They waited in line for ten minutes as the bouncers let people enter as others left. The line moved slow. At the door, the bouncer turned away men not dressed to his liking. Women entered without question.

Inside, the dim lights flickered with the thump of techno hip-hop. Flat felt overdressed.

They have more skin to show, Flat thought.

On the edges of the dance floor, men worked like wolves waiting to cull the weak. Flat walked out to dance as Vincent suggested.

What if I don't get hit on by a vampire? Flat thought.

No other girls seemed to have Ankhs. She started to dance on the edges, working around the room. She couldn't see Vincent anywhere. Men that came over to dance moved on when they saw the Ankh.

Everything he does is mystery-man bullshit, Flat thought as someone bumped into her. There was a gasp as if they had run into a wall by surprise. Flat turned to see a mass of brown curly hair in the lights of the dance floor.

"Your here for them? Is the werewolf here?" Marie said.

Flat looked at the girl. Crested had said bloodshot eyes were the easiest way to notice a tainted vampire. Marie's eyes looked normal.

"I'm here to dance," Flat said.

"They're at the bar. I saw them. They saw me. They know my name," Marie said.

"Who?" Flat said, but Marie took her hand.

"Come with me," Marie said.

"This better not be about Vincent," Flat said.

"No the tainted are over at the bar," Marie said.

Marie pulled her along to the ladies' room. They stepped into a stall, and Marie closed the door. The girl looked through the cracks at the door back into the club.

"Marie. What's going on?" Flat said.

"I found the tainted vampires, or they found me," Marie said.

"How many?" Flat said. They were going to need Rudy.

"Three, two men and a woman. Her names Agatha. They're from New York," Marie said.

The door opened, and club music flooded the bathroom and faded as the door closed. Marie and Flat looked through the cracks in the stall. A woman in a dark leather dress and sunglasses walked along the stalls.

"That's her," Marie said and grabbed Flat to push her to the back of the stall as Agatha walked through. Flat sucked in a breath as Marie started to kiss her neck. The smell of Marie's hair reminded her of spring. Flat and Marie stayed there until Agatha walked out. As the woman left, Marie didn't stop. Flat grabbed a handful of Marie's hair to pull the girl back.

"Sorry," Marie said.

"Never mind it worked," Flat said as her phone buzzed with a text.

Vincent: Found them. Rudy is on the way.

Felicity: K. I'm with Marie in the bathroom.

Vincent: ?

Flat pocketed the phone.

"Rudy is on his way. We can end this tonight," Flat said.

"Who's Rudy?" Marie said. Flat stopped at the stall door and then pulled it closed.

"Your not in the P.A.H.A.?" Flat said.

"No. I'm not into the Hero thing, I do hair at night," Marie said.

"OK…Stay with me. I'll get you out of here," Flat said. She took Marie's hand and pulled her along; they cut through the dance floor. Flat tried not to hold Marie's hand too tight. Her hands were soft; I have to focus, Flat thought. Agatha stepped out of the crowded dance floor.

"Marie you found a friend," Agatha said.

"I…we, was," Marie said. Go-Go danced behind Agatha.

"Find your own," Flat said, pulling Marie along. Agatha reached for Flat's shoulder, and her hand snapped back.

"You got a problem?" Flat said, getting in Agatha's face.

"You're a Baseline?" Agatha said. The lights came on, and the music stopped. Rudy stood in the middle of the dance floor with his Sheriff's badge held high.

"Everyone, not a vampire, get out!" Rudy said. Flat pulled Marie past Agatha, who ran back to the bar. The dancers started to grumble, and many started for the doors.

Where's Gyaru? Flat thought as she pulled Marie along. At the door, Crested waited ears down on her head. A stun baton held at her side crackled with electricity. She let everyone leave. Flat and Marie passed with a look from Crested at Marie. Outside, the parking lot became choked with people trying to go. A ring of police cars had taken control of the parking lot.

"Go to the police," Flat said as she turned back inside.

"Your going back in there?" Marie said.

"I guess I am," Flat said with a wave as she walked into the club.

The club had thinned out, and Rudy stood on the dance floor. The three vampires stood by the bar. The big Vampire ignored him.

Flat didn't know what to do. She walked up beside Rudy. The room had an open dead feel with the lights on and no music. Empty except for Heroes and vampires. Next to Rudy, Flat felt small and weak. During the Homecoming, it was obvious what she had to do. During training, Fly had told her to do something. Better to make the wrong choice than not to act. But this was Rudy's show.

"You Dragoslav?" Rudy said. "I towed your van. New York State Police are looking for you."

The big Vampire finished his drink, then turned to face Rudy. Sunglasses reflected the light. He wore a black leather vest and pants. A sleave of tribal tattoos crossed his right arm and chest.

"I gave you a chance to duck out of here," Rudy said.

"You can't detain us," Dragoslav said. He removed the sunglasses to show deep red eyes.

"Johan, let's run," Agatha said to the other Vampire. A dark-caped figure dropped on the bar. Silver spikes hit Agatha and Johan in the chest. A third missed Dragoslav, who had started to move. Rudy stepped into the big Vampire. His fist pulled back for a hook. Flat saw it, and the world slowed. She could see the hairs on Rudy's arms. She saw Dragoslav dissipate in a puff of mist as Rudy's arm blasted through the air where the man had been.

Teleport? No. A mist form, Flat thought. Then Flat saw the mist reform back to a man with an orange can in his hand. Rudy's hand almost made it up in time. Dragoslav sprayed Rudy in the eyes. The cloud of gas staggered the Hero. He stepped back, choking.

That stopped Rudy? Flat thought, then she got a smell of it. The burn of peppers caused her lungs to spasm. Go-Go zipped around them, and the wind of her passing blew away some of the gas. Go-Go turned to the other male Vampire, Johan. He received a flurry of blows about the head and neck. As Flat looked up, struggling to breathe, she saw Agatha running from the bar. Vincent threw spikes into her as she ran. Go-Go pulled out her cuffs as the Vampire staggered back against the bar. Mist rolled over her as Dragoslav reformed. She turned to have her hair grabbed, and her face slammed into the bar. The girl fell to the floor as Vincent jammed a silver spike into Dragoslav's back.

The two vampires turned on Vincent, punching and kicking him to the floor. Flat got her eyes open and her breath under control. She passed Rudy, as he gasped for breath, bent over. Go-Go stood up behind Johan. She pushed a spike into his back as Flat kicked Johan off Vincent. The Vampire crashed back into the bar chairs. She heard a spike drop on the floor. And turned to see Dragoslav.

A backhand came across Flat's face and stopped on her cheekbones. Flat grabbed the arm for a takedown that turned to mist in her fingers. He reformed next to her, gas sprayed in her face.

Flat heard Rudy's swoosh of a punch and staggered about, trying to force his eyes open. His breath puffed in gasps. She opened her eyes to see Crested standing over Agatha, still by the door. The baton held to the Vampire's chest as she jerked with electricity. The werewolf walked past the dog girl to pick up the female Vampire by the throat. Gyaru lifted Agatha overhead and threw her. The vampire crashed into the bar chairs, that scattered like bowling pins.

Flat stumbled through the scattered bar chairs as Gyaru passed her at a run. The flying tackle missed the Vampire. Dragoslav punched the werewolf in the back of the head and vanished in the mist. He reformed to punch again. Gyaru caught his fist before it hit. But with the other hand, the Vampire pushed a silver spike into her chest. He drove in the spike and punched the head home between her ribs. Flats hair stood on end with the shrill scream from Gyaru.

No, Flat thought and picked up a bar chair, raising it over her head. Then there was a rush of movement. Rudy zipped behind Dragoslav; the punch broke the air with a crack. The Vampire's head exploded.

Vincent pulled himself over to Gyaru; she had turned back to human. Flat dropped the chair, coughing. Go-Go pulled herself up, holding her jaw. She staggered over to Gyaru as Vincent pulled out the silver spike. Blood poured from under Gyaru's ribs, where the flesh smoked green. Sweat soaked her skin. His hand covered the hole, and he started to chant. The magic closed the wound to leave a red and green scab. Vincent passed out, holding her hand.

Crested, wearing her gas mask, moved a tablecloth over Gyaru. Then she handed Flat the silver handcuffs, pointing to Johan and Agatha. Crested turned Dragoslov over. She hammered a silver spike through his heart despite missing half his skull. Rudy stumbled behind the bar to scoop a handful of ice to rub into his face.

The police walked the vampires out of the bar, and the medics removed Dragoslov on a cart.

"This sucks, how can that stuff even be legal?" Flat said, holding a bag of ice to her face.

Rudy held Dragoslav's can of Dinosaur Spray. A fifty percent concentration of Ghost Peppers and Carolina Reapers. Eight million heat units. His own eyes glowed red from the spray.

"They sell it in grocery stores," Rudy said, handing Flat the can. "I get sprayed every police academy class. It takes a minute, but I can fight through it. You did a good job keeping the girl safe," Rudy said.

"I'm not used to getting hit like this," Flat said.

"It takes a while," Rudy said.

"How much paperwork do we have for the deadly force?" Flat said.

"We'll have to wait for the homicide detectives. Vampires are easy to bring back from the dead. Nobody cares if they die." Rudy said.

"Is it normal to keep getting our asses kicked?" Flat said.

"We stand up to the bad guys and seldom get to pick our fights. We are the Children of Heroes. It's what we do," Rudy said.

"What a bright future I have to look forward too," Flat said.

"This is what the Children of Heroes are meant to do," Rudy said.

Crested jumped and gave an excited whine under the mask. Flat forced herself to see through the pain. A school van stopped outside the crime scene tape. Two students, both beast folk. One larger than Rudy. A head of white and brown hair with massive ears on the sides. He wore a school gym uniform.

"Go say hey," Rudy said.

Crested ran to the student with a bounce. He lifted her like a doll and patted her head as her tail wagged. Crested slipped the mask off and they rubbed their noses together. The second student came around the van. He had white curly hair, buzz cut on the sides, and bangs hanging over his eyes. He dressed in the school uniform with a loose tie and an untucked shirt.

"Bernard?" Flat said.

"Yeah. The sloppy one is Shem. She's excited we can now register as vampire hunters. I could care less. The boys will take you back to school after the statements. I need to talk to Shem. Wait here," Rudy said.

Flat placed the ice back on her eyes.

"Felicity?" Marie said.

"Yeah. Are you OK?" Flat said, adjusting the ice bag.

"I was going to ask you. The police finished with me," Marie said.

"I'll be here a while," Flat said. Her skin still burned, but she could see again.

"Do you like this Hero stuff?" Marie said.

"Sometimes it's alright. Tonight not so much," Flat said, trying to smile.

"Are you off next week? I don't want to go out alone after this," Marie said.

"Give me your number, I'll give you a call," Flat said.

Flat watched Marie leave. Her eyes had cleared. At the edge of the parking lot, Marie turned to wave.

She looked at the phone number on the bar napkin.

Did I get hit on by a vampire? Flat thought.

The End of Flat Rising.

Felicity Fishier returns in Mecklenburg Girls Academy Book Two Broken Girls.