A/N: Here's chapter fifty-three! Let's see what the Camarilla thinks of all the recent events…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.


"The Camarilla at the moment has run into very difficult times, it seems." Strauss said, folding his hands at his desk.

"Hardly." Victor said, "Considering one of Mister Golden's Nosferatu have taken out a Toreador Antitribu as well as a hunter from the Society of Leopold in the span of a week."

"And the office seems quite secure. The tower too." Prospero said, "Even if they mounted another assault, it would land them in defeat."

"But we've lost a considerable amount of territory." Miranda said, "Santa Monica and Hollywood have been taken by the Sabbat, and the Kuei-Jin have returned for Chinatown. We're in quite the compromising position…"

Therese clenched her fists around the arms of her chair, but her face remained entirely emotionless. Goddard absently turned a page, as usual very quiet during the discussion.

"Well, I'll keep the boys active." Gary said, "They seem to be doing wonders. And I'm sure some more spies wouldn't hurt either."

"I would like to hear about the security breech from this certain Malkavian Antitribu." Strauss said.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't there. I was dealing with a new recruit. But, according to Mitnick, he got in and did some poking around. A little too much poking around. I'm not sure what he tampered with. He tried to put some viruses in our system, but he must've left before he did any real damage." He crossed his legs, "I'm just concerned about what sort of information he got ahold of. Every one of our computers holds different information. We're not sure which he got onto."

"He is quite the dangerous individual." Miranda said, "He refers to himself as Gideon of the Sword, and he's at least hundreds of years old, with a low generation. He has Dementation levels equal to that of which I have never seen before not. Not only that but he spun the Phantom's Mask rumor into motion."

There was quite a bit of chatter at the mere mention of the Phantom's Mask. "Yes, the Phantom's Mask is quite a curious conundrum." Victor said, "The ides of June, I believe it is?"

"That's what I heard." Gary said.

"That doesn't leave us much time." Therese said, then she looked over at the Prince, "We have a plan, right?"

Strauss nodded, "A rather straightforward one. I will send a small party of our members to wherever this…Sabbat collapse will occur, and I will leave some members here in the tower in the event that this Phantom's Mask is a ruse for us to be ambushed."

"Very well…" She seemed to relax, "That sounds safe…"

"It's possible we'll get a visit from all sides during that battle." Victor said, "The Anarchs, Kuei-Jin, hunters. The Sabbat could be the least of our worries."

"I hope you'll be sending some of us out there, sir." Prospero said, "Even though we're Primogen, we can fight for ourselves. I think that little operation the other night proves that."

"Well, some of us. I should probably stay in the warrens." Gary said, "Madison and Voerman, too. I'd say they got enough pressure on 'em as it is."

"No, no, I insist that I fight on the front lines." Victor smiled, "I have quite a few experiments to work through."

"Aren't the Anarchs nearly killing you enough?" Miranda asked.

"Trust me, dear. Something like that is never going to happen again."

"It was good we were able to stop them so promptly." Therese said.

"Yes, indeed." Strauss said, "The Anarchs and Sabbat believe that we are too distracted to fight them both off. They will soon learn otherwise."

"The Anarchs may try to kill me again, that much I accept." Victor said, "But soon I will be too powerful for any of them to defeat me. Very soon, in fact."

"As if Blood Boil wasn't enough." Gary snorted, "Count on the Tremere to find a way to make your death more painful."

"I'm playing a game with the Anarchs myself." Prospero said, "In my opinion, they won't be much a problem much longer. We need to focus on the Sabbat. We need to capitalize on the Phantom's Mask and take as many names as we can, and then continue pounding the hammer in. We need to take by example like that Kindred from Gary's brood."

"Funny part is, I didn't even tell him to do it. I'm worried he's going to get himself in trouble, that boy."

He thought for a moment or two, "How did we lose our two cities, anyway?"

"Hollywood was never truly ours, to be honest." Strauss said, "But it was lost to the Sabbat…via…some sort of territory exchange. We honestly do not have many details over the affair."

"I was warned from the Sabbat that they were coming." Therese said, "A man came to our venue and spoke to Jeanette, he attempted to buy the place from her. Our decline must have brought violence into the matter." She sighed, "And then Gideon came as well, with threats."

"And who actually claimed the city?" Prospero asked.

She rubbed one of her temples, "There were three of them. I'm not familiar with their names, Miss Kokinos might know. She was there."

"I see, well, we'll most likely have to defeat them if we're to get the city back."

"Of course. If I run into them again, the next thing they'll see is their headstone. Kokinos prevented me from killing them for…whatever reason."

"I knew there was something off about her." Miranda said.

"That sounds…peculiar…" Victor said.

"I will have a word with Miss Kokinos at once." Strauss said.

"Well, I suppose this nearly draws the meeting to a close." Victor said, "I shall warn you about the Anarchs, however. They have recently accumulated a massive amount of tranquilizers. That's how they dealt with me. Two or three shots of those and you're in torpor."

"Tranquilizers?" Therese snorted, "Sounds like an idea Jeanette would come up with…"

"It very well could have been…" He muttered.

Strauss rose from his desk, "If there are no other matters to be discussed, than this meeting shall be adjourned."

"Very well. Contact me if you need a spy or…anything of the likes." Gary stood up.

"Good evening, all." Victor rose.

"Have a good night." Miranda said.

"Good luck, everyone." Prospero said.


When Rainy came downstairs, she saw her sire standing in front of the aquarium, watching the fish. She was in her robes and everything, almost looking like a shadow. She was then hugged from behind, "Hello."

She smiled warmly, "Hello Rainy. How are you?" She gently laid her arms over Rainy's.

"I'm good. What are you thinking about?"

"Fish…"

She smiled, moving away from the hug so she could stand by her side, "Do you like fish?"

"Well, not particularly. I just…was wondering what it would be like to be a fish." She said, then she added, "I don't think their memories last three seconds. I think they're quite smart."

"Maybe it depends on the species."

"Maybe." She looked over at Rainy, "Everything okay with you?"

She nodded, "I've made a few friends in this city."

"That's good." Raven smiled, "Good friends?"

"Yes, I think so." She said, "I'm…I'm glad we're staying here…for the time being, at least…"

"Me too. This place seems so much safer." She moved away and sat at the couch, "Any other adventures?"

She sat next to her, "I…told someone that she shouldn't abandon her friends…she seemed in a lot of trouble…a lot of men…and some women…were fighting over her…"

"Oh dear…"

"She seemed trapped…so…I tried to calm her down and help her…but I also told her running away wasn't the answer…I think she's doing okay now…"

Raven gently hugged her, "You have the mind and spirit of a healer."

"I got it from you."

Raven giggled, "I'm not so sure about that. I do most of the running, you do most of the healing."

"I still think I got it from you." She said, getting cozy in her arms.

Raven gently held her back, closing her eyes, "You must have been a cat in a previous life. You're so quiet and gentle."

"I'm not sure that applies to all cats."

"Well, as long as you treat the cat right."

She smiled, then it faded, "Do you…mind if I tell you something…?"

"Of course not."

"Do you…do you remember Phaedra?"

"Phaedra? Yes, the Nagaraja."

"We were…sort of friends with benefits for a while…we had flings…b-because I thought you were straight…" She started shaking, "She encouraged me to confess to you…even though right now I feel really bad for her. I have feelings for you, but I feel like she's being neglected…I just…I hope she finds someone…suited to her…but…b-b-but I just…wanted to…tell you that…in case…you heard it from someone else…"

"That's okay. It doesn't bother me, if that's what you're worried about."

"I…feel mad at myself…for being so…frisky…"

"Don't feel bad." Raven gently rubbed her shoulders, "It wasn't something wrong, you didn't hurt anybody."

"Her…her husband was terrible to her too…"

"Was he?" She asked, "I had no clue…I suppose that's…why you were able to take such good care of her." She smiled.

"That's why I…" She hesitated, "I know what happened to you…or…I don't…but…I have a basic idea…so…I don't want to force you into anything…or hurt you…or make you uncomfortable…especially if you don't like women. I just want to be here for you…forever…because you're my sire and I love you."

Raven smiled and held onto her, "I love you too, Rainy. You've been so close to me ever since I met you…I knew I should keep you around. I knew there was something special about you, I just never…predicted it would be this. But…I still love you. You're the first person who's ever taken care of me the way you have. The first person who really cared…"

She smiled back, "Thank you, Raven."

"I just…think you should know that you mean the world to me."

"The same applies to me. We'll always have each other."

"Mmm hmm…" Raven rested her head on Rainy's shoulder.

She gave her a squeeze, "Tired?"

"A little…sometimes staying up takes a toll…"

"You can sleep Raven, I'll protect you."

"But…" She seemed embarrassed, "I…wanted to…to snuggle…"

She smiled, "We can do that." Raven closed her icy blue eyes again as she squeezed Rainy and nuzzled up next to her. She kicked her heels off and laid down on the couch with Raven in her arms, giving her a squeeze, "It's okay. I'll keep you safe."

She looped her arms around Rainy's waist, "Wake me up if…if someone's here…"

"I will, just relax." She rubbed her shoulders.

She gently hummed, "Thank you Rainy…"

"Mmm-hmm. You're welcome."


The dark scars didn't look any better even after a month of him receiving them. Two of them climbed up his left arm while one was on his right. There were remnants of a green substance inside small bits of the deep scars, as if he burned himself with some sort of chemical. He was surprised Venus didn't notice them the last few times they made love, (likely due to the poor lighting in Confessions or the Chantry), but it would surely be called into question soon. Those scars would most likely be there for the rest of his un-life.

Victor pulled his sleeves down once he heard the doorknob turn, sliding his gloves on, "Hello, dear." He smiled at Delilah, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, sir." As she nodded, her hat bobbled with her.

"There have been whispers of Sabbat activity up north a bit. I was told I could take one of my apprentices."

"Thank you for having me then."

"It's going to be quite chaotic. Take the time you need to make necessary preparations."

She looked down at herself, then adjusted her hat, "I have everything I need that could help me."

"Very well." He smiled, "Then we shall take our leave." He said.

He hailed a cab rather quickly, and they began to drive outside the city, heading for quite the wooded area, "So how have your studies been going?"

"They've been alright. Of course, I haven't advanced much…there's only so much a book can do."

"Yes, of course." He said, "I suppose that's where the practicing comes in."

"Your help should aid me quite a bit as well."

He smiled, "I'll teach you the best that I can."

The taxi driver looked clearly confused as he let them out in the wilderness. And just as quickly as the car drove off, the two Tremere heard a voice, "Well…it's quite nice to see the two of you out so late."

Victor smiled at Lafayette and Cedric, "Well, you must be the famous Lafayette that I keep hearing so much about…a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Quiet, Tremere slime!" Lafayette growled.

"And you're just as polite as your sire. Wonderful."

He growled and clenched his fists, he and Cedric prepared for battle.

Delilah nervously touched her hat, her eyes flickering up at Victor, patiently awaiting his command.

Cedric immediately called upon Necromancy, summoning a large horde of zombies and other beings to aid him in battle. Victor quickly donned a blood shield, drawing his pistol and shooting at the nearby zombies.

Lafayette scanned over his two opponents, before he jumped at Delilah with both hands out, glowing red with Vicissitude. She gasped, then used Purge to down both opponents.

The tide of the battle quickly changed as Lafayette, Cedric, and all of his zombies had to stop what they were doing to vomit up blood. Victor took advantage of this by mowing down the rest of the zombies with his pistol, leaving the field quite clear again.

"Worthless worm!" Lafayette spat, sending out bats to attack Delilah and drain her blood. She screamed and swatted her hat at them, shuddering as she held her hands out to use Blood Strike.

Victor was meanwhile having no such luck fighting off the various specters Cedric had summoned, "Delilah…let us switch opponents!" He said, "I'll take Lafayette…you take…well…uh…uh…the bloke in the hooded cloak…we shall say…"

"Yes sir!" She exclaimed as she ran towards Cedric and launched Blood Bolts at him. Cedric was smacked by them as he took a step back, meanwhile, his ghosts screeched in Delilah's face as they began to rear their blades back to attack her. While the man himself dove at her with his scythes.

She gasped and stumbled back out of the way, holding her arms up over her head. She then held out a hand to use Purge, hoping it might do something. Cedric, along with his allies, threw up. This allowed Victor to land quite a few hits on Lafayette in his battle. Blood poured around Cedric's mask as he kept throwing up. Even the ghosts paused as the attack was used. Delilah, meanwhile, hit him with Blood Strikes, hoping to knock him down.

Cedric's purple eyes burned with rage, "You won't win this…Tremere…my blood pool is far superior to yours…your spells will not reduce it to rubble…" She gave herself some distance to use Blood Strike again, not seeing many other options.

Lafayette screamed as Victor burned him for the umpteenth time with his fire. His body was charred and burned, he tried to get up, giving a savage roar as he kept trying to flesh craft Victor.

Cedric meanwhile withdrew his scythes, seeing it as a distance battle. He pulled out a crossbow, shooting a flaming bolt at Delilah, and readying himself for another one. She screamed and ducked, her hat being pierced by the bolt. She hopelessly used Purge again.

Lafayette fell over, the urge to frenzy deep within himself as he was low on blood. Cedric also vomited, but he still looked raring to go. He kept shooting at Delilah. A wolf's howl could be heard far away in the distance.

Victor paused, "How close are we to Griffith Park?"

"Where…?" Lafayette rasped. But they were interrupted by a large horde of werewolves bounding for them.

"Werewolves…" Cedric said, using his remaining specters to defend himself.

Lafayette balled his hands into fists again, fighting one of the werewolves with his bare hands, but it was a losing fight. Victor took a more evasive route like Cedric.

"M-M-Mister Madison, we sh-should go…" Delilah stammered out as she stumbled back, a werewolf slowly closing in on her.

"Escape is nearly impossible. They'll outrun us." Victor said, his eyes widening as Cedric jumped up and mounted one of the werewolf as if it were a steed. The werewolf roared and roared, trying to get Cedric off of him, but he hooked his scythes in like reins in order to get the beast to cooperate. Lafayette on the other hand was getting completely pummeled by the werewolves, as Delilah had drained him of all of his blood.

Delilah shook her head in terror, holding a hand out to try Purge on it right before it lunged. The wolf and its rider threw up, only mildly setting it off course. But it didn't change the fact that the two Tremere were nearly surrounded by werewolves.

"I have a plan." Victor said, "I just hope it will work…"

"Anything…" Delilah said, her deep voice fluttering up to a higher octave as she grabbed his arm. He could quite literally feel her trembling.

"What's the old expression?" He asked, "It's not whether you can outrun the bear, it's if you can outrun your friend!" He launched a large amount of fire at Lafayette. He screamed and fell back, and all the wolves pounced on him as his body burned.

"Lafayette!" Cedric dove in to assist his ally.

"Now, we need to run!" Victor said, starting to book it. Delilah grabbed her hat and ran after him for her life.

"Alright…" Victor said as they ran, "You may return to the Chantry. I…I may stay…perhaps stock up on some blood. I need to kill one of these wolves for their blood."

"Yes, alright…thank you sir." She said, "And…and good luck."

"I appreciate it." He nodded with a smile.


A/N: Victor's got a bag of tricks up his sleeves…wonder who's gonna get the brunt of it… (Nines? Probably. Who else does he hate that much?) Thanks for reading!