Cloaked in Shadows

DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Buffy or Angel or anything like that.

A/N: This is my first Spuffy fic. The idea of the monster came in a dream I had, so the idea just went from there. The fic takes place after Angel Season 5, and in this, they did kill all of those baddies. :) Updates may be quick or they may take a while, but I promise to finish this WIP. Now to the story....

Prologue


Melitta O’Brady was a fiery young woman. Her mother was Greek, which gave her thick dark hair and a general Mediterranean complexion, but she had her father’s bright blue-green eyes and his Irish temper. She was 18, just out of high school. She also had been a slayer for a little over a year. Now, she was on an assignment for the Council in Los Angeles. There had been some disappearances around a club called the Bloodsucker. It was rumored to be very Goth and faux-vampire, but she had a feeling that some real vampires had decided to play around there, causing the disappearances.

She was standing in front of a mirror, making sure her very black eyeliner was still in place. The mirror reflected a young woman in knee-high black boots, fishnet stockings, a black mini-skirt, and a red corset. “Can you button this collar, Zara?”

Another woman appeared in the mirror. She had straight long blonde hair and blue eyes. “Are you sure you want to go by yourself, Melitta? I wouldn’t mind tagging along. I’ve heard that the Bloodsucker was a really cool place. Catherine can come with us too. It’ll be a night out. Besides, we rarely get to see you.”

Melitta lowered her hair once the collar was in place. She turned toward her friend, lightly placing each hand on her shoulders. “If I thought it would be safe, I would love for you to come, but you know that I’m investigating this place.”

Catherine sighed. “I’ve been to the Bloodsucker before, Litta. If anything is there, then it’s probably just some vamps like you said. Surely you can handle them.”

“Well, you do have a point, Cat.” Melitta sighed softly, considering if her friends should come. It would give her more of a cover to ask questions. Besides, she could handle a few vampires. “Okay, you two. If you can get ready in fifteen minutes, you can come.”

* * * * *

Forty-five minutes later, the three women were at the Bloodsucker. The building was small, and only had a sign on the sturdy black door. At eleven o’clock, the place was still fairly sparsely populated with only a few Goth people hanging around, although the crowd looked to pick up not long from now. They looked around and went up to the small bar that was off in the corner. There were only two stools, so they chose to stand.

“So this is the place, Cat,” Melitta asked as she perused the place. It was dark and had a suffocating feel. The walls, floor, and ceiling were black. The lighting was a mixture of white and red lights that gave the place an eerie reddish glow. She had a bad feeling, and she considered telling her friends to go on and leave without her.

Catherine nodded. “Yeah, this is it.” She ordered a shot of vodka and down it. “Let’s go dance, Zara,” she said, grabbing her hand and taking her out to the dance floor.

Melitta was now alone at the bar as she watched her friends dance to the music. She wasn’t sure whom the song was by, but it had a decent yet depressing beat. She then turned around to talk to the bartender. He was tall and thin. He had black hair and too many tattoos and piercings to count. “Umm…I would like a Smirnoff Ice.”

He quickly got it for her. “There you go.” He then began to wipe at the counter.

She took a sip of her Smirnoff. She preferred beer, but she figured that she needed to keep her wits about her and that’s why she got something lighter. “So, has anything strange been going on around here?” she inquired to him as if she was asking about the weather.

He paused in mid-motion as he looked at her. His pitch black eyes narrowed. “What in particular do you mean? Are you a cop?“

“Oh, no, I’m not. I just noticed that not as many people come around…some people I normally saw and all.” Smooth, real smooth. She knew that she might not get anywhere at all if she didn’t get her act together.

“I’ve never even seen you here before,” he stated in a suspicious tone.

“Well, it’s just what I’ve heard. So, have any real vampires come around here?” she asked more bluntly than she intended. She hated to beat around the bush with the questions.

“The only ones that come around here are just in for the blood play. We don’t have disappearances, and I suggest that you go on and leave.” He then motioned for a bouncer to come and take her out.

Melitta turned around and looked at the bouncer. He just looked like a normal bouncer. She glanced around, not seeing her friends on the dance floor to tell them that they had to go. “I have to find my friends first,” she said. “Then, I’ll leave on my own.” She turned to go to the bathroom, figuring they had entered there. She didn’t get far though when the bouncer grabbed her upper arm tightly. Her temper flared as she turned and looked at him. “I said I will leave on my own. Let me go.” She jerked her arm away from him as she stumbled backwards a couple of steps before she regained her balance. She then turned to go find her friends yet again when he grabbed her.

“You are coming with me,” his low voice practically growled at her. He began to drag her toward the door.

“I. Am. Not. Going. Yet.” Melitta ground out, having lost what little patience she had. She swung her left arm, meeting her fist against his chest. She then winced at how it felt like she had punched a brick wall. He had let go of her though briefly. She then swung her leg and kicked him in the knee. He buckled before her, and she then smashed her right fist into his nose, breaking it. He fell to the ground in pain as some blood splattered on the floor. “I said I would leave when I’m fucking ready to leave,” she spat out. She turned to go to find her friends when she heard a scream.

Quickly she turned around. Her jaw fell open as her eyes widened. There was a shadow sucking up the blood on the floor. This shadow appeared about an inch thick and was more like a cloth than a normal shadow. Then, it had turned and was devouring the bouncer. Other people had noticed and were going toward the door. She froze as the shadow moved and went to another victim, leaving no trace of the bouncer. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath. She didn’t know what to do. She had never faced anything like this before. She took out a stake and flung it at the shadow. It went right through it and hit against the wall. All her training just flew out the window when that happened. She then turned and fled. Bursting out of the door, she went half-way down the street before stopping. The alleyway was deserted. She had no clue what that thing was. Plus, she had now remembered that her friends were still in there. She had panicked, and she had to get them back. Getting what courage she could, she ran back to the door and opened it. She saw one more person with long blonde hair being engulfed by this shadow. It then turned and appeared to look at her. She screamed and ran again, slamming the door behind her as she fled down the alleyway toward the street.

Fumbling in her pocket, she took out her cell and quickly found the number she was looking for. She paused at the end of the alleyway and looked toward the club. “Come on, pick up!” she said to herself as the phone continued to ring. Finally she heard a ‘hello’ that sounded a bit distant.

“Willow, it is Melitta. I know it’s early, but I have to talk to you. The thing at the Bloodsucker attacked, and I couldn’t destroy it. It’s not a vampire. I don’t even know what it is.”

A voice was heard on the other end of the phone as it was morning in England. “Melitta? What? Calm down. What is it? Where are you?”

Melitta took a deep breath as she continued to look back toward the door to the Bloodsucker. “I’m outside of the Bloodsucker in L.A. It was horrible, Willow. This shadow thing came out of no where and started to eat the people there. It…it got my friend Zara. I tried staking it, but it went right through it. I don’t know how to kill it.” Her eyes then widened as she saw the shadow flow under the door. It had spotted her and was starting to fly after her. She screamed and turned quickly. “It’s after me. I need backup, Willow. Send someone to help.” She looked back, noticing that it was gaining. She then bumped into the wall as the phone was knocked from her hand. She couldn’t wait to get it back, so she continued to run, not hearing Willow panicking on the other end.

The shadow did not halt as it flew after Melitta.

She was breathing hard as she raced down the street. Luckily, she saw a church. She ran to the door, trying to open it. It wouldn’t budge. “Is anyone there? Let me in!” She banged on the door as the shadow came closer. “Please!” she called out in panic. Tears were running down her cheeks. She had never been so scared in her life. “Who the hell keeps a church locked when people need in!” she screamed. Then, she remembered that this was L.A. The shadow was closing in. She couldn’t wait. Taking off, she went down the side of the church and entered a small backyard. She sunk down, leaning against the brick wall of the church, trying to catch her breath and hoping she lost the shadow.

She hadn't realized that she had closed her eyes until she opened them and saw a woman walking toward her.

The woman was graceful in her gait. She had shoulder-length wavy brown hair and fair, flawless skin. She was wearing a dusky blue dress that appeared to just float over her skin.

Melitta slowly stood up as she was staring at her. The woman was beautiful. “Hello,” Melitta whispered softly.

The other woman opened her mouth wide as it revealed no teeth or tongue. There was just a black depthless hole.

Melitta’s eyes widened as she went to scream. No sound emitted from her lips though. She turned and sprinted away as the woman followed her. Once she got off sacred ground though, the woman returned to the shadow form and chased after her. Suddenly, she got an idea. She had to get the shadow creature back into the woman’s form. She made a U-turn and began to run toward the church. The shadow was coming closer, but Melitta was almost there. Just a few more steps. She then tripped as she was cloaked in the shadow. She fell down on the church’s ground, but it was already too late as the depthless mouth of the woman devoured her before disappearing into the shadows again.


A/N: Please review! I really appreciate it!