What We Do In The Shadows

Marcus and Jane stood silently on the rooftop, gazing down at the alley where the police were busy working the crime scene. They exchanged knowing looks, both aware of the grim truth hidden from the unsuspecting officers below.

The victim, a woman lying motionless on the ground, showed no obvious signs of injury visible from a distance. But Marcus, experienced in supernatural matters, recognized the unmistakable hallmarks of a vampire attack.

Despite the police being none the wiser, Marcus was confident in his assessment. He had seen similar scenes before, and the true nature of the crimes committed by Nightkin always remained concealed from ordinary eyes.

With a shared nod of agreement, they proceeded to descend into the alley, ready to gather evidence and track down the vampire responsible for this woman's untimely death.

As they quietly made their way down to the alley, unable to be seen or noticed by the oblivious cops, Marcus turned to Jane.

"Jane, remember to be cautious and not mess with anything at the crime scene. They can't see us but they will notice if anything in their surroundings moves and that will make our job more difficult." he said.

Jane nodded in agreement. Even though they were invisible to the authorities, she knew better than to mess with the evidence.

They approached the still body lying on the ground, taking in every detail without disturbing a thing. Jane, her senses on high alert, scanned the area for any signs of the vampire they were hunting.

They crouched beside the woman's body, careful not to disturb anything. Jane's heart sank as she took in the woman's lifeless form, her skin as pale as the moonlight above. Marcus's trained eye quickly spotted the two small puncture wounds on her neck, confirming their suspicions.

"It's definitely a vampire attack," Marcus whispered grimly to Jane. "But it's not the work of a newly turned vampire. This is too clean, too precise. It's someone experienced, someone dangerous."

Jane's stomach churned at the thought of facing off against such a foe, but she squared her shoulders and nodded determinedly. They had a job to do, and she wasn't about to back down now.

Marcus leaned in close to Jane, his voice barely a whisper. "Neophyte vampires have a lot of trouble controlling themselves," he explained, his eyes scanning the dark alley for any sign of movement. "But this doesn't seem like the work of a fledgling. Vampires usually tend to their young carefully, guiding them through the transition."

He frowned, considering the possibilities. "There are two possible conclusions we can draw from this," he said, his tone grave. "Either a vampire has gone rogue and attacked mundane humans, which would be a direct violation of the Accords, or someone is trying to lure us out deliberately."

Jane nodded, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the surroundings. The thought of a rogue vampire was unsettling, but the idea of someone orchestrating these attacks for their own sinister purposes sent a chill down her spine.

Her heart raced as she suddenly spotted a figure on the rooftop above them. With a burst of adrenaline, she yelled out a warning to Marcus and jumped upward, her unnatural strength propelling her to the rooftop; her instincts had taken over and she felt an overwhelming desire to kill the vampire. Marcus cursed as he sprinted towards the rooftop, his muscles coiled with tension.

Jane locked eyes with the vampire. He was a seemingly young man, dressed unassumingly in jeans and a black hoodie with the hood up. Despite being nighttime, be wore sunglasses, hiding his inverted red eyes.

With unnatural speed, the vampire threw a blood spear at Jane, but Marcus quickly threw up a barrier to block it, warning Jane to watch out with a sign. Jane fearlessly dove into close combat with the vampire, matching its strength punch for punch, her movements fluid and precise.

Marcus summoned sharp spatial blades and hurled them at the vampire, aiming to catch it off guard. However, the creature swiftly evaded the onslaught, executing a nimble somersault to gracefully distance itself from Marcus' attack.

Sensing an opportunity, the vampire swiftly hurled another blood spear, this time targeting Jane. Caught off guard, Jane gasped as the spear pierced her shoulder, eliciting a sharp cry of pain. Marcus, his anger ignited, charged ferociously at the vampire, drawing his rapier with a sharp killing intent.

With a swift motion, the vampire cut his wrist with a razor-sharp claw, allowing blood to flow freely. With practiced precision, he shaped the crimson liquid into a blade, assuming a fencing stance, ready to engage Marcus in combat.

In a flurry of quick movements, Marcus and the vampire clashed blades, their swords ringing out with each strike. Marcus, fueled by anger and strengthened by aether, matched the vampire blow for blow, his rapier slicing through the air with precision.

However, as the duel intensified, Marcus found himself increasingly outmatched by the vampire's speed and agility. With each strike, the vampire's blade inched closer, forcing Marcus into a defensive position. Despite his best efforts, he struggled to keep up with the vampire's relentless assault. That's why he hated fighting vampires; battles of attrition were pointless and ending a fight quickly was almost impossible against them.

With a swift feint, the vampire disarmed Marcus, sending his rapier clattering to the ground. Marcus, now defenseless, braced himself as the vampire's blade closed in for the final blow.

However, in a sudden twist of events, the vampire's attack was thwarted as blood spears pierced his body from behind. Startled, he whirled around to face his unseen assailant, only to meet a fatal blow as another spear impaled his head, bringing a swift end to his unlife.

Following the trajectory of the blood spears, Marcus and Jane's eyes locked onto a tall man with flowing long blonde hair, levitating in the air above them, radiating an unmistakable aura of power. Despite the tension of the moment, the newcomer met their gaze with a calm demeanor, his inverted red eyes fixed on the dead vampire.

"Good evening, Outcasts." he said as he slowly levitated downwards to meet them.