Phoenix awoke to hear the sounds of snoring coming from the other room, the metahumans were asleep and this might be the only chance he had at escape. his head still hurt, but he had to ignore it, sure that that if he didn't leave now he might never, he knew they would stop him. He reached under the mattress and hoped what he was looking for was still there, it was. he pulled out a rather large knife, the handle was comfortable and the blade was long, so he didn't have to get nose to nose with an undead whilst trying to dispose of one. Tucking it into the waistband of his pants, easy to get to, but not so easy to see or lose. Finally feeling ready to go, Phoenix gently opened the door.

dawn had barely appeared, and the room was dark, but he could tell that both metahumans were still asleep. He had thought that he might have had trouble getting to the door of the flat, but nothing stopped him. He reached the street unopposed. And then he ran, knowing that the further away he got from them, the safer he would be.

True, the male metahuman, Phoenix couldn't remember his name, if he had even been told it, had sworn he would not hurt him, and phoenix had believed him. He did not however trust the girl- Aura. It was better to just keep away from them. The street was empty and Phoenix set off, trying to keep in the shadows of the buildings on the same side of the street as the block of flats he had just left, just in case they looked out of the window and saw him. He was free, for how long that would last, he didn't know.

He wasn't sure where he was heading, and wished he knew where Lavinia was, being alone wasn't his favourite thing and he just wished to find a friend. Being alone in the world as it was at the moment, was dangerous, but then so it seemed was being with others. there was no way to win in this world, Only killers and takers, and losers. Mother Gaia should just kill them all and get it over with. But that would be too easy, and nothing was easy anymore.

He didn't understand the metahumans he had met. They could have killed him, they should have killed him, but they didn't. They let him live and now he was running from them. He felt bad, but he didn't want to wait for them to change their minds and kill him in his sleep. You couldn't take chances in this world.

"Phoenix?" It was the male metahuman, Phoenix had barely turned the corner, when he heard the metahuman shout. He kept going. "Phoenix! Come back, you shouldn't be out alone." The metahuman had almost caught up with him.

Phoenix ran, but he was faster. He caught his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. "Get away from me."

"Hey, come on this isn't safe." The male metahuman begged him, Phoenix took a step back.

"She'll kill me. Please let me go." He begged. The metahuman shook his head.

"It's not safe." He repeated.

"It's never safe. What do you want from me?"

"Let me go with you, Aura and I... I have no ties to her. I know you don't trust me, but I'd like to come with you." He said, knowing he couldn't change his mind, the young warlock nodded.

"Just please don't kill me." Phoenix sighed

"I won't, I promise." The metahuman grinned. He had a nice smile.

"What's your name again?" Phoenix asked as they continued walking.

"Apollo." The metahuman replied. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Well I was going to go to the Waelock guard, but now that you're here, I'm going to get the hell out of London." Phoenix replied, he was heading towards a tube station, hoping to find a way out.

"That could be dangerous." Apollo pointed out.

"You don't have to come with me." Phoenix pointed out and he forced open the door and heard some low growls and the gnashing of teeth. "I'm not sixteen for another week, so we do this old school." He added, taking the knife out of the waistband of his pants. He also pulled a torch out of his pocket and held it in his right hand, the hand he didn't fight with.

"Are you left handed?" Apollo sounded surprised. Phoenix just nodded and shushed him as they walked down the steps. They met their first undead moments later, the metahuman looking surprised that Phoenix had taken it down with such ease. He obviously hadn't come across many of the 'supernaturals' who could fight back.

"What? Didn't know we could fight back?" Phoenix asked sharply as another undead hurtled their way. "There's going to be a lot of them down here."

"Why do you hate us so much?" Apollo asked as Phoenix took down another undead.

"You kill us, you hunt us down and you torture us." Phoenix replied. "I don't know why you haven't tried to kill me yet, but I still don't trust you."

"I won't kill you." Apollo told him.

"Why not? That goes against the grain." Phoenix shot back, he stopped and pressed back against the wall, glancing around the corner. "Ten of them." He told Apollo, who frowned.

"Can we take them?" He asked. Phoenix shrugged.

"Probably, what happens if you get bit?" He questioned.

"Out for a few days." Apollo replied. "What about you."

"Death. Slow and painful death." He answered cheerily. "Come on."

"Wouldn't Gaia make it easy for you? Seeing as you are hers as they are?" Apollo asked, Phoenix winced as two more brands appeared on his back.

"No, she doesn't care about us anymore." He replied. "You know when we're born she raises us until our second birthday and then dumps us on the streets. She used to find an older warlock to raise us, but now she just leaves us to die."

"Oh my god. You grew up on the streets?" Apollo looked horrified. Phoenix nodded.

"I'd be dead if Lavinia hadn't found me." He continued. "I don't know where she is."

"Have you tried looking for her?" Apollo asked. Phoenix nodded.

"She's not in this part of London." He replied.

"And she raised you?" Apollo asked, Phoenix nodded again.

"What about you?" He questioned.

"I came here four years ago, when father wanted us to kill the anti-humans." He replied. "I lived in his kingdom, he taught us the best ways to kill you."

"And what is the best way to kill us?" Pheionic asked.

"Back of the neck." Apollo answered. Phoenix shook his head and beheaded an undead as it made its way towards them.

"Works best for wolves." He replied. "On warlocks it can only stun us if you don't get the exact spot, for vamps the most effective way if straight to the heart."

"Why didn't he tell us that?" Apollo asked, frowning as Phoenix winced again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Earth doesn't know shit." He replied.

"Oh. Does Gaia give birth to you all?" He asked.

"All warlocks, most of us are barren. Wolves breed amongst themselves, but she does still birth them. Vampires... They tend to turn humans, she does birth them but it's rarer." Phoenix replied.

"Who with?" Apollo asked.

"Adam of course."

"As in garden of Eden Adam?"

"Yep. Sometimes Eve, but mainly if she wants a vampire." Phoenix replied. "What about Earth?"

"The old gods, ones that humans lost faith in. The Greek ones, the Roman ones, the norse ones, you get the gist?" Apollo asked. "So are all of you related?"

"No, we don't share DNA unless she wants us to." Phoenix replied. Another three undead made their way around the corner. Both took them down in little time at all.

"That's insane." Apollo said as Pgeonix glanced around the corner to see how many were left. About six were left.

"I mean she is the queen of nature." He replied. He made a sharp whistling noise, the undead came running. Trying to ignore the brands burning into his back, he swung his knife and got to work trying to dispose of the undead. Apollo doing the same, but he could tell that there was bothering the warlock. When they were dead, the metahuman turned to the warlock.

"What's going on?" He asked, clearly not going to accept that nothing was wrong.

"Nothing."

"Phoenix you're in pain, what's wrong? Did you get bit?" Apollo asked. Phoenix shook his head.

"I'm fine." He said, but he winced again.

"No you're not, what's going on?" Apollo seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'll be fine, I just need to sleep it off." Phoenix replied. Apollo nodded.

"Alright, come on." He headed towards a platform, the small warlock following him. Luckily, there was a train abandoned in the platform and there was no undead insight. "In here." He pulled open the door and once both were inside, he pushed the door closed again. "You've got to tell me what's wrong."

Phoenix sighed, he'd never showed them to anyone but Lavinia before, she had managed to get away with only five, but he had many brands. He pulled up his hoodie and t-shirt, showing the metahuman the brands. The look on Apollos face made Phoenix want to hide in a hole, he looked so disgusted.

"Who did this?" He asked, when Phoenix didn't reply, he understood it. "Gaia. But why?" He continued to stare at the brands, the six still appearing caught him by surprise. And then a seventh appeared, a different colour to the others. Whereas they turned to a jet black, this one was blood red. "Why is there a red one." Phoenix sighed.

"I don't know."

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Apollo sighed.

"It'll be fine. It'll stop hurting tomorrow." Phoenix replied.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Its my punishment for killing them." Phoenix pulled his shirt down, hiding the brands from view. He found a seat to curl up in and fell asleep in an instant, leaving the metahuman to keep watch and worry.