It was late into the night when the rain started falling. A man in a long black coat and a fedora that covered his face in shadows crossed through the rain to a small diner. He walked in and took a seat in a booth. A man was sitting behind him drinking coffee who was dressed similarly. A waitress walked to the man's booth.

“Hi, is there anything I can get you?” She asked.

“Coffee.” he stated not looking up.

“OK, I’ll get that right away.” She smiled at him as she strolled away. She returned with a cup, and a jug of coffee. She placed the cup on the table, then poured the coffee. She stopped. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she inquired.

“No”

“OK, if there is anything you need, just call.” New customers arrived so she carried on, greeting and seating them.

“Have you got anything?” spoke the second man.

“Not yet. Have you found the boy?”

“No.”

“See you at the meeting.” He stood, placed money on the table and left.

………

In the middle of the night in a back alley next to a dumpster there was a cardboard box. Inside that box was a kid wrapped up in an old, ripped blanket. He appeared to be around ten years old. He opened his eyes which showed a stunning silver. Light grey hair changed to black in a gradual gradient. It was tied in a ponytail with long bangs hanging loosely, along with a messy fringe.

‘Click, click, click.’ More teenagers vandalised the alley walls. A car drove up along the street.

“Oh shit, it’s the cops” said one of the boys frantically.

“Run for it” another yelled.

The police car stopped in front of the alley. Inside, a young man in his early twenties stared down the narrow alleyway. He sported short black hair, brown eyes that were so dark they appeared black, and dark skin.

“This is the place.”

“Yes.” said his partner. She was in her thirties with light brown hair, green eyes, and her skin was tanned from being in the sun. “Someone reported a child living in a cardboard box.”

“Not a place for a kid to be living.”

“No it isn’t. Let’s get this over and done with.”

They got out of the car clad in their blue uniforms, guns clipped at their hips, pouches on their belts, and black boots. They walked across the street into the alley. The man headed towards the dumpster.

“Brad, have you found him?”

“No… Wait, in the box here.” He pointed to the box. He bent down to peer inside. He looked into those silver eyes and yelled back to his partner “found him!”

“Good. Grab him and let’s leave.”

Brad reached in to pull the kid out and spoke in a calm, sweet voice. “It’s okay, we’re going to take you to a safe place now.”

He coerced the kid out, holding on to the blanket. Before Brad knew it the boy had slipped away and was running down the alley.

“Hey!” yelled Brad

“Come on, after him” said his partner. They pursued him.

……….

The man in the fedora stood staring out over the balcony. He removed his hat and coat. He had straight, shoulder length, mud-like hair, deep blue eyes, and a very thin scar above his right eyebrow extending down to the corner of his eye.

“Aaaaaa!” A scream sounded from behind. He turned and proceeded towards the sound. He opened a door where blood splatted the walls of a tiny room. Blood dripped onto the floor from a drooping, weakened body. A chain with glowing symbols held the body up by his hands causing him to slump to the right.

His head sagged, tears streaming down his face. Deep incisions scattered his exceedingly pale body. A hooded figure towered over him, pulling a golden-coloured knife from his neck that extended twenty centimetres. Her hood was black, and she wore a matching black shirt, pants, and shoes drenched in blood.

“That’s enough” said a man walking to his prisoner. The hooded lady nodded, and stepped back. He grabbed the longish, messy, blond hair and yanked back. Hard.

“Aaa”

He looked at the light green, crystal-like eyes.

“Had enough torture, Vampire?” There was no response. “All this can stop right now if you just tell me where the demon tamer is.”

“I don’t know” whispered the vampire.

“Yes you do. You guys are friends right?”

“Cause we’re friends… doesn’t mean… that I know… where Sasha is.”

“So his name is Sasha.” A smirk formed. “You do know something, don't you?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Yes you ARE!” he spat as he punched the vampire in the guts. Blood and spit spewed out onto the floor. “WHERE IS HE!?”

“Australia” wept the vampire.

“Why?”

“He’s looking for someone”

“Who?”

“A boy”

The man released him, stood, and strode to the door. “Have your fun with him but don’t kill him yet.”

The blood-stained lady responded with a nod. He closed the door behind him. Silenced followed until the screaming erupted.

………

The boy bolted down the alley, took a sharp left into a dead end, hitting a wall which brought him to an abrupt stop. A big, grey shirt dominated his small frame, covering his black shorts. His bare feet froze on the cold concrete.

“Kid, we’re not going to hurt you. We’re trying to help you.” Spoke Brad.

‘Click’. Brad cautiously turned around to see the barrel of a gun aimed at the child.

“What the hell are you doing, Ella?!” yelled Brad.

He noticed that the silver gun she firmly grasped from her now empty holster was not police issued. With her free hand, she pulled out a phone and pressed something on the screen with her thumb, then held it to her ear. Her eyes were deadly cold.

“Found him”

“Ella”

“Don’t try talking to her. She’s one of them.” Finally, the kid speaks.

“Don’t do this” Brad said stepping in front of the kid.

Now the gun was pointed at Brad. “You would have been a great cop, Brad.”

“YOU CAN’T”

“I CAN”

Ella was about to pull the trigger when the kid jumped high above Brad’s head, somersaulted over him and charged. He was fast but not fast enough. A bullet darted though the air, striking Brad in the sternum. The boy hit Ella forcefully in the chest sending her flying back an astounding ten metres. Brad collapsed to his knees, hands at his wound. He was losing his breath rapidly. The kid ran to him. ‘Bang’ the kid fell, seizing up. Ella raised the gun as she stood and walked over to the two wounded. Ella spitefully looked down upon Brad as he breathed the last of the air from his lungs.

………

In one of Auckland's office buildings a meeting transpired. A large table inhabited the middle of a room where candles sat burning at various heights. They did their best to glow in the gloom that was the dark room. Hunters, slayers, and exorcists occupied the room; the highest ranking members of their order. They waited at the table ready to begin in the darkness. The leader's ominous voice filled the room.

“We are here to discuss the progress we’ve made so far. Cashel, your report.”

“We know the Tamer's name. The vampire gave it up. It is Sasha. He is in Australia looking for the boy too.”

“Sasha. What the hell does he want with the boy?”

“Don’t know.”

“If I may. We have found the boy.” a third voice spoke in the blackness.

“We have?”

“Yes. He’s in Australia, Brisbane.”

“Do we have him?”

“No.”

“Now we can kill two birds with one stone.” Cashel cut in.

“All our resources go on to catching the boy and Sasha. Understood.”

“Yes.” all responded.

………

Ella stared down at Brad, but spoke to the kid. “Didn’t expect to find you.” In that moment, sharp, black nails appeared behind Ella's head. They slowly wrapped around the sides of her face. More of its arms were revealed the closer the pointed nails became. The hands closed in on her until they enveloped her face. A sickening fear turned her hair white.

“Aaaaaaa”. She screeched. Her body became limp. The corpse dropped to ground. The top half of its body was now in sight. The being began to materialised more and more from a void-like darkness, smoke encircling its edges.

Its form was tall, and wearing armour of some description that was grey, edged in gold. His right shoulder armour sported two curved spikes but the other shoulder, it was different, it was layered, and strapped across his chest,

A gauntlet protected his right forearm, wrist, and top of his hand which harboured some spikes, but his left was bare. A red sleeve came down to his elbow loosely on his right arm, while his left arm had no sleeve attached to the shoulder. Instead, the sleeve began slightly past his shoulder, leaving a gap between his armour and sleeve, and continued down his forearm to his hand. His hip armour was held with purple straps that crossed over. A chest plate protected his heart. Under the plate was a red zip up shirt with a purple belt, red pants tucked into black leather boots, and a purple piece of loose cloth closer to his left side. The sclera in his eyes were black, and his iris' were white with flecks of purple leaving him with central heterochromia. His shoulder-length hair was spiked and messy with pastel blues and purples interchanging. Large, black, bird-like wings emerged from the hole he came from. Lastly, a tail appeared behind him, the tip matched his hair.

He moved to the boy, placing his hands on him and spoke.

“Dispel”

The boy stopped seizing then rushed over to Brad.

“You have to help him!” shouted the boy to the strange man.

“I can’t, he’s dead.”

“I know what you are North.”

“So the stories are true. No secret can be kept from you.”

He said calmly “Things are known to me. I can’t help it. Now will you save him?.”

“I can’t do it alone. I’ll need you.” North moved over to Brad’s side. “Give me your hands and focus on his life.”

They both held each others hands over Brad’s still body. Between their arms, a soft, blue glow was healing the body, then a blackness appeared replacing blue. It grew bigger and bigger and continued to grow until it enveloped Brad and the ground, spreading out to immerse the alley.

“Return!” cried the boy

A white orb developed above them, North released his hold on the boy and caught it. He put it into Brad. The boy yelled “RETURN NOW TO THE LIVING, BRAD!”

“Aaaaa” shrieked Brad as he shot up to a sitting position. The blackness disappeared and the alley returned to normal. Brad looked around his surroundings and stared at Ella’s dead form.

“What happened?” whispered Brad.

“You should have been able to do this yourself.” North expressed to the boy. “What’s your name kid?”

“I’m not as powerful as you think. I don’t know the full extent of it. And my name is Zeraph.”

“What’s going on here?!” yelled Brad vehemently.

“I’ll tell you everything but not here. I’ll find you.” Spoke Zeraph looking intently into Brad’s eyes. North placed his hand on Zeraph's shoulder and they both disappeared from Brad’s sight. They crossed into the spiritual plane.

‘Whoo, whoo’ the sound of sirens travelled to Brad's ears. Help was on its way.