Many Hands Make Light Work (Mel/Sam/Open)

[Tamrine]

Smiling big and as bright as if she were the Mary the Queen herself Tam dropped her practiced American accent. “Ooh I likes you. Dis auld dreck. Aye found it in the goodwill and tailoered it for mae.”

Feeling more than seeing she knew Samuel was looking ta her weirdly. It’d clearly bene awhile since he’d heard the true tongue of their shared past. She knew better than to keep poking the bear. So as Memphic checked her phone and she fought to keep form reading her screen she cleared her throat.

“So Samuel are we setting folks free or kicking them in their backsides so that someone can have the power for themselves. Either is good enough cause for me so long as I get to see the Dubh Leomhann scourge of Gàidhealtachd in action again.”

As Memphis came back from her phone Tam moved closer to her and threw the arm she was leaning on around her shoulder. “Ye know we are going to be fast friends. I’ll show you how to sew and you’ll show me all of your wonderful tricks.”



Speaking comspiritorially she lowered her voice to just a rumble "B’sides have I got stories to tell about these two galoots. It will be a high old time between all the blood and fighting."

[Hieronymous]

Hiero knew that Tammy was being her open and honest self yet the woman was no slouch and was targeting Mel as she sensed something wasn’t as she expected. She would befriend Mel and scout him as well as Smauel at the same time. Sadly without making it apparent thathe didn’t want her to her ewas nothing to be done. It was idle talk. And in the end it mihght be a good thing for Mel to see other lionesses in as clos eto their natural environment as possible. Tammy was a wild card for some thing s and he was thankful they ahad a bolthole no one was aware of. They might sneak off just to talk and digest what was happening here.



“Samuel.” He began catching his brothers attention. He knew that depite his calm exterior he really was out of sorts. That was a liability in the making if it was allowed to fester. They needed him distracted fromthem but focused on his need so that they could get in and out without falling prey to some elaborate plan he might, no definitely had. Hiero thought perhaps he mihght have done too gooda job throwing him off the scent.



“Is this vehicle safe? If so we might should go over in detail some of the issues we are her eto help with.” Yes it was a refocusing none too subtle but in the end that’s whatthis situation needed.

[Mel Haze]

She heard the question and listened for answers while not listening overtly. Then the arm and her lioness raised her head curious about the other but made no moves. She smiled as calm as she could and the promise of stories had her genuinely interested. She'd love to know more and peeked at Samuel around the other.

Heiro speaking cut through everything and she half peeked at him. Almost wanting to ask if it had to do with the issue a police headquarters but knowing hiero was best to do the questions.

[Samuel Banks-Walker]

Withoout meaning t Samuel had focused s far in that he was mildly unaware of what exactly was taking place in the vehicle. He was working out the angles of how Mouse had managed to not only surprise him by coming in person but also how he’d found Tamrine. He had left his sordid and less than stellar past in Scotland so many year ago as to have it quantify as a different life. An idyllic one that ended in blood and death. With it he’d left her as well yet here she was. In the flesh bearing the marks of his past mistakes on her skin. He knew it wasn’t done on purpose but he could not look at her without seeing what he had once been and what could have been his life had things worked out far differently.





As such he retreated within. He analyzed everything focusing on the whole of the tapestry instead of the threads and dare he say it he daydreamed on what could have been. On what yet could still be if this was settled anywhere near where he was hoping.



When Mouse spoke he turned slightly in his seat taking in the motley band and really considering. Mouse brought himself and three lionesses. Two he assumed were brawlers and the third a little young and undeveloped he assumed was a support person. Judging from her nonstop clacking on her phones keyboard he thought hacker. He could be wrong but doubted it as even as she was watching the scenery she clacked away. Silent as her keyboard was in the vehicle with this much enclosed space and their senses she might as well have been typing on a typewriter.



“The vehicle is as safe as I could make it. I’d assumed your whole party would be here. But in the broad strokes the plan is this I have pinpointed seven locations where the Silver Moon Pack calls their own. We will move on each of them. Starting with the most heavily defended. Forcing them to retreat and regroup at their most unsecure location.” He let the gist of that sink in before moving on. “Once they have begun securing the location we will move in I have associates at this very moment insuring that we will have a relatively undetected way in. Once there we will kill them to the man save their leader him we will leave alive and maybe one or two others so the police can detain them. In the offing we will find who is aiding them and who their allies are then we will move on them and route them out of the city.”



Having pretty much admitted to each of them being party to the murder of a relatively large amount of people he looked from one to the other seeking any blink or dodge in them. Finding none at least noen visible yet he went on. “This pack is a rogue to the city but their numbers are large enough that they are relatively untouchable. The have humans as part of their gang as well. But the true reason is they are one of the top distributers of the Vitamin V drug. We can not allow it to stay in the city they are just now finally clearing Baton Rouge of its touch. If we fail the city is well and truly lost so too is my Pride and everything else.”



Turning back he leaned forward patting the driver’s shoulder alerting him it was time to head to the safehouse. The driver had been doing concentric circles and backtracking to insure they weren’t followed as instructed. Samuel wanted to text or call Monica but refrained he could not allow himself to distract her or be distracted at this juncture.

[Mel Haze]

Listening to what they were about to do and why had her inner cop scrambling to stop and run this was bad so bad they were preparing to slaughter people for being stupid enough to be part of a gang. She needed to talk to hiero stat. Outwardly her only reaction was a raised eyebrow.

This tied back to what she'd seen on the news that meant bears were involved as well. it was a noble cause to stop drug but this was a full out assault on them. She'd fallow orders but she wanted to hear from hiero him self that they were going to do this. That she was going to go in and assassinate who knows how many people today or tomorrow.

[Hieronymous]

The realizations of what Samuel was planning was eye-opening to say the least. Hiero had his reservations but he’d already given his word and voted with his feet he was here. He would help Mel because he was blood, because he was usually right, and because he couldn’t see another way to accomplish the goa that wouldn’t be worse. To save the many the few would be muck beneath their claws and teeth. He was now however worried about the twins. While this was definitely a job for them he wasn’t sure now that they were the best for this job. He knew they had a compunction to lose it when blood was involved. Even with the additional few months of training targeting their weakness it might be best if he sent them away before they got here.



No, he thought it was clear Samuel didn’t have the full support of his Pride which meant that Kasha was not a resource he could use. The rest of the ride was quiet filled with lots of silent thought. Tam quietly gabbed at Mel but it was clear she was bothered though her blankface was great. He could feel her storm on a metaphysical level and as such he walled the two of them off but only just so. Samuel would feel if anything of huge note was taking place.



Once they arrived Hiero pulled Mel to side telling Samuel and the others they would check the perimeter while they waited on the twins to show up. Once they’d made it a block without catching sight of any of Samuels men or women watching he pulled her into a Cuban sandwich shop and sat down so they could talk.



“Okay I know you have reservations, spill.”

[Mel Haze]

She leaned in close like a lover lowering her volume and tried to keep the panic out of her voice." It was not that long ago that I was on the side of the people whose job it was to stop this sort of thing from happening and we are just going to go slaughter who knows how many people despite the fact they are bringing drugs in. Isn't that the polices job to stop it..and he calls for help but it's help committing mass murder "

It took all her efforts not to hand flail and rave. The whole conversation never got above a stage whisper and could have been about anything." I will do what you tell me I promise but tell me something to make it make sense so I don't hesitate when the time comes and put them down like I was trained to "

She had been she'd taken the supernatural training but in the end it hadn't helped she'd still been turned been infected.

[Hieronymous]

He reached across the table resting his hand on hers. He knew the battle she was waging inside. He’d been there more than once. He hoped he wasn’t too jaded or too tainted by his friendship with Sabin his connection to his brother. Hell too close to the decisions he’d made over the years. Each time bloodletting was called for how it became easier to justify. How it became easier to make that call for blood to be shed and lives to be lost. Meeting her eyes, he listened measuring his words carefully. He knew it was a lot to take in and even he struggled with it.



"It is legally murder. But you are not part of that legal system anymore. The truth the very essence of what you are, what we are is anti-legal and downright criminal in seventeen of the contiguous states and forty different countries."



He pat her hand and withdrew his grip. He knew touch made things easier. He knew it was decision she had to make herself. " But in the end that’s a justification. The truth what good we can do here will never outweigh the lives that can and will be taken. We are going in as a scythe to cut away a heart of evil. We will create a vacuum that could be filled with god-knows what but at least we will be making a real and true difference. We will be doing what it will take the police years to uncover and completely rid the city of. It would be a matter of large complete gain versus piecemeal. I won’t demand you to ever take a life. But this is the line. We will be enacting the law of the land the law of the savage garden into our own hands. We will be scouring a wrong from the land. We will be putting ourselves in harms way. We will be risking our lives and no one will ever know. None of the men women and children of this city will ever know how much we risk or the pains we will go to. It is a rough road but as protectors that is what we do."



He sighed knowing that no matter how much he believed it was a battle of faith righting what she was with who she was now.



“In the end the choice is yours. I want you by my side in this I need your inside look of the law. I need your deductive reasoning and brilliant mind. I need you willing to do what is needed and necessary which is why I invited you here with me instead of Ray. He would be okay with the bloodletting but he wouldn’t be of as much use in the minimizing of it. Nor would he be as able as you are to think around the problems and help us stay clear of the police themselves who would see us as no better than those we are stopping.”

[Mel Haze]

She listened to him and sighed her heart was breaking this was the nail in the coffin of her old life. His understanding helped and he didn't seem to want to do it either buy she knew that he'd do it for his brother and in a way he was right they were just as easily in danger their lives on the line. If it saved lives later then maybe it was worth it. " I am happy despite this that you see me and trust who I am and could be "

She smiled and thought the more she thought the more she settled into this course of action " that's pretty great make a girl feel amazing. Ok I get it and I'm not saying it will be cake but my moral crisis has passed. If I see something will he listen to me or do I have to come to you? How much is he allowed to know about what I know and Can do?"

[Hieronymous]

He knew she was even put together as she was was having a time. Even seeingthings almost the same as he it would be difficult to put the life she had away. He like Samuel was born this way. It was who he was he’d learned to be a lion before being a man. It was beat into him. It was driven into the very fabric of his being.



What no one knew was it was harder thinking as human would than he ever let on. The drives of that side of him were simple. Claim hunting territory. Eat. Mate. Kill what isn’t loyal or could harm and protect the Pride. Simple drives really. It was living as more that was the difficulty. It had taken more years than he cared to dwell on which was why he tried as hard as he did.



"Trust is the one thing we have worth any real value to anyone but ourselves. I know what you’re thinking. No not love either. I can’t give you love. I can show you love but no can really give it. It comes from us its always there but certain people show us it’s okay to show it."



Reaching across the table he allowed his aura to open some as he rested his hands against hers. They were home no matter where they went she was his. They were Pride. He offered all of that with a touch and brush of his beast. " Okay. Talk over lets really recon the area see where we are and how far to our bolthole so we can plan routes at least form there to here. And Samuel will listen even if he doesn’t want to he likes strength he respects that and loyalty above all things. Or at least he did."

[Mel Haze]

His talk of love made her scoff some " you have a Regina I know that and I will probably never get it but it's not my place to get. Probably best I'm not involved any way until I am fully ok with me"

His touch still comforted was still home but she'd begun the wall building the shut down that would make her a killer and not let her be killed. " yeah and Petrov was spotted near the area so we might want to keep an eye out for him might want to also bring them up to him as well as a liability."

They left and went to work making a grid and taking notes of everything.

[Hieronymous]

He caught what she meant and hadn’t realized that what he’d said seemed like an, its not you its me, its an us as we are speech. He felt like crap for it but better to have an o=understanding now than one spring up later. He often forgot that his lions had lives before him as much if not more than he had before being their Rex." Valid points about Petrov. Could be a minor hiccup." He stopped their progress on the second work through as he spotted nothing out of the ordinary. It was a good location for them lots of foot traffic. It was a bad location because there was a lot of foot traffic. Even the enclosed garage had activity this late which meant there better had been more out of the way locations for when the work started.



He was preparing to address the moment they’d had but his phone interrupted it was the twins they were in town he gave them the address and hung-up. " The twins are on their way. <Melissa I love you and want you safe with these two. Do not trigger the fight or flight in them. They’ve already lost it in a big way once. I don’t want to have to put them down. If they screw this up I will have to. Lets see if we can protect them from themselves." Taking the outside form force of habit he began the circuitous walk back to their safehouse.



Once they made he stopped in the doorway and watched as Tamrine and Samuel went another of the obviously many rounds they’d gone in their absence. She pressed he countered and if not for either of their experiences it was clear that both would have been hurt. But as it was they fought back ad forth testing each other even as they poured a real workout into their efforts. It was a ritual he hated remembering. They would test each other for weaknesess until one or both gave up. It meant that Tamrine had said too much or stepped over the bounds somehow already. Samuel was wresting control and dominance from her without really hurting her and She was attempting the same. It during sparring was one of the few moments outside of actual battle where a lion would come anywhere near close to harming a lioness.

[Mel Haze]

She faltered in step" They what?..ok I'll try not to be a treat or food but if it's me or them I will shoot to disable seriously but not let them hurt me."

This was madness. Mass murders the people she was supposed to depend on were unstable or frightening and emotional crap storms. When they got back she almost ran into his back then head tilted at the two in front of them. Looking at hiero in askance if they had lost it.

What did they do in this case just let them fight..she edged around them and went to clean her guns and check out the burner.

[Tamrine]

He was still the Dubh Leomhann of Gàidhealtachd. She’d softened around the edges but having me him on the true field of battle she knew what la beneath the well maintained veneer. She’d pushed him and would have to yield but not just yet. She wanted him to do more than break a sweat. She needed to know that he was not only willing but able to go the distance. As he backed her into a corner she threw both hands up and dropped. It put her wholly at his mercy. If he had any left.



He did but he gave a her a slap all the same. She laughed as he checked the swing as even with the crack against her cheek he’d managed to not make her teeth rattle or her ears ring. It was over and done. They would be okay. Her blue eyes met his dark ones and she stood. Nodding silently. She got it he was still to be feared he was still willing to do what was needed. She looked towards Memphis as she came in her aura up. She cocked a head at the Rex Regum and followed her. She knew she could be a handful but she hoped she hadn’t alienated the only lioness that seemed worth entertaining as a friend on this trip.


"Hey wait up," She called after Memphis as she jogged to catch up.

[Samuel Banks-Walker]

It was harder than he wanted to admit not seriously hurting Tamrine. She shouldn’t have been able to get to him but she’d managed it. He held his strength but she was a feisty one and knew her way around combat. They wouldn’t fall into each others beds but they were on a better keel now. He looked to Mouse as he went to pick up a towel. “You two were gone awhile. Everything check out with your cop lioness.” He was trying to get Mouse to say something that would give him an understanding so he picked at the one thing that was visible.



“Don’t worry I won’t say anything to Tam. But its obvious you brought a hacker a cop or ex military lioness and I am guessing the twins you are talking about are your shock troops. You don’t trust Specter after New Orleans and as far as I can tell you haven’t bothered to reach out to Kasha. So you came fast and light with enough balance to handle most situations. Am I right?“