Well, now that Christmas is over and I have had some free time here is the
next installment of "A Knight Alone".
In summary this story is set between 2040-2090(+) and follows on from a
chance encounter Nene's granddaughter has with a young woman called Linna
Yamazaki.
Chapter 1 - 2090
----------
The main story line is set up and the main characters are introduced. Linna has returned
to earth for the first time in over 30 years and while visiting Nene's grave accidently
runs into her grand daughter. Unfortunately, Linna mistakes the woman for Nene. The
resulting confusion sends Raina Stingray on a hunt for who this young woman called
Linna is. As part of this hunt she encounters a young girl call Samantha who offers to tell
her the story - for a price.
Chapter 2 - 2039
----------
The story returns to the past where Linna and Priss are living together, their lives in ruins
thanks to Sylia's vengence. A drunken Priss is bought home by a young stranger who
introduces herself as Sam and Linna feeling sorry for the girl lets her stay the night. Six months
pass and the three are living together reasonably happily when Sylia reemerges in Linna's life.
She needs help against forces which seem to be operating on a global scale. In the middle of
the negotations for Linna's and Sam's services three beings attack who seem to be literally
unkillable - except Sam does, easily.
Chapter 3 - 2039
----------
Still in the past Sam is forced to reveal something of her "true" nature and what it is that Sylia
is trying to go up against. Sylia begins to learn that reality is not quite what she imagined. It also
appears that Sam has her own agenda in these events, or Games as she calls it. Her actions begin
to reveal she might be quite a bit more than what she told Sylia.
Thanks to those who have made comments and suggestions on this series so far. Any comments
or C+C welcome.
Cheers
Alex Gray.
E-mail - mailto:hitomi@ndirect.co.uk
WWW home - http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Subway/7630/
===================================================
Chapter Four - Battle!
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Time: AD 2089, 5 March, 01:23
Raina had had enough. The crap that this strange girl was spouting
was not just insane - it was totally nuts!
"What sort of fool do you think I am!?" she suddenly cut into the
redhead's monologue. "Immortals? Vampires? Angels? Other realities?
You are either a fucking liar or bloody insane!" She stood up, "I've
had enough of this. You have stuff your bargain up your bloody
asshole!" She turned and stormed off.
Sam watched the angry redhead stalk off with a faintly amused
grin. The fresh ones were always the most amusing. She looked down at
her watch and her eyes widen slightly. She had been so caught up in
her tale that she had not realized just how late it was. Kelly was
going to kill her! She got hurriedly to her feet and drained the rest
of her fruit juice. She put the glass on the bar and began to push her
way through the still packed out nightclub. The noise and smell of
smoke was beginning to get on her nerves and it was with a faint sigh
of relief when she was finally able to get outside into the cool night
air. She glanced around. The street was still pretty crowded even at
this time of night. Youngsters out for a break from a dreary day at
work moved boisterous along the pavement. Here and there single pairs
walked engrossed in each other, and Sam could even detect the single
presence of a Hunter as it watched from overhead.
"Just another typical day in the big city," she commented with a
smile. She stood at the exit and made a great show of fumbling to put
her coat on. After all she did not want Raina to miss her. The girl
was trying so hard to keep out of sight that it would be a shame if
Sam walked off without her prey following her. She almost giggled to
herself at the irony - the prey actually being the predator and the
predator not realizing she was only prey. Oh well, the human would
find out soon enough.
When she was satisfied that Raina had spied her Sam began to walk
briskly off. She did not want to walk too fast because she might lose
her tail. However, she had too hurry up if she was going to get back
to Kelly when she said she would. Sam shook her head slightly - even
though she was what she was she had still managed to lose track of the
time. It was almost amusing in a sick kind of way.
- Kelly love - she sent. - I know you're going to be mad but I
maybe slightly late. -
- And what's the excuse this time? - Kelly's less than amused
voice rang through Sam's mind causing her to grimace. She had been
right Kelly was not pleased.
- Ah, don't be like that - Sam replied. - I'm sorry, I just lost
track of the time... -
- Really? - Kelly snorted. - Or was it that cute little... -
- Kelly! - Sam exclaimed. - I wouldn't... -
- You would and you know it - Kelly replied. - I've known you for
far too long Sam. You're about as constant as the wind. -
- Me? - Sam's voice was innocent. - I'm always... -
- The same - Kelly's thoughts were warm with desire. - And that is
why I stay with you. I would have you no other way. Just don't keep me
waiting too long ok? -
- I will be there before you know it - Sam smiled to herself.
- Sure... - came the reply before Kelly broke the contact.
"She never believes me," Sam commented to no one in particular as
she increased her pace. She took a moment to consider. Maybe she
should leave her amusements with Raina for another time. It was not
like the human was exactly going anywhere. The Hunt could wait - Kelly
on the other hand.... An evil grin broke over Sam's pale face. Kelly
on the other hand was... A shiver of dark delight ran through her. It
was no contest.
Raina blinked and then swore with disbelief. The redhead that she
had been trying to follow suddenly just wasn't there anymore. She
rushed forward as fast as she could through the milling people to
where the girl had been standing and looked wildly around.
"Fuck!" she swore. The redhead had gone, just vanished and Raina
could see neither heads nor tails of her. "SHIT!"
Linna swirled the last of the drink around in her glass as her
blue eyes subtly followed the movement of Helen around the room. Her
tongue unconsciously licked her lips as she felt the warm life force
emanating from her mature friend. She took a deep breath as she felt
the cold darkness that was Samantha's "gift" to her begin to stir. She
swallowed and with an effort forced the dark need to the back of her
mind. Helen was her friend, not... She shivered as both need and
desire pulled at her control. The darkness fought against her
restraint. It did not understand such alien concepts as friendship. It
only understood need and as it felt the warm presence of Helen -
desire. Linna tried to control it, but it had been so long...
"That porter getting the taxi sure is taking a long time," Helen
commented as she poured herself another drink.
"Yes..." Linna hissed as she felt the frozen darkness where her
soul had once been begin to assert itself.
"Shay?" Helen asked in a concerned voice as she saw her friend
shaking as if from the cold. "Are you okay?"
"Ye... Yes...." the woman replied in an oddly strained voice. "I'm
fine... Just tired... Just so very tired..."
Helen's face paled as she crossed over to her friend. "Shay, what
is wrong? You look ill..." She put her drink down and sat next to the
shaking figure. She was worried, Shay's face had gone as white as a
sheet. Helen raised a hand and put it on Shay's cheek.
"Shay!" she exclaimed. "You're frozen! I'm calling for an
ambulance!"
"No!" the woman yelled and the sapphire eyes burnt into Helen's
own. "I am fine, I just need...." Shay shuddered and with an effort
stood up. "I think you had better be going Helen."
Helen did not know what the hell was going on but something was
very wrong with Shay. Every one of her movements seemed to be
strained. It was almost as if the woman was desperately trying to hold
something back.
"I am calling an ambulance Shay," Helen repeated. "You are not
well."
"Helen... please..." Linna tried once more. The smell, sight and
sound of Helen was inundating her senses. The NEED was growing too
strong... Linna sighed and an almost unholy smile broke over her face.
She took a faltering step forward. "Helen..."
"Shay..." Helen took an involuntary step back as Shay's eyes
locked onto hers. For a moment she was uncertain but then she felt a
rush of almost unnatural lust wash over her. She stared at the
athletic, attractive body of her old friend and her body shook
slightly. The eyes of Shay were like bright jewels, priceless in their
depth and clarity. As Shay's eyes bore into her own Helen felt a need
burst to life in her of the kind she had never imagined she could
feel.
Linna slowly smiled and raised a hand to gently touch the warm
cheek of her friend. She felt Helen quiver with a desperate desire at
the touch. The woman's life force was burning with need and the warmth
of it was.... Linna shuddered with delight. Slowly, ever so slowly,
she embraced her more than willing friend. She moaned with pleasure as
the darkness at the center of her being slowly began to drink the
warmth of the human. It did not drink the life force or the soul - it
was not crude. All it wanted was the warm joy of life...
Helen moaned in ecstasy as she felt Shay's cold lips tenderly
caress her face. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and
embraced her tightly. The smaller form was so cold that Helen could
hardly believe it. However, at that point in time she no longer cared.
She knew what she wanted. It was almost as if she had always known and
now was the moment...
A loud knock suddenly sounded at the door. "Taxi, Miss Lee. Your
taxi is here!"
Linna's face shot up from the kiss that she had just started and
glared at the door. The expression of hate on her face was savage,
almost bestial in nature. Her eyes were no longer blue but an empty
void, a darkness that needed so desperately to be filled.
"Taxi!" the man knocked again.
Linna blinked. Her eyes slowly cleared and turned blue again as
the unholy NEED vanished giving her back control. With shaking hands
Linna pushed the still impassioned form of Helen away. Her body felt
like jelly and she had to take a couple of deep breaths. She could not
believe what she had almost done! The NEED had nearly... She shuddered
and a gasp of horror broke her lips as she looked with terrified eyes
at the friend she had almost... With a sob of loathing Linna broke and
ran for the bathroom.
"Miss Lee?" Thud. "Miss Lee!" Thud. Thud. "Are you all right?"
The repeated banging on the door was what bought Helen slowly back
to her senses. She blinked and shook her head slightly to clear the
fog from her mind. She shivered, for some reason she was frozen. She
wrapped her arms around herself and tried to warm herself up. She was
utterly confused. The last thing she could remember was Shay...
"Miss Lee!" the banging on the caused Helen to jump slightly.
"Miss Lee!!"
"Shay..." Helen called out taking a hesitant step towards the
door. The first step caused Helen to gasp and she looked down at the
front of her dress with shock. A large wet stain was visible. Helen
moved one hand down disbelievingly to touch it... She had... had...
"MISS LEE!!" the door burst open as the porter used his own key to
open it. "Are you all right!? I..." He stopped as his eyes fell onto
Helen. "Ahh..." he spluttered uncertain at what to do. "You....
Miss... " He paused and then slowly delivered his message. "Your taxi
is here Miss..." With that he turned and fled, embarrassed at having
interrupted the woman who appeared to be fingering herself.
Helen dropped her hand in confused embarrassment. What the hell
was going on? What had just happened? She looked around the room but
Shay was no where to be seen. Helen ignored the cold uncomfortable
wetness and walked slowly towards the bedroom.
"Shay?" she hesitantly called out. "Where are you?" There was no
answer so Helen went in. Nothing - there was still no sight of Shay.
Helen looked over at the closed door beyond which lay the bathroom.
She crossed over and tried the handle. The door was locked.
"Shay?" Helen knocked on the door. "Shay? What's wrong?" Helen
could hear her friend quietly sobbing from within. She knocked again
on the door. "Shay, it's me Helen - open up love... Please..." She
waited but Shay did not answer. She tried several more times to get
Shay to open the door but had no success. Finally, Helen retreated to
the bed and sat down. She was confused. Whatever had happened had
obviously affected Shay deeply, to such an extent that she was totally
cutting herself off. The only thing Helen could do was wait until Shay
managed to recover enough of herself to come out from behind that
locked door. Helen could wait, she had to wait, for as she had told
Shay earlier... The woman was about the only real friend that Helen
still had.
Kelly sighed with languid pleasure and stretched herself
sensuously against the warm naked form next to her. Her redheaded
companion giggled and snuggled up against her.
"So," Kelly whispered stroking her hands over the young body next
to her. "I was more tempting after all, wasn't I?"
"Ohhh..." Sam sighed in contentment. "You certainly were..."
Kelly laughed, "its nice to know that I am still appreciated."
"Always..." Sam yawned and closed her eyes.
"And the redhead?" Kelly asked. "What of her?"
"Ummm..." Sam muttered letting the warm glow of the night's
activity fill her.
"I said.... Oh... Sam..." Kelly sighed as the smaller figure
beside her started to gently snore. She shook her head. She should
have known the redhead would not talk about her plans for her latest
toy. Kelly muttered a faint curse and took a moment to gaze at the
small form she had given up so much for. She smiled shyly - it had
been a good bargain. Even now after so long the price had definitely
been worth it. Slowly she moved a hand out and ran it over the cooling
satin soft skin. Yes... she thought to herself as Sam smiled faintly
in her sleep. The lives of her own kind had been a very small price to
pay...
Raina did not want to know what time it was when she was finally
able to slide her exhausted body into the fresh linen of her bed. She
had spent Christ knows how long roaming around the streets of the city
searching for that bloody little redhead. It had been a completely
pointless exercise as she had soon discovered. And now? well now she
had two complete mysteries on her hands. The first was the woman
called Linna Yamazaki and the second was the elfin redhead and her
crazy story. Raina rolled over onto her back and started blankly up at
the ceiling. Already it was beginning to get light with the
approaching morning.
Was this really worth all the effort? she wondered. Was trying to
solve either of these mad mysteries truly worth what she was having to
put herself through? Earlier today Raina would have answered yes but
now... She wrestled with the pillow. Now she was not sure if the
trouble was worth the effort or the people she was having to meet
with. She had the feeling that she was beginning to get into waters
that might be far more dangerous than she could imagine. The story
that the redhead had begun to tell her seemed completely impossible
but then something about it...
"No!" Raina suddenly exclaimed aloud. What was she thinking! The
girl was crazy! That story was completely insane! How could she even
think that it might be possible? "I must be going mad too."
"Perhaps..." a soft baritone voice said. "And then again perhaps
not."
Raina shrieked and leapt out of her bed. Fear rushed through her
as she made a mad dash for the door to the bedroom. She did not get
very far however. Her limbs suddenly just froze. She could not breath,
could not move, could not even twitch a muscle. Raina's mind spun with
horror and confusion. What in God's name was happening?
"Now, now," the soft voice replied. "I am afraid I cannot have you
just run out on me like that. Not at least until you have heard what I
have to say. Why don't you just turn around and come and sit down on
the bed like a good girl. Once you have done that then we can talk
face to face..." The voice broke off in a faint laugh that chilled
Raina to the bone. Slowly, without any will of her own in the matter
Raina's body turned and walked back over to sit down on the bed. She
tried desperately to force her body to run away but all her control
was gone. The only thing she could do was obey that soft voice.
"That's better," the voice said from all around as she sat down.
"Now my dear child, how would you like me to tell you something about
the true nature of both Linna Yamazaki and the... ahhh... other being
that you have gotten yourself mixed up with? Would you like to know
for example that it was Linna Yamazaki who killed your grandfather? Or
that she was responsible for the 2047 quake?"
Raina could not think. If she had been capable of physical
movement then she would probably have fallen down. The news was
utterly impossible! Her grandfather? The earthquake? How could one
woman cause...
"Such a disaster to occur?" the voice asked in an amused tone. "By
herself she could not have of course. But she was... aided... by
something that could easily commit such an atrocity, very easily."
Raina tried to speak. She desperately wanted to ask...
"Ah," the voice said in a sad tone. "You have already met the true
culprit my child - that adorable little redhead. The very image of
innocence that hides a corruption so foul that the deaths of whole
worlds are only as an amusement to her. The same amusement that led to
the death of your grandfather and ultimately your grandmother. Does
that answer your question, my dear..."
Raina suddenly gasped as air flowed into her lungs and she found
that she could move. She opened her mouth to scream and immediately
found that she was frozen again - the air trapped in her lungs.
"I am sorry my dear but I cannot allow you to do that," the voice
laughed. "Now, if you promise to be a good girl..."
Raina found she could speak again. "Wh... Who are.. are... you?"
she finally managed to splutter out.
The voice laughed softly and for the first time a smartly dressed
figure emerged from the shadows of the room. Raina watched terrified
as a middle aged, strikingly attractive man smiled down at her.
"You can call me... Gabe," the man said with a hungry look on his
face.
"Gabe," Raina repeated dumbly as her horror grew in anticipation
of what was going to happen next. She instinctively knew what that
expression meant and the pain that was going to follow.
"That's right, my dear..."
"What..."
"What do I want of you?" the man said. "Hmm... Well, for one thing
I need your help."
"My help?"
"Yes," Gabe sat down next to Raina. "The redhead is... an enemy...
A danger that needs to be contained. However, to do that I need your
help. She is interested in you at the moment and I wish to use that...
And you as well of course..." He looked at Raina and his smile widened
as he reached hungrily for her. "Especially you, my dear..."
Helen looked up. Finally the door to the bathroom was slowly being
pulled open to reveal a very pale and shaky young woman.
"Shay?" Helen said hesitantly as she slowly stood up.
Shay's face focused on her with an expression that was almost
tortured. "Helen..." she said. "I..." She could not finish but simply
stood there staring at the woman opposite her. The darkness within her
was acquiescent. It waited in the depths of her being, observing,
silent, and hungry.
Helen walked slowly towards Shay. Her friend held out an arm in
warning and took a step back.
"Helen... Stay... Stay back... please..."
Helen stopped and took a couple of steps back. "Okay Shay...
everything is fine.... I'm staying right here..." Slowly she sat down
on the bed. "All right?"
Linna, Shay, or any of the other names the young woman had called
herself over the long years looked over at her friend. The friend she
had almost... The feeling of dark self-loathing once more flooded
over her as she saw the expression of pained concern on Helen's face.
The self-hatred excited the darkness within her and once more the NEED
began to stir. Linna put her hands to her head and moaned as in pain
she tried to fight the void that threatened to consume her sanity.
"SHAY!" Helen yelled and ran to the collapsing form of her beloved
friend. "Shay! Shay!" She grabbed the whimpering form of her friend
and gently embraced her. "Shay, Shay, what is wrong? Talk to me
Shay..." She stroked Shay's black hair and tried to comfort her.
"No..." Linna moaned. "Go away... please... I can't control...
control..."
"Shh..." Helen held Shay closer. "It's all right, it's all
right..."
The warm presence and the feeling of the soft body pushing against
her bought back other memories that Linna had long suppressed. She
breathed in the fragrance of Helen's hair. It reminded her of... She
lowered her head into the soft black hair and imagined it was red. The
NEED merged with an older much more basic need. Memories of the past,
of another world and time washed over her. The woman in her arms
became someone else to her. Someone who was shorter, more exotic and
far, far more dangerous. Someone to whom the NEED was...
Helen sensed a subtle change in Shay's position and she thought
she heard her friend whisper something in her ear - a name. "Sam..."
Linna opened her black eyes and smiled. The Darkness, completely
in control now, stroked the warm black hair of the human. It was SO
cold and SO much NEEDED the warm presence and love of this woman.
It relaxed and submitted to Helen's embrace. When the human began to
respond to the being that had once been called Linna it gave a small
sigh of contentment and slowly began to feed.
It was the sound of rattling cutlery that awoke Kelly from her
peaceful sleep - that and the faintly moist lips that brushed
themselves against her cheek. She blinked a couple of times and opened
her eyes to stare at the grinning form of Sam. The girl was looking
down on her and holding a tray full of various interesting smelling
dishes.
"Morning lover," Sam said sitting down on the bed next to the
still blinking Kelly. "Hungry?"
"Breakfast..." Kelly said dumbly as the sleep began to fade from
her mind.
"After last night I thought you might need something," Sam
commented as she carefully placed the tray down. "You were, after all,
rather energetic."
"Humph!" Kelly said and rolled over.
"Watch it... Aww... Kelly," Sam complained as the movement knocked
over the tray and threw its contents onto the floor. "You didn't have to do that.
Now look what you have gone and done."
"Do what? Oh, shit..." Kelly came fully awake and looked at the
mess on the floor. Then she raised her eyes to look at the annoyed
expression on Sam's face. "Sorry..." she said trying to look
apologetic.
Sam sighed and knelt down. "You can bloody well make your own
breakfast now," she grumbled as she began to cleanup the mess. "I
spent over an hour on that..."
"I'm sorry Sam," Kelly repeated as she began to get out of bed to
help.
"You stay right there," Sam looked up. "You'll only make it worst.
This carpet stains hellishly easily. I'll have to get a cloth..."
"Why bother?" Kelly said and exerted a wisp of power. Time
reversed and the tray plus all its contents rested on the bed next to
her. "See..."
Sam looked at her oddly for a moment and then she turned. Without
a word she walked back into the kitchen. Kelly frowned, what the heck
was all that about? She threw back the covers and got up. Picking up a
tee shirt and slipping it over her head she followed Sam into the
kitchen.
"All right, what's wrong now?" she asked the contrite little
redhead.
"Wrong?" Sam replied as she tidied up the work bench "What should
be wrong?"
"Is this going to be twenty questions or you are going to tell
me?" Kelly said as she moved towards the smaller girl. "I said I am
sorry..."
Sam avoided Kelly and continued to clean up. Kelly rolled her
eyes, it was going to be one of "those" days. Sam could be so damned
moody! She turned and retreated back to the bedroom. Her eyes fell on
the rotting putrid food on the tray and she swore softly to herself.
Yip, one of those days. She moved over to the wardrobe and opening it
selected a fresh pair of pants, socks, and a blouse. Throwing them
down onto the bed she walked off into the bathroom to have a quick
shower.
Fifteen minutes later, and feeling slightly fresher, Kelly pulled
the door to the apartment shut and walked off down the hall towards
the elevator. Sam had already left by the time that Kelly had emerged
from her shower and she had known without bothering that any attempt
to contact the redhead was doomed to failure. The only thing Kelly
could think of doing was heading off to work. She glanced down at her
watch - 06:48. She was going to be early yet again. However, as a
senior partner at one of the best law firms in the city it did not
really matter what time she came or went.
She reached the elevator and stabbed the button for the ground
floor. She lifted her briefcase and checked she had the necessary
cases for today. At the physical age of 23 Kelly Duval was one of the
"hottest" young business lawyers ever to work in this city. In her
three years of actual practice she had moved from the position of a
fresh legal graduate to the position of one of the most sought after
attorneys in the city. She had one of the most impressive client lists
of anyone at her practice and charged the legal fees to match. It was
on that money that she and her college going "cousin" lived. It was a
comfortable alias, and given the time that Kelly had spent on setting
it up she was quite pleased with it. Given some luck it would last for
quite a few years before the two of them had to move on.
A small chime sounded and the lift door opened. Kelly closed her
briefcase and stepped inside. "Ground floor" she said and waited while
the lift traveled down from the penthouse suite to the ground floor.
After a minute or so the lift door opened and Kelly walked out.
"Morning Miss Duval," the human guard at the security desk greeted
her. "Another early start?"
"Afraid so," Kelly replied. "By the way, did you see my cousin
leave?"
"Sam?" the guard nodded. "Yes, she only left about five minutes or
so ago. She said she had to get an assignment in early today so she
could not talk for long."
"Oh," Kelly said. "Did she mention what time she might be back?"
"Sorry," he shook his head. "Although as it is Wednesday, she
usually gets back by about 7pm. Why? Are you going to be doing another
late shift at the office? If so, I can get Shelly to pass on the
message. She'll be on duty tonight..."
"I would appreciate it," Kelly smiled. "I didn't get a chance to
talk to her much this morning. She just sort of rushed off..."
"Teenagers," the guard commented returning the grin. "My daughter
is exactly the same."
"Thanks Jon," Kelly said and then headed towards the street exit.
"Have a good day, Miss Duval."
Kelly looked up at the bright sky overhead. It was going to be
another scorcher of a day - not something she was particularly fond
of. Especially not when she was going to be in court. She set a brisk
pace as she began the ten minute walk towards the office. She was busy
thinking about the first case that she would be arguing today. The
judge was going to call for a continuance and...
The man and woman watched as the young looking dark haired
immortal left for work. The man made a note of the time while the
woman maintained the Ward that would shield them from their subject's
attention.
"Looks like Kelly and Sam argued again," the man said causally to
the woman. "Neither of them usually leave this early on a Wednesday
unless they have had a spat."
"You know more about them than me Kail," the woman replied with a
shrug.
"Suppose so," Kail said with a smile. "I've been assigned to them
for over 12 years now. You get to know quite a bit about your subjects
in that time - especially these two. As I am sure you will be finding
out Jay not long from now when I retire."
"Oh joy," Jay commented sardonically. "I can hardly wait. I've
read the histories regarding these two. They are quite a unique pair."
"That's one way of putting it," Kail remarked. "We hardly know
anything about them. They behave completely differently from any of
the others. It is almost as it they like the life they lead..." He
shook his head,. "who knows... Well, who is it to be today - Sam or
Kelly?"
"Does it matter?" Jay replied. "They don't change their routines
much."
"Kelly then," Kail said. "We can do Sam tomorrow." He slowly got
up, "let's go."
"Lead on boss," Jay said with a laugh and the two of them started
following after Kelly.
Helen was swearing by the time that she finally managed to get
into work. Not only had she grossly overslept. She had also woken up
feeling totally awful. She had absolutely no memory of what had
happened the night before. She knew that she and Shay had gone out but
the details of what had happened were a complete blank. She must have
gotten so drunk that she could not remember anything. Being drunk
might explain why she had woken up in her own apartment at 12:34pm and
felt like death warmed up. It was now 13:34 and she still felt like
shit. It was just a good thing that she had absolutely no issues that
needed to be dealt with today as she felt as if she was slowly getting
worst - much worst.
"Oh fuck..." Helen groaned. "My bloody head..." she coughed.
"Gods... I... feel..."
"Miss Shannon," the intercom buzzed "There is a young woman here
to see you. Shall I let her through?"
"What?" Helen groaned. She was beginning to feel worst. "I...
Shay..."
The door opened and with an effort Helen lifted her head.
"I..." she tried to say as she felt like she needed to puke.
"Oh dear," a soft voice said. "It seems that I have a new addition
to my family... Oh Linna..."
Helen groaned and her eyes focused on the white face staring down
at her. "You... I..."
"Yes, me I am afraid," Sam said with a nod of her head. "Do you
remember me Helen? I know it was a long time ago in mortal terms that
we last met but do you remember? Try and think - the woman, the
Darkness... your promise..." Her smile grew crooked, "the promise that
you did not keep, of course."
Helen could not think. Something about the redhead was familiar,
but she.... "Oh Gods.... Blluuchh..." Her stomach finally contracted
and a stream of acidic smelling fluid flew from her mouth all over her
desk.
"You don't remember do you," Sam commented to herself. "Well, the
choice was yours I suppose." She looked at the puking woman and
thought. After a few moments Sam's face wrinkled in disgust. "Used
goods," she said. "Never did like that, so I don't think I want you
now. You are not quite... what I like..." She brushed her fringe from
her eyes, "but what do I do with you? I can't have you running around
like that - you'll end up bringing me a bad name..." She held out her
hand and looked into Helen, "I think its best all round if I return
you to your Beloved. So, will you please come here..." For a second
nothing happened then slowly a coldness began to fill the room - a
coldness that was emanating from Helen.
"Come on," Sam repeated. "I don't have all day."
Helen shuddered and like a puppet suddenly jerked and collapsed in
her own puke. From her mouth and eyes began to flow a blackness - a
frozen twittering Darkness. Like a black viscous fluid it left Helen's
twitching body and flowed up to coalesce around Sam's chalk white
hand. It writhed and twittered insanely while it waited for what the
little redhead would do next.
Sam said nothing but looked dispassionately down at the twitching
form on the ground. The woman would live; Linna had not been that
hungry. The woman might not live as well or as long as she might have
but who gave a shit. Sam smiled, there were always plenty of fish in
the sea. She turned and left holding the writhing darkness in her
hand.
"Damn you, you silly machine!" an irritated voice said from a
small room opposite from where Sam was standing. Sam tilted her head
and curiously she followed the sound of the curse. She stood by the
door and looked in. The small room appeared to be some sort of
stationary office. The curse had come from a flustered looking young
office girl that appeared to be struggling with a machine of some
sort. Sam slowly smiled and her eyes lit up. She put her hand behind
her back and silently walked into the room closing the
door behind her.
"Damn it..." the girl cursed again as she fumbled with the
machine.
"Can I help?" Sam asked.
"Yaa..." the girl cried out in shock and spun around to face the
speaker. "Who..."
"Sorry," Sam took a step forward. "Did I startle you?"
"Yes... sorry..." the girl was breathing heavily with the
adrenaline rush the fright had given her. "You startled me." Her face
broke into a disarming smile.
Sam took another step forward, "I did not mean to do that. Is the
machine giving you trouble?"
"Yes," the girl turned from the white-faced figure and gestured
back to the machine. "It just..."
"It must have been devastating Kiyomi to have been thrown out of
college just like that," the white faced girl interrupted.
"What..." Kiyomi spun around. "What did you just say?"
The redheaded stranger was standing only a few feet away from her.
The expression on the girl's face was almost predatory as she took
another step forward. "I said it must have been a devastating thing to
have been thrown out of university and seeing all your hopes and
dreams being reduced to just this." Another step, "the reputation of a
cheater is not going to do your career any good at all is it Kiyomi?
Especially when you were publicly expelled..."
"I am not a cheat! Kiyomi said furiously. "I was framed!"
The redhead smiled but the expression somehow just made her face
look more threatening. "I know, but by refusing that playful offer
from your professor you still managed to fuck up your life just the
same. Imagine all that work, all that effort... All for nothing."
Samantha giggled, "you refused to screw him so he screwed you
instead... Quite ironical, considering what happened only a month
later..."
Kiyomi went pale. "How... who..." She tried to take a step back
but hit the machine. She was beginning to feel afraid.
Samantha savoured the moment of the girl's fear and her eyes
travelled slowly over the delightfully well-developed form that
pressed back against the machine. She took a step forward. "And so you
ended up here. A well educated, but disgraced university drop out. And
from here," Sam concluded brightly, "you came to me..." She slowly
completed her walk to the now terrified girl and gently raised a hand
to touch the girl's face. Sam's expression was unholy as she caressed
the whimpering girl's cheek.
Kiyomi's nerve totally went and with a scream building to life in
her throat she tried to push past this fiend and escape. For a moment
Samantha held her, caressing her soft form, and then with an insane
giggle let the human pass. With an amused expression she watched as
her prey fled to the door and tried to pull it open. The amused
expression grew as Kiyomi now sobbing and gibbering with horror tried
desperately to flee the room.
"Sorry my pet," Samantha said with a giggle. "I'm afraid I can't
let you do that..." Slowly she drew her other hand from behind her
back. The Darkness twittered and writhed with anticipation as Kiyomi
finally found the strength to scream.
"Ahhh..." Samantha sighed with pleasure and her face broke into an
insane expression of delight. "Now that is just soooo nicceee...
Pretty pretty..."
"..." the Darkness twittered.
"Yes my child," Samantha said letting the Darkness go. "I like
this one. I think I want her...."
Kiyomi screamed one final time as the fluid blackness flowed
gently towards her. The last thing she would ever remember before her
mind shutdown was the joyfully insane expression on the elfin girl's
face. Then a frozen liquid touched her lips and she fainted dead away
- forever.
"Where did that girl go with my damned documents?" the woman said
as she approached the closed door to the copier room. "Kiyomi, have
you finished?" The door opened and two girls stepped out.
"Kiyomi," the woman said as she saw her office girl. "Have you
done that copying yet? I need it now."
"Yes, I just finished it," Kiyomi said with a smile. "In fact Sam
here was just helping me complete it. The copier seems to be on the
way out again."
"Oh," the woman frowned. Who was this redhead standing next to
Kiyomi?
"Kiyomi," the redhead said. "Thank you..."
Kiyomi smiled. "Sam..." she said in a warm voice.
Sam smiled and gave a friendly nod. "See you later, my pet..."
With that comment she turned and left. She had to find Raina. After
all a promise was a promise and she did not want to be tardy on her
side of the bargain.
"Thank you for your help," Nina said trying to keep the concern
from her face as she thanked the receptionist.
"I am sorry I could not help Mrs Stingray," the blond American
woman said with an apologetic smile.
Nina nodded and headed back to the pool area. Perhaps Raina was
there with a boy. It was just not like her daughter to vanish without
at least letting Nina know she was going out. This uncharacteristic
action made Nina worried. Had something happened to her daughter? Nina
was supposed to have met Raina for breakfast and it was now 14:13.
Raina had been missing all day.
"Where are you..." Nina muttered to herself and started once more
to look around the pool area.
"I'm sorry Miss," the receptionist said to the young girl. "But I
have no idea where Raina Stingray is."
The girl frowned, "could you try her room?"
"I tried that just 2 minutes ago. She was not there."
"Oh," the girl ran her hand through her short hair and looked
thoughtful. "Just out of interest who was looking for her?"
"Sorry Miss," the receptionist said. "I don't understand."
The redhead sighed. "You said you just tried to ring her room
about 2 minutes ago. Who were you checking for? It wasn't me."
"Oh," the receptionist nodded understanding the question. "It was
her mother."
"Nina?" the redhead said slightly surprised.
"Yes, that's right Miss."
Sam nodded her thanks to the receptionist. "Interesting..." she
muttered to herself as she took a moment to consider what to do. It
was just then that she caught sight of Nina coming back from the
hotel's pool area. Sam smiled faintly; Nina certainly took most of her
looks from her father. The woman could almost have been an older
sister to Sylia. The worried expression on the woman's face however
was nothing like the Sylia Sam had known.
Nina was beginning to wonder if she should call the police. She
knew in her heart that something had happened to... She stopped and a
flood of relief overwhelmed her as she suddenly caught sight of the
distinctive mop of red hair. "Raina!" she cried out and ran towards
her daughter.
"Raina! Where the hell..." her glad cry broke off and she came to
a stumbling halt as she got close enough to realise this redhead was
not her daughter.
The redhead, like others had turned to watch the running woman.
Had Nina not been so worried about her daughter she would have been
embarrassed. However, at the moment the only emotion that she could
feel was worry. Nina lowered her head and began to walk back towards
the lifts. If Raina did not contact her...
"Nina, wait!"
The sound of her name caused Nina to turn around surprised. The
young redhead that she had mistaken for her daughter was waving at her
and coming rapidly towards her. As the girl got closer Nina felt a
strange sense of recognition, almost as if she had seen this girl
before...
"Thank you for waiting for me Nina," the girl said as she stopped
opposite and nodded in greeting. "It's been a long time." The girl's
face dropped slightly, "I was very sorry to hear about your mother
Nina. Although I never really got to know her that well, Sylia and
Priss thought the world of her." The girl's face grew rueful, "but
that is just the way things seem to go. Time just flies by..."
"Who are you?" Nina said utterly confused. She was sure she knew
this girl from somewhere...
"Silly me - you don't remember do you?" The girl drew herself up
and held out her hand. "Samantha De'Naime tomoshimasu. Dozo
yoroshiku."
"Samantha..." Nina took the hand and absent-mindedly shook it. The
name was familiar, the girl was familiar but...
"The last time we spoke was in early March 2047, if that helps,"
the girl said. "It was just a few weeks before Linna's little cock up.
You know - the one that ripped the city to pieces..." She smiled in a
lopsided fashion and suddenly Nina remembered - that grin, that was
it...
"Oh Christ..." she paled.
"No sorry," Sam said with a laugh. "I'm afraid you have the wrong
person. I am definitely not into THAT sort of thing. Quite the
opposite in fact."
"You..." Nina nearly fell backwards as her childhood memories all
suddenly crashed in on her. "But... but..."
"I was with Raina last night," Sam suddenly said. "And I came to
see her today but she seems to have disappeared someplace. Do you have
any idea where she might be?"
The mention of her daughter bought Nina back to reality with a
shudder. "Where is she? Did you..."
"Me?" Sam shook her head. "No way! I have big plans for..."
"Then where is she!?!" Nina burst out grabbing the slender redhead
by the shoulders and shaking her. "Where is my daughter?!"
Sam did not answer but simply looked up into the woman's eyes.
"Let me go," she commanded.
Nina obeyed and stood waiting.
"I don't like people grabbing me Nina," Sam said rubbing her
shoulders. "Everyone seems to assume that that's the way to get my
attention and to be honest it's really beginning to piss me off. Is it
because I prefer to be shorter than most people that everyone targets
my shoulders..." With that comment she shrugged slightly to test her
shoulder joint before returning to the question. "To answer your
question, no. I have not seen Raina since she left me last night."
Nina nodded but did not say anything. She just felt very calm and
distant waiting for the redhead to speak.
"As to where she is now..." Sam put a finger up to her mouth and
thought - hard. "It seems that more Players are interested in my
little Game than I originally believed." She sighed, "why do they
always insist on interfering..." She blew her fringe from her eyes and
continued with the subject at hand. "I would not worry about Raina too
much. She still has a transaction to complete with me so no great harm
will come to her. She will return when she is able to. In the meantime
it might be best if you returned to your room and waited, or better
still, why don't we have some lunch." Sam grinned, "I'm starving." She
reached out and took Nina's unresisting hand. "Come on, its on me. We
can talk something about the old days. How does that sound?"
"Fine," Nina said with a nod. "That sounds fine." She followed as
the redheaded girl pulled her towards the hotel cafe, for a rather
late lunch.
Linna groaned and thrashed about as an old nightmare raged through
her mind. Occasionally a fitful black aura would erupt around her body
as the cold darkness warmed its tortured existence with the meal that
it had just taken.
"No..." Linna muttered as her hand moved out to try and stop the
memory from swamping her unconscious mind. "No, I... Sam... Please..."
The black aura surrounding her body flared once more into life.
But this time it was richer and darker - a blackness unknowable.
Things flowed within that darkness. Things that tenderly moved around
their Beloved and with calming twitters set about soothing her fear.
One of them separated itself from its Beloved's form and slowly
coalesced around Linna's head. Twittering it's concern it gently eased
itself into the swirling unconscious of the moaning girl and entered
her nightmare. Mistress had given it to its Beloved. It would
make sure that nothing could ever, ever cause her any pain.
"Sam..." Linna whispered the name again and the twittering
presence felt both the NEED and the HATE in that one word. The
presence focused on that HATE as the entry point that it needed.
Linna moaned as some part of her felt the corrupt coldness enter
her mind. Had she had the power she would have thrown it out with all
of her strength but the old dreams and dark memories were too strong.
With a feeble protest Linna was carried once more into the darkness of
her past. This time however a passenger far more "darker" than
anything Linna could have ever imagined followed after her.
* * * *
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Time: AD 2039, 10 August, 02:16
"Split off to the right!" Yoko yelled at Linna as yet another one
of the things attacked. "SHIT!! What the FUCK are these THINGS!!" She
kicked in her boosters and shot upwards. The "thing" shifted its wings
and flew after her. Yoko looked back horrified at the insanity that
was chasing her. It looked like a nightmare creation of human bits,
beast flesh, and other things that Yoko did not even want to imagine.
It was almost as if something had fused the thing together from lots
of different pieces and then given it life. Not only that, it was
fast, brutal and intelligent. Yoko looked at her power reserves and
swore. The things seemed to be nearly endless in number. Every time
she shot one or two, another seemed to take its place. This was not
going well.
"Shoot the fucker Yoko!" Linna's voice yelled in her helmet as she
dealt with the one chasing her. Her battle system's bleeped a warning
and the scanners showed three others flying down to attack her.
"Shit!" she swore as she took an evasion course.
Sam was swearing for a different reason. These suits were damned
impossible for this sort of combat. The homunculi that they were
fighting had a natural advantage in the air and although the suits
were good, they were not designed for air to air combat. She glanced
at the combat display and after a moments thought cut her engines. She
immediately began to drop like a stone. The two homunculi chasing
after her gibbered and dipping their wings followed after the falling
figure. Sam smiled as they came into range of her suit's maser.
"Bye bye..." she muttered as she turned her thrusters back on full
and blasted the pair of fiends with a flare of radiant energy. She
checked her scanner. For the moment at least she was clear.
"Where the hell are these things coming from Sylia?" she demanded.
"Can you detect the source?"
"Already on it," Sylia answered. "I'm feeding the coordinates to
your systems now. But don't try anything stupid. I am still getting
well over 50 activate radar fixes on the airborne targets. I imagine
that if you try..."
"Yeah, yeah," Sam replied. "Understood obaasan..." She locked the
coordinates from Sylia into her autonav and kicked the thrusters into
full. "Linna, Yoko, I'm going to try and attack the area that Sylia
has identified as the source. Keep these pretties occupied will ya?"
"What?" Linna replied. "Sam don't! That's crazy to attempt alone!
Shit..." her tracking system showed her young friend vanishing into
the distance. "Wait! Sam I..." she broke off as she was attacked
again.
"Sam! Listen to Linna!" Yoko ordered. "Fuck..." the rest of her
comment was lost in static.
"Sorry Yoko," Sam whispered. "But I really do want to Play." With
that comment she kicked her suit's thrusters into full life and
ordered the battle computer to link up with the autonav. At this speed
she needed every automatic response that the suit would give her. A
group of homunculi who had just finished dealing with an ADP chopper
changed direction and chased after her. The battle computer noted
their position and sent an appropriate evasion course to the autonav.
The suit changed direction with a sickening shudder and the homunculi
were lost. The autonav guided Sam at breakneck speed through the
twisted remains of damaged buildings. Here and there Sam saw ADP
troopers as well as regular police fighting pitched battles against
similar unnatural constructions. Yoko had been right - it was a
war-zone.
The suit alerted Sam to approaching hostiles and she ordered it to
activate the power hungry Chameleon device that was Sylia's latest
attempt at stealth technology. She swore softly as the suit
dispassionately told her that there was not enough power to do that
and fly at the same time. This suit was getting annoying. It had far
too many limitations. Sam however did not want to waste her own power
on something so trivial, so she ordered the suit to land. Once down
she could use the Chameleon device and hide while the homunculi passed
by.
The suit acknowledged her command and set her down next to a small
alleyway. Sam ignored the dismembered corpses of a number of ADP
troopers and ducked into the concealing darkness. She ordered the
suit to divert all available power to the cloak and hid.
Linna finished dealing with the... thing... that attacked her and
instructed her suit to pursue and locate her young friend. The suit
acknowledged the command and the autonav tired to comply. "Come on...
Come on..." Linna muttered as the seconds ticked by. Finally the
autonav reported it could not find any trace of the signal from Sam's
suit.
"Sylia! I can't find any trace of Sam! Can you get a signal?"
"Hold on," was Sylia's reply."I'll try to get a lock."
Linna waited for a few moments cruising while her suit maintained
a scan for any sign of Sam or those things. When Sylia had not replied
Linna recalled her. "Sylia, do you have Sam's location yet?"
"I'm trying..." Sylia replied.
"Well try harder damn it!" Linna snapped. "She's out there all
alone!"
"All right, Linna... Just calm down..."
"I am calm! I'm just worried..."
"Linna, I can't find any trace of her..."
"Shit! Try again!"
"Linna! I have tried! I cannot find any trace of her suit. It must
have..."
"NO!" Linna shouted and kicked her suit into full acceleration.
She shot off in the direction Sam had been going. "SAM! SAM!!"
"Linna!" Sylia shouted over the comlink. "What the fuc..."
The voice was cut off as Linna terminated all contact. "Sam? Where
are you? SAM!" The suit warned her of approaching hostiles but Linna
ignored it. She had to find her friend. "SAM!" She ordered the suit to
hurry up and get her to the tower where Sam had been heading. The suit
complied and pushed the thrusters to maximum. The battle display
bleeped a more urgent warning. Over 5 hostiles were converging on
her position. Suggestions from the computer for possible actions came
on the screen...
"SAM!" Linna shouted into the comlink. "WHERE ARE YOU!?! SAM!!"
Down on the ground in her hiding place Sam grimaced as the half
scream flooded her audio pick up. She looked up and her eyes narrowed
as she spotted Linna's suit rushing overhead straight towards a pack
of homunculi. "What the... Damn it! LINNA!" Sam cut the Chameleon
device and kicked her thrusters to maximum.
"LINNA!! LOOK OUT!!" Sam screamed out as she flew straight at the
pack firing wildly.
"SAM!!" Linna yelled as she saw the redhead's suit suddenly appear
from nowhere and fly a suicidal course towards... "Oh fuck... SAM!!"
Her heart froze as Sam's suit smashed straight into the pack of
creatures. "SAMM!!! NOO!!" For a moment she could only watch
disbelievingly as the impact smashed Sam's black suit and two of the
creatures into the side of a building. The insane speed at which the
suit had been travelling caused it and the two things to explode apart
with a sickening sound. Linna could not see clearly what happened but
the sound...
For what seemed an eternity Linna could only look on
uncomprehendingly at what she had just seen and then she screamed. The
sound of the scream seemed to take on a life of it's own as Linna felt
an almost unbearable rush of pain and loss flood throughout her.
"SAMANTHA!!! SAM!! NOOO!!!"
The remaining three beasts after taking a moment to recover
themselves turned and rushed at the screaming woman. Linna barely
acknowledge their presence as the battle computer, on override
instructions from Sylia, took over control of the suit. Linna
continued to scream as the suit took an evasion course and
then with mechanical efficiency blasted the three to pieces.
As the last of the creatures was turned to roast meat by her
suit's laser, Linna's voice had faded to nothing. She felt dead,
empty. Sam was gone and nothing else matter anymore. Not the voice of
Sylia screaming at her, not the voice of Yoko - nothing.
"Ohh... Sam..."
"Oww... Shit, that hurt..." a familiar voice groaned over the
comlink.
Linna suddenly looked up in disbelief and a wild insane hope
filled her. "Sam?"
"Just about..." the voice replied. "Oh fuck..."
"SAM!! SAM!!" Linna yelled excitedly. "Where are you? Are you
okay?"
"I've been better..."
"Where are you!?!"
"Ahh... Buried underneath two rather smelly..."
"Christ Sam! I thought you were dead!!" Linna felt an irrational
feeling of joy at the sound of her... friend's voice.
"It will take far more than a crash into a building and being
buried beneath two corpses to kill me," Sam replied lightly. "However,
I must admit I really do need a shower..."
Linna almost laughed but a warning from her suit about approaching
targets caused her to come back to where she was. "Sam!" Linna cried
out. "Where..."
"Coming, coming..." a black hardsuit suddenly erupted from the
ground below and joined Linna. "Well, that was fun!" Sam's voice
brightly exclaimed. "But I think its about time we sort of got out of
here don't you? I get the impression we may have overstayed our
welcome."
"What do you mean?" Linna asked.
"Check your LDS system," Sam replied. "I'm picking up... rather a
large number of incoming new playmates."
"Sam..."
"Sam?" Yoko's voice erupted over the comlink. "Is that you?"
"In the unliving flesh!" Sam replied with a laugh.
"Thank God..."
"Not quite..."
"Get the hell out of there Knight Sabers!" Sylia's voice ordered.
"Something is happening..."
"Look!" Yoko yelled with a tone of utter disbelief. "My Gods..."
Linna spun her head around and her mouth nearly dropped open at
the sight she saw. Angels! True, real life Angels... White wings,
fiery swords... Everything...
"What the..." words failed her.
"Oh... So pretty, pretty..." Samantha said in wonder and then
giggled. "Sera's little pretty pretties come out to Play..."
No one replied or paid any attention to the comment. All their
eyes were locked on the white figures as they attacked the homunculi
and started to hack them to pieces. Sam watched for a moment with
interest. It was rare to see Sera bring out her forces, especially to
deal with a situation so... openly...
"Openly..." Sam whispered and her eyes widened. Sera would not
deal with a situation so openly unless she made sure that no one
would...
"Let's get the hell out of here! NOW!" she yelled as she ordered
her regenerated suit to takeover control of the other battle computers
and get them back to Sylia's location.
"But..." Yoko said in wonder. "The Angels..."
"Forget the fuck about them!" Sam snapped. "They are not... Oh,
just watch them..."
"What do you..." Yoko's voice went silent as the first of the
glowing beings descended on the remains of the ADP troops. "Oh no...
NO!!" Yoko screamed.
"Yip, thought so," Sam commented pleased at herself for being
right. The "Angels" were killing the humans just like she thought they
would. "You know," she smiled. "Sometimes I am just too good..."
"No! NO! NO!!" Yoko screamed. "STOP IT!!"
Sam giggled. She had just thought of a new way she could amuse
herself. A subtle variation on a Game already being Played that would
bring her endless delight. Just a little move within a move for a Game
she had not even been Playing and...
"Oh Sera..." Sam whispered gleefully to herself. "Do you know when
a bluff is simply a bluff..." She almost burst out laughing. This was
going to be fun...
Sam looked up at the Angels and then at Yoko. "You heard the
deceiver my pets," she said. "Stop them."
The night suddenly seemed to go cold, cold and silent. Things
moved in the darkness, silent, unseen, deadly. Things that were far
older than the bright creatures that they fell upon, and far, far more
horrifying. To the Knight Sabers and the ADP survivors it seemed as if
the Angels just suddenly disappeared. One moment they were there, the
next... And that was basically just what happened.
The hardsuits cut their power as they landed outside of mobile
command. They automatically shutdown their thrusters and waited for
the next order. Those controllers however were silent. They had just
witnessed the impossible and none of them would ever be the same
again...
"Well," Sam commented as the last of the bright lights vanished.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry. Anyone want me to cook a
Chinese tonight?"
A rattle of collapsing suit was all the answer as Yoko fainted
dead away.
Sam looked down at the collapsed form and then up at Linna a hurt
expression on her face. "My cooking isn't that bad - is it?"
Linna lay in the dark trying to come to a very important decision.
A decision involving the young redhead that slept across in the other
side of the caravan. It had been two days since the... events... and
during that time Linna had been doing a hell of a lot of thinking and
now she was at a point where she had to decide. She felt hot - hot and
flushed. Her heart was beating very hard and very fast. To Linna it
sounded like a hammer was pounding very loudly between her ears. She
tossed and turned in her bed as she ran the decision that she had made
over and over in her mind. If she did this then there would be
absolutely no going back.
Linna looked at her watch, 3am. She took a few deep breaths to
calm herself and then slowly pulled back the covers and got to her
feet. No going back, she told herself. Nervously she tiptoed across
the main living room towards her target. As she caught sight of the
door that would let her enter the dreaded room she paused. Her heart
was pounding like a bass drum and her hands were shaking slightly. She
swallowed - no going back.
She took another deep breath and quietly opened the door. For a
moment her shaking hands fumbled at the latch until she had calmed
herself enough to open it and slip inside. The small storage room that
also served as a sleeping area was silent except for the deep
breathing of someone locked in sleep. Linna looked around in the very
faint light that lit the room. She had been right - Loria was still
out at work. Only one figure was in the room. The figure that Linna
wanted to...
Slowly Linna moved forward until she stood looking down at her
prey. She took a moment to consider how best to do what it was she had
come here to do. She had never done anything like... this... She had
killed, fought monsters, but never... this... She had never even
imagined doing anything like... what she now wanted to... do.
She closed her eyes and then breathing out slowly opened them. The
tension was eating her up but she was committed now. Whatever the
outcome she would accept it. She would have to. This sort of...
action... tended to change things. She reached her hand up and with a
sure movement lifted her nightshift over her head. She held it for a
moment and then let it drop to the floor. She shivered briefly as the
night felt cold against her skin. Finally, after she had gained the
courage Linna pulled back the covers and slipped into the bed beside
the warm figure.
"Wha..." a sleepy young voice said as Linna pulled the warm form
against her.
"Shh..." Linna whispered stroking the short red hair and inhaling
its distinctive musk. "It's just me..."
"Who... What... Linna... What are..." the body shifted, pressing
against Linna, as the pale head turned to face the brunette. The soft
form was waking up. "Linna? Is that you?"
Linna smiled and looked into the surprised emerald eyes. "Yes,"
she said as she gently pressed her lips against the other girl's. They
were warm, soft and moist yielding to Linna's kiss. Linna closed her
eyes in bliss as she took her first taste of forbidden fruit. After a
moment of sheer pleasure she pulled back and looked down at the
startled face. She smiled again and whispered, "its me..." With that
she slipped her cold hands under the warm figure's oversized tee shirt
and with a brutal movement yanked it off the teenager's shaking
figure.
"You're beautiful," Linna whispered in desire and anticipation as
her eyes drank in the creamy white flesh revealed in the little
available light. Her hands reached out and gently touched the silky
smooth warm skin.
Green eyes blinked and a voice squeaked out. "Whoa... Hold on...
Linna... I... Wha..."
"Shhh," Linna put a finger against the moist lips. She looked
deeply into the shocked green eyes and her desire flared into a NEED.
She would do anything, say anything to satisfy...
"This is my gift to you," Linna whispered. She would prefer a
willing lover, but the NEED was such that she did not really care.
Willing or unwilling - she HAD to have satisfaction. "You don't need
to say or do anything, just accept..."
The green eyes blinked and looked confused... frightened...
then... then the lips twitched into a crooked half smile and the
verdant green eyes slowly closed. Linna smiled as her gift was
apparently accepted.
"You're mine now..." she whispered as her hands began to explore
that soft warm flesh. Lost in her NEED Linna moved her mouth down to
follow her hands. She did not notice the expression that had appeared
on her companion's pale white face. If she had...
"No..." Samantha's voice whispered too low for the other to hear.
"No, my little pet - you are wrong."
In another part of the city away from the prying eyes of mortals
another battle was taking place. This battle was very different in
nature to the one that had raged out in the open merely days before.
This battle, although the opponents were the same, was being fought
with very different weapons. It was not even fair to call it a battle
as a battle implies even odds. It would be better to describe this
battle as a slaughter.
Sera, once called the EvenStar - the HiddenLight, once more
stalked the Multiverse in physical form. Ever since the Great
Rebellion and the founding of the Council that had followed the Truce,
Sera had remained aloof. She had refused to join any of the Families
or even those known as the Others. She preferred instead to remain
neutral and devote herself to the pursuit of the Greater Games. As a
watcher from the shadows Sera had observed the manipulation of events
on this world by one of the younger Families. A manipulation of events
that had culminated in the battle that had occurred just two nights
ago. She despised having to involve herself in the events of this
small world but she had decided that she had no alternative but to
intervene. The events that the Lthin'nal Clan had set in motion
threatened to disrupt one of Sera's own Games and that was something
she could not allow to happen. She needed the mortals of this world
alive. They Played a key role in one of the moves that she had
planned. If they were killed due to the meddling of a lesser Family
then her whole strategy would have been threatened. So, to stop that
from happening Sera had intervened directly.
The results however had not been what she had planned. The minions
that she had sent to deal with the creations of the Lthin'nal had
themselves been dealt with by another Player. Who that Player was Sera
had absolutely no idea. All she knew was that that Player had
interfered to protect the Lthin'nal and in the process had dared to
Play against Sera. So now, the EvenStar had come in person to remove
the Lthin'nal and their works forcefully from this realm. She had
hoped that such a move would cause the unknown Player to make a
counter move, something that Sera could trace back to the source.
However, in spite of everything she had done here no counter move had
been Played against her. Her opponent had remained silent and
gradually Sera had realized that she herself was being Played for
nothing more than a pawn. Her opponent had simply killed her minions
just to bring Sera onto the board where she could be Played as a pawn
in some other Game.
That realization, the shock of having fallen for such a simple
double bluff had thrown Sera into an insane rage. No one had ever
DARED to PLAY her before and the mere fact that some Player had had
the audacity to manipulate her in this way made Sera want to quench
her rage in blood. So now she was doing exactly what she had been
Played to do. She was not merely removing the Lthin'nal from this
realm, she was butchering them - all of them. Sera had set up barriers
around this world that would stop her prey from escaping her wrath and
slowly, with great satisfaction, she was Hunting down every last one
of them.
She knew that this action was exactly what the unknown Player had
wanted but at the moment she did not care. She just wanted vengeance.
After she had had that, then she would take the time to track down
the Player who had DARED Play HER and then... Then she would play a
very personal and special Game. A Game that would serve to soothe the
blood rage that she currently felt.
Priss opened her eyes and slowly rubbed the sleep from them.
Outside the morning was already in full bloom. Priss blinked in the
light and looked down at her watch.
"10!" she yelled in panic. With a curse she pulled back the covers
and leaped out of bed. She had not just overslept but grossly
overslept! "Where the hell is Linna?" she swore as she threw off her
clothes and ran for the shower. "She was supposed to wake me up at 6!
Sophia's going to kill me!" She turned on the shower and threw herself
under it.
"FUCK!!" she screamed and jumped straight back out. The water was
frozen! The immersion heater had not been put on!
"First Linna and now Sam," Priss exclaimed trying to warm herself
up. "What the hell is going on here?" She gingerly washed her hair in
the cold water taking great care to only wash where she ABSOLUTELY had
to. Finally she was dressed and ran out of the caravan towards her
bike. She was already over 2 hours late for work! She ran her hands
over her bike leathers, "keys... keys... Where are the bloody keys?"
She cursed and ran back to the caravan. Fortunately in her haste she
had slammed the outer door shut but forgotten to lock it.
Priss moved through the main room like the hurricane she had once
sung of searching for her keys. Nothing. "Oh Christ," she swore as she
tried to think what the hell she had done with them. "Why now of all
times... Sam..." She knew one person who would know - if the girl was
around.
"Sam!" Priss ran towards the girl's bedroom and throwing it open
she rushed in. "Sam! Where the hell..." Her voice vanished, her mouth
hit her feet and the world decided to generally go mad.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!! LINNA! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU
DOING TO..."
"How do you think she took it?" Sam said with a hesitant glance at
Linna as she passed over the hot chocolate.
Linna looked at the uncertainty in Sam's green eyes and leaned
over and kissed her. "Who cares..." she whispered as she tasted the
remains of the chocolate on Sam's lips.
Sam giggled and after a while broke the kiss. She sighed with
contentment, "I said you were a good kisser, didn't I?"
Linna laughed and helped herself to the hot chocolate. Her eyes
followed Sam as she began to move around the kitchen. "I..."
The sound of a loud hammering on the door caused both of them to
stop and look over at it. Sam frowned, "who the hell is that?" She put
down the cloth she was using to cleanup and went over to the door.
"Oh, hello Yoko," Sam said pulling the door open. "What are you
doing here?"
Yoko shot her a black look and walked in. "That's a stupid
question to ask, especially after what has happened in the last two
days."
"Nothing has happened," Sam said.
"That's precisely the point - nothing!" Yoko cursed. "The whole
bloody thing, not a word..."
"Well what did you expect?" Sam turned back to the washing up.
"Headlines announcing battles with Angels in the streets." She
snorted, "stop being so naive. Just be glad we are all still alive."
"You can talk!" Yoko turned on the redhead grabbing her by the
shoulder and spinning her around. "You are a bloody..."
"Yoko!" Linna snarled grabbing the woman by the throat. Linna then
said in a very quiet voice. "Let go of Sam - now." She tightened her
grip as Yoko did not answer. "Now!"
Yoko looked at the frozen pale blue eyes and slowly let go of the
redhead. She held out her hands and Linna pushed her back.
"Don't do that again Yoko," Linna said in that same quiet voice.
"Understand?"
Yoko was too stunned by Linna's reaction to do anything else but
nod.
"Good," Linna smiled coldly and looked over at Sam. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Sam smiled slightly surprised at Linna's reaction as well.
"Ahh... Thanks."
Linna grinned and returned to her chocolate.
The room was uncomfortably silent until Sam cleared her throat.
"How's Sylia handling things?"
Yoko shot a venomous glance at Linna but answered, "trying to find
out anything she can. She sent me around here to pick the both of you
up. You have not been answering your calls and she has to see you."
"Who? Me?" Sam replied. "Or both of us?"
"Both of you," Yoko repeated.
"I'm not sure if I want to work with her now," Sam muttered with a
shudder. "Not after what happened. This isn't worth the money
anymore."
"What?!" Yoko took a step towards Sam her face furious. "What the
hell is that supposed to mean!"
"Watch it..." Linna said lowering her chocolate.
Yoko took a moment to calm herself and then tried again. "What do
you mean?"
"I mean that while I like the money and the occasional excitement
in my life, this situation is beginning to get out of hand. I don't
need..."
"You were paid for a job!" Yoko swore. "Both of you! And by the
Gods you will bloody well do it! Or..."
"Don't threaten me Yoko," Sam suddenly said in flat voice.
"Us," Linna put in getting to her feet and standing next to Sam.
"I've lived with Sylia's ire before. I can do it again." She put her
hand on Sam's shoulder and the two of them stared at Yoko.
Yoko slumped, this was not going well. "Please..." she said.
"Please, just come and speak with Sylia. That's all I ask." She looked
at the two pairs of eyes, the green and the blue. "Please..."
Linna pursed her lips, "okay. Sam?"
Sam slowly nodded and Yoko sighed with relief.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I... have been under a lot of pressure...
I'll bring around the car..." she turned and left.
Sam sighed and looked up at Linna. "You sure?" she said. "Stepping
onto this path might be dangerous."
Linna nodded, "I owe Sylia that much at least."
"Okay..."
The highway was relatively quiet as the three of them traveled in
silence. Sam simply stared out of the window and Linna stared at Sam.
Yoko looked up in the mirror and watched the interaction for a brief
period of time before turning her attention back to driving. Whatever
was happening between those two was none of her concern. She had a job
to do and that was her first priority. She looked in the mirror again,
and checking the way was clear signaled her intention to change lanes.
The meeting place was some distance away and she needed to get off the
highway here. She sped up the exit ramp and joined another road.
Slowly, Yoko drove them deeper and deeper into the little known
areas of the city. Linna was absolutely lost. She had never even known
these areas even existed, much less been to them.
"Are we there yet?" Linna finally asked after it seemed like they
had been travelling for ages.
"Almost," Yoko replied. "Just another five more minutes or so."
"Good," Samantha spoke up. "This is getting rather boring and I
will be glad when it finally comes to an end. I really do want to move
onto the next stage now."
"Yes..." Yoko replied in an uncertain tone that made Sam giggle.
Finally, the car pulled up outside a rundown apartment block. Yoko
turned off the engine and opened her door. "We're here."
"This dump?" Linna asked looking slightly surprised.
Yoko smiled, "nothings quite what it first appears to be. Come on,
and I'll show you what I mean."
"Great," Linna muttered as she got out of the car. "More secret
bases."
Sam simply smiled at Yoko's comment and got out after Linna. The
two lovers followed Yoko into the building and up a set of stairs. The
inside of the apartment block was as rundown as the outside. Rubbish
and bits of rubble were littered all about. Some doors hung like
gaping wounds looking into empty rooms.
"Looks pretty realistic to me," Linna commented. "Sylia should
give me the name of her decorator?"
Yoko laughed, "why thank you."
"You?" Linna said surprised.
"Can't we quit this little charade now," Sam suddenly said looking
up at Yoko. "It is getting rather tedious."
"Sam!" Linna turned and looked at the redhead. "There's no need
for that!"
Yoko's hand shot out and grabbed Linna by the throat. Linna's eyes
bulged and she started to choke as Yoko lifted her easily off the
ground.
"Not all this again," Sam sighed and then yelled out. "Alright
Luc! I am here! You can call off your little pet!"
Yoko started to laugh and her voice was that of a male. "Samantha.
I am surprised at you - involving yourself with Mortals..." She threw
the gasping form of Linna down at Sam. "You have changed..."
Sam caught Linna and held her while the brunette recovered. After
a moment Sam looked up and grinned mischievously at Yoko. "And you
haven't Luc. You really are still just as obvious as always."
"Ah," Yoko smiled. "So you knew. I had wondered."
"Don't make me laugh," Samantha giggled. "Stupidity always was
your forte..." She gently let go of Linna and brushing her hands
against her jeans she stood up. "Well, it's time to say goodbye
old..."
"Hold Samantha De'Naime," a deep voice spoke as nine figures
suddenly appeared from nowhere. Five of them stood at the top of the
small stairwell and four stood at the bottom.
"Well, well, well," Sam muttered as she looked at faces she hadn't
seen for millennia. "Nine from the Great Holding itself. I AM
honored."
"You are summoned Samantha," the leader spoke. "The Council
demands your presence and not even you can resist all of us."
Sam did not answer but looked at the figures. She chewed her lip,
"you may have a point there... So, what do the all high and mighty
want with little old me?"
"Sam..." Linna straightened up and looked nervously around. "What
is going on here?"
"Animals!" one of the figures said with a tone of disgust.
Sam shot the speaker a venomous look. "Don't EVER call..."
"Enough!" the first speaker commanded and Sam focused her
attention back on him.
"What do you want?" she demanded. "I am busy at..."
"Samantha De'Naime, your return is in direct violation of the
orders of the..."
"Bullshit!" Sam swore. "I was..."
"...Great Holding," the man continued pitching his voice to carry
over Sam. "And as such an order has been issued for your termination."
He stared down at the pale face and finished his sentence, "to be
executed immediately."
Four blocks away children playing in the street were reduced
immediately to ashes as the white pulse of impossible power vaporized
15 miles of the city far more effectively than a nuclear strike. In
orbit over Japan workers had to suddenly shield their eyes as a
blinding flash erupted from the southern coast of Honshu. Spy
satellites came on line trying to determine the source of the attack.
And somewhere beyond imagination something laughed in triumph.
(to be continued...)