Disclaimer: Silent Hill belongs to Konami. Chris belongs to me. ;)

AN: Chris has his own little story going on in my other fics, that has nothing to do with Silent Hill. :) I prefer characters that inhabit a grander world than just their own. However, because what he is doing is important, he is being included here. ;) That is why characters from my other fics, such as the Persona ones, will pop up in other fics occasionally. Alessa may have been greatly influenced by Silent Hill, but her entire life does not revolve around Silent Hill the town, for example. She has other adventures that she goes on. ;-)

Thank you for being patient here. ;-D I promise, this is all going somewhere!

Halloween Tales

Chapter 2

8:19 p.m.

The time had passed relatively quickly later on that day, and it was now nighttime. Alessa was ready. She had primped her costume up nice and proper, done her hair, and gotten ready in other ways. She had watched a five movie marathon earlier in the day all morning, with only the short break in the afternoon to put on her costume, and then gone right back to watching the movies. Now Heather had arrived from wherever she had gone, and she was now ready to accompany Alessa on her nightly outing. Alessa couldn't say that she didn't wish Heather looked more enthusiastic about it, but at least she was going, and that was all that mattered. Alessa grinned to herself, imagining all the fun she was going to have tonight.

Alessa watched as her father approached them, staring at the oddly dressed girls with his head cocked slightly to the side. He had the faint smirk of amusement on his face, which meant he was finding the whole thing funny but wouldn't dare say it to their faces for Heather's sake. He had on some casual clothing, a black sweater jacket and the jeans he wore around the house, so he probably wasn't going out tonight. He grinned upon seeing his favorite girls, noting Alessa's excitement and Heather's obvious discomfort, as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"There's my girls," Chris stated, glancing at them with a mild grin of amusement and pride. Alessa might have been quirky, but at least she was doing what she wanted, not what anyone else wanted.

"Yep," Alessa grinned, feeling giddy. They were standing side-by-side, making a perfect pair. They had their orange pumpkin-decorated Halloween bags, ready to be loaded to the bottom with candy. Their plan was to meet up with Heather's friend at her house, and pick up her niece there. Alessa was going as a witch (because she may as well go with it), and Heather was an angel. The costumes weren't the most creative, but they fit the theme of the night. With the costumes arranged as they were, and a little of making the right faces, the girls would be able to pass as teenagers four years younger, and no one would be able to tell the difference. They looked astoundingly young, in the costumes, Chris thought. Heather had small wings coming out of her back, and she wore a white shirt with no sleeves, one that complemented the flowering, flowing skirt covering her legs, and had her head encircled by a golden tiara-like band. Heather seemed a bit uncomfortable in her costume, shifting from foot to foot while gripping her bag.

"Aren't you starting a little late?" Chris inquired of them. The kids going around dressed up had been out there for hours already. He would have expected that Alessa would have gotten started a little earlier, like she usually did.

A shrug. "We're only going to be out there for about an hour and a half, or two hours," Alessa said, and perhaps it was for Heather's benefit. She seemed unsettled. "We'll be back before 11:00," she finished.

Chris nodded in satisfaction, giving a slight noise of acknowledgement. It seemed a little early to him, but it was Alessa's choice, and he supposed the activity outside would probably be tapering off by then. Most kids probably wouldn't want to be out there after 12:00 a.m., with their parents bugging them to go home, and when it was no longer October 31st. Technically you would already be onto November by then.

He looked seriously. "Stay away from 15th st. There's a pack of vampires wandering around there, and they're apparently interested in biting people. They're not looking for a full meal, supposedly, but rather be sure just in case," Chris told them, giving them a few more tips. He had heard some things.

"All right," Alessa nodded. Heather scoffed to herself, as she listened to them.

"Come on, guys, vampires?" she asked incredulously. Both Alessa and Chris gave serious looks at each other. Heather's expression fell a bit.

"Er, right," she said, scooting closer to Alessa.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll be careful," Alessa smirked. She would be more than that. Actually, she had one of the pendants he had received from their benefactor in her costume, just in case there was an emergency with a supernatural creature and she needed to use it. Technically she wasn't supposed to take it without his permission, but it was one of the minor magic ones, so she was sure he wouldn't miss it. Working for Ragnorok had its advantages. She smirked. It was very unlikely she would be running into any supernatural creatures tonight; she never had before.

"Is Julie still at that spa?" Heather piped up, from her right side. Heather stepped closer to the blond haired man, looking around the house with an observant eye. The older woman had gone to some high-class spa for several days, a token of relaxation Alessa and Chris had offered her, since she definitely needed the vacation. It was odd not seeing the brunette woman around, working on one thing or another. She definitely would have appreciated the costumes, she thought with something between a smirk and a rueful expression.

"Yep. She says she wants to stay the whole week relaxing, so she can be away from this…craziness, until it's over," Chris said, waving a hand at the kids outside, and the general aura of Halloween. Despite their best efforts, Alessa had still managed to get a few decorations onto the house. They allowed it, because they loved her. He was also pretty sure there was a scarecrow seated outside that would grab people, if they attempted to touch it. Chris shook his head at his daughter, wondering mildly with amusement where on earth she got such unbridled enthusiasm for this holiday from. He understood some of the basic motives, but she was still the biggest fanatic of this holiday occasion he had ever seen.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? You don't have to be with us, of course, but you could go into town and see if there are any costume parties going on, or something like that. I know there's a parade going on," Alessa said, wondering if he was really going to spend the night at home alone. It was Halloween night. Everyone should be having some fun.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine at home," Chris reassured them with a smile. He shrugged one sweater clad shoulder, trying to look nonchalant about the whole thing. He appreciated them looking after him, but he didn't need them to look after him. He would be fine by himself. And it was getting dark outside, and the longer Alessa waited, the darker it would get. He didn't want them waiting around the house longer than they should have because she was worrying about her old dad.

"Okay, we're going," Alessa said, as she turned and headed on her way. She was a little worried about him, but she wasn't going to argue about it. He needed to get out more, but that was up to him. He was looking a little lost without Julie, to be honest, which reminded her of how dependent he had gotten on her, despite doing things on his own for many years. Oh well, she pushed it to the side out of her mind, determined not to let it interfere with her enjoyment. She gripped the bag with joyful fingers, feeling a sense of giddiness running through her. She was going trick-or-treating! Her favorite night of the year, along with Christmas, and she was going to enjoy it full force with her beautiful girlfriend, who was also going dressed as a character, and was indulging Alessa despite making it clear that she did not want to be here, simply because she loved her. Oh, she was going to have so much fun! She would show Heather exactly why there was so much joy to be found in Halloween, and eating candy and going dressed out during the night had their own rewards, right along with the atmosphere.

"Be careful," Chris called out behind them, giving them one last pointer as he waved goodbye. He had to give them the standard parental warning, even though he knew Alessa could handle herself, and protect Heather too.

"I will," Alessa said, without looking back. She didn't see her dad waving goodbye, but she knew him, and she knew he was just trying to be protective of her, like any responsible parent. It wasn't something he got to do often, and she knew he enjoyed it.

Heather grimaced to herself a bit as they left. She looked sideways to the girl escorting her, and her oddly assembled attire. This was the first time she had seen Alessa's costume all day, and now Heather understood why Alessa hadn't wanted her to view it until now. Because it was so lame, she would have been snickering at it quietly on the first view if she'd been given the chance. An angel and a witch? Really? That was the most creative exercise Alessa could come up with? It was such a clichéd pairing, and Heather had to bite her lip every time she saw the oversized black clothing on Alessa, and the shimmering pointy hat. Heather was beginning to doubt her girlfriend, and her motivations for this idea. Not to mention, the psychological implications of a person who had been called a witch for years in a tormenting abusive manner dressing up as a witch for Halloween. A sigh nearly escaped her lips. She hoped this night would go quickly, because she couldn't wait to get out of this costume. Ah well, what was done was done. There was no backing out of it now. Heather sighed internally as she contemplated what her life had come to on this night, in this childish white costume: she felt like she was freakin' six years old! Heather couldn't help the sarcastic snark that formed on her lips, as she fought hard to keep herself from feeling any sillier in this ridiculous costume. Oh goody. We're going trick-or-treating! It's just like sixth graders on their first outing without any supervision, dressing up as an angel and a witch from the story they read. Why don't we just hold hands, and go skipping off to school!

She kept the words to herself, opting to put it to the side instead of creating a scene. Maybe she could try to keep focused, and this night wouldn't go as badly as she feared.

She might even have some fun in the process.

Chris watched them as they headed through the atrium, until they left out the door. Finally, they were gone. He felt an internal sigh of relief. He immediately rushed to the room that served as their library, and keyed into the secret door behind the bookcase. He descended down the stairs, feeling a giddiness he hadn't felt in a while. He generally enjoyed his life and was quietly content for the most part, but this was something different. This was the tinges of excitement, of something new he hadn't done in a while. The place was dark, just as he preferred it – covered with shadows.

The computer consoles surrounded him, but he paid them no mind – he didn't need them at this moment. He found the excitement growing in him as he took every further step. He marched up to the black box in the middle, and pulled the doors open to a wide state. The suit lay inside, gleaming in its subdued superiority like a prized trophy.

Chris smiled at the powered suit he had stolen from the military, along with his sister. Each member of their unit had wanted their turn with it, but in the end it had been decided that he would be the one to receive it. He knew how to stay off the military radar, whereas the movements of the others could be easily tracked; moreover, he would put it to good use. The choice turned out to be a blessing, because it allowed him to do more than an individual was ever thought capable of with it.

He put aside the sweater, laying it on a metal cabinet. The suit only allowed the minimal use of clothing underneath, and he wouldn't be needing a sweater tonight. He made sure everything was set to go first; that all electronic systems were online, so that there wouldn't be any errors. He hadn't done this in a while. Julie didn't like him doing this, because of the safety concerns. She said he needed to be there for his family. Chris understood that too, but he also needed to fight. It was who he was, and he needed to engage that side occasionally. Fortunately, there were plenty of things in this city to pick a fight with: criminals, scum, and other malicious persons who preyed on anyone who wasn't them. He only needed to put in an appearance once every six months or so, and the criminal dirtbags would be running scared for the next six months or so, maybe eight in good times. His alter ego had cultivated quite the fearsome reputation, and it held even in the lull of inactivity. Privately, he thought that maybe Bruce Wayne was on to something when he invented that urban legend status in the comics.

He leaned back into the compact chamber, and spread his arms aloft. The suit locked into place, form fitting as always thanks to the design of its creators, sealing him into place. A featureless mask closed around him, bulletproof like a ballistic helmet – protecting him from harm. The black outfit stood out among the overall design, making him look almost like an incarnation of the grim reaper. Even knowing the grim fate that awaited the poor bastard who they were going to forcibly graft into the suit before he stole it, once again he wondered as always if he had done the right thing by stealing this suit, instead of pursuing other methods to disable it. The thought quickly faded. He was doing more good in the suit than they ever would have done, with their assassinations and petty political moves. He grinned vibrantly as the mask locked into place. Ah, he loved Halloween – the one night of the year when a guy like him could go out in public and everyone would just think he was just another person in a costume. Vengeance didn't need the anonymity, because of his reputation; however, it would definitely be a great asset to him. They would never see him coming. Chris Summers disappeared into the recesses of his consciousness, as the thought processes of Vengeance rose up foremost in his mind, resulting in him becoming an almost different person, transforming him into a force with deadly intent.

Vengeance stepped off the platform fully garbed. He placed the sword on his back, sheathing it in a partial scabbard that was made of leather, and some modern components. It was a finely crafted blade that could cut through some metals like butter, and deflect bullets in the hands of the right user. And the muscle accelerators in his system definitely made him one of the right persons in this case. He stood for a moment, basking in the feel of having all this powerful technology on him once more.

Chris grinned viciously underneath the mask. Papa's going hunting tonight!

AN: Yes, Heather is a grump when it comes to Halloween! ;-D She needs to mellow out.

Note: Ragnorok is the name of the god that lives deep under the city where Alessa and Chris, and Heather are now staying, and which serves to keep the Order's gods away from there. :/ In terms of the name, yes, there is a connection to what happened to the other gods of the world, the more...'human' gods, in a sense. :/ (It's not a pretty story. :P)