Trash Run

Jack tidied up the shop, pausing only to store her store robes in the back room where the lockers and coat rack waited to welcome employees after their shift. Kirsty and Gary were laughing and joking as they took their things out, loading them up in their bags. Andy pushed in, turning to Jack. “Sure you don’t want me to lock up?”

“I’ve got it, Andy. You three leave and have a drink.”

Gary saluted her, responding, “Yes, captain!”

They all left the back room and Jack headed for the till while her employees made for the door, each calling out their respective good byes. Jack waved a hand, staying silent, but nodded to indicate a workday well done. They exited and the door tinkled as it swung shut. She sighed and counted the till, before depositing a good sum of money into the lock box.

She finished rearranging the shelves as was necessary and decided it was time to get moving. She began on her way out when she spotted an overflowing trash bag. She rolled her eyes – Gary and Andy were always fighting over who trash duty was left to, and it seemed neither of them could have been bothered to take it out today. She sighed and grabbed it the bag.

She pulled the bag out and then locked up the door, before making her way down the road to the small back alley where a few dumpsters remained. These were reserved for shopkeepers and the residents, so that illegal dumping could not occur. Night had fallen and Jack walked by moonlight, the trash bag swinging and bumping against her calf as she entered the trash area. She threw the bag into the dumpster before closing it. The quiet, cool air was tickling her face. She sighed, leaning against the side of a building for just a moment.

Ne'Os could not believe how slow this day had been. He only had two customers, and only one of them bought something. He realized he was feeling hungry he would need to track down a meal before the night was out. He decided he would go and see if one of the shop keepers was out tonight. He had no fear of the shopkeepers retaliating; he knew he could simply wipe their mind and heal their wounds.

He found his way into one of the back alley’s a smile growing on his face when he recognized the girl leaning on the wall. He walked over to her all thought of finding a meal now far from his mind. Well almost, he felt confident he could wipe her memory with relative ease if he had to. Then again maybe he could just charm her, and make her beg to let him feed off of her.

Finally in ear shot he spoke up “Well hello fellow shop keeper. How was your day?” He wanted to play it safe and see how she responded. Maybe she wouldn't become dinner, but then again.

Jack should have been listening more carefully. Her own paranoia had fostered a strong sense of hearing in her, but her own personal anguish had clouded her judgement and dulled her senses. She was caught completely unawares at the sound of a voice, but she forced a calm reaction out of herself. Though her eyes slid open slowly, she immediately allowed her wand to fall from her sleeve into her waiting hand.

Ne'Os. She had many reasons to hate the man, but the one that would continue to boil her veins was the murder of her cousin, her poor, senseless cousin. Now, so alone, she felt his absence keenly. But, she should, logically, fear him too, as he probably knew that she had only ever joined the Death Eaters to rescue Nemo. With Nemo now safe, she could not have pleased the Death Eaters.

It took all the self control in Jack not to turn and simply send a killing curse Ne'Os' way. She had gone beyond caring for her own morality. She blinked at him, before saying, her voice heavy. "For the sake of my own damned soul, I'll give you one opportunity before I attempt to relieve the world of your presence."

((Yeah, so Jack defected from the Deathies after that meeting, where she got her Dark Mark. She took Nemo with her. I worked this out with an admin and Red, and Aaron knew I intended to do that. I suppose Ne'Os knows about this.))

Ne'Os snorted in amusement he took notice of her wand but did not move to get his from inside his robes. "Put that away before you hurt yourself, or worse I hurt you." he said his cheerful voice taking a dark undertone. He shifted his weight slightly so he could move out of the way of any spells if needed.

"I should kill you for leaving us...then again you never really stop being a death eater. That mark on your arm is not just a mark of devotion. It marks the soul. Not even death stops you from being one of us...trust me." He turned his back to her and took a few steps across the alley before leaning against a wall.

"Tell me something, why are you so full of anger when you see me. I haven't targeted you specifically, nor have I actually hurt you terribly. Most people would take that as a niceness." He said mocking like he sounded hurt.

Ne'Os thought himself stronger than her, but he still had things in his life he wished top accomplish. Jack had nothing to lose and his empty threats would not faze her. She defiantly allowed her wand to drift upwards until it was pointing straight at his heart. "This easy," she whispered dangerously.

But now he was speaking about the Death Eaters, and she was much too interested to end the conversation with his death. She rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot, you know that? I was never loyal to your cause. I came in and you were stupid enough to allow me in. I was never devoted. To be devoted to your cause would be to rebel against my own existence. I belong to no one but myself."

Did he really think a tattoo would cause her to hate muggles, from whence she had sprung? Did he think a mark caused hate?

He truly was a full.

He spoke again and Jack's spirit reared, fire gleaming in her eyes. Quietly, she said, "His name was Elliot Cartwright. He had nothing but his life and his cousin, and you took his life. The only person he left behind had sworn to take from you what you took from him." She nodded. "Be very aware that, when you do die, I will be there to do all that is necessary to make it certain."

Ne'Os smiled as she pointed her wand at his head. She was brave...or stupid but he knew she wasn't playing around. He slowly raised his hands. He didn't bother with a wand if he was going to fight for his life he would need the element of surprise.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her ignorance. "So long as that mark exists on your arm you will belong to us. But do not think I am the one who wanted you in. If I had say you would have never stepped foot across the threshold of D'eath manor. But I do respect what you did. Its something I would have done if one of my friends were in the same situation."

Ne'Os remembered the name well. He was the 13th person who fell to him. Well the 13th person he could remember. It was a truly honor-less way to die the way he did. Alone on a sidewalk with no way to determine who killed him unless someone knew what to look for.

"I remember him. Business is business he tried to break a deal. He killed two of my men so I killed him its a shame really had I not been there that night he would still be alive." he said hoping the words would hurt her. He ignored her threat only because he knew his response could be the end of him.

Jack rolled her eyes. "I'd love to see how bound I am by you. If you really think a tattoo is the mark of your strength, you are a weaker organisation that even i thought." She rolled her eyes. Really? Bound by a mark on her arm? How did that mark make her apart of the organisation? She had never had the heart of a Death Eater.

He had his hands in the air but Jack wanted so much to hear anything about her cousin, any small anecdote was enough.

But all she got was lies.

Anger surged through her and, without her own prompting, a blast of red light flashed towards Ne'Os. "LIAR!" she bellowed. "You scoundrel! Elliot was a pacifist! He was drunk! He had been beaten! You kicked him while he was down for no reason other than your own insecurities! You wretch! Diffindo!"

---

The first spell was an unintentional Bombarda maxima - a large explosion.

diffindo - severing spell

It was as if time froze he watched the red jet of light fly at him. He found his mind unintentionally going to a ancient vampire text he had once found. It read: "A vampire is at his strongest when he is full of blood. That in mind he is weakest when he is starved. But a vampire no matter what is stronger than his prey."

He could feel the words leaving his lips "Protego" a golden shield appeared in front of him stopping the spell from hitting him but not from exploding. He felt himself hitting the wall behind him and he must have rolled because the severing spell hit his arm causing it to open and release a bit of blood. Ne'Os knew had this hit his neck he would be dead before his body hit the ground.

He gained his composure and gave Jack a death glare before he entered a defensive pose. He outstretched a palm and said "Confringo" A jet of yellow-orange light flew at Jack. Ne'Os smiling all the while not noticing his arm was bleeding.

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Confringo- causes any object it touches to burst into flame. Used with wandless magic so it will cause fire caused burns but not actual flames.

It seemed the time to speak was over. Jack tightened her grip on her wand, causing her knuckles to pop. She jerked her neck to the left and then to the right, popping the joints there too - the stress in her daily life had forced Jack to include this bad habit into her daily routine. The original spell, the one she had not consciously cast, was deflected but it threw him n his back.

He went rolling and she saw a splatter of crimson, nothing lethal, but enough to have her spirit calling for more. He threw his hand out towards her and she instinctively ducked, before even hearing the spell. Still, the blast caught her forearm, sending blistering burns up them.

"That tickled!" she spat back. She had been the Head of Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, with her beast specialty in dragons. Of every sort of harm someone could attempt to throw at her, burns were the least effective. She had become accustomed to them.

She stared at him a moment and then jerked her wand towards a window, shouting, "Reducto!" The window pane shattered, sending glass showering to the street. She pointed her wand at the glass, before swiping towards Ne'Os, saying, "Oppugno!" The shards of glass rose and sped towards Ne'Os.

---

Reducto - used for a powerful blast, used against a window.
Oppugno - induces object(s) to attack. Utilizing glass shards.

Ne'Os rose his hand,Consisto. The glass stopped completely. He drew his wand from inside his robes. He knew he would be killed if he continued to use wandless magic. "Finite," the glass fell making a slight tinkling sound. He then aimed his wand at Jack.

"Do you really wish to continue this?" He asked her sounding as if the fighting tired him. In fact he wanted to knock her defenses down a bit before he continued. "How long do we have until the ministry comes for us. Your career would be over. Perhaps worse is that you and I would both be in prison. I don't know about you but I have the time to do nothing but sit."


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Consisto- Stops all targets in an area who are unable to resist the spell. Used against the glass would have little to no effect on Jack because of wandless magic.

Finite- Ends current spell or spell effect. Used on glass to stop it from attempting to attack Ne'Os.