The room was dark and silent, the only sounds being the erratic breathing of the nine occupants within. Their personalities were quite varied, some were impatient, others more solemn, two were at least being serious and one of them just didn't really care about everyone else.

"Ugh, seriously could he take any longer?" A man groaned. "I even had to go through hell and high water just to make it here on time."

"Do be calm." Another male spoke with a calm demeanour. "You know what he can be like at times. He's always making sure everything he wants to discuss is properly accounted for.

The first man sighed. "What's so important that he had to call an emergency meeting of all things? When that damned vampire clan in Romania finally unleashed this Paragon thingy I didn't think we would have anything else more problematic!"

"Hush now." A woman spoke this time. "The world is an erratic and ever-changing place. The unexpected always springs on us when we least expect it."

"She's right!" Another man now spoke, his high voice carrying his exhilaration across the room. "And that's what makes part of it fun! Kiiiiieeeehahahahahaha!"

"Eight, cease that ridiculous laughter at once." Came a gruff voice. "Our dignity shall be called into question by the rest."

"Heh." The one called 'Eight' scoffed in his seat. "Like I care. Besides, I may be a sociopathic murderer, but I still know how to be serious with work!

Then the door finally opened. The room's occupants remained silent as a figure walked in and took his place at the table. "Good, we are all here. I apologise for my lateness. This new development was rather unnerving and it required a great amount of confirmation on my end. I hope that you understand."

"About time…" The first man who had spoken since finally groaned. "What was so important that you had to take so damn long? I was about to die of boredom here One."

"Apologies Six." 'One' replied. "Truly I didn't want to waste your time. But taking that into consideration, let us begin with the matter at hand. This time however, it regards a human." At this, he pushed a small piece of paper into the centre of the table. The occupants looked upon the slip of paper, reading every word upon it.

"Anju Cross?" The calm man spoke again. "What does this girl have to do with anything? She is just a simple student at Cross Academy."

"Perhaps, but recently I have found she is more than that." 'One' responded. "You see, thanks to our monitoring of the vampire's worldwide, we have discovered that this girl may have the ability to procreate with vampires."

"Can't all humans do that?" The gruff voice said again. "We have the dhampir offspring of the Aidou family."

"True." 'One' nodded. "But this one is different. Anju Cross may be human, but there is now evidence that despite this, she can give birth to pure vampire children." At this, the room went silent, shock registering in their faces as they beheld this new information.

"Hey hey…" 'Eight' said. "This shit ain't funny. A human who can create vampire children? Seriously?"

"Do we have confirmation?" The calm man asked.

"Not quite yet." 'One' answered. "For now, the tests the vampires have done are preliminary at best. However, depending on what they find in future, this girl could end up becoming worse than any vampire in the world. Imagine it, if she can truly sire vampire children from those monsters, then it would mean that said children could inherit her human traits. They could live in the sun without detriment while possessing vampiric powers. Furthermore, what if these children generate the same properties? What if they were to mate with humans and create a similar result?"

"And what if…" 'One' now leaned forward, staring coldly at the document pertaining to Anju. "What if this also applies to Purebloods?"

At this, the room gasped, murmuring among themselves as to how grave this was. "If this is true…" The calm man spoke. "Then the Purebloods will multiply far faster than before. Those monsters will also become stronger…"

"This girl could end up evolving their species further than before…" The woman said. "If that happens, then… we will face a far stronger breed of those creatures."

"This girl…" Another voice spoke. It was female, but it sounded more like a child than a woman. "Abomination… Threat… Must kill…"

"Let us not be too hasty Five." A man spoke with a French accent. "Slaying this girl will not be easy. She is guarded heavily by Kirihara Cross. I'd rather not go up against him unless we have no other choice."

"Seven speaks true." 'One' replied. "For now, we need more information. As to that, our actions will need to be coordinated well and make sure they don't get picked up by the Association or by the Vampire Knights. That crafty queen will undoubtedly have spies running everywhere. Nine, I want you to proceed with your research regarding the improvement of our current fighting capabilities. The Kraven clan's Project Paragon is still a very real threat which we must respond to."

"Understood." The calm man said.

"Six, Seven, Ten." 'One' continued. "Keep scouting for the whereabouts of this Kraven clan. I want to know what they are doing. If you find any of their facilities, burn them down."

"You got it." 'Six' groaned.

"Oui." 'Seven' replied.

"Da." A Russian voice spoke.

"Eight, Five, I want you to bring this girl to us alive." 'One' said. "We will need to run tests on her to see exactly the properties we are so wary of. If anyone stands in your way, dispose of them however you see fit."

"Kehehehehehe." 'Eight' chuckled madly. "Wonderful."

"Order acknowledged…" The childlike voice, 'Five', replied. "Capture girl… not kill… Those who obstruct… remove…"

"The rest of us will remain on watch for any major movements from the Association and the Vampire Queen. If they are about to discover our whereabouts, contact the others immediately, or ensure the knowledge dies with them." The others agreed, but one raised his hand, catching their attention.

"I hate to dampen the current mood." He spoke with an indifferent voice. "But what of my predecessor?"

"The previous Four?" 'One' asked. "Keep an eye out for him. Since he defected he has been causing a good deal of trouble for our operations. I'd like him captured and brought back here as well, but if he resists, then you are authorised to take whatever action you see fit. Any other queries?"

To this, there was silence. It seemed there were no more questions to be said. "Very well then." 'One' said. "Now go forth, into Helsing's eternal hunt."

It had been three weeks since the flyers were posted, but one could say that the school festival was starting to get into full swing. Already, many classes had signed up different activities. One class already had plans for a haunted house, most had decided to run small cafés. Some classes even went through the trouble of organising games stalls outside the main school building, or even making traditional handcrafts from their respective countries.

However, the main attraction that had many classes hyped up was the setup being done in the clearing between both the main building and the Moon dorms. The massive equipment had been brought in, with plenty of students (both human and vampire) helping to build it. As it slowly took shape, it was obvious what it was.

"Wow, I can't believe we managed to build a temporary outdoor stage in the school grounds." Misaki grinned as she nudged Anju. "You go girl."

"Every school festival needs a concert right?" Anju smiled as she looked over a few other documents. "It's just great we managed to ask for help from the Chairman's contacts. Already we have so many students signing up. It's just too bad that we can only afford thirty spaces since the stage shows are only a night thing so that both humans and vampires could enjoy them."

"I doubt you'll have to worry about that." Misaki said as they passed by a group of students who were measuring out the area they would need for their stalls. "We so far only have fourteen performances on the main stage. I think you can ease up regarding that."

"Also, I can't believe Cassandra opted to sing in it." Anju beamed. "Everyone has heard of how great a singer she is, so she's got plenty of fans. I also can't believe the Night class chose to turn their entire dormitory into a vampire culture museum."

"A pretty grand idea, I must say." Misaki acknowledged. "Though I can't imagine the budget for all this."

"Well, despite the set budget, it seems plenty of students have also contributed monetarily. It's all thanks to the support from Queen Ai though, she helped to cover some of the expenses as well." Anju said as she reached the main building. "It's just too bad that most of the festival as to cater from evening onwards."

"Well, how else will we get all students to enjoy it?" Misaki nodded. "But back to the topic, what about the Night class's museum? While I do like the idea of the vampires being able to manage their own funds and resources, it can still be risky to have humans within the Moon dorm. We can't have any incidents happening.

"And that is why the teachers will be handling the security there." Anju said. "Cassandra will also be there to make sure no one misbehaves. She seems to have adjusted well to being the new head of the Night class."

"Wow." Misaki blinked in amazement. "Seems like everything is working out."

"Not really…" Anju sighed as they entered their class. "We still have plenty of little details to iron out, such as the equipment for some of the stalls. Food stalls and cafés are okay since the cafeteria has offered to supply excess ingredients, but the others need materials for stuff like banners and posters as well. We need to manage that too."

"Isn't what that weekend shopping trip is for?" Hibiki asked from behind.

"Well, it is still a lot…" Anju sighed as he head leaned down on the table. "We've been considering buying stuff in bulk so that hopefully we can save them up for future years, but it also means it's a pain to carry it everywhere. I expect a single trip to be extremely exhausting. If we could get a car that would work, but I'm not hopeful at this stage."

"Seems you've got it tough festival committee chairman." Misaki teased.

"Well, it is to forge better relations between humans and vampires, which is pretty much on thin ice as it is with everything that has happened." Anju said. "And the Chairman is right, we need some time just to relax after everything that has happened. Besides, when Cassandra said she would be singing, she looked pretty excited too."

"I mean, her first live show was on a battlefield." Misaki noted. "I suppose it would be nice for her to actually sing in front of an actual audience. Speaking of which, what song exactly will she be singing to? Furthermore, how will she get the music?"

Anju chuckled. "Well about that… It seems she has quite the idea."

Shinji breathed as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. Upon his and the other prefects' return, he was pleasantly surprised at the fact there was a school festival going on, and that Cassandra had decided to sign herself up for a singing performance. On a total whim, he had decided to help out, but for now had to show exactly what he had. Such were the terms Gabriella had made on behalf of the Night class festival committee.

"Alright then…" Shinji nodded as he hefted the electric guitar. "Here goes." Holding the pin, he strummed out a speed-metal solo that echoed throughout the main lounge. While loud, it was also harmonious as he shifted from punk-rock to jazz themes. Even Cassandra seemed awed by it.

"Wow…" Cassandra breathed, clapping in a one-woman applause. "I'm impressed! You didn't tell me you could do something like this!"

"It's not something I like to make known." Shinji said. "Plenty of girls already woo me for my looks. I don't want more suddenly swarming over me. Besides, it's the one talent that doesn't sit too well with my significant other, especially during her sleep times. I really hope those ear plugs worked. I don't want to be subjected to cranky fury."

"Well, I suppose we can still chalk you down for lead guitarist." Cassandra nodded to Gabriella. "We have Ms. Laine on the Keytar and Mr. Fernando on the Drums. Also, Mr. Han has decided to take up the bass guitar."

"But this is all for pop, rock or jazz genres…" Gabriella said. "I thought your preference was more into classical music?"

Cassandra giggled. "There comes a time where every songstress needs to expand the range of her vocal chords. Besides, I doubt most of the students actually listen to classics of the opera. But if you are so inclined, I do have a few students more versed in elegant varieties. Ms. Wagner was especially excited for her violin part."

"You saying the kind of music I make is vulgar?" Shinji frowned.

"No." Cassandra smiled. "However, when you want to get an audience going, there needs to be a build-up toward a more energetic ensemble, yes?"

"At last, someone who gets the finer tastes of music." Henry snickered in the corner, disassembling his Clarinet.

"Alright then…" Shinji said. "I guess I'll leave it to you to decide what you want us to play. For now, I'll be practising my chords, after I get some sleep…"

"Ok then, since we have that wrapped up." Cassandra smiled as she put her hands together. "What else is necessary?"

"Well, we will need to peruse through the exhibition." Gabriella said. "Some are trying to draw up a timeline of vampire history. Others have volunteered to demonstrate their powers, but I feel that we may need to be tactful there."

"Yes, of course." Cassandra nodded. "It is likely that we will be getting some children coming in. We will need to display what is not threatening. I remember Ms. Florentia being able to manipulate plants. Maybe we can start there?"

"She needs plant seeds for that to happen first." Gabriella elaborated. "Unfortunately, we appear to have run out…"

"I see." Cassandra nodded. "Then put them on the shopping list! Anju is going to tally the specific needs of the students before arranging a shopping trip. Maybe I'll help out. She has been worried lately about how we'll be managing all the things to buy. This could also be a good opportunity to help her with that part of the festivities."

"Oh?" Gabriella smirked. "A girl's outing eh?"

"Wha-?" Cassandra gasped. "N-no! It's not like that! I merely believe it right to help Anju with the-"

"It's fine." Gabriella smiled as she stood up. "You two haven't had a social outing in a while after all. Go ahead, take some time together and walk the streets of town. Oh, but you will need to have at least one person escorting you, okay? Not just for your protection, but extra hands too. If what we have planned is any indication, this shopping list will be massive. Well, classes will soon be starting. Let's carry this on later when night falls."

"Wait, Gabriella! Hang on!" Cassandra exclaimed in a flustered manner. However, the vampire had already skipped up the landing and went out of earshot. Does that girl really have poor health? She sometimes appears far too lively for it…

"How long will it take?" James asked as he overlooked the monitor.

"Fret not, fret not James." Came the voice of the vampire seated in front of them as he sniffed heavily. "I apprenticed to Mr. Lestat for years and have all his tricks in my head. I merely need the reports and data of all his progress with Project Paragon. I assure you, our lord will be appeased."

James frowned as he heard the man speak. While he knew that for now he was being relegated to guard duty, he wasn't quite sure as to what to think about the man and the facility he was current defending. Gregory Romanoff was quite the oddity, even for vampires. His skinny frame made him appear malnourished, despite his insistence that he maintained a proper diet. He also had a long nose and was balding slightly on the top of his head. Furthermore, his back was constantly hunched, quite strange for a still youthful vampire. And there was his voice; he constantly sounded like he was afflicted with a permanent blocked nose, attested to the heavy sniffling he did.

All in all, the guy absolutely without a doubt was no bachelor material. Every time James looked at him, he had to ask himself how it was possible for a vampire to be born so unappealing. While guarding him and his facility was something James was quite comfortable with, he was still having mixed feelings with personally meeting the man for any updates on the progress of Project Paragon.

"You told me that two weeks ago when I needed to report to Lord Kraven." James sighed. "I fear for the moment he feels your explanation will not be enough. He is hard-pressed for any advantage against Queen Ai now that we are reduced to only our most secret of facilities. I must admit, her Darkstalkers did good work with gathering information."

"Fear not James." Romanoff replied. "The final stages of his eminence's goals are in progress. I must admit, Lestat's idea in using the blood of Yuki Kuran as a binder was quite the enlightenment. To think she actually volunteered herself for us to experiment on."

"A blessing to be sure." James said. "Very well, I will let Lord Kraven know of your progress. Now, one more thing to ask, what about the sample of Lady Cassandra's blood?"

"Of course." Romanoff nodded. "The power of the legendary Blood Siren is truly a setback. I have been trying to work on an immunity to her powers, but the sample we have is quite minuscule. I could try to do tests, but I fear it may not give us a desirable result. And as you know, we cannot afford any wasteful actions at this point. Therefore the only thing I can do is reserve it for the development of the Alucard."

"A sensible plan." James agreed. "Lady Cassandra is now under heavy guard no doubt, so getting more of her blood is infeasible. I will contact his lordship about your decision. Till then, please continue your work."

"Of course." Romanoff replied. "After all, I live only to labor for our lord."

Anju walked through the market, hefting two bags that were filled with all manner of stationery items, ribbons, vanguard paper and glittered letter decorations. Although she was glad to have been able to get what she was looking for, she was also bemoaned to remember that this was barely a quarter of the items required by the Day class students. She hoped at the very least the students who had followed her were able to acquire at least a bit more of what was on the shopping list.

"Ooof." She grunted as she hauled the bags. Even with her now increased strength lingering as a result from her bond with Yuki, it was still no easy task to manage them all. Anju was therefore lucky they had managed to get a car, and from quite an unlikely source too. As it turns out, the vampire teacher, Eugene du. Coteau, had recently purchased an old Bentley. Seeing as it needed a test run, he had opted to aid the students in their shopping trip. Plus, someone needed to at least guard Cassandra. Two and two were thus put together for this situation.

"I hope they are all okay." Anju said as she set her bags down and propped herself onto a public bench. She was already feeling her shoulders ache from their weight. Despite the drop in temperature, she was already sweating, no doubt due to the heavy physical load she was managing. She now wondered why on earth she had decided that she would find this by herself. She wondered what Ichigo and Akira would say in such a situation, mentally cringing at the expected response.

"What are you both doing now? What are you both even thinking right now?" Anju breathed as she thought of them. "And how much will you have changed when this is over? I know that I sure have…" She now looked skywards, taking in the orange sky which signaled the setting sun. "It's getting late. I should get going. Easier said than done though." She stood up, reaching for the bags.

And now she realised that she was surrounded by four men. With a close look, she could instantly tell that they were vampires.

Well, great… She moaned internally as one of them stooped low to speak with her.

"Hey little miss." He smiled, his fangs showing. "What are you doing out so late?"

"I was out shopping." Anju replied. "But right now, my friends would be worried about where I am. So if you please, I'd like to get going."

"Now now, there is no rush." The man replied. "Me and my buds were actually looking for the company of a woman. And you appear to need some help with those bags. So whaddya say?"

"I say…" Anju sighed. "If you want the company of a woman, there are plenty of bars and nightclubs around that will pertain to your needs. Now, if you'll excuse me." Anju now reached for one of the bags, but before she could grab it, her hand was seized by the vampire.

"C'mon…" He said as she looked up into his eyes. "Give us some fun yeah?"

"Let go!" Anju exclaimed as she tried to pull away, but as she did, he tugged at her harder.

"Wow. Feisty young one huh?" He snickered. "I think I like you!"

"The lass told you to let go. As a gentleman, you might want to listen." Another voice sounded. Everyone now turned to see the individual who had intruded on the scene. He was a man appearing to be within his early forties. He had a slightly tan complexion along with messy and spiky black hair, but was taller than the males around Anju. He wore an indigo coloured tailcoat over a black waistcoat that was only buttoned up halfway, exposing his toned pectorals. Grey jogger pants covered his legs, ending right at the top of brown leather boots. He looked disapprovingly at the man who now held Anju's hand, folding his arms that sported black gloves.

"Huh?" The vampire frowned. "Excuse me, but I don't remember asking for your opinion!"

"True." The man replied. "You were asking the girl for her opinion, and she said no. Sounds to me like you should be at least respectful of that, yeah?"

"Piss off punk!" He snarled as he let Anju go. "Or you're gonna get some!"

"Oh?" The man smiled mischievously. "So I guess it's gonna be self-defence huh?"

"Haaah!" The vampire yelled as he charged at the newcomer. However, just before his fist landed, the newcomer had spun, delivering a quick elbow jab to his stomach. As the vampire faltered, the man spun around again, this time delivering a right cross to the vampire's jaw.

Anju's eyes went wide as the vampire crashed into the wall of the building twenty feet across from them. The fight had now drawn the attention of many pedestrians, gathering a small crowd.

"Bastard…" The vampire snarled. However, the shrill sound of a whistle cut through the air, causing him to freeze. "Dammit. Let's bolt you guys!" At once, the four of them ran off, pushing their way past the gathered people.

Once they were gone, Anju turned toward the man who had helped her. "Thank you very much. I wouldn't have known what to do otherwise."

"No sweat kid." The man smiled. "But in all seriousness, you shouldn't be alone during this time of day. Plenty of punks around, both human and vampire."

"I wanted to ask…" Anju asked. "Are you a Hunter? I mean, launching a vampire that far? No one could possibly do that without training."

"Self-taught, I swear." The man chuckled as he held up two fingers and crossed them. "Scout's honour."

"Hehe…" Anju chuckled. "My name is Anju Cross. I'm a student at Cross Academy."

"You don't say?" The man arched an eyebrow. "Rodin. That's mine."

"Excuse me!" Called the policeman who walked up to them, gesturing to Rodin. "But are you the one responsible for that fight?"

"No officer!" Anju said. "I was getting harassed by them, and he helped me out. Sure he got physical, but he didn't start it!"

"That's true!" Said a passer-by. "He only helped that girl!" This was met with agreement from other witnesses who had been able to see what had transpired, thus proving Rodin's innocence in the matter.

"Well, fine." The policeman sighed. "But don't go causing more trouble. We have enough as it is on a weekend."

"Yes sir, officer!" Rodin jokingly acknowledged as the crowd dispersed. He then looked to Anju, specifically the bags she had on her. "That's a lot for just one girl. Is school really that tough these days?"

Anju laughed slightly. "No. We are planning a festival and needed to help get some decoration supplies for the students. It's a first, so we have a lot to get through."

"Huh. Kicking back and relaxing for a whole day? I dig that." Rodin smiled as he reached for one of the bags, easily hefting it in one hand.

"Ah! Wait a second!" Anju said. "You shouldn't have to help me! I don't want to bother you anymore that I already have!"

"Pssh." Rodin scoffed. "No big deal. I was just wasting away out here anyways. Besides, if I didn't get anything better to do I'd be hounded by my stick-in-the-mud caretaker."

"You have a caretaker?" Anju frowned. "But, aren't you already a grown man? Don't you have, I dunno, adult responsibilities?"

"Look, a guy needs to lighten up whenever he can!" Rodin sniggered. "In my case, that happens to be whenever I want. Turns out however that a certain somebody who shall remain unnamed doesn't quite approve of that kind of life! She keeps telling me to get a job but all I'm good for is kicking someone's ass to the curb. And while there is an immediate satisfaction in that, it's not what I believe to be a healthy long-term commitment, you get me?"

"Kinda?" Anju replied. "But seriously, you must be plenty strong to be able to fight vampires."

"Yeah well, I did have quite a complicated history." Rodin admitted. "But enough about an old man's sobs. What's school like? And do you also have to deal with pushy vampires?"

"Well…" Anju wondered what she was about to say. Rodin may appear to be an easy-going man, but he was quite talkative as well. And while he seemed to mean well, he was still a mystery to her. Despite no longer being alone, she was sure that Ichigo and Akira would give her an earful for being accompanied by not just some random person, but one who could send a vampire flying.

"Anju!" Called a voice. He now turned to see Hibiki running toward her. Trailing behind closely was senior Yura and Cassandra, along with Mr. du Coteau.

"Guys!" Anju smiled as they approached her. "Done with shopping already?"

"Mostly." Hibiki nodded. "The steamer that class 1-B wants for their dumplings can only be collected tomorrow. Other than that, everything else was done. When you took a little longer than usual we went to go find you."

"Sorry…" Anju said. "This stuff is pretty heavy. I think we should get more hands for the next ones. If I didn't run into Mr. Rodin, I probably would have taken longer."

Everyone now looked toward the tall man, who nodded back in greeting. "Sup kids."

A gasp sounded, and then a thud. Everyone looked to see Cassandra with her rump on the floor. However, it was the look of absolute terror upon her face that was the greatest cause for alarm in everyone present.

"Y-you…" Cassandra said shakily toward Rodin, her violet eyes wide. "You're…"

"Lady Cassandra!" Mr. du Coteau. "What is wrong?"

Anju for one was astounded. No memory of hers had registered the kind of fear that Cassandra now displayed. Even now, the Pureblood was shaking uncontrollably. She had remembered her shock upon the revelation of Project Paragon, but this was different. Cassandra was genuinely afraid of Rodin. For what reason, Anju couldn't tell.

"Cassandra?" Rodin frowned. "Wait, where have I heard that name before?"

"Sir, it appears Ms. Kraven does not take kindly to your presence." The vampire teacher said as he hugged Cassandra, who in turn responded by burying her face into his sleeve. "I ask kindly that you leave immediately."

"Kraven, huh?" Rodin frowned as soon as he heard the name. He sighed as he placed the bag down, scratching his head in the process. "Well, real sorry that it had to go this way. Take care of yourselves kids."

"Yeah…" Anju nodded as Rodin left. "Whatever you say."

"Ann." Hibiki said, tugging at her sleeve. "I think we should go. Lots of people are looking, and Cassandra's condition is a cause for concern."

Anju nodded as she and Yura hefted the bags while Hibiki helped Cassandra to her feet. Anju then looked back, down the direction Rodin had gone. Rodin, who exactly are you?

Thwack!

"OWWW!" Rodin yelled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Cut it out will you?!"

"I leave you alone for just one hour. One. Fucking. Hour! And this happens?" The one scolding him was a woman with blonde hair tied into a ponytail that travelled down to her waist, wearing a sleeveless leather coat lined with wool at the collar over a white shirt and jeans. "What the hell do I do with you, you pea-brained monkey?"

"Is it necessary to call me a monkey?" Rodin complained. "And quit smacking me across the back of my head!"

"Who cares? Your thick skull is probably immune to it anyway!" The woman bellowed.

"Seriously, how in the world did you get a name like Serenity?" Rodin asked himself. "Your attitude and name don't mesh at all. No wonder you won't ever get a boyfriend." This jib thus resulted in a swift fist straight into Rodin's stomach. He gasped before doubling over, struggling for air.

"Make a comment like that again and the next one is to your balls." Serenity growled as she pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and sticking it into her mouth.

Rodin remained silent for a bit before he stood up, still rubbing his stomach. "You know Serenity? I want to go to that school festival up at Cross Academy."

She frowned as she studied his comment, pulling out the cigarette and breathing out a puff of smoke. "From you tone and the death glare you're giving me, I assume you've got something serious in mind?"

"That vampire girl, Cassandra Kraven." Rodin said. "I think she is going to be a prime target for my former buddies. And we both know that their methods aren't exactly subtle. It could get lots of innocent people caught in the crossfire. And while I'm not fond of the vampires at all, I don't want innocent blood to be spilled."

"Yeah, well…" Serenity said as she put the cigarette back into her mouth. "I guess I can find you a way in. Just remember that girl doesn't seem too keen on you. You get spotted and your ass is dead. You can at least stay alive, alright?"

"Well, I do good at blending in, especially at night." Rodin answered. "So chill."

"Not on your life dickwad." Serenity snapped.

Ai frowned as she observed Lestat's interrogation take place. He seemed to be holding up rather well considering that he had lost his entire right arm and that the methods being used to squeeze information about this 'Alucard' out of him were becoming more and more severe.

"Any word from Stefan and Francois?" She asked Li Ming.

"For now, they've sent us more details about Mortis's sites and locations." She reported. "However, decryption of these more restricted files is taking time."

"No kidding." Ai sighed. "For now, have our Knights investigate and raid these new locations. We are currently behind in information, and if we want to anticipate Mortis's next moves, we must gather everything we can. And how have the Association progressed with regards to Helsing?"

"I spoke with Ms. Yumika Shiba of the Association council recently." Li Ming answered. "Regrettably, they have no leads."

Ai sighed once more, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If only we could find one of their members to talk to…"

"Rather unlikely, considering their covert nature." Li Ming said.

"Always the spoil sport, aren't you?" Ai frowned as she looked at her attendant.

"I prefer the term realist your Majesty." Li Ming replied in monotone.

"And what does your realist sense say about Lestat?" Ai asked. "Will he break anytime soon?"

"I doubt it." Li Ming said. "I believe his fear over Mortis is something greater than his fear of pain or even you. We will need something far worse than what we are capable of to make him speak."

"So it would seem…" Ai nodded. "I would like for Cassandra to help us with her blood siren powers, but it is improper for someone like her who has found her place in the light to step back into darkness like this."

"Excuse me for saying so your Majesty." Li Ming responded. "But I do not believe that to be a reason why you should confine the darkness to yourself…"

"It is not." Ai said. "But as of now, it seems we have little choice. Such is the price of toiling within the shadows of the world…"