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Eight hours before the events of The Prequel

3:40 am, EDT June 2, 1999 Thames Street, Fells Point Recreation Pier Baltimore, Maryland

** Jing Yuen-Li stepped into the flooded lobby of an old mockup Police Station** , which towered over the Baltimore waterfront. A water main break flooded the area; water gushed down the cobblestones of Thames Street.

The young Asian woman bit her lower lip with a sigh and picked up a box of props marked "Fragile." She opened the lid and peeked inside. Grey shotgun cartridges filled the crate. She put it down by the door and went back for another container.

Like the other, this one was also marked on the side. She opened the lid and felt palpable relief. Molded Styrofoam held condenser microphones labeled for the police TV show that just ended its seventh season a few weeks ago. She carried the box out the front door, down the steps into the flooded street and out to a box truck.

"Hell of a water main break," said a man who took the box from her. "How much is left, Jing?"

"Quite a few. Some of it makes me nervous to carry. I think it might be pyrotechnic stuff."

"I've never seen you sweat anything, Jing. You seem like a tough girl."

"That's because my job is low drama compared to my life." She tilted her head and shrugged. "The thing is, Bobby, I don't get along with anything that is combustible." She offered a weak smile. "I'm liable to burn down everything from here to Pier Six."

Her coworker grinned in reply. "Yeah, don't do that. I won tickets for a concert at the Pavilion from 98Rock. You wanna go? It's gonna be killer."

"Ah... Well, I'm not a huge fan of rock, sorry. I wish we didn't have to take steps - this would be much easier with a hand truck."

The coworker responded with a good-natured laugh. "Well, that's 'Life on the Street,' girl." He waggled his brows playfully and nudged a crate full of props with his foot.

"That was an awful pun. I never even watched this TV show. I prefer Sci-Fi over procedural shows like Homicide." She splashed back towards the building to retrieve another box of police props. Jing paused at the door and took the lid off the crate of grey shotgun shells and frowned at them. "I'm... sure they're just blanks," she murmured.

She picked up one shell and walked to the back of the building then glanced around. The rest of the crew was on lunch. Again, she drew her lower lip between her teeth then placed the shotgun cartridge on the ground and stepped back.

Jing stared at the single shell from several feet away. It suddenly erupted in a white flash of fire. Startled, she snatched a nearby bucket, filled it with water from the lobby then hurried back. Flames began to lick up the wall and spread across the floor.

With a grunt, she splashed the water across the flames in the rear corner, dousing them. "Not blanks," she said, wide eyed, panting softly. "Freaking pyrotechnics. Dammit, I just want to be normal." She walked back to the lobby then collapsed onto the flooded floor and rubbed her face in an attempt to suppress her frustration. She ran her fingers through long dark strands of hair, shoulders slumped.

Silence resumed. Jing drew it in, attempting to meditate for a moment. Her racing heart began to relax.

A loud bang startled her from her reverie. Jing stood up from the flooded floor and headed back towards the entrance. "God, I hope I didn't somehow set off another..." She froze standing at the glass door with the blue frame.

Out in the street, her coworker collapsed to his knees behind the box truck. He wavered then dropped forward into the water. The current created wake behind his body.

A man in dark clothing and a ski mask stepped out from behind a parked car. He held a handgun with a flash suppressor on the front. He approached Bobby in the street and fired the weapon at close range. The staccato click of the sound-damped gunshot caused Jing's heart to jump.

Noise from within the building caught her attention. Her mind cleared, hearing the rhythmic cadence of footfalls from the old building's adjacent ballroom. She turned to run only to find herself surrounded.

Armed men in paramilitary gear stepped into the lobby from both sides. The lead soldier lifted a gloved hand in the air. "Wait, it's a woman. Maybe we can use her to our advantage. If she resists, kill her and we'll find another."

Three men approached, their guns trained on her. She saw more men in the ballroom, which was decorated to look like the TV show's police squad room. More armed men moved into the lobby through the Thames Street entrance. Jing bit her lower lip again.

"You're not gonna be trouble are you, lady?" asked the squad leader.

"I... I will not cause trouble." She glanced back towards the glass door in the lobby. Her coworker laid face down outside in the flooded street. She stared at the body, illuminated by the light of a nearby lamppost. "Surely city crews and police are right around the corner dealing with the water main problem."

"Stay quiet and let us deal with that." He turned back to his men and said, "Let me see the composite sketch of our target." He glanced at a sheet of paper then turned back to Jing, adjusted his ski mask and said, "Good. You're the one we came for. You do the fire thing, don't you? You burnt a gas station to the ground in January. And a house fire in Glen Burnie. You're real conspicuous, huh? More like an arson and the E.C. wants you brought to justice before you catch the attention of the United States Government. You're coming with us."

"The who?" Her question went unanswered. "Who the hell are the E.C.? You shot Bobby, and he didn't do anything! I don't even know what you're talking about!"

Looking around herself, Jing couldn't quite see any way out of her situation. The three men began to pat her down. One of the men turned back to his squad leader and said, "She doesn't have anything combustible on her."

The commander nodded. "Make sure she's the only one here. Bring anyone else to me. Don't kill them unless they resist. I want answers - we need to find out if she's part of the resistance. Stay alert."

"You shot my coworker," said Jing, choking back tears.

"What we do is a necessary evil," said the man in charge. "Now stay quiet." He nodded in her direction then announced, "Watch her."

One of the soldiers withdrew a handgun and pointed the barrel in Jing's face. She licked her lips apprehensively. Her heart raced.

After clearing the first floor, two soldiers headed for the stairwell. They gestured to one another in silence and disappeared through the doorway one after the other. Jing waited to hear their footfalls on the steps but silence followed instead. She quirked a brow and craned her neck, not able to figure out why the men didn't go upstairs right away.

The commander also took notice and said, "What are you two doing? Go upstairs and find anyone else in the building." No reply. "Michael? Strauss?" A hush fell over the building. He lifted his hand, palm outward and gestured for someone else to check the stairs.

Two more men broke away from the squad. Their militant gear clattered about accentuating the splashing of their boots. They left the lobby and headed through the doorway into the staircase. Like the first two men, the sound of their footfalls ceased abruptly.

Someone just outside the front door shouted, "What the hell?" The lookout dove into the lobby through the glass entrance, cracking it.

"What?" the squad leader demanded.

Seconds later, four bodies slammed into the ground just outside. The commander backtracked towards the front. He opened the door and glanced outside.

"Chri'sake." The group commander muttered a string of swear words under his breath. Michael, Strauss, and the other two men were lying on the flooded cobble street, near the box truck. All four of them were dead, their bodies hideously contorted from their fatal fall.

The squad leader pointed at the group of men closest to him then motioned towards the stairs. "You four, rush the stairwell - go."

Two groups of two broke away from the main coterie and rushed towards the stairs. They surrounded the doorway together. Quite suddenly all four of them went flying backwards.

One of the men sailed across the hall, through a plaster bulkhead and into one of the first floor offices. The other three went flying into the lobby at an incredibly high rate of speed.

Seconds later, an opulent dressed teenaged girl, clad in a designer business suit, stepped from the stairs. Golden tresses of hair flowed halfway down her back. Her shoes clip-clopped on the floor with each confident step. The room lighting reflected in her white-tinted sunshades.

Everyone froze, including Jing who had to admit, despite the chaos, that the young woman dressed up rather nicely.

The blond female held her arms out. Her pink-painted lips glistened in the room lighting; her matching lacquered nails twinkled with a layer of glitter. "I just _ love _ overtime!"

"Who the hell are you?" exclaimed the commander.

"Oh, don't be coy; I'm sure you've heard of the 'The Succubus.' But you can call me Karla, darling."

Jing saw the squad leader's brown eyes widen in fear, beneath his ski mask.

"Priority target! Fall back!"

"She's just a kid!" One of the gunmen rushed Karla, raised his assault rifle and opened fire.

Karla's hand lifted then she pushed her palm outward. The rounds struck an invisible telekinetic barrier and veered to the ground. The forceful wave continued forward, struck the gunner and threw him to the floor. His gun skittered across the tiled floor, into the floodwater, and stopped at the commander's feet.

Karla withdrew her reflective white wayfarers, which matched her outfit. She folded the sunshades in her palm then tucked them in the v-cut of her blouse. The shades disappeared in the canyon of her voluptuous cleavage.

The naked bulbs on the ceiling illuminated Karla's dazzling green eyes, causing them to glow with mirth. The succubus directed her attention towards the leader with a beautiful Cheshire smile. "Mmm, you must be the alpha dog... I just love a man who takes charge." Her melodic voice was sweet like honey.

Two more men came from the east and west entrance to the lobby. They rushed her in flanking positions. Karla paused to admire her manicured fingertips. In unison, both men went flying away from her. They struck the ceiling, knocking light fixtures from their mountings. Both men dropped to the floor unceremoniously.

"Aw, boys, didn't your boss tell you to retreat?" She cut her twin jade orbs back to the man in charge and said, "You mustn't have said it loud enough, sugar."

She sashayed her hips with every step, approaching the commander.

He barked the command for everyone in the room to open fire and retreated back into the ballroom.

Jing immediately ducked down behind a receptionist counter with a mockup police logo on the front. A thunderous cacophony of noise filled the station lobby.

The succubus replied with a moue of disgust. She waved her hands outwards. Glyph-like carnation brandings on her palms incandesced. Every bullet fired was deflected by a faintly translucent aura.

The telekinetic wave moved outward, away from her body. It crushed the incoming rounds into dust then struck the gunmen.

With the exception of the leader, all the soldiers in attendance were thrown clear through the walls. The framing became exposed, as well as rebar from several of the concrete pillars just beneath the original bulkhead surface.

The ballroom chandelier, its support anchor broken, fell from the ceiling with a deafening crash.

He dove back into the lobby, splashing in the shallow water. The leader got back to his feet then froze, meeting the young woman's gaze. One of the bulbs on the lobby ceiling burst.

"Don't blink," she murmured to the man whose palms were now over his ears. It confused him and, despite her wording, he blinked. In the split second it took for his eyes to flutter shut, Karla teleported to within a meter of distance to him.

She lifted him by his throat, telekinetically empowering her arms for increased strength. Karla pushed him up against the blue door frame adjacent to the cracked glass entrance. "I told you not to blink, sweetheart. So, you're the man in command, hmm? I love a man in command. What is it you that you do, baby?"

"You're the reason I even have a job. I was hired by a group concerned about people like you. This... this freak over here," he side-nodded towards Jing. "She starts fires."

"Not on purpose!" Jing exclaimed then bit her lower lip again.

The succubus glanced at the Chinese woman then back to the man pinned against the wall. "That woman doesn't even know what she is, or what she's capable of."

The man pursed his lips together. He met Karla's gaze and said, "But I've read about you. I know what you're capable of, demon."

Karla's free hand lifted, clamping the man's jawline tightly. "Shh, hon. Relax, sweetheart - just take a moment to calm down." She released his chin and reached out to the left, palm up. "See my hand, love?" She watched his eyes shift, distracted by something behind her.

Jing's voice cried out from behind. "Look out!"

A combat knife materialized in Karla's left palm from out of thin air. "If you'll excuse me, please." She closed her fingers around the knife handle then turned away from the commander, burying the serrated blade into a man that was sneaking up behind her. "These effing soldiers of fortune aren't worth what you're paying them, muffin."

The attacker brought an empty hand down against Karla's shoulder with confusion in his eyes. He glanced down at his knife, now buried in his chest. Sanguine drool spilled from his lips, down his chin. "B-but," the mercenary stammered. He staggered backwards and crumbled to his side with the knife jutting up from his torso. A crimson pool spread out beneath him.

"If you hire God-fearing men, how can they ever fight the very gods they fear, hmm?"

"Jesus Christ," the leader whispered.

Karla turned back to the leader who weaseled away and broke into a sprint towards the ballroom. The succubus rolled her eyes and held her arms outstretched. "Get ready, young lady; his sidearm is on his belt," said Karla to Jing.

The succubus paused to focus. The squad leader, in full sprint, disappeared. A second later, he reappeared less than two feet from the counter by Jing. He slammed into the desk and flipped over it. He came to rest on his back in the archway between the lobby and the ballroom.

Jing knelt down, placing her knee against his throat. She pulled the pistol from his hip holster and pressed the barrel against his pelvis. "I... like this?" Jing offered a faint smile to Karla.

Karla replied with a reassuring voice, "Great job, hon."

"Thank you, miss." Jing turned her attention back to the man on the floor and in a calm voice, said, "Sorry... very sorry, I must recommend that you remain still." She glanced back up at the succubus and added, "You called me 'young lady.' But... You're a kid. What's the deal? You look fifteen; at least ten years younger than me." She paused, cleared her throat, and said, "I'm Jing."

Karla glanced out the glass door. She ground her teeth, seeing a group of men approach from down the street. "Miss Jing, if you would, I require a few of those shotgun cartridges, please."

Jing reached into one of the crates full of grey shells and tossed a handful towards Karla.

They never hit the ground. Instead, the succubus teleported the prop shells into her palm. She stepped through the glass door and lobbed all of them, underhanded, towards the incoming men.

While floating through the air, Karla used her powerful mastery of telekinesis to force the rounds forward, facing in the correct direction. A kinetic wave struck the rounds against the metal ends, igniting them. To Karla's mild amusement, the rounds exploded instead of firing buckshot the way she expected.

The line of cartridges erupted in flamethrower fashion, fire carried forward on the telekinetic wave, wiping out the incoming mercenaries.

She tilted her head, watching as the ball of fire dissolved. "That was unexpected." The men dropped to the flooded street, rolling around in the water attempting to put out the flames on their clothes.

From where she stood, Karla could easily tell that their burns were severe enough to be considered lethal. She turned back to the entrance of the mockup police station and stepped in through the cracked glass door.

"They won't be a threat," she murmured. The entrance slammed shut, shattering its glass panel. She glanced down and crinkled her nose then lifted her gaze and smiled. "I'm Karla."

"Who are these people?" asked Jing.

"They're cannon fodder hired by the Esoteric Council. They take down people who use their abilities in public and they have a zero tolerance policy." Karla reached for her sunshades, drew them from between the curvaceous globes of her bust then slid them up the bridge of her nose. "Corey Hart wishes he could look this good at night."

Jing ignored the joke about the pop singer and asked, "What do I do? Will they come after me again?"

"Oh yeah." Karla opened her suit blazer and reached into the inside pocket. She withdrew a plane ticket. "This will take you to Oakland. There will be a man who will have your name on a placard." She turned the ticket over and glanced at the name on it. "Okay, great. Jing Yuen-Li; that's your last name right?"

"Yes. So, wait... you specifically came to rescue me?"

"Uh, yup. Pretty cool job, huh? The rest of my life is way more boring. I sit at home patrolling the singles chat rooms and watch JAG." Karla frowned thoughtfully, "Now that Season Four is over, I don't know what the hell to do with myself, y'know? Hold tight."

She sauntered across the lobby. Her shiny black shoes created a crunching sound on the broken shards of glass from the windows and chandelier.

Her hips swayed from left to right with the rhythm of her stride. Karla peered back out into the street again, then returned to the kneeling Chinese woman and the man on the floor.

The succubus lifted her foot and placed her heel against the squad leader's throat. "Let's see... jugular..." She moved her stiletto, slowly, along his neck. "No, you'd just writhe around while you bleed out..." She paused with her heel against the side of his Adam's apple. "Ahh, the carotid artery - straight from the heart, darling. You'd be dead very quickly, making it more gory yet more ...humane. Are you going to give me your cooperation now? Or, as you said of Miss Yuen-Li, earlier... do we have to 'find another?' Impress me with your next answer, precious."

"We get our orders from a salesman at a clothing store at a shopping mall near the Pentagon."

Karla's brows lifted. She added uncomfortable pressure against his throat. "A shopping mall? Be serious with me, love. I'm not the kind of woman to play games. Unless, of course, I'm the one playing them."

"I swear!" he shouted, unable to reach for his neck from the way Jing had him pinned. With her knees against his biceps and Karla's heel against his throat, he could only squirm.

"You're not doing anything for me," she said. Karla leaned down and pulled his ski mask from his face then blinked. "Oh. Oh, my. You're attractive. Dear me, I didn't expect that."

"I'll personally show you the operation," he said. "If you let me live, I'll quit. I'll move to Florida. And..." He trailed off, meeting her gaze. "So are you."

Karla stepped back and clapped her hands together. "That's the spirit, gorgeous! And if you're lying, I'll throw you through a wall and drop a piano on you." She paused for effect then added, "...Twice."

"You'll do what...?" The man blinked. He looked over at Jing uncomprehendingly. His eyes cut back to Karla, confusion shining in them.

Quite suddenly, his body disappeared from beneath Yuen-Li. The woman balked in surprise, looking over at Karla.

The succubus pivoted on her heel and faced towards the center of the ballroom. The man reappeared directly above the broken chandelier and began to fall.

Karla lifted her palms outwards as though she was holding an invisible baseball bat. She calmly moved her arms in a follow-through swing and, despite holding no bat or other object in her hands, his body suddenly changed direction away from the chandelier. He flew back into the lobby and hit the far wall then dropped to the wet floor with a long, drawn out groan.

Karla smiled brightly. "Line drive to centerfield," she murmured. "That's good for at least a double." She approached the man, lying on his side. "You'd probably hate that I'm an A's fan; I'm from California after all. Now... Listen to me, little boy. If you do not want me to perform that very same trick on you... using a piano as the grand finale, you'll behave. I like you, doll. You've been a good sport. You even promised to help me. So if you're a good boy, dear, I'll simply drop you off and leave you alone."

In a breathy groan, he murmured the word, "Deal." The man sat up against the wall and said, "I go by Antoine Tyrell Jones. I've seen a lot, starting with Kuwait when I was nineteen. But I've never seen anything like you."

Again, she clapped her hands with a brilliant smile. "Then it's settled! Wonderful, I'm glad to have your help, Tony. I want you to call in and say Jing spontaneously combusted. Yes, I'm serious."

He wheezed out the words, "Why are you letting me live? I've caused you problems and..."

She waved her hand in a dismissing fashion. "No, no... I don't care about your past drama. You're helping me, now. Plus you've got that nice, baritone voice. And big brown eyes. And smooth mocha skin." She reached for his hands and pulled his gloves off. No wedding ring. "How about we go back to your place tonight?" She reached for his collar and straightened it while he lay on the floor.

"Seriously? You want to come back to my place after all this?" he asked with a wan smile. His voice was husky; melodic but with a bite. Creamy. Smooth.

Karla sighed in content. "There it is. Talk just like that. Now get up and treat me like a lady: Take me to breakfast." She turned back to Jing and took the gun from her. Karla released the magazine. It clattered to the floor. She pulled back on the slide and ejected the last round then handed the harmless pistol back to him. "Remember the part about me being awesome enough to deflect bullets, Tony. Your toy is useless. So don't get any dumb ideas."

"Look, just... I don't want any trouble. I swear, I'll help you," he said.

Karla knelt down and placed a fingertip against his lips. "Shh. I won't hurt you so long as you behave, sweetheart." She took his hand and guided him to his feet.

The succubus cupped the side of his face then ran her fingers back through his short dark hair and fisted the back of his head. "You think you can handle me?"

Despite the humility that remained after being thrown about by her, he responded to her flirty nature with a hint of confidence in his voice. "Why don't we find out?"

"Good boy." She turned to the Chinese woman and smiled. "Get that look off your face. I promise you I'm older than I look, Jing. Now, I'm going to have a cab take you to BWI Airport. Keep your head down; find the man with your name on the card when you arrive. Your layover is in Chicago. My friend is going to help you learn how to control that hot little ability of yours. And he's going to help you fall off the Esoteric Council's radar."

Jing tilted her head. "Can't you just ...teleport me there?"

Karla shook her head with a frown. Her canary locks bounced from left to right. "No, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." She glanced back at Antoine and added, "But a piano is surprisingly easy, because it's an inanimate object. So don't forget your place, sweet-pea." She waggled her brows mischievously.

#

---

It turned into a whirlwind tryst.

They started with breakfast at Denny's. He paid for everything, and then they went back to his place for a glass of wine.

He entertained her with anecdotes about war stories from his tour in Kuwait and brief time in Somalia.

And then he told her his name. Lionel. She didn't stop him from doing it, but in that moment, decided she would have to make a rule in the future. From here on out, there would be no more real names. It made things weird.

He put his hand beneath her chin. "Damn you're a good looking girl," he said with genuineness.

"I appreciate your candor," she replied with a wry smile.

"No, you really are beautiful."

She swallowed down the sensation of discomfort and responded with a practiced blush and smile.

Before long, his palms were sliding over her waist. He drew her close and she let him.

Sex. It unfulfilling and far too short yet strangely enjoyable for all its complexity - the release was cathartic yet emotionally complicated.

And when it was over, he held her. She stared off into the distance in silence. Her thoughts turned to Darius Charles Vei. The one man that she could come back to for more. The friend with benefits. She decided he'd have to pay him a visit soon.

Karla explained to Lionel that this morning was 'just sex,' nothing more.

He fell asleep on the bed. Her lovers always did. She let herself out, locked the door behind herself, and took a bus over the Hanover Street Bridge into Brooklyn. Six-thirty rolled by.

That had been her night in a nutshell. Brooding wasn't going to help, but she couldn't help slipping into a contemplative mood. She got of the bus in front of the MVA, Maryland's version of the DMV. Across the street was a Gateway computer store. The corner of the building was painted black and white in typical cow design.

The night's events continued to play out in her mind as Karla arrived at her hotel, nestled away behind the Denny's where they ate together earlier. She sighed and shook her head. She slid the keycard into the slot and eased into her room with a sigh.

She dropped back against the door. It clicked softly into place; she sank down to the floor and dropped her head back against the wood surface.

"Can I never just have a normal relationship?" she groused.

Karla eased up from where she sat in front of the door and pulled a blanket from the ugly sofa. She draped it over her shoulders then walked to her bedroom and flung herself across the mattress. "God I can't wait to get back to California."

Her phone rang. She could hear it going off in her handbag out in the main section of the hotel suite. She waved her hand and teleported the whole bag onto her bed, rummaged through it then sighed. Her contact.

"Jing is on the plane," she said, putting on a front. "Sorry, I know... Echelon, the Vortex satellite; Silkworth and Sire. Blah, blah, blah. I forgot the rule about names. Sorry, I'm tired. You should invest in encrypted phones or something. Anyway, how's it going?"

The man's voice caused the speaker in her flip phone to buzz somewhat. "I have a friend, here. She's a lead to one of the artifacts in Italy."

Karla scrunched her nose up with a grimace. "How nice. I have a friend, too. I kind of miss him... I'm ready to come home and see him."

"Ah. About that. I also have information from YiaYia."

"Yeah? How's my favorite Greek granny? Any good prophecies lately?"

"I need you for another job," said the caller. His voice held a tone of urgency. "A young man just woke up from a coma in New York. It appears the Esoteric Council has deep interest in this teenaged boy. A report has been filed that his telomeres remain nearly equal in length during cellular mitosis. That suggests that his cells are immortal."

"Like cancer cells," she mused thoughtfully with a sigh, then asked, "Hon... Be honest with me. What's the name of your new friend? How old is she"

"I..." The man on the phone trailed off. He sighed in return and said, "Karla..."

"Just humor me."

"Andrea Monroe. She's seventeen and she's a prodigy. Why do you ask?"

She shook her head with a frown. "Just wondering. I need to plug in my StarTAC before it dies. Email me my itinerary. I have my Vaio with me. I'll go plug in my modem, log in, and make a sandwich while I wait."

"While I appreciate your sense of urgency, my dear, remember that patience is a virtue."

"Is the boy cute?"

"I... don't know. That isn't important. Anyhow, there's one more thing."

"Yeah what's that?"

Her contact paused briefly over the line then cleared his throat. "There is conjecture over his ability."

"You just said he might not age."

"We think he might have manifested telepathy. He was in a coma ward, and suddenly he started reciting the thoughts of nearby nurses. He's undergoing an MRI and CAT scan right about now."

Karla blinked. Her eyes widened and her pupils constricted. "Telepathy is forbidden. The Esoteric Council lobotomized the last person to manifest that ability back in the thirties."

"Without your intervention, this boy will die. I'm sending over the email now. One more thing... your 'friend with benefits,' that you mentioned a moment ago ... Darius Vei."

"What about him? Is he coming to help me cover this up?"

"Possibly, but I wouldn't count on that. He doesn't know you'll be there, after all. He is being dispatched from California to assess the situation. You have to find the boy first. You're closer. Keep the boy alive."

"You really think Darius is being sent in to kill the kid?"

"The Oracle never lies."

"Yeah, no I know YiaYia's prophecies are our best intelligence. I'm not flying, by the way. There's a Budget up the road."

"Yes, on Ritchie Highway. I've already made you a reservation. I know you've been growing playful and flirty with Darius... is this going to be a problem for you?"

"No, no. It's... I'm fine. This kid better be adorable." She fell back on her old defenses and made a joke. "New York, huh? God."

"What?"

"Yankees suck," she said, followed by a brief silence. Karla licked her lips apprehensively, then in a soft tone, told him, "I... I gotta go." She clicked the phone shut and thumped her head against the headboard. "And so ends another ill-fated, star-crossed relationship." The succubus closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath followed by a wistful sigh. "I _ hate _ overtime."

---

Up next, Chapter 1 of the Prequel. https://www.sofurry.com/view/553760