A/N. Exactly what the description says. Short stories, meant to be written in an hour and dealing with a word chosen randomly. One chapter can be completely unrelated to the other. This very chapter takes place shortly after the first film.
The word this week was"duelling."
DISCLAIMER: The plot of the story is mine. Nothing else is. :(
"Duelling"
"You had joined Viktor in killing the ones closest to me. You deserve to die, just like he did."
"Very well. If you wish to fight me, so be it." Kraven's voice sounded surprised and unsure, but at least Selene made sure he did not have time for some mischievous scheming he was so experienced at.
That was it. It's now or never. Selene was too focused on her own survival to continue caring or worrying about Michael. Just this once, when everything had seemed to be still at last, Michael had decided he had to check the situation outside. For better or for worse… The fool. But there were things that had to be taken care of for their own sake… as soon as possible. Right now.
She wondered for a moment if Michael would have stayed with her if he knew what the situation she was in was going to become. The dark-haired vampiress could not abandon the idea Kraven would have made her suffer seeing Michael die before her eyes. This only made her happy that Michael was somewhere away from all of this danger.
She could never trust Kraven, never did. Always scorned him. Right now she had every reason to detest him. Especially after having learned the truth about her family. Now everything left for her to do was to either kill him or be killed. There were no other alternatives.
"I am waiting. A fair duel is a fair duel." The assured male voice was sickening. Selene was once again angry at herself for not murdering the craven Kraven earlier. She could see his eyes burning with rage.
His duels, Selene knew, could never be fair. She could not be sure about the means he was going to use attempting to get rid of her… The murderer, the liar… It was hard for her not to allow the bad feelings overtake her, but she managed.
The fact he was about to fight with a woman could not be considered fair, either. But that had to be done. Selene never liked him. She wondered if anybody ever did. Save for these young newly turned girls lusting for power…
Kraven wanted to teach Selene a lesson for not being what he needed her to be. A loyal, loving and blindly trusting woman, meant only for him. No, far from that! She despised him openly. All the time. Kraven has never lost hope entirely. But Selene was too prudent to be kept alive, he knew. Younger than him, yet so assured of her strange despicable ideas…
Selene was ready for anything, following every movement of his.
"Will you choose your guns, or rely on your own physical strength?" The vampire was running out of patience. Selene appeared to be indifferent to whatever he was saying, yet heard and considered everything. It did not take long to hear him speak again.
"I'd much prefer if your precious lycan was here as well." Kraven had everything planned. It should not be hard for him to crash the skull of that annoying hybrid creature. Seeing her Michael die would make Selene desperate and helpless… that was what he intended. Making her life a torture and killing her later.
"Leave Michael out of this."
Kraven grimaced at her. "You do know that his name only means trouble to you? I might give you everything! Power-
Selene shook her head. "Stop the pointless talks and fight like a man, Kraven. You know very well I need none of that." She knew what he would have said. Promising her power, money, fame… All of this was beginning to tire her. She took out her two Berettas and threw one of those at him. These felt like an extension of her body to her already… when it came to Kraven, she wasn't sure. But it was the wrong time to think about it.
"I was careful enough to only leave one bullet at each. But these, believe me, are fatal." Selene knew Kraven was more than a hundred years older than her, which meant more experience and time devoted to learning more ways to work on his dishonest plans. But at the same time he was much too assured of his abilities-
Kraven got the unwelcome feeling of uneasiness.
"I can't trust you or your guns."
Of course you cannot. "What do you suggest?" His visible anxiety made her want to laugh at him. So predictable…
"What about you inviting someone to see that everything is fairly done?" Kraven attempted to talk her into something which would certainly mean the end of her immortal existence. The vampiress shook her head; she knew she would be murdered the moment she turned away from him. "We might exchange our guns, if you believe mine is better," she smiled wryly at him.
"Yes," Kraven knew that was his only chance. Expecting of her to throw him the gun and be unarmed for a moment, he triggered, only to feel warm blood running down his shoulder.
Whatever was that? He pressed the trigger again and again, but nothing happened.
"I never lie," Selene whispered at him, her voice cold as ice. One bullet only. And a fatal one."
"But how?" he asked, feeling his body going numb, the bullet wound not healing. "I thought-
"I know your techniques too well, Kraven. "Soon, you won't be able to utter a word. To move a limb." One of many inventions found in the labs of an enemy lair did work. Unwilling to expand on the matter, she allowed him to speak.
"But the wound will heal. I am stronger than you think… than you are." He sounded desperate, his looks meant to kill. Selene only gave him a mocking pitiful smile.
Deception personified. "You will see what happens. I hope you'll be welcomed in hell, Kraven…" She could not help but spat out his name.
Without wasting any more time, Selene went out of the room soundlessly. For a moment he believed she was kidding him. A small bullet wound can't have been dangerous. Unless it was something made by those creatures. He shuddered, realising Selene had not lied. The pain was intolerable, and there was nothing left to be done. The last thing Kraven saw through an open door was Selene and her sweet smile, clearly meant for someone else…