Chapter Eleven

So Much For Super Nerves

The night air smelled like camp fires. That hint of woody smoke and fresh air. The wind was cool on her face. She was regretting that she had worn her old jean jacket; she could have enjoyed this cool weather a little more. She looked up and shook her head making her pony tail flop from her collar and fall down her back. Not a cloud in the sky was there to block the magnificently large, bright moon and billions of twinkling stars.

"I guess that's one of the good things living out here." She said aloud to herself. "You can always see that stars."

She pulled her hands from her pockets and played with the swaying pony tail. The sound of her black leather boots hitting and scooting on the broken pavement was all to be heard. Pebbles that had been kicked aside by her steps, echoed tiny, bouncing dribbles from the sides of the derelict sheds and garages. She was alone.

Emma needed this right now. She needed the clarity that only the quiet night can give. It gave her time to think about the events that had taken place over the past few days. But, it also gave her inner demons voice to torment her without interruption.

"Come on, there has to be some vicious blood sucker out here tonight! I need to kill something!"

She continued down the next dark and forbidding alley, hoping for someone to take the bait and jump out at her. She reached down and smoothed her hand over her exposed right, plastic shin. "Thank God for culottes! Stylish and functional!" She mused. Jimmy had enough time to make some quick repairs to her "bionic" leg. Right now he and Layla were taking notes at the book shop from the newly discovered template. Emma's head still ached from their first attempt to retrieve the family knowledge last night. It was easily the most painful experience of her life. It was worse than when the vamp ripped her foot away from her leg! So far, they at least had an idea of what Naberius had been planning to tip the scales in his favor. He planned to raise up some sort of "Super Vampire." Emma considered it to be their answer to a Slayer. But, the only thing they could find to stop it was some gibberish about an arm being severed. Had her done it already? Is that why she was having so much trouble finding something to kill tonight? They were all busy? Or is it this goddess had scared them all off.

"Speaking of Goddesses, what in the hell happened to our oh so very helpful helper Aslyn? Thought it was her business to know who was doing what to the balance!"

Emma seemed to talk to herself more and more these days. She thought as lone as she didn't answer herself, then it was ok. She walked on. Her thoughts started to drift towards her brother doing research alone with Layla. They seemed to be getting along better and better. This made Emma nervous. Or was it jealous? It was most likely both. She was afraid of Jimmy falling in deep with the exotic mystic and then leaving her alone. And this is what made her jealous. He would have a someone, and Emma would be alone. These thoughts made tears well up in her eyes. She was so lonely. She had her brother and now Layla. But, it wasn't the same. She went back to earlier today when she saw the couples walking happily together through downtown. When would that happen for her? Would it ever?

"It's not fair!" She mumbled.

"You are such a child!" The inner voice accused. "So selfish! That's all you worry about. 'It isn't fair!'" It mocked. "Why can't you just shut up and get on with your life! Nothing is ever fair! You take what you get, sometimes you luck out and sometimes you get dumped on. Either way grown ups learn to deal with it! So stop your whining and grow up! You should be happy for your brother! And you should encourage him! Did you really think that you two would be living in the same house forever? HA! Not only is that beyond being a retarded notion, it's crazy to think that anyone would want to stay with you in the same house for more than a week let alone a lifetime!"

"GOD SHUT UP! Stop it! Why can't you just stop?" She cried to herself. She stopped to wipe her face with her jacket sleeve and scold herself for being such a baby, when she heard it. The distinctive growl of a vamp about to pounce. She faced forward and shoved her right arm, palm facing out, out in front of her just in time to knock the quickly approaching beast backward.

"It's about damn time!" She announced. She took her stance as he leapt to his feet and began his attack again. This time she kicked with her right leg straight up, connecting with his chin and forcing him to stagger while splattering blood from his mouth all over the both of them. She immediately spun around and clocked him the outside of her right foot on the right side of face. He struggled to get balance and she went to give a nice left crossover, but he grabbed her fist and hit her with his own right fist. This only fueled her anger and she smiled as she head butted him. But, he still clasped her left fist tight. She stamped her right foot on the ball and the hidden dagger came jutting from the toe of her boot. She swung her leg upward and sited it right in his groin. He finally let go and dropped to the ground.

"Sneaky Bitch!" He howled in pain.

"Like there was anything there to actually do any damage!" She taunted the dagger slipped back into its position and she kicked him with her left leg right across the face. He lay on the busted black and grey pavement clutching his shredded man hood. Emma's heart was racing! She was feeling much better now. Slaying always put things into perspective. She knew what her place in the world was when she was pummeling the undead.

"Oh come on. Get up; I have more issues to work out." She rolled her eyes and squatted next to him. She pressed down on her right heel and the stake popped up for her to catch. She spun it in her hand and placed it right at his heart. His eyes opened wide as he awaited his fate. "Tell me where all your little friends have been?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He grumbled

"Come on now, we're buddies! You can tell me!" He looked at the tiny slayer very perplexed.

"What?"

"It's share time, tell me where Naberius plans to raise the Inanna and I will consider allowing you to continue on with your pathetic existence."

"Uh, really" Asked the thoroughly confused and beaten vampire.

"Really, now, tell me. Where Big Grey going to do the ritual so I can stop it."

The vamp laughed and then grabbed his destroyed gonads and moaned.

"You don't know!" He taunted.

"What don't I know?" She asked becoming angry with his teasing.

"Naberius, he already called her up! HA! Last night! The sacrificial host was taken over by The Blood Goddess last night! Ha ha! You're too late!" He continued to laugh and cough.

Emma pushed the stake slightly into his skin. His eyes grew wide with terror. She gritted her teeth and flared her nostrils in fury.

"Tell me now, where they are and who the host was; tell me what I am looking for. NOW!"

The bloody vamp scrambled for words as the wild eyes Slayer eased the stake slower and slower into his breast. "The FARM the Farm ok! The one just outside of town, the abandoned one. The one with the big grey barn. That's where they did it. I don't know if they're there anymore though. I heard that the Goddess was displeased with it and wanted something fancy and shit."

"Who! Who was the host? What do they look like?" Emma demanded.

"Uh uh, Nitro, Nero, Nike, Nica! That's it she calls herself Nica! She's got black hair and…." Emma interrupted him before her could finish his description. She dropped him, stood up and stared down the alley.

"I know what she looks like." She said simply.

The terrified and agonizing vampire began to crawl to his knees and attempt to stand. "So are you going to let me go now? Can I go?"

"Sure." She said with out looking at him. "I'll let you walk."

"Thanks!" He quivered as he walked passed her and started up the alley. After he had made it about ten feet, Emma tossed it stake in the air, whipped around, caught it and hurled it at the limping vampire; lodging it in his back, his heart. He dropped are ashes onto the pavement. Emma made her way up to the pile and retrieved her stake and placed it back into its compartment.

"I said you could walk, didn't say anything about living." She kicked the dust with her foot and turned around to walk down the next alley.

She was stopped abruptly by the presence of another.

"I should know that your kind travels in packs." She looked up to find a face she recognized put couldn't quite place from where. He was tall, handsome and had brown wavy hair. He wore a sharp grey suit and fine leather shoes. He pulled the cigarette from between his lips and flicked it away. He smiled and seemed to study her intently.

"Such cruelty." His voice sang out with a rich and seductive accent. Italian. That's what it was. "I enjoyed your display quite thoroughly. You thrashed him with such, gusto." He grinned allowing his eye teeth show through a bit. He slid his hands into his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels, presenting himself in a casual manner. But, the light from the street lamp that shown down on him, cast menacing shadows across his face and she knew that he was not to be taken lightly.

Emma stood completely still; her brow knitted and her fists tight. She stepped backward with her right leg and prepared to twister the ball of her foot to unleash the spikes Jimmy had rigged it with. The smooth Vampire pulled his hands from his pockets and waved them critically in front of him. His expression changed to disapproval and he voiced his position.

"No no no caro, you are not ready yet." He leaned towards her and took in her scent. "You are close, but, I think you need some more time to marinate in your despair before you will be ripe enough. Slayers are an exquisite delicacy as it is, but, when you find one as dejected and as mentally unsound as you, well then, you have something truly exceptional. And you mia caro, are one troubled little lady and shall prove to be an excellent meal worthy of my patience." He took a few steps back and snickered.

Emma relaxed and folded her arms. "Then, why tell me? Why show yourself to me now and let me know that you are waiting for me to ripen? What if I decide to stop 'marinating'? It would ruin your ultimate meal." She mocked.

"Trust me; you are too far into your desolation to ever come back out. First, you will alienate that who love you, and then comes the self pity, and then, Oooo then, your self destruction will culminate and explode all over! What the explosion will be is different for each one. I can't wait to see what yours will be!" He was almost giddy. But, Emma felt that he was hiding something. That he was keeping her from something.

"What are you hiding something. What is it? Is it about Nica? You know where she is, don't you? You know I'm getting close so you're trying to distract me!" The suave Italian vamp raised his arms and shrugged.

"Think what you like Ms. Hogan. But, I just wanted to introduce myself."

"You've hardly done that."

"Scusarme signora. I am Leonardo De Luca. I am the one who will be feasting on you soon enough." He bowed before her. Then, he turned his back to her and disappeared into the shadows of the alley.

Emma continued to stand in her spot and watch down the alley even though he was long gone and had been for several minutes. She suddenly became aware that she was shaking. It wasn't that she was cold, she was afraid. The vampire with the expensive shoes had terrified her. And she was pretty sure he knew that. He knew her very well; knew about her self loathing and desperation. There was something about him; something familiar and unsettling. He said he was patient. That scared her more than anything. There was nothing worse than a mad, blood thirsty killer, who was patient. It was easy to kill the random thirst driven vamps that normally was found while on patrol. For the most part they didn't know anything about her. But, if one was patient, took their time and studied her that made her worry. That meant they could anticipate moves, or worse, find where she lived and attacked her brother. Or Layla, she guessed. This all meant she needed to be more alert. Maybe there was something Layla could do, maybe a little hocus pocus and poof, instant force field, or something else equally as sci-fi. Either way, she needed to get back to the book shop, but, she needed to make sure she wasn't followed. So she stood right where she was and used her heightened senses to take in the night.

She closed her eyes and listened carefully. At first, it was only a dog barking a few houses down, then there were the tree frogs, then dishes clattering in someone's kitchen, and somewhere someone was watching The Tonight Show. But, no evil undead stalking the streets of the living. She reached out with her being to see if her sixth sense could tell her anything. But, everything told her that he was gone. She opened her eyes and scoped out the area. Once more, nothing. At first this was a comforting conclusion, but then came a thought. Maybe he wasn't going to follow her, because he didn't need to. It was now occurring to her, that since he knew so much about her, maybe he had already followed her home before. She tried pushing the thought from her mind; telling herself that it was preposterous. But, the churning in her stomach told her that her assumption was right. He knew too much. He knew her last name! Well, at least she knew his now. Leonardo De Luca. It sounded so regal.

Emma pulled her black rubber band from her soft wavy hair and ran her fingers through it. With the band in her right hand, she smoothed her hair with the other into a high pony tail and replaced the band. She adjusted her jacket and dusted her sleeves to remove what she could of the deceased vamps dust.

This was all becoming too much for her. Too much was happening too fast. One day she thought she was it between the world and the forces of darkness. And all she thought that was a couple vamps a night. Then the next day it turns out there was whole world of oogidy boogidies that needed taken care of and she wasn't the only one anymore. There were hundreds of Slayers scattered around the globe. But they are the ones who got the training and group support apparently. Not Emma and Jimmy, Missouri wasn't on the mystical radar of the Super Slayer Squad. All the Hogan's had, was a smart ass, know it all British chick, who had Watchers for parents. Which as they were to discover, so were their parents. On top of all of these revelations, the fact that all of these Slayers exist together has cause some sort of disturbance in the force. Too much good. How could that be? How could there be too much good? And now some crazy Demon guy has raised a vampire Goddess to tilt this out of whack balance to his advantage! How was anyone supposed to deal with all of this at once and be expected to save the world?

"God is definitely a man." Emma grumbled. She reached up to rub her eye and realized that another tear had fallen. Another voice told her not to worry, that it was the stress, it gets to everyone. But, Emma just rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Some super hero I am. I can't even handle the threat of non existence." She turned around and started to run. She needed to make it to the book shop to tell the others about the events of tonight's patrol.