A Dhampir's Experiments And Helping Out The Less Fortunate

Dropping a drop of the clear substance onto blood sitting calmly on the glass slide before I placed the pipette down and put another glass slide, squishing the drop of blood between the two slides.

Without wasting any time, I fit the two glass slides under the microscope near me before I leaned down and looked into the lens. My enhanced eyesight made the use of microscopes even better, so I quickly saw what was happening to my blood as the mutative substance spread across the blood.

I'd marked the individual components in the substance, which allowed me to easily see the reactions happening. The liquid, seemingly with actual intent, spread across the blood cells and caused them to mutate. They shifted, their forms mutating and stretching into different shapes before they settled back into the disc shape blood cells are known for.

Dhampirs are unstable creatures by nature. Just like most hybrids. It's just what happens when two different races come together and make a child. My cells are constantly teetering on the edge of mutating because my DNA is compiled of two different construction manuals.

One is human and the other is vampire. The former is stable but weak and the latter is unstable but strong. The only good thing about being a Dhampir is that my genetic structure is much more stable than a Vampire's while also being stronger than both a Human's and a Vampire's.

What I'm trying to do is stabilize my genetics. Which is why I need the Oz Serum.

Why do I need it? Because my human side is too weak to exert itself in my genetics. Using that serum to give my human side a major upgrade would help solve my problem in the short term and give me a lot of time to figure out how to go about editing my genetic structure as a whole. Besides, it should help stabilize my vampire side if I use it right.

Which is why I'm doing tests with the mutative substance that past Arthur made to cure himself. The mutative substance should be able to destabilize my cells long enough for the Oz Serum to come in a restructure and improve them. Of course, this plan naturally includes me buffing out the side effects of insanity and Goblin-izing myself within the serum in the first place.

Oddly enough, there was a third peculiarity in my genetics. I have a suspicion that it might be the X-Gene but I wasn't really all that sure. It hadn't awakened, that much was certain.

Anyway, the blood cells that had became normal had only done so for a few seconds before they began aggressively growing and began spiking up like hedgehogs before they finally burst. With enough force to crack the glass slides holding the blood sample in place, might I add.

Sighing, I stood up and took my eye away from the microscope before picking up a notepad nearby alongside a pen and began writing away in it while mumbling to myself, "Too strong, need to dilute further...Use less aggressive chemicals?" I wondered aloud before shaking my head, "No, without that aggressive nature I wouldn't see enough of a change in the structure of my cells..." I let out another audible sigh before putting the notepad and pen down, "That crazy bastard actually used a full vial of this stuff without diluting it?" I scoffed before picking up the slides and crushing it into little pieces before dropping it in a bowl.

Picking up a beaker filled with a clear liquid before pouring it into the bowl. It instantly began fizzling and I left it to do it's job.

Hydrochloric acid can do wonders when it comes to removing evidence that you're a Dhampir.

As the blood was dissolved, I went about cleaning up all the surfaces around me while packing up the materials and instruments I'd been using. This stuff was expensive and it wasn't mine, so you know, had to take that into account. I wasn't rich yet either. I'd brought stock in most major companies and right now, I was waiting for Tony Stark to come back and announce that he was stopping the production of all weapons - I vaguely remember that dropping Stark Industries stock prices quite a bit.

Where did I get the money? Stealing from criminals. Having superhuman physicality is pretty useful for that sort of stuff. If most of the big gangsters didn't have discrete trackers on most of their money, I'd have considered stealing from them but I'd rather avoid problems for now.

Which is why I'm living as a student right now. I was originally at Cambridge University in England but after sending a few papers on Molecular Biology and Genetics to Empire State University in New York, I was pretty quickly offered a scholarship there which I gratefully took. How else do you think I got to America? I'm a law-abiding citizen, after all. Stealing from blood banks aside.

Pouring the hydrochloric acid down the lab sink, I washed the bowl out, cleaning it of any residual hydrochloric acid before doing the same with the beaker I'd used to hold the acid.

Once that was done, I went ahead and put it all away before picking up my notepad and putting in my front pocket. Safest place on Earth. Not that anyone would be able to do anything with these notes. It doesn't hold any recipes or instructions on how to administer the substance.

Squeezing the pipette dry, I flushed it clean with water a few times before putting it back with the other pipettes. Done with that, I pulled my hair free from the ponytail I'd been keeping it in and let it down. My golden blond hair was silky and wavy, and no doubt the envy of anyone obsessed with having healthy hair. Vampire genetics have their benefits, I suppose~

As I went to leave, I caught my reflection in a mirror on the wall. Piercing golden eyes stared back at me. If I had to say one thing about my appearance, it was that I was devilishly good-looking.

Sharp jawline, a strong chin, long and straight nose, high cheekbones and other such noble features. I knew I could easily be a model if I wanted to be - I'd had a few chats with scouts who'd seen me on the streets. Unluckily for them, I don't really like having my picture taken...though the money offered nearly made me say yes.

I was about 6'3", with broad shoulders, an athletic physique and long legs. The rolled up sleeves for my shirt showed muscular forearms and the rest of my body followed their example are was covered in trim and lean muscle like that of a sprinter's.

All this alongside my English accent and I was a bit of a hit on campus with the ladies.

Vanity aside, I turned away from the mirror and exited the lab. I wouldn't say the hallways were empty but there weren't many people in this section of the University at this time of night. Especially on a Friday night. Everyone was no doubt out partying. I would've gone out and joined in but I really couldn't find a reason to go out.

It'd been a day or two since I went out with Liz and her thanks for helping her out had dealt with my more human urges. Her ass was just as good as I'd hoped, and that's all I'm gonna say on the subject.

The only reason to go to those parties is to get drunk or have a one-night stand, and considering I can't get drunk and don't really need to have sex THAT badly, there's no reason for me to go.

Yet what caught my attention as I exited the science building was that there was a very familiar scent in the air. Upon inhaling it, I felt my throat tighten as my fangs tried to extend in my mouth without me consciously ordering them to.

Blood. A lot of blood.

Looking around, I saw no one in the surrounding area and there wasn't any CCTV either. Which meant I didn't have to hold back as I pressed against the ground, sending myself up into the air and onto the roof of the science building I'd just exited.

Straining my ears, I easily picked up on the sounds of what sounded like a fight.

Weirdly enough...no one else seemed to be noticing the fight. I could see a few groups close enough to be able to hear the fighting with their human senses but it was like the sounds weren't there. Even weirder was that whenever they strayed too close to the origins of the sounds, they turned around and began walking away without even noticing they'd turned around.

Narrowing my eyes, I flexed my legs and blasted silently from my position to a building not too far away. I sped across a few rooftops, jumping between buildings like some sort of acrobatic shadow.

I soon made it to where the sounds were coming from and saw the gymnasium part of campus where indoor sports were played and practiced. It was a massive place with multiple different courts for things like basketball, volleyball and even indoor tennis courts for when outside weather got in the way of people using the outside courts.

Jumping down from the building I was on, I jogged over to the entrance of the gym and saw the doors had been blown off their hinges by some sort of concussive force. I had a suspicion on what caused that force from how the impact seemed to be one concentrated thing and it certainly wasn't a bunch. Looked more like a concentrated explosion of energy.

Stepping over the doors, I silently walked further into the gym, my senses guiding me to where it was all happening. When I finally arrived, I saw a group of people my age fighting. Now, this wouldn't really be that weird - people fight. A group fight? Weird, sure, but not really that weird.

A group fight where the people included all had superpowers, however? Definitely weird.

There were two opposing factions, as far as I could see.

One group were people I could vaguely recognize. Not because of their appearances (well, not entirely) but mainly because of what they were doing. One of them was sending optic blasts through a visor and another was phasing through objects and attacks thrown at her. Another was teleporting around, leaving clouds of blue smoke and 'bampf' sounds whenever he left.

The other faction was a group of oddballs. I recognized them, of course, but they look markedly different to what I was expecting.

The guy at the forefront was definitely the biggest of his group. Biggest in both height and weight. He was obese and I was surprised he hadn't just dropped dead from clogged arteries or something. Even more so, I was surprised he could even move despite having such mass.

Someone right behind him was a guy with a lighter, throwing fireballs at the guy shooting optic blasts. Right next to him was a girl with bright green hair who was tearing metal from the surrounding area and throwing it to a girl on the opposite end of the gym who had red hair. Like, blood red hair.

I wondered where the scent of blood was coming from but that question was soon answered when a short but stocky and muscular man came charging through a hole in the roof of the gym.

There were multiple different pieces of metal sticking out of his chest and stomach and the flesh across his right arm was so shredded you could see the bone underneath. Or rather, what looked like bone. It was shiny and metallic-looking in nature. I didn't get a chance to look at it for long, however, as the man's flesh began wiggling before the wounds across his body began healing at a speed that even had my healing factor beat.

Muscle covered the metal bones and skin soon covered that. By that point, he'd already fallen to the ground, stopping with a thunderous boom as the wooden floor collapsed inward under his momentum and weight.

Less than a second later, the short guy who looked like he lived in the gym was up and out of the hole he'd created with his entrance and was rushing for the obese guy.

When he was close, his identity was confirmed when three blades came out of each of his hands from between his knuckles. Wolverine...well, that's pretty neat.

Wolverine easily made it to the guy I was assuming was Blob, his claws fully extended and flying towards the obese guy with blindingly fast speed. Except before they could even touch the guy's clothes, Wolverine was stopped in his tracks which allowed for Blob to slam his big meaty fist into the shorter man's face.

Wolverine was sent flying, yet the hit alone seemed to hurt Blob if the flinching was anything to go by.

"You idiot," the green-haired lady said with a spiteful tone, "What did I say about letting Wolverine so close to you? You might be durable with all that fat but his claws would cut you into ribbons! Pay attention because I'm not bailing you out a third time!" she scowled before lifting a nearby part of the bleachers to stop an optic blast from the guy who was most definitely Cyclops or Scott Summers.

Blob dumbly smiled, shrugging as he picked up into a clumsy jog as he made his way over to Scott who seemed preoccupied with trying to hit the green-haired woman with his blasts. Which meant he was woefully unprepared when Blob made it close enough to grab him.

Turning my attention away from that just as Scott was thrown across the room, I leaned against the doorway I was standing in.

I didn't really care if my identity was discovered. I never really understood protagonists who play it lowkey. Sure, I understand not showing all of your abilities - that can save your life. But playing it too cautious and too safe can also get you killed. I guess it's just a difference in perspective or mentality. I'm generally a pretty social person, so I'm not the secretive, anti-social type most protagonists turn out to be.

I mean, I'm not gonna tell random people what I am thought. Telling people I'm a Dhampir is just a straight up dumb thing to do because I'd most likely end up on a dissection table. But letting other powered people know I have powers? Not really too big a deal, honestly.

If anything, it would make them take me seriously.

Not really needing to deliberate any further, I charged at the green-haired lady. Before she could react, I knocked her hard on the back of the head. She very quickly crumbled to the floor, her brain no doubt having been ricocheted off the inside of her skull a few times and knocking her out.

Without waiting another moment, I gave the pyromaniac guy the same treatment and he also dropped to the floor without much resistance.

Turning my gaze further, I saw Blob still swinging Scott around while the rest of his team tried to help him get free from the big guy's grip. Though two people had quickly discovered my presence when I appeared to knock out green-y and pyro. Wolverine and the redhead at the back of the gym who I was sure was Jean Grey.

Jean looked surprised for a second, and I instantly began thinking as fast as I could and about complicated equations and definitions of certain words. There was no reaction from Jean. Maybe my unique physiology stops her telepathy?

Wolverine, however, looked much more on edge than just surprised.

He looked tensed and ready to fight me, his claws extended and his posture and center of gravity low. But ignoring them, I pulled on some of the powers I'd gained from past-Arthur's usage of the mutative substance.

A transparent layer of red light loosely covered my form and I instantly felt empowered. When I first discovered it, I had the thought that it was similar to Alucard's acceleration magic that he uses in the Netflix animated series. Except this energy coating didn't just make me quicker, it made me stronger and gave me much improved durability. It was similar to tactile telekinesis.

The wooden floor below me splintered as I pressed off of it, and within a moment, I was next to Blob who'd slowed to a snail's pace in front of my inhuman perception.

I pulled back my right arm and made a spear hand with my arm before thrusting it forward toward the wrist of the arm holding Scott. Just before my fingers made contact with his wrist, my nails elongated and sharpened to deadly points becoming claws that shone with lethal intent.

It was a bit harder to cut through his skin than I thought it would be but after a brief struggle, I cut through his skin and then the fat, muscle and ligaments in his wrist.

His hand was still attached to his arm but he'd find it hard to ever use that hand again.

Seeing the tensed hand quickly relaxing once the connection to the muscles in forearm were severed, I jumped up onto the big guy's shoulder. I was pretty tall but this guy easily had me beat. He should be around 8 feet tall and nearly as wide.

Oh well, you know what they say - the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Wrapping my legs around Blob's neck, I fully extended my arms outwards horizontally. Concentrating the red energy around my hands, I brought my hands together onto Blob's ears.

A small shockwave spread outward and Blob's knee's buckled before he fell to the ground.

Nimbly, I leapt off of Blob's shoulders just as his face hit the ground.

Cancelling my enhanced state and letting my perception go back to more normal levels, I was now looking at the group who were now dumbly staring at me. They just looked at me and then at Blob and the two others they'd been having so much trouble with.

"Well," I started, smiling, "I just helped you guys out, so you mind doing me a favor and giving me everything you know about the X-Gene?" I asked.

It's only fair to ask for payment after helping someone out, right? Besides, I had that suspicion that I had the X-Gene, so now was the perfect chance to find out whether or not I actually had it. Even if it turned out I didn't, knowing more about the X-Gene could only help me in the future. It would be a wonderful piece of reference knowledge when it comes to my own genetics no matter the outcome.