Arnie had dropped Lloyd and Glenn off in front of Darkmatter Manor. The place looks as though it’s built in the Victorian era. The manor looks like an old Victorian Manor, with lush greenery surrounding the manor with huge stone walls with a pair of iron-wrought gates, with elegant Victorian designs. On the left side, an iron plague reads, Darkmatter Manor .
Such a magnificent place, but taken by an evil person.
“G’ho. How come I never been to this part of the area?” Arnie was stunned by the structure of this place.
“We don’t know it ourselves.” Glenn whistled. “I don’t like saying this but your brother is rolling with cash.”
“Let’s just get this over with.” He said tightly, walking up to the gates. Arnie gave them a cheery wave and left, speeding down the road.
There’s an old-fashioned bell pull beside the plague. Gingerly, as though it disgusted him, he tugged it hard. A chiming bell sound rang throughout the manor, like a calling bell for prayers. After a few minutes or so, the iron gates opened electronically and as they stepped through, a CCTV camera followed their progress.
Silently, their footsteps dully echoed on the gravel path. Lloyd was wearing a skin tight sleeveless that shows off his well-developed muscles, a black belt that hung loose around his waist and pants. His Zanmato behind him. Glenn wore a pale grey loose fitting tee and faded pants, with his Sauer tucked into the waistband. The way they’re walking they looked as though they’re heading for war, but with the casual clothes they wore, they looked as though they’re out for an outing.
The front door was opened as though to invite them. Glenn withdrew his Sauer out and held it in front of him as they stepped in to find Allen waiting for them.
“Welcome.” He said softly. “We all had been expecting you.”
“Where’s V.V.?” Lloyd demanded.
“Why don’t you ask Guy? He’s the one holding her.”
Lloyd held out his Zanmato threateningly. “Don’t think I’ll take you lightly just because you’re a kid.”
Allen shrugged and said, “Dario wants to see you. I suggest you come along quietly unless you want me to call the others. Believe me, they love to get their hands on you.”
Glenn started but Lloyd held onto his shoulder. “Don’t, Glenn. We are in their territory. It’s better to see what he wants. And besides, I want to know how we are related.”
“Wise choice.” Mind’s Shadow said, emerging from Allen’s shadow. “This way, then.”
Dario was all alone, waiting for them, sitting in a small inner garden that’s inside the manor. An assortments of biscuits and teas had been set on the table, ranging from chocolate to custard cream to buttermilk and so on. The teas range from Chinese to European and even herbal, which is pretty odd.
“Ah, you both are here. Sit down, please.” He gestured at the empty seats around him. Lloyd made a quick look around, Revarie the vampire and Reo weren’t around, but neither is Guy and V.V. He made a quick scan on Dario’s face and felt a quick jolt in his stomach. They both do look exactly the same, but he had been blind to see it clearly. It’s only the sharper features that separates them and the colour tone of their hair.
“Where’s V.V.?” Lloyd demanded.
Dario looked a little disappointed. “Is that all you have to say? Where’s V.V.? Why don’t you sit down and I’ll tell you more.”
Glenn shook his head, muttering, “Are you really sure you want to do this?”
“What other choice do we have?” Lloyd took a seat opposite of him. Glenn hesitated, then did the same. Dario then fussed around them, offering tea and biscuits, treating them like guests, which in a way, they are.
“Why do you look like me?” Lloyd demanded, after his fourth helping of custard cream biscuit.
Dario set his tea down and hands clasped together, saying, “Tell me, how much do you remember?”
Lloyd frowned hard, much to Glenn’s interest. As far as Glenn had known him he had never, ever talked about his past, except that he was found by a man whose surname was Anderson, hence his surname.
“I was found in the middle of November.” He said slowly, looking lost in memories. “I remember it so clearly. It was so cold, so cold that I could still remember battling through the snow that is biting into my fingers and bones. I just ran away from my last foster family. I was dropped into an orphanage, and when I was 8. I was adopted, but the foster family were horrible. I hated it. I was thrown into one after and another. The last one, I had enough. After a week, I ran away. It was on… November 13.”
“As I had mentioned, it was so cold. So cold till I thought I was going to die, especially wandering around two weeks in the streets with no food, no money, nothing. I even had hyperpyrexia, not as bad as Tifa’s though. I collapsed in the middle of the street. And that’s when Mexx Anderson found me. ” In his mind’s eye, he could see a dark-haired boy as thin as a skeleton, wandering around aimlessly in a thin T-shirt and plaid shorts, looking lost and weak, feeling extremely hot and cold, struggling to battle against the snow.
“He’s dead now though.” He said to Dario in a matter-of-factly tone. “He got mauled to death by a Gargantuar, which makes me what I am now.”
“Touching.” Dario said softly. “Very, very touching. Well then, since you don’t remember about your past, let me fill in the gaps for you.”
“We were born in Pennsylvania, Southern California, into the Gainsborough. And I was jealous. So jealous that my little brother is getting all of the attention from our family. “ He put on a high-pitched mocking tone. “”Why can’t you be more like your brother?” “Isn’t Lloyd wonderful?” Not a day goes by when it’s always Lloyd this and Lloyd that.” His voice is losing its mockery, instead becoming more venomous with sarcasm. “Our father was a demonologist, you know.” He held out his Book of Shadows. “I got this… from him.”
Lloyd felt his stomach twinge, but kept himself interested to hear more.
“You see, our father was the curious type. Prodding things where he should not have meddled and leaving them in his lab.” His eyes turned hard. “I got my revenge on August 8.”
“My birthday.” Lloyd said in tones of disbelief.
Glenn’s eyes widened and said, “Are you on the crack, your birthday is on July 31. I know it myself because I went all the way downtown to get you the tiramisu cake from the Cake House.”
“No, it’s not. It’s on my birth cert and license. Mexx often celebrate it on July 31 because of his late son’s birth date who died in an accident.” He explained. Even as he explained it, he could see flashbacks of his past. Bits of pieces that had never appeared before. A boy, around 5-years-old walking in a garden, in front of a house that seems to resemble a villa house, looking flushed, as though he’s looking for something.
“Remembering anything yet?” Dario asked, his eyes filled with a sort of wolfish hunger. “Why don’t I prod a little more? Father was always researching demons and spells in his little lab and he always kept the door locked, except…he forgotten to lock it on that day because he was rushing. And I happened to stumbled upon it.”
Another memory is tweaking inside his mind. The boy was calling out for someone. “…Rio….Dario, where are you?”
Lloyd clutched his head, causing Glenn to go alarmed, “Lloyd?”
“I went into the lab. Let me tell you, it was full of weird stuff. Besides the usual mad scientist stuff. Spell books, skulls, herbs, anything that is used in potionlogy. And I happened to stumble upon this book in his shelf. Curiosity got the better of me as I brought it down and flipped it open. ”
Now Lloyd understood. That boy was him. He saw his 5-year-old self running down the lawn that leads to a shed, which the door is unlocked and opened. Obedience fighting with disobedience, he shuffled from one foot to another. There was a flash of light coming from the shed. That was when he made his decision.
“I was just chanting a few simple incantation when you burst in.” Dario’s voice suddenly seemed far away. “And- ”
“All hell broke loose.” Lloyd finished his sentence.
A fire started, not the small kind, but big powerful fiery inferno that is not caused by mere kitchen fire. No, it’s the work of supernatural. In the midst of the fire, Dario stood still like a sculpture, the book in his hands. His eyes filled with malice, reflected in the inferno.
“Dario, what did you do?” Lloyd wailed at his brother.
Something emerged from the inferno. It looks like a six foot long cobra, thick as a grown man’s thigh, surrounded in flames and shimmering in and out. Its eyes as dark as midnight, merciless and cruel, slightly bulging out of its head and its tongue, flicking in and out.
“Dario?!”
“What’s wrong, little brother? Afraid?” Dario turned to face him, untouched by the burning heat. “Afraid of getting…burned?”
“How could you-”
“Spare me the lecture.” Dario said, snapping the book shut. “I am tired of listening to everyone harping and fawning about you. Everything I do, everyone looks past. It’s always about Lloyd this and Lloyd that. I’m sick of hearing it.”
“No, people do care about you. They really do.” Lloyd said, petrified at the fiery cobra that is coiling and uncoiling itself beside Dario. The intense heat is also making him feel dehydrated.
“You know what? I might as well end your little life right here and now.” Dario clicked his fingers sharply and the cobra seemed to loomed over him, he could see his own reflection reflected in the eyes.
“And by the way, happy birthday…”
The cobra opened its mouth wide and….
Lloyd didn’t noticed that he had fallen out of his seat, with Glenn half-supporting him. “Lloyd? Lloyd? What’s wrong with you?”
“I spared you at the last minute.” Dario said, his voice getting smaller, dimmer, softer. “I even dumped you at the orphanage myself, watching you as you grow. I was waiting for the right time to finish you off personally without any interference. How ironic it is that you became a supernatural slayer yourself.”
Lloyd looked up, eyes burning with anger and sadness, raising his Zanmato when-
Glenn snuck up behind him with vampire strength and lashed out with a thrust kick. Dario with his graceful dancer-like reflexes caught his foot and gave him a hard shove. In counter response, he drew out his Sauer and started to fire, but Dario deflected it with his rapier.
“Oh, and if you’re looking for V.V., she’s not here.”
Glenn leapt away from him, half-crouching. “What did you just say?”
“Guy took her out for a trip.” Dario said rather casually. “Sorry, I forgot to mention.”
Glenn raised his Sauer, intending to shoot him, right here and now-
A bullet bounced off the wall and it would’ve hit him in the back if Allen haven’t telekinetically stopped the bullet in mid-air, dropping it harmlessly on the floor.
“Dario Darkmatter, prepare to die!”
Erica Giovanni stood in the doorway, holding out her revolver. Her eyes gleaming with a sort of madness look.
“What are you doing here?” Lloyd demanded.
“It’s you.” Dario said, looking bored. “What do you want?”
“We agreed on a partnership, then when I’m in trouble, you left me in jail to rot. When I tried to get you to bail me, you ignore me as though I’m some sort of tool that can be just tossed aside.” Her voice is slowly turning into a high-pitched shriek, “You think I’m just going to sit down and rot like some helpless scullery maid?!”
“Your usefulness had expired,” Dario said coolly.
“I’ll get you, you and your brother, are going to regret leaving me at that place!” The revolver aimed and fired at them, even for a woman, she’s very quick on the draw. In fact, Glenn noted, her gunmanship is on par with him. The bullet she’s using is also no ordinary bullets. Each time they come into contact, they let out a burst of power.
“You like it?” She said, catching his gaze. “Those are my very own custom-made bullets. I gave it an extra burst of power for exorcism.”
“Blessed with holy water and fused with holy fire.” Dario said in attacking position. “Except I’m not a demon.”
“I know you’re not, but he is!” She raised her revolver and shot somewhere in the ceiling without looking. There was a hiss of pain and Revarie appeared. One hand clutching a bloody gash on his left arm.
“You!” Glenn gasped.
Reo suddenly appeared, as quick as a cat, knocking him down, gunblade near the edge of his throat, leaving only Lloyd looking as still as a statue.
“I’ll get you both!” Erica shot at them both. Dario leapt aside like a striking cobra. Even though Lloyd is still in a slight daze, he had enough strength to throw himself aside as the bullets hit the glass, shattering part of it.
“She’s insane!” Allen yelped, rubbing a bruise on his arm where he had banged a coffee top table by accident.
“I want her blood.” Revarie licked his lips. “She injured me, she must pay.”
“Be my guest.” Dario inclined with his head.
“Where’s V.V.?” Lloyd demanded.
“Why don’t you check on her flash drive?”
Lloyd inhaled sharply. He knew…
“Of course I knew.” He laughed. “Allen can see the future. I just let you get it to see how things unfold.”
They watched as Erica’s bullets harmlessly whizzed past Revarie. Although the bullets are powerful, they are no match to a vampire like Revarie, whose strength and speed is unmatched to ordinary vampires. Of course, Lloyd thought to himself as Erica kept shooting at blurs. He’s an Original, he creates vampires for who knows how long. He had said so himself. How many blood had he devoured just to keep his strength up.
Even as he watched, Revarie found a blind spot behind her, twisted her arms to the back and put a booted leg onto her back.
“I win.” He said, his face twisting into vamp form. On close up, it looked distorted, like a mask of evil. His face became cross brow-ridged, morphing into an inhuman form, eyes becoming a brighter red like fresh blood, and his fangs became more visible, sharper and visible. Lloyd can’t bear to look, can’t bear to turn away, but he can’t. His body seems to disobey him, forcing him to watch.
He had never been fond of that woman, especially she’s cruel, using humans as tools for her experiments, but he felt a tinge of sympathy for her as he watched Revarie tightened his grip on her, smiling and biting her, causing her to let out a scream of hysteria. Fresh blood flowed out like a stream of red.
“Leave her alone.” Glenn managed to get out, but Reo pressed his gunblade nearer to his throat and said, “Don’t move.”
“Leave her,” Lloyd shouted, trying to step in, but Mind’s Shadow put a stop to that by stopping him with his shadow.
“Don’t ruin my appetite.” Revarie said in between drinking, red splattered all over his mouth.
Erica seems to grow paler, and whiter, as though all the colour had drained out of her, and slumped onto the ground, unmoving, dead.
“You killed her!” Lloyd choked out. “You actually just kill her like that, in cold blood?”
“I haven’t had such a good meal in days.” Revarie licked his lips, some blood oozing in his tongue.
Glenn grabbed Reo’s gunblade recklessly with his bare hands, yanked it away from him and without hesitating, gave a devastating blow onto the chest when he was caught off-guard, sending him sprawling. With vamp speed, he snatched Erica’s revolver and shot Revarie three times. Twice on the arms, and once on the leg.
“You filthy half-blood!!!!” He screamed, blood pouring out of his mouth.
“She doesn’t deserve this, even though she’s evil.” Glenn said, staring at the corpse. “But you, you are a monster!”
“You said it yourself even when you are one yourself?” Revarie laughed.
“At least I have my humanity.”’ Glenn said, holding out his revolver and Sauer and shooting Revarie rapidly, but without hitting his heart. Reo lunged at him but Lloyd hit him hard with his knee, causing him to cough. Dario suddenly lunged at him, smiling as their blades clashed.
“Incendia!”
Flames erupted from the rapier and blasted Lloyd off his feet like an explosive force, sending him knocking over the table. He could feel his head bleeding slightly. Even as he tried to get up, Dario kicked him hard on the face and pointed his rapier at his throat.
“Any last words before I kill you off, little brother?” He taunted.
“Burn in hell.” Lloyd spat.
“Let me know how it feels like.”
Flames erupted once more, but not at Lloyd, but at Dario. It started from his sleeve and became bigger, consuming his whole arm. Yelling in fear, he beat it out on the ground, leaving his arm slightly scorched. “What was that?!”
A boy stood in the doorway, hands stretched out. He’s slightly tanned, and he’s wearing an opened-necked Banana Republic T-shirt that revealed his skinny chest. His face is partly scarred by burn. On his neck, there’s a fine silver chain with a silver circlet. He looks so unfamiliar, except Lloyd was fairly sure he had seen him before.
“Is this how you fight? You look pathetic, Mister Lloyd.”
Reo and Lloyd both said at the same time. “Blaze?”
But, he doesn’t look like Blaze anymore. His hair had grown out, touching his collar. His hair is not red anymore, but fiery gold. He had also grown taller, matured, not like some annoying rebellious brat. His voice had even gone deeper, like an adult man’s. It’s impossible to recognize him, but it’s only because his “Mister Lloyd” still has the same sarcastic tone as ever.
“Do you who I am, you little brat?” Dario snarled, looking furious.
“Sure I do, you’re the guy who set the vampire on Hornet.” Blaze snapped his fingers and tiny flames appeared in each fingers.
Revarie laughed madly, oblivious to his wounds which are bleeding, but slowly regenerating, pushing the bullets out. “You came to avenge her? How sweet. ”
Blaze shook his head and said, “I don’t have to. Because she’s here.”
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Revarie froze as hornets buzz around him, their wings buzzing rapidly. Even as he watched, a kunai dropped down near his feet with a tag calligraphed with a Japanese character attached.
“Abunai!” Reo yelled.
The kunai exploded, sending him blasting through the window and out into the sunlight. Revarie screamed as he came into contact with the sun, burning his skin. In anger, he hurriedly retreated into the shadows, and his skin stopped smoking and burning as the hornet herself appeared.
“Tifa, you’re-” Lloyd began.
“Awake and walking? Then, yes, yes I am.” She said.
She doesn’t look the same as well. Last time they saw her, she was weak and in a state of comatose. But now, she has matured into a more serious person, and she certainly became healthier and active. Her hair is in its usual plait, but instead of the well-worn ribbon, she knotted the plait with a jade green hair pin that is shaped like a swallow tail. She even became more feminine like and in touch with her culture, wearing a hornet-crested red qi pao top and matching skirt over tight pants. Her hornets buzzing around her.
“Well, well, well,” Dario said. “Look who it is.”
“Your vampire friend sent me into a comatose.” She said softly, kunais in each fist. “If Glenn haven’t suck the blood out of me, then I would’ve died.”
“Oh, really?” Dario said, looking interested.
“We have no interest in fighting with you today,” Blaze said coolly. “We’re here to save Mister Lloyd and the half-retard guy.”
“Hey!”
“Don’t let them leave here alive!” Dario shouted.
Reo recovered himself and attacked Glenn, half-shooting and half-slashing. It’s like fighting with an assassin in real life, Glenn thought as he used the revolver and Sauer to deflect the blows. Revarie is scorched in some parts, but however, he lunged at Lloyd, hands outstretched to strangle him, but Blaze intercepted him and knocked him off his feet.
“Come on, let’s go!” He yelled, dragging Lloyd with him.
“But-”
Blaze was clearly in no mood for arguments. He grabbed Lloyd towards the door, shoving him through it. Glenn was running from Reo, who is chasing him with his dual gunblades. Blaze put a stop to it by hurling a fireball in his direction, causing to halt in his tracks to avoid getting burned.
“Give them our present, Tiff.”
Tifa lagged behind and did some hand seals. She then vanished, like a ninja among ninjas. Ninja throwing projectiles such as kunais, shurikens and senbon needles hidden in ceiling suspended pouches and smoke bombs rained down upon them like a spectacular display of fireworks, or in this case, weapons.
Even as Lloyd and the others made their way out, they could hear yells and shouts coming from the manor. The smoke bomb blasted some of the window glass into shards, like showers of ice. He could even make out some figures dodging the projectiles.
Blaze gave a low whistle. “I think we overdid it.”
Back in Dr Chang’s house, everyone was served a cup of herbal tea, Dr Chang’s recipe. He didn’t fuss around them like he usually do, but listened to their tales. V.V. becoming a berserk killing machine thanks to Guy, Lloyd’s relation with Dario, Erica, the flash drive for her freedom, breakout and then to her death, Blaze and Tifa’s timely arrival…
The flash drive…
It’s still in his pocket, untouched, a tiny lumpy thing against his leg. Lloyd had never checked what in its content, let alone checked it. He had gotten the flash drive from her and went straight to Dario’s manor. He had never expected things to turn out like this.
“Tell you what,” Dr Chang said after they had finished telling him their part of the story. “I’m no expert on this, but why don’t you just use my laptop? Maybe there’ll be some clues about V.V. and Guy in the flash drive.”
So they obliged. They went to Dr Chang’s study and found his laptop, the power still on. He must be doing some work since he left it. He had gone out to the garden to give them some privacy, though Blaze and Tifa stayed behind, eager to see the contents of the flash drive.
Lloyd’s hand hovered near the USB port. His fingers holding the flash drive so hard as though he’s trying to break it. He turned to the others, gazing each of them in turn. Glenn’s slightly pale face, his pale grey eyes as grey as winter sky or a pearl, Blaze’s partly scarred face, his eyes blazing like a fiery ruby or garnet, and Tifa’s chocolate brown ones, serious and strong looking, with a drive hidden beneath them. Turning to Glenn, he said, “You do it.”
Glenn shook his head, saying, “You deserve the honour of doing it.”
“Just do it already. I’m feeling impatient.“ Blaze said.
Nodding, Lloyd connected the flash drive into the USB port. A small light started blinking by its side, indicating that it’s working and running. On the laptop screen, after the anti-virus scan had finished detecting for virus, a window popped out.
BROWSE FILES?
Without hesitating anymore, he moved the mouse cursor and clicked OPEN FILES.
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