Alonso Vasquez takes stock of his current situation. About men surround him, many of them baring weapons. They circle him, preparing to advance on him. He remains unarmed, however. All part of the initiation procedure.

"Last chance, Vasquez," says Jacob Klein, the man heading up this little initiation activity. In his hand he twirls a black crowbar. "You sure you got what it takes to serve Hunger?"

"You gonna shoot your mouth off all day, or are you gonna fight?" asks Vasquez.

"There's not gonna be a fight, Vasquez," says Klein. "We're gonna beat you shitless and leave your soon-to-be-crippled ass here until the sun comes up."

"I thought this was for people who wanna join Hunger," says Vasquez.

"It is," replies Klein. "But first, you gotta prove that you're good enough."

"Then get moving, assbag," says Vasquez. "I ain't got all day."

"Your second funeral," says Klein, and charges into the circle, striking Vasquez in the chest with the crowbar. Another rushes in, this one armed with a baseball bat. The bat breaks in two when he slams it on Vasquez's head. Vasquez falls to the ground, but his head is suddenly pulled up by a third vampire. This one wraps a chain around Vasquez's neck and holds him up by it. Vasquez reaches up for the vampire's forearms and grips them. He uses them to flip the man over and gain the upper hand.

It doesn't last long, as a fourth tackles Vasquez to the ground. Vasquez tries to get up, but the vampire elbows him in the face. He steps aside as a fifth vampire smashes an empty bottle on Vasquez's head. Klein steps up to Vasquez's body, holding the crowbar in his hands.

"Now that was fun," he says. "But, I think this game is just about over. You tried, Vasquez. But in the end, you're just not good enough for Hunger."

Klein lifts the crowbar above his head and aims it directly at Vasquez's chest.

"Wait, what the fuck you doin'?!" demands Vasquez.

"Finishing the job, of course," replies Klein.

"WHAT?!"

Vasquez scrambles to get up, but the other vampires hold him down on the ground. He thrashes around as much as possible, yet to no avail. Klein raises the crowbar, and is prepared to strike.

<"Now?"> asks Mikado.

Mosha cocks her gun and glances to her sister.

"Now."

Mikado grins and kicks down the crates that were covering them. Klein and the other vampires turn to see the sudden alarm. Mosha brings her gun up and fires off a few rounds that meet their marks. Two vampires turn to ashes.

Mikado leaps into the air and uses her daggers to fight off a vampire who wields the chain. He whips it at her, and she grimaces in pain as it wraps around her forearm. With her free hand, however, she slices the vampires throat. He gasps in pain as blood spurts forth from his neck.

"How's it feel?" asks Mikado with a grin. The vampire tries to speak, but no words come forth. Mikado slams the dagger into his chest, and his pain is ended.

Mosha points her gun at the forehead of another vampire and fires. Klein attempts to ambush her from behind with his crowbar, but she delivers a fierce kick to his chest that sends him reeling.

"I'll deal with you later," she says.

Mikado flips over a vampire who comes at her with a switchblade. He spins around to face her, and her dagger is a blur of steel as she spins. The next thing the vampire sees is his switchblade and the fingers that were holding it fall to the ground, blood seeping from the wounds on his hand. His shock gives Mikado the distraction she needs to stab him in the heart. She sees Klein recovering from Mosha's kick, and hurls her daggers. They strike the back of his legs, and he falls in pain.

Mosha pistol-whips the other vampire which remains. He looks at her with his fangs extended and tries to go for her neck. She sidesteps and her hand grips his shoulder. She's suddenly behind him, and she places her gun against his back, then fires several times.

Mosha then walks over to the fallen Klein, with Mikado standing over him. She kneels down to look him in the eye.

"Where's Hunger?" she asks.

"Go fuck yourself."

She brings her gun back and whips him across the face with it.

"Where is he?"

"You think I'm fucking stupid?" he asks. "Nothing you bitches do to me can possibly be any worse than what Hunger would do to me if I ratted him out."

"What do you think Hunger will do when he finds out you failed?" asks Mosha.

"I didn't fail," replies Klein. "My job wasn't to eliminate Lucy Liu wannabes, it was to initiate Vasquez over there."

"See to him," says Mosha, motioning to the limp Vasquez.

<"You're not the boss of me.">

<"Just do it.">

<"You do it.">

<"Don't argue with me, just go.">

Mikado sighs and walks over to Vasquez. Mosha turns her attention back to Klein.

"Why are you initiating vampires?" she asks.

"Like I'm gonna tell you."

Mosha presses her gun to his chest.

"Don't fuck with me, little man."

"That's funny, considering that I'm taller than you."

"You won't be after I cut off your shins."

"Do whatever you want, babe," says Klein. "Nothin's gonna change my mi—"

*BLAM*

Mosha watches in shock as Klein's body turns into ashes. She glances upward to see a woman dressed from head to toe in black leather, complete with a trench coat and sunglasses staring at her. She has long brown hair which falls below her shoulders, and she holds a smoking gun in her hand. Mosha stands to face her.

"Blade I presume?"

"You presume right," replies Blade.

"Why did you kill the informant?" asks Mosha. "Now we know nothing."

"He wasn't going to tell you shit," replies Blade. "These guys are more scared of Hunger than they are of you, and with good reason. If anyone will talk, it's that guy over there."

She points towards Vasquez, whom is being watched over by Mikado.

"C'mon," says Blade. She walks towards Vasquez and Mikado with Mosha following her.

"He won't talk," says Mikado.

"Yes he will," says Blade. She kneels down to Vasquez. "Hi there, you know who I am?"

"Do I care?" asks Vasquez.

Blade makes no response, instead she reaches inside her coat and draws her sword. Vasquez's eyes grow wide in surprise.

"You recognize this?" she asks. He offers no response.

"Judging by the new smell that's just entered the air, I'm guessing that you do," says Blade with a smile. She jams the sword in his stomach and he cries out in pain.

"Silver only kills in the heart or the head," says Blade. "But I'm guessing that this hurts like a bitch."

Vasquez grits his teeth and tries to suppress a scream, so a high-pitched moan of pain is all that comes out.

"Come on little bird," says Blade. "Sing."

"FUCK!!" cries out Vasquez.

"Why were they beating you?" asks Mosha.

"Initiation..." replies Vasquez.

"For what?" asks Blade.

"Hunger."

"Why are you going through all that pain for initiation into Hunger's organization?" asks Mosha. "Is glory that important to you?"

"Got nothing t' do with glory, vamps gotta pay rent, too," replies Vasquez. "I need money, an' I'm not qualified enough for any of those work at home jobs, so I gotta stick t' grunt work."

"Why does Hunger want grunts?" asks Blade.

"Dunno," replies Vasquez. Blade twists the sword.

"AHHH!!! OKAY, IT'S FOR SOME EXPERIMENT OR SOMETHIN'!!"

"What kind of experiment?" asks Mikado.

"I dunno..."

Mikado jams the dagger into his shoulder.

"FUCK!! I DON'T KNOW!! HONEST!!"

"Where do we find him?" asks Blade.

Vasquez gasps for breath before he replies with, "I dunno how to reach Hunger, but go see this former dealer, name of Vincent. He used t' work outta Seattle before those mutants fucked things up. He's the one who gave me the hook-up. Dude knew one of Hunger's old associates."

"Who would that be?" asks Mosha.

"Drezan..." replies Vasquez. "He's now operatin' Drezan's old business."

Blade seems to freeze for an instant, but then she recovers and pulls the sword out of Vasquez. He grimaces in pain. She lifts the sword up and brings it down. As Vasquez's head disconnects from his neck, his body disintegrates into ashes.

"Drezan's got a successor?" asks Whistler. He sits at his workbench.

"That's how it looks," replies Blade, leaning against the bench. Mosha sits with her legs cross in a nearby chair, with Mikado leaning on the back of it. "According to that vamp, he used to be a drug dealer in Seattle."

"Drug deals, huh?" asks Whistler. "I wonder..."

"You think his clients were of the fanged variety?" asks Blade.

"I'd stake my unlife on it," replies Whistler as he takes a drink from a coffee mug. His lips have a slight red tint to them after he places the cup down. "Pun unintentional."

"Drezan ran Corinston International," says Whistler. "They were big in the overseas department, lots of importing/exporting."

"Must be a dealer's dream job," says Blade.

"What are we going to do about it?" asks Mosha.

"I gotta talk to this Vincent guy," replies Blade.

"We'll come with you," says Mosha.

"No, I'm fine on my own," says Blade.

"So what do we do?" asks Mikado. "Sit on our thumbs?"

"Basically," replies Blade. "Silvereye apparently has this thing against independent hunters. Thinks of them as vigilantes."

"I could use the help working on some weapons," says Whistler.

"I'll be training..." says Mikado and stands to exit the room.

"What's up her ass?" asks Blade once Mikado is out of earshot.

"She's been like that ever since our brother was killed," replies Mosha.

"Vampires?" asks Whistler. Mosha nods. "Bastards."

"I better get going," says Blade. "You got the car ready?"

Whistler picks up a set of keys from the bench and tosses them. Blade catches them and walks towards the vehicle.

"Thanks."

The young, petite Asian woman sitting behind a desk looks up as the elevator door opens. Blade steps off the elevator and walks towards the desk. She lowers her sunglasses to look at the woman.

"I'm here to see Vincent," says Blade.

"Yes, I know," replies the receptionist. "Mr. Sharpe has been expecting you, Miss Hill."

"What did you call me?" asks Blade.

"Don't look so surprised," says the receptionist. "We know far more than you give us credit, Miss Hill."

The receptionist presses a button on the small intercom on her desk.

"Mr. Sharpe, Miss Hill to see you."

{{ Send her in, Yotyio. }}

"You may enter," says Yotyio.

Blade eyes the receptionist with curiosity, then walks through the oak doors which lead to the office of the current CEO of Corinston International. The man sitting behind the large, black metal desk stands and walks over to her. He's dressed in a white suit with a black, collarless shirt and no tie. He extends his hand to her.

"Elisa Hill," he says. "I'm Vincent Sharpe."

Blade ignores his hand and walks past him. She leans up against his desk and removes her sunglasses, focusing her brown eyes on him.

"Why were you expecting me?" she asks.

"I had one of my people monitoring the initiation of Alonso Vasquez," replies Vincent. "Once he dropped my name, I knew you'd come find me."

Blade looks around the room and notices that there are no windows in the room.

"I had them removed once I received this position," says Vincent. "I arrive at work prior to dawn and I leave at dusk. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be Daywalkers."

"You seem to know a lot about me for someone I've never heard of prior to this morning," says Blade.

"I have access to all of Drezan's files," says Vincent.

Blade leaps off the desk and draws her sword, putting it up against Vincent's throat.

"I'm only going to ask you this once," she says. "Where's Hunger?"

"I don't know," replies Vincent.

"You want to be headless?" asks Blade.

"A better question to ask would be, 'what is your connection to Hunger?'"

"What is it?"

"Purely business," replies Vincent. "I handle some of his offshore accounts."

"Bullshit, Corinston's only involved in importing/exporting."

"Officially, yes," says Vincent. "But unofficially, we do much more. Why do you think Drezan was such a powerful figurehead in the vampire community? Because Corinston is the backbone of the vampire community. The Council used to handle those affairs, but that's all changed thanks to that idiot, Frost."

"What do you gain from associating yourself with Hunger?" asks Blade, pressing the sword closer. Vincent grimaces as the silver burns his skin. He backs up a little, and Blade brings the sword closer.

"Money," replies Vincent. "I'm not a traditional vampire, Elisa. I'm a businessman, first and foremost."

"You're nothing more than a former dealer who got a lucky break," says Blade.

"Who said anything about former?" asks Vincent with a grin. "Look, I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. All my business with Hunger is conducted through middlemen. The only addresses and phone numbers on his accounts were all phony locations set up by Corinston. It looks like he's covered all his bases."

"Whistler, it's me," says Blade into the cellphone as she enters the parking garage. "I'm just about to leave Corinston. Vincent knows dick, he's got no clue how to find Hunger. No, he's still alive. Of course I let him live. He's no use to us dead, Whis. Listen, if we take him out, then there will be someone else to replace him. And for all we know, his replacement could be another prophecy fanatic like Drezan. At least this way, we have some semblence of control. I don't care how Blade would've handled it, he only looked at things in black and white. There's gray areas, even when you're dealing with the supernatural. Hell, just take a look at yourself."

She walks through the garage to the small black car and unlocks the door.

"Look, I'll be back soon, we'll talk about this then," she says. She turns off the phone and places it back inside her coat. Before she can climb into the vehicle, she hears the roar of an animal, and something slams into her back, sending her flying.

Blade gets to her feet and sees what appears to be a vampire, but with catlike features on his face. His entire head is framed by hair, almost like a lion's mane. And he has long claws on the ends of his fingers.