Alysdir loaded a fresh magazine into his Barret XM750 and pulled the bolt back.  The weapon cocked and a large-caliber bullet entered the chamber.  He slung it over his shoulder and adjusted his goggles.  “Durrahii ei…” he said.  He especially hated the sun, during the winter months, when snow amplified the sun’s glow.  His boots tromped through a drift as he continued to his vantage point.  It was quiet and he was alone in what had been the US side of the city of Niagara Falls.

After walking for about ten minutes, he came to a ruined hotel and knew this was the place.  Alysdir pulled out his Glock17 handgun and readied it as he entered the building.  There was no one there.  Then again, he didn’t expect anyone to be there to begin with.  It was cold and mostly exposed to the elements.  There was a trash can in the lobby.  He approached it, finding a few embers burning in it.  Someone had been there recently.  Alysdir knew whoever had been there would not be a threat, especially to him.  He was more concerned with what could happen.  He found the stairwell and quietly pushed the door open.

He climbed the stairs, soon reaching the seventh floor.  Being so high would give him a good field of vision and with his sniper rifle he could easily hit a target.  Thanks to its make, and the scope he’d found for it, he could hit a target a mile away with impunity.  He took a deep breath.  As he exhaled, the moisture from his breath appeared in a white cloud.  I hate this, he thought as he got onto his stomach and peered through a large hole in the wall.  Outside was the city.  His armor and camouflage would make him hard to spot, and the way the buildings were around his spot, would make it very hard to pick out where the shots were coming from through the sound.  Alysdir peered into the scope and scanned the street below.  Nothing was going on.  He sighed.  This is going to be a very long watch…

The hours passed and the sun was almost gone.  Alysdir smiled.  In a few minutes, he wouldn’t have to wear his goggles anymore.  Being a Drow on the surface, such magical goggles were invaluable.  They’d been only one of a few precious belongings he’d taken with him, when he’d fled his home, tired of the treatment the females of his race graced all Drow males with.  He yawned and slipped a gloved hand under his goggles to rub an eye.  Through his goggles, he saw the world in monochrome.  The only thing was things that should’ve been bright, were dark, while shadows shone with lighter tones.

Then he heard something.  Pushing his white hair behind an ear, he heard the sound of an armored column.  Alysdir turned his scope and rifle toward the sound and saw two Breed PDF armored cars enter his sight.  Even though his rifle was powerful, there was no way he could penetrate the vehicle’s armor with the munitions he had.  One turned and went down a street, while the other stopped at a building across the street.  He watched blue specs, which were Breed, climb out and enter the building.  They were in full SWAT equipment, giving him reason to worry.  Not long after they entered, he heard gunfire.  He saw some flashes and aimed for a window.  A man appeared in it.  He wore Kevlar and ceramic plating.  Alysdir knew it was a PDF officer.  Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

A fifty-caliber bullet spun down the rifling of the barrel.  Alysdir saw the barrel pull back and spring forward, due to the power of the weapon.  A split-second later, the PDF collapsed and a loud whoop echoed within the dead city.

Not wasting time, Alysdir got to his feet and ran for the stairwell.  He ran down the stairs to the fourth floor and found a window to peer out of.  He saw another PDF officer.  This time, he also saw his assault rifle firing.  Alysdir aimed and fired again.  The officer fell, and just as before, there was a whoop from his radio.  Damn death-cry! Alysdir thought.  Tells everyone just who died!  he turned back and ran up the stairs again.  He was nearing a door to the sixth floor when it opened.  A PDF SWAT officer was right there.  Alysdir turned around, knowing it was a better choice to hide, than give away just what building he was in to the officers.

It was too late though.  A door a level down opened and another SWAT officer came through it.  Alysdir slung his rifle over his shoulder and readied his Glock.  The first officer was almost on top of him now and leveled his assault rifle with the Drow.  Alysdir fired.  A few flashes from the handgun and the Officer staggered back.  His armor though, took the brunt of the attack.  The officer aimed at him and Alysdir ran down the stairs, right into the other PDF officer.

Alysdir pulled a knife, hidden in one of his bracers and lunged at him.  The officer fired though and Alysdir fell onto his back.  His armor saved his life though.  Alysdir turned the knife in his hand and was ready to stab his attacker in the ankle when the officer gasped.  He collapsed, almost on top of Alysdir.  He heard something slip past him, but saw nothing.  Alysdir struggled with the body.  He glanced up, seeing the other PDF fall.  There was no whoop though, from either of them.  Alysdir grunted and shoved the body off him and sat up.  It was dark enough he could see without his goggles now and he pulled them up, letting them rest on his forehead.  Something touched his shoulder and he spun around, knife ready.

“Whoa!  Whoa!” a woman said.  “Is that any way to greet your partner?”

Alysdir didn’t see anything though.  He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he saw the world through the infrared spectrum.  Over his shoulder, he saw a warm yellow-orange female figure.  He could make out what looked like wings on her arms as well.  Alysdir let out a quiet growl and shifted his sight back to normal.  “What are you doing here, Talia?” he asked, turning around.

There was a shift in the light.  Alysdir could see the faint outline of the siren and then she slowly came into focus, almost like she simply materialized out of thin air.  She was in full Black Ops armor and had a happy smile on her face.  “Saving you!” she said as she became fully visible.  “And testing a new piece of equipment.  She raised her right arm.  On the bracer was a small panel, and a few buttons.  “Optical camouflage.  All the benefits of an invisibility spell, but with all the benefits of electronic-countermeasures.  Someone with infrared goggles wouldn’t be able to pick me out!”  She giggled and slipped her arms around his neck.  “Unless they possess that ability, naturally.”

Alysdir felt the effects of her pheromones.  All sirens gave them off and they could easily arouse a male.  Alysdir knew this siren well, though.  They had gone through a hell on earth and he counted her as his closest friend.  He fought his instincts at the moment though.  “What’d you do?” he asked.

“Simple tranquilizer.  They’ll be out for a few hours.”  She pressed her lips to his cheek and gently pulled away.

“I don’t want to be around when they wake up.”  He looked up at her.  “And you shouldn’t be.  What if the only Elvish Siren was caught, knocking out her allies?  Not to mention, her Drow companion?”

“I thought of it!”  She laughed and stood up, offering Alysdir a hand.

Alysdir took it with a, “Humph.”

She easily pulled him to his feet.  “Come!  I have a surprise for you!”  She began to walk down the stairs and Alysdir followed cautiously.

They walked down the stairs until they reached the basement.  Talia pushed the worn door open.  They continued down a hall.  Talia had a flashlight in her hand and continued to guide him.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked.

“You’ll see,” Talia replied.

Alysdir was unsure about Talia’s behavior.  He readied his Glock.

“Oh, put that away.”  She turned around, making sure to keep the flashlight well out of his face.  “The PDFs are awake now and probably long gone.  “I made sure they’d have something bigger to worry about than my Drow.”

He stopped.  “I am not yours.”

She laughed.  “You might as well be!  Do you not remember what we do when we meet, and it’s been a while?”

“Humph.”

“Oh, you!”  She playfully hit him in the arm.  “You enjoyed it, and I know it.”  Her lips curled into a devilish smirk.  “And I did too.”

“But you…”

“I told you before.  The touch of another man makes my skin crawl, just as you cannot stand a woman to rape you, like back home.”

“Then… then what?”

“Then what?  Alysdir, you are the only one who will ever be able to get that close with me.”  She put a hand on his cheek and teased him with a kiss.  “Come.  It took a while to set up, and I’m not having my work go to waste.”  She turned and walked down the hallway.

Alysdir exhaled sharply and followed.  She had stopped a little ways in front of him and opened a door.  

“Come on!” the Siren called.

Alysdir walked in.  The room was dimly lit, but comfortable for his eyes.  There was a cot on the floor.  It was also comfortably warm.  A number of small magic-powered heaters were in the room as well.  He heard the door close behind him, followed by a loud clunk.  He turned.

Talia reached under her shoulder pads and undid them.  They slipped from her arms onto the floor.

“W-what are you doing?”

She reached on her pack and the glider on it fell, along with the pack.  Talia smiled.  “Come here and find out.”

Alysdir carefully put down his rifle on the floor and walked towards her.  She was grinning still.  “What?”

Talia undid more of her armor, unzipping the Kevlar bodyglove she wore.  She pulled her arms out of the sleeves.  She stopped though, now teasing him with her collar fully exposed and the beginning of her breasts.  Her wings spread apart a little as she held it over her chest.  She reached for her belt and held something in her hand.

He shook his head, now fighting her charms more than before.

“I have a surprise for you.”  She showed him what was in her hand.  It was a small disc, which fit perfectly in-between her thumb and index finger.  

“A disc?”

“A pheromone-injection.”  Before he could react, she kissed him.  While her tongue slipped into his mouth, she pressed the disc to the back of his neck.

Alysdir felt a slight pain.  “Ow!  What was that for?”

Talia pulled herself from him and walked toward the cot, swaying her hips and slipping out of the bodyglove.  Even in the light, he saw the mark on her lower back, which her Goddess had given her.

Alysdir felt the back of his neck and pulled the disc from it.  “Wh-what did?  What did you do?”

Talia knelt down and pulled her legs out of the bodyglove and covered herself with a blanket from the cot.  “Oh, nothing…”

Her words echoed in his mind and he felt his heart.  Sweat was beginning to drip from his brow and his knees felt weak.  “N-no…”

“You’ll have a good time…”  Talia giggled and pulled the blanket up a little, teasing him even more.

“I’m worried now.”  He found himself walking towards her.  “W-why?”

“I needed someone to test it on, so…”  She looked up at him.  “I thought we could have a little fun with it.”

Again, her words aroused him further.  It was impossible to resist her.  After all, sirens were naturally able to arouse men easily.  He began to take his own clothing and armor off as he sat down next to her.  As he did, Talia dropped the blanket to ‘help’ him.  Alysdir began to kiss, and caress her and she slipped into his arms and he was on his back now.

Talia smiled as she gripped his belt and ran a hand over his now bare chest.  “This is going to be a night we will both remember…”  With that, she undid his belt with incredible speed, giving him a deep and passionate kiss as she did…

“Alysdir!” a man said.  “Wake up!”

The Drow felt someone nudge him with a foot.  He sat up and exhaled sharply.  “Just when it was getting good…” he said.

The man also had white hair, but he was human.  Alysdir and this human had gone on many patrols into Manhattan now.  He was the sniper, the man was there to make sure no one interrupted his work.  “So, who is she?” he asked.

“Huh?”  Alysdir picked up his rifle.

“Talia.”

Alysdir sighed.  “No one.”

The man chuckled.  “From some of that stuff you mumbled, doesn’t sound like ‘no one.’”

“Shut up.”  Alysdir looked up and into the ruined city from their point.

The man sighed and stood up.  “I gotta go take a piss.”

“Knock yourself out.”  Alysdir looked through his scope into the streets.  “Looks like our shift is pretty much silent.”

“Right.”  The man went into another part of the ruined diner.  Alysdir heard a door creek closed.  He sighed and closed his eyes again, remembering what had happened almost two months ago now.  He wondered where she was now, and if she was safe.  He also wondered if she had another of those discs.

“Alysdir,” Talia whispered in his mind.  His imagination was getting the better of him.  In his mind’s eye, he saw her, clinging to him after their lovemaking.  She rested her head on his chest and heaved a heartfelt sigh of, “Alysdir…”

He smiled.  “Talia…”

“Alysdir, wake up.”

“Later.”

“Alysdir!”

“Don’t rub it in.”

“Alysdir!  Please!  This is important!”

He opened his eyes.  The Siren was kneeling over him, much like she did before they coupled in lover’s ecstasy.  He’d been caught in a dream again.  “Wh-what are you doing here?  Rylin’s using the bathroom!  If he…”

“I’ve been looking all over for you!  Why didn’t you stay in Niagara?”

“I’m needed here!”  He sighed and slowly sat up.  Talia was dressed in a PDF jacket and other pieces of clothing, allowing her to easily pass as a partisan, provided she didn’t reveal her wings.  “And… and what are you…”  He stopped.  She looked ready to cry.  “Wh-what’s wrong?”

She sniffed back tears.  “Alysdir…  I…  I got careless.”

“You got caught?”

“N-no!  With-with our meetings!”

He blinked.  “We’re in danger?”

She sighed.  “You aren’t, but I may be soon…”

He sat up, placing his hands on her legs, and she sat in his lap.  “Wh-what is it?”

“Alysdir…”  She took a deep breath, and tears began to slip from her eyes.  “I’m pregnant!”