Bold stumbled backstage. The battle took a toll on him. Had it not been for the powerful effects of the Yokai blood, he would have faltered and handed over his first title to Takoma Sato. He limped towards the exit, holding his Submission Title Belt and Ultimate Wrestling Franchise Championship tightly over his shoulders, his thirst building in his core, hungering for more.
Chuluun Bold: Breathing heavily, he leans against the wall, his eyes glowing faintly in the shadows. Takoma Sato... fought well. But tonight, I... was victorious.
A voice pierced the stillness of the silence surrounding them. The vampire stood at attention, hearing the heartbeat within the darkness.
Voice from the Shadows: Cold and authoritative. Chuluun. You have done well.
Chuluun Bold: Looks up, his fangs visible as he snarls. I did as was asked, Takoma won’t be an issue for much longer, his body broken and battered, his skull likely fractured and his arm still needlessly broken. Give me what I desire!
From the shadows, one of the Yakuza Enforcers that basically acts as the vampire’s handler emerged, holding a glowing vial, and a larger secondary vial of crimson.
Yakuza Enforcer: You will get your reward, vampire. But first, you must prepare yourself for your next task.
Chuluun Bold: Eyes the vials hungrily, but restrains himself. What do you need from me?
Yakuza Enforcer: There is a shipment arriving at the docks. It is critical to our operations. You will ensure its safe arrival. Fail, and you know the consequences.
Chuluun Bold: Growls, his hunger making him restless. And after that?
Yakuza Enforcer: Smirks. After that, you must prepare for your next opponent. I hear it is an upstart, a newcomer, one who possesses abilities not quite unlike yours, but still of flesh and blood.
Chuluun Bold: Nods, determination and hunger burning in his eyes. Very well. I will prepare for the docks. Give me the information about my next opponent when it becomes available and I will find the weaknesses in their defense.
Yakuza Enforcer: Hands him the vials. Good. Now feed, and prepare. The docks await, and the night is not getting any younger.
Chuluun Bold: Grabs the vial, his hands trembling. He uncorks the glowing vial and downs half of it greedily, holding off slightly to keep the rest, before swiftly downing the entire vial of normal blood. A look of relief washing over his face as his strength begins to return. I will not fail.
—
The air is thick with fog, and the sound of waves crashing against the pier creates an eerie atmosphere. Chuluun Bold, now revitalized from his Yokai blood feeding, lurks in the shadows. He watches as a group of men unloading a ship in the dead of night at the unmarked dock. He watches crates being unloaded from a small ship.
The Mongolian watched silently at the men working. They were not Yakuza, they were some other organization. These men were of varying Chinese dissent, natural enemies of the Mongol empire. The vampire waited calmly, watching crate after crate hastily unloaded from the boat. He closed his eyes, smelling the salt from the crested waves lapping at the rust encrusted bottom of the vessel, smelling the cover of rotten fish and barnacles used to mask the scent of their cargo. He listened and counted the heart beast among the sailors. He felt their rhythm, the beating building from their hastened work and lack of cardio, frantic and full of adrenaline from their illegal activities, even beyond the scope of the Yakuza themselves. But there was a sixth heartbeat, very calm, and very still, beating almost once every minute or two.
That had to be the cargo that the Yakuza were after. The men had to be dealt with first. The vampire slid into the shadows, heading towards the boat with incredible speed, climbing onto the vessel, before ambushing the single man on the ship. Covering his mouth and sinking his fangs deep into his jugular, he pulled viciously, tearing the flesh from bone, spraying its contents into the sea and his waiting mouth, drinking heavily, before carelessly dropping the body into the sea with a splash.
From the noise of the machinery working on moving the crates and cargo, it went unheeded. The vampire moved quickly, claiming man after man, muffled scream after muffled scream, drinking lightly from each body, but being careful to not drain too much, just a taste, just enough for sating his thirst. The four bodies on the dock, the Mongolian propped into their boat, before slashing the rope docking the boat to the port, and pushing it back out to the sea. The boat will be spotted quite easily, its crew, foreigners and illegal trespassers from their ancestral foe. If the police divulge the information to the media, there would be no sympathy. It looks like a freak accident, and potentially a shark got on the loose.
The vampire watched the ship set out, bobbing up and down on the waves for a moment longer. The heartbeat once more, slightly faster, perhaps sensing Bold on the dock. The vampire moved towards the crate. It looked like wood on the outside, but just by feeling the container, it was covering a large steel box encompassing its inhabitant. The Mongolian knocked lightly on the box, weak like a human, listening to the heartbeat. It seemed to remain at the same pace for a couple of minutes. Bold then knocked louder, beyond the force of a human. Immediately the heartbeat stirred into a normal rhythm, loud and forceful.
The vampire pulled the food from the steel container, revealing the box, with very tiny holes at the top of the box. The holes were enough for air to get through, but nothing else.
Chuluun Bold: Another captive of circumstances, who are you?
The voice was piercing and raspy, a voice that revealed an age of centuries, and yet timeless and powerful.
???: A name is a powerful weapon, I shall not provide you more.
Bold smiled. This being has yet to be broken and humbled by their confinement or servitude.
Chuluun Bold: A name carries weight for those who wield it. I am Chuluun Bold, a vampire of Mongolian descent. You know more about me, you have more power over me, if not your name, provide me any knowledge about yourself so that I may assess if handing you over to the Yakuza is the proper action.
The box remained quiet for a few moments, before finally speaking.
???: I was betrayed. Told to come here to assassinate an individual, but it all went wrong due to the disease spread around the mortal world. I got trapped in this crate, enough to breathe, but not enough to escape. I am not a servant, I am one who rules.
Chuluun Bold: And yet here you are, trapped and confined by the dead men, and now at the mercy of a vampire.
???: That I am. I cannot promise I won’t rip you to shreds if you release me, however I must be reminded of my state. I am certain the Japanese mongrel that desire my abilities wish to do me harm.
Chuluun Bold: And forced slavery, to do their bidding, and to be subservient to their goals.
???: A vampire enthralled by his prey, how amusing.
Chuluun Bold: Says the Chinese Yokai boxed with a pretty bow on top. Tell me more about yourself, we need to figure out if we can aid each other.
???: I desire peace and quiet, however I was tricked and lured here by a spirit riding one’s body to assassinate one of their rivals. I am the one who ended the Shāyú. I am the master of chains. I am Sheokaga. Now, release me and we can lay waste to this pathetic island nation.
Chuluun Bold: Now is not that time. There are more that need our help. If we step out into this right now, we will be outnumbered by foes stronger than us combined. However, there are prisoners chained like me, who need to have their chains broken. As a master of chains, you should know the taste of freedom after one’s shackles are released, correct?
Sheokaga: What are you getting at?
Chuluun Bold: We can stack the numbers, with those like us. Wolves among the sheep. We stack it together, we can be unstoppable. I know some who will assist us in this process, and all desire the taste of freedom.
Sheokaga: I am listening to your words, but all I am hearing is slavery. I am no one’s slave. I will kill those that dare stand against me, ripping their bodies and souls asunder. Bold, know this. Once I am free, I will tear you limb from limb.
Chuluun Bold: I am not the one who captured you, and I am not the one enslaving you. But I will be the one who frees you. If you still desire to kill me, I will meet you fang and claw. Do not threaten me idly.
The vampire stalked away from his bounty, signaling the air, before the lights of a large unmarked white truck illuminated the docks and approached the cargo. The vampire stole off into the night.
—
Bold’s power was waning, but he couldn’t indulge in his elixir of life at this time. He needed to save it. He sat in his personal room at the Yakuza hideout. It had a coffin which seemed a little macabre, but also the necessary items for a comfortable day to day living, complete with a refrigerator with different types of blood. There was a television that was constantly on local news channels with translations on it if needed, but the Mongolian didn’t require it as he was fluent in Japanese.
Bold cracked his neck, standing up, and clicking the channel on the television to one of the test rooms where the metallic box lay. Gas was pumped through the vents to sedate the crazed monster within that crate. Bold knew the creature inside was unpredictable and extremely lethal. Great care must be handled with them, both physically and diplomatically if they are to succeed without destroying themselves completely. Bold sat back down, glancing at the papers on the table.
Bold poured through the papers in front of him. Drake Nygma, the Sphinx, the Might of Egypt. His ailment is a mystery. Was he always born into his role, or like himself, forced unto it. Regardless, his actions in the ring suggest that he is one to play the villain, keeping the action slow and methodical, while dismantling their foes step by step.
The vampire sipped idly from a blood pouch, reading about his next opponent, his move set, his actions, his accomplishments. Always accompanied by their own version of a thrall, a caretaker of sorts. An Egyptian woman named Dollia Trypp. Maybe the Sphinx is only in control due to this thrall of theirs. She always accompanies Drake to matches, always on his heels. What if she is the source of their power. Bold contemplated about the match, the steps needed, and the ensuing war he will have to fight. Since his conversion to a predator of the night, not many could overwhelm him with their offense. Sure he took his blows, but they regenerated prior to exhausting themselves entirely. Takoma’s Heart Punch, Vastrix and their cybernetic enhancements, Lulu Biggs and their mass. Step by step, each foe was laid low, but none had supernatural abilities such as Nygma.
The vampire smiled. A true test, maybe someone finally able to lay him low. In a confrontation, losing to someone like Drake would alter the Yakuza’s plans a bit, realizing that they have yet another ‘monster’ to deal with… that is if they don’t convert them first. A man like Drake might be enticed by the power that they have to offer, but being a lone wolf and the love of being in control might put them at odds. He bared his fangs.
Chuluun Bold: Drake, I am coming for you. I hope you bring everything you got. I know I am facing something that predates my blood line by at least four thousand years. Despite that, I am not a mere mortal like you have challenged before. I will put you through the toughest challenge of your life. Whether or not I am facing the man or monster in that ring, I will do all in my power to bring you low, and see you submit to me. The only way to break me is by knocking me unconscious. I will show you exactly what the vampiric bloodline can offer a full blooded Mongolian warrior. I have never backed down, and I won’t yet. Bring all you got Sphynx, and I will do the same!
-Fade to black-