"But for how much longer?" Wizardmon asked them, the pain of not knowing
Gatomon's fate stark in the verdant eyes. He fixed them on Merlin. "I am
sorry for my outburst. Please forgive me?"
"Of course," Merlin undid the latch on his laptop and powered it on, situating on the ground yoga style so that the digimon could watch as the system readied itself for use. "I only hope that we can contact your 'Gennai'; he said to use the same line, but I wasn't actually connected to the internet at the time, so what exactly he meant by that I'm not sure." Wizardmon nodded, eyes intent on the changing screen as Merlin tried different things on it. He tried to curtail his impatience at the vampire's seeming slowness to get set up, but was feeling very anxious.
"Please hurry."
"Perhaps if you redo what you did before Gennai contacted you?" Natalie advised Merlin.
Merlin grimaced, disliking so much of an audience. The digital creature he was willing to make allowances for because, frankly, the vampire felt rather intrigued by him. Humans, though.... Those were something he cared to deal with as little as possible—preferably via the blood in his goblets.
"Well, I had rather thought of that before. "I'm not exactly a 'newbie' to hacking, Miss Lambert." The tech expert glowered at his laptop, yet managed to convey the impression that it was to her his displeasure was meant for--- he was merely too busy with his computer to bother giving her any more than a micron of his attention. Natalie took the hint and backed up a step, nearly bumping into De Brabant. Nicholas had stood up to place a reassuring arm around her both as a comfort and as a warning to his nocturnal peer that any attack against her would be considered an attack against him.
"Nick, if these Enforcer guys are looking for us," Natalie broke into the sudden quiet, "then shouldn't we find someplace a little less exposed than the great outdoors?"
Merlin stopped typing to gaze at her in mild surprise. Maybe she did have something of a brain attached to those shoulders. DeBrabant developed a sudden interest in the foliage and nightscape above their heads.
"Natalie's right. We should seek better cover."
"Yes..." Merlin agreed. He also stood up, closing the laptop as he did. "The University computer labs would be as good place to hide as any. I can even avail myself of some of their power hookups. That might help to strengthen Gennai's line to us."
Rather than risking flight and being spotted, Nicholas led them on a roundabout way through Philosopher's Walk. This was a small, remnant section of what had been Taddle Creek--- a natural riparian area that had been mostly covered over during the 1800's after it had become fouled.
It was while they were passing by an old building that Wizardmon suddenly stopped walking, his gaze fixed on the old building.
"There is something there."
Natalie turned back and saw what he was staring so intently at. "That's the Chapter House," she whispered as Merlin and Nicholas huddled around to find out what the hold up was. "The local legend is that it's haunted. There was this stone mason, Ivan Resnikoff. He was supposedly hacked to death by his rival in love, John Diavolos. You can even see a big axe gouge in the heavy iron-bound oak door at the entrance that was supposedly put there by John while doing the nasty deed.
Merlin nodded. "Yes... I remember. Everyone avoided him due to his rather nasty temper. It was quite a scandal.
Natalie blinked at his words. "You knew John Diavolos?"
The computer expert smiled while answering, "Only by reputation."
The doctor nodded, thinking that she should be used to such revelations by now. Who knew how old Merlin was and what he had lived through? Nick was a very private man—very reticent when it came to his past before they met—but occasionally he would let things slip that hinted at his great longevity.
Wizardmon appeared to have not listened to the talk. The entire time he kept staring at the Chapter House with his intense green eyes. "There's something there," he repeated, turning to head that way. Nicholas stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.
"Wait—what is it you think you're sensing?"
"There's nothing there... not anything at all," Merlin snorted, "no vampires, humans... or homicide leftovers anyway."
"I for one don't believe in ghosts," Natalie said firmly added. "The idea of spirit lingering beyond death—it's totally unscientific—not one scrap of solid evidence."
"But then, would you expect to find solid evidence in a ghost, Dr. Lambert?"
Nicholas held up a hand to shush them. "Wizardmon?" he asked again, kneeling down to the mage's level. The digimon blinked and regarded his friend with an expression of confusion.
"I don't know what it is exactly. There's a disturbance of some kind in there and my instincts are telling me it's important. You can all stay here if you wish, but I must check it out."
"Not without me," DeBrabant told him, lightly squeezing the hand he had placed on the mage's shoulder. "We're friends, remember? Friends stick together."
Wizardmon smiled in acknowledgement of the offer. "Thank you."
----------------------o
They were within a few yards of the oaken entrance door when the vampires stiffened and looked up. Natalie barely had time to blink before a dark blur swept past her from above.
"Nicholas, aren't you a little old to be in a mortal school? And yet, it seems, you still need instruction in my class on Self Preservation... you dalliances with these mortals will be your undoing."
Natalie's line of sight was immediately obscured by the DeBrabant's back jacket as he took up a defensive stand between her and the newcomer.
"Lacroix..." Nicholas snarled out upon seeing his sire.
"Good... you remember my name. Then we can dispense with the formalities of class introductions," the vampire elder brushed off some imaginary lint from his very expensive suit before continuing. "A pity you failed my last test. I did warn you about continuing an association with that creature, but you would not listen so now others have come to take over the situation." He looked up. "I imagine they shall be arriving within the next minute or so." Looking down again, pale blue eyes fixed upon those of a darker tone, hard and menacing. "Distance yourself from the thing now, Nicholas, lest they decide to terminate two disturbances in one blow." He flicked his gaze towards Natalie Lambert. "Perhaps even all three...?" he added quietly. "Come, Nicholas— come now and I will protect you. Merlin, I trust you can look after yourself?"
Before Merlin could reply, Nicholas flew up faster than the human eye could follow, tore off one of the tree limbs overhead and landed again, brandishing the sharp end towards his maker.
"Out of our way, Lacroix."
"Nicholas..." Lacroix's shoulders slumped a bit. "Very well, then. You've made your choice for suicide. I shan't say more."
The master vampire made to turn away, but instead his arm lashed out and he grabbed the tree branch before anyone could react, flinging it out of DeBrabant's hand and using it to club his adopted on the side of the head. Nicholas tried to duck, but still received a glancing blow hard enough to send him sailing into the door of the Chapter House—which seemed to give way at the impact. He landed on the inside of the entryway in a sprawled heap.
"Thunderball!"
An angry Wizardmon threw the glowing energy ball at Lacroix. However, the Ancient was prepared for some counterattack and it missed its target as he flew upwards. Wizardmon growled as the zippers of his gloves opened up again to reveal blackness within cradling a growing spark of amber light. He also lifted into the air—body crackling with blue power, prepared to give pursuit. Out of the corner of his eye he noted that Natalie and Merlin had gone to check on Nicholas.
"Bastard!"
"There he is! There he is! See— told'ya my assistance was invaluable!"
What?
Wizardmon twisted in the air just in time two black-clad figures descending—one of whom was suffering the presence of an excited monster hovering near its shoulder. The mage's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Demidevimon... I see you still haven't learned to judge the company you keep," he spat out, unconsciously mirroring Lacroix's own sentiment of the all digimon. He threw the thunderball in his hand at the lead Enforcer.
Grinning, the large vampire caught it in his hand, the enhanced blood sucker wincing only slightly as the electricity burned pale skin.
Oh shit!
"Of course," Merlin undid the latch on his laptop and powered it on, situating on the ground yoga style so that the digimon could watch as the system readied itself for use. "I only hope that we can contact your 'Gennai'; he said to use the same line, but I wasn't actually connected to the internet at the time, so what exactly he meant by that I'm not sure." Wizardmon nodded, eyes intent on the changing screen as Merlin tried different things on it. He tried to curtail his impatience at the vampire's seeming slowness to get set up, but was feeling very anxious.
"Please hurry."
"Perhaps if you redo what you did before Gennai contacted you?" Natalie advised Merlin.
Merlin grimaced, disliking so much of an audience. The digital creature he was willing to make allowances for because, frankly, the vampire felt rather intrigued by him. Humans, though.... Those were something he cared to deal with as little as possible—preferably via the blood in his goblets.
"Well, I had rather thought of that before. "I'm not exactly a 'newbie' to hacking, Miss Lambert." The tech expert glowered at his laptop, yet managed to convey the impression that it was to her his displeasure was meant for--- he was merely too busy with his computer to bother giving her any more than a micron of his attention. Natalie took the hint and backed up a step, nearly bumping into De Brabant. Nicholas had stood up to place a reassuring arm around her both as a comfort and as a warning to his nocturnal peer that any attack against her would be considered an attack against him.
"Nick, if these Enforcer guys are looking for us," Natalie broke into the sudden quiet, "then shouldn't we find someplace a little less exposed than the great outdoors?"
Merlin stopped typing to gaze at her in mild surprise. Maybe she did have something of a brain attached to those shoulders. DeBrabant developed a sudden interest in the foliage and nightscape above their heads.
"Natalie's right. We should seek better cover."
"Yes..." Merlin agreed. He also stood up, closing the laptop as he did. "The University computer labs would be as good place to hide as any. I can even avail myself of some of their power hookups. That might help to strengthen Gennai's line to us."
Rather than risking flight and being spotted, Nicholas led them on a roundabout way through Philosopher's Walk. This was a small, remnant section of what had been Taddle Creek--- a natural riparian area that had been mostly covered over during the 1800's after it had become fouled.
It was while they were passing by an old building that Wizardmon suddenly stopped walking, his gaze fixed on the old building.
"There is something there."
Natalie turned back and saw what he was staring so intently at. "That's the Chapter House," she whispered as Merlin and Nicholas huddled around to find out what the hold up was. "The local legend is that it's haunted. There was this stone mason, Ivan Resnikoff. He was supposedly hacked to death by his rival in love, John Diavolos. You can even see a big axe gouge in the heavy iron-bound oak door at the entrance that was supposedly put there by John while doing the nasty deed.
Merlin nodded. "Yes... I remember. Everyone avoided him due to his rather nasty temper. It was quite a scandal.
Natalie blinked at his words. "You knew John Diavolos?"
The computer expert smiled while answering, "Only by reputation."
The doctor nodded, thinking that she should be used to such revelations by now. Who knew how old Merlin was and what he had lived through? Nick was a very private man—very reticent when it came to his past before they met—but occasionally he would let things slip that hinted at his great longevity.
Wizardmon appeared to have not listened to the talk. The entire time he kept staring at the Chapter House with his intense green eyes. "There's something there," he repeated, turning to head that way. Nicholas stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.
"Wait—what is it you think you're sensing?"
"There's nothing there... not anything at all," Merlin snorted, "no vampires, humans... or homicide leftovers anyway."
"I for one don't believe in ghosts," Natalie said firmly added. "The idea of spirit lingering beyond death—it's totally unscientific—not one scrap of solid evidence."
"But then, would you expect to find solid evidence in a ghost, Dr. Lambert?"
Nicholas held up a hand to shush them. "Wizardmon?" he asked again, kneeling down to the mage's level. The digimon blinked and regarded his friend with an expression of confusion.
"I don't know what it is exactly. There's a disturbance of some kind in there and my instincts are telling me it's important. You can all stay here if you wish, but I must check it out."
"Not without me," DeBrabant told him, lightly squeezing the hand he had placed on the mage's shoulder. "We're friends, remember? Friends stick together."
Wizardmon smiled in acknowledgement of the offer. "Thank you."
----------------------o
They were within a few yards of the oaken entrance door when the vampires stiffened and looked up. Natalie barely had time to blink before a dark blur swept past her from above.
"Nicholas, aren't you a little old to be in a mortal school? And yet, it seems, you still need instruction in my class on Self Preservation... you dalliances with these mortals will be your undoing."
Natalie's line of sight was immediately obscured by the DeBrabant's back jacket as he took up a defensive stand between her and the newcomer.
"Lacroix..." Nicholas snarled out upon seeing his sire.
"Good... you remember my name. Then we can dispense with the formalities of class introductions," the vampire elder brushed off some imaginary lint from his very expensive suit before continuing. "A pity you failed my last test. I did warn you about continuing an association with that creature, but you would not listen so now others have come to take over the situation." He looked up. "I imagine they shall be arriving within the next minute or so." Looking down again, pale blue eyes fixed upon those of a darker tone, hard and menacing. "Distance yourself from the thing now, Nicholas, lest they decide to terminate two disturbances in one blow." He flicked his gaze towards Natalie Lambert. "Perhaps even all three...?" he added quietly. "Come, Nicholas— come now and I will protect you. Merlin, I trust you can look after yourself?"
Before Merlin could reply, Nicholas flew up faster than the human eye could follow, tore off one of the tree limbs overhead and landed again, brandishing the sharp end towards his maker.
"Out of our way, Lacroix."
"Nicholas..." Lacroix's shoulders slumped a bit. "Very well, then. You've made your choice for suicide. I shan't say more."
The master vampire made to turn away, but instead his arm lashed out and he grabbed the tree branch before anyone could react, flinging it out of DeBrabant's hand and using it to club his adopted on the side of the head. Nicholas tried to duck, but still received a glancing blow hard enough to send him sailing into the door of the Chapter House—which seemed to give way at the impact. He landed on the inside of the entryway in a sprawled heap.
"Thunderball!"
An angry Wizardmon threw the glowing energy ball at Lacroix. However, the Ancient was prepared for some counterattack and it missed its target as he flew upwards. Wizardmon growled as the zippers of his gloves opened up again to reveal blackness within cradling a growing spark of amber light. He also lifted into the air—body crackling with blue power, prepared to give pursuit. Out of the corner of his eye he noted that Natalie and Merlin had gone to check on Nicholas.
"Bastard!"
"There he is! There he is! See— told'ya my assistance was invaluable!"
What?
Wizardmon twisted in the air just in time two black-clad figures descending—one of whom was suffering the presence of an excited monster hovering near its shoulder. The mage's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Demidevimon... I see you still haven't learned to judge the company you keep," he spat out, unconsciously mirroring Lacroix's own sentiment of the all digimon. He threw the thunderball in his hand at the lead Enforcer.
Grinning, the large vampire caught it in his hand, the enhanced blood sucker wincing only slightly as the electricity burned pale skin.
Oh shit!