Out on the wall the climbing figures stopped, ultra sharp hearing catching the sound of -C- stirring. Then they resumed the climb until they reached the top. With superhuman strength they lifted up a skylight and slipped inside. They walked along the corridor, stopping outside doors and listening. At last they stopped opened the door and disappeared inside.This was going to turn out to be a bad night for Ami who, due to a bad cold, had decided to sleep alone.

      The dark figures approached the bed and shook her awake. The taller figure bent down. "We have a present for you, Ami.''

      "What?' she asked sleepily. The tall figure smiled and the moonlight glinted off his sharp teeth. "Immortality." he said, grabbing her hair and exposing her neck.

      The next morning, Ami was picking at her cereal out on the balcony when the rest of the FEB arrived. Mindwarp peered at her, concerned. "You haven't eaten any of that," she said, "and you look very pale. I think you should go back to bed."

      Ami nodded and slowly stumbled back to her room. Later Chibi went in to check on her and found her sleeping deeply. That night, the sun was just going down when Ami wandered into the game room where everyone was hanging out. She laughed at everyone's expressions of concern. "I feel fine," she giggled, dancing round, "better than fine. I feel.... alive!"

      Later that night as everyone else was going to bed, Ami was complaining that none of them had any stamina. "I want another game of pool." she pouted. Chibi sighed, tiredly. "I'll play one last game with you." she said. Ami laughed and spun round happily.

      "What is wrong with you?" asked Chibi.

      "Can you keep a secret?" replied Ami. Chibi nodded. Ami leant forward as if to whisper in Chibi's ear. The moon chose that moment to break out of the clouds and glinted off Ami's teeth. The next morning, Kat bounced out on to the balcony and sat down as Lodi poured her some coffee. "What are you doing today?" asked Lodi.

      "I'm teaching Chibi to drive the tank...again. I'm supposed to meet her here at 9.30."

      ''But it's that already." pointed out Lodi.

      "She must have overslept." replied Kat, unworried. By eleven o'clock, both she and Lodi were extremely worried. Everyone had been to breakfast and left again except Ami and Chibi. "I'm going to check on her." said Kat. She went to Chibi's room, opened the door and disappeared inside. A short while later she came back out, a glazed expression in her eyes. She made her way to Mindwarp's room. "Something is wrong with Chibi," she told Mindwarp. "She's fast asleep and I can't wake her.''

      "Perhaps she's ill like Ami," said Mindwarp. She glanced up at Kat. "You don't look too good either.''

      "I'm alright," said Kat. "I'm going to find Lodi." She licked her lips and smiled strangely, almost hungrily. Two days later, Mindwarp was extremely worried. Every member of the FEB was acting strangely: sleeping all day and partying all night. So the partying all night wasn't strange, she mused, but actually enjoying Lodi's tomato surprise dip with red-hot tortillas was. Another thought struck her that only the females seemed to be affected.

      Loud music from the car park interrupted her thoughts, as a car screeched to a halt outside the door. She walked out of her lab remembering that two new FEB members, Linzi and Melgirl were arriving today. Ami wandered past her and noticed the two newcomers. She called over her shoulder to Kat, Chibi, -C- and Gin. "Let's go and welcome the newbies." The other girls sniggered and walked out to meet the unsuspecting girls.

      Mindwarp shook her head, for a second there Ami's teeth had looked very pointed and sharp. Seconds later they ran back as fast as they could screaming in terror. Linzi and Melgirl followed looking confused. "I only said 'Hello'!" exclaimed Linzi. "And they ran away like that."

      "What's going on Mindwarp?" asked Melgirl. Mindwarp peered at Linzi's necklace. "I've a horrible feeling that I've just figured it out." she groaned.
 

Mindwarp's now barricaded office

      "Vampires!" exclaimed Melgirl and Linzi together. They both looked worriedly at Mindwarp. "I'm not one," she said, correctly interpreting their worried look, "I don't know why though." Melgirl looked at Mindwarp's collection of pizza boxes that had been collected in her quest to find a perfect delivery of garlic bread.

      "I could have a good guess!" she laughed.

      "How did you figure it out?" asked Linzi. Mindwarp pointed to Linzi's necklace, a small gold crucifix. "I'd had my suspicions," she told them, "but them running from your crucifix clinched it. And also this." She held up a small bowl of Lodi's tomato surprise. '"The surprise is that the red stuff isn't tomato anymore!''

      "What on earth are we going to do?' asked Linzi. "And why was it done in the first place," pondered Melgirl, "The only vampires around here are the Brood. Why would they want all the FEB as vampires?"

      Some questions answered. As the three girls sat, wondering, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" inquired Mindwarp.

      "Gangrel." came the ominous answer.

      "What do you want?" Mindwarp called.

      "Just to talk." Sniggered another male voice that wasn't a flock member. The girls raided Linzi's jewellery case, (Thank goodness for unimaginative relatives), and came out wearing crucifixes. The three vampires recoiled slightly. The sight of the flock in a cage and the rest of the FEB standing round with glazed expressions stunned the three girls. "What do you want? Why are you doing this?" cried Melgirl. Gangrel grinned evilly.

      "We're going to fight the Flock for control of the FEB and then we're going to kill them.''

      "But there's more of them than there are of you. You can't possibly win." shouted Melgirl. Christian gestured to the FEB. "We're going to have a little help from our friends." he sneered.

      "You bastard." yelled Linzi, kicking him in a place that alive or undead hurt any man. As Christian sank to his knees, Melgirl kicked him over to a chorus of cheers from the imprisoned Flock. Mindwarp turned to Linzi. "Where's Raven?" she muttered in Linzi's ear. Linzi turned, puzzled, and looked closely at the Flock. Mindwarp was right. Raven wasn't among them.

      Suddenly Chibi yawned. "It's nearly dawn," she said, "And I'm tired." Suddenly Linzi noticed Raven standing behind the crowd, next to the closed curtains. "Come join us," said Edge, beguilingly. Christian shot him an agonised look from the floor. "Have them two thugs with us for eternity," he muttered, struggling to his knees, "no thanks!"

      "Will the FEB stay vampires for ever?" asked Mindwarp. Gangrel laughed. "Oh no. They haven't died properly yet. There is a way to turn them back, but only a few people know that."

      "Well read intelligent people?" asked Linzi, one eye discreetly on Raven, who was smirking.

      "Yes.''

      "What is it then?" said Melgirl, kicking Christian over again just for the fun of it.

      "Daylight!" shouted Raven, pulling back the curtain. He walked over the writhing bodies of the FEB towards Mindwarp, Melgirl and Linzi, kicking Christian out of the way. Christian landed by the cage and was immediately grabbed by the Flock who started pounding on him.

      "Don't worry about the girls." he said gesturing to the FEB, "That's just the vampire blood dying." Very soon the FEB were sitting up, looking dazed and wondering what the hell had happened. Then they caught sight of the Flock all trapped together in a cage and decided that it was Christmas. They pried the bars open and dragged out most of the Flock. The bars twanged back into shape. Kidman, who was still pounding a cowering Christian, suddenly realised that he was alone in the cage. "Hey guys!" he called out, but to no avail. Everyone had rushed off to organize a party, except Mindwarp and Raven who were discussing what to do with the vampires.
 

Later at the party

      Everything was back to normal. The party was going with a swing. Lodi's tomato surprise was again tomatoes and also untouched! The absence of Kidman had finally been noticed. (The TV stayed on cartoon network and we couldn't find the remote.) He wasn't very pleased at being forgotten, but Linzi took him into a corner and introduced herself so he soon cheered up. There was just one bit of unfinished business.

      "What should we do with the Brood?" asked Chibi. Mindwarp looked at Edge and began to smile.

      "We need to negotiate with them." she said in a decided tone of voice. "Send Melgirl in," urged Linzi, "She's very persuasive." Melgirl reluctantly agreed. Mindwarp whispered in her ear and she entered the room we were holding them in. Minutes later she came out smiling and slightly breathless."Okay they've agreed." She announced.

      "What to?" asked Raven suspiciously. He knew us so well."If they promise not to bite anyone," said Mindwarp, "Then they can say here and join in the fun."

      The FEB peered in at the Brood. They cowered back in the face of such scrutiny. Then Christian smiled, a slow sexy smile."That's it they're in." announced Kat.S o that is the story of how the Brood joined the happy family at the Arena.

      Chibi's note: Err, this story's kinda out of order I think, since we've mentioned the Broodlets before...but it still kicks ass, eh? Thanks Linzi!