Descension
Part 3
Business was slow at Joe's Bar. Not many people had come in since it opened for the day. That in itself wasn't unusual, but usually his #1 customer would've been here before now.
"Where is that guy?" Joe asked himself, almost like he was expecting to get an intelligent answer. But unfortunately there was none.
As he decided to sweep up and reached for the broom in front of the counter the door chime sounded, and in walked his customer in question.
"I was starting to get worried. You're never late," Joe commented as he already prepared to make the usual drink that was always ordered.
"I would've been here sooner but I stopped by MacLeod's. I had a bad night and just found out about the destruction downtown," Methos replied and took the drink just as Joe finished making it.
"What destruction?" Joe asked, becoming interested in Methos' latest story.
"You didn't hear? I was at ground zero when the fire hydrant landed and ruined a perfectly good date," Methos stated, "from everything I've heard it was a Quickening, but it's never done that type of damage."
"Why didn't I hear about this earlier?" Joe asked.
"Could be the Watchers were killed or got drunk that night," Methos replied. He was about to enjoy his drink before Joe could interrupt him again but before he could his right temple flared up again, causing him to drop his glass, breaking it on the counter, "damn it!"
"What?" Joe asked.
"This bloody headache is back worse than before!" he exclaimed and wished that he hadn't, it only aggravated the pain, "first MacLeod had it and now I do. This just isn't fair," he grumbled to himself
"That's unusual. Are you sure it's a headache and not something else?" Joe asked.
"Well I doubt it's a tumor, Immortals don't get them," Methos grumbled
"No not that. Are you sure it's---"
Joe was stopped in mid sentence as a loud crash was heard from above. Somebody had leapt in through the ceiling windows, smashing them to pieces. The intruder fell to the floor and made something of a graceful landing.
Dark boots and jeans, black fingerless gloves and an overcoat, and a black motorcycle helmet with a tinted visor hid the features of his (at least it appeared to be a him) tall (nearly six feet in height) slender frame, preventing him from being identified; but it gave him an impressive, almost frightening appearance.
Methos instinctively grabbed his sword but halted before drawing it completely. "And you are..."
"Here to kill you..." he replied simply.
The dark figure reached behind his back and withdrew a long, sheathed sword. Wordlessly he grasped the sheathe and slid it off the blade, revealing it's true magnificence.
The sword had to be Japanese because of it's design, and at least 67" in length when compared to the height of the holder. The curved blade looked to measure a good 40" while the handle made up the rest of the overall length. Attached to the end cap was a long, red double tassel.
Methos and Joe looked wordlessly at the foreign sword that was carried. It was truly an impressive sight and not something that a novice would choose to wield, so there were only two possibilities for this guy. He was either very skilled, or a complete idiot looking to use it for intimidation.
Methos stepped out and the two began to circle, sizing each other up as they prepared for the attack. The stranger, while circling, began to twirl the sword in his right hand, displaying that he possessed a great amount of strength as well as the skill needed to do so.
"Perfect, it just had to be the former rather than the latter," Methos thought as he remained ready to strike.
The dark stranger had grown tired with this waiting game and made the first strike. He swung with his right hand right for Methos' neck. The blow was easily blocked and countered as Methos returned the swing.
As the blade of the Ivanhoe swung for his neck the stranger ducked and slammed his left fist into Methos' stomach, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him at the same time, leaving him vulnerable. The fact that he had been in a jeep accident just hours before only added to this, making it even more painful.
Not even waiting for the ancient Immortal to recover, the stranger turned his back to him and turned the sword downward toward the ground. With both hands he grasped the handle and pushed it behind him, impaling Methos in the chest right through the heart!
Methos gasped in pain and shock as the cold steel blade ripped through his body like it was nothing. While the injury wasn't fatal it could prove to be if he couldn't recover in enough time to block the next attack.
The stranger turned to face Methos and strongly ripped the blade from his chest, causing a scream of pain to be emitted shortly before he was pushed back by a rough boot kick to the chest, knocking him into a table the collapsed shortly after as his full weight was applied to it.
"I am disappointed. The legends of the Horseman of Death seems to be false," the stranger said as he twirled his blade again and slowly made his way over to the fallen acient.
"You're...you're an Immortal?" Methos choked out.
Saying nothing the stranger raised his sword up high and prepared to ram it back into Methos' chest before he got the chance to recover. But before he could, the audible cocking of a particularly strong gun made him halt in place. He looked behind him and saw Joe holding an aggressive looking black shotgun, aimed right for his helmeted head.
"I don't think you'd want to do that, unless you want your damn head blown off before you can enjoy your victory," Joe warned him.
The stranger turned away from Methos to face Joe. No sign of question was on his old face, he was dead serious.
"Perhaps another time old man," the stranger said and quickly threw his sword toward Joe, blade first.
Joe moved out of the way to avoid being hit, but the shotgun wasn't as fortunate. It wound it mounted on the wall, skewered by the blade.
Methos had almost completely recovered but before he could get up, he was picked up by his throat and held in the air with one gripping hand on his neck, squeezing tightly, making him unable to breathe properly.
"Let the others know that the hunt has begun. Tell them that I will come for them just as I have for all the others," was all he said before using his right arm to throw Methos at Joe and knocked him down.
Before either of them could get up the stranger dashed over to his sword and retreived it almost effortlessly. With sheathe and sword in hand he crouched down and then leapt up, leaving the same way he had entered, through the roof windows.
"Great, just great," Joe said as he pushed his way out from under Methos, "why didn't you warn me?"
"I...didn't notice," Methos said as he pulled himself up, leaning on the bar countertop for support.
"What you mean you "didn't notice"?" Joe practically shouted.
"I mean," he paused to hold his head, "I couldn't sense him."
Joe stood silent with shock upon hearing this? Methos couldn't sense him? Impossible!
"How could you not sense another Immortal?"
"Either he's not an Immortal, or...he's found a way to hide the buzz from being detected," Methos tried to explain, causing Joe to once again go silent.
Who is this new foe? Is he another Immortal or just a warrior more skilled than anyone else? What did he mean that the hunt has begun? More questions will be asked, and the only way to find out the answers to them is to continue reading.
Author's Notes:
1. The sword used by the strange is an Odachi, a large katana from Japan. They're readily available
2. The shotgun Joe had was a Franchi SPAS12 Shotgun. Information on this particular model can be found at: The entrance was inspired by "The Gathering" episode while the exit was inspired by "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"
Part 3
Business was slow at Joe's Bar. Not many people had come in since it opened for the day. That in itself wasn't unusual, but usually his #1 customer would've been here before now.
"Where is that guy?" Joe asked himself, almost like he was expecting to get an intelligent answer. But unfortunately there was none.
As he decided to sweep up and reached for the broom in front of the counter the door chime sounded, and in walked his customer in question.
"I was starting to get worried. You're never late," Joe commented as he already prepared to make the usual drink that was always ordered.
"I would've been here sooner but I stopped by MacLeod's. I had a bad night and just found out about the destruction downtown," Methos replied and took the drink just as Joe finished making it.
"What destruction?" Joe asked, becoming interested in Methos' latest story.
"You didn't hear? I was at ground zero when the fire hydrant landed and ruined a perfectly good date," Methos stated, "from everything I've heard it was a Quickening, but it's never done that type of damage."
"Why didn't I hear about this earlier?" Joe asked.
"Could be the Watchers were killed or got drunk that night," Methos replied. He was about to enjoy his drink before Joe could interrupt him again but before he could his right temple flared up again, causing him to drop his glass, breaking it on the counter, "damn it!"
"What?" Joe asked.
"This bloody headache is back worse than before!" he exclaimed and wished that he hadn't, it only aggravated the pain, "first MacLeod had it and now I do. This just isn't fair," he grumbled to himself
"That's unusual. Are you sure it's a headache and not something else?" Joe asked.
"Well I doubt it's a tumor, Immortals don't get them," Methos grumbled
"No not that. Are you sure it's---"
Joe was stopped in mid sentence as a loud crash was heard from above. Somebody had leapt in through the ceiling windows, smashing them to pieces. The intruder fell to the floor and made something of a graceful landing.
Dark boots and jeans, black fingerless gloves and an overcoat, and a black motorcycle helmet with a tinted visor hid the features of his (at least it appeared to be a him) tall (nearly six feet in height) slender frame, preventing him from being identified; but it gave him an impressive, almost frightening appearance.
Methos instinctively grabbed his sword but halted before drawing it completely. "And you are..."
"Here to kill you..." he replied simply.
The dark figure reached behind his back and withdrew a long, sheathed sword. Wordlessly he grasped the sheathe and slid it off the blade, revealing it's true magnificence.
The sword had to be Japanese because of it's design, and at least 67" in length when compared to the height of the holder. The curved blade looked to measure a good 40" while the handle made up the rest of the overall length. Attached to the end cap was a long, red double tassel.
Methos and Joe looked wordlessly at the foreign sword that was carried. It was truly an impressive sight and not something that a novice would choose to wield, so there were only two possibilities for this guy. He was either very skilled, or a complete idiot looking to use it for intimidation.
Methos stepped out and the two began to circle, sizing each other up as they prepared for the attack. The stranger, while circling, began to twirl the sword in his right hand, displaying that he possessed a great amount of strength as well as the skill needed to do so.
"Perfect, it just had to be the former rather than the latter," Methos thought as he remained ready to strike.
The dark stranger had grown tired with this waiting game and made the first strike. He swung with his right hand right for Methos' neck. The blow was easily blocked and countered as Methos returned the swing.
As the blade of the Ivanhoe swung for his neck the stranger ducked and slammed his left fist into Methos' stomach, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him at the same time, leaving him vulnerable. The fact that he had been in a jeep accident just hours before only added to this, making it even more painful.
Not even waiting for the ancient Immortal to recover, the stranger turned his back to him and turned the sword downward toward the ground. With both hands he grasped the handle and pushed it behind him, impaling Methos in the chest right through the heart!
Methos gasped in pain and shock as the cold steel blade ripped through his body like it was nothing. While the injury wasn't fatal it could prove to be if he couldn't recover in enough time to block the next attack.
The stranger turned to face Methos and strongly ripped the blade from his chest, causing a scream of pain to be emitted shortly before he was pushed back by a rough boot kick to the chest, knocking him into a table the collapsed shortly after as his full weight was applied to it.
"I am disappointed. The legends of the Horseman of Death seems to be false," the stranger said as he twirled his blade again and slowly made his way over to the fallen acient.
"You're...you're an Immortal?" Methos choked out.
Saying nothing the stranger raised his sword up high and prepared to ram it back into Methos' chest before he got the chance to recover. But before he could, the audible cocking of a particularly strong gun made him halt in place. He looked behind him and saw Joe holding an aggressive looking black shotgun, aimed right for his helmeted head.
"I don't think you'd want to do that, unless you want your damn head blown off before you can enjoy your victory," Joe warned him.
The stranger turned away from Methos to face Joe. No sign of question was on his old face, he was dead serious.
"Perhaps another time old man," the stranger said and quickly threw his sword toward Joe, blade first.
Joe moved out of the way to avoid being hit, but the shotgun wasn't as fortunate. It wound it mounted on the wall, skewered by the blade.
Methos had almost completely recovered but before he could get up, he was picked up by his throat and held in the air with one gripping hand on his neck, squeezing tightly, making him unable to breathe properly.
"Let the others know that the hunt has begun. Tell them that I will come for them just as I have for all the others," was all he said before using his right arm to throw Methos at Joe and knocked him down.
Before either of them could get up the stranger dashed over to his sword and retreived it almost effortlessly. With sheathe and sword in hand he crouched down and then leapt up, leaving the same way he had entered, through the roof windows.
"Great, just great," Joe said as he pushed his way out from under Methos, "why didn't you warn me?"
"I...didn't notice," Methos said as he pulled himself up, leaning on the bar countertop for support.
"What you mean you "didn't notice"?" Joe practically shouted.
"I mean," he paused to hold his head, "I couldn't sense him."
Joe stood silent with shock upon hearing this? Methos couldn't sense him? Impossible!
"How could you not sense another Immortal?"
"Either he's not an Immortal, or...he's found a way to hide the buzz from being detected," Methos tried to explain, causing Joe to once again go silent.
Who is this new foe? Is he another Immortal or just a warrior more skilled than anyone else? What did he mean that the hunt has begun? More questions will be asked, and the only way to find out the answers to them is to continue reading.
Author's Notes:
1. The sword used by the strange is an Odachi, a large katana from Japan. They're readily available
2. The shotgun Joe had was a Franchi SPAS12 Shotgun. Information on this particular model can be found at: The entrance was inspired by "The Gathering" episode while the exit was inspired by "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"