A/N Okay. I'm back. Sorry it took so long. Not much more I can say,
except... On with the show!
Disclaimers: I don't own anything. Yadda, yadda, yadda....Please refer to
my previous notes about my original character, Gregor Rainbird.
Chapter 13 Cont'd
Cash's anxiety kept growing all the way to the dockside warehouse he knew his Mate was in. He could feel incredible rage building up in Charlie. With the completion of the Blood Bond, the link between he and the Toreador had sharpened each sense and reaction even more then they had been previously. Something was about to go very, very wrong. Cash could just feel it.
When the Gangrel rolled up to his destination accompanied by half his clan as well as by two Brujah, it barely surprised him to find Frank Kohanek and Julian's Childe Sonny guarding the main entrance/exit to the warehouse. He didn't even bother to hassle them about Frank's interference in Kindred business. The Gangrel Primogen simply took hold of the situation like he was born to it. "How long have you guys been here?"
Sonny recognized the need for obedience and speed. "We got here about ten minutes ago. It took us a while to get through the Hunter's outer perimeter. Charlie found her own way in."
"And you guys just let her storm in there?" Sasha commented snidely.
"Have you seen the shit that fledgling can do?" Sonny replied incredulously, "She said to wait here. So, that's what we did. I'm not really in the mood to meet my Final Death, right now."
Cash growled dangerously at the Ventrue. "Watch it, Sonny. That's my Mate you're talkin' about."
Frank looked around at the tension building within the mixed clan group. He decided quickly that alleviating said tension would go a long way toward his self-preservation. "Hey, guys? Can we talk about more pressing matters here? You know, Prince and two other Primogen in mortal danger? Charlie in there with no back-up? Any of this ringing a bell?"
Cash shook his head as if coming out of a trance. "Right now Charlie is more of a danger, in and of herself, than the Hunters? I can feel it, she's about to blow."
"So what do we do, then?" Lorraina piped up helpfully from behind Cash.
"I'm going in there to get my Mate and my Prince. I'll need our strongest fighters to go in with me. That means the oldest. Sonny, you're comin with and..." Cash gave the Brujah Primogen a disgusted look, "Cameron, you're comin in, too."
Cameron looked about to protest, but Frank cut him off. "Me, too. I'm goin' in."
Cash shook his head. "You're human. This isn't your fight. Besides, you'd be a liability in battle."
"Hey, I have a decade on the Force, pal. I know how to handle myself." Frank countered." And if Charlie really is the bigger threat, you're gonna need me. She's my family. I know better than anyone here what she can do when she's pissed off."
Cash gave him another appraising look and shook his head, giving up. "Okay, Frank. Just don't get in our way." He turned to his brood-sister, "You and the others surround the place. I don't want any human but Frank escaping alive. And no one gets in. Got it?"
Sasha looked about to speak up but Cash cutt her off. "That includes you Sash. I need all available back-up out here. I don't wanna have to worry about anything but my Mate and the Prince once inside."
With that Cash headed toward the steel entrance, with Sonny, Frank, and a very disgruntled Cameron in tow.
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
The only thing that could describe the scene inside the warehouse was 'total and utter chaos.' Rainbird had managed to wrench himself free of Charlie's grasp and had made a mad dash for the far wall of the building. Meanwhile, every Hunter in sight had opened fire on the Firestarter. Not that it was doing them much good. All the humans within a 5 foot radius of the Toreador had already been ripped to shreds and incinerated on site.
Julian and Lillie were still tied up and struggling against their bonds. As she advanced upon the Hunters, Charlie passed the iron cage holding the snarling Nosferatu Primogen. His rational facade had been lost beneath a veneer of primal rage. The Firestarter regarded the feral Nosferatu, shot a glance to the two bound Kindred behind her, and announced in a loud voice, "I'm terribly sorry ladies and gentlemen. But it looks as though I've forgotten myself. It seems the Elders crave a word with you."
With that, Charlie took a step back from the cage, bullets and phosphorous shells ricocheting off the heat barrier around her. She sent a huge fireball Daedalus' way. However, instead of injuring the Nosferatu, the heat simply melted the iron surrounding the fierce creature into a bubbling pool of molten metal at his feet.
The minute he was free Daedalus slipped into Frenzy and started attacking every Hunter in sight. A Hunter jumped directly in front of Charlie and fired just in time to realize that he was out of rounds. The Toreador took hold of the human by the throat and whispered to him conspiratorially, "You know something?" She asked the obviously terrified Hunter. He shook his head, eyes wide, and she replied with a smile, "I think my aim's gettin' better."
With that, she placed the human on his feet between herself and her Sire and Prince. A line of fire appeared in front of Charlie and extended itself to well above her head. Suddenly, the line swept down in an arch like a whip, splitting the Hunter's body down the middle and severing the cable around Julian and Lillie's wrists, simultaneously.
The Toreador and Ventrue gave each other disbelieving looks before jumping into the fray. It occurred to both that the fledgling seemed to be enjoying the situation a bit too much for their liking.
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
"Watch out for the window!" Lorraina hollered over to Sasha and the group of Gangrels surrounding her. A scorched body took that opportunity to crash through said window and land directly on top of the Brujah. More broken glass joined that from the other shattered windows lining the nearest warehouse wall.
"Oh, man!" Sasha hissed as she pushed the dead body off herself. She yelled back to Lorraina. "What the Hell is going on in there?!"
"How the Hell should I know?" Lorraina retorted loudly. She added to herself. "I'm not the goddamn psychic in the family."
*One thing's for sure,* the Gangrel thought to herself as she crouched back down to fight the Hunters attempting to escape the carnage, * We're not gonna be able to keep the cops out of this for long.*
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
When she was convinced that the Elders had most of the Hunters under control, Charlie began to advance on their white-haired leader huddled in the far corner of the warehouse. Rainbird was evidently having some difficulty escaping the horrors around him.
The Firestarter grinned like a Cheshire Cat as she moved toward her prey. "Your brother slaughtered my family, killed my lover, and pretty much destroyed my life."
Rainbird backed up so his back was flush against the wall. He pressed himself harder and harder into the bricks as the Firestarter came closer and closer. It occurred to the old Hunter that he should be living up to his birthright and standing his ground like a true Rainbird. However, the flaming orbs staring back at him did nothing but weaken his resolve. Seeing the weakness, Charlie continued her advance, saying, "And now that I've finally found a new family, a new place to belong; You come in here, all high and mighty, to destroy it all. You kidnap my Prince, threaten my Sire, and torture my Mate."
Charlie leaned into within a foot from Rainbird's face. She felt a sharp pain go through her torso and looked down to see a bolt protruding from her ribcage, just below her heart. It had obviously been fired from the crossbow that had suddenly appeared in the Hunter's hand. The Toreador roared and grabbed the old man by the neck and raised him off the ground, carrying him back to the center of the room for all to see. "Now," she hissed, rage and flames completely overtaking her eyes as well as her body, "Do you honestly think I wouldn't wreak the same vengeance on you that I did on your precious twin?"
Rainbird didn't even get a chance to react to the battery of information. All eyes turned to the Firestarter as her lips descended upon her enemy's and as she held tight while he convulsed and combusted from the inside out.
As Charlie let Rainbird's ashes slip through her fingers, she was assaulted with a thousand mental images. All the rage she'd been building up her whole life was now coming to a head within her. Images of her mother being shot and John Rainbird murdering her father melted into pictures of Vincent's death, Cash's abduction, and the image of her Sire and Prince tied up. She started sending fireballs in every direction, losing control of her power as her grip on reality began to slip.
Nearly all the Hunters had been dispatched by the time the Firestarter completely lost it. Daedalus had regained enough of his own composure in time to dive over Julian and push him out of the way as a flaming beam fell from the ceiling. Lillie found the two male Kindred and they all huddled together as the building began to crumble beneath Charlie's rage. "Julian," Lillie asked in a quivering voice, "What's happening?"
Julian gave her an incredulous look. "You're asking me?"
Lillie huffed and started toward her Childe. Julian caught her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Toreador Primogen gave him an annoyed glare. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to try to stop her. I'm her Sire. She'll submit to me. "
The Prince shook his head. "She's in Frenzy. All you'll end up doing is getting yourself killed. And once Charlie comes too she'll have destroyed her own Sire. Is that what you want?"
Lillie shook her head sadly. As he gazed at the growing carnage around him, the Prince of the City began to think that he'd made a huge mistake in letting Charlie be Embraced. Fires were blazing everywhere and there didn't seemed to be a way out for himself, Lillie, and Daedalus. To top it off, the young Toreador didn't show any signs of stopping her onslaught. She was apparently in Frenzy by now and she was screaming unintelligible phrases.
Just then, the oddest thing began happening. One by one, the fires blazing around the room began to fizzle and smoke, seemingly putting themselves out. This only served to anger Charlie more. She rounded on the group of Elders; her flaming eyes unseeing, as she directed her rage toward the steel beams directly over her Sire.
Before the Firestarter could attack the beam, she was tackled from one side by what looked like a gigantic Timber Wolf. As they hit the ground, Cash shifted back to his normal state and landed in a defensive crouch directly in front of her. The Gangrel could tell his Mate was in full Frenzy even before he tackled her. He could feel the rage and see the images. He knew he had to calm her down or pacify her in some way before it was too late.
Charlie snarled at the Kindred opposing her, her basest self only recognizing him as an imposing Kindred male. She dropped into a mimicking crouch, momentarily forgetting her rage as she concentrated on her opponent.
This action gave Cash an idea. He shouted to Frank, Cameron, and Sonny who had just come up behind the Prince's group. "Get them out of here!" Charlie growled at him in response. He added to himself. "I'll deal with her."
Sonny grabbed his Sire's arm in an attempt to lead him away. Julian pulled away. "I'm not leaving. She's still a threat."
Lillie nodded as Frank's hand came to rest on her lower back. "Me neither. I'm not leaving 'til I know Charlie's safe."
The Prince gave his ex a hard glare. He turned to Daedalus. "If she can't be stopped, we have no choice but to destroy her."
Daedalus inclined his head in a mock nod. "However, this may be a moot point." He pointed in the direction of the warring couple.
At this point, Cash and Charlie were circling each other like a pair of huge jungle cats, sizing each other up. The redhead struck first, lashing out with newly extended claws. Cash easily rolled out of range of the blow. The enraged Toreador sent a wave of flame toward the Gangrel which extinguished itself just inches in front of his face. This seemed to be too close a call for Cash's liking.
That was the last straw. Cash came at his Mate full-force, catching her around the middle. He allowed his own primal instincts to take over. The Gangrel shrugged out of the bomber jacket he wore. This allowed him to more easily. With Charlie being Toreador and him being Gangrel, they were pretty closely matched in terms of strength and speed. However, Cash still held the advantage of being older and of a higher generation than Charlie. This meant that he had more experience in battle as well as more control of his responses while in Frenzy.
Charlie made one more futile attempt to strike at Cash. He dodged left and she ended up on top of him. They rolled together, snarling, biting , and clawing at each other, ending up with Cash on top. He pinned her arms above her head,effectively incapacitating his Mate. For a split second, Cash stared deep into Charlie's flame-ridden eyes. He searched there for recognition of their bond. The Toreador struggled against him, trying to buck him off, but she never broke eye contact.
Beneath the fire and rage Cash found anguish in Charlie's eyes. Beneath that, he found a growing well of passion. The longer he stared, the more the Gangrel found desire and lust welling within himself as well as the Firestarter. As their connection roared to life, Charlie ceased struggling against Cash's grip. She gave her Mate one last indicative look, then turned her head in consent. Cash paused a moment, bloodlust and desire surging through him, then he sunk his fangs deep into her throat. Charlie let out a gasp and time stood still for a moment as she bit down hard into his shoulder with her own fangs.
Over on the other side of the building, the assembled group of spectators watched the proceedings in awe. It was very rare to see a Mated pair Unite in such a way in public, even among other Kindred. It was an ancient, primal practice that had no place in the modern Masquerade. And it was something never before seen by human eyes. It held all of them mesmerized for a time.
Even being only the only human in the group, Frank was able to recognize the danger in the situation first. His eyes went wide as a ring of flame surrounded the Mates. The SFPD detective hit the ground, dragging Lillie with him. He yelled at the remaining standing Kindred, "Get down!"
At the tone in Frank's voice, Daedalus, Cameron, Sonny, and Julian all hit the deck. They were on the ground just in time to feel the massive, super- heated wind pass over their backs. They heard a series of load crashes and the sound of glass breaking as the windows were blown out all over the building at once.
When the dust had settled, and the Prince's group was able to stand again, Julian scanned the floor for the pair of Mates. His gaze finally alighted on the pair leaning up against one of the only poles still supporting the crumbling ceiling. Cash sat on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him, his back resting against the pole. He held Charlie, who was curled up tightly in his lap, tightly as she broke down into a fit of tears. The Gangrel made comforting whispers and cooing sounds as Charlie let go of all the tension and rage still ebbing from her body through the endless stream of sobbing.
Cash only looked up from where his cheek rested against the top of Charlie's head when he felt the presence of the Prince looming over him. Julian gave the Firestarter a hard assessing look, this drew a slight warning growl from Cash. The Ventrue got the distinct impression that if he made any move to threaten the Firestarter, he'd have a very pissed off, Frenzied Gangrel to deal with. He'd have to deal with what Charlie had done when both Mates were a bit more lucid. Nonetheless, the sound of sirens groaning louder in the background made the urgency of the moment increasingly apparent. Julian knelt somewhat slowly so as not to alarm Cash when he addressed him. "We need to get out of here, Cash. Are you two okay to move?"
It took the Gangrel a moment to register the Prince's words. He nodded. "Yeah, but we'll need a car. I don't think either of us are strong enough to ride."
Frank held out a set of keys to Julian as the Gangrel stood, raising a now quiet Charlie into his arms. "You guys can take my car," the cop said, "Sonny'll drive you. I'll take Charlie's bike back to The Haven."
With that, seven Kindred and one human filed out of the singed and decrepit building. Sasha, Lorraina and a number of Gangrels met them at the door. Some had been injured when the window had been blown out and all looked weary. Julian barked out orders for them to scatter and meet up at The Haven. Lillie slipped into the middle seat of the police car between Sonny and Julian so she could keep a keen eye on her Childe as Cash slipped the redhead into the back between himself and Daedalus.
Cameron rejoined Sasha aboard her motorcycle as Frank, Lorraina, and various others of her clan mounted up and scattered in all directions as the sun loomed over the horizon.
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
As the car sped back through the city, Julian turned to Lillie , who repetitively looked back at her speechless Childe. He whispered gently to the worried Primogen. "She's put me in a hard position Lillie. Charlie will have to be dealt with, one way or another."
Lillie either didn't hear him or refused to respond. Sonny turned briefly to his Sire while trying to keep his eye on the road. "Do you think she has any idea what she's done?"
The answer was as unexpected as its source.
"She's saved all our lives." Daedalus replied.
A/N: So what'd you guys think of my climax chapter? Feedback, I beg of you! R&R please.
Chapter 13 Cont'd
Cash's anxiety kept growing all the way to the dockside warehouse he knew his Mate was in. He could feel incredible rage building up in Charlie. With the completion of the Blood Bond, the link between he and the Toreador had sharpened each sense and reaction even more then they had been previously. Something was about to go very, very wrong. Cash could just feel it.
When the Gangrel rolled up to his destination accompanied by half his clan as well as by two Brujah, it barely surprised him to find Frank Kohanek and Julian's Childe Sonny guarding the main entrance/exit to the warehouse. He didn't even bother to hassle them about Frank's interference in Kindred business. The Gangrel Primogen simply took hold of the situation like he was born to it. "How long have you guys been here?"
Sonny recognized the need for obedience and speed. "We got here about ten minutes ago. It took us a while to get through the Hunter's outer perimeter. Charlie found her own way in."
"And you guys just let her storm in there?" Sasha commented snidely.
"Have you seen the shit that fledgling can do?" Sonny replied incredulously, "She said to wait here. So, that's what we did. I'm not really in the mood to meet my Final Death, right now."
Cash growled dangerously at the Ventrue. "Watch it, Sonny. That's my Mate you're talkin' about."
Frank looked around at the tension building within the mixed clan group. He decided quickly that alleviating said tension would go a long way toward his self-preservation. "Hey, guys? Can we talk about more pressing matters here? You know, Prince and two other Primogen in mortal danger? Charlie in there with no back-up? Any of this ringing a bell?"
Cash shook his head as if coming out of a trance. "Right now Charlie is more of a danger, in and of herself, than the Hunters? I can feel it, she's about to blow."
"So what do we do, then?" Lorraina piped up helpfully from behind Cash.
"I'm going in there to get my Mate and my Prince. I'll need our strongest fighters to go in with me. That means the oldest. Sonny, you're comin with and..." Cash gave the Brujah Primogen a disgusted look, "Cameron, you're comin in, too."
Cameron looked about to protest, but Frank cut him off. "Me, too. I'm goin' in."
Cash shook his head. "You're human. This isn't your fight. Besides, you'd be a liability in battle."
"Hey, I have a decade on the Force, pal. I know how to handle myself." Frank countered." And if Charlie really is the bigger threat, you're gonna need me. She's my family. I know better than anyone here what she can do when she's pissed off."
Cash gave him another appraising look and shook his head, giving up. "Okay, Frank. Just don't get in our way." He turned to his brood-sister, "You and the others surround the place. I don't want any human but Frank escaping alive. And no one gets in. Got it?"
Sasha looked about to speak up but Cash cutt her off. "That includes you Sash. I need all available back-up out here. I don't wanna have to worry about anything but my Mate and the Prince once inside."
With that Cash headed toward the steel entrance, with Sonny, Frank, and a very disgruntled Cameron in tow.
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
The only thing that could describe the scene inside the warehouse was 'total and utter chaos.' Rainbird had managed to wrench himself free of Charlie's grasp and had made a mad dash for the far wall of the building. Meanwhile, every Hunter in sight had opened fire on the Firestarter. Not that it was doing them much good. All the humans within a 5 foot radius of the Toreador had already been ripped to shreds and incinerated on site.
Julian and Lillie were still tied up and struggling against their bonds. As she advanced upon the Hunters, Charlie passed the iron cage holding the snarling Nosferatu Primogen. His rational facade had been lost beneath a veneer of primal rage. The Firestarter regarded the feral Nosferatu, shot a glance to the two bound Kindred behind her, and announced in a loud voice, "I'm terribly sorry ladies and gentlemen. But it looks as though I've forgotten myself. It seems the Elders crave a word with you."
With that, Charlie took a step back from the cage, bullets and phosphorous shells ricocheting off the heat barrier around her. She sent a huge fireball Daedalus' way. However, instead of injuring the Nosferatu, the heat simply melted the iron surrounding the fierce creature into a bubbling pool of molten metal at his feet.
The minute he was free Daedalus slipped into Frenzy and started attacking every Hunter in sight. A Hunter jumped directly in front of Charlie and fired just in time to realize that he was out of rounds. The Toreador took hold of the human by the throat and whispered to him conspiratorially, "You know something?" She asked the obviously terrified Hunter. He shook his head, eyes wide, and she replied with a smile, "I think my aim's gettin' better."
With that, she placed the human on his feet between herself and her Sire and Prince. A line of fire appeared in front of Charlie and extended itself to well above her head. Suddenly, the line swept down in an arch like a whip, splitting the Hunter's body down the middle and severing the cable around Julian and Lillie's wrists, simultaneously.
The Toreador and Ventrue gave each other disbelieving looks before jumping into the fray. It occurred to both that the fledgling seemed to be enjoying the situation a bit too much for their liking.
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
"Watch out for the window!" Lorraina hollered over to Sasha and the group of Gangrels surrounding her. A scorched body took that opportunity to crash through said window and land directly on top of the Brujah. More broken glass joined that from the other shattered windows lining the nearest warehouse wall.
"Oh, man!" Sasha hissed as she pushed the dead body off herself. She yelled back to Lorraina. "What the Hell is going on in there?!"
"How the Hell should I know?" Lorraina retorted loudly. She added to herself. "I'm not the goddamn psychic in the family."
*One thing's for sure,* the Gangrel thought to herself as she crouched back down to fight the Hunters attempting to escape the carnage, * We're not gonna be able to keep the cops out of this for long.*
**************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************
When she was convinced that the Elders had most of the Hunters under control, Charlie began to advance on their white-haired leader huddled in the far corner of the warehouse. Rainbird was evidently having some difficulty escaping the horrors around him.
The Firestarter grinned like a Cheshire Cat as she moved toward her prey. "Your brother slaughtered my family, killed my lover, and pretty much destroyed my life."
Rainbird backed up so his back was flush against the wall. He pressed himself harder and harder into the bricks as the Firestarter came closer and closer. It occurred to the old Hunter that he should be living up to his birthright and standing his ground like a true Rainbird. However, the flaming orbs staring back at him did nothing but weaken his resolve. Seeing the weakness, Charlie continued her advance, saying, "And now that I've finally found a new family, a new place to belong; You come in here, all high and mighty, to destroy it all. You kidnap my Prince, threaten my Sire, and torture my Mate."
Charlie leaned into within a foot from Rainbird's face. She felt a sharp pain go through her torso and looked down to see a bolt protruding from her ribcage, just below her heart. It had obviously been fired from the crossbow that had suddenly appeared in the Hunter's hand. The Toreador roared and grabbed the old man by the neck and raised him off the ground, carrying him back to the center of the room for all to see. "Now," she hissed, rage and flames completely overtaking her eyes as well as her body, "Do you honestly think I wouldn't wreak the same vengeance on you that I did on your precious twin?"
Rainbird didn't even get a chance to react to the battery of information. All eyes turned to the Firestarter as her lips descended upon her enemy's and as she held tight while he convulsed and combusted from the inside out.
As Charlie let Rainbird's ashes slip through her fingers, she was assaulted with a thousand mental images. All the rage she'd been building up her whole life was now coming to a head within her. Images of her mother being shot and John Rainbird murdering her father melted into pictures of Vincent's death, Cash's abduction, and the image of her Sire and Prince tied up. She started sending fireballs in every direction, losing control of her power as her grip on reality began to slip.
Nearly all the Hunters had been dispatched by the time the Firestarter completely lost it. Daedalus had regained enough of his own composure in time to dive over Julian and push him out of the way as a flaming beam fell from the ceiling. Lillie found the two male Kindred and they all huddled together as the building began to crumble beneath Charlie's rage. "Julian," Lillie asked in a quivering voice, "What's happening?"
Julian gave her an incredulous look. "You're asking me?"
Lillie huffed and started toward her Childe. Julian caught her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
The Toreador Primogen gave him an annoyed glare. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to try to stop her. I'm her Sire. She'll submit to me. "
The Prince shook his head. "She's in Frenzy. All you'll end up doing is getting yourself killed. And once Charlie comes too she'll have destroyed her own Sire. Is that what you want?"
Lillie shook her head sadly. As he gazed at the growing carnage around him, the Prince of the City began to think that he'd made a huge mistake in letting Charlie be Embraced. Fires were blazing everywhere and there didn't seemed to be a way out for himself, Lillie, and Daedalus. To top it off, the young Toreador didn't show any signs of stopping her onslaught. She was apparently in Frenzy by now and she was screaming unintelligible phrases.
Just then, the oddest thing began happening. One by one, the fires blazing around the room began to fizzle and smoke, seemingly putting themselves out. This only served to anger Charlie more. She rounded on the group of Elders; her flaming eyes unseeing, as she directed her rage toward the steel beams directly over her Sire.
Before the Firestarter could attack the beam, she was tackled from one side by what looked like a gigantic Timber Wolf. As they hit the ground, Cash shifted back to his normal state and landed in a defensive crouch directly in front of her. The Gangrel could tell his Mate was in full Frenzy even before he tackled her. He could feel the rage and see the images. He knew he had to calm her down or pacify her in some way before it was too late.
Charlie snarled at the Kindred opposing her, her basest self only recognizing him as an imposing Kindred male. She dropped into a mimicking crouch, momentarily forgetting her rage as she concentrated on her opponent.
This action gave Cash an idea. He shouted to Frank, Cameron, and Sonny who had just come up behind the Prince's group. "Get them out of here!" Charlie growled at him in response. He added to himself. "I'll deal with her."
Sonny grabbed his Sire's arm in an attempt to lead him away. Julian pulled away. "I'm not leaving. She's still a threat."
Lillie nodded as Frank's hand came to rest on her lower back. "Me neither. I'm not leaving 'til I know Charlie's safe."
The Prince gave his ex a hard glare. He turned to Daedalus. "If she can't be stopped, we have no choice but to destroy her."
Daedalus inclined his head in a mock nod. "However, this may be a moot point." He pointed in the direction of the warring couple.
At this point, Cash and Charlie were circling each other like a pair of huge jungle cats, sizing each other up. The redhead struck first, lashing out with newly extended claws. Cash easily rolled out of range of the blow. The enraged Toreador sent a wave of flame toward the Gangrel which extinguished itself just inches in front of his face. This seemed to be too close a call for Cash's liking.
That was the last straw. Cash came at his Mate full-force, catching her around the middle. He allowed his own primal instincts to take over. The Gangrel shrugged out of the bomber jacket he wore. This allowed him to more easily. With Charlie being Toreador and him being Gangrel, they were pretty closely matched in terms of strength and speed. However, Cash still held the advantage of being older and of a higher generation than Charlie. This meant that he had more experience in battle as well as more control of his responses while in Frenzy.
Charlie made one more futile attempt to strike at Cash. He dodged left and she ended up on top of him. They rolled together, snarling, biting , and clawing at each other, ending up with Cash on top. He pinned her arms above her head,effectively incapacitating his Mate. For a split second, Cash stared deep into Charlie's flame-ridden eyes. He searched there for recognition of their bond. The Toreador struggled against him, trying to buck him off, but she never broke eye contact.
Beneath the fire and rage Cash found anguish in Charlie's eyes. Beneath that, he found a growing well of passion. The longer he stared, the more the Gangrel found desire and lust welling within himself as well as the Firestarter. As their connection roared to life, Charlie ceased struggling against Cash's grip. She gave her Mate one last indicative look, then turned her head in consent. Cash paused a moment, bloodlust and desire surging through him, then he sunk his fangs deep into her throat. Charlie let out a gasp and time stood still for a moment as she bit down hard into his shoulder with her own fangs.
Over on the other side of the building, the assembled group of spectators watched the proceedings in awe. It was very rare to see a Mated pair Unite in such a way in public, even among other Kindred. It was an ancient, primal practice that had no place in the modern Masquerade. And it was something never before seen by human eyes. It held all of them mesmerized for a time.
Even being only the only human in the group, Frank was able to recognize the danger in the situation first. His eyes went wide as a ring of flame surrounded the Mates. The SFPD detective hit the ground, dragging Lillie with him. He yelled at the remaining standing Kindred, "Get down!"
At the tone in Frank's voice, Daedalus, Cameron, Sonny, and Julian all hit the deck. They were on the ground just in time to feel the massive, super- heated wind pass over their backs. They heard a series of load crashes and the sound of glass breaking as the windows were blown out all over the building at once.
When the dust had settled, and the Prince's group was able to stand again, Julian scanned the floor for the pair of Mates. His gaze finally alighted on the pair leaning up against one of the only poles still supporting the crumbling ceiling. Cash sat on the floor, his legs stretched out in front of him, his back resting against the pole. He held Charlie, who was curled up tightly in his lap, tightly as she broke down into a fit of tears. The Gangrel made comforting whispers and cooing sounds as Charlie let go of all the tension and rage still ebbing from her body through the endless stream of sobbing.
Cash only looked up from where his cheek rested against the top of Charlie's head when he felt the presence of the Prince looming over him. Julian gave the Firestarter a hard assessing look, this drew a slight warning growl from Cash. The Ventrue got the distinct impression that if he made any move to threaten the Firestarter, he'd have a very pissed off, Frenzied Gangrel to deal with. He'd have to deal with what Charlie had done when both Mates were a bit more lucid. Nonetheless, the sound of sirens groaning louder in the background made the urgency of the moment increasingly apparent. Julian knelt somewhat slowly so as not to alarm Cash when he addressed him. "We need to get out of here, Cash. Are you two okay to move?"
It took the Gangrel a moment to register the Prince's words. He nodded. "Yeah, but we'll need a car. I don't think either of us are strong enough to ride."
Frank held out a set of keys to Julian as the Gangrel stood, raising a now quiet Charlie into his arms. "You guys can take my car," the cop said, "Sonny'll drive you. I'll take Charlie's bike back to The Haven."
With that, seven Kindred and one human filed out of the singed and decrepit building. Sasha, Lorraina and a number of Gangrels met them at the door. Some had been injured when the window had been blown out and all looked weary. Julian barked out orders for them to scatter and meet up at The Haven. Lillie slipped into the middle seat of the police car between Sonny and Julian so she could keep a keen eye on her Childe as Cash slipped the redhead into the back between himself and Daedalus.
Cameron rejoined Sasha aboard her motorcycle as Frank, Lorraina, and various others of her clan mounted up and scattered in all directions as the sun loomed over the horizon.
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As the car sped back through the city, Julian turned to Lillie , who repetitively looked back at her speechless Childe. He whispered gently to the worried Primogen. "She's put me in a hard position Lillie. Charlie will have to be dealt with, one way or another."
Lillie either didn't hear him or refused to respond. Sonny turned briefly to his Sire while trying to keep his eye on the road. "Do you think she has any idea what she's done?"
The answer was as unexpected as its source.
"She's saved all our lives." Daedalus replied.
A/N: So what'd you guys think of my climax chapter? Feedback, I beg of you! R&R please.