Opposites - ReVamped (Highlander/ Kindred: The Embraced Crossover)

Chapter 1 Meetings

There was something about the two men who walked into the Haven that just made Kindred look at them. Two Toreadors, one Gangrel and three Brujah all found that they were watching the two walk towards the bar with more than just a passing glance.

"Mac, will you stop following me around," Richie said as he sat down at the bar and Mac took the seat beside him. "You know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so what the hell's got into you this time."

When it came to challenges and taking heads, Mac was usually a rules man, but ever since Richie had been challenged by another Immortal called Damon, the Highlander had been on edge.

"You're hunting a man who used to be my friend, Richie," Mac said in an almost perfectly calm voice, "I know him better than you, and I want to know what changed him."

Sometimes Mac's bleeding heart was more trouble than it was worth. Richie understood that sometimes there were explanations for things, hell he'd gone off the deep end after Mac's dark quickening, but Damon's approach had been underhand and very direct. Richie had tried to talk to the other Immortal while scrabbling for his life, Damon had come across as out for everything he could get.

"He's mine, MacLeod," Richie said in a very firm tone; on this he was totally decided, "I was the one he tried to kill. It wasn't some game, Mac, this was an attempt to permanently terminate me. Now my information says he comes here, and this is where I'm going to stay until I find the bastard."

He had almost lost his head because Damon was a cheat. Surviving the ambush had been more luck than judgement, and he had no plans to let the son of a bitch try again. Damon had left Seacouver so fast that he had not hidden his trail well. Richie had tracked him easily.

Not only was it about his own head, but Richie did not like the idea of someone like Damon cheating his way to the prize. He was sure normally Mac could have been on the same page as he was, but Mac and Damon had to have been good friend. His mentor had tried to convince him to just let it go several times, but he was long past that. He took people trying to kill him quite personally these days. He was not about to back down and he did not break the staring contest with his friend until finally Mac nodded.

"Okay," the Highlander said with a resigned expression, "I have no right to interfere; it's just hard for me to believe what he has become. He used to be such a good man."

"Sorry, Mac, but he's not anymore," Richie replied.

He did feel sympathy for MacLeod, but things changed, Immortals especially.

He had learned his lesson with Mako about not judging everything on first impressions, but Damon had been very obvious about his contempt and his desire to take his head. Richie didn't forgive things like that, not anymore.

"Let's have a beer," he suggested.

They were both sitting at the bar and he was almost positive that even if Damon did show up Mac would not try and stop him. It was time for an olive branch.

Mac might not like what was going to happen, but the Highlander's code of honour would mean that he would let Richie do what he needed to. There might be some awkward silences for a while as Mac came to terms with it, but it would work out. When you were friends with Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod there were just some things you accepted.

~*~

When Frank walked into the Haven he knew something was off. His cop instincts fired as soon as he looked around, even though, on the surface, everything looked normal. Not sure what it was, he made a beeline for the bar and sat on an empty stool a place away from a couple of men he hadn't seen before. Not that that was unusual in a place like the Haven. For some reason the taller of the men looked over at him. He gave a nod of his head to be polite and ordered a drink, hoping that he hadn't just gained some unwanted Kindred attention.