A Different Type of Team
“You need to be more careful.” Daniel Hayward looked up at the man who spoke. He was a tall slenderer man, built like a runner. He was also more pale than not, with dark brown hair and darker eyes. Daniel held a hand to his side and flashed the man a smile. Daniel’s pale green gaze met the dark one.
“Just another scar to add to the collection,” Daniel commented looking down at the blood that was coating his hand. The slash hurt like a bitch and burned too. “At least he didn’t bite me,” Daniel said with a slight laugh and Juan gave him a look. It clearly said that that wasn’t funny.
“Then we’d be hunting you instead.” Juan closed his eyes for a second and Daniel just rolled his. Yeah whatever, it got annoying sometimes being the human they sent with the non-humans, of their place of employment. Well, he was a little different as well, to tell the truth.
Daniel had a solid barrier in his mind that stopped any from controlling him or tricking his mind into seeing other things. He could move objects with his mind, and those were the skills he honed. That was pretty mundane compared to those he was working with. Daniel was a rare psychic human, and he had a lot at his disposal. However some of his talents, Daniel did not practice. Those he would like to stay dormant.
‘It’s on the east side, coming up behind Daniel and Juan.’ This was a female voice. Connie was a vampire just like Juan was. Daniel was glad for their help in fighting this crazed werewolf. It had killed over twenty people having gone on a rampage. The human that had been bitten, his mind had snapped. He had not handled the change well at all. It would seem other werewolves were not aware of the issue, or they ignored it.
Most couldn’t handle the change from human to something else. Werewolf was the worst of them from what he heard. After all, your entire body underwent a change, along with your mind. That shit wasn’t easy. He was happy being a plain old human. A little advanced, and they had some awesome drugs that could help heal you fast and stuff.
That was all he needed, didn’t need to live forever. Didn’t need all the extra benefits that came with it. Not with the downsides he saw. Besides he could fight damn well, but when your opponent could move faster than you could blink, yeah you were bound to miss or get hit.
‘Daniel’s hit.’ Juan informed the others.
‘So is Ralf, but it’s healing. Pretty bad, he’ll be down for a bit.’ This was Connie again mentally speaking to them, telepathy was pretty great too. Daniel turned his head and made a motion to Juan. He could hear the soft breathing of the werewolf coming toward them. His hearing was better than most, but Juan could hear far better than any human. He was just lost in concentration at the moment.
‘You think you can move fast enough to take his head if I act bait?’ Daniel asked Juan looking at him and Juan didn’t look like he approved of the idea. Daniel liked Juan, they were friends. Juan didn’t look at him as less for being a human. They also worked well together, most on this little team did give Daniel respect. He earned it the hard way though.
‘You have a death wish or something? Yeah, I can take his head. Doesn’t mean he won’t get a chunk of you, and with that damaged brain of yours I don’t think you’d handle a change all that well.’
‘Thanks for the confidence.’ Daniel said to his teasing comment. Before Juan could say anything more, Daniel got up and rolled out into the main area. He kept a low crouch already having gauged the distance to the shipping crates not too far away. He paused as the werewolf turned quickly and looked at him. Its eyes were jet black, always a bad sign. Along with the missing tufts of fur like it had mange or something.
It let out a growl and Daniel waited for the right moment to move. The one where it wouldn’t have the chance to get out of the way when Juan came at it. Juan was crouched waiting. He was talented in masking his presence and a few other things as well.
The werewolf lowered its head, seeming to decide that Daniel was not a threat and it was going to charge him. It was twice the size of any normal wolf, and its paws looked more like curved hands. Like it had been caught in the change from human to wolf. Its tail was also bony and odd-looking. Normal werewolves would look completely wolf-like.
‘Daniel, hit it with your mind when you move. I’m just behind you.’ The voice was deeper than Juan’s. It was that of Neil, a werewolf with them. One that was normal and not deranged like the one before him was. Well as normal as the paranormal got.
‘Got it.’ Daniel said and then seeing the way that it tensed Daniel dove to the side as it lunged. His side tore open more at the movement, but he ignored the pain. With a thought, he hit the thing in the chest mentally. It jerked hard backward and let out a painful sound. Neil was fast coming over Daniel taking the other wolf to the floor. Neil was a massive-looking timber wolf, impressive in stature.
With Neil pinning the animal to the floor, Juan was right there and swung down with a thick iron bar with a flat edge right on its neck. The force of the blow was intense and far past what any human could give. It severed the neck almost completely. A second blow had the job done and dark red blood spread across the floor
Neil shifted back to a human and stood looking down at the wolf, there was an odd sadness there and then it was gone.
“We need to find who’s been changing others. A few of the packs have contacted us saying how they too have been having problems with rogues that are mentally unstable,” Neil stated. He was now starting to think that a wolf was doing this on purpose.
“Agreed,” Juan said tossing the metal bar. Neil looked at it as Daniel moved over to them holding his side.
“It was all I had in a pinch. It got the job done. Better than having to tear his head off with my hands.” Neil gave a shrug and looked at Daniel. Two others were coming up to them, Connie and Ralf.
“Let’s see,” Neil said moving over and pulling Daniel’s hand away. The gash was nasty and you could see muscle and tissue easily.
“How haven’t you died yet?” Ralf asked looking at Daniel. Ralf had a nasty-looking bite to his thigh. Flesh was hanging there but he was holding it and you could see it starting to mend. At least the virus that would change him werewolf, wouldn’t work. He was already inhuman. It seemed that once you change from a human, your DNA just wasn’t moldable anymore. Sometimes you felt extreme pain depending on the creature that bit you.
“I’m just that amazing,” Daniel said to the fact he was a human who had defied death with this group a few times now. A few laughed. Ralf just stared at him. They didn’t get along all that well. Ralf didn’t care for humans much. He thought they were lower than him and should really know their place. Ralf did talk to Daniel like a normal being, just didn’t care for him. Like he said, Daniel had earned this the hard way. Plus he was a rare psychic human.
“Thanks,” Daniel said when Neil stepped away and shrugged. Neil could heal wounds, a great help to have when out like this. He moved over to Ralf to help him next.
“You wouldn’t have to worry about it if you changed,” Juan said, and those on the team had had this conversation with Daniel multiple times. Even Ralf had offered, like the fact he was human seemed to bother them. Even when they joked that he couldn’t handle it.
It wasn’t what they really thought. He wasn’t sure if it was just because he was human, or because he seemed able to keep up with them and do just as good as them. Like it was a slap to the face a human could do what they could.
“I like my mortal status. I’ve seen some of the things that you’ve lived through.” Wounds that were so severe or nasty that he’d rather have died than have them. So Daniel felt valid in his comment.
“But you’d be a great benefit to us, and you wouldn’t have to worry about being deranged. Vampire is a lot easier, werewolf not so much. Though I’m sure you’d be fine, no offense,” Connie said looking at Neil. The others were moving to take care of the body.
“None taken. Just remember being a vamp you’ll never see daylight again. Not to mention your diet.” Daniel smiled slightly.
“Not true, our oldest can stand just a bit of sun,” Juan said.
“Yeah, and how long does that take?” Neil quipped.
“Good point,” Juan commented with a smile to Neil. Another man and woman were coming up to help with cleaning up. The two of them were hybrids, but not of any kind standing here. Their eyes were like a lizard's, their skin also looked a bit scaly.
“I’m good, don’t need to be running around naked either,” Daniel said gesturing to Neil who shrugged.
“I’m sorry that you are ashamed of your manhood and have to hide it.” There was a laugh all around and Daniel did as well.
“I didn’t want to show you up,” Daniel stated with a smile.
“That doesn’t take much.” Juan jested and gave Daniel a knuckle pound when he laughed. Neil just flipped him off grabbing a pair of pants that one of the others tossed him.
“One of these times I’m going to stake you in your coffin.” Juan saluted him as he helped lift the werewolf body that was now in a black bag onto a gurney. They were fast and efficient, so used to this that perhaps they should have been a bit more somber, but it was just another day of work.
“You know that I don’t sleep in a coffin, right? Too cramped, I’d get claustrophobic, a bed works.”
“Yeah, stakes are rubbish, you going to toss garlic at him too?” Ralf asked Neil.
“I might, it fucks up your sense of smell. Second, I’m pretty sure that if I staked your heart, you just might die. It’s one of those organs that once damaged you don’t come back from it.” Neil pointed at him and gave a look that said he should remember the basics.
“I wouldn’t rely on that. I’m sure there is something that can withstand that,” Juan commented.
“Yeah, and if that was the case I’d be running like hell.” There was a laugh at Daniel’s statement.
“Don’t worry little human, we’ll help you out,” Neil told him as they moved out of the building and toward the cars that were waiting. They glanced around the street but where they were was deserted, still better to make sure that no one was following, or had seen.
“You better, or you won’t have anyone to act as bait. To go in and be taken for granted, to get your sorry asses in or out,” Daniel said moving to an SUV and getting in. “If I recall right who got a couple of you out of….” He was going to mention a few crates and something about shelter but was cut off.
“Zip it human or I’ll cut your tongue out,” Neil said. Daniel gave a real laugh that time and so did a few of the others. Juan got into the front of the SUV that Daniel was in and then Connie got in the back with Daniel. Which Daniel wasn’t all that happy about, she was the worst of them trying to convince him to change. She was most definitely interested in him, he wasn’t in her.
“You know it’s reckless of you to keep coming out as you are. One of these times you are going to get injured, and we won’t be able to help you.” He looked at Connie.
“I know the dangers. Just because I’m human, doesn’t make me stupid,” Daniel said. He was tired of the back and forth with this. Why wouldn’t they just leave him the fuck alone, he’d told them no.
“She’s right you know,” Neil added.
“Thanks for the concern, but I like how I am.” Daniel reiterated. Plus there wasn’t always a guarantee that he would be the same, that he’d make it through. Going through a change was always a chance.
“You’d be fine of course, it’s easy to see in you,” Juan said. Daniel should probably feel more gratified at them asking, the immortal races were extremely picky. They didn’t just change anyone they wanted. After all, you’d be stuck hunting them if it didn’t work.
“Thanks, dad,” Daniel said giving Juan a look. Their driver didn’t say anything, he was human but not important to the other two. So they didn’t even look at him. That was another thing, he didn’t want to disregard others because he thought he was more important. More powerful, his boss was a mage and long-lived, he’d even asked why Daniel didn’t just take one up on their offer.
Was it that bad to be a human? They needed this; their group was trying to help mesh the societies. Keep the deranged under attack. In Daniel’s opinion having a human on the team was helpful if others found out.
“You’d be so much more,” Connie commented. Yeah, he’d heard that before, he didn’t want to become a prick. People or rather nonhumans looked at humans differently. They saw them as less and no threat, he didn’t remind them which species had put a lot of theirs on the brink of extinction. He thought humans were just as self-centered, however.
“Do we have somewhere else to go tonight?” Daniel asked Juan changing the subject. Next to him Connie looked pissed and annoyed. Sometimes he felt like she might just attack him. He didn’t know what it was that seemed to attract her to him. He didn’t feel it.
“Not really, we just have to see if we can find the one changing others. It’s a worry because he or she might be trying to get a large group together. A bid for power,” Neil said.
“History likes to repeat itself a lot, doesn’t it?” Daniel said running a hand through his dark brown hair with a peppering of lighter color. He then rubbed his chin and figured that he could probably use a shave.
“Very true,” Juan replied. There was always someone, somewhere that wanted to get power, wanted to rule and control. It seemed like a never-ending battle. One of these times they were going to destroy themselves. A phone went off in the front and Juan answered it, the two in the back sighed.
A phone meant there was probably another job to do. They weren’t in the business of capturing; they were in the business of trying to keep the peace and cut off dangerous or evil beings before they tried something.
“Yeah?” Juan said and was quiet for a bit listening and the sound of someone talking came to Daniel but he couldn’t make out the words. Connie could however and didn’t seem too thrilled about it.
“I don’t like messing with mages. Magic isn’t something I understand,” Connie said looking out the window, and Daniel wished his hearing was that good. However, he didn’t voice that desire, they’d just start in on him again.
Juan closed the phone and told the driver to take them someplace else rather than back to their facility. He turned and looked at Daniel so that he could fill him in on what he’d just been told.
“Pierre says that they have Intel about a mage not far from here. Messing with dark stuff apparently, trying to bring demons over or something.”
“I hate demons,” Daniel said. They were evil, pure evil and they would stop at nothing to kill and destroy. He didn’t get why others would want to bring them over. Even with the promise of what they would be given, it never worked out and you could lose your soul. Never make a deal with a demon was Daniel’s motto.
The whole heaven and hell thing wasn’t something that Daniel was sure he believed in. He believed in other places beyond here, other Earths out there but never truly heaven and hell. He didn’t know, it just seemed too neat to him.
“Me too, so we need to go and stop this man. Pierre says to bring any back that he might bring over, anything that’s not a demon that is.” Pierre was their boss and a very powerful mage. He should really be taking care of this right? Magic was a hard thing to counter even when you knew what you were doing.
“Really?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah, I don’t know what he thinks will show up,” Juan commented and then those in the car behind them spoke to them mind to mind to get the details of what was going on. They drove a short ways and then they came out of the city area to a suburb and stopped just down the street for the house they were supposed to go to.
“Ready?” Juan asked them as they got out and then made sure that they had the weapons that were needed and moved down the street.
