(Hitman #37, 38) - Darius had a revelation and decided not to commit suicide after the King of Vampires death. As the King’s most loyal servant Darius proclaimed himself the new King of Vampires, and sought to unite his brethren from far and wide. He decided they needed a kingdom and chose the Cauldron section of Gotham City. He knew the time was right to claim the Cauldron during No Man’s Land, when a cataclysmic earthquake cut Gotham off from the rest of the United States. Darius had studied the area, and knew the Cauldron was home to several dangerous hitmen who patronized Noonan’s, a local bar. He drew them out after his subordinate Leo killed a young child named Michael Lorenzo, and his mother Maggie came to Noonan’s seeking help. Hitman and Natt the Hat Leo’s arms and legs off and when sunrise came dragged him into the sun and watched him burn. He mentioned his friends were going to take over the Cauldron, and Hitman was more than up for vampire hunting. Vampires in cars with tinted windows tried to run them down, so they fled to St. Peter’s church, but were shocked when Darius and his vampires was waiting there for them. Darius offered Hitman and Natt the opportunity to run the Cauldron for him, saying that if they proved themselves he might one day embrace them and make them into vampires. They were furious that Darius saw their neighbors as nothing but cattle and wanted nothing to do with the vampire lifestyle. Hitman tossed a grenade to the roof of St. Peter’s exposing Darius’ minions to sunlight. Darius was furious, and assured Hitman and Natt that one night fell he’d finish them off since they still had no way to escape the church. Hitman used his cell to phone Noonan’s but was disappointed to get Baytor on the line. He begged for back-up, and despite Baytor’s insanity he managed to pass on the message to Sean. Sean, hitmen Ringo Chen and Hacken, aspiring superhero Sixpack, and a number of bar patrons came in guns blazing. They gunned down the vampires and Hitman shot Darius in the neck, causing his head to come detached, though he still swore vengeance. Bar patron Pete Kranski brought a bulldozer and demolished the church, and the last rays of the sun obliterated the vampires. Everyone felt like celebrating at Noonan’s except for Hitman, who said he still had to tell Maggie Lorenzo what happened to her son. As a warning to anyone else to dared threaten the Cauldron he posted a number of a vampire skulls on a pike warning visitors to play nice.