Chapter Twelve
Billy got off the ferry by the expedient method of being carried by a mortal. Burying his face in the woman's shoulder, he wasn't noticed nor recognised by any of the watchers on the Island. The woman thought that she was taking him to the Aid station, since he had started crying for his 'Mommy' who obviously wasn't on the boat. Billy had other plans. Once they were out of sight, he bit into her neck and drank her down until she collapsed onto the soft grass.
Feeling better with the rich blood in him, Billy set off towards the amusement park. He knew that there was more than one entrance into the haven – that was standard procedure in the Sabbat – but chances are every single one would be trapped to the hilt. The only one that might not be trapped so well would be the main entrance that the pack used regularly.
Billy's only problem was that he had no idea where that was.
Although every pack in Toronto had, at one time or another, been to the Island to play or meet, no one but the Shadow Dragons had ever been in the Haven. Usually Havens were communal, offering sanctuary and protection to any Sabbat, but Drake guarded his jealously. Having a crafty bitch like Maggie to plan the traps ensured that no one was going to get in without express permission.
Billy was determined to try.
More, Billy was determined to succeed because he had a plan that he was sure would work.
Walking through the park, Billy finally crested the hill that overlooked the carousel and the start of Centreville. Something that was well known among the Toronto Sabbat was Maggie's fierce protection of the antique carousel. She made sure that it was taken care of, even setting the low packmember on the totem pole to scrubbing it down whenever she thought it needed it.
Logically, Billy figured that the main entrance to the haven was probably somewhere nearby, if not actually within the carousel building itself. Why else would she protect it so?
The sense of being watched prickled Billy's mind and he whirled suddenly, causing the fierce-faced Childe sneaking up on him to back a step in surprise and dismay.
"Who are you and how did you get on the Island?" the Childe demanded, fledgling shadows moving around his feet a testimony to his Clan.
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell ya no lies," Billy replied with a snarl. "Don't interfere with me, Shadow-Baby, because I'll fuckin' mop the floor with ya."
The man looked incredulous. "You're only what, five years old? I could have taken you out when I was mortal, let alone now!"
Billy's eyes narrowed. "Ya think so, do ya? Dumbass. Yer not worth my time."
The Lasombra Childe shook his head. "All right, kiddie, the park's closed to everyone but the pack. Let's go, back to the ferry. I don't know how you got past us, but you're going right back to Toronto."
Billy's eyes went flat. "Last person who called me 'kiddie' was dinner two minutes later. You just lost the right to live, buddy-boy."
Billy jumped, Potence and Celerity burning the blood through him as he attacked. The Childe never stood a chance against the vicious little Brujah. Within twenty seconds, Billy had his fangs deep into the Lasombra's throat and was draining the potent blood in rapturous swallows.
"Oh, God," Billy moaned as he realised that this blood was closer to Caine then his own. In ecstasy, he drank and drank until at last the Childe's whimpering soul dissolved into the Brujah's body and Billy felt the strength of a full generation speed through him. It was enough to drive the little Brujah to his hands and knees, his face buried into the ground to try and muffle to howl that escaped.
It was fifteen minutes before Billy recovered enough to move and he felt revitalised like never before. Jesse hadn't ever let him diablerise anyone and this was Billy's first experience with the sensation.
It was incredible and for a moment, Billy considered seeking out the other Childer that were sure to be on the Island for the pleasure of doing this again.
His mind wrenched and Billy howled again, this time with pain. Falling to his knees once more, this time his hands landed on the white corpse of the drained Childe. The pain finally easing, Billy sat up, the Childe's body in front of him and as he watched the mouth of the very dead Childe opened and began to speak.
"Go to the haven," it intoned in a raspy voice. "Go at once. Time to play later, but you must go now if you wish to succeed."
"But I don't know where it is," Billy wailed, the pent up frustrations of childhood catching up to him.
"Think," the corpse whispered, falling still again. "Think."
Billy thought. Scratching his head, he stood up and turned a slow circle, his eyes not seeing anything as his mind churned. Memories not his own crowded his brain and suddenly the image of a roller coaster flashed. Billy gasped. Another image flashed, this time a steel ladder descending into darkness. A sense of terror, a sense of utter obedience, a sense of relief.
Billy started walking, his eyes fixated on a point he as yet could not see. Feet moving almost of their own accord, he wove through the park until at last he stood before the small roller coaster that was so loved by the mortal children in the summertime.
Yes. The voice in Billy's mind could have been his own, and Billy unhesitatingly climbed up the stairs to the loading platform. In the very centre, a panel that looked like every other panel lifted under his questing fingers and Billy saw the steel ladder dropping into blackness below.
Now he hesitated. He had found the entrance – or one of them – yet caution made him pause. Nosferatu traps lurked unseen in the darkness and Billy knew that most if not all would be lethal even to a Fortitude-laden Brujah.
What was he to do? He had to go down, there was no choice. He needed to get into the haven. There were things that had to be done so that certain people were eliminated. Or was it tested? Billy was unsure and only half thinking on his own.
A movement in the distance decided him. He didn't want to waste time with another distraction, not when he was this close to his goal. Somehow he knew that only one vampire waited below in the haven and he, Billy the Kid, could easily take out one. Quickly, carefully, Billy started down the ladder, letting the platform piece close above him.
His eyes adjusted to the darkness with surprising ease and soon he had a dim, but decent view of his surroundings. The vertical tunnel that he was in was close, but as he neared the bottom, it opened up into a room with a corridor leading off. Billy stayed on the ladder's bottom rung and scanned the floor.
He had to laugh mentally, not daring to make a sound, but amused all the same. There was a visibly worn path that skewed about the room, obviously beaten by several pairs of feet until it was blatantly obvious what route was needed to avoid the traps. Billy chuckled and did the little hop to the left to land on the beginning of the track. Following it easily, he finally entered the corridor and continued to walk the welcoming trail.
Nothing happened to him, and he didn't expect that anything would. A soft chitter to one side of the tunnel made him jump slightly, but it was only a rat, looking up at him incuriously. Billy smiled nastily and sent a surge of blood to power his Celerity as he kicked the rat. It made a satisfying splat against the wall and oozed blood and internal organs down the stones.
"That'll learn ya," Billy taunted the dead rodent and continued on his way, walking boldly into the dimly lit oval room at the end of the corridor. "Honey! I'm home!"
As he had known, only one vampire was in the room, sitting upright on the couch with a look of terror in her eyes.
"Well, well, well," Billy drawled, taking a casual stance against the wall. "Hello, Kelly. Are y'all alone?"
"Billy," Kelly whispered, her voice shaking. She'd been a vampire for nearly a hundred years now, but she could no more stand up to the little Brujah then a mortal could to her. Add the fact that she was missing one leg made her situation even more desperate.
"Ya remember me!" Billy smiled at her mockingly. "I'm pleased. Truly."
"What do you want?" Kelly managed to ask.
"Yer blood singin' through my veins, sweet thang," Billy grinned toothily. "Then I'm gonna make sure that most of yer pack meets Satan when they get home from fightin'."
"I'll stop you," Kelly threatened, but the threat was hollow and Billy knew it.
"Somehow, I don't think so," Billy shook his head sorrowfully. "Why not make it easy for me and just tilt yer head to one side?"
"Fuck you, you stunted, immature piece of shit," Kelly hissed at him, trying to call the shadows to her command. They were weak – the room didn't have enough light to throw the sharp contrasts that made the shadows stronger – and they collapsed almost immediately.
"Temper, temper," Billy chided her, although his eyes had flashed with anger at the 'stunted' comment.
"My temper is just fine," Kelly growled at him, determined to get in a few verbal insults before she went down. If she went down. Always think positive. "Yours is probably pretty shitty though. I mean, how hard has it been to go through two hundred years as a six year old? Hmmm? To know that no one's ever gonna take you seriously 'cause you're just a kid. No matter how long you live, you'll always be just a baby to everyone. That's pretty pathetic, Billy." Kelly shook her head in mock-sorrow. "I really pity you sometimes. The rest of the time I just think that you got what you deserved."
"Watch it," Billy snapped at her, his eyes flashing with rage. "Just watch yer tongue ya lyin' bitch or I'm gonna cut it outta ya."
"Yeah," Kelly went on blithely as if she hadn't even heard him. "Must be tough knowing too that no matter how good you are, you're never gonna be more than a grunt 'cause what pack is gonna follow you? How embarrassing!" She shuddered delicately. "I know I would want to be in a pack led by someone who's barely out of diapers. Hey, Billy, you still shit blood in your pants every now and then? A lot of six year olds do, you know."
"You scum-sucking, ass-licking, camel-fucking maggot!" Billy swore at her, really pissed off now. "I'm gonna rip off yer head and spit down the hole!"
Kelly was about to say something else when her eyes widened and moved to something behind Billy. Billy frowned when her lips curved up slightly and she started to laugh.
"What's so funny, bitch?" he demanded.
Kelly just shook her head, laughing helplessly on the couch.
"Are you laughin' at me?" Billy yowled, outraged. "Are ya? I'll fuckin' teach you a god damned lesson!"
Billy took a step forwards towards her then stopped as Kelly shook her head violently, still laughing, and managed to shakily point behind him. Billy growled and turned to look, suspicious but figuring that Kelly couldn't attack him without the use of her leg.
Fully expecting to see another member of the Shadow Dragons behind him, Billy's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide when he finally did see exactly what Kelly was laughing at.
Rats.
Lots of rats.
Rats overflowing the doorway and crouched all along the floor everywhere that Billy could see. The floor was gone, only a seething mass of rats stared unblinking directly at Billy.
"Oh, say can you see," Kelly sang softly, and triumph was in her voice. "By the rats' glowing eyes…"
Billy backed towards her a step, his eyes fearfully on the multitude before him. Then, he stopped.
They were rats! Only rats! Sure, there were a lot of them, but he was Billy the Kid, the strongest, fastest, best Brujah in the entire world and he could handle a few fucking rats!
Roaring in challenge, Billy sprang forward towards the sharp-toothed horde and the last thing he heard in this world was the sound of Kelly's laughter echoing through the haven.