AN – Thank you so much for all the reviews so far, feedback really encourages us authors to keep writing. And Laurakkc I probably will archive this at 7th Dimension when its done. Thanks to Southern Chickie and Lori for letting me bounce ideas off them, hope you guys like how it turned out. I know some of you have been waiting a while for events in this Chapter .. (big grin) hope you enjoy!
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It may not have been the strongest Quickening Duncan had ever had, but it was enough. Even as the thrall ran through him, he was aware when Walker came into range. But he was powerless to do anything about it, as his body arched under the powerful forces. As the last tendrils of the ice blue energy sparked and fizzled around his body, he struggled against its thrall to life his sword.
To no avail.
He was as weak and helpless as a newborn.
"You canna," he rasped, raising his eyes to meet the advancing Immortal. "Tis against the rules."
"Oh, but I can," Walker sneered down at him, as he lifted his foot and planted it on the wavering tip of the Katana, easily pinning it to the ground. "You didn't think I was actually going to fight you, did you?"
"You planned this," Duncan realised. "You knew, Marc would ignore my warning."
Walker chuckled. "Of course, I did. I told him to. I said, all he had to do was lure you out and I'd put a bullet in your back, the little imbecile actually believed that I'd let him take a Quickening as powerful as yours for himself."
"You sacrificed your own lad!" Duncan was appalled. "So, that you could take me."
"Oh please," Walker sneered. "Its not like he was my flesh and blood."
"You loved him once." Duncan taunted.
"I thought he had promise, I was mistaken," Walker raised his sword, "As are you Highlander, if you think you can keep me talking long enough to recover your strength."
"Why like this?" Duncan spoke in desperation. "Why not just shoot me?"
"Now, where would be the fun in that? I wouldn't get to see your face as I killed you."
Walker's blade swept downwards, only to be blocked in with a ring of steel against steel. Duncan looked up in surprise to stare into Richie's set, determined features, clutching Adam's Ivanhoe, as if his life depended on it..
"Leave him alone!"
Walker's mouth curled up into the approximation of a smile.
"You think you can best me boy?"
"Richie, .. no .. don't!" Duncan, worried for his safety, again struggled to rise, but only served to expend his depleted reserves of energy.
"I'm not going to just stand by and watch him kill you, Mac." Richie's tone was tight, as he struggled to hold the blade in place against Walker's superior strength.
"And how, exactly, are you going to stop me?" Walker scoffed, bringing his sword up under Richie's and casting it off with such force that Richie staggered a few steps, before he could balance the blade.
"Whatever it takes." Richie moved to stand protectively in front of Duncan, keeping wary eyes on Walker, sword at the ready.
"Richie," Duncan forced himself to his knees. "Get behind me."
"Mac, shut up, will ya?" Richie managed, as Walker brought his sword down, a look of mild surprise flashing across face as Richie met his blade. "I'm kinda busy here."
"You can't kill me, I'm your father." Walker declared.
"You think?" Richie scoffed. "You don't know the meaning of the word. Mac's a far better Dad than you ever were."
"You arrogant young whelp .." Walker lunged, sending Richie scooting sideways, narrowly avoiding a nasty slice across his ribs.
"Better than being pond scum," Richie taunted, as he brought his own sword around to slice Walker's stomach, only to have his blow easily blocked. The Immortal pressed his advantage, pushing Richie back, the teenager risked a quick, anxious, look behind him as he struggled to hold the Immortal at bay, if he went over the side there would be nothing to stop Walker, taking Mac's head. The momentary distraction was his undoing, Walker's blade sliced hard through his thigh, bringing him to his knees.
"Richie!" Duncan's voice gasped, hoarse with pain and fear for his lad.
"I have you now." Walker gloated, twisting his sword around, preparing to bring the pommel down, intent on sending Richie into unconsciousness..
As Richie looked up through pain filled eyes, he knew that he had lost. That Mac had lost.
He couldn't live with that.
In terror and regret Richie swung wildly with the Ivanhoe, catching Walker a lucky blow across the stomach. As the Immortal pitched forward Richie brought the sword down across his exposed neck, his eyes widening with shock and surprise as the head separated from the body.
Staggering wildly backwards, he almost tripped on Mac's prone form, his jaw falling open as he landed hard on his butt, his eyes still fixed on the decapitated head.
"Daaad .." he wailed.
Even as he spoke, the thin tendrils of the Quickening began to gather, causing Richie to move backwards in fear and confusion, hissing in pain as the torn cartilage and damaged muscles in his thigh complained.
Summoning all his strength, Duncan dragged himself over to place himself between Richie and Walker's form, shielding the teenager from both the sight of Walker's corpse and the maelstrom that was to come, as the Quickening spiralled and sought out the nearest conduit of a fully fledged Immortal. Coming directly on top of Marc's Quickening, Walker's knocked him flat, as the air buckled and cracked with power and energy, determined to force its way into his body, racing thorough every vein, every pore, every fragment of his being, until he lay sprawled on the wet ground, spent and helpless. And all that time, all he could see was Richie's wide eyed, terrified features, in the second before he took Walker's head.
Lifting his head groggily, Duncan saw Richie sitting stock still, staring straight ahead. Still fighting the residual effects of the double Quickening, Duncan began to crawl laboriously to over to the teenager's side.
"Rich?" he rasped, reaching out a hand, to touch Richie's shoulder.
Then something unexpected happened.
As he extended his hand, a tendril of the Quickening still fizzing around his system arced out of his fingertips and spiralled around Richie's bicep, snaking down his arm, to twist around his palm and disappear into his splayed fingers.
"Youch!"
Richie jumped, yelping with pain, even as he snatched his hand to his chest, swearing fervently under his breath.
"Rich!" Duncan cried, alarmed. "Are ye alright?"
"Of course, I'm not alright," Richie protested, cradling the injured hand. "What the hell was that?"
"I'm not sure," Duncan admitted, reaching out. "Let me see your hand."
"Don't touch me, again!" Richie turned sharply out of reach.
"Sorry," Duncan apologised, sitting back on his knees, holding his hands up out of harms way. "Show me your hand, Rich."
Nervously, Richie peeled the hand from his chest and held it out in front so they could both inspect the injured palm.
"Ouch," Duncan winced sympathetically at the angry burn rising in a painful blister. "We need to get you inside. Can you stand?"
Richie considered that, "Yeah, I think so."
Somewhat shakily, pressing his uninjured hand to his bleeding thigh, he struggled his way to his feet, Duncan watched, clenching his fists at his helplessness as Richie's trembling muscles caused him to stumble and sway slightly, before he finally righted himself.
"OK, standing." Richie gave him a weak smile, his breathless tone indicating how much the manoeuvre had cost him.
"Good," Duncan gave him a tight smile, forcing himself, rather shakily, to his own feet. "Do you think you can walk?"
"What about ..?" Richie tiled his head, studiously not looking at Walker's corpse, or his severed head.
"I'll take care of that," Adam came up beside them, swiping at the wet, dirty, patches on his overcoat. "You go with Macleod. I didn't spend all that time patching you up only to have you keel over now. Either of you." He cast a critical look at Duncan.
"Its been a busy day." Duncan sighed.
"Um." Keeping on hand pressed against his bleeding wound, and the other held out in front of him, Richie nodded helplessly at the discarded Ivanhoe. "I borrowed your sword. Sorry."
"Don't be," Adam retrieved the sword. "Use keeps the blade sharp."
Richie paled noticeably.
"Oh, very smooth," Duncan muttered under his breath. "Didn't Darius ever teach you about subtlety?"
Adam blinked.
"Darius wasn't my teacher. What ever made you think he was?"
Duncan gave him a sharp look, but Richie swayed violently, reminding the Highlander that he had other concerns right now.
"Hey," Trusting that the worst of the Quickening was past, as he felt his strength returning, Duncan reached out to steady the lad. "You alright?"
To relief nothing else untoward sparked between then, but Richie sagged heavily in his grasp, causing Duncan to take most of his weight.
"Rich?"
"I feel .." Richie closed his eyes tight. "I can hear him .. I can feel him .. I don't like this Mac .." his voice rose with terror and panic. "Its Walker. He's inside me. Make it stop. Please, make it stop."