A Mutant Collector Quest

Standing on the balcony of your hotel, you gaze out at the slumbering city of Belgrade, a swirl of emotions washing over you. Tonight has once again revealed that even the most tranquil cities conceal untold mysteries and shadows lurking just beneath the surface.

"At least this is Marvel and not the DC world," you chuckle dryly, shaking off the weight of your thoughts.

Before you can dwell on it further, a faint buzzing draws your attention. Your small Bio-probe has returned. "D.A.I.S.Y., can you show me what it recorded?" you ask aloud.

"Sure, Luke," D.A.I.S.Y. responds, her voice coming from the Focus magnetically attached to your ear. In front of your eyes, a footage from the Red Night Club parking lot is played out. The image zooms in on a sleek black 1968 Dodge Charger.

You watch as the car door swings open on its own, and within moments, the vehicle roars to life and speeds out of the lot.

You don't find this strange as you know that Blade is behind the wheel. Sending the Bio-probe to the parking lot was a gamble, but it paid off. While Blade himself can't be detected by any technological means, his vehicle could certainly be tracked.

The Bio-probe, controlled by D.A.I.S.Y., follows the car as it races through the empty streets, the footage is fast-forwarded until the car enters a large, rundown factory building.

"This building is an abandoned factory on the northern outskirts of the city," D.A.I.S.Y. informs you.

"Good work," you reply, a small smile spreading across your face. You are pleased to have pinpointed his base of operations. Although Blade had mentioned his preference for working alone, hearing the name Deacon from Racquel's lips has led you to theorize that whatever is unfolding here might be connected to Blade.

Speaking of Racquel, you are reminded of the new power you have just acquired. "D.A.I.S.Y., from here on, record every detail of my body; I am about to use an untested power," you say, a hint of apprehension in your voice.

"Understood," D.A.I.S.Y. replies. The Bio-probe shifts to face you, and the Focus on your ear glows blue, scanning your body.

You close your eyes and retreat to an empty mental space. In this vast expanse, you observe numerous gaseous clusters, each a different color and size.

Ignoring the larger ones, you focus on a newer red cloud. You reach out with your mind and activate it willingly.

Suddenly, you open your eyes, and the dark night transforms before you. The world is no longer shrouded in shadows; it shines as brightly as day.

You quickly realize that this must be the 'Night Vision' power—an ability you have already experienced when you are in your Black Cat form.

"Lucas?! Are you still here?" D.A.I.S.Y. asks, a note of alarm in her voice.

"Yeah, can you pull up the feed from the Bio-probe?" you ask curiously.

The Focus device projects the scene of the hotel balcony into your eyes, but there is no one there, the balcony where you are standing is completely empty. "Lucas, you are not showing on the thermal scans, and even the Focus device's scan which should be still on your body can't detect you … This invisibility is very different from Miss Storm's light-ray bending. If I had to compare, it's more akin to the case of the 'vampires' from earlier," D.A.I.S.Y. explains, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.

You wave your arms around, but the screen shows that the balcony is still completely empty. "Fascinating," you say, narrowing your eyes. "Not only my body, but anything I am wearing is being ignored by the scans." You pull out your phone from your pocket and casually toss it in the air.

The moment it leaves your hand, the phone appears on the Bio-probe's scan. But as soon as you catch it again, it vanishes. You rest your hand on the railing—yet the railing stays visible on the camera feed, while your hand and body remain invisible. "Interesting. Physical contact alone isn't what triggers it."

With a thoughtful frown, you say, "This is a blind spot in our surveillance system. We need a countermeasure for it. Log this under the Magic folder, Vampire subfolder, as 'Supernatural Invisibility.'" You take a deep breath. At least a vampire's voice isn't hidden from technology.

Yes, this strange new power you possess is Vampire Physiology, something you recently gained after the intimate encounter at the nightclub. The power coursing through your veins feels... alien. Something feels off.

You suddenly realize that your chest is still. There's no rise and fall, no heartbeat. You attempt to take a deep breath, but the air halts at your lips, never reaching your lungs. Strangely, you feel no discomfort, no urge to breathe.

With growing curiosity, you place a hand over your chest. Nothing. No pulse. No sound. A strange detachment washes over you. "Am I… dead?"

The thought doesn't frighten you. It intrigues you. "I need to find a live vampire to dissect," you murmur. "This physiology requires further study. And knowing the scientists I have at my disposal, one subject won't be enough."

You test your body further, moving with quick, sharp motions—punching and kicking the air. "Strength and agility seem unaffected," you observe, although you still will need a more comprehensive assessment when you return to Watson Tower.

Your fingers traces along your sharp, elongated canines, and memories of Racquel's bite resurface. Along with that, a burning sensation ignites in your throat—a new kind of hunger. A thirst.

Suddenly, you can feel it—blood. It is as if you can smell it, see it, taste it in the air. Like a homing signal, you sense a person nearby, just a room away. Their blood pulses, calling to you like a beacon. You almost need to feed.

But with sheer force of will, you suppress the primal urge. "So this is the infamous vampire thirst," you mutter with a smirk. Despite the pull, you remain in control—for now.

Just as you are about to test your final new power, the sound of footsteps pulls your attention away. Quickly, you deactivate the ability, and the world around you plunges back into darkness.

"Luke? You alright, mate? I just sensed some kind of monster's presence over here!"

You turn to see Elsa, fresh from the shower, her damp hair clinging to her head as droplets of water glide down her skin.

"It's nothing, El," you say with an apologetic smile, feeling surprised that she could sense your vampire form from her room. "I was just testing out a power of mine. Didn't mean to alarm you."

"Oh?" Elsa raises an eyebrow, intrigued. "How many more of these 'powers' have you got tucked away, then?"

"Take a guess," you reply, smirking.

"Alright, keep your secrets," she says, shaking her head playfully before coming to stand beside you. She gazes out at the city and, after a moment, her expression softens. "You sure you are alright?" There's a hint of concern in her voice.

"Are you asking if I'm okay after killing hundreds of vampires?" you say, the smile fading slightly.

"Vamps are already dead, mate. Technically, you are not killing them—just putting them out of their misery," she corrects with a mildly amused look.

"They didn't seem all that different from humans, though," you admit, exhaling deeply as the weight of it hits you.

"On my first vampire hunt, my father told me that monsters often take on the form of their prey to blend in, hunt, and hide better." She takes a deep breath, her eyes hardening. "So, I should just blow their heads off and don't think too much about the face it's attached to."

"And you were only nine then?" You look at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, but I was a nine-year-old Bloodstone, mate," she replies proudly, flashing you a grin. "Don't dwell on it too much, alright? Focus on the next hunt." She deepens her voice, imitating her father's tone.

"But how can you distinguish between monsters and humans if you don't focus on their appearance?" you ask, still grappling with the haunting images of the vampires' anguished faces as they burned. You can practically feel the NZT's effects fading, the adrenaline from the fight subsiding, leaving you with a cloud of lingering doubts.

Elsa's fingers brush the red gem on her choker, but she quickly pulls them away. "You have got to trust your instincts, Luke. Sometimes that is all we have got." She punches your shoulder lightly with a smirk. Her eyes land on the Bio-probe hovering nearby. "Oh, isn't that the little flying robot you sent out into the club?"

You notice she is trying to shift the conversation, and you decide to let it go—for now. Instead, you pull up the recorded footage from the Bio-probe and display it for her.

"So, you are planning to meet Blade, then? From what I have heard, he is not exactly keen on working with others," she says, sounding doubtful.

"Funny, coming from someone who said the same thing about herself yesterday," you say, raising an eyebrow. "Yet, here we are. You and I teamed up pretty well tonight, didn't we? Blade might say no at first, but I think he will come around. Besides, it doesn't hurt to try."

Elsa chuckles. "I don't team up because most people can't keep up with me. But I will admit, you are a bit different from the rest, Luke." She gives you a small smile, patting your shoulder. "Let's go inside—I have got some things to go over with you." She turns and heads back toward the apartment.

Your eyes trail after her, and you can't help but admire how those tight jean shorts cling to her sexy ass in all the right places. You resist the urge to activate the X-ray mode on your Focus—barely.

Following her inside, you can't help but mentally curse your genius, albeit lustful, mind for designing the X-ray function in the first place. It is going to test your willpower constantly in the future, especially when you are always surrounded by such hot babes!

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Isaac Espinal

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