The Campus Part 1/?

The black �57 Plymouth Fury pulled up outside the gates to the University Campus. Although there were lights visible it still seemed desolate and empty. The passenger side door opened and a petite girl in a leather duster stepped out, the hem of the coat being ruffled in the wind. She looked at the campus with green eyes, holding her hair out of her face with a gloved hand.

The engine purred to a silence as her companion climbed out. Tallish and lean he was, dark haired with hazel eyes. He folded his hands over his chest and gazed in the direction she did. After a few moments he shook his head and slid a silver hip-flask from his pocket and unscrewed it.

" Tell me again one time why the hell we�re here." He sipped at the JD in the flask and savoured it�s burn.

" For a start Giles is worried about his friend not answering his calls any more." She said with a patient smile. " And second Willow made those big eyes at you again."

He snorted and grinned " She�s got nothing on you."

His arms slid around her waist and she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. " Charmer." She giggled.

He moved to the trunk of the car and unlocked it, then the combination lock on what looked like a guitar flight case, only a tad bigger. His leather sheathed fingers curled around the double-handed grip of a four-foot blade. At the base of the weapon was a large drum, like that found on a revolver, it�s barrel forming part of the runnel on one side of the weapon. After admiring the carved blade in the light he sheathed it at his back in a pouch tailored into the rear of his duster.

" Do you really think that cannon is necessary?" She sighed in mock weariness. " It�s not like you aren�t carrying enough blades already to start your own skinning factory.

" I just like to be prepared."

Actually, she felt better knowing that he was nearby with his odd powers and small arsenal, just in case things got hairy.

He offered her his arm. " Shall we?"

She slid her arm around his and they made their way through the wrought iron gates like a couple on an evening stroll.

" This doesn�t seem like the Uni I went to." He mused, " Where�s the drunken parties and clouds of marijuana smoke?"

" More to the point where are the students?"

" You think Ghost Face got �em?" He was loving this, all the tension and mystery.

" That guy from the Wu Tang Clan?"

" Not Ghostface Killah." He chuckled. " Ghost Face. The slasher from Scream?"

" Oh, right. No."

" Honestly, Soul, that was a gimme."

" Shut it."

He did. They walked on for a few more yards, until Soul spotted the warden�s office, the door still ajar. A familiar scent wafted to her on the balmy night air, one that set her mouth watering.

" You smell that?" She asked her partner, pulling him up short.

He closed his eyes and took a sniff at the air. " Smells like�."

" Blood, Stryx" Soul finished. " It�s blood."

Both of them felt their features change at the aroma, their eyesight becoming more acute, as did their other senses. He let her arm go and the slowly advanced on the office. Behind her she heard the familiar hissing rasp of Stryx drawing his gunblade. She ran through a few quick spells in her own head, just to be doubly safe.

What was left of the warden wasn�t much, most of him was spread up the walls, over the floor and some bits over the ceiling. As she tried to take in the brutality of the scene, Stryx crouched beside a smear of blood. He removed one of his gloves and ran fingertips in the crimson stain. Bringing it to his face he sniffed it and then touched the tip of his tongue to it.

" Soul?" She turned to look at him, a questioning look on her face. " This isn�t more than a few hours old."

" What the hell happened here? Where�s everyone else?"

" We could find out. But I�ll tell you one thing, this isn�t like any frat party trick I�ve ever seen."

TO BE CONTINUED�����.