The creature glared at the two hunters standing before it. Positioned between Eddy and his companions, it pointed menacingly at Luna and Jamal. "Puny humans, surrender to my mistress, and I will spare your lives."
Jamal smiled and extended his hand as if for a handshake. "Deal. Put it there!"
The creature tilted its head, confused but intrigued, and reached out to shake Jamal's hand. The moment their hands touched, Jamal snapped his fingers in the creature's face, igniting it in flames. The creature thrashed and roared in pain as fire engulfed its body.
Seizing the opportunity, Luna rushed over to check on Eddy, who was lying nearby. As she reached for him, her hand passed through his body as though he were an illusion. Shocked, she turned around just in time to see Eddy sliding between the monster's legs and slicing its ankles with twin daggers.
Confused, Luna glanced back and forth between the illusion and the real Eddy. Overwhelmed, she placed both hands on her face. "Luna, get your head in the game!" Eddy shouted, breaking her stupor.
Realizing the monster was beginning to extinguish Jamal's flames, Luna unraveled her fist, sending threads flying toward the creature in an attempt to bind it. The creature caught the threads mid-air and yanked her toward it, swinging her into Jamal and knocking them both to the ground. It then swung her back around, attempting to slam her into Eddy.
As she hurtles toward Eddy, screaming, she suddenly phased through the creature. An instant later, Eddy appeared in front of it, slashing its arm and leaving a deep, noticeable wound. The creature screamed in agony, dropping Luna in the process.
Eddy smirked as he began ci*--rcling the monster. As he moved, he created afterimages of himself, which surrounded the beast. One of the illusions slashed at the monster, leaving a fresh wound on its chest. The creature screamed again, its wounds slowly beginning to regenerate.
Glaring at Eddy, the monster lunged to attack, but Luna shouted, "Rubber ground!" Touching the floor near its feet, she turned the ground soft and malleable. The monster stumbled, missing its target completely. Eddy took the opening and slashed out its eyes with precision.
Jamal snapped his fingers again, reigniting the monster's face in flames. The creature roared in fury and pain, flailing as Eddy leapt backward. Pulling out a vial of black liquid, Eddy poured it over his daggers before charging the monster again.
Luna acted quickly, using her threads to grab the ground beneath the creature and stretch it, further destabilizing it. The monster lost its footing and stumbled. Eddy took the chance to plunge one dagger into the creature's skull and the other into its heart.
The monster let out a deafening roar, its body writhing in agony. The sound of a barrier shattering filled the room as Laura's protective wards failed. Desperate to heal itself, the creature's regeneration was thwarted by the black liquid, which seeped into its wounds, preventing recovery.
As sunlight streamed through the now-unprotected window, the creature turned its gaze to Sunny, standing there with a calm, knowing smile. The solar rays burned the monster's flesh, and it burst into smoldering flames. It attempted to flee, but the poison in its veins and the sunlight rendered it helpless. Thrashing and roaring, the creature's cries echoed, "Mistress, save me, please! Where are you?!" But the cries fell on deaf ears as it succumbed to the sun, disintegrating into ashes.
Luna approached the monster; however, she saw Eddy scooping the ashes into a jar. "Alrighty, this piece of shit is dead!" he let out a sigh of relief as Luna raised an eyebrow. "So, uh, good job out there?" Luna gave Eddy an awkward smile. He glanced at Luna. "Oh, uh, yeah, you did great out there, I guess."
Sunny then walked around the corner. "Alrighty, y'all, I shattered her barrier. It wasn't too hard, just a tad bit annoying. And great job on killing one of her thralls!"
Eddy let out a sigh. "Yeah, I figured as much. But judging by this thrall we killed, it seemed pretty connected to her. However, we need to deal with that woman ASAP."
Sunny nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah. However, that bullet I shot her with—I left an engraving ward on it, so I should be able to track her down."
Jamal walked toward Luna, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You did great. I was afraid I was gonna have to use my will, but it wasn't needed!"
Luna smiled softly at his compliment. "Thanks! Let's hurry up and ice this woman! Did I say it right?"
Jamal and Sunny chuckled a little. "Yeah, partner, you said it right."
However, Luna looked toward the nurses who were still oblivious to everything. "So, what about those nurses?"
Sunny shook her head. "I called Sanctum and informed them to come and collect them to help them out."
Luna smiled when hearing that. "Okay, that makes me feel better. When will they be here?"
Sunny thought for a second. "Give or take two to three hours." She then sat down on a chair. "Alright, y'all three go and patrol the hospital, investigate, and make sure no one else is like this. I'm gonna keep an eye on them to make sure nothing happens."
With that, Luna, Jamal, and Eddy investigated each floor of the hospital. To their relief, it was only that floor. Though no one questioned the noise, as Luna made her way back to Eddy, she asked him, "Hey, um, why didn't anyone question us fighting up there?"
He looked at Luna and raised his eyebrow. "Oh, that girl Sunny put up a barrier around that floor, preventing people from hearing and keeping them from suspecting anything."
Luna simply nodded to what she was told. She'd question Sunny about it later, though.
As they all made their way back to Sunny, she seemed to be on the phone with someone. "Yes, ma'am, I had my team investigate the building. Potentially, yes. Yes, ma'am, I'll see to it that the vampire is killed at all costs. Yes, ma'am, they're on the way. Good."
After that, Sunny hung up the phone. "Alright, medical dispatch will be here in twenty minutes, and we have to kill this vampire within two days—preferably by tomorrow."
Eddy lets out a massive groan. "Alright, I was hoping that thrall would be enough. Fine, let's get this over with."
Jamal speaks up, "Why the rush all of a sudden?"
Sunny stands up and cracks her neck. "Because there's a possibility she has sisters, and they're trying to start a family. We have to take her down and then move on to her siblings—and her one brother."
Luna raises her hand. "So, how bad is a vampire family?"
Sunny stops to think about how to explain it to Luna. "Well, if a vampire wants to start a new family, it sets up a nest in one area. Then it begins turning humans into thralls, gradually expanding its influence. Once the nest grows large enough, it can transform some of its thralls and other suitable humans into new vampires. When that happens, the siblings and parents who started the nest grow rapidly in power, ascending the ranks and becoming a serious threat. That's why we need to deal with Laura as soon as possible."
Luna's eyes widen in shock. "Oh, that sounds bad. So, uh, how strong is this Laura person?"
Sunny pauses. "I'd say she's maybe a B-plus. However, once she's dealt with, her power will transfer evenly to her siblings, making them stronger. That means if we encounter them later, it'll be a bigger challenge. But the fewer siblings there are, the less influence they can spread. Keep that in mind, everyone!"
Luna and Jamal nod. "Alright, no need to tell me twice. Let's go deal with this woman!" Jamal says with a smile.
Sunny nods as well. "I agree. If I had to guess, she's probably hiding somewhere in town, trying to blend in. Even if she changes her appearance, it shouldn't matter because she can't remove the warding I put on her."
Eddy chimes in, "What if she's listening in through one of these nurses?"
Sunny shakes her head. "Doubt it. If she had that much control, these nurses would've joined the fight. More likely, she was trying to turn them into true thralls, like that bat monster."
Eddy glances at the nurse who's mindlessly scribbling on a piece of paper. "At first, I thought she was drawing sigils or wards or something, but it just looks like chicken scratch."
Luna smiles. "Well, I'm glad the monster didn't try to use any of the nurses as a human shield or turn one of them into a weapon."
Sunny lets out a sigh, her expression softening into a saddened look. "That's because thralls like that can still retain aspects of their personality. Judging by his build, he might've been a fighter—maybe MMA—but that's beside the point. He still held onto some sense of honor. He probably would've only used a human shield if he was explicitly commanded to do so."
Luna glances at the ashes lingering on the floor. "Yeah, that's right. That monster was human at one point. He could've been a loving father, a caring mother, or maybe just a teenager who didn't want to end up like that."
Sunny nods. "Exactly. Maybe he asked to become her thrall, or maybe he was forced into it. Let's not dwell on that, though—it'll only sour our mood. It's best to go into a fight with a clear head."
Luna, still looking a bit sad, says, "Yeah, I'll try not to think too hard about it."
Sunny pats her back with a reassuring smile. "Atta girl!" She pauses as her phone vibrates in her pocket. Pulling it out, she answers, "Hello? Oh wow, that was quick. Alright, we're on the fourth floor." She hangs up the phone and turns to the group. "Alright, everyone, the medic squad is here!"
A short while later, a few guards and medics arrive, dressed in paramedic-style uniforms. They begin rounding up the nurses and everyone affected. Sunny is seen speaking with two individuals dressed in black-and-white suits. After a brief discussion, Sunny nods, and the two walk away.
Sunny returns to the group. "Alright, let's head back to the RV and plan!"
Luna looks up at her. "Who were those guys?"
Sunny answers, "They're from Sanctum. They wanted to know how serious I think the situation is."
Luna tilts her head. "What did you tell them?"
Sunny shrugs. "I told them I'll have a better answer once we head to the vampire's lair. If it's really bad, a full-blown sweep of the town will be needed. If it's manageable, then once the vampire is dealt with, a minor sweep will suffice."
With that, the team heads to the RV, ready to plan their next move to stop Laura from taking over the town.