Acherontia Atropos Part 2

The first thing that I did when I woke up was tried to open my

eyes, which was a mistake. It was way too bright, and I felt like

my head was going to explode. The second thing I did was mumble

out something incoherent.

"What?" Someone - I think it was Heero - said by my ear, very

loudly.

"I said," I stated much more clearly, "that I'm going to puke,"

then rolled out of the bed I had mysteriously found myself in and

did just that. Cool fingers helped hold my aching head up until I

was done. Tears were running down my face, which normally would

have pissed me off, but right then I hurt too much to care about

dignity. I figured I didn't have much left anyway at that point,

considering I'd just tossed my cookies in front of Heero.

"Done now?" Heero asked, his voice soft.

I tried to nod, which was a mistake. It set off another round of

heaving. More tears squeezed themselves from my eyes. After the

pounding in my head subsided enough for me to think coherently and

my stomach stayed in place, I managed a weak, "Yeah."

"I'm going to put you back in your bed now. Can you handle being

moved?"

I wanted to say no, I really did. I wanted to say 'Just kill me,

please' but knowing Heero, he probably would have taken me

literally. Though at the time, being put out of my misery would

have been something of a relief. So instead, I said, "Roger."

His only reply was, "Yes." For a moment, between head-splitting

waves of pain, I thought I could detect a hint of concern in his

voice. It was probably just the trauma of the situation.

Strong, warm arms lifted me up like I didn't weigh anything at all

and set me on softness that I was pretty sure was my bed. A thin

little moan of pain escaped my lips.

"Are you okay?"

That had to be one of the dumbest questions I'd ever heard in my

life. Even cutting Heero a little slack for not being used to

conversing, it was still a dumb question. I laughed, very

carefully so that my head wouldn't fall off. "Yeah, just peachy."

"I can see that." A hand brushed my forehead. "You can't be too

hurt if you're making jokes."

I whimpered despite my own best efforts, and the hand withdrew.

"Can you open your eyes?"

"I'd rather not," I said, my voice strange in my own ears.

"Open your eyes, Duo. We need to see if you have a concussion."

Heero was being eminently reasonable and logical. And almost, well,

nice. If I hadn't been in so much pain, I would have been

suspicious. As it was, I didn't argue. I opened my eyes, and found

myself peering right into Heero's from a very close ranger for the

second time in one night.

Heero looked really pissed, which was kind of funny considering

how nice he was being. I shut my eyes quickly again, because it

hurt too much to have them open. Silently, I prayed that whoever

Heero was mad at, it wasn't me. When he was finally upset enough

to show emotion, the pucky was deep indeed.

"Your eyes aren't focusing properly," Heero commented. "You do

have a concussion."

"Right now, I just think it's nice that I have a head left to have

a concussion with," I laughed weakly again. Yeah, that's me. Mr.

Comedian. "How bad is it, doc?"

"Concussion..." Heero's voice went all distant, like he was

reading off a grocery list, "severe lacerations on your face and

head. Contusions on your shoulders, back, chest, and arms. More

lacerations on your back, but minor ones."

"Funny," I said, "my head's the only thing that hurts." Of course,

when I mentioned that, I was asking for it. My body turned into

one massive ache, all of my injuries clamoring for attention.

There's a lot to be said for blissful ignorance. "Can I have a

pain killer, please?" I didn't even have to try to sound pathetic.

Normally, I really didn't need the extra chemicals messing with my

brain, but I was willing to make an exception.

"Yes, soon," Heero said, "Wufei's raiding the school clinic now."

"Oh...okay." It hadn't occurred to me until that point that anyone

other than Heero would know I was hurt. But wait, how had he even

known? "Uh, Heero?" I went over my last few memories carefully. No,

no Heero in them, or anyone else I knew. Just the woman, whoever

she was.

"Yes?"

"How did I get in here?" I cracked one eye open.

"I carried you." Heero looked rather surprised. "You don't

remember?"

"Should I?"

"You insisted that you were alright, and that I should put you

down and let you walk," Heero said. If I hadn't known him so well,

I would have thought he was trying not to laugh. But then again, I

was starting to realize that I didn't know everything about him,

so it was a real possibility.

"I did?"

"Yes."

It didn't add up, but Heero was being unhelpful as always, so I

tried a different question. Sometimes, he was just too freaking

literal for his own good. When in doubt, rephrase. "Why were you

outside to carry me, anyway?"

"Quatre hauled me out of bed, along with Trowa and Wufei," Heero

shrugged. "He was babbling something about you. Then I heard a

shotgun fire, twice, and went to investigate. I thought you might

be in trouble; you normally are."

"Gee, thanks. It's not like I try, you know." I didn't. Really.

"I know."

"Who was shooting if it wasn't you?"

"I was," someone said.

That voice did not belong to Heero or anyone else I knew. Men

don't spontaneously change into altos. I turned my head as quickly

as I dared.

There was a woman sitting on the edge of Heero's bed. She was my

size - little. I could admit to myself that I was a peanut,

because I knew some wonderful day I'd have a growth spurt if I

didn't get killed first. This woman was definitely not going to be

getting any taller. I would guess she was in her late twenties.

She had white blonde hair that was in a braid longer than mine,

and her skin was fairer than Quatre's. Put that all together, and

she looked like an ice princess or a little girl's porcelain doll.

Dolls didn't have eyes like that, though. There was nothing vapid

or sweet about her. The only other people that have looked at me

like that were Pilots. It's the kind of look that people have when

they're trying to decide whether or not they'll have to shoot you,

and if so, exactly how many bullets to use. There was also the

sawed-off shotgun across her lap. Yeah, that was significant.

I remembered her. She was the last thing I'd seen before I passed

out.

There was something else, though. I had no idea what it was, but

that woman was making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

I couldn't describe it any other way except to say that it felt

like she was giving off static electricity. On top of everything

else, it was making me pretty damn uncomfortable.

So I was rude. I freely admit that. "Who the hell are you?" I

demanded. It would have sounded more intimidating, though, if I my

voice hadn't come out so totally pathetic.

She smiled. It was the kind you'd give to a little kid when you're

humoring them.

I didn't like being humored. So I tried to glare at her. It didn't

work. I gave up and looked at the ceiling, deciding to leave any

further efforts at intimidation to Heero. He was better at the

death glares than me anyway.

"My name's Tamlin," she said, "I already know your name is Duo

Maxwell. Your friend Heero and I have been having a nice talk."

She smiled again, this one friendly, open, and fake.

Heero just shrugged. Wasn't he Mr. Eloquence. "You still didn't

answer my question. I asked you who the hell you are. Just a name

doesn't tell me a whole lot," I said. It's hard to be tough when

you're flat on your back and feeling like ten kilos of shit in a

five kilo bag, but I did my best.

She shrugged. "I'm a...bounty hunter."

"Of course, a bounty hunter." Right. I believed that. Somehow,

though, I just couldn't make myself care. I hurt too much. So

instead, I just closed my eyes and did my best to ignore Tamlin

and Heero. The image of that thing on my back with its bright blue

eyes burning at me seemed to be etched into the backs of my

eyelids. The enormity of what had happened suddenly struck me - if

Tamlin hadn't done her mysterious showing up thing, I would have

died. It's one thing to come close to being blown up. I'm used to

that. But I'd never gotten my ass kicked that hard before. The

room got very cold all of a sudden, and I started shivering.

Heero didn't say anything, which was probably the smartest thing

he'd done all day. Tamlin didn't say anything either, which made

me dislike her a bit less. We all just sat in silence until I got

done shaking. It didn't take very long.

"God, I feel like shit." Understatement of the century on my part,

but I really didn't know what else to say, and it was getting way

too quiet. For one crazy moment, I wondered if Heero and Tamlin

had gotten up and left me alone in the room.

No, they hadn't. I could hear Heero shift in his seat. The little

noise was kind of disturbing; it wasn't like him to fidget.

What Tamlin said next was even more disturbing, though. "You might

feel like shit, but you're still lucky. Most people don't survive

their first encounter with a vampire."

For a long moment, I just lay in the bed and stared, waiting for

her to get to the punch line. She just sat and started back at me,

and I started to get the dark, sinking suspicion that it might not

be a joke after all. Finally, I had to say something or go insane

from the silence. Good ol' mouth to the rescue. "You're kidding,

right?"

All the emotion suddenly drained from her face, like someone had

just flipped a switch. On, happy. Off, cold and dead. You will

find, Duo, " she said, her voice devoid of inflection, "that I

never joke about certain things. Vampires are one of them."

"Oh, come on, stop it. Vampires aren't real. They don't exist.

You've been watching too many horror movies." I sounded a little

desperate even to my own ears. To be truthful, I was a lot more

willing to believe in the possibility that vampires really existed

than I wanted to admit. Really, I was a lot more willing to

believe pretty much anything than I would have been last year. Hey,

a lot of weird shit can get crammed into one little year.

"I will say this once more, and you can choose to believe me or

not. Vampires exist. They're real, just like you are." Just as it

had disappeared, the life returned to her face. "You should be a

lot more willing to believe, considering that when I found you,

one was sitting on your back."

Goose pimples mysteriously sprang into being all up and down my

arms. Still, I had to play it tough and attempt to salvage what

little machismo I had left. That's me, heap big Gundam Pilot.

Right. "Yeah, I was there, remember? I know there was something

trying to make cracks in the asphalt with my head. I just don't

know if I believe that it was a vampire."

"But."

"But it sure as hell wasn't human," I finished, my words grudging.

"Then why is it so hard to believe that it could be what I say?"

"Come on, man. Vampires are stuff out of old, corny B movies. You

know, plastic fangs and black capes and black hairdos slicked back

with Crisco. That shit ain't real."

"No," she agreed, "it isn't."

That gave me pause. "What?"

"Movies aren't real. They got a few details right, like the fact

that they drink blood and are afraid of holy items, but the

reality is very different." Her eyes held a burning intensity just

like the one I saw every morning when I looked into the mirror.

This woman had a Purpose. "The only reason that you're still alive,

Duo, is because the vampire didn't want to kill you just yet."

"It was sure as hell doing a good impression of it."

"It wanted you to be unconscious but still alive. Dead blood

poisons them. You must have looked like easy prey, walking by

yourself. You're lucky I was in the area." Her fingers caressed

the barrel of the shotgun. "The only thing I don't understand is

why it attacked you at all. It should have been able to take over

your mind."

"What?"

"If a vampire catches you with its eyes, it can roll your mind

under its will. I should have been able to put you so far down

that it could have peeled your skin off by inches and made you

like it." She shook her head. "But it didn't, and it was being

careful about how it hit. I would guess it was either very young

or very stupid."

Well, wasn't that just fucking peachy-keen. I'd been lucky enough

to be attacked by the world's only moron vampire. "Maybe it just

underestimated the thickness of my skull." I grinned disarmingly.

She seemed to be immune to my winsome charm, though Heero snorted.

"Don't fool yourself. If it had wanted you dead, it could have

ripped your throat out with no effort. They can bench press cars

one-handed. They are not human."

God help me, but I didn't know why I said what I did next,

"Neither are you."

Tamlin stopped mid-tirade, her face going dead again. I was

genuinely scared that she would shoot me. Instead, she started

laughing.

"What? What's so funny?"

She stopped as quick as she'd started. "I think I've been

underestimating you. It all begins to make sense now."

And damnit, no matter how much I whined, she wouldn't say any more.

Finally, she said, "Let's cut to the chase, then."

"Ah, my favorite part."

"There is a kiss of vampires in this area." She held up a hand

before I could interrupt. "A kiss is what we call a group of

vampires. They've been hunting at this school."

That actually explained a lot, like where Ayako had gone. I had to

suppress a major twinge at that thought. She was probably dead,

then. Something was striking me as odd about the whole situation,

though, even more off kilter than being told that vampires were

real. It took me a moment to realize what it was. Heero had been

sitting through the conversation, dead silent. He hadn't snorted,

or made a sarcastic comment even when the woman asserted that

vampires were real. And there was also the fact that he'd let her

into our room with a loaded weapon. Something was not adding up.

"Heero?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know this woman or something?"

"Really. From where?"

The look he gave me as his answer held the chill of absolute zero

in its remoteness. "It's not something I'm willing or able to

speak of."

Well shit. Dive! Dive! Blow ballast! And change the subject while

you're at it! "Fine, then," I said, mentally promising him that we

would be talking about this later. Secrets are dangerous shit.

"What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should listen to her."

Gee thanks, big help there.

Tamlin smiled, "Thank-you, Heero."

Heero shot her another look, and it wasn't the usual glare. It

was...fear? From Heero? Naw, couldn't be. But shit, I was getting

a bit freaked out myself.

"Okay," I said, "I'll bite. So there are bounty hunters that run

around killing vampires."

"Depending upon the Hunter, yes. Sometimes we'll kill other things,

like shape shifters, or rogue witches."

That was starting to get too weird. "Fine, fine. So what does that

have to do with us?"

"All of you have a gift for killing," she said. "I'm just going to

warn you that you might want to broaden your horizons a bit.

Monsters are everywhere, and they aren't necessarily human. I

can't pick your targets for you, but I can give you the knowledge

you'll need to stay alive."

"What do you want in return?" I normally liked it when people

offered to teach me new things, but I also remembered from my

times on the street that nothing is without a price tag.

"Nothing. I'm doing this as a favor for a friend." For some reason,

I didn't find that reassuring. "And I'm also doing this because I

wouldn't want to send anyone out to face the monsters unprepared.

I'm not in the business of getting kids killed."

About that time, Wufei showed up with five million rolls of gauze

and some wonderful, happy orange pill bottles. I'd never been so

glad to see another human being as long as I'd been alive. While

he and Heero cocooned me with kerlix, Tamlin talked about vampires.

It was a nice distraction from the pain. She told me all; about

old ones and young ones, about them being nocturnal, blood, garlic

not working, their abilities, and their habits. That crosses

worked against them, like the movies said, but only when they were

backed by belief.

Huh. Go figure. I believed in God after all, deep down inside.

"Normal bullets won't injure them, and neither will normal knives.

You either have to use straight silver or an alloy with the

highest possible silver content," she said, pausing for effect,

"the best way to kill one is putting a stake through its heart and

cutting off its head. The most foolproof, however, is cremation."

The general principle was sound, but the thought made me a little

queasy. Shooting, people, I could handle. Cutting mobile suits in

half with a thermal scythe, I could handle. Hell, watching Heero

set his own broken leg again, I could handle, a s long as I got

warned ahead of time and was allowed to go sit in a corner and

have the heebie-jeebies for a while. But when it came to chopping

off actual heads, I had a feeling that it was a little grosser

than I was used to. "Didn't you shoot that one, though?"

"I blew off its head and took out the chest with high dispersal

round," she said, grinning, "That works pretty well, too."

"I can imagine." A thought suddenly popped up in my mind. "What

did you do with the body?"

Wufei was the one that answered me. He'd been quiet up to now -

apparently, all had already been explained to him and he was

dealing. "Trowa and Quatre are taking care of it."

One less thing for me to worry about. I felt a twinge of guilt

that they were the ones have to clean up after a mess that was

kind of sort of maybe partially my fault. But then again,

considering that I was still wearing part of said mess splattered

all over me, it was only a very small twinge. I sighed, suddenly

feeling about a thousand years old. "Is that everything?"

"All of the important information that I have. Unfortunately,

there is no operating manual on how to be a hunter. Trust your

instincts. Remember that they are stronger, faster, and much older

than you. With caution, you might live to see another fight." She

stood. "I don't have much time left here. If there are other

Hunters in the area, they will most likely find you. We weren't a

well organized group when I was active, but we still helped each

other out."

"Tamlin?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any GOOD news?"

She laughed. The sound reminded me of some of Heero's more

psychotic moments. "You're still alive, aren't you?"

Heero jarred my arm, and my shoulder let out a loud, nerve-

tingling screech of protest. "Unfortunately, yes."

"There you are, then."

I couldn't let it go. "Tamlin?"

"Yes?" She gave me a curious look, as if no one had ever dared ask

her two questions in a row before.

"I need to know. Why couldn't the vampire catch me with its eyes?"

The question had grown to terrible importance in my mind.

She smiled at me. "If you want my personal theory, I would guess

you have an affinity for the dead. It shields you from their

tricks."

"What makes you say that?"

"You knew there was something wrong with me, didn't you?" Tamlin

winked at me, and then disappeared. She turned into mist that

unbraided itself into wiggly snakes of frost and dissolved away

into nothing.

For a long, long time, I sat there. The end of the bandage that

Wufei had been wrapping around my head slipped from his suddenly

still fingers and hung annoyingly over my right eye. We stared at

each other, then, as Heero kept wrapping another bandage around my

arm, not bothered in the slightest.

"Wufei?" My voice sounded lost, like a little kid that just found

out that Santa Claus wanted to drink his blood. "Please tell me I

didn't just see that."