Okay, here's the next chapter.
* * *
Target Acquired
* * *
"Have you located where the league is?" Doc asked as he paced back in forth behind one of his workers, as he tapped on the keys of a laptop.
"They're trying to be sneaky...but they can't fool me," was the worker's response before he hit a few more keys and pressed enter. "Got it, and from the looks of things their ship hasn't moved much for a while."
Doc smirked. Once the league was out of the way he wouldn't have to worry about his plan being foiled, even though it wouldn't anyway.
"Good work." Doc turned and glanced at Mashirra, who nodded before he headed for the exit. "No, Mashirra. I need you here." He waited until Mashirra stopped before continuing. "Send Eliza."
Mashirra shook his head. "I'm not sending her out there by herself! Are you insane!?"
"Relax," Doc said with an assuring tone. "There will be several workers with her, and they will have the element of surprise."
The shapeshifter sighed, before nodding. He was concerned for Eliza. Despite her strength and combat skill, she was still a vampire, and against the other league members he wasn't sure she could last that long.
Plus, there were the dreams to consider.
* * *
Bloodrayne watched as Riven fought against for of Doc's workers at once. So far not one of the four had been able to land a blow on the Asian man...well, she was sure he wasn't a man, but he wasn't a vampire either. She would be able to smell if he was.
She watched as he jumped up in a spinning roundhouse kick, knocking the last worker out. Walking down the steps she clapped, finally getting his attention. "You're good," she stated as she walked up to him.
"Thanks," he replied. Then, he tilted his head and gazed at her with curiosity. "Care to go a few rounds?"
Bloodrayne smiled before nodding. Flexing her arms, her blades shot out, and she moved into a fighting pose.
Riven suddenly held up a hand. "Wait." As she watched, he walked over and picked up what appeared to be a pair of tonfas, except with most of the stick end being a long blade. He twirled the weapons around expertly before moving into a pose. "Okay, attack."
She didn't need a second invitation. She lunged, lashing out with her left arm. It met one of his bladed tonfas before he slashed at her also. She ducked and tried to sweep his legs out from under him, but he jumped into the air, his body twisting as he lashed out with a boot to her face, knocking her back.
The vampire quickly recovered and went into a slashing frenzy. Every blow was blocked by him. Finally she lucked out, tearing a cut across Riven's face. He tensed, and then stood upright as the cut fully healed right before her eyes. He mentally smirked as her jaw almost hit the floor.
"What are you?" was the first thing she was able to get out, and he chuckled.
"You vampires think that you are the fastest healers on the planet, don't you."
With that he walked out of the room, twirling the tonfas and whistling.
* * *
"Just be careful, alright?"
Eliza rolled her eyes before turning around and kissing Mashirra gently. "You can relax, Mashirra," she whispered as she pulled away. "I'll be fine."
Mashirra wasn't convinced, of course, but he nodded anyway. "Okay." He kissed her one more time before she exited their room. He sighed and sat on the bed, running a hand over the top of his head.
He hoped she knew what she was getting into.
* * *
"Here you go."
The rest of the league looked up from their table as Gabriel entered, throwing Sparrow over to Lucian. Willow smiled slightly at Gabriel, who gave a smile back, before slightly glaring at Jones, who looked at him a "I told you so" look.
"What did he do?" Bourne asked.
Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out Lucian's pendant. He paused, unsure what to do with it, and then shrugged and handed it to Lucian. "Here, it would probably be safer in your hands anyway, plus I know you won't jump ship now."
Lucian smirked before putting it back on, closing his eyes in remembrance. "So what did he do?" The hybrid asked.
"He tried to steal it," was Gabriel's answer. Almost instantly the hybrid was glaring at the pirate, who stood up and held his hands out.
"Borrowed," Sparrow corrected. "I was borrowing it. I'm sorry, it's just, it's such a pretty necklace." Lucian continued to glare at him for a moment before finally getting up. Sparrow relaxed. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Lucian lunged, his coat blade popping out as he impaled Sparrow on it. Willow almost screamed, and everyone else backed up.
Lucian pulled the blade out and looked at Sparrow, who continued to just stare at him before sighing. "Now does that ever work?"
"Yeah, and I've been wondering exactly, how is it that you're still alive anyway?" Jones asked.
"Well, you remember those cursed gold coins that his first mate stole?" Gabriel asked before Sparrow could answer. The group nodded. "Well, he stole the whole chest of them."
Sparrow nodded. Then, under his breath, he corrected. "Commandeered."
* * *
Eliza looked at the submarine as it surfaced from the water at the dock. She looked at the thirty other men who were coming on the little 'trip', and the weaponry they carried, before shrugging. She knew they would help get the job done, but they would probably get in the way anyway.
"Oh well," she whispered to herself with a sigh as she boarded the submarine, the other workers following after her. Once they were all onboard the submarine sunk down into the water, leaving the dock and going after its intended target.
* * *
Willow raised her head at the knocking of the door. "Come in," she called out, and then tried not to look disappointed as Bourne entered the room. She had hoped it was Gabriel. She didn't know why but there was something about him that she was really attracted to. Maybe it was because she hadn't been with a male like that in a long time.
"Umm, hi. Look, sorry if I bothered you, but I have a question for you." He waited as Willow sat up, nodding. "You're a witch, right?" She nodded again. "So, can you read minds?"
Willow thought about it for a moment. "Well, I've never really tried it, but I'm sure I could. Why?"
Jason paused before asking the next question. "Could you read mine?" She looked at him curiously and he shrugged. "You know why I'm helping with this, and I was wondering if perhaps you could see anything from my past."
The young wicca nodded. "Okay; I'll try." She stood up and walked over to him. "Now, I'm not sure how to do this, but I'll try." She raised both hands and placed one on either side of Bourne's head before closing her eyes in concentration.
At first she saw nothing…
…then, she saw some flashes of something. She wasn't sure what, but she saw movement; gunshots, the sounds of fighting, the screaming of someone dieing.
She tore her hands away and panted heavily. After a moment she sat down, as that little mind reading had taken a bit out of her.
"What did you see?" Bourne asked as he helped her sit. She paused, and looked up at him.
"Nothing," she lied. "I didn't see anything. Not anything that I could make sense of anyway." Bourne nodded sadly as he stood up and walked for the door, as Willow's breathing returned to normal.
"Well, thanks for doing it anyway," he said with a soft smile, and she nodded in response, before he exited.
* * *
Outside he stopped as he noticed Gabriel leaning against one of the walls, gazing at him with a casual look. Bourne started to say something, but Gabriel cut him off. "Nothing's happening between me and her, and I heard the mind reading thing anyway. Demons have enhanced hearing." He said the last part with a smirk as he walked over to the door. Bourne paused, and then nodded and walked down the hallway.
* * *
Willow looked up again and smiled as Gabriel entered the room. "Can I come in?" He asked, and she nodded. "Sorry to bother you," he started, and then trailed off when he saw she looked exhausted. "What happened?" He asked, pretending like he didn't know. She shot him a look that said she knew that he knew what happened, and he shrugged. "Okay, okay; you got me."
She smiled tenderly at him as he sat on the bed next to her. "You know, I never really thanked you," she said after a moment. "For saving me in the church."
Gabriel tilted his head to the side and gazed at her. "Yes you did," he told her. "And besides, you don't need to thank me. It was my pleasure to help you…" He probably would have added on to that, but she didn't let him.
All the logical actions seemed to shut down in Willow's brain, as she suddenly moved foreword and pressed her lips to his. Gabriel's eyes practically bulged out of his head at that. But after a moment they closed and he returned the kiss, causing her to moan softly in his mouth. The sound made him shudder, and he wrapped his arms around her, as she wrapped hers around his neck.
"Ah-hem." Instantly both pulled away and turned towards the open door where Jones stood, leaning against the doorway with a smirk on his face. Instantly Gabriel stood up while Willow straightened out her shirt. "Sorry to disturb you two, but dinner's ready."
Gabriel started to babble while Willow just looked embarrassed. "Okay," Gabriel said, finally getting a word right. "I'm coming." He walked out of the room, pausing before looking back at Willow.
"No, I'm not hungry," the redhead told him, and he nodded before both Gabriel and Jones left the room.
Instantly Willow fell backwards on her bed. "…wow…" She was finally able to get out. She didn't know what possessed her to kiss him, but it didn't matter to her now. She had forgotten the touch of a man, and that had just reminded her how good it was.
* * *
Outside, Jones and Gabriel walked down the hall. Gabriel glanced at Jones and saw the big grin he was giving him.
"Well, I don't want to say I told you so, but…"
Jones was cut off as Gabriel smacked him upside the head. "You saw nothing," he hissed before moving at a quicker pace.
"Whatever helps you sleep better at night," was Jones' reply.
* * *
"We're here, FINALLY."
Eliza perked up as she looked at one of the workers who had been looking through the periscope. "I see the Pearl!" He exclaimed. A second later he was knocked aside as Eliza looked through. He was right. The Black Pearl was indeed in site.
"Excellent," Eliza said, more to herself than anyone else. "Get the weapons ready. We're going in."
