Moonlight Murders

	It was a rainy day in the city, something in which has been a trend for the past week. Dark clouds hung overhead, letting Gods piss rain down on the city like a dog marking its territory. Buildings stood strong and proud across the large cityscape. Large puddles began to form on the low cobblestone streets; a battleground for the people walking on the sidewalks. Street lamps flickered on and off, a demonstration of the bad condition this city's in. Store lights reflected off the wet ground. Anyone that was still open was probably housing refugee's trying to wait the rain out. Like that'd happen.
	A car roared down the street, splashing two young dames trying to get into a diner without getting wet. It was survival of the fittest out there. The girls screamed and swore, flipping the bird at the car turning down the street. Like they'd care. They were trying to get out of the rain too. Anyone and everyone knows driving in the rain was suicide, especially at this hour. Quarter to ten.
	Of course, quarter to ten wouldn't have been that bad. If you weren't in this city. Steelwater. Appropriate name for a city that seems to get rain for months on certain days. Anyone would chalk up the rain as a dimwitted buffoon decided to piss off a Ryu for kicks. But there's no Ryu in this city. Monsters were a dime a dozen here, and for good reason. Formally occupied city to the Paladins, racist mayor who runs the city with an iron fist, you name it. They wouldn't even want to be near this place unless they have a death wish. Which, in a city such as this, everyone does.
	Ten minutes to ten. The diner was remotely quiet, save for its two dames talking to the servers at the front for a change of clothes. Two other men were at the diner, one watching the clock while the other gazing out the window. Anyone who's been to this diner could've told you who they were. Anyone who looked at them could've guessed.
	Trench coats.
	Hats.
	Half eaten doughnuts.
	"You know, I've been thinking of moving out of this city." One of them spoke up, gazing down at his doughnut. The man adjusted his dark coat.
	"Really?" The other watched the second hand reach the six.
	"Yeah. Place's getting toxic, and the misses is thinking of going up north." The man took a bite out of his glazed doughnut.
	Stale. Cold. Just the way he likes it.
	"To Canada?" The other man beckoned one of the waitresses with a hand. The girl nodded and took off to the coffee maker.
	"You ever been there?" The doughnut was finished. "Heard the winters are a thing to behold."
	"They are." The waitress came back with a fresh cup of coffee. Black. No sugar. "Dave's from there."
	"Maybe I can ask him for some pointers." The other man chuckled. "What to avoid and how to survive."
	"He said not to go north." The man in black gave him a look. "As in don't go too north of Canada. Place's crawling with wolves and other monsters."
	"Oh good." The other man said. "If I didn't already deal with that here."
	Five minutes to.
	"You know, Dave's really nice." The other cop took a sip out of his coffee. Bitter. Just the way he likes it. "Do you think everyone from Canada's nice?"
	"They like pancakes." The man took another sip. "You'll be fine." The other man chuckled and went back to gazing out the window. The scenery hasn't changed a bit. Dark skies, rain falling, cars rushing to get home.
	The sudden sound of a phone startled the diner, all except for the coffee drinker. He dug into his pockets and took out a small handheld. With a click, he held it to his ear.
	"Max." The man paused. "On our way." the man pressed the hang up button and got up, causing his partner to follow suite.
	"Chief?"
	"He wants everyone back at HQ." Max placed a twenty on the table with some change.
	"This should be good." The two men walked towards the exit, placing their hats on their heads. Max looked back at the clock and frowned.
	Ten o'clock.

	"Y'all remember the Manticore case, right?" A big burly man stood in front of a whiteboard. His bushy beard matched his large frame. His clothes were visibly straining to keep his frame together. His suspenders pulled on his pants, visibly dying from being stretched out. The man stood in front of a large group of men, all of who sat on small metal chairs as they read the whiteboard.
	"Bunch of drug overdoses, right?" One of the men spoke up. He gave off the aurora of a rookie. "Blood tests suggest they're taking Manticore venom to 'increase their sex drive', but end up getting addicted to it and taking so much they end up dying to shock."
	"That's right." Two men entered the large room, coats drenched in rain. "Pleasure you can join us, Cole. Max."
	"What's this all about, Chief?"
	"For months, these deaths have been surfacing all over. We've went over the Mayors files and there's no record of any Manticore's in this city."
	"Which means we've got a bunch of Manticore’s somewhere in the city." Max said, leaning against the back wall.
	"Were it so easy." The Chief said. He walked to the back of the whiteboard, grabbing something. "We had one of our undercover cops go around the Red Light district -one of the many- and got this." The police chief held up a jar filled with spikes in a green liquid. "Says the guy he got it from calls in Mojo Manticore."
	"Creative name." Cole chuckled.
	"So there's a drug ring." Max said.
	"Not only that, look." The chief pointed at the jar. "Manticore’s only grow five spikes on their tails. This jar has twenty. That's four Manticore’s right there, and according to our spy, they're selling them in bulk."
	"So they must be getting it from a large group of Manticore’s."
	"While we were looking around the Mayors records, we found one thing." The mayor took out a large file. "Two large sixteen wheelers came in here with heavy loads, under the guise of a milk truck going to the grocery store to stalk up."
	"But they never went to the store."
	"No store ever reported any trucks of that size hitting their stores."
	"So they smuggled them in." Max hissed.
	"Bingo." The chief said. "But that ain't the end of it. The guys in the science wing went through some tests and came up with some shocking stuff." The chief flipped over the whiteboard. "The stuff's fresh. As in, these are the spikes of a Manticore who just got 'em." Murmurs began in the small room.
	"So what you're saying Chief, and correct me if I'm wrong." Max began. "A local drug lord smuggled in a large bulk of Manticore’s into the city -young ones at that- and are using their spikes for profit?"
	"That's right." More murmurs began. Cole held his face in his hands. "That's the reason why people are dying to the stuff. Young Manticore venom doesn't have much to it, causing you to have to take multiple. But a jar of the stuff isn't just filled with young Manticore spikes, but also older ones as well. Guy goes for another, ends up overdosing, dead on the ground."
	"This city…" Cole mumbled.
	"Is there any good news to this?" Max asked. The room began to grow quiet as a smile grew on the chief's old face.
	"We know where it is."

	Cars hissed down the rainy streets, splashing the sidewalks with water. The rain hasn't stopped once. The large convoy of black vehicles sped down the streets like a man running from a Wurm. Like that'd stop it. No sires, no nothing. Just the hum of engines burning and wheels turning on stone. Cole gazed out the window, watching the city fly past him. Max kept his eyes on the road as he followed the convoy. Cole gazed up at a small crack of light rippling through the clouds. The day just turns to worse. Always at ten. The young man scratched his five o'clock shadow and looked down at the gun between his feet. A Thompson submachine gun. TSG as Cole calls it. Tommy gun as everyone else called it.
	"Rain's picking up." Cole said with a sigh. "I don't like it."
	"Chief," Max said, grabbing the radio and bringing it to his mouth. "The hell are we going?"
	"Old abandoned building south of the city." Static was mixed in with the chief's voice. "Spy on the inside will meet us there. Says that's where we'll get the drug bust."
	"What's the plan, Chief?" someone said on the intercom.
	"Police station down south is in on it." The chief said. "We go in, we bust the place. Get as less casualties as you can. The more arrests, the better." There was a pause. "Max, I want you and Cole to find the young Manticore’s. Lead them to the back, that's where the other station will meet you up with some trucks."
	"Chief-"
	"I know you don't like monsters, Max." the chief said. "But just do it. Cole, make sure he comes out clean."
	"Got it, chief." Cole said. Although the police chief wasn't there, Cole gave the radio a thumb up.
	"Let’s keep this clean, boys. No casualties. We all make it out alive and I'll treat you all to dinner at Bob's."
	"Hopefully he has normal cream and not whatever the hell he sells" A grizzled voice responded. "That stuff tastes weird." The radio was soon filled with chuckles and laughs.

	The cars finally reached their destination; an old abandoned building. The aged building stood three stories up. Windows were barred and covered with plywood. May it be from the construction crew or from the drug dealers you'll never know. The cars slowly rolled towards the building, stopping right at the parking. A flash of lightning cracked behind the building. Thunder soon followed suite, shaking the ground like a meteor just hit. Max and Cole soon exited their car, followed by the rest of the police force. The rain never gave up once.
	The chief silently motioned the two to the back of the building while the rest of the force converged on the building. Max and Cole nodded and lightly walked to the side of the building, gun in hand. Max held a .44 DA revolver. Cole had both hands on his Tommy gun. The two hugged the wall, slowly approaching a side door. Max gazed back at Cole, who nodded. The deputy ran to the other side of the door and nodded at Max, who nodded back. With a sigh, Max quickly grabbed the door handle and swung it open. Cole leapt to action, holding his gun at his hip. The duo was met with nothing. With a smile, Cole slowly walked inside, followed by Max. Another flash of lightning went off.
	The two were met with a long wooden hall. Cole and Max quickly went back to back, one pointing down the right while the other left. It was quiet, save for the sounds of footsteps from above. Doors lined the inner wall, a sign of the buildings one use as a hotel. Cole took a step, and stopped. The soft creaking of wood was bad news. Max noticed it too, and took a step, just to be met with the same sound. The floor was too old that any weight was physically killing it. Max looked around, they couldn't stand here for long. His eyes soon stopped at a small sign. The stairs.
	Max nodded his head to the right, and Cole followed. Soon the two were slowly walking down the hall, their guns and eyes scanning every nook. Every sound made the two flinch. The roar of the wind outside couldn't even drown out the sounds of footsteps coming from all sides. They were surrounded. They were in enemy territory. And, by the sound of no gunshots, the drug dealers didn't know if anyone but them were inside. Max quickly held up his hand, stopping Cole in his tracks. A bright light shone from behind a door, the only light in the dark hall. The sounds of cheering could be head coming from within. Max reached into his jacket and crouched down. He took out a small mirror and held it diagonally from the small groove under the door.
	Three men were standing around a big busted Succubus. The demon girl bit her lip as one walked up to her and smothered his face in the girl’s big bust. The rest cheered as the man did it until he almost passed out. It seemed to be a game. Whoever could last the longest gets to do the demon? Max narrowed his eyes. Judging by how soaked the demon girl was, it seemed it wouldn't matter in the end.
	Max pulled away the mirror and looked back at Cole. He did three motions; three fingers, one finger and two hands in the form of the letter D. Cole nodded. The two quietly went around the door, moving only when there was a cheer. Soon, the duo made it around without and gunfire. Max looked at his watch. Quarter to 11. The main group should be moving in. A five minute start was fine.
	The two finally made it to their destination. The stairs. Max looked at the set that went up while Cole looked down. The man scratched his shave and looked to Cole, who pointed down. With a nod, Max and Cole slowly began the descent to the basement. It was obvious they would put them in the basement. And the man from the inside said there was always a lot of activity when it came to the stairs going down. Max and Cole could see that. Mud and wet boot prints lead down more than they saw the rest of the building on the ground floor. The duo soon stopped at the door that leads to the basement. Max and Cole stood on each side of the door, their backs on the cold stone wall. Cole quickly checked his magazine. Full right to the brim. With a nod, Max opened the door.
	The basement was dark, with only the light from faintly lit lamps overhead. The creepy flicker of some of the lights set the atmosphere in. Spider webs adorned every corner an every wall. If you didn't know any better, you'd think no one was down here. But the cries of young ones said otherwise. Max didn't like it. Cole didn't like it. The feeling of dread and despair hung in the thick air like cigarette smoke. The duo quietly followed the sounds of sobbing. Although they weren't on wood any more, footsteps could echo in this stone area and sound like a grenade going off. Max didn't want to sound like a grenade. Cole didn't want to sound like a grenade, though his weapon of choice said otherwise. Chief said to keep it clean and quiet, in case anything goes wrong.
	The duo was met with a three way, unusual for a basement. Max hugged the right of the wall while Cole jogged to the left. They both peered around their respective halls, seeing nothing. With a nod, the two split up. Cole never liked going alone, as evidence to his expression. But they had ground to cover.
	Max walked around the corner, gun in hand. The sobs were getting louder. He paused when he heard another set of footprints. He gazed forward to see a man with his back facing Max walking down the hall. The man was dressed in baggy jeans and a sleeveless shirt. He patrolled the hall, his head facing the right looking at what seemed to be a large cell. Max looked over to see what he's been looking for. The cell seemed to stretch the whole way down to the end of the hall. But the size wasn't what made him narrow his eyes. It was what was within the cell.
	Manticore’s. Bruised and battered to hell. Some had their wings terribly cut off, as evidence to the crimson bandages on them. Others had their claws cut or completely removed. Although Max didn't like the scene of young kids and teens getting abused, even though he's seen it many times, he understood. All they needed was the spikes. They didn't care for the condition of the creature, just the venom. As long as the tail was fine and the Manticore was still alive to create more, the body meant nothing.
	Max slowly began to walk towards the man. He placed a finger on his lips as he passed the cell. Although he hated monsters, he knew the faces all too well. Young Manticore faces seemed to have been filled with hope as he passed, but the old ones covered their mouths before they could speak. The guard was oblivious, even though he began to swing around the keys on his finger. Max never liked taunting. He never liked scum either. He couldn't shoot; he didn't want to scare the kids. Not if they've already been messed up. Plus, he needed to keep quiet. There was only one thing to do.
	A quick whip of the pistol in the back of the head, and the guard was down. The sound of the body hitting the ground would've been bad, if it weren't for the fact that Max heard another fall just down the hall behind him. Cole moved at the same pace. Max held a finger to his lips as he took the keys. He reached into his pocket and took out a set of handcuffs. Two clicks and the guard was locked. The police man looked up to see all the Manticores watching him. A young Manticore pointed to its left, causing Max to follow its direction. A large door.
	Max jogged over to the door, his pistol holstered and his hands fiddling with the keys. He looked at the keys then at the lock, before picking one and placing it into the hole. Wrong. He groaned and tried another. Wrong. Why this had many different keys was beyond him. Before he tried another key, a gunshot went off. Soon, more were followed as the sounds of footsteps from above got louder. Max shrugged.

	"I guess we're going loud." Max said. He tried another key and groaned. "Why are there so many damn keys?"
	"The gold one." A voice whispered. Max looked into the cell to see a young Manticore looking up at him. It was probably the most unharmed of the massive group. "I-It's the gold one." Max looked at the ring and picked out the gold one. He placed it in the large door and turned. A click was what responded back.
	"Lifesaver." Max smirked. He slowly opened the massive door, ignoring the loud screeching it made. It didn't matter since guns were going off in the background. "Now come one, I'm getting you all out of here." The police officer picked up the young Manticore in his arms. It's always the young ones that magically trip in escape situations. "Grab any of the young ones and carry the wounded. We're getting out of here."
	The Manticore’s didn't protest in the slightest. They all quickly followed behind Max, following him like a group of lost puppies. A hundred lost puppies. Max quickly began to jog, reaching for his gun. He could see Cole in the distance, being followed by a large group of injured Manticores from behind. The duo soon met in the middle, their guns in hand.
	"You heard that, right?" Cole said. More gunshots went off from above. The sound of bodies hitting the ground answered Cole's question.
	"We can't join the fire fight, Cole. Too much civilians." Max didn't like calling them civilians. "Top priority's getting all of these kids, teens, and adults out of here. No casualties." Cole sighed.
	"You're the boss." Cole said. The two were about to run down the hall to the stairs when the door swung open. They quickly hid behind each corner, their backs against the wall. They held the Manticore’s behind them as they peered over. A small group of thugs, five total. Max looked over to Cole, who nodded. With a sigh, he placed the young Manticore on the ground and motioned for her to cover her ears. He looked back at the hundred Manticore’s and did the same, which they all followed suit. One of the thugs barked an order as they rushed to where Max and Cole were. With a nod, they sprung to action.
	Max went around the corner, magnum pointed at the first man in his sights. The thug didn't have much time to react as Max shot two times in the chest, right in the heart. The less blood the better. He quickly fired another shot at another thug, hitting him right in the shoulder to divert the shot that would've hit Max. Cole rebounded around the corner and fired widely, cutting down the other three in a spray of blood. The last man fell to his knees, blood gushing out of them like a fountain. He held his shoulder in pain, the hot lead burning his insides. A quick whip to the cranium, and he was down. Cole and Max reloaded; beckoning the Manticore’s to follow.
	"Cover the young ones eyes as they pass." Max ordered. Not that it mattered.
	"What happened to no deaths?" Cole said with a smirk. Max said nothing. It was either them or him. He was about to walk when he looked back at Cole. He was lagging behind. He was hurt.
	"You're bleeding." Max said; a hint of worry in his voice. Cole looked at where he got hit. A rip in his jacket arm, soaked with blood. He grinned.
	"Just a flesh wound." Cole chuckled. It sounded strained. Max was about to reach into his jacket when the door was kicked open. He spun around and shot off two rounds, Cole following suite. The attacker fell to the ground with a thud. "Worry about me later, we've got other things to worry about." He tore a piece of his cloth jacket off and tightly wrapped it around his arm.
	The duo jogged down the hall and to the door. They peeked around the corner just to quickly retract back as a spray of bullets whizzed past. The Manticores screamed as they narrowly avoided the hail of lead.
	"Bunch a filthy Cops!" The thug growled. "Hey! They're stealing our shi-!" his voice was replaced with a gargle. Max' gun smoked as it was pointed at the man's neck. Which now housed a small hole. Blood gushed out as the man fell to his knees, clutching his neck to stop the blood. But to no avail. Before long, the thug keeled forward, falling head-first down the stairs. With a sigh, Max and Cole advanced up the stairs, followed by the 200 Manticore’s. They never looked once at the body. Good for them.
	Max and Cole quickly went back to back as they reached the hall. There was no point trying to arrest anyone at this point. Max shot off another three rounds at two thugs on his side. Cole sprayed with his Tommy gun. Bodies fell to the floor. Total: five.
	"You lead the pack, I'll cover the rear." Cole said. Max nodded and jogged past him, followed by the Manticore’s. Cole watched the young Manticore’s run by and wiped away the sweat on his brow. "Jesus, anymore and we have a small town's population." Max jogged forward, the little Manticore in one of his arms. She hasn't said nothing nor seen anything. Good.
	The creaking of wood made Max stop. Even though gunshots were going off left and right, Max didn't like it. And his pause was good intuition as a body fell down from the ceiling, hitting the ground in front of him. Dust and whatever else rose, causing Max to fan his face. He gazed up to see the Chief looking down, a smoking pump action shotgun in hand.
	"Floor's weaker than a poor man meeting an Ushi Oni." The chief joked. He looked at Max and frowned. "That all you got?"
	"Contact Blake and the rest of South’s station to bring in more trucks. Two won't do."
	"How many were down there?" Max looked behind him, then back as the Chief.
	"Two hundred. Roughly. Including children and wounded." The Chief's jaw almost dropped.
	"I'm getting too damn old for this." The chief reached into his pocket, beckoning two other police officers to move on ahead. "Just make sure you get them all out of there in one peace. I'll tell Dave to roll in the medics." Max nodded and continued on, followed by his Manticore armada. "Too damn old for this."
	Max continued on, passing the room where he saw the succubus in. Other from the unconscious thugs on the ground, she was nowhere to be found. The officer quickly paused at the double doors to the side. He quickly kicked them open, meeting the lights of large police trucks. Gunshots roared from behind as Cole began to open fire at a group of thugs charging from behind. Max pointed at the trucks and told the Manticore’s to go.
	"Head for the trucks, they'll get you out of here." the Manticore’s nodded and ran in the rain towards the trucks. Blake could be seen waving them in. Sirens could be heard through the rain. Help was on the way.
	"Watch out!" Max quickly turned around to narrowly miss a shot. He fired two rounds into the thug's head, offing him. With a sigh, he placed the young Manticore on the ground and smiled. An almost genuine smile.
	"Thanks." He said, ruffling the girl’s hair. A soft blush formed on her cheeks. He looked up to see that almost all the Manticores were out. Save for a few stragglers huddling around a body. "Cole?" Max quickly rushed over to the group, picking up a pace when he saw the blood. "Cole!" Lightning flashed, thunder roared.
	Cole was in a sitting position. Barely a sitting position. His hand was clenching his stomach as his other held his gun. His shirt was soaked. Max looked around. He can see what happened. An ambush from one of the rooms. Cole gets surprised and shot in the gut. The thug’s body was riddled with bullets. A surprise attack. Cole bit his lip as he looked at the wounds. Two other bullets apparently got him in the leg. He was down.
	"Max, get the damn monsters out of here." Max tried to help him up but Cole brushed him off. The young Manticore's that circled him looked worried.
	"I'm not leaving you here." Cole grinned.
	"Stubborn as ever." Cole said to himself. "My time's up, Max. Head on out and take them with you, I'll cover you." Max was about to say something when a thug ran down the stars at the end of the hall. Cole quickly shot off the rest of his clip at him, taking him down. He quickly reloaded, swearing to himself as his blood made it too slippery. "Go, Max!" Max growled to himself, but listened. He beckoned the last remaining Manticore's to follow as they ran down. The young Manticore that Max put down waited for him, watching him leave his conrad behind.
	"I'm coming back for you, Cole!" Max said as he carried the rest of the Manticore’s out. Cole watched with a smile.
	"I know you will, you bastard."

	The fire fight ended as quickly as it began. Police and ambulance were beginning to leave, heading for the nearest hospital to treat the wounded Manticore’s. Outside, news crew were reporting on the aftermath, talking about the hundreds of lives saved by this drug bust. Blake was talking to the news lady, mentioning all of what they found within the abandoned building. The big boned Chief stood in the center of the building, in what would be the lobby. Medical treatments were tending to the wounded. The Chief scanned the room with a smile. Mission accomplished.

	"Good job, everyone." the Chief said. "Drugs busted, Manticore’s saved, Drug lord arrested and living the rest of his life in prison." The chief reached into his pocket and took out a large cigar. He lit it with a quick match and blew out the smoke. "And with no casualties except for a couple thugs, I'd say that was a clean-"
	"One."
	"Hm?" The chief looked around just to freeze in his place. The rest of the police gasped as Max came around the corner. And lying in his arms was a fallen comrade. A friend. "One casualty."
	"Cole." The Police chief couldn't believe his eyes. Everyone watched as Max placed his friend on a stretcher, to no protest by any medical staff. "Max I- I know you and Cole were friends since Prescho-"
	"You see this! This is why I hate monsters!" Max pointed at his fallen friend, ignoring his damp eyes. "Every time I'm near a monster something bad happens!"
	"Max-"
	"First they take my daughter and turn her into god knows what. Now they kill my friend."
	"Max, you of all people know those Manticore’s didn't kill Cole."
	"But they were near him!" Max shouted. He was hurting. Bad. Without another say, Max stormed off. One of the deputy's was about to follow him when the Chief held up a hand.
	"Let him cool off, Dave." the chief said, sadness in his voice. "We've got other things to worry about."

	The funeral was wet, just like every other day in the city. No one said a word as the coffin was being lowered to the ground. No one knew what to say. Max stood in the silence, watching his friend go under. The patter of rain on his umbrella was drowned out by the rain hitting the coffin. Soon, everyone began to leave as the grave diggers began to toss the dirt and mud on the wooden tomb. Everyone except three people. The chief, Cole's mother, and Max. Cole's mother cried into her handkerchief. Even when her son is buried six feet under, she still dressed to look good. The Chief looked over to Max, who said nothing. With a sigh, he walked over to Cole's mother and comforted her in a hug. He soon began to walk her to her car. That left Max. Alone in the rain. Watching his friend rest in his coffin.


	That was twenty years ago. Twenty long years. Steelwater has changed for the best ever since. And for the worst. Ever since news travelled around about the Great Monster rescue, the Mayor allowed the Manticores to live in the city. This caused a boom of monsters coming and living in the once racist city. Monsters are now part of the normal society, getting many different jobs. Though, still a working progress. Humans and monsters live together. Crime has gone down dramatically; as if all Steelwater needed were monsters in their lives. For some strange reason, the non-stop rain in Steelwater has stopped, causing the sun and the moon to actually be seen for once in the city’s history. Locals say it's because a Ryu moved in, but no one knows.
	Of course, some people still don't like the thought of monsters living in their city and being accepted so easily. Protests used to be held by a pseudo Paladin group, naming themselves the RMC; Remove Monster Clan. But that quickly began to die down, some say due to persuasion by a group of succubus. Certain monsters aren't allowed in the city still. Succubus’ were quickly removed when the mayor's wife was, as she put it, stolen, by a Succubus. Now she's the mayor, in place of her husband that left with the Succubus.
	Slimes were banned after they began going after men through the pipes. Some say there's still some living in the sewers, but that was quickly laid to rest after an exhibition into the sewers. But rumours still travel. Wurms were banned for their indestructibility, but were quickly brought back after construction crew suggested they join the demolition.
	Max walked down the police station, heading towards a large wooden door with a frosted window. He held a mug of coffee in his hand; black, no sugar. Police men and woman waved at him as he passed, but he said nothing. He gazed at the sign on the door. Police Chief. With a sigh, he grabbed the knob and opened the door.

	"Have a seat, Max." The chief sat in his chair in front of his large wooden desk. Mahogany, as always. Max looked around. Pictures adorned the walls of the room. Some of sports jerseys, while other of achievements the Chief has done. Including a certificate from the mayor on the Great Manticore Rescue. Boxes lay on the ground, opened up. Some were filled with books while other just nonsense.
	On the desk was a mug of hot chocolate. The chief never liked coffee. Next to his mug was a picture of him and a woman. Cole's mother. Max never liked that the chief took advantage of his mother after the funeral. Though, he's lost weight ever since then. A small radio sat behind him near the window. Swing Doors was playing. At least the marriage never changed his taste of music.
	"Enjoying the new office?" Max said, taking a seat on one of the stairs in front of the Chief. The chubby man sat back and smiled.
	"It's big."
	"It looks big." Max took a sip of his coffee. "But that's not what you called me here for." the Chief grimaced.
	"You know me too well, Max." the old man chuckled. "That's right, that ain't what I called you here for." Max gazed up at the clock. 9:40.
	"No, I called you here for something else, Max." The chief took a sip of his hot chocolate. "You've been solo ever since...” He trailed off. Max didn't flinch.
	"I work alone." Max said, more of a statement. The chief frowned.
	"You can't be alone forever, Max."
	"Wife's dead." Five years ago. "Daughter's god knows where. Cole's dead." Max took a sip of his coffee. "And I'm in my forties." he scratched his short beard. He hated how it showed his greys.
	"Max, the mayor came here earlier. Nice girl, good at what she does." The chief played with his ring. He did that a lot when talking about woman. "But anyway, she gave me a proposition."
	"Define." Max didn't like where this was going.
	"Well, some of the girls have been saying that there isn't a whole lot of, well, woman on the force." The chief tried to read Max' expression. He was better off reading a brick wall. "And, well, we got one."
	"You don't mean a woman." Max said. The chief looked at him confused. "Any time you talk about woman, you play with your ring. But you're not doing that now."
	"Max-"
	"No." Max quickly got up. The chief got up as well, holding out his hand.
	"Max, wait-" Max turned to face the chief.
	"Chief, I don't know what you're planning." Max slowly opened the door. "But we already have Cathy downstairs. So whatever it is, I want nothing to do with i-" Before Max could finish his sentence, he bumped into a small woman. He groaned as his coffee spilled all over the both of them. Max quickly caught the girl before they fell to the ground. He looked down at the scared woman that clutched his chest. But it wasn't a normal girl. Two dark brown ears stuck out of the top of her head, facing down to avoid coffee to get into her ears. Two small red scaled wings hugged her back. A long tail with spikes at the end was pointed down at the ground. Max has seen this type of monster before.
	"Max, I want you to beet Claire." the chief said with a chuckle. "Claire, I want you to meet Max Anonymous. Starting today, you two are partners."
	Max looked around for a clock. He mentally groans. He already knew what time it was.
	10:00.


	The low hum of the car engine was the only sound heard from within the vehicle. Max' eyes were glued on the road, never giving a single glance to the young Manticore that sat next to him. The girl sat with her head down and her hands in her lap. It was dark outside. 10:15. Street-lights passed by the side windows in a bright blur, occasionally shining on the faces of the passengers. The bright moon hung overhead. It was like any other full moon in Steelwater. Dim lights from within buildings. Bright stars hanging in the sky. The occasional moan of a monster girl getting her desserts on what some would call 'a romantic night'.
	Max was never into romance. Too much lovey dovey stuff made him sick. Chalk it up to old age. Especially when the definition of making love was different for monster girls. Something about how they survive on the stuff. Max never cared. All he cared was how on full moons there was always an influx of fewer workers at work. Something about how the moon effects the brain of a monster girl. Like that'd make him give a damn. All he cared about is what always seemed to happen on a full moon.
	A murder.

	"We just got a call from Blake down south." the chief watched as Max brushed his damp jacket. It's going to stain. "We've got another."
	"Full moon?" Max looked at his mug. The inside was stained. So was his jacket.
	"Yep. Fresh too." The chief tried to give him another towel, but Max brushed him off. "Neighbours called saying they heard a sound. Blake will explain it to you when you get there." Max patted his jacket. He lost it. He glanced over to the young Manticore and groaned. It was in her hair.
	"Just make sure there's a fresh cup of coffee when I get back." Max plucked the item out of the young girl’s hair. A cigarette. Terrible habit he's grown since his wife passed. He quickly placed the cigarette in his pocket and went off.
	"Max, wait." Max paused. He knew what was coming up. "Take the rookie with you. Since you two are partners-"
	"She's not my partner." Max continued on. He hissed as he heard the chief's heavy footsteps trailing behind him.
	"Max-"
	"I work alone, Chief." Max turned to face the chubby man, annoyance in his eyes. "And I'm sure as hell not going to be partners with some monster." Claire visibly went rigid at the word 'monster'.
	"Max, its mayor’s orders." the chief continued to follow Max down the stairs, followed by the young woman. "She's part of the monster exchange program. She's been training her whole life to join the force."
	"One monster's enough." Max opened the door to the parking lot. The chief quickly ran past the grizzled man and stopped in front of him, his face painted with pleading eyes.
	"One mission. That's all I ask." the chief didn't even need to go on his knees to seem like he was begging. "If you don't like her, I'll toss her over to Dave or Bill. Or I'll send her to South." He held up a finger. "Just one." Max looked over the chief and at the young Manticore. She was dressed in a slim woman's suit with a trench coat. Almost a carbon copy of Max'. The only difference was expression. Max seemed annoyed. She seemed on the verge of tears.
	Max never liked to see a woman cry.
	"Where's the crime scene?"
	"South. Down by Finch and Less." Max thought for a second. "Block from Bob's"
	"The Red Light District?" the chief nodded. "Great."
	Without another say, Max walked over to his car. He reached into his pockets just to be met with air. He never forgot his keys. The slight jingle caused him to look up, just to see the young Manticore holding the metal ring in her paws. Anymore shade of red and she'd match her tie. Max quickly stormed towards her, causing her to almost hide behind her wings. He quickly grabbed the keys and walked back to the car. He said nothing as he unlocked the passenger door, causing the Manticore's ears to perk up as she slowly walked to the car. The chief smiled.
	"I like her."

	Max pressed his foot on the brakes as he stopped at the red light. He never gazed at the girl since letting her in. He never glanced once as they drove. His eyes glanced at one of the lights coming from a building. The small silhouette of a Neko, bouncing up and down. Even without the windows open, Max could hear her moans. Always on the full moon were there idiots who decided to do it near the window. Max never understood the thrill. Then again, monsters were already a strange thing anyway. He almost felt bad for any poor fool who got caught by a Lamia.
	Almost.
	The green flashed and Max pressed the petal to go. The car lurched forward. He knew it enjoyed being stationary, the old thing's lucky it can even move. Max glanced to his right at the Manticore, quick enough not to notice. She's been staring at his gun, the .44 sitting in its holster like a cat on a pillow. He has to feed Bell when he gets home. Poor thing's probably meowing the whole house down. The grizzled man pulled his jacket over his gun, causing the Manticore to quickly look away as if nothing happened. Max scratched his beard. He didn't want to talk to it, but he needed to set things straight.

	"You know I'll only use it on you if I have to." Max coldly stated. The Manticore's ears perked up. She knew what he was talking about. "So if you're smart, you don't try anything stupid." A blush began to form on her pale cheeks.
	"I-I wasn't looking at it because of t-that." Her voice was smooth and soft. Max would almost call it cute. "I-it's just a nice gun. T-That's all." Max never looked once at the girl. She shyly looked out the window, watching the lights pass. Silence was restored to the car. Good.
	"I-I've never held a gun before." Max almost hit on the brakes. That was just wonderful. His hands tightened on the wheel, causing the girl to look over. "T-That won't be a problem, R-Ri-" Max' tires screeched as he hit the brakes, causing the Manticore to bump her head on the dashboard. He never apologized.
	"We're here."
	The scene was like a scene straight out of a movie. Police cars were parked around the scene, their red and blue lights flashing on and off. Spectators were being shooed away by guarding officers. The noticeable 'DO NOT CROSS' yellow tape blew in the faint wind, right around a dark alley in the middle of two buildings. Officers were busy talking to witnesses while one stood near the crime scene, a hand on his chin. Max walked over to Blake, ignoring the hissing of pain from the Manticore behind him. Blake glanced over his shoulder then back at the scene.
	"What am I looking at, Blake?" Blake reached into his jacket and gave the detective a pair of plastic gloves.
	"Moonlight Murder, same as the rest." Max pulled the rubber gloves on. He hated this part. "Full moon and everything. We didn't even need to bring in the lights." Max walked over the tape and to the crime scene. "Neighbours called saying they head a sound. More like a lot. Said they heard screaming and yelling, like a fight."
	A body was sprawled on the ground, marked around by white chalk. A large pool of blood was around the man’s neck. Just like the rest. Max crouched down near the body. He already knew what he was looking at; pants down, erection out, slashed neck and chest. It was a Moonlight Murder alright, the third this year. Max opened the man's eyes, an instinct. The man looked to be in his thirties. It also seemed he hasn't slept in a while. Max gazed over at the man's wrists. There was an outline on his jacket, like something grabbed him. Something big. In his right was a large piece of cloth. Silk.
	"Anyone know who he is?"
	"No wallet was on the body. Crew's searching the room."
	"Room?" Max looked over to Blake. Blake pointed up with a thumb. The man followed his thumb to a shattered window, three stories up. That explains the glass. Cathy's going to have a field day.
	"Get the body shipped to forensics. Let Cathy do the dirty work." Max was about to get onto his feet when he paused. A strand of hair was stuck to a shard of glass. Blake quickly jumped to action and took out a small bag. He tossed it over to Max. "And get them to check this out. Probably the best lead we've had."
	"I'll get the guys on it right away."
	"Any witnesses?" Blake paused and pointed out where the sidewalk was.
	"A couple said they saw a shadow running from the crime scene. Said it went down the corner and to another alley."
	"Anyone search down there?"
	"One thing." Blake walked over to his car. He grabbed a large bag and tossed it over to Max. Inside was a blood stained towel. "It was in the dumpster. Might be a bit dirty." Evidence to the gunk on the side.
	"Blood's all we need." Max turned to walk to his car when he bumped into his partner.  The Manticore blushed as he pushed her away, brushing his jacket. Blake looked over and smirked.
	"Who's the dame?" Max' eye twitched.
	"Claire." the Manticore's ears perked up. She was surprised he called her by name. "She's an acquaintance."
	"A partner?" Blake raised an eyebrow.
	"Acquaintance." Max said flatly. Blake knew more than that, lighting up a cigarette.
	"So the chief hooked you up with a partner. And a MG at that." Max gave the young Manticore the bag. He motioned his head towards his car. She quickly nodded in response, happy to help.
	"Where's the entrance?"

	The lobby of the short five story building was crowded. Police officers were interviewing what Max assumed were the neighbours. Men and woman were either crying or talking to the young officers, describing everything they either saw or heard. Most were half naked, covered by a towel. Two officers stood where the lobby desk was, obviously looking for something. One of the officers glanced over his shoulder to see Max entering the storm. Dave quickly rushed towards him, following the man to the elevator.

	"What were you two doing?" Max waved at the two cops placing tape around the elevator and pressed the button.
	"Worst thing happened; the front desk lady isn't here." Max gave him a sideways look. "Yeah, my reaction too. People in the lobby said she was just leaving since it was the end of her shift. The one that was supposed to take over's nowhere to be found."
	"Wonderful." The door slid open. Max and Dave quickly entered the small box. The door was about to close when a paw stuck in front of the door, causing it to open. Claire stood there with a blush, quickly entering without a say.
	"Friend of yours?" Dave hinted. Max growled to himself. He said nothing as the door closed.
	The elevator soon slowed to a stop as they reached their destination: the third floor. Max was the first to exit, followed closely by the young Manticore. Dave followed from the rear, a grin on his face. It reminded Max of the stories of the Cheshire's. He never liked Cheshire's. He never liked riddles. The door he was looking for was wide open. Room 309. Max slowly pushed away the yellow tape and entered the crime scene.
	The living room seemed to have been where it all began. The small fireplace was lit, wood still burning. Bottles of wine sat on the center table, one turned over, staining the nice pearl white carpet with red. They were intoxicated. Or more like he was. A trend with the Moonlight Murders; there was always a bottle of half empty liquor and two glasses. And every blood test always came up with high intoxicated levels. The man probably didn't even know he hit the ground before his body was splattered all across the concrete floor below.
	Or so he thought. The bedroom was where the real crime scene began, as evidence to the many police crew taking pictures from different angles. The room was large, even for hotel standards. Max stood at the doorway and surveyed the scene. The bed sheets were thrown around, a small pool of blood highlighting a body. There was a struggle; the man tried to fight back. Shredded clothes littered the ground, mixed with blood. Whoever he fought fought back. Max crouched down and looked on the floor. There were prints, but of only one. The man's. Whoever was here must've come back and cleaned up.
	"No witnesses saw anyone enter the building after the report of the body?"
	"Not one." Dave said. Max gazed forward at the shattered window. Two cops were taking pictures of the shattered glass and the window. One curtain hung from the hinges. That explains what the man had in his hands.
	"And no wallet." Max walked towards the window, trying not to step on any of the glass.
	"You think you've got an idea of what happened?"
	"A man and a monster came into the building." Max put emphasis on the word 'monster'. "Man was obviously intoxicated, but booked a room for one."
	"We went through the cameras. Tape for today was destroyed."
	"Man and monster come upstairs, obviously into it." Max continued. "Went into the hotel, got more drinks, and led it into the bedroom. Woman on top, man on the -" Max glanced over to his left. "bottom."
	"Something up?" Dave walked over. Max crouched down. Three small grooves were on the ground, adjacent to the foot board of the bed. "Curious."
	"Man starts to get shredded. He panics, and pushed the monster off of him." He looked up to see a small dent in the wall. "Hard."
	"Different from the rest." Dave smiled.
	"The first to fight back." Max looked at the small splotches of blood on the ground. "Man tries to fight the monster. Gets pushed towards the window." Max looked at the window again. He looked down at the blood soaked glass. "Man gets his neck slashed before falling through the window, taking the murderer with him and clutching to the curtain."
	"And still no wallet." Dave held his chin in thought. "On the plus side, we do know his name. The front desk has a list of everyone who comes in and out." Max turned to look at the middle-aged man. "Richard Baxton."
	"A-Actually, that's wrong." Everyone turned to the small Manticore who stood at the door, blushing as all eyes were on her. "His name was Brian Bormont."
	"The lawyer?" Dave said, confusion in his voice. Max narrowed his eyes at the girl.
	"And how do you know that." The Manticore almost seemed to glow as she showed the group what's in her paw. A wallet.
	"I-I found it while you two were talking." She shyly brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Before I came back to the hotel, I asked, uhm-"
	"Blake." Dave said.
	"Yeah, Blake. I asked him if I could sniff the body, specifically the pocket area. Once I got the scent of leather, I came to the elevator." Claire's face almost glowed. "Once we got here, I began to search the place. And I found this behind the fridge. Brian Bormont. Age 49. Birthday," Claire looked at the wallet. "today, actually." Dave was impressed. Max said nothing.
	"Well that's just peaches and gravy, but it begs the question: Why did he change his name?"
	"Because," Max walked over to the side of the bed. He pulled on his rubber gloves and took a small item off the side table. "He’s married."

	Max drove down the streets of Steelwater. He told Dave that he'll come back tomorrow and see if the receptionist is there. If not then he'll search the files and stop by at her house. It was late, and even though Max wanted to continue, he was tired. Blake soon came in and said that the body was sent to Cathy's. Max never liked Cathy. Cathy never liked Max. But she liked seeing bodies. He'd have to stop by tomorrow and see what she dug up. If anything.
	Claire sat in the passenger seat next to him, a smile on her face. She's been that way ever since Dave congratulated her for finding the wallet. Canadians. Even though they put the wallet in the bag, she's already messed with the evidence by holding it without gloves. But even though she was praised by the force, Max still hasn't said anything. And he knew she wanted him to praise her; she kept glancing his way.
	"Where do you live?" Max seemed to startle the poor Manticore. Good. Her high spirits were starting to irritate him.
	"F-Forth and Broadside." She stuttered. "W-Why?"
	"I'm dropping you home." Idiot.
	"O-Oh." She almost seemed deflated by his response. But she quickly bounced back. "I-If you want, we can celebrate our victory at my house with some wi-"
	Max turned on the radio. He turned it up loud. He knew what she was going to suggest, and he was having none of it. He never understood monster girls with moons, but he never cared. No matter what, he hated monster girls.

	Claire's place was what Max expected; a small, three-story apartment. The young woman sheepishly gazed out the window, not noticing the car stop. Max said nothing. Claire said nothing. The monster girl clutched her arm. She bit her lip, ignoring her obvious flush. Max had his hand on his pistol. He actually wanted her to try something just so he can use the old thing again. But he slowly put his hands back on the wheel.
	"M-Max I-"
	"Wake up early tomorrow, 8 o'clock sharp. I'll pick you up then." Claire swung her head around and faced Max.
	"W-What?"
	"We'll both go to the hotel to interview the receptionist." Max never looked at her once.
	"Y-You mean we're partn-"
	"Acquaintances." Max said flatly. Claire almost cried there. But she put on a brave face. The woman quickly exited the car, closing it behind her. She watched as Max drove away, not a word. He never saw the woman jump for joy.


	Max bolted upright in bed, tossing his sheets off of his bare body. His breaths were heavy and rigid. The only sound that met him was the pouring rain from outside. He was used to rain, it always rained in Steelwater. But something wasn't right. Cold sweat stuck to his back, dripping down his frame. He glanced over to his left. A small fur ball sat next to him, almost concerned about him as much as he was. Bell was always a caring cat. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear it was a were cat. Max slowly pet the startled cat, assuring it that he was fine. He was just fine. Just a bad dream.
	A flash of lightning caused Max to reach under his pillow and point his .44 at the window. He never slept without it. Ever since that day. He never lowered the metallic weapon as he watched the rain patter against the window, begging to come inside. He didn't know what he saw, but it was a shadow. His arm slowly began to lower as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was just a tree branch. Bell began to rub against his arm, like a woman telling her husband to go back to sleep. It reminded him too much of her.
	With a sigh, Max petted the small cat and placed his gun back under his pillow. Warm milk before bed wasn't as good as they say it is.

	Max glanced at his watch. 8:00. He knew this would happen. It always happened. He'd tell someone a time, stressing the 'sharp' to send the message through, and they'd never show. He tightened his grip on the wheel. He had no one to blame but himself. Max growled and turned the keys to the ignition.
	The car stalled.
	Of course it stalled. It always stalled when it was put into park. Max tried the car again, but was met with the same result. He hated this car. He really hated this car. He patted the dashboard, almost as if petting a cow before going to their udders. He tried the ignition once more, almost breaking the key. As if that'd make a difference. The engine spurred to life, purring like a Neko after sex. Max wondered how those two he saw were doing. Not that he cared. Hospitals were always at their fullest after full moons. Especially if some idiot bagged a Wurm.
	"H-Hold on!" Max wished he didn't. He actually wished the young Manticore wouldn't show up just so he could tell the chief she was a failure. He never liked monsters. And he never liked monsters in his car.
	"S-Sorry I'm late." it was 8:10. "I tried to make you some coffee before we head out, b-but I don't really know how. So I tried to make you an egg and bacon sandwich, but the eggs wouldn't cook." her uniform was all over the place, like she'd just woken up. "So then I tried to-" Before Claire could continue her story, Max hit the gas. It wasn't that they were late; Max just didn't want to hear her blatant excuse. Among other things.
	Claire and Max sat in silence. No radio. No open windows. Just complete silence. Max never glanced at the shy woman sitting next to him. He didn't care for her once. The Manticore's eyes darted from looking at Max to looking back at the ground. She was obviously ashamed. Good. Max scratched the side of his face, causing the Manticore to almost jump due to the sudden movement. At least she was reactive.
	A soft growl broke the deafening silence. No matter how much Claire tried, she couldn't hide her burning face. She clutched the side of her arm as she gazed out the window. The poor thing probably didn't even eat, if her excuse was actually true. Max could care less. He'd rather go to the hotel and interview the front desk than feed the young Manticore.
	So why did he make a detour?

	"Hi, and welcome to Bob's Diner, the best diner in the neighbourhood!" A young Cheshire stood next to Max and Claire's table. "May I take your order, Maxie~"
	"Coffee. Black." Max hated Cheshires. "And whatever it wants." Claire almost jumped when Max motioned to her. Her blush was increasing.
	"I-I'll take some eggs and bacon. W-With some toasts." Claire glanced over to Max. He didn't care for the price. Cops got a discount. "A-And some tea. P-Peppermint"
	"Would you like some cream with your tea?" Her Brooklyn accent was annoying. Claire glanced at Max. Max said nothing.
	"I-Is it free?" the Cheshire's eyes almost sparkled. Claire was afraid.
	"'Course it's free, honey. Here at Bob's our cream is our speciality!" The Cheshire turned to face Max. "Would you like some cream in your coffee, Ma-"
	"Just get the damn food." Claire almost jumped at how abrupt Max was. The Cheshire seemed to be into it.
	"Alrighty~! One breakfast dish, one cup of Peppermint tea with cream, and one black coffee." The Cheshire wrote it all down and smiled. "Coming right up~!" Claire watched the spunky Neko run off to the kitchen. Max gazed outside. It was a clear day, save for the couple puddles from last night’s rain. Cars and trucks passed by the small diner without as much as a pause. He glanced over to his car that was parked in the front. He knew that thing wasn't going to move even if he tried. They're better off walking to the hotel afterwards than to bet on the car moving. He really needed to repair it.
	Max could feel Claire's eyes on him. Her soft yellow eyes studied the man like a picture. He never liked being watched. Without as much as a hint, Max glanced at Claire. The Manticore's ears seemed to have pointed up in alarm as she looked off at some different directing, a flush growing on her cheeks. She sheepishly took two glances in his directing. Max would've thought it was cute, if only she wasn't a monster.
	Life has turned him bitterer.
	"Here we go!" the Cheshire seemed to almost appear from thin air. He really needed to read up on them. "Breakfast, tea, and coffee. Enjoy~!" The young Neko placed the steamy breakfast next to Claire with her tea, and Max' coffee next to him. Max glanced at Claire's tea. It had its cream, some of which was dripping down the side. Max never said anything and took his mug in his hand.
	"Mhmmmmm~!" Max turned his head over to Claire. She held the side of her face in almost content as she ate another fork of eggs. "These are so good~!" Her eyes quickly shot open, seeing Max watching her with an emotionless expression. Her face seemed to almost explode with red as she looked away. Max took a sip of his coffee and glanced back outside. Bob's food was good, but not amazing. Silence was restored, with only the sound of a fork hitting a plate. Max glanced back at the Manticore. She was finished.
	"I-I was hungry." Claire shyly wiped off some eggs off of her mouth. She reached for her mug of tea and took a sip. She quickly reeled back, not wanting to swallow. But she still did. "T-This tastes awful." Max said nothing, just taking another sip of his coffee.


	"Bye! Come back soon~!" Max closed the door behind him, ignoring the sound of it bumping someone on the way. Claire mumbled something as she closed the door behind her. She quickly ran up to Max' side. Max took a sip of his coffee. He decided to take it to go, he'd need all the energy if he was going to be spending his day with Claire. He really wished he didn't.
	The two walked in silence, save for the sounds of cars and trucks hissing by. Max never liked this part of town. By the day it was just another part of the city. But by night, it was one of the most popular red light districts in town. It was run by a Succubus, the only one in town. Succusluts everyone called them. Succubitch as Max called it. The mayor has many times called for the Succubus to be removed, but people in the area have said that she was part of the town society. Part of their magic, as Max and the chief discovered one day after patrolling the area. But the mayor had to listen to the people if she wanted to stay in office. Especially since a Wight was planning on being the next mayor if the current loses.
	Max aimlessly moved to the side, avoiding collision with a Lamia. Half snake, half human. He would almost call them the strangest if he didn't experience first-hand what an Arachnid was capable of. Or a dragon. He never cared for what species, they were all hated the same. The Lamia gave Max a sly wink. He ignored her. But he did hear the small growl come from Claire.
	"Y-You seemed pretty familiar with Bob's. You and the chief." Claire tried to break the silence. Max liked the silence. "H-Have you two ever been there before?"
	"Multiple times." Max turned around the corner. The last time he and the chief were at Bob's was during a shoot-out between rival gangs. That was when Cole was alive. He took a sip of his coffee and continued on, not waiting for the shy Manticore to follow.
	"T-Their food's pretty good."
	"It's fine." Max took another sip of his coffee. He could see the hotel in the distance. He sighed to himself. He just wanted to get away from Claire and do his job. If only his job didn't mean being with the Manticore.
	"You don't really like me, do you?" Max stopped as the doorman opened the door, nodded to the officer.
	"No." Max entered the comfy hotel, leaving a rigid Manticore to stand at the doorway.


	"Welcome to the Hearty Lovers Hotel. Are you here to book a stay?" The front desk lady was chirpy for a woman who worked at the hotel of a recent murder.
	"Is your name Ellen Walker?" Max didn't want to stall. The woman checked her nametag in a joking manner.
	"Well according to this nametag, that's me!" Cute.
	"Max Anonymous, Northern Police. I'd like to ask you a few questions about the murder on the third floor last night."
	"Oh." Her chirpy attitude seemed to change. Good. "I'm still on my shift. Could you wait for a bit?"
	"I've asked your boss about the interview. He knows." Max didn't glance at the young Manticore who stood behind him. "It'll just take a few minutes. He said he'd get someone to take over."
	"Oh." the secretary repeated. She was defeated. "Alright. In that case, we can talk at the hotel bar, if that's ok with you." Max directed the secretary towards the bar, in which she quickly began to lead. She glanced over her shoulder at the young Manticore. "Friend of yours?"
	"Acquaintance."
	The bar was pretty large for a hotel. Dim lights shone overhead, over tables and chairs. The massive bar table stood against one of the walls, hosted by three young men and an Oni. The tall muscular monster girl saw Max and company approach, giving Max a soft wink. Max ignored the beast, instead pulling out a chair for Ellen to sit at. Max sat parallel to the young woman, not pulling out a seat for the Manticore. Claire gave the Oni a soft glare before sitting next to Max. Her face began to flush as she realized how close she was to the man. Other from the car, they've never sat next to each other.
	"She's cute." Ellen smirked. Max said nothing and took out a small notepad and pen.
	"Where were you on the night of October 7th, 10:00 pm?" Max looked at the woman dead in the eyes. The woman almost seemed afraid by the man's gaze.
	"I was heading home. My shift ended at 9:30. Or it would've, if Caitlyn was there to take over." Ellen hailed a waiter over. Young and careless. "I ended up having to go overtime to 9:45. Can you believe that?" The young man came over. He did a bad job shaving. "Can I have a glass of water?" the waiter nodded and was off.
	"9:40, a man and a monster came in." Max could feel Claire's body getting closer. He ignored her. "Can you describe the woman?"
	"Man and a monster?" Ellen sat back and thought. "Oh, you mean that Richard Braxton guy? I've never seen someone so happy to have a monster in his arms before in my life."
	"A-Actually, his name wasn't Richard Braxton." Max glanced over at Claire. "I-It was Brian Bormont."
	"The lawyer?" Ellen seemed surprised. "Isn't he married? He got what was coming to him, the cheating bastard." Claire looked over to Max. He was glaring at her. The waiter quickly came back with the glass, getting a thank you by the woman.
	"The monster. Do you remember what she looks like?" Max looked back at the woman. Ellen thought for a moment, taking a sip of her water.
	"Let's see here. She was short, around the height of your partner here." Ellen paused. "She had these cute little ears, like a Neko. Actually, she was a Neko." Neko's were popular in the prostitute ring. Men seemed to flock to cat woman and fox tails more than the rest of the monsters. Max heard it had something to do with them being more human and more vanilla. Max never cared, but he could understand why. It was better than breaking your pelvis. "Why don't you guys just check the damn security cameras?"
	"Because they were dama-ow!" Claire hissed as she looked down at her foot. Max said nothing. If she was going to be babbling about the whole case, she might as well give the woman a list of everything they found.
	"Do you remember the Neko's colour?" Max had a rough idea, but wasn't afraid to ask. Ellen looked at Claire, worry in her eyes.
	"Is she OK?"
	"Cramps." Max flatly stated. "Hair colour. Do you remember?" Ellen seemed to brush off the Manticore after that. At least woman knew not to pry with periods as well.
	"Can't really say. She was wearing all black."
	"All black?" This was interesting. "What do you mean?"
	"Yeah, she was wearing this all black getup." Ellen said, drinking the rest of her water. "Black hood, black baggy pants, black everything. Hell, I thought it was a boy before she talked." That explains the black figure witnesses were talking about exiting the scene. Max was about to ask another question when his phone buzzed. The man swore to himself and answered the phone.
	"Max." his eyes seemed to narrow as he heard the voice speak. "On my way." He quickly hanged up the phone and got up, followed quickly by a shy Manticore. "Thank you for your time miss, but duty calls." Ellen was about to say something when he placed ten dollars on the table and walked off, followed by a limping Manticore. Ellen sat at the table and smiled.
	"Such a gentlemen." Ellen said, looking at the money. "Waiter! Can I have a glass of wine?"


	The car ride was silent. Max didn't know how the car started on the first try, but didn't care. He had other things to worry about. Claire held her hands in her lap, her normal blush on her face. She could die if she continued to have so much blood rush up there. Not that he'd care. The only thing he'd have to worry about was getting the body out of his car. Max turned on the radio. He knew Claire was about to say something, and didn't want to hear it. Jazz began playing in the background. At least that salvaged the day, after the Manticore almost gave away the whole case.
	"Y-You really hurt me back there." Max said nothing. "My paws aren't like humans." The car slowed to a stop as it approached a red light. "L-Listen, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have revealed so much information to the woman." Max pressed on the gas. He felt the car literally force itself to move.
	"I-I know you don't like me." Good. "B-But I want you to like me. As partners. A-And I know I've messed up a few times, but can you just give me another chance? I promise I'm not this nervous or this much of a mess up." Max thought of what to say to the chief. If he should tell him she's a complete mess up, or lie and tell him she's a no good lazy monster who does nothing but mess up.
	"Just don't do it again." Max felt like he was talking to a child. A monster child. Like it mattered. Claire's gloom seemed to have changed as confidence radiated off her face.
	"I-I promise I won't mess up!" She had resolve. "I'll be the best partner you've ever got!" Max said nothing but kept his eyes on the road. Her confidence made him sick. "W-Where are we going anyways?"
	"HQ." Max said, taking a left. He watched a young man walking his Minotaur mate. More like the Minotaur was carrying him around.
	"Chief called us back?"
	"Cathy."
	"Cathy?" Claire looked over to Max.  The car slowed to a stop near the curb and parked the car. It didn't even need to talk to say it was grateful. Max slowly opened the door to exit, followed by Claire. "Who's Cathy?"
	"Forensics."

	The way to the morgue was always ominous. The cold chill hit you the minute you began the descent down to the basement. Old wooden steps made a noise every time a foot hit one. The flickering light that hung in the stairwell always seemed to be broken in some way, no matter how much it was repaired. Max never liked the morgue. No one did. But it kept the bodies and got the job done.
	Claire seemed to have been almost clutching onto Max' arm and they walked down. Max didn't want the Manticore to touch him, but he understood the fear. The last set of steps lead to a large metal door. The small window that was on the side seemed to have frost on it, an indication of the chill. Max breathed out, seeing his breath. The AC must've been broken off turned up too high. He'd have to talk to Cathy about it.
	Cathy, Max thought. He never liked Cathy.
	His warm fingers clutched the handle as he turned and pushed. The door opened with a hiss, almost like an airlock. Claire was practically hiding behind Max at this point. Her wings were tucked near her body as they both entered, but her ears flickered around at the sounds. The sounds of tools being used. The sounds of breathing.
	The sound of music.
	"Come in Max. And close the door." Cathy stood next to the corpse of Brian Bormont. More like stood over, in a regard. The massive arachnid stood over the corpse, her thick fur legs elevating her over the body. She slowly slicked over to the other side, never taking her eye off the body. One of her eyes was covered by a large red seal while the other glanced at the man. "Who's the broad?"
	"Claire." Max walked closer to the body, leaving Claire to stand her distance. "Your AC's broken by the way."
	"I'm aware." The Ushi Oni always had attitude. "I did a scan of what you found at the scene, thank you by the way for sending me a completely shattered body."
	"Thought it'd remind you of home." Claire took a step back. Tension was rising. "What'd the hair samples come up as?"
	"As bullshit that's what." Cathy grabbed one of the tongs on the table next to her. Her massive claws were covered with plastic gloves. "You gave me three different types of hair you dimwit."
	"Three?" Max watched as the arachnid opened up one of the wounds in the man's shoulder. He could hear Claire almost gag.
	"Yeah you-light." Max moved one of the lights near the wound. The bite was deep. "Yeah you sent me three. One Neko, one Lamia and -this is going to sound weird- one Alp." Cathy gazed a bit closer at the wound. "And, since I have to explain everything, this is different."
	"Why aren't you wearing your glasses?" Cathy tensed up. She hated when those were brought up. Max knew.
	"Go shag a human."
	"How's this different than the rest?" the Ushi Oni carefully tried to reach into the wound, but stopped. Max sighed and put on some gloves.
	"Well first off, the body's completely shattered." Max looked into the wound, putting on safety goggles and a mask. "You see it?"
	"Yeah." Max reached into the hole, grabbing what Cathy was talking about: a tooth. Human looking at that. "He fell off a three story building."
	"Well that explains why the bastard's as fragile as a child." Max placed the tooth into the shallow metal tin. "Secondly, this is completely different."
	"How so?" Cathy groaned. Max was doing this on purpose.
	"The fucker's covered in bites and scratches, unlike the rest." the Ushi Oni walked over to the massive wall of small doors. She gazed at two and opened them both at the same time. Two body bags sat on the metal bed. "The other two, as you can see here." the loud zip caused Claire to back away even further. "Only have the five scratches on the chest and two gashes at the neck. Meanwhile, this guy has gashes on the chest, bite marks on the shoulder, some slashes on the legs and a slashed neck."
	"He fought back." Max looked at the bodies and compared notes. "To the end apparently."
	"We've got an action star here." Cathy closed back the body bags and pushed them back in the wall. "What'd you say he was? Military?"
	"Lawyer."
	"The hell do they teach you guys there?" She slowly walked over to her files and tossed Max the baggy with the towel in it. "Also, that smells like a load of Minotaur crap."
	"It was in the dumpster." Max looked at the towel again. "So, if I'm getting this right, there were three attackers?"
	"Either that or the murderer's trying to throw us off." Cathy quickly paused as the radio switched to another song. "Yes!  Butcher Pete!" Max swore Cathy was insane. The Ushi Oni began to move her shoulders to the music as she looked at the man’s bare chest. She quickly froze at the sound of puke hitting the bottom of a bucket. She and Max looked up to see Claire puking into the garbage.
	"S-Sorry," Claire coughed. "Blood and gore don't sit well with me." Cathy glanced at Max, annoyance in her face.
	"Max, you've bagged a wuss."


	The grizzled man sat in his car. It was late. The warm glow of the sun was beginning to go down over the horizon, giving the gloomy city a warm orange. Max was annoyed. After the Manticore's episode, he had to carry the weak monster back upstairs and to his car. He was teased the whole way by Cathy, which made him want to shoot the Ushi Oni right then and there. They could find another person as morbid as her. It was Steelewater.
	The Manticore seemed awestruck as Max carried her up the stairs. She kept rubbing her cheek against his arm like a kitten. A kitten who’s face was covered in barf. It wouldn't have been as bad if Dave didn't have to stop him on his way to the car, followed by the chief. The chief's grin split the old man's beard in half.
	"I see you and your acquaintance are getting well acquainted." Max wondered how long in jail he'd be for punching the chief. The old man frowned and gave the young Manticore a handkerchief, causing her to blush more than she already did.
	"You talk to Cathy?" At least Dave was being nice. Canadians.
	"The three things we found were from three different monsters." Max adjusted the Manticore in his arms. "Lamia, Neko, and an Alp."
	"Lamia?" the chief questioned.
	"Well it's time to make things even more confusing." Dave always liked to cut to the chance. "Dark shadow everyone saw leaving the crime scene? Homeless man -excuse me- homeless Alp by the name of Alex Flowell. Sorry; Alexis Flowell."
	"That explains the hair at the scene." Claire gave back the chief's kerchief, in which he declined. Max didn't blame him. No one wants a barf rag.
	"But here's where things get weird." the Chief adjusted his jacket. "S/he said when the body fell to the ground, there was someone flying above. Said is flew back into the room. Sounded like it was talking to someone or something."
	"A harpy?"
	"S/He was actually pretty honest with what he saw." Dave looked at Max dead in the eyes. "A Succubus."
	"And there's only one Succubus in the whole city. One that's the pimp of a large group of Neko's, Lamia's, and Alp prostitutes."
	"Valentine."
	Max exited his car. After the chat with the chief, he dropped Claire off at her house. Again she offered for him to come in and again he said nothing. The Chief said that he'd talk about the discovery to the rest of the force following the Moonlight Murders. He unlocked the door to his house and came in, blocking the way with his foot in case Bell decided to run out. The cat was instead laying on the couch, in a deep sleep. He was tired too. He quietly hooked his jacket on the hook next to the door and walked into the kitchen. Bell seemed to have awoken on instinct to the sound of him entering the room. She walked over to him and rubbed against his leg, welcoming him home
	Max bent down to pet the cat when the phone went off. His right eye twitched. Bell seemed annoyed at getting blocked of getting affection. He walked over to the wall phone and looked at the number. Unknown name. Max groaned and pulled it off the hook before quickly hanging up. He was tired and didn't have time for phone calls. But whoever was calling made it sound urgent as the phone rang again. Max grabbed the handle and brought it up to his ears.
	"Hello?" Max paused. All he heard was heavy breathing. Bell began to hiss at the window, causing him to glance at the cat. Whoever was on the other line must've heard, for the line quickly went dead. Man ran over to his door, gun in hand. He peeked around the corner at the window, looking for what Bell was hissing at. All he saw was nothing but white fluff falling from the sky. It was snowing. Bell never liked snow. No one did. Especially in October.
	"Next time don't hiss." Max holstered his gun and walked back to the fridge. He opened the large white box and groaned. No food.
	Sometimes he swore his cat was a were cat.


	"Y'all know why you're here today, correct?" The large board room was filled with police of many different age groups. Rookies always sat in the front, soaking in as much information like a sponge. The veterans always sat in the back. It wasn't the first time they've been in the board room, and they knew it wasn't going to be the last. Max stood next to the door, his morning coffee in hand. Black, just the way he liked it. He didn't get much sleep, evidence showing on his face. Claire stood beside the grizzled man, keeping her head down as if to hide her blush. The chief scratch his stomach and he pointed at the whiteboard. Written in blue marker was one name
	Valentine.
	"Y'all know about the famous Red Light District down by Finch and Less, correct?" the cops nodded. Max took a sip of his coffee. "Well, we've gown a development with the head honcho of the prostitution ring having a connection with the recent moonlight murders the past couple months."
	"The problem is," Dave got up to stand next to the chief. "We don't know where Valentine is."
	"Valentine's known for always checking on her workers during the night to see who's getting business." Max scratched his beard. "But, the area in which she seems to own is huge."
	"Huge is an understatement." Dave flipped over the board. On the other side was a large map of Steelwater. A quarter of the map was highlighted in red. "She owns a quarter of the state. Wherever she is, she's somewhere in there."
	"So, you want us to patrol a whole district at night to see if we can find one lone Succubus in a sea of monsters?" Everyone began to whisper. The rookie was right.
	"Were it so easy." The chief pointed at three areas around the map. "Valentine has eyes and ears on each corner and each light. If a bunch of police cars start to patrol the area, it'll raise suspicion."
	"And since this is a murderer we're talking about, we don't want her to go running out of our jurisdiction." The chief held up a finger. "That's why we're going to send in one lone officer. Someone that Valentine hasn't seen before." The gang war at Bob's. Valentine knew the faces of all the police force.
	All but one.
	Claire looked up to see everyone looking at her. Everyone but Max. The blush on her face seemed to increase as she looked around the room.
	"W-Why's everyone looking at me?"

	Max watched as the young Manticore shyly exited his car. The small streetlamp that shone overhead seemed to highlight all her features. The short skirt and tank top was a good combo. For a whore. Claire seemed to have felt the man's eyes on her, as she covered her butt with her tail. Her thong was showing, something in which Cathy pushed for her to wear. He never understood why. He took a sip of his coffee and gazed back at the front of his car. Watching the monster exit his car was making him filled with sickness. She left her hair everywhere.
	The Manticore fiddled with her hair as she walked down the dark side walk. It was late. The chief demanded that Operation: Valentine had to start at night. Max wished he was at home instead of being here. But Claire was his partner.
	Partner. Max hated that word.
	"I-I don't know what to do." Claire's voice sounded scared on the radio. "D-Do I just go and ask one of the girls where she is? Would that sound suspicious?" Cathy's laugh was heard in response. Of course she was listening in, Claire puked in her abode and she was out for blood. Sometimes Max and Cathy had the same taste to certain things. Sometimes they get along.
	"You're a new face on the block, Claire." the chief finally cut Cathy's laugh. "Ask them that you want to join their whore house."
	"Is that how it really works?" Dave joined in. "Don't you have to give them a resume or something?"
	"Yeah. If you're a virgin, you get the job." Cathy chuckled. "That Manticore's got it in the bag. Unless she's a slut. Then she's aced the test with flying colours." Music was going on in the background of Cathy's radio. She never stopped listening to the radio.
	"Just act a bit slutty." the chief said. "Not too much that you attract the wrong crowd. Once they see you leaving Bill down the street in a mess of his own fake fluids, they'll ask you who you are. DON'T use your real name."
	"Use your real name, it'll make things interesting." Max took a sip of his coffee. Sometimes he and Cathy had the right ideas.
	"A-And then they'll lead me to Valentine?"
	"That's the plan." the chief chuckled. "Once you get there, Max'll be the first to advance. Think of him as your knight in shining armor." Max watched the Manticore walk across the street. That was part of the plan he didn't like. He'd rather just leave her there and say it was a casualty. He wondered if the chief would buy it. "Max, you WILL go in there and rescue her, and maybe arrest Valentine if you can. We'll be there in twenty once you get inside. Bill and Dave will follow in after you, as a distraction to seem like a group of cops on patrol."
	"I never liked being sacrificed as a pawn." Dave said on the radio. "But Valentine knows that we're always grouped in two. She'll never expect you, Max." He still didn't like having to save Claire.
	"Let's make this clean, everyone." the chief said on the radio. "No casualties on both parties. We don't want to spark a riot from the monsters claiming we killed a group of monsters because we don't like them." Max wished he could. Everyone responded with their positions. Max watched the young Manticore walking down the sidewalk. She was in position. The whores were in position. "Mission start."
	Claire walked into the dark alleyway, out of sight of Max and the monsters. They haven't seen her yet. Suddenly, the street was awakened by the sounds of a man and a woman doing it raw on the concrete. Max took a sip of his coffee. At least Bill put his back into it more that the Manticore did. But that's all that mattered in the long run. The three monster whores; a Lamia, an Alp, and a Neko, turned their attention to the sound. Claire stepped out of the dark alley, adjusting her bra and flicking her hair. In her right paw was a stack of money. They noticed the white splotches on the wall and the slutty dressed Manticore they've never seen in their life.
	They took the bait.
	The Lamia was the first to move, her movements fast and slick. If Max didn't know any better, he'd swear the thinly dressed monster was moving in for the kill. Which she was. Max watched as the Lamia slapped Claire in the cheek. The sound of skin hitting skin seemed to echo down the hollow street, gaining the attention of other monstergirls. Claire fell to the ground, holding her cheek in pain. The Neko and the Alp followed from behind, grinning at the fallen Manticore with sadistic eyes. The whole thing was going wrong. Claire looked over to Max' car. He never moved.
	"So who the hell are you?" the Lamia's voice sounded thick, almost Asian. It went well with her outfit. Claire brushed away a tear, causing the Lamia to get close to her delicate face. "Aww, what's the matter? Can't take a punch?"
	"Cut it out Trish," The Alp seemed to have spoken up. "Let's just take the cash and get out of here."
	"No way. This bitch just shows up, messing with our merchandise and stealing out money." The Neko was more vengeful that Max thought. Then again, she was wearing a whole leather sadist suit. "Let's sent her back to her owner in a bloody mess. Show those guys east not to mess on our turf."
	"W-Wait!" Finally Claire spoke up. "I-I'm not with anyone. I-I thought if I came over here I could join Madame Valentine. I-I want to work with her! I-I'm a hard worker!" Max took a sip of his coffee. She was an idiot. They'd have to be idiots to fall for that.
	"You must think we're idiots!" The Neko grabbed Claire by the chin, her claws scratching her cheeks. "Are you calling us idiots?"
	"Newbie," the Lamia called to the Alp. "Check her neck." Pimps always placed a brand or a tattoo on the monsters neck or above their butt. It was a way to tell who's theirs. The Alp walked over to the fallen Manticore and brushed her hair away from her neck.
	"She's clean." the Alp held out a hand to help Claire up. "I think she's telling the truth!" The Neko glanced at the unamused Lamia.
	"Should we take her to Valentine?" Max took a sip of his coffee. He was met with air. The Lamia seemed to nod reluctantly.
	"Newbie, go check if that guy in the alley's still there. Use your magic and see if you can rob any more money off of him." the Lamia patted Claire on the leg. "We're taking her to see Valentine." The Alp nodded and walked over to the alley, leaving the Neko and the Lamia to lead Claire to Valentine's. "She's going to be so happy to bag a Manticore." Claire looked back at the Alp heading to the alleyway.
	"Bill..." she whispered. The Neko turned to face the Manticore, startling her.
	"What did you say?"
	"U-Uhm." Claire stuttered. "H-His name. He told me his name. I-It's Bill." The Lamia seemed to have chuckled.
	"Honey, in your line of work, names is irrelevant." The Alp walked into the alley, her legs shaking in fear. Max watched as Bill grabbed the Alp from behind, holding it in a sleeper hold. Bill was always a hands on person. Especially since he didn't talk much.
	"Area secure." Bill's voice almost broke the radio.
	"Max, you're up."

	Max seemed to have trailed the trio for miles. He was happy his car seemed to be at its quietest when it was barely moving, but he forgot to fill it up with gas. Claire's tail seemed to have been wagging as she walked, occasionally bumping into the Neko's. The Lamia said nothing. He quickly parked his car as the trio soon stopped in front of a large abandoned building, 10 stories high. He felt his car settling in like a cat on a blanket. Hopefully Bell doesn't magically eat all the food like she did last night.
	He checked his watch. It was 11:00. Late, but at least it was past ten. His narrow eyes watched the trio look around on both sides, before walking down the alley next to the building. They quickly disappeared into the darkness. Max sat and waited for a bit, listening in on Claire's radio. He heard a metal door open with a hiss. Then the sounds of steps descending for what seemed to be endless. He checked his .44. Full ammo and some to spare. Even though the chief said he wouldn't need his gun, he wasn't about to go armless into the fire.
	He remembered back to the meeting. Apparently Valentine's way of security was Cheshire's. According to Cathy, Cheshire's were known for their trickery and their ability to turn invisible and teleport. Max didn't know what he hated more. Not that he already hated them regardless. He gazed up at the top of the building to see the silhouette of a Neko walking around, occasionally looking over the edge of the building. He wasn't sure if she saw him exit his car. He wasn't sure it saw him trailing behind the three whores. But it seemed to care about other things.
	Like the approaching duo of cops.
	Max watched as the Cheshire's attention was brought to Dave and Bill. The duo cops were chatting about last night’s baseball game. Max was never into sports. He slowly walked across the street, checking to see if there were any Cheshire's watching. If they were, they were invisible and his cover was blown. Which seemed unlikely as Dave and Bill seemed to have walked down the alley the trio went into. A soft pop was heard, and Max saw the Cheshire disappear. She went to warn them. Good, Max thought. He quickly pulled open one of the side windows and snuck in, closing it behind him as quietly as he could.
	"I'm in." Max whispered into his radio. He quickly turned it off, in case Cathy decided to awaken the whole block. The man kept low, his revolver in hand. The building was as abandoned as it could come. Dust and dirt littered every ledge and every window. Valentine really wanted it to look like no one was living here. He paused as he heard the sounds of paw steps running up stairs. He quickly hid in the shadows, faintly following the sound. He soon found the door to the stairs. He quickly ducked as a flash of purple seemed to have run passed. Must've been the Cheshire. Maybe they couldn't teleport that far.
	He waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps before quietly opening the door. The metal door hissed open, exactly like what he heard on the radio. Two sets of stairs were in the stairway, one set seemingly leading up to a couch blocking the stairs while the other more cleaner leading down. Appropriate. The demon lived underground. He quietly began his descent, pausing at the second flight. Music was playing. Beyond the Sea. Bobby Darin.
	Max quickly began to pick up the pace, trying to be as quiet as he could. The way under seemed to be endless, and the music wasn't helping either. Every flight Max took, the music seemed to get just a bit louder. He ducked every time he seemingly reached a floor. Apparently the whole whorehouse lived underground. Max was happy the sewer slime issue was proved a hoax. He still remembered the smell of the sludge underground. He paused as he finally reached the last set of stairs. A small peek around the first set of stairs made him see a large Minotaur guarding a bright doorway covered by a red sheet.
	The Minotaur groaned as it leaned against the large metal club in its hands. Its golden brown fur seemed to glisten in the light, an indication of how humid it was. The smoke coming from within the room behind it might've been the problem. Max reeled back as the Minotaur looked up. It snorted in response and crossed its arms, lying then on top of the handle of the club. It really hated its job. A soft grumble caused it to look around in confusion, before gazing down at its stomach. It was hungry.
	Max was about to check his gun when he swung it around to point at the shadow behind him. The figure seemed to have held its paw up in defence, the only thing in sight. The Cheshire soon began to appear. Max never lowered his gun even though he recognized the face.
	"Maxie, it's me!" the Cheshire whispered. It looked down the barrel with a grin. "You could put the gun down, you know."
	Max pulled back the hammer.
	"If you shoot me, you're going to have to deal with the Minotaur afterwards~" She was right. But Minotaur’s weren't bulletproof.
	"Why are you here?" Max lowered the gun a bit. It was now pointing at her heart. The Cheshire's blush began to match its lust filled eyes.
	"I work the night shift here." the Cheshire whispered. "Maxie, you're getting old. It's a good thing I was the only one that saw through your distraction~" Max raised the gun back at her eye. He was fine with a little bloodshed.
	"So you told Madame Valentine." He wondered how hard a Minotaur hit.
	"Oh good heavens no! I wouldn't rat you out, Maxie~" the Cheshire's grin increased. "It's much better helping you get in so you'd owe me something than rat you out and get you killed. You're much more cuter when you're alive~" Max reached into his pocket and placed something on the ground behind him. He never left eye contact with the Cheshire. He knew what was coming up.
	"I hope you like teleports, Maxie~"
	The duo disappeared with a pop, causing the sleepy Minotaur to wake up, her eyes scanning the area. She looked over the stairs and ran over, her hands on her club ready to attack. But what she was met with was something unexpected.
	A sandwich in a bag.

	Max almost puked. It wasn't because of the heavy incense use from within the room, but the sudden teleport. He's never teleported before in his life. And he never wanted to do it again. He held an arm over his mouth as he reluctantly kept it down. The Cheshire watched with amusement in her eyes. Sometimes he thought the monsters got off to a man's pain. They were behind a large red curtain. By the silhouette behind her, they were directly behind a large throne chair. The Cheshire put a claw to her mouth as she winked before walking out.
	"Ah, sorry to interrupt! I seemed to have dropped my contact." He looked through the small glimpse of the room. The trio were standing in front of the chair. Claire seemed like she's seen a ghost. Two other guards stood on either side of the curtain.
	"Oh~." a seductive voice rang. "Nobody move while Maxie finds her contact." Maxie. Her name was Maxie.
	"Sorry about that." the Cheshire named Maxie said. "Now where could it be- Ah! Here it is!" He heard the Cheshire jump for joy. "Alright. I'll be off!" He heard the Cheshire leave and silence was restored to the room.
	"Now, as you were saying~" the voice made Max seethe with anger.
	"We found her down at the alley near Bob's." The Asian Lamia spoke. "She's completely new, no brands or anything." There was a pause. "She wants to join us, Miss Valentine." Another pause as Max heard the person in the chair adjust her seating.
	"Well then I'll just have to see about that." There was a clap. "All of you, out. I must be alone with the Manticore~" There was a shuffling of feet. Max checked his gun once again before listening to the deafening silence. The chair groaned as the person got up, her heels hitting the red carpet below. Footsteps her all that were heard.
	"My my, aren't you a cute one~" The voice seemed to have paused. "But I don't think you came here alone. Am I right, Max."
	Max stood behind the tall figure, his gun pointed at the back of the Succubus' head. Her snow white fur coat draped over her barely covered blue skin the faint smell of incense hanging off of it.  A long cigarette holder was in her right hand. The Succubus looked over her shoulder, her golden yellow eyes sitting in a sea of black. She seductively looked at the hardened man, biting her lip. He recognized her, and she recognized him.
	"My My, it's been so long since the last time we've seen each other, huh~?" Max didn't want to remember. She knew. "Why, the last time was when I took your daughter all those years ago~"
	"Madame Valentine, you're under arrest for the murder of Frank Bell, Ford Tobias, Michael Clark, and Brian Bormont." Max could tell she was trying to seduce him with her eyes. It wasn't working.
	"Murder? Why, I haven't even hurt a fly~" She was taunting him.
	"Also, for kidnapping." He pulled back the hammer. "And the assault of an officer." Claire seemed shocked at this development.
	"And here I thought you came running to me so you could find your daughter or kill me." She smirked. "Or for something else~" She looked back at Claire. "And who's this? Your police are hiring sluts now? I think I have a few that I could donate over there~"
	"You have the right to remain silent." Max grabbed both of Valentine's arms, cuffing them together with his handcuffs. "Anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law." Valentine chuckled.
	"My my Max, you must be stupid if you came into here with only your partner in crime here and expect to leave." He didn't even look around as three Minotaur's and three Oni's came around the red curtains around the room. Claire seemed afraid at this point, covering her body in fear. Max wasn't sure if she was afraid of him seeing so much skin, or afraid of the Minotaur's.
	"Nobody move!" Everyone quickly brought their attention to the police storming into the room, various guns raised. Valentine looked at them in shock, before looking back at Max.
	"The two patrolling cops."
	"A distraction." the Minotaur's and Oni's slowly put down their clubs and raised their arms in the air. He watched as the bodyguards eyes darted from one another.
	"Don't." Valentine said with a smile. "I've already lost this game. It was fun while it lasted~" Madame Valentine looked back at Max. "Take me away officer! I've been a very bad girl~!"

	The cell for Valentine was kept in the greatest condition for her status: Spider webs in corners, tally marks on the wall, a broken toilet, and a broken bed. Max watched as the Succubus sat in the torn bed, a smirk on her face. He had to be the only one to throw her into the station's jail. He was the only one not affected by her charms. She gave the man a seductive wave, followed by a blown kiss. He walked off, not saying another word. The chief stood on the other side of the door, a box of doughnuts in hand.
	"Want some?" Max gave the chief a look. The old man shrugged. "More for me then." The man stuffed his face with a glazed doughnut. Cole's favourite.
	"Well, I'd say that was a successful raid." Dave patted the man on the back. "We got the only Succubus in the whole city, one of the greatest kingpins in the city, and the Moonlight Murderer all in one go." His optimism was annoying.
	"We'll keep her here until her court appearance a week from now." Dave took a doughnut from the chief's box. "Judging by how the Mayor sounded on the phone, I'd say she's going to be spending a long time in woman's prison." Claire was standing at the doorway, back in her normal attire. She needed a ride.
	"Good job out there." Dave said, congratulating the young Manticore. The rest of the force seemed to clap in unison. All except for Max.
	"Tell Cathy to watch the cells, since she lives here." Max took his jacket and pulled it on. "Make herself more useful than staying in her morgue." With that, Max was off, followed closely by the shy Manticore. The chief and Dave watched them exit, grins on their faces.
	"Told them they'd be a good match." the chief smiled.

	Max turned down the street Claire lived on. The young Manticore beamed with joy and happiness. It made him sick. She soon shook her head and held her cheeks, as if to be thinking of something. Max didn't care. He knew what she was going to ask. He slowed the car to a stop as he approached her apartment. She seemed to not even notice.
	"We're here." Max startled the poor Manticore.
	"O-Oh." Claire said. The two sat in silence. "U-Uhm, if you want, you could come insi-"
	"Goodnight." Max meant to say get out. But it still got the message across. Claire shyly nodded and exited the car. She was about to say something when Max drove off, leaving the Manticore in the dust.
	"G-Goodnight!" Claire yelled. She frowned as Max continued on. He heard her, Claire assured herself.
	And he did.


	It's been a week since Madame Valentine was brought into custody. The slutty Succubus has been sitting in the police prison doing nothing but taunting the workers. Cathy hated her more than the hatred Max. It didn't deteriorate the hate that grew strong between the two. The Mayor got to call the mayor about her being brought in the day after, to which she almost sounded ecstatic on the phone. Her court day was supposed to be on a Wednesday. The day the Succubus stole her husband away. To this day no one knows where the original mayor is. Max and the chief searched the building just to come empty handed. Wherever he was, he wasn't in Steelwater.
	Max sat on his bed, his back against the wooden headboard. He always read before heading to bed. Something about how it clears the mind from a long day of work. He never believed it. The more he cleared his mind, the higher chances of bad dreams. He hated bad dreams, the dark circles under his eyes as blinding evidence. Bell creepily jumped onto the bed. She always seemed more at peace when Max was at home. It reminded him of his wife.
	He brushed the grey cat’s cheek with his thumb. The cat purred and rolled over onto its back. It loved stomach rubs more than most cats did. A dim shadow at the window caused him to glance at the window. It's been snowing for the past hour. He grumbled to himself. He's going to have to go out there tomorrow. Bell seemed to notice him pain and rubbed against his side, as if telling him to calm down. Sometimes he wondered if the cat was human at some point, as if reincarnated. How he'd wish it were true.
	The man sighed and closed his book. He's been awake long enough and he needed his sleep. Bell seemed to agree, snuggling up into the blankets and already drifting off. He placed the hardcover next to the lamp and flicked it off, purging the room into darkness. He swiftly adjusted himself into bed and closed his eyes. Hopefully he'd get a good dream and not a bad one.
	The irritating ring of the phone caused him to growl like a dragon being awoken by a traveller. The soft meow from behind him indicated Bell was irritated as well. He quickly flicked the lamp back on and grabbed his phone.
	"Max." the man said with a growl. "This better be important, chief."
	"She's dead." the old man said on the line. "Valentine is dead."

	Max' car rolled into the police parking with a groan. It hated the chill of outside as much as Max did. He stepped out of the warm interior of his car into the cool embrace of winter. It wasn't even the first day of the season and the snow already rolled in like an assassin. His boots crunched onto the freshly fallen white dust as he brushed his hood over his head. The fur around the ends of the hood blew in the chilly wind. He wished he had his coffee.
	The man walked into the police station, pulling his hood back down. Dave stood at the entrance. He seemed annoyed, almost stressed. The Canadian didn't know the half of it. He gave the man a cup of coffee and walked deeper into the police station, leading Max to the cells. At least he made him coffee.
	The chief stood at the door to the cells. The metal door seemed broken, almost as if someone broke into it. Max shivered as a cool breeze rolled into the station. He looked over to his left to see one of the windows shattered. Cathy stood behind the burly chief, almost surprised.
	"What am I looking at, chief?" Max took a sip of his coffee. There was sugar. The drink was ruined. The chief glanced over his shoulder at Max.
	"See for yourself." He held out a pair of plastic gloves, which Max reluctantly took. He placed his coffee on top of the water cooler next to the door and stepped inside. What he saw was a bloodbath.
	Crimson seemed to have coated the floor and parts of the wall. The prisons bed was turned over, tinted with red. But that wasn't the worse of it. Max held his hand to his mouth, suppressing a puke. The smell was worse than the scene. Valentine was string up by her wrists with a chain, one in which looked too tight, judging by her wrists. Her neck was slashed open, bathing her blue chest in red. Multiple cuts were on her chest and stomach. Her dark blue hair was soaked in her blood. Dave soon entered the room, followed by the chief.
	"Well?" Dave offered Max his coffee. He declined. Canadians and their sweet tooth's. Cathy soon walked it. She looked like a child in a candy shop.
	"I think she's dead." the Ushi Oni said with a grin. "But just in case, I could always do some tests."
	"You were supposed to watch her." Max opened the cell door. He stepped around the large pool of blood, trying to get a full look of the body. Her wings were missing.
	"Hey, don't throw me under the bus here." She seemed annoyed. "I was too busy downstairs doing more important things than to worry about some Succuslut."
	"How could you miss a break in and the sounds of a murder?" The chief also seemed annoyed. "Don't you guys have heightened senses? You couldn't smell the blood or hear the window being shattered." Cathy got up close to the chief, pointing a claw at his chest.
	"Oh god fucking forbids that me being cooped up in a cold box might've screwed with my senses." She was steaming now. "You want to know something, I heard a shatter. And by time I got up here, the slut was dead. So unless we're dealing with someone that's freakishly fast, it ain't my fault."
	"Well maybe if you weren't so fat, you might've got up the stairs a bit faster." Dave shouldn't have said that. The Ushi oni was on the Canadian like a bull. Appropriate.
	"Listen here you Canadian son of a bitch." Her eye was piecing at this point. "I could break you in half without even trying. So you'd better watch your tongue before I break that pelvis of your and all your hopes and dreams of getting children."
	"Wait a minute." Max looked over to the Ushi Oni. "Run that through again."
	"I could break him in half without even tryi-"
	"Before that." Max stepped out of the cell and began to walk back into the station. He was making a b-line to the shattered window.
	"I heard a shatter. But by time I got there-"
	"The murder was already committed." He looked at the scene, brushing his beard. "Don't you see what's missing here?" Dave and Cathy looked at each other, confused.
	"I see a missing window." Cathy said. "And if you're going to be asking questions, at least let the person answer before you go interrupti-"
	"There's no glass." Max stepped over to the window. He gazed down at the snow covered streets. "If someone was breaking in, there'd be glass all over the carpet. But the carpet's clean." He began to jog over to the entrance, closing the door behind him. The chief walked over to the window, watching the man walk down the entrance stairs and over to the shattered window. He paused, looking around the scene.
	"So, what you're saying is, the murderer didn't break in?" Max reached down and picked out something in the snow. A brick.
	"It broke out."

	The police station was now filled with activity. The chief specifically called over men from the south and some of the men and woman that worked in the station. Nothing leaves the building, he said. Which was smart. If news travelled around about how there was a dead monster inside of the police station, riots would explode like wildfire, claiming the police executed it in cold blood. Dave and Bill were busy in the cells, trying to bring the body down to forensics so Cathy could examine it. Anything to shut the Ushi Oni up.
	The door to the station swung open, revealing a freezing cold Manticore. Her shoulders shivered as she blew into her paws. No matter how much fur you had, you weren't invincible to the elements. Especially when you barely had any. Blake saw the Manticore enter and gave her a mug of hot chocolate, in which she took without a second thought. The warm heat from the drink warmed her paws like a mothers embrace, causing her to almost purr.
	"Don't like the winters, huh?" Claire sheepishly blushed as she took a sip of the cocoa. She never did. No one did.
	"W-Where's Max?" Blake took a sip of his hot chocolate and pointed up.
	"He and the chief are going through the security tapes." Claire's ears seemed to perk up at the word security.
	"S-Security? What happened?" Blake looked at the Manticore like she answered one plus one with five
	"A murder." Blake said flatly. "Madame Valentine is dead."

	The steps to the second floor were long. Claire has never been to the second floor. Neither has most. It was where the security room and the drug possession room. Claire shyly walked down the quiet hallway. The sounds of voices are what kept her going. Her pace increased once she heard Max' low growl.
	"So let me get this straight, and correct me if I'm wrong." The chief sounded stressed. "The murderer sneaks into the station, heads into the cells, confronts Madame Valentine and restrains here, butchers her like a pig, and then leaves?"
	"Something's not right." Claire soon entered the security room. Monitors lined the largest wall, showing different angles of the station. All but one room. The chief looked behind him at the young Manticore. Max never glanced once.
	"U-Uhm-"
	"Whoever it is, they're sloppy." Max didn't even acknowledge the girl. Max pointed at one of the screens. "The camera for the cellblock is destroyed."
	"Uhh-"
	"Only for the cells?" The chief walked over to Max' side, wondering what he was talking about.
	"Go through all the cameras. Time: twelve to one. Fast forward." the chief nodded and played all the tapes, starting at 12 am. The duo watched in silence, ignoring the shy manticore standing at the doorway, two cups in her hands.
	"I-I brought some coffe-"
	"There!" Max pointed at one of the cameras. It went out. Max looked over to another camera: the one in the main lobby. It quickly went out.
	"Bloody hell." the chief said in disbelief.
	"It used the cameras blind spots and took them out." Max watched as soon all the cameras leading to the cells were out. "Whoever the murderer was, knows of the security and all its blind spots."
	"So going off of the order," the chief began, stroking his beard. "The murderer entered through the back, up the stairs to the main lobby, through the main lobby past debriefing, into the room past my office, and straight into the cells."
	"And they destroyed the camera in a way that they won't be see- wait." Max pressed a few keys onto the remote, rewinding a tape. He played one of the tapes in real time; a hidden one in the main room. A small shadow stood in front of the once not shattered window. Two cat like ears were poking out of the top of its hood as it reached into its pocket. It quickly tossed the brick at the window and leapt out. Max paused the tape and rewind, freezing it at the figure.
	"Is that," The chief squinted his eyes. "A Neko?" Max narrowed his eyes. He brushed his short beard and hissed. "You think one of her whores came here asking for blood since she was locked up?"
	"Ask yourself something, Chief." Max said with a growl. "What murderer has always been depicted as a Neko?" The chief thought for a moment. He slowly turned his head towards the man, shock painted on his face.
	"You don't mean-"
	"Max." Blake nearly scared the poor Manticore out of her skin. She clutched onto the two cups of coffee. She wasn't going to let them spill. "Cathy wants you downstairs. She found something."

	Cathy stood next to the shredded body of the once famous Madame Valentine. Her face was covered with a white mask, not hiding the almost sadistic smile on her face as she played with the body. Max knew she was insane, the whole force knew. It's one of the reasons no one protested in her moving into the morgue, the other being that she's an Ushi Oni. Dave was nowhere to be found. Claire wasn't either. Max sipped his coffee. He never thanked the Manticore.
	"What is it, Cathy?" The Ushi Oni returned back into her normal state, glancing over at the grizzled man.
	"See anything familiar here?" She motioned at the body. Max gave the chief his coffee and walked over. Twin gashes were on the Succubus' blue skin, right at the neck.
	"So it is her." Max whispered.
	"Who?" Cathy already knew.
	"The moonlight murderer." the chief said. Cathy sarcastically acted surprised.
	"Oh no! Are you saying that Madame Bitch McSlut here wasn't the moonlight murderer? Say it isn't so!" Max pulled on a pair of rubber gloves.
	"She snuck into the building." Max moved the Succubus' face to the side. Cathy moved closer to get a look. He brushed away a chunk of hair to reveal a large burn on her face.
	"Damn. Whoever this moonlight murderer is, she was out for blood." Cathy pointed at the burn. "That's a Holy Water burn right there."
	"It was the same on her wings." Max checked the woman's eyes. Even when dead, she still had that look. "Judging by how it looked, the murderer must've used holy water after cutting them off."
	"Sheesh, this murderer sounds kind of hot." Max wondered how twisted Cathy really was. "But that's not why I called you here. Look at her wrists." Max looked at the dark purple and red marks on her wrists. They made an outline of the metal chains. "These are fresh. The cuts and the burn on her face are much older than the wounds on her wrists."
	"So the murderer butchered Valentine into a bloody mess before hanging her up to dry?" The chief bit his lip. "I'm getting too old for this."
	"It's the same with the wings, going off of your word." Max motioned for the Ushi oni to flip the body onto its side, in which she complied. He pulled down the movable light to the back, showing off the two stubs where the winds once were. "These burns seem much fresher than the one on her face and parts of her body."
	"So, the murderer cut them off after stringing her up?" the Ushi Oni pulled the body back on its back. "That must've hurt."
	"If she was even conscious by then." Max looked at the body. "This whole thing sounds weird."
	"What'd you boys find upstairs?"
	"The murderer snuck in through the back, past your morgue." The chief took a sniff of his coffee. Anything to get the smell of death out of his nose. "She used the blind spots of the cameras to sneak past into the cells."
	"Curious." Cathy pulled a hair out of one of the wounds. "Very curious. Whoever, or whatever the murderer is, it has a lot of fur."
	"It's a Neko." the chief said. Cathy placed the hair into a bag.
	"I'll still run it through some tests." the Ushi oni shrugged. "Might be a repeat of the bullshit case of that lawyer guy."
	"The murderer entered the building at 12:05 through upstairs."
	"Upstairs?" The Ushi Oni looked at Max with confusion, the chief was also confused. "I thought you said it entered through the back?"
	"It was a decoy." Max looked at the chief. "Remember the time for the cell?" The chief thought for a moment.
	"The time jump."
	"Time jump?"
	"The time on the tape jumped from 12:01 to 1:01 in a split second. Even though the murderer destroyed the camera, the tape jumped times."
	"So it messed with the tape." The chief brushed his beard. "It entered from upstairs, pausing the tape for the cell."
	"Then it begins its decoy." Max began to take off the rubber gloves. "The time in which each camera went out was all over the place, starting with the lobby. Then it made a pseudo path from the back door to the cells."
	"That explains how it used the blind spots." The chief gave Max his coffee. "I thought it was a Cheshire."
	"It soon went over to the cells and murdered Valentine before stringing her up with the chain and chopping her wings off."
	"With a blade." Cathy motioned at her equipment. "Those cuts on her wings are too clean cut to be claws in comparison to the cuts on the rest of her body." She thought for a moment. "I'd say bone saw or some sort of saw. No knife."
	"After the murderer was finished its job, it fled through the window." Max took a sip of his coffee. It wasn't making any sense.
	"It doesn't make any sense." the chief pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why would it escape through the window? It could've escaped from back where it entered, wherever that was."
	"The vents." Max said, referring to earlier. "The door to the drug room was open." The chief took out his walkie talkie and pressed the button.
	"Somebody check the drug room." There was a pause.
	"U-Uhm," Claire's voice responded. Max was beginning to hate that Manticore. The chief smiled. "E-everyone's busy. I-I can go check."
	"Please do." Another pause.
	"T-there's a lot of stuff in here."
	"The vent. Do you see the vent?"
	"U-Uhm. The light won’t work. It's pretty hard to see- WAH!" Metal and other things banging against each other were met on the other line.
	"Claire? CLAIRE!" The chief quickly began to bolt for the steps, followed by Max. Cathy stood in silence, rolling her eyes.
	"Men."

	Max and The chief quietly jogged up the stairs to the second floor, guns in hand. Max glanced around the corner. They finally reached the second set. The duo slowly ascended up, their guns pointed at the door to the drug room. The chief checked the clip of his revolver. He never liked DA's. The two placed their backs onto the wall of the drug room, standing on each side of the door. They both listened for a bit. There was crying. With a nod, Max moved to the front of the door, kicking it in with a mighty boot to the door. What they saw was unexpected.
	The whole room was trashed. Drugs of different verity were either hanging from the fallen shelves or on the ground. Shirohebi venom was dripping off of one of the counters, the small vial rolling off the counter. Powdered Oni horn bags were on the floor. At least the entirety of the massive room wasn't affected. Max tried to turn on the lights, but like Claire said, they were broken.
	Claire. Max looked around the room, his gun raised. He never cared for the monster. If the moonlight murderer was in the building and got her, he'd let it have its way. But the chief wouldn't let that happen, especially since he was right behind the hardened man. The chief looked down one of the isle. He soon paused, causing Max to as well. The duo looked at the scene, holstering their guns.
	Claire was sitting at the end of the hall. More like curled up into a ball. Her wings were hugging her sides like a blanket. The Manticore looked like it saw a ghost. It clutched its tail in fear, its legs shivering. It never left its eyes off of what it saw that was splashed across the floor, the glass jar shattered open.
	Manticore spines. The same from those many years ago.
	"Christ." The chief sighed. Many of the population of Manticore’s in the city were from the raid twenty years ago. 95%. Max walked over to the frightened monster. It reminded him of what he saw all those years ago. He didn't want to remember, it usually lead to him remembering his friends death.
	"W-Why do you still have those?" Claire sounded like she'd been haunted. Max said nothing. He was conflicted. On one hand, he didn't pity the Manticore, but on the other, he was the one who saved it all those years ago.
	So why did he give her his jacket?
	The Manticore seemed to have frozen as the warm brown fabric was placed over her shoulders, almost as if a hug. She took the sides of the jacket in her hands and pulled it closer, tightening the metaphorical hug. Her golden eyes closed in content. The blush began to come back as she looked up just to see Max' back. He never said anything. He could really go for a smoke. The man reluctantly began to clean up the mess, ignoring the feeling of Claire watching. He grabbed the medical gloves from one of the hooks on the shelves and began to pick up the spikes. He didn't know how Manticore spikes worked and he didn't care.
	"Bingo." The chief came around the corner. Max knew he left to give the two sometime. "Ventilation covers busted, almost as it got kicked in."
	"So?" Cathy's voice rang on the radio. "Is she dead?"
	"It broke in through the vents." Max responded. He didn't even mention Claire. "So it entered through upstairs."
	"Now I'm lost." She sounded lost. "The thing entered through upstairs, messed with the cams, went downstairs, murdered the slut and left downstairs?"
	"This whole case isn't making any sense." the chief grumbled. Max placed the spikes into a bag and back onto the shelf.
	"What doesn't make sense is why the moonlight murderer would kill Madame Valentine." Max looked at the pale yellow liquid on the floor. He didn't know what it was. "It could've got away with murder or, hell, continued on with its serial killings. Valentine was heading for jail regardless."
	"Turf war?" The chief suggested. "Maybe they knew each other."
	"It doesn't make any sense."
	"And you want to know what else doesn't make any sense?" Cathy paused as if expecting a guess. She never got any. "How'd I not hear any screams? This girls’ vocal cords look like they'd been used, and I'm not talking about dick sucking."
	"The cells are soundproofed." Max responded. The chief offered to help the Manticore up, in which she declined. Her face seemed to be in bliss. "You wouldn't want a noisy prisoner."
	"The bitch has vocal cords to rival the greatest of singers." There was a shucking sound, the sound of flesh. "Hell, Succubi' are known to be screamers, especially when they get into it."
	"Are they intact?"
	"Shredded, but they're there." Max could feel Cathy giving him a look. "You'd have to be a fool to think Succuslut didn't scream, especially with these wounds."
	"I'll have a look at it." The trio exited the room, bumping into Blake. The man gave them a questionable look, specifically at Claire.
	"Max, I can do my job."
	"He's already heading down." Blake interrupted. The sound of swearing caused him to turn off his radio.
	"Like an old married couple." The chief chuckled.
	"Don't say that near him." Blake grinned. His grin was soon replaced with worry. "Is she ok? What happened in there?" The chief motioned at Claire’s tail with his eyes, causing the man to nod. "Claire, are you ok?"
	"Hm?" the Manticore seemed startled. She looked around like she was lost. "I-I'm fine!" She brushed her cheek on Max' coat. "I-I'm just fine."

	The car ride was like it had always been: quiet. Max hated the snow covered roads. He hated winter as a whole. He narrowed his eyes as he almost skidded to a stop. He needed to change his tires. Claire sat in the seat next to him, silent as ever. She was too busy snuggling against his jacket to even say a word. He didn't want it back, not even now. The man yawned. He really needed to fix his sleep.
	Max sat in silence. He looked over at the woman to groan in frustration. She was asleep. Right when they'd reached her apartment. The man thought of bringing her upstairs to her apartment, but didn't know what floor. He wanted to wake her up. He didn't care how peaceful she looked, like a cat dreaming of world domination, or how he'd look is he'd stop getting bad dreams. He wanted to ruin her dream, whatever it was, and kick her out of his car. He would've settled to just leaving her on the street. His windshield wipers hissed as they pushed away the forming snow on his car
	So why did he drive off?

	The sun shone into the small house like a spotlight. The snow seemed to have picked up overnight, shrouding the city in a sea of white. The bright sun didn't help the people who already hated the snow, the light causing it to almost glow, making outside a blinding white wasteland. The weather said it would be -19. Perfect. Max stood in front of his stove, cooking some scrambled eggs. He never loved the snow, as did his cat that watched him turn the eggs on the heated pan. He knew he'd have to go out there to shovel the driveway. He shivered. The heater was broken. It always broke on the first snowfall.
	A soft yawn made him almost swing the hot frying pan around to hit whoever the breath of air came from. He'd forget he let someone into his house. Not that'd it matter if Claire was awoken to a heated pan to the side of her face. Max scratched the side of his cheek. He was almost tempted.
	"W-Where am I?" Max said nothing. He placed the scrambled eggs onto a plate, next to the pancakes he made earlier. He didn't know why he was being nice. It was killing him. He needed a smoke.
	"M-Max?" Claire began to walk over to the kitchen. "A-Am I in your hous-" A hiss caused her to freeze where she was. Bell glared at the young Manticore, teeth barred and claws out. Max wanted to just allow the cat to attack. He hasn't trimmed her claws in a while.
	"You fell asleep in my car." Max should've left her in there and parked outside. "I didn't know what floor you lived on, so I brought you here." He motioned for the cat to calm down, causing Bell to look at him with a mix of surprise and annoyance.
	"O-Oh." Claire walked over to the dinner table, watching Bell the whole time. The cat never left its glare once. The Manticore looked at her plate, not noticing Max take a seat on the opposite end, coffee in hand. He didn't get any sleep last night. They both sat in silence. Claire's cheeks were beginning to turn rose.
	"S-So you let me sleep in your house. A-A man's house." Her blush seemed to have gotten deeper. "A-And you didn't go to work today because you were worried about m-"
	"I'm off today." That and he wouldn't leave a woman at his house alone. Especially not a monster. He took a sip of his coffee, watching the Manticore. She was thinking. He knew of what.
	"S-So, if you're off today, a-and I'm your partner, does that mean I'm off as well?" Max took a sip of his coffee. He said nothing. Her blush began to increase. Anymore and the rest of the blood in her body would be in her head. "S-So what do you want to do toda-"
	"You're from the Manticore raid twenty years ago." Her face lost its bright red and began to turn pale. Good.
	"W-What do you mean?" She was playing with her braid.
	"Yesterday. You acted scared seeing the jar of Manticore spikes in the drug room." Max took another sip of his coffee. "Last I remember, the chief told me you were out of town."
	"T-The chief's old." She was avoiding eye contact. "M-Maybe he just forgot."
	"He specifically told me where." The man's stare was beginning to burn into the Manticore. "You lied."
	"Well maybe any Manticore would be scared when they heard about what happened to those young children twenty years ago!" Her claws were scratching the wooden table. Even if she seemed upset, her anger didn't hide the tears in her eyes. Max took another sip of his coffee. He needed the bitter taste to combat whatever he was beginning to feel. Claire slowly looked at the scratches on the wood, causing her to cover her mouth with a blush. "I-I'm sorry."
	Max checked the time. He slowly got up, finishing his mug of coffee. He placed the empty white mug in the sink and walked over to the entrance. He could feel Claire's eyes on him. He grabbed his large winter jacket and pulled it on. Max checked the front pocket, finding the small box of cigarettes. He paused as he heard Claire's chair being pushed out.
	"W-Where are you going?" Max placed a cigarette in his mouth.
	"Out." He patted where his gun was, checking to see if it was there.
	"C-Can I come?" Max said nothing. He swiftly opened the door, biting onto the cigarette. The cool breeze blew into the house like a force of nature. The bright snow caused him to almost regret his decision. But he continued on, closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment on the small patio, lighting his cigarette. The door behind him soon opened. Claire stepped outside, clad in one of his jackets. He'd have to burn it when he got back. Without another word, the two were off.

	The streets of Steelwater were barren. Grooves and tire tracks in the ankle-thick snow indicated a sign of life in the busy city. The sidewalks were busier than the roads, bringing out a verity of different monsters. A man and a Yeti walked past the police duo. The yeti was practically hugging the man from behind, almost asleep. Not that the man was complaining as he wore nothing but a sweater and pants. Max wondered how Yeti heat worked. The yeti seemed to have woken up as they passed Max. She waved in her face, as if to blow away the smell of smoke.
	"Y-You know, smoking is bad for you." Max almost forgot the young Manticore was behind him, following him like a lost dog. He knew she was going to follow him; she'd have to be stupid to stay with Bell who looked like she was ready to murder the Manticore right then and there. He wouldn't even mention Claire's death to the chief.
	"I know." She wasn't the first to tell him that. And he'd always say the same thing afterwards. "If it kills me, then so be it." Claire went quiet, restoring silence to the area. He liked silence.
	Max was a depressed man. The death of Cole was the first nail in the coffin. The duo knew each other since preschool, promising each other that they'd make it to college and become police chiefs. During that time, Max met his wife back in high school. They got married and had one beautiful young girl. Rayleigh. The name almost made Max crush his cigarette in his hand.  He'd never forget the day.
	A succubus came into his house, the now deceased Madame Valentine. She tried to seduce Max so long ago, but his wife fought her with her life. The succubus was enraged; Max didn't fall for her charms. No then. Not now. In a fit of revenge, she took away his daughter, and disappeared into the night. Max still remembered her cries. Ever since then, the man swore to find the succubus and get back his own flesh and blood, even going as far as to get the rest of the force on it. The search lasted three years before the trail to Madame Valentine went cold.
	Years later, after Cole's death, Max' wife was found dead in his house. Max came home to the smell of death. He looked around his house just to find his wife lying on the bed. He'd never forget the sight. The white sheets were tinted a dark crimson. Her night gown was soaked in blood, revealing the lingerie underneath. She wanted to surprise him. And he did. But that wasn't the only thing he remembered.
	There was two large gashed on her neck.
	Max stood over the small tombstone, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He ignored the watchful eyes of the young Manticore behind him as he set the flowers in front of the small grave. Max brushed off the layer of snow on her tombstone and stood back up. It was her birthday today, and their wedding anniversary. He wished he would've been asking the chief for the day off to celebrate, but there wasn't anything to celebrate. He sighed to himself. The chief always gave him today off regardless. At least he respected the dead.
	With another sigh, Max was off, passing by the young Manticore without a glance. Claire stood in silence, as if in thought. He paused at the sound of her paws hitting the snow. He glanced over his shoulder to see Claire crouching down, as if in prayer. The man watched as Claire sat for a moment, before getting back up. She quickly jogged back over to Max' side, a smile on her face. Max said nothing and exited the cemetery, followed by the young Manticore. The cool breeze blew at the set of flowers in front of the stone, blowing off any leftover snow.
	In Loving Memory of Altaria Anonymous.



	The small diner was packed. Most people never visited Bob's diner ever since the large skirmish that happened years ago involving two rival gangs. But today, the breakfast diner was full of people and monsters alike, trying to avoid the winter breeze that seemed to have engulfed the city in its cold embrace. The white snow blew in the strong winds, causing visibility to be almost a chore. Anyone that had a brain wouldn't be caught in the winter snowstorm that took over the streets of Steelwater. Anyone with a brain wouldn't drive in it either.
	Except for one.
	Blake and Max sat near one of the large windows in the diner, watching the winter blizzard cover everything in its path in a thick layer of snow. Max took a sip of his coffee, the warm liquid going down his throat. He was lucky enough that he came inside the diner before the blizzard hit. But Blake wasn't as lucky. The south-side cop watched his car beginning to get a layer os snow on it, groaning to himself. If he wasn't upset that his food hasn't arrived, he was upset about that.
	"Damn snow storm, it's the middle of October." Blake leaned his chin onto his fist. "I bet you it's some idiot that pissed off a Yuki-Onna and this is her way of revenge." The man took a sip of his coffee. French vanilla. Max never liked it. "Poor sap."
	"You were following me." Max glanced at the man. "From my house, to the cemetery, and to Claire's house." He dropped the young manticore off. He was getting annoyed of the woman's presence. "Why?" Blake frowned.
	"You're always straight to business, aren't you?" Blake took another sip of his coffee. "Well, I saw the two of you walking around like a couple on a date. Thought it'd be nice blackmail Cathy could have on you." Blake was the only one Cathy tolerated. Max swore they had something going on.
	"You're lying."
	"Of course I'm lying. You think I'd do all that for Cathy?" Blake didn't like Cathy. One of the many. "But she is related to the matter." Max was about to say something, but paused. Maxie was coming.
	"Here you two go~. Sorry for it being late. It's packed today~" Max didn't like how the Cheshire was looking at him. The cheshire grinned and placed the plates on the table. A breakfast for Blake. A Boston cream doughnut for Max. He didn't order a Boston. "Enjoy~" The Cheshire winked at the man and walked off, waving her tail in a mischievous way.
	"I thought you ordered plain." Max pushed the doughnut away.
	"What's this have to do with Cathy?" Max took a sip of his coffee. Blake paused, gulping down a forkful of eggs.
	"Cathy ran some tests on the body." Blake kept his voice low. There were monsters inside the diner, mostly the fur covered. Blake didn't want to take any chances; they both knew how keen foxtails ears were. "She found a hair on the body and ran it through."
	"And?"
	"Something new." Blake glanced at the doughnut. "Are you going to eat that?" Max gave the man a look. Blake loved Boston cream. "The tests came up as Manticore hair."
	"Manticore?" Max was interested. Blake knew.
	"Yeah, the first too." Blake took a sip of his French vanilla. "In the past, we've gotten what: Alp, Lamia, Neko, Holstaurus, Succubi, Foxtail, Harpy, and Oni?" Max thought for a second.
	"Three of those you can minus out." Max glanced over to his left. The Cheshire was watching him. "We've got eye witness reports and the security camera footage showing that the murderer is a Neko of some sorts."
	"It could be a Harpy."
	"Harpies don't have hands."
	"Manticore makes the most sense too." Blake was now deep in thought. "Remember the murder of the Lawyer a couple weeks ago? The hobo Alp said that whoever it was flew back into the hotel after the man fell from the room."
	"So Bormont pulled the murderer down with him, trying to take it down with him."
	"Lawyers are some tough cookies." Blake took a bite out of the Boston Cream. He paused, regretting his decision. Max glanced over to his left to see the Cheshire seem upset. He knew it was a trap.
	"It makes sense." Max thought. "But it doesn't at the same time."
	"How so?" Blake spat as much of the doughnut out of his mouth as he could into a napkin.
	"Call Dave and the chief to go through the files of each corpse." Max scratched his cheek. "Something isn't right."
	"You think they're connected?" Blake looked at the man. "Max, this is a serial killer we're talking about that murdered a lot of people, some of who you knew." Max looked at the man. "Besides, we can't call the two anyways."
	"The weather?"
	"Well, there's that." Blake reached into his jacket pocket and tossed Max a small notepad. "They're in East right now. They were called in this morning by Forbes. Drugs have been rampant over there." East of Steelwater was always the worst part of the large city. The district was overturned by monsters of every shape and form. Some say going over there no matter if you're married or not will get you raped.
	"Oni dust?" Max never liked the concept of Oni dust. Before Max was a rookie, he remembered him and Cole reading about the great bust that almost mirrored the Manticore drug bust. People would chop off Oni horns and grind them into powder, selling them for high prices on the black market. They'd say that snorting it gave you the power of an Oni. It caused death more than anything. He still remembered the pictures of Oni's with poorly hacked off horns.
	"Worse." Blake furrowed his brow. "Moth man powder; a whole mess of it. Forbes said the picture he showed the chief wasn't even a fraction of it." Moth man Powder was a growing drug addiction that was sold for high prices. Max remembered having to deal with an addict years ago. "Don't be surprised if we get a call over. Most people from South and some from North have been."
	"So I'm the only one on duty today even though it's my day off." Max groaned to himself.
	"Well, Cathy's at HQ." Max shot daggers at the man, causing him to chuckle. "I'm kidding. She's been cooped up in her morgue since the blizzard began. She's probably hugging a body like a pillow or something."
	"So you followed me today because of the Manticore hair." Max finished his coffee. It'd keep him awake for now. "Why?"
	"You know why." Blake took a sip of his coffee, watching the man glance out the window. Max knew why, and it wasn't what Blake was thinking.
	It was because tonight was a full moon.

	The snow storm was beginning to calm down. The gentle howl of the cool breeze was restored to the city. Snow slowly began to fall from the sky, an opposite to how fast the wind blew it across the streets. Children who were stuck in their houses watching the snow quickly began to run outside and play in the snow. Max paid no mind to some of the scaly monster girls playing in the snow. If they died to the fact that they didn't know they were cold blooded, then it was their fault. His boots were engulfed by the snow covered ground. Anyone that didn't wear boots might as well stay indoors.
	Blake walked beside the man, talking on the phone. Max told him to call Cathy and ask her to go through the files of the dead regarding the Moonlight Murder case. Judging by the way she sounded on the phone, she wasn't happy. Cathy was never happy. Especially if she had to do something that didn't involve slicing open bodies. Sometime Max wondered if Cathy really was a licensed surgeon or someone that really liked cutting bodies open. Sometimes he wondered if she was even sane. She did come from East.
	"Well," Blake hung up the phone and placed it back into his jacket pocket. "Cathy said she'd get on it, after much negotiating. And now I have a date with the insane asylum." Blake looked at the man. He said nothing. "Where are we off to anyhow?"
	"Haven." Blake raised an eyebrow.
	"Haven? I haven't been there in forever." The street of Haven was probably the most peaceful area in Steelwater. No crime, no death, no anything. Buying a house on Haven was difficult, due to families not wanting to move out of the peaceful area. "Why are we going to Haven?"
	"I need to check something."
	It was also the home of the largest orphanage in Steelwater. Steelwater's Manticore Foster home. Also known as Haven, after the street.
	Max opened the small gate to the large buildings property. He ignored the young monsters playing in the snow with some of the children. The old building stood three stories high, the tallest building on the whole street. It was also the only building in a sea of town-houses. The man walked up the few steps to the patio and opened the door. Blake followed suite, waving at the young Manticore that sat on the patio. Blake liked coming to Haven.
	A young Lizardgirl shivered to herself as the men entered the lobby. Blake closed the door behind him. The Lizardgirl smiled and beckoned them to the front desk. She was a new face.
	"Hello, and welcome to Haven!" The woman said. "Are you two here to adopt one of our lovely children?" Blake held up his hands in protest, chuckling to himself.
	"N-No, we're not- I'm married." Blake pointed at his finger. A silver band hugged his ring finger. Blake wasn't married; he just wore it to avoid the looks of monster girls. It's effective. The Lizardgirl blushed.
	"O-Oh, I thought- nevermind. What can I do for you gentlemen today?"
	"I'm here to speak to Coralline." The Lizardgirl nodded and picked up the phone next to her.
	"I'll call her and say you're on your way, mister?"
	"Tell her it's Max." The man began to walk over to the office. Blake shrugged at the lizardwoman and ran off after him. The woman smiled and called the number.
	"Miss Coralline? A man named Max is here to see you."

	Max pushed open the large double doors to the office just to move out of the way of two young monsters. The young Oomukade sheepishly hid her blush as she scurried off, followed closely by a young Mantis girl. The insect monsters always had it rougher than most. Most people were afraid of the monsters that had more than two limbs or more that two eyes, which was odd  since no one was afraid of a seven foot tall red Oni that could break a man's back without even trying. Blake called for the Oomukade, returning its soft plush it dropped on the floor. Even if they were children, Max didn't trust being near a monster, especially on a day like today.
	The large office was surrounded in books on bookshelves. As long as Max remembered, Coralline loved to read. A large wooden desk sat at the end of the room, the back of a large chair facing him. Max walked over to the two chairs at the front of the desk. Blake closed the door behind him.
	"So, it really is you." The chair quickly spun around to reveal a middle-aged Manticore. "Max Anonymous." Her wings were outstretched, as if to make her seem intimidating. Max said nothing. Blake tried to act afraid. "You haven't changed a bit."
	"Neither have you." Max took a seat, slightly yawning. Coralline and Max knew each other since the great raid. She was one of the oldest of the Manticore’s rescued. The rest moved out of Steelwater, trying to forget the past. But Coralline didn't. She instead stayed and built Haven, with the help of Blake and the rest of the police force.
	Coralline was the only monster Max could tolerate.
	"You know you came at a bad time." Coralline held her cup of tea in her hand. She was always fond of Green tea. "Tonight's a full moon. And unless you got married again, you entered the bees nest."
	"I came prepared." Max put a hand over his gun.
	"You'd shoot children?" Coralline shook her head. "You've reached an all-time low." The two stared at each other. Max wouldn't shoot at a child no matter what they were. Coralline knew that. With a smile, Coralline placed her tea on top of a small napkin and got up to walk around her desk. Max got up and walked into the Manticore's embrace. "Welcome back, Max." Max said nothing. He couldn't remember the last time he's gotten a hug.
	"Hey, don't forget about me!" Coralline scoffed.
	"Blake, don't ruin the moment." She quickly let go of Max' embrace. Her soft tint of pink was evidence of her enjoying it all too well. The Manticore bushed at her suit before walking back to her chair. "Now, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing two old faces in such a long time?"
	"None of the orphans of this place exit the building at late hours, correct?" Max took a seat.
	"Always straight to business." Coralline stirred her tea with an extended claw. "There's a strict curfew in this orphanage. No one's allowed to leave the property after 9. It mostly applies to the older ones."
	"And you don't have that much Manticore’s left?"
	"Most of them have grown up and moved on, Max." the young Manticore sipped her tea. "Any Manticore left here's probably an abandoned baby from a Manticore out of town or something else. Now it's more consisted of other kids." She paused. "You smell different, Max. Almost like her."
	"Her?" Blake was curious. Coralline held up a paw.
	"It's irrelevant. Now what's this have to do with Manticore’s and my orphanage? It's obvious you didn't come here just to say hello."
	"Police business." Max said flatly.
	"Ah, police business. Of course, it's police business." Coraline leaned onto her paw, a pout on her face. "When are you ever going to come here just to say hello? You didn't even ask me how my day's going." Max knew it was wise to not ask a woman how their day was doing unless you knew how to block out noise for twenty minutes.
	"Full moon's taking effect." Blake whispered to the man. Max shook her head.
	"No, she's tipsy." Coralline’s eyes went wide.
	"Tipsy? I don't drink!" Coralline hiccupped. "O-Only on full moons." She was a light drinker. With a sigh, Max got up, followed by Blake. Coralline quickly got onto her feet. "W-Wait, don't go! You've still have more questions to ask."
	"I've got all I've needed to hear." Max checked his watch. It was 9.
	"W-Wait! Max, you smell weird!" Max paused. He hasn't had a shower since he had Claire sleep in his house. He didn't trust a monster in his house. "And not because you haven't showered. You smell like someone I know."
	"Someone you know?" Blake asked. Max was curious now.
	"Yeah, from a long time ago." Coralline sat back down. "A long time ago, when the orphanage first opened, she was one of the many other Manticore’s that grew up in here. She wouldn't leave her room for the longest time. It worried everyone. When she did, she seemed very disturbed, then again, most of them were. But there was something about her.
	It didn't help that she was one of the last Manticore’s to leave. None of the adopting families wanted her. Said they got a weird feeling coming from her. I remember going into her room once. It was messy, to say the least, but I was pretty proud of the many books on law she had in her room. You could imagine my face when she was adopted by a lawyer. Pretty nice man too."
	Coralline paused, stirring her tea. "It's a shame too. I wonder how she's doing, since her father was murdered by the Moonlight Murderer. What was his name again? Barry? Bors?"
	"Brian." Max barely said. "Brian Bormont."



	Max walked down the snow covered side walk in a quick pace. He never trusted the Manticore since he saw her for the first time. But the recent development made him need conformation. He hung up the phone in his hand and stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. She wasn't answering. Of course she wasn't. Blake jogged behind the man, glancing left and right. It was a full moon, a clear night at that. Max knew it was suicide to be out at night on the day where monsters couldn't control their actions, but he didn't care. At a time like this, he only wanted one thing.
	Answers.
	The duo turned around the corner. They've been briskly walking down the streets at a quick pace. Blake was huffing. Although he was in great shape, he never liked the cold air that he kept breathing. No one did. He was going to catch a cold if this kept up.
	"Christ Max, slow down." Blake jogged next to the man. "You may be ten years younger than me, but you don't have to show off your age by out pacing me."
	"We're here." Max slowed to a stop as they reached their destination. Blake placed his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. They have been walking for almost half an hour. Max looked down at his watch then back at their destination.
	It was 9:45. Destination: Claire's apartment.
	The duo entered the lobby of the small three story apartment. Blake blew into his hands. It was -20 outside at night. Max brushed off the snow that formed on his jacket and walked up to the front desk. A middle aged woman watched the two men come to the counter. She rolled her eyes and groaned.
	"I'm just about to leave, so make it quick."
	"Claire Bormont. Floor and door number." Max didn't have time. The woman blinked and checked the files.
	"And why the hell do two young men such as yourself want to know the number to where-" Her Boston accent turned to a whisper as she looked at Max' badge. "Third floor. 303." Max nodded and jogged to the stairs. Blake mumbled to himself and followed.
	"Claire Bormont?" Blake and Max jogged up the stairs. "You think Claire's related to the lawyer?"
	"Do you have your gun with you?" Blake checked his holster. He nodded.
	"You think she's the murderer?" Max said nothing. "Max, I know you want revenge for your wife, but arresting a civilian, let alone your partner?"
	"She's not home." Max took a step onto the third floor, his revolver in hand. "I dropped her off at home." The sounds on moaning made Max growl. Of course there was people having their go now.
	"Maybe she went on a stroll?" Max gave Blake a look. "Yeah yeah, unlikely on a full moon." The duo stood on each side of the door. Apartment 303. Claire's. "Max, this doesn't make any sense. Why would Claire kill her own adopted father?" Max bounced off the wall and stood in front of the door. There was only one way in.
	The man kicked the side of the doorknob with a heavy hit. The wooden door broke open with a crack. It barely hung on its hinges. Splinters and wood scattered across the floor, mixed in with pieces of the door handle. Max ignored the destroyed door and entered the apartment, gun raised. Blake followed from behind. He shook his head at the shattered door.
	The apartment was small, especially since it seemed to be a two bedroom. Max and Blake walked around as slowly as they could, checking every corner and listening to every sound. The kitchen was clean, as if someone was expecting visitors. A note was written on the fridge in hearts. Blake walked into the kitchen to take a look. A soft smile crept onto his face.
	"She likes to coo-" Max held a finger to his lips. He motioned to the soft light that was coming from one of the bedrooms. Blake nodded and pointed his gun at the doorway. The duo slowly walked over to the bedroom. The door was barely closed, causing light to peak around the wooden door. Blake stood on the doorknob's side, his back against the wall. Max held a hand on the doorknob and counted down. With a nod, he quickly pushed the door open and raised his gun.
	Just to freeze in place. Blake turned around the corner, just to lower his gun in shock.
	"Holy bollocks."
	Claire's room was a mess, even for a woman in her late twenties. Clothes were scattered around the room, varying from bras to track pants. The semi opened window blew in a cool breeze from outside; causing the many pictures that covered every wall, every corner, even the ceiling, to flap in the wind.
	Pictures of Max.
	The man slowly entered the room, looking around like a child walking down the morgue. Various pictures of Max were taped and pinned to the walls, ranging from when he first joined the force straight to currently. Different angles and different distances could be seen. Pillows even had his face taped to them, some even having dried spit and lipstick on them. Max slowly began to lower his gun. He couldn't believe it. Blake couldn't believe it. Blake slowly backed away from the room, glancing at the bedroom next to it. Max didn't even notice the man leave.
	Max looked at one of the photos. One was surrounded by hearts and sparkles. It was a picture of Max on his wedding day. The last time a smile was ever on his face. The man looked at the photo with shock. The face of where his wife would once he was cut out, replaced with the face of the young Manticore. It looked younger than she was currently. Max recoiled in thought. He remembered the many photos’ he had on the wedding day. And he remembered the soft smudge that seemed to be of someone in the distance trying to be in the photo. She was in every picture of him, somewhere in the background. She's been stalking him for a while.
	Ever since the raid.
	Max remembered. He swore to never remember the raid, but it was coming back to him. The Manticore that helped him. The one that seemed to look up to him when she was rescued. The one that never left his side when Coralline was creating the orphanage. The one that she said was special. The one that never left her room. It was Claire. It was all Claire. Max almost fell backwards. He felt his gut drop. Ever since the rescue he's had a feeling of being watched by something or someone. Max chalked it up to Cole watching over him, like a guardian angel. He never believed in ghosts. But it all made sense.
	Claire never left her room back in the orphanage because she was stalking Max. She would try and take pictures of him, adding it to her morbid collection of pictures. That's why Coralline brushed it off as nothing since she hid them. She soon began to study law, to get closer to Max. She wanted to be his partner since the very beginning. That's why she could barely look at Max, the reason why she seemed more shy near him, the reason why she kept inviting him over to her house.
	She was obsessed with him.
	"Max, you may want to take a look at this."
	Max shook his head. He needed to clear his mind. He needed a break. He needed a smoke. He really needed a smoke. He didn't even realize his hands were shaking. This wasn't the answers he wanted. He was about to exit the room when he saw something on one of the end tables next to the bed. A diary. He quickly took the book and exited the room, walking to the bedroom next door. The smell hit him harder than it usually did. Blake stood on the other end of the bed, his hand on his chin in deep thought. On the bed was a bloodied body of a woman.
	The body of Felicia Bormont. Wife of Brian Bormont. Mother of Claire.
	This wasn't making any sense. Confusion was written on Blake's face even though he tried to hide it with his thoughts. Max was confused as well. The body had the same credentials as every other Moonlight Murder; slashed on the body and on the neck. But why was the question. Why was Felicia, Claire's mother, dead? Why would she kill both of her family? Why was she killing anyone? For Max? Was it some sort of game so they'd solve mysteries together? But that was brought back to why she would kill her mother. A woman at that.
	Max looked at the diary in his hands. He never liked looking into people's privacy, but now wasn't the time. He quickly began to flip through the pages, trying to understand what was going on. He wanted answers. Max ignored the many entries. Judging by how some went from crayon to pencil crayon and into pen, this diary was old. He skipped straight to the latest entry, one that seemed to be written as if the author was upset.

	Dear Diary;
	Max took me to his house! We didn't do anything naughty, but his house seemed so pretty. I couldn't get to look around since he was awake the whole night. Poor Max, I hope he didn't do that because I was in his house and he didn't trust me. or maybe he did it because he worried about me. He so cute~!
	He even made me breakfast! Even though he asked me about "that", but it didn't matter. We later went on a stroll, together, like a couple! He smokes, but I can fix that~. Though, we stopped by at his wife's grave. He seemed really sad. Don't worry Max, Claire will make you feel all better.
	Though, the only thing that's stopping us from being together is that stupid Nekomata. I wondered why Max smelled weird, but it made sense now. She must've been using her magic to stay with Max and disguise herself as his cat. Well, she won't stop me! Father might've disapproved of my love, but he never understood. He was always a cheater. And now he's dead!
	If I can kill daddy, then I can kill her! And Max will me mine!

	Max closed the diary. It was beginning to make sense. Blake looked at the man, reading his face.
	"Well, have you figured it out?" Blake shrugged. "Because I don't. Why would she kill her parents?"
	"Because she didn't." Max jogged out of the room. He was limited on time. Blake called to him, jogging up behind him.
	"Hey hey! Do you know something I don't!?"
	"Claire didn't kill her mother, she only killed her father." the duo exited the apartment, brushing past the middle aged woman that seemed to have come upstairs to investigate the complaints of noise. "Contact north and tell them to send someone over to Claire's to bar off the apartment."
	"Hey, hold on here! Claire killed her father? But we just saw her mother dead on her bed with the words 'Moonlight Murder' written on her face like a Vegas sign!" Max ran down the stairs as quickly as he could.
	"Does your car work?"
	"It's been sitting at Bob's for a while now. The thing's probably frozen." Blake placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, trying to slow him down. "Max, what the hell's going on? First we see a room dedicated to you like you're the second coming, then we see a dead body, and now you're running outside with a book in your hand like you've deciphered the meaning of life. Give me an explanation here!"
	"Claire isn't the moonlight murderer. She only killed her father because he disapproved of her obsession. With me." The duo ran towards Blake's car. It was covered in snow. "She never killed all those men before. She never killed my wife." Blake and Max began to clean off the car.
	"Then who the hell did?"
	"My cat."
	"Bell?" Blake opened the door to the car and got in. Max followed suite. "Max, she's a cat."
	"She's a Nekomata." Blake gave the man a look. "Were cat. Asian." Blake tried the engine, just for it to stall.
	"So you're telling me," Blake tried the engine again. Nothing. "That Bell, your housecat, is a were cat? And she's been murdering men left and right?"
	"Get out." Blake looked at the man. With a sigh, Blake exited the car. Max moved over to the driver side and tried the car. Blake soon entered on the passenger side and sat down. Max always had better luck with cars.
	"So, if we're saying that your cat is the murderer, why would she kill those men?" Max tried the key and turned. The engine roared to life.
	Max hit the gas as hard as he could and the car moved forward, burning down the snow-cleared roads. He didn't know why Bell, his housecat, would murder men left and right, but he wanted answers. And he wanted them now. Dark clouds began to roll into the city, shrouding the starry sky in darkness. A bright flash of lightning rolled down one of the clouds. Even the cold couldn't avoid a storm.


	The car lurched to a stop as it approached the curb near Max' house. His car sat in the driveway, covered in a thick layer of snow. The ominous clouds that shrouded the night sky cracked with lightning. It was too cold for rain. Blake and Max looked at the small one story house. The door was slightly open, the gentle breeze of outside causing it to sway aimlessly. Max upholstered his revolver and checked the cylinder container. He was full, six in the chamber and six in his jacket pocket.
	"Stay here." Max opened the side door and exited the car. Blake shuffled to the driver’s seat, grabbing his jacket.
	"Stay here? And let you get murdered by some crazy Manticore?" Max brushed the man’s hand off.
	"Watch the outside. You don't enter the house unless you hear a gunshot." Max looked over to his house. It was quiet, save for the rumble of thunder.
	"Wait." Max paused. Blake opened his glove compartment and took out a short weapon. A break open sawed off shotgun. He placed the weapon in his jacket pocket. "In case the going gets tough. Don't take too long." Max never liked shotguns. They were loud, they did a lot of property damage, and they made a mess. But he took the gun regardless. Max briskly began to walk to his house, his revolver in hand. He didn't know what to expect. He didn't know if his cat was the murderer, or if Claire didn't write everything into her diary like most girls did. But tonight he was going to find out.
	It all ends tonight.
	Max held the doorknob in his hand. The metal was cold to the touch, colder than it was outside. The door slowly opened with a groan. He raised his revolver up, glancing left and right. The lights were off; causing the house to stand in darkness, save for a warm light coming from the living room. The gentle howl of wind blew behind him, blowing in a flurry of snow. It was beginning to snow again outside. Max would've liked it if it was rain instead. At least it was more calming that the frigid cold from outside.
	The man took a step inside. He didn't care if he got the wood or the carpet dirty. He just hoped he didn't have to stain it in blood. He glanced around the corner to the living room, pointing his gun in the direction of the light. The fireplace was lit, the warm orange and red spectrum of a blaze blowing heat into the room. A small figure sat near the fire, her paws opened to heat them up. Max pulled back the hammer, causing the figure's ears the flicker. Claire turned around to face the man, rubbing her eyes as if she's been asleep. As if she's been waiting for him ever since he dropped her off at her house. She was dressed in blue and grey stripped pajamas. Max' pajamas.
	"M-Max?" Claire blinked. "You're home! Welcome back~" Her eyes seemed glazed. Max wasn't sure if it was because she was tired, or she was insane.
	"You killed him." Claire looked at the man, tilting her head to the side. "Your father. Brian Bormont. You killed him."
	"Daddy?" Claire thought for a moment. "You mean the man that was dead? He's not my father."
	"Claire Bormont, daughter of Brian and Felicia Bormont. Adopted from Haven." Max didn't waver as the Manticore got up to her feet. "You killed him. You killed your father."
	"I-I had to."
	"Why?"
	"Because he didn't approve of my love! He didn't approve of my love for you, Max!" Her eyes were beginning to turn misty. "He thought that my love for you was insane. That it was stupid! Like he'd know the meaning of love, the cheating bastard. So, I showed him the dangers of cheating and killed him! Mom approved, but she seemed to have cried when I told her." Claire paused. "H-how do you know it was me?"
	"I went to your house." Claire seemed shocked.
	"A-A-A man was in my house. Max at that!" She blushed. Max was beginning to hate her blush. "That means you saw my room."
	"You stalked me."
	"I love you, Max." The man's eye twitched. "Can't you see that I love you? Don't you see that every time we're together, your heart races like mine? Can't you see all the time and effort I put into getting every beautiful side of you." She took a step forward. Max took a step back. "Don't you love me, Max? Are you afraid of me?" She took another step forward. Max took another step back. "W-Why are you running away?"
	"Because you're insane." Max didn't want to stain the floor. He really didn't.
	"I'M NOT INSANE!" The man winced. "WHY DO THEY ALWAYS SAY I'M CRAZY!? I'M NOT CRAZY! I'm in love! I'm in love with you, Max! Ever since you rescued me I've wanted to be with you. To be by your side. I wanted you to be my father, but you never adopted me." She looked down for a moment. She quickly sprung back up. "S-So I studied law and policing, just so I could be with you! So we could be partners forever! T-Then we'd be more than partners. Lovers! A-And have kids! But they wouldn't love you as much as I love you, because no one could love me more than I do!"
	She was insane.
	"But then you got married. But that wouldn't stop me! Even though I thought of many ways to kill that witch that took my Max away from me. That slut. THAT BITCH! THAT WHORE! THAT FUCKING COCKSUCKING SHIT FACED BITCH!" Max felt anger begin to try and take over. He calmed it down. "B-But I didn't do anything, right? Right! I just continued to study law so I could save my Max from that BITCH! Because Max loves me more, right? You love me Max? You love me? Right? Right!?"
	Claire took a step forward.
	Max took another step back.
	"Max, why are you backing away? Are you scared of me? Why is Max afraid? Max shouldn't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt you, Max." She looked at the barrel of the gun. Max watched her tail sway side to side. "Put the gun away, Max. You love me, don't you? You took care of us. Of me! You saved me first that day! So of course Max loves me best! More than that Nekomata! So you wouldn't shoot me, would you? Would you, Max? You wouldn't run away? Why would you run away when you love me, right? Right? RIGHT!?" She tried to think of something. "I-I even tried to ask Madame Valentine where your daughter was! See? I wanted to give you back something you loved in exchange for loving me back! Max would've loved me! You would've praised me!"
	"And you killed her."
	"I-I didn't kill her." Claire seemed confused. "I only asked her what she knew and batted her around a bit. I wouldn't have killed her. You would've hated me if I did!"
	A loud hiss caused Max to turn his attention away from the crazed Manticore. A dark shadow jumped at Claire, a frying pan in its paws. The Nekomata swung at the manticores head with a fatal hit, causing a soft gong to echo the house. Claire fell to the ground with a thud. A red tint began to form on the side she got hit. Max wasn't sure if Claire was dead or alive, pointing his revolver at the body. But he had better things to worry about.
	Like the black furred Nekomata that stood in his house, its claws covered in frozen crimson.
	"Master ok?" Her English was terrible. Max quickly reached into his pocket and took out the sawed off, pointing it at the monsters head. "No no! Bell! Me Bell!"
	"I know." The Neko looked into Max' eyes, as if trying to understand why he pointed a sawed off shotgun at her face. "It was you. All those years ago." Bell looked down at her paws. A soft smirk crept onto her face. "You killed her. You killed my wife." Bell was grinning now.
	"You figured it out."
	"Why?" Max looked hard into the Nekomata's eyes. His emotions were beginning to take over. "Why did you kill her? Why did you kill my wife!?"
	"Master saved me even though no one else did." The Neko raised its paws in the air. "I am now devoted to Master. Master is mine and mine alone. Anyone that tries take Master away gets killed." Bell glanced down at Claire's unconscious body. "Anyone."
	"So you killed her mother." Max remembered Felicia's body. "You were the one that snuck into her house while she was gone and killed her. That's why Claire wasn't dead when I got here. Why?"
	"Manticore wanted to take Master away from me." Claire looked into Max' eyes. Her golden irises almost burned into his skull. "Master is mine. I am Master’s. Master loves me and me alone."
	"And the murders."
	"Master wouldn't give me spirit energy because Master never slept too long." Bell almost seemed saddened by what she was saying. "Bell had to take energy from other men to survive. Had to kill them so they wouldn't follow Bell. Bell only likes master."
	"So you lead unsuspecting men, posing as one of Madame Valentines whores, had sex with then to take their energy, and then murdered them in cold blood?"
	"So I could be with Master." Bell took a step forward. She held the gun next to her cheek, never leaving eye contact off of the man. She slowly rubbed onto the gun, a soft purr causing it to vibrate. "So I could be with master forever."
	"And you murdered Valentine." Bell licked the side of the sawed off, up the barrel
	"She hurt Master." Bell looked at the man, lust in her eyes. "I hurt her or master. Bell did well. Bell did it for Master because Master loves Bell."
	"You're a murderer." Max knocked the side of the gun on her cheek and pointed it directly in between her eyes. "You're a murderer and a monster." His eyes narrowed. "You murdered three men. You killed my wife. You murdered Madame Valentine. You're a criminal. A monster. Your sense of devotion is twisted by your lust to serve. You are nothing to me but scum. So don't ever call me Master ever again, because you are no cat of mine." He didn't waver at the Neko literally shaking. "You're just a monster."
	The blush that was on the Nekomata's face surprised the aged man. She was covering her crotch, trying to hide how obviously wet it was. She was getting off to it. She was getting off to being disregarded as trash. Max couldn't believe it. He could, but he couldn't. With a growl, he pointed the shotgun away from her face, next to her ears, and fired. The blast caused Bell to cover her hears in pain. Max forgot how loud shotguns were. The cat fell to her knees, covering her ears in pain. Max heard the sounds of car doors slamming closed and footsteps running towards his house. Blake must've called for backup. Smart.
	The man sighed and took out two sets of handcuffs. He ignored the police enter the house, instead cuffing the hissing and screaming Neko and the unconscious Manticore. Claire would've got away with being crazy if she didn't murder someone, especially her father. Max looked up to see Blake and the chief watching him. Behind them were three tall Oni's in SWAT gear and a Dhampire. Max recognized the blond half vampire. Forbes, of East Steelwater.
	"Forbes." Max pulled the Neko onto her feet. She kept looking at the man with lust in her eyes. Max almost forgot it was a full moon. At least Forbes wasn't affected by the full moon. Max still didn't know how. Or how her crew seemed to never be affected by it either. Max chalked it up as being raised in East.
	"The hell happened in here?" Blake took the Neko. Bell hissed. "Bell?"
	"Murderer." Max picked up Claire off the ground. The small blood pool was going to stain. "Responsible for the death of each murder on each full moon. Also responsible for my wifes death, and the death of Felicia Bormont."
	"The Moonlight Murderer?" Forbes thought for a moment. "Are you going to take responsibility for taking care of a murderer?"
	"She's no pet of mine." Bell looked at the man in pain. The blow was harder than it looked. "Claire Bormont, daughter of Brian Bormont."
	"The lawyer?" said one of the Oni's.
	"Correct. Responsible for the murder of Brian Bormont."
	"She killed her own father?" The chief took the Manticore in his arms, holding her up. Even though she was dazed, she still had a sadistic smile on her face. She kept whispering Max' name. "Wait a minute, Felicia Bormont is dead!?"
	"Time of death," Blake looked at his watch. "9:45, roughly?"
	"Ten." Max looked over to where he fired the shell. There was a massive hole in his wall, right next to a picture of him and his wife. "It's always ten."
	"Max, you're going to need to explain all of this once we get back." The chief gave the unconscious Manticore over to one of the Oni's and placed a firm hand on the man's shoulder. "But you did good. Both of you, Blake and you. You both didgood." Max reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette. He really needed a smoke.


	Bob's Diner was in the same condition it was always in; quiet and moderately empty. Max sat next to one of the windows overlooking the city. It's been two months since the Moonlight Murder case was put to a close. Bell, his former loved pet, was charged with four counts of murder. The shotgun blast seemed to have made her hard of hearing in the right ear. The Nekomata was sent to Steelmill prison in Steelwater East. The Ushi Oni warden seemed overjoyed to have her come to her all women’s prison. Max wondered if there even was any woman in the prison or if it was mostly consisted of monsters. He took a sip of his coffee, watching the gentle snow fall to the ground.
	Claire had a difficult time. Without any parents to speak on her behalf, or any lawyer for that matter, she was destined to be sent to prison on the murder of Brian Bormont, her father. She was later transferred to an insane asylum, located on the outskirts of Eastern Steelwater. Max wondered what Easter Steelwater DIDN'T have. Her home was quickly emptied for renting purposes, including the body of Felicia Bormont. The many photos of Max were sent to evidence, half of which were burned by Max, with no protest by anyone else. Cathy forgave Max and Blake for making her does so much once she heard of the body being sent to her. She was insane. She had to be insane.
	Explaining the whole case and what they found to the chief and Forbes was long. The chief seemed shocked that all of that was discovered in the span of which he and Dave were gone. Forbes seemed to kick into the explanation, as if she was there herself. The Damphire was the other monster Max got along with, considering she was the most human looking. Max still remembered when he thought the Damphire was human. He remembered being friends with her during the academy. They were all friends; Cole, Max, and Forbes.
	The warm coffee steam tickled Max' nose as he took another sip. He was being sent over to Eastern Steelwater, the home world to all crime, to try and solve the recent chain in the part of the city. Forbes described it as 'a body snatcher'. Max didn't know what the Damphire was talking about, but all he knew was he'd be the only human to step foot in there other from the chief, Dave, and a few of the police crew months ago. The Mothman Case was solved after they rescued the refugee's. Dave was now the most favourite man of the Mothmen. Max smirked. Maybe Dave would have to put up with what he went through.
	His happy thoughts were interrupted as a Cheshire placed Max' breakfast in front of him. Maxie winked at the man and walked off, not saying a word. Max looked at the plate with a puzzled expression. The Cheshire kept pushing the fact that he owed her, as evidence to the note that sat on his eggs. He picked up the note and opened it. Her handwriting was terrible.

	Meet me in the back for a special treat~. You owe me!

	Max looked at his food again. He didn't trust it. He didn't trust it at all. He sighed to himself and got up. His brown coat sat next to him. The warm fabric hugged him as he pulled it on, not glancing at the Cheshire that seemed to watch him get up and leave, leaving twenty dollars on the table. She ran off, expecting him to be heading to the back for his special treat. He shook his head and placed a cigarette in his mouth. Max took out his lighter as he exited the warm diner into the cold cityscape. The fire lit the tip as he coughed. He slowly closed the door behind him and walked off, yawning to himself.
	He never showed up once for the Cheshire.