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“He took a long time getting ready,” I said, earning a look of betrayal from Eddie.
"Well, you're just in time. One of our scouts just radioed in a vampire attack outside a bar only a couple of blocks from here."
I grunted in acknowledgement. That was as good a place to start as any, I supposed.
I dropped the duffel bag onto the roof and bent down to rummage through it. I pulled out a short katana and held it out to Eddie, but I didn't let go when he reached for it.
“This one is the real deal,” I said. “No training wheels. You're only to use this in the event that you have no choice but to defend yourself. If you have to use it, go for the head.”
"Head," he said, nodding. "Right. Got it."
I walked to the rooftop’s ledge and peered down. The jump was steep, but even he should’ve been able to manage it.
"We're going down there?" Eddie asked doubtfully.
"Did you think we were going to take the sidewalk, pipsqueak?" Arrow challenged.
Eddie frowned. "I'm not that much shorter than you."
I dropped down onto the ledge below and turned back to watch him expectantly. "Come on. You're not going to fall unless you're being a complete moron."
That didn't seem to comfort him. Fair enough.
Before he could decide, Arrow shoved him and he cried out, barreling down off the ledge. I reached out and grabbed him by his jacket just in time, snatching him onto the roof with me as his foot grazed the edge.
I shot a withering glare up at Arrow and hissed, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Hey, I learned to swim when I was two because my parents dropped me into the pool," he said, dropping down next to me. "All at once is the best way."
"You were raised by psychopaths, and it's a miracle you're alive," I shot back. “Or a curse. One or the other."
Arrow flipped me off half-heartedly. He walked toward the edge of the rooftop, patting Eddie’s shoulder on his way by. "Next time, try to land on your feet."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said through his teeth.
I nodded for him to follow along, and when we reached the next ledge, he jumped with only a moment's hesitation, keeping as far away from Arrow as possible. He was becoming a fast learner.
"Down here?" I asked, looking at the neon sign in front of the bar below us.
"Yeah, that's it," Arrow said, crouched on the edge of the roof as he looked down at the street below. "I don't see anything. Do you?"
I scanned the alleyway, shaking my head. Either the scout got the directions wrong, or our prey had already moved on. Before I could be relieved, I spotted a figure hunched over something in the next alley over.
"There!" Eddie cried triumphantly, pointing at the vampire before I had the chance to say anything.
Arrow smacked the back of his head. "Try not alerting the prey, fleabag."
"Sorry," Eddie muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
I leapt down to the other end of the alleyway, drawing my cutlass. Now that I was closer, I could see the stream of blood trickling away from the body at the vampire’s feet. The vampire was too enraptured with its dead prey to even notice us yet.
Before he could take a step forward, Arrow put a hand on my shoulder to hold me back. "Let him take the lead."
I looked up at him, then at Eddie, who was still on the rooftop. "Are you crazy?" I asked, even though that was a foregone conclusion. "He's just along to watch.”
At the moment, he was still trying to work up the courage to jump down.
Absolutely not ready. Not by a long shot.
