Red

The market was always so big and noisy, and Lazarus always seemed like he hated it because he'd always get this flustered look about his face. Red held her loose bag close, itching her neck as she looked at all the items on all the stands. A farmer's market, no doubt. But, of course, no other form of marketing was around, besides the Black Market.

"Red, for the love of Satan and all things unholy, would you please stop stealing stuff," Lazarus said, grabbing hold of her hand as she set down the apple she was just about to stuff in her bag. "You know I can afford that apple, it's only a quarter," he said.

"Sorry, it's a habit, you know that..." The girl replied, shoving her hands in her pockets as she followed after him like a lost dog. She had a slight buzz from the wine, but nothing too noticeable.

"Yes but you're not like that, now. You haven't had the need to be for the past handful of years," The man replied, shoving a few apples into the cloth sack he had picked up. He laid down two dollars worth of quarters, then wandered off. Red was soon behind him again, this time her hand reaching out to grab the material on his old leather jacket. "What the hell do you want?" He asked, turning around to see who was behind him. When he saw it was just her, Lazarus rolled his eyes and brushed her hand off, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"You just always do this shit and it makes me mad. You're like a ghost, you know? You move away so quick and so fast and disappear randomly, leaving me behind in a trail of dust," Red replied with a slight pout, staying behind him as she looked about.

"Well maybe if you didn't let your eyes wander so much, you'd be able to see where I'm going. But Jesus, it's almost as if I need to put you on a fucking leash and tell you to come," he replied, wrapping his arm around her as he hugged her close. More often then not, the market had muggers and men who would lead young girls off to snatch them up and sell them for money and teeth. Lazarus protected Red, though she was certain she could handle her own if someone tried to snatch her. But Lazarus insisted...

"Yes, keep me on a leash like I'm your bitch, right," Red teased, hoping it made Lazarus feel bad, because when Lazarus felt bad it made her insides flutter at just how adorable he seemed.

"No, oh my God that's not at all what I meant, Red, I swear!" Lazarus said, waving his hand with a concerned look on his tired face.

"Oh calm down, man. I'm just teasing you, gosh," The redhead threw her head back in a fit of giggles, wrapping her arms around him as they traversed through the market.

-----

The two finished getting the groceries they needed and headed back to Lazarus' home, bags in tow, when they heard a faint rustling in the woods. Lazarus hunkered down, hiding behind a bush, while Red slipped behind a tree, their attention going straight to where the noise was coming from. That's when a familiar buzzing struck Red in the hip, and she looked down. Being part of The Cloakers, these two had an instinct about them that was sharp, so naturally when a Teeth was around, they could sense it, but so could their radars. And that's why they were glowing a pale green color.

"Alright, Red, I know we're off the clock but you know what to do," Lazarus murmured, dropping his bags, as well as Red dropping her own. The girl nodded, pulling her hair into a ponytail, reaching into her bag to grab SB, and then throwing her bag down next to their groceries. Red unhinged the safety on the trigger, placing her finger where it had once been, then cocked the shining weapon, listening intently to where the sound was coming from.

"To my left," Red whispered, stealthily going behind a tree as she followed the sound. That's when she heard heavy breathing, and she felt a chill come up her spine. The girl always loved hunting Teeths.

"Wanna make a bet?" Lazarus asked, sneaking up behind the petite girl with his big gun held down at his side.

"Sure, whatcha wanna bet me, Laz?" Red replied, moving to the next tree, pulling the gun in front of her as her hip began to buzz uncontrollably, shocking her side.

"I bet you five teeth and dinner," Lazarus murmured in her ear, sending her heartbeat into a crazy flutter.

"Deal, but if I win you have to give me the rest of your wine," she replied, and with that she took off like a bat out of hell, sprinting toward the large beast as soon as she saw it lunge at a bunny. It looked up at her and snarled, standing up to its full girth-- a huge 7 feet tall. "Holy fuck it's a grown one!" She yelled back to Lazarus, aiming SB at it's chest. The red dot locked on and she pulled, but not in time, for Lazarus' bullet went whizzing right past her ear, hitting the monster in its heart. Blood splattered all over the small girl's face and chest, and she fell backward , looking up at the towering creature as it also fell back. The teeth hit the ground with a loud thud, and Lazarus walked by her, pulling out his hunting knife and necklace with a bag attached. "You fucking dick..." Red murmured, wiping her face off on her sleeve as she crawled toward the teeth with her own knife out.

"So, dinner and teeth when we get back to the house," Lazarus replied, beginning to skin the beast as Red opened up its snout and slipped her knife's tip underneath of its gums, popping a tooth out into her hand. The redhead was mad, because Lazarus was the 'stand back and shoot' type of person. Red wasn't, she had always went head first into battle.

"Yeah, yeah... But next time you have to let me have fun with the teeth," she murmured.

"Remember what happened last time someone wanted to have fun with a teeth, Red..." Lazarus murmured, tearing the fur off of the creature's stomach. And he had a point. The last Cloaker who tried to 'have fun' with a teeth ended up getting gutted and ate, while their partner sat and watched in horror from afar. But, of course, the partners were of the same tier, and that's how it always was. No other tier would hunt with a lower or higher tier, it was just how things went.