Van Helsing

We escape the casino, and run towards one of the wooded parks in the city to use it for cover. I am still carrying Nemo and Victoria over my shoulders.

Lupin is holding her high heels in her hands as we run. We look behind us, but no one is behind us.

"Do you think we lost her?" I ask.

"Well, Lupin and I are tough enough to handle most folks. That girl with the gun probably gave up." Nemo says.

"Caleb! Set me down, please!" Victoria says.

"Oops! I forgot about you." I say.

"Strange. I wouldn't think someone like that would back off so easily." Lupin peers through the forest cautiously. "This isn't good. We may have walked right into a trap."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I highly doubt that woman just happened to see us there and attacked us." Lupin says.

"True." Victoria says.

"That place is a magnet for information. What if she'd set a trap there, knowing we would have to go through there eventually?" Lupin asks. "If that's the case, then it's likely she planned for us to try to flee into this wooded area, and knows the geography well."

"No way. She couldn't have expected us to escape. You're overthinking this." Nemo says.

"No, it makes sense. I knew I'd seen her face before, and after hearing her voice, I remember now." Victoria says.

"Where did you see her, Victoria?" I ask.

"Buckingham Palace. It was..." Victoria says.

Suddenly, Lupin turns serious. "Duck!" A gunshot explodes just as Lupin shouts.

The woman appears from the shadow behind a tree. "So you detected my presence, Lupin? You're not your average pickpocket. Where did you train?"

"Alas, I'm merely a dashing lady thief." Lupin says.

"I have no time for tomfoolery." The woman doesn't even point her gun at us. She walks towards us slowly, seemingly defenceless.

"That's... I knew it! Her name is Abigail van Helsing." Victoria says. "You remember the Bloofer Lady incident two years ago? She was one of the vampire slayers from that. Her family is an offshoot from the Belmondo Clan of vampire hunters. A member of the Royal Order of Knights of the British Empire, and Progenitor's best fighter."

"The Bloofer Lady." Nemo says.

"That's right. Because of her kill count, she's come to be known as the 'human weapon'. Isn't that right, Van Helsing?" Victoria asks.

"I've retired from Progenitor. I have no interest in clinging to best glories." Van Helsing says.

"Whatever you had is definitely in the past. Now you've fallen low enough to chase a bunch of thieves. How sad." Lupin says.

"I'd prefer not to be pursuing scum like you, Arsene. I won't harm you as long as I can still complete my objective. Do not resist." She points her shotgun at us again, but I stand between Van Helsing and Lupin.

"Caleb?" Lupin asks.

"I'll buy you guys some time. Get out of here." I say.

"No. This woman is strong, isn't she? You're in danger!" Lupin says.

I dash forward at superhuman speed, kicking off a tree and jumping high into the air.

"Amazing!" Victoria says.

I am blasted away by Van Helsing's shotgun. I fall to the ground, and don't move.

"Hmph. Physical abilities, but that's it. He would have been better off using those skills as a street performer." Van Helsing says.

"Caleb!" Nemo says.

"This is bad! She needs medical attention, quick!" Victoria says.

"Hold on, both of you. We're going to leave her here." Lupin says.

"Lupin, what-?" Victoria says.

"Victoria! Nemo! Just come with me!" Lupin says.