Carl leaned carefully over the bottle of clear liquid, happily working in the early morning light. In his right hand, he held a tiny vial of black liquid over the bottle. Slightly shakily, he lowered it, preparing to tip a drop in.
"Carl!"
He jumped, his arm jerked, and he spilled in all of the black liquid. There was a loud bang, a bright flash and Carl was flung backwards. He felt his glass cabinet smash as he crashed against it, and fell to the floor with a shower of glass and various chemicals, which began mixing and giving off clouds of various coloured gases.
Van Helsing ran over. It had been he who had spoken. That morning, he was fully, normally dressed and armed.
"Carl, are you alright?" he asked, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and lifting him effortlessly to his feet.
"Note to self: all of the vampire blood equals not good," muttered Carl, his face pinched in pain.
"That black stuff is vampire blood?" asked Van Helsing, looking around the charred lab.
"It is," said Carl.
"What the hell are you doing playing with that stuff? You aren't trying to... create life, are you?" asked Gabriel suspiciously.
Carl looked annoyed. "Someone needs to create life to make up for all the life YOU take."
Van Helsing's face darkened and Carl realised he had accidently pulled Anna into the conversation.
"I'm sorry..." he murmured sadly.
Van Helsing shook his head. "No worries."
"If you must know, I'm trying to create a cure for vampires," Carl said.
"By letting them drink the blood of what you don't want them to be?"
Carl merely smiled with intelligence, making Van Helsing sigh.
"Did anyone ever tell you you're too smart?" he asked.
Carl grinned peevishly. "Yes. So I slipped a homemade laxative into their dinner."
Van Helsing raised his hands. "Fine. I take it back then. And I thought I was dangerous..."
"Can you take the hat and scarf off please?" said Carl. "I don't like talking to garments of clothing... at least when I'm sober."
Gabriel laughed, and placed his hat on the nearest bench. He pulled down his scarf. "Happy?"
"Well, no, as I now have this whole place to tidy again. What was it you wanted?" he asked.
"A device to open locks, any locks," Gabriel said.
Carl's face darkened. "Um... may I enquire as to why?"
"You know why, don't you?"
It was more a statement than a question but Carl felt it still needed an answer. "I don't know everything about it, Van."
"Just help me, Carl," said Gabriel.
"I can't."
Van Helsing pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Carl's head. "Help me."
"You wouldn't shoot me. And besides, its rather stupid to threaten me in a lab surrounded by chemicals and weapons you know nothing about and I know everything about..."
Van Helsing cocked the pistol. "Help me, godammit."
Carl sighed. Then he reached into his robes and handed over a long, lethal looking silver spike with a button on the end. "Here. But you didn't get it from me."
Van Helsing took it, pocketed it with his pistol, and moved off, flashing his friend a grateful smile, and grabbing his hat.
"Carl!"
He jumped, his arm jerked, and he spilled in all of the black liquid. There was a loud bang, a bright flash and Carl was flung backwards. He felt his glass cabinet smash as he crashed against it, and fell to the floor with a shower of glass and various chemicals, which began mixing and giving off clouds of various coloured gases.
Van Helsing ran over. It had been he who had spoken. That morning, he was fully, normally dressed and armed.
"Carl, are you alright?" he asked, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and lifting him effortlessly to his feet.
"Note to self: all of the vampire blood equals not good," muttered Carl, his face pinched in pain.
"That black stuff is vampire blood?" asked Van Helsing, looking around the charred lab.
"It is," said Carl.
"What the hell are you doing playing with that stuff? You aren't trying to... create life, are you?" asked Gabriel suspiciously.
Carl looked annoyed. "Someone needs to create life to make up for all the life YOU take."
Van Helsing's face darkened and Carl realised he had accidently pulled Anna into the conversation.
"I'm sorry..." he murmured sadly.
Van Helsing shook his head. "No worries."
"If you must know, I'm trying to create a cure for vampires," Carl said.
"By letting them drink the blood of what you don't want them to be?"
Carl merely smiled with intelligence, making Van Helsing sigh.
"Did anyone ever tell you you're too smart?" he asked.
Carl grinned peevishly. "Yes. So I slipped a homemade laxative into their dinner."
Van Helsing raised his hands. "Fine. I take it back then. And I thought I was dangerous..."
"Can you take the hat and scarf off please?" said Carl. "I don't like talking to garments of clothing... at least when I'm sober."
Gabriel laughed, and placed his hat on the nearest bench. He pulled down his scarf. "Happy?"
"Well, no, as I now have this whole place to tidy again. What was it you wanted?" he asked.
"A device to open locks, any locks," Gabriel said.
Carl's face darkened. "Um... may I enquire as to why?"
"You know why, don't you?"
It was more a statement than a question but Carl felt it still needed an answer. "I don't know everything about it, Van."
"Just help me, Carl," said Gabriel.
"I can't."
Van Helsing pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Carl's head. "Help me."
"You wouldn't shoot me. And besides, its rather stupid to threaten me in a lab surrounded by chemicals and weapons you know nothing about and I know everything about..."
Van Helsing cocked the pistol. "Help me, godammit."
Carl sighed. Then he reached into his robes and handed over a long, lethal looking silver spike with a button on the end. "Here. But you didn't get it from me."
Van Helsing took it, pocketed it with his pistol, and moved off, flashing his friend a grateful smile, and grabbing his hat.