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Chapter 3

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He smiled slowly, he had been worried that she would not take the offer and that he would have to throw her out, she was special, a jewel, but if her mind was too clouded with anger, hate and prejudice she would not be capable of much, just another slayer on a war path, she would get killed before she reached any of her potential. He could not risk his house and the lives of those that work for him by letting someone so uncompromising stay here. But now it was all decided, she would learn and she would train and when he was done she would be a legend, the plan would all fit together and the two of them would go down in history.

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Chichi was not given much time to think over her decision, Drake immediately told her to run a course around the gym before a minute had passed, while she did this, he left and returned wearing black loose levis jeans, a white shirt, a lilac sleeveless vest and strap-on leather sandals. He also brought the bottle of blood and when Chichi had finished her run she realised that she was quite hungry again. As the day wore on into night and that on to day again Chichi trained continuously lifting weights, running laps, balancing, running complex routes at speed, she found that she was getting hungry more quickly and that it took more to quench the thirst for blood each time. After one such feeding she faced her trainer, "How is it that I need more of this stuff more often while you still haven't drunk anything, you haven't even left the room since you got changed?" She asked.

"There is a reason, it will be revealed soon." he replied.

"You said trust you so I will, but how come we haven't done any combat training, I might not have been much against you before but I think that now things are little more even I could give you a run for your money."

He smiled, "You think you have what it takes? Then come on, hit me."

Chichi crouched into a fighting stance but Drake didn't move an inch, "Hey are you gonna fight me or what?" she said

"Just do your best, I shall try not to hurt you too much." he replied with a smile, still not moving. Chichi mentally shrugged and attacked, she pounced forward as if to make a direct hit and then she quickly twisted to the right to throw a punch right at his smug face, and she was surprised to find he blocked the blow with his forearm. She darted round to his back sent a kick at his lower back with the speed of a comet; he turned sideways at the last instant dodging the kick. Chichi didn't waste time being surprised but instead used her returning kick to propel her round and into a leg sweep, Drake simply jumped it but otherwise did not move. Chichi was starting to get annoyed, she had nearly mastered karate and tae quad do while she was training herself, it was time she showed this smug bastard what she was capable of, she launched herself into a series of lightning fast punches and kicks that came much easier and faster with her new abilities, not a single one landed, all were blocked or dodged with the minimum of movement. "Damn you! Fight back or I'll never learn anything." she yelled at him.

"You shall not learn anything from pointless pain, first prove to me the quality of your fighting skills then we shall see what you will learn." He said simply with a level tone.

"Rah!" Chichi snarled in rage, she deliberately feinted a strike to his ankle and then put all her anger and rage into a kick to the chest when Drake was forced to move round to avoid the ankle strike, the kick hit with a sound like wood hitting wood but when she looked she saw that this had been blocked as well, however the look on Drakes face had changed and it said she'd done something wrong, he grabbed her leg before she could pull it back. "So you think that hate is the key!? You want to learn but you cannot accept that I know better what you need to improve! If you want pain then I can give you pain!" He shouted and with that swung her by her ankle and slammed her into the wooden floor, she felt a rib break and cried out, he flipped her up and with his other hand punched her in the kidney before she could hit the splintered floor, it was like getting hit by a sledgehammer at twenty miles an hour, she flew across the room and slid into the wall hard. Chichi curled into ball and hugged her stomach; it had definitely been a bad idea to piss him off.

"Get up!" He shouted, "That is nothing, it will heal in ten minutes. You wanted more participation from me you got it. I noticed you leave yourself open quite often while attacking; you will learn to watch your guard from now on. If I see you drop it at anytime I shall hit you. Hard. Now get up and hit me."

Chichi groaned as she dragged herself up, Great. She thought, I should have just kept doing what he asked and waited for him to give instruction. She winced as her kidney protested her movement and prepared to fight again. Chichi decided to start with a simple combo and finish with a roundhouse, as her final kick was stopped just centimetres from Drakes nose she realised to late that she had let herself get to far into the last kick, she wasn't unguarded but she was overbalanced. Before she could retreat Drake simply batted her supporting foot out from under her with one foot and booted her into another wall with the other. She muttered a short curse under her breath and got up, she would have to be more careful or he'd tenderise her, she wondered how long he would stay pissed at her, she had been stupid, she knew that now but what did it take to satisfy him?

This went on for a while, she would attack he would block, dodge and hit her when she dropped her guard. It was only when she left herself open and she knew it, the only difference that she had when she had ever fought before was that before she had never needed to worry about her defence during an attack because no-one ever had enough balance, speed or strength to both stop her attack and hit back at the same time. Now she was learning a whole new dimension in fighting and it hurt.

Chichi picked herself up from the floor again and massaged her right arm, this was getting ridiculous, she needed a break, she was getting hungry and he would get in her way every time she tried to get to the bottle near the door (the latest among many, Michael changed them when they got empty.), what did he need, for her to beg him? She was sorry, surely that was obvious? Then she realised that she hadn't actually apologised, she had simply grumbled and mentally damned herself for her stupidity but not actually apologised. She stopped mid attack and backed off, Drake gave her an expectant look, Great! She thought, He already knows but he wants to make me say it anyway, jerk! She swallowed her pride, took a deep breath and faced him, "I'm sorry." she said softly with her head hung in shame and her arms at her sides.

"Excuse me?" he said.

Chichi had to take a second to not jump at him, he had heard her and they both knew it, she could have whispered it in the next room and he'd have heard it. She instead steadied herself took another breath and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for getting angry, I'm sorry for thinking I knew what I needed better than you I should have trusted you, I won't do it again."

"Well at last, I thought I would have to pound you around all night before you figured it out. You do not need to look at the floor; it is no more interesting than any other wooden floor, look at me." Drake said, "Also I am not a 'Jerk'..." Chichi stared at him shocked, "... I cannot teach you if you are unwilling to take instruction from me and you could do with a little humility. You need not be so surprised though, you thought that with some extreme strength, when we get to that you will notice you can pick up thoughts as well if you concentrate."

Chichi gave a sigh of relief, she was glad that was over, even though she didn't like to admit it, he did have a point; she had said that she was going to let him teach her but she hadn't really been ready to believe that she could trust him or that he was worthy of teaching her anything.

Chichi headed towards the bottle, her body was starting to feel slower and weaker, and although it disgusted her, she had to have a drink. Then Drake intercepted her again, though not with fist this time. She looked up at him with a mixture of anger and desperation. "I need to feed, why are you stopping me?" She asked.

"You do not need to, that is simply what your vampyre instinct tells you. If you are to become stronger you must use your instincts and not let your instincts use you, though the blood is inferior it should still last you a good few days yet," he replied "now let us continue."

With that he changed stance so that he didn't look like he was simply standing there, "Now you must learn to defend yourself. Ready? Engarde!" he shouted and charged...

Chichi barely had time to absorb what he had said let alone prepare, somehow her body took over and she leapt back and landed lightly a few feet away. The body which had been slowing and weakening before was now humming with strength and speed ready for her to defend herself with. She had a moment of shock that this body had lied to her, made her think she was weak. Then the vampyre charged again and there was only time for dodging and blocking, the hits weren't hard but they were fast and if she left herself open in the same place too often it would begin to ache.

Drake was not so harsh this time, he gave hints and pointers to help her adapt and where before his attacks had been inhumanly fast and totally unavoidable, now they were merely at a level to keep her on her toes. They switched back to her on the offensive several times and he still gave hints and helped point out weaknesses in her technique. Chichi found she preferred this way of training much more. She discovered that unlike when she had angered him, when she had been very aware of a day dragging by, now several days passed without the noticing till they stopped to change at dusk one day.

She had just slid away from a sweeping mid-level punch when Drake held up his hand to indicate they were to switch, Chichi straighten herself up and then nearly collapsed as her body sung with the need for blood, almost without thinking her eyes went to the bottle by the door... it was gone.

She looked around frantically trying to see if it had been moved, and then she saw the Vampyre looking at her and she knew he had had it removed deliberately while they had trained. She could barely believe it, he'd tricked her. Now, lets not jump to conclusions she thought struggling to keep herself from collapsing or running out of the room to search for it, You said you'd trust him, lets give him a chance, he must have a reason.

"You have finally noticed the thirst then." It was a statement not a question, "Come, I have something ready for you. We have done all we can this way, you already have all the skills you need to improve yourself now." He said as he moved to the doorway. Chichi pulled herself together as best she could, he had said he had something ready for her; all she needed to do was follow him. He led her down corridors and passages and stairways until she came to a wooden door. As he opened the door, Chichi had enough observation that behind the wooden front the door was re-enforced with metal, but she didn't have the presence of mind to think what that might mean. "Your meal is right through here..." said Drake and indicated for her to enter. Just after she had, Chichi heard the door close and lock. She whirled round and hit the door; all it did was dent it slightly.

"Why did you trick me, what's the point of lying!" she yelled.

"I have not tricked you, your meal is in there with you." She heard the vampyre reply.

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She was not going to forget this very soon, he knew. However, if she was to reach her potential and have even a hope of getting her revenge she would have to get over this problem. Drake sighed and walked away from the door, he had other things to prepare and he should feed. He would need his full strength and power when she came out again. Please forgive me Chichi he thought, You will understand soon, I promise. As he reached the foot of the stairs he heard her start cursing and yelling and hitting the door. I promise.

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Chichi looked around the room she had been locked in, anything to keep her mind off the thirst, it was quite large, about 20 foot square. It had two large beds against opposing side walls, a round metal table in the centre with two metal chairs by it and a comfortable looking sofa against the wall in front of her. Then she noticed it, she could hear a heartbeat in here, the air had the smell of another person, and there was a human shape huddled on the sofa. She thought they might be dead and step forward only to stop short when the shape moved, her eyes automatically refocused to the small light on the ceiling and all of a sudden she could see the persons face, it was a young man, maybe 20 years old, and he was shaking in fear with his eyes closed.

Then the realisation hit her, she was supposed to feed of this man, this LIVING man. Chichi screamed in horrified rage and started cursing and yelling to be let out and banging on the door with all her strength.

It didn't get her anywhere, it just made her a little more tired, she had to focus to keep the sound of the mans heart out of her head, he had opened his eyes and sat up. He watched her curiously as she slumped against the door.

"So he got you too, huh?"

The man's voice got her attention at once.

"What do think he's gonna do to us?" the man said, he had light accent

Oh god, he thinks I'm here as a victim... Chichi thought, as she realised this man had no idea why she was really here.

"I'm Mac, by the way... hey, there’s no need to be so sad, I'll think of something to get us out of here." he continued in a voice that did a good job of hiding the fear he had himself.

Chichi didn't want him to introduce himself, she didn't want to answer or get to know him, it would only make it hurt worse if she had to kill him, Damn you Drake, damn you.

"I'm Chichi." she finally said when it looked like he was getting worried for her.

"Chichi huh? That’s a nice name; listen Chichi, if he wanted us dead he could have done it already right? So he must want us alive for some reason, which means that sooner or later he's gonna haveta feed us right?"

Chichi groaned at the mention of feeding You poor fool, you're the food... she thought dismally.

"So when the door opens we rush him, or whoever it is that comes in..." Mac continued, "... after that we just have to find a way out." Mac looked at her again and noticed she hadn't moved from the door or responded in anyway since answering her name. "Are you Ok Chichi? Did he... do something?" he asked.

Chichi's head shot up at what was being implied and Mac could see she was sweating, focused on something intensely as if she were fighting some battle. She shook her head 'no' and moved away from him as he approached her.

Chichi wasn't aware she was sweating, it had been while but she didn't notice, she was far too busy trying to keep herself from striking out at the man, striving to ignore the throb of his pulse through her head, though he though it was something else she had avoided looking at him because every time she did her gaze was always drawn to is neck and his jugular vein.

"Keep away..." she managed to struggle out, "it's not safe..."

"You don't have to be frightened of Me." he said, "I'm not like that; I have a family you know? A wife... Some people say we're too young but that’s just rubbish, how can anyone decide what's right for someone else’s heart, right?"

:That's not what I mean..." Chichi said trying to get the message across to this overly helpful man, "I'm dangerous... don't... don't come near..."

Mac seemed confused by this but backed off anyway, he went and sat on one of the beds. He just stared at her worriedly, and then he seemed to come to a conclusion... "Are you sick Chichi? Is that what you mean you're sick and you don't want to infect me?"

Chichi was finding it easier to control herself now that he was a little further away, she sat on the other bed and looked across at him, 'Err... yeah, that's right... I'm sick and I don't want to hurt you,” she said.

Chichi wondered how Drake would know when she'd killed Mac; he'd have to open the door sometime to look. She knew Mac had no chance of getting out past the Vampyre but she might be able to, if she could last that long. Time seemed to drag on for her as Mac would talk constantly in a futile attempt to make her feel better. In the end she found herself talking to him simply so she wouldn't have to hear about how his wife had the cutest dimples when she smiled and how his dog always ran out to meet him when he came home. Eventually she found she could hold the thirst back, she was getting weaker, this time it wasn't an illusion she had tried to bend the frame of the bed a little as a test and found it was hard to do. Her eyesight was getting better though and she didn't talk much because she was afraid Mac would see her slowly extending fangs.

"Hey Chichi, are you ok? Is it getting worse? You haven't said much for a while now." Mac asked

"I'm ok," she mumbled back, "Just hungry... and thirsty..." she realised what she had said and focused herself, she couldn't let the thirst get the better of her.

Then there was a noise and a small hatch opened in the door, she saw Michael through it, "I am sorry Miss Sanders but I have to do this, the Master says it is necessary." He said as she looked at him.

"Do what? Michael what are you going to do?" She asked, something in her gut told her it was going to be bad.

Mac had been a little surprised to see she knew Michael but had ignored it and tried to sneak up to the open hatch. "I'm sorry." was all Michael said before he took a tube from somewhere she couldn't see and blew a small dart at Mac then closed the hatch again. Mac who had been surprised that he had not escaped Michael’s notice had instinctively raised his hands and the dart had gone straight into one. He immediately pulled it out and threw it on the floor, holding his injured hand for inspection.

The dart had landed near Chichi and she picked it up, it was just a wooden dart, nothing special, it didn't look like it was coated in anything except a little blood...

Then the smell off the blood reached her, it was only slight but it went straight to her brain and the thirst sang through her veins like a long unplayed symphony, she licked the blood off the dart and looked at Mac, her mind was already starting to churn, she was aware of what was happening, but it was too late to stop it. His blood tasted like nothing she'd ever had before, she wanted more, she needed it.

Mac looked up at Chichi to see her drop the dart, she seemed to stir like a beast that had been asleep and was waking. He was confused but not alarmed yet, something deep and instinctive was telling him he was in great danger but he didn't know what it was. "Is it... am I poisoned?" he asked indicating the dart and his hand.

"No..." she replied in whisper, "It’s just a dart."

The feeling of danger was getting much stronger every second and Mac decided that although he didn't think Chichi was the problem, he would back away just in case. She had got up and was walking closer with a strange look in her eyes. "Chichi... erm, are you ok? You’re kind of creeping me out."

"I'm fine Mac." she replied in that same soft whisper.

Chichi was barely aware of speaking, barely aware of hearing his words, she was looking at his hand; it was dripping a little blood - "Chichi stop!"

The shout brought her back to herself, she was a couple of meters away from him and he was staring at her like he'd never seen her before. "Chichi stop, you're scaring me, you're acting weird and for a sec there you had a very scary look in your eyes." he said.

She knew that if she were to actually kill him she would have to do it consciously, even if she tried to let go, the moment he shouted or screamed or whatever she'd be brought back. In the end he would just get really hurt and die slowly from all times she'd pull away, what a horrible thing to have to do, if she wanted Mac to die quickly with the least suffering she would have to embrace the vampyre inside herself, a thought that made her shudder. However if she didn't then sooner or later she would loose her strength enough to attack and then recover when she hurt him, and in the end he'd die anyway just slowly, and that would make her no better than the monster she imagined vampyres to be. She was crying now, she hadn't cried for a while, since she'd been human. She hadn't thought that a vampyre even could cry, but then she'd never thought she'd be one either. Mac was watching her wearily, her tears where not something he'd expected, "I can't tell you how sorry I am," she began, walking towards him again, "I wish I didn't have to do this, but the other way is just too cruel. I really don't want you to suffer."

Mac instincts went to full blaring alert as he heard the words come from her mouth and saw the other things in her mouth, he scrambled away as she pounced on where he had been sitting a second ago. "I don't understand, Chichi, stop you don't have to do this... what's the matter with you?"

"I don't expect you to understand, I really wish I didn't, but I do have to do this, I'm sorry. I'll make sure Melanie is taken care of."

Chichi watched as Macs eyes went wide, she'd used a bit of psychology and something she had felt stir in the back of her mind. She didn't know what it was but she had reached for it without thinking, moulding it around her words as she sent them out. The effect she wanted was produced as he dove at her cursing her to hell, and yelling for her to keep away from his wife. It was like driving a nail into her heart, watching the mental pain in his eyes, followed by real pain when she dodged and bit down on his upper arm. Somehow she must have automatically aimed for a main vein or artery as a flood of sweet delicious blood filled her mouth, new sensations went through her entire body and it felt like it was on some super high. It felt good - then he ripped away from her in horror.

She looked at him and felt shame and self-loathing, but she had to feed and the other way would be even worse, Stop thinking about it, just do it now, mourn him later. She admonished herself. He had backed as far away as he could, his arm had a trail of blood running down it, such a waste... - what am I thinking?! He was breathing heavily and looked a little weak legged, but apparently not so much as to no be able to move, she found as she attacked again. She couldn't keep going like this; he'd end up just as hurt as if she'd let herself go. She had accepted her fate but she hadn't really embraced it and Mac was paying for it in blood and suffering. She reached inside, looking for that something she had used earlier, she reached and it seemed to slip out of her grasp like oil between her fingers, she tried again and held it for a second before it slipped away, it had felt like it was a part of her but it she couldn't hold it for some reason. Then she concentrated on it, forgetting about Mac, she called out to it with her need to end this quickly to drink, to end the suffering. And it came to her, a swirling rush of 'something' she didn't know what it was but it was power and it whispered to her, it whispered of pain and control and destruction, it made her slightly sick, she simply focused on Mac, willing him not to move so that she could finish him and let this fouled power go.

Mac had already been still as a statue before so she had no idea if it was working, she pounced and the something she was holding hummed, the power covered her and instead of tumbling him to the ground she twirled round him fluidly, she landed behind him with both arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides. He didn't move, looking at his face she saw the absolute terror that lay there as his body refused to do his will. She moved his unresisting head to one side, revealing his neck, and then she bit down on him and drank, she drank and tasted the blood, and felt the sensations; it was slightly different, before he had been angry and confused now he was simply terrified. She could taste the difference and where before he had been fresh the blood had felt full of body and vigour, now he was tired and it was more mellow but still delicious. She wondered absently if there was any physical or emotional state that didn't taste good.

And then it was done, the blood started to wane, Macs muscles went limp and she eased his body to the floor. She had killed him, it hadn't been the vampyre in her, she couldn't blame it on what she was, she had made the choice. It hadn't been much of a choice but it had been hers.

Mac would never know why she had done what she did, he would never see his wife again either and it had been her choice.

Chichi sat on the floor still holding Macs cooling body and cried. She cried for Mac, she cried for his wife who knew nothing of this and she cried for herself and the bit of humanity she had just killed forever...

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