Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Preventers: When Vampires Attack ❯ Chapter 2

Amy screamed as she felt her eyelids shrivel and peel away from her eyeballs, which were immediately pierced by a blinding lance of light. A tiny brass marching band danced by on her head, followed by a lagging cymbalist. Every bone in her body snapped simultaneously and she rolled around in agony. Oh, if only death would come quickly! She flung hers arms out, welcoming death, embracing it . . . and walloped something with her hand.

She pried one eye open. Stacie was scowling at her and rubbing her nose sullenly. Sally Po stood at the bedroom door, her finger lightly resting on the light switch. Darn her, but she looked like she was trying not to laugh. Beside Amy, Wufei curled up into a cute little ball, clenching the rumpled covers against his tasty naked chest defensively.

"Rise and shine, you two." Sally Po sounded entirely too cheerful for her own good. "It's time to head to the capitol city of the world - Alben, Colarado." She chuckled as Amy kicked at Wufei. But by golly and by God, if she had to suffer, then so should Wu!! Once the Chinaman blinked his eyes into a state of openness, Sally steered a growling Stacie out the door, leaving Amy and Wu to get dressed.

Amy almost had to use both hands to pry her other eye open. By the time she was blinking them alternately, Wufei was already sitting up and blearily scratching himself all over in the time-honored tradition of the males of the human species. She tried to ask what time it was, really she did. And she meant to ask nice, even adding a "please." But she just managed to sound like a dying cat choking back a spiked hairball as a thermometer got sucked up its ass. That is to say, it didn't sound nice. Or even human. But Wufei, bright scholar that he was, managed to decipher it.

"Five-oh-two. . . ." He died twice before he found his voice to speak again. "Why did we even go to sleep at all."

"I'unno." She rolled out of bed, literally, and ended up on the floor. She managed to reach the dresser in less than five tries, however. In the end, dressing became a joint effort, as neither Wufei nor Amy seemed to be able to function properly. In a few minutes, they dragged themselves out into the tiny living room to kill Sally.

"Good morning!" Sally Po, president and medical head-honcho of the Preventers, smiled up at them from her perch on the battered loveseat. "Duo and Stacie are in the kitchen making coffee. When they get back out here, I'll unfold your travel plans. I think you will be most pleased. . . ."

"My only consolation," Amy muttered to Wufei as they squished into an armchair, "is that Duo should be feeling worse than us for once." Yes, thanks to the inevitable hangover, she might get a little peace and quiet on the trip.

All hopes were squashed into bug toe-jam when a whirlwind burst out of the kitchen. This particular whirlwind had a merry lilt in his step. This particular whirlwind was singing "The Phantom of the Opera." This particular whirlwind was not, and I repeat not, hung-over. Dammit. . . .

Duo Maxwell grinned cheerfully and handed one of the coffee mugs to Sally. Then he plunked down on the loveseat beside her. Amy's face fell at least as far as her heart did, even when Stacie practically sleep-walked into the living room after him and gave Amy and Wufei their coffee mugs before dazedly settling on her husband's lap.

How the hell did he do it?? The man had the devil's own luck. Amy shook her head and took a great gulp of her steaming coffee, only to remember she hated coffee. She abhorred coffee. It was the scum of the earth. It was . . . not so bad when you're dead tired. Sighing, she took another swig and tried to ignore Wufei, who was greedily nursing his own mug.

"So? What's Prez Asano got planned for us?" Duo downed his coffee, eagerly addressing Sally.

She smiled gently and tapped the small packet that lay upon her lap. "This sachet contains all of the clues you need to figure it out for yourselves. After some of our past missions, I believe you'll all be pleasantly surprised." She gave Wufei a sideways look. "Even those of us who appreciate little in life."

Amy chuckled softly, but inched forward as Duo lit into the packet like a kid on Christmas. He flipped through the documents within briefly, then cast a radiant grin about the room. "We're flying on the President's personal jet to Alben. When we get to the city, we are to use these keys-" He held up four magnetic-strip ID tags. "-to access our rooms in an apartment complex which the President has personally paid for. And check this out!" The braided bishounen fanned four tickets against his palm with an exaggerated flourish. "Does the word `libido' mean anything to you guys?" He winked at his wife, who had finally managed to crack a smile.

"Libido. Sex drive. . . ?" Amy queried with some growing interest just as Wufei growled something about this being a serious mission.

"Bingo!" Duo laughed and studied the tickets musingly. "Apparently, we're to use these tickets to get into a nightclub called Libido and talk to some dude who'll hook us up."

"Finally - something about this mission worth getting up this early for." Stacie grinned lopsidedly and slurbled her coffee with newfound relish. Suddenly, her brow furrowed sharply and she glared up at Sally. "Alben . . . why does that sound familiar?"

"That's the capitol city of the entire planet Earth, wench!" Duo's violet eyes danced merrily as he softened his words with a smile. "Of course, you've been a civilian for sooo long that you might not have known that..." To keep the president's privacy to a maximum, Alben's true nature generally was not broadcast. The titular capitol was located in northern Colorado; when the president was needed for a public stint, he flew there the night before. It was a relief to note that those who suspected a ruse were the same people who believed that Elvis was still up and about.

"No, no," Stacie muttered absently, staring right through the living room wall. "There's something else. I feel like maybe. . . maybe I know someone there..?"

"Well, now you guys know as much as I do - which really isn't much." Sally shrugged dismissively. "I'm betting the Earth-Sphere Corps wants to keep this at a very low profile, where information is doled out on a need-to-know basis. And probably grudgingly at that. But just promise me that if they don't tell you enough or they're withholding information, you'll contact me. If it comes down to it, I'll send someone to retrieve you. This is a damned dangerous mission . . . and I guess I've sort of gotten attached to you boys after all we've been through. You too, Amy, Stacie . . . but you understand my history with the pilots."

"Yeah, we understand." Amy feigned a deep and hurtfully pained expression. Or tried to. She was still too sleepy to tell if she succeeded or not. Regardless, her efforts earned her a smile.

"Alright, kids. Get out there and make us proud! The jet will be waiting at HQ." And with that, Sally left. The team drained their mugs, the women made their men-folk do the dishes, Amy and Wufei packed, and they were out the door. The suitcase was thrown into the back of Duo's black Deathscythe Jeep, on top of Duo and Stacie's own luggage, and they were on their way.

Driving was uneventful, considering who was driving. Since Duo was a little tired, he only pretended to lose control of the vehicle five times. After trying to convince everyone that he was using his awesome powers of telekinesis to drive the Jeep (when he was actually using his knees), he calmed down and settled into the task at hand.

Once Amy was somewhat convinced that she was not in any immediate mortal danger, she snuggled against Wufei and proceeded to go to sleep - just as Duo pulled up into Preventers Headquarters' parking lot. Murmuring a very severe death threat, she dragged the suitcase out with her and effectively used it as a counter-balance. She supposed she reached the jet as a result of Wufei's expert steering, but everything from the parking lot to the runway was a blur.

When she regained consciousness again, they were in the air, heading for the Alben. Somehow, she had managed to wrap herself up in seat belts well enough to satisfy the pilot, whoever that might happen to be. Wufei's unconscious form was slumped over a seat beside her. Duo seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, pressing his nose against the plane window like an excited puppy. Stacie was not-so-mysteriously missing . . . and the bathroom in the back of the plane was not-so-mysteriously occupied. So much for holding her alcohol better. . . .

Turning slightly, Amy squished her face into Wufei's arm and gave way to the sweetly beckoning call of sleep.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † †

"Welcome to Colorado!"

Amy cleared the last of the sleepy bleariness from her eyes. She blinked in surprise as a roaring expanse of forest swept her eyeballs out of her head and left them bouncing across the ground. Damn. Colorado? What happened to Rocky Mountain high and all that? Once she recovered her errant eyeballs, she turned to gaze upon the awesome capitol city of the entire planet.

They had done a very good job of keeping a low profile. The entire town couldn't have a population of much more than 3,000. There was plenty of upper crust housing, all the fixings of a nice rural town, even a pair of the Golden Arches.

"It's, um, very nice," Stacie was saying, somewhat puzzled.

"Why's it so . . . um, small?"

"Where the hell's the strip clubs??"

Wufei, rational and better rested, held up a silencing hand. For once, even Duo turned to hear him out. "The President likes to keep a low profile. A smaller city means less security hazards and less people who can sneak in and do very nasty things to him. Of course...the city you saw from the air is not our destination."

"Wu-man, I'm proud of you! You've been reading up, haven't you?" Duo grinned and thumped his colleague on the back, then regarded him with a sober gaze. "No, really, man, where's the club?"

The ex-Altron pilot sighed and fished the tickets from their sachet. "The capitol city is contained underground. No one can get in or out without under-going massive security checks. And once we head Underground, we just follow the address on the tickets. But were I you, Maxwell-" And Amy distinctly heard a muttered `heaven forbid', "-I'd worry about finding the apartment complex first. That will be more important than the club, shi?"

Duo's "I guess" was lost in the sharp decline of his head and the scuffling of the toe of his boot. Had Wufei actually cared, he'd have felt like he'd just whipped an excited puppy. Had he cared.

"The apartments are above-ground. It shouldn't take too long," Stacie soothed her husband sweetly.

Within ten minutes, the jet had landed in a small airfield just outside the town. It seemed like they walked out of the aircraft and right into the waiting sedan. Apparently, Asano didn't want to risk his dream team getting lost on the way to their rooms. In any case, the gesture was greatly appreciated.

As the driver navigated the streets, Duo and Amy made faces at the civilian residents on the other side of the tinted windows. Wufei could barely hide his relief when they pulled up in front of the apartment house - a five-story building that topped most of its neighbors. Check-in was easy; the manager fairly bowed and scraped when he discovered which rooms they were going to be using. Judging from the sickeningly green dollar signs which sprang up into the man's eyes, Amy was thrilled to the very tips of her toes that the Preventers group wasn't shouldering the bill for this assignment.

As she and Wufei entered their apartment, the word that flashed through Amy's mind was "plush." Scratch "flashed" . . . enter "pervaded." Everything looked soft and cushy and blue. Plush this, plush that, and plush the other thing. A blue armchair and couch stopped just short of being overstuffed. To the right of the entrance, a door led to a cozy little kitchen complete with the very latest in culinary technology. Across the quaint living room area, frosted glass double doors led to the bedroom and a bathroom lay kitty-corner from that. Just as Amy's last brain cell started to frazzle and smolder, Wufei quirked an eyebrow and chuckled.

"If this isn't a bribe, I don't know what is. . . ." Amy took a step forward. Her foot sunk into the carpet about two inches.

"Not a bribe. . . ." Wufei dragged the luggage rollers through the carpet sea into the bedroom, leaving deep wheel-trails. He plunked down on the edge of the bed, a little worn out from the exertion of plowing through all that carpeting. "More like he's desperate for us to do a good job and he's just making sure we're happy in our job. Otherwise we might run out before finishing or something." He shook his head slightly.

Amy eyed the kitchenette and grinned wryly. "In other words, bribing us to do a kick ass job. Ne?"

Wufei shrugged and headed back into the living room, where he solemnly tested the poofiness of the couch. After a few seconds, though he still hadn't been sucked into the cushy stuffing, he still appeared dubious. Amy grinned at his boyish expression and plunked down next to him, satisfactorily sinking into the cushion.

"In the meantime, we can enjoy the luxuries, ne?" Resting a hand on his thigh, she leaned over and gave him a huge kiss. He grinned and pressed back, answering her demand for attention rather willingly.

"Hey, guys! Check out these rooms!" Stacie's exuberance practically pervaded the room as she knocked on their door. Apparently, Duo's accompanying presence was heralded by a low grumbling punctuated with a few references to nightclubs. Before the door was compromised, Amy and Wufei joined the Maxwells in the corridor.

"Your room's like ours?"

Stacie nodded vigorously. Wufei tried not to watch Duo as he wallowed in misery. "Can we gooooo noooooowwww?" The braided bishounen almost sounded like he was in pain.

"Yes." Wufei hissed and, to avoid being forced to watch further displays, he swept back into the apartment to retrieve the tickets.

As much as Amy tried to convince herself otherwise, she was excited about going to the strip club as well. Apparently not as excited as Duo, however, who could have won an Academy Award for the sudden emotion swing. Just looking at his toothy grin made Amy wish she'd packed sunglasses.

"Now, before Maxwell gets ideas of abusing our coverage, I'll remind you that this is strictly business. We're to look for a Juan Haverez, the manager. He'll tell us what Asano wants us to do-"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, let's go!!"

And they headed back to the airfield. The armed guards surrounding the larger of the hangars were a good tip-off that they were headed in the right direction. A heavily decorated guard approached them almost immediately. Since President Asano was expecting them, it didn't take all that long to satisfy the captain with some passports and shiny badges. All the same, they rated a straight-faced escort who saw them through their elevator-ride. Amy, who had never had a problem with elevators before, actually began to feel something akin to claustrophobia grip her as they descended for what felt like years. Finally, with a raucous clang of gears and who-knew-what, the utility elevator ground to a halt and offered them leave.

As the Preventers traversed the sidewalks, Amy contented herself with a study of the "sky." The sun seemed to be in the same location as it had been top-side, but it didn't generate the same warmth. Wufei played a perfect tour-guide - once he had been barraged with enough questions - and explained that the Alben Underground employed the technologies which allowed the colonies to enjoy day and night. No one seemed that interested in the specifics (Amy had never even been to a colony) and Wufei was only too happy to fall silent once again.

His peace wasn't to last for long. In a matter of milliseconds, Duo managed to drag everyone up this street, down that one, and get lost three times before arriving in front of a red neon sign that buzzed Libido. Amy had just begun admiring the soft red light it cast over Wufei's smooth Asian features when Duo landed on his tailbone at her feet.

"Hey! I'm an invited guest, you!" He leapt up and began shaking his fist at a beefy sleazeball who was slowly stalking closer. "You don't got no right-"

"Ahm, Maxwell. . . ." Wufei tapped him on the shoulder.

"That's right, pal!" Duo flashed his most dangerous grin at the muscle-man. "My friend here knows kung-fu, feng shui, and I'll personally make sure he jujube-jitsu's your ass!" He crossed his arms over his chest, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Maxwell. . . ," Wufei growled.

"Yeah, `Fei?" Duo turned slightly to include his colleague in his overconfident smile.

Wufei sighed and pushed past the American man. He stepped up to the intimidating bouncer and gave him a measuring glance. Then he nodded. "Good evening. We have passes." That was the most polite thing Amy had ever heard him say. She felt so proud she could cry. Maybe later.

The guy looked over the passes, then double-checked them, as though he suspected something. Finally, he squinted at Duo and nodded the four of them through the door behind him. The look he shot Duo made it perfectly clear that they all had better be on their best behavior. But Duo didn't seem to notice, or care. Totally oblivious to Wufei's lecture on the true purpose of martial arts, he grabbed Stacie's hand and plowed ahead to explore the joint.

Wufei was left to finish his rant to a very distracted Amy. He glowered for a second afterwards, then turned to see what held her attention. He peered through a beaded doorway and out into a room which looked like a restaurant with a stage. It wasn't very interesting, just some half-naked guy doing some pelvic thrusts onstage. Just- "Hey!"

Amy blinked and turned her attention back to the Chinaman. "Hrmm?"

"We have a mission . . . and that is not it."

"Yeah, well, we got passes, didn't we? Might as well enjoy them. . . ."

He caught her arm before she could meander into the other room. "If there is time afterward, we will enjoy our privileges. For now, we have some deranged killers on the loose and it's up to us to find them before they ruin more lives."

Amy blinked at him for a moment. "Wow. Wufei, I didn't know you-"

He gave her arm a small tug. "Forget it. Let's go look for this Haverez guy."

Making an executive decision, he chose the doorway on the opposite side of the room from the stage and fluidly drew the beaded curtains aside. And on they stepped, into the bar. Amy felt a huge grin spread over her face and she took a deep whiff of the bar-ness. Ah, alcohol, sweat, sex, and smoke, just as she remembered.

She looked over to Wufei, who looking a bit lost. "I used to work in a bar, you know." She spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the pulsating atmospheric music.

"Well, then, you navigate," suggested a frustrated Wufei, who had never frequented bars himself.

Amy shook her head and wondered, not for the first time, how he had survived to the ripe old age of twenty-five. But she took the poor boy's hand and steered him toward the bar. Or rather, the man mixing drinks behind the counter.

"'Scuse me." Amy flashed a pearly white smile. "We're looking for a friend, Juan Haverez. He's working tonight, right?"

"A friend, you say?" The man finished mixing a mean Sex on the Beach and leaned one arm against the counter. For a moment he regarded them skeptically, his dark chocolate-brown eyes sweeping from one to the other. Finally, he ran his hand through his short black hair and squinted. "And you are. . . . ?"

Uh-oh. . . . Ummm. "Amy Clark. He's expecting me."

The guy sitting beside her, a sleazy stick-like man, bumped her elbow as he lowered his mug. His eyes widened for an instant, then he stood with a grace that belied his emaciated figure. Now face-to-face, he fixed her with an icy glare that made her shudder. Before she could burn the gel off his bleach-blond hair, he slid some money onto the counter and left. Amy had the distinct impression that his eyes remained on her until he reached the door. The thought made her shudder again.

The barkeeper frowned as he watched the man leave. Thankfully, he looked a bit friendlier when he turned back to Amy. "Ah, then I am expecting you." He glanced at Wufei, who murmured his name uncomfortably. This earned them an approving nod.

"I think we should go someplace more private, then." The man took in the room with a sweeping glance, then motioned to the young man who was wiping down a soda fountain. "Oi, Damien, take the bar."

Wufei actually stepped back slightly and let Amy follow the barkeeper before falling into step behind her. As Haverez moved out from behind the counter, a large metal brace on his right leg glinted with misleading cheeriness. The man seemed blind to their gazes, moving with a gait that seemed well adjusted to accommodate the brace. He quickly led the two into a corridor, then an office room. Stacie and Duo were already there, lounging in the soft leather chairs. When they entered the room, Duo twisted around and grinned at the barkeeper. "Hey! You Juan Haverez?"

"Yes. Have a seat, you two." Haverez motioned toward two more chairs, then rounded his desk and took his seat. Wufei looked a bit irked that the Maxwells had found the office before they had, but took defeat as gracefully as could be expected.

"Have you talked with President Asano yet?" Haverez cut to the chase.

"No." Wufei shot a dirty look at Duo.

Haverez nodded, pleased with the answer. "Well, that's probably for the best." Duo shot a cocky grin at Wufei who, fortunately, wasn't looking at the braided bishounen any more. "I can answer whatever questions you might have. This way you won't take up his time . . . or bring up questions which will remind him of two nights ago." Haverez looked sincerely concerned. "In case you are wondering just why you should listen to an old barkeep, you might be interested to know that I held a high position among the President's secret service. That was...a few years ago, of course. I got this thing while protecting the President - successfully protecting the President. Now… well, you can see how I'd be more use in a melting pot like this than I could be dodging more bullets."

Amy considered popping both Wufei and Duo in their noses, but decided against it. Very unbusiness-like conduct, that. Instead, she nodded at the barkeeper. "Well, could you tell us a bit about Alben? And if you've noticed a change in anything since the murders started. And, um . . . important stuff."

Haverez smiled slightly. "Well, the first known attack happened about . . . five months ago? Yes, that sounds about right. I won't take up your time with technicalities; I understand you have the dates in your assignment overview. As well as the . . . photos, I'm guessing." His expression indicated that he'd been privy to those photos as well. "Understandably, the police were upset at the first murder and immediately tried to increase security around Asano. But he wouldn't hear any of that. Said his daughter needed to grow up without feeling like she was in a prison, even if it is a pretty one.

"The next attack didn't come until three months later, when the authorities were beginning to get comfortable about keeping the first one under wraps. The following murders were almost more than anyone could handle. They were still trying to keep it quiet. Then Laura Asano was murdered in exactly the same way as the other five. Well . . . almost. She was attacked in her home. The other bodies were found in the woods."

"Well, how clueless are the police?" Stacie looked pretty darn miffed.

Haverez shrugged. "There were no threats, no ransom notes, no warning of any kind. The victims' own blood and signs of a struggle in the immediate vicinity of their bodies don't lend many clues. And no two kids were murdered in the same spot, or even the same area, really. It's not the police's fault that no one's been caught yet. You can't follow nonexistent clues. We've even had the world's top forensics experts on the case, sworn to secrecy and paid so damn well they should be shot if one word leaks out. There are just no clues to be had."

"Can't you trace the nasty that the killer left all over his victims?" Duo's violet eyes flashed. "That seems sort of clue-like to me."

"And the fact that the victims resemble super-violent vampire attacks means nothing to you?" The acidic tone bit at Amy's tongue as she growled the words out.

Haverez held up his hands as though he was trying to ward off the heated words. "The semen was tested, but there are no genetic matches. And..." He nodded toward Amy. "You can't tell for sure it was vampires. I mean, half the world still doesn't even know they exist. But there are still so many vampire-wannabes, it's hard to tell which is which. Those guys know even more about deadly vampire attacks than most pathologists. But some of the policemen have been ordered to shoot first, ask questions later if they meet up with a vampire." Amy was somewhat pleased to see that Haverez looked uncomfortable with the order. But he shook his head and continued. "Regardless, when Laura was murdered, Asano decided to break the whole secrecy thing and contact your group. That little girl was practically his whole life."

Wufei looked up from where he had been pondering silently. "The murders all took place in the forest near Alben. The President's house can't be near that forest..?"

Haverez averted his eyes. "Well, that's another point of opposition between President Asano and his security. His house is officially located in the Alben Underground... but he insists on spending most of his time topside. That property borders the woods, but the house itself is well away from it. We don't know why the killer decided to come into a home this time. The President did mention that Laura's most recent fling involved this kid who had recently been changed into a vampire. But that still doesn't explain anything, really." Haverez affected a shrug that was more than a little apologetic.

The Preventers fell silent, each fumbling with their own notions. Haverez let them juggle their thoughts for a bit, then cleared his throat. "The main reason you were sent to me is so I can give you `jobs' here at Libido for the time being. You can pick up the most interesting information in places like this. And . . . Libido is a known vampire haunt."

Stacie's ears perked almost visibly. "Vampires? Here?? Ooooooooooooooo. . . ." Duo nudged her into stony silence.

Wufei's ears actually twitched. "I thought you said you couldn't prove that the killer is a vampire."

"We can't. Officially. But that doesn't mean that they have been ruled out of our investigation. Your superior called earlier-" Amy hoped to God he meant Sally Po and not Une. "-with some job-placement suggestions. You two." He pointed out Stacie and Duo, who both leaned forward eagerly. "How would you like to become strippers?"

Judging by the cheer that Amy heard for .2 seconds before she became deaf in both ears, they were okay with that.

"You, a bartender?" Haverez's hand swept aside to indicate Amy. She grinned and nodded, mentally testing herself on the ingredients of a few of the more obscure mixed drinks.

"And you." Wufei visibly bristled as Juan pointed at him, silently daring the man to give him some terrible assignment. A janitor, maybe? Yes, that sounded like something Sally would suggest. . . . "Ms. Po said that you were to join our ranks of exotic dancers, and no excuses are to be taken."

"What??" For a second, Wufei didn't think he could restrain himself from leaping over the desk and strangling the tall Mexican. "No she didn't. She values her life-"

Haverez grinned at the bishounen's discomfort. "She left her orders under no uncertain terms, Mr. Chang. Though she did seem to expect resistance."

Wufei seethed. Memo to self: Maim that worthless, scheming onna as soon as-

"So! We're all set, then?" Haverez pushed himself away from the desk and stood. "Ms. Clark, you can join Damien behind the bar until I'm sure that Ms. Po had good reason to put you there. The rest of you, follow me. I'll set you up in the dressing rooms. Oh, and you will be paid for the work you do."

Amy fairly danced out into the bar again, and skipped a circle around Damien. "Hi, I'm Amy and I'm be your apprentice for the next .2 seconds, or until you deem me worthy to strike out alone." She struck a dramatic pose.

Damien pursed his lips, then leaned against the counter and laughed softly. Amy shivered, then did a double-take. Something was vaguely familiar about this guy. That laugh…?

"Have we met?" She hated the uncertainty in her voice, but it couldn't be helped.

He smiled at her tone and she bristled slightly. "No, at least I don't think I know you." He let velveteen brown eyes search her face. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I guess you just reminded me of someone." Amy shrugged dismissively, but her mind reeled. That laugh. . . . She just hoped she could place it before she left the bar. Otherwise, it would bug her to no end.

Damien looked at her as though he suspected a dorky pick-up line, but let her start taking orders. By the time she was in the heat of mixing her nine-hundredth screwdriver, Damien seemed somewhat confident in her abilities. And by two a.m., he was ready to hand the bar over to her tomorrow evening.

Although she was thrilled to pieces at the prospect of filling her bartending shoes again, Amy couldn't help but feel a bit deflated over the fact that she hadn't heard anything useful all night. What she had honestly expected, she wasn't sure, but it wouldn't have hurt a thing if the murderer himself had danced into the bar and drank himself under the table while confessing to each attack. Wouldn't have hurt one bit.

Unfortunately, no one but Joe had been that stupid. And Amy severely doubted that Joe was the murderer. No, in all likelihood, he had probably gone and killed himself while tying his shoes one morning. Or missed his mouth and stabbed a fork in his eye during dinner one night. However, as much as Amy enjoyed thinking up dumb demises that Joe might have succumbed to, she had better things to do. Like listen to Wufei bitch. Er . . . rant. Right. All the way back to the apartments.

"-such dishonor the Chang name has never seen! I could hear my ancestors weep for the family!"

Duo made a bored blah blah blah face and shook his head so that his braid almost whipped Stacie. "The man's a born stripper, Ames. Don't let that shy li'l blush fool ya!"

Stacie nodded her agreement, then swiped a wad of sticky bills from Duo's hand. "Man, this job is the best! I wouldn't mind this case taking a nice, long while for once!"

This upset the Chinaman and he erupted in a series of enraged splutters. Amy just laughed and dragged him out the door as the Maxwells counted their generous earnings. Intent on ignoring Wufei, she almost didn't see the man waiting outside in the shadows. But once the stranger stepped out toward her, he was very difficult to overlook.

"Greetings." The stranger bowed low, his face lost in the shadows that had concealed him so readily. It was hard to tell where his dark cloak and thick black hair left off and the shadows began.

Amy, always on her best behavior, tried not to scowl too hard at the man. She felt Wufei bristle beside her and moved her hand from his wrist to his palm. "Hello...."

He obviously caught the not-so-subtle distrust in her voice. While his face was still hidden in shadow, his voice smiled for him. "You do not know me, nor I you. I come on behalf of my master."

"Master. . . ?" Wufei's voice, low and curious, caught her ear. Amy silently agreed. Who the heck had a "master" these days?

Stacie and Duo caught up then, causing the stranger to retreat back slightly until he was all but engulfed in a black void. One look at the man caused Stacie's eyes to narrow in suspicion or mistrust, or both. "A vampire," she hissed. "What do you want?"

The man froze, then drew himself up proudly. "Yes. I am here on behalf of Mikael, Master Vampire of the United States of America. It is his will that Amy would join him this night."

Amy affected a very slow, very dumb blink. Mikael?? Nooo...waaay.... Here? But I haven't heard of him in-

"Amy?" Wufei had turned to watch her face and was squeezing her hand tightly. His voice asked the question where words might not be appropriate. Do you know this yonko or do we need to kick some ass? Well, that could be considered a very rough translation, anyway.

"I-I no longer have business with Mikael. You can tell him that he's going to be leaving me alone for the rest of my life, `kay?

As soon as the words had left her throat, Amy wished she could reach out and snatch them back. The messenger stiffened once more, this time drawing back into the shadows until he was barely visible. "You.... That is your reply?"

Now that it was out, she wasn't about to back down. "You've got it. Now go away."

The vampire disappeared into the night within seconds. Amy cast a quick glance around the group, fishing for reactions. Wufei craned his neck, trying to follow the man with his eyes. Duo still gaped at the shadow where the vampire had been. Stacie seemed to be following the vampire's path with interest and amusement.

"Alben," Stacie mused softly. Everyone stared at her as she let out a condescending chuckle. "That's why it sounded familiar. Mikael must have told me he was relocating here."

Definitely not in any sort of mood for questions - unless she was the one asking them - Amy led a hasty retreat to the apartments. Once she and Wufei were safely inside their rooms, she leaned against the door wearily, trying to process the encounter.

"Amy. Vampires. Talk to me." Wufei looked matronly, standing splayed-footed with his fists on his hips. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

Amy managed a weak smile and moved to collapse on the couch. "Years ago, when my friends and I were still out to save the world, I had a . . . really good friend named Conan. He's a vampire. Well, I was introduced to a "Night World" of sorts through that guy. One of the big players was this vampire, Mikael. I got taken during Toran al Tel, the "Feast of the Blood," as an entrée on the menu. Mikael, who'd heard about me through Conan, challenged me to a fight. I think my Elemental powers intrigued him. If I won, I would leave alive, with all my blood. If I lost, well, I would become part of the Feast." Amy frowned and rubbed her arm with one sweaty palm. "I sure as hell had nothing to lose - they were already planning on draining my blood! So I agreed. And I lost."

Wufei watched her for a moment, expecting more. Finally, he emitted an exasperated sigh and plunked down beside her on the cushions. "Well, you're obviously still alive. What happened?"

"Halfway through the fight, he tried to strike another deal with me. He was beginning to get a sense of how powerful a Fire Elemental I am and he wanted a piece of me. Or rather, a piece of my power. He invited me to become a vampire, but he really only wanted to give me the Marks to put me under his will. I refused and that sorta pissed him off. He thinks he's so damned irresistible. Anyway, he knocked me out and I don't remember anything more until I woke up later. My friends had rescued me and I was back at our `HQ.' I didn't realize until much later that Mikael had given me the first mark."

"First mark. . . ." Wufei sounded a bit dazed.

Amy rolled up her short sleeve and pointed out a particularly shapely scar on her right deltoid. White scar tissue, bright against her tanned skin, had taken a star-like shape. "He did some kind of blood exchange. I don't remember particulars." She shook her head. "And I don't especially like talking about it."

The bishounen managed to quirk an eyebrow at her before she rose and sauntered into the bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she slipped out of her clothes and began rummaging through her drawer for her worn bedwear. She tried not to jump when a hand slid across her stomach. A smooth chin nestled into her neck and she relaxed as Wufei's warm, masculine scent reached her nostrils.

"It's alright, Amy. That happened years ago and changes nothing now. You don't need to talk about it unless you're good and ready to. But if this Mikael knows you're here… Promise you won't take any unnecessary risks."

Amy almost face-faulted at his soft words but, luckily, he had pressed her back tightly against his abdomen. Recovering as quickly as could be expected, she hugged his arms with her own, tracing firm muscles upward with gentle hands. He kissed her neck and withdrew to slip out of his clothes and climb into bed. Once she fished out a tee-shirt and boxers, Amy joined him, eager for a full night's sleep.

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