Chapter 4

"She's out hunting you right now," Darleen told Austin, "with her whole family leading the run."

"Leave me alone." He tried to walk away.

"What did you think? That she would look at your true face and accept it? Yeah, right. For 100 years, you've not had a moment's peace because you will not accept what you are. She is not going to live with it no matter what! Don't let them hunt you down! Don't run crawling out like a mangy cat! Kill! Feed! LIVE!"

Austin pinned her to the wall. "That's it! I'm getting kind of tired of having to deal with you after all these years and it's very obvious that you're not going to leave me alone until this is over."

"What do you want?"

"I want it finished."

"That's good…you're hurting me." She smiled. "That's good, too."

Austin let go of her.

The Loonakids and their parents (and Brenda) walked down a street and into a 2-story abandoned building (the bad guys are always in an abandoned building).

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Jack whispered.

"Because if he is evil, we can kill him now and get it over with," Kelly answered, "If not…he can help us beat up the rest."

Brenda took out a stake. "Then it's a good thing we're prepared."

They heard a BANG! and all slowly turned around.

Austin had knocked over a few barrels in the corner. "OK, that entrance went way better in my head."

"Look on the bright side," Jack said, "At least turning to dust is a really good exit."

"Not really," said Lucy.

Austin rolled his eyes. "And I thought I was cursed."

"Who what how was huh?" Sarah asked, a bit caught off-guard.

"90 years ago, I fed off a girl about your age," Austin told her, "Looked a lot like you." Sarah smiled slightly. "Except she was human and as dumb as a post." Sarah stopped smiling. "And yet she was a favorite among her clan."

"Her clan?" Wendy asked.

"Romany. Gypsies."

"Like good old Roxie," Kelly said, remembering the mishap on her 15th birthday.

"Let me guess," Daniella said, "They cursed you with a soul."

"Bingo."

"What? They were all out of blinding torment?" Sarah asked.

"Point is," Brenda said, "I was right. Never good unless cursed with a soul."

"Exactly," Austin explained, "When you're turned, the demon takes over. It doesn't take your soul. You have no idea how much it hurts to have done the things I've done…and to care."

"And yet you still came crawling to us and pulled us into this fight," Tech said.

"I haven't fed on a single living soul since that day!" Austin snapped, "I'm not the one you need to be worrying about!"

"Then who is?" Tech asked.

"That would be me." They all turned to see Darleen coming out of the shadows.

"And you are?" Jack asked.

"Darleen."

Duck scoffed. "That's a dumb name."

"You're one to talk, Danger Duck."

"Touché."

Darleen turned to Kelly. "So this is your new girl? What a let down."

"What's wrong with this girl?" Kelly asked, defensively.

"Well, for starters, look how you're dressed." Kelly looked down at her black and silver outfit. "Never thought this would be your type. Honestly, you spend 150 years with a guy and you think you know him."

"Wait, you 2—" Sarah started.

"Biggest mistake of my afterlife," Austin said, crossing his arms at Darleen and not taking his eyes off her.

"Don't pretend you didn't love it. Not after all I did for you."

"What'd you do?" asked Jack, "Stop a Slayer from staking him?"

"You don't get it, do you? I made him."

Kelly looked at Austin and then back at Darleen.

"And now he's gonna be remembering the rest of his life what it was like to watch 'his true love' and her family die! You didn't think I came alone, did you?" A bunch of Vampires came out on the top floor.

"I know we didn't!" Benny said, gesturing to their parents and Slam and Brenda.

"Hmm, Slayer. Scary." Darleen pulled out 2 pistols. "Scarier." She fired and everyone ducked out of the way so that the bullets hit Austin. Kelly started to move to help him. "Oh, relax. Bullets don't kill Vampires! Hurts like you're on fire but…" She fired again and Kelly ducked back down. "…you guys don't have that advantage, do you?" Kelly glared at her. Darleen turned to the other Vampires. "Now would be a good time!"

Thus, a fight ensued (I can't believe I just said "thus" and "ensued" in the same sentence).

Matt and another Vampire guy came out of the shadows on the top floor and looked down at the fight.

"Great, now we've got a Slayer and the Loonies on our backs," said the Vampire whose name was [obviously] Izzy.

"Relax, Darleen's our sire, she taught us everything we know," Matt said, "She taught Austin, too. She can handle these guys. They'll all be dead by sunrise."

"Sunrise is now."

Matt stopped smiling. "OK, they'll be dead by sundown."

Darleen smiled. "That's right, wreak havoc, boys!" Before she could go any further, Austin came up behind her and pierced her in the heart with a wooden pole. "Austin?" He kicked her down and she turned to dust before she hit the floor.

Kelly was looking at Austin, shocked at what he'd just done. Austin just turned around and opened the door, letting in the first stream of sunlight on everyone but at him and Matt and Izzy. All the Vampires that hadn't been slain already burst into flames and turned to dust. With that, Austin closed the door and snuck out the back.

"So that's what happens when a normal Vamp gets caught in sunlight," Jack said. Everyone looked at him. "What?"