Raptor put down his pen looked at his list of resolutions for the New Year:
Try and be a bit more truthful with Felicia and the people that write me paychecks. Try to be a bit more in-tune with me fans. Try looking on the more positive side of things. Try…and I mean TRY to be nice to somebody once in a while.He looked it over and then crossed off the third resolution, "I'll leave that to the kitty-cat." He then looked at his rooms' alarm clock 9:45 P.M. "Oh bloody HELL! I've got a gig…in a half a damn hour!" He grumbled dashing to-and-fro across his room trying to get ready.
He arrived just ten minutes before he was supposed to go on. "Well look who showed up," said a voice behind him. Raptor turned around to see Felicia behind him. "Look…ah don't want to hear it. I was thinking about somethin' and I guess I got me self a little side tracked."
Meanwhile Dominic and Lachlan were at the back in the VIP seating, "That Felicia…she was rather elegant wouldn't you say, the way she danced on stage……if I were 25 years younger sir, I'd have truly been ensnared." Lachlan told Dominic.
"Yeah, I guess she wasn't bad…for a Darkstalker." Dominic responded.
"A Darkstalker sir? I mean that get up could've been a costume—!" Lachlan pointed out.
"Could've being to keyword in that sentence." Dominic replied.
"But how do you know—?" Lachlan started to ask.
"Trust me Lachlan; if you'd seen her at the tournament too you'd have wizened up to her as well. Who's next on stage Lachlan?" Dominic asked, taking a sip of white wine this time. Lachlan looked at the pamphlet he'd gotten from the bartender and said, "Next up is some bloke named Lord Raptor…sounds like some mindless heavy metal rocker if you ask me."
"He's more than a musician Lachlan…but I'll keep this comment to myself." Dominic thought to himself. As Raptor got set up on stage Lachlan pulled out a set of ear-plugs and said, "I have a bad feeling I'm going to need these."
And in truth he was right, Raptor's song was so loud and powerful that Lachlan's ear-plugs were only a little help. Lachlan looked at Dominic to find him head-banging to the music. "HONESTLY SIR!" Lachlan tried to shout; Dominic looked back and said "WHAT WAS THAT LACHLAN?" Dominic hollered back.
When Raptor finished Dominic looked at Lachlan and said, "Quite a performer wouldn't you say…a little satanic I'll admit, but good."
"Satanic indeed," said Lachlan glumly "sir while I'll admit he was quite a good performer, he was no Bach I'll tell you."
"Of course not Lachlan, if he was Bach he'd have put me to sleep." Dominic responded.
After almost everyone had cleared out Dominic and Lachlan went backstage, Felicia and Raptor saw him approach. "Hey…you're not supposed to be back here!" Felicia told him.
Dominic shrugged and said, "I saw no bouncers at the door, no velvet rope…so I figured 'what could it hurt?'."
"Yeah, but there was a sign on the door that said 'EMPLOYEE ENTERANCE'…a sign I'm sure you could read." The manager of the club pointed out.
"Signs are trivial to me, a person could see a 'don't walk on the grass' sign in the park and what would that person do but walk on it anyway." Dominic told him.
"Yeah, but it still stands…you can't be back here, so get going!" the manager said, ushering Dominic and Lachlan back the way they came.
"Monsieur, I will suppose for a moment you don't have a clue about who I am?" Dominic asked.
"Yeah, you're another fan of these two who don't follow the rules!" the manager said sarcastically.
"Humph…I sir, am Dominic Nightshade, and this elder chap with me is my butler Lachlan Copperpot." Dominic told him.
The manager stopped for a moment and said, "Wait, you mean to tell me you're that rich multi-millionaire who owns—."
"About 169 nightclubs…" Lachlan told him.
"And would like to be business partners with you and make this one 170?" Dominic asked then said, "One and the same."
The manager then let go of both of them and said, "I'm sorry Mr. Nightshade sir, if I'd known it'd been you—please accept my apologies."
Dominic nodded and said, "Of course…but first allow me to congratulate our two artists on another successful night and grand performance……Miss Felicia, Lachlan found your performance tonight most extravagant."
"Thank you." Felicia said politely, Lachlan then took her right hand in his, kissed it and said, "I should be the one thanking you."
"RRRiiiggghhht…" Dominic said in a flat tone of voice, then he looked at Raptor and said, "And Raptor…I found your performance like a rhino trampling a flock of geese." Raptor looked rather insulted, "You know…powerful." Dominic added.
"Oh, well…thanks I guess." Raptor said with a bit of a smile.
"Well the manager and I have got plans to make…see you tomorrow I suppose." Dominic told them, but before he left he looked back and said, "You know this almost slipped my mind but, I have connections with record companies…if you would like I could see if I could get anyone to sign on with you two."
"How much are we talking here?" Felicia asked; Raptor nodded in agreement.
"Oh, well…how does 75 grand sound?" Dominic asked.
"75,000 DOLLARS! Well then—." Raptor started to say, but Felicia stopped him and said, "We'll think about it."
"Very well then." Dominic said and with that he continued on his way.
Raptor removed Felicia's hand from his mouth and said, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Think about Raptor…some big nightclub mogul comes in here and offers to get us record deals, don't you find that suspicious?" She asked him sternly.
"But with that, we'd have both been set for life!" Raptor argued.
"Well…" Felicia said looking at the direction Dominic had went, "I don't trust him, call it a bad hunch…but there's something about that guy that gives me the shivers."
As she and Raptor went their separate ways Raptor thought, "Yeah, well your shivers just cost me being set for life wuss puss."
STREETS OF LONDON, JAN 2nd 5 A.M.
Jon finally decided to see what had happened in London, the nature of what he'd seen was eating away at him. While he searched the streets he saw no apparent damage, "I don't understand it." He thought to himself, "A thing that size should've been able to take to roof off a house, but if it wasn't trying to destroy anything…what was its purpose of coming here anyway?"
"I know what you're thinking," said a voice, Jon looked up to find Michael Nighttale looking down at him from a rooftop, "and I can answer you're question for you right now Jon Talbain. That wasn't a real dragon…but a signal, a signal to the world that the war between humans and Darkstalkers must come to an end, and we must join together human and creature alike lest we wish to be washed away in the flood."
"And you're the leader of this little endeavor?" Jon asked.
"Oh no…I'm just a mere spokesperson, a follower of the real 'leader' as you so put it. He can help you just like he helped me when he gave me this." Michael said, he then pulled out a bronze medallion that was connected to a gold chain around his neck. "Well it'll take more than a mere spokesperson to convince me." Jon said coldly, as he walked away Michael chuckled and said, "You may not want to believe Jon, but there was a time when I was just as delusional as you. The way I look at it, though you're older than me…you and I are not that very different." Michael then leapt down from his spot and landed on his feet on the street bellow.
"How can you say that, you and I are different in everyway I imagine…you're a human and—well, look at me and tell me how we're alike?" Jon argued.
Michael then gave a dark looking smile, his eyes became to slits, "Very well…" he said as he slowly removed the bronze medallion from around his neck, "if you need proof…then proof I shall provide."
No sooner had he removed the medallion did he clutch his sides, groaning in pain. "Hey, are you alright?" Jon asked, out of concern for the young man's current predicament. Suddenly a bubble of dark-energy seemed to engulf Michael, Jon could only watch as Michael's body shuddered and writhed inside there. Suddenly Jon saw bits of Michael's clothing come scattering about from in there, the next thing he heard was a blood-chilling howl. "No…you can't be, there's just no way, are you?" Jon asked in disbelief, when the dark energy sub-sided the human form of Michael no longer stood there, but a werewolf. "Ahhh…that feels SOOO much better feels like being let out of a cage."
Jon looked Michael over, he looked like a mirror image of Jon only he had red-orange fur where the blue was supposed to be, and his hands and feet had a sort of brownish colored fur, and white claws…from appearance he looked not like a werewolf but a werefox!
"You see Jon, what you see before you is my true form without the benefits of my medallions' powers, our 'leader' made me this medallion…combining it with the little bit of alchemy he knew, to help me discover who I truly was…and if you join us Jon, a do not doubt he could do the same for you…sure it might only be a magical mask for lycanthropy, but think about it…you'd be able to walk amongst humans again, probably even find a woman that'll marry you for who you are and not what you look like."
Jon looked into Michael's eyes…he knew this had been what he was searching for, but these days he knew…everything comes with a price, and the price with this would he had to bestow his loyalty unto the real brains behind this whole thing. "I'm sorry…you're a good salesman Michael, but I'm afraid this costumer will have to pass on your offer."
Michael closed his wolf-like eyes and shook his head in pity saying, "If that is your answer…then I shall weep a crocodile tear for you when I bring my master your corpse."
Michael wasted no time in attacking Jon, Jon leapt out of the way of Michaels' initial strike. But had no time to prepare himself for his second move which was a kick to the chest, "I don't want to fight you." Jon said.
"Maybe you haven't noticed it, but chivalry…honor…all those things that make a warrior great, are dead." Said Michael coldly, Michael then charged at Jon again only as he did a black aurora formed around him, the next thing Jon knew it felt like he'd gotten hit by a double-decker bus. Jon managed to do a back-flip and recover from the shot. "This guy's almost as strong as Demitri…heck, maybe stronger. Well I guess if it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get." Jon then took off like a bullet at Michael, but Michael jumped over Jon and struck him in the back.
"Jon you had a chance to get back everything you lost…but instead you chose your own short-sighted pride over a promise of a cure, and now…you will pay with your own blood for that arrogance, I'll see to that." Michael thought to himself as he charged up for an energy attack.
But as soon as he struck an explosion rang out, forcing both Michael and Jon away from each other. Both of them were a little weary, Michael then looked at Big Ben and said, "…We'll finish this another time." And with that Jon, in his hurt state watched as Michael jumped from rooftop to rooftop, leaving him behind.
BEIJING OUTSKIRTS JAN. 2nd 1:17 P.M.
Hsien-Ko couldn't shake the feeling that what she'd seen this morning had been but a foreboding omen of something more terrible to come, she'd had had visions of both Earth and Demon World breathed in flame, she saw some of her friends…only they looked life-less, like they'd fought something with all they had and it still wasn't enough. Then she saw it, a throne of cold steel and a voice saying…your friends were fools, though your allied efforts were noble, you should have realized that battling my forces is like battling the tide…futile and useless."
Next to the throne she saw Lilith and Morrigan, they were both sitting at the foot of it like to loyal hounds to their master…but the person on the throne was neither Demitri, nor was it Jedah…it was someone else. Before she could see who it was the vision stopped.
"I don't understand, what does this vision mean?" she asked herself.
"What vision sister?" Mei-Ling asked.
"I keep seeing the same vision…it looks as if humanities fate has been sealed, but so has the demon world nobility." Hsien-Ko told her sister.
"It is probably the future you see, of events that have not yet come to pass." Mei-Ling told her.
"The thing is, whatever power did this…did it without pity, without mercy, and made sure no one saw it coming." Hsien-Ko said sadly.
"Well whatever happens is probably a safe deal away." Mei-Ling answered.
"Can you put a gamble on that my dear, when perhaps something seeming so far off can actually be near?" asked a disembodied voice.
Just then a bunch of ghostly fire-balls appeared around them, Hsien-Ko stood up, "Who are you…show yourself!" the voice returned nothing but laughter, she was about to charge off into the woods looking for whom this voice belonged to when Mei-Ling stopped her, "Don't let him get to you Hsien-Ko…that's just what he wants." She then looked out there and in a clear voice asked, "Are you the one responsible for what we saw this morning?"
"Responsible? No say I, what you saw was a signal from a greater power to I." replied the voice.
"You know, I'd feel a little better if you revealed yourself in person." Mei-Ling told the voice.
"Very well I say to you, now Hsien-Ko…Mei-Ling, prepare yourselves for a visit from the Dark Dragon, from Chang Wu." The voice told them, suddenly a cloud of black mist appeared before them, from the mist appeared a headless body, the head came slowly floating behind and reattachted itself backwards, then with an inhuman sound of bones crunching the head whirled around and faced them, the figure was wearing a porcelain mask so you couldn't see his face, he wore a costume much similar to Hsien-Ko's only it's main colors were black, maroon, and grey. Now Hsien-Ko had heard of great warrior name Chang Wu once…but did not know if that Chang Wu and this Chang Wu were one and the same. "So who or what are you for say?" Mei-Ling asked, Chang let out a gleeful laugh and said, "I am Chang Wu that's who can't you see, as for what I'm quite like Hsien-Ko…a Kuang-Shi."
"Yeah, the head twist kind of gave that away, now you said that dragon thing was a signal to you?" Mei-Ling asked.
"Oh no, not just a signal to me…but to all the Darkstalkers, to all there be." Chang Wu told her.
"Okay then…it's a signal, but for what?" Hsien-Ko asked harshly.
"A signal that we of the dark can no longer fight the humans, the one who sent it wants peace between the two sides or we will face an inevitable Armageddon." Chang Wu told them straightly this time. "He wishes for you two to join him, if you pledge you loyalty to him…he will see that nothing comes to harm you. With your help…he's confident that peace can be reached."
"Well tell your master we're not interested, so shove off." Hsien-Ko said aloud, "I think what she means to say is your offer is great…but I'm afraid we'll have to pass on it." Mei-Ling told him.
Chang Wu shook his head and said, "I was hoping you'd be more reasonable…you two, but it looks like you'll have to be taught humility by means the Wrath of Chang Wu!" Chang told them, running his left sleeve over his face…when he removed it they saw a bare skull with two shining green dots for eyes almost like gems. The skull then let out an airy but insane laugh as it raised its' left sleeve again only this time a brightly colored cone shape appeared out the end of it, he then aimed it at Mei-Ling and fired a rather large fire-work rocket at her, Hsien-Ko was able to tackle her sister out of way before it hit. Chang Wu then saw a bright flash of light and when he looked again, he only saw Hsien-Ko standing before him, a luck charm attached to her hat. "Where is your sister?" she heard Chang ask her mentally, his head cocked slightly to the left as a gesture of curiosity.
"She's still around Chang, but let me ask you something…" said Hsien-Ko.
"Before we do battle, I will answer what wrecks you're mind…so while we're fighting you can put that fear behind." Chang Wu mentally replied.
"Are you the great warrior of Beijing Chang Wu?" Hsien-Ko asked.
"Ah yes I lie to you not that is who I was…but what brings that question on, what cause?" asked Chang
"You were the greatest warrior in all of Beijing…all the little boys and young men wanted to be like you, all the young women and yes even myself wanted to date or even marry you, because you fought against the darkness…then you had to go and sell your soul to the darkness so you could have magical abilities…to put your corrupted spirit to rest will be a great honor for me." Hsien-Ko told him.
"Very well," Chang told her with a nod, "but I think you'll find my spirit will not be so easily rested!"
Hsien-Ko wasted no time in attacking Chang, but Chang quickly dodged out of the way and attempted to trip her. But Hsien-Ko jumped over his foot and turned around to strike him again. This time Chang blocked it and struck Hsien-Ko in the waist with his free arm. As soon as there was distance between the two of them again Chang tried the fire-work trick again, but this time Hsien-Ko summoned her Reflect Gong to send the attack back at him. Chang then said, "That gong of yours was a clever trick, I see…but let's see how you handle your worst enemy."
Chang Wu then started to say some sort of chant that brought a sort of mirror in front of him, he then turned it to face Hsien-Ko…in the reflection Hsien-Ko saw herself only it looked like she was staring at a black & white photograph of herself. "If you think that little trick will save you, you're already defeated." Hsien-Ko said, charging for the mirror and the person behind it.
Suddenly, as she was about to strike, her reflection reached out from the mirror and blocked her attack, she recoiled as she saw her own reflection step out from the reflective surface of Chang Wu's mirror.
She heard Chang give another laugh and say, "Didn't you get it, don't you see? You're your own worst enemy!"
Well to shorten this up Hsien-Ko did defeat the mirror version of herself and was ready to fight Chang Wu when she noticed, Chang Wu was no wear to be seen, he had fled. Out of the corner of her left eye she saw a wisp of black mist. "I will defeat you Chang Wu…even if it costs me everything."