A/N: Right, so, this story has been lying dormant for years. I've had most of it written for years as well, but I've never gotten round to posting it. Today, this will change. See here the first chapter of my very first Vampire – The Masquerade story. I've loved this game since forever and I'm really excited to be posting in a different category once again. The first chapter reads quite a bit like the game. This wasn't my intention but it just worked out that way, plus I love Jack too much to leave this part out. It becomes more of a story after the first chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Rhoslyn, and perhaps a few minor characters. Most others belong to Troika Games and the designers of this fine game.
Chapter 1:
The night that changed Rhoslyn's life forever, the night that by all rights should be etched into her memory, never to be forgotten again, was in reality rather vague. Most of the things she remembered were blurry and unfocused, not to mention very confusing. She didn't like it but there was nothing she could do. What she did remember was what had led up to the very sketchy night.
She had met Andrew Monmouth, the man she'd been with that night, a month before when she had been mugged on her way home. He had caught the thief and returned her purse to her, after which he had offered to walk her home.
She didn't know what had possessed her to invite him in when she'd only just met him, but she had. She didn't make a habit of inviting perfect strangers into her house but there was something about him, an intriguing quality that had made it impossible to ignore him. And so, she hadn't ignored him.
They had met up every day for the entire month - always at night, he was busy during the day, he said - sometimes eating in a restaurant, sometimes staying at her flat. Not once did he try to take advantage of her. Not once did he make her feel uncomfortable. He was everything anyone could want in a man. Sweet, handsome, charming, and, although it mattered little to her, financially well-off.
The night that changed everything came after they had met up at a restaurant. They had had dinner and had then gone back to her flat. He had been so gentle, so sweet, she had been unable to resist him. They had made love and…that was where the clear recollections stopped. She remembered pain, and she had shouted for help at some point, but that was all she remembered before consciousness left her.
When consciousness returned, the first thing she became aware of was discomfort. It took several moments for it to register that the discomfort was caused by the fact that she was on her knees. She went to shift into a different position and found that she couldn't.
Was she paralyzed? No, she could still feel her limbs, it was faint and she noticed with a start that her arms were tied behind her back, but she could feel them. So why couldn't she move? Then she heard voices, voices that had obviously been talking for a while since the main voice, a man, was halfway through a story.
She heard him say something about forgiving him. Who was he talking about? She heard a whoosh and a thump. A wrenching sensation ripped through her chest and for the first time she could make a sound, though not a very loud one.
She gasped and moments passed during which she could hear nothing but the blood rushing through her head. When her hearing returned, she heard someone - another man - cry out that it was bull-shit. Who was it? What was bull-shit? She couldn't see, she couldn't move. She could only just hear and what she heard made no sense. Frustration bubbled up inside her.
'What is going on?' she yelled in her head. 'Where's Andrew? Who are these people?'
Awareness floated away again and when it returned once more, she found her arms were no longer tied behind her back and she could move again. She stood up gingerly. She felt no real pain, though her body was aching slightly and she felt weak.
She looked around and came face to face with a man. Before she could even wonder who he was, he spoke up and she heard that he was the man she had heard earlier, the first one.
"Your sire, tragic, my apologies. But you see, there's a strict code of conduct that we must adhere to, if we wish to survive. When someone," the man said, starting to walk away from her, leaving her no choice but to follow him. "anyone, breaks these laws, they undermine the well worn fabric of our centuries old society. Understand my…predicament."
She stared at the back of the man's head as she followed him, not noticing her surroundings at all.
"Allowing you to live makes me directly responsible for your subsequent behaviour. So, what I'm offering is not generosity, but an opportunity to transcend the fate woven by your sire. This is your trial," he said before stopping in front of a door. "You will be brought to Santa Monica, there you will meet an agent by the name of Mercurio. He will provide the details of your labor. I've shown you great clemency, prove it was more than a wasted gesture, fledgling, don't come back until you do. Good evening."
Next thing she knew, she was standing outside, scared, angry, and very confused. 'Sire? Letting me live?' she thought wildly. 'Are they the mafia? But why would he call me a fledgling?'
She clutched her tote bag to her chest, not that there was a lot in it. Her wallet was empty, except for pictures of her family, and her only other possessions were some make-up, some tissues and a can of pepperspray. She had bought the latter shortly after she'd been mugged. Andrew had been there that one time but she knew he wouldn't always be. She had sworn to herself that the next person to try to mug her would get a face full of pepperspray.
As she stood there trying to regain her bearings, she suddenly became aware that underneath the aching and the weariness, she felt different. She wasn't bigger physically, but she felt bigger. She felt powerful, despite the shaking of her legs. She studied her body and found that her fingers were longer, her arms thinner than they had been, but stronger somehow.
Even more confused than before, she stepped out of the small alcove and onto the small back alley street only to be greeted by loud, raucous laughter.
"What a scene, man! Hoowee!" a jovial voice said as she whirled around, coming face to face with a man. "Then they just plop you out here like a naked baby in the woods. How 'bout that?" He sighed. "Look, kiddo, this is probably a lot for you to take in, so uh, why don't let me show you the ropes. Whattaya say?"
Rhoslyn was wide-eyed as she looked at the man in front of her. He looked dangerous, almost feral, but his words were friendly.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Jack. What's important is I'm offering help. You make it back from Santa Monica with your hide and we'll trade life-stories, okay? 'Till then, I got about this much time. You in or out?"
All she could do was nod.
"Alright. Now, we ain't got much time but I figure somebody should fill you in on the bare bones stuff at least. You know, could save your hide…" Jack paused and looked at her. "You look wobbly. You even had a drink yet?"
She frowned. "I don't drink alcohol."
She was surprised to see a grin appear on Jack's face. "Oh man – we're popping a cherry here!" he laughed. "Ah, you're gonna love this! Alright, check it out. Blood, it's your new rack'a lamb, your new champagne. Blood's your new fucking heroin, kid. Get ready though, cuz, hey, it's never as sweet as the first time."
Rhoslyn barely heard him. Her mind had stuttered to a halt at the word 'blood'.
"Bl…blood?" she stammered.
Jack nodded, watching her closely. She felt the world grow dimmer around her. When full consciousness returned a few seconds later, Jack was lowering her to the ground, sitting her down on a crate placed against the wall. She thought she heard him mutter 'damn you, LaCroix', but she couldn't be sure. She couldn't be sure of anything except that he had said that she would need to drink blood. She looked at Jack and saw that his expression was patient and understanding. She wanted to scream, to yell at him, to call him a liar, but she knew - sensed - that it was true. She was a…
"What am I?" she whispered.
She listened as Jack explained what she was, what her beloved Andrew her turned her into, what had happened to Andrew and what would have happened to her had a man called Nines not spoken up, and felt as though she was in a trance.
When Jack was done, she took a deep breath, only now becoming aware of the gnawing hunger inside of her, and with a resigned look on her face asked him, "What do I do?"
"Come on," Jack said, helping her to her feet.
He led her to an alley and together they looked in.
"Do you see him?" Jack asked softly.
She looked to the end of the alley and saw a man looking around, obviously looking for something.
"Poor S.O.B can't find his car," Jack sniggered. "He'll be providing you with what you need."
"So…what do I…I mean…uh…" she stammered.
"You go down there – casual like – creep on him, then bare those little fangs…" Jack said, gently flicking one of her now elongated eyeteeth. "…and feed. Don't worry if you weren't the captain of the wrestling team or something, cause it'll come so natural you'll think you'd done it a thousand times already."
"Won't…won't he become a vampire then?" she asked, feeling a bit silly for asking. She didn't remember how she had been turned but it probably didn't work that way.
Jack was quick to confirm that she was worrying over nothing as he laughed and said, "Forget that comic book crap, kid. It don't work that way. Now go for it, be sure though – and this is important, so listen up – be sure not to drain 'm dry, okay? It might be hard to resist, but don't kill 'm."
"I don't have to kill to survive?" she asked, surprised but indescribably relieved. "Thank goodness."
Jack gave her an amused look before he nudged her and gestured for her to go ahead. She slowly crept forward, her eyes wide as she approached her hapless target. The hunger was now a heavy weight that rested in the pit of her stomach.
She crept up behind the man and when she felt she was ready, grabbed him, sinking her teeth into his neck. The man struggled but she barely felt it. She drank hungrily, forcing herself to let him go when she felt him weaken. She walked away from the man in a daze, leaving him still on his feet though in a trance-like state. She felt powerful, reborn, ready to take on anything.
She exited the alley, her eyes immediately searching for Jack. She might feel as though she could take on anything but she didn't think she could handle being left alone at that point. She was relieved when she saw him standing next to a door, close to where they had been before.
She approached him and he turned to her, an almost proud glint in his eyes as he surveyed her and said, "Yeah…ah yeah…Hell yeah, you're feeling it. I can see it in your eyes…you're a born-again predator. Feeling that blood bubblin' inside you, lifting you up. That's it, kid, that's what it's all about right there."
Rhoslyn felt giddy as she said, "I don't know how I feel about drinking blood, but it does feel good."
Jack nodded in acknowledgement before saying, "Alright now. You've got the blood, you're feeling all kickass, feeling better than your best day livin' – but wait! It gets better! All Kindred…Kindred, that's uh, our word for vampire…all Kindred have a few things in common, things that set them right square above humans on the foodchain."
"Like what?" she asked, still feeling very light on her feet.
"Like sharper senses, a body that can take a beating, and, if you play your cards right, eternal life. That's no sure bet, but still, a chance at immortality is not a bad deal. And that's just for starters. Fringe benefits for joinin' the club."
"So," Rhoslyn began, feeling more and more excited about the whole thing. "I'm going to live forever?"
"Well, you can still be destroyed, but forget the books and movies. Garlic? Worthless. A cross. Pfft. Shove it right up their ass," Jack said, laughing at that. "A stake? Only if it catches you in the heart, and then it only paralyzes you." She unconsciously rubbed her chest at the mention of stakes. Jack continued, "Running water. It's no problem. I bathe…occasionally."
At that a smile appeared on Rhoslyn's face and Jack was glad. The kid needed to smile, now more than ever. She had been thrust into a terrible situation and, with the exception of what little help he could offer, she was on her own.
He once again continued, "Now, a shotgun blast to the head: That's trouble. Fire? That's real trouble. Sunlight? Well, you catch a sunrise and it's all over, kiddo, get it?"
She swallowed hard and nodded, her face serious as she said, "Got it."
Jack was sad to see the smile go but he knew she needed to know about the cons of vampire life as well.
"Okay now," he said before he was cut off by a loud explosion. He bared his fans, hissing in agitation. "What the fuck's this?"
Gunfire roared in the night, mixing with the squealing of tires. Rhoslyn wildly looked around. She said nothing as she turned to Jack but he could see she was terrified. All levity was gone now that she was reminded of what the cold harsh reality was, and she wasn't anywhere near ready for it.
"Look," Jack said. "You get inside here and head upstairs. We'll meet up in a bit. I'm just gonna go see what the ruckus is."
She nodded, not hesitating to open the door and step inside, letting the door close behind her. She found herself inside what appeared to be a garage. Jack had said 'head upstairs' and as she looked around she realized that a large stack of boxes were her only way there. She approached them determinedly, if she could drink blood, she could climb a bunch of boxes.
She made her way up, nearly falling twice - and she felt sure that if she had still been human she would have fallen - and made her way across the catwalk. She turned the corner, finding herself face to face with Jack once more. She had no time to wonder how he had gotten there before her, because he immediately turned to her.
"Come down here," he whispered urgently. "Stay away from the windows."
She did as she was told and Jack shook his head, letting out an annoyed sigh. "It's a Sabbat raid. The Sabbat, they're uh…ah Christ, I was hoping to spare you this shit 'til later. The Sabbat…well, they're mostly mindless, bloodthirsty assholes, that's all you need to know for now, alright?"
"What's going on?" she asked, thinking the name 'Sabbat' sounded bad, very bad.
"The Sabbat got wind of the gathering here, so they figure they'd raise a little hell and put heat on the new 'prince'," Jack explained.
"What's the prince a prince of?" Rhoslyn asked frowning.
"No time for the political rundown. Job one? Get out of here alive. Sabbat might be mindless but they hit like a Mack truck, like raging savages…nothing a fledging like you wants to mess with."
She quickly nodded in agreement. She definitely didn't want to mess with that. "What do I do?"
Jack suddenly shushed her. "Heads up. Back away."
They both turned to the window, watching as three characters who were apparently the Sabbat, came face to face with a huge figure of a man. The Sabbat members laughed, mocking the hulking vampire. One of the two armed Sabbat members fired his weapon into the air before both gun-men turned their weapons on their opponent.
The bullets had no effects whatsoever and the huge man summoned two ghostly wolves, who came down on the two armed vampires. The remaining vampire saw it happen and he darted away from his fallen mates, towards the giant. He was felled by what appeared to be a swarm of insects.
As if sensing eyes on him, the giant looked up and locked eyes with Rhoslyn. She would have taken a step back if she had been able to but as it was, she was nailed to the floor. Fortunately, the giant didn't take any further interest in her and he turned and walked away. Rhoslyn let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding as Jack turned to her again.
"Dumb frenzied Sabbat bastards," he said. "Alright. We gotta vamoose out the back quick. I'll stay and keep a watch out; you take this lockpick and get us into the office. Door's around the corner here."
Rhoslyn wanted to protest. How was she going to get them in? She had never picked a lock in her life. But Jack slipped a lockpick into her hand and gave her a gentle push in the direction of the door, a push that spoke volumes. There was no choice.
"Right," she muttered as she approached the door. "I'll just pick the lock then, shall I?"
She kneeled down in front of the door and started fiddling with the lock. Much to her relief, it opened after only a few minutes. She stepped in, hearing glass break and Jack snigger. When she turned the corner, she found that Jack was already inside.
"Uhh…shortcut," he said, gesturing at the broken window. "Well, nicely done though. Not exactly an angel in life, were you?"
An unfamiliar feeling of anger welled up inside of her and Jack could see it in her eyes. It quickly died down again and he sincerely hoped that it would come back. She would need a temper if she was going to survive.
"Now, if you want a lesson on how really not to act, take notes from those Sabbat assholes. You're a big, bad vampire…yeah, great, congrats…now keep it to yourself. You go roar and you beat your chest and that's what you can expect."
"I wasn't planning on letting anyone know what I am," she assured him. And she meant it.
"Good, cuz it ain't appreciated. You don't let humans know you're a vampire for the same reason you don't let humans see you feeding. For the same reason a wolf doesn't let the sheep know he's there. That's also why you didn't know any of this stuff when you woke up this morning."
Rhoslyn nodded, she understood.
"Keep our secret secret and you make things easier on all of us," Jack continued. "We're living in the age of cellphone cameras…fuckups ain't tolerated. Makes sense enough, right? Well, it ain't a casual thing for a fledging like you."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"That party back there – with the guy in the suit and the Magilla Gorilla?" Jack said. She must have looked confused, because Jack clarified, "The assholes that put your sire to death?"
She nodded bitterly.
"That's the Camarilla."
She repeated the word to herself. Camarilla. The Camarilla had killed her Andrew.
"Hmph," Jack scoffed. "They make a tidy business out of enforcing 'vampire laws' like this one."
"I see," was all Rhoslyn managed to say.
"Alright. Now, don't worry cuz I know the area a little – and you know what? I'm glad we're in this situation, you and I. It illustrates a point…you gotta utilize your surroundings."
"How so?" she asked.
"You do what you gotta do," Jack shrugged. "Theft, destruction of property, breaking and entering. Heh. These'll be the least of your sins before the night is out. So look around here. We gotta get out the back there, through that magnetically sealed door. Must be a key somplace…"
Rhoslyn nodded, already looking around. The office they were in was relatively big and consisted of a sofa that had seen better days, a filing cabinet, a safe and two desks, one of which bore a computer. She checked the computer but found that it was protected by a pass-word, a password she found on a note hanging on the wall in between the safe and the computer.
'How convenient,' she thought as she entered chopshop as the password.
She used the computer to open the safe and inside she found the keycard she needed.
"There we go," Jack said when he saw she had the keycard. "Now take that keycard and head out the back. I'll meet you out in the alley there. I'm gonna go check out things from top side."
She nodded and headed for the back door. She stepped out after using the card and walked down the stairs, at the bottom of which was another door. She cautiously went through. She obviously wasn't cautious enough and before she could react she felt several bullets slam into her. She cried out in agony and slumped against the wall.
She watched in a daze as Jack came out of nowhere and disposed of the two Sabbat vampires. Rhoslyn gingerly stood up straight, finding that it already didn't hurt as much as before, though it still hurt. She slowly made her way to where Jack was standing.
"Fuckin' waste of unlife these Sabbat vatos," Jack spat as she got closer. "You get winged, sweetheart?"
She nodded and showed him the bullet holes. Her very first.
"Hey hey! Look at them potholes!" Jack grinned. "Those'll close up soon enough. Better feed though." He sniffed the air. "There's someone down the stairs there. Not the freshest catch but he'll do."
"Isn't all blood the same?" she asked, watching in fascination as her body's healing process pushing the bullets out and they fell to the ground.
"When it comes to feeding…it's quality blood you're looking for, not the quantity. Bums and lowlifes don't pack the same punch that a healthy well-bred human will. Juicebags with a pedigree: that's the good stuff. But you gotta take what you can get. Remember what the guy looking for his car tasted like? That's what you need to look for."
Rhoslyn shivered at the memory, that had been good. Jack smiled before continuing, "Remember what I said though; don't kill them. Least not the innocent ones. You're a monster now, make no mistake…one of the damned and the fallen. You need to hold on to every last shred of humanity you have."
"What if I lose control? What then?" Rhoslyn asked, shuddering at the thought.
"An innocent's an innocent," Jack shrugged. "You kill one, even a worthless bum, even by accident, and it's gonna cost you a piece of your own humanity, bring you closer to the Beast you got welling up inside you."
"The 'Beast'?" she questioned, frowning.
"That's right, kid. The Beast. It's always there, it's waiting to take over. When it does, it's like a wild animal wearin' your skin…desperate, scared, reckless. He'll do anything to survive and it's you who has to deal with the consequences."
"Right," Rhoslyn said. "Well, I'm not planning on ever killing anyone, so I guess it doesn't matter."
"Now kid, that ain't the right attitude. Sooner or later, you're going to be forced into a situation where you'll have no choice but to kill. Kill or be killed and all that kind of stuff. If some asshole levels a twelve gauge your way, you drain him, skin him and bash in his skull. Self-preservation is a vital part of humanity after all. My favorite part, in fact." He laughed.
Rhoslyn smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said.
"The only way to fight the Beast is to keep in touch with your humanity, and don't go hungry. It's a fine line."
"Got it," she said.
"Alright, now go feed," he said, gesturing to the stairs leading down. "Careful, though…he's gonna drain fast."
She nodded and turned to the stairs. She crept down in what she hoped was a stealthy way. She had never tried sneaking on stairs before and it was rather tricky, her dress kept getting in the way and her shoes weren't very practical. She made it to the bottom and crept up on the bum. She grabbed him and sunk her teeth into his neck.
She took a long, deep drink and let go immediately. Stumbling back, she heaved and choked, trying desperately to keep the blood in but it was no use. It had to come out. She vomited violently for several moments, the blood splattering onto the ground.
She felt arms supporting her and she was momentarily alarmed until she heard Jack's voice murmuring, "Alright. Come on." He helped her climb the stairs and leaned her against the wall.
She had to fight down the nausea before she was able to embarassedly choke out, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Jack said, waving off her apology. "I had forgotten that you're a Ventrue. I should have known that some blood just wouldn't agree with you." He studied her for a moment before saying, "I guess I don't need to ask you if you could feed on rats."
Rhoslyn's stomach turned again and she had to swallow hard to keep from vomiting again.
Jack laughed, though not cruelly, and said, "Didn't think so. That's okay. Polite Kindred society looks down on that kind of thing anyway."
"I think I know why," she said, her stomach now under control.
She got up straight and took a deep breath.
Jack suddenly turned serious. "Keep it down. Got someone around the way here."
"Just one?" she asked, hoping the answer was yes.
Jack nodded. "Not too much of a threat by himself, but you never know if there's more within shouting range. You're gonna have to sneak past."
"Sneak where?" she asked.
"The building across from us, with the garage door?" Jack asked. She nodded and he continued, "There's some double doors on the far side. I'll meet you inside. Just stay low and stick to the shadows. And don't let him see you."
Rhoslyn nodded, staring at the garage for a long moment until Jack nudged her. "Go."
She stepped through the chainlink fence, all but crawled her way to several crates and hid behind them. She peeked around the corner and saw a light-haired, long-armed Sabbat member standing there with what appeared to be a tire-iron in his hand. He moved away and Rhoslyn used the opportunity to sneak forward to a number of larger crates, ducking out of sight just as the vampire came walking back.
She then carefully sneaked her way around the corner of the building and quickly stepped through the double doors. Jack was already inside.
"Keep it quiet, they're inside here. Seems that shovelhead outside just got separated from his pack. He's wounded too. You go take care of him."
"Me?" she questioned in disbelief.
"You gotta learn at some point, kid. No time like the present," Jack said. "Don't worry…he's probably greener than you."
"Probably?" she protested as Jack pushed her out the door and into plain view.
The Sabbat vampire headed straight for her and to Rhoslyn, he didn't look green at all. She just barely avoided the first swing of his tire-iron, catching the second swing on her arm. She reached for his head and clawed and tore without thinking about it. He dissolved in her hands and she took several deep breaths.
'Guess he really was green,' she thought as she picked up the tire-iron and made her way back to Jack.
She found Jack standing next to another door.
"That's that," Jack nodded, having seen her kill him. "Sounds like we've got another pack moving in though. The Sabbat're going all out. You better head underground, avoid stray bullets."
"Sounds like a good plan," she quickly agreed.
"Alright," Jack said. "Head down into the basement through the grate in there. Keep that tire-iron handy. I'll be there in a minute."
She did as she was told, awkwardly clutching the tire-iron as she made her way down the ladder. At the bottom she opened the door and came into a small hallway, at the end of which was another door. She entered that one and just barely managed to duck out of view when the vampire inside looked behind him.
Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, he turned away again. Rhoslyn silently laid the tire-iron down on the floor and crept up behind him. She would need to do this quickly and correctly. She grabbed his head and neck and twisted as hard she could, his neck snapping easily, his body disintegrating in her hands.
She stood there in a daze for a moment, staring at her own hands in disbelief. 'Such strength,' she thought before realizing that sounded ridiculously conceited. Jack's voice coming from behind her snapped her out of her stupor.
"Not sure what's goin' on," he said, looking up. "Sounds like the Sabbat is getting scattered. I'm gonna keep an ear to the ground. Be careful goin' forward here…could be a whole mess of 'em holed up."
"Just my luck," she muttered, retrieving her tire-iron.
Jack left and Rhoslyn moved on. The door was locked and after fiddling with the lock for a moment, she knew she wouldn't be able to pick it. 'I wonder,' she mused before she reached for the discipline that Jack had called 'Blood Buff' in his explanation. 'Greater dexterity, stamina and strength' he had said.
She tried the lock again and this time it opened quite easily. She entered the next room and saw that there was a guard in there. Now that she had gotten a taste of what she could do as a vampire, she wanted to try all her disciplines.
She reached for 'Fortitude' and moved forward to engage the enemy, her tire-iron in hand. She was surprised once more at how easy it was to kill as a vampire. She watched him dissolve at her feet and was pleased when she still felt disdain at having to kill. That meant she wasn't getting lost in her new powers.
Once again Jack's voice came from behind. "I think they're clearing out. No need go stirring up the hornet's nest til we know the score though. Head through here…you'll come to an elevator around the way. Meet ya there, and don't let 'em catch ya."
She nodded and walked into the next room. She found herself standing behind several large boxes. She peered around the corner and saw that there were two guards in there. She reached for her 'Presence' discipline, hoping that she would be able to scare one of them sufficiently for her to be able to fight them one at a time.
She activated the discipline and walked in, both vampires immediately turning on her. Her discipline didn't seem to be doing anything as they both attacked at the same time, seemingly not deterred at all. 'Didn't it work?' she thought wildly, avoiding their strikes.
She killed one of them just as the other hit her across the back. She turned to him and finally her Presence discipline paid off. It completely threw him off and for a few moment's caused him to turn the other way, allowing her enough time to kill him.
She stepped into the next room, still shaking from the battle. 'Don't overestimate yourself,' she thought. 'That's the lesson to be learned here, Rhos, don't think you're invincible.'
She again found herself standing behind large boxes. She glanced around the corner and saw that once again, there were two guards there. Not wanting another fight, she decided to try something else.
She crouched down and crept forward, ignoring the slight twitching of her back. She used Dominate on both vampires, having to concentrate hard before being able to do it the second time. She entered the next room and again found a guard in there.
She still didn't want another fight, but this one was blocking the door so Dominate would do her no good. She moved forward, her foot striking something and she had to duck really low for a moment to avoid being seen. When she was sure she hadn't been discovered, she looked down to see what her foot had hit.
Seeing what it was, a can, she was hit by an idea. One well-aimed throw and one sneak later, she was standing in a hallway, Jack already waiting for her. He laughed as she approached him.
"Fucking humans. Gangbangers. 'Protecting their turf'. Ah man, I'm here thinking it's Sabbat moving in up here…it's the fuckin' locals taking one for the hood."
"So what do we do?" Rhoslyn asked.
"They probably seen too much. Here…take this thirtyeight. Fucking' peashooter, but a few shots and it'll take down a human." Rhoslyn must have looked distressed because he said, "Don't worry, kid. They ain't innocents. Not by a long shot. Robbery, rape, murder, you name it, they've done it."
She nodded slowly and took the gun. "Thanks."
"Well," Jack began, obviously aiming for levity. "I'm gonna want it back, so don't go die and lose it."
Rhoslyn smiled wryly and nodded.
Jack continued, "I don't use guns much. They're noisy, they're clumsy, practically useless against vampires. But still, a Kindred's gotta keep up with the times and in modern day Los Angeles, that means coming strapped."
"Useless against vampires?" she asked.
"Well, some are more lethal than others, of course. Watch out for those shotguns. Those things smart, I tell ya," Jack said. "Head up and clear out what's left of 'em. Can't have them running their mouths about any of this. I'm gonna make sure there's no stragglers around outside."
"Okay." She turned the corner, the tire-iron half-stuffed in her bag and the gun in her hand. She boarded the elevator and got off on the second floor. She took out both humans with the gun, the costly shooting lessons she had taken when she was sixteen finally paying off. She wasn't a great marksman but she got the job done. She picked up the baseball bat from one of them and the thirtyeight of the other before walking back to the elevator where Jack was already waiting for her.
"That's it, kiddo. Just like that and it's all over," he said. "Everyone slinks back to their corners of the city for the night."
"That's it? It's all over?" she asked, handing him his thirtyeight back, stuffing the other one in her bag.
"'Til the next night, when the Camarilla finds some way to strike back. Parry, dodge, spin n'all that. And so on and so on…"
"So this is perfectly normal?" she asked in disbelief.
"Well, to be honest, you came along at an…interesting time. The Camarilla and the Sabbat…in L.A these are the new kids on the block. There's already plenty'a Kindred had stakes down in California long before them. Now we got every ancient Kindred rivalry playing out all over the city. Lotta tension over there. Lotta fear. Lotta jittery, high strung predators clinging to their little pieces of eternity."
She nodded thoughtfully. The sounding of a carhorn outside made Jack look up. He grunted. "Oh boy, I think they're looking for you outside. Guess you got a cab to catch. Was hoping to fill you in on a little more but…hell, you'll figure it out. If you make it back, stop in at the Last Round. It's this bar downtown here. I'll fill ya in on the politics." Jack chuckled at that. "Now that's the stuff that'll kill ya." He laughed before sobering and giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Good luck, kiddo."
"See ya, Jack," she whispered, watching him go.