Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 18:51:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Author James Subject: Marvel Knights 15 Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. It has no intentions of resembling any real persons dead or alive. This is entirely from my imagination, with a little help from already established sources. This story is based loosely on the comic book character "The Punisher" from Marvel Comics. Other characters may appear from Marvel comics as well as DC Comics. Punisher and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics. Blade and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel copyright Joss Whedon, United Paramount Network and Warner Bros. Respectively. The Vampire Chronicles and all related characters created by Anne Rice. Copyright Anne O'Brien Rice. I have written another story on nifty entitled "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". It is in the Celebrity/Boy Bands section. Batman may appear in this story once or twice, as the Punisher may appear in "Tales of a Real Dark Knight". Any comments may be sent to authorjames2002@yahoo.com Thank you and enjoy. Chapter 15 Facing the Vampire "I love what you've done with the place," Punisher said to Blade as they sat down at the kitchen table. Whistler came in the room and looked over at their guests. "Whistler," Blade called over. "This is Michael Weatherby, aka the Punisher. And this is..." "Sorry," Johnny said. "I'm John Blaze, but my friends call me Johnny." Blade nodded. "Nice to meet you," Whistler said sitting down at the table. "I see you haven't changed," Blade said to Punisher. "What do you mean?" "Bringing helpless people into our world." "He's far from being helpless," Punisher replied. "Really?" Blade looked over at Johnny. "What can you do?" Johnny smiled and suddenly changed before their eyes into Ghost Rider. "What magic have you been working?" Whistler replied recognizing right away the mystical forces that must have been invoked to create such a creature. Ghost Rider turned to Whistler. "Hello, Abraham. Nice to see you again." Whistler just stared at Ghost Rider. "Is there something you're not telling us?" Blade asked. "During my years of training to be Watcher, I've had to face many mystical and supernatural forms and experiences. I also learned to recognize spirits and ways in which spirits take possession. This spirit is a very powerful spirit. By the way he can instantly transform into the image of the spirit, it would have to be a willing possession. And you don't seem upset or distressed in any way. Usually someone who knows or thinks they are possessed aren't so damned happy about it." "You're right," Ghost Rider says turning back into Johnny. "It wasn't forced. I asked for it. The Friends of Humanity had my son." "Is he a mutant?" Blade asked. "No. They wanted to get to Michael through me." "Are you two involved?" Blade asked. Johnny nodded and Punisher smiled. "So what's going on with everyone?" Punisher asked. "There is a vampire in town, a very powerful species of vampire. And he has Tandy, Ty, Davey and Harris as hostages." "Won't staking help?" "Not likely," Whistler answered. "This particular species isn't demonic. The damn beings have a soul. The only thing a stake to the heart would do is cause them to bleed to death, unless they remove the stake. They heal pretty fast, too." "So holy water, crosses..." "All that stuff doesn't work. Garlic does, and fire. Dismemberment, too, provided the pieces are kept away from each other. The body parts have a way of coming back together." "Damn," Johnny replied. "You guys are serious about this vampire business, aren't you?" Blade looked at Johnny and opened his mouth wide revealing his elongated fangs. "Some of us are part vampire." "Oh," Johnny said. "I didn't mean to offend you." "None taken," Blade answered. "Do you know where they are being held?" "That's what I was working on when I saw you. There is a hotel where Tandy was held earlier. That is where Ahriman is. And we are going after him." "So we prepare and go tonight?" Johnny asked. "No," Blade replied. "We go in a few minutes. Whistler, give him a run down of how to fight vampires." Harris lay on the floor with blood pouring out of his nose. Davey, Ty and Tandy looked on extremely angry, Davey the most of all. The guy he worked so hard to win back was now lying on the floor in intense pain and there was nothing Davey could do to stop it. Ahriman sat on the couch eating grapes. He looked over at the human boy and smiled. "You show such resilience, young man. Why is that? What keeps you go even after the pain I've inflicted on you?" "L-l-love. Love...keeps...me going." "Love? Hmmm. Now you understand my position. Love is what causes me to search for my sister. Love is what drives me." "Love doesn't do this, Ahriman," Tandy said. "Love does not kill others just to get what it wants." "I beg to differ, Slayer. Love has been the driving force for violence throughout history. Or do you forget that I'm over a thousand years old? Yes, I know what motivates people to destruction. I know what it is that makes men cry out for blood. Love. "Oh love has its many side effect emotions, such as vengeance, for example. If someone loses a loved one, sadness and anger and, depending on the cause of loss, vengeance will emerge. You see, I've worked past my sadness. I'm dealing with my anger, as this young boy before is an example. Vengeance will be next on my list. That is a most assured emotion I will be feeling. And to think, it is all because of love. Such a powerful feeling and such a simple word." "That isn't love," Blade said from the window. Ahriman turned to Blade. "So nice of you to join me. I was wondering when you would show up. And it's just you and me." "And me," Punisher said from the door to the corridor. Ahriman turned to see Punisher and Ghost Rider framed by the door. "Who the hell are you?" the vampire asked. "Vengeance," Punisher and Ghost Rider replied in unison. Punisher fired his shotgun into Ahriman knocking the vampire back. Ghost Rider rushed the vampire and tackled him. "You think you know what fiery vengeance is, vampire," Ghost Rider muttered. "I will show you the fires of vengeance. They will consume you and eat your soul." Ahriman pushed Ghost Rider off, pushed the possessed man so hard in fact that Ghost Rider flew into the ceiling and fell landing beside the vampire. The fiery skull was soon replaced by Johnny Blaze's head. Punisher and Whistler went to Tandy, Ty, and Davey to unchain them. Punisher handed Whistler a pistol to blast the chains while Punisher used another pistol to do the same. Once the three were free, Davey rushed to Harris and knelt by him. "Harris," Davey muttered as a tear came down his cheek. He placed his fingers on Harris's neck to check for a pulse. There was a faint one, a sign of hope. Ty turned to Ahriman who was battling with Blade. Fists were flying, blocks were being used and kicks were being dished out. Ahriman blocked a punch by Blade. Blade spun around with his other hand and backhanded the vampire. Ahriman spun and knelt with the impact. He then punched Blade in the stomach. Blade flew back into the air and landed against the wall. "Damn, half-breed," Ahriman muttered. "Accensum!" Ty yelled out and Ahriman's clothes burst into flame. "Aaah," Ahriman cried out. He quickly took off the burning clothes standing before the vampire hunters naked. "You will pay for that, witch!" Ahriman raised a hand at Ty and Ty became rigid in pain. He started grunting and groaning in pain. Tandy took advantage of Ahriman's distraction and picked up the coffee table, hurling it at the vampire. The table hit Ahriman knocking him back and causing him to release Ty. "You little bitch!" he exclaimed. Ahriman did the same to Tandy as he did to Ty, and he resumed the pain on Ty as well. "You cannot comprehend the power I have," Ahriman exclaimed. "Nothing can stop me!" "Wrong!" Davey exclaimed as he moved in front of Ahriman. "I can can." Davey swung his leg up and kicked Ahriman in the chest. Ahriman flew back into the wall releasing Ty and Tandy. "But...how can you..." "Love," Davey answered. "You hurt my boyfriend. I'm going to kick your ass." Davey did a snap kick at Ahriman. Ahriman blocked it and pushed Davey backwards. Then Ahriman stood up. He grabbed a sword from off the wall. Davey ran over to the unconscious Blade and pulled out Blade's sword. Then he went after Ahriman. The sound of metal clanging against metal echoed throughout the room. Sparks flew as the two swords impacted each other with incredible strength behind them. Davey blocked an attack by Ahriman and tried to parry. Ahriman was ready, however, and blocked Davey's attack. He swung at Davey attempting to cut the boy. Davey, however, was ready. Thanks to his mutation he had great reflexes. He flipped backwards as the sword sliced by. As he went backwards and brought his legs around, his feet contacted with Ahriman's chin. Davey landed on his feet as Ahriman brought the sword around. Davey brought Blade's sword up to his face and blocked the attack from Ahriman. Ahriman pushed on Davey's sword trying to knock him back, but Davey held his own. "You messed up on one little thing, Ahriman," Davey said. "Oh, and what's that, boy?" "Tandy isn't the little bitch." Davey pushed out on the sword with all his strength. Ahriman flew backward. "I am." With all his might, Davey swung the sword. Ahriman tried to block it with his sword but the strength of the metal along with the strength behind it caused Ahriman's sword to snap. The tip of Blade's sword also sliced into Ahriman's throat. Ahriman dropped the sword hilt and clutched at his already healing neck. "And by the way," Davey added. "You look a little pale. Get some sun." Davey leapt at Ahriman bringing his feet up between them. His feet impacted the vampire's chest and Ahriman flew through the balcony window into the noon day sun. His body burst into flames and he screamed as he fell to the ground. By the time he reached the sidewalk, his charred corpse shattered into dusty, ashen pieces. Davey turned to his friends who were gaining their strength back. He wasted no time on his friends, whom he knew would recover just fine. Instead, he rushed to his boyfriend, his very human, very normal boyfriend. "He still has a pulse," Davey replied. "Some call an ambulance." "On it," Whisler replied. Punisher was over by Johnny checking him as well. Ty and Tandy attended to Blade to make sure he was okay. Once they supernaturally empowered persons were determined okay, they crowded around Davey and Harris. "Can you do a spell?" Davey asked Ty. "You know, to make him better?" "The mystical and the medical don't mix," Ty replied unhappily. "It could do more damage than good." Harris brought his hand up and touched Davey's cheek. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you, too," Davey answered as a few tears made their way down his cheek. A few days later, the vampire hunter gang went to the hospital to get Harris. Davey met Harris's parents for the first time when they took Harris in. Harris's parents were a bit hesitant when they saw the people Harris hung around with, but Davey's sincerity in caring for Harris shown through and they allowed them to visit. As Harris was wheeled out in a wheelchair, Davey ran up and gave Harris a hug. Harris hugged Davey back, though not as strongly as he normally could have. Ahriman had done a lot of damage to Harris. If Harris had given up, he could have died. But his love for Davey kept him going. For the remaining few weeks of class, Davey helped Harris out by pushing him in his wheelchair from class to class. No one had a problem with Harris and Davey's relationship, especially after what Harris did to Larry. The gay popular people left Harris and Davey alone now, too, for fear that Harris would do to them what he did to Larry. He had earned their respect. 'How sad,' Harris thought. 'It took me physically hurting someone to earn the respect of others. Why can't they respect me for who I am instead of what I do?' That, unfortunately, is a lesson that many in junior high and high school don't get until they go to college, where the student body is made up of a larger diversity of persons. The End What did you think of this series of chapters? Did you like it better than "Punisher"? Do you like all of the characters now involved in Marvel Knights? I'd like to know what you think of this set of chapters and which one you liked better, if there were any. As you can tell, I'm not going to the extent I do in "Real Dark Knight" where each section is 50 chapters long. I think 15 are just right for "Marvel Knights." Next section: The Era of Hatred followed by a major storyline where Marvel Knights will crossover with "Real Dark Knight" and "Superhero Band" for a major mutant storyline.