Blade panted in his safehouse, his body a lattice of cuts, like a squid sliced by a master chef.
He couldn't fathom it—a vampire this strong.
That mocha-caramel-skinned vampire was unlike any he'd faced. Physically overwhelming, their fighting style pushed him to the brink.
It reminded him of the Midnight Vampire.
Blade, born Eric Brooks, was half-human, half-vampire, his mother bitten while pregnant. His vampire blood heightened his senses, fueling his hunt. But this time, he'd faltered.
He considered contacting his old comrade. He'd heard whispers of Hydra from vampires, but before he could share, that vampire attacked. Blade left wounds, but his were worse.
"Yang Valentine," Blade muttered. Was this the "Lord Valentine" the vampire mentioned?
Footsteps echoed—boots on concrete. Blade grabbed his submachine gun, loaded with silver bullets and UV rounds. Garlic juice, teak daggers, and anticoagulants adorned him. A Level 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he was no stranger to human combat.
A knock at the door.
Beekeepers—Hydra's remnants—breached his safehouse. Guns drawn, they faced off.
"Who are you?" Blade asked, sensing no vampire taint.
The leader signaled; guns lowered. "Vanguard Tech. We need your help, Daywalker."
Thirteen Beekeepers crowded in. Blade kept his gun ready.
"We started as Hydra," the leader began. Blade's gun rose—Hydra was his enemy from his Howling Commandos days.
"We left," the leader added quickly. "Hydra captured a true vampire, Mina Harker—Midnight Vampire. They studied her, aiming to replicate vampires alongside their Aryan Superhuman project. It failed."
He swallowed. "We split again. The doctor leading vampire research took the data. We formed Vanguard Tech."
"And?" Blade asked.
"Your fight against vampires—we'll supply your needs."
Blade scoffed. "What do I do?"
"Help us reclaim Vanguard Tech."
Blade raised his gun, ready to eject them. Vanguard sounded impressive, but they were fugitives offering nothing.
"We're hunted by MODOK," the leader pleaded. "Stop him, and Vanguard's yours."
Blade wasn't naive. If Vanguard couldn't handle MODOK, how could he?
A voice interrupted. "Found help, huh?"
Yang Valentine.
In their last fight, Blade's skill held, but Yang's raw power dominated, leaving him shredded.
Yang flashed into the Beekeepers, limbs flying. The squad was obliterated instantly.
"You don't heal?" Blade stood, tossing his gun aside, drawing his notched silver katana—more saw than blade.
"Caught that, huh? I'm no pure vampire," Yang taunted, eyeing Blade's healing wounds. Blood from the Beekeepers flowed toward Blade.
"Still enough to kill you!" Yang's kukri appeared, striking at blinding speed.
Blade parried, but his katana snapped after three seconds. As Yang's blade aimed for his neck, Blade swung his gun forward, unleashing a hail of bullets.
Yang shuddered under the barrage, collapsing. Blade stepped forward, driving his broken katana into Yang's throat, then bolted.
He'd seen Yang's resilience—bullets only staggered him. Decapitation was possible, but risky. Retreat was smarter.
His safehouse door held. Bullets pinged against it.
"That monster shrugs off that?" Blade muttered. "What did Mina create?"
Foreshadowing Resolved:
Radio-wielding figure in Blade's fight. "Lord Valentine" from weak vampires. Midnight Vampire's whereabouts. Vanguard Tech's role.
Every character drives the plot. No wasted details. Some foreshadowing—like Alucard's—guessed, but others remain. Even the mocked car's purpose eludes you.
Six updates promised, six delivered.
(End of Chapter)
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