A/N: Okay, so I ended with a cliffhanger. But I hardly received any major feedback. C'mon, it was deep right? Book of Revelations, end of the world, seven cities of Asia Minor – Modern Day Turkey – with a nuclear bomb and their missing Prime Minister… heavy stuff… Not a lot of response!
:-O
It wasn't preachy sounding was it? I was going for "Apocalypse foretold!" or something… Hmm, that'd make a cool band name…
ANYhow, I was going to make you wait until the end of the chapter to see how Julius gets through that cliffhanger but then I decided to do the exact opposite.
Back to the story!
Chapter -10-
"Caught in the Middle"
Julius Belmont slammed into a stone ledge. The impact knocked the air from his body. His torso became numb and he questioned whether it was the feeling of serrated spikes impaling him or if the sharpened metal rods had been an illusion. He pondered the irony of impalement in Dracula's Castle of all places. The hunter opened his eyes; dancing white dots flashed in front of his gaze.
"Seeing stars are you?" asked a feminine voice.
Julius blinked in confusion. Yoko, Camilla, Laura and the girl who brought in the Diamond; they were the only women he could think of but didn't recognize the voice. He squeezed both his left and right fists, finding comfort in the fact that he still had both whips in his grasp. "…wh— Who?" he wheezed.
"Oh you poor darling," said the woman. She knelt down over him, making eye contact. Her blurry image slid into his view then became somewhat clearer. He blinked twice, peering up at the redheaded deity. She offered the aging man an incredible smile then asked, "You don't need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation do you?" A flirty grin hinted at the corner of her lips. It caused an adorable dimple to surface at the crook of her mouth.
She placed a well-manicured fingernail against his nose, trailing it down the camber. Her lacquered red nail met his auburn mustache then continued over his lips. His mouth parted just a bit then he blinked at the taste of strawberries. In response to his expression, she giggled; the sound was like music to his ears. The silvery peels of feminine laughter felt soothing to his soul. He closed his lips around the tip of her finger to confirm whether her nail polish was the source of the fruity taste.
"You like that, huh?" she asked with a grin. "I hope it doesn't disappoint you to find out that I'm a spirit creature." She withdrew her fingertip from the hunter's lips and placed her hand on his chest. "Want to know a secret?" She leaned down and whispered into his ear. Her warm breath caressed his skin bringing goosebumps to his forearms. Her delicately painted lips closed over his earlobe, suckled playfully then released it. In a melodic voice, she told him, "I saved your life, Laird Belmont."
"…Laird?" He coughed then said, "That's an archaic form of Lord; who are you?" He sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in his shoulder after having landed with such force. "You're not one of the Countess' girls?"
The woman stood up and placed her hands upon her hips. A cluster of five fluffy foxtails, each two feet in length, curled around her waist, making their presence known. "Camilla?" she exclaimed with a snort of disdain. "Better known to historians as Elizabeth Bathory? Hmph… Lizzie the Lesbian Vampire doesn't embrace Spirit Kin. I suppose, for your sake, I'm closely-related to what you think of when you say, 'fairy'. The Fae are humanoid versions of my kind – not to be confused with pixies." She reached down, took his right wrist and helped him to his feet. "And I don't have wings… I'm not some silly butterfly or what-have-you. You may call me Sinopa."
Julius recoiled each of his whips, placing them on his belt. He glanced over his shoulder at the pit of spikes behind him then turned back to face her. His eyes lowered, drinking in all the lush feminine details of her figure then lifted to the animalistic ears in her hair. "Why did you save me?"
"For a 'do-gooder', you're certainly a cold bastard. It was an act of kindness, Lord Belmont. Can't a girl simply be concerned for your wellbeing?" Silence. She tightened her jaw to some extent. "Well?"
"Being cold keeps me alive."
She frowned at him. "I see."
"Do you?" he asked, his voice still stern.
Her eyes narrowed to a sharp defiant stare then she added, "I also see that for a decent price you've bled kindness from your heart, Hunter."
"I've learned how to express concern for the innocent without the implication of …kindness." Belmont folded his arms across his chest and offered her a callous glare.
She stepped closer to him then lifted her chin, gazing up at him with an intense expression of despair. She mustered every ounce of loneliness in her soul; her glistening wide eyes met his. With her head tilted upwards, slender neck exposed, she appeared docile. Her lengthy auburn tendrils shifted apart framing her face like parted drapes; the curtain of her bangs stopped just above her brows. Upon closer examination, each strand of her hair had a glistening quality to it. It seemed to shimmer in the dull torchlight from a nearby wall mount. A twinkle of promise danced in her eyes.
He reached his right hand forth and brushed a lock of her dazzling headfur with his fingertips. Julius noted that she had no human ears then dropped his hand to his side. "Spirit fox… You wouldn't have saved my life if you were a kumiho… so you're a kitsune vixen? That makes you Buddhist right?"
The sparkle in her soft eyes intensified; they now held a hint of mirth. "You're a bright one," she replied with a tender smile. "Although the word 'kumiho' is a literal Korean translation for nine tailed fox and, as you can see," she fluffed the five magnificent brushes for him. She tilted her head to the right, causing another errant lock of her hair to slide across her face; she then said, "The Buddhist people believe in my kind but our beliefs are far more complex than their own because we exist on a different plane. There are a few commonalities but our idea of religion isn't based on beliefs or faith. It's based on… well it's too much to explain right now. Let's save conversation about the Celestial Bureaucracy for another day." She leaned forward and pressed her velveteen lips against his cheek.
"Why did you save me?" he asked again, his voice gruff.
She tipped her head back to the left; a lock of scarlet brushed over her nose, stopping to partially obscure her left eye. "Did you want to hear something like, 'your death isn't in my best interest,' so you don't feel guilty? Lord Belmont, you owe me nothing but appreciation.
"Thank you," he replied. His right hand lifted to brush her bangs from her face. He tucked the errant strand behind the fluffy triangle of her left ear. His eyes flitted down then up. The corner of his mouth tugged into a slight grin. "But why involve yourself?"
"I'll explain it when we have more time." She turned to the oak door against the near wall and opened it for him. "Your important task still awaits my liege. After all, it must be important for you to risk your fragile mortal life."
Julius drew quiet for a moment then, in a calm tone, told her, "Important, yes… but courage is the willpower to selflessly put your life on the line to benefit not only yourself but those around you, when in the face of danger."
She looked delighted, if not completely amused, by his reply. "And does it benefit those around you to be dead? You knew how old those rungs were and you gambled with your life to take a shortcut to complete your task. Therefore, it must be an absolutely imperative task. Was it?" She cupped his jaw with her right hand, trailing her thumb over his smoothly shaven cheek. "Don't answer; it's a rhetorical question, darling." Her ears lowered back in her hair and she frowned in an almost scolding way. "Next time, don't be in such a hurry to end your feeble existence; you do more good if you're alive."
Julius glanced over his shoulder across the foggy gap but didn't see Genya or James. He turned back to face her and asked, "If my existence is so feeble, why protect it?"
"…Because I can, darling." She gestured with her free hand, motioning towards the open door. "I'm here for business, not pleasure. However, if I find pleasure, I won't argue. Regardless, I've lost something and have tracked it to this citadel."
He returned with a simple nod. "You're here for your …Hoshi no tama, right?" Julius stepped through the opened door and she followed him into the next hallway. "Is that what it's called; a star ball?"
"You're quite astute." She linked her arm with his elbow and placed her free hand upon his solid forearm. "My word, Lord Belmont… your mortal build is rather impressive for your age. …But the family clan isn't quite ...average, are they?"
"Thanks; no, they're not." His concise reply received no rebuttal from her. After a moment of quiet walking, he turned his head to her and asked, "I assume you'll stop at nothing to get your diamond back…"
"Indeed," she said with a nod. "But I don't necessarily hurt humans who get in my way. I circumvent them. By the way, do you know how Trevor's great grandparents received their superhuman abilities? It's not simply genetics or some ancient spell."
"No."
She grinned at his simple reply and said, "You're rather to the point, aren't you?" She tightened the link with his forearm then placed her head upon his shoulder. Her gorgeous garnet curls spilled down the backside of his arm. "An ancient descendant of your clan mated with a supernatural and the offspring passed on the blood of that demigod-like creature… it's become thin over the passing of time but you're easily just as mighty as those before you. However… without a fresh infusion, the thinning blood will not help the future generations of your family."
"I don't understand," he told her.
A soft chirring sound emanated from the back of her throat. "You do; more than you initially realize, Lord Belmont. I'm telling you that only by mating with another supernatural will the family's superhuman abilities be preserved for another several dozen generations."
Her inviting purr caused him to shutter involuntarily. Julius found himself unable to think of a clever reply. He offered an awkward smile then turned his gaze back to the hallway before them.
She kept her head on his shoulder, listening to the sound of his breathing, able to discern his change of expression. She grinned then said, "I'm not necessarily offering myself, my Lord. I'm simply telling you that's how you should preserve your bloodline's signature trait. As it stands, it takes discipline to harness the powers you wield. You've trained at a young age to tap in to those abilities. But for Trevor, Christopher and Simon, it came as natural as migration, caching or any other animal instinct that Mother Nature provides to her children."
"I see." He couldn't be sure why he allowed this woman to be so close; something made her seem trustworthy. He disengaged his arm with hers and shrugged her head from his shoulder then told her, "Speaking of instinctive, stop using your powers on me."
"Pardon?" She looked up at him with shimmering, deep eyes.
Julius narrowed his gaze but continued to walk with her. "The kitsune are rumored to have powers; one of which is the ability to seduce. I don't think it's intended to be sexual; you just want me to trust you. Whatever your intent may be, I want you to cut it out."
"Stop trying to be trustworthy?" She lifted her left hand, tucking a tendril of scarlet behind her ear. "What're you talking about, Lord Belmont?"
"You saved my life; I don't distrust you – buttering me up with your aura isn't necessary; stop it." He placed his hands on the reassuring tools of his trade. His fingertips moved over each coiled whip then closed into a fist, which came to rest on his hips. "Simply Julius will do, lady."
"Sinopa," she replied almost overtop of his last spoken word. She offered a thin smile then, "It's not like I do it intentionally. I'm just…"
He smirked and finished her sentence. "…A woman making 'pretty-eyes.' Yeah, well, I'm a professional and I'm here to do a job. They don't make safety nets for work like this. While rare, there have been incidents in the past where a Belmont has been killed because they weren't careful. Distractions can prove fatal. Now, I've said enough; it's quiet time."
"I can respect that, Julius. I know you're a professional, it's just…"
Belmont lifted a hand; he gestured her to silence. "If you really respect me, just nod and hush like I asked. Keep your ears sharp." He drew quiet and uncoiled the Vampire Killer whip. Tranquility filled the hall and the two walked side by side with cautious footsteps. She followed Julius' lead and made each footfall as silent as his.
She sniffed at the air; her eyes widened with the realization that he somehow sensed another presence in their area. Whether his senses were more in tune than her own, she couldn't be sure. Her triangular orange-furred ears perked up from her generous red locks.
Meanwhile…
The fur upon Justus Bell's neck stood on end; his vertical-slit eyes dilated by one eighth of an inch. He widened his stance, lowered his upper body and hunched over with a snarl. His arms opened wide, claws extended. He walked forward at a slow pace and approached the skeletal enemy opposite of him.
The demonic skeleton leaned in, mimicking his posture upon approach. Its brazen pirouette of a bony staff caused the werewolf's ears to flicker in annoyance. The menacing body language, the clinking of boney joints and the deep whoosh of the twirled bone-spear brought about intense sensations for Justus. He blinked and shook his head roughly.
His gaze returned to the spear; it appeared to glisten but a double take proved otherwise. The flit of a glittering arc filled the gap of air between his enemy and his body. The skeleton pivoted on his boney heel and swiped his staff outward but Justus leapt back. He blinked three times, able to make out the hint of another glittering arc – this one higher. As if on cue, the skeleton took another swipe but this time aimed for his face. Justus jerked his head back, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Realization struck. 'I'm able to sense his attacks before he makes them,' he thought. He blinked again, discerning the hint of a glittering trail. The invisible arc swooped downward; the skeleton shifted his body again. Justus bent his knees…
The enemy shifted his shoulders then swung the staff low in an attempt to take the wolf's ankles. Justus's legs straightened and he bounded over the staff attack. Airborne, the sensation of time slowed around him. The wolf's eyes dropped, watching the staff pass beneath his hind paws. The deep sound of rushing air seemed extended and drawn out to his ears. He remembered this similar sensation during one of his earlier battles with the undead zombies.
His mind raced through ways to counterattack his opponent; he thrust his arms forward. The claws met the bone-gray forehead, piercing the skull with ease. Justus followed through with a downward motion, leaving multiple gashes in the demonic skeleton's face. His body began a slow descent. After what seemed like a moment, his feet connected with the granite tiles. He sank into a crouched position then, still trapped in the temporal effects, he jumped forward to begin the next attack.
Justus forced his right paw beneath the boney jaw but his body's power seemed like an overreaction of some sort. He flew forward, over the skeleton's shoulders, taking the head with him. He dove through the air and put his arms out; upon finally returning to the ground, he tucked into a loose roll.
Without warning, the sensation of protracted time ended. His ears perked up at the sharp sound of bones striking the floor. He glanced over his shoulder and noted the pile of skeletal pieces on the ground. Wedged upon one of his claws, the beheaded opponent snapped its jaw several times as if trying to bite. It remained skewered upon one of his claws, harmlessly hammering its teeth together.
He jerked his arm outwards reflexively as if ridding oneself of an insect from the backside of their hand. The skull flew into the nearest wall and shattered like a light bulb with a sound similar to just such an occurrence. The sharp pop caused his ears to flicker then flatten against the top of his short tousled headfur. Justus shook his head as if disoriented by the noise. He swallowed back saliva and his ears popped, providing relief to his hearing by ending the ringing in his head.
He said the only thing that came to his mind. "…Jesus!"
A reply startled him. "He can't help you, doggy." The words came from a doorway on his left. He craned his head, glaring at two thugs by the wall. They wore studded leather jackets with fishnet shirts beneath. One wore brass knuckles on each hand while the other held a metal cylinder. Attached at the end, a row of metal links trailed down to a spiked ball that rested on the floor by his boot. He jerked the handle of his mace upwards and the metal ball, about the size of a standard bowling ball, lurched into the air.
Both smiled; each possessed clean, porcelain-looking fangs. They resembled stereotypical leather thugs straight out of New York's 1980's era. The one with the metal knuckles had greasy hair, styled with Jheri curls.
The other sported a hi-top fade haircut with lightning bolts shaved into the side, above his ears. A patch depicting an eight-ball covered the upper sleeves with a larger one on the back.
Justus paused to gawk at them. "Are you kidding me?" His ears perked up and his facial expression lightened with amusement. "You can't be serious. You two look like something out of MTV's "Attack of the 90's" archive. What the hell are you two doing in Dracula's Castle? What the hell kind of joke is this?"
The one with the spiked mace rattled the chain of his weapon then began to swing it again. "It's no joke, Teen Wolf. We're here to put you to sleep… permanently."
Justus relaxed his wide-eyed glare; his eyelids lowered halfway and his expression became one of sarcastic disbelief. "So you guys are, what, seventy-five years old – give or take? You're vampires who grew up in the streets of New York City or whatever… and now you sport the styles of your mortal past, right? Jesus, when people say a certain style 'died', you guys must have died along with it. I can understand a five hundred year old vampire walking around in renascence festival clothes but… this is really sad."
"I'm gonna tear his arms off," said the one with the brass knuckles.
Justus balked with laughter. "Listen to you! How did you morons wind up in lower east Europe, looking like that?"
"Shut your English-sounding yap," said the one with the stacked, high hair. Its flat-topped shape reminded Justus of an ice cream cone to some extent.
"You two yanks are way out of your league," retorted Bell. He pushed his paws together and cracked his knuckles with a sickening cadence of crackling and popping noises.
The thug with the curly hair pushed his left fist into his right palm. "Rice Krispies Wolf thinks he's showing off, M.C. Mc G."
The hi-top haired mace-swinging man with the eight balls on his leather jacket offered a smirk to his friend. "This crazy cat is straight out of the Saturday Morning Cartoons, Fly."
"Heard that, Mc G; straight up. Let's jack this guy up and turn'em into a coat or something." He nodded to his own suggestion. His greasy curls bounced with the movement of his head. A smarmy yet glistening wet mark covered the shoulders of his jacket. He drew his fists into a fighting stance, displaying his metallic knuckles. For the first time, Justus could see that the metal design on his fists spelled out two words. One read, 'funky' while the other was, 'fresh'. "Let's beat this beefeater down like it's the Boston Tea Party, if ya know what I'm saying."
Justus simply stood there, unable to take either vampire seriously. "Beefeater? Boston Tea Party? And just where did you two bozos learn anything about England?"
"KRS-1," said the other with the goofy tall hair. "Now shut your British-talkin' face. It's time to whip the dog."
Bell approached them casually. He swiped his clawed paw at the space between the handle and spiked ball. His feral claws diced through the chain with relative ease. Several links went flying and the metal ball became embedded in the ceiling. The werewolf then drew both of his arms up as if curling small weights. Both men had their hair shredded, ruining the archaic trends.
The one known as Fly drew his right fist back then lurched forward. The glossy metal plate, reading "Funky", met Justus' padded palm with a sharp slapping noise. The werewolf closed his massive paw over the man's hand then lifted him up into the air by his fist. He offered the hip-hop classic a row of incisors, grinning much like Alice's Cheshire cat. "Don't screw with me," Justus told the man through clinched teeth. "Where is Molly?"
"Who the hell is Molly?" replied the vampire, shaking his head rapidly. The remaining curls of his hair bounced about on the sides of his face but they looked gaudy and tackier now that his bangs were missing. "I don't know anyone named Molly, you fruitcake fur ball! I'm gonna' tan your hide for ruining my hairdo!"
"Wow," said Justus in a calm and relaxed tone. "That was definitely not the right answer." He closed his paw around the man's right hand, crushing every bone until there were more breaks than joints and fingers combined. "I'll ask again: Where is Molly?"
The other vampire shrugged hard, rolling the jacket up over his shoulders. He used the metal handle to strike Justus in the kidney but didn't anticipate the werewolf's adrenaline rush. He blinked, seeing that his blunt-force attack caused no reaction. The lupine's other paw swung out, throwing the vampire across the room with excessive force. His body left a distinctive impression in the far wall. He remained there, dazed from the powerful strike.
The top lip of Justus' muzzle curled up in a snarl. "You're looking for the diamond, right?" His amber gaze narrowed sharply.
"Yes!" said the first vampire, held in Justus' intense grip. "We're trying to find it so we can use it on Alucard!"
"I don't personally know anyone named Alucard," hissed the werewolf. "So, you're another one like the so-called 'vampire' I faced earlier." Bell put his foot against the blood drinker's gut, forcing the man's body up, aligned with the doorframe. "Tell me where the girl is, or I'll rip your goddamn arm off, pal." He tightened the muscles of his leg to hold the man against the wall then tightened his arm, putting slight strain on the vampire's shoulder joint.
"You'll what?" exclaimed Fly. "I don't know any Molly!"
"Wrong answer," said the wolf. He jerked his paw back, tearing the entire arm free from the body. He pulled it out of the leather sleeve, which drooped down alongside the man's torso. Blood ran from the empty leather lagging. It poured onto the floor from the cuff. Justus tossed the arm over his shoulder. The bloody stump above the bicep created a puddle of slick blood on the tiles.
"Are you kidding me?" Justus exclaimed, surprised not only by his own strength but also from the ease with which he disarmed his opponent. "That was freakin' awesome!" He put his foot down, causing the vampire to drop unceremoniously upon his rump. The injured bloodsucker looked up at the towering werewolf, scared for his own immortality.
"I swear we don't know anyone named Molly!" he repeatedly chanted in a miserable way. His whiney blathering turned to whimpering and, ultimately, to groveling.
"Okay, that was really overboard," Justus said, only semi-phased by what just transpired. "I've never ripped people apart before today," he said, adding, "I'm a little high on adrenaline or something. You guys really are vampires, right?"
Fly reached his left hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a fragmentation grenade. He brought the small object to his lips, bit the ring and pulled it from the weapon. He held it up towards Justus with his remaining arm.
Bell's eyes widened and his pupils shrank to two vertical lines. He backhanded the weapon away. It bounced twice on the floor and landed over by M.C. Mc G. In an instinctive attempt at self-preservation, Justus grabbed Fly's left wrist and flung his entire body over towards the grenade. The vampire's remaining greasy curls fluttered in the wind. His body crashed down on top of the grenade just as it detonated, absorbing the explosion.
Justus' ears lowered from the semi-muffled crack of the grenade. He blanked out from the dizzying volume. His ears rang painfully. By the time he shook off the effects, he saw Fly standing up. The hole-ridden vampire's shredded jacket resembled the equally ragged torso of his body. He slumped against the wall, unable to stand very well. Entire chunks of flesh were missing from his right hip and mid torso. Ribs jutted out and yet he wasn't dead.
Mc G forced himself out of the wall depression, having regained his senses. "Man, what the hell did you do to my bro?"
Justus snatched the other vampire by his collar and lifted him from the floor. "If you don't want to be next, go and tell all your buddies that I'm looking for Molly. Take your Swiss-cheese friend with you." He thrust his arm out and forced M.C. Mc G into the wall again, pushing him further into the granite block than before. "I'm pretty sure that removing your heads will kill ya' right? That's how vampires die, yeah? Maybe I should test the theory." He squeezed the leach's collar even tighter than before.
"I'll tell the others!" shouted the vampire. His goofy hair, which now had clawed gashes up the front section, was pushed forward over his forehead from the way he was shoved into the wall. The seams of his jacket tore at the shoulders from the stress against the fabric after being slammed through a concrete wall two times. He struggled, unable to move very well.
"Let me say it in a way you two will understand," said the werewolf, still inwardly amused by the two American fashion disasters. "If either of you come after me again, I'll jack you up. I said that correctly, right?"
"S-sure," stammered the vampire from his temporary cookie-cut prison in the concrete. "Y-yeah, man. All jacked up; you got it, Teen Wolf. Anything you say, big guy."
"Cute." Justus released his collar, shoved the raggedy second vampire out of his way then walked to the door. He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the one in the wall then the other with the tattered flesh and frayed leather jacket. He told them both, "Stay funky and fresh… or whatever." He left the room and shut the door behind himself.
Yoko Belnades pushed open the door to the stable; her eyes widened. Her gaze met and locked with Hammers; she broke into a sprint towards him. She acted unlike ten years ago when she didn't even know he was alive. He'd worked his way into her heart little by little. Smile by smile, one nervous sweat drop at a time. Now she wore his promise-ring.
Hammer enveloped her lithe form into his arms and she launched herself into his embrace. "I was lost in there; I couldn't call you – there's just so much going on!"
"Aw, gee," Hammer said, grinning at the simple fact that he was holding her again. "I know what ya mean; I spoke to Julius and we figured out what you were tryin' to piece together in the ride over… then this animal-fox-lady visited and my only customer since Julius was'a ghost who asked if he could buy a current newspaper but didn't have physical money."
Yoko slipped from his arms. "I'm glad Julius is alive." She paused then asked, "But what did you two figure out concerning that guy from Moscow?"
Hammer sat down on a stacked crate. "Yeah, man; Julius thinks that the country of Turkey dropped that bomb and, y'know, based on the fighter I saw before the flash… he could be right. Just the same, the van was in the courtyard and it's dead; everything electronic in it is dead."
"Oh," Yoko placed a comforting palm on his cheek. "I'm sorry; I know how much your gear means to you. Is any of it salvageable?"
"Yeah, yeah, a few things that were inside my pockets at the time; lucky I was in the stable when it flashed, right?" Hammer rubbed the backside of his neck with his hand. He wanted to pull her into his lap but couldn't find the gull to be so bold. They'd made out many times and got snuggly over a movie once but he still felt so shy about displaying intimacy around her for some reason. Hammer cleared his throat then said, "Julius thinks Turkey did it because of what that Moscow guy said… about the first Seven of Eleven; he said that stuff pertains to the names of these seven cities in the first eleven chapters of the Book of Revelation because they're all located in modern-day Turkey, you know?"
Yoko's eyes widened. "Oh …crap."
"Hon? What is it?" Hammer slid off the crate and approached her.
Yoko placed her left hand over her mouth and tucked her scepter beneath her arm. "The flash is the beginning sign. Turkey introduces itself into the mix, and then the three of swords refers to the son of Dracula; that means Justus was right! If they successfully force that stone into the hands of Alucard, it will usher in the first days that signify the End of Times is beginning. I've got to find Mister Arikado and …tell him to warn Alucard."
Hammer offered her a soft smile, seeking out the opportunity to spend more time with her. "I'm pretty sure my man Soma isn't gonna show; maybe I should go with you."
"I suppose that would be all right," she said with a tender expression. She leaned up to Hammer, hand on his chest, and pressed her soft lips against his bottom one. He froze to better enjoy it but she could at least feel the soft plying of his lips. Yoko smiled at the indication of him returning the kiss. She put her weight on her tiptoes then lifted her left foot into the air, behind herself.
Hammer brought his hands to her hips and she propelled herself upwards by another inch to better lean into the kiss. She then whispered against his lips, "Thanks for being thoughtful."
He leaned forward and whispered back into her ear. What he didn't realize was that his warm breath gave her the goosebumps. She then frowned at his words. "Yoko, are there monsters in there?"
She nodded then gazed back up at him. He offered her a smile then un-holstered two impressive magnum caliber handguns from the backside of his belt, beneath his shirt and Flack Vest. "Modified silver hollow rounds; each with a drop of Holy Water, just like ya' suggested." He offered her a grin.
She smiled weakly and nodded. Part of her expected him to be more romantic in reply but she couldn't really argue, either. Yoko leaned back, shifting her weight on her heels. She pulled her scepter back out then nodded again in recognition of his Church-blessed ammunition. "You might want something with more kick, just in case."
"Oh I've got plenty of more kick in the van, Yoko." He grinned at her then hurried out to the cargo van. He holstered his handguns and began rummaging around in the back of the boxy automobile. "Gimmie just a second, sweetheart. I've got a Belgian beauty here – a Fabrique Nationale Project-90… nine hundred magnum rounds per minute in clips of fifty at a time. Just like the two pistols, these have SS195LF hollow-point 5.7 x 28 millimeter rounds with a copper jacket over a silver core. Each one contains a sealed – single drop of Roman Holy Water. Plus," he trailed off while rummaging around in the back of the van. He lifted two impressively futuristic looking shotguns. Hammer picked up the SPAS-15 from its metal locker then tilted his head. "Only seven round magazine on this puppy; nah… how about…" He looked over the second weapon sporting the unique bullpup design popular with European brands then said, "…This. An American model rare-bird that never saw mass production… I'll bring the white phosphorous ammo cassettes for it…" He lifted the front-heavy weapon proudly. "This is the Mk3A1 jackhammer with a flame-tempered iron-cast barrel and specially re-designed melt-resistant interior."
"…Hammer, you know I'm not much of a gun buff," she replied with a slight frown. "I don't really know what any of that stuff means."
"No, but I do. Vampires won't stand a chance," he said with a slight grin, looking much like a boy in a candy store. He shouldered the other two weapons by their straps then secured them and checked their safety. "The Pancor Jackhammer is a shotgun that fires 4 rounds per second. White Phosphorous burns over twelve hundred degrees, so it's like shooting a machine-gun that happens to be crossed between a shotgun and a flamethrower. The other one is just a rapid fire submachine gun personal defense weapon; it'll spit out fifty rounds, filled with – ."
Yoko stifled him with another quick kiss. She then said, "Hush. We're wasting time. Instead of talking about it, just show me, okay? Let's go." She waited for him to shut the cargo doors to the van then headed up the stone steps to the main entrance. She drew the scepter from beneath her arm and gave it a playful twirl then peered in through the large wooden door. "It looks all clear. Follow me and stay close."
"…Right behind you," said Hammer. He followed her into the grand hall.
The two of them ran into the main hall. Their footfalls echoed off the fantastic marble walls and decadent floor tiles. A group of freakishly heinous demons stopped in a doorway across the hall. They glanced over their shoulders to the newcomers then spoke gibberish to one another. Three continued into the next room as if on a mission while four of them filed back into the main hall.
"Aw damn," Hammer muttered under his breath. "Don't we just have great timing, hon?"
"Leave it to me," said Yoko. "I mean it, Hammer. Stay back unless I need your help. It's for the best."
"Hon, I know you've not actually seen me fight something other than a really drunk tavern bouncer but…"
Yoko narrowed her eyes, forced to remember the embarrassing situation. She spoke through clinched teeth. "Not a good time to bring that up!" Without a further word, she broke into a sprint, lifting her scepter. She had a small hip bag slung over her arm with her spell book but the bottom of the bag was secured to her hip by the black belt she wore. The four demonic miscreants fanned out and tried to flank her.
She pushed her left hand out and a triumvirate of glowing orbs spewed from her palm. Yoko also lifted the glowing scepter, smacking the closest demon in the face with it. She leapt upwards, adding momentum to the attack. She flew past the surprised center opponent then dropped to the ground in a half crouch. A split second later, two of his teeth hit the ground, bouncing across the floor.
He swung his putrid, rotted arm out and struck her across the shoulder. Yoko's shoulder blades met with the nearest wall. The four demons immediately turned to face her, closing in on their nearby prey. She stood up then pushed her free hand outwards again. The dazzling glow of magical fire erupted from her fingertips, rushing between two of the demons. It managed to catch one of them, causing his arm to burst into flames.
The burning monster pulled back from his other three brothers in an attempt to rid himself of the fiery pain. He pushed his body up against the nearest wall to smother the flames. Another freakish beast attacked from the left, baring his teeth. He opened his jaw and lunged for her.
The deafening crack of a gunshot filled the large empty room. The fang-baring monstrosity canted to the side and stumbled to the floor, adjacent to Yoko. She glanced down at him, noting that a fist-sized hole passed through his head. Steam began to rise above his large wound and the other monsters glanced over to notice their injured brethren. The bloody wound bubbled up as though hydrogen peroxide was poured on it.
Yoko felt an intense heat fill the area. She instinctively threw her arms up to cover her face and crouched down on the ground to shy away from the awesome thermal sensation. She could hear painful screeching but the proximity of heat made it impossible to peek through her arms.
Three thuds came from the floor nearby. The feeling of heat died down and she sat up on her knees, watching as the three remaining bodies writhed in agony. Hammer stood beyond them with a smoking shotgun in his right hand and a magnum pistol in his left. "I told you to let me help," he said in a soft voice that bordered somewhere between 'I told you so' and 'I am proud of myself.'.
"What?" he asked with a slight grin. "We're a team right?"
Belnades' eyes returned to the three writhing bodies on the floor, burning to a crisp before her eyes then she glanced over at the monster with a new hole in his head. Steam wafted out, created from the purifying chemical reaction of the Holy Water round lodged inside the demon's head. The wail of its death rattles filled the hall; it gurgled on blood and phlegm, while its body reacted in violent spasms.
"But what if you run out of ammo too early?" she squeaked, still on her knees.
He shook his head. "Not quite." He offered her a grin then opened his jacket to show her two ammo belts, each crisscrossed over his t-shirt. He then turned on his heel, offering her a side-profile angle. She could plainly see the case of ammunition clipped to the backside of his belt.
"I'm embarrassed," she retorted with a sigh. "I had no problems before now and I told you to stay back… then the first fight you see me in turns sour in just seconds."
"I've seen you when you're surrounded; remember that exorcism in Montego last year?"
Yoko offered a shy smile then reached for his offered hand, coming to her feet. "I do. Those creatures climbed out of the man's body and quickly surrounded me. I harnessed the power of lightning to strike me just as they all reached for my arms and my shirt collar."
"I remember it pretty good," he returned. Hammer blew the smoke from his shotgun's hot, softened metal barrel. He then grinned and added, "I saw your hair stand on end from across the room. Suddenly a bolt of lightning reached in through the nearest window and struck you. It threw every monster into the nearest wall so hard that it destroyed all of them."
She smiled. "All right, you made your point. Let's go after those other three." She turned towards the door and Hammer followed her through it. At the end of the next hall, Genya Arikado was fending off the three remaining freaks while James Johnson cowered on the floor, behind the dhamphir's feet.
Arikado opened his arms wide and, to Yoko's amazement, the world around her froze to a halt. Hammer, standing beside her, held his small submachine gun in his outstretched right hand. A sharp frozen flash of orange extended from the front of the muzzle and a stream of rounds reached out into the open space, frozen in time. A motionless ripple-like bubble surrounded the rounds with a distorted yet translucent wave in their wake.
She canted her head back to Arikado; confusion marred her brow. "I don't understand." Her gaze panned over to the stationary statue coterie of demons, fifty feet in front of her frozen fiancé. "How did you do this?"
"The more puzzling inquiry is why it had no effect on you," said Alucard with a frown. He lowered his arms and approached the nearest demon, frozen in the large, open room. "What is your mortal beau doing?"
Yoko glanced back at the suspended rounds coming from the weapon. "Hammer's rounds are specially designed with Roman Holy Water for killing hell spawn, Sir." She plucked one out of its motionless track. Her eyes widened. "It's so heavy," said the sorceress. She tensed her arm from the bullet's surprising weight then carried it over to the nearest hellish creature.
"That is to be expected," replied Alucard. "Its weight is comprised of the mass multiplied by force of thrust. That tiny little object should weigh about half as much as you." He held his hands out, palms facing towards the weapon. The other bullets floated through the air, slowly, until they reached his palm. He closed his fingers around them. "Quite so; each one weighs as much as an average two meter claymore sword."
She looked down at the heavy thumb-sized object in her hands. "A six foot sword weighs this much?" Her arms began to ache simply holding the little bullet. "This has to be at least fifty-five pounds."
"As I said, about half your weight," said Alucard, adding, "I still can't fathom why you weren't frozen by my spell." He took all the rounds into his right hand making it seem effortless. His left hand reached into his blazer pocket, withdrawing a small blue pocket watch. He flipped the lid open with his thumb and glanced at the second hand. "Theoretically, you should be as frozen as everyone else in this room; such is quite puzzling."
"It's for the best," said Yoko. "I needed to speak with you, Sir. Have you seen Julius, Lord Alucard?"
"Indeed," replied the dhamphir with a frown. He used his thumb to close the pocket watch, depositing it into his blazer pocket. "He's currently missing and I fear for the worst."
Yoko blinked. "Did he tell you about the Diamond?"
Alucard offered a curt nod. "He mentioned it but I'm well aware. I can sense my father's presence but cannot pinpoint its location. Julius, however, was last spotted in the midst of a fatal fall – I cannot be sure whether or not he has survived."
Yoko gaped. "What happened?" Her arms ached from the weight of the bullet in her cupped hands. She approached the nearest demon and relocated the bullet into a hovering track less than an inch from the demon's head then turned back to Alucard. "If he made a fatal fall, what makes you question the feasibility of his death? Surly, you're holding out some measure of hope which isn't like you."
Dracula's son offered her a mild smirk. "Miss Belnades, are you calling me a pessimist?" He nodded in an approving way to her actions concerning the bullet. He approached the other two demons, telling her, "He fell from granite rungs into a bed of spikes from a high altitude. No one could have survived that fall and, by all rights, he should be impaled."
Yoko tilted her head at the way he voiced his words then placed her hands on her hips and, in a demanding voice, asked, "Well?"
"You know what I am, Miss Belnades. He disappeared into the fog that hovered above the bed of spikes but I couldn't see his remains. I could not smell spilt blood. It's as though he vanished upon contact with the spikes, leaving me to wonder if they were simply an ancient illusion."
Yoko's eyes widened with some measure of hope and a hint of relief. "Could he have survived hitting the floor from that height?"
"Surly not," Alucard told her. "And if he did, he would have succumbed to his broken body by now. However, as I said before, I could not detect even the faintest hint of death in the air. Even now, I can tell that you and your betrothed have dispatched four demons in the other room just because I can smell four distinctive death scents from here."
Yoko glanced back at the door from which she'd come. "Even with the door shut? I'm surprised."
"We're downwind; I can also detect their foul stench on your clothes."
The sorceress drew her sleeve to her nose and sniffed then shook her head. "Nothing."
"I was born with this ability," Alucard reminded in a stern tone. "I've more than perfected it over time. I'm telling you that Julius should be dead but… I do not have confirmation because I couldn't detect the scent of his death. As I said, it's as though he has vanished in the fog shroud just before contact with the serrated metal."
Yoko, again, looked hopeful. "I've heard of rare cases in teleportation; could it be possible for him to have materialized elsewhere?"
Alucard turned his attention back to the two remaining demons. "He, personally, is not capable of such a feat, I'm afraid." He then distributed the remaining rounds into place so that they were a mere inch from their intended mark. "It makes little sense to bless guns and their ammunition, Yoko. I can see a sword because it is an extension of your body when used in battle, just as a monk would wield a cross when fighting the unholy."
Yoko offered a thin smile. "Never heard of blessing arrows or their bows?" She re-approached Hammer and placed her hand beneath the weapon. With a guiding touch, she caused him to aim at the ceiling then said, "He's not yet released the trigger; I wouldn't want anyone harmed by overshooting."
"Indeed," Alucard responded in a distant way. He backed away from the demons then stood before the cowering librarian on the floor. "I wish for your lover to take James Johnson to the courtyard and protect him. This man isn't a part of your realm. He arrived with the castle and is a mortal from the other side, wherever the Castle was placed when transferred to the Solar Eclipse. I do not yet understand this other plane, but it's not the same as our mortal world."
"Do you intend on moving the Castle to a different place, this time?"
Alucard nodded in reply to her words. "We cannot have it showing up every time there is a Solar Eclipse; its physical foundation currently rests at the top of Mount Purgatory and I intend to change that. I wish to find a way to remove it from its foundation and place it on the hot sandy bank of the Acheron River."
"Why place the castle on the shores of Hell, Lord Alucard?"
The dhamphir smirked. "Without its foundation, it will eventually crumble in the soft sand. That is my intention. I need for you to accompany me, Miss Belnades. We have to reactivate the teleportation chambers; Julius disappeared while attempting to complete this mission. I cannot simply assume he will be able to finish it, now that he is missing."
"I understand," Yoko replied with a dejected sigh. She offered another grim smile and asked, "But you can't verify his death?"
"I question the validity of his death." He pointed towards Hammer and she nodded in submission. The woman moved behind her loved one, where she would be safe from the gunfire. "For now, it is merely an assumption not grounded in fact. Make ready your auditory senses."
Yoko nodded from over Hammer's shoulder then cupped her hands over her ears. At the dhamphir's will, linier time returned with a fantastic crack of sound. The overlapping noise of gunshots filled the room for each bullet already fired, followed by the sound of fresh bullets being fired a split second later. The first set of rounds found their mark, striking the demons with pinpoint accuracy. Five remaining rounds erupted from the barrel and struck high on the wall and along the ceiling on the opposite side of the large chamber.
Each demonic being's skull erupted in a splatter of gore. A grim montage of deep scarlet splashed the floor and facing stone bulkhead. All three bodies dropped to the granite floor in silence. The gun went silent, followed by a victorious eruption from Hammer.
"Yeah, baby! Look at that! Multiple headshots! I couldn't have done that again if I tried!"
Yoko grinned at her boyfriend and said, "Very impressive, Hammer. Who knew you were such a sharpshooter?"
The modest ex-soldier offered a shy chuckle. "I think I just got lucky, Yoko. The only thing is… there was more kickback than I anticipated."
"How do you mean?" she asked with an innocent sounding tone.
"I got off a few shots and the next thing I know, I'm plugging away at the ceiling. I must have gotten over-excited because this thing usually has reasonable recoil. No matter, though. The gun did its job, right?" He released the handle and flipped the safety then he turned to the well-dressed gentleman who stood tall and the balding man who knelt on the floor. "Hey! Sweetheart, isn't that your friend, Mister Arikado?"
"Why, yes it is! And it appears to me that they owe you their gratitude for dispatching their enemies." She turned to Alucard with an expectant gaze and half-hidden smile.
"…Indeed," Alucard muttered. He folded his arms across his chest, looking for the words to express his 'appreciation'.
James Johnson stood up, blinking rapidly. He looked to the bodies on the floor and covered his mouth. His gaze flitted back to the dark-skinned man with the personal defense weapon. "Well, I'm certainly thankful!" he erupted. "You should accompany us, mister! I'd feel a lot safer with you around… I'm James Johnson."
"You can call me Hammer," replied the gunner with a sheepish sort of grin. He felt pleased with his handiwork. "I don't see why not; I'd be happy to stick around – I have plenty of ammunition."
"Hammer," said Yoko in her most feminine voice. She batted her lashes to her fiancé and asked, "Can you escort Mister Johnson to safety? I'm going to accompany Genya Arikado in a mission and I need to know someone I trust can protect this innocent man."
"I… uh, don't see why not," Hammer replied.
Yoko leaned up on her tiptoes and placed her lips against the corner of Hammer's mouth. Despite their engaged status, he still blushed from her public display of affection. She then whispered into his ear. "You're so good to me. I'll see you soon; stay safe."
Johnson approached Hammer and fell into step behind the retired soldier. Hammer waved for the man to follow and lead him through the nearest door, backtracking through the Castle's grand hall.
"What do you see in the weapon's vendor?"
Yoko turned to Alucard, shrugged and said, "He really grows on you; he's a real sweetheart. Anyhow, lead the way."
The regally dressed gentleman opened the door opposite from the direction Hammer and Johnson went. He gestured to her with a sweeping motion. "Ladies first, Miss Belnades."
A/N: I'm going to take a short Hiatus from this story but it won't be long. I do it every so often, here and there. I need to focus on things that people have been waiting for over in Sly Cooper land. My story, Spy Cooper, now has people PMing me and even writing poems about how I've abandoned them. They've been waiting since March so… I owe it to them. I have about 10 readers for THIS story that I know of. I have over 40 known readers (40 that I know by name) for the Sly Cooper stuff and about double that many still wait for my StarFox updates. Ah well, but I DO like Claws Of Fate. I enjoy writing it a LOT, so I'll continue to update it on and off between now and December. I'll not simply 'forget about it'. I promise!