Vlad didn't usually go for walks at night anymore, a habit he'd fallen into when Helena was living with him and had stuck even after she decided to try living on her own for a while. The temptation to kill was much fainter during the day, and after what happened on the full moon it really wasn't a good idea to go out after the sun set - Dracula's hunger still lingered afterward, and he remembered the taste of fresh blood mingled with fear all too well. But after more than a week had passed and he began to get bored - he was a night owl, and late-night television could only be entertaining for so long - he decided it couldn't hurt to get some air. Maybe he'd even pick up some takeout on the way back.
He stayed out of alleys, even though he preferred the thick darkness and seclusion that they offered; but while most humans wouldn't be able to hear the sorts of things that went on within them, he was a different story - after all, he wasn't quite a normal human. It was on his way to get some food that he heard the noises, and while normally he would have just ignored it and been on his way, something made him stop and listen. Cocking his head to the side, he could distinguish that someone was in some kind of pain, and combined with occasional strange guttural sounds it sounded a lot like someone being attacked by some kind of animal.
Idiots. It was curiosity mixed with boredom that made him venture into the alley to investigate, muscles tensed in preparation for a possible attack. He followed the sounds as they grew closer and clearer, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the scene being played out in the pale moonlight. There was a young boy on the ground, no older than college-aged, and crouched over him was another man who was beating him with a fevered ferocity. The scent of blood and fear filled the air, mixed with anger and the scent of cheap whiskey. Frowning, Vlad took a step closer and his eyes widened with recognition.