Jason woke up on a cold, hard floor, his whole body aching. "Ugh..." he touched the scrape on his forehead above his right eye. "Ouch." Blood left off on his hand. He stared at it for a moment and then his eyes focused on the metal ceiling above him. "Where..." He groaned as he sat up and his eyes widened. He was in a small, cement room with a tiny window at the top of the back wall. On the other side, metal bars blocked his way. "I'm in a cell?"

"The boy is awake," a man with long black hair, standing outside his cell said.

Another man approached his cell from the darkness, his red eyes glowing. He stood in the light and stared down at Jason. "What does my woman see in you, boy?" he scoffed, running his fingers through his golden locks.

Jason knew who he must be right away. "Evan?"

"The one and only."

"She not your woman," Jason spit on Evan's polished shoes.

"Tch, you think it's wise to spit on your captors?"

"I can't do much else from in here," Jason remembered he was a vampire and mentally cursed himself for letting his anger get the best of him.

"You think you could do anything even if you weren't behind bars?" Evan flicked his wrist up and Jason flew to his feet.

"What the..." Jason wobbled, struggling to stay standing.

"You are nothing more than a fly to me." The door to his cell flew open and Evan stalked towards him. He stood in front of Jason, towering over him.

Swallowing hard, Jason glared up at him. "At least Samantha wants to be with me and I don't have to chase her around the country to even have a moment in person."

Evan growled at him, baring his fangs. "It doesn't matter what she wants. She is a valuable asset and will be coming back with me to the clan permanently."

"Seriously, dude, what's wrong with you? Can't you go after a girl that actually wants to be with you?"

"You have quite the mouth on you."

"Only when I can't contain my rage."

"Oh, I've enraged you, have I?" Evan laughed.

"When you don't get your way, you set your croonies on innocent people and take lives like they're nothing. You intentionally hurt the woman I love. You kidnap me because I'm the one she's interested in. How can I not get mad at a man-child having a hissy fit?"

"What did you call me?"

"A-a... man-child! Arg." Evan punched Jason in the gut, sending him flying into the back wall. "Ugh..." Jason coughed blood as he curled up on the ground.  "So manly... picking on a human..."

Evan grabbed Jason's hair and lifted his head. "I don't know what she sees in a little shit like you, but if I didn't need you as a hostage, I'd rip you to shreds." He shoved Jason into the wall, bashing his head against it, and walked out of the cell.

Jason could hear the cell door screech closed and Evan's footsteps as he walked away. Struggling to move, Jason checked his pockets and pulled out the vial of Samantha's blood. He got lucky; they didn't bother to search him. He took a sip of blood and put the rest away. His hand ran into something else in his pocket. A syringe he forgot Roy had handed him earlier that day. It was supposed to be a concoction to dampen both witch and vampire powers.

His wounds started to heal and he could move enough to sit up.

He glanced at the syringe, careful to keep it out of the guard's sight, and hid it away in his pocket again. He couldn't do much against Evan, but that concoction could be his only chance to help once his friends once they've found him.

He closed his eyes and fatigue took over.

Samantha and Roy stood in his basement in front of a slew of weapons and a bubbling chemistry set.

"Should that be left unattended?" Samantha asked, pointing at the bubbling liquid.

"Don't worry about it; it needs to cook for hours before it'll be of any use," Roy said. He grabbed a syringe from the table. "This is what I have to work against your vampire-witch. It'll temporarily rid him of his magic and dampen his vampire abilities." He held it out to her.

"Seriously? How'd you make it so fast?"

"As much as I'd love to take the credit, it wasn't me. My dad did, and apparently, he's been working on this for quite a few years."

"How do we know it'll work?"

"He said he was sure, but I have no idea if it's been tested. I kinda doubt there are many vampire-witches around."

"He's the only one I've known in all my time."

"I wonder if he's the reason my dad made it."

They exchanged wondering glances.

"I suppose it's possible they've met... since he's a hunter and all," Roy said, nodding. "Before they had me, he used to travel around the continent."

"How'd he end up settling in one place? From what I've heard, hunters generally stay on the move."

"How else do wanderers end up sticking to one place? He fell in love."

Samantha smiled. "That's sweet, but he ended up continuing as a hunter even though he has a kid... and trained his kid?"

Roy laughed. "Yeah, he couldn't stay away from it for long and it seemed to find him anyway. He really does like continuing the 'family business' it seems."

"And you're okay with it?"

Roy shrugged. "Ended up saving my best friend, so I can't really complain."

Samantha bit her lip and stared at the syringe. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm the reason he's in danger right now and the reason you had to save him in the first place—"

"Save it, Miss G; I know how much he cares for you and he wouldn't stand by and let you face this all alone. Besides," Roy scratched the back of his head. "If he didn't go after you romantically, I would've."

"I thought you were only after me as the 'hot teacher' you'd love to have an inappropriate relationship with?"

"Did he tell you that?"

She tapped her ears. "I've heard you two talking about me before... on many occasions actually."

"Oh," he laughed. "I should've known with the whole... vampire hearing... thing..." Even though he knew she was one, he always seemed to forget.

"What are you two lumps standing around for?" Will appeared behind them, scanning the room.

"How'd you get in here?" Roy asked, certain he had locked the door.

"Not all that hard; your house isn't warded or anything and unlike in the movies, vampires don't have to be invited in."

"Right... That would be handy though. I wonder what stops vampires from just entering peoples' houses then."

"Can't say they don't break-in, but if we brought too much attention to ourselves then we'd be hunted more."

"Even though your stronger, faster and have better healing abilities, vampires are still afraid of humans?"

"You have the numbers on us, and it's not just the humans we'd have to worry about if we did something like that."

"Oh..."

"Can't say there haven't been issues with vampires breaking into houses though... Most of the time, when a vampire attracts too much attention either another vampire – sometimes their own clan – a hunter or a witch goes after them."

"And I suppose if vampires went to take over, it'd ruin a lot by limiting the blood supply," Roy laughed.

"It would."

Roy swallowed, having not expected him to agree.

"Besides," Will sighed. "Can you imagine how rundown and desolate the world would be if the vampires took over, treating humans like cattle? Wasn't there a movie like that...? Anyway, that's not important. I got talking to a werewolf friend who agreed with us on the whole 'purposely causing strife' and they're currently getting in touch with their clan, who knows the ones fighting with Evan."

Roy shook his head. "Kinda lost me there, dude."

"I've figured out the most likely location and they're going to check out the other two in case I'm wrong. Once they've checked their places, they'll come to us as backup."

"And hopefully we're okay?" Roy's voice hitched.

"Since when are you afraid to run into a vampire's den?" his father asked from the doorway. "We've done it more than once already."

"Dad..."

"You've always been reckless, running in head first, so what's the difference now?"

"Now Jason's life is in our hands."

Roy's father's eyes widened. "Jason was taken? Then I should—"

"Don't," Will turned to Roy's father. "We can't have any more humans caught in our war."

"I'm not any human; I'm a hunter and one that's survived long enough to reach my age."

Will thought for a moment. "You might slow us down with your old age, but could you do Jason a favour?" Will asked, mentioning Jason to urge him to agree.

"Depends on what it is, but if it's for him, I'll try to help."

"Can you go to Jason's house and keep his little sister safe?"

"Maggy..." his face paled. "Is she okay?"

"She... doesn't know about Jason being kidnapped... yet... But I want to make she's safe."

"I can do that," he walked over to his weapons and took a few smaller ones he could easily hide on himself. "But what excuse can I have to come over?"

"Just bring some snacks with you and say it's from either Roy or Will and guilt her with loneliness to let you stay," Samantha suggested.

Roy and Will turned to her. "What?"

Neither of them knows she's crushing on them... both?

"Trust me when I say it'll work," she smiled at him.

Roy's father's face lit up. "Oh! I see what you mean... I think I have something she'll like to see," he glanced quickly at Roy, his smile growing. He had caught onto Samantha's meaning and if she was crushing on Roy, then she'd love to see his photo albums.

"Why do I have a bad feeling?" Roy asked, his brows furrowed.

His father wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry about it; keep your focus on saving Jason. Now, I know we've met a number of times before, but is Maggy going to let me in."

"What if I ask her to keep you company?" Roy asked.

"How about we just tell her the truth?" Will suggested, knowing the pain of being kept completely in the dark himself.

"Are you crazy? She'll try to escape or—"

"Do you know her well enough to say that?"

"Do you know her well enough to say otherwise?"

"I think I do," Will pulled his phone out to call Maggy.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Roy lunged for Will's phone.

Will turned to the side, dodging him. "Doing what no one wants to."

"You can't tell her that Jason is in danger; she'll freak out!" Roy lunged at him again, knocking over a rack of swords in the process.

"I'm not an idiot; I'm not going to be that specific, but I will let her know your father's going to show up at her house to keep her safe."

"And you think she'll sit still?"

"She is acutely aware of how powerless she is in this situation and she'll understand why he's there."

"I promise to be good company," Roy's father held his hand over his heart, smiling.

"Shouldn't you be against this?" Roy snapped at his father.

"It's not really my place to say what's right or wrong in this situation. Heck, there might not be an actual right or wrong, so it's whatever you guys decide is best for her."

While they were distracted, Will rushed past them all, up the stairs, and called Maggy.

"Tch... He's just doing whatever he wants without us figuring things out together," Roy complained.

"You seem pretty worried about her," Samantha said.

"Of course, I am; she's like a little sister to me."

"Ah, I see." I don't think she'd like to hear that though.

Will came back a few minutes later. "She understands and will be expecting you, Mr... What's your last name?" He pointed at Roy's father.

"Harrison," he replied.

"Really? I thought it was something else..." Will often only remembered women's names.  "Anyway, she'll be expecting you soon and you can stay as long as needed."

"Sure thing," Mr. Harrison turned to his son. "Stay safe, kick some butt, and get Jay back."

"Of course," Roy nodded. They hugged and his father rushed upstairs to grab some photo albums, hoping to sneak them out without Roy spotting him.

Roy held the syringe out to Samantha again. "You're the most likely to get close to him and use it."

"What is that?" Will asked, reaching out for it.

Samantha snatched it, holding it close to herself. "It's our way to weaken Evan enough to kill him."

"I see." Will clenched his fists and teeth, holding back. Once again, she'd have to be the heroine, but this time, he was determined to help. "Do you have any more of those?"

"I gave the only other one to Jason this morning," Roy said.

"You what?!"

"I gave—"

"I heard what you said, but why would you give it to him?" Will snapped, his palms bleeding from clenching his fists too tightly.

"Because he's the most likely to be taken, and hey, guess what? He was!"

"Who's to say they didn't search him and take our only other dampener?"

Roy threw his hands into the air. "Who knows what happened?"

"Ow," the boys both groaned, jerking forward from being smacked in the back of the head.

"Can you two focus? What's done is done and we need to get a move on," Samantha huffed, standing between them with her arms crossed. Jason... I can't have it happen again. I won't let you suffer the same fate as Nero... Even thinking about him and his gruesome end at the hands of Evan pricked her eyes with tears.

"She's right," Roy turned to pick up a few weapons. "Do you vamps want to use anything or prefer your bare hands?"

"Why is there a gun?" Will asked. "Have you managed to make silver bullets that work?"

"Yes, but they're extremely expensive, so we don't have a ton of ammo. Plus, we have to make them ourselves and they're a bit finicky, making them hard to create."

"So if I give you enough money, can I take the gun and all your ammo?"

Roy remembered their mansion in the woods. "I guess you're loaded, hmm?"

"Old family money we've managed to keep with us through the years, even while fleeing."

"Would be best to ask my dad if it's okay, but since we're on a time-crunch, go ahead."

"Will do," Will picked up the handgun and admired it.

"Silver burns you, right?"

"Yes."

"You're going to have to be careful with the clips," Roy handed him two bullet clips. "It's not much, but you should be able to take out a bunch with a shot to the heart... How's your aim?"

"Perfect," Will smiled. Over the centuries, he had trained on all sorts of guns from a variety of mentors from all over the world.

"It's all yours then."

"Thanks."

Samantha grabbed a belt of daggers and wrapped it around her waist.

"Um, those are silver..." Roy warned her. "Might hurt to use..."

She walked over to where they had clothing and picked up a pair of leather gloves. "I'll be fine," she pulled the gloves on before checking over his other gear. "I probably shouldn't bring too much; I wouldn't want to weigh myself down."

"You're a vampire; aren't you super strong?"

"Yes... but it would also hinder my movements and I'm going to have to move fast."

"On that note," Will pulled a blood bag out of his backpack. "You should make sure you're at full strength."

"As I have been doing for a while, I fed off of Jason recently..." How long have I been? Pain spiked in her head. An image flashed in her mind of Will staring into her eyes and she could hear him telling her that Jason was her lover. What was that?

"Sam? Are you okay?" Will asked, reaching out to her. She stared at him blankly as he gripped her shoulder.

Did he hypnotize me? She narrowed her eyes, staring at him as she struggled to remember.

"Samantha?" his brows furrowed as he ducked down a little to look at her face.

"It's nothing... don't worry about it," she gritted her teeth. More of Will's words as he hypnotized her came back. He did, didn't he?

"Are you sure?"

"Yup," she moved away from him to the stairway. "Now if you two are set, I think we should go save Jason."

Roy double-checked his quiver and variety of special bombs and daggers. "Yeah, I think I'm good to go."

Will held a vial of blood out to Roy. "This is Samantha's blood; it's special and can heal you..."

He still has those?

"Right... I'm not so keen on drinking vampire blood—"

"Take it, Roy; it might save you," Samantha assured him.

"Okay, dude, but I don't want to come back as a vampire... I've killed so many."

Will scoffed. "So have I, and we don't want you as one either, but it's better than absolute death." Will shoved it into his hands.

"Thanks..." Roy pocketed it.

"Let's go..." Samantha rushed up the stairs. Please be okay.

"I'll drive," Will said, following her.

"Ugh, this is crazy..." Roy grumbled.