Episode Eleven:
Grudge Match
Grudge Match
Disclaimer: Oz isn't mine, although everybody else is, and the universe in which they all live also belongs to people other than me. I'm writing for my own amusement, and make no profit from it.
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Previously in Tales from the Monico:
Oz: "Oh, there's nothing special about me. The others, maybe. But I'm just trying to get on with my life. Only?stuff keeps happening that I can't walk away from."
Charlie: "My mother was a vampire?I mean, not when I was born, obviously. She was turned when I was eight? every now and then, she'd remember that she had kids and come looking for us. So we had to keep moving."
Charlie: "Have I ever told you about my brother, Edward? He died when he was sixteen, just after his birthday. He was killed. By?our mum."
Oz: "She turned him?"
Charlie nods, tearfully.
Oz is confronted by vampire Ed, and throws holy water in his face to aid his escape. The vampire yells in pain and outrage as his flesh sizzles and burns.
Charlie: "He isn't going to love you, after you wrecked his face like that."
Ed and a cohort of fellow vampires stage an assault on the Monico.
Ed: "You."
Oz: "Me."
Ed: "I owe you one."
He gestures mockingly to his burnt face.
A fight ensues. Ed focuses on Oz, who manages to throw him off, and the vampire is impaled on a couple of chair legs. Oz goes to stake him, only for the vampire to turn his human face back toward him, moaning with pain. Oz hesitates, and then is distracted and releases Ed. A female vampire helps Ed escape.
David: "So Vampire Ed has vanished into thin air?"
Elli: "Certainly giving a good impression of it. I was sure he was there this time."
Oz: "Oh, he had been. Could smell him in there, over everything."
David: "So what does that mean?"
Elli: "Means he's moved on. Again?He'll keep moving for as long as he thinks we're looking, and for as long as he's too weak to do anything about it?if we don't find him first, as soon as he's fully healed he'll come looking for payback."
Piers: "I find myself a little embarrassed, to tell you the truth, and have come to ask for your help. It appears a somewhat sticky problem has arisen that requires rather younger and fitter persons than myself to assist with?A businessman, Gil McKenzie has a rather unpleasant demon pursuing him, and it is laying claim to his daughter."
McKenzie: "I can't do this on my own. I can't lose my little girl to this thing. I need help. Please."
The Toshok demon gatecrashes the party preparations, and a fight breaks out as it attempts to attack Anouk. Oz gets in front of Anouk and defends her, sword in hand, while the others attack the demon from behind. David eventually gets in the final killing blow. Once it's all over, Anouk realises that she's clutching at Oz's arm and lets go, blushing.
Anouk: "Oh. Sorry for being such a girl."
Oz: "Not a problem."
They smile shyly at each other.
Oz cuts his hand on Emma's broken silver mirror.
Elli: "Silver is kind of poisonous to a werewolf. It burns? With mystical beings, there's a whole different set of rules. And for a werewolf, silver kills or maims."
Emma: "Allergic to silver. Whatever that means."
Oz (unsettled): "I guess it means I'm not quite as human in this face as I like to think I am."
Elli (fixing his hand up for him): "Okay, so in future you might want to think about avoiding thing that are made of silver and sharp edges."
Oz: "Agreed."
Emma: "Tell me more about your damsel in distress ? gonna call her?"
Oz (with a lazy smile): "I might."
*****
Prologue:
*****
Prologue:
*****
"And then there was that guy who tried to get up on the stage and fell off, splat! On his back," Anouk giggled. "Someone always tries that. Has it ever happened at any of your gigs?"
Oz shook his head. "Not as yet. Something for us to aim for."
Anouk laughed again. "And that's when you'll know you've really hit the big time. Ooh, look at that."
Distracted by a somewhat outlandish outfit in a shop window they were passing, she towed him over to have a look. Still buzzing after the concert they'd spent the evening at, Oz couldn't keep the smile off his face, even if he did have to admit ? somewhere deep down inside ? that the fast approaching full moon probably also had something to do with the buzz. It sang loudly through his veins. He always felt more alive in the week around full moon than at any other time. But excellent company and a fun night out were also major contributing factors. It was a long time since he'd been on a date that was an actual date, and nothing but a date. And right now he was just enjoying listening to Anouk's chatter, enjoying being with her ? enjoying the total lack of complication in his life in this moment. It made a refreshing change.
"It's gorgeous," Anouk decided, gazing longingly at the outfit. "But not really me. Is it? And my dad would have a meltdown if he saw me in that. Oh, hey ? there's Geena. Geena!"
Still hanging onto his arm, she was off again, this time heading for a 24-hour coffee shop a little further down the street. One thing Oz had learned about Anouk, in the few short weeks that he'd known her, was that she was rarely still for longer than a minute. She was like quicksilver, unpredictable ? always on the go, always laughing at something that amused her, or upset about something she'd read, full of life. Getting to know her was fun, and when they were together the more complicated aspects of his life seemed to just fade into nothing, and he was just a normal guy again. It was a good feeling.
The friend Anouk had spotted extracted herself from the small group she was with and hugged her in greeting.
"This is Oz," Anouk proudly announced. "And this is my friend Geena."
Geena gave him a knowing smile. "Ah, so we meet at last." She held out a hand for him to shake. "I've heard a lot about you, Oz. Anouk has spent the last?well it seems like forever, but probably only three weeks, telling anyone who'll listen, over and over, how you saved her from that escaped bear that gate-crashed my birthday party before it even began."
Anouk had been amazed that she'd barely even needed to try to think up an excuse for the attack on the party preparations. It was incredible, even Oz had to admit. A whole roomful of witnesses, and they still managed to convince themselves it had been a bear escaped from the zoo instead of a nine-foot demon with horns and fangs. The uninformed mind simply refused to believe such a thing was possible.
"Well, I'm sorry about the party," said Oz.
"It wasn't a total bust." Geena grinned at Anouk. "Anouk's dad found us another place, and I didn't even know there'd been a problem until everyone told me about it. It all sounded very exciting. And I'm delighted to finally meet the man who saved my friend's life, and can produce that smile she's had plastered all over her face ever since."
Then she laughed, apparently delighted at having managed to embarrass them both, and gently squeezed Anouk's arm. "I'll leave you to it," she said. "Nice to meet you at last, Oz. Call me in the morning, Nou."
As Geena hurried off to catch up with her other friends, Oz smiled at Anouk, and then caught a glimpse through the shop door of a clock half hidden by the neon lights behind the bar. It was later than he'd realised.
"You know, we should probably think about making a move, too."
Anouk shook her head, eyes sparkling. "There's no rush, is there? Let's have a coffee, talk for a while."
*****
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