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The Blood Queen 27
🕑 Added 2025-01-04 20:31:27 +0000 UTCChapter 27:
– Valerie –
I forgot how some arcades could smell like a mix of body spray, greasy food, and unwashed teenagers. It wasn’t pleasant, but I wasn’t about to let some innocent kid get drained by a vampire just because the atmosphere made my nose crinkle. Sucking it up, I walked through the arcade, inhaling deeply and trying to pick up the distinct scent of the vampire who had taken Kurt.
Maybe this would also give me a lead on the fake Dracula rumored to be in the city. That thought added a bit of urgency to my search.
I could feel Ororo’s eyes on me as I wandered around, sniffing loudly. I glanced back, catching her raising an eyebrow, clearly wondering what the hell I was doing. The other people in the arcade weren’t much better—their judgmental stares made my cheeks heat up. I tried to ignore them, but it was hard not to feel self-conscious.
"Is Kurt going to be okay?" Bobby asked nervously, breaking the silence. He was hovering near Ororo with Rogue and Kitty, all three of them looking visibly uneasy. "The girl he went out with didn’t look much older than us. What’s the problem?"
Rogue and Kitty exchanged worried glances. They had been unsettled since I demanded they take me to the arcade back at the fast food joint. My serious tone must’ve freaked them out.
"That girl could’ve been your age," I said, scanning the room and sniffing again. "Or she could’ve been a thousand years old."
"What?! How is that possible?" Bobby asked, his voice rising slightly.
"Because she’s a vampire," I explained, finally catching the faint trace of her scent. My eyes narrowed as I tracked it toward the back of the arcade. "And your friend got tricked."
The three teens froze. Rogue whispered, "A vampire? You’re serious, aren’t you? Like an honest to God Dracula vampire!?"
"Dead serious," I said with a grin, moving quickly toward the back door. "They couldn’t have gone out the front during the day. They must’ve taken him through the darker back alleyways to avoid direct sunlight. We should hurry."
Ororo caught up to me, her voice low and incredulous. "Vampires? You’re joking, right? There’s no such thing as vampires!"
I stopped and turned to face her, blinking in surprise. "Um... you’ve been staring at my red eyes for the past hour. What did you think I was if not a vampire? I even showed you my claws."
Her mouth opened and closed like she wanted to argue, but nothing came out at first. Finally, she said, "I thought you were a mutant. Like us." She lowered her voice, clearly trying to keep the conversation private.
"A mutant?" I frowned, the term was unfamiliar. I didn’t think I'd heard that before. I thought about it briefly. Maybe Integra knew more. I’d have to call her later...
Ororo’s expression was a mix of disbelief and frustration. "But... vampires? Really?"
"Yes, really," I said bluntly, before tilting my head curiously. "Why do you call yourself a mutant? That sounds grotesque. It makes me think of ugly monsters. You should pick a different name for yourselves."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "We didn’t exactly get to choose the name, Valerie," she said, her tone sharp. "It’s what people call us."
I shrugged. "Maybe it’s time to call yourselves something else. Mutant doesn’t exactly sound very nice..."
Before Ororo could respond, I sniffed the air again, catching a stronger trace of the vampire’s scent. "Found it," I said, pointing toward the back door. "They went this way. Let’s move."
As I followed the scent down the back alleys, I couldn’t help but feel the stares from the group of "mutants" trailing behind me. Yeah, I still thought that was a dumb name. It sounded like something out of a bad sci-fi flick.
"Why are you helping track down other vampires if you’re a vampire?" Ororo asked. Her tone was sharp, defensive even.
"I’m only half-vampire," I replied, glancing back at her. "You saw me walking just fine in the sunlight earlier. Most full vampires can’t do that. I work for an organization called Hellsing that hunts down vampires in Britain. Another vampire hunting group here in America asked us to come help out because a lot of vampires have been popping up in New York over the past few months. If they’re literally going out during the day to find victims, then it’s completely out of control."
Rogue frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "Wait… isn’t Hellsing Dracula’s arch-enemy in the lore? They named a vampire hunting organization after that guy? Isn’t that a little on the nose?"
I couldn’t help but grin. "It’s not just some made-up name. Dracula’s very real, and the current leader of Hellsing is a direct descendant of the original legendary vampire hunter."
"Woah… badass," Bobby said, his grin widening.
"Language, Bobby," Ororo chastised immediately.
Damn, she really was a teacher. I giggled softly and kept moving, the scent growing stronger with every step.
We eventually arrived at a run-down apartment building. Most of the windows were boarded up, and bricks were crumbling off the walls. It looked exactly like the kind of place a vampire would hole up in. But there was something else. Another scent lingered in the air, one that made my nose twitch. It didn’t smell human—it was more like fire and brimstone.
"Your friend’s probably inside," I said, sniffing again. "But there’s something else. It doesn’t smell very human. More like… burnt farts?"
Kitty burst into laughter. "That’s Kurt all right. Every time he bamfs, it always smells like that."
"That’s not… entirely inaccurate," Ororo muttered with a sigh before turning to me. "How do you think we should handle this?"
I reached behind my back and pulled out my magic revolver. The weight of it felt reassuring in my hand as I held it up.
"So cool!" Bobby exclaimed, leaning closer. "Can I hold it?"
"No," I said flatly.
“Awww…”
Rogue and Kitty exchanged nervous looks, their eyes flicking between me and the weapon. Kitty finally asked, "Why do you use a gun?"
"The bullets are blessed with holy water," I explained. "They’re great for killing vampires. It’s the modern age, no one uses stakes anymore unless they’re desperate."
Rogue, who had apparently picked up a broken plank of wood at some point, flushed and dropped it back to the ground with an embarrassed huff.
"Do you all want to wait out here or follow me in?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can easily protect you from one measly vampire."
Ororo straightened her back, her jaw set. "We’re coming with you. I need to make sure Kurt’s safe. He’s one of my most… troublesome students, always pulling pranks. But everyone back at the mansion cares about him. Including me."
"Fair enough," I said.
…
This was not what I was expecting. I felt my cheeks flush as I realized how quickly I’d jumped to conclusions.
Did I need to work on myself?
Was I racist against vampires or something?
Because the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind that the vampire who had picked up Kurt at the arcade might NOT have had nefarious intentions. I guess she was just horny and wanted to hook up with a guy who looked like a blue devil. Then again, the devils I’ve met don’t usually have blue skin or tails… I think?
When we walked into the run-down apartment, Kurt and the vampire girl were sitting on a dilapidated couch, making out like their lives depended on it.
They didn’t even notice us at first…
Kurt pulled away from her, his tail twitching, and glared at us. "Not cool, guys. Can’t you see I’m kind of busy here!?"
"Ah shit… I’m sorry, man," Bobby said, holding up his hands. "I know cock-blocking a bro is bad." Rogue and Kitty both looked like they wanted the floor to swallow them whole.
Ororo turned her head to me, raising an eyebrow. I sighed and lowered my revolver. "Er… my bad. In my defense, I’ve only met like three other vampires that weren’t evil monsters."
The girl stood up, looking pissed. "Hey! I got turned into a vampire against my will! Some guy attacked me and my friend when we were walking home from school a week ago. When I woke up like this, I tried to go back home, but the sunlight burned me. Then, when I told my parents what happened, they called me a monster and told me to never come back or they’d send the priest after me! I just wanted to feel normal, so I went to the arcade today. That’s when I met Kurt. He’s different, like me, and so incredibly sweet and funny."
First of all, that was adorable. Second of all… "How have you been… er… feeding yourself?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Everyone else looked like they wanted to know, too. The girl, who introduced herself as Rachel, really was just a teenager, maybe seventeen years old, and clearly in way over her head. She explained that she’d been feeding mostly on rats and a couple of stray cats. She’d been trying to target the sick animals, figuring she was doing a service by keeping diseased creatures off the streets.
Ororo walked over to Kurt and Rachel, her expression softening. "I’m glad you’re okay, Kurt. Don’t go running off again, especially when I’m supposed to be in charge of you. Charles is already going to lecture me for at least an hour when we get back," she groaned. She turned to Rachel. "As for you… I’m sorry your parents threw you out for being different. You’re welcome to come stay at the mansion with us. You clearly don’t have a problem with Kurt being a mutant… considering we found you two all over each other."
"Hehe… I’ve always kind of had a thing for demon guys," Rachel admitted, giggling. "My parents were super strict and religious, and I just wanted to rebel a little. Do you want to see some of my sexy drawings?" She pulled out her phone, scrolling through pictures.
"I’m good," Ororo said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. She turned to me. "Is there some kind of protocol or something you need to follow for… registering a vampire?"
I paused, thinking about it. "Probably," I said with a shrug, pulling out my phone. I snapped a quick picture of Rachel’s face and sent it to two people. "I sent your picture to my boss, Integra, and to Blade. Blade’s the local New York vampire hunter. He has a very distinctive look, and you’ll definitely know him when you see him. I told him you’re a good vampire, so he won’t cut off your head immediately if he ever runs into you."
Rachel gulped, her eyes widening. Kurt, on the other hand, let out an adorable little growl, his tail curling protectively around her waist.
Teenage love…
…
Our group, now plus one extra member, made it back outside the run-down building. To my surprise, an expensive-looking van was parked nearby, and a group of people in form-fitting, sleek costumes stood around it, looking defensive. One of them, a buff, hairy man, walked toward us while eyeing me and Rachel warily. He sniffed the air as he got closer.
"You two smell funny," he said, his voice was gruff.
How rude. I knew for a fact I was supposed to smell fantastic to most humans—part of the whole vampire allure thing. I crossed my arms and shot back, "You smell funny too."
The man grinned, clearly amused by my response. Before I could decide if I liked him or not, a bald man in a wheelchair rolled forward, stopping a few feet in front of me.
"Hello there, Valerie Tepes," he said.
I frowned. "How do you know my name?"
He smiled gently. "Ah… I read it from Ororo’s mind—with her permission, of course."
A mind reader. Great. Just what I needed. My stomach twisted at the thought of someone poking around in my head. He must have noticed my nervous expression because his smile widened slightly.
"Have no fear," he said. "I don’t read the minds of people without their permission, and I couldn’t read yours even if I wanted to. I find the minds of the undead… or half-undead, in your case, to be… unsettling." He actually shivered as he said it, like the thought alone gave him the creeps.
I wanted to ask more about that, but he didn’t give me the chance. Instead, he turned to Rachel, his tone kind. "You’re welcome to stay at the X-Mansion," he told her. "You can re-enroll in school and work toward living the most normal life possible."
Rachel’s eyes widened, and I could see the relief on her face. She clearly didn’t have the mindset to hunt vampires for a living. Which would have been her only real alternative.
The bald man introduced himself as Professor Charles Xavier and gestured toward the group of costumed individuals. "These are my X-Men," he said. "Ororo, known as Storm, and then Wolverine, Cyclops, Phoenix, Shadowcat, Iceman, and Nightcrawler." Besides Ororo and Wolverine, the rest seemed to be teenagers although Cyclops and Phoenix looked to be around my age. 18 or 19.
Rachel’s jaw dropped as she turned to Kurt. "Woah?! You’re a superhero...?"
Kurt rubbed the back of his neck, his tail twitching nervously. "Sometimes," he admitted, his teenage awkwardness on full display.
I tilted my head, curious. "So, you’re all… mutants? I’ve never really heard of your kind before."
Charles nodded. "I’m not surprised. All of the world’s governments are aware of us, but they keep it out of the public eye—likely to avoid widespread panic. However, with the expanding internet and cameras everywhere, I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be able to live in hiding. There are already plenty of rumors circulating online about our kind."
I nodded thoughtfully. "That’s what I’ve been thinking when it comes to vampires as well. Especially if some vampires go around in the middle of the day," I said, giving Rachel a pointed look.
Rachel at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I stuck to the shadows," she said defensively. "The sunlight hurts a lot! Is there any way to fix it?"
I knew the answer to that question was yes. She’d just have to drink Alucard’s blood. But a possessive, jealous part of my brain immediately told me to lie. "No," I said simply. The thought of someone else sharing Alucard’s bloodline made my stomach churn. I liked being his only blood daughter. Was that selfish? Absolutely. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t perfect, and I wasn’t about to pretend otherwise.
Before we all went our separate ways, I made sure to get the location where Rachel and her friend had been attacked. She rattled off a street and a few landmarks, which I stored away for later. I wanted to check it out—it might give me more clues about what was going on in this city.
A second van was parked near the alley, and most of the X-Men piled into it, clearly heading back to their mansion. Ororo and Professor Xavier, however, were polite enough to offer me a ride back to my hotel. I got the distinct impression they were both interested in learning more about me and Hellsing.
Of course, I accepted. I was curious about them too. If the governments knew about mutants, then no doubt Integra did as well. I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t mentioned it to me, but maybe she’d just forgotten during all the recent chaos. No one had been expecting a failed wizard uprising, after all.
– Ororo –
As Ororo drove the van through the bustling streets, she was having a private, playful conversation with Charles in her head.
His tone was warm, almost teasing. "How was your date with the beautiful blonde vampire girl?" he asked lightly.
Ororo rolled her eyes, though no one else could hear their exchange. "It wasn’t a date! We just got some burgers while she offered to help me find the students. It was very professional!"
Charles’ polite laughter echoed in her mind. "If you say so..."
She sighed. A part of her was still annoyed that he had never mentioned to her or the other X-Men that vampires actually existed. "You obviously knew about them for a while," she thought at him.
Charles’ tone shifted to apologetic. "It’s not the X-Men’s place to police the world from every danger, Ororo. But you’re right—I should have warned you about the wider realities of the world. Due to Cerebro and my mental connections with millions of people, there’s very little in the world hidden from me." He hesitated before adding, "Including the fact that most of the world’s myths and religions are real."
Ororo’s hands tightened on the wheel, and the car swerved slightly as she tried to process that bombshell of information. She sighed internally, muttering aloud, "Of course they all are..."
"Is everything okay?" Valerie asked from the backseat. She leaned forward slightly, her red eyes filled with concern.
Ororo glanced at her through the rearview mirror and forced a reassuring smile. "Sorry about that... there was a pothole," she lied smoothly. Trying to shift the conversation, she asked, "So, who else did you come to America with?"
Valerie relaxed a little and leaned back. "I came with two other vampires! Alucard and Seras Victoria. They’re both sleeping the day away in the shitty hotel we’re staying at."
Ororo chuckled, shaking her head. "I’m sure the place isn’t that bad."
"Oh no... it definitely is," Valerie giggled. Her humor was infectious, and Ororo found herself smiling despite the tension still lingering in the car.
As they approached the street where the hotel was supposed to be, Ororo’s smile faded. A thick plume of black smoke was rising into the sky, ominous and foreboding.
"That can’t be good," Ororo muttered, narrowing her eyes as she slowed the van.
Charles touched his temple, his face tightening. "There’s a large fire," he confirmed grimly. "And... There are many people in debilitating pain. They came to the hotel with... not very nice intentions... and ended up being beaten within an inch of their lives."
"Damn it," Valerie huffed from the backseat. "Was it a bunch of gang members? I thought those guys were pussies." She crossed her arms, frowning. "Well, at least Alucard and Seras left them all alive..."
Left them alive...?
'Just what kind of crazy girl did I meet today?' Ororo thought to herself. She always had very strange luck when it came to potential suitors... not that Valerie was one of course. That wasn’t a date! It was just a friendly... er... professional meal together and nothing more.
The van pulled up in what was left of the parking lot. Bullet holes and shell casings littered the streets. A very tall and intimidating man stood next to a very pretty and busty girl wearing a yellow British policewoman’s uniform for some reason. They were both waiting next to two large black coffins.
Dozens of injured gang members were scattered across the ground around them, either writhing in pain with broken bones, twisted limbs, or already unconscious. The scene was chaotic, to say the least.
"Yep, it was them all right," Valerie chuckled as she hopped out of the van. She didn’t even seem to care that the whole building behind them was currently on fire.
"There you are, daughter," the tall man—who was probably Alucard—said. "You missed all the fun when the locals came back to play with us specifically. I see you’ve made some new friends, though..." he added, his crimson eyes flicking toward Ororo and Charles.
Ororo stepped out of the van, helping Charles as he rolled down the ramp. They approached the pair cautiously.
"Hello, I’m Professor Charles Xavier, and this is Ororo Munroe," Charles said, holding out his hand politely.
Alucard grinned in a way that made Ororo feel uneasy, but he still shook Charles’s hand.
Seras followed suit, stepping forward with a friendlier demeanor. At least, that was until her eyes landed on Ororo. Seras’s gaze raked up and down Ororo’s body before a scowl settled on her face. The hostility was immediate and palpable.
Ororo stiffened, taken aback. 'What the hell was that reaction about?' she wondered.
XXX
Some stuff happened. Valerie learned she might have a small problem. she met the X-men and got a lead on the vampires. Seras’s jealousy is showing a bit. And the motel burned down so now they’ll need a new place to stay now…
Comments
RackOfLife
She's never seen marvel?
Chase Garcia
Well they're alive physically they're fine psychologically jury's out on that
WhatAFungi
Clever way of making the x-men plot last I bit longer
Ototsu_Yume
Seras is detecting another potential clamjam in the future. 😂
