Chapter 12: Hunted
Sierra's House…
Jack cursed and rolled to the side, right as John hit the steel fridge. There was a hollow 'clang' and the vampire stumbled back onto the counter, stunned. Margret though did not make the same mistake as her husband.
Instead, she skid to the side of the island. Jack rolled up to his feet in time for her fingers to wrap around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Her strength was incredible, her hand felt like it was made of iron.
Margret bared her fangs in a hiss as she lifted Jack into the air, kicking and hitting at her arm, "We may not be as old or as powerful as the three you killed child…" John walked over next to her.
"But our master spent considerable time enhancing our powers to rival them. We're more than a match for you, child." she hissed gleefully.
"Dear, I really wish you wouldn't play with our food." John said, rubbing his chin.
Margret gave him a look, "John, this boy has been a real pain for our master. I think he deserves a little suffering." Jack continued to beat at her arm but…it was like she didn't even fell it!
"Yes, he does," John admitted, "But if you keep this up he might escape." and with that the two descended into an argument about how to properly kill Jack.
At this point Jack almost wished they'd just get it over with. He was starting to get sick of just…hanging out. At the very least they could try and kill him. But as the twos argument switched to a less interesting subject, Jack inwardly sighed.
He'd had enough of this.
Jack reared his leg back as far as he could manage…and kicked. Bone snapped and there was a sound of tearing cloth. Margret immediately dropped him and was sent sprawling over the island. The knives clattered around her where she landed and John jumped back in surprise.
It was all the time Jack needed to go on the offensive. Baring his fangs, Jack tackled the man to the ground. He wrapped his hand around his neck and began beating John repeatedly. Each punch sounded similar to the booming of a cannon as Jack reduced the man's head to a bloody pulp.
Slowly, Jacks blows came to a stop as he sat there breathing hard. He brought his hands up to look at the blood that stained them. Another life added to the list of beings dead by his hand. How many more would he add at this rate?
"Oh stop moping, you little brat," Margret stood up gripping a large silver knife, "Johns a regenerator."
As if on cue, John's headless body punched Jack in the gut. He doubled over gasping for air. John kicked Jack off of him and jumped to his feet. His head slowly knit itself back together, bone and flesh reconnecting once more.
When his head was once more intact, he glared at Jack, "Ok, now we kill him." he hissed.
Margret tossed him a knife, "You go first dear." she offered.
With a nod, John ran forward and slashed vertically at Jack. The young vampire rolled backward, and the knife bounced off the floor with a sharp 'screet'! Jumping to his feet, Jack flattened his hands out into spear shapes. He was not going to lose control, not this time.
If he was going to beat these two, it would be in control.
Margret hissed at Jack and leapt over the table at him. Jack dodged the first slash from her, and the second, but let out a pained growl when John stabbed him in the side. The growl turned into a full blown yell when John ripped the knife out of his side, and blood rain down Jacks side, while steam rose from the injury.
"Silver knives," Margret held her knife in a reverse pose ,"Perfect for when we need to take down a bratty vampire like you!"
She lunged again and Jack's hand shot out, stopping her blades descent. Margret snarled at him and her free hand grabbed her knife. Slowly, Jack was pushed back as Margret slowly pushed her knife towards his neck.
Jacks experiences with silver weapons was very limited to say the least. But he did remember how much it hurt when Slinger and Sir Ian had hit him with their silver weapons. That memory alone was reason enough to not let Margret bury the knife in his neck.
Feeling a new surge of strength, Jack let out a roar and shoved Margret back. The female vampire fell back as her husband attacked Jack, slashing him across the neck. Blood sprayed across the kitchen and Jack fell to his knees.
Even as a vampire, losing that much blood at once was not good. His entire body immediately felt weaker while John stabbed him in the back repeatedly. Each time Jack let out a pained scream, and his body grew weaker…and…weaker… The loss of blood and burning of the silver making all his strength slowly fade.
Suddenly, his arms gave out and he collapsed into his own blood, the knife jutting from his back. John dusted his hands off while his wife got back up, "Well, Mariana will not be happy about that." the woman said.
"He's not dead." John assured her, "Just bleeding heavily. With that much damage and silver in his system he won't be getting up anytime soon."
"That should give us time to bring the brat to her. Once he's back in earshot, he's hers." Jack felt what little blood remained in him go cold.
"Wait, if that's the case, then why doesn't Mariana just confront him herself?" John asked.
"Because, she knows that in full health he could ignore nearly any command she gave him. But, like this?" she motioned to Jacks bleeding form, which still lay face first on the ground, "He won't be able to resist her."
Jack didn't like that at all. He had heard the occasional order from Mariana whispered in his ear, but they were nothing but simple commands that he ignored with ease. If she was able to fully control him like this…
No. He wouldn't be her puppet, not now, not ever.
Jacks hands clenched tightly and the blood that spilled out of his body began flowing back into his injuries. Small streams bubbled and flowed into the stab wounds that lined his back, and into the gash across his neck.
Tensing his arms, Jack gradually pushed himself up while the two talked. He got one foot under him, then the other…and slowly he stood. His blood coated hands slid across the granite counters, were he felt his fingers brush against the handle of one of the knives. It must have fallen out of the block when he knocked Margret over the island.
Heaving himself up, Jacks hand wrapped around the knife. His wounds finally sealed shut, and Jack stood to his full height. He held the knife tightly, and both Margret and John stopped their talking to see him standing there.
Jack at this point was done playing games. He had held back to some degree or another during the fight, afraid of adding more lives to those he'd killed. But now, he'd come across a realization. That these things, vampires…they were beyond redemption. Even the best of them, or those he believed to be the best had turned on him.
The only way to deal with them, was to end what little bit of life remained. Margret and John backed up, clearly aware that Jack had come to this realization.
"Well…" John started inching towards the hall, "This is unexpected."
Behind Jack the air shimmered as the very shadows themselves seemed to writhe and move. Like the tongues of fire, they snatched hungrily at the air, and stretched over the ceilings and walls.
"Margret honey…" John started.
"Yes dear?" Margret held her knife in both hands. Hands that were trembling.
"I think we should…run!" and the vampires took off down the hall to the left of the entrance.
Jack spared no time following them. The difference though was that he stalked slowly down the halls of the house after them. He knew they wouldn't get away. He wouldn't let them. And when both Margret and John were nothing but puddles of blood, Jack would go after that traitorous bitch Sierra.
As John and Margret turned a corner, John spared a glance at Jack and wished he hadn't. The red clad vampires eyes were ablaze with blood red fire, and his jacket whipped violently back and forth. Every step forward, shadows shot out from his shoes, leaving black stains in the wood.
But on his back… It was something out of Johns worst nightmare. Dozens of shadowy hands sprouted from his back, each one clawing at the air, ceiling, or floor. They looked like wings…Wings of a sick and malevolent angel of death.
"Margret!" John screamed, "RUN!"
His wife didn't even hesitate, taking off at a break neck pace. John moved to follow her… when a shadowy hand burst from the floor and wrapped itself around his ankle. John jerked forward and nearly fell on his face.
He looked down at the limb in horror and at Jack who was growing closer. Weighing his options of losing a leg, or facing the terrifying vampires punishment…
There was a sickening crack and tearing of flesh, and John fell to the ground, blood gushing from the stump of his knee. Looking at Jack, he got on his remaining leg and started hopping down the hall. Each hop was painful to make, as his precious blood poured from his injury and his strength failed.
John didn't get much farther after that before feeling a sharp pain in his knee. Looking down, he saw Jacks knife jutting from the inside of his knee through his knee cap. John fell to the ground and turned around to see Jack standing over him, shadows engulfing his body.
And in his right arm he held Johns leg, "What's the matter!?" Jack hissed, "You were talking so much good shit a moment ago! Then I tore your fucking leg off!" With a slight pressure, Jack crushed the remains of Johns leg in his hand, and the limb disintegrated.
John scrambled away from Jack the best he could with no legs, "B-but you…how…what the fuck!?" He knew Jack was powerful, and dangerous. But this…no one had told him about this!
One of the limbs sprouting from Jacks back suddenly reached forward. Stretching unnaturally long, the limb grabbed John by the throat and brought him to eye level with Jack. One look into his blood red eyes…and he knew begging was out of the question.
"This would be the part where I start ranting." Jack growled, "But know what?"
The grip on Johns neck tightened, "You're not worth it."
There was a sound of ripping flesh, a scream, and blood hitting the floor.
Margret nearly stumbled upon hearing the dying screams of her husband, before shaking it off. There was no time to mourn, barely even time to register the fact. All she could do was run through the maze of corridors in her house and hope to get away from Jack.
Even with her incredible speed though, she always felt him nearby. Slowly gaining, slowly tracking her, slowly…preparing to reunite her with her husband.
Seeing a flight of stairs down her current hall, Margret barely slowed down as she turned up them. She took them three at a time and found herself on the second floor of the house. Margret spared one look behind her and wished she hadn't.
Jack stood at the bottom of the stairs, his hands resting at his side, and looking up at Margret. The limbs sprouting from his back were gone, but…he just stood there, staring into her eyes, as if daring her to move.
He put a single foot onto the first step…and Margret took off like a bullet down the hall. She slammed open the door at the far end of the hall into an empty guest room, and slammed the door behind her. It wouldn't stop him, not by a long shot, but it would buy her time.
She looked around the bare room and cursed. No window, "Okay, think Margret, think…" she said to herself. She needed to find a way out, needed to get past that psychotic killing machine that was coming after her.
She needed to… a warm breath brushed against her neck and Margret froze. The muscles in her neck creaked as she turned to see Jack standing over her, blood red eyes narrowed, face expressionless.
Margret screamed and scrambled back away from the teen, who casually strode forward. Seeing the door wide open behind Jack, Margret grit her fangs and shot forward. Whether Jack had anticipated this or not, Margret wouldn't know. She shoved him into the nearest wall and sprinted through the door.
"Run vampire run," he called after her.
Margret turned to right and started down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she turned again to see Jack standing at the end of the hall, "Run as fast and as hard as you can."
She turned and went the opposite direction, turning down the way she came. The boy, that vampire…how was he doing that!? Why was he doing this!? If he was going to kill her, he should just get it over with!
Margret stumbled into the kitchen, nearly hysterical at this point. She went for the door, the way out…only for to run straight into Jack. The teen knocked her sprawling into the island, which shattered from her landing.
"But no matter how hard you run," Jack walked forward, "You'll never get away."
He bent down and grabbed Margret by the throat, and slammed her against the wall with one hand. In his other hand he held a piece of lumber.
The look on Jacks face was a neutral but determined look. And that scared Margret, as his grip ever loosened or weakened. Slowly he raised the piece of lumber, the stake of wood, to her chest, and began pressing it against her chest. He twisted it back and forth while slowly pushing, and Margret let out a whimper of pain as the stake started to cut into her skin.
"W-what are you…" she couldn't finish her sentence as the stake began to cut into muscle by this point. As Jack continued to twist it into her, blood spilled from the wound and her ribs began to crack.
With one definitive shove Jack thrust the lumber into her chest, barely missing her heart, and impaling her to the wall. Margret's eyes and mouth went wide as she screamed silently, blood dripping from her mouth.
"W-why…?" she pleaded, slumping against the wall.
Jack bared his fangs in a sneer, "Because, my entire life has been ruined because of that bitch. I have killed and killed and killed since she turned me. And the one solace I had in life is a traitor, using and manipulating me."
He grabbed her face and wrenched it down to look into his eyes. The hole in her chest flared painfully against the wooden stake, "And when I am done with you, I promise that Sierra's fate will be worse than yours could ever be."
Giving Margret no time to speak, Jack spread his fangs wide and buried them deep into her neck. She screamed silently, bloody tears rolling down her face as Jacks fangs pierced her flesh and blood began to seep into the maw of his mouth.
With little hesitation, Jack began sucking the blood out of the womans body. Unlike human blood, it didn't sate his hunger as well or taste as good. But that wasn't why he was doing this. These creatures fed on humans, living or dead. And Jack figured…why not show them what they were doing? Give them a taste of their own medicine.
Margret's pained whimpers lessened as Jack drank the blood from her neck. Her pale skin grew paler, her red eyes lost their color and turned grey, while her hair slowly turned white and began falling out.
As the last of her blood was drained into Jack, her skin tightened and cracked. Jack pulled his fangs from her neck. Cracks spread across her withered skin, and her face frozen in a scream of pain. And then, she crumbled into a pile of dust on the floor.
Dead.
Jack didn't even spare the pile of dust on the floor a second glance. She was nothing but trash, and deserved no attention. In death she would be forgotten to the passage of time like every other monster that he would kill to ensure that no one else would suffer at the hands of a vampire.
Speaking of, there was another vampire that Jack had to pay a visit. One who was exceptionally close. Looking to his left, Jack saw Sierra standing in the hallway, a terrified expression on her face.
"The jigs up Sierra," he growled, slowly walking towards her, "I know what you were doing, what you planned to do to me."
Sierra backed away from Jack slowly, "J-jack, I swear I had nothing to-"
"Bullshit!" Jack screamed, slashing a hand through the air, "I heard the message, saw what was in your fridge!"
He grabbed Sierra by the neck and slammed her against the floor. He knelt down and buried his knee in her chest, "You were going to turn me against my friends, family, everything I ever cared for!" he accused.
"I should kill you, tear you apart, leave you in more pieces then I left them!" he hissed. Sierra's terrified face shifted into a neutral look.
"Is that all?" She sneered, "Death doesn't scare me you prick! If me dying helps my master advance her plans, then I gladly die for her!"
Jacks fists tightened, "You're…" his voice shook, "You're nothing more than a monster, a disgusting monster."
Sierra smirked, "This coming from you!? Ha! You're no better than the rest of us Jack, you've killed just as many humans and vampires as we have, no more in fact! What makes you so special!"
Her accusation nearly got to Jack, making him pause and his glare soften. He had killed many, many, people, hadn't he? Dozens dead because of him, slaughtered by him. What made him any better than these people? Then Sierra or her family? They had killed just as many, maybe less people then Jack had. Could he honestly consider himself above them?
Jack looked over at Margrets remains and then saw the fridge (Which was sporting a vampire shaped dent) and his glare returned full force, "I might have killed more people Sierra," he growled, looking back at her, "But I've never taken the life of an innocent. Every person I've killed has been in self defense for me or my friends and family. I am nothing like you!"
Sierra's smirk didn't fade, "Well then mister 'nothing like you', what are you waiting for?" She closed her eyes and dipped her head back, "Finish me off. Get rid of one more monster."
Jack reared his hand back, ready to tear Sierra apart. But when he brought his hand back…he hesitated. Seeing her, remembering what she had done for him, and still feeling something for her, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Even if she did work for Mariana…he just. Couldn't. Do it.
With a reluctant sigh, Jack stood up and left Sierra there, "Get the hell out of here," he ordered, "Because the next time we meet, I will kill you. I'm only letting you go now because of what we might have been."
Sierra stood up and chuckled as she walked out of the door, "Men, be they humans or vampires, they're all hopeless romantics."
"Leave!" Jack roared. Sierra vanished and Jack slumped against the hallway.
Looking down at his hands, Jack sighed, "It's not fair…" he murmured. He never wanted any of this, to be turned, to kill, to be a vampire. None of it was fair and his whole life was destroyed because of it. He was nothing more than a monster now. A monster with morals, true, but a monster nonetheless. Everyone else knew it, but didn't want to admit it.
But Jack had seen it in them. The way they looked at him, the way they always kept their distance. Whether on purpose or not, Jack knew that they would never be comfortable around him. Being what he was, such things as friends and family…they seemed pointless.
Even Sierra, the one person he had truly felt feelings for was nothing more than a lie, a manipulator trying to…Jack shot to his feet, "The club!"
He'd completely forgotten about them! He knew that most of them wouldn't be loyal to Sierra. But they needed to know that Sierra, and likely several others were working for Mariana! He had to warn them!
Digging his phone out of his pocket, Jack dialed Wendy's number. After three tones, she picked up, "Jack? What's up?" she greeted.
"Wendy!" he said, grateful that she'd picked up, "I need you to call the others, tell them to meet me in front of the school. Sierra's a traitor, she was working with Mariana!"
There was a brief pause as this sank in, "Are you…are you sure?" she asked.
"Positive." Jack confirmed, "She even told me herself. We need to meet at the school and reorganize. I'll talk more when we're actually there."
"Right…" Wendy said, sounding fairly surprised by this, "I'll see you there."
"Please hurry." Jack added, before the line went dead.
Shutting his phone, Jack took one look at the destroyed kitchen and sighed. He slipped his phone into his pocket and took off out of Sierra's house towards the high school.
Little did he know a certain red head watched him leave. Once she was sure he was gone, Sierra flipped open her own phone and dialed a number, "Sierra," Mariana greeted.
"Master, I have terrible news," Sierra sat on the tiling of her house, "Jack he…he knows. He found out our plan and as a result both my parents are dead and he is assembling the members of the club."
Mariana chuckled, "This is good news Sierra."
"Wait what!?" Sierra was sure that her master would be furious with her failure. Not happy.
"Oh don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely livid that you completely and utterly fucked this up." Mariana assured her, "But, I have received word from my agents that an old enemy of mine has arrived in Nevada and is entering Jasper. Per my orders, they will lead him directly to Jack who is…"
"…With the others…" Sierra finished, shocked.
"Exactly," Mariana said, "Now then, I want you to call our other agent in your little club and tell them that they are to take one member of the club and bring them to me. Understood?"
Sierra nodded, even though Mariana couldn't see it, "As you wish, my master." and closed the phone.
Several dozen miles away in Mariana's forward operating base, the vampire queen smiled happily, and poured herself a drink. Taking one sip, she held it out in frotn of her, "All the pieces are falling into place. Soon, the only two threats to my rule shall wipe each other from this Earth."
She let the glass drop and shatter against the stone flooring, "And once more…Nosferatu will rule."
Jasper High…
Jack quickly approached the school. There were no cars parked out front, no bikes or sign of activity. Except one. Two individuals stood at the front of the school on the lawn. Tim and Alex, both good friends of Jack.
Tim to Jacks utter relief, looked better than he had the previous night. Less pale (For a vampire) and overall healthier. He'd been right when he said he'd heal from the bullet wounds.
But Jack tossed that thought aside as he approached them. Mercer saw him first and raised an arm in greeting, "Jack, good to see you but…what's going on? Why'd you have Wendy call us all here? Actually, where is Wendy?"
Jack briefly noticed the girl wasn't there but thought nothing of it, "It's about Sierra." he said quickly.
Tim cocked his head to the side, "What about her? Is she okay?"
"Unfortunately," Jack growled. Both Mercer and Tim looked taken aback by this. It was no secret that Jack and Sierra had an…odd, relationship in the group. But they'd never seen Jack act hostile about or towards Sierra.
"She's a traitor." Jack quickly explained, "I found out that she's working for Mariana."
"WHAT!?" Tim and Mercer both yelled in unison.
"How do you know, are you sure!?" Mercer asked. He'd been in the club since the beginning and new Sierra longer than about anyone else. So for her to be a traitor…
"Yes," Jack nodded, "I am. I stumbled onto one of her plans and when I confronted her about it, she confirmed it. She started the club so she could make us trust Mariana."
Mercer frowned while Tim gulped, "B-but if that's the case…what if there are others in the group that work for her!?" he squeaked. Jack remembered how the teen felt about Mariana. She terrified him, and the idea of being a servant to her…
Jack wasn't going to let that happen, and was about to tell Tim that..when there was a blur of black and the young teen let out a startled squeak. And like that, Tim was gone!
Jack and Mercer looked around for a moment, trying to find him. They didn't have to look far, as Tim was standing in the parking lot. With Wendy wrapping an arm around his neck, and a silver pistol to his head.
"What!?" Mercer looked dumbstruck. Jack though tightened his hands. He'd suspected that Sierra had a few more agents in the club.
"Wendy what are you-"
"Shut up!" She sneered at Mercer, making him blink in shock.
Tim looked at Jack pleadingly while Wendy pushed the pistol against his skull, "For months I've listened to you all whine and bitch about how awful it is to be a vampire," she hissed, "How losing that weakness you called humanity was a bad thing!" Jack glowered at her.
"It made me sick, to see you all act like that," she continued, "What we have is a gift, a power that makes us better than your humanity. So when Sierra came up to me and told me her true purpose behind the club, I was utterly thrilled to be serving our master. She's the one who will bring our kind back to its true glory!"
"A glory you never personally saw." Jack pointed out, trying to figure out how to get Tim away from Wendy. With her arm, she could rip his heart out in a moment's notice, and then blow his brains out, killing him. Jack was not going to let someone like Tim die because of a selfish blowhard like Wendy.
"Does it matter?" Wendy reasoned, "An entire world of vampires, were we don't have to hide anymore, were we don't have to starve! Imagine it Jack!"
He wasn't convinced, "And the humans? What about them?"
She snorted, "What about them? They'll make good cattle for sure, but that's all they are, cattle."
Mercer growled and shadows crawled up his arm, "Sorry," Jack said, "I'll have to pass on that idea."
"Whatever." Wendy said casually, "It doesn't matter if you want to join or not. My master wants me to bring little Timmy here to her, so we can add him to our ranks."
She twisted her pistol into his skull making Tim wince, "And unless you want his brains to decorate the sidewalk, I suggest you…"
Wendy stopped and trailed off, her eyes glazing over. Jack and Mercer looked at each other confused, while Tim struggled against Wendy's grasp. She seemed frozen stock still in place for some reason, when suddenly…
Her entire head exploded into a fountain of gore, blood shooting into the air! Her arms went limp and Tim scuttled away from her body while Jack watched what could only be described as a horror show unfold.
Thin flashes of light winked through the air, each light cutting into Wendy's body like it was tissue paper. Blood poured from her limbs as they were tossed into the air and torn apart in a maelstrom of light and death. Even though she had been a regenerator…no one could regenerate from an injury like that.
What remained of her body though, hit the floor with sickening meaty thuds, while blood rained around her. With her body gone though, they could see the individual responsible for her bloody demise.
An old gentleman wearing a well pressed suit with black gloves and a monocle. His suits jacket was folded in the crook of his arm and his black hair shone in the moonlight. Streams of light danced around the man as he looked at the three vampires, and more specifically the dead one.
"Hmm," he mused, "I must be losing my touch in my old age. I was aiming to kill them both." he shrugged, "Oh well, I suppose that will have to wait."
He set two brown grey eyes on the three vampires fully, and Jack tensed, "Mercer…" he murmured, "Take Tim and get out of here. Now!" he ordered. This newcomer with his odd lights was dangerous, and Jack wasn't going to let his friends die at his hands.
Mercer didn't even hesitate, instead taking Tim and running off towards the houses. A stream of light shot towards them, but Jack was faster. He blocked the light with his arm and let out a hiss of pain. The light wrapped around his arm and Jack realized it wasn't light at all.
It was a thin monomolecular wire, designed for cutting through flesh. The old man raised his right arm and flicked his wrist. Jack let out a scream of pain as his forearm was cleaved in two, blood spraying across the floor.
"Young man," the newcomer scolded, "It's very impolite to interfere with a man's work."
"It's not polite to cut off a person's arm either," Jack hissed, shoving the stump of his arm under his armpit, "Who the frag are you anyway?"
The old man smirked and tossed his jacket to the side, raising both his arms. Light danced around him as the man spoke, "My name is Walter C. Dornez. And I am your Angel of Death."
A/N: DUN DUN DUN! So yeah, about everyone knew who he was, but you have to admit…that's a hell of an intro, isn't it? Badass butlers aside though, what did you guys think of Jacks fight with Sierra's parents? I know it seemed a bit dark for Jack, given that he was in control, but at this point he was pretty sick of everything going wrong, so he was simply retaliating. That said, was the chapter good, bad, meh? let me know in the reviews below, or suggest ideas of ask me questions via PM. Bye!