Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2010 08:41:38 -0500 From: Paul Tolbert Subject: A Newfound World 17 "Dave..." Lincoln gasped slightly as he began feeling faint from the lack of oxygen in his body. He tried his hardest to get up but found it difficult to stand on his own. He gazed up as Dave slowly made his way over to him; carefully Dave had his gun trained on Hunter. Tuvathu was still crying out in pain at the gun shot he'd received from the agent. "Linc!" Dave said concerned as he neared the slayer. He saw Lincoln coughing and struggling to stand on his feet. He quickly leaned down and grabbed the young man, lifting him up gently. "Dave...I'm...sorry..." Lincoln managed to say before the larger man silenced him. "It's OK Linc. I'm here now." Dave reassured Lincoln with a tender and protective embrace. At that moment Lincoln felt safe and secure. The man he loved came to rescue him. "Aw isn't this a touching moment for you two?" Hunter teased. He growled and began stalking the couple like a starving lion, looking for an opportunity to strike. Dave held on to Lincoln as he quickly pointed his gun at Hunter, threatening to shoot the bloodsucker if he didn't back off. "Bullets don't kill us you moron." Hunter spat out. "No, but they sure as hell hurt. Don't they Tuvathu?" Dave turned his head to look at the older vampire who had struggled to his feet. He snarled and eyed Dave sadistically. "HUNTER! Take care of them, NOW!" He barked at his handsome yet deadly subject. Hunter smiled as he darted towards the couple. Dave shot at Hunter, the powerful bullet piercing his chest. The vampire simply hissed at the impact, shook his head and continued forward. He tackled Dave, causing him to lose his gun in the frenzy, and they began to wrestle on the ground. Lincoln was knocked down on the floor by the impact of Hunter slamming into Dave. He watched on as Dave and Hunter exchanged punches. He then turned his attention to Tuvathu, who now for the first time tonight looked absolutely vulnerable. 'This is my chance', Lincoln thought to himself. He quickly reached down, grabbed his stake and darted over to Tuvathu. Tuvathu looked on with wide eyes as Lincoln backhanded him and kicked him in the chest. Tuvathu stammered backward, causing him to put unwanted pressure on his wounded leg. The vampire hissed slightly and launched an attack of his own against the slayer. ... "What's the matter Davey boy? You getting tired?" Hunter smirked as he began kicking Dave in the mid section while he laid flat on the floor. Hunter had gained ground on Dave as Lincoln and Tuvathu continued to exchange blows on the other side of the warehouse. Dave shielded himself from Hunter's kicks, wincing in pain. "You're pathetic. Hardly worth killing." Hunter grabbed Dave's neck and lifted him up on his knees before kicking him square in the face. Dave's vision became blurry as his head smashed against the concrete. As he regained his vision, he caught a glimpse of Lincoln getting the upper hand on Tuvathu, the slayer passionately landing a series of kicks and punches to the dark lord. He shook his head and crawled over to a stack of wooden crates. He lifted himself up, his back facing Hunter. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a stake. He then waited for the vampire to approach him, planning a sneak attack. Hunter laughed. "Looks like I'll get myself a kill tonight after all..." He grabbed Dave's shoulders and turned him around, gasping at the sudden sharp pain he felt in his chest; a wooden now lay embedded in his heart. "Master..." Hunter cried out as his body began to deteriorate into a cloud of dust. "NO!" Tuvathu screamed out, watching his subordinate perish in front of his eyes. Dave sloped down next to the pile of dust that was now Hunter's remains. He looked up at the remaining vampire with fury, who returned his intense stare. "You..." Tuvathu growled at quickly made his way over to Dave with intentions to kill the larger man. Lincoln ran after the vampire, grasped his collar and tossed him across the room. "Dave..." "Go kick his ass Linc." Dave said smiling. Lincoln nodded and turned his focus to Tuvathu, who stood ready for the final showdown between the two. ... "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU AND YOUR LOVER!" Tuvathu spat out as he punched Lincoln in the side of his face. Lincoln ducked at Tuvathu's 2nd attempt to batter him and delivered a barrage of punches to the vampire's head and chest. "What's the matter Tuvathu? Upset that I killed yours?" Lincoln replied subtly. "ARGH!" Tuvathu roared as he launched himself at the slayer. He kicked him in the torso and backhanded him with such force that Lincoln was sent flying a few feet away. Dave watched on from a distance, still reeling in pain at the now defunct blonde vampire's hands. He was trying to regain his strength so he could aid the younger man defeat the enraged evil that now threatened their lives. Still weaken, all he could do was look on as Tuvathu now gained leverage over Lincoln. The vampire dominate Lincoln, who continued to put up a brave fight. As Lincoln struck Tuvathu, the vampire hit back just as hard. "Time to end this!" Tuvathu snarled. He walked over to a reeling Lincoln and flipped him on his back. "NO!" Dave screamed. He got up and stammered over to them. Tuvathu simply grabbed the agent and threw him into a wall of crates. He chuckled and focused his attention back on Lincoln. "Any last words?" Tuvathu asked. He smiled as he straddled the slayer, preparing to drain him of his blood. "Just one--Goodnight." Lincoln shoved his stake into Tuvathu's heart, causing the surprised vampire to turn into a pile of dust. The dust cloud began to blanket Lincoln. He shielded his nose from inhaling the gray cloud and stood up. "Gross." He said, dusting himself off. "Linc..." a faint voice whispered from across the room. "Dave!" Lincoln ran over to the wooden crates Dave was thrown into and fished him out. "You OK big guy?" "Yeah I'm fine. Are you OK?" "Sure, if you call being covered in vampire remains OK." They both shared a quick laugh. Lincoln helped Dave to his feet. They gathered their weapons and headed out of the warehouse, safely in each other's arms. ... "So it's over huh?" Dave asked as they were driving back to his apartment. Lincoln had his head resting on the car door window, peacefully enjoying the scenery that was passing by. "Well Tuvathu's reign of terror is over yeah, but..." "Yeah...I know." Dave replied in realization that far from over. He frowned and continued to drive. He reached over and gently rubbed Lincoln's sore shoulder, to which the slayer leaned in to his tender touch. His lover lives another night. He was happy and sad at the same time. He knew that this wasn't the end, that Lincoln would have many more battles just like this, battles that might end up being his last. He quickly shook the thought out of his head. 'Lincoln isn't going to die. Not on your watch big guy.' He glanced over at Lincoln, who now had fallen sound asleep. He smiled and sighed as parked his SUV in front of the apartment complex. He sat for a moment, reflecting on what transpired tonight before getting out of the vehicle. He walked over to the passenger's side and pulled a sleeping Lincoln out of his seat. He cradled Lincoln as he walked into the building. As he walked he looked down at his lover and smiled. "He's safe." *END*