The following occurs in December 3450.

Chapter 9

December 15th, 3450. A blizzard has descended upon New York City; one not seen in fifty years. It is now 7:45 p.m. and I am out for blood. It is not the blood of humans I seek but the blood of kidnappers. Thanks to memory hidden in the renegade droid Adrian Thorpe I was able to uncover the identity of those involved in the kidnapping of Madeline Hudson. She was kidnapped three days prior and the deadline for her parents to deliver the money was fast approaching. The kidnappers' hideout was a massive penthouse located at 125 Ford Street in Manhattan. It belonged to three of the most devious vampires ever to walk the face of the earth: The Hansen Triplets. Even though these identical triplets were the masterminds of Madeline's kidnapping the ones who carried it out were four humans. Before I descended upon the penthouse I decided to return the Hudson household to see what progress if any the F.B.I. and the police made in cracking the case. From the roof I was able to hear that Madeline's parents were able to deliver all of the money that was requested by The Hansen Triplets a.k.a. The Fourth Horseman. Looking through the window while hanging upside down from the roof I saw that The Fourth Horseman sent the Hudsons an e-mail complementing their efforts. Specific instructions were then given to the Hudsons on what route to take in order to retrieve Madeline. The Hansen Triplets warned Madeline's parents that they will be watched from every corner of the route and that if the F.B.I. or the police followed them Madeline would be killed. This route would begin from their house, all through the neighborhood into Manhattan's Freedom Tunnel. The triplets warned that The Hudsons will be watched as they move in their car all the way to 87th Beltway Street where they will find Madeline safe and sound. Of course there was something wrong with the directions The Hansen Triplets were giving. Thorpe's memory revealed that Madeline was being held at the triplet's penthouse at 125 Ford Street and not at 87th Beltway Street. This is was definitely a trap. At that moment I was at a lost. What was I to do? Whose life do I save first, Madeline or her parents? After some quick thinking I opted to run at high speed to 87th Beltway Street and deal with any possible threat that was waiting for the Hudsons.

I jumped from rooftop to rooftop in the neighborhood on my way to Manhattan taking the same route the Hudsons were to take. I finally arrived at 87th Beltway Street where the Heaven's Hand Cemetery was located. The fact that The Hansen Triplets would deliver Madeline to her parents in one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in New York City did not seem right to me. I doubted that Madeline would be found alive and well in place such as this. I hopped the ten foot fence in a single bound and walked through the cemetery searching for any form of life if there was any. I removed my sword from my sheath and walked passed tombstone after tombstone reading a few of the names that were buried. I have always hated cemeteries. To me cemeteries represent the dark side of this earth that should never be explored even though it is the place that one must pay their respects to a life that was lost. From my perspective a burial place is a reflection of great despair and sadness which I do not wish to deal with in this long life of mine. As I looked at the plaques and over the tombstones I was startled when this one individual, a male vampire dressed in civilian winter clothing and armed with a katana, sprang from behind a tombstone and lounged at me. I ducked out of his way as he flew over me with his katana. He rolled on the ground, placed himself in a fighting position and charged at me. From there we engaged in fierce combat. He swiped his sword at me at high speed while I ducked his strikes and blocked them with my sword. I then launched my strikes against him which he dodged and blocked and we struck at each other back and forth with our swords. The vampire swordsman launched strikes against me which made me move backwards towards one section of the cemetery. As I blocked his strikes another vampire armed with a katana, a female vampire sprang from behind a large tombstone from my right and launched strikes at me. From there I was now engaged with two katana wielding vampires. Though they both possessed speed and skill that matched mine I never allowed them to overpower me. Just then two more female vampires armed with katanas jumped from behind tombstones and engaged with me. Simultaneously they launched their strikes at me at high speed but I was able to dodge and block many of their strikes. I threw one kick into the chest of one of the ladies which sent her flying twenty feet across the cemetery and slamming into a tombstone. I then spun around and kicked the other lady which sent her sliding across the deep snow covered walk way.

I engaged with my two earlier foes where we struck at each other back and forth at high speed. At the speed of light I slashed them both in the middle of the abdomen making them disintegrate into ash and dust. At that very moment five more vampires, three males and two females, sprang upwards from behind their tombstones and lounged at me with their katanas. One by one they struck with their katanas at high speed. I dodged and block many of their strikes and struck back with my sword. Each time they struck I moved backwards. As I moved backwards my ear picked up the sound of the blade of a katana heading for my neck. I ducked just in time as the blade passed over my head. I raised my head and found myself engaging with five more vampires. We struck back and forth with our swords and one by one I killed them all. The two female vampires I engaged with earlier charged towards me and struck at high speed with their swords. In a quarter of a second I slashed the first one in the middle of her abdomen; I then turned to the other lady and slashed her across the chest. The ladies soon began to disintegrate into ash and dust. Just then ten more vampires came out from behind the tombstones and engaged with me. One by one they struck at me with their swords at high speed. I blocked and dodged their strikes and at high speed I slashed them all making them turn into ash and dust.

At that very moment I began to think that this fight was dragging on way to long. I had to save Madeline. I began to make my way towards the gate when suddenly about twenty vampires sprang from behind tombstones. They all charged towards me and struck at me one by one with their swords. I dodged and blocked many of their strikes with my sword; I then ran to the middle of the cemetery when five of them engaged with me in fierce combat. I engaged each with each individual and we struck back and forth with our weapons. I ended the life of each vampire by slashing each one a total of five times with The Final Dawn. Their bodies came apart in five pieces and fell to the ground in burning ash. In a single bound I jumped from the middle of the cemetery and landed on the far right of the cemetery. The fifteen remaining vampires followed suit and landed in my direction. As soon as they landed on the ground they each took turns in striking at me. I blocked and dodged each of their strikes and struck back with my sword. They each blocked most of my strikes and moved at high speed in an attempt to get me with their swords. At least three of them came forward and engaged with me almost simultaneously. After several seconds striking back and forth at each other I slashed each one of them leaving them to disintegrate into ash and dust. One of the remaining twelve, a female, rushed towards me and struck with her sword at high speed. I blocked her strikes and threw a few strikes of my own. We then struck back and forth with our swords and then both of our swords locked. As our swords locked our eyes locked for about seven seconds. Without warning the brown haired swordswoman pushed back hard against my sword which made me slide across the ground. I was shocked that she would have such power over me at that moment. This had never happened to me before. In fact, this was one of the cases where I noticed something strange happening within me. I noticed that whenever I was injured my wounds would heal rather slowly than usual and whenever I would try to move at high speed my movements were getting slow. I stood staring at the woman who pushed me back with the blade of her katana. She then stared at me and a smirk came across her face. Adrenaline shot through my body and I rushed towards her striking at high speed. She blocked each strike with her sword, soon I found myself engaging with another vampire, a male, who fought with a speed that matched mine. We both struck back and forth with our swords, suddenly he rammed in sword into my chest. The blade went straight through my back and he pulled it out. I staggered back a few steps holding my chest. I was bleeding profusely and the wound didn't seem to heal. I then looked up and found myself surrounded by the twelve vampire swordsmen. I looked at each of their faces and held firm unto The Final Dawn. After we all stared at each other for about five seconds one of them, a male, rushed forward at struck at me with his katana. I blocked many of his strikes and launched fast strikes at him. We then struck back and forth at each other and with one swipe I took off his head. Three others then rushed towards me individually striking at high speed with their swords. I engaged with each vampire slashing each one a combination of three times to the upper body. When their burning remains fell to the ground I rushed towards the remaining eight slashing each one I came into contact with. I then stopped in my tracks as the snow poured; after about five seconds the eight vampire swordsmen fell to the ground into ash and dust.

I stood there in the snow breathing hard in aftermath of it all. I felt the presence of no other vampire in that cemetery that night and that indicated that it was all over. I then came to the conclusion that had I not been there before Madeline's parents arrived this would have been the perfect trap for them and for the police who was sure to intervene. I then looked down at the wound in my chest. The gaping wound still existed and it did not seem to be healing at that moment. I could not understand why the fuck it wasn't healing. I then thought about Madeline. If the Hansens were to find out that their trap had been disabled they would surely kill Madeline. Before I left for the Hansen penthouse I carved a message in a tree near the entrance of the cemetery with my sword where I laid out instructions for Mr. and Mrs. Hudson to find their daughter.

I arrived in the heart of Manhattan and began jumping from building to building making my way to The Hansen Triplets' penthouse. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that the triplets set a trap for Madeline's parents at that cemetery. Those bitches! I made a quick glimpse at my chest where I saw that the wound in my chest had healed slightly. It should have been healed by then. It really was taking slower than usual to heal. It takes me a slow ten minutes to arrive at 125 Ford Street where one of the tallest penthouses in New York stood. I stood on top of a near by building contemplating to best place to enter. From that distance I felt the presence of about 7,500 vampires who were the main occupants of the penthouse. Also I felt the presence of Madeline somewhere within but I could not pinpoint the exact location. After I while I finally decide to enter through the 30th floor. I sprang off the building and flew all the way to the penthouse. I crashed through the window of the 30th floor, rolled across the floor and sprang to my feet. I looked at the room where I landed and discovered that it was empty. However, I caught the scent of the Hansen triplets. I came to the conclusion that this was their main room. I walked slowly towards the left of the room where I discovered an elevator. I placed the palm of my hand on the pad that was at the right of the elevator doors. Once the doors slid open I stepped in and the elevator took me down to the very last floor.

After twenty seconds the elevator finally stopped and the doors slid open. I soon found myself in what appeared to be a massive underground laboratory. I walked past column after column of approximately 3,000 containers each containing illegally built droids. Half of the containers contained the endoskeleton of the droids and the other half contained droids that were covered in human skin. In another part of the laboratory large robotic arms were in the process of assembling the endoskeleton of the droids. I felt I had to put a stop to this criminal activity once and for all. I removed my sword from my sheath and began hacking through every container and equipment in an attempt to destroy the entire lab. I moved at high speed destroying all the containers housing the newly built droids and all the robotic arms that repaired the endoskeletons for the droids. Everything within the laboratory was sliced into almost fine pieces without the possibility of being repaired. I also destroyed the endoskeletons slicing them limb from limb. After about thirty seconds the lab was finally destroyed. The last thing I did was douse everything with highly flammable chemicals and set the lab on fire with an electric torch. Calmly I walked away as the entire lab was being consumed by the flames. I then returned to the elevator which took me back to the Hansen room.

When I returned to the Hansen room my ears picked up the sound of running footsteps all throughout the penthouse. I then rushed out into the hall and came across a crowd of sixty vampires each wielding the katana. I rushed towards them with The Final Dawn in head and literally sliced my way through each vampire. Before one vampire could make a strike I would slash him and he would fall to the floor in burning remains. There were about twenty vampires left as I reached the end of the hall and all were vanquished when I finally made it to the end of the hall. As I arrived in another hall I came approximately eighty more vampires wielding the katana. I engaged with each one blocking strikes and slashing them with The Final Dawn. When it was all over the hall was littered with the vampire's charred remains. I then made my way to an elevator at the end of the hall where I stepped in and pressed the numbers which took me to the 60th floor.

When I arrived at the 60th floor I was met by a large circular opening. I walked to the centre where I discovered that the floor was at the base of a balcony. As I stood I heard the footsteps of about a hundred vampires who ran to the edge of the balcony and jumped to my direction. Once they landed on the floor I engaged with each one at high speed. All of us struck back and forth with our swords but none could over power me. Through it all I reduced them all to ash and dust. Just then I heard a deep voice over a speaker system I could not see. "Well done, Miss," said the strangely deep voice over the speaker system. "As expected you broke your way through tough opposition. We know that you came for the girl. But what's the rush? The audience wants more entertainment. And what better way to feed the audience's hunger than with a fight between the great Bride of Dracula and the food she tries to avoid?" Judging from the short introduction I was absolutely sure that it was The Hansen Triplets who were using the technology to disguise their voices over the speaker system. It was like them to clown around they way they did. What the fuck were they talking about anyway? Who did I have to fight?

I then began to hear faint footsteps in four directions. From the pathway in the front of me came forth a man wearing tactical dress and armed with a katana. He was tall and handsome with black hair and green eyes. I looked to my right and I saw another man with brown hair and brown eyes also dressed in tactical gear and armed with a katana. I looked to my right and found a man who looked like he was in his early twenties standing in the walkway. He was blonde with blue eyes, dressed in black tactical gear and armed with a katana. When I heard the sound of someone walking behind me I turned around and found a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes dressed in black tactical gear. She reached behind her back and pulled out a katana which one was tucked in a sheath that was strapped on her back. "The persons seen before you are those who made the wise decision to abandon the human race and inherit eternal life," said the voice again. "Heath Simms, David Hamm, Colin Berg and Lacey Phillips have all agreed to put their lives on the line for the sake of our race. The first step for them is to eliminate the obstacle that stands between them and life everlasting. That obstacle is what stands before them right now. If you live through this, Mina, you can continue your search for the girl."

There was suddenly silence for about twenty seconds after the voice completed its sentence. I stared at the individuals who surrounded me and noticed a smirk on one of their faces. "So you're the famous Bride of Dracula, huh?" said the one who I identified as Simms. "I expected you to be a little taller."

"There is one thing I'd like to know," I said. "Why are humans such as yourself working hand in hand with those who kill your people?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" said the one to my right identified as Hamm. "The human race is done for. The politicians have been shitting on us for so long, always getting us into fucking wars and shit."

"The human race isn't what it used to be," said the one identified as Phillips. "The human race lost prominence and it lacks physical strength, knowledge and power."

"Generation Thaddeus woke us up," said the one identified as Berg. "They showed us that we as humans have great potential within us and that in order to unlock that potential we as humans have to sacrifice."

"Don't you mean basically committing suicide?" I said.

"You don't realize how lucky you are that you have what you have," said Simms. "You don't realize what people like us wouldn't give to outlast every pile of shit in this world and to be invulnerable against everything."

"We're willing to make that sacrifice to have absolute power," said Phillips. "We are ready to walk away from the shit hole race were once apart of. The only thing that stands between us and unlocking our inner potential is you."

"And now that we've introduced ourselves," said Simms "let's see if you're really as good as they say you are."

Simms, Hamm, Berg and Phillips all positioned themselves in their stances and I did the same. I looked at each of them in the eyes and unison they all charged towards me with their swords.