Midnight.  The subway station was deserted.  Bits of old newspaper rustled in the breeze coming down through the stairwell.  There was a rumble coming from down the left-hand side tunnel.  Very soon, a bright light appeared and the rumble became a roar.  A dark train squealed to a halt, and the doors hissed open.  There was a slight pause, and the train’s only passenger stepped out.  His boots, although heavy and steel-tipped, made almost no noise on the tiled floor.  He slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs, and cast his senses through the night before ascending them.  He is wary, but unafraid. There was no telling who waited in the shadows, but it always paid to be cautious.  He’d learned that lesson the hard way.  Robert Ignatius Benson, sometimes known as Wolfheart, climbed the stairs and made his way through the lamp-lit streets towards home.

The usual prostitutes and drug addicts were not to be seen.  This made Benson suspicious, as they were normally absent when trouble was brewing.  A sudden flash of movement caught his eye, and he turned to see one of the ladies of the night he knew well trying to catch his attention.  She was hiding in an alley, and he looked around quickly to see that no one was about to follow him, knowing that something was afoot.
“Maggie, what is the matter?” He asked, as he stepped into the shadows, aware that there were a few other people in the alley with them.  He didn’t sense any danger, however.
“Benson – there is word on the street that the Clan of the Bear is on the prowl for blood.  We’re keeping out of the way.  I just thought I’d let you know, because I have seen one or two of them near your place.”
“Thanks for the warning, Maggie,” said Benson. “I will watch out for them.  In the mean time, you guys be careful.  The Bears aren’t known for their tolerance of anything but their own ways.”  Benson turned away, and started to leave the alley.  Before he could, one of the others grabbed his arm, then stepped back, as Benson was known for his quick and deadly reactions.
“Benson,” the boy said tentatively. “I thought I should thank you for helping my sister – she’s doing well.  I can’t get out of this game myself right now, but it is good that she has.”
“I do what I can, Andy – when you are ready, we will do the same for you.”  He looked kindly at the thin and weary-looking boy.  “But I must go now, and quickly – the Bears are my enemy, and if they are on the prowl, I can only assume they are waiting for me.  I will see you soon, the Gods willing.”  With that, Benson stepped out of the alley and started walking confidently towards his home.
“Andy, you take your chance when you can, you hear me?”  He heard Maggie say behind him.  He pitied the night creatures – in this day and age, they really had no choice but to live like scared rabbits, in the dingiest holes.  His empathy for them came from the fact that he had been rescued from a horrible death by a prostitute he called Rose.  She would not tell him her name, for fear of being prosecuted, but the tattoos on her wrists and arms were of roses, all multi-coloured and expertly drawn, and hence that was what he called her.  He suspected that she was something different, but he was not to know, as she died a few months later in what the police called ‘a horrible accident’.  No details were supplied, as was usual.  The government wanted everything to be kept secret, especially if it had to do with strange or violent deaths.

Benson was pulled from his reverie by an unfriendly tone in the air.  It was malicious, and Benson wondered if the man hiding in wait for him was new to the game.  The various clans were taught early on to shield their thoughts and emotions, and were helped to harness their powers and use them for the Clan’s purposes.  The people who joined the Witch Clans were those who were not strong enough to survive on their own; they were also recruited and sometimes brainwashed, depending on the doctrine of that Clan.  Benson had been one of those, but he had escaped, again thanks to Rose.  His brainwashing had not been thorough enough – once the bonds had started to unravel, he had been confined and put on the list for human sacrifice at the Festival of Blood.  He might have been left alone once rescued, but his powers were great, and the Clan leaders wanted him badly.  They knew where he lived, and kept constant watch, but they knew they could not try to take him back until the week of the Festival.  The government had so decreed.  It was a strange society that had developed after the first Witch was born, and in order to avoid global panic, the various leaders from around the world had established new laws to accommodate the extremely powerful Witches.  This was done in order to keep power for themselves – and, more importantly, to discourage the Witches from running amok.  It had worked well so far, but there were always those who broke the rules and schemed in the background.  Benson had been lucky thus far – the Clan that he escaped from generally stuck to the rules, and he only had to be cautious during the Festival.  The problem was, it was not Festival, and the presence in the dark was not from the Bear Clan.

Benson managed to get home and lock himself in, without being attacked or approached by anyone else.  Dinner was one of those pre-cooked microwaveable packs of mince lasagna.  He had just set his alarms and activated his traps, when there was a soft knock at the back door.  Wondering who it was, and how they had gotten past the beams, Benson checked his CCTV monitor – and was surprised that it was someone who looked remarkably like a younger version of Rose.  His curiosity piqued, he got up, deactivated the internal alarms, and went to see who it was.
Activating the little bulletproof viewing glass in the door, he spoke through the intercom to the woman outside.  She looked nervous.
“Who are you?”  He asked, casting suspicion and menace into his voice.
The woman started, and looked around, peering through the darkness, finally spotting the glass in the door.
“I’m Emily’s sister.  I’m here to ask for your help, Mr. Benson.”  She looked calmly at the glass.
“Who’s Emily, and why do you need my help?”  He snapped.
“I thought you knew her, Mr. Benson.  She looks like me, but with rose tattoos on her arms.”  She replied.
“Ah.  For safety reasons, before I let you in, you need to tell me why you are here.”
“There are people coming after me, Mr. Benson, for reasons I will have to explain in a secure place – I fear I was followed here.  It’s got something to do with my sister’s work.”
“She was a prostitute, lady.”  Benson snorted.
“Not exactly, Mr. Benson.  Please, let me in – I can’t stand here much longer.  There are people coming.”  She pleaded, looking behind her.  Benson felt the shadows in the distance, and decided to take a chance.  He deactivated the door’s security, opened it quickly, and pulled the girl a bit roughly inside by the arm.  She cried out, but Benson ignored her while re-securing the door.  When he turned back, he saw that her clothing was ripped, and she was bleeding in places all over her body.  The small window and dim light had hidden these details from him.  He looked at her apologetically.
“Sorry,” he said, sheepishly. “Come with me.  We’ll sort out your wounds and you can tell me what’s going on.”  He led the injured woman to his small infirmary.  Experience had taught him first aid, and he managed to clean her wounds and apply dressings shortly.  Once he had finished, he turned to her, removing his latex gloves and throwing them in the bin.
“Now you can tell me your name, and who or what you are in trouble with.  I liked Rose – she helped me, and I will help you.”  As Benson said this, he wondered what he was getting himself into.  However, he was used to being in danger and had to fight off assassins and Clan members regularly.  This was probably just another of those days.
“My name’s Elizabeth.  I’m Emily’s younger sister.  Her employer got hold of me once she…died.” She paused before continuing.  “I have similar gifts to Emily, and her employer thought to continue his task using me.  Unfortunately, the leader of the Clan we’re trying to investigate didn’t accept my story of wanting to join them because my sister had been part of them, and they kept a close watch on me.  I didn’t know this, you must understand,” she looked imploringly at Benson.  “I’m very new to this, and didn’t expect to be watched, or caught, but I know better now.”  She slumped into a sofa, looking dejected.  “The Clan watched and waited, and eventually caught my employer and I together tonight.  They killed him.  I managed to escape – that is how I came to be here.  He also told me about you, and my sister also suggested if I was in trouble, that you might help.”
She stopped talking, and Benson eventually replied.  “I still don’t know what you and your employer were trying to achieve.  Or which Clan you have angered.  Nor can I even begin to guess who your employer is.  You need to tell me, because I can’t help you without that information.  So, please continue.”  Benson went to his kitchen, filled a kettle with water, and started getting cups ready for coffee.  “Please,” he said, when she said nothing. “I need this info.  And you need coffee.  You talk, I’ll make.”
“Mr. Benson, it’s very difficult to explain.  But I will try.  My employer was a Witch, but not affiliated to any Clan.  He was very strong, but not strong enough to fend off 7 of the strongest Witches from the Dragon Clan.”  She saw Benson start with surprise, but just smiled grimly and continued.  He needed this information, as he had said.  “My employer had been trying to find out what they were up to – there are people going missing, strange things have been happening, and they seem to be at the heart of it.  The odd thing is that the government is not stepping in.  There have been many deaths, and the bodies have been found mutilated and defaced – all in the style of the Festival of Blood, but much worse, and nowhere near any of the Clan headquarters.  We were trying to find out why this was being allowed to happen, and why they were targeting only certain people.”
“What kind have they been targeting?” Benson asked, curious.  He set the coffee, milk and sugar on the table, and indicated that the woman serve herself.
“Random people that seem to have no magical talent, haven’t got affiliations with Clans, or any Clan blood in their families,” she said as she spooned sugar into her mug.  “Entire families are being killed in this manner.”
“It’s obvious.  The Dragon Clan is trying to wipe out the non-Witches – their plan must be in motion now.   They have always scorned ordinary humans as dirt.”
“It’s not that – there is something else going on.  The information is on here.”  Elizabeth said adamantly, showing him a flash drive she dug from her pocket.
“Then you must show me, and we will try to sort this out.  However, my property defenses have been breached.”  Elizabeth thought he sounded very calm for someone whose home had just been invaded, but Emily and her employer had told her some of his history.  She thought she understood.
“Come, now!”  Benson grabbed Elizabeth, went to his storeroom, gathered up his weapons belt and ammunition, and made for his basement.
He had constructed a short tunnel into a vacant building two doors down, and when they emerged, he ushered Elizabeth into his spare car.  They raced out of the basement garage, and Benson saw that they were not alone.  A car was waiting for them, and immediately sped after them.
“Where are we going?”  Elizabeth gasped as she clung to the seat.  Benson drove like a madman.
“A friend’s house – he has the necessary equipment to download whatever’s on here, and to assist us in getting rid of what looks like a serious problem.”  Benson looked in the rear view mirror with some satisfaction when he realized he had lost the car tailing them.  He drove around a few more blocks, to be sure, and made his way across town to his friend’s house.  Ivan Morris, whom he had known most of his life, was a computer geek.  There was no other way to put it.  His talents were based in technology, and Benson often went to him for help.  Morris let Benson park in his garage, and led them into his house.  Introductions were made briefly, but there was no time for small talk.
“There is something going on with the Dragon Clan, Ivan, and the info is on this.”  Benson gave Morris the flash drive.
“Hmm, I heard something to that effect.  There short-wave radios are going mad – everyone’s looking for you.  Including members of the government.”  Ivan said quickly.  “I will check what is on here, but you need to get away soon.  I don’t think you have much time.”
“I hope this is worthwhile, Elizabeth,” Benson said, as he motioned for her to sit.
“It is.  We will save a lot of people with this information.”
“Benson, look at this!”  Ivan exclaimed.  “This is not only a Clan thing – there seem to be certain government agencies involved – and it doesn’t stop here.  It’s global!”
“What is this about though?”  Benson asked.  “There is a lot of information, but I can’t read through it as fast as you, Ivan.”
“See here,” Morris pointed to a paragraph.  “The governments have entered into a secret agreement with the Clans.  It seems that they are trying to establish a new world order, with the Dragon Clan as leaders.  The people who are being killed are those part of an organisation that is against any interference in the lives of people, be they Witch or not.  I think they got wind of this, and have been working to stop this change.  I can’t imagine what the Dragon Clan has offered these people to make them complacent with their plans.  Imagine the tyranny if that Clan had full power over us – ye Gods, but this is scary!”  Morris sank lower into his chair.
“Then we must stop this.  Elizabeth?  Your employer – who was he?”  Benson turned to Elizabeth.
“His name was Michael Reed, and he was a leader of the Free Peoples Organisation.  I know, I could have told you this earlier, but we were attacked.  I’m sorry, but you are the only one with the connections to help us.”  She looked at him pleadingly.
“I know.”  Benson said immodestly.  “Ivan, please contact my sister, and get this info to her.  Elizabeth – you must take me to your organisation’s second in command.  There is a war brewing, or at least it will be, once we let the public know of this.”
“How will we do this quickly enough?  Ordinary humans are nowhere near strong enough to fight the Clans as a whole, and the few Solitary Witches who will stand with us cannot help very much.”  Elizabeth said.
“You have no idea what we are capable of, dear girl.  My sister owns a global news broadcasting agency, and I know a lot of people within the Clans who also agree with the principles of the FPO, and who don’t agree with the practices of the Dragon and Bear Clans particularly.  This might actually be a way to finally cull them.  And we might be able to alter the plights of a lot of the people who live on the streets.”
“You have high hopes, my friend, but you are right – this might just be the catalyst that changes everything.”  Morris said.  “I’ve always been against how the government and Clans have put in place laws that no one born on the street can become anything other than what their birth dictates.  It has resulted in a lot of people losing hope.  It will be nice to see that change.”
“We should get out of here.”  Benson said to Elizabeth, nodding goodbye to Morris.  “We have a lot of work to do, and we had better do it quickly.”

When Benson and Elizabeth had left, Ivan quickly got on the phone and called his boss.
“Sir, they are leaving here now.  They are going to the FPO headquarters.  I suggest the Clan gets to them before they get there.  All our work will be for nothing if this gets out.”
“Done.  Thank you, Mr. Morris.  You have done well.  You may rest assured that your family is safe.  You can fetch them at Terminal One at the airport.  Go now.”  The voice on the other side said.
Morris put the phone down and breathed a sigh of relief.  Benson had no idea what was about to happen, and although he felt sad that he had betrayed his friend, he couldn’t let his family die.
He rose from his chair, fetched his car keys, and went to his car.  The car started easily for once, and just as he left the driveway, he knew no more.  He never got to join his wife and daughter in the underworld.  Betrayers live on, haunting the waking world as punishment, getting no relief for all eternity.

Benson saw the explosion, and hoped that his friend had a quick death, even though he suspected the betrayal.  He told Elizabeth to drive, while he phoned his sister.  She knew what to do, and her protection got rid of those trying to kill her.  The war was about to begin, and Benson knew he had started it.  However, life could not go on this way, and could not survive under the potential tyranny of the Dragon Clan.  Benson smiled grimly, knowing that he had a fight on his hands – and that he would enjoy it.