Redwingblackbird: Smeagle's story, Smeagle's characters! You will not infringe on the preeeeeeeeeciouuuuuuuus...
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It had been a long night of waiting when I quit around 11. Some of the best jobs came late, but even the best mercenary has to sleep sometime. I sighed and ran one clawed hand through my dirty-blonde hair. Jobs were getting scarce. I had a reputation as the most ruthless creature for hire for 150 miles, but there was only so much trouble one town's population could take. My violet eyes finally rested on home, the large Victorian house was dark and quiet, but home.
I unlocked the door without too much trouble and creeped inside- I didn't want to wake my roommate, Kathy, as early as she usually went to bed- that is, early by my standards. The blue glow of the TV flickered in the living room down the main hallway, through the kitchen, and I went to investigate. The black shag carpet darkened the room even more than usual, and its theatre-like setup encompassed a giant screen. Beanbags were scattered among the seven levels of the room, meant to house all the members of our group at once, and it was on one of them that I found them.
Shadow and Kathy looked fast asleep, his arms around her and her head on his chest. The TV's screen was blue as whatever movie they had been watching was long since over- I turned it off and plunged us into darkness. Just as I was aware that my avian friend was perfectly asleep, my dragon's senses told me her companion was not- who knows which of my small noises had woken him. I could sense him tense slightly, waiting for whatever snide remark I would launch.
I simply turned and left, too tired to mock them. I knew as I climbed up to the second floor that Shadow would snuggle closer and fall fast asleep again, content. I sighed. They were blind to the fact that their relationship was a crippled one. No matter how much she loved him, in my eyes he'd never do enough to deserve her. Even if they did make it work- as Shadow seemed to intend to- she would be the breadwinner between them, and she would grow older and grayer and more miserable every day of her long life as he grew happier for eternity. But she would say the same thing, evening after evening to me: "I love him, Kels. I could never leave him."
Let them have their infatuation, I thought angrily. Let them speed on to their doom. Disasters were my business, I had no problem watching this one in slowmo.
I gave a sigh of exasperation as I finally reached my room and slid out of my clothes, collapsing onto the bed. Sweet darkness overcame me.
I woke up around 10 to the smell of smoke.
"Don't worry, Kathy's cooking again," a deep, calm voice breathed in my ear.
"Morning Xak," I groaned, rolling over to face him. I knew I was a mess, but as always my vampire mate looked perfect in the early part of the day I so loathed. His pale skin seemed to glow in the room's half-light, and I ran my hands over his bare chest. "You weren't here last night when I got back." It was an accusation.
"I had to take care of something," he whispered, garnet eyes closing for an apologetic kiss. I brushed his black hair from his eyes to look into them. Even in the morning I felt my molecules rearrange themselves under his gaze. I noticed the smoke smell intensifying.
"I'd better go stop her before she burns the place down." This was soon accompanied by screams downstairs.
"Ack! Bloody..."
"Don't bother," my lover growled. "Shadow's already got the pan in the sink, but not in time to stop her from getting burned."
"Aowwou," I imitated, puckering my lips and cradling my hand pitifully, as no doubt my housemate was doing now.
"He'll kiss her cheek to distract her as he heals her hand because he knows she hates it when he patronizes her and doesn't even let her wounds heal naturally," he continued, lips brushing my forehead.
"She'll hug him tight."
"And they'll stay there like that until we go and break it up."
"Let's get moving, then," I finished, throwing the covers off and getting up. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt crawling with silvery dragons. Turning, I saw Xak in his typical black pants and button-up shirt. Left wide open, of course. He smirked when he caught me staring.
"Come now, love. That's what the night is for."
We snuck down to the kitchen and pounced. The couple was indeed locked in their moment alone, but hey, what are friends for? The two of us let the fire extinguishers we were carrying loose, covering them in pale blue foam. They jumped apart, swearing, as we laughed and left.
Xak gave me a goodbye kiss and we went our separate ways to work.
I had to commute to Hell. Yeah, you heard me right. Hell. It's one of the nearest neighbors to Nowhere. Again, your ears aren't bad. The four of us live, quite literally, in Nowhere, Texas. The two nearest neighbors are Heaven and Hell, a good couple days walk to either for a human. When the settlers finally made it here, to the very heart of Texas, I think they'd run out of names and canned beans and so had to stop here and come up with a name simultaneously. Can't have a blank on envelopes, ya know. Although taxes and things seem to overlook a place called Nowhere, with its population of 593.
It took an hour on my motorcycle just to get to the valley, and in the valley was Hell. Black and red brick buildings towered and stunk of drugs and blood and prostitution. In the heart of the city was my place of business: The Devil's Snare. I worked there as a bartender. Just a day job of course.
I cleaned glasses from the night before until about 3, when the first heavy drinkers came in. They had seven beers between them and were just starting to really get wasted (I suspected the needles they dropped) before Xak showed up about 5:20. Then it was a string of customers. Pina Colada, Hurricane, hard liquors, four different kinds of beer, a handful of Bloody Marys...
The place was pretty rowdy by the time my replacement showed up. She was far less clothed than I and flirted with more than her smexy mate, so they preferred her on the night shift. That was alright. I needed to talk to Sama anyway.
The dark alleys of Hell frighten most. There are points at which the buildings block out the moon and all other traces of light, so even a dragon-elf hybrid like me can't see a thing. However, when you're the most feared creature for miles and miles, and you know you can kick any rapists/sadists/murderers/druggie's arse without blinking, you really don't worry much.
Xak beat me to my office. Sometimes I really hated how fast vampires can run.
"'ello." He greeted, a smile plastered across his face. "I know you want to see Sama. I'll watch things here." Really, there was no need, people would have waited.
But, I did need to talk to Sama. I could be awhile, knowing it. "Thanks," I nodded and opened the bookcase to step into a spotlessly clean laboratory. Chemicals of every color bubbled and smoked on tables that were also used for autopsies- Sama loved the dead. I found it sleeping in front of a hamster running frantically on its wheel. I gave the stool it was sitting on a light kick and it woke up with a start, brown eyes mere pinpoints.
I say "it" because we're not sure if Sama is a "he" or a "she". If Sama is a he, then he has a high-pitched voice and no balls. If it's a she, then she's flat as a board with a square torso and narrow hips. Its hair was shaggy and ragged-cut, hanging below its ears, dyed godless shades of purple and blue. Its skin was as pale as the long white lab coats it wore, and its thick brown glasses matched its eyes and flat boots.
Anyway, it started awake and greeted me. "Ah, Kelsey. I thought you'd be coming in." It stood and walked over to a wall made up of drawers. It opened one and held up my weapons. "All fixed up." It handed the twin Uzis to me and I twisted my wrists, getting back to familiarity with their weight, the black steel gleaming in the stale white lab light. "You'll notice the butts are hollow, and there are compartments on the underside of the barrel."
"What for?"
"Secondary ammunition. I've given you gold rounds, silver rounds, wooden rounds, pyro rounds, poisoned rounds, and tank-piercing rounds in addition to the armor-piercing goodies you already carry. You'll also find a silencer on Shin'di and a sniper-grade scope on Vin'du."
"You spoil me," I grinned.
Sama spread its hands. "No, dear employer, you spoil me." I nodded and left. We provided it with all the equipment it needed for its lab, on the only condition that it do favors for us and not ask questions.
I then sat at my desk cleaning my weapons. Shin'di was made of lighter weight metal and had been outfitted for a silencer- a possible stealth weapon. However, it could fire with all the mad strength of Vin'du, which was heavier, but vicious. I think the record was 100 rounds in a second.
Yeah, Sama was that good.
Anyway, I was about to leave around 11:30 when a tall man with a sallow face walked in. He seemed young, but his face looked like he had seen tragedy and would never be the same.
"I hear you handle strange cases. Cases no police force could ever solve."
I nodded, clicking Vin'du's barrel back into place.
"I have a job for you. I'll pay 5,000 for every perpetrator you bring in, dead or alive."
"Catch?"
"This job might cost you your lives."
"What's the gig?" It wouldn't be the first time Xak and I had put our lives on the line.
"There's a murderer on the loose. I'm suspecting three or more, but the station's calling it a single homicidal maniac. 24 killings in the last two days, all at night." He handed me some photos of crime scenes. Blood was painted all over the alleys. Young girls were nearly torn to shreds and lay in mangled heaps.
"I'll get your murderers. Dead. And I'll expect you to be able to pay up." He nodded once and hurried out.
"Newborns," Xak growled from a dark corner. "So messy."
"Loose newborns," I corrected. "No one to keep them from crap like this. We've got to destroy them before they move on, out of our range."
"I'll see how many," he offered. "For now, you go home. They'll be easier to track in the daylight." I readily agreed and locked up shop. Xak darted off silently to scope off the enemy while I mounted my bike and sped home.
I finally got there around 1:00 and slipped into bed. Xak glided through the open window and closed it before joining me.
"Well?"
"Don't think about it right now," he murmured, kissing my shoulder.
"Tell me."
"Four newborns. 30 killings." His awful-wonderful lips had worked up to my neck. "Don't think about it right now."
As always, I found that I couldn't. A vampire's power is persuasion- altering the mind's thoughts. I knew what he wanted and turned to face him and his fangs sank into my skin.
I tracked the four down the next day and disposed of them easily, but something didn't feel right. I waited hours afterward, hidden from sight, until eventually a fifth vampire came to the stacked bodies. It was a female, the newborns had been men. She was wearing hardly enough black leather to hide herself, so I could easily see the tattoo (real, dearie, not henna) gouged in her back. A spider was set between the shoulder blades, all eight legs tapering across her back and just touching her sides, shoulders, and I supposed buttocks. Beside me, Xak grew taut as a wire.
"The Black Widow," he mouthed.
She laughed and said something in a tongue I could hardly understand and left.
Xak and I took the bodies and received our reward. Back at the bar, I demanded who the Black Widow was.
"A powerful vampire. She's a mercenary and will kill anyone for the right price- and for a night with the men."
"You're kidding."
"No, she'll rape if she has to, but she almost always takes them before the kill." His red eyes were dead serious.
"How do you know her so well?"
He sighed and his pale mask dropped for a moment. I saw the torture there and tilted my head, waiting.
"I used to work for her."
"WHAT?!" I shrieked, slamming our bedroom door behind me.
"I was her partner, as I am yours." He looked right at me, pain at my anger. "It wasn't like that between us, no matter how much she wanted it to be. I never felt the way I feel about you for any other woman." Then why did I feel so betrayed? "She did try to make me her mate, but I wouldn't do it."
I turned my back to him. I didn't believe a word, didn't want to hear any more.
"Get out."
"Kiera, I-"
"Get out!"
When I turned, he was gone, silent as a shadow.
I threw myself on the bed and cried until darkness closed over my eyes.
--
Xak wasted no time in hunting down the Black Widow. He barged into the hotel suite she was staying in and glared down at her. Her eyes were bright crimson and challenged him with their gaze.
"You loved me once," she accused, her voice like sticky silk.
"No, I worked beside you."
"You wanted to sleep beside me."
"I never did!" He growled, cracking his knuckles. "I would sooner eat human food and never drink again!"
She took a step back and a look of fear and hurt crossed her too-perfect face. "How can you forget so soon, forget how it was?" Her long-fingered hand reached out and gently touched his.
A flurry of memories assaulted his mind- the two of them taking down anything from elephants to dragons to mobsters to children. Kelsey would never kill the innocent.
The two of them going their ways, her looking longingly at him every night. He did not care for her, she was nothing more than a co-worker.
Her drunken, failed seduction. He hated her.
Xak knew she was delving through his mind, his memories, but was helpless to stop her. When she finally released him, she backed up against the wall.
"The newborns were bait," she whispered defeated, "to bring you here. I thought... but you have her." The final word dripped acid. "Well, at least I can fix that."
Before Xak could do anything, she had bolted out of the window. He gave chase but couldn't catch her, only able warn Kelsey by screaming as they approached.
"FLY, KIERA, FLY IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" She must have heard, because her silhouette soared into the black sky. But even a dragon cannot outrun a vampire, and the Black Widow was bent on revenge. A gun fired once, twice in the blackness, and she fell. The Widow emptied the magazine into the helpless girl and bolted off.
"KIERA!" The earth and sky were filled with the vampire's scream. He reached her, dropped to his knees and lifted her shoulders. All the color had drained from her skin, her breathing had nearly stopped. Her pulse was so weak he was sure he was just imagining it. Xak was trembling, his red eyes darkening in rage and sorrow. He threw his head back and screamed in agony.
"KIERA!"