Stefan stepped back to admire his work, wiping the sweat from his bloodshot eyes and placing a tired hand on his hip. The machine before him glinted coldly in the light seeping in from the window of the garage, gleaming in metallic superiority to the mundane objects crowded around it. Cylindrical in shape, the contraption was over six feet tall, its surface marred only by an array of switches, buttons, and levers with abstract purposes known only by its inventor. Stefan's eyes roamed over every inch of the machine as he paced around it, his teeth gnawing at a yellowed fingernail in a habit he failed to notice, much less correct.
This endeavor had taken fifteen years of his life from him, not to mention the respect of all those who knew him, and nearly every cent he had ever earned. Because of this collection of metal and wires, Stefan had been reduced from a Harvard valedictorian to a nail-biting nut that whiled away all his hours and money on an inanimate piece of metal. He had no friends, no wife or children; the only people he ever spoke to anymore was his fellow employees, and even those conversations were no more than a passing greeting or comment about the weather. It had bothered him at first, but after a few years he had convinced himself not to care. It would all be worth it, he had told himself. Just keep at it, and it will all be worth it.
Today he would see if he was right.
The contraption released a soft hiss as Stefan pressed his thumb to a blue button, a part of the chrome exterior sliding away to reveal a doorway that lead to the stark white interior of the cylinder, which was pricked a thousand times over by small black dots that, upon closer inspection, were revealed to be tiny protruding cylinders, out of which something was obviously supposed to be produced. Stefan's hands wrung themselves together as he examined the interior, pale blue eyes darting with compulsive nervousness over every inch of the surface. He stepped away after a few long minutes, finally seeming satisfied as his finger pressed the button again, closing the door. Another button slid a smaller panel away from the side of the machine when pressed, revealing a thin keypad hidden in the smooth surface of the device. Stefan licked his lips as his fingers jabbed at the keypad, typing in a specific sequence that was the key to the machine's purpose. A screen above the keypad kept up with his fingers, flashing it's instructions as they were given to process them.
Duty #1: Creation. Species: Any. Specific Instruction: Vampire Hunter, best of.
Computing…
Stefan watched the screen intently as his fingers finished in their flurry, biting again at a nail. "Come on…" He muttered in a coaxing tone to the machine. "Come on…"
Duty Accepted. Insert Data File.
It was all Stefan could do not to cheer, grinning with glee as he pushed a small disk into a slot next to the screen. The smile remained on his face as he watched data flash rapidly on the screen in a fragmented flood, standing patiently for the minute it took for the data to be computed.
Data Accepted. Initiate.
Stefan did a small dance as he stepped to the part of the machine that held the levers and buttons, pressing a green button and holding it while he flipped a few switches and pulled a lever. As soon as this was done, an odd whirring sprang from the machine, a few hisses and sounds of static accompanying it as the appliance was brought into action. Stefan stepped back, watching the machine intently as it continued to produce its odd symphony. The noise grew in volume, compelling the inventor to take another step back. A few lights on the machine flashed, blinking in a crimson warning before sudden burst of light assaulted his eyes and the contraption exploded, thrusting Stefan and the surrounding items into the air. The man hit the wall over his workbench, falling onto that and then the ground as gravity took over once more, grunting as a few airborne tools descended on his already bruised body. His hurt was hardly heeded, however, the aging man twisting into a sitting position as his pale eyes sought out his beloved invention.
The sight of the twisted metal blasted beyond repair would have moved the poor inventor to tears if it had not been for the shape that had formed in the middle of the destruction. Stefan squinted as his eyes fell upon the destruction, a hand rising to shield his face from the light that emanated from the blurry figure. Long, multi-fingered threads of electricity whirled around it, connecting the ball of light to the corroded metal that was still working on the job it had been programmed to do. Stefan straightened himself as the light began to weaken, the shocks of miniature lightning occurring at a diminished rate. The figure became more defined as the light faded, revealing itself to be a curled humanoid shape crouched immobile on the ground. Stefan's legs trembled as he stood, his body teetering unsteadily when his eyes refused to be moved from the form. He had just taken a tentative step forward when the creature moved, bringing itself to a standing position in one fluid movement. Stefan gasped at the sight of the towering man, stumbling backward and falling with an undignified crash into a box full of tools. The creature turned its head toward Stefan as he gaped up at it from the ground, blinking once at him with dark eyes that passed as human only on the most superficial level. The inventor began to tremble as his gaze locked with his creations', knowing as he had known so many years ago that the thing before him was not human.
"V-vam …" Stefan swallowed, starting to try to bring himself out of his uncomfortable position on the ground so he could be in some condition to protect himself if the creature became unfriendly. "Vampire."
The creature stared down at the human, nothing in his ivory expression shifting in the slightest. His stoic features were that of a young man's, nearly hidden from view by the wide-brimmed hat on his head. Only his eyes moved, the dark orbs following Stefan as he stood uneasily and watching him jump back when his low, rich voice permeated the air.
"I am no vampire."
The aged human stared at the beautiful figure before him, eyes haunted by meticulous dreams and lack of sleep drinking him in with a worshipper's fearful reverence. "...Then… you… do you hunt them? Did it…" A short yelp of laughter erupted from the man's mouth, but was quickly smothered to ask the rest of his question. "It worked? Did it work?"
The tall figure tilted his head slightly, the ebony hair that cascaded down his back rippling silkily with the movement. He was silent for a moment as he evaluated the human, his expression remaining as revealing as stone. "Perhaps I should introduce myself." The man muttered in that rich voice of his, his body turning toward the inventor who was still sitting on the cold ground. His movements showed the smoothness of a cats' as he stooped, only his torso bending in the shallowest of bows. "I am indeed a vampire hunter." He straightened to see the excited gleam in Stefan's widened eyes.
"You may call me D."