covering for some of those.

  -''That is a good choice.'' Provence agreed.

  -''Where to now?'' Asked Texas.

  -We took enough of your time tonight. You can leave us at the central shopping centre.

  -Sure thing, don't worry about it.

  -Maybe we three can hang out for a drink while we're still in Lungmen these days.

  -I wouldn't mind, I'm free tomorrow.

  -It's settled then.

  As the car stopped I could already see our friends waiting for us besides the lofty illuminated fountain.

  -Thanks again for the ride, and your help. It's well appreciated.

  -''Don't mention it.'' Texas winked as she gave a small smile of approval. ''Take care you two.''

  -''See you tomorrow!'' Provence waved cheerfully.

  The car left as we made our way to our friends.

  -''I hope we didn't leave you waiting.'' I started.

  -''Yo, Tacet. No worries, we just arrived ourselves a few minutes ago.'' Ansel replied.

  -Provence!

  -''April!'' My lupa greeted as the lively bunny girl jumped in her arms, hugging her.

  Cute, a wolf and a rabbit closely together. Funny thing that image was I thought.

  -''How have you two been?'' I asked Ansel as the girls were giggling and catching up on their girl banter.

  -Quite well, we've been visiting a lot of places these days. Lungmen has a lot of interesting sights to see.

  -''That's good to hear.'' I spoke as we were entering what was basically a mall complex. The girls walking just a bit in front of us, happily chatting with each other. Provence and April always got together on the same wavelength I thought.

  -How are the nights though?

  -Quite lit, even a bit tiring to the eyes. But what can you expect from the City of Lights, right?

  -''True, but I was referring to something else my friend.'' I spoke with just a lower volume of my voice as I hinted at April.

  -''Ah, I see. Quite lively I have to say.'' He said with a smile, knowingly between men.

  -I'm glad to hear it. She looks like she is that kind of person as well. Filled with the passion of life that just reinvigorates you when she's around.

  -She is. Provence is the same, isn't she?

  -Yes. Looks like we both found a good partner in life my friend.

  -''Strange how things worked out.'' Ansel spoke as he continued.

  -I remember when I first received April as a patient. I treated her closely and with diligent care, no different as I do with all my patients. But she was somehow different.

  -You felt something even then?

  -I guess you could say that. I spent more time with her than with most of my patients. Trying to ease her into the reality of being infected.

  -Explaining things, comforting her, telling her everything was going to be alright.

  -And... I could see she appreciated that. And somehow, from there, we just... began getting closer.

  -Well, she brazenly stood as close to me as she could with no inhibitions. Even more after she was released from my ward.

  -''You didn't tell her off though.'' I added.

  -No... I didn't. I guess I truly did enjoy her presence.

  -You were a bit stiff back then my friend. Nothing wrong with that mind you. Still, I can see you enjoying life more now. And that is well to see from a friend to a friend. Our time is limited in this world after all.

  -Yeah, you're right about that. I see it every day in my ward. Also, thanks.

  -''For?'' I asked genuinely.

  -You always nudged me towards her. Remember that chocolate you gave me back then to gift her?

  -What about it?

  -It got me in bed with her.

  -''Glad I could speed you towards happiness buddy.'' I said as I lightly slapped his back as a friendly gesture.

  -Yeah, I'm quite glad how things turned out.

  -It's good to have a watchful hunter by your side. Heard she saved your skin back during the evacuation.

  -She was quite terrifyingly fierce in protecting me I have to say.

  -She is strong for you because she cares.

  -I know, you're quite lucky too, Cassiel. Not every lupo would have stood their ground against Project Red to protect you.

  -I guess we both have fierce mates. Girls with such love for us spice things up during the sessions.

  -''About that, are we to expect a litter of pups soon?'' Ansel asked nonchalantly, but with a small intentful smile.

  -Hah, I hope so! But what about you? As calm and collected as you always show yourself I can see you turning into a beast ravishing poor April every chance at night.

  -''She can more than keep up, believe me.'' He replied, flexing subtly. ''A little early for that, things like these have to be planned.''

  -True enough, Gavial would be livid if our girls gave us a litter each to add to her maternity.

  -''Oh, I could see her strangling us both.'' Ansel replied with surety.

  -''What's this about litters of pups you guys talking there?'' Provence asked mischievously as she and April turned around, regarding us.

  -Something that you two girls will find out more of perhaps not so far in the future.

  -''Well, Ansel do loves to dominate me recklessly.'' April spouted out, almost proudly.

  -''April, maybe not so many details.'' Ansel replied, trying to placate her eagerness to give out such knowledge.

  -''Heh, I always knew you'd be a beast in the sheets my brother.'' I replied with a good chuckle.