Growing Dangers - part 3
by Bryan

Later:

Blackbird had the devil in her sights. She'd never flown so fast in her life. Her heart was pounding. As she closed the distance between them the vampire disappeared. He wouldn't get away, she was determined to catch him. She focused and could see the air shimmer where his now cloaked body moved. He'd decided to land and decloaked. She dove just behind him.

"You can try to stop me, but I don't die easily," he said hanging too close to the edge.

"I am not a murderer," Blackbird shot back.

"We'll see." With that, the vampire turned to face her. His eyes glowing a seductive green. Blackbird was drawn to his eyes and walked towards him, inwardly trying to fight the mental assault.

"The human cardiovascular system is fascinating."

She crept closer to his voice.

"The Vena Cava is one of my favorites,"

Closer.

"It's entertaining to watch, to follow the blood from heart,"

He could feel her breathe.

"To the lungs,"

She tried to fight.

"Back to the heart,"

He touches her neck.

"and to the rest of the body then back again."

He opens his mouth, fangs showing.

Suddenly she regains control from his hypnotism. Glancing at his fangs she punches his chin and kicks him back to the roof. She is about throw a stunning blow when she recognizes his face.

"Brandon? Brandon Dierheart!" She asks with pure shock and pain. "How could you kill that woman?"

"I didn't mean to! All I remember is reading my Dracula book, the whole room going purple in a blinding flash and I woke up thirsty for blood. I woke up a vampire. Now I'm cursed to always need blood to stay alive," he said with hate in his heart. Blackbird knew he was telling the truth. "But, how do you know me?"

Stepping closer to him, she pulled the mask off of her face, reveling the girl he once knew. "I think you'll remember me."

"Cassandra..." He started to cry. "I can't control the hunger. You have to leave me."

Cassandra Calloway and Brandon Dierheart grew up together. He saved her from some thugs when they were both in their early teens and they remained best friends ever since. It was difficult many times. Being the 1950's, it was just not acceptable for a white boy and a black girl to be friends, to be so close. But they stuck by each other. He was there for her when her father died, and she'd do the same for him. She wouldn't leave him, but she wasn't stupid. Using her sonic wing she rendered him unconscious.

"Sorry, Brandon." She said as she picked him up and took flight. "Mentor can help you... I hope."

Freedom Fortress:

"You should sleep, Nick," Eve said to the vigilant teen. He had left the side of his brother and sister since they returned from the mall ten hours ago.

"I can't leave," the teen said, barely holding up his head. "They need me."

"If there is any change, we'll let you know," Dwight Arrow, the Bullet, said.

"Go on, Lad, ye need your rest, else you'll be no use to them at'll," Hank Waters, Man O War, proclaimed.

"Yeah, sport, I went to bed at eight just so I could relieve you," El Diablo, also known as Ricardo Ramirez pushed him on.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Help him, Dwight." Ricardo said.

"Dun, need it. I'm fine," Nick said as he nearly fell to the floor. "Okay, maybe not." Dwight took him to his Freedom Fortress room, where he stayed on nights going home was difficult.

"Where is Minuteman? He said he'd be up with Nick," Hank asked.

"The entity known as Hoover is meeting with him," Microwave replied.

"J Edgar Hoover of the FBI?" Hank asked in shock.

Ricardo nodded.

The Ant quickly entered in commands to the bases main computer system, Minuteman and J Edgar Hoover looked on. Finally the file they were looking for came up.

"Marcus Lee Cambrigg. A terrorist wanted for the deaths of seven hundred Americans." the FBI Director said.

"And you believe he is now in Patriot City?" Minuteman asked.

"Yes. We tracked him to a hotel and then he fell off of our radar. We want you to look for him. We know you are busy, with the mall attack today, among other things. But this is a dangerous man."

"We'll do our best, sir." Minuteman assured him.

"I entered him into our watch list. Should he do anything in the city, we'll catch him," the Ant announced.

As the Director left, Cassandra and her cargo entered. Without even speaking to John or Frank she walked to the infirmary. She laid Brandon down on the spare bed and did something she hadn't since she was a child, she prayed. As she finished Mentor had entered the room and she turned to him.

"Energy X turned him into a vampire. His blood lust is uncontrollable, we have to help him."

"I shall do my best." Mentor said in his simple and to-the-point way.

"Good." Cassandra said as she turned to leave.

"Where you going now chica?" Ricardo asked.

"I have business to take care of," she said. She wouldn't tell them Brandon took a life, it was a secret she'd take to the grave. She'd find the girl's family, the police, anyone, but'd they'd never know the truth. Hundreds of unsolved murders occur in the city every year, what's one more?

Yet as she reached the spot she saw something unbelievable. The girl was up. As alive as she was. There was another person there. A woman cloaked in the shadows. Blackbird felt uneasy and decided to spy from a far. She listened and the voice sounded so familiar to her.

"If you join us, we will get you everything you've ever wanted," the voice in the shadows said.

Blackbird couldn't believe her ears. It was the psycho Shadow! She had to tell the others.

To be continued...