The Ravens Take Flight

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 27, Post Number 672

-Capital Crocus, late afternoon-

It was six o'clock in the afternoon and Diana was standing outside a house in the upscale part of Capital Crocus. The huntress was wearing a purple long sleeved shirt, black skirt, black thigh-high stockings, and black tennis shoes. It was not the ideal casual outfit, but it was the best she had to wear. She avoided spending too much at any one time to avoid attracting suspicion and clothing was at the bottom of her list of priorities. Perhaps one day she would find some more casual clothing that was appealing to wear, but in the meantime she would keep saving for retirement and hoped that she actually lived to see it.

Diana checked the job notice in her hand and compared the address on it to the numerals to the right of the door.

1946 Babbage Road.

Diana checked and double-checked the job notice to make sure that she was in the right place. She had just finished checking it when she checked one last time to be absolutely certain that she was in the right place. The huntress was indeed in the right place.

Diana pressed the doorbell to her right and heard a DING. Diana then waited to be let into the house, a wait that was not very long. It took about twenty seconds before the door opened and she was facing Catherine Corvinus, the computer specialist who had helped Mister Burke by downloading the data on Fulci Hospital onto a special device.

"Hey there! Don't just stand there, come on in!" Catherine greeted the blonde warmly and bade her to enter. Diana entered the young woman's house and the door was shut behind her.

-Inside Catherine's house-

Diana entered the house to find that it was something of a mess. The brown leather couch was filled with boxes that had once held computer parts and the glass coffee table was loaded down with magazines pertaining to technology and musical trends. The kitchen counter was loaded with stacks of unwashed dishes and glasses that had been sitting there for Wizard Saints knew how long. The carpet really needed vacuuming, but that did not bother Catherine all that much because she was going around barefoot.

"Sorry that my house is such a mess, Diana. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to clean it." Catherine apologized for the state of her house and kitchen. Diana thought nothing of it and pretended not to notice since she was a guest in the young woman's house. A closer glance showed that Catherine herself was not in the best of shape.

The black-haired young woman was wearing a blue tank top and short black nylon gym shorts with white stripes running down the sides. Her hair looked like it had not been washed in a few days and instead of being done up in a ponytail it was hanging freely down her back. She also had bags under her eyes from a lack of sleep.

"It is no problem." Diana replied to her. Catherine walked into the kitchen and began to rummage through her refrigerator, which was a large stainless steel double-door refrigerator as tall as she was.

"Do you want anything to drink? I've got beer, a few different flavors of soda, and some bottles of water." Catherine asked Diana.

"No thank you." Diana replied. Catherine pulled out a pink soda can with white letters that read "Strawberry Slam" on the side and opened it. The can popped open and Catherine drank from it for a few seconds before she set the can down on an unoccupied section of kitchen counter that was just big enough to accommodate the can.

"Man, I'm tired. For the past six days I've been busy upgrading my computer and playing games on it. It's almost where I need it to be." Catherine said out of nowhere. That explained why there were so many boxes for computer parts on the couch and how she was so tired. That also explained why personal hygiene had taken a back seat. Diana did not mind, though. She was in Catherine's house and the blonde did not dare insult her hostess.

"That brings me to why you're here, Diana. I'll give it to you straight. I'm really tired and I need someone to watch over my house while I sleep for awhile. Once I wake up I'd like to go to the mall and do some shopping before we go to the DJ Dynamo concert at Boomslang." Catherine told Diana the reason she had been hired. Diana was curious.

"We?" Diana asked.

"Yeah. I originally had a friend going with me, but she had to cancel because her younger sister's sick and her parents are in Hargeon Town on a business trip. I'm definitely going to the concert, but I need someone to go with me or the 20,000 Jewels for the other VIP ticket will be wasted." Catherine explained.

"So, are you in?" Catherine asked. Diana nodded. It did not take her very long to reach that decision.

"I am in." Diana replied. Catherine smiled.

"Great!" She exclaimed before picking up the Strawberry Slam can and finishing the rest of the beverage.

[Post Word Count: 872]
[Total Word Count: 872/11,000]

-Four hours later, 10:00 P.M.-

Night had fallen on Capital Crocus and Diana stood in Catherine's living room while the dark-haired youth slept off a lengthy computer repair session and gaming binge. In the morning or early afternoon the pair would go to Capital Crocus Mall in an effort to find some computer parts that Catherine needed to finish repairing her personal desktop. In the evening the pair would go to a DJ Dynamo concert in the VIP section of Boomslang because the dark-haired youth had bought two tickets at 20,000 Jewels apiece and did not want the other ticket to go to waste. Diana decided to go to the concert with her so that the money was not wasted.

Now the blonde stood in the living room and watched over Catherine's house while the latter slept. It was slow and uneventful, but it was a welcome break from risking life and limb in zombie-infested cities or old castles that were vampire dens. Diana would plunge back into the fray and go after a supernatural threat, but for now she would enjoy the change of pace the best she could. Sometimes it was nice to not have to fight for her life to complete a job. Some would argue that escorting rich people around Capital Crocus was not a "real" job, but Diana did not care because she did more than enough "real" work to take the occasional easy job.

Besides, she had nothing to prove to anyone outside the guild she was part of.

Diana wandered into the kitchen and rummaged in the refrigerator for a bottle of water to drink. She had been given permission by Catherine to ddrink what she wanted, so Diana would use that privilege... within reason, of course. She would not drink her hostess out of house and home. She found a bottle of water nestled near the back of the refrigerator and grabbed it with her right hand, then quietly shut the refrigerator and walked into the living room.

Diana stood in the living room that was lit by a night light and opened the bottle of water, facing the front door as she did so. She did not expect any trouble tonight, but she would still keep watch over her client's house. Nighttime was the most likely time for trouble to strike... Diana knew that and had used the darkness to her advantage several times in her "other" occupation. Her "other" occupation left her eminently qualified to defend against nighttime attacks from other criminals since she knew the tricks of the trade.

Sometimes it took a criminal to defend against another criminal.

Diana listened to the silence in the house as she settled onto the couch, which she had been given permission to clear off so that she could sleep on it. Diana had long ago cleared off the couch, piling all the computer part boxes in another chair so that she had a clear place to sit and to sleep. She took her shoes off and set them to the far right of the couch so that neither she nor Catherine would trip over them during the night, then sat down in the middle of the couch and sipped from her bottle of water. Diana would stay awake until midnight and then go to sleep herself... at least that was the plan. Unless she focused on the job at hand, she would be going to sleep a lot sooner than she had intended.

If she could make it just two more hours the huntress would be in good shape.

Diana finished drinking her bottle of water, then disposed of it and sat back down on the couch. She faced the door and focused on it. This was going to be a long and uneventful night with a big payday after tomorrow night.

-The next morning, 10:00 A.M.-

Diana heard loud electronic music blaring from Catherine's room as she slowly woke up. She had managed to stay awake until 1:00 A.M., but after that she could not ignore the need to sleep any longer and slept on the couch until just now. Her skirt and shirt had become wrinkled and her hair was matted. Catherine walked into the living room wearing her blue DJ Kraken shirt and short blue jean shorts. In her right hand was a can of Strawberry Slam soda.

"Hey Diana, are you OK? How did you sleep?" Catherine asked the blonde. Diana rubbed the right side of her face where her right arm had served as a makeshift pillow and her right elbow had burrowed into her face.

"I am all right, Catherine. What time did you want to go to the mall?" Diana asked her client after she sat up and straightened out her clothing. Catherine took a sip of the sugary drink and shrugged her shoulders.

"I was thinking eleven o' clock or noon myself. I don't need to get there super early 'cause I want to take my time looking around the electronics store. I also want to look for a DJ Dynamo shirt in The Music Vault." Catherine replied before taking another sip of Strawberry Slam.

"Whatever you want to do." Diana replied in turn. She had no set goal other than to keep Catherine safe during the trip to the mall and in the VIP section of Boomslang. Catherine would set the itinerary and the pace at which the pair shopped in the mall.

"Eh, noon should be good enough. The concert doesn't start until eight P.M., so we've got plenty of time to eat in the food court, shop around for what we need, and shop around for what we want before we return here to drop off our purchases and get ready for the concert." Catherine finally gave a concrete time for their departure. That was something Diana could work with. She got up, smoothed out her shirt and skirt, and faced Catherine, who finished her drink in a matter of moments. Catherine then went into the kitchen and discarded the empty can.

"OK, I'll get a shower, then you can get one if you need it. I'll try not to take too long." Catherine said before disappearing down the hall. Diana remained in the living room and watched over everything while her client took a shower. Soon they would be on the way to the mall for some needed computer parts and whatever else stuck their fancy. Diana might actually buy something this trip. She was looking for another casual outfit, but nothing too casual like short shorts or a crop top... she already had a pair of short shorts courtesy of Angela Helton.

[Post Word Count: 1,114]
[Total Word Count: 1,986/11,000]

-Noon, Capital Crocus Mall-

It was exactly noon when Catherine and Diana strolled into Capital Crocus Mall, which was filled with shoppers of all ages. Catherine's hair was put into a ponytail and she was wearing the same DJ Kraken t-shirt and short blue jean shorts she had worn earlier along with white tennis shoes and an iLac in her right pocket. The black-haired youth also carried a half-finished can of Strawberry Slam in her hand.

Diana had opted to take a shower so that her hair did not look too bad. She also opted to wear the same clothing from yesterday instead of trying on some of Catherine's spare clothing for a "new" outfit. She doubted that anything Catherine had would fit her anyway. Besides, she was not in the habit of wearing other people's clothes. She had learned not to do that the hard way.

The one time she asked to borrow a purple sundress from her second-oldest sister Melody it ended in a one-sided screaming match with Melody screaming about how her younger sister was a "thief out to steal all of her pretty clothes" and screamed at her for even asking to borrow something to begin with. It finished with an angry Elizabeth charging into Melody's room to slap Diana for disturbing the peace. Their mother's slap hit Diana on the right side of her face and the blonde hit the floor. After that Diana never tried to borrow anything from her older sister again.

Melody was a selfish harpy anyway.

Everything in the Winchester household revolved around Melody and what she wanted.

Elizabeth catered to Melody's every whim and was not afraid to trample on Diana to make her second daughter happy. Even the oldest daughter Lucia had to bow down to her mother's pet from time to time and Melody made no secret of how much she enjoyed that. United by their dislike for the selfish Melody, Lucia often defended Diana against their sister's unrelenting selfishness.

Together the pair made their way to the food court and saw that it was full of people waiting to get food. There were also screaming children beginning to make their hunger and discomfort known to anyone within earshot. Diana concluded that there was no way that they were going to get anything to eat any time soon. Catherine took a swig of her drink and commented on the lines.

"Well, that sucks. I was kinda hoping to get some sushi rolls from the Midi restaurant here, but it looks like I'm gonna be waiting awhile." Catherine said to Diana. Diana was not really hungry right now, but she would eat when Catherine ate so that the pair would be on the same page. The black-haired youth turned to Diana and spoke.

"I don't feel like waiting for the next two hours, so let's go to Electronic Gateways on the second floor and see if we can't find the parts I need to finish upgrading my desktop." Catherine told Diana their next course of action. Diana nodded and the pair set out for the stairwell that would take them to the second floor.

-The Second Floor, Electronic Gateways-

Catherine stood outside the electronics store and finished her drink before placing the empty can in the recycle bin while Diana stood just inside the doorway. Once the client had finished her drink she walked into the store and made a beeline for the semicircular counter, where a young female employee with waist-length red hair and a black t-shirt with the store name printed in bronze letters and khaki pants greeted them.

"Hi there! Welcome to Electronic Gateways! I'm Francine and I'll be helping you today!" The employee greeted them. Diana raised a hand in greeting and Catherine walked to the counter and engaged Francine in conversation.

"I'm here for the best graphics card and computer cooling fan you've got. The one I have now is a couple years out of date and I'm looking to replace my computer's cooling fan 'cause it's on its last legs." Catherine dispensed with the pleasantries and cut straight to the chase. Francine smiled and spoke to the raven.

"We just got a shipment of Helios graphics cards in this morning. We also have a new batch of computer cooling fans. What brand and model desktop do you have?" Francine asked Catherine.

"It's one that I've built myself. I'm running an Apollo 1300 graphics card with a Memory Vault 4-terabyte internal hard drive and some other additions." Catherine explained that she was using a desktop that she had built herself. Diana knew that the terabyte was a large amount of memory from computer literacy classes in high school, but she did not know the specs of the Apollo 1300 graphics card and it had been years since she had taken a computer literacy course. Maybe she should purchase one of those Computers For Newbies books on the metal bookshelf on the far right side of the store to refresh herself on how to operate modern computers and what modern computer terminology meant.

While Catherine and Francine discussed the specs of the new parts Diana strolled over to the metal bookshelf and picked up a copy of Computers For Newbies, which had a yellow cover with a light blue band on the top part of the cover to indicate that it was for novices. The books for more advanced users were marked with green and red bands on the top part of the covers: green was for intermediate and red was for expert. Diana decided that the novice level was good enough and strolled to the counter with the book in hand just as Francine went into the back section of the store for employees only.

-Outside Electronic Gateways, twenty minutes later-

"I've got everything I need to finish my desktop. These are both top-of-the-line parts, so I should be good for the next few years." Catherine commented to Diana as the pair stepped outside the electronics store. The raven had spent a little over 30,000 Jewels on the parts; the Helios graphics card cost 15,000 Jewels and the computer fan cost another 15,000 Jewels. When tax was added Catherine paid around 30,500 Jewels for what she needed.

Catherine looked at the copy of Computers For Newbies in Diana's hand and raised an eyebrow.

"It has been years since I have taken a computer literacy course and I would like to refresh my memory." Diana explained why she had purchased the book.

"That's fine, Diana. I forget that not everyone had computer programmers for parents." Catherine replied. Diana took note of the past tense used when she mentioned her parents but did not comment on it. Diana's own parents were referred to in the past tense as well. Diana did not really miss her parents because they were abusive towards her once they learned that she had magic that could kill with a touch. After a brief pause Catherine made a suggestion to the blonde.

"I don't feel like lugging around these parts for someone to steal. Why don't we take these to my house and come back to do some clothes shopping?" Catherine asked Diana.

"That works for me." Diana replied in the affirmative. The pair walked towards the stairwell that would take them back to the first floor. They would go home, drop off the valuable computer parts, and return to do some more shopping.

[Post Word Count: 1,242]
[Total Word Count: 3,228/11,000]

-Inside Capital Crocus Mall, forty minutes later-

Having went back to Catherine's house and dropped off the computer parts the raven had purchased along with Diana's book, the pair were now back inside the mall on the first floor. The mall had somehow gotten to be more crowded than it was forty minutes ago. Diana had no idea how that had happened, but she was not concerned. More people simply meant more people in the mall.

"Welp, it's time to go to The Music Vault and see if they have any DJ Dynamo t-shirts. That should be a good place to start because lately they've added a section of band t-shirts." Catherine said to Diana. Diana nodded and the pair made their way towards the stairwell to ascend to the second floor where The Music Vault was located. They fell in line behind a crowd of fellow shoppers and made their way up the metal stairs.

-On the second floor, inside The Music Vault-

Catherine and Diana stood on the left side of the busy music store browsing the long metal rack of band t-shirts that represented bands and artists from many genres of music. Metal, rock, pop, rap, country, punk, even electronic music were all represented in helpfully labeled sections of the rack. There were plenty of shirts to choose from, so the pair had better get to digging.

"Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us, Diana." Catherine commented before walking over to the section of the rack set aside for electronic groups and artists and began digging while Diana watched. The space around rack was getting crowded by people looking for t-shirts that was branded with their favorite band or artist and Diana figured that the raven had it under control, so she would wait off to the side and let Catherine do her thing. Diana waited about three meters away at a small section of music lacrimas for a metal band named Power Overwhelming. Their latest album was named Power Surge and its cover featured a fist wearing a metal gauntlet on a white background clutching a blue lightning bolt.

Diana watched Catherine sift through the shirts and listened to some metal music playing softly over the store's speakers. The band whose music was playing was Steel Matron and the name of the song was "Steel The Limelight." As the song played Diana gradually learned that the lyrics pertained to a down-on-their-luck indie band that could not catch a record label's attention and decided to gamble on playing in an indie concert. Diana heard the sound of footsteps walking on a wooden stage and a guitar start up before the singing stopped and an intense guitar solo started.

The guitar solo went on for a little over a full minute before it stopped and the singing continued. The lyrics described how the crowd was warming up to the band the more the band played and how some members of the audience paid close attention to the performance. Near the end the lyrics took a hopeful turn as the band's star was rising in the indie scene thanks to the concert and they were getting offers from a few record labels. At the end of the song the sound of a cheering crowd played and echoed until it stopped.

Diana was not a metal fan... she was more into classical music and the occasional pop song from the music idol Sakura Kisagami. Still, she liked the flow of "Steel The Spotlight" and liked the use of guitars, especially in the guitar solo. The guitar solo did not drag out to the point of self-indulgence and was well-executed.

Catherine paused in the middle of the rack, picked up a shirt, and turned to Diana, who briskly walked to the raven's side.

"Oh, there you are! I found a DJ Dynamo shirt!" Catherine said, holding up a blue t-shirt with a white lightning bolt in the middle. Diana looked at it and gave a thumbs-up. Catherine then held it up against herself.

"This is just my size! I'm buying it!" Catherine said triumphantly. Diana was pleased that the raven managed to find the shirt she wanted in the right size. Catherine then handed Diana the shirt, then turned back to the rack and began sifting through it.

"I'm gonna find one in your size!" Catherine said. Even though she was surprised by that Diana kept a neutral facial expression.

"That is not necessary." Diana tried to dissuade the raven from searching, but Catherine was not listening.

"I want to buy you a t-shirt so that you have one too!" Catherine said in a tone that indicated she would not brook dissent. Diana, resigned to wearing a DJ Dynamo t-shirt to tonight's concert, decided to acquiesce.

"Very well then." Diana said. She would have to pick her battles and now was not the time to argue over a t-shirt. Catherine sorted through the shirts until barely three minutes later she pulled out a slightly larger one and held it up against Diana, the back of her hand brushing against Diana's chest and making the huntress' skin crawl.

"This one is just your size! I'll buy it for you!" Catherine declared.

"That is not necessary. I will buy-" Diana started to declare before Catherine put a finger to her lips to silence the huntress.

"I'm buying it and that's final." Catherine said. Diana acquiesced.

"Very well then." Diana said. A smiling Catherine took the shirt from Diana and took both shirts to the counter to pay for them while Diana followed close behind. Catherine reached the counter and paid for them, then took the bag they had been put into with her left hand and faced Diana.

"I've got what I came for in The Music Vault, Diana. It's still too early to go home and get ready for the concert. What do you want to do from here?" Catherine asked the blonde.

"I have no set agenda. I will go wherever you want to go." Diana replied. Catherine looked at the huntress and smiled.

"Let's go browse some more!" Catherine said. Diana nodded and followed the raven out of The Music Vault and onto the second floor of the mall. Hopefully they would not be going to Intimate Secrets. Diana would rather go anywhere but Intimate Secrets.

[Post Word Count: 1,060]
[Total Word Count: 4,288/11,000]

-On the second floor-

Catherine and Diana made a loop of the second floor and walked by Intimate Secrets, the lingerie shop that Angela Helton had literally dragged Diana into during their time at the mall. Catherine looked towards the shop and Diana felt her stomach begin to turn a flip. The huntress found herself hoping that she would not have to go in there and endure more overly cheerful saleswomen trying to get her to buy push-up bras. Thankfully Catherine walked by without giving it a second glance, something that caused a wave of relief to wash over Diana.

Unfortunately for her, her relief was short-lived because she was grabbed from behind in a bear hug.

"Hey Diana! How ya doing?" A female voice greeted her. The huntress' skin crawled in more ways than one. She turned around to find herself standing face-to-face with Amber, the black-haired young woman she had met while waiting in line for the DJ Dynamo concert outside Boomslang.

Amber was wearing a midriff-baring red tank top and dangerously short black skirt... Diana did not see how she walked around in such a short skirt. A strong breeze could easily blow her skirt around and cause her great embarrassment. Then again, Amber probably did not care.

"Hello, Amber." Diana calmly greeted the second raven once her skin stopped crawling from the unexpected embrace. Catherine turned to face Amber and her face lit up.

"Hey Amber!" Catherine greeted the other raven.

"Hey Cathy! I haven't seen you in years, not since high school!" Amber warmly returned the greeting. The pair embraced as Diana watched. Diana had wondered how the two had known each other and now she had the answer. They were apparently classmates in high school.

Diana had forgotten what that was like since she had very few friends in her private high school. She had had only four friends her age and all of them were young women. The blonde had kept to herself and did not go out of her way to make friends because her "other" job on behalf of her parents took a lot of her free time. She also did not want to make friends with anyone because she might have to leave them behind for one reason or another.

"How ya been, Cathy?" Amber asked.

"Not too bad, Amber. I have a day off today and I'm going to the DJ Dynamo concert tonight. How about you?" Catherine asked Amber. Amber gave a wide smile.

"Me too, Cathy! Is Diana there going with ya?" Amber asked.

"Diana's going with me. She's my guest this evening." Catherine replied in the affirmative. Amber was pleased to hear that. Diana was not so thrilled to hear that Amber would be going.

"What are you two doing here?" Amber asked Catherine.

"I came here for some computer parts, but now that I've got them we're just killing time until the concert." Catherine answered.

"You're still working with computers, huh?" Amber asked. Catherine nodded.

"Yeah, I work with computers. I work at a local repair shop and do some freelance work from time to time. It pays well, but the hours are long. I can't complain, though." Catherine answered. Diana knew exactly what Catherine meant by long hours. The job at Fulci Hospital was one that involved long hours and hazards greater than what the typical computer person faced. Not all jobs involved going into a zombie-infested hospital in the company of an armed escort just to get some data.

Diana wondered about the data from the hospital that had been so heavily encrypted. It was not the patient records because Mister Burke said that those were open for perusal. It had to be something else, but neither Mister Burke nor Catherine were talking. Diana recalled that Mister Burke had said that the data was so heavily encrypted that it would take some time to decrypt it and learn what it was. Diana was in no hurry to find out either.

Diana suspected that it had something to do with that Dr. Carlisle mentioned in the hospital e-mails. She suspected that he had some connection to the data and wondered if it pertained to some unethical research he was covering up or something less sinister and more mundane like an affair with one of the hospital staff members or perhaps even a patient. Maybe one day she would find out.

"Me, I'm working at the local hospital as a nurse. It's long hours and a lot of night shifts, but I can't complain about the pay." Amber spoke about her own job. Diana was interested to hear that. She had read in the Fulci Hospital e-mails that Capital Crocus was one of the two hospitals that had sent medevac choppers to Fulci Hospital to get the uninfected patients to safety before it was overrun. She had also read that Dr. Carlisle had fled Fulci on board a medevac chopper, leaving the rest of the staff to their fates. Perhaps Dr. Carlisle was laying low somewhere in Capital Crocus.

"Well, I'd better get going. I'm going in Intimate Secrets. Are you coming with me?" Amber asked Catherine. A feeling of unease gripped Diana. She hoped that Catherine would say no and the pair would go to another store. Diana hoped and hoped that Catherine would say no.

"Sure! I've got nothing else to do!" Catherine replied.

Diana's hopes were destined to be dashed.

"Great!" Amber replied. Diana was not so happy. That meant that she was going to have to endure sales pitches for undergarments for as long as the trio was in there. Still, it beat being in Fulci Hospital and learning more of the story behind the tragedy that had overtaken that facility. It also beat being in the company of Francesca Corlone by a long shot.

"C'mon Diana, let's go inside!" Catherine said as she followed Amber into Intimate Secrets. Diana was going to hate every moment of this. The huntress followed the two ravens in anyway.

-Inside Intimate Secrets-

"Hello ladies! Welcome to Intimate Secrets! I'm Beth!" A young woman with short brown hair and a company uniform greeted the trio. She seemed to be enchanted by Diana, a fact that was not lost on the huntress. Diana kept quiet and let the two black-haired young women do the talking. Amber was the first to step up to the plate.

"Hey Beth! I'm looking for some push-up bras. Do you have any?" Amber asked. Diana could not help but to notice what Amber had asked for. Some cosmic entity had a strange sense of humor.

[Post Word Count: 1,104]
[Total Word Count: 5,392/11,000]

-Outside Intimate Secrets, one hour later-

After an hour spent in the lingerie store Catherine and Amber emerged with a bag apiece while Diana was just glad to exit the store. True to her worst fears she was stuck fending off overly cheerful saleswomen asking her if she wanted to try on push-up bras and other items of intimate apparel. Diana managed to politely decline, but that hour of standing around waiting for Catherine and Amber to finish shopping was an awkward one. It seemed that Beth was really into the blonde because she looked in Diana's direction any chance she got.

"Now that we've done that, what do we do next?" Catherine asked Amber and Diana.

"I say we go to that store called Fashionable Lady! There's a perfume that I've been after for weeks that's imported from Ca-Elum. It's called Ca-Elum Waves!" Amber suggested to Catherine. Diana remained quiet while she held onto the bags from The Music Vault. She was just here to make sure that Catherine's shopping trip went by safely... and to hold onto the shopping bags.

"OK, let's go!" Catherine agreed with her fellow raven's suggestion. The two quickly handed their Intimate Secrets bags to Diana and walked briskly towards the stairwell, threatening to leave the blonde behind. The hapless blonde quickly hurried after her charges, trying not to get left behind by the two ravens who were already descending the stairwell by the time she could get to it.

-On the first floor, inside Fashionable Lady, twenty minutes later-

Diana had gotten caught in the stairwell and foot traffic had slowed to a crawl as a screaming child demanded that his parents go to a shop on the third floor and buy him a Nessa Cordelia Lux plush doll. When they refused the child threw a temper tantrum that made everyone's ears bleed with the volume and frequency at which he screamed for minutes on end. Any attempt to quiet him to get traffic moving again only made the child angry and sent him into another screaming fit. The acoustics of the confined space did not help matters at all.

With a lot of angry, halfway deaf people glaring at them and clearly at their wit's end, the parents agreed to go purchase the Nessa doll and the child immediately stopped screaming... the family went up the stairs to the third floor and traffic resumed moving again. Once the situation had been resolved Diana made a beeline for Fashionable Lady and ignored the whistles and catcalls from some men gathered outside the sports bar that was several meters away from Fashionable Lady.

When Diana stepped inside the store her ears were still ringing from the child's screaming. She walked at a slow pace to try and find Catherine and Amber. She had no idea where they had went and was going to have to find them. She recalled Amber looking for a perfume imported from Ca-Elum and immediately began to look around the perfume section for the missing raven.

A variety of scents made their way to Diana's nose as she walked and looked for her missing charges. She walked around the left side of the store and spotted a flash of black hair in the makeup section about 50 meters away, so the huntress made a beeline for that area and listened to the piped-in music playing over the overhead speakers. It was a generic pop tune that featured a young woman singing about meeting her boyfriend at the docks of Hargeon Town under the moonlight. Diana kept any critique of the song to herself as she approached the makeup section and saw Amber standing next to Catherine in an aisle of lipstick with a bag in her hand. Evidently Amber had found what she was after.

Amber turned left and saw Diana. The raven waved at her and Diana quickened her pace to meet up with the nurse before she and Catherine darted off somewhere else and Diana had to chase them down a second time.

"Hey Diana! I thought you were behind us the whole time!" Amber said to Diana. The blonde kept the snide remarks about being left behind to herself and spoke to the nurse.

"I got caught in a traffic jam in the stairwell. It took almost thirty minutes to resolve." Diana replied calmly, her ears still ringing from all the screaming. That was one reason she never wanted to have children.

"Sorry about that, sweetie!" Amber said, grabbing Diana and hugging her. The huntress' skin crawled as she was embraced against her will. Amber soon let her go, much to the blonde's relief.

Catherine walked over to Diana with nothing to show for her search.

"Eh, I can't find anything worthwhile. I'm just about done here. How about you, Amber?" Catherine asked her fellow raven. Amber nodded.

"I'm good. I found the perfume that I wanted. Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?" Amber asked Catherine. Diana stood by and awaited Catherine's decision while still holding the shopping bags from The Music Vault and Intimate Secrets. It did not take long for Catherine to reach a decision.

"Nah, I'm good. Let's go to my house. The concert's in a few hours and I'd like to try and get my desktop up and running before the concert." Catherine said. Amber nodded and Diana did as well. The trio made their way for the exit; Catherine and Amber took the lead while Diana brought up the rear once again. They were two meters ahead of her and opening the distance... they could certainly move fast.

-Catherine's house, forty minutes later-

The trio had finally made it back to Catherine's house after a brisk forty-minute walk through the busy streets of Capital Crocus. Diana was amazed at how quickly the two black-haired young women could move. She could see Amber being that fast because she was a nurse and nurses had to move quickly between patients, but how was Catherine so fast? Maybe the computer specialist's caffeine habit held the answer.

"Well, we're home. We've got about four or so hours before the concert at Boomslang." Catherine said to Amber and Diana.

"Where would you like your shopping bags to be placed, Catherine?" Diana asked the blue-clad raven.

"You can place them on my bed, thanks." Catherine replied to Diana.

"Same here, Diana. Put my bag on Cathy's bed and I'll pick out my Intimate Secrets bag later." Amber chimed in.

Diana nodded to both ravens and made her way towards Catherine's bedroom to deposit the shopping bags where she had been instructed to put them. Diana was glad to set them down. She was also glad to be out of the mall and have a little time to relax before she went with Catherine and Amber to Boomslang for the DJ Dynamo concert.

[Post Word Count: 1,146]
[Total Word Count: 6,538/11,000]

-Inside Catherine's house, two hours later-

The trio was sitting around Catherine's coffee table eating pizza that the blue-clad raven had ordered from a local pizza restaurant, possibly the same one that was in Capital Crocus Mall. Catherine and Amber had cans of Strawberry Slam soda while Diana had a bottle of water. After the draining experience in the mall with all the running around behind Catherine and Amber she was halfway tempted to get a soda herself, but the huntress decided against it.

"So, do you think this DJ Dynamo concert's gonna be as good as the last one?" Catherine asked Amber between bites of pepperoni pizza.

"You know it is, Cathy. DJ Dynamo's on a roll right now. She's been taking over the charts. Any concert she gives sells out in hours!" Amber replied. Diana did not keep up with the music world, so she would have to take Amber's claim at face value. From what the huntress had heard of the DJ's music it was good, though not as good as DJ Kraken. Diana did not care very much for dubstep, but DJ Dynamo made it tolerable to listen to, if not actually good.

"Hey Diana, do you like DJ Dynamo?" Amber asked Diana, who was drinking from a bottle of water. Diana set it down and turned to the nurse.

"I am not very familiar with electronic music, but I like DJ Dynamo. She has a talent for mixing the right sounds to make a good track." Diana admitted that while she was not familiar with the female DJ's body of work, what the huntress had heard was rather good. Amber smiled.

"I like her a lot. She's my favorite musician... I like her even more than I do DJ Kraken. Speaking of Undersea Life artists, I heard that DJ Dynamo's working on a collaboration with DJ Beluga and DJ Krill!" Amber told Diana a rumor that was circulating around the music world. Diana was interested to hear that. She had once went to DJ Krill's birthday party on board a private ship and found his music to be kind of good, though not quite as good as DJ Kraken's.

"I like DJ Kraken the best 'cause he just has something about him that makes his music feel real. Maybe it's because he used to be a street kid from Magnolia Town who worked his ass off in the underground scene before Undersea Life picked him up." Catherine put forth her favorite musician and defended her choice. Diana suspected that the computer specialist was a fan of the underdog. Maybe Catherine had been an underdog once in her life, but if she ever had down and just about out, she was not telling.

"I can't argue with that, Cathy. I just like DJ Dynamo better for some reason. She seems like the type who's being true to herself and not just putting on an image." Amber admitted that her friend's choice of musician was a good one and explained why she liked the female DJ over DJ Kraken. Catherine nodded and took a sip of Strawberry Slam.

"Yeah. I can respect DJ Dynamo because she came from nothing just like DJ Kraken. She worked her way up the indie circuit and got picked up by Power Plant Records. Now she's selling out concerts and making hit after hit. I doubt she'll ever have to worry about money again." Catherine told a bit of DJ Dynamo's backstory. Diana had never known that DJ Dynamo used to be poor. Then again, she did not keep up with the music scene like Catherine and Amber did. All Diana knew was that a lot of big-name musicians played at Boomslang and that those concerts were incredibly popular.

"What kinda music do you like, Diana?" Amber asked Diana out of the blue. The huntress did not have to think terribly hard about her answer.

"I like classical music the best. I grew up with it. Vivaldi, Beethoven, Mozart... all of them were familiar names." Diana replied, risking the pair finding out more about her than she would have liked. The blonde remained silent and did not volunteer anything else about herself while waiting for Catherine and Amber to respond.

"That's nice, Diana. Me, I could never get into it, not even the big names that you just mentioned. The music's just too slow for my liking." Amber chimed in.

"I like Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, especially Winter. I like the use of the violin." Diana volunteered that much about herself.

"Eh, I never got into classical music either. Just like with Amber, I find it too slow to really get into. I don't care for violins or the piano. More power to you, Diana." Catherine added her two Jewel's worth to the conversation. Diana did not mind that her companions did not care for classical music. She was just glad that they were not asking any probing questions like who her family was or where she came from.

"Do you think that DJ Dynamo's gonna play any new tracks or give us more of the same?" Amber asked Catherine while Diana sipped from her bottle of water and listened to the conversation.

"I'm sure she's got a new track or two up her sleeve. She always brings something new to the table." Catherine expressed confidence that something new would be played at the concert in Boomslang. Diana did not care if DJ Dynamo played any new tracks or not. She was just glad to get to go to the concert and live like a normal person for awhile.

"I think she does too, Cathy. DJ Dynamo's pretty good about coming up with new tracks." Amber said. She then thought of something else to add to the conversation.

"Oh, did you hear? DJ Dynamo's younger sister is trying to get signed to Power Plant Records!" Amber exclaimed. Catherine took an interest in the statement and so did Diana. That might mean work for her later down the road.

"What's her name?" Catherine asked.

"DJ Ampere." Amber answered.

"Interesting. I've never heard of her." Catherine added.

"DJ Ampere's been in her older sister's shadow for quite some time now. She's been patiently working the indie circuit like her older sister. She's almost made it to the big time and now she wants to get signed by Power Plant Records so that she can get her name out there to a larger audience." Amber explained why DJ Ampere was not a household name just yet. Diana was not sure if DJ Dynamo and DJ Ampere would ever collaborate, but it was within the realm of possibility. The huntress would keep an eye out for future work involving the two DJs.

[Post Word Count: 1,126]
[Total Word Count: 7,664/11,000]

-One hour later, outside Boomslang-

Catherine and Diana had decided to head to Boomslang early to secure their place in line because the concert promised to be packed and they did not want to wait half the concert and get in just as it was ending. The pair sauntered up to the line and noted that they were fiftieth and fifty-first in line respectively. It looked like it was going to be a long wait to get in.

"I'm glad we got here when we did or we might be waiting even longer than we're gonna wait." Catherine said to Diana. The blonde was used to long waits, so she was not bothered by the prospect of a wait like her black-haired client was. Diana only made a statement of agreement, nothing more.

"As am I." Diana said and left it at that. She saw the line inch up just a bit and she and Catherine inched up accordingly. Diana looked behind her and saw nine more people form the tail of the line. None of the people behind her were Amber.

"Where is your friend Amber?" Diana asked Catherine out of curiosity.

"She'll be here in a little while. She had to go change her clothes." Catherine answered. That was good enough for Diana, so she let the matter drop then and there. She turned to face the front of the line and inched forward whenever the opportunity presented itself. After a couple chances to move up Catherine and Diana were now forty-eighth and forty-ninth respectively.

-Thirty minutes later-

The lined had moved forward a bit as people got out of line because they were either frustrated by the long wait, had forgotten their paper tickets, had lost battery life to their iLacs which contained the information pertaining to e-tickets, needed to use the bathroom, needed to get food before the concert, or a variety of other reasons. Catherine and Diana remained exactly where they were. Catherine had made it a point to recharge her iLac while they were at her house and they had made it a point to go to the bathroom before leaving the house. They had also eaten, so food would not be an issue. All they would really need to pay for was drinks, which were so expensive that buying three or four all but nullified any savings to be gained by eating before going to the concert.

Catherine and Diana were now thirty-first and thirty-second respectively. They waited patiently for another chance to move up a bit, a chance which did not seem to be coming for awhile because there was a delay up front caused by a red-haired young woman in a pink tank top and very short white skirt who Diana recognized as Kenzie Roberts. The blonde frowned. Not her again.

While they were waiting for the line to move up Catherine casually checked the time on her iLac and noted what time it was.

"We've got about thirty minutes before the concert starts. Unless we get really lucky we're gonna be standing out here after it starts." Catherine notified Diana, who simply nodded in response. If Kenzie Roberts was involved the delay would be a lot longer. From what little Diana had seen of her in Capital Crocus Mall during her visit with Angela Helton, Kenzie delighted in throwing her weight around and terrorizing workers who had no means of stopping her from abusing them. Diana was sure that Kenzie was making a scene because someone dared to tell her no or had committed some other great crime against a spoiled socialite. Diana heard the sound of screaming and knew that the socialite was making a scene.

Catherine sighed and looked towards the front. She spotted the redhead and sighed again.

"Great. Just great. It's Kenzie Roberts throwing a temper tantrum. She did the same damn thing in high school every time something didn't go the way she wanted it to." Catherine said to Diana as the shrill screaming continued. A bystander could be forgiven for thinking that someone was being murdered near the front of the line, but it was only the screaming tantrum of a spoiled socialite. Diana made out a few words about "a card being declined" and Kenzie's shrill screaming that the hapless worker was "a lazy asshole."

"I have encountered her before." Diana remarked calmly. Catherine gave the blonde a look of sympathy.

"Kenzie always got away with stunts that would get other people suspended, if not outright expelled from school. One time she slapped a teacher for telling her not to talk in math class. When the teacher reported her to the principal for assault Kenzie screamed and cried in front of the principal until she got out of trouble. The teacher had to apologize to Kenzie for reprimanding her, which was a load of bullshit if I ever saw one." Catherine explained how she knew that the redhead was putting on an act and gave an example of the kind of stunts she could get away with using her well-rehearsed act. Diana winced. She had encountered that same kind of entitled attitude from Francesca Corlone both as Diana Winchester and as "Margaret DuBois."

"She'd scream until your ears bled and if that wasn't enough she'd start crying like someone had run over her dog. It always worked like a charm for her. She should be glad that her daddy's a shipping magnate in Hargeon Town who has a lot of money. Otherwise she would have gotten into trouble long ago." Catherine opined further as the loud screeching continued. Both young women felt sorry for the hapless worker who was enduring Kenzie Roberts' wrath. People behind them began to grumble about the holdup and wished that the line would just go ahead and move up some more.

"How charming." Diana snarked. Catherine chuckled a little.

"You shoulda had math class with her. By the end of a two-hour class with her you'd long for death. She'd always drop hints that she didn't need math class because her needs would be taken care of thanks to her rich family. She'd also talk to her toadies during class and make it harder for the rest of us to focus on the lesson." Catherine gave Diana a glimpse into how difficult the entitled redhead made it for everyone around her. Diana turned her head towards the front and listened. The screaming continued without an end in sight. The huntress wondered if Kenzie would ever shut up and go to the concert or just go away and let other people have a fun night out.

[Post Word Count: 1,108]
[Total Word Count: 8,772/11,000]

-Inside Bloomslang, thirty minutes later-

Thanks to Kenzie Roberts and her selfish behavior Catherine and Diana were nearly late for the concert. Kenzie Roberts had thrown a tantrum that lasted almost fifty minutes before she finally stormed off in defeat, but not before vowing to sue Boomslang for their "piss-poor customer service." Everyone in the line was glad to see the back of her and a few people even cheered when she was out of earshot. In compensation for the unreasonable delay, the club had sent out more employees with scanners to speed up the process of checking in guests for the DJ Dynamo concert.

Thanks to those employees the pair got into Boomslang just in time for them to be among the first in line for the VIP section. Catherine and Diana walked through the public part of the club where people were dancing to dubstep music being played by Power Plant Records' newest addition, a DJ named DJ Watt. DJ Watt was a short and skinny blonde woman who looked to be slightly over five feet tall. She wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans with sandals.

Diana turned her head and watched the young DJ man the turntable. DJ Watt did a fifteen-second buildup with a track that gradually increased in tempo until the time was just right, then DJ Watt did a bass drop. A good portion of the crowd cheered and danced with renewed energy. The huntress was not sure how exactly dubstep music and bass drops worked, but the DJ seemed to have a handle on it because the crowd seemed to like her. Perhaps Diana would get to see DJ Watt in concert one day when it came her turn to be the main event of a Power Plant production.

Diana stopped behind Catherine, who stopped in front of a burly bouncer in black and showed him their tickets. He checked them with a handheld scanner to make sure that she was not pulling a fast one on him. Once they were confirmed to be genuine he took the tickets and handed them VIP passes on a blue lanyard. The pair obligingly put them on and the pair went through the double doors into the VIP section to hear the sound of pounding music vibrating the walls.

-Inside the VIP section-

The walls of the VIP section had the look of a power plant; they were steel gray and had WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE signs on them plus the occasional false fuse box. While Diana had seen this exact setup before, she was pleased that the club had kept what worked because the decor really fit the theme for a DJ Dynamo concert. Catherine thought so too and spoke to Diana about it.

"I like this decor. It looks like a lot of effort was put into it and it really fits the theme of the concert." Catherine commented. Diana nodded in agreement as the pair carefully made their way past a few young couples chatting near the walls and made their way to the upstairs bar, where the creative counter sat. Just like last time the counter was jet black but flashed the occasional "spark" of electricity to stay true to the power plant theme that the rest of the VIP section had.

Catherine took the lead and sidled up to the bar while Diana hung back and observed the interaction between the raven and the bartender, a young woman with electric blue hair who was wearing a jumpsuit to keep with the "power plant" theme.

"I'd like a screwdriver, please." Catherine placed her drink order. The bartender nodded and produced a bottle of vodka and a container of orange juice. The screwdriver was mixed within the space of two minutes and presented to the raven. Catherine took it and drank it in one chug, then gently set the shot glass on the counter.

"Another, please." Catherine requested. The bartender obliged, making another screwdriver with machine-like precision and presenting the shot to Catherine within two minutes of the order being placed. Again Catherine drank the beverage in one chug and gently set the glass down. The bartender moved to make another and the raven held a hand up in refusal.

"Two screwdrivers are enough, thanks. How much do I owe?" Catherine asked about the total. The bartender told her the sum and Catherine gladly paid it, handing the Jewels directly to the bartender. The young woman dropped them into the cash register and moved to hand some back as change. Catherine accepted them then almost immediately deposited her change into a tip jar located to the right of the cash register.

The bartender nodded in appreciation and turned to Diana. Diana walked up to the counter and Catherine sat down on the stool beside her, then spoke to the blonde.

"Mind if we wait for Amber here?" Catherine asked Diana. Diana nodded.

"Not at all. We can wait here for her." Diana replied calmly before turning back to the bartender, who was waiting patiently on Diana to finish the conversation and place her drink order.

"I would like a glass of ice water, please." Diana requested. The blue-haired bartender nodded and immediately began preparing the ice water. While the blonde waited her client spoke to her.

"You're drinking ice water?" Catherine asked Diana. Diana turned to her and nodded.

"I do not drink on the job." Diana answered calmly but in no uncertain terms. Catherine did not need to know that the huntress did not drink alcohol at all, but Diana was telling the truth when she had made her claim. She did not drink on the job because she needed to stay focused at all times, even in a "safe" place like the VIP section of Capital Crocus' most upscale and popular bar.

"I can respect that. I don't drink on the job either and when I do drink I don't drink to excess. Two screwdrivers is enough for me to be happy." Catherine gave respect for Diana's refusal to drink on the job while admitting she followed the same policy. Diana could respect that about the computer specialist. Considering her own mother's problem with alcohol and the pain it caused to Diana, drinking was about appealing to the huntress as a visit to the dentist.

Diana was given the glass of ice water by the bartender. Diana took the glass in both hands and held it steady, then took a sip from it. She was satisfied with the water and nodded in appreciation. One sip told Diana that this was not common tap water that everyone in Capital Crocus got from their kitchen faucets, but was instead premium filtered water kept on hand for customers who did not want alcoholic drinks. Aside from several of her jobs taking her here and the quality of the concerts hosted by the bar, the option to drink ice water instead of alcohol without being ridiculed for her choice was one of many reasons Diana kept coming back to Boomslang.

While Diana leisurely sipped from her glass of ice water Catherine looked around at the decor and waited for Amber's arrival. Diana wondered if Amber had gotten caught in another line of people waiting to get inside Boomslang for the DJ Dynamo concert. Maybe the young woman would arrive soon so that they could go to the concert section and listen to DJ Dynamo's latest tracks.

[Post Word Count: 1,242]
[Total Word Count: 10,014/11,000]

-At the bar, thirty minutes later-

Amber had arrived thirty minutes later than intended wearing an outfit that was the reverse of the outfit she had worn earlier today. Instead of a red midriff-baring tank top and black skirt she was now wearing a black midriff-baring tank top and red skirt. Amber was apologetic as she hurried up to Diana and Catherine, who had been sitting patiently at the bar waiting for their companion.

"I'm so sorry, guys! The line was really long and some creepy guy kept hitting on me and trying to touch my butt, so I called the police to him and he ran away and now-" Amber started apologizing for being late and explaining her reason before Catherine put a finger to the black-haired nurse's lips.

"Shhhh, Amber. It's OK now. Let's just go to the concert." Catherine said to Amber, who blushed and nodded. Diana wordlessly stood up and the trio left the bar to enter the concert area, where the concert was already well underway.

-Inside the concert venue-

The two ravens and the blonde entered the concert room to find it packed full of people dancing to the music... or trying to dance. The stage had been set up with two fake transformers spewing sparks on occasion and large speakers placed in front of the fake transformers. Between the transformers sat DJ Dynamo's turntables and the DJ herself was manning them.

Pumping out of the speakers was a dubstep beat interspersed with air raid sirens that sounded a lot like those Diana had employed during the Urban Nights event where she for a short time she had dabbled in being a DJ. It was an enjoyable experience, but the huntress was not cut out to be a DJ because she had benefited from a crowd that had had a few drinks and was not able to judge her music as harshly as they would have if they were sober.

Amber and Catherine struggled to find a clear part of the dance floor while Diana struggled to find an empty seat to sit in. She had no interest in dancing. While she had been taught ballroom dancing as a teenager and could do a passable job of it, she had no knowledge of other dance styles and had no time or inclination to learn them.

After a brief search Diana lucked out and found a metal folding chair sitting against the bottom right corner. She quickly swooped in and claimed it, sitting down calmly while Amber and Catherine continued to struggle to find a clear part of the dance floor to dance on. The music track switched to an electronic beat with a heavy bass drum for a backing track and an air raid siren that sounded every forty-five seconds.

Diana looked around her and saw a lot of young people her age dancing to the music... or trying to dance. There was always one or two people who had had too much to drink and were flailing about in a painful mockery of dance. Unfortunately one of them was a young woman with waist-length red hair wearing a blue DJ Dynamo t-shirt exactly like Catherine's and a very short black skirt. She was wobbling on her feet and was heading directly for Diana!

"WATCH OUT!" She yelled at Diana. Her warning was barely audible over the music, but it gave Diana just enough time to brace herself for impact. Diana felt a jolt as the young woman fell into her lap. The huntress was relieved to see that the chair did not give way under their combined weight. The redhead turned around to face her rescuer and blushed.

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry about that!" She apologized for using Diana as a cushion and quickly got up to spare Diana any further embarrassment from the awkward situation. Diana could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"It is no problem." Diana replied calmly. She was not sure if she had been heard above the music, but the redhead nodded. Diana watched as Catherine and Amber approached the pair and soon made it a quartet. Diana stood in the bottom right corner of the square while Sally formed the bottom left; Catherine formed the top left corner while Amber occupied the top right.

"Sally, is that you?" Catherine asked the redhead.

"CATHERINE!" Sally shouted. She embraced the computer specialist while Amber and Diana looked on. Moments later Sally released Catherine and embraced Amber, who embraced her friend.

"We know each other from high school. Sally's one of our best friends." Catherine explained to Diana how the trio knew each other. Amber lent Sally a shoulder and the pair stood in front of Catherine and Diana.

"We're gonna go to the bar and get some ice water. We'll be back in a bit." Amber said to them. Catherine nodded and so did Diana. Amber gently guided Sally out of the concert venue while Catherine stayed behind with Diana close to the dance floor.

Catherine turned to Diana.

"Do you mind if we go back to the bar to chat with Sally?" Catherine asked Diana. Diana nodded.

"It will not be a problem." Diana replied. The safety of Catherine, Amber, and now Sally was of greater concern to the huntress than attending the DJ Dynamo concert was. Catherine and Diana soon left the concert venue and returned to the bar to chat with their friends... or Catherine went to chat with her friends while Diana watched over them. The huntress was not sure if that guy who had creeped Amber out had sneaked into the VIP section, so she kept an eye out for trouble while the quartet claimed a table in the bottom corner of the bar to sit at together.

-Four hours and forty-five minutes later, Catherine's house-

The quartet got home late from the concert, which was very loud but very good. DJ Dynamo introduced several new tracks she had written and dropped a big hint that her next concert would involve a "special guest" that was close to her. After that the quartet had left because Amber had work the next afternoon and she needed to get some sleep, then wake up and get a shower, then go home and change into her work clothing.

Amber, Catherine, and Diana were sober while Sally was starting to sober up enough that she could walk on her own. Catherine spoke to them.

"It's pretty late, so I don't want any of you going home on your own, especially since that guy who tried to get handsy with Amber is still out there. Everyone's staying at my place, no ifs, ands, or buts." Catherine laid down the law. Diana did not complain. Neither did Amber or Sally.

"OK, I've got a guest bedroom with a bathroom. Amber, do you mind sharing it with Sally?" Catherine asked Amber. Amber shook her head.

"No, I don't have a problem with that arrangement." Amber replied. Catherine smiled.

"OK, you take Sally into the guest bedroom and look after her. She's sobering up, but I don't want her to slip and fall in the shower or something." Catherine instructed Amber. The raven nodded and gently began to guide the redhead towards the guest bedroom. That left only Diana to be accommodated.

"Diana, do you mind sleeping on the couch?" Catherine asked the blonde. Diana shook her head.

"I have no problem with that arrangement." Diana echoed Amber's response.

"Great. You know where the refrigerator and everything else is. I'll see you tomorrow!" Catherine said before turning to walk towards her bedroom. She got four steps before she turned around and spoke to Diana again.

"And thanks for looking after me and my friends. Looking after them at Boomslang was more than you signed on for, but I mean it. Thank you." Catherine thanked Diana from the bottom of her heart. Diana nodded.

"It is no problem." Diana replied. Catherine then turned around and walked for her bedroom, leaving the huntress alone in the living room. She sat on the couch and faced the door. She would "stand" watch in case Amber's unwanted follower decided to do a home invasion to get to Amber. Diana had a long night ahead of her, but she did not mind if it meant protecting her client and their friends... Diana always completed the contract, after all.

[Post Word Count: 1,402]
[Total Word Count: 11,416/11,000]