November 22, 1800. 5:16 a.m.
Geneva by almost morning
Sugar remained crouched under the window, listening to the sounds of the people moving within. She didn't have much time. There seemed to be no choice at this point but that of a dramatic entrance. The room was filled; there was no way she could sneak around the back and be able to find this same room in time. And since she had already decided to prey on the people in this room, no other would do.
She leaned back and surveyed the prospect. If she jumped straight through the window, she could grab someone, or maybe even two someones qucikly, jump back out, run down the block, feed, and be back to the factory by daybreak. Yes, that was what she would do. No problem whatsoever.
Inside, a small group of youngish men were drinking morning tea. They all looked tired, reluctant to be up so early. Two of the men sitting by the window suddenly jumped to their feet. A split second later, the glass exploded inwards, showering the room and its occupants.
Sugar landed gracefully on the mess of broken glass, fangs bared and eyes flashing. She glanced around quickly, grabbed the nearest man, and spun around.
And into a torch.
She jumped back, hissing like a Bram Stoker creation. She dropped the man in shock and he scrambled away. It was then that Sugar saw the lit fireplace. And the torches beside it. And the stakes in the hands of some of the men. She tensed up immediately. What the hell was this?!
The man holding the torch in her face advanced a step, chuckling. "What's wrong, demoness?" he sneered. "Thinking you should have listened to your companion?"
Sugar felt sick to her stomach.
"We saw what you did to Thomas." One of the men with stakes spoke up. You would have paid dearly for his life either way, but it was so kind of you to come to us."
Society! the word cut through Sugar's head like a broadsword. Michaela had been right. Well, she'd apologize to the Gangrel later, right now she needed to get out of here!
She faked to the left, causing the man with the torch in front of her to jump. She ducked as he swung the torch at her head and spun to her right, kicking the man's legs out form under him as she did so. The torch flew out of his hand and set the glass covered rug on fire. That wasn't the way it was supposed to work! Sugar swore mentally as a wall of flame cut off her planned escape route.
With loud shouts, the rest of the group rushed forward. Torches and stakes all over. Sugar grabbed the edge of the flaming rug and hurled it at them. It stopped a few, but most avoided it and came at her.
She barely grabbed the arm which was swinging a stake at her chest in time to snap the bone. She swung around, grabbing the man who's arm she had just broken and hurling him into another fire attacker, sending both of them into the spreading flames.
Sugar dodged another stake aimed at her heart only to take it in the arm instead. She screamed in pain and lashed out at the attacker, her one good fist smashing the man's skull with a single blow. She pulled the stake out of her arm and jabbed it through the stomach of the next guy who lunged at her. See how he liked it. Her victim toppled backwards and into another of his companions. Sugar's spirit rose. There were only a couple left. Fools, to think that any number of humans could defeat a Cainite!
Suddenly, her surroundings burst into flames. The two remaining men had thrown their torches at Sugar's feet. She spun to try for an escape, then a sharp pain ripped through her. Literally.
Sugar toppled forward, the stake in her back paralyzing her. Lying amid the flames, she saw out of the corner of her eye the room fill with more humans. They were all laughing, congratulating themselves. And she saw the person who had put the stake through her back. A woman. No, not even that. A young girl. She was laughing too. Dammit! The litte bitch must have been hding here the whole time! With Sugar attention distracted to the obvious threat of the grown men, she hadn't even noticed the girlchild. Blast it!
Michaela had been right. These people knew what they were doing.... They had spied on them, planned this the whole time...
"Well done, Helena." one of the male voices laughed.
"Thank you, Papa!" the girl chirped.
Papa?! They brought their children into this? Well, of course they did. How else would the traditions of the maniacs be guarded so faithfully? Helena...that was the brat's name....
The man Helena had called 'Papa' advanced with a butcher's cleaver in his hand. He stood over Sugar's head, obviously gloating.
"Now, hellspawn...shall I kill you now or let the blessed sun do it's work?" he sneered. "So confidant all of you. You think that just because we are human that we do not know how to destroy your accursed kind. But good will always tri--"
His tirade was cut off by the roar of a wild animal. Mika crashed through the broken window, clear over the flames. She landed on all fours, eyes red, fangs out, fur standing on end. The men were startled for a moment. Mika took that moment.
She charged forward, right into the crowd of men, growing two inch long claws on each finger as she did so. The men barely had tome to grab their stakes and torches before those claws went through their spines.
Sugar couldn't see anything at this point, but she heard the screams of Michaela's victims, not to mention the screams of Helena and the shouts of her father.
The man ran at the Gangrel, torch blazing. He thought he had her, but she spun around at the last second and a sweep of her claws sent the torch and several of his fingers flying.
Sugar suddenly felt the stake yanked out of her. She summoned enough strength to look up. Courtney stood over her, looking extremely displeased at the blood that was now dirtying her hands.
"Come on, get up!" the Lasombra yelled. "The sun's rising! Michaela!"
The Gangrel threw the man she was maiming across the room and darted away. "Hurry!" she yelled, grabbing Sugar and lifting her by the arm.
Courtney was out the window in a flash, Michaela and Sugar right behind her.
The Gangrel and Lasombra raced down the street as the sky began to turn a shade of light blue.
"This brings back some really bad memories!" Michaela growled, still practically carrying Sugar. "This way!" she guided Courtney down the cobblestone street as quickly as she could. The Gangrel had to fight from screaming out loud. The sun almost at her back, sprinting through the streets, carrying a near helpless person over her shoulder....oh yeah, this brought back something. Now she knew what her sire had felt like that morning in Edinhoven....
They reached the cellar door and dove inside just as the sun rose over the Alps.