Underworld 2
Chapter 2
It always seemed to rain here; Hesper had yet to see a clear day or night, in all her weeks of being here. Now she was standing with her back against the wall, watching the rain and seeing so much more. The darkness was brighter for her eyes now. The shadows weren't as menacing as they had been. But it was that which she didn't see, that was dominating her mind. It was the growing sense of power that filled her mind. With every wave of memories she felt stronger, she felt faster. She felt the spirit of the werewolf growing her like it where a child. Only this one grew out her skin, turned her into a monster. Or so she had always thought. Until now, this feeling in her body was not evil or monstrous. It was primal.
Hesper sighed as her shoulders twitched; her sides gave a twinge as she moved. The enzyme would keep her from changing, but that didn't stop the little things from happening. Stepping out of the shelter, Hesper sighed heavily as her body was soaked through again. As she moved her ears heard the patter on the ground of each drop of water. Her skin was aware of the heat of bodies around her. Hesper stopped suddenly as her skin tingled painfully. Michael had told her to go come back to the hideout if she felt anything like a tingle or twinge. But she had no inclination to go back. She didn't want to be with him, she wanted to…run.
Hesper looked at the ground, staring at her feet and felt a surge swell through her. Run, it told her. Run to the moon. Hesper was running, but it was more then that, it was a race. A competition with herself and the silver orb in the sky above her; a race she wanted to win.
Her muscles were set on fire as she moved, her flesh burned and her mind was lost to waves of black. All of it was painful and she faltered once or twice as her bones realigned. But the pain didn't register, just the exhilaration of finally being free. The total sense of abandonment that hit made her shout.
**
Dawn painted the ancient city with pastel versions of what they would become. Gray mist clung to the stone, scrapping against the surface as the figure moved through it. Their steps were light, barely making a sound as the huge figure moved. Breathing in deeply brought the smells of early morning after a rain storm. They also brought something different. Something wild, the scent of a new lycan lay on the fog like an invisible trail.
Raze followed it to the source and knelt beside the naked form of the girl. Her hair was long, thick like warm fur and damp with the mist. Her body was pale, just slightly over weight but strong at the same time. Raze looked around cautiously, the vampires were out of the question but bounty hunters were not. Once he was convinced that the area was safe he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
One of the many entrances to their liar; was close by and he found no trouble as he unlocked the door. Closing it behind him he looked once again at the surroundings. Nothing. He turned away and disappeared down the tunnel, dropping lower and lower into the darkness that was the underworld of the city.
**
Michael jolted awake without knowing what had stirred him. Selene was curled against his chest and sleeping like the dead. Her hair was splayed against his broad shoulder and her hand rested against his opposite shoulder. Laying there he listened to the space around them, it was quiet, undistributed. Perhaps that is what had woken him. Nothing had moved in hours.
Carefully Michael got out of bed and made his way to the room that Hesper had occupied. Her bed was empty and there was no sign she had come in at all. She hadn't come home last night. Dread settled on him in a cold mantle that felt heavier then it should have. He thought of Kraven and the Death Dealers, he knew they had been out last night. Perhaps she had been caught by them. The dread got heavier. Or maybe Raze had captured her. Maybe she had returned to the liar, as her instincts would have told her to do.
Michael himself was constantly haunted by the need to return to the liar. Even though it was empty and full of nothing but cold memories and stone floors; the need was still there. That was his home. That was where he belonged. Yet he was here, sharing his bed with a vampiress and hunting both vampire and lycan. It was moments like this when he despised his two natures. They had been warring with each other for over a millennium. And they warred with him, even now.
He turned away from the empty room and returned to the cool bed in his own space. Selene didn't even stir as he crawled back into the sheets. His warmth was the only one in the bed and it scared him sometimes. With this thought in his head, he drifted off into a nightmare.
**
Hesper felt like shit as her head cleared and her body itched. Her neck felt loose and thin as she blinked the darkness away. The ache in her shoulders went down her spine and spread out over her entire body. Even her fingernails hurt.
"She's awake." A growl came from off to her left as a hand grabbed her jaw and lifted her head. "She's a little pale."
"Let go Raze, no need to scare her." The man's tone was soft and it reminded her of a song she heard once. "Can you see us?"
Hesper tried to talk but her jaw wasn't working right, her tongue felt swollen. Trying to wet her mouth didn't work, she was drier then the Sahara. Instead she shook her head and it felt like her brain rattled around in her skull.
"The change hit her hard." The soft man said. "She must have been given an enzyme."
Raze grabbed her jaw again, "Is this the one who killed Jake?"
"I think so." The man sounded very distant, as he was walking backwards.
Hesper tried to focus and her brain quit. She fell away on black waves again.
**
Raze sat watching her; studying her body lines and the creases in her flesh. He watched her face as it showed her dreams. The way the light bent around her hair and showed highlights of red amid the brown. She had the broad shoulders and long hands that he recognized. But she was totally female, which the memory wasn't.
He watched to touch her skin, feel the smooth texture and the muscles under it. He wanted to breathe along her hair and memorize the scent of her being. Of course he didn't do any of this. He hadn't survived the war by being weak and giving into impulses like this. Instead he sat down across from her on a collection of crates and just watched. Her dreams were troubled again.
**
Michael was unable to sleep as he awoke from the final nightmare. He sat up and pushed away the covers. Selene was still out for the day and he didn't worry about waking her. Dressing in warm clothes, Michael left a note for her and left the hideout. His stride was long and angry as he marched across the street. Pulling open the door he made his way to the back of the store and chose the selection. Making his way to the counter, Michael set it down and pulled out the exact change.
"Same as always," the cashier greeted. Michael stared at him until the smile faded. Snatching his purchase off the counter, Michael left the store and walked aimlessly.
**
Hesper managed to surface again and this time the darkness receded and didn't leaving her feeling like shit. Her body still hurt, but it wasn't as bad. Lifting her head was possible and she felt better, until she stared at the black man across from her. His eyes were dark, his face was set into empty lines and he was huge. Not just in presence but in physical being. The man was massive like some people were thin.
He stood up and she flinched instinctively when he reached for her. His hands unlocked the straps against her body and she tumbled out, leaning fully on him. He stared down at her, his eyes flashed and Hesper jumped away. It was only then that she was aware of her nakedness. Her skin flushed as she tried to cover herself.
"We're used to it." He growled. He turned away then and marched out of the room. She followed him.
The man filled the whole corridor as he moved in a smooth stride. Hesper tried to look at something other then the broad back or the round buttocks in front of her. It was a challenge. As he went down some steps she heard the sound of screaming. Hesper paused, feeling her hair rise as the sounds became clearer, not screaming. Snarling, like starving animals with fresh meat. Her guide didn't hesitate as he went down another hall and Hesper raced to keep up with him. He stopped at the end and put his hand on the door.
"You can use this room." He told her. His deep voice sent warm tingles through her and it was the oddest feeling she had ever had. "The clothes may not all fit."
"No worries." Hesper pushed open the door and looked at the metal frame cot. There was no dresser or lamp or phone. Hesper kept the sigh to her self as she turned. "Thanks."
He gave a nod and reached for her, Hesper jumped away and watched as his hand went to the wall and flicked on the light switch. They both blinked a few times to adjust their eyes.
"If I need to leave, how do I go about it?" She asked.
"Come find me and I'll show you the way." He said and went down the hall without another word.
Hesper watched him until it was impossible to see his shadow and she closed the door. Strangely enough, standing in that room in nothing but her birthday suit, she was totally comfortable. The cold didn't reach her nor was she self-conscious. It was as if she had always done this.
Hesper sat on the cot and looked at the collection of clothes. Faded jeans, very old sweater and a man's insulated vest. There was a crest in German on the left side and she stared at it a moment. German had never been an easy language for her, but just then she easily read the label and even muttered a few words. Again, as if she had always done it. She shook her head at the fears that threatened to rise up. Instead of dwelling on it, she pulled on the clothes and went off in search of the mystery black man.
**
Michael tossed his trash into a can as he passed and looked up. He was startled to find himself staring at the entrance to the hospital. He hadn't set foot here in nearly four months. Rain had threatened all day and suddenly broke in a deluge of cold heavy sheets. He turned away from the building and walked even further away from his past.
**
Hesper found her guide leaned up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze intent on something. She approached and looked around his large body. Two men were standing a few feet apart, buck naked and glaring at one another. As she watched, their bodies shuddered as their bones lengthened and the skin became something animal.
"Oh," She whispered and he turned to stare at her. "Oh god."
"You'll get used to it." He rumbled and turned to face her. "You want to leave?"
"I need to get some food." She told him and he pushed off the wall. Hesper followed him as the sound of snarling and snapping came at their backs.
Raze held the door aside and they stepped out into the deluge of cold rain.
"Doesn't do anything but rain?" Hesper muttered unhappily.
"No." Raze growled and looked into the gray sky, "It rains the majority of the time, especially in the winter months."
Hesper stared at him, "I never got your name."
He met her eyes, "Raze. You?"
"Hes….Helen." Hesper remembered Michael's warning, "Call me Helen."
Raze turned his back to her and led the way through the rain. It was like watching a boulder move through a waterfall. The water bent to his shape rather then him to it. Helen shook her head and went after him.
**
Michael ducked into the shelter of a closed door and huddled in on himself. His eyes stared out at the street as two figures moved against the rain. A jolt ran through him and he was crossing the street before he could comprehend it. One of them was a large black man, the other was a solid woman. She moved slowly and uneasily through the water. Something about her tugged at Michael and he followed them.
Chapter 2
It always seemed to rain here; Hesper had yet to see a clear day or night, in all her weeks of being here. Now she was standing with her back against the wall, watching the rain and seeing so much more. The darkness was brighter for her eyes now. The shadows weren't as menacing as they had been. But it was that which she didn't see, that was dominating her mind. It was the growing sense of power that filled her mind. With every wave of memories she felt stronger, she felt faster. She felt the spirit of the werewolf growing her like it where a child. Only this one grew out her skin, turned her into a monster. Or so she had always thought. Until now, this feeling in her body was not evil or monstrous. It was primal.
Hesper sighed as her shoulders twitched; her sides gave a twinge as she moved. The enzyme would keep her from changing, but that didn't stop the little things from happening. Stepping out of the shelter, Hesper sighed heavily as her body was soaked through again. As she moved her ears heard the patter on the ground of each drop of water. Her skin was aware of the heat of bodies around her. Hesper stopped suddenly as her skin tingled painfully. Michael had told her to go come back to the hideout if she felt anything like a tingle or twinge. But she had no inclination to go back. She didn't want to be with him, she wanted to…run.
Hesper looked at the ground, staring at her feet and felt a surge swell through her. Run, it told her. Run to the moon. Hesper was running, but it was more then that, it was a race. A competition with herself and the silver orb in the sky above her; a race she wanted to win.
Her muscles were set on fire as she moved, her flesh burned and her mind was lost to waves of black. All of it was painful and she faltered once or twice as her bones realigned. But the pain didn't register, just the exhilaration of finally being free. The total sense of abandonment that hit made her shout.
**
Dawn painted the ancient city with pastel versions of what they would become. Gray mist clung to the stone, scrapping against the surface as the figure moved through it. Their steps were light, barely making a sound as the huge figure moved. Breathing in deeply brought the smells of early morning after a rain storm. They also brought something different. Something wild, the scent of a new lycan lay on the fog like an invisible trail.
Raze followed it to the source and knelt beside the naked form of the girl. Her hair was long, thick like warm fur and damp with the mist. Her body was pale, just slightly over weight but strong at the same time. Raze looked around cautiously, the vampires were out of the question but bounty hunters were not. Once he was convinced that the area was safe he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
One of the many entrances to their liar; was close by and he found no trouble as he unlocked the door. Closing it behind him he looked once again at the surroundings. Nothing. He turned away and disappeared down the tunnel, dropping lower and lower into the darkness that was the underworld of the city.
**
Michael jolted awake without knowing what had stirred him. Selene was curled against his chest and sleeping like the dead. Her hair was splayed against his broad shoulder and her hand rested against his opposite shoulder. Laying there he listened to the space around them, it was quiet, undistributed. Perhaps that is what had woken him. Nothing had moved in hours.
Carefully Michael got out of bed and made his way to the room that Hesper had occupied. Her bed was empty and there was no sign she had come in at all. She hadn't come home last night. Dread settled on him in a cold mantle that felt heavier then it should have. He thought of Kraven and the Death Dealers, he knew they had been out last night. Perhaps she had been caught by them. The dread got heavier. Or maybe Raze had captured her. Maybe she had returned to the liar, as her instincts would have told her to do.
Michael himself was constantly haunted by the need to return to the liar. Even though it was empty and full of nothing but cold memories and stone floors; the need was still there. That was his home. That was where he belonged. Yet he was here, sharing his bed with a vampiress and hunting both vampire and lycan. It was moments like this when he despised his two natures. They had been warring with each other for over a millennium. And they warred with him, even now.
He turned away from the empty room and returned to the cool bed in his own space. Selene didn't even stir as he crawled back into the sheets. His warmth was the only one in the bed and it scared him sometimes. With this thought in his head, he drifted off into a nightmare.
**
Hesper felt like shit as her head cleared and her body itched. Her neck felt loose and thin as she blinked the darkness away. The ache in her shoulders went down her spine and spread out over her entire body. Even her fingernails hurt.
"She's awake." A growl came from off to her left as a hand grabbed her jaw and lifted her head. "She's a little pale."
"Let go Raze, no need to scare her." The man's tone was soft and it reminded her of a song she heard once. "Can you see us?"
Hesper tried to talk but her jaw wasn't working right, her tongue felt swollen. Trying to wet her mouth didn't work, she was drier then the Sahara. Instead she shook her head and it felt like her brain rattled around in her skull.
"The change hit her hard." The soft man said. "She must have been given an enzyme."
Raze grabbed her jaw again, "Is this the one who killed Jake?"
"I think so." The man sounded very distant, as he was walking backwards.
Hesper tried to focus and her brain quit. She fell away on black waves again.
**
Raze sat watching her; studying her body lines and the creases in her flesh. He watched her face as it showed her dreams. The way the light bent around her hair and showed highlights of red amid the brown. She had the broad shoulders and long hands that he recognized. But she was totally female, which the memory wasn't.
He watched to touch her skin, feel the smooth texture and the muscles under it. He wanted to breathe along her hair and memorize the scent of her being. Of course he didn't do any of this. He hadn't survived the war by being weak and giving into impulses like this. Instead he sat down across from her on a collection of crates and just watched. Her dreams were troubled again.
**
Michael was unable to sleep as he awoke from the final nightmare. He sat up and pushed away the covers. Selene was still out for the day and he didn't worry about waking her. Dressing in warm clothes, Michael left a note for her and left the hideout. His stride was long and angry as he marched across the street. Pulling open the door he made his way to the back of the store and chose the selection. Making his way to the counter, Michael set it down and pulled out the exact change.
"Same as always," the cashier greeted. Michael stared at him until the smile faded. Snatching his purchase off the counter, Michael left the store and walked aimlessly.
**
Hesper managed to surface again and this time the darkness receded and didn't leaving her feeling like shit. Her body still hurt, but it wasn't as bad. Lifting her head was possible and she felt better, until she stared at the black man across from her. His eyes were dark, his face was set into empty lines and he was huge. Not just in presence but in physical being. The man was massive like some people were thin.
He stood up and she flinched instinctively when he reached for her. His hands unlocked the straps against her body and she tumbled out, leaning fully on him. He stared down at her, his eyes flashed and Hesper jumped away. It was only then that she was aware of her nakedness. Her skin flushed as she tried to cover herself.
"We're used to it." He growled. He turned away then and marched out of the room. She followed him.
The man filled the whole corridor as he moved in a smooth stride. Hesper tried to look at something other then the broad back or the round buttocks in front of her. It was a challenge. As he went down some steps she heard the sound of screaming. Hesper paused, feeling her hair rise as the sounds became clearer, not screaming. Snarling, like starving animals with fresh meat. Her guide didn't hesitate as he went down another hall and Hesper raced to keep up with him. He stopped at the end and put his hand on the door.
"You can use this room." He told her. His deep voice sent warm tingles through her and it was the oddest feeling she had ever had. "The clothes may not all fit."
"No worries." Hesper pushed open the door and looked at the metal frame cot. There was no dresser or lamp or phone. Hesper kept the sigh to her self as she turned. "Thanks."
He gave a nod and reached for her, Hesper jumped away and watched as his hand went to the wall and flicked on the light switch. They both blinked a few times to adjust their eyes.
"If I need to leave, how do I go about it?" She asked.
"Come find me and I'll show you the way." He said and went down the hall without another word.
Hesper watched him until it was impossible to see his shadow and she closed the door. Strangely enough, standing in that room in nothing but her birthday suit, she was totally comfortable. The cold didn't reach her nor was she self-conscious. It was as if she had always done this.
Hesper sat on the cot and looked at the collection of clothes. Faded jeans, very old sweater and a man's insulated vest. There was a crest in German on the left side and she stared at it a moment. German had never been an easy language for her, but just then she easily read the label and even muttered a few words. Again, as if she had always done it. She shook her head at the fears that threatened to rise up. Instead of dwelling on it, she pulled on the clothes and went off in search of the mystery black man.
**
Michael tossed his trash into a can as he passed and looked up. He was startled to find himself staring at the entrance to the hospital. He hadn't set foot here in nearly four months. Rain had threatened all day and suddenly broke in a deluge of cold heavy sheets. He turned away from the building and walked even further away from his past.
**
Hesper found her guide leaned up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze intent on something. She approached and looked around his large body. Two men were standing a few feet apart, buck naked and glaring at one another. As she watched, their bodies shuddered as their bones lengthened and the skin became something animal.
"Oh," She whispered and he turned to stare at her. "Oh god."
"You'll get used to it." He rumbled and turned to face her. "You want to leave?"
"I need to get some food." She told him and he pushed off the wall. Hesper followed him as the sound of snarling and snapping came at their backs.
Raze held the door aside and they stepped out into the deluge of cold rain.
"Doesn't do anything but rain?" Hesper muttered unhappily.
"No." Raze growled and looked into the gray sky, "It rains the majority of the time, especially in the winter months."
Hesper stared at him, "I never got your name."
He met her eyes, "Raze. You?"
"Hes….Helen." Hesper remembered Michael's warning, "Call me Helen."
Raze turned his back to her and led the way through the rain. It was like watching a boulder move through a waterfall. The water bent to his shape rather then him to it. Helen shook her head and went after him.
**
Michael ducked into the shelter of a closed door and huddled in on himself. His eyes stared out at the street as two figures moved against the rain. A jolt ran through him and he was crossing the street before he could comprehend it. One of them was a large black man, the other was a solid woman. She moved slowly and uneasily through the water. Something about her tugged at Michael and he followed them.