Madrid, Spain, 1994

Chapter One

"Reassignment"


The city didn't excite India, not in the least. The cab took her past the Ciebeles fountain, but she would rather be watching the bamboo orchestra back in Japan. At 16, she was a very cultured girl, her father was a marine and her mother was a famous Asian actress named Odette Cohen. She hadn't seen or heard from her mother since Christmas, then the day after she took off to the Philippines to shoot a love story. The bright side, she didn't have to put up with her parents constant bickering and she got the opportunity to get close to her father. She just leaned against the window and watched the people outside pass her by.

"Six months, remember, only six months..." she kept saying to herself. She breathed a sigh of relief when the pulled up to the Ritz Madrid. The cabby took her knapsack and suitcase from the trunk and gave them to her. She urged her dad to hurry, but he was too busy trying to figure out how many pesetas to pay the cabby.

"Aw hell, I'll go check in myself." she walked inside and proceeded to the counter. The clerk was waiting for her to speak, she dug through her duffel and found a Spanish/English dictionary she bought at the airport, the first thing she bought after spending twenty minutes in the customs line, she figured if the Spanish were gonna irritate her, she would want to know what to call them.

"Reservation for Mitch Cohen." she said in choppy Spanish, but luckily, the clerk was able to understand her. He handed her a room key with a number on it.

"Gracias." she said and then proceeded to the elevator.

***

She laid on her bed and stared at the picture of her and Kit in Tokyo, when she went up against the legendary Lord Asano, and won. You see, India is the vampire slayer, the one girl in the entire world chosen to fight the forces of darkness. And Kit, is her watcher; his real named in Christopher Bothwell but she calls him Kit. She hasn't heard much from him since he was called away to England for a watcher's conference with Mr. Travers. But she knew that he was going to meet her in Madrid. India heard a knock on the door and put the photo in the bedside table drawer and then got up and answered the door; it was her father.


"Hey sweetie, oh nice room." he said as he took a look around.

"Yea it's real awesome." she said then sat back down on the bed. She picked up her walkman and began putting her headphones on.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you," India heard this and took her headphones off and set her walkman aside. "Listen, India I know the reassignment hasn't been all that great for you, right? But could you at least try to make the best of it? For me?" he asked.

"Sure, why not, I mean it's not like it'll be forever right?" she said.

"Right." he said and gave her a hug.

"So, what does a 16 year old girl do when she's all alone in Spain?" he asked India.

"Well I am going to check out some of the local clubs, and I know dad 'no drinking'". she said.

"Okay, I guess I can trust you, have fun and I will see you in the morning." he said and headed towards the door.

"Wait, dad what are you going to do?"

"Oh I have to head down to the base and get familiar with the place, won't be back 'til late, so uh go ahead and order a pizza or something." he said and headed out the door. India got up from the bed and unzipped her backpack. She withdrew six sharp stakes, a crucifix, a vile of holy water and a hunting knife. Kit told her to never go anywhere unprepared; and she didn't plan to.

***

India walked down the street and heard upbeat music nearby and headed toward that direction. She kept her hands in her pocket, with a slight hold on the stake she had with her. Though she had never even conceived of vampires anywhere but beyond the boundaries of Japan, she wasn't going to take any chances. She wore a simple red party top with a pair of black jeans. She came upon this retro 80's club, and it must have been a big hit because there was a large crowd outside. She waited for about 15 minutes before she came to the bouncer, he was very muscular and had a goatee.

"Dos pesetas, por favor." he said, she handed him the money and went inside.

The club was happening, strobe lights flickered which and the people danced the night away to retro 80's music. India had never seen an establishment like this in her life. She found some Americans in the mix, but was lost in a crowd of Spanish partiers. She managed to find the bar and a free stool. She got the attention of a blonde bartender who was around 20, and was definitely pretty.

"Coca-Cola, por favor." said India.

"Si, senorita, una momenta." said the bartender.

India sat and watched the other patrons walk about and have fun on the dance floor, her eye caught the sight of a young man who resembled Kit. He seemed to be quite the ladies man, he had at least 4 girls on each side of him. They went into the private room and this gave India a bad feeling.

"This gives me a bad feeling." she said. She didn't wait for her coke to arrive so she headed toward the back room. She held the cross she wore as she strode with the power of the slayer brimming inside of her. The music was loud enough that nobody heard her knock out the guard in front of the door. She opened the door and saw the man and one of the girls couple-feasting on one of the women.


"Hi, is this a private party or can I come?" India asked. The man hissed and charged at her. With only a moment to spare, she grabbed a chair and hit the man over the head with it, knocking him senseless.

"Ronaldo!" the woman shouted.


"No my name is India, and I am the vampire slayer." India leaped into the air and shoved her stake through the woman's chest, and she turned into a fine grey ash.

"Marissa!" the man shouted, still concussed.

"No. Like I told your dead girlfriend, the name is India." India said. The slayer produced another stake, but the vampire's rage was too strong and he charged into the girl, and she landed on the table. She was struggling to keep him far enough away so she could punch him, but he was too strong. He was closing in on her neck, and she squeezed her eyes closed, and the next thing she knew, the vampire was dust on her clothes. She opened her eyes, and saw Kit standing above her with a stake held out in front of him.

"Kit! Oh my God! What are you doing here? When did you get bac-" her joy was shortened when she saw six men and women standing at the door.

"Who the hell are they?" she asked her watcher. Her watcher had no time to respond, when one of the man, older than some of them stepped forward and extended a hand.

"Pardon my manners Ms. Cohen, but my name is Mr. Quentin Travers, head of the Watcher's Council and these are my associates." he waved a hand across the other five Brits.

"Why are you here? Am I in trouble?" she got worried.

"No, Ms. Cohen we are here to do a routine observation of your slaying, that's why we borrowed your watcher, to make plans." he said.

"Neat." she said.

"Oh I shall say my dear, we have much to talk about, so why don't we take a stroll, eh?"

India was speechless.