This is an idea that I've had spinning around in my head for some time now; I tried to write it a few months ago, but I didn't like the results. It got resurrected when I came up with several nasty beasties and a stronger backstory for major characters.

Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this. Enjoy!

x-x-x

The gust of wind blew throughout the underground station. A cacophony of noise rang out as the train roared off into a tunnel, clattering over the rails as it sped off. The noise of the train’s passing echoed throughout the virtually empty subway, fading gently into the distance. Several loose newspapers floated through the air, tossed up by the gust that had been brought on by the wind.

The subway station was nearly empty. Two train lines ran through it, with the main platform standing in the centre of the rails. It was, at this time of night, almost empty.

Almost.

There was a man sitting at one of the stations benches. He wore black shoes, dark grey trousers, and a clean white shirt with its sleeves rolled up. His jacket was folded up neatly under his arm, along with a newspaper. He checked the time on his watch. It was 9:23.

He shivered in the cold air. The man glanced up at the station’s timetable. The next train was due in six minutes. Sighing, he sat back in his seat. The man took a second to consider just how quiet the station was. Usually, there were more people waiting for the trains, but every now and then there were slight gaps where no-one would appear.

He listened carefully.

There was a click-clack coming down the stairs. The man glanced briefly to see a young man with sneakers, jeans and a blue short sleeved shirt entering the platform. Casually, the man turned back to his watch.
9:24.
Damn, time moves slowly down here...
‘Hey.’

The man turned. The young man was standing right beside him. He had moved fast, but without a sound...

‘Sorry, man. Did I scare you?’ the young man asked.
‘No, you just snuck up on me.’

‘Ah. Sorry to bother you, but do you have a light?’

The man nodded. He reached into his pocket and produced a silver Zippo lighter. The young man took it and lit up a cigarette that he had behind his ear. He took a long drag from it.

‘Thanks,’ he said.
‘No problem. Any time.’
‘Nick Hanlon,’ said the young man, holding out his hand.
‘Evan Parker,’ replied the man. They shook hands, but there was something unusual about Hanlon’s hand, it was cold-

Abruptly, he sneezed. Parker jumped slightly.

‘Sorry, the weather’s a bitch up there,’ Hanlon began. ‘I didn’t bring any gloves or a jacket, ‘cause it was pretty warm out there earlier.’
‘I know how you feel,’ said Parker. ‘Try walking around in a suit and tie in this weather. It’s not as appealing as it sounds.’

Hanlon took another drag from the cigarette. ‘I know. I wore one of those once, when I went to school. It’s a bitch to wear it in the summer, though. I hated that.’

Parker chuckled. ‘Once, again, I know how you feel.’

There was a slight rumbling from the tunnel. It was low at first, and slowly built up in volume. Parker stood and put on his jacket just as a blast of cold air came down from the tunnel. He took a pair of gloves out of his pocket and put them on before rubbing his hands together to keep warm.

The train approached, but didn’t stop.

That was because it was on the opposite platform to the one that he was seated at. It raced by, and was gone in a few seconds, leaving a telltale wake of cold air behind. Parker once again glanced at his watch.
9:26.
It would be here any moment.

Parker put his newspaper back onto the bench he had been sitting on and turned to Hanlon.

He paused.

There was something about him, now. Something... menacing. He had his eyes wide and a smirk across his face.
‘Uh... uh, what’s the matter?’ asked Parker. ‘Did I piss you off or something?’
Hanlon smiled. He then started to laugh, and dropped the serious expression.
‘Sorry, I just had to do that,’ he said. ‘Most of the time when someone talks to me, they say I look like a vampire or something.’

As he continued to laugh, Parker took a closer look at the man. Now that he had mentioned it, he did look kind of pale, and his canines...

‘Nah, serious mode, now,’ Hanlon said. He stopped laughing.
‘Okay then...’said Parker. ‘So, uh, how often do you get confused with, vampires?’
‘Uh, you know... mainly on the weekends. Anyways, do you know anything about vampires, Mr. Parker? Anything of the supernatural?’

‘Well, yes, I wanted to be a paranormal investigator as a kid, but I’m a little hazy,’ he responded.

What happened next was almost too fast for Parker to comprehend; Hanlon shot forward, clasped his left hand around his throat, and slammed him against one of the pillars in the station. The grip was so tight around his throat that almost all the blood to Parker’s brain was cut off. He gasped for air, staring at the man before him with bewilderment. Hanlon smiled.

‘You know, I really enjoy screwing with people’s heads,’ he began, ‘because they will never know about what’s going to happen. It’s fun, you know.’

He laughed. As he did, Parker caught a glimpse of his mouth. The upper canines suddenly split open and fell from his mouth as a pair of massive fangs, about as long as a pen lid, slid into place. The gums bled as the new teeth pushed through, and they glinted in the light of the station. The lower canines also extended, although they were much shorter, and the teeth at the front of his mouth seemed to point slightly.

Hanlon closed his mouth and smiled, baring his teeth. He chuckled, lowly and menacing.

‘I love the look of terror in your faces as you die. It’s... satisfying,’ he began.
‘There’s one thing you should know,’ gasped Parker, looking at Hanlon’s teeth with shock.

The blow was shocking.
Hanlon felt his entire throat get smashed inwards and his eyes went wide and he stumbled backwards, struggling to breathe. He released Parker, and stared at him with disbelief.

Parker was clutching at his throat and looked scared, but at the same time appeared to be composed... and he raised his fists.

‘I can defend myself, you bastard,’ he growled. Hanlon rubbed his throat gingerly and straightened, wheezing loudly.
‘Hmm. My mortal weakness,’ he said sarcastically.

Suddenly, he sprung forward, snarling like an animal. Parker ducked and Hanlon smashed into the pillar behind him, shattering the tiles like glass. But suddenly he struck back, smashing Parker in the face and sending him sprawling onto a bench, reducing it to splinters.
Parker coughed blood. His nose felt on fire, as did his jaw. He staggered, trying to stand, when the attack came from the left. An elbow slammed into his ribs, cracking two instantly. Parker screamed, but somehow managed to strike his left arm in the direction of the punch – and hit nothing.

Dazed, he looked around.

Hanlon was gone.

He shook his head several times and looked up again. Nothing. The man was gone. Parker paid attention to his surroundings, ignoring the burning in his face and side. He looked around dumbly...
Hanlon swung down, getting ready to strike. But Parker spun suddenly and delivered a massive punch, with perfect aim, square on into his nose.

Hanlon felt his nose crack. A quick sear of pain shot through his face and he grunted.

But he didn’t stop.

He grabbed Parker by the throat and pushed him to the floor, baring his teeth and snarling. Slowly, he grabbed his nose and snapped it back into position. Parker looked on, struggling for his life, now absolutely terrified.

‘You know,’ began Hanlon, ‘this is quite a surprise. One second you’re quietly and politely talking, the next you show that you have the ability to defend yourself. Tell me, you would hate to be something like me, wouldn’t you?’

He wiped the blood away from his nose. No more came out, but to Parker it looked... almost as if the nose was straightening by itself.
‘I’m giving you a choice. We need people like you for what’s coming up. This is a big event, and you would do well.’

Parker was frozen with fear. He was now well and truly confused.
‘Wha... what do you mean, you-’
‘Mr. Parker,’ began Hanlon, ‘don’t think that I am an idiot, or a madman, if you will. I am being serious. There is a storm coming, and we do not yet have the... adequate numbers to deal with such an issue. A person like you, who trains four days a week in the defence courses that you do would be a valuable asset-’

‘Put him down.’

Hanlon paused. He scowled, releasing his grip around Parker’s throat slightly. He turned to the stairway, as did Parker...

...and they saw him.
A man was descending the stairs. He moved quietly, smoothly, almost as if he was being careful.
The man wore a pair of dark pants with a light coloured shirt. On his feet was a pair of smooth boots, looking clean and immaculate. Over the top of his shirt he wore a leather jacket that was zipped up, keeping something out of sight. Despite the slight darkness of the station, he wore sunglasses. They were darkly tinted; almost nothing behind them was visible.

He reached the bottom of the steps. Once both his feet were on the platform, he stopped.

Hanlon just stared, a smirk sitting on his face.
‘What do you mean, “put him down”? The bastard’s already on the floor.’
‘You know exactly what I mean, Hanlon,’ the man began, ‘let him go and release him, immediately.’

Parker stared at the new arrival with shock. He was trembling, and by now utterly terrified. He felt dizzy from the battering that his head had taken and couldn’t think straight. There was something strange about the new person, though. He spoke with a very smooth tone, almost friendly, but there was something dark about it, as if he were dead serious.

Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. Feebly, Parker grabbed the arm holding his throat, trying to keep breathing. Suddenly, he felt a swinging sensation and realised that he was hanging over the train tracks.

Hanlon chuckled. ‘Oh, come on, you wouldn’t me to drop him, would you? Although the guy put up a fair fight, I doubt that he’d be able to climb off the tracks and onto the platform before the next train arrives.’

The man sighed, as if he was tired of talking. ‘Don’t you remember what happened the last time that we met up? You had five new recruits with you.’

The smile on Hanlon’s face slowly dropped.
‘Bullshit. No, that wasn’t you...’
‘Oh, yes it was,’ retorted the man. ‘That fight lasted for only 30 seconds. And if I can remember correctly, things got very interesting. Now then, if you don’t want to suffer the same fate as them, I’d put the guy down.’

Hanlon’s eyes darted. He started to sweat. Slowly, he lowered Parker. The man lifted up a hand to his jacket and unzipped it, standing in an offensive position. Hanlon put Parker down on the station floor.
‘Good,’ said the man. ‘Now, sir, I’d suggest that you run.’

Parker just stared. He was breathing heavily and shaking uncontrollably. ‘What-’
‘Get out of here, sir,’ repeated the man. Quickly, Parker grabbed his suitcase from the remains of the bench and fled, running up the steps of the station. His footsteps echoed out.

The two stood, at the ready, not daring to breathe.
‘What’s the matter,’ said Hanlon, walking slowly to the side, ‘scared? I would have thought that you’d attack by now.’
‘No, but at least I’m not a coward,’ the man said, circling in the opposite direction.

The traditional Mexican standoff.
‘So then, what are you trying to get the recruits for, Hanny?’ the man asked. ‘If I’m guessing correctly, you’re working for someone.’
‘Kiss my ass.’
‘Maybe later. But anyways, you aren’t the first that has been trying to get recruits. I’ve been watching for the past few days.’

Hanlon stopped. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You know perfectly well what I mean,’ said the man. ‘You’re all trying to get together your own little hit squads, but for what purpose? That’s what I followed you here for.’

Hanlon smiled, showing off his sharp, elongated teeth. ‘You know, your wife begged. So did you daughter, too.’
The man froze. His lower lip trembled slightly. His jaw dropped open slightly and he stared in shock at the person before him. Hanlon chuckled.

There was a sudden flurry of movement. The man reached into his jacket, far faster than would normally be possible, and shoved his fist backwards in a reverse stab motion... skewering the person directly behind him.

The person gasped and stared down at the man’s hand. He was holding a six-inch long spike backwards and had shoved it under the ribcage, hitting the person behind directly in the heart.
Hanlon flinched.
The man glanced over his shoulder quickly, saw the rest of them, and yanked the spike out of the person’s chest. Sputtering, the person spat up blood and began to whimper, clutching at their chest.

‘Why is it,’ began the man, ‘that you freaks always have to take the hard way?’

He rolled forward just as three more people jumped forwards. There was a cracking sound and they opened their mouths, spitting out the remains of their once-short canines.
Vampires. Including the skewered one at the foot of the stairs.
The man looked at them all slowly. He reached into his jacket-
All of them sprung forward. They hissed, they snarled, they get ready to strike-

The first was smacked in the jaw by a heavy steel-capped boot. His entire jaw shattered and the vampire did a flip in the air, landing heavily on a sharp splinter of wood.

The man ducked and the second vampire sailed overhead, while the third tackled him head-on. But the man held his ground! The vampire pushed, only to be pushed back... and as soon as he was off, he was assaulted by a volley of punches to the head and chest.
Suddenly, the man was grabbed from behind by Hanlon. The other three approached as Hanlon licked his li-

THWACK!!

The man headbutted Hanlon straight on his healing nose. He yelped and stumbled backwards... releasing his grip on the man. In a flash, he kicked at something on the floor, grabbed it with his hand, ducked under the swing of one vampire... and buried a large splint of wood deep into the vampire’s chest.
It stared at the splint, trying to scream but unable to.
The man then turned his attention to the other two. They seemed more hesitant, now, more careful.

The man struck out with lightning speed and kicked one vampire straight in the leg. The knee shattered and he roared in pain, only to feel a stinging as a fist collided with its jaws, and then a blinding numbness through its chest. It looked and saw a large spike, sticking through its chest, pinning it to the floor.

A gust of wind blew through the tunnel. Dust and some small splinters of wood were picked up by it.

The man spun around, looking for the final vampire and Hanlon. But they were nowhere to be seen. The noise of the approaching train grew louder.
Something wrapped around the man’s throat. He struggled for a second before realising that it was useless. With a sudden movement, thevampire kneed him in the ribs and he roared in pain, landing on his knees. Seizing the opportunity, the vampire pinned his hands to the floor and, with one swift movement, wrapped a thing cord around his throat from behind. The man, in a feeling of terror, realised that he was choking.

Hanlon approached, smirking.

‘Well, that just goes to show what happens when a revenge-hungry idiot decides that he wants to become a Marvel superhero,’ he began. ‘It always ends up the same. It’s a shame, really, we could’ve been buddies.’

Hanlon reached out and grabbed the man’s sunglasses, removing them. Immediately, the man squeezed his eyes shut and winced in pain.

‘Oh, that’s right,’ Hanlon continued, ‘that’s what happens when you cop a bit of a Malkon’s venom in your eyes. Man, Braille was laughing his ass off all night. Shit, that must really, really suck right now, to have the light in your eyes.’
The man gasped. The noise of the approaching train was getting louder. The sign of the headlights were visible in the tunnel.
‘Lefty, finish him,’ said Hanlon.
‘Yes, sir,’ replied the vampire.

Suddenly, the man stood quickly, shooting up like a rocket. The vampire stared with bewilderment as the man took hold of his hands with an iron grip and, without warning, jumped backwards.
The vampire felt his head hit the floor of the station with a series of cracks as the tiles below shattered. His head was okay, but he was dizzy, seeing spots before his eyes, and it felt like he was moving backwards and his head felt like it was hanging of the edge of something-
Too late, the vampire realised what was about to happen. He screamed as his entire torso went over the edge of the platform and then there was a crunch and the man, with the legs of the vampire still around his chest, was hurled from one end of the station to the other.

The train rocketed past before a loud screeching noise cut in. Slowly, it came to a halt inside the tunnel away from the station.
Calmly, the man stood. He pulled a new pair of sunglasses out of his jacket before he brushed the dust off and headed back to the area of the station where Hanlon was.
Hanlon scowled violently. With shocking speed, he raced up the steps of the station, practically flying up, before disappearing at the top. The man just watched him go.

Then he turned to the vampire still at the base of the steps. He was lying propped up against a wall, panting heavily, fear in his eyes. The hole in his shirt was covered in blood and he was deathly pale, unable to stand.

‘In case you’re wondering, no, I’m not going to kill you,’ the man began, ‘I don’t have a gripe with you yet. Just get plenty of bed rest.’

With that, the man jogged up the stairs to the street above.

And the vampire just sat there, breathing heavily, trying to calm down as concerned commuters gathered around he and the three bodies on the station platform.