Fourth Chapter - Shadows of Light

Unwanted Relations

Saber took the cup of coffee from the young woman's hand and continued on his way to sit at one of the booths, another thing that the Starbucks had recently added to their current makeover. He was a frequent customer, like most of the coffee addicts, so they didn't stare as much, having seen him before. He knew that he was an imposing sight to behold. A teenage boy, on the border-line of being anorexic, his hair an unnatural red, and his eyes a stunning blue, sitting in a coffee shop alone, was a picture to wonder about. At first he had hated it when they stared, watching him move, their face either formed in disgust or surprise, some even sympathy, those were the ones he hated the most. He did not want or need sympathy from anyone, he was just living the life God had made for him. Saber lifted the cup and poured the liquid-fire down his throat. People watched him still, they knew that the coffee burned, and Saber had known it would too. It wasn't that he liked the pain, he had just grown so used to it in the last few years, or more accurately, all his life. Having been tortured and beaten, brought to the point of death, and saved to be forever a servant of guilt, his background was a story waiting to be told. But he couldn't think of the past, Saber had to wonder about what was happening now. He had worried, probably more than he should have, about the bat-woman after watching the news. He knew that he was getting involved past a certain point when he actually thought of going to look for her and seeing if she was alright. He probably could have found her too, but quickly talked himself out of it. "What good would it do?" He had thought. He didn't even know anything about her. But something made the woman important to him, to his life, and somehow, even important to his future. Saber had even gone as far as to worry about Madden. He had known Sid had seen him, coming out of the bathroom, after making sure the bomb was set to go off as soon as he had gotten some distance between him and the bar. He didn't want to kill those people, and was so afraid to admit it. But Legato had told him to, and he didn't dare refuse. Legato wanted Madden gone, whether it was on charges or being blown to bits. But Saber did go back, in hopes of getting that woman bartender out. She wasn't like the others, she wasn't a low-life drinking away her problems, she didn't deserve to die. He had told her that there was a man snooping around her bar, and that he was outback in the alleyway. So once they were both outside, he fought to keep her there, telling her that the man would come back, and that he had been doing it all night. The funny thing was though, Saber was telling the truth. There had been a man walking the alleyway back and forth, stalking the bar as if waiting for something. Saber had even recognized him, it was the man he had almost hit with the door upon entering the bar, the man with the white hair and the blue eyes so much like his own. After leaving the bar once he had placed the bomb, Saber had returned repeatedly, waiting for an idea to come of how to get the woman out. That is when he had seen him, walking, waiting, for something or someone. The man had seen him too. He had suddenly stopped and watched Saber watch him, he had smiled slightly and walked back into the darker part of the alley as he had done before, but that time he did not come back. Those three people were all Saber had on his mind, the bat-woman, the white-haired guy, and now Sidney. He wondered still about Madden, if he knew it was that boy he had seen that had framed him, or if people even believed Madden had commited the crime at all. It was in that time of wondering that Saber did not notice a new Starbucks customer walk into the room. An imposing man of possibly thirty years stood in the corner, and watched Saber drink his coffee. He was always looking for interesting people, or meat. And this young boy was as interesting as they could get. The man made his way toward the back, his long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, smelling of fur, his two-day beard roughening his features, and his wispy eyes following Saber's movements slowly. He stood tall, his form muscular, but normal at best description, and paced himself towards Saber's booth. Saber, still having not noticed this man coming towards his table, continued his thoughts. "God, what a weird bunch of people I've met this week." He rubbed his head, grouping them in his mind. "A bat-woman, a white-haired tattoo guy, who is good at disapeering, and a drug-addict, who is also a mastermind." Saber raised his hands to cover his face, hiding the sarcastic smile forming at his own humor. "What's next?" He thought. "A freaking werewolf?" His ironic thought was instantly interuppted when a man sat down in the oppisite booth infront of him with a dull thud. "Hey kid, is this seat taken?" Saber lowered his hands slightly, only revealing his eyes. "No, but wouldn't you rather sit somewhere else?" The man scratched the fuzz of his beard on the side of his face, and smiled sincerly. "Well, that isn't a very nice way to greet a kind and friendly stranger!" Saber once again placed his head in his hands, figuring that this "stranger" was just some nosy civillian wanting to find out why he was the he was. He didn't feel like explaining his appearence that day, so Saber grabbed his coffee and started to stand, making a motion to leave. The man jerked up quickly, grabbing his shoulder, gently pressuring him to sit back down. Saber stared wide-eyed, knowing that the slight movement shown by this "stranger" was not of any human. The reflexes were too fast and far too smooth. He looked at the man's face, seeing what looked to be a sincere plea, and sat back down, knowing that whoever this guy was, he had a few secrets of his own. "Thanks." The man said, obviously pleased that Saber had complied. "Sorry I made a jump on you like that. Here," the man held out his palm, gesturing for the two to shake hands, "My name is Vicente Radvan. Now it's your turn to say your name back." Saber winced, disgusted that Mr. Vicente was giving him directions on how to conduct a conversation. "Your name back." Vicente smirked, knowing that he had known already what the kid's remark would be. He had a sixth sense for personalities. "Well, you're a little smart aleck, arn't ya?" Saber focused his attention on his coffee cup, "And you must be psychic." Vicente usually tried to keep his temper under control, but with that remark from Saber, his instincts kept informing him to growl in response. Saber glanced up quickly, having heard the sound escape Vicente's lips. Radvan didn't mind, he was still pretty ticked off, and was getting aggravated with his choice of dinner. But that's the way he liked it, it made killing his prey all the more pleasurable. Saber continued eyeing the man that called himself Vicente. He was beginning to get an idea of what he was, and only needed to perform one test to find out if his theory was correct. He waited though, knowing that if what he was thinking was true, it was better to let Vicente start the conversation up again. "So," Radvan exhaled, trying to let the anger pass. "Did you see that guy earlier with his face smudged against the window? I heard some people talking in the front that he was from an asylum. I take it you know the place." Saber winced once again, but knew that this was his opening to reveal the man's identity. He started to stand up, when Vicente grabbed his arm in response with that same super-human quickness. Saber smiled, but turned back to face the man with an angry frown. Radvan removed his hand from Saber's scarred arm, and watched as the boy picked up his coffee, took off the lid, and made a motion to toss it on him. Vicente jumped back, raised his hands in the air like a criminal caught red-handed, and said sarcastically, "Ok kid, you win. No more friendly conversation." Saber turned, tossing the cup in a trash bin, and exited the building, starting a slow tread along the sidewalk. He smiled, sensing all the while that Vicente had followed his exit, and was merely waiting for his time to strike. Of course, Vicente had wanted Saber to leave, that was the entire point of the rude comment. And just as Saber had anticipated, Radvan was waiting for the boy to turn into some dark area where no one would notice someone attacking another someone. Saber saw an on-coming alleyway, and turned down it, knowing that a certain man would follow just behind. He walked all the way down to the very end, where he paused, letting the moment linger, and hoping that he would here the slightest rustle, signaling the beginning of the attack. And just as he had thought, Saber did hear the sound he was waiting for. Quickly he drew his gun and turned, but jumped back in fear finding Vicente standing right infront him, only an inch away from his face. Vicente smiled an evil smirk, pressuring Saber slowly against the wall. "Hey kid, I didn't figure you wanted something as rude as not telling a freindly stranger, like me, your name on your conscience. So I thought I'd give you a chance to redeem yourself." Saber, at first thinking his plan foiled, realized that Radvan had not noticed the gun in his hand. He hid it behind his back, and continued to play the part of the victim. "What are you doing?" Saber asked, trying to make his voice shake as much as possible. "Come on kid, just tell me your name. Then I won't feel so bad about your death." Vicente pushed Saber's shoulders, forcing him harder into the wall. "What do you mean my death?" Saber inched the gun out, slowly pointing it towards Radvan's gut. "HURRY UP KID! Your death his just gonna be that much worse." Saber couldn't help but gasp as he saw the fangs begin to protrude from Vicente's mouth. The boy paused for a moment to watch the man's features slowly change as his impatience heightened. He then realized that if he was going to get out of there alive, now was as good a time as any. Saber stabbed his pistol into the werewolf's stomach and smiled sarcastically. Radvan looked down, his face covered in disbelief. "EAT THIS!" Saber shot the pistol, inched his way out of the werewolf's grasp, and began to run down the alleyway, without looking back. He knew that since his bullets weren't silver they would have only a small effect on the creature, but it was enough of an effect to give him time to get as far away as he could. Saber continued to run, listening to the fading howls and smiling while he pictured "the friendly stranger" grabbing his empty gut in pain.