False Bravado
For all the things Logan took into account when he first opened Thoth's Library, there was one thing he forgot: a good health insurance plan for people who owned their own business. He hadn't really thought of it at the time, since he was healthy and not taking any medication, but since he was paying for a prescription of paid medication for his arm, the former Watcher was starting to realize having a plan for himself -- not to mention those who worked for him -- would be a good idea.

Then again, how would health insurance work for Avery? Would it? It wasn't like Avery needed to see a doctor, on account of already being dead, but something told Logan that if word got out he offered health insurance to Purity and not Avery, some workers' rights group or even the government would be on his ass.

Surprisingly mundane thoughts, considering the kind of business he ran, and the fact that one of his employees was a vampire. Even if he had insurance, though, would the company accept Logan's claim of "wound by disfigured mutant?"

Inquiring minds wanted to know-- especially since his prescription was due for a refill the next day. Even though he didn't remember the hours of the pharmacy down at the local Wal-Mart, he figured a quick trip to see if they were still open couldn't hurt. If they were, he could get the thing refilled tonight. If not, he'd simply go back when he went to lunch the next day.

The former Watcher winced as he put on his jacket, the motion causing a jolt of pain through his right arm. The pills did their job, but certain motions were going to hurt no matter how drugged up Logan was. Hopefully, the doctor would take him off the pills before too much longer.

It was easy, almost too easy, to track down the fool. After all, half of the fun was in the hunt. Without the hunt, it was just a matter of trapping a scared animal. And while that part had its own moments of sublime entertainment, Diego needed the rush of chasing a particularly formidable adversary. Of course, not too formidable. He had found the residence of one Mr. Logan Guevera through fairly mundane means -- the former Watcher had forgotten to request to be unlisted. He was able to enter the public foyer of the apartment building and scroll through a call box. L. Guevera was indeed a resident.

The vampire hadn't set his plan in motion the first night he had discovered this. No, he had been a nightly visitor for some days now, watching the man's nocturnal movements and schedule. Routine was the undoing of most humans, he had found.

He waited in the shadows behind a copse of decorative bushes. There was the urge for a cigarette, but he didn't want the smell to alert Logan to his presence.

Zipping up his coat the minute he left the warm confines of the building, Logan squinted into the teeth of the Chicago wind. That was one thing he'd liked about Denver; sure, it got really cold in January and February, but there was surprisingly little wind in the Mile High City. Logan figured being that high above sea level in the middle of the Rockies would've led to some gusty days, but such hadn't been the case.

Living in this massive metropolis next to a big old lake, though? Windy City, indeed.

Fishing for his car keys, the former Watcher found the endeavor nearly impossible with gloves covering his hands. He removed his left glove with his teeth, still clutching the garment as his bare -- and already freezing -- hand grabbed the keys and found the one he needed for his car. Unlocking the car -- manually by choice -- Logan paused by the door to put his glove back on, not eager to find out how long it would take for his fingers to turn blue.

He glanced at his surroundings as he slid his fingers into the glove, amazed at how quiet things seemed. If he were a paranoid man, he might've thought things were a little too quiet.

Diego was next to the car in seconds, preternatural speed on his side. One hand shot out and grabbed the handle of the car door before Logan could lock it. He noted the man's visible injury with a smirk. "Going for a ride, are we?" The vampire hadn't shifted his facial features yet; he wanted the man to recognize him, to recognize the face that, if he had done his job right, must have haunted Logan nightly.

Logan stepped back from the car with a start, so jolted by the sudden movement and appearance of a body next to his that the voice didn't immediately register. The Watcher took a second to gather his bearings, reaching down with his left arm to pick up the keys he'd dropped when he took his backward step, placing the keys back in his pocket after pressing the button to lock the doors once more.

He still preferred using the actual keys, but the button had its uses.

Standing and regaining his bearings, the former Watcher stood and met the being who'd intruded on his personal space with a stare. Once his eyes met the other's, though, the voice ran clear as day in Logan's head. That sneer, a look of amusement and disdain on pale face, long black coat that seemed all too fitting for this weather ... the former Watcher knew exactly who this was, and the growing pit in his stomach was all the proof Logan needed.

"Diego," he hissed, the name oddly foreign on his tongue. His left hand felt over all his pockets; naturally, no stake. Francis always warned him not carrying one every time he went out at night would get him in trouble eventually -- even now, Logan wondered if she was somewhere giving him one hell of an "I told you so."

"Still worshipping a hero, I see." False bravado. Impressive ... if not slightly stupid.

"Only a human could think in terms so petty as 'worship.' I'd call it being inspired. You have to admit, my methods were an innovation. Did you enjoy the show, I never got to ask ..." Diego slipped between Logan and the car, between Logan and his most viable means of escape. He could run, but he couldn't outrun a vampire. Of course he saw the scrambling search for a weapon and the look of futility on the human's face when he realized there was none to be found.

"Unarmed and injured. Not very smart for a Watcher, is it? But I heard tell you're no longer under employ. Terminated for incompetence, maybe? Failure to train a Slayer to survive a vampire attack?" His sneer grew as he continued, despite the fact that he was truly enjoying this exchange.

"If that was grounds for dismissal," the former Watcher snarled, "there'd be no Council."

And if Logan recalled, Francis wasn't killed because of his incompetence; even the smartest Watcher in the world couldn't have prevented her from going to that press conference. The wisest among the wise couldn't have talked her into being more stealthy, using caution where she only found adrenaline and thirst for the hunt. Francis was a capable and willing Slayer, and that willingness got her killed.

But how was it Logan felt as brave as he did in Diego's presence? The shock was gone, and the bookstore owner was no longer shaking with fear or dread. Diego would probably kill him, and he'd probably make it hurt. But that didn't bother the former Watcher, and in that instant, he found himself wondering why. Was he at peace with what happened? Was it because he liked where his life had taken him?

And if it was the latter, shouldn't Logan have been afraid of losing all of that?

"Let me guess," Logan mused. "You've offed the Slayer, now your mantle won't be complete unless the Watcher's head is on display, too?"

"You think yourself worthy of that? Like you'd be any kind of trophy." Diego snorted. "I doubt I'd be able to find a display big enough for your head." The vampire reached out and pulled Logan toward him by his injured arm. "If I killed you, I wouldn't even drain you. That's how little you mean to me. Though I suppose there would be a crude sort of fun in that, that isn't why I'm here." He released the former Watcher's arm, content to watch him squirm in lingering pain.

"What I wonder is, how much of your life could I destroy?"

"Awful big question for someone you think so little of," Logan retorted, wincing when the vampire grabbed his arm. He made no sound of pain, though, because the former Watcher wasn't about to give Diego that sort of satisfaction. If Diego had approached him seven, eight months ago, then maybe the bookstore owner wouldn't have been so bold; truth was, Logan was terrified.

Still, now that Logan had a life again, he wouldn't wither away while some ... monster threatened to take it all away. Far braver than he ever was as Francis' Watcher, Logan grinned to himself, knowing she would've been proud of the stones he apparently grew since her death.

"Why are you here?" he asked. "If you're looking for another Slayer to kill, you're barking up the wrong tree."

Turning down Juliet's offer to become her Watcher -- however unofficial -- was really starting to look like a good idea, even if it made the teenager upset at the time.

"What about that little blonde thing I see you with around that pathetic store of yours? The Yellow Pages just isn't your friend, is it?" Diego frowned slightly; perhaps he hadn't made as big of an impression on Logan as he had hoped. Well, he'd just have to change that then, wouldn't he? "Is she a Slayer? I bet not. I bet she wouldn't be able to defend herself if I sank my fangs into her. And you wouldn't be able to do a thing. Oh, maybe you could throw a book at me."

The vampire began circling around the man, predatory machinations in full swing.

The poorly-veiled threat at Izzy pissed off the former Watcher, but he wasn't about to let Diego see that. Logan nearly crossed his arms over his chest, but the motion would've tugged on the still-healing wound on his arm, which would've hurt. Instead, Logan stuffed his hands into his pockets, his eyes following the creature circling him as much as they could. There was revulsion and contempt on the bookstore owner's face, but inside he was glad he hadn't let Diego win.

Diego could kill all the Slayers in the world -- and even kill Logan himself -- but the vampire would never win.

"You'd be surprised," he mused with a calm that surprised even him. "You're not in some little mountain town anymore where no one really gives a shit. You're not the subtlest of vampires, Diego, and around here that's a good way to draw unwanted attention to yourself." The former Watcher allowed a small grin to play across his clean-shaven features.

"See, I always liked your tough guy act. Acting like you're the Big Bad -- trying to be like your idol before he went and got his soul." With a roll of his eyes, Logan smirked. "Oh, I killed four Slayers, I'm the shit! Sorry, man, but one only really counts, cause you picked off the other three without any Watchers or formal training or anything. They probably didn't even know they were Slayers. But here? I can think of three right off the top of my head who could dust your sorry ass with their eyes closed and have your ashes for breakfast.

"Must kill you, huh? Knowing you took away the best thing I had going, only to find out it didn't destroy me." Logan's gaze narrowed a bit as he scratched under his chin. "Little tip? If you have to go out of your way to prove how big and bad you are, you're really not."

"Then you really must not have cared for her. Not a surprise. You are quite selfish, aren't you?" Inwardly, Diego's temper was flaring. If Logan would not relent, he'd have to make him. Maybe not that night, but he would. The vampire could leave the former Watcher with a token, a newly broken arm, maybe, but something held him back. It was really about the big finish.

He leaned in, his words sharp and crisp on the night air. "You think you're strong, but you know what it really is? Things don't impact you very much. Not Francis, because you only had two uses for her. She was expendable, you set her up as such. All Slayers are expendable to you, aren't they? That's how you were trained. But I'll find what matters to you the most, although I believe I already have: you."

With a rustling of leather, Diego turned and was gone.

It was just as well Diego left, because Logan would've socked the vampire across the face if he hadn't. Smart? Probably not, but logic flew out the window the moment that monster brought into question how the former Watcher felt about his fallen Slayer. If he had the means, Logan would probably torture the vampire, take his time to inflict as much pain as possible before granting final death after hours and hours of begging. Diego was already dead, so there'd be no guilt.

Alas, Logan was just human. A fact he was reminded of yet again as he finally slid into the driver's seat of his car, heaving a sigh and rubbing his right bicep. It throbbed a little from being grabbed minutes earlier, and Logan caught sight of himself in the rear-view mirror. The former Watcher was pale, and he could feel his hands shaking. Three deep breaths stopped the shaking, but Logan was still on-edge, his eyes darting around the parking lot.

Just in case Diego decided on a return trip. No, he'd made his appearance for the night. It was par for the course for the vapmire: show up with a spooky bit, then make with the actual violence in later visits. Logan started the car after several minutes, staring at the cell phone sitting in the cup holder. Should he call Izzy? Burden her with this unwanted blast from the past? Logan couldn't decide.

As the car drove onto the street, the former Watcher decided to sleep on it. He hoped to be of clearer mind the next day, better able to make decisions of this magnitude. Then again, he was fortunate to still be alive to make any decisions.


[NPC Diego was written by Jessica.]