Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 01:19:00 +0200 Reply-To: Sascha Regh Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Sascha Regh Organization: S.Regh Subject: From the dawn of time they came Part One This is my very first attempt to write a story, and I have already found out that making up nice stories in your head is a bit different from actually writing them down. There are two things I want to apologise for in advance: First, English is not my first language. And while I am quite fluid in it, my English is by no means perfect. So I am most grateful for any corrections you want to make. Second, Highlander has not been shown in Germany very far, we are just in the first third of the second season. So some of my knowledge is just gathered from what I read in alt.tv.highlander and in the storys, so there might be mistakes. And one more: If you are offended by people sleeping together (well, sleeping is not actually the point) don't read on. I am not going to be too explicid, but some people are pretty easily upset. --------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE DAWN OF TIME THEY CAME by Sascha Regh (c) 1995 S.Regh Part One Through a light drizzling rain Joe slowly limped through the dark passages that lead to an old warehouse in this desolate part of the city. He was wondering why Jenkins had asked him to come there. Jenkins had no current assignment, because the last time his immortal had almost found out about him and the watchers. So Joe had decided that it might be the best for Jenkins to keep a low profile for a few months, although Jenkins had not been pleased to hear that. But Jenkins' message had sounded very urgent, speaking of somebody 'unknown'. Surely he had not meant an older immortal, but just a new one, but even so Joe was quite curious. He looked around and decided that he was just a few minutes away from the proposed meeting point. A moment later he was glad that he was not there already. His handy buzzed, and when he answered it, he heard the Highlander's voice. "Hey Joe, I thought we had an appointment!" He had completely forgotten about that. And he took a short moment to explain to Duncan why he had. At that moment a big black cat that was hunting something big and fast crashed into some empty cans and it screamed in surprise, and in the dark alleyway that sounded quite scary. So it obviously sounded over the telephone as well, because now Duncan asked "Where the hell are you?", and when Joe had told him, his next words were "Are you mad? I am coming." Joe could hear some swearing through the phone, but could not make out the words, since Duncan was already smashing down the receiver. Joe frowned, and then decided that he would not really mind if someone was around who was a lot more able to defend himself than he was. Besides, Duncan was a friend. So he decided that he would wait the short while for Duncan, for he was a bit early anyway. But then he heard a sound from the direction he was heading to, feet running towards him, and then a scream that was cut of in the middle. And then a very short moment of silence, and feet running again, this time away from him. Joe just stood for a short moment, but then he told himself that the attacker must have been the one that ran away, and that Duncan would be here shortly, and that he might be able to help. So he walked, as quickly as he could, towards the point where he had heard the noise. He saw something lying on the ground, like rags somebody had thrown away. He bent down, not without difficulties, and turned the man over. He swallowed, and said: "Jenkins. Oh my god." The man's chest still moved while he desperately was trying to suck some air into his lungs, but in vain; and instead in a red stream his life ran out of him. He opened his eyes, and saw Joe, and just managed to utter a few words: "Joe, be careful, he is mad - very mad and very dangerous. Take ca.." and then his head dropped to one side, and his struggles for air and life stopped. Joe swallowed hard, and even if he had not known the man very well, and he had been quite some trouble on occasions, he felt some deep regret. He sniffed, and got up, and he was very glad that Duncan was coming. He did not know how long he had been standing near the dead body, when he heard some other sound cutting through the thick silence. The unmistakable sound of clashing swords. A flash seemed to come out of the nowhere, shortly followed by a thunder, but it was not the weather that had caused it. It had to be indeed two very powerful immortals fighting there. Joe rose immediately and turned towards the sound, and he hoped that Duncan was none of the combatants. After all, the Highlander might have taken another way. But when he came nearer the place of the fight, a rather big yard that was almost empty except for some old and presumably empty boxes, he saw two immortals he had never seen before. One was a tall fellow, almost as tall as the Highlander, who's long dark hair was held together at his back. He was wearing clothes that had a slightly oriental style, although as far as Joe could see his face was European. The other one was shorter, and he was wearing clothes like any kid on the street, everything two sizes too big, and even with a baseball cap on his head. He looked like a boy, but his fighting style did betray a few hundred years of experience. Joe tried to move a silently as possible, and then hid behind the boxes. He knew that was madness, but he had never actually seen immortals fighting, and beyond everything he was curious now. He also hoped that he saw Jenkins murder fall tonight, although he did not know which of the two it was. The short one attacked now, and pushed the taller one backward, but then the taller one managed to stop a blow, and kicked the short one, who lost his balance, and with a blow the tall one managed to strike his sword away. It fell down at the other end of the yard. With some astonishing acrobatics the short one brought himself out of the way of his opponent's sword. Now the tall one was right between the him and his sword. Both men came nearer to the boxes Joe was hiding behind. He could hear the short one cursing under his breath, in a language that sounded very unfamiliar to Joe as he came nearer. Than, barehanded, the short one attacked, but the tall one kicked again, and the short one flew into the boxes. When they collapsed, Joe came down with them. He was now clearly visible, and the two immortals stared at him in surprise. It was the shorter one how overcame surprise first, if only for a fraction of a second. He grabbed Joe's walking stick, just before the tall one lifted his sword again to strike. The strike came from the short ones left side, and he had grabbed the stick with his right hand, and so he stopped that blow half with his left arm. A very loud curse and a lot of blood showed that he had been severely wounded. The blow had also hit Joe's walking stick, which was several inches shorter now, but it had also become a sharp weapon. With a smooth movement he pushed the stick into the other mans chest, so hard that it came out on the other side again. 'Just where Jenkins was stabbed.' Joe thought horrified. The tall man made a few steps backward, dropping his sword, staring down in surprise at the stick that was stuck in his chest. The other man got up, slowly, and limped towards his sword, while keeping an eye on the other man, who was trying to pull the stick out of his body. Then the short man reached his sword and picked it up, and then he turned to his opponent. The man looked at him, and suddenly fear appeared in his eyes. The shorter man limped towards him, blood dripping down his left arm, although the flood had already slowed down. Then he lifted his sword, and with a single blow the other mans head flew away - while from the alleyway the Highlanders voice could be heard shouting "Parker! Nooo...." >From the beheaded corpse a blue mist seemed to rise, that circled around the winners' feet and rose higher and higher, and then the world seemed to explode..... The Highlander saw his old pal fall, and watched his body sinking aside with horror. Then he looked around and saw to his great relief Joe, lying on the ground but alive. When he had found Jenkins body he had feared for the worst. Joe was staring fascinated on spectacle that unfolded before him. Duncan ran towards his friend and asked "Are you unharmed?" Joe just nodded, too horrified and too fascinated to speak. Then Duncan threw himself over his friend as the remainders of the panes in the surrounding buildings started to rain down on the three people and the corpse in the yard. When the quickening had died down, in the middle of the yard a man crouched to the ground, holding his arm, weakened by the quickening and the loss of blood. He slowly tried to get up, when he realised that there was another immortal around. He turned towards Duncan, who had got up and drawn his sword. The duel's winner just shook his head, and Duncan shouted at him angrily "He was a good man!". The other man shook his head again, and Duncan shouted again: "Why? Why, you bastard!" moving nearer towards the man. The man shook his head a third time, wearily, and when Duncan came nearer again, he reached into his trousers pocket and pulled out a small pistol, which he pointed right towards Duncan, and then he shot him twice right through his heart. He almost collapsed again, but caught himself, stumbled over to a bag that was lying on the ground, put his sword inside, put on some sort of trenchcoat, took a deep breath, lifted the bag and turned towards Joe. Joe was now leaning against the wall, hardly able to move without his stick, staring in disbelieve at the Highlander's motionless body. He was half prepared to meet his fate, because he knew very well that most immortals did not like witnesses. And how that man had shot Duncan in cold blood. But the immortal just limped over to him, looked at him and asked him "You are this man's lover?" His voice sounded pleasant, although tired and cautious at the same time. He had a thick accent that sounded as unfamiliar as the few foreign curses Joe had heard him utter. Joe looked at him surprised and shook his head. "No, why? Just a friend." "You seem to care. And you know." "Yes." The man still looked at him, puzzled, when his eyes fell on the tattoo on Joe's wrist. He took his hand and looked at it and said "I see, Aristotle's' nosy bunch. I thought you keep your noses out of immortals business." Now it was Joe's turn to look puzzled and he asked "You know about the watchers?" but the man just said "He will be OK in a short while. I hope he will help you home, I can't." And with those words he turned away and moved towards the passage. Joe shouted after him "Wait!" but then man did not react, and when Joe heard Duncan groan he turned towards him and began to move towards his friend. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right, end of the first part. Should I ever get around to write the rest, I will post it. Some encouragement from your side will certainly be helpful to move me to sit down and type type type ;-) *S.Regh@puti.dinoco.de* ## CrossPoint v3.02 ## =========================================================================