"W-w-wait... Gwendolyn Dietrich? The Gwendolyn Dietrich? You're joking, right? That's your cousin?" Paula said with a seemingly appalled expression as she looks at Alex with peak interest. Kai joins in as well with similar doubt. It seems like Alex has some explaining to do.
"Right... Well. Me and her go way back. I'm talking childhood. I'm always more on the not so wealthy side of the family, but there goes Gwendolyn whenever she felt the need to help us with any financial or emotional situation. Didn't expect her to end up having magic abilities and become a high tier Vampire Hunter. But hey, all of our families have always considered her a special girl. And me, as a cousin of course had to be proud of it." Alex said with sincerity.
Paula looks up as she snaps her fingers multiple times in a brisk pace. "Right, right, right. So, what I'm seeing right now is you wanna walk in her footsteps, is that correct?"
Alex responds with consistent stuttering, seemingly unable to get that idea out of his mind because it's probably true. He then stops before sighing. "I just wanna be as strong as her. N-nothing wrong with that, right?" Kai then laughs.
"Nobody's judging, kid. Who doesn't wanna be seen as powerful as any of the greats? Me, personally, I wanna be seen as great as Rouk Paulie. Guy's a real champ. He died being impaled by a large metal after being ambushed by vampires and still managed to beat most of them."
Paula rolls her eyes as she giggles, she then lightly hits Kai's shoulder. "Okay, tough boy, we get it. Do you have our map? If you don't, drive us to the base in Neterpalm. That's where we'll be planning stuff."
Kai hits the petal as they drive onward to Neterpalm, which is a twenty minute drive if they drive via a dangerous route that's usually prohibited to drive through during the night. Alex looks around the environment as they drive through the said route. Paula notices his curiosity as she smiles. "Lots of Vampire Hunters created these routes to save gas, of course. It's kind of an illegal thing to do because reanimators have a chance to stumble across it and make it's way to the main road. But then again, we compensate by making a gate that we manually have to close once nighttime arrives."
"I don't get it. Why are reanimators specifically in these kind of areas? Not anywhere near more civilized areas?"
"People ask this all the time, Alex. Nobody really knows. My guess? The Vampire Queen really just don't want anymore humans to take land that could be hers. She is an expansion freak, after all. Did you know that she basically own 40% of the land in Lenova?"
"Where is she, anyways?"
"That's the disturbing part about all of this. Nobody knows."
Once the three arrive in Neterpalm, a man blocked the door of their base. Paula notices who this man is and is exasperated.
"Really, Paula, after everything we've been through together. This?! The man points at Alex while still looking at Paula This is who you're replacing me with?!"
Paula rubs the bridge of her nose as she looks down. "Alright, listen here, we were NEVER a thing. And come on, you know me enough that I am not into relationship. By all means, consider the fact that I never liked you. You're a grown man, Law."
"Nah, nah, nah... I've fed ya and I've treated you like the woman of the world and suddenly you wanna tell me that I never matter and then this guy shows up day one and you're hunting with him? Law then looks at Alex, And like no offense to you mister, but I've worked my ass off to even CONSIDER being an option to go on one of her wacky escapades."
"Law, I will tell you this one more and never again. We were never a thing. I didn't ask for your "generous hospitality". And I can't believe it took you one guy to realize I was never interested in you. And by all means, I am NOT dating this guy right here. I owed him that because of something he gave to me that'll change our lives."
"And what would that be?"
Paula then grabs five of the bloodied note that she's been studying and investigating throughout her job as a Vampire Hunter. "You always told me I'm crazy for following this, thinking it would get me nowhere. But this guy right here... He found one too."
"Where would that even lead us? How's a bunch of notes gonna lead you to a serial killer vampire?"
"I'm glad you asked." The group enters the base as she puts out a detailed map onto the table set up in the middle of the room. "I found the first note in Cespyle, and then the second right here in Neterpalm, the third is in Safherville, and the fourth is Nocturna, thanks to Matthews discovering it, lastly... Alex here found it in Vandolin. Fourth is the most damaged so I'd assume it has to be the first. Now, by that logic, I notice that if I put it in proper order..."
In potluck, I accept the burdens I say no to. In those moments, I hear thunder roaring ahead of me. As if to call me the moment it destroys everything around me. In these memories, I hide my fear with the promised wrath the voices are telling. In such tragedy, would i hold it up on myself of the bloods in my hand. Wouldn't it be nice if we accept the things that don't make sense.
"Nocturna, Cespyle, Neterpalm, Safherville, and lastly Vandolin. He's biggering. He's targeting towns from smallest to biggest. I think I know where he'll be heading next. New Hernan. Think about it, i did the math, I am sure New Hernan is bigger than Vandolin and is smaller than Docks. We don't have much more lead than that, but it's the progress that counts. Besides, we all found this after vampire attacks, no? If New Hernan were to get attacked, I'm certain our guy will be the one to do it. Now, who's with me on this?"
"I'm down" Kai said as he smiles looking at the group. Law looks up as he sighs in annoyance. "Whatever. As long as I get to be apart of this." Paula then looks at Alex. "Me? Oh... Well... Sure. I'm down with anything."
"Great. Let's get to it then. We don't know much about who this mysterious killer is... How about we call em Red? We don't know when Red would be attacking but we'll be there once it happens."
The four sets out into the car as they drive to Jeffrey, with Paula sitting next to Alex and Law siting next to Kai. "Say, Paula, how come you think it's certain that this killer would be attacking New Hernan? If we're wrong about this, we'd be wasting a lot of time."
"To be honest, I don't know much either. I don't really care if we'd catch him or not. But moreso I'm emphasising on the catch. This same person has been committing atrocities. If my instincts are right, we'll catch this red one. Besides, my instincts are the only thing keeping me alive."
As they stop at a diner to get food, Kai goes inside as Alex waits for Paula. "Oops, Law, i forgot about the pages. Can you bring it in the diner, I wanna read it further, just in case." She said as Paula went into the dinner. Alex stopped at the door as he watches Law getting the notes. "After you." Alex said with an awkward smile, trying not to be tense around Law.
Once Law gets in, he stumbles upon a hooded man which Law then accidentally drops the notes. "Hey, watch it, punk!"
The man looks at the notes as he makes a menacing face. He then looks at Law. "So... You've been following me."
"What?" Law said before the man pulls out a gun and shoots at Law in the face. Alex, Kai, and Paula looks with a confused yet shocked face as scream erupts inside the diner. The man looks at Paula as he aims his gun at her. She jumps over the counter avoiding the bullets being shot at her. Kai grabs his gun as he shoots the man in the chest multiple times. The bullets doesn't seem to affect him. He then fires back at Kai, with Kai using the table to shield himself from being shot.
"Alex, get the guns!" Paula screamed before throwing multiple blunt objects at the man. She then goes to the kitchen, noticing multiple employees hiding in fear. She grabs a fire extinguisher, waiting for the man to come in. As he does, she jumps on him and bashes the fire extinguisher multiple times against the head. He then grabs Paula as she throws her out of the kitchen, with her groaning in pain. The man gets out as he aims his gun towards Paula.
"Hey, you!" Alex said as he gains the man's attention. He then shoots him multiple times with a pistol while throwing a shotgun at Paula. Paula rolls away to a nearby table before shooting the man as well. Kai joins in as the man screams out, overstimulated by the pain. He flies through the window as Alex and Paula watches.
"He's... unaffected by the sun?! What the hell..." Alex looked in shock as the man flies towards Jeffrey, which Paula would figure out due to her geographical knowledge.
"Jeffrey... Jeffrey... Why the hell he's going there?! Quick, follow him!" She said before looking at Law's dead body with a guilty expression. She takes a deep breathe before running to the car, with Alex watching her. Kai then speeds on, with him looking out on the window to see where the man is flying to.
"Jeffrey... This has to be our guy. He f***ing shot Law in the face because of that note. I-if I didn't... tell Law to get the notes, he would've been alive..." Paula grits her teeth, making a disturbed expression before Alex puts his hand on her shoulder.
"It's not your fault. You didn't know and neither does any of us. We just have to avenge him." Paula then looks at Alex as she nods yes. She then grabs her phone and calls somebody. "Gordon, get the group ready in Jeffrey. It's an abnormal vampire. Or... maybe a superhuman, I don't know! He killed Law. Be ready for anybody flying towards Jeffrey!"
"Why Jeffrey, though? Isn't he supposed to go to New Hernan?" Kai said as he speeds up, looking up to see where the man is heading.
"I feel it... Is this it? I will make you proud, mother... I will... I. Will." The man dashes faster, with Kai unable to keep up as well as the road having turns. "I don't see him... We lost him... You sure he's going to Jeffrey, though?"
As Paula's about to respond, she hears her phone ringing as she immediately answers. "Paula, it's there. I saw a flying man. It's coming towards this town. You guys are heading here now, right? Well quick! We'll neutralize it." Paula sighs in relief as she ends the call. "We'll take that f***er down."
Alex is suddenly reminded of Hugo as he makes a terrified expression, his breathing fastening.
"I found you." The man slowly flies down towards the ground, landing on the town's park. He looks at the ground as he grins, not before having his ear twitch.
"Freeze! Don't move, a**hole! You're surrounded!" The man's grin widens as he turns around with a devilish expression, noticing actual vampire hunters surrounding him on all sides, which he then laughs loudly. "Come at me then... I'm ready to get my hands dirty!" The man then laughs maniacally.
BANG!