Bitten

Vigil

Loki sat by his brother's bedside, his head resting in his hands. Tony walked into the room.

"Hey, Loki." Tony said softly. He felt this was not the time for nicknames.

"Hello, Stark."

"Any change?"

"None. Even with Odin donating blood he still does not wake. Mother wanted to come but Father felt it was unsafe."

"Understandable."

"This woman did this to him. I can smell her on him." Growled Loki.

"I used the GPS to track the car. It was still parked in front of the last address input. When Nat and I entered, the house was empty, like someone had moved out in a hurry."

"What sort of creature would do this Stark?"

"If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have believed it. They are only supposed to exist in myth and legend. But, then again, you two were only supposed to exist in myth and legend."

"Speak plain Stark."

"A vampire." Said Steve entering the room.

"And they are very real." Said Bucky as he joined Steve.

"What is a vampire?" asked Loki.

"A vicious bloodsucker. They live off blood. They once wreaked havoc through Eastern Europe from the 1400's through to the 1940's led by Dracula."

"That guy was real?" asked Tony.

"Is real, Tony." Corrected Steve.

Bucky walked over and pulled aside the bandage on Thor's neck. "Yea, we got a bloodsucker."

"But Dracula sleeps." Commented Steve. "Do you think he has broken the truce?"

"Most likely it's one of his children." Said Bucky.

"Children?" said Loki, growing more and more frustrated.

"Theoretically, every vampire was once a human who after being bitten by another vampire, dies and rises from the grave. They are literally reanimated corpses making them basically immortal." Explained Steve.

Bucky continued. "They are highly sexual and often seduce their prey before feeding."

"Like what she did to my brother." Loki looked at Thor. "But he did not die?"

"It takes three bites to create a vampire which appears what she was attempting to do here." Said Steve.

"Yea, she means to turn him otherwise she would have drained him dry the first time." Added Bucky. "Which means she will try again to get the third."

"We need to set up sun lamps around Thor's bed." Said Steve.

"I do not understand." Said Loki

"Like I said, vampires are basically immortal, but they can be killed. First is a stake through the heart."

"My favorite." Interrupted Bucky.

"They also can be destroyed by fire, beheading and sunlight."

"Why don't we just put a cross around Thor's neck?" said Tony.

"That is a myth." Said Steve. "Crucifixes, garlic and holy water have no effect on them."

"They can also shapeshift into animals like bats, birds and wolves." Added Bucky.

"You have creatures such as this on Midgard?" asked Loki.

"Apparently we do." Said Tony incredulously.