Post-Apocalyptic Earth. Ever since the war that destroyed a way of life and sent governments crumbling into dust, people have warred to regain some control. And this is also true of a city which held great power before the war. Vatican City still stands, a monument to more peaceful times.

But even within its walls, there is precious little peace to be found.

A new race, the vampires have come to light. They seek to destroy the last true hold of power, and control the remains of earth for themselves.

And so, the Vatican took matters into their own hands, creating a handful of soldiers who could fight, and kill, without being truly able to die themselves.

The Crusnik.

However, the vampires found out about the Crusnik, and in a bold bid to have such a fighter on their side, crept into the very hold of their enemies and stole one of their prized warriors.

A young girl, on the cusp of womanhood, a Crusnik, but just as human in her terror and hatred of vampires.

And so, she made a bid for escape, determined to find her way back to the only man she knows as her father-- Abel Nightroad.

But the vampires will not let her get away so easily. And that is where our story begins.

Rain was pouring down as Rista tried to keep her balance on the wet pavement. Her slippers were no good for traction, and her small nightgown was no protection against the downpour.

But they were gaining on her.

She gasped at the cold, wet air as she fought back terror. If they caught her, as they had the last time she'd run, they would beat her, or do something worse. She frowned as she tried to focus on the soft sound of her house shoes on the blacktop through the pounding of the pulse, but she couldn't. Yet somehow, she was able to pick up the cries that came from behind her.

"She went this way! Hurry, she can't get far!"

Her breath caught on a little sob, and she threw herself behind the welcoming wall of a nearby building. It had a small overhang, which cut the rain falling on her to just a few drops, but she was already shivering and soaked to the bone. She felt tears welling in her eyes, but blinked them furiously away. She had no time to cry now, she had to come up with somewhere to go, a place to hide…

"Hello, pretty."

She gasped as a lone vampire rounded the opposite corner of the building. He was taller than her by a few inches, and easily outweighed her by twenty pounds or more. She had no chance against him, nor any of his mates, if they caught up to her. Unless…

She had never activated her Crusnik program before, but she knew the power and knowledge was there. And at this moment, escape and anger warred and won over fear.

"Activate Crusnik 003. Operating at 40%."

Her hair seemed to blow in an invisible wind, and her eyes bled slowly from dark blue to deep, blood red. Her fangs lengthened to almost match her opponents, and she hissed at him.

The vampire gasped, eyes wide and disbelieving. He back up a couple of steps, hands held up in front of him as if to ward her off. She simply smiled and stepped toward him. And suddenly, she had him in her arms, his begging like music to her ears.

Her fangs broke his skin easily, and she drank hungrily of the salty, tainted blood. As she felt his heart stop, she tore herself away from him, rose her face to the dark clouds above and howled. It was a cry of pain, of longing, a cry for mercy for taking another life, even if it was that of a vampire and her enemy.

But the night remained silent save for the whisper of the rain, now calmed a little, and no whispering wind gave her the solace of forgiveness. So, she rose, leaving the battered body behind for his fellows to find, and headed away.