Chapter 3

When Soron woke up he was in a room with zero windows and he was restrained to the bed by what looked like energy cuffs. That only irritated him, but it didn't deter him from attempting to free himself. However, when the energy cuffs didn't break he got angry causing his eyes to change to the color red.

"Hey hey hey," said the one armed doctor, "calm down. You are not going to be harmed… unless you attack any of us of course."

"Then why bind me like some lab rat?!" Soron demanded angrily.

"Honestly… we don't trust you," the doctor answered.

"Why?" Soron snarled, "Cause I am Vampire?"

"Yep," the doctor said nodding, "you can't blame us though, can you? We haven't had any good times where Vampires were involved."

"Fair enough," Soron allowed as he calmed down slightly, "now would you mind setting me free?"

"You're not going to go feed on anyone are you?" the doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am not hungry," Soron said, "You have nothing to fear from me while that is the case."

"You got sunlight shone on you directly," the doctor said skeptically, "your body healing you has got to have used up a some of your energy."

"That may be true," Soron allowed, "If it makes you feel better, bring me a blood bag. I do not care which type."

"This isn't a hospital," the doctor said while narrowing his eyes, "We don't have any of that here… at least not right now."

"I will not subject myself to imprisonment for crimes I have never committed," Soron snarled, "Let me free now or you will have made yourself an enemy. Believe me, you DON'T want me as an enemy."

"You make a valid case," the doctor gulped before he slowly deactivated the energy cuffs.

"Finally," Soron said as he hurried off of the hospital bed, "Has night time arrived as of yet?"

"No,"the doctor replied, "not for a few hours. Shouldn't you still be asleep?"

"Not all vampires are like Dracula and his Skal," Soron grunted as he sat back down knowing that the room he is in currently is the safest place to be.

"Skal?" the doctor asked in confusion, "What's a… Skal?"

"There are two classes of Vampire," Soron replied, "There are the Ekon and the Skal. I am what is known as an Ekon. Dracula's minions are Skal. Skal are nothing more than bloodthirsty abominations that should be exterminated on sight. Unfortunately, as long as Dracula lives so does his Skal."

"That still doesn't explain why you don't need to sleep during the day," the doctor replied.

"Each Ekon is unique in his or her own way," Soron replied, "In my case I have no need to rest during the day. Nor is silver fatal to me."

"So you're saying that if you decide to go all evil and attack us we can't stop you," the doctor said nervously.

"Everything has a weakness," Soron replied cryptically, "Just don't expect me to tell you what mine is."

"Why is it you're a lot less psychopathic than the other vampires we've met?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"It takes more than a decade of life for a vampire to lose their sanity," Soron replied slowly, "In Dracula's case, he was always insane. The Vampirism only enhanced it."

"What about you?" the doctor asked curiously, "Just how old are you?"

"I was made in 1870," Soron replied.

"So you were alive for 148 years," the doctor concluded.

"Yeah," Soron replied.

"How old were you when you became…" the doctor began.

"A Vampire?" Soron said, "I was 21 when it happened."

"That makes you…" the doctor said slowly, "If my math is right… you're 169 years old."

"Yep," Soron replied, "There are days I wish I had never chased those horse-thieves into the woods. Other days… I just don't care that I did."

"Were you a cop?" the doctor asked curiously.

"Nah," Soron said, "I was a bit of an outlaw. Today you would say that I was a rebel. The law has never been kind to me in my human life, nor my Vampire life."

"Humanity and its laws have evolved since then," the doctor reasoned.

"No," Soron said, "some of humanity might have, but the laws are still the same bullshit as when Ulysses S. Grant was in office. At least they don't draft kids into the military now. There's that small mercy."

"I'm assuming vampires losing their sanity happens randomly?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," Soron said, "I'm the only vampire to keep his sanity. All the others have become the stuff of nightmares."

"I guess you're still in touch with your humanity," the doctor said.

"No," Soron said darkly, "Not one bit. I'm as big of a monster as the rest. I'm just not stupid enough to attack those more powerful than or attack when outnumbered."

"Do you have any more of that serum stuff?" the doctor asked.

"Down in the sewer, yes," Soron said, "Why?"

"I may not have been the expert in gene therapy," the doctor said, "But I believe that I may be able to create more of it once I study it's makeup."

"Why would you want to do that?" Soron snorted, "It is useless to you."

"But not to you," the doctor responded.

"Why would you want to make that stuff for me?" Soron asked in confusion, "Especially since I would be invincible to anything you and your people might decide to throw at me?

"I think it brings out your humanity," the doctor answered truthfully, "and I believe I'll be able to make a cure with it."

"I already told the tinhead that magic is what created vampires," Soron scoffed, "Magic is the only thing that can cure us, and the spell that was used to make us is lost to history."

"All magic is just science that can't be explained," the doctor countered, "I will find a way."

"I had genuinely forgotten how much you scientists annoy me," Soron groaned, "Why don't you go fiddle with your atoms and all that nerdy crap."

"I think I will do that," the doctor said.

Soron didn't even grace him with a response as he laid back down onto the hospital bed and thought about the past few days and further back.

November 5th 1870 in Tombstone, Arizona…

Soron MacLeod sat at the bar of a saloon called "The Crystal Palace Saloon" and stared into his tankard of whiskey. Soron's outfit consisted of a brown fedora, black duster over a black vest which was over a light blue plaid long-sleeved button down shirt, blue jeans, black cowboy boots with spurs on them, and on his thigh was a holster which held a Colt Model 1860 New Army revolver. Soron's face had the bristles of a beard's beginning.

"So what brings ya round here?" asked the bartender as he wiped a tankard with a dirty cloth.

"Don't matter none," Soron said grimly, "Nothin' does these days."

"Just trying to friendly," the bartender said, "Well, I'll leave ya to it then."

While Soron stared into his tankard the pianist was busy playing the piano to his heart's content while at a table near soron a poker game was going. However, everything stopped when the creaking sounds of the bar doors swinging open indicated someone had arrived. The newcomer had a black fedora on his head, a scar running across his face, black teeth, a black leather jacket over a black button down long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and had black cowboy boots with spurs on them.

"Well look at y'all," said the newcomer, "busy drinking all of MY hooch!? Who here said any of you could drink it? Any of you going to acknowledge the corn? Hmm?"

"This ain't yer town Hetchem," said a voice of one of the poker players.

"Sheriff!" Hetchem said in mock surprise, "Well you still being here makes me all beer and skittles."

"I don't give a crap," the Sheriff said as he stood up, "I will not let you annex this town from me!"

"You really should've accepted the actual," Hetchem said before he pulled out his Colt Walker and shot a hole into the Sheriff's forehead. Hetchem then noticed the man in the black duster and walked over to him

"Who are you and what are you doing in my town?" Hetchem demanded of Soron when he arrived behind him.

"None of your business," Soron replied as he took a swig of his whiskey."

"Are you addle-headed?" Hetchem said shocked at Soron's response.

"No," Soron said as he finished his whiskey, "I'm just not afeared of an idget like you."

"You're in a bad box," Hetchem said as he grew angry, "I suggest you get out of my town else I have to shoot you dead just like the good old Sheriff over there."

"Threaten me one more time, bed-fagot, and I'll make you regret it," Soron said as he turned to look at Hetchem.

Hetchem's face contorted with rage, but before he could pull out his Colt Walker a gunshot could be heard. Hetchem then coughed once as blood oozed out of his mouth before he fell to the floor and everyone could see Soron's Colt Model 1860 New Army revolver barrel smoking.

"I warned you," Soron said before spitting on the body and putting down some cash to pay for the whiskey he drank. Soron then left the saloon leaving everyone surprised and a bit in awe of him. Hetchem was known as the fastest draw in Arizona, but Soron pulled his revolver out just as Hetchem was reaching his.

"Who was that guy?" asked one of the drinkers.

"No idea," said another, "but he's done this town a huge favor."

Later…

Soron pulled his black horse to a stop as he arrived at the door of a house not far from the forest. He then got down and wrapped the reins on a wooden bar before pulling an apple and giving it to his horse as he rubbed its face with his hands.

"There you go," Soron said calmly, "You did good, girl, you did good."

"Well well well," said a female voice, "Soron MacLeod. Didn't expect to be seein you again."

"I'm like a lucky penny," Soron said, "I always turn up."

"Well, c'mon in," the woman said as she entered her house, "Want some bait?"

"That'd be lovely Miss Parker," Soron said as he walked into the house and hung his fedora and duster on the hatstand.

"What brings you back to Arizona?" Miss Parker asked as she began cooking on the stove, "I doubt it's me after the way we parted last time."

"I'm here 'bout your cousin ma'am," Soron admitted as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"What's he done now?" Miss Parker sighed, "Get himself in trouble with the law again?"

"Yes ma'am," Soron confirmed.

"I assume he's been bamboozled and I should attend his trial," Miss Parker sighed in disappointment.

"No ma'am," Soron said sternly, "I suggest you stay home where it's safe."

"Why's that?" Miss Parker asked with a raised eyebrow as she put a plate of fried eggs on the table.

"He's among the willows," Soron responded as he began cutting up the fried egg, "And if an Angelicas like you is seen by officers of the law they would assume that you were helping him."

"I may love my cousin," Miss Parker said seriously while Soron ate his eggs, "But I ain't beef-headed. If he comes here I'm gonna turn him in as is the lawful thing to do."

"Well I thank you for the eggs ma'am," Soron said as he finished up, "Just as heavenly as I remembered."

"Flattery will only get you so far Mr. MacLeod," Miss Parker said as she smiled inwardly.

"Don't I know it," Soron said as he leaned back, "You wouldn't mind if I stayed here the night would you?"

"Does this look like a saloon?" Miss Parker asked.

"No ma'am," Soron admitted, "I would stay at the local saloon, but I beefed a guy over there."

"You did what?" Miss Parker demanded with a glare.

"Man's name was Hetchem," Soron explained, "Way he came into the saloon indicated that he believed he owned the town. When the Sheriff stood up to argufy about it he put a bullet in his brain-pan."

"Well," Miss Parker said slowly, "I guess that you can stay then. Now I no longer have to worry about that sumbitch trying to get into my corset."

At night…

Soron was woken up by a sound and the sound was the whinnying of horses. Soron knew that horses normally slept during the night like everyone else so he found that odd. He quickly got up in his long underwear and ran downstairs. As soon as he got outside he saw some lights bobbing away into the darkness. A few minutes later he was fully dressed and heading back to the exit of the house.

"Soron," Miss Parker said, "Where are you going?"

"To catch them horse thieves ma'am," Soron replied as he turned to look at her, "Nobody steals from my lady and gets away with it."

"I ain't yours," Miss Parker said defensively, "I told you to never come back after you tried to force yourself on me."

"I had been saving myself up for you," Soron explained as he exited the house and climbed up onto his horse, "It never occurred to me that you weren't ready. I'll be back with your property later."

Then with a "hyah" he rode off into the night keeping an eye out for the bouncing lights. Since his horse was a stallion he was able to catch up to them, but when he did he saw empty horses.

"The hell?" Soron muttered before he rode till he was in front of the horses and whistled once indicating them to stop.

"C'mon back to Miss Parker's now," Soron said calmly, "Let's take you on back to momma. Now get!"

He quickly rode back to Miss Parker's, but before he could get out of the woods something rammed into him knocking him into the brush. While the stallion led the horses back to Miss Parker's Soron quickly got up as he pulled out his revolver.

"Come on out and show yourself!" Soron yelled as he looked around for his attacker, "Fight me like a man!"

"I think not," said a voice right behind him. As soon as he turned around he saw glowing red eyes getting closer before something bit into his neck causing him to black out.

Back in the present…

Soron was shaken out of his flashback when someone walked into the room after knocking.

"Hey," said the voice of White Tiger.

"What do you want human?" Soron grunted without looking at her.

"I just came to see how you were," Ava said then paused a few seconds before she added, "and to see if there was anything I could get you."

"Other than freedom from this building?" Soron said, "There's nothing."

"It's almost night time," Ava said as she walked over to him.

"Good," Soron said, "When it is night, neither of us have to see each other again. After I leave this building, I'm going to leave the city."

"Not until I get to thank the one responsible for saving my nephew's life," said an older female voice from the doorway.

"You lied to me," Soron snarled to Ava.

"She did not," Aunt May said as she entered the room, "I followed her here."

"You're not supposed to be in here," Ava said as she tried to get Aunt May out of the room, "It's too dangerous."

"That's for me to decide young lady," Aunt May said sternly as she walked over to Soron.

"You might want to leave," Soron hissed, "I'm getting hungry and I doubt anyone would miss an old lady like you."

"Enough of that young man," Aunt May said sternly as she slapped Soron to both Soron and Ava's surprise.

"May," Ava said nervously, "You might want to leave…"

"He won't hurt me," May said, "will you?"

"She slapped me?" Soron muttered to himself before shaking his head and demanded, "Why did you slap me?!"

"You were being rude," May said sternly, "Honestly, didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders."

"I'm 169 years old," Soron sneered, "If anything I'm YOUR elder."

"Yet you still have the manners of a child," May said in disappointment.

"I tend to avoid humanity," Soron said snarkily, "When I get near humans, they inevitably die from blood loss."

"If that's the case why did you save my nephew?" May asked.

"I hate being indebted to anyone or anything," Soron replied, "now take your old bony ass out of here MAY."

"That's Miss Parker to you," May said in annoyance. Soron widened his eyes in recognition as Ava escorted May out of the room while narrowing her mask's eyes at Soron.

looks like the destinies of Soron and Peter were intertwined before either of them knew it. you'll have to look up "wild west speak" in order to understand some of the dialogues i put in. the site i used had this title "Western Slang, Lingo, and Phrases." I hope you cowboy movie lovers enjoyed the flashback. Hetchem was completely made up cause i couldn't find a real historic bandit that would fit the role Hetchem played. I was going to have an ancestor of Ava Ayala be the woman that Soron knew in the past that lived in that house, but I didn't know which side of the family Ava's ancestor had lived in america. I doubted it was the Ayala half and i didn't know the other half's surname so I stuck with miss Parker. i'll still have Soron be connected to Ava another way though. may have him meet Ava's father in a flashback or something like that. don't know yet.