Thane staggered back into the club covered in dust, debris and blood, his arm was broken and he had a skull fracture. He yelled as he forced the arm back into place with a gut wrenching crack, he looked around the room as he flexed his arm amazed at the destruction, the dead kindred and mortal alike.
The soldiers had stopped dropping the moment the Countess was taken, the live one's had fled leaving behind any survivors. Romeo stood where she had been before the awful kidnapping; he looked at Thane in sadness. "She's gone." Thane heaved a long sigh. "No need to look so glum Romeo, she isn't destroyed…yet."
Charlemagne swung his head and looked at Thane with a look of surprise. "You talk so calmly for a kindred clansman who just lost his friend M'lord." Roman sat on the floor holding Tonia in his arms, his face twisted in agony bemoaning his loss. Thane looked at him, he was crying blood tears that fell on Tonia's chalk white face, he was about to speak to him when Parker Carlton, the Brujah Primogen stepped over several bodies yelling with a hateful glare at him his fists clenched tight as he stalked towards the Toreador.
"They where after your Primogen, yours, you brought this down on us. I think the Masquerade, the very rule we exist by, has been broken by you and your kind Toreador." Thane looked at the Primogen in anger as he faced him. "I will hold my tongue due to your place and position. But off the record…off the record, watch your mouth you little snow haired gnome, it's our Primogen that was taken not yours, so shut your mouth before I shut it for you!"
The guards of the Brujah Primogen moved towards Thane. Romeo and Charlemagne also moved towards the Toreador for his protection, swords ready. Carlton stopped his guards as he regarded Thane. "You're aware I can have you executed for comments like that? So if I where you I'd change my attitude." Thane smiled an evil grin and taunted the Brujah Primogen, his manner relaxed now.
"I do my own killing; I do not need anyone to do it for me as the Primogen seem too. But…you can always try." Carlton realized Thane could care less about his position and had no fear of any threat of execution, he shook his head, maybe the events had unhinged the Toreadors mind, he made a dismissing gesture to Thane and walked away, his guards following. Thane rubbed his chest with a grimace where the energy blast had hit then lowered his hand. "Telekinetic energy wave, powerful one at that, must have been a Tremere."
Roman looked down at Tania and wiped tears from his face. He reached into her pocket and removed a silver chain with a glass vial on it. Thane saw the amulet. "A bloodlit, I have one of those, you do not see many anymore, a sign of the times, no one will blood bond anymore." Roman opened the vial and filled it with Tonia's blood. He then put the necklace on his neck carefully placed Tonia on the floor. "I want that bitch, the one in the dress, I don't care what the fuck clan she is, she is mine." Thane walked towards the exit brushing himself off, the protectors close behind. "Roman, I will be more then happy to give her to you as soon as I find her, until then we must leave."
Carlton smirked as Thane walked past him. "Leave, without your Countess?" Thane looked eye to eye at Carlton and smiled motioning to the protectors to exit. "I lost my watch, it's an air loom, and I need to find it." He looked down and saw a wounded soldier. "But I think a simple interrogation is in order." Thane reached down and grabbed a soldier with sergeant stripes on his shirt. The sergeant groaned, shook his head and growled at Thane. "Get your hands off me you fucking ghoul!" Thane smiled and wrenched the man to the air. "We need to talk, but in a better atmosphere, yes I know exactly the right place and I can teleport easily." Thane and the soldier began to fade; the Toreador Lord looked at Romeo just before he disappeared. "Go to my villa, and I will return shortly." At that, he and the soldier vanished leaving the others to deal with the mess.
Jean Carter arrived at the hotel. She walked to the front desk and with a smile handed the clerk both cards the stranger had given her. He looked at them curiously, "Pardon me a moment," and stepped back to an office door and vanished from sight. She had been treated like royalty from the moment she arrived at the airport. A private jumbo jet, drinks, food, she was delightfully dumbfounded. The clerk walked back in with a small black leather folder. He handed it to her and smiled. "Here is all you will need Madam." She took it from him. "Thank you" she replied.
He then motioned to the elevator. She turned and was astounded at the site that met her eyes. Standing at it with her bags was a large shirtless Jamaican man in tight shorts. Jean could not take her eyes off the huge bulge at his crotch. The desk clerk cleared his throat. "Madam, he is part of the room, er yours for the duration of your stay." Jean turned looking stunned, then looked back at the man. She smiled a large grin then turned her attention back to the man with her bags and walked to the elevator. She opened the folder she carried and leaned it to the side. A Platinum Visa card dropped out into her hand with her name on it. "I don't know who this Thane is and really at the moment I don't care." Smiling she put the card back into the folder then stepped onto the elevator with her companion. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the amazing fun she was about to have.
The Countess slowly awoke, her sight blurred and her body ached terrible. She sat up and shook her hands which where numb and felt the ring sitting on her head. She reached up and grabbed it pulling only to realize it was stuck tight. She let out a few curses as she looked around at her new surroundings, she saw she was in a cell, the walls made of large stone, the front made of bars. Her balance was unsteady but she managed to grab the bars for support as she pulled herself to her feet.
Slowly she began to regain her composure and pulled the bars with all her might, she was puzzled as to why she couldn't budge them. The metal rods remained unbent no matter what force she used, she was angry and beginning to feel frightened, a feeling she hadn't experienced in ages, this had never happened. Her powers had never failed her since she had been taken as kindred. She saw a shadow across from her, realizing it was her own, and she gasped in terror.
Over her shoulder was a small window that had been cut into the wall and outside the sun was beginning to rise. In horror and desperation she spun and looked the cell over for some protection. Her terror filled gaze found a blanket that was folded in a corner and she quickly lunged for it. As she touched it, the blanket slid across the floor away from her, she cursed.
In desperation she grabbed at it again, and again the blanket moved away. Her terror was beginning to take her within its grasp, this time she snatched at the blanket as fast as she could, but it was mysteriously pulled from her grasp and flew across the room well out of reach through the bars. She turned and saw the sun crest the ocean edge. She screamed in terror and fell to the floor; she scrambled to a corner trying to make herself into the smallest possible target for the evil sun rays that crept towards her unwilling body. She shook uncontrollably as her hands covered her beautiful face continually screaming, "NO NO NOooooo!"
McClatchy stormed into Colonel Usher's office to find her sitting at her desk calmly reading a report. "What the fuck is going on, I gave you a C-5 and air support for a supposed secret ops and now I have to deal with the Department of the Air Force to explain the damn fucking cargo plane going tits up in the hills!" Usher glanced over the report and nonchalantly smiled.
"Martin, I know I am not always to the point with you but the operation was Black stuff you know the crap that if you knew about it and got caught it could cost you your career stuff." McClatchy calmed down and sat in a chair; his fingers fumbled for a cigarette and lit it. "You need to let me get involved with your actions; I don't mind a little dark stuff, well as long as it doesn't get to dark." Usher laughed and stood looking at McClatchy. "This is darker then you could ever imagine, and when it's completed, you will be amazed."
McClatchy took a long drag and exhaled. "So what is it, chemical war stuff, bioagents, you know that crap is way illegal, even the CIA can't cover that stuff up." Usher dropped the report on the desk and leaned back in her chair. "It's a weapon like no other you could imagine, if successful, we may be able to produce a totally invulnerable soldier." Martin sat up, his mouth agape. "And you have seen this, this thing you're talking about?" Usher smiled a broad grin. "Yes, I have seen it first hand, I still can't go into detail but when completed, it will amaze everyone." McClatchy stood and walked towards the door dropping the smoke in an ashtray. "Keep me advised, I want to get some sort of report on your progress. As his hand rested on the doorknob he turned his head and looked at her. I am going to the hospital, the First Lady is not expected to live long, and…she is very important to me." Usher nodded as McClatchy left and she sat back in thought, her fingers laced behind her head. "Yes Martin, when I am done, you and all the others will be amazed, and will be under my control."
The Countess was still screaming at the top of her voice as the first rays of the sun struck her body, she squirmed and moved to avoid them but it was no use. She waited for the burn, the feeling of her skin on fire, but it didn't happen. She uncovered her face and stood slowly while looking as the sun caressed her arms. She raised her face looking outside as the sun's ray's crept up her body, she closed her eyes and felt the warmth, felt the heat, the feeling she had not had in centuries, there was a sense of astonishment on her face.
Suddenly she heard laughter behind her causing her to spin on a heel to see the blanket she had tried to grab floating in the air. It's dropped and a man who had been in obfuscated became visible. "I had to bite my tongue not to crack up at your screaming it was delicious, so priceless." The Countess recognized the Tremere Primogen Tarsus Vonday. Her eyes narrowed in vexation. "Your aware Tarsus that what you have done to me will cause a war between our clans, are you willing to take that risk?"
Both hands rested on her hips as she watched Vonday drop the blanket and smile a very smug smile. "Countess, my prince is unaware of our actions, and when we are done, he, you and the other clans will be pawns to us." The Countess growled as she grabbed the bars and attempted to bend them again. Vonday laughed and struck out slapping the Countess in the face. The strike knocked her backwards causing her to land on her rear. "How dare you strike me Vonday, you will pay for that slight!" "Stay down wench, you have no strength to bend these, the Restraining Ring on your empty head insures that."
Countess Duskie slowly stood a look of rage on her face, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes narrowing again as she moved closer to the bars but staying out of his reach. "No matter what this thing on my head does, I will rip you apart with immense pleasure, mind my words Vonday, I will." Vonday turned and sat in a nearby chair. "Do you know why you're here? Come on your curious, say it bitch."
The Countess stepped to the bars again; her hands gripped them and pulled with all her might but to no avail, she growled in frustration and sent him an evil glare. "That's Miz Bitch to you, you smug asshole." Vonday crossed his legs and removed a small flask from his pocket. "You see we want the Cylinder of Cain." The Countess stood very still at the mention of the cylinder; she gave him a slow smile, her hands dropped from the bars. She didn't answer his taunt, she wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction.
She knew the cylinder in the vault of the Toreador clan located at the Masquerade Ball. She remembered the story of how Cain the progenitor of all the vampires had placed a vile of his blood in an ornate gold cylinder. The memory of the wars that had followed for its possession flowed though her mind. When the clans had decided to make a duplicate of the cylinder for each clan, thus no clan would know if they had a duplicate or the original. She gave him a level look.
"Vonday, first off, it most likely is the wrong cylinder and I would never give you the combination for the Toreador safe anyway, nothing you could do to me would make me divulge that secret." Tarsus stood and drank a long draw off the flask and pointed it at her. "You are so easily read; Usher has already looked into your mind and took the combination, and also perused your entire existence. She is keeping what she has learned a secret, but when you're gone and we have the cylinder, she says she will write your memories down so we can read and enjoy your…life."
The Countess staggered slightly at this revelation, at what had happened, her mind had been raped, she started to cry. Vonday was giddy at her reaction, he laughed at her plight. "In a short while, you will be destroyed and turned over to the CIA and the Leopold Society for study. You see Countess; you're going to be a frog on a slab, cut open to see what makes you tick. The CIA wants the secret of vampirism, and the Leopold Society just wants you gone." Vonday smirked at her before he turned and walked out slamming the large door as he did. The echo vibrated though her shocked body, as sobs racked her body she noticed they were clear tears which she caught in her hand, she looked at them wondering how in hell all this happened and no one had a clue that there was such a plan. She shook herself and the rage returned, she wiped the tears off her hands. There was only one solution to this problem. Reaching up under her sleeve, she slid the Rolex down to her wrist. On its side, she pressed the GPS tab; the watch beeped and began to send the signal.
The soldier was groggy but realized he was cold and had a bag on his head. Struggling, he also realized he was bound and seemed to be hanging from the back of his gun belt. A hand grabbed the bag top and it was pulled free. The soldier screamed in horror as he looked around and saw he was being held by Thane off the side of the Eiffel Tower. Thane stood sideways on the point of the tower looking down at the street. "Isn't it beautiful, the first time I saw it was in 1862, it was as beautiful then as it is now." The soldier struggled and turned his head looking at the Toreador smoking a cigar. "You're nuts! You're fucking crazy!"
Thane smiled with the cigar gripped between his teeth. "Nuts, crazy, its all semantics, yes, yes I am a bit…off but in a good way. Now let's get to this shall we?" Thane shook the soldier back and forth roughly. "Why did you take my friend and where?" The soldier screamed in anger, shaking trying to break his bounds. "I aint telling you shit asshole, I didn't get this rank by pussin out, fuck you!" Thane shook his head making cigar ash drop and vanish in the wind. "Just remember Sergeant, its not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop."
He shook the soldier roughly again. "Come on, it's getting late and I would love someone to, eat, a nice French woman would go down so sweet, maybe I will even let you live and give you money for the information!" The Sergeant looked around as he dangled in the air and began to cry. "We where told to make as much of a mess as possible, kill everyone, that way someone could grab that Countess chic. A woman named Usher is in charge, she is with the CIA, and she has a lot of government pull.
Please…don't kill me!" Thane looked to the stars in thought; he let the cigar drop from his teeth and watched it fall before he looked at the soldier again. "Anything else?" The Sergeant shook his head. "No, we where just told to create a diversion, but they told us you would die, they didn't tell us you where…well" His voice trailed off. Thane smiled as he regarded the Sergeant. "Un-dead, vampires, ghouls, its all Hollywood. " As Thane was talking, his cell phone chirped the funeral dirge. He let the soldier go and retrieved it from his coat, so absorbed with the phone, he didn't hear the soldier fall screaming. Thane opened the phone and examined the screen. On it was a world map, which quickly changed to a map of Italy. The phone chirped and the map changed to a small island. "Mykhonas, wow, well she is at least in a party town!"
The Toreador Lord swung under a girder and landed on his feet. It dawned on him he had dropped the soldier, he shrugged, wasn't that a shame, he smiled with a chuckle. He took the elevator down and casually walked into the square below. As he walked, he saw people crowding around a body on the street. He walked past and spoke to a beautiful woman in a mini skirt and halter who was standing on the outskirts of the gathering crowd, he leaned close to her and whispered before looking into her eyes as she turned towards him. "Must be an American, only they would wear military wear in the summer, the woman smiled and was caught by his gaze. Let me take you from this horrible sight."
Roman paced in Thane's villa impatiently. The kindred protectors had busied themselves with cleaning weapons and blades, now it was a waiting game until Thane made his appearance. Phaedra walked about sipping a blood wyne and nervously fiddling with a wedding ring she wore. She stopped as a mild glow began to form in front of her and Thane appeared wiping his lips with a small silk handkerchief. Roman stood quickly and yelled, the countenance on his face fearsome to behold. "So where the fuck is this woman in black? And where the hell have you been?" Thane smiled and bowed slightly to Roman. "Its good to see you too Roman, she is located on the island of Mykohnas, off the coast of Italy." All in the room looked at Thane with curiosity. "I had a bad habit of leaving my Rolex at…well…ladies homes and it is an air loom so the Countess had a GPS placed in it. That way I could remember where. Or with whom I left it. She is wearing it as we speak and she is off the coast of Italy." He explained.
Romeo touched his katana and smiled revealing his fang tips. "So we are off to Italy to kill a whole lot of soldiers and get her back…yes?" Thane smiled also, he removed his torn dirty coat and dropped it behind him. The coat never hit the floor a servant caught it and hung it up. "Yes we are going, but she is in a castle and the woman we met in the fight has very powerful magic. Plus the fact she has an army at her disposal, while it's true they may be mortal, I do not think they will be armed with guns next time, they will be better armed to take us on if we were to appear there." Roman cracked his knuckles and his neck.
"You get me there, I will deal with anything, but the bitch that killed my beloved Tonia is mine." Charlemagne and Romeo began to arm themselves; Phaedra grabbed a katana and hooked it to her belt. Thane was about to tell her no, but she was as effective as any soldier. "Kindred protectors, could you please escort Roman to the Dragon lady's home, she will wish to attend and if I think I know what Roman wants to do, he will need to speak to her." Roman had a large grin on his face as they left.
The Countess sat on the small bunk near tears again; she had never felt so helpless in her unlife. She glanced at the watch with worried eyes it would lose its battery life soon, plus she was not sure if it even worked. She looked up from the watch as she heard faint voices, she stood up and gripped the bars again, she closed her eyes, concentrated and listened. Her auspix still worked to her surprise and she could hear different conversations through out the castle. Most where complaints from soldiers about the lousy pay and ill treatment. A woman's voice caused her to zone in on it and listen; her voice was cold and cunning. "When the sun sets, we will destroy the Countess, I want it filmed and sent to the Toreador Prince as we are taking the Cylinder of Cain into our possession. Vonday, you're sure the Toreador cylinder is the correct one?" He nodded. "Yes my mistress, it is, my magic can not fail, it is the true cylinder." A voice foreign spoke, it was low, almost a whisper. "Thane will be removed in a matter of hours, my best man is on it, he will deal with this poser." The female laughed loudly then it turned into a slow giggle before stopping all together.
"With Thane out of the way and the Countess destroyed, we will posses the blood of Cain, you Leopold's will have completed the destruction of several high prominent vampires, and we will hand over the Countess remains to the CIA for study, a lot of good that will do, there wont be much left of her for them." The woman snorted in disdain. The Countess closed her eyes and stopped the voices; she gripped the bars tight enough to draw blood, she began shaking again much to her dismay.
Thane walked from the main door of his villa towards his Bentley which he heard start. The car glowed a second then exploded, the concussion smashed Thane backwards through his door. He slid to his central stairwell in a sitting position amid debris. Shaking his head he hopped to his feet; and stepped over the wood debris of his door and looked at his car. "God damn it, arghhhhhh, what the hell! Fucking assholes! My freaking car!" In the distance he saw some mud move by his rose garden. With care, he walked to the garden, which was a gift from a long destroyed ex wife.
"Phaedra, get up, just look at what your doing to my garden, you know that was a gift from…from…oh hell what's her name. Lord what do I pay you for?" The mud moved and his valet sat up covered in earth, the remote start still in her hand, mud sliding off her head, she looked at him though mud caked eyes. "Boss, what happened? I was just starting the car and …boom." "What do you think happened, they tried to destroy me, but all they got was my precious car!" Phaedra staggered to her feet, stood then fell again. "I'm ok by the way." Thane said.
Phaedra finally stood and began to sink to her knees in the mud; she swiped mud from her face. Thane looked at her. "How many more Bentleys do I have?" Phaedra thought for a moment. "Ten, but one is pink, you know that gift from your eighth wife." Thane turned from her and walked towards the villa. "Get me another, and not the pink one!" Phaedra called out. "Help me out of this." Thane stopped and turned on a heel giving her a shocked look. "Good lord Phaedra, are you kidding, I'm in my best Italian shoes."
He glanced at his shoes and sighed in disgust. With that he walked towards the now destroyed door. As he began to step over the debris, as he passed by a tree near the door he heard Tat speak. "My lord, there is a man hiding in the trees, he is watching you." Thane slowly turned and using auspix, he listened to the man's heartbeat. He looked carefully and finally located him.
With a great leap, the Toreador jumped into the darkness and landed slowly and quietly a short distance behind the voyeur and spoke. "Are you the feckless imp that put a bomb on my car?" The man spun and opened fire with an odd looking machine gun, the slugs passing around Thane who was moving out of the way of each. With a hand raised, Thane grabbed the individual with a telekinetic wave. The attacker froze, his eyes agape, he screamed. Thane brought his hand up and the attacker rose from the ground. "You must be a member of the Society of Leopold; I recognize the standard issue holy water machine gun. And you are using a very cheap and vulgar Polish cologne that is sold just outside Krakow, the headquarters of your dumb organization. Any worthwhile opponent would have guessed I use remote starts for my autos. Do you know what its like to keep track of over two hundred sets of keys?"
The attacker struggled against the energy but could not move. Thane looked at the machine gun and it disassembled in the Leopold agents hands. "I have studied that weapon for years; you think such a group as yours would have developed a better one." The agent spit at Thane, he laughed and continued to struggle. Thane looked at the spit on his suit and shook his head. "Thank the goddesses that Giorgio was kind to me this month." The Toreador Lord turned and walked through the forest towards Dragon Ladies home, the Leopold agent followed floating in the air. As he walked, he called out. "Here kitty kitty, here kitty kitty!"
The Countess stood eyes closed, her skin still feeling the sun as it slowly set. The sound of the door opening took her from her thoughts. She turned to see a woman of about the mortal age of thirty-five, black hair and a garish black silk dress. The woman studied her, looking at her closely. "Your past is quite interesting, almost a library of knowledge, information that many will pay for." The Countess remained calm, her demeanor never faltered.
"You must be Usher, the Tremere Vonday spoke of, when the time comes, I will enjoy ripping that tongue out of your mouth." Usher smiled a broad evil grin. "In a matter of hours, you will be"…she shrugged..."no more, and I will have the essence of Cain and with that, the world." Duskie smiled and sat on her bunk, crossing her long legs, she leaned back on her hands as she eyed the woman coolly. "All of this, just for the Toreador cylinder, you could have stole it and be done with it." Usher tilted her head slightly, "It has taken me twelve years to get as far as I am in the CIA, and a lot of headaches dealing with the Leopold's.
They developed the ring that resides on your head; it's for use with slave vampires they capture, to study. They gave me the secret to its construction, I gave them…you. They have this redundant ritual to perform when they destroy you; it gains them stature in their ranks to destroy someone so powerful." The Countess lost her control a moment, she was aware that she was sweating, a trait she had never had since the night she was embraced, the ring caused this as well she thought, her eyes never left the woman. Usher continued. "I have several key people in the mortal government in my palm and those in my way…well, are destine for removal.
The mortal soldiers are just a reward from a key figure high in the government. They are expendable, but who isn't." Usher turned and opened the door, she said over her shoulder. "You have one hour of existence left, by all means, enjoy it. While the Leopold's deal with you, I will be at the Grand Masquerade. I will return in a while to prepare you, good bye." She stepped though the door and closed it. The Countess, slowly turned and began to cry, she could smell rot, smell death and her own fear.
Thane walked into Dragon ladies home, the kindred protectors and Phaedra stood in the middle of the main room dressed in black combat gear. Dragon Lady tossed a shoulder bag on her arm and smiled in greeting at Thane. "We are ready anytime you are M'lord." The Toreador joined the group changing into his black flight suit as he moved. Thane looked around for Roman. "Where is old blood and guts, thought he would be with us." Dragon left the group and walked towards the door, "He will join us later, its time to leave. I sense the Countess is frightened, I have never felt this from her, and she may not have much time."
Usher walked into the cell room. The Countess stood proud her hands cupped in front of her. Usher brought a hand up and the Countess gasped and became unconscious. Her body floated a moment then tilted to a prone position. The Tremere walked towards a large chamber adjacent to the cell room. The Countess floated behind her. In the room, two Leopold agents stood in ornate robes and hats; one had an axe in his hand. The room was darkly lit only by only one candle which smoked and filled the room with incense. Usher motioned her fingers and the Countess lowered on to a dais.
She turned to Vonday and began to walk from the room when she suddenly sensed something, felt the wave of energy. She stopped and turned her head. "Intruders teleporting to the beach!" She grabbed Vonday and they both ran to the castle entrance. As they cleared the portcullis, hundreds of soldiers followed them, each armed with a small axe. Usher watched as five figures appeared on the stone walkway. "Well, well, it seems we have visitors, uninvited guests are such a bother."
Thane, Dragon Lady the kindred protectors and Phaedra slowly walked towards the Tremere's and their army. Thane smiled as he saw Usher, his gaze went to Vonday. "Ah yes, Vonday…and this must be your pet wench." Usher glared at Thane, energy began to form in her hand unseen by all. She focused on Dragon lady. "Who is this Thane…your mother?" Dragon Lady didn't falter her smile bright and cheerful. "When I am through with you dear Tremere, you will wish you had stayed in your coffin." Vonday spun holding his arms outward. "As you five can see, we have an army, an army now trained on how to destroy you." Dragon Lady laughed, she held one hand up, and slowly snapped her fingers. Hundreds of Gangrel warlords appeared, Roman Maxis in full combat armor stood, war hammer in hand.
Thane grinned and slowly drew a Katana as he gave a snide glare at Usher. "The Countess, return her while I am still in the mood to let you." He waved his sword at her. Usher glared at the uninvited party and her soldiers. She and Vonday ran back to the castle. "RIP THEM UP!" The mortal soldiers ran screaming at the Gangrel soldiers. Thane and Romeo ran after Usher and Vonday, the Gangrel, Charlemagne and Dragon lady dealt with the soldiers. In the chamber, Leopold agents continued to chant, their prayers building in momentum, the axe reflected the candle light.
Phaedra spun under an axe attack and swung her katana gutting a soldier, her follow through opened the neck of another. As she spun further, she opened her mouth and caught a spray of blood. Her smile now red and dripping, she shoved the Katana into another soldier's throat. A mortal swung his axe and she ducked, the axe hitting the soldier she was attacking, beheading him. She struck out with a kick striking the soldier in the groin, her boot tip cutting into his scrotum. The soldier grabbed his privates and fell screaming. Phaedra grabbed his head and twisted snapping it.
Dragon Lady looked at several soldiers running at her screaming, she casually waved a hand and the soldiers screamed as they all flew in the air into the ocean. Charlemagne swung his Katana upward cutting a soldier in two; he blocked an attack with his forearm, a metal sound as the axe hit. A quick swing and the soldiers arm was dismembered. Charlemagne smiled at the mitheral forearm bands. Gangrel warlords ran in all directions cutting mortal soldiers apart.
Roman walked slowly through the attacks. The axes bounced off his armor with loud clangs as he grabbed soldiers and ripped them apart by hand. He held one aloft and reached up and grabbed a handful of hair. With a wrench, he separated the head from the body. A Gangrel warrior was struck in his shoulder, the axe cleaved a chunk out of him. He growled and swung his fist and struck the soldier causing the mortal to explode. The wound healed slowly, but the Gangrel smiled. "I like this Roman; this is like wading through a lake of blood!" Maxis smiled as he wiped vitae from his face. Charlemagne and Dragon Lady cleared a path through the soldiers into the castle, Roman and several warlords followed.
Thane and Romeo ran just behind the Tremere, both had weapons drawn. A soldier in body armor popped out of a door and opened fire on the Toreadors. Romeo swung the Katana so fast it was impossible to follow; He hit and deflected each round back at the soldier. The shooter shook as the rounds hit his face and neck. Thane shoved the corpse aside and kicked in a door the Tremere had just entered. Inside Thane had just a moment to react as Usher hurled another energy bolt. The blast missed each vampire and smashed into a wall behind them. Usher grinned and swung her hand. "Its to late Thane, we are off to the Ball, and your Countess is finished!" Both Tremere vanished in a black cloud of acrid smoke. Thane peered through the smoke and recognized the Leopold robes. He and Romeo dashed with all their celerity, but it was too late. Thane watched as the axe fell, and he realized there was nothing he could do; his friend the Countess was doomed.
To be continued…