A/N: Here's chapter ten! The cheese! The festivities! The humanity! Please, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs. Not responsible for any mental breaks during this reading, and…it's gonna be a lot shorter than you think.
The last thing Victor was expecting on his way to Confessions was a pair of handcuffs snapping behind him, a rag snagged around his mouth, and a burlap sack thrown over his head. It all happened so quickly, he could hardly keep a mental track of how many lefts and rights were taken when he was thrown in the back of a truck.
When the vehicle finally stopped, he was hoisted up into the air again. He heard a door open and close, the feeling of heading downstairs, and then another door opening and closing. He felt himself get thrown into a chair before the bag was removed and his eyes dilated due to the bright lighting.
He didn't have much time to get used to the lighting before he was whacked in the face with a lead pipe, knocking the gag to the floor. A small amount of blood splattered out as Victor growled with rage, like his assailant already took the first steps to awakening a demon, "Where…am…I…?" He rasped.
As he looked up, he saw Skelter there, wiping the blood from the pipe with his hand, "You're about to be in hell."
"Oh…?" He smiled despite his minor injury, like he was relieved when he realized that he was dealing with an Anarch, "And what's this…your little sex dungeon?"
He whacked Victor over the head, "You killin' Nines…must feel pretty damn good. Hell, maybe you even feel safer. No more Brujah at the speed a' light flickering around to bring you back to those hellish nightmares of the Great Depression, huh? You feel like you won, don't ya?" He swung low, busting Victor's knees, "Now you got me." He spoke right in Victor's face, baring his teeth like an animal, "You'll find I run a little different than Nines."
"Yes. Cowering and frenzying at the drop of a hat. I imagine you joined the Anarchs when the Sabbat couldn't take you."
He chuckled, switching the lead pipe for a two-by-four with nails jutting out of it. He whacked him flat in the chest with it, leaving holes there, too, "I joined the Anarchs when Nines told me about justice. When he told me about freedom. Your corporation of zombies ain't gonna last long when you got my Anarchs up against you."
Blood was dripping from a few more places now, to say the least, in addition to the bruises all over him. "Oh, that would be a show, wouldn't it?" He smirked, "You couldn't defeat us with an army…what use will scraps of you do?" He asked, "Even still…we'll know your plans ahead of time. Always."
"You got a funny choice a' last words."
"As do you…Skelter…was it?" He looked him up and down, "You're going to be hunted out of the country when they figure out what you did to a Primogen. But in the off-chance, I will scan your face and remember your features, when I attain my revenge…"
"You're dying here tonight for the amount a' terror you put in my people, and the death 'a Nines. You will never hurt another person again." He grabbed a hammer and reared back to smash it into Victor's skull.
He dodged at the last moment, "On the contrary, fool, I already have a fitting punishment for you…you remember my Gargoyles?"
"You gonna turn me into on a' those?" He laughed, "I don't think so." He reared back his leg to kick him right in the face.
He tilted his chair slightly to avoid that too, "Oh yes…you…and that foolish tramp…I'm going to kill you both. We're going to find you and cleanse you off this planet!"
Skelter had about enough of this 'dodging' game, grabbing the chair to throw it against the wall.
Nervousness flashed in his eyes briefly as he hit the wall, flinching. "This is all very foolish…you know." He said, "I hope you're not thinking that you can outsmart a Tremere. You've effectively guaranteed your own death. Was all this fun worth it?"
Skelter took out Nines's desert eagle and cocked it, "Lights out, Cammy." He fired.
For a second he thought he did it. He actually did it. He avenged Nines, and Victor Madison had finally died, after all his tyrannical crimes. His body was gone, and there was nothing but dust in the air. He was finally dead.
Then he realized the color and consistency of the dust. It was purple, bright, and sparkling.
He didn't die. He teleported away.
Skelter slowly lowered the gun, then fired again. The bullet struck the wall and got stuck there. He fired again, and again, all over the room. Then he just let a roar rip through his chest and fill the air as he threw the gun against the floor and destroyed any and all the leftover furniture in the house.
And this was without frenzying.
Times had changed. And it terrified him.
His city was once a bustling yet happy home for the Anarchs. An alternate stay with the Last Round. Then the Sabbat came in shortly after Strauss came to rule. That was the first sign. The first sign that things were not going to go well.
He should've known that Strauss was a more capable opponent than LaCroix. LaCroix was a snake, yet he was simple and predictable, at least to Isaac. He knew all the buttons to press whenever LaCroix was going on with his 'Camarilla order.' He even saved that fledgling VV sired. If he knew what Slade Lockwood would turn into, he would settle for sparing only VV.
And then she died. Killed by the Sabbat. And gradually, more deaths followed suit. Smiling Jack was killed out at sea, and Nines was killed a week ago, during their assault on the Chantry.
He clenched his fists, in one of the back offices of his jewelry store. The one that had windows and a fireplace. Not the office Kindred visited. The one specific for kine.
Why did it have to be him? Out of all the Anarchs to be lost, why did it have to be Nines? It could, and almost is, very well a loss that they couldn't recover from. Without their leader, the Camarilla were taking everything back and murdering all the Anarch remnants by force.
He didn't even know how many survivors there were. No one was in contact with him, it was just him, alone. The sole Anarch in Los Angeles now.
But he would take everything back, or at least his city, first. He had been pressed back against a corner before, and he had reversed his fate. He would just do it again. This Camarilla was going to pay, once Isaac called some real help in. Then Strauss and his lowly Tremere wouldn't know what hit them.
He heard the door open, briskly and without a care in the world. Isaac looked shocked. He knew the Camarilla would attend to him shortly, but he didn't this quickly. He whirled around, "You…" He said, "I remember you, from the meeting…"
Sirius held a hand out, "Alright, let's just make this quick, I don't got all day."
"What?" Isaac backed away, holding his hands out, "You're…you're a—"
"Don't wanna sit around and wait for you to squeal for reinforcements like a pussy? Yeah. Gotta take you out real fast before you turn into a problem…"
He frowned, "But you were one of us. You're an Anarch!"
"Get in the fireplace."
"Excuse me?"
"In the fireplace." He took a pistol out and smacked him with the barrel, "Now!"
Isaac looked out the window one last time. VV was dead, and Ash was nowhere to be found. The Toreador's eyes welled up with tears. Perhaps it was time for a new age to take over. He held his hands up, squatting down and cowering at Sirius.
Sirius growled and pressed at his back with the barrel of his gun, more or less shoving Isaac into the fireplace. Sirius then chuckled as he brandished a few boxes of matches. "It's all coming together now." He laughed, "The end of my job!" He lit them and threw them all to the crumpled Isaac. He didn't know when Isaac died or turned to dust. Nor did he stick around to see when the rest of the building would catch fire, he was too busy laughing with his hands in his trench coat pockets as he made his way out of the burning building.
Catalina put her hands on her hips, surveying the abandoned gas station, "Well, now we're two boneheads down…where the hell did they go…?"
"I don't know, Skelter said he'd be late." Damsel said, "He's probably lighting his house on fire or something. To get rid of the evidence."
"Hmm…that wouldn't be a bad idea…" Cissy muttered.
"He shouldn't be this late though." Damsel growled, "We're attracting attention just…sitting out here. No less by a gas station. Something explosive comes by and we're dead."
"I doubt anything explosive is coming by." Killian said, "Unless they come at us with grenade launchers, but we don't need the gas station to die from that."
"We could just…move away from the gas station…if it comes to that." Catalina said.
"Yeah, that's not a bad idea either." He crossed his arms, then looked over at Damsel, "You have the map?"
"Yeah. I'll give it to Sirius as soon as he gets here." She grumbled.
"Well, he lives far away, doesn't he?" Cissy asked, "Maybe there's traffic."
"You know, for some reason, I don't think traffic is going to stop Sirius."
"Maybe he…ditched us…" Anastasia said.
"Please, that'd be way too good to be true." Catalina said.
"Well, we have some time cushions in place. If they take another half hour, then we're leaving without them." Damsel declared firmly.
"I see headlights." Cissy pointed over the distance.
"Okay, that's…somewhat promising…" She squinted, "No…wait, why is it a taxi?"
"Maybe someone just needs fucking gas." Killian said, "This is a gas station."
"No shit," She slapped his shoulder, "But why wouldn't they get it somewhere…" She trailed off as someone got out, "Else…"
"Who the hell is that?" Cissy asked.
"Uh…shit…" Killian took out his gun as the Malkavian slowly strutted forward, "What the hell do you want?"
"Maybe I want to spend some time with my close friends." Dragomir grinned, "In their last moments."
"Who is this?" Catalina asked, "Gideon?"
"No…" Anastasia clenched her fists, "It's the guy who killed Lark!"
A motorcycle zoomed towards the gas station, skidding to a halt as Sirius got out, "Hey guys." He smiled, seemingly in the best mood of his un-life, "Make a new friend?"
"Not entirely." Catalina said, sniffing the air, "Why do you smell like smoke?"
"Eh, there was a fire in Hollywood. I was trying to get some last minute feeding, but then a fire broke out. Jeez…almost died…" He fibbed.
Dragomir raised a brow, "Where's the four legged one? Or perhaps, I should say one-legged one."
"Look, we don't have time for this dipshit." Killian fired his shotgun, but Dragomir pumped up Celerity and swerved out of the way.
A moment later, Skelter's truck pulled in and he got out. His eyes flickered over to the group, and he did a double take as he saw Dragomir, "What the fuck…"
"I say we make a deal." Dragomir held his hands out, "I'd just like to watch you go."
"What?" Damsel was beyond perplexed, "What the fuck are you on about, you looney!?"
Sirius watched on with some sort of demented fascination, smiling as his eye went wide with joy, "Gotta say, kid. Pretty brave of ya to take on seven Anarchs at once."
Catalina took her gun out, "What do we do?"
"We kill the son of a bitch." Killian fired again, but this time, Dragomir yawned as he dodged.
"I must add to the serious one's comment." Dragomir held a hand up, "I was expecting more gusto from the batch of you. You're the survivors, the leaders of the next movement! And yet, all you have are guns."
"What was your deal, asshole?" Damsel screamed.
"Ah, right, I had almost forgotten." He took off his glasses to polish them on his jacket, "I'd like to see you off. That's it." He put them back on and gave a massive grin, "And thank you for those six disciplines, they're oh-so handy."
Skelter marched towards Dragomir, something especially bitter towards the way he was carrying himself, "You get the fuck out of here, or I'll make you wish you never even stepped into our bar."
"Ooh, scary." Dragomir giggled, "I don't see the point, I wish you no harm. Not anymore. I've taken enough from you." He crossed his arms, "Why the long face, dear? Is it because you can't please your woman anymore? Maybe you're not the perfect alpha you thought? No, I don't think that's it either." He leaned in, "I think it's because you're scared…"
Skelter punched him in the face, knocking him back. Dragomir laughed, "And why wouldn't you be?" He continued, "After all, Mister Madison knows where you are, doesn't he? He knows what you look like, he knows what she looks like too! You threw in the towel, as the grand leader of the Anarchs, why don't you tell me how it feels!" He bellowed.
A select few Anarchs saw Dragomir's plan now. Dragomir wasn't going to lift a finger to kill them. He was relying on their outstanding instability. He was relying on their ability to destroy each other.
Skelter roared as he entered his war-form, lasting only a second before that slipped into a frenzy. With the power of Celerity, Dragomir got into Skelter's truck and drove off, Damsel and Killian firing at the tires to try and stop him with no avail.
Skelter roared and whirled around, running towards Anastasia, who was the closest. He reared back a claw to slash her open. However, Killian butt her out of the way with a shoulder and felt himself get torn to shreds. As he hit the ground, he held an arm up, "Fucking hell, you monster, get a hold of yourself!"
For moments at a time, there was just a white noise in her ears, as she watched the fight unfold in front of her. No matter what age, what time, what scenario, they would always fight. They would always fight in front of her. They would always try to prove who was the better man in front of her. Was it perhaps that she was just disappointed in herself for falling in love with either of them in the first place? Was the haunting warning her brother gave her correct? Clearly hoping and waiting for one of them to kill the other wouldn't be good enough for her. She wanted more direct results.
A haunting scream came from Anastasia as she glowed a bright green and fell into her war-form. Her eyes were maddened, rabid, and unstable, she charged at both of them, her claws bared, no holds back, and no end to the screaming.
Sirius had been chuckling ever since Dragomir made his entrance, but now he was full on laughing. This one seemed a little different than all the other times he was laughing, like he was actually laughing at them, rather than just having a good chuckle.
Killian looked horrified as the two frenzied beasts started tearing into each other. He ran back out of the way, "Damsel, what the fuck do we do!?"
Damsel's eyes were jaded, "Get in the car. Everyone, get in the car, just drive. Get the hell out of here and let me take care of this."
Killian was absolutely dumbfounded, "What? We can't leave you here with these!"
"I'll be fine. I can run. Just go, okay?" She looked up at him, something serious and yet desolate in her gaze, "They have more potential than we do."
He grit his teeth and blinked away tears before he ordered Cissy, Catalina and Sirius into his car and sped off.
Damsel turned to the two frenzying Gangrel, taking out her shotgun, "Hey! Over here!" She called, diverting their attention. She then fired for their foreheads, trying to knock them out in one hit.
Skelter flinched as he was hit in the shoulder, but stomped towards her gladly to pound her to dust. Lucky for Damsel, Skelter's movements were primal and predictable, so dodging them with the help of Celerity was really no problem.
Anastasia posed a bigger threat.
She was faster, nimbler, and more airborne, literally. Damsel never really had time to fire at her, her chances of cracking her in the head with the barrel were a lot higher.
Damsel dashed out of the way more times than not, letting them brawl with each other. She knew it was cruel, and she knew they very well could kill each other, but there was just the sliver of a chance they'd knock each other out, or at least one of them would fall.
Maybe she could handle one frenzying Gangrel, but she wasn't so sure about two.
No less, two frenzying Gangrel, in war-form.
She stayed out of their fight, dashing out of the way when one of them saw her and got distracted. The fight between them was bloody and gruesome, feathers and fur flying. Anastasia would beat him with her wings and easily snap his bones, while he would tear into her and increase her blood loss tremendously.
After a while, Anastasia couldn't take anymore, Skelter always was the superior fighter. She collapsed on the ground in a bloody heap, completely out of energy.
Damsel stepped back as Skelter licked his chomps and turned towards her. She was scared for two reasons, really.
He was still moving, quite well, too. Anastasia had to have broken at least all of his bones once. And he was still walking, just fine. She could see some of them, like one in his leg, jutting out. He acted completely unscathed.
The other was the fact that he was still frenzying. This was a long frenzy. Usually they lasted a minute, at most, before the user slipped out of it. But not this time. Every second he spent in this form increased his chances of staying that way forever.
At this point, the chance that Skelter would ever return to a human-like state were one in a million.
Damsel cocked her gun and started firing, hitting him in the chest, arms, head, legs. Everywhere. But it didn't stop him. "What the hell are you made of!?" She screamed with rage as she kept dashing around.
Ideally. Then she tripped over a rock. Just one little pebble. And that was all it took.
He swept her up by the feet and held her over his head. She screamed and bashed him over the head with her gun, "Skelter, listen to me, you giant asshole! You can't lead our fucking movement if you're—"
That was all he heard from her. If at all. She wasn't able to finish without a head.
He dropped the headless body to the ground, licking the leftover remnants of blood and brains from his jowls before her body turned to dust. He coughed a bit, his beady eyes darting around before they closed and he whined. He stumbled to the ground and collapsed when the beast relinquished its hold.
A/N: Talk about a bad day. Thanks for reading!