Why You Don't Go Wandering too Late at Night Who: Derek and Gunn and some baddies Where: The Streets of LA When: Wednesday Night
Derek was on his way home after stopping at Avarice before closing to see Baily. So call him obsessed, he didn't care. He just loved to look at the girl, much less talk to her. It was late, but even he hadn't realized quite HOW late until he stopped at a convenience store a few blocks from his house to grab a soda... and saw that they were closed. "Dammit... it must be after 2." He grumbled, walking back to his motorcycle.
A pretty young girl that looked about fifteen or so came out of the alleyway beside the store. She had wavy red hair that went down her back and pair skin, set off even more by the few freckles that went across her nose. "Excuse me, but I'm lost. Do you know where North Street is?"
Derek looked at the girl, wondering what the hell an innocent looking thing like her was doing out so late. He'd probably have found her attractive, if his mind wasn't so set on Baily at the moment. "Yeah, actually..." he turned around, pointing down the road. "It's about three streets down that way, hang a left."
"Well, I was just that way, and I didn't see it. Would you mind showing it to me?" the girl asked. She smiled sweetly at him, knowing that her two companions were watching her from the sidelines right now.
"Sure... you probably shouldn't be out here alone at this time anyway." He straddled his bike, looking over his shoulder. "Get on?"
She walked closer to the bike and sat down, wrapping her arms around his waist. Before he could start the bike, though, she said to him. "That's just it: I'm not alone." When she said that, two other girls walked out of the shadows. Both were very pretty girls, or at least they would have been if not for the deformed, bumpy faces that they were sporting.
Derek blinked, first wondering what was wrong with them, then having it dawn on him that whatever the problem was... these girls meant him harm. He tried in vain to get away from the girl gripping him, but her grip was vice-tight. "What the hell...?"
"You're nice, but we're hungry," one of the other girls, this one a brunette, said to him. "Of course, we could always 'save' you for later, too. What do you think about eternity?" The redhead continued to hold onto him as the other two girls stepped closer.
He noticed the fangs then. And his eyes widened, as he struggled harder, still in vain. "Oh hell no... what the hell is going on???" His voice was cracking a bit as he
Just as the redhead was leaning in to taste him, and the other two were coming closer, the brunette exploded into a ball of dust, with a bald, black man standing behind where she had been, holding a pointy stick.
Derek was unable to even speak right now. He was a potent combination of terrified, shocked, and slightly in denial.
The redhead's eyes widened, and then she let go of Derek and jumped off the bike in one swift move. The other girl wasn't so lucky as another guy moved in and staked her before she could really react. The redhead bolted before anyone could do anything else, though. "Hey, you OK man?" the black man asked him.
"I... I..." He looked at the redhead bolting away, then back to the man in front of him. "What the hell was that all about? I mean... thank... thank you... but... what was THAT?"
"Those...were vampires. Been tracking them for a while," he said. "Me and my friends try to keep this part of town regularly clean of them. There are a shit ton of them, but every one we kill means they won't kill someone else. I'm Gunn, and this is Carlos." Carlos gave him a slight wave. "You really shouldn't pick up strangers at two in the morning."
"Va...vampires..." he stammered, but while his brain wanted to laugh and wonder if they were putting him on... his eyes couldn't deny that he'd just watched two girls turn to dust before his eyes. "How did you...?"
"Kill them? It's called a stake." He lifted his up and twirled it in his fingers for a moment. "You shove it in their hearts, and they explode into dust. Crosses and holy water repel them, and all garlic does is make them snatch it from you and shove it up your ass. Don't invite one into your home and try not to wander around alone at night and you should be fine."
"You... you've been doing this for a while." It wasn't even a question, more like a statement. His eyes were still wide, but he was beginning to process this all. Sure, he'd probably have a mild freakout once he was safely at home, but for now, he was managing.
"A few years," Gunn said with a wave of his stake. He finally pocketed it. "Look, get home, or wherever you were heading. Invest in a cross necklace as well." He pulled his out of his shirt. "Mine has saved my ass in a pinch. Best remedy is avoidance, though. We need to bail. More vampires to hunt." With that, him and Carlos both turned away.
"Hey man..." Derek had no clue who the man was, but he needed to say something. "Thanks. For saving my life."
Gunn turned around and gave him a slight grin. "You're welcome. Now get going. I'm sure you got someone that's missing ya."