Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Vampire Bar
"I warned you, now you're doomed."
The bartender sighed, shaking his head as he looked at Downey with pity. In his eyes, Downey was already a dead man.
Stumbling into a vampire stronghold was as good as a death sentence. Vampires didn't care if you were Vampire followers or anyone else; to them, all humans were simply food.
Downey was furious, but also unnerved.
Someone was clearly setting him up! But who?
Grinding his teeth, Downey ran through the possibilities in his head. His first thought went to the junkyard manager who had directed him here, claiming a top-tier car modification master could be found at this location.
Could the junkyard manager be part of the Vampire followers? Or was he just another pawn, with the real mastermind lurking in the shadows?
It could even be the mysterious person who sent that cryptic message warning him earlier. Anything was possible.
Downey had entered dangerous territory, and while he had expected enemies on his path, this particular threat was far worse than he had anticipated.
Normally, his own abilities gave him confidence in battle: his power to create through the Allspark, his tech-armored body, and his command over Transformers, like Optimus Prime. But against vampires? That was a whole different game.
Vampires weren't just dangerous—they were predators, hiding in plain sight among humans, living off their blood, and expanding their ranks by turning victims into their own.
If a vampire bit Downey, unless someone intervened quickly, he'd end up one of them. It was far worse than facing ordinary enemies.
Vampires were practically a plague—each bite could create more of them, a virus spreading unchecked.
The Vampire follower who first identified Downey as human exclaimed, "Wait—you're human?"
The room went dead silent. At the mention of "human," the vampires froze, their eyes narrowing with hunger and malice.
Laughter ceased, and every pair of eyes fixed on Downey like wolves watching prey. The room felt heavy with the sudden anticipation of violence.
"A fresh snack," one of the vampires sneered, baring his fangs. He sniffed the air greedily.
"Who brought this one in? We weren't supposed to have fresh food tonight. Big business is happening later."
"Maybe he just wandered in himself," another vampire suggested with a dark grin.
The vampires shared a collective laugh, clearly thrilled by this unexpected bonus. Downey, however, wasn't laughing. His mind was racing.
He could probably fight his way out with Optimus Prime's help, but one slip—one bite—and he was done for. His transformation abilities and armor wouldn't save him from that.
The Vampire follower who outed him spoke again, "We shouldn't mess up the scene. Important people are coming tonight."
A vampire snarled at the Vampire follower, his eyes glowing with irritation. "Mind your place, follower. You're not one of us, so don't go making decisions for us."
The words were sharp, a reminder that the Vampire followers were merely servants—humans who had betrayed their own kind for a chance at immortality.
The bartender poured Downey a drink, pushing it towards him with a pitying look. "You might as well drink. You're not getting out of here alive."
Downey glared at him. "Your whole family can take that journey," he muttered darkly, refusing to touch the drink.
The room burst into laughter again, the vampires howling in delight at his defiance. But beneath the surface, Downey's mind was calculating.
He had little time, and the situation was dire. He wasn't carrying silver, garlic, or any of the other traditional vampire-killing tools. He only had his tech and his wits to rely on.
Using Optimus Prime as backup was possible, but dangerous. There was no doubt this place had defenses—heavy weaponry, maybe even explosives.
Vampires didn't survive for centuries without preparing for unexpected intruders. Escaping unscathed would be a challenge, even with all his tech at the ready.
Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted from the far end of the bar. Someone shouted, "The big man's coming! Everyone get ready!"
The vampires straightened up, excited murmurs spreading through the crowd. "A pureblood vampire," someone whispered. "Born a vampire, not made."
The atmosphere shifted, and all eyes were no longer on Downey. They were focused on the arrival of someone far more important.
But this also meant Downey's time was running out. The vampires wouldn't leave loose ends when their leader arrived.
"Hey, where's the modification master?" Downey grabbed the bartender, his voice tight with urgency.
The bartender sighed. "I'm the modification master. What do you want with me?"
"Are you a vampire or a Vampire follower?" Downey demanded.
"Neither. I'm still human…for now," the bartender replied sadly. "But probably not for much longer."
In a flash, Downey grabbed the bartender by his collar and lifted him off the ground. His watches disassembled and reformed, creating a makeshift firearm, while his phone transformed into a tiny Autobot, revving up its chainsaw.
The sudden transformation caught everyone off guard. Before the vampires could react, Downey started moving towards the exit, the bartender in tow.
He knew the bartender was his ticket out of here. If he could get outside and into Optimus Prime, they might just survive this.
"What do you want? I didn't do anything to you!" the bartender protested, struggling.
"Coming here is offensive enough! If I hadn't been tricked into looking for you, I wouldn't be in this den of bloodsuckers!" Downey growled, shoving his way through the stunned crowd.
The vampires were recovering from their shock, eyes gleaming as they prepared to pounce.
Downey's mind raced. There was no room for error. If he was bitten here, it was game over.
He couldn't let that happen. Not today. Not like this.
__________________________
Oh looks like this will be fun to read next