A/N: Edd and Bro belong to Danny Antonucci.

The rest of the characters belong to my OCs. Unlike the song it was based on, the characters in this fic are fictional and are not based on any particular individual.

Also, I don't have the greatest track record with upload schedules, so please be advised.

Glancing up from his research, Edd watched the sun set from the library window, recognizing with an air of paranoia how late it was getting. Before him lay a mess of newspapers and articles about the local copycat murders, each detail more gruesome than the last, but all the more fascinating. Despite his young age, he'd become very determined to see if he could offer the police any insight. The urge to do something to protect the others in his community had proven too great to ignore, which led him to this moment.

By now, he'd at least narrowed a few things down that were shared among all of the cases filed based on available reports. The murders always took place at night. That was the most obvious detail. The murder weapon was also the same in every case — an icepick of some kind, Edd assumed — and used in the same manner with every victim; two puncture wounds, usually to the neck. Finally, there were at least three different killers that had been described in some detail. It had to be the work of a vampire cult, Edd had determined. It seemed obvious, though it would make sense for the police to have considered it, but avoid making any public statements about it to avoid panicking the community any more than it was. He seriously doubted, though, that actual creatures of night were involved. This was real life, after all, not a horror movie. It was just a trio of men terrorizing the community by playing copycat with each other.

However, the method was where the similarities ceased. Where the case grew strange was the type of victims that had been found. Unlike most copycat cases, the victims varied wildly. Eyewitness accounts were mixed in regards to the three suspects, but the culmination of testimonies provided him the barest of leads and enough similarities to compose a blurry image.

The first killer in the lineup seemed to favor female Instagram models between the ages of 18 to 26. Though not necessarily 'famous', per say, they were still considered the cream of the crop when it came to conventionally attractive women within the community. The suspect was described as an attractive man within the same age-range as his victims who was said to have a posh accent to boot. Edd imagined this killer to be a complete narcissist. Someone who gets off on snuffing out beautiful, college-aged women to suit some overinflated ego. His last victim had been Cassidy Stevens. In the last known photo of her, she was wearing a baby-pink crop-top and skinny jeans that showed off her figure nicely. When they found her body at the marina, it had been completely drained of blood. The oddest detail came sometime later, when her college friends had claimed to have seen her a couple of times after the funeral; decked out in all black, with sunglasses and a wide-brim, black hat.

It's not unheard of for grief to induce powerful hallucinations in people, Edd assumed. Those poor souls.

The second killer was described as a tattooed man, but, similar to the previous suspect, that's where the details about his appearance ended. Very vague and borderline unhelpful. This one liked to target members of the 'alternative scene' and people with a dying wish. An angel of death, it seemed, or a man with a similar goal as Jack Kevorkian. Probably has a complex with playing God, Edd thought to himself. The more important question is how he's finding the ones with a death wish.

The third and most perverted of them all was known to wear an old beret and Edd cursed that the news articles didn't provide more information, since he was also potentially the most dangerous. This man loved leaving those icepick wounds on the chests and pubic mound of his victims after having PIV sex or sodomizing them. A sexual sadist, perhaps. As Edd reviewed the details of the victims, he gulped upon realizing that he was among the very broad age range this man preferred; from 10 years old to forty. He, just shy of his thirteenth birthday, could easily be a victim if he wasn't careful.

The fact that the sun was now setting didn't comfort him in the slightest.

Collecting his books on Jack the Ripper and Richard Chase, he hastily rose from his seat and tidied up his workspace for the staff. Anxious as he felt, he wasn't about to leave them a mess! Once done, and after bidding the librarian good night, he fled the building before she could give him a lecture about being out so late. It'll be worth the risk! He reminded himself. Man, after writing this report on the latest killings, he could be rewarded well for his tenacity. Perhaps they'd allow him to sit in on a criminal justice-related college course?! Like Criminology or Abnormal Psychology?! Oh! What a treat that would be!

Yes. Definitely worth the risk!

The spring night air was crisp on his skin and his fantasies had him feeling like an apple blossom floating in the cool breeze. That was, of course, until he really took note of his surroundings. It had been a day where a dense fog had blanketed the small town and the night was reducing visibility all the more. By now, he couldn't see two feet in front of him! Oh dear…At this rate, he wouldn't get home in time. His mother would certainly become worried, and a harsh punishment would surely follow.

Well, if she was home, that is.

"Hey!" A voice called out from the fog, startling him as the silence was suddenly broken, "I noticed you were lookin' into the copycat murders. I happen to know someone who has some info on the killers. Someone who knows who committed the crimes."

Edd saw a brief flash of red, but dismissed it as a trick of light. Instead, he paused in his movements, slowly turning in hopes of finding the source of the voice. He grit his teeth in false bravado.

"I do not find this to be very humorous," he retorted hotly, "I demand that you show yourself at once!"

"Ooh…So much sass for such a young criminal profiler," the voice mocked, "But seriously. If you want answers, the tallest, hollowed-out tree in town is where you can find me, and I'll tell ya all you wanna know."

With a grimace, Edd tried to feel his way around the fog that was as thick as cotton. His search came up almost empty — as though his taunter was an athletic runner. But he did find something. Something that made his breath hitch in shock and terror. Lying on the ground before him was a familiar, old, brown beret. Edd's throat felt dry and a cold dread constricted his chest. Could it really be?

Without a second thought, he withdrew a pair of rubber gloves and pulled them on before grabbing a plastic baggie from his satchel. He thanked his rudimentary understanding of criminology that allowed for him to avoid accidentally tampering the evidence with his fingerprints. The item weighed heavily in his hands as he gazed at what could very well be the killer's hat.

He shuddered back to reality as he remembered that voice and the heavy fog around him. A fog that was…suddenly gone? But where…? The only possible logical reason would be that the person who'd spoken to him blew a hallucinogenic into his face without him even realizing.

What else could explain that weird situation?

Edd shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on helping police with their mystery before turning his attention to a new one or delaying their progress any further. He could feel the goosebumps upon his arms as he reminded himself of the rewards that could be granted to him for his assistance.

Then it hit him. He's a minor out after curfew! He could get in serious trouble if he's caught outside after dark! His parents especially would scold him for being so careless when they found out. What could he do? Well, he could go home now and risk losing his opportunity, which would result in an average paper that detailed his theories, but also stay out of worse trouble. Or. He could pursue this lead and face his punishment when he turned the beret and the rest of his findings in to the local authorities, who might then rethink the very idea of punishment when they realized what they'd have on their hands. He could then write his paper with the new addition about how he helped police by providing them the means to catch at least one of the killers — or perhaps all of them if they were as connected as he assumed!

'He's not going to be there all night, you know,' the voice in his head hissed, sounding similar to the voice in the fog, 'If you really want to make a name for yourself, you'll catch the killer yourself.'

Despite the recklessness of the idea, Edd couldn't exactly argue against it. How many chances would he get to catch the monster terrorizing his town?! To do the right thing and possibly put a stop to more needless killing? Or at least put a dent in future casualties? Opportunities like this don't present themselves every day and he's not looking at many more if he doesn't grab the situation by its theoretical balls now. Taking a breath to steel his nerve, he resolved to at least call the police on his cell phone once he was close enough to get a good look at the son of a bitch who promised him this information; killer or not.

The vague landmark hint was cute, but this person had clearly underestimated him. Due to a myriad of time spent learning the geography and history of the town, he knew very well that the tallest, hollowed-out tree was located in the forest. The exact location might be a little harder to pinpoint, but he was confident in his navigational abilities.

With that, he ran in the direction of the forest, dodging street lights on the off chance some passerby or a random onlooker might spot him. As he neared the imposing wood, he spotted a swarm of bats gliding into the sky and came to a stop. That's odd, he mused. The migration pattern of little brown bats like that were nowhere near Peach Creek. Still, though, it was a fascinating sight and he didn't hesitate to retrieve his phone and open his camera app to take a photo. To his dismay, though, the picture wound up terribly blurry and barely discernible. Cursing under his breath, he raised his phone again to try and get a better photo, only to have the device itself malfunction — the screen splintering as it shut down entirely.

Edd cursed his luck and tried holding the power button — hoping that his battery had just briefly given out. If not…he might be in trouble as his plan to call the cops went up in smoke. A moment later, however and after several failed attempts to restart the phone, it then turned back on as if nothing had happened.

Okay, he was starting to freak out, now. Did this person have some kind of signal jammer that also had the ability to turn his phone off?!

'You're almost there,' the voice taunted, breaking through his panicked thoughts, 'Don't you want to solve the case?'

He couldn't turn back now — he'd come so close! His phone was shattered from…whatever that was. He'll have to take it to be repaired, but not before getting some answers! After all, he had no idea how he'd explain this to his parents without bringing them a reason for him to be out here for his phone to have been broken to begin with. He'd need a good explanation for that so as not to evoke any more ire from them.

For now, though, it was probably a good time to make that call. He shakily dialed in the three digit number and held the phone to his ear.

"911, what is your emergency?" The female voice on the other end answered.

"Hello?" Edd greeted shakily, "Yes —" He cleared his throat. "This is Eddward Vincent of Rethink Avenue…I…believe I might possibly have a lead on one of the perpetrators of the recent copycat murders."

"Young man," the operator retorted in a weary tone, "This line is reserved for serious emergency situations. You shouldn't call unless—"

"I'm being serious!" Edd argued, "I followed a clue to the woods and—"

"Wait, you're outside after curfew?" she interrupted, "You need to return home right now."

"Please!" Edd begged, "I simply must share what I've learned with the authorities! If you could just listen, I—"

"What makes you think you even have information the police need regarding the copycat murders?"

"I…"

What could he say? That he'd found an old beret in a parking lot and a voice belonging to someone concealed by fog had directed him to the woods? Would they even care to look into it? Or would they just dismiss it and think he's crazy or, as she seemed to assume at first, a prank-caller poking fun?

'I think it's time to hang up now, sweet thing,' the voice returned, 'They're not gonna give a damn until you catch the killer. You're possibly already in trouble for staying out late, so why not follow the clue that was given to you for free?'

Edd found that he couldn't argue with the voice. He could never argue with it. There's no way she'd believe his story. He winced against her urging him for an answer and sighed softly.

"You're right…" he mumbled, "I'm sorry…I just…I guess I got in over my head and…started to believe I knew more than…" He forced another sigh. "Can you…please send someone here anyway? I…I fear I might be lost and could really use a safe ride home…I tried my parents, but…they're unavailable at the moment…"

That seemed to soften her tone a bit — perhaps a mother's sympathy? — and she verified his location before assuring him she'd dispatch someone to retrieve him. Numbly, he hung up without so much as a 'goodbye' or even a 'thank you', knowing that he wouldn't have much time now to seek out the killer. He needed to hurry before the police department sent that squad car to his location…

Ababababababa

Matthew was tickled pink as he waited for his fresh meal to arrive. He flashed his fangs thinking about that adorable, androgynous human he'd gotten his hooks into earlier. That flawless, cherubic face would look damn good drained of blood. The best part, though, was that this little cutie was just dying to meet him.

As he waited for dinner to offer itself up on a silver platter, he idly smoked a joint and leaned against the gnarled, old tree. Blood always tasted divine after a good toke, especially the blood of children; untainted from disease and addiction. Diabetic blood tasted too sweet, as he'd learned when he turned Lucas' smarmy ass. Junkie blood always tasted weird and bitter, something he regretted finding out when he turned Seth. And don't even get him started on how old people tasted like rancid meat. No, the blood of children was the best. Hands down. And he'd found himself a damn sweet treat tonight.

When he spotted his meal nearing the old tree, looking apprehensive and overly cautious, Matthew knew it was time to act — to spring his trap before his prey turned tail and ran like a little jack rabbit. When the boy drew near enough, he slipped out of his hiding place and caught his gaze, urging the delicious morsel to look him in the eyes so Matthew could work his magic; seducing him into a hypnotic state.

The child — His name was Eddward, right? — stopped dead in his tracks, his eyelids drooping as he fell into a trance. He swayed a bit where he stood, helpless to his fate as Matthew approached him. The little bread crumbs he'd left at the library and in this child's head were enough to lead him straight to him.

Shucking off the satchel the boy was carrying, he then pulled the red shirt off of the scrawny torso and tossed it to the ground. His fangs extended as he hoisted the tiny body up before latching onto his smooth chest. His eyelids fluttered at the taste flowing upon his tongue. His blood was sweet, but not overly so, with that coppery undertone that came with all of his meals. And he loved it like a basic bitch loved overpriced coffee. It was a sublime flavor that tickled and enlivened his dead tongue.

Random memories began to flash in his mind as he drained the child's life essence. He felt the blood coating his mouth as he dragged his tongue over the broken flesh and as he was treated to a life of delicious neglect, intelligence, and a short existence of feebly seeking the approval of others. Such a sad delicious life.

He almost felt bad for his little delicacy.

Biting down on his own bottom lip, he waited until his own blood trickled down his jaw before cradling the back of the boy's head in his hand. Panting softly, he allowed Edd one final moment of clarity as he held him still. Gazing into those lilting green eyes, he offered him a smirk before kissing him, ruby-red staining both of their lips as his blood trickled into Edd's open mouth. He didn't allow his meal to get a single word in as Edd dangled there in his arms, his body briefly struggling for survival until ultimately giving in to the sweet embrace of death; the last wisp of life snuffed out.

Matthew didn't have time to properly appreciate his handiwork before his superhuman senses picked up the far-off call of a police car arriving on the scene to investigate Edd's call. Smirking into the kiss before pulling away, he delicately laid Edd's corpse beneath the tree before reaching into the child's bag to snatch up his hat. Pocketing the plastic bag Edd had been keeping it in, he turned to leave.

Only when he was far enough from the approaching officers did Matthew rise into the air to fly away from the scene, still licking his lips of the blood that lingered there. The next time he'd see that kid, little Edd would be a full-fledged vampire. Probably terrified out of his wits and unsure of what to do. But he won't have to go it alone. Matthew would make a special trip to his gravesite after the funeral and help dig him up. He'd be there to welcome him to the dead and finally introduce himself as the child vampire's sire.

Should be fun!