Los Angeles By Night
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Vampire the Masquerade.
Chapter Four – Tick Tock
"Hey Mr Mertario" Dawn said with a friendly tone as she walked up to the janitor. It was lunch time and Dawn had no friends to spend it with. She felt alone and longed for company, any company.
"Hey Kid" Mercurio laughed, "Its just Mercurio. How you been? You don't seem happier?"
"I went to chess club" Dawn shrugged, "It was okay"
"Just okay" Mercurio said.
Dawn wanted someone to talk to. She needed someone to talk to. She couldn't talk to Buffy or Angel or anyone back in Sunnydale who always seemed so busy with their own lives to make much time for her.
"I met someone a bit … strange" Dawn blushed.
"Yeah like who?" Mercurio feigned ignorance and concern.
"Just some guy, he beat me at chess" Dawn struggled to talk about what had happened.
"Is it so weird for some guy to beat you at chess?" Mercurio teased.
"No" Dawn said defensively, "It's just … I can't explain it".
Mercurio thought for a moment before replying, "So what was this some guy like?"
"He was like old. Not old just, you know, mature like you" Dawn said as politely as she could, "He wore a suit and he had glasses".
"Mmm" Mercurio pretended to think for a moment, "I think I might know who you mean. I see him about. Some big wig financer to the school board. Spiky blonde hair and a European accent?"
"That's him" Dawn said with too much excitement then collected herself before continuing, "It doesn't matter anyway".
"Don't know much about him" Mercurio said, "He stays as a guest in the mansion at Topside, the one with all the cars outside. But hey kid. Stay away from him it doesn't sound good this"
"I don't really care" Dawn lied, "Well I'd better get back to class".
Mercurio nodded goodbye as she left then pulled out his cell phone.
"I can guarantee you that throughout my reign so far I have always had this cities best interests at heart and every decision I make is calculated and for the benefit for all kindred" Sebastian LaCroix declared in his posh French accent.
Maximillian Strauss was bored of LaCroix's speeches thinking, why must he always choose a hundred words when a few would have sufficed?
"Yet you have the audacity to criticise my every judgement, my every ruling" Prince LaCroix continued fiercely, "Tell me then Tremere, in all your wisdom, what conclusion what you have assented to?"
LaCroix waited as Strauss remained silent anger apparent on his stone cold face.
They sat opposite each other in comfortable red leather seats near a blazing beautiful fireplace in the prince's penthouse office.
LaCroix was weary of defending his throne and Strauss resolved to overthrow the prince but often did not have an answer for the arguments he started.
Strauss did not want to discuss how he would run the city because, in truth, he wasn't sure until he was in the Prince's chair. All he knew was that he believed LaCroix was a bad and unjust ruler.
"Your silence speaks more than words to me Tremere" LaCroix said as he stood and walked over to one of the large windows to look out onto the troubled and violent streets of Downtown Los Angeles.
"The Malkavians say it's out there" Sebastian started, "All I want is to ensure whatever it is causes no harm to kindred of the Camarilla".
"You want the power claimed as your own" Strauss said in a bold and harsh tone.
"Silence" LaCroix whispered and even through Strauss was his elder he could not help but obey the prince's dominating command.
LaCroix walked over and circled the chair where Strauss remained as through he was a shark measuring his prey.
"I do not want the power for myself" LaCroix said into Maximillian's eyes.
"You do not want the power for yourself" Strauss repeated, immediately hating the venture for forcing him to say the words.
LaCroix had an amused smile on his face as he said, "Get out".
Strauss rushed out of his office.
Finally some action, Buffy thought as she back-flipped away from the attacking vampire. He was fast, very fast, but the slayer was faster.
Another vampire punched her but Buffy withstood the blow and grabbed the vampire throwing her against the first one and she watched as they both fell over.
She had managed to hunt two vampires lurking around the alleyways of Downtown. One was an attractive dark skinned vampire and the other a short redhead who looked more like a teenager then the demon she really was.
"Damn Skelter get off of me" the female said throwing him off and rising quickly in defence of the slayer.
"Let me take her out Damsel" the male vampire demanded with fury evident in his voice.
"Why don't you both try? It's called teamwork" Buffy mocked as she prepared herself for their attack.
Skelter used celerity to move fast again and potence to summon as much strength to his limbs as he could. Buffy dodged his onslaught by twisting to one side. As Skelter tried to turn around to assault her Buffy managed to grab his arm.
The slayer lifted the male vampire into the air and then she slammed him into the ground breaking concrete.
Damsel was fast on her but Buffy crouched and stuck a leg out to trip her. Damsel went flying forward. Buffy took her chance as Skelter was still trying to recover from the slayer's blow to drive her wooden stake into his heart.
"Noooo" Damsel cried as she watched her friend dusted into final death.
Enraged Damsel rushed again for Buffy. Buffy jumped easily into the air over the small vampire's head. Damsel realised too late what had happened and when she turned around to attack again she found a stake waited for her under-used heart. Buffy's smirk was the last image Damsel saw as her body turned to dust.
Buffy was satisfied as she left her scene of violence.
Watching her leave and concealed a distance away was Jack. He had just watched his friends and fellows Anarchs being taken out by a slayer. Jack was old and he had come into contact with slayers in the past. He feared them and avoided them whenever possible. Now there was one in Los Angeles and he knew if the vampires were not careful she would dust the lot of them.
The turn of events was devastating for Jack, not only had he witnessed his friends meet their final death but now there were two less Anarchs to stand against the Camarilla.
Nines will be pissed, Jack thought as he watched Buffy stroll away.
Dawn prowled outside a beautiful mansion. It was posh and huge and had expensive cars in the driveway. She sneaked forward until she came to a wall at the side of the building and, summoning courage, peaked through a window. The room was stylishly furnished yet empty of people, both living and dead.
She tried another window and another after that, until finally she saw him. He was sitting at a large desk dressed in a crisp suit and wearing his wire-rimmed glasses as he studied papers that were in front of him. His spiky hair was messed as if he'd run his hands through it too many times. A glass of whiskey sat on the corner of his desk which Dawn found odd knowing that he was a vampire.
She watched him sort through his paperwork enchanted by him.
A hand grabbed her shoulder suddenly and pulled Dawn roughly to her feet.
Dawn gasped in surprise as she looked at the bulky and muscular man, or monster, who stood before her armed with a gun.
He'd reluctantly agreed to this meeting although now Angel wished that he hadn't come. However Beckett had been a friend decades ago and had saved Angel on more than one occasion in the past. Angel felt he could not just ignore his Gangrel acquaintance.
"Hello Beckett" Angel began, "I'm here but please make this quick".
"Are you afraid of what your slayer might say?" Beckett grinned teasingly.
"You don't know her" Angel said although not defensively but rather in awe, "She's incredible, she's special".
"She is a slayer" Beckett said as though these were the only words needed to end such arguments, "Anyway does she or you know anything about this power?"
Angel was honest with Beckett because he still respected him and knew Beckett to be kind as far as vampires go, "Not much to be honest we're trying to find out the situation as well".
"Disappointing" Beckett muttered to himself then added, "Tell me is a slayer likely to destroy it or wield it?"
Angel was honest once again, "Wield if she can. Destroy if she must".
Beckett nodded.
To be continued …
