Two siblings sit on their car hood in a dimly lit garage. Both have long, thicker reddish-brown hair, but where the sister has braids, the brother has a long ponytail. In truth, if not for the slight wrinkles forming at the edge of her eyes, they'd look like twins.

The brother looked at his watch impatiently. "Okay, I'm about five minutes away from feeling totally scammed. Is this loon even showing up?"

"Calm it, Jack. We all gotta keep a low profile these days." The sister sighed, although she was getting tired of waiting too. Her trigger finger was starting to itch.

"Right, damn bloodsuckers. I thought those government stooges handled the mess?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

"Right, the government that can't even keep a simple quarantine going will take out an entire secret society. But, that's what we're here for, and hopefully, this guy is the real deal so we'll find more of us too." 

"I'm glad you feel that way." A serene voice entered the garage from the other end. The figure was tall and wide but had a hooded coat and mask on. Most surprisingly, however, was that he arrived totally unnoticed. It didn't take long for Jack to draw two hunting knives while his sister casually pulled out one of her pistols.

The figure held his hands up. "Jacob and Gillian Bellamy, I take it?"

"Ugh, just call me Jill. You the guy from the phone?" She said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes. I am the King of Swords. I am glad you two actually made it tonight, many don't deem it necessary to actually meet."

"You sure kept us waiting long enough, arrogant ass." Jack chided before Jill put up a hand to back him down. But, she didn't disagree with his words.

"I did, and I apologize." His deep voice was eerily still, as if a tidal wave was waiting politely at the crossroad. "You two have...well, made a name isn't quite right, but have popped up on my radar. The brother-sister duo, who have taken down nearly a dozen Ghouls, and at least two full-blown Kindred. It's not a simple feat." He began.

"Yeah, well, when you're as skilled as us-"

"For beginners."

Both siblings looked shocked and offended.

"Ghouls are only so different from us humans. They have been tainted, corrupted, but not made alien. While exterminating those monsters was quite the feat, both of them were young. Untrained. Weak. You have gotten my attention, but you are just beginning."

"So," Jill began, choking down her own frustration. "What's that make you then?"

"As I said, I am the King of Swords." The pair each made their own stink faces, but the King did not let that deter him. "You are not the only hunters in the area, not by far. My group, we recruit those with promise, those who can actually fight the monsters of the night, and dissuade those who cannot."

"Are you going to stop us? Just because we're not good enough in your eyes?" Jill nearly spat at his feet.

"If you are stopped, it is to prevent the greater loss of human life. But, that depends on your actions tonight." He steps forward, producing a small bundle of papers for the pair. Jill took and opened the papers, but Jack looked over her shoulder.

"I ask that you eliminate this threat. If you do so, and do it well, we will accept you into our group. You will have the support, resources, and information of the Swords. If not, you will be politely asked to cease your hunts, at least the physical side of them."

"And if we "fail" and refuse to stop? Jack asked with a cocky smirk.

"That depends. If you endanger only yourselves, I could do no more than watch you crash into the inevitable wall of a true threat. If you endanger other innocent humans in the path of some personal crusade, well...perhaps I don't have to finish that thought." The tidal wave made sure the onlookers knew it could rush at any second.

"R-Right." A man alone cannot stand against a tidal wave.

"What the fuck is a tuh-zye-miskey?" Jill added on, cutting through the distress.

"Tzimisce." The stillness returned. "We don't know much about them, but we know they are an influential breed of vampire, and have the ability to warp bodies. You will see evidence of that on the next-"

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ!" Jack exclaimed.

"...yes, that. What you're eliminating is thankfully not an actual vampire, but one of their odd creations."

"Think we couldn't handle the real deal?" Jill asked.

"I know it, for one. Secondly, many of the genuine threats were either eliminated by Project FIRSTLIGHT officers or by their fellow vampires late last year."

"Why would vamps turn on each other like that?"

"From what we've been able to learn: politics. Not every monster hunts alike."

"So what exactly are we hunting?" Jack asked.

"Currently, we have confirmed the following via drone footage and minor investigation: It has taken a dozen victims, all random people who just so happened to be there. Second, it isn't a full vampire, as none of the victims have had their blood drained or sustained more than a head wound. Third, it has attacked only people who have arrived at this specific house on the outskirts of Federal Way. We believe it is an experiment of the Tzimisce's body warping, whose owner is no longer present." The King explained with unfeeling precision.

"Get in, take out, get out, yeah? Any backup we gotta worry about?" Jack questioned brusquely.

"Not that we've observed."

"Shame," Jill began. "We'd really love to impress the mighty king."

"Worry not, you can impress me by finishing this job. Then, we can discuss the future. Good night, and good luck." The king leaves just as quietly as he came, and with the flicker of overhead lights, disappears entirely.

The two carefully drove up the small hill to the location, lights off and speed low. 

"Think this is gonna be worth it? We can just tell him to fuck off if we keep to ourselves, yeah?" Jack asked, keeping an eye out as he drove.

"Trust me. His whole "King of Swords" thing was pompous shit, but that group is no joke. They have arms, they have information, and most importantly, they got fucking money! The guy who gave me the king's number had a premier modified gun to one-tap a vamp! We can't pass that up!" Jill explained as they drove past the chain-link fence. 

Getting out, they opened the trunk and retrieved their proper outfits and primary arms. It was bulky, but did the job.

"Wanna make this a contest?" Jack asked, checking his pistol and SMG.

"What contest, it's one target in one house?" Jill asked, making sure her own pistol and shotgun were ready.

"Well yeah but it has two floors and a basement. You go high, I go low, and whoever takes out the damn thing wins!"

"Wins what, jackass?"

"Uhhh, I don't fuckin know, whoever wins gets to be the cool guy in the Swords and the other is their lackey?"

"Really? You think that's gonna be how it turns out?"

"Why not, they have a king! There can be a knight and a knave, yeah?"

"Ugh fine, that can be your prize. But, if I win, you buy me that sniper rifle I've been wanting."

With an affirmative, yet sardonic, groan, Jack holds out his hand and the two shake. They put on their helmets, and the mission is underway.

They look onward at the house, a simple-seeming two-floor house. On the outside, you'd imagine a regular family lived here, one that liked growing strange sunflowers that littered flower beds near the fence, but an otherwise regular household.

That's why the two had to be careful, why they had to do the job they do. Because the monsters could blend into every normal crack, and you have to be safe and prepared to take them head-on.

Unfortunately, the two had already failed, without their knowledge.