"Katie sure is taking her time, isn't she?" Rachel commented.
"It probably feels like that because we're waiting for her." Alan responded.
"Yeah...I guess so."
"Not only that, I'm sure she's just getting her thoughts straight before she comes back."
Alan was currently aimlessly swinging his sword slowly, while both Rachel and Liz watched.
"You weren't kidding when you said you've gotten attached. Do you honestly planning on swinging around that sword for the rest of your life?" Rachel asked with a smirk.
"Well, I honestly am enjoying myself. I personally always had a thing for swords."
"Alan, how many times have I told you? Stop trying to be so damn fancy with your swings. You aren't using that to dance with your opponents. You're using it to kill them, don't forget that." Liz commented.
"I'm not practicing, I'm just having fun at the moment. That reminds me, when do you expect Lord Constantine to call for us?" Alan asked.
Liz shook her head. "Not sure, I'm assuming very soon. But not anything definitive."
The main door opened, and all three turned to it. However, instead of Katie emerging from the door, a very different figure emerged instead.
Rachel gasped and shot to her feet, while Liz's eyes widened and was on her feet as well.
"Well, well, well. Look at what I found here, the little rats who have been scampering around for far too long." Lord Caleb said with an evil smile.
Alan saw that both Rachel and Liz were on their feet. "Who is this?" Alan asked.
"You as well? The little human asked me the same thing just a little while ago. Very insulting indeed."
Alan's eyes widened, as did Liz's and Rachel's. "Katie!? What have you done to her!?" Alan shouted.
The smile on Lord Caleb's face widened. "Not to worry, she didn't suffer if that's what you're concerned about. In fact, how about I give her back to you? Well, almost all of her anyway."
Lord Caleb then reached for something outside that was unseen, picked up what appeared to be a body, and tossed it at them.
Rachel gasped at the sight, as both Liz and Alan stared at the body, which was difficult to identify because it was missing the head. Those clothes, however, were undoubtedly the ones that Katie was wearing when she left.
"Sorry I couldn't give her all back, but you see, I plan on mounting this..." Lord Caleb said as he raised Katie's severed head, which held a look of terror in the head's lifeless eyes and face. "...on a nice place on my wall somewhere as a reminder of those who dare cross Lord Caleb."
'Lord Caleb!?' Alan's mind raced. 'This is Lord Caleb!?'
"Caleb! You fucking son of a bitch!!" Rachel screamed, fighting the overwhelming urge to cry and break down.
"That's 'Lord Caleb' to you, little girl."
Liz remained silent, suppressing all of her emotions. This might be their chance to take him down, if he was alone.
"So it's decided." Alan suddenly spoke, his voice low and grim.
Alan then growled, showing his teeth. "First my family, and now Katie...you..."
"...I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!" Alan exploded, breaking into a full run at Caleb.
"No Alan, stop!" Liz called out, not wanting him to attack Caleb recklessly. She then followed after Alan, as did Rachel.
Lord Caleb's eyes narrowed, and he tossed the head aside for the moment, drawing his own sword as Alan closed the distance, who roared as he swung his sword down on Caleb with all of his might.
Though the strike was powerful, it was not enough to force Caleb to give ground. Alan growled as he swung at Caleb again, now determined to kill Caleb at any cost. However, in his anger, Alan let his guard down, allowing Caleb to pierce his stomach. Alan coughed up blood in response, some of which ended up on Caleb.
Caleb, however, didn't get time to perform a finishing blow, for he saw both Rachel and Liz, now armed and running at him. Kicking Alan off of his sword, Caleb then charged at Liz first before both she and Rachel could close in together.
Liz stopped, and ducked to avoid the swing aimed for her neck, narrowly dodging it, though Caleb did managed to nick several strands of Liz's short hair. Caleb then kicked Liz aside, and turned to meet Rachel.
Caleb smiled as Rachel swung at him, and met Rachel's sword with his own. The force of Caleb's swing, however, was much greater than that of Rachel's, and it was enough to throw her off balance and take a step back.
Caleb grabbed Rachel's face in the unguarded moment, and tossed her effortlessly at a wall. Rachel hit the wall with a loud thud with her back, the impact enough to create a small crack in the wall as Rachel gasped in pain and fell to the ground.
Alan, ignoring the pain that was swelling through him, was on his feet, and ran at Lord Caleb once again.
Caleb almost didn't see it coming, for he was busy admiring his handiwork on Rachel, and only managed to catch the movement out of the corner of his eye.
Alan nicked Caleb's neck, though it wasn't deep enough to cause major damage, it was enough to draw blood.
Caleb growled his frustration at how this insect managed to defile him, and attempted to swing at Alan's face with his free hand. Alan avoided the fist, though it was close enough that he could feel the air brush past his face, and Alan jumped back upon seeing Caleb swing his sword at him next.
Alan didn't stay away for long, and rushed at Caleb once more. Caleb decided that it was time for a change of pace, and brought out a pistol that he had been hiding on his person, raised it, and fired it at Alan before he could even try to avoid it.
Alan, out of both surprise and pain, fell to the ground, gripping his brand new bullet wound as Caleb stared on, who held a face of satisfaction.
Caleb's smile vanished when Alan, despite being shot, stood, and released the open wound that was several inches above and to the right of his heart.
The pain was great, but it wasn't enough to stop Alan. Not with Caleb standing right before him. Not when Katie's severed head was still a clear picture in his mind. Nothing was going to stop him. Even if God came down from Heaven or Hell froze over, Alan would destroy either force to kill the Lord standing before him.
Gripping his sword tightly, Alan embraced the pain, growled, and ran at Caleb once more, paying attention to the pistol.
Caleb raised the pistol once more, firing another shot at Alan. This time, he missed, and Caleb's eyes widened, not expecting him to still be so fast after being both impaled and shot.
Caleb holstered the pistol, and met Alan's sword with his own, finding that Alan's swings still had power in them.
Liz raised her head, releasing the area on her chest where Caleb had kicked her to find Alan and Caleb now trading blows. It was also dawning on Liz that despite their three to one advantage, they still were not going to win this fight. Alan was most likely in a berserk state, and that was the only thing driving him to fight on.
Unlike Lord Hector, Lord Caleb was here to kill, and not to drag out the fight for his enjoyment. If this continued, not one of them would survive. Luckily, Lord Constantine had an emergency back up plan in case this place was ever compromised, which just may work against Lord Caleb. At the very least, it should be able to separate him from Rachel and Alan. The bad part was how to make such a plan work.
Her mind raced as she broke away from the current fight to find what she needed, and since both Alan and Caleb were too focused on one another for the moment, she was able to slip away unnoticed.
Rachel shook her head, focusing her vision, which had blurred after her impact against the wall. The strength difference between Lord Hector, who was holding back, and Lord Caleb, who intended to kill, was now more than obvious. Rachel found herself surprised at how much Lord Hector had held back, even when it seemed like he was serious.
Yet, to her utter surprise, Alan was still standing, and still fighting Lord Caleb. It was also clear to see the pure hatred written on Alan's face. This time, however, Rachel could not blame him or hold it against him. Rachel stood on shaky legs, berating herself to get up and continue fighting. This was their best chance, here and now while Caleb was alone, and outside of his own territory. This was the time when he was most vulnerable. And he needed to answer for what he did to Katie.
Caleb was now getting frustrated, because this tiny pest standing before him would not stay down. He was also refusing to see Alan as anything but a weak newborn, even if he could stand his ground against a Vampire Lord. To do so would be to insult Caleb's own position as a Vampire Lord, something he was not prepared to do on behalf of this boy that was fighting him.
Caleb growled his frustration, but then blinked as he heard something behind him. But it was too late, and Rachel stabbed Caleb from behind. Though Caleb coughed up blood and was in pain, Rachel's shaky aim and vision caused her to miss a vital point. Caleb was about to turn and deal with her in his frustration when he saw Alan going for a killing blow, aiming to sever Caleb's head.
This also left Alan wide open, for he was throwing everything into his swing, and Caleb once again drew his pistol, which Alan had forgotten about in his chance for victory, and was shot once again. Caleb then turned around and shot Rachel, who wasn't able to move out of the way due to her injuries.
With the two of them now on the ground and writhing in pain, Caleb took the time to remove the sword that was thrusted through his body. It annoyed him even further because he was unable to reach for the handle that was behind him, so he had to push the sword out of him by pushing on the blade.
Alan began to rise once more, despite the pain. Caleb, in his haste to simply force both Alan and Rachel away from him, had shot blindly at the two of them, not aiming for any specific area. The second bullet that punctured Alan had hit his right stomach, which was now bleeding profusely.
With Caleb focused on Alan, and knowing that Caleb had probably completely forgotten about her, Liz pounced on Caleb. Landing on him and grabbing him from behind, Caleb dropped the sword and gun that was in his hands to bring them up to Liz's arms, which were wrapped around his neck.
"Alan! Take Rachel and jump! Hurry!" Liz shouted as Caleb changed tactics, and elbowed Liz in the ribs, though she held on with all of the strength she could muster.
Alan instead raised his sword, though it was now shaking slightly. "No! This ends now!"
"You can't-" Liz was cut off as she was elbowed again, and this time, was forced to release her grip. She began to fell, but before she could do so completely, Caleb kicked her with the heel of his foot behind him.
Alan ran at Caleb at swung at him once more, but now Alan's movements had slowed down, and Caleb found that he could now dodge Alan's swings. When Alan missed the first swing, Caleb punched Alan in the face, which brought Alan to his knees.
