Chapter 3
Something Worth Fighting For
For what it was worth, she didn't fight half bad. Her form was slightly off, but for a human she managed pretty well against someone of his caliber. Now if he'd been at full strength it would have been a different story, but the past was the past. Still, he couldn't figure out why a human like her would want to risk her life-like that fighting off beasts that could easily kill her if given the opportunity. Well with a bit of info there was hope they could learn something about her. And who did they go to for such information? Mellina, if anyone sold her such toxins it was probably their good old friend, Mellina.
"So can you tell us anything about it?" Julie asked curiously.
"Hm, judging by the color and the scent, I'd say this someone dipped it in my stun serum."
"Yeah, I kind of figured that." he replied while rotating his now normal arm.
"How many did you get hit with?" she asked while setting it down.
"Just one, why?" he asked cautiously.
"Well, let's just say any more and that arm of yours may had well not existed."
"You're serious? It's that strong?" he asked.
"Oh heck yeah, remember a few weeks back when we took down the leviathan?"
"Yep."
"You noticed how it just went down easily?"
"Uh huh, wait, no."
"Oh yes, I used just a bit of this on its head, and down it went. Amazing what combination toxins plus a touch of magic can do to the body."
That actually made him a bit more nervous. Just two of those things and he'd be down for the count , just right for killing. But out of all of this there was still the issue of their girl's name. If they found her name, then they could track her down and get some answers.
"You said you wanted to know who the buyer was, right?"
"Yeah, think you can help us out?" asked Julie.
"Well, not many people come in here to buy this stuff, and very rarely to women. However, with this big guy we'll find her in no time." she answered before lifting a big tome out from under the desk.
"And that is?"
"A log, when people check out they're required to write their name, the date they were here, and the item they obtained, just in case something goes wrong. You know, the norm." she replied before flipping it open.
"That's normal?" they both thought while she looked.
And so while she did her thing they began brainstorming about what to do once they caught her. Since she hadn't done anything totally wrong, they couldn't just jail her. But they couldn't have an innocent human running around doing that kind of work.
"What do you suppose we do with her?" she asked.
"Hm, well I could eat her and." he said before she jabbed him in the side.
"Not funny." she replied with a serious face.
"Kidding, anyways I'd say we sit her down, and break it to her. Sound good?"
"Yeah, but what happens if that thing is there?" she replied, thinking about the robot who'd stopped her before.
"If it tries to get in out way." he answered before reaching out with his hand.
"You're gonna dance with it?"
"I'm gonna pull out its heart, and then eat it."
"But it's probably full of oil."
He hadn't thought of that before.
"Then I'll...step on it?"
"Good boy." she said with a fake smile while patting his back.
Just then something came up as Mellina pulled their attention back to her.
"So I looked it up. There's only been two people this week that bought the stuff. One by the name of Alfred Wayne."
"Not her." he replied.
"And another by Rachel Alexander."
"Possibly her, could you write that name down for us?" he asked of her.
"Sure thing."
In a flash she had the name written down and to them. With their name in hand both left the store to start their search.
"Hey Julie, why don't you head home? I know you're probably tired and you want to play your new game." he suggested.
"What about her?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." he said with a toothy smile.
She had to think about it for a second. What if another fight broke out? Would he be alright? Then again the most he suffered last time was a semi weak arm.
"Deal, but when your done could you come over and play with me please?" she asked with her big puppy dog eyes.
"But you know I'm not a fan of."
"Please?" she asked before the first button on her top popped.
Nope, he wasn't falling for that again!
"Alright, I'll play the game with you."
"Thanks, I'll see you later!" she shouted while running off.
And with that out-of-the-way he began his search. First things first, he needed to hit the library for their computers, since theirs were broken.
"Damn Julie and those damn breasts. Maybe I should shrink them a bit, then I could do anything without then getting in the way." he thought with a toothy grin.
He really needed to see someone about that, but there no time for that, he had a target to find. With the library being just a short walk away it took him no time at all to get there. There sure were a lot of people though, mostly with college students who were determined to get a jump on their next classes. Now all he had to do was sign in and get to work.
"Rachel Alexander, she's gotta be in her twenties. With a body like that? Or maybe she's just developed early." he thought while pulling back the chair.
But before he could sit down something caught his eye. A girl with tied up purple hair who looked suspiciously like their target. Was it her? There was only one way to find out. So with as much determination as he had welling up inside him, he decided to ask her. Straight to the point, no side questions, he needed to know.
"Hey." he asked before tapping her shoulder.
He only needed to see her face, and if he was wrong then it was back to the grindstone. But he had a good feeling he'd just found the one he was looking for. As she turned he saw them, those emerald-green eyes that he'd seen before. And hey, she even had the same expression, the look of embarrassment.
"Okay, don't get upset. I'm only here to ask you and there you go." he sighed as she took off.
Figures, the most he could do was follow her and try to cut her off at the best opportunity.
"Hey Rachel, I only need to talk to you, just for a few minutes! I swear!" he called out while following her.
No answer still, was she just a natural mute? Well, if she wasn't going to talk then he was just going to have to make her. With a plan in mind he dove into the surrounding shadows; following her until he could head her off. If his plan worked she'd find herself down the alleyway and at a dead-end.
"Excuse me, could your possible spare some time?" he asked after appearing in front of her.
Not to his surprised, it worked. Now she'd have to stand there and listen to his questions. Once she hit the brick wall it was over. All she could do was watch as he got closer and closer.
"Okay finally, making some progress. Listen, all I want to know is how."
But while distracted he failed to notice the escape ladder and entrance that she'd taken an interest in. After hearing him talk she jumped on the ladder before climbing like a monkey up to the platform above, before pulling up and jumping through the window of the house.
"For heck's sake, could you stay still for one second? Okay fine, you want to play hard, I'll play hard too." he said impatiently.
He had no need for ladders though, not when he had his super jump. With his legs bent and power surging from the bottom of his shoes, he gave a good kick off the ground; sending himself straight to the top with no effort at all. Once up there he jumped through the window, only to find a nursery.
"She's quite the spider monkey. But why this house?" he thought before sliding down the stairwell, towards the bottom floor.
There was another with almost the same layout on her right as well. Well whoever owned the house had some pretty nice taste in art. Pictures of different monsters and fighters covered the walls, with a few paintings thrown in for extra flavor. It also had a nice atmosphere; really peaceful and tranquil. All that ended though when he was greeted with a frying pan to the face.
"Really? Are you being serious right now? A frying pan." he said before yanking it from her hands.
In her fear she began backing up before grabbing a knife off the counter before driving it right in his chest.
"This is just sad." he told her before pulling it out.
She couldn't handle it anymore. Without her weapon she nothing but a buffet for him. There was only thing she could do.
"A-Axel!" she called out.
"Axel?" he questioned before getting tackled by the large robot.
Using just a bit of his strength though it took nothing at all to throw it off.
"Would you two just chill for a second?! For fuck sake, all I need are some answers." he asked of them.
"Then state, what is your business here? Why are you in our house?!" it exclaimed in anger while raising its gun.
"Good, there we go, now as for why I'm here? I saw her at the library, I approached her, she ran, I needed answers so I followed after her, and here we are."
The tension was real, but it all died down when it lowered its weapon.
"Is this true?" it asked her.
She seemed to have a hard time talking, but after a few seconds she finally fessed up.
"Yeah, sorry Axel. I just panicked."
"Panic, really? I know I'm not the most handsome of monsters out there, but damn."
"No it's not that. I..." but the moment she was about to spill the beans the baby began crying.
"Baby call?"
"Sorry, I'll be right back." she told them before running upstairs.
"There was a baby up there?" he asked himself.
And just like that the tension was back on.
"So uh, Axel was it? I take it you're a boy?" he questioned.
"Of course, why would think not?" he asked.
"Well, you've kind of got this guy not guy think going on. Your slender like a woman, but your voice is definitely male, and you've got nothing down under."
"That's just the way we're born. I can upgrade though if you'd like to see."
"No, I'm good thank you."
Things only got more awkward as they sat together on her couch.
"So, I take it you're her boyfriend then?"
"What? Don't be ridiculous. I'm merely here for her protection."
"Right, so is that why you're living with her?"
"Affirmative."
"Cool. Also one more thing, I swear, what are you made of?"
"Huh?"
"It's just, I've never seen your kind before. Is it like normal metal?"
"Close, organically grown. When born our form is nothing more than a big glob of liquid metal, but the course of our first week our true forms will start to take shape. And we'll grow and mature just like you."
"Oh nice, so like an egg."
"Eh, close enough."
But just when things were getting interesting, down she came with the crying child; ending their conversation.
"Is he alright?" asked Axel.
"I think so, but I can't get him to fall asleep." she answered worryingly while rocking the child back and forth in her arms.
Thinking about it, this was his chance to prove he was there to help her.
"Hey um, if you want, I can help." he asked of her.
"Huh? How?" she asked cautiously.
"Just a sec."
With his eyes wide open he watched as the baby boy's eyes opened. In that moment he gave him a hard stare; activating his sleeper stare in the process. Being a baby though it didn't take long for it to take effect; its little eyes closing as it finally stopped crying.
"There, that should keep him quiet for a few hours."
"What did you do?" she asked, a bit surprised with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Oh don't worry, he's just sleeping. I use it all the time when I feed on others in town, but I figured it would work just fine in this situation. And don't worry, he'll sleep peacefully. No side-effects, I swear." he promised.
The look on her face spelled out surprised, but also relief as she sat down; cradling her child with her.
"So, I assume you want to know about what happened earlier?" she asked, looking a bit more worried than before.
"Well yeah, don't you know that's dangerous? I mean props for using my friend's stuff to take it down, but that was a small fry compared to others. How long have you been doing this anyways?"
"I don't know, a few weeks?"
"A few weeks?! Damn, well props to you for that, but then how come I haven't seen you?"
Axel seemed to have the answer to that.
"She normally finds them using my scanner before anyone else sees them, but the one from today slipped past us."
"Oh, but why do this? Aren't you afraid for your baby's life?"
"Yes of course! It's just, after his father left I knew if anything happened to him it would be on my shoulders. So I decided to gear up and hunt them down before they got to close to my little Tanner."
Her efforts seemed rather noble, and her answers provided him with great insight. But still, could he really just let her continue? They were arround to protect them after all, but if she found ways to protect herself and her family, then was it right for him to interfere?
"You're really dead set on doing this aren't you?"
All she gave was a nod before looking over at him.
"Please, you must understand." Axel began saying until he raised his hand to silence him.
"Okay look, I want you to meet me at the beach by the old sewer drain at say eleven tomorrow morning. Bring your gear and Axel, we'll get this figured out." he told her before getting up.
What was once a face of worry had turned into a face of hope as she watched him open the door.
"Oh, what's your name?" she asked.
"Alucard." he answered before leaving.
What he had planned was risky, but if it worked out, the set-up could change for the better. Humans and monsters working together, if it was anything like her and Axel, then it would be an awesome sight to behold.
