FicWad

Chapter 2



Jean-Claude and Anjoustill co-owned the Cavern, but now he was not able to spend as much time there as he wanted. Considering the size of the Clan now, he had to rely on lieutenants to help him take care of needs. That took up much of his time, as did training his twins and his niece. Considering how powerful they were, he did all he could to instill in them a benevolent spirit that would never cause them to abuse their abilities. D'amphile and the Bats had broken up by this point, considering how life's personal interests pulled them apart. The club itself had become primarily a center for Clansmen to socialize. Even the employees were Clansmen. Things had not been the same for a bit, and Jean-Claude had to admit that, though the family was still tight knit, everyone was forming their own families now, and the drift was bound to happen as it does in all families. The ones that felt the pinch the hardest were Henry and Calera. Although Karin still lived on the hill, she was in her own place, Anjouwas in Paris with her husband, and rarely came home. Ren and Chiyuki were halfway across the globe pursuing their own lives, and Ryuu and Ai were traveling the world, enjoying a freedom they had not known for centuries. Eldahad moved in with Victor, and although Fumio had moved in with the Markers to give her son and daughter-in-law some privacy, they were essentially alone. This made the house very quiet, and they actually began to feel lonely. However, Fumio then said to them that this would be a great time to reconnect, and do things more. Therefore, they were taking frequent vacations, and trying to rediscover each other. They even discussed having more children after this, considering that they were ageless anyway, and, if they did it before, they could do it again. This was how things were at this point. Despite all that, there was still an heir of being grateful that things were this quiet considering what they past eight years had yielded.



Sadly, all that was about to change.



It was a Friday evening, and Ruby was the club with her sister Sea Blue for the lack of anything else better to do. She knew that she would live longer than most founts considering how it was given her so late in life. However, the fact that it would be much shorter than other vampires disturbed her. She knew there was another way to avoid all this, and that was to marry a human and have a child. This would stop her from having to give her blood, and would make all the vampires fertile forever. She knew that she was the final piece to a puzzle that was many millennia old, and, if she were left to her own devices, she just might do what was needed. However, because she did not like being pressured, subconsciously she was being a turn off to all males-human or vampire. The only won that would speak to her was one she did not want. Everyone found that odd, because he was a boy that any girl would want. The thing was, because they would make agreat couple, the greatest pressure was for them to be together, and that made her push him away even more. She wanted life on her terms, and not because of some stinking "destiny" that was slated for her. She just did not like how others were spelling out how her life was supposed to go from cradle to grave. Sea Blue was her normal talkative self, and Ruby was ever the wallflower. This did not escape the gaze of Jean-Claude, who had come in to tend to some financial business and clerical work. To many around, it was arrogance, pure and simple. However, looking at her, he began to wonder if there was more to it. Hondo was over at the bar sulking, having been rejected again. Jean-Claude began to think to himself, "You have to admit, the boy is persistent...and aglutton for punishment. This has to change."

He went over to the bar, but he knew that he was not drinking, due to the vow of the Clan to avoid alcohol so that they may always be ready for any emergency. He looked at the bartender, and the bartender said, "Moxie float, boss?"

"You know me too well, Keno," said Jean-Claude, "I don't import all that Moxie for nothing!"

He then looked at Hondo, and said, "So, dining on ashes?"

"What do I have to do to get through to her?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Jean-Claude, "Die, maybe?"

"Funny, chief," he said sarcastically.

"Look," said Jean-Claude, "You've proven your salt more often than once. You've shown yourself a great man, Hondo, she just has to realize it."

"If I told her what I was in reality..." he said, but Jean-Claude cut him off, and said, "...you would probably cause yourself more headaches than you want. It's not that it would be bad that people knew, but that would be like asking for fights."

He sulked some more, and Jean-Claude said,"Look, this is what I'll do: when she goes, you and I are going to go with her, and I am going to get into her head if I can."

"Do you really think that will help?"asked Hondo.

"Nothing else has worked," answered Jean-Claude, "Why not try?"



As Ruby got up to leave, Jean-Claude and Hondo were not but 30 seconds behind. "Hey, Ruby," said Jean-Claude, and she smiled warmly. Then Hondo said, "Konichiwa, Ruby-chan!"

Ruby then grew cold, and said, "Very informal, aren't we!"

Jean-Claude just rolled his eyes, and said, "Okay, that's enough!"

Ruby grew stiff, and said, "You don't talk to me like that."

Jean-Claude's brow furrowed, his lips pursed, and he had about as much of her attitude as he was going to take. He said, "Yup, that did it!"

He jerked her back, and she gave a quick yelp as he picked her up and put her over his shoulder. "Put me down!" she demanded, but all he did was give her a swat on the butt that was smart enough to pucker her lips. "And don't fuss, because you know you deserved that! You and I are going to have a talk!"

There had been rumors that had filtered down from the hilltop for years about how he had taken Karin out on their back porch for one of his "talks," and no one wanted to know what was involved in all of that. However, tonight, she was about to get the dreaded "attitude adjustment." They went to a small park by the harbor, and he plopped her down on the park bench firm enough to let her know that he was in a foul mood. She immediately tried to bolt, but he sat her down again, more forcibly this time. "You had better sit there and listen up, because you know you cannot get away from me!" snapped Jean-Claude.

"If daddy knew you were doing this..." she said, but Jean-Claude cut her off, and said, "...he would probably give me amedal! Sorry, Ruby, but you've had this coming for a long time."

She just crossed her arms and glared at him. He then said, "What is your problem? To everyone around you, including your parents, you've been acting like the poor little princess that never gets what she wants. What is that all about?"

She increased her glare, and finally vented all that had been on her heart, hoping that maybe someone would listen and get off her back. "Listen!" she snorted, "I am so sick and tired of everyone trying to tell me who I should be with, love, where to go, what my destiny is, being this crazy 'chosen one'thing. It's driving me up a wall!"

However, instead of being angry, she began to cry, because it was not anger towards things that she felt, but she felt frustration over how her life did not seem her own. She squealed, "My life is not my own! No one wants me to make my own decisions. They tell me who I should marry, why, where to go. I'm surprised they haven't told me what kind of roll-on to use, or how to take a dump! I don't want this anymore! I want it all to go away! I can't stand this anymore!"

She was bent over now, bawling her eyes out, and now Jean-Claude felt a bit wrong for the swat he gave her earlier. However, if she felt that she was the only one who had felt that way, she was wrong, for there was one that stood before her that did. Jean-Claude sat beside her, rubbing her back now, saying, "I actually know how you feel."

She sat up, and looked at him with some surprise. "Yes, I do," said Jean-Claude,"because, until we defeated the bokor four years ago, I never really had my own life. With the exception of a few years, I never knew what it was like to have a stable home and settled family. Then that was robbed from me. Then the next seven years was spent training for defeating my enemies, and uniting our two worlds. Then I came here and walked right into acivil war. Then, some lunatics come thousands of miles to put a stop to the inevitable, which essentially was suicide for them. Since that time, for the first time, my life was somewhat my own. It does feel nice."

Suddenly, Ruby began to feel a bit ashamed of herself, but she did not know why. She then said, "But, I always thought you wanted all this? Are you saying it was a pain?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," said Jean-Claude, "What I am saying is that, nowhere along the way could you have called it a pleasure trip."

He then stood in front of her, and then began to share with her what he thought was the problem. "Sure, I could have told everyone to back off and let me handle my life. Doing what Idid was an inconvenience. Indeed, they told me I had a destiny to fulfill, and I could not run from it. It certainly was not fun sometimes, and it definitely was not convenient. Yet, do you want to know something: somewhere along the way, something caught my attention. I recall a time when I was about 13, and I had gone through my hardest training: functioning in extremes. For those three years on top of that, it never seemed I could please the chief and Old Jim. Although I had passed every test that I had faced, they saw me dragging after I had passed these tests. They wondered why I did not look happy, and Itold them how I felt. That is when they taught me to look beyond myself. The truth is that my attitude was actually a selfish one. What I was really saying was that I did not want this anymore. This is when they told me what was at stake. I told them that avenging my parents and grandfather was on my mind, but it was just getting crazy. Did it have to be me? Essentially, I said, 'Why me?' and they said, 'Why not?' In fact, no one can truly say that his life is his own. We all answer to someone in one way or another. However, whatever it may be, if we are in asituation where our steps are being led by destiny, if that destiny meant abrighter world for all I care about and I still tried to fight it, then how selfish would that be?"

Ruby suddenly did not like what she heard, but at the same time, she began to realize that he just might be right. "Are you saying that I am being selfish?"

"A bit, to be honest with you," answered Jean-Claude, "I mean, look at the bigger picture. If you do not do what has been slated for you by destiny, then that Sophia that Kenta always talked about will be trapped again, and another fount will have to appear one day. The kids will still be there, but they would have to live for a thousand years before what was destined to happen to come to pass. In fact, if this is meant to be, and you fight it, there can be nothing but disaster that follows it. All I am saying is this: look at the bigger picture. I am sorry, but it is going to have to be a human. Now, who that human is, we cannot decide for you. However, Ithink your prospects would be better if you got off your high horse and stopped looking only at yourself, because that is what you are doing. People need you as they needed me. The difference between you and me is that Ilooked for the sweet ending that I would enjoy for a bit of sacrifice now, and all you look at is what makes you happy. What about everyone else: would you rob them of happiness by a selfish act that you did? Could it be that asmall sacrifice by you now would mean greater happiness for you later as you granted happiness to everyone else?"

Ruby was grateful that he had not been as harsh as she heard he could be. She wrote it off to having been a parent, and him having learned more patience by it. However, his words did hit hard, and she did feel ashamed of herself. "What do I do?" she asked.

"Follow fate," he said, "Yet, figure out how you, within the parameters that you were given, can still call some shots. If you have to wed a human, then pick the best one. If you have to birth a Golconda, think how much that will do for everyone else, and raise that child to be the best he or she can be. See the bigger picture, yet, be yourself in all of that without hurting others in the process."

"Or," said another voice out of nowhere,"We can just do what we were sent to do, and that would solve everything."



The three of them wheeled around to see three rather fit European men coming out of the brush. They were all wearing vampire-hunting clothes. Every hair on Jean-Claude's neck stood up, and he said, "You three are fools! Your kind went the way of the dinosaur!"

"Wrong," they said, "Your kind should have gone extinct a long time ago, and we are more than a few. Tonight, you die, and so does she! How dare you try to mix men with beasts!"

Hondo was now beside him as Jean-Claude's nostrils flared, and Jean-Claude said, "Then consider me the worst of both. Too bad you came all this way to die!"

However, the two men moved swiftly, and were showing that they were prepared for a fight against a vampire. They showed signs of men that had studied vampires for a long time, and learned how to find holes in the armor that their comparably feeble mortal bodies could exploit. They were no ordinary mortals, and they were probably the worst thing to face: an enemy that knew your every weakness, and how to exploit them. By their style and their accents, he knew they were French, as they went into a Savate-styled attack. However, Jean-Claude was also a master of this art, and a few others besides. Yet, one of them slipped by as Jean-Claude engaged the other, and raised a pistol at Ruby. In an instant, Hondo appeared in front of her, grabbed the barrel, and twisted out of the way, as he pointed it away from her and over the water. He then took away the gun and tried to turn it on his opponent, who then knocked it out of his hand into the water. With that, they both engaged. Both he and Jean-Claude were well built and fit, and Jean-Claude was using his abilities. Yet, they seemed to be equal to the task, and got in a lick or two. They both then pulled out knives, and that split second was all that they needed. They both blocked the knife hands, and then both of them torqued in hammer fists on their opponent's sternums. The thud was sickening as both men staggered back, and then fell to the ground. Jean-Claude then put his ear near their chests, and the result both were seeking had happened. "You're right," he told Hondo, "That wasn't amyth. It worked."

"Remember," said Hondo, "Only use as alast resort, like this."

Ruby could not believe Hondo. She had always known that he was a good fighter, but she never had seen anything like this. Jean-Claude was looking for I.D. at this point, but he could find none. It was then he came across the medallions that both wore. He snatched them off, and looked at them. They both looked like medallions that a Catholic might wear, but neither of them looked familiar. Jean-Claude then said, "I am going to put one of them elsewhere, and then take these to someone who might be able to identify these medallions. This way, it will only look like they dropped dead from a heart attack. Hondo, escort Ruby home."

She looked at him, but he said, "Look, Iwon't try anything funny. This is Clan business now, and my orders are clear: get you home in once piece."

She sighed and went with it, because she knew he was right. Jean-Claude was very suspicious about the whole thing. He had to find out tonight what was going on so that it could be nipped in the bud. If it were hunters, they may be afew, but that did not mean for a greater headache later on.



While all this was happening, Anjouand company were just walking home from their classes to put their things away, freshen up, and then hunt. Even though they were vampires, their conversation would have been no different from any other college student. "Yes, I know that guest instructors are needful, petit Chou,"said Anjou, "but we are not going to get the music right if he keeps screaming at us in Swahili."

"You think that's bad," said Maki, "I have a hard enough time with French. Try dealing with an English literature teacher from Indiawho has no mastery of either French or English!"

Anjou, Maki, Wiener, and Francois were all attending the University of Paris, hoping to have more of alife than the typical vampire who just gets up, feeds, wanders around, and goes back to his coffin. Anjouwas studying music and music theory in hopes to play classic guitar. Maki, who had now mastered the English language, (in contrast to the trouble she had with it years ago,) was studying English literature with Wiener, and hoped to teach night classes at the university back in Tokyo. Francois was studying medicine, and then hoped to join classes taught by his kind that dealt in vampire medicine, for vampire doctors were a rare commodity. They bantered, laughed, discussed where they could hunt that night, and where they should study later on. They soon came to the famous graveyard in Pariswhere many of the great men and women of history are buried. Francois said, "Come on, it is shorter though here."

Maki shivered, and said, "No way, that place is huge, and it gives me the creeps!"

"Oh, Cheri,"said Francois, "Do you still have problems with the night?"

"It's not that," she said, "I mean, it's agrave yard! That's not creepy?"

"They're dead," said Anjou,"How can they hurt you? Besides, there are many famous people buried in here. It is fun to talk with them!"

Now Maki turned as pale as a sheet. "Now I DEFINITELY do not want to go in there!"

"You should talk to Jim," she said in her normal tone, "His point of view on the other side is interesting, now that he got what he wanted. He did indeed break on through!"

That was followed by that petite grin she could affect when she was being humorous. Wiener cinched up beside her and said, "Fear not, Lipshun, for your knight is with you! Francois, take her other flank, and she shall escort the fair maiden though the land of death!"

In the past, this would have gotten an ear tweak from Maki, but now he had grown past that, and did it just to tease her. They all laughed and proceeded. As they walked, to keep Maki at ease, Francois began to deal with some of the famous people as they passed their crypts, telling of their lives and accomplishments. However, one thing Maki did not like was the graffiti that she was seeing that pointed to Jim Morrison's grave. His fans treated his grave like a holy shrine, and defaced everything else in favor of it. Even though it was creepy, she still had enough respect for the dead than to do what these people had done. They eventually passed by his grave, and then they heard, "Yes, it was a moth!"

"What did you say, Wiener," said Anjou.

"I didn't say anything," he answered.

"Break on through..." said another voice,"...to the other side," said another.

Now they knew something was not right, and they stopped dead in their tracks. There was movement in the brush, and there was the sound of a rhythmic beating of something on the ground. They heard another say, "The killer woke in the morning..." and another respond, "...and put his boots on."

Immediately, the boys took a defensive stance before the girls, but the sounds were coming from all around them. "Come on, and let's have a little death!"they heard, and as they came out, "Nobody gets out of here alive!"

There were about ten of them, all armed with swords. Immediately, they all began to move with vampiric speed, but their assailants seemed to anticipate this, and moved in such a fashion to compensate for this. Thus, the vampires were shocked when they were spending far more time on the defensive than on the offensive. They could not understand why they were not able to put an end to this quickly. However, the vampires were proving to be a bit the better when five of the assailants lay dead on the ground. Then it happened. Francois found himself surrounded by three of the assailants. Yet, no matter what they he did, he could not fend them off. He then found two swords in his heart. The third took off his head. "FRANCOIS!!!" Anjoushrieked loud enough to shatter glass. She fully vamped out, and the five remaining said, "So, your true form comes out."

Her eyes glowed yellow as her fangs extended and her fingers and nails extended. "NOW YOU DIE!" she hissed, and went postal. Bats flew in from every direction. She began to move in a blur, and assailants went flying in every direction. Three of them instantly burst into flames, and she then ripped out the throats of the remaining two. "Come on," said Maki, "We have to get out of here!"

"But Francois, we have..." cried Anjou, but they were dragging her away, and said, "Honey, it's too late," as tears were streaming down Maki's eyes, "If they find out what we are, it will get worse."

Soon, Anjoubegan to weaken, and bawl. They were getting out of there quickly, practically carrying her away as they did. She was inconsolable. They finally got back to their flats, and they took her to their place. "Why?"bawled Anjou, "Why did they do this? What did we ever do?"

Maki and Wiener held her tight and hugged her, as they were also saddened at the loss of a good friend. Maki looked at Wiener as if to ask who they were. He knew well, because he was familiar with their tactics himself. "Hunters,"he said, "I cannot believe there are any left."

"Why, oh Why?" cried Anjou,"My dear Francois! What do I do now?"

Wiener, said, "Call him: he needs to know."

With that, Maki tried to get the phone, but Anjou did not want to let go. She finally leaned far enough and got the phone. She then placed a long distance call to Tokyo.