Chapter 2: A Resolution
"I'm scared, mommy!" A little girl with brown hair cried as the roars from the outside world caused the little cave she was in to rumble.
...
Omotesando had been one of the first places to go during the vampire's take over. Especially the subway, which was now used as a cave for "livestock" (Any poor humans the vampires claimed as food). Maisie stuck her head out from behind the pillar she was using, hoping there were no Dracs (What Maisie called the vampires) nearby.
The area surrounding the Omotesando station was covered, floor to roof, in vegetation with rubble from nearby skyscrapers decorating the ground, untouched since the invasion. The entrance to the Omotesando subway was still standing strong and had less vegetation due to the lack of light. Crouched inside the entrance were people (most with dark hair and aging from 2-21) wearing the white "uniform" associated with the prisoners living under the Dracs. Maisie, who was wearing dark pants and a dark grey hoodie, didn't wear her colored contacts while she was hunting. This allowed her red eyes to pierce the darkness provided by the pillar she stood behind. She scanned the area and was relieved when she didn't see any of the monsters that usually plagued the area nearby.
Looks like it will be an easy hunting today Maisie thought with sigh. Unlike the vampires, she didn't have a name for the monsters up until a few years ago. She referred to them as "Scavengers" (At the time, the name made sense). The Scavengers were known for picking off any poor unfortunate souls that had escaped the Dracs. She knew about them because of how difficult they made hunting, attacking her and her prey wildly with no accuracy. Realizing the disappearance of the monsters, Maisie stopped hiding as she walked up to the subway entrance. Almost immediately, children began crying and adults growled as she approached. She stopped just a few inches from stepping into the cave as her red eyes scanned the room. The prisoners were already imagining what she would do, whether it is to take a poor soul to be drained or kill them all on the spot. Her next words may be the last words they ever hear.
"How would you like to escape?" Maisie asked gently, her eyes waiting for their confused expressions. Before she let the children get too excited, she added "I can only guarantee the safety of two children or one adult"
"How do we know you won't kill them?!" a woman yelled as she clutched her child to her chest.
"Do I look like I'm connected to the Dracs? I'm not one of them" Maisie sighed, gesturing to her clothing. The last group she conversed with wasn't this aggressive. "I'm offering you a choice. Either you agree to my bargain or I walk away with no argument. All I ask is for some blood"
The prisoners look concerned. "How do we know you won't suck us dry?" One man asked.
"If you're that concerned, find a bowl or something. Just make up your mind" Maisie sighed.
"You're that girl" one of the men said as his eyes widened. "You're the Blood Bird!"
Not again with that stupid nickname Maisie sighed as a vein popped out of her forehead. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the man and recognized him from the Nagoya station she had visited just two days before.
"What are you talking about?" One of the prisoners asked.
"The Blood Bird! She visits stations offering people freedom in exchange for blood. She's not a phony. I saw her at the Nagoya station!" The man felt relief flood through him. "She took two little boys to freedom!"
The man was speaking the truth. The group of prisoners at the Nagoya station had decided to trust her with twin boys around the age of 7. After skillfully avoiding some Scavengers, she had dropped both boys off at the entrance to the city, where they were quickly found and taken to the proper assistance. She had returned and gotten her blood, which was poured into a bowl due to the prisoner's fear of being sucked dry. Maisie accepted the blood with no complaints.
"Why should I trust her with my child?!" The woman from before cried out. "She could be killing them for all I know!"
The others seemed to agree as they all went silent. Maisie sighed. "I will not argue with you. If you refuse, then I will leave"
Just as she turned to leave, the man who called her "Blood Bird" yelled at the top of his lungs "Wait!". Maisie responded by shushing the man harshly. Noticing his volume, he whispered "Take me. I will give you my blood"
No one said anything for a moment until Maisie sighed and held out her hand. "Then hurry. I can't let the Dracs see me"
The man accepted her hand without a second thought. Just as he grabbed her hand, the cave shook as the roar of a Scavenger was steadily approaching. Maisie ran, dragging the man behind her as she ducked behind the pillar. Once behind the pillar, Maisie could see the Scavenger clear as day. It was the same Scavenger that she had seen during almost all of her hunting trips. She learned fairly quickly that while she could defend herself, she couldn't risk the life of the person behind her. The Scavenger had the appearance of a giant, white lobster with the lower half (colored dark teal with black accents) of a four legged spider with a long slithering tail. Its mouth, in the shape of a mermaid fin, was filled with teeth that would make the big bad wolf look like a puppy. The head of the scavenger reminded Maisie of a medieval knight with no face. As it approached, the ground trembled. Maisie looked for an exit, slowly realizing that all of her exits involved crossing paths with the scavenger.
Shit
Maisie looked at her prey, seeing how his body was already shaking from the short run to their current hiding place. There was no way he could run close behind… and Maisie wasn't leaving him.
"Get on my back"
"W-what?" The man asked, still breathing heavily.
"Get on my back" Maisie repeated. "You're too weak. I will carry you" Noticing his worried expression, she sighed. "Stop worrying. I'm going to get you to civilization"
"Of course, Blood Bird" The man whispered as he walked over to her.
The man said nothing as he hoisted himself onto Maisie's back with his cheeks blushing. Maisie, being seventeen, could already see why this kind of scenario would embarrass him, or any boy for that matter. Considering how long she had been transporting prey, it no longer bothered her if the prey had to be carried or if they were annoying (Which, many of the children she transported, were). The nickname she had recently been given did frustrate her, but she mostly let it slide. It was safe to say Maisie preferred being called only two names; her nickname or her full name, the latter she hadn't used since she was living with her parents.
The Scavenger roared as it spotted the human on Maisie's back and began charging.
"Hang on!" Maisie snapped as she started running, the man piggy backing with his arms wrapped around her neck. Her speed beat the scavenger's, allowing her to run pass it with little trouble.
"Dammit! She got another one!" Maisie heard a voice growl. Looking behind at the tunnel behind her, she saw a group of vampires wearing their signature white hoods. One of the dracs had sunken their fangs into a young child as her mother screamed. Maisie turned her head and ran as fast as she could, hoping to drop her prey off at the city borders before the dracs caught up.
…
Maisie felt herself grow weak as the pair slowed down, not far from her hideout.
"Blood Bird?" The man on her back said in a whisper.
Maisie felt her patience running thin. "What's your name?" She asked suddenly. The man was taken aback, but answered regardless.
"Markus"
"Good, I'm Maisie. Now stop calling me the 'Blood Bird'" Maisie snapped. Her body was growing numb from all the hunger pangs she was experiencing.
"Y-yes Ms.-"
"IT'S MAISIE"
"Yes M-Maisie!"
Maisie knew she would just get worse if she continued on, so she changed direction to her hideout. The man, Markus, obviously had a problem with this.
"Uh, Maisie? Where are we going?" Markus asked with fear evident in his voice.
"Calm down. If I keep going like this, I'll be too weak to hold myself back. We're stopping for the night" Maisie snapped. Her feet went on until she reached her hideout, the familiar, plant-covered building giving her a sense of relief and vulnerability. As she stepped inside the building, she slowly set Markus down on his feet. Markus was on the edge as Maisie slipped off her grey hoodie and smoothed out her hair. She looked at him with her crimson eyes, causing his heart to drop to his feet.
"Do you want a bowl?" Maisie asked out of the blue. Markus looked at her, confusion clouding his mind.
"W-what?"
"For your blood. Would you prefer a bowl?" Maisie clarified.
"Do most people prefer t-that?" Markus asked with fear underlying his calm tone.
"Most of the time. Some are too squeamish to cut themselves to collect their blood, others are scared I'll drain them dry. It depends." Maisie explained.
"Have you ever, y-you know… Killed anyone?" Markus asked.
Maisie went silent for a moment. "I've killed a Drac, but never a person" Maisie suddenly clutched her stomach in pain. Markus jumped back, surprised.
"Are you okay?" Markus asked, feeling concerned cover up his fear.
"Hunger pains" Maisie said through gritted teeth.
Markus swallowed down his fear and made a decision. "Take it"
Maisie looked up "What?"
"T-take my blood, y-you saved me and this is my p-payment" Markus said, his voice shaking.
Maisie didn't think twice and she rose to her feet, approaching Markus. Markus felt his heart pounding in his chest, remembering the familiar piercing needles the vampires used on his neck. Markus, with hands trembling, pulled the right side of his shirt down, exposing his shoulder. Maisie got closer and Markus closed his eyes as he felt her breath on his bare shoulder. With one swift motion, Maisie's fangs pierced Markus's skin and began filling her mouth with the red liquid. Markus could feel his energy disappearing, but just as quickly as it began, it stopped. After a few minutes, Maisie pulled back, blood dripping down her chin. Maisie stepped back, wiping the blood away.
"Thank you" Maisie said as she felt her hunger pains disappeared almost instantly. She grabbed her hoodie and sat down, crisscross, on a random spot on the floor. "Use the mattress for the night. Tomorrow I'll drop you off."
Markus nodded as he looked at the two bleeding punctures on his shoulder. He didn't even as tired as he did when the vampires drained him. Maisie closed her eyes, her breathing evening out in her seated position. Markus followed her orders and lay on the mattress, allowing his guard to drop. He closed his eyes and felt himself have the most pleasant dream he had had in years.
…
Markus woke to the sound of a shower running as he lifted his head, sleep still blurring his vision. As his vision cleared, he realized where he was. Markus looked around for Maisie, wondering if she turned the water on for him. The door to the bathroom was open, causing his guess to only strengthen. His guess was eliminating as soon as he step into the bathroom and saw Maisie, back facing towards him, with no clothes, standing in the cold shower. Maisie, unfazed by the sudden intrusion, looked at Markus as his face grew as red as a tomato and stumbled out of the room yelling apologies.
Maisie quickly finished up and got dressed. Markus, who had since calmed down, watched in fascination as Maisie put in her contacts that turned her eyes from blood red to hazel. Maisie ignored his staring as she continued on. She ran her fingers through her hair, acting as though they were a makeshift brush, placing it strategically over her ears. Her outfit consisted of light blue jeans that were cut off right above her ankle. Her top was just a light grey t-shirt that was thin and flowy.
"How did you change your eye color?" Markus asked. Maisie felt herself chuckle.
"How old were you when you were taken?" Maisie asked.
"Uh… I think I was around 10 or 11" Markus answered.
"Alright, that explains it" Maisie sighed. She took a contact out of her right eye and showed it to him. "This is something called a contact. Sometimes they're colored, though these days' contacts are pretty rare and expensive. People who don't want to use glasses can use these. I had someone in the city make them for me."
"Why did ask how old I was when I was taken?" Markus asked.
"That would explain why you didn't know what contacts were" Maisie clarified. "I knew what they were when the Dracs took over, but I didn't know they could be colored until someone told me."
Maisie stretched out her arms. Her face returned to its usual dull expression as she walked to the door and waited. "Let's go"
Markus nodded as he ran after her. Maisie walked to the city like she usually did, except she stopped just before reaching the entrance. Markus was confused by the sudden stop as Maisie turned to look at him. Maisie closed her eyes, as if thinking, and went silent. Suddenly Maisie's eyes opened as she gestured to the gate to the city and started talking.
"Go to the gate and call for help. I'll keep an eye on you to make sure nothing happens." Maisie commanded. "Don't tell them my name AT ALL. Just say you were rescued by 'The Blood Bird'"
"I thought you hated that name" Markus interrupted.
"I do, but they'll look for me if they have a name to work with." Maisie explained. "I do go in the city a lot. If you see me, don't freak out. You can make contact, just don't go overboard"
"Do people keep talking to you?" Markus asked. "After you rescue them?"
"Yes, but it's a big area so I may not see you often." Maisie smiled for a moment. "Actually, I do talk to one of my prey quite often" Her smile faded. "But that's none of your concern. Now go, we don't have all day"
Markus nodded as he ran to the gate while Maisie hid nearby. Markus began yelling at the top of his lungs, banging on the gate.
"SOMEONE PLEASE LET ME IN! DON'T LET THE MONSTERS GET ME!" Markus screamed as guards rushed to open the gate and get him help.
Damn, he could've fooled me Maisie said as she hid her surprise. Maisie pulled her glasses out of her pocket and put them as the guards helped Markus into the city. Another great hunt, Maisie
Maisie made her way into the city as she did before and headed towards a shop in one of the more stable buildings. Walking in, Maisie saw a young man in his early with ruffled, caramel brown hair and dark brown eyes. His outfit was an old t-shirt and torn jeans. The shop itself had objects in any condition stored on shelves all around the room. The young man laughed at the customer before him as they turned to leave. When Maisie walked through the doors, the man's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Hey Birdy!" The man smiled. Maisie rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist the smile that grew on her face.
"I told you my name, yet you never use it" Maisie sighed. "How's business, Dustin?"
"It's going slow, but I'm getting there" The man, Dustin, smirked. "You make any deliveries lately?"
"Yeah, just this morning. Poor guy didn't know what contacts were" Maisie chuckled.
"You could always come to me for a snack instead of putting yourself in danger" Dustin said as gestured to his neck, Maisie rolled her eyes. "Speaking of the fangs, I got you a gift!"
"You shouldn't have" Maisie smiled. Dustin reached behind the counter and pulled out a ring, tossing it to her in a swift motion.
"One of my buddies got it from a vampire attack. Apparently they protect the blood suckers in the sun" Dustin explained. "So I thought you'd like, though I did paint it a little."
Maisie looked at the little, shiny rose-gold ring in awe. "I thought that would make it easier to do day jobs. Those glasses only keep you from going up in flames." Dustin explained further. "I asked my buddy if he could pick up a UV arm band next time he was out in battle"
"Thanks Dustin! What would I do without you?" Maisie smiled.
"Well for one, I would still be with the fangs and you would be up in flames" Dustin laughed.
Maisie placed the ring on her left hand and felt the subtle, uncomfortable tingling she was so used to disappear immediantely. Before she could enjoy her comfort, two officers walked into the little pawn shop. Dustin stepped in front of Maisie, protecting her like a mother.
"How can I help you officers?" Dustin asked.
"We were just wondering why a minor is out of school this early in the morning" The officer explained. "She has to be in school, it's the law. She'll have to come with us"
SHIT