Chapter 1
'Well, it's all over. I'm gonna die here and now. I suppose it's fitting for a homicide detective to die by being murdered, huh? My vision's getting blurry, I can't hear, and I can't feel anything any more. Goodbye New York, my living Hell.'
Someone had heard the gunshot and called the ambulance, but at the hospital, she was pronounced D.O.A. She had no ID on her at the time, so she was also added to the list of "Jane Does" ---
Mac walked into the hospital. Richie had gone and done it again. By "it," he meant "got into a crash and "died" but managed to get the motorcycle through it without anything more than a few scratches and minor repairs needed."
'Another ambulance chase, another hospital ER rescue (if he doesn't get called a D.O.A. and get put into the morgue) and about the fifth "missing body" case in this hospital caused by me in a single month.' Mac thought to himself.
He knew the buzz wasn't Richie because he was still in that death- like state that immortals go through when they're "dead" but not beheaded. But if that buzz wasn't Richie, who was it? ---
Sara woke up right outside the ER (she didn't know how lucky she was to not have been put into the morgue yet). She was covered in her own blood. Her breathing quickened because of her shock.
"Hyperventilating until you pass out won't help, Pez," came Danny's voice.
Sara jumped. She still wasn't used to Danny's sudden, ghostly, appearances. "Didn't I just die on my living room floor?!"
"Keep it down! Yes and no."
"No cryptics today, okay? Just straight answers."
"Fine."
"Did I just die on my living room floor?" Sara repeated.
"Yes but not permanently."
"Explain it, oh wise Asian Master."
"Can't do that, Pez."
"Why not?"
"It's not my job and I don't have all the answers. But, I do know someone who does have at least a few of the answers."
"So some things DO still escape you, huh? If you're talking about Nottingham, I swear I will find some way to hurt you, even if you are a ghost."
"For once it's not Ian who has the answers."
"If it's not him, it's Irons, isn't it?"
"Nope."
"Guy or girl?"
"Guy."
"Have I ever met him?"
"No."
"You realize that keeping me waiting can be hazardous for your health, right?"
"I'm a ghost, Sara."
"I told you I would find some way to hurt you, and hurt you I will if you don't tell me VERY quickly. I'm sure Irons can find a way for me."
"Did you hit your head or something? Because you've lost it; You just suggested asking your enemy for help to injure an already-dead friend."
"Out with it."
"Fine. His name is Duncan. And by the way, he knows you're here, just not who you are."
"And how is that possible?"
"Immortals can sense each other."
"Whoa! Hold it! Immortals? The Witchblade hasn't turned my life upside-down enough? Now I need something else pushing me away from a normal life?"
"There's no such thing as normal. It's all a trick of the mind. How long will it take you to figure that out?"
"Too long. I doubt I ever will. And what the hell is causing that annoying buzz? It's giving me a headache!"
"If I'm not mistaken, that buzz means there's another Immortal around. Actually, there are two of them nearby right now. Three if we're counting you."
"Who?"
"I won't always be here to tell you, you know. But for now, I'll tell you. Duncan MacLeod, the guy I mentioned earlier, and Richie Ryan, the reason Duncan is here. I think Richie just woke up."
"And what the hell am I suppose to say when this Duncan guy shows up? 'My ghost friend just told me that you're an Immortal too'? Sometimes you just don't get it, do you Danny?"
"I get it. Just leave it to him, and don't freak when he pulls a sword, okay? It's common among Immortals."
"Wait a minute, Sword?! This whole 'immortal' thing includes sword fighting? You're kidding. I have to keep the Witchblade? I can't just chuck it?!"
"You've tried that before, and where'd it end up?"
"Back on my wrist, where you other people are convinced it belongs. Why can't Immortals carry guns or something?"
"The only way to kill an Immortal for good is to decapitate them. You'll learn that if you hang around with Duncan long enough. Oh, here he comes now. Best for me to leave. Bye now!" Danny called, fading away.
Duncan edged around the corner, katana drawn.
"Hey, no threats now, I'm not up to it," muttered Sara. "And aside from that, I've seen enough blood for one day and don't feel like decapitating anyone today. So do me a favor and don't make me do that, okay?" Sara said, holding her head in her hands.
"You're not even armed." Duncan quipped.
"Really?" Sara asked, morphing the Witchblade from its dormant state to the sword. "How about now?"
"How'd you do that?!"
"You answer my questions, I'll answer yours. Deal?"
"Deal. How'd you do that?"
"Do you think we could get out of the hospital first? This is no five minute explanation, and the medical smell makes me feel weird."
"Just lemme get Richie out of the morgue first."
"Morgue?"
"Yeah. Never died and woke up again in a morgue before?"
"No. Forgive me but I've only been an immortal for about two hours now."
"Then how'd you know about Immortals then?"
"Are you trying to ask me all the questions that require long explanations, or is this some form of dumb luck?"
"Dumb luck. Are you staying here or coming with me to rescue Richie?"
"Moving around sounds like a good idea right now, since I just narrowly avoided being murdered. I want to make the most of this second chance. Unfortunately, this will be hard to do if I have to keep working."
"I just realized that we've carried on this whole conversation without even knowing each other's names. Duncan MacLeod. You are."
"Detective Sara Pezzini, NYPD. How are we going to get your friend out of the morgue without anyone noticing? I mean, a walking corpse is hard to miss."
"My technique varies from time to time. I have yet to find anything that always works, but the saddened friend look has brought a lot of previous successes."
"I've got an idea."
"Explain."
"Please don't use that word. Explain, to me, is a twenty minute long speech. I need about ten seconds at most." Sara said sarcastically.
"So what's the idea?"
"I say I'm there for an investigation."
"It would work."
"Let's hope it does."
"So let's go," Duncan prompted.
Sara rummaged through her pockets, searching for her badge. "Uh. I think we have a problem here. My badge is still in my apartment. Which is probably swarming with the rest of the homicide detectives in the area."
"And what are we supposed to do about that? I'd better start thinking- " Mac was cut off by Sara, who said, "Looks like it's time to bring stalker- boy into the picture! So where's my buddy Nottingham when I need him?" Ian slid out of the shadows (like usual). "I'm right here, Lady Sara." "Jesus! Don't do that, Ian!" "Do what?" "Appear out of nowhere at any mention of your name!" "Sorry."
'Well, it's all over. I'm gonna die here and now. I suppose it's fitting for a homicide detective to die by being murdered, huh? My vision's getting blurry, I can't hear, and I can't feel anything any more. Goodbye New York, my living Hell.'
Someone had heard the gunshot and called the ambulance, but at the hospital, she was pronounced D.O.A. She had no ID on her at the time, so she was also added to the list of "Jane Does" ---
Mac walked into the hospital. Richie had gone and done it again. By "it," he meant "got into a crash and "died" but managed to get the motorcycle through it without anything more than a few scratches and minor repairs needed."
'Another ambulance chase, another hospital ER rescue (if he doesn't get called a D.O.A. and get put into the morgue) and about the fifth "missing body" case in this hospital caused by me in a single month.' Mac thought to himself.
He knew the buzz wasn't Richie because he was still in that death- like state that immortals go through when they're "dead" but not beheaded. But if that buzz wasn't Richie, who was it? ---
Sara woke up right outside the ER (she didn't know how lucky she was to not have been put into the morgue yet). She was covered in her own blood. Her breathing quickened because of her shock.
"Hyperventilating until you pass out won't help, Pez," came Danny's voice.
Sara jumped. She still wasn't used to Danny's sudden, ghostly, appearances. "Didn't I just die on my living room floor?!"
"Keep it down! Yes and no."
"No cryptics today, okay? Just straight answers."
"Fine."
"Did I just die on my living room floor?" Sara repeated.
"Yes but not permanently."
"Explain it, oh wise Asian Master."
"Can't do that, Pez."
"Why not?"
"It's not my job and I don't have all the answers. But, I do know someone who does have at least a few of the answers."
"So some things DO still escape you, huh? If you're talking about Nottingham, I swear I will find some way to hurt you, even if you are a ghost."
"For once it's not Ian who has the answers."
"If it's not him, it's Irons, isn't it?"
"Nope."
"Guy or girl?"
"Guy."
"Have I ever met him?"
"No."
"You realize that keeping me waiting can be hazardous for your health, right?"
"I'm a ghost, Sara."
"I told you I would find some way to hurt you, and hurt you I will if you don't tell me VERY quickly. I'm sure Irons can find a way for me."
"Did you hit your head or something? Because you've lost it; You just suggested asking your enemy for help to injure an already-dead friend."
"Out with it."
"Fine. His name is Duncan. And by the way, he knows you're here, just not who you are."
"And how is that possible?"
"Immortals can sense each other."
"Whoa! Hold it! Immortals? The Witchblade hasn't turned my life upside-down enough? Now I need something else pushing me away from a normal life?"
"There's no such thing as normal. It's all a trick of the mind. How long will it take you to figure that out?"
"Too long. I doubt I ever will. And what the hell is causing that annoying buzz? It's giving me a headache!"
"If I'm not mistaken, that buzz means there's another Immortal around. Actually, there are two of them nearby right now. Three if we're counting you."
"Who?"
"I won't always be here to tell you, you know. But for now, I'll tell you. Duncan MacLeod, the guy I mentioned earlier, and Richie Ryan, the reason Duncan is here. I think Richie just woke up."
"And what the hell am I suppose to say when this Duncan guy shows up? 'My ghost friend just told me that you're an Immortal too'? Sometimes you just don't get it, do you Danny?"
"I get it. Just leave it to him, and don't freak when he pulls a sword, okay? It's common among Immortals."
"Wait a minute, Sword?! This whole 'immortal' thing includes sword fighting? You're kidding. I have to keep the Witchblade? I can't just chuck it?!"
"You've tried that before, and where'd it end up?"
"Back on my wrist, where you other people are convinced it belongs. Why can't Immortals carry guns or something?"
"The only way to kill an Immortal for good is to decapitate them. You'll learn that if you hang around with Duncan long enough. Oh, here he comes now. Best for me to leave. Bye now!" Danny called, fading away.
Duncan edged around the corner, katana drawn.
"Hey, no threats now, I'm not up to it," muttered Sara. "And aside from that, I've seen enough blood for one day and don't feel like decapitating anyone today. So do me a favor and don't make me do that, okay?" Sara said, holding her head in her hands.
"You're not even armed." Duncan quipped.
"Really?" Sara asked, morphing the Witchblade from its dormant state to the sword. "How about now?"
"How'd you do that?!"
"You answer my questions, I'll answer yours. Deal?"
"Deal. How'd you do that?"
"Do you think we could get out of the hospital first? This is no five minute explanation, and the medical smell makes me feel weird."
"Just lemme get Richie out of the morgue first."
"Morgue?"
"Yeah. Never died and woke up again in a morgue before?"
"No. Forgive me but I've only been an immortal for about two hours now."
"Then how'd you know about Immortals then?"
"Are you trying to ask me all the questions that require long explanations, or is this some form of dumb luck?"
"Dumb luck. Are you staying here or coming with me to rescue Richie?"
"Moving around sounds like a good idea right now, since I just narrowly avoided being murdered. I want to make the most of this second chance. Unfortunately, this will be hard to do if I have to keep working."
"I just realized that we've carried on this whole conversation without even knowing each other's names. Duncan MacLeod. You are."
"Detective Sara Pezzini, NYPD. How are we going to get your friend out of the morgue without anyone noticing? I mean, a walking corpse is hard to miss."
"My technique varies from time to time. I have yet to find anything that always works, but the saddened friend look has brought a lot of previous successes."
"I've got an idea."
"Explain."
"Please don't use that word. Explain, to me, is a twenty minute long speech. I need about ten seconds at most." Sara said sarcastically.
"So what's the idea?"
"I say I'm there for an investigation."
"It would work."
"Let's hope it does."
"So let's go," Duncan prompted.
Sara rummaged through her pockets, searching for her badge. "Uh. I think we have a problem here. My badge is still in my apartment. Which is probably swarming with the rest of the homicide detectives in the area."
"And what are we supposed to do about that? I'd better start thinking- " Mac was cut off by Sara, who said, "Looks like it's time to bring stalker- boy into the picture! So where's my buddy Nottingham when I need him?" Ian slid out of the shadows (like usual). "I'm right here, Lady Sara." "Jesus! Don't do that, Ian!" "Do what?" "Appear out of nowhere at any mention of your name!" "Sorry."