"What's the point of drinking coffee if you're going to drown it in sugar and artificial flavors?" Murphy blurted out to Lexa as the two walked down the street late one night, sipping on their Starbucks.
"Mine tastes of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. It's as though I'm not drinking coffee at all," Lexa looked quizzically at the coffee cup in her hand, spinning it to look at the logo of the siren.
"And why use a siren? They do not partake in coffee," Lexa continued.
"Kids," Murphy rolled his eyes.
"Speaking of which," Lexa pointed down a dark alleyway. A group of hooded thugs were kicking a young man and woman. They were curled on the ground in pain, screaming and shouting for help but everyone else on the streets passed them by without so much as a glance. The hoodies had banners on the back that read – Azgeda. A feared and ruthless gang in this part of town that spanned back several years, Lexa remembered. She handed Murphy her coffee and ran at them, throwing her fists skillfully, while dodging their attacks. Murphy flinched, sympathetic for the hurt Lexa brought the group of bullies. The four gang members decided to retreat and climbed over the wall in the opposite direction of Lexa.
Once they were gone, Lexa kneeled by the girl and Murphy entered the alley way. They observed the two victims. They were just kids – so bloodied and beaten. Lexa struggled to hold back her tears as she watched the girl twitch in pain, gurgling on the blood that filled the back of her throat.
"Ssh, don't talk," Lexa whispered to her, placing a gentle hand on the side of her face.
Murphy stood over the young man, whose face he could not even make out under the swollen mess and bruises.
"They aren't going to make it," Lexa's voice quavered.
"We can save them," Murphy looked at her – his face equally as upset as hers.
"We promised not to do that again, Murphy. I can't put someone else through that," Lexa began to cry, "You remember what happened to Costia."
"We can learn from our mistakes with Costia. These kids are so young – they've barely been given a chance to live. It can't end here for them," Murphy's eyes were blood-shot and teary. They both held vulnerability toward the youth that die young. This scene hurt them as their dead hearts throbbed in pain.
"O-okay," Lexa stuttered, giving in.
Murphy put the two coffees down on the ground and bent down beside the young man. His blood smelled strong as it oozed out onto the alleyway asphalt. Murphy's eyes drank it in and he managed to pull himself together to bite into the young man's neck. Hesitantly, Lexa did the same.
"What's your name?" Lexa's words were fuzzy in the young woman's ears. Light flooded into her vision and she could only just make out Lexa – a young woman with a pretty face and sad, old eyes that looked like they had seen too much.
"C-Clarke," she finally managed to say. She sat up in the bed that Lexa had placed her in. Clarke's vision sharpened and she looked about her – head throbbing in pain as sounds finally came into focus. Everything pounded in her ears. She backed herself into the corner of the bed, eyes wilding examining the room around her. It was a rather large, open, empty room, lined with bookshelves. The girl before her had been sitting on a stool before she had gotten up to comfort Clarke.
"Clarke, calm down. My name is Lexa. I'm here to help you – I promise," Lexa smiled sympathetically.
"Where the hell am I?" Clarke blurted out loudly.
"You're in my home. You're safe. You were attacked by a group from a very vicious gang," Lexa attempted to reassure her, but Clarke continued to fidget and thrash about in a panic. Next door they could hear Murphy struggling with his guest as the young man attacked him and threw him across the room, pushing things off shelves and tables with a frightening crash.
"What the hell is happening!?" the young man shouted.
"I will explain everything – but only if you'll calm down," Murphy insisted, pushing him back toward the bed in his room.
"Who the hell are you?" the young man shouted.
"Sit, down," Murphy stared at him sternly and managed to control him with his icy eyes.
The young man sat, quieting down.
"Good. My name is Murphy. What's yours?"
"Bellamy," the young man replied, still frowning with rage built up behind his eyes.
"Bellamy, I need to you to remain calm. I'm afraid your life will not be the same anymore," Murphy started.
"What do you mean, I'm not the same me? Who the hell am I, then?" Clarke shouted at Lexa from the other room as she clasped her hands over her ears.
"I'm so sorry, Clarke. I didn't want to have to do it. You were dying and I decided to give you back life – I gave you a new one. Clarke…you're a vampire now," Lexa explained.
"What the hell are you talking about? Vampires? You're insane!" Bellamy stood up. Murphy stood as well but his eyes flooded with darkness, filling completely with black as he bared his long, vampiric, fangs. Bellamy sat down immediately in fear, back away from him.
"You're not joking," Bellamy panted.
"No, I'm not…for once," Murphy rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Why…why didn't you just let me die?" Bellamy began to tear up.
"How could you do this to me!?" Clarke screamed at Lexa.
"I couldn't let you die. I just…I couldn't," tears filled Lexa's eyes.
"How can I live like this?" Clarke looked down at her hands. Lexa leaned forward to take them up in hers and kissed them gently.
"I will teach you. You will not be alone in this. You are not alone," Lexa attempted to smile at her, but seeing Clarke in tears only made her want to cry more. Clarke nodded after a bit of silence and Lexa hugged her tightly.
"You'll be alright," Murphy assured Bellamy.
"How can you know?" Bellamy looked up at him with frightened eyes.
"I've been in your place. I know the life. I'll be with you every step of the way. You're among friends," Murphy smiled, leaning back into his chair.
"I hope you're right."