Warnings: Malik's potty mouth.
Somehow living with the Dracula's was just slipping back into the norm for Erin; Vlad and his father still yelled at each other, sometimes about her; Ingrid kept trying to work out what Erin's motives were and Wolfie kept tugging on the legs of Erin's trousers, normal. She couldn't find it in herself to hate the half werewolf though; Vlad was really the only person she held true loathing for.
Yet she was waiting his room, trying to seduce him. Ugh, the things she would do to get revenge.
His room was a lot bleaker than before, unlike before it was really integrating into the colour scheme of black, black and blacker. He'd had one or two posters and newspaper clippings but those had evaporated along with any other signs of colour; even the sofa now sported a jet black throw.
Mr Cuddles the Second was still tucked away in the corner however. She went over to the stuffed bear and plucked it from where it was slotted behind a painting of the Dracula's and fiddled with its ear. Mr Cuddles was proof that Vlad was truly pathetic. A vampire with a teddy bear? It sounded silly even to the mortal world where they had vampires that might as well have been fairies; sparkling in the sun? Honestly it was a shock that Vlad had found a way to make the vampire world look bad considering some of the stereotypes now.
She continued massaging the teddy bear's ear as memories found their way into the fray of her thoughts. Vlad gave this to her once when she couldn't sleep. It hadn't really helped in the physical sense but it allowed her to believe someone cared. She knew different now.
Suddenly the door knob began to turn causing Erin to put the bear down and resume her seating on the sofa with a carefully forged expression of longing.
Vlad entered and his eyes flicked over her with an unreadable expression.
"Thanks…" She said with a slight smile. "For letting me stay…and… helping me," the truth was Vlad had done none of the sort. He'd given her a room and a coffin then literally told her to stay the hell out of everyone's way.
Vlad looked a little confused and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was. She got to her feet and moved closer to him.
"I'm sorry." She murmured softly. Vlad's eyes jerked to hers, cloudy with confusion. "I was wrong to hate you." Her hand brushed Vlad's and her fingers traced patterns on Vlad's wrist. "Maybe," she stepped closer. "We could…" By then they were almost nose-to-nose but Vlad had yet to move or show any sign of loathing or loving the contact. "Be together again." Her lips brushed his briefly and he shoved her backwards with a glare.
"We both know you don't mean that." Vlad snarled, definitely showing anger now.
"I do!" Erin said her eyebrows creased in (false) hurt.
"Erin," he bought her close to him. "You hate me, and I hate you."
The vampiress started shaking her head rapidly.
"Even if you do care for me," Vlad's grip around her wrists tightened and their faces were inches apart. "I won't care for you. I know who you really are." He paused. "You. Repel. Me." And then he stormed from his room.
Erin scowled, her brain supplying a couple of colourful words she'd love to call Vlad.
She was still uttering words no civil person should ever say out loud as she departed from Garside to meet Jonno. Her excuse was that she needed to go and find out wherever the hell her car had gone and fetch it; she may have no longer required it but she needed money, well, that was what she told them.
As she was just leaving the Garside estate and entering town she heard an annoyingly familiar voice. "Well this is a surprise…" She turned around to face him.
"Malik." She greeted sourly.
The vampire gave her a malign grin. "I didn't think you made it out love," Erin gave him an empty stare.
"I'm not an invalid, love." She said with an exaggerated bow then she realised it probably wasn't coincidence he was here. "So what brings you here?" She asked and Malik shrugged.
"I like the atmosphere, and the shops. So you are here because…?" He glanced down the road she came from and gave her a sceptical look. "Because you went crawling back to your ex…" He sighed theatrically. "And he actually took you back." Malik's grin widened and Erin watched him expectantly.
"Want to help me kill him?" The vampire asked her. She considered the offer for a minute. Was it worth killing Vlad, saving him from a horrible death and probably pissing off the Dracula's in the process just to have another month or so of passion with Malik until he inevitably had to choose between her and something he wanted more? Her eyes trailed down his lean form, weighing the options. She could think of a couple of things she wanted to do to that body.
But she also wanted to cause Vlad maximum pain and she couldn't do that with a stake and Malik.
She gave him one more glance. "No thanks." At his frown she furthered her answer. "I would jump at the chance but I'm in no place to bite the hand that feeds."
Malik just stared at her.
"Don't tell me he pulled you into all that goodness crap," The vampire snarled. "Are you honestly going to let that wimpire tell you what to eat? And feed you like a fucking dog?"
Erin scowled. "I know what I'm doing." She flashed her fangs and her eyes glittered red. "Back off."
Then the pair parted ways and Erin considered the fact that Malik was probably heading to the school to kill Vlad when she bumped into him.
Oh well, was Erin's careless response.
She and Jonno met in a dank abandoned warehouse at Jonno's request. The location was rather dirty for her tastes and she wondered why slayers liked meeting or having HQ's in grimy pits while their enemies lived the highlife in castles and mansions.
Jonno was already there when she arrived looking slightly peaky and drumming his fingers lightly on his stake in an anxious manner.
Erin stamped her foot and the slayer's head shot up. "Erin." He greeted.
The vampiress gave him an insincere smile in response. "So." She kicked a dirty looking can. "Are you going to ask me anything or are we just going to hang out in this ewwy warehouse?"
Jonno had a look on his face that suggested he really wasn't in the mood to listen to Erin. She gave a careless smirk; if he didn't want to listen to her then he shouldn't have invited her there.
"How's the infiltration going?" The slayer asked with what seemed to be forced civility.
"Dreary…" Erin sighed and rolled her eyes. "I got close enough to Vlad for him to tell me that I repel him."
Jonno's head shot up sharply before dipping again. "Oh."
Erin shrugged and her lips formed a smile-grimace hybrid.
Malik was pissed. He was more than pissed, he was beyond very pissed. He was pissed off with Vladimir Dracula for neutering Erin who he'd managed to so deliciously corrupt previously and he was also frustrated that she wouldn't help him try and kill the Chosen One; an inside man, woman would've made life so much easier for him. He was also pissed with the fact that Vlad now had his girl.
This pissed-of-ness made it a lot easier to forget that this was a suicide mission and break into the Dracula's home.
He went straight through the front door, smashed it to bits and stalked through the corridor. He bumped into Renfield on the way but he knocked the servant out by slamming his skull into the wall. It was extremely satisfying, especially when he imaged it was Vlad whose head he had just bashed into the panelling.
He met no one else as he stormed to the throne room and threw open the door.
Three pairs of Dracula blue eyes scrutinised him.
"Malik!" Vlad was the first one to react, hissing and spitting like an angry cat. The Chosen One also raised his arms, most likely to use some of his crazy abilities on him but Malik was ready.
He drew the pistol from his waist band and pointed it at his intended target. Vlad's expression, somehow, darkened further.
Malik grinned, displaying his fangs. "Can you get to me, before I shoot her?" The entire room was frozen. Vlad's arm outstretched but his fingers clenched into a fist as his eyes flickered between his sister and his half-brother in horror. Ingrid's face was impassive, but her eyes told the story; tiny flecks of hurt slotted in between ice in her impossibly light eyes.
"What are you waiting for? She's just a girl now obliterate him!" The Count's angry order broke the ice triangle that had clenched the three Dracula siblings.
Ingrid sped to the other side of the room while Vlad launched himself at Malik with a ferocity he hadn't seen previously, not even when his lips tore at Erin's.
The UV gun went flying and the Count quickly shot a fireball that turned it to ash in mid-air.
The two male Dracula heirs engaged in combat. Malik couldn't exactly describe it as engage however; 'engage' suggests a noble fight between two noble enemies, what it really was could only be described as a cockfight.
Two bitter animals snapping and snarling at each other while employing moves of fight that humans invented.
And they fought dirty.
Malik's head was forced uncomfortably to the side with a sharp snap as Vlad's fist connected with his face. In retaliation his knee rose to hit Vlad in the groin but the vampire shifted so that the crippling attack only gave his leg a nasty throb.
He ducked, and another fist shot over his head. He kicked, sending Vlad stumbling backwards.
In a split second he drew the second pistol from his pocket and pressed it against Vlad's heart. The purple weapon hummed, as if it knew it was about to complete its duty.
"Let's see you survive this Chosen One!" Malik spat through bloodied teeth twisted into a smile.
He watched Vlad's expression of anger turn to horror, and finally to defeat. Time seemed to slow down until noise had faded and the moment had frozen. An icy pause of Malik and his victory.
"Sorry, love."