XII

Life's overrated.

It was that thought that went through my mind as I entered the living room of our house. It sounded like a cat was being hung, surrounded by a bunch of huskies, hyenas and other fanged animals. Not a pleasing sound.

I inched towards the door and swung it wearily. Something went flying my way and I ducked, then heard groaning and swearing behind me as it struck Dragon straight in the face. I ran to him: his nose was bleeding.

"Are you okay?" I asked, trying to keep the bemusement out of my face. He glared up at me and joined the fray.

I cautiously edged towards the brawl, inwardly wincing as I stood frozen in shock and twisted amusement at the mess they've made "arguing". I let out a shaky breath, wondering what it was about this time.

Can't I ever catch a break?

Katarina was held upside down by Hawk, wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that appeared to be mine and they were not a good fit. She kicked and shrieked. It was her that sounded like the cat being strangled, while Hawk grumbled and grunted unintelligibly under his breath threatening her life. She didn't even flinch as she squealed her own threats and insults against him.

Sunshine was tending to Darling, who sat on his ass whining about a broken nose that Dragon had given him after realising he was the one that threw the vase at him. He'd intended it for Hawk, but Darling was drunk out of his ass and so, he was seeing three times as many Hawks as there should be.

Grace, the little princess, was hanging on to Hawk's leg: only reaching the knees. She was shrieking at him for two things that I could make out; Hawk had taken her chocolate, which was her main concern. The second part of her rant was for him not to kill the greenie, though even I was tempted to at that point.

Unable to bear the ever-rising volume of sound –I whistled loudly to get their attention. They stared at me for a moment, then attacked me all at once –with their words and voices –until they've got me surrounded by their endless gibberish rant. I covered my highly sensitive ears with my leather-gloved hands and cursed multiple times under my breath... again.

"Would you stop it!?" I asked rhetorically as I straightened myself and glared at them. Katarina chuckled and I glared at her.

"He started it!" The five of them said simultaneously pointing at one another, Sunshine simply rolled his eyes at their act and stepped closer to me, his arms crossed over his chest. His bright blond hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and blood and his pale complexion flushed: his glasses gone from his face, it caused his turquoise eyes to squint in the dim light.

"Hawk took my chocolate!... also he tried to kill Greenie," Grace argued pointing at Nighthawk who gave me a sheepish grin. I ignored her, which caused her to pout in frustration, sticking her tongue out at Hawk who seemed as if he enjoyed it and then at me. She spun on her heels and left the main quarters, her auburn, medium length hair bouncing over her shoulders as she stomped out. We simply stared at her in sadistic amusement.

"Anyway..." Sunshine explained. "What they meant to say was that Hawk had insulted newbie, holding her up like some sort of dolly and she kicked him for it. He rampaged and was trying to kill her for the last two hours. All the while Darling sat there..." Sunshine explained indicating a large bookshelf with a nod which sat in the corner of the room near the low ceiling. "taking Darling's my-sole-purpose-in-life-is-to-piss-off-any-and-every-person attitude into consideration," He let out an exaggerated breath as he continued. "he sat on the bookshelf eating popcorn and watching the two of them go at it as I desperately tried to stop them from slaughtering each other... and then I tried to stop them from killing Darling for laughing and mocking them. I do believe however that he deserved a good beating, but considering that I'm the one who would have to stitch him together and how he whines like a little girl every time, I refrained...mostly. I had finally threatened not to feed him if he wasn't going to put an end to the madness and get off his ass and so he somehow thought to through the vase! See what the hell I have to deal with!" He explained as we turned to face Darling who gave us a sarcastic salute, pointing to his face in anger.

"Ain't you gonna say somethin'?!" Darling finally snapped as he still struggled with drying the blood out of his broken and bruised nose.

"Glad no one poisoned you or even shot you with that attitude of yours...yet. But then maybe they should..." I said in an even and cold tone that would've easily sent highly trained assassins running for the door, but Darling ignored my blood lustful voice, which spoke volumes about his courage... and idiocy. "Tell me honestly have you finally lost your remaining three brain cells? Well, have you? Haven't I told you to dodge when someone wants to punch you?" I continued sarcastically. Darling rolled his eyes at my remark. "Keep rolling your eyes, brother. Maybe you'll finally find that brain of yours." That succeeded in causing Darling's blood to boil with anger as I ignored him and continued in my usual voice regaining my sombre persona.

"Anyway," I turned to face Greenie and arched a brow at her. "Never strike Hawk," I said as Nighthawk sighed in disappointment, much like a child who was told that they couldn't play their favourite game tonight.

"Ah... but I really wanted to beat some sense into her some more. Pul-leese..." He fluttered his eyes mockingly at me and I cringed in response.

"NO!" I said horrified by the sight. Nighthawk tsked at me.

"You hate me, don't you?" Nighthawk grumbled.

"No." Which technically was the truth. "I am just not excited about your –" I faltered as a knock sounded on the door. On the door of the house, no one is supposed to know the location of. My heart sank as I went to the door blaster in the ready. I laid my palm against the doorknob and slowly turned it around. I let out a deep breath of relief as I saw Skrymer in the doorway.

"Good morning lazy boys!" Skrymer said in that sing-song, Celtic kind of voice that was uniquely hers. It was a solid year before I could understand a word she spoke to me, but then again she is a creature all unto her own. I growled at her and she smirked in response.

"What was that for, Skrymer?!" Dragon hissed as he refused to lower his blaster from her. In response, Skrymer took out her own and aimed it at his head. Dragon hissed at her again, but she took it in stride.

"Lower your weapons and then we'll talk." She finally said her voice losing its usual carelessness and sing-song accent as she instead used her cold voice that could rival mine, but for the fact that I was of higher rank than her. Dragon did so reluctantly and she followed suit holstering her weapon low on her left hip. Again a creature all unto herself.

Star-Skrymer was the one person I knew who could make us seem "normal", and that was saying something. As usual, Star-Skrymer had her hair cropped short in layers, straight and that time it was dyed in deep indigo. She wore her usual careless assassin gear (at least that's what she called it), which was showing, to say the least. It was far too skinny it ought to be illegal and her shirt didn't quite cover her stomach as edges of several tattoos were visible. Ones she never spoke of. Her high-heel biker boots, had skull-bones on them and she wore her usual leather trousers that were decorated with deep red, so was her hip-long jacket. Her eyes, much like Darling's, were an exotic purplish that literally seemed to glow in the dark, although hers leaned more to be lilac and was of a much lighter shade. They were as usual ringed with heavy eyeliner giving her a dangerous look. Her lips were the shade of her eyes and she had absurd markings on her face that she usually drew with makeup whenever she was bored, also blood-red.

Yet despite all that she looked oddly beautiful, made me wonder what she would look like dressing like a normal person, but I was never suicidal enough to ask her that.

"So...? Did you miss me?" She started like a child, which was quite ironic really, she was after all the oldest of us by far, about her mid-twenties, and there she was in all her glory. I tsked at her, she dismissed me. "What am I saying?! Of course you missed me, but then again why wouldn't you call? Hm... such unfeeling annoying boys... yes, you are quite naughty, aren't you? Luckily not all boys are annoying, some are actually dead. What a relief! I am not here for you anyway... so where's the greenie? Did you give her a name yet?" She started on her tirade all six of us growling, all but the newbie who was in shock.

Yeah... she did have that effect on people. Skrymer noticed her and smiled warmly. She came closer to give the greenie a hug, which caused Grace to open her arms out expectantly. Skrymer then smiled at Grace and effortlessly carried her to give her a big hug.

"Did you get me anything?" Grace asked happily, her only sister (at least that's what Skrymer was to Grace at the time) had come again to play with her.

"Why of course! I did bring you something very beautiful, for my favourite little sister." She said as she released Grace and took out a beautiful and colourful necklace and bracelet."There you go, I saw them on my way here and since I know how much you love sparklies..." She started explaining using the term Grace used to call anything that sparkled or was bright. "I thought to bring it over to you." She finally said smiling.

"You scared the shit out of me," I muttered. She suddenly looked pissed, fuming matter of fact. An all too familiar tick started in her jaw as she turned to glower with an icy ferocity that could rival mine.

"Erebus wants to see you." She spat between clenched teeth, her jaw tense and her armour and blasters in the ready. I harnessed my blaster and started for my car, but she stopped me. "All of you." She spat, her hands clenched so tight her knuckles protruded.

This can't be good...