Jill groaned in aggravation upon hearing the sharp raps on her door. No one ever knocked on her door, why now of all times? Ning moved restlessly on the sheets in frustration when Jill pulled the comfort of her body away. She patted him affectionately and smiled.

"I know, I know..I'll be just minute." Ning watched her go unhappily. Something was prickling along his nerves and a sense of unease grew in him. He sent a thought out to Ampersand the female rat to follow and be his eyes. The little creature popped her lock and scurried under the door her small feet kicking as she pushed through the crack. The sharp rapping came louder and more persistent from the front of the apartment. Ampersand watched from under the couch her bright eyes giving a distorted view of Jill from ground level. Ning focused as much as possible on Jill's expression as she peered through the little eyehole. A frown marred her lovely features and Ning's unease grew into dread as she backed away from the door in slow measured steps. Her hand searching out blindly on the narrow high table she had at the entrance. She kept her eyes trained to the door as she groped for and found her gun. Tension ran through Ning in a burning current his breath held fast when she raised her weapon and aimed. Jill kept backing away from the now loud pounding and towards the phone sitting discarded on her coffee table.

Ning pulled on his bonds until thin trickles of blood ran down into the crook of his arms. He called to the other three rats sending out waves of pure distress. Figment, Gentle Ben and Noteven ran around their respective cages frantically trying to free themselves. Ning screamed into the neural pathways of Jill's many pets in desperation. He gave them his horror and his fear for their beloved mistress and begged them for his freedom. Wednesday, MoJo and Mushu scratched at the bedroom door each one wailing out in answer to his plea. The iguana lay in its acrylic home unable to escape but opening up its mind to Ning's to give him a better view of what was happening. From its hooded eyes Ning saw the door bend and snap on its hinges giving way in a sharp crack of broken wood. The terror spilling through his gut amplified three fold as a chunk of the door spun through the air hitting Jill's outstretched arms knocking her weapon from her grasp. The bed frame shook under him as he strained against the bonds. Fine spider cracks appeared on the hard wood surfaces of the posts as he struggled in his rage.

The cats had finally succeeded in jarring the bedroom door loose and slipped into the room. Ampersand followed close behind and rushed to free her fellow rats. Wednesday led the felines to the bed each one setting teeth to rope. The first rat freed was Noteven and he scrambled up the bed linen and onto the knot above Ning's right hand gnawing it with gusto. Gentle Ben and Figment soon followed taking over where MoJo and Mushu left off. The cats following Ning's will sped into the living room and raced under the feet of the men causing chaos and tripping at least one man. Jill held her own against the men startling them with well placed kicks and blocks but went down in pain filled shock stunned by an electrically charged rod one of them carried. The four men crowded around her twitching body ready to inflict damage for their injuries.

"Now look what we have here gentlemen. A lonely beautiful young woman just writhing on the floor she's so excited to meet us." Wu Long's head enforcer told his men in a falsely cheerful tone earning a round of chuckles from the men.

"We did bring her presents, didn't we? We wouldn't want to come here empty handed with nothin' to give the little lady. Somethin' real special, right?" He knelt over Jill his knees resting on either side of her head enjoying the absolute fright and revulsion in her eyes. He unzipped his fly slowly savoring the moment of domination inhaling her misery like a drug. He palmed his short member fondling himself to full hardness blissfully ready to enjoy his favorite perk of the job. Leaning forward he pressed the blunt tip against the woman's lips.

"Play nice and it'll go easier on you. Bite me bitch and your neighbors will be picking your teeth out of the pavement as souvenirs. Understand?" The broad head pushed in past her teeth and he grunted in satisfaction. He raised his hips to get better leverage so he could ram it down her throat but paused mid thrust in astonishment. He stared blankly as a door that led to another room in the apartment literally exploded across the room in four or five large pieces some with parts of the frame still attached. In the gaping hole a young Chinese man stood his chest heaving with his fists clenched. His surprise was quickly forgotten as blistering pain blossomed from his groin up the woman choosing that moment to embed her teeth in him. He shrieked in agony and collapsed on his side the instant her mouth went slack. He curled into himself and sobbed at the unbelievable, merciless hurt between his legs blood welling into the indentations made and leaking onto his pants.

Ning went from cold fury to murderous rage in one jerk of his heart. His beautiful sweet Jill was sprawled on the floor surrounded by human scum. Her despair a tangible energy riding into his nervous system and flooding his brain with the need to protect and destroy. Freed of his bonds at last Ning reveled in the strength of his body and dived into an attack as vicious as it was quick. The first man tried to pull his gun but died with his hand still in his pocket and his head facing the wrong way his dead eyes staring at the back of his shoes. The second man yelped and turned to flee. Ning's long fingers closed around his neck before his foot hit the ground and he was flung against the far wall his bones cracking apart and ripping into his lungs and heart. His body slid down the wall in red, wet slosh; death claiming him on impact. The third scoundrel had been busy shoving blunt fingers into Jill's recesses and staggered to his feet tangled up in her clothes. He threw a clumsy punch at Ning's jaw only to have his fist caught in his hand. Ning smiled as he applied pressure folding the span of bones in on themselves some of them grinding into powder. The human dropped to his knees, his mouth open in a silent howl of pain. Ning released the crushed appendage and delivered one sharp kick to the underside of the man's chin flipping him over and snapping his neck. Ning turned his attention at last to the ring leader. The man cried out in mortal fear when Ning touched him dragging his knuckles down his side.

"Shhh precious. You shake so hard. Do you fear me?" The man shook his head yes frantically. Ning gripped his chin lightly and turned the man's head to look at him.

"Shall I let you live then? Would you like that?" The man choked out yes over the huge lump in his throat. Ning brushed the man's hair back in an ironically tender gesture.

"In return for your life may I ask one small favor of you?" Ning asked in a deceptively innocent voice. His free hand glided down the man's body coming to rest at his groin. He cupped the injured sex gently letting his fingertips brush against the human's balls. The man gulped at the air raggedly his eyes wide and dilated.

"Anything, mister, I'll do anything you want." Ning lowered his lips close to the mortal's ear and tightened his grip between the man's legs.

"You tell Wu Long to stay away from this woman and those she cares for. The arrangement is off. If he comes near my son I'll split his body open and feast on his remains. You will do this for me?" Ning suckled on his earlobe in cruel mockery listening to the stammered yes the man squeaked out.

"Excellent. Now you do realize I have to punish you for your earlier misconduct? Right?" Ning didn't wait for a response to be given, his hand closing on and smashing the soft genitals he held into pulpy formless tissue in matter of seconds. He was neither surprised nor cared when the man slumped against him in dead faint. He shoved him to the side and gathered Jill into his arms. She shuddered against him her body wracked with muscle tremors. Ning stroked her head trying to comfort her.

"It is safe now Jill. They will no longer harm you." He murmured to her. The angry soreness in her body was absorbed into his and Ning clucked in sympathy. He bit his own thumb hard enough to prick through the skin and draw blood. He worked it into her mouth to ensure a few drops of his essence fell onto her tongue. Jill's eyes shuttered closed as the blood dissolved into her and instinctively began sucking at the fluid. Ning waited patiently for it to take the desired effect and not even a full minute later Jill let go having slid into slumber.

Ning's senses picked up the arrival of his father and grandmother and he stood to greet them. Nana and Q Chan flew into the room and transformed. They both looked coolly around at the destruction and then back to the kami before them.

"I see you were not bored, my son. Would you like to explain what happened here?" Q Chan asked in mildly bemused tone.

"It's a long story, father." Ning replied wearily.