Castle Orlok

Reynolds paced back and forth in the throne room out of sheer boredom. Occasionally, he trailed a finger across a stone surface, taking some of the dust and cobwebs with him. He scoffed as he rubbed his dusty digit with his thumb. No matter how much he tried to clean the castle, it just ended up dirty as soon as it was cleaned. He always thought of hiring cleaners, but his master insisted on this location being a secret known to only a few.

Plus, he was pretty sure he preferred breakfast in bed…

Speaking of which, he wondered where Orlok was now. It won't be long till sunset, he should have been here by now, satisfied from a long night of a hunt with a bellyful of blood, preparing his coffin for sleeping out the day. But it seems that tonight wasn't the case…

'It's unlike him to forget the time,' he thought to himself as he paced around again, occasionally glancing to the window and noticing the faintest hint of light that pierced the purple night sky over the horizon. A bead of sweat fell down his forehead as panic was beginning to rise within his thoughts, clenching a fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

As he looked over the balcony, he noticed several shapes over the horizon, getting bigger by the second. He narrowed his eyes to focus on them before widening them and running off to the side at the realization as to what they were, yelping like a scared dog along the way.

The glass shattered as the shapes - now revealed to be giant bats - crashed through it. The screeches they emanated were panicked and scared, matching their panicked states as they flailed on the ground, looking for something that wasn't in the way of the encroaching light of the sun. One unlucky bat, however, was far too late to recover and met the rising light, screaming in agony as it burst into flames as though it were covered in gasoline. It wasn't long before it crumpled into a heap of ashes and scorched bones.

Reynolds looked up, aghast at such a sight on the sacred grounds of Count Orlok. The skittering bats clinging to the shrinking shadows of the walls as the sun fully rose into the sky, the light reflecting off the glass shards that stained the throne room floor, giving it a sparkle.

A white bat crawled upon a wall, desperately trying to stick to the darkness like a scared little cockroach. Its forelimb briefly brushed upon an encroaching shape of light, burning it and causing it to screech, forcing it to hurry into the dark corner of a doorway, just out of harm's reach. The white bat huffed before shifting into the form of Orlok, panting as he just barely missed the light fully engulfing the throne room, the shadows from the doorway shielding him.

The meek servant saw this and ran up to him, hunched over as though he were about to bow, "Master!" he cried, "oh, Great One, you are wounded! How could this have happened!? I shall take full responsibility for this-"

"Just get the healing supplies, you blithering moron!" the vampire yelled, which Reynolds immediately went to do. Orlok leaned against the stone as the fool ran past him, taking in several deep breaths in relief that he had avoided death.

He looked to the side to see the few vampires that survived, hiding in the shadows of the crumbling arches before growling in frustration at the fact that he was so close to getting rid of two major thorns in the Syndicate's side. Now his newly created army was down to barely half a dozen and both of his enemies were still alive and no doubt licking their wounds.

He clenched a fist so hard, his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood, cursing both himself and the Hellspawn for this absolutely disastrous night.

Police Precinct 128

The sun blanketed the streets in a brilliant orange light, erasing the shadows quicker than the vampire in the alleyway could realize. It was also when he realized that he'd be unable to follow his brethren towards wherever they were supposed to go. His only hope now was to pray that the sun wouldn't hit the alleyways at any time of the day.

But he wouldn't have to worry about that since the Hellspawn appeared in front of him in a green flash

Al grabbed the vampire's head before he had the chance to scream, his hand glowing green as the palm wrapped around his face, peering into the inner recesses of his mind to find anything useful.

The lanky vampire that Al assumed was the leader of the group mentioned something called 'the Syndicate' and he intended to find out everything he could.

In the blackned void of the vampire's head, memories played out in front of Spawn like projections upon a wall. From his childhood memories of hanging out at birthday parties or carnivals, to his time at the academy, training to be a cop.

From there, he saw him accepting money from a very shady figure, his words unheard, but it was likely nothing pleasant. Then he saw his view of him and his fellow cops beating up what looked like a homeless demon holding onto a can, something the poor sap probably stole in order to survive.

Al clenched a fist seeing scenes like this play out more and more frequently. He hated cops. He always believed they worked to uphold a corrupt system instead of the law that they supposedly obeyed. A law they spit upon and used to their own ends. It sickened him and he resisted the urge to exit this one's mind and rip out his spine. But he needed information.

Finally, the scenes settled on Orlok and his cronies that attacked him mere moments ago, but before most of them were dead, of course. Many other scenes involved the vampires picking off lone stragglers of Coven members, patrol parties, and the occasional homeless witch or two. But they all ended with the battle of last night and up until this very moment. Not a single mention of this so-called "Syndicate" beyond the utterance mere moments ago.

Dammit all.

Al exited the black void of the vampire's mind and looked upon his body with a furrowed brow. Scoffing at his almost comatose state. It seemed that this trail led to a dead end, though he supposed he couldn't be too upset about it. There were at least plenty of others to dig through.

All of a sudden, a bright beam of light - brighter than even the morning sun itself - emerged from where he left Steve. The sudden appearance forced the Hellspawn to shield his eyes like someone who just woke up to their window blinds open. After a few seconds or so, the light subsided and Al looked upon a woman in casual clothing with dark hair that had a hint of blue. The woman who he saw in the beast's mind. She must have been the one called Lilith.

He couldn't help but wonder what happened that wound her up in such a state of being controlled by some beast like that. Was she a different species? Or was she cursed like the werewolves of legends? If so, he could somewhat relate. Being bound to something that you barely understand, while at the leash's end of someone else…

He clenched a fist at very memory. Never again.

His thoughts were interrupted by the groans of the vampire at his feet. He snorted at this. Time to burn off some steam. Quite literally in this case.

"You're worthless," he grumbled before grabbing the vampire's neck and began dragging him towards the light that shone at the end of the alley. The vampire came to and saw what he was doing, flailing his legs and scratching his arms to no avail.

"NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOO!" He cried out before being lifted and exposed to the rays of the sun, burning into ashy bones in the vigilante's hands.

Al then crushed the skull in his hand, letting it crumble to a fine ashy powder at his feet as the rest of the skeleton fell down, shattering.

He then turned his eyes towards three figures looking upon him with horror and fear. He recognized the first two as Steve and Lilith, but it was the third one he didn't recognize.

She was old, looking to be in her late seventies or early eighties at least. Her eyes were somewhat sunken due to either age or lack of sleep. Judging by the nightgown she wore beneath her jacket, it was probably the latter. Speaking of facial features, Al noticed quite a few similarities with her and Lilith's faces. One did not have to be good at reading people like he was to put two and two together…

"You must be Lilith's mother…" he said in a tone of neutrality and slight fatigue.

As soon as he finished that sentence, the old woman shot up, grabbing a staff that looked like a shepherd's crook with an eagle perched upon it. With a thrust, the eagle's eyes glowed a golden light before said light was covered by Al's hand around it faster than she could blink and stopping it with hardly any effort.

"Let's think this through, ma'am."

Al then pushed the staff back, nearly making the old lady fall on her keister as a result. She responded by grunting at slamming the end of the staff at him, which made every single roach and rat rush towards the Hellspawn, swarming him en masse.

Though Al was surprised at the vermin crawling all over him so suddenly, he didn't seem to be panicking at all, even when the rats and roaches began chewing on his flesh, necroplasm dripping from the wounds. He simply raised his hands and spun around, allowing his red cape to completely wrap around both him and the pests on top of him.

The cape covered and tightened around him like a wrapper, the sounds of crunching heard beneath the blood red cloth and a slight green glow can be seen emanating from it before it unwrapped, revealing a perfectly fine and dandy Hellspawn along with the burnt out skeletons of rats and bits of scorched chitins from the roaches on the ground.

As the old lady stared in shock, Al stepped towards her, only to be interrupted by the form of Steve, holding out both hands at his sides.

"Gwen, stop! Please!" He cried out.

"Steve!" the old woman that he now knew was named Gwen responded, "get out of the way!"

"No! He's on our side!"

"What!?" Both Gwen and Lilith said, the latter rather weakly.

Al was also quite surprised at the little half-demon vouching for him, but he didn't show any reaction to it. He watched Steve continue, "No more fighting for one day," Steve pleaded, utterly exhausted, "please."

Wise choice.

"Steve, get out of the way!" the old lady exclaimed, "do you know what he's capable of!?"

The scout nodded, "yeah, I do. And he's terrifying."

Not wrong.

"But he helped Lilith and I out when we could have been mincemeat," Steve continued, "I only knew him for about five minutes, but if he was willing to do that, maybe he isn't all that bad…?"

"Don't be naive, Steve!" Gwen retorted, "I know what monsters like him can do!"

Al huffed in annoyance, they were back at square one and frankly, he had better places to be. He moved Steve to the side, "Ma'am," he said to her, her arms holding her staff up in defense, "you have every right to be afraid of me considering all… this."

He motioned his arms to the surrounding carnage, of which Gwen paid no attention to, refusing to take her eyes off of him. He continued anyways, holding up his index finger, "but I have one simple question for you: If I really wasn't on your side… then why are you still breathing?"

That seemed to stop her. A slight lowering of her arms and the tiniest of glances to the side gave that away. Before she raised up her arms again, her palisman glowing with energy ready to release at any moment.

"You don't have to trust me on that basis, ma'am," Al intoned, "but do consider that I saved your daughter's life. That much should grant me a pass."

Al purposely left out the part where she had to fight her as a giant bird beast as such details weren't important in a tense situation like this.

He turned away, but not before returning another glare, "let's all just let bygones be bygones and walk away without any more fights."

Gwendolyn wanted to. Her shaky hands, the sweat on her brow, the anger in her eyes, and her clenched teeth confirmed so. Her eyes exchanged with the Hellspawn's empty green ones. They glowed with a malice she hasn't seen in someone for so many years. They were the type of eyes that would make anyone quake in fear at the very glance of them.

It wasn't until she felt a tug on her shoulder that she snapped out of the staredown. The source of the tugging was Lilith's hands. "Mother, please."

Gwen looked back, rather confuddled at her statement, "Sweetflea, you of all people should know-"

"I do know and I severely doubt he'll give us a second chance!" the dark-haired witch interrupted before recomposing herself, "Sorry for cutting you off."

Gwen only huffed as she looked back, before Steve planted his own hand on her shoulder, "look, Gwen. Just take Lil to your place and heal her up. I'll stay behind."

Both Clawthornes looked at him like he was insane. "Steve, are you mad!?" Lilith asked.

"Just go, you two!" He responded, exhaustedly, "my house is close by anyways. I'll be alright, I promise."

He brought up a smile. Lilith grimaced. She hated that smile because it was too damn endearing for her to resist. It was like a cute little Freki wolf.

The witch just sighed, "alright, Steve," she exhaled, "just be careful."

"When am I not?"

Gwendolyn intervened, "Sweetflea, are you sure?"

Lilith shrugged, "Mother, if there's anyone stubborn enough to get out of anything, it's Steve." She said, giving her friend a pat on the head just like a Freki wolf.

Both Clawthornes then took flight on their palismans, not daring to look back while Steve waved goodbye before turning back to the Hellspawn who was walking to the center of the carnage past the big crater where he landed.

Spawn observed the aftermath of the carnage around him, the charred skeletons littering the pavement like trash. Blackened soot staining the stones beneath them, and ash blowing in every gust of wing. Beyond them all, he noticed one corpse with his stolen sword sticking out of its body, He moved up to the hilt and released the blade from its embedded state, placing it on his back.

He then went on to scavenge any harpoons and crossbow bolts left behind. He may as well make the best out of this situation before more cops show to make his morning worse.

"Ahem."

He turned to see Steve behind him, a meek expression on his face.

"Thought I told you to scram." He bluntly stated as he went back to scavenging.

"Yes, you did," the half-demon responded, "the other two did, but I chose to stay."

"Why?"

"For starters, my home isn't that far from here," he said with a smile, "and second, I just wanted to ask one question."

Al grumbled, "make it quick."

"Why did you help me and Lilith?"

The Hellspawn froze for a moment before turning towards him with a glare, "let's make one thing clear: I hate cops. I don't like them in general, I don't like being in their presence and I especially don't like working with them."

Steve winced at these words, worried he might start ranting, or worse, beat him up.

"But…" Al continued, "you were different. I spared your life in that alley because I saw a glimmer of a man, or demon, or whatever you are, who was willing to change. I gave you a chance to let me walk away because of that. Then I saw you standing up to your boss."

Spawn let out an amused exhale, "for once, I was glad to be right."

Steve processed the answer and rubbed the back of his head. The Hellspawn was rather blunt, if jerkish, about his answer, and he was relieved to know he saw some good in him but he wondered how many others were given a chance but failed to take it. How many of his friends in the force were given this opportunity?

Now Steve began to wonder if they were even his friends to begin with. He thought he could trust a fellow officer with his life, but now… he wasn't so sure. He knew Lilith was his friend, but what about everyone else? Besides Kikimora, who he never liked to begin with, he wondered just how many others lied to him about having his back. Faith in the Coven meant faith in your fellow members after all…

"You gonna say anything?"

Spawn's voice interrupted his thoughts and he saw that he was staring at him while removing the last harpoon around and placing it onto his belt.

"Not really…" Steve replied, shakily. "Just processing things, I guess."

"Hmm."

The undead then walked to the nearest manhole cover that was closest to his base of operations; all the while, much to his annoyance, Steve attempted to make some form of conversation.

"Well, I guess since Lilith just went through all that, I suppose it's fair that I tell her sister, Eda. about it. Assuming she doesn't tell her first, of course."

Spawn stopped at that familiar name. "Come again?"

Steve shrugged, "you know, her sister? Eda Clawthorne? Formerly the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles?"

Spawn stared at him for a solid five seconds processing his answer before the realization him like a truck.

"Shit."