Disclaimer: I don't own Blade or any of its characters. I do Max, Xavier, Rev, and Cam, so no stealing!

Chapter 21: Drake

The hunters stood outside a high-tech office complex surrounded by meticulously groomed grounds. A sign with a swanky "Vance Institute" logo loomed overhead as Blade, Max, King, and Abby approached, taking note of Vance's Jaguar, complete with a vanity plate, parked in front. The trio soon entered the lobby, drawing stares from a number of patients gathered in the reception area. Nearby was a large display with Vance's grinning face. Beneath it, it read: Edgar Vance, M.D. President of Vance Institute for Whole Being. Nearby was a bank of monitors showing a snazzy video featuring a beautiful young couple marveling at a sunrise.

"Regain control of your life. Wake to a new dawn. At the Vance Institute for Whole Being, we believe in an integrated approach to human health," the narrator on the monitors droned peacefully.

The image cut from the couple to Vance himself, poised on the edge of his desk, smiling. As Blade and company moved through the Institute, the video played counterpoint to their progress.

"I'm Dr. Vance. Welcome to our facility. As a member of the medical profession, I want to assure you that I will do everything in my power to provide you with the care and compassion that you deserve."

Past the receptionist desk were the elevators with more monitors showing the video greeting. As the quartet approached, two security guards moved to intercept them.

"Excuse me, can I help y –"

CRACK! Blade effortlessly tossed the guards aside, sending them crashing into the nearest monitors. The trio continued into the hallway, as a doctor stepped out of a doorway. King proceeded to punch him in the face.

"What does it mean to be human? Since the dawn of creation our ancestors have asked ourselves that question."

They rounded the corner into a second hallway, nearly colliding with two more security guards. Blade was about to take them both out, but Max quickened her pace to save that pleasure for herself.

"The modern world today is filled with countless challenges. In every direction we look, toxic stressors are impacting upon our happiness. We think we're healthy, but the truth is, our immune systems are engaged in a life or death struggle to maintain our well-being."

Blade looked at Max, eyebrow quirked, but she just shrugged with a smile. He simply shook his head and led the way again. Blade, Max, King, and Abby stormed into the outer office of Vance's personal office. As soon as they entered, an executive assistant was moving from his desk to stop them.

"I'm sorry, but you can't –"

Abby suddenly shot out and kicked the man's knee, then sliced her hand into his windpipe, silencing him.

"Now, I'd like to take a moment to explain how a series of remarkable new breakthroughs can immeasurably improve the quality of your life."

Blade aimed his shotgun at the door leading to Vance's office, and fired at the keycard lock. He kicked the down the door, startling Dr. Vance himself inside his office. He was rising up from behind his desk, wiping his mouth. Max shared a look with Abby, who was also looking at Vance oddly. He wasn't dressed like a doctor would normally be, but the men hardly noticed this as the shake down began.

"What…?"

"Payback, Vance," Blade growled in way of explanation.

Blade aimed his shotgun at Vance's head, completely prepared to kill him. It was only when he noticed that Vance was simply smiling, seemingly unconcerned, that he hesitated. He knew he shouldn't have, but he did. With Max next to him, her own guns out and ready to fire. Meanwhile, Abby and King circled around the other side, getting a view behind Vance's desk where Vance's body lay on the floor, his throat ripped out and doctor's clothes covered in blood. Abby looked at King confusedly, but he put it together first. Reaching for a silver stake, King felt his pulse race as he tried to remain calm.

"Jesus, it's him! Abby, it's Drake," he announced, his panic getting the better of him.

The Vance double jumped atop the desk and swatted the muzzle of Blade's shotgun aside, re-directing the blast to shatter a glass window instead of his head. He then kicked Max in the chest, knocking her clear across the office, followed by Blade, as King advanced angrily. The Vance double's face warped, the bones in his head shifting around as he reached for King. The double slammed him onto the desk, twisting the stake from King's hand, and brutally shoved it into his shoulder, pinning King to the desktop.

As he whirled around to engage Abby, he shifted back into his true form. Drake now stood before Abby, and for a moment she was frozen. Drake backhanded Abby across the face, a teeth-jarring blow. She spun and fell to the ground, and Drake moved like a hurricane, leaping through the shattered window. Blade rose quicker than the others and immediately gave chase. He looked out the window to see Drake landing on the ground, some three stories below, without a mark on him. Blade didn't even both to check the others before jumping out of the window and follow him.

"SHIT!" King cursed loudly as he struggled to break free from the desk. "A little help here, ladies!"

"Hold your horses, baby, we're coming!" Max snapped, rising to her feet shakily, a hand on her head. She felt like she was spinning as she stumbled over to him. Abby joined her a moment later.

"You hold him and I pull," she offered calmly, and Max nodded, placing her hands firmly against King's shoulders. He groaned in pain as she did this, cursing under his breath.

"You could at least pretend to be gentle," he growled through clenched teeth.

"On the count of three," Abby told both of them. "One," she began, taking a firm hold on the silver stake with one hand while pressing the other against King's back.

"Two," Max continued tentatively, and Abby quickly pulled the stake out.

"AHH! FUCK ME!" King shouted painfully as the women dragged him off the desk and propped up against the wall. "What the fuck happened to three!"

"Don't get lippy, baby," Max ordered him gently, smirking at him. "The stake is out, and you're fine."

""Fine"?" he echoed incredulously, hissing as he took a deep breath. "Jesus, it hurts. I wanna be a Vampire again," he stated, and both women had to smile. "Fuck! Did you see that guy! We're gonna lose, man. OH, GOD! We're gonna FUCKING lose!"

Abby ignored King with a shake of her head and cut open his shirt. Max pressed a hand against the wound, making him hiss in even more pain. She had to stop the bleeding somehow. Even if he was in more pain by her applying pressure to the wound put King in even more pain, she would do it to save him. No matter how much he tried to convince her that he was fine. Meanwhile, Abby moved her hands to her belt and removed a small aerosol canister.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, stopping Abby as she moved the canister towards his wound. "What are you doing? What's that?"

"Fibrin sealant foam, it's an elastic protein. It's gonna stop the hemorrhaging," she explained before turning to Max telling her to help her spread the wound open. Max remembered this little invention of Sommerfield's. The foam was meant to seal the hemorrhaging in the body cavity from within.

"Okay. Is it gonna hurt?" he asked painfully, sounding a bit like a child.

"It's gonna sting a little," she replied, lying brilliantly through her teeth.

Together, Max and Abby spread the wound apart. This only brought King more pain as he breathed hard, trying to fight back the pain. Abby stuck the tip of the canister into the wound and triggered the dispenser, spraying a jet of compressed foam into it. The foam condensed into an orange blob, sealing the wound up.

"OH! FUCK ME! OW!" he shouted in excruciating pain. "Hey, hey – what'd the one lesbian vampire say to the other?" he asked them quietly, his eyes starting to close.

"Shut up, King," Abby told him, pulling the canister out of his shoulder and placing it back on her belt.

"See you in twenty-eight days," King and Max said at the same time.

"Oh, you already know that one. It's a great one, isn't it?" he asked, his voice trailing off as he passed out.

"This shit is really starting to get out of hand, Abby," she stated, looking over at her seriously.

"I know, but Sommerfield's almost completed Daystar. It'll all be over soon."

"Hope so."

P.S.: Four pages total.