Author's Note: A huge thank-you to everyone who reviewed! You are all awesome.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sanctuary, save for the futile character I have placed in here. And the anthropophagi, I guess. Or this version of 'em.
"Radovan Mihailo." Magnus's tone was steely. "Care to explain why you've been hijacking the Sanctuary's funds or should I just knock you out right now?"
Radovan's eyes met Magnus's. Will let his eyes scan the other man, waiting for something to pop up. The strong smell of shampoo permeated through the room.
Dark clothes, light blond hair, smudge of red on one finger. Index finger. Probably touched something bloody. At this stage in his work, Will didn't even consider Sharpie or paint.
"I am sorry, Doctor. But the dhampires were dying without money for their cattle. And other problems…" His voice carried an accent Will couldn't place.
"Then you should have told me Radovan, not waited twenty years to find out for myself!" Magnus exclaimed.
"They did not want anyone to know. They are secretive, and telling you would have broken the little trust they have in me."
Magnus sighed. "Will, meet Radovan. He tracks abnormals and manages the dhampir safe houses in Serbia."
"Dhampires?"
"A race of abnormals that resemble what most would consider a vampire. Fast strong, afraid of sunlight and garlic. They were the carriers of many diseases that people assume associate with vampirism."
Great. "More vampires."
"But as far as I know, they haven't left Europe. So why are you here Radovan?"
"I am here because I came to apologize, and because I have received new information on the anthropophagi."
"The abnormals you tried to capture in '89." Will said under his breath.
Magnus nodded.
"The same. We ran into some difficulties with personnel but managed to contain them in underground cells."
"What makes them so dangerous?" Might as well get it into the open.
"Anthropophagi are strong and fast. Churches considered using them to hunt vampires, but deemed them even more unholy than the vampires themselves. They feed entirely on humans, and if necessary, eat their own young. You can see the slight problems keeping a pack here would entail."
"Oh. And let me guess." Will said, glancing at Radovan. "They've escaped, are escaping or will escape very soon?"
"He is very smart," Radovan interjected. "A good protégé. But no, the anthropophagi are not in danger of escape yet. They are in danger of destroying themselves. The females are breeding too quickly, and if we don't move some of the pack into different tunnels they will turn on each other and…"
"They'll eat each other." Will finished.
"Yes. And then the last of their species will be wiped out." Magnus finished. "The anthropophagi are immune to many diseases that plague the human body despite nearly exact physiology."
"Then we have no choice."
"No. We don't."
"It might be just my imagination," Will said. "But isn't this a little odd?"
"How observant." Kate muttered from behind her newspaper. "Is that really why Magnus hired you?"
Will ignored the remark and continued observing the passerby. Nearly everyone rushed past (not uncommon in Boston) but the black clothes, sunglasses, and distinctive smell of Mace in the air gave the entire place an Armageddon-type feel.
To Will, it simply felt like something was wrong.
"Anything in the news Kate?"
"Huh. Robberies are up 20% this week. That could have something to do with it." Kate flicked the pages back and forth.
"Probably. In dark alleys. But this is the middle of the day. It's like…" Will looked at the umbrellas and long-sleeved clothes. "They're afraid of the light."
"Well, the guy does have something to do with vampires."
"Vampires don't-"
Magnus walked over, casting glances at the seemingly gothic crowd.
"The motel has confirmed our reservations. I think we should get going. Radovan will take us to the Anthropophagi's warrens after we drop off our luggage. Kate, would you mind catching a taxi to get there ahead of time? Radovan will be there, and I don't trust him not to double cross us when we arrive"
The ex-mercenary nodded and hailed a cab, patting her belt to double check the gun's presence. Will and Magnus began walking down the sun-soaked streets.
"Magnus, you pay me for my ridiculous theories."
"Of course."
"I don't trust Radovan. Seriously, showing up from Serbia just after we find out he's been stealing, wanting help with abnormals. Doesn't this sound like someone we know?"
"Who?"
"Tesla."
"Will, I have known Radovan for his whole life. He is not Tesla. And vampires can't stand dhampires."
"I guess you would. But why would a guy who's protecting dhampires also be trying to take care of the very abnormals that can kill them?"
"Because the dhampires are dying off due to inbreeding of centuries. Unlike the vampires, dhampires were never a 'ruling class'. The majority of dhampires cannot mate with humans, and those who could were killed long ago."
"So there aren't any part-dhampires around."
"No. even discovering a part vampire is rare enough."
"Good." Finding another Tesla probably wouldn't happen.
"I believe we are here." Magnus gestured to a nondescript motel, with 'Vacancy' scribbled on a billboard.
Two shots were fired, and they started running.
The first thing Will saw was Kate, lying prone on the ground, blood pooling from a wound on her hand.
The next thing he saw was a monster.
Since his first days at the sanctuary, Will had tried to adopt Magnus's classification of 'abnormal' instead of 'monster'. But this might have crossed the boundary.
It lacked a head. Its skin was deathly white and wrinkled, blood trailing from two bullet holes in its chest. Two eyes (they couldn't be anything but eyes) stared out at him black as a shark's. A huge mouth, about the size of a human head, gaped open, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Its arms were long, had the thing been standing upright, its knuckles would be only a few inches from the ground. At the end of each finger were four-inch long nails, black and razor sharp.
Magnus swore and knelt beside Kate, taking her pulse.
Will heard someone step behind him. He wheeled around, gun leveled at the intruder.
"Don't you love Boston?"A deep voice. Unnaturally layered.
Helen Magnus looked up to see Nikola Tesla smirking at her.
To be continued. Please review!