A/N-Well, I must say it has been a long time since I last updated. Terribly sorry about that, it's just that I had so many other ideas that I wanted to try out before I lost them, you know? Well, I received a very insistent review this morning that demanded more, and soon, and so I will do my best to please the crowds. However, I would like to say one last thing before I get started. I have received many comments on the way I have set up the vampires for this particular story. Some have complained that this is too much like Angel. Well, hopefully, this particular chapter should start to bring some difference to it, making it less like Angel. Also, some of you have been complaining about other little vampire quirks I've been using. I've pulled from various sources, but to quote Chelsee, an outstanding author, and one of the best I've seen on this site, MY fic, MY rules. Therefore, all comments on my vampires can be forwarded to my assistant, Mr. Rocket Launcher. Thank you and have a nice day.
The run-down apartment in downtown Satan City had definitely seen better days. The carpet was so threadbare it hardly deserved to be called a carpet, the walls were stained with unidentifiable substance and pockmarked with holes. The little furniture that filled the dusty rooms was sagging and full of holes, often on the verge of collapse. In addition, the windows had all been painted black and then covered with heavy drapes to prevent any sunlight from penetrating the rooms, only adding to the dreary quality.
The central room, however, was completely devoid of furniture of any kind. Not even a carpet graced the rough wooden floor. In fact, the only thing in the bare room was an unnaturally pale man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties with a crop of wild black hair. He stood completely still, dressed in only a loose-fitting pair of black pants, eyes closed in concentration. After a moment his eyes snapped open and, with the fluid grace of an experienced martial artist, began to move. Slowly at first, he moved through several stretches and then basic katas, eventually building up speed until he could no longer be seen by the human eye.
After several minutes, the blurred figure of the man lurched out of seemingly nowhere, and only cat-like grace prevented him from landing on his backside. He shook his head angrily, convinced that he was finally going insane. For the vampire who was once the half-Saiyan Son Gohan could have sworn he just heard his father calling his name. He resumed his stance, about to launch into motion once more when a sultry voice from the doorway interrupted him.
"Something troubles you, my pet?"
A scowl adorned Gohan's face. He hated that name and hated that woman, but there was nothing he could do about either. He turned to face her, carefully arranging his face into a practiced mask of neutrality. "Nothing's wrong, Lilith."
The woman, who showed herself to be a tall slender woman with a head of raven hair and equally dark eyes, moved from her position, her swishing robes the only noise she made in padding across the floor. She neared his side and ran a slender hand, topped with long black-painted nails, up the bare skin of his chest. He remained stoic under her seductive touch, but shuddered when she ran a finger across the scar decorating his neck.
"You lie, pet. I can always tell when you lie," she whispered, the honey-sweetness of her voice doing little to mask the dripping venom.
Gohan scowled and slapped her hands away, having had enough of her touch. "It was nothing. Just hearing things, that's all."
Lilith circled him once, trailing a hand across his shoulders. "Why do you hide things from me, pet? You and I are one in body and mind, you made sure of that yourself," she said, sliding the collar of her robes down to reveal a scar where shoulder and neck met, similar to the one the other vampire's neck. That in itself was extraordinary, as vampires were capable of healing the wounds they left when feeding, were they so inclined. However, unlike the puncture wounds caused by a vampire's fangs, the bite marks adorning the pair's necks looked like teeth marks, far too many to be just a pair of fangs.
"The night I Embraced you, you bit my neck out of your own instinct. I know not what you did, but you know as well as I that it has joined us forever."
The younger vampire sighed irritably. "My business is none of your—"
/Gohan? Can't you hear me at all?/
Gohan jerked in surprise, also catching Lilith's attention. "So you are hiding things from me, pet. Tell me, who is trying to contact you?"
The male vampire ignored her, instead he closed his eyes and concentrated on the shining energy signal that was his father's. /Father? Is that you?/
/Yeah Gohan, it's me. Where have you been for the past year? Everyone's been really worried about you, we can't sense you at all./
Gohan opened his eyes and fixed a glare on Lilith, who had a painful grip on his arm. /Long story. What do you want, anyway? I'm sure you didn't try and find me after all this time just to talk about old times./
Goku's telepathic voice took on a serious tone, one that it rarely held. /We've had visits from the Satan City police. Seems like someone's been killing people around the city and leaving our family name around as proof. You wouldn't happen to know who it is, would you?/
Still glaring at his sire, Gohan grinned ferally. /Why bother denying it? You'll never catch me anyway. And besides, they deserved to die. Everyone that I've killed has been a criminal of some sort or another./
/How can you pass judgement on these people, Gohan? I thought you were better than that./
The vampire's grin faded into a scowl. /I'm not who I used to be, Father,/ he sneered, spitting the word father like a curse. /I've changed, and not for the better. Good-bye Father, and don't try to talk to me again./ He closed the link and found Lilith's grinning face inches from his own.
"Well, well. My own childe, helping the poor little humans. Who would have guessed? Not I, certainly. I'm disappointed in you, pet."
"You're breaking my heart," he sneered, prepared to go back to his room, training forgotten. He had taken but two steps when he found himself unable to move. He could not even twitch on his own will. He heard the rustle of fabric and the hated woman appeared in front of him, grinning in triumph. She ran a hand over his jaw, trailing it down his neck and continuing down his chest.
"Silly boy. Do you not remember that it is I who gave you this un-life? Never forget that I own every part of you, even the bits of your soul you still have left, kept from the claws of the demon that inhabits you. You may be too strong for me to harm you physically, but I have other ways..."
She stepped away and gestured for him to follow her. His legs moved mechanically in obedience, as much as he tried not to. Lilith smirked.
"Come pet. The sun is still high and there is plenty of time before you need to feed again. We'll see if we can't make you change your mind about helping the humnas." She stepped forward and curled a hand around his neck, sliding the other down his back. She pulled his head down so that she could better whisper into his ear.
"You'll scream for me yet, my pet."
*
Back on the roof of the police department, it was a subdued Goku that rose from his sitting position to speak to the two women watching him closely.
"Well?" the brunette prompted after a moment, eyes still blood-shot from lack of sleep.
The Saiyan sighed miserably. "I managed to talk to him, and he admitted to everything. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to talk to him again. He didn't seem too happy about hearing from me.
Erasa placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "I know how you feel, Son-san. My father and I were like that a few years ago. Unfortunately, he died before we ever reconciled. Maybe your son will come around in time, unlike me."
"That's if he's not rotting in a jail cell," Videl muttered from behind them.
Erasa patted Goku's shoulder. "Ignore her, she's always grumpy in the mornings. Thank you for all of your help, Son-san. We'll let you know what happens with your son."
Goku nodded weakly before placing two fingers on his forehead and simply disappearing before the women's astonished eyes. Erasa stood in a daze, her jaw hanging slack. Videl however, cursed at her coffee mug and walked over to the stairs leading down, muttering about how she definitely needed more sleep.
A/N-There, short chapter, but it's better than nothing, yes? Especially after so long... Well, I'm not going to make any promises, but I think I'm going to try to get the next one up much sooner, but if I don't get it up by the end of the week, it probably won't be up until next month, since my brother is coming to visit and I'll be a bit occupied with that. And I hope that the introduction of Lilith has helped this to get away from the Angel aspect a bit. I've been planning this since the beginning, and enjoyed writing this chapter. I'll be going into her relationship with Gohan a bit deeper in later chapters, so stay tuned. Again, please no comments on my vampires, I'm sure that some of you will recognize the various elements that I've used. Well, enough rambling. Until next time!
~Vegito