Sarah Town, Vampire
New York State.
On a quiet country road leading to a small town, an ordinary Ford sedan rolled along.
Xu Mo sat in the passenger seat, calmly closing a thick file.
"You don't look surprised at all," Hill muttered from the driver's seat. Her eyes stayed on the road, but her voice betrayed unease. "Do you even realize what we're walking into? This is the legendary vampire!"
Xu Mo smiled faintly.
"Relax. Believe me, compared to what's out there, vampires don't even crack the top ten."
The file in his hand contained SHIELD's investigation reports. For the past six months, tourists had been vanishing in a small town in upstate New York. The numbers were staggering—hundreds gone. SHIELD had sent agents to investigate, but none returned. Even a Level 8 agent dispatched last week had disappeared without a trace.
The only clue came from one last garbled message: three words—"Vampires are here."
Nick Fury, out of options, had cashed in the favor Xu Mo owed him. That was why Xu Mo was here, with Maria Hill as his handler.
To Xu Mo, the situation was hardly dire. In the Marvel world, vampires were far from the top predators. They feared sunlight and silver, and their strength, while beyond ordinary humans, was still limited. An armed, determined fighter could cut them down. In a world where Hulk and Thor existed, vampires were cannon fodder.
And for Xu Mo, they were more than that. They were points—resources. If he found their nest and wiped them out, the rewards could be enormous.
---
The car rolled to a stop before a modest hotel in Sarah Town, nestled in northeastern New York. Once a sleepy village, its medieval-style castle and preserved Gothic buildings had made it a tourist draw. The town had flourished—until the disappearances began.
Xu Mo stepped out, removing his sunglasses. He eyed the pointed castle towers in the distance and allowed himself a small smile.
"The scenery's not bad. Worth a visit."
Hill heaved two long cases from the trunk, glaring at him. "Do you seriously think we're here for sightseeing?"
Even for a seasoned Level 9 agent, the thought of facing vampires was enough to tighten her chest. Xu Mo's casual attitude only annoyed her more.
He glanced at the weathered hotel facade and shook his head.
"Really? Fury stuck us with this place? At least pretend SHIELD isn't broke. Tell you what—come work for me. I'll double your salary."
Hill rolled her eyes as they stepped inside. "Sure. If I get tired of Fury, you'll be the first I call."
Xu Mo smirked but said no more.
---
Their cover was simple: a traveling couple. SHIELD had already lost too many agents here—subtlety was survival.
Inside their room, Hill set the heavy cases on the bed and keyed in a code. With a hiss, the locks released.
Xu Mo peered inside. Weapons—of course. SHIELD's vampire kit.
Hill pulled out a long, gleaming blade. "Silver alloy. Custom-forged."
Xu Mo accepted it, testing its weight. With a lazy flick, he sliced through the wooden headboard. The cut was so clean the wood slid apart.
"Not bad," he muttered. A twitch of his hand, and the blade vanished into storage.
Hill's jaw dropped. She grabbed his wrist, checking for hidden compartments, scanning the floor for tricks.
"What the—? Where did it go?"
With a faint gesture, the blade reappeared in his grip… then blinked out again.
"Call it… a special ability," Xu Mo said smoothly.
Hill blinked, her shock fading into realization. "You're… a mutant?"
"Something like that," he answered, not bothering to clarify.
The rest of the kit included a pistol with silver rounds, a belt of ultraviolet grenades, and—Xu Mo raised a brow—a spray bottle.
"What the hell is this?"
Hill cleared her throat. "A repellent. Silver-infused skin spray. Supposedly makes vampires lose interest."
Xu Mo gave her a look. "So basically garlic water in a fancy bottle."
She thought for a moment, then smirked. "The difference is, after using this, normal people won't run away from you."