There seemed to have been a slight miscommunication between Enzer and Blade. Enzer's plan involved discreetly capturing individuals, but Blade had argued against it, suggesting they simply lure the vampires to them and leave the rest to Enzer.
"Six. That'll do." Enzer counted the downed vampires, a quiet confidence settling over him. With the Queen and her brood, handling these six should be more than manageable.
George stared at the seemingly innocuous young man, his voice laced with urgency. "Get out of here! They're dangerous!" "I know, I know," Enzer murmured, his gaze unfazed by the pooling blood, as if it were no more remarkable than spilled water.
This distance was negligible in the darkness. A vampire, its head snapping up, licked the crimson from its lips and lunged forward with predatory excitement.
A prickle of unease ran down Dennis's spine, but he remained silent, observing with his enhanced vision. Barring any unforeseen interference, the human would soon be overwhelmed, pinned beneath the vampire's superior strength and speed, his neck a vulnerable target.
Horror etched itself onto George's face. He felt a desperate urge to protect the seemingly defenseless youth. He knew all too well the monstrous nature of vampires. But at this range, any intervention seemed futile. The attacking vampire was mere inches from sinking its teeth into Enzer's neck.
In that instant, a silver blur sliced through the darkness. A whip-like tail, gleaming ominously, grazed Enzer's shoulder before continuing its silent, deadly trajectory, aimed squarely at the attacking vampire's face.
"Chest," Enzer commanded, his voice calm amidst the chaos. The tail's tip adjusted its course minutely, plunging into the vampire's chest with brutal force, impaling him and hoisting him aloft like a skewered delicacy.
A piercing shriek tore through the night, the vampire's unnatural resilience preventing instant death. Fear warred with utter disbelief in its eyes. What in God's name was that?!
A soft thwack echoed in the stillness. Then, like phantoms emerging from the shadows, several more of the alien creatures moved with unsettling speed, fanning out to encircle the remaining vampires at close quarters.
Dennis's brow furrowed as he scrutinized the bizarre entities. "Four... what manner of creatures are these?" Surprise flickered across his face. This location was proving to be a nexus of the inexplicable: the unexpected police presence, the peculiar human, and now these… things.
Dennis's thoughts drifted back to the strange, blood like substance. He focused his enhanced night vision on the aliens. While they shared a general design, subtle variations were apparent. Some possessed greater bulk, while others were leaner, prioritizing speed and agility. The common thread was their quadrupedal stance… yet a disquieting feeling gnawed at Dennis, as if he were looking at different animals forced into the same unnatural mold.
George and the other officers stood frozen, their mouths agape in stunned disbelief. The unfolding scene defied any semblance of their prior experience.
"You know Blade, don't you?" Dennis called out, his voice carrying clearly across the short distance. "You're the one who supplied him with that peculiar weapon."
"Indeed," Enzer replied, his gaze fixed on the impaled vampire. "Though things haven't gone quite as planned. Perhaps eliminating you will help rectify that… somewhat." Fortunately, he thought, it's just a chest wound. He might still be viable.
"That liquid you gave Blade… it's blood, isn't it?" Dennis pressed, his eyes darting between Enzer and the aliens. "Where did it come from? Don't tell me you synthesized it, or…" He paused, a bizarre notion taking root. Ridiculous as it sounds, after everything else, could it be related to these strange, powerful creatures? The ease with which that tail pierced a vampire shows their extraordinary strength.
"Engage," Enzer commanded, his voice sharp. The three remaining aliens sprang forward with terrifying speed, launching themselves at the vampires. The Queen, who had been a silent sentinel beside Enzer, joined the fray moments later.
Reacting instantly, the vampires drew their pistols and opened fire on the advancing aliens. Their initial assessment, that the creatures were melee fighters, prompted them to rely on ranged weaponry. Bang! Bang! Bang! Small wounds blossomed on the aliens' chitinous hides, but they pressed their attack with unnerving disregard for pain. As they closed the distance, dark blood began to drip from their injuries, hissing violently as it made contact with the vampires' skin.
"What the?!,My skin's burning!, Watch out!" Their blood is corrosive! Just like the stuff the Daywalker uses, strong enough to eat through steel! But this… this is even worse!" The horrifying truth dawned on the vampires, far exceeding their wildest, panicked speculations. How could such a creature exist? Even its spilled blood was a potent weapon? The idea of a biological weapon carrying such volatile fluid within its very veins was beyond comprehension. This creature wasn't just a fighter; it was a living weapon.
Heavy gunfire echoed through the night as desperation fueled a surge of feral aggression in some of the vampires. Abandoning their ineffective pistols, they charged forward in a desperate attempt at close combat, a decision they instantly regretted. The moment one vampire lunged, an alien snapped its jaws open and spat a stream of its corrosive blood directly into the vampire's face, eliciting a shriek of agony and instantly incapacitating him.
One by one, the vampires fell, their unnatural vitality preventing swift death despite the brutal injuries inflicted upon them. Limbs were ripped away with savage efficiency, leaving the vampires writhing on the ground, their screams of agony piercing the night. The more fiercely they fought, the more wounds they managed to inflict on the aliens, inadvertently showering themselves with the creatures' corrosive blood, escalating the devastating consequences.
Even Dennis was taken aback. The aliens' combat prowess was astonishing, coordinated, almost rehearsed. Despite the complete lack of discernible communication, their movements were perfectly synchronized, executing flawless tactics. Their individual fighting skills were terrifyingly effective, and they displayed a chilling disregard for their own well being. No, it was more than that. In a gruesome twist, their very injuries, the spilling of their corrosive blood, had become an integral part of their combat strategy.
"Enough! Stop this! I want to negotiate!" Dennis roared, shoving an attacking alien away. Watching his subordinates fall one after another, he waved his arms frantically in Enzer's direction and fired a shot. His aim was true. But with a subtle shift of his body, Enzer effortlessly evaded the bullet. Dennis's face contorted in disbelief as he squeezed off several more rounds in rapid succession. His renowned marksmanship had utterly failed him! This wasn't luck; it spoke of reflexes and perception far beyond human limits.
A moment later, Dennis was overwhelmed by another alien, its corrosive blood searing his flesh, eliciting a primal scream of agony. Bitter regret washed over him. He had been too arrogant, too confident in his superiority. He should have brought reinforcements. But even then, he doubted they could have contained such swift and deadly adversaries. More than the pain, a profound confusion gripped Dennis. He had no idea who these creatures were, or where they had come from.
"Six vampires. Impressive." Enzer strolled over, completely unscathed, surveying the six writhing figures with a strange sort of detached admiration.
"You… you didn't kill us," Dennis gasped, a flicker of hope igniting within him. As long as they want to talk, there's a chance. "What do you want? Money? Influence? Power?"
"Neither," Enzer replied, his voice taking on an unsettlingly clinical tone. "I need you to remain… intact… for the next few hours. I have a rather crucial hypothesis I wish to test on specimens such as yourselves, creatures who rely on the consumption of human blood for sustenance." An unnerving curiosity laced his words, a chilling whisper of scientific detachment.