Morning,

Not too proud of the ending of this one, but I hope I'm mistaken and that
you'll like this Night Walker fanfic all the same.  Don't worry, if you
think I'm shooting from the hip with these obscure titles, you should
really wonder about and question my soccer knowledge (having had to resort
to a friend teach me that Donovan being offsides was negated by the fact
that...oh, never mind)! :)

In any case, we'll be rounding out Rumiko Takahashi's work with an attempt
to write an Urusei Yatsura fic by the same time tomorrow.  Until then, as
always, tell me what you think, and I'll see you on the other side!
---
Caught in the Sun
A 2002 World Cup / Anime Fanfic Series
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)

Episode Eight: Offsides Trap
Group G: Italy v Croatia @ Ibaraki
A Night Walker Fanfic

Shido stepped off the train and onto the platform, keeping much to himself
and trying to draw very little attention despite his being overdressed
during the warm spring climate. The sun would not set for another half
hour, but he wanted to get back on the trail as soon as possible. The
chase led him all the way to Kashima City, along a path of very brutal
killings in public places, among crowds that could not contain a single
person who was able to identify an attacker of any sort. Whatever it was,
it created a pattern: very quick, very painful and very thorough. It had
to be stopped, but Shido did not know how to do it. Hell, he didn't even
know what he was looking for or what it looked like. He had only his
senses to guide him.

The station exit dumped outgoing passengers into a shopping center, where
Shido wandered for some time to gather his bearings. If the next victim
was going to be in the area, it would be in front of a great many
witnesses. Maybe it was because of the thrill. Maybe it was to instill
fear among people. But whatever the reason, in a bustling city such as
this one, another murder would definitely cause a widespread panic that
would allow the obviously unnatural perpetrator to get away. The clues
that Shido had, however, did not point him to any particular place in all
of Kashima City; the streets were crowded and the lines of people were
endless. It could be anywhere!

He spent his time going from store to store, to get a feel for the area.
The street corner had an electronics store, where a rather large group
were gathered around a widescreen television situated in the entranceway.
Shido walked over to see what the fuss was about. The volume was turned
all the way up for everyone to hear the commentating.

"We are into stoppage time in the first half, and Italy is having their
way with Croatia, holding a three-one advantage to virtually assure
themselves a place in the second round. Officials are telling us right now
that the attendance here at jam-packed Kashima Stadium stands at
forty-three thousand and change, well over the regular capacity and
certainly a much larger crowd than during J-League matches. Those of us in
the booth can actually feel the pounding of the stadium every time fans
jump up and down to celebrate four goals in the span of one half. The
electricity for this game is intense!"
---
The guards hardly noticed Shido as he flew over head, landing on top of
the stadium wall to gaze down over everything else. As he lifted his eyes
over the wall, Shido saw tens of thousands of people in the stands. He
sensed it in the air. Their scent was unmistakable. There was no doubt
about it; the Night Breed were in attendance, and could at any minute
claim a victim in front of the huge crowds, to say nothing of the millions
watching the match on television.

The vampire readjusted his trench coat when he felt something inside. He
looked in his side pocket.

"Guni!" he said, "How did you get in here?"

The fairy creature zipped out of his pocket, dusting herself off. "You
found me!" she said.

"What are you doing here?"

"You're not running off again to get all the action to yourself!"

"This is a dangerous problem," Shido pleaded, "You should have stayed back
at the office."

Guni protested, "Well, we're here already, and you're not losing me until
we get home, so there!"

"Alright, alright! Just try to--"

The sound of a referee's whistle turned their heads as play stopped and,
more importantly, the stadium attendance dispersed all about for half
time.

"I have to put a stop to this," Shido said.

"I'll help you!" Guni replied eagerly.

"No!" he said, "You're going to stay right here while I find the Breed.
This is really bad this time, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hey, since when did you start worrying about me? I can take care of
myself!"

"Just stay here! Either way, I am going to track it down on my own," Shido
insisted as he walked across the edge of the wall and dropped down into
the seating, leaving Guni very indignant.

"Hmph!" she said, "What a character! I just hope that--"

Guni stopped talking out loud to herself once her wings started hitting an
unseen object. She turned around as she heard the breathing of another
creature. All of her confidence and resolve quickly faded as her gaze was
met by a pair of yellow, glowing eyes, the only glimpse of the Breed Guni
would get before she was quickly swiped away.
---
Shido navigated the crowds in the concession area of the stadium, looking
to sense his way through to the Breed that was causing trouble all the way
from Tokyo. So far, though, his intuition was failing him, and the demonic
creature was nowhere to be found among the droves of fans. The worst that
could happen for Shido was that the Breed had found out that the vampire
was on his tail, and had bolted to avoid any capture. He couldn't stand
that. It had to end tonight.

Some distance away, Shido saw an odd-looking creature with his back turned
to him. He was out of place among all the fans walking here and there,
moving about in such a strange and peculiar fashion that drew attention to
himself. Shido grew suspicious, and pushed and shoved his way through to
get a closer look. Twice he was knocked off his balance by people who
pushed back, but the vampire kept his determination as he reached over to
grab the suspected.

"�L'Italia per sempre! �L'Italia per sempre!" he said, despite being
accosted by a total stranger.

Shido gave a look of embarrassment, and quickly apologized to the man,
dressed in the colors of the Italian flag and wearing a wig to accentuate
his presence among everyone else, before letting him go. Damn! Where was
this Breed?

Just then, among all the noise and all the chatter in the concession area,
the vampire's ears picked up a most familiar sound. Shido couldn't quite
put his finger on what it was, until it grew louder and more profound. It
was Guni, and it sounded like she was in trouble!

Shido turned around and ran as fast as he could, towards the sight of a
demonic creature who, this time, was baiting him, holding firmly in its
hand the diminutive Guni, a sight largely unnoticed by the raucous crowd
whose more dedicated fans had eccentricities of their own. The Breed
laughed at the vampire as he struggled to get across. It, in turn, darted
in the opposite direction, making for a door along the far wall in the
stadium's structure. With his constant companion taken by the Breed, Shido
had no choice but to follow.
---
The door slammed shut as Shido walked down an ill-lit corridor, a
maintenance pathway isolated from the stadium crowd. It was in the narrow
custodian's hallway that the vampire and the Breed, a creature in
possession of an innocent man, met face to face with each other.

"Well, well," it said, "A vampire, of all things, thinks it can best me!"

"It's time to end this now," Shido replied.

"Not a chance. Your thirst for blood is just as strong as mine, so you
can't possibly ask me to stop! And so what if I give people a good scare
right in front of them?"

"You are letting them find out about us with all these killings in
public!"

"So what if they know? Frightened or not, they're ours for the taking!"

"No!" he cried, "Not if I have anything to do with it."

"Oh?" it replied, "I don't think you have a choice." Then, the creature
held up its hand, and what little light shone in the corridor reflected
off Guni, firmly held prisoner by the Breed.

"One wrong move," it said, "And I will end the existence of this little
one."

"Shido!" Guni said, "Just get out of here!"

"Be quiet, Guni, I'm getting you out of this!" the vampire said as he drew
from his own blood the sword, his weapon of choice.
---
"The Croatians definitely want to make the result of this match
respectable, despite falling behind even more. Down four-one, they're
making a charge up the field to penetrate the Italian defense. Fifty-fifty
ball in the air, but the Croatian midfielder has it. He takes a shot from
thirty yards out! It goes wide, but he simply had no one to feed the ball
to. The Italians, literally, have been holding Croatia's strikers hostage
in the penalty area, tangling them up from getting open and taking a shot.
It's an old-fashioned give and take we're looking at in this match; Italy
wants the ball and they are taking advantage of the referee's not calling
the glaring fouls to try and get what they want."
---
"You wouldn't risk it," the Breed said, "You wouldn't risk the life of
this one, you don't have the stomach for it!"

"You'll kill someone anyways," Shido said, "Sooner or later, I will end
this."

"Hey!" Guni cried, "What about me? Don't I have anything to say about it?"

"Guni, just shut up and do it!"

"What? Oh, right!" The fairy then sunk her teeth into the hand of the
creature, causing it to let go of her.

"Argh!" it cried, knocking Guni clear across the corridor but out of
danger. It knew, though, that Shido was coming for him in that instant, so
he leapt forward at the vampire's legs to keep him from striking his
sword. There, a battle took place as Guni watched helplessly from her
vantage point at the other end of the hallway. The two creatures locked
each other, wrists in hands, as one tried to use his sword while the other
simply had its sheer power to help overcome him. They took turns tumbling
over each other, kicking and grunting to make a fight out of it,
exchanging barbs every now and then.

"You are no match for me, vampire," the Breed said once it was on top of
its adversary, "Why do you resist your true nature?"

"I'd explain it to you," Shido replied, pushing back, "But if I have to,
you would never understand."

They both gave one final struggle, as the first one to wear out would most
certainly die. The vampire knocked the demonic creature against the wall,
while it returned the same show of force by lifting Shido above his head
and pressing him along the ceiling. Its mistake, of course, was letting
the vampire's hand, holding his sword, get free to give one major thrust
into its body.
---
"Shot and a goal! Shot and a goal! The Croatians have solved Italy's
puzzling defense, cutting and slashing right through to free up their
forward for one glorious shot! It's four-two, Italy!"
---
The creature lay lifeless on the floor as Shido sucked the life out of the
Breed, freeing the body of the innocent man from any unnatural influences.
It would take some time for him to get up and realize his whereabouts, but
for now he was back to normal.

Guni was lying on the floor herself as Shido looked over her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be," he replied, "At least it's over."

The corridor was not soundproofed, so they easily heard the cheers of the
crowds just outside the door.

"What was that?"

"I don't know. Something must have happened."

"You think we can go watch the game?" Guni asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not. We're already here."

The fairy drifted onto her companion's shoulder as they walked down the
corridor and back out into the public areas.

"You know what? All of a sudden, I'm glad I came."

"Yeah, and you almost got me into trouble!"

"Hey, you told me not to be sorry about it!"

END.

Next match:
Episode Nine: Mexico v Ecuador @ Miyagi
An Urusei Yatsura Fanfic
---
Roehl Sybing
"The past is gone but something might be found to take its place" - Gin
Blossoms, Hey Jealousy

Infinite Deferral - http://www.infinitedeferral.com/
 - stories, fanfic, politics, j-pop, and some curling
every-now-and-then-when-it's-in-season


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