Disclaimer: I don't own anyone here, Sony Pictures Animation does. OCs are mine.
Chapter Twelve
Cigar smoke began to flow through the dim room like accumulating fog in the castle's war room. The heads of the successful coup thought it an appropriate time to celebrate before they make their next move.
"We did it fuckers! The Province is officially our's!" The cannibalistic wendigo known as Hunter crowed. He took another large inhale of his cigar.
"Hell, I don't think I've ever seen a plan go so smoothly even in my undercover." Greem tried to match Hunter's enthusiasm but the issue with Drac was still gnawing at him.
"Damn these are killer, say where'd you get these Greem?" Hunter asked between puffs.
The turned vampire slouched in his rolling chair at the flavor of his cigar. His sharp blues turned to the wendigo. "Cuba, the people there take great pride in their smokes. I snatched this box up when I was still in the NSA."
He then shot a look back over to the wendigo. "Hey, how're the hostages doing?"
Hunter looked up to the ceiling with a smirk. "Scared shitless, Trolls and blight torchers make a scary mix."
"Great," Greem acknowledged before looking over to the two other monsters at the opposite side of the long table. Bela glowered ahead with his red orbs, the small sound of a claw digging in his chair gave the others the idea he was ready to kill something any minute. Vlad possessed a nonchalant gaze into the space in front of him. He knew what was happening to his only child and unbeknownst to the others it killed him inside. He had to keep his emotions in check if he wanted the Guardians to succeed.
"Vlad? Bela?… smokes?" Greem lifted up the case and offered, with a sociopathic kindness.
In a swift move, Bela rudely snatched the box and took almost the whole case of cigars which was a bundle of seven. He lifted them up and lit them on one of the wall torches, the big inhale he took of them next appeared to fill the former bat servant with a sense of pleasure he hadn't felt before.
Greem didn't flinch, he half expected it with creature like him. He nodded to Vlad, offering him the rest.
Vlad simply nodded and waved, declining the smokes. He returned to his empty staring.
The ex–agent took one last puff of his smoke before butting it out in the ashtray next to him. "Okay, let's see where we're at." He pressed a hidden button under his side of the table.
Two stone slides that were a part of the wall immediately began to open on the far end of the large briefing room, revealing a rather oversized display screen. It booted on, showing the Allegiance Defense Network loading icon. The screen then came alive with a map of the globe, highlighting nations, conclaves, population centers, and active military installations.
Greem used a remote to scroll around and click on certain areas of importance. He zeroed in on Europe, then Transylvania. No yellow alerts, no reports from nearby facilities, or from the globe for that matter. It would seem as their little takeover went unnoticed.
"Good."
"So… what does that mean?" Hunter asked, noticing Greem's sudden change in demeanor.
"Well boys," Greem began with a satisfied smirk, knowing his bug had worked as intended. "Looks like it's all quiet in Transylvania."
"Yeah!" Hunter roared.
Even Bela couldn't resist a victorious Bellow.
Vlad did his best to manage a grin. A vibration on his wrist immediately got his attention, he hoped it was them and not one of the mongrels chewing at their equipment.
Greem zoomed back out to the world display. "Now all we got to do is wait for the alpha to return from his hunt then we can really get down to business."
The room shortly fell into silence. This time audible, another buzz from Vlad's CADRU drew everyone's attention to the aged vampire.
"Sounds like you have an important message there, mind telling us who it's from?" Greem shot at him with a question. Not everyone in the Allegiance had one of those, and he for damn sure wasn't going to raise suspicion from the outside.
Vlad expertly hid his anxiety and pulled up his sleeve, showing the lit screen.
GU Valerie: Who are you?
A wave of relief came over the elder vampire, they were still alive. It was the response he anticipated but couldn't respond to now. "Just one of the gifted conclaves, I'll take this outside if I must."
Greem stared for a moment, then gave him the motion to leave.
After Vlad had exited the room, Greem turned to Bela. "Keep a close eye on our friend there."
The large bat cocked his head. "What makes you think he tells me anything now…"
"Nothing," Greem interjected. "But you were his most trusted servant at one point is that not right? That has to count for something."
Bela huffed. "I have other things to do then to stalk the crone all night." He growled.
Greem waved. "I'm not saying be on his back twenty four–seven, just listen and watch every now and then when your here and if you see him in a rush, follow."
The door flung open, bringing an end to their conversation. In the doorway stood a rigid and dripping lycanthrope, he scowled when the smell from the room hit his nostrils.
"Wasilei!" Greem greeted, holding up the remaining cigars. "You're just in time bud, grab some smokes."
The Prime Alpha glared for a moment before trudging over to him and snatching the box. "It would be good for your health if you never called me that again."
With his mood, Greem expected the task didn't go in his favor. He watched as the werewolf took the last three cigars and placed them in his jaws before lightning them with his makeshift lighter crafted from a 30mm shell.
"Well…" Greem began, already knowing the answer. "The Guardians?"
Wasilei kept his piercing greens to a corner in the wall, as if he didn't even hear the turned vampire. The smokes didn't appear to calm him either.
"Somewhere in the wastes, dead… or alive." He answered honestly.
Greem gawked at the response, it was a little more indirect then he expected. "So… you don't have their wrist pads or anything?"
"Nyet," Wasilei croaked as he blew some smoke.
Bela and Hunter just stared at him, expecting a little more from the Prime Alpha.
Greem lost his patience however, and was eager to get a straight answer from him. "So how about you start from the beginning than."
"Sure thing… turned one."
Greem ignored the insult and allowed the werewolf to explain himself.
"We had them right out of the main gate, followed their tracks all the way through the storm to Bistrita, since your 'war machine' didn't last long against the brats."
The ex–agent couldn't stop one of his eyes from twitching but didn't interrupt.
Wasilei rubbed out the cigars on the table before continuing, disregarding the ashtray. "My blooded hunters managed to corner them in one of the many buildings and… that's where we lost them."
"Lost them?" Greem asked cynically.
"…Da, we trailed their scent to the basement and stopped. They're are spores down there." Wasilei's voice grew lower as he muttered that last sentence.
"Hmm," Greem gave an amused chuckle, hiding his frustration. "And I thought that city was deemed safe from the Agent a few years back."
The others became quiet, waiting to hear what to do next or for Greem to go on a tirade. Whichever came first.
There was more silence before Greem finally broke it.
"You only had one job I believe, Wasilei. To tear those kids to pieces before they got to the nearest Allegiance zone."
Wasilei looked over the ex–agent before forming his response. "Da, but dragging some young bloods through a radiation storm into a spore site can prove to be toiling even for a Prime Alpha." He let it sink in before shooting a question. "So what about 'your' task? Have you figured out what makes him immune?"
Greem froze, he was so distracted he'd forgotten all about his failed attempt to get the Dracula blood. Shit!
"Not yet… It turns out his will might not be as strong as I thought." He couldn't hide a nervous chuckle. "He KO'd on me before I could use the infra gun to it's full potential."
Wasilei hid his disappointment since he wasn't that surprised. "Guess I should have expected that much from a former human."
The room was really quiet now.
"Always care more about their machines than they do themselves…"
"Yeah," Greem cut him off. "And the mighty Wasilei of the East turns into a pussy cat at the midst of some gas."
SPLIT!!!
Almost half the table turned into splinters as the enraged werewolf slammed his shiny claws on the rim. Greem didn't even flinch and took that as a challenge, so he grabbed his side and used some of his supernatural strength to push the rest of the table forward. Wasilei's glare didn't falter as he was shoved against the stone wall and torch embers fell on his face.
Bela managed to swoop out of the way before the splinters hit his heart, he watched the sight with an amused toothy grin. Hunter remained in his chair as the table was swept from, not appearing to be phased by the sudden action. He too seemed to be enjoying this but kept a few talons on his .44 holster just in case.
It was almost a blur as Wasilei lurched out of his pinned position and grappled Greem to the wall. The later winced as blood began to seep from where the lycan's claws were, along with a stinging pain.
"You are a weak snake! You were when you were human and you still are as a ghoul!" Wasilei barked through a foaming mouth, his emerald orbs piercing through the pinned vampire's.
"Maybe we should take hold of our future, trash all your devices, and try a way we know works!" Wasilei tightened his grip as his jaws closed in on Greem's head. "And maybe just gut you and see what turned flesh tastes like."
"Oh yeah!" Bela favored that idea. "Let's bleed him out, he probably doesn't have any guts!"
Click
"Hey!"
Hunter had his revolver pointed at the werewolf. "Why don't you guys just take a chill pill, I'm ready to fix this shit and get the operation underway."
Wasilei started to chuckle, which turned into laughter. "You really think those bullets will stop me?" The werewolf turned with a devilish smirk.
"No," Greem breathed. "But this will."
Wasilei snapped his head back and his eyes were met with cylindrical object with a orange and black biohazard icon. Greem had his pointer on the top button. The grenade was armed so all he had to do was push down the button and everyone in the room would be an organic puddle on the floor within five seconds.
The Prime Alpha froze and his muzzle morphed into a hybrid expression of shock and hatred. The device had the same scent as the basement. The other two exchanged concerned glances as they readied themselves for anything.
"Don't be so dumb, I know the only thing you fear." Greem now returned the werewolves's hard stare. "We're all in this together and I'll see to it that we succeed for the future of Monster Kind, all I ask is a little cooperation and compliance."
Wasilei's grip began to slowly loosen. He eventually drew his claws in and let the vampire down. Greem released a pained wheeze when his feet hit the floor and stumbled a couple of feet forward.
"Oookay," Hunter eventually spoke up as the energy in the room died down. "Sounds like we have a few snafus on our claws so where do we go from here?"
"First," Greem booted the screen back on. "I'll have to scrounge up a recovery team for Bistrita and see if those Guardians really cucked it, once the storm moves on. Maybe you could spare some of the trolls?"
"Sure," Hunter agreed. "I'll get em when their next shift starts."
Greem nodded and turned to Wasilei, he was hesitant to ask for anymore help from him m but he needed it. "As for here in the city, I have suspicion that they're still survivors hold up in the outer districts. I could use some of your pack to help dig them out."
Wasilei tensely stared for a moment before giving a slow nod of approval.
"Alright," Greem concluded. "We have the element of surprise for now, but it'll only be a matter of time before the other nations know somethings off with the communications down. I guess I'll continue with Drac, hopefully I'll have something out of him by the night's end." He looked around to the others. "You've got your objectives, break's over."
Everyone except for Greem gradually stood up and made for the door. Bela flew out to catch up with Vlad while Hunter casually strolled out after him, Wasilei stopped at the door though and looked back.
"Consider yourself on my hunting list now, meat." The werewolf spat. He moved out of the door.
"We'll always be hunting you…" Greem heard him mutter before the door closed.
Sure you will.
Greem assumed it was more of a mental attempt at intimidation rather than an actual threat. He couldn't be sure though, his pack was funny like that. What he could be sure of though is that he had the castle's systems at his hands, and his own wit. He might have to keep reminding the beast of that.
In the room by himself, he waved off the torch light with his telekinesis. The only light in the room was that of the display screen as Greem scanned the map for any local settlements that they'd have to deal with in order to keep their operation going unnoticed. He was eventually going to have to wake the fallen count up and try to get an answer out of him, either that or cut him up some more to find something. All the stress was on him as even the former king of monsters could kill over with too much trauma, he figured he'd just have to dig a little deeper in his toolbox to find the right tool for the job.
