One minor note: ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!! I know "Van" is a Dutch last name! I STATED IT IN MY LAST CHAPTER!!!! I use it as a SHORTCUT in my writing! {Gets it together} Okay, clam down. I'm fine……AHHHHHHHH!!! {Charges after unseen object with Van's claw gauntlets.}
Audience: O.o? Uhhhhhh……..riiiiiiiight. Let's get on with the fanfic., shall we?
Kaiyuga: Huh? Oh, right! Yes, I just wanted to clear that up…AGAIN. Right…. {Trails off}
Audience: …
Kaiyuga: What was I saying?
Audience: O!!
Kaiyuga: Oh yeah! VH fanfic.! Here ya folks are! Go HyperCaz, Edge23 and chibichibi386!!!! Thank you for being the first to review!!! Thanks! Oh, thanks, JML, for telling me it's the Sixth commandment, not the fifth (I thought it was too. oO?)!
"What in God's name-?!" Van got off his horse as the shadow rose from the sand dunes, its black organic armor gleaming in the shrieking sun.
It clicked it's pedipalps with a scissors- like sound, rising up on its back pair of legs. Its shelled abdomen swallowed up the sun behind it, and Van could sense it was giving a look at him through its six pairs of eyes. It gnashed on its mandibles, saliva dripping from in-between its appendages. It stinger was lifted up behind the beast, poised to strike like a snake advancing on its prey. Van knew his adversary was too strong, and tried to run back to his horse, but a sudden cage of obelisks told him otherwise. He tried to go through them, but an invisible barrier had been placed between each pillar. Leaving a stupefied Carl centimeters away, he faced the creature.
It hissed at him, waiting for him to fire first. They stared at each other for what seemed like eons, when in reality, it had only been ten seconds. Van drew out his pistols and fired like mad. The beast still stood there, unaffected to what Van had done. He almost felt as though the creature was…….scoffing at him. But it's a beast; it has no emotions except bloodlust. The creature drove its claws into the sand, and instantly, sinkholes began to swirl into view. Van dodged the first one, but felt his left leg being tugged into another. He yanked his leg out with both hands, and ran to avoid the others that befell upon the "arena". He fired as he circled the place, the creature turning to each bullet. His gun suddenly ran out of lead, so Van, still running, pulled out twelve new bullets that Carl had created for him when he had faced zombies. He slid them into the barrel and spun them closed.
He fired twice, once from each gun. The glass bullets smashed on the creature's hard back. It squalled in pain as caps of fire burst from the areas it had been hit.
"Well, Carl. I'll give you praise for your Glycerin 48 bullets, but I don't think that's stopped him." The fires died out, and the shell remained unmarred.
The creature slowly wheeled around to face Van, its beady black eyes changing to a blood red. It retracted into itself and with a shriek, a second set of pincers burst from its back. A second stinger took its place next to the once solo one.
"Uh oh." The creature charged, slamming one of its huge claws into Van.
The force was unreal; Van could still feel the very hairs from its claw as he flew into an obelisk. The creature hissed, opening its mouth wide to reveal saliva stained fangs covered in thousands of tiny spider mandibles. Its lower body sank into a sinkhole, and Van knew it was trouble, even though he was trying to recover for the throw. He heard a rumble in the sand, and leapt back as a black stinger shot through the ground, its neurtoxic venom dripping from the single hooked barb. Van heard the digging sound again, and dodged the other stinger.
Van was now fighting in a barb minefield, not knowing where the stinger would strike next. He rolled around in the sand as the barbs shot up, and in between rolls, his Tojo blades slid into his hands. He pressed on the rotating gear to get the saw blades going, and as he saw the stingers appear, and swiped at the barb. He heard the creature squeal in pain, and a sappy green liquid oozed from it's sliced tail; poison. The creature pulled itself out from the hole, and charged on all sixes, mouth wide open for the kill. Van pulled out his crossbow, and fired a stream of pikes right into the creature's mouth.
"That should put him on a diet." The creature reared up as it tried to pull out the arrows.
Van was ready to do his Latin prayer when he heard a disgusting sound that made his stomach lurch. The creature was suddenly covered in its own blood, arrows and bones falling to the ground. It had regurgitated up the arrows that had tried to kill it. The creature, amazing for its size, leapt back and started to climb up the obelisks. Van noticed something white on one of the creatures plates, but didn't have the time to stare for the creature sprung from its position like a mousetrap, and smashed right on top of him. The creature's right pincer went right through Van's bullet wound as it pinned him to the sand like a butterfly in a display cabinet.
He screamed. But it wasn't just a scream. It was an inhuman scream; disconnected from body an soul as though a different persona was taking hold. Every ounce of sanity he knew was swept away in the scream; he didn't care if he was in pain, he didn't care if he didn't get out, he didn't care if he got killed. He was for bloodlust only, and this creature would pay his price. A ring of yellow appeared around the irises of his deep brown eyes.
As Van screamed, he swung his claw gauntlet right through the pincer. It was mostly hollow save for the few severed nerves Van had sliced through. The creature retreated as it squalled in excruciating pain. Van tore himself from the buried pincer that was till twitching, spilling red onto the tan yellow sand. Twelve fiery red eyes focused in on the life- force that was spewing from its prey. It charged, its stinger swaying in sync with each three legs that moved.
Van stood with one leg forward, waiting until the last moment. He had a chip on his shoulder as the other arm slinked downwards. The creature dived, its jaws wide open for the kill. Van jumped high into the air, and landed on top of the creature's head. With his gauntlets, he clawed out a quarter of the creature's eyes, black blood spilling from the popped membranes. The creature shrieked as it's back pair of claws yanked Van from its head, and threw him high into the air. With its good stinger, it batted Van like a baseball into another obelisk. Catching him before he fell, the creature tossed him back up into the air like a cat with a mouse, and opened its salivated jaws to swallow Van whole. As he stayed in mid air for a nanosecond, a ribbon of blood trailed behind him as he fell. As the creature's jaw was coming into view, Van pulled out his Tojo blades, and sliced off the two largest mandibles. The creature ducked down, letting Van land catlike on the sand.
The sounds that came from the creature were unreal as it started to retreat into the sand. Van started to go after it when the yellow in his eyes vanished, and he finally took notice of his surroundings. The obelisks sunk back into the sand as though they were never there. As his adrenaline wore down, Van noticed that he was bleeding a pint per minute. He fell silently onto the sand, coughing quietly as he tried to pressure the bleeding.
"Van Helsing? Van Helsing?! Van Helsing!" Carl's voice grew louder and louder until he was right on top of Van.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he tried to talk, but instead he went back to weak coughing. Van felt himself being lifted up by Carl and literally dragged to his horse.
"We….can't…go back to….Cairo…" Van managed to say before blood spoke his words.
"I know. And I wished I had brought a map!" Van looked enraged as he tried to look at Carl.
"You... what?" Van said it so coldly that the desert sun froze.
Carl stammered, trying to explain that he had intended to get a map in the city but they were caught, so chances of getting one were slim from there on. Van felt like getting beaten up by the creature again, but for the sudden emptiness he felt and the pain that replaced it, Van could only strive to breathe. He was clumsily hoisted up onto his horse, and Carl mounted behind him.
"Now, maybe we should go east. I think there's a village there."
"You……think?"
"Well, its worth trying."
Van dropped his head in surrender.
"Right, let's go." Carl headed towards the setting sun.
"Carl……that's west…." Carl jerked on the reins.
"I always get the phrase messed up!" Carl turned and began it trek across the desert.
When you're lost in the desert and have bled too much, hallucinations are never a good sign.
Van's chin was resting on his chest, his hat protecting his head from the sun. Breathing took every bit of strength he had left, leaving his extremities limp. He forced to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids fell every few seconds.
He heard voices in his head; some cold, daunting, and serpentine, others anguished, mournful and full of sorrow. Each called for his name; screaming it, whistling it, crying it out. But one voice stood out.
"Gaaaabrielllllllll…."
It cooed with such ice that stole the warmth from Van's blood.
"Gaaaaabrieeeeeelllllllll………"
Then another came.
"You killed him! You killed my brother! Why, Van Helsing?! WHY!?"
This wasn't happening…
"MURDERER!!!"
Go away…
"He has been bitten! Bitten by a werewolf! Now you will become that which you have hunted…"
Leave me be…
"We have such history…You and I…"
I don't care…
"We…we could be…friends! Brothers in arms!"
Never…
"S- she's dead…"
No…
"Dead…"
No…please, God, no…
"Anna…"
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
He heard himself scream these words, whether it came from his mouth or mind. He fell from the horse, his body spread out like a corpse.
"Van Helsing!" Carl sounded oceans away.
In his half- open eyes, a tear fell from the corner.
"Come…We're……I know…...!" Van's ears were dying away from Carl's voice.
He felt a cold liquid rush down his throat and he coughed.
"Van Helsing, are you alright?" Van nodded slightly.
"Oh, thank God! I thought I had lost you. Come on, I know we're getting close." Carl helped Van back on the horse, and they continued.
"You don't have…….a clue…..as to where….we are…do you?"
"I never said that; I just said that I thought I saw that sand dune earlier."
"In other words…..we're lost…"
Carl stayed silent and continued. After an hour or so, the canteen that Carl had strapped on the horse's saddlebags was fresh out of water.
"Great…"
The three of them wander aimlessly around in the sand. Did deserts EVER have a night? The sun devoured their sanity, sweat coming forth like waterfalls.
Carl was the first to fall off. The horse neighed as Van turned his head around to stare at Carl's inert shape. He wanted so hard to get off and help him, but in his semi- meditate state, he had shut off his arms and legs. Soon, the horse collapsed too, making Van topple over its head and fall to his side with his legs sprawled out in front of him. The three of them lay there, the sand creating their coffins. From afar, Van looked like he had been dead for several hours.
His throat screamed for water, but none came. His stomach whined for food, but nothing would satisfy. His lungs choked for air, but no ounce could pass. He begged for an instant death, yet it would not yield to his request. He hacked violently, and crimson spilt upon the fine grains. He gagged on his own blood before he finally gave in, and his world swirled into darkness.
"I can always judge a man's character by the sound of his heartbeat." He began to drum his leathered hands together, faster and faster as he spoke, "I always can tell, when I am close to them." He slowed down to a soft padding, "Strange that yours…is so steady…"
In a gleam of silver, the stake was rammed through his heart. He screamed in pain, and watched as Van performed his Latin prayer. A sudden grin swapped his face.
"Hello, Gabriel."
He tried to back away.
"Is this your silver stake?" He tossed it aside.
"How do you know me?"
"You don't remember, do you?" He approached Van, laughing deep within his throat.
Stay away from me…
"Let me refresh your memory…"
I said no…
"Gabriel…"
STOP IT!
"You killed him! YOU KILLED HIM!"
I did…
"Some say you are a holy man…"
I was…
"Others say you are a murderer."
I am…
"Which is it?"
I…don't know….
My life, my job, my curse…
"And did you tell them, that the only way to kill me, is with a silver bullet?! Huh?! HUH?!"
"No…I left you out…"
I'm so sorry…
The first stroke of midnight…
"One."
He felt it; the madness that possessed his soul. Every anger, envy, and hatred went into fueling this creature that he had become. He felt his face transform into a fanged snout, pointed ears growing from the top of his head. He roared, from the core of his being, he roared with all of the feral hell he could summon. Darkness clouded his vision as the inferno seized him with such ferocity and power that surged throughout his body. He could feel the yellow hoarding his once brown eyes, livid with pure malice. The very blood his wild heart pumped flowed with immense force, energizing him in an ungodly state of mind.
And then the kill. How overloaded his mind had become and could not distinguish. How he had lunged without thought, and stabbed her through the abdomen with his claws. How he had suddenly come to, the empty syringe sticking out of his abs. And how he had seen her lifeless body, staring into the distance. And then he knew; he had killed her. After everything they had been through together, he had killed her. He howled to the moon, his voice changing back.
"AAOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
"Anna!" The stranger above didn't expect Van to wake up so fast.
The vial that the stranger had in his hand was now pressing down on Van's tongue, allowing the yellowish liquid to pass.
"¡Calma abajo! No luches, bebida. Fácil, fácil."
Van couldn't recognize the language in his state of delirium. All he could do was swallow whatever the person was giving him for he was so weak. He felt a strong hand support the back of his neck as the liquid swirled down his throat. He tried to fight against whatever this person was doing, but his limp fingers could only cling onto the man's wrist. Through gulps, Van let out a cascade of tears, sniffing.
Slowly, as the liquid sank from the vial, Van's fingers slipped from the guy's wrist and fell back onto the furs. His neck went loose, and the stranger removed the vial from Van's teeth and tongue.
"Resto ahora." He removed Van's blood- soaked coat, vest and shirt, and began to sterilize and suture up Van's claw wound.
"Perdóneme." The man bowed his head as he went to work, a lock of white hair falling in front of his face.
His right arm was wrapped up and hanging in a sling.