FicWad

Chapter 19



The bowling was not the only sports that weekend. When the family got home, Yuriya handed over a disc to Richard, who said he was anxious to see this first game. He had heard about the reining in of the Rugby team, and he wanted to see just how much of a change there was. Yuriya had filmed the whole game for two reasons: to give the team the ability to see how things were going as a team and for what Richard requested. Instead of starting lethargic, and playing atight game for the first half, they sought to hand it to Colby that day. Colby was the one acting lethargic that day. By the end of the first half, UMaine had a 17 to 0 lead. The team then met at their side of the field for the halftime talk. Indeed, staying somewhat sober was helping. Everyone agreed that it felt good not to be in pain or dragging while out there, and it was made more clear when they saw Colby acting they way they would have if they had drank all night long as Colby had. Thus, Jean-Claude's point was being made. In the second half, the slaughter continued. Although Colby had shaken off enough of the doldrums to score once, but that was all. It really became clear who the better team was in that second half. On one phase of play, the Black Bears had the ball, and Cream Cheese jumped into the line on a perfectly executed set play. He thus found himself crossing the 22 meter line with the ball, and nothing but grass and space before him to get to the goal line. However, the opposing fullback grabbed his head and wrenched. It was called a high tackle, but because he was too far from the goal line, and it was not guaranteed that he would score, no penalty try was called. It yielded a penalty goal, but Cheese was not done yet. He got up and pointed a finger at the man with astern face. He then went back to his position for the kickoff. As play progressed, Colby had the ball deep, and as fate would have it, that opposing fullback had the ball and free space to run. However, Cream Cheese came up to make the play, just as Turlo and Jean-Claude came out of the pile to spy the fullback trying to evade Cream Cheese. Cheese knew that he might not be able to take the man down, who was moving at a decent clip by that point, but he saw what came from behind. So he did a hedge move, hoping for the opposing fullback to stop long enough to cause a worse situation for him. Sure enough, just as Turlo and Jean-Claude were coming from behind, (both with a look on their faces like two sharks eyeing a bloody roast,) Cheese laid in his patented hit from the front, right in the bread basket. The smack and groan were sickening, as everyone, including the twins and Yuriya, groaned with the young man. Everyone watching the video said, "Is that one of the people on Clan probation?"

"Yes," said Jean-Claude, "As is the one beside me."

They all wondered what kind of a warrior he could make if he joined. They also wondered what kind of a vampire he would be if he were converted. As the weight of the two men behind began to show, and tip the pile over, Cream Cheese was on the ground below the man, who was loosely dangling the ball over him. Cheese just reached up, plucked the ball away, and tossed it out of the now forming maul. Because he was shielded from the referee, no one could see that he was on his knees, which would have nullified the play, but he got away with it. UMaine then went downfield and scored again. Later on in the series, Colby got the ball, and tried to work a set play that quickly came apart as Jean-Claude pursued the ball hotly. The Colby backs were not so much passing the ball as they were trying to get rid of it. The ball got flipped back to the opposing fullback, who bent over and started to pick up the ball. That is when he looked over at the end of the line and saw Jean-Claude coming around the bend fast, with a big smile on his face. He then punted the ball out of stark terror. It was then caught by McQueeny, who charged downfield, got wrapped up, flipped it to the scrum half who was nicknamed Gerbil, who then rumbled in for the score. Needless to say, it was a whitewash for UMaine. At that point, everyone wearing navy and sky blue knew that they could be unstoppable that season. When it was over, Richard was impressed by the discipline that seemed to come over the team. Jean-Claude then said, "Give someone the right motivation, and anything is possible!"



Indeed, it did bode well, as UMaine rumbled through their first four games, mercilessly pounding teams that had been giving them trouble only the year before. This also led up to the first attacks. The call had gone through to Tokyo through secure lines, and the information was forwarded to the Clan there. Victor and Elda took charge there, and put together 100 of the best fighters the Clan possessed. The Inquisition was not prepared. Elda's bats had been scouting the place for a week, getting numbers, strengths, what kind of an arsenal they had, weaknesses, and the best way to approach. Worse off for them, leading the way were a former vampire hunter that had crossed over, (not by choice,) and had become a pure blood because of Innocent, and an over 200 year old vampire who, though she got over her grudge against all mankind, she still had a bit towards the Inquisition, and now this was her chance for paybacks, and that being done in the right way this time. This was being coordinated with attacks that would be happening within close proximity of one another, for, in Portland Oregon, a strike force was ready, as one was in Rio. The one in Japan would happen many hours before, so the ones in the Americas would have to watch their targets closely to see if they turtle up. If they do not, then they have to sight their next targets. If they turtled up, they would have to watch them, and hope they reared their heads at the right time.



That Friday night was spent saying good-bye, and preparing for the assaults the next evening. However, Yuriya thought it odd that the twins would be trying to get their homework done early when their father was going off on something dangerous. However, they were there to receive Kannon, and to watch over her while Karin and Kenta were off with Jean-Claude and Anjou. She just wrote it off as they wanting to help their mother to keep a preschooler out of her hair. In that time, they were spending time teaching Kannon how to do the kind of things that they had been able to do at that age. They knew that they did not have this kind of helping hand from someone near their age, so they were going to help her all they could. As a result, the three started to become very close, something for which every elder vampire hoped. However, there was another motivating factor for the twins to finish their homework. They wanted to be up in time for the activities that would be happening in Japan. Normally, Sheila would be getting together with Alicia and Jennifer, but she had to bow out from apple picking that weekend, and set it up for the next. They wanted to be sure all went well, and they wanted to be sure that they could give reports on what was happening. Sure enough, at about 10 o'clock in the morning, Yuriya watched as the twins sat on the couch, held hands, and gained a blank expression on their faces. Yuriya walked up and started at them for about fifteen seconds, and then said, "Are you kids going to sit there all day?"

"No, mother," said Mickey blankly, "We will move when it is done."

"When what's done," she asked.

"Sit next to me and take my hand," said Sheila.

Yuriya, not sure what this was all about sat down, took her hand and then was transfixed on the wall as if she were watching a movie. She might as well have been, because to her, she felt like she was on location for what the twins were seeing. It was dark, and it was Tokyo. Yuriya shook herself and lost concentration, as the image half went away. "What in the world are you two doing?" she asked.

"Mother," said Sheila, "We are locked in on great-grandmamma's bats."

"Wait," she answered back, "You shouldn't be able to see that! That is someone else's bats! You cannot control..."

Mickey cut her off, and said, "We can! However, we are not controlling, we are watching."

"Are you saying we are seeing what is about to happen there?" asked Yuriya.

"It sure is," said Sheila, "Just relax, and it will be okay."

Yuriya did so, but she was still worried how they were able to be watching like this. Not only was this someone else's bats, but they were on the other side of the world! How were they doing this? Bridgette came in at this point, knowing what the twins were going to do, and started to mind Kannon, lest she get on the couch and accidentally link with the twins. The last thing they needed was a child with severe nightmares. It was late for her, and when Yuriya heard her enter, and announce who it was, she quickly drew the blinds so the sunlight would not hurt her. She then took Kannon, and Yuriya re-linked with her children.



In Japan, they knew they were dealing with about ten in their base, and the bats had shown that they had some hard military ordinance: machine guns, grenades, claymore mines, and plenty of swords. However, there were no chemicals. They had to assume that, though they had been used, they were more than likely still in short supply, and hard to come by. Because of that, they had to plan the assault well. At first, they wanted to cause a ruckus, and then let the authorities handle the rest. However, they realized that it would alert the media, and allow for quick precautions to be made in other areas. They thus could leave none alive. They learned where the arsenal was located, and decided to take that out first. From there, sheer numbers could win the day. They were not expecting a former vampire hunter to lead the way. This would give the Clan an edge, in that; they would be able to know how they would react before they could do so. Furthermore, there were humans in the mix that would throw off their strategies. They would start by cutting off the phone lines. They would then split up: a force of 50 would go in to act as a decoy while the other 50 would go for the arsenal simultaneously. They would be destroying that as the enemy would be scrambling, and they could get some there. Then the decoy could move in for a rear attack, and end it quickly. They would then find whatever intelligence they could before any fires spread from the arsenal's destruction. The enemy had no idea the sheer number that were about to descend. Victor then wondered if 100 was overkill. In any case, they moved in and struck. At the point of the decoy movement, there was one man on a machine gun, while the other was feeding and supplying ammunition. The lines were cut, and someone threw a rock to get their attention. As soon as they saw the group, they sounded the alarm and opened fire. Bullets flew, and the Clan dropped behind the protection they had set up before the assault began. The shots ricocheted off the rocks as the remaining eight went for the arsenal. However, Victor knew what he was getting into, and simply pulled out his Lugar. Because of his enhanced vampire sight, he was able to aim and shoot as if it were daytime. With the precision that Germans are known for, he dropped two rounds into his assailants. This was matched with a loud explosion in the back. While Victor was acting, Elda was moving in. She got to the arsenal, and her troops found some satchel charges. They heard the alarm and the screams of men coming down the hall, so, with her enhanced vampire speed; she took the charges and placed them as she screamed, "Fire in the hole!"

That was the cue for the fifty there to head back out for cover, which they did. About three came around the corner and were instantly fried and chewed up as the charges went off, setting off every other explosive with it. The fifty watched in amazement as a depression formed in the ground like a meteor had impacted. They had underestimated the power that would be unleashed when all that went off and they were sealed out. They then quickly scanned the map, and found another way in-the front door. It seemed odd, and almost foolhardy. However, if the other eight had not been killed by the blast, they would not last long against the 100. Meanwhile, Victor moved in through the machine gun nest, and found a few areas not sealed off by the cave in. The others were all filled. They swiftly stormed down the halls, looking for more, but they found none. Elda then scanned for their life forces, and found nothing but death. They had been more efficient than they had expected. However, they knew that the sound and the shaking of the ground would attract attention, so they moved with determination, and gathered as much as they thought would yield information for them. They then set fire to everything else to cover their tracks, and keep the police guessing forever. It would go out into the press for sure. Yet, it might not have been enough to tip off the others. Hopefully, all would go well elsewhere.



Back in Maine, the twins broke contact, and reported to Bridgette, "All is quiet on the eastern front. The first objective has been taken. I shall contact the bats at the other two locations and tell them that they will have to act at first dark. They were too efficient, and it will get the attention of the media. They might turtle up. I am going to look through Aunt Anjou's bats and see what is happening in Portland and Rio. Yuriya then took Kannon, and Bridgette went to tell Richard what had happened. Bridgette went to Richard as he was seeing the bulletin come up over CNN. They were shocked at what had happened, but they also knew that it would be a learning curve for everything. At that, Richard and Bridgette went to sleep, looking to be up by 8 or 9 o'clock that evening, hoping that they would have had enough sleep to be able to watch for the next assaults. Back at their living quarters, Mickey was contacting Anjou's bats, and telling them to see what had happened there. They were watching, and they saw the 12 in there start to take up defensive positions. They were all armed with machine guns or Browning automatic rifles. They were ready for an all-out assault. This was the same result in Rio. They expected as big a force, but they would be in for a surprise. As soon as this had been seen, Mickey got up and found the cell phone that Jean-Claude had left for them. He then made a call, and left a message, as Jean-Claude was sleeping, trying to get some rest for that night's fight. He then looked at Sheila and said, "Let's get a nap in, because we might be up late for this one."

As Yuriya was entertaining Kannon with some coloring books, she said, "Why are you two doing this?"

"Dad wanted someone to watch and report in to Richard," said Sheila.

Mickey chimed in at this point, saying, "Besides, when it becomes time for the finale, dad said that he could use our skills. They may be ready to fight vampires, but they have never encountered a Golconda before."

Yuriya let her eyes go wide, and said, "Oh no! You two are not going into harm's way!"

"You are going to have to take that up with dad," said Sheila, "He said that we have to hone our skill too, and that we are powerful enough now to act."

"You will go in over my dead body!" snapped Yuriya.

Mickey shook his head, and said, "Mother, you have absolutely no clue as to how powerful we are, do you?"

Yuriya cocked her head, not sure where it was going. She then said, "All Iknow is that you two are not to be lost. Now, how is that going to happen if you go into harm's way?"

"Mother, it's far more than that," said Sheila, "There must be peace for our two worlds to be joined, and some of these humans must be educated. If that means removing a cancer, then so be it. We would rather it not be this way, but things have to happen. There will be peace, and we can bring it about, but if we must fight-if we must intervene-then the evil on this earth had better be ready to face our wrath. If you though daddy was bad, you haven't seen anything yet."

They then both went into their room and napped contentedly. Yuriya was confused. Things were changing fast, and none so much as the twins. She was shocked back at the Great Bokor War by what the twins did, but she knew that was just because they were being led. It was interesting what she deemed to be seeming divine intervention for her children, but she still did not like it then. She liked this even less! However, what she did not realize was, because of this situation, and because of the benevolent way they watched over their school and classmates, the twins were becoming aware of exactly what they were. Because they had Jean-Claude instill in them what he had, the need to be tyrannical was not in them, because they had had the fear of God put into them at a young age. They always remembered that there was a power much higher than they that could easily remove from them their power just as much as He had gifted them with those powers. They had to believe it, considering what they had already seen. They did not consider themselves to be messiahs in the sense of Jesus Christ, but they now were beginning to see themselves to be like Moses, Deborah, Ester, Samuel, and other minor messiahs of the Old Testament, leading vampire and human alike to the true path. Their Aunt Karin had given much of herself for the cause, and she was in the front line as they pondered this while they drifted to sleep. For them, because all that had been done for them by both humans and vampires, and after discussing the matter at length while they lay in bed at night, they felt they owed it to the world to put all they had towards bettering things for all sentient beings. They knew their mother didn't understand at that point, but they also knew that things would happen to show her how it was supposed to be.



While all this was going on, Innocent was pacing the grounds. She could not stay in her room, and there was no one awake aside from Yuriya to talk to anyway. Besides, she knew that she was busy with Kannon, so it would be hard for her. Oddly enough, she began to realize the hole that had been created when Hondo was not there. She actually was missing him at that point. Innocent had, in her own way, already declared her love for Hondo without actually saying it. It was sinking in even more in his absence. She did not realize just how much of a void he was filling in during the day when she was awake. Sure, Yuriya was there, because she had to be up. There was no such thing as night elementary school, so she had to be up for the sake of the twins. Thus, she was good company. However, Hondo was usually with her, and she did all she could to make them feel at home, and they reciprocated her hospitality by aiding her in her housekeeping. Later on, Fumio was up, because she kept Karin and Kenta's hours, considering that she attended night classes, and it only made sense to her. Yet, without Hondo there, it felt lonely. Worse, she knew he was in South America by this point, preparing to descend on a nest of vipers, and she wondered if he would come back. If they could kill Ryuu, could they really be that much better?



Later that evening, Jean-Claude awoke to find a message from his son on the cell phone. It informed him of what had been happening in the compound there, and so they would have to prepare. He then relayed this information to the team in South America, so they could send in some bats and find out what was going on there. In the meantime, as the Portland team surfaced, he laid out the map of the compound, and they started to pour over the area, looking at the defended points, and trying to figure out how to approach without being seen. After spending about 20 minutes looking it over, they were able to find a large air vent on the top. They knew that there were some cameras there and some motion detection devices, but it was the best way in. It was then decided that Anjou would send in some bats to foul up the cameras, and then a few would go in to, first, discover what kind of detectors they were, and then act to neutralize them once they knew. They would then follow the duct to a point over the main hall, cut through, drop in, neutralize any cameras there, and sneak up from behind and take care of it. After Japan, the enemy was expecting an all-out assault. They were not expecting this! Jean-Claude looked at Karin and Anjou and asked, "Okay, are you ready for this?"

"Shoot, Paw, I was born ready!" answered Anjou in her best Midwestern twang that she could muster. Jean-Claude smiled, thinking to himself, "Now that was new! I never thought Muff to have that kind of humor!"