"From the dawn of time we came, moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the gathering, when few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you…until now." - Juan Sanchez-Villalobos Ramirez
The night sky was a canvas of twinkling stars, with a crescent moon casting a gentle glow over the landscape. The scene slowly shifted downward, revealing a cemetery that was both serene and eerie. Among the tombstones, a hooded figure in a cream-colored coat knelt in silent prayer. His presence was solemn, almost reverent, as he whispered his thoughts to the departed.
Unbeknownst to him, another figure approached. This one was cloaked and wore a metallic mask that concealed his entire face. He moved with a deliberate slowness, maintaining a respectful distance as if waiting for the right moment.
The hooded man finished his prayer and stood up, his voice steady. "I'm ready."
Together, they left the sacred ground and made their way to an open field near a park. The hooded man removed his hood, revealing a young man with spiky auburn hair and piercing hazel-green eyes. This was Max Mcleod of Clan Mcleod, the protagonist of our tale. With a determined expression, he drew his katana and shrugged off his coat.
The masked man followed suit, discarding his cloak to reveal a muscular physique that dwarfed Max's more average build. He flexed slightly, showcasing his strength as he brandished a large European broadsword. Max's eyes widened momentarily at the sight, but he quickly refocused, knowing that the battle for his life was about to begin.
The two swordsmen charged at each other, their blades clashing with a shower of sparks. Max struggled to defend himself against the masked man's brute strength, his opponent's muscular frame giving him a significant advantage. Desperate, Max switched to the offensive, narrowly blocking and evading each deadly swing. Despite his efforts, he couldn't avoid a slash across his face and a powerful kick to his abdomen.
The force of the kick sent Max flying, crashing through a small dead tree and losing his sword in the process. The masked man approached slowly, savoring his impending victory. As Max struggled to rise, the masked man raised his sword and spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"You may be the youngest warrior I've ever faced, but even so, it is always an honor to do battle with a Highlander. Farewell, Max Mcleod."
In a last-ditch effort, Max grabbed a sharp piece of wood from the broken tree and stabbed the masked man's shin. He followed up with a palm heel strike to the chin, knocking his opponent back against the dead tree. Seizing the opportunity, Max retrieved his sword and delivered a powerful slash, cutting the masked man and the tree in half.
As the lifeless body fell to the ground, Max sighed and prepared for the Quickening. The sky darkened, and lightning began to strike, electricity surging through the area. Streetlights flickered and shattered as lightning struck Max, lifting him into the air. He screamed in apparent pain, but when it was over, he dropped to his knees, panting heavily and chuckling.
"His name was Andy," Max muttered.
The scene transitioned to a flashback from 1865. On a burning farm beside a carriage, a bloodied and bruised Max lay dying in the arms of a tall man with a black ponytail and a long blue trench coat. It was Duncan Mcleod!
"Are you certain of this?" Duncan asked, his voice filled with concern. "There's no going back afterward."
Max, weak and barely conscious, pleaded, "P-please… I'm not ready yet… I'm not ready."
Reluctantly, Duncan complied, preparing to make Max immortal by raising his sword. Before the deed could be done, the flashback ended, and Max awoke at dawn. He lived in an apartment filled with 70s and 80s memorabilia, from Aerosmith and Zeppelin posters to Japanese antiques and anime figurines.
Rubbing his eyes, Max got dressed in his pajamas and headed to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth and swished mouthwash, a knock on the door interrupted him. The knocking grew more aggressive, prompting Max to prepare for a potential threat. He checked the peephole and sighed in annoyance before unlocking and opening the door.
Standing there was a beautiful woman with a curvy figure in her mid to late 20's with long dark green hair and pink eyes. She wore a violet cardigan, a short blue skirt, and navy blue high heels. This was Gabriella Heron.
"Would it kill you to NOT bang on the door like you're a whole SWAT team?" Max grumbled.
Gabriella walked in as if she owned the place, heading straight for the kitchen. "Hey, that was at least a firefighter kick. I wasn't knocking THAT hard."
She opened Max's refrigerator and grabbed a carton of orange juice. "Point still stands," Max muttered, realizing she had been kicking. "And you were kicking?"
Gabriella filled a plastic cup with juice. "Hell no, I'm not trying to break a heel. That was a whole fist of fury." She raised her fist for emphasis.
Gabriella took a seat at the kitchen table, sipping her juice. Max crossed his arms, looking even more annoyed. He broke the fourth wall, shaking his head at the readers, clearly used to Gabriella's routine of making herself at home.
"You know I have disposable cups in the pantry," Max pointed out.
Gabriella scoffed. "That's how I know you're an old man. Who keeps them in a pantry? Most people leave them stacked on the table for guests. That's proper kitchen etiquette."
Max sighed. "Well, in case you didn't notice these past two years, I'm not like 'most people.' So what's up?"
Gabriella pulled out her phone and showed Max a picture of a bizarre symbol. "You didn't get my text?"
Max shook his head. "Had my phone on silent. What am I looking at?"
"Don't you recognize the shape?" Gabriella asked.
Max took a closer look and realized it was similar to the symbol his opponent had worn during the duel. "Yeah, this is what Andy had on his sword and that weird Mortal Kombat mask."
Gabriella nodded. "It belongs to the Boston Family, consisting of three—well, two brothers now. They've been around since the early 1900s and even took part in the Vietnam War."
Max raised an eyebrow. "So they work in packs? That's a rarity."
"Yeah, but they're family. I can kinda get it. They've been on a killing spree lately, with a total of 32 kills."
Max sighed. "And I'm guessing I'm next if they haven't already found out."
Gabriella hopped off the table. "You bet. The sweet old revenge story. But as your loving and caring dear Watcher, I, Gabriella Heron, will see to it you're well protected."
Max smirked sarcastically at Gabriella's bravado. "Cool, can't wait to see you heroically run and hide whenever they come my way."
Gabriella threw her empty plastic cup at his head, but Max remained unfazed, giving her a blank expression. "Now pick it up," he said deadpan.
Gabriella gave a wry smile. "Sorry...But foreals, I got your back."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Max says he walks back to his room.
Elsewhere…
As the sun began its ascent, casting a warm glow over the landscape, a silver 2010 Volkswagen Beetle pulled up to an engineer factory. From the car emerged a pretty 19-year-old freckled face redhead girl with beautiful cyan colored eyes. She wore a baggy jumpsuit that covered her hands, giving her a slightly whimsical appearance. Her name was Lilith.
Before she could enter the factory, a series of violent clanging noises caught her attention. Curiosity piqued, she decided to investigate the source of the commotion.
Navigating past a dumpster, Lililth stumbled upon a scene straight out of a nightmare. Two men were engaged in a fierce sword fight. Her eyes widened in shock, but she managed to keep herself hidden. One of the combatants was dressed in an engineer's uniform, while the other, a dark-haired man, wore attire similar to Andy's from the previous night. However, this man was less muscular and wore a metallic mask that covered only his lower face. The engineer was Shawn, and the masked man was Brick Boston, Andy's younger brother.
At first, the two seemed evenly matched, but Brick soon gained the upper hand. He delivered several painful lacerations to Shawn, who eventually dropped to his knees, unable to stand.
"BUMPA!" Brick shouted.
From out of nowhere, a bionic metallic hand shot over to Shawn, pinning him to the wall. A massive, seven-foot-tall man with orange skin, wearing a green military beret and baggy green camo pants, stepped into view. This was Bumpa. Brick approached the pinned engineer.
"Our brother was supposed to be the one to kill you," Brick said, his voice cold.
Struggling to speak, the bloodied engineer finally managed to reply, "Well… I'd feel sorry for your loss, but you all knew this would come eventually."
Brick nodded. "Yeah…"
With a swift motion, Brick swung his sword at Shawn. The scene cut to Lilith's reaction before the blow landed. She gasped, eyes wide with horror, and quickly took cover again, breathing heavily but covering her mouth to stifle any sound.
"But that doesn't mean I have to like it," Brick muttered, looking down at Shawn's now lifeless body. He sheathed his thick, machete-like sword behind his back and prepared for the Quickening.
Just like what had happened to Max the previous night, the sky darkened, and electricity began to surge through the area. Streetlights and nearby vehicles exploded, and the engineer factory's lights and electronics went haywire. Lightning struck Brick, with Bumpa caught in the electrical storm, zapping the giant man to the ground.
Still trying to keep herself hidden, Lilith held in her scream and struggled to move. Finally, she mustered the courage to run away.
Brick dropped to all fours, panting heavily, but slowly recovered with a smirk on his face.
To Be Continued…
OK, so I'm freshly new to this series, so it might not turn out good for what little fans this franchise has. It's way before my time and I got into it because I revisited an episode of Robot Chicken where Lindsay Lohan becomes an Immortal and I was interested in seeing what it was parodying from.
I was warned about this franchise from my dad who grew up with it and reading tons of opinions from other fans. I can definitely see why many prefer the first movie. It's like if the very first Star Wars movie didn't leave enough opportunities for it to have a sequel and just make up some BS from its already established set of rules. I mean my GAWD, who's idea was it to make them aliens in the second film!? I tried watching the cartoon, didn't like it, and I've been watching the series. Not finished yet, but I think I've seen enough to finally get started. Despite all of my negative thoughts, I really love the concept and I'm hoping Henry Cavill and the dude who created John Wick will improve and reignite this dead franchise.