Prologue & Chapter 1

Introduction to the madness, a crime family turned into the sole chance for survival.

From the case files of the Hewlitt Hate Trials, 11/11/2015
"Article 1 of the Inhuman Rights Act states the guarantee that those whom are of inhuman descent, i.e. nocturnals, anglems, daywalkers, etc.. shall be entitled to the same rights of citizenship as are their mortal counterparts. Any discrimination against inhumans on basis of race shall be subject to fines of up to a maximum of $2,000 and be punishable by the equivalent laws that would be passed on were the crime committed from mortal to mortal. "

Prologue

From the diary of Tico Rodriguez, 11/12/2015

Those people that beat and raped those were-girls are going to jail today. It's been all over the news, I remember Papa and the other bosses talking about it too. Vincent said something about it proving that our world is moving on but Papa didn't agree. He says things are no different than they were before, as long as the inhumans kept their mouths shut about being inhuman. I wouldn't know. I wonder what it's like to have people hate you because of the way you were born. It isn't like Papa or those girls asked to be born as werewolves. I know Juan and I didn't ask to be born human either. It must be scarier when you know that's why the Erasers are coming after you.. They destroyed another warehouse today in Papa's territory... alot of people died, including my friend Isabella.
I've asked Juan and Papa why the Erasers hate us but he can't tell me anything other than 'because of who we are.' I'm so scared to even go outside anymore. I just want everything to go back to normal. Maybe one day the killing will stop and we'll get back to our lives before there's nothing left to go back to.

Tico shut his diary and tucked it safely under the pillow. He clicked off the bedside lamp and tugged back the covers from his sleeping twin's head, snuggling close to him. Outside the city was pumping with life as moonglow lured the majority of the inhuman population out of their hiding places. This was their time now to come out and dance. Tico wrapped his arms tighter around his sibling for comfort. He couldn't help but lay there and count time expecting an explosion to shake their little bedroom or the screams of the terrified to become their nightly lullaby. Someone must have spotted the Erasers already, the streets were abnormally silent tonight.

"Get some sleep, hermano. We got a long day tomorrow." Tico sniffled against his twin's chest, staring into the identical dark eyes.

"I'm scared, Juan... What if the Erasers come for us tonight?"

"Shhh." Juan pet his brother's hair, easing the fears of the sensitive one of their dynamic duo. "It's going to be okay, Tico. Papa and the others will keep us safe." Juan sedated his sibling as best he could in his lofty mind frame, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep and forget about the Erasers for a few hours. They were safe for now.. Papa was downstairs with the other bosses. No one was going to mess with them tonight.

The screams of victims broke the deafening roar of gunfire opening up below their window. Tico cried harder as the bullets kept coming until finally everything went silent. Dead silent. There was nothing to hear but the sound of their own panicked breath. Drawing up the courage Juan raised up to his knees and gazed down at the bloodbath littering the streets coating the blacktop in a thick coat of crimson. At twelve years old he should have been terrified but he had seen far worse than a racial riot turn deadly.

"C'mon Tico.." Juan shut the window and flicked the lock shut. "Let's get some sleep..."

Chapter 1

Anita Stalone tossed what remained of her cigarette to the curb, watching graceful wisps swirl up to disappear into thin air. Putrid stench of burning flesh choked the air around suffocating the weeping as they piled the bodies high in the streets. All around her death and pain abounded, that's the way it was in a world like theirs. Victims of mindless modern genocide. What was there to gain from this? Slaughtering an entire population for what possible justification? Walking along the rows of faces they all melded into an inscrutable sea. Blood dotted pale cheeks worn with worry and terror. So much for political equality, Anita snorted, all these new laws did was declare open season upon them.

What began as a political campaign sympathy effort became their worst nightmare. Seeking re-election, Mayor Jeremiah Marcus proposed the IRA, the Inhuman Rights Act. Under this clause the inhuman citizens of Glenton were guarenteed the same rights to citizenship as their human counterparts. Education, jobs, even the rights to walk the streets that were once barred from these people were finally granted. The metropolis crawled with vampires, were-creatures, and elemental angel-like creatures called anglem that sought for years to be considered equal. Though highly controversial, in the end Mayor Marcus was re-elected as mayor of Glenton and the IRA was signed.

Then..they arrived...

"Anita!" A strong dark hand held her shoulder trembling in awe of the Eraser's might. Ruptured earth sprawled out from mountains of debris piled high that used to be X-House 41, a production and storage facility for the city's main supply of X-file. Countless unsuspecting worked hard manufacturing the hallucinogenic drug and now they were martyrs for all their once proud Shadows Mafia stood for. It looked more like an unfortunate earthquake but Anita knew better. This was the work of the Erasers, no doubt in her mind.

"Son of a b*****s..." Anita picked up a chunk of rock scratching loose sediment. "How'd they do this, Gerald?"

"Liquefaction." the earth anglem, or Terras, replied. "Soft sediment is shaken so violently the soil behaves like a liquid and anything on top of it crumbles. It takes a strong Terras to pull off something like this."

"And unfortunately they got one on their side." She threws the rock back into the debris and turned to the burning mound of souls. "How'd your uncle holding up? Did they attack him too?"

Gerald shook his head. "No, but I should be getting back to the motel in case they decide to take a detour. You take care of yourself, Anita."

"You too man.." The heat from the bonfire was dying down now. "You too. Who knows where they could be." There was no reason for her to be here anymore, it would be time to close the bar soon. Away from the heat she finally became aware of how cold it was tonight. Late autumn would soon give way to winter and become prime hunting time for Erasers seeking to destroy the mafia sanctuaries established to house those with nowhere else to go. What began as an organized crime family had become a save haven for those who needed a home, inhuman or mortal. As the genocide wore on it called for an adaptation of their old lifestyle turning murderers and arsonists into soldiers.

Soft footsteps behind her. D****t, not tonight, not already... She picked up her pace, cursing when the pursuit continued past the road to safety. She couldn't bring this b*****d into her home, not with so many innocent lives at stake. She'd have to hurry and kill him quickly. Static shot from her hand into the darkness herding out the attacker from the shadows. He didn't look any older than maybe eighteen shrouded in the depths of their trademark white coat. Chains clinked as he called forth a pistol from bubbles, preparing for a fight. Water versus electricity, this wouldn't take long.

Shots fired and Anita dove behind him, static whips stabbing the boy's flesh shocking him into submission. The little Eraser cried out and flames leapt into the road, Anita flipping back nearly missing them. Erasers never traveled alone and they were coming at her fast. Damn, she seriously needed to lose some weight, she hadn't fought like this in awhile. Torrents rushed the ground after the lightning angel, flames lunging up everywhere she tried to run. The younger of the attackers screamed, electricity pumping through his waterlogged body. The firedancer twisted and spun with Anita, the two locked in a deadly battle of elements, explosions as flames and static met rocking the ground below.

Anita panted hard, leaping up onto another buliding ledge to escape streams of flames. Lightning answered his call, shocking the life out of the water boy until he finally fell to the floor convulsing helplessly. The fire beast paid him no heed relentlessly hunting his prey. They were heartless monsters, letting the dead fall as their martyrs. Anita ran into alleyways panting and heaving as she tried to outrun him. Flying would get her nowhere but six feet under and she was in no hurry to die. There was a busy intersection up ahead, her only hope. Leaping blindly across streets she swerved in and out of the scattered traffic, blindly shoving through crowds heading for the safety of wherever. Anywhere.

People eyed Anita curiously but said nothing, leaving the electric anglem, Eleros, to her solitude. Hidden behind a rack of clothes she paused to catch her breath, pressing hot skin to cool wall. She really needed to shed some pounds, that chase took alot more out of her than it should have. She was somewhere in the commercial district of Greater Glenton, she could only hope that 'somewhere' was close to him. Her little detour had put her way off course but at least she was alive. All around the chic store the socialites gathered in droves to giggle over the overpriced wares or point at the rough looking bartender hidden behind a lingerie rack. In black jeans and a matching muscle shirt Anita looked quite out of place.

"Hey." She walked up to one of the groups, the lead hen perking her way up out of the cluster. "Do you know the way to the Black District?" Greater Glenton wasn't familiar territory, home to these ritzier types. Anita normally tried to steer clear of this area. This was Hideaway territory, the bowels of the city offered plenty of places to recruit new assassins.

"Like, get a cab." the broad shook her grand bosom. "I have no clue. I didn't sign for that stupid law."

"Yeah.. thanks." Repressing the urge to smack this girl senseless Anita headed for the door. It took forever to get a cab to finally stop for someone headed into the Black District, many humans were still wary of going into 'dirty' territory. Getting into the back Anita watched the blurs of lights and faces go by, streams of color lighting up the night. Above midnight blue bled away to tender pinks and reds tinting the horizon line. It wouldn't be much longer until sunrise and she'd missed the entire shift. That was enough adventure for one night, she mused. She wasn't too concerned about the shape of the bar, regulars always helped keep things running smoothly when she was away.

Anita got out of the cab and went into the club finding it already closed down and vacant. They'd done good tonight, the tables were straightened up and everything. She'd have to make sure to pay Rochester double for his trouble. Through a door labeled 'Resident's Hall' she stole up the stairs and into the little bedroom hiding underneath warm covers. Clicking on the television she watched the report of the night's massacre. Lying through their teeth again, masquerading the destruction as some sporadic magnitude 6.7 quake. Even embellished the tall tale with a certified geologist paid to lie out his teeth to the waiting public. Everyone knew what the truth really was. Clicking off the television Anita allowed herself to succumb to sleep, desperate to escape the death and pain and lies that controlled their decadent world.

Author's Note

I know there are ways it could probably be lengthened and/or clarified in some ways. Any constructive input is very welcome.