Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 18:45:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: James Geckler <jmsotc1@yahoo.com>
Subject: Punisher 14

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction.  It has no intentions of
resembling any real persons dead or alive.  This is entirely from my
imagination, with a little help from already established sources.  This
story is based loosely on the comic book character "The Punisher" from
Marvel Comics.  Other characters may appear from Marvel comics as well as
DC Comics.

Punisher and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.

Blade and all related characters copyright Marvel Comics.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel copyright Joss Whedon, United Paramount
Network and Warner Bros. Respectively.

I have written another story on nifty entitled "Tales of a Real Dark
Knight".  It is in the Celebrity/Boy Bands section.  Batman may appear in
this story once or twice, as the Punisher may appear in "Tales of a Real
Dark Knight".  Any comments may be sent to jmsotc1@yahoo.com

Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter 14 Cover Blown

	Punisher smiled up at Lilandra, who just moments ago discovered him
in the mall office of the Friends of Humanity.  Punisher had stolen a
commando suit off of a commando he killed.  In the commando suit, he found
a security card, which enabled him to enter the offices and read the files
of the Friends of Humanity.  He discovered the leader of the group in
Columbus, Ohio, Reverend Lawrence Exeter, and where Reverend Exeter's
office was located.
	"It seems you have me at a disadvantage," Punisher replied.  "I
don't have a weapon drawn to make it fair."
	"This is plenty fair," Lilandra said.  "You would not hesitate to
kill me.  I on the other hand, do not want to kill you."
	"Why is that?"
	"Several reasons, really.  First off, if the Friends of Humanity
could convince you of the moral rightness of our work, you joining us would
be a possibility.  We would benefit to have you on our side."
	Lilandra moved over to Punisher.  "Secondly, you are a very
attractive and powerful man with a commanding presence.  I wouldn't mind
making you my second-in-command, and possibly more."  She pushed Punisher
in the wheeled chair away from the desk.  "I haven't met a man like you in
a long time."
	Lilandra straddled Punisher and sat in his lap.  Her gun arm snaked
around his neck, while her free hand moved down his chest and abs to
between his legs.  Feeling his rather large endowment, she smiled.  "You
would be perfect for me."
	Punisher smiled at her.  Putting his arms around her in a sensuous
move, he picked her up.  She wrapped her legs around his waist.  "There is
just one problem with that scenario," he said to her backing her up against
the wall.
	"What's that?" she replied with a laugh and a grin.
	"I don't do girls."
	Her face went from smiling to questioning.  Before she could react,
Punisher spun her around and slammed her on the desk.  She screamed out in
pain and then brought the gun to bear on Punisher.  He grabbed her hands
and forced the gun's aim away from him.
	"You bastard," she said.  "You don't realize what you are doing."
	"On the contrary, I know exactly what I'm doing.  You are a very
beautiful woman.  If I were straight, you may have tempted me.  Thank God
for my sexual orientation."
	Lilandra backhanded Punisher in the face. He jerked away and the
strength of his grip on her hand was weakened.  She took advantage of that
and pulled her hand free.  Then Lilandra kicked Punisher back against the
wall, took aim and fired.
	At the last possible second, Punisher ducked, the bullet missing
him by inches.  Lilandra sat up to take aim again.  Punisher spun and
kicked, connecting with her gun hand.  The impact of his booted foot on her
bare hand caused her to release her grip.  The gun flew out the doorway and
skittered to a stop on the floor.
	Lilandra followed the gun's path and then turned back to Punisher,
only to be met by a fist in the face.  She rolled off the desk and crashed
to the floor.  Punisher ran out the door and down the hall.  Lilandra
struggled to her feet but managed to do so quicker than most anyone else
would.  She stumbled out into the hall, picked up her gun, and pursued
Punisher.

	Dagger flipped forward and kicked the vampire in front of her in
the face.  The vampire clutched at its nose.  With a quick jab, the stake
was imbedded and the vampire was burning to ash.  Two vampires came running
at Dagger, one on each side.  As they closed in, Dagger dropped to her
knees and the vampires collided.  Dagger shoved the stakes into their
hearts slaying them.
	Two more vampires ran up and grabbed her arms.  A vampire came from
behind making a lip-smacking sound.  She struggled to free herself but the
vampires had firm grips on her.
	"This is going to be good," the vampire said as it tilted Dagger's
head to one side.  Dagger swung her head back hitting the vampire's nose,
feeling it break under the impact.  The vampire screamed in pain.
	Dagger kicked her legs out hoping the vampires holding her had
solid grips.  Thankfully they did.  She swung upside down, wrapped her legs
around the neck of the vampire with the broken nose and flipped forward,
bringing the vampire over her body.  She slammed it down onto the cement
roof and heard the snap of its neck.
	She dropped to one knee causing the vampire holding the same-side
arm to jerk downwards.  Dagger pulled forward and the vampire completely
lost its balance and fell to the roof, releasing its grip on her.  She
jabbed the silver stake into the vampire holding her other arm.  It
screamed in pain, although it did not die, as silver does not affect this
particular species of vampire.  The pain was enough, however, to cause it
to release its grip on her.  She brought the other hand down and staked the
vampire on the roof.  It screamed and turned to dust.  Then, Dagger staked
the wounded vampire, watching it turn to dust.  To make sure the vampire
with the broken neck wouldn't heal and come back, she staked it as well and
watched it burn to ash.  She smiled to herself with a job well done.

	Blade flipped over the charging vampire and landed on his feet.
The vampire turned and ran back at Blade.  Blade spun around at the last
minute and staked the vampire.  He spent no time watching it turn to ash as
several more vampires came at him carrying aluminum baseball bats and lead
pipes.  He smiled, reached back and drew his sword.  The vampires swung
their weapons attempting to hit his head or chest or legs.  He blocked them
easily.  With smooth movements, he would chop off a leg or an arm, causing
the vampires immense pain.
	When they attacked faster, Blade pulled out the holstered stake
shooter and used that to block their attacks.  One vampire brought its
weapon down toward his head.  Blade used the sword and the gun, placed them
in an "X" position and blocked the attack.  He then kicked the vampire in
the stomach and it flew across the small parking area and hit the car with
a thump, denting it.
	He swung his sword around without looking yet still knowing a
vampire was there.  The sword cut the vampire's head clean off and it
screamed as it turned to dust.  He thrust the sword in another vampire's
chest and it burnt up.
	Blade noticed a vampire trying to run away.  He shot a silver stake
into its back and it burned to ash.

	Ty and Davey sat at the table drinking club soda.  Davey was still
down about the way his friends treated him after they found out he was
seeing someone less than perfect physically.
	"It looks like tonight was a wasted night," Ty said.
	"Yeah," Davey muttered.
	"With one exception."
	"What's that?"
	"You found out those guys whom you thought were your friends really
aren't.  If they are going to diss you just because your boyfriend isn't
the kind of person they want you to date, then they were never your friends
to begin with."
	"Yeah," Davey said.
	The sound of glass shattering caught their attention, as well as
the attention of all the clubbers.  Everyone ran off the dance floor as a
vampire came crashing down to the floor.  A wooden stake came down and hit
the creature in the chest.  Everyone watched, amazed, as it turned to dust
before their eyes.
	"I guess tonight wasn't such a waste," Ty replied.  He stood up and
ran to the dance floor, looking up at Dagger.  "Do you need help?"
	"That would be fantastic!" she yelled down as a vampire tackled
her.
	Ty held his hands together, palms up, in front of his chest.
"Mutare," he said and was surrounded by a black cloud.  When it dissipated,
he was in full Cloak attire.
	"Ascendere", he said and he floated up through the skylight.
	Davey ran out the front door of club not wanting the others to know
that he was also Marvel Boy.  Smiling he said, "I always wanted to try
this."  He spun around and created a large flash of energy.  When the light
disappeared, he was wearing his Marvel Boy costume.  "Linda Carter, eat
your heart out."
	Marvel Boy turned and ran around the building toward the back.

	The wizard climbed the stairs to the concrete trapdoor and said,
"Moveo", commanding the Dumpster to move.  "That's funny," he said as he
listened and didn't hear the familiar sound of the wheels squeaking.
"Aperio", he said to the heavy concrete trapdoor and it opened up.
	Hearing the sounds of fighting, he ascended the stairs to find
Blade fighting off the vampires he summoned.  "Impossible," he declared.
	Blade turned and made eye contact with him.  "Are you responsible
for this?" Blade asked.
	"That is none of your business," the wizard stated.  "Ignis
globus".  A ball of fire formed in his hand and he threw it at Blade.
	"Irrigo", Cloak said from the roof and a ball of water hit the
fireball causing it to turn to steam.
	"What?" the wizard said turning and looking at the roof.  He turned
back to Blade, held out his hand and said, "Abjicio" while jerking his hand
to the side.  Blade lifted off the ground and was thrown in that direction.
The wizard ran to the car and climbed in.  "Ignition," he said and the car
started up.  With a screech of tires, the car drove off.
	Marvel Boy came around the corner and saw Blade land against the
wall.  "Blade," he exclaimed running over to him.  He knelt down to see if
Blade was okay.
	Blade shook it off.  "Come on," he said.  We've got a wizard to
catch."
	Cloak descended from the roof while Dagger jumped and landed on the
Dumpster safely.  The four ran around the building toward their vehicles,
Blade and Marvel Boy on the motorcycle and Cloak and Dagger in the car.
The vehicles' engines turned over and tore off down the road in pursuit of
the wizard's automobile.

	Punisher ran out of Lazarus department store and headed straight to
his Suburban.  As he climbed in, Lilandra came out of the department store
and open fire on the Punisher.  He started up the van and drove out of the
parking lot leaving Lilandra behind, but not for too long as she ran toward
the Bryce building, knowing the Punisher's intentions.
	Punisher did not have far to drive to get to the Bryce building.
His target for punishment was Reverend Exeter, and Punisher planned to mete
out that punishment tonight.  He would not have had a problem running to
the building as it was only a few blocks away, but his weapons and
equipment were in his Suburban and Punisher wanted them on hand when he met
the commandos guarding the good man of the cloth.
	The black Suburban turned the corner and drove toward the Bryce
building.  He stopped just outside the door, climbed in back and stripped
off his commando outfit. As soon as he was down to his black leather pants
and black sleeveless shirt, he pulled on his shoulder holster, loaded the
pistol and holstered it.  Strapping on several knives and his belt
containing several differing clips for several different guns, he climbed
out of the Suburban.  The last thing he pulled on was his leather jacket.
	"Time to go to work," he said to no one in particular.
	Taking a deep breath, he marched toward the front doors.  Once
there, he brought his foot hard against the lock, snapping it into pieces.
The glass in the doors shattered as well.  Security guards at the front
desk pulled their pistols out to defend their post, only to be shot down by
the Punisher's fully automatic Uzi.  He had no time to waste on these
secondary pawns.  His target was near and he would not be stopped.
	Punisher knelt down and grabbed the security card and ring of keys
off the security guard.  He wanted to be prepared just in case he had more
security barriers to contend with.  He approached the elevators and climbed
in, pressing number thirty-five; the floor Exeter's office was on.  As the
doors closed, his heart began beating a bit faster.
	"It felt good to be doing good in a wicked world," Punisher
thought.

	The wizard's car flew south on High Avenue until it reached the
Bryce Building where his employer would be found this time of night.  The
car screeched to a halt and the wizard climbed out and ran across the
street, passed the parked black Suburban, and up the stairs where he found
the doors broken.
	"This is lovely," he thought.
	The wizard heard the sound of a motorcycle and sports car heading
his way.  He turned and saw the lights coming.  Deciding it would be
prudent to head to higher ground, he ran inside toward the stairs.

	Exeter smiled to himself.  His work in Columbus was flourishing.
He had nothing to fear or worry about.  He was happy.  The majority of
people supported his "ethnic cleansing" of the city of the evil mutants.  A
plan had been put into motion to rid the city of the immoral homosexuals.
He was definitely on cloud nine.
	Closing up his brief case, which carried his most secret documents,
Exeter exited his office and headed for the elevator.  He was somewhat
surprised when he heard the ding of the elevator car arrival when he hadn't
pushed the button as of yet.  "Must be the cleaning staff," he thought.
	The stairwell door opened and the wizard ran out toward him.
"Trouble, Reverend Exeter."
	"What are you doing here?!  You are not to be seen with me! Why are
you here?"
	"I told you.  We have trouble.  Blade and his band discovered there
was more going on at the Axis than what appeared to be randomness.  They
have been following me."
	"And you led them right here.  That was so stupid."
	"Not as stupid as you, Reverend," a dark voice said from behind.
	Exeter turned around to find his self staring down the barrel of a
gun.  On the other end of the gun was the Punisher.  "Oh my God," he
whispered.
	"You better day your prayers, Exeter.  You are about to meet your
God."
	"[Hot]," the wizard said.
	Punisher's gun became instantly hot, unbearably hot, too hot to
hold.  He dropped the gun clutching at his burned skin.
	Exeter took advantage of the Punisher's pain and ran down the hall.
	The wizard chuckled at what he did to the Punisher.  Punisher swung
his burnt hand out and backhanded the wizard, knocking him to the floor.
He then turned, pulled out another gun and ran down the hall in pursuit of
Exeter.

	The black sports car and black motorcycle used by the city's heroes
pulled up to the Bryce Building and the heroes gathered on the sidewalk.
	"Isn't that Punisher's Suburban?" Marvel Boy asked.
	"Sure is," Dagger replied.
	"Then he's here now.  I wonder why?"
	"Maybe he's after the wizard," Cloak suggested.
	"I doubt it," Blade answered, "unless the wizard is somehow
involved with the Friends of Humanity."
	"We should go in after the wizard."
	"Shouldn't someone stay out here in case the wizard sneaks out?"
Dagger asked.
	Blade turned to Marvel Boy.  "You stay here.  Dagger and I will
take the stairs and elevator.  Cloak, you float up on the outside.  We
don't want him escaping either way."
	The three nodded to Blade.
	"Let's go," he said.  He and Dagger ran in the front door.
	"Ascendere," Cloak said and he floated up the side of the
skyscraper.
	Marvel Boy stood outside keeping his on the building, checking for
any movement on the inside or outside that could be the wizard, or any
other enemy for that matter.

	Lilandra peaked her head around the corner and saw three of the
four vampire hunters enter the building.  The boy was left outside,
probably to stand guard.  She decided in her self that she would have to
take him out one way or another to get inside.  She wished she had some of
her equipment with her.  It would be better to take him into custody and
try to cure him of his mutant ability.  But with as much trouble as he has
caused, killing him wasn't an issue for her either.
	Pulling out her gun, Lilandra ran quickly and quietly down the
block toward Marvel Boy and the Bryce Building.  She hid behind the black
sports car and watched Marvel Boy for a few moments.  Then she took aim
with her gun.  "Sorry, kid," she whispered and fired.  The bullet hit
Marvel Boy in the back and down he went.
	Not wasting time, Lilandra ran past the fallen boy and into the
building, heading straight for an office behind the receptionist's desk.

	The wizard pulled himself up off the floor and looked for the
direction the Punisher went.  The elevator rang out with the arrival of
another elevator car.  "Who could that be?" he wondered.
	The doors parted and out came Dagger.  She looked around the
corridor and saw the wizard standing and smiling at her.  A ball of green
energy floated just above his hand.
	"Hello.  Long time no see," he replied before he hurled the energy
at her.
	Dagger dove into a nearby office door as the energy ball whizzed
past.  The wizard came to the doorway to throw another one but was met by
several of Dagger's energy daggers.  He jumped out of the way as they flew
through the door opening.
	The wizard formed another energy ball and threw it at the door,
hoping it would do some kind of damager to her, directly or indirectly.
"God, I hope that got her."
	Dagger watched as part of the doorframe exploded with the impact of
the energy bolt.  "Perfect," she thought.  "I've found the wizard but he's
pinned me down so I can't go after him.
	The window behind her exploded and she turned with several daggers
readied.  However, she caused them to disappear as Cloak climbed in through
the window.
	"What's up?" he asked.
	"The wizard is out in the hallway.  He trapped me in here.  And now
you are trapped in here, too.  What do we do?"
	"Let me think," Cloak thought.

To Be Continued...

Marvel Boy shot!  Cloak and Dagger trapped!  Blade is somewhere in the
building and the Punisher is hunting down Reverend Exeter!  What more could
happen?!  Find out in the next chapter!