Tomobiki District;
Screams echoed from the regularly peaceful home situated in the Tomobiki residential district. Normally, the neighbors would immediately run to find out what was going on, but by the tone and desperate cries they immediately knew quite well what was happening inside.
�UUUUAAAAAHHHHHH� damn it, Lum! I don�t want too go out. I�ve got other plans for that weekend!�
�What! Run around chasing skirts when you have me?�
�At least the skirts will not hurt as much as your zacks!�
ZZZZZZAAAAAACCCCKKKKK!!!!!!
AAAAAHHHHHHGGGGHHH!!!!
Ataru Moroboshi moaned pitifully on the floor, body smoldering after absorbing another of his fianc�es brutal electroshocks. Four plus years enduring her vicious attacks had made him partially used to them, but Lum; alien daughter and Oni princess, could turn up the voltage whenever she felt it was needed. The pain and suffering subsided and Ataru slowly rose up on his hands with a groan.
�Darling! You will take me out this weekend, and you will dance with me!� cried Lum, hovering menacingly above him.
Moroboshi started pulling himself across the floor towards the small cluster of his friends watching safely out of blast range.
��oooo� M-M-Megane� M-M-Mendou-san� Sh-Sh-Shinobuuu� help meee!� he gasped, reaching out towards them.
Shutaro Mendou smirked at his longtime nemesis. The son of the richest family in Japan, Mendou secretly held desires for Lum. It irked him that she had eyes only for Ataru, especially with his suave and debonair looks.
�Ha, ha, ha! You think I�m going to help you, Moroboshi, and suffer at your behest? Never!� said Shu.
Ataru stopped and cast desperate eyes over at the four men standing next to Shu.
�Not a chance, Moroboshi,� said Megane, self-proclaimed leader of �Lum�s Stormtroopers�. �Lum has every right to fry you down into embers. Isn�t that right, men?�
The three standing behind him, Parma, Kakaguri, and Chibi, all nodded together. Adjusting his wire rimmed glasses; Megane suddenly knelt down close to Ataru.
�Shame on you. Attempting to cheat outright in front of your wife.�
�She�s not my wife!� shouted Ataru.
Another blast of electricity engulfed Ataru driving Megane back.
�That was cold, Megane,� said Chibi
�Tch, tch, tch, tch,� sounded Kakaguri shaking his head. �Lum is really basting Ataru today.�
�Yeah. He keeps telling her no like that and she�ll have him burnt to a crisp in no time,� said Parma.
They traded looks then grinned evilly down at Ataru.
�Lum!� shouted Shinobu Miyake, Ataru�s onetime girlfriend now partially associated with Shutaro. �Lum, stop it you�re going to kill Ataru!�
The electrocution ceased and Lum hovered back up into the air.
�Well, well Darling shouldn�t be so stubborn,� she replied with a huff.
Across the room Benten; daughter of the god of war, laughed along with Jariten; Lum�s five-year-old cousin nestled on her lap.
�Shinobu, I wouldn�t have any sympathy for Ataru,� she said. �This is just another attempt of his to go out and be his lecherous self.�
�But she still doesn�t have to fry him like a piece of chicken,� replied Shinobu.
Pity overtook Shinobu despite her knowledge of Ataru�s deviant vices. She went to his side and carefully lifted him up into her arms.
�sh-shinobu�� moaned Ataru as she gently stroked his cheek.
�You see,� said Shinobu looking up at Lum. �Ataru�s really hurt this time.�
�Right,� said Shu. �He�s all fake, Shinobu. You should know this by now.�
�But Shu, Ataru�s really burnt up bad!�
�Not so fast, Shinobu,� Megane said. �Better take a look at where those hands are at right now.�
He pointed down at her thighs where during the lull and opportunity of the moment, Ataru slipped his hands up rubbing them along the length of her leg.
Shinobu immediately went ridged before shifting into her alter-ego attack mode.
SLAP!
�Darling!�
Ataru came to a stop against the sliding glass doors as Shinobu retook her spot behind Shu.
�Nice left hook there,� joked Chibi.
Meanwhile, Lum rushed to the side of her husband-to-be. There were stars in his eyes she could see, Ataru�s mind swimming in a daze.
�Oh now look what you�ve done!� she exclaimed.
�Look what I�ve done?� said Shinobu.
�Now, now, ladies,� Shu said before a heated argument could erupt.
The gang gathered around them to check and see if any further assistance would be needed.
�What an idiot,� said Jariten. �He never learns.�
�It�s just Darling�s disease, Ten-chan. If there was some way to rid him of it.�
�Oh, is that why he won�t take you out?� asked Benten, bringing them back to the subject that started all of this.
�He will take me out!� cried Lum.
Slowly, Ataru sat up. Letting out a cough and puff of smoke he stared at the far wall in silence for a moment. �No�, he finally said.
Lum wrapped her arms around him prompting a frantic dive from the rest of her friends. A blinding flash lit the room and when the glare died down, Ataru lay in his usual position, flat on his back. Lum sat on top of him fist beating his chest.
�Darling stop being so stubborn!� she cried.
�Geesh, Lum!� said Megane as he pulled himself from beneath Ataru�s desk. �Give us a heads up before you do that.�
Lum stopped and looked up at him. Megane could see the tears building in her eyes, bottom lip quivering. She let out a wail, sobbing fitfully into her arms.
�Darling, you�re so cruel!� cried Lum, flying off to the other side of the room.
Benten sneered at Ataru then went to console her friend. The rest of the gang re-gathered around him.
�Now look what you�ve done!� shouted Kakaguri. �Lum�s flooding the room and all you can think about is yourself.�
�You, you, you miscreant!� yelled Chibi, rearing back ready to kick Ataru.
Megane prevented the blow, pulling Chibi away. Megane dropped to his knees, moving up close to Ataru�s head. He went prone, shooting a quick glance towards Lum.
�Moroboshi� Moroboshi can you hear me?�
Ataru let out a long groan, eyes creaking open. He cut them over to Megane and barely nodded.
�Good. Listen man. There is nothing wrong with taking Lum out for a night on the town.�
Ataru�s quivering hand beckoned Megane to move closer. �b-b-b-babessss�� he rasped out lightly.
�And?�
��Lum� she� she will� interfeerrr��
�No she won�t.� Megane took another short glance over at Lum. �Think about it, man. A dimly lit room packed cheek to jowl with people just eager to shake their thing with anyone that comes along, music pumping up the adrenaline, a few drinks and maybe a small favor from a few uh� close friends to keep Lum from noticing your disgusting, I mean, admirable habit.�
Ataru did not respond at first. In a flash he was suddenly up on his feet, all marks and burns removed, poised heroically staring out his balcony window.
�We shall go out dancing this weekend, Lum!� he declared to them all.
Lum clasped her hands joyously together. �We will? Oh Darling�.�
�Hold on a minute, Lum,� Benten said. She cut suspicious looks between Ataru and Megane. �No, no, oh no, no, no. That was too quick! Something�s up here.�
�What, what?� Megane said, feigning innocence.
Benten narrowed an eye at him. �Lum.�
Like a battleship�s main guns, Lum�s arms trained out towards Megane. More frantic screams went up, furniture crashing as people dived for cover. A zack cut the air, Megane doing an erratic dance in at the middle of the room. He slumped to the floor in a smoldering heap.
Ataru waited until the smoke cleared before stepping out from behind the curtains.
�Wow, am I glad you took that one, Megane,� he said.
�Boy, that was some blast,� remarked Chibi as he and the others gathered around.
�Ooo, looks painful,� said Parma. He knelt down. �Megane. Megane are you still with us?�
A light nod answered the question.
Kakaguri snapped his fingers in mild disappointment. �Darn, and I was hoping too take over as Leading Executive Stormtrooper too!�
Mendou could only stare incredulously at him before shaking his head to clear the notion from his mind. �Benten is right,� he said, casting accusing looks at Ataru. �Moroboshi is a sneaky one. I would not put it past him to be up too something.�
�Look who�s talking about sneaky,� snapped Ataru.
Lum flew over, landing right up into Ataru�s face. She glared at him and he shirked back expecting another shock. The fingers of her right hand formed into the shape of a gun, Lum laying out the rules for their upcoming night on the town.
�You will stay with me at all times, Darling!�
�All the time?�
�Every moment!�
�Even if I have to�.�
�The only exception! Two, you will dance with no one but me, understand?�
�What! Lum that�s not fair!�
A ribbon of electricity coursed down around Lum�s body.
�Gee, if you put it that way I guess I really can�t argue, can I� Dear?�
Lum smiled. �Now Shu has passes for all of us so there will be no problems getting in. I�ve also invited Ran to join us. She is going to meet us there.�
The mere mention of Ran�s name drew a lecherous sliver of drool down Ataru�s chin. Lum�s smile immediately faded away.
�COVER!� cried Shinobu seconds before Lum�s attack took hold of Ataru.
As he lay smoldering beside Megane, Benten slowly rose up from what remained of Ataru�s beanbag chair.
�So Mendou, where are we going anyway?� she asked.
Shu stood up, sneering briefly at Ataru before answering.
�A new club called the �Red Moon�.�
Shinobu shuddered, rubbing her shoulders. �Such a creepy name,� she said.
�Well that may be, but from what sources tell me it will be a guaranteed hot spot in Tokyo.�
Much to their surprise, Ataru let out one of his lecherous snickers. �Babes� babes!� he chanted in delirium.
Ten could only shake his head in disgust. �This fool never learns��
Thursday evening,
Shibuya-ku;
This is impossible!
Hurried steps treaded along the sidewalk, steps that normally were full of confidence and excitement. Tonight though, they were steps of flight, of the unending desire to escape.
The slender man dressed in casual, tight fitting clothes chanced a glance back over his shoulder trying to mark his pursuer. Here among the busy nightlife of the Roppongi district prey thrived in abundance. It was a very popular hunting ground for his kind, the lure of quick money and new conquest drawing both local and Gaijin partiers to the numerous bars and clubs that filled the streets.
It was supposed to be just another night of feast. Certainly no harm could befall him. Chancing the final rays of sunlight, an act of bravery, he wanted to get a jump on the crowd before the rest of his brethren arose to pluck their fill. Careful travel along shaded streets allowed him access to the beginning throngs of beings rapidly filling the area.
And then he saw him.
This newcomer, a hulking black man clad in a long, black-leather trench coat appeared to sense what he was several blocks away, or was it the obvious caution taken to avoid sunlight as he moved. In either case he found himself feeling a cold rush of fear tear though his soul as the stranger slowly pulled down his dark shades to lock a deadly stare on him.
Feasting quickly went by the wayside, and he now desired the sanctuary of the nearest clan club. Safety in numbers he recalled from the instructions given by his former mentor, and that safety appeared not readily at hand for the moment.
If I can only make the next corner and down a few blocks, he thought picking up his pace. There was a club run by fellow kind, and once inside he could alert them of the danger, maybe even send a message to the new master about this. Oh if only the gathering could happen now!
The stranger following him was gone he could see. Where and how so fast, but that was irrelevant. Just too get off the street with his hide would be sufficient�.
A dark figure collided with him as he rounded the corner. A mere accident, a quick apology, he looked up ready to step aside and froze horrified in his tracks.
It was the stranger, but how?
Anger fueled by the terror inside drew a low growl from him. He curled a lip up exposing his canine teeth that morphed into longer pairs of fangs. The stranger appeared unimpressed, smirking down at him. Clawed hands began to reach out to tear into his assailant, but firmer hands gripped each wrist stopping the move.
Impossible! No human could be strong enough to do this!
The stranger leaned close into his face. �I got questions for you, Wakarimasu-ka?� he said.
Fear prevented a reply, and the stranger made a quick look around before snatching him up and off to the nearest darkened back alley. A clatter of boxes and bottles echoed around the surroundings as the young man was thrust violently into the back wall. He growled, lunging out quickly regretting his actions as blurred fist snapped aside his arms, several blows breaking his clavicles. A gloved hand gripped his chin muffling the painful cry.
�You ain�t got much of a life left, boy, so do us both a favor and make this easy, okay?�
The grip shifted to his collar, jerking him up off his feet.
�I�m looking for one of us. An Old Blood by the name of Rimialdi. Seen him?�
�US? That means you�re�.�
The stranger grinned, lips parting to display a set of fanged teeth.
�You�re one of us!�
�Not quite.�
The man began struggling in the strangers grasp. �Why are you doing this to me?�
�I�m asking the questions here, pal. So have you seen him?�
�No!�
�Somehow, I don�t believe you.�
Another thrust slammed him up against the wall, forcing him around face first into the cold rough surface. A hand fleeced though his pockets, relieving him of his wallet and other valuables. The grip disappeared and he fell to the ground.
�ID, notes, a few yen. I�ll be taking this.�
The man growled again. �Thief!� he shouted as he pulled himself around.
�Let�s call it �maintenance fees�, okay?�
�You bastard! What do you want of the master?�
The stranger�s head snapped around. �I thought you didn�t know anything about him?�
They were quickly eye to eye again, the grip tight around the man�s throat.
�You better start talking, punk, or I�m going to make this long and painful.�
�(Gaagh!) N-N-Never! The Master will rip out your heart!�
�Not what I wanted to hear!�
A solid blow crushed ribs puncturing a lung. A short gurgle rose up, then the question was repeated.
�I won�t tell you anything!�
�Yes you will!�
�The Master will prevail, and when he does you will pay, traitor!�
�Prevail?� The grip tightened. �What do you mean �prevail�?�
A mocking leer was the only reply, angering the stranger. He cocked a fist back, but before he could deliver a blow a siren was heard from the outside street. Keen hearing caught the frantic voice of a citizen directing the officers to what they thought was a crime in progress.
It was time to leave.
Pulling the man close, the stranger stared at him for a moment.
�Someday in the afterlife, if we meet, you�ll be thanking me for this,� he finally said.
Thanking you? wondered the man.
Something cold and fast drew its way up across his torso. Skin and muscle suddenly burned and decayed all in one second, the vampire�s last thoughts were of disbelief at his death by the hands of his own kind. Nothing remained but skull and bones that clattered to the ground moments before several police officers charged onto the scene.
They panned their flashlights around at the disturbing sight. No sign of the killer, and to several of the police this was just another grisly act in the bizarre chain of killings happening around Tokyo.
But to some of the others, this was much more, an act that brought both anger and dread to mind.
The master was sure to be furious�
* * * * *
Blade observed the police from his perch high atop one of the building rooftops for a moment before slipping off across the neighboring buildings. Once he figured he was a safe distance away, he stopped and sat down, fleecing through the rest of the wallet he had taken.
More credit cards, a few bus passes and� wait a minute. What�s this? Blade looked over what appeared to be some sort of access card or pass close to credit card size, but with a strange series of writing on it he�d never seen. A magnetic strip ran across the width of the card, and below that was a fancy picturesque logo depicting a red colored moon over the Tokyo skyline.
�VIP pass for the Grand Opening of the Club Red Moon� ran the words embossed on the front with a date and address below.
�Red Moon?� muttered Eric. He thought, thinking back to memories of ancient lore regarding the significance of a red moon in vampire history.
Blade glanced at the card again then laughed lightly to himself.
�Looks like I�ll be going to a party,� he said.
* * * * *
Grace Kimball checked the time on the desk clock as she stepped out into her hotel room after a long warm shower. Eight forty-two, damn it was later than she expected. I guess even vampires can experience jet lag, she mused laughing to herself.
The transit went smoothly, Grace reflecting on Judson Land�s method of delivering her into Japan. Thank goodness Fed-Ex had containers large enough for her to lie in comfortably. Her container, marked humorously enough �Mannequins�, was conveniently placed into a warehouse. Travelling after darkness set Grace arrived at this hotel where reservations had been made.
So far so good, she thought, but what about feeding?
That made her worry, the seven medium sized plastic containers of whole blood brought along would last for a few days, but after that then what? There was no guarantee she could track down any leads on this cult by then, and if fortunes were against her she might have to resort to the local hoods and sharks to supply her with fresh blood, clean or not.
At least there would be no shortage of money, Judson mindful to allocate her a card out of his extensive resources. Only thing left now was to get started on tracking down the vampires causing all the trouble.
�Yeah, look at me,� said Grace. �A single, foreign, good looking woman with skin as pale as a bar of ivory soap is just going to walk about the city hoping to find a lead. Oh great thinking, Grace Kimball.�
She laughed again and picked up the travelers guide Tracy gave her reviewing the section on Tokyo. �Hmm, by the accounts here, there should be no problem walking around alone.� She flipped a few more pages over, stopping on the tourist information section.
�All hotels usually have a desk available for the standard questions� how convenient.�
Closing the book, Grace continued drying off as she thought. �As good of place to start as any,� she said. �Better than walking around lost.�
Her wardrobe was limited, but Grace managed to find a decent pair of slacks and blouse, throwing on a dark leather coat as she left. The main lobby of the hotel was lightly occupied easing her tension as she crossed the floor to the tourist information booth. A young woman stood behind the counter reading a magazine. This aught to be good, thought Grace. She still had not memorized enough Japanese for her brain to make the conversion, deciding to play lost tourist and speak in English.
�Excuse me. Could you direct me to the nearest bus station?�
The woman looked up with a quizzical look on her face.
Grace frowned inwardly. �Did you understand me?� she asked.
The woman tipped her head slightly to one side. �Iie?�
�Great,� said Grace. She stepped back glanced up at the sign above their heads and sighed. �My luck I get a representative who can�t understand me.�
Grumbling under her breath, she pulled out a small English to Japanese translation guide and started thumbing through it.
�Where can I find a phrase to fit this question?�
�Try page seventeen,� said the young woman.
�Thank you, I�.�
The woman laughed as Grace paused, cutting her eyes up knowing that she�d been had.
�Oh, oh� I�m sorry ma�am, but I could not pass that up.�
Kimball snapped the book shut. �I was warned about the humor you people have here,� said Grace.
The young woman�s laughs finally subsided. �Uhm, do you really want to get on a bus, ma�am?�
�Why, is that a problem?�
�If you�re in a hurry, or care where you end up.�
�Well I do care where I am going.�
�In that case you would be better off riding the subway. Uh, might I ask what you are looking for?�
�Something to do,� lied Grace.
�Well why didn�t you say that in the first place!� exclaimed the woman.
She turned around rummaging through some pamphlets and flyers. Grace wondered what it was she was looking for, and as the girl bent over she noticed a strange tattoo etched on the nape of her neck. It looked like some sort of glyph, but strangely familiar like the ones she saw on those people while down in�.
A slave!
Memories of the ordeal down in central Mexico flashed into her mind. That mark on this girl�s neck could not be any coincidence.
�Interesting tattoo,� she said, leaning casually on the counter top.
As if pricked by a knife, the young woman shot up straight. She covered the back of her neck with a hand and smiled.
�Sorry,� she said, pulling her hair back into place.
�Nothing to be sorry about. It interests me.�
�Its not anything really. Just something I had done down at the club I go too.�
�Sort of a brand?�
The woman grinned. �The place I wanted you to know about is not opening up until tomorrow,� she said, changing the subject.
Grace smiled aware of the dodge and played along. �Oh really?�
She nodded. �It will be the hottest spot in town to party, and you might even find someone �compatible� if you know what I mean.�
�You don�t say?�
The woman was kneeling back down behind the counter again, this time careful not to allow her hair to come forward. She came back up holding a pamphlet handing it to Grace.
�The Red Moon?� she asked.
�It will be perfect for you.�
�Hmm,� sounded Grace. A recommendation from just anyone would not have interested her, but one from someone who has connections with the vampire community certainly did.
Who said vampires weren�t lucky?
�I don�t suppose the crowd is of your type?�
�It will cater to a mixed crowd, domestic and foreign.�
�That�s not what I meant.�
The woman flinched, nervously rubbing the back of her neck again. She narrowed an eye at Kimball, and then smiled. �Yeah, a lot of my crowd will be there.�
Grace patted the counter top excitedly. �Then I�m there.�
�Eight o�clock is when the VIP party begins, nine-thirty is when they�re going to allow everyone else in.�
She looked Grace over for a moment. �With your figure I�d say you shouldn�t have any problem getting in.�
It was the best compliment Grace heard in a long time. To bad it had to come from a woman. That also brought to mind the fact that she would have to go out and find something decent to wear. It was late, but if Tokyo was anything like L.A. finding clothes shouldn�t be a problem.
�So point me in the right direction to a shopping mall. Wouldn�t want to show up looking like a tourist now would I?�
�With that hair? Ma�am you�re going to be the catch of the night.�
But it�s what kind of catch that remains to be seen, thought Grace.
Hopefully the one she was after�