Just passing time (COMPLETE)

It was a peaceful evening thus far as the clouds drifted above lazily past the pale moon which showered the lands in its glow. Upon the dirty roof of his building Garrick sat enjoying the peace and silence that came with the night air up here. Watching the streets below the loner thought about the years that had gone by and the people he had known and lost in that span. He had seen and felt much sorrow in his life and very little of the brightness and joy that others got to enjoy. The curse of being a vampire it seemed was not only to live by night and survive through taking the lives of others but also to experience little in the way of joy. He never complained however because in truth he saw this as his cross to bear for the gift of being what he loved to hunt.

He was a vampire hunting vampire and being the beast made it so much easier to hunt them. He had been doing it for years and through the hunt he had managed to gain little in the way of information but what he did manage to gather was very useful. He had managed to find out a few things about the clans in this part of the world mainly who ran what and what there talents were geared to. The thing he had found most enlightening was the fact that he was a third generation vampire and that others would find him to be a force to be reckoned with.

He was not the scariest vampire out there by any means but he found that the lesser generations were not very keen on getting close to him. He enjoyed the feeling of striking fear into other vampires and it was one he planned to use as often as he could. He sighed and picked up the guitar he bought that day and plugged it into the amp. Flicking his fingers across the strings a few times he tuned it and began to play the first few notes to the song Ten Years Gone by Led Zeppelin.

He had taken lessons a few months ago and picked up up rather quickly and it seemed with all that was going on in his mind that the song fit his current situation just fine. The notes floated from the amp to pierce the silence of the rooftop and surrounding areas with there sound. He tapped his foot along with the song and closed his eyes to enjoy the music as he was wrapped in the embrace of the melody. His memories played through his mind to the music like a makeshift video for his eyes only.

He saw himself at the bar with his friends enjoying a few drinks and chasing women. He saw training in the military and the S.A.S. working hard for his goals and his country. He saw the battles,the friends dying,the bullet to his head and of course the night he was turned. The music stopped and he set the guitar down once more his breathing a bit harder as the memories stirred feelings of anger and sorrow once more. He shook his head and stood up running a hand over hit buzzed head as he walked to the edge of the roof and looked down on the streets below.

He would be there for everyone of them in there time of need against the vampires that walked among them. He was burning with rage still after all these years over the man that turned him rather then kill him out right. He would not watch it happen again at least not while he was around. His fellow bloodsuckers would burn and scream in there final moments as he tore them apart one by one and when it was all done he would be the only one left standing among them.

That day would come and when it did he would find a nice place to sit over looking the ocean and he would watch the sunrise one last time. His skin would turn black and crack apart but the smile would never leave him. Embers would strip from his skin exposing bone beneath but he the smile would not leave him. He would finally turn to dust and the wind would carry what remained of him away and he would die knowing that he was the last.

It was all he wanted in this world and he knew that he had a long way to go before he could see that dream to its end. For now however he simply watched from his rooftop as the people below went about there lives and he plotted his next move to strike at the covens that stationed themselves here and in surrounding areas.

Opening the throttle on her outdated Ducati Monster, the sports bike jumped forward as she raced along the deserted interstate that ran between the three colonies. She was traveling from Librium to Bastion, the human colony for a little peace. In between contracts and with her only portal of contact shut off until she felt like returning to work, Lana would savor this self-imposed exile from work. Perhaps she would even make a couple of friends…Nah. She would need training in social skills that didn’t involve veiled threats or sarcasm. Not even Flynn could make her do more than smirk with derision.

Before nightfall she was tearing through the Bastion wall and soaring down the city streets. People stopped to see who was creating the raucous as the noise from her Ducati echoed between the buildings and announced her presence before she even reached a certain point. The black matte paintjob of the bike helped it to blend with the darkness once night had settled and she arrived at her destination.

Slowing the bike as she pulled into a side alley, Lana kicked down the stand and killed the ignition. She swung one leg over to dismount; dark wash denim jeans clinging to the curve of her posterior, hips and legs and blending with the customary militia boots that she always wore. Her torso was covered with a tailored black Bomber that she had zipped up to cut back on the wind chill on the ride over, now that she had stopped, Lana tugged the zipper down until the jacket sagged open and revealed the dark grey, plain tee beneath. The only real color adorning her was her red hair and her brilliant green eyes.

From the back of her bike she unstrapped a black leather backpack. It was filled with articles of clothing and her handguns. With her free hand she slung it over her shoulder and tucked her helmet beneath the other, ready to head into the Spartan apartment she kept handy during times like these. Of course she had purchased it under a pseudonym to keep others from knowing where one of her many dens were.

Leaving the alley, she walked around the apartment building to the front entrance and stopped. Instinctively she took a long sniff of the night air before her head dropped back. Green eyes narrowed upon the pale face she espied peaking over the rooftop ledge, but she didn’t bother with the man. His scent was enough to clue her in to his species and while Lana had met many a vampire over the years, she had no become friendly with them on any level. The street lighting that poured over her made those green eyes quickly flash yellow in the way wolf eyes were want to do in a particular lighting as she looked back down.

Through the lobby of the building, Lana took the stairs two at a time up six flights. Her apartment was at the far end of the hall and standing at the door, she dropped the helmet to her feet as she fumbled through her backpack for the keys to the front door. Yebatʹ! Why does this always happen to me?

While he was standing at the edge of the building he had noticed the eyes from below that had found there way to him. He watched her for a moment but that was all he had as her slender frame made its way through the front door and into the building. A new neighbor it seemed had made residence in the building and he smirked at the idea of having someone else to watch over around here. Pivoting away from the edge of the rooftop he made his way to the door that would lead him back inside and stepping through it he made his way down the stairs and hung a right to continue down the hall.

He moved in complete silence which was one of the gifts the curse had granted him and he moved through the halls and stairwells with the hope of catching the beauty before he managed to vanish into her apartment. Luck was with him as he reached the sixth floor and found her at the end of the hall with her back turned to him. He stood a few feet away leaning up against the wall watching her look through a bag the bike helmet at her feet and then she cursed in Russian and his ears perked a bit. Stepping foreword he addressed her calmly and in kind.

"Это случается с нами всеми время от времени" He stepped foreword slowly and made sure he showed no signs of being a threat. He moved around her with a smile and gripped the doorknob lifting it slightly and then pushed as his hit the door frame with his hip and like magic the door opened up as if it was unlocked. Turning back to the woman he offered his hand and a smile in greeting before introducing himself to her.

"How's it going? Im Garrick sort of the guy who fixes stuff around here for the others." As he spoke the scent of wild wolf faintly hit his nostrils and his eyes narrowed slightly looking her over carefully. He could see no trace of hair on her from any kind of wolf or dog so maybe she had a pet. "You got a pet by chance?" It was a dumb question to ask. Yeah she had a pet wolf it was sitting in her pocket because she didn't have a spare helmet for it to ride the bike.

It was one of those awkward moments where the question was one that he wished he could take back after he said it. Then again maybe she had a friend who was looking after her pet to that was always possible. Either way it was on the table and there was not way to really explain why he asked without giving away that he was something more then human. So he just decided to move on from there and continue the conversation in another direction.

"Those doors can be tricky. If you want ill come back sometime and fix it for you it just needs a little tightening on the screws. I live one floor down from you in apartment E7 so if you ever need anything feel free to come knocking. I am very busy during the day but at night im pretty much here coming and going and all" His dark blue eyes with those burning orange iris's scanned her face and body taking it all in.

He was excited she had chosen to live here because it would mean she would get a better nights sleep then most other places. He enjoyed looking after everyone here and since he had pretty much made this his territory there had not been many others in the way of vampires or night beasts that came knocking in these parts. There was one vampire who thought it a good place to gorge himself but Garrick had swept him up into the dustpan and thrown him out shortly after he entered the building.

Vampire! Lana stopped her rummaging and stood motionless; one hand buried within her backpack where her apartment keys were, but also where her Colts were stashed. She stopped searching for her keys and gently wrapped her fingers around the grip of one of the handguns just as the undead creature was stepping into her line of vision. She managed a pleasant demeanor, if seemingly slightly cautious just to act a little normal that a stranger was approaching her, speaking fluent Russian and breaking into her apartment.

When he offered his hand, she was thankful that she wouldn’t have to release her hold on the hidden gun to shake it. Using her empty hand to greet him, Lana chuckled good naturedly as the vampire introduced himself and asked if she had a dog. Stopping mid-shake, she gave him an odd look but shrugged a shoulder and smiled anyway. Luna Weston and yes, I have a dog but you won't see her. Luna Weston was the pseudonym she’d purchased the apartment under; an entirely different persona for the werewolf, given to her by Umbra that even had her own personal history and birth certificate.

Easing the door open, Lana nudged her bike helmet into the foyer and eased herself around Garrick to stand in the threshold. So…you’re the handy man around here? Lana wasn’t sure why it disturbed her so much that he lived here. She had no emotional connection to the human race, or to any humans that lived in Bastion. So his choice of residence should have been no big deal to her and it was hypocritical for a werewolf to find a vampire living among humans a funny situation.

It was what it was though and she couldn’t force him to leave. Garrick had made this his territory and so she would make no demands of him. I’m not going to be around very much. This is just a place for me to stay when I have business here in Bastion. She eased the pack from her shoulder and set it down. But if you wouldn’t mind, you could work on the door now? I’m not going to sleep anytime soon and don’t really have any unpacking to do… The inside of the apartment was spartan; a single L shaped leather sectional occupying the living room, basic appliances in the kitchen and a small dinette set.

A smile found its way to his pale face as she spoke with him but he could see the muscles in her arm very slowly tighten a bit. His training along with his senses gave him a few warning bells as he was trained to pick up on things that the average person did not. It was possible that her hand had found the keys because she stopped shifting around the bag while she spoke him him but why grab them when the door was open? No that did not really make much sense to him and so the next logical conclusion was that he had spooked her a bit and she was holding on to something out of stress or maybe as a defense item.

She reached with her free hand to shake his own extended one and the hand in her bag remained firmly in place where it was. That confirmed the likely hood for him that she had been a bit put off by him and was holding some sort of weapon but what that was he could not be sure. His eyes shifted to the bag for a quick second to try and steal some kind of a peek at the contents but he was shit out of luck there. Normally he would think that one was put off or scared by him but she was able to speak clearly and her pulse rate did not seem to go up either. She seemed cool as a cucumber and comfortable where she was and so he concluded that she was not only ready to defend herself but capable of doing so. That was a good thing.

"That's to bad. Im a big animal lover and would have loved to meet her." She seemed to measure him up as she spoke and the way she stood would seem normal to others but to him it was the stance of someone who know how to handle a various amount of situations. Her eyes seemed to soak in every detail and every movement of his body and she seemed to be calm and relaxed but on a hair trigger if things got ugly. It was all speculation on his part of course and the only reason he suspected it was because he was very much the same way. There was no way for Garrick to explain it but for some reason he just saw in her a deadly force to be reckoned with.

She eased herself around him to make her way into the apartment and his eyes followed her movements carefully...Her own did the same with him. She made her way inside and set her things down while continuing to speak with him. "I wouldn't really say I am the handyman more like im the kindly neighbor in the building who likes to lend a helping hand. I don't really have much in the way of interaction socially in the city so I like to get to know everyone and help them." She had a lovely body he had to admit and he couldn't help but take a good long look at her butt before snapping his eyes back up before she caught him.

So it was business that brought her to bastion and living in such a sparse apartment then. Business in bastion was not at all curious and the fact that she lived with so little in the way of comfort did not either. What seemed a bit off was that the way her statement was made

Quote :

This is just a place for me to stay when I have business here in Bastion.

It would mean that she was here in bastion often enough that she needed to keep a place on the back burner for renting. If that was the case why had he never seen her before now or for that matter smell her scent all over the apartment? He simply dismissed it as her having rented the place not to long ago and having her things moved in while he was out and about or sleeping.

"Ahh well it's a shame you won't be around to much. I like to get to know everyone who lives here and you seem rather nice. As for me fixing your door I would be happy to help just let me grab my things from upstairs and ill be back in a minute to handle the issue. He took one last look around before he turned from the door and began to walk down the hall heading for the stairs at the end to get to his floor. He laughed to himself at the fact that he didn't walk through her doorway wondering when she would catch onto that. He liked to play by some of the vampire myths to fuck with new people and give them the impression he was one what with the pale skin and all. The funny part being that he was.

He got to the stairs and with that vampire speed of his he was within the walls of his own home and shuffling about this way and that. He grabbed a phillips head and a flat head as well as a new door jam and some screws. He kept spare parts for the other apartment door's laying around and as he made his way out he grabbed a bolt lock that he could install on the inside for her to use. The whole thing took maybe ten minutes before he was standing back at her door once more and knocking lightly on the wall with a genuine smile.

"Hey mind if I come in and get to work? I don't like just walking in to someone else's house. Oh and I hope you don't mind but I grabbed you a deadbolt for the inside since these flimsy chains never seem to keep people out. Consider it an apartment warming gift!" The mention of it being an apartment warming gift was to see her response if any. Either she would thank him/ refuse him or she would reveal that she had this place for awhile now in which case he would have to do a bit of digging as to why it was he had never seen her around.

My dog, she isn’t…fond of others. Bad manners around strangers so I keep her away from them most of the time. But when she could no longer contain the beast, it was hard to resist the lure that a fresh kill had. Even if she wasn’t just some mindless, bloodthirsty beast, Lana could not deny that the animal inside her wasn’t captivated by the thought of death and of blood. Sometimes she thought that there was something evil inside of her; not just the werewolf, but something worse. Something sinister that would one day engulf her as a whole and take her from the neutral zone she had found within herself into a pit of darkness and destruction.

When he arrived, he would find that her door had remained open for him and through it he could see that she was in the kitchen. Her bag placed on the dinette table and her jacket lying beside it. Beneath the jacket she had worn a dark colored tank top, the exact hue somewhere between indigo and black. Her back was to him and she was carving up a fresh, raw steak. The fridge was well stocked, thanks to Umbra who had moved what little furniture she had into the place that day, which would account for why Garrick hadn’t known about her until her arrival tonight. Though she couldn’t see him, Lana was perfectly aware that he had returned to the floor before rapping his knuckles against her doorframe.

Without turning and only a brief glance over her shoulder, Lana motioned him in with a nod of her head. The stove beside her was alive with a single skillet sitting over an open flame; sizzling with the oil that was heating while she tossed in chunks of steak. That’s perfect! Saves me from having to go out and buy one myself! The oil was there to give the steak a bit of flavor as it cooked; though it wasn’t there for long. Lana nudged it around the skillet with a spatula for a minute or two before taking it from the pan to a glassware plate she pulled down from a cabinet above her. There were no sides to go along with her dinner; just the basically raw steak that she ate with her fingers. Chewing the bloody meat easily as her sharpened canines tore through the meat.

So, have you lived here long? I’m gonna be in town for the next week, wouldn’t mind having someone with experience giving me the rundown on the city. I’m a bit of a night owl most of the time so you won’t have to worry about me banging on your door during the day. She licked any extra blood from her fingers each time she popped a new piece of steak into her mouth. Lana was testing the vampire in her own ways; giving him permission to enter the apartment without verbally speaking and with the raw, bloody meat. Even a vampire wouldn’t be able to ignore the smell of animal blood. It wasn’t as sweet as human blood, but still nourishing and filling.

"Dogs can be be very protective I wouldn't call it bad manners I would call it doing her job and doing it well." He had a gift for speaking with animals and he knew the nature of a dog and a wolf from speaking with them. They were brilliant beasts who know nothing of fear when it comes to defending the things they held dear. It was humans who spoiled the nature of these creatures and caused them to turn into the skittish beings that hid in corners when yelled at. He truly did love animals and he understood how Lana felt about keeping her own companion from strangers.

The blood from the steak was smelled long before it was cooked and it had caught his attention fully. He licked his lips a few times as his thoughts began to race with the idea of sucking upon the sweet crimson life nectar. He was going to have to feed tonight that much was clear to him but he was not anywhere near a blood lust and so he was able to force his thoughts back to the work at hand. The sizzle of the pan seemed to start and stop rapidly as chunks of steak were tossed in for a few seconds and pulled back out. Odd.

"Like I said I am a man who enjoys taking care of those I live with. Sort of like the family I no longer have." He gave a laugh and the scent of the blood became stronger when the steak stopped frying in the pan. He felt his fangs start to grow a bit longer but he closed his eyes and calmed himself forcing his mind away from it once more and onto fixing the door. He was not very old for a vampire but he knew how to keep himself under control around blood for the most part.

When she nodded to him it was a clear indication for him to enter the apartment and so he crossed into it with little issue. He did not need the invite but he liked to play around however her silent nod and him entering most likely would not register with her as him being a vampire. Oh Well. He got down on one knee and began to remove the face plate from the door. It only took a few seconds to remove the two screws that held it in place.

He reached for the thicker new plate and placed it level with where the old one was and began to turn the screws into new holes. One usually used a drill for this but with his level of strength it was not difficult to force the screws into the wood. "I have only lived here a few years but I know a lot about the things that go on in the city and the places to stay away from and what not. It would be my pleasure to give you the information I have gathered as im sure it will keep you a bit safer. Not that you can't take care of yourself or anything but there is a lot of really rough customers around these parts."

He had really been here longer then a few years but he didn't want her to know that. He had delt with demons,lycans,vampires,shapeshifters,zombies and all kinds of other dark beasts. There was a lot of places that seemed to attract the most unsavory of beasts and creatures around here. He would be happy to pass along what information he could to try and keep her out of those areas. Then again women did like to do there own thing and prove there independence so it may just back fire on him.

I got an idea. One of the nights your free you and I will hit the town and I will happily show you around and answer any questions you might have. Sound like a plan to you? He had finished the door and closed it to make sure it clicked into place. Using the same trick he did outside he tested it once more and it held itself shut just fine. A smile found its way to his face and he grabbed the lock from his side picking it up and setting it up on the inside of the door for her.

The screws went in easily enough for the U shaped lock on the door frame itself and he then placed the small steel bar lock itself to the door and began to fasten it in place. "So if you don't mind me asking. What kind of business brings you into bastion often enough that you have a place always ready? And don't give me that 'my business' crap or im taking my lock back!" He gave a chuckle to show he was only playing but the question was fielded and the ball was in her court now.

Popping the last of the raw steak cubes into her mouth, Lana went ahead and washed the glassware plate by hand and set it to dry in the drainer. She hadn’t gotten much of a response out of him with the bloody, raw meat but there had been other telltale signs; the sudden tension in his shoulders before he began work on the door lock and the tight set to his jaw, as if he was attempting to hide something from her. It isn’t that she is protective. She is just unwilling to cooperate socially with strangers. Meaning when Lana chose to let the beast take over, she was less caring about the lives of others.

As he finished with his work, Lana was standing not but a couple feet from him. Her arms folded loosely across her chest, she had donned her leather jacket and was fisting her apartment keys. Or we could do it tonight. Unless you have other…pressing matters? She didn’t bother waiting for his consent, instead reaching out for his bag of tools which she dropped just inside her door before pushing him into the hallway. Shutting the door behind herself, she locked it and took the key to the deadbolt from him, securing that lock as well. I like to get right to business, she was smiling up at him now, a most charming upturn of her lips as she stood chest to chest with him.

Let’s go, while the night is still young. His orange iris’ bothered her none and in fact she found them interesting. The blue pupil was another unique factor, though the two colors were not at all within the category of favorites for her. But one could not choose how they looked. Her arm looped through one of his and she led him down the hall to the stairs, taking him all the way down to the lobby and out into the streets. Lamp light flooded the sidewalk where they stood for a moment, looking first down one way then the other. How about you show me the places not to go?

She quickly had him out the door and down the hall heading for the stairs that would lead them to the front door of the building. She had locked everything up and taken the key for the deadbolt from him as well. She wanted to get to know the dangers this city had to offer and while he normally would refuse a request like that she was taking him with her and it would afford her a certain measure of extra protection that normally would not be there. Something about her told him she was not one to be fucked with and so he showed a bit more favor in her request then he would with others.

On the street she seemed to be waiting for him to take the lead and so he did heading down the street with her arm looped in his own. To others they seemed like a normal couple walking the street but he knew the truth of the matter at least with him being a blood sucking leech and all. As for her he was not sure about her story but he had a strange feeling more would be revealed to him tonight. The night air was quite as they continued to travel and grew closer to one of the roughest parts of the neighborhood.

The houses and buildings went from nicely built sturdy frames to cracked and tilted with broken windows and graffiti sprayed along the walls. Stray dogs wandered the streets and the grass was overgrown with weeds mixed in. People sat on porches drinking and fighting while games were played on the sidewalk and side deals were cut in alleys. "Im sure your more then capable of holding your own but please stay close to me. There is all manner of evil that crawls through these streets and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Eyes peered from buildings at them as they passed and people stopped there games to stare as they passed by. A few cat calls were made at her and taunts were thrown in Garricks direction. He did not answer to those taunts and his arm did not leave Lana's as they walked. His eyes watched every movement made carefully so as not to allow anyone to get the jump on them as they walked through the cracked streets.

"This is one of the worst parts of town there is. You can find all manner of creatures here from vampires and were's to demons and super powered humans. Everyone has some sort of hand in crime or a syndicate they run with trying to control these streets for profit.It is not a smart idea to come down here alone if at all because they aren't known for being very welcoming."

Right as his statement finished four rather large men stepped in there path with there arms folded and one stepped foreword to address them. NPC: "There is a toll to walk these streets right hurr and im thinking the lady has just what we need." The man licked his lips and rubbed his hands together while nodding. His friends laughed and nodded there heads whistling. Garrick locked eyes with each and every one of them while stepping foreword and trying to put himself between Lana and the men.

"I can tell you now that its a bad move thinking your going to get to her but if you want to try then your more then welcome to press your luck getting through me. We are just looking around the city and aren't looking for trouble so why not just let us pass and everyone walks away happy." He knew there luck was not going to be that good but he was going to do his best to avoid a fight and get her out of here without any bloodshed. He could feel his fangs elongating within his mouth the desire to feed overcoming him from the steak the woman had eaten before. This night was about to get real ugly real fast.

"I’m sure you’re more than capable of holding your own but please stay close to me. There is all manner of evil that crawls through these streets and I don't want anything to happen to you."

She had to stifle the laughter that rose unbidden; pressing her lips together in a thin line as she averted her gaze to another portion of their surroundings. It was admirable of him to feel so protective of her, as chivalry was close to extinction.

NPC: "There is a toll to walk these streets right hurr and I’m thinking the lady has just what we need."

With a human blockade in their way, Garrick making the fifth body that stood in her way since he had taken it upon himself to situate his body between hers and the thugs, their stroll around Bastion was for the moment at a standstill. Two of the four stood in front of her vampire bodyguard and two more moved to stand behind them, causing Lana to turn so that her back was pressed against Garrick’s.

The two men she faced were polar opposites. One of an African heritage, with arms as thick as her thighs (which were nicely toned, by the way) and skin so dark he could blend with the night had their not been a street light shining over them. His partner was a good foot shorter than him, which made him a few inches shorter than Lana. His skin was only a shade darker than hers and his hair was buzzed closed to his head. He had a distinctive slant to his eyes, which indicated his Asian heritage. Both were as roughneck as she suspected someone could be come. Neither one of them frightened her.

I do not think they are very interested in playing nice with us. This elicited a snicker from the four men and Lana smiled in return. Her lips turning up at the corners and parting to reveal pearly white teeth; the canines (top and bottom) were marginally sharper than a human’s, yet not as sharp as a vampire’s fangs would be since she was not in her shifted form. Yin and Yang (her two opponents) as he had come to silently nickname them did not seem to notice this about her.

Yin (the short Asian) was the first to approach her. Using his strength as an intimidation mechanism by yanking her away from Garrick by the arm; his fingers wrapped like a vice around her bicep and squeezing until his knuckles showed white against his skin. NPC: I neva had redhead before. What it they said about them? Does carpet match drapes? His friends laughed harder, voicing their own curiosity about the subject. He thrust her backwards against his African friend, who held the redheaded wolf by the shoulders.

The weight of the hands on her shoulders held Lana in place while the Asian brushed against her. His lustful pheromones clouding her senses as he invaded her personal space. Clumsy hands that groped at her chest as he ran a sloppy tongue across her neck. She gritted her teeth, feigning the damsel in distress in the beginning, though the longer he continued the quicker her ire rose. Lana broke free from her captors grasp and grabbed the Asian by the head, forcing his face down against her right knee as she brought it up. The sound of bone cracking and the warmth blood as it gushed from his busted nose was a boon as it splattered against her denim clad leg. Behind her the dark-skinned male stood in motionless shock for a moment, and then was spurred into action by the shouts of surprise from his comrades. Wrapping his arms around the woman and lifting her bodily from the ground, in turn making Lana release the Asian who tumbled to the sidewalk unconscious.

Watched them all carefully as they spoke and he knew there would be no way to talk themselves out of the situation they found themselves in. He felt Lana with her back to his and he got himself ready to defend the pair of them. Soon he felt Lana move and he turned his head slightly to see the Asian groping her with his hands and that alone sent rage coursing through his body but he held his position for a moment waiting to see what she would do in response. She did not appear to be scared but rather her face showed him she was bidding her time.

The sound of her knee crashing into the face of the asian man made almost everyone cringe. He was perfectly at home with the sound but the scent of the blood floated to his nostrils and as the other man picked her up he growled out. The two that were before him started to move in and Garrick launched into action as every muscle pumped to close the distance. His fangs were clearly seen at this point and he knew the first one had seen them as he stopped in his tracks.

It was to late for him as Garrick brought his palm up with pure speed and strength to strike him in the nose. There was a loud crack and blood poured as his eyes rolled back in his head. The bone in his nose and snapped and forced itself upwards to pierce the brain and drop him dead to the floor. A fist flew and caught the vampire in the left side of his jaw turning it for a brief moment before he turned back and faced his new attacker fully.

The punch did not phase him in the least and he brought his other hand up and reached out with an unmatched speed to grip the throat of this man. Picking him up into the air he held him there a moment digging his fingers into the flesh and the blood made its way down Garricks fingers to slide along his fore arm. A wicked smile came to his face as he moved his arm tot he right and then in a viscous manner to the left.

The result was the body flying into a wall and hitting the ground and the front of his throat resting in the hands of the vampire. Garrick dropped the chunk of flesh and turned licking his fingers and forearm as he did to rest eyes on the man who had been holding Lana in his grasp. He locked eyes with him but made no move against him rather he continued to lick the blood from himself and watched to see how Lana would handle the situation.

He knew in his mind that she would most likely not be talking to him again after this but he did what he had to to keep them both safe and he would not take that back. While his methods were brutal he was still impressed with the knee she had given the man on the ground. He was not only impressed but now he was more then sure she was simply toying with the man that was holding her and that any second now that man would be on the wrong end of a can of whoop ass in the form of the lovely lady Lana.

The crunch of the Asian’s nasal bone against her knee sent a satisfying shiver up the redhead’s spine. She had time to enjoy watching him stumble backwards, both hands clasped over his face protectively before his friend grabbed her from behind. From the corner of her eye she could see Garrick moving with an inhuman speed; fighting off the remaining two thugs. Now she could stop goading him at least. Having already known what he was from the moment she had arrived at the apartment building, his strength, agility and speed just confirmed it for her.

With the arms of the third man wrapped around her, Lana felt her feet leave the ground one, two, three times as the African attempted to unbalance her and crush her by squeezing. When her feet landed back upon the pavement after the third time being lifted into the air, the redhead reached back and gripped the thug’s jewels in the palm of her hand. Layers of clothing could not soften the grip she had on him; squeezing them as if they were made for such volatile treatment. His girlish shriek into her ear and the slackening of his arms around her gave Lana the chance she needed to reverse the situation.

With his testicles still in her hand she turned in the circle of his arms so they were face to face. Her eyes were no longer that alluring green they had been, but now were the piercing golden amber of the werewolf inside her. The tighter her hand got, the closer he began to crumble to the ground and she was following right along. The both of them kneeling there with both of his hands now circling her wrist in a struggling attempt to free his crushed testes that now felt like mush in her hand. She was satisfied to see tears trickling from the corners of his eyes and to witness how his mouth worked soundlessly; unable to properly speak and beg for her to show him some mercy.

Unfortunately for him, Lana was not a priest or even religious. She worshiped only the moon and no one else. In a motion that would rival Garrick’s speed, she rose and took a small step backwards just as her free hand struck out. In place of fingers were the elongated extremities of the werewolf, tipped with the deadly sharp claws. Slicing through the thug’s neck like a knife through warm butter; spilling blood onto the sidewalk, her shoes and splattering the crimson against her clothes.

As his body crumpled sideways to the ground, she was looking at her morphed hand and sniffing the crimson liquid that coated her fingers. Amber eyes drifted up from the dark corpse to Garrick who stood not far off from her. Her pink tongue stretched out and gingerly tested the blood; licking a long line up to the tip of a single claw. I don’t like being threatened. A statement to justify her reason for killing the man. From behind her there was a scuffling and she turned to see the Asian righting himself in preparation to bolt. She reached out to snag the back of his shirt and pull him towards her. He was the last loose end to tie up and she did so with quickness. Driving her hand through his back with the help of her deformed hand; tearing open the skin and ripping a section of his vertebrae out.

She dropped the Asian’s spine on top of him as he landed face first to the ground; littering the area around them with another lifeless corpse. It was strange though that there was no cry of alarm. Even as Lana looked around the neighborhood they were in, she couldn’t see a single soul out on the streets; no one to bear witness to what they had done. Is death so common around here that everyone turns a blind eye to it?

Standing and watching as Lana set to the task of destroying the two men that had the balls to step to her as if she was easy prey was exciting. She put them down with a prejudice and skill that impressed Garrick which in it self was no easy feat to accomplish. He was a highly trained killer and strategist and so he had liked to think he had seen a great deal of almost everything in the long span of his life. The ass kicking that Lana handed these men and the manner in which she seemed so calm about it ranked this easily in the top five greatest things he had seen in a street brawl.

It was actually more accurate to call it a street massacre as he watched her dismantle and dismember these men in a matter of moments. They were hardened street thugs who preformed these kinds of operations daily and were well accustomed to handling them in such a way that risk was minimal to the reward they received. The look on their faces as she set about the task of obliterating them was simply priceless and Garrick made sure to soak it all in with great satisfaction. These were the scum he looked to eradicate from this plane and here she was doing it with a vengeance.

Blood covered his right arm to the elbow from that throat which he had ripped from the flesh. It was sliding down along his fingers to pool at the tips and drip to the dirty path he stood on below. Drop after drop splashed the ground and dirt rose up to greet each one and surround the outer edges in its gritty embrace. The red color slowly turning a more brownish black as it stained the ground until refreshed by each new droplet that fell.

He was in a place of serenity at the moment and his demeanor was a a calm and collected one but inside he was fighting the raging tide of hunger. The blood wafted to his nose and his eyes seemed to start glazing over a bit as he licked his lips in anticipation for the feast he was trying to avoid. Thoughts in his head were of pools of blood with bodies floating over every inch. He would drink the pool dry and leave the bodies to rot and decay within its missing fill.

He battled these thoughts with those of the man he used to be and the people he used to know and love. Friends and family battled against the thoughts of his blood soaked body gorging on the life essence of every man,woman, and child of this world. It seemed an eternity to him however for anyone watching it would seem only a minute would pass before he shook his head and turned to see Lana once more standing over the bodies and directing a question to him.

"This is a lawless section of town in which they will murder and take advantage of anyone who happens to pass through. They have no issue killing each other as well and murder is a common practice. The only thing that keeps them from over running this city is the Terran guard and the people that put them down. It is a sad affair but you asked to come here and see this and so I brought you here to witness it first hand. The way you handled yourself was inspiring to say the least. Who do you work for and how are you trained?

The question hung in the air between the two of them as he was pretty sure that the local gyms did not teach that level of execution to the people that paid them. Self defense among the general run of the mill places had become more of a defense art to keep you alive then a style with which to put down your attacker. Not only that but most of it was one on one combat and it was always simulated. There was no way to get to the level of handling yourself the way Lana did without experience in real fights.

The world was a dangerous place to live and anyone who trained at a simple class would most likely have been torn apart by a duo such as the one Lana had just put down. She had to have been trained somewhere else in a way that was intense and hard upon her persons. She was a rare breed of true fighting and tenacity that was not common with most anyone else. He was curious as to where she learned to handle herself.

She studied the crimson liquid as it dripped from her morphed hand; the ruby droplets falling from the tips of her claws to the ground as the blood drained down her arm. As its coppery scent drifted up to her nose, Lana returned her attention to the vampire as he responded to her question. So what does this make you…some sort of vigilant hero? It’s obvious that you’re not like others of your kind since you aren’t down on your knees licking up every last drop of blood from the sidewalk. The way she spoke of vampires made it known that she did not think highly of them as a species, however they were not her enemy.

As the anatomy of her hand began to shift back, she gritted her teeth through the process and ended up wiping her hand up and down the thigh of her pants. It removed most of the blood that soaked her arm up to the elbow, though there were red stains left behind that she would clean off later with a shower. It doesn’t look like the Guard is doing a very good job at guarding. Glancing at the scattered bodies, her upper lip pulled back in a sneer and she began to walk away. Her direction was further into the slums of Bastion, though she was willing to bet that no one would be messing with them for the rest of the night.

I don’t suppose you have guessed what it is I am? …I knew you even before I saw you. Looking over at him, her green eyes were less suspicious of him now; now that they had revealed their true selves. She was, however, waiting for some form of attack from him. Even though he was curious about her technique, Lana wasn’t sure of his standpoint on werewolves. Her kind was not thought of in the best of light. You ask a lot of questions. Questions that, for now, I am unable to answer. There was only one person outside of Umbra who knew her for exactly who she was and he was an exception to the rule only because Lana had required his help during one of her contracted missions.

But you should know, what happened back there is not something I do so carelessly. Killing without cause is against my own moral code. The only reason those men back there died is because they were a threat to my existence. It was their life against mine and I…I chose to live. Looking away from him, she stared at the sidewalk as the continued on their stroll, chewing at her lower lip while the silence between them started to build. What about you? What is it you do for a living?

Finishing his clean up on his arm which was covered in blood he simply looked back to her as she asked him if he was a hero of some kind and he laughed shaking his head. He had never thought of himself as a hero and he was sure that no one else did either. Looking her over he thought of the best way to explain it to her so that she would not look at him like he had nine heads. The scent of the blood was drawing his attention in two different places at once and he was finding it a bit difficult to figure out the answer to each question that was asked.

"I wouldn't say I am a hero so much as I am trying to give back to the world for the things I have done since I became this monster. I seek out and destroy evil but it is not like im doing it for fame or to be honored. Most of the time its in the shadow without the prying eyes of other people. I just want to make the world a bit safer because if I don't then who will?"

The truth of it was that this was his way of cleaning up the area he lived in and suppressing his own evil side at the same time. There were feelings that bubbled inside of him at times that made him want to simply go out and slaughter everything in his path. There was pure anger within him that was pent up over his turning and the people he lost. The way he dealt with it? Go out and kill the scumbags of the streets to make himself feel better about his own life.

"I assume a Werewolf right?" It was his answer to her question of him knowing what she was. The smell of a dog when they first met and the bloody meat she ate was a bit of a giveaway but he was not sure until that morphed arm had shown itself. She could have been anything really but he was going with the safe bet on this one. He shrugged when she explained that the questions he asked would have to remain without answer for now and simply nodded his head.

Stepping over the bodies that littered the ground he made his way to her side and began to walk with her. She was explaining her take on what went on back there and he held a hand up with a smile. "You don't have to explain anything to me. You did what you had to do given the situation and you came out on top of it all. What you did was what you were forced to do and thats all." He understood where she was coming from and he would not press the matter or bring it up again.

With a heavy sigh he began to answer her question of what he did for a living knowing that this would most likely get the more awkward look. "I train people in how to defend themselves against vampires and the like. I go from home to home helping them anyway I can and providing a better chance for them to survive an attack. However when I am not doing that I am hunting my own kind mainly and attempting to remove them from this world. I hate vampires and I hope to one day rid the world of them all."

He sighed once more as he finished his explanation and turned to look at her face for any kind of reaction to his statement. He knew she would ask the questions about why he hated his own kind and how he planned to rid them all. The question that seemed to be asked by everyone who he told this to however was what about him? He was a vampire after all and as long as he lives there is still a vampire walking the earth right?

And do you think the world deserves the courtesy you are showing it? She was not mocking him his good deeds. Lana was merely curious as to the why of it. What had the world done for him to deserve to be saved? Although she could very well say that she was performing the same service considering she rarely let her werewolf off its short leash and never to hunt anything other than wildlife. The first time attacking another person had been enough for her and now she hunted only by contract for Umbra; killing for a purpose instead of slaughtering without reason.

Da, a werewolf. Would you consider me as part of this ‘evil’ you seek to destroy? As they continued to stroll, she was keeping a keen ear and nose on their surroundings as her gaze would stray to the vampire. Most of anyone they happened across in their wanderings would scurry back into whatever hovel they came from. Word certainly traveled fast among the poor and wretched. Or is it just other vampires you hunt? She did not care that he killed his own kind for she killed without discrimination. Whether they be of her kin or another, so long as she was paid to do it then it would be done. Her only exception to the rule was and would always be children.

And, if you hope to one day rid Terra of all vampires, does that mean you plan on taking your own life? That she could not understand at all. To be truthful Lana feared death; which was probably why she was still alive today. She refused to allow someone else the satisfaction of sending her into the beyond and she could not imagine doing it herself. The finality of it sent a quick shiver up her spine and raised goose bumps over her flesh.

Looking up, they were leaving the rundown shanty-like neighborhoods in favor of all-night diners and bars. The scenery was no better than before, only now there was more outdoor lighting thanks to the neon signs that blinked the names of the various establishments. This is a very lively area. Music was filtering out of the bars and strip clubs that lined both sides of the street. The tunes muffled by closed doors yet still distinguishable to her ears due to her heightened senses. Do you eat regular food, Garrick? She posed the question to him and though she had already consumed the raw meat from earlier, Lana again found herself famished. Killing really worked up an appetite in a woman.

The question she asked was one that he never really thought of because he simply did not do this to show the world kindness. For him it was a way to sate his hunger and feel less guilty about stealing someone's life blood for his own hunger. Killing vampires on the other hand and the other such beasts of the world was a simple pleasure he enjoyed. He looked at it like a hobby in the way that cliff divers and skydivers did for an adrenaline rush of sorts. He turned to her after pondering the question a moment and shook his head in response before speaking.

"I don't do this for the world but for the atonement I feel killg these creatures of the knight gives me. The strong survive and the weak die which has always been the way of things in nature. However humanity has caused the extinction of many other animals upon the planet and of course most of them do not care. A small percent on the contrary do care and they take the steps to try and make sure those things do not happen. The world has turned upon the human race and with all these new creatures coming out of the woodwork we are witnessing the extinction of the human race in a slow way. I am simply trying to help give the human race a fighting chance by killing the unnatural beasts that have come to play the role of executioner."

When she asked if she was on the list of creatures he was out to kill he shrugged a bit as he seemed to struggle more with the best way to put the answer rather then the answer itself. "I guess the best way to put it would be a strong no. You are not on my list as from what I have seen you are not out simply to please the beast inside of you. The way I work is I go to a city and I kill everything I find that is committing these acts and as I do word begins to spread. As it spreads only the stronger and more seasoned veterans of the wanted would risk coming out of hiding and so far I have killed them all. the streets grow safer and the light work is left for the policing forces to handle.

They walked into the well lit area of the town and he looked about at all the signs lit up and the people walking about. He did not need to think about the question when she asked if he would take his own life because that was the plan since the day of his undead birth. He looked to Lana as she asked the question and give her a firm nod to show that it was exactly what he intended to do. There was nothing left in this world for him except to clean up the mess that he and the rest of the world made. He would do his duty and pass from this realm into whatever realm it was that took him next.

I can eat it it just does nothing for me my dear. However seeing as you put on a rather impressive display back there I will treat tonight. Consider it a welcome to the block and way to handle your business type of thing." He didn't want to call it a date because they had only just met and Lana did not seem like the girly type who picked up men and went out with them on a whim. This was simply two people grabbing something to eat because one of them worked up an appetite.

Atonement? Lana tested the word on her tongue, trying to picture the sensation that Garrick might feel as he disembowels another vampire. I think you are not giving the humans as much credit as they deserve. Humans always find a way to survive the worst catastrophes. They are like roaches.

He would understand her meaning, though what he would take from it she did not know. She was not entirely against the human race, but neither did she feel like it was the responsibility of the supernatural to ensure their survival. These humans that you protect…do they know about you? What you are?

When Garrick confirmed the negative, revealing that she was not on his hit list, Lana nodded sagely. They were getting along so well that it would be a shame to have to kill him so soon after she met him. They continued along the sidewalk in a companionable silence, heading towards the inviting lights of a 50’s era diner that had somehow survived the Enlightenment.

The front of the building was a row of large windows that allowed a person a clear view of the entire diner from the outside. Lana’s initial scope of the place showed that there was the skeleton crew of this little establishment. One waitress to serve the entire diner; which at the moment only consisted of four people, Garrick and Lana, plus another couple who sat close to the doors.

She chose a booth that curved in a half circle, tucked into a corner so that when Lana began to scoot along the worn seat to the middle, there was still enough room for Garrick to have his back against the wall along with her. A habit born of military training, she liked to have an open view of any building she entered; direct eyesight to the front door as well as the restrooms, with only the kitchen being inaccessible to her gaze.

You don’t have to pay for my food. You already fixed my door. She picked up one of the laminated menus and began to scan the selections. When the lone waitress arrived to take their order, Lana asked for a glass of ice water with a lemon wedge and went back to pursuing the menu.

Who made you what you are? Do you know or have you already killed him…or her? Flipping to the next page, she briefly glanced up at the man…vampire beside her. So far he had been very open with her, while she had given him a false name and no real description of what it was that brought her into Bastion so often she needed an apartment on standby. Again the waitress arrived, bearing her drink and Garrick’s (if he ordered one) and taking out her pen and pad to take their orders.

Cheeseburger, medium-rare with everything and a side of fries. She set the menu to the side, waited patiently for Garrick to give the woman her order so she could leave before speaking again. You do not fit the bill of what I imagine vampires to be. Shouldn’t humans be just a food group to you?

As they walked and she spoke he could tell that she was trying gain as much knowledge about him as she could. He was unsure if it was a genuine interest of him that she had or if she was simply doing her research on the vampire that lived upstairs from her. Either way he was an open book happy to provide her with what she seeking because in the end she would find out anyway. He looked back to her as she asked if the humans he helped knew what he was and he shook his head.

"Some of them have a clue as to what I might be because they only see me at night. Others just think I work a day job and do what I do on the side as extra cash. I tell none of them because I do not want them to fear me but instead to learn everything I have to teach. It would serve no purpose for them to know because I don't think they would understand in the end."

That was his biggest cross to bear aside of his family and friends dying around him. He was going to be alone for the rest of the time he walked this planet or at least that was how he looked at it. No one wanted to be friends with the vampire who hunted his own kind and in turn was hunted at all times. He also had to worry about the people he got close to and if they would be used against him and so he pushed them away when the time came and in his pain he knew they would be safer for it.

As they entered the restaurant and took there seats he simply ordered ice water as well and waited for the waiter to take Lana's order and walk away before he would answer both of her questions. He was seated close to her so that his voice would never have to raise above a whisper as he spoke and when he did his voice came across even but with a tinge of anger and despair. The mentor she spoke of was a sore subject for him and she would know it as he spoke.

"The one who turned me simply did it and left me to survive on my own. He waited until I came around and he told me I was a vampire now and that this was my new life and a gift from him. I was told to avoid sunlight and then he simply vanished from my life. I almost didn't make it and I think I was simply a toy for him to watch from a distance and see if I could survive on my own. He took my life from me and watched me struggle with what I have become. I have seen my friends and family die and I have lived alone for a long time without anyone to call so much a friend."

Her mention of humans being food made him laugh and nod his head a bit before he pointed to her burger which was set before her. "That is the end result of a cow being slaughtered and turned into a hunk of meat. Now what you don't see in that hunk of meat is the cow's face and its swaying tail upon the field as it grazes and nurses its child up from birth to be thrown into the same slaughterhouse that burger your eating comes from. When I kill I have to look into the eyes of the person I have killed and I not only have to kill them but I have to feel there heart rate slow and stop as I drain them. I have to feel with my entire body how I have killed another living creature with feelings and thoughts just to sustain a body and a life I have grown to hate. Humans deserve this planet and there life more then I do Luna."

He turned back to stare at his water and stir it with the straw as she ate and they made small talk. True to his word he got up near the end of the meal and went to the front paying for her burger and fries as well as giving the tip. They left the dinner and headed back to the apartment buildings with a more lax walk then before. The night was enjoyable and Garrick found himself more and more comfortable talking with her as they walked and before he knew it they were standing in the hall just a few feet from her door.

"This evening has been rather enjoyable miss Luna and I do hope that we can do it again." He offered her a smile as they got to the door and he reached out to take her hand and kiss the back of it. He was from an era long ago where chivalry was far from dead and he prided himself on being one of the nicer and more true to age men left in the world of Terra. He did not want the night to end but nor would he stand there and make it awkward. With all said and done he gave a slight bow and turned to make his way back to his apartment.