The City of Darkness and Blood

Chapter 23

By nighttime, I sat in the Dark Rider in my Hunter suit, scrolling through articles on my phone. One headline caught my eye: Mr. Parlor's company was accused of illegal activity, but he dismissed the accusations. Silver was right, after all. Yet, my suspicions of Parlor lingered. Why was I suspicious? I had just met the man. Maybe it was the stereotype of the evil rich guy. Tonight's patrol had been uneventful—no robberies, no hostage situations—nothing. Criminals were more fearful of me after the Mad Butcher incident, as they should be.

Suddenly, the police scanner crackled to life. "Attention, all units. We have a disturbance on Parker Lane Ave. Possible mugging," the dispatcher reported. Immediately, I turned on my engine and sped to the location. Once there, I parked in front of an alleyway and got out to investigate. The alley was dark, so I used my phone's flashlight to scan the area, aside from the dumpster's odor and the rats scurrying around. But then, my eyes widened at the sight of a female corpse.

I approached the body, noticing fang marks on the left side of the woman's neck. It looked like the city had a vampire infestation problem, meaning my vampire friend was right—again. Before I could call Chief Vlad, something caught my eye: a dark figure perched on the rooftop ledge like a gargoyle statue across from the alley. The figure darted away at high speed, so I exited the alley and grappled to the roof. Scanning the surroundings, the individual seemed to have vanished.

Suddenly, I sensed movement behind me. The dark figure pounced, but I evaded just in time. The assailant was a bald man with pale skin, a crooked nose, and a dark brown beard. He hissed, revealing red eyes and sharp fangs. I stood my ground, raising my fists in a fighting stance. The vampire charged, swinging his fists, but I dodged effortlessly. Blocking his next attack, I slugged his jaw, only for him to backhand me off the roof. I grabbed the ledge before plummeting to death, though my face throbbed from the hit. As I climbed up, the vampire grabbed me by the neck and hurled me like a ragdoll.

The assailant pounced before I could get up, trying to bite me, but I held him back with all my strength. I delivered a right hook to his face and kicked him off. I hopped to my feet, and the vampire quickly stood up. He was about to attack again but paused when he saw me holding a small detonator. I pressed the button, and a sticky bomb I had placed on his chest during the struggle started beeping rapidly. The bomb exploded, and I shielded my face from the blood and gore. When the smoke cleared, the vampire had a vast, bloody hole in his chest. He took a step before collapsing, lifeless.

Unsure if the fight was truly over, I pulled out a switchblade from my utility belt and cautiously approached the vampire. I turned him over and jumped, thinking he might attack again, but he remained still. I snapped my fingers in his face—nothing. He was truly dead. I glided back to the alley and left in the Dark Rider, knowing someone would contact the police.

Arriving home, I drove to an oversized garage near a wooded forest behind my house. I parked inside, and the door automatically closed. I changed out of my Hunter suit into lounging clothes. Exiting the garage, I locked the door with the biometric scanner. My phone buzzed: Silver texted, asking where I was and reminding me about the gala. Reluctantly, I headed back to my house to change.

At the gala at Parlor's mahogany mansion, the city's aristocrats were chatting and drinking wine. Silver looked around, feigning smiles at the guests while sipping a glass of water with lemon. She checked her phone impatiently. When I walked through the double doors, she saw me in a black tuxedo with a matching bowtie, my hair tied in a ponytail. She was in awe. I spotted her and walked over, looking mopy as usual. "Smells like... rich people," I remarked. Silver, allured by my appearance, ignored my comment. "What?" I asked.

"You know, when this party's over, we should have rough sex," she said lustfully. I raised an eyebrow, thinking she was joking. But her batting eyes and seductive smile suggested otherwise. "Don't objectify me," I said childishly, crossing my arms and turning away. Silver still smiled at me, and I smiled back, finding the idea tempting. "You were late. What took you?" she asked.