Geez, way to make me nervous about this chapter guys. I knew that how Marcus would be alive would be important, but to hang the entire story's success on it…
I wrote it once, didn't like it, wrote it again, then I saw all the reviews on that, made me panic, rewrite it twice more and this is the product… In other words, if you hate it, I'd REALLY rather not know… PLEASE. Or at least say it gently… very gently.
Chapter 3
Selene sat in the back of the truck as it bounced along on the road. Beside her, Michael stared off in the woods cautiously, as if he was worried. Jon was driving in the front with Joe off to the side, and they were easily joking around, clearly unconcerned.
The stab of worry in her stomach got stronger, and she knew that soon Marcus would find them. She didn't see much hope for them. But she would try… she had too.
A loud growling sound came from a distance…
"Oh shit," said Michael beside her, and Selene couldn't agree more.
Jon looked back. "That sounded like a very BAD 'oh shit'… do I really wanna know?"
"Hope you brought your weapons, here comes Marcus' minions and I bet he ain't far behind," called out Selene.
As if summonded, a gargoyle landed in the road 20 or 30 meters ahead. Jon slammed on the brakes as he pulled out a pistol and started unloading, as did Joe. The creature fell in a few seconds, but others landed on the back of the truck and started to lift the back end off the ground.
Someone screamed "SON OF A!" as Jon slammed on the brakes again before jumping out with the others, opening up with their pistols, as the gargoyles flipped the truck. Selene smoothly pulled out her berettas and started unloading, knocking back any of the gargoyle creatures that approached… but after a few died, they all just sorta hung back, outside of range for a decent shot, and the small group of 4 all held their fire to conserve ammo.
"Well they're obviously waiting for Marcus," said Selene softly, and her voice trembled.
"Thank you Captain Obvious… how about a plan instead of useless talk?" asked Jon sarcastically.
"I don't really see a way out of this. You and me have berettas, Joe there has a shotgun, and Michael doesn't have a weapon. There's like 50 of them," replied Selene coldly, feeling hopeless.
Jon grinned. "Some people really like that box. Let's get out of the box." He looked around carefully. "Woods, 50 meters. I say we start wandering over there. We get there, they can't really follow us that well. They'd have to get close enough we could start knocking em out if they wanted to keep us contained."
Selene grinned… maybe there was hope after all. "That is so in the box."
Jon gasped mockingly. "Pah, the box is defined by whom?" With that he turned and started strolling towards the woods. The gargoyles slowly shifted they're circle with them. As they go closer to the woods, the gargoyles landed on the ground to block them
"Joe, give Michael your pistol." Joe grumbled and handed Michael a pistol at Jon's instructions. "The good news is we have both UV and silver bullets… either should work with these, right?" Selene shrugged.
"Whatever… 3 sided triangle of Joe, Selene and Me. Michael, you're in the middle, help out where you can. They'll attack any second."
They moved into positions, and slowly kept moving. About 25 meters from the woods, the gargoyles launched their attack. All of them as one moved, with 6 or 7 being cut down before they even took true flight. After that they spiraled in towards them, more and more being cut down. Selene heard the lound bang of the shotgun, along with the lighter sounds of her and Jon's berettas… The sounds of screaming gargoyles mixed in there, but there was no way they could last. She heard Michael curse behind her as he ran dry, and she had to stop to reload. Her quick reload mechanism basically meant there was no pause… the same could not be said for Joe or Jon. Michael shifted into hybrid and leapt into the air, grabbing a pair of gargoyles and slamming them together. Selene had no more time to watch as she was met with a good 6 or 7 gargoyles as she finished reloading. She quickly opened up, cutting down 3 before having to drop them and engage in a melee fight with them. It was a fight of speed and strength, Selene administering punishment to the gargoyles with her super speed, but only barely holding them…
The guns had stopped, and she realized that Jon and Joe were probably dead by now. Michael was still fighting some gargoyles, but they would be swarmed and killed soon…
Just a matter of time, and things couldn't get much worse.
"That's ENOUGH!"
Selenes stomach turned to ice. They had just gotten worse. Marcus had arrived.
The gargoyles all quickly disengaged, though not before Michael killed another one. Selene glanced around quickly. She saw Joe lying on the ground a ways away, panting but still amazingly alive, bleeding profusely. Jon was in far better shape, and a body at his feet that was clearly not shot let her know that he was a very good close combat fighter for a human.
"Now now Selene. Let's not be angry here. I've just come to talk."
Selene flashed her teeth angrily. "This doesn't look like talk to me."
Marcus grinned in his human form. "I'm sorry child, they had to keep you from running… you were so eager to get away."
Selene picked up her berettas from where they lay, checking their ammo as she saw Jon do the same, though Joe hadn't moved.
"I want you to understand Selene, I don't really hold anything against you in particular. You were just doing what you felt had to be done… one could almost call it self-defense, and I'm even ok with vengeance. Killing me… well I can't really be killed, much like you're hybrid friend there." As he said that, his eyes flashed with anger. "However, you're… MICHAEL… he I cannot stand, for he killed my brother. So I offer you a simple deal. Kill him, and you may live."
Selene growled angrily. "How are you alive?" she asked hesitantly
Marcus gave a little grin at her. "Well, it's as much a surprise to you as it is to me. It appears that my body is completely self-sufficient. When I came too… well, when my head came too, I could see one of my legs a few meters away. And I couldn't feel anything beneath my neck. But my head had fallen into a pile of blood from one of the lycans you killed. Much to my surprise, it was not only sustaining me, but helping to regrow my destroyed body. Within an hour, I had most of my torso and my legs had grown some as well. I fed on nearby lycans, increasing my regen yet again. Within 2 hours, I think, of your departure I was fully regrown and back to my old self." He grinned manically. "Better in fact."
"Well then maybe I'll just kill you again, and make sure to finish the job," she replied with confidence she didn't feel.
Marcus laughed. "Oh Selene my darling. When I was reborn, I cried over my brothers body, his head above the jaw missing. I screamed and I screamed… but then I grew hungry, and realized that I had another Elder's blood sitting in front of me… so I drank of my brother's blood… You thought I was powerful before? That was but a speck of myself. You are an insect again to me."
Selene took a step away from Marcus, because if what he said were true, that he drank his brother's blood… then he would be more powerful then any creature ever living…
He laughed coldly. "Yes, that's what I thought, poor little afraid Selene."
"Oh gimme a break!"
Marcus stopped laughing, turning to eye Jon suspiciously. "Well now who are you? I don't recognize you." Before anyone could even react, he appeared in front of Jon. He tried to bring up his pistols but found his hands restrained by Marcus. "Hmm… a human. Considering I thought you hated humans, this is a surprise Selene… I suppose you must enjoy a pet human."
Jon growled. "I'm no pet…"
Marcus frowned. "A human with spine… clearly you see how far out of your league you are."
Jons eyes flashed. "You may have the speed, the strength, the power, but you don't have one thing." Marcus nodded as if to say continue. "A heart." As if to punctuate his point, Jon pushed his right hand into Marcus' chest as he tapped his own with his other hand.
Marcus didn't react for a moment, and Selene was sure that Marcus was going to kill him, quick and clean like. But to her surprise, he broke out laughing.
It was a rather short laugh, but when he finished, he looked at Jon quite coldly. "Very good my friend. I haven't met many vampires, let alone a human, who wasn't deathly afraid of me. You have spine, and I respect that if nothing else."
Jon sneered at him, and Marcus roughly shoved him to the ground before turning back to Selene. "Back to our original chat. Just because I don't hold anything against you doesn't mean I don't want you punished. So it's quite simple. You kill Michael. I get my revenge on him, you get to suffer over killing him while still living, and then everyone's happy. Stop, I know what your answer is right now. But I'm going to give you a chance to think about it. Talk it over with Michael… If he loves you as much as it seems, he'll gladly give up his life for you."
Selene nor Michael replied, merely stared at him with hate.
Joe gurgled behind Marcus and he turned around, grinning. "Another human. And I'm hungry too. I think I'll have a little snack."
Jon, who had picked up his weapons, growled angrily. "Go fuck yourself. You ain't touchin my man."
Marcus grinned. "I think I will, and there 'ain't' a damned thing you can do about it."
Jon opened fire, and he saw the first bullet hit Marcus… but after that he was gone, and suddenly behind him. The next thing he knew he was flying through the air, his head throbbing as he crashed to the ground.
He heard Marcus laugh, and Jon struggled to bring himself to his feet. By the time he got himself levered up, he heard Joe scream. He looked over, but there was a screen of gargoyles between him and Marcus. A loud slurping noise, and a moment later silence. Then they all flew away, leaving Joe's lifeless body to rot.
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Marcus would pay. He would see too it. Joe had been his best friend for years, saved his life more times then he could count, and this was how he repaid him… letting some vamp kill him. God damn't, he should of helped Selene instead of letting his hate of vampires cloud his judgment.
He knew this beating up of himself didn't help. He knew that if Joe were there, he would have set him straight. He had done it a few times. When he lost his first man, Joe had helped him through it, made him see it wasn't his fault…
But this time it was his fault, there was no way around it. So now he was going to get revenge. No mistakes this time.
"Ready boss?" Jon glanced up to see Mark at the door. Jon nodded glumly, grabbing a picture of him and Joe out fishing… one of their few days off… and sticking it in his pocket over his heart.
"Let's get these son of a bitches."
He rose from his seat and exited the office. The other 3 members of the team were busy loading up as much ammo as they could in their other 2 trucks, and getting ready to roll. Michael and Selene stood off to the corner, talking hesitantly.
He was sure Selene wouldn't kill Michael. That she would fight. Cause that was definitely a good thing. Marcus was far more powerful then he could imagine. He doubted that he could kill him…
He doubted that even with their help that someone with that much power could die…
But his doubts were meaningless. Him or Marcus, no 2 ways around it.
"Mark, after the boys finish, gather them. I'm gonna need to have a little chat with them," said Jon haphazardly. Mark nodded, moving off to help while Jon just stared off in quiet contemplation.
It was but a few moments and they finished, and the 4 people left walked up to stand in front of him in a semi-circle.
Mark, Andrew, Vincent and James… his only true friends left.
"Guys… I gotta be honest about this one. This guy we're going to fight is the strongest, greatest vampire alive. The 5 of us would get mopped up like nothing from this guy. Selene and Michael… well they give us a chance, and a small one. So I want to make this clear. You are NOT a coward if you choose to leave now. If you want to go, start a family, make a real life, I don't blame you. Hell, I support you. I've been considering doing it… but this thing killed Joe, so either he dies, or I die. If you don't wanna come… tell me now."
None of them said anything. "Are you sure? You're all great friends, great soldiers, but this is beyond anything I could ever ask you as a friend, or order you as your leader… this is sending you to you're deaths likely." Again no one said anything. Jon just nodded. "Very well then, we leave in 20. Take a break, do whatever…"
He turned and walked over to Selene and Michael.
"Very touching," said Selene… though not in her usual cold voice… it was almost a voice of pity.
"Thanks sweet cheeks. Wouldn't mind touching you either." As he said that, he ducked back, dodging both Michaels and Selenes swat as he snickered. "eh cool it," he said more level headed. "So where too. I said we're leavin in 20… but I don't even know WHERE."
Selene shrugged. "I… I honestly don't know what to do. This is… this is unexpected."
Jon nodded. "Well you need to decide. I doubt Marcus is gonna give you much time."
Selene nodded. "The good news is it appears he still can't stand light. We travel during the day, hide at night. We need to… I suppose we need to find a vampire coven that has a library."
Jon snorted. "Alright… we have nearly all of the locations of Vampire covens in North America. I'll grab you the list, you pick out where one would be."
"Not that easy… I have no clue which one would have it."
Jon sighed. "Fine, we'll go into the city, and kick the coven that's here ass, get us some info, then go get the info we need… speaking of which, what info do we need?"
"I have no clue… but there must be some way to stop him. I think Marcus will give us a few days. He didn't… I didn't sense that he was at fully power. I think that little display with us exhausted him, that he'll need time to recover," Selene replied.
"That didn't sound to confidant," muttered Michael, to which Selene just shrugged.
"Alright… we have a plan. We got a few minutes. I'm gonna go grab some food." Jon turned and lumbered off, wondering again what he had gotten himself into.
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The ride into town was smooth and unbothered. 2 of Jon's men drove, and the rest were armed to the teeth…
Selene rode with Michael in the back of one truck, with Jon scanning the skies thoughtfully while… Mark she thought drove. A couple of times Jon would do a double take, stare at it for a second before moving on, ang each time her heart leapt into her chest…
Her mind flashbacked to the pier where Marcus had 'killed' Michael… to her complete helplessness in the face of his power. After Alexander's blood, she had become more powerful… but once again she was left in the dust. She was just a regular vampire. How could she possibly fight Marcus?
Her tension and fear must have showed, as Michael wrapped his arms around her protectively, and she gratefully embraced him fully, letting her head rest on his shoulder. It was the one place she felt secure… here, with Michael. Nevermind the gun toting men around her, it was Michael that was her anchor.
"ETA 30 seconds Selene… are you sure about this?" Selene saw Jon glance back, turn forward again, but a moment later, he turned around grinning. "Or I could give you lovebirds a few more minutes."
Selene pushed off Michael and hit Jon playfully on the shoulder. Of course, a vampire playful is harder then a human's punch, so Jon yelped in pain and pulled back. "Yes Ma'am, we'll do it you're way," he said half jokingly…
Selene grinned, happy that at least she could find some joy in others attempts at humor…
The truck pulled to a stop, so Selene got out of the vehicle and walked to the intercom by the gate. She pressed a button, and waited. A moment later a face answered.
"What do you want?" it asked gruffly.
Selene put on her grimmest face and replied coldly, "I'm Selene, a Death Dealer from London. Our coven was destroyed, and I seek refuge."
The man on the other end scowled. "I know that a coven was destroyed, but I thought there were no survivors. And how do I know you're a vamp. You didn't call ahead."
Selene rolled her eyes, then opened her mouth to reveal her teeth as her eyes turned their azure blue color. "I was away visiting another coven. You know the rules. If a vampire seeks refuge, you must admit them."
"Who are those accompanying you?"
Selene waved at them dismissively. "A few other surviving vampires, along with humans who were bothersome… free lunch," she grinned.
The man on the other end grinned. "Humans… we haven't fed on fresh blood in so long. Bring them in."
"They think we're going to turn them… don't start feeding on them just yet, they're armed."
The figured nodded before turning off the video intercom and the gate opened.
"Alright… remember, we have to do this quick. There are over 50 vamps here."
Selene saw Jon roll his eyes at her. "I was the one who told you that. Let's kick some vamp ass." The car surged forward, pulling to a stop in front of a mansion similar to the London coven. Slowly, deliberately they each got out and held their weapons. The men in the truck behind them did the same.
6 vampires came out of the door and stepped down the steps. 4 were armed with submachine guns, while the lead 2 were armed merely with smiles.
"Greetings. Come come, come inside our coven. Our home is your home."
Selene nodded, and they followed the 2 unarmed leaders up as the 4-armed guards took up the rear.
They entered the house, into a grand foyer that had 2 staircases that lead to opposite sides of the house and a grand hallway in front of them.
"You are more then welcome to…" the man who had originally spoken paused, and took a sniff. "I thought you said there were other vampires."
Jon replied absently beside Selene. "There are."
The man stared directly at Jon. "Where?"
"Right here dolt." As he said that, he spun around, using one of his pistols on each guard, riddling the 2 of them with UV bullets. Likewise, Selene did the same to the other 2 guards as the rest of Jon's team opened up.
The other 10 or 12 vampires in the room all died before even being able to react, as the sheer volume of rounds coming they're way was far too much.
"Alright, split up. Mark, you're with Selene and I. Rest of you go with Michael. Cleanse the coven, try to capture a few or knock em out." They split into two directions, moving quickly, but covering each other carefully.
Selene watched as Mark with a machine gun sprinted up the stairs followed closely by Jon while she covered. They reached the top and she then moved to follow them, waiting as they covered her.
Suddenly a hail of fire erupted around her. She saw a pair of vampires approaching from the other set of stairs, firing as they came. She instantly dropped to the ground as Jon and Mark laid down some serious firepower at the two vamps. One of them dropped, definitely dead, but the other merely stumbled, hit in the leg. "Cease fire," said Jon softly, and Mark instantly stopped. "Selene…" He flicked his head in the vampires direction, and she nodded, rising to her feet before flinging herself over to the other side, landing near the vampire, who had collapsed to the ground, and trying to crawl away.
"tut tut, get back here. I'm not through with you."
The man looked back fearfully, and she felt Jon run up behind her. "Wha… what do you want?"
Selene grinned coldly. "Well now, lets hear everything, and I won't have to get nasty."
Jon cringed beside her. "Not AGAIN… for my sake, please just tell us everything. Took me weeks to stop having nightmares after last time."
The man looked at Jon, who looked completely serious, before nodding and beginning to spill his guts.
As he talked, they heard gunfire throughout the building, but none of it nearby, and Mark, who had stayed at the far side of the building, only fired a few times, each time calling out the number he killed. From Jon and Selene's end… nothing.
But the best part of it was something he said.
They had something…
thanks for the kind reviews btw
