The Misadventures of the Man Formerly Known as Victor Heart

A tall slim man walked into an abandoned warehouse with every inch covered in graffiti. The man walked to the center of the large inner room and looked around, but seemingly missed the figure hiding in the shadows.

The figure looked like a nine-foot-tall skeleton wearing a skin suit with cheekbones and ears that could cut glass. His eyes were a blazing red, and his mouth was adorned with multiple rows of fangs. This was a form that stronger vampires could take, it increased the physical attributes at the cost of needing a lot more blood to sustain.

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Reginald Taft

“This guys sucks”

Grade C

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The figure approached the man by sticking to the shadows. When it was close enough it leaped at the man’s throat. The figure wrapped its large, clawed hand around the man’s throat and raised him into the air.

“Any last words blood bag?” The vampire’s rancid breath billowed out into the man’s face.

The man chuckled and then said, “I like playing with bombs too.”

With that said, the man grew bright golden cracks all over his body that rapidly expanded.

The vampire’s grayish brown face turned even grayer, and it dropped the man. It then tried to escape the blast zone, but it was too late. The man turned into a large blast of golden light that seared the entire back half of the creature.

The crippled creature was in the fetal position on the floor borderline crying in pain when it looked up and saw the man that had just blown-up walking towards him followed by a woman.

***

As I followed Reggie’s trail, I added apples from my surplus before the residual energies in my fruit ran out and changed my suit. I had several just for such an occasion. I stored the remnants of my previous suit as they had become imbued with the concept of sacrifice and thus would make for great material.

Finally, after a thirty-minute walk, we had arrived at where Reggie was holing up, an abandoned warehouse. I spotted a large source of blood essence hanging off one of the rafters in the corner of the central room.

I knew that if I walked in there it would be a tough fight and that was without the pounding in my head and soul. Matthew’s Water was just not up to the task of dealing with a powerful vampire that seemed to be in a special state.

Now was the time for the gift I had created just for little Reggie. It was a bomb puppet that was made in my image. It was little more than a holy water ballon though.

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Holy Water Bomb Puppet

“BOOM”

Tier Zero

Releases a blast of holy water attributed energy when activated

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I sent the puppet walking into the warehouse. It looked pretty natural to me due to the puppeteer skills I had picked up. It was a little jerky due to the mental and soul damage resulting from my recent explosive experience.

When the puppet reached the center of the warehouse I had it spin in place while miming looking around in an attempt to draw out my prey.

The fish took the bait and when I set off my bait, it tried to escape the hook. A futile effort when dealing with a fisherman such as I.

After the creature got a back that matched my own, Brogan and I entered the warehouse.

It was an ugly creature before the explosion and the patches of carbonized flesh did not help its appearance.

I unloaded a holy water bullet into its heart utilizing the created hole to both finish it off and to avoid retribution from getting too close.

The entrance and exit wounds grew golden cracks that spread all over the creature’s body which turned to ash after the cracks completely covered it.

I collected some of the death essence created from the creature’s demise and created a pale green dog tag that I added to a ball chain.

I collect them to document my noticeable kills. Currently it was just my first kill “Nameless Killer Clown”, my first eradication of a group “The Detroit Branch of The Crypts”, and the third simply read Victor Heart. It was an artifact that did nothing but document my history at the moment.

I added the blood essence that I collected from old Reggie to the essence collected from Charity and shaped it into a small crimson beast artifact. The artifact crawled up my arm to my chest before turning into mark bearing the image of a crimson beast trapped inside a similarly colored ribcage

“What the f*ck was that?!” Brogan screamed.

“A contingency.” I then looked to my companion and said, “Let’s round my turn to an hour twenty as I’ve lost either way. Sound good?”

“Sounds great to me. I’m getting my free dinner either way.” Brogan said with a sh*t-eating grin.

***

In a high-end restaurant, two twenty somethings were having dinner.

“You’re really squeezing the most out of this free dinner. I even had to make your dress for you, for free again.” The man wearing a tan suit with a blue tie told his companion.

“And you got to see me in said dress for free.” The beautiful raven-haired beauty wearing a slinky red dress retorted.

“Fair enough.”

“So, I know this is several weeks too late, but if I am to share a meal that’s not pancakes and french fries with someone there is something I must know. What is your actual name?“ The woman asked.

“This is going to sound real overdramatic and cringy, but the man I used to be died. I’m still deciding on a name. For now, let’s go with Jesse. I could ask you the same though Brogan.” The man now known as Jesse explained.

“You know my name, but Olivia. My name is Olivia and that’s pretty much decided.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Olivia.” Jesse said before extending his hand for a shake.

“Nice to meet you as well Jesse.” Olivia shaking the offered hand.

“Okay next question, what were you before you were this?”

“An accountant.”

“You were an accountant?!” Olivia got out between laughs.

“Yeah. I was a good one too.” Jesse said with a chuckle of his own.

“An accountant is rapidly becoming one of the greatest monster hunters and serial killers in the country?”

“What made me what you call a code F, also took some things from me: fear, worry, love, memories, and so much more. While those first three are not completely lost, all are heavily dampened. Odin gave an eye; I gave a heart.” Jesse explained.

“You’re insensate. You lost both your eyes. And your ears. And your tongue. And your nose. And your fingers.”

“Then I got quite the raw deal, but I did get a new friend.” Jesse told his companion while raising his glass for a toast.

Jesse than asked a question of his own, “Any other questions?”

“Are we going after the one behind the war after dessert?” Olivia stated with a grin.

“Of course. Fun and adventure remember.” Jesse grew a grin to match.