Linda Moore was a girl who like to think of herself as smart. She was a capable young woman, who was perfectly happy and able to take care of herself. Though not physically large in the least, she was more than able to command the room when she wanted to, self-confident to the max. However, even she could admit that fighting with her boyfriend and breaking up with him, fiercely enough she’d gotten out of the car to walk, through the bad side of town, dressed to the nines for a party and in heels, may not have been the best decision she’d ever made. Especially when she found herself grabbed by four men.

“Let me go!” she cried, trying to dig her pointed heels into the man holding her arms back and fighting down her panic.

“Got her purse!” one of them cawed, wrestling it away.

“No! Give it back!” Even worse than her wallet gone, her phone was in there. The situation was getting worse by the second.

“Good.” WHAM! A blow was struck to the side of her head, making the world spin. “Hold her down, no sense in letting a young girl like that going to waste.” Blearily, she tried to struggle, but one of the men grabbed her throat and grinned.

Kevin had just been enjoying his night on the town. Literally. His newfound super strength and boundless energy allowed him to hop from roof to roof, like he’d seen in countless comics and cartoons. Of course, being in the suburbs meant the roofs weren’t that high in the first place, and crossing the whole street in one go was too hard at the moment. Every time he left a block, he had to scramble down and up the sides of buildings. Fortunately, now that he was getting into the city proper the buildings were getting higher and the gaps narrower. He’d just been passing by, enjoying the feel of the air and moon on his skin, when he’d happened to see the occurrence in the alley.

“Crap! Oh crap!” He felt in his pocket for his phone to call the cops, but cursed as he remembered he’d left it on his bed. “Crap!” One of them had hit her, and once they’d gotten her purse they hadn’t gone away. He looked around; there wasn’t anyone else close. Kevin realized it was up to him. If he didn’t do something, that poor woman...

The moon shone bright as he looked into the sky, then back down at the scene before him. As Kevin contemplated his choices, he found he really had no choice at all.

“Damn it!” he cursed quietly, then crawled down the side of the building, his fingers strong enough to hold or make cracks to cling from. He dropped quietly to the ground.

“H-H-Hold it! L-Let her g-go!” he said, wincing at the stutter and the squeaking. Why, he lamented, why did his breath hitch in his chest so? Why did his legs tremble, his body feel like it was full of lead? No matter how he was feeling though, the four turned their attention to him. A moment of silence hung in the air.

“Make sure he won’t talk.” one of them said, and the other three got up and approached threateningly. Kevin took a step back, shaking. The men sneered and chuckled.

“Some hero.” one said. “Shaking like a leaf.”

“Just walk away and forget this. It’s for your own good.” another warned. Kevin looked at them, then glanced at the woman. Not trusting his voice, he shook his head.

“Your funeral.” he shrugged, and swung at Kevin’s face with his full might. The vampire flinched and closed his eyes.

Bap. Bap-bap, b-bap.

Kevin opened them. Each one of them was pounding on him as hard as they could, fists clumsily slugging into his face and body. Kevin blinked. They felt like toddlers trying to punch him. He straightened up.

“That won’t work.” he said, half in awe, with growing confidence. He was a vampire. He was strong.

“Lousy little-!” One of them swung a metal pipe at his head, hard enough to dent it.

“Ow!” Kevin cried and rubbed his forehead irritably. It felt like he’d opened a door on his face. “Hey, that hurt you know. That’s dangerous.” They gaped at him. The one with the pipe looked at Kevin, at the pipe, then back at the teenager. He dropped it and ran, the other two joining him. “Oh no you don’t!” Moving more rapidly than he’d ever done before, Kevin grabbed their coats, lifted them up, and smacked them into each other. They stopped struggling, dazed. Kevin saw the one still trying to run, shrugged, and hurled the ammo in his hands at him. All three were tangled and collapsed in a heap, groaning and unmoving. He turned to the fourth and stepped forward.

“S-Stay away!” the man said, now trying to tunnel through the brick wall at his back with his shoulder blades.

“Like you stayed away from her?” he growled quietly. The woman on the ground seemed to be alright, recovering enough to sit up and watch in amazement.

“I-I mean it!” The man reached behind him, pulled out a pistol and fired.

Kevin’s eyes went wide as the bullet went past him. Not just because someone just pulled a gun on him, but because he could see the bullet as it sailed through the air. His nostrils flared as he saw the man’s hands twitch, and skidded out of the way before the next shot hit true.

“Aaaaaaggghhh!” Linda shrieked as the bullet ricocheted off the ground and nearly grazed her. Kevin turned back to the man, eyes narrowed.

“That’s it!” This one was too dangerous to simply let go. Moving almost as a blur, he was suddenly in front of the terrified man, pulling the gun away and crushing it in his hand like a can of soda. He glanced back at Linda. “You should get out of here.” he said. She nodded, gaping at him, then scrambled to her feet and ran, scooping up her purse on the way. “Now-” Kevin turned back to the man in front of him, but felt a hit in his stomach. He looked down to see a knife impaled in his torso, red and wet in the grinning man’s hands.

“Now how ‘bout that! You freak…of…” The man’s triumphant cawing and face both faded away as Kevin looked up at him, face twisted with fury. His eyes were burning red. “What…what are you…” The man started to slide away, but was seized by Kevin in an iron grip.

“You bastard! What is wrong with you?” he growled, voice much lower than anything he’d managed before. The thug whimpered in terror. Kevin’s nostrils flared; the smell of blood was driving him crazy, his guts were on fire, and his teeth sent sharp pangs through his mouth. He felt his gums loosen and his fangs slide down into place. His throat dry, stomach rumbling, he could only focus on the pulsating veins before him, filled with hot, mouth-watering life.

“You made me bleed. It’s time to replace what you took.” he hissed, a maniacal light in his eye. He bent the man’s head back and sank his fangs into his throat.

Rich, warm, coppery heaven filled his mouth. Kevin sighed and drank deeply; if it tasted this good, if it felt this wonderful going down his throat, then no wonder that the woman drained him last night! It was too good to resist. More, he needed more! After he was done with this one, he would drain the other three, leaving nothing. He gulped down another mouthful as the man weakly moaned.

Ahh! The taste! The smell! The feeling of biting down! Fantastic! There was no way Kevin could be satisfied with just one! His exertions had worked up an appetite, and he intended to gorge himself tonight. After he was done draining them, if he was still hungry (he doubted he would get his fill by that point) he would go hunt down that woman who ran earlier. It shouldn’t be too difficult, she was on foot, her senses in the dark weren’t nearly as good as his, and she still had that mark on her face from when she was struck…

Kevin blinked, slowly pulling his head away from the gasping man. What was he doing!?

“Get a grip, c’mon, get a grip.” he muttered, shaking his head. That woman…he’d done this to save her, not hunt her down like a dog! He’d tried to save her…what would a real superhero have done? All his life, he’d looked up to the superheroes famed far and wide for years. What would Spider-Man say if he saw this, or Batman, or Superman or Flash or Iron Fist? No, he had to stop. He felt his fangs with his tongue, hard and sharp, covered in delicious ichor. “Urrrgh. C’mon.” He’d nearly been overwhelmed by his instincts. Even now, the desire to bite down again was thrumming in his body. Kevin looked down at the man in his arms. “H-Hey, are you okay?”

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“Ugh…weak…” the man said softly.

“Uh, yeah. B-But, are you gonna be alright? Can you stand?” The man nodded, and Kevin set him on his feet. The man just stood there, swaying and staring at him. “You, uh, okay?”

“’M okay.” the man said dully. Kevin’s mind flashed back to what he’d read of Dracula this afternoon. He sucked in a breath. He regarded the man, and the ones in a heap behind him.

“Vampire bites can influence the victim…okay. Listen to me very carefully. I want you to go to the police and confess everything you’ve done tonight. Tell them everything they want to know. Oh! And forget everything about me. I wasn’t here.” Kevin said, in a flash of insight.

“Yes. I will.” the man nodded and stumbled off, soon lost in the dark, but Kevin could still hear his footsteps, heading towards the police station.

“Whew.” Kevin wiped his forehead in relief and climbed up the building again, leaping away under the moon. He saw Linda as he passed by, frantically speaking into her phone, freaked out but otherwise fine. He smiled a toothy grin as he saw her, happy to know she was alright. He’d done it. Despite that little surprise when he’d first tasted blood, he’d upheld the ideals that his favorite heroes stood for. He’d saved her. He’d made a difference. It felt good. Kevin looked up into the moon, then down at his hands. It wasn’t quite what he’d imagined, but a freak occurrence gave him powers and abilities far beyond mortal man. The thugs he’d faced down were nothing, and his stab wound had already healed. Kevin took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Of course, he was going to find the vampire who’d done this, see if it could be reversed. But until then…Kevin nodded solemnly.

There was only one thing to do.

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Scott hummed a tune as he uncovered the wheelbarrow, holding his breath to guard against the smell. He looked over his prize from the previous night's work.

"Hmm. Not as good as I first thought." he muttered. In the light of his office in the warehouse, a small enclosure with plaster cubicle walls, he could see the extent of the rot that he couldn't last night in the dark. A bug crawled over the dog's exposed rib. "Ahh well." He snapped the gloves on his hands. He didn't intend on touching it himself, but always best to be prepared. He used to have to pick up and manipulate the corpses manually, but those days were over. He snapped his fingers, and from the locker in the corner emerged Bones, a zombie that was nothing more than a skeleton now. Not quite as strong or useful as a regular zombie, Bones was the only undead to survive intact after an encounter with a daemon on Halloween, so Scott decided to keep him, for luck.

"Bones, lift this corpse up." The skeleton mindlessly obeyed, and Scott examined it from all angles. "Well, it's not as good as I first thought, but everything I really need's intact. Damn though, I wish there were more to him." he huffed in frustration. There were way less animals than humans in the cemetery. Few could afford to bury them in an actual pet cemetery, opting to just bury deceased pets in the backyard. "Don't they realize what a waste of good raw materials that is?" Scott lamented.

Bike tires screeched to a halt outside, followed by someone pounding on the door. Scott sighed.

"Always when I'm trying to work. Bones, answer it please." he said, removing the gloves and washing his hands. The skeleton nodded and clanked over to the door, slowly pulling it open.

"Thank goodness you're here, there's something that YAAAAAHHHHHH!" Amber screamed and jumped back. "Scott! I hate it when you do that!" His head peeked around a corner.

"Oh, Amber. Didn't expect you. Nice to see you, though after the last few times I would have thought you'd be used to him by now."

"It doesn't matter, it's still creepy to have a skeleton open the door, don't do it! Especially when he's holding a...oh my god!" A putrefied organ plopped to the ground, and Amber turned green. Scott grinned.

"The unfortunate animal you see before you is slated to be part of the next big project I'm working on. Please, show some respect to the dead." he said, mock-reproachingly. Amber glowered at him, then pushed her way inside, careful not to touch the corpse.

"Ugh. Never mind that now. We've got bigger problems. Look." She held up the newspaper she'd gotten from her dad. The headline was, 'Mysterious Vigilante Hospitalizes Gang, Saves Innocent Woman!' Scott raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" He took the paper and began to read. Apparently, there had been a mugging last night in the rough part of town. That alone wouldn't have been newsworthy, but the manner of how it'd been foiled was. "Hmm...'Linda Moore, 21, states that he dropped down from a building and though appeared nervous, he was resolute in defending her. He possessed almost unnatural strength, effortlessly tossing aside her assailants and seemed impervious to physical attack. The only thing that seemed to faze him was a gun an assailant, Jordan Wheeler, pulled out, but was dispatched as handily as the others. Said assaulter was found an hour later, anemic, walking into a police station to confess his crime. The vigilante seems to have injected him with an unknown substance that made him exceptionally pliable to suggestion.

‘Though this mysterious man’s actions can be lauded, it is not up for debate that private citizens that take the law into their own hands are acting against it. Furthermore, authorities are concerned regarding the chemical Mr. Wheeler was exposed to. Even if it was for a good cause, the actions taken by a person who uses such methods is cause for concern. Opinion on page 11.’” he finished. He carefully folded the paper and placed it gently on the table. He took a nice, deep, calming breath. “WHAT!?”

“And, here’s the thing,” Amber said, fidgeting nervously. “A little while ago I got a call from Pete, the coroner. Remember, Detective Cross’s friend? Nobody died, the guy’s still in the hospital, but he heard the guy who came in to confess had two puncture holes in his neck. The official story is that the vigilante used some new type of syringe to put drugs in his system. But honestly, guy comes in anemic with two holes in his neck?”

“Well, it’s obviously a vampire.” Scott said dismissively. “That is…not good. Not good at all.” He began pacing in the cubicle. “Vampires are the ultimate undead. Strength, speed, regeneration, superior senses, all are just the starting point. The older a vampire, the more blood they consume, the more they gain control of supernatural abilities. Even with their preternatural weaknesses, an experienced, determined vampire is practically unstoppable.” He stopped pacing and rubbed his head. “Do you want to know what the worst part is, Amber?”

“W-What?” she asked with trepidation.

“They’re fully willed undead, powered by necrotic energy. My go-to spells can’t affect them, I would only make them stronger.”

“What!” she yelped. “But…but you’re a necromancer! Doesn’t this fall under your purview? Can’t you, like, put a whammy on them if you want?” she asked nervously, hoping. Sighing reluctantly, Scott shook his head.

“If only. Necromancers control undead, true, but that’s only because we provide the necrotic energy. Vampires-let me see…” He pulled out the Necronomicon and flipped through the pages, scanning. “Yeah. Vampires take in the best conduit of life energy, blood. Their bodies extract and convert it into necrotic energy. And since they take in life energy to convert, they’re considered the closest undead to being alive.”

“Ahh, I see. Wait, what about me? What about ghouls?” Amber said, brow furrowed. Scott nodded.

“Ghouls area special case. They’re technically alive, so are considered the closest beings to undeath.” Scott regarded the paper again, ruminating. “But, this is interesting. This vampire didn’t drain and kill the people who attacked him. It’s my understanding that that’s standard procedure for them, leave no witnesses. And this guy only drained one, then commanded him to go to the police. If I had to guess, this one was recently turned and hasn’t learned how a vampire should work yet, or he’s broadcasting a signal to something else.”

“Assuming you’re right about all this, of course.” Amber said. He raised his eyebrow.

“Please, Amber. Of course I’m right.” Scott tapped his chin, thinking it over, but there was really only one thing to do. “We have to find him. A vampire running around loose invites all kinds of trouble. We have to get to him, see what can be done.” He stared at the paper again. “He doesn’t seem like a bad guy,” Scott said carefully. “But we have to determine if he’s a threat. If a vampire can’t reign in its’ instincts, the bloodlust will cause a bloodbath.”

“And if he, y’know, does go nuts?” Amber asked, starting to tremble.

“That’s where you come in. You’ll have to beat some sense into him.” Scott said lightly. Amber blanched.

“What? B-But you said vampires were basically unstoppable! You want me to fight him!?”

“Believe me, I’d rather take care of it myself if I could.” he groused. “But my options are limited here. I guess I could always summon an archdaemon again-”

“NO! No, that’s not happening.” she ordered, shivering at the memory. Scott shrugged.

“Alright then. Glad to have you aboard. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t even be considering this if you weren’t up to it. I don’t like it, but you’re our ace in the hole. You’re a physical match for him, and if you don’t the people of this town will be drained dry.” Amber opened her mouth to argue, thought about it, and then huffed in frustration.

“Fine. I’m in. So what’s our first step? How are we gonna find him?” she said. Scott grinned.

“Oh, that’s easy.” He picked up the paper, his eyes glowing faintly green. “Vampires usually kill, so there’s no witnesses. We’re gonna exploit his mistake.”

“Oh yeah, not killing a helpless girl. That’s a real failing.” Amber deadpanned.

“It’s a tactical failure, not a moral one! Just get ready to go.” Scott huffed, shaking his head.