Bad Luck and The Law of Averages (The Old Guard Fanfic)

Chapter 11 - Battle

Roy's eyes went from human normal to a vampire glow in under a second as they fixed on Nicky.

"You're dead," Roy growled, coming to his feet far faster than was naturally possible.

"Not even close," he snarled back.

What he could not have anticipated was Roy reaching under the jacket he had been sleeping in and producing a long, vicious looking butchers' knife.

"You wanna play with knives," Roy said, grinning at him with a mouth full of fangs, "let's play."

It was obvious Roy thought he had no idea how to use the sword he was holding, so Nicky changed his stance, drawing the vampire towards him. He was waiting when Roy attacked and he dodged backwards, but discovered the first disadvantage of being up against a fully fledge fiend of the night. Nicky was fast, but Roy was faster.

Roy had once been a big man, but now he was a big vampire with vampire speed. Nicky barely got his sword in position to block Roy's strike. At which point he discovered the second disadvantage; Roy was very, very strong.

Nicky did what he had trained to do, he adapted. He span out of Roy's range, dipping and twisting in a way Roy could not predict. He got a hit in across Roy's ribs, but a snarl from the other side of the room distracted him. Ruth was going after Joe.

Icy spikes lanced through Nicky's chest and it felt as if time slowed down in his awareness even more than a fight often made it do, bringing the vampires' movements into real time. Roy was coming at him again and he brought his sword up, sending the knife blow off to the side as he twisted again, this time thrusting his blade forward. It slid into the flesh of Roy's other side, and he curled his wrists, tearing through Roy's body as he withdrew it, doing as much damage as possible.

Roy growled and stumbled, giving Nicky one moment. He could see Joe trying to use his sword on Ruth, but she was scarily fast. She was the head vampire and she was proving it. Nicky pulled out one of his knives and threw it at Ruth's back. It hit with a thud and she stiffened for a moment, turning and snarling at him, but it seemed to have annoyed her more than hurt her. However, it was all the time Joe needed.

As Ruth glared at Nicky, all humanity gone, Joe took his chance, flowing into motion. Ruth had her arms out, claws on full display. Joe brought his sword down on her wrists, slicing off her hands with one blow. Now she screamed.

Nicky felt a blade slide between his ribs and he spun away from it as his distraction cost him. He backed down the side of the bed as Roy stalked him. The pain was secondary as his body healed, but he had to adjust for the weakness the injury caused while it did.

"I'll kill you slowly," Ruth shrieked at Joe, "you'll beg for death."

Roy charged Nicky before he could check for Joe's response. He did not bring his sword up in defence this time, but in pure attack, using Roy's momentum to impale the big vampire right through the centre of his torso. It cost him, Roy's blade went through his stomach as he was forced back against the wall behind him.

He pushed the blinding agony to the back of his mind, staring into inhuman eyes that wanted to send him to hell. With every ounce of strength he had, he pulled his sword upwards, slicing through tissue and bone. It came free of Roy's body, just to the right of his neck. The vampire staggered back, injured, but very far from dead.

Chasing his advantage, Nicky freed a stake from his hip, dropped his sword onto the bed, and rammed it home into Roy's chest with both hands.

Roy froze, going completely silent, before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

Nicky wobbled, falling to his knees. There was still a knife sticking out of him. Taking hold of the handle, he pulled, yelling as the pain tried to take away his focus, before dropping it on the floor. He pulled himself to his feet using the side of the bed as his body began to knit back together. Swearing in several different languages, he grabbed his sword and staggered towards where Joe was dodging Ruth and her bloody stumps.