The hour was around three in the morning, the weather chilly with the bite of autumn. The scene, a street like any other, bathed in the mixed glow of street lamps, neon signs, and the odd light left on in the wall of buildings.

Matthias sighed softly, walking with his head bowed and his shoulders hunched. His trench coat billowed a little around his legs with each step, and the wind made a point of teasing a minimum of fifty little blonde hairs across his face with each breath it took. It wasn't worth the effort on his part to tuck them back into the ponytail tied at the base of his neck, as they would fall free again shortly after.

Besides, he had more on his mind than a few pesky strands of hair. He didn't make a habit of walking the virtually abandoned streets at early morning hours; usually, he flew. It was safer, and being above the world and all its problems helped him think clearer.

But tonight, he was suffering from several strained muscles in his back, and therefore could not hope to fly without making them worse. Just what he was suffering insomnia over was kept as guarded as he could manage against possible readings from any passing psychics, but the fact that he was certainly stewing something over in his brain was visible on his weary features.

Odion's boots left hollow beatings against the pavement. Two hours and he must return to his coffin. But those two hours he would relish for now.

His body was full of the blood. Two men and a woman, but not entirely the woman. She would be found feverish and weak the next morning on her front doorstep, but her condition was of no concern to Odion.

His eyes were on his scuffed boots as he walked, hands carelessly thrown into his pockets. Although it was still rather dark out, reflective lenses on his sunglasses shielded his eyes from the lights. Not that they could burn him, but he merely hated their glows. They taunted him. Just as the thought of the sun taunted him.

Odion jingled when he walked at the moment. That was owed to the silver chains hanging from both pockets of his baggy black pants. These pants were tucked cuffs into his boots. He was wearing a tightly stretched black shirt, plain with a rounded collar to hide his neck, and sleeves only making their way down half his biceps. A coat clung to his frame, the triangular collar folded up and the frayed hem brushing his calves.

The street was deserted, or so he thought, and if was for that reason he allowed his fangs to remain visible just on the pad of his lower lip. Of course, with his eyes behind dark lenses on a dim street at night, if what hard for him to see even with a vampire's acute senses the approaching of Matthias.

Had it not been for the resounding steps of Odion, Matthias likely would not have noticed his approach, either. As it was, the man glanced up at the sound of the boots, and hesitated in his next step, whatever he had been mulling over in his mind forgotten. The other's fangs, their gleam against his lip viewable despite the passable light, quite plainly marked him as a vampire.

Matthias had yet to have what one might call a civil encounter with one of such kind. Most often, he was cleaning up after them; making discarded corpses appear to have died by some other cause, or if they did not appear to be someone who would likely be missed, carrying their dead weight out to a garbage barge. The few who had actually had dealings with him had all sent repetitive shivers down his spine, as they had kept a constant watch on his neck, and murmured to themselves about what an angel might taste like.

This one, however, appeared to be preoccupied with his own thoughts, and might, hopefully, pass Matthias right by...

Odion stiffened as he sensed another presence. He lifted his head and fought back a disgruntled hiss. Instead he drew his fangs back under his lip and stopped walking. Something smelled odd and altogether off about this figure approaching him. His mind warned him to be on his guard.

As he turned into the gleam of a light his skin shone reflecting how white and satin soft the texture was. Matthias's figure was mirrored in his lenses as Odion fixed him with a stare. He tightened his hands slightly within his pockets and breathed in slowly.

Yes. Something entirely odd about this individual.

Matthias found himself stopping as well, his azure-violet gaze settling on his reflection in the dark glasses. The back of his long coat twitched slightly, as his right wing shifted with the instintive urge to take flight in the face of the immortal preditor. He inhaled deeply of the pungent night air, and forced himself to relax as much as possible. Stiffly, he nodded a greeting to the vampire.

Odion inclined his head once back to the other man.

"Good evening."

He called in a voice deep but far from hypnotic. No, he was not hungry. Not now. Perhaps earlier this person, odd as they were, might have served for a meal. But Odion was full. Still he allowed his eyes to linger across their neck. The blood pulsed freely there. The thought was intoxicating even saited as he was.

"Awfully early to be out..."

He commented again airily.

Somehow aware that his neck was being oggled despite Odion's glasses, Matthias tugged the collar of his turtleneck up a bit higher, trying to make the movement appear casual but likely failing utterly. "I suppose it is," he admitted, glancing down at the cracked sidewalk in front of his feet and hunching his shoulders up a tad more.

A laugh, soft and sinister with definite amusement fell from Odion's thin lips. He found Matthias' attempts to conceal his neck quite humorous. Odion's laughter died away though within moments and his face became serious again. He continued to study Matthias from narrowed eyes behind the lenses.

"Something painfully interesting about the sidewalk?"

He did not look down as he asked. His voice rang out louder this time, the tones marked by a faint accent buried deep within but not altogether inaudible.

"No. Something painfully interesting about me, or can I go on my way?" Matthias shot back, not liking the prickling sensation that was ranging up his back in response to the scrutiny. He highly detested the notion of being prey, particularly when he doubted he would be able to get into the air fast enough to avoid an attack. Well, that, and as aforementioned, he detested vampires in general, and this one in particular seemed to be playing to the undesierable stereotype.

"Oh, by all means..."

Odion stepped aside for Matthias to go past. He tilted his shoulders back in what might be thought of as a challenging way. Did Matthias dare cross his path? Odion knew he would laugh and laugh hard if Matthias crossed the street simply to get away.

"You know..."

He ventured slowly.

"I'm already quite full this evening..."

He smirked lightly.

"If that will put your mind at ease."

"It doesn't, but thanks for trying," Matthias stated, giving a forced smile as he steeled himself and resumed his path along the sidewalk, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he started to go around Odion.

Odion watched him walk. Watched.. waited..watched...waited... He struck.

His hand flew out with inhuman speed and pulled back on Matthias's coat, getting an eyeful of his wings.

"So that is what you're hiding..."

He mused as if they were nothing more than an interesting shirt or new tea kettle. He released Matthias's coat after a moment.

Matthias's fair features flushed as he grasped the collar of his coat and jerked it back into place over his wings, the right one twitching again out of protest to the rough handling. He didn't say a thing; merely jammed his slightly shaking hands back into his pockets, hunched his shoulders, and attempted to start on his way again.

"Something wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?"

His voice drawled slightly as he watched Matthias.

"So..."

He started after him, a pace or two behind.

"Where ever did you get those things? Or were you just born with them? I thought angels were supposed to stay in heaven."

A sneer played over his features.

"Or are you down here on Earth trying to convince us sordid types to change our ways?"

"I'm not an angel," Matthias growled, his hands balled into fists within his pockets, knowing he should probably just ignore the fiend and let him get bored with him, therefore hopefully ceasing to follow Matthias.

However, vampires tended to put him entirely out of sorts with his normal mannerisms, as was being displayed now.

"And if I were, it wouldn't be worth the effort to attempt persuading morals into the likes of you."

"Ah... you know that is rather obvious now that I think about it."

He smirked lightly, still following Matthias stubbornly. He was giving the trenchcoat a level stare, his eyes boring into the center of Matthias' wings.

"I pride myself on having no morals. You would be surprised how easy life is without them..."

He smiled, cruelly so his fangs showed well although there were still no pedestrians to risk seeing them.

Matthias's wings curled in closer to his body beneath the coat, the movement visible briefly against the dark fabric.

"No, I wouldn't be surprised," he stated darkly, his expression pinched slightly due to undercurrents of irritation and anger that were squeezing their way to the light past his emotional barriers.

"You sound angry, mortal..."

Odion commented, studying Matthias's coat.

"There's no need for us to get upset now. It doesn't solve anything."

He tilted his head upward and studied the sky. Not dangerous yet, he still has some time.

"Mmmm...I could use a snack before bedtime."

He kept his eyes on Matthias, saying that for his benefit but was actually not thinking about feeding from him. There was probably something adnormal in his blood if he had those wings anyway.

A cold chill passed through Matthias at Odion's words, causing his wings to shiver beneath his coat. He continued to walk, saying nothing and watching the sidewalk again, his fingers tingling a little with the desire to unbutton his coat and free his wings to carry him airborne, muscle strain or no.

He watched the coat's back shiver and grinned wider.

"No worries, mortal, I am not talking about you. You might give me indigestion."

He chuckled, evidently finding this funny. But his Hunger rising again was less easy to ignore. He tilted his head and inhaled slowly. Flesh and blood pulsed nearby and he felt a surge of hunger once more. He sniffed once, twice. HUman. Nearby. Male, coming home from a night job, tired, not paying the world a mind. Perfect.

He turned toward the scent and began walking past Matthias to where the man was waiting for a bus. He sidled up beside his prey and began to speak to him about the sickly street lamp light. It was not the most riveting of subjects, but as Odion's voice increased in hypnotism and purred, the man nodded empatically without commenting.

Odion waited and waited as he spoke soothingly, working to coax his prey into a complete sense of false security.

Matthias stopped and watched the scene play out between Odion and the man. He shouldn't interfere...for one thing, it might turn the vampire on him, and for another, Odion would be likely to just kill someone else if Matthias aided in the rescue of this particular man.

Then again, if he was up working late, this particular man might have a family to support...who would wake up the next morning, expecting to find him home...a wife who was expecting her husband to slip into the bed next to her in twenty minutes, and become worried when an hour, and then another, and then the entire night passed by without any word of him...

Matthias gave his head a slight shake to snap himself out of his thoughts. His mind made up, he began to walk again towards the vampire, over-worked mortal, and the bus stop that they waited by.

Odion seemed no longer aware of the presence of Matthias. He was deeply engaging his prey in conversation which itself had slowed. The man's eyes were misted and he only nodded his head. Odion slowly slipped his arm around the fellow's waist. He leaned in, bringing his fangs close to the man's pumping neck.

The man seemed to realize at the last second what was going on and suddenly began to struggle, his wiry body lashing against Odion's. But Odion had the strength of five grown men at the moment and held him firm, cooing to him soothingly and trying to calm his quivering victim.

Matthias stopped again, only five feet away. It had just occured to him that he had no means of stopping the vampire... He only had his wings, but even then he had no way to pry the poor soul free of the immortal's grasp and carry him to safety.

His heart as well as some bile in his throat, the winged man remained fixed to the spot on the sidewalk, unable to turn away from the scene...though, this was probably a good opportunity for him to make his own escape.

The man's chest heaved against Odion's forearm as the vampire purred to his victim. Ignoring the audience completely, Odion drew closer. His lips slid back over his pearly white fangs before he sunk them deep into the man's palapitating throat.

Both man and vampire quivered, the human with pain and the immortal with pleasure. Odion turned his head to widen the cut, drinking deeply, now grasping his prey only to supoprt him. The man's eyes slowly began to mist over, his lips moving without sound as Odion slowly drank his life away.

Odion nearly groaned with enjoyment, the warm fresh blood filling his mouth, running down his throat , to intoxicate him with the life. His dead body reeled and his living spirit shook with satisfaction. He could hear the man's last breaths, feel his beating, slowing, pumping heart, the brush of his close, the stubble on his chin, the scent of his sweat, hair, and body. It was all Odion desired and the ultimate success to achieve if only for a few minutes.

The man began to pale with death and Odion dropped him to the ground. He lays there, drawing tow final inhalations before his chest grew steady and ceased to move. Odion licked his lips and his luminous skin began to flush. He bent down over the corpse and carefully angled the shirt collar in such a way that the twin puncture wounds were nearly invisible. Then hoisting the dead body as easy as a feather he set it in an inconspcious alley shadow. Ensuring his handiwork would not be discovered bymortal eyes he returned to blink at Matthias.

"Still here are you?"

The pallor of his face approximately the same pale hue as the corpse had been, Matthias snapped out of his sickened stupor, taking an involuntary step away from Odion.

He recovered a small measure of his nerve and, after forcing the small volume of vomit back down his throat, gave a bitter smile, remaining where he was and retreating no further. "Just making sure you cleaned up after yourself."

"How sanitary of you. No worries, mortal, I'm not like some vampires. Some vampires just leave their kills lying about. That's not a wise move at all. Slayers gt suspicious... no, I hide my kills or put them at least out fo the way, don't you worry your pretty little head."

He adjusted his coat as he talked, smirking lightly. It was rush, the time after a fresh kill. Odion knew that in his current state he could probably jump a few stories, run faster than the human eye could see, and lift small cars. He rubbed his flushed cheeks and flashed Matthias another diabolical grin.

Matthias didn't need to be informed about how messy vampires could be with where and in what state they left the remains of their meals in. He spent a good measure of his pre-dawn hours disposing of corpses on a weekly basis, and, much as it should have been some form of relief to him to know that Odion wasn't one of these careless blood-drinkers, the only reaction he had to his statement was to poorly suppress a shudder.

He managed a curt nod, and attempted to start on his way past the vampire again, head bowed and his clammy hands tucked into his pockets.

Odion sniffed the air and his grin widened to one threatening insanity.

"You're still quite intimidated by me, mortal."

He observed whether truthfully or not. Like a cat toying with a mouse he slowly slid in front of Matthias so he could not pass.

"You know it isn't nice to just leave someone.. just callously walk off."

He donned a hurt expression dripping with false innocence, a sickly sight on the merciless killer's visage.

Matthias stiffened in posture, taking a precautionary step backward, as if preparing to take a swing at the vampire.

"You've made it clear that you have no wish to feed from me. Therefore, there's no reason from either of our points of view for me to stick around," he said quietly, choosing to ignore Odion's first statement.

"What if I find you... amusing?"

He chuckled at this thought as he regarded the mortal angel. He scrutinized his virtually captive audience another time.

"So... is it exciting to fly?"

Again, Matthias bluntly ingored one of the vampire's queries, snapping in response to the first, "If you want entertainment, go buy a television. I hate to take away from the creative community by providing amusement for free."

"Television is overrrate. Not to mention, I fear my resting place won't get very good reception..."

Odion pondered this for a brief moment before laughing.

"I must remember that one.. yes.. a funny indeed."

He continued chuckling softly. His eyes gleamed and he shot forward. One of many talents vampires were vested with, their deadly speed was often the most prominent. Odion moved with barely a whisper of the wind and far too fast for any mortal eye to register. Before his coat had time to rustle, Odion clasped Matthias' wrist in a cast iron grip.

"If you're anything like an angel besides those garrish wings, then you'd be well aware of Satan's pact made with vampires. I tire of you, mortal, and that is not good for your health..."

"Really. Would you like me to do a dance in order to save my life?"

Sarcasm. Likely not the best of expressions to incorporate into a response when your life is in danger. However, the mind and animal instinct will work as it may, and given that Odion's moods seemed to fluctuate in an unpredictable manner, first impulse responses might be the key... At least, that seemed to be the theory Matthias was working to hold to.

"A dance might be nice... some entertainment to liven my evening up."

He sneered, his ivory fangs gleaming wickedly. He continued to clasp Matthias' wrist, his pointed nails shone like glass, pricking the skin enough to pinch it.

"You seem to find yourself quite humorous. I would keep a healthy curve on your tongue. There are less nice things than myself prowling this city after hours. Remember, some invitations are to be met with gratitude, but an invitation to the Sabbat should be met only with funeral plans."

He chuckled again and thrust Matthai's back with considerable force. Clenching his now empty fist a few times, he mused beneath his breath.

"It is nearly time... he wouldn't like it... but a true Sabbat wouldn't go amiss."

"He" was of course Zesiro, the elder of two brothers, but Odion very rarely bothered with his brother's approval before acting.

Flight, despite his injured wing, was seeming a very good option as Matthias stumbled backward a few paces with the force that his hand was released. He regained his balance and rubbed his abused wrist somewhat before beginning to unbutton his coat. He chose not to say anything, lest he only cause himself a more gruesome death by doing so.

Two buttons undone, five to go. Even if unnish eyes were watching, it was too early in the morning to make a credible report of seeing an angel anyway...

Odion watched the winged man as he stumbled to gain balance, grinning wickedly as he massaged his wrist and then laughing aloud at his twitching fingers.

"Going to fly away, birdie?

He cackled. Faster than a blink he was behind Matthias.

"Let me help!"

He took the collar of Matthias' coat in both hands and ripped it off; never minding the damage he mgiht do to both the garment and the wings beneath. He swung a booted foot and kicked Matthias squarely in his hinderparts, the blow coming with enough power to dent a car door.

Odion was enjoying this toying game, this round of cat and mouse. Or cat and bird, perhaps. This was how he got his "kicks" nowadays. Torturing and taunting his prey mercilessly. It would all end the same. He could feel the beast, hot and untamed, boiling inside his center. he could feel his fangs now extended as far as they would, gleaming deadly in the pale moonlight. He was aware of an hour or possibly less before he must retreat back to the dark of his coffin.

An hour was plenty of time. The beast beat in his chest where his heart did not, his physical body now long dead. The Hunger made his veins, his mind, his being scream out. Kill, kill, but he waited. He would wait until the supreme moment. The ever-present question waltzed into his mind. Could he make this one cry for mercy too?

Matthias fell forward several feet under the strength of the kick, and bit his tongue to stiffle the cry of pain that wished to be uttered as he landed forcefully on his hands and knees. His wings protruded at awkward angles from his mid-back, partially due to the rough manner in which his coat had been torn away, but mostly to the fact that their middle regions had been covering his 'hinderparts' when the damaging kick had been issued.

Despite this, he still managed a shaken smile. He had an odd feeling of certainty that he was going to be dying soon. And the thought wasn't particularly disturbing, now that it came to it.

Odion sneered cruelly at his handiwork. Lunging forward with the same speed, he grabbing Matthias by his throat and lifted him up. His eyes gleamed like polished stone set in the living marble of his white skin. His brown hair floated in a halo-like mane about his head, a laugh building inside him until it finally bubbled over into an audible chortle.

"You, my dear mortal, are a very funny example of your race. I do not believe I've had this much fun since the 1700s..."

He continued chuckling as he began to drag Matthias. Selecting a proper spot, Odion bent his legs and leapt. No mortal living or dead could jump this high, the male vampire landing three stories high on the rooftop of a rusty brick building. He dropped Matthias here and crouched on the edge of the roof. For a few brief moments he seemed to be depe in concentration or thought. Finally he turned away.

"Where were we? Oh yes... Fate is a very fickle thing, mortal, you know? It changes whims faster than any woman I have yet to come across. Even in the middle ages it was like this. Every day was a new struggle for existence. but why am I telling you this, hmm?"

He turned, advancing toward Matthias.

"You've been a very patient audience, but I do fear you've seen a little too much of me to let go free. Don't worry... I'll hide this body of yours well."

His arm shot out, appearing for a second longer than it was in reality. His pointed nails latched about Matthias' shoulder and pulled him up as the other hand forced his head to the side. Odion fell inward upon the caught angel, his fangs piercing the skin and tearing it in his zeal. Blood filled his mouth and made him shiver. This moment... the first seconds of the feed... sublime. Feeling the warm, fresh blood filling your mouth, running down your throat, sending the deadened heart beating again. Odion felt his cheeks flush and his veins scream with new life. He dug his claws deeper into Matthias, widening the gashes on his neck further.

The pounding roar of his heart meeting the rhytmn of Matthias's met his ears. Thunder upon thunder, shaking, quivering, slowing. The drumming was dieing. His prey was dieing. He took a final fleeting draught and flung the unfortunate soul to the ground.

"Goodnight, mortal-angel."

He breathed, blood trailing down his chin, his cheeks burning and his eyes blazing.

Matthias did not struggle, did not fight for his life. It was an end to a twenty-three year struggle for a normal existance, and it was a horrible sort of irony that it should finish with a death by abnormal means.

During the feeding process, he let his eyes drift closed, and invisioned the life flowing out of him until even that became too taxing, and all that was left was the darkness drawing down upon his mind.

Heaven...perhaps he would see it now. Maybe it didn't exist. Maybe it did, and he was going to find his parents there.

Lania would be there.

Dimly he felt the movement as he was sent hurtling toward the pavement.

Lania...I'm coming.

A stray cat darted out of the way as his body struck the ground. Feathers caught in the wind of the fall drifted soundlessly to settle around the bloodied and broken mass of wings and man.

Footsteps.

They echo oddly in the confines of the city, tapping out against the buildings and the cement and the concrete until, at last, a figure emerges from the darknes, moving in time to the footsteps.

The world has taken on a funny cast, as though everything else has become ghostly grey and nothing is real but Matthias and this stranger.

The tall, thin stranger stops above Matthias and sticks his hands into his pockets. Waiting.