Chapter One - The Deal, Part One
I wonder if I overdid things in there. I stared at the 50AE bullet that was now cool enough in my hand. It was damaged by the strength and speed of the catch, now a smooth semi-sphere at the front. I placed it in my dress, within my cleavage to rest there, for now.
It seemed that Bobby wanted me dead, though perhaps now that he knows some of what he's dealing with, there might be room for negotiations. Sure, I did have some evidence, but in all truth? It was all circumstantial. I think my show of power, however, might bring him to the table for a deal.
The doors opened to the museum of all that I worked for on display. It seemed so dead... what has Harold been doing with my company? Before I could think more on that, I felt something... a feeling of familiarity. Something I haven't felt since I was little. One of my kind was nearby. I opened the doors to exit the museum and my eyes shifted right to the very man I sensed. Indeed, he did have the same eyes as I have. There were slight differences within them, but those not like us would find it difficult to spot them. He just stood there, across the street, staring at me as the people went about their morning, walking down 7th Avenue.
"Well, it's about time, sis..." A voice pinged in my head. For some reason, this was not a strange occurence for me. In fact, he felt very familiar now that he called me "sis" with such a manly, soft-spoken voice.
"Kiname?" I responded, my speech conveying the shock now saturating my features. Some people were getting curious about us staring at each other like that, but most didn't bother with us. It seemed we had this aura about us that unless someone really paid attention, no one would see true details of us. He knew when he could cross the street with the others without even looking, doing so with a casual gait. I stood frozen, waiting for him to get there. The man stood six feet, seven inches. This wasn't a guess, more my powers being put to good use.
Soon enough, he stood right in front of me. He wasn't that much taller than me with my heels on, around three inches exactly. He was wearing a black suit jacket with a red vest inside with no shirt, light tan slacks and black dress shoes that seemed made for comfort. I'd have to ask him where he got his taste in clothing, even more so, where he got all of that. To be fair, his muscles adorned the clothing more than the other way around. As it should be.
"I see you finally filled out from that small frame of yours," he commented without moving his lips. I could feel the intent of his words, a harmless comment on details he simply observed, same as me. I smiled to him. It has been so long since I've seen my brother! Perhaps, he knew details that he could fill me in on as there is a lot that I just didn't know back then and such still stands today.
"It is good to see you, Kiname," My accent made him blink, so I explained things. "I was educated in England---near Glasgow and Cambridge by a wonderful woman by the name of Anna Bingley." He blinked again and asked, "How did you get all the way there? Did you stowaway?" I nodded to him in answer with a little sigh. I could feel emotion welling up within me. I missed him so much! I thought I was the only one like this in the world! I went to hug him all of a sudden, a tight hug as if I didn't want to let go! He wrapped his arms around me and smiled. "It's okay, sis. I'm here now and there is much we need to discuss."
With that, we took a taxi to a place called "L'industrie". That was my suggestion as I wasn't sure if he tried any of New York's legendary pizza, but either way, I wanted some.
Once we got there, we ordered pepperoni, of course. You don't order anything else if you're a real pizza lover---or that's what they say anyways. Kiname ate like this was the first time he's ever eaten anything, then I thought about it. I never really ever felt hungry persay, but I suppose I did it out of habit for those around me. He watched how I ate and mimicked me and seemed pleasantly surprised once he savored the flavors of the food. "Like that, hm?" I asked in rhetoric with a smile forming across my red lips. He nodded with a very slight smirk, one that went away soon after. "Asuya," he began, "I'm certain there is a lot you don't know about yourself. About who and even what you are. Am I correct?" I paused, staring at him for a moment, before giving him a sigh. He was right. I knew nothing of what I am. I did know, however, that I was powerful. I've only really exercised my physical abilities and senses, but I had suspicions I could do more. Was I afraid of what I could do? "Yes, it seems you are..." Kiname answered me without me even saying a word. Either of us. We just sat there, eating pizza and staring at each other every now and again, in silence.
Finally, Kiname broke the silence. "There are some pale looking people staring at us, sis." He spoke in a very quiet undertone, but they heard it, so they got up. They really did look pale, but they couldn't be what I think they were, because it was still morning. Ah yes. Ghouls. Vampire slaves made from humanity drinking vampire blood without dying by exsanguination. That explains why they heard Kiname speak in such a low whisper. They sat at our table like they belonged there. There were only two of them, but they seemed confident in themselves. Kiname flinched as if he were about to attack and I shook my head to him. Now wasn't the time. Too many people around.
One was an African-American male, the one that decided to sit closest to me. Was he attracted to me? I never looked at him---not directly at least. He had dreadlocks tied back into a pony-tail and shades on with a black trenchcoat. It looked expensive. In fact, both of them seemed well-taken care of when it came to attire. The other was a Caucasian female with near platinum blonde hair. They seemed to be "twinning" in outfits with grey t-shirts and black slacks, again, both very expensive. She was much shorter than I am with a petite frame. I even caught her staring at my curves with jealousy oozing from her facial expression, one she tried to hide when I looked directly at her. The African-American male spoke, "Master Venerick wants to see you both. See, you both are in his territory of New York and you are unknowns to him. But you're both obviously not human and that makes you a problem." After he spoke, he leaned in very close to me like he was intimidating me, in fact, he was at least two inches away from my lips meeting his.
Kiname seemed furious, but he was keeping his cool as much as he could as I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and gave a subtle shake of my head. We were still among a crowd and they didn't need to see what was about to happen to these two morons. It was my turn to say something now and what I said, surprised Kiname. "Is that so? Lead the way." Perhaps, it was more how I spoke, as the man was so close to me, my voice carried a "bedroom" cadence. The woman that was with him looked at me with shock and I could hear her surface thoughts:
"What does she think she's doing with Darren? I'm going to kick her---" I tuned her out just then. I've heard it all before.
Meanwhile, Darren was absolutely bonkers with lust now, having my shoulders in his hands as if he were about to kiss me! His girl had to call him out to snap him out of his stupor. What was strange was how he was sniffing me like I was some delicious meal or something. Either way, he snapped out of it due to the rather vulgar words from his girl. We all stood up and Darren lead us both to a typical Chevy SUV, black, though this one had custom wheels that had a chrome finish. Kiname and I sat in the back while they sat in the front. Apparently, they cared not to secure their "prisoners" as they didn't think we'd try anything.
We would see.
They drove us down Central Park Driveway and up Center Drive, to the Chess & Checkers House Visitor's Center. Once we got there, we got out and followed the two inside and down a secret passageway to an underground room. It went from modern building to evil dungeon in some sort of pen and paper game in seconds as we continued down a spiral staircase that barely had room for us to even walk with a pretty steep decline (as we were descending) as well. Still, Kiname and I kept perfect balance as that was very easy for us. This too, was easy for Darren and his girl, which simply made a smile force the corner of the left side of my mouth up a little. It widened more when I felt we were outnumbered by what I sensed further down.
We inevitably reached the bottom which lead to a room made of stone. We came in through one of the archways and discovered there were seven archways in total, showing it was much bigger down here. In the middle was "Master Venerick" and five other vampires surrounding him, glaring at us with eyes that shined a reflective yellow in the dark of this room. Kiname and I looked at each other with the usual trope of such a thing happening, before we turned to our host.
Master Venerick spoke once we were in his presence. "Welcome. Hmm, yes, you are not of our kin. It seems the rumors of you are true. Tell me, what are your names?"
Kiname answered him in a cordial, but short fashion. "I am Kiname." I answered next with a more "Englishwoman flare". "And I am Asuya, Master Venerick. May I ask why we are here?"
He too carried that elegance that those of the Renaissance age carried, so he was old. "You are here, because you are an unknown, an unknown I would identify before I make my ruling on whether or not you should stay in New York."
That angered me quite a bit! Who was this upstart to tell my brother and I whether or not we can stay in New York? I didn't care how old or strong he was, that was uncalled for. Kiname felt the anger emanating off of me and I felt him use abilities we both shared to calm me. He simply made me feel I had nothing to prove, which I didn't. I huffed a breath, one that made Darren want to be near me again, which was shame. If he sided with these undead cretins, he was not going to like me very much after that.
The irony? Master Venerick was angry at me for taking such a breath, so he used a burst of vampiric speed to try and get in my face, which was absolutely foolish, so I used my speed to snatch him mid-stride to the air by his neck and held him there, choking him with a grip that would have snapped a normal human's hyoid bone immediately! These vampires did not need to breathe, yet still, he made choking noises, because I was hurting him. The other vampires were about to leap into action and Kiname looked at them... and I felt our power coruscating from his person and they began cowering in fear. That was a neat trick, perhaps unique to my brother. He had that air about him.
Darren and his girl were all the way on the other side of the room out of absolute fear now!
I looked to Master Venerick that I so violently held in my hand by the thyroid cartilage of his neck. "Did we look harmless to you, Master Venerick? Sorry to deceive you, but we are not. How dare you threaten me when I was here in this city before your kind arrived and will be here long after. Oh I will be staying in this city, Master Venerick. But it is you that will be avoiding me, because if you don't? You and your kind will be a desolate memory and should one of you be so bold to test that memory and try to return once I extinguish your kin from this city? They will meet the same fate. How does that sound?" He couldn't answer as I had him by the throat, so I simply let him loose. He held his throat, gasping in pain, but didn't dare kneel or fall. After regaining some composure, he looked at me with disdain fueled by the fury of an embarrassed patriarch of his kin, but what was he to do? The choices to him were those of the fool and those of compliance to my words. He had a third choice. He asked a question.
"What are you?" This was still a question I didn't know directly, but Kiname aided me in answering Master Venerick. I looked to Kiname, then back to Venerick and answered, "We are Sil. That is all you need to know."
Sil? Strange name for a species, but it was only strange, because I was a late bloomer in coming into my abilities. I was more mentally human than I should have been. My thoughts were interrupted by another question from Master Venerick, "And what do you want?"
I could answer that without Kiname's help. "To be left alone. It would be wise to heed such."
Darren chimed in from the dark "corner" of the room, asking, "So you're not that alien from the movie?" I almost laughed at this, but I held it back, taking another breath, one of amusement. "No. Do I look that hideous?" Darren commented, "Well, that Sil wasn't hideous until they reveal---" I cut him short. "That was her actual name, her species name was undisclosed, I think. Kiname and I are not human at all."
Master Venerick seemed lost, but ultimately? He didn't care as he was biding time to have reinforcements join. I heard them, skulking in the shadows to come to their master's aid. And there was a lot of them, at least twenty. I looked around and did not see Kiname, but I felt him still nearby. I actually could not see him, which was a first! I had a lot to learn about my own abilities it seemed.
I didn't really have time to think about that as the vampires saw I was "alone" and attempted to dash me into the ground. One flanked me from my right, leaping into a tackle, to which, I caught his whole head and sent him face first to the stone floor, leaving a disgusting mess between my fingers and on my now sharpened claws. Another flanked to the left, which caught a backhand that left a four-fingered scar from his lower abdomen all the way up under his chin. I backhanded him so hard, the stone room echoed with the breaking of bone and the wet sound of blood splattering upon it. To aid their master's escape? The vampires seemed insane with bloodlust, throwing their bodies into the jaws of death and I was death's instrument, but I was not the only one. I caught a glimpse of Kiname aiding me in battle, only appearing and disappearing as he attacked. This wasn't speed. This was power, a power he wielded. Two more leapt in front this time, making sure Master Venerick's escape was secured with a valid distraction. The irony? I was no longer after him, but attacking me had consequences. Violent ones. I impaled the one on the right on my right heel with a very high kick, making my dress more blood red than sky blue now, then evaded the clawed attack with a move only a ballerina could pull off. The kick I impaled the vampire with was a high side-kick, that stretched me into a vertical split, so I turned my torso towards where my back was, hugging my left leg, effectively evading the second vampire, keeping the vampire impaled on my right heel. Then, I spun and flung the vampire still on my heel at a violent speed towards the one that just missed his attack. The sound of bones crunching echoed once more in the chamber as I followed up with speed that added to that powerful echo, nearing the sound barrier, catching both of them in mid-air, using my claws to hue them both in half.
I did not relish in violence, but I despised undead. They come back from death only to bring rule to humans and worse yet, mistaken my brother and I for being as weak as they are? This was punishment.
I turned to Kiname who was also covered in vampire blood. We both gave a loud sigh as Master Venerick escaped, though more accurately, we let him go. We did not want this in the first place, despite his foolish wishes. "Seems I didn't get as many as you did..." I commented, which was kind of tacky considering how violent we became.
He smirks and responds, saying, "You don't know as much about our abilities yet. But you will."
I squinted my eyes at him. "Are you sure a lot of them didn't run?"
Kiname chuckles. "About ten ran with their master."
"That's what I thought," I said with a satisfied tone in a near chuckle.
"What do you want to do with these two?" Kiname stared at them with the bluish glow in his eyes still blazing with power.
"Leave them be. I'm sure they learned their lesson here." I stared at Darren and his girl as curiosity got the best of me. "What is your name?" I casually pointed at the girl, forgetting that blood still dripped from my claws... or did I? She looked at me with terror in her features as she hesitantly answered, "Nina." I smiled. "Nina, Darren? Stay away from them, because if you turn into vampire kin and serve like these fools? Your fate will be theirs, should you find yourself at odds against me and my brother. Fair?" She didn't answer vocally, nodding nervously as Darren hugged her. And there it was. The same look a certain man gave me back then, a look I despised, but was inevitable when things came to such a conclusion. I was a monster to him. I took out the 50AE bullet that I put between my rather ample bosom and flung it at Darren. He caught it and looked to me quizzically. I said something through the voice of disappointment, before Kiname and I left the way we came into this chamber...
"Something to remember me by."