::Author's Note::

It's updated!

I've been meaning to come back to this and Iron out all the kinks. I've taken all the criticism and comments that were given and tightened the narrative to something more consistent with my original vision. You'll find what I've done is made just enough edits to make the story more consistent with Jon's character, without compromising what I've already written too terribly.

Also, for your reading pleasure, I've made the Lemony scenes far more detailed and descriptive. I feel like I really didn't deliver as well as I could have with those the first go around, and so I've made substantial changes in that regard. Also, I'm keeping all my original notes from the first draft the same for the sake of nostalgia as well as to keep the original thanks for all my supporters of this work. So for all my new readers, if you're wondering why the Author's Notes don't match with the story you're reading, please know that every comment that's mentioned in those notes has been FIXED. Or at least, I've tried to fix them. I'll leave whether or not I succeeded up to you, the reader.

I hope you all enjoy.

::End Note::

"In his heart lay an unquenchable fire."

"The center of all energy."

"A stout and fearless soul, who's destined path would see the hand of fate itself brought to heel."

"It was said that the fairest creatures, both light and dark, were drawn to this ancient beast, and he in turn was drawn to them."

"For only a dragon possessed the strength to stake his claim on a treasure horde."

"Only a dragon could bend the hearts of Earth, Heaven, and Hell."

Rias Gremory, the buxom beauty of Kuoh University, stared transfixed at the enchanted mirror in front of her. She wasn't aware of it, but she was smiling. Something she always seemed to do whenever she was watching him.

A knock on the door broke her trance as an ebon haired woman with a figure as stunning as the Crimson Queen of Kuoh's entered the room and bowed her head respectfully.

"How's he doing?" She asked in a soft voice.

Her smile grew. "Better than I could have expected."

The dark haired girl quirked her head at the President of the Occult Research Club. "I still don't understand why you're so fixated on this one particular human, Ms. President. I've never seen you so enraptured by a potential servant before."

Rias gave her Queen a curious look. "I'm enraptured?"

She nodded, adding with a mischievous grin. " Every time I catch you gazing into your looking glass you have the most curios little smile on your face. Is there something you're not telling me?"

The scarlet haired beauty sighed before turning her attention back to the mirror hovering in front of her. "Akeno, let me ask you something. What do you define as strength?"

Again, her Queen gave the head of the ORC a curious look. "In what regard?"

"I mean, do you consider power alone to define strength?"

Akeno shook her head. "I don't believe so. Power can be inherited, after all." A sour look crept over her features. "Some feel they are entitled to it."

A pit formed in Rias's stomach. She knew all too well whom Akeno was alluding to. "So then what, pray tell, defines strength?"

Akeno thought for a moment on her question before answering. "I would say strength is defined by a person's character. Their will to live, to overcome any obstacle no matter the perils." She frowned. "But such strength is a rare quality these days."

"It is." Rias observed, biting on her thumb thoughtfully as her attention returned to her looking glass. "It is, indeed."

Jon lurched up from his bed, his breath ragged, his skin damp with cold sweat. He tossed his buzz lightyear sheets aside and grabbed his scooby doo flashlight. Looking around the room, his heartbeat slowly began to subside from a roaring drum to a dull thud. As he tried to ease his racing heart, he repeated the words his mother always used to calm him down.

"There's no such thing as monsters."

As far back as he could remember, young Jonathan had always been particularly sensitive to the sights and sounds around him. Every creak in the house, every leaking pipe, he could hear it all. Even smells were something he could distinguish with ease. The mildew behind the wall of his room had become particularly obnoxious as of late. But no matter how many things he heard, or things he smelled, nothing could compare to the things he sensed.

It was always the same. That overwhelming feeling of dread that would hang over him like a shroud. Like eyes were watching him from every direction. Waiting. Lurking. He would take a deep breath every time this feeling came on and remind himself once again of what his mother would say.

"There's no such thing as monsters."

He needed to be brave. Even if the shroud of dread loomed stronger now than it ever did before, he wasn't allowed to be the same old cry baby he used to be. He had a little sister now. One he could hear crying in her little crib for someone to come to her.

"Why isn't mom or dad coming to get her?"

He did his best to swallow the fear forming in his stomach and slowly crept out of his room. If she hadn't woken up then it was up to him to protect her. The day she was born Dad made him promise to protect his little sister. He told Jon to be a brave older brother and look after her no matter what.

Jon made his way down the dark hallway, clutching his scooby doo flashlight to his chest. Though he could see perfectly well in the dark, the flashlight comforted him.

Suddenly, his little sister stopped crying. A chill ran down Jon's spine as his knees began to buckle. Every instinct in his body told him to run, but he couldn't. He needed to check on her no matter what.

His trembling hand reached for the doorknob and turned.

"Emily? Emily, it's okay. I'm here." He tried to make his voice as reassuring as possible as he opened the door.

Relief washed over him as he caught sight of his mother's silhouette. She turned and put a finger up to her mouth to shush him as she rocked Emily in her arms.

His breathing returned to normal and he slowly closed the door. So long as he was up, he decided he'd help himself to some juice for being so brave. Mom and Dad wouldn't get mad, he'd earned it after all.

Jon descended the stairs and went into the Kitchen. There he turned on the lights and blanched, becoming frozen to the spot in terror.

She was there, on the floor in front of him soaked in her own blood. His mother's eyes were rolled back in her pale, lifeless face. Two puncture marks on her neck were draining the crimson fluid onto the floor.

He couldn't move. He couldn't even scream. At that moment every thought in his being began to ask the same question.

If his mom was dead, then who was with his sister?

He bolted back upstairs screaming at the top of his lungs for help. He continued screaming even as he darted into his sister's room. The figure he had mistaken for his mom turned its head a hundred and eighty degrees and smiled down at him with inhuman, blood drenched, teeth and glowing yellow eyes. Once again, Jon was fixed to the spot.

The figure dropped Emily's lifeless body onto the floor and turned towards him. Walking ever so slowly towards the paralyzed boy. His mother had lied, monsters do exist.

He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Jon lurched up from the bed in a cold sweat, panting heavily. It had happened again, same as most nights. That God awful dream bringing up an even more wretched past. He quickly rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Once he was done, he took a moment to lean over the sink and catch his breath, letting the cool liquid dribble over his face and down his sculpted chin.

"Just a dream. Just a dream." He chanted to himself. Slowly the thudding sound of his heart beating in his eardrums dulled and faded away. As he finally began to relax, the sound of a figure stirring in the bed and a small feminine moan caught his ear. He swore under his breath, a twisted smile forming on his face. He had forgotten he wasn't alone, nor was this his apartment.

The covers stirred and slid away to reveal a gorgeous young woman with cream skin and raven hair. She stretched one slender arm above her head, bracing it with the other as she popped her back, another series of tired but no less erotic moans escaping her lips revealing two healthy endowments on her chest.

The details of the previous night had been lost to the booze, which would explain the dull throb in his temples. But if one thing did stick out clearly it was the absolute bombshell he met at the bar the night before. This woman he was now apparently sleeping next to.

"Morning." She purred before rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you up." He replied with sincerity. "Truth be told this isn't the first time this has happened."

She giggled in a bubbly voice, laying flat on her stomach with her arms crossed under her busty chest and her legs swinging playfully in the air. "Which part? You ending up in a strange girl's apartment? Or waking up and freaking out?"

"Both, if I'm honest." He took a moment to collect his thoughts and try his best to put together what had happened. Last he remembered he was at the bar with his buddies trying to be the designated wingman of the evening. As usual he had a bit too much to drink and spent more time shamelessly flirting with girls by himself than he did actually helping out his bros.

His eye had caught her almost immediately. After all, she was easily the most attractive young thing there that night. He remembered saying something to her to break the ice but couldn't remember what. Knowing him though it was probably something stupid. That was always his strategy. If they laugh at the really stupid jokes you know they're into you.

"Listen, while I hate to out myself here. I feel I owe you an apology. I've completely forgotten your name." He confessed.

She smiled in an amused manner which put him at ease. "At least you're honest."

"Can I trust I was at least a gentleman?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

She scoffed. "Hardly!" The naked beauty righted herself up and turned around before sitting down on her haunches and lifting her hair up, treating him to a view of her shapely rear now decorated in light bruises and welts. "I haven't been spanked that hard in a long time."

He winced. "Hope I didn't cross a line."

"Not particularly. Considering I asked for it." She caressed the red ring around her neck. "Though the belt was certainly a nice surprise. You learn that from roping steer?"

He chuckled at her little jibe. While he may have inadvertently told her where he was from last night, it was more likely his accent just gave him away as being from the American Southwest.

She slowly stood up from the bed in all her nude glory and stretched. "I think I'll make some coffee. You're welcome to join me after you clean up a bit." She then added with a devious little smirk. "Maybe then I'll consider giving you my name."

Jon watched her hips sway in the dark as she sauntered off to the closet before slapping himself the moment she was out of sight. He shook his head, chuckling at his moronic reflection in the mirror.

"You damn fool. What's the point of wild sex if you're too plastered to remember it?"

Jon finished freshening up before taking a moment to inspect himself in the mirror and getting dressed. Though technically half Japanese, Jonathan Hyodo looked almost completely American. Owing most of his genes to his father's side of the family. The only thing he had really inherited from his mother was his Auburn hair and hazel eyes. Some of the ladies on campus had taken to calling him Chisana Kuma or "Little Bear". Mostly due to his tree trunk like arms and impressive stature. Whether this was meant as a term of endearment or as a nickname designed to poke fun at him was something he had yet to figure out.

Needless to say, Jon stuck out like a sore thumb on his College campus.

Once he was done in the bathroom, he picked his clothes up off the ground and sniffed them. Sure enough they still reeked of the bar, but it was better than nothing. He slipped back into his faded jeans, solid navy button up, leather jacket, worn sneakers, and the well used belt, before heading to the kitchen.

She had dressed in a dark purple nightie that seemed to be a size too small for her chest. As Jon sat down at the table in her tiny kitchen he was treated to a shot of her see through black lace lingerie bottoms as she reached up into a cupboard for creamer. Occasionally her eyes would drift back towards him when she thought he wasn't looking.

"So how tall are you, exactly?" She asked curiously while still looking for the creamer.

His lip curled into a knowing smirk before shrugging his shoulders. "Last I checked I'm about six foot four."

"Mhmm." She responded very approvingly. "So what brings a southern boy from the US like yourself all the way to Japan?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was a student at Kuoh?"

"No way! That's my school!" She replied in total shock. "How in the world did I miss you? You're not exactly hard to notice."

He chuckled. "I'm actually here on a scholarship. Believe it or not, I'm technically half Japanese."

She looked at him in disbelief. "I never would have guessed."

"No one ever does. I inherited practically nothing from my mother…" His smile wavered ever so slightly as he glanced at the dragon's mark on his left hand. "...nothing physical anyway."

"That's an interesting tattoo. How long have you had it?"

He placed his hands back in his pockets. "Awhile. It's been more of a nuisance than you might expect."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"So how did your parents meet?" She asked, breaking the tension.

"I'm a Marine brat." He explained. "Dad was stationed at Okinawa when he met my Mother."

She smiled brightly at him. "My Dad's an Admiral in the US Navy. Though I do look more like my mother than him."

That explained a lot. For starters why her english was so flawless, but also why the decor in her apartment was so familiar. Most of it seemed to be inspired by Western culture.

"So do I finally get to know your name?"

She poured two cups of coffee and added cream before offering him one and sitting down at the table opposite of him.

"Yuma Amano." She introduced herself politely.

"Jonathan Hyodo." He replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "Jon for short."

"I remember. Believe it or not, I was actually sober last night."

He chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah...sorry about that." A thought occurred to him as he scanned over Yuma one last time. After seeing her in the light, a nagging thought kept pressing against the back of his mind. "Strange question, but how old are you again?"

She cocked her head curiously at him before offering a charming smile.

"I'm sixteen. If you want to stay, I'm sure Daddy will be home any minute."

The entirety of Jon's six foot four frame turned white as a sheet. He shot up out of his chair like it had just caught fire. "I think I should leave."

"Oh my God, I was kidding!" She assured in between bouts of hysterical giggling. "But you should have seen the look on your face!"

He slumped back in his chair as a wave of relief washed over him. "That was so not funny."

"It so was." She insisted while still giggling under her breath. "I'll be twenty in December. And before you have another panic attack, I've slept with guys a lot older than you so you can relax."

Jon sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Still…" He looked around the apartment again. "...wait, so how does a nineteen year old afford a nice place like this?"

"I work part time at a Hostess Club."

He cocked a brow at her. "So…"

"Kidding! Totally kidding!" She laughed at him again. "I told you my Dad's an Admiral. Most of this stuff is gifts from my parents."

"I see." He polished off the rest of his coffee and stood up. "Listen, as wonderful as this little chat has been, I have class in a few hours." He stood up from his seat after putting his mug down.

"Wait." She stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her demeanor suddenly changed. A small frown formed on her lips as she cast her eyes to the ground and a slight blush crept over her cheeks. "Listen, all kidding aside, I really enjoyed last night. Even if you don't remember that much of it."

He gave her a charming smile. "For what it's worth I'm just glad I got to meet you."

"Me too. Which is why…" She placed a piece of paper in his hand she had been clutching in her palm. "...I want to give you my number."

He glanced down at the number on the piece of paper in his hand curiously. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. Her face was still bright red as she fidgeted in place. "I'll be honest...I really like you. And I'm not just saying that because you're easy to look at. The more we talked last night the more I felt a connection."

He couldn't help himself.

"Was that before or after I started choking you with my belt?"

She elbowed him in the ribs, her face somehow turning even more red. "Ass…"

Jon rubbed his injured side, snickering in spite of himself. He held the paper in his hand for a moment before finally nodding. "Sure, I'll call you. That is, if I don't see you on campus first."

Her eyes lit up as a radiant smile formed on her face.

"I'm so glad you feel the same way!" She beamed.

He returned her smile, though on the inside a pit was already forming in his stomach. "I wish I could stay longer but I do really need to go."

She nodded before showing him to the front door. "The campus isn't far from here. Just two blocks down and then a right turn. You can't miss it from there."

"Got it." He made his way through the door and turned around. "I guess I'll see you around."

"You better." She stood up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before whispering in his ear. "Because next time I want you to remember all the naughty things you do to me."

He felt a shiver run down his spine. If it wasn't for classes he would have probably suggested another round. But as it was, leaving now was probably for the best.

"See you later, Cowboy." She added in a sultry voice before closing the door.

Jon took a moment to glance down at the piece of paper still in his hand before stuffing it back into his pocket. A melancholy sigh escaped his lips.

"Ah, Jonathan. You went and did it again. You know better than to go messing with a young things heart like that." He felt a pang of guilt stab him as he turned to leave.

Jon stared at the mark on his left hand. With any luck, she would quickly lose interest and move on to finding a better man. Someone who wouldn't weigh her down with such a deadly burden.

The moment he was back out on the street, Jon pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and popped one in his mouth. He pulled out a stainless steel lighter with an M-16 engraved into the side and lit up before taking a long drag from his smoke and blowing a cloud into the early morning air.

The sun had not yet risen as he made his way down the empty street towards campus. His thoughts were wholly consumed by the dreadful image that had played in his head the night before.

The last memory he had of seeing his family alive.

Young Jonathan had shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. It was at that exact moment he heard the sound of a shotgun being cocked behind him followed by a loud blast of buckshot. The monstrous creature in front of him went flying backwards just as Jon turned around to see his father aiming the still smoking barrel.

"Dad?" He asked weakly.

"Get downstairs and out the front door, Jon! Run to the neighbors!" His father ordered.

"But…"

"GO!" He barked.

Young Jon fled down the stairs and ran for his life. Tears streamed down his face as he heard the sounds of an inhuman shriek followed by another blast of buckshot. He didn't look back. The eight year old boy ran as fast as his legs could carry him out the door and into the cold air of night.

Jon's mood began to shift. He hated being reminded of his horrible past. But try as he might, not even sleep seemed to offer a reprieve from the dark memories that taunted him.

As he took another puff of his smoke, a strange sound caught his ears. The sound of a woman yelling in Japanese two blocks away.

He swore under his breath. Sometimes his heightened senses proved to be more of a curse than a blessing, as they often lead to him winding up in conflicts he had no business in.

"Well...better go check that out." He relented before tossing his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out.

Jon darted two blocks towards the sound. While no one else could have possibly heard it, Jon's acute ears picked up the arguing voices almost immediately.

"I said stay away you perv!" The young woman being assaulted slapped the pushy older man's hand away.

"Aww come on, baby. I'm just trying to be a gentleman." He assured while backing her further into the wall.

"What kind of gentleman follows a girl into the ladies bathroom, huh?" She challenged, feeling a wall of stone brick press against her back.

Jon rounded the corner just in time to see him press both hands against the wall, cutting off all escape routes. "Don't be like that. You and I could have a lot of fun together."

The young woman turned her head away and shut her eyes. Her whole body was trembling.

Jon sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Seems even this far from the South there were still plenty of monsters to be found. "Alright, what's going on here?" He asked in Japanese.

The older man shot him a death glare. "This is none of your business, Gaijin! Stay out of it!"

"Look buddy. I don't know as much as I should about this country considering it's my mother's birth nation." He calmly explained. "But back where I'm from, if a lady politely tells you she's not interested, it's time to walk away." He got directly in the older man's face. "Otherwise there's likely to be someone else who comes along and asks you a little less politely."

"Fuck off, asshole!" The older man shoved Jon backwards. Or rather, he attempted to.

He popped his neck and glared at the man. "You really shouldn'ta done that."

His fist connected with the man's jaw faster than he could react, sending him careening into the nearby dumpster. With one more well placed hook Jon sent the man tumbling backwards into the bin.

Jon popped his knuckles and walked back over to the trembling young blonde dressed in a rather revealing cocktail dress and fur coat. She stared up at him curiously, still wary of his intentions.

"You gonna be alright?" He asked in English.

She nodded timidly. "I think so, thank you."

He cocked one of his reassuring smiles at her. "I don't wanna tell you your business, Ma'am. But you outta consider finding some better friends."

She looked at him incredulously before breaking out into a small smile. She started giggling after a moment, finally realizing he was making a joke. The woman bowed her head politely to him. "Thank you, Sir. You saved me."

He shook his head. "Nothing to it. You take care of yourself now, you hear?" Jon turned to leave before the girl stopped him.

"Actually…" She fidgeted in place, staring down at the ground with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking me home? I'm scared to go the rest of the way by myself."

He scowled angrily while his back was still turned. The stench of death was heavy in the air. As Jon turned around he put his charming smile back on and nodded.

"I'd be right happy to. Just give me one moment to finish up some business."

She beamed at him, placing both hands against her chest. "Thank you!"

He walked back over to the bin and peered down at the would be attacker. Though still a bit loopy he would live.

"Dammit. Why'd you have to interfere?" The man asked bitterly while spitting out a couple of teeth.

"You should be thanking me." Jon replied rather cryptically. "I just saved your ass from an ugly death."

The man stared up at him in confusion before Jon slammed the lid of the bin down on him. He then dusted his hands and offered the young woman his arm.

"Shall we?"

She wrapped her slender frame around his arm, pressing her healthy bust against him. "So long as you're ready."

He left the alley with the young beauty on his arm. Ignoring the stench of death in the air and the familiar dread that enveloped him like a shroud.

Jon escorted the young lady, whom he learned was named Tohka, back to her home situated on a stretch of road away from any other buildings. At first glance, Tohka appeared to be not much older than Yuma, but he knew looks could be deceiving. She was certainly pretty, and more than a little heated if the way she gripped his arm was any indication.

She played her part well. A lesser man would probably assume this was the luckiest day of his life.

"Well, looks like we're here. Anything else I can do before I take my leave?"

Tohka gripped his arm insistently, her face flushed and her eyes filled with want. "Would you...like to come inside?" She asked in a heated voice.

He shrugged before plastering a fake grin on his face. "If you insist."

She lead him by one hand to the steps of her home, her curvy backside bouncing from left to right with every step she took. Tohka finally released his hand and opened the door whilst beckoning him inside with a wave of her little finger.

"Right this way."

Jon stepped inside, his hands securely in his jacket pockets. Looking around the small one story home, he noted the interior looked normal enough, but the smell in the air told a different story.

As soon as they were inside, Tohka took a few steps forward. Keeping her back turned to him, she dropped her coat onto the floor, revealing her slender, backless dress and turning two sultry eyes to him.

"I was hoping you'd let me thank you properly for saving me. I have a little surprise waiting for you in the bedroom if you're interested." She shot back playfully.

"You can thank me however you so choose, Darlin." He replied, continuing to act dumb.

"In that case, follow me my big strong hero."

He bit his tongue to keep himself from laughing. She was really laying it on thick and the thought of some hapless guy falling for this routine was almost too amusing to handle.

Jon watched her disappear down the hallway before following. As he walked through the upscale home he passed by a trail of discarded clothes leading to the bedroom. First a pair of stiletto heels, then a carelessly discarded red cocktail dress, next was a size D red bra, and finally a matching red thong.

He followed the trail of clothes all the way back to the bedroom, whereupon he was treated to the sight of Tohka splayed out on her side seductively at the center of the bed, her shoulder length hair brushed to one side, without so much as a pair of underwear to cover herself.

"Well what are you waiting for?" She pouted, her face flushed. "I don't do this sort of thing for every guy, you know?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Look Doll, as flattered as I am for the show, I think you can go ahead and drop the whole grateful damsel in distress routine now."

Tohka gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" She brushed the spot on the bed next to her whilst biting her lower lip in need. "Aren't you gonna come take care of me? I'm so wet I could-"

"Oh come on!" He interjected, an amused grin on his face. "You can't seriously tell me that works on other men. No guy on Earth is that thick, right?" He sighed and shook his head. "Oh who am I kidding. Of course they are."

She gave him an annoyed frown. "Look, if you're not interested all you had to do was say so."

"Drop the act, sugar. I know a vampire when I see one."

A pang of fear flashed across her face. "V...vampire? What are you talking about?" She chuckled nervously.

"I'll give you credit for the commitment. But at this point you're just deluding yourself. The stench of blood in this place is so heavy I can practically taste it."

Her lips curled into a twisted grin. Slowly, she sat up on the foot of the bed and stood.

"So you figured it out. My, but aren't we observant." Her voice had completely changed. No longer did she sound like that frail little flower in heat. Now her words dripped of malevolence and death. "So if I may ask, what was it that gave me away?"

"Aside from the stench of death, there's one major flaw with your little hunting strategy."

She cocked a brow at him. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's simple really. Any man with even a shred of common sense would know that this is a setup. No normal lady would invite a complete stranger back to her home after being assaulted like that."

"I guess it's fortunate for me then, that most men don't have a shred of common sense." Tohka chuckled sardonically. "But I'm more curious about you, personally. You appear to be human, yet you radiate with untapped power." She licked her lips at the thought. "What did you say your name was again, handsome?"

"Names Jonathan Hyodo. I'm just a simple college student, nothing more."

"Well Jonathan Hyodo, as amusing as this has been, I'm afraid we'll have to cut our time together short. The sun will be rising soon, so I'm afraid you have to die now."

Her hair turned white as a sheet as her features twisted and contorted into a horrible shell of what they once were. Her fingers grew talons and her fangs grew to monstrous proportions. The blonde beauty was no more. Tohka had morphed into a hunchback bat-like creature complete with wings.

"You had the chance for your last moments to be that of pure ecstasy! Now you shall know only pain as I-"

The creature let out an inhuman wail as its knees spontaneously exploded. Separating its shins and feet from the rest of its body. The vampire squirmed and writhed in pain on the floor.

"Aggggh! My legs! What did you do to my legs?!"

He had drawn the weapon so fast she hadn't even had time to register what happened until it was far too late. In his hand was a still smoking Smith and Wesson Model 26 with pearl grips.

"A gun?! Impossible! Human weapons cannot hurt me!"

"These ain't your average rounds in this thing." He retorted. "I melted down a maltese cross made of pure Macedonian silver to create the alloy in these .44 explosive tipped cartridges. The core is mercury charged and the weapon itself has been blessed by the Vatican." He cocked back the hammer and aimed directly at her head. "For all your talk of being invincible you lot sure go down easy enough if you've got the right arsenal."

"Damn you! There wasn't supposed to be a hunter here! The Fallen Angels would have warned us!"

"Yeah, about that. See, I ain't exactly your typical hunter." He showed her the mark on his hand. "If you'd been paying attention you would have seen this thing. Thanks to it, the Order and I have had a bit of a falling out."

The creature reeled in horror. "Th..that's the mark of the Red Dragon Emperor!"

He took out his pack of cigarettes and popped another one in his mouth. "For the record, I didn't ask for this infernal thing. Hell, I'm still not entirely sure what it is. I just know you lot are drawn to it like flies to a cow pat." He pulled out his lighter and lit his smoke.

The creature cursed at him. Hissing and snarling as it backed away from his mark.

"This just ain't your lucky day, is it?" He goaded, taking a puff of his smoke, his gun still pointed at the vampire. "You were probably drawn to my mark without even realizing what this thing is."

The creature morphed back into the angelic form he remembered from earlier. The young blonde clutched at her bleeding stumps while tears streamed down her pain ridden face.

"Jon, please! Please don't hurt me anymore!" She pleaded in between pitiful sobs. "I'm sorry for what I did. I was wrong. But I beg you, please. I'll do anything if you let me live."

He cocked a brow at her before taking the smoke from his mouth. "Anything?"

She beamed up at him. "Yes anything. I'll give you whatever you desire most if you just let me-"

A loud crack of the gun followed by her brains splattering the surrounding walls brought an abrupt halt to the conversation as total silence enveloped the room.

Jon holstered the gun beneath his jacket and took a long drag from his cigarette.

"In that case, when you get to hell, tell the bitch who killed my family I said hello." He responded bitterly to the remains of the vampire Tohka.

The corpse began to dissolve into a pile of coagulated blood on the floor. All around him, the rooms lavish interior began to peel away. Revealing a derelict, run down building devoid of any human life. With the vampire's death, the illusion slowly began to dispel itself.

Jon exited the roach infested building and returned to the street. The first rays of dawn were approaching and the streets of the town his campus was located on were beginning to spring to life once more.

With a heavy heart, Jon slowly made his way back to campus. The eyes of thousands of other creatures still on the back of his head. That feeling of dread hadn't gone away.

Then again, it never did.