Mercury, Quinn, And A Meeting

AN: Here is the next chapter for you guys. Hope you had a happy New Year. Sorry about the wait, but a a lot of stuff has been happening.



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Los Angeles, California 1996
February 22nd 11:33 PM
Saint's Penthouse




'The Night Club business was ludicrous.' Xander decided as he looked over his monthly bank statement. The money had practically come rolling in and the best part was that most of it was legal. The illegal part of his money was stashed away in several coded accounts accessible only by himself and Mercury. That was how much he had come to trust the sadistic blond. It had taken a while but he had gained her loyalty and her affection, though not enough to invite him into her bed. Yet, anyway. He knew that he would wear her down eventually. Somehow.

His plans of putting the drug lords out of business was a success. They had all come to 'negotiate' with him, only to disappear. He now had most of the gangs on his side due to his steady supply of drugs, guns, and immunity from the LAPD. The suppliers had come to him and he had been more than happy to help them continue their businesses. They were happy that he paid them them premium prices and that they didn't have to go through different people to get their product sold.

It had been all too easy to take control of Los Angelos' criminal underworld, he only wished it had been as easy with the demonic aspect of the city. Most of the vampires in the city answered to an extremely traditional master vampire named Lothos. The guy had enough influence to make things very difficult regarding the demonic vampires and he did not like Xander at all. Lothos believed that's Xander's ideas were dangerous, saying that gathering in large numbers was just asking for the Watcher's Council to destroy them. Xander had grown to hate that Anne Rice reject, but he was too strong for him to kill. For the moment anyway.

Saint's own power had increased dramatically to the point that he was almost at Lothos' level of strength. Another year and he would be able to remove that particular thorn from his side permanently. He kept his strength quiet as he did not want too many people knowing how he was getting so strong so quickly. He did not need the traditional old farts of the demonic variety destroying him in fear of his growing strength. The older powers of the demons could fuck him up so quick and in so many ways that it wasn't even funny. They were that powerful. There was no way that he would challenge them without his full power and even then he would be vulnerable to sorcery, but he had plans to remove that massive weakness. A few rituals, some baby's, a little virgin's blood and voila! No more magicked induced death.

"Saint." Xander looked up from his lounging position on his extremely comfortable leather couch to see Mercury standing over him with a nervous expression. He raised an eyebrow at her not bothering to move from his hedonistic position, he had never seen her nervous before. She wasn't the kind of girl who showed any weakness, ever. Oh well, he would have had to leave the couch soon anyway. He had to meet Quinn to talk about his new club, Envy.

"Mercury." Xander nodded in greeting to the platinum blond as he languidly raised himself off the couch. The sixteen year old walked over to his glass desk and sat himself down in the black leather. He took a quick sniff of the cocaine he had on the on the desk, before leaning back in his chair and lighting up a cigarette, a new habit of his. Well, not really a habit since his vampiric nature prevented him from becoming addicted to any drug as well as preventing any harmful side affects. "What can I do for ya?"

"You know how you've been experimenting with siring someone?" Mercury asked. Xander nodded slowly, he was starting to see why she was so nervous. Mercury bit her bottom lip anxiously, a trait that he had always found endearing. "Well, I'd like to volunteer."

"I can't say that I expected that." Xander commented as he exhaled slowly, considering the option. He had thought about it, of course, If there was anyone that he wanted around for eternity then it would be Mercury. Hot, dangerous, loyal, smart, all in all she was perfect. He had gotten control of his 'sire gland' as he called it several months ago, but he had been waiting for the perfect candidate. So far, he had only found two, Mercury and Quinn. "All right, do you want to do it here or your place?"

"How long have you been waiting to say that?" Mercury asked wryly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Xander smirked, before leering comically at her. "Never mind, I don't want to know. We should do it here, I really don't want blood on my sheets. Again. You still owe me new sheets by the way. Next time you break one of your sluts, do it at your own place."

"You ready?" Xander asked, ignoring her comment. He walked over to Mercury and circled her in the manner of a predator. The smell of fear drifted into his nostrils and he felt his fangs lengthen reflexively, but she nodded anyway. "Good, because this is going to hurt like hell!"

With that said, Xander lunged forward and grabbed her. Mercury started to fight back wildly, her instincts screaming at her, but her strength was far from Saint's equal. She felt a searing pain in her neck as he bit down, his razor sharp canines easily piercing her flesh. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. The temporary paralyzing agent in Saint's saliva was activated and it kept her from screaming bloody murder at the top of her considerable lungs.

Before everything went black, she heard Saint's voice. "Don't worry Mercury, you'll be up and killing again in no time. Now, I have a meeting with Quinn. See ya soon."





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"Deac, man, come on in!" Quinn said in gleeful surprise, his usual jester's grin latched firmly into place. He stepped aside to let Xander to enter the office of Envy, his new night club. He gave Quinn the job of manager and he hadn't let him down yet. "You want anything? I have everything ya need, bro. I got some weed, some coke, all the usual shit, even some shit called brown brown. People in Africa use it for their army guys and those motherfucking crypts are lovin' the hell outta that shit, man, let me tell ya."

"Nah, I'm alright for now. How's the club?" Saint said as he sat down on the couch, Quinn taking the chair across from him. Xander had met Quinn through Mercury. She had worked with him on various jobs before she met Xander and she spoke for him. Mercury and Quinn are like like brother and sister, even though they fought like cats and dogs. When Xander had met Quinn they had hit it off right away and soon they were inseparable. He had been using the alias Deacon Frost at the time and Quinn had taken to calling him by the name.

Saint, St. Alexander Lavelle Donovan, Deacon Frost, and various other names. Not many knew that they all were the same person.

"Going great." Quinn told him enthusiastically. "The chicks are hot, the brew is cold, the drugs are top notch, and the cash just keeps rolling in. I mean, yeah, the paperwork sucks, but if that's the price of this then so be it."

They talked about the club and business for a while after that. Quinn bragging about the girls he had had sex with, telling funny stories about what was going on, and, of course, the latest gossip. Not many knew that Quinn was a gossip hound. The man practically lived for it. This also made him a great informer. He could find out anything about anyone, who was dating who, who did what, and who was doing what. You know that secret sex tape of so-and-so's? It ain't secret. Quinn has copy of it and beats off to it every night.

"I turned Mercury." Xander revealed eventually. He had been thinking about whether he should tell Quinn or just have Mercury surprise his lecherous buddy. As it was, he got to see Quinn with a dumbstruck expression. Something he savored deeply.

"Whoa." Quinn breathed as he tried to wrap his mind around the nuke that Xander had just dropped on him. Then he started bouncing in his chair looking for all the world like an excited schoolboy. "Me next! C'mon, man, please!"

"All right, man. Just calm the fuck down." Xander said, rolling his eyes at his excitable friend. "I'll turn you in a few days. I have to take care of Mercury first and teach her what to do. By the end of the week you'll never have to worry about Alzheimer's ever again."

"Allright!" Quinn cheered, punching the air in triumph. "I'm gonna have Hell's Bells playing when it happens, wait, no, I did that when I lost my virginity. I know! I'll play Highway To Hell and I'll put it on repeat so that it'll be the last song I hear and the first one. Then I'll get a coffin, so that I can have my own funeral and-what the fuck is goin' on?"

Both Quinn and Xander looked over at the TV monitor where the security feed was showing some kind of disturbance at the entrance of the club. Unlike Xander's other clubs, this one did not have 'blood baths', one of the reasons Quinn was stationed here. It was a standard club, a very popular one, but a regular one none the less. Who was stupid enough to try something in one of his clubs? He had every gang in the city getting the best deals any of them had ever known, they protected him, not to mention his own considerable power, both politically and otherwise.

"Let's go check it out." Xander said, annoyance coating his voice. Quinn nodded and they walked out of the office. The people on the dance floor instinctively moved out of the way when Xander walked through the crowd, subconsciously knowing that a predator was among them. Quinn just followed Xander, staying close enough that the parting worked for him too.

When they reached the entrance, Quinn turned to Xander, "Hey Deac, let me take care of this, okay?"

"Why?" Xander asked curiously. He had never known Quinn to try and take the reins of leadership from him before. He had always been content to follow Xander. Normally because leadership meant responsibility and that was something Quinn avoided at all cost. In fact, Saint was willing to bet that Quinn got some of the waitresses to do his paperwork for him and if responsibility wasn't his reason to avoid leadership then it was laziness.

"Because, if you go out there all 'in charge' over a small thing like this, then what does that say about me as the manager?" Quinn asked, looking surprisingly serious. "I'll tell ya what it makes me look like... an incompetent pussy is what. I know that you like to handle things yourself but let me take this one. Please?"

Xander looked at Quinn begging expression for a long moment, before nodding in acceptance. If Quinn wanted to prove himself, then Xander wasn't going to stop him. Most people looked at Quinn and thought he was just an idiot with friends in high places, but he was smarter than he let on, a very capable enforcer, and a deadly shot. Not to mention his legendary skills as a getaway driver. Most people underestimated Quinn and ended up dead because of that. He was also the most loyal guy that Xander had ever met and he had never regretted befriending him.

"Thanks, Deac. You won't regret this." Quinn promised sincerely, before going out the door with Xander following closely behind. They walked right into a screaming match.

A dark haired teenage boy about Xander's age was yelling at the door man who looked as though he could snap the boy's spine with one hand and three girls who were looking a little lost and majorly aggravated. Two of the girl's had dark hair and were very pretty, yet obviously snobbish, in other words they were typical cheerleaders. The blond girl, who was obviously not a natural blond, looked very much like her companions, spoiled, snotty, pampered, and very pretty. Something was off about her, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"What's the fucking problem here?" Quinn demanded as he marched up to the door man and the boy. The boy drew himself up into what he apparently thought was an imposing stance.

"The problem is that your idiot bouncer won't let me in!" The boy snarled agitatedly.

"You got I.D.?" Quinn asked, trying and failing to keep a mocking grin from his features. Xander smirked as he saw the youth bluster around a bit. This was going to be good.

"Billy, c'mon, let's just forget this and leave." The blond haired girl said as she watched the situation.

"Of course I do, it's right here!" Billy said, as he pulled it out of his wallet and held it up before starting to put it back in. He would have too, if Quinn didn't snatch it out of his hand. Quinn held it up to the light for a moment then his usual jester's grin came out in full force.

"Billy Fordham, Age 16." Quinn said as his jester's smile became even more wicked. "Sorry Billy-boy, but this is a twenty one and older type of night club. So, why don't you come back when your balls have dropped, if you even have a pair that is. Get him out of here."

The door man grinned viciously as he started pushing Billy back toward the street where Xander was hoping he'd be hit by incoming traffic. All the while Billy was screaming about calling the cops and how he had friends in high places.

"Hold on a second..bring little Billy here." Quinn said with a raised hand, he winked conspiratorially at Xander and grinned. The door man yanked Billy up to where Quinn was standing. "What was that about calling the cops? Listen boyo, I could press charges on you for disturbing the peace, assault, disorderly conduct, AND drug abuse. So, why don't you shut the fuck up and get out of here before Juvy becomes the least of your worries."

"I don't do drugs!" Billy said, though he started to look nervous at the mention of the police. "What are going to do to me anyway? Huh? Give me a beat down in front of all these witnesses?"

"Drugs have a miraculous tendency to show up on drug test even if a person doesn't take them." Xander commented as he stepped forward, smirking at the looks of appreciation he was getting from the girls.

Apparently so did Billy and he didn't look too happy about it either, so he tried to make himself look like a tough guy. "Nobody asked you, you dumb son of a bitch."

Immediately after Billy said that, Quinn froze and muttered 'oh shit' and the door man backed away as Xander's icy blue eyes turned even colder than usual. Billy must have thought that they were afraid of him because he was smirking victoriously. At least he was until a punch sent him sprawling onto the asphalt.

Saint didn't pause to allow Billy to get back up, he just started kicking him while he was down. A particularly hard kick produced a cracking sound from the vicinity of Billy's ribs. After a few more kicks, Xander decided that it was enough, but not before he spat on the form of Billy Fordham. He hadn't used much of his strength as he didn't want kill him or injure him too badly in front of so many people, however that wouldn't mean that Billy would get out of calling Saint's mom a bitch with only a few bruises and cracked ribs.

"You mentioned having some gang friends, didn't you Billy? Do you like gangs Billy? You better because where you're going they're gonna be on every fucking street." Xander told the boy, before gesturing to the door man. "Have someone take over for you for a while, then take this piece of shit down to South Central and dump him. Take Quinn's car. Nobody will bother you."

The door man nodded and grabbed Billy in a fireman's hold, carrying him toward the parking lot pausing only when Quinn tossed him his car keys. Xander lit up a cigarette and started to walk toward the door when he heard the blond haired girl shout at him.

"They'll kill Billy there!" The blond haired girl yelled desperately at Xander causing him to stop. He turned around and faced the short blond girl.

"Probably." Xander said, nodding in agreement. "Maybe next time he'll wise up a little bit. Personally, I don't really care if he lives or dies. No one insults my mother. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a girl to attend to."





END OF CHAPTER



AN: I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. REVIEW.