Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.91: Don't have nobody to call my own

  "Well, well, well, look who it is, gracing me with a pleasant visit." Caleb smiled as I stepped down off the stairs. "Where's your little friend Buffy?"

  "Not here."

  "So you came all by yourself? My, that was mighty stupid of you."

  "I underestimated you last time. I won't make that mistake again." Rolling my shoulders, I shifted forms as he simply stared at me and tilted his head.

  "Now, I gotta say, that's mighty miraculous what you do. I can see why our....mutual friend has such interest in you." Caleb waved his hand. "Sorry about crackin' your neck, but I knew it wouldn't kill you."

  "....How would you know?"

  "There's only four ways to kill an Ustrina Augendae, they're rather hardy buggers." I heard an Englis-accented voice that I knew too well, and Spike came stepping out of the shadows. Of course, it wasn't really the vampire, it was The First wearing his face yet again. "You can bleed 'em out like a pig, cut off their head, destroy their heart, or the simpler way most seem to resort to, use magic." The First raised a finger for each way of killing as it listed them off before smiling at me and tucking its thumbs behind its belt buckle. "Hello, Aud. Didn't think you missed me so much you'd come straight to me."

  "Stop looking like Spike." I growled.

  "Oh, does it bother you?" The First walked toward me rather casually. "You don't like seeing the face of your lover?"

  "Not on you."

  "Too bad. A shame what happened to the bloke, I wasn't done with him. But things change, and I adapt." It chuckled. "You're here to take him on again, aren't you, love?"

  "I'm here to kill him." Caleb laughed.

  "Little girl, I twisted your head around like a doll the last time you tried. What makes this time any different?"

  "I won't be holding back." I growled, lunging at the pseudo-priest before dropping low when he tried to grab me. I learned my lesson last time and gave him an uppercut.

  "I don't care what you do, she'll heal. Just don't kill her." The First said as Caleb had to take a step back because of my punch.

  "Woo! We're gonna have ourselves some fun." Caleb turned, swinging a fist at me that I barely dodged. His knuckles grazed my cheek, and the ring on his finger cut me. The First nonchalantly walked around us and sat on a barrel to watch. I leaned back to miss his other fist, going low again to strike at his sternum with a flat palm. He only stumbled back a few steps before snatching my wrist and yanking me toward him.

  The man brought his knee up into my gut, and the force literally took me off of the ground as I grunted. He was about to do it again, but I dug my claws into his arm, forcing him to let me go. Jumping back, my tail swayed as I looked at Caleb and wiped my cheek. Rushing him, I spun and knocked his jaw with the back of my heel.

~

  "It's not fair when you cheat." I grumbled, spitting out blood as I tried to get more comfortable.

  "It's not cheatin' to use your resources, girl. Not my fault you weren't payin' attention." Caleb adjusted his shirt collar before picking up and wringing out a wet rag to clean the blood off of himself.

  "Too much of a pansy to fight me on your own, more like." Growling, I snapped at the Bringer sliding a plate toward me. Caleb looked pissed with how his jaw clenched, but he only got one step toward me before The First stood in the middle.