oooOOoo
The Great Chase
Part 7
"The Wilds."
oooOOoo
Thirty feet underground
Garrison Katar blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the shallow light.
"Where the hell…?" Katar snapped his fingers, and produced a small flame.
He and his fellow mercenaries were surrounded by men and women of all stripes. Different ages, different races, but they possessed one common feature.
Red, predatory eyes, and pronounced canines.
Vampires.
"Well, this could be better."
"Indeed, young man."
Hurricane, Sister Golden and Katar all leveled their side-arms at the voice, and tried to conceal their surprise.
The man's skin was the chalky white, that unnatural pallor everyone unconsciously associated with the living dead. His red eyes, lengthened canines and sharp nails, none of it was especially disconcerting in a world where a Thunder God strolled in front of the cameras every other day.
But his priest's collar made them do a double take. It was like seeing an iceberg on fire.
"But all the same, welcome to the Red Nation Sanctum."
"Minister Blood," Elias stepped forward, and adjusted his collar, "it's good to see you again."
"Wait, Minister Blood," said Sister Golden, "Frying pan, fire, anyone?"
"Blood is as to us, as water is to you," Minister Blood said, "I've no ill intention towards anyone…"
Minister Blood swept his eyes over the mercenaries.
"…yet. Provided there is peace in your heart."
Hurricane looked around the cave. There were lit torches providing scant light, but he still counted at least three dozen of vampires. Their body language was guarded, but not aggressive. Hurricane did his best to keep his hands away from his weapons, but he was acutely aware of their weight at his side.
"Likewise," Hurricane said. His pulse quickened despite himself, and when he saw Minister Blood's reaction, he realized that the vampire could hear it.
Needless to say, that didn't help matters.
"Minister Blood, I come to you as a friend," Elias said in a sale-man tone, "after all, was I not the one who negotiated the understanding you have with my father?"
"You were," said Minister Blood, "you did excellent work, on behalf of your father."
"Well…"
"Minister," Hurricane grabbed Elias by the shoulder, "give us a moment, please."
Hurricane pulled them all into a huddle.
"This was your idea?" Hurricane hissed, careful to keep his voice low.
"No need to whisper," Elias said conversationally, "the hearing of a vampire compares to that of a dogs, I believe."
"Correct," Minister Blood said under his breath.
"So…all that stuff about getting to Embassy Row, that was just a bluff?" Katar asked.
"It was plan b disguised as plan a," Elias said, "in case we had a traitor in our midst."
Sister Golden thought back to Mr. Slick, "Fair enough."
"Our…friend in Embassy Row is not one we want to be indebted," Elias said, "in truth, the person in question makes my father look like a saint by comparison."
"So your plan b was so bad that you thought a commune of vampires was safer?" Katar said.
"Essentially, yes."
"Ignorance is indeed bliss," said Katar.
"These unholy vermin are with whom you place your trust?" Hrist spat, "you might as well hug wolves wearing steaks."
"Elsewhere, perhaps," Elias said, "but these are vampires I know. Now, if everyone is done second guessing me?"
They weren't, but no one could think of any other real way out of their situation. Hurricane stepped aside, and motioned for Elias to continue with Minister Blood.
"Now, as I was saying, you may remember, Minister Blood, how I helped create a treaty between your people and my father's organization?" Elias asked.
"Yes, I remember that very well," said Minister Blood, "you walking in here unarmed all those many years ago was an excellent demonstration of character. The…treaty that ensued was appreciated, though may I point out? We never wanted anything to do with your father, or his ilk to begin with. You ended a war, that you and yours started."
"I am aware," Elias said, "that was why I was hoping that you and yours would grant me sanctuary. My father lies near death, and when he crosses that threshold, I will be free to assume control of his vast empire, and can assure you that when I do, you will live unimpeded for the rest of your long, long life."
Minister Blood steepled his fingers together, and sighed, "I am forever grateful to the treaty you negotiated between us and your father. I respect that…"
"Oh crap, there's a but approaching…" Sister Golden muttered.
"…but the fact remains that if was negotiated on behalf of your father, not you. Said father lies near death because of a mystical bullet, and because of our nature my kin and I are natural suspects. Lastly, I may not be able to offer you any protection at all. The government is encroaching on our lands all the time."
Ana Kravenoff tensed. She counted too many vampires, and too few allies. But all the same, the huntress wasn't about to surrender, no matter the odds.
"However, if I may, I have several counter offers," Minister Blood said.
Katar thumbed his six shooters.
"Firstly, while I cannot rightly protect you as a human, were you to join us as a member of the undead, I could in fact extend to you the protection you desire."
"And my friends?" Elias said.
"The same offer extends to them," Minister Blood said.
"Not likely," Hurricane muttered.
""…you said offers?"
"You and your friends are all criminals," said Minister Blood, "surrender yourself to my custody, and I will safely see you delivered to the authorities."
"All of whom are in my father's pocket!"
Minister Blood simply shrugged.
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have been so eager to help him grow his empire, then," said Minister Blood, "so…,"
"What say you?"
oooOOoo
"I don't understand, if we know where they are, why aren't we storming in there right now?" Bakuto demanded.
"Because we'd like to be able to actually accomplish our mission without killing everyone, including ourselves," Black Swan said, "we are woefully unprepared to storm a compound filled with vampires. I know you and your ninja kin are used to throwing yourselves at enemies in waves, but that's not a tactic that will win us the day here. We do that, and we might as well allow the boy to walk away ourselves."
"I agree with Black Swan," said Stone, of Blackguard, "we need intel and precision. My people should take point. With our enhanced senses, we'll be able to find Elias and extract him far quicker than your men."
"You have a great deal of confidence for a knock off," spat Bakuto.
"I'm a knock off of a man who's killed more men than cancer," Stone said evenly. He then flashed a brief smile, "so I have reason to be confident, I should think. When this is over, care to put it to the test?"
Bakuto sneered and stepped up into Stone's face, "Gladly."
"Enough," Black Swan tapped his sword-cane against Stone's chest, and nudged the mercenary back, "we have a mission, and we are professionals. Stone, bring your men. Bakuto, we're ten miles from the city. Deploy your men, and the rest of the so called 'villains' there. If they gain transportation, there is only one road they can use. Ensure that it is watched, and can be blocked."
"Afraid that…"
Before Bakuto could say another word, Black Swan's hand was on his throat, and his eyes, seething with rage, were level with the ninja's.
"Boy, I haven't the time to deal with your pathetic ego," hissed Black Swan, "do as I say, when I say, or I'll remove your limbs and reduce you to the intelligence to that of a two year old!"
Black Swan released Bakuto, and the Hand leader swallowed.
"…of course," Bakuto said.
oooOOoo
"The choice is obvious," Hrist growled, "we butcher every last one of these foul creatures."
"Now my dear, no need to be so violent," said Elias, "we're guests here…"
"You're invaders," Minister Blood corrected, "yet we have, until now, extended to you and yours the hospitality of guests. However…"
The shadows themselves seemed to ripple.
"Attempt to attack us, and we'll respond in kind."
"No one is butchering anyone," Hurricane said, "you're right, we are invaders. We'll leave peacefully immediately…"
"You leave only under my terms," said Minister Blood, "I will not have my home and my people known as refuge for criminals."
"Well," Hurricane sighed, "damn."
Minister Blood found himself thrown backwards before he even heard the gunshot. Hurricane had a gun in each hand, and they swept the cave with quick, precision shots.
Vampires screamed in howled as bullets impacted their eyes, their knees. Shots that might have been lethal to a human being were merely agonizing to them, and it was just enough to keep the mercenaries from being swamped.
"Sister Golden, stick to Elias!" Hurricane shouted, "Ana, we need a way out, find it! Hrist, point! Katar, rear with me! And no one kill unless you have to!"
"No one kill?" Katar fired off six rapid shots, and Hurricane could saw how the bullets seemed to burn the flesh of their victims, "you seen the shots you've been lettin' loose, hoss?"
"They'll live," Hurricane observed, "you got any silver bullets for me?"
Garrison Katar picked off another vampire, and then smirked at his friend, "What, you think I just carry silver bullets in case I run into vampires?"
"No," a vampire lunged for Hurricane's throat, and he responded with a chop to the neck. He heard bone snap, and a pathetic mewling, but knew the man was alive. Hurricane reasoned that anything that would cripple a human would only be an inconvenience to a vampire.
He hoped, anyways.
Hurricane's eyes lingered on the fallen vampire for a second too long, and he missed the overweight man with sharpened claws until the man had tackled him to the ground.
"We're trying to build a peaceful future here!" the man slashed his talons across Hurricane's chest, tearing the body-armor, "you're ruining everything!"
Katar placed his gun against the man's back, "Yeah, real peaceful."
"No!"
Katar pulled the trigger, and the front of the man's chest exploded outward.
"Damn it, Katar, what did I say?"
"Dunno, my hearing's been slipping since the last time I beat up Banshee," Katar said. He nodded towards the man he'd just shot in the back, "he'll be fine, boss. It's us I'm worried about."
Hurricane glanced at the fallen vampire, and saw that Katar had missed the man's heart by inches. Though at that range, for a professional like Katar, it might have well been a mile.
"Glad to see you're learning," Hurricane said, though a thought nagged at him. What Katar had done was no different from what he himself had done only moments ago. The thought that perhaps they weren't so different disturbed him almost as much as killing another civilian, "now give me a damn silver cross."
"What makes you think…?"
Hurricane grabbed Katar by the collar, "You transmute things! Lead to gold! That's how you always have a damn weapon that you couldn't have possibly been carrying before!"
Hurricane spun around, and elbowed a vampire that was creeping in too close. He felt a sickening pit form in his stomach, as he realized that these vampires moved with all the grace and ability of a drunken frat boy.
They were technically predators, but no more-so than any other human being.
"You're smarter than you look," Katar whispered, "but tell me this, if I could hand out that stuff willy nilly, don't you think I'd be making millions in gold?"
"…point," Hurricane glanced at the vampires. They were approaching cautiously, like an adult might approach a cornered rat, but they were approaching all the same. And there were more of them than there were of him.
"This just gets better and better…"
oooOOooo
"Aside, vermin!" Hrist swept her axe, and swept aside an easy half dozen vampires. The one eyed Goddess didn't even bother to disguise her disgust. To her, these things were less than human, corpses that defiled their shells. The fact that she hadn't killed anyone was sheer luck.
Ahead of her, Ana Kravenoff held her nose in the air, searching through the stench of corpses for just the hint of fresh air.
A vampire tried to tackle the huntress, but she simply stepped aside and slid her dagger into his kidney. With a quick twist, she was assured that he was removed from the field.
As Ana searched for the way out of these caverns, she allowed herself to wonder why she'd been willing to follow Hurricane's order of no killing. Perhaps it was the hunter in her, that thought it a waste to kill now what could easily be stalked tomorrow. Or perhaps the uncivilized nature of it, invading someone's home and then killing them because they refused a favor, was too much to stomach even for her?
The huntress sniffed the air, and motioned for her teammates to follow. No sooner had she done that, then another vampire rushed at Ana, screaming like a madman with his eyes squeezed closed. Ana was reminded of watching children fight, and with an annoyed sigh, leapt forward.
Both knees slammed into the vampire, knocking him on his back. A simple punch was all that was needed to render him unconscious, and help Ana realize why she'd been so reluctant to kill.
Because, in the end, it wasn't even a challenge.
oooOOooo
"Oh God, oh God, plan b," Elias was wracked with panic, but Sister Golden tried to ignore him. Her hair whipped back and forth like a frenzied snake. She was in too much of a panic to reach for her weapons, instead relying only on her elongated hair.
"Do you think dictators read? Oh God, she was a national treasure, but does he care?"
Sister Golden pulled Elias back just as another pair of clawed hands reached for him. Sister Golden's hair cracked like a whip, and the vampires recoiled, hissing in pain.
"Come on, we've gotten this far!" Sister Golden tried to laugh, "just hold it together a little longer!"
"Do dictators read?" Elias said, still panic-ridden, "they need to read!"
For a moment, Sister Golden almost wanted to allow the panic that Elias felt creep into her. Everyone in this damn country was out to kill them, and their only possible means out of all of this, was more terrified regarding his plan b than the dozens of vampires that surrounded them.
oooOOoo
"Hrist!" Ana called out. She'd reached the mouth of the cave, a few dozen yards ahead of her teammates, "the door is solid steel, five inches!"
Hrist laughed, and ran faster. She drew both her axes, licked her lips and threw herself at the door.
With as much effort as a normal person would use to open a door, Hrist knocked down the gate down flat.
The mercenaries rushed out the entrance, and each and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they felt the sun kiss their face. And as one, each and every vampire came to a grinding halt. They looked at one another expectantly.
"I don't know…why…other girls think…vampires are…," Sister Golden swallowed, "sexy. What the hell is sexy about that?"
"I've asked that about our gender nearly every day," Ana said, as she wiped the gore from her blades on the grass.
"We need to keep running!" Elias said.
"These vermin cannot withstand the mere light of day," Hrist observed, "we've nothing to worry about now."
Minister Blood stepped to the front, "Vermin? You dare attack us in our homes, our sanctuary as we try to repent for our actions, and you call us vermin?!"
Katar nodded to Hrist, "Yeah, honey, that was kinda harsh."
"This is our home, our salvation, and we will not be made victims by the likes of you!"
Minister Blood stepped into the light of day. His skin didn't blister, or redden. There were no shrieks of agony and the only clue of discomfort was when the vampire squinted his eyes in the afternoon sun.
"We offered to allow you to surrender to the authorizes, or join us," said Minister Blood, "can you give me one good reason why we shouldn't kill every last one of you?"
"…karma?" Sister Golden said.
"Actually, them killing us would work karma in their favor," observed Katar.
"Could we have this debate later?" Hurricane said through gritted teeth.
Minister Blood sighed, "I came here to stop being a monster, we all did. I tried logic and reason. Damn you all for making me do this."
"Kill them all."
oooOOooo
"Looks like we've arrived just in time," Stone observed.
He and Black Swan stood side by side in the AIM drop-craft. The scanners on the ship were state of the art, and had picked up the energy signature of Hrist from miles away. In fact, they'd seen her exiting the cave, axes first.
And, naturally, they'd seen the vampires that poured out after her.
"Indeed," Black Swan turned on his heels and walked towards the hatch, "I'm going to discuss a truce, of sorts with the scum that live here. Deploy your Blackguards, and do not attack any vampires unless they attack you first. We should have this matter settled in moments."
The hatch opened, and Black Swan stepped into the open air, with no parachute, as if he were stepping off a curb.
oooOOoo
"Don't let them escape!" Minister Blood shouted. He was at the rear of the wave of vampires, because while he was no General by any means, he knew that leaders that led from the front might as well have a bull-eye painted on them.
"Excellent suggestion."
Minister Blood heard the voice the same instant he felt a blade pressed up against his neck.
Minister Blood had been a vampire for a hundred years, and while he never spent much time practicing his enhanced senses, he was always aware of them. He liked the listen to the buzz of a bee as it hunted pollen outside the window of his hutt, and could taste every last spice in the stew his neighbors made.
And yet this man slid past all that effortlessly.
"Who…?"
"My name is Black Swan, and appearances to the contrary, I mean you no harm," said Black Swan, "I simply wish to…liberate the young man, and end his mercenary friends. Allow my men to do this, and I swear to you that we'll leave here the moment we're done, and will compensate you handsomely when we do."
"And if I refuse, you'll find someone more agreeable?"
"Do I need to?"
oooOOoo
If Hurricane needed any more proof that they he and his people were in some odd vampire commune, and not some evil lair, the dozen odd, small huts they passed served as all the confirmation he needed.
More than that was how the vampires hadn't overtaken them yet. Hurricane only knew the basic vampire lore, true, and he didn't know how they compared to him physically, but he could feel them holding back.
The mercenary allowed a smile to infect his grim demeanor. All these people wanted was plausible deniability, the ability to tell Colonel Condor's people that 'hey, we tried!' before washing their hands of the whole affair.
True, that still left them miles of country to cross for the sake of a half baked plan, but as a soldier, Hurricane knew to take his breaks of fortune where he could.
But when he saw a wall of Blackguard members, he remembered that luck was a fickle, fickle bitch.
The mercenaries came to a careful stop. With Blackguards ahead and vampires behind, no one was eager to start a fight.
"I'll make this easy," Stone said, "surrender Elias, and we'll kill you quickly. I'll even see to it that your bodies are transported home…"
"Good luck there, mortal," Hrist chuckled.
"Any last words or messages, I give you my word that I will see them delivered as well," said Stone. Stone activated his energy claws. After he did that, so did his men, one by one by one.
"Refuse, and we'll just leave you on the ground to rot."
Hurricane refused to allow himself to count how many were activated. He already knew how many there were.
Too many.
Hurricane glanced over his shoulder, and saw an even greater number of fangs and claws awaiting them. Hurricane knew that without any form of plausible deniability, the vampires would tear him and his apart.
He and his fellow teammates formed a circle, back to back, as they felt the tension mount.
"And as the cliché goes, this is a one-time offer."
Each and every one of the mercenaries knew how this would end. It wasn't just that the odds weren't in their favor. It was the fact that the odds were so stacked so high against them that nothing short of an act of God could save them.
Hrist took her axes in both hands, and smiled.
Katar pulled back the hammer on his six-shooters.
Ana Kravenoff crouched, like a cat ready to pounce.
Sister Golden's hair hovered like a nest of snakes, ready to strike at the slightest cause.
Elias whimpered.
"Guys," Hurricane said, "if you've got anything left in the tank, now's the time for it."
And with that, all three sides moved as one.
oooOOoo
A Blackguard charged Hrist, and she brought her axe slamming down on his shoulder.
A lesser man would have been sliced in two instantly, but each and every Blackguard had been gifted with an indestructible skeleton. So instead, the man was driven to the ground, barely conscious.
But Hrist realized he was little more than a distraction, a stalking horse. A dozen Blackguard members, and a few vampires who were simply going with the flow, fell on her like a pack of wild dogs.
They hacked, cut and sliced away, in desperation or panicked frenzy for a full two minutes before anyone dared stop.
"…did we get her?"
The question was met with a chuckle, and a casual sweep of her Hrist, bloody but far from broken, threw them off of her.
"No mortal, I simply needed to take your measure before I began," Hrist's smile was like that of a shark's, "and this Goddess has found you wanting."
ooOOoo
"You guys best step back," Garrison Katar said, "or else I'll teach you a trick Johnny Storm hisself showed me."
Troy Hunt, a two year veteran of Blackguard, rolled his eyes at the threat. Ever since receiving his powers, he'd come to believe that there was little that could actually hurt him.
Sure, if the Hulk or Thor or someone in their weight-class showed up, Hunt knew he'd be a dead man. But having never heard of Garrison Katar before today, he was fairly confident he'd be able to take him down with little issue.
"Leave this asshole to me," Troy said to his teammates.
Katar help up a single finger, "One move. Then you'll be screaming in too much agony. You were warned."
Troy charged, energy claws bared. He swept for Katar's neck, just as expected, and when Katar ducked, Troy brought his knee up to where Katar's face should have been.
Katar caught the knee with his left hand, and with a burst of will, sent his transmutational power flowing into Troy's flesh. The atomic structure of muscle and tissue rattled around, until it became something very different.
Katar pulled his hand away seconds before Troy's knee became little more than flame, as white phosphorus destroyed his nerve ending and melted all the meat on his left down to the foot. Troy's artificial healing factor tried to repair the damage, like it was supposed to do, but the heat of the phosphorus was too much for it to overcome. Worse still, Troy's artificial bones absorbed the heat, which in turn prolonged the damage.
Not that Troy knew that. All he knew was agony as he writhed helplessly on the ground.
"Well, I did warn him," Katar said. He looked at the two members of Blackguard. The soldiers, based on the deadliest killer on the face of the planet, took a step back despite themselves, "you guys think you might have better luck?"
oooOOoo
Ana Kravenoff said nothing as she moved through the ranks of her enemies.
Her knives moved with the precision of a surgeon's, and every cut and every stab was a lethal bow that vampire and mercenary alike found nearly crippling.
Blood splashed across her face, slid down her hand, and despite it all, Ana smiled.
She may die this day, but she would die a death worthy of a Kravenoff.
oooOOoo
Sister Golden moved through the swarm of enemies like a hot knife through butter. Despite all they'd seen, no one seemed to regard hair as that lethal a weapon. They had no way of knowing the structure of her hair resembled that of a spider's web, and the tensile strength was capable to that of steel.
No, all they saw was a woman with too much hair and easy prey.
But unlike her teammates, Sister Golden didn't need to be within arm's length to unleash a world of hurt. There was a –snap- every five seconds, as hair as strong as steel broke the sound barrier, parting flesh as easily as air.
Sister Golden formed her hair in the shape of a spike, and drove it into the kidneys of one Blackguard. She wrapped her hair around the wrist of a vampire, and swung him into his compatriots.
Sister Golden allowed herself to believe, for a split second, that she might actually survive all this.
oooOOoo
Elias rocked back and forth dirt, forgotten by all in the chaos of the battle.
"He reads, does he care? He reads, does he care?" Elias said, "she was his! He must!"
Elias began to wonder, to truly wonder, if perhaps death wasn't that bad?
oooOOoo
"I shouldn't have come to this," Stone said.
Hurricane could feel the other members of the Blackguards backing off, and knew without being told that the leader had 'claimed' him. After all this chaos, all these near misses, it fell on him to take down the man responsible.
"Probably not," Hurricane did a mental inventory of all the weapons he had left. His shotgun with two solid shells, half a clip in his handgun, a grenade, a combat knife and a few ball bearings for throwing.
Nothing that would put down a man designed after one of the deadliest men on the planet.
Stone stood before Hurricane calmly. Hurricane knew the stance, but an opening was an opening.
Hurricane punched Stone in the face with every ounce of strength he had. His muscles could bend steel, he could lift cars over his head and he could kill heavyweight champions with as much effort as some used to snap a pencil in two.
Blood and teeth flew from Stone's mouth, and Stone, field leader of the Blackguards, wiped the blood from his face.
But he didn't fall.
"That all you got?"
Hurricane was about to try again, when two Blackguards tackled him from behind.
Hurricane recognized his mistake instantly. Not only had he gotten so focused on the leader, he'd forgotten the most important rule of hand to hand combat, the rule all his instructors had drilled into his skull.
The only fair fight was the fight you win.
Before Stone could gut him, Hurricane drove his elbow into the throat of the man on his left, and in a fluid motion slit the throat of the man on his right.
Hurricane grunted as Stone tackled him about the waist. He knew it was a ploy, an attempt to stall him while his fellow soldiers healed. And he knew he couldn't allow it, not if he wanted to survive.
Hurricane grabbed Stone underneath the ribs, and pitched him into the air like a sack of flour.
Several things went through Hurricane's mind, as Stone soared upward.
First, the man was their leader. Any blow against him would cripple the enemy's moral.
Second, even though the man's abilities are based on Wolverine's, neither he nor Wolverine are as indestructible as their bones. The simple fact of the matter was that there had to be cartilage, muscle and tissue in-between, something that actually enabled his bones to move instead of simply being a cast steel.
Last, and most importantly, Hurricane was remembering every last detail he could about the human body, Stone's height and his rate of fall.
On his right hand, Hurricane straightened his ring and index finger, and when Stone came down he jammed them both into the man's spine.
Hurricane's aim was perfect. He pushed Stone's ninth vertebrae out of place, severing the nerves that connected his brain to his heart, lungs and every other organ he needed to live.
More than that, Hurricane's super strength pitched Stone through the air like a tennis ball. The man flew a good ten feet before crashing to the ground, and not getting up.
His soldiers took notice.
Hurricane cracked his knuckles, "Who's next?"
oooOOooo
Black Swan stood next to Minister Blood, watching at the battle unfolded.
"Why aren't you helping your men?" Minister Blood demanded.
"I need to supervise the actions of my allies," said Black Swan, "I gave you my word we meant no harm to your people, and I mean to keep it."
"Don't worry, I can already see that this won't be much longer."
oooOOooo
Hurricane saw it happen out of the corner of his eye, but didn't recognize what he was seeing until it was too late.
One of the Blackguard pointed his claws at Garrison Katar, and the energy blades threw from the man's wrist like arrows, and sank into Katar's gut.
"Well…," Katar glanced down at his stomach, as the claws began to fade and leave several deep stab wounds, "…ain't that something?"
Hurricane saw Sister Golden nearly fall next. In the heat of the battle, she had missed one vampire as it came up from behind. It swung its clawed hands at Sister Golden's back, and scored flesh just above her left elbow.
To her credit, Sister Golden pushed past the pain long enough to swat the vampire away.
But Hurricane saw that she was at the end of her endurance. The rookie was tough as nails, hell, she was still fighting!, but she just didn't have the physical ability the rest of them did. Her body was, in the end, merely human and the wound had simply forced her to pay attention to a body that was in desperate of rest.
"Form up!" Hurricane swung his machete, hacking and slashing his way to Katar, "everyone form up now!"
"No need to panic," Katar grunted, as Hurricane picked him up under the shoulder, and hauled him to their compatriots, "I've…survived worse. I should tell you…about this time with Castle…"
"Later!" Hurricane snapped.
"Come now, mortal," Hrist grabbed Sister Golden, who was half dead on her feet, "death is only a few moments away. Try to stay conscious and savor it."
The mercenaries formed a circle around Elias, and to no one's surprise, found themselves surrounded.
"Hrist, if you could buy us a second, it would be appreciated," Ana said.
Hrist shrugged, "I suppose."
Hrist gripped her axe, and swung it around her head in a powerful arc. The sky seemed to tear, and flame fell from the axe, surrounding the mercenaries, and driving back their enemies, if only for a moment.
"There's…no heat," Hurricane held his hand to the flame, "how is that even possible?"
Hrist raised an eyebrow, "Really mortal, thou hast to ask?"
"…right," Hurricane said, "how long can you keep it up?"
"Another minute at most," Hrist said, "my magic is too wild to be of much use without prior planning. Shame to die, I had one last charm I wished to use…"
"Well…," Katar coughed into his hand, and when he opened his palm saw blood, "there are worse folks to die with."
"Well, that's better than what I ever expected anyone to say of me," Sister Golden said.
"If I may…?" said Elias.
The death glare of five mercenaries silenced his words.
"You are all fine mortals," Hrist produced a flask, "mayhaps you would care for some fine mead to see you into the next world?"
"Love to," Hurricane said.
Hrist unscrewed the top, and Hurricane watched as Ana Kravenoff's face seemed to snap backwards, as if she'd been slapped.
"That's…that's some good stuff…" Ana slurred. She put her arm over Sister Golden, and poked her playfully in the nose, "you…your hair…so pretty…!"
Katar and Hurricane exchanged a glance.
"Did she just get drunk off a whiff?" Katar asked.
"She has an enhanced sense of smell," Hurricane said, "but that must be some powerful stuff…"
"It is, mortal," Hrist said, "some of the finest brew in all the nine worlds. To you, it might as well be poison, but what's the harm now?"
"Good…point…"
A lightbulb went off in Hurricane's head.
He grabbed the flash, grabbed a thin roll of string he had in his belt, and tied the flash to his last grenade.
He pulled the pin, and threw the IED into the air, just as the flames were beginning to die down.
A wave of Blackgaurds and vampires came at them, just as the grenade exploded, showering them all in a thin mist of mead.
Hurricane squeezed his eyes shut as he saw a pair of fangs flying towards his neck. He wanted to kick himself, for thinking that his plan might work, for getting in this godforsaken mission and for…!
"Hey, man…"
Hurricane opened his eyes, and realized that the vampire was slumped over him, a goofy grin on his face. He looked like a frat boy with large canines, not a lethal creature of the night.
"You know…this isn't personal. We just want…we just want…"
The vampire snapped his fingers, struggling to remember.
"…just want to be left alone, ya know? But you're cool…you're cool…"
Hurricane gently pushed the man off of him. He scanned the battlefield, and saw that the vampires and Blackguard were all reacting much the same, stumbling around blindly, as if they were still working off a good buzz.
"…what just happened?" Katar said.
"Everyone with enhanced senses just got the ultimate buzz," Hurricane explained.
"You wasted mead!" Hrist snapped, "how dare you!"
"He saved our lives," Sister Golden observed.
"Yes, but at what cost?"
"It died for a good cause," Hurricane said, "Elias, help Sister Golden. Hrist, grab Ana, I'll get Katar. Double time it, people!"
The mercenaries, and Elias, limped their way out of the village. Hurricane spotted a half beaten dirt road, lacking any real plan, directed them towards it. To his surprise, it led to a small parking lot of old, beaten down wrecks, old trucks and even an old tour bus.
"Guess the vamps had to get here somehow," Katar said.
"…think we could hotwire one of these things?" Sister Golden said, with a half chuckle.
"Only thing that'd hold us is the tour bus," Hurricane said, "and it doesn't look like it's been driven since 1980."
"Oh, that metal beast will drive," Hrist smirked. The Goddess dropped Ana on the ground like a sack of potatoes, and strolled to the bus.
"Hrist, what the hell are you doing?!" Hurricane snapped, "we have to keep moving!"
"Mortal, did I not tell you on the train that I could solve all our transportation problems?"
Katar scowled, despite the pain in his gut, "What, like the first time?"
"Nay," Hrist stepped into the bus, and produced a golden key, "for this magic, I needed a suitable medium."
Hrist slid the key into the bus' ignition perfectly, and the engine roared.
Literally.
The dry, cracked tires began to spin even as the bus remained in place, and in a burst of light and whiff of brimstone, were replaced with solid fire, while grey steel panels fell from the top of the bus, replacing the original rusted seamlessly. The front end of the bus began to grow and warp, metal reaching outwards until the front formed a smooth, steel plough.
Hrist put her foot down on the gas, and spikes popped out of the window sills as if they were on springs, and the smell of brimstone filled the air.
"I believe you mortals say 'All aboard'?" Hrist smirked, "unless you'd prefer to walk?"
"Holy crap…" Sister Golden muttered.
Hrist sniffed, "This is anything but, stripling. Now make haste, our enemies need to see my craft."
Hurricane said nothing as he loaded Katar and Ana into the bus, followed by Sister Golden and Elias.
"Alright," Hurricane said, "Embassy Row, full speed. You know how to find it?"
Hrist scoffed, "We Asgardians created what you mortals know as GPS since before you mortals discovered fire. I know where I'm to be."
"Then put the pedal to the metal, and lets end this!"
oooOOooo
The internationally feared mercenary known as The Black Swan, buckled his seatbelt as the demonically charged bus took off.
He half feared that he'd have to cling to the roof, like some barbarian saboteur, but no. This tour bus had seats on the roof as most did, and the transformation from rusted junk to heavy transport did nothing more than repair the leather.
Black Swan placed his foot over one knee, and breathed out. His opportunity would come, soon, sooner than anyone expected. But until it did, he was going to sit back, and enjoy the ride.
"Such a shame it's almost over," Black Swan said, "and it's just about to get bloody."
Next Issue: The exciting conclusion!
