Author's Note:

This chapter will contain very graphic depictions of bodily harm.


Cassandra scoffed in annoyance as she walked through the moonlit streets of a small town, a large backpack full of produce behind her.

Her family's new home was an entire hour or so away from this settlement and it was her turn to buy the groceries, even though she had a long and tiring hunt during the day.

She had asked Daniela to take over for her today, but the redhead just stuck her tongue at her before dispersing into a swarm of flies that promptly fluttered away.

Bela merely smirked at her before launching into a lecture about responsibility and the importance of following the established order.

Ugh! They both are so damn annoying!

Her feet were sore from crouching and running for the whole god-damn day. Her stomach rumbled in hunger as her animal prey actually had the indignity to escape, in the end.

Cassandra wanted to kill and eat something. Not necessarily in that order. She wanted to watch life leave someone's eyes. She wanted it badly.

When the Dimitrescu family moved here, they all agreed to start fresh. To live and let live. Cassandra had consented to that through clenched teeth. It has been so many months since she had last tortured and killed somebody. The itch in the back of her mind was starting to become unbearable.

Almost feral from having to suppress her wicked urges for so long, the middle child trudged through the darkened backstreet alleys, in her short-cut jeans, simple brown shirt and a pair of white sport shoes. Few people dared to use these dangerous backstreets during the evening hours but Cassandra had no fear whatsoever in her firm steps.

She hoped someone would be foolish enough to assault her. Nobody would pester her for killing someone in self-defense.

Ambling in complete peace and quiet for the next several minutes, Cassandra was almost out of the small town. Knowing that, the brunette groaned in frustration as not a single thug or rapist attempted to try his luck with her tonight.

Walking down the final alley, the brunette's eyes lit up as she saw a silhouette approaching her. Her sharp amber orbs quickly took in the details, while her restless fingers started that twitching habit of theirs.

Human male. Probably not even twenty. Scrawny. Weak. Prey.

The young man was moving steadily, warily glancing around the dilapidated

houses. Clearly, he knew this was a dangerous alleyway, yet he risked it anyway. Foolish.

The middle Dimitrescu child licked her full black lips, as if spotting a delectable meal, before grinning in savage glee, showing her sharp, pearly white teeth.

In the darkness of the late evening, it took the boy several precious - potentially life changing - moments to notice the brunette woman that was briskly closing the distance with him. Cassandra's amber orbs soaked in his swiftly changing expressions with morbid curiosity, slowing her pace to savor this delightful moment she adored so much - when the prey realized that it was, in fact - mere prey.

Tense posture, creased forehead, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. Anxious, expecting trouble?

Soft green eyes narrowing in focus, brows furrowing, already-sweaty palm reaching behind his back. Evaluating threat; potentially armed?

Posture relaxing, hand retreating back to his side, eyes returning to normal size, lips letting out a small sigh. Relieved - found me as a non-threat? This is too precious…

Hungry green eyes roaming across her body, briefly lingering on her long, pale legs, before shortly returning back to lock onto her own yellow eyes. A light blush coloring his scrawny cheeks. Liking what he is seeing, but too modest to stare shamelessly?… Admirable.

Tension returning to his posture, eyes widening once more, sweat starting to run down his forehead. Finally seeing the merciless predator? Too late, little mouse… oh so painfully too late!

The young man tried to walk past her, only for Cassandra to place herself firmly in his path, grinning at him, all the while. The boy's attempts to circumvent the brunette were in vain, as she kept playfully leaping in his way, each time he tried. Finally giving up, the youth stood still, leveling an even, if frightened look at her.

"Good evening, señorita… do you… need... something?"

The boy's mumbled greeting made goosebumps appear on her pale skin. His beautiful voice was simply delightful to her ears. She couldn't wait to hear him scream, as her ornately-decorated dagger carved his flesh. To taste his rich, healthy, young, man-blood. Cassandra struggled to keep the excitement from her voice, but she was already panting lightly, eager for bloodshed that was to come.

"Good evening, little mouse… Haven't your mother taught you that these streets are dangerous at this hour..? What would you do… were you to run into someone... unsavory?

Undisguised malice was radiating throughout her whole frame, making the boy gulp. Watching her twitching fingers in clear fright, the man took a single step backwards. Cassandra responded with one step forward.

"My ma died when I was five, señorita, it's just me and my little sister, now…" Suddenly his visage hardened; resolve glinting in his kind green eyes. "And I know well that these alleys are dangerous… that's why I am here." The young man's hand reached behind his back and remained there - at the ready.

Intrigued by his sudden defiance, Cassandra took one more step forward. She could not suppress a shiver of exhilaration as the pathetic mortal stood his ground. Giving her full black lips another wicked lick, the brunette already visualized the rest of her cruel night.

Slam him into the closest house' wall, until he loses consciousness. Drag him into her little hideout nobody knew about. Take her sweet time breaking his mind and body. Feast upon his flesh when he could provide no more… entertainment. But first… she had to satisfy her curiosity.

"Oh? You're here precisely because you know that this is a dangerous part of town? Pray tell…"

Swallowing in barely-suppressed fright, the young man simply nodded, his eyes not leaving her own.

"My little sister means the world to me…I don't want her to grow up in constant fear of being mugged or...worse… So I volunteered for Citizens Patrol… we want to make our town safe again, so our loved ones need not live in fear."

Cassandra could not suppress a booming laughter from breaking through, as she craned her head backwards to let it all out, while her hands struggled to hold her sides. After a while, she wiped a couple of mirthful tears from her eyes, before giving the boy a wicked smirk.

"Ah...this is just too precious!"

Saying nothing else, the brunette woman advanced forward with swiftness. The young man, feeling the threat, produced a little taser from behind, aiming it right at the Dimitrescu sibling.

Without missing a beat, the most savage among the Dimitrescu family slapped the annoying toy away with a flick of her wrist; the electroshock device landed some distance away - far out of reach.

Before the boy could even blink, her brutal digits were already clutching his throat. The next moment he felt breath expunged from his lungs as an inhuman force slammed him against the stone wall. The thought that he would have a nasty bruise tomorrow gave way to primal fear, as her merciless burning orbs glared into his own.

Maceo was never as afraid in his whole life as he was in this moment, when this striking woman had him in her unyielding grasp. With her rough fingers digging into his vulnerable neck, he struggled to gasp out any words. Moreover, this strange tall woman was overwhelmingly strong - his own two hands could not even nudge her single well-toned arm. With nobody around to help, he was truly at her mercy… and something told him that she was not one to show it often...if ever.

Seeing his bravado broken and turned into a terrifying visage made Cassandra hesitate, for just a moment. Something snapped inside of her at the sight of his pleading green eyes. Through the violent haze, induced by her wicked cravings and lust for blood, a memory surged forth. It was not her memory, yet it was oh so painfully familiar.


A girl that looked just like Daniela, yet was obviously not Daniela held against a wall, a cruel hand constricting her throat, panic and desperation plain in her terrified green eyes.


Bloodlust and savagery gave way to confusion as Cassandra blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to dismiss the peculiar vision. Suddenly, the desire to inflict untold suffering upon this human was replaced by guilt and shame. This boy, who risked his own wellbeing, just to make the world - just a tiny bit - a better place, so his little sister could grow up happy and carefree. And Cassandra was ready to take it all from him, just so she could momentarily satisfy her sadistic urges.

What would Daniela think of me now? Would she call me a monster? Would Bela…? We came here, to have a second chance… and here I am…

Slowly, her grasp on his throat relaxed, before her powerful limb finally let go and returned to her side. The boy promptly fell on his knees, gasping for air and holding his throat with his own hands.

"Go home to your sister, kid. There are monsters in the dark here."

Eventually regaining his breath and looking up, Maceo found himself alone on the moonlit street. The strikingly pale woman was nowhere to be found. Recovering his taser, the young man heeded her advice. Despite the near-lethal encounter, he couldn't help but think about how beautiful her eyes were, as he walked back home.


On this moonless, cloudy night Cassandra found herself perched on a rooftop of a small building, not that far from the place where that peculiar encounter with a local youth occurred, one week ago.

In the following days, she had pondered on much. The resolution the middle child settled upon was shocking, even to herself.

I will do my best to honor my family's wishes. For their sake - I will not prey on these humans, as tempting as it might be… but God have mercy on any who would dare to threaten my family… because I won't.

Lost in her thoughts and dangling her sneaker-clad feet around, the brunette simply stared at the deserted streets beneath her, as she calmly puffed on a cigarette, a thin trail of smoke rising up.

A stray cat darted between several old cars. Cassandra smiled at the sight - she quite liked cats and even considered adopting one. Daniela would no doubt love it. Bela and mother would be against it, however, as they found house pets to be an annoyance. They'll come around.

Suddenly, a shrill but distant cry pierced the veil of darkness; Cassandra's ears perked up, trying to locate the direction the violent noise came from. With her curiosity piqued, the brunette flicked her cigarette into the distance, as she straightened up. Not wasting time, the agile woman proceeded to jump across the rooftops, using her partial swarm form to cross particularly wide gaps.

A mere minute later, Cassandra reached the origin of the sharp cry, as she beheld a curious scene taking place, at the very edge of the small town, in an abandoned and dilapidated warehouse - isolated from the rest of the settlement.

Through the hole in the roof, the brunette witnessed a tanned man and a blonde woman. The male was a powerfully-built one; scars criss-crossed his rough face, and he was hard at work - removing the female's clothing, forcefully, her blue eyes widening in panic. The male's voice was as gruff and threatening as was his whole appearance.

"Shut up, you fucking whore! I swear, if you scream again, I'll visit your little daughter next. I know where you live, you fucking bitch. If you don't have the money to pay back your debt, pay with your worthless body!"

The blonde woman sniffed, but nodded her head, subdued. The rapist responded with a grin, as his shaky fingers fruitlessly tried to unbuckle his belt.

Cassandra observed it all with a detached expression, uncaring for the woman's fate. What humans did to each other was none of her concern, after all. To her, this was simply an entertaining and curious spectacle, and she gave a small sigh of regret, as had no bonbons left to munch upon, as she watched it.

When the man finally got his man-thing out, Cassandra could not help but let out a muffled snicker of wicked mirth at the pathetic size of the tool. Even her newest acquaintance - a crazed survivalist hermit - had a bigger one. The woman underneath the rapist was understandably less amused than the brunette Dimitrescu, as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

As the brute himself chuckled and mocked the female - the victim's own visage hardened. Collecting the rest of her resolve, the smaller woman spat in her assailer eye. The powerful man was not happy with a defiant gesture, as he backhanded the woman across the face hard, dazing her, before finally shoving his appendage inside of her, roughly and uncaringly of her obvious pain and distress.

Cassandra, perched at the edge of the hole in the rooftop simply kept observing, genuinely interested in the emotions expressed in this vile act. Suddenly, the victim's expressive blue eyes, widening in anguish, snapped something inside of the brunette Dimitrescu.


A woman that looked just like Bela, yet was not Bela, stared at her assailer with her fear-stricken blue eyes. Even as violent sobs racked her body, in a show of defiance, she spat at her attacker, only to be rewarded with a vicious backhand.


Blinking the strange vision away, the brunette Dimitrescu grit her teeth, as maddening rage started boiling within her. Somehow, the apathy she felt towards this woman's - a perfect stranger to her - plight had vanished. And in its place, an unspeakable hatred was born.

Without thinking, Cassandra leapt inside the warehouse, her swarm slowing her descent slightly. Her trusty sickle gripped tightly, the brunette daughter advanced towards the prone pair with murder in her burning eyes.

The large man, completely in throes of his vile activity, did not hear Cassandra's landing or stomping approach. The sudden force pulling at his shoulder was therefore a complete surprise to him. Blinking the carnal haze away, the scarred man found himself thrown away from his victim, painfully impacting the wall several feet away from where he was.

Before he could even regain his bearing, Cassandra was upon him once more, her right fist meeting his face with inhuman force, shattering the nose - partially caving it in. The man screamed in agony, as his own bone fragments mutilated his flesh, but the brunette daughter was far from done.

In a lightning-fast motion, her sickle cleaved right through his still fully-erect manhood, letting the organ fall to the cold ground - which was soon colored deep crimson by the gushing blood that his remaining stump poured out generously.

In her mindless, uncontrollable rage, parts of Cassandra's flesh became flies, which engulfed the man in a ravenous, skittering feeding frenzy - their tiny feeding tubes eager for human blood and flesh. Some of them flew directly into his open mouth, to wreak havoc on his innards, while others remained outside - dining on his eyes or ears, instead.

Not yet satisfied with the levels of agony the rapist experienced, the middle Dimitrescu sibling barred her sharp teeth, only to sink them deep into his jugular. Discarding her weapon to hold her struggling victim in her unyielding grasp, Cassandra proceeded to savagely mutilate his throat with her painfully human-like teeth. The vampiric bug-woman hissed savagely, before taking a particularly deep bite, only to tear out a large chunk of tendons, arteries and veins, creating an injury that would have been fatal several times over on its own and spraying blood and viscera all over the ground.

Swallowing the flesh, the vampire was back at the gushing hole in the neck of her victim, drinking upon the rich fluid greedily. The precious sanguine ichor, which she craved so dearly, somehow tasted foul in her mouth on this moonless night. Regardless, she kept on it until her exsanguinated victim had not a spark of life left in his drained body.

With her grim feast concluded, discarding the man, as one drops a dirtied rag, Cassandra awoke from her violent trance. Picking up her sickle and calling back her flies, the brunette was attracted by the terrified sobbing of the blonde woman who was now covering in a corner. With an annoyed scoff, the brunette daughter turned around to face the crying blonde. She had almost forgotten about her.

The woman gazed upon the middle child with nothing but pure, unadulterated fear in her wide blue eyes. Indeed, even the dead rapist evoked less panic in the poor victim, than the blood-soaked sight of the amber-eyed vampire that was now approaching her.

"Yyyyou! The woman from the manor! What are you!?… mmmmonster!"

Cassandra only narrowed her eyes as she beheld the mumbling wreck. Originally, the brunette had no intentions towards this woman - lethal or otherwise… but now?

Monster? So much for gratitude… and she knows where we live… where my family lives, and now she knows 'who' we truly are. We did not come here to deal with torches and pitchforks… Not again...

As if seeing the deadly intent in Cassandra's vicious amber orbs, the blonde tried to crawl back, but to no avail, as the middle child was already upon her, left hand raised - an ornate dagger clutched tightly in it. In a blink of an eye, the dagger was buried deep in the female victim's forehead, likely killing her instantly. She did not get the chance to beg for her life.

At the callous act she had just committed, Cassandra felt specks of guilt worming inside her conscience, making the brunette frown. How was this any different from dozens of failed maids she had drained dry or hundreds of Miranda's failed experiments she had executed personally, over the long years? She never felt any remorse for these miserable wretches.

Not wishing to ponder on the foul taste in her mouth, the brunette simply shrugged her sore shoulders. With a tired sigh, Cassandra pulled back her dagger with a loud squelching sound, that for once brought her no joy to hear, before glancing around the warehouse and the mess she had caused.

"Stupid!"

So much for a fresh start… not even six months here, and already two humans dead by my hands… I can't just leave it like that… humans can track their dead with masterful skill nowadays… they will come after us… I can't let my family come to harm because of my reckless and STUPID deeds.

"So fucking stupid!"

The brunette's fist struck a nearby stone wall, inflicting noticeable damage upon it - as fragments of masonry flew in every direction, while bloodying her own knuckle. Growling in rage, the middle child did her best to calm down and think.

Should I call Darius? He should be able to fix this… Nononono… I don't want that ratty man to have more dirt on our family… who knows how far his loyalty stretches… I need to fix this mess myself. Oh… Raul can help.

The distressed daughter couldn't suppress a small smile from breaking through her bloodied snarl.

Raul Delgado, a local tin-foil wearing, survivalist hermit - living in an isolated homestead, not that far from their own manor. A fan of conspiracy theories and a laughing stock of the whole commune. A most unlikely of friends a certain sadistic brunette could've made… True, calling him a friend would imply a measure of equality between them, and Cassandra still viewed every single being that did not bear the Dimitrescu last name as beneath her, therefore, an 'acquaintance' was a better term.

Yet when she had met her newest neighbor for the first time, the brunette was intrigued by his peculiar ways, while the man in turn immediately proclaimed her as his soulmate - here to join him in his Grand Quest to liberate Earth from the vile Reptiles.

The hermit proved most useful indeed, teaching eager Cassandra how to master the rifle, as well as several other useful survival skills. Moreover, the recluse's dwelling was extremely well-stocked, as the man was prepared to survive the apocalypse, if need be. His many possessions included all kinds of weird and unusual items.

Last but not least, the forty-something man was easy on the eyes and proved to be a surprisingly adept lover, allowing the middle daughter to relieve her carnal cravings, on occasion. Silly man still fancied to one day be on top, but Cassandra would never let anyone ever mount her. Raul will have to settle to be a bottom-feeder, forever.

And all she had to do in return was to endure his insane ramblings about the Majestic Twelve or their Reptile Overlords. A fair trade, if Cassandra ever saw one, though she would lie if she claimed that she didn't grow to enjoy his erratic presence, eventually. Sometimes, the brunette would scoff at herself for an occasional lapse where she would mentally refer to him as a 'friend'.

With all that in mind, the brunette vampire did her best to clean up the bloody mess she had created in the warehouse, using some clothing that she proceeded to stuff into her backpack; as well as a certain reproductive organ - a trophy is a trophy, after all.

After making sure that the two bodies stopped bleeding, the middle Dimitrescu child started on a long trek towards the hermit's dwelling, dragging the corpses behind her. A nice, warm acid bath awaited them. No evidence would be left for anyone to come after the Dimitrescu family, not because of her foolish acts.

I'll just tell him that these were the illuminati agents, coming after me, or something… He'll eat that right up...


A year later Cassandra has almost completely settled into this strange newfound life of hers and her appearance reflected that. Her skin had shifted from deathly pale to almost tanned, due to constant exposure to the warm Cuban sunlight. The middle child was almost never seen anywhere without a pair of dark aviators decorating her eyes. Not only did they look positively badass, but Cassandra found it easier to interact with humans without them seeing her molten gold irises. And she so hated contact lenses which Bela fancied.

For entertainment, she had plenty of activities to occupy her time: a great number of various hunts - both small and large game; helping mother in her garden, on occasion; as well as playing board games with Daniela or even some fighting games with Bela - on her PC. Sometimes, the family would gather together for one activity or another, though Cassandra loved their Sundays the most - when she would train her whole family with firearms.

Naturally, she still kept to her rigidly tough exercising routine. Cassandra was determined to keep herself in peak condition - if trouble ever showed its unwelcome face on Dimitrescu's doorstep, she would be ready for it.

There were certain other activities the middle sibling did not share with her family, however...

Today, however, she was not in the mood for a hunt and done with her chores and therefore - Cassandra found herself back with her friend… Tch. Acquaintance.

With her bare feet on the table in the middle of Delgado residence, the woman downed a can of beer before letting out a very unladylike burp. Inspecting her black nail polish - which was cracked and faded, she briefly wondered which kind of favor Daniela would ask of her to rectify the issue.

Last time she wanted a live hutia… ugh, that was such a pain to catch...

Still, as always - whenever she thought about her younger sibling, her black lips would inadvertently morph into a soft, unbecoming smile. A moment later, Cassandra's content smile turned into an annoyed frown, as a barrage of noise assaulted her sensitive ears.

"And that is how they control the minds of the populace, you see! Democracy is a lie invented to herald the advent of the Reptiles! Every time a person goes to vote, a miniature probe is implanted into them!"

"How does that even make sense? Why can't they just implant these probes of theirs elsewhere?"

The middle child cursed herself as she unwittingly provided fuel to his paranoia. He'll never shut up now. Taking his invigorated inane ramblings as her cue to leave, the brunette put on her shoes and grabbed her newfound girlfriend - Ruger M77 bolt-action rifle, which she lovingly referred to as "Anabelle".

"Alright, gonna go hunt down some more Reptiles; don't forget to take your medicine, you crazy fuck."

The owner of the house stopped his maddening speech to bid the woman a fond farewell. Suddenly, an uncharacteristic silence fell upon the dwelling, as the hermit looked upon the Dimitrescu daughter with an unusual for him, somber expression.

"My nephew Maceo told me about a new urban tale they have in town. Cazadora, they call her. A shadow that hunts down the vilest of humans to stalk the dark alleyways at night. Some call her a hero, for cleaning out the trash. He said that he even met her himself. Know anything about her?"

Cassandra was surprised at the lucidity of his tone, as well as the query itself.

Suddenly, the normally fierce and outspoken woman felt her tongue tied in her mouth. She couldn't help but recall the highlights of her nightly activity in the last year.

That one time she witnesses a murder happening in broad daylight, as she was shopping, with the perpetrator escaping into the severs. Her itchy fingers had twitched particularly badly that day, so she just had to follow him into the dunk underground… Nobody saw that particular bandit again. Cassandra still had his trigger finger somewhere.

Or a late evening half a year ago where she spotted another rapist. That time, already experienced, she approached the pair briskly and stealthily, slamming their foreheads together savagely - knocking them both out. Cassandra had left the female victim right there, but the male was dragged into her little hideout, never to be seen again. In a controlled environment, the sadistic brunette made him regret every single life choice that led him to that most unpleasant of moments one can experience during their stay on this plane of existence - the one where she had fed him his own manhood.

Also that time when she heard a rumor going about a corrupt official who forged documents that resulted in several families finding themselves homeless, as debt-collectors were suddenly banging on their doors. Cassandra, with the aid of a chloroform-soaked rag, abducted that official in the middle of the night, only to bring him back to Delgado's ranch - claiming that he was a Reptile's puppet, here to enact their nefarious world-domination plots. Both Cassandra and Raul had a grand time that night. The official...not so much.

She could also not forget the day when she had spotted a group of racketeers attempting to shake down the Alvarez family, which Daniela asked her to keep an eye on. The middle Dimitrescu daughter, always eager for violence and having a quasi-legitimate outlet for her wicked cravings, pounced on the opportunity with gusto. Tracking the trio of racketeers to their own dwelling on the outskirts of town, she took her sweet time with them. None of them left this sinful Earth easily… or painlessly. What Cassandra didn't realize was that someone saw her leaving the scum's hideout, as it went up in flames - thanks to her careless toying with a lighter near some oil barrels.

Cassandra had genuinely felt shitty about going behind her family's back like that, preying on the humans when they had agreed not to, when she had resolved not to.

Curse my weak will!

The only saving grace was that she had always made sure to leave no tangible evidence behind. What they didn't know, couldn't hurt them, right?

"You alright there, chica?"

Raul's snapping fingers and worried voice brought her back to the present, making Cassandra blink her eyes in surprise. She was normally not the one to space out like that.

"Cazadora, huh? I like the sound of that… but to answer your question - never heard of her." Having responded to the inquiry, Cassandra turned away and moved towards the exit. The rough woman suddenly stopped, but did not turn back. Lingering in the doorway, her voice was surprisingly gentle, despite the harsh words spoken, almost as if she genuinely cared. Which was a laughable notion, of course.

"Tell your stupid nephew to keep his fucking ass inside his house at nights. And remember to take your fucking pills, Raul! I am not bailing you out again if you decide to go shoot up the mayor's house! Ciao now, gotta run!"

Somehow, leaving the ranch, the sadistic brunette found herself grinning from ear to ear, without anyone suffering in her immediate proximity, for once. With a spring to her step, she headed home, even as she mused on her peculiar predicament.

On one hand, the very notion that some silly humans considered her a 'hero' was laughable - she was as far from it as humanly possible. She didn't give a shit about their worthless mortal lives or their earthly struggles; she just wanted to kill stuff, and targeting those the society itself hated was simply a pragmatic choice.

On another hand… a most peculiar, yet warm feeling bloomed in her chest at the idea that outsiders did not refer to her as a monster for once… the opposite even!

Having no clue on what to do about the strange, yet not unwelcome feeling, the middle child simply returned to her beloved family, eager to kick Bela's sorry ass in Mortal Kombat, once again.