Author's note: This chapter kinda became a transition of sorts. Next chapter is gonna involve some things actually being resolved. I feel like I need to start actually having things dealt with. But anyways check out A Ghost Of Ink if you haven't already. I will be working on that and this for the most part. I would love to get some feed back on this story. It just keeps getting more traffic.
Chapter 7: Yet Another Threat And A New Leader
Simone sat at the round table with Ruby going through various files and such. Dark vampires and there friends popped in a few times. Any time when both were there was a bit tense. However the vampires were getting less and less dark as time went on. Especially there leader Veetor who seemed especially willing to change for the one he serves. Simone came upon another file of interest. This one references a string of bodies with there blood drained. They were all found in a small area.
Midday came around and all of there friends and Veetor all gathered. "Alright we have a few places marked for investigations. We also have a potential target of sorts but I would like Veetor to send in one of his to quietly investigate further. For now lets split into three groups and investigate the three locations of interest. Ruby will join team two and Coco will lead her team. Me Yang and Blake will be team one." Simone proceeded to detail each location and allowed the teams to discuss who went where. JNPR and Ruby were going to check out a few warehouses. Coco was gonna lead her team in a search of a number of places that were used by the now broken mafia family.
Simone stood watching her two teammates from the top of a building. She was looking over the area as they slowly made there way in. All seemed quiet in the small part of the agriculture district. In fact it was creepy how devoid of sound and life it was. Only the plants in the greenhouses had any life. Simone caught a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure. She gated to its position and kept an eye out for the figure. "You know you have thwarted each attempt to bring you in." The masked girl said.
Simone raised an eyebrow as she looked over the masked figure. "I am stronger then you. What makes you think you can bring me in?" Simone said in her typical neutral voice. "Maybe I can convince you to join us? We wish to resurrect the dark one. We heard rumors of one with a special connection to it. We have determined it to be you." The girl said on alert. "Yes it is my grandparent. I have the same power as it. And it does not wish to return." Simone said as they stood between two buildings.
"I am guessing you cannot prove this? No matter I am still tasked with bringing you in. Willing or not." The girl said grabbing Simone. Simone smiled and seemed to turn into a shadow. "Did you think I would come out to chat personally?" The Simone shadow said before punching the masked girl. Her cloak took the force and threw it right back into the shadow breaking it. Simone stood with Blake and Yang as they looked at something they found. A hatch in the ground to some kinda tunnel.
Coco and Velvet stood over a bunch of dead and unconscious thugs. They had found them this way. There were a some masked thugs in suits among them but they were all dead. "This is the second place to be destroyed." Coco said as they looked around for anything useful. It seemed anything useful was either destroyed or taken. Just before they were about to leave Velvet noticed something. As she took a closer look she found a hidden hatch leading into a basement. "I found something!" She called out pulling her teams attention. As they all closed in Yatsuhashi was the first to go in. He saw a holding pin similar to the one they saw in the warehouse.
As Coco came down she examined the place. She noticed the large lights seemed to mimic the sun unlike more conventional lights. "Alright we should call in Simone. She would probably like to know. Plus if it is anything like last time we cant handle them all." Coco said as Velvet pulled out her scroll. As they waited for Simone to pick up the scroll told them it could not connect. "That is not a good sign." Coco said as they closed the hatch behind them.
Simone was slowly moving through the tunnel with Yang and Blake. They came out to a sorta underground structure. Simone signaled them to stop as she listened for any sounds. "Vampires were definitely the ones who built this. There is no scent of people lingering. Also the air is stale implying there is no ventilation. But it looks to be used extensively and recently." Simone said as she pulled her weapon out. Her team readied themselves as well. As they entered the place they started seeing heavy stone doors.
"This place is old I think it was likely built for hibernation. Thus the heavy stone doors. Apparently dark vampires made more of these then anyone else. So basically keep on your toes." Simone said before she forced one open. Inside was a vampire in a dormant state. Simone crept over and put her hand on the vampire. After a few moments the vampire started flailing as they died. Simone stood there focusing on sorting some of the memories out. "Yup the masked person is part of the same group." Simone said to her team.
"We should pull back for now." Simone said leading them for the exit. However while on the way the girl in the mask showed up in the dark tunnel. "I am taking you to my leader..." She said slowly walking forward. "You two leave and get in touch with the other's I will take care of this one." Simone said creating two shadows of herself. They were allowed to run straight past. Simone sent her two shadows in. One went in high swinging the parasol for the face. The other struck her in the legs. The force from both blows was thrown back into the shadows by the cloak. The masked girl fell to her back but become like smoke and was suddenly standing behind Simone.
The shadows moved in to attack again both striking her in the chest as Simone gated a few feet away. This time the shadows shattered and Simone aimed her parasol. She fired a four flame spikes into the cloak. As flames spray from the tip of the spike the cloak is severely battered. Then Simone pulled a mask from a gate and put it on. A cloak of shadow formed around her with tendrils coming from under it. The tendril's fly out slamming into the other cloak. As the tendrils get hit with force they are pushed back just to slam back into the shield cloak. The girl jumped back and burst into smoke to evade the tendrils.
She solidified behind Simone and attempted to use her aura to blast a hole through all her protection. But between the cloak and Simone's massive aura the blade still hit the aura shield. Simone smiled and grabbed the mask with one hand and the persons throat with the other. As she forced the mask off the cloak dissipated. "Checkmate I win." Simone says putting the mask in her shadow vault. "Now you can either give up on this folly or die here." Simone said hand firmly on the girls throat.
The girls fear was clear on her face as she looked at Simone. "See you never had a chance." Simone said starting to move as she dragged the girl by her neck. After a few minutes the girl finally speaks up. "I apologize for inconveniencing you my lady..." Simone raises an eyebrow at her. "What is with other vampires and deciding to have me as there leader?" Simone asked letting go of the girls throat. She breathed a sigh of relief and stood quietly next to Simone.
"Perhaps it is because you are the granddaughter of the thing that created the vampires? And it certainly does help that you are ridiculously powerful. Also you are very attractive. All of that helps." The girl said earning an eye roll from Simone. "Whatever." Simone says as they catch up with Blake and Yang. "Who is that?" Yang asks looking at the girl behind Simone. "The cloaked girl. She has decided to join me apparently." Simone said as they climbed out of the tunnel. That was when they received messages from Coco's team. As they read them over Simone opened a gate.
As they exited a gate to the place Coco's team was at Simone immediately noted the body's. She quickly found her way to the hatch and put her mask away as she opened it. She was immediately met with a large Gatling gun. "Hey Coco you all still good?" Simone asked as the girl pushed her way between the gun and Simone. "Who is this? And we are fine." Coco said putting her weapon away. Simone pushes past the girl and heads into the underground. When she gets there she heads for the pin and gates in.
Once inside she saw more dark vampires and could feel the power suppression system doing its work. "So who are you?" Simone asked as one dressed similarly to Veetor stepped forward. "I suggest you tell me who you are." He says angrily. "I am the granddaughter of Astroya. The one to inherit its power." Simone said focusing and darkening the already dark pin to demonstrate her strength. "If that is true then why are you so pure?" He asks stepping forward. "I am not interested in destroying and conquering anything." Simone said as she opened a gate. "Now go in this gate." All of the dark vampires slowly entered followed by Simone.
Once inside the other vampires all gated out leaving quickly. "Well they were ungrateful." Simone said as she got back to Coco's team. "They are gone now. So why don't you tell us your name?" Simone asked looking over at the girl who has chosen to serve her. "Well my name is Violet I am much older then I look." Violet said standing there awkwardly. Simone sighed and opened a gate taking out a necklace handing it over. Violet slowly puts it on and a cloak of shadow formed covering everything but her face. Violet instantly started to relax as she was covered up again. "Well everyone has there problems." Simone said shrugging as she made a gate.
As they entered Veetor was there with his squad who were not nearly as vicious or monstrous looking as they used to be. "Who is this my lady?" Veetor asked bowing slightly. "Violet she has joined us. Also I encountered a vampire dressed like you. He and his men fled though." Simone said causing Veetor to stand straight up. "He is likely a second scouting party... He is likely informing my old master of your existence. I suspect he will try to either use you or destroy you. We must find a way to build our strength so we can fend them off when they come." Veetor said already thinking about what kind of an attacks they could expect.
Simone sighed and sat in her chair. "It feels like I am gonna end up doing something ridiculous to deal with this." Simone said as team JNPR returned with Ruby. Ruby immediately went and sat on Simone's lap. "You seem stressed did you find yet another enemy?" Ruby asked jokingly but when Simone groaned she just stared for a moment. "Really another one? Does it have anything to do with why Veetor looks to be marking things on a map of the continent? And also appears to be making plans?" Ruby Asked.
"Basically dark vampire lord has been added to my enemies. And I have a now minion. Not sure why that keeps happening. Oh well I guess if I keep building a bigger following maybe I can actually keep things from getting to far out of hands." Simone said thinking about what Astroya had told her about leading. "Violet how hard would it be to take over your clan?" Simone asked hugging Ruby lightly. Violet came up next to them and got onto one knee with her head down.
"Well our leader is strict and unmoving in her belief's. But if you were to take her out in front of the rest of the clan many of them may be willing to join you. But so long as she is in power basically non will join you. Her right hand vampire is also a threat any who don't join you will go to him. Taking out them both in front of the clan would assure a smoother take over. And if you use your special power on top of that then that is sure to get you some extra points of credibility." Violet got up and slowly back away. "Well for now I have a date to get to and then a day for planning then school." Simone said getting up with Ruby and gating away.
End of Chapter
