10. Vincent & Hildegard; Meeting the Family.

The lovely little creature in black and pink silks hauled the unwilling Vincent Valentine forward, pulling with strength that far surpassed what her lithe frame should allow. She was tugging the reticent former Turk forward easily with her grip on his wrist, despite the inconvenient fact of his topping her by at least a foot and probably sixty pounds of lean muscle.

The only way he could break her limpet-like grip would be to pop a Limit and transform into something large, hairy and bad-tempered, and he wasn't quite at that level of desperation. Yet.

"Look what I found!" she crowed happily to the half ring of tall men, fair-haired but as pale-skinned as Vincent himself.

One young, particularly beautiful young man raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "And who is this? Has someone managed to replace Johnny in my dear sister's affections?"

The slip of a girl's delicate pink tongue licked her chops at the thought of her favorite snack. Keith briefly remembered why Johnny always got a free spin at his lottery wheel; he wouldn't wish his sister on anyone.

"No, no," she assured Keith. "This is Vincent Valentine. Who knew we had family out this way?"

Keith's eyes fell on the new unfortunate Hildegard had set her eyes on. "Do you like playing the lottery, Vincent?" He asked diffidently. It looked like Johnny wasn't the only one who could use a free spin anymore.

Hilda ignored her brother, instead getting up into Vincent's personal space. She reached out a hand and lightly scratched her well-manicured nails against his skin as she gripped his chin, admiring his fine bone structure and handsome face.

"Well," she said, drawing out the word playfully. "Every good superhero needs a sidekick."

Vincent didn't like where this was going.

"I was Joachim's sidekick when I was younger, so it only makes sense that I get the new guy," she explained.

"Welcome to the family, Vincent," Joachim said warmly. He dropped a hugely muscled arm around Vincent's shoulders. "You seem a good man. Please take care of our little sister. The sidekick is a crucial part of any hero of justice."

Vincent looked around at the group of blonds and made his decision.

His red cloak rose to surround him in a tattered shroud, and he took off into the sky like a red comet.

"Hmph," Hilda pouted audibly. In a shower of pink sparks, she transformed into a fuzzy pink bat. Her little wings motored, releasing sparkles and sending her winging into the air after him.

"You cannot escape Hilda so easily!"

Keith silently wished the man luck.