Chapter Text
The vampire went up in a puff of ash, making Mira huff in annoyance, that was the third one this night. What was going on?
"Mir? You okay?" The voice soothed some of the irritation building in her and she turned to one of her trusted partners and fellow vampire hunter, Zoey.
"Yeah, it's just strange. There's been so many more vampires popping up all over the place recently, it seems every night we have to go out on patrol." She rubbed her gritty eyes, the vampire ash doing nothing but sucking out more moisture from them. "I feel like I haven't had a full night's sleep in months."
Zoey gave her a knowing grin, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Considering the noises I hear from your room, I would imagine so." Mira's eyes slid in her direction, unamused, or trying to be.
"Ah, is that envy I hear in your voice?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, a small smirk curving her lips as she shifted to fully face the smaller woman.
"Girls." They both turned, Zoey never getting a chance to respond and Mira getting a smug air around her. Rumi looked between the pair, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the rest of her team. "Are you two okay?"
"Perfectly." Mira was still smirking, causing Rumi's head to tilt slightly. Zoey turned, eyes narrowing slightly before she moved over to the half vampire that led them, her arms wrapping around Rumi's arm.
"Yeah, I got several hunting near a bar." She says after a moment, always a lot more touchy than her counterparts. Neither minded when she grabbed them though, that was part of the affection they had for each other.
Rumi frowned as Zoey brought up numbers however and she looked to Mira, waiting to hear how she'd gone. Mira didn't smile now as she nodded. "I got several more." She said it softly, watching the worry flick across Rumi's face.
Zoey looked between the two taller women and her eyes flicked away slightly, looking around the dark alley they stood in. It was hard for the trio to move around as heavily armed as they were. With so much neon light they were usually illuminated, albeit briefly.
"So... do we think it's one Sire or more?" She asked after a moment, looking to Rumi. She gave a non-committal shrug as she worried on her lip.
"It's rare for two vampire counts to work together..." She was repeating what they all already knew, it wasn't impossible, it just took a lot of planning, although for immortal creatures that could mean anywhere from fifty years to five hundred.
A vampire count was a problem, two were a big problem.
The trio remained silent, standing quietly before Rumi let out a heavy sigh. "Come on, if we've ashed nearly ten or so vampires then we're unlikely to find anymore tonight. You two need to rest." Her voice softened as she looked at the two full humans.
"I won't argue with that." Mira exhaled hard, causing her bangs to sway, she turned planning to head back to their tower, happy to get off her feet and grab some snackage.
"What are we feeling for dinner?" Rumi asked, giving to two girls a boost before following them up a fire escape. She always felt pride when she watched them move quietly, it was a good thing she'd been able to teach them how to do a human version of a shadow step.
"I can hear some Bulgogi calling my name." Zoey sighed as she reached the top of the building, Mira a step behind.
"Really? I'm sure that's the shower actually." Rumi smiled as she listened to the pair. "I have vampire ash in my hair." Zoey audibly snorted as Mira shook her head, ash raining from her hair, even Rumi turned her head away to snicker.
"I can brush your hair out before you shower, better to leave it ash than mud." She offered the pink haired hunter. Mira turned, a soft look of appreciation covering her face while Zoey let out a soft awww.
Zoey would have never admitted it, but she loved watching Rumi and Mira's hair interactions. They just had so much of it that it was always amusing to watch them tenderly care for each other.
She opened her mouth to respond to the pair before the area around them suddenly went dark. "What-?" She gasped as a strong hand wrapped around her arm. Before she could plunge a stake of ash wood into the hand's chest, Rumi hissed at her. It was an automatic response, one that sent shivers down her spine but the quickest one that meant do not stab me.
"Are you two okay?" Rumi asked again, holding the pair close to her so that neither could be yanked off into the darkness.
"What's going on, Rumi?" Mira asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a glowstick. It did little to illuminate the area, the darkness seeming to swallow its bright glow.
"Knights." Rumi murmured, voice tight as she had no idea how many there were.
The vampire hierarchy was simple. One king, one prince. A sprawling kingdom that feasted on humans with little regard for the leftovers. It annoyingly sprawled across the entire world. Rumi briefly wondered if the king was in the country, it was something they wouldn't be able to deal with, even with the entire hunter corps.
"Huntrix in the flesh." She was pulled from her thoughts by a smooth male voice from behind her. Her eyes widening as Zoey and Mira turned quickly to glare the man down. She took a second to turn.
There was nothing there, or more likely, they couldn't see the shadow prowling around them. Rumi's ears almost ached as she tried to listen for faint footsteps, something, anything.
Like all older vampires there was nothing to hear.
A colour drew her attention, a flash of yellow. Zoey sent one of her silver Shin-kal's towards them.
"Careful there, little girl, you could hurt someone with this." The voice was deep, mocking as the dagger clattered back at Zoey's boots. The girl's jaw dropped at the audacity of the vampire, yellow eyes oozing smugness while they watched her.
"Come closer!" Mira snarled, turning towards the vampire, only for Rumi's heart to stutter in her chest.
A hand reached out, claws sliding between a few strands of hair, lifting the pink into the darkness. "Tempt me." A voice nearly purred from behind Mira as she went stock still.
Rumi's eyes narrowed with warning, her teeth gritting as she felt her fangs push at her gum. "Don't touch her!" She snapped, eyes flashing a bright, vibrant red, fangs sliding free.
There was a pause, the air becoming thick with tension. Rumi hadn't released her grip on either girl, but she could see them now, five Knights... no, four Knights and a Lord.
Her heart stilled as she stared into the bright yellow eyes of the Lord vampire. "Rumi?" She heard Zoey's whisper but couldn't pull her eyes away from him, the amused, wry grin on his lips, like he knew how this fight would go.
They were vastly outnumbered and in great danger. With preparation and time they would have been able to defeat the Knights and the Lord, but not tonight, not when they'd already had scuffles with multiple lesser vampires.
"Zoey, Mira, hold on." She ordered, summoning all the power she had in her body. It would wipe her out, make her useless for a full month, if not longer.
Her plan to flee was interrupted by one word.
"Kneel."
She felt Zoey and Mira sag beside her, the compulsion nearly crushing the pair, even as they fought against it. Rumi violently shook her head. Her breath sawed at her throat. She held her girls tight, a low, animalism growl escaping her before the trio vanished from amongst the five vampires.
"Should we go after them?" Baby asked, moving towards the silver Shin-kal that had been tossed at him and left behind.
"No, we know where they are." Jinu's head jerked towards the large tower that had HUNTR/X written on it, they all would have to have been blind to miss it.
Abby hummed softly, his claw resting lightly on his lip as he looked towards the building. Jinu knew he was scenting the pink one. He was aware of the girl's pull, had seen it with their last live performance, the way the crowd had leaned in, completely enamoured with the hunters.
Truth be told, he and his Knights had not been much better.
"What's the plan?" Romance asked, moving over from where he'd been standing. Jinu let out a low hum, almost a growl before his head turned. It was hard to see in a city filled with light, but they all knew the sun was soon to rise.
"We'll head back to base. A jump like that will have the half breed out of commission for a while." He says it confidently, none of his Knights question him as they turn, beginning to head back to their hideout.
~~~~~
Zoey blinked slowly as the world rightened. She could hear Mira gagging somewhere off to her right. The room was familiar but her head was badly spinning. They'd never done anything like that before, Rumi-
Rumi!
Zoey's head snapped around and she joined Mira in gagging. She could see Rumi's body laying face down on the floor, unmoving. She wanted to go to her, wanted to check on her and make sure she was okay. She couldn't speak, let alone move.
"Ru-mi." Mira was recovering faster than Zoey could, maybe because she'd ended up vomiting, Zoey had no idea as Mira quickly rolled over an unconscious Rumi, and lowered her head to press her ear against Rumi's chest.
The tension eased from her shoulders and she let out a long breath of relief, her eyes closing as she just lay still for a minute, letting the world stop spinning fully. Zoey was beginning to feel better, slowly she pushed herself off the floor, moving to the kitchen to get one of the blood bags stashed in the fridge.
She stumbled back, helping Mira move Rumi to the couch, letting her settle on the cushions. Zoey stabbed a straw through the top of the bag, holding it in place and squirting some blood into Rumi's mouth.
Her eyes shot open and she instantly grabbed Zoey's wrist, her long claws pricking the soft skin there as she gulped the bag down like she was dying. It actually caused Zoey to jump, she'd never seen Rumi like this. It worried her.
Mira was watching Rumi drink like she'd been stuck in the desert for days, her worried eyes meeting Zoey's. There wasn't really anything Zoey could say as Rumi had obviously been spooked by the vampires, but they needed to wait for her to recover before they could really ask what had happened, a hungry vampire was an unpredictable vampire.
Mira rose, heading to the fridge to get more blood, there were usually two kinds, Rumi had to awkwardly explain that it was which types best suited her body and made her feel fuller for longer. The silver pouches were obvious and Mira grabbed a couple, checking the date, making sure that they were still good to drink before she brought them back to Rumi.
Rumi drained three more before she held up a hand. She looked absolutely exhausted as she just lay quietly for a moment gathering her thoughts. After a moment she turned her attention to her team, her girls.
"There were five of them." She spoke slowly, considering her words carefully and speaking around her fangs. "Four Knights and a Lord."
Both Zoey and Mira went white at her words. Five powerful vampires had had them dead to rights, yet aside from some taunting, they hadn't done anything. Sure, Mira had been sniffed, but besides some creepy shit that even humans did, they'd gotten out rather unscathed.
Mira's eyes narrowed as she looked out the window. She almost expected to see one floating there. She was a little relieved when she didn't. "Are we still safe to be here?" She asked and Rumi cringed slightly.
"It's... complicated." She says as she looks away. "Vampire Lords have compulsion, it's something they gain when they become nobility, so he could order his way in but..."
Zoey frowned as she looked at Rumi. "Don't all vampires have that?" She asked, sitting on the couch near Rumi.
Rumi shook her head, letting out a long breath. "No, most of us have suggestion. We can push you in a direction but not force you. Unfortunately or ah... fortunately, it's Dukes that have mind control, hence why it's almost impossible to kill one."
Zoey sighed as she rubs her temples, leaning over to Mira to speak softly. "How high up is a Duke again?" She muttered softly, causing Rumi to let a soft exhale out of her nose, nearly laughing.
"Third from the top." Mira answered easily, rubbing the bridge of her as she considered the order. "Do we think a Duke sent them?" She directed the question to Rumi, causing the half vampire to frown.
"I don't know." She says softly, letting out a slow breath as she looked up at her girls. They each looked rough, it had been a long night and she could feel the whisper of sunrise closing in. It was a good thing they didn't have any events to do today.
"Oh! Why were their eyes yellow?" Zoey asked, looking at Rumi's red tinged ones. Rumi paused slightly before she let out a low, slow breath.
"I don't know completely. I can only assume it's part of their lineage." Mira's brow quirked up and Rumi rubbed her temples. "Eyes are a sign of a claimed vampire. Red? Common, basically unclaimed by their sire. I don't know what the colours are, if they've been sired by the same vampire or claimed by a different one. There's a lot I don't know." She sighs as she slowly pushes herself up, only for dizziness to wash over her making her flop back onto the couch, throwing an arm over her face as she went.
Zoey and Mira shared a look, having a conversation that Rumi couldn't hear but could feel.
Mira stood, clapping her hands. "Right, we'll think about it later, when we all have clear heads, for the moment, we're going to shower and go to bed." She said it firmly, leaving no room for argument as she took the lead, causing Rumi to smile slightly.
She felt the couch dip as her girls moved, although she didn't dare. Filling with so much blood and then trying to stand had definitely been a bad idea.
Comfortable silence reigned, soft movements the only disturbance.
"Thanks, Mir." Zoey spoke softly and Rumi lifted her arm to see what had happened. Her breath caught as she saw the black hair that tumbled around Zoey's shoulders, framing her unblemished neck. A pulse of heat shot through her and she dropped her arm before she could see more. Seeing her girls with their hair down was a special privilege that at times felt like it was just for her.
She jumped as she felt hands slide into her hair, lifting her arm to see Zoey leaning slightly over her. That was how it normally went, they looked after each other.
"Let's get this out." She spoke softly, causing Rumi to nod slightly as she wiggled to make it easier for the smaller girl. Mira had measured them before, had measured Rumi's hair and compared it to Zoey's height, which had earned Rumi the brief nickname of Repunzel.
Rumi shuddered as Zoey's fingers worked through her hair, letting it pool over the arm of the couch. Her nails softly scratched at her scalp, soft, gentle, soothing.
A faint vibration filled the air, Zoey grinned as Rumi didn't move, not even realising what was going on again. Mira looked over, smirking as she listened to their leader purr, her body steadily melting into the couch.
Neither spoke, neither wanted to disturb the rare sound, but the night was pulling at them. Rumi had teleported them, she had to have. There was no other way to explain the fact they'd gone from a rooftop, surrounded by vampires and artificial darkness to their penthouse.
It wasn't something they'd expected her to do, didn't even know she could do it.
Mira hit the kettle, reaching up for some cup noodles. It wasn't exactly what Zoey had been craving, but after what had happened, it was quick, easy and filling.
"Rumi, do you want some noodles or are you good?" She called, the purring pausing briefly as the purple haired woman considered the question.
"I'm okay." She said slowly, lifting her arm to catch Zoey's hands. "Mmm, that felt good, but I think I should just go to bed." She mumbled and slowly began pushing herself up. She was definitely more relaxed. It almost felt criminal to pull herself off the comfortable couch.
She could feel the eyes of Zoey and Mira watching her as she stood, the large curtain of hair hanging down her back and pooling around her feet made it hard for her to see them but she could feel their gaze on her.
She stretched, a small moan slipping free before she shook herself out. She should rinse at least, get rid of the vampire ash and sweat that clung to her skin.
They watched her walk off, hair flowing like a cape around her before she entered her room. Zoey joined Mira in the kitchen, leaning her hip on the counter.
"Are you okay?" She asked softly, looking at their tallest member. Mira looked over at her and let out a long breath, matching Zoey's pose as she considered her answer.
"Four Knights and a Lord." She murmured after a moment, a shiver going down her spine as she remembered the feeling of someone standing behind her, lifting her hair. "I'm..." she started, only to stop and frown, unsure how to get the words she wanted out.
"It was... unsettling." She said softly, after a moment of gathering herself. "It was like he just suddenly appeared behind me. One moment there was nothing, then he was there and..." she trailed off, frowning as she shuddered.
Zoey reached out, lightly touching her arm and drawing her back to the present. "They were definitely weird. They could have taken us." She says it like a certainty and Mira doesn't disagree.
Knights might have been the lowest of the nobility, but that was only a courtesy, Knights were terrifyingly formidable foes, sometimes even more so than the higher ranked nobility.
The three of them would have been hard pressed to fight two of them, four felt like overkill, especially when they were already exhausted. Had it just been a show of force? A reminder of how weak they actually were? Neither had answers.
“Here, take over.” Mira said, turning away to go deal with the vomit that had come from her earlier. “And remind me to tell Rumi to never do that again.”
“Only in emergencies.” Mira jumped as Rumi's voice filled the room, causing Zoey to giggle as Mira whipped around. Rumi gave her an apologetic smile as she quickly vanished into the bathroom, causing Mira to mumble something Zoey couldn't hear.
There was silence, the faint hum of water moving through pipes and Mira cleaning quietly filled the apartment. There were so many questions that they had now, although it was unlikely they were going to be answered.
Mira and Zoey were quietly eating their noodles when the shower turned off, Rumi exiting not long later to make her way to her room and bed.
“To the couch.” Zoey spoke up, her voice soft as she ordered Mira, causing the taller girl to pause as she set her chopsticks down, about to dispose of the cup in her hands. Zoey had already tossed hers in the trash and now planned on letting Mira's hair down for her.
Mira softened as she watched the smaller girl before she nodded, setting her cup in the bin before she moved to the couch, leaning her head back as Zoey began to free her pink hair from their twin pigtails. She let out a soft exhale of pleasure as Zoey's nails scratched her scalp softly.
It was a luxury, she knew why Rumi purred with the touch, Mira wasn't even a vampire and she was nearly purring herself as she leaned into Zoey's touch. She had no idea how the other girl did it. Mira had tried on Rumi but hadn't been able to get the same noise from her.
“Bedtime.” Zoey whispered softly in Mira's ear. She didn't know if she'd fallen asleep but the sky was full of pale purple light, heavy clouds threatening rain seemed to have filled the sky. She nodded groggily, wondering if she had the energy to shower as Zoey walked around the couch, heading to have a quick rinse off before she went to bed.
There was something nagging at her but she wasn't sure what it was. Sleep clawed at her and she didn't have the will to resist it, she groaned softly as she forced herself up, moving over to the shower and rinsing her body of the sweat and ash that covered her, from there it was only a short walk to her room and the comfortable covers waiting for her.
~~~~~
“Girls?” Mira blinked awake as the voice called out, Bobby's voice filling the penthouse. She let out a groan of complaint. She loved Bobby, honestly, he managed things amazingly but she didn't want to do anything but sleep. She briefly wondered how long he'd been calling for them, wondered if Rumi or Zoey had woken up.
She pushed herself up, stretching her back and making it pop as she let out a soft groan. She didn't know what time it was, didn't really care as she stepped out in her pyjamas, deciding to take one for the team.
“What's up, Bobby?” She asked, wondering if she looked as bad as she felt. Bobby frowned as he took her in. It was rare for any of them to sleep this late.
“My manager senses were tingling. Are you girls okay?” He asked, concern on his face. Mira waved him off, leaning on the wall near her door.
“We just had a… long night.” She paused slightly, looking for the words she wanted. The feeling from last night, something old and powerful looming over her, the moment her hair had lifted and she'd realised exactly how close the creature was, close enough that she could smell him. Wood, wine, dust, and under it all, metallic, iron, blood. She violently shuddered before she cleared her throat. “We had a movie marathon, mostly horror movies, to Zo's fear.” She smiled slightly, knowing Bobby would believe the lie. It was safer keeping him in the dark.
Bobby was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “Okay,” he said, looking at her before he continued, “I just wanted to make sure you were all okay, I hadn't heard from any of you.” His concern was genuine and Mira relaxed a bit more.
“Thanks, Bobby.” He smiled back at her.
“Do you girls need anything?” He asked but she was already shaking her head.
“No, we're okay. I'll check on Rumi and Zoey, make sure they don't completely ruin their sleep schedules.” He nods and begins heading back to the elevator.
“Alright, okay. I'll leave you three to your own devices.” He waves and enters the elevator. Mira waved back at him, watching him go with a soft chuckle. The man had a heart of gold.
She paused, considering which room to enter first. She decided on waking Zoey first, she might need back up for waking Rumi. She knocked on Zoey's door, hearing the faint grumble that came from inside.
She smirked slightly to herself as she entered the dark room, something yellow glinted near the bed and she froze, only for her eyes to adjust completely to the dim light and realise it was a brass turtle Rumi had gotten for her. She let out the breath she'd been holding and rubbed her temples, one hand covering her eyes as she gave them a rub as well. Where were her glasses? She decided to search later.
She slowly, cautiously entered Zoey's room, seeing and feeling no one made her relax. She knew that it was impossible for the vampires to reach their penthouse, or at least it was very hard. Rumi had explained that even if the employees invited them in, getting into the penthouse was a different matter, something about consent from someone that actually lived there. She didn't know if that was good or not.
She knelt slowly beside the bed, lightly reaching out and setting a hand on Zoey's back. “Hey,” she kept her voice low as she began to gently shake Zoey, “time to wake up.” Zoey instantly grumbled in protest as she was forcibly stirred.
“Mmm, no.” Mira let out a soft snort of amusement. It was always so funny to see Zoey burrow deeper into her bed, like a bunny trying to hide from the predator that was wakefulness.
“Come on. We have to check on Rumi.” She continued with her gentle shaking, working on bringing the dead to life. Zoey grumbled before she turned her head, opening one eye, glaring at her like she'd just stolen her favourite turtle plush.
“You just want to use me as a virgin sacrifice.” The accusation makes Mira snort loudly.
“Neither of us can be virgin sacrifices, neither can Rumi if I recall correctly.” She makes her voice as dry as possible, causing Zoey to giggle softly, that night was still seared into her mind, how they'd all moved together, how Mira and Rumi had looked, the sounds they'd made-
She was brought out of her reprieve by Mira lightly hitting her chest. “Mind out of the gutter.” She ordered as she straightened. “Come on, we might end up in Rumi's bed again-” She doesn't get to finish as that did get Zoey up, out of all of them, her libido was the most insatiable, it shouldn't have surprised Mira as much as it did when she'd realised.
Zoey stretched, letting out a soft moan as she loosened her body up, a smile already curling her lips as she watched Mira rise from where she'd been kneeling. Mira could see the spark of mischief fill her eyes.
“I like you on your knees.” If it had been Rumi she was speaking to, the girl would have gone red and stuttered, instead Mira laughed and leaned towards her.
“And I like you pinned beneath me and begging.” She purred back, watching Zoey's cheeks flush red. She grinned as she turned to walk out, leaving the smaller girl to follow after her.
Entering Rumi's room was always a sensation, it was cold, not for any reason other than that's how she wanted it. The bed was covered in blankets, making it hard to tell if there was a lump under them or not.
Mira paused, shivering as her bare feet touched cold tile. She really didn't know how Rumi dealt with such things, maybe it was because she was a half vampire. She was always so cold anyway, although she would have thought that Rumi would have had her room super heated.
“Rumi?” Zoey called from the doorway, not wanting to touch the ice cold floor. There was a faint noise from the bed, which meant that Mira's cold feet weren't for naught.
Mira moved closer, quickly moving to the rug by the bed, sighing softly as it felt better than the floor had. She leaned towards the bundle before letting out a startled yelp as arms burst from under the blanket, wrapped around her waist and pulled her down. She was sure she'd heard Zoey squeak out her name, but it didn't matter as Rumi was looming over her, eyes bright red, the patterns that showed up on rare occasions, when Rumi had used too much energy usually, pulsed in a quick two beat pattern.
Rumi's heartbeat.
It took Mira a moment to realise that's what it was before Rumi's toned body dropped on top of her.
Zoey, standing at the doorway, giggled as she heard Mira's loud “OOF” and watched the blankets settle back down. Mira having been thoroughly devoured by the bed monster that was Rumi.
Rumi must have heard her as she sat up, the blanket falling down her bare shoulders, she was wearing a loose tank top but her bare skin called to Zoey. Rumi twisted and Zoey noticed that she was straddling Mira, her hands resting on her shoulders, pinning her in place.
“Zoooeeeyyy.” Her voice was a mix of sleepy and cooing, making Zoey stumbled forward blindly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had the sense to at least realise that if Rumi was a threat, she'd have been eaten a long time ago, and not in the way she enjoyed when she thought of her girls.
Zoey was quickly dragged into the bed, joining a dazed Mira. “Hey.” She felt Rumi adjust, a leg going over her hips and dragging her in close, tight against Mira. “Come here often?” Mira snorted at the corny pick up line as they both felt Rumi nestle down on them, a bit like a mother hen.
“I take it we won't be moving for awhile.” Mira's voice was soft, amused as Rumi settled, resting on top of them affectionately.
Zoey reached up with a hand, dragging her nails through Rumi's loose hair and listening to her start purring loudly. “When do vampires unlock transformation?” She whispered softly, not wanting to disturb the girl purring on top of her.
“When they become a Count.” Mira whispers back.
"Like Dracula?" Zoey can't help the bit of excitement that lit her voice. Mira huffed amusement and Rumi chuffed on top of them, lightly scolding them for moving too much.