Bathory Blood

After Dark

For all intents and purposes, the After Dark nightclub was just like any other. It had three state-of-the-art dancefloors all set atop giant springs, so the floor vibrated as the bass from the speakers thrummed through it. Everyone who was anyone would be there each weekend, with all the very best from society in attendance. Actors, politicians, and renowned criminals mingled took cocaine, XTC, and had the great times VIPs should have.

The real action, however, happened underneath the building. Beneath the thrumming dancefloors was a network of underground tunnels and cavernous rooms, all furnished with modern amenities. Some of the rooms contained private dancefloors, each with their own music and completely soundproofed. Other rooms were set up for more acquired tastes where every depravity was catered for. No matter whether one had a penchant for hurting animals, or even children, then this was catered for without judgment or need of reprieve.

Minerva hated it. Not that she didn't have depravities of her own. For her, it was homeless people. They were just so pathetic and worthless that she took great delight in delivering them the most severe pain her creative mind could come up with before slaughtering them. The chauffeur drove through a security gate and into the private tunnel to The Basement, as Lucius and his friends were so fond of calling it, darkening the car's inside so much it was difficult to see the doctor. Minerva hated the club because everybody knew her and looked to her as though she were some type of all-knowing, all-seeing god. Oh, she could play the game. The smiles, sitting atop the solid gold throne they had made for her, even setting up a throne room. Minerva would sit there and accept gifts and the like for her multitude of adoring followers. It often felt that the only reason they did it was that she knew all of their deepest, darkest secrets.

In many cases, Minerva knew the people who partook in the blue blood better than their own families. She didn't want their gifts or their fawning. It would be worse tonight as it had been so long since she had been. Despite this, Minerva was determined to have some fun. The news on the vampire genome was just too good not to be in the mood to party.

The private road that led to The Basement was so far away from the After Dark nightspot that nobody would have ever guessed it led directly underneath.

"You've been before, doctor?" Minerva asked, sensing Dr. Frank's apprehension. Of course, she knew that he already had, many times, his penchant for young boys was well known.

"Yes," he replied, surprised that she didn't remember. "It's just..."

"The guilt you feel afterward," Minerva finished for him and sighed when he nodded. Guilt was a part of her human nature she had stopped experiencing a long time ago. Minerva had consumed so much blue blood that she was barely human at all anymore. But she did remember what it was like. Human emotion could be painful, so she sympathized to a degree. "What do you want from all this, doctor?" He met her eye for a time as he computed the question.

"To succeed," he said finally, considering this to be the answer that would satisfy her.

"And then?"

"Well... I... don't know." the doctor replied.

"All this work and you have never wondered if, once you had the power in your hands if you would be tempted to use it for your own ends?"

"Of course I have," he replied honestly, "But I'm happy just being me. I don't need power." Minerva considered his answer for a short time, arriving at the conclusion that he must be lying. His s****l depravities were all based on power. It seemed to her that the doctor was merely hiding his true ambitions because he felt too weak to reveal them. She wondered if, once he had the knowledge to meld human genes with the vampire, he would have the courage to use it for himself. Minerva doubted it, but experience had shown her to never rule anything out. She would have to keep an eye on him.

The road ended in a large car park built to be capable of holding up to one thousand vehicles. Minerva's chauffeur didn't park in any of them, though, and instead pulled up outside the impressive gold-laden double doors of The Basement. The car park was a notorious hangout unto itself, where the elite of the elite met to have s*x, partake in drugs, or experiment with their vampire powers. So many heads were turned as Minerva's limo pulled up, and a small crowd gathered, gasping and applauding as she clambered out of the vehicle. Minerva had selected a black frock covered in diamond-flecked sequins. About her neck, she wore a black cape taken from Lord Dragul, an Ottoman vampire lord, some five hundred years ago. He wasn't a very tall vampire, so it fitted her perfectly without any need for alterations. At its front was a clasp made from shards of his skull. Vampire bone is so tough it takes a diamond-tipped drill to penetrate it.

Minerva absorbed the applause with polite smiles as she waited patiently for Dr. Franks to take her hand. Most knew who the doctor was by now, but they had never seen him in Minerva's presence before, and many wondered if they were in a relationship as they walked hand-in-hand through the solid double doors.

There was never any need for security which was a good thing. People who found out about the vampire blood and did not partake themselves were usually victims and, if not at the time, knowing it would seal their fate. The secret had been kept for hundreds of years, with only a select few knowing of it.

Of course, things were far different now, with Minerva at the helm. The power base of the Vesuvius clan had never been so strong. She found it surprising that none before her had dared to attempt the power grab she had. Minerva had been just like the others at first. It was dangerous, they said, they will find you, destroy you, and take the cow for themselves. 'The cow' was how the family had come to know Erzsebet. It was far safer than using her name out loud and was humorously fitting. However, their fear of losing the cow was a weakness that Minerva wasn't prepared to tolerate. She knew the history, and her family's intention was to one day use Erzsebet to take power for themselves. The rest had ignored this and been content to enjoy the pleasures the blue blood afforded. It disgusted her to think of their weakness, and yet, she also applauded it as the other factions were so disassimilated. Effectively lulled into a false sense of security. There was really nobody who could stand in her way. She would take the country's presidency and then, soon after, the leadership of the entire world.

And why not, Minerva thought? She'd felt her life slipping away after her husband died several years ago and knew that she would soon follow him, having done nothing. Not to mention, she has been leaving Lucius in charge, who would, undoubtedly, have ruined everything.

The familiar boom of the Techno-induced bass-line greeted Minerva and the doctor as they entered the lavish cloakroom - an ample open space with several kiosks operated by AI-controlled humanoid robots. No expense had been spared. Despite the cavern-like quality as the walls were gray stone, plasma lights and LEDs provided various hues. The floor had been replaced with granite throughout what amounted to more than a mile of square space.

People parted like the red sea as Minerva made her way into the central dance area with Dr. Franks in tow. This was a vast room, the size of three football fields with a dancefloor made of light blocks that flashed different colors in time with the music. The DJ was an AI humanoid bot who would occasionally wave at the crowd who flew and jumped around the room while high on vampire blood.

"I'm going to... uhm," The doctor wanted to say his private room, but his conscience prevented him from uttering it. He would remain ashamed of himself until the blood began taking effect, which was thankfully pretty much instantaneous, especially when administered intravenously, which was his preferred method.

"Oh, just go," Minerva said a little too impatiently; her eye had been caught by a beautiful young, black male. He looked around twenty or so, but at her age, it was often difficult to tell, and he was wearing a thin pair of denim jeans along with a pink silk shirt that showed his muscular frame. He looked so clean, he shined. "Go, go, go," Minerva reiterated, keen to not have him cramp her style. Grateful that more wasn't being made of it, the doctor scurried away, leaving her alone. Minerva made her way to the bar, where she was quickly joined by the dark, young man who moved with natural athleticism and grace she was sure wasn't from the blue blood alone.

"Femi," he said, introducing himself. There were only three Afro-Caribbean families in Minerva's circle, so she took a punt. "Musa's son?"

"Yes," he grinned, pleased that she knew of his family.

"You handle it well," Minerva shared as the humanoid AI bartender, replete with a white shirt and a bow tie, served her a glass of orange juice. Alcohol could interfere with the passage of the blood and even dull its effects, so although it was sold, it was very rarely partaken of. Femi wasn't sure if she was talking to him or not and frowned. "Alcohol with the blood," she said, nodding toward the bottle of Budweiser in his hand.

"Oh, I haven't yet," Femi admitted. "As much as I love it, it's that which makes me afraid."

"Afraid of what you might do?" Minerva was surprised to discover that he was yet to have any blood and imagined that he would be very powerful indeed when he did. Of course, one needs to know what to do with that power.

"No," he replied, "Afraid that I will not have any limits. The blood it... takes away my ability to feel. I'm pitiless." Femi grinned then, ashamed of what he saw as a weakness.

"That is not the weakness," Minerva assured him, "Human emotion is the weakness." She studied him as he mulled this over. He was tall, strong, and had grace, everything she looked for in a man. "Would you like to join me in my private rooms?" she ventured, already knowing that he wouldn't refuse. It was clear what he wanted and that he was attracted to her power. Minerva wasn't naive enough to think that he was interested in her old body. Although she took care of herself and worked out regularly, she couldn't be enough for a man like Femi. He nodded in response and smiled almost coquettishly, already relinquishing his manliness, which is not what she wanted. Why do men assume powerful women want to be like men? Now, it was far easier for her to tell he hadn't had any blood yet. "Come," she said, wanting to get him away before he became too unattractive and human. "Let's get you fixed up."

"May I?" Femi asked upon sight of the gold throne. It stood alone in a large room with a red carpet leading to it.

"Of course," Minerva nodded. She meant Femi no harm but couldn't help but consider, as she locked the door to prevent them from being disturbed, what it would be like to s*******r him. He leaped onto the throne, crossed his legs, and attempted to look as regal as possible. "Suits you," she imparted, watching his ego inflate.

"King Femi." he proclaimed.

"And why not?" The question made him feel uncomfortable, and then, as though only just realizing where he was, Femi stood.

"I'm sorry, I haven't got any blood with me. I completely..."

"I have plenty." Minerva smiled knowingly, "Which I'm sure you were aware of."

"It simplifies things," he grinned and stepped toward her. However, Minerva shrunk back and headed to one of several doors that branched off the throne room.

"Patience, young man." Minerva opened the door and walked inside her security room. A small area with the walls completely covered in screens, each showing a viewpoint from somewhere in the club, even into private rooms. In the middle of the floor protruded a control panel.

"Should you be showing me this?" Femi asked, closing the door behind him.

"I expect that everybody expects it already," Minerva said.

"I had no idea," Femi offered by way of an argument.

"You've never thought about it long enough," she retorted, paying particular attention to where Dr. Franks had a naked, eighteen-year-old boy chained to a wall. The doctor, high on vampire blood, taunted the boy with his less-than-average p***s, taking pleasure out of the tease.

"This record too?" Femi asked, frowning at the doctor's antics.

"What do you think?" Having seen enough, Minerva moved to another door and swung it open, revealing it to be an opulent bedroom. "I know everything. I'm a queen; did you not see my throne?" Minerva disappeared inside the room, and Femi had to move quickly to slide inside after her before it closed.

The four-poster bed was raised from the floor and draped in the finest silks. Minerva was standing at a large fridge which seemed slightly out of place amid the opulence, with the door open. Inside was rows and rows of one-millimeter syringes filled with Erzsebet's blue blood.

"It's so beautiful," Femi stepped closer to the fridge, not daring to get too close, and peered inside. "Why did you pick the color blue?" he asked, "I get why you call it blood. It's a cool name, and when you take it." Femi breathed in deeply to show how wild it sent him. Minerva smiled at his ignorance. Nobody but her, Lucius, and Doctor Franks knew where the blood came from and what it was. To everyone else, it was simply an exclusive drug that very few people could afford. Rather than answer, Minerva simply handed him a syringe.

"I..." he stammered, waving his hands and taking a step back.

"Intravenous is the best way," Minerva informed him, guessing correctly that he didn't like needles. Most preferred to waste their money and drink it. Despite Minerva's supply, she was never wasteful of it. Who knew how long Erzsebet had left to live? Six hundred more years wasn't written in stone, so Minerva had always been cautious with it. Soon, she wouldn't have to worry at all, as Erzsebet would not be needed at all, and she could be finally put to rest as the others were. "Sit down, I'll do it for you." Her voice went suddenly deep, and Femi obeyed instantly. Sounding like a demon was something Minerva could turn on and off at will. It was one of the effects of the blue blood. Vampires had far deeper voices than humans and could deepen them even further when angry or providing orders.

Femi allowed Minerva to push him onto his back on the bed, and she hoisted her dress before straddling him, feeling his growing bulge pushing against her crotch. She unbuttoned his shirt, and then, impatient, she ripped open the rest of the buttons, revealing his muscular chest. Minerva traced his pectoral muscles' contours and slid her finger down through the crevices between his abdominals. She bent low and kissed his soft lips, and he lay there, happy for her to be in control.

With their desire for each other approaching its peak, Minerva removed Femi's shirt and used it as a tourniquet about his arm. Once a suitable vein emerged, Minerva injected the vampire blood into him. It hit him almost immediately and unexpected as he gasped, lifting from the bed, pushing Minerva aside. The change in him as fast as he went from being practically self-conscious to suddenly full of confidence.

"I've never had it happen that quickly before." Femi laughed as he felt the increased strength in his muscles. "I just wanna jump something."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Minerva lay back on the bed and opened her legs. Femi growled and headed towards her. As Femi leaped onto the bed and kissed Minerva, the bedroom door flung open. Instantly, Femi flew from the bed to defend Minerva.

"Who the hell are you?" snarled Lucius. But Femi wasn't the type to talk and was about to leap on Lucius and tear him apart.

“He's my son,” Minerva warned. Femi cooled, apologized, and stepped aside. "I asked you a question." Lucius wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily and the two stared each other down.

"None of your business, Lucius. Why are you here?" Minerva was angry at having her lovemaking disturbed. Lucius knew the look of anger in her eyes well, but something had gone so wrong that this couldn't wait till later.

"I need to speak with you alone. Now."