The Bats, the Cat, and the Wolf
Disclaimer: Darkstalkers belongs to Capcom.
Introduction: My second fic. This time it is a sort of novelization of a Darkstalkers manhwa (Chinese manga) I once came across. Special thanks to Kiv for being able to read and translate it. I found the story to be quite an interesting take on how things go in the Darkstalkers world. Unfortunately, it never finished. Now here it is, with a bit of a twist to sort of match the one we know.
Here's hoping there be a DS4.
Chapter 1: Prelude to Darkness
In the beginning of the world, when humans were still undeveloped apes, the earth wasn't a primeval place like most historians and scientists have thought. There was a group of beings whose intelligence and power towered over all else. They ruled this small yet resourceful planet for decades. But we can only barely identify their name from ancient documents.
Their name is Demon.
From Hebrew descriptions, Demon is the opposite of righteous and light. They worship evil and darkness, and are repressed under the might of "God". But this is just merely an old myth. Real Demons can't be repressed even by God.
They are also known under another name: Darkstalkers.
They are beings above all might and power. They are violent and bloodthirsty, even the so-called strongest beings on the earth, the T-Rex, were driven to extinction by their attacks. The meaning of their lives is to conquer. Their history is constructed with nonstop holocausts among themselves. And because of this, they can never get away from the fate of extinction. Their numbers decreased drastically.
At the same time, there was another group of intelligent beings that started to evolve. Gradually, they took over the Darkstalkers' place and became the rulers of the Earth. This group of species who obtained infinite potential is… humans!
With their growing huge numbers, humans control all things on the earth by uniting together. As for Darkstalkers, they hide themselves into shadow and darkness, living a life of hibernation.
Originally, living in peace and harmony is the way of nature. However over several thousands of years, humans started to get themselves driven by selfishness, pride, greed… Following the Darkstalkers' footsteps, they started wars against each other. Besides wars, they started to destroy nature. Atomic bombs, wood cutting, and pollution are driving the Earth to the brink of destruction. If the Earth is destroyed, the Darkstalkers living in darkness and shadow would share the same fate, therefore, they feel there is a need for them to take control over the Earth once again.
From this moment on, Darkstalkers step out of darkness and fuse into human society. Disguised as humans, they are growing their power, waiting for the chance to take over the Earth again. The Darkstalkers are coming to save the Earth, but that doesn't mean they would also save the humans.
Because in their eyes, humans are beings far worst than demons. After all, it is humans who drove the Earth to this situation.
So what are we humans supposed to do? Should we help save the Earth? Or should we save ourselves first?
In Makai, is there anyone willing to save us?
Bucharest, Romania in the present day…
Bucharest is famous for having hundreds of castles, which earned it the name of "City of Castles". Despite the industrialization of cities, Bucharest managed to maintain much of its past local history. In the heart of this city is a building which controls the trades and economy of the country of Romania.
Outside the building, several news reporters and their crews waited.
"This news could shake the whole world…"
"Do you know it? It is all about that Maximoff guy's decision…"
"I heard he is investing some astronomical amount of money into those castles."
"I've been waiting for more than three hours, but we still haven't seen him."
The chatter stopped when the reporters heard footsteps coming down the stone stairs of the building's entrance. It was a lean man with dark brown hair waved off to the side, clad in a traditional Romanian nobleman's attire.
"Here he comes!" said a reporter.
The reporters immediately swarmed the man as he walks down the steps towards his waiting limo.
"Mr. Maximoff…"
"Mr. Maximoff…"
"Mr. Maximoff…"
The man is Demitri Maximoff, a self-made billionaire who settled down in Romania. However, the truth is that he is more than what he appears. His guise is merely a front of what he truly is. Though he appears human, he is, in fact, a Darkstalker, a vampire to be precise. Using his powers, he managed to hide himself within the human society.
The reporters began to ask him their questions.
"Mr. Maximoff, you are a billionaire, but yet your identity is in such secrecy, can you tell us what is your profession?"
"Of what do those castles attract you?"
"Mr. Maximoff, can you tell us why do you invest such large amounts of money into those castles?"
Demitri answers all these questions with only a smile as he stopped next to his limo. "Per today's decision of purchasing the castles, it is based on my passion of castles. I wish to try my best to protect these valuable historical buildings. As for anything about me, sorry, I would like to keep it personal."
While the interview was going on, on the other side of the street, a mother and her young daughter were talking a walk. The little girl held a white cat in her arms. The cat's head perks up, seeing something and immediately jumps out of the girls hands.
"Huh? Kitty? Where are you going?" said the confused girl.
The cat runs across the road where the girl immediately gave chase, much to the mother's shock. "Darling! Wait!"
The girl managed to catch up to her cat and picked it up. "Naughty Kitty! You shouldn't run off like that!"
Unfortunately, she then noticed she was right in the path of a large freight truck speeding right towards her. The driver was downing a bottle of beer before noticing the girl in his path and quickly jammed on the brakes. Unfortunately, the brakes were out and was unable to stop.
"MOM!"
"BABY!"
The commotion caught the attentions of the news crew and Demitri.
"What is happening?" said one reporter.
"Oh my God.. that girl is gonna die..." said another.
Time seemed to slow down at that moment. Demitri looked on with an emotionless gaze. While the attention diverted away from him due to the soon to be fatal accident, Demitri clenched his fist to his side, which began to crackle with power.
What happened next was basically a blur. Something flew towards the front of the truck at an inhuman speed, smashing its front with great force and leaving behind a huge bat-shaped impression in it. With a resounding crash, the huge truck was totaled and stopped in an instant before it could hit the girl and her cat, as it had hit a wall. Unfortunately for the driver, who wasn't wearing his seatbelt, he went crashing and flying out through the windshield and skidding on the road ahead past the girl.
"What just happened?" The driver asked in confusion as he looked up from his landing place, slowly getting up from the bad fall.
The little girl was just as confused, wondering what had happened. Her mother immediately ran towards her, sweeping her daughter up in a protective embrace.
"Darling!"
"Mom…"
"You scared Mom! Don't ever do that again! I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you…"
The driver looked at his destroyed truck. "My truck… what the hell did I just hit…?"
Several witnesses to the event couldn't believe their eyes
"No way! The truck is totalled and yet nothing happened to the girl..."
"I can't believe my eyes!"
"It must be some kind of miracle!"
Using the commotion, Demitri quietly leaves the scene in his limo. "Let's go."
His driver, an old bearded/mustached man with long grey hair tied in a low ponytail nodded as he started the car and drove for home. "Master, you always tell us to keep out of trouble, see what you have done."
"Come now, Denial. I cannot stand watching such an adorable life lost under a truck." Said Demitri.
Denial knew his master well. "If someone happened to know it was you who stop the truck, he or she might have guessed you were saving the little girl. Who would have guessed the one you wanted to save was... that cat?"
"Denial, of course I intended to save the cat. Humans' lives mean nothing to me. The cat just happened to be where the girl was, that's all." Demitri looked at his right middle finger, which had a ring of pure ivory. The ring's emblem was in the shape of a cat's head with eyes made of emerald and framed by a tail. 'I wonder how she is doing right now…'
"It is all humans' fault for making the Earth into this situation. They are not worth saving. The Voice of Makai already appears, that means the day of deciding the lord of Darkstalkers is coming. There is going to be a huge battle, we shouldn't meddle with the humans' affairs too much." Said Denial.
"I understand, the Voice of Makai foreshadows his arrival to the human realm. There is a great secret behind the Voice of Makai. Every hundred years, it would gather up all Darkstalkers and guide them to their fate. It affects us all. To become the strongest, I won't fear even him should he come in person or join forces with other Darkstalkers!"
Demitri frowned as he thought about 'him' and what had happened in the past. Why would Demitri, being a Darkstalker himself, go against other Darkstalkers? And who is this person he spoke of?
Later that night…
Demitri's limo passes through the impoverished district from the city central. The disguised vampire suddenly felt unstable.
"Stop the car, Denial. I smell something disgusting lurking round here…"
To be continued…
Well, that's it so far. My second fic after my long-running "Ranma Club". Now give us a Darkstalkers 4, Capcom!
Read and review, please!