Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Preventers: When Vampires Attack ❯ Chapter 7

Amy reveled in the hot water that pounded her skin, purging Mikael's taint from the surface. Beneath the steady deluge, the last of the dried blood had fallen from her body to disappear down the drain. She reached for the shampoo and began to lather up her hair for the third time. Soap suds streamed down her body in thick, rushing rivulets to collect around her feet.

"If you take much longer, you'll run out of hot water."

She jumped and was forced to do some pretty fancy footwork to regain her footing in the slippery tub. The unexpected intrusion on her private world set her on edge, reminded her of why she was here.

Conan had brought her to his house, a cozy summer cottage located about halfway between Mikael's mansion and the city. She had insisted that she return to her apartment to look for Wufei, but Conan had brought up three very good points. One: The cottage was closer; this way she could change out of that stupid camisole. Two: Mikael couldn't find her here. Conan had gone to great pains to keep the location of his makeshift base a secret. Three: If Amy had gone back to the apartment, she could be putting Wufei in danger as well. Mikael obviously knew where she was staying and might send some not-so-nice characters there to search for her. In the light of his third reason, she hadn't been able to come up with any argument.

Hence, here she was, taking a shower at Conan's cozy establishment while he sat outside the bathroom door, guarding her on the off chance that Mikael managed to hunt them down. Conan, sweet guy that he was, had provided a running commentary throughout most of her shower.

"Settle, you. I'm almost done," she called, rinsing the herbal shampoo from her long brown hair. With a small sigh, Amy let the water stream over her a few seconds longer, then turned it off. She opened the sliding door and blindly fumbled for a towel; she knew it was somewhere out there in the dense steam. After a quick dry, she jumped into the clothes which Conan had loaned her. The jeans hung low on her hips and the tee-shirt fit as well as could be expected. Satisfied, she tossed the towel over the shower door and stepped out into the hall.

The first thing she noticed was the acute drop in temperature. The second: no Conan.

Her breath caught in her throat. "Conan?"

I'm not gonna panic; I'm not gonna panic! She panicked.

"Conan?! Where are you?" Immediately, she felt like kicking herself. If Mikael was here, he'd have no problem nabbing her now. Berating herself sharply, she took to skulking in the deeper shadows of the hallway. She made a quick catalogue of the doors and rooms she had passed on her way to the bathroom. If someone leapt out at her, she could duck into the nearest room. She paused and palmed the nearest doorknob warily, then snatched her hand away as she realized which room lay beyond. Yeah . . . it'd do her a hell of a lot of good to get trapped inside a closet. . . .

"Amy; I'm in here."

She'd never been so relieved to hear that voice! Smiling lamely, she traced Conan's voice to a small, homey kitchen. Like the rest of his house, it was wooden and fairly rustic. Veddy charming. Now, Conan was standing beside the stove, stirring eggs in a small pan. For some reason, she'd never been able to picture the 1500-(plus) year-old vampire in a domestic setting. Now all that was missing was a frilly pink apron. Being the funkified Amy she was, she said as much.

He grinned. "And good morning to you, too! I thought you could use some breakfast."

"Now that you mention it. . . ." She caught a whiff of the food cooking and her mouth began to water. "Bacon too?" She melted. "Conan, you're a lifesaver . . . when you're not trying to kill me."

Conan pursed his lips, but left the comment to hang in the air, a heavy barrier between them. He deliberately turned the bacon, focusing on the six puckered strips intently. Amy grimaced and plopped down at the small kitchen table behind him, silently tracing circles on the floorboards with her toe. Finally, he looked back, studying her over his shoulder for a few seconds. "Nice clothes. Great sense of style you have, there." His good-natured grin came easily, without showing fang.

"Oh thankee." She embraced the breach of silence. "Hey, how come you've got this cute backwoods cottage all to yourself while I've been hopping from apartment to apartment these past five years?"

"Hey, you forget . . . I've had about 1500 years to save up." His grin widened. "I've accumulated a lot of things in my time. Had I chosen to, I could have relocated to my land holdings in England, Australia, Italy, Peru. . . ." Golden brown eyes searched hers, heavy with thought. She caught a brief glimmer of curiosity and regret before a blank mask automatically slid in place over his countenance. He smiled. "Only two things have kept me here."

Amy closed her eyes and released a slow breath. When she opened her eyes again, she offered him a small smile. "Shall I set the table?"

"Go for it." He gave her directions to the dishware cupboard and turned the stovetop off. "You know how long it's been since I last had anyone else at my house? For a visit, I mean." He barely waited for her nod of understanding before continuing. "Well, I hold my resistance meetings here, but I've never had someone just come up for a cordial visit."

Amy decided not to remind him that this was definitely not a "cordial visit." She tried for diplomacy. "Well, love the house. . . . But I can't stay long, you know. I need to find my friends. They don't know where I am. They might not even associate Mikael with my disappearance. Or he might come after them next."

Conan carried the bacon and eggs over to the table and began to portion them out. "They'll be okay, Amy. As long as they have Selket, they can handle Mikael. I'm sure she's kept at least some of her ties to him. And though they might be worried for you, I figure you'd be a whole lot safer if you stayed here for a while."

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" She leapt up and searched the fridge for orange juice. "First of all, I'm not sure Selket's the best one to deal with Mikael. Sure, she can be pretty shrewd in that persona, but depending on her mood, she could either tell him to go to hell or drag him off to bed as soon as she sees him again." After rummaging through the sparse contents, she settled for tap water. "And secondly: You really think Mikael will give up his search in a day or two? As I recall, he's had about five fecking years to wait for this chance. He's a vampire, for crying out loud!" She took a deep, calming breath and settled back into her chair. "My first obligation is to complete the mission I was sent on. I can't do that alone."

Conan tapped his fork to his lips, pressing the dulled tines into the soft skin. "Your mission? Just what is that? And why did it bring you here, to this city, of all the godforsaken places?"

Amy wet her throat with a gulp of water and launched into a brief recount of the gruesome vampire murders. Vivid mental images of the murder victims did little to augment her hunger. By the time she wrapped the story up, she was eyeing the remnants of her lukewarm breakfast dubiously. Conan, who had remained silently attentive throughout her tale, flashed a toothy grin.

"Mmmmm . . . who wants bacon?" Winking naughtily, he grabbed a handful of the greasy meat and tore a large bite off. Thick, salty juices ran down his chin in rivulets. "Delicious."

She turned a little green around the gills but managed a laugh, slapping his hand away as he offered her a bite. "Nasty! You're terrible!" Leaning across the table, she prepared to swat him again. He caught her hand in mid-swipe. For a second, he just looked at it. Then he gave it a light squeeze and released her.

"Amy - I've missed you, our group…." Conan eyed her wistfully before sighing and shifting in his chair. "This has most probably been the second loneliest five years of my life. Since becoming a vampire, I haven't made any real friends. Until our `gang,' I'd almost forgotten what they were, what it was like. And now we've separated and gone our separate ways. Everyone went off following their dreams. Except for me; I'm stuck watching Mikael. Heh, let me tell you, Avyth is no company." He continued before she could interject. "I know you're with Wufei. But I want you to know . . . you were the best friend I can remember having. Ever. Y- you mean a lot to me. I hope that, even after these last five years, and our tough parting, we're still friends?" The wary mask over his face, that 1500-year-old face, fell. Suddenly it was open, vulnerable. Awwwww . . . he looked so cute when he was uncertain.

For a second, she just sat there, studying his face. What do you say to a guy who's just bared his heart to you? At length, she smiled. "Of course, you dork." Amy grinned reassuringly and rested her hand over his.

"Awww, you're just as nice to me as you always were. I think we gotta hug." It was a little strange to see a centuries-old vampire stick his tongue out at her, but she coped.

Amy shook her head with a wry smile and threw a crumpled napkin at his face. On reflex, his hand shot up and snatched it from the air. Of course, he was only operating at near-human speed since the sun was almost up. Still, she was impressed.

"A suggestion?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

She grinned. "Ne; the subtlest hint I could think of." When he had dutifully wiped the bacon grease from his chin, she scooted around the corner of the table to sit kittycorner from him. "So-whatch we gonna do today?" She pinned him beneath a wide-eyed expectant smile.

"Well . . . given the case, I guess I'll take you back to your apartment to find your friends." Conan pivoted in his seat, his lukewarm breakfast forgotten. "But on one condition. I will stay nearby to protect you. I don't want you leaving the apartment without contacting me. I can help you on the vampire case, too." Warm golden brown eyes met and held hers.

She let half of her grin fall away until her lips were crooked, with a personality all their own. "If you're actually willing to help, I can't refuse. We need all the help we can get."

Conan leaned back and smacked his forehead. "So now she admits it!" Amy resisted the urge to stuff bacon up his nose, settling for a shaky scowl. Her attempt to appear indignant failed miserably as she burst out with a fit of laughter. He chuckled. "So finish up your breakfast. We're leaving ASAP."

† † † † † † † † † † † † † †

"Yeah, so I don't like him anymore. Just don't tell on me, okay? If he finds out I told you, he'll hurt me. Bad. I don't like pain." The quivering guy curled up into a fetal position, petulantly hugging his knees to his chest.

Selket rolled her eyes and considered-not for the first time, either-dropping him. Instead, she tightened her grin on his armpits and sped up. Wufei and Shinigami followed close behind, their wings beating powerfully to keep up with her. Selket ignored this, concentrating only on the miserable creature she was carrying. Good thing vampires didn't sweat, he was nervous enough to fill a small tub had he been human. And she might have dropped him had his armpits become slippery. Oh darn.

Vampire Joe. . . . She sighed. I'd thought he'd have been staked by now. Why couldn't Mikael have conveniently lost him? But, maybe, it had all worked out for the greater good. Sure, she had almost killed him - embarrassing habit, ne? - when he unexpectedly slunk out of the shadows atop Mikael's lair. Once she realized who he was, she had almost killed him anyways. (What the hell? Someone needed to die before the sun rose that morning. Otherwise she'd have to officially classify the night as a bad one.) Unfortunately, Duo had talked her out of it in favor of putting the undead wimp to questioning. Imagine her surprise when he offered to lead them to Avyth, who could contact Conan, who might know something about Amy, who might be able to tell them what Mikael was hiding! Still, as soon as his usefulness was at an end, she intended to put an end to him. If she had to listen to him call her "Jasmine" one more time, she'd throw him the rest of the way to Avyth's house.

"Jaaaaaasmine?" Damnation! "We're here." Vampire Joe pointed to a pretty little country house nestled at the side of a cute dirt road. Selket forgot to throw him; she was too busy blinking.

A neatly trimmed yard of rich green grass was surrounded by a cute little white picket fence. The two-story house, white bordered by a gentle blue-periwinkle hue, sat perfectly centered in the middle of the yard. There was even a miniature flower garden in the backyard, connected to the house by a stepping stone path that looked so random that one knew it had been carefully planned. A similar path led to the mailbox out front. Selket felt nauseated.

"This is it?"

Joe nodded eagerly. "Just don't fly over the yard. The anti-airstrike missiles will get you."

"Anti-?" Selket swerved away to land beside the mailbox, carefully setting Joe on his feet. Seconds later, she realized her mistake, but she was still too stunned to throw him yet. Yet. She was soon joined by Wufei and Shinigami who - to her satisfaction - appeared every bit as confused as she felt.

Shinigami rounded on Vampire Joe. Unfortunately for Vampire Joe, he was still pretty pissed over the Mikael incident and didn't mind taking it out on a not-so-innocent bystander . . . or the nearest push-over. "Why are we here? This looks like the frickin' Barbie dream house! I thought you were going to take us to this vampire hunter guy's place." From the corner of his eye, he saw Selket nodding slowly. "What the-? This all-fired vampire slayer lives here?" He barked out a laugh. "That's great! Look, the mail box is even freakin'-"

It self-destructed.

"Damn!" Shinigami leapt back, nursing a burnt hand. "Does this guy hang with Heero or something?!" Then he froze. Slowly, he swiveled toward Joe as realization dawned on his face. "Is the whole place. . . ?"

Vampire Joe nodded, his grey eyes wide with excitement behind the stylin' shades. "Yeah. The whole place is one big booby-trap. He changes the layout weekly so no one can memorize the defenses and get through to him."

Shinigami eyed the twisted, burning wreckage that was once a cute little white mail box with cheerful flower decals. "Greeeeaaaaaat. . . . Now, this guy wouldn't happen to be . . . oh, I don't know . . . paranoid or anything, would he?"

"He doesn't trust anyone but Conan." The poor vamp began to look somewhat paranoid himself. His bleached-blond head whipped around, fearfully searching for possible danger. "That's how he's survived this long."

Selket smiled and patted his shoulder in a soothing gesture. "But you showed us where he lives, didn't you?"

Vampire Joe nodded vigorously, eager for the seductress's approval. Suddenly, she lashed out, grabbing a fistful of his tee-shirt, and yanked him off his feet. "You ass! It doesn't do us any good unless we can get in there and talk to him! Where were you when God doled out brains?!"

He curled up into a whimpering ball, dangling from her deathgrip on the collar of his shirt. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't yell. Please? I-I'll lead you right to his door. Is that good?"

"You'd better get us all there in one piece or I'll make you wish Mikael had found out about your disloyalty. Got that, Vampire Joe?"

"Yes, yes!" he whined miserably, cringing away from her biting words. "I'll protect you."

"Oh gee. . . . Why does that not make me feel better?" Selket grimaced and dropped him at her feet. Vampire Joe crab-walked away from her, frantically adjusting his shades to regain what little composure he'd had to begin with.

"Get moving," Wufei growled. He cast a worried look at the rising sun. It was too late to do much more with vampires, but the sooner they learned anything, the better.

"Um, okay," the vamp whined pathetically. Cringing, he sidled up to the front gate. One shaking finger extended to poke the pure white paint. It didn't explode. Heaving an audible sigh, Vampire Joe swung the gate open and stepped through.

It blew up.

Selket snorted.

Wufei glowered silently.

Shinigami threw back his head and howled gleefully, hefting his scythe.

A very blackened Vampire Joe coughed, expelling a puff of smoke from charred lungs. He cast a glance around the group, then dusted himself off. It didn't do much good. "I'm fine. Don't anyone worry about me." He cast a hopeful look at Selket.

She smirked. "Okay, I won't. Go on."

Whimpering softly, Joe carefully picked his way toward the house, avoiding the stepping-stones. The winged trio followed a few steps behind, well out of the way of any shrapnel that might suddenly become directed at the vampire. One had to be careful around explosives, after all.

In one devastating second, Vampire Joe stumbled, falling face-forward onto a set of three stepping-stones. The resulting blast blew him into the air. As he flew by the first-story windows, the cute brick chimney swung open. From within the dark recesses of the perfectly peaked roof, a loud squealing noise peeled against everyone's eardrums. Before they could slap their hands to their ears, two silver darts came shooting out of the opening. They executed a bunch of fancy dives, spirals, and loop-the-loops before homing in on the airborne vampire.

"Dumbass. . . ." Selket launched herself into the air and swept after Vampire Joe. Sure, they needed someone to take the brunt of the explosions, but it was doubtful his body could withstand too much punishment, especially this close to dawn. Now he was operating at strictly human-level power . . . and these defenses were no doubt built for a full-strength vamp.

"Stacie! Look out!" Shinigami cried. She looked back to see him gesturing toward the chimney frantically. Two more missiles had just been launched. Awww, sh-

"Vampire Joe! Heads up!" She rapidly closed in on him, the powerful thrusts of her wings eating up the distance in a second. She swept him up into her arms just before the two original missiles converged-right where he had been. They exploded in a flash of radioactive green light and a nasty garlicky smell.

The look on his face was one of pure loving worship. "Jasmine! You saved me!"

"Shut up! We're not outta this yet. And if we live, don't mention it. Ever."

Desperate to escape the missiles which were quickly closing in on them, Selket arched her back, rounding one of the house's perfect ninety-degree corners. The missiles duplicated her maneuver and resumed their high-speed chase past the carefully tended garden. She growled softly and zipped back up beneath the eaves at the side of the house, folding her wings flush against her supple body until only momentum kept her airborne. Joe's weight dragged her down much faster than she had foreseen, but she experienced a brief wave of satisfaction as she heard one of the missiles collide with the delicate blue trimwork. A wave of garlic swept past her, but such suffering was preferable to the alternative - the actual missile.

But now I know these aren't that smart, Selket thought grimly. Maybe I could use them to my advantage. . . ?

They fell far enough below the eaves that she could use her wings again. They unfurled stiffly, catching the wind like a hang-glider. Vampire Joe stuck his hands out to either side and spread his legs. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

At a loss for ideas, Selket looked over her shoulder, searching for Shinigami and Wufei. They hadn't moved a muscle. In fact, Shinigami was balancing on one foot, afraid to step down lest he discover another hidden mine. But while windmilling his arms about, he managed to gesture toward the front door and yelled something that Selket couldn't make out past the roar of wind in her ears. It didn't take long to cipher out his idea. If she could get the remaining missile to blow up the door, they'd be inside in no time.

She considered throwing Vampire Joe off to the side in the hope he might land on a mine, but decided against it. It wouldn't do to attract the attention of yet more missiles. Instead, she loosened her hold until he dangled by his armpits once again. Then she dived at the front door. The missile followed. So far, so good.

Vampire Joe squeaked. "We're going to hit the house! He won't like that!"

Selket ignored him, choosing to focus on her velocity and timing. He cringed back into a whimpering ball beneath her as the door loomed ever nearer. A split-second before they hit it, she pulled up in a perfect right angle (take that, Avyth!) and zoomed up the outer wall. Her unfortunate passenger skidded against the layered trim as she headed for the sky.

KA-BOOM!! An explosion sounded as the remaining missile mashed the front door into a zillion and two pieces. At least, it was supposed to disintegrate the door. But as Selket turned and headed back toward it, all she saw was a vague green haze. The radioactive cloud slowly dissipated under the warm morning breeze. When it was gone, Selket felt her breath catch in her throat. The door was still there; a little blackened, sure, but otherwise no worse for the wear.

"Arg!" She dropped Joe on the "Go Away" doormat, barely noticing when it promptly burst into flame, setting the seat his baggy cargo pants on fire. She did happen to look up when Wufei and Shinigami carefully picked their way up to the front door. Shinigami appeared stunned, but Wufei just afforded the blazing, screaming vampire the same accepting look he gave the blackened door.

"Now what do we do?" Shinigami looked around slowly. "I don't guess we could just, ah, knock and he'll answer the door. . . ? Hey, what's that?" He pointed to a smoldering piece of paper that seemed to have escaped the majority of the missile's damage.

Wufei pulled the note from its tack on the door. "Front door out of order. Please use back door. Thank you. P.S. On second thought, go away." He shook his head, frowning thoughtfully. What kind of weirdo were they dealing with?

Vampire Joe dove into the bushes, putting out the fire. He came back out seconds later, looking even more horrified than he had when he was on fire. "T-to the backyard? But no one's ever gone back there and survived!"

"Oh, doesn't that figure?" Selket rolled her eyes. Then a lightbulb clicked on inside her head. She smiled sweetly and wrapped an arm around the vampire. "But you're so big and brave that you can get us in!" Her fingers lightly played across his amazingly unmuscular arms. "I have faith in you, Joe, honey. Sweetheart," she barely choked out.

With every word, Joe's chest swelled with self-importance and his hands clenched into tough-as-nails fists. Soon, he was beaming right through the black soot on his face. "Just follow me! I'll lead you to safety."

Amazingly, the trip around the house was fairly uneventful. Of course, by now the winged trio was used to watching Vampire Joe getting blown up by randomly planted mines. All they had to do was stay out of the way of flying fireballs and airborne shrapnel. Also, Joe discovered about three new mines every time he stopped, dropped, and rolled to put out the fire from the previous mine. So it had become pretty routine by the time they reached the back porch.

"See? Weer aaaall heeere . . . one pee-eezeez. . . ." A smoking Vampire Joe collapsed on the first step.

Selket scowled at the unexpected obstruction. "Thanks." She stepped on his back - he curled up, more from reflex than pain as his nerve endings had all been burned off by that time - and reached for the back door. Two curt knocks and the door eased open. Well, well. . . . A familiar face peered out.

The years hadn't been too kind to him. He had become pale and gaunt, as though he had never stepped out of his house and ate nothing but birdseed. His hair, the same light brown she remembered, stuck out in tufts at odd angles - classic bedhead. Lightning grey eyes, the most lively aspect of his countenance, scanned first her, then the guys behind her warily, assessing their condition and the possible threat they imposed. Selket paused, wondering for a second whether he recognized her or not. Revenge was so much sweeter when the victim was aware that their pain was, in fact, revenge. Then she realized she didn't care. She hauled off and punched him.

Avyth's eyes widened as he saw the punch coming, but it was too late to dive out of the way. Sure, he tried, but Selket's fist connected with his jaw, snapping his head at an awkward angle to one side. Stunned, but not completely put out of commission, he staggered backward across the small kitchen to catch himself on the gleaming silver counter. His fingers scrabbled beneath the countertop, as if he was searching for something. His eyes widened momentarily, bright with discovery. A metallic clank resounded beneath the back porch. Before Selket could dive through the door to throttle him, a wall of thick silver bars lanced across the doorway. As the tips of the bars disappeared into the opposite wall, separating Avyth from his unwelcome visitors, Selket crashed against them. After some perfunctory kicking, she strained against the metal, savagely trying to tear them apart.

"You asshole! It wasn't enough that you fuckin' killed my best friend. Now you set up this dumb yard to finish me off, and every other vampire in creation! What the hell is wrong with you?" Selket screamed, straining against the barrier. Surely her demoness strength should enable her to rip the metal bars to shreds.

Avyth appeared to ignore her for the time being; instead, he reached into an over-head cabinet. He fished about in the shadows in the amount of time it took Selket to yell out no less than twenty-six more obscenities. Then he pulled out a Uzi. Selket gulped, swallowing her acerbic words so fast that she could almost feel it burn all the way down her throat. He checked to make sure it was loaded, then smirked and approached the door, unhurried, his movements slow and deliberate. His lightning grey eyes gave way to a fathomless void as he leveled the machine gun at the demoness.

"Who are you and what do you have to tell me before I kill you?" Avyth's voice was level and dry as grave-dirt.

That made her freeze. "I'm Selket. Hello. Remember? Superheroes?" Okay; this sucked. Maybe it wouldn't be as much fun fighting him if he didn't remember why she hated him, loathed him to the very core of her being.

Something flashed across the calm void. "Yes. . . ." His words were slow and thoughtful. "So why did you come? Have I offended you again? Or maybe I've exterminated your vampire lover."

She gaped at him, unable to believe her ears. He was baiting her! "Fuck off." She almost forgot the Uzi he held pointed at her heart. Shinigami didn't; he began murmuring frantically, gesturing at the little machine gun. She chose to ignore him. "I just came from Mikael's so don't even start."

"You just-" A tightening of his eyes was their only warning to hit the deck. Seconds after they pressed themselves flat against the porch, Avyth barked out a wordless yell. He angled the gun to fire a steady barrage of bullets over their heads. In an eternity and a half, he succeeded in emptying the entire clip into thin air and whatever trees and fence-posts happened to be in the way.

"Selket?" Shinigami slid the scythe from its back sheath and covertly rolled it between his palms. They exchanged a short glance. The fire demoness read his intentions as they surfaced in the deep violet pools of his eyes. She nodded in affirmation. Avyth was goin' down.

The vampire slayer was searching for a more ammunition when the scythe hummed to life with a blade of ethereal green energy where none had existed before. By the time Avyth turned to face the door, Shinigami was on his feet, slicing through the thick silver-reinforced steel bars like warm butter. Halfway through the bars, he swung the scythe over his head and shot a blast of green energy into the kitchen. Avyth threw himself into a shoulder roll to dodge the stray beams of energy. He disappeared into the next room, still clutching the Uzi. Shinigami set his jaw and widened his stance, redoubling his efforts and directing a new wave of energy at the bars.

Selket rose to her feet as the blade reduced the gleaming silver bars to little more than melted nubs. She sidled up to the doorway, basking in the pulsating backwash of netherworld energies. As soon as a Selket-sized hole had been created, she ducked by the scythe and into the kitchen. Without bothering to wait for her companions, the demoness followed Avyth into the next room.

She emerged in a small den. Like the rest of the house, it appeared cozy and ostensibly ideal. Plush furniture had been positioned on the thick carpeting to face a small fireplace. Although there was no fire in it now, the room was bathed in an otherworldly blood-red light. It was dawn.

Suddenly, Selket sensed movement to her right. Snarling ferally, she lunged at the slayer, who had discarded the Uzi and was now loading a new gun. With one powerful swipe, she knocked the weapon from his grasp and sent him flying back into the far wall. In almost no time, she was upon him again, pinning his back to the wall with a clawed deathgrip on his neck.

"Okay. Now let's talk." Selket's voice was low, menacing, and generally pants-wetting material. Her smile flashed a glimpse of unnaturally sharp teeth. And - just in case he needed further incentive - she drew her other hand up over her shoulder and began to form a fireball in her palm.

"Selket! Selket, whoa! I thought you wanted this guy alive, to get info outta him!" Shinigami skidded to a halt behind her, waving his arms frantically. Wufei soon joined them, eyes covertly searching for hidden dangers. Seeing Selket's grip on Avyth, he too slowed to a stunned halt.

"Don't get your jockstrap in a knot, Duo," Selket growled. "He's not getting off as easily as that. Instant death is too good for this guy." She focused icy orbs on the vampire slayer. From the intensity of her gaze, it was a wonder the guy's nose didn't freeze off. "Now, Avyth dear, why the little fireworks show? What is up your ass today?"

Lightning grey eyes narrowed at her stubbornly.

A harsh sigh tore past her crimson lips. The fireball grew noticeably larger. "Work with us. Or I swear I'll make your life even more miserable than it is already."

Avyth glared.

"Duo." Selket didn't bother to look over her shoulder to know that her husband stood behind her. "Maybe you could convince him? I think my own methods would come in handy a little later in the game. When his being able to talk isn't that important." Directing a satisfied look at Avyth, she released her grip on his throat, but not before thrusting his head into the wall for good measure.

Shinigami shot a worried look at the demoness. "I don't think I could be as effective; I don't have a grudge. . . . How do you want-?"

"I won't talk to him either." Everyone turned to stare at Avyth. The man was staring through them with absent, unfocused eyes. When he spoke again, it seemed that his words were directed at empty space, or maybe toward himself. "I sense death on him, in him, hanging in a thick cloud that follows his every move. A kind of death not unlike vampirism."

Three heads turned to exchange confused looks. Then, simultaneously hit with the same idea, Selket and Shinigami directed level glares at Wufei. It was his turn to try.

Great. Wufei rolled his eyes disparagingly. Just how he wanted to spend his day. Wasting precious time interrogating a stranger. He couldn't question a man this unwilling without certain forceful techniques, the best of which took time - and time was one thing he didn't have. But.... He shot a dubious glance at the man. He's practically insane, definitely mad. No, his integrity wouldn't allow him to torture a man who was at such a disadvantage.

"We just want to know a few things about Conan." Wufei squatted beside the emaciated man and tried to summon up enough patience to go through with the questioning.

To his surprise, Avyth turned and actually focused on him. The vampire slayer frowned in concentration and leaned forward, drawing closer to Wufei until his nose almost touched the Solitary Dragon's shoulder. His eyes never left Wufei's face. Wufei stared in dumbfounded silence as Avyth's nostrils flared and a distant, calculating look seeped into those sharp eyes.

A coarse, barking laugh escaped Selket's lips. "What the hell is he-?" She was cut off by Duo. He silently laid a hand on her arm and nodded in reassurance.

Wufei forced himself to remain still as Avyth began to sniff loudly, moving in a slow trail across his collarbone, then pushing himself up onto his hands and knees to circle the young Chinaman. The sniffing continued, across his back and up his neck. Finally, Wufei snapped, whirling around to clasp Avyth's bony shoulders. Annoyed and confused (and somewhat violated), he held the man at arm's length. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

Avyth's eyes locked on his once again, gaining clarity and a cool, calculating expression. "I smell an ancient blood in your veins. Yet, you aren't vampire. You appear to be human. Yet your reflexes belie that. Interesting."

Wufei began to get the feeling that he was a specimen, a creature to be scrutinized. This man would like nothing better than to dissect him, see what made him tick. He shifted slightly. "I am the last descendant of the Dragon Clan." He scowled at Avyth as the man tried to sniff at him again. "Will you stop that? We have a few questions to ask and . . . We. Need. Your. Help."

Keen, intelligent eyes remained on the former Altron pilot, considering his words. Suddenly, he sat up straight and composed himself to perfect poise. Had the change not occurred right before Wufei's eyes, he never would have believed it.

"Help?" Avyth questioned. "Why should I help you? You invade my yard, disarm my traps-" Selket grumbled beneath her breath "-break into my stronghold-"

"We can lead you to Mikael." Shinigami's voice was low, menacing. Somehow, it was apparent that the object of his ire was Mikael; Avyth was nothing but an unfortunate accessory. Sensing his sincerity, Selket seized her husband's arm with a strangled growl.

He seemed to have chosen the correct tidbit to dangle before the reclusive vampire hunter. Avyth pondered over the exchange, thumbing his bottom lip in thought. "No. There is no way I could take him on. I'm not prepared for a vampire of his age, his power. I would, however, settle for a lesser vampire." He paused, turning lightning grey eyes to Wufei. "Give me Nicholas, Mikael's right hand. Without him, Mikael will prove to be a much more promising target."

"No!" Selket pressed forward, eyes flashing in anger. "You keep the fuck away from Mikael! And Nicholas. Hot guys like that are hard to come by." Bright crimson lips parted in a silent snarl. "And you aren't getting our help with anything. The deal is this: help us or you'll die. And don't get all fucking heroic on me. I wouldn't simply kill you; you know that."

Avyth set his jaw and met the seductress' flashing eyes. Undaunted, she leaned forward until her face was centimeters from his. "I will cut each of your fingers off. Then shove them, one by one, up your sorry ass. If you decide you don't particularly like that, I can castrate you. For free! And I won't stop there. . . ." A toothy grin flashed across her face. "Just because I'm such a nice gal."

Apparently, he had to contemplate this before a sufficient answer could be reached. The answer came slowly, deliberately. "I suppose I could assist you. But what, exactly, do you want to know about Conan? I don't betray my allies. Not for any personal gain." Piercing grey orbs shot a silent challenge at Selket.

Now here was something Wufei could appreciate, draw on. "We won't cause you to compromise your integrity. We just need Conan's help, here."

"I thought you needed my help." A small smirk blossomed on Avyth's lips.

"You ass." Selket really sounded annoyed now, tired of the little game. "Look. One of our friends - someone you know - is in danger. Right now, we have two leads: Conan . . . and Mikael. Who would you rather trust?" She folded her arms crossly, waiting for his response.

A dark cloud descended over Avyth's eyes, as though he were blocking the others from his private thoughts. "Is your friend another vampire? For which cause does he fight?"

"She. No, she's not a vampire. It's Amy, Phoenix; from our high school gang." Selket forced her voice to remain neutral. At least he was talking to her now. "The four of us are in town on official business. Hunting renegade vampires." It couldn't hurt to add that tidbit.

As she had suspected, Avyth rose to the bait beautifully. "Rogues? The ones who killed the President's daughter?"

"And five other teens."

"Seven." Avyth pushed himself up to his feet and perfunctorily dusted his hands.

Three pairs of eyes widened simultaneously. Wufei leapt up, barely catching himself before he grasped Avyth's frail-looking shoulders again. "How do you know about the murders? They're barred from public knowledge. And . . . seven?"

Avyth smirked complacently and fairly floated into the adjacent room. Still stunned, the trio followed him. The new room - in simple terms - was a terrorist's wet dream. Firearms of all shapes, calibers, powers, and makes graced every centimeter of wall-space. Walls? Rather, the room seemed to be bordered by multiple gun cabinets and racks.

Avyth made a beeline for the far wall. He paused momentarily, just long enough to bestow a passing caress on a particularly impressive model. "I have more sources than the general public. The other two bodies were never found . . . nor will they." He turned to flash them a dry, tired grin. "You want to take off a vampire's head at fifteen meters with one shot? M350 Grazer."

In the span of time it took for the group to complete one collective blink, Avyth's fingers slipped beneath the weapon. Apparently, he had located a hidden trigger because the nearest full-length cabinet heaved forward with a laborious groan, swinging out on concealed hinges. He folded his arms across his chest and faced the small black room which appeared before them.

"Hey, bat-man."

Shinigami jumped and surreptitiously tucked his fingers into his back pockets. A decidedly guilty expression crossed his face as he backed away from one stock-full shelf.

"ZIP 5000 Gamma. Fully loaded and equipped with automatic terracross beams, double-tiered hove argon lenses, beta-flux derrington meshing, twenty-four mercury cartridges, loaded with two-hundred and forty solid silver missiles." Avyth paused to take a breath before he turned to face Shinigami. "Don't touch."

Shinigami gulped audibly and stepped back again. "I . . . I wasn't. What are you talking about?"

Avyth sneered. "Of course not. Now please follow me into the back room. And keep your fingers off my private arsenal. Or you might not have any fingers left."

Selket bristled angrily, but followed the slayer in blessed silence. Wufei brought up the rear of the miniature procession. His eyes lingered on the surrounding weaponry, grudgingly appraising the display. Hey, everyone had to have a hobby, right? Avyth just happened to be a super-psycho paranoid vampire slayer with a unique appreciation for rare and awesomely powerful weapons of mass destruction. Yeah - who could blame a guy? Wufei was slightly impressed himself.

"Wufei, get your ass in here so this guy will stop fondling this fucking gun and get on with it!" Selket didn't exactly sound amused. Small wonder.

Just a tad worried, he hastened his step to enter the small backroom. Avyth was fondling a particularly impressive firearm, a look of nearly orgasmic rapture softening the harsh lines of his face. Selket looked absolutely disgusted with the scene, while Shinigami seemed to be having a little problem of his own. His right hand, apparently of its own will, kept reaching for various firearms. His left hand, in obeisance to its owner, continued to smack the offending member away. Wufei fought back the urge to flee, instead sidling up next to the wall where he hoped he might remain inconspicuous.

"Avyth! Stop having sex with that damned gun and get on with it!" Selket planted her fists on her supple hips and did her best imitation of the Death Glare.

Avyth managed to return the glare without actually seeming dangerous. Well, if one didn't count being armed to the gills as being dangerous. Then he shrugged and peered down the barrel with a discerning eye. "I can help you with your rogue problem. Since this involves Conan, I probably won't charge you anything." He grinned. Somehow, that was more terrifying than his glare. "I'll let `em have it on principle."

"So why'd you drag us back here?" Selket looked like she just might leap across the room and pull the trigger of that gun her was eyeing. "You could have just told us out there that you'd help us."

"Because it's up to you to save your friend. I just want to nuke those rogues. If you want my help, you'll have to tell me everything the Preventers have on them. And my main computer is in this room; I want that information on tape."

"You're recording us?!" Selket growled as Wufei countered with "Only if you'll tell us where to find Conan." He'd rather have the help of Amy's ex than this nut-case any day.

Avyth, choosing to ignore Selket, sighed harshly. "Sure, sure. But I want my info first."

"All our stuff is back at the apartments-" Wufei began.

"Then I guess I can tell you where Conan is on the way there. Lead on." Avyth shouldered the one-man arsenal (calling it "a gun" would be like calling Niagara Falls a leaky faucet) and slid out the door. On the other side, he patiently waited for the others to follow before shutting the door again.

"Jaaaasmine?" A tremulous voice reached their ears, wafting out from the kitchen area.

"AAAAAAARG!! He's still alive?! What, Vampire Joe?!" Selket growled through bared teeth.

"Where aaaare yoooouuuuu?"

Selket muttered a few choice words under her breath. "I'm not here. Maybe I'm back at Mikael's."

"Oh." A pause. "Waaaiiit. . . . Then how can I hear you?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're freaking Superman or something."

That made him stop to ponder. Wufei could almost feel the heat radiate from his overworked li'l brain. "Really? Wooooooowwwww. I'll be right there, Jasmine!"

Selket shook her head in silence. Shinigami patted her shoulder in unspoken commiseration. Finally, she gestured for the three guys to follow her out the back door. "The apartments. Let's go. I want to get this over with."

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