Welcome

My body was sore and strangely warm, which was an unusual feeling as I slowly regained consciousness. My eyes winced at the sudden appearance of shining light above me; I felt a sharp sting emerging from my arm and turned to find a strange clear tube attached to a bag of clear fluid attached to my arm. “Where am I?” I said in a wheezing fashion. I hold my throat and feel actual skin against my fingers and not the collar that once sat there. I then hear it, the clattering of a lock, and my blood suddenly runs cold. My hands clutch my sheets in fear, and I felt something crawl up my spine. A burning sensation that surged through my body, but the feeling subsided as quickly as it appeared.

“Coming in.” spoke a voice that entered the room. I could tell it was a male by its bass and oddly calming. “Ah, good to see you awake little buddy.” His voice carried through the white room, making his presence recognized. Still, his aura was almost regal, which was emphasized by his appearance. He stood tall and proud; his tan skin and chiseled face made me feel flustered as he moved towards me. His feet glided across the floor, allowing me a better look at him. A striking head of silver hair and eyes were hidden behind a pair of black shades draped over him was an oversized black jacket that acted more like a cloak. Claw marks and stitches decorated his arms like the woman’s arms; the man smiled as he stood over me. I flinched as he reached for my hands; he paused and smiled back at me after noticing my fear. He then said four words, and like never before, I felt a wave of peace and relief overtake me.

“It’s gonna be okay.” I don’t know why. Maybe it was the sudden feeling of freedom or the sudden rush of sensations other than fear and numbness, but it was then that I rushed into the man’s arms and began to sob. I didn’t know I could after so long, but the years of pain and horror flowed down my cheeks while his strong arms held me close in a tight embrace. I don’t remember how long we stayed in that state, but it felt like forever. The moment came to an end when another figure entered the room. This one was far taller and broader than the first gentleman, and his face appeared to be in a solid grimace. His skin was similar in a dark shade to mine, but he had muscles that I didn’t even know a person could have. His attire comprised a white coat with a black sweater, pants, and heavy boots that thud against the marble floors.

“Ah. Good to see you’re awake. Tepen and I were starting to worry.” Spoke the giant. I was taken aback by how soft it sounded; it carried a warmth that I’d never experienced from anyone before. Tepen smiled at the arrival of the other man who approached us; the gentleman didn’t return the favor. Still, he raised his colossal hand and gently placed it upon my forehead as he came to me. I blushed at the simple graze; it was soft and warm; he removed it quickly and smiled at me. “Everything seems alright for the moment. It was close for a bit, but luckily, Nils brought you to me in time.”

“Nils?” I asked in a hoarse voice. The two smiled, and the one named Tepen handed me a small glass of water for my dry throat. “Nils, the agent who rescued you from that farm. It honestly surprised us when she did that. She usually comes back with scars, not teenagers.” Spoke Tepen. He continued. “So then, young man, can you tell us anything about yourself?” I stopped for a moment; my mind was trying to recollect anything before my time in that hellhole. But all that my brain could muster was a single word.

“No. I don’t remember anything.” The two adults looked at one another and sighed. They didn’t seem all too shocked by my statement, but Tepen placed his hand onto my shoulder, smiling. “It’s okay,” he said. “Many people trapped in those situations tend to forget things before their trauma. My name is Minister Tepen, and this is our Head Medical Officer Noel Lynch, aka the man who saved your life.” Noel groaned at the compliment and went on to check my vitals, removing the needle from my arm. “Now, you’re probably very confused, so we’ll leave you to get dressed, I’ll be right outside, and then we can start the tour. Sounds good?”

The two gentlemen left me with a brown paper bag sitting in the chair Tepen once sat in with a nod. After struggling to get out of my bed, I remove my medical gown and quickly catch a look at myself in the mirror against the wall. I froze and scanned my body, the maze of stitches on my torso and stomach, the scar going down my right eye, and my number branded into my left shoulder. The memories slowly flood back into my brain, my knees go weak, and I fall to the floor as my tears fall with me. I wipe my tears and stand back up, quickly getting dressed in the clothes given to me by Tepen. A red sweater and white baggy pants with black shoes. The pocket on the right depicting a strange black demonic symbol that seemed awfully familiar to me. Tepen soon enters the room again, smiling.

“Ah. You look good; Red works for you. Come on. I’ll be giving you a tour of the place.” He said before closing the door behind him. I swallowed my saliva and promptly followed him out the door. On the other, what laid genuinely stunned me; walking through the halls were several humans, all well dressed and sporting the same crest as my only white against the black of their jackets. Similarly dressed individuals filled the area around us. Hanging above us was a giant glowing orb that illuminated the building like an artificial sun. I felt Tepen’s hand on my shoulder; a smile appeared on his face as he gestured his free hand to the area around us. “Welcome to the VHB Headquarters!”

“VHB?” I asked. Tepen chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he motioned me to follow him through the halls. “Sorry, it’s not every day we get recruits, so I usually don’t do this.” As I followed him, he soon led me to a large hall of statues. The closest of which depicts an elder man holding a cross in one hand and a steak in the other, the plaque under him read the name.

“Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, our founder,” spoke Tepen as he looked up at the statue of the doctor. “And the man who slew Count Vlad Dracula Tepes in 1897 with the help of Mina and Jonathan Harker. After that day, vampires worldwide reacted to the void left behind by their king’s death. They rose and began to devour humans left and right, so Van Helsing did what was necessary to save the human race. He passed on his teaching to the next generation of Hunters to protect humanity from the forces of darkness.” Tepen moved to the following statue depicting a younger man, now sporting the crest on my jacket pocket on the back of a hooded cloak, with a sword in hand impaling a screaming vampire on its blade. The plaque this time says the name Gabriel Van Helsing at the Battle of Belleau Wood-1918.

Tepen continued, “Everywhere the monsters went, we followed Van Helsing’s descendants, teaching any who suffered at their hands how to fight back. Eventually, their efforts gave rise to us. The Vampire Hitmen Bureau, an organization created to target and assassinate any Vampire on the face of the Earth.” The last statue depicts a woman holding a sword twice her size in one hand, the bodies of several bisected Vampires lying at her feet. The plaque read, ‘Elise Van Helsing-The Last of Clan Van Helsing.’ Tepen stared at the statue for a brief moment; silence echoed through the room, causing me to hold my pounding chest. He gave another kind smirk before his expression quickly transformed into a severe and tense glare into my own eyes.

“This mission, this creed, is not to be taken lightly. I do not tell you this story to make light of the situation or sell you into a role with us; I understand if you wish to live a life free of the bloodsuckers. Hell, no one would blame you if you did; I say this to show how grand our mission is. Unfortunately, your situation prior, while tragic, is an all too often occurrence in our line of work.” He smiled again, this time moving towards me slowly. “That is why I ask you to join the cause. We at the VHB can help you, avenge your torture, your pain, but most importantly, we can teach you how to harness the power within you.”

“What power?” Tepen smirked at my question before suddenly, an intense and downright demonic aura knocked me to my feet. The air became heavy and hard to breathe, as if the very air itself was on fire. As I gasp for some form of air, the thud of heavy boots against the concrete gains my attention as I find the source of this intense heat. It was Nils, my savior, entering the room with her uncovered eye-emitting sparks of fire. At the same time, her aura continues to fill the space, with Tepen strangely unaffected. He then moved closer to me and spoke.

“This power. Bloodwork is what we call it; virtually every time the enemy feeds off a human and leaves them alive, they leave a sliver of their aura with us. For those who fall to it, they become the monsters we kill, but for those who can resist it like myself and the other Hitmen, you can do things like my dear daughter right here.” Daughter?! With a wave of his hand, Nil’s aura recedes as fast as it arrived, allowing me to take a giant gasp of cold air for my burning lungs. She scoffed and walked away, her lengthy hair swishing as she exited the room. Tepen flicked my forehead, reclaiming my attention as he grinned and asked me a simple question.

“So, you in?”