New York City - 1932

Felix held the vial in his hands watching as the purple liquid started to faintly glow. He smiled, this was working. He just had to find what he was looking for and then lure it into his trap. It was late and the street was empty, lit by streetlamps giving the evening an eerie feeling. He loved it.

Felix loved the city at night when it was dark and felt ethereal, the buildings lit up like Christmas trees and a bite to the air. He loved the forgotten places, the rundown streets, the skeletons of buildings still being built. Tonight there was something clandestine in the air and it was invigorating.

He rolled the vial between his fingers watching the energy inside with a smile on his lips. His head snapped up when he heard laughter from nearby, he pocketed the vial quickly as a group of young people came half-walking, half-stubbing down the sidewalk towards him. There were two men in evening suits and three women wearing the short beaded dresses popular to young people these days. “Flappers” he was they were called.

He tipped his hat as they started past him, they were obviously a little tipsy – the probation didn't really stop those who were determined – and enjoying their night out. Felix was about to turn away when one of the women stopped him.

“My goodness look at you!” She was beaming at him and looking at his outfit from his gray trilby down to his black and white spats. “That get-up! It's just like a real live gangster.”

The girl had a thick southern accent and he wondered how long she'd been in New York. Not long if his outfit surprised her, it wasn't that uncommon in the city. He looked at her dress compared to the women and men next to her. Her's was obviously less expensive and had been taken in a little clumsily – so not her's to begin with, a second hand dress.

“Edith. Don't be rude,” one of the other women spoke up looking at Felix with a little nervousness. He was glad to know he could still seem intimidating, looking like a mobster wasn't something he was complaining about.

“Oh! I am so sorry sir. I didn't mean anything by it,” the young woman, Edith, was blushing now.

“Don't worry about it at all. I take it as a compliment, that such a fine lady as yourself would even notice me.”

In all honesty he did like to be noticed. For a man who loved living alone and enjoyed evening shadows more than the bright light of day, he really did like attention.

The young woman laughed a little too loudly, probably because she'd been drinking, as the rest of her group nodded politely to him started moving away.

“We're going to the Robin's Club if you want to come,” she gushed, obviously high on the energy of the city as well as being filled with a little drink. She glanced back at her friends, “It's going to be nifty.”

Felix grinned, he'd been to the Robin's Club many times, it was a little overpriced for his liking, not that he couldn't afford it, but it was the principal of the thing. “Thank you my dear. Maybe later tonight, I'm a little tied up right now.”  

She leaned in, “Maybe I shouldn't be tellin' you this but the password is-”

He held up his hand, “Don't worry I can get in, Edith… Edith, meaning happy warfare or spoils of war.”

“Oh gosh, I've always hated my name,” she said tugging at her dress as if the use of her name somehow made her attire plainer. “With that meanin' it's just a mess.”  

“You're new to the city,” Felix said kindly, “If you don't like your name pick a new one.”

“I wouldn't even know what to choose! What would you pick?” She said looking excited and checking behind her shoulder to see how far her group had gotten without her.

“You seem like a Norabel to me,” Felix said with a smile, she was sweet and happy, it suited her.

“That's swanky, what does it mean?”

“It means beautiful light.”

“Oh!” She said with a dreamy look in her eyes. “Oh that's lovely.”

“Edee!” One of her friends called from the corner. “Hurry up!”

Felix stuck a hand in his pocket as he felt the vial heating up. “You should go my dear,” he said tipping his hat again.

She beamed at him, probably thinking how “nifty” it was to meet a real live gangster. Of course he wasn't that, but she could think it if she wanted. Then she turned away, waving behind her, and hurried to join her friends. Felix chuckled under his breath. Young people.

Of course, Felix was young himself, he just had never felt particularly young. Not even as a child.

He pulled out the vial again, the purple liquid shining brighter, meaning his target was closer now. Felix nodded and then started walking the opposite direction of the young people, he held the vial in his hand and frowned as the light slowly started to dim. He took a step or two back, and then a step or two more. The light grew brighter. “Damn it,” Felix said looking behind his shoulder towards where the group had walked to. He adjusted his hat on his head and then hurried down the street holding the vial as it grew brighter and brighter still. He'd almost made it to the corner before he heard a woman scream. “Damn it!” He repeated.

As he rounded the corner he saw the young group he'd just met fleeing towards him, one of the women shouting frantically. They bumped into him on their way past. One, two, three, four of them.

Edith wasn't with them.

“Damn it.”

Felix hurried forward, he heard a low growl and someone crying. He skidded to a stop as he passed a dark alleyway, the vial in his hands practically sparked with light. This was it, he pocketed the vial and then rushed into the alley.

Edith was there, pressed flat against the wall tears streaming down her face, a dark creature with matted fur and red eyes crouched in front of her, ready to spring. This was not the plan, he never meant to face a Dontizu head on! He couldn't turn away now though, even if a fight wasn't really his cup of tea, he wouldn't leave when this creature was about to kill an innocent young girl.

“Relinqueret diabolum!” Felix shouted using his knowledge of spellwork, he was actually very good at spell words, even if he had never had to face a Dontizu with it before. Both the creature and the girl looked at him. There was a flash of hope in Edith's eyes, but only bloodlust in the gaze of the Dontizu. Shit. He was in trouble here.

“Relinqueret diabolum!” He repeated. The creature didn't seem affected by his words, but at least it was moving away from the girl. And towards him. “Great.” Felix mumbled under his breath.

Felix reached for the vial in his pocket, he didn't want to use this, he really really didn't want to. It was such a waste, he'd spent so much money acquiring everything needed to make it. He hated to waste it.

The Dontizu growled and continued towards him even as Felix slowly backed away. Okay, he'd try the spell words one more time before he had to use the vial. “Relinqueret diabolum!”

The Dontizu bent its legs and then sprung forwards at him. Well this is going to end poorly. He thought just before the monster should have pinned him to the ground. Instead there was a flash of bright silver light, and then another flash, both hitting the Dontizu in the chest and making it fall backwards with a yelp and a whine.

“Get out of here!” A harsh male voice yelled behind him, and usually he would have done just that, happy to let someone else do the fighting. However, as he glanced at Edith he saw she was still frozen in place, too scared to move. He couldn't just leave her here.

Felix spun around to see two young men standing behind him, one tall and handsome, dark hair and blue eyes. The other was shorter, but no less attractive, he eyes were warmer and though his expression was severe his eyes spoke of a gentleness not otherwise shown. They were both dressed to the nines, expensive suits, silk plush hats and silk gloves. The taller of the two carried a cane, obviously there just for looks.

“We said get out of here,” the shorter of the two hissed as the Dontizu started getting back up on its legs. The taller man glanced at the Dontizu and then tossed his cane in the air with a twirl and caught it holding it the way someone would grip a sword, maybe it wasn't just for looks after all. Felix might need to get himself on of those. He heard a sniffle behind him and was reminded of their situation.

“The girl,” Felix said looking back at Edith who had renewed her crying. The two men followed his gaze, just now noticing her, the creature standing in their way of getting to her.

“Hell,” the tall man spat out.

Before anyone could do anything else the Dontizu rose, looking back and forth at its prey as if trying to decide who to disembowel first. There was also a loud howl from somewhere down the street. Felix's heart rate ticked up a notch, more than one Dontizu, what was going on? An occasional Dontizu was hard to find but more than one out on a night? That was something truly unusual.

“Coop, go take care of that one, I have this under control,” the shorter young man said taking off his hat to reveal a mop of dark curls. He had a foreign accent, England perhaps? No, Wales.

“You sure Squirt?”

“Go!”

The tall man nodded quickly and then turned on his heel sprinting off, the tales of his tux flying behind him as he held onto his top hat.

The Dontizu seemed to decide who to attack, going for what it perceived as the weakest of the trio, it turned and started bounding towards Edith. She screamed and covered her mouth with a hand.

“Relinqueret diabolum!” Felix shouted and he saw the stranger lift his hand sending out a spark of magic that hit the Dontizu between the shoulders. Impressive.

“It's relinquere diabolum,” the man commented as the Dontizu hit the ground again and Edith backed further away.

Felix cursed under his breath. One little letter had been tripping him up? He was better than this. The man slowly approached the Dontizu as it whimpered at tried to regain its feet, who was this man that didn't flinch at the sight of a Dontizu? Even Felix wasn't that bold. The man he circled the creature and while its focus was on him Felix ran behind it and towards Edith.

He gently grabbed her arm, “Alright darling, it's time to get you out of here.”

The Dontizu lunged towards the stranger and he started sending bursts of magic at it one after another as Felix kept hold of the trembling girl's elbow and led her carefully out of the alleyway. Once safe on the streetlamp lit sidewalk he let go and she leaned back on the brick wall of a building only to slide down to the ground as if her legs would no longer hold her up.

Felix crouched down next to her, “Are you alright, my dear?”

She nodded.

“Not hurt?”

She shook her head.

“I'm glad.”

There was a growl and a burst of light from the alley and he heard the young man shout. Felix huffed, this wasn't over yet. He placed his hands on his knees and pushed himself up with a groan, his girth not making it easy to squat down like that. “I'll be right back,” he tipped his hat and then ran towards the alley. He didn't know who this young man was, but he'd kept a Dontizu from gouging him and Felix felt indebted to return the favor.

The sight he found in the alleyway wasn't a pretty one, the Dontizu was bleeding heavily from its side, but it also had blood dripping from its fangs, he looked up to see a bite wound on the man's leg. He winched, that had to hurt. The Dontizu growled and sprang forward, and even though the young man was shooting out magic it wouldn't stop the creature soon enough to save him. This young stranger was going to die.

“Relinquere diabolum!!” Felix shouted and the Dontizu hit the ground with an oof like it been hit. It only stayed down a moment though before it got back up, Felix expected it to attack him, but instead it went towards the stranger again. “Damn it, Felix grumbled and withdrew the vial from his pocket. The purple was nearly blinding this close to the Dontizu. No time to think of waste, he tossed it in the air and it made a purple streaking tail like a shooting star as it arched towards the Dontizu hitting it the back before it exploded with a blast of light.

Felix covered his eyes with and arm, and then lowered it slowly as the light faded. The Dontizu was motionless on the ground and the young man stood panting in front of it. He looked up at Felix with wide eyes, “You killed it.”

“You're welcome,” Felix said crossing his arms over his chest and smiling brightly.

“Who are you?” The young man asked his lips tripping up in a small smile of his own.

“I wanted to ask you the same thing.”

The man stepped around the body of the Dontizu and towards him. “Blaine, my name is Blaine.” He held out a hand to shake.

Felix grasped it in his own. “Blaine, meaning slender or thin.”

Blaine arched an eyebrow at him, “And who do I have to thank for my life?”

“You can call me Felix.” They shook hands warmly.

“What was that you just threw at that Dontizu?” Blaine said aid looking back at the dead monster.

“Just a little potion I put together, the contents of which were not cheap.”

Blaine nodded. “Impressive.”

“Um… excuse me?” Both men turned at the soft sound of a woman's voice. Edith stood in the mouth of the alleyway looking pale but no worse for wear. “What… what was that thing?”

“Oh um…” Felix scratched his head and looked towards Blaine who just shrugged and gave him a she's your friend look. Felix puffed out his cheeks and then blew out a long breath. “That's hard to explain.”

“But it's dead?”

“Very,” Blaine answered. “It won't hurt you now.”

Edith nodded, “You know you can't just leave it there, what will people say?”

Both Blaine and Felix glanced back at the creature and then at each other. “I want its eyes and fangs,” Felix said, that had been what he was after in the first place. “You can deal with the rest.”

“What if I don't want to deal with the rest?”

Felix patted him on the shoulder, “Too bad, I saved your life, you clean up the mess. It's only right.”

Blaine smiled quickly before returning serious, as if smiles couldn't stay on his lips long. “Deal.”

“Um… can I not be around when you… uh… take the eyes and fangs?” Edith asked.

Felix chuckled, she was holding up really well. Or maybe she was in shock. “Of course, you don't have to stay.”

“I don't want to walk home alone,” She answered in a small voice.

“What's your name?” Blaine asked her, moving forward.

“It's Ed-” She cleared her throat and glanced at Felix with a smile. “Norabel. My name is Norabel.”

Felix gave her an encouraging smile.

“Well Norabel, Felix here can walk you home. I'll gather…” He looked at Felix. “Your request.”

“And why should I trust you to give them to me later?”

Blaine smiled, “Because I wouldn't double-cross a man who knows spellwork and can make such powerful potions.”

“I don't think I'd be a match for you,” Felix said honestly.

“Maybe not, but you seem like a valuable person to know.”

“And your wound?” Felix asked looking down at his bleeding leg.

“My brother can help with that.”

Brothers. Magical brothers no less… a faint memory pricked in his mind, he' heard something about a couple of Dontizu slaying brothers a decade ago. Though this young man didn't look old enough for that… then again he should know how deceiving appearances could be. “You know the old church on Oak Street? Blaine…?”

“Anderson. Blaine Anderson. And yes, I've been there before.”

“I'll meet you there later then, after you've finished here and taken care of that leg.” Felix turned to Norabel offering her a comforting smile and holding out his arm for her to take. “Now tell me where you live, my dear and I'll make sure you get home safely.”

She linked arms with him and they started down the street, Felix turned one last time to look at the young man, something instinctively telling him that this Blaine Anderson was destined to be a new friend.

“See you soon!” Felix called back to him, “I'm looking forward to getting to know you better son of Ander!”

Blaine just crouched down to pick his hat up from the ground, brushing it off and then tipping it towards Felix as he put it back on. He wore a serious look on his face, but his eyes were dancing, “See you soon.” Then he walked back into the alleyway to finish the sordid job of gathering Felix's prizes.

Felix turned back to the young woman on his arm, “Shall we be off?”

She was still trembling slightly when she nodded, but seemed to be made of iron. Rechristened though adventure Norabel would be be fine. And he would get what he'd come out for in the first place, plus he'd met an interesting new ally. Felix smiled, all in all not a bad night for him.