A few days of stalking the Demonfire, Volton Hellgazer receives the reports he's been waiting for. Finally, the day has come when he will no longer be fooled by the tricks Demonfire's pulling. He's had enough of being a fool. Now's the time to strike back. They may be business partners, but as the saying goes: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Both parties are up for that.
He's standing in front of the window, looking down at the city.
"One of these days, the whole city will see me as their superior. Next, the country... then the whole world."
He chuckled, but his daydreaming was interrupted by the sudden appearance of one of his men who'd been following Demonfire.
"President Hellgazer, I've got everything you asked for," the man said, kneeling and handing him an envelope.
"If all I need to know is in that envelope, I'll let you and your brothers enjoy a feast."
His eyes turned bloody red as he grinned like the devil.
"All the information we gathered is here. I'll take my leave now."
"Before you go, tell Dr. Spencer to come over right away."
"Yes, sir!"
The man vanished instantly, reappearing beside Dr. Spencer to inform her. She rushed to the President's office, catching her breath once inside. Volton was already inspecting the photos inside the envelope, reading the attachments and laying them out on the table for her to examine.
"These are the pieces of information our men gathered. Look at them one by one, and tell me if these are the faces you saw back then."
"President, I'll do my best to recall everything."
She picked up the photos and studied them carefully. The features matched, yet she could also spot some differences.
"So? What can you say?"
"President, they are indeed the candidates of the BB-HGC project led by Dr. Brischt. But these reports lack information on the other female candidate."
"That's what's bothering me. Whoever she is remains a mystery. Moreover, Demonfire still has a trump card. Let's tackle that issue later. For now, I want you to tell me what you know about them."
"This guy, President Demonfire, is BB-001. He's a Russian assassin brought in by General Nushka. This girl's the Princess General Prius brought with him. She's the closest to President Demonfire. This one… I'm sure he's one of them, but he wasn't active before. And this guy, he's the son of General Johanssen. During the process, he had a cardiac arrest when the serum meant for him got switched with another. This girl has Asian features, surely she's the one General Yang took an interest in. The last one, he's not a candidate. I'm sure of it, but he looks so familiar."
"Maybe you bumped into him in the facility. Try to recall, this guy might be the key. If we can figure out who he is, we'll know their weaknesses."
"Let me think."
It took a while before Dr. Spencer remembered the argument she had back then.
"That's it! I remember him. He's the most trusted doctor, Dr. Brischt always kept him by his side."
"That means he knows more about the serum than you?"
"Exactly. He's a biochemist. Formulating medicine is his specialty. If he survived that day, the candidates must have something we don't know."
"A biochemist, you say? Then that night, when they took some pill, it was probably made by him. Do you remember his name?"
"Dr. Harry. We must find out what that pill does."
"Dr. Spencer, if we manage to get one of those pills, can our people recreate it?"
"Perhaps, but it will take time. A thorough study and experimentation would be needed."
"I'm sure each one of them carries it with them. We'll plan our next move."
"I'll follow your lead. You've been holding back your thirst these past few days. There's no reason to anymore. Now that we know they're taking something to resist the bloodlust, you should help yourself to my blood. Once we get our hands on it, you'll be far superior. You'll lead the world into chaos with your army of vampires."
Dr. Spencer kissed Volton's lips gently. Then she tilted her head, exposing her neck and guiding his head down. Volton gently sank his fangs into her neck, sucking her blood. He's learned to control his thirst. He stopped once he had enough to last a few days, then laid Dr. Spencer on the couch, cuddling with her as she rested.
At DGC, Sofie and Harry were preparing for their flight. They had finished all their workloads and assigned their subordinates to take over in their absence. Sofie's assistant would act as HR manager in the meantime, while Diego would handle PR affairs. He had capable subordinates in the accounting department and trusted them with the rest. He would only handle the critical matters himself.
Slacovich and Sofie talked in private.
"When you get back to your family, don't be the naughty daughter you've always been," he teased.
"Since when did you care about that side of me?" she pouted.
"I've always cared. For you, as you. I'd rather have you as Sofie, not some Princess from a kingdom."
He lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes.
"I---I always knew you cared for us…" she said, flustered.
"Yes, I care about all of you. But you're the one I cherish most. Sofie, be careful when you get there. Volton's men might still be around. They've been following us this whole time."
"You've noticed them too?"
"Yeah. Volton's making his move. If he figures out Harry is helping us, he'll become a prime target. Taking him with you is the best option. I'll keep Volton at bay. As long as he doesn't know about Ara, we still have the upper hand."
"If that's the case, I'll make sure to keep Harry by my side at all cost."
"Not too close, okay?" He pulled her close and kissed her cheek.
"You're being weird, President Demonfire. I might assume you like me too."
"As well? So you do like me?"
"When I said as well, I didn't mean me. Maybe someone else also likes me. Love triangle, perhaps?"
She was running out of breath as Slacovich leaned closer and closer.
"Hmmm? Really?"
He was about to kiss her when Harry suddenly opened the door and caught them in that position.
"Bad timing! Please pretend I never came in. Bye---"
He quickly turned around, but Slacovich called out to him.
Harry caught Sofie's glare, it was clear she was pissed about the interruption.
"Harry, just in time."
"Yeah, perfect timing! Couldn't be more perfect!"
She stood up and walked away. But before she got far, Slacovich grabbed her hand, pulling her back into his arms and giving her a loving kiss. She was stunned for a second before responding to his kiss. Harry turned his back, giving them privacy. Sofie patted his shoulder with a happy grin.
"Harry, he wants to talk to you about something." She hummed happily as she left.
"That's a sudden mood change. I thought I was going to die a minute ago. The way she glared at me, it felt like I was being skinned alive."
He plopped down on the chair with a big sigh.
"You know Sofie wouldn't hurt you."
"She would if I interrupted again. Next time, lock the door." He chuckled.
"So, how's the preparation going?"
"Diego's taking over PR while I'm away. I've finalized all responses to company demands. You'll decide if they meet your standards."
"Good work. But I actually wanted to talk about something else."
"You mean Volton's intel?"
"How'd you know?"
"I may just be human, but my senses are sharp. Perfecting formulas keeps me alert to my surroundings. I knew I was being followed, but as long as they kept their distance, I didn't worry. When Li noticed, she gave me this."
Harry showed a small pistol, palm-sized, loaded with silver bullets. He carried it with him at all times.
"So you're aware Volton might've figured out who we really are, especially you."
"Yes. I'm an easy target. But don't worry, I burned all the research files I worked on. There's no trace left."
"What? But you worked so hard on those!"
"I won't risk them falling into the wrong hands. If they want that knowledge, they'll have to take me."
"We won't let that happen. Volton won't treat you kindly."
"I know. I'm still shocked myself, but I'm ready for whatever comes. I should've died at that facility if you hadn't spared me. This life belongs to you all. I'd rather die than betray you."
"You don't owe us your life, it's yours to live. Without your help, we might've been a danger to the human race. Traveling with Sofie is our best option. I'll keep a close eye on Volton. Just make sure to stay alert, his men are still out there."
"Don't worry, I'm fully geared up. Li and Tyler packed everything I need to fight back. You can call me a Vampire Hunter."
He laughed loudly, and even Slacovich joined in.
"Alright, Mr. Vampire Hunter, just make sure you're the one hunting, not the one hunted."
"I will. And I'll protect your woman too."
With a teasing grin, he rushed out and slammed the door shut, knowing Slacovich hated being teased.
"My woman, huh? Now's not the right time…" Slacovich murmured.