Lambs to the Slaughter (Open)

[Maddox Damaskinous]

Maddox ventured to one of Sunnydale's quaint little parks. Despite a lack of breeze the chains on the swing set were rattling ever so slightly. This eerie sense to the children's play spot pleased him. He ran his hand across the chain link fence surrounding the area just taking in the set up. The playground gleamed with tarnish metal objects. The slide, merry-go-round, monkey bars and climbing tower were worn slightly and had the faintest scent of blood on them.

So the mortality rate of Sunnydale wasn't just rumor then. Maddox had high hopes for his new humble abode. He had never came up against a slayer in his time but was looking forward to it. In the distance Maddox heard the sound of sirens, it wasn't anything new to him but it did contradict the quietness of the town. Where is all the action at? He wondered. It was late so he hadn't really expected any one to be hanging around a park yet he had come here first on his midnight tour of Sunnydale.

Just as he was about to move on the sound of laughter flooded his ears accompanied by clinking of bottles. A wicked grin formed on his face and he scaled the fence in a matter of seconds. Once inside he followed the noise. He could smell perfume in the air now, which meant girls. His advance on the group of giggling, drunken teenage girls was silent. His debonair appearance would benefit him greatly in this situation. He noticed the beer bottles scattered over the picnic table they were stationed at, his grin turning to a smirk. "Excuse me ladies, got one for me?" An eyebrow raised and Maddox nodded toward the beers. It was really too easy, these girls swooned over him and clumsily gave him the warm beverage. Although he had, over the years, never acquired a taste for beer he sipped at it flashing charming smiles to the girls. He wanted to have his fun with them before killing them.

[Zane Dekker]

Sunnydale had been rather interesting for him, so far. He could walk around the streets at night, and not be lost in the hussling crowds that were always present in Los Angeles. He was liking this change of atmosphere, and enjoyed the fact that he could wander aimlessly around the deserted streets without the overburdening noise of the crowds, and the risk of tumbling over. He was beginning to be thankful he listened to his mother, and came to Sunnydale. It was exactly what he needed. The quietness was so exotic to him, it was as if he was in a completely different country. When coming from a vampire-infested town...In many ways, Sunnydale was a different country. Or, a different world.

The cold wind was brushing over him in a gust of anger, yet it was soothing for him. Wind like this was almost bringing inner peace...Calmness. Being able to wander around Sunnydale at this hour with a soothing wind, was one of the aspects he had enjoyed the most in Sunnydale so far. Although cold, he was rugged up in his black hoody and jeans. He was fairly accurate with the appropriate clothes to wear in particular climates, and this was no exception. The night was only young, and he was dreading having to fall back into his apartment and sleep.

And here he was, where in the distance, it appeared he could see a park. Swings...Seasaw...Some spinning thing. It had everything, except people. Though, he gathered it was only normal for most to to not hang out at parks at this time. But, he was different. He had been stalking the night for a while, and he was used to it. Even though it was a different town, no longer vamp infested, he still felt the burning desire to go out at night...To be free. And he was, in many ways. Though what he didn't know at this time was, how restrained he really was.

Walking past the park, he could hear some people nearby. The clinking of bottles...The girly laughter. Obviously drunks who don't know when to call it a night. He used to be those people...Munis the girly laughs. He would drink late with his 'group,' to shadow himself from the pain. It was exactly what they were doing, he knew that for sure. It was in human nature to be like that. Yet, he wasn't completely human.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

A surge of excitement coursed through Maddox that he couldn't explain under his current situation. None of these girls, however sleazy they may have been acting, could have made him feel that way. It wasn't even a sexual arousal, it was... like nothing he had felt before. There was some one else around now that was the only explanation- and that person must have immense power. Another vampire perhaps, demon or...could it be, the Slayer.

The corners of Maddox lips curled up into a cruel smile and he seized one of the girls, the prettiest of the group, around the waist. This caused her to yelp with surprise which was his intended reaction. If it were a slayer they would surely come at the sound of distress. His head dipped down into the girls neck nuzzling the crook of it. She shivered from the sensation making her eyes drift shut.

Maddox wanted to screw with the Slayers mind. Confuse him if possible. The other girls had fallen silent in the last few seconds. Even better. He thought. They were staring wide eyed at him watching him suck on their friends neck. A soft whimper came out of her mouth setting up the scene to look as though he were feeding although he wasn't...yet.

[Zane Dekker]

The serinity of the darkened night...Broken. Something was stirring, but he didn't know what it was. He felt a chill pass through his body as he heard something, sounding awfully like a yelp nearby. He gasped softly, watching as fog passed from his mouth, due to the coldness of the night. But he wasn't cold...Far from it. He was feeling like he was going to be feeling cold sooner rather than later though.

He walked towards the sound he heard in the near distance, which quickened...And was soon a job. Faster..Faster, until he finally reached where the source of the sound was. But it wasn't what he expected. He had thought it was some drunken girls just going too far, but this was worse. Far worse. His fears were shadowing his mind...He couldn't even move his body. It was like he had become entirely numb when his body tensed up. A vampire.

Everything he had tried running from in his life was coming back to haunt him. His past...His duty...No. It couldn't be happening here, in Sunnydale as well. No.... He thought to himself, trying to speak it, but no words coming out. His mouth moved, yet nothing. He had lost entire control of the reality...The atmosphere before him. A vampire, straddling a young girl, the others looking bewildered. In posistion to bite her, it couldn't be.

His hand was shaking. He hadn't felt this scared since the night his girlfriend was killed. It felt like that moment, yet it was so different. There was no girlfriend, but there was a girl. And more than one. And he was going to kill them...Just like the vampire had killed his girlfriend right before his very eyes.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

Maddox raised a brow at the faces of the others. Their attention was no longer on him which could only mean the eyes he felt on his back were real. He kissed the girl in his laps neck. "Mmmm, tasty." Maddox licked his lips and looked over his shoulder. Hanging loosely from his index and middle finger was the neck of the beer bottle. It's amber colored glass caught light from the street lamp, reflecting in the new comers direction.

"Care to join us?" Maddox asked, the eerie smile still plastered on his features. The thought of sharing a brew with a Slayer killed him, figuratively speaking. His over zealous laughter remained on the inside not giving anything away-hopefully. The girls all seemed to encourage this idea. Maddox was sure by the looks on their faces that they found the boy attractive.

The breeze swept up a couple of fallen, dry leaves swirling them about in a mini cyclone. Maddox, despite the bitter taste it left in his mouth, lazily took another swig of his beverage awaiting the answer. One of the girls, that wasn't on his lap, approached the boy offering one of the warm bottles to him.

[Zane Dekker]

He was still unable to move any of his limbs, which he found quite unusual. There was a vampire standing right before him, and yet, he was so powerless. Why wasn't he fighting the vampire already? Why couldn't he do anything? He gasped again softly, this time at the voice of the vampire, sending sickening chills down his spine. He was glancing at the vampire, but couldn't get any closer, only able to remain in his current stance. A slayer who lost his cuase...Was he able to get it back? Did he even want to?

His eyes turned to one of the girls, as she approached him rather abruptly, which may be due to his strong focus on the vampire. She was offering him a beer bottle. All he could do was stare at it blankly, in confusion. The girls...So out of it, that they didn't realise that this vampire was out to get them...Out to kill them. Did they even see him as a threat? Zane didn't want an answer to this question, for the answer scared him. No screaming of the others...They just stood there, smiling cooly at him. This was Sunnydale, huh? He was beginning to see many more similiarities to Los Angeles than he had originally expected. And intended.

The girl finally got the point, backing off with the bottle, as a motionless slayer began to avert his gaze back to the vampire, who was sipping from another bottle. His fingers were twitching. He wasn't sure if it was due to the cold, or the chills eminated from this vampire. He was different to normal vampires. Zane had remembered fighting the other vampires...This one seemed to have more power. A strong sense of himself. And Zane wasn't too keen on that. Mustering the courage and strength to fight one vampire was difficult enough, let alone to fight a powerful vampire. The last powerful vampire he fought nearly killed him. Was the same thing going to happen tonight? "No." He almost showed an expression of shock, as he realised the words running through his mind finally took shape and were released. The girls eyed him in curiosity, as if not sure what to do. That was the biggest mistake they could have made.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

"Suit yourself, killjoy." The double meaning of that was too satisfactory to hold in the chuckle that bubbled up his throat. He scoffed and began wrapping his finger around a lock of the girls hair. He hadn't bothered to give his name to the group and surprisingly none of them had bothered with the nicety either. Not that it really matter. Maddox had no need to know the names of his meal. It was irrelevant.

The silence that fell between them allowed Maddox to take notice of the sounds around. A barking dog in the distance, more sirens, an engine roaring to life and a pair of footsteps one human the other canine. Based on the lightness of the human steps Maddox knew it was a female. Maybe I'll look her up later. He contemplated this for a split second before returning his attention to the paralyzed slayer.

"Got a name?" He questioned. This name would be worth knowing. After all, how would he be able to properly gloat about bagging his first slayer if he didn't know what it was called. Maddox untangled his finger watching the lock spring into a brief curl. He turned around plucking the girl off his lap and sitting her on the bench seat. Maddox's gaze landed threateningly on the slayer the menacing smile growing in stature.

[Zane Dekker]

It was almost too terrifying to be real. His ideas of a normal life...A fresh start, had been destroyed in mere moments, by this creature of the night. There was nothing he could do to change it now, for the past had created a rift into the present. The feelings he had tried to hard to hide...The emotions, they were all returning to him. He wanted to shed a tear, but he couldn't even do that. The pain of losing his girlfriend to a vampire, was almost too much for him to handle. It was too much for him to handle. It was amazing how one mere moment in life, can bring back so many painful memories.

His eyes remained on the vampire, staring into his dark eyes, feeling rather uneasy and intimidated by his presence. It was like he could see right through his eyes...Into the darkness. It was terrifying, but he couldn't draw his gaze away. He felt like he was bound by some invisible force, restricting his movement entirely. But, he had managed to speak, that was a start. "Z-Zane." He regretted giving off his name, yet it was almost by reaction, rather than thought. It was a stupid move on his behalf, and he believed it would come back to haunt him. "L-let the girls go." His words finally came out successfully, not before the nerves showing though. He would feel more safe if the girls were far away from this man, for he was mysterious...And Zane couldn't determine just how dangerous he may be.

His glance shot to the girl that had hopped off the man's lap, as he apparently turned his focus entirely to Zane. At least it was taking pressure off the girls. But, this meant he had to think fast...Find a way out of it. Unfortunately, he didn't carry stakes or any wooden objects with him. And apparently wood wasn't a common thing to find in the streets.

He found more strength in his left hand, able to flex it out entirely, feeling satisfied that he had some movement available to him. He then felt the pressure ease off the rest of his body, and he was able to move foward, doing so slowly, and cautiously. He didn't want to risk falling prey to the vampire. Not with so many lives at stake.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

Let the girls go that was a tough decision. Except in the fact that it wasn't really. His stomach was all a rumble. "But I'm certain these lovely ladies will be delectable." Maddox rested his elbows on the table top behind him stretching himself out into a more comfortable position. His legs extended to their full length and he crossed his ankles methodically ticking his right foot.

The girls were snapping their heads between the two males unsure of what was going on. Maddox felt their bodies tensing trying to deliberate what they should do. Should they stay with the handsome, mysterious man with no tan or listen to the rugged good looking boys suggestion? They all sat in limbo unable to make up their minds.

Maddox used this to his advantage, throwing an arm around the girl, next to him, shoulder. "The party is just getting started." He cooed in her ear. His fingers danced over the thin material of her shirt crawling up to the neck. "You don't want to leave do you?" Maddox asked in his best persuasive tone. He could feel her body tense even more at his touch.

[Zane Dekker]

"Don't. Don't touch her." Was all he could mutter towards the vampire, who had put his arm around the girl. The innocent girl. "Don't make me-" He paused, mid sentence, unable to finish his words. What was he going to do? Fight the vampire? He hadn't fought a vampire in so long, and especially since there was no stakes nearby. He looked to the side, as if in defeat of not having a stake in his hand right now. Even if he did, would he have the strength to use it? Would he have the strength to be the slayer?

He walked foward a few more steps, making sure his steps were precise and accurate, before shooting his gaze back to the vampire. "No..." There wasn't going to be a party tonight, one way or the other. He wouldn't let these girls get hurt. He moved foward again, feeling more strength return to him in every step. He grabbed the girls who were flocked together, looking uncertain at what they should do. "Go home." He stated abruptly, and he watched for a moment as the confused girls finally took some good advice, and ran off. But, there was still a girl in the vampire's grasp. And he wasn't too fond of that.

"This has nothing to do with her." He delivered a cold stare towards the vampire, still feeling cautious about the true nature of him. He could see the uncertainty and confusion in the eyes of the girl. Boy, was she out of it. And she would be out of it literally if this vampire had his way with her. Zane clenched his fist, tensing, as if ready to fight the vampire. He didn't even know himself, if he was truly ready.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

"But it does," Maddox corrected. "It has everything to do with her." His lips connected with the girls collar bone and he started to kiss upward to her neck. He nipped at her playfully. "You see I'm a mite bit peckish." Despite his words Maddox gave the girl her leave. There were plenty of other yummy treats lousing about this fine night.

The girl scurried off and Maddox let out a menacing laugh. The manner in which she ran brought him joy. She tripped over her own feet in her fleeing causing her to face plant in the dirt. The embarrassment didn't even affect her as her heart was beating a mile a minute. The thought of chasing after her crossed through his mind. He always enjoyed experimenting to see how fast a humans pulse could get before he drained the life from their meaningless existence.

Maddox looked Zane up and down slowly taking in all his physical attributes. The Slayer was well built, not as well as he but still decently so. He held himself tall although Maddox got the feeling that he had to work at that. His eyes reflected a contradicting mix of emotion. Both fear and pride shining through.

[Zane Dekker]

He felt disgusted...Sick at the vampire's words of being peckish. This brought back more emotions of watching a vampire drain his girlfriend, until she was lifeless, and on the ground. His time in holding her in his arms was limited, for he was next..Only he survived. Why he survived, and his innocent girlfriend, who had no involvement in this died, he didn't understand. He didn't know if he ever would. He would always carry the weight of the guilt of that night...For as long as he lived. If he even had much longer. He knew slayers had a limited lifespan, but he wanted to test that. But, he had lost everything. He no longer cared, nor bothered.

He felt a rush of relief pass through him, knowing that he released the girl. This suprised him, yet confused him at the same time. He didn't know what the vampire was trying to do, or prove for that matter by doing that. He watched the girl trip, but no smile came to his face...It still remained motionless, as he turned back to the man, once he knew the girl was alright. "I won't let you hurt anyone." He stated, though wasn't quite sure if he could back up his claims. He had to...He was the slayer. Despite feeling the overwhelming fear, he had to do something. If he didn't, all would be lost.

He walked foward more, now within close distance of the vampire, which did worry him completely. Chills were still pulsing through his body like a wave in the ocean, and he knew why. There was no denying that he was terrified of this vampire, and the thought of facing him. He couldn't predict what was going to happen.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

A slew of sarcastic amusement passed through Maddox's lips in the form of laughter. He stood getting in close proximity of Zane. Leaning his head in slightly he whispered, "And how exactly do you plan to keep your precious humans safe from the likes of me?" The Slayer had yet to attack him, he seemed too convexed in his thoughts to properly fight a vampire of Maddox's caliber. The same question could be asked of him though, why hadn't he snapped the Slayer in half like a brittle twig?

The answer was simple. Maddox wanted to savor his kill. He wanted mind fuck the Slayer senseless taking every last bit of decency from the Chosen one until he begged for death. But the moment wouldn't come Maddox would only torture him further. Cruelty was one thing that Maddox had in stock, over stock even.

Slowly, meticulously, Maddox circled Zane his movements calculated in a cocky fashion. Even with decades of experience Maddox had never faced someone with the strength a Slayer had. He had never been challenged before and an arrogant approach probably wasn't best. It couldn't be helped, Maddox had no reason not to be confident, at least not yet.

[Zane Dekker]

Zane was lost for words at the vampire's remark. The vampire posed a valid question. How was he going to stop this vampire? Without a stake...Without the training...Without a focused mind. He had set out on his own, and he was destroyed as a result of it. He set out once again on his own, and he ended up face to face with this vampire, bringing forth his past fears. He tried to speak, but sighed, realising he had no answer to the question.

He stood firmly still as the vampire circled his movements, slowly. He could see the arrogance placed on the face of the vampire, just like he remembered on all the other vampires he had faced. He was almost confused...Feeling slightly out of place. The chills intensified when he heard the vampire's footsteps approach behind him, becoming weary of an attack at any given moment. He wasn't sure if he should attack, or buy time. He hadn't been involved in a situation like this before, and he was almost freaking out inside. "I will kill you." He paused, thinking again, remembering the effects of his past, which were eating him up on the inside. The suspence of waiting for an attack was killing him...He was growing quite impatient, yet at the same time, nervous as to what to expect. He didn't want to be chosen to carry this huge burden on his shoulders...He wanted a normal life, and to be blind from all these horrific circumstances.

[Maddox Damaskinous]

"For what reason?" Maddox inquired. He had years to think over many issues. What better way to disorient his adversary than appealing to his sense of conscious? "Am I more murderous than you? Should you be prejudice to my life style because it is different than yours? You humans think that you are so superior when the truth of the matter is that you are far worse than my kind." Maddox paused gathering more accusation in his tone.

"Your way of sustaining your body is to feed off of innocent, helpless animals. Much worse than the way I nourish my body. You humans are sinful creatures. Killing, raping, stealing its disgusting. Have your species no sense of self-respect?" He came to a startling halt directly in front of Zane. His nose now turned up and a disgracing expression adorning his features.


Maddox wondered if his unique view on humans was sinking in the way he had hoped it would. Shame being the intended target of his philosophy of human beings. He hoped that what he had said would turn the Slayers world up side down, shake it into a ruined mess and, if possible, make all the things he had been taught to believe turn ass-backward.