Adrian frowned as he picked up the invitation resting on the stone bench. He wasn't particularly interested in a masquerade ball, but the idea of meeting attractive new students intrigued him. An invitation from the sorority house was a trivial perk of his first day at Metropolis University.
After confirming his dorm assignment and classroom locations, he left the campus. With his super speed, he arrived in an instant at the Justice Society Headquarters.
Inside, the Kryptonian woman was still confined in a specially built cell designed for powerful extraterrestrial prisoners. The room was saturated with green kryptonite, weakening her to the point of immobility. Exhaustion and pain warped her features, leaving her unable to move even a finger.
When the door opened, she looked up, eyes heavy with fatigue, to see Adrian standing before her.
"You—"
Her voice faltered as she saw his expressionless face.
"What is your name?" Adrian asked after quietly studying her for a moment.
"Rika," she whispered, breathing deeply. Her once stern and dominating presence was gone, replaced by weakness and despair.
"Rika," Adrian repeated, nodding. "What is your connection to General Zod? Is he still imprisoned in the Phantom Zone?"
At the mention of Zod's name, Rika's eyes narrowed with anger, though her voice was a whisper.
"You will not get information from me about Zod."
Adrian's lips curled into a cold smile. In the next moment, Rika experienced a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down, alarm spreading across her face as the intense pain overwhelmed her weakened body.
The object that pierced her was glowing green with kryptonite. It had sliced through her skin and was clearly doing irreversible damage.
But it was not a weapon. It was a syringe.
Adrian stood over her, drawing vial after vial of her blood into a specially prepared tube. He had no intention of killing her, at least not today. Extracting Kryptonian blood for research was his primary goal. Gathering information was a secondary objective he would pursue when the time was right.
Rika cried out, gasping and trembling, as the kryptonite inflicted pain. When Adrian finally withdrew the syringe, he looked at the collected blood and spoke without emotion.
"The thing I never lack is time. I will wait until you decide to speak."
With that he turned and walked out, leaving Rika gasping and glaring after him. Bitterness and outrage flickered in her eyes as she watched his retreating back.
He treated even his own kind with ruthless indifference.
—
That evening Adrian attended the masquerade ball at the sorority house. Guests were expected to come dressed as their favorite characters. Bunny girls, nurses, adventurous huntresses — the hallways buzzed with flirtatious energy and youthful excitement.
Adrian hadn't bothered with a proper costume. He wore a white jacket and a decorative Batman mask he'd taken from Bruce Wayne's manor during a previous trip to Gotham. It wasn't the real thing, but it served well as an attention‑grabbing accessory.
When he stepped through the door, a long‑legged woman dressed as a bunny greeted him with a playful smile.
"Wow! What is that?" she asked, eyeing his mask. "Batman? Owlman? Doesn't matter, it looks great. Even without an invitation, I might've let you in."
Adrian ignored her, pulled out the actual invitation, and flashed it before her eyes.
"I usually don't like to break rules."
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile, and she stepped aside.
The hall looked more like a lavish villa than a sorority house. Pulsing music and the scent of perfume and youthful passion filled the air as students danced and mingled.
At a nearby sofa several girls watched Adrian enter. The one in the center, dressed as an enchanting witch, gave him a small, knowing smile. She had captivating eyes and long legs that drew the attention of many.
"I saw him in astronomy class on the first day," one girl said. "He must be Adrian Kent."
"You can recognize him even with a mask on?" another asked, puzzled.
"Of course," the girl replied confidently. "He's a well‑known writer among freshmen. His features and how he carries himself make him hard to miss."
Her friend snorted. "Maybe you should dress as Agatha Christie if you like logic, Betty."
Betty simply shrugged, her eyes never leaving Adrian.
But Adrian wasn't focused on gossip. His gaze drifted toward the backyard, where a small pool shimmered under the lights.
Three girls played with a boy, splashing water and laughing. One dove beneath the surface in front of him, as if inviting some intimate fun.
But then the boy suddenly cried out, clutching his lower body as blood poured into the pool.
Before anyone could react, the two girls beside him revealed long fangs and descended upon him, sinking their teeth into his flesh.
The boy's screams were drowned out by the music.
Adrian's brow tightened as he watched, instinctively sensing something dangerous.
Vampires?
In the DC world, vampires were as real as myth — powerful, blood‑thirsty creatures with long fangs, fear of sunlight, and formidable strength. He hadn't expected to encounter them on only his second day of school.
He scanned the crowd and realized that many of the people at the event were not human. Their biological signatures were unfamiliar, unsettling.
The so‑called sorority house was likely a vampire lair.
Adrian had no intention of wading into a bloodbath right now. Capturing one or two for research would be interesting, but a direct confrontation amid a crowded party could cause chaos.
He was about to turn and leave when a figure blocked his path.
It was the girl who had initially welcomed him at the door, now wearing a sleek black masquerade mask.
"Handsome, are you leaving already?"
He regarded her with a calm, unbothered gaze.
"Would you prefer I stay?" she purred, stepping closer.
"Yes," she said, "but may I invite you to dance?"
She reached out, her hand brushing his chest, and leaned in as if reading his mood.
Adrian said nothing. He just watched her with expressionless eyes.
"If you don't speak, I'll take it as consent."
Her arm slid around his neck and she leaned her head close enough to smell his scent.
"Your body is so appealing, like something irresistible," she whispered, her lips brushing his neck.
She opened her mouth, revealing sharp fangs — ready to bite.
Adrian reacted instantly.
He slid his thumb and forefinger into her mouth, holding her jaw open before her fangs could sink into his flesh.
"Sorry," he said flatly, "I don't like strangers' saliva on me."
The shocked woman could only make muffled sounds.
Adrian then reached out, placed his hand gently but firmly on her neck, and twisted.
Crunch.
Her body fell to the floor. The dull thud caught the attention of everyone in the ballroom.
The music paused for a fraction of a second.
All eyes turned toward Adrian and the fallen woman at his feet. Horror spread across several faces.
A girl standing beside Betty pointed a trembling finger.
"He killed her… he killed her!"
The room froze as students stared at Adrian, disbelief and fear in their eyes.
____
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