Missy Peloe (_inlocalnews) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-02-01 22:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-07-02, missy |
A summer day can kill
Who: Gideon and Missy
When: 11 pm
Where: On a random street
Warning: Hmm... violence, blood. Y'know, that stuff
Gideon lowered his harmonica. He hadn't had a single passerby pay him any mind in a while. The few that were still out late on a Thursday night were either hurrying home or starting their weekend early, and on the drizzly, humid night, no one really had the inclination to appreciate a tiny white kid's rendition of Cadillac Records-era blues harp. He didn't blame them. He probably wouldn't have stopped to listen either. He'd made about twenty dollars, though, even if it was slightly damp. He couldn't complain. He had a group of barhoppers early on to thank for that. Gideon carefully pocketed his harmonica and looked up at the sky. With the city light pollution and low clouds, it was more than bright enough even without the streetlights, and the drizzly, hazy air made for a rather pretty, otherworldly scene. He'd take the long way home. It was a nice night for a walk, rain notwithstanding. As he stood and stepped out from under the awning that had shielded him from at least a little of the dampness, skidding slightly as his traction-less boots found a slick spot of pavement, his nostrils flared, catching a scent that had been niggling at the back of his mind for a while. It didn't register quite enough to reach his conscious mind, though, overpowered by one of Gideon's favorite smells; dusty, warm rain.
With his single, long braid swinging back and forth, he set out into the night, glancing about as he strolled. The sights were all pretty interesting in this dreamy, misty air, and Gideon was feeling nice and peaceful for the first time in a while. He'd had a good day. He'd gotten something useful done (his shiny new ID tucked in his wallet, making him a legal part of the world as his own real self for the first time since 1969), he'd hung around some good friends, and work had been great. The twins were his favorite to work with, bossy and loud and goofy as they were. Plus he'd had nice customers. Good tips, too. Normally such windfalls went right in the donation box at the animal shelter. He was always guilty about spooking critters just because of his house, and he didn't need anything more than gas money and rent, really. But maybe he'd grab something neat for Dusty and Gare. Just for being awesome. He smiled as he walked, his face and hair wet and glistening within minutes while his slightly neater than usual clothes turned dark and clung. He didn't mind. Just water.
Missy had not been having a good week. First a vampire had gone and shown its undead face at a public gathering - acting as though it had the right to do that! - then that full of himself Cameron Calvert had indicated that he would improve her ratings, some cowboy had tried to get into pants and, worst of all, Nikita-fucking-Vostrikova showing up in her house. Vampires, Missy could handle vampires. 99.99% of them were nothing to her but targets for her bullets but the one that made her waver? Of course that one would be the one to befriend her sweet, innocent little sister. Why should it be anything else? Why should the world make sense? So, mostly to vent the frustration that she could not take on the actual source, Missy had re-doubled her efforts in stalking that blond vampire with the Southern drawl from the rally. Not that it had been an intense thing, just like a little hobby on her way home from work or when she was out wandering anyway. Not too hard when she had realized he lived in the same place as that hunter from the other night, Gareth. Knew him even! Some hunter, befriending this vampire and claiming to hunt with another. Disgusting.
And now, after watching him busk most of the night away and start back, Missy saw the perfect chance. He had friends - including that hunter she did not think kindly of at all - but they were not there. Were not anywhere around, actually. She slipped onto the sidewalk maybe fifteen yards behind him, strolling along with her cellphone up to her ear, talking like there was someone on the other end. This was closer than she liked to be normally, but Missy was using silver bullets and those did not fly as well. But they were the best for vampires. She thought that maybe he glanced back at her once but she was busy with her pretend conversation and making sure that no one was nearby, giving off that air of a scared person hurrying to their car or something, a common sight after the demon attacks. But, when Missy was sure he was not looking, her free hand came up, gun suddenly in it and she took aim and shot, the sound almost silent because hey, she knew better than to use a gun with a big bang! anywhere near where people could hear. Everything she hated, everything that had killed her family - represented right there on that vampire's back.
Gideon's good mood was rapidly slipping away. He wasn't sure why. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up a little. That odd scent he'd recognized was trying to fight its way to the surface, and the little bat-brain inside him processed the world largely by what it smelled like. Something about it bothered him, but the connection just wasn't being made. He crossed his arms, beginning to enjoy the soft rain a little less. Maybe he should just take his usual way home after all. Not that anything nice was really waiting for him there. Gareth still wasn't talking to him, and fond as he was of Dusty he'd had just about enough of the man today. Even so, he could get back to reading his book or working on Gareth's sweater, put on some late-era Beatles, kick his wet shoes off... He tried to reclaim his cheer, lifting his chin. The scent fell into place. Human, female, familiar. He'd been smelling that every so often... must have been for at least a few days. How silly. What was he worried about? She must live in the trailer park, or maybe work near the restaurant. He heard a woman's voice behind him anyway. Feeling neighborly, Gideon rather suddenly stopped and made to turn, and the shoulder he led with erupted into pain. Gideon had never been deliberately hurt with silver. He'd had a few accidents with bracelets or nice cutlery, but those were tiny burns. The slug knocked him off his feet and left him unable to see straight, it hurt so much. The impact might have broken something, and the burning was widening out horribly, but he didn't realize that in any detail. He was overwhelmed for a second, then jumped back up, about to turn. Just before he made the change, he realized he wouldn't be able to fly. Not with a useless arm. Bloody tears came unbidden as he spun to flee. Oh, God...
Missy felt a savage sort of glee grip her when the blond vampire stumbled and blood blossomed against his shirt and spattered down on the sidewalk. Not his blood anyhow. The thing did not have the right to that, was probably long since dead and definitely did not deserve to have that young face that had made people look at him like he was some sort of teen. The Australian hunter did not buy it for a second. Vampires who looked young rarely would and the young ones usually had their sire there, watching out for them. No, this one had been around for awhile and it showed. Except for right then because what the hell, he was running? Away from her? The shot was not even fatal! "Oh like hell," Missy growled, stepping forward and firing off another shot. She was never satisfied until they were no longer moving, fully dead like they needed to be in the first place. Never again to suck off someone's neck - like the blood bank was really a favorite thing. She still kept the distance, a vampire could crush her like a twig if it got a hold, she knew that, but she was not satisfied that her hunt was over. Not yet.
Gideon had been operating on pure fear until the second bullet hit, tearing out a big chunk from his hip. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him, and once again he felt the silver burn to bone, though at least it wasn't stuck, still sizzling and stabbing like the other one. He screamed as he fell, catching himself on the way down and rolling to keep from winding up face down on the sidewalk. The normal bruises he'd get from rolling on his shoulder on such solid ground didn't even register with the pain he was in now. Gideon was terrified, sobbing, but he had also been training in martial arts for forty years. Even that much pain couldn't cut straight through his instincts. He wished for Dusty's wings. Those would still work, he was pretty sure. His would be even more crippled now. His leg didn't want to bear his weight and the membrane between his legs and tail figured heavily into flying. Especially from the ground and into still, muggy air. He briefly considered turning, facing whoever it was that was hurting him, but those were bullets. He'd be dead if he tried, and the fear grew even more icy. His life hadn't been in danger since that first death, not really. Even the demon... Limping now, he threw himself into an alley, hoping to lose her or at least attract the attention of someone who might be working late or smoking or fucking. He didn't care what.
Oh so this vampire had some tricks up his sleeve. Missy almost appreciated the roll that he pulled off when the bullet tore through his hip. The blood smell was in the air now, making her a little dizzy, but she had spent years doing this. Though a crying vampire, now that was something new. What sort of vampire ran and cried all at the same time?! Snorting her disgust, Missy slowed as he limped into the alley. Now that was a dangerous move right there. A vampire who went somewhere she could not see their next move was a dangerous thing and always put her on edge, her finely honed instincts taking over. Her gun was tucked against her side as she moved more slowly, peering just barely around the corner. What the hell? He was not even waiting, he was still just trying to get away. Just stand still and take it like a zombie. Shaking her head, Missy raised her gun for one more shot, figuring that maybe that would be enough to drop this thing. Then she could continue on her way home and relieve the baby-sitter. Hopefully Kristen had been behaving herself.
Gideon had finally realized that running in a straight line wasn't his best plan. He was glad to see he hadn't chosen a dead end. Then he'd have just had to switch over to being a bat, and he'd probably have fallen out of the sky like a broken umbrella. He zigzagged like he was trying to run down a hill, hoping the shadows might protect him. The alley was empty, unfortunately. He felt weaker than the noon sun or the new moon had ever left him. This was pain he'd never felt before, and his knees wanted to buckle under him. He'd never been scared this way. He'd fought weres who certainly meant to end him, but that wasn't personal. He'd fought a demon that had meant to do nothing but hurt, but that was its nature. This was a human. A woman he'd never spoken to, and she wanted to kill him. Violence and cruelty for its own sake from a human was a very different torment. He spun to dart into the street on the other side and the third bullet nearly took his head off. If he hadn't turned when he did, he'd have been over. As it was, the bullet sliced through his cheek, cauterizing as it passed, deafening him on one side and spreading the silver burn across about a third of his face. He collapsed behind the dumpster with a choked, almost silent sob.
This was the MOST pathetic vampire that Missy had ever hunted and it was taking all of the fun right out of it. Three shots and three hits, like always, she rarely missed... but it was still moving and had not just gone and stayed down. Maybe that was the martial arts training that had to have happened to give him the ability to roll like that. Not that Missy cared. Vampires engaging in martial arts was a bit foreign to her but she was definitely going to remember it was possible. Filed away neatly into the section on what worked against vampires and what might not, just in case this one was from some family she had never come across. Maybe there was an entire house of martial art vampires, hell if she knew. It would be annoying. Though not as bad as the fact that the vampire had vanished somewhere in the dark alley. "Damnit," Missy swore under her breath, sliding her gun back into the hidden holder on her side. All of the blood that she could see was probably enough to do it in... and if not, well, those were silver bullets and silver was like hell to the things. "Just curl up and die," Missy suggested, spitting into the alley before whirling and starting off. It was getting late and she had promised to send the baby-sitter home by midnight. She doubted that blond vampire with the cute face and Southern drawl would be flaunting himself anywhere soon.
He stayed stock still, frozen like a little prey creature hoping against hope not to be spotted, for a long few minutes. He couldn't think straight. The silver slug he could swear was eating its way through bone now was making that hard. His first thought was to run to Matt-Ashley. His brother would help him. But then he'd lead a hunter right to his little baby brother, and to sweet, gentle Wally, too. And neither of them could get the silver out. Gareth could, if he'd consent to help. Gideon's world had just flipped upside down, and between the pain and confusion it made sense that Gareth would refuse to help him because of their tiff a few days before. Just as he was already sure he'd have to stay outside if Gareth would help, because he'd scare Cat. As he struggled to his feet he had a really awful thought. He'd smelled that woman in the trailer park. She could know about Dusty. And if she'd do this, she'd probably hurt not only the young vampire but Gareth and probably the kitten, too. He struggled up and did his best to run. He'd have to get there before she did.