Vampire Huntress #1

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Vampire Huntress #1
Night Stalker

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer

Culpeper, Virginia. Dusk. A young girl, around 15, sits alone on a swing, tears in her eyes as she pumps her legs lightly, swinging just a little. From behind her, a man approaches.

“Kid? Is there a problem here?”

“Huh?” The girl looks behind her, seeing the man walk closer. “N... no. I'm... I'm fine. Just... had a fight with my... mom.”

The man comes closer, putting his hands on her shoulders from behind. “Really? What was the fight about?”

“Wha....? What are you doing?” she questions as the man stops her swinging.

“Just a concerned man looking to help. Relax and tell me about your problem.”

“Well... Mom caught me sneaking out when I was grounded... and I just ran.”

“You should respect your mom. She obviously knows it's dangerous out at night.”

“Dangerous?” the girl asks with concern in her voice.

“Yes, who knows what manner of bad things could be lurking out in the night?”

A small grin comes to the young girl’s face. “You have no idea.”

“Huh?”

The girl turns with lightning fast reflexes, grabbing the man and latching onto his neck. She drops the man to the ground, blood smearing her lips, and gives a devilish smile, revealing her now crimson hued fangs. “Ya know... I think I’m going to like this town.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Morning, as David Brooks drops his daughter, Alexis, off in front of Culpeper County Hugh School.

“Here we are,” states David.

“Yeah. We're here,” Alex repeats as she grabs her backpack and starts to get out of the car.

“Alex? I know you didn't want to move but....”

“But we had no choice. I know. I'll deal.” She gets out and closes the door behind her, then leans back in through the window. “Dad, I'm fine. I understand.”

“Okay, dear. See you after school.”

“Sure, Dad. See you then.” Alex slings her bag over one shoulder and then goes in her new school. Wish I was as confident as I sound. A new school after... what happened... Of course, I know there's not much choice. Dad got a transfer and here we are. Or here I am. Alone. No... Alex stops as she notices a girl, wearing a short leather skirt, as well as a tight fitting halter top, passing by another girl, this one all in black, the first girl holding her thumb and index finger to her forehead in the shape of an “L”.

“Goth, freak.”

Friends?

Seeing Alex looking, “You got a problem?”

Alex, quick on the uptake replies, “Nope. Problem free here.”

The girl turns to her friends (a group of girls dressed all in similar clothes), “New girl.” They laugh and walk off.

Seeing Alex watch them leave, the girl in black answers Alex’s unasked question, “Sandra Scott.”

“Huh? What?”

A short blonde guy approaches Alex from behind. “You just met Sandra Scott. You look up snob in the dictionary and.... BAM! Her photo. Hi. I'm Matt Shelton.”

“I'm Kat,” the girl in black tells Alex.

“Alexis. I just moved here. Dad got a job transfer.”

“Welcome to Mayberry,” says Matt jokingly.

“Is it that bad here?”

“Pretty much,” answers Kat.

“Come on. There's gotta be something you guys do for fun around here.”

Just then a tall, lanky guy with a bowl cut runs around the corner and trips, doing a dive on the floor, dropping all his stuff.

“There’s our version of Barney Fife, now. I guess he passes for entertainment.” Matt helps him up. “You okay, Keyser?”

“Thanks, Matt. Who’s the new chick?”

Alex laughs a bit. “Name's Alexis Brooks.”

“Keyser. Mike Keyser,” Keyser says in a bad James Bond impression. “Welcome to our humble... um... school.”

Kat snatches Alex’s schedule. “Oh, look. We have drama together,” Kat announces as she guides Alex away from Keyser. “Don't want to be late.”

“They seemed nice.”

“Oh, yeah. They're great. Did they get any drool on you? I know Keyser had a river flowing from his mouth.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Sitting in drama class, Kat asks, “Where’d you move from, anyway?”

“Florida.”

“And you left?”

“That's my feelings ex...” She’s stopped as her eyes catch the eyes of a mysterious man standing in the room’s doorway. He’s wearing a long trench coat and hat over his graying hair. His eyes are locked on Alex’s.

“Alexis? Alex?” Kat waves her hand in front of Alex’s face. “Earth to Alex.”

“Huh? What?”

Kat looks to the doorway and sees nothing. “What had you in such a trance?”

Alex looks back and sees her mystery man gone. “Uh... nothing. Just... nothing.”

Just then Chris Ottey, a teen in jeans and a tank top with a buttoned-up shirt tied at his waste, plops down in the desk in front of Alex, backwards, facing her. He doesn’t take his eyes off Alex. “Hey, Kat. Who's your friend?”

“Alexis Brooks. Alex, this is Chris Ottey.” Kat leans into Alex’s ear, whispering, “Watch him.”

“A pleasure,” Chris says, extending his hand.

“Same,” taking his hand.

As Chris takes Alex’s hand, he brings the back of it to his lips, kissing her hand. Kat rolls her eyes.

“So, Alex, what are you doing tonight?”

“Noth...”

“We were planning to go to the coffee house on Davis Street,” Kat answers for Alex.

“We were?” Alex sees Kat nodding. “We were.”

“Cool. See you there.”

Kat rolls her eyes again.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

That night. The mystery man from early sits at a balcony table in the coffee shop on Davis Street. The Coffee Grind.

“It’s her,” he speaks into his cell phone. “I’m sure of it. I’ll make contact tonight. Yes, I know what we promised her mother. The sad truth is... we must act now.” The man looks over the balcony, into the crowd. “She’s here. Carpenter out.”

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Alex walks into the Coffee Grind with Kat, rubbing her forehead as she asks, “This is the town hang out?”

“Yeah. It’s all we got. You okay?”

“Yeah, just a headache.”

Kat looks around and sees Matt and Keyser sitting at a table with a blonde. “Come on.”

“Hey, guys,” Alex says, taking a seat at the table. “Who’s your friend?”

Matt puts his arm around the blonde. “This is Jessie. We were just about to leave.”

Kat almost looks shocked as she watches Matt walk away with Jessie. “That’s odd.”

“Yeah,” Keyser says, watching Jessie’s backside as she’s walking towards the door. “What does she see in him?”

Kat smacks him on the back of his head. “Not that. Matt’s not the type to just leave with someone he just met.”

Alex looks back, the door swinging shut. “Really?”

“Hey, beautiful,” Chris says as he glides up next to Alex, leaning against the table. “Wanna dance?”

Alex looks over at Kat, who shrugs her shoulders in defeat. “Sure...”

Chris and Alex walk out onto the dance floor and Keyser, noticing Kat’s look of dismay, gets serious for just a moment. “Kat, when you broke up with him, you knew he’d eventually go for someone else.”

“Yeah...” Kat, looking over at them dancing and she just starts gathering her things. “I just remembered... I have some things to do at home.”

“Kat...”

“No, seriously. It doesn’t bother me. Just... Mom.”

“Yeah.”

Kat starts heading out the door.

“Oh, and Kat...?”

Kat turns around but keeps walking, backwards. “Yeah?”

“I’ll keep an eye on them for you.”

Kat smiles and runs up to Keyser, hugging him. “Thanks,” she says as she starts to leave, then turns back to Keyser. “You tell anyone about me hugging you and they won’t find the body.”

Keyser laughs but gets quiet when he sees a serious look on Kat’s face. “Oh...”

Then Kat turns back to leave, fighting back a tear as she leaves.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

As Alex and Chris dance to the music, Chris says, “So what brings a girl like you to a town like this?”

“Dad got a transfer.”

“Really? What’s he do?”

“He’s setting up the new computer systems for schools in the area,” stopping as the song ends.

Starting off the dance floor, “Sounds... complicated. Bet you miss your old friends.”

“Yeah...” Reaching the table she asks, “Mike, where’s Kat?”

“She had to go. Something to do with her mom,” Keyser lies.

“I think I should go, too. Don’t want my dad to worry.” Alex grabs her things. “See you guys.”

As Chris watches her leaves, “I think I’m in love.”

Keyser gets up and walks out without saying anything.

“What?” Chris asks, completely clueless.

^

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Alex walks home thinking about the night. She had fun with Chris, but what about Kat? What about Trenton, the boy she left behind?

“Miss Brooks?”

“Huh?” Alex questions, looking up and seeing the man from earlier in the day.

“Miss Brooks,” he says, holding up a solid gold crucifix, it glistening from the moon light, “time to face your destiny.”

Continued...