Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 44: Monsters

"Alright, we're here," Vance smiled, gripping the phone tightly in his hand.

Onyx's sigh could be heard on the other end of the line. "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

It had been a few months since Vance and Dominic had visited Onyx and Amelia. They'd started to become friends, and Vance had been quite curious to know what being a vampire was really like -- all of his childhood misconceptions aside. So Onyx and Amelia told him everything they knew about being vampires; their friend Caleb, The Arcane, and the opposing organization which sought to destroy the entire vampire population.

One thing that hadn't changed about Vance was that he was a daredevil, and as he stood in front of Caleb's house preparing himself for what he was about to do, he realized that would likely never change. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll call you back once this is all over."

He didn't wait for Onyx's reply before hanging up.

"Vance?" Dominic raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you really sure? I know what you said, but this is going to be a big decision for both of us, and..."

"I get it, you're scared," Vance sighed. "And I'll admit that I am too. But... vampires are endangered. Onyx and Amelia are endangered. After all the bullying I did, contributing to the prejudice... don't you think this is a good way to make up for it?"

Dominic smiled lovingly. "It is, and I'm really proud of how far you've come since then... how far we've come."

Vance returned the smile. "Me too. So what is your final say to the two of us growing a pair of fangs, joining The Arcane, and fighting some bad guys?"

"I say... let's do it." Dominic grinned, and stepped forward toward the large, eerie house in front of them.

Vance barely lifted a foot from the ground before a stern voice came from behind him.

"Move and you're dead."

Every muscle in Vance's body tensed. He could feel the impending sense of doom as he slowly looked over his shoulder. "W-What?"

"I said don't move!" The woman's voice snapped and she gripped the SimRay she was holding tighter.

Dominic turned to face her and took a shaky step backward. "D-Don't hurt us!"

"Now that we've finally found where they're hiding... every vampire in the home they call Forgotten Hollow will be destroyed. Unfortunately you have to go, too," the woman growled. "You're here after vampires. You were talking to one on the phone. Anyone associated with their kind will perish with them. Unless..."

Vance turned as well, clenching his fists as stared into the barrel of the SimRay. "Unless what!?"

"I'd advise you to not get feisty with me," she replied. "Tell me... does that vampire you were talking to reside here, too?"

"No," Vance gave her a cocky smirk. "And you'll never find him."

The woman returned a smirk that was equally as cocky. "Really?" 

In a split second, Vance felt her arm wrap around his neck in a headlock and cold metal pressing against his temple. He yelped in surprise as she pulled him close and another man dressed in black approached from the bushes, with a SimRay aimed right for his head.

She grinned. "Then why don't I ask your little... friend here? Where is the vampire?"

"Vance!" Dominic cried. "Let him go!"

"Tell me where the vampire is and I will!" The woman yelled.

Vance struggled, but realized it was futile as the SimRay was pressed more firmly against his head. "Don't do it, Dominic!"

Dominic's voice grew weak and his eyes filled with tears as he pleaded. "Please, don't hurt him..."

"Then I'll make this simple for you. You have two choices. You can tell me the whereabouts of the vampire you are in communications with, and we will let you both go free. Or you can save yourself. Run away, and we'll interrogate... Vance, was it? Of course, he doesn't seem cooperative, so we'll have no choice but to kill him if you go..."

As her voice trailed off, Dominic knew the choice he had to make. "Vance, I'm sorry," he murmured. 

"What?" Vance frowned, trying his best to turn his head to look at him. "What are you--"

The rest was a blur. Vance fell to the ground as Dominic tackled the woman, freeing him from her restraint. His heart sank as he heard the screams, the sound of the SimRays firing...

And then a voice broke through the chaos. "Get up! Quickly!"

Vance tried, but he was far too terrified of what he would see if he dared to lift his gaze from the ground. He only heard more yelling and chaos, and he decided that if he didn't move, he could be the next victim.

Slowly, he rose to his feet.

Vance's eyes filled with tears at the sight in front of him. "D-Dominic," he choked out, though he knew there would be no response. 

And when there indeed wasn't one, he turned and ran for the door of the house, drowning out the sound of the strangers calling after him.

The second he reached the living room he let himself fall apart, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed. "Why!?" His voice was hoarse as he yelled out to no one. "He didn't deserve to die!"

He hardly noticed the approaching footsteps.

"The woman who killed your friend is dead," Caleb said softly, "and her partner, too. They will not be able to reveal the location of Forgotten Hollow or any additional information to The Triple A, thanks to him. If he hadn't been a distraction for her they make have killed us or escaped--"

"A distraction!?" Vance snapped, not bothering to look at him. "Dominic was far more than my friend. Don't talk about him like that!"

"Right, sorry," Caleb sighed. 

Lilith frowned. "So we've been expecting you... Vance, right? Onyx and Amelia said you'd be coming here today to become a vampire and join The Arcane."

Vance furrowed his eyebrows and turned to face them. 

"We did," Vance said, tears still streaming down his face. "And I still intend to. They'll pay for this."

"The agents who did this are already dead," Caleb said. "If you don't want to put yourself in danger as well--"

"I don't care if I live or die!" Vance sobbed. "I'm going to make them all pay for what they did to him! I won't rest for a second until they're all dead."

"Well, this is an excellent attitude we're searching for in our recruits," Caleb nodded. "We want them dead, too."

"Then I will gladly contribute to your cause," Vance's body trembled as he approached Caleb. "So turn me into a vampire, and I will become the monster I always thought they were."

"We aren't monsters." Caleb bared his fangs.

 Vance wiped the tears from his eyes. "I was the real monster all along. I changed, all thanks to Dominic. But now, I'm going to assist you in killing people. What else could I be other than a monster? What else could you be?"

Caleb's eyebrows furrowed. "We do it for the greater good!"

"But you can't tell me that it isn't a loss of humanity," Vance said.

Caleb searched for retaliation that didn't exist, so he looked down at his feet "You're right, it does. Perhaps we really are monsters. So... if you want to become a monster again, then..." Caleb began as he grabbed Vance's shoulders, "I will make you a powerful one."