Fan-fiction part six

He laughed, but it wasn't a normal laugh you might hear anywhere. It was an awful laugh. Not one expressed out of humor. Rather, one expressed from the thought of certain terrible and horrible things to come. It sent shivers up and down Lizzy's back.
One simple laugh from this man, and she was terror-struck.

Israel cursed.
Skulduggery tilted his head slightly, ignoring him. "Well, hello there. Who might you be?" A cheerful, friendly tone was in his voice. Nothing like what Lizzy was feeling. She concentrated on that tone, trying to relax as Skulduggery seemed to be. It helped. She could stand without trembling now and her eyes were focusing again. Focusing on this white clad, yet evil man who was now standing but a few paces away and beginning to talk.
"I," he said with his strong and deep, dark voice. "Am the ultimate apostle to Dusk, the greatest vampire ever known in this universe."
"Ah, I see. Well, that's interesting.... You know, I've never actually heard of you..."
The man laughed. "Oh no, you wouldn't have. No human has ever seen me and lived to speak of it. You blood bags are ever so slow, and you're bones, they can be snapped so easily with this strength." His outstretched hand clenched as if he was imagining such a fun time at that very moment. Skulduggery's head tilted again. "Yes, I can see what you mean... I'm Skulduggery, by the way. What's your name?"
"Oh, I know who you are, detective." The man's head was leaned forward and his mouth was upturned in such an evil grin, Lizzy shuddered again and looked instead into his cruel black eyes, which, she had to admit, weren't a whole lot better.
"As for your question, my name is Mordoc."
"Just Mordoc? What is it with you vampires and just one name?" he shook his head sadly. "Anyway, it was truly nice speaking with you, but I'm afraid my comrades and I must depart. You know how it is, places to go, people to hit... Always so busy." Here, he sighed disappointedly. "Perhaps we can meet another time for tea! Wouldn't that be fun? Although, I don't drink tea, or anything for that matter.... and you probably would prefer the taste of some other... fluid... better. So maybe we just won't meet at all! How does that sound? Good? Good. Farewell!" He turned around to walk out, the others following suit. The vampires, of course, immediately blocked their path. Skulduggery could see that the sun was almost set outside.
Mordoc snarled, "Drop the act, detective. I abhor your snide remarks."
Lizzy looked at the two vampires standing in front of the door. Two men appearing to be about 25 in age. One with white blond hair and the other with brown. And they were both staring at Skulduggery and sweating. They'd heard of him. She glanced around at the others. All nervous. All on edge.
All about ready to leap on them and rip her friends' throats out with their bare hands if necessary.
Skulduggery shrugged, his hand moving quickly. "Very well. " and around he turned, gun aimed where Mordoc stood, but he was gone. The rest of the vampires' nerves snapped. They leaped, amazingly quick. Skulduggery spun again and shot the airborne vampire on his right between the eyes. It fell to the floor at his feet. Lizzy instinctively ducked just as a vampire's sharpened nails slashed at the space her face had been in. Mar-munk, still on her shoulders, tensed for a split second, then leaped with all her might onto the vampire who had just swung his curled claws at the wrong gal. Lizzy turned from them and searched for Israel. She saw him standing behind Skulduggery with his knife drawn. Skulduggery exchanged punches with the white blond haired vampire. Valkyrie, fighting the brown haired vampire, held a hand to her bleeding stomach and threw fire with the other one.
Where was Mordoc? He seemed to have disappeared. She backed into a corner and scanned the room quickly. Nothing. She knelt down, laying our her rifle case and snapping it open in a flash.

***

Israel cried out and stepped back, clutching his left arm with his right hand where the white haired foe had gashed it. Skulduggery lay still across the room from where he'd been thrown. Israel glared at the man, withdrew his bloody right hand and jumped forward with the knife. He slashed it, making a long, diagonal line of red appeared on the vampire's shirt. The vampire snarled with furry, reappraising his adversary.

***

Mar-munk chattered again, saying in her chipmunk dialogue, "Is that all you got, you weakling vampire? I could take on two, no, make that three of you at the same time! Ha! I bet your granny could fight better than you!" She cut his face and bit his shoulder, scurried between his grasping hands and dug her paws into his back as she slid down.

*** 

Valkyrie was having a bit of trouble with her brown haired assailant. She ducked as he swiped at her again, wincing with pain from the laceration across her belly. She swung a right hook, missing as the vampire maneuvered out of her reach. They circled each other, ignoring the chaos around them. Blood dripped from her wound.

***

Skulduggery moaned a bit, remembering where he was and what was happening as the sounds of battle came to him. He stood up. Then he saw Valkyrie and the blood on the ground around her feet. The vampire she was up against stepped forward, sending his fist in low. She dodged back and stumbled, her blood loss making her weak. She shook her head and tried to ignore it, but lost her feet as the vampire fell to the ground lightening fast and swung his leg into hers. Skulduggery ran toward the two of them, a ball of fire growing  in his palm.

***

Lizzy crouched in the shadows, rifle in hands. Her eyes roamed the rapidly dimming room. Where was he? She peered around a corner, eyes squinting. Nothing she could see, but it was so dark. She turned back, and there was Mordoc's horrible grinning face. She uttered a shout of surprise and went to step back, but his hands were on her neck. She didn't even see them move. He was so fast. She tried to breath but couldn't. "Stupid girl," he snarled in a low, hateful voice. Her gun fell from her grasp. "You thought you could face me with that little toy of yours?" She tried to kick him, but he just slammed her into the wall. "You puny, weak human.... You will gain strength and become one of mine."
Her face was strained. "N... no....!" She struggled uselessly.
His mouth stretched into a cruel smile before his fangs sank into her neck, tearing the flesh as he drank.

***

Skulduggery knocked the vampire back and caught a glimpse outside as the last rays of sunshine dipped below the horizon. He looked at his foe doubling over in pain. "Get to the car!" He yelled. Valkyrie nodded and ran out the door. Mar-munk and Israel spun around, searching for their missing companion. And that's when they saw Mordoc drop her to the floor in a heap, her neck torn, her eyes glassy. Mordoc clench his fists and grabbed a syringe from his coat, plunging into his arm. Skulduggery saw all of this too. Then Mordoc, muscles relaxing, looked up to stare with loathing at the skeleton detective. Skulduggery yelled, "Go now!" 

He gave Mordoc one last look before forcing the other two out of the building as all but Mordoc ripped their flesh off.