Van Helsing gathered his thoughts while Carl walked over to the chair and got settled. Where to begin? Deciding that Carl was the kind of guy who liked details, he decided to start with the Order.
"As you've already guessed, I work for people who know all about creatures like the gargoyles you encountered last night. They are known as the Order and they have been around for thousands of years. Originally they were a religious group who used the power of the Church to fund their battle. They had a secret headquarters in the Vatican for hundreds of years and the Knights were holy men dedicated to the cause."
"Kind of like the Knights Templar. Holy monks who were also warriors. Only I've never heard of the Knights of the Order." Said Carl with a slight frown of concentration.
Van Helsing just shrugged "Not surprising. The Order has worked very hard to maintain its obscurity. It's has always been the operating procedure of The Order to never allow itself to become known beyond those who work for it. Even the Pope had no idea that The Order existed right under his nose."
Carl frowned deeper. "But if that is the policy of The Order, then why are you talking to me? Isn't that in violation of the policy?" Carl looked at the Hunter, one eyebrow quirked in question.
Van Helsing sighed and said "Yes, I'm violating policy and if my bosses find out, they'll tear me a new one but I think that under the circumstances you have the right to know. I don't think that you are going to run out and contact the papers with anything you hear."
Carl just shook his head "Hardly. They'd think I was nuts and who could blame them? If I hadn't seen them for myself, I wouldn't believe that gargoyles existed, let alone that they are running around the city."
Van Helsing smiled slightly at Carl's comment. "Yes, and believe me, the Order does like to encourage people to think that way. They even occasionally leak stories to the tabloids to insure that anyone who does actually see something ends up looking like the crazies who claim to have seen Elvis."
Carl looked thoughtful at that. "It's a good method though it does bring up another question. Just how much of what is printed is true? I'm guessing that you hunt a lot more then gargoyles. Just how bad is it really out there?"
Van Helsing had rather hoped they wouldn't get to this so quickly but he should have known that Carl's agile mind would put the pieces together very quickly. He paused for a moment and deliberated about how to proceed.
Carl watched the darker man hedge and felt himself get aggravated. Was this because of his little incident earlier? Van Helsing said it happened to everyone but had he just been trying to make him feel better? Did he really think he was meltdown waiting to happen at the slightest provocation? Carl didn't like that at all and decided that it was time to prove to Van Helsing that this morning was NOT normal behavior for Carl.
"Van Helsing! If you are worried that I'm going to freak out again at the thought of what's out there, you can stop right now. I've had my moment and I've adjusted to the fact that the world is a far more dangerous place then I originally thought and that there really are monsters running about. Now stop stalling and tell me exactly what it is that's out there so I can plan accordingly.
Van Helsing looked at Carl in surprise. The geek was glaring at him in clear displeasure and looked prepared to do him bodily harm if he didn't get some straight answers. Carl looked almost fierce and Van Helsing was torn between the desire to tell him everything and the need to laugh at the sight. It was too cute – like an angry chipmunk. Still the angry chipmunk was quite capable of hitting him with the lamp he was eying and Van Helsing didn't need any more injuries. He spoke quickly to pacify Carl.
"Sorry, I was just trying to gather my thoughts. You asked exactly what is out there and the reality is that just about everything you'd ever had a nightmare about is probably out there somewhere along with a bunch of things that you couldn't possibly imagine. I've been a hunter for ten years and I've been up against demons, werewolves, boggarts, gargoyles – you name it, I've probably got a scar from it somewhere. " Van Helsing watched Carl's face as he said all this, making sure that he was taking it all in. He was not going to repeat his mistake of not checking to make sure Carl was handling things.
Carl, however, responded to all of this with a serious and thoughtful expression. He didn't seem alarmed or even surprised by anything he was hearing. Van Helsing almost expected him to take out the ever-present notebook and start taking notes. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried.
Carl was unaware of the close scrutiny as he was too caught up in the implications of what he was hearing. Gargoyles were clearly not the worst things out there and the fact that The Order would send one of their men out without back up did not give Carl a good opinion of them. In fact, he really wanted to give them a piece of his mind. What kind of half-assed organization sends a man out to fight nightmares with hand weapons for christ's sake?
Van Helsing watched the expressions chase across Carl's face and felt a vague sense of discomfort come over him. Far from looking worried or afraid, Carl seemed to be… calculating. Just what was going through that geeky little mind of his?
Carl thought about just what kind of things Van Helsing was likely encountering and realized that he couldn't, in clear conscience, just send him on his way. The man fought monsters to keep the rest of the world safe and he was doing it with antiques. The crossbow was pretty but that loading mechanism was archaic. And he had a sword for crying out loud! A sword! The Middle Ages were long gone folks! The Order must be severely out of touch to think that you could operate effectively like this! Something really need to be done about it!
Carl paused for a moment when he realized that he had just come to the decision to help Van Helsing hunt. A small voice tried to tell him he was crazy to take on such a task but the rest of him told it shut up. This was too important and the fact was, Van Helsing needed the help. Carl could help him come up with better and safer ways to take out the monsters and that could only be a good thing. Beside, Carl hated working for Carmico and this gave him a new set of challenges that he could actually feel pretty good about. And he was pretty sure that Van Helsing would never ask him to wear a suit or sit through a board meeting.
Having accepted his choice, he began to think about how best to proceed. The best thing would be for Van Helsing to move here. That way we could have easy communication and he'd be around to test any weapons I create. And we'll need to have a training arena… the basement would probably work well for that. I've already re-enforced it for the laser testing I did there… Without thinking, Carl pulled the notepad out of his pocket and began scribbling notes.
Van Helsing's eyes widened nervously when he saw Carl start writing. What the hell was he doing? "Carl" snapped the Hunter.
Carl looked up from his notes, his mind only partially focused on Van Helsing. The rest was still calculating out what would be required for their new partnership. "Yes?" Carl said distractedly, completely forgetting that Van Helsing would have no idea what conclusion he had come to.
"What are you scribbling about? What is going on in that strange little mind of yours?" Van Helsing looked Carl directly in the eye, trying to figure out what was going on.
Carl just smiled and "Sorry, I always get like this when I'm planning something. There's going to be a lot that has to happen to make this work." He looked down at his notes, thought of something else and began scribbling again, forgetting all about the frustrated man sitting across from him.
Van Helsing's sense of unease now became full blown alarm. "What do you mean there is a lot that needs to happen to make this work? Make what work? Carl, what the hell are you plotting?" He glared at blonde who looked up in surprise from his notes.
"Plotting – I like that. I'm trying to help you and this is the attitude you give me? " he pouted slightly and tapped his pen against his notes. "It would serve you right if I did just leave you to your own devices. Fortunately for you, I'm a bigger man than that."
Van Helsing looked at Carl in disbelief. Carl couldn't be saying what he thought he was saying. "Carl, I've had a hard couple of days so I'm going to ask you to be really clear here. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Carl smiled a beautiful smile and said "I'm going to help you. It's clear that The Order isn't doing its job so I'm going to do it for them. We'll use this house as our base since there's plenty of space and it's already got my lab. We'll need to improve the security system and put in a training & testing area but that shouldn't take too long to implement. You can keep this room or pick another if you want to though whichever room you chose, we'll have to redecorate. Everything in this house is still the way my grandparents had it – except my room and the lab. He looked around at the stuffy décor and shuddered slightly. It definitely was too "old school" for the masculine hunter.
Van Helsing listened to Carl in horror. No, no, no. This is not happening. The crazy geek is not offering to work with me. I don't have a partner and certainly not one who was all brains and no training. He'll only get in the way and probably get us both killed. No way! Still, another part of his brain reminded him that it was Carl who held it together enough to think to get the car so they could both escape the gargoyles. The man might be a geek but he wasn't without guts. No, I work alone. I always have and it works better that way. Besides, the geek wants me to move in here. I'm a street rat, I don't belong in mansions. It can't possibly work. This is the stupidest idea I have ever heard.
Carl paused for a moment in his dialogue and realized that Van Helsing hadn't heard a word he had said. He looked at the Hunter and saw that the man looked upset. Perhaps I should have presented this better. But really, it is the only solution. He cleared his throat and said "Van Helsing? Was there something you wanted to say?" He looked at the Hunter with the amiable smile of someone who is very pleased with himself.
Van Helsing snapped out of his train of thought and said "Hell, yes I have something to say. And that is no. I don't work with a partner. " He crossed his arms over his chest with the posture of someone who has spoken the last he intends to say about the matter.
Carl raised his eyebrow at Van Helsing's comment and said "That's ridiculous. You are clearly in over your head and I can help with that. I can make the weapons and come up with the methods that your bosses clearly can't provide you with. Do you like getting the crap beat out of you? Because if you don't, then you need a partner. And from where I'm sitting, I'm the only offer you are likely to get."
Carl's last comment stung as the other Hunters had refused to work with him and so he struck back reflexively. "And why would I want to saddle myself with a geek like you? You know nothing about hunting monsters or fighting. You'd only get in my way. Thanks but no thanks. I work alone" He looked away from Carl in complete dismissal.
Carl's eyes filled with hurt and he got up out of the chair. He knew that his greatest strength had always been his intelligence no matter what he tried to do to improve his body. He had been made fun of by more then one person for being geeky but he thought that Van Helsing at least would appreciate what he had to offer. He had fixed the tojos when they broke and he genuinely wanted to help fight. But no, once again it was "Carl, you are just too weak for this. Why don't you run along to your lab and leave the men to do the real work?" He hugged his arms around himself as old hurts washed back over him.
Van Helsing watched as Carl moved away from the bed. He had clearly struck a nerve with his comment and part of him felt bad for having hurt the guy. But it was really for the best. Carl had no idea what he was offering to get into and Van Helsing wasn't going to drag him into this mess. This was really for the best.
But part of Van Helsing was screaming that he was crazy to turn down Carl's offer. That Carl offered him a chance for support and stability - something he desperately needed. Van Helsing shook his head. It was wrong – he couldn't take Carl up on his offer. The Order would kill him. Carl was not authorized by The Order. But it was so very tempting…
Carl turned back to the man on the bed and with his eyes averted said quietly "I'm sorry I was so presumptuous. I really was only trying to help. It's clear that this is a very big and very dangerous problem and I wanted to do something to help. But I was stupid to think you'd want me along. I'll just leave you alone. You can stay until you are healed. I promise to leave you strictly alone. " He turned away, the picture of misery and began to make his way towards the door.
Van Helsing looked at Carl's hunched back and felt like the biggest asshole. While he was right to turn the guy down, he could have been nicer about it. It was clear he had really hurt Carl's feelings and the guy done nothing but go out of his way to help him. Hell, he was still willing to let him stay here and recover even after he had been a total jerk.
"Carl, wait. I'm really sorry. Look. I appreciate your offer but you have to understand, this is really dangerous work. I've had tons of training and experience and I still get my ass kicked sometimes. You want to help but you have no idea what it is you are really offering to help with. I couldn't put you in that kind of danger when I know what it is that is out there. Its best that once I leave, you forget all about this."
Carl looked incredulously at the Hunter but the incredulity quickly morphed into anger. "What do you mean I don't know what's out there? I almost got gutted by gargoyles, Van Helsing. I think I have a pretty good idea what's out there. And yes, I don't have training but I'm far from stupid and I'm far from helpless. What I don't know, I can learn. Besides, I wasn't exactly offering to go on the hunt with you. I was thinking more of being your support person. You know, supply you with weapons, and do the research, that kind of thing. I'm well aware I'm not exactly Hunter material but I do have things to offer. And I also thought that maybe, just maybe, you were tired of having to do everything alone." Carl crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the Hunter.
Van Helsing looked at the blonde and was torn. What Carl offered was very tempting. Having someone there as a backup would be very helpful. The incident with the gargoyles was hardly a first for him and he was tired of dragging himself home and patching himself up. If he had someone to watch his back, even from a distance, it could save him a lot of pain and aggravation. And if what Carl did for the tojos was any example of the guy's creative power, he could probably come up with some better ways of fighting monsters then technology out of the 14th Century. It was so very tempting…
Carl watched the indecision chase across the Hunter's face and knew it was time to press his advantage. "Look Van Helsing, what if we did this on a trial basis? I'll help you out with the gargoyles and if you find that when we're done that you still want to work alone, then we'll call it quits. You call all the shots and I promise to stay out of your way when the action starts. What do you say?"
Van Helsing looked at Carl who had a pleading puppy dog look on his face and shook his head. "This is a really bad idea and if Jinette finds out, we'll both wish we had never been born. They don't call him the Dragon for nothing. We can't do this" But Van Helsing's voice didn't sound terribly convincing and Carl knew he was wearing the man down.
"How would Jinette ever find out? You say that you hardly ever check in and that they avoid dealing with you whenever possible so unless you tell them, they'll never know. Besides, I think I have an idea of how to incapacitate the gargoyles so they are easier to dispatch. I was thinking about the way they reacted to the car horn and I'm wondering if they are particularly sensitive to sound harmonics. I don't suppose there are any reliable places I could do some research?" Carl used his most persuasive tone, knowing that if he could convince Van Helsing that he could make the task easier, he'd be willing to give him a chance.
Van Helsing squirmed a bit on the bed. Carl had a good point. Jinette spent as little time as possible talking to Van Helsing and with the tojo fixed, he could limit his conversation to reporting the gargoyle nest and informing them that he'd take care of it. They didn't need to know exactly HOW he was planning on taking care of them. Its not like Jinette ever asked. He's send the Hunter the intell on gargoyles via email and that would be it. This could work…
Carl waited anxiously for Van Helsing to come to a decision. He didn't know why this mattered so much to him but he really wanted the Hunter to say yes to him. Maybe it was that he finally wanted someone to actually choose him for a partner. Most people found Carl's somewhat eccentric ways and strange leaps of logic to be annoying but he really felt that in this case, they would work in his favor.
Van Helsing sighed. The fact was that he needed to tackle the gargoyles soon and he really wasn't in any shape to do it alone. If Carl really did have a way to incapacitate the gargoyles, then he might as well let him give it a shot. He could always insist that Carl stay far away from the actual fighting.
Carl saw the moment that Van Helsing gave in to the idea and he had to fight to keep from jumping around in a victory dance. Instead he pinned what he hoped was a calm and collected look on his face and waited for Van Helsing to speak.
When Van Helsing did look at Carl he almost changed his mind. Carl was attempting to look blasé but his eyes were lit up like a kid at Christmastime. But Van Helsing needed the help so he was going to give this a shot. Its not like he couldn't end it at any time – right?
"Ok, here's the deal. I give an order, you obey it, no questions asked. I tell you to get out of there, you do it. I tell you to stay behind, you stay – got it?" He looked at Carl sternly.
Carl bobbed his head in affirmation, still struggling to hold the calm look. But the excitement kept threatening to break through and he unconsciously wiggled at bit as he stood before the Hunter.
Van Helsing looked one last time at Carl and sighed. He was going to need to go over this again he could tell. Still, he decided that he'd tackle that after he checked in with Headquarters. "Alright, we'll talk about this more later but for now, I've got to check in with Headquarters and let them know what I've found."
Carl nodded again. "Make sure they give you any information they have about gargoyles. I imagine that they must have pretty extensive records about the monsters they send you guys out to hunt. I especially need any information they have about their sensitivity to sound and vibration. It really is a pity I can't talk to them myself…"
Van Helsing just grimaced. "They can't know about you, remember?"
Carl just looked at him exasperatedly. "I know that. I'm just saying it would be easier if I didn't have to get it second hand. In fact, the best thing would be original source material but I don't suppose they'd send you that." Carl looked vaguely disappointed.
Van Helsing said "Actually they send me pretty extensive files when I go up against a monster. To be honest, I usually just skim it since most of it is of no use to me but you might find something there you can use. Once I check in, they email me whatever information they have. Which reminds me, is there some place that has WI-FI around here? I'll need it to get my email."
Carl just grinned and said "Actually my whole house is wired. You can access it from pretty much anywhere in the house. Like I said earlier, this is the perfect place to use as a base. I can even add an encryption to the phone system so we have secure phone access if you like." He had that eager look that Van Helsing was beginning to realize spelled trouble.
"That's ok, I'm a Hunter, not CIA agent. Just the Internet access is all I need. I generally use my cell phone to call Headquarters." As he said this he reached for his phone, which he had left on the bedside table.
Carl looked disappointed but rallied. "Ok then. I'll just leave you alone to check in. I should probably start making some arrangements anyway." He started to walk to the door but then stopped and turned around.
"By the way, since we're temporarily working together, I was wondering if you would let me look at your crossbow. I examined it earlier and I imagine that it jams on you a fair bit." Carl was back to giving him the pleading puppy dog look.
Van Helsing just rolled his eyes and said "Fine. Go play with the crossbow. Just try not to shoot yourself with it." Carl grinned excitedly, scooted across the room to where the bag of weapons was and snatched it up.
"Don't worry. I promise you it will be much better when I get through with it" He bounded out the door, holding the crossbow.
Van Helsing looked at the doorway for a while and then looking up at the ceiling said, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Heaving a heavy sigh, he flipped open the phone and dialed the number to Headquarters.
To Be Continued...