DARK SHADOWS

 

CHAPTER III: ENTER DEATH DEALERS

 

 

 

 

 

FOUR YEARS LATER

 

     Lavender Town had most definitely changed. Barely anything was left inhabited. All occupants of the town were long gone. All homes were near complete decimation. Only Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and fighting Mortals remained on the battlefield.

     Ash Ketchum was one of these Mortals, along with Brock Slate, Hailen, and many other rebels.

     Ash, who made his way up the ranks to damn near Team Leader, was now an eighteen-year-old ring leader.

He finally ditched the commonly seen outfit for black blue jeans, a black t-shirt, usually a black coat or sometimes even a jacket, and military boots. His belt now did not only hold Pokeballs, but also two Colt .45 pistols, extra mags with silver bullets, and a grenade or two.

Brock Slate went along the same guidelines as Ash. Both were high in rank and well respected. Both shot first and asked questions later. It was the Werewolves they loathed and the Werewolves they hunted.

And then there was Hailen, the daughter of the mayor of Lavender Town. He had been killed years ago by a mysterious plague that affected only him. At the time Hailen was sixteen years old.

A howl echoed through the streets of Lavender Town.

 

A Werewolf sighting has been reported near the old Pokemon Center. All available units report.

The door to Ash’s bedroom had been kicked open. Hailen walked in with her web belt buckled around her slim waist. Two leg holsters dangled against her dark camo jeans.

“I know, sighting.” Ash said already slapping a clip into his Colt.

“I assumed you’d be sleeping. It’s three thirty in the morning.” Hailen replied awestruck.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Well, why are you already suited up? That outfit isn’t comfortable enough to be considered night attire.”

“Haven’t you looked outside?”

Hailen’s brown eyes shot open. She cocked her head swiftly to her right and her long blond wavy hair whipped over her chin as she peered out the small barred up window only the size of a VCR.

“Shit.”

“Shit is right.” Ash replied locking his pistols in his own holsters with a simultaneous click. “Full moon.”

 

“Brock!”

Brock Slate stood leaned up against a pickup truck in his hunting attire. His brown hair was spiked, his Blade style sun glasses were hanging on the collar of his shirt, and his coat concealed his weapons and Pokeballs.

In front of him was a steel table with a vast assortment of weapons ranging from silver bullets, silver stakes, and silver arrows, but that was set way in the back. Directly in front of him were two pistols aimed away. They were Sig Sauer P226s, two-tone, with silver frame and black slide. Extended magazines protruded from the butt of the pistols. The clip was plated with silver, verifying the type of bullets.

“Brock!”

He locked one of the pistol’s slides shut and gazed up at the black metal spiral staircase that both Ash and Hailen were jogging down.

“Brock!”

“What is it?” he asked curiously and then terrified when he realized her tone.

“We have a serious problem.” She was panting; obviously she was in a hurry to tell him something-something important.

“Calm down. What is it?”

“We’re going to need more men. Tonight, all Werewolves can morph, not just the elders. There is a full moon.”

Brock cursed silently and looked past Hailen’s distraught face to Ash’s. He even was worried. But Ash knew how to hide his feelings. Most of his practice came from Misty.

“How many men, Brock?” she beckoned harshly.

“Three in our party,” He sighed. “The usual three.”

Hailen’s jaw dropped even more. “Son of a bitch!

“No way. Not on a full moon.” Ash complained. “Every Werewolf will be at full power. Pikachu doesn’t even have enough power to take down one elder Werewolf at full. And what about when there are twenty or even thirty at one time? They’re wolves, Brock, they hunt in packs. We need more men.”

“Eh hem!” Hailen cleared her throat.

Ash sighed. “More hunters.”

“What about Abigail?” Hailen suggested. But Brock shook his head.

“All ready on patrol of the southern vicinity.

“With whom?” Hailen continued with Twenty Questions.

“She’s with Rachel, Garret, Drake, and Saleen.”

“And what about Sabrina?”

“Patrolling east vicinity with Morgan, Ashley, Caitlin, and Brady.”

“Shit.” She mumbled.

“It’s only a Werewolf sighting. Be thankful that’s it.” Brock added finally.

“That’s not it. The Demons are still waiting to strike, with the Werewolves taking up time.”

“There has yet to be one Demon attack or sighting for that matter. You still believe the stories?”

“Of course. My father-“

“Your father predicted that the Demons would take over the world in six years. Why not years ago?”

“The war started five years ago.” Hailen replied. “My father was a religious man. He said that seven was a number associated with God.”

“Why seven?” Brock inquired rubbing his sun glasses in his shirt.

“Perfect number.” Ash replied.

“Exactly. And six is the number associated with Lucifer...Satan. That’s where you get six years. Do you know what happens in one year?”

“The Apocalypse.” Brock answered more in the form of a question.

“Yes. Or in more appropriate words, all Hell breaks loose.”

“But what do the Werewolves have to do with this?”

“I don’t know.” Hailen replied.

Thunder cracked over Lavender Town.

     Lightning struck high in the sky.

 

     “That’s preposterous! Werewolves hunt in packs, never alone!” Tristan shouted.

     Mercedes stood up against the wall, shaking her head. “I said I saw one. Would it make you feel better if I told you that I waited for more to show up and they never did?”

     Tristan looked the calm vampire up and down. As she stared at the floor her black hair dangled over her eyes.

     “Assemble the Death Dealers. You’re going to apprehend this lone Lycan and bring him in for interrogation. I’m tired of losing our kind to the Lycans.” He turned on his heels and proceeded down the scarlet themed corridor. But then he turned back around and stared cockily at Mercedes. “Bring Misty with. She desires the practice so much.”

     “Isn’t that contradicting the Code? The Code of the Dark Shadows clearly states that no Immortal shall strike against another.”

     “Who said anything about striking against? You are strictly ordered to apprehend, and that is all.”

     “Yes, we apprehend, they kill.”

     “You don’t know that.” Tristan replied.

     “Have you ever seen any members of the Death Squad return?”

     “You have your orders. Now collect Misty.”

“Personally I don’t see the point in bringing her in just to send her back out.”

     Tristan’s smile died and a scowl spread across his face like a disease. “I beg your pardon?” he inquired annoyed.

     “She’s already out.” She replied looking back down at the floor so she wouldn’t have to meet eyes with Tristan.

     “With whom?”

     “Solo.”

     Tristan became furious. His lips, arms, legs, cheeks trembled in rage. “What!?”

 

     The wind picked up force and blew thousands of leaves onto Lavender’s Main Street. Trees bent down, nearly tapping the ground with their outstretched branches.

     As the wind gusted over the city, a lone figure shrouded in shadow sat amongst a line of gargoyles atop the Lavender Chapel that had been constructed just a few years prior to the start of the war.

     The figure’s black hair whipped in the wind. As it blew back, few orange streaks could be spotted.

     Its gaze followed a silver sedan, recognized as a Lexus IS 350.

 

     Inside the sedan, silence ruled. Ash Ketchum sat in the back seat, Brock in the front passenger, and Hailen in the driver’s seat. No one thought the Shadow Hunters, as they were called, had much money to invest in anything so classy. But Hailen only drove this vehicle because the cash came from her account. It had been left by her father, the recent mayor of Lavender Town.

     Ash sat in the back, rubbing his hands firmly over his leg holsters. He loved the feeling of the weapons pressed against his hips. He even loved the feeling of firing them off when a Werewolf was in between the crosshairs. Vengeance for Misty was so pleasurable to him.

     He sat quietly. Pikachu rested behind Ash’s head and looked out the rear window like he always did. But as they turned onto Main Street, Pikachu’s ears perked up. He began sniffing around the empty air and gazed around at the many buildings.

     Brock and Hailen hadn’t noticed Pikachu’s reaction. Hailen scanned out the windshield and Brock watched the sides. They were the only Mortals out tonight in the area, so if they saw any movement it was most definitely an Immortal.

     “Pikachu, get your tail out of my face.” Ash said pushing the rodent’s twitching yellow appendage away.

     “Pika pi.”

     Ash, realizing Pikachu’s tone, unbuckled his seat belt and leaned his hands and face against the back window. “Shit.” Ash mumbled.

     Hailen looked back in her rear view mirror to see only the back of Ash’s head. “How many times have we been over this?” She said with a choking voice. “Don’t ever mumble ‘shit’ when looking outside.”

     “What is it, Ash?” Brock asked pulling the slide back on one of his pistols.

     “Werewolf!”

     Brock unbuckled his seat belt and peered behind the seat and out the rear window. But all he saw was the massive full moon lined perfectly with the street. “Where?”

     “He jumped.”

     “Jumped?” Hailen choked again as she looked up threw the open sun roof to see a small figure well over fifty feet in the air. “Shit!”

     With that, Hailen cranked the E-brake up as far as it would allow. All four occupants of the vehicle were propelled forward as the car screeched to a stop. The nose nearly grinded against the tar, missing only by an inch and a half. She cranked the wheel at the last second as the Werewolf landed in the vehicle’s path. The Lexus screeched the tires louder as it whipped around with a 180.

     “Maybe unbuckling our seat belts wasn’t a good idea.” Ash panted.

     “Well, we found him.”

     CRASH!

     The front of the vehicle lifted up. Hailen whipped her head around and saw the Werewolf pushing the rear end down with its bare hands. Its claws tore through steel of the trunk lid.

     “Pikachu, Thunder-“

     The Werewolf was already lying on its back. It’s skin was rippling furiously and soon its hair molted off, leaving a naked man in a puddle of mixed blood and a silver liquid spewing from his heart.

     Ash looked to Hailen. The kill came from her. She was lowering her dual-tone Walther P22. Because of the close-range shot Ash and most likely Brock as well, heard only a high pitched ring. No words spewed from her mouth, though her lips moved.

     “Get down!” Brock suddenly bellowed after looking out the windshield.

     He and Hailen ducked in their seats, but Ash continued sitting up, unaware of the immediate danger coming closer every moment until...

     “Ash!”

     Everything happened so quickly. Brock himself only had a moment’s time to analyze the situation. From the time the Werewolf fell to the center of the street, to the time where it pried up the manhole cover and hurled it through the windshield and out the rear window.

     Ash was most definitely wounded. The manhole cover had only grazed the top of his head, yet it had enough force and density to knock him unconscious with the lightest touch. It even caused blood to trickle down his forehead to the tip of his nose.

     “Oh my God! Ash!”

     Hailen tried reaching back to touch his cheek but was immediately pulled into Brock. It wasn’t more than a half of a second later that the left side of the Lexus was smashed in by a massive object.

     A payphone.

     The left side of the car was smashed in. The windshield and rear window were shattered and chunks were dangling from the edges of the body. Hailen was entwined in Brock’s arms and Ash was in the backseat, barely an inch away from where the car was smashed.

     “Move!” Brock once more bellowed. He pulled the tab beside the seat and pushed the backrest all the way down. With one stern kick, he and Hailen were lying up against Ash’s side in the backseat. And once more, not even a moment’s time later, the front passenger’s side was smashed by another massive object.

     A street bench.

     Hailen wondered what was left of her silver Lexus sedan. Just before sunset she had the time to wash and wax the car, polish the pipes, shine up the wheels, and gloss the leather. It did look brand new. After her quick analysis of the vehicle, all that was left was the rear right passenger’s seat, trunk, and the front hood.

     But then...

     Okay, now the rear right passenger’s seat and trunk.

     The front of the hood was now bent up. A Werewolf stood atop the center of the vehicle’s hood. The engine was smoking and barely idling. The beast glared at the three people and one Pokemon cramped together in the backseat.

     Then, another leapt onto the trunk, crashing it in.

     Hailen screamed.

     She never was so close to a Werewolf. She could see its eyes, its snarling gums, crimson red teeth, and filthy pelt.

     Hailen had screamed, and the Werewolf roared back, leaning down to increase the affect that it was indeed an intimidating hunter.

     “Pikachu, do something!” Brock commanded.

     “Pika pi?”

     “Anything!”

     “No, we’ll be shocked too!” Hailen corrected. “Screw Thunder Shock or whatever the Hell it’s called.” And yet again, Hailen reached for her pistol, but only to have it slashed away.

     A howl echoed over Main Street in Lavender Town. That was when Hailen spotted the dark silhouette of a figure jumping in front of the moon. The bright light shadowed the figure, but she knew what it was.

     Werewolf.

     “No!”

     CRASH!

     The werewolf landed next to the totaled vehicle and flipped it over with its vast momentum.

     The body scraped the tar and slid several feet, finally coming to a halt against a wooden light post.

     Brock was the first to crawl out from beneath the vehicle. He raised a pistol with his bloody hand and scanned the premises, to see no sign of werewolves. With the open window of time, he bent down and aided Hailen in crawling out from beneath the vehicle.

     She too was bleeding, but not just her arms, but her forehead, and just below her neck. A streak of blood and a deep slit accented her tanned cheek.

     “Ash!” she screamed. “Wake up, Ash!” she pulled him out by his hands and leaned his back up against the other side of the light post.

     Maybe it would have been easier to get a look at Ash if the light was on. But for the past four years there was no electricity besides the base. So it wasn’t easy to spot the Werewolves if they were hiding in the shadows, or even...

     Another howl echoed over Main Street. Then a growl made Hailen’s heart sink. She looked up to see the silhouettes of four werewolves clawed to the post. Each was glaring down at the three humans and Pikachu, which was crawling from the wreckage.

     One Werewolf back flipped off the pole and landed over Ash. It was going to bite him.

     Hailen reacted as quickly as she could. With her most powerful strike, she charged in and struck with a knee lift to the beast’s jaw. But the beast reacted back even quicker. Hailen was pinned up against the side of an abandoned building with her neck clenched in the beast’s powerful paws; its five claws piercing the walls. It roared in her face, nearly deafening her.

     Ash was looking up the pole at the bright stars in the sky. Three Werewolves were still clawed to the cylindrical structure, snarling at his helpless form. But as he gazed up at his last starry night a figure glided through the air over the street.

     Another Werewolf.

     No.

     Guns were blazing.

     The three Werewolves collapsed, around Ash, on the cement sidewalk, not one of them breathing. Each had been shot in the head.

     The figure couldn’t have been a Werewolf. They didn’t use pistols unless in Human form. But as Humans they weren’t capable of leaping so far.

     Humans weren’t capable either.

     The Werewolf gripping Hailen’s throat looked up to where the gun shots had been fired and snarled at the sight of the dark figure. It released Hailen, or rather threw her to the sidewalk beside Ash. It then moved away from the building, following the figure.

     After leaping completely across the street, clearly an impossible act, it seemed to leap off the edge of the other building, back flipping back over the street. But it began coming down head first. Finally, at the last moment, the figure spun in mid air from head to foot first. A long coat whipped up behind as it caught the wind. At last, the figure stretched out its arms and more gun shots cracked as the Werewolf crashed to the ground, while at the same time the figure plummeted gracefully down the open man hole.