The morning after, just like all morning afters in the history of the world. I didn't want to get up until my head actually split open and ended the pain. Of course there was the matter of a small alien, currently bouncing on me.

"Your stomach is very tight, Sasha. This is unexpected; it doesn't look muscular at all."

"Gray, I'm going to hold you down and throw up on you."

He stopped, mercifully. "Oh? Are you ill, Sasha?"

"Yes Gray, I'm ill. What time is it?"

"Currently seven forty-six, according to the alarm clock you recently slept through."

Was that what this was about? Was he bouncing on me because of a stupid alarm? I hadn't been able to escape the party last night until three, when most of the people forming the ring around me had passed out, leaving an opening. By then of course, I don't think the remaining upright people were too interested in me anymore; they hadn't given chase like they normally would have.

There was no hair of the dog that bit me in my room; or any other part of the dog, for that matter.

"Gray, I have a very important mission for you."

"Yes Sasha?"

"I want you to go outside this room, find the lobby, find a bottle of booze, preferably beer. Then I want you to pick it up and bring it back to me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sasha. Ethanol is poisonous to the human body, and you've had far too much of it of late. You'll end up losing those stomach muscles, among other things."

Did my imagination figment or whatever it was just sass me?!?

"Gray, you bounced on me; you owe me. Now go get me some booze."

"I refuse."

"Gray, I'm going to shoot you."

"If you desire alcohol, you should retrieve it yourself."

But I didn't want to move! Where were my guns? They were across the room, on the table near the door; I would have to get up in order to get them. I tried to grab the little bastard, but he skipped out of the way and off the bed out of sight.

A pox on everyone. A pox on all houses! Poxes for all!

I rolled over and held onto the bedpost, using it to lever myself up. My legs didn't really want to work, so I leaned there a moment, searching for my prey. My vanished prey; oh well if he was under the bed he was screwed; not even I knew all of what lurked down there.

Now steady, I headed toward my guns. If Gray thought I wouldn't blow up my bed, he was sorely mistaken.

"Underwear, Sasha."

I looked down; the demented little gremlin was below me, his outstretched hands full of cloth. Come to think of it, it was a little breezy this morning. I reached for the little jerk but only netted the panties. And of course I overbalanced and fell over.

Oh well, might as well put them on.

And Gray had vanished again. where had he gone? I checked under the bed (might as well, I was already on the floor) but came up empty. I heard my bathroom door close, and of course my guns were missing from the table. Why had they even been over there to begin with? I usually slept with my hardware, and even here the nightstand that was the usual home for my weapons was in reach of the bed.

"Gray, why are you hiding from me? Aren't you my familiar?"

"I'm not hiding from you Sasha, I am here." Gray's answer came from the bathroom of course.

I straightened up and strode over, only to find more cloth on the doorknob. A bra; it smelled clean. With a shrug, I put it on; I'd need to eventually anyway.

Gray wasn't immediately visible when I opened the door; I spent a second wondering where he could have gone before I realized the shower curtain was pulled and the shower had just turned on.

That was not something I wanted to see, at all.

"What the hell, Gray?"

He started humming, and that decided things. I pulled the curtain back with a whisk to reveal Gray, still in his pilot suit, a shower cap around his nonexistent hair, sudsing up. He turned to me and asked pointedly, "Do you mind?" Before turning away. My guns were hooked around the showerhead.

I was not getting into the shower with a figment of.. whatever like that, clothes or not, and with the way the showerhead was set, I'd have to get in to retrieve my weapons, which would then get wet and be in need of cleaning. Turning the water off would run the same risk; my guns were safer where they were for now.

"Some aspirin and water are on the counter next to your uniform; I suggest you brush your teeth as well."

So that was his game, was it? Well I'd show him, and inflict my horrid breath and scuzzy teeth upon the world! Or maybe not, since I could smell it too. Fine; I brushed my teeth first, mainly because I hated the idea of getting toothpaste on my clothes and then the Gloom finding out about it later. the aspirin came next; the water I downed them with tasted odd; it was what I expected coming from a clear stream and not Central's water tap.

I put my uniform on and there was a brush under it; the meaning there was clear. I realized as I brushed that my hat was a ribbon, and entwined in my hair; I hadn't even felt it. As I brushed my hair out around the ribbon the shower cut off and Gray stepped out, wrapped in a towel... my favorite towel.

"You look well today Sasha. Ready for duty."

The smug bastard. "Yeah, ready to kick some alien ass." I replied as I finally retrieved what I was looking for. They appeared ready for use.

"Um, shouldn't that be "Ready to kick some witch ass?" Gray asked me.

"Not just yet." I informed him, and he was gone.

I hit the front door while it was still swinging from his passage; there were boots there which I dove my feet into without dumping too much momentum; odds were there was broken glass and other sharp things lingering in the halls. "Come on Gray, it'll only hurt a little! I promise!"

His answer was surprising - and angering. "You should avoid loud utterances Sasha; your co-workers are sleeping."

He wasn't wrong; some of them were even in the halls. I'd have thought were hit last night after i went to bed, but the moans and groans told me everyone was still alive, for various definitions of the term.

I was still on thin ice; waking up some trigger happy jerk dealing with their own morning after, especially with a ribbon or hat on my head, was not a smart idea. Having someone find out that I was chasing my familiar would be disaster. Some of my fellow hunters could be downright violent and not at all reasonable.

As much as it annoyed me, I had to be quiet. That was fine, I was used to silent stalking.

Oh hey, Sarah was at the front desk, without a single hair out of place and only her cute yawns betraying last night.

She spotted me as I hit the base of the stairs, and didn't look away.

"Oh good morning Sasha! You're up early."

I winced; my head was kind of fine, but I feared for the heads of the bodies spread around the lobby. That was just a bit too loud and cheerful.

"Good morning Sarah. How are you awake?" Sure she had drank less than I and many others, but she had still been drunk enough to dance.

She smiled, and all but shouted: "Well, this morning is my shift, and some of us have to put on a professional demeanor for our customers, the citizens."

Uh, okay. "Have you had many people come in?"

"Not a one!" Sarah replied with enough false cheer to choke me. "But it's the principle of the thing, isn't it?"

"I guess so." Gray was behind Sarah's shoulder, giving me a pointed look. I'm guessing it would be a bad thing to admit I wouldn't even be awake if not for... random chance, yeah that was it.

"Well, if we get a call I'd like to put my team in for it. Or Plague's team. Or Ivan's, whoever is leading it now."

"Not Alicia's team?" Sarah asked with a sparkle in her eye.

She was joking with me, and that was amazing, but some jokes just shouldn't be made. "Hell no. I will sit in a ditch and pull the dirt up over me before the bearded lady is my boss."

Sarah's giggle was like music. "I was just kidding Sasha, and I'll put you down for a job; there isn't a long list so far. So what are you up to? I didn't expect to see you down here so soon."

Gray was wandering off toward the training rooms. Specifically the large one I'd been given permission to use the last time I was here. And what had Sarah meant by that, exactly? "Training, apparently."

"Well good luck. Try not to break too much."

I started after Gray. "I'll try but no promises; you know how it is, the janitorial staff would have nothing to do but sit around and drink without us."

That sounded like a grand idea, actually. I wonder if Gloom would let me transfer, at least for a little while.

The door to the training wing was open, and the door to my specific room was open. I entered to find Gray on top of one of the targets. I shut and locked the door behind me, and turned the 'in use' light on.

"Do you really think I need practice? I don't miss, Gray."

"Not with those, Sasha," Gray replied, pointing at my guns. "But there are other things to learn."

"We're indoors, can you even summon those things here?"

"Not those either Sasha." Gray replied.

"Well then I'm pretty sure I don't know what youre talking about."

"Science, of course." Gray explained, pointing to my head.

I pulled one of my new guns. "Not following you, and honestly not caring. I'm just too tired, and my head aches too much."

Gray cocked his head. "Are you Sasha? Are you really?"

I took stock. I was tired earlier, but I felt fine now actually, and my head was as clear as a bell's tone. "Okay, maybe not, and we will discuss how you did that later, but for now, dance!"

He danced, and my shot actually missed. "Clean living Sasha, and I thought you never missed?"

Why that little.... He danced again, and I missed again.

"Use your visor, Sasha."

Oh, right. With a thought my ribbon squiggled in my hair (and that felt all kinds of weird) and reformed into my helmet and visor; the HUD clicked on and outlined Gray as my current target; Gray danced out of the way again as my third shot went off, but the beam curled around, chasing him. He lunged and hit the ground running, weaving in between the stationary targets; the shot went through five targets before losing steam.

He was playing a dangerous game.

A second lock on was followed by a third and a a fourth, then several more. When I fired again, the small pistol fired a full dozen shots, all of which tracked Gray around the large chamber, wiping out targets along the way. Until there were no more targets, and Gray didn't have anything else to hide behind.

He looked to me, but I was already moving; That was an old trick, and one I've dealt with before. As fast as the little guy was, he couldn't catch up to me before the last 3 shots found him, and they were light of a sort, or something, so he couldn't force them to hit each other. All three shots found him, and passed through him? Without a target the shots rapidly lost cohesion and killed some wall paint.

He was gone, but I knew he wasn't dead or even hurt. Instead, he was smug. "A good effort Sasha. You should attempt to remember how that felt, so that you may use that ability again."

"What did you do?"

Gray faded back into view, holding up a small rectangular box with a button inset on it. A device of some kind, clearly. "I teleported to my spacecraft."

Teleported. "Can I do that?"

Gray nodded sagely. "Of course, but a spacecraft is the only destination as yet. I've yet to ascertain whether it is possible to build a teleportation station on this planet; current technology seems to suggest otherwise."

Yeah, right. Sure thing. "I have the feeling that you and Emil would love each other if you could talk."

Gray cocked his head again. "But we can discuss matter of science. You need only allow me to reveal myself to your colleagues."

"Yeah, let's not do that." Gray and Emil must never meet; together they would blow up the world or something. Probably something worse. "So, teach me how to do that teleportation thing."

......

Gloom came to; as always secretly happy that both he and the installation he was in charge of were in one piece. His own office immaculate as always, he took the steps to match before leaving the friendly confines of his office. There was a surprising lack of blood in the halls, and all of his hunters appeared to be breathing, which was always a plus after a celebration. Some were even beginning to rouse themselves, and before noon.

The less that was said about his own hours today the better. The paper engine that ran this place wasn't going to rubber stamp itself, after all.

Most of those in the lobby appeared to have roused themselves and moved off, likely with Sarah's gentle urging; the lobby itself was in the recovery process and almost clean, but there were still some areas best not traveled over.

"Good afternoon, Sarah." Gloom tried not to look too deeply into those lovestruck blue eyes. It was best not to dwell on such things.

"Good afternoon Gloom." Sarah replied, gazing up at im before snapping out of it and grabbing a stack of paper from under her counter. It was sizable, he noted with dismay, and clipped together."

"Today's hunter requests so far. Do you want them?" Sarah asked, her tone almost demanding he take the things.

"Yes, I'll take them." He would have to sign off on them anyway; there was no sense in sending a runner to his office later, and the fact that it made him look busy as he took this walk was a plus.

He pretended not to notice Sarah stepping out from her kiosk and putting her toes to a blissfully snoring hunter that didn't even stir; the young gentleman would be some interesting shades in an hour. Gloom shrugged; really it served him right - it was well known that Sarah had some issues with 'slackers'. it was also well known that drink was no excuse as far as she was concerned.

Someone was working, however; Gloom noticed the in use sign was flipped over training room two and only room two. Something about the number tickled his memory for a moment, those brain cells holding the memory no doubt dead to his drink of the night before... but then he had it.

He employed his key override and cracked open the door, cautiously.

His caution was rewarded; the inevitable sounds of breaking items were muffled. The expected explosions were absent, however. A glance inside was a qualified risk.

The last hunter he expected to see was inside the room, currently contorting herself into dodges most would be hard pressed to match while snapping off shots aimed at debris currently flying around the chamber at significant speed.

The shots were not truly bullets but were instead silent lances of light. Silent lances of light which would arc or in some cases loop back completely in order to hit their target. A target which without exception was the size of a dime and no larger. There were an even dozen beams of light in the air, actively hunting targets at the moment.

In her wild corkscrewing gyrations, Sasha's gaze crossed the door; her visor washed out all view of her face and eyes with it's brilliant blue glow, but it was clear she noticed the door was open when she slowed her spin to a stop. No more beams joined those already in motion and the extra targets fell to the floor with a clatter.

"Who's there?" Sasha's hands holstered her new weapons and drew away from them; slowly but just fast enough to give the illusion of nonchalance. She had been taught very well.

"It's just me, Sasha."

Gloom could see her visibly relax, but only because he knew what to look for. "Not sure if that's a good thing or not boss, I kinda made a mess in here.

A mess was a bit of an understatement; the reinforced walls ceiling and floor all bore scorch marks, there were a few new shallow dents here and there, and not a single target of either stationary or mobile variety was in one piece.

Yet at the same time, nothing of the room itself needed replacing, and the walls were all intact, after hours of use. Sasha had clearly been taking it easy in here.

Sasha leaned back, a hand ruffling her hair and her eyes widening ever so slightly; proving that she could read him as well as he could read her; he would have to work on that.

"Well it looks like you're at the limit of what you can do in here by yourself. how about I help you?"

He slowly bent down and put the clipboard down; he knew it would be safe there near the door, even in the heat of a pitched battle.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea; I'm getting a little tired, I've been working on this for a while now. Out of curiosity, what time is it, anyway?"

"A bit after noon. How long have you been in here?"

Another tell, this one of slow burning anger. "Since about eight; that...!"

And there it was, Gloom thought. The wedge. "What that, Sasha?"

Sasha drew back, her lead foot trailing through the debris in a manner reminiscent of a child caught in a crime. "Nothing, nothing at all. I just got up early is all, and decided to practice."

That image when combined with her uniform... Gloom would have suspected magic. He decided not to make the statement. "You can trust me, Sasha."

Sasha deflated and the words came out in a rush. "It was Gray; he made me get up, and drink water. Water! I've only had a few hours of sleep!"

Gloom fought to keep the smile from his face. Whatever the demon seed had done to her, she seemed the better for it; lively almost. "See? That wasn't so hard. However, you did lie to me, so... a hunter must be ready to battle at all times. Even when a little tired."

Gloom drew his gloves on, relishing how all the blood fled Sasha's face.