Hilda cast her eyes over the group as she followed them through the hallways of the military base. It'd been all right teaming up with them for an escape, but she didn't know much about these people. They were all so weird, especially Johnny. With him walking in front of her, she was having a hard time seeing anything besides his hunched shoulders. He hadn't walked like that before, and it took her a moment to realize why he was doing it now. Her blue eyes narrowed at the ghost logo on the boy's jacket.

"Johnny, keep that up and I'll bite you again."

The teenager spun around, so startled by the threat he nearly tripped over his own feet. "What am I doing?" he demanded, his shoulders tensing even more.

Hilda growled in frustration. "You look like Quasimodo," she told him as she grabbed both shoulders and forced them down.

"Oh. Sorry. The whole bloodsucking just creeped me out. You could've warned me."

The vampire smirked. "So is it fine to bite if I tell you first?"

Johnny gulped, his green eyes widening, and she nearly laughed. He was odd, but fun to play with. "N-no. You have to ask my permission."

Her eyebrows rose. "And maybe you'll let me?" she asked, smiling at him. His blood had a pure quality and a tangy, sweet taste--and though he looked a little pale with fatigue, he was still up and walking, so clearly he could spare a few drops.

"Um, maybe...but not right now, okay?" he said, breathing more quickly as she leaned towards him and placed one hand on his chest. "We've got to get out of here."

"Please?" she pleaded, meanwhile stepping forward to make him back up against the wall. Her smile readily switched to a pout. "I'm starved, Johnny. They kept us locked up in that cage. We couldn't eat for days," she told him as she craned her neck for a better look at his.

He gasped when her tongue flicked over his neck. She was searching for the place where she'd bitten him before, the neatest spot for a second bite. "Hilda, I'm kind of tired--I know you're hungry, but--maybe someone else could--OW!"

Hilda blinked. She hadn't sucked his blood, and even worse, he'd disappeared from under her. She looked to her left, where Johnny was lying on the floor in a daze, and then to her right, where a redclad ninja was grinning.

"Frank used secret art of vampire victim save!" he boasted, and Hilda changed her mind: even if Johnny was weird, no one could beat Frank for absurdity.

Mao padded over to Johnny and stood over him with her front paws on her hips. "You don't know much about vampires, do you, kid?" she said in a dry voice. "It's true that blood is the most nourishing substance for them, but they can eat just like humans." Johnny groaned and stood, shaking his head. The cat turned a single yellow eye to Hilda. "If you're so hungry, girl, here. Have an apple."

There was a flash of red in the air and Hilda stretched her hands out to catch the fruit. She was fuming. Johnny was looking at her with uncertainty now and she knew her chance of a second taste was gone.

"Is there a problem?" a voice called from the end of the hallway. Shania and Natan had continued ahead of the group and now the woman was glaring at them, her arms folded as if to say how dare they slow her down.

"Not at all," Mao purred. "We were just discussing the rule about bloodsucking, which is?"

"I won't drink anyone's blood," the vampire huffed. As they started walking again, she took a large bite of the apple. It was crisp and sweet, but not nearly as good as Johnny's blood. Hilda decided then that, no matter what, she was going to get a second taste.