Chapter Text
He wasn’t a monster… he was desperate. There’s a difference.
Foolish bit his lip, cursing at the feeling of his fangs before pushing open the door.
The bar was loud, energetic that night, packed to the brim of lively men and women drinking away their sorrows or cheering in celebration. The music was blaring over the laughs and chatter, the musicians playing away on their instruments like it was the last show of their life. In the corner was a game, cards he saw, so a mix of luck and skill.
The place was a mess, covered in fluids as mundane as alcohol to vomit and piss. The bartender didn’t seem to care, gulping down his own shots one after another without a care in the world.
They were celebrating, he guessed, this wasn’t his town, his people, all the faces were strangers to him. But, that meant he could use the opportunity. He simply needed someone drunk enough… ah, there.
Near the back by the card table was a group of men and one woman, all with drinks nearly empty. They were leaning on one another drunkenly, laughing and giggling with flushed faces. One in particular dressed in blue was leaning heavily on another rather buff man. He looked utterly out of it.
Foolish snatched an unattended drink and inserted himself into the group, forcing out his own giggle despite being terribly sober. “Woah, what a night, huh?”
The man in blue giggled with him, nodding vigorously, “Yes! Did you see her face?”
“I was too busy stoking the flames.” The bulkier man said, supporting the other. He was still drunk like the first man, but was clearly pulling it off better.
“Oh, but the flames were never hotter than you, Fit.” The man grinned sloppily.
Fit rolled his eyes, but smiled fondly, “Sure, Pac, sure.”
Foolish glanced at the others in the party, suddenly unsure he picked the right target. Pac’s waist was being clung to by Fit with an iron grip, so tricking the man outside didn’t seem possible. He also had no idea what they were talking about.
There was another man dressed in green on Pac’s other side, but he looked far too crazed for his tastes with bulging eyes that locked on him and didn’t falter. His skin felt like it was crawling at the contact so he passed him by to instead walk up to the last two of the group, a man and a woman who looked very similar to one another.
“I still can’t believe it… a witch?” The woman was leaning on the table, a miserable look on her face as the other man patted her shoulder.
“They’re deceptive creatures… She was only trying to use you, it was a good thing she’s gone.” The man whispered harshly. “Bagi… we did good.”
“But… Tina would have never hurt a fly…” Bagi whimpered. “Cellbit… what if we were wrong?”
Cellbit frowned, “A monster is a monster no matter their disposition.”
It was with sudden clarity that Foolish realized he walked into the wrong bar. The only reason he didn’t turn tail was not only his own hunger but the hunger of his child waiting for him in a dark alley outside. Even deeper was the sudden anger that flared up inside him.
He didn’t know who Tina was, but… something was telling him she deserved revenge from these people.
Foolish slid over to the table, careful not to grin with his teeth, offering only a small smile, “Hey! What a party!”
Bagi blinked up at him, her eyes on the verge of tears, “What?”
Cellbit grinned easily, “A party well-deserved!” He turned to the rest of the bar, raising his glass, “To another monster slain! With every victory, we are closer to killing Lobo Nocturno!”
The bar erupted into cheers and if he still had a beating heart, he bet it’d stop then and there. This was his worst idea yet, and he sincerely hoped Leo would forgive him.
“Nasty business, that witch.” Foolish said, shaking his head.
“She deceived my sister for years.” Cellbit said, patting her shoulder again.
Bagi rubbed her forehead, “It still doesn’t feel real…”
Foolish focused on her for a moment, at the deep bags under her eyes, the mess of her hair, it was obvious the woman was deeply affected by this… she was vulnerable.
“You know, maybe this bar isn’t the best for you. Some fresh air could do you some good.” Foolish suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.
Bagi looked up at him, her brows furrowed in suspicion, but he was nothing if not a masterclass in looking utterly innocent or too stupid to be a threat. He gave her a sympathetic look, really pouring in the most fake genuineness he could muster.
“Maybe you’re right.” Bagi glanced over at her brother as she stood up to leave, “Coming in here was a mistake.”
“You should be happy… you’re free.” Cellbit frowned, then reached out for her, gripping her upper arm.
Bagi scowled, shaking free of her brother, “I lost the love of my life!”
It was quiet at the table, the two siblings glaring at one another before the sister huffed and walked off with a flare of her trench coat behind her.
Foolish stood to follow only to find himself shoved up against the wall of the bar, a dagger under his throat. No one else reacted to the confrontation, too busy with their party.
“I don’t recognize you.” Cellbit bared his teeth. He was hissing like a cat would at a stranger.
Foolish raised his hands defensively, “Woah, woah, easy there… I’m just passing through-”
Cellbit’s eyes narrowed, “No one just passes through Quacksworth. Why are you really here?”
Foolish’s eyes widened and he looked around, his desperation fleeing to anyone else in the bar, but the party was raging on, ignoring the confrontation entirely. He was alone, stuck between a wall and a blade whether he liked it or not. However, with everything he gleamed, there was an idea forming in his head, not ideal but… it was something. He gulped, then raised a hand to gently curl a finger over the blade pressed to his throat.
“I need your help.” He whispered, “I heard about what happened from the next town over and traveled here seeking your help with… with a monster.” Foolish did his best to look terrified, wide eyes and trembling lips. It was easy with the blade pressed to his throat.
“What kind of monster?” Cellbit raised a brow, the blade lowered slightly. He was falling for the bait.
It would have been so easy to just say witch or werewolf or even a demon, but Foolish couldn’t help the little flip in his stomach of joy at realizing he was falling for it. He breathed out, “Vampire.” with glee barely held back.
“Caralho.” Cellbit breathed.
“I want to explain more, but can we go somewhere a little quieter?” Foolish asked, gestured to the bar around them.
“Yes, yes, I didn’t drink much, so I can… yes.” Cellbit nodded, “I have a room upstairs, I just need to tell the others where I’ll be. Room three.” He put away his blade and headed off towards his friends. The one with the bulging eyes frowned at him while Pac and Fit just nodded happily. The one he didn’t know the name of stared at him and Foolish took that as his excuse to leave.
He walked up creaking stairs to the bar’s second story. It was an inn too, a common combo for a small town like Quacksworth. He easily found room three and, surprisingly, it was unlocked. Foolish entered it only to notice there didn’t seem to be any sort of personal items, no clothes, no trinkets, no journals, nothing.
That fear he had returned, and he walked over to the window, pulling it open easily, and stuck out his head. “Leo?” He whispered, but the noise from the bar downstairs would no doubt drown it out.
Fuck, he was screwed, this was some sort of trap wasn’t it…? He could jump out of the window, but if they didn’t know before, that would definitely give himself away- and as starved as he was, he wasn’t sure he’d heal properly from such a height.
So risk it he had to. Damned if he did. Damned if he didn’t.
Foolish went by the door as he heard boots outside it. He tensed, readying himself to pounce-
The door opened, Cellbit stepped inside and Foolish grabbed him from behind, shoving his hand over the man’s mouth preventing his screams as he kicked the door closed. The other man didn’t hold back, reaching for his knife, but Foolish swatted his hand away, twisting his wrist behind him as the two tumbled down to the floor. Cellbit grunted, his face slamming harshly against the wood.
Foolish’s hand slipped in the fall, and Cellbit took the opportunity to bite his hand, making him cry out and pull his hand away.
Cellbit grinned before shouting, “Mike! Eu tinha razão!”
Shit, he heard more footsteps, he was going to have to escape, but he needed something to drink if he wanted a chance. “Fuck, ya, well, I can bite too!”
Foolish bent down and clamped onto Cellbit’s neck, and was hit with instant euphoria. It had been too long since he’d had warm blood coursing past his chapped lips, down his parched throat and into his cold system. Cellbit whined under him, wriggling and struggling to get out of his grip, but the sting of the bite shocked any human too much to move.
That’s when his luck ran out, and the door was busted open, two figures in the doorway, Fit and the wide-eyed man he assumed was Mike. Only the former had a weapon, a sword drawn, but Mike didn’t hesitate to jump him, shocking him off of Cellbit’s neck.
Foolish snarled like a kicked beast and with his newfound strength, shoved Mike off of him and into Fit. The pair fell over on their asses, giving him time to rush over to the already open window. Just as he was about to jump, Cellbit was there, clinging to his ankle with one hand while the other held his neck.
“I’m going to kill you, monster.”
Foolish stared at him, “I’m sorry.” Cellbit’s brows furrowed in confusion, but then the other two were moving and he jerked his foot, kicking Cellbit’s face. He leapt, landing into the alley without a scratch, the human’s blood strengthening him back to levels he hadn’t experienced in weeks.
“Leo?!” He called out for her, racing down the alley to where he left her- Oh.
She was exactly where he left her, bundled up in a blanket so much she didn’t look like a little girl, just something easy to miss in an alley. At least, that had been his hope, but that woman… Bagi was there, standing over his daughter with concern clear on her face.
“Who left you here?” Bagi whispered and Leo shoved herself back into the blanket, shy as ever.
Foolish got closer, crouching, ready to attack-
Bagi turned to him, finally noticing his presence, “Oh! You… I found this little girl when I went out to breathe…She’s cold to the touch. Something’s wrong… I think she’s sick.”
“She’s fine.” Foolish said, and he relaxed as he neared his daughter, taking her up in his arms as Bagi bit her lip nervously. “She’s mine, we didn’t have a place to stay-”
“You left her in an alley while you partied?!” Bagi frowned, “What is wrong with you?!”
“No, it’s not like that-” Foolish took a step into moonlight where Bagi’s eyes widened as she stared at his chin. His chin covered in the blood of her brother, not that she would know the specifics.
“You’re a monster…” She breathed and he turned to run- “Wait!” She reached out and he backed up, “Wait, I-”
“Hurry! Before it kills us all!” Her brother’s voice broke out and there was a commotion at the front of the bar. A mob, an angry mob ready to kill him and his daughter, and so he ignored as Bagi pleaded for him to wait and he ran.
Quacksworth wasn’t a big town, it was a place where everyone knew everyone, and he had already ruined any chance to be normal in it. He fled into the surrounding forests, clutching his poor girl close as she didn’t stir. With his new invigorated spirit, it was easy to get rather far from civilization with little fear of pursuit.
Finding somewhere dark before the sun rose was the real issue. Caves had been their saving grace, but those were hard to find when he never knew the land they were in. He’d been a city dweller, used to slinking through alleys and smooth talking, not this life on the constant run. Of course, he ruined any chance of returning to that home either and it was a place full of the wrong prey anyways.
They typically survived on animals, but after failing for weeks to catch anything, Foolish had turned to the only animals that would let you approach. Humans. It was a last resort, a desperate bid that thankfully paid off this time.
Now if he could just find that cave they’d found last night- gods it was impossible to remember and the moon was getting mockingly lower and lower… He paused on a hill, staring at it. It was full tonight, a beacon of light, the most light he ever saw in this relatively new life of his. He wished Leo was awake for it, but he'd need to catch her something to feast on.
They were rather far from Quacksworth now, so he didn’t fear the people at all. The little hill he stood on gave him a good view of the place, the quaint little settlement. It’s most impressive building was the large cathedral at the end of the town, a rather dark building with a red roof. It seemed like the place had poured all it’s resources into it, a beacon of the community.
If there is a cathedral… there was probably a crypt nearby. He wasn’t above staying with the dead. Unfortunately, that also meant heading back towards the angry mob, but… the full moon was again, fading with every second of hesitation.
Foolish looked down at Leo, “If this goes badly… I love you.”
Leo’s eyes fluttered weakly, then her little hand moved and she smiled.
If he could give her his blood, he would in a heartbeat.
He steeled himself, staring at the bright torch lights around the town and planned a path around the angry mob, then headed back in. He was careful to be silent as the darkness of the night under the trees shielded him.
At least… he thought they would.
“Over there! The blood sucker’s over there!” A man cried out and two others joined him. The chase was on- but Foolish in his panic didn’t notice the stump and he tripped, crashing to the ground with the grace of a fish out of water. Leo tumbled out of his arms, whining as she was harmed in the fall.
“No, Leo!” He cried out with an outstretched hand just as the men caught up. They didn’t hesitate and ran their pitchfork into his outstretched arm, stabbing it into the ground, trapping him as he screamed. “Wait, please, we were leaving, we don’t mean any harm-”
“You bit Cellbit! The best monster hunter in town, we’re not daft!” The man who’d spotted him spat, then stomped on his other hand, crushing Foolish’s fingers under his boot. “This was a targeted attack.”
“Besides, we don’t take too kindly to freaks like you.” A younger man said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Now the question is do we kill your spawn first or you?” The third man had walked over to Leo and Foolish struggled, trying to get out of this predicament. Although the blood was strengthening him, it wasn’t helpful if his limbs were pinned in such painful ways.
“Please, she’s innocent, leave her alone.” Foolish begged, he looked around, trying to find anything he could use- damn, he knew he should have just risked trying to find a cave, this was the price of trying to take an easy route.
“I bet Cellbit’s going to stick your head on a pike, maybe pluck out those pretty little fangs of yours's to make into a little necklace.” The youngest of the men said, leaning over to grip his hair and yank his head back. He wore glasses and had short brown hair, but more importantly a sick twisted grin on his face.
“Fuck you…” He murmured, defeated. All his struggles these past months, the past year, to die in such a pathetic way-
That’s when he heard something that stilled his stolen blood.
“ARRROOOOOO!”
A branch snapped nearby and he watched with wide terrified eyes as from the darkness of the forest came a great beast, a dark furred werewolf with striking violet eyes. It was still one second, then pouncing on the third man who’d taken Leo the next.
It was a mess.
The man stood no chance, screaming in loud painful wails that shocked even him, only to be cut off the next as blood splattered violently over everyone. The younger man who’d been taunting him stood and started to run, while the first one who’d been crushing his fingers yanked his pitchfork out of his arm to aim it at the beast with a clearly terrified shake.
“Mariana, you fucking coward!” He cried, even as he looked on the verge of running himself.
The werewolf turned to him, stilling at the sight of the pitchfork and Foolish realized it wasn’t an ordinary pitchfork, it was tipped with silver.
Foolish’s arm was stitching itself back together… his hunger was returning as the blood he stole was used up to aid him… and he lunged.
The blood didn’t taste as good as Cellbit’s as he clamped down, probably because he’d been so starved before, but unlike the last time, he wasn’t interrupted and he just kept going, drinking and drinking until he felt the man’s body shrink under him, shriveling like a raisin. The man was dead long before he finished, and Foolish gasped as he let go, feeling better than ever before.
That’s when he noticed the werewolf approach, cradled in his arms was Leo, his daughter as still and weak as before, but now covered in a bit of blood that she was licking desperately around her lips. Foolish approached, cautious, but took his daughter back with a shaky nod.
“I’m trying to get to a crypt before sunrise.” He whispered.
The werewolf nodded and went to walk on all fours back towards the town, towards the cathedral he’d spotted before. Numbly, he followed, his instincts screaming at him to trust this beast he just met because he’d be dead without him.
The werewolf didn’t speak, the trio barely missed other townsfolk as they traveled, most likely from the odd directions the werewolf took them. He watched as the wolf would sniff the air before every move, and he wondered just how effective that sense of smell was. Since turning, Foolish felt like his senses were tuned to only find one thing, blood.
Sure he’d sense other things like the vomit and piss of the bar, but it was duller, less important than whenever someone simply suffered from a papercut.
They passed a dark fence around the cathedral and found themselves in a quiet graveyard behind it. There were plenty of crypts but the wolf didn’t like that Foolish went to the first one he saw, shaking his head until he was forced to follow him to a large one in the back of the place.
Above its entrance read in fine lettering, Crypt De Luque.
Foolish was gently shoved forward just as the sun was peeking up over the horizon behind the wolf. He turned back to stare as the beast before him started to shrink, shedding his fur, but the sun was starting to burn and he retreated, closing the door behind him even as he knew whoever his savior had been would be on the other side.
He clutched his daughter close to his chest, knowing despite his curiosity, his next mission was to get her something to drink as soon as possible.
There was the squeak of a mouse and Foolish grinned.
They would survive another day.