T Comics Presents #3

T COMICS PRESENTS:

Von Vultur

New York City

The Crow's Nest Bar

June 13, 1984

10:01 am

Jeffrey Gladwell felt oddly good as he was winding his way through a part of the city to a bar he had never heard of before. As good as he was at following the directions and winding his way in the summer heat of a sunny day, he wasn't in his twenties anymore. He was a sixty-year-old man trying to stay relevant enough to keep a job doing what he loved as a reporter. Despite a sudden pep in his step, he was eager to meet an old resourceful contact named William. William had been a source for things of a weird and supernatural nature and occasionally of a more criminal nature as well. With his help, he managed to make something of a living working for various newspapers. Now, times have changed. The paper he's working for now has him doing "kiddie fare" that has more appeal to kids than the adults he was used to dealing with.

After a cab ride and walking for what seemed like an eternity, he made it to an alleyway. He looked once again at the handwritten note he received with the directions. It all checked out. Then he noticed a small sign on the side of the building with bar's name, The Crow's Nest, and an arrow pointing toward the end of the alley.

Jeffrey sighed after he saw the sign and walked down the alley to a dark metal door. The door creaked loudly as he opened it and it slammed shut behind him. Inside the bar had a darkness about it that seemed darker than it should. It gave him a momentary shudder as he looked around. The small tables that dotted the main area were black with little mini lamps in the center. At the bar, a tall, long ebony haired man gave a nonchalant look at him as though he was sick of seeing him.

"Good Lord," Jeffrey said under his breath as he stared back at the bartender and then to the rest of his gloomy surroundings, "I'm in gothic hell."

"Mr. Gladwell!" a voice called out from the far end.

Jeffrey noticed as a man walked towards him. He was tall like the bartender, with somewhat angular features and a noticeable widows peak of dark brunette hair. He walked with a confident stride as though he owned the place. Wearing a black dress shirt and pants, he outstretched his arms in a welcoming motion. As he came up to him, Jeffrey felt an odd coldness in the air that seemed to emanate off him. "Yeah?"

"Mr. Gladwell, so we finally meet."

"You're William?" Jeffery asked, expecting a much older man due to the off and on years of contact he shared. The man before him looked to be in his thirties of early forties at best. "You can't be. You look so young."

"Hah, flattery will get you everywhere today, Mr. Gladwell. I assure you that I am William. Though I should be asking if you are Mr. Gladwell. You are looking stouter and hairier than I expected. I guess this is a day of surprises. Once again, I assure you that I am the same William who told you about that gang fight back in 1971, the massacre in the Bronx club in 1969, and a whole lot more. Now you have asked for more of my help on a subject that I find very interesting." William said as he guided Jeffrey to a private booth near the back of the bar.

As he sat down on the black leather seating, Jeffrey noticed the almost predatory smile that William was giving him. Jeffrey caught himself staring and said, "I guess we're both not what we thought. To be honest, I am surprised you even had anything for me on this subject that my editor got me looking into. Seems like something that's for little kids or horror fans. To be honest, I'd love to be able to leave that paper. "

The bartender walked up so quietly to their table that Jeffrey jumped a little in his seat. The tall pale man placed two drinks before them and a plate with a large steak that looked very rare and bloody.

"Ah, thank you, Siegfried," William said nodding his approval to the pale bartender. "I have been in the mood for a little meat right now. The drinks are Bloody Marys. I remember you saying they were your favorite in our old discourses. Please have one on me."

"No, no, I..."

"I insist," William said with a touch of seriousness in his eyes with a somewhat commanding tone.

Jeffrey grabbed the drink and took a sip as if he was in race. The sudden change in his demeanor caused a shot of fear within him. As he sipped his drink, he saw that William watched intently as he gulped it down and placed the cup on the table. The taste was what he said it was, but there was an odd aftertaste that made it delicious.

William's smile grew bigger and his countenance became more cheerful again. The bartender stealthily brought utensils for William and set them before him on the table. Before he walked away, Jeffrey saw what he believed was a small smile from the bartender as he looked at him. "Quite an establishment you've got me in for this first meet."

"You like it?" William said as he started cutting into his bloody steak. "I own it. Started this place back in the seventies with my ex."

"You're married?" Jeffrey asked, thankful for a well-meaning conversation to get started.

"Not anymore."

"Kids?"

Once again, William's cheerful countenance took a turn. Soft, yet hurt. "A son. We don't...speak these days. Touchy subject I rather not go any further about if you don't mind." He took a bite into his steak and asked, "Now about your subject?"

Jeffrey's face wrinkled as he watched William eat the bloody steak and chew it with a little blood coming from the corner of his mouth. "Uh, yeah. My editor wanted me to do a write up about vampires, if you can believe it. He said that it had to be about the real thing not the movie stuff people see. Thought at first of just watching a few movies and grabbing a book out of the library, but he could probably see right through it. So, I decided to shake a few trees in my contacts. You were the only one to respond back without laughing at me."

William swallowed another piece of steak and said, "Your editor sounds like a smart man. I'm glad I can help. I have a fondness for dark and obscure things as you may know by now. Vampirism is a subject I have studied for a long time now. If you're ready, I can share my knowledge with you."

Jeffrey took another sip of his drink and pulled out a small pocket notebook and pencil. "I'm ready. So, what can you tell me about these fictional mythical creatures of the night?"

William took a sip of his drink and said, "Well, first, they do exist. On my honor, I swear they do. In fact, there are a number of them in this city right now."

"So you expect me to believe that blood drinking creatures are walking around right now? Do they have jobs? Sleep in coffins?"

"Yes, and yes. Basically, these are people who have a condition that requires them to have human blood to survive. The benefits give them a slowed down yet advanced metabolism that causes them to age at a crawl and be in above peak condition compared to the average human. They're stronger, faster, and more durable."

"Right," Jeffrey said in a disbelieving tone.

"Maybe I should share with you what my research has come across about where they come from."

"Go ahead."

"Well, I conducted some research into what the legends say much like you are now. As time went on, I found older records and came across a few possibilities of what they are. One is that vampires are the result of humans being infected by some ancient disease that transformed them into what they are. At some point in the distant past, a 'Patient Zero' became the first infected with this pathogen and has since spread it over the centuries."

Jeffrey took another sip of his drink and said, "Makes sense. However, that doesn't explain the stories about crosses and stuff like that repelling them. Like in the movies. What about that angle?"

William ate the last of his steak and patted his lips before replying, "That does bring me to another aspect of where they come from. I have heard stories that speak of something that may be the source of not only vampires, but other creatures as well."

"Other creatures?"

"Oh yes," William said. "There are other, as you called them, mythical creatures out there other than vampires. Werewolves, gargoyles, giants, and the like. Creatures that are just as real as they are, but even more hidden due to their more aggressive nature. I found an old Egyptian scroll that spoke of something that happened in times past. Before the Great Flood of the world..."

"Wait a minute! You don't believe in that fairy tale too? I think I can trust in there being blood suckers than that happening."

William's face took a more serious look. "I assure you that billions of people don't consider it a fairy tale, but a matter of faith, truth, and history. History that was passed down through the ages to where we are now. Such as that of vampires. The Bible mentions the Flood and so has other faiths and cultures. The stories may differ in the details, but one thing remains: the whole world was flooded and only a few survived."

"Okay, so where does this lead to vampires?"

"As I was saying, before the time of the Great Flood, the world was a very different place. Stories of various types overall speak of so-called 'higher beings' having relations with human women and birthing horrors upon the world. The Great Flood destroyed the first group of them before they corrupted all mankind. After the Flood, these 'higher beings' started all over again, but they were measured in their relations. During this second group of horrors, vampires were born. The first ones were powerful and half human. They created the first human converts to vampirism. However, their higher being origins are shown in their creations aversions to objects of true faith when wielded by those who believe."

"So that's why vampires don't like crosses and stuff?"

"Crosses and Star of Davids affect them the most. In the hands of a believer, they are potent."

Jeffrey was quickly writing his notes and stopped to ask, "Can I have some more of this Bloody Mary?"

"Of course," William replied and he motioned for the bartender.

After the bartender refilled Jeffrey's cup, he quickly took a huge gulp. Then he asked, "So other than being supposedly stronger and faster, what else can they do? Can they change into animals like some of the old movies show?"

"That is a more interesting answer than you realize."

"How so?"

"Remember what I said earlier about the supernatural origins of them? The average vampire is what I said earlier. Some increase their powers either by time or instruction. They tap into the power of the 'higher beings' that birthed them and become Vampire Lords. As a Vampire Lord, one could transform into mist, a wolf, or a bat. As far as I have learned, those are the only forms they could shape shift into. A Vampire Lord can also fly, or more like glide, without changing into a bat. They can also command such creatures to come to their aid. Despite these upgrades in power, they are still susceptible to being staked, being beheaded or burned to death."

"What about the sun?"

"Bah!" William said, disgusted by the notion. "One old movie puts the notion that one beam of sunlight can turn a vampire into dust. Preposterous! Truth be told, the sun is a weakness for them. Younger vampires will begin to burn in direct sunlight. Older, more powerful ones, can stand it for hours before seeking shelter. That's where coffin use comes in. They are shielded as they sleep during the day. Before that, they would look for dark caves or crypts. Some would even burrow underground to escape it. You see, a vampire's normal time is nighttime, and everything revolves around that. No different than a human's normal time is the daytime. No matter the power level. a vampire is weaker during daylight hours and in the sunlight."

"So, no poof?"

"No poof. Nighttime is our daytime. To operate in the day is to be less powered and vulnerable to attack."

Jeffrey drank the last of his drink in one gulp. "Ah, that's some good stuff you got there. Now I can't help but notice that you just said, 'our daytime'. Are you trying to say something or was that just a slip of the tongue? I mean, you meet me here for a first meet after all these years and you look as though you haven't aged since God knows when. I watched you eat a raw bloody steak in front of me. Was that for show or are you a vampire? I mean, you seemed to be very passionate on the subject so far. Since we are on the level of full disclosure."

William smiled and laughed a bit to himself in a way that made Jeffrey nervous. Then he looked at Jeffrey with a wide grin that showed long canine teeth growing before him. His eyes took on a glistening ruby shine to them.

Jeffrey's first instinct was to run, but he found himself unable to move as he stared into William's eyes. The eyes. They borrowed into the depths of his mind and body. Every desire to move was cut off from his mental direction. His eyes widened as he realized that he might die in seconds. Instead of instant death, he saw William just sitting there smiling.

"Well," William said as he straightened himself in his seat and clasped his hands together on the table. The bartender came over to the table a second later and smiled at Jeffrey, revealing his fangs before taking William's plate off the table. "I cannot tell you how long I was waiting for this moment. Now it is time for some more full disclosure as to who I am and where we go from here. Right now, I have demonstrated another gift of being a Vampire Lord. The power of hypnosis. The moment I locked eyes on you; you were mine to do with as I will. You're probably wondering if I am going to kill you. Oh, you have the ability to move your head now."

With tears in his eyes, Jeffrey nodded yes.

"Relax, dear friend," William said, "you have nothing to fear from me. At the moment, you are helpless. So, listen. My name is not William. My name is Wilhelm Hartmann of Germany. I was one of Nazi Germany's top flying aces and spies during World War II. I was a member of the notorious Dr. X's Inner Circle and enemy to the super soldier Major Victory. After an accident nearly killed me in 1950, I was turned into a vampire by Baroness Blood. In the years since, I took note of your writing and followed your career as best as I could. I even gave it a boost with things I either knew or caused. To be honest, it gave me a slight thrill to be a part of your writing exploits like that. It surprised me years later to see you older and not in the high standing you once had in the journalism world. The victim of too many people draining your work and livelihood. Like...vampires. Heh."

Jeffrey realized he could talk and said, "What are you going to do to me?"

"The real question is what have I already done to you."

"I-I don't understand."

"You have no clue as to what I have gone through to get to this moment, but you will. About a few weeks ago, I learned of your slow fall from grace. I decided to take it upon myself to improve your standing in a way that you did not see coming. After silently watching you for a while, I started giving you some of my blood in small doses. Sometimes it was in something you drank or ate. The effects are already starting to act upon you. How did you feel this morning? No aches and pains? When you came here and drank your Bloody Mary, you ingested a rather large dose of my blood with it. It should be making some larger changes in you by now. You couldn't get enough of it for a while. The hunger is starting to appear in you."

With his body still frozen, Jeffrey cried out, "Noooo!" He could feel his teeth sprouting fangs of his own within his mouth.

"That's the spirit! Oh, I didn't tell you how I got you here. I bumped into your boss the day before and planted the suggestion in his mind for the story that you're doing. I figured you would contact me to see how I can help you and here you are."

"Why?!"

"Simply put, I need friends and allies right now. I have risen considerably in the ranks of The League of Vampires and am now a Vampire Lord of high standing, but it’s a tenuous position. Now I need people loyal to me in places of power and influence to help me with my real plan for vampire kind. I have enjoyed our correspondence over the decades, Jeffrey, but now I need you. Your inquisitive mind and eye for patterns. Now I need for you to finish your transition quickly. As part of your education, this is the part that will hurt you the most to know. You see, vampirism has its own baptism. Like Christian tradition, death is needed before you can start your new life."

Jeffrey shook his head and said, "No, no, no, no!"

Von Vultur stood up and forced Jeffrey to stand up as well. Then he placed his hands upon shoulders and with fangs bared went for his neck.