Highlander: Methos, The Runner

Night time finally fell on the streets of the large frightened city, the path of destruction washed over it like a fire burning out of control as the immortal woman carved a path threw it's streets by day and night in a relentless campaign . Yet over the last 40 hours an eerie silence fell over the city, the thick freezing snow had begun too melt away faster then before as it froze too the ground in a thick layer of treacherous black ice covered by snow falling off of roofs and brushed away by home and business owners.

Slowly the figure of a man appeared in the doorway of the old building abandoned many years ago by it's owners, yet now the residence of the two highly dangerous and deadly immortal women tearing up the city. His hand slowly reached out too grab the door handle as the all too familiar feeling of an immortal present washed over him like a hot flame that would burn everything in it's way, cautiously he made his way into the building with his deadly sword glinting in the remaining light, held ready for defence or attack as he silently yet swiftly covered the distance too the dark and shadow filled wall. He ran his left hand across the wall as a guide in the almost darkness before a calm and soft feminine voice whispered into his ear. 'You're too slow' While an intense pain past threw him he saw his own headless body fall away from him as the fatal blow of the sword was made, and finally after 4'500 years of hunting immortals the long darkness would envelop him for the last time.

From the darkness a young woman appeared as his body began to glow with a brilliant blue and white energy and lift off of the ground and explode in a brilliant flash and dazzling display of one of the most powerful quickenings yet recorded. The explosion threw the young immortal woman twenty feet threw the air as bolts of immortal energy ripped threw her like a chainsaw until finally all that was left was the young woman stood with blood pouring from her eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Gasping for breath she looked behind her and laughed slightly as the room lit up with small isolated fires.

"Clear!"

"No shit!" Called out a second voice.

"Wow! Have you ever seen that before…?"

"Never. You are lucky, but the next one is mine… or I'll take your head Angel!"

Slowly Angel turned and raised her blood drenched sword too the woman stood before her and smiled as she stepped closer and placed the blade too her throat, she barely moved nor changed her expression while the razor sharp blade slowly cut into her neck as she looked directly into Angel's eyes with no concern for her own well being.

"Do it Angel… because next time you raise a sword to me…"

In a flash she stepped back and spun around with such force the air in the old building turned dusty as Angel felt the blade rip from her hand and finally the cold hard steel slice threw her neck just enough too leave blood flowing from the cut, with shock she looked up at her companion and spoke quickly.

"You'll have too show me that"

"Go too hell, Allow me some secrets, now lets get you cleaned up… I have a feeling more will be on the way after the light show"

For hours they drove around town searching for the two immortals who had terrorised the city for days until they finally reached a large empty building, as they exited the car cold wind blew threw the both of them as Macleod pulled his long black coat around himself slowly they began too enter the building while Macleod's eyes began to search around the immediate area for the source of the present immortal he could feel nearby, it was a powerful and dark feeling, yet somehow familiar in a dangerous way. A shadow immerged from behind the building as they both looked on, slowly the figure walked towards them both and smiled.

"I thought I'd find you here Macleod. And I see you have brought a friend, you know I owe you for what you did Arthur"

"I did what I had to do sir, however we have more pressing matters to attend too. After which you and I will have words Methos"

"I look forward too it. Now, where are those two lovely young women?"

Slowly Macleod's eyes drifted to his companion as the voice coming from his old friend was different some how, darker in some ways it reminded him of an his old adversary Kronos. One of the more dark and twisted immortals he had faced over his long life.

"Are you okay Methos?" Said Macleod.

"I am fine, actually I have never felt better. Now where do we go?"

Slowly Arthur pointed the way into the building as the three entered carefully, dust and debris covered the floor as a large patch of blood remained in a corner near a wall with traces of blood splashed around the area and across the wall, scorch marks from fires and electrical discharges lined flowed in all directions that mirrored a powerful quickening.

"Looks like someone lost their head…"

From the distance a voice called out from the darkness as two women walked towards them with swords drawn, ready for battle. Light glinted off the two blades as the walked towards the three men stood in the centre of the room. Slowly the faces of the two women entered the light as Macleod and Methos drew their swords ready for battle, sighing out loud Arthur stepped forward and drew the large hunting pistol he had taken off Methos earlier and smiled as he stepped between the four immortals.

"Put down your weapons… You must come with us…"

His eyes widened as he looked at both of the women stood before him, one of the two he knew instantly yet the second he had not met before yet an air of familiarity washed over him as he looked into her eyes.

"This is a cliché isn't it? A Mexican stand off, but no Mexicans… Hmmm"

Slowly he walked around the two women with his eyes firmly fixed on Angel's companion.

"You I know. I never forget a beautiful women. But you…" Pointing at her with his pistol. "… I do not know, or do I?"

After walking around them, he stepped back in-between the four battle ready immortals as he continued.

"Ahh yes, of course I do. I owe you a great debt miss"

With a smile on his face he stepped back out of the way as the four immortals moved closer too each other. Excitement over took him as a two on two immortal battle has rarely been seen by anyone, and now he has a front row seat in what could be an epic battle. As a researcher with the Watchers it was something he was looking forward too seeing. Yet as a friend too some of the immortals, he was beginning to regret bringing them all together. He knew that at the least one of them would die today, yet at the most, three of them would. The question is, who would die and who would live?

Slowly and with one eye on Macleod, Methos moved towards his former student as Macleod stepped too his left and circled around the unknown immortal. His eyes where firmly fixed on his opponent's beauty while she circled too her right all the while her eyes fixed on his awaiting his first move.

Sword clashed as Methos and Angel began too fight, her speed and agility took him by surprise as she moved around him, taunting him with ever strike of her sword as she moved out of his reach every time. Anger swelled in the most ancient of the immortals as he began too move faster in attack and defence, sparks flew from the duelling swords as Methos leapt forward in a powerful attack that almost overwhelmed his opponent, quickly she gained ground against him as pushed her sword against his and stepped forward with a smile. His hot breath bathed her face as she reach up and kissed him quickly. Caught off guard he almost staggered backward as she brought her left knee up between his legs hard sending him staggering backward as she whipped her sword around mere inches from his throat. With a smile she gained further ground against him as she pressed in with a devastating attack as he attempted to push the pain to the back of his mind while defending himself.

Finally the sword of Hideo Koto expertly wielded by Duncan Macleod clashed with the sword of his mysterious opponent, her movement in defence and attack began too overwhelm him as he had the nagging feeling he knew her, over and over his mind raced too who she was and where he knew her from. The razor sharp curved Katana sliced threw the air with deadly intent and efficiency as a it slashed her jaw line slightly and blood flowed from the open wound, Macleod smiled as he stepped back for a moment too catch his breath and continue with his devastating attack on her. Finally she made one tiny mistake giving him his opening as he ripped the sword from her hand and sliced across her stomach and whipped his sword around for the final strike, as she fell too the floor his sword passed threw the air as his eyes opened wide as finally realisation hit him of who she was, spinning on his heels he raised his sword as it past over her head at a safe distance.

"Ohh my god…"

With a dark smile she picked up her sword quickly and pushed it threw his chest with powerful force, his worst nightmare was finally coming true as his sword fell from his finger tips while she ripped the blade from his chest and stood as he fell too his knees while blood flowed from his mouth. With a smile she looked down on him and raised her sword for the final strike, yet a powerful punch slammed against her jaw sending her too the floor as a hand reached out too Macleod and pulled him too his feet as a calm voice called out too him.

"I hate to do that, I do not like too hit a woman"

"Thank god you did"

With a laugh that emulated his old Clansman and teacher Arthur looked down at the woman before him and sighed slightly.

"I think I liked her better the other way…"

"You noticed that too?"

"Macleod, I never forget I beautiful woman… even one who has somehow changed her appearance. Looks like Methos is having fun"

The wound that would have killed a mortal man began too heal before his eyes as Arthur looked down at Macleod's stomach and spoke quickly.

"Does that hurt?"

"Like hell…"

"Good, at least you people can feel"

"Ha-ha" Replied Macleod quickly.

The battle between Methos and Angel continued as the two fought with a furious anger between the two, with each sword strike Methos looked more and more like Kronos, even his facial expression had changed to one of purest darkness as he fought her playfully. Finally and covered in sweat she finally fell to the floor by a powerful strike from his razor sharp blade as her head rolled ten feet too his left, his eyes burned with hate and fury as he looked down on her lifeless body and kicked it hard while energy flowed from the headless corpse in hit him hard with the quickening. His eyes burned with the purest white energy as a darkness surrounded him and was finally released from his body. Like a demon being expelled from an unsuspecting host it whipped threw the air and evaporated with a heavy growl as Macleod and Arthur looked on in shock, finally Methos stood panting for breath as he looked around in confusion and spoke.

"Mac? What the hell is going on?"

"What?" He said confused.

"I was in Miami, what the hell is going on… where am I?"

"Miami? What is the last thing you remember?"

Confused he stepped over the body of the fallen immortal, his body physically shaking as he stood before them.

"Umm… Like I said Miami. Jenna was sunbathing… and looking gorgeous by the way. The next thing I know a HUGE Samoan guy challenged her… that's it basically… Mac where the hell am I?"

With a smile and a sigh he picked up his sword and spoke softly too his confused friend.

"It's a long story Methos… very long"

Slowly his eyes drifted too the empty warehouse where the second immortal had fallen, yet no one was their, his eyes ran around the large room yet no sign of her, with a sigh he placed his arm around his friend shoulder and led him out of the building with Arthur at their side Methos spoke quickly.

"Who the hell is this guy?"

Two Months Later…

Methos had finally come to terms with what had happened over the past year, his mind was still a blank over what had happened. What ever dark energy had taken over him had now gone and by the grace of god would never return to any one, yet many questions still weighed on his mind. Why did the quickening of this Angel set him free? it was a question he could not answer. Perhaps it was some darkness that every immortal may face in their life time yet after over 5'000 years why now? And what happened too Jenna. Reports from the Watchers stated she was last seen in Tibet heading towards an old abandoned Buddhist temple. But now a new threat too the secret existence of the immortals had arisen, reports of a mortal man hunting immortals for some unknown reason. A man known as Noonien Singh.

Story By

GW Ryan.