Wednesday May 21st, 2008

Simple Plan Tour Bus

On the Road to TO

6 AM

“Australian money? Is that all you’ve got?”

“I’m not betting any of my actual money on this game, you think I’m stupid?”

“Why are we playing poker at six in the morning?”

“Because we can’t sleep on a moving bus.”

Pat, Pierre, Seb, and David sat around the small dining table on the lower level of the steadily moving bus. Pat dumped a sandwich bag filled with Australian 10 cent and 5-cent pieces on the table in front of his friends. Pierre had the pack of cards, riffling through them until he found the two Joker cards and placed them to one side.

David twiddled his thumbs glowering at Pat. “What’s the starting bet then?”

“We all put in 10 cents to be in play.”

Seb shifted on his chair as Pierre began to shuffle the pack. “Are we playing regular or Texas?”

Pierre glanced up and smirked. “Texas.”

“Damn you, Bouv...the only reason you wanna play Texas is because you always win,” David grumbled.

The singer laughed and began to deal out the cards, two to each player. Pat was counting out the change, splitting it evenly between the four of them. But, then he paused as he felt a surge of energy pulse through him.

He frowned and shot a look toward Pierre. Bouvier...you feel that?

Pierre was placing the rest of the deck on the table, when he stiffened, the surge rushing through him as well. Uh, yeah...what the hell is that?

The bus suddenly felt as if a strong wind had pushed against it. It swayed to the left, they all heard the driver curse roughly, and then a light thud and another louder curse as Chuck had obviously been woken.

“Tabernack...”

Pierre looked out the window and bit his bottom lip as his fangs began to tingle. Large droplets of water hit the outside of the bus like bullets and he shuddered slightly as he realised that it was raining so heavily that he could barely see a few feet either side of the bus.

David also noticed this and shivered wrapping his arms around his upper torso. “Holy shit...where’d the rain come from?”

Seb shifted peering out of the window and staring upwards. “It was cloudy all day yesterday...” He pursed his lips, and added, “It bucketed for awhile last night too...just before we left to have dinner...”

The bassist grumbled. “It better not flood...otherwise we won’t be able to get into Toronto.”

Pierre folded his arms as Pat discarded the coins and also stared up into the sky, lips drawn together in a worried line. “That doesn’t look normal...”

“What?” David lifted an eyebrow.

Pat rubbed at his face and muttered softly. “Just our luck...a freak storm...” He glanced at Pierre and added silently. That’s not natural...something’s wrong...

The singer shot a bemused look at his friend. Not natural? Are you saying someone is making it happen?

It’s a possibility...there are vampires whose emotions affect the weather...

Pierre rubbed at his biceps and shifted on his seat as if he were trying to get more comfortable. Well, whoever it is must be really pissed off...

There was sudden illumination in the darkness, piercing through the heavy rain. Lightning streaked out in huge forks of electricity.

David gasped and shrank back on his seat. “Fuck...hope that doesn’t hit the bus...”

“You’re telling me,” Pierre agreed voice tense. Chuck came stumbling down the aisle at that instant, Lachelle close behind. Pierre’s fiancée had her small dog, Delilah, cradled in her arms. The black and tan miniature pinscher snuggled into her breasts, little body shivering.

“Pretty stormy...” Lachelle murmured as she took a seat next to Pierre.

He slid an arm around her waist and drew her closer to his side. “Yeah...”

She glanced at the cards on the table. “What were you guys doing?”

David looked away from the window. “We were going to play poker.”

Pat stood up abruptly and moved away from the table to the front of the bus to talk to the driver.

Jeff came down at that moment rubbing at his smooth scalp. “Mind if I join you?”

Pierre toyed with the deck of cards. “I don’t feel like playing anymore.”

Lachelle leaned her cheek against his shoulder. He smiled softly at her and raked his fingers through her hair. Then he bent his head down and scratched Delilah behind the ears. The little dog snuffled softly. Pierre chuckled then looked up to stare out the window again.

“Looking forward to the show in TO?” Lachelle asked, quietly.

Pierre shifted on his seat watching as the rain kept falling; the engine sounds of the bus drowned out. “Yeah...” He sounded distracted.

Lachelle rubbed slowly at his left arm, fingering the ink that covered its length. “You okay, Hun?”

Pierre lifted a shoulder in response keeping his gaze fixed on the window.

Pat came back from the front of the bus and leaned his palms against the table. “Driver says he can get us safe to TO...but the bus will need repairs...lightning hit something.”

“Well, lucky we’re staying in TO for a couple of nights.” Chuck picked up the deck of cards where Pierre had left them and shuffled them. “You still up for a game?”

Pat sucked his teeth glancing at Pierre. The vocalist didn’t move his eyes from where he was staring.

Buddy?

Pierre continued to watch the rain as he silently asked, Any way to get us faster to TO?

Uh...well without freaking everyone out? No...and at any rate only someone extremely powerful could move a whole bus...

Anyone we know?

Pat slid onto the seat next to his friend, leaning his head back against the window.

Chuck raised his eyebrows at him. “Well, Pat?”’

Pat waved a hand at the drummer still looking at Pierre. Yeah, M Shadows.

Pierre pulled his eyes from the window, dark eyes narrowing. Matt?

Uh...yeah. He’s the master vamp...he’s capable of anything.

Lachelle noticed that Pierre had moved and saw the look pass between the two men.

Chuck sat on the other side of the table still waiting for Pat’s response to his own question. “Hey, Patrick. You going to play?”

“No, Chuck. I’m busy.”

“Busy? You’re just sitting there.”

Pat groaned inwardly and stared hard at Chuck as if he could silence him with a look.

The drummer blinked then suddenly dropped the cards and stood. “Uh...I just realised...I needed to go uh...” He turned and walked back to the stairs and went to the top level. Jeff, Seb and David looked at each other then got up and followed the drummer.

Lachelle tilted her head then gave Pat a weird look. “Uh...why’d they go?”

Pierre also stared strangely at the other man. “Pat?”

He smirked faintly. “I’ve been around 200 years. Got a couple of tricks up my sleeves. They won’t be back down for a while.”

Pierre frowned.

Pat rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, P. Anyway, I feel better explaining things when they’re not around.” He smiled at Lachelle. “You can stay, because you know what we are.”

She nodded and snuggled closer into Pierre’s side; he squeezed her gently then nodded to Pat.

“So, what exactly does that mean? Matt being the Master Vamp? I mean...in my mother’s letter...she said there is none like him.”

“Which is true. And a blessing of sorts. If there were any more like him...I’d shudder to think what this world would be like.” Pat scratched at his cheek. “The Master Vampire is a law unto himself. He has the power to call all vampires into his control...including you.”

Pierre tightened his arm around Lachelle’s waist. “Into his control?”

“Yes. You would belong to him.”

“Belong? I don’t think I like the sound of that.”

Pat folded his arms, expression becoming grim. “It wouldn’t be such a problem if you weren’t his son.”

Lachelle’s head jerked up. “What?” She craned her neck so she could look up into Pierre’s face. “Matt’s your father?”

Pierre smirked faintly. “Yeah.”

She blinked rubbing at the bridge of her nose. “But how is that possible? He’s younger than you.”

Pat laughed harshly. “No, actually Matthew Sanders is 2000 years old. He was born in 8 AD.”

“God damn...” Lachelle shook her head in disbelief. Delilah snuffled again curling up more on her lap.

Pierre looked equally surprised. “He’s that old?”

Pat chuckled. “The Rev’s older.”

The singer grunted. “You know all this, how?”

Pat bit his lip a strange light appearing in his eyes. “I’ve been around 200 years...”

“You keep saying that.” Pierre sucked at a fang then scowled. “How come you didn’t know Shads was my father then? You seem to know all this useless crap about him...and the others...so why didn’t you figure that one out?”

Pat breathed out roughly, meeting his friend’s questioning gaze. “You got me there.”

Pierre’s jaw tightened. “So, you did know?”

Pat gave a tiny nod of his head. “Yeah. I did. I just thought it’d be easier for you to handle the information from your mother if I didn’t let on.” He closed his eyes clasping his hands behind his head. “Anyway, it wasn’t my place to tell you about your heritage.”

The singer turned his head away vision blurring a little. Lachelle nuzzled against his shoulder; he shifted and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent.

It relaxed him a little and he sighed softly before lifting his head and looking at his friend again. “I have another question.”

Pat nodded. “Yeah?”

“Uh...I thought vampires went...uh...poof...in sunlight.”

Pat laughed. “Have you?”

Pierre snorted. “No, I guess not. But why do people believe that?”

“One: Humans don’t realise that vampires really exist, so they make up whatever they want. Two: vampires do tend to be sensitive to sunlight...but that’s usually just a side effect to the food they eat. Vampires don’t die from sunlight. They might get badly sunburnt though. So, make sure you use plenty of sunscreen.”

“What about garlic?”

Pat snorted. “It’ll just make your breath stink.”

“What about crosses and Holy Water?”

Pat laughed again, “The Sanders were all Catholic. So was your mother. Vampires that aren’t, won’t enter Churches out of respect, not because of anything else...”

Lachelle spoke up then, “Weird how we humans get it all wrong.”

Pat nodded then smirked, “I might add that Werewolves are not humans who go wolf at full moon. They’re actually a subspecies of the Gray wolf...who can shift into human form.”

Pierre reached down to stroke between Delilah’s ears. “So, what’s with the whole Full Moon thing?”

Pat’s eyes suddenly darkened. “We Weres are capable of changing form at will. However, there is a curse that some Weres are born with...where they are forced back into their wolf form at Full Moon, regardless of the situation.”

Pierre tilted his head. “You know any Weres that have that curse?”

Pat stretched his arms and stood. “I’ve only ever met one in the whole of my life. Says it’s a real bitch...” His voice sounded unusually tight and Pierre wondered if his friend was in fact referring to himself. But, he decided not to pry.

Instead, he returned his eyes to the rain that was still pelting down outside. “You say that’s not natural?”

Pat glanced out the window. “Shadows is not happy...”

Pierre felt the muscles in his neck tighten. “Matt again...I still don’t understand about the whole-”

Pat cut him off with a look. “You don’t need to understand except that...under no circumstance should you let him force you into a corner. He’s dangerous.”

“What about the others?” Lachelle mumbled as she traced a flower on Pierre’s bicep.

Pat tugged at his bottom lip. “They’re all loyal to Matt.”

Pierre smiled at his fiancée and caught hold of her hand.

She smiled back but then looked at the other male. “What about Johnny?”

“Ah...his is an interesting story.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Pat shook his head slowly. “Not my story to tell, Chelle.”

Pierre growled, “But, is he to be trusted.”

“What does Serena’s letter tell you?”

Pierre looked away, a faraway expression appearing in his dark eyes. He didn’t respond just staring out the window once more. Yet the words from his mother’s letter spun in his mind taking all space in his thoughts.

Johnny...He is your father’s one weakness...my one true friend...

A7X Tour Bus

Same Time

“How long’s it been, Matt?”

“29 years. And she still smells the same.”

“She’s still fuckin’ tiny...pretty amazing after she popped the little bastard out...”

Shadows and The Rev sat at the back of the tour bus going over the set list whilst mulling over their meeting with Serena. The two eldest vampires pondered what her presence in Montreal City could have meant.

The master vampire could still smell her scent, her fear, permeating in the air even though they had long since left the City behind them. “She is still afraid.”

“Well, that’s no surprise. You did threaten her.”

Shadows tossed his copy of the set list on the small table in front of him and glowered at The Rev. “Fuck, James. It wasn’t exactly a threat. I just said we’d be watching her.”

The Rev snorted rolling up his list and tapping it against a long thigh. “Well, at any rate, she’s not in the City anymore. Someone warned her off.”

“Yeah, and I know exactly who.” Shadows curled a lip fangs showing. He pushed up from his seat. “I’m going back up top. Johnny’s still asleep.”

The elder vampire pursed his lips. “Surely you won’t hurt him over this?”

Shadows growled, his tone brutal, “I would kill him, except that we wouldn’t be able to get a bassist for the tour on such short notice.”

“Yeah, and never mind how messy that would be.”

The master vampire snorted. “Yeah, I’m not really looking to set my fucking eyebrows on fire.”

“Indeed. So...?”

Shadows moved out from behind the table. “I’m not going to do anything too obvious.”

The Rev nodded sagely. “Wise. People might start asking questions if Johnny shows up with obvious injuries.”

Shadows turned and made his way to the second level of the large bus. He walked silently along the aisle to the very last bunk. There was a black curtain pulled over, which he grabbed and yanked back. Johnny lay curled on his side, fast asleep.

Shadows grimaced and leaned against the bunk pondering whether he should wake the Were, or not. Johnny seemed tense even in his sleep as if he were having nightmares. If he had been in wolf form his dreams would have been more obvious, which was the exact opposite to the obviousness of his emotions that were better read when he remained in human form.

The master vampire had to admit he had a soft spot for Johnny Christ, but only to himself and perhaps The Rev. He would never tell any of the others, and he definitely would never let on to the Werewolf that he cared. Closing his eyes, he focussed on blocking out all sound and thoughts then pushed his mind forward until a rush of unknown images flashed into his mind: Johnny’s dream...

He growled silently and felt the tension in Johnny’s mind change. Wake up, pup. We have a problem.

Johnny’s eyes snapped open just as Shadows jerked out of his mind.

The Were lifted his head smearing a hand across his eyes and staring up into the vampire’s face. “Shads?”

“Get up.” Shadows’ voice was calm, coldly controlled.

A chill ran down Johnny’s spine and he involuntarily shrank into himself. “Shads?”

“I. Said. Get up.”

Johnny swallowed hard and swung his legs out slowly. Not fast enough to his master’s liking. Shadows growled, seized the back of his T-shirt and hauled him out of the bunk onto the floor. The smaller male winced as he hit the back of his head against the edge of the bunk on the way down. He shuddered cowering in the aisle.

Shadows crouched down a little but holding his body so he loomed over Johnny. “We have a problem.”

The Werewolf trembled and peered up at him. “Wh-what’s that, master...?”

“Oh, I really doubt you need to ask me what I’m referring to, pup.” Shadows’ voice took on a menacing edge. He removed his shades hooking them onto the neck of his shirt. “You spoke to an old friend of yours.”

Johnny shivered and dropped his head. “I was just...”

Shadows snarled and grabbed him by the throat, shoving him up against the wall. He yelped and clung onto the vampire’s thick wrist. Eyes wide he began to shake realising in that swift instant that the master vampire knew what he had done. Or at least had some idea. He stared into Shadows’ eyes, they were almost black such was his anger; and there was murder in their depths.

Johnny whimpered, “I...I’ll fix it...please...”

Shadows tightened his grip and leaned close his voice dropping to a mere hiss. “Oh, you’ll do more than that if you want to stay alive.”

Johnny trembled, gasping for breath. “Anything...”

Shadows’ lips pulled into a cruel sneer as he brought his mouth closer to the Were’s ear and spoke in a low deadly tone. Once he finished he released Johnny’s throat, straightened and strode away. Johnny remained on the floor, head lowered, tears in his eyes and heaviness in his heart. Then without a sound, he vanished from the bus.

Notes