Chapter 2:

Tseng's earpiece sputtered slightly as he placed it in his ear. "Yes?" Elena glanced at him worriedly.

"Sir," Rude's voice crackled in his ear.

"Rude, what is it?"

"Found him."

". . ." From what Rude could see, the redhead's expression across his face was rather peaceful. He was deathly pale, dark lines tracing his closed eyes, and both of his scars had darkened somehow. Placing a hand against Reno's face, his skin felt cold to the touch – ice cold. The Turk also noticed two marks near his partner's throat. With hardly any pulse or even a single breath, Rude suspected – but didn't immediately assume – the worst. Reno had been attacked and possibly killed by a vampire.

A lightheaded feeling kept him caught in what felt like a trance he couldn't wake from. The colors of black and bright green splotches flashed across his mind as he tried to move. His limbs felt heavy, as if he was tied down with weights. Feeling seemed lost in his limbs. His eyes wouldn't open nor would his hands move. For the time being.

The redhead felt someone touching his face and holding his right wrist. Probably checking for a pulse. A chill sent several twitches up his spine, ending at his fingertips and toes. Feeling began returning to his body, slowly waking from the trance. His senses were stronger than before he'd lost consciousness. Touch, smell, taste, hearing – they seemed sharper to him now. As for sight – well, he hadn't opened his eyes yet.

As both eyes opened, his vision – blurry at first – cleared. He saw the moonlight above in the dark sky for the first time he'd been out there. Then his eyes traveled from a dark skinned wrist he held in a vice-like grip to the face of a bald man wearing what looked like sunglasses. The redhead sat up, releasing his hold, feverishly pulling the Turk closer. A forbidden taste made his mouth go dry as the vampire advanced towards him. The taste of blood.

Rude tried to shove him off, but the redhead wouldn't let go. He pushed the vampire – his turned friend – away with the EMR he'd found. An electric shock sent the red-haired creature several feet back, scratching his face. This wasn't Reno. His partner was gone.

"What kind of cheap shot was that?" Reno regained his footing, as he wiped a bead of blood from his face where the EMR had struck him and licked it off his fingers grinning wickedly. "It'll take ya more than that, Rude." The mark had vanished, as if he hadn't even gotten hit.

A fight ensued, as Rude tried one trick after the other to knock Reno down. Anything he threw – fists mostly, even another shockwave from the redhead's EMR- wouldn't stop the vampire's attack. Every little mark, scratch, bruise or open wound healed itself making it almost seemingly impossible. This was harder because Reno was – no, used to be – his friend and partner.

Tiring out the Turk, Reno shoved him into what was left of a brick wall and held his former partner up by his shirt collar, leaning dangerously close to his throat. A trail of blood dripping down the side of his face momentarily distracted the vampire. Showing his incisors, the redhead tasted the blood with his tongue. Tart, yet desirably fresh, he thought smirking evilly. Hissing slightly, his fangs dipped close to Rude's throat, barely scraping his skin.

"Let him go." The click of a gun caught his sharp hearing as well as the nervous heartbeat of the person standing behind him. Her scent was one he recognized. Elena. Slowly he turned, releasing Rude from his grasp and faced the blonde haired girl in the Turk's blue suited uniform. A handgun held in front of him.

"Elena, you wouldn't shoot me, would you?" She studied her comrade's – no, she knew, former comrade – features for a moment before answering. He was the same person, but his neck was scarred with a vampire's bite and his normal aquamarine eyes had been changed. Blood red, she realized fearfully. The fight she'd witnessed was enough to prove he'd been turned. Slamming Rude into that wall; his injuries healing on their own- he wasn't the Reno she knew.

"If I still knew who you were, I wouldn't. But you're not Reno . . ." Elena's hand started shaking. Her gun went off, the bullet piercing him in the leg. Reno slumped for a second, falling to one knee, wincing as if it really hurt. "You're nothing more than one of them. You're a vampire . . . a monster . . ."

The redhead smirked, as his wound healed, the bullet falling to the ground as she took a step back startled. "What'd ya expect, 'Lena?" He gripped her shoulder, pinning her against another wall, her gun falling from her grasp. Elena tried to shove him away, but he was much stronger. He leaned close, his fangs touching her neck, a small hiss escaping his lips. ". . . you still talk too much . . ."

A sharp blade sliced him across his back, loosening his hold on Elena. Recoiling in pain, Reno turned to face another Turk, this time Tseng. His nose wrinkled at the same smell he had sensed earlier. Some strange herb he hated. The sword hit the vampire several more times, leaving dark burns in his skin.

Reno howled in agony. "Please . . . no more," he sobbed pleadingly. As he raised his head, Elena saw an unmistakable hurt look in his eyes. She glanced at Tseng, who said and did nothing. The blade was held close to Reno, who started shaking. Tseng knelt beside the red-haired vampire, the sword near his neck. The redhead dropped his head fatigued. ". . . n-no more . . ."

A figure appeared beside Elena, scaring her. Gulping down feelings of dread, she stood still as the dark figure passed by her. Tapping Tseng's shoulder, he moved away from Reno as she knelt beside the redhead. This figure was around her twenties, rather young. She gently stroked the redhead's face, a look of pity crossing her face. He responded to her touch with a low whimper, his hand clutching hers.

Inspecting his burns, the girl's expression was laced with sympathy. Reno . . . it's okay . . . she responded telepathically. Reno stared at her, a frightened childlike glance in his eyes. They won't hurt you . . . She gently rubbed his cheek, laying his head against her shoulder. The red-haired vampire's eyes closed; his form relaxing beside hers. Slowly, the girl slid her arms around the injured redhead, hearing him whimper. I'm not going to hurt you . . .

Holding Reno in her arms, she flashed the three remaining Turks a wicked glare. "If either of you think of hurting him, you are damned fools. Lay a finger on him or me," she hissed malevolently baring her fangs, "and I will hunt you down and kill every last one of you." Her figure, along with the redhead's, vanished before their very eyes.

Elena shuddered, gripping Tseng's arm. "What was that?"

"A vampress," he answered. "And a rather protective vampress at that."

"What's a vampress?"
"A female vampire. It's easier to distinguish her and another vampire apart." Nodding, Elena glanced at the sword Tseng started to re-sheath.

"How'd you stop Reno?"

"I rubbed garlic over the blade. This keeps vampires away."