Marf’s dream, with the glowing blue-eyed woman and her warning... it weighed heavily on her. She had threatened them before, but for some reason, this particular one had sent an ominous chill racing up her spine. The wolf war, there were still whispers but for the most part it had all fallen silent. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that it had all just blown over. The calm before the storm perhaps?

It wasn’t something she really wanted to think about.

She sensed his arrival long before two large, but gentle hands cup themselves over her shoulders. “Is everything alright?” she can feel the rumbling of his voice through his chest, on her back. She cranes her head around to look up into his face. “Just thinking... I can’t shake the feeling that something big is going to happen.” He lightly brushes a strand of hair off her forehead, letting his palm rest on her cheek as she presses her face in, enjoying the token of affection. “I think that’s normal, given the dream that I had.” She makes a noncommittal noise of agreement, not quite ready to try and explain something she didn’t quite grasp herself.

“You ever figure out where the flowers came from?” Lycana frowns as she thinks about the mysterious blooms that had been delivered to her on Warfare. To say she had been discomfited by it was an understatement. She slowly shakes her head to the negative. “No, there was no card or note. It's strange.” Marf flicks her nose as he eases back, to look up at the moon himself. “I wouldn’t concern yourself then. You have a secret admirer. It’s a compliment.” With a sigh she crosses her arms tightly over her chest in a small attempt to keep her wayward thoughts at bay. “I suppose you're right. You usually are.”

“I know I am. Just keep your mind focused on the Bastards. And Alias.” They both turn and slowly start the walk back through the woods to the house. “I am. I’m ready for both matches. This has been a long time coming with Alias and....” Lycana is cut off by the sounds of a large mass crashing through the underbrush, coming towards them by the increasing volume of it. She and Marf tense, automatically going back to back, eyes scanning the darkness that surrounded them.

He nudges her, motioning to the shadow separating itself from the rest, not making any attempt to be subtle about its approach, running headlong into branches with a loud grunt of pain. The noise was familiar, animalistic in nature. Lycana straightens up as a furry figure comes plowing through a thick shrub, panting hard,

“Rolfe?!”

The reddish colored werewolf transforms back into the man, gasping for air and covered in fine scratches, oblivious to his nudity.

“They’re almost here!” Rolfe bends over, struggling to catch his breath from his flight through the woods. Marf moves to stand alongside Lycana, glowering at Rolfe as she frowns at the other lycan. “Who? What are you talking about? What are you doing here?!” He slowly rises to his full height, eyes wide and filled with terror. Before his mouth even opens Lycana feels fear strike her right in the heart, a premonition, the sense that something was about to drop.

“The wolves. The traitors! They are here. We’ve been deceived Lycana. Members of our own pack, betrayed us and helped the rogues take the land at the northern border!”

Lycana feels reality dropping away around her, the blood rushing to her head as the world tilts on its axis. She wavers a moment, Marf’s hand quickly there to steady her even as Rolfe moved to do the same. She holds up a hand, indicating she was okay, just needing a moment. “How soon?” The words are whispered, filled with dread of what the answer would be.

“Likely tonight. Tomorrow the latest. They are right on our doorstep. We need to move, or we will lose it all.” Lycana closes her eyes. The answer had been expected, but it still wasn’t the one she had held a sliver of hope for. She had hoped this day wouldn’t come, or at least that it would not have come quite so soon. Now, they were all dreadfully unprepared and it was on her. Her mind scrambles to try and formulate some sort of plan, not wanting to make the wrong choice. One misstep and it would all be over, and she didn’t even have the time to spare. “Relax, we do this together. Tell me what you need.” the voice was soft in her ear, grounding her once more. His hands rub up and down her arms. She opens her eyes to see something slide across Rolfe’s gaze, gone as quick as it was there. Concern likely. Then he drops the next bomb.

“Theres more. Lycana, they’re being led by this woman, with long black hair. I’ve never seen her before. She’s small but... she has this weird blue glow about her.....”

She feels Marf’s hands still, their grasp tightening.

“.... She wields some sort of magic. The wolves, they follow her like they're under a spell. Almost like they're sleepwalking. I think, I think she's a djinn.”

A djinn.

It all smacks into her at once.

The Harbinger. The woman in Marf’s dreams... it HAD to be the same woman. Unless there were even more... and that didn’t bear thinking about right now. She feels her stomach churn at the thought of trying to face down multiples of the Harbinger. He had nearly killed her, and now she knew what he was. The glowing runes. Glowing eyes. Marf gives her a little shake, and she cranes her head up to look at him. Their eyes collide and hold, no words passing between them, but understanding all the same.

She had to move. She looks back at Rolfe. “Go, get the pack to safety and secure the homes. Get whoever can fight, whoever can get here by tonight and meet me in the woods to the north, at the crypt. You know where. And hurry!” With a single nod he transforms back into a wolf and is gone.

“Do you think...?”

The words barely leave Lycana’s mouth when a deep snarl emits from Marf. “It's her. It has to be her.” He clenches his fists as she turns towards him. “I guess I’ll find out...”

“We. WE will find out.”

“But...”

“NO Lycana. We. I’m not going anywhere. I told you, we do it all together. In the ring and out. We are stronger together and you know it. Especially this. If it's her, she's been torturing me for fucking months. I'm ending it tonight before we go to the moon. Now let's go!”

They turn as one, and bolt towards the house.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

They skid through the door, Marf immediately going to fetch what Lycana had mentioned on their mad dash, while she burst into the room, scaring the hell out of Finneas and Zara. They leap to their feet, seeing the wild look in her eyes. “Lycana?! Wha...”

“The wolves. War. Tonight. Where's Reika?”

“Asleep. But....”

“Keep her safe. No matter what you have to do, no matter what happens. Keep her safe.”

The demon simply nods. Lycana turns, spying the pendant Damien had yanked off her neck when she had called him to her before. And just like that... there he was before her again.

“What the fuck?!”

“I didn’t try this time, Damien! And I really don’t have time to go over anything. I have to keep my pack safe, so just... do whatever. I have to go!”

“Can you at least send me ba................. annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd she's gone.” Damien glances over at the incubus and Zara. He rolls his eyes and heads the direction Lycana went. He steps outside as she and Marf each hoist a small duffel onto their shoulders. They look at him, startled. Marf glances at Lycana, who shakes her head. “Happened again huh?” She nods, never taking her eyes off the man in the doorway.

“Damien?”

“So, what did you do now?”

“I told you. I don’t have time. I have to keep my family safe.”

“Tell me on the way.”

“What?”

“Why can't anything be simple with you? I'm coming too.”

She opens her mouth but Marf nudges her. “We need as many as we can get, and you know it.” With a nod, she motions to Damien and the trio take off at a brisk jog into the darkness.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lycana, flanked by Marf and Damien step out of the woods, followed close behind by Rolfe and the rest of the pack. They stare down the small slope of the clearing, eyes laser focused on the forested area across from them. All is still, with the exception of the wind rustling through Lycana’s hair, making it fly like a bright blue banner.

Then motion draws their attention.

The traitorous lycans emerge, creeping out into the open to form a long line. In the middle, a small Asian woman, lithe and clad in light armor. Lycana locks eyes with her across the battle field, and they light up blue, a corresponding glow around her head like a halo. Just like the Harbinger. Her blood goes cold as she sucks in a startled breath. She feels Marf grow tense next to her and knew. It was the one from his dreams, the same sort of creature as the Harbinger, the one who had almost killed her. She had made the threat, and now she was here... leading the wolves to attack them all.

“She’s mine.”

Lycana simply nods in acknowledgement, connecting with him mentally for a moment, giving him a long hug. Metal rings as weapons are drawn all around. Shouts ring out from the opposite side, war cries belted out to strike fear in the hearts of the weak. Lycana’s pack answers in kind and the others charge, running full bore at them.

“Lycana?” Rolfe asks, waiting for the signal.

“Hold.”

They all stand firm as the army of supernaturals bear down on them. Rolfe fidgets nervously, his breathing shaky. “Lycana?”

“Hold.”

Closer they come. She could recognize some now, and was saddened by what it had come to. “LYCANA?!” Panic rises in Rolfe’s voice.

All muscles tense and at the ready. The world around her goes quiet except for her own rough breathing.

It was time.

She didn’t remember giving the signal, but she must have. As one, they all let their muscles loose, flying into motion as they closed the gap between them and the other army charging their way. A howl rips from her throat, muted in her own ears as she braces for impact.

And then the two sides collided with a crashing symphony of clashing metal and screams.

The battle had begun.

____________________________________________________________________________________

“The moon has always pulled me, called to my soul, drawn me in with its argent light. There has always been a connection, even when I was younger and that has just grown, transforming as I came into my own. The reasoning has become so clear now, my eyes opened to things that had been hidden for so long. It just seems fitting that I would be able to actually step foot upon it, to feel the lunar dust between my fingers. I had never thought it could happen....

Until now.

About a week until Leap of Faith takes us there, and I thought I couldn’t be more excited.

But I was wrong.

Simply because, not only do I get to go to the moon, I get to wrestle in not one, but two matches. And in one of them, I get to get my hands on a couple of guys who have been on my list for quite some time now. Months to be exact. Marf and I have been very patiently awaiting our chance to meet them in the center of the ring once more.

Hello Bourbon.

Hello Thunder Knuckles.

It's about time we had this little rematch, don’t you think? I mean, it's been an awfully long time since Snow Job, and my my has the landscape changed quite a bit since then. The ones who nobody thought would amount to anything started making some waves of our own. From bringing home the TV gold to taking down Betsy Granger....

Oh hey, TK you remember Betsy right? Tall, statuesque blond? Green eyes? Impossible? Rolled your pathetic ass up for a win?

Yeah... I beat that Betsy Granger.

Marf and I started to make names for ourselves alone, but together... together we are even better. The tag scene is where our desires truly remained, and there is the arena where we flourish.

The Dissentients have gone from the dark horses, the ones nobody knew, the ones nobody expected anything of note from... which bit them in the ass as we showed up and cleared out the Tag Turmoil match, taking down all who got near us, to putting ourselves on the map. The Thugz, R.L. Edgar and Demos, Avalanche... they all fell. One right after the other. We took out some of the best the XWF had to offer, cementing our place at the pinnacle of the ladder as a top team. Turning all eyes towards us. But we aren't satisfied quite yet.

Nah you see, you guys have been doing your own thing these past few months, winning some and losing some and now... you have a hold on something that Marf and I decided we want.

The Tag Team Titles.

I had wondered if we would frolic again after Snow Job, but alas... it was never to be... Now, we have slid our way onto your dance card, with the straps to sweeten the deal up. In a glass tables match. Which, quite frankly I hope there are quite a few available. Some might need to break beforehand so that we can have a little fun with one another, shake things up and spill a bunch of blood.

You guys didn’t think we had given up on our lust to cause as much damage to people as we could, now did you?

Of course, we didn’t! See, at that contract signing... we decided to give you the tiniest taste of what you lucked out on missing. You boys should be thanking your lucky stars it's just glass tables in there. Fret not though! We will be sure to make allllll the use of them that we can. I think TK would look awfully pretty with glass shards all asparkle embedded in his flesh.

Hey Bourbs, remember when you said without the Left Hand, we wouldn’t even be in a tag championship match?

SURPRISE!

Look at that. Marf and Lycana who couldn’t do a damn thing for themselves without being told, won themselves a number one contender's spot. Yeah, the Left Hand is gone... but The Dissentient’s are very much still in attendance and now you two have our focus on you, so congratulations. It’s not a place you'd really want to be.

Not that you have a choice.

Come next week, you both will learn firsthand just how far we are willing to take it to get what we want. To defeat Them No Good Bastards and make them our Bitches. This isn't going to be Snow Job all over again. There will only be the four of us in there, no extra’s. There won't be two other people to distract us from doing our absolute worst to you. Less people to divide our attentions among. Less people to make the damn save when we pin your asses to that mat.

Less of a chance that you two will be strolling off the moon still wearing the belts.

I could talk all day long about what we are going to do to you, and I would enjoy every moment of describing each wound and strike, but this time... this time I’m going to let the actions speak louder than any words can. We are down into the single digit count; it won't be long now until we get to the moment of truth. And I, for one, cannot wait for it.”