Standing on the roof of the apartment block were four figures.

They felt naught the breeze of a cool summer wind, nor the terror of such unrestrained height.

They were dressed in the attire of their respective ages. They followed the trends that rose and fell across time and had grown accustomed to the fluctuations and patterns. They were well-versed in the ability to blend into the horizon, to become one with a crowd, and to reside within a community as an unseen presence.

A ticking time-bomb, a countdown to disaster.

A Vampire.

But unlike that of the Scavenger who had been so easily, soundly and yet ruthlessly slain but moments prior, these were a different breed. There were similarities, certainly, such as a stillness when there was no requirement to move or a strong desire for blood constantly flowing in empty veins, but again…

these were different.

“I feel bad for Chuck,” the first Vampire said as he lay along the edge of the roof. He was younger in decades and in appearance, having been turned in his early twenties.

His name was Empt. Certainly it wasn’t his given name, but rather it was the title he had bestowed himself when he had been redeathed.

“Why?” Another said, standing nearby but glaring intently at his phone which he was holding sideways.

“He didn’t really have a chance.” Empt said; “Bad luck of his existence that he became what he was. A few decades of good meals could have potentially recovered him to a decent state. It was just a shame he was O positive…”

The nearby Vampire- Kenan- turned his head, confused.

He had been playing on his phone for the last hour on some online gambling game hidden amongst anime characters. He occasionally let out a groan or a cheer, depending on the “rank” of the girls he won, but otherwise stayed clear of the conversation.

“Oh.” He said as the screen lit up with the announcement of a new loot box being unlocked; “You’re one of those types who believes that the blood type of the person being changed affects their capability of a Vampire?”

“I think there is evidence that can be garnered given that a majority of Vampires who find themselves in poor, squalor, conditions tend to also be O Positive- aka, the basic bitches of blood types- yes.”

“Given the commonality of the blood type, isn’t it also possible that it’s just likely that the People who are O Positive are also the ones more likely to become Vampires and therefore it doesn’t actually say anything about their blood type and more to do with societal luck and fortune?”

Empt considered his point, scratching his chin, then said.

“Nah.”

“Good argument.”

“I’m a master wordsmith. I once invented several words.”

“Such as?”

“Fountain.”

“You invented fountain. That’s incredibly specific.”

“And yet, you know what it means. Therefore, I am the master wordsmith and you are just the guy playing his girl collector game.”

“It is not a girl collector game. It’s an Anime Girl Collecting Experience and it’s a Masterpiece. It reminds me of my days in College…”

“Being a Master Girl Collector?”

“No, it reminds me of being in College and playing this game. Though I did some girl catching when I was turned…”

“And?”

“It was delightful. And they were delicious.”

Empt laughed and Kenan joined him.

With Empt being decades old, Kenan was remarkably younger at a steady… four. He had been transformed in his second year at University during a time where the Vampiric cause had been looking to gather what was considered human genius in order to concoct new plans for the Vampiric cause.

Kenan had been chosen because his roommate had been out of their dorm and he had been insistent on inviting the attractive woman inside.

A, from his perspective even when dying, happy mistake.

“Hey, Brian.” He suddenly asked, turning over to the third individual on the roof who was sitting nearby and hunched up. This one stared into the distance, still feeling a variety of feelings about recent events that had occurred in both his life and death- and also feeling nothing at all as the sensation was steadily fading with each passing day.

He feared, except when he couldn’t.

“…yeah?” He said, his jaw feeling tight as it moved to the sound of the single syllable.

“What was your blood type?”

“…O Positive.”

“Oh snap!” Empt said, sitting up; “The basic bitch of blood types bites back! How does that make you feel?”

“My point stands I think! His capacity for greatness is due to the luck of the draw in his transformation. He’s in the presence of us two- strong, capable, and persistent-“

“Don’t forget handsome.”

“Naturally-“

“And arrogant!”

“Famously!- my point, though, is that if it wasn’t for us then he would just be another Scavenger for the Dentists to hunt their way through and kill without a seconds thought, and wouldn’t that just be terrible? What a waste of a guy!”

“He does seem pretty… defunct, though.” Empt said, sitting up and staring at the hunched Brian; “When was the last time he fed?”

“I made him eat some old lady a few weeks back, but wouldn’t you know it he felt a flood of emotions afterwards and he chose to focus specifically on the bad ones.”

“What? Brian!” Empt called over; “Brian! Don’t focus on the bad! When you get some blood in you, you focus on the good! Otherwise, well, you might as well just… die?”

“That’s what I want to do.” Brian said, staring away; “I… I don’t want to feed on…”

“No, yeah.” Kenan said, lowering his phone; “He doesn’t want to be a Vampire. He’s made it clear a bunch. But we have to keep him undead, so we have free reign of the apartment block.”

Brian was a Vampire.

He was also the Landlord for the Cruised Founding Apartment Block. As a known ideas guy, Kenan had the bright idea that if they could transform an apartment blocks landlord into a member of the undead it achieved two aims.

One, it provided them with access to the apartment block in it’s entirety through the physical act of having keys. Second, by being the owner of the property that other individuals rented from, he was a person whom, on paper, had access to the property within the apartment block. He owned it, technically, providing they paid him.

Therefore, having him be turned was a test to see if they could then gain access with the landlords permission. If a person needed to get in to fix the gas and the tenants were away, the landlord could gain entry. It was the same deal, except the person then got eaten.

And, wouldn’t you know it, it had worked.

“Well, fine.” Empt said; “When we’ve eaten this place and he has access to no other properties, we’ll kill him. Simple as that.”

“I see no problems with that plan.” Kenan agreed, sitting back; “I’m feeling like I want to go and eat again soon, actually. Since, you know, it’s been a good thirty minutes and my teeth are aching for more.”

“Alright, give me a few more minutes. I like the quiet on a night like this…”

The fourth amongst them stepped forward, and the space shifted.

Her presence, the pressure that came with it, radiated outwards. The apartment block didn’t physically shudder but, if a building could be said to have a soul, this particular building became haunted.

She was older than all of them put together. Not even by centuries, but certainly more.

She had long auburn hair and was wearing, on a night like this, dark trousers and a simply grey top. Like the others she was dead, but whilst the others when still were like moving statues with no wasted movement she glided when she moved as though the act of existing had been perfected.

She was, amongst them, a Queen.

But her name was Cermar.

“So when are we going to kill these Dentists?” She said, the question firm and accusatory; “They have slain one of our own. By our laws, the death of one should be met with a thousand.”

Kenan and Empt stood side by side. The phone was gone, the relaxation was gone, they gave the woman an intense and yet respectful focus as they chose their next words carefully in the night of no moon.

“With immediacy, my Queen.” Empt said; “The Dentist who has done such a deed will certainly feel the sting of our vengeance.”

“Yeah. Yes.” Kenan corrected himself; “We have the element of surprise on our side. I have been keeping a close eye on these humans and it is clear that they assume that they are dealing with one Vampire, when in truth they are dealing with two.”

“Three.” Cermar corrected, gesturing to the other amongst them who flinched at the movement of her fingertips waving in his direction.

“…yes.” Kenan said; “An even greater opportunity for our newest amongst us to find his teeth. Brian! Come join us, we are preparing for conflict.”

The third amongst them stood, though not by choice. He knew better, had known better, than to stand against the others. They had been leaching upon his life since the moment he had died, stealing the closed doors and forcing them open and in those moments he had resisted he had been cut, ripped, and torn only to be healed with the blood of those whom had trusted him with safety.

A landlord was a responsibility. It was protection from the elements, protection from danger, but protection from Vampires most of all. One held tremendous power and he had taken that on board because it was the closest he could come to saving lives.

Now those lives were dripping down his mouth, through his veins, and he swore he could still hear the screams.

And yet they wouldn’t let him go, either. They tortured him with his choices, broke him with his new reality, and pushed, and pushed, and pushed for more because his desires didn’t matter.

With each cell that died in his brain, so too was his ability to fight back diminishing.

“I’ll… come with you…” he said, standing beside them; “If that is what must be done.”

“Good.” Empt said, patting him on the back; “This will actually be quite enjoyable. I promise you. A good ole fashioned fisticuffs with a couple Dentists will make you feel a lot better.”

“Well, it will be when you drink them. Nothing is like a Dentist, really. They taste…”

“Righteous.” Cermar said, the other two agreeing like the yes men they truly were.

A brief discussion followed about tactics. Dentists were known schemers and cowards who focused on a Vampires disabilities- the, so-called, weaknesses- to make themselves out as being superior. But they were also weak, for they were merely humans playing in a dangerous world of The Apex Predator.

And then, with their tactics considered and the night progressing steadily, the three men stood at the side of the building and fully preparing to leap to the ground below. Twenty-five stories was nothing.

It was a quick descent, far easier than the stairs.

“Would you like to join us, my Queen?” Kenan asked; “Once this little issue is dealt with we were going to feed on the rest of the building?”

“A kind offer, and I’m certain it is something I will take you up on I am sure…” Cermar said, sniffing the air; “Though I may get distracted. Tonight has certainly seen plenty of opportunities be spilled.”

“Well, you know where we will be.” Empt said, placing Brian in his place; “And I dare say, you will hear the screams.”

“I look forward to the music,” the Queen said, standing before Brian who wilted in her presence. He didn’t want to face in her direction, let alone raise his chin to match her.

She reached out. If he had a still beating heart it would have failed in that moment. Her palm touched the side of his arm and he felt the weight of incredible power behind the millennia.

It was suffocating.

He could feel her eyes on him. Gazing at his history as one she had seen a hundred- no, thousands- of times before. His was a life that had told the same story again, and again. There was no originality, no diversion, it merely begun and then ended in no way that was unique.

And yet, she accepted him.

“The death that has been given you, and the moments that reside after it, that is your shot at truly being on this world. You can make a mark on this reality of ours, but you have to embrace your new existence. The world of the Undead isn’t a scary thing, it is a new opportunity to rise above that you were enslaved by. It is a world where you can make your own rules.”

He felt warmth.

He was being… reinvigorated at her touch. He wanted to believe her, to stand with her, to…

Obey her.

He hadn’t noticed, but the others had, that the Queen had removed at incredible speed the tips of her fingers with the placement of her hand on his arm. She had stabbed his dead skin and was placing her royal blood inside his veins.

She was stealing his last echoes of humanity.

Upon removing them, they healed instantaneously, leaving him none the wiser even as his sleeve was stained red.

“Now go, my warriors of the night. Kill for me some Dentists.”

And they all agreed, but especially Brian who suddenly felt the desire to feed on blood that could fight back, as planned.

“And for the record,” Queen Cermar said with a malicious, but amused, grin before they fell from the top of the tower;

“I’m also O Positive.”