Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. It has no intentions of resembling any real persons dead or alive. This is entirely from my imagination, with a little help from already established sources. This story is based loosely on the comic book character "The Punisher" from Marvel Comics. Other characters may appear from Marvel comics as well as DC Comics.
Punisher and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.
Blade and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel copyright Joss Whedon, United Paramount Network and Warner Bros. Respectively.
The Vampire Chronicles and all related characters created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne O'Brien Rice.
I have written another story on nifty entitled "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". It is in the Celebrity/Boy Bands section. Batman may appear in this story once or twice, as the Punisher may appear in "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". Any comments may be sent to authorjames2002@yahoo.com
Thank you and enjoy.
Chapter 2 Assessments
Evening came and the group suited up to go patrolling with the exception of Davey, who was still recovering from the bullet wound he received the night before. Harris was glad Davey remained at home. He wanted Davey to take it easy. This way, they could stay alone and could help each other out.
Abraham Whistler, the new addition to the group, changed into some black pants, black t-shirt and boots. He strapped on several wooden stakes, a few bottles of holy water and a couple of crosses.
"You are going to need these, too," Blade said handing him several silver stakes.
"Why is that?"
"There are vampires here who are not harmed by wooden stakes."
"Good. It's not going to be a cake walk." Cloak walked in with Dagger. Whistler turned and looked upon his new charge. "That looks as if it will do the job in concealing you. But it also gives vampires a reason to attack you. Your neck is very exposed."
"I'd rather have vampires attacking me than someone who can't kick vampire ass," Dagger replied.
"I agree with your tactics. But I don't want any unnecessary harm to come to you. Please, be careful."
"Everyone ready?" Blade asked as he stood at the door. His long leather coat hung to his ankles. His sword could be seen on his back just slightly over his head. And his sunglasses were firmly in place.
"Very intimidating, Blade. I like it."
"Let's go."
The group headed down to the parking lot. Blade climbed onto his motorcycle. Cloak and Dagger climbed in the car with Whistler squeezing into the back. The engines came to life and the two vehicles took off into the night.
Harris watched them go, and then turned and told Davey they were alone.
"It seems weird me not going out," Davey replied.
"I know. But you need to rest."
"I know."
Harris walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He wiped Davey's hair back from his forehead. "You don't know how glad I am that you are alive. I thought you were going to die."
"It takes more than a bullet to keep a gay boy down."
"Let's hope no one tries anything else to keep you down. Do you want anything? Something to drink or eat?"
"No. I'm fine."
Harris smiled at Davey. He knew he was falling in love with Davey. And the way Davey looked at him, he knew Davey felt the same way. 'I wonder what Davey's friends would say to this,' Harris thought. 'With the Friends of Humanity taken care of in this area, we might be able to return to school. Wouldn't the guys be shocked?'
Something else came to Harris's mind. 'What if Davey doesn't want to be with me after we go back to school? What if Davey will give into peer pressure or miss being with his friends that he will dump me for them? What if?'
The two black vehicles pulled up into an alley. Blade dismounted his motorcycle and the wizard, the Slayer and the Watcher climbed out of the car.
"A little cramped in there," Whistler said.
"We don't normally have someone in the back seat," Cloak replied. "Besides, the car is for chasing vampires and other supernatural creatures, not comfort."
"I understand. Don't take it so personal."
Blade approached the group and said, "We patrol. Cloak, you are with me. Dagger, you and Whistler go together. Keep in contact with everyone and don't separate from your partner."
The three nodded to Blade and then split up into the two groups.
"I've been in the area a little while," Whistler said to Dagger, "searching for you. You and your friends do a remarkable job with the demon population."
"Thanks," Dagger replied.
"How long have you been in Columbus?"
"Around three years."
"Excellent."
"Wait," Dagger said stopping in her tracks.
Across the street three young men were pushing a young girl into an alley.
"Vampires," Whistler whispered.
"Not necessarily. If I've learned in the past few days, it's that a being doesn't have to be a demon to be evil. Human beings are quite capable of doing horrible. The Friends of Humanity are proof of that."
Dagger and Whistler made their way across the street to the mouth of the alley. They listened hard to hear what was being said by the four persons.
"No," the girl said. "I don't want to."
"But we do."
"Please, stop," she whispered.
"Open wide," one of the boys said.
Dagger ran into the alley and before her saw a most horrendous act. The girl was on her knees, tears streaming down her face, with one of the boys in front of her with his penis out.
"Stop!" Dagger yelled.
All turned to face her.
"Who are you, bitch?" one of the boys said to her.
The boys appeared to be no older than 13. The girl looked to be around 11 or 12.
"I'm Dagger, the Vampire Slayer."
The boys laughed at the name and title she had given herself.
"Vampire Slayer?" one laughed. "Like vampires are real."
"They are," a Middle Eastern-accented voice said from above. Everyone looked up and saw a man floating down from the sky. "And I am one of them." He landed and looked at the boys. "Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Ahriman."
Ahriman stepped into the light and Dagger was enchanted by his smooth, brown skin and dark hair. He had a perfection about him; perfection in beauty and perfection in manners and charm. That, along with his pointed teeth, indicated his true nature. No one is that perfect, that beautiful, unless it is someone who feeds off the life force of another.
"Did you say Vampire Slayer?" he asked looking right at Dagger. "I have always wanted to face a Vampire Slayer. But there does not seem to be many in this state."
Whistler snuck past Dagger and went to the four teenagers. "You need to get out of here," he whispered as he pulled the four past Dagger and Ahriman. He got them to the alley and told the girl to tell the police what the boys were going to do. No need in letting a crime almost committed go unpunished. He made the boys stay put until the girl was out of sight. Then, he released them. He turned and headed back to Dagger to assist her if she needed any help. When he got back, they were talking.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"I have awakened after a thousand years of slumber. I was separated from my sister after the Queen was taken from us."
"What Queen?"
"The vampire Queen. She has been dubbed Queen of the Damned. Her name is Akasha. My sister and I were servants of her until a fair-skinned blonde vampire stole her from us. The people of the country overthrew those of us who were blood drinkers and separated us while we slept in the day. I have not seen my sister since."
"I got news for you. She isn't here."
"No matter. I will build myself an empire and she will find me."
An arrow flew through the air and landed in his chest, his heart to be precise. He grabbed the arrow and pulled it out. "I'm not that species of vampire." He threw the arrow down and leapt at Whistler.
Whistler jumped out of the way as Ahriman nearly landed on him. Dagger threw several of her light knives at the vampire. Two struck him and a third missed. He hollered in pain and turned on her. Jumping at her, she grabbed him by the collar and fell backward. Placing her foot in his stomach, she was able to flip him into the wall of the nearby-building. Then, she flipped up and turned to face him.
"We must retreat," Whistler said.
"Why?"
"Don't question me now, in front of him. We must go."
Dagger threw several more light knives at the vampire catching some of the nearby garbage on fire to distract the blood drinker. Then she turned and she and Whistler ran out of the alley.
"We must contact Blade and tell him what we found," Dagger said. "If this new vampire is in town, we are going to have trouble."
Whistler nodded at Dagger and the two headed off in the direction Blade and Cloak went earlier.
"You vampire scum," Blade said as he swung his sword around and decapitated a nearby vampire.
Blade and Cloak had stumbled upon a small band of vampires who had carjacked a small group of college students. Cloak had used magic to stall the engine. Blade chased after the vampires while Cloak tended to the college students. The chase led Blade to Bicentennial Park.
As the vampire turned to dust, Blade ran after the rest of the group. Leaping into the air, he tackled one vampire and knocked it into the fountain. The two rolled and stood up facing each other. Blade swung his left leg up to kick the vampire. The vampire blocked and swung his fist at Blade. Blade caught the vampire's fist and squeezed, breaking the bones. The vampire screamed in pain. Blade threw the vampire's hand down and punched the vampire in the face. Grabbing the demon by it's neck, Blade flipped it into the water. Blade pulled a stake out and rammed it into the demon's chest. He turned as the creature turned to dust and ran after the rest of the vampires. To his amazement, they jumped over the railing into the Olentangy River.
"Damn," he muttered, then turned and headed back to Cloak and the carjacked vehicle.
Blade approached Cloak, who was hiding around a corner watching the police and paramedics tend to the Ohio State University students.
"Are they okay?" Blade asked.
"They are going to be fine, just the shock and trauma that goes along with being carjacked. What about the vampires?"
"I got two. The rest jumped into the river."
"At least you got two. The others will show up eventually."
"Blade!" Dagger called out.
Blade turned and put his finger up to his lips to quiet her. "What is it?" he asked when she was close enough to talk quietly.
"There is a vampire in town, an old vampire. He's not like any of the others we've ever faced. Stakes through the heart won't cut it. Whistler shot an arrow at him and it did nothing. He only seemed afraid of fire."
"Perfect. Let's head back to the apartment and you can tell me more."
The four headed up the road to their vehicles where they climbed in and headed north.
Watching from a high building was the ancient vampire Ahriman. "So, there are several vampire hunters here. Not just a Slayer. They may prove to be a threat if I am not careful. I will have to gather information about them and assess their strengths and weaknesses."
With the mind gift, Ahriman sensed a small band of vampires climbing from the nearby river. In their thoughts, he saw the dark-skinned vampire hunter with the sword chopping off the head of one of their comrades and staking another. "There," he whispered. "They have information. I shall talk with them."
Ahriman stepped off the building and dropped down to street level. Then he casually walked toward the river and the band of vampires.
Blade and Cloak pulled their vehicles up to the apartment. They entered and climbed the stairs to the main room.
"I'll check on Davey," Ty said, feeling a responsibility to his young friend. He walked down the hall and poked his head in to see Harris sleeping in a chair next to Davey. Their hands were clasped together in a loving hold. Ty smiled to himself. 'I guess gay people truly love one another. It's not just about sex.' In his heart, he thanked Harris and Davey for their love for each other and for knowing him. Just witnessing this little act of love helped his heart to change a little bit more.
"What kind of vampire was he?" Blade asked Whistler.
"He's not the kind you are used to. He is a vampire with a soul. His kind was created from a spell long ago. Have you read any of the 'Vampire Chronicles' by Anne Rice?"
"I've read them," Ty said as he entered the room. "They made a movie a few years ago based on 'Interview with the Vampire'."
"The books are true. Anne Rice was a Talamasca operative at one time. Since she met the vampires, they found a trusted friend and shared with her their stories. She writes their stories and publishes them. Those who search for the truth will find it. Those who close their eyes and ears to the truth will see them only as fiction."
"What can these vampires do? Why don't stakes hurt them?"
"They are, for the most part, human. They retain their humanity and their soul in the transition from mortal to immortal. The curse is that they feast on blood and live forever. The only things that harm these vampires are fire and sunlight, decapitation, and bleeding to death. As they get older, they become more powerful. They can fly, move at intense speed, cause other vampires to burst into flame, and eventually, fire doesn't kill them."
"Then they become truly immortal. Damn."
"Ahriman mentioned the Queen, Akasha. She died a few years ago. Several vampires, including the blonde one, tried to stop her. She wanted to destroy most of the men because of the way men treat women."
"How did she die?" Dagger asked.
"The vampires drained her of her blood."
"Then maybe we can do the same to him," Blade replied. "What does he want?"
"His sister. And he plans to do whatever he can to get her. He talked of building an empire here in Columbus. If he is as old as he says he is, he could probably do it."
"Except for one thing," Blade said. "He never took us into consideration."
To Be Continued...
A new threat has arisen in Columbus, the vampire Ahriman. Should prove a challenge.