Path of the Vampire forum

(OOC: Dialogue by others was taken from my alert log. Dialogue by me was remembered but slightly altered since I couldn't find it.)

“So…yeah that sketch, really cool but yeah…couldn’t you have picked,” Simon’s words to Emily were interrupted by the probing thought, “Get the **** away from Emily and stay away.” Nothing like the telepathic words of Liam Gooddryke to kill the good vibes, Simon turned to see an approaching Liam and Regan.

Turning his head Simon grabbed his phone and noticed there was a message, it read Subject: Ward and stated:

The sooner you stop hiding from me, the sooner one of us dies. You may call me Rago so you know where death awaits you.

“This is going to be a fun night and who’s hiding?” Simon thought to himself before pocketing the phone.

As Regan approached Simon a round was fired off. Knowing how to dodge bullets, to varying degree, Simon moved and watched the bullet bite into the wall of the quarantined building. “Fun times,” Simon thought and a second later Regan picked up Simon and threw him fight feet. Not expecting to be tossed like a ragdoll, Simon didn’t have time to react or roll with the throw

“You will die for touching what isn’t yours,” Regan shouted and tossed Simon again. The situation was throwing the Shadow off because he kept hitting the floor but rising like nothing had happened. If this were a sitcom it could have been comical followed by Simon saying, “I’m okay!” or “Nothing happened!” This was not a comedy.

Burning with anger in his eyes Regan looked at the pair, “This is what I find.” Regan looked toward Emily, “You will go to Liam and stay in your room until I tell him it’s safe for you to come out.” Turning back toward Simon, Regan fire another round and the metal grazed Simon’s neck.

Blood gushed out from the wound but Simon was still able to talk, “We were just talking!” Simon screamed in his defense.

Regan moved toward Simon, “I do not care dog, you die,” again the man tossed Simon around like a small child.

The shadow needed a moment to rise from his latest tumble. He heard Regan speak just fine though, “Go before I loose myself,” Simon had been in his fair share of fights. This guy was tossing Simon around like he was a two-year old. Maturity levels aside, Simon was no two year old when it came to weight. While he was not going to be Akibono in a sumo wrestling match, he wasn’t going to be in the feather weight division either. He figured this meant powers on.

Trying to strike at Regan Simon was a flurry of sword swings and a burning hand swipe that fizzled. Sadly, he was also a flurry of misses. Unfortunately Regan was not Mister Miss and let out another round. The bullet sank its way into Simon’s shoulder.

“Get away from me Simon before I kill you,” Regan warned and tossed the bleeding Shadow again. Getting up was taking a little longer thanks to injuries. “You were told not to go near him, your punishment will be decided by Liam,” Regan chided and that reminded Simon that Emily was still there.

Rising up again Simon looked at Regan who caused another bullet to pierce the other shoulder.

“I’m not running, if you want me here I am!” Simon said bloody. Regan wanted to fight him man to man according to the death threat private message.

“Have it your way,” Regan mused, “Talking doesn’t matter, one of us dies here.” On this words Simon was tossed yet again. Finally the shadow had enough and thought, “I can toss someone too!” A second later Simon extended his hand and Regan was in the wilderness.

Smiling for a second, the son of Crissy marveled, “It worked! My first teleport!” he thought deep down then the ache of his wounds reminded him of the situation. “Okay…Okay…psychopath wants to fight me one on one via a duel because that’s how these things work. He’s at full strength and I was down some blood when the tosses began. Feed, heal, find psycho,” on these thoughts Simon began to run out of the Quarantine zone leaving Emily behind. The water remained solid for his feet as he rushed toward the abandoned apartments.

The abandoned buildings were usually the places to go to safely feed. Upon heading toward the narrow hallway of the building a form blurred past Simon and into focus. It was Liam. There was no time to act or react to the raised gun. Blam. Another bullet went into Simon’s already shot up left shoulder causing more blood to gush out. A second later Liam blurred away. That’s when Simon realized this was never a duel. Never a challenge. This was a gang beat down. He wasn’t an idiot. Well….at least he wasn’t an idiot about a fight.

Seeing that he was going to be outmatched two to one Simon began on his way to safe ground. A sudden pain surged through his mind. The impression of a woman named Lizzie Llewellyn lingered. Make that, three on one.

Driven by fear and a desire to think of a new game strategy Simon took off to safe ground once more. The man had managed to feed and recoop the blood loss before leaving. Having a moment Simon texted two people that needed know the truth. Seeing an obit of “Simon Ward,” usually meant there was some giant ****-up and he earned death. Today wasn’t that day.

He punched in his attackers’ names and sent the message to Quoth, his brother now pseudo-uncle because of his dating status, and Cristiana, his sire and the woman Quoth had been dating. Sure, he wasn’t talking to the latter but he wanted her to know, “I didn’t **** up this time, I swear!”

Both messages went through and Simon hurried home with no incident. Once safely upstairs the shadow picked up the phone and called Emily.

He needed to know she was okay. Sometimes Vampires would often turn to an innocent party when it came to these games. Punish the innocent, etc. She was worried about him, the situation, and not being allowed to talk to the man because of Liam.

She then said something very disturbing. “I’ll see you in a week,” something like that. In vampire talk that meant one thing. Emily was either going to get punished for Simon running or she was going to offer her blood to stop the duel. If there was one thing Simon couldn’t stand it was people dying for him.

Rushing out of the apartment the still bleeding Shadow went through Emily’s apartment door and let out a blood curdling scream because it was empty. If the woman was going to do something like that…he wasn’t going to stop it.

Pacing a bit Simon knew what had to be done. Crissy’s contact information appeared on his screen for the first time in ages. He wanted a chance to say sorry. Simon was learning from the recent screw up and trying to make right for himself. Deep down the guy wanted to be something she could be proud of. So far, he was far from that. But just this once he wanted her to see that this oncoming death wasn’t for being stupid.

Regan and his little group were bullies. Simon didn’t back down from a bully while in boarding school and he sure as hell wasn’t going to back down now. Hopefully, Mom would have been proud of her son not calling on her or anyone else’s aid for this fight, for any reason or task. He did not need to be like Regan and have others help him win his duels.

The second the phone hung up Simon cried out in pain as another mental probe surged through him. Morghan was the name of the latest vampire tart that wanted to get into his head. Seriously, if someone wanted to get into his head that much and see the mental image of his naked self-standing in front of a mirror it was twenty bucks.

When the pain stopped another surge of the familiar sting ran through him. Lizzie was back for seconds. A long sigh ran through the apartment. He wasn’t a dummy; these surges were to strip him of his powers. Any vampire could feel it when they were separated from that part of the beast that kept them safe. That kept them alive. Simon pulled out his phone and added more names to the list for Quoth and Crissy.

He tucked the device after picking a song by Murray Gold called “Vale Decem.” Latin for “Be Well Ten!” This was like saying, “Farewell Ten,” and was translate as such. However, the literal was a commanded, like “You! Do this!” Smirking Simon went to the apartment elevator and said, “Salve Simonum. Vale Simonum.” Be strong Simon. Be well Simon. “Hello Simon,” and “Goodbye Simon,” would be other ways to translate it.

Chimes echoed and the elevator doors opened. Sauntering out of building he moved toward the nearest net café. A smile pulled at his lips as Grandma Tempy was at a terminal. Quietly Simon moved near her, “Check on Mom…I may have to die today,” was all he said. Keys were clacked and Shadow saw a new sight request…for himself. No surprise. If he was going to die there may as well have been some money made for it. Simon entered in a location not far from his apartment.

Slightly woozy Simon then accessed his email and put a message to Regan:

Subject: Rover.

Forgive the pleasantries, I’m usually not pleasant to someone that wants to duel me then has three people to help in blindsiding me. If you want me I reported my location that you or one of your little helpers put on me. Come get me but understand one thing, I’m heavily wounded, I was already low on juice when you first started and it took you a bit to hit me. Four people for little ol’ me. I’m impressed with myself.

Oh and for the record, even the aid I’ve called on the aid of no one. Threw you so I could charge up and make it a fair fight. But hey…you’re not into playing fair. I get that.

The blood loss made the last part a little derpy but bits of his defiance lingered. Since there was nothing left to do Simon moved to the location. Moments passed by and an Asian woman showed up. He thought her name was Chiyoko but wasn’t too sure. She came and went, and came and went, came and then stayed.

By this time Simon pulled out his phone and texted Emily confirming Chiyoko’s association with Liam. The fight was five on one technically. Vale Decem started up again and Simon waited. Again, Regan approached.

Regan let loose another round and Simon moved out of the way, “I’m bleeding everywhere and you still miss,” the shadow said with a smirk. Seeing Chiyoko still there Simon asked, “Will Liam be joining us again?”

“No he isn’t,” Regan said through gritted teeth.

All of the testosterone caught the attention of Reynolds who said amusingly, “While the cat is away the mice will play, no?”

Regan added to his words, “Just you and me, bub.”

This made Simon smile, “How Wolverine of you to say. I can get geeky too….SIMMMOOOONNN SMASSSH!” Bub was a trademark line of the character Wolverine and ever since his appearance in Incredible Hulk 181, the hero had been hated by the Hulk.

Slicing and dicing his own attacks Simon was hitting and missing. Another gun shot by Regan which Simon moved from. The third strike from Regan went into the shoulder that only had one bullet wound making it match the other, which had two.

Eventually the pair ran at each other like two warriors lost in the field. Simon’s next wound made him miss someone. Pain surged through his groin as the familiar feel of a bullet piercing it ran through his mind. All the man could do was think, “Who taught you to shoot, my mother!?” Crissy was good with putting bullets in that region. She was an allurist after all and they typically liked that region on people. Be it to harm or please.

Blood from both combatants littered the field. How Simon held his sword up was a miracle but he did. Shell casings fell as the sound of metal slicing through air, flesh and material move through the area. A bullet went through Simon’s gut, and the blood loose was making Simon stagger. As he slowed Regan took aim and hit Simon in the head. Somehow the shadow was still standing.

Slashes cut through the air and into Regan before two more bullets found Simon’s crotch. He probably didn’t have a penis anymore.

Reynolds had been watching the whole time said, “I do love a good duel!”

Enough of Simon’s mind came back and he spat out, “This was never a ‘duel’…Regan saw to that.”

The words went unheard by either person as Reynold went on about the French and Regan kept firing. By now both fighters were bloody messes. Cuts and stab wounds ran up Regan’s body and bullet holes riddled Simon’s.

Near the end Simon had two more bullets in his left shoulder, another in his stomach, and one in his legs which managed to avoid most of the gun shots. How Simon was even alive mystified the shadow himself. As Simon raised his blade for a swing the barrel of Regan’s gun kissed Simon’s forehead and like twice before, the world went black after the sound of a gunshot from the fifteenth round echoed. His body took it before giving out.