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Chapter 8: You Always Keep Me Guessin’ Max delivered a kick to Jerome’s groin. He crumpled over in pain as Max kipped up to his feet. Jerome shook his head to gather his senses then snarled at Max. Max tried to land another kick but it was caught by Jerome who tossed him aside against the stone wall. Dansen leapt on his back and her arms around his neck in a choke hold. He waved his arms until he grabbed fistful of her hair and flipped Dansen off him. “Stay out of this, babe!” he snapped, moving towards Max. “This is between and your knight in shining armor over here!” Max yanked a tapestry off the wall, and hurled it, covering Jerome. Jerome tore through the fabric just in time for Max to deliver a punch to his face. The big man fell to the ground, and in an instant Max was on top of him, fist raised to strike again. “Brothers! Hold!” Everyone turned to the doorway. Standing there was a statuesque woman draped in black silk robes. Her skin was white with albinism, and her black hair was tied into a single ponytail that reached down below her waist. She was flanked on either side by two women in purple and red robes. Dansen scrambled to her feet and bowed her head. “Sister Nekra. I apologize for this disturbance.” Nekra strode into the room, giving a disapproving look to Dansen. “Are you the cause of this, Sister Dansen?” Jerome pushed Max off him and rushed to Nekra. “I was just trying to get a fighting lesson, sister. But then Brother Max jumped in attacked me!” “That’s a lie!” shouted Max. “Calm yourselves, brothers,” Nekra soothed. “We are all children of Kali. Kali does not wish us to fight amongst ourselves.” “But Jerome is lying!” Max argued. “Dansen didn’t want to be with him!” Nekra looked back to Dansen. “Well, Sister Dansen?” Dansen kept her head bowed and took a deep breath. “I made a mistake, Sister Nekra. I behaved inappropriately.” Max was taken aback as Jerome leered at him. Nekra closed her eyes, and the other sisters drew close behind her. She opened her eyes and smiled at Jerome. “Brother Jerome, I have good news for you.” Jerome looked confused. “Um, you do? What kind of good news?” “The best kind, brother. Kali has spoken to me. You have been chosen to receive her blessing.” The sisters behind Nekra raised their hands above them. “All praise Kali! All praise Kali!” “You’ve got to be kidding!” The three women stared unblinking at Max. “Why would Kali give him a blessing after what he’s…” “Brother Max,” Dansen said with a strained voice. “Do not question the will of Kali. We must obey her commands in all things.” Nekra nodded to the other sisters. “Well spoken, Sister Dansen. Sister Ushas? Sister Shaya? Escort Brother Jerome to the chamber to receive his blessing.” Jerome looked very pleased as the two attractive woman took him by both arms and walked with him out of the room. He looked behind him at the fuming Max and chuckled as disappeared into the hall. Nekra bowed to Dansen and Max. “Please remember your words, Sister Dansen. And you remember them as you, Brother Max. Kali’s blessings upon you.” After Nekra had left the room, Max whirled to face Dansen. “What was that about? Why didn’t you tell them the truth?” Dansen picked her robes off the floor and started to put them on. “I cannot speak against someone who Kali has chosen. That is not the way of the temple.” “Well, maybe Kali has made a mistake! Or maybe Sister Nekra did.” Dansen turned toward Max indignantly. “Sister Nekra is the voice of Kali! She guides us in her teachings! She will lead us on the glorious day of Kali’s return!” Max shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know about that. I only came here because I wanted to learn how to fight.” Dansen scoffed. “Of course! You don’t truly believe in Kali! You’re no better than Brother Jerome! He’s only interested in finding women, and you’re only interested in training. Why? So you could make up for not being able to save your parents?!” Dansen stopped short, seeing the hurt expression on Max’s face. She looked away from him. “I think you should leave, Brother Max. And do not approach me again.” Max took a step forward, then turned and walked out, leaving Dansen standing by herself in an empty room. “Hannibal? Earth to Hannibal?” Hannibal King looked across the table at Terri. They were sitting in a French restaurant that Terri had been telling him about. He never could pronounce the name, but it was French so it probably sounded less interesting in English. All around the dining room were guests being ushered to their seats and engaging in quiet conversation. “Huh? Yeah?” he asked. Terri rolled her eyes. “Typical. The one night we have off, you ask out for dinner, then you just sit there staring into space.” Hannibal adjusted his tie then moved the salad around his plate with his fork. “I’m sorry, Terri. I’ve just been thinking.” “About Shroud?” Hannibal tapped the plate with his fork then set it down again. Terri sighed. “Look, it’s over. You haven’t heard from those freaks in weeks. Ever since what happened at the Headmen’s lab, no messages, no leads on Tombstone, nothing. They dragged into their world, then they let you go.” “But why? Why would Shroud ask me to help and then just let me and you walk away? Maybe it’s some kind of test; he wants to see if we go to the department and tell them what happened.” Terri gave a small laugh. “Yeah, because I would really want to go to DeWolff and tell her that I was kidnapped by Tombstone and rescued by a bunch of monsters. She would have both our badges and put psych watch for weeks.” There was the sound of shouting coming from the front door, then the maître-de came flying into the dining room and crashing into the table next to Hannibal and Terri’s. Everyone in the dining room looked to the doorway and collectively dropped their jaws. In the doorway, stood a woman in a one piece swimsuit, a blue plaid trench coat, and a pink bowtie. Her face was painted white with whiskers and she had headband with bunny ears. She was accompanied by an extremely large man in a brown bodysuit, who had what looked like tusks sticking out from his mask. The woman twirled her folded umbrella and pointed it at the customers. “Good evening, all! This is a stick up! Allow me to introduce myself! You can call me… The White Rabbit!” Her large companion nudged her with his elbow. “What about me?” White Rabbit rolled her eyes and hissed under her breath. “I’m getting to you! Shut up! You’re ruining the moment! Ahem. And my friend, the greatest force of mass destruction alive: the Walrus! Now, we’re already running late, so if you would be so kind as to hand over any valuables, we will be on our way without causing you much bodily harm.” Terri looked at Hannibal incredulously as other patrons started laughing at the sight of the bizarre pair. “Do you think this is a test too?” Hannibal stared at the would be robbers. “Well, they sure aren’t any member of the Night Shift I saw.” Walrus looked around at the laughing crowd. “They aren’t giving us their money, White Rabbit.” White Rabbit groaned and waved her hand dismissively. “Then show them we mean business, moron!” Walrus nodded and lumbered to an empty table. He picked it up with ease and hurled it at one of the booths, forcing the people eating air to run out of the way before the table crushed them. Terri and Hannibal drew their guns and aimed at Walrus. “Freeze!” shouted Terri. “LAPD! Stay where you are! Get down on your knees now!” White Rabbit yawned. “Blah blah blah. Sorry, but we can’t. You see, we’re not ourselves today. But the best way to explain it… is to shoot it!” She twirled the umbrella and pulled a hidden trigger. Explosive bullets struck Hannibal and Terri’s table, forcing them back. Walrus stomped toward them with fists raised. “Now we got ‘em! Oh yep! We sure do!” “Think again, lardbutt!” Walrus turned behind him to see two men in business suits rising from a table. Another stood up from a booth next to them. “Who are you guys?” Walrus rumbled. “Just some people…” Barton Grimes said. “That want to tell you a story,” continued Percy. “Or just kick your ass,” finished Hangman. Barton and Percy raised their hands to their faces and shouted in unison. “Once Upon a Time!” They transformed into the forms of the Brothers Grimm, summoned their clouds and flew to Terri and Hannibal’s side. Hangman pulled on his hood, and threw his noose like a lasso. White Rabbit sprang through it with a mighty leap and opened fire at him. “You guys again!” Terri shouted. “Shroud wanted to make sure to keep an eye on you,” Percy explained as Walrus trudged toward them. “And that you didn’t do something stupid!” Barton snapped as they all jumped out of the big man’s way. He crashed through their table and went on running through the doors in the kitchen with a clatter. “Leave these two to us!” Percy shouted. “Get the civilians out of here!” Hannibal and Terri nodded, then turned to the frightened guests still hiding at their tables. “All of you!” yelled Terri. “Follow me to the emergency exit! Move!” Terri led the crowd behind her, as the sounds of battle followed them. Hannibal noticed two men sitting at a booth watching the fight calmly. “Hey! You two! This isn’t dinner and a show!” Hannibal called to them. “Move it!” One of the men slid a glove off his hand and rose to his feet. “I assure you, monsieur,” he said. “We are exactly where we need to be.” A waitress ran past the table to get to the exit, and the man grabbed her by the wrist. The girl screamed in agony, twisting her arm to try to free herself from the man’s grip. But her screams grew weaker and weaker, until her legs collapsed out from under her. Finally, the man let go, leaving a lifeless husk on the floor. White Rabbit looked annoyed at the macabre scene. “Hey! Did the Headmen send you guys too?! They said this was our assignment!” The man removed his other glove and nodded to his friend. “Not at all, mademoiselle. We have an assignment of our own. To all of your petty leaders. All praise Kali! Brother Fritz?” The other man cracked his neck and had a demented look in his eyes. “All praizzzzzzze Kali! All praizzzzzzzzzzz!” The man’s skin begin to rise and fall on his face, as if something was moving underneath it. Suddenly, the skin fell away, revealing countless bees swarming around in a human shape. Hannibal stood frozen as he shouted to the Brothers. “You wouldn’t happen to know who these freaks are, do you?” Percy’s terrified voice rang clear through his mask. “No idea.” Barton clapped his hands together and drew a sword from his sleeve. “But it’s going to be fun trying to kill them!” OK: All combatants at full strength. The Night Shift is Brothers Grimm and Hangman. Hannibal is still not a vampire. Game On!