Decoy

Origin

Etsuji Hayashi was a college student at University of Chicago. Super sharp, he worked as a club DJ on the side and in his spare time worked on his escape horror mobile game “Bite Haven”, in the tradition of “Emily Wants to Play” but starring sexy vampire girls instead of haunted puppets. The game was a minor hit and while not it didn’t make him a millionaire it did pay his tuition and allowed him to bank some money. He continued to DJ and work on a sequel.

One night he got a call to work a Friday night at the infamous Blackout Burned Nights, a Chicago nightclub with a history of hauntings and disappearances. This history also made it very popular. It also catered heavily to goth culture. He was excited and club owner Artema Midnight was amused by his game, so she played up on the fact he was the creator of the Bite Haven game, making it a special night as a lot of gamers came to that night as well. The night was so popular he was invited back multiple times. Etsuji was no stranger to female attention, he would notice women approach him and show obvious signs of interest, but would be gone by the end of the night, but he would end up going home with a completely different woman, if one at all.

In the Fall he was invited to a Halloween bash. The club was packed and woman had been watching him all night. She was gorgeous and he knew it was a sure thing. Later he noticed Artema arguing with the woman. He thought they were going to fight, but the woman left instead with another woman. Artema thanked him for another great night. She paid him and was adamant that she escort him to his car. After he got home he bumped into the two women again walking down the street.

The women introduced themselves as Freya and Amber. After a short conversation he asked if they wanted to come up. They said yes and he invited them in. After a little conversation, they both began to make out with him. He took off his shirt, revealing a small gold cross his mom gave him as a kid when he was going to Catholic school. Both women stopped immediately. He asked were they okay. Freya stated crosses were offensive to her, but she didn’t want to get into it. Amber agreed. Believing it to be a political thing and not wanting to lose his chance at a hot threesome, he removed it. They began to make out again. Things got hot and heavy, suddenly both woman bared their fangs and fed on him, draining him then leaving him to die. Though not religious he cried out to his mom hoping she was looking down on him in the afterlife. He uttered a final prayer begging to be saved from death. If there even was a God, Etsuji was asking that God to save him. But no one could live after being drained like that. Etsuji succumbed to injuries and died.

Etsuji woke up in a hospital. He had received 9 units of blood and lost enough that he should be dead. The nurse in his room remarked, “God must not have wanted him to die.” Within an hour of the blood transfusion he was up and moving around like nothing ever happened. The cops interviewed him and he told them what happened to the best of him memory. According to the police his attackers left the door open and a passerby called the cops. When released, into the afternoon sun Etsuji’s eyes were very sensitive and after a few minutes his skin begin to blister. He remembered the attack, but still was sure what happened. Through a little research he found out he had a sunlight allergy, but it only affected exposed skin. He also realized all his injuries had completely healed. Being well aware of vampire mythology, he tried several things. He put his hand on his cross, expecting to burn or feel pain but he was fine. He then found an old Bible carefully touching it, but nothing happened.

Etsuji went back to the club that Saturday night seeking vengeance! Knowing him, security let him in. Artema saw him and approached to greet him. He pulled a homemade stake from his coat. He demanded to know where the Freya and Amber were. She grabbed him and pulled him into a back room. She was nervous and looking him up and down. She asked what they did to him. He told her they were vampires. She stated she had forbade them from attacking him because he was too high profile. He realized she was also a vampire and the club was a vampire feeding ground. Believing to be fledgling vampire she offered him a small flask of blood. He opened his jacket revealing his cross necklace. She dropped the flask, reeling back and hissing at him. She took a deep breath and caught his hand as he tried to stake her. She threw him across the room and asked him did he really want to kill her. He thought about it and said he just wanted Freya and Amber. He got up and picked up his stake. She told him to never attack her again. She would handle the women who attacked him. He needed to leave and was was not to enter the club again.

Etsuji left but was followed by one of the patrons. Believing him to be a hunter the man attacked him. Etsuji, having a solid background in Karate and Aikido, fought back. He moved faster than he ever had. The attacker slashed him. While it hurt, he watched his wounds heal almost instantly. Etsuji instinctively bared his claws and fangs. The other vampire stood up, shocked by seeing him go feral. He attacked again. They fought until Etsuji opened his jacket showcasing his cross, the attacker froze, allowing Etsuji to quickly claw his throat and stake him in the heart. He fell to dust. Etsuji was confused, for awhile believing he was dead and simply living out some kind of vampire fantasy before he died, but he never did. Etsuji spends his time figuring out his powers and after learning more about Chicago’s supernatural underground, he is deeply compelled to take up the fight against the vampire menace.

On a side note, true to her word when Freya and Amber came back to the club, Artema took them to the back and after a brief argument she killed both for disobeying her and bringing heat down on her.

Major Story Arcs

In the “Secrets and Sanity” storyline Decoy is investigating the death of a US Senator and aiding Victor Locke with the Sanvanni Harrison case. The book opens with him destroying a vampire trying to feed outside of the Blackout Burned Nights nightclub. A variation of this scene is used as an introduction in Epitaph revamps.

Powers

Etsuji has an appearance and abilities that mimic those of vampires. He has a supernatural healing factor similar to that of a vampire and one notable power, the ability to emit a burst of divine energy in the form of a bolt or area blast which he’s dubbed a “Holy Boost”, a name inspired by table top role playing games. This blast causes severe damage and even death to vampires and in some cases heal normal humans who’re turning to vampires or lycans. He can also sense vampires a while they don’t really know what he is. Etsuji can also fly, burst into a flock of doves and turn into mist.

Oddities

Though Etsuji does have an appearance and abilities that mimic those of vampires, he is fully human and while he does now have an allergy to sunlight, he doesn’t burn, nor is he affected by wood, silver, running water or blessed/holy objects.