Fan Fiction ❯ Alex Night: Vampire Hunter Extrodinare ❯ Halloween Horrors ( Chapter 1 )

Halloween Horrors

An Alex Night: Vampire Hunter Extrodinare Story

By: Jennifer L. Bratcher

I've been hunting vamps for a long time and there's always something I can count on: I

always get Halloween off. Vamps don't like Halloween. Witches and stuff do, it's their holiday, but vamps don't. I guess they got all pissed that people dress up like them and then go ask for candy, but I'm not complaining. I could always use a day off.

Except for this year . . .

From the Journal of Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

Alex slung her duffel bag over her shoulder as she exited the airport. Security was high as hell here and she had been lucky enough that she managed to sneak her compound crossbow on board. After that horrible incident on September 11, 2001 the humans were really strict on their airline security.

She couldn't blame them. Hell, she wouldn't mind finding that bastard who set all of this up and rip his heart out of his chest. Hell, she'd even do it for free. And the states wouldn't have to train her. She was all ready a proficient killer in her own right and she could easily sneak past their infrared sensors and the like.

"Mommy! Mommy, look at that lady," a little boy's shrill voice caught her thoughts. Alex turned around to see a little boy wearing an anime T-shirt pulling on a middle-aged woman's Armani business suit. The woman pushed strands of unnatural blond hair behind her ears as she looked over at Alex.

The little boy went on, "She's like Vegeta!"

The woman flinched under Alex's gaze and started to push her son away. She stated, "Come on, Jake, we've gotta take you to go see Daddy, sweetie." Alex kept watching as the woman drug her son away. She sighed as she began to walk again, shifting her duffel bag to the other shoulder.

She looked around at the different people around and sighed. Some of them even backed away in fear. Alex caught her reflection in the windows and stopped to look. She'd loosely braided her long, raven hair and was even wearing a normal pair of jeans, Airwalks, and a black tank top with a red flannel shirt thrown over it to ward off the chill October wind. Still, she didn't even look like them.

She moved to fast, too fluid for a normal person. Her electric blue eyes were more focused than theirs, more like a wolf's than a person's. And Alex knew that she carried an aura of death though. She was use to being looked at in fear, still, that little boy and his mother bothered her.

The little boy hadn't been afraid. There was something akin to awe in his voice as he looked at her. He mentioned something about a vegetable, and that was it. Still, in that little boy's mind, that "Vegeta" must have been a very impressive person.

The half Lupine girl shrugged as she stepped out of the air terminal. She looked around at the busy side walk around her and stepped to the curb. She held out her hand and waved. A taxi immediately pulled up to her. She eased in.

He asked, "Where to, Missy?"

"West 8th Street, the New Age gift shop," Alex replied with a weary sigh. Normally she got the upcoming holiday of Halloween off, but this sprite had been quite urgent. She wondered what he was planning or what he had found out.

I don't understand the Fey or do I pretend that I do. They're beyond most of the supernatural beings and not cursed. It almost is as they were designated protectors of the earth by some higher power. I'm not saying that I believe in God, I don't, but I do believe that there is some other force out there, both good and evil. The Fey are on the good side and the vampires and werewolves are on the evil side.

All I do is kill vampires. That's all I understand. Nothing else matters.

From the Journal of Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

Alex managed to sketch in her journal and write at the same time. She figured that it was

easier that way. Well, it wasn't a true journal anyway, it was a sketch book that she wrote things down in. It was mainly filled with drawings of all the vampires and other things she faced in her life. And the occasional landscape or portrait of an interesting person.

Right now, she stopped writing and decided to draw the cabbie. He had an interesting

face, probably Slavic in nature, and sharp grey eyes. He looked back at her and asked, "What are you drawing there, Missy?"

Alex smiled and replied, "You." She held up the drawing and waited. His whole face lit up as he looked at his mirror image from the rearview mirror.

He replied, "Wow, that's pretty damn good."

She smiled as she clipped her mechanical pencil to the cover. He pulled up into Hecate's Moon, New Age gifts. She smiled a sage little smile as she looked at the man. She pulled out a twenty out of her duffel bag and handed it to him. She replied, "Keep the change."

She strode out of the taxi and out onto Louisville's busy streets. She wasn't worrying about money like she did every other place else she traveled. After all, her cousin, a full blooded Lupine named Brandon Night, lived here. Brandon was next in line to head the Lupines and had a fortune to his name. He would always be happy to give her money if she needed it. After all, he sponsored her trip to China and Japan to learn martial arts. It had payed off.

She walked into the New Age shop and almost winched at the music pouring through the first class DVD player and sound system. It was some Celtic bitch singing in some Celtic language. She preferred Alternative rock such as Jimmy Eat World or Alien Ant Farm. She almost said something sharp and nasty when a tiny blond woman passed by her.

Alex studied her. She was tiny, elfin, the slightly pointed ears signaling that one of the Fey had one of their infamous human affairs. Her long, pale ash blond hair was pulled back from her gamine features. Intelligent, huge silver eyes gleamed as she looked Alex over. A wave of dark power encircled her like a cloak.

She looked up at Alex and placed her hand on her slender hip. Alex could see a tattoo of a black dragon with crimson wings wrapped around her priced navel. Alex also noticed the studded leather band around her wrist. She asked, "What are you looking at?"

Alex watched as she grabbed some long crimson candles and some short black candles from a near by shelf. Alex replied, "I don't know, why don't you tell me?"

"Why don't you tell me what I'm looking at?" the girl snapped in a hostile voice.

She's not afraid, Alex realized as she looked at the girl who was a good nine inches shorter than she was. The girl looked at her defiantly, as if she was daunting Alex to reply. She's as much of an outsider as I am, she thought as she looked the girl over.

Alex found herself smiling as she answered, "Alex. I'm Alex."

"That tells me who you are, not what you are. There's a difference," she replied as she turned to a spice table. Well, a table filled with different aromatics herbs that were making Alex's nose itch. She recognized the smell of thyme, rosemary, sage, and lavender, but that was about it. Most vampires didn't go around casting spells.

Alex was about to give her an answer when a familiar voice said, "Thank you. I'll speak to the young woman now." She turned to the doorway that was separated from the rest of the shop by a heavy, beaded curtain. Standing there was a tall, dark and handsome man dressed in a pair of black slacks and a dark-green silk shirt. His long, dark brown hair was tied away from his angular, handsome features with a leather thong. His bright green eyes were alert and betraying the power he held.

He smiled as he looked at her, white teeth flashing in his dark features. Alex walked over to him, one hand clutching her bag and the other her sketch pad. He walked through the curtain and Alex followed him, the beads lightly hitting her body. In here, Live was drowning out the Celtic crap.

On the simple round table in the center of the room was resting a cold bottle of Dr. Pepper and a bag of Doritos, her favorite snack foods. She looked at him and he gave her a charming and beautiful smile. She crossed her arms and frowned at him. She asked, "What is it, David?"

David smiled and said, "Sit, Alex. You've just had a long trip."

Alex studied the sprite. She wondered if this was his true form. They were shapeshifters after all. She asked, "What do you want?"

"If you'd sit down, Alexandria, I'd tell you," he replied in his lilting voice.

She glared at the use of her Christian name. She hissed, "No one calls me Alexandria. No one. It's Alex. Get it right, asshole." She did sit down however. It was never good to get the Fey pissed off because of a name preference.

He smiled at her, amusement playing over his sculpted features. Almost on impulse, she reached for her sketch pad and started to draw him. He said, "You remind me of someone."

"Who?" she asked absently, trying to be polite. She hated politics like this.

His voice was amused as he answered, "A vampire."

Her head snapped up from her sketch of the sprite. She snapped, "What?"

"A vampire assassin. Lovely. Her name's Forest, she's in this area," he answered in an amused tone. She recognized the name though. Forest was a name that was spoken in secret, as if she would come and kill the poor bastard who said it. She was fast, thorough, deadly, and only killed supernatural creatures. She was the hitman for vampires and werewolves, but she was a vampire herself. One of the things said about her was that she was as deadly as she was beautiful.

She lifted her eyebrow. Forest was to be the best, unstoppable. She asked, "Do you want me to kill her?"

"No, actually, I would ask for her help in this matter, but I couldn't get a hold of her. Rumor has it that she's involved with a dhamphire," he answered.

A half breed. I can relate, Alex thought ironically. She started to work on her sketch again as she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"A group of vampires, ten, I think, is planning a blood feast. The word on the street is that they're taking over a huge Halloween costume party at the Industrial Nightmare in Jeffersonville, just across the river. It's a haunted house, you see, and the people will just suspect that it's all part of the show, until they're all gone," David explained as Alex put down her pencil. She opened the Dr. Pepper and took a drink.

She asked, "What do you want me to do about it? Humans are self-destructive. They don't give a damn and I don't give a damn about them."

"Alex, please," he pleaded.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. She hissed, "I had a mother guide her little boy away from me today because I looked different. They're afraid of me, David. You don't understand. You're a Fey. They love you on sight and the dumb bastards don't know why. They see Brandon and they are fascinated by him and they don't know why. They see a vampire and want to give in to them and they don't know why. They see me and they want to run."

"They see an incubus and they want to get laid," David playfully replied.

She glared and snapped, "Don't try to humor me, sprite. I'm smarter than that."

"I know you are, my lovely wolf, so I thought I'd give you an incentive," he purred as he pulled something out of a cabinet.

She glared at him as he pulled out a sleek black body suit. He said, "I've heard about that problem that you've been having when you change. That all of your clothing tears. This suit is enchanted so it changes with you and it never rips apart. It's made from the hide of a werewolf and blessed with protection spells. It's yours Alex."

He held out the black leather suede suit. She licked her lips as she took it. There had been many a time where she had to flee in the nude. It would end the people gawking at her after she killed a vampire. It also would be a matter of protection.

She looked at him and he said, "They are planning the last strike tonight, Alex. I'm going to warn you, the police's SPF(1) are into it as well. They're suspecting."

Alex stuffed the suit into her bag. She looked at the smiling sprite and showed him the drawing. He gave a low whistle and said, "You are truly talented, my wolf."

"I'm anyone's anything," Alex replied as she walked out of the room and out of the shop.

******

Alex had to walk to Jeffersonville. She had half a mind to try that body suit out and change. She could make it to the haunted house in record time in her wolf form, but that would wear herself out too quickly. Bringing on the Change took energy, energy that she didn't have time to replenish. So, it took her two damn hours to walk to the damn place and in the skin tight body suit no less.

She shrugged her shoulders under the leather. It fit her perfectly, as if David had measured her himself, but it wasn't what she was use too. She was use to wearing jeans, T-shirts, and sweats along with her comfortable Airwalks. Even though the knee-high boots that he gave her were pretty snazzy, she was having trouble getting use to the body suit. And the wolf whistles and cat calls that came with it.

She looked up. The bright blue sky had a pink tinge to it and the sun was hanging low in the sky. She looked over at the huge, brick building and grimaced at the neon green character of Dracula. She aimed her crossbow and mocked the firing motion at it. She lowered it and thought, They know that they're real, so why do they still play up their stupid fantasies? Damn idiots, that's what I think.

She looked over at the humans lined up to enter the place. She frowned at the various witches, werewolves, and vampires standing there. She had to stifle a giggle at this overweight woman dressed in a sleek black dress with her fat rolls hanging out in white face and crimson lipstick. Alex could smell the polyester of the wig from there and the laughter finally surfaced. The humans didn't notice her laughter so she laughed harder at the woman.

She looked around and snuck to the back. She leaned against the employee's door and looked around. She closed her eyes and groped out with her senses. Her eyes flew opened as a slight growl of hatred rumbled from her throat. There were eleven vampires in there. She groaned as she looked at her crossbow. It could only hold eight bolts at a time and she kept a ninth one loaded as well.

She didn't care about danger. Hell, part of the fun of it was the fact that she could get killed. Humans jumped off planes for kicks, Alex walked around with a loaded crossbow.

Still, she was seriously out numbered and wanting for ammo. She wondered if there was any wood in there she could break to use as a makeshift stake if need be. She preferred her crossbow or the occasional quarterstaff that she sometimes carried with her. She also had a nice collection of wooden knifes that she didn't bring with her. She cursed at her stupidity and hit the wall.

She sighed and leaned up against the door. She froze when she felt a human move behind her. She spun around to see that same little boy from earlier standing behind her, dressed in a strange black wig that defied gravity and an orange gi. She blinked at him and he smiled up at her, holding out his pumpkin.

"Hi Vegeta Lady," he said in his lisping boy voice, showing a mouth missing its two front teeth.

She bent down and asked, "Where's your mommy?"

He shrugged and looked at her with his huge brown eyes. He answered, "The dark man called her in."

"Dark man?" she asked, tilting her head to look closer at the boy. She noticed the words Dragonball Z emblazoned on the back of the orange nylon gi. Some Japanese cartoon that her cousin worshiped or something.

He pointed to her crossbow and asked, "What's that?"

"My boom-stick," she answered sarcastically. The little boy flinched. She sighed and held out her hand to him. She said, "I won't hurt you. The dark man is a monster and I'm the monster's monster."

He looked a little lost as he admitted, "He was a bad man. Pretty too. Mommy followed him."

Alex flinched. His mother was probably all ready dead. She looked up at the sky and noticed that it was darkening. She looked down at the boy and noticed the two tickets that he held in his other tiny hand. She smiled brightly at him and asked, "Do you wanna help me?"

Human kids, they're just so innocent. I think I might have been like them once, but it was too long ago to remember. I remember watching Digimon and worshiping characters. This kid reminds me a little of me. I guess I'm missing something as innocent as dressing up and pretending that I'm someone else for a night. He trusts me completely and I don't know why. To his mom I'm as scary as the monster that took her. The sad thing is, I want to save her. Not for her, but for her little boy.

From the Journal of Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

Goth-Electronic-Acid-Trance came from the sound system as Alex gave the teller their

tickets. The little boy tugged at Alex's sleeve. She turned around and frowned. Vampire number one was dressed in a pink halter top, a necklace that looked like a cross but Alex knew it wasn't, tight leather pants, and blond hair piled on top of her head was holding a clip board. Alex leaned over to ask one of the humans, "What is she doing?"

"Taking signatures for the wavers! Man, they're supposed to be vamps littering the place this year and we sign that and they can touch us," a pimply face teenager dressed as Superman told her with a huge smile.

Alex looked at the little boy and asked, "Who's she suppose to be?"

The little boy looked up at her with his huge brown eyes and answered, "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Don't you know anything?"

Alex knelt down and held the little boy's shoulders. She said, "I'm gonna get your mom back, okay, kiddo, but I need you to listen to me, kay?"

"Kay, Vegeta Lady," he answered with a shrug.

"First, my name's Alex, not Vegeta Lady, and second do you have a name?" she asked him.

He smiled and replied, "I'm Goku! Super Sayan!"

"What's your real name, kid?" Alex asked. Her head was starting to hurt. She was unused to headaches and this was bothering her.

He answered, "Bob."

"Okay, Bob, come on and lets go past this leech bitch," Alex told him with a smile as she stood up and took his hand. She knew if worse came to worse, she could always use him as bait. That thought bothered her immensely though.

Bob's round features squinched up as he chided, "You said a potty word."

"Oh, I haven't gotten started yet," Alex told him absently as they walked to the Buffy girl.

She gave Bob a huge smile as they approached and it almost faded away when she noticed Alex. Alex smiled, tossed her hair and looked her dead in the eyes, putting her full predatory nature in her gaze. She let the entire shine through, throwing the vampire girl off guard as she looked at Alex, then the crossbow.

Buffy-Vamp asked, "Who are you dressed up as?"

"Well, I'm a vampire hunter," Alex answered with a lazy smile. She pointed down at Bob and said, "And this is Goku, he's a Super Sayan." She had no idea what a Super Sayan was, but Goku meant rice or something like that in Japanese. Bob grinned back at Buffy-Vamp with his toothless grin.

She bent down to the little boy and flashed him a coy smile. Alex felt the prickling of power along the vampire's skin. She knew what she was trying to do and Bob blinked. He said, "No, Buffy-Lady, I'm with Alex and I'd taste bad."

The Buffy-Vampire stood up and handed Alex the waver. She said, "It'll be perfectly safe. The vamps in there won't do anything without your permission. This'll just give them the green light to touch you."

Alex smiled and replied smoothly, "I don't want a blood sucking leech touching me, and neither does Bob, do you kiddo?"

"Nope. They're nasty," he said with a shiver, burring his face into Alex's stomach. She stroked the little boy's neck as she looked at the vampire. The vampire's eyes flashed from hazel to crimson as she looked Alex over.

The Buffy-Vamp asked, "Is he a little too young to be here?"

"His mom's in here," Alex replied as she took Bob's hand. The vampire glared as Alex walked into another line, through a gate designed to look like a dungeon. Within moments, the two were walking through a smoke-filled room with flashing crimson and violet lasers. Alex sighed and looked around.

Her whole perspective shifted. The crimson and violet beams of light changed to various shades of white. The things in the fog became more detailed and Alex looked above her. There was a catwalk along with the huge stereo system playing a remix of Marilyn Manson's "Sweet Dreams." She heard someone, a human, rushing toward them. She could hear the rustle of his costume and smell the grease paint poured over his features.

She turned and looked at the guy right as he gained to them. She tilted her head and looked him over. She asked, "Didn't the leeches teach you anything?" He looked hurt as Alex took little Bob's hand and walked on.

She heard the grumbles of some of the annoyed humans behind her, talking about how she just ruined it for them. Alex shrugged and kept walking. Bob tugged at her sleeve again, despite the fact that it was almost skin tight. She looked down at the little boy, who's gi was now grey due to the fact she was looking at the world like a wolf now. (2)

Bob said, "I thought this was gonna be scary and cool."

"Well, it's gonna get scary soon, kid and about the cool," she gave him a savage smile, "I think it is."

"So, you gonna get my mom from those vampires?" he asked again.

She nodded as they turned a corridor with the group of humans they were with. She answered, "Yesers, I am. And I'm gonna kick some vampire ass when I do."

Alex heard a mechanical mechanism lock. She spun around and shielded Bob instinctively with her body as a door slammed the part of the maze that they were wandering through shut. There was a startled, yet excited gasp from the four humans behind them. Alex had her crossbow aimed as two more doors opened, revealing the Buffy-Vamp and a tall guy dressed in a black duster. She sighed. How many vampires needed to wear long, black coats? Was it some unwritten code by vampires or something? Or did they just all have the same costumer?

The humans gasped as they moved closer to each other. Alex noted the glazed look in their eyes and realized what they were doing. By the wavers of consent, the humans gave them permission to touch them or to allow them to do what ever they wanted to the poor saps with consent. It was a brilliant plan, a legal way to have a blood feast. The idiot humans, with the help of mind control from the vamps, gave the vampires permission to kill them.

"Idiots," Alex grumbled as she aimed her crossbow.

The Buffy vamp shouted in a melodramatic voice, "I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you're dust if you hurt one hair on those humans!"

The vampire gave the humans a charming smile as he said, "I wouldn't hurt you. Do you want to come with me?"

Alex looked over at the glazed, mesmerized look in the humans' eyes. She thought they looked stoned and stupid, easily over-powered. She looked down at Bob. His dark eyes were as clear and bright as they could be as he watched. He asked, "What's wrong with them, Alex?"

"The same thing that happened to your mom, kid. Now, get behind me and close your eyes," she instructed, puzzled at the strange feeling to protect the little boy. It was because he was immune to the vampires, that's why, not like these idiots here. It wasn't some maternal instinct. Alex wasn't maternal. She was a hunter, as certain as she was standing there.

The humans nodded as one, gasping and reaching toward the handsome vampire. He took one girl's hand, a girl dressed as Wonder Woman, a little too overweight to be in that costume, and one of the doors opened. Alex cursed as she aimed her crossbow. The Buffy-Vamp, who was the closest to her shouted for show and lept as the other vampire, sucessfuly knocking Alex off kilter. Alex quicky regained her balance and cursed as the door shut behind the vampires and the humans.

"Shit," she grumbled as she ran to the door, putting all of her weight behind the blow. She snarled in frustration as she bounced harmlessly against the steel door. She kicked at it and it opened, revealing another group of people.

She heard something open and sensed a vampire beneath her. Bob cried out as the creature wrapped his hand around the little boy's foot. "Dammit," she cried out as she dove after the little boy as the people walked into the room. She cursed louder and even more fowl, things that would be physicaly impossible for even a vampire or a Lupine as she hit a slick metal surface and slid down it.

She turned her body so that she would land feet first and kept her eye on Bob and the vampire holding him who cackled with laughter. Alex aimed her crossbow and hissed, "I don't think so, fucker." Bob's eyes widened as Alex pulled the trigger.

The bolt flew over Bob's head and strait into the vampire's chest. He looked surprise as the bolt stood at full attention in his heart. He tried to frail at Bob's chubby ankle one last time as his body crumpled into ash. Bob screamed like a little kid and tried to stop himself from sliding.

Alex slid faster and reached the boy. Without thinking it, she drew him up into her arms, his warm little body pressed into his. His heart pounded in her ear and she could smell the fear wafting off of him. She knew at that moment she wasn't going to let anyone hurt Bob.

She saw an end to their sliding. She pivoted so she took most of the blow as she landed on her feet. The shock vibrated against her knees despite the fact that she bent them on impact. Bob's little arms wrapped around her neck as his legs wrapped around his waist. Without even knowing it, she began to stroke the little boy's hair.

He asked, "Where are we?"

"That's a good question, and I'll answer it in just a sec," she answered as she looked around. She realized that holding the little boy handicapped her movement. She said, "Bob, I'm gonna have to put you down now."

He nodded and asked, "Are you gonna whup up on those nasty vampires?"

"Hell yeah," Alex whispered darkly as she looked around. Her vision shifted once again, everything was highlighted in white. She could see Bob like a beacon below her, bright and shining in his body heat. (3)

She looked around in the pure darkness, but able to see everything, despite the fact that it was blurred, losing the detail of the black and white vision she just traded for. She looked around, knowing fully well that the vampires didn't give off body heat unless they fed recently. Bob asked, "Why are your eyes glowing, Alex?"

She didn't like the note of fear in his voice. She bent down, looking at his haloed body and smiled. She answered, "Because I'm not human. I'm sort of the monster's monster."

"Like Goku is a good Sayan?" Bob asked doubtfully.

Alex chewed on her lip and confessed, "I don't know anything about Goku or Vegeta."

"Dragonball Z!" He chirped as he pointed to his gi.

Alex chuckled and said, "My cousin loves that show. He's got all the episodes on DVD. I liked Digimon when I was your age though."

"Really? Who was your fave?" Bob asked as they began to walk the darkened corridor that was under the house.

Alex smiled and answered, "Davis and Veemon, Ken and Wormon were pretty sweet too."

"I liked Matt and Gabumon! Ty and Agumon were pretty cool too," Bob chirped as they walked.

Alex kept her senses on full alert. As they walked, Alex spied a climbable length of pipe that led back into the house. She smirked as they walked over to it. She bent down and told Bob, "Climb on my back. We're going up."

"Cool," Bob commented as he climbed on Alex's back. She slung her crossbow over her shoulder and started up the pipe. Bob's weight was nothing more than a backpack on her back. She was pushing up the trap door in moments.

She squinted and blinked. Her vision shifted back into the high detail black and white as she adjusted to the light. She smelled and sensed the Buffy-Vamp at the same time. She smiled as she aimed her crossbow and emerged from the trapdoor. The Buffy-Vamp asked, "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Scotty beamed me up," Alex replied as Buffy-Vamp's hazel eyes turned crimson. Alex put down both her crossbow and Bob. She told the little boy, "Watch and learn, kiddo."

Then she turned to the snarling vampire. Alex smiled. She didn't like blondes. Their personalities were abrading and annoying. Especially bimbos like this one and what kind of a name was Buffy anyway?

Buffy-Vamp shook her head and asked, "Why didn't you just sign the waver like everyone else?"

"Because you're too stupid to know what I am, bitch," Alex retorted as she took up a simple stance.

Buffy-Vamp smiled, flashing her fangs as her eyes glowed like the color of fresh blood. Alex took the first move, spinning a lighting fast kick to the side of the smaller girl's jaw. She smiled with the satisfying crack of her boot against her jaw.

The satisfying smirk was wiped off of Alex's face with a vicious backhand with the vampire. Before she got a chance to counter, Buffy-Vamp launched a sharp roundhouse to her stomach, doubling Alex over.

"How did you like that, bitch?" Buffy-Vamp asked sweetly.

Alex chuckled as she cradled her stomach. She looked at the vampire and straitened up. She threw her head back and let loose the release of energy. She groaned as her bones broke, reformed and reknitted. Her whole body structure began to change with an electric rush. She placed all four paws on the ground and threw back her vulpine head and howled.

The Buffy-Vamp blinked at the sight of the blue eyed, black wolf snarling before her. Bob gasped, "Cool!" Alex spread her legs apart as she snarled, her haunches rising. The vampire took another stance and Alex smiled inwardly since her new form's mouth could not.

Alex hunched up all of her muscles and charged at the vampire. Buffy-Vamp made the mistake of trying to grab her. Alex dodged the vampire's long claws and sank her teeth into the vampire's rump with an instinct older than time. She tore at the muscle and flesh with one swift yank. Cool blood rushed into her mouth along with the dead tissue. Alex held back the revolution swirling in her as she tasted the vampire's dead flesh.

Buffy-Vamp screamed as Alex ripped into her ass. Alex backed away as the vampire fell off balance. She then took the opportunity to tear into the vampire's throat. Even though the vampire healed quickly, Alex's massive bite power managed to clearly cut the head from the neck so that it was barely hanging on by the spinal cord.

Alex arched back as her body went through the same painful process, except in reverse. She felt her tail creep back into her spine and the fur leave her body. She looked down to see that the body suit still clung to her slender form.

Buffy-Vamp was painfully trying to stand up, to heal herself. Alex knelt down and took the blond head in her hands. The claws fruitlessly tried too frail at Alex, but she was too weak, too injured to do any harm to the Lupine. Alex said, "That's what I am, Buffy." With that, she twisted savagely, finally severing the head from the body with a bout of strength. The vampire's body slackened as it crumbled into ash around her.

Alex stood up, wiping the cold blood from her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Bob was watching her with wide eyes, holding her crossbow in his chubby hands. She found herself relieved that the boy wasn't looking at her with fear, but with a kind of awe. He rushed at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burring his face into her stomach.

She laughed softly as she bent down to hug the little boy. He said, "That was just so awesome! You really kicked butt, Alex!"

She replied, "I was just getting warmed up, Bob."

"Really, I get to watch more?" he asked ecstatically. His brown eyes were wide and hopeful with a sort of hero worship. Alex tousled his dark head as he pulled away from her.

She smirked as she tilted her head to look down at him. She held out her hand and he eagerly took it. She answered, "Sure, kiddo. I promise."

"Cuz that was just the coolest thing that I've ever seen!" Bob cheered as they began to walk again.

I've never been worshiped before. Most people look at me with fear or distaste. Well, humans anyway. Then there's little Bob here. He's a cool kid, a tough kid, and he looks at me like I'm Superman or something, someone to be worshiped. He looks at me as if I'm a super hero, or a martyr.

The way he looks at me gives me something to believe in. He knows I don't know all the answers and he knows that I'll kill the bad guys and save the innocent people. Normally, I wouldn't give a damn about a group of humans, but for Bob, I'm caring.

I don't want him to get tarnished. I don't want him hurt. He's teaching me that humans aren't the idiots that I thought they all were, or at least not all of them. If I save one hundred idiots and one kid like Bob, it'll be worth it. Besides, I get to kill vampires and that's what really matters, right?

I'm not so sure anymore . . .

Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

"Where is she?" the deep voice snarled.

Alex tossed her long, raven hair and asked, "Who?" The trench coat vampire was snarling at her, his red eyes glowing in the man-made fog. Bob was standing loyally beside her, holding her crossbow like a good sidekick. His dark hair was slicked back from his handsome face, distorted by his red eyes and dripping fangs.

He snarled, "Karen."

"Who's Karen? Do you know a Karen, kiddo?" Alex asked as she looked at Bob.

Bob shrugged and answered, "No, but there was that yellow haired leech back there." He looked over at Trench Coat and asked, "Was she the yellow haired leech who said she was Buffy?"

"You little bastard," the vampire snarled as his eyes locked on Bob. His voice softened as he purred, "Come to me, child. I won't hurt you."

Bob looked at Alex and back at the vampire. He stated, "I don't wanna."

"What?" Trench Coat asked in disbelief, "I was using my power on you."

Alex shrugged as she said, "Some humans are just immune, Fang Face." At the vampire's angry snarl she looked him over. She asked, "Does one person dress all of you vamps or something? Because I've lost count on how many leeches wear black trench coats."

"You insolent little bitch! I will drink your heart's blood as you gasp your last breaths!" he shouted at her.

Alex quirked her eyebrow and clapped. She cheered, "Bravo! Excellent use of cliched dialogue! Encore! Encore!"

"Die!" he snarled as he launched at her. Alex moved Bob swiftly out of the way and laid down right as the vampire would have impacted. She kicked one leg up, where it landed stratigiously between his legs, right at his groin. His crimson eyes widened as he fell to the ground, soothing the injured area.

Alex reached over and grabbed one of the bolts from the crossbow. She kicked the vampire in the ribs who only snarled at her. She asked, "Did that hurt?"

He hissed as he swung his legs under hers, kicking her knees from out from under her with a painful crack. She cursed loudly as she fell to the ground, the vampire loomed over her, his fangs and eyes gleaming in the darkness. He held her arms away from her and smiled.

He said, "You're an attractive young thing, I'll give you that." She grunted as she broke his hold. He blinked in surprise as she grabbed his shoulders and threw him. He hit the wall with a startled thud. He looked her over as she gracefully stood up. He asked, "You're not human, aren't you?"

Alex smiled as she launched herself at him. She held his throat as she lifted him off the ground. She held the bolt in her other hand, poised to stake him. She answered, "What made you think that, shithead?"

He smiled as his face returned to normal. His eyes were a clear, intense blue as he watched her. He asked, "Why are you helping them?"

"Because of that little boy down there. Because you're a leech. Because I'm half Lupine," she retorted icily.

He laughed and said, "Your human half is very evident, my dear, but I did warn my comrades. They know that you're here, darling."

Alex punched him with a sharp backhand. Blood oozed out of his nose as he looked at her. She smiled and asked, "Letting your buddies know that Death is coming?"

"Yes, darling," he replied with that same manic smile.

Alex smirked and hissed, "Don't call me darling, leech." With that, she drove the crossbow bolt into his heart. He hissed in pain then smiled at her again as he looked down at her hand. He winked as he exploded into ash around her.

She turned around to look at Bob. She took the crossbow from him and he asked, "Alex, can I ask you something?"

She looked down at him as they began to walk again. They were once again in the haunted house, smoke and lasers flashing around them. Alex smelled humans near by and sensed the vampires drawing closer. She replied, "Shoot, kiddo."

"Why do you hate the vampires so much?" he asked in his childishly innocent voice.

She saw her parents' dead bodies in her mind and felt the pain of being shot in the shoulder. The bullet wound still marred her milky pale skin to this very day. She looked down and confessed, "A vampire killed my mommy and daddy when I was younger than you. He shot me and I hid." Almost against her will, tears formed at her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She went on, "I promised myself that I would kill the monster that took my mommy and daddy away."

Bob was clinging to her waist again, except this time he was giving comfort than seeking it. His warm little hands wiped the tears from his face as she knelt down to face him. His brown eyes were serious and solemn as he watched her.

Alex hugged him tight and she realized that she hadn't felt this free since that night. She never told anyone how she felt about that, at least not a human. He said, "Alex, I'm sorry that they killed your mom and dad."

Alex smiled brightly at him as she stood up and took his hand again. She told him, "I'm going to go get your mom back."

"What if she's . . ." he sniffled, unable to finish his question. She hugged him and took off his wig to tousle the dark hair under it. She rocked him slightly as she held him. As she did all of this, she expanded her senses. She was keenly aware of the smell of the smoke and the smell of the watermelon shampoo that Bob used. She could sense dozens of humans jumbled together and a few random trailing through the haunted house. She could sense the eight vampires drawing nearer to kill them, one coming especially close. She didn't sense any dead though. They were all alive.

She smiled at him and ran her fingers through his short hair. She told him, "She's alive, kiddo, and I promise that I'll get her back for you." She started to walk again, noting with dismay that they were entering a maze. She stopped and gently pushed Bob against the wall. The next clearing was blind.

She took her compound crossbow and whispered, "Stay here, I'm going to check something out." Bob nodded with a big, brave grin. Alex smiled back at him and checked the corner. Standing there was a female vampire dressed all in white, like a ghost or something.

"You're the Lupine bitch that killed Grom," she hissed at her, her white hair almost bristling from her forehead. Alex watched as her grey eyes bled to crimson. She hissed, "I'm Alice."

"An interesting name for a vampire. Why are you telling me this?" Alex asked wirily.

Alice smiled and replied, "Because I will kick your ass, bitch."

"Easier said than done," Alex replied as she aimed her crossbow.

Alice studied her and asked, "You're half human, aren't you?" Alex froze and looked at her. Alice laughed and added, "You are, aren't you. A filthy half breed. And for a second I was afraid that I was dealing with a true Lupine."

"I can still kick your ass," Alex snarled with a savage grin. She was about to fire when she felt the other vampire approach Bob. "You bitch," she snarled as she turned her back and ran to the little boy.

A tall vampire dressed in classic black Goth was looming behind the little boy. Alex screamed, "Bob! Behind you!" The little boy gasped and spun around as Alex aimed. Before she fired, the vampire lifted Bob up. "Shit," she cursed sharply as the vampire laughed.

He started to run and Alex started after him, keeping sight of him. "You forgot about me, half breed," Alice snarled happily.

"Fuck you," Alex hissed as she spun around and aimed her crossbow. She fired and Alice looked surprised as it her chest, right in her heart. She gasped as she crumpled into ash, along with the bolt. Alex turned back around to see that the vampire was gone from sight.

She shouted, "Bob! Answer me, kid!"

"Alex! Help me!" he shouted like a terrified little boy.

She cursed as she launched her body, changing as she did. Soon, the wolf was running at full tilt, listening to the little boy's voice as he screamed, the compound crossbow in her jaws. Alex ran faster and faster, her four legs gracefully in synch with each other. She saw the Gother holding Bob as a door opened. They rushed into it and Alex hunched up her muscles and jumped right before it closed.

In a corner of the room there was at least twenty people huddled up together. Their fear was something she could taste on her tongue. That only pissed her off as she snarled to face the six vampires in the room and the Gother holding Bob.

Bob's mother stood up and Alex noticed that she was dressed as the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella. She shouted, "Bobby! My baby!"

"Mom!" Bob shouted, reaching out for her. Gother threw Bob to the ground and gave him a vicious slap. Alex was washed over in a red fury. She rushed and tore his hand off from his arm. She felt the cold blood splash her face as she bit his hand off, but she didn't care.

A vampire reached for her and Alex shifted again. She aimed her crossbow and fired. The vampire looked surprised as the bolt sank into his chest. He screamed as he exploded into ash. The people looked at her with wide, clear eyes. Alex shouted, "If you've got a digital phone, call 911! If you've got a cross and believe in your God, get it out!"

Someone was frantically dialing 911 as the Gother rushed at Alex. She pulled the trigger only to realize that she was out of bolts. "Oh, damn," she cursed with surprise as she looked at him. She used the crossbow to bat him away and turned around to face the other five in the room.

"This isn't good," she drawled as Gother held his bleeding stump and growled at her. She shrugged and took a stance. She told herself, "But I can handle this. I'm Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare. I'm damn good at this." Gother rushed at her first, a snarling fury with a bleeding stump.

Alex swiftly turned out of the way and gave him a swift sweep. He crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain and rage. "Don't mess with me, Stumpy," she told him as she launched a back handspring, landing in front of a surprised vampire. She gave him a quick roundhouse kick before slapping a blond female.

She shouted, "Run!" The humans did. Alex smiled as she blocked the door. She asked, "Did I let your food get away?" She punched Blondie as she approached before running over and picking up a surprised Gother. She launched the crippled vampire into his buddies and taunted, "Sorry about that. Ever try a blood bank?" She laughed at her own joke. Drinking that sort of blood would poison a vampire, the movies were wrong about these "good-guy" vampires drinking cold pigs' blood or blood from a blood bank that was contaminated with AIDS.

She waited a moment before she ran back into the haunted house. The smoke surrounded her as she jumped up to a ledge. She smiled as she realized that the wall opposite of her was particle board. She crashed into it, ignoring the fact that it sliced into her hands, drawing blood. She punched through it, making a couple of impromptu stakes. She picked one up that felt good in her hand. She played with the light splinter of wood and asked, "Want some candy?"

She laughed as she rushed Gother, plunging the wood into his heart. He exploded into ash around her. She was about to spin around, but two of the vampires grabbed her. The other two watched her. Blondie hissed, "We're gonna mess you up good, bitch."

"Alex, no!" Bob shouted. Alex looked around to see Bob holding a wooden splinter in his tiny hands as he charged one of the vampire's that held her. She was surprised as he plunged it into its heart, just as he'd watched her do before. The vampire shouted as it exploded into ash. Alex thrust her now free arm, the one with the stake in it, into the vampire.

One of the vampires tried to grab Bob, but he ducked down and Alex stabbed him. She could hear sirens approaching as she staked the last leech. She heard the doors burst open and she smelled gunpowder. She cursed again as she and Bob began to run again.

She stopped when two figures appeared seeming from out of the shadows before them. One of them was tall, with a dark power surrounding him like an aura with long, raven hair pulled back from an angelic, elfin face. The other one was familiar, but she remembered him having curly black hair and muddy green eyes, not strait lavender hair cut into a chili bowl and brilliant blue eyes.

"Brandon?" she asked, looking at him. Brandon Night, her cousin, the one who found her curled up and crying under her bed after her parents had been killed, smiled at her. All of her senses conferred it was Brandon, except the blue jacket with the circular logo, the lavender hair, which was a wig she figured out, and the blue eyes, which were contacts. Still, she was having trouble believing with her eyes that it was her cousin.

He smiled at her and chirped, "Hi, Alex." Then he noticed Bob standing beside her, looking at Brandon with awe as well. Brandon bent down and smiled. Brandon was just good with people, a talent that Alex thought was very useless, but she wasn't in line to be the next Alpha Male of the Lupine Council. He said, "Hi there, Goku."

"You know who I am?" Bob asked with a surprised awe.

He nodded and reached behind him. Alex recognized the family crest on the sword, a crescent moon with a wolf howling to a small full moon. Brandon smiled as he proclaimed, "I'm Trunks."

"Oh, cool! Alex, you know the coolest people," Bob proclaimed.

The guy dressed all in black looked at them with violet eyes. Alex studied his beautiful features and committed them to memory. She would have to draw this guy later. He stated in a soft, deep, lilting voice, "Brandon, they're almost in here. If you don't want your lovely cousin to be arrested, I suggest that she'd leave."

Brandon looked up from where he was talking with Bob. All Lupines were good with children. It was an instinct. An instinct that Alex's human side had washed away. He said, "Don't fade her out, Gabriel. Let the news cameras get a good peek at her."

Alex was suddenly afraid. If they saw her, she would be hunted. She looked at this Gabriel, who felt a lot like David in her head, except darker and more powerful. His psychic aura was much more powerful and had a darker taint to it, as well as something attractive to it.

Gabriel echoed her thoughts as he said, "The vampires will hunt her. She's good Brandon, and she should get a name for herself, but you know fully well that it's illegal to be a vampire hunter now. It's considered murder now."

She nodded, but she did like the idea of getting a name. She remembered that deaccession was the better part of valor or something like that. She smiled brightly at her cousin as she said, "Let Bob tell the story. I just need to get out of here."

She turned around, ready to turn and run. Brandon placed his large hand on her shoulder and looked down at her. He smiled and so did Gabriel. There was something about Gabriel's smile that made her knees weak. He held out his pale hand, paler than most vampires' skin, as Brandon said, "This is really cool, Alex, trust Gabriel."

Gabriel flashed her a beautiful smile as she carefully took his hand. He said, "Trust me, Alex. Please." She swallowed and nodded. He pulled her closer and she blushed as her heart started to pound. He was the most beautiful guy she'd ever met and he was giving her the most awesome smile . . . And she realized that he had some natural attraction power that turned women into mush. He couldn't help it; he just did.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped them lovingly, caressing her body like a long lost lover. She sighed as she felt the cool, calmness surround her. She was aware that she was moving through some other dimension then suddenly the real world slapped her in the face like an angry old woman. She blinked to notice that she was standing outside the black, mud coated X-Terra.

Gabriel smiled and said, "You'd better hide, Alex. He'll take you home shortly." With a jaunty wave, he was swallowed by the shadows again, leaving Alex alone. She sighed as she leaned up against Brandon's SUV and waited.

Brandon's always been helpful. He was the one who found me cowering and crying under my bed after my parents died and sent me on a tour to learn martial arts after one of my foster families had been brutally murdered by a werewolf servant. He sends me money when I need it and takes me in when I get too tired to fight anymore.

We don't see eye to eye. He's instinctual and emotional. Those things can get me killed. I prefer logic using my senses. He believes in God. I'm about as textbook atheist as I can get. He's a hopeful optimist. I still think that most humans are dumb. Still, there is one thing that ties us, and that's blood and Brandon's sense of being over protective and wanting to be the hero.

Better him than me, right?

Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

"She moved like this," Bob gave a demonstration of a fast back kick, "And she saved me. She told me that she was going to get my mommy back and she did! She was all gruff and mean at first, but I figured that she was like Vegeta."

The blond reporter asked, "Who's Vegeta?"

Alex looked over at her cousin, who was towel drying his hair. The eleven o'clock news was on and they were watching it together. She was the main story. Well, the vampires taking over the Industrial Nightmare and the mysterious vampire hunter who saved them all.

She asked, "Yeah, who's Vegeta?"

"Oh, he's from DBZ. He's one of the coolest characters," Brandon explained as he pulled on a pair of sweats before he sat beside her. His muddy green eyes twinkled as he went on, "He was this prince, his planet got destroyed, he went for revenge . . ." His words became and excited blur.

She held up her hand and said, "Sorry, but I'll stick to Digimon. It's easier to understand."

"Oh, come on, there's Gundam, EVA, Escaflowne, Bastard! , Berserk, and Slayers you've yet to experience," he proclaimed. He jumped up and shouted, "I am the Prince of all Sayans once again!"

Alex chuckled and shook her head. She wrote:

I'm watching these humans on TV, singing praises about me. This hero-worshiping is getting intoxicating as hell. And not all humans are idiots. I guess they need a protector. Brandon's a Hunter, but the law limits him, as it does Gabriel, who's an FBI agent btw.

Gabriel has to have Fay blood in him. I'll ask Brandon later, after he gets off his anime kick. I swear. He's been to Japan too much.

Again, about the humans. They need a protector who can slip beyond the law. Hell, I'm becoming a super hero . . . Alex Night, Vampire Extrodinare, Human Protector, it has a nice ring to it.

Maybe I should ask Brandon this . . .

Alex Night, Vampire Hunter Extrodinare

The End . . . or is it?

1.) SPF, stands for Supernatural Police Force. Like I said, this takes place in a future not too long from now where supernatural creatures had been found out. The SPF in Louisville is the first formed and is part of an experiment by the American Supernatural Agency, created by the US government to create laws and forces that can deal with the supernatural.

If you wanna read the book that it comes from that I'm currently working on, give me a line at slaybrat@aye.net. You can enjoy these stories without the SPF novel, but I just want feedback on my book and suggestions.

2.) Wolves, and most canids and other predators, see in black and white.

3.) Wolves can also see in the infrared spectrum. They can sense body heat. I've seen evidence of this before. My father was a biologist who studied wolves before he became a nurse. I helped in several of his studies, so I sort of know what I'm talking about. Now, if you wanna write a kick ass werewolf story, just ask me and I can give you some cool information about wolves. Just send an e-mail!

Also, this story is written much more coherently than Alex's first one. The first story was meant to sound disjointed like that because it was sort of a peek into her mind. Alex has been through a lot in her eighteen years. Her parents were murdered in front of her when she was a child, etc, and not to mention the fact that she's a half breed and has two natures conflicting with in her. I just hope you enjoyed Alex and want to see more of her in the future.

Besides, isn't it just fun to see all the vampire cliches to be turned on their heads?