𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕙 🌙 | 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕫𝕒𝕚 𝕩 𝕋𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕤

[Tenzai]

Chapter 1.1. Death & Foreplay​

---

I'm 𝔸𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖.
It looks like your gods had forsaken you, Dear.
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

---

Snow.​

The pale ghost trailed forward as he tracked his quarry through the city's residential district, the snow blanketing his head and shoulders. While the falling ice would have made him shiver before, now he felt nothing. His nerves were blind to the touch of Winter. His skin was resistant to its chills. Even his breath lacked mist; All were signs that he was no longer among the living and yet, he had never felt so full of life. His dress shirt had a dash of red splattered across his torso. A reminder of his quarry's attempt on his life. Inside of his cold heart existed only one emotion: anger.

He once believed he was free in the mortal realm. Without a need to flaunt his noble inheritance, he assumed that an ordinary life would be possible for even a monster like himself. However, the divine of fate did not have his peace in mind. To be mistaken as the target of a hit only to wake up in an empty alleyway with an ungodly thirst, he couldn't tell whether his reawakening as an undead was the result of mere coincidence, or whether it was all planned out by a malevolent being. Regardless, the only image in his mind was that mask; The face of the killer that took his mundane life away. He recalled their scent while they struck him with their knives, using it to track their movements. As subtle as it was, the smell of his own blood was potent enough for him to follow even streets away.

As he pursued his assassin, he noticed a sudden shift in their speed. They knew he was coming. Though, instead of feeling cautious, the vampire felt excited. The thrill of a hunt, especially towards the target of his malice, was a sinful pleasure he never imagined himself experiencing, let alone enjoying. Eventually, he ended up in front of the house that smelled most like them. It appeared, they were attempting to hide. "Quaint. To think, hiding in a house would be enough to stop me." While the idea of simply breaking down the door just to engage them in direct combat was a fine idea, he found another much more delectable. Fear. To inspire fear in his enemy would give the vampire the opportunity to toy with his prey before indulging in his meal. To devour the one that took his ordinary life away; To consume who stole the peace he's always wanted; No one was going to take that joy away from him.

He approached one of the windows, tapping on the glass in a rhythm using his index and middle fingers. If his target already knew he was coming, he was going to enjoy their mental anguish as an appetizer.

Tap. Tap. Tap. ​

While he roamed around like a shark circling his prey, he tapped the other panes of glass while twisting each doorknob in between. With each tap of his fingers and swivel of his wrists, he was gentle, teasing his hostile intentions with ginger motions.

Tap. Tap. Tap.​

In moments, his form shifted into shadow before reappearing inside. With the darkness that shrouded the rooms, he was able to move around while avoiding detection, still tapping on the panes of frosted glass. He wanted his target to know that no walls nor doors could keep them safe from him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.​

Finally, he appeared behind them, tapping the window inside of her own room. Tap. Tap. Before finishing the third, the vampire grabbed both of their wrists while she turned towards the sound, pinning their hands over their head. "To imagine, I'd let you escape after what you've done to me." Now that he had the opportunity to get a better look at them, he realized that his killer stood a couple feet shorter than him. His eyes took note of their mask and silver streak in her hair. "Never thought, someone as small as you would be so deadly. I wonder what face you're hiding behind that mask." He reached over with his other hand, placing his long slender fingers in between their chin and their mask. "I wonder if you're scared. Perhaps you'd taste better like that. Or maybe, you're angry. Ooo~ Wouldn't your fight be delectable."

 

[Tenzai]

Fenn stroked her hair, finding an odd peace in the stillness of the room. After an exhausting night spent defiling his slave, he couldn't find the rage in his undead heart to continue hating Zero. While he might have lacked trust, the fire that motivated his heated anger was gone. Instead, the warm afterglow of the winter sun had embraced the vampire in its place, giving Fenn a sense of serenity after the chaos of the night before.

"She is similar... though there's something rather off about her. There are a few vampires at the organization as is, but none like her. As for me... Admittedly I'm new to this. Do not allow my flaws to shape your view of those I work under. I was given a chance... and I fucked it up."

"Well, you're still alive aren't you, Zero?" Fenn leaned back against the blood-stained couch. "Can't say the same for myself, but I suppose if I'm still wandering this mortal plane, I have a second chance to do what I'd like and be who I want. Should be the same for you too except, you know. . . You're still breathing and warm-blooded." He looked down at her mask quizzically. "Was your boss the same person who ordered you to wear that mask? If so, I don't know if I'm willing to do the same. It's a rather peculiar look, wouldn't you say? Not exactly the least attention grabbing either, even if there is a magical component." He blinked, before shaking his head. It wasn't the time to get to know her now, they needed to get moving soon if they were not to be caught off guard by the advances of their potential would-be assassins. "Where did you say your base was? I could imagine if you're here, it shouldn't be too far, should it? I'd like to have a word with your boss before deciding whether working with you long term would be the best decision for my well being."

"The head quarters is off in Rose Lake just a city or two over. I'll try to catch her at a time where she's not busy... though, you'd need a place to lay low... Let's get going. My bike is just at the tree line. You alright with that?"

As the vampire walked into the sun, Zero noticed his body didn't seem to be influenced. While he opted to stand close to the shade, there weren't any undue consequences that came from direct contact with the solar rays. It appeared more as a minor annoyance if anything. "Bike? What do you mean by a bike?" The vampire squinted at her motorcycle that stood beside a tree. "Don't you mean a horse? That's what this world calls them right? Or was it . . . Horsepower?" He walked over to it, scratching his chin. "I don't understand why humans would call these things, bikes or their carriages, cars. It just doesn't make sense to me. Where are the legs? Where are the horses? Is it run by magic?" He glared at it for a moment, shrugging before sitting on it like a horse. "Whatever it is. Lead the way."

---

Chapter 1.2. The Call from Heaven
"𝔹𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕒𝕪."

"𝕀 𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕒𝕣𝕖, 𝕞𝕠𝕞. 𝕀'𝕞 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕕."

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴍᴇʀʀʏ-ɢᴏ-ʀᴏᴜɴᴅ | ʜᴏᴡʟ'ꜱ ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴄᴀꜱᴛʟᴇ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

The interviewee's eyes stared at the skies for a bit, offering the heavens a short prayer, before facing ahead towards his biggest battle to come. A mask decorated his face to hide his true identity. Ashe's hands gripped tightly to his resume as he approached the office building of the Supernatural Safety Unit (SSU). Around him were many new faces that were too busy to pay attention to the potential rookie's pleas for help. "Excuse me! Pardon me!" No response. It was a big day for the organization since it was recruitment day. There was a lot of paperwork to be done. Many others were expected to be drafted into this class of trainees, and Ashe hoped to become one of them. However, what he lacked was direction and what they lacked was a map.

"Oh..." He gave a tired sigh. Today wasn't going his way already. Not only did he forget to take training booklet with him, but he wasn't able to find his friend at the subway. He stood amidst the wandering crowds, standing out like a lost puppy until he felt a tall body slam against him. "My, I didn't think they had human shaped statues here, Zero. Oddly vain, don't you think?" The vampire looked down at the human. "Oh, you're alive. Hello uh... Human thing. Yes, yes. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Now, can you go tell me where to meet this Adriana person that the others are talking about? I need to meet with her soon." Fenn picked him up off the ground while Zero looked for the best way to navigate the wandering crowds.
"Uh. . . I don't know this place well. I'm new here, and I'm trying to find Adriana too! I'm supposed to find her for my interview." The vampire rolled his eyes. "Oh great, another straggler. Well, if we're to meet the same person and go to the same place, I don't believe there's anything wrong with sticking together. What say you, Zero? Mind if we take this one along?"

Ashe's eyes lit up at the vampire's suggestion. While their first meeting might have been the result of an unexpected collision, he was welcome to help. "Oh! Please! I uh... I kinda forgot the training booklet at home. If you could help, I'd appreciate it! Really!" The human approached Zero, placing both of her hands gently in his own. "I'd really like to work here, but I don't know where to go. The others here, they're kinda... Hard to talk to. They're really busy, I think-"

 

[Tenzai]

What good is future sight if it can't provide you with answers?

It appears that even you can make mistakes, Adriana.​

"Your words would suffice for now, princess." While Ashe and Zero looked upon Adriana's wholehearted laugh oddly, the vampiric prince understood that her past was well within expectations. Regardless of how unique of a vampire she was with her special gift, her experience wasn't all that isolated. Burial was a common form of execution; One far more cruel than a mere implanting of a wooden stake to the heart or separation of a head from its shoulders.

Her words that followed were cold and absolute in its devastating honesty. As he stared towards her icy blues, underneath the cool calm of her persona; He could tell of the darkness that lied below the surface. There was a reason far deeper than mere benevolence pushing her to act so strangely for a vampire. A reason to cooperate with the lesser species more vast than the kindness of her frozen heart. However, now was not the time to unravel the agenda of his new companion's politics. She was useful and that's all that mattered. She offered a haven where he didn't have to be concerned over assassinations. Despite any past misgivings between their two families, the two vampires in this new realm were distinct. They had goals that were beyond that of their lineage.

"As unfortunate as the limitations of your gift are, at least, their presence puts my mind to ease." The tension in Fenn's body had begun to escape him. With the added knowledge that her mistake in getting him killed was potentially genuine and that the truths she shared in front of him were real, he didn't feel the need to fear her. If she wanted him truly dead, she would have killed him at the entrance. "It means that you truly are as you say you are. Not many vampires could say the same for themselves."

While Fenn spoke with Adriana, Ashe turned to Zero. "Reaping souls might sound like a good thing on paper, but doing so is a different story. You become the true end for those who left this world too early. You become the wolf that chases those who wish to linger for too long. Maybe for some people, I'm the person they look the most to." The angel of death brushed his hand against his cloak, a technique he learned to calm himself down whenever his anxieties over his own responsibilities were getting the better of him. "But. . . Those people make up the minority. You see the worst this world has to offer. You see the souls of those murdered. The souls of those innocent. The souls of those subject to the devilish whims of others."

"Say what you like about my job but. . . I wouldn't wish this fate on even my worst enemy."​

Fenn quietly listened to the reaper speaking, taking a drink of his tea as he looked at the crowd around him; A vampire that could see a multitude of futures; A monstrous fairy assassin who failed in her duty and had willingly chose to become his slave; A grim reaper seeking a second life away from death. "You've collected yourself quite the menagerie of minions, princess." The vampire had given his new boss his fanged smirk, returning confidence back into his demeanor. "So what now? You've never mentioned once the purpose behind accruing so much talent. What was it now. . ." He looked towards Ashe, reminding himself of what the angel said during their first meeting. "Something about interviews or a recruitment day? There's a horde of others outside waiting to join your beck and call. Tell me, what are you organizing? What function will these talented people serve?"

"With an army like this, I'd assume you'd be marching on the vampiric kingdoms themselves."​

---

Chapter 1.3. My Purpose

"She's gone, Ace. One day, you'll need to move on."

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ɪ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ | ᴋɪʀᴀɪʏᴢᴜ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

A man and a woman in matching attire stood at the end of a beach nearby a busy seaside nightclub. As they gazed onto the moon's reflection over the ocean waves, Ace had smoked a cig to calm his nerves. Away from the neon lights, the rampant sex, the flash of guns, and the scent of booze, the gang member was left alone to his thoughts. It was in the peace and quiet where he thought of her, the girl that left him. He couldn't tell whether she found another or whether her circumstances wouldn't allow them to be together. However, that didn't matter. The pain was still the same. It was still real. He was still left behind for a reason he wasn't told and yet despite that, Ace never moved on.

"And what? What next, Neon?" He took a huff of his cig, letting the smoke fill his lungs in an attempt to relax. "Do I just find another blonde bitch to fuck in her place? Do I take shots until I can't feel a thing? What? So fucking what if she's gone? She was my fucking purpose. She still is." He pulled his cig out, tossing it into the waves once he huffed his last. "Ace. . . We're concerned about you. That's all. You're our friend too." Neon placed a hand on his shoulder, only for the damaged man to pull away. "I'll. . ." He sighed, taking a deep breath of the ocean breeze. "I'll be fine. Just head back to the club alright? We have a job to do. I'll catch up with you once I get my fucking head on straight."

Eventually, he returned to the entrance of the club. While his crew scouted the place nearby, acting as "guards" for the mob boss that hired them, Ace played the role of bouncer. His scary appearance was enough to make most creeps keep their distance. Others who were foolishly brave enough to start a scene had ended up becoming examples to those who have yet to try; His victims ending up bloodied with a bat and thrown into the streets. After a while, he saw a blonde woman approach him. With his mask on to hide his identity, he wiped his bloody bat with a rag before greeting her.

"Name, ID. You know the drill." Ace crossed his arms, standing in the way of the entrance. "And don't try and pull any pretty-face type shit with me. I'm not some horny virgin that came here to smash. Don't expect bribes to work either. No amount of money is worth my fucking reputation." Upon closer inspection, the guest was able to notice a familiar jacket; A gift from long ago. While most parts of his body had changed since the girl of his past had rejected him, it appeared he still clung onto her memory. His jacket had signs of wear and tear; Rips in the seams fixed through various restitches and stains washed out over the course of years. "Oh, what? Did you come here to stare or did you come here for the club? I'm not the main attraction here, you know?"

Neon walked over to Ace from behind, tapping his shoulder. "Alright, we got the pics we needed, Ace. What now?" He turned his body towards his friend while keeping his eyes on the guest. "Let's finish our job and get going." Ace left a couple hundreds in her hand. "Go ahead and take a break. Get a drink for yourselves and relax a little. Tip the bartender too. Don't worry, it's all on me. Just don't forget to get me some Chinese food on your way back home." Finally, he turned back around once Neon left the two of them alone. "Sorry 'bout that. It's a busy night in there. Lots of fucking drunks to kick out."

"Anyways. . . Your name?"​

 

[Tenzai]

════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════
Fear. The most intense biological reaction among all living organisms.

It was an emotion that transcended culture, understood by every species that wielded a brain.
════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɪ ᴄʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ | ᴊᴀᴋᴇ ʜɪʟʟ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

I popped off, it's been a little borin'
All my enemies are hiding out, it gets annoyin'
Guess I gotta sniff 'em out, I'm searchin' 'til the mornin'
Finally found the prey, okay so now's the day for mournin'

I used to want to kill myself, but now I only kill the snakes
Bitch, don't say you know me, 'cause you've always been a fake
I've been posted in my dungeon, got the tools to make you vanish
I been itchin' for destruction, I might take over the planet, uh
════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════
"Pray someone beyond the grave will take pity on you."​

Kaia's grip refused to give even an inch, aware of the serpent warden's sins. With an anger refined by the vengeful fire of pure hatred towards all who would sought to subject another conscious living being of her accursed fate, she stripped her foe of his right to breathe. His claws pawed at her face first in an attempt to break free from her grip to no avail. Despite whatever the scratches he could inflict to her jumpsuit or her helmet, her body was much stronger than he ever could expect. She was angry.

"You... Will... Pay.... For this..." He wastefully hissed at her, using up whatever valuable stores remained of his breath even faster as he tried to break free of her hold. With his digits bearing into her wrists, he tried to pry her body free. However, despite the enhanced effects of his adrenaline coursing through his veins, his body was starting to give in. His own muscles struggled to wield its strength against her, her own soul strangling the breath of life from his own.

With his consciousness now escaping, the serpent captor could barely hear the sounds of her voice screaming curses at his existence. He couldn't resist her sudden mounting, falling prey to her whims as he was tossed to the floor. Only until she relented in her grip, where his eyes started to see the flames of hell opening up to claim him, did she give him the mercy of a single breath before finally crushing his neck, swiftly ending the existence of the monster that inflicted so much harm.

"You alright Kai-" Before Ace had a chance to ask her if she was alright after watching her sudden wrathful display, Kaia interrupted him. "Deal with what remains... There's something else here. I... I can feel it." He nodded his head. Now was not the time for questions. If there were others in need of help, he needed to assign orders and be a leader. Turning to his own, he quickly explained to those who made it down the basement with him what to do with the remaining prisoners before running in the direction his partner had charged in. "Damn it, out of all the times to split up. Now's not it."

Kaia was always much faster than him. He never had a doubt that she would have been the lead of his school's female track team if she wasn't so distracted with hanging out with him and his sisters after school. However, the speed at which she moved now astonished him. She was able to move faster than what he deemed was possible, like the superheroes of the dorky manga he would hide from the others to read in private. However, despite her speed, she wasn't quiet. Her feet carried sound that echoed down the dark hallway. Following the sounds, he eventually heard her feet stop before being met with a sight he grew far too accustomed to: Bodies. By the time he reached her, he found Kaia standing in front of a pile of corpses stacked nearly to the ceiling. Beside the bodies stood an open furnace, reeking of burnt flesh and ash.

════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════​

"The independent mission I was telling you about... I found one of ours."

Unlike him, she failed to make it on time.
"Unknown. Send a medical team, mask them up and work quietly... these gangs... they're... well... I'll just tell Ace."

════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════​

"Kaia. We did what we could. At least, we were in time to save a lot of people. Don't forget that, yeah?" Ace put a hand on her shoulder as they both gazed upon oblivion. Not every rescue was going to be successful, that was the reality that came alongside working against these sex rings. For every club he managed to take down, there would be three that sprouted of its place, each costing the blood of the innocent and righteous to slay. They were a stubborn mold on society that were quick to fill in the power vacuum of those who weren't enough to handle the pressure of competition or the sting operations of law enforcement. Yet, while it was an endless job, he saved countless lives. They were bound to save more by advancing into the dens where few others would wish the same. Trauma were the emotional scars that came from this hidden war. Finding her lack of a breakdown upon seeing one of her own lay dead in front of her, he realized just how far she had come since. Though, before they were able to recollect themselves and collect evidence for a case, they heard a voice squeak from a cage.

"Hey there... are you ok? I'm here to get you out." Kaia was the first to approach. Ace on the other hand was still wary of enemies afoot. Even as the sounds of conflict had ended above, he never believed there was such a thing as being too careful in this line of work. "S-Save... me...?" The child-like voice spoke again, her voice strained from a lack of water and food. As he turned his attention towards the sound, he saw a girl who was hurt. Where her eyes should have been, he found voids staring back. For a moment, he blinked to ensure that what he was seeing was reality. It was the first time he saw ears and antlers on someone else, let alone someone able to survive the extent of her injuries. Though, instead of responding with the typical ignorance towards supernaturals he usually did, Ace followed Kaia and approached her with sympathy in his voice. "We'll get you out of here. Promise."

"Mhm... I'm gonna get you out of here ok?" As Kaia attempted to pick the lock, Ace aimed his bat at the cage. "Stand aside, Kaia. You too, little one." Grabbing his bat with both hands, he carefully jammed it against the hinges of the cage's doors, knocking the bolts loose before prying the door off. "There. Take my hand, okay?" Reaching into the cage, he gingerly wrapped his hands around the girl's own before tossing a jacket over her antlers. "That should keep you from getting cold. It's chilly outside." He spoke to her like he did his little sister. Far too often he was subject to scenes where he had to play the hero for someone who couldn't defend themselves, but to see a girl like this so close to death, it made his heart cry in his chest for her. Tears dripped from his eyes as Kaia spoke her thoughts. "Ace. We need to leave asap... I called for help. I hope you understand."

"Of course. We overstayed our welcome here. I doubt there's anything left to do other than bury the dead." Ace gestured over to Kaia to follow him, slowing down his pace for the girl's footsteps to keep up. However, after seeing her tremble and nearly lose her fitting, Ace took her by the legs and carried her like a princess. "There, there. You fought your battle. Let me take care of the rest, okay?" His words were no louder than a whisper. His arms were careful not to inflict any more pain. "My name's Ace. What's yours?" Upon hearing her name, he gently patted her shoulder. "That's a beautiful name. I'll do my best to remember that if you try to remember mine."

With the darkness of the dungeon and the stench of corpses behind them, the air began to lighten up as their surroundings had returned to that of normal. Spare the shells and the bodies on the floor as the result of the recent gunfight, Ace felt himself relax being in familiar territory once again. His own crew saluted him by bracing their fists to their chest before returning back to the task of tending to the wounded and securing the perimeter. As his crew gave the sign to his gang that local law enforcement was coming in to investigate, the gang members began to make their escape, careful not to leave any evidence behind that would tie themselves to the crime scene.

════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════
"Lets go home, Kaia. I'm tired." Ace sighed.

"We've all been through enough tonight."
════════════════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════════════════
Chapter 2.1 Reunion

"Zero, right? Heard from Kaia that you're a big deal around here."​

With the long night now behind them, Ace followed the orders of the agents who arrived on scene, eventually being taken into custody for questioning so he could be there to examine the wellbeing of the little girl. Now standing in front of a window in the medical bay that allowed vision into the emergency room, he saw what the local staff recognized as a fairy working on her to heal her back to normal. An amber aura surrounded her hands as the wounds closed, leaving Ace amazed at the miraculous scenes in play around him. This was far from the ordinary life he grew used to. Unlike the human dominated world of the city beyond the walls of the SSU, here it seemed that humans were the minority. "Thanks for the help last night. I appreciate it."

The gang leader was humble in person to those he couldn't fight without. While his opinion of the organization that Kaia was a part of was still for the most part negative, he couldn't deny that their state of the art facilities, their capable staff, and their futuristic equipment could fight the sex rings on a level that his gang could only dream of achieving. If he were to find any success against the growing number of criminals that sought to enterprise off of the trafficking of supernaturals and humans alike, he and his gang would have to work with them. "I wanted to ask a few questions. Tried to ask your boss the same but she was too busy to really ask anything more than a few questions about what went on last night." Ace placed his hand on the mirror, praying quietly for the little girl's wellbeing before turning his attention to the assassin herself.

"Just what are you guys?" His eyes stared at her mask, curious as to the shape of her ears. She lacked the warm breath of a living being. Even while out in the cold the night prior, unlike Kaia and himself, her words lacked the mist that would suggest warm blood. "Clearly, this isn't a dream. I'd have woken up by now." He turned to the girl before returning his attention back to Zero. "So that just means one thing. You guys... And this thing. They're all real, but it makes me wonder why you and the others would go so far out of your way to deal with a sex ring like that. Given the funding here, I could imagine you all do work for the government. IRS type shit but with aliens and ghosts and other shit right?" He leaned back against the wall, continuing with his questioning.

"Hell, even your shadow isn't acting normal. Your boss too. She has fangs. No fucking way you're just assigned to dealing with street crime." He thought of his interview with Adriana. While she spoke, his eyes followed her elongated canines and her glowing eyes. "And Kaia too. Or I mean... Barracuda; What the fuck happened to her? Last time I checked, she was human. But now?" He remembered how she disappeared from one place and reappeared in another. "I don't know anymore. I don't know if I'm fucking around with forces I don't understand by being here but... I owe you guys." He reached for his cig, preparing to light it to calm his nerves. With her mask on, he couldn't tell where she was looking or if she blinked. If not for Kaia bringing Zero up as a she, he would have even doubted her gender. "So what now? Adriana told me to stay around for some reason but she never told me why. Know why?"