Blood Lust
Summary: Zhou Yu is a college student, surrounded by a world that's pretty much normal. But that all changes when he's bitten by a creature that's supposed to be a legend. AU
Warnings: Slash, gore, language, non canon pairings, alternate universe etc. What else would you expect from a vampire fic?
Main Pairing is Zhou Yu/Sun Ce although it may take a little while for it to show up, and all others will be revealed as the story progresses.
DISCLAIMER: Dynasty warriors is the property of KOEI and related companies. All the popular culture items in this fanfic to not belong to me.
The vampires in this fic will be more like Stephanie Meyer's vampires (from her Twilight series) but with a few twists. The bait theory from CLAMP's Tsubasa Chronicle will also be used. There may or may not be a few of my own twists as well. Just don't scream at me because they don't sleep in coffins and aren't traditional Dracula.
Chapter One
Mornings were usually slow until you stepped out into the city traffic. Busses rolled by, lumbering giants full of people racing to their next stop. Cars rushed by; full of people racing to get their kids to school and still have time to go grab a morning coffee before they had to go in to work. The cold chill descended upon the people who were stuck walking on the crowded side walks. They crowded the subway stations and shouted for the Taxi, vying for the quickest way to their destination and away from the autumn weather. Dark clouds loomed ominously above the sky scrapers, reminding the busy people that they could be floundering in rain at any moment.
A dark haired young man jogged the final steps to the side door of the coffee shop, balancing two Styrofoam coffee cups in one hand and the newspaper under his arm as he dragged a key out of his pocket. He slid the brass into the lock and fought with it for a moment before the door decided to open. He kicked the door open with his foot and withdrew the key from the handle after a few impatient jingles. Slamming the door shut behind him carelessly, he shoved the key back into his pocket and stomped up the narrow stairs to the top of the shop.
He shoved the inner door open and slid his socked feet out of his shoes, swiping a hand through his long bangs. His eyes traveled over the living room of the apartment he shared with his room mate and came to rest on the fluffy couch with the living couch potato hidden in the fluff.
The chestnut haired young man on the couch raised his eyes from the TV he had been channel surfing and raised an expectant hand. "Is that coffee I smell?" The dark haired man who just entered raised an eyebrow but crossed the room, weaving expertly around the crowded coffee table to set one of the warm Styrofoam cups into the waiting hand.
Dark eyes glanced over the boxers and tang top worn by the couch potato. "Get dressed Sun Ce, we have class soon." He dropped the news paper onto his friends stomach with an impatient scoff and moved away towards the bathroom. "It's going to rain today."
Sun Ce shrugged, unfolding the paper as his roommate fiddled around in the bathroom. He lifted the coffee to his lips and took a sip, wincing as it burned his tongue. The bitter taste filled his mouth and he moved it around with his tongue as he read the headlines.
"ANOTHER UNEXPLAINED BODY FOUND" ran across the main page of the paper. "Hey, Yu, another strange attack last night." Sun Ce called, fiddling his feet around from their place on the table surface. His eyes scanned the rest of the column before he folded it back up and dropped it to the table. He picked up his coffee once more and the TV remote, flicking through the channels to the news cast.
"...In other news, there was another body found last night in a back alley. The victim was identified as Diao Chan, a student at the local university, and proclaimed dead at the scene. The body was found completely unblemished save bite marks in the neck, and a few other miner injuries that indicated to struggle. The victim's body was completely drained of blood. Authorities are looking..." The news reporter blabbed on, but Sun Ce hit the mute button so that he wouldn't have to talk over her.
"Hey Yu, wasn't Diao Chan in one of our classes?"
Zhou Yu came out of the bathroom with a one eyebrow slightly raised as he took a seat next to his companion and picked up the newspaper. "I don't know Ce, I pay more attention to learning than the people in class." He unfolded it to the front page and read quickly. "This makes the fifth person found like this."
Sun Ce scowled, flicking bangs out of his eyes as he lifted the coffee cup to his lips and took a huge gulp. "Yeah, well the authorities," He mimicked the reporter's business like voice, "don't seem to be doing anything at all."
Zhou Yu impatiently checked his watch. "Well, its not like they can do anything. There probably aren't many clues. Bite marks, blood drained..." He frowned, sipping his coffee slowly, mulling the two idea's over in his mind. "Its like a horror film."
Sun Ce grinned suddenly and lightly punched Zhou Yu in the shoulder. "See! I told you that vampires are real!" he raised his arms above his head and stretched, hopping to his feet with uncontrollable energy and rolling his shoulders at the end of his stretch. He placed the empty Styrofoam on the coffee table and flashed his friend a grin before escaping to their shared bedroom.
Zhou Yu rolled his eyes, finishing his coffee and bringing the cups to the kitchen area on the other side of the living room, dumping them in the trash. He leaned against the counter and checked his watch again. "Ce, vampires are folk lore invented for amusement. Now hurry up or we'll be late."
Sun Ce tossed his shirt on and zipped his jeans, shoving a hooded sweatshirt on over his shirt as he left the bedroom. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He lifted the laptop the college provided for them and shoved it into its back, looping the arm strap over his shoulder.
Zhou Yu was already at the door, his long coat in one arm and the door open with the other. Sun Ce smirked, taking his time with his shoes to get on his roommate's nerves. "Ce! Come on!" Zhou Yu finally growled, and Sun Ce sprinted out the door with a bark of laughter. Zhou Yu followed in his wake with an aggravated air, pulling on his jacket as they stomped down the steps and into the busy street.
Sun Ce groaned as rain splattered onto him. "Aw man, Its raining!" His bright eyes looked up at the sky as rain fell down on them between the skyscrapers of the city.
Zhou Yu rolled his eyes, fiddling with the lock for the second time that day. "I told you it would." the key came loose finally, and he shoved it back into his pocket, dashing after Sun Ce under the downpour. The rain had already soaked his hair and sent drops down his neck. "If we hurry we can make Main street before the traffic jam sets in." He moved to the driver's side of his small dark blue colored car and unlocked it, setting down and pushing the key into the ignition, waiting for Sun Ce to hop into he passenger side.
"Y'mean, if we make it to Main street." The other drenched college student said glumly, pulling on his seatbelt and moving his computer to his lap.
"Exactly," Zhou Yu said, pulling out of his parking spot and into the morning traffic. Sun Ce fiddled with the radio as he rounded the corner and pressed the gas lightly until he met the next group of cars.
"Man, I hate Wednesdays," Sun Ce groaned, sitting back and letting his foot tap to a song on the radio.
Zhou Yu scoffed, "You hate everyday that you have to go to class. I suppose you love tomorrow then."
Sun Ce flashed the driver a grin that went unseen. "Well duh, its class-free."
Zhou Yu eased the car behind another vehicle and stopped at a red light. He flashed his companion an amused look. "Ce, you know those papers are due today."
Sun Ce smirked, "Yeah, I know, I finished it."
Zhou Yu's eyes widened in mild surprise. "Oh really? How many pages?"
"Ten."
"Typed?"
"Yep, and double spaced."
Zhou Yu sighed and took off as the light turned green. "You know its supposed to be single spaced, right?"
Sun Ce nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I couldn't figure out how to get it to single spaced after I changed it to double."
Zhou Yu shook his head, driving around a slow truck on the road. "You are an idiot, how can you expect to get a good mark?" He glanced at the clock as he pulled into the parking lot area of the university. "Come on, hurry up Ce." He turned the car off and pulled the key from the ignition, leaving the drivers side and stepping out into the downpour. He opened the back door and hefted his bag strap to his shoulder, closing and locking the car after Sun Ce shut the door.
They ran through the rain and joined a group of last minute stragglers, entering the dry lobby of the college building. Sun Ce shook his head, sending droplets of rain all over Zhou Yu and the floor, much to the great displeasure of everyone else. A few moments later however they had entered the class and taken seats near the back.
Another late comer burst in through the doors at the last moment and took a seat at the end of the back row next to Zhou Yu. Looking up, the long dark haired college student couldn't place the person as someone he'd ever seen before. The girl had pretty brown hair tied up behind her face in a long, elaborate pony tail. Her skin was rather pale, but she wore an orange tang top with a matching see through jacket, and a short jean skirt. Her boots were the expensive kind; The type that didn't break the first time you used them.
She set her laptop on the desk and looked up, meeting his curious stare. She gazed at him a moment longer, then flashed him a bubbly smile and held out a hand. "Hi! My name is Xiao, what's yours?"
Had Zhou Yu known that meeting this girl would have changed - and ended - his life, he never would have taken her hand. All things considered, he wouldn't have even left the apartment that day.
But as it were, he had no ability to read the future, and he took her hand with a slight smile. Her hand was icy cold, and he deduced that she must have been out in the rain for a long time. "Zhou Yu." The girl looked more like she should have been in high school than attending college.
For a moment as he held her gaze, the eyes turned dark red, and the pupils changed. They were strangely slanted like a cat, but with another one inside the slanted one. But Zhou Yu blinked and looked at her eyes again, and they were normal once again.
Xiao giggled, "Are you going to drop my hand anytime soon?" She smiled cutely at him. "Class is starting."
Zhou Yu started and released her hand tearing his gaze away from her own and looking towards the front of the room, where the professor had started his lecture.
-x-
The elaborate structure of the old Victoria Suit Hotel stood tall and grand in the middle of the city. The elaborate Victorian arches and statuettes once gave the hotel its name as one of the most famous place for the upperclass to stay. Although the place eventually closed down during the Great Depression, the city never took it down, as the owner never consented to its destruction, nor had he died.
The city had almost grown up around the smooth brick building, growing from a small town to a crowded metropolis before the old hotel's very doors. Contrary to the belief of the public, it was still inhabited; by rats and bats and darker beings. These darker beings were human like creatures that fed on sucking the blood from living victims. Human folklore referred to them as vampires.
One such being sat at the desk of a vanity in one of the many old rooms. It was lavishly decorated, with an old four post bed in one corner, the dark red quilt lay over the mattress, untouched for decades. Matching dark curtains hung over the beautifully carved window - hiding the bustling city from view. The eternally young girl sitting at the vanity brushed her dark shining hair slowly, even though there was no need. Her hazel eyes stared blankly at the empty mirror that should have held her pretty reflection.
She was elaborately dressed in a high collared Lolita styled outfit. A lacy collar and soft silk and lace black gloves matched the frilly dress perfectly, along with the lace socks that came up to her thighs. The dark color against her pale skin made it shine unnaturally, even in the gloom. She placed the brush on the vanity and pined up her hair with practiced ease, knowing what it looked like even though she hadn't seen her own face in a long time.
"Xing Cai." She looked over at the intruder to her room, hazel eyes questioning as she stood from her place by the vanity.
"What is it Zhao Yun?" She asked, coming over to the other creature who had dressed himself in modern clothes, a white T-shirt and tan khaki pants, looking completely out of place in her room.
He crossed the room quickly and took her gloved hand in his own pale hand. He pulled off the scented black glove and lifted the pale hand to his nose, sniffing. His eyes widened as though he had just confirmed something. He gave a long sigh, and sat down next to her on her elaborate black couch.
"Cai, I know that its hard to resist..."
Xing Cai pulled her hands away from his own and looked away, pulling her black glove back on and looking away from him. "I know..." She bit her lip. "It wasn't supposed to happen...But it was her scent...her blood was far to appealing. And I thought...with all the other killings..."
Zhao Yun grasped her chin with strong fingers and tore her head over so that she was staring into his green eyes. "It is not good to kill the humans. We have been trying to live among them for so long Cai. Don't weaken now."
She hesitated. "I know...but I haven't been able suppress the longing as long as you and the others. And she was already bleeding when I got there..." She remembered the sweet smell of the blood that overpowered her senses and awakened her dormant hunger.
"Cai, you have to suppress the blood lust if you want to continue living among humans. With the other killer running around and making the human public frantic with fear, we can't afford to be careless." Zhao Yun sighed. "I know you haven't had the chance to get used to the longing that much, but it does dim a little as time goes by. If you have determination not to be drawn in, we can live off the blood of chickens and other animals."
Xing Cai nodded, "I know important it is. But even vampire's that eat human blood are careful not to be discovered, why is this one feeding so openly?"
He shrugged and pulled a hand through his long brown hair. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm going out to see if I can find out why." He stood and walked over to the window, pulling open the curtain and allowing faint light to cross the dreary room. "The forecast calls for rain all week," He smiled and vanished from the window.
To mortal eyes he would have just vanished, but Xing Cai knew that he was running through the halls of the hotel. She watched through the window until he ran out of the building, agilely avoiding the people on the sidewalks without being seen. She watched him dash into a dark alley and come out a moment later, walking slowly through the crowds at human pace.
No one among all the humans realized that they were walking with a monster that could turn murderous and kill them at any moment. To their eyes, Xing Cai observed, he was just a beautiful person who was amazingly graceful and fluid in his movements and speech.
She admired him for his amazing strength. He hadn't touched to blood of humans for centuries, defying the natural make up of a vampires DNA. She didn't seem to have nearly as much strength. The poor girl, Diao Chan, hadn't even seen her coming. She suppressed the monster within her that said she had done a good job of hunting. The first blood had come from when the girl had fallen over and cut herself. Though she couldn't remember to much of what had happened after the scent had stolen her senses, the girl had given off a blood curdling scream that had hurt Xing Cai's sensitive ears. The young woman had called out for someone, but by then fangs had pierced skin and the venom had stopped her lungs. She had been dead in moments, and Xing Cai had feasted on human blood.
She dropped the curtain back over the gloomy world, walking to her large bookshelf and pulling out an old notebook. She took a seat at her desk and opened the cover to a new page. This was the journal she had started far back when she was a human. After a while of being the living dead, human memories seem to fade, so she was glad for the effort she had put into her human days. She had written that she had been diagnosed with a fatal disease, and on her deathbed, while she lay delirious with pain an fever, and angel had appeared and gave her a life. And this was the life she now led. The deal had been made as soon as the pain had ended. She would join Zhao Yun and the other vampires that lived in the 'abandoned' hotel and keep from drinking human blood. As long as she coexisted peacefully with the humans and tried hard to keep from killing them off, she could stay.
She had written of many things in the journal. Sometimes she wrote history from a first hand account that could make modern historians jealous. Her journal only dated back to the very late 1800s, as she had been born in 1894, her Grandfather was one of the Chinese miners that had worked on the Union Pacific Railroad. 1 She picked up her ink pen in her glove covered hands and started writing of the events that had unfolded.
-x-
Sun Ce stretched, reaching his arms skyward with a loud yawn. "Aw man, that was so boring, why do I even take this class?"
Zhou Yu frowned, "Probably because you have no idea what you want to do with your life yet, so you took the schedule that is supposed to help you decide what to do."
Sun Ce waved his hand indifferently. "Yeah, whatever you say." He glanced outside the doors of the building. "Aw man, its still raining. Hey Yu, can I take the car home later? I still have to pick up my sister's cat from Dad's."
Zhou Yu frowned, thinking of Sun Shang Xiang, the energetic senior in high school. "Why? Isn't she there to take care of her own pet?"
Sun Ce elbowed him in the ribs. "Their going on a trip remember? Someone has to take care of it!"
Zhou Yu scowled. "It's a cat. They can take care of themselves just fine."
Sun Ce gave him a pleading look, "Please Yu? Shang Xiang will kill me if I leave that thing alone. She says it needs human affection or something."
Blowing dark bangs out of his eyes, Zhou Yu dug his key out of his pocket and dropped it in the waiting hand. "Be careful with it Ce. No speed racing cars on the freeway."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. You know, you could always come along." Sun Ce grinned, catching the key in his fingers and flipping it up and down.
Had Zhou Yu known at the time that coming with Sun Ce might have kept him alive that day, perhaps he would have accepted. But then again, fate has a strange way of catching up to you. "No, I think I'd rather walk. Last time your sister saw me she almost kick-boxed my head into a wall."
Sun Ce laughed, then turned on his heel and ran out into the rain, determined to beat the next rush hour and get to the free way before the traffic jams. With a shake of his head, Zhou Yu pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself and stepped out into the soaking rain.
The downpour from the heavens had not only thickened, but a strong wind had picked up, though it was buffered by the many buildings around. A few people ventured out into the city now, either not up to fighting with the wind and rain, or already in their respectful jobs. Though it was almost two o' clock, the clouds looming above them made it seem like late evening.
Zhou Yu walked quickly through the downpour, wind making the rain whip at him harshly. He cut across the main road and ran into the narrow alleyway that was a sure shortcut through the city and came out almost directly next to the coffee shop and his apartment. He glanced down at his wrist watch. The coffee shop they lived above was also where he had his part-time job. His shift today started at four. He may have had plenty of time to get there with the shortcut, but he wanted to get out of the rain as quickly as he could.
The alley was narrow, and the buildings rose on either side of him like canyons. The narrow walkway was littered with junk and garbage cans tipped over on their side by city vermin. Doors to bars and prostitute havens that were usually bright and welcoming for customers were all closed for the day-time hours, more for the night-life than anything in the day.
He scowled as he passed them, hurrying on his way through the storm before the lightning started in. He turned the corner into a slightly larger alley that could fit more than a person and walked briskly towards the exit.
His thoughts were preoccupied with what he would do when he got home that he didn't even notice the menacing hiss before he was slammed against the side of a building. Zhou Yu gasped in surprise, his bag sliding off his shoulder and into the puddle of rainwater at his feet. He staggered under the sheer force of the blow and felt his head spin as it collided with the brick wall. He fell against broken glass and felt blood running down his arm.
His eyes felt unfocused, but as he looked up, he saw his attacker through the gloom of the alley and the rain. The face was melded in shadow, but the person moved with uncommon agility and had bitten into his neck before he could get his mind into action.
The cold teeth pierced his neck and he cried out in surprise, trying to get his mind to work. His limbs were already paralyzed. He couldn't breath, he couldn't think. Then his attacker was wrenched away from him with a horrible hiss, and Zhou Yu slumped backwards into the glass.
Before the pain hit him, the back of his mind realized that there were two people above him, his attacker and his savior, but in the broken mirror under him there was no one at all.
And then came the pain. It spread throughout his body like wildfire, burning him from his veins out. Then his head smacked the wall again and he was released into a blissful unconsciousness.
See! I told you that vampires are real!
TBC...
1 The union pacific railroad is the Transcontinental Railway in America that spread from one end of the country to the other, uniting the U.S. for the first time from East to West coast.
I hope you guys enjoy it! Please let me know if there are any mistakes that I didn't catch and any other problems that you've encountered.
Please review, I'd like to know your feedback before the next chapter.
By the way, you can say this is a crossover with Stephanie Meyer's series if you want, but I assure you, Edward and Bella and all her other characters are not involved at all. I'm merely borrowing her idea's for vampires, and I promise to return them when I'm finished.