Chapter 2: Running the Gauntlet

Takemi looked over her notes. She had made progress on the project, but she was rapidly approaching the point where she would need more materiel to proceed any further. Blood. She needed more blood. Normally, this would not be difficult for her. Between her feminine charms, fashion sense, and centuries of experience in the art of seduction, she could walk into any bar or club in Tokyo and have her partner of choice wrapped around her finger within minutes. However, for her project to progress, she needed the blood to be inside the humans before she ran some tests. Asking for volunteers would be nonsensical. Engineering some sort of false plague would just cause panic. The easiest solution to her problem would be to co-opt an existing human trafficking network, that would ensure a steady stream of bodies while saving them from the terrible lives that they would be forced into otherwise.

She was bracing for a fight. She had done her research on Makoto and Ren. Other than a barely there mark on his criminal record for almost being framed for assault, Ren was astonishingly normal. Makoto though... she would be very resistant to any sort of participation in the propagation of human trafficking, as her father was a police officer who had been killed for his efforts in stopping it.

It had only been a week since she had been turned, but it was time for her to learn that living a life in the shadows meant that morality was cast in shades of gray.

A question from Makoto drew her attention. "There's something I don't get. We're vampires. And we're going to meet a group of other vampires in broad daylight?"

Their car was pulling into Okumura Foods's headquarters in Shibuya and was en route to the VIP parking garage. "Yep! With vampire hunters sniffing around more than usual, it's best to meet when they think we can't be out and about." Ann said.

Ren perked up at that. "Vampire hunters? Should we be worried?"

"Nah." Ryuji said. "They usually go right for the unrepentant killers, which no one in our group is. Sort of. I worry about Haru sometimes."

Ann waved him off. "Haru's fiiiiine. She's just a half-vampire with a dad who's been at this for centuries, so her attitude towards those that she perceives to be under her can be... a tad cruel."

"By human standards or vampire standards?" Makoto asked.

"In a crappy way or a fun way?" Ren asked. When everyone stared at him, he coughed. "You know, for uh... future reference."

Makoto shot him a look. "Do you really think I'm going to dangle you in front of every vampire that comes along?"

Ren shrugged. "I mean, if it's good for me, I come back more or less in one piece, and it helps you get people owing you favors, I don't really mind." Seeing that she was wholly unconvinced, he continued to explain. "Like, set some ground rules for sure. Bare minimum would be normal blood drive aftercare."

Takemi blinked. Why had she never thought of that before?

"So, you have to be able walk away within fifteen minutes of rest and hydration..." Makoto said. "Okay, that makes me feel better about this. Not by much, but... I'm still going to be possessive. Since you love that so much."

The driver parked the car. They exited the vehicle and began to walk to an elevator. "Guess this explains why Okumura Foods shelled out for that parking garage." Ren said.

Takemi punched in a twelve-digit code on a keypad next to the elevator. The doors slid open, and immediately began to rise after they had closed behind the group.

"So, who all are we dealing with here?" Makoto asked. "I'd rather not march into a viper pit blindfolded."

"Heh. She's learning." Ryuji said.

"A fair question." Takemi put her notes away and hung her sunglasses from the front of her dress. Ren and Ryuji made a point to look anywhere else, lest they court disaster. She noticed this and decided to tease them a little. "You can look if you want, boys. I'll only bite you a little."

Makoto meaningfully cleared her throat.

"My apologies. First, we have the obvious one. Kunikazu Okumura. He was turned several centuries ago and saw the value in cornering the market on foodstuffs, although he is looking to expand into pharmaceuticals to facilitate my plan. Haru is his daughter, she's a half vampire."

"How do you get a half-vampire?" Ren wondered aloud.

"Well, when a human and a vampire love each other very much..." Ryuji said in a mocking voice.

"You're joking."

"Nope."

It's much the same case with Ichiryusai Madarame and Yusuke Kitagawa, except he turned Yusuke because he was about to die from a fever. He largely does our money laundering through an art fraud ring."

"That's... illegal." Makoto said.

"And your point is?" Takemi asked. When Makoto didn't answer, she continued. "Next is Sojiro Sakura, a mortal café owner who makes exceptionally good coffee. He acts as our ear to the ground and helps us gauge the general mood of the people. His daughter, Futaba, is a hacker par excellence and also mortal. She's basically everyone's little sister. Finally, we have Masayoshi Shido, who-"

"Wait, what?" Ren asked in a panic. "Shido? Here?" He came to a horrible realization. "Oh god. Oh fuck. He's a vampire. I pissed off a vampire. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm-"

Takemi rolled her eyes. "Control yourself, Ren Amamiya."

Ren felt like he was slapped in the face by a solid wall of raw willpower, and immediately calmed down. Everyone else flinched away.

Ryuji lost his balance and caught himself on the side of the elevator, "Geez! I thought you said you were going to warn me before you do that!"

"Was that your..." Makoto started to say.

"Her Talent. Yep." Ann said. "Authority. Pretty sure it's self-explanatory at this point."

"So... Shido..." Ren grumbled.

Takemi was surprised for the second time by Ren. He had recovered from her power in mere moments when mortals that were directly subjected to her power usually groveled at her feet for a solid five minutes. "He's mortal, a high-ranking government official. He wants to place himself in an advantageous position after we succeed." She shook her head. "Mortals... like him are detestable, but useful." Noticing both Ann and Makoto staring daggers at her, she quickly added an addendum. "Mortals like Ren and Ryuji deserve the world."

Ann glanced at the floor indicator. They were almost to the top floor. "Ryuji, tuck in your shirt." He mumbled a complaint but did it anyway,

Ren fidgeted with his dress shirt. "Why do I feel like I'm about to be on trial again?" Makoto took his hand and squeezed it. "Ow."

Makoto looked at him in alarm, "Did I just hurt you? I thought I was being gentle." Ren's grin told her that he was being a dork. "I'll squeeze harder next time."

Ren laughed. "Oh, threaten me with a good time. Please."

The elevator door opened, and the bickering ceased as all eyes were on them. Takemi strode forward purposefully to the seat at the head of the table and gestured to her right. The seating arrangement was fairly simple. The older generation and Takemi's other benefactors sat on the left side of the table, while the younger generation sat on the right. Makoto followed Ann's lead and sat in one of the chairs closest to Takemi. Ren and Ryuji quickly claimed seats near them.

Ren noticed that more than a few of the vampires present were sniffing the air, then wrinkling their noses when they smelled Ryuji. It seemed that he could mask his scent if they were close. Definitely something to keep in mind for later.

"Thank you for coming, everyone." Takemi said. "Now, I know your time is valuable, so I'll cut right to the chase. We have two new members. Makoto Niijima, and her boyfriend, Ren. I'll leave it up to her if she wants to explain the circumstances that led to her turning."

"I was attacked by Akechi. Ann stopped him in the nick of time and brought me to Takemi." Makoto explained. "You can guess the rest."

Okumura gave Takemi the side-eye. "Takemi, what is it with you and collecting fledglings with mortal attachments?"

"They're fun to toy with." She said with a smirk. "Anyways, now that I've been cryptic enough with what is actually going on. Makoto, Ren. It's time I let you in on what this whole conspiracy is about."

"I'm guessing it has something to do with blood?" Everyone stared at him and Makoto facepalmed. "Y'know, just a wild guess."

"Hmm. He has spirit at least." Haru murmured. "It will be fun to make him kneel before me."

With her enhanced hearing, Makoto heard her crystal clear. "If you want that privilege, you will remember that he belongs to me, and will ask permission first." She whispered back. Thinking quickly, she added one more thing to preserve Ren's agency. "Also, Ren must give consent for anything you do to him."

Makoto shot a look at Haru, only to see an infuriatingly innocent smile on her face. "These terms are acceptable."

Ren was completely unaware of this conversation. He had no idea what was going to happen to him later. That sent a dark thrill through Makoto that she wasn't sure how to feel about.

Takemi paused briefly to allow for this... arrangement to be made. It was almost traditional for meetings between vampires to be put on hold to make deals on how to pass favored mortals around. "I am working on creating artificial blood that can be used for transfusions in humans of any blood type and as a food source for vampires."

Makoto's eyes shot wide open. "That's-" She shook her head in amazement. "That could change the world, for both humans and vampires."

"Exactly." Takemi turned to her co-conspirators. "Madarame, any problems on your end?"

He shook his head. "None. I had a reporter sniffing around, but I convinced her to find a story elsewhere."

"Oh, right. You guys don't know the euphemisms yet. Convinced means that they whammied someone with hypnosis." Ryuji said.

"Speaking of convincing people..." Shido said. "The minister of health is threatening to shut you down. Again. My usual methods have proven ineffective."

Takemi rolled her eyes. "Ann, that's a job for you. We can't risk any mistakes."

"Are you serious?" Shido asked. "This requires expertise and subtlety, not some fledging!"

Takemi merely smiled. "Ann. Give Shido a demonstration of your gifts."

"Sleep." Ann said.

Shido immediately fell asleep, his head slumping forward, as did Ryuji. That was to be expected, as they fooled around with hypnosis enough for him to be especially vulnerable to her.

Ren shook his head to clear the wave of drowsiness that hit him. "Whoa, that was a thing."

Ann looked at Ren with her mouth agape. How had he resisted her? No mortal had been able to resist her Talent before! Makoto must have noticed her interest, because she soon whispered to her. "You know the rules."

Ann bit her lip and nodded. Then she guided Ryuji's head into her lap. He could enjoy that for a while. She turned her attention back to Shido. "Masayoshi Shido, when you wake, you will say 'I am Miss Takamaki's toy' This will prove to you that you were hypnotized by me in an instant. Now, wake!"

Shido raised his head and spoke the words he had been commanded to say. "I am Miss Takamaki's toy." He shook his head violently as Ann's hold on him was released. He shifted in his seat and coughed. "Objection withdrawn."

Takemi smiled. "Good boy." It wasn't often that Ann acted superior, so seeing her exercise her gifts made her happy. "For my part, I have reached the point where I simply need more blood of all blood types to continue my research. To that end, I -with Shido's help- have pinpointed a human trafficking operation that we can co-opt, Makoto, I have a task for you."

"Oh no." Ren muttered.

Makoto stiffened. "I will not be involved with propagating human trafficking."

"Would you prefer that those poor souls are sold into sexual slavery?" Okumura asked.

"What? No-" Makoto said.

"We have built several apartment complexes here on the corporate campus to house Takemi's... donors. They will be given jobs at Okumura Foods and paid well." Haru explained, "The only condition is that they provide the blood that Takemi requires."

"But... human trafficking..." Makoto shook her head.

"Would you prefer we kidnap them off the street?" Takemi asked. "Makoto, this is your first lesson. Becoming a vampire means that there is no room for white in your morality, we operate entirely in shades of gray. The lightest shades possible, yes. But sometimes we must stray into the dark."

Makoto looked at Ren. He shrugged. "The ends justify the means, I guess. I mean, we're saving those people from being ruthlessly exploited, and giving them a chance to take their lives back." He took out his phone and sent her a text, the only way they could communicate without any of the vampires in the room overhearing.

She checked her phone. "Your father would be proud of you for that, I think."

Makoto laughed. Once. "And all we have to do is exploit them a little." She turned back to Takemi, "Fine. What do you need me to do?"

Takemi jotted some things down on a note pad before tearing it off and sliding it over to Makoto. "Some preliminary tasks first. Complete these by the end of the week." While she read that, Takemi continued to explain. "Your primary target is Junya Kaneshiro, a local crime boss. He specializes in human trafficking, drug trafficking, and gunrunning. We care only about the first. You will enter his club, the Rotten Ricochet, and impress on him the wisdom of working for us. Please do this as bloodlessly as possible."

"That doesn't mean you can't use force." Ann chimed in, "Just don't leave bodies or get bitey."

Makoto looked over the preliminary tasks again. Check security at the Rotten Ricochet, tour the apartments built on Okumura HQ campus with Haru, and get used to feeding from people who aren't Ren.

That last one was like she got flashbanged by the sun again, but deep down she knew it was bound to happen eventually. The meeting quickly wound down after that, leaving them to socialize.

Makoto noticed that Shido left immediately, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Ann's little demonstration probably had something to do with that.

She turned to Ren, "Oh, by the way. You have two... dates planned. One with Ann, and one with that Haru."

"That was quick." Ren said, "I thought you'd be a little more reluctant to... uh..."

"Well, we both trust Ann, so I'm not expecting any issues there, and as for Haru, she agreed to my terms." Makoto smiled. "Besides, I got first bite anyways. I can live with that."

"Uh... no you didn't." Ren said. "Takemi did while you were... indisposed. Said she was teaching me how to behave while being fed on."

Makoto stormed off. This needed to be corrected. Now. "Takemi."

"Yes? Do you have questions?"

"Do not feed from Ren again without my permission." In the back of her mind, Makoto realized that this was probably a major social gaffe. She didn't care.

Takemi regarded her for a moment. "As your mentor, I reserve the right to make sure your human knows how to-"

Makoto didn't hear the rest of her response from the sheer rage bouncing around her skull. "His name is Ren." She spoke. "You will treat him with the same respect I do, or you will not touch him. He is not a pet. He is an equal. Am I understood?"

Takemi laughed, "Makoto, don't be naive. Even if you were dating before you were turned, now he's nothing more than a playth-"

The rage exploded. "AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

Several things happened at once. Every vampire in the room could no longer look directly at her, even Takemi had to avert her eyes. Ryuji abruptly woke up and fell out of his chair, and Ren...

Ren fell to his knees in the wake of the majesty of Makoto Niijima's Authority.

Ann shivered. "Makoto... that's your Talent. You've got the same one as Takemi!"

Takemi managed to look at Makoto. While this was technically insubordination, she was willing to overlook that. The advantage of having a field agent with Makoto's abilities were too high to risk losing her. "I understand. The next time I wish to feed from Ren, I will show you the proper deference and treat him with the respect he is due as your lover."

"Good." Makoto said. "I am glad that you understand your error and have resolved to make the correct choice in the future." She went to check on Ren and was mildly amused, but also concerned. "Ren? What are you doing?"

"Kneeling before my Queen." He spoke. He shook his head, as if dispelling some fog and shakily rose to his feet. "I... I'm not sure. I just knew that after you did what you did, I had to be on my knees... no. I wanted to be on my knees. For you."

"Hookay! Are we gonna talk about how Ren is super resistant to mental anything unless Makoto does it?"

The newcomer was a short girl with long red hair and thick glasses. "Ah, Futaba, right?"

"Yep!" She jabbed a finger behind her, "And tall, skinny, and brooding back there is Yusuke."

"Don't worry, they're good people." Ryuji assured them.

Makoto introduced Ren and herself. If these were to be her colleagues, it would be wrong to shut them out.

A couple hours later, Ann Takamaki was on the prowl. Namely for one Shoichi Oyamanda. Dressed in a blazer and pencil skirt, with her hair in a single ponytail instead of her usual twintails, she looked like any other overly ambitious government worker. Oh, and the glasses. Those were a requirement. For tormenting Ryuji with sexy selfies, but they were a requirement, damn it!

Finding Oyamanda's office was easy. Dealing with his gatekee- secretary was also going to be easy, but Ann wanted to savor it. What was the point of a mission like this if she didn't wrap a few mortals around her finger?

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Oyamanda isn't accepting unscheduled-"

"Look..." She checked the placard on her desk, "Rin. I'm a very busy woman, and Masayoshi Shido is not a patient man. Do us both a solid and let me in to talk to Oyamanda. I'm just here to warn your boss to not do anything stupid before it's too late."

"No. I don't think you work for Shido at all. I'm calling security!"

"No, you're not." Ann said as she reached out with her mind and made the secretary her plaything. She giggled as her hand stopped in mid-air and slowly lowered. "Good girl."

Rin shuddered from the praise that she so sorely needed. Ann pressed the attack by leaning forward with one too many buttons undone. "Come on, darling. Can't you help me?":

Rin nodded slowly. "One moment." She buzzed Ann through. "Go ahead..."

Ann grinned. That was the final hurdle. But before she moved on, Ann had to reward this poor girl. She grabbed Rin by the chin. "Thank you for being such a big help, my dear." She kissed her, making sure to add tongue and give Rin a good dose of saliva-based aphrodisiac. Before she left, she pulled out a fake business card that just had her number on it. "Call me, won't you? I think we could have a lot of fun together."

Rin picked up the card and looked at it. She slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll do that. I want to be yours."

Ann added a touch of hypnosis again. "And you will, lover. Later. Call me tomorrow night, and I'll be there to show you pleasure that you've never known before."

She went in without waiting for a response. Sitting at the desk was a very annoyed Oyamanda. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Ann did not believe in giving a hint of pleasure to old men. She would simply take what she wanted. "Stop trying to ruin Tae Takemi. Make no more attempts to shut down her clinic."

Oyamanda nodded dumbly. "Okay... I'll stop... leave her alone..."

Ann saw a golden opportunity. Why not move things along a little? "If the opportunity should arise to have someone take over your job who is a supporter of Masayoshi Shido, you will resign and do what you must to put that person in your place. You will not remember this conversation, but you will follow my orders."

"Okay... that seems reasonable..."

Ann grinned evilly, letting her fangs show for a moment. It wasn't like Oyamanda would remember. As she walked out, she looked over at Rin again. "I think I'll take one for the road." She leaned down and stole another kiss, subjecting the hopelessly smitten woman's mind to even more pleasure. "Be seeing you. Don't forget to call."

She walked out of the office to come face to face with a flabbergasted intern who had seen her grand exit. She blew him a kiss. "Like what you see, cutie?" At his enthusiastic nod, Ann beckoned him with a finger and her siren's song. "Come along, then."

She quickly found a supply closet and dragged the intern in. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and kissed him deeply, sending him spiraling down into temporary addiction to her touch. Judging by his smell and the feel of him, this was going to be fun no matter which way it went. "Don't scream. Don't shout. You don't want to be interrupted right now, do you?"

He shook his head. "No... uh..."

She leaned over and nibbled at his ear -without her fangs- causing him to rock against her. "What is it, sweetie?"

"I... I'm a virgin!"

"Awww... it looks like today is your lucky day." She began to grind against the man's crotch in earnest, eliciting a chorus of moans from him. The pounding of his heart became more insistent than the novelty of popping his cherry, so Ann unleashed her fangs and bit into his neck, just shallow enough to get a little blood. She couldn't make a mess here. She shoved two fingers in his mouth to occupy him while she fed. There was always the chance he might realize something was wrong...

Or not, based on his jerky movements and sudden wetness on his crotch. She closed up his wounds then drew back from him. After checking her face in a makeup mirror to make sure she hadn't actually left a mess. She left a lipstick mark on his cheek and neck where she had bitten him. "Bye-bye, cutie. You were a fun time."

"Please..." The intern mumbled. "Don't go yet..."

Ann caressed the side of his face. "I don't have time for more right now, sweetie. I'll come around again real soon. Dream of me until then." She planted three long, lingering kisses on his lips, cementing his addiction to her.

Without further ado, she left the closet and the building. She pulled out her phone and sent off a Mission Complete text to Takemi. Then she texted Ryuji.

"Hey, you want to tag team a hot secretary tomorrow night?"

His response was as predictable as ever.

"Hell yeah!"

Ren figured he was just being pragmatic. Akechi was still around, after all. And he had an indeterminate number of other vampires and enthralled mortals under his command. Or was it control? Jury was still out on that one.

That was why Ren was arming his beat-up Toyota Corolla the best he could. He knew vampires were weak to fire and had an intense aversion to rapid onset buckshot poisoning.

Fortunately, he had already started the arduous process of obtaining a firearm license, due to how protective he had been of Makoto before she had become a vampire. He'd almost gotten rejected because of the assault frame job, but the interviews with his friends and family had countered that. That meant the apartment was covered, but for his car...

Ren had to get creative. This wasn't the USA, so no guns in the car. He couldn't take the chance, what with his chronic speeding habit. So, he settled on the closest thing to a legal flamethrower.

Lighters and cans of hairspray.

Ren took a moment to wonder about how crazy his life had become. Then he shrugged and got in. Ever since Akechi's initial attack on Makoto, they'd stopped taking the train to school. It was more of a hassle to drive, but it was easier to change their routes.

Also, it meant he was eating less junk food.

He started the car and checked his rear-view mirror. Then he nearly had a heart attack.

He was here. Akechi. With a shit-eating grin on his face.

Ren could feel fear coil around his heart. Without a friendly vampire to smack Akechi around, he had next to zero chance of survival.

That meant there was still a chance, and when his back was to the wall, Ren Amamiya was a gambling man. He hit the radio and shifted into reverse. "It's showtime!"

(Music Start: Initial D OST - Gas Gas Gas)

He hit the gas and shot backwards. There was no impact, meaning Akechi must have dodged. Fine, whatever. That wasn't the point. He threw it into drive and slammed on the gas. He fervently hoped that no one from campus police was around. "I am never taking night classes again! Goddamnit!" He peeled out of the parking lot and onto the street without further issues, it was late enough that there was next to no traffic.

"I'm curious, how did you plan to outrun me in a car?"

Oh shit. He hadn't locked the car. "I was expecting to make you a stain on the road by now." Ren said.

"Interesting. How do you do it?" Akechi asked. "How do you have hope that you'll survive the night?"

A stoplight forced Ren to stop the car. "Well, our last encounter sets a precedent. If you wanted to kill me, your fangs would already be in my neck."

Akechi laughed. "Astute for a mortal."

"That's literally basic logic."

"And you being able to process that is amazing since all I see when I look at you is cattle." Akechi said.

Ren responded with an outstretched middle finger.

"Why don't you park the car so we can talk like... well, I'm civilized."

Ren gritted his teeth and took stock of the situation as he parked the car in a deserted parking lot of a closed down movie theater. He had a lighter and rubber band in his pockets. There was a can of hairspray in the driver's side door pocket. It would mean sacrificing his car, but he could blow Akechi up.

If Akechi stayed perfectly still, or only had human reactions. The situation was looking more and more hopeless as he turned the car off and got out. He made sure to grab the can of hairspray as he did so.

(Music End)

"Alright, what do you want, Akechi?" Ren asked. "My head on a platter isn't an option, by the way."

"Oh, that's simple. You are going to be my little mole in Takemi's faction," His smile became almost manic, "You will report everything. You won't have a choice in the matter."

"Oh yeah?" Ren challenged. "Says who?" He moved so his car was to his back.

"I do, Ren Amamiya. You are now mine. Mine to do with as I see fit." Akechi was now confident in his victory. No mortal could resist Authority...

Ren grinned as the wave of dominance passed over him completely ineffectually. "Go to hell!"

Akechi stared at Ren. "How... you're mortal! You can't resist me! YOU ARE MINE, MORTAL! And for your idiotic rebellion, your first task will be TO SLAUGHTER MAKOTO NIIJIMA!"

Ren pulled the lighter out of his pocket and lit it during Akechi's futile attempt to dominate him. Then he raised the can of hairspray. "OVER MY DEAD BODY, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" He pulled the trigger.

A ball of flame materialized where the aerosol met the little flame and slammed into Akechi. Ren didn't stick around to see what would happen. He jumped back in his faithful little car, locked the goddamn doors and cranked the ignition. The engine roared to life, and he was gone.

He pulled out his phone and called Makoto. "Ren? What is it?"

"Akechi's Talent is Authority too! He tried to make me spy on Takemi's group for him, and when I refused, he tried to make me kill you!"

"Where are you? I'm on the way!"

"Don't bother! I lit him on fire with a lighter and hairspray!" Ren let out a laugh. "He left me alone after that. Go figure, right?"

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry, you lit him on fire with WHAT?"

"A lighter and a can of hair spray. I'm en route to Takemi's clinic."

"God, I love you."

Takemi blinked. "I'm sorry, could you run that by me again?"

"I lit Akechi on fire with a lighter and a can of hairspray." Ren said.

Takemi decided to ignore that Ren was apparently the most insane mortal she had met. She also thanked God that he wasn't a vampire hunter. She finally found words. "How?"

Ren shrugged. "I guess he didn't see it coming?"

Takemi stood up and went to a mini fridge. She pulled out a beer. "I hope you're happy, Ren. I haven't needed a beer in decades."

"Does that even do anything for you?

Akechi was absolutely livid. He was soaked to the bone, his favorite sweater vest was ash, every nerve on his body was screaming in pain, and Ren Amamiya... was somehow immune to his Authority?

"Hey, I think someone's hurt over here!"

"Do you need help, buddy?"

A group of mortals. Wonderful, he would need quite a bit of blood to heal from his injuries.

"No." Akechi said, "But you do."

Akechi's fangs came out, and the mortals ran.

The last fleeting moments of their lives were nothing but terror.

"...and that concludes the tour. Are you satisfied?"

Makoto regarded Haru. The apartments were satisfactory, there was no doubt about that. While Haru herself carried herself as if she was above mortals, it was also clear that she cared about their well-being.

"No jacuzzi, zero out of ten." Ren quipped. Makoto rolled her eyes. Now that the tour was done, it was time to attend to her greater mission from Takemi... and for Haru to take Ren for the evening.

"Well, this has been enlightening, Haru. I hope we get more opportunities to cooperate in the future. You remember the rules, yes?"

She nodded while staring down Ren with hunger in her eyes. "Of course, Makoto. I wouldn't dare do anything that would cause me to miss my opportunity to sample your lover."

Makoto decided to take it in stride. She would need to, if this were to become more common. "Good." She began to leave. "Have fun, Ren..."

The door to the apartment closed, and Ren locked eyes with Haru. She licked her lips. "I may not be your queen, Ren. But I will be your lover tonight." She took his hand and guided him back to the apartment's bedroom. "Are you ready to be mine, dearest Ren?"

"Yes ma'am." Normally, Ren wouldn't be so formal, but Haru was a lady. It would be remiss of him to not be a perfect gentleman.

"No, not ma'am. Mistress." Haru said. She sat at the foot of the bed. "Take your shirt off. Slowly."

Ren began to unbutton his dress shirt. His choice to go with business casual today had been the correct one. "As you say, Mistress." Moving almost agonizingly slow, he continued the process of removing his shirt until it was a crumbled heap on the floor.

In a burst of speed, Haru launched forward, knocking him to the ground. He found himself pinned by the wrists as she loomed over him. He squirmed underneath her and tried to push back against her. "Change of plans. I'm taking you now." Haru hissed. Your heart... I can hear it sing for me... "

Ren wasn't alarmed. This was all part of the actual plan that they had discussed prior to their rendezvous. Haru wanted to feel like a haughty villain seducing an enraptured hero. "This wasn't what we discussed!"

Haru's fangs extended. "I am altering the plan; pray I do not alter it any further." She lunged forward and...

Nothing.

"Haru?"

She released him and stood up. "I'm sorry, I..." She backed away from where he laid. "To treat you like this, after you were attacked by Akechi twice..."

Ren sat up. "I mean, the second time I'm pretty sure I burned his face off."

Haru laughed. "I know, Makoto told me."

Ren hauled himself up. "We don't have to do what we had planned, but you can still have some of my blood if you want."

Haru gave him an odd look. "I'm afraid I've ruined the mood."

Ren came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "So we un-ruin it."

Haru leaned into him. "Won't Makoto get jealous if we get... romantic about this?"

"Probably." Ren admitted. "All that means is that she'll literally force me to kneel before her."

"With her Authority?"

"God, I hope so."

Haru broke away from Ren and stripped off her jacket and top. She crawled onto the bed, swaying her hips to hold his attention. She beckoned him to her. "Come here then, lover." Ren soon joined her and laid on top of her, laying gentle kisses on her face and neck.

Haru giggled and rolled so she was on top. She revealed her fangs once more. "Are you ready?" At Ren's nod, she descended and ever so gently bit into his neck. She hummed happily as she drank from him.

"Ah~ Haru~" Ren breathlessly moaned.

She closed the wounds and leaned back, going to a kneeling position. "Ren, you... you taste good! You actually taste good!"

"Oh, so you're the one with the weird taste buds." Ren said. When Haru looked at him quizzically, he explained further. "A joke I made to Ryuji about Ann. Cause most vampires think he tastes like a turd, apparently."

Haru licked up the blood that she had smeared on her face. "Do you think Ann will let me... " She closed her eyes for a moment. "No, that's for later. Now..." She batted her eyelashes at Ren. "May I have another taste, my dear?"

Ren smirked. "Of course. What kind of gentleman would I be if I refused a lady?"

She pulled him up to a sitting position and straddled him. "A poor one. I'll need to tell Makoto that you deserve a reward for being such a good boy..."

She bit him again, and brought him ecstasy once more.

The Rotten Ricochet was located in Shibuya's entertainment district and was suitably suspicious. The obvious un-fun bulges in all of the workers' pockets were a dead giveaway.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Makoto smiled. Why didn't Takemi tell her that this job meant she would get to fight an indeterminate number of mobsters? It was just like one of her favorite games based around the Yakuza! "I just want to talk to your boss."

"Go to hell!" The man went for his gun.

A poor choice. Of course, how would he have known any different? He thought he was staring down a twenty-one year old college student cosplaying as a biker, not a week-old vampire with carte blanche to wreak havoc as long as she didn't blow her cover and had a general grudge against organized crime.

If the man had been more accomplished with his handgun, he wouldn't have taken his eyes off of her while drawing it. That mistake enabled Makoto to use her speed to advance to striking range and kick the man in the balls.

A low blow? Certainly. But she was a vampire, shades of gray morality and all that.

The man let out a high pitched keen and slumped to the ground. Idly, Makoto realized that she probably ruined his chance of having kids and his sex life.

Good riddance.

She picked up his gun and pointed it at his partner. "Where's Kaneshiro?"

The skinny man found some reserve of courage. "I ain't telling you nothin'!"

Makoto added an edge to her smile. "You will. Tell me where Kaneshiro is."

"The VIP lounge!" The man clapped his hands over his mouth and sank to the ground. She tucked the pistol into the waistband of her pants and walked in.

The beat of the music hit her like a physical wall. A worker was dogging her heels almost immediately. "The cover fee is five-thousand-yen, ma'am."

Makoto looked at him. He was beneath her in so many ways. It would be so easy to crush him, break him, twist him around, make him beg for mercy...

So, she would be indifferent.

"Hey!" The man called out as she brushed past him. "I'll smack you around for that?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man had a baseball bat. With a single fluid motion, she turned and ripped it from his hands mid-swing.

"Leave me alone." Makoto said.

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

She rested the baseball bat against her shoulder and sauntered over to the stairs leading to the VIP lounge. The club-goers were too self-involved to notice her. She walked up to the second story and approached Kaneshiro's booth, ignoring the other patrons. Two guards stepped in her way. She stopped as they indicated, but otherwise ignored them. "Kaneshiro! We need to have a chat!"

Kaneshiro tore his attention away from the women he was... entertaining and peered over at her. "Let her through. This one's interesting."

She casually moved past the guards and stood in front of Kaneshiro with her hip cocked. "Hey. Got a business opportunity for you."

"Oh, really?" Kaneshiro drawled. "Well, as you can see, I'm quite well off. Pass. Now, unless you wanna have some fun, get lost,"

Makoto made a show of thinking about it. "No, you're going to hear me out. You don't have a choice in the matter."

"Take her out back and give her a twelve-gauge injection to the knees."

Makoto closed her eyes and listened. There was the pulse of the music, the chatter of the crowd... and the rustle of clothing from the guards behind her. She turned and whipped the baseball bat around, slamming it into the first guard's ribcage. The second pulled out a knife and rushed her. She did a high kick, knocking the knife out of his hand and up into the air. The guard foolishly looked upwards, allowing Makoto the perfect window to throw the baseball bat at him. It smacked him in the head, sending him tumbling to the ground. She snatched the knife out of the air, then turned back to Kaneshiro. She put one foot up on the table in front of him and rested the arm holding the knife on it. She spied a bottle of whiskey. With her free hand, she grabbed it and took a long swig that bordered on absurd. It wouldn't do anything to her anyways, so she could use the appearance to her advantage. "You ready to listen now?"

"Girls, get outta here." His companionship for the night ran off, leaving him alone with Makoto. "What do you want?"

"It's quite simple, Kaneshiro. You work for my employers now." Makoto pulled out Shido's business card and tossed it on the table. "Call that number. You'll receive your instructions from them."

"Wha- What about my other customers?"

Makoto shrugged. "Not my problem. Leave them high and dry."

Kaneshiro continued to protest. "I can't just-"

"You can, and you will." Makoto said, "Or your choice will be taken from you, and you will be forced to comply. "Am I clear?"

He nodded. "Yeah..."

"Good. Be seeing you."

Makoto walked out, mildly disappointed she didn't have to fight more goons. More to the point, she finally understood exactly how powerful she was. As she walked past the dance floor, she paused. It would be so easy to grab a snack or two on her way out. Really, she could have anyone she wanted in that crowd. She understood Takemi's viewpoint on Ren a little better now. Perhaps it had been foolish of her to see him as an equal when she could make him submit with a word...

She forced herself to leave. No. She couldn't think that way. Down that way lay a surefire way to lose Ren forever. Either he would run from her, or she would get him killed by her own hubris.

Neither option was acceptable. Especially the first one, because she knew that if she was so far gone that he tried to run...

She would hunt him down. And make him stay.

Takuto Maruki looked out over the city. It was beautiful at night, yes. The citizens flitted about, completely unaware of the hidden dangers. There was a war going on, fought in the shadows. One for humanity's freedom. There were vampires afoot in the city. Killing and turning whoever they pleased. It needed to stop. He saw through the mirrored glass that someone was coming up on him. Judging by their height, it was likely Zenkichi. "Report."

"We found evidence of an altercation between a human and a vampire. The human escaped unscathed." Zenkichi said.

Maruki turned. "How did they..."

"Lighter and a can of hairspray, apparently. He left them at the scene. Mishima's TMPD hack got his fingerprints. We're dealing with one Ren Amamiya."

Maruki nodded. "Recruit him, if you can. Take Sae with you."

"Right away, sir. We'll get it done."

Maruki turned back to the window. This had to work, his plan had to work. For everyone that could still be taken by those parasites! For those that they had lost.

For Rumi.

For the memory of his beloved, he would wipe the vampire scourge from the face of the planet.

A/N: The Plan has been unveiled, as have the co-conspirators.

Even though Makoto was in the process of turning into a vampire when Takemi fed on Ren, she still feels the need to put her foot down. Luckily that leads to the discovery of her Talent. Also, it's good that Takemi knows that discretion is the better part of valor.

Ann is just Like That when she's on the job. She's very much a seductress when it comes to being a vampire and her behavior on a mission that's an easy five-minute jaunt reflects that.

Lol Akechi. Get wrecked. Ren might "only" be a mortal, but he will never go quietly.

Makoto isn't super thrilled about letting other vampires have a turn with Ren, but as long as they treat him with the same respect she does and honor his wishes while they have him, she'll allow it.

Makoto finally gets a taste of how powerful she really is, and it almost intoxicates her. Luckily, she's able to hold on to her humanity. This time.