Hey guys, Jack here with yet another pet project. I've had an idea like this bouncing around since Halloween, so I finally sat down and hammered out a plot. Hopefully you guys will find it enjoyable.

I do not, in any way, shape or form, own Legend of Korra.

"Do not fear to think even the most not-probable." – Abraham Van Helsing.

Foggy Swamp.

He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding with pain and pressure. As his vision cleared, he realized why. He was hanging upside down, suspended by some vines tied around his ankles. A young man in his late teens or early twenties, with dark hair, fair skin, and a slender frame. He wore a simple brown tunic, olive green trousers, and a pair of worn leather boots.

Twisting one way and then another, he got a look at his surroundings. He was in the middle of the swamp, surrounded on all sides by water, trees, and vegetation. Silver moonlight shone down from sporadic holes in the canopy in concentrated silver beams of light, illuminating the otherwise dark swamp.

The first thing he noticed was the fact that it was quiet, eerily quiet. No bugs chirped or hummed, no birds called, no small critters scampered through the underbrush. Granted it was nighttime and late winter so reduced activity from the wildlife was to be expected But still, this was the swamp. The only time it ever went this quiet year round was when there was a predator near by.

Twisting one way and then the other, he began to try and free himself. He could have yelled out for help, but that would have just been a waste of time and air. Based upon his surroundings, he doubted that anyone would hear him. For now, he was on his own.

Although a little fuzzy, he did recall what had happened before he had woken up in this situation. He'd been traveling, on the road to Gaoling in order to enlist in the army and fight the Fire Nation. The sun had just set as he was passing near the edge of the swamp when something had clubbed him from behind.

Someone, or something, had dragged him into the swamp and hung him here. That was the primary reason why he worked to get free, rather then yell. There was a very high chance that whoever or whatever had done this was still around, and he highly doubted that he wanted to stick around and find out their intentions toward him.

He reached upward toward the vines, struggling to summon the strength needed to bend his body in such a manner. After a moment, he gave up and let his body hang limp. His finger tips just barely brushed the water below him, causing him to curl them upward out of instinct. Taking a few breaths he tried again, but met with the same results.

"My, my, where are you trying to go, little thing?" came a female voice. It seemed to echo from all around him and sounded cool and seductive. Yet there was something about it that made every single primal instinct of fear and self preservation scream at him to get free and run. Reaching up again, he managed to get ahold of a small knife he kept tucked in his boot.

Uncurling his body again, he swung himself through the air a few times to get some momentum before he bent his body again. This time, with the added reach of the knife, he had success. The sharp and well kept blade easily passed through the vines. However now that he was free, gravity took over, and he fell face first into the swamp water.

Sputtering, he came up out of the water with the knife held at the ready, peering into the gloom as he tried to locate the source of the voice. The water, thankfully, was relatively shallow, only coming up to his mid calf or so. The mud that the water concealed, however, was a different story. It was thick and clay like, making every step he took a fight just to get his foot free.

"Where are my manners? It's not polite for the host to neglect the guest, is it?" the woman's voice said. He watched with horror as the vines and other plant life around him began to move and come to life, twisting in the silver moonlight like large black snakes. His knife was kept at the ready, but he made no movement, opting instead to wait and see what would happen. Then, he saw her.

She came from between the trees, her silhouette illuminated like everything else. Scantly clad, with rags covering her breasts and waist. Her hair hung down over the front of her body, terminating at her mid rift. She was covered in mud and grime, an effect of having spent a lot of time in the swamp. Vines were wrapped around her extended arms and seemed to carry her through the air. They set her down not far from him, and he watched as ice formed beneath her feet to keep her from sinking into the water.

He faced her fully, holding the knife up slightly. This woman, this waterbender, everything about her screamed threat. Not in a physical way. Her frame was too small and too thin for him to consider that. But there was something else, something about her that made his skin crawl and want to run away.

"Who are you?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

"I am the Mistress of the Swamp, and who are you, lost soul?" she asked as she began to walk forward. Ice formed under her feet as she walked, only to return to its liquid form as she moved on.

"Stay back," he warned, brandishing the knife as he tried to take a step backwards. The mud and water kept him from doing so and facing her at the same time.

"Come now, do I seem like a threat?" she asked. Despite every impulse to do otherwise, he found himself struggling less and even lowering his weapon. She was closer now, much closer, easily within arms length.

"Easy now, sweet thing. It will all be over soon," she said. Suddenly, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into the left side of his neck. He screamed in pain as he felt her latch on and begin to suck. Acting blindly, he made a stabbing motion toward her with the knife. It managed to work, as she instantly dislodged and sprang backwards with a screech of pain.

Now she was standing in the water, same as he was as she was no longer focused on her bending. Instead, she had turned her attention to the knife that was buried up to it's hilt in her shoulder. Pressing his hand to his neck to try and stop the bleeding, he watched as she reached up and pulled the knife free.

As she turned to regard him, he felt his heart clench with terror. She was the sight of horror, a bloody knife in her hand, blood covering her nose, chin and mouth. Then, she bared her teeth which were stained red and had a set of sharp fangs visible. An inhuman screech escaped from her throat as she dropped the knife and charged him again.

There was a flash of light, not shining silver, but burning orange. The woman stumbled as a flaming arrow appeared in the center of her chest, directly between her breasts. Her screech of anger turned into wails of pain as fire raced all over her form, covering her far quicker then what should have been normal.

As she attempted to bend the water up around her in an effort to put out the inferno, another arrow appeared, right next to the first. This one was on fire as well, and only served to reinforce the already raging flames. The swamp around them was bathed in an orange glow as she burned and screamed, her body flailing about blindly. Finally, the flames went out as her body crumped into ash. Silence enveloped the area once again as she screams disappeared along with her body.

Almost instantly, the sounds of life returned to the swamp. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and returned everything to normal. Even the moonlight seemed to shine a little brighter. Not that he noticed any of this. He was dazed as he kept his hand pressed against his wound, turning on the spot as he looked for his would be savior.

The sound of a torch being stuck reached his ears, and he turned to find a woman wearing leather battle armor standing on a massive tree root that had managed to form an archway of sorts. A bow and a quiver full of arrows were slung over her shoulder, and a pair of rather large knives were strapped to her hips. She had short auburn hair which was tied back into a short ponytail, and her skin was a fine golden color that indicated a lot of time spent in the sun.

"Let me see that wound," she said, motioning for him to come to her. He slogged his way over to her, his mind in a haze as he tried to ignore the pain in his neck. Once he was within arms length, she grabbed his head with her free hand and turned it so that she could see the bite easier. He grimaced at the pain this caused him, but if she noticed she didn't seem to care.

"She got you good," she hummed before releasing him.

"What the…what is…who are…" Try as he might, he couldn't string a solid sentence together.

"That thing that took a chunk out of you was a vampire. It may look like a woman, talk and sound like a woman, even act like a woman, but it's a monster and it was set to rip you to shreads," she explained.

"Who…"

"Am I? A hunter. This pretty thing was terrorizing a nearby village, taking people in the night and draining them dry. They hired me to come in and stop it. But, now there's the issue of you," she said before drawing one of her knives with a free hand. He took a couple of steps backward before tripping and falling on his rear in the water.

"Look, I'm sorry, I really am. But you've been bitten by a vampire. You'll turn into one of those things, you won't be yourself anymore. I've got to put you down," she explained as she advanced on him. He tried to slide back further, but found he wasn't going anywhere. As she raised her knife to swipe at him, she froze, her eyesight catching a glimpse of something.

When the vampire had lunged at him, she'd torn open his shirt partially. Resting against his chest and shining in the torchlight was a golden talisman, suspended from his neck by a simple chain. Reaching her blade down, the huntress snagged it with the tip and brought it up so she could get a better look at it. After a moment, she looked up into his terrified eyes.

"It's your lucky day, kid. Few people survive their first encounter with a vampire, fewer still get bit and live to tell the tale," she said.

"What…what's going to happen to me? Are you going to kill me?" he asked. She regarded him some more before sheathing her knife and offering him a hand.

"We'll see, kid. We'll see.

Seventy Years Later.

A light rain pelted down on Republic City, casting a wet, dull, gray gloom across the metropolis. Asami Sato rotated her umbrella once in her hands as she looked up at the low, worn brick building before her. This was it, her absolute last option. Just by the sight of the place alone, she had a sinking feeling in her gut that this last chance was already gone and she had just refused to admit it to herself.

With an inward sigh, the heiress opened the door to the two story building and stepped inside. As she closed her umbrella, she took a moment to look over the interior of the building she was in. It was run down and dimly lit. The walls looked like they hadn't seen a paintbrush in decades. What little carpet was left on the floor was faded, torn, and full of dust and other things from years of foot traffic. Sitting on the stairs before her was a single man who was passed out and snoring the world away. A drunk, based upon his apparel and the nearly empty bottle of Sake in his lap.

Asami carefully stepped over his form before she started up the stairs to the second floor of the building. She tucked her umbrella under her arm as she reached the landing and looked over the few doors that she could see. The first one, immediately on her right, had a frosted window in it. A partly scratched off symbol for the word Investigator was present on the glass, telling her that this was the place she was looking for. With her free hand, she reached up and wrapped a knuckle on the glass. For a moment, there was only silence. Just as she was about to try again, a voice spoke up from inside.

"It's open!" Opening the door, Asami was greeted with the sight of a rather cluttered and run down office. A desk set directly across from her in front of a pair of large windows which overlooked the street. Files and boxes of files were scattered about. The room smelled of mildew and cigarette smoke. She quickly found out why as a young man, not much older than herself strode into the room with a lit one hanging from his lips.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He was about a head taller then her and rail thin with short dark hair. His skin was a sickly pale color. This, along with the sheen of sweat visible on his forehead told Asami there was a very good possibility that he WAS sick. Probably with consumption, based on how skinny he was.

"Are you Yao Kariudo?" she asked. He frowned as he regarded her, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Maybe, who's askin'?"

"My name is Asami. A friend of mine has gone missing and I need help," she said.

"Sounds like a job for the police," he said as he turned and went to his desk.

"I've tried them but they turned up nothing. Please, I'm all out of options," she pleaded. Yao took a long drag from his cigarette before putting it out in an ash tray on his desk.

"Alright. I'll hear you out. After you tell your story, I'll decide whether or not I'll take the job," he said as he sat in his chair before motioning for her to sit in the one directly across from him. Asami took the seat and began to explain the situation to him. A few weeks earlier, a friend of hers' by the name of Kori Tzu had gone missing after a night out on the town. Kori was the daughter of immigrants from the Water Tribe, and was apparently well known in the Little Water Tribe neighborhood. The police had looked into the disappearance, and had determined that Kori had found herself a handsome stud and run off with him. Thing was, Asami didn't buy the story.

For starters, Kori was a lesbian, so the idea that she would run off with some guy was laughable. There was also the matter of Kori's personality. The poor girl had lost her parents in a car accident a few years prior, and thus was incredibly attached to what few friends she had. Her going this long without calling Asami was something that wasn't in her nature, even if she found a new flame to run off with.

"Is that all?" he asked when she finally finished.

"I think that's everything. Will you help me?" she asked. Yao turned in his chair and looked out into the pouring rain. He remained silent for a long time.

"Please. I don't have anywhere else to turn, you're my last option," she pleaded.

"Why did you come to me, Ms. Asami?" he finally asked. The heiress frowned. She'd just laid out her reasons for coming to him, why was he asking this?"

"What do you mean? I just told you…"

"I mean, why come to me with the case?" he interrupted as he turned to face her again, "you obviously can afford much better than this, so the question stands, why come here to the middle of Triad territory for me?"

"My father never approved of Kori. And he would never give me the funds necessary to hire one of the downtown firms in order to find her. I've heard about you. You're good at what you do, and you're cheap. That's why I came to you, Mr. Kariudo," she explained. Again, Yao fell into a long silence as he considered the possibilities.

"I charge half up front," he started. Instantly she was reaching into her purse, but a hand being held up stopped her.

"I'll follow this wherever it leads. I finish what I start and I do it MY way. No questions, no complaints, no refunds," he finished, laying out his terms. If Asami had any doubts enter her mind after hearing them, it didn't show as she didn't hesitate to lay a brown envelope filled with cash on the desk between them. Just like that, a deal was struck.

"Where was the last place she was seen?" he asked, picking up the envelope.

"Leaving a Water Tribe place. Narook's I think is what it was called. Have you heard of it?"

"I have. I'll start my investigation there. You'd best leave me your name and address so I know how to get ahold of you," he said. Asami quickly got a piece of paper and a pen before she began to write the information down.

"Please. Find Kori."

"You go on home now, Ms. Asami. I'll keep you updated on anything I find," he said.

Yao POV

There's more to this Asami girl then meets the eye. I can tell that right off the bat. It's the subtle things that give away the most information. Her coat, umbrella, and boots were all high end brands, as was the perfume she was wearing, indicating that she came from a wealthy background. Yet she didn't carry herself as if she was the queen of the world like most heirs her age. That alone made her interesting.

There's no doubt that there is more to the Kori story as well, but not because Asami is holding anything back. The poor girl probably didn't know her friend as well as she thought she did. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd gotten involved in a situation like that. A worried friend comes looking for someone they just know wouldn't run off, only to find that the person they're looking for has run off to Ember Island with a new flame and what little life savings they'd had stashed away.

I didn't bother waiting for the rain to let up as I headed to Narook's, throwing on a long overcoat and a hat before shoving my hands in my pockets and hunkering down against the rain. Stormy and overcast days are actually a favorite of mine, being as the clouds block the sun. But when winter is this close, it's just cold, and even an enjoyable day can become miserable.

Hopping on a passing street trolley, I shook off the water like a dog before stepping into the main car. There were only a few other passengers on board, giving me plenty of options for a place to sit or stand. Even in the big city, not many people went out on days like today. They ignored me, like I somewhat ignored them. I sized them up from out of the corner of my eye, and once I was sure they weren't a threat I went to ignoring them fully.

Now you might be thinking that I'm a little paranoid. But a little paranoia has been known to save a life a time or two, Spirits know it has with me. In my line of work, you tend to make enemies. Be it a mob boss who was pissed because you caught him plowing some waitress and thus ruined his marriage, or an attorney who was upset because you snapped one too many incriminating photos for a rival firm. Sometimes though, the danger is a little less mundane than that. Sometimes, it's the stuff of nightmares.

I stepped off the trolley and looked up and down the street. The rain had let up, but hadn't completely stopped, leaving only the occasional drop to fall. Walking into the restaurant, I was greeted with the sound of a bell ringing with the door's movement. The place was deserted, not surprising considering that it was the middle of the afternoon.

"Welcome to…" the man who was greeting me, Narook himself, froze when he saw me. I took off my hat and gave a small nod toward him.

"Narook."

"You got a lot of nerve coming in here, Yao, after what happened last time," he said, anger in his voice. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I paid for the damages and apologized, what more do you want?"

"How 'bout a promise that you won't start a fight in my place every time happy hour rolls around," he said.

"I've only been in here for happy hour once," I defended.

"Once was enough. Now what do you want? I highly doubt you're in here to eat," he said.

"I'm on a job," I said as I stepped toward him and laid a wad of cash on the counter, "looking for a girl by the name of Kori Tzu, seems to have been a regular here."

"Kori Tzu, eh? Name rings a bell. I got a lot of people in here most nights so I'm gonna need more than that," he said as he scooped up the bills and scratched his chin.

"Water Tribe, around drinking age, preferred the ladies," I elaborated. I saw the recognition bloom in his eyes.

"Ah yes, I remember her. Last time she was in here she left on the arm of some handsome looking fella." I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"You sure about that?" I asked.

"Positive. The sight alone is why I remember it. That girl was trying her luck with every dame that came walking in here for years, and then she up and left with a guy. Real sleaze ball too, a new enforcer for the Triple Threats if I remember right," came the answer.

"And how do you know that?"

"That's all he talked about. You know how it is, young blood liking to brag about how big and powerful they are. Was a waterbender, if his clothes were anything to go by."

"What's his name?"

"Galak, or something similar to that. Kori walked out with him and I haven't seen either of them since," Narook said. I gave him a smile as I returned my hat to my head.

"Always a pleasure, Narook."

"Beat it, Yao." I stepped back out into the rain and lit a cigarette. If Narook's information was any good, which it usually was, I was headed into Triple Threat Triad territory. Galak, if he had been telling a sliver of truth, was an enforcer for the Triad. Given the fact that there weren't really any turf wars going on at the moment, that meant he'd be playing the role of guard at their headquarters.

I hopped on another trolley and began the long ride across town. The Triple Threats ran their operation out of a high end restaurant about five blocks or so from Central City Station. It was common enough knowledge, but they kept their noses clean about it so the police really couldn't do anything. On paper it was all legal and legit. Of course, that never applied to the alley behind the place, where a lot of the more shady dealings took place.

It was starting to get on toward evening when I finally arrived at the Triple Threat headquarters. There were a couple of thugs posted by the door, but neither one was dressed like the guy I was looking for so I ignored them and went inside. A waiter greeted me inside the door as I looked the place over.

"Good evening, table for one?" he asked.

"Actually I'm looking for a fella that works here, name of Galak, sound familiar?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid there's no one here by that name," he said.

"I'm not a badge, alright. I'm just lookin' to deliver a package," I said, pulling the envelope Asami had given me out of my jacket slightly to show to him. The waiter seemed to perk up slightly at that.

"In that case, I'm afraid you just missed him. It's his night off. He's got a small place not far from here if you want to deliver it there," he offered. Playing the act of courier when working around the Triads was a tactic I often used. The drones were too scared of their bosses and too kept in the dark about operations to question whenever someone showed up claiming to have something for someone else. It was much easier and safer to just point in a general direction and send the person on their way.

Getting Galak's address led me to a rundown apartment complex a few blocks away from the Triple Threat headquarters. The place looked even worse off then my place, almost totally abandoned and a single spider rat away from a 'Condemned' ruling by the city's health board. Other then a couple of cactus juice junkies, the place actually was totally abandoned. Not the kind of place you'd expect to find an up and coming Triad member who had a knack for bragging.

Finding the appropriate apartment number, I went to knock on the door, but froze when I noticed that it was already slightly open. Reaching out, I gently pushed it and allowed it to swing open. I was instantly engulfed by the sheer, overpowering smell that came wafting from inside. Blood, and a lot of it. I felt my mouth water at the scent, drawn to it like starving man is drawn to a prime steak. Shaking my head, I swallowed some of the saliva in an effort to get my sudden craving under control. That's the problem with my…condition. A long time without feeding, plus a lot of food suddenly appearing, results may include loss of self control among other things.

"Hello?" I called out as I stepped into the apartment. It was the absolute basic package when it came to furniture. A single couch along the wall to the right, a recliner facing me and the door, and a coffee table sitting between me and the chair. Only a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling was there to illuminate the place.

A quick glance over the room wouldn't have told you anything was wrong. But a closer look would have had you seeing the blood splatter that was on the wall by the couch. I made my way over to it in order to get a closer look. As I rounded the chair, I froze at the sight of what awaited me.

Lying on the floor in a pool of blood was a young woman with short dark hair and dark skin. Her blue eyes were glazed over as they stared up at the ceiling, and her throat appeared to have been slashed. She was wearing a blue parka and light gray leggings, giving the impression she was getting ready to go out.

Noting a small handbag lying on the floor a short distance away from the body, I made my way around the pool of blood to it. I was silently hoping that the girl wasn't who I thought she was. A check of the ID in the purse just confirmed my worst fear. The girl was the one I was looking for, Kori Tzu.

"Damn it," I muttered before I began to look around me. I was going to have to call this in to the police, but I wanted a look at the scene for myself before they came in and threw me out on my ass. Aside from the splatter that initially caught my attention, there were a few bloody handprints as well. There was also a broken lamp laying a short distance from Kori's outstretched open hand.

Ignoring the fact that I now had blood on my boots, I stepped closer to the body and took a closer look at her neck. I highly doubted that a girl her size would have been able to put up the fight it looked like she did after having her throat slashed like that. Noting something in the wound, I carefully reached in and pulled it out. It was a tooth, part of a fang to be exact.

"Vampire," I breathed, feeling my blood run cold as I realized what had happened. She'd been bit, but had managed to get loose from her attacker and fight back. But a young, underweight teenage girl is hardly a match for a hungry vampire, and her attacker had slit her throat to cover their tracks after draining her dry. I sighed as I stood upright fully, I had a couple of phone calls to make, and I was not looking forward to either of them.

And cut, that's it for the first chapter. What did you guys think? I wanna know! Drop a review, leave a PM, don't hesitate to ask questions! And with that, I'll see you all next time.