Ethan Rom & Carl Savichos

Like Ben, the CS had several ‘eyes’ around town. After Sasuke had given James a possible lead in the deaths of three of their members, the mob boss sent a message to his members to be on the lookout for the fellow now identified as Ethan Rom. And it didn't take long before the man was found, leaning against a lamp post while he talked quietly on his cell phone. This information was transfered to thirty-one year old Carl Savichos, the mob's highly regarded hitman. More importantly, it was his younger cousin, Conner Savichos, who had been one of the three murdered earlier this year at Soloughvein Downs.

Ethan was startled by a blinding flash of light, just as he was tucking his cellphone away. BOOM The deafening report of thunder followed the streak of lightning, signaling the start of a storm. A brisk and chilled wind swept down the litter-filled allies, causing Ethan to pick up his pace as he hustled down the desolate streets.

There you are, you son of a bitch.. Carl thought as he trailed quietly along the street, several yards behind Ethan. The dark-haired man was clad in an equally dark trench coat that did well to hide his weapons. With hands stuff into his pockets, he continued to follow the target.

Ethan hadn't gotten far with his own searches, but now they had the kid at Bonnie's. Giving up at his attempts, the man now headed towards his car, parked a few blocks away. Another flash of lightning lit up the darkening sky, followed by the roar of thunder. Just as quickly, a tumult of rain came rushing from the heavens. Cursing sharply, Ethan picked up his pace.

It didn't take long for Carl to see that Ethan was alone. The storm was a blessing as well, for the heavy rains and growing darkness made it much harder to see far. When Ethan began to sprint, so did Carl - except he sprinted faster. A third streak of lightning blazed across the sky, momentarily lighting up the darkness before flickering away. That was the signal for Carl. BOOM

Except, this boom was muffled by the crash of thunder that the hitman had anticipated. A sharp, explosive force burned into Ethan's side, forcing him to the ground with a strained cry. Rolling uncertainly to his side, Ethan forced himself up on a shaky elbow, narrowing his eyes against the sheet of rain that poured down. A dark figure stood above him, and he found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol.

"Ethan." Carl snarled, clicking back the hammer, "What do you know about the murder of Conner Savichos?" He demanded, glaring at the downed man without a touch of remorse.

Conner Savichos? Savichos... Ethan's startled mind quickly picked up on the name, and he shook his head frantically, "No, I - you have it wrong!" He said quickly, recognizing the Italian features of the gunman. This was a CS member. But how did he get linked to Conner's name... oh, that dirty little rat! Dammit, he hadn't gotten the word out quick enough, and Sasuke had taken the opportunity! "Wait, wait!" Ethan went on with a pleading quality, "The Akatsuki did it, I-"

A well-aimed foot connected with Ethan's side, sending him onto his back with another cry of pain, "And why in the hell would an ATHA member be mixed up with two gangs?" He didn't believe Ethan for one moment. The gun was aimed at his head again...

Ethan had enough sense about him to see what Carl was about to do. With supreme effort, he kicked out and sent Carl's gun spinning through the air. A second kick had the hitman knocked off balance. With a sharp gasp, Ethan hauled himself up and tore off in a staggering run towards his car.

Infuriated, Carl scrambled for his gun and high-tailed it after the fleeing Ethan. Not needing to run far before he caught up, the Itallian sent two more rounds into the ATHA member, downing him quickly. As he was stalking over to finish the job, a light from a nearby house flashed on. "Shit!" Stuffing the pistol away, Carl was forced to beat a hasty retreat. Besides, with three bullet wounds to the back, he doubted he'd have to worry about Ethan.

Penguin; Catriona

Penguin had been out with his daughter when he heard the gunshots and human voices. He himself had always respected humans as long as they didn't hurt him or take him hostage. He continued walking toward the sound, Catriona a good distance behind him. He peered around the corner to see the men. After Carl was gone, he approached Ethan and whined, mostly out of fear. It was dark and this was a new, strange place for him. He took a few cautious steps forward and reached out his paw to touch Ethan's shoulder, then stepped back and waited to see what he would do.

Catriona kept her distance, but looked at her father from around the corner. She was silent. She knew when to keep her mouth shut.

Ethan Rom

Fiery pain like he didn't know before burned in his back and chest, and darkness threatened to swallow him completely. He wasn't aware of the rain anymore, even though it came down in heavy torrents and pelted his face without mercy. Ethan tried to lift his head, but it felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds.

With a quiet groan, he opened his eyes as something pressed his shoulder, "B-Bon-nie?" But Bonnie was not there. With a twinge of fear, his hazy eyes focused on a wolf standing nearby. With all his strength, he managed to move his arm a little, curling his fingers up into a weak fist. That was all he could do before strength left him completely. His ragged breathing grew fainter and fainter, as his heart beat frantically to circulate a dwindling supply of blood through body. If it weren't for the savage rain washing across the streets, a dark pool of blood would have collected neatly around the man.

Penguin; Carita

Penguin wagged his tail a bit when Ethan spoke, then looked back at his daughter. "Carita! There's a place where the humans take their injured to be healed. I've seen people do it. Help me take the human there." He called to her. Carita nodded and hesitantly stepped forward. Each of the wolves grabbed onto one of Ethan's shoulders and began dragging him to the hospital.