Author
JMD_009
jmd_009@yahoo.ca
Disclaimer
See Prologue
~~~~~
A beat up Chevy Cavalier sped carelessly through Central Park. The four young men joked and laugh as they sped through the night. Again.
"C'mon Louie! Are you sure this is the way to the party?" Dewy asked from the back seat. His response was a glare in the rear view mirror.
"Trust me! This is a short cut. We'll be there in no time."
"This is the sixth short cut in the last two hours. You sure you live in this city?" Xander joked at his cousin.
Hughie leaned towards the front to whisper conspiratorially in Xander's ear. "He gets lost every time."
"I heard that!" Louie said as he turned to glare at his friend in the back seat.
"It's true yo… LOOK OUT!"
Louie turned quickly on reflex at the panicked scream. He barely had time to register the five motorcyclists blocking the road as he slammed the breaks and sharply turned the wheel. The screeching of the tires was deafening as the vehicle spun off the road and impacted with a tree.
The group was dazed but otherwise unhurt, remarkable as that may seem. It suited the approaching motorcyclist just fine as they watched with amusement as the guys climbed out of the wrecked car.
Having taken worse at the hand demons in Sunnydale, Xander was the first to recover his bearings. He felt a pang of panic course through him as he saw the group approaching predatorily. Instincts forged at the Hellmouth rang alarm bells in his head. Vampires. He couldn't see yellow eyes or a ridged forehead among them, only the fangs and claws they grew that made all the vamps he'd ever seen seem like teething babies.
Making a snap decision Xander stepped between his friends and the vampires. Pulling a cross from his pocket he held it up at his adversaries intent on buying the others time to get away. It didn't go how he planned.
The vampire closest to him, a large man in a red bandana, laughed at him and continued undeterred. With a look of amusement he grabbed Xanders wrist and pulled the cross to his own face. The vampire only mocked Xander as nothing happened. "Ohh the agony!"
Fear crept onto Xander's face as he discreetly grabbed a flask from his pocket with his other hand. Quickly flipping the lid off he splashed the contents onto the monsters face. The creature just laughed at the pathetic attempt and lifted him off the ground by the throat.
"What made you think holy water would work after the cross didn't you moronic human!"
Xander just grinned as he stuck a silver object next to the vampire's face. "Not holy water asshole!"
With that he lit the zippo, igniting the alcohol. The vampire reel back in real agony this time as the flames consume its face. Pressing the advantage Xander kicked the vampire over and turned to run.
Shock held him in place, however, as he saw the scene behind him. The others were dead, drain by three of the still feeding vamps. Fighting the urge to rush them as his anger flared to new heights he ran away with all his might. Live today, fight tomorrow.
Least that's what he thought until something tackled him to the ground. He threw an elbow out to fight back. His only reward was his face being slammed into the ground. Hard.
Xander had to fight to keep conscious as he felt himself being dragged back to the slaughter ground by a tall black woman in a cheetah print jacket and leather shorts that could barely be called such. He wished he hadn't fought for it when he heard her speak. "Shred 'em! Don' wanna be makin' no competition!"
Xander could only stare in horror as he watched the three vampires, who were joined by their badly burned companion, began to rip his friends apart. He had to fight with his stomach not to throw up at the sight. Anger again surged through him as he began to pick himself to his feet only to find the leader picking him up. "De cute one's mine!"
When she had him eye to eye she looked at him with a sickening grin. "You should feel lucky! Not often dat Rose de Puppet ain't willin' to share her food!"
Before he had time to do anything Xander felt her teeth pierce his neck and the life draining away from him. He was still alive though when the vampire raised her clawed hand and exclaimed. "Time to shred 'im!"
But Fate, as they say, is a fickle mistress. And it appeared she had other plans. Just as Rose was about to free Xander of his head a black form swooped in. In an instant a vampire with a fro straight out of the seventies was sent sailing through the air. His name was Eightball apparently as that was what one of the remaining four exclaimed.
The figure stop before them floating a good two meters in the air. The large, flowing black robe the figure wore hid its face from view but did nothing to hide its massive frame. Had to be close to eight feet tall. All in all a very intimidating presence. The booming voice only added to it.
"You will do no further harm to the boy tonight bitch!"
Rose faltered for a second as she looked between Xander and the new figure. When she spoke it came out somewhat nervous sounding. "Well… uh… dat is… Take 'im if you won't him. Done wit 'im anyways."
With that Rose dropped Xander and ran for her bike. Her and the three other vamps took off like bats out of hell abandoning their unconscious comrade.
Silently the large figure lowered himself to the ground. With surprise gentleness he picked up the barely conscious Xander.
"… hospital…" Xander said weakly. "… don't… wanna… die…"
The words were almost prophetic. As he finished saying them he faded, having used the last of his strength to plead for his life. There in the arms of the stranger Alexander Lavelle Harris died.
"You must die young one." The figure said. The voice was softer than before, yet still powerful. "It has been predestined. But you will rise again. That too has be predestined."
He noticed the vampire regaining consciousness and, with a sniff of the air, something else. The figure began to rise, Xanders body cradled in his arms. "Someone approaches. Bad news for you Eightball!"
Eightball was vaguely aware of the figure flying off as he pulled himself to his feet. "Who's th…"
Anything further was lost as he was struck by two arrows. One through the mouth and the other through the heart. A red hooded woman appeared from the shadows. In her hands was an antique looking crossbow with a much more modern looking scope.
"Someone you don't want to mess with." The woman answered. "Someone who will be the end of your kind"