Henry and Vicki pt. 1
Okay, forage into fan fiction! Here we go...
Henry woke like he always did, immediately and instantly going from the dreamless void that was the day into complete awareness of the night and his surroundings. For just an instant every time his vampire senses overwhelmed him in waking, smells from the building-the cleaners used on the carpeting in the hallways, the odors of foods being cooked and sounds of the night outside. But his control, gained over centuries of practice asserted itself practically before he was aware of it and it all faded into the background again.
He lay for a moment thinking of Vicky. After tens of hundreds of years he thought he had forgotten what fear was like, but she made him feel it again, almost as deep and visceral and primal as his vampire nature, whenever she did something completely stupid. He thought again of that moment when he burst into the apartment and found Asteroth reaching for her, the marks burning on her hands and her blood split across the alter. He almost hadn't been in time. And he knew that it was only the beginning. Asteroth would be back, was always waiting for another chance to enter into this plane and make all mortals subjects and slaves to his will. And Vicky would always be tied to him now, always in danger, and always a threat.
And if that wasn't enough, if that wasn't all, there was her irritating habit of charging head first into danger totally unprepared and alone every time a client needed help.
He knew she'd be calling soon, asking for help on yet another of her mysterious "supernatural" cases. He smiled at the word thinking how intriguing it was for him to be assisting her with this. It was getting harder to refuse though, he'd finally found someone who he couldn't just thrall into submission. And that was a very attractive quality. He'd gone centuries doing whatever it was he wanted and making people forget afterwards. There was a certain challenge in courting a woman the old fashioned way. And yes, she would be calling soon. Henry slid out of bed, stretching before pulling on black trousers and a shirt, grabbing his coat, keys and cellphone still in the pocket from last night. He glanced briefly at his newest work, pages of text and illustration scattered all over the table. Even to his eye all of the prototypes for his heroine resembled Vicky, he'd even been so bold as to draw eye glasses on one of them. He'd have to work on it later though, right now the night was calling and with Vicky soon to follow he had business to attend to before he saw her.
He found them easily enough, there were always people that wandered at the edges of society and sometimes got lost in the cracks. The people that most ignored as they walked by or if not threw a few spare change worth of coins and walked away. As a rule Henry usually avoided them as well, but they were practical and he had very little time to spare for slowly seducing his prey tonight.
He sniffed taking in the scents surrounding him and making his choice like a connoisseur at a wine tasting smelling corks. Discard the drug addicts, he had learned very early that drugs in the blood stream of his victims could affect him as well. The homeless were generally too weak and infirm to sustain the blood loss, so they were out also. Which left only a few, prostitutes were always an option and they frequented the street corners at night, but Henry felt guilty using them-even if only for blood- and not offering the traditional compensation and he didn't have more then a few dollars on him. Money usually wasn't a problem he had to remember.
Couples and groups of people were generally not a good idea unless he was desperate, which left people out alone.
He scanned the street, standing casually leaning against the front entrance to his apartment building like he was waiting for a cab. Then he caught sight of her, she was waiting at the corner to cross into Queen's park. In the midst of a crowd of rowdy University students he had almost dismissed her but something had caught his eye and held it long enough for him to realize that she was, in fact, alone. The light had changed and she was walking quickly across, breaking away from the crowd on the opposite side and heading for the park. Almost without thinking Henry followed her.
It was too easy he thought as she walked deeper into the park. The lamps were spaced far apart with large areas of darkness in between and plenty of trees and greenery for cover. Anyone who might happen to walk along would only see two young lovers exploring the night and each other under the trees.
The girl walked straight along the paved path, looking neither left nor right, never showing any hesitation when confronted with the darkness. Henry frowned and began to wonder about her sanity. Surely, he thought, what sort of woman would enter a park, alone and at night? Especially after all the recent press about the "cult" murders surrounding Asteroth's calling. He really should see her safely to the subway station on the other side...You're getting soft Fitzroy! he thought, spending too much time with mortal women with a penchant for getting themselves into dangerous situations and you start seeing her everywhere.
In truth this girl looked almost nothing like Vicky. Where Vicky seemed touched with gold in her hair and skin, the girl before him was almost striking in her paleness the dark hair that was twisted up in a clip only serving to accentuate it. The only thing they had in common was a curve filled and athletic figure.
While he mulled on their similarities and differences, she paused for the first time, eyes searching the surrounding trees before continuing on at a slower pace. Henry paused as well, confused with her sudden change in behaviour and inhaled sharply looking for what might have distracted her, possibly an animal in the bushes or someone approaching. There was nothing. But even while his senses were telling him that they were, for all his purposes, still alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't. A chill seeped into him and he quickened his pace to bring him closer to the girl.
Suddenly the next lamp in front of her was doused and the pool of darkness spread almost to her feet. The light hadn't flickered like it would if the bulb or power had failed, but had just gone out as if it had never existed at all. Henry had had enough and was about to step out of the shadows himself and escort her to the other side of the park when he felt something powerful collesquesking in the darkness of the now dead street lamp. The girl dropped a hand inside her pocket, but instead of stepping back into the relative safety of the light, took a step forward closer to the darkness and the danger that Henry could feel building inside it by the minute. Cursing all females who thought they could face down the supernatural with a can of mace-or a night stick for that matter- Henry sprang forward faster then sight until he was right beside her.
"Be silent and don't move." Henry whispered to her, hand around her throat, or rather the dark turtleneck that hid her throat, his vampire powers ensuring her complete compliance. He turned to face whatever was in that darkness just as it sprang for him full of claws that could easily rip apart anything alive.
The claws gouged deep into his flesh, tearing inch deep furrows across his chest. Henry exposed his fangs, his own nails growing into claws as he reached for the thing that had attacked him. His hands closed around something insubstantial before it seemed to melt out from between his grasping fingers. He snarled and jumped only to find himself caught from behind, claws ripping into his sides and sending him crashing into the bench that sat underneath the lighted lamp. Blood coating his torso Henry raised himself up from the pile of splintered wood and crouched between the darkness and girl, ready to defend them but unsure of what exactly it was he was facing.
A heart beat passed, then another. Henry crept towards the darkness, wary and feeling the toll the blood loss was taking on him but unwilling to let this creature go. It slashed out again, but this time he was ready and fast enough to avoid it. He caught the reaching arm pulling it towards him while sweeping his other hand, nails extended towards its throat. The demon's arm elongated, stretching so that it's body was out of harms way and Henry again felt the solid arm he had a hold of sliding and slipping out of his fingers. The demon was darkness, darker even then the night that surrounded it. It had once taken over the body of a man but its evil had burned it away from the inside out, only traces of its former inhabitance remained-skin flapping from around shadowed shoulders, and the remnants of bones protruding out from it's appendages when it tried to shift shapes. The only constant was the eyes that looked out with hate, following Henry's movements.
Without warning it attacked again, Henry jumped away only to be caught by it's other hand, spearing him with it's claws, now grown to talon length and using them to toss him away. He landed a few feet from where the girl still stood, frozen with fear and his command not to move. He tried to get up, but his blood was pooling beneath him and he knew that he was too weak.
"Run" he managed to whisper with the last of his strength, hoping it would be enough to at least release her from his thrall and help her reach the comparative safety of the street behind them. There was always the possibility that the creature would stay to finish him off rather then chase her to attain a new host. He knew it was unlikely in the extreme but he still had to try to save her.
He breathed in relief as he watched her move, but the feeling was quickly replaced with fear and, if he was honest, a slight amount of annoyance when she knelt beside him rather then running for her life.
"You seem to be in a bit of a pickle" she said, casually. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to bite off more then you can chew?"
And with that she turned away from him and towards the darkness and the demon that lurked within waiting for her.
Henry was wavering between fear for both himself and the unknown woman and an intense need to shake some sense into her! She'd seen what it was as well as he had, and she'd witnessed his own immortal strength and abilities be defeated by it and yet she still refused to save herself! The fact that it was exactly what Vicky would have done did very little to improve his temper.
"Run!" he tried again, attempting to put all of his power behind the single word to force her compliance. It should have worked too but instead she motioned him to be quiet and stood up.
The girl stepped forwards slowly until her toes were just touching the edge of the darkness. Hand still in her pocket she waited unmoving and undeterred. Henry saw it move within the darkness, a slow slithering towards her that she could never hope to see with mortal eyes. He watched as it crouched, readying itself for the kill and then sprang forward, just as it had with him, claws extended ready to rip into her innocent flesh. Unable to help himself Henry closed his eyes, unwilling to watch her die because of his failure.
He waited for her scream. But instead what he heard was a totally unmortal like howl. His eyes flipped open, immediately focusing on his surroundings but it took a minute before his brain believed the there wasn't a dark haired girl lying in blood before him.
The girl still stood, facing the demon that was ensnared in a net that looked like it was made of strands of light. It was fighting desperately to be free, twisting and reshaping, and to Henry's horror slowly but surely working it's way out of the net. The girl watched, unconcerned, a knife in one hand the other sketching symbols that took forms Henry knew, magical runes for binding and containment shining blue white against the dark. The demon ripped free from the last of the netting, having disgorged what was left of its human body in the process and rushed at the girl again. Faster then Henry would have believed possible for a mortal she dodged, plunging the knife in a deep score along it's side as she dived and rolled to a standing position again. The creature howled, more from fury then pain and charged towards her. She stood waiting and Henry had to fight the urge to close his eyes again as she threw the knife-a practiced motion-into what would have been the chest of the demon. It staggered briefly, but recovered and rushed forwards again even more determined to kill her now. As it jumped, clawed arms extended for her throat it was suddenly caught in mid-air, the runes of the now finished binding spell swirling around it, forcing it smaller and smaller. Henry hadn't registered the continual movement of her left hand in sketching the spell while she fought-apparently only buying time until she could complete it. The demon screamed, enraged and in fear for the first time as it was forced back in on itself until it was a swirling mass of pure blackness ringed by binding marks too bright to look at. The girl walked past it and reaching over Henry grabbed her bag from the ground rooting around inside it much like a woman looking for that ever elusive lip stick or cell phone. What she pulled out however was neither of these, and as she turned Henry saw a clear crystal balanced on her palm. The edges were sharp and her fingers were bleeding where they gripped the stone. She traced one final rune in the air, this one shining red with her own blood and pulsing while the demon was forced forwards and into the crystal by the other marks. It was pulled inside, the final rune settling over the now black crystal turning it from a swirling angry darkness to a very normal looking opaque piece of what looked a lot like charcoal.
Henry watched in frustration as the girl slipped the stone into her pocket and turned to look at him. She had just captured a demon and entrapped it in that stone with magic, something that Henry despised. But worse then the use of dark magic to save his life-again- was the fact that she now possessed this demon and could release it whenever she choose. There were very few people that Henry would feel safe having that power and this unknown young girl was definitely not one of them.
She walked around Henry, still lying bleeding on the ground and slung her bag over her shoulder. She knelt down beside him, looking him over as if deciding his fate, which was exactly what she was doing. Without blood Henry wouldn't last the next few minutes and he could barely move, so unless some good Samaritan happened along who felt like being a blood donor she was his only hope.
"What's your name?" She asked. Henry stared up at her in total incomprehension. He had expected recriminations, fear and denial, for even people who appeared calm when confronted with demons might not be as accepting of a vampire.
He gathered his strength and managed to produce the two syllables of "Henry" with effort.
"Well, Henry, do you make it a
nightly occurrence to stalk women through parks with the intent of
feeding on them, only to turn around and go all knight in shining
armor-ish and try to save them from a demon instead?" There was a
smile that accompanied this question but Henry noticed that it never
quite reached her eyes. He couldn't answer even if he'd wanted
too, giving his name had drained what remained of his strength, so he
only lay there helpless looking up at her with what he hoped was the
look of someone worth saving.
In any case he was spared the
trouble of answering when his phone rang. Looking mildly surprised
the girl reached over him and into his coat pocket pulling out the
phone. She stared at it for a moment before flipping it open.
"Henry?" It was Vicky's voice on the phone, and even in his weakened state he could hear her clearly.
The girl didn't answer.
"Henry, are you there? I need your help, something's come up. Henry?"
The girl looked down at him, clearly reading the worry and frustration in his eyes at her intrusion into his privacy.
"I'm afraid that Henry's unable to talk right now..." a glance at the caller id "...Vicky"
"Who is this? Where is Henry? What's happened?"
Another glance at him before the girl answered "He and I ran into a bit of trouble in Queen's Park. I'm sure if you know Henry then you'll know the nature of this trouble. He needs your help. East side, near the fountain." And with that the girl hung up the phone and carefully replaced it in his jacket pocket.
"Even if your friend" sarcasm in the word "lives around here I still doubt that you'll be able to wait for her." A pause, then "Am I wrong?"
The question was clearly rhetorical, but Henry managed to shake his head 'no' anyways. He had to regain his strength before Vicky came, once again charging into danger on his behalf, and right now that meant convincing this girl that he needed blood immediately. Something that wasn't hard to do since it wasn't far from the truth. The girl was powerful and he didn't want her near Vicky when he was unable to fight.
She looked around as if considering her options, appearing to have all the time in the world while Henry lay bleeding before her.
Finally she sighed and reached into her bag pulling out a pocket knife, smaller and more functional then the knife she's used against the demon. Henry briefly wondered how many she had hidden away on her person. She looked at him one more time, before rolling up her jacket sleeve to expose the thin wrist and blue veins beneath. Henry could feel his teeth lengthening in his mouth and he couldn't take his eyes off her wrist. He knew that he probably looked like every monster movie vampire image ever produced right now, eyes burning, fangs sharp, skin white and pulled from lack of blood, and he could only pray that it didn't make her condemn him.
"I'll probably regret this in the morning" she said, and plunged the knife into her skin, slitting a two inch gash through the main veins from wrist to elbow.
Henry's lips closed over the wound, his mouth immediately filling with sweet hot liquid that burned as it restored his strength. Maybe it was just that he was so weakened and drained but he felt the rush hard, euphoria and strength flooding his body with the first few mouthfuls. He closed his eyes in ecstasy, letting the feeling rush through his body which hardened in response. His hand came up automatically to hold the girls wrist to his mouth, his fingertips brushed amazingly soft skin and he smelled the scent of vanilla briefly before she pulled away.
His eyes flew open as he rolled towards her, his arm outstretched to hold her to him but she easily alluded his grasp.
"Sorry, but this isn't an all you can eat buffet" She looked him over, scrutinizing him while he collapsed back to the ground, exhausted after so small a movement.
"I'm sure you'll last until you're friend gets here now, and from the sounds of it, she'll be more then happy to assist you."
She stood up, looking down on him one last time, straightening her bag over her shoulder and tying a strip of cloth around her wrist. Henry's eyes were caught by it and drawn to the blood that had soaked into her jacket cuff. He couldn't help the small flicker of his tongue along his lips as he remembered the feel of her skin against his mouth and the taste of her.
"Besides" she said "I'm not so sure that it's a good idea for you to be at full strength yet, I mean after all- we are still alone, in a dark park at night, and you're still a vampire who came here with the intention of sucking my blood" teasing in the words even though she was frowning.
She turned looking toward the subway station that was just visible father along the path on the other side of the fountain, and stepped away from him.
"Wait" Henry gasped, pushing himself into a sitting position. "What's your name?" She had defeated a demon in this park using very advanced dark magic and still held it captive within a crystal and he had no idea what she might plan to use it for. He didn't believe that she'd come her accidentally any more, she knew what he was and that he'd been following her, plus she was too prepared for that demon. She either lured him here with the intent to destroy him, or was coming here to trap the demon-in which case she had succeeded. He couldn't afford to let her go without knowing how to find her again.
She was a few feet away by now, but turned back and regarded him carefully. He almost thought she wasn't going to answer and knew that he wasn't strong enough to force her, even if his powers worked on her, which he was also being to doubt. Just when he couldn't stand it anymore and slumped back onto his side she answered:
"Jay"
He heard footsteps approaching, far off yet but coming closer and opened his eyes seeing a light bobbing through the trees.
"Henry?" A voice called. Vicky's voice. His heart beat sped up and he looked again to where the girl was only to find that she was gone. He lay back, content for the moment to wait for Vicky, even if it might be awhile-she wasn't always that good at locating things in the dark and he'd probably be lucky if she didn't trip over him. He thought back over his encounter with the girl this evening-Jay, she said her name was jay he reminded himself- looking for clues as to how he could find her. He wasn't worried however, now he had her name and the scent of her blood he'd be able to find her anywhere in this city, might take some time, but he had all the time in the world.