This is one of my favourite video games, and I honestly wish it was more popular than it is. And thus I am writing a Multiverser story for it. I'm warning those of you who don't know the concept of Multiversers that they come across as extremely overpowered Gary Stus, in that they tend to pick up abilities from every world they visit and attract members of the opposite sex like flies on shit (which does mean Dexter will have a harem). Just a warning.

Anything else you need to know will be explained in the story itself. I hope you all enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE: BLOODLINES OR ANY OTHER FRANCHISES THAT MAY BE MENTIONED! VtMB IS OWNED BY TROIKA GAMES, ACTIVISION, AND WHITE WOLF PUBLISHING! PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!

Voice Cast (how I envision characters being voiced, will likely remain the same for canon characters)

Dexter Verser = Susan Dalian (think her voice for Haku from Naruto but with a more English accent)

Prince Sebastian LaCroix = Andy Milder

Nines Rodriguez = Armando Valdes-Kennedy

Smiling Jack = John DiMaggio

Chapter One: Becoming a Mad Vampire

Dexter Verser's POV

Vampires. Kindred. Blood-sucking demons. Whatever you want to call them, they've been a staple in horror fiction practically since horror fiction was even a thing. They've had their ups and downs, sure (FUCK TWILIGHT TO DEATH WITH A BLOOD-SOAKED SPEAR!), but mostly they've remained the same terrifying creatures that most of us were introduced to through the stories of Dracula.

And, depending on what universe you're in, they're real.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines was one of my favourite video games in my old life. I loved the world-building that came with the inclusion of different Vampire clans, the different factions fighting for control over the Vampire populace, the lore that existed in the world of the game. It was all beautifully well done, and I think it almost a sin that the game wasn't more popular. It was my love for the game that led me to enter their world.

Hey, I'm a Multiverser, and we can do that shit.

Multiversers are, in essence, gods. We're Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. We exist throughout the Multiverse in worlds we previously believed to be mere works of fiction.

My name is Dexter Verser. Please, call me Dex.

{Trouble, trouble, trouble} said a new voice in my mind, one that I was unfamiliar with.

Thanks for telling me shit I already know, I thought, knowing full well that the voice couldn't hear me and that it was just a part of the Vampire clan I was now a part of. That's real fucking nice of you.

In case you're wondering, I'm currently going through the events of the opening cutscene for Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. See, we Multiversers have the ability to put ourselves in the place of different people throughout the Multiverse. In order to do this, we simply go to the moment in time in which said person is conceived and put ourselves in their place. Normally this would result in us taking in the person in question as an aspect of our personality and a voice in our head, but this time was different. I assume that's because the protagonist of this game had no personality other than what the player gave them.

I still ended up with a voice in my head, though. There's an irony for you: I, the Aspect of the Psyche, who prides myself on my ability to provide psychological help to those who need it, have been sired by a Vampire of the Malkavian clan. I'm only glad I got the schizophrenia and not some other kind of madness (for the Malkavians are insane by nature, thus even if the individual was perfectly sound of mind in life, they will gain some sort of mental condition once turned).

In this world I was known as Dexter "Price."

As I opened my eyes and saw the theatre filled with vampires, it occurred to me that what was about to happen would likely make some other people feel guilty. Yes, because the vampire that went out, found a random human man, and turned him into a vampire against his will must be such a nice person, I thought to myself. I'm not a malicious man, but … let's just say that letting my sire die for the sake of the story wasn't exactly eating away at me or anything.

A shame about Samantha, though. Ah, yes. Those of you with intricate knowledge of the game will remember Samantha as the only character in the game who knew the fledgeling before they were turned into a vampire. Well, I did know her. And I must say that I've grown rather … fond of her over the years. Best focus on the matter at hand.

"Good evening," said Prince Douchebag himself, Sebastian LaCroix, as the wooden stake was removed from my heart. I could've quite easily fought them off, but for the sake of the story, I didn't. He had that sickly pale complexion all vampires in this universe had, wore a suit that screamed Look, I've got money!, and slicked back blond hair. I couldn't deny that he was good-looking, but that prick was going to die by my hands by the time all this apocalypse shit was over. "My fellow Kindred, my apologies for disrupting any business or interfering with prior engagements you may have had this evening. It's unfortunate that the affair that gathers us together tonight is a troubling one. We are here because the laws that bind our society – the laws that are the fabric of our existence – have been broken."

I looked out amongst the crowd of vampires and saw several faces that would become familiar to me over the next couple of weeks (I had managed to narrow down that the game doesn't take place over very much time at all). Nines Rodriguez, Therese Voerman, Velvet Valour. Even Maximilian Strauss, one of the coolest-looking of the characters in my opinion, was up on one of the balcony seats.

{Liar} said the deranged voice in my head when I glanced back at Prince LaCroix.

No need to tell me that, I thought.

"As prince," continued LaCroix, "I am within my rights to grant or deny the Kindred of this city the privilege of siring. Many of you have come to me seeking permission, and I have endorsed some of these requests. However, the accused that sits before you tonight was not denied permission." LaCroix's face twisted into a scowl. "Indeed, my permission was never sought at all. They were caught shortly after the Embrace of this childe." He gestured at me.

I wonder how he'd react if he knew I was even older than he is? I thought idly.

"It pains me to announce the sentence, as … up to tonight I considered the accused a loyal and upstanding member of our organisation." He walked over to my sire, who was on her knees and being restrained. "But as some of you may know, the penalty for this transgression is death. Know that I am no more a judicator than I am a servant to the law that governs us all. Let tonight's proceeding serve as a reminder to our community that we must adhere to the code that binds our society, lest we endanger all of our blood." He leaned down toward my sire, who glared back at him without saying a word. "Forgive me." He looked at the massive bloke covered in hair – the Magilla Gorilla, as Smiling Jack called him – who was holding a giant sword. "Let the penalty commence."

The Magilla Gorilla with the sword that was somehow still out of proportion when compared to his body took said sword from its scabbard on his back. He raised it above his head and brought it down quickly on my sire's neck. There wasn't even much blood. The second her head separated from her body, she appeared to burst into flame, then was a skeleton, then was nothing but dust on the floor.

Sorry, love, I thought, feeling some remorse but not very much.

"Which leads to the fate of the ill-begotten progeny," said LaCroix, gesturing to me.

"The name's Dexter, just in case you wanna write that down somewhere," I said cheekily. I received a smack on the back of the head by one of the guards for my trouble, but it was worth it to see the brief look of annoyance on LaCroix's face. I even heard a laugh or two from the audience.

LaCroix cleared his throat. "As I was saying, without a sire, most childer are doomed to walk the Earth never knowing their place, their responsibility, and most importantly, the laws they must obey. Therefore, I have decided that—"

"This is bullshit!" shouted Nines Rodriguez, standing up from his seat aggressively. Several of the other vampires did the same.

Thank you, Nines, I thought. Even when I had only been playing the game, there was no doubt in my mind that LaCroix would have had the fledgeling killed if Nines hadn't spoken up and started the unrest in the crowd. Now that I was in that position, I could appreciate the man's interference even more. It was nice to know not all vampires are twats.

LaCroix looked put out and almost intimidated by the outburst, but quickly regained his composure. "If Mr Rodriguez would let me finish," he said. "I have decided to let this Kindred live. He shall be instructed in the ways of our kind and granted the same rights. Let no one say I am unsympathetic to the plights and causes of this community. I thank you all for attending these proceedings, and I hope their significance is not lost. Good evening."

It was time for my life as a vampire to begin.

(Play "Echoes" by The Rapture)

Opening instrumentals

We are greeted by an image of the sewers beneath Los Angeles. There are rats milling about and specks of blood occasionally on the walls. Some vague human shapes can be seen moving around, just out of sight. Above ground, people can be seen moving around in the middle of the night, completely unaware of a completely separate society that exists right beneath their noses.

The city breathing

The people churning

The conversating

The prices is

What?

Dexter Verser is standing in front of a brick wall, near enough glaring at the camera, one eye red and the other blue. He grins, revealing vampire fangs.

Vampire the Masquerade: Multiverser

The camera pans over to the image of Smiling Jack, leaning against the wall and grinning.

The location changes to a place filled with nothing but darkness. Therese Voerman stares at the visage of her sister Jeanette. Between them the darkness seems to make the shape of a mirror.

The conversating

This place is heaven

And if you see them

They'll say it

What?

The scene changes to a rough-looking bar filled with Brujah, the main vampire clan of the Anarchs. Nines Rodriguez is playing pool. Damsel stands in the corner moodily, not really interacting with anybody.

Life makes echoes

If you see them

Life makes echoes

Sebastian LaCroix sits behind the desk at the top of his skyscraper, his arms resting on the desk in front of him and his hands pressed together in thought. Beside him stands the Magilla Gorilla, forever the loyal bodyguard and servant.

The conversating

This place is heaven

I put on lipstick

The prices is

What?

The Elizabeth Dane comes in to dock. The security guards all look wary as the camera travels to the bowels of the ship, revealing a sarcophagus. An air of evil surrounds this ancient artifact.

Life makes echoes

If you see them

Life makes echoes

Dexter climbs into a taxi. The driver looks back at him, blank-faced but seeming to grin, like he and his passenger shared some sort of secret.

Dexter looks out the window before they drive off, seeing the image of Heather Poe waving him off. He grins as the taxi starts to drive away.

(End "Echoes" by The Rapture)

Walking so close at LaCroix's side was a nauseating experience given what I knew about the slimy bastard, but I think I handled it rather well.

"Your sire," said LaCroix, "tragic, my apologies, but you see, there is a strict code of conduct that all of us must … must … adhere to if we wish to survive."

"I can see you take it very seriously," I said dryly.

"We must. It is the laws that govern our society – the Masquerade, we call it – that keep us from being found out and hunted by the humans – we call them Kine, by the way. It'd be best to get you as well-versed as possible on our ways so that you don't find yourself in any undesirable positions."

"You won't find me complaining."

"Good. When someone, anyone, breaks our laws, they undermine the well-worn fabric of our centuries old society. Understand my predicament. Allowing you to live makes me directly responsible for your subsequent behaviour. So … what I'm offering is not generosity, but the opportunity to transcend the fate woven by your sire. This … is your trial. 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 labour. I've shown you great clemency. Prove it was more than a wasted gesture, fledgeling. Don't come back … until you do."

"I'll do my best not to fuck things up for you, sir."

That was a complete and utter lie. See, LaCroix? Two can play at this game.

He seemed put off by my vulgarity. "Thank you," he said. "Good evening." He left me. Good fucking riddance, is what I say.

{The vampires here appear to be much more civilised than in my own world} said Barnabas Collins, one of the many individuals I had taken into my mind.

You're not wrong, Barnabas, I thought to him. But with civilisation comes conflict, and we're about to get a taste of the conflict this world has to offer. Only a taste, though. You wouldn't believe some of the fucked up shit we're gonna be dealing with later down the line.

{I reckon it's not going to be quite as bad as the War of the Scars} said Darren Shan.

You're both right and wrong. True, the War of the Scars was much more wide-spread than the major conflict of this world, but in your world the vampires and the vampenese had to use humans if they wanted to use firearms. There are no such rules here, so the vampires are free to use guns, bombs, and whatever else they feel like. Most of the "gang-related violence" that occurs in this world is actually the different vampire factions duking it out.

{I still don't like that these vampires use guns} said Darren with distaste. {Dishonourable pigs.}

Calm down. I refrained from using any guns when I was in your world, didn't I? He grumbled out a response, and I continued out the door and into the alleyway, where one of my favourite characters from the game was waiting.

Smiling Jack was dressed in a pretty basic biker get-up, what with the sleeveless leather jacket that showed off his arm muscles and the rough-looking jeans. He had a pale complexion, like all vampires in this world do, and his dark hair extended downward and became the shaggy long beard that completely cemented his rough biker look. You could tell he was a member of the Anarch faction just by looking at him.

"What a scene, man!" he said when I found myself stood in front of him. "Hoo-wee! Then they just plop ya out here like a naked baby in the woods. How 'bout that? Ah … look, kiddo, this is probably a lot for you to take in, so uh, why don't you let me show you the ropes? Whaddya say?"

"That'd be great," I said. I decided it would be better to lie to Jack and pretend to be ignorant. I liked the guy, but even when this was only a game, I wasn't quite sure I trusted him. "Could you explain the voice in my head that's saying, 'The rain of ages plots again to wash away revelation'?" That wasn't a lie. The voice in my head really did say that.

"What? Oh, man. And you're a God damn Malkavian, too? Wow, you really are fucked."

"What the bloody hell is a Malkavian? And who are you?"

"I'm Jack. You're Dexter, right? Hell of a way to introduce yourself, by the way; the look on LaCroix's face was priceless! And a Malkavian is what you are now, a kind of vampire. They're pretty fuckin' crazy, which is why you've got that weird-ass voice in your head now. But none of that's important. What's important is, I'm offering help. You make it back from Santa Monica with your hide and we'll trade life stories, m'kay? Till then, I got about …" he held his thumb and forefinger close together, not quite touching, "this much time. You in or out?"

"Do I have any real choice if I intend on living?"

"Not really. Though I don't think 'living' is the right word for it. Now, we ain't got much time, but I figure somebody should fill you in on the bare bones stuff at least, ya know. Could save your hide. You look wobbly; you even have a drink yet?"

"Considering I was staked in the heart and brought to that bloody theatre the second I became a vampire, I'm sure you can answer that for yourself."

"Oh man, we're poppin' a cherry here!" He laughed heartily. "Ah, you're gonna love this! All right, check it out. Blood: it's your new rack o' lamb, your new champaign – blood's your new fuckin' heroin, kid." He laughed again. "Get ready, though, 'cause hey, it's never as sweet as the first time."

"I'll take your word for it." This wasn't my first time as a vampire, so it wasn't my first time drinking blood. Again, though, I wasn't going to be telling him that. "Any idea where we can find a donor?"

"Well, down around the corner there, I saw this human. Poor S.O.B. can't find his car …" Jack giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world right now. "All right, you go down there – casual like – ya creep up on him, then bare those little fangs and feed. And don't worry if you weren't captain of the wrestling team or somethin', 'cause it'll come so naturally you'll think you'd done it a thousand times already."

"I wasn't particularly worried about being able to overpower him, anyway. Biting him ain't gonna do anything too … unpleasant, is it?"

"Nah, he'll just be dazed for a bit. Now go for it. Be sure, though – and this is important, so listen up – be sure not to drain 'em dry, okay? It can be hard to resist, but don't kill 'em."

"Yeah, 'cause I was really planning on going all psycho on some randomer in an alley. Back in a minute."

I walked off in the direction of the man in the alley. As I've said, this wasn't the first time I've become a vampire in my multiple existences, so I was already practised in drinking blood. I thought it was going to have that disgusting, metallic taste when I first did it, and I wasn't wrong, but something about the nature of a vampire made me experience extreme pleasure from having that taste flood my mouth. As much as I disliked vampires who gorged themselves and killed many people as a result, I have to admit that I can see how they'd become so addicted. Drinking blood created a sensation not unlike an orgasm of the mouth.

I found the rather well-dressed man standing near a wrecked car in the end of the alleyway, looking rather lost and confused. Knowing that, when in private with the person who would be providing my dinner, it was best to just walk over and get it over with without taking too many precautions. I did so, simply walking over and sinking my fangs into the man's neck. He didn't feel a thing, as the saliva of a vampire acted as a natural anaesthetic, numbing the bitten area. It also put them in a trance-like state, so they wouldn't remember the event.

Was this necessary, given what I am? Well … yes and no, I suppose. I could subdue my vampire nature and the need for blood, but I needed to keep up appearances. Showing off my combat abilities when the time came was one thing, but showing that I could make myself completely immune to all of a vampire's weaknesses was a no-go. I didn't want that bastard LaCroix catching wind of my abilities and making things harder for me down the line. Jack was an Anarch, so it wasn't like he answered to LaCroix if he had a choice, but I didn't know nearly enough about Jack to trust him. Smiling Jack was one character in the game who had next to nothing revealed about him throughout the time spent playing.

I removed my fangs from the man's neck after experiencing a few seconds of bliss. He stood there, a sleepy look in his eyes and no indication that he was even conscious except for the fact that he was standing. I went back over to Jack feeling rather pumped up.

"Yeah," Jack said knowingly upon seeing me. "Ah yeah. Hell yeah, you're feelin' it. I can see it in your eyes – you're a born-again predator. Feelin' that blood bubblin' inside you, liftin' you up. That's it, kid, that's what it's all about right there."

"And here I was starting to suspect it was all about swishing my cape out behind me and speaking in a thick Romanian accent," I said dryly.

Jack barked out a single breath of laughter. "All right now, you got the blood, you're feelin' all kickass, feelin' 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 food chain."

"Like the fact that we drink their blood wasn't proof enough of that."

Jack chuckled. "I'm startin' to like you, kid. We got 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's not a bad deal. And that's just for starters; fringe benefits for joinin' the club. You can still be destroyed, though, but forget the books and the movies. Garlic? It's worthless. A cross?" He snorted out laughter. "Shove it right up their ass! A stake? Only if it catches you in the heart, and then it just paralyses you. Runnin' water? Ah, that's no problem. I bathe … eh, occasionally."

"And that'll be why you smell so luxurious."

"Fuck you, kid. Now, a shotgun blast to the head: oh, that's trouble, boy. Fire? That's real trouble. Sunlight? Well, you catch a sunrise and it's all over, kiddo – get it?"

"I get it."

"Okay, now …"

BOOM!

The sound of the explosion seemed to startle Jack, who actually hissed rather aggressively. "What the fuck is this?" He gestured at the metal door on the side of the alley. "Look, you get inside here and head upstairs. We'll meet up in a bit. I'm just gonna go see what the ruckus is."

"All right, see you in a bit."

I went into the building and saw that there were no stairs, but there was clearly an upstairs area. I got up there by climbing all the rubbish that was stacked up about the place, which mostly consisted of boxes and a wrecked car. I climbed over the railing and onto the platform that made up the upstairs of this room. I found the lockpick on top of a box, just like in the game. I walked around the corner and saw the row of windows, with Jack standing at about the halfway point.

"If you're planning on teaching me stuff, could you help me do that teleport trick of yours?" I asked him. "It seems like a useful thing to have." I didn't need help with teleportation or anything, I was just quite the smartass.

"Shut up and stay down," Jack hissed at me. "Stay away from the windows. It's a Sabbat raid. The Sabbat, they're, uh … Eh, Christ, I was hopin' to spare you this shit till later. Uh, the Sabbat … well, eh, they're mindless bloodthirsty assholes – that's all you need to know for now, all right? The Sabbat got wind of the gathering here, so they figured they'd raise a little hell and put a little heat on the new prince."

"I caught the snobbishness, but otherwise I didn't see anything particularly 'princely' about that LaCroix douchebag," I said.

"You're right about that, but we don't have time for a political rundown. Job one? Get outta here alive. Sabbat might be mindless, but they hit like a Mack truck, like raging savages – nothing a fledgeling like you wants to mess with." He sharply turned his gaze toward the window, shushing me from any response I may have made. "Heads up. Back away from the window."

Outside there was a group of three Sabbat soldiers. Two of them were upright, holding SMGs, while the third could only be described as animalistic, crawling around on the floor on all fours, and even howling into the night sky. Down the alleyway walked the Magilla Gorilla with the massive sword who had executed my sire. Both of the Sabbat soldiers with guns started shooting at him, but he simply held his hand out and blue light, like electricity, started flowing around it. Behind the two Sabbat soldiers appeared two glowing white wolf shapes, which immediately pounced on them and started ripping them to shreds. The animalistic Sabbat charged toward the Magilla Gorilla, who simply pointed his hand toward him and the Sabbat soldier became dust in an instant.

The Magilla Gorilla looked up at the window Jack and I were looking through, but barely acknowledged either of us before walking off.

"Dumb frenzied Sabbat bastards," muttered Jack. "All right. We gotta vamoose out the back, quick. I'll stay and keep a watch out; you get us into the office. The door's around the corner here."

"No problem," I said. "I've always been one to enjoy a little breaking and entering." I walked around the corner and, with no real effort on my part, picked the lock on the office door. It was one of many tricks I'd picked up over the years, so it barely took me a few seconds.

There was a smashing sound as I entered the office. I looked around and saw that Jack had broken in through a window.

"If you're just going to teleport everywhere, then really, why have me go to so much effort?" I asked.

"There's no teleporting involved, kiddo, just knowledge of shortcuts," he said. "Well, nicely done, though. Not exactly an angel in life, were you?"

"Kinda half and half, to be honest. I try to do the right thing, but if I need to break a few laws and kill a few pricks to do that, well … let's just say I'm not the hesitating type."

"Cool. 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. It's the same reason you don't let humans see you feeding. It's why the wolf doesn't want the sheep to know he's there. It's also why you don't go jugglin' dumpsters or outrun the 8:15 from Sacramento, and it's … and it's why you didn't know any of this when you woke up this morning."

That's what you think, I thought in amusement. Aloud I said, "You don't have to worry, Jack. I'm not stupid enough to go showing off to a bunch of humans."

"Good, that's good. Keep our secret secret and you make things easier on all of us. We're livin' in the age of cell phone cameras … fuck-ups ain't tolerated. Makes sense enough, right? Well, it ain't a casual thing for a fledgeling like you. That party back there, with the guy in the suit and the Magilla Gorilla – the assholes who put your sire to death? That's the Camarilla. Hmph. They make a tidy habit of enforcing 'vampire laws' like this one."

"So, in essence, they expect everyone to follow their rules and kill anyone who breaks them? Sounds like a dictatorship … like vampire Nazis, or some shit. Hellsing was right …" I shook my head. "Sorry, ignore me, TV and stuff. Carry on."

"All right now, don't worry, 'cause I know the area a little – and you know what? I'm glad you're in this situation, you and I. It illustrates a point … you gotta utilise your surroundings."

"You have a plan?"

He shrugged. "Ya do what ya gotta do. Theft, destruction of property, breaking and entering. Heh. These'll be the least of your sins before the night's out. So look around here. We gotta get out the back there through that magnetically sealed door. There must be a key someplace."

"Well, then I guess we'd better find it."

I knew exactly where the key was. It was in the safe just to the side of the computer, which needed a password in order for the safe to open. I still remembered the password from when I played the game through: "chopshop." I typed it in on the computer and then entered the "unlock" command. The key was, in fact, a keycard, which I took from the safe.

"You been here before, kid?" asked Jack.

"Nah, I'm just good with computers," I told him.

"Fair enough. Now take that keycard and head out the back. I'll meet you out in the alley there. I'm gonna check out things from topside."

"I will do this deed." I shook my head a little. "That's what the schizo voice in my head's said … Is that gonna happen often?"

"Some Malkavians have it worse than others. You seem to be relatively fine, but things like that might slip out now and again."

"Fantastic."

I then used the keycard to unlock the door on one side of the room, revealing a set of stairs which I walked down and went through another door on the left. I exited into an alleyway and was immediately greeted by a hail of gunfire from a pair of Sabbat soldiers. I managed to dodge out of the way and charged toward them, dodging the bullets coming toward me as I went. I reached the first of the two, pulled my arm back, and then sent my fist forward as hard as I could, punching right through his chest and ripping his heart from his body. He turned to dust.

It was at this point that Jack jumped down through one of the windows upstairs, came up behind the second of the two Sabbat soldiers, and snapped his neck, slit his throat with his nails, and lifted him up and broke his back on his knee. A little overkill? Maybe, but these vampires can be resilient bastards. Ripping out that last guy's heart was basically the only easy way of doing it.

"Fuckin' waste o' unlife, these Sabbat vatos," growled Jack. "Y'know, you're pretty good at this for a new guy. Doesn't look like they even got a shot in ya."

"Eh, I just charged at him and punched." I shrugged. "Wasn't all that hard."

"Yeah, that's great, but Kindred ain't anywhere near the most dangerous things you're gonna be facin' now that you're part of this world, kid. There's plenty o' stuff that's gonna be lookin' to kill ya from here on in, which means you're gonna have to get used to drinking from kine – our word for humans – whenever ya get hurt. 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 onto every last shred of Humanity you have."

"Otherwise I'll become a straight-up horror movie monster, right?"

"Right. An innocent's an innocent. 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 that Beast you got wellin' up inside you. You can survive feedin' on animals, if you can stomach that sort of thing." Jack made a gagging noise that told me he wasn't a fan of the idea. "To be honest, I think the only ones who go down that route are the Nosferatu. And that's just 'cause they're too fuck-ugly to live among humans without scarin' the shit outta 'em."

"Sounds like they have an unfortunate lot in life."

If he was about to respond to that, I saw no indication. Instead he shushed me. "Keep it down. Got someone around the way here."

"Only one?"

"Not too much of a threat by himself, but you never know if there's more in shoutin' range. You're gonna have to sneak past."

"Where to, governor?"

"The building across from us, with the garage door? 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."

"Won't be a problem." I couldn't stop the smirk from forming on my face. "I'll be more ignored that the terms and conditions."

"I dunno what that means, but I'll take it as a good thing. Now go."

"Going."

I opened the chain-link door to the side of us and exited the alley, into a slightly wider one with a couple of cars in it. There was a Sabbat soldier there, but I decided it'd be better to do as Jack says. I was very eager to try out one of the trademark Malkavian abilities, anyway: Obfuscate. Concentrating, I focused heavily on my need to remain unseen, unnoticed. And then I wasn't there any more. I was invisible. There was a telltale shimmer, much like that found in the movie Predator, but it wasn't the sort of thing you'd see unless you were looking for it, so the vampire I was sneaking past never noticed a thing as I walked right on past him. I walked around the corner and into the building through the double doors Jack had told me about.

This has all been very easy so far, I thought idly. It's actually almost boring.

I wasn't at all surprised to find Jack already in there waiting for me.

"Keep it quiet, they're inside here," he said. "Seems that shovelhead outside just got separated from his pack. He's wounded, too. Go take care of him. Don't worry … he's probably greener than you."

"… Not gonna lie, I feel kind of uncomfortable with that," I said. "I mean, I was only made a vampire a few hours ago, at most, and you're saying he was turned even more recently?"

"You don't need to feel bad. The Sabbat, you see, they don't have the most rigorous training program. In fact, that poor sod is lucky if he knows he's a vampire."

"Not seeing why I shouldn't feel bad about this."

"Ah, he was probably just turned and beaten over the head. They like to do that … make shock troops, cannon fodder. You're not killing an innocent man, kid; you're putting him outta his misery."

"… All right."

As I walked out the door, I wasn't a hundred percent sure what was about to happen. I knew I was going to try and reason with this man-turned-unwilling-vampire, but I didn't know if he was going to listen. I also knew that I was going to have to take him from behind if I wanted to have any kind of conversation, as Jack was right, this guy was a shock troop and would be more likely to attack as soon as he saw me. I needed to be careful about this.

I activated Obfuscate and walked out into the alley. I made sure to step lightly and keep quiet. I walked around to behind the man and got close. Then I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and made myself visible. He made several shocked choking noises and attempted to hit me, but I held strong.

"Listen to me," I whispered sharply in his ear. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you make this hard. What's your name?"

All I got in response was choked growling and more attempts to escape. I tightened my grip with one arm, brought the other up, and hit him on the head.

"What's your name?" I asked again.

Again, just hostile growling.

I sighed. Despite having been changed into a vampire in about the last hour or so, he was completely gone. So I did as Jack suggested: I put him out of his misery. One quick twist of the head and the man's neck was broken. He was so new that the neck break killed him instantly. He was dust before his body even hit the ground.

I suddenly became very angry. The Sabbat had taken this man, who probably had friends, a family, a girlfriend or a wife (or both if he was that kind of guy, for which I would not judge him, as that would make me a hypocrite), and had turned him into a vampire without taking his life into account. Then they had fed him, made him a monster, and sent him into a battle he had known nothing about earlier in the day. They had destroyed his life in the space of a few hours. That wasn't all right by me.

Sabbat bastards, I thought with distaste.

I walked back to Jack at a brusque pace.

"Took you a little longer than I expected," said Jack. "You hesitate? Eh, can't say a blame you, knowing what I told you just now. Still, that's that, you get used to it. Sounds like we got another pack movin' in, though. The Sabbat're goin' all out. You better head underground, avoid stray bullets. Not that that's been a problem for you so far. Anyway, head down into the basement, through that grate in there. Keep a tire iron handy in case you meet any of 'em down there. I'll be there in a minute."

Meaning you're going to be waiting for me when I come out the other end, I thought. I picked up a tire iron as recommended, even if only because using a weapon completely detaches people from the guilt of their actions. I went into the other room, opened up the big-ass grate in the floor, and jumped down.

I went through a door, walked down a short corridor, went through another door. There was a Sabbat soldier in there who was facing away from me. I walked quietly up behind him, brought the tire iron around to choke him with it to keep him quiet, then I snapped his neck.

"Not sure what's goin' on," said Jack. He had come up just behind me. "Sounds like the Sabbat's gettin' scattered. I'm gonna keep an ear to the ground. Be careful goin' forward here … could be a whole mess of 'em holed up."

"Fun," I said sarcastically.

I moved over to the door to the next room, found it was locked, and picked the lock. The Sabbat soldier turned around as I was entering, meaning stealth killing this one wasn't an option. He charged at me, and I swung the tire iron, hitting him around the face. My enhanced strength meant that the tire iron actually cracked his skull, dragging across and pulling with it a healthy chunk of the Sabbat soldier's skin. He growled out in pain. I brought the tire iron across again, this time downwards. It broke through his skull and the squelching sound it made told me that it had entered his brain. He turned to dust, dead.

{Things aren't boding well for the Sabbat if this is all their people are capable of} said Skulduggery Pleasant. {The vampires back home are much more intimidating.}

On that we can agree. The vampires from the world of Skulduggery Pleasant were kind of freaky, to tell you the truth, almost like feral animals.

Jack came up behind me again. "I think they're clearin' out," he said. "There's no need to go stirrin' up the hornets' nest till we know the score, though. Head through here … you'll come to an elevator around the way. I'll meet ya there. Don't let 'em catch ya."

"I'll do the fishing."

I opened the door to the next room, which appeared to be a storeroom of sorts and was filled with large boxes. I activated Obfuscate and walked around one stack of boxes, spotting a Sabbat soldier. Killing him was no fuss, I just broke his neck.

I entered the next room. There was another Sabbat soldier in there. I decided to try out another of the Malkavian abilities: Dementation. The ability to fuck with someone's mind was something I found rather interesting. My Aspect was in regards to the mind – didn't it make sense that I have some offensive abilities in that regard, too?

I chose to use the most basic of the Dementation abilities, called Hysteria. I focused my sight on the Sabbat soldier and concentrated on what I wanted to accomplish. Suddenly the Sabbat soldier burst out into hysterical laughter, doubling over and apparently struggling to breath. I simply walked forward and shoved the tire iron forward, and despite its lack of sharpness, my strength made sure it went right through his skull and stuck out from the other side of his head. He died.

There was another Sabbat soldier in the next room. I just broke his neck. There was no need to make a massive fuss out of all these blokes.

I went through a door and came out into a hallway. I was completely unsurprised to find Jack waiting for me there.

Jack laughed. "Fuckin' humans," he said. "Gangbangers 'protectin' their turf.' Ah man, I'm here thinkin' it's Sabbat movin' up in here … it's the fuckin' locals about to take one for the hood."

"So, we gonna ice 'em, homie?" I asked in amusement.

"Ah, they probably seen too much … Here, take this thirty-eight. Fuckin' pea-shooter, but a few shots and it'll take down a human."

"It shoots. That's good enough for me." I didn't tell him how pleased I was that I had a 38. to go with the one I used when I was in the world of Skulduggery Pleasant.

"Well, I'm gonna want it back," he said, completely ruining my moment of joy, "so don't go die and lose it. 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 comin' strapped."

"You don't have to tell me. I've lived here long enough."

"Really? Ya don't have the accent for it, ya sound all British. Watch out for those shotguns, though – ouch – those things can smart, I tell ya. Head up and clear out what's left of 'em. Can't have 'em runnin' their mouths about any o' this. I'm gonna make sure there's no stragglers around outside."

"And I'll take out the ones inside. See you in a bit."

I got in the lift and took it up the floor above, the warehouse. While I was in the lift, I summoned my own Smith and Wesson 38. so that I could dual-wield. I had always been comfortable with dual wielding. Then I simply waited for the doors to open. When they did, there wasn't a big welcome party to greet me with gunfire or anything, it just looked like an ordinary warehouse.

I walked around one of the shelves, then I saw the gangsters. There were only two, but they started to raise their guns at me. I pointed a gun at either one and pulled both triggers at the same time. Their heads exploded in a shower of gore before either of them could pull the trigger.

The doors to the lift opened again and Jack stepped out. He looked at the bodies of the two gangsters and nodded approvingly.

"That's it, kiddo," he said. "Just like that and it's all over. Everyone slinks back to their corners of the city for the night."

"Really? After all this fighting, everyone just pops off home for a cup of tea? I don't disapprove of that particular idea, but it does seem rather odd."

"Forget drinkin' tea or anything else that's not blood from now on, kid." That's what you think, Jack. "But yeah, it's all over now. Until the next night, that is, when the Camarilla finds some way to strike back. Parry, dodge, spin 'n all that. And so on, and so on, and so on …"

"A war between undead factions that battle it out every night … lovely-jubbly."

"Well, to be honest, you came at a, well, an interesting time, let's say. The Camarilla, the Sabbat … well, in LA these are the new kids on the block. There's already plenty o' Kindred had stakes down in California long before them. Now, we got every ancient Kindred rivalry playin' out all over the city. Lotta tension out there. Lotta fear. Lotta jittery, high-strung predators clingin' to their little pieces of eternity."

"Sounds like it should make for some interesting nights for me."

A car honked its horn several times outside.

"Oh, boy," said Jack. "Well, I think they're lookin' for you outside; guess you got a cab to catch. Was hopin' to fill you in on a little more, but … ah hell, you'll figure it all out."

"It's touching to know you have so much faith in me," I said. I handed him the gun he gave me. "Here's your gun, by the way."

"If you make it back, stop by at the 'Last Round' – it's this bar downtown here – I'll fill you in on the politics." He laughed. "Now that's the stuff that'll kill ya. Good luck."

"Cheers."

I left to go to the taxi that would be taking me to my new home in Santa Monica. The taxi ride was uneventful. I guess Cain just didn't feel like talking to me just yet.

And that, ladies and gents, is the first chapter of my second ever Multiverser story. Because this game takes place over such a short period of time, it's likely only going to take place at the same time as the first arc of Hyperdimension Multiverser, though this is likely to have more chapters. I know the action wasn't exactly exciting, but Dexter has faced enough in his time to find this sort of thing piss-easy. It'll become more challenging for him later on, but for now, when he's facing enemies as basic as these, he isn't exactly going to break a sweat.

I DO have a couple of ideas on how to make all this more interesting and challenging for him, but those won't come into play for awhile. At least until after the Santa Monica arc.

I'll see you lot next time.