Karin Fan Fiction ❯ Karin: Enter the D'amphile ❯ Damnation and Salvation ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter XI

 

After doing some asking, Victor found out that there were eight g'huls that were bouncers, and they had nothing to do with the kids. In addition to this, Karin found out that there were 12 kids who were g'huls, and who were more than likely to be the missing teens. There were only three vampires, and they would more than likely try to expend the kids before they put out their bouncers. As they mingled, acting as if they knew nothing, however they were putting together a game plan piecemeal. They told Karin to try to get Yukiko out of there as fast as she could, but to keep her handy, because there would be a matter of deprogramming to come for her. The rest bided their time as Karin stayed close to Yukiko. As it approached midnight, Ren tapped into the bats that were overlooking the place where they were going to do the “initiation.” Slowly, they noticed some teens leaving out, bit by bit, until about twelve were gone out the back. All twelve were out ten minutes to midnight. They were set into various places about the area getting ready to pounce after things were done. However, as they took position, an odd thing was happening unbeknownst to the renegades. Victor, Wiener, Yuriya, and Kenta were going to the places Ren said the kids would be, and slowly but surely taking them out one by one. For Kenta and Yuriya, it was easy, tapping into their abilities to put them out. However, Victor and Wiener could not be so gentle, having to give a good knock to put them out. As they did, they were quickly dragged out of the area and set in a nearby alley in safety, and bound hand and foot for their own good. This left the eight bouncers, of which they were able to find out nothing. This was about which Ren and Jean-Claude worried. They had to keep their eyes peeled, and their ears sharp. They could not afford to be jumped. Jean-Claude told Yuriya to have Kenta watch the kids, considering that he was not used to this kind of thing, and he was still not sure about his abilities. The rest were to return to various places about the area, and be ready to jump in if things went south. Karin was going out with Yukiko, when a large bouncer came out of nowhere and pushed her back to the wall, holding her there, and saying, “This is for your own good. I cannot let you go back there.”

Karin struggled, but the more she did, the harder she was pressed. However, as a result, her blood was beginning to rise up. She did not know what was to follow.

 

It was now midnight, and Ren and Jean-Claude were meeting up with the three renegades that were in charge. Yukiko was already out back, seated in a folding chair, waiting for what she thought was a vamping out. The three were going out first, and Ren and Jean-Claude were trying to keep sharp, but before they could act, about six of the bouncers came out from various directions, and quickly subdued them. These were not some kids who were not fully aware of their abilities, but muscular men who had been well trained in blood use. Even though Ren and Jean-Claude were what they were, if these were normal mortals, it would not have been pretty. However, they were well trained as well; therefore, it was not going to be easy. They only hoped that the others might cause enough chaos for them to take on the bouncers one by one. As they were being dragged out, Karin heard the struggle, and fought harder, now tapping into her own blood in her own way, trying to free herself. “Missy, you'd better stop before you get hurt,” and he increased his own strength, although he did not understand why he had to, unless this was a vampire as well.

 

Jean-Claude and Ren were dragged out to the area, and Yukiko started to wonder what the problem was. The lead vampire told her, “Oh, these two—they thought they could prevent your entrance into the world of the undead. Don't worry, though, we will take care of them for you.”

“Wait,” she said, “I don't understand—I came in with them. Who are you two?”

“Oh?” he said, “They came in with you?”

“Yeah,” said one of the bouncers, “They're the two that socked it to us at the door. We didn't know what we were dealing with at that point. We know now!”

“Where are your friends?” asked the female.

“Maybe they got wise and left,” said Jean-Claude, “I don't see them here right now.”

The third vampire walked up and started to search Ren and Jean-Claude. Ren was clean, but they found the saber. “This was all I could find.”

He examined the blade, and then realized that this looked the same as what had been described about the one d'amphile who was playing vigilante in the vampire world. “Wait,” said the leader of the group, “I've heard stories about you: the half-breed that should have died and managed to escape his death sentence. Is that you?”

Jean-Claude just stared at him with a look that, if looks could kill, he would have been a pile of ash on the ground. He merely laughed, saying, “Oh please—do you really think some half breed would stand a chance with a vampire like me, much less with all his best soldiers around him?”

Yukiko was becoming frightened. She thought it was all a game, with the possibility that it just might be real, but now, all of a sudden, the vampire world was not looking very good. Yukiko started to get up, but the female said, “Where are you going? Sit down, it will all be over soon, and you will be with us.”

The third vampire sat her down, and said, “Is this not what you wanted?”

“I didn't think it would be like this?” she said, “I didn't want to see anyone get hurt tonight.”

The leader piped up and said, “Ah, but you see, they wanted to stop us. As chief vampire of this city, (turning a glance to Ren, not knowing that Ren was indeed the real chief's son,) I cannot allow renegades like these stopping things.”

He then turned to Jean-Claude, put the point of the saber to his chin, and said, “It would be fitting, though, to kill you with the very blade that causes fear in our world, although I do not understand the fear from someone like you. I mean, you could not even keep from being captured. Don't worry, after we are done with her, you'll be dealt with.”

“How do you even know if she is to your blood taste?” asked Jean-Claude.

The three vampires then laughed, and said, “Oh come on! You still play by that game. When are you going to realize that all blood is good, once you get a taste for it?”

Ren began to wretch, knowing now that these were the kind of renegades that were blood addicts, as if blood were a narcotic. They were the ones that would drain a person dry, and would cause the stories and myths to be accelerated, especially those that were now running around in the gothic-punk world. He continued, “This cow here would be nothing for me, except she does have some value as a slave. All that we have chosen do.
At this, Yukiko's eyes opened, and she said, “Hold on, that's not…” but she was quickly restrained by the female as she tried to stand up. She said, “Silence, dog! You will submit! Your body will end up on the scrap heap with them!”

“Let's do this,” said the third vampire, as he cut his own wrist, and prepared to feed it to Yukiko. This was not what she had expected, and now she wanted none of this. However, the leader, getting ready to take action, set down the saber as he stood within leg's reach of Jean-Claude—precisely the opening he was looking for. He said, growling, “The only scrap heap will be you and your stooges!”

The leader was now cross, angry that this mutt would still be defiant and stupidly fearless in the process. He walked over to deal with this, and said, “I have had just about enough…” and that was all he got out, as Jean-Claude kipped up and caught him in a head scissors and twisted his body around. This freed the hold from his arms by the bouncer as all three flipped over. Jean-Claude was the first to his feet, and the bouncer started to move forward. This was his last action, as Jean-Claude was so pumped up in rage that he threw too much into his punch and knocked off the head of the bouncer with one blow. Ren used this moment to use a force push on his captor. The blow sent both of them into a wall, but the bouncer caught the worst of it. He cried in pain as he let go of Ren, and Ren extended his fingernails, giving him a face rake. He screamed in pain, trying to heal up, but Ren turned his whole head around. Even though it would take a few minutes for him to die, even this goon could not heal himself enough to continue. The leader called for the kids to come out, and was horrified when no one emerged. Instead, the Sinclairs and Yuriya came out and pounced on the five remaining bouncers. Yuriya used the element of surprise to force push her opponent, and then immolate him. Weiner had one on him, and he seemed very much outmatched. He had all he could do to dodge all the bouncer's attacks. The bouncer then said, “Okay, you little mouse, you don't know what you are dealing with,” and he began to empower himself.

 

In the meantime, Victor was more levelheaded, as he just stood, waiting for the bouncer to act. The bouncer laughed, and said, “Do you really think you can fight me, old man?”

Victor just calmly said, as he approached, “No, I do not,” as he suddenly found two daggers thrown into his chest. This was followed by a rapier through his heart, and Victor said, “I am not a fool, and, now you see how I got to be an old man.”

He then pulled out a pistol with a silencer, and said, “I know better than to charge in where angels fear to tread.”

The now shocked bouncer could only stand paralyzed in horror as Victor put the pistol to his head and put the man's lights out. Victor then said, as he pulled out the rapier by yanking and kicking the man, “Youth and skill is no match for old age and treachery.”

He then saw the difficulty that his grandson was having and went over to help. Wiener was not sure what he was going to do at this point, being that he could not carry his own rapier for the clothes that he wore, and was not even the physical match for this man. Then he remembered what his grandfather had taught him, and that was there was no such thing as a “clean” fight, especially in a situation like this. The rule was this: do whatever it took to survive. With that, Wiener made a knife-edge with his hand and thrust it into the throat of the attacker. He staggered back in distress, trying to get some air as Wiener followed up with an eye poke. He then found a trashcan and hit the man on the head as hard as he could. He was now half-conscious, trying to regain his faculties when he staggered around right into a solid tip swipe from Victor. It was so deep that, because of his dazed state, there was no way he could regain his faculties enough to heal himself before he bled to death. Victor said, “You need more time in the gym, boy, and to carry more weapons.”

The remaining bouncer then decided that he wanted to engage in some hand-to-hand with Jean-Claude. He had the attitude that, because he was some westerner, there was no way he could match against the martial arts of the orient. What this g'hul did not understand was that, even though all his abilities were greatly enhanced, he might have been able to go toe to toe with a pure vampire for a time; he never faced a creature like what stood before him. Jean-Claude stayed a few inches outside of his furthest strike waiting for him to move. He charged in, and then found out that European martial arts can be just as deadly, especially when combined with Marine hand-to-hand. With in two seconds, one arm was broken, the other was dislocated, and then he suddenly found his leg bending at the knee in the wrong direction. In a blur, before the leader could grab it, he had his saber, and took off the head of the bouncer.

 

While all this was going on, Karin was beginning to blood up badly, and the one remaining bouncer did not know that he had a time bomb pinned against the wall. “Missy, you'd better calm down,” but he then gained a look of horror as Karin brought her head down, fangs extended, eyes glowing purple, smiling broadly, and hissing! Though he was used to seeing vampires, he had never seen this, made worse by the fact that he did not know she was a vampire herself. The three vampires had quickly grabbed Yukiko, and were trying to head back into the club, hoping to use her as a bargaining chip. However, the third vampire who was holding her was knocked to the ground as the remaining bouncer flew out the door into him, followed by one very teed off vampire. Victor had seen this before, knowing just how powerful she was in this state, and actually felt a little for that bouncer. She was on top of him, pinning him to the ground, and she looked as if she were prepared to sink in her fangs, when Ren said, “No, Karin, get her out of here!” pointing to Yukiko. Despite being in this state, she still had enough of her mind to comprehend what was going on. She leapt up, grabbed her, and took the both of them out in one mighty leap, as she hissed, “Let's go!”

In the meantime, Ren, and the Sinclairs were making short work out of the third vampire, as Yuriya and Jean-Claude were following up on the remaining two. Jean-Claude was swinging the saber, but his opponent was quickly dodging the attacks, all the while taunting Jean-Claude. “You may be strong, mutt,” he thundered, “but you are no match for us!”

He then found and picked up a half-inch pipe and started using it to parry the attacks. “You have no clue just what I am,” said Jean-Claude, “Your kind's hatred created me! Your kind caused me to seek nothing more than to be the best of the best. I have trained for days like this longer than you think!”

He was keeping Jean-Claude at bay, but as the moments passed, he was finding it harder and harder to keep fighting. It was as if Jean-Claude was becoming stronger and stronger by the passing moment. What he did not see was the female coming up from behind with a broken broomstick, getting ready to thrust it through his back and heart. Yet, what she did not see was Yuriya coming up from behind, extending a hand. “Bad mistake,” she said, “Now you die.”

Suddenly, her whole body ignited at once. Screams were stifled by the roaring flames. Yuriya was so angry, she put a bit too much into it, but it had the needed effect anyway. Meanwhile, the lead vampire could not understand what was happening. He was becoming more and more unable to fend off the d'amphile. What he did not understand was that the combination of vampire blood and righteous indignation were an almost unstoppable combination. Jean-Claude then said, “What's wrong? I thought you were superior. Fool! I am not human, I am not vampire, but I am the worst of both!”

At that, the lead vampire suddenly found his arms removed from his body and Jean-Claude behind him. He pulled down his scarf, saying, “Now you shall know how it feels to be a meal,” and he sank his fangs deep into his opponent. He screamed, more from shock than pain, to think that one even close to his kind would ever had the audacity to do what he was doing. When he finished, he then said, “Prepare to make your bed in Hell!” and, with one swift stroke, removed his opponent's head. By this point, the burning female was spreading the fire. At first, Jean-Claude did not want this, but then he realized that he had to cover their tracks somehow. Therefore, he told everyone to drag the bodies in, but to scatter them about the room, and to be certain that it looked like a fight had taken place and caused the fire. It could not look like arson. He knew the fire brigade would be there in time enough to put this out before it spread. However, he hoped that it would be long enough to keep too much of an investigation from happening. The bullet in the head of the one was a worry, but he knew the flames, and the damage they would cause, would prevent too much curiosity. All that would be assumed was that someone had been shot during the fight, and nothing more. “Let's get out of here,” said Jean-Claude.

 

Meanwhile, Kenta was listening to the distant sounds of clanging metal, and even heard gunshot. The 12 teens were a combination of scared, shocked, and angry. One of them said, “Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?”

“It's not you,” he said, “but you guys just have no clue how deep in it you were.”

“What are you saying?” said another, “What's going on back there?”

As if it were an answer, Karin landed before Kenta, still vamped out, with a great big grin on her face. She smiled at Kenta and hissed. Kenta said, “Wow, twice in one night: must have been a lot of bad auras back there,” saying it as if this were a common sight, surprising the teens back there. They had always thought that the blood they had received was human, and that all this biting by the club proprietors was just a part of the role-play. Seeing Karin, now they were not so sure anymore. Kenta said, “You have to release.”

Karin hissed, “I know!”

However, even though Kenta was preparing for another infusion, he was surprised to see Karin pick another target. “Wait,” he said, “I thought I told you that I was the only one you bite, unless I said otherwise,” but she paid it no mind as she turned to Yukiko. Yukiko was shaking as if it were 20 degrees below zero. Karin stroked her hair and said, “Don't worry, you'll love this!”

With that, she sunk in her fangs. Yukiko squealed a bit in fear and from the prick of pain, and then began to relax as if she were experiencing something quite pleasurable. After about two minutes, Karin pulled out, now very calm. Yukiko was now unconscious, but Karin knew that she would awaken energized, and with a better attitude. Karin thought to erase her memory, but she balked, not knowing just how much to do, and then wondering if they could use this as something by which she could learn something. By this point, the rest of the posse arrived just as they watched Karin finish her “treatment.” Ren then set out his hand, and put the 12 to sleep. He had to erase the sight of Karin doing her thing. He set things so that all the kids remembered was how they had been manipulated and brainwashed by the club owners into some kind of vampire cult, and how they all just wanted to go home. Once Kenta knew the game plan, he called the police anonymously, and then told them where they could find the kids. Meanwhile, they picked up Yukiko and headed for one of the nearest coffee shops.

 

By this point, Karin had put on Kenta's jacket, Jean-Claude took off his hat and scarf, and everyone was attempting to become more subdued. When they walked in, there was excitement as the fire brigade and the police screamed by. There was some stir when someone came in announcing that that local nuisance of a club was burning down, and that some missing kids had been found. Some had left to see what was happening, but the crew put two tables together. Jean-Claude paid for the whole thing, and Yukiko looked in a touch of a state of shock. However, one thing was certain, and that was she was staying as far away as she could from the ones she knew were vampires. She knew she could not run, so she pressed herself up against the wall in the booth she sat. Because of her uneasiness, Wiener sat across from her, and Victor sat beside her. Karin asked, “So, are you feeling better?”

Yukiko did not answer. She would not even look at Karin. She just sat there, nursing her coffee. Jean-Claude had to get her talking, so he figured that being frank would be the best. He said, “Well, you wanted to know, and now you know. However, what you saw tonight is not typical, and I am glad we were able to get you out of that. There is war brewing, and we would hate to see you in the crossfire.”

She muttered quietly, and said, “I don't know what is typical anymore.”

“Its going to be okay, Yukiko,” said Karin, “You must feel more positive now,” considering the sizeable infusion she had given.

“Odd,” she muttered, “I cannot even think straight, and yet I don't feel depressed.”

Yukiko thought for a moment, and then said, “But, Karin, you took my blood, really took my blood, and you didn't kill me.”

Ren then said, “First, she cannot drink it, she creates it in her system, and distributes it. Second, everything in her works backwards: she walks in daylight, gives blood, makes blood to use her abilities, rather than take it—she is a un-vampire.”

“Okay,” said Yukiko, “Now I am confused.”

Yuriya then said, “If there were any truths to the myths, and even if Karin was a normal vampire, would she not have killed you? Why did she let you live?”

“I dunno,” she murmured, “Maybe she thinks me a friend?”

“The truth is,” said Karin, “we are not like all the myths. We cannot make other vampires by biting and blood drinking. There is truth to the g'hul, and that is into which they had planned to turn you. We are NOT undead, but we are very alive.”

Jean-Claude continued, saying, “Remember what I told you last week?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Well,” he continued, “what I said I would believe if I believe IS what I know to be the truth. We are humanoid. We are to you as the vampire bat is to the bat. We want to live in peace, we do not murder humans, and we are even particular about our tastes in blood. Karin is attracted to unhappy people, Yuriya has her taste, Ren likes stressed out women, I like evil humans or vampires, and Karin's sister likes jealous young women.”

Ren then came in and said, “When we drink, we temporarily remove from them those things, and for a time, they actually function better.”

“Except for grandmamma,” added Karin, “She is attracted to young lovers! She has created some interesting fights!”

Everyone laughed, and even Yukiko cracked a smile. Victor said, “Yes, Elda is a character, and quite some interesting company.”

The two vampires and two d'amphiles looked over in amazement, and they said, “She's been coming round lately. She says I am a lot like Al was, and she is quite a charmer and good company for an old man. I can see where you get it from, Karin.”

Ren, Karin, and Kenta looked at each other, very surprised at this. Karin said, “I don't know what you did that night when you told your story, but it must have shook her up.”

“For the better, I hope,” answered Jean-Claude.

Karin saw a bit of concession in Yukiko, and managed to slip up and sit across from her. She looked her in the eye with a loving and sympathetic grin, and said, “I'm sorry if I scared you back there.”

She put her hands on top of Yukiko's and said, “Honestly, it's not in me to hurt the people that I like, and even then, it takes me getting into that state to lash out against anyone. They have to have really angered me for that to happen. Look, vampires are people too. We just want to live our lives like anyone. The only ones that are trouble are what you saw tonight, and even then, they are not many. We are not monsters, and you should be happy with you are.”

“I don't know anymore,” she said, “I only got into all that because I felt accepted, that people liked me for who I was, and they were not judgmental.”

“Can you say that this has been true of all your peers?” asked Jean-Claude, “You are active, and in the student government. You have a great personality, and you are great to have around. You don't have to do things like that to get people to like you, just be yourself.”

She hung her head a bit, and said, “I don't know who that is anymore.”

Karin smiled broadly, and said, “Then maybe we can find that girl. Do you want to find her?”

Yukiko smiled, and said, “I would love to.”

“Then I'll tell you what,” said Karin, “Why don't you come with me, Maki, and Yuriya tomorrow. We can spend the day just being girls, and getting all girled up. Do you want to try?”

Jean-Claude smiled, and said, “Here, take this.”

He opened his wallet, and handed out about 25,000 yen, and said, “Have a spree tomorrow, ladies, my treat!”

Ren, to make sure that all business was tended to, said, “It is only because I would desire Karin to have more friends is to have more eyes watching her in the daytime, for her safety. Normally, we would have erased your memory, but you would have gone back to all that, lost in vainly trying to find yourself.”

“This way,” added Jean-Claude, “you go away educated, and an ally. We needed to do that for you so your life can take a better turn.”

“Understand, however,” added Ren, “That what you have learned tonight must be kept a strict secret. Right now, we are just fighting for survival, and it is not yet time for us to be able to walk in the open. There are too many that believe the myths you did who would seek to kill us in fear and ignorance.”

“Which is redundant,” said Jean-Claude. Ren then continued, “If you were to try to expose us, we would then wipe your memory. However, because your knowledge is so extensive, we would have to take you back to day one. You would have to start all over again in a teenage body. Therefore, I would advise you to remain silent. Do you understand?”

“Very much so,” she said, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. Jean-Claude then said, “Let's go home.”

 

As the were leaving, the fire was under control, the police were questioning witnesses, and the 12 teens were being debriefed, being told that their parents would be informed, and, barring any records on them, they would all go home. It would take time to give a proper report. However, because of how odd everything seemed around the area, they were not certain if the whole truth in what had happened would ever emerge.

 

 

 

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