"It will have blood. They say, blood will have blood." - Macbeth, William Shakespeare
To the world, they were monsters. Nothing more, nothing less - Just monsters.
The night was their realm, the darkness was their accomplice, and the blood of other mammals was their sustenance. Vladzotz Canomir Fangpyre III had never tasted anything other than blood throughout his entire life. His very species thrived on it. The diet of all vampire bats consisted exclusively of mammal blood - Fresh, red, and savory. Insects were not an efficient substitute, thus causing various predator-oriented food chains such as Bugga-Burger to be completely out of the options for the vampire bat species.
His species was reviled for being the most primal of all the modern day, evolved predators, as they liked to call themselves: Vampire bats were the only ones that still needed the nourishment of other living mammals to function properly. In fact, if they didn't consume the proper amount of blood within a few short days, they would starve to death.
Many years ago - centuries on end - back when the early city of Zootopia had first outlawed vampire bats from drinking living mammal blood, there came a great and terrible consequence along with it: Thousands of vampire bats starved to death in the streets of the Nocturnal-District while the city government purposefully turned a blind eye. Nearly the entire vampire bat population had been forced underground and left to rot. The city cared not for them, and viewed the entire species as a volatile, monstrous, and disgusting mistake of nature, for during the old times when mammals walked on all four legs, while other predators had granted swift and near painless death to their respective prey, vampire bats slowly drained the life from any that they saw fit. Once the laws were put in place down in the Nocturnal-District, chaos erupted.
Over the course of a few short weeks, hundreds of vampire bats had perished. Entire families were wiped off the map.
Though many survived, the species as a whole was left decimated, and bitter. A shell of its former self. Eventually, the city-government finally decided to lend their long anticipated aid to the vampire bats down in the Nocturnal-District: A blood tax was called on the surface world, with donations and other contributions being offered to help save the bat families that had survived the bloodied aftermath of the carnage, and all that had been brought forth in its vile wake.
In the very end of it all, the whole event had been dubbed as the Blood-Crisis, because nothing that disastrous could be described as anything less than a crisis.
Growing up, Vladzotz had heard many different and diverse stories and tales surrounding the infamous Blood-Crisis... Apparently, the surface-dwellers didn't teach their young about the atrocities that had happened during the event, and that the city government had hushed-up the whole scenario, and consistently denied having anything to do with anything. Yet still, the vampire bats that had survived the Blood-Crisis passed down their tales and experiences from newborn to newborn, so that the story itself never faded.
The Fangpyre family had managed to overcome the horrors of the atrocity, but not without great pain. They did what they had to do to survive.
Vladzotz himself had never had a truly hard or difficult childhood: He was raised under a very lavish lifestyle, with his upholding being in the same manor that he still lived in to this day. Yet despite all of the prestigious advantages that had been presented to him throughout his early life, he had still turned to a life of crime, in the end. In the crime-lord's mind, he was just biting back at the world that had nearly driven his species to extinction.
Ever since he had first heard the stories of the Blood-Crisis, a festering black hole of disgust and rage had begun to grow inside of him, all of it directed towards the city of Zootopia, which had rather let his entire species destroy themselves before offering up any form of assistance or aid. Vladzotz grew to despise the society that he lived in, especially with its small-minded and hypocritical slogan of 'Anyone can be anything', which the male bat saw as nothing more than a blatant, revolting, black-hearted lie.
In an effort to stay true to his heritage, and to strike fear into those that sought to defy him, Vladzotz would often indulge in the consumption of blood, whether it be from his victims, or his own mob associates: Aside from unwavering loyalty, the bat lord demanded a weekly tribute of blood from his own henchmammals, so as to prove their allegiance and to sate Vladzotz's unquenchable thirsting.
To vampire bats, blood was their world: They lived off of it, used it in traditional rituals, and saw it as the life-giving liquid of the world, even more so than water.
Yet alongside all these different prospects, in bat culture, blood was also viewed as a symbol of courtship and affection.
Back during their little game of cat and mouse, when Lucy sank her teeth into Vlad's neck, the male bat had been admittedly quite taken aback. In bat culture, one vampire bat biting and feeding from another was something that was only performed by courted partners as a sign of trust, endearment, and tradition: This gesture was known as a love bite. To the vampire bats of the Nocturnal-District, to pierce the very flesh of your partner was the ultimate display of commitment and faith.
Vladzotz wasn't easy to unsettle, but even he couldn't deny that being fed on by another bat for the sake of sustenance was... uncomfortable. It was an ironic feeling.
Even as he went about his usual routine as the head of the Nocturnal-District's largest criminal syndicate, Vladzotz's neck ailed him with a peculiar stinging sensation, the spot where Lucy had bitten and drank from him aching ever so slightly. The irritation that came with it was a subtle and consistent reminder of Vladzotz's failure to apprehend his female counterpart when he had the chance. Though, she had still returned his precious family photograph, even if it was a little bit slimy from the leftover glow-worm residue.
But it mattered not. The game was afoot. Now, all that concerned him was his revenge.
8:32 P.M ; Castle Fangpyre, the Nocturnal-District...
"I don't care if it takes ten years or ten thousand years! Make it happen, or your head will be served on a spit, so help me! Understand?!"
"Yes sir!"
"Dismissed!"
The male bat brought his wings to his muzzle, where he roughly wiped away at the grime that coated his blood-red eyes.
Three whole days had passed since the incident with the locket and the glow-worms. Vladzotz hadn't been very forgiving of his men for so easily allowing an intruder to trespass upon their territory, but in the end, the matter was settled effectively: There was no sense in assigning blame from one person to another, for it would have only caused chaos.
More precautions had been made to ensure that such an incident never happened again. Vladzotz had no tolerance for sloppiness.
Now, he was alone in his bookshelf lined office, hanging from the ceiling on a specially designed mantle, just for him. He had just recently finished dealing with a status report on the whereabouts of the arsonist that he had been pursuing relentlessly for nearly seven full years, at this current point in time. Despite his hungering desire for vengeance against the murderer of his beloved family, Vladzotz still maintained his rather regular routine of business and criminal entrepreneurship: He couldn't afford to divert his attention away from the true goals behind his organization: Money, power, and fear.
He couldn't afford to be distracted.
And there it was again -That peculiar feeling of warmth in his chest. True pleasantry, he identified it to be - Something that he hadn't experienced in many, many years, the only exception being whenever he thought of...
"Sir!"
Vladzotz jarred around irritably, soon dropping from his position against the ceiling before elegantly landing on all fours to the ground below. Raising his head slowly towards the source of the sudden noise, the male bat locked eyes with his second in command, the raccoon, Gary Sprockson, or as he himself preferred to be called by his fellow peers, Sprock.
The raccoon was dressed in his usual attire, which consisted of a shimmering, blood-red trench coat positioned over an identically colored undersuit and vest.
"State your claim." Vladzotz declared, straightening himself out.
"Well, uh, we found 'em, sir." He replied carefully, to which the vampire bat's eyes widened in anticipation.
"Excellent. Meet me in the courtyard. From there, we shall discuss what needs to be done," The bat lord muttered. "And bring the captives, as well."
Nodding in agreement, Sprock scampered off into the dark, no doubt bound for the aforementioned courtyard, where Vladzotz intended on enacting his other plan.
Alongside his usual mob boss business and his little side project of tracking down the mysterious arsonist from his past, the bat lord had also been keeping himself busy through the personal prospect of finding his old family locket, which had been lost from his possession for nearly four days, at this point in time.
After dealing with the captives, he intended on viewing another status report on the whereabouts of the female bat, who no doubt still had the item in her very own possession.
Vladzotz longed for its return, for not only was it immensely valuable, but it was also an age-old relic of the Fangpyre family itself, dating even past the events of the Blood-Crisis, and even past the discovery and colonization of Outback-Island itself!
The locket itself had been passed down from one generation of the Fangpyre family to the next, leading all the way up to Vladzotz himself. The silver-coated pendant had seen much over the many years, being over three hundred years old at this point in time, but out of everything that it had been through, its most recent experiences being what made the bat lord himself love it so: To him, that silver talisman was an artifact of memory, serving as the very last remaining photograph of his long since deceased family.
Shaking his head irritably from side to side, he growled broodingly to himself. There it was again. That feeling... That frivolous, demanding sensation radiating near his heart.
These peculiar sentiments were familiar to him by now. This wasn't the first time that he had detected them, and he suspected that it wouldn't be the last, either. They appeared to be random, at best, yet were all connected by one specific factor: They only came whenever he thought of that other bat, Lucy Sang.
Vladzotz loathed the fact that he couldn't get her out of his head. The idea of someone breaking into his house, stealing his most prized possession, and then leaving without a scratch wasn't a common one. He would focus on his work to distract himself.
No matter the case, Vladzotz had no intention of letting these thoughts impede him any longer. Cracking his neck, the crime-lord then set out towards the briefing room. There was work to be done.
Vladzotz continued down the length of the hallway that led from his own personal office, eventually reaching a set of double stairs. Leaping from the balcony between them, the bat glided down to the first floor of the manor, sliding a few short feet before friction halted him as he landed. On the other side of the room, he spotted the doors that led to the property's courtyard - A sizable garden filled with dead grass, luminescent flowers, and other underground plants found only in the Nocturnal-District.
Flinging open the set of doors with his wings, Vladzotz entered the garden, stopping once he reached the center of the courtyard, where a line of five different mammals, ranging from badgers to moles, were kneeling down on the ground with their paws trembling shakily behind their heads, each one of them tended to by one of Vladzotz's own men, whom all held sharpened knives against their captive's twitching throats.
"Sir! We have them all prepped and ready for your command!" A heavy-set badger exclaimed, digging his knife against the throat of the mole before him. "As you said, sir!"
The bat lord smiled and licked at his razor sharp incisors in anticipation. The group of five prisoners that were lain out before him were members of another pack of criminals from the Nocturnal-District: A group of ruffians and petty thieves who called themselves the Cave Crawlers, and specialized almost exclusively in minor crimes and other acts of delinquency. They weren't very notorious or powerful, but had a surprisingly well-organized criminal syndicate, and large numbers that extended even to the surface world.
Yet for all they amounted to, however small or large, they were not above sniveling and cowering in fear, having been taken hostage by the Nocturnal Mob, and at their mercy.
"You never fail to disappoint me, Russel," Vladzotz said. "And just what did these petty worms reveal to you?" He asked, jabbing a talon at the line of prisoners.
"The arsonist, a fox, goes by Nicholas Wilde. It was he who defiled Castle Fangpyre, sir. The prisoners claim that he works for the ZPD now, in Precinct One, no less!"
"Interesting. What else did you manage to pry from them?" Vladzotz questioned.
"Apparently, they know all this about the target because he used to do business with them! They say he's married to a rabbit, believe it or not, who is also an officer!"
"Yeah! We got all sorts a' new intel, boss!" Sprock muttered nearby, poking his knife into his prisoner's chin. "This one 'ere says that they both live in Savanna-Central!"
"Excellent. Russel, Sprockson!" Vladzotz singled out the badger and raccoon. "You two are to find a way to attract the ZPD's attention, so that they'll send our prey to us!"
"You'll trust us to act in your stead, sir?" The latter of the two mammals asked.
"I'll trust you to know what awaits you should you fail!" The bat lord roared, baring his fangs. "I have other matters to attend to at the moment. The job rests with you."
"And what of the survivors, sir?" Another one of the crimson-clad mobsters inquired as he gestured to the sniveling mole kneeling in submission before him.
Vladzotz's face darkened as he turned away from the crowd of mammals. "There are no survivors."
Stepping forward and continuing across the length of the courtyard towards another set of doors, Vladzotz smiled darkly as the sound of sharp knives meeting flesh filled his sensitive ears from behind him. He spared no glance back as he reentered the manor, this time bound for one of Castle Fangpyre's various lounging rooms, where the bat lord planned on meeting with more of his associates so as to delve more into one of Vladzotz's side projects: The reclamation of the locket that had been stolen, and the vengeance bestowed upon the thief that dared to take it in the first place.
As the bat lord continued his journey into the heart of the manor, he couldn't help but realize just how off-centered he was feeling: Without anything to distract him from his own thoughts as he paced through the dark halls of his home, his mind took to wallowing in the memories of three days past, back when he had met his match.
Vladzotz stopped firmly in his tracks, closed his eyes, and sighed longingly. He thought back to Lucy's final words:
If you want your locket back, just come and find me, Vladdy... I'll be waiting for you.
Lucy's offer still rang strongly in Vlad's ears, tempting him to do just so: He wanted his locket back from that thief, and he wanted to prove himself as the dominant bat! But deep down, a part of him simply wanted to see her again. He wasn't sure why. But he didn't let it cloud his judgement - there was work to be done.
Narrowing his blood-red eyes, Vladzotz forced his mind to clear itself of all stray thoughts as he entered the rendezvous point for the briefing of his side-project: A spacious, bookshelf-lined living room, where a number of plush, old-fashioned chairs huddled around a simmering fireplace. The only sound in the room was the crinkling of the flames beneath the mantle, which pooled an orange-ish red glow throughout the room, illuminating its occupants. Sitting around the mantle was a trio of different mammals, each one formally clad in crimson suits or vests, the symbol of Vladzotz's mob. The small group of mammals consisted of one lithe mongoose, a portly raccoon, and a muscular binturong skulking a few feet away from the other two.
The previous day, Vladzotz had personally assigned the three of them to gather all the information that they could salvage on the whereabouts of Lucy Sang. Using their criminal underworld connections, Vladzotz had hoped that they could uncover something, and now, it was time to behold the fruits of their labors.
"So... Explain yourselves." The male bat ordered calmly, causing the three mammals to turn towards him immediately. A mongoose rose from a chair.
"We didn't find much, sir, given' the rather, eh," he cleared his throat. "Tight time frame, but just a few hours ago we did manage to intercept this."
He then reached into the interior of his suit, pulling out a slightly wrinkled envelope.
"Oddly enough, it's addressed to you, sir." The mongoose concluded, stepping forward and handing Vladzotz the letter. He held it up to his eyes to examine.
"Interesting. No return address." Vladzotz mumbled as he used the tip of one of his razor talons to slice open the top of the envelope, which he dropped to the floor.
Reaching in and pulling out the contents from within, the bat lord brought the wrinkly paper to his face, and read silently to himself.
Dear Vladdy,
Although the two of us didn't exactly get off on even ground back in the Nocturnal-District, I'd genuinely like to get to know you better, and perhaps even be able to create a few bonds, from one bat to another. You interest me, Vladdy, and I have a feeling that the two of us could amount to some very fun things in the future. You see, I did rob your home for the spoils, but after some thought, I've come to realize that something much more valuable could be made from this.
So how about it, tough guy? Interested in partnering up? We could make an awesome team. If you find me, we can work things out over some wine and a nice meal.
If all ends well, you might even walk away with your precious locket too! I hope you can make it.
From, Window-Slicer
Vladzotz growled, crushing the letter between his talons and casting it to the floor.
"W-What does it say, sir?" The mongoose questioned, choosing his words carefully so as not to arouse any aggression from his boss.
"Go... All of you," Vladzotz snarled as he pointed to the envelope on the floor. "And take that infernal thing with you! I will not have it in my sights!"
Quickly scrambling down and plucking the opened paper coating from the carpet floor, the mongoose bid his master a silent and respectful nod before signaling his comrades to follow him out of the parlor. After hearing the door close shut from behind him, Vladzotz's massive ears twitched slightly, and began to take in the true silence that now filled the room.
The bat could both feel and hear the blood rushing through his body, its only accompaniment being the soft flickering sounds emanating from the nearby fireplace. He sighed bitterly, and brought the crumpled up piece of parchment to his face, forcing himself to look upon the letter once more.
Growling broodingly beneath his breath, Vladzotz tore his gaze from the letter, and then looked to the fireplace. Narrowing his blood red eyes, the crime-lord approached the mantle, and dangled the parchment over the flame. Like all things that Vladzotz had ever loved or hated, this letter too, would be lost in flame. He hesitated.
Milliseconds before he let go of the letter, a peculiar pattern within its material caught his attention. The bat brought his face closer to the paper, and examined the new markings. At the bottom of the paper, a row of transparent numbers were illuminated by the fire. Hidden writing. He reasoned them to be an address - A path directly to Lucy, and in turn, his lost locket.
In that moment, he knew what he had to do. The bat lord retracted the letter from the fire before tucking it within one of the pockets on the interior of his vest. Vladzotz hurriedly marched over to the nearby set of doors before flinging them open and shouting through the manor, earning the attention of several passing mobsters.
"Someone, prepare my formal attire! I'm going to the surface world for some time," he cackled maniacally. "I have a date!"
9:35 P.M ; The Meadowlands...
Chaos begets opportunity. None knew of this philosophy better than Lucy Sang. Improvisation was practically her middle-name.
Through Lucy's eyes, Vladzotz was an enthralling opportunity - A crime-lord with the power and connections to make an excellent associate. It helped that he was a member of her own species, too, which definitely made things more interesting. The two of them might have first started off on rather counterproductive terms, to say the least, but the female bat had a good feeling that if her and Vladzotz were to be able to talk it out a bit, that they might be able to come to some beneficial agreements for the both of them. If this unofficial business meeting worked out, Lucy may very well be able to walk away with a powerful new associate. After doing some thinking, Lucy had decided that trying to turn Vladzotz into an ally would be beneficial for them both. She felt her heart race in anticipation - Just thinking about it made her so giddy!
Now, the female bat took to preparing herself for her long anticipated reunion with her guest, who she reasoned would be arriving at her current location shortly. The hidden directions written with invisible ink was a risky gamble, but Lucy figured that Vladzotz was smart enough to find it on his own, so now, she simply had to wait and see if her plan unfolded as best she hoped, from start to satisfying finish.
Standing in front of a full-body mirror, she eyed over her own form, starting at the tips of her large, oval-shaped ears, which sprouted from the very top of her head. A midnight purple, knee length dress was wrapped around her curved physique - Strapless and backless, exposing the smooth fur on her slender back, neck, and shoulders. She wasn't one for dressing up, so it was nice to be able to try it on and stretch out her wings, which themselves were sleeveless and free, allowing for extra mobility. Useful for flight.
Ding!
The sharp sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the apartment, causing the female bat's sensitive ears to twitch in response, and an excited smile to spread across her muzzle, displaying her needle-like teeth. Patting down her dress and brushing off her shoulders, Lucy exhaled before exiting her dressing room and making for the front door, passing a few paintings that she had made along the way. Being an artist, Lucy had the privilege of being able to decorate her home with her own creations. One painting displayed a sunset in Savanna-Central, from just outside the window, and another showed the Rainforest-District on fire, for no reason, in particular.
As Lucy strolled down the hallway that connected her bedroom to the living room, her jade-colored eyes briefly rested on the rectangular table positioned on the far side of the space, where a small, but lavish amount of food was piled atop a blood-red tablecloth which draped off the edges and scraped delicately against the smooth wooden floor below. Dinner for her and her esteemed guest.
Although Lucy was unsure of what he preferred to eat on his own terms, she still took the liberty of preparing several different dishes, ranging from a broccoli soup with a cheddar broth to blood and vodka infused cubes of jello, a dozen of which were stacked to form a small, flimsy pyramid. Though of course, both wine and regular blood were present as well, with a single bottle of each stashed away in the middle of the table, centered between the two opposing sides where the plates and silverware were situated.
Soon enough, Lucy had reached the door that connected her flat to the rest of the building, including the hallway where her guest was currently awaiting her permission to enter. Stepping up to the door, the female bat briefly shut her eyes and breathed in through her nose before slowly exhaling through her mouth. She reopened her eyes, and opened the door without any further hesitation.
There, Vladzotz himself was dressed quite formally, even for his own standards, with his usual attire consisting of vests, slacks, and other fashionable bits of wealth and power. This time, the male bat adorned himself with a clean-pressed button-up shirt as red as his eyes, positioned underneath an oil-black vest, completed with an identically colored pair of slacks. A blood-red bowtie fashioned into the shape of a pair of bat wings wrapped itself around his neck, complimenting his eyes and undershirt, along with the small rose pinned to his breast. The many corresponding and complimenting colors was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and as Lucy finished gazing him over, she locked vision with him and spoke aloud;
"Why don't you come inside?" She began. "I have dinner all fixed up for just the two of us!"
From there, Lucy turned aside and backed away from the door, which she closed almost immediately after allowing her male counterpart to step inside.
As she set out towards the dining table, she heard Vladzotz growl beneath his breath.
"Business then, girl," He hissed mockingly. "Where are you hiding my locket? I came here for it, and it alone. Not to feast on some pestilent provender!"
Pursing her lips, Lucy halted upon reaching her side of the table before turning around and facing her guest once again. "Oh, but you dressed up so nice for me, Vladdy!" She stated, cupping her folded wings over her heart. "I would hate to think that you came all this way just for that!" Smiling to herself, she pulled out the padded black chair on her side of the table before slowly seating herself, all the while maintaining eye contact with her irritated guest. "Besides... Why bother dressing up so nicely if you only intended to get your medallion, and then leave right after, hm?" She mused, tilting her head to the side.
Vladzotz visibly seized up for a brief moment, but quickly recomposed himself and snarled broodingly beneath his breath, all while listening as Lucy continued speaking.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot. I want to get to know you more, and I'm sure you have your own questions too. I'll give you your locket back soon enough, I promise."
The crime-lord stepped forward and swiped a wing through the space in front of him, talons causing the air to part with an audible swish.
"I will not be played as some fool!" He snarled, baring his gleaming fangs. "Threatening me with the likes of my own possession!"
"It's not a threat, it's a promise. If this evening goes well, I'll give you your locket back, safe and sound. You have my word. However, we have to start somewhere, don't we? Eat some food, relax, and just enjoy yourself! Like I said, I wanna get to know you some more! I can't even remember the last time I've talked to another vampire bat, outside of family. Come and share! I won't bite." Lucy then snickered audibly. "Unlike last time, I assure you!"
The male bat stayed silently, eyes narrowed with distrust. Upon the notion of her previous feeding from him, Lucy couldn't help but notice her male counterpart roll his neck, as though a twinge of pain were discomforting him.
"So be it." Vladzotz begrudgingly agreed before stepping forward.
He made his way over to the table, and seated himself on the chair opposite of Lucy's side. For roughly a minute, no words were passed between the two, with both parties simply choosing silence, all the while analyzing their counterpart.
"I could kill you right now. Kill you and take back what you stole," The male bat snarled beneath his breath. "Shred you to ribbons for daring to test me."
"True. You could... You could kill me," Lucy mused quietly. "But I have a feeling that's not what you really want though, is it?"
Vladzotz held no visible nor audible response to her inquiry.
"Is it?" The female bat repeated once again.
"Nothing more." Vladzotz claimed.
"So what's stopping you then?" She retorted.
The male bat closed his eyelids shut, exhaling slowly through his nostrils as though he were wondering that exact same question. "Curiosity." He finally stated before reaching out for the bottle of wine in front of him and pouring himself a glass.
Lucy hummed beneath her breath. Apparently, she wasn't the only one eager to see just how things unfolded that evening.
She could easily tell that Vladzotz was angry with her. His judgmental gaze, and harsh expression were but the very tip of the iceberg, she assumed. He must have really cared about that locket of his. Lucy genuinely hoped to be able to turn things around between the two of them.
The female bat knew that if she were to achieve such, she'd have to start by breaking the thick barrier of tension between the two of them, and to get Vladzotz to stop being so bitter around her. She needed him to feel at ease around and with both her and himself: To set up new relations and to form stronger bonds between the both of them. However, Lucy knew that getting Vladzotz to shed his aura of sourness would be no simple task. It was clear to her that he'd had years worth of experience holing up his true thoughts and emotions, and hiding them all behind a veil of power, anger, and ruthlessness.
Lucy furrowed her brow. It reminded her far too much of herself. She cleared her thoughts, not keen on thinking about the past.
It wouldn't be easy getting him to crack, but at the very least, she knew just exactly where to start.
"So, tell me about yourself, Vladdy," Lucy requested, all the while reaching over and piling some cheese-coated broccoli onto her plate. "I'd like to get to know you!"
"What's there to say?" He rebuked.
"Hmm. I dunno, maybe a little bit about your past, or something? You're Vladdy Fang-Face the third, aren't you? What's up with that?" The female bat asked.
Upon hearing Lucy refer to him as Vladdy Fang-Face, the male bat growled beneath his breath. He took a purposefully long sip from his wine before bothering to respond.
"Yes, that's right. For the past three male generations, including myself, my father, and my father's father, the Fangpyre family has held on to the same forename: Vladzotz."
"Interesting. My family's got a similar quirk: all our names start with L! Though I gotta ask, why recycle the same tongue-tying name, three times in a row?" Lucy asked him.
Much to the female bat's surprise, Vladzotz actually allowed himself a small smile at her jest. Although his minuscule grin quickly melted away, Lucy could still tell that his mood had lifted.
"I'm afraid that answer has been lost to time, my dear. Though, if I had to guess, I would assume that it would be to keep the Fangpyre family patriline from fading away."
"You talk funny, you know that, right?" Lucy teased, a playful smile pulling at her cheeks and displaying her needle-like fangs.
Vladzotz frowned. "I always thought everyone else talked funny. I have little love for the colloquial minds of the masses."
"And there it is again!" The female bat laughed, pointing at her male counterpart, who simply sat there with a bewildered expression on his face. "Colloquial - Who says that?"
"Apparently I do." Vladzotz grumbled before taking another sip from his wine glass. "Hrm. And what of you, Window-Slicer?"
"What 'bout me?" She managed through a mouthful of broccoli.
"Your name. What else? Is there a history behind it?" The male bat questioned, swishing his drink around in his talons.
"It's just a name, Vladdy..." She claimed after swallowing her food. "It's not that important to know."
"Oh, but I think not," Vladzotz stated, the use of Lucy's old nickname effectively causing the female bat to twitch in nostalgia. "Play fair to your own game."
Lucy furrowed her brow and licked at her lips, cleaning them of a few cheese droplets from earlier. She momentarily avoided any form of eye contact with Vladzotz, but soon simply shrugged to herself and leaned back in her chair.
"Fair enough, I suppose. Hmm, where to begin?" Lucy mused, stroking at her chin. "Well, to start, my full name is Lucele Rhea Sang."
"A lovely name, if I might say. Go on." Vladzotz added, causing Lucy to return him a warm smile.
"Hm. I was named after my father, Lucian. He was expecting a son, you see," She spread her wings innocently. "But he got me instead!"
"Ah, interesting. One of life's many surprises, is it not? As a point of fact, I was expecting my first child to be female. Vasila, we were going to call her."
Vladzotz looked down at his own reflection, which shined cleanly off of his still empty plate. He had a dreamy expression on his face, but beneath it, Lucy could see the tiniest sliver of pain present behind his eyes - A seething flame of anger, held back only by the very thinnest of restraints.
"Turns out, life had different plans. My family was blessed with a healthy baby boy, whom we named Vasile, instead. A classic vampire bat name, in our culture."
The female bat pursed her lips as she thought back to her last encounter with Vladzotz down in the Nocturnal-District, when she had cracked open his locket. She remembered glancing over the photograph that the silver-coated amulet had protected from within, and spotting the faces of Vladzotz's old family, including his two children, one of which looked as if they had been no more than a few weeks old at the time of the photograph's creation.
"Why did you give it back?" Vladzotz spoke out, startling Lucy and causing her to ever-so-slightly jump in her seat as she broke out of her previous train of thought.
"Give what back?" The female bat questioned softly, though in truth, she already knew just what exactly her male counterpart was referring to.
"The photograph. You gave it back to me." Vlad said, tapping at the pocket positioned above his heart. "Slipped it into my pocket when I wasn't looking. Why?"
Silence filled the room.
Truth was, Lucy had been wondering the same question for quite some time now, ever since it happened, really. There were very few moments where she would find herself respecting, admiring, or even pitying another mammal, yet just after barely meeting Vladzotz on that eventful day, she had felt all three feelings directed towards him.
She respected his criminal footprint, admired his elusive business practices, and yes, even pitied him over the loss of his family, and all the pain that must've come with it.
Lucy wasn't one to admit or even think about her true feelings very often, but she couldn't deny what she felt toward Vladzotz: A mixture of pity and respect. He had caught her attention, and earned it effectively. Through her eyes, Vladzotz was an opportunity, yes, but he was more than just some vessel of criminal business partnership: Beyond all that, Lucy was just happy to be able to have someone of her own species to talk to. Her apartment all the way out here in the Meadowlands had never even had another bat set foot within it.
"Well, I guess I felt a little bit sorry for you," She finally stated, each word filled with earnest truth. "Besides, I had no real need for the picture. Better for you to have it."
Vladzotz made a deep rumbling sound in the back of his throat. "I appreciate the consideration, my dear." He claimed with a single nod of his head. "Though, I would still like the pendant back, of course."
Lucy just simply smiled, causing her male counterpart to snort dryly in response. "What's so funny?" Vladzotz questioned with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, nothing, really. It's just... Heh, you really care about that thing, don't you?" She teased, leaning forward and grabbing a bread roll from a nearby basket.
"Well, like I told you before, the amulet itself is centuries old, and quite valuable to me, personally. At one time, it belonged to my father, and before that, his father owned it, and so on and so forth. A timeline spanning back some three hundred years past. That locket has seen several lifetime's worth of memories, some more painful than others."
"Yeah, I remember. The fire, you mentioned. How long ago was that, exactly?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Six years ago, more or less. It's been quite some time since." Vladzotz responded.
"Six years ago, huh? Yeah, a lot can happen in six years, lemme tell ya," Lucy trailed off, her mind momentarily reminiscing to her years in prison, before she shook it off. Lucy then perked up, her large ears twitching with curiosity. "Say, speaking of which, how old are you, anyways?"
Vladzotz smiled warmly. "I'm thirty-one years of age."
In the brief moment that Vladzotz's head was raised, Lucy's wandering eyes couldn't help but rest upon the exact spot that she had bitten and fed from him a few days back, the marks of which were still visible through his thin fur - A twin pair of small punctures near the base of his neck.
For a moment, she considered apologizing to him for biting him out of the blue the other day, but before she could make up her mind, Vladzotz had earned her attention again. Looking into his smiling face, though, Lucy could tell that he was beginning to enjoy himself. And that was good enough for her. She smiled back.
"You look good when you smile," Lucy blurted in the moment. "Suits you better than all that brooding."
Vladzotz smirked. "Perhaps it does. If I may return the question, what is your age, my dear?"
"Me? I'm thirty years young!" Lucy replied easily before bringing a forkful of blood-infused jello to her mouth.
"Well, you look good for your age... At least when you're not stuffing your face." Vladzotz teased.
Lucy seized up. She swallowed her jello, quickly recomposed herself, and smiled. "Guilty. You're not so bad yourself, Vladdy."
She smiled devilishly as she eyed Vladzotz, who straightened himself out and promptly cleared his throat with an audible grunt. Meanwhile, the crime-lord himself was trying his best not to appear flustered. That was the first compliment he'd received from anyone in years. Within the walls of his ribcage, Vladzotz could feel his heart hammering faster, accompanied by a growing feeling of warmth in his core. It was pleasant.
He couldn't help but steal a fleeting glance at his hostess,.Vladzotz's eyes settled on Lucy's figure - Lithe and curvaceous, every time she breathed in, her chest would expand as her lungs filled with air, causing her dress to stretch out across her frame before settling back down. Vladzotz glanced away in an effort to regain his focus. Looking up once more to his hostess, he could tell that she had been staring at him while he was looking away.
"I noticed that you haven't even touched any of the food yet, Vladdy!" Lucy cried out from her side of the table. "It doesn't smell that bad, does it?"
As the female bat snickered to herself, Vladzotz briefly glanced down and examined his empty plate. He sniffed in through his leaf-shaped nose, causing his nostrils to fill with many flavorful scents. Although the generous feast laid out before him certainly looked appealing, there was one factor weighing down his appetite.
"I... I'm not very hungry at the moment, Lucy." He lied, tapping his talons against the smooth tablecloth. "Though I thank you for the meal that you have presented."
Lucy teetered back slightly, snorting with amusement before scooting forward in her chair. "No need to be lying now, Vladdy. It won't get you anywhere!" She teased playfully. "Do you not like cheese, or something? Those jello cubes have blood in them, you know!"
Her consistent hospitality caused Vladzotz to furrow his brow in disappointment with himself. His gaze flitted to the side.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Lucy asked upon noticing the male bat's anomalous expression.
"I... I've, uh, never consumed anything other than blood." He stammered broodingly.
"What? Really?"
"Yes. For my entire life, I've only ever tasted the living blood of other mammals." Vladzotz admitted glumly.
Lucy whistled. "Wow. Talk about upholding the ol' vampire bat tradition, huh? But hey, you're missing out on so much! You've gotta try some of this food, Vladdy!"
"Do I have to?"
"No. But it would make me very happy." The female bat cooed. "I made all this food for the both of us, not just for me. Try some!"
Vladzotz snorted audibly through his nostrils as he stared down the bowl of cheese-coated broccoli lain out in front of him, just a few inches away from his very own plate. The male bat leaned forward and grasped the serving spoon between his sizable talons, and then plopped a steaming glob of cheese-slathered broccoli onto his plate before setting the serving spoon back into its proper place.
The bat lord then picked up the triple-pronged fork that was resting atop a white-colored napkin, grasping the item clumsily between his claws, trying to imitate the way that Lucy had been holding it. After adjusting it properly, he impaled a chunk of broccoli with the piece of silverware before bringing it up to his face, where he momentarily halted and looked over to Lucy, who was smiling coyly and rolling her wrist in a go on sort of gesture.
Sighing aloud, Vladzotz then bit down on the portion before retracting the fork from his mouth, his sharp fangs scraping against the silver-colored metal and creating a very slight, but high-pitched scraping noise. The male bat's tongue poked and prodded at the foreign object that was now gripped between his teeth, testing the taste.
The warm and saucy coating of cheese caused the tip of his tongue to ignite with a peculiar feeling of flavor that he had never experienced before in his entire life. It was amazing. Vladzotz then flexed his powerful jaw muscles and began to chew; His razor sharp incisors piercing through the stalk of the vegetable more so than actually grinding it up.
He jerked his head back repeatedly in an attempt to try and dislodge the chunk of broccoli from between his fangs. Vladzotz's anger started to build up, but receded as quickly as it came once his hyper sensitive ears twitched upon detecting the sound of Lucy laughing from her side of the table, snickering sweetly in amusement at his inexperienced attempt at the simple task of eating something solid for once in his life.
Rather than feeling his heart pump harder in deadly rage at his embarrassing failure, Vladzotz instead felt his heart beat faster with a strange, different feeling - One that he hadn't experienced in quite some time, and caused his lips to pull apart slowly as a humorous smile rearranged his facial features. He realized it to be genuine joy.
Meanwhile, Lucy Sang herself giggled at the sight of the male bat's toothy smile, which still displayed the torn-up remnants of his very first attempt at eating broccoli, the chunks of which were stuck between his many teeth like moss among piles of stone.
"I guess we'll have to work on that, huh?" The female bat mused, to which Vladzotz chuckled heartily in response.
"Are you kidding? This is delicious!" He responded, accidentally spewing bits of broccoli chunk across the space in front of him.
"Hey now, say it, don't spray it," Lucy called out. "I don't want you getting your nasty spit all over the rest of the food."
Vladzotz nodded in agreement and then took to cleaning up the minor mess that he made, his heart pumping fervidly within his chest all the while.
For the next hour, the two bats enjoyed the pleasure of each other's company. At Lucy's urging, Vladzotz sampled every dish she had made that night. They spoke of all manner of different things, ranging from insignificant small talk to full-blown underworld business practices. Vladzotz explained to Lucy the history and strategy of his criminal empire down in the Nocturnal-District, while Lucy shared some juicy gossip that she managed to overhear while eavesdropping on an espionage target a client had hired her to spy on.
More time passed, and with it came more laughs, more conversations, and more pleasant memories for both parties. All the while, both mammals pretended not to notice the occasional glances they would steal of one another.
Eventually, when the clock reached an hour 'till midnight, Vladzotz at last sought to excuse himself for the night. He had been with Lucy for hours, after all. But even before then, Vladzotz took to assisting Lucy as she cleaned the dishes and stored the leftovers from the previous meal, their conversations continuing all the while. They had even made arrangements to work together to expand their respective criminal ties down in the Nocturnal-District.
When all had been said and done, the two bats approached the exit together before stopping in front of it.
"Vladdy, before you leave, I wanna tell you something." Lucy claimed.
"Humor me, then." The male bat replied with a slight nod, to which his female counterpart smiled wide, displaying her snow-white fangs.
"This has been an amazing evening, Vladdy. It turned out even better than I ever could have possibly imagined! I admit... I originally wanted you to come so I could try to turn you into a potential business partner, but now," She trailed off for a moment. "It seems we're more than that. It's almost hard to believe that just the other day, we were trying to kill each other over a piece of jewelry, and now here you've been, helping me with the dishes after enjoying a meal together. Thank you so much for coming."
"It was my pleasure, Lucy." The bat lord replied easily. "Though I admit that I was rather hesitant at first, I simply cannot deny the enjoyment that I experienced here."
Sang smiled, her expression that of confidence and seeming anticipation. Now, it was time to test Vlad, to see if his manners were as noble as they seemed.
"Yeah, it's been great! But what if I told you that it could be even better?" She mused slowly. "What if I told you that, perhaps, you didn't have to leave just yet?"
"I'm afraid I'm not following you, my dear." Vladzotz claimed, tilting his head to the side, causing Lucy to giggle sweetly.
"Oh, Vladdy. You're too chivalrous for your own good." The female bat inched a little bit closer to her guest as she continued with her explanation. "I've just been thinking... Thinking about you, and how intriguing you are. I can tell that you're stressed, even now." She smiled seductively, laying it on as thick as she could. It was a good thing she'd always been a talented actor. "I can help with that."
Lucy stepped forward, closing the distance between them until they were nearly nose-to-nose. "So, you wanna bang?"
With each word, Lucy's hot breath tickled against the wiry black fur around Vlad's chin. She was standing so close to him that he could feel the heat radiating off of her body. The male bat's expression was that of shock and confusion. He slowly took a step back, distancing himself from Lucy, whose expression softened upon noticing his demeanor.
In the end, Vladzotz didn't know what he wanted. The bat lord was an emotionally broken soul: He hadn't experienced the feeling of love, endearment, affection, or even true appreciation itself toward another mammal for over six full years, ever since the deaths of his family had left him a husk of his former self. All of these sudden feelings and emotions were still difficult for him to understand. Yet here, Lucy was willingly offering herself to him. But was too unsure of himself, and he respected Lucy far too much to proceed with her in any intimate fashion just yet. He knew his answer.
"Lucy. T-This is... I can't." Vladzotz stammered, his large ears lowering slightly. "Not now... Not yet."
The female bat's seductive expression slowly melted away as her male counterpart continued calmly with his explanation, his words bitter, but undeniably true.
"You've proven yourself to be a very interesting associate... And perhaps, even, a dependable friend. But what you ask of me is too high of price to behold. It can't be done."
Swallowing hard, Lucy's tongue traced itself along the length of her smooth lips before slipping back into her mouth. The bat's jade-colored eyes narrowed in thought, and her ears drooped as she contemplated her guest's words - She'd never been called a dependable friend before. Her offer of intimacy had been rather sudden, yes, but she had reasoned it was a good way to test Vladzotz's intentions with her. The last thing she wanted, after all, was some male bat - a type of mammal she had never worked with before - accepting her criminalistic business offering just to try to take advantage of her. She wasn't some floozy. What Lucy was, though, was a cynic, and she had momentarily thought that perhaps the only reason Vlad had been acting so nice even after they had agreed to work together was just to get closer to her. But Lucy realized then and there that Vladzotz didn't see her as some tool to be exploited, and that realization alone was enough to make her heart flutter with endearment. She had already been containing a minor attraction to him, but now, it was greatly bolstered by his cordiality.
A warm smile played across her lips, and she locked eyes with Vladzotz. "I understand. And I respect your choice."
Sang then took a few steps closer, once again closing the distance between her and Vladzotz. She stood on the tips of her clawed toes to reach his height, and wrapped her wings around his shoulders, pulling him down into a hug. He accepted. Leaning closer to Vlad's head, Lucy exhaled softly before whispering into one of his ears.
"I'm fine with you saying no, Vladdy," She whispered. "I just wanted to see what you'd say. You're... A good mammal."
Lucy hugged him a bit tighter. She couldn't even remember the last time she had hugged someone like this, and so, sought to enjoy it while she could. Years on end spent living all on her own as a freelance thief and assassin had admittedly made her lonely. When she felt Vlad stroke her spine in response, she smiled, relishing in his choice to comfort her in return. Her cheeks pressed into his chest, which was strong and comfortable. It didn't take Lucy long to realize that she was nuzzling him. It was then that she released her hold on the male bat before backing away slowly, her eyes maintaining contact with his for every step of the way. Lucy only hoped that she wasn't blushing.
"So that question was a test, eh?" Vladzotz deduced, chuckling to himself. "You're a clever one, Lucy Sang." He complimented, causing her to smile with a shrug.
"Just wanted to be sure. I like to be careful with who I agree to steal for. The freelance business is a dangerous one."
Vladzotz nodded. A smirk grew across his lips. "If I had said yes-"
Lucy laughed, interrupting him. "I would have thrown you out, and kept your lock-" She perked up as a new thought reached her. "Oh, that's right! You'll probably be wanting this back!"
The female bat quickly paced over to a nearby desk, opening one of the drawers before reaching inside. After digging around for a few seconds, Lucy retracted her fingertips from within the box and pulled out Vladzotz's silver locket frame. Without closing the drawer, she walked up to the male bat and handed the medallion to him. His expression was that of sheer disbelief and wonder. He had completely forgotten about the locket.
"I..." He started, but then trailed off, closing his eyes and exhaling with a peaceful smile on his face. "Thank you."
Lucy smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it."
"So... Will I ever see you again?" Vladzotz asked, his voice incredibly soft. Lucy just smiled.
"I'm sure we will, Vladdy. I'm sure we will." She said with a slight snicker before yawning. "I'm pretty tired myself. I think it's probably best for you to head home. Get some rest. We can meet up again sometime later, and talk more business... Among other things."
Vladzotz nodded a single time in agreement before slipping his locket back into the interior pocket of his vest. "Keep in touch?" He added.
"Keep in touch." Lucy confirmed.
And at that, the bat lord bid farewell to his new associate, and enemy-turned-friend. As he exited the room and made way for the rooftop of the apartment building so as to fly off into the night, Vladzotz once again felt that warm and inviting sensation near his heart, pooling through his chest and causing his face to morph into that of a smile...
One that he didn't even know he was displaying.
Hey everyone!
I certainly hope that you enjoyed this new bonus chapter as much as I did! I had an absolute blast writing it up for you lot, especially when it came to the rather lengthy dinner scene, and all the content that it quite literally brought to the (dinner) table! It was quite fun writing from Lucy's perspective some more, along with the thoughts and dialogue that came with it!
That being said, I would just adore knowing whatcha guys think of this new chapter of ours! Do feel free to leave a review going over your thoughts on what happened, especially on the stuff between Lucy and Vladzotz, and perhaps even the neat little bits on bat culture that I added in too! Vladzotz and Lucy's flashbacks will continue in chapters 66 and 67.
But regardless, I thank you all very much for your time, of course! Chapter 65, Checkmate, will be comin' your way soon, I promise! It's gonna be huge! :D
That's pretty much all that I got for you lot as of now. Oh, and there's also some new fan-art of Vlad and Lucy that can be found on my tumblr and DeviantArt accounts, if you're interested. Could be a good way to picture what they look like, or at least, how artists think they do! Aside from that, I wish you farewell!
'Till next time...
Peace!
PS: I know that the whole lore surrounding the vampire bat species is a bit dark, but that's the intention. They're supposed to be seen as little monsters, and it does explain why there's so few of them too, I suppose. Vampire bats (In real life, of course) truly cannot survive more than a few days without blood, so when I was thinking up lore for the Nocturnal-District, I thought to myself "There should be some sort of tragedy involved, to make the place seem even more gloomy." Now we have this, which I incorporated into the story. Hope that makes sense!