The Crow: Retribution
By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)
The Crow is © James O'Barr
Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing
All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts
And into night
I somehow made my way to downtown L.A. Not a place to be if you really value your life, so I was in a perfect spot really. The only problem was that all the things I needed to find my missing wolves were either sleeping or hiding, so I spent the morning perched on the gargoyle of a local business building.
Then night fell and I figured the best way to find the wolves I needed was to find someone who knew the city. Only problem was I didn't know who knew downtown and so I wandered the streets for a few hours until I came upon the worst little excuse for a bar this side of the river Styx. The minute I entered though, I regretted it, a group of people locked in on me immediately and did not take their eyes off of me. I figured them for more hunters, but I decided to ignore them and I walked over to the bartender. He was a large man with a giant tribal tattoo down his face; he also didn't look like he wanted to hear anything from me except an order.
"What'll it be?" He asked.
"I need to find some one who knows this town." I said plainly.
"Don't sell that here, try the Asylum in Santa Monica, I used to work there." He grinned darkly.
"Hm…" I pursed my lips impatiently and then grabbed the man by the neck and pulled him from behind the counter. "I need to find someone who knows the city." I repeated it slower this times as if I were talking to a child.
"You found him." I dropped the bartender and turned to the new voice. It belonged to pale guy, Hispanic from what I could tell, but he was that pale. He had a fatigue wearing red-headed sidekick and a tall black man right above him on the stairs. None of them looked happy that I had done what I did.
"Ah…" I smiled. "Name's Coleman." I smiled psychotically, "And I need some information on these lunatics…" I went to grab my files but they were gone. "Dammit I just got those files!"
"He's gotta be a hunter." I heard the red-head whisper to the Hispanic guy.
"No and I don't think they like me much." I smiled. "I didn't catch your names…"
"Nines…" The Hispanic man said as he pointed to himself and then to the black man and the red-head. "That's Skelter and that's Damsel and I'd introduce you to Charlemagne, but he's out right now."
"Well now." I extended my hand for a shake and Nines cautiously took it. Unfortunately that triggered a whole series of visions, horrifying visions of a fight between Nines and a large werewolf. Apparently the visions also had a physical effect on me as I found myself on the floor when the visions stopped.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Damsel snapped. "You a Malk or something?"
I flipped to my feet with a smile. "Let's go with something for right now."
"Let's talk upstairs." Nines eyed me warily.
As they led me upstairs I realized something, the only way he could have survived a werewolf fight was if he were equally supernatural. That left few options and since I doubted I was dumb enough to run into three werewolf bars in a row I left myself with just a single option. Of course it also explained why they were so pale.
"So, you a vampire or do you guys just paint your faces with Liquid Paper?" I asked as we crested the stairs.
"That answer depends on who or rather what is asking?" Skelter shoved me into a table, a second later he was on the floor from my own shove.
"Like I said, let's go with 'something' for right now." I glared psychotically at him and his friends, of which Damsel now held a gun to my head. "Desert Eagle, rare and powerful; won't do much!" I snapped around and ripped the gun from her hands and placed it against my temples where I blew my brains out and said brains promptly grew back. The group was in awe. "Thank you, thank you, I'm here till Thursday!"
"What the fuck?" Skelter shouted.
"I believe its called regeneration." I smiled. "Something a year old corpse should be doing the opposite of really."
"Year old?" Nines asked. "How's that even possible."
-Window. Open. Now. - Scout said in my head.
"One second." I said as I opened the window and Scout flew in. "That's Scout, he brought me back from the dead to kill some ugly werewolves, and I got no clues to go on now because the only info I had is probably in some dark alley right next to a werewolf hangout or in a zombie infested graveyard."
"So…" A new voice joined us as a tall pale man with a scraggly beard and denim clothes walked up the stairs. "You must be the guy that scared Eddy into closing up early."
"If Eddy is a British vampire with a huge gut and a tattoo shop, then yes." I smiled. A second later I was on the floor looking at the smiling bearded man.
"Don't scare Eddy again, or I'll make you wish that bird of yours was dead." He smiled darkly down at me.
-I don't like this guy…- Scout said nervously.
"Oh relax, Scout, it's not like he can do any worse than what happened the first time I died." I dismissed Scout's worries and got to my feet. "Good punch."
"Thanks. Name's Jack, just remember what I said, ok?" Jack glared at me and then looked at Nines. "Char should be up soon."
"What's he arguing with this time?" Nines groaned.
"Jukebox." Jack gave an evil smile. "Says it accused him of being a country music lover."
"Wow!" I tried to sound excited. "Sounds crazier than me."
"He's Malkavian, he's got a God-Damned right to be. Literally." Jack smiled.
"Yes, well unless any of you lovely fanged citizens of lovely downtown L.A. can tell me where I can locate a werewolf by the name of 'Talons of Blood', I'll just be leaving." I just snapped for no reason, the endless dialog between the vampires was beginning to take its toll on my remaining sanity or insanity; it was getting really hard to tell the difference now.
-Now you see why we like these things to be quick.- Scout spoke in a sardonic tone.
"Shut up bird." I snapped and then I realized the odd looks the vampires were giving me.
"Oh fear not fellow fanged ferocious brethren of the night ways, for this dramatically, cheerfully ironic fellow is here for purposes beyond ours." A soft male voice echoed up the stairs, I half expected a guy in some regal tux to walk up smiling happily as he sipped a wine bottle. What I saw was a lunatic in red shirt, blue pants, sandals and gold chain with a piece of cheese on the end. His eyes though, they were something else, like a window to another world that was foggy on our side, but has some clear spots that few were privy too.
"Interesting." I said in a flat tone.
"Interesting? You see the gypsy before you and you the Talbot-Killer can only say 'interesting'?" He looked offended by my like of response.
"I've had a rough couple of nights." My voice was flat once more.
"With more ahead of you that's for sure." He ran up to me and pointed a long finger to my face while bringing the right side of his face to my front, where he seemingly studied my face. "Oh yes, many more; Father Crow and Mother Raven have many deeds for you to complete and before this misadventure of misbegotten menagerie's of miraculous and most befuddled humans and night things is over you will know exactly of what this humble one speaks."
"Great, an oracle…" I groaned, now my mood was lightening and he finally pulled away from my face.
"An oracle; nay, an oracle speaks the words of gods and thus the words of men much more powerful than all of Zeus and Thor's might, pilled high upon the crossed planks and doubled over triangles and many signs of moons and stars. No, this one is no oracle, but a simple gypsy guide." He bowed and moved to a chair where he sat with a giggle.
"Ok…" I sighed, "Back to square one."
"The towers Ventrue." The prophet Charlemagne smiled.
"What?" I asked in slight confusion.
"The Ventrue towers." Nines said. "Used to be Camarilla turf, now some friendly wolves run it; and by friendly I mean friendly to the living, but anyway they're in direct business with the local Pentex reps who are get this one; werewolves. Problem is those wolves support the Camarilla and is trying to drive us out, but you don't need to know our politics to know that's not good."
"Well if they're in league with the werewolves that killed my friends, then no, I don't care what politics of yours are involved." I smirked, "But so far I got nothing to go on…" I made my way to the stairs.
"You said Talons of Blood, right?" Jack asked. "Funny thing about that name; it's been asking about a guy like you since yesterday and its voice is echoing from the Pentex Tower."
"Hot damn!" Skelter smiled. "I think we found a way to get those lousy Cammy's outta here for good!"
"I have this sinking feeling I'm going to be used in this plan." I growled angrily.
"You said you wanted those werewolves, right?" Nines asked, well we can get you into the building deep enough that they can't get you out with out making to big of a fuss."
"Huh?" I asked.
"A flew only drains blood from the surface, but a tick digs deep and hard for its blood; not even it's death stops its feeding." Charlemagne smiled. "A flea is but an annoyance, a tick, even but a single one may be but a death sentence even to the mighty wolves."
"Right…" I saw where this was going. Some cheap rip off of an action movie. They sneak me in, I kill everything and the game is over, but they forgot one single thing; I needed to be a volunteer for that and I wasn't about to play into their games. "Listen, it's not that I don't give a damn about your petty squabbles, which by the way I don't, but I think I'll get in on my own."
"What?" Nines looked as if he had choked on something. "You're serious?"
"Dead." I said simply as I walked down the stairs and out into the street where I realized the mistake I had made. I let my pride get in the way of vengeance.
-Don't worry.- Scout says in my head. –You'll figure this out.-
"Easy for you to say, you eat bird seed and crap all day." I growled as I walked away from the bar. "I need to get somewhere fast…"
Scout flew up silently and within seconds I felt like I was flying with him. I could even look through his eyes and down upon the world.
-Where too?- He asked me.
"Let's spy in on some of those werewolves from earlier." I smiled mentally. "Maybe Freddy came back."