Vannessa relaxed slightly, leaning her head back against the scratched and grimy glass window behind her. The subway was quiet, thank God. New York City might be the city that never slept, but the car she sat in was completely empty. The lights flickered as the subway jostled and Vannessa sighed. /They really should make these things safer...****ing death traps/, she thought, smirking to herself. As if dying mattered. She was already dead, after all.

Vannessa would have loved nothing more than to stay on this subway indefinetly. She loved the noise, the way it shook and jostled, the darkness, like you were hurtling through space and nothing could stop you. But of course, she couldn't. She had buisness to finish, and it would be daybreak soon. She stood as the subway slowed to a stop and the doors slid open.

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

Name: Erik Salvator
appearance:

Erik twisted the revolver in his hand. He had been following this female named Vanessa for days. Yet had been unable to do his job which he was hired for. To kill her. That was how he made his money even if it may seem a little harsh it paid the price. He was and still is the best killer out there at least in the vampire world. He killed for money and only for the highest of the highest prices. He never touched on anything lower. Getting personal with victims was out of question for him. He was just following orders like a good subordanent.

A subordanent that could very well kill those he followed or got orders from. That was why most the time it was him running the deal, and them cowering in fear giving him all their money at the end of the deal. He was a double dealer and what he did was work for himself. Not once has he killed a person of which doesn’t deserve the death. Instead he kills those that he sees fit, and if they aren’t fit in his book then he turns around and kills the dealer or dealt him the deal. It was a game to him. One that he was not only willing to play but to also win at and never lose.

He had watched her get on the subway, and quickly he followed her making sure to stay hidden from her view. Then when she got off the subway he exited off a different door and followed her. He made sure not to have any contact with the girl though he knew her name due the file that was given to him during the dealing.

Though he personally felt that this girl was too innocent to have done such a crime however it was always the innocent that had something to hide. He scanned the crowd his vampire eyes seeming to catch every movement that passed by him. Then instantly his eye caught her like a an owl spotting prey. He followed her up the stairs from the stairway like a hawk but he made sure to not follow her too close for that would be a dead give away.

He also kept his speed at a very low rate. As a vampire he could have just grabbed her and killed her….at least that’s what he was sure he could do but he wasn’t going to chance that due to her file. He had to be careful…very careful when one wasn’t completely sure if it’s prey was really responsible for the crime. He was a man of honor, and that meant he never made a quick kill. He always took a little while before killing the prey.

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Vannessa climbed the stairs out of the subway, pausing to glance at the sky. It would be morning soon, and she needed to get back to her apartment to hole up for the day. Her only hope was that anyone that was pursuing her would have to do the same. She walked quickly, moving fluidly through the crowds of people, like liquid. Or maybe it was like gas. Invisible gas. Hiding in plain site in a sea full of people. NYC really was the city where you could just disapear forever.

Vannessa stopped completely, startled. Like a deer when a hunter stepped on a twig. Somebody was following her. She took off again, running full speed, right into the street, weaving in and out of the way of cars.

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

Erik arched an eyebrow as he watched his little pet pause in the middle of the crowd like a mouse that was about to be pounced by the ever bigger cat. He waited and contemplated the little mouse’s next move like a true hunter. His feet keeping at least a decent distance between himself and the girl. This could mean only one thing that the girl had caught onto him by some sort of instinct or mistake he had made. In fact his vampire instincts nearly screamed at him to chase her but he held that instinct in. At least held it in until the moment she decided to run. It was at this moment that his vampire instinct took full flight.

His feet arched and leaped through the crowd. Not nearly as fast as a vampire could go but he had to tone it down or else the human’s would get oddly suspicious of him. Instead he pulled just enough speed that people would think that he was just a really fast foot racer. His body plowed through the crowd-shoulder and all seeming to shove whoever was a poor sap that wasn’t getting out of his way. When at last he reached the traffic he saw her sifting between cars. Instead of wasting his time avoiding cars he decided to leap on top of one car and then hit the ground. Basically he was car hoping to save time but she was still by far ahead of him.

Gaining on her wasn’t his plan…He just wanted to follow her , and so he didn’t necessarily want to be right behind her. Though he did want at least some space between them so that he could follow her without having to track her scent. It was when she took a left turn , veering from traffic that he caught a swift blood scent waft through his nose. It was another vampire, and as his eyes turned and spotted him. He swiftly noticed the vampire was also stalking the girl.

The girl was his territory, and Erik felt the strong need to claim his territory to this rouge vampire as he continued to keep a decent trail on the girl. It was as the other vampire was about arms length to the girl that Erik really tapped into his vampire senses. His feet pushed even faster and he felt the familiar feeling of him walking on air. As he reached the girl within seconds he turned to stop chasing the girl. Instead he faced the strange rouge vampire and slammed into him. Slamming the other vampire hard onto the ground. Erik gripped the man’s neck and allowed one sharp nail to seep through his neck. Without another word he slit the rouge vampire’s throat. This vampire that he had killed was a new born….not good in any way.

Erik then turned to notice that the girl had disappeared. He heaved a sigh and began to walk, trailing her scent by the smell of her blood. He would eventually…hopefully find his little mouse again. The stupid new born had distracted him just enough.

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Vannessa took the oppurtunity of her tail going after the rouge vampire to speed off, no longer caring what humans thought were "normal". She raced through the alleyways to her safe-house and clambered up the fire escape to the top floor. Vannessa slipped in through the window and slammed it shut, leaving her in a dimly lit room.

It was a small, one room apartment, kitchen and living room and bedroom all crammed into one with a small section walled off for the bathroom. Vannessa didn't really mind. She didn't eat, so there was no need to make sure the fridge was stocked with fresh food. She didn't spend much time in the apartment, so all she had was a military style cot, which made it easy to see if there was anybody hiding in her house with just one glance. Vannessa made sure her front door and windows were locked, there were no holes in the black out tape, and leaned back on her cot staring at the ceiling.

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

Erik trailed her from a long road that seemed to be scattered with a house every now and again. The road itself seemed like every other road that belonged to a rural area of a city. Not overly busy, and the people seemed to keep to themselves. This made it easier for him to track his girl. Her scent was sharpest down this entire road. Then the road ended at a fork. One road going left and another going right. He took the road that went left.

This road however had even fewer houses, and was littered with forest. The further he walked the more her scent filled his nose. He felt like a wolf tracking down a poor deer but in the end the wolf always wins. A cunning grin fell upon his face as he reached a rather poor looking house. The shingles on the roof seemed to be stripped from it, and the windows seemed to be boarded up with black tape. There was no doubt in his mind that this is where his deer resided.

He walked carefully up the half broken steps to the front door of the house. Anybody that was a fool would forget to lock the door but he had an odd feeling that she had locked the door. But looks couldn’t keep him out forever. He smirked and without hesitation he fisted the door down, entering the house. It was dark because of the black tapped windows. He heaved a sigh. "Look eventually someone will get you…but I just want to know one thing: How much do you think your life is worth." He crossed his arms as he leaned against the doorway. He had no intention of killing her but he would at least give her a shot by telling her what she was up against. He was not a bounty hunter for the money. He was in it for the justice.

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Vanessa didn’t bother to feign surprise or even sit up. She crossed her arms behind her head and tilted her head to look at the man standing in her doorway, and she smiled. “Well hello. I’ll pretend you knocked on my door and I invited you in and all of those other niceties. They stepped it up a notch, did they? I was wondering when they would send you. Your reputation precedes you. Anyway, my life wasn’t worth ****. Neither was my undead death either, except perhaps I became slightly more useful to the dredges of society. But you must certainly already know how much my “true death” is worth. You don’t strike me as the cheap type. Tell me, how much did they pay you up front?”

Vanessa dropped the smile, not really expecting any answer to her sarcasm other than probably forfeiting what might have been a quick and painless death. “I take you as the hunter type. If you are expecting a further drawn out cat-and-mouse game, you are SOL, bud. I’m tired of this. I’m tired of running, particularly from the usual morons that fancy themselves as bounty hunters. You would be doing me a /favor/ by just killing me quickly. Seeing as how you chose to come after me at almost daybreak, I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. Nobody can hear us. It’s just you, me, and this one-roomed dump, so have at it.” Her slight rant over, Vanessa sighed and went back to staring straight up at the ceiling, though her other senses were keenly aware to every move the man made.

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

"Well hello. I’ll pretend you knocked on my door and I invited you in and all of those other niceties. They stepped it up a notch, did they? I was wondering when they would send you. Your reputation precedes you. Anyway, my life wasn’t worth ****. Neither was my undead death either, except perhaps I became slightly more useful to the dredges of society. But you must certainly already know how much my "true death" is worth. You don’t strike me as the cheap type. Tell me, how much did they pay you up front?" So the little girl speaks. Erik laughed a little. Money was what sleazy no good assassins wanted. There was a limit to there pride and their heart. They were the failures to the job. When only money is your reason then you are bound to fail but who was he to apply his reasoning to others.

"Money? Paying me up-front?" A cynical grin crossed his face. "No I like my payment only when the job is done…money before hand will only get me killed if I don’t do my job right. But that is not of your concern Vanessa. The money I have now is from past assignments. Men and rarely women who betray and do wrong to others. Whether those they betrayed are unjust, or justly doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is the person I am highered to track down." He wouldn’t say kill or reveal his tactic just yet. But he had a feeling a chill went down her spine. In any matter he wanted to keep her alive until he knew for a fact that she was guilty. No one would put a bounty on his head because by doing that they in turn make themselves the hunted. He was an excellent hunter, and never failed his mark. His hand ran through his thick black hair causing his sharp blue eyes to glisten.

"I take you as the hunter type. If you are expecting a further drawn out cat-and-mouse game, you are SOL, bud. I’m tired of this. I’m tired of running, particularly from the usual morons that fancy themselves as bounty hunters. You would be doing me a /favor/ by just killing me quickly. Seeing as how you chose to come after me at almost daybreak, I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. Nobody can hear us. It’s just you, me, and this one-roomed dump, so have at it." A frown made its way across her face and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Who said I was gonna kill you just yet. Giving up so fast? Obviously all the other so called bounty hunters were either killed or gave up. If I wanted you dead. You already would be. If you are willing to say your life is worth nothing. Then why haven’t you run to the people that put the bounty on your head and have them kill you?" He smiled and like a cat pounced. His left hand gripped around her neck and he slammed her against the wall. Keeping his other hand open and ready for resistance. "If I truly wanted you dead…you would be…without a doubt." He dropped his hand from around her neck ignoring the panic that fed off her body. One thing that any vampire would be attracted to is fear, and panic. Part of a hunter part of them but he on the other hand ignored it. Didn’t mean he wasn’t attracted to the scent. Just that he was able to shove it away. "So I ask you are you guilty of what they highered me to kill you about. Or do they just want to get rid of a threat?" An enemy is an enemy but a threat is much more. He relaxed and made his way back against the door, and leaned against it. Watching her with keen eyes.

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“If you are willing to say your life is worth nothing. Then why haven’t you run to the people that put the bounty on your head and have them kill you?"

She tensed, sputtering slightly as her air was cut off, twitching but resisting the almost overwhelming urge for self-defense. “Oh…they’re dead…alright…” she said, struggling to talk. “But not…by my…hand.” Vanessa slumped to the floor when he let go, returning to his place by the door fast enough that he might have teleported. He’s fast. she thought, desperately fighting to get control of her panic. If she could smell it on herself, she knew he must have. She was scared, and he knew it. Vanessa allowed herself to flood with anger, angry more with herself than anything else, but HE didn’t have to know THAT. She had no real desire to die. Once was enough.

She took a few stuttering breaths, rubbing her throat ruefully. Vampires didn’t really /need/ to breathe, but it WAS required to talk, and Vanessa had never gotten used to that suffocating feeling not breathing brought. “I might be sick of running, but I’m not going to make it EASY for them. It used to be fun to frustrate them. Anyway, what’s it to you if I did it or not?”

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

Oh…they’re dead…alright…Oh…they’re dead…alright…" The girl slumped to the floor trying to fight the panic that naturally swept it’s way through her body. All Eric could do was watch this with a slight frown. She had inadvertently not answered his question. It was fleeting but he had a feeling she did not know exactly who had hired for her death warrant. That could be a problem if she thought they were all dead than she was wrong. Of course three of the five are dead by his hand for past assignments but that didn’t need to be mentioned to her as to why it mattered. He was an assassin by choice and in order to pay him people have to have a lot of money and indefinite proof the culprit was at fault. However , the people that hired him had money but very little proof. He was no detective but hell he was good at finding little faults in stories, and by god he would be a damn good detective. Not once did he shift his foot or body as Vanessa struggled to conquer her own demons.

"I might be sick of running, but I’m not going to make it EASY for them. It used to be fun to frustrate them. Anyway, what’s it to you if I did it or not?" That was a wonderful question and at that he moved from leaning on the door way to kneeling in front of her…but not as fast as he had pinned her to the wall. He wanted her to see that he had a little compassion.

"That is my business but if you must know I don’t like dealing a death that is not deserved…to be able to take someone’s life is a sin…I just like to take those that are worthy into death…meaning if they are corrupt, and evil I take their life. Of course I’m also a double standard type of guy. Your death warrant was made fast and with very little facts…I am in the knowledge that you may just have been a threat. However , if you want to die that fast I could just take it." He whispered in her ear placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Then just as fast pulled away and moved and slammed the door shut. After that he twisted around to watch her once again curious with her reaction.

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Vanessa laughed humorlessly as he backed off once again and she stood up. She recognized him from somewhere. Recognized his style, recognized his voice. But she was done with these games. “Wow. Sin, eh? You a religious man? For someone that has that kind of philosophy about assassinating people, you sure are working for the wrong people. Ricky sent you, didn’t he? Because of his boy, Jack. If there was ever a bastard that deserved to die…it was him. So you want to know if I did it, damn straight I did it. I did it and I ran. Been all over the states. Ricky, he only sent 5, not countin’ you. I know for fact 3 of ‘em are dead. The other two, one day they just weren’t there anymore. So now I’m back in NYC, waitin’ for him to find me. I killed his son, and the prick won’t even come find me himself. “

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Sig courtesy of the amazing Eferhilda

"Wow. Sin, eh? You a religious man? For someone that has that kind of philosophy about assassinating people, you sure are working for the wrong people. Ricky sent you, didn’t he? Because of his boy, Jack. If there was ever a bastard that deserved to die…it was him. So you want to know if I did it, damn straight I did it. I did it and I ran. Been all over the states. Ricky, he only sent 5, not countin’ you. I know for fact 3 of ‘em are dead. The other two, one day they just weren’t there anymore. So now I’m back in NYC, waitin’ for him to find me. I killed his son, and the prick won’t even come find me himself." Erik rolled his lucious blue eyes at Venessa’s words. He was cynical yes…but seriously a religious man? He would dove into the sun if he was that religious. Hell vampire’s were against every religion. So why would he be here if he was highly religious? His head shook in relief. This girl…damn her to hell but he wasn’t ready to bite at her , and kill her. No games meant nothing to him if the victim died. Maybe he was the worst kind of vampire in the world. But how would he know …he’s just him, and she’s caught his eye? Did she?

"Oh I would say that’s who sent me but the bastard’s son was done with my hands ….or at least that’s what the father thinks, again facts dear girl. There is something bigger…..something tremendously horrifying that wants you dead. I call him the reaper but I could take him down single handily. However….why he wants you dead has something to do with poor little Ricky….such a rookie….you need training dear…training in the art of deceit. You want to know how to play the big bad boys…and turn them into their own worst enemy? I use to be in your shoes…I use to be the hunted…now I’m the hunter…." He moved close enough to venessa where he could almost caress her face. "Running…you look fed up with it…I’ll make you a deal what do you say? I teach you my ways…and you use them when I’m dead? Sound nice?" He let his voice drip with his Old English accent from centuries ago.

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