Thanks again to Wolf and Harry2. And if there's anyone else actually reading these, you should review. heck, if it wasnt for Harry2, i wouldnt of posted this at all and just given my rough draft to Wolfy ta read.
quote:Life is like stepping onto a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Chapter 4: ENTER THE VAMPIRES
"How well do you know Shadow, Logan?" Scott stood infront of the T.V.
"Leave me alone, Summers. Just 'cuz ya lost yer wife doesn't mean that I'm gonna be nice to ya," Wolverine growled back.
"How well do you know her?" the other man persisted.
"I've known her as long as I can remeber, happy? Now move."
"Is she trustworthy? Are these 'vampires' real or just crap that she made up?"
Logan turned his glare to Scott, and, giving up on his show, answered, "She gave her word and I've seen her nearly die for that before. And I'm pretty sure she knows what she's talkin' about. Practical jokes aren't one of her things."
"Do you know how many people she's suspected of murdering? Over a hundred, Logan. Doesn't that make you the least bit suspicious?"
"Nope."
"Actually," Bri strode into the room, "I've only been linked to over a hundred. All the 'mysterious deaths' that I've been responsible for...well, I probably lost count in the 70's, give or take a decade."
"And you're proud of the fact that you're a cold-blooded murderer?" Cyclops challenged coldly.
"Hey! I'm getting your wife back for you so be a little bit more polite, eh? And since we're on the subject, I do what I have to. If you can't accept the real world, you can just go f" she was cut off suddenly.
"KID IN THE ROOM!" Kittystated loudly as she walked in. "Why's there a coffin in the front hall? It's kinda morbid."
"Because," Bri answered without taking her eyes from Scott, "I don't know if you people have an interrogation room."
"We do," Wolverine answered, watching the two adults face off yet again.
"Good. I'll need it. Get it ready if yiou could, a strong door and no sun light." She turned to leave and added over her shoulder with a smirk, "You can watch if you'd like."
There was a man's scream from the closed room. It was a big room so most of the X-Men had gathered in it. Those that couldn't tolerated Shadow's questions for the vampire she'd brought in weren't present. They also sent Jubilee, Kitty and any other younger members out when she started to get violent.
She pulled her knife blade out of the vampires leg. "Where are they holding the telepath, Tommy?" she asked with malice.
Tommy the vampire tried to crawl away, hissing as the silver chains around his wrists burn his flesh, "I told you! I don't know any telepaths!" He spit blood at her, blood that he'd acquired from her foot catching his face.
"Then how about the other question. Who's the new vamp? I know you've been with him."
"Fxxk You!"
Her knife flashed and he recieved a deep gash from his temple to his jaw. "I'm getting bored. Maybe I should switch to silver knives?" She crouched down to his level, "We can have fun with them, right?"
"I'm not talking! Go ahead and kill me!" he growled in her direction. His eyes were blindfolded for security reasons.
She grinned back and whispered, "Never said I'd kill you..." drawing a new blade across his bicep. He screamed. Storm left.
"Fxxk. You." he said again.
Cyclops interrupted tightly, "I don't think you're interrogation methods are working."
Shadow stayed crouching next to her prey, but glanced over her shoulder, "What? You want me to talk to him?" She turned back to Tommy, "Would you answer any of his questions, Thomas?"
He flashed an evil smile, baring his blood stained teeth, and answered pertly, "Fxxk him too."
"Gotta agree with you there. These guys really need to see the real world. Can you believe only one of them knew your species existed?"
The vampire let out a hoarse laugh, still showing his fangs ans said, "Bet I know which one, Shadow. It's the one in the corner, with the red eyes, if i remember right. His blood's as spicy as his accent."
Gambit went very still as the rest of the team turned to look at him.
"I wanted to turn him," Thomas continued, almost pouting. "He was good, probably would have been powerful." His blindfolded head turned toward Gambit.
Bri was watching the cajun too, "But lil' ol' me had to come and spoil all your fun that night, right?"
Tommy's face scowled, "Bxxch."
"Yea," she sighed, then turned and continued with an almost cheery voice, "I am...now tell me who and where, or you get branded." She took a silver cross out of a small gym bag.
He cowered from the object without even seeing it. "No."
"Fine," she gave a short shrug, siezed his upper arm and held the cross against it. He screamed again and the stench of burning flesh assaulted everyone's nose. As soon as she released him, he tried to move away. She reached back into her gym bag and extreacted a vile of clear liquid. "I have holy water in my hand right now. I'm gonna ask you twice more. You fail the first time, you get a bath. You fail the next time, I pull out your fangs." He cringed at her threat as she went on, "But, if you DO answer me, I'll give you a free pass out of the city."
"Won't do me any good. If I talk...he'll kill me...he's not afraid of you..." Tommy stammered and backed into the wall.
Shadow went still and looked down with a thoughtful scowl, "I'll kill him first."
"But...he's"
She cut him off, "I said I'll kill him first."
The vampire swallowed twice, then answered, "Two blocks west from where you picked me up. It's an old grocery store. Go to the bottom of the basement steps. There's a wall. Push on the third panel on the right from the middle. She's there."
"Good..." she nodded, "Good. You'll leave tonight." She turned to the X-Men, "Get out so I can unchain him," then back to the vampire, "One wrong move and I'm your dentist."
5 MINUTES LATER
Bri joined the team in the war room where they were discussing strategies.
"I say we go in guns-blazin'" Wolverine put in.
"Actually," she interrupted from the doorway, "some vamps are rather diplomatic, aside from the violence of blood lust and all. We should try to make a bargain."
"We?" Cyclops mocked, "I thought this was your personal mission."
Shadow shifted her weight to one foot and glared back. "Yea, well, this vamp in particular will respond to a group of power. This whole team is nothing but power. We should leave before dark."
She turned to leave but Wolverine's voice stopped her, "Wait a minute, ya know him?"
Without turning she answered, "We go back a ways. Got a score to settle too."
"You're only here for revenge aren't you?" Scott demanded.
Slowly pivoting on her heal, the woman stared at him with cold gray eyes, "Yea." His jaw clenched so she added, "I'm helping you save your Jean, so dont be picky. Assemble your team."
"Jubilee aint goin'." Wolverine drew the away the attention on the face off.
"Hey!" the teen objected indignantly, "That's not Fair!"
"The kid's going." Shadow surprised everyone, "Her powers emit a bright light. vamps really won't like it. She'll be practically immune. We'll leave in an hour." This time no one stopped her as she strode out the door.
HALF AN HOUR LATER
Gambit took a long drag of his cigarette. He was alone in Storm's outside garden.
"Ya know, smoking kills," Shadow said from behind him.
He choked and coughed for a moment. "Don' sneak up on a man like dat," he said sharply.
"Sorry, can't help it." She moved to stand next to him and gaze over the perfect garden.
Gambit studied her from the corner of his eye. "So who're ya? De Prof. say somet'in 'bout ya bein' an assasin?" He took another puff of smoke.
"A girl kills a couple hundred people and that makes her an assasin, huh?" she replied sarcastically.
The cajun smiled slightly, "Not gonna tell Gambit den? Dat's aight."
"More like can't. Been too many. Seen way too much, too."
"Ya as old as Wolverine?"
"Probably older," she shrugged. After a moment she recalled, "I remember back to the Trail of Tears. Thousands died...but no one seemed to care. Made a big fss about the 200 whites that died in the Alamo, tho."
She still didn't look at him but he noticed her frown. He asked softly, "Ya were on de Trail?"
"My father was half Cherokee. They forced him, his mother and grandparents. They tried to keep me off of it, but my white grandfather was dead. So was my mom. I buried my family on that trail," only a fraction on bitterness came through her tone.
"Ah'm sorry."
Another shrug, then an air of indifference, "It doesn't matter. History, literally." She finally turned to look at him, "Are you a religious man?"
The question took him off guard, "No...not really."
"That's too bad." She handed him the cross she'd previously used to burn the vampire, explaining, "If Thomas tried to turn you, the others will pick up on it and might think its a good idead. They'll go after you and you should be prepared." He took the cross akwardly as she continued, "This won't be as effective as if you were religious, but it will help."
"Ya care 'bout Gambit?" he flashed his trademark smile.
She didn't return it. "I told Logan I'd help him. Having half his team slaughtered by vamps because I didn't prepare them isn't helping. And you people are one of the better teams he's been affiliated with, I might add. You know why I told you part of who I am?"
There was no more smile on his face but he studied her openly, "Why?"
"Because I need you to take me seriously. Not everyone trusts Wolverine's judgement, and I really don't blame you. But you'll get your girlfriend to take me seriously...and down the row. Those things will go after you first. Your friends will try to help and they'll died too, unless you all trust what I tell you, and do it." Sighing, she fingered the cross hanging from her neck, "Hopefully a fight won't even break out." She turned to leave, "not while you guys are there any way."
Gambit was left alone again, a silver cross resting in his hand. He was remembering his vampire experience and vague flashes of a group of people saving him...and a pair of steeley gray eyes.