PART THE FIFTH

Stitch in Time

"Stitch to stop the madness... stitch to stop the hate... stitch in time but now it's just too late..."

"Shut the fuck up!" screamed Jet, his rocketing against Abstract Addy's grimy cheek.

"Oh, how low? You're ship is sinking. Oh, how low? You're dragging me down-"

Claws ripped through her face, and Jet pulled back his hand, his eyes wide with fury. She gasped, her skin cut into ribbons and bleeding onto the cavern floor. Her pupils contracted, and she lifted her head up, as if sensing something the Gangrel could not.

And she screamed.

Jet smashed his teeth against hers, shutting her up with a violently painful kiss. His fangs slid through her lips, tearing them, and he gnawed at her flesh. When he finally broke away, she slumped limply back.

"Fucking Lunatic!" Jet roared. The Beast was raging in him now, pushing him to the brink of frenzy. How he wanted to rip her to shreds and bury his face among her intestines, smell her gore and lick his hands...

His head swung around as he sniffed the air. They were no longer alone.

Jack crumpled to the floor, sniffing and holding his face. "W-we're c-c-close," he sputtered. "I c-c-can f-feel her inssssside m-me..."

"Fucking basket case," hissed Anton.

"How close? Which direction is she in?" asked Elias, worried. The other three vampires stared at him in disbelief.

He gave them critical glances. Was he the only one who cared for the Primogen's safety?

Jack curled deeper into himself, not wanting to stand. "Confines me..." he mumbled,, seeming to gasp for air. "Contorts me and controls me... but conceals and condemns me..."

"What the Hell is the lick saying?" spat Marie, shooting him a contemptuous glare.

"Those who drink from the blood of Malkav fall prey to his madness." George was staring at the ghoul now, his words hissing in the air. "Who knows if what he's saying is worth anything? He could just be babbling."

"As if anything said by leeches were worth anything," sneered Marie. "How I hate those dirty, disgusting cattle."

"Stitch in time!" shouted Jack, bolting to his feet. His eyes were determined and fierce. "RUN!"

He sped down the cavern, and the Kindred grudgingly followed.

They stopped when the darkness became too deep for even their eyes to penetrate.

"Jack?" called Anton. Silence followed.

"Cat's got his tongue. Now get the fuck out." came a steely voice. The four stood incredibly still for a moment, until Elias stepped forward.

"Surrender the ghoul and the Primogen, and we will leave you in piece." he said quietly, his words calm and confident. Their unseen assailant laughed.

"Not gonna happen, pansy. Now why don't you just turn yourself around and walk out, while you still can?"

"Give us the goddamn Primogen before I personally tear the skin off of your face, infidel!" shrieked Marie. "You have ten seconds before I start. I will break bones in your body that you didn't even know you had, and I'll cut that insolent tongue out of your insolent mouth with my fingernails, and tear off your genitals and nail them to your forehead-"

"Bullshit, cunt. You can't even see me. And, consequently, that wagging tongue of yours just wasted your grace period. You're all dead, you fucking Cammies."

"KILL HIM NOW!" she screamed, her fists clenched at her sides. None of her companions moved. "Where's that bloody Nosferatu?"

"George?" called Anton timidly. There was a small period of silence, then...

"FUCK!" screamed the voice.

"Over there." answered the Ventrue.

"Elias?" called a weak, female voice. "No... No, stop, give me peace..."

"Shut up..." grunted the other voice, obviously injured. They heard blood hit the ground, followed by a heavy thump.

"Our host is out," came George's cheerful voice.

Anton sighed. "That's nice. I heard Abstract Addy's voice - did you see her? Or her ghoul, for that matter?"

"I'm still checking. This is a rather large room we've come across, but it looks like a dead end. They're here somewhere."

Marie was still fuming. "Where is that son of a bitch? I want his testicles pinned to my wall."

"Center of the room, Marie." offered George. "I smell blood - boatloads of it, and it's all hers. She's right in front of me, but she tightly bound. There's no chance of us undoing all of the chains and harnesses here. We'll have to take her back up as is. And I'm guessing this limp form next to her is Jack."

"Is he dead?" asked Marie hopefully.

"Still breathing. Barely. We'll have to drag both of them out of here." George picked up the Malkavian and walked back towards his group. "Somebody get the boy."

Anton shrugged and found Jack, lifting him over his shoulders.

"He was just knocked out, nothing serious," said Anton, looking Jackson over. Prince LaCroix nodded.

"Where's the Primogen?"

"We thought it best if you didn't see her," said Elias, fidgeting with his hands.

"What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Cutwell?" said the Prince through clenched teeth.

"She's not exactly a looker right now," said George with a wink. Sebastian's eyes widened.

"She's been hurt?"

Anton nodded. "Badly. Marie's with her now, feeding her all the blood packs we could buy from Reggie."

"I must know the details," Sebastian growled, a finality in his voice.

"She was bound in chains and chords when we found her. She had been stripped of her clothing, and her face was seriously torn. There were many other bruises, abrasions and slices elsewhere on her body. She looked as if she was brutally tortured." supplied Elias. The fact that the Prince was restraining a smirk did not escape him. "We did not learn who the perpetrator was, though he would not surrender her willingly."

"Was he taken care of?" urged LaCroix.

"He was incapacitated for the duration of our stay there..." mumbled Elias.

"So he's still alive." spat the Prince.

"Er." said Elias. He glanced at his two companions, hoping they would say something to save him from his Sire's impatience. He was answered with silence.

Prince LaCroix sighed, resting his head in his hands. Jack moaned, and slowly sat up, holding the back of his head.

"Ugh... Who am I?" he asked.

"Perfect." snapped the Prince. "As if we didn't have enough problems to deal with!"

"Is A safe? Is she okay?" he asked, in a seemingly random moment of clarity.

"She is being tended to,"' replied Elias with a nod. Jack smiled and fell back against the floor, once more unconscious.

"That was rather odd," George remarked, his arms folded across his chest.

"Once Abstract Addy is revived and well, I may question her for details of her captor and his location. Then we can find him and bring him into the city proper to administer justice." Prince LaCroix began shuffling some papers around on his desk. "I have heard all I needed to, for now."

The three nodded, and made their exits, Anton once again slinging Jack over his shoulder and carrying him out.

A/N: Whew. Jack didn't die! Point for him! I kind of forget about Elias in the later chapters, but I promise to bring him back in part twelve or so… I do like him, actually. He's just so… Ventrue-ey.