"Jesus fuck, can you not do that?" Simmons shouted.
"Perhaps if you paid a bit more attention to your surroundings, you would not have been startled," the man replied.
"Yeah, well, right now I have two pains in the neck. This…" Simmons said, pointing to where he was bitten, "and you. I can't pay attention to both at the same time."
"The boss is displeased," the man hissed, ignoring Simmons' comment.
"Tch," Simmons scoffed. "I'm displeased. You think I wanted it to go down the way it did? How was I supposed to know they had some freak of nature on their side? I didn't even know there was such a thing as a vampire psychic."
"Failure is not tolerated… but the boss understands the… unique challenges which presented themselves. We were also surprised by the development, so the boss is giving you a second chance to make things right."
Simmons' eyes widened. "Yeah?"
"Yes," the man replied, devoid of expression and tone.
"I guarantee this time it's going to be different. I have just the person for the job. A real professional scumbag."
"There is one change, however. The target is different. The boss thinks we cast too wide a net, so begin by finishing the job you started first. Kill the one you stole your trophy from."
Simmons chuckled. "You got it, chief. This'll be a piece of cake. I already have her address."
"Don't fail us this time," he warned.
"Right," Simmons replied before pursing his lips. The man started to leave the detective's car, but the detective stopped him. "Hey, wait just a minute. I got a question. Why didn't I turn into a vampire after I got bit? Can you explain that to me?"
"Unlike popular fiction, vampirism is not a virus or affliction. It is genetics, just as your powers are. We are all descendant from humans."
"Huh," the detective muttered. "Makes you wonder why we're at odds with each other, doesn't it?"
The other man left the vehicle. "Yes," he agreed. "Yes it does."
1. An Ill Omen
"How's the popcorn coming?" Olivia yelled from her couch.
"It's just started popping now," Kara replied from the kitchen.
She was standing over a hot stove with corn kernels sitting in a pot of oil. The kernels started doing their dance and opening up, releasing a fragrant smell into the air. Kara shook the pot to keep the popped kernels from burning, and soon the pot was filled to the brim with fresh popcorn. She placed them in a bowl and threw some salt on top to add flavour, then went to Olivia's living room and sat down on the couch.
Olivia also looked ready to burst with anticipation. "Popcorn!" she yelled as she threw her arms in the air.
Kara laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. She took a handful of the popcorn and then handed the bowl to Olivia. "You're always so excited when it comes to food."
Olivia stuffed her face with a handful of popcorn, and after chomping down on it a bit she was able to talk. "That's why we make such a great team. You like to cook, I like to eat."
Kara pouted. "And yet you somehow manage to stay slim. I'm jealous."
"Well, that's what training for four hours a day will do for you. You have a great figure too. You just hide it behind hoodies and sweaters all the time." Olivia pointed at Kara's baggy blue hoodie. "If you want to you can join me."
Kara shook her head. "No thank you. I'm fine with being lazy. Besides, I thought you used to only do two hours a day. That would be much more manageable. Not that I'd do that either," she added in a whisper.
"It used to be two hours, but I increased it."
"Why?" Kara asked, but she immediately thought of why.
Olivia glanced her way. "Yeah. We weren't strong enough to take on one psychic, and we nearly died because of it. We were lucky there was someone else there to help us, but we can't rely on luck all the time. That's why it's four hours now."
Silence invaded the room as Kara thought on her selfishness and her weakness. Her weakness almost cost not only her life, but Olivia's life as well. Maybe I should start training.
Olivia coughed to break the silence. "I'm surprised Raymond's late, he's always on time," she said while taking another fistful of popcorn.
"He should be here soon. He texted me before I started making the popcorn."
"It's nice that we're all hanging out together again," Olivia said with a smile. "Well, most of us."
Kara knew she was talking about Damien, her ex. Before she could dwell too long on his betrayal, Olivia brought her back to here and now.
"Fuck him," she said.
Kara looked at her friend and smiled. "Fuck him," she repeated.
There was a knock at the door. "That must be Raymond," Olivia said, not moving.
Kara raised her brow and stared at Olivia. "Aren't you going to get the door? This is your apartment."
Olivia had a serious look on her face. "I have to guard the popcorn."
Kara burst out laughing, and then she got up from the couch. She shook her head as she went to the door. "No one's going to steal it. We're the only ones here."
"You don't know that," she replied with her brows furrowed.
Kara opened the door, and Raymond was standing there with a bottle of wine in one hand and chips in the other. "Hey Ray, come in."
"You're late," Olivia shouted from the couch, still guarding the popcorn.
Raymond pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Sorry, I thought I would bring some wine and snacks."
"Ray! You're here! Come in, come in. Sit beside me," Olivia said, with a smile this time.
"At least we know how to make Olivia happy," Ray commented.
"Isn't that the truth?" Kara closed the door and went back to her place on the sofa.
Raymond removed his shoes and coat, and then placed the wine and chips on her coffee table. He went to her kitchen and got some wine glasses for everyone. "Did you have your surgery yet, Olivia?" he asked.
"No, not yet. Still have these damn dentures in. I scheduled it for next week, and then I won't have to worry about this anymore. That is until I…"
"Until you find that detective who took your fang from you," Kara interrupted. "We know all about it, Liv. You're sounding like a broken record at this point."
"I'll show you a broken record," Olivia mumbled. "I'll break his record."
Kara shook her head and accepted a wine glass from Raymond. "So, what do you guys want to watch?"
"As long as it's not an action movie I'm fine with anything," Olivia said.
Raymond and Kara both groaned. "You of all people should love action movies, Liv. I can't understand it."
"They're unrealistic. I can't get past how foolish the fights are."
"How about we watch that new thriller that just came out. I can't remember the name." Raymond held his hand to his chin as he tried to think of the movie.
"I think I know the one you're talking about," Olivia said with a nod. "I'm fine with watching that."
After pouring the wine and opening the bags of chips, they put on a video streaming service and began watching the movie. It was full of suspense and had enough action that Raymond and Kara were both enjoying it, but not so much that Olivia couldn't get into it as well.
About halfway through the movie, Kara felt something in the back of her mind. She tensed as a feeling of dread washed over her. At first she thought it was the movie, but after a few seconds she recognized the feeling for what it was. She was sensing someone's approaching death. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. The only way to get rid of the feeling was to let it pass.
When she closed her eyes, the vision took over, and what she saw confused her even more. She could see Olivia's apartment, and lying back on the couch was Olivia, a dark red bloodstain around her head on both sides. It looked like she had been shot in the head.
Kara suppressed a scream and opened her eyes. The foreboding was growing stronger, and she knew that if she didn't act now then Olivia was gone.
Kara thrust her hand out towards the balc
ony window and focused her mental powers in that direction. In an instant she put up a barrier of psychic energy between her and the window. She made the air thick with the invisible force.
Before they heard the sound of the rifle, the bullet hurtled through the window. It broke the glass with a small crack, and hit Kara's barrier. The bullet was too fast and too strong, and it pushed its way through. She could feel it moving through the barrier like it was ripping through her mind. She pushed back with an equal force, straining her mind and body to pour more energy into stopping the speeding bullet. She clenched her teeth and fists, curled her toes, and furrowed her brows. She could feel the bullet slowing. It felt like it was pushing her whole body back, but she stood her ground. Every inch it moved was like a dagger stabbing her entire body. The bullet slowed and slowed until it came to a stop two inches in front of Olivia's face.
The time that passed was a mere fraction of a second, but to Kara it had felt like an eternity. She let out the breath she had been holding and collapsed on the floor. The bullet fell to the floor along with her, and her friends rushed to her aid.
"Kara!" they shouted, not understanding what had just happened.
Kara was convulsing on the floor, her nose and ears bleeding.
Olivia and Raymond were in total panic and didn't know what to do to help Kara. Before they could gather their wits, something blew the balcony doors off their hinges, and the glass shattered. Thousands of glass shards darted from the balcony and sliced the walls, the furniture, and the tiles of the floor. Olivia and Raymond ducked down and covered Kara with their bodies. The coffee table protected them from the glass. On the balcony, a man in black combat gear appeared with a mask shrouding his face. He held a curved knife in front of him as he walked inside the apartment.
Olivia gritted her teeth and ran over to the man. She went to punch him in the face, but he sidestepped out of the way. He put his free hand on the back of her neck and used her momentum to control her movement. He raised the curved knife in the air, and brought it back down in one motion, aiming for the back of Olivia's neck.
Raymond tackled the man to the ground, grabbing onto the hand with the knife. With a tight squeeze on his wrist, the man involuntarily let go of the knife. Raymond's eyes focussed squarely on the man's neck. He snarled, baring his fangs, and lunged forward to take a bite out of the man's larynx. An invisible force stopped him, and then threw him towards the wall.
Olivia was back on her feet and leapt into the air towards their psychic attacker. She slammed her fist down. He rolled out of the way, grabbing his knife as he did so. Olivia's fist left an indent in the marble tile.
The attacker raised the knife to eye level and stared down Olivia. Raymond rose to his feet and went behind the psychic. The two vampires stepped towards the psychic slowly, not attacking, but not backing down.
The psychic sent a blast of energy towards Raymond, but he was able to dodge out of the way, and it only hit him on the shoulder. The psychic used his gained time to move forward and attack Olivia. He slashed at her with the knife again and again, but she was able to dodge out the way.
Olivia grabbed his arms and held him. Raymond appeared behind him and helped Olivia wrap his arms around his back. The whole time, he was struggling with his psychic powers to push against the brute strength of the vampires. After Raymond had a firm grasp on the man's hands, Olivia released him and went to stab him in the stomach with her razor-sharp nails.
The man twisted his body and pushed Olivia's hand away. He jumped, kicked off the couch, and flipped over Raymond. Raymond couldn't keep his grip and let go of the assassin.
Kara flopped onto the bed, blood streaming from her nose and ears. She held her hand out and used what little strength she had to bind the psychic with her own powers. "Now!" she yelled as forcefully as she could.
Olivia and Raymond both glanced back at her, shocked she was still conscious, and then turned back to the psychic.
Kara held the psychic in place, and his eyes widened. Olivia and Raymond both rushed towards him, their claws poised to slash his neck and stomach. Just as they were about to make contact, he broke free from Kara's force and was able to move. Olivia managed to slash the side of his stomach before he got out of the way.
The assassin ran and jumped out the shattered windows as he clutched his side. Olivia and Raymond darted to the balcony only to see the psychic assassin floating to the ground and jumping into a vehicle. Olivia might have given chase if there weren't more important things she had to worry about.
Olivia and Raymond ran back over to the couch to see Kara lying down on it, wincing in pain. She was going in and out of consciousness, and from what they could tell she was still bleeding.
"We can't stay here," Raymond said. "There could be more people coming."
"Where can we go? We need to get Kara medical attention."
"For now, we should head to my place."
Olivia picked up Kara in her arms. "Let's go," she commanded.
They left the apartment, watching every shadow as they headed to Raymond's vehicle. Along the way, they saw the broken glass which had fallen from Olivia's balcony, and the blood of the man who'd tried to assassinate them.
"He'll pay for what he did to you, Kara," Olivia whispered. "I swear it."
2. Plasma Potion
Olivia and Raymond busted through the door of his house. They went into the living room and gently placed Kara on the couch.
"Can you get me a wet cloth, Raymond?"
Raymond nodded and went into the kitchen. Olivia held her hand against Kara's forehead; she was running a fever. Her breathing came in ragged spurts. Olivia propped up a pillow and laid Kara down and made her as comfortable as possible.
Raymond returned with a warm, wet cloth and handed it to Olivia. She used it to clean Kara's nose and ears. She didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, but the bullet had taken its toll already.
"When did the doc say he would arrive?"
"In a half hour."
"I hope she'll be alright until then."
Olivia gave Raymond a stern look. "She will."
Raymond nodded, and then watched Kara. She was sweating and twitched back and forth like she was having a bad dream.
The sound of footsteps met their ears, and Damien came into the living room. He glanced around the room at the two open sets of eyes meeting him, and the one closed set.
"What happened?" he asked. His tone of voice and the look in his eyes showed sincere concern.
Olivia stared daggers at Damien. "None of your business."
Damien pursed his lips and cast his look away, like he wanted to say something, but shame stopped him. He took a breath and looked at Kara again, then at Olivia. "I'm just concerned, alright? Please just tell me what happened."
Olivia let out a sigh. "As far as I can tell, someone tried to kill us. They used a sniper rifle first, but Kara stopped the bullet in midair with her powers. It looks like she strained herself too far to stop it, and now she's unconscious."
Damien looked distressed. "Jesus. I didn't even know that was possible." He sat down on a coffee table in front of the couch.
"Neither did I. She nearly killed herself, so I don't think many psychics would try the same thing."
Damien was speechless. Olivia looked into his eyes, and she could tell that despite all he'd done and the hate he felt, he was concerned for Kara.
They waited in silence for the doctor to arrive, and after a half hour, right at the time he said he would arrive, there was a knock at the door.
Raymond let the doctor in and showed him over to Kara. The doctor nodded to Damien and Olivia as they moved out of the way for him to examine Kara.
He started by feeling her forehead, then he opened her mouth and used a small flashlight to look inside, and then he did the same with her eyes.
"How long has she been unconscious?" he asked.
"For about an hour now," Olivia replied.
"Hmm." The doctor continued his
examination by checking her arms and legs, and then started getting out something from a bag he'd brought with him. "How did this happen?"
Olivia and Raymond glanced at each other. They were unsure how to broach the subject. The doctor was a vampire.
Damien growled. "She's the half-breed. She strained herself while using her powers and fell unconscious."
Olivia and Raymond were in shock from Damien's statement, but couldn't think of a rebuttal to the truth. The doctor's eyes went wide as his gaze went from Damien to the others in the room and then over to Kara. He began packing his things back up. "I'm sorry, I…"
Damien stood up and crossed his arms. He directed a menacing stare at the doctor that would have intimidated any person, vampire or no. "You'll do your job, that's what you were about to say, weren't you?"
The doctor began to sweat and turned back around and removed his tools again. He took out a stethoscope and checked various parts of her body. After a few moments he finished his examination.
"Truthfully, without further testing I cannot tell you what is wrong with her. I don't know enough about… their physiology to make a deduction."
"Then can you at least give us your best guess?"
"Well, the brain is like a muscle, so if she was doing something strenuous, it could be that she simply needs to rest. As she is like us, ingesting some blood might speed up recovery."
"And that's your professional opinion?" Damien questioned.
"Yes," the doctor replied. "May I go now? There's nothing more that I can do."
Damien moved aside, allowing the doctor room to leave. After he was out of the apartment, Damien started to leave the living room.
"Where are you going?" Olivia asked.
"To get some blood," he replied.
"Don't bother." Olivia got up and went over to Damien.
Damien stopped and turned around. "Why not?"
"Kara won't drink the blood of the living, so anything you have is no good."
Damien furrowed his brows, his porcelain skin wrinkling in anger. "This isn't the time for that nonsense. If someone's after you guys you need to be mobile, and the faster Kara recovers the faster you can find this guy and stop him."
Psychics Vs. Vampires Episodes 1-4 (Psychics Vs. Vampires Collection) Page 11