Van Helsing (Cont.)

Edward growled aloud now and spit on the vampire's outstretched hand. "I've helped plenty," he hissed. "I'm no traitor to my kind. Now... you're not getting anything from me, least of all what I took. You'd best leave the way you came before I let go of this girl..." He paused and loosened his grip on a tightly-wound Hannah; he could tell her eyes were red for blood and her muscles were straining against his hold to go after the newborn; he couldn't hold her much longer. "She will tear you apart better than I."

 

Mary looked over Hannah's form as she withdrew her hand and then met Edward's gaze disbeliving. "Tsk, like all men you think threatening will make a girl submit." she spat back at him, "Let her go and see what a bloody mass you get back. I just want whatever you've stolen, why are you being so difficult about that? Because of Dracula? Why do you even dislike him? What has he ever done to you?" she felt her blood lust spike again even so soon after feeding and it fed her irrational anger.

 

"He's done things to her," Edward snapped, unsure why he was explaining. "My Hannah and others, killed countless innocents, hurt my friends... I don't need any other reasons. Besides, I don't even have what you want on me. That's too bad."

 

Hannah didn't see why Edward didn't just let her go. Why couldn't she just kill the vampire and save them the trouble of dealings? Her fingers twitched with readiness to rip the newborn apart.

------

I don't think Beatrice can handle this," Michael replied to Jinx. Glancing around the barn, he saw nothing that could hold Beatrice if he let go and went with Jinx and Van Helsing. Carl certainly wouldn't be able to stay with her. "I'll figure something out. You all go on ahead."

 

Mary laughed cruely at Edward's explanation and her eyes darkened again. "Is that so? He hurt you and your friends?" she looked almost thoughtful despite her anger and blood lust. "I suppose it is your right to want him dead then. It would be a lie to say I'm not trying to kill off everyone who hurt me and my friends... but that doesn't change the fact that I need what you have. I don't believe you for a moment that you don't have it."

Jinx nodded sharply, "Bee, just hold on to yourself." she said before turning to leave, tugging at CArl and Van Helsing's sleeves.

 

Van Helsing tried to give Michael a "if you can't stop her, kill her," look (in his smexy Hugh Jackman way) before he ran off with Carl and Jinx.

"How many can there be?" he questioned aloud, listening to the chaotic screams and cackles coming from the town. "It's only been less than twenty four hours and I have no knowledge of him having any other... children besides his three former brides."

Edward sighed when he read Hannah's thoughts, and loosened his grip on her arm just enough to barely hold her back.

I'll cover your back, he shot into her head, taking the chance and assuming Dracula's new born couldn't read minds as well. Just be careful; something tells me she isn't as easy as she looks.

"Well, believe this, then," Edward snapped at the new vampire. "You're going to feel a lot of pain before you die!"

And he let go of Hannah, restraining her no longer.

 

Mary's face was split by a grin as Edward let Hannah go. She leapt away from them and fell into a defensive postion. I'll prove to Dracula what I am. I'll get rid of both of them. she silently encouraged herself.

Jinx shook her head. "It's more than we can handle." she answer honestly, not even wanting to try and count the different vampire scents around her.

 

Van Helsing nodded. He pulled his bow off his back, cocking the mechanism and firing it up into the sky at the nearest vampire he could see. She fell to the ground screaming, yanking the unpoisoned arrows out of her.

"Care to finish that one off?" he said to Jinx.

Dracula turned his ear in the direction of the loudest scream, and smiled.

"Good, Gabriel," he said to himself. "You've come... and brought me another addition to my collection." Lazily, he drifted toward Van Helsing, Jinx, and Carl.

 

In half the time it takes a human to blink, Hannah had her hand on Mary's throat and pinned her against a wall. Trying to restrain herself from ripping the vampire's head off, she spoke with a growl, "You don't have to do this. You don't have to be Dracula's pet."

------

"Beatrice, you've got to listen to me," Michael spoke softly after he'd nodded his understanding to Van Helsing. "Close your eyes and just listen to me." When she pulled against his hold, he gently placed a hand over her eyes. "Just listen. Beatrice, remember your home. Picture it with every detail in your mind. Describe it to me. Tell me about your family. Tell me more about Sorin. Everything."

 

Jinx took hold of the screaming vampire's shoulders before tearing them apart. The blood and venom covered her hands as she heard Dracula's words. She turned sharply to him, getting even angrier at his implication. I'd burn first...

Carl watched the vampire get nearer to them with shock in his eyes. The carnage was more than he'd ever seen before and he was still fumbling for the amunition he wanted ready for Van Helsing.

Mary looked Hannah in the eye. "I'm... no... one's... pet.... anymore." she said choakingly. Her claw struck out at Hannah's stomach, throwing her bodily to the ground.

 

Van Helsing cringed when he felt Dracula's words in his mind.

"That b.astard is doing that on purpose," he muttered aloud, firing more arrows from his automatic bow at the vampires in the streets, chasing the few straggling villagers into their homes. For once, he felt no need to save them.

"Come down here and fight, you son of a b.itch!" he shouted up into the sky. "Stop sending these w.hores to do your dirty work!"

He cried out when something collided with the side of his head, sending him to the ground. He looked up to see a blonde woman with red eyes and blood-stained teeth staring back at him. She shrieked and tried to claw a hole in his neck with her red fingernails.

Edward let out a howl and fell on all fours, feeling his skin tear away into coarse, thick brown fur, his eyes dilating into clear, precise vision.

Let her go! He shoved the command like a blade into the new born's mind, tearing at her conscious in the most painful way he could, trying to mimic Lestat's mind tricks.

You're not very good at it, the French nobleman interjected into the werewolf's head, though his main attention was on Beatrice and Michael.

Hikari was pleased she got hold of the hunter. She dragged her nails along his neck, surprised at how strong this human was; no one should be able to hold back her new strength.

"I'm not a whore," she hissed in his ear. "If you weren't so pretty and valuable, I'd be happy to tear off your limbs and leave what's left of you for my master."

"Hikari, my love..." Dracula began, finally hovering above Van Helsing, Jinx, Carl, and his new bride. "Do not harm my... target."

 

Jinx wrapped her arm around Hikari's throat and squeezed. "Let him go." she growled into her ear. She didn't have time before she moved to see if VAn helsing was badly injured and a little of her fear crept into her voice. "Now!"

Mary clutched her temples and shreiked at the intrusion to her mind. Her head was spinning and her thoughts came to her in fragments for a moment.

 

Hannah jumped up and punched Mary square in the jaw. "It looks to me as though you do what you're told without question. Just like a dog."

 

Mary rubbed her jaw and watched as Hannah's face blurred in and out for a second before coming to focus again. At Hannah's insult she leapt up to cling to the celing, looking down at the two. "Like a dog you say? You mean like this one?" she asked, dropping just behind Edward and running her fingers up his spine.

 

Van Helsing managed to put his hands to his neck and pulled back shaking fingers covered in blood. He couldn't believe that this new born of Dracula's could sap his energy so easily.

"Jinx," he gasped against the vampire's grip on his throat. "Let me... h-handle... this..."

I don't appreciate the pun in my direction, love, Edward said more kindly in Hannah's mind. He began to pace around Mary, growling deep in his throat.

Hikari broke away from Jinx and found herself letting go of the hunter and stepping back, her legs staggering against her will.

"I want..." she began, amazed at how Dracula could control her with a few sentences. "Want to... destroy him... for you..."

Dracula shook his head. "No," he said. "Sorry, sweetheart, but that's not your job. You can get rid of his girlfriend, if you wish."

 

Jinx hovered near Van Helsing, worried that he was hurt too badly again. She took a breath in. "good luck." I'm not going to help anything here. I'll take care of these children. she told herself, leaping up and away from Carl and Van Helsing. "first you..." she muttered, raking her nails along Hikari's back as she ran past, assuming the girl would take chase after Dracula's words.

Carl took Jinx's place as fast as he could. "Come on Van Helsing, I'll keep your weapons reloaded. you just shoot."

Mary kept pace with his circles. "What? You're not mad are you?" she taunted. "Just give me what you've taken and I'll leave. Why must you two make things so complicated?" she asked, reverting again to a lighter bantering tone

 

Van Helsing jumped up to his feet at Carl's words and nodded. he faced Dracula, glaring.

"The first thing I'd like to demand is why the hell you're destroying this innocent town with your disgusting, heartless children," he snapped at the vampire.

Hikari screamed at the pain in her back and turned viscously to see where Jinx had run to. She ran after her as fast as she could, licking her lips.

"I'm rather excited for this!" she shouted happily as she went. "You'll be the first one of my own kind I get to tear apart!"

Dracula made a little clicking noise of disapproval with his tongue on the roof of his mouth in response to Van Helsing.

"Gabriel," he began smoothly. "There was a time when you cared less for people and other... 'innocent' causes. Time has changed you more than I expected."

 

Jinx stopped without any warning and spun around as Hikari ran towards her. Leaping over her head, Jinx pulled down another newborn attacking a small family. With the advantage of surprise, she managed to tear off the girl's limbs and leave her body on the street. "Keep up girl. If you are going to kill me you'll have to go faster than me!" she called back to Hikari. It was easy to sence that the newborn was stronger than most and would probably give her quite a run for her money; so Jinx made it her goal to take out as many other newborns as possible before she dealt with Hikari.

 

Van Helsing grimaced; he knew that was the truth to a certain extent.

"What have you turned into, Gabriel?" Dracula continued, seeing the look on the hunter's face and taking the opportunity to taught him further. "It's very... pathetic and... disappointing."

Hikari clenched her hands into fists as she tried to run faster. Do it for your master, you little weakling, she snapped at herself mentally. Show him you're worth something... show everyone you're worth something!

She let out an attacking shriek and launched herself in the air toward Jinx, colliding with her back. They both tumbled to the ground and rolled in the dirt. Hikari dug her heels down to stop them and pinned Jinx underneath her.

"Let's pull off your arms first, okay?" she hissed happily.

 

Jinx looked up at Hikari, mentally going over her options as she stalled for time. "Ah, you've got me. You win..." she mocked despare, keeping the woman's attention while she created a glamour in her own shape around the street corner. "What ever am i going to do?"

The glamour walked silently towards the two and stood behind Hikari. "You really have alot to learn about being a vampire deary." the glamour chastized, putting its hands on its hips and waiting for Hikari to look up at her.