The sun had just set and the moon rose above the Wakefield household as a cab pulled up to the gate. From it stepped two men who were not entirely human. One of them had the image of a sunflower tattooed onto his neck, while the other was shorter and wore flashy shoes. Once again, the notorious "Babyface" Baldassare made an appearance. With him was one of his generals, "Fangless" Shaun.

They approached the front door of the mansion with caution, as always. When they reached it, they were greeted by the same vampire woman who always answered the door. With a small bow, she allowed them inside.

"Mister Baldassare." she greeted. "The Master has been waiting for you."

"Where is he, Crystal?" questioned the coven leader.

"Out back, on the patio." the woman answered. "I will lead you to him now."

"Why do we even have to visit this guy, anyway?" questioned Baldassare's own flunkie. Shaun put his hands in his pockets and wrinkled his nose at the sight of the overly-fancy abode. "You don't even like him."

"We have a mutual respect." Baldassare stated. "It's best to keep up appearances with the other covens."

"Psh, what good'll that do?"

"It prevents turf wars, for one thing."

The pair were led through the house and out the backdoor. Once more, they were out in the night air, but the moon was brighter than on the other side of the house, illuminating the garden maze. Wakefield sat in a chair on the concrete patio, waiting patiently for his guests. He stood up once they returned to his view.

"Ah, Baldassare! It's good to see you." the man greeted with his usual expression. Wakefield had a frustrating smile, it was like one that someone wears when they know something that others do not. Still, this was a meeting of diplomacy, so Baldassare looked beyond that and shook Thaddeus' hand, anyway. "It's been too long."

"It's good to see you, too, Thaddeus." the other coven leader said.

"Come! Have a seat, relax!" Wakefield offered, gesturing to the other's chair while taking his own. "Tell me what's new in your neck of the woods."

"Nothing in particular."

"Oh? Isn't one of your generals getting awfully friendly with the police chief in Gehenna."

"I don't see why that's a problem."

"With your activities?" Thaddeus questioned. Reaching over, he grabbed a glass bottle on ice.

"We are discreet." Baldassare said while the host pulled out the cork.

"Hmm… Sounds risky..." Wakefield stated while absent-mindedly pouring his drink. "Would you be willing to let her go?"

"Unlikely, but if that is what she wants."

"You're so soft..." grinned the other vampire, flashing his fangs. "I like that about you, however. It's amusing."

"'Amusing'?" questioned the Girasol leader.

"Indeed. It isn't often one sees a vampire with your record trying to be an upstanding citizen."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?" asked Wakefield, arching an eyebrow. "I am a gentleman, and as such, I hold no secrets."

The man took a sip of his drink before uttering a content sigh. Looking up, however, he raised his brows. "Ah! How thoughtless of me! I claim to be a gentleman, but forgot to offer you a drink! How careless..." he said, picking up the bottle once more.

"What is it?"

"Blood from my personal supply." Thaddeus stated while pouring the slightly thick liquid into the glass in front of his guest. "This particular bottle is a blue type AB."

"'Blue'? What makes it 'blue'?" questioned Baldassare, lifting his glass and sniffing the contents.

"Because it is blue blood." chuckled the other, holding the label into view. "Geraldine Midford, a member of one of the last true old bloodlines of Britain, aside from the royals."

"Her father is on the council!" exclaimed the Girasol vampire, eyes wide as he swiftly put down the glass. That was dangerous territory! If something had happened to the girl and it had been discovered that they had sipped her blood, the Watchdog would grind them into mincemeat! "How did you get it?!"

"Relax, my friend. I acquired it willingly. Blood drives at Warwick Academy don't occur often for no reason, you know." Thaddeus explained. "It is a place where both old money and new money clash, but every single one of them is blessed with divine right. Some, however, moreso than others. Why do you think I took over after the former chairman was met with such an unfortunate accident."

"I really don't get you, sometimes..." the other replied. "Blood is blood. The only difference is rH factor."

"Don't be foolish. I know taste. My family has owned vineyards for centuries; most of which are still in production. Blood is wine. Even Christ knew that. There is subtlety in different tastes that can only be perceived by a seasoned palate."

"Maybe I'm just not classy enough to get it." shrugged the other coven leader.

"Perhaps. If you can't taste the difference between a Midford and a regular human, then I'm not sure why you eat at all." Pausing, he took another drink. "If she wasn't so young, I would consider making her one of my brides."

"You mean mistresses..." Baldassare scoffed.

"Is that a hint of jealousy, I'm detecting?"

"Never. I'm not interested in little girls."

"Oh, speaking of which..." Thaddeus began, setting down his glass. "I have something special planned..."

Looking off of the side, at his servant, the man tilted his head and gestured toward himself and his guest. With a bow, the woman, known as "Crystal", vanished inside, only to return momentarily with a few others, but most notably, a familiar face. The man was middle-aged with a slight gut and hairy arms that matched his goatee. He wore a Warwick Academy T-shirt that had been stained with sweat, as he, himself had been bruised and deprived of sleep.

"A former employee of my school." Wakefield introduced. "This is former coach Ainsley, who recently made the unfortunate decision to prey on my precious students."

"Oh, I heard about him in the news..." Baldassare replied. "He's out on bail, isn't he?"

"Where do you think he got the money?" Thaddeus questioned before turning to his servants once more. He instructed them to remove the former teacher's chains, and just like that, they fell to the ground, allowing him to rub his sore wrists.

"What the fuck!?" demanded Ainsley with a deep frown. Yet his gruff demeanor couldn't conceal the fear in his voice. "Why am I here?! My family will be calling the police and they'll be showing up real soon, so you better let me go or come up with a real good excuse, mate!"

"But good sir," addressed Wakefield, crossing one leg over the other while leaning back in his chair, "you and I know that this isn't true. Your wife kicked you out of the house, did she not?"

To this, the teacher had no answer. Well, he did, but he didn't want to admit that the vampire was right. Thus, he simply averted his gaze downward. He didn't want to accept the fate that obviously lied before him. He was kidnapped off the street while seeking shelter and chained in a cellar. Most people would suspect this to be an omen of death. It was a rational conclusion. However, the man's captor was Leslie Thaddeus Wakefield, who believed himself to be a sporting man.

"Do not fret, good sir." the head of the household said. "Luck may not be on your side, but if you have the metal, you may be able to win at a game of skill."

"Wh-what do you mean?" questioned the former teacher, daring to look up.

"As a good man, I firmly believe that giving my guests a sporting chance." explained Thaddeus. "What I am proposing to you is a simple game of tag. If you make it until dawn without being caught, you win, and are free to leave."

Surely, a proposition like this was too good to be true. "What's the catch?" Ainsley rightfully asked, prompting the other to stand.

"I don't think clarification is really necessary for what happens if you should lose..." Wakefield stated. "There is good news, however, I have leveled the playing field somewhat. For throughout my maze are several weapons hidden. You are free to use them to keep those who are 'it' away. You have a sixty-second head-start starting now. Use it wisely."

There was a moment of hesitation from the former instructor. He wasn't sure if Thaddeus was serious. When the vampire lifted his arm and glanced down at his watch, however, he took off jogging into the entrance of the maze. Once the sixty seconds were up, the head of the manor reached under the table and picked up a sheathed sword.

"Do you want in on this?" he questioned while looking at Baldassare.

"It seems weird..." stated the Girasol vampire. "You go on and on about blue blood, and then you hunt some random bloke who hasn't the slightest bit of the same 'importance' that you're looking for?"

"True, but right now, this isn't about that. This is about the hunt." Thaddeus said, tying his sword to his belt. "Small game can be fun as well. It's a good interlude to hunting larger game."

"Do you have something in mind?"

Chuckling, Thaddeus unsheathed his sword. "Oh, Baldassare… Larger than you could possibly imagine..."


A/N: Quick break from the duo to see what's going on in the background.

Yes, Wakefield's first name is "Leslie". It was actually a boys' name, originally.

Also he's kind of a nasty. Who knew?

Most of you, probably...

Anyways, it's all important shit. I promise.

Ah... Still no character shet... Do y'all not have any questions for the characters anymore?

It feels weird going without it for so long...

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!