Chapter 2 - Free Fall

The crowd of punters cheered as Meyark's body guard recovered from the swift beating Shadow had given him.
He lunged forward, snarling, his veins running blue under his tanned skin, but he recoiled as the Weredragon tackled him, sending them both over the dge of the catwalk and into the noise below.

Xan ran over to where his partner had vanished over the edge, leaving governor Meyark in the hands of the shocked undergrounders.
''Shadow!?'' He called over the edge.
''I'm here!'' She called back as she clinged onto an old pipe that jutted out from below the catwalk.
''What happened to the Hydrar?''
''Free fall.'' She grunted as Xan grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. ''Thanks.'' She panted.
''He hit anything on the way down?'' Said an eager punter with an orange jacket and a scaley face full of piercings.
''A few pipes, wires and a car or two. But definately no nets. I heard the splat.''

She pulled herself upright and straightened her clothes as she walked back to her post on the left of the club's entrance.
''Murderer!'' Meyark bellowed angrily.
''And what're you going to do about it? You ain't got no power down here, Human.'' Xan snorted.
Meyark gaped angrily at the two bouncers.
''I'll get to Bently one day.'' He hissed.
''That's what you said the last time.'' Xan said wryly.
''And the time before that.'' Shadow said, rubbing her wrist.
Meyark swore angrily and disappeared back into the crowd, leaving the two undergrounders to do their job.


''You okay?'' Xan said when the crowd thinned out.
''Yeah. I think I did something to my wrist though.''
''Go inside. I can handle this lot on my own.''
Shadow opened her mouth to protest, but Xan cut her off.
''Don't argue. I'll be fine. Now go on, I'll see you at the end of the shift.''
''Aw, cheers. I owe you big.'' She said and winced as a drunken, brightly clothed woman staggered out of the double doors and almost fell on her.
''Shorreh.'' She slurred and teetered off down the catwalk.

Shadow walked down the dark, featurless corridoor, listening to the deceptively quiet music slowly grow louder with each step she took. She passed through another set of double doors with a brightly coloured frame and into a dimly lit room with sitting areas built into several cubby holes along two of the gently curving walls. Rope lights and small spot lights were dotted about the room and the counter top of the bar along the far wall was glowing a gentle white from underneath.
Up on the stage, Ode and his band belted out another growling song for the wasted punters who all seemed to be moving as one on the dance floor that dominated Neon Junction's main floor space.

Shadow weaved and dodged quickly through the throng of multi-coloured bodies and finally squeezed into a gap at the bar.
''Whassa matter Shads?'' Hillary, a tall, thin, white haired Vampire shouted above the din.
''I need an ice pack and Bently!'' Shadow shouted back, trying to shield her damaged wrist from the jostling around her.
Hillary raised a perfectly formed eyebrow, then her silvery eyes moved down to Shadow's bruised wrist.

''Well shoot!'' The Vampire said and handed her an ice pack. ''Bently's in his office! And I wanna know what happened out there, so no disappearing before closing time, got it?''
Shadow grinned, held the ice pack against her wrist and headed towards Bently's office, which was situated in the small room behind the stage.

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