The Hunters: Chapter Five

The Hunters

~05~

Dark Huntress

Big Bertha

Sanya sighed as she shut off the hot water. It was her first decent bath in weeks. She stepped out of the shower and got dressed. Upon opening the bathroom door she nearly bumped into Yin, Undertaker’s faithful shadow. She apologized and they both went their way. Sanya got to her room. It always amazed her how much room Undertaker had. There was a designated room for each of the team and a few extra rooms for those extra visitors.

Out of curiosity, Sanya knocked on Ren’s door. She wasn’t expecting an answer but she got one.

“Come in,” Ren said

Sanya opened the door and saw Ren sitting on his bed reading.

“Are you all rested up?” Sanya asked.

“Nope,” Ren smiled.

Sanya shrugged, “Yeah, me neither. We got in past midnight last night. Then the adrenaline rush didn’t wear off until later.”

“Same here,” Ren nodded.

Ren turned and looked out his window. Shortly after, the sound of a motor bike could be heard in the distance.

“Ai and Dante!” Sanya dashed down the hallway.

“What are you so excited about?” Ren called after her.

“I get to braid Ai’s hair!” Sanya called back.

Ren rolled his eyes. Sanya ran down the steps and into the small store. Akaban sat at the casher’s desk, his feet propped up on the desk and his red had over his eyes. The chair was tipped back but was balanced perfectly. Sanya barely noticed him as she dashed out the door. She stood outside and waited in anticipation for the straight faced little girl.

“Waiting for someone?” a voice startled her.

Sanya turned and noticed Undertaker sitting on a bench, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there.”

Undertaker blew a trail of smoke out of his mouth. He temporarily removed the long wooden pipe from his mouth. Though the brim of his hat was low over his eyes his green eyes looked at her with kindness. He spoke in a voice somewhere between his ‘old’ and ‘young’ voices. He didn’t feel the need to hide his true voice with people he knew well.

“I could only assume that you’re waiting for Ai,” Undertaker smiled.

Sanya nodded, “Yeah.”

Sanya’s words seemed caught in her throat. No matter how many times she met him, Undertaker seemed to counter her expectations. He was a legend in the Hunter community. There were stories upon stories about his power and victories. He was by far the most powerful blood vampire alive on earth. Undertaker was an Elite by birth but something happened early in his life and vampire blood entered his veins and changed his eye color. He was 100% Elite and yet he was 100% vampire and most importantly he acted very human.

Of course when Sanya got the news that she was to be transferred to Undertaker’s team, she nearly fainted. Actually she did, several times. It took her nearly five weeks to figure out what to wear when she met him. When she did finally meet him, it wasn’t at all what she expected. She walked through the shop doors in time to hear him swear at the golden pocket watch he carried. He didn’t swear just once, but an entire sentence worth. When he finally noticed she was there he threw the watch on the desk and lit his pipe at the very verbal disapproval of Yin.

And now, here he was, the greater than greats sitting on an old dusty bench smoking so casually as if he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. And he was talking to her.

“I think it’s good that you give Ai so much attention. She needs a sister to braid her hair. She has a brother for practically everything else,” he looked down the street, “Ah, here they come.”

Dante drove up and turned off the bike. Ai jumped off and was immediately swooped up by Sanya who carried her inside. Dante rolled his eyes and started rolling his bike into the side alley. Undertaker looked up as Dante passed by again.

“I hope the trip was uneventful,” Undertaker stated.

Dante smiled, “Nothing Ai and I couldn’t handle. You got anything to eat?”

Undertaker pointed toward the shop entrance behind him, “Check the pantry.”

“Thanks,” Dante walked inside.

He glanced over at Akaban as he walked passed. Dante bumped into Yin as she was on her way outside.

“What’s up with him?” Dante asked.

“He never really said,” Yin said, “I think he’s mentally preparing himself for his new partner through some kind of meditation. Either that or he’s just sleeping.”

“Man, he’s really down about this isn’t he?” Dante observed.

Yin shrugged, “He thinks partners, especially new partners, are a waste of time.”

“Ai’s saved my sorry butt more times than I care to admit,” Dante turned to the kitchen, “I’m hungry. Where’s the food?”

Yin watched as Dante walked into the kitchen. She dreaded to see what was left, or rather what wasn’t left, after the Dante hurricane blew through their food stores. Yin looked at Akaban and shook her head. She walked up to him and moved a delicate looking vase away from close proximity to his feet. After that she walked outside and looked over at Undertaker.

Undertaker looked at her from under his hat. He blew his pipe again just before Yin grabbed the pipe from his grasp.

“What did I tell you about smoking?” Yin asked.

“I distinctly remember that you said that it was essential to my health,” Undertaker smiled jokingly.

“Do you have a death wish?” Yin sighed, “You have no motivation for self-health.”

“I lived tens of thousands of years before you started nannying me and I’ll live ten thousand more,” Undertaker laughed.

Yin placed her hands on her hips, “Thanks to me we might be able to stretch that number a little.”

Undertaker lifted the rim of his had out of his eyes, “I’d love to continue this conversation but our new team member is coming down the road.”

Yin looked up and nodded, “That looks like her.”

“Do you think she buys all of those stories about me?” Undertaker’s smile widened.

“How am I supposed to know?” Yin shrugged.

Undertaker reached into his coat for his gold watch, “It’s strange how these trinkets cease to work when you need them to.”

“You can be a horrible man, master,” Yin shook her head and walked inside.

Undertaker shrugged and smiled, “Hasn’t been the first time one has called me that.”

----

“Everyone gather around!” Undertaker called, “Our newest member is here!”

Akaban looked out from under his hat. His gaze wasn’t at all pleasant. Ai sat on a nearby chair with her hair in an array of braids. She sat patiently as Sanya braided her hair. Ren sat on one of the tables reading his book. Dante ate in the kitchen doorway while Yin walked around cleaning the book shelves full of trinkets and books.

“Now, now, let’s not have everyone get excited at once,” Undertaker muttered, “I’d like you to meet Zathura.”

The shop door opened and a girl walked in. She wore a black corset that at certain angles shimmered dark blue. Over her shoulders was a short length black cropped jacket. A black lase necklace was wrapped around her neck. Three blue stones were strung in the necklace. Blue eye shadow decorated her eyes while black lipstick stained her hips. Her hair was black and tied into two ponytails at the sides of her head. They spiked outward instead of down. She wore black leather fingerless gloves. Around her waist was a thick belt with silver studs. It sat over her black layered skirt. The skirt’s length was about just above her knee. She wore black mid-thigh belted boots.

Zathura’s two handed battle axe hung over her shoulder, the heavier side was pointed toward the ground. One side had a blunt side and a bladed side. On her left side was a one handed crossbow. A pouch of bolts hung from the right side of her belt. She chewed a piece of black gum and blew a black bubble.

“Sup,” Zathura nodded.

“The one in red is your partner, Akaban,” Undertaker pointed, “Don’t mid him, he’s just in a bad mood. Then there are is Dante and Ai, the two with white hair. The one with the sweeping hair over his eye is Ren. His partner is Sanya. She’s braiding Ai’s hair. And Yin is over there dusting or something.”

“Like she’s going to remember all of that,” Dante muttered.

“Dante, Ren, Akaban, Ai, Sanya, Yin, and Undertaker, right?” Zathura looked around the room.

“You here that, Akaban, she’s a quick one,” Undertaker smiled.

“Hmm,” Akaban barely moved.

Zathura grabbed a crossbow bold and fitted it in the crossbow. She raised her left arm and aimed the bolt at Akaban. The vampire moved his head slightly and the bolt struck the wall behind him.

Zathura leaned on one leg, “Do I have your attention now? Look, I’ve done my dues, alright. All the boys laughing at the little school girl wanting to be a Hunter. They shut up real fast when the little school girl crushed a demons skull with a fifty pound Bertha here when I was a year into training. I know what I can do and I’m not going to stand here and work my way up the ranks when I can tear your balcony down.”

“That thing is fifty pounds?” Dante whispered to Ren.

“It’s been four years,” Ren shrugged, “If she could swing fifty pounds her first year, it could be heavier now.”

Akaban reached into his coat and pulled out a long black gun. He barely flinched as he fired the gun. Zathura dove to one side as she reached for another bold and loaded her crossbow. She rolled on the ground behind one of the lower book shelf. Another bullet flied overhead and when it passed, she stood and fired another bolt.

When the bolt was spent, Zathura jumped onto the book shelf. She gripped the handle of her battle axe with both hands as she leaped off the shelf. Akaban fired another bullet and it grazed Zathura’s boot. Zathura threw her arms forward as she brought down the axe on Akaban’s location. Akaban didn’t move an inch from his seat as he watched the mighty axe descent.

There was a loud clash of metal on metal. Zathura landed on her feet. She looked at what had stopped her attack. The snath of Undertaker’s Silver Fang stopped Zathura’s weapon from landing its blow. The scythe was across his shoulders, his arm draped over the narrow snath. Undertaker’s hat was gone and his green eyes were clearly visible.

“I do like this desk,” he smiled, “I would appreciate it in one piece.”

Akaban lowered his feet from the desk and stood up, “I suppose she will do.”

“Did you have to shoot at my walls to figure that out?” Undertaker sighed.