While the chaos couldn't be seen in the distance, one of the buildings in the middle of Alyssa's town was on fire and that could be noticed from miles away. She had a look of shock on her face as they both flew closer to her town to access the damage. There appeared to be a hole in the wall, and the undead were using it for access. That meant the town was likely on lock down, meaning no one in or out of the buildings till the dead was cleared up and the wall repaired. They were prepared for such an incident, with each building supplied to take a siege for at least a week.
"What is going on?" Alyssa asked as they got closer.
"I'm not sure," Gabriel answered, "But that fire can be seen for miles, and that will summon more of the dead to walk over. They need to be put out, and quickly."
"Let's find Diane first and make sure she's alright." Alyssa ordered.
Gabriel flew her back to the roof of her building, and to her relief both Diane and Pablo were up there, waiting for them with many other people.
"Your timing is impeccable." Pablo said, "We appear to be under attack."
"I had no idea what was going on," Gabriel confessed, "But the fire can be seen for miles away. It's going to attract a lot of unwanted attention."
"How did this start?" Alyssa asked.
"There was an explosion that took out the wall and another that lit the building, likely to attract the dead." Pablo said, "These are the cheap, cowardly acts I'd expect from a Californian."
"Let's not jump to conclusions." Gabriel said as he set the supplies aside. He leaned over and looked off the roof at what was going on below. Only the undead walking the streets, and no signs of any fresh dead as everyone probably managed to barricade themselves in before things really god bad.
Pablo tossed Gabriel a bandana. "Here, get started. I'll continue to pick them off on the other side of the wall with my rifle to keep them from spilling in."
"What's that for?" Alyssa asked.
"To keep my face covered," Gabriel said as he used it cover the bottom of his face up, like a western bandit. "It also keeps my fangs hidden."
"Oh," Alyssa replied, "Good point."
Gabriel turned to face one of the troopers that came with them from Denver.
"I'm going to drop you off by the truck," he informed the big man, "When I start clearing them from the wall, park the truck by the hole."
"A temporary patch?" Pablo asked.
"It will do for now," Gabriel concurred, "and once the grounds are clear, we'll get some sheet metals, fix the wall and get things back to normal."
Before anyone could respond, Gabriel zipped off the roof and to the ground, and all anyone from the roof could see after that was a blur zipping back and forth as various undead creatures started to drop like flies. Once things started to seriously thin down, Sean's driver from the second truck used the fire escape to slowly get to the truck that was parked just underneath it. Sean and his crew had left it there so they could make an escape if the situation ever called for it. The driver stood on the stairs and waited for the undead around the truck to be cleared before jumping down onto the roof and then into the vehicle. He started the truck up and rolled it slowly to the spot where the wall was breached. It wasn't a very big hole, but it was enough to let the dead in and the fire was attracting them in droves. As the truck was slowly pulling up, the dead walking around were dropping like flies, as Gabriel cut them down with great speed and extreme prejudice. He cleared the path for the truck to park in front off the breach, and it was big enough to block the hole off and stop the dead from coming in. Gabriel stopped to take a look at their patch.
"That looks pretty solid," Gabriel said, inspecting it. "That will hold them off till we can clear them and fix it."
"What do we do now?" The driver asked.
"I'm going to clear the rest," Gabriel said, looking around. "You collect as many fire extinguishers as you can find and I'll deal with the fire next."
"On it," The driver said as he hopped out and started to run to look for the extinguishers needed.
Gabriel had no problem cutting the rest of the undead down, and when he was finished, Sean's friend had collected half a dozen red containers.
"That will do," Gabriel said, grabbing one. "Watch them, and I'll be right back."
"Affirmative," the driver replied.
Gabriel ran quickly in to the building and used his speed to put out the fire as fast as he could, even his fast motions help blow some of the fires out as he was moving with great speed. Just as he was clearing the flames in the hallway of the second floor, Gabriel stopped as he heard something. A beeping sound, and the old vampire knew exactly what it was. He bolted to the source of the sound, which was another bomb, and moving at a very quick pace Gabriel had little trouble disarming it before it could go off. He heard other beeps and quickly disarmed those devices before they had a chance to cause the town more damage. Gabriel didn't finish putting out the first but instead ran out of the building where Sean's friend was watching over the other extinguishers.
"What's wrong?" the man asked.
"I got most of it," Gabriel told him, "Get in there and take care of the rest of it. I've got bigger fish to fry."
Before the man could ask for details, Gabriel bolted off and into the air, using his ears again to look for a beeping sound but this time he was looking for the bomb, but instead the device used to trigger them. There was a pickup truck less than a few miles away from the town, and two people in the back watching the town from a distance. Before they knew what happened, Gabriel grabbed the bigger man and dragged him off the truck and onto the ground. He had fangs and claws bared, when he heard the other person from the truck call out.
"Don't hurt my daddy!"
Gabriel turned to see the smaller person in the truck was a child, no more than eight years old. The vampire recognized the kid too, as he had seen him before in New Lycan. That mean the man on the ground was...
"Frank, I assume?" Gabriel said, looking back down at him. "What are you doing here and what is the meaning of this attack?"
"I don't have to answer to you, Vampire!" Frank sniped back, defiantly.
"No you don't," Gabriel confirmed, "But I already disarmed the rest of your bombs. Whatever this is, it's over."
"Why are you working with these fools?" Frank asked, "They're just taking up space."
"I could say the same for you and the rest of New Lycan," Gabriel countered, "But let me make one thing clear, this town is under my protection. I will fight every one of you damn wolves to protect if it I have to, though I assume my brother might step in before that."
"I'm not afraid of him," Frank replied, "Or you."
"You should be," Gabriel said as he turned to the kid. "Can you drive?"
"Yeah," The kid replied, "Dad taught me."
"Good," Gabriel said as he drove his foot into Franks leg so hard that he broke it badly. Frank roared in pain as he wasn't going to be walking for a very long time, if ever the same again.
"Son of a bitch!" Frank screamed in terrible agony.
"Next time I take your head," Gabriel informed him, "Right after I take his."
Frank understood the message as it was loud and clear. He would not hesitate to kill the kid if he crossed the Vampire again.
"Your first and only warning," Gabriel chided, "Now get out of here."
Before Frank could respond, Gabriel zipped around and stole every device he suspected could have been the detonator. He also took their rifles, giving them even more incentive to take off and head home. Gabriel went back to town and leaped onto the roof without being noticed. Pablo, Alyssa and Sean's family were still on the roof watching over what was going on. Once Gabriel landed on the roof, he walked over and handed the devices and rifles to Pablo.
"Where did these come from?" Pablo asked.
"I'll explain later," Gabriel said, turning to Alyssa. "Is everyone alright?"
"It seems so," Alyssa said, happy to see him back.
Gabriel was about to say something else, but something had caught his attention. Sitting down in the middle of the other kids Sean had brought to the roof, was Diane. She had seen everything.
"Oh crap," Gabriel said, knowing what he had just done.
It took the night to clear away the undead and secure the town, but when it was all said and done, the mayor closed the school and told everyone to take a day off. It was to give them all a chance to recover from the events of the previous night. Everyone was ordered to stay home, while guards and public officials did sweeps all day looking for undead stragglers that might have been missed. Alyssa had a problem of her own as Diane locked herself away in her bedroom and didn't come out the entire day, even refusing to come out to eat. She was beginning to worry about her sister, who hadn't said a word to anyone since the chaos, and watching Gabriel fly all over the place and do his Vampire thing to save the town. It was enough to make her cry because she didn't want to burden Diane with this secret, not something this dark, this gruesome. She knew Diane had to know eventually, but not this way. She was thinking about trying again when there was a knock at the door. Alyssa walked over and opened it, and Pablo was standing there with a tray of food.
"I'm not trying to overstep," Pablo started, "But I have experience with this sort of thing."
"You mean explaining monsters?" Alyssa asked.
"No," Pablo replied, "I mean talking to stubborn teenagers. I used to have a few, so let me take a crack at her."
"Alright," Alyssa said, opening the door. "Give it your best shot."
"Thanks," Pablo said as he walked past here and over to Diane's door. He paused for a moment and then softly knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he softly knocked a second time.
"Go away!" a voice called from within.
"I get it, you're upset." Pablo said, "And I understand how you feel. I wasn't given any warning before the truth was dumped on me. It was like tossing a viper onto your lap without any notice. Just not cool, and that kind of surprise takes a long time to process. Believe me, I know this from experience."
The door opened a crack, as Diane peeked out.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Something to eat," Pablo answered, "Some great stuff you can't get here that comes from one of the big cities."
"What cities?" she asked.
"I brought a map," Pablo said gesturing to the tube under his armpit. "I'll tell you everything if you're willing to hear me out."
"Everything?" Diane repeated.
"Everything." Pablo replied, "But you have to promise to keep it all a secret. There are a lot of people who would flip out if they knew half of this stuff. Some people are just not ready for it yet."
"Okay," Diane said, opening the door wider. "But just you."
"Don't worry," Pablo said to Alyssa, "I got this."
"Okay," Alyssa said, as she didn't appear to have a choice in the matter. She was just happy to see that Diane was willing to speak to someone, anyone at this point. She stood there and watched as the door closed after Pablo walked in was relocked. Once Pablo was inside, he good a seat on a chair in the corner as Diane sat on her bed. He placed the tray of food down and put the rolled map on the night stand. He gave her a moment to eat before starting to talk to her.
"I don't need to tell you how messed up this world has become," he started, gesturing to the window. "We live in the land of the undead. So while I know this is a shock, but the undead are not the only monsters that are out there. They've always been around, but only stared to come out after this mess started. They're just trying to survive like we are in the new reality we've been given, but they've also taken advantage of the situation and used it to elevate their status."
"Elevate it how?" Diane asked.
"By creating their own towns and even cities." Pablo answered.
"So they're just trying to make it like we are, right?" she asked.
"Something like that," Pablo concurred, "But it can be complicated. There are more of one monster than others. Some are spread out while others prefer to run in packs. Gabriel's kind is like cats, many of them do their own thing and are very independent."
"How many monsters are out there?" Diane asked.
"More than I'd like to admit," Pablo replied, "But they want nothing to do with you, well most of them. The undead are just oblivious to the world, but others just want their own place in the world."
"But Gabriel needs blood," Diane reminded him.
"Yes, he does." Pablo confirmed, "But he doesn't take it without consent. It's offered to him freely or not at all."
"Why would Alyssa consent?" the young girl asked.
"For the same reason I do," Pablo answered, "Gabriel barters it for help. His assistance has helped me stay a live for a very long time. All those supplies your sister brought back was with his help. He trades for it, so he doesn't have to hunt for it."
"Why does he need Alyssa's if he has yours?" she asked.
Pablo took a deep breath. "By using more than one person, it prevents anyone from being overused. It can be very tiring."
Diane sat there in her bed, eating more snacks as Pablo went on to explain what was on the map any why they were marked with different colors. When the map came out, she paid more attention and listened as the older man who was her father's age continued to babble on about werewolves in New Lycan and other human cities that were on the coasts.
"Why blood?" Diane then asked, apparently still full of inquires.
"I have no idea, it's just what they eat." Pablo replied. "Vampires are very rare in these parts. There are only a small handful in North America, while most of them are in Europe which is their homeland. They've been there for thousands of years, and probably a lot longer."
"How old is Gabriel?" Diane asked.
"I'm not sure of the exact age, but I've seen a picture of him with Abraham Lincoln, so he goes at least a few hundred years." Pablo said, "If you have any questions about history, he's clearly the man to go to."
"Wow," The young woman said, thinking about it.
"I know right," Pablo added, "And we haven't covered everyone yet. Don't get me even started on the witches."
"Witches?" Diane repeated.
"You won't have to worry about that," Pablo said, trying to calm her. "Those hags all live in New Salem, and we all stay far, far away from the horrid place. They rarely travel either, as it's too dangerous for them. Not just from the undead but also from the other species who are scared."
"Have you ever met a witch?" Diane asked, looking very eager to hear more.
"I have," Pablo confessed, "But I'd rather not talk about it right now, especially before bed time. We need to get some zees around here."
"Promise to tell me more when the time is right?" she asked, hopping underneath the sheets.
"I promise," Pablo said, smiling back. "Good night."
Pablo turned the light off and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Alyssa was still in the hallway, as it was apparent that she had been out there the whole time, waiting for him to come out.
"She'll be okay," Pablo whispered to her. "She'll probably have more questions, but that will give you a chance to mend fences on your own time. Give her some space and let her digest everything that's been laid on her. She'll come around."
"Alright," Alyssa replied, smiling back. "Thanks for your help."
"I try my best," Pablo said, "There isn't exactly a manual to breaking the news of the existence of more monsters to teenagers. She seemed to handle it alright, and the undead outside our walls makes anything a bit easier to buy."
Pablo saw himself out, and soon after that Alyssa went to bed as well. The next day Diane stays cooped up in her room, but Alyssa followed Pablo's advice and waited for her to make the first move. Alyssa was sleeping on the couch, when Diane came out to get a glass of milk. She was eating leftover cookies Pablo had given her and looking at the map he brought over again when there was a knocking sound. She walked over to the door but when she opened it there as no one there. Then the knocking sound came again, and Diane turned around to realize it was coming from the window. This scared her a bit as she remembered that there was no balcony outside her window, and she lived on the third floor. Diane walked over to the window and opened her curtains, and floating there in the air, with his arms folded, was Gabriel.
"Hello," Gabriel said, giving her a small smile.
"Hi," Diane said, looking at his feet to check to see if he was really flying. "Are you upset at me?"
"For what?" Gabriel responded.
"For staying in my room," she answered, "Not talking to Alyssa."
"You mean for acting like a teenager?" Gabriel added, "You've been asked to process a lot. Your response is actually quite mature compared to how others have responded to me in the past."
"Really?" Diane asked, "What did they do?"
"Formed a mob," Gabriel answered, "Pitch forks, torches, the whole nine yards."
"Wow." Diane added, "What happened?"
"I flew away, and started over again." Gabriel said.
"It's cool that you can fly," Diane said.
"It is very cool," Gabriel confirmed, "Safest way to travel in these parts. Want to give it a try?"
"Now?" Diane asked, aware of how late if was.
"We're nocturnal," Gabriel reminded her, "I don't do this by day. Alyssa will understand."
"You don't want my blood, do you?" Diane asked.
"No, I do not." He replied, "I am well supplied, and you're too young."
"That's a thing?" she asked.
"We don't broadcast it," Gabriel continued, "But young blood has some pretty annoying side effects, so we tend to avoid anything under a certain age. How about we visit my place?"
"You mean in Nashville?" she asked, remembering what Alyssa said to her.
"Yes," Gabriel said, "And we'll talk more there."
Diane smiled at the thought of getting away from town. "Alright."
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