Who: Derek and Geo
Where: The streets
When: Sometime after ten

Geo was back out for the second time that night; this time in human form, still dressed in his odd cargo shorts though now he'd thrown on his duster, his sneakers and his Clash t-shirt. They were all loose, though - he wanted room to get them off fast if he ran into more people like he had seen earlier, wanted room to be able to change if he needed to.

He would have preferred to be home right now, barricaded safe in the kitchen with Sammy, some loud music and a decent explanation to their parents for why, exactly, they were going to miss the bus to Chicago. But he'd dropped his cell phone in the earlier over-town flights, and while most of it was trustworthy, he really didn't feel like having to explain to Jimmy that he needed his friends' - heck, his suppliers' - numbers again.

He padded down the street, instead, enjoying the fact that the duster was hiding the hammer and the knife and the half-empty bottle-of-eyeburn in his various pockets, sharp eyes scanning the pavement beneath his feet, leaving his surroundings to his other senses. Probably a bad idea, given the circumstances. One hand, nails attempting to shift to talons from the stress of the evening alone, was shoved in his pocket, worrying at the smooth jade of that lying necklace. Yanno. Just in case. He had a stolen-from-Fred's-office flashlight in the other, and was playing that up and down the concrete, looking for anything that reflected red.

Derek really didn't know where he was which on a normal night would have been just fine, but tonight wasn't a normal night. The bar he'd gone to for a drink and a eavesdropping in of local color decided that they were going to actually listen to the police warnings and kick everyone out so they could go home and lock their doors. Idiots, if it were really that dangerous then they should have locked everyone inside the bar, at least they'd be able to drink and wait out the 'storm'.

So now here Derek was, driving down the street in a damn rental car trying to figure out where the hell his hotel was. The buzz he had from the beers probably had something to do with that. In another situation he probably wouldn't have allowed to drive home. Of course just when Derek was getting ready to pull over and call the hotel to ask someone there how to get back he hit someone.

"Fuck!" That was just what he needed. Derek hit the brakes hard and shoved the car into park. Quickly he got out of the car, he did -not- need this, he could see the headlines now 'Hit and run playboy'. When Derek got to the back of the car to see the body it was gone. "What the hell?" That's when he heard the laughter from in front of his car. The dark figure was illuminated by the headlights which made his features hard to make out- but Derek could see he had blood in his eyes.

Geo thought he saw a cell phone shaped something towards the curb, and too three steps towards it when he heard the unmistakable sound of flesh-and-bone hitting concrete. Damnit, what else can happen tonight? He hurried around the corner to find...a car, and a guy, and...no body.

Unless the guy in front of the car now was the one who'd been hit, but strong or not, most people didn't get up from a hit that sounded like that had. That alone - the sound it had made, the fact that the guy should not have been standing - left him even more on edge. And he could smell the blood. The back of his hand itched, and he rubbed at it distractedly, willing the feathers away.

"H-hey, everything alright?" He called out, voice cracking despite his faked bravery. He was staying near the corner, ready to run if it came down to it. "Sounded like someone got hit..." Back in your car, dude, please... he thought -begged?- mentally. "Do I need to call an ambulance?"

There was a reason Derek let others 'take care' of gathering his collection for him... he was not a fighter- he was a businessman. "Hey." He said to the guy standing before the car. "D'j'you see what happened to the-" He was cut off by another voice. Derek turned to look- mistake. Just as quickly as the body had jumped out in front of his car, one now had him by the arm and was going for his neck? Oh shit!

Well, this sucked but he had a hand free at least and while he was no fighter he wasn't an idiot. Derek reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his gun. He'd never used it outside of the firing range, but now seemed as good a time as any. He twisted his arm and pressed the gun against his attacker and shot.

Geo all but skittered backwards at the sound of gunshots, eyes wide, the darkness and the fear leaving them almost black. But there were others coming out of the shadows, like a wolf pack closing in on their prey. He couldn't tell how many - not too many to count, had his brain been working right, but too many to feel safe trying to fight off. But...that closing in made him take a few long-legged strides to the guy's car, hand going for the butcher's knife shoved in his belt. He still had to fight the urge to change - and if this kept up too long, he wasn't going to be able to. He shoved that thought from his mind, vaulting the trunk of the car in a way he knew was gonna hurt when the adrenaline crash came, and slammed his feet into the side of the closest-pack-member-not-actually-touching-the-other-man's head.

"Dunno that that's gonna work!"

He'd been told about Vampires from Manhattan before and since this guy was going for blood he could only assume that's what it was. The quickness, strength, and fast recovery from being hit by a car clued him in too so he was pretty sure that the gun would in fact not work- he didn't need someone telling him that. However he was counting on -or hoping for- a release of his arm and moment's hesitation so he could get inside the still open car. As he'd hoped the gunshot had done something to momentarily halt the attackers venture for his neck, but not the release of his arm. It was the secondary attack from the stranger who's spoken before that resulted in the release of his arm. Mental note: look into getting weapons provisions. Add more weapons training to work out regiment. Now, to get back to the car.

He wasn't talking much, but really - who would blame him? Geo landed on the man he'd just kicked's shoulders, hard enough that he could hear something crack when they hit the pavement. He jumped free, awkwardly, ducking a lunge with a startled screech that he managed to bite back into a squeak, finally working the knife all the way free. That's about the time that the realization hit. He was hearing two sets of breathing, two heartbeats. Nothing else other than footsteps, sirens in the distance, and the sound of fabric rustling. Ohhh shit. Vampires. And these ones didn't look as friendly as Jericho had been... he backed towards the other man, keeping his eyes on the vampires in front of him - maybe he'd be able to bum a ride? He didn't want to see if he could shift faster than they could lunge, especially not with his wing-arms, arms, not wings, not yet- in sleeves like they were. "Just, uh. How fast can y'run, dude?"

The car wasn't too far he only had to take a few sets to reach the trunk. "Fast enough." He hoped.

Derek broke into a sprint to the open car door. Thank god he'd left it running. He practically dove into the front seat to get into the car and pull the door closed. The moment it shut someone-thing hit the door. He could see the fangs and he trembled slightly with a mix of fear and excitement. A real live er-dead vampire right next to him. Trying to kill him! Ok so the last part wasn't necessarily a good thing. Remembering his fellow flee-er he turned to see if he'd made it to the car, his finger on the unlock button ready to let him in.

Geo worked his arms free of his sleeves as he ran - just in case. The guy had stopped his car once, Geo wanted to be ready if it happened again. He was in motion a split second behind, heading for the closed passenger door. A cold-as-death hand closed around his elbow and he spun, throwing his duster over his shoulder and sliding the knife up and into the arm holding him before he grabbed the bottle of soap from the pocket and squeezed.

Undead or no, they could feel pain - and pepper-laced-dish-soap to the eyes? Yeah. Pain. The vampire fell back a step with an angry yowl, swiping at his eyes as Geo hooked his fingers under the door handle, praying that the guy had the same idea in mind as he did - there was a reason he was still there, right? Otherwise, he'd so be flying. He didn't bother to fight off the talons. He'd be able to hide them soon enough.

Derek unlocked the door the moment the kid arrive. "Get in!" He yelled, pressing his foot on the brake and throwing the car into drive. Sure as shit he was going to get out of there. "And hold on!"

"No worries there," Geo shot back, slamming the door and pushing the lock down as soon as his feet were in. He didn't bother with the seatbelt, just clinging to the inside of the door handle, talons scratching at the plastic but out of view. For now. "Don't think they'd be able to pry me out with a crowbar...." He kept staring out the window, shivering at their close call now that it seemed done.

Derek hit the gas and the car took off, shedding the vamps from the car. "Let's just hope we can put some distance between them and us." He said glancing over at the kid. "Put on your belt." It wasn't a fatherly move from Derek, but more of a self preservation thing. He constantly had to think of what would happen if the media got a hold of a story and do his best to keep himself distanced from anything that could harm his rep; getting into a car accident with a kid was bad enough but if the kid wasn't wearing a belt? That would just make it worse.

Geo pulled a face, but grabbed the belt none-the-less, muttering under his breath - no real words, just grumbling in the key of who do you think you are, you're not my dad as a return to something that felt Normal. He had blood on his arm from where he'd stabbed the vampire, and soap-and-pepper all over his fingers. He looked at the car - looked like a rental - and decided to wipe his hands on his jacket instead. "Think we can?" he asked, quietly, turning to look through the back window. "Think they got cars?" He still didn't have his cell back. Damn. Stay inside, Sammy, please.

Derek shook his head as he took a corner. "Not sure, but let's hope we can get to safety before we find out." He still didn't know where he was going, but as long as he kept going forward and stayed clear of the cops he should be ok... for now. "Where d'y'wanna go?" He asked glancing over at the kid.

Home was the first thing that came to mind, but he couldn't say that. If he told this man that, and the vampires did have cars, they could just follow. Add in the fact that he didn't even know who his benefactor was, and the idea of giving him directions home became even less attractive. "Uh. Just...I dunno, just away. Maybe..." He scanned the street ahead of them, trying to get his bearings. "Ok, no, left here." He'd give directions until he knew where he was, leave his stuff where he could find it, and then fly his way home. "Then right at the next intersection..." Granted, this was not the quick way of doing things, but it was probably safer.

Derek followed the directions, after a little while the streets became vaguely familiar. "Y'just calling out turns or do y'actually know where we're goin'?" He asked as he kept glancing in his mirrors trying to tell if they'd been followed or not- so far it seemed that they were doing ok.

Geo slouched in his seat. "I know where we're going, it's just not really...anywhere that's thought of as anywhere, yanno? Just, like...somewhere where I can get home without having them-" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder "-if they were following know where I live." Or you. He
kept that part to himself; it was somewhat rude. "Kinda like neutral ground or something?" That sounded so lame it wasn't even funny.

"Makes sense." Though he felt a little strange just dropping the kid off in the open. "Doesn't look like we were followed." Derek said, more out loud to comfort himself then for the boys knowledge. "But best to be cautious." Then if he could find his way back to the hotel he'd be home free.

"Yeah..." Geo shivered again before glancing at his driver-rescuer-new-acquaintance. "You weren't the first person they did that to, I don't think." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, staring at the darkness. "There was blood all over the road..." And cars parked all screwed up on the road he'd come off of; how hadn't he realized that? That he been what he was smelling. Nice...except completely not.

"I'm lucky you were there then." He said, glancing over at him. "Else I don't know what would have happened to me." Probably dead with my throat torn out. Derek slowed his driving a bit, to really test his theory of whether they'd been followed or not. Some of the streets were looking -very- familiar and he was sure he'd be able to get to the hotel from here so didn't want to zoom past and forget how to get back.

Geo managed a short laugh. "Goes for us both, man. If I hadn't heard you hit him..." He saw bloody teeth in his mind's eye before he shook the thoughts. "If you hadn't been there I'd've walked right out on that street." And I'd be spending happy time with a bunch of murderous maniacs if they hadn't just killed me. Did vampires drink from werecreatures? Or would they just kill him? Hell, that was a morbid train of thought. "So I guess we're even."

"Yea, even." At least that meant that he could actually forget about paying back his savior. Good thing the kid probably didn't read tabloids, else he might not have gotten off so easily. "Dead end up ahead, left or right?" Derek asked as he nodded ahead of them.

Geo closed one eye, tilting his head as he thought, trying to remember where Peyton's house was from here. "Uhm. Right." He kept tapping his knuckles against the door handle, rhythmically, the drumline from Straight To Hell he realized once he thought about it. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, it was becoming more difficult to hold the change off. He could already feel his talons scraping at the inside of his sneakers. His feet themselves hadn't changed - thank all things holy - but they were damn close. "We're almost there, then you can get back home or where-ever. But uh. Thanks." That was said honestly, and he would have looked at the guy if it hadn't been for the fact that his irises were pure black right now, instead of the brown they'd been when he got in the car. This isn't good.

A few more blocks and a turn or two later and Derek stopped in front of the house that Geo pointed out. "Alright, I'd hurry inside... just in case. And thanks again." He said not actually looking at the kid- too busy checking the mirrors for any surprise visitors. If he back tracked out of this neighborhood and turned left at the light at the end of the street then he would only be about ten blocks from the Inn. Maybe he could make it back in one piece, then impatiently wait for a call from Manhattan she was going to be so upset she missed this.

"Same to you." Geo glanced at the mirrors, and the back window - heck, front window too - before shoving the door open. "Guess I'll, I dunno, see y'round sometime. Take care an' all..." He gathered his jacket and scrambled out of the car, heading for the side of Peyton's house, already stripping off his shirt. He wound up hopping around the corner on one foot before the other, peeling his second shoe off just as the change took over fully. Damnit, there went another pair of socks. At least he'd got the shirt off, though. He ruffled his feathers out straight, stretching as he hopped up on the railing of the porch, dropping his clothes under the window and shoving the butcher's knife into the gutter, out of most people's reach. He'd have to swing by tomorrow and pick them up, but he could deal with that later. He stretched his wings again, hopping off the railing and padding for the sidewalk, shoulders hunched. He needed to find a tree to get the right height to take off well.

Derek watched him get out and locked the door. He kept an eye on the kid until he went out of view, was the kid actually stripping? Derek was a bit confused. He placed his gun on the passenger seat, not feeling comfortable with it in his lap, but wanting it within reach just in case. It was then he noticed the small scratches on the door handle- funny he didn't think his driving was -that- bad.

Geo managed to find a tree fairly quick, scrambling into the lower branches and spreading his wings before he hopped off the branch and let the breeze catch beneath his feathers. He flapped his wings once to overtake Derek's car, feeling the rush of joy that came with flying...and, perhaps not thinking clearly. Like...really not thinking clearly. That was the only explanation he could think of for why he swooped under the streetlight instead of over it. The light caught in his feathers for a second before the realization struck him and he shot back into the darkness, headed for home. He'd had quite enough of the town for that night.

Derek blinked at the figure, could it have been? Nah, it was just a bird. Derek shook his head and drove off, he had to get back to the hotel and get some sleep- the buzz was gone, but clearly now he was seeing things.