The thin coat of snow cast a silvery image on the buildings as the full moon reflected from the snow. The wind howled and blew more snow to the ground as clouds passed over the moon one second and cleared away the next. The cold icy chill in the air seemed to cover all live and sqeeze it until nothing remained. The icy taint covering the city in a deadly chill.

Gabriel could hear the crunch of shoes on snow below him. The tall building provided a good veiw of the rest of the street and the man he was looking for was rather good at staying hidden until he felt like being seen. The laughter from a group brought his attention for a moment until he heard a scream and nearly lept to his feet until he saw it was just a woman being mugged or perhaps raped in the alley below. Sighing softly he sat down and glanced down at the alley. He would know if Mitchifer was coming with those people in the alley doing whatever mortal criminals did. They would freak out to see a man like mitch coming at them.

Just like that he turned at the sound of a boot crunching in the snow and a hand was clutching his neck and lifting him into the air. The man before him wasn't even snarling. He was holding Gabe a few inches from the ground as calmly as if he was hanging a plant. "Gabriel, I have come to take your life for what you have done to me and the others. I must say I thought you'd put up more of a fight but you always were the weaker of us now weren't you?"

Gabriel was already trying to rip the hands from his neck as the grip grew tighter but it was no good. The man before him was far more powerful. ~Don't panic, your forgetting something. What are you forgetting?!~

"Gabriel Lanorus you are charged with killing Absen Lanorus and Eleza Lanorus. You are charged with killing Andrew Lanorus and Harming the vampire Nafretiri when she was of no concern to the pact. How do you plea?"

Gabriel's voice was worn as he spoke. It felt like his voice box was being crushed. "Not g-gu-guilty."

"You lie of your own charges!? As for the new charges I cannot say but you have already been put to trial for the other two. As decided by your immortal peers you shall be put to death. I am your headsman. I am told I must pass any messages you have on to others. Do you have any?"

"The female vampire I was with, Rin. Tell her I fled. Please tell her that for me, do not tell her you killed me Mitchifer."

"That woman!? If that is what you wish it shall be done. Now, dispite your recent life of peace your crimes cannot be forgiven. Prepare to die."

The snow beneathe the boots of tan suede gave a soft crunch with the weight. The wind was cold and whipped over the rooftops like flames of an icy fire combing back strands of auburn hair from Rin's face. She had followed Mitch here, knowing in her heart what he was set to do. Part of her knew it was inevitable, unwilling to play pretend and go on as though nothing was happening. She refused to be kept in the dark.

Slowly she stepped down from the ledge, her footsteps suddenly silent over the thin sheet of snow. Though even silent she knew she was heard. The crystalline blue of her eyes reflected peices of broken moonlight, sorrowful and yet feirce as they held in their vision the two figures.

'Don't ...' It was all she could think to say, it came out so soft, just barely heard over the dull roar of the living city. Her expression told of nothing though it was breaking upon the realization that her greatest gift in this life was about to pass before her. She didn't want him to go like this if at all, not in the grip of a feirce vengence. Mitchfer obstructed her veiw of Gabriel as she dared a few paces towards them, but she knew he was there.

Black high-heeled boots...

Why in the world had she worn boots with high-heels? Sighing, she tried to find the good points in it. They were warm against the snow. They matched what she was wearing. They elevated her sufficiently above the ground... only that point did not really mean anything. puffing out a frosty cloud of breath, she turned off the main road. It was faster this way, and though she knew a little risky, she had never had a problem. Moving along, she re-emerged on the opposite side of the building upon which the little vampire get-together was proceeding. Moving along, she was oblivious, not hearing the criminal act which Gabriel witnessed, since it was on the wrong side of the building.

The cold air made her blink a little, drying out her eyes, but with a shiver she pulled her black wool jacket tighter about her and felt the faux fur lining brush against her face. It was a little more juvenile than what she what she would usually wear, but it was warmer than everything else she had, and she had no time for shopping with everything else in her life right now. Her sister had left it at her apartment, actually...

Anyway, she made her way along, and looked up to the sky, admiring the way the stars wove in and out of the misty coldness. Something caught on the edge of her vision, though...

Jerking her head, she did a double take. For a moment she almost thought there were two men... She paused, not sure what to do... If she was wrong, calling the police would be a foolish action... And it could simply be a couple admiring the view... She gave the ledge a hard look, jogging (as best she could in the stupid heels) to the other side of the street and pres against the building to stand on tiptoe and look towards the top of the building. She could barely make out the top halves of two faces... Something about the one seemed vaguely familiar, but she just could not place it.

Who would she know that would be standing on a roof conversing in the freezing cold of a Demaitre winter night? Brows bending a little over her eyes, she ignored the slight stinging that was making a cherry colour come to her cheeks, ears, and nose, and hustled across the street. She stopped at the doors...

"Of course, of course, of course... No one in Demaitre is stupid enough to leave doors open at night." Sighing with a frustrated note this time, she had an idea, and hurried, looking about to make sure she was alone, and slipped about to find -

"Aha! There you are. Fire escapes... Never thought I would need one to go up."

The escape ladders made metallic thuds beneath her feet as she climbed. It took a little time to reach the top, and she peeked her head over, eyes widening. Three people...

Suddenly she felt foolish. Was she stupid? People did not just climb up fire escapes late at night because they saw the tops of two heads and one looked familiar... Yeh... She was tired.

Indecisively she stood on the fourth rung, head peeking up in what she hoped was an inconspicuous manner. Mitchifer's back was to her, though the profile again called up something vague... What was it? The woman was unknown and not facing her... Yes, this would be the ideal time to come or go... She hesitated, looking about and down, catching her breath. Quite a climb...

Something drew her to watch however... If something happened she could always run for the police... It would take a while... But if she was careful... The plan did not equate into something a logical, sensical person would execute, but she stayed anyway... One of those things. Those dumb things that people do, knowing it's dumb... or do they fora reason? Who knows... But that is what she did.

"Mitchifer come on that was several hundred years ago! Rin is here now! Your not going to kill me while she is here watching! We can do this later please please brother let me go!"

"Gabriel you pleed for your life like this? After all you've been through you beg your for your life now!? Your only making me angry now brother! Nothing you say can save you now! I have waited for a long time to get your body turned in to the council in Italy. Gabriel I have told you your crimes and you have been taken to court and found guilty. Rin is here so do you have anything left to say before you sentance is carried out?" Mitchifer tightened his grip on Gabriel's throat hanging him to the edge of the building.

Gabriel's eyes shot franticly around looking for something anything that might be used to distract Mitchifer. His eyes passed over the other woman twice before he realized that it was a person. Smirking he used every part of his mind to grab the woman and lift her into the air over the alley. "There Mitchifer, kill me or save the mortal? I know how you feel about having a life wasted, much less an innocent one such as this so what will it be?"

With one cold glare Mitchifer vanished leaving Gabriel to hit the snow covered roof with a thud while grabbing his neck trying to make sure nothing was broken. Mitchifer arrived at the fire escape in less then a second. "What are you doing here? I said I would keep you safe but if you keep running into groups of my kind no matter how much I try to protect you it will matter very little." Muttering more and more it become impossible to tell what he was saying besides it was about women and stupidity.

Catching your breath after a climb was nothing to the shaky inhaling required after being dangled over an alley. In that matter of minutes she had been shocked, afraid, and a lot of things that created the need for her to fight hysteria now.

She saw the smirk on the man's face as he saw her, and the name Mitchifer still ringing in her ears. Her eyes were wide even before she found herself alfoat. What...WHAT!?

Her head snapped from side to side as she looked about her. No way to improvise out of this one...

She stuttered a little, looking over Mitchifer's shoulder at the other man. She had been startled that Mitchifer, above all people would be that... well, strong for one thing, and... Well, he had seemed so pacific... Her eyes were still wider than normal as she stood, shaking a bit still.

"I... I'm sorry... I just thought. I saw the..." She saw what? She saw the heads. Okay, it was stupid. But she was a little defensive about it. If she had been detached from the situation she would have laughed at the fact that she had accomplished her ends - to help if one of the people was in danger. Only the danger was justified surely, if Mitchifer was implementing it. And the matters of vampires were not for her to judge anyway - as someone who studied cultures she had begun to think of them as simply another set of cultures, thus having their own systems of law, discipline, society, etc.

"Sorry. What... is...?" She looked around his shoulder curiously, then back to his face, wondering. That curiosity would hurt her someday, but he was here, so she felt the slight foreboding that she had felt as an onlooker recede with that knowledge.

What to say or do now. She could only looke sheepishly at him, now that her breathing was relatively normal and everything was normal, save for the rosy tones in her skin from the cold air (or was it that she was embarrassed at her intrusion?).

The cold air stung her skin as it blew over the roof. Her gaze remained on the two, as she waited, horrible anticipation mounting as they spoke. It was strange yet most fortunate when the mortal made her appearance. The tension in her muscles released as she and Gabriel were left alone for the present moment.

Rin went to him and knelt before him taking him in her arms. 'I had to come ... I had to see you before he could take you away from me.' Her voice came choked with emotion, so soft that only he could hear.

She closed her eyes before pressing her warm lips against his forehead. 'I didn't want to let you go without telling you how much I love you.' Rin opened her eyes slowly before looking into his, 'I do love you Gabriel ... no matter what happens and I wish I could have told you that long ago.'

Mitchifer had already grabbed the mortal from the air and was forcing her to sit down on the roof by the time he decided to answer. "This is what happens when one of my kind betrays his family. Or atleast in our clan it is. Now please let me finish this monster off before I answer your questions. My vow to protect you and answer your questions still holds but I need to deal with this murderer first and if I wait much longer I fear he may escape with his lady friend over there." Without waiting for an answer Mitchifer sighed and turned towards Gabriel and Rin.

Gabriel was staring up at Rin in disbelief. "Rin, I love you too. I should have spoken sooner but, I geuss I thought I was ment to die and w-" He felt the cold hand wrap around his neck long before it touched him. Mitchifer's grasp was icy and strong as he easily lifted Gabriel back into the air. Cling desperately to sanity Gabriel realized what he was carrying. Digging quickly into his jacket he tore out the long hunting knife from his resting place hidden under the coat and in a quick strike cut deep into Mitchifer's hand.

Pulling back his hand quickly Mitchifer winced. The blade of his family being used against him. "How dare you murderer! How dare you attack me with out families blade!" He let his cut hand hang to the side and a few drops of blood leaked out before the wound healed up completly leaving a scarless wrist. "I have spoken your crimes and anyone who dare speak against them say now why I should not bring justice to this murderous fiend!" Without waiting for a response Mitchifer pulled a disk from his jacket and pressing a button four blades uncurled from the disk. "For the death of your and my perants, you have been sentanced to death and I shall carry out your sentance to regan the Lanorus's honor."

Tiffany clung a little to Mitchifer a she seated her, but let him go as he spoke, nodding as her mind tried to process the information. She swallowed her surprise and actually managed to make sense of his words.

"Of... of course."

What happened next she knew she would regret seeing, probably. She began to turn her face away, but she could not. She was rivoted to what was giong on... And no matter how hard she tried, she had to watch. So her eyes followed to movements of all, tightly holding to the edge of the roof to make certain there would be no more air-suspension for the night. She was also leery of the other woman, ready to run or fight if approached. Although... As Mitchifer lifted Gabriel again, she caught sight of the woman's face, and though she knew that Mitchifer would not do something like this without grounds to do so, she also felt a pang that this woman would suffer from it.

But she was an observer in it all, and so she sat in rapt silence, breath held.

Her lips curved slightly to form a smile before she felt him taken from her arms again. Her eyes looked up to Mitchifer then to the girl that sat, quietly watching as if this was all a scene in a play. Her eyes narrowed slightly and giving a quick glance to Gabriel and Mitchifer she raced over the frozen roof top and snatched the girl up in her arms before giving a quick whisper to the girls ears. 'Forgive me ... but if you were where I am I'm sure you would do no different.'

Her gaze fell upon Mitchfer as she took a handful of hair in her hand and bent slightly over her neck, it was feirce but in all pleading. 'A few more moments with Gabriel ... that is all I want ... Thats all I'll ask.' She hesitated looking to Gabriel before returning to him. 'Please, as someone who is in love ... just a few moments ...'

Snarling openly Mitchifer vanished leaving Gabriel to rub his bruised neck. Appearing before Rin he grabbed the back of her neck and snarled into Rin's ear. "I'll give you your few moments, if you try to hurt this mortal again though, I will rip out your windpile and bind your wrist with it while you wait for the sun to rise and kill you, no matter what Nyx says!" Tossing Rin easily aside he crouched by Tiffany sighing.

"How many times can one mortal be attacked by vampires? Okay I think that should be all. Are you alright? Any pain? Anything that could be internal bleeding? I know some good doctors, I'll cover the expense and we'll have you looked at after I finish with this bisuness. I really didn't want anyone see me kill him. It's a personal affair that has to do with the past. I'm sure you'll want to know everything you can get out of me, but again I ask you to wait til after this. For now just make sure you're alright. If it's to serious I'll have to take care of you first before I can settle with Gabriel so lets hope that your okay shall we?"

Gabriel was already growling but he did nothing besides run to Rin's side. "How dare he toss you away to save that mortal. I swear I do not even know my brother any longer." Reaching down he touched Rin's hair sighing. "I really will miss you my love. If I could have done anything different I would have spent more time with you rather then trying to settle this matter without death. It seems all my efforts went in vain. Pointing Mitchifer towards that coven of yours only seems to have sped his search for me and even that pact we made seems to have fallen through in the end."

It all happened so fast. It was very like a play, and her mind was a little sluggish from all that it was trying to process. She saw the woman start to move, but she learned soon enough that she was not Mortal, for no Mortal could cover ground that quickly on foot. She gasped as she was snatched up.

The words broke through the hazy dream-like (or nightmarish) quality of the tableau, and she wondered about the words. Would she? She was not sure, but at this moment, all she knew was that she was not in the other's place, although where she was was not very comfortable. She did not panic, and she was relatively calm, tense, but still - until she felt the hand in her hair, and felt the nearness at her throat.

Knowing what the woman was made that a very unpleasant thing, and with a sharp intake of breath, she wondered if she could use basic defense against someone who could likely run circles around her before she could get more than one hit in - thus she planned out the most vital move and tensed to try it.

Thankfully, Mitchifer was once again there, and she rubbed a hand over her neck as if to make sure it was untouched... That had been far to close for comfort. A chill ran up her back and made her shiver. She looked past Mitchifer to Gabriel and Rin. Remembering Rin's desperation, she almost put on a scene, acting as though she were hurt, and throwing a tantrum until he took her to get help... It would help the other woman...

She bit her lip, lowering her eyes for a moment to decide, and answered quietly.

"No... I'm fine."

She would be honest with Mitchifer, even in what was a small thing to her. It would have been a kindness perhaps, to the others, but she did not know enough to trust anyone other than Mitchifer... And he would have a time explaining this one to her... And explain he would, in great detail...

The cold pavement burned beneathe her side as she lay there, as she looked up she saw Gabriel come to her and without thought she smiled. Gently she placed her hand on his before drawing a breath that shook with emotion.
'I'll miss you too ... If anything I am relieved to have this last chance to see you ...' She swallowed hard fighting back tears and slowly sat up to lean into him. Just to feel him against her was enough to bring comfort and forget about the others. 'I will always love you ... don't forget that.'

Rin tilted her head slightly so that their lips met and she smiled. 'Don't worry about what could have happened ... We'll meet again someday ... without all this ...' She couldn't fight back the tears now, each one trickled slowly down her cheeks as she gave him one more kiss.

Mitchifer raised his hand and in a burst from his mind sent Gabriel tumbling backwards. Gabriel rolled and got to his feet crouching slighty, not even a second later Mitchifer had appeared as if from no where grabbing Gabriel's neck tightly. "Time to die." His voice was cold now as he lifted Gabriel from the ground so his feet were hanging an inch from the ground. "I'm tired of repeating your crimes and being interupted by that woman of yours." Walking slightly as a blur he took Gabriel to the edge of the building so his feet hung over the side.

"Don't I get a last request? I mean surely you won't take away that part of your own rules would you?" Gabriel sounded almost pleading at this point his eyes begging as Mitchifer smirked soundly at his younger brother. It was clear he had lost all compassion to this man when the two endangered Tiffany.

"Oh yes please do tell me your last request. I am very interested in knowing what stupid thing you want done now that this woman as seen you and your last request has fallen through." Gabriel's eyes seemed to shine brightly as he began to speak.

"Don't hurt Rin, please don't hu-" Gabriel was cut off as Mitchifer tightened his grip of Gabriel's throat to close of the windpipe. Gabriel gurgled slightly as he did not need air to live but did to speak.

"Gabriel I have no interest in your woman. She will be free to go as she wishes, she is young and foolish and I will not kill her for the tiny crimes she has commited." Letting Gabriel begin to fall Mitchifer drew a sword from his trench coat and in four slices, on at the top of the pelvis, one on the right shoulder, one on the left shoulder, and one at the neck he seperated Gabriel's legs and pelvis from his torso, then his arms, then his head all in what seemed to be an instant as Gabriel fell into the dumpster below. The drawing a zippo lighter he lit it and dropped it down toward the dumpster. As it went in the entire thing burst into flames as it had already had gasoline poured over it.

Walking from the edge Mitchifer went to Tiffany. "Come now we have no business waiting here. I'll give you a ride back home and we can talk there alright? I'm sure you have tons of questions to ask me now."

Tiffany was a fencer, and a good one, so the moment she saw a blade, she was on her feet, stepping one step closer with a protest on her lips. She never spoke, though, and the protest died on her lips as her arms hung limply at her sides.

The flames made her fall back a step (of course they were to far away and below to be felt, but the whole idea struck her) and, uncertainly, she watched, not wanting to, but agian being unable to turn away. She could also see Rin, though she wished for anything that she could not.

Tiffany nodded numbly to MItchifer's words and brought her face up to look him in the eyes questioningly, then followed obediently.

Burning tears came before the silence. Unmoving she gazed across the roof to the edge, the light of the flames illuminating her features. She drew a shaken breath before closing her eyes letting the silence fill her. There was no descibing what emotion had fallen over her, it was overwelming, forcing her limbs into paralysis for the moment.

Her eyes opened slowly to look upon Mitchifer and Tiffany as they started to leave. She swallowed hard and looked quietly towards the flames once more, willing to stay until the dawn forced her from her place.

They walked away, but Tiffany could not help remember the anxiety on the face of the vampiress before Mitchifer had dropped the light down, as he had slashed at Gabriel. To her it had been heartbeats, but she wondered if with the speed and everything else the vampires had inherent to their kind, it had been ages to Rin.

She cast her eyes behind, tilting her head, eyes sad as they caught Rin's and she nodded to her quietly. Perhaps Gabriel had deserved what he had gotten, but losing someone in that manner must still be hard for someone, even a vampire. Blinking a few times, she turned once more to follow Mitchifer, and never looked back again.