After everyone left, Gwen and the others were still buzzing with excitement over their new gear, testing every function of their suits inside the Chocobo space.
Lucas, on the other hand, was exhausted and collapsed into bed immediately.
If he could sleep, he absolutely would not stay awake—classic Lucas.
---
The next morning, Elsa arrived at Matt's law office.
Matt had been waiting for a while, and together with Frank, he led her to the Hell's Kitchen precinct.
Using Matt's lawyer identity and an excuse about "investigating for a client," they smoothly entered the morgue and located the victims' bodies.
"It's confirmed. These are the creatures I mentioned—from another dimension."
Elsa inspected the bite marks carefully and found traces of a thick, milky-white substance, very much like saliva.
"Look here. The distance between the bite marks is extremely close. Normal vampires bite using their canines, but these creatures—
their fangs are like a bat's, growing where a human's front teeth would be. So their bite marks are narrower."
She pressed two fingers around the wound, and more of the milky fluid seeped out.
"This is vampire saliva. Even after rigor mortis, it doesn't coagulate.
Its purpose is to keep the blood from clotting, and the toxins inside paralyze the prey instantly."
Elsa collected a sample into a small vial.
"You collecting that for what?" Frank asked.
"To lure the creature out."
---
After leaving the precinct, Elsa returned to her safe house and began concocting an attractant—its main ingredient being that vampire saliva.
By nightfall, everyone had regrouped.
Tonight, they planned to draw the creature out and finish it.
Thanks to Elsa's lure, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have to sweep the entire city—
they just needed to track the bait.
And the bait… was Elsa herself.
She took out the spray she'd made and misted it across her neck like perfume.
"What's that thing made from?" Natasha asked.
"You don't want to know," Frank answered for her, giving Natasha a look.
(Indeed: vampire spit.)
"I'll walk toward somewhere open. When the creature appears, we take it out."
Elsa put on the earpiece and tracker, then headed out.
Tony didn't show up tonight.
Once he knew there was only one vampire, he lost interest.
So Lucas alone flew overhead, monitoring Elsa from above.
Peter and Gwen swung through the skyscrapers, keeping an eye on her movement range.
About an hour later, Elsa reached the predetermined location—
just as a shadow shot past above her head.
Higher up, Lucas saw it clearly.
Peter and Gwen silently tracked the figure as well.
"Target spotted. And wow… this thing is ugly."
With Lucas's eyesight, he could see the creature perfectly.
Just like Elsa described—half-human, half-bat.
Skinless, raw muscle exposed.
Huge, grotesque wings like a horror prop.
Elsa walked casually into the deserted lot—no cover in sight. The perfect hunting ground.
The vampire seemed to think so too.
It dove toward her, ready to claim its feast.
"Got you."
Elsa spun, raised her short-barreled shotgun, and fired.
The silver-coated rounds detonated into a burst of sparks like dragon's breath.
Caught off guard, the creature took a direct hit to its wing, punching a hole through the membrane.
At the same time, Peter and Gwen swooped in, firing webs and wrapping the creature tight—like a giant cocoon.
Everyone stepped out of hiding—but the cocoon suddenly burst apart.
The vampire's shriek ripped through the air, a piercing ultrasonic scream that drilled straight into their skulls.
Everyone clutched their ears instinctively, but it was useless—
the sound passed through the eardrum and vibrated the brain directly, like it was trying to liquefy it.
"Skye!"
Lucas shouted.
Skye gritted her teeth, raised both hands, and released wave after wave of vibrations.
Her shockwaves disrupted the vampire's ultrasound, and its scream collapsed into helpless growls.
She rushed forward and punched the creature square in the face.
The quake-force rippled through its skull, turning its brain to mush.
At that moment, Wanda flicked her fingers—
the airborne vampire froze in place, pinned by invisible force.
Then she swept her hands apart.
RIP.
Black blood sprayed everywhere as she tore off its wings mid-air.
"ROAAARRR!"
The creature howled, writhing violently, agony contorting its body.
Wanda was not done.
She pointed again—
a red, invisible blade shot out and skewered the vampire through the abdomen, nailing it to the ground like Tony had done to Elsa the previous night.
The vampire's body thrashed, but the more it struggled, the faster its blood drained away.
Realizing this, it finally stopped resisting.
Only then did everyone gather around.
"This thing is way too ugly. Completely ruined my mental image of vampires."
Peter pointed and sighed dramatically.
"Oh please. Weren't you the one saying vampires were ugly monsters earlier?" Gwen countered.
"That was before I watched that vampire movie today! In the movie they were all handsome and gorgeous!
Who knew I'd go from that… to this in just a few hours?! My brain wasn't ready!"
Nobody bothered responding to the chatterbox.
All eyes were on the vampire.
"This is the parallel-universe one?" Natasha leaned in for a closer look.
Suddenly, the creature surged up in a last desperate attack, even breaking through Wanda's binding—
its jaws lunging straight for Natasha's throat.
THWIP—SHUNK!
An arrow punched clean through its skull, pinning it back to the ground.
Its head lolled to the side.
Dead. Instantly.
Quiet, almost forgotten Barton lowered his bow.
The entire group froze.
That was… anticlimactic.
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