Author's Note: My HAMFisted & Shadow of the Night World crossover: Blades of the Universe is now up.
The lights were off in the warehouse when Shadow returned. Still carrying the takeaway he'd left to buy he drew a handgun from it's holster on his hip, it probably said a lot about him that it had a bayonet attached under the barrel.
Gun held out in front he advanced carefully towards the control room, there had been no corpses so far but to a man who lived and breathed paranoia that meant very little.
The control room was quiet. So quiet even the faint whirr of the computers seemed deafening. Unsettled Shadow stalked to the centre of the room, the barrel of the gun being aimed from shadow to shadow, his ears picking up even the tiniest sound but all there was was the faint (even to himself) sound of his shallow breathing and the uncontrollable double staccato thump of his own heart, his footsteps were soundless.
Cold metal pressed against the back of his head. "Drop it" said a voice in his ear. The voice was flat and metallic, some kind of synthesiser perhaps. He wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. The gun fell from his fingers, Shadow waited for the split second of reaction to the sound of the metal hitting the stone floor. There was none. He carefully put down the takeaway.
"Now get on your knees, hands on your head." Shadow complied, his mind running through a list of possibilities. Whoever this was they definitely weren't human, he'd only ever met two humans capable of moving that quietly both could be ruled out however due to living on different continents. So, definitely a nightworlder and a good one at that. Exceptional in fact.
"What do you intend to do to me?" Shadow dared ask, as his mind raced for a solution. He couldn't find one, every single thing he could think of resulted in him being shot in the head.
"You don't need to know that." A new person approached, not even bothering to hide their presence now he was caught. A blindfold was put over his eyes and his hands were bound. Time passed but Shadow had no way of telling how much. It was just him and his thoughts, and none of them could be classed as comforting.
Finally he was manhandled into a chair and his hands were untied. And then the blindfold was removed and all he could do was stare at the object on the table.
"Surprise!" chorused five familiar voices.
It was a cake. Covered in icing and with nineteen lit candles on it, spelt across the top in black icing were the words Happy Birthday. Damn, damn and damn again. He'd been hoping noone would know.
"You shouldn't have." clichéd Shadow, and meaning it. The last thing he'd wanted was a reminder that he was running out of time.
"Well we did. Now get over it." said Holly, the expressions of his team conveying the same general message.
"I assume I'm not going to be allowed to get out of this one." Shadow glanced around. "No, thought not." He sighed heavily, "What have you got planned?"
"Well you can blow out the candles for starters."
"Do I look six years old?"
"You're certainly acting like it." Holly growled.
Looking vaguely annoyed Shadow blew out the candles. "Happy now?"
"Not really but it's a start."
"What did you expect? I'm nineteen, I'm anti-social and I'm a wanted mass-murderer, do I really look like the birthday party kind of guy?"
"Just celebrate for once, that's all we're asking."
"Which is why the rest of your we has backed away into the corner?" Shadow raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
Holly checked over her shoulder, annoyingly the veteran vampire hunter was right. Shadow's squad were currently showing what seemed to be an excessive amount of interest in their shoes whilst having magically moved about twenty metres away.
"Traitors."
Shadow merely laughed. "I think giving up might be wise, listen I'll eat some of the cake later but the representatives from Daybreak are due any minute now so just eat the bloody takeaway and make yourselves presentable. Deal?"
"Deal." said Holly glumly.
Satisfied with the compromise Shadow sat on a chair in front of the bank of computers and waited, watching the screens with a patience almost eternal in itself.
The door slid open allowing the two hooded figures through.
Shadow strode forwards to meet them.
"Rashel, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Your work with silver alloy weaponry was long been an inspiration to me. And the equally as infamous John Quinn, such a shame we are on the same side, I would have loved the chance to cross blades with you. Please this way, no doubt you would like a to rest before I show you the facility your organisation has so graciously helped fund."
The pair were almost dragged to the control room.
"Would you prefer a single room or separate?"
"Single."
"Very well. Holly, please show our esteemed guests to room H12."
Grumbling somewhat Holly complied, her eyes sending daggers in Shadow's direction.
"So what do you think?"
"Shadow isn't quite as tough as I expected."
"Don't be put off, the man is probably a match for even you Quinn."
"I seriously doubt that."
"Don't go picking a fight Quinn, I'm serious. He beats up Reapers for a living, remember?"
"Shoots them maybe, fights them I doubt it."
"The reports say - "
"The reports are thoroughly exaggerated. Even you could not have killed a Reaper in your prime."
"We'll see."
"So what was with that display back there?" Holly demanded.
"What display?" Shadow asked curiously.
"You know full damn well what I'm talking about. You fawning over those two like they're some sort of royalty."
"I was hardly fawning."
"You know what I mean."
"Has it occurred to you that Quinn, as well as being one of the most feared vampire's to ever live, has a near planet sized ego."
"Really, compared to whom?" Holly asked pointedly.
"My point is that he will percieve me as weak and thus challenge me to a 'friendly spar', when word gets out that I beat even the feared Quinn, the fear my reputation commands will increase further."
"And if you lose?"
"My dear Holly. I never lose."
Author's Note: And that's a wrap. And about time to, this one took ages. I'm very sorry but no flashy gadgets in this chapter, but they will appear next chapter.