Hello loyal readers who decided to stick with this story even after two weeks of no updates. Cue sheepish grin.

Unedited chapter... he-he...yeah...

TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?!? *drops sick beat*

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All this time I've been wanting, hunting down answers, failing repeatedly. I was sick of it. Now I understood what Romane meant.

I was Levi's lap dog.

And I was running around on his leash, chasing for answers, restricted because Levi kept tugging me back before I could reach them. Oh, I was sick, so sick of it.

My fist slammed into the punching bag.

That was why I stayed.

Muggy sweat dripped off my temple. The drop of salty perspiration hit the floor. It rang in my ears. My fist sunk into the sand, penetrating the rough sack.

An owner still provided survival needs. Things Romane might not have provided. Take chances.

But not stupid ones.

They treat each other like family here. I doubted Romane treated any of his members like family.

I hammered the sack, a cool sensation trickling on my knuckles. Although Levi has kept my neck chained, he has taught me one trick.

Finding clarity. Guiding me to what I need and not what I want. I needed to learn how to survive. And to survive, I had to fight like hell, and fighting like hell has made me what I am.

"Your punches suck," a female voice said. I neglected the insult and slammed more hits. Vamp circled around so she was on the other side of the bag. Wanting to knock her in the nose, I swung it harder, but her pale hands caught the sack. "Stop."

With the last hit, my arms fell to my sides. My sharp gaze held her blonde curls that spiralled off her shoulders, envying her effortless beauty. She took my wrists and I flinched, her skin freezing. Almost as cold as Romane's. Her dark red eyes examined my hands. I glanced down and noticed my bleeding knuckles, painfully sore and throbbing.

Holding a bandage, she did a tight wrap around them and I bit back a wince. She lifted my wrists and opened her mouth. I lost my breath when her fangs gleamed before ripping the bandage from the role, tying a secure knot.

"Thanks," I murmured, unsure if it was appropriate to thank. Beating her in haja sangue either put me on her hate list or friend list. And I was scared to know which one.

In tight snakeskin pants and a tee, Vamp started punching the bag. I watched fascinated as she didn't break a sweat, her face composed, her breathes silent. "I know you want to prove your value," she said.

Transfixed in her still movements, I hesitated before saying, "Why do you care?"

Her slams increased with speed. "Because I'm training you." A tug of annoyance pulled my leg. Levi must have been too busy to become my trainer. He is a gang leader... "When I call your damn five times, I expect you to respond."

I snapped my head into reality and saw a disappointed Vamp. "Sorry," I grumbled.

"Don't sorry me," she said, and held the sack. "Alright. I'm going to lay down the deal, what's going to happen, why it's going to happen and how it's going to happen." She moved to the weapon wall and picked up a jagged knife.

"I will be training both your egos. The drug controlled ego and your normal ego." She continued to toss it up and down as she spoke firmly, "In order to prove worth to yourself, the Council wants both of your egos to hold value. To hold value, you must be a Sniper. To be a Sniper." She threw the knife, the blade spiralling straight and true, skimming my skull and stabbing the dummy behind. I touched my hair, feeling a small strand fall on my fingertip. Rising my gaze, not a hint of guilt was smoothed across her pale face.

"You have to act like a Sniper," she finished. Her long fingers danced along the weapons again, lingering over the sharp ones. "I'm sure you're familiar with how gangs are categorized. You must be able to showcase some skill in at least two of those categories, Seducer; luring, Dynamo; combat or Visionary; brainpower. The Council will evaluate your process of the training, and when they believe they've made their decision, you'll know if they want to keep you"-she grew a dark smirk-"or kill you."

I clenched my jaw. "That's lovely," sarcasm dripping in my tone.

"I'm glad you're enthusiastic," she laughed lightly. "As a Seducer and Dynamo expert myself, the Visionary part, your intelligence, practical thinking, and problem solving skills, will be evaluated by your Seducer and Dynamo training. There's a final test at the end of each training. Pass those, and your chance of staying alive rises. The Council decides if you are a Sniper or not. Are we clear?"

I was prepared to salute, but just stuck with, "Yes ma'am."

She nodded and motioned me to follow her. "Good."

"Which class are beginning with?" I asked curiously, following her into the foyer.

She leered a suggestive glance, her red puckers curling inwards.

"The art of Seduction."

†‡‡†‡‡

"You want me to what?"

Vamp's supermodel body squeezed into a hot pink tube dress, my tiny size stood insignificant to her. She ushered a casual hand, a martini in the other. "Go on. We practiced eye contact, posture and voice for several days. Now let's see you convert it into the real world."

I dragged the suffocating golden dress to my knees, it popping right up a second later. "If I bend an inch you can see my undergarments!" I complained, blowing a black strand of my loose bun.

"Quit changing the subject." She shoved me towards the bar where my first target sat. "Just remember what I told you! To break him, you have to use Seduction. The man is a Dynamo, and if you don't catch him off guard, he could easily break your neck."

Nearly tripping over my four inch heels, I adjusted my dress and inhaled a solid breath. Great. A Dynamo. I had to seduce someone who probably kills for a living.

For five days, Vamp and I had been studying in the Sniper library, researching past Seducer methods and practices. Understanding the wrongs and rights, learning how to manipulate the victim's mind and morph into different people, switching identities with a single word.

If I learned anything, it would be the rules of Seduction:

Never break character.

Catch attention before it catches you.

Stand out.

"Seducers prow the clubs with fierceness and confidence," Vamp had said when we were loomed by a bookshelf yesterday. "We carry a sexy lure that draws the victim. We aren't afraid to show ourselves off, and we certainly aren't afraid to use our bodies." She had carved three lines into the wooden shelf with her pocket knife as she spoke, "Follow the three rules. It's simple."

"Pfft. Simple," I now snorted, coming near the man.

Vamp had led us to L'Amour, where Casper had guided me to meet Levi during haja sangue. The pub was foggy as I remembered, expensive cigars one of the culprits. I looked over my shoulder to see Vamp leaning on a pool table, flirting with a naive man.

The dim lights hopefully didn't show my damp forehead, and I rubbed my clammy hands across the fabric. "Oh, boy." Reading something was so much easier than applying it to actual real life.

Just be sexy, Jess. Be sexy.

Sliding into the wooden booth beside him, I wished the provocative jazz music was replaced by a hammering dance beats. That way, he couldn't hear my shallow gasps. I was breathing like a fish out of water.

Signalling the bartender for a drink, I gulped down the nameless alcohol and took pleasure in the burning sensation. "Rough day, baby?" drawled a Southern accent.

I licked my moist lips and turned, coated a gleaming smile. "Yeah. I just needed something-" My eyes flew to a tanned face, ocean coloured irises staring back. Cleanly shaved, and smelling of cinnamon, his white button down was open, exposing a fine chest. He seemed about twenty, freshmen of a college. Gorgeous couldn't even define this man.

"All you have to do is seduce him, steal his wallet and get out of there. Kill him if need be," Vamp said as we passed under the neon orange L'Amour sign. "Inside the wallet is vital information so you can't lose him."

I chewed my bottom lip. "Is this the test?"

She chortled. "No. This is training-your first practice out in the field."

"Something..." he asked, waiting for me to continue.

I averted my gaze, facing the counter. "Something," I answered blankly. I sent a silent prayer to whatever mystical force. I needed Tinker Bell's fairy dust to fly me away.

He nodded, continuing lonely with his beer. I pinched my eyes shut, and concentrated. C'mon druggy thing. Work your magic like in haja sangue. I needed that sexy instinct this instant because everything I learned with Vamp had vanished.

I must have done something terrible before this life, nothing happening after a minute. Flickering open my eyes, I noted the man was staring. Amused, he was making a grin , and I asked, "What?"

He took a swing of his beer, answering, "Were you just praying?"

I gave an uneasy smile. "Uh... no..."

He laughed and tipped his beer.

C'mon Jessie. Be sexy. Be sexual.

"What do you masturbate to?" I asked.

The man choked on his drink, the yellow liquid spraying the bartender in the face. His drink hit the counter. Heat flushed up my ears and I toyed with the glass cup.

Yeah. Sexual alright.

Afraid he'd get up and leave, he craned his neck to the side and asked, still flabbergasted, "How old are you?"

I started fiddling with the sequins on my dress. "Sixteen," I said. Stupidity rained down, pelting my thick head to get my shit together.

He arched his brow, drawing sudden interest. "Yeah?"

The words drowned my conscious, the truth tumbling out fast. "Uh huh. This is my first time at a pub. My virginity is still in tack and I've never drank." I then shot down another glass of wildfire. "And look at me now. Sober and failing to find a good time."

"Oh?"

I was too drunk in my sorrows, to notice his raking gaze. How the hell could I forget the material Vamp taught me? I sucked at Seduction.

Suddenly a bristle touch grazed across my arm. Directing a sideways peek, my eyes widened as he tangled his hand between mine. He squeezed. "Is it something you want to talk about?"

Clarity came into view. I nimbly bit my lip and nodded. "Can we take it somewhere quiet?" I whispered softly. He agreed, rising up with me. Entwining our hands, I flickered a coy smile to seal the deal and guided him into the female bathroom. Allowing him to enter first, I made a discreet glance to the wallet shape within his jean pocket.

He checked the stalls before lazily leaning on the counter. "So what's the deal with you? Parents got you mad? Had a fight with your boyfriend?"

I played with my thumbs, fixing my stare at the broken condom and tampon box. Packages were spilled in the corner, some opened and disgustingly used. "I-I-I..." Gulping, I stressfully dove my hand through my hair. "My mom used to say something."

"Yeah?" Sympathy rested in those ocean eyes. As a Sniper we not only are the unseen, but see the unseen. Darkness hid behind that sympathy, wanting to creep into my vulnerability.

And my pants.

I gave him big Bambi eyes, stepping towards him. "Yeah..." I shyly leaned over, and spoke quietly,  "Lips were invented because words sometimes fail." My mouth closed in the space. He tasted of alcohol, my guess the beer he had. My virgin lips moved among his expert ones, surprising me once his tongue entered.

I jerked back, and masked my shock with a giggle. "I've never kissed anyone like that before." The sad part was: it was true. "Sorry if I'm terrible."

His big hands gripped my waist, lifting me onto the cold slab. My breathing quickened, and I felt blood rush to my face. The room felt slightly warmer. I noticed that my mouth was still open and closed it, biting my lip. I took another breath, shaky, to try and slow my breathing. My heart was beating faster, and I started to feel a throbbing pulse between my legs. I felt his smile against my own, his voice murmuring, "Baby, there's nothing to be sorry about. You're a natural."

Giggling twice, I fumbled for a few seconds, trying to get the hang of it. My skin felt tight and sensitive, the fine hairs on my arms were tiny antennae sending unreasonable sensory input to my brain at the lightest touch. My body took in the alien feeling. Everything felt heightened in sensitivity; my neck, ears, breasts, lips, everything. "Are you sure you've never kissed?" he chuckled between gasps.

"Oh yeah," I breathed, huskily. It was uncanny how I reacted to his kisses, my body growing hot. Our tongues wrestled endlessly, my swollen lips wet. Desire surged into my blood and I groaned, feeling a bulge between my thighs. His warm lips broke away from my swollen ones, only to attack my neck with hungry kisses and bites. The arousing feeling grew. It was much more of a slow burn that started with my neck and then slowly moved out to every other part.

He nipped at a certain spot on my burning neck that had me gasping for air. I felt high, like it was nothing else in the world I've experienced. I sharply ran my nails down his spine, his deep moans getting louder. As his hands fiddled to my arched chest, I trickled my fingers to his back pocket and slapped. He grunted and warmth surged below my dress.

Both my hands slipped in the pockets, one cautiously removing the wallet as the other pressed circular strokes. The hip motions were more fierce than I expected, the pressure being applied uncontrollable. The sensation washed over me like a zap, almost from each of my hands and feet, zapping straight to my gut. My palms tingled and my heart started to thump faster.I drew a raspy breath through my mouth in reaction to the zap.

The friction was hot and wild, the clothing like silk, and I nearly dropped his wallet. With each movement he made, I got another jolt, another zap. The hard bulge against my core was surprisingly the culprit to my gasps and quiet moans. My palms tingled, my breath shook, the pulse between my legs getting stronger.

"Condom," I hummed, sprinkling butterfly kisses along his jaw. He nodded and released my thighs. They'd surely be bruised tomorrow. It was as if the distance in our bodies shook me awake from the frenzy I was in. Once he turned, I swung my leg across his temple. He stumbled back, bewildered. Not wasting the chance, I punched his throat and he gagged.

Getting ready to escape, he snatched my wrist, twisted, and pressed my shoulders pressed to his chest. I screamed, and immediately backed up, slamming his spine against the wall. My elbow hit his ribs, and he let go. My heart pumped faster. I spun around and before I landed a punch, he caught both my arms and kicked my stomach.

"Shit," I said breathlessly and staggered. The wallet fell to the floor.

He whipped the palm of his hand across my nose. Red blurs soared past my vision. My mind throbbed. He gripped my hair, my curls spilling out of its bun. He bashed my head off the sink.

I cried out, my hands sprawling on the mirror. He hammered my skull into my reflection. The glass made an ear splitting crack and I dug my heel into his foot. He yelped. I turned and drove my other heel into his chest. He flew back and I made a strike for his perfect face, but he pushed my knuckle away and plunged an uppercut into my chin. My lungs were on fire. I couldn't breathe. Blinded with mad confusion and pain, he clutched my neck and tossed me to the ground. My head crashed on the tiles. I saw stars.

His weight crashed, pushing a cough out of me. He held my cheeks, an evil smirk I wished I never laid eyes growing on his face. "Pretty little thing, aren't you?" he grinned.

I restrained a whimper and attempted to wiggle from his grasp, falling short to do so. He was stronger and heavier than me, making it difficult to move. "Feisty kitten," he cackled, his eyebrows drawing near. "I'm sure gonna have fun with you."

Fear twisted my bones cold. I registered what he meant and thrashed and squirmed on the tiles, telling my ears not to hear the sound of his zipper. Glassy water brimmed my eyes. He covered my screams while his other hand unbuckled the leather belt. He slowly maneuvered his pants.

I swallowed a lungful of air, my heart crushing second by second. My arms blindly searched the floor. His jeans were at his ankles. My fingers grasped something solid. Mustering any energy I had left, I bellowed a high scream.

"Shut up!" he roared.

His mouth wide open, I plunged the object down his throat, shoving it far as it could go. His eyes popped and summoning my hidden strength, I cried and bucked forward, slamming him hard onto the ground, and then digging the object further.

He gagged and his hands struggled to flex, my knees pinning his elbows. I took one last look at his ocean eyes, and put full force into thrusting the object as I felt it stab his tonsils. His body jerked. I kept it pressed, and watched him splurge and choke, his body going limp a minute later.

My breaths were heavy. Colours went weary from my motionless features. My vision connected to his dead face, eyes open and staring. I wanted to get away, but my hands seemed frozen. Paralyzed, time passed as I sat on him, the only thoughts operating: I was almost raped. I was almost raped. I was almost raped.

Traumatisation was so possessive; I hardly noted my hands were still tightly clutching the unknown murder weapon.

That's when the bathroom door unlocked.

The door swung and in stepped Vamp. She looked at me. The man. From tranquil to utter shock, silence settled on her tongue. And then her eyes cracked wide.

"Is that a tampon down his throat?!"

The oxygen thinned. "I-I-I-"

"You killed a man with a tampon?!"

My mouth remained clamped, the word train already leaving the station.

She waved her frantic hands. "I can't believe it. You shoved a tampon down his throat!" All of a sudden, she went rigid. "Is it used?!"

I screamed and jumped up, unsure myself. "I-I don't know!"

"Check!"

My hands flew to my chest. "Why do I have to check?"

"Because you put it there!"

"I don't want to touch it!"

"Well you probably touched it for a good few moments if you choked him to death!"

Mortified, I crept towards the man and lowered. I poked the tampon. It made a squishy noise. "I think I'm gonna be sick," I blurted.

"Check it!"

"Don't you have tweezers?!"

"Jess!"

"Why do we have to know if it's used or not?"

"Because I'm curious!"

I narrowed my gaze. "If you're so curious why don't you check?"

"Because you already touched it. If one hand is already dirty, might as well not dirty the other," Vamp justified.

"But-"

"Do it!"

I puffed a sigh and bent down. Counting to three, I quickly picked it up and threw it across the room. Vamp squealed, it nearly hitting her dress. The tampon clattered to the ground and I ran to the sinks, disinfecting my hands.

"I can't tell!" she said.

Vigorously scrubbing my fingers, I snapped, "How do you not know?"

"It's covered in too much blood!" she responded, peering closer. "Did you cut his gums?"

"I don't know!"

She gave another sceptical watch as if it were to come to life, and kicked it away. As she spoke, I picked up the wallet and clutched it to my chest. "C'mon let's get rid of this body. I can't wait to tell the rest of the crew about your first time on the field."

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Vamp had said Seducers are noticeable; the people who turns heads for; the ones who are conspicuous. She trained me to be seductive, luring and sexy; to stand out. However, I couldn't do sexy. But what I could do was stand out.

Instead of being the sexiest, I was the most pure. The skimpy black dress, flirtatious smile and husky voice were attention-grabbing. But natural beauty stood out like black on white. I hardly wore makeup when Vamp took me into the fields, wearing simple bold colours unlike her wild patterns. I used my innocence and vulnerability to draw in my victims, my little girl identity the bait.

From a crowd of slutty, drunk, makeup pasted ladies, my purity and cleanness caught dirty eyes-commonly my targets.

It took weeks to perfect. The exact posture. My pickup lines. The false stories and fake tears. I knew my test would be soon. I felt ready.

Cray, nevertheless, wouldn't let the tampon murder go. Even to this day, he manages to bring it up during breakfast, when all of us are together.

"Who kills people with tampons?!" he shouted when Vamp told him during the next day's breakfast.

"Clearly Jess does," Casper acknowledged.

"No kidding," Vamp agreed.

I stabbed my eggs Benedict. "I had to!" I defended.

Cray's toast almost flew out of his hands. "You could have choked him with a condom! That would have been less painful!"

Snapback smacked his arm. "And why the hell would that be less painful?"

"Because the poor guy wouldn't have to lose his mouth virginity two seconds before he died!"

I stared at this boy's logic, it never failing to amaze me. "How. How did I take his mouth virginity?"

Cray waved his fork. "Tampons are basically dildos. The only difference is that they suck blood and don't vibrate."

"I think that's enough," someone said.

I turned and saw Levi freshly showered, dark hair damp and aroma smelling of spice. He met my gaze and gave a short nod. "Good job so far."

"She choked a man with a tampon!" exclaimed Cray.

Snapback elbowed him to shut up, shooting him a cold glare. Nibbling my bottom lip, I said a quick, "Thanks," and continued my breakfast. At the corner of my eye, I saw him pull up a seat beside. Levi allowed the Snipers to keep eating with a wrist flick. The laughter and voices somehow comforted me.

"Working in the field is different than studying from textbooks, huh?" he said.

Was the great Levi doing small talk? I poked the last piece of the Benedict, yolk squirting over my plate. "Way different. Environmental factors definitely throw you off if you don't concentrate." I gave a hinting smirk. "Of course you'd know that-being a Seducer as well."

"It just takes practice." He patted my shoulder, his hand lingering longer than I felt it was supposed to be. Inching away, he stood and scanned the table. "Morning everyone." Everyone responded with either a quiet or loud, "Morning!"

He placed his hands behind his back. "I hope everyone works a hard day today." He stared down at me, now towering. "Especially you, Jess. I expect to hear good things soon."

Lowering my head, I heard his footsteps as he left. I don't know what came over next. I threw my napkin on the table, said something about, "Just gonna use the restroom," and excused myself, following after Levi.

I tracked him into his office, slipping through just as the door closed. "Levi," I said.

He stopped at his desk and turned. "What?"

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Pic of Vamp at the side>>>

I guess this is where I notice my loyal readers who will wait two weeks for an update.

Sorry if this chapter didn't meet your expectations. Surely you should forgive my absence. Perhaps a lil' Levessie next chapter?

Tad of action in this-you might say it isn't much, but next chapter will be full package. Anyone disappointed she stayed with the Snipers? Surprised? Knew it all along?

WLAH Official Trailer is at the side! by candy1217 (She's a doll. Follow her.) The trailer is perf for WLAH! Would you watch it/read it after watching it?

Feel free to make banners or covers for IJSYC. I will use them all :) Message them to me.