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Vlad was walking down the streets, nightclubs all aroud him, music blaring, lots of strange people and strange scents. Vlad had walked into a strange part of town. Vlad just kept walking, thinking about what Writ had said and about his dad. The night air was crisp, but it didn't bother Vlad any more.

After a while, Vlad smelled it again. Another godling was arouns here. However, with all the strange people around, Vlad had no idea who it was, but hoped it was not someone who'd beat the crap out of him.

'Okay, stay calm. Let this new one come to you...' thought Vlad, casually strolling into one of the clubs. Vlad sat at a table and ordered a coffee for himself and one for whomever it was following him.

"Better to be overly nize zen piss off a poverfull enemy," he said, to himself, although there was a growl of consent that only the young godling could hear. As Vlad waited, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

In his head, Vlad started to think. 'Vell, if he comes in, ve'll talk, and hopefully I von't have to fight him. If he doesn't....I'll just have two cups of coffee. Not zat zere's anysing wrong vith zat.' And so, Vlad sat and started to sip his peppermint mocha, which got him smiling, revealing his sharp set of teeth. Vlad smiling looked more like an animal going in for the kill than anything pleasurable.

"Me? Vell, I smelled you, and couldn't afford a fight, so I decided zat talkink vith you seemed like the best courze to follow."

Vlad drank the last of his mocha, and, seeing the blond teen was not going to drink his, reached for the other one in front of him.

"Who are you, and vy vere you following me?" Vlad was not in a mood to play games, or beat around the bush. He wanted answers, and hoped maybe he could get them from this kid.

Vlad put down his coffee, which was delicious and he'd have to come back for more, and looked at the blond godling in front of him.

"I had heard a few sings like zat. Ze girl, Maria, zeemed like zhe vould have no quams about killink me. Writ seemed like he liked kay-os as vell. I had a zuzpishun zat zere vere worse, vich is vy I'm beink karefull."

Vlad stopped here. He figured he'd wait to see what this kid was like before he said more.

In his mind, Vlad called out to the overpowering presence that he now knew to be Fenrir. 'Do you know anything about him or who he answers to?'

As a reply, Vlad heard growls and howls that he interpreted to be something along the lines of, 'He's not among my bretheren.'

Vlad could have smiled. This godling seemed to be like the other two, powerful but not an immediate threat. He decided to start out like he had before. "I vork for no one, sank you, but ze god who choze me iz Fenrir. Who iz your god. For zat matter, who are you?"

Vlad flagged the waitress and got her to come over. When she came, he said, "Please bring vatever my 'friend' here vants."

"Fair enough 'Fish.' If, az you say, information is powerful, zen I have a gold mine." Vlad reached into his pocket for his wallet and got it out. He took out a picture and handed it to Fish. "Pleaze tell me, iz ze man in zat pikshure what you vould call....I sink Writ said zey vere 'black suits' or somesing."

Vlad was really hoping that he was wrong, that the whole thing was nothing but a silly suspiscion of his. When he heard Fish's reaction, that last little shred of hope and naivety were torn away. His head hanging low, Vlad decided to try and get some info for himself.

"Not zo fazt. Like you said, information iz important. You tell me about yourzelf and vot you know of ze game, I'll tell you vot I know....I believe zat zis exchange could be...vell vorth it," said Vlad, a very sad smile on his face, but not in his eyes. It appeared that more of his mother's shrewd business intellect had rubbed off on him than he thought.

Vlad's head hung low and his tail was between his legs, literally and metaphorically. He could not avoid the issue any longer. His father was a black suit, more than likely all of his father's co-workers as well.

Vlad took a deep breath and put on his best poker face, which was actually quite good. Hiding all his feelings had come easily to Vlad as a child. "Zat man in ze pikshure iz my fazer. I beleef zat all of his co-vorkers are black suits az vell." It was all said very casually, as if he had been chatting with a friend on the events of his day.