The Masquerade Ball
Thane watched the axe fall and could do nothing. All his bravado and charm, all his money, all his abilities he was too late, it was over. The smile on the face of the Leopold agent beamed as the axe swung. Thane was starting to close his eyes as not to see when the axe fell upon her beautiful neck…he opened his eyes in surprise as he heard it hit metal. Thane and Romeo jumped with a start as the axe head disintegrated, pieces flew in every direction.
The Leopold agent gasped and fell backwards from the concussion, the axe handle still in his hand. Thane walked slowly in, a stunned look on his face. Romeo followed a pace behind him. He watched as the Countess slowly levitated then teetered upwards to a standing position floating in the air. Her eyes where still closed but her shape, her body was congealing, changing. Under his breath, Thane spoke, "Wow, nice trick, you have to show me sometime." Soldiers ran into the chamber and stared at the Countess. That's when Thane saw something move behind the soldiers with celerity beyond even his capability.
All the soldiers suddenly gasped, froze and literally fell apart. Blood squirted everywhere as their limbs where cut clean from an attacker moving faster then light itself. Thane looked as the Countess became bright enough that he had to shield his eyes. Roman, Phaedra and Charlemagne ran in and stopped suddenly at the brightness blinding them they shielded their eyes. The Toreador Lord watched as the light slowly ebbed, and then suddenly the Countess was gone, in her place was a man in armor, a huge man he stood at least seven foot tall. The armored man stood in full plate armor with a bastard sword in his left hand. The Leopold agents turned to run but something grabbed them from behind and lifted them into the air. A loud clang echoed as the armored man dropped the bastard sword to the floor and reached for the connectors holding his helm on.
Thane watched as the helm was removed and he recognized Prince Lofton, Nosferatu leader who he remembered hated Toreador's. Behind the Leopold agents, Nosferatu guards held the vampire killers in the air. Thane dropped to one knee and looked downward as proper etiquette. The others in the room followed suit, all but Roman. He couldn't due to his armor, he nodded to the Prince.
He smiled at those those knelt knowing men in armor where not only exempt, but the blood all over him was a sign of honor to the Prince anyway. Lofton looked down at Thane and his grin grew so wide, saliva dripped to the dais. "Toreador, you know a proper action, that's good, very good. I have never liked your kind, not at all…until now." The Prince half turned and motioned to a dark corner where a small girl slowly walked into the candle light. Thane recognized her from the cylinder he had taken from the plane. She walked to the Prince and took one of his immense hands and held it. The Prince turned back to the other's as he held the girl's small hand.
Lofton motioned for Thane to stand and picked up the child into his massive arms. "This is my daughter Alianna, my only child…I owe you thanks Toreador, and I do not give it…easily."
Thane knew more about Nosferatu than the Prince was aware of, he knew of the tradition of their clan was to never show weakness, or to show gratitude. He would do his best to make it easier on Lofton by quoting an old Nosferatu poem. "I want no such frivolity, there has been much death and blood letting; it has been a good day." The Prince looked at Thane a slightly surprised look and completed the phrase. "Yes it has, no day can be better." With a wide swing, Lofton pointed to a dark corner.
A Nosferatu guard appeared carrying the Countess. He walked to Romeo and carefully handed her to him, bowed and moved back to the darkness. Prince Lofton reached over and removed the ring from her head. With a squeeze, it popped into gold dust which glittered to the floor. The Prince looked at Thane with a tilted head. "Debt repaid Toreador, our business is completed."
The Toreador Lord bowed to the Prince and smiled to the young girl. Lofton walked to a dark corner with his daughter walking behind still wearing the lace dress Dragon Lady had dressed her in. Lofton spun suddenly and stuck his hand out to Thane, he walked to the Prince. The Toreador extended a hand, nervous of what it could be. The Prince slowly opened his massive hand, a small bottle of perfume dropped into Thanes grasp. "The dress is proper, this is not, it…has an unpleasant smell."
Thane smiled and nodded as the Prince turned and walked away. The girl ran up quickly and grabbed the perfume, smiled and curtsied and ran after her father. Thane smiled and watched as the group left, the sound of the Leopold agents screams faded as they vanished.
The Countess stirred, she opened her eyes and pushed Romeo making him put her down. She stood a moment and her knees gave a bit. Thane caught her and helped her. "You", he made a face, "smell, you need a bath and a change of clothes." The Countess narrowed her eyes and slapped Thane in the face at his insult causing him to fall, the force of the slap spun her and made her fall to the floor next to him, she sat there for a moment then realized Lord Thane was right. "My goddess, what happened, to me, I remember feeling faint then I woke up smelling like a sewer."
The group smiled and looked as Dragon Lady walked in. Thane stood and helped the Countess to her feet once more. Turning he faced Dragon putting his hands on his hips and spoke. "Why didn't you tell me she was the daughter of the Prince?" Dragon smiled and patted his shoulder. "I didn't even know if she would survive. Identifying the crest on her ring took a while but I identified it and contacted the Nosferatu." The Countess suddenly stood and looked around. "Where are Usher and Vonday?" "They said something about the Ball and that we where too late." Thane said.
The Countess brought her hand up and the Katana flew from Charlemagne's scabbard to her. "They are heading for the Toreador vault to steal the Cylinder of Essence." Thane laughed and shook his head. "That's dumb, it's most likely the wrong one and it's locked in the safe, only you have the combination." Duskie frowned, and walked toward the Toreador Lord and gave him a grave look. "They have the combination, that bitch Usher took it from my mind and I think we have the real cylinder." Thane looked at her in horror, he looked toward the floor and then at her again. "If they get the artifact, we, all of us, are history, we have to stop them."
Roman walked in dropping sections of his bloody armor. He yelled over the metal clanging. "They have a head start on you but remember, you cant teleport into the Ball, its protected by anti-magic, so you may have a chance to catch up to them." Dragon Lady laughed at Roman's comment. "The Ball isn't that well protected, I can get you both in, you see Roman, it is witches that created the protection the Ball has, it is strong, but not that strong." Thane reached down and picked up Romans Gladius.
Then he and the Countess turned and faced Dragon. She closed her eyes and suddenly brought her hand up pointing at the two. A white smoke covered them almost instantly and the vanished. "Roman walked up to her. "Me next, I want that bitch!" Dragon looked at him and shook her head. "No Roman, this is their fight." Maxis was about to yell at her but then remembered that Dragon was not a woman to be angered.
Thane appeared in the foyer of the Ball, the Countess was no where to be seen. He whispered to himself. "See, she cant teleport, she makes mistakes…no, you read the scroll wrong." He gave a slight shake to his head then a movement ahead in the central meeting area drew his attention he then moved cautiously. He raised the Gladius point and opened the heavy red velvet curtains just enough to see a shadow move.
His auspix suddenly caught the sound of something flying in the air. He ducked just as the blade of a Katana sliced the curtains above him. He grabbed the curtains as they fell and spun throwing them on Vonday. The Tremere was caught off guard; he screamed in anger and struggled as he was blinded. Thane smiled and moved out into the open area of the meeting chamber. "Vonday! It's been so long how are you? my my you look like shit in velvet."
Vonday threw the curtains off him, brought his sword up in a defensive stance, and screamed. "Mother fucker! I'm going to cut you in half, you damn poser, I can't stand Toreadors, your all a bunch of sissy art fag's, your worthless and a blight on the Camarillo's ass." Thane brought his sword up to an attack stance. "First you make idle threats then insult me, come come, you do have some brains don't you?" Vonday swung his Katana wide attempting to hit the Toreador. The attack was easily dodged by stepping back a step. Thane suddenly moved forward and stabbed Vonday in the shoulder then withdrew quickly. "That's first blood; in a short while I will bleed you dry."
The Tremere grunted in pain and stumbled backwards but brought the katana upwards knocking Thanes Gladius upward. It flipped end over end and stuck in a rafter. Vonday laughed. "Now what fancy pants, no blade, no luck." The Tremere Primogen jumped forward swinging at wildly. Thane used his celerity and jumped upward and grabbed the Gladius grip and pulled it free. Vonday looked around a moment trying to figure out where Thane had gone. He heard a noise behind him and spun on his heel swinging his sword. Thane caught the sword with his own and both drew closer to each other. The Toreador spit in his face. Vonday used his strength and hurled Thane backwards. The Toreador hit the wall and fell to the floor.
Usher slowly walked from the open safe. In her hand, the Toreador Cylinder of Essence. She looked at it with awe, raising it so she could see the small glass window, the red liquid inside. With a smile, she strode out with a feeling of invulnerability. She stepped out into a small anti-room and was smashed in the face by a fist.
The Countess shook her hand from the hit. "Get up Usher, its time for school." Usher slowly stood rubbing her jaw; a drop of blood fell from her mouth. She said in disbelieve, "You can't be here, your destroyed!" In answer the Countess spun bringing a heeled foot across Ushers face. Again the Tremere hit the floor, this time; the cylinder flew from her hands and rolled to the Toreador's feet. The Countess reached down, grabbing Usher by the hair and lifted her off her feet. "I bet this hurts like hell from someone who is supposedly... destroyed!"
She dropped to a knee throwing Usher across the room. The Tremere smashed into a glass display of paintings and fell to the floor again momentarily stunned. With a kick from her foot, the cylinder flipped into the hand of the Countess. She looked up just as she was hit by a large oak sword case. The cabinet exploded on impact knocking the Countess backwards causing her to land on the floor on her back, the cylinder rolled from her hand. Swords of all styles spun and flipped, one sticking into the floor next to the Countess neck.
Usher got away from the debris and staggered, she got her balance and walked towards the cylinder. "Remember King Minilett, your lover, how he died in your arms, his blood dripping from your hands." The Countess stood unsteady, her memory flashed back to her lover's death. She remembered his death, the pain ran though her body, she was almost lost in thought when Usher swung a sword she had picked up. Duskie bent backwards at the waist, grabbing a sword from a suit of armor. Usher swung again but met the sword of the Countess as she quickly stood.
Both women looked into each others eyes, Usher smiled. "Remember when your father died, he stood in the doorway of the hovel you lived in, the look on his face as his heart stopped, you sat there and watched!" Duskie felt the pain in her heart, the sadness welled up, she began to cry. Her tears dripped on her sleeve as she and Usher where locked together sword to sword. Looking down, she saw the tears of blood, not clear, but blood. Her head cleared and she smiled at Usher. "I remember everything you bitch; I'm going to rip that evil tongue out of your head! I will look back on this day and remember the joy in my heart, the joy of destroying you!"
With that, the Countess brought both hands upwards suddenly, pushing Usher backwards a step. Usher was stunned and lost her footing. The Countess swung her sword knocking Ushers weapon out of her hand. Usher landed on her back side, her eyes flared as she hurled a blast of energy hitting Duskie.
Vonday slowly strolled towards the supine vampire. "So big and bad, so perfect dressed, and all that and you're done for." The Tremere dropped his sword and grabbed Thane by the scruff of his shirt lifting him upwards. "It's over poser." Vonday reared back with his hand to shove it into Thanes chest. Thane looked over Vonday's shoulder and knew what he had to do.
The Toreador Lord brought both feet up and kicked with all his vampiric strength. Vonday staggered backwards and fell back sliding across the slick marble floor. Thane landed against the wall again, against his tapestry. The Tremere Primogen slid on the floor, his head ending up under the massive table. Thane smashed his elbow into the hydraulic pipe cracking it. Dirty water gushed out and the table fell flat crushing Vonday's head.
The Countess stumbled backwards. Her sight was blinded a moment until the energy dissipated. When it did, Usher had the cylinder open and smiled. "Its over bitch, I am a goddess now." She tilted the cylinder upwards and drank the red liquid. The Countess waited as Usher stood motionless, waiting, waiting for…nothing. Duskie smiled and said snidely. "Remember we do not breathe, but can you give me a heads up when you would like me to gasp in awe or something?" Usher screamed in a rage, "YOU BITCH!" She reared back and hurled a blast of energy powerful enough to crack the floors. The blast hit the Countess causing her to crash through a granite wall into the Balls kitchen.
Thane stood and fell slipping on the oil and water on the floor. He got his footing and walked to the table. Vonday's body twitched and jerked, a hand clawed at the table top making scratches in it. Thane reached down and grabbed the Tremere's foot and pulled the body free from the pulp that was its head. The body stopped moving and began to glow. In front of him down a hall, appeared Usher. Thane smiled at her and fixed his ripped shirt and tie. "Your friend here, he won't be joining you tonight."
Usher looked in horror at what was left of Vonday. She began to frenzy, her eyes bulged from her head and blue energy congealed in her palms. Thane saw a movement behind her; he smiled and looked into Ushers eyes. "Heads up." Usher spun as a cast iron skillet, thrown from the Countess, sheared her head from her shoulder's, the cylinder dropped from her lifeless hand. The pan screamed across the room and stuck into the marble wall at the Tremere Princes tapestry. The handle of the skillet stuck out in a provocative place. Usher staggered headless, she turned towards the Countess. Blue energy coursed across her body as she fell in a pile. The energy slowly died. The Countess strolled to the head, picked it up and ripped the tongue out. She looked into the sightless eyes and said. "I told you; you bitch that I would have your tongue." She tossed the head and tongue from her as the both disintegrated into ash. She brushed her hands off, bent and picked up the cylinder, straightened up and took a long look at Lord Thane.
Thane removed a broken cigar from his coat pocket and lit it on a nearby torch. "If I may say so Countess. You look like shit." Duskie walked to Lord Thane and gave him a disdainful look, both hands on her hips. "The pot calling the kettle black, you look like crap yourself." Thane grinned and looked around. "Well luckily there isn't anyone to see us, if we are careful; we can get out of here unseen." The Countess turned and walked towards the vault area. "I need to replace this, when we get through telling our Prince about this, all hell is going to break loose." Outside, Thane could see Dragon and the rest of the party arriving. He walked outside to meet them.
The Countess walked to the safe and opened it. As she walked in, she looked over her shoulder making sure she was alone. Moving the cylinder upside-down, she opened a small compartment and a glass vial slid out. The vitae inside quivered as it caught the dim candle light. The Countess placed it back and closed the compartment. Leaning forward, Duskie carefully placed the artifact back in its case, turned and left the safe locking it as she departed.
In the main foyer, she saw all of her friends and smiled when she realized they where looking at the handle of the skillet which was sticking out of the Tremere Prince tapestry. "He would wish it was as hard and as long as that." Maxis yelled with a smile. Thane laughed as well. "Well the repair staff is going to have a dickens of a time pulling that thing out."
The echo of heels resounded in the Intensive Care Unit of Parkland Hospital. The two figures moved gracefully down the dimly lit corridor heading for a security check point. Two burly men stood in the middle of the hall, both Secret Service agents watched as the two people approached. Thane and Dragon walked into the red light of an exit sign, stopping directly in front of the agents. One agent leaned down to look at them closer, and then smiled a broad smile. "Hi Mister Thane How are you?" Thane smiled back and shook the hand of the agent. The other Secret Service member smiled as well and shook his hand. "It's been a while Mister Thane, hope your well." Lord Thane replied "I am well as I trust you both are."
Lord Thane smiled and introduced Dragon Lady. "Gentlemen, this is Madame Dragoneleesa Ladivarich …Dragon may I introduce Agent Harley, who was going to die of cancer, but not anymore and Agent Petrochelli who was sort of sterile but not any more, he laughed what you have four children?" Petrochelli grinned and puffed up his chest. 'Five and I may have more!" Thane laughed and patted the agents shoulder. Harley bowed to Dragon and kissed her hand. She smiled and looked at Thane. "See, that's a gentleman, he has class and style, for a mortal, I like him." Thane shook his head in agreement. Dragon looked at the door to the First Ladies room. She rubbed her hands together and glanced at Thane and the agents. "Thane, let the Countess deal with the President, you stay out here and wait."
Dragon entered the room. The sound of machines permeated the air as she focused on the bed. The President was asleep in a chair near his wife, his head in her hands. Too her left, the Countess slowly appeared, from the shadows. She walked quietly over to the President and touched his head whispering in his ear. He woke with a start and jumped. "Who are you, SECURITY!" The Countess looked into the Presidents eyes, looked into his soul, his heart. He looked at her and calmed, she used her power to persuade him she was not going to harm him. "We are here to help, and hopefully give you the chance…of a lifetime."
Thane waited in the hall. He received a call from Roman telling him that all Princes had been advised about what had happened, and the Tremere Prince had released a comment through the new Primogen that they had no involvement in the incident and would provide no apology. He shook his head, bloody Tremere never took responsibility for anything.
The agents paced and Thane paced back and forth. The Toreador pulled his cigar case out and removed a Bavarian cigar. He was about to light it when he remembered he was in a hospital and grumbled under his breath. He turned and handed the cigar to Petrochelli. "Here, have one early for baby number six!" Petrochelli took the cigar and smiled. "Thank you, er sir, what will she do, the Dragon?" Thane shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know anything about the magic arts, I know they work and they are very mysterious." Harley pointed at his chest. "Well, I had cancer, and she just touched me, just touched me, it was unreal, I felt like I was a kid." .
The door opened and Dragon walked out a little ashen from the power she had used, the Countess followed closely behind. The agents and Thane looked at them both. Behind them, the President held the First Ladies hand, looking at her. She smiled up to him and began to cry.
Janet Carter stood in the parking lot of CIA headquarters with a dumbfounded look and a cell phone to her ear. "A bug your kidding, a bug, and I now have access to…anywhere, well Ok, you got it." She closed the call and put the cell phone in her purse; she walked into the building and flashed her ID to the security desk. Walking through all the security check points she made her way to Research and Development. Ahead of her Martin McClatchy stood reading a report and noticed her walking towards him. "So your Carter, your Usher's replacement, I hope you will do a better job then her and please…keep me advised on things." Carter smiled and nodded. "Yes sir, can I ask you, what happened to this Usher person?" Martin closed the report, on the outside of the folder, was a small picture of Usher. "She is a traitor; she was working on a project that involved foreign sources that are not in line with CIA attitude."
Carter nodded and watched McClatchy walk away. She entered the former office of Usher and closed the door. She had been a researcher for the Department of Immigration, now a senior researcher with R and D, a nice promotion. Sitting at her desk, she remained motionless, and then she saw the bug. It stood on the key board and looked up at her, a Black Widow. It moved slowly across the desk and climbed up the computer tower and crawled inside. A moment later, the computer popped on and the screen flashed with files being deleted and some being edited. The Black Widow crawled out and moved across the desk as the computer continued to operate. It stopped and looked up at her; in her mind she heard a female voice. "I will be here if you need anything, just talk towards the floor vent." Carter looked around and saw the floor vent across the room, when she looked back at the desk, the spider was gone. Looking back at the vent, she saw the spider jump down it and disappeared.
The President stood on the bow of his yacht, the fog was thin and he could still make out the pier at Martha's Vineyard. A female voice spoke to him from his left, invisible. "She will not know how she recovered, and the best thing is to just praise the Doctors and hospital." The President sat and looked outward towards the sound of a fog horn. "Vampires, witches, it is still hard to deal with, but my wife is healed and that's all I care about." The Countess remained invisible and sat next to the President. "We want nothing, just to remain unknown, just the thoughts of movie makers and writers. But we may ask a favor or two at times, nothing important." The President smiled as his wife walked out onto the bow. She smiled and sat in his lap. He looked at her and tears welled up in his eyes. Looking at where the Countess sat, he whispered. "I can do favors."
Thane slid the quill into the crystal holder and closed his journal. He sipped his blood wyne and relaxed in his den, a fire burned although he needed no heat. He looked up at the tapestry of the Countess and smiled. He was tired and needed rest, his crypt was waiting and the light was approaching. He walked to his stairwell and twisted the gargoyle releasing the center of the stairs. The hatch opened and Phaedra stood under it in a pink teddy and a fresh chalice of blood. He smiled and tossed his coat off and walked into the darkness.