WARNING: Some portions of the following work of fiction contain explicit sex. 
If you are under 18 (or whatever age is appropriate for your location), HIT 
YOUR BACK BROWSER BUTTON NOW. If you find explicit sex offensive, please 
don't offend yourself by reading further.

The full disclaimer for this work of Vampire Hunter D fanfiction is 
at the beginning of Chapter 1.

=============================================================================
Feathers on the Wind
Chapter 7 Promises Kept

"So, we go to kill a vamp., we find the vamp., and now we're after some men 
in black suites and riding antique motorcycles."

"Glad you were paying attention." Castle, in his cab, pulled up to them.  
Adrian climbed in, but D walked down to the corner of the building, to the 
sound of roaring engines.

He glanced into the alley to see a dozen motorcycles all lined up, almost all 
of them with a rider on them.  "Come on Moos, shake it off.  Raseeda wants us 
back, ASAP."

'Moos?' It couldn't be.

"I'm goin' as fast as I can.  You go on ahead.  I'll catch up."

"Don't take too long." All the cycles with riders started to move.  D leapt 
up to the ledge above, as they rode past.

"Need some help with him?" Adrian was at his side immediately.

"No, I need to talk to this one." D sailed into the alley, blocked the door 
closed with a garbage bin, drew his sword and laid it across the man's 
throat, before the man could turn at the sound of the bin moving.

"What do you want!" he asked, trying to fasten his pants.

"You do that, and I'll cut it off," D regarded the man.  Short light brown 
hair, slender face, glasses, and a mustache.  He wasn't well built either.  
"Richard Moos?"

"How do you know my name?"

"She loved you, she still does."

"What are you talking about?"

"The girl you're looking for.  Kale."

"Barrett?  Kally Anne Barrett?  Oh shit!  I prayed it wasn't her."

"How'd you survive?"

"Long story.  Look.  I gotta see her.  Please!  You choose the place.  I'll 
be there, alone!  I swear!"  D took his sword away.  "Please, ask her.  I'm a 
man of my word!  Please!"

"The park. Center fountain, just before Dawn. If you're not alone, I swear, I 
will kill you!  Slowly and pain fully."

"Park. Center fountain, before dawn.  I'll be there." He turned, hiding his 
genitalia with his hands.  "Who are you...?"  But no one was there; the 
garbage bin had also been moved back from the door.



"He's alive?" Kale sat in the room, D telling her about Moos.

"He wants to see you.  If you want to, I told him where.  I'll be there, 
Adrian & Castle will be there too."

"He's alive.  How?"

"He said it was a long story.  I guess he'll tell you.  If you see him."

"I have to, D.  Just as you needed to see Doris."

"All right.  Get some rest. I'll wake you when its time to go."



The park was dark.  The fountains were quiet for the night.  The center of 
the park was relatively devoid of trees.  A good place, nowhere to hide.  D 
was perched on top of one of the light poles, easy to see around, and within 
easy reach of Kale.  A noise.  An engine, antique four stroke motorbike, 
moving fast.  Just one.  It burst from the trees and headed for the fountain.  
D threw one of his smaller daggers and took out the front tire.  The bike 
wobbled and crashed to the ground, the rider tumbling free and clear, leapt 
to his feet and headed for the fountain.  "Kally Anne!"  Kale didn't move.  
The man stopped and pulled off his helmet.  "Kally, its me Moos."

Kale turned quickly and landed a roundhouse kick to the left side of his 
face, landing him in the fountain.  "Kally!  What the hell was that for!!" he 
gasped, shaking the water from his eyes.

"For leaving me!  For not asking me...for not wanting me, the way...the way I 
wanted you."  She reached into the fountain and pulled the man into a kiss.  
Abruptly ending it she continued.  "How the hell did you survive?"

"I didn't...look can I get out of this water please.  It's freezing, and you 
know how much I hate cold water."

She drew the dagger D had given her, and held it to his throat.  "Talk!"

"Ok, just watch it with that thing.  I already shaved today."

"Funny.  You seem to have missed a spot."

"Ok, ok, ok.  Here's the scoop.  When I heard you went missing, I kept tabs 
on the search progress.  Then two years later I learned about an experimental 
suspension program.  They'd grabbed people off the street to work out the 
bugs on them.  But they couldn't.  I went AWOL, looking for you.  I knew, in 
here," he tapped his chest, "they'd grabbed you.  They caught me before I got 
close, but I did eventually find you.

"They were supposed to snap your brain stem.  Kill you, but keep you alive.  
You were used to hold a special cloning cell.  The device inside you..."

"...Was inside me..." she corrected.

"What ever.  There's the cloned fetus of one of old Earth's military leaders.  
One of the worst.  Complete with memories.  Memories of where the rest of the 
arks are, and storage facilities of Nukes and other weapons.

"The leader of my ark didn't survive.  The clones were hatched and began 
salvaging what they could.  Kally, could you just back off with the blade." 
She did slightly.  "Thanks.  Look, somehow, back then, they forgot to snap 
your brain."

"I have a scar, I fell, and it left a scar at the base of my skull."

"Then that's it.  That scar saved you, and doomed you at the same time.  
Kally, I'm a clone.  One in a long, long line.  My real body is in a tank on 
the ship. I haven't got much time.  I left a note for my next clone, after I 
downloaded my memory last night.  Clones only last five years.  And my time 
is almost up.

"There's more.  Don't talk, just listen.  That goo they had you in, it has 
side effects.  You're sterile.  I know you wanted kids, there's one more.  
Shit I'm cold...Kally.  You'll never grow old."  He started coughing, and his 
face became pale, paler than before.  "...the stuff, it halts the aging 
process.  Kally, promise me.  Promise me, you'll stop them.  
Promise me you'll kill me.  For sure!"

"Moos...NO!"

"Promise me..."

"I promise...Please don't...MOOS!!  Don't leave me again!  MOOS!!"  He died. 
She held him close, wishing he'd hold her back.



"Never grow old.  Oh D, she's perfect."

"Shut up." D watched her as she cried over the man's body.  Her former lover, 
or was he.  A clone, a perfect copy.  Even his memories.  He looked up. More 
motorcycles were coming. Two lights flashed.  The cab was on the move.  
Another light flashed.  Adrian signaling for them to move.  He leapt from the 
light pole and used his powers to lower himself just two steps from Kale.  
The cab screeched to a halt, the doors flying open.  "Kale!  We have to go!" 
he tried to grab Kale and scoop her up, but her grip on the dead man wouldn't 
let go.

"Let's go, they're entering the park!" shouted Adrian, leaping the cab and 
sliding into the front seat.

"We can't leave him!" she cried, as D wrenched her hands free of the dead 
man's collar.

"Kale!  We have to go!" He yelled, and practically threw her into the back of 
the cab and sped off.  He watched the center fountain become surrounded by 
dozens of cycles; they seemed to have gotten away without being seen.



"No, Commander Raseeda.  Lt. Moos is dead.  Clone end date hit right on 
schedule.  No sign of the girl.  Though she was here sir."

"Proof?"

"Oh yeah." The man looked over the dead clone's face.  Bruises across the 
left side of his face and a thin cut just under the chin.

"Bring the body back for disposal.  We've located the cell.  Any ideas where 
they've gone?"

"Guards reported a taxi leaving the park's service entrance just as we were 
getting on the scene.  They're tailing them."

"Don't loose them."

"No sir.  Travis out."



"This is the safe house?" asked D, stepping from the cab.

"It's open, with lots of heavy objects to use as weapons," said Castle.  "Oh, 
watch your step.  There's a pool in front of you."  He threw the main switch 
and the lights came on.  D was only an inch from the water.  "Bedrooms are 
back here.  Showers at the end of the hall.  If you want a swim, help 
yourself.  I keep the water warm."  D tested the water.  It was warm, like 
the bath he'd had before he left the western world.  "A word of warning, D.  
I shower alone, no one else.  Clear?" D nodded. "Good.  Well I'm beat. If you 
need me, Alucard knows where to find me.  I sleep soundly, but I wake fully 
alert." Castle disappeared down a hall, a light came on and a door closed.

"So what did he say?" asked Adrian.  Kale sat down and pulled off her boots, 
she then stood and pulled off her clothes all accept her white body suite.  
Adrian smiled.  "Very nice." He said, making a move to remove his cape, but a 
sidelong glance from D stopped him.

"I was a guinea pig," she said.  "They used me to fix their suspension 
experiments, and when that didn't work, they used me to store clones.  Clones 
of monsters and all their memories!  You think you've got horrible monsters 
now?  You haven't seen anything yet!  D, we've got to destroy that device."

"I will.  Will you be all right here?" She nodded. "Good.  Adrian, I'm 
trusting you to keep her safe. But don't touch her."

"I swear, I won't."

"Good.  I'll be back soon."  He turned in time to see Kale dive into the 
water.  "Don't let her drown." Adrian nodded.



The clinic was a mess.  The chalk outlines of bodies were everywhere.  Bullet 
holes, actual bullet holes, were strewn all over the walls and furniture.  
The smell of blood was everywhere.  He headed back to the doctor's office, 
but stopped at the cold storage doors.  A bloody handprint over the handle, 
invisible to anyone who didn't first smell the blood.  He opened the door and 
the doctor stumbled out, half frozen.  "What happened here?" D demanded.

"It's too late for me...too late for us.  They've...they've got the monster.  
They.... they called it....called it a cell...but they need...they need 
...the girl!"  The dying man grabbed at D with icy fingers.  "Kill her...kill 
the girl...and you stop...stop them."  He died, his last word his final 
breath.

D wrenched himself free and left, taking a blood bag with him.  Blood lust, 
why at the most inopportune times.



Adrian walked down the corridor and returned with towels and a housecoat, on 
his way back, he noticed Castle's door slightly ajar.  "A moment," he called 
softly, and returned to the pool.  "Here are some towels and a housecoat for 
when you get out."  He turned to see D re-enter the old health club, a look 
of failure across his face.  "I'm going to turn in.  Good night, or day, or 
whatever.  Your bags are still in the trunk, keys are in the car."

D stood at the pool's edge watching Kale.  She was on her back at the water's 
surface, just using her feet to propel her from one end of the pool to the 
other.  "I thought you said you couldn't swim?" he called.

"When was that?"

"When you emerged from the suspension tank."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember that."

"Well, maybe it was just that stuff.  Kale, come on.  You need to get some 
sleep.  You've been up all night."

Kale didn't sleep when D told her to.  She couldn't, not with Moos out there. 
Now he was dead, or sort of.  She swam over to the ladder and D held out a 
towel as she climbed out of the water.  "I made a promise, D.  He knows I 
always keep my promises.  He never asked me to make one before."

He held her close as she cried.  "Then I'll help you keep it."  He said, 
drying her hair.  "Come on, let's get you showered out of this chlorine.  
Then off to bed."

She followed him to the showers where he laid the towels on a bench and 
reached over and turned on the hot water.  He adjusted it with the cold and 
nodded to her it was ready.  She stood next to him, looking him over.  He'd 
removed his cloak when they entered the showers, finding it a bit too warm.  
He'd laid his hat on the bench with the towels, basically, he was just a man 
standing there, long hair and soft blue eyes.

When he turned to leave, to allow her - her privacy, he stopped.  Her eyes 
were soft, tired and tear filled.  But something else was there.  He used his 
thumbs to wipe her tears, she nuzzled into his hands.  He stepped closer.  
Would she let him?  She looked into his eyes, yes.  He kissed her, gently at 
first, working her lips apart, his tongue sliding past her teeth.  His blood 
lust calmed by the hospital blood he'd consumed, he prayed she wouldn't taste 
it.  Fearing she might, he stepped back.  His eyes asking, hers answering.

He removed his belts and boots, and stepped into the shower with her, rinsing 
the pool water off of her and her thin covering.  He kissed her again, a 
desperate need rising in them both.  Minds lost in a passion neither of them 
cold control, nor did they want to.  D pulled the collar of her suite, its 
elastic fabric stretching and sliding off her easily.  He stepped back 
slightly and pulled off his shirt.  He lifted her, her legs going to either 
side of his hips; he pressed her to the wall, kissing her neck and shoulder, 
squeezing her breasts.

She combed his newly damp hair with her fingers, sliding her tongue around 
his ear.  He lowered his pants to his knees, his erection standing out from 
his body.  A moment's glance told him, yes.  He pushed into her, her body 
opening to his size.  She gasped, almost a delighted cry.  He was big.  He 
pushed into her further, her back straightening as he did so.  This time she 
did cry out.  One that echoed through the room and dripped with desire that 
spurred him further.

He pinned her to the wall, and thrust into her, his strength holding her up, 
her weight pushing her onto him.  He wanted more.  But this was not the 
place.  He pulled himself free and let her slide to the floor as he replaced 
his trousers.  "Not here," he whispered, and turned off the water.  He kissed 
her once more as he lifted her into his arms and took her to his room.

He kicked the door closed and laid her on the bed.  He quickly removed his 
pants and stretched out over her, his only clothing left were his gloves.  He 
kissed his way down her body, parting her legs; he started to kiss her.  Her 
taste was sweet, to him at least.  The taste of her moon blood was like an 
aphrodisiac, driving his senses wild in a desire he'd only known once before.  
He gently licked her at first, and then grabbed her clit in his teeth, 
sending fire shots of pleasure through her as he sucked the tiny nub into his 
mouth.

She cried loudly, not wanting him to stop.  He held her legs down as his 
teasing continued.  She pushed her fingers through his hair, wishing she 
could grasp his tool, wanting to teas him just as much.  Sensing her need to 
please him, or perhaps he wanted it now too, he lay beside her, his erection 
standing in the dim light.  Without urging or a request, she kissed her way 
down his stomach, lingering at his navel, licking it clean, seeing his face 
contort with this new sensation.  Never had he had his navel soothed in such 
a way.  He was lost in the feeling when he was snapped back.  She'd taken him 
into her mouth, her tongue sliding around his tip, now it was his turn to cry 
out.  He rose slightly, supporting his weight on his elbows.  She pulled his 
shaft into her mouth, sucking slightly, letting herself linger as his tool 
touched the back of her throat.  She slid back up his shaft and repeated the 
down strokes driving him wild.  She let him go then, licking his length and 
caressing his testicles in gentle hands.  He couldn't take it.

He tackled her to the bed, pushing his tool to its hilt into her, hard and 
fast.  She loved it.  He thrust into her again and again, their moans turning 
to cries, and hers nearly a scream as her body contracted around him.  He 
responded, and shot all he had inside her, neither of them worried of the 
consequences anymore.  He kissed her to quiet her, believing Adrian would 
hear and come to investigate.  Her cries of ecstasy reverberated across his 
lips, his tool softening slightly inside her.  He didn't want to leave her, 
not yet.  He rolled over pulling her with him, finding new sensations that 
revived him; he pulled her down onto him.  She kissed him as she sat up, 
bringing him with her, his organ inching ever deeper.  He rocked her back and 
forth on him feeling her quake with each delightful movement.  Suddenly she 
started to scream, her body thrust into another orgasm.

He pulled her onto his shaft harder, wanting every bit of his tool to feel 
her shacking.  Both breathless, they rested, she on top of him, he still 
within her.  It was close to an hour before she found the strength to move.  
But when she did, it was only to his side, holding him close.  "I think, if 
we continue, we'll need something to divert Adrian and Castle's attention," 
he said, something, anything to break this silence.  "Where's your music?"

"In the trunk of the car, I think."

"I'll get it."

"No, no.  I'll go.  You should go gather our clothes."  She kissed him 
quickly and ducked out the door when she was sure it was clear, a sheet from 
the shelf around her.

As she quietly walked back to where the car had been parked, she passed 
Castle's door.  Inside she could hear the noises of two males, in their own 
motions of ecstasy.  'Oh well,' she thought, 'that kind of thing when on in 
my time too.  I wonder if D knows.'  She exchanged the sheet for the terry 
cloth robe Adrian had brought with the towels, and that D had left at the 
pool.  She then reached in the car and got the keys, popped the trunk and 
grabbed her bags.

She didn't remember when she was hit.  But she couldn't have been out for 
very long.  She was still at the car's trunk when they woke her, sticking a 
gun to her head.  "Where are they, bitch?  Or so help me, I'll blow you 
away!"

"You ass!  We need her alive. Look at her, you hit her too hard.  She can't 
answer you."
Mustering all her strength and ignoring the pain that was spreading across 
the back of her skull, she took a deep breath and called out as loud as she 
could.  "D!! They found US!! D!!"



D threw the clothing he'd gathered to the floor and ran for Kale.  Adrian and 
Castle immerging from Castle's room, right behind D, barely dressed 
themselves.  Gunfire rang out from behind the car as the trio neared the end 
of the hall, sending them diving back, D being grazed on his arm and leg on 
his left side.  "Castle!" D shouted, "Where are your...Castle?  You're a 
woman?"

"So what of it.  Not all mutants have weird powers or disgusting deformities 
you know!"

"Look can we discuss this later!" Adrian stated, pulling them all to the 
floor as bullets hit the wall, just shy of their heads.

"Castle, where are your laser guns?" asked D.

"I don't have any," he/she shrugged.  "It costs to keep this place.  But if 
you want them, or some of them, alive, pull the red lever at the end of the 
hall.  I guarantee you'll love it."
D crawled along the floor to the end of the hall, barely missed by 
centimeters by the bullets they fired.  "Get the bitch out of here!" he heard 
one yell, as the guns were reloaded.  D reached up and pulled the lever.



Some use to say it rained cats and dogs outside, but in this place, it rained 
barbell weights and hand weights.  The intruders screamed and pulled the 
fallen forms of the colleagues over them for protection.  After the heavy 
weights stopped falling, the three approached the intruders, most dead, some 
unconscious.  "She's not here," said Adrian, as D started to unbury one of 
the survivors.

"Where is she?!" he growled, throwing the man against the car.

"D, you're hurt!" declared Adrian, seeing D's blood all over his arm and leg.  
D ignored him and struck the man to wake him.

"WHERE?!"

"The bitch is on her way back to the tank!" the man said.  D grabbed his neck 
and lifted him off the floor.

"If you want to live, you'll not call her that again!  Where have they taken 
her!"

"D, I hate to interrupt, but he can't tell you anything if you strangle him," 
said Adrian, hopping up to the roof of the car and sitting down. "Now put him 
down like a good boy.  That's it.  Now, my dear man, I apologize for my older 
brother's actions.  But you see, he's extremely fond of the woman, and I 
would love to see them reunited. Now, I shall ask you.  Nicely," Adrian 
barred his fangs and shone his green eyes.  "and if you don't answer, I'm 
afraid you won't survive."  The man screamed.  "No?  Well...oh look, one of 
your playmates survived as well.  D?"

D grabbed the second man and hauled him to his feet.  "Watch closely," said D 
forcing the man to look at his comrade.  "If we don't get answers, this will 
happen to you." The man watched in horror as Adrian sank his fangs into the 
soldier's neck.  The victim screamed as the Dhampire drained his blood.  He'd 
heard of vampires, but he never thought they really existed, despite the 
superstitions of the people around the world.

Adrian released the soldier, and he fell dead to the floor.  "Now!" rumbled 
D, turning the second soldier around. "Where?!"

"The ship!" he stammered, "It moves all the time.  Use the bikes outside.  
They've got a homing system.  Please, don't' kill me like that.  Please."

"There, you see brother.  They can play nice.  Castle, let me give you a 
hand."  Adrian turned back to D, as the soldier screamed, D's left hand 
around his throat, gloveless. "Oh well, at least 'you' didn't bite him."

D dropped the corpse to the floor.  "If we're going to get her back, we're 
going to need help.  Castle, where's your city phone?"

"Kitchen, down the hall, take a left before the showers.  Watch out for the 
mouse traps."  Castle then looked around at her home.  "You know, it took me 
nearly a year to get all this up there.  I should have made some kind of 
automatic reload system."



She was thrown to the floor, clothed once more in the white body suite she'd 
woken in months ago.  The room wasn't that much, an 8 foot cube, all dirty 
white walls.  She threw her weight against where the door had closed, hoping 
it would open.  It didn't.  "Bastards!!" she yelled pounding on the door.  
"If I get my hands on you, I'll..."

"You'll what?" asked a voice over her head.  The right wall had opened to 
show a man in a uniform.  She lunged at him, only to run head long into a 
clear wall.  The man laughed.  "Plexiglas.  Three inches of it.  Isn't it 
wonderful stuff?"

"Who are you!"

"My name, not that it matters to you, is Taro Raseeda.  I'm commander here. 
And no, I'm no clone.  I'm the real thing.  Ahhh-ahhh-ahhh." He shook his 
head to her as she again tried to break through the plastic.  "Look," He 
pushed a button and the opposite wall opened up the same way, a clear plastic 
barrier holding back the fluid. "I believe you know each other."

"Moos," She stepped up to the glass, where on the other side floated her 
lover from long ago.  He, too, wore a white suite, wires led all over his 
body, tubes through his nose and mouth and others to his groin.  "Moos."

"He's the real thing, and to make you happy, we'll put you back right beside 
him.  Remember this?" Raseeda held up a small cylinder just bigger than his 
hand.  "Within this cell, is the clone of one of 2005's greatest military 
leaders.  Complete with memories.  The thing is, this unit needs your 
specific EM field in order to wake him."  Doors to her right opened and four 
men entered, all in medical garb. "Get her back in the tank!  I don't know 
how you were missed, but you won't be this time."

The medical men forced her to her knees and flipped her hair over her head.  
"She's all ready got a scar, sir," said one of the medics.

Raseeda took his newly lit cigarette out of his mouth.  "So that's it.  They 
thought you were already neutralized.  No matter.  Ready her."

One of the medics ran a device over her and it squealed wildly.  "She's been 
seduced."

"Well," continued Raseeda, " The little whore got it good did she?  Tell me, 
did you let the clone take you, or is it the Vampire Hunter who got into your 
snatch.  No answer?  Kay.  Clean her out.  I don't want anything to 
contaminate the re-implantation of the cell."  Raseeda smiled as Kale 
screamed.  The medics using machines of horrible designs to search her 
insides for alien cells of any kind.

She couldn't tell how long they had done this; all she knew was that she was 
hurting.  Even D's presence in her, huge as he was, didn't hurt this much.  
They again threw her to the floor and left.  Leaving her alone with Moos' 
floating presence.

She opened her eyes, determined not to give up.  The door opened again, and 
she could hear soft footsteps.  A peace of paper appeared in front of her 
eyes.  She took it and quickly read her own language.


      'Years ago you loved her, enough to ruin your career to find her.  
      Well she's alive.  You know it.  If they find her all Hell will be 
      set loose again.  Its up to you to stop them.  Stop them from 
      getting her back.  Stop them from starting the wars all over again.  
      Don't let me down.  Don't let her down, again.'

"He left it for me."  She turned, it was Moos.

"Can't be..."

"Clones, remember.  I've got all he knew too."  He brushed her hair off her 
face.  "Kally, I didn't know how much you meant to me, not till you were 
gone."

"Kale.  I shortened my name while trying to find a job."  She looked to Moos' 
floating form.  "Why did you look for me?  Why did you let them do this to 
you?"

"When I learned about the program, I knew, not sure how, but I knew they took 
you.  They shot me trying to break into the New Brunswick facility.  I was 
paralyzed from the waist down.  I had no choice.  But if I'd known that I was 
going to be the source for clones, I think I would have chosen to die.  All I 
cared about at the time was one day being with you again."

"So, why are you here? Now?"

"I told Raseeda that I could convince you to cooperate."

"Fat chance of that!"

"I know."  He pulled a small handgun from his pocket.  "I made this a long 
time ago.  I was determined to find you, vegetating just like me."

"You were gona kill me?"

"And then me."  He nodded.  "Clones only live 5 years.  The last night we are 
alive, Raseeda lets us go out and get our rocks off but good.  Our only bit 
of pleasure allowed.  I couldn't do that to you."

"Raseeda is bent on putting that cell back in me. I won't let him!"  She 
snatched the tiny pistol from Moos' hand and pointed it to her stomach.

"Kally-Kale wait!  Cell?  What cell?"

"It's in there." She pointed to the room were Raseeda had watched her 
torture.

"Come on."  Making sure no one was around out side the confining room, Moos 
led Kale to the adjoining observation room.  There on a shelf being supplied 
emergency power, was the cylinder that Raseeda had shown her.  "Here, look.  
This is your ark's revival manual.  How'd you know to take it?"

"I didn't.  D must have grabbed it when he went back in for my stuff.  But 
how'd it get here?"

"Never mind."  He flipped through the pages to where the list of tank hosts 
began.  He then located Kale's name and the name of the clone in the cell.  
"Holly shit!"

"What?"

"Captain Death himself."

"Who?"

"Captain Morgan F. (DEATH) Feldman.  I served under him once.  His name, 
Death, came from his demeanor. He was cold.  Heartless didn't begin to 
describe him.  And nuts?  He relished the thought of the world going to war."

"So why'd they clone him?"

"Says here that he's an admiral.  They were automatically cloned.  We've got 
to destroy that cell.  He knows where all the bunkers are."

"Weapons bunkers?" He nodded.

"And if he's brought back.  War will start all over again."  They looked up 
at the sound of alarms going off.  "We're under attack!"  The observation 
room door burst open, and two soldiers rushed in.  "Kale, get under the 
desk!" He pulled his handgun and fired.  The others fired back.  Moos fell to 
the deck wounded, but kept shooting.  The soldiers fell dead.  "Kale, you all 
right?"

"Yeah, you?"

"No biggy."

"Moos!"  called a man from the door.  "Oh shit.  Man we gotta get out of 
here."

"No. Tom, this is Kally.  Kale Barrett.  She's the one I told you about.  
Look, get her out of here, will you?  Make sure she's safe."

"Where are you going?!"

"I'm gona do what I should have done long ago.  I'm gona blow the ship."  He 
disappeared down the hall holding his side.

"Come on," said Tom reaching for Kale, but a shot rang out and he stopped.
She watched as his eyes glazed over and then he slumped over her.  A guard, 
whom Moos had shot, survived just long enough, to fire one last shot.  Kale 
pushed her way out from under the desk.  Death, all around her.  "No.  It 
won't start again." She picked up one of the larger handguns and turned for 
the door.  'One last look.' She thought, and looked to Moos, still floating 
in the fluid.  That fluid, holding him between life and death.  Neither 
living nor dieing.

Suddenly shots rang out and bullets shot through the glass and into Moos' 
body, blood clouding the fluid, and lights flashing from above the tank.  
"Good bye, Moos. I'll always love you."  She picked up another gun, dropping 
the first, now empty, and left, her final card to play tucked under her arms.



D and Adrian crouched behind the crates in the docking bay, as the Edo police 
and the Ark officers shot at each other.  "You sure she's worth all this?" 
Adrian asked of D, as he pushed one of the fallen Edo cops off him.  D glared 
at his brother. "Just checking."
"Why didn't you say something about Castle?"

"She made me promise not to say anything.  Besides, Edo only allows men to be 
cab drivers.  Because of her mutantcy, she couldn't get a job in a woman's or 
any other man's field.  So she used padding to hide her body, and pretended 
to be the man her face and arms betrayed her to be."

"How'd you find out?" D pulled Adrian to another position in the bay, getting 
closer to the doors that would take them to the inner corridors of the land 
ship."

"She was getting robbed one night.  I stopped the robbers.  It was quite the 
surprise too.  Took a little getting use to, let me tell you.  Unfortunately, 
her body doesn't cycle like a woman's.  She builds up too much blood.  She 
donates what she can, and I take the rest when ever I'm in town."

"You sleep with her too?"

"That's none of your business."

"I'm not mad.  I think it's good that you have someone."

"Now all we have to do is get yours back."

"RASEEDA!!!"

D looked over the crates and vehicles to where the voice had hailed.  It was 
Kale.  Dressed in the absurd white suite again.  "Kale!  Get Down!" D 
shouted, his brother holding him back from running to her.

"Hold Your Fire!!"  Called Raseeda from the catwalk.  "We need her alive!"

"Remember this?!"  she said, holding up a cell.  "You want it!  Catch!!"  She 
threw the cell at Raseeda, who dove off the catwalk, catching the cell, but 
landing in the middle of parked motorcycles that needed maintenance.

Kale stepped up to him.  Edo police scattered to apprehend the Ark members 
who'd held their gunfire.  D and Adrian approaching Kale.  "You Bitch!" 
Raseeda stammered, as he saw cycle parts and repair tools sticking through 
his chest.

"Wrong one, Raseeda," she said, taking the cell from him.  "This one is 
empty."  She revealed another cell. "This is your Admiral DEATH."  She tossed 
the second cell in the air, firing several shots at it.

"NO!!!" he cried, watching it shatter.



"You there!  What are you doing!?"

Moos turned another wheel.  The engines were well on their way to 
overheating.  A fire here would spread to the fuel tanks, and it would be all 
over.  'Yes,' he thought deliriously.  'Over.  Finally over.' He slumped to 
the floor and closed his eyes.  "I should have married her."



"Its over Raseeda.  No more wars, not ever again." Kale raised her gun to his 
head, and pulled the trigger.  Nothing.  The gun was empty.  Raseeda laughed.

"Everyone Evacuate!! The ship is gona blow!" cried a man from the catwalk, 
and another alarm rang throughout the ship.

"He did it."

"Kale, lets go! Now!  Leave him!  He's dead already!"  D pulled on her arm as 
Adrian pulled him along.

"So long Raseeda." She ran, climbing over the crates to avoid the rush of the 
crew as they ran.  Raseeda mustered the last of his strength and stood.  
Seeing her flee, he raised his gun.  A shot, a ball of fire.



D turned as Kale was thrown from the ship, by the force of the blast.  He 
caught her.  She didn't move.  "D! We've got to move!" cried Adrian, over the 
explosions from the inside of the ship.

He didn't even know how far he'd run, but he didn't stop till he found one of 
the clinic helpers who'd been ordered to stay back until summoned.  He put 
Kale on the ground and started to look her over for himself.  She was burned, 
winded, but alive.  He held her to his chest, as the medics tried to gage her 
wounds.  A single tear escaped his eye.  Finally he let them take her, and 
climbed into the emergency wagon with them.



She woke in the motel room they'd booked on their arrival, or at least one 
like it.  D was sitting on the bed next to her, wiping her brow with a cloth.  
Adrian and Castle playing cards at a table across the room.  "Tell me it 
wasn't a dream," she said.

"No.  It was real.  The Ark ship is gone.  Easy. Don't sit up.  You've got 
some bad burns on your back and stomach."

"He did it," she said.

"Who, love?" asked Adrian, abandoning his cards.

"Moos, or his next clone.  He destroyed the ship."

"Well, who ever it was.  I'm glad they did," said D, his hand to her cheek.  
"It's over now.  You get some sleep."

She nodded and closed her eyes.



About a week later, her burns still a bit tender, D, Kale, and Adrian were 
saying farewell to Castle.  "Now remember," said Adrian, "Every three weeks, 
you go to the west side clinic.  They treat decent mutants and they can use 
your blood.  Take care."

"Till next time Alucard." She hugged him.

"This is weird.  Castle, a woman.  Man this is gona take some getting use 
to."

"Don't fret about it Kale.  We won't be back this way for a long time."  They 
watched the cab drive away, and the three mounted their horses.  "So where 
are you off to now, brother?"

"Well, D, I thought I'd find out where that cute little vamp went.  She's 
skipped town you know."

"Good luck." They watched Adrian spur his large black horse away, waving as 
he rounded the hills.

"You said, once, that I lived for a reason. And that I'd figure out why."

"Yes"

"I figured it out.  As you are meant to travel this new world, killing rogue 
vampires, and other monsters.  I think I lived to stop the real monsters from 
coming back at all."

"Meaning?"

"I'd like to travel with you D.  I still need your help to get on in this 
world, but that isn't the only reason." She leaned over and kissed him, 
nipping gently at his lips, D letting her.  "I let someone go once.  I'm not 
going to make the same mistake again."

"I'm not going anywhere.  I'm right here."

"Help me?"

"To do what?"

"Destroy the arks that are still out there."

"Well if we stay here, they'll still be there."  He kissed her back, letting 
his horse walk on, breaking their contact.  His look back to her calling her 
to him, calling her to their destiny.  Her hair flowing in the breeze behind 
her, like feathers on the wind.


By Charlotte MacFarlane
(jemstone5, Fanfiction.net)

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