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"I'm enthralled we're finally working together, Lieutenant Perguson, but I was expecting the circumstances to be less...severe."

Edumondo's politeness didn't distract her from her own distractions. They had just searched all of Gwain's apartment, asking her fellow neighbors. The only clue they got from them was hearing her excitement the night she got promoted, and crying the next day.

Gain, Gwain, sis. I don't know where you are, but please be okay.

"Perguson are you okay?"

He kept calling her name as she kept trying to figure this out. Eventually, she snapped and took a swing at his face. He took it rather well.

"I see you're frustrated."

"What's wrong with you? Aren't you upset by this?"

"The idea of someone forcibly turning our fellow officers into my kind against the will is not one I entertain. Chief Rojas said you requested to work with me for this."

"Not that! Okay, that's a problem too, but you're their prince!"

"What are you trying to say?"

" You and a ton of vampires show up one day out of a freaking wall asking us to live with you in harmony, and what do you have to show for it? Ever since then, innocent vampires have been slaughtered left and right, people have gotten turned against their will, and I haven't heard a peep from you since you've shown up besides basic PR."

Thinking about Skya, she ignores the wind emerging around her while trying to stop herself from crying.

"I watched someone's entire life be snatched away because of you! They lost their hopes and dreams just cuz some douche changed her against her will! I've been trying to keep peace between everyone and no one else ca-?"

In his place stood a more grotesque version of him, his face appearing more puffy and menacing, his body much more muscular and imposingly giant, with wings spread almost as wide as the building.

"Do you think I speak for the actions of my entire race?!" He wiped off a tear of his eyes.

In her anger, she couldn't find a proper response. He continued.

"In my defense, I did not expect a portal between our worlds would be created from the negative energy emerging from a wall made by humans. With few exceptions, a rift into a different society seemed impossible. The last time was probably a few centuries before I was born. What amount of energy back then could've spiraled such disruptive energy."

That got her to chuckle "Yeah...our last president was a nutcase. To be fair, the wall was a stupid idea. Can't believe he tried to climb that thing. Well he died with his wish."

"But I have to ask. Do you blame me for your friend's death?"

"I wish you were there to help."

He sighs. "I admit, this decision wasn't easy. To be honest", slowly reverts back to his more humanoid form, "that my father was quick to desire an invasion."

"But you're the one who came to us and offered a peace treaty. You could've just come in with an army. So why didn't you?"

"Why would anyone be foolish enough to make enemies out of potential allies? I couldn't just easily return back to our world. And many of my people weren't that well off to begin with. Now, many of them are free to live their own lives."

Well he makes a good point.

"Unless, you don't trust me."

"It's not that I don't, but I have to ask. Why choose to be a cop of all things?"

"It's a complicated story. We don't have traditional police back at home. But every now and then, there are incidents where fellow nobles commit treacherous actions and suffer little actions. For as much as I questioned father, he not only supported this, but engaged in it. After a series of...questionable episodes of their actions, I wanted to do something. Especially for those father and sister declare....beneath us. The idea of serving and protection feels." She spots a genuine smile emerge from his mouth. "Well it feels rather humane supporting vampires and humans. Although", turning somber. "I understand the situation hasn't been ideal. Your friend was probably one of many who've died without fair cause. I detest those of my kind who harm others and humans who do the same. And some of that aggression has been faced towards me as well."

That took her back. "But the media loves you."

"Openly yes. Others manage to find holes in my attempts for sincerity."

"How hard is it to go back home with your family?"

"I despise my sister and father. She and father's cruelty can be...disturbing. There's a rumor in the castle that she may have some sort of pet with her, and she steals food claiming its out of love for her. All I hear from her room is screams. She was supposed to be with me when we signed the peace treaty but disappeared. I haven't seen her since."

"I mean...do you genuinely want a perfect unity between humans and vampires?"

"Yes and no. I've learned not to aim for perfection. If you rush too quickly to reach your motivations, you'll fail just as quickly."

"What are you trying to say?"

"My sister called it tough love. I just refrain from violence compared to her. And try to invoke actual love. Do you believe in perfection? What's your reason for being a cop?"

"Well no. But...maybe. Okay I wasn't perfect in college, and I'll never be perfect. But I didn't change. I don't know the best way to say that after that night, I-I. I wanted to be better than I already was. To evolve or something. I want to be able to catch up to the world so I could make a difference and all that junk. Everyone suffers, and this whole human and vampire stuff is a bit confusing, but we all deserve to live in some peace, even if it is a little. You feel?"

"I share...similar sentiments. Its why I wanted to work with you. "

"Are you certain you can trust me?"

"Relax, I don't bite".

"Have you?"

"Not at all." He shows her his fangs. They hadn't grown like the few she saw from ones that forced it upon others. I refrain from such actions. I do wish to punish any that involve themselves without their approval. Father believes I'll croak though."

"Look, I want my friend and our fellow officer back. I don't know you all that well, but if someone's forcing them, I can't blame you without any proof, and I don't want to blame you for Skya's death. Let's just figure all this crazy stuff out."

"Then shall we?" He transforms back into his true form, implying her to get back on.

"We shall. Hop on."

Wait, where are we going?"

"Hudson Yards. It's a good place I use to get good eyewitness accounts, and to savor my hunger. I often see Burn and Kling occupy there over the years. For some reason they always ran away in my presence."

She climbs on top of him as he takes off. The last time she did this, she ended up steering someone's body in a tree, now wishing she was dealing with something minor. Except..

"Savor? You're afraid you might bite someone you don't want to?"

"We don't have a lot of food supply back in our world. Some have even claimed we should feast off those lower than us nobles. I disagree, and being here saved some people from starving."

"Why not just farm or something? Eating people is not okay you know."

"You make it sound like a common occurrence."

"Oh yeah, there were a crap ton of cannibal incidents back a decade ago. Trust me, compared to that crap that went down the years, you're not as scary. Huh, you learn a disturbing amount of crimes from your professors."

He gulped. "Sometimes, humans are very scary."

She laughed, then scoffed. "You don't know the half of it."

They heard bullets flying through the air as they arrived at the rooftop of Hudson Yards. Or at least what was left of it. They saw people running away and fleeing from the building from below. They entered through a section of the roof, both of them pulling out their guns. From floor to floor, both of them inspected the damage...or rather, the lack thereof.

"Something's not right. A few gunshots, no one around. Was this a vampire or a human?"

Out of nowhere, a loud explosion shook them. The two quickly raced to see what the heck was going down, but as they reached the mezzanine, bullets blasted right in front of them. Saffice rushed back, pushing Edmundo away from them as they hid behind the escalator rather startled.

"Four guys, three with standard guns, but one has a rocket launcher? The heck?"

"Come out fang boy", one of them yelled.

Saffice turned back to Edumondo. Okay, we're outgunned. We need to retreat."

"No."

"Why not?" A barrage of gunfire startles her, but not him.

"Like you said, this seems sketchy. I don't handle a lot of tough cases, but if there's a chance Detective Choi is connected to this, I'm going to help you figure this out. That's a promise."

That caused her heart to flutter.

"T-thanks. But how are we going to get through that?"

"Depends, how good of a shot are you?"

A few seconds later, Saffice dashes through the silence of gunfire, firing shots that successfully knock the guns out of the criminals hands. However, she notices one of them holding a phone, as if they were recording the whole situation. That distracted her from the one with the rocket launcher, who she saw quickly aiming it at her. She smirked as he was tackled by Edmundo with a stun baton, shocking him. The launcher shook the floor upon landing, but she watched him quickly handcuff the four of them in a flash, stunned. She heads over to help him out, surprised the pincer attack plan worked out.

"Lieutenant Kaiser, t-that was...was."

"Nothing really. I try to. What was the term again? Walk the path of least bloodshed."

"Um, I think you mean resistance. Alright, I think its time to call for backu-", before accidentally tripping over the launcher onto a body. She got ready to lift herself back up, until she recognized it was a bag. And someone was in it. Alarmed, she alerted Edmundo. The two ripped it open.

"Officer Kling?"

"Burn's partner?"

He began squealing around without any clothes on. Edmundo tried to cover her eyes, but she pushed his aside, having accustomed to see weirder at frat parties she and Gwain snuck into. Saffice grabbed him by the collar. And looked around, dropping his body once she noticed two marks in his neck. The wounds weren't full healed though.

"He's a vampire now."

"Kling and Burn are partners, right? You said Choi disappeared after both vampires attacked you, right? And that the other one disappeared?"

"Yeah. I think she pulled me away after shooting down some crates above us. When I looked through the debris, she and the other vampire were gone."

She sees him pondering over the events before shaking it off. "Then she might be innocent after all....I mean proven innocent."

"What do you mean?"

"If Gwain was responsible, even with the status of your relationship, there would have to be a valid reason behind attempting to leave you alive or avoid turning you into a vampire. You and the chief said there were cases of this before, right?"

"No, it was the first time I've heard of it or even seen it. Chief just assumed that was the case. But she did pick the location for patrol."

"And it just so happened to be the location where you two would go that night."

"Well yeah. Hold on...so Gwain knew that was going to happen. Which means.."

"Either she's a top level mastermind engaging in a series of mind games."

"Or someone put her up to this, and she backed out at the last minute."

"But if it wasn't her." She blew out a sign with her hand on her palm. "Thank god it might not be. But who?"

"Only one way to find out." He lifts Kling up, trying to regain the officer's consciousness.

"Kling, Kling. Who did this to you?"

"I...I.." Kling suddenly screamed out in pain, his skin bleeding red. She assumed it was another transformation as Edmundo pushed her away. A large blast of energy exploded from them and pushed her back a little. She soon took witness of Edumondo's true form holding back Kling, who was nearly as tall. Unsure of whether the stun batons would work or not, watching Edumondo attempt to shield himself with his wings only to be tossed in front of the entrance convinced her to take the initiative. She grabbed the rocket launcher as Kling slowly walked over to Ed, taking aim and opening fire. The ensuing explosion sent the door's entrance into shattered glass, scattered around the world. Jumping through the smoking, she found Kling unconscious, and Edmundo, both back to a more humanoid state outside in the night. Ed's arms and torso were bleeding, but he just gave her a thumbs up.

"Owh."

"You alright?"

"I'll be okay. It's him I'm worried about. Vampires don't act like that unless extremely provoked."

The two of them inspect his body. However, Kling's eyes pop awake, grabbing Edmundo by the neck. Before Saffice could get him off, a gunshot roared, and Kling fell to the floor, the red liquid of life fading from his body, the pavement dripping with his death.