Two full days had passed, and just as she expected Fenris found nothing to suggest that Damsel was keeping the Brightstone ghouls. Not that there was a lot of reason to think she was; sheriff or not, Damsel was still an Anarch soul. Typically Anarchs are strongly adverse to the entire ghouling process; or at least that's what Skelter told her before the Assamite got him. Just Mike once explained that to the Anarch Movement, which was all about Libertas, the making of a ghoul was nothing but a form of blood- slavery and therefore is counterintuitive to the entire premise of what it meant to be an Anarch.
That made sense to Fenris; how could one demand personal freedom and then subject another to oppression, abuse, and slavery? Shit like that was straight up inhuman; sure, they were officially monsters, but if they were supposed to hold onto every scrap of humanity they had left that would have to mean it was their obligation to avoid that which added to their damnation as much as possible. She doubted she could relay that logic to Therese, but she could say there was no empirical evidence to suggest Damsel was building an army of ghouls. She might be able to add that for the Brujah to do something like that doesn't fit the way she typically rolls. All the same, Fenris decided it would be best to wait a couple more nights before reporting that; just to make the effort look more thorough.
Tonight, the Gangrel hound – as a few of the other Kindred had taken to calling her – found herself at the Pit, Xavier's music venue club. His house band had an injured drummer, so a band from Canada was filling in for awhile. Apparently they were starting to become kind of a big deal up and down the West Coast; a group of punks that called themselves Naked Fire. This was really the last place Fenris wanted to be; but since this was the place many of the Kindred were coming, she saw little option. The place itself wasn't so bad; X had it kept pretty clean and well maintained, but there was that ever-present lingering THC stink to the place. It was subtle, but always there. There was also the fact that she thought all the bands that played here sucked ass. In fact, the only place that ever played anything decent was Tye's old place, and that was history now. It was for this reason, among a few, that Fenris made a point of standing as close to an exit as she possibly could. There was also the reason that from this vantage point the only place she couldn't really see in the open area was above her, and even from there she couldn't be ambushed since her back was to a wall and she could see all access points.
Then the Tremere walked in. Fenris had to admit it seemed unlikely that Tabetha would come to an event like this. If there was Clan business here, Fenris would have thought she'd send Rutger or something. Of course the little witch had been around Asylum a lot the past few nights; being Jeanette's little fangirl and plaything. Maybe she was trying to come out of her shell.
"Well, yours is a face I never thought I'd see at one of these deals." The Gangrel commented. "I always figured you to be one those hardcore introvert types that sit at home with her nose in a book and a cat in her lap."
"How cute;" Tabetha replied, grinning thinly. "I'm being judged by the quintessential run away turned errand girl." She paused to scan the floor, as if looking for someone specific. "So what is the errand of the night? Are you protecting the Prince, or baby-sitting her baby sister?"
"What do you know?" She said, laughing in mock surprise. Really it was no surprise at all; little Tabby-Cat was looking for her momma. "The big-brain witch-bitch got something dead wrong. I'm here in a purely investigative capacity."
Tabetha responded with a scrutinizing hum. "Let me guess;" she said. "The nature of your investigation is confidential."
Fenris said nothing.
"I'll go one farther." Tabetha went on. "If I don't already know, then I don't need to. You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me; some kind of action movie bullshit like that."
Fenris said nothing. It was actually kind of fun to see one of the mighty House and Clan Tremere squirm and jitter – so clearly giving away that she was way out of her comfort zone.
Not that Fenris cared, but Tabetha seemed genuinely impressed with her ability to keep her mouth shut. "The Prince has chosen her agent well, I see." She said, and turned away. To the Gangrel, it looked like the Tremere was shocked she said anything at all. It was like the words came out of her mouth but not because she meant to say them, as innocuous as they were. Even more intriguing, there was something funny about her voice; it was like it dropped an octave or two for a second. She looked through the crowd, waved at X when he spotted her. Tyler spotted her too and suddenly clamed up on whatever they were talking about. Finally the Tremere moved onto the floor and gravitated towards VV, who was just finishing up with Damsel.
Earlier, she saw Kaila go backstage; she assumed she knew someone in the band. The singer most likely; he was obviously Kindred. Russ Norton was his name; he had an odd scent to him that Fenris couldn't quite identify. He was certainly one of the undead, that was no mistake, but beyond that it was unclear. It wasn't that weird no-smell that the Wunderkind had; it was more like he smelled a little bit like everything. She couldn't decide if that was good or bad; it was very disturbing, yet it had a way of drawing her to him at the same time.
In any case, she must have managed to lose track of Kaila, because the next thing Fenris knew Cameron's little dancer was coming down the stairs; most likely taking a little time out to make out with her sugar daddy Ventrue upstairs. It was only as she approached that it occurred to Fenris just how tiny Kaila was; she stood at maybe 5 feet tall, more like four and nine inches.
So what was it about the little hobbit that made her so intimidating? She looked like something Fenris could fold up and pack into a suitcase, yet the Gangrel could swear on a stack of bibles that her legs felt like water every time that Toreador was around. It could be her Clan's skills with the Discipline of Presence; but it seemed like more than that. She was just so...perfect that it was scary. Her raven hair, her emerald eyes which seemed to almost glow in the dark, her dark complexion, the way she moved her perfect frame and worked her perfect proportions; it was like there wasn't a single flaw to her and yet something was terribly wrong with this picture. It was all so inhuman; far worse than anything she had ever experienced. Though to be fair, Fenris only had ten years or so experience with these things. Whatever it was about Kaila, Fenris both wanted her and to run away from her in complete terror.
And then Kaila smiled at her. Fenris nearly lost her balance and barely kept from giving an awkward school-girl grin back.
"Helping X out with security tonight?" the Toreador asked.
"Um... no..." Fenris replied, doing her best to sound cool. "I'm here on an investigative endeavor on behalf of Prince Therese Vooreman."
"Very interesting," Kaila said, clearly not interested in the least. "As much as I'd love to continue chatting with you, I have a small matter to attend to back home. If you will excuse me?"
Fenris cocked her head to one side and stepped out of the way; allow the creepy little hobbit to pass without a word.
Finally Xavier stepped onto the stage; making ready to get the show started. As he did so, Fenris took note that Tyler, VV, and Damsel stealing away up a set of steps towards the back of the building; Fenris never really registered that there were steps back there. Now that she thought of it; she supposed they led to an office of some sort. The young Gangrel didn't have much of a mind for politics, so now she found she couldn't puzzle out why those three would want private time at what was supposed to be a big party. A smirk crossed her face as she pondered just what kind of 'private party' they might want to have; probably with X once he was done with introducing the band.
The buzz of the crowd momentarily rose to a roar before X raised his arms to prompt them into silence. The roar died off.
"Welcome to the Pit!" X greeted; a roar of excitement was the response he received. "Are you ready to light up the night?" The crowd cheered to the affirmative. Xavier waved them down to a tense murmur. "As many of you already know, due to injury we will not be serving up any Ebola Cereal tonight." He added a few sympathetic indications that he knew and understood the crowds' disappointment. "But tonight, we have a special treat for each and every one of you! Tonight we kick off the return of the hottest group burning its way into the hearts and minds of the entire West Coast! Gather 'round, ladies and gents, and give it up for... NAKED FIRE!"
The lights went out, and save for the moonglow from the skylight above the dance floor the room was pitch. Actually, the moonglow created an interestingly eerie effect; Fenris now understood why he kept it after taking over the place after Ash vanished. With her enhanced senses, Fenris could barely see X quietly and efficiently steal away up those stairs she presumed led to his office. A hush fell over the crowd, and faintly at first but growing steadily clearer a rhythmic wash of cymbals could be heard; as it rose in intensity, a voice whispered –more like hissed from within the wash:
"Watch out! Look out!
Better get ready, 'cause here comes Trouble!"
"Watch out! Look out!
'Cause ready or not, here comes Trouble!"
The band, on the stage in the dark, allowed the crowd to work themselves into a frenzy with nothing more than a single plucking from a bass string as the cycle repeated until the crowd felt like it was about to explode...
...and then the stage exploded in a blinding flash first. The crowd on the floor sounded as if they were having a simultaneous orgasm as the band kicked into the opening riffs of a song they all apparently knew very well; some kind of grinding metal racket that Fenris expected would make her ears bleed, but for the fact it was actually well done she sort of found it easy to get into. And then Norton sang like he was hung like a jury:
"I'm so sick and tired
Of being sick and tired
Of living in your lies.
And I don't see the point
of seeing your point
Tell me why should I even try?
"Knock me down,
Beat me down,
Watch me get back up again.
Can't keep me down,
Can't keep me down,
'Cause now I'm getting up again.
"And now I'm laughing!
Yeah, I'm laughing at you...
Are you ready?
Better get ready, 'cause ready or not, here comes Trouble."
A short set of solos followed, where the singer quickly introduced each of his bandmates; naming himself last as Russell Norton. This was followed with a final admonition to watch out and look out, we better get ready, 'cause ready or not, here comes Trouble.
"Thank you LA!" Norton bellowed. The crowd replied with a cheer, followed by a chant of NAKED FIRE, to which Norton answered back; "Thank you, Los Angeles, thank you so very much!" And then he blew the crowd a waving kiss.
"Do you want another?" He asked, to which the crowd cheered to the affirmative.
"Do you want more?" He asked, as if he couldn't hear them. The crowd cheered louder still.
Russell Norton nodded, apparently satisfied. "Then let me tell you something..." The crowd erupted; clearly they had an idea what was coming next, to Fenris' estimation. The drummer kicked his bass drum twice, like it was a cue.
"Let me," Norton said once the crowd fell silent again, "tell you...what they...told me."
The crowd went into what seemed like a near frenzy as the band went into a surprisingly effective fusion of metal and hip-hop. Fenris Fraust actually started getting into it a little; particularly when Norton pretty much growled the chorus looking at her. For an instant it was like he was speaking directly to her:
"You just have to be yourself,
Be yourself, all will be well.
That's who I am; I am myself
now you tell me go to Hell!
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
And that was when the shit went down.
When it did, it started coming down right through the moonglow skylight with a crash which stunned the crowd for a fraction of a second before scattering in all directions to escape the shower of glass shards that fell like rain. As the spectators scattered, most clambering towards whichever exit was nearest, Russell Norton and his band retreated backstage. Meanwhile, through the now destroyed skylight, three figures came rappelling down on cables; armed with some kind of rifles.
Fenris found at least one proverbial silver lining here; it was a sure bet that the Brightstone goons from Damsel's extraction are definitely not under her thrall. Prince Therese does not need to worry about Damsel having an army of ghouls to set against her. They were here now, and it didn't look like they were planning on being of any kind of service to the Sherriff. She also noted that most of the crowd was getting out safely enough; certainly the bulk of Kine were. It looked like the Kindred were planning on standing their ground. More importantly, it looked as if the Brightstone goons were letting the Kine get out before doing much of anything besides looking all badass in their SWAT – like gear. The crowd significantly thinned, Fenris started to make her move. Claws still in, she began to charge the goons in the middle of the dance floor just as two more came bursting in through the front door. Looking back, Fenris made a split second decision; the Kine crowd was cleared out, and the three on the floor were getting moved in on anyway. She popped her claws and pounced at the two thugs coming in through the foyer. The one on the right dove aside, but she got to the one on the left. The thug went down pretty easy; she tore out his throat with some very little effort only to be rewarded with a jolt of electricity stunning her. The other thug, some kind of shock baton in hand, grinned maliciously as she writhed in the hall.
"You like that, bitch?" He sneered at her, apparently enjoying his own joke as he followed that up with a barking noise. "Does the blood-puppy want another?" He asked, nailing her again. Her hair standing on end, the voltage felt like fire in her veins. The thug laughed derisively.
And that was his big mistake. That bought the Gangrel just enough time to recuperate enough to mount a counterattack; slamming into him a shoulder block and knocking him down. She followed that up with a hard kick to the head which knocked his helmet clean off. Fangs bared, she grabbed the thug by the collar; ready to bite and feed...
...and then something across the club exploded.
Glancing up, Fenris realized with something near panic that the explosion came from X's office- or what she figured was his office. Tyler and Damsel flew out and landed on the dance floor like a couple of sacks of meat. She had just enough time to note the fighting on the floor had stopped; that the thugs were down and out, but the flames from the explosion drove the other Kindred out before the one she had pinned down stuck her with something. The shock of pain was just enough to allow the goon to shove her off of him. Fenris managed to get to her feet and saw that the goon had stuck her with was a small wooden stake; he obviously didn't get her heart, but it was close. She started to make an effort to pull the damn thing out when the goon surged forward and with a strong front kick forced it in deeper; piercing her heart.