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Chapter -17- Mourning And Waking

December 27 - 7am New Atlantis ...

Karla checked the closet and found a man's bathrobe. She pulled it on and made her way out of the bedroom. She tied the sash and opened the door, face to face with Evan Balmoral and Johann Foster.

"Boys!"

Evan grimaced. "Hey, Karla." His tone lacked personality. "You have a moment? We're helping the Parker twins go around and talk to everyone."

Karla stepped back and gestured to a sofa with plastic wrap on it. "I can't stand people who have ornate rooms with perfectly good furniture no one is allowed to use." She sat down on the sofa, causing the plastic covering to stretch with a squeak.

Evan looked around at the furnishings but didn't sit down. "I haven't had the chance to catch up with you until just now but there's something you should know. It's pretty serious."

Karla frowned. "Okay, hon. You've got my attention."

"I was with Kalen when he was attacked by one of ... it was a huge talking snake. I know, I know, it sounds weird."

Karla's smile faded.

Evan continued, heavy-hearted. "He was holding this old brown spear thing and the tail of the snake hit him. It drove the tip against his gut and broke the skin. He never recovered from it. I have gone over this so many times in my head and I can't understand how..."

Karla reached for Evan's hand. "The spear of Longinus pierced the side of Christ. It's possible that it somehow had an effect on Kalen because he's a vampire."

Johann approached Karla. They hugged. After a moment he pulled back and said, "Blood doesn't stay on an object after two thousand years. It breaks down and..."

Karla stopped Johann in mid-sentence with a simple touch on his shoulder. "Babe. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff we've seen while you were in stasis. I'm not even kidding, sweetie. We've seen a realm of gods. Damn near anything is possible, believe me."

Johann glanced at Evan. "I ... okay. I've met Kalen, actually. I didn't realize it until Evan told me - he saved our butts in Historic Oakland. We rescued this guy, Cybil. Turns out he became the new Oracle. I woke up to find out some of the stuff I did all those years ago was actually important. Then I find out three people are dead already."

"Three?" Karla licked her lips. "Who else?"

Evan chimed back in, "Nichole Parker, the clone that had the powers - she was found on the sidewalk not far from Rue Darken's apartment. Her neck was broken. You'd need a lot of strength to do that. But Collobulous was with Johann and me when it happened because we were unable to sleep. Rue isn't taking it well. He said something about every woman he touches dies. He said something else about survivor's guilt."

"Jesus," Karla whispered. She paused and patted the sofa. "Sit down, boys. Who was the third person?"

Evan sat down on the sofa. "Some girl Reno knows ... knew. Abby Chase. She was just a kid. She never woke up from the stasis thing."

"Where is Reno now?"

"We woke up when Rufus found Nichole. Nevada is investigating her death right now. His fiancé admitted to having an argument and an altercation with the girl, but swears she didn't kill her."

"Reno cleared her?"

"Reno says she doesn't have the body strength to do break Nichole's neck the way it was broken. He said it takes around seventy pounds of pressure to do the job, but from the looks of things, it was someone as strong as Collobulous."

"Which is why you said he was with you," Karla deduced. "You knew our strongman was innocent. I see."

"Yeah, but Reno said whoever did it doesn't know their own strength," Evan explained, using his hands in gesture to help him explain his points. "It was overkill. He thinks it would be someone who isn't used to being that strong. You know how Nichole could borrow and sometimes take other people's abilities? He thinks it might be someone who can do that."

Karla drew in a deep breath through her nose. She nodded slowly and sighed to calm herself. "So we might have one of Falcon's enforcers down here. What, uh ... what's the story behind this snake? You said it talked?"

"Yeah." Evan looked up at Johann.

Johann sat down on a cushioned chair near the sofa.

Evan turned back to Karla and rubbed his forehead with a frown. "It was huge. It came out of the vault and this thing made some wild claims. He said he slept with 'the Adam' and 'the Eve.'"

Karla nodded. "Some say those names are plural words meaning 'men' and 'women' respectively."

"Oh." Evan rubbed his thumb and forefinger together then took hold of his right hand with his left to keep from fidgeting. "Karla, I know you guys were friends. I feel so bad that I couldn't protect Kalen. It was an accident and..."

Karla scooted across the plastic with a soft squeak. She put her arms around Evan and hugged him. "It's not your fault. If you guys were fighting this snake, how was it an accident, hon?" Her voice was gentle, soothing...

Evan leaned back on the sofa and sighed. "James used his staff and he somehow turned it into another snake. They fought each other and the three of us went into the vault. At some point, while we were clearing the shelves and bagging all the relics, the first snake's tail came in through the vault door. Maybe ... maybe he thought he was going to try and ... I don't know. But Kalen jumped in front of us to keep James and myself from being struck by the tail."

Karla nodded and looked down. "And Kalen was holding the spear in his hand, I take it."

"Yeah, it went right into his stomach. Albert showed up just in time to help us get the rest of the relics in one trip. We put Kalen on one of the shelves and cut one of the bags at the seams and covered him. We closed the vault and left him there."

"What about the snake? Did Albert fight it?" Karla reached towards Johann and gave his hand a squeeze because of the glum look on the twenty-year-old boy's face.

Evan shook his head. "No. It ate James' snake. It couldn't move. It just laid there while we left."

Karla rubbed her chin. "I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Aaron's staff is the one that ate other snakes. Moses was afraid of snakes; he was even afraid of his own staff turning into a snake. Look, we'll go back and get Kalen soon."

"We can't just leave him in that vault."

Karla nodded in agreement. "We'll get him soon," she repeated in a reassuring voice. Karla took a deep breath to hold her emotions together. "But first, we should let Reno conclude his investigation."

"And what about the killer?"

Karla nodded. She rubbed her face and said, "We have to keep everyone alive. If someone out there had the power to kill Nicky's twin, then no one is safe. That girl had a bunch of powers. I don't even want to imagine someone stronger than her might be out there hunting us."

Evan sighed and looked down at his hands. He kept his left hand overtop of his right. "I liked Kalen. I didn't really know Nichole all that well, but she helped Vincent and another girl to stop one of the two nukes that took out San Francisco."

"Well, what's the plan now, hon?"

"You're asking me?" Evan tilted his head. "That's why I came here, because we need to figure out our next move."

"James should still take those artifacts back to the surface. Someone should go with him, to make sure he'll get out of here safely. What about Rufus?"

"Rufus wants to stay. Albert offered to go with James."

Karla stood up and stretched her back. "Alright, so James and Albert. That's a good team. Sekhmet trusts the guy to fight. I'm good with that if you are."

"Again, you're asking me?"

"Honey, you've always been a leader. You have a lot to learn about strategy but if you spend time with Peter and Natalia, you'll learn." Karla turned to Johann and said, "You, too. They were going to make you the Justiciar of North America. You'd make a great team, boys. A leader and a lawman. You boys could be the new face of the Esoteric Council."

Evan smiled somewhat. "You think I could do it without interfering with raising my family?"

Karla shrugged. "I think having a family keeps you grounded. I would rather have a family man leading the supernatural people. You boys didn't really get to know Reinhardt, but he's a ... he's not a good person. And it the rumors are true that he killed his way to the presidency, then you two will have to be the ones that have a trial and carry out a sentence."

Johann and Evan exchanged glances.

Karla added, "Did James get all the artifacts? Is that something we can cross off our checklist?"

"Sort of." Evan stood up and began pacing. "We couldn't pry the spear of Longinus from Kalen's6 hand. Maybe you can help us grab that one."

Karla nodded. She crossed her arms beneath the swell of her breast. "I would love to go and get it now before James and Albert leave. The fact remains, we have safety concerns right now - someone killed Nichole. That's our priority."

"What do we do about the relics we have so far? They're not in a vault. They're exposed."

Karla thought about the situation. She turned back to Evan and asked, "What would you do and why?"

"I would send James and Albert to the surface now. It gets them out of danger, and it gets the artifacts out of play. They're most dangerous when brought together, right? So, who cares if only one is down here. We can retrieve it when we go back for Kalen."

Karla smiled. "You're already thinking like a good leader. I agree. We have to play defense, here. Let's get everyone into two groups. Half of us will escort James and Albert to a lifeboat. The rest of the group should stay together; Nichole was killed alone, right? That's proof we should never be alone. The killer could pick us off one-by-one."

Evan nodded. "Fair enough, but we shouldn't stay in the same apartment complex, either. A simple bomb would wipe out the whole team."

Karla tilted her head forward in agreement. "We all take apartments on the same block. If someone is in distress, we put a signal up in a window to alert the others. We should have two people doing patrols together. They should never be out of the other's sight. We'll do shifts."

"Alright." Evan made his way to the door. "Most of us are already on the same block. Rufus and Collobulous are the furthest away. I'll have them move to this block right away. Vincent and the twins have their own place but it's no where near this block. It's over a mile away."

"Why are we all located here anyhow?"

Johann chimed in. "We're close to the stasis lab where you guys found me. What if Vincent and the twins move to this block? That would be cool, right?"

"I agree." Evan opened the door and peered out into the hallway. He turned back to Karla and feigned a weak smile. "Fox and Conner shut off computer access to the elevators. They wanted to shut off oxygen to the Underground City, too, but we can't just kill all Falcon's soldiers like that."

Karla shrugged. "They've been pumping air down there for a while. I doubt it would effect them right away. And even if they realized we did it, it would give them reason to force their way out. Right now, they fell back to defend that place. They'll stay there. So long as the elevator is off, we should be fine."

"Did we win?" Evan asked. "Do we just destroy this city and leave?"

Karla shook her head. "My son wasn't among the stasis tubes. I came to get my boy and make sure Falcon is dead. I don't want that psycho coming back for my kids down the road."

Johann made his way to the door and passed Evan. He stepped out into the hall and checked the immediate area. "It's clear."

Evan nodded to his friend, standing in the doorway. He turned back to Karla. "I agree that Falcon shouldn't be underestimated. Reno can't confirm whether or not he died. Plus, Raul is still down there. We can't leave Raul."

Karla smiled. "Raul can move through time-space. He teleports, babe. Anywhere and everywhere. He can be in Hawaii in the blink of an eye. I'm jealous, mind you, but we don't have to worry about him. Let's get ourselves ready, secure this city first, and then we can go after Falcon in a few days. I'm thinking New Years Eve. Does that work for you boys?"

"We're staying that long?" asked Evan.

"Let's take our time and do it right."

"I miss Patty and Haley." Evan took a deep breath and offered a tepid smile. "Okay. Preliminary plan - we storm the other city on New Years Eve."

"Okay babe. Where are you boys headed now?"

"To keep spreading the news. We have to keep communication going. Once everyone has been informed, we'll help Vincent and the twins move to an apartment on this block. Having Charlie in the area makes me feel safe because he'll be able to sense if anyone comes near."

Karla pointed at Evan, "Yes! That's right! We have a telepath! Sorry, I'm still just waking up. My brain isn't brain-ing. Who is next on your list?"

"Sinopa."

Karla nodded firmly. "Have her stay with Charles or whoever - she needs to be with someone. We can't have anyone on their own. I don't want a repeat of Nichole, okay?"

"Oh, one more thing, Karla."

"Hmm?"

"Elvena had a long talk with Topaz. You didn't hear this from me, but after a girlie-gripe festival, it was James and Conner who went to bat for you. It changed their tune - Topaz and Elvena, I mean. They talked out their problems. Elvena will be coming over and staying with you. That's okay for you, right? You have room here?"

Karla smiled. Her eyes itched, becoming moist. "Yeah. I have room here. Elvena is my daughter. You knew that right?"

"I figured it out by the way they were talking. I guess she just needed to vent. But after Conner and James stood up for you, it really changed Topaz and Elvena's tone. They vented to the guys. The guys explained how you've become a team player and that you became the heart and soul of this group. I think it really impressed Elvena and Topaz."

Karla walked to the doorway and cupped either side of Evan's head. She kissed the side of his face. "Maybe Conner's not such a little jerk after all. Thanks for telling me."

"I'll be in touch." Evan stepped out and followed Johann down the stairs to the street exit.

X

X

** Donovan took Sinopa's hand** and kissed her knuckles. "Ma'am, I would be honored to share a dwelling with thee. Reno has requested my assistance regarding the investigation he has been conducting." Donovan walked to the window of Sinopa's temporary apartment. "Excellent. One is able to spy Eric's apartment from this location."

"Have you had a chance to catch up with him?"

"We have not spoken." Donovan turned to Sinopa again. "I understand you have experienced a great deal of emotional stress in the days leading to my rescue. I will not pretend to understand what you've endured. However, you have led the young team and you managed to focus Karla. I appreciate your perseverance and I respect the cumbersome load you shouldered to see this through."

"You are a thoughtful man," Sinopa said. "I am here as a mother, searching for my children. I am finally reunited with them, but they are in mourning of Nichole's death."

"Yes, I heard. The details were disconcerting."

"Agreed." Sinopa approached an adjacent window and peered through it. "I am also here for vengeance. I have an obligation to seek..." She trailed off trying to think of a pleasant way to word her next sentence. "I seek, shall we say ... reparations. They took my husband from me. In fact, they have taken both my husbands. They abducted my children. They captured my granddaughter for a time. And now they will pay in blood."

"I understand. It is the only way to ensure your family is free of danger."

Sinopa smiled. "You understand."

"I do." He nodded towards the window, gesturing to the apartment across the street. "How has Eric faired in my absence? I understand he has a family, now."

"Yes. Elvena is his daughter. They named their son after you, Mr. Loupe. The daughter is an adult. She's twenty-six. The boy is a young child - seven, perhaps eight by now."

Donovan nodded. "Please, just Donovan."

"Arigato, Donovan-san."

"May I address you as Sinopa?"

"If you please."

"Pardon my archaic speech tendencies. I have been working to free myself of such. It ... comes and goes as it were."

Sinopa smiled again. "I find it charming, Donovan. I am working to use contractions in my English speaking. Perhaps we can help one another."

"I would appreciate that."

Sinopa nodded. She gestured towards the apartment through the window. "Would you like to visit Eric? I had hoped to speak with Karla. I wish to be on the same page as her - she has a tendency to accept the burden of leadership at times. I find it best if I guide her into making her decisions, due the fact she struggles to take orders."

Donovan stepped back from the window. He offered Sinopa a smile and a nod. He opened the apartment door and made a sweeping gesture with his free hand. "Ladies first."

"Ah, a proper gentleman." A slight smile tugged at the corner of the kitsune's lips. "Do mind your manners, while staying in my company, though. I am a lady in mourning."

"Manners are all I have, Sinopa. I would like to help you strike down Aris Falcon so you can properly grieve."

She smiled. "So long as you have no further expectations."

"I expect to help, nothing more." He held the door for her and closed it behind them. They took the stairs.

"Arigato."

He stepped through the door at the bottom of the steps first, looked around the area, and then held the second door open for her. "The area is clear."

"You are a proper traditional man, Donovan. Arigato." She turned to him and offered a bow of her head to show respect. "It is much appreciated."

"It is my honor as a man unless asked otherwise." He walked adjacent to her. They crossed the street and headed to speak to Karla and Eric.

X

X

(Several days later)

Wednesday December 29, 2049 - Midday New Atlantis ...

First came the aches, followed by a chill. As consciousness grew, there were more odd sensations, one of which was a throbbing in his head. To top it all off, there was confusion.

Kalen Kincade opened his eyes, squinting at the dim illumination of LED lights on the floor of the vault. He eased up on an elbow and struck his forehead on the bottom of a shelf.

He slid his legs away from the wall and eased his feet to the floor. The fall was further than expected and he instinctively dropped to a crouch.

A metallic sound thudded on the ground nearby. He turned to face it. Kalen reached down and picked up the spear tip of Longinus.

He ran his thumb over the cool metal. It was colder than he expected, although it certainly wasn't uncomfortably cold...

Kalen stood up and stretched. His back popped, his knees creaked. He felt something else, something he hadn't felt in a long time - Kalen Kincade felt the sensation of warm saliva running down the bottom corner of his mouth.

He lifted his hand, thumbed away the drool and examined the sheen on his thumb tip. "What?" His voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat, but...

Kalen came to realize that he cleared his throat because of the wetness in his mouth. The wetness in his mouth ... not because his throat felt weird.

In fact, he no longer felt awkward in regards to the memory of nearly being decapitated. Thinking back on the details didn't bother him.

He felt the strangest sensation in his lower legs. Like tiny pins and needles, he reached down and patted his calves. The sensation seemed somehow familiar yet foreign.

The strange sensation of feeling groggy was another oddity. That, too, was a foreign yet familiar feeling. And then ... the weirdest of all - Kalen felt the overwhelming need to yawn.

He curled his toes several times and the sensation in his legs began to fade.

Kalen reached down and brought his hand to his chest and felt his heart beating. It was beating on its own, without forcing it. He relaxed his body and tried to calm his heart, so that it would stop, but he couldn't stop it.

The man lived as a vampire for over fifteen decades. It was all he knew anymore. These sensations were all fairly new to him, like something he may have experienced as a child, and barely remembered.

Kalen brought his hand to his head. It felt warm. He breathed against his palm. His breath was warm, also.

Kalen made an attempt to force his fangs to extend but nothing happened. He reached into his mouth and traced his teeth with a finger. No fangs.

"I'm dreaming," he murmured. "I have to be," he added in a louder tone. The hoarseness faded from his voice.

Kalen pressed his thumbnail gently against his forefinger and watched the way his skin lightened. He released the pressure and his finger took on a normal healthy blush tone.

He lifted his shirt, and the undershirt beneath. Kalen examined the place where his abdomen was cut by the spearhead during his recent injury ... there were no marks on his skin.

His head felt unclear, and for the first time, he realized he was breathing without thinking about it. However, his nose was blocked up with congestion, forcing him to breathe through his mouth.

Kalen patted himself down with his free hand. He placed the spearhead on the shelf where he was lying earlier.

Kalen froze. He felt the metal surface. It was cold ... except for where he had been lying. That area was warm.

Again, he patted himself down. Kalen found a handkerchief in his breast pocket. He withdrew it and brought it to his nose.

He forced his breath out through his nose. His breathing passages cleared. He glanced down into the handkerchief, shocked to see the slight shine of mucus.

He stared at it in confusion. He folded the handkerchief three times and returned it to his breast pocket. "This isn't ... no." He held his breath for a moment but it didn't last long before the need to breathe forced the issue.

He stood still, staring at the spear tip on the shelf. On top of everything else, he felt two new sensations. Again, they were familiar yet unknown and uncomfortable. His stomach ached with the pangs of hunger.

The other sensation went the way of gravity. He felt warmth in his pants followed by the embarrassing stench of ... urine. It felt uncomfortable and chafing.

Kalen turned towards bodies on the floor. They were decomposing. By the look and smell, he judged they had been dead for several days.

He lowered to all fours and checked the first guard.

The dead guard smelled awful. The body had expelled whatever came from the bowels after death. The stench caused Kalen to flinch involuntarily.

He climbed over to the second dead guard. The man smelled of decomposition, but the cadaver's clothes seemed ... passable. In fact, other than using too much cologne, the second body's clothing didn't smell at all.

Kalen stripped off the pants and belt of the second guard, but left the man's undergarments in place. Kincade shed his own pants and the underwear beneath. He sniffed at them, equally surprised by the warmth.

He hadn't had to urinate in roughly a century and a half. And now? Now he did. It was confusing and he felt overwhelmed by all the new sensations all at once.

Kalen held the guard's pants up and checked the tag within. They would be a bit large on him - the deceased guard wore 30x32, and Kalen had a twenty-eight inch waist.

He pulled the pants on. He imagined Karla making a joke about 'going commando.' Kalen buttoned and zipped the trousers and reached to fasten the belt. However, the pants fit perfectly.

Kalen pondered why the pants fit so well. He somehow managed to gain two inches on his waist? He couldn't understand it.

The academic part of his brain, the very reason that Natalia and Niall embraced him into immortal vampirism, was scrambling for answers.

He decided if he was alive, he would have water retention ... the question was, where did the water come from? He'd been dead ... rather, he'd been _undead_for about fifteen decades.

Kalen looked back towards the spear of Longinus on the shelf. There was a makeshift sheet on the floor, beneath the shelving. He picked it up and froze.

There was a slight image on one side. He presumed it was from his newfound body oils. He put the makeshift shroud on the shelf and picked up the spearhead of Longinus.

Kalen felt cold, lightheaded, and hungry. But it wasn't like the hunger for blood. It came from having an empty stomach - a sensation he'd long forgotten. He felt dehydrated, achy, and sore. He felt hungover. He had a headache.

But most of all, he felt hungry. However, all he knew was blood.

The ex-vampire turned a wheel on the inside of the vault, manually releasing the tumblers. The vault door swung open.

Kalen stored the spear within the inside pocket of his favorite jacket and zipped up the front to keep it safe. He stumbled out of the vault and approached a large window, which wrapped around the building's floor.

The observation deck didn't bother him at first. He looked straight down at the tiny street. Oddly, a weird feeling swelled up in his empty stomach. He felt dizzy from the height.

There was a large empty snake skin peel on the floor. It was enormous.

Kalen made his way down the hall to an elevator and felt the sensation in his stomach again as the small lift lowered down the shaft. It stopped on the ground floor; the sensation dissipated.

Kalen made his way through the lobby and outside. He stumbled down the street. A large blue street sign with a white 'H' caught his attention.

It wasn't like America, where the paved streets depicted signs on the surface. This was old fashion. It was all old fashion.

Kalen followed the 'H' signs, knowing it was his best course of action to take care of himself.

The hospital wasn't far. When he arrived, he couldn't find anyone, not even stragglers. The halls were well lit but there was no staff.

He found a sign on the wall and followed the directions to an office labeled 'Phlebotomist.' When he arrived, the office was locked.

Kalen put one hand on the doorframe and his other on the knob. He pulled but nothing happened. He didn't possess the strength to rip the door from its frame.

Kalen found himself a fire extinguisher and used the large silver canister to break the knob. The door swung open.

He turned on the lights and made his way to the blood vault in the back.

Chilled blood pouches were carefully filed. He picked up an O-positive pouch and pulled a clamp off the plastic tube at the bottom of the pouch. He brought it to his lips.

Kalen spit the blood out and gaged at the cold, salty, metallic tasting liquid. It was foul. He put his head into a nearby sink and swished with water, then spit out the last of the disgusting taste.

He clamped the metal blood bag and pinched the clip with his fingers, not really able to cinch it.

Kalen made his way out to the front office with the blood bag in his hand. He found a computerized scanning machine and put his finger into the sensor.

A monitor lit up, showing his vitals - pulse, blood pressure ... systolic and diastolic readings, and his body temperature.

The computer warned that his blood pressure was dangerously low. "No shit," he muttered softly. He sighed through his nose, staring at the computer. The monitor suggested an immediate blood transfusion.

Kalen carried the blood bag over to an aphaeresis machine. He followed the diagrams on the side panel and added a tube with a needle, combining it with the clamped tube on the blood bag. He'd been holding it upside-down so that it wouldn't leak.

There was a tool on the side of the machine for pinching the small metal clamps. Kalen found masking tape as well. He guided the needle into his forearm and used his teeth to break a piece of masking tape. He taped the needle and tube to his forearm and thumbed a switch on the machine.

The knob was labeled, 'Draw whole, aphaeresis,' and there was a faded third label for sending blood to a patient. He turned the knob to the appropriate setting and checked the machine until finding a power switch.

Blood began rushing into his arm. It felt strange, but his lightheadedness faded. The bag of blood poured into his veins until it was empty.

He switched off the machine, gently withdrew the tape and needle, and went back to the sensor in the front of the office.

His blood pressure appeared to have stabilized. Kalen saw a fridge in the back, behind the receptionist's desk. He made his way into the back of the office and opened the refrigerator.

There were small containers of cranberry and apple juice. He saw a box of crackers and opened them. The smell was delightful, but it caused discomfort in his stomach.

Kalen sighed and pushed a cracker into his mouth. He was used to tasting ingredients that were displeasing, but not this time. Within minutes, Kalen found himself wolfing down crackers by the handful.

He reached for a container of juice - it didn't matter which flavor. He drank from it.

He went through half the box and several juice containers before he felt sated.

Kincade made his way back through the hospital. He found a cafeteria and broke into the dry storage area. Chips, synthetic bread, snack bars ... he found synthetic peanut butter. The rear label showed that it was high in protein. He opened the lid and used a spork from a basket of individually wrapped plastic utensils.

Kalen ate the peanut butter straight from the package by the spoonful. It was salty, delicious, and surprisingly filling. Once full, he left the cafeteria and made his way back through the hospital halls.

Lights came on as he passed into each section, operated by motion sensors in each hallway. He found his way to an exit door and left the hospital. His feet ached, the new pants chafed without undergarments, but all-in-all, Kalen felt ... alive.

X

X

Thirty-five minutes later...

Evan, Johann and Karla stared at the empty vault in silence. The lingering scent of decay and urine was annoying. However, it went ignored.

What caught Karla's attention was the fact that one guard had no pants on, and a pair of slacks was thrown into a corner. She turned back to Evan. "You said the spear piece was stuck in his hand? Like, he couldn't let it go, right?"

"Yeah," Evan said. "We couldn't pry it from his hand after he died."

Johann picked up a makeshift blanket crafted from a bag. He held it up so the others could see the facial print in the cloth. "What would do this?"

"Body oils?" Evan frowned. "Wait, do vampires have that problem? That's what we put over him to cover his body."

Karla snatched the fabric from Johann and inspected it. "A shroud with his facial imprint?" The succubus looked back at the pair of pants on the floor. She picked them up by the ankles and sniffed. "Jesus."

"What?"

"A mother knows that smell. Encopresis."

"I don't know that fancy word," Johann said.

"Someone pissed their pants," Karla said, checking the tag in the waistline. "These are Kalen's pants." She carefully touched a single finger against the wetness and dropped the pants on the floor. "They're still a little moist. And they're not ice-cold, either; this is recent. What gives?"

Johann fidgeted. "Did someone piss on his body and then drag him out of here? That would be really messed up."

Karla shrugged. "What's the point of doing that? I loved Kalen to death. He was a great person. But we have a serious problem - the relic is gone. I half expected to find his body and his forearm missing. But ... these clues aren't adding up. Let's get moving. Maybe we'll find something somewhere else. C'mon boys." Karla walked out of the vault.

Evan stopped to stare at the molted snake skin. "I hope that thing isn't waiting for us."

"Let's keep moving, boys." Karla nodded to the elevators up ahead.

The trio left the observation deck and made their way down to the lobby. The main entrance doors were broken. Glass lay strewn about the floor.

A machine rolled in, upstanding like a metal person, but with tank treads instead of feet.

Karla blinked twice. "Look at this 'Johnny 5' looking hunk of junk." She paused and smiled. "Hey, wait, I remember those things. I've seen these before - they were in Falcon's old lab. I went up against a handful of them."

"They look like early model terminators," said Johann. He frowned. "But more menacing."

"They're skinnier than the T-1 series. Those things were just huge torsos on tanks with Gatling guns."

"Oh, right - I remember now," said Johann. "It's been a while since I've watched them." He lifted his hand. Just as the machine began firing rounds at them, Johann turned the air to a wall of water. The rounds never made it through the liquid block.

Evan turned the machine's narrow tank-like treads to glass, and then he furthered them down into silica powder. The machines stopped their advance.

Karla rolled her eyes. "You boys are taking all the fun."

One of the approaching machines launched a canister from a tube. It went through the water and fell to the ground on the other side of the liquid block. Pepper spray dispersed from the canister, but Johann changed the form from gas to solid by changing the molecules.

Foster shook his head with a sigh. "These things suck."

"Were you expecting morphic metallic alloy to come and fight us?" Evan smirked. "They can't all be the T-1000, man."

Johann smiled a bit. "If it looked like Shirley Manson, I'd be okay with letting it survive."

"Jeeze." Evan shook his head.

"What? She was a total Super Vixen."

Karla lifted her hand and spread her fingers apart.

A quadrocopter style drone fell to the ground between Johann and Evan. Flames spit up out of the chassis, lasting several seconds. All at once, the entire drone erupted into a fireball.

Johann and Evan stepped back, surprised and impressed.

Karla smirked. "I stuck a piece of metal, broken off from one of those things you're fighting, into the battery pack of that thing. I didn't expect it to explode like that, but I enjoyed it immensely."

The flames died down and fizzled away. Johann approached the smoldering drone and kicked it. "I didn't even hear it coming. Damn."

Evan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that could have gone really badly." Evan turned around. "Thanks, Karla."

"Uh-huh. You boys ready?"

"That's it? That was the big battle?" Johann sighed. "That was lame."

"Don't say that," Evan murmured with a grimace. "Next thing we know, _The Big O_will come crashing through the building."

"What the hell is Big-O?" asked Karla.

"An anime that didn't last very long." Evan motioned to the block of water.

Johann dissipated the water back into gaseous form. It disappeared.

Evan approached the mechanical sentry and turned its head to glass. "It's more like a T-835."

"I don't remember that one," Johann replied. "Wait, it had lights on the front and a bigger body base, right?"

"Yeah. But these guys are like ... T-835's after a diet."

Karla shook her head. "They're like Johnny-5 from 'Short Circuit.' God, boys - it's obvious Falcon used that as a reference for the design, not the Terminator series."

"I don't remember for sure," Johann said. "What year did that movie come out?"

"There were two." Karla turned away and headed through the broken glass doors. "It was in the 80's. C'mon, let's get moving." She made her way out into the street but stopped in the middle of the lane.

Evan and Johann followed her outside.

Karla pointed upwards. "Maybe you guys jinxed us after all."

Evan looked up at a large statue "You see?!" he exclaimed. "You see, man? I told you! It's freaking ... oh."

Johann looked up at the statue, and then back at Evan. He looked up at the statue a second time, and once more back at Evan.

"I expected that statue to be an area boss." Evan shrugged. "Or the snake thing."

"Don't ever stop being you." Johann gave Evan a firm pat on the back and turned to Karla. "Okay, what now?"

Karla grinned. "I would suggest a wild orgy, but Evan is married, and so am I. Sorry, Johann." She gave Johann a pat on the back - same as he'd done to Evan a moment prior. "Let's go, boys."

"You ... can't have a little sympathy for a guy who had blue-balls for a quarter century?"

Karla and Evan headed back up the street together.

Johann threw his hands in the air. "Okay, kidding! I was joking back! Wait up!"

X

X

Two miles away...

Kalen Kincade knelt besides a dying man. He felt compassion and empathy for the fading life slumped against the wall. Kalen couldn't remember feeling such a way for humans before.

He looked down at his hands. Kalen's eyes lifted. "I am sorry; I cannot do anything for you." He placed his palms on either side of the man's face and used his thumbs to gently close the man's eyes. "If you want, I can make the pain stop, but..."

The man took a deep breath. He sat up. Color returned to the dying man's face.

Kalen drew his hands back and looked down at his palm again. He examined the man's face and then his hands once more.

The man's eyes glistened with moisture. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You laid your hand on me and healed me."

Kalen blinked. "I did nothing of the sort."

"No, you did. I felt it. It was a..." The man trailed off and lifted his shirt. "...Miracle."

"Excuse me?"

The man pointed to his stomach. "I was shot. It went clean through and I was fine but then I felt tired. I've been lying here in my own filth for three days. My people fell back to try and protect Dr. Falcon and those ... gods he was helping."

"Gods?"

The man looked up. "You're one of them aren't you? You're a god."

Kalen shook his head. "No. I'm not a deity; I'm not from the Celestial Realm."

"I laid here, starving and bleeding, for three days. You touch me, and I'm fine. There are no marks on me. What would you call it?"

Kalen frowned. "I'm not sure."

"You're supernatural then, right? One of the Esoteric People? Look, please, don't kill me - I have a family. I'm asking you, spare me for them. My kids are..."

"Wait, stop." Kalen stood up. "I offered to end your suffering. You're telling me that my touch somehow healed you?"

"That wasn't your ability?"

"I was a vampire. But I'm..." Kalen drew in a deep breath and sighed through his nose with a half-hearted shrug. "I'm human, now."

"I thought you take blood? How did you restore what I've lost? I've been lying here, cold, shivering ... dying. For three days, I've laid here, bleeding out. I'm not hungry anymore. I'm not thirsty anymore. The bullet hole in my stomach is gone. It all happened when you touched my face."

Kalen frowned and glanced at his palms again. "I don't know how I did that. Look, I don't want any trouble. Can you make your way out? Find your family."

"My orders are to fall back to the Lower City. But I've just spent three whole days thinking I'd never see my family again. I'd rather leave."

"We're not here to hurt anyone." Kalen reached for the man's hand and helped him to his feet. "You'll want to change your clothes, no offense. How will you leave?"

"There are escape pods. Look, my home isn't far. I'll change - is it that bad?"

"It isn't good," Kalen admitted. "Three days of being soiled."

"You didn't come down here to kill anyone?"

"No. We're here to stop Dr. Falcon and the two so-called gods with him. My people evacuated this dome and pushed the soldiers to fall back to the city buried under the sea floor. We wanted to finish securing this area. Presumably, all the women and children are on the surface, now."

"Thank you. I really mean that."

Kalen didn't know how to accept the appreciation. He feigned a thin smile and nodded. "Go and catch up to them. Gather your things from your home. Leave your weapon, there is no one left in this city except for my people. If you're not armed, they will leave you alone."

"Thank you. What is your name?"

"Kalen Kincade. Why?"

"I just ... wanted to know the name of my savior."

Kalen blinked, unsure how to receive such a title. "Whatever healed me must have healed you, too. I'm not a savior. We were both healed."

"It didn't happen until you touched my face, Mr. Kincade."

Kalen shook his head. "Perhaps it was a coincidence. I've never healed anyone. I've only ever taken lives in the past. I assure you, I'm not the one who healed you. I only came to try and end your suffering. If you're not a threat to me, then I would rather you go and find your family."

"Are you sure? I feel like I owe you. I ... could help you. I could make sure the city is cleared."

Kalen shook his head again. "It's fine. I promise, we have things handled. Go on. Gather the belongings dearest to you, clean up and pack, then head to the surface. It's a big world up there - good luck finding everyone."

"We have a rally point. The lifeboats are password coded to access the autopilot feature. I'll go to where they're going. Again, thank you, Mr. Kincade."

Kalen nodded.

The man walked away.

Kalen lowered his gaze to his palms again. Did the vampire really _heal_someone with his touch? Did he really need food now, instead of blood? Nothing made sense...