Second Chances

[Nox]

Ana arrived and pretty much said exactly what he was about to tell Emily when she arrived. Nox pointed to his ear. "He's here."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. He couldn't bother making an appearance." It was meant as a jab at his character but it wasn't his idea.

"He doesn't need to be here. It's my idea. He can listen and advise just as easily this way as in here. Having a guy who looks high at a business meeting is probably a lot worse than having a guy who's underdressed."

"He can make himself presentable."

Nox laughed. "No, Ana, he cannot. He cleans up nice, but he still always looks high and there is no taking away his drug of choice unless you fuck the entire city."

Ana laughed. "Language. There are women and children present."

Nox grinned at Ana, though it was a facade of humor. "Which brings us to the exact point of the meeting. Moscow has a excess of refugees living in the tunnels who have recently been displaced because of supernatural reasons. I can't house all the children I display, reasonably the ones I have now are probably too much for my childish self to handle, but it is what it is and they are mine. Which is why I had Sage reach out to you Emily. These kids need homes, but they need more than that. They've all seen too much of my world. Seen things no kid should ever see. They need help to process it or they'll become like me or worse they'll try to do what I do and they'll die trying. Vengence and hatred can lead a child wrong. Specially when the thing you are fighting against shouldn't exist. We need to have people available for the kids and displaced to talk to and beleive that what they saw was real. And there is no fucking way Hayden can talk to every person who's been traumatized by a monster."