Rogue's Kiss

(A/N: things will pick up next chapter)

The thing about vampires is that they are arrogant. Even most vampires will tell you that and with pride. They have been at the top of the food chain for thousands of years and this has given them an almost genetic disposition of superiority.

So when any other species might have cancelled the biggest gathering of their kind in any given year, they didn’t. Not even when the number of vampire hunters were at there highest and vampire deaths climbing. As a species they really think they are invincible.

But of course they aren’t stupid.

Underneath New Orleans is a very extensive sewer system with some parts of it dating back a hundred years or more.

There are many dark and forgotten corners of the underground maze that haven’t been seen in well over half a century. And in the heart of all this vampires have drawn together for the greatest party of the year.

Remy had picked up his “dates” from their hotel, being a fashionable five minutes late. The two girls had looked like sin in lace and leather. Merci in a filmy see through black blouse that didn’t hide the fact she wore no bra clashed erotically against her long and loose red hair. Black lipstick and red eye shadow made up her face. Remy never thought a girl could wear that much red and black still look attractive. With tight leather pants and what he was sure would be blood red hooker boots, she was complete. His back brain all but screamed vampire at him. It wasn’t the clothes or the make up. It was the way she walked, the way she talked. The way she acted like she was merde de reine and didnt fear death. Everything about her screamed not human.

And then there was Rogue.

She seemed more human then anyone he had ever known.

None of the arrogance that Merci had. And her movements, while fluid didn’t seem otherworldly. She wore a low cut, dark purple sleeveless shirt with a green meshed blouse over it. A black leather skirt showed toned and pale legs leading down to black hooker boots. Her face was made up in deep purple lipstick and slight green eye shadow.

While outside his demeanor hadn’t changed inside his throat had closed up when he saw Rogue. The other one he didn’t much care about but Rogue was something else. He wondered how she could look so strong and vulnerable all at once.

Merci looked at him and gave a laugh, “so you like her, huh?”

Remy had almost started at that. How the hell……..? He just shrugged and said, “I must say I do like the view.” Never taking his eyes off Rogue. If she had been able to Rogue would have blushed.

Instead she said, “alraht, shows over, let go.” And picked up a leather jacket and headed for the door.

“Yeah, lets go lover-boy!” Merci crowed, putting her hand on his shoulder and shoving him towards the door.

Faster then Merci had ever thought he could move he reached up and grabbed her wrist in a tight hold. He turned, taking off his shades as he did, red on black eyes giving her a deadly look.

“Don’ you ever try and push Remy. He don’ like it.” Remy said softly.

Amusement danced in Merci’s eyes. The guy had some bite in him! She didn’t break the hold but looked him right back saying, “What makes you think I give a flying fuck what Remy likes?”

“Well when Remy get mad, people get hurt.” Remy tightened his grip on her wrist. “And we just met and Remy would hate to see you get hurt.”

Remy was the second person that night to be surprised by someone’s speed when he found himself a foot in the air with Merci’s hand clamped on his throat. “And what makes you think it would be me getting hurt.” Merci said, flashing the fangs she had been hiding till then.

‘Mon dieu!’ his frantic mind thought. She really was a vampire! “C’est impossible!”

One hand went fishing in his jacket pocket for his deck of cards when a blur came at Merci and knocked her back a step, breaking her grip.

“Merci, that enough!” Rogue screamed. “JUST STOP IT!”

Remy hit the ground in a crouch gasping for breath, one card between his fingers hidden in his pocket. It started to glow faintly, ready to be thrown if Merci tried anything again.

Merci only stood there laughing at them. “Okay, okay!” she apologized, holding her hands up. “I’m sorry, I won’t break your little boy toy.” Merci grabbed her own jacket and headed out the door.

Rogue stood with her back to Remy for long seconds before turning to him. He was still crouched, his heart thrumming and hand in pocket. “What de hell you be?”

Rogue sighed and looked down at him. Thinking that no matter what he was going to die tonight and he didn’t really get it yet. She could see it all over his face. Could almost smell it.

“I’m a vampire, sugah.” She said simply, showing her own fangs. “So’s Merci. We’re going to a vampire gathering tonight. Biggest of the year if I hear right.”

“And if I don’ want to go?” Remy asked. But he already knew the answer.

“Then I gotta kill ya,” Rogue’s voice resonated with real regret, explaining. “You know, Ie yoe you. I really do. But I can’t let you live, not after you know about us. So it’s either come to the party and have fun and then die theah or you die right here. You gotta make the choice.”

Remy weighed his options in his head. Okay, he was up against two vampires. The word vampires echoed in his head. From what he’d seen he probably couldn’t take them both and the other one was probably right outside. But he might have a chance to get away later.

Rogue followed the gist of his thinking through his auras as the colours shifted and shaded. She had become really good at reading them. Merci said if she really tried she might be able to actually read thoughts. All vampires strong in seeing auras could but Rogue didn’t want that power. The ability to feel her victims dying…….

Remy stood up slowly and took his hand out of his pocket. “D’accord. I go with you tonight, petite. But you might find Remy harder to kill den you tink.”

Rogue gave him a sad smile and said with all sincerity and pity. “ I’m sure you are.”

Remy heard the pity and his gut clenched.

So now he was following these two vampire girls through the mazes of the sewers, taking turns seemingly at random until Rogue pointed out to him faint markers like hieroglyphics beside or above tunnels. He couldn’t even make one out unless he was walked right up to it.

At first they had kept him in the middle, Merci in front and Rogue in the back but after awhile that wasn’t necessary since he became so lost that even if he did get away he might roam the tunnels until he died.

Eventually they entered a tunnel that was pitch black. He reached a hand forward for obstacles when a cool hand took his and guided him. Right away he knew it was Rogue.

“Thanks, petite. Don’ know what Remy do without you,” he said, following her through more tunnels just as dark.

“Don’t mention it,” she said as they kept going and then suddenly stopped.

A gruff voice came out of the darkness. “Who’s the meat?”

Merci giggled. “Oh just a snack for later.”

Suddenly rough hands grabbed him and pinned him into a concrete wall that really hurt. He felt something cold and metal against his head and knew it was a gun as hands searched him. He stood very still as they did and all they found was 3 decks of cards and a foot long pipe of some kind. Someone grabbed his wrist and shoved is shirtsleeve up. He still didn’t resist until he felt something hot touching the inside of his forearm, burning and branding him.

“What’re yall doing?” Rogue yelled, sounds of feet shuffling.

“New orders,” the gruff voice said. “From the top. Deal is all humans in company of vampires are glyphed tonight, no questions asked.

They let him go and Rogue grabbed his hand pulled him along. His arm burned and he was scared to see what they had done to him. Faintly he heard the buzzing and rotor sound of video cameras moving up above his head. Probably infrared though these people seemed to have no problem seeing in the dark.

He heard what sounded like a huge door opening in front of them and then close behind them.

Very faintly now he could here music and more cameras. Then a door in front of them opened up wide and strobbing lights filled the darkness
*************************************
About a mile away in a nondescript shop basement, a band of vampire hunters prepared for their night.

The place was packed. About fifty of them had gathered. The most hunters that had ever gathered in one place. Their mission that night was to take out the Mardi Gras gathering.

There was some talking and laughter but mostly people just kept to themselves or tightly knit units and worked out plans. Hunters were not used to working in such a large group and many had doubts that such an arrangement would work. But when they word had gotten around about who it was that had called them all together to take out the gathering they had answered.

The man himself was probably the most legendary vampire killer ever to have lived.

What other sent jolts of fears into a vampires heart like a silver stake but the one called Blade?