"For you, my friend, they are the angels of death."
-Man against monster. Monster against self. The story is as old as time. Living above us, below us, and among us, they assimilate themselves into our culture, and us into theirs. To the common man, they are simply known as night terrors, but to the initiated, they are the Darkstalkers-
EPISODE EIGHT: GIRL OF MY NIGHTMARES
Two figured were running up over the concrete hill. One was a young, brunette femme fatale and the other a silver-haired hunk of a man. Both were dressed for jogging, completely oblivious to the fact that members of both sexes stared them down as they ran by, simply continuing their own training.
"You've gotten faster", Talbain grinned.
"So ya noticed eh?", Officer Makabaya smiled to her old friend.
Talbain turned to look just in time to skid to a stop in front of a woman with long, mint-green hair and fair skin in a sparkling black dress. She was standing in the road for no apparent reason.
Tasha stepped forward, "Ma'am, you're obstructing traffic in the middle of the street like that. I'll have to ask you to get moving."
The woman looked to her with eyes the most unearthly teal color, her voice a sultry echo, "Sorry Officer, would you care to run that by me again?"
Tasha's eyes glazed over, then shut slowly as she passed out on the spot.
Talbain stepped forward, eyes narrowed, "What have you done!"
The woman flipped a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled to him, "You're different from most, Mr. Talbain. You I could have some fun with."
As Talbain stanced, he saw the woman dash beside him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened for a moment, then closed as he fell unconscious.
Neither sleeping victim saw the woman exit, a shadow in the afternoon sun.
There was a knock at the door. Felicia's ears perked as she lied there on the couch and she got up to go answer it. When she opened the door, a green skinned amphibian creature wearing a straw hat looked up.
The creature's stormy blue eyes shined happily, "Board and bread por favor?"
In no time Felicia and "Rick" were sitting around having chili. Aulbath was shoveling it in, "You know, the only chili I've ever had is in my home, and it's nothing like American chili Felicia."
Felicia grinned, "Oh really? What's it like?"
Aulbath winced, "Let's just say it puts the "h"ell in "h"ot."
Felicia giggled, "So what have you been up to all this time?"
Aulbath leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms behind his head, "Well, I've done some traveling around the Americas since I had to go that way down from Canada to get home anyway. You have a beautiful country and I'm heartily sorry so many people don't appreciate it for the paradise it is."
Felicia leaned forward a bit, "You seem to have some strong views on nature."
Aulbath nodded, his blue eyes staring gravely into hers, "Take this deal with polluting the water. What's up with that? We all came from the sea and we'll all go back to it one day, so if I were them, I'd treat it with respect. Besides, it's my home and you have no idea how nasty it is to accidentally swim through sewage drain-off."
Felicia nodded a little, "I see where you're coming from. They dump that trash on the land too and it stinks to high heaven, but we all try to just coexist in the city. Maybe there's some way you can work out a deal with these corporate bigwigs."
Aulbath crossed his arms and looked askance, "You've got a good heart Felicia, but not everyone shares your optimism for peace. Some people want there to be trouble."
Felicia's ears drooped, then she randomly got perky again, "Whelp! That's why the ones like us have to stand up and cry out for peace! If we cry loud enough, for long enough, those guys have no choice but to pay attention, am I right?"
Just then, the door kicked open. Officer Makabaya stood there, soaked with the rain that had started up outside, carrying a still unconscious Talbain in her tired arms. She looked to Felicia who was getting up, "Get him to the couch!"
Talbain lay helpless on the couch, feet elevated and eyes closed. Tasha, Felicia, and Aulbath all sat around him, looking to each other.
"How did this happen", Felicia spoke up.
"I don't know how to explain it", Tasha admitted, "We were jogging and this woman showed up and before we knew it we were out. I woke up, but she must've done something to Johnny. He won't wake for anything."
Aulbath was looking him over, "Pulse is normal and his breathing is slow. If I didn't know better, I'd say the poor guy's in a coma."
Felicia's voice was quivering, "That can't be. He's stronger than that."
Tasha looked to Talbain, then Felicia, "Yes, Jon Talbain is strong, but nobody's invincible. I don't know what happened because I didn't see it, but I'm telling you, that woman did something to me and I know she did something to him."
Talbain opened his eyes, sitting up with a groan, and started to look at the room around him. Everything was black and that black seemed to go on forever except for the floor below him, which appeared to be a bright red.
"How do you like the new décor", a woman's sensual voice whispered softly through the air above, "I know it's your brain, but you weren't awake enough to ask, and I thought the place could use a woman's touch."
"What have you done to me", Talbain snarled.
The woman laughed a bit, "I've given you something no one else can, Jon Talbain: a chance to look deep inside yourself where you can't go except when you sleep, yet made you completely aware of your surroundings."
"Thanks but no thanks", Talbain said bluntly, "Some things are best left unknown for the good of a person's sanity."
Directly before him, a woman appeared. She was none other than the same noblewoman that Demitri himself had encountered at his castle. "Oh, don't spoil my fun Jon", she grinned lustfully, "The night is young and we have much to do."
Talbain's eyes flashed, "I'd had enough of your games, now I demand you let me out", he stopped, stunned, as he reached out a white furry claw to her. He didn't remember transforming, but as he looked down, he obviously had.
Talbain shook off the shock, trying to transform back into himself again as he had done for so long, but something was wrong. He couldn't make it happen. Jon narrowed his eyes to the woman, "What have you done now, sorceress?"
The woman laughed again, "I've done exactly what I said I had. I give you the real Jonathan Talbain Kreutz: a werewolf, and a darkstalker."
Tasha and Aulbath were going over a method to combine sea magic with traditional paramedic procedures to pull off a revival attempt.
Meanwhile, Felicia was going out of her gourd with worry. She bent down beside Talbain and held his hand in her paw, her eyes wet, "Please be ok Jon."
Jon shook where he stood, "What did you say?"
The woman walked closed to him, and he stepped back, "You know what I said. You're a darkstalker just like me, and extremely powerful for a mere werewolf."
Jon lowered his brows, "I meant the second part. That name."
The woman nodded, "It's your father's name, Jonathan."
Talbain bared his fangs, "How do you know so much about me."
The woman smiled again, "Let me introduce myself properly. I am Lady Morrigan Aensland, the daughter of Belial Aensland the Demon King. I know lots of things about you, but mostly about your father."
Talbain's face softened, "Can you tell me about my father?"
Morrigan nodded slowly, "Yes, but for a price."
Talbain winced. He had to know the truth. Knowing his father was a privilege he had never gotten as a child, and this Kreutz guy might be the answer to everything he had ever wondered about himself. "What do you want", he asked reluctantly.
"Easy", Morrigan grinned seductively, "I want -you-."
Tasha was monitoring Talbain for a while. She had insisted that Felicia get out of the house for a second and clear her head so she didn't panic. Aulbath had gone with her and they were talking out on the stoop.
"Can I tell you something if you promise never to tell", Felicia asked.
Aulbath nodded, "I've never had trouble guarding secrets."
Felicia looked down and blushed, "I can't lose Talbain, I just can't. It's not just that he's my friend you see. I think there might be more."
Aulbath smiled, "Ah, it is so clear to me now. You love him."
Felicia was red, but nodded.
Aulbath put a webbed hand on her shoulder, "This is nothing to be ashamed of, dear Felicia. Love is a wonderful thing, but I must ask, why have you not told him?"
Felicia looked up, surprised, "You don't just blurt that stuff out!"
Aulbath laughed, "You Americans have strange customs. In Brazil, when a woman loves a man, she tells him, and vice versa, and they get married, have kids, and start a wonderful life together. I myself met a woman during my journeys and she waits for me at home, which is why I must get back to the Amazon. Her name is Aquaria."
Felicia smiled, "That sounds wonderful. You know, you're right. But now it might be too late." She looked toward the door with concern, "Oh please wake up."
Jon blinked, "What do you mean you want 'me'?"
Morrigan leaned over him a bit, looking directly into his eyes, "In you I see a strong man with a strong will. I find that attractive so I want you for myself."
Those eyes are so beautiful, Jon thought, and for a moment he was tempted to be taken in by this beautiful stranger who held the key to all he thought he wanted.
Then, as he had a second thought, he realized to his horror he had been living a lie, and everything he had ever wanted was right there in front of him, but he had always been too wrapped up in himself to say anything.
Morrigan leaned in as their gazes locked, wanting a kiss, but Talbain shoved her away and stanced, "No! My heart is with another!"
Morrigan felt the pain of being slapped alright, but not physically. The werewolf had hurt her in her most vulnerable area. She slowly picked herself up, and quivered with rage. "Go then", she said bitterly, "Get out of my sight!"
Jon's eyes slowly opened. Tasha was standing over him, checking his pulse. He looked up at her, "Where am I?"
Tasha looked to him and smiled warmly, "You're home Johnny."
Just then Felicia and Aulbath walked in.
Tasha heard the door and looked to them with a grin, "Just woke up."
Felicia didn't waste any time, she ran past Tasha and made over Talbain, making sure he was in one piece, "Oh I was so worried! What happened to you! Are you okay? Please say something to me Jon!"
Jon put a finger to her lips and smiled, "I love you too."
DARKSTALKERS: THE SERIES WRITTEN BY REGIS A WELCH DARKSTALKERS © 2004 CAPCOM
-Man against monster. Monster against self. The story is as old as time. Living above us, below us, and among us, they assimilate themselves into our culture, and us into theirs. To the common man, they are simply known as night terrors, but to the initiated, they are the Darkstalkers-
EPISODE EIGHT: GIRL OF MY NIGHTMARES
Two figured were running up over the concrete hill. One was a young, brunette femme fatale and the other a silver-haired hunk of a man. Both were dressed for jogging, completely oblivious to the fact that members of both sexes stared them down as they ran by, simply continuing their own training.
"You've gotten faster", Talbain grinned.
"So ya noticed eh?", Officer Makabaya smiled to her old friend.
Talbain turned to look just in time to skid to a stop in front of a woman with long, mint-green hair and fair skin in a sparkling black dress. She was standing in the road for no apparent reason.
Tasha stepped forward, "Ma'am, you're obstructing traffic in the middle of the street like that. I'll have to ask you to get moving."
The woman looked to her with eyes the most unearthly teal color, her voice a sultry echo, "Sorry Officer, would you care to run that by me again?"
Tasha's eyes glazed over, then shut slowly as she passed out on the spot.
Talbain stepped forward, eyes narrowed, "What have you done!"
The woman flipped a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled to him, "You're different from most, Mr. Talbain. You I could have some fun with."
As Talbain stanced, he saw the woman dash beside him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. His eyes widened for a moment, then closed as he fell unconscious.
Neither sleeping victim saw the woman exit, a shadow in the afternoon sun.
There was a knock at the door. Felicia's ears perked as she lied there on the couch and she got up to go answer it. When she opened the door, a green skinned amphibian creature wearing a straw hat looked up.
The creature's stormy blue eyes shined happily, "Board and bread por favor?"
In no time Felicia and "Rick" were sitting around having chili. Aulbath was shoveling it in, "You know, the only chili I've ever had is in my home, and it's nothing like American chili Felicia."
Felicia grinned, "Oh really? What's it like?"
Aulbath winced, "Let's just say it puts the "h"ell in "h"ot."
Felicia giggled, "So what have you been up to all this time?"
Aulbath leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms behind his head, "Well, I've done some traveling around the Americas since I had to go that way down from Canada to get home anyway. You have a beautiful country and I'm heartily sorry so many people don't appreciate it for the paradise it is."
Felicia leaned forward a bit, "You seem to have some strong views on nature."
Aulbath nodded, his blue eyes staring gravely into hers, "Take this deal with polluting the water. What's up with that? We all came from the sea and we'll all go back to it one day, so if I were them, I'd treat it with respect. Besides, it's my home and you have no idea how nasty it is to accidentally swim through sewage drain-off."
Felicia nodded a little, "I see where you're coming from. They dump that trash on the land too and it stinks to high heaven, but we all try to just coexist in the city. Maybe there's some way you can work out a deal with these corporate bigwigs."
Aulbath crossed his arms and looked askance, "You've got a good heart Felicia, but not everyone shares your optimism for peace. Some people want there to be trouble."
Felicia's ears drooped, then she randomly got perky again, "Whelp! That's why the ones like us have to stand up and cry out for peace! If we cry loud enough, for long enough, those guys have no choice but to pay attention, am I right?"
Just then, the door kicked open. Officer Makabaya stood there, soaked with the rain that had started up outside, carrying a still unconscious Talbain in her tired arms. She looked to Felicia who was getting up, "Get him to the couch!"
Talbain lay helpless on the couch, feet elevated and eyes closed. Tasha, Felicia, and Aulbath all sat around him, looking to each other.
"How did this happen", Felicia spoke up.
"I don't know how to explain it", Tasha admitted, "We were jogging and this woman showed up and before we knew it we were out. I woke up, but she must've done something to Johnny. He won't wake for anything."
Aulbath was looking him over, "Pulse is normal and his breathing is slow. If I didn't know better, I'd say the poor guy's in a coma."
Felicia's voice was quivering, "That can't be. He's stronger than that."
Tasha looked to Talbain, then Felicia, "Yes, Jon Talbain is strong, but nobody's invincible. I don't know what happened because I didn't see it, but I'm telling you, that woman did something to me and I know she did something to him."
Talbain opened his eyes, sitting up with a groan, and started to look at the room around him. Everything was black and that black seemed to go on forever except for the floor below him, which appeared to be a bright red.
"How do you like the new décor", a woman's sensual voice whispered softly through the air above, "I know it's your brain, but you weren't awake enough to ask, and I thought the place could use a woman's touch."
"What have you done to me", Talbain snarled.
The woman laughed a bit, "I've given you something no one else can, Jon Talbain: a chance to look deep inside yourself where you can't go except when you sleep, yet made you completely aware of your surroundings."
"Thanks but no thanks", Talbain said bluntly, "Some things are best left unknown for the good of a person's sanity."
Directly before him, a woman appeared. She was none other than the same noblewoman that Demitri himself had encountered at his castle. "Oh, don't spoil my fun Jon", she grinned lustfully, "The night is young and we have much to do."
Talbain's eyes flashed, "I'd had enough of your games, now I demand you let me out", he stopped, stunned, as he reached out a white furry claw to her. He didn't remember transforming, but as he looked down, he obviously had.
Talbain shook off the shock, trying to transform back into himself again as he had done for so long, but something was wrong. He couldn't make it happen. Jon narrowed his eyes to the woman, "What have you done now, sorceress?"
The woman laughed again, "I've done exactly what I said I had. I give you the real Jonathan Talbain Kreutz: a werewolf, and a darkstalker."
Tasha and Aulbath were going over a method to combine sea magic with traditional paramedic procedures to pull off a revival attempt.
Meanwhile, Felicia was going out of her gourd with worry. She bent down beside Talbain and held his hand in her paw, her eyes wet, "Please be ok Jon."
Jon shook where he stood, "What did you say?"
The woman walked closed to him, and he stepped back, "You know what I said. You're a darkstalker just like me, and extremely powerful for a mere werewolf."
Jon lowered his brows, "I meant the second part. That name."
The woman nodded, "It's your father's name, Jonathan."
Talbain bared his fangs, "How do you know so much about me."
The woman smiled again, "Let me introduce myself properly. I am Lady Morrigan Aensland, the daughter of Belial Aensland the Demon King. I know lots of things about you, but mostly about your father."
Talbain's face softened, "Can you tell me about my father?"
Morrigan nodded slowly, "Yes, but for a price."
Talbain winced. He had to know the truth. Knowing his father was a privilege he had never gotten as a child, and this Kreutz guy might be the answer to everything he had ever wondered about himself. "What do you want", he asked reluctantly.
"Easy", Morrigan grinned seductively, "I want -you-."
Tasha was monitoring Talbain for a while. She had insisted that Felicia get out of the house for a second and clear her head so she didn't panic. Aulbath had gone with her and they were talking out on the stoop.
"Can I tell you something if you promise never to tell", Felicia asked.
Aulbath nodded, "I've never had trouble guarding secrets."
Felicia looked down and blushed, "I can't lose Talbain, I just can't. It's not just that he's my friend you see. I think there might be more."
Aulbath smiled, "Ah, it is so clear to me now. You love him."
Felicia was red, but nodded.
Aulbath put a webbed hand on her shoulder, "This is nothing to be ashamed of, dear Felicia. Love is a wonderful thing, but I must ask, why have you not told him?"
Felicia looked up, surprised, "You don't just blurt that stuff out!"
Aulbath laughed, "You Americans have strange customs. In Brazil, when a woman loves a man, she tells him, and vice versa, and they get married, have kids, and start a wonderful life together. I myself met a woman during my journeys and she waits for me at home, which is why I must get back to the Amazon. Her name is Aquaria."
Felicia smiled, "That sounds wonderful. You know, you're right. But now it might be too late." She looked toward the door with concern, "Oh please wake up."
Jon blinked, "What do you mean you want 'me'?"
Morrigan leaned over him a bit, looking directly into his eyes, "In you I see a strong man with a strong will. I find that attractive so I want you for myself."
Those eyes are so beautiful, Jon thought, and for a moment he was tempted to be taken in by this beautiful stranger who held the key to all he thought he wanted.
Then, as he had a second thought, he realized to his horror he had been living a lie, and everything he had ever wanted was right there in front of him, but he had always been too wrapped up in himself to say anything.
Morrigan leaned in as their gazes locked, wanting a kiss, but Talbain shoved her away and stanced, "No! My heart is with another!"
Morrigan felt the pain of being slapped alright, but not physically. The werewolf had hurt her in her most vulnerable area. She slowly picked herself up, and quivered with rage. "Go then", she said bitterly, "Get out of my sight!"
Jon's eyes slowly opened. Tasha was standing over him, checking his pulse. He looked up at her, "Where am I?"
Tasha looked to him and smiled warmly, "You're home Johnny."
Just then Felicia and Aulbath walked in.
Tasha heard the door and looked to them with a grin, "Just woke up."
Felicia didn't waste any time, she ran past Tasha and made over Talbain, making sure he was in one piece, "Oh I was so worried! What happened to you! Are you okay? Please say something to me Jon!"
Jon put a finger to her lips and smiled, "I love you too."
DARKSTALKERS: THE SERIES WRITTEN BY REGIS A WELCH DARKSTALKERS © 2004 CAPCOM