Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 19:10:33 -0700 Reply-To: Alan Murrell Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Alan Murrell Subject: End Game pt 1 of ? ************************************************************ * * * * * * * * H I G H L A N D E R * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * End Game? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * By Alan Murrell * * * * * * * * * * ************************************************************ This is my first attempt at Fan Fiction, so please be kind in your comments, suggestions, etc. This story takes place a couple of months from now, and was started about a moth ago (I was busy, okay :-) ). I started out intending it to be a one-part, all-inclusive story, but these things seem to take on a life of their own once started. Please don't take anything stated in here as canon (not that you were planning to, anyway :-) ), as I am aware that anything the movies/series comes up with supercedes any of this. However, *do* enjoy it, and *please* send me any comments, suggestions, criticisms, undying praise, etc., as I would greatly appreciate it. Who knows, I may even listen! The characters in this story are the property of their copyright holder(s), and were used without their permission. The plot, however, remains mine. So, without further adieu, I give you our feature presentation. Enjoy! ************************************************************ PARIS PENITENTIARY, MAY 1995 It was a bright, sunny day in the courtyard. Some inmates were playing football, some exercising, and many others were in small groups talking. However, off in one corner, there was one man by himself, contemplating escape. He was known only as Ka las. After a while, Kalas finally came up with an idea. It would take some careful planning, however. ROME, JULY 1995 The man known as Peter Walsh was walking his date home from a night out at the theater. It wasn't until he had seen her safely home, and was about to hail a cab to his own apartment that he felt the telltale Buzz of another Immortal nearby. Drawing his sword, he looked around, nervously. Finally he saw him. It took a minute to recognize this man, and he cursed as he did: Kalas. "Hello Methos. It's been a while." "How did you get out of jail, Kalas?" Methos asked. "It wasn't very hard. All I had to do was piss the right people off, and they 'killed' me. Then, I just simply walked out of the morgue." Kalas swung his broadsword at Methos, who fended it off. "How did you find me?" Another blow, this time from Methos. But Kalas easily parried it, and swung his own sword, which was also blocked. "That, I have to admit, was a little tricky." He swung again. "You are very good at disappearing." Again, another swing. Kalas could feel that Methos was out of practice, and that it was only a matter of time before his head was his. "There's no protection for you here, Methos. MacLeod is still in Paris." Another powerful swing, just barely stopped by Methos. "I'm surprised you didn't go after him first." Methos made a thrust at Kalas' chest, a little too hard, perhaps. But Kalas easily sidestepped the thrust, causing Methos to overextend himself. Kalas smiled at Methos, as he realized his mistake. :Never overextend your thrust, Methos. If your head comes away from your shoulders, it's over," said Kalas as he thrust his sword into Methos' side, and he fell to his knees. "MacLeod will be mine in good time. I have *special* plans for him." And with that, Kalas made the stroke that separated Methos' head from his shoulders. He stood as Methos' Quickening took hold of him, and shattered windows and exploded cars. Finally, when it was all over, Kalas stood and picked up his sword. "Now you are mine, MacLeod" he said. Then he disappeared into the night. PARIS, JULY 1995 Duncan was wandering the streets of Paris, thinking about the past couple of months. Paul's death; Kalas; meeting Methos; Kalas going to jail; Anne and the baby; Anne leaving him - again. Losing Anne, and perhaps his one shot at raising a child, wa s almost as bad as losing Tessa. God, how he missed them. Then his thoughts started drifting towards Amanda. He started thinking about how she and Michelle must be getting along. >I should visit them, and see how they are doing< he thought to himself. Then he realized his cellular phone was ringing. Duncan snapped out of his trance and answered it. "MacLeod here." "Mac, it's Joe." He sounded somewhat agitated. "Joe, this is a bit of a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Well Mac, I have some bad news, good news, and bad news. It could be a matter of life and death for all Immortals." "What is it Joe?" Duncan was figuring it really *was* an important matter, or else Joe wouldn't bother him with it. "Well Mac, Kalas has escaped from jail, and--" "Kalas!? How did he manage that!!" Duncan bursted out. "Well, from what we can figure out, he had himself killed, and recovered in the morgue. This was about two months ago." "Two months ago, and you're *just* getting around to telling me!?" shouted Duncan. "I was hoping not to worry you." "Well do you have any idea where he is or where he was going?" asked Duncan. "Well, we don't know where he currently is, but we have reason to believe that he was in Rome about three days ago." "How do you know that?" "Well, that has a little bit to do with the good news I have." "I could do with a bit of good news. What is it?" "We found Methos." "Wait a minute. First you couldn't find him for over 2,000 years, then you find him -- by accident I might add -- and then several months after he disappears, you find him again? How?" "Well Mac, that's the other bad news. It was easy to find him because it's a little hard to hide when you've had your head separated from your shoulders. He's dead." Duncan was silent for a moment, letting the reality sink in. "Joe, when I faced Kalas a few months ago in Seattle, he was very strong. He was as good as me, perhaps even better. To tell you the truth, I was grateful when Anne came in and interrupted us. I was glad to put our fight off for another time. But now... Now I'm not entirely sure I can beat him." "Mac, as a Watcher, I can't and won't interfere in a fight between two Immortals; none of us will. In fact, I'm breaking a few Watcher rules just by telling you this, but I figure the risk is worth it. I don't want to see the Prize fall into an evi l hands, especially Kalas'. But at this point, I'm not sure there is *any* Immortal who is capable of stopping him." "Actually, there *is* an Immortal capable of stopping him - perhaps the *only* one who can. Look Joe, I would never ask, nor want you to interfere in a fight between two Immortals, but I *would* appreciate any information you could give me on this m atter." "I'll do what I can, Mac. What is it you want to know, Mac? And who is this Immortal you say is capable of stopping Kalas?" "Joe, I want you to help me find Connor." "Connor? Mac, I don't know. I'm not sure even he's strong enough." "Joe, think about it. The Kurgan was the strongest Immortal, true?" "Well, yes. I believe he would have made mince meat--" Joe broke off. "I see where you're going with this Mac. You figure if Connor has the Kurgan's Quickening then he has the Kurgan's strength." "Yes, Joe, exactly. Now please tell me, where is he?" "Well Mac, I wish I could tell you. After he left you three years ago, he, well, disappeared. We've been looking for him, but it hasn't really been that much of a priority." "Well Joe, I suggest you make it a priority. We *need* him to stop Kalas. He's the only one who can. In the meantime, I'm going to look in a few places he *might* be. If you find him, or anything that may lead to him, I want you to call me." "Of course, Mac. Be careful - watch your head. Remember, Kalas is after you. I'll be in touch as soon as I find anything. I'd appreciate the same courtesy from you. Where are you going, anyway" "Well, I figured I would go to Scotland first. I have an idea where he *might* be. Before that, though, there's someone I have to see. Talk to you later." MADRID (SPAIN), MAY 1995 - SEVERAL DAYS LATER Duncan made his way up the narrow street to a fairly well-kept house. He hesitated before going up the steps to the front door. As he climbed the steps, he felt the Buzz from inside. Knocking on the door, he was ready to draw his katana - just in case. A teen-aged girl opened the door, and her eyes went wide with surprise. "Duncan! This is definitely a surprise. What are you doing here? Where's Richie?" Duncan just laughed. "Easy there, Michelle. One thing at a time. You're looking really good. How are you?" "I'm fine. Amanda says my training is really coming along. Now, about my questions." "You're fairly pushy, aren't you. Aren't you going to invite me in first?" "Oh! Of course. Come on in and make yourself comfortable." Duncan walked in, took his coat off, and sat down on a nearby chair. Then he turned to Michelle and smiled. "I'm here to see how you and Amanda are doing. Plus, I really need to see her. And Richie, last I heard is back in the States. He can't live in France again - for a while." "What happened?" asked Michelle. "He got himself 'killed' in a motorcycle race. I told him that he's dead in France for at least a generation. Let that be a lesson to *you*; don't do anything stupid." "What, with Amanda looking after me?" she smiled. "On second thought..." "So," Michelle started. "Is your business with Amanda personal, or is it 'business'?" "A little of both - assuming that by 'business' you mean Immortal business. Where is she, anyway?" "She stepped out for a few minutes. Well, a couple of hours, anyway. She *should* be back soon, however. To tell you the truth, I *am* starting to get worried about her. She left without her..." At that moment, they both felt the Buzz of a third Immortal coming. Duncan started looking a little nervous as he started to get up and reach for his katana. Michelle laughed. "Relax, Duncan. It's only Amanda." The door slammed open, and Amanda was shouting. "Michelle! Michelle! Are you okay? Where are you?" She was clearly scared and upset. "I'm in the living room," Michelle shouted back. "There's someone here who's a little anxious to see you." Amanda walked into the living, and hid her surprise when she saw who her guest was. "When I felt that other Buzz, I thought it was someone who had come after me, and found Michelle instead. To tell you the truth, I have never felt so scared in all of my life. Kind of like...a...I don't know...a..." "A mother?" supplied Duncan. Amanda looked over at Michelle. "Yes, that's it. A worried mother. So, Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you drop in on me?" "Well, I hadn't seen you for a while, and was a little curious as to how you and Michelle were getting along." "And?" "What do you mean 'and'?" "In the three hundred and . . . sixty years we have known each other, Duncan MacLeod, *you* have never dropped in on *me*. It's always been the other way around. So tell me, what's up?" Duncan looked over at Michelle. "Michelle, could you please--" "I know, go somewhere else." Michelle started to go towards her room, then Amanda stopped her. She looked at Duncan and said, "I think Michelle can stay. I have no secrets from her. What you can tell me, you can tell her. Besides, I have a feeling that this affects her in some way too." Duncan sighed. "Okay, she can hear. And yes, it *does* indirectly affect her." Duncan motioned for them to sit down. He looked at both of them, then Amanda. "Kalas escaped from prison," he said quite simply. Michelle looked puzzled. "Who's Kalas?" she asked. Amanda turned to Michelle and explained. "Several hundred years ago, Duncan was staying at a monastery run by an Immortal monk named . . ." Amanda paused for a second and thought. ". . . Paul," she said finally. "This monastery was run mainly as a sanctuary for Immortals who wished to tak e a bit of break from the Game. I would have stayed there for a time myself, but women aren't allowed. I wonder why that is," mused Amanda. "Anyway, it seems that through the centuries this monastery was run, Kalas, who had been there from the beginnin g, had waited until the Immortal visitors left, and then took their heads. When Duncan was staying there, he found out about Kalas, and Paul banished him from the monastery. Kalas took that pretty hard," Amanda finished. "Anyway," Duncan began. "He swore he would get me, because I ruined what he lived for - referring to his singing in the monastery. He had a beautiful voice; the best I have ever heard. We didn't meet up again until 1920, when he was a famous opera s inger. He tried to kill the girl I was with, in order to try to get back at me. I fought him, and during the fight, I took a piece of broken glass and shoved it in his throat. It cut his vocal chords, and gave him that lovely raspy voice he has today." "Why didn't the vocal chords heal?" asked Michelle. "Injury to the neck and face don't heal completely, and they scar. I guess it's supposed to be a reminder of how close the blade came to beheading us," said Amanda. "What happened next?" asked Michelle. "Well," Duncan began. "After 1920, our next meeting was only a few months ago. He lured Paul off Holy Ground - the monastery - and killed him. Then he began ruining the lives of everyone around me - Joe, Anne..." He paused for a second before continuing. "And I went after him. I 'died' in front of Anne, and left for France to avoid any more harm coming to her." "And to avoid telling her about your immortality," said Amanda. "Yeah, well that was fixed. But *that's* another story," he said just as Amanda was going to say something. "Anyway, Kalas followed me to France and started looking for Methos, a legendary Immortal - the oldest living Immortal, as a matter of fact. He figured that if he could get Methos' Quickening, he could beat me, and become even stronger. In fact, though I hate to admit it, it's a good bet that he *would* have beat me. Well, I found Methos first, and we put Kalas away in jai for the murder o f a Watcher. We figured he would stay there for a while, and give us a break. Apparently not, however." Amanda sensed that there was a lot more that Duncan didn't say, but she decided to keep her questions to herself - for now, at least. "So why did you come all this way, just to tell me this? You could have phoned, or written," said Amanda. "Well, there's more. About a week ago, several days after Kalas' escape, a headless corpse was found in Rome." "Who was it?" Amanda asked. "Methos." Both Amanda and Michelle looked shocked. "Of course, you believe it was Kalas who killed him, right? How did he find him, anyway?" said Amanda. "Well, there's no actual proof, but the timing is just a little *too* coincidental, don't you think. Besides, I think that's the safe assumption at the moment - assume that Kalas *does* have Methos' Quickening. As for *how* Kalas found him, I'm afr aid only Kalas can answer *that* question." "And if he does?" asked Michelle. "If he does," said Duncan, "then there is almost no Immortal capable of stopping him." "So *that's* why you're here," said Amanda. "You're going after him, and you're not sure if you're coming back. Well, you're not going alone." "Yes, I did come to see you for perhaps the last time, and no I'm not going to face Kalas alone, but it won't be with you, Amanda. I'm going to find Connor. He's perhaps the *only* Immortal capable of stopping him. If he fails, or I fail to convin ce him to face him, then I *will* face Kalas myself." "You're *that* sure you can't beat him?" asked Michelle. Duncan looked at Michelle. "When we met a few months ago - before I went to France - he was definitely a match for me . . . perhaps even better. To tell you the truth, I was kind of glad when Anne came in, and pretty much halted the fight. I wanted a chance to 'regroup' and fight again another day." "So," Amanda began. "Where do you go from here?" "Well, I planned on visiting for a couple of days." He looked over at Amanda, then continued. "After that, I'm off to Scottish Highlands to find Connor." "What makes you so sure that he's in Scotland?" Amanda asked. "I'm *not* sure, but it's as good a place as any to start. Besides, considering the date, there's an excellent chance he's there. Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want to concentrate on the next couple of days. So, tell me, what's been happening?" ************************************************************ End of part I. Stay tuned for part II, coming soon (hopefully!) to a computer near you. Will Duncan find Connor before Kalas finds Duncan? Will Duncan be able to convince Connor to face Kalas? Same e-mail address; most likely not the same time. (c) 1995 Feel free to send comments, suggestions, improvements, etc. to: "Alan Murrell" All comments, suggestions, etc. will be gratefully received, read, and duefully considered. Look forward to hearin' from ya'll. Until next time, then (whenever *that* will be!) ===============================================================================