When someone somewhere gets into trouble... I outline the body in chalk!
A forensic pathologist's favorite saying.
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A wonderful Saturday morning arrived. Why wonderful? Simple. I felt Felicia return. She had apparently managed to finish her business early. The day off promised to be extremely pleasant. Only a couple of days without the delightful Miss Hardy's company, and I had already caught myself missing her terribly. No matter. Now we would relax properly.
I called and reserved a table for two at a cozy restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere and good music. Then I called my beloved and suggested an evening walk. Hm. She was surprised that I already knew about her return. I joked that my plan for world domination was advancing rapidly and that an intelligence network had already been established. In any case, she promised to meet me around six at the square in front of the university.
I looked at the clock. Only eleven in the morning. Plenty of time to prepare, which meant I could avoid rushing and enjoy a proper breakfast. Mm. Breakfast. Breakfast was the most important part of the day, often considerably more valuable and significant than lunch or dinner. Where was I going with this, you ask? You see, ladies and gentlemen, I had underestimated the power of the Demon known as a Soviet grandmother. When I entered the dining room, an enormous... mm... vat of pancakes, syrniki, and other culinary masterpieces awaited me.
I held firm. I ate. I even managed to destroy one portion. Zinaida Prokopyevna rejoiced at my appetite and brought out an enormous bowl of borscht with sour cream, explaining that 'without a first course, you'll remain hungry anyway.' When I survived that trial as well, she attempted to finish me off by asking whether I wanted 'a little more.'
I did not. I hurriedly escaped the house under some respectable pretext, warning her that I would eat neither lunch nor dinner because I had already arranged to visit a restaurant with a young woman. Shaking her head sadly and muttering something about 'young people,' the old lady began clearing the table. Whew. That had been difficult. No, worse than difficult. A person could not eat like that! Though sometimes one wanted to.
The clock already showed quarter to twelve. That had been quite a breakfast. Since I had time, I decided to walk through a couple of flower shops and choose a bouquet. I settled on a magnificent arrangement of irises—bright blue flowers with a pleasant scent. Roses as a gift for one's beloved were painfully conventional, even if they remained a classic. Felicia, however, seemed magnetically drawn to everything unusual or mysterious. One word: Cat. At least in curiosity, she certainly did not yield to that animal.
I asked the saleswoman to hold the bouquet and continued on, considering whether to bring certain rubber products to the meeting. Love was love, but a young organism had demands of its own. Why was I even thinking about it? I turned toward the nearest pharmacy—and nearly collided with a grim-looking Black man in a leather coat. Ah. Morpheus had come to collect the unruly Neo. No, this one merely wore his hair short. He was not bald. The man examined me very carefully, his gaze lingering on my long black hair and expensive leather coat. And... was he sniffing? I raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Did you want something?"
"No. I mistook you for someone I've been searching for a long time," the stranger answered, continuing onward and brushing my shoulder as he passed.
Damn. Without my modifications, a shove like that might have sent me sprawling humiliatingly across the pavement. As it was, nothing happened. I barely swayed. What did he eat for breakfast? Steroids? The cells planted during the collision reported that this individual differed slightly from ordinary humans. His digestive system resembled an interesting hybrid of a human system and the one I had observed in Michael, though it leaned rather more toward the latter. There were also minor details such as enhanced muscles and enlarged canines. Impressive. After upgrading my organism, analyzing genomic data required far less time.
The connection among my separated pieces continued growing stronger as well. I could now summon the fragment Doc had once cut away even from the opposite side of the city. One did not need genius to understand that rumors of a vampire and victims bearing bite marks would attract a certain hunter well known to everyone from my old world.
I had expected him much later. Then again, I had not expected Morbius's mutation so soon either. Canon diverged farther and farther from reality after my appearance. Michael had played his role, and I no longer needed him. Except perhaps...
Why not? A Plan began forming gradually in my head. Plans could wait, however. I purchased everything necessary at the pharmacy and went for a leisurely walk through the park, passing the time in thought. I possessed strength and speed, and my reflexes were not bad. But one could always encounter someone faster and stronger. The question of the day was how to protect myself against such a meeting. Various ideas appeared, from creating a reserve body to distributing small caches throughout the city.
Those belonged to the category of 'how to dig myself back up after being killed.' I preferred not to reach that stage at all. Thus, in addition to improving my body's parameters, I needed to learn how to use that body properly. I doubted ordinary hand-to-hand combat or fencing would suit me, but I had to begin somewhere. That was where Blade entered the picture. He fought extremely well—assuming the films did not differ too greatly from reality—and I had already verified his physical strength.
His 'style' presumably accounted for those physical capabilities and would therefore serve as a better foundation for me than any other option available in the near future. To obtain Blade's cooperation, I could pose as a dhampir similar to the hunter himself—or as one of Morbius's victims. A useful victim, naturally. Perhaps a young scientist capable of curing the Thirst without side effects such as losing every ability. Which approach to use, or how to combine them, would depend on circumstances. It was mildly irritating that the gloomy man kept lingering somewhere nearby. I could not actually see him. Without the markers I had left behind, I would never have noticed the surveillance.
Evening approached. I returned to the shop, collected the flowers, and went to meet Felicia. Tradition was observed. As befitted a true lady, Miss Hardy arrived approximately thirty minutes late. She accepted my bouquet quite favorably, especially after I remarked how beautifully it matched her lovely eyes—and added several other compliments appropriate to the occasion. The romantic candlelit dinner, accompanied by suitable music, passed in an instant.
Soon I was escorting Felicia home. At the door, she shot me a cunning glance.
"Wouldn't you like to come in, Walter? Mother won't be home for another couple of days, and being alone in such a large apartment is so uncomfortable..."
Well. Evidently, I was not the only one who had made plans for the evening. I smiled.
"How could I possibly abandon you in such a difficult situation, my love?"
She smiled in response.
"You know, that's the first time you've said directly that you love me..."
She looked slightly embarrassed. I stepped closer and embraced her.
"Really? Strange. To me, it was obvious." The word escaped easily and freely. "Beloved."
Our eyes met. I understood there was no point asking a banality such as 'Do you love me?' Her eyes already said everything. Though... There had been some doubt inside them. A second later, not a trace remained. Instead of words, there was a kiss. What followed became considerably more interesting. Without breaking the embrace, we closed the door behind us. The young woman led me into a room. At least we managed to remove our shoes. One should not track dirt inside.
Hm. Their home was extremely cozy. One could immediately sense a caring feminine hand. My den remained far from such standards. I had no intention of inspecting the furnishings for long, however. I possessed a far more pleasant object of contemplation. That object already sat on my lap and covered my face in kisses. Surely refusing to participate would have been sacrilege on my part. I slipped my hands beneath her blouse and began exploring her body.
I doubt I need to explain how matters ended, but you will receive no details from me. It was exclusively my business and Felicia's. Disappointed, are you? I will say only that she had prepared extremely well for the evening. The sight of a beautiful young woman in breathtaking lingerie worked flawlessly on normal men, and I proved no exception. We finally calmed down only near dawn. Exhausted by the eventful night, Felicia slept peacefully with her face against my shoulder. There were considerable advantages to inhuman endurance. Heh.
I stroked my beloved's golden curls and enjoyed a sensation of complete harmony and happiness. Life was beautiful, and I would tear the head off anyone who claimed otherwise.
Blade.
The city produced strange sensations. On one hand, he had not yet discovered traces of a large vampire population. On the other, something was wrong here. Something practically floated in the air. A threat? Danger? He did not know, but he would find out. The grim Black man walked along the street. Then there was that description: a young man with black hair and a black leather coat. Such a rare appearance, especially in an autumn metropolis. His instincts remained silent. No. At the very edge of perception, there was a vague impression.
Trusting instinct, the hunter moved closer to the city center. Near a pharmacy, he saw someone matching the description. His senses seemed to point toward the same man. The vampire slayer was troubled, however, by the suspect walking calmly beneath daylight. After colliding with the stranger, Blade's suspicions only grew. That 'accidental' contact should at least have sent the other man sprawling across the ground. Instead, the hunter himself had nearly fallen, as though he had walked into a cliff.
Deciding not to lose sight of the suspicious individual, Blade began following him. The surveillance revealed nothing. An ordinary young man sat in a park and smiled at something. If only the hunter had known WHAT that 'ordinary' man was thinking about at the time. Then he bought flowers and went on a date with a young woman. Blade smiled bitterly.
Yes. It was for ordinary people like those two that he repeatedly placed his neck beneath the ax. Still, something prevented him from leaving the couple alone. Instinct, perhaps. A premonition. He followed them unseen to the young woman's home, then sat on a bench and thought. Strange. Nothing unusual had happened. Why did he feel so alarmed? And his instinct... It had never failed the hunter before.
A scream from that same instinct interrupted his thoughts. A black-haired man in an expensive leather coat flew through the night sky toward the building the couple had entered. The figure reeked of vampire.
"There is the cause of my concern. I've never seen those creatures fly before. It seems he really is powerful." The Black man narrowed his eyes unpleasantly and drew an unusual weapon from beneath his coat. It resembled the unnatural offspring of a pistol, a harpoon gun, and a fishing net. "Well, there's no harm in having a conversation with a flyer like that. Then I'll leave him out to sunbathe."
He aimed and pulled the trigger.
Michael Morbius.
The vampire was pleased. The hunt had gone well, and he possessed enough blood for the entire night. Imagine: Spider-Man himself, the local hero, had taken an interest in him. Ha. Still only a human. What chance did he have against a vampire? Unfortunately, the bastard had escaped. For an instant, Michael felt regret. His blood had been extraordinarily good. To hell with the arthropod. Felicia had returned today. The time had come. Today he would make her his queen and grant her eternity. As a symbol of their great union, they would drink the blood of that bastard Mayer. Oh, how gladly he would sink his fangs into the German's throat. It would also help the young woman understand that what she felt for him was merely mild attraction and certainly nothing deeper. The vampire's reflections on tasty, healthy food and matrimonial plans were interrupted rather rudely. Someone attempted to wrap him in a net made of some white metal.
"What the—?!" Morbius cursed.
Then he tore the obstruction apart without difficulty. Below, he saw a man aiming some strange device in his direction.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked irritably.
The stranger did not answer. He simply drew a suppressed pistol and opened fire. Pain pierced Michael's right arm and chest. Acid seemed to flow through his veins. The vampire cried out and flew away in an uncertain, jerking motion, desperate to escape the line of fire.
"No, sweetheart. You won't get rid of me that easily," the Black man hissed through clenched teeth while reloading. "I've acquired several questions for you."
Blade rushed after the retreating bloodsucker.