Prologue - The Start of Discovery

"Here we are." Uncle Cole set up their picnic on the offside. His silver eyes glancing to the balloon saleswoman just a few steps away. Norris liked to imagine she would give him one if he got his uncle up to head her way. He focused on the basket, smiling at the sodas his uncle pulled out before look around at the fenced in area they were sitting at.

The grass was green and rich, thick from tender hands and special care. The food was pretty good, Uncle Cole had set up the sandwiches and had even let Norris make some. Uncle Cole's tasted better, if one were to ask Norris. Uncle Cole slicked his mouse brown hair back and smirked at the pretty face selling balloons. Norris glanced between them as he took a sandwich from the basket.

"Uncle Cole, who is she?"

"Watch and learn, buddy." That wasn't an answer… Norris sat where he was on the picnic blanket when Uncle Cole stood up, graceful as he did, and began to stalk towards her. She was a tall, leggy blonde and Uncle Cole, with his bright silver eyes and stylish haircut, had a number from her within two minutes of striking up a conversation. He must have been winking, he made her feel special like he had the last friend he'd brought home. Uncle Cole walked back to Norris, waving the piece of paper in the air like it was his first dollar. Norris took the last bite of his sandwich.

Uncle Cole was so cool!

Norris made to grab another sandwich and yelped as Uncle Cole slapped his hand away.

"Ladies like muscles, so don't eat too much bread." He said as Norris glared at him. Uncle Cole pulled out his cigarette and lighter, earning a few dirty looks from the people who were here with their kids. "Always think to yourself… 'Am I hungry or just bored?' when you reach for that sandwich."

Norris nodded, pretending to understand the brunette—"Uncle Cole… what if I'm both?"

Uncle Cole smiled at him, giving his head a rough pat. Norris was quick to correct his hair with a frown as Uncle Cole began to pack up their picnic.

"Get up and give me a lap around the park, soldier!" Norris held out his hand, used to the routine. They'd come to the park, Uncle Cole would meet a pretty girl, and Norris would have to walk home to Cole's apartment with a spare key. Uncle Cole focused on the woman who gave a shy wave back. His words were familiar, "Head straight home when you're done."

Uncle Cole had taught him the way back home and as long as he started from this particular park, he'd find his way home.

[*-*]

He walked up the stairs of his uncle's apartment complex. Uncle Cole's building was nice, redbrick and with well maintained plant life. Norris didn't stop to smell the flowers, since the staff had placed high fences around them. The entrance smelled nice with an undertone of cigarettes. He couldn't stand it, but Uncle Cole liked to smoke like many of the people who lived here.

There was laughter from the guard room as he stepped up to the elevator. Norris pressed the button and saw the white paper that he took his time sounding out.

"Out of Or—order." He'd just moved onto two syllable words in reading. His uncle always told him to sound them out nice and slow. He smiled and patted his own shoulder before his stomach sank. He read the elevator sign again and again as his throat grew thick. He sighed and pressed the Up button, "Out of Order, huh? Damn elevator… it's only six floors!"

He walked through the large hall, past the hallway of mailboxes and potted plants that lined the wall. Norris hesitated for the moment examining the stair banister, a lovely cherry wood eagle lined the railing, something that must have taken a master craftsman hours to carve. Eagles were powerful in a lot of his people's myths.

"I won't crawl." He muttered as he hesitated some more. His legs were burning and Uncle Cole would be angry if he was gone for too long. He took the first step up the carpeted stairs and managed to keep the groan that his innercity running had given him. He took a few more steps, hating how weak his body had become. There was an older lady coming down with a little dog in her arms that growled upon seeing him.

"Humphrey!" The old woman scolded the little dog like one would a toddler, with some amusement and a lot of detachment. Her hair was done up in a nice and ornate hairstyle, with a ribbon that had fake jewels in it. He smiled up at her and pressed himself up against the banister, hoping he wouldn't fall.

"Your dog is very cute, madam." He lied. That creamy bug eyed creep would slit his throat if it had the thumbs for it.

"Thank you, dear. He's a pekingese." She said, pausing. The dog snarled as Norris started his climb again, not really caring and he kept his steps even through the throbbing in his feet. It wasn't easy to keep up, but he made it to the sixth floor, hoping that Uncle Cole had sent the woman home already.

He hesitated, just outside the door.

Norris looked around, he knew that he wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to be in the building that his uncle lived in. He was always just visiting when the landlord came to inquire about him and—he clutched his chest and took the deep breaths he needed before pulling out the keys to his uncle's apartment.

The lights flickered once.

"Hey, kiddo!" Out of the corner of his eyes stood a lovely woman dressed in all black. Her dark tresses weren't with the times and there weren't many people who had her rich, dark skin tone in this day and age in this community.

"Hi." Norris puffed out his chest, doing his best to copy his super cool uncle and push away the bad that had filled him moments earlier. He walked up to her and winked. "I'm Norris."

"Do you know the man who lives in that apartment, sweet child?" Norris near deflated. Here he was, eleven and maidenless… He'd fix this. She held out her hand, making him flinch back when a card appeared in her hands, like… magic.

"I'm not a child. I'm almost a man." Around them, the hallway lights flickered and her eyes flickered with them as she gave him a smile like his teachers at school did. He hated it—"I don't need your help—"

She held her fingers to his lips, smiling as the lights' flickering grew worse.

"Kingpin Cole should have taught his charge not to talk to strangers…" Her tone became absent and her smile grew pronounced and he gulped, unable to take a step back. Her warmth in her fingers faded to chilled and deathlike. Her teeth were larger and pointier, growing as if she were a vampire preparing to feast. Her mouth opened to unnatural proportions and he knew in that moment that he was what she was hunting.

He knew what to do… he focused on her dark eyes and bit down on her fingers as hard as he could. He spat up the tips and whirled away, banging on Uncle Cole's door.

"You'll regret it, boy…" Her whisper was all he heard in his ears and he faced the opposite, looking around and shivering as he hoped against all hope that Uncle Cole hadn't take his date to a hotel… that he hadn't gone to her home…

"Uncle Cole?"

He didn't know many people in the complex and Uncle Cole's friends never stuck around long enough for him to find out their address. He gulped when lights flickered again. Norris sniffled and took off down the hall when the lights went black, heading to the elevators.

The thrumming echoes of hope filled him when he heard the laughter nearby, heading there. It was a woman and— "You got here quick, didn't you?"

It was her.

He wanted to cover his eyes and pretend to be anywhere else but here. Her fingers were back was the last thing he noticed as she pushed him into a door. He knew he looked like a fool as she pulled out a familiar blue badge. This… this was one of those—!

"You're one of them!"

She laughed, her fangs growing again as she lifted him by the throat, "If you were old enough, I would arrest you… but I will have to take you in instead."

"I thought you were a rogue vampire!"

"Even so, silly boy." She paused, her easy going demeanor changing to wide eyed horror. Stepping up from behind her, Uncle Cole licked his thumb and placed it on the wrist she was using to keep Norris pinned. There was a moment—just one moment— when he thought he'd be freed.

"Uncle Cole!"

"I'll come get you, Norris." Norris knew that the titter the vampire gave wasn't a good thing. The woman sighed as Norris began to struggle. "Meet me at the park… say… thirty years from now?"

Norris struggled to reach out but the vampire held him close, bringing his head to her chest so he couldn't see Uncle Cole disappear— "No! I want my uncle!"

"Your parents are waiting for you, my child. You are not of this time." She didn't react as he punched her mid sentence, she released his neck so he could look around and saw that she had dragged him into an alleyway. She threw him into the wall and he was—He was gone with a few of her whispered words, just before making impact with the wall.