A/N: Here's chapter fifty! Yippee! Wait, why am I cheering that we're halfway done…? Can't this last forever…? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bloodlines, but I do own my OCs.

He was found in a spot similar to one of their last fights, "Took you long enough…" Gideon said.

"You know how much I adore being fashionably late." Dragomir's grin was maniacal, "How's the Sword, you pathetic bastard?"

"Everything is going accordingly." He said, "It shall be mine soon."

"Oh, really? Ka, ha! That's good!" He slapped a knee, "I knew you were a lecher for power, but I never guessed you'd throw away your life for it!"

Gideon snickered, "Who's going to kill me, you? They sent you? Oh, then I have nothing to worry about. Kittens shy away from fights."

Dragomir grinned, "They figured they'd fill you up with a tasty appetizer before the main course." Gideon caught sight of his wicked eyes beneath his glasses, "Consider yourself honored. My Prince has almost risen from his throne on the degree of your threat."

"Your Prince wouldn't dare leave the safety of his tower. It's a weakness." He said, "Well…go on…the longer I'm alive, flapping my gums, the more people out there, innocently die."

"You think I give a damn about those people?" He asked, his smile fading, "You know my humanity better than I do, you know how much I loathe this entire ordeal. If it were up to me, I'd let you throw your fit, drink your biddies and get over yourself, but…" He sighed and gave a goofy smile, "I'm the only one with a big enough pair to deal with your shenanigans."

"Still, a Camarilla without a food supply won't last long."

He snickered, "Now that isn't a problem for me either, is it?"

"Only if the defeat and annihilation of your Camarilla friends concerns you."

He laughed, "Oh, I'd nearly forgotten you're in no mood for jokes…"

"On the contrary, the death of your precious allies is just what I need to mold you into what I want."

"Enough." Dragomir activated his three favorite Disciplines, his massive form dashing towards Gideon at lightning speeds, his fists crackling with it.

Gideon coughed up blood, getting slammed halfway through a building. He got up slowly, his eyes behind his goggles red, while blue fire lit on him, "Is that all you have? Hmm…I was batted around by werewolves…remember? That's how I was raised."

Dragomir snarled, lunging forward to bite Gideon in the neck. Gideon flinched as his neck was bitten, "Damn…" He was completely powerless in Dragomir's mighty jaws. He grabbed onto them, with no avail, "Perhaps with all those muddled powers, you are comparable to a werewolf."

Gideon could tell something was funny with the way Dragomir was biting him. He wasn't really going for it. He could have diablerized, and he could have torn his throat out, but it was almost as if he was just trying to appear like he was doing damage. His claws tore down his sides, again, not digging as deep as Gideon remembered they had in the past.

Gideon narrowed his eyes, "You're holding back…why?"

Another snarl, then he bit him in the shoulder, digging and tearing.

Gideon gradually freed himself from Dragomir, more parts of him lighting up with blue power, "I underestimated you, slightly, I shall take no more purposeful attacks."

Dragomir lowered his head and sprinted forward to head-butt him.

Gideon's eyes widened as he coughed out a bit of blood, flying back, "Damn…of course…dodging is nearly…impossible…with that precious Celerity…you have…how did the bird of beginnings taste, hmm? The one that sealed you away from the Anarchs forever?"

Dragomir put down Protean, "She had the taste of street trash." He flicked his fingers and a beetle flew out to burrow into Gideon's flesh.

Gideon winced, falling to a knee, "You know it calls for you, the Sword. A professional diablerist like yourself. Don't deny your destiny."

"My destiny is survival. By the way your sword has been rusting away, I'm not sure it would work all that well…" He dashed back, watching the blue flames around Gideon intensify.

He knew buttering Gideon up would be no issue. But handling the rebound? That was what was going to get him killed. Part of him wanted to desert as soon as Gideon decided enough was enough, but the other half, (his more prideful side), wanted to do in the final blow and watch him fall to dust.

And then there was the strange part of his mind that told him to hold back.

"Yes, no…continue being chained to Tremere…you seem to be a prideful dog for them. Or should I say a cat?" Gideon asked.

Dragomir laughed, "Yes, you should. Because who really owns the house? The cat or its master?"

"That will change rather quickly should you fail to kill me, which you will."

His laugh was sputtering, "What, you think you'll kill the Prince? Strauss? Gideon, my dear, I think it's been a while since you've looked in a mirror. We aren't invisible, you know."

"I'm not foolish enough to go to him. He will be lured out, with time. One must knock over the other pieces before they can directly attack the king."

"This isn't a chess game." Dragomir said, "As much as we'd love for that to be so. Or even if it was, I'd say this Prince is melded to the table."

He leaned against one of the nearby buildings, (one of the few that weren't destroyed), "Like I said, failure to defeat me will doom your Camarilla."

You can't kill this man. The beast inside him lurched. What the hell was going on in his head? It felt like a mud-wrestling match. To clear his mind, he let Potence and Celerity control his fist and flung it towards Gideon's face.

Gideon barely caught it, but it didn't stop his arm from cracking in a bunch of horrid places, as well as blood to spray everywhere, "Did you know what happens to humans if their weak minds are controlled by a mind Discipline for too long?"

One of his brows twitched, "I'm assuming a horrible and mind-rotting fate."

"Yes. They die." He said, "Tick-tock."

He gave a gravelly and frustrated sigh. He had two choices. Have an emotional breakdown, or frenzy. He let his mind keep making a pros and cons T chart as he tried to knee him hard in the gut.

"How big is the population of California, do you think?" He snickered, "How many will die? Then it'll just be vampires!" He started a roaring laugh, "You'll have no food! And worse still, the survivors will be looked upon with scorn and scrutiny! The Masquerade will be ripped to shreds!" He laughed even louder, "You morons had it easy with the Tzimisce running things! When I'm finished with all of you, you won't know what day it is!"

The straw snapped.

Dragomir grabbed him by the collar, the whiplash throwing his glasses off. His eyes were leaking tears. For how long, Gideon was unsure. "Why do you do this?" Dragomir demanded, despite the tears, his voice was strong. "What is wrong, what corrupted you? Who twisted your thumb and forced you to join the Sword? You have so much potential, so much wit and charisma!" He got a good thrashing, "And you threw it away! Who did this?" He seethed, "Who pushed you over the edge!?"

"What a fool." Gideon chuckled, "The Sabbat isn't just some demons haven where all the bad vampires go. If you're thinking like that, then you've already lost." He said, "The Camarilla is just as twisted as the Sabbat. Perhaps more so. I will get revenge on John Trent, the Alastor who diablerized my mother…in a sect who abhors diablerie. And if delivering your Prince's ashes to the Tzimisce in Europe give me a stronger Sabbat foothold, then so be it."

Dragomir let go of him and reared his fist back, without any disciplines, to punch him in the face.

Gideon caught his fist, "Oaf. Now it's my turn."

Dragomir blinked his tears away as his body glowed green. He knew it would do him absolutely no good.

And then the guilt overflowed. He knew he should have killed him. He shouldn't have held back! His friends were at state—Slade was at stake—and it was all his doing.

Gideon yanked him forward, punching him in the face with an extreme amount of force, Dragomir was sent flying.

The building parts around him crumbled more. He felt the broken fragments of his skull, then sat up. Very thankful he was for not having to see his face. The beast grumbled for blood and for vengeance, so he let his figure shift and ran forward with Potence and Celerity.

Gideon caught both his fists, it looked a little strange, seeing Gideon able to stop a lumbering leopard with such ease. "I'm afraid the tide of this battle has already turned." He warned, "Things are only going to get more difficult for you." He said, "Especially now that I'll be checking in with new tactics such as these so much more often."

Dragomir snarled and reared back to bite down on Gideon's face.

Gideon threw him back, "Hmm…not the best outcome to that scrap. But of course, can't have you do damage to the face. It brings in the customers."

Dragomir ran forward with a claw extended to grab him by the coat and throw him across the battlefield.

Gideon was flung back, but he caught onto a streetlamp, swinging around it and regaining his momentum, standing opposite of Dragomir again, "Those pesky Disciplines are making your death quite difficult…but…" He gave a sinister grin, "You're running out of time, moor of dragons."

Dragomir reached out to grab his glasses, and stomp on them.

"Ah-ah." Gideon grabbed his arm, "Careful, another step and I'll tear your arm off right here and now."

Dragomir dropped Protean, "If I can't wear them than neither can you."

Gideon yanked Dragomir close, going to punch him in the face.

Dragomir grunted, feeling a tooth in the back of his jaw tumble out. It made him gag. His head was bruised and swollen, he clearly couldn't think straight at all anymore.

"Standing there isn't going to help your case!" Gideon ran at him, finally at the offensive, "It'll just make you turn to dust quicker!"

Dragomir pushed forward and grabbed Gideon by the arm, throwing him to the ground and crushing him with his bodyweight. It looked like some sort of wrestling move.

Gideon coughed up blood as he was felled, "Get…get off me!" He barked, "Or you're going to regret it!"

"Am I?" Dragomir pushed Gideon's face into the pavement. He wanted to laugh about it but he was too upset.

Gideon grabbed his arm, it felt like searing flaming daggers were being pushed into him, "Yes."

Dragomir hissed with pain, rearing back to punch Gideon in the face with Potence.

Gideon yelled out, flinging Dragomir off of him. He got up, weakly and wobbly, "I…I feel myself losing consciousness…" He said, "I'll have to go now, and release the stupid humans. It's unfortunate…you got what you wanted…but…I believe I've done enough damage…to your Prince's reputation…"

The younger Malkavian was confused about what Gideon said. He's playing you a fool. He's lying. The beast told him to finish him off. The beast told him to drain him dry while he was at it. The amount of power…

"I'm not leaving until you swear to me this is over." Dragomir said, "And that I defeated you." There was uncomfortable weight on the word 'I'.

"Hmm?" Gideon asked, "Why does it matter?"

"Because I don't want you to run with your tail between your legs without forgetting your place."

Gideon held a hand out, lobotomizing Dragomir on the spot, "Funny, I was just about to tell you something like that."

The boat heading for America was nearly there. Jun's arms were crossed as he waited out on the main deck. A great many Kuei-Jin waited in the ship below. They would be his soldiers, and he would finally claim territories in America for himself.

"You've been out here practically the entire time." He heard Tsubasa's voice, "Food down there's really good, you sure you wanna pass it up?"

"No." He said, "We need battle plans now. A lot of time has elapsed since we were last in Los Angeles, I need time to plan."

"Ugh…Cranes are such sticks in the mud…"

His eyes slide over to her, "And Tigers have no sense of control."

"Whatever…if we keep arguing about our differences like this, we'll be no better than Cainites."

He faced ahead again, "Have you trained?"

"Yes, my powers have most likely doubled since the last time. I have more than just the Black Wind."

"It's the same with me." He said, "And after, we'll have him with us."

"Him? Him again? Who is this guy? You keep saying he'll do this, and he'll do that. Yet you never tell me who the hell he is."

"He specializes in eliminating Cainites." Jun said, "He's probably stronger than even you, and with him, we'll finally be recognized to those foolish Kindred." He said, "He's like nothing they've ever seen."

"If you say so." She crossed her arms, "And what about Sirius? The one-eyed snake? Have you come up with a way to deal with him?"

Jun nodded, "He'll deal with him."

"Of course he will."

He rolled his eyes, "Chinatown belonging to western vampires is a mockery in itself. We need to take it back. As soon as possible. That's why I'm hoping this boat gets there soon. Our conquest awaits."

"You're working there?" Basil heard a voice that sent a funny feeling down his spine. When he turned he saw Finley standing there, a briefcase in arm and dressed somewhat formal. "I thought…I…I don't know what I thought…guess it was a dumb question…"

His face lit up, "Mademoiselle, you're alright."

"…yeah…" She said, "That whole cave trip was a while ago…"

He blinked a few times, "I know…I'm well aware…" His accent usually thickened when he got nervous, but he tried to keep it under control, "You look very nice."

She looked down, then looked back up with a casual smile, "Oh, thanks. Interview." She said, stepping a little closer so the distance wasn't awkward.

He eyed her briefcase, "Did you need help with that?"

"Hmm?" She lifted it, "No." She chuckled, "It's not heavy or anything. Just paperwork."

He smiled, as the pair began to walk down the sidewalk, "So…you and your friend are alright?"

"Yeah, she's…happy with that pretty-boy vampire."

"She and Jasper are…" He paused, "Ah-ha…I see. It was my intention to keep an eye on that one."

"It's not my favorite progression, but…whatever…" She sighed.

He laughed for a while, then he calmed down. "You two haven't…told anyone about us…yes?"

"Of course not."

He smiled, "That's…that's wonderful news. I…I knew I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Has everything been alright with you?"

"Yes…I had…" He paused, "I was worried about seeking new work after the…incident…but, that man, Sirius…helped me find a place for myself. Ever since then, I've been fine."

"That's good. You living here too?"

He nodded, "We're at war. The vampires…I mean. We need to be ever dutiful in case there's a nearby attack."

"Wait…there's a vampire war?" She spoke quietly.

He scratched his head underneath his hat, "Yes. That incident in the cave was one of many."

"Ah ha…very…very interesting…" She seemed unnerved.

"Luckily, our faction owns the city and is concerned about keeping humanity safe. I won't let any vampiric element hurt you, I assure you."

"…okay…good…" She blinked a few times, her bright blue eyes still seemed a little nervous.

He sighed, he felt his chest tighten and his accent thicken, "I apologize…I should have just kept my mouth shut…"

"Hey…it's…it's fine…" She said, "Did you wanna go…like…catch up somewhere? Aurora has a café…I mean, I know you can't…drink anything, but…"

He gave a small smile, "Yes, I would like that."

She started walking back towards the café with him, unsure of what to even bring up. She doubted any of her mortal concerns were of any interest to him.

"Will there…will there be a lot of people there?"

"No, it's late. It might be closed."

He looked quite relaxed after she said that, "Wonderful."

Sure enough, the sign was closed, but Aurora was there, cleaning up. She smiled as Finley entered, and Basil. "Oh, hello."

"Hey. Could I have a cup?" Finley asked as she set her case on the table and rolled her shoulders.

"Of course." Aurora went behind the table to prepare something for her friend.

Basil sat across from Finley, loosening his coat a tad. His wings spread out, and he relaxed considerably, "Good to see you again, mademoiselle." He looked at Aurora briefly.

"Nice to see you too." She said, her voice edged with nervousness at the sight of his wings.

"So…can I ask you something?" Finley asked, sitting across from him.

"Hmm?" Basil looked at her.

"What happened if you just…like…got a chainsaw and buzzed those off?"

He blinked a few times, "I could try that."

"I don't know, I just feel like they're uncomfortable."

"It would be unbearably painful…" He sighed, "They're a part of me…" He said, "And they're quite useful for combat…it's just…"

"The sticking out issue."

He buried his face in a hand, "Yes. I'm an affront to civilians…"

She paused, "Well, the jacket helps, at least…I don't know. I'd cut them off."

"The curse of Vicissitude will manifest itself in some other way regardless." He said, "I might try to make the wings disappear with willpower."

"You can do that?" She asked.

"I've been trying to do it for a while now." He said, "Willpower is why I still look like myself. Most Tzimisce…er…vampires who have this power, just give up and turn into hard-shelled, monster-like beings with an exoskeleton. I'm resisting the transformation."

Her eyes were wide, "That'd be bad."

"I don't want to end up like that." He said, "And as long as I stick to my humanity and my morals, I won't. What I really want is to reverse the process. Make the wings accessible, but…fuse them within my flesh somehow…so I can fully look human again."

"Whoa, can you do that?" Aurora handed her a mug and she blew on it.

"That's what I'm hoping for." He said, looking at the tabletop, "Honestly, it's like Pandora's box. Once you open it…once you access Vicissitude…you…it's just…downhill." He said, "Madame Guil must have never bothered with it…she looked the same as I remembered…though…she had a host of her own problems…"

"Well…I mean, it's better that you're friendly than attractive." Finley said.

He nodded, "Yes, you're quite right."

She took a sip of her drink, then cursed quietly and set it back down, bringing her chilled fingertips to her burned lip.

"Too hot?" He half-smiled.

"Y-Yeah…" She shuddered, "Aurora, you should…you should make them cooler…"

Aurora just hummed, cleaning off the tables and flipping the chairs up.

"Is coffee not to be served hot?" Basil chuckled.

She extended it, "Put your finger in that and tell me it should still be legal."

He paused, "I-In it…mademoiselle?"

"Yeah, it's hot."

He stuck his finger in, wincing a bit. "You must be more suited to cold climates." He said, moving his hand away.

"Hot is still hot…" She tried to take another sip, shuddering, "Maybe I should order iced coffee…"

"Do you actually prefer the cold?" He asked, "That would surprise me…considering…how thin and fair you are."

"I don't know, I've never been somewhere cold."

"Really?" Aurora asked, she couldn't help but listen in, "Does that mean you've never seen snow?"

"Yup. Never have. Honestly, I don't really see the big deal…it's just frozen rain…"

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Aurora said, "I grew up in Maine for a little while and it snowed so much, we moved somewhere less snowy!"

"You probably moved for more than that…" Finley muttered.

"I've seen snow…but…that's because I've been here a while…" Basil said.

"How old are you?" Finley asked.

"I was born in the late seventeen hundreds. I was Embraced a year or two after eighteen-hundred."

There was a light silence. Finley stared at the table, "Damn. You're old."

"I…apologize…" He chuckled apprehensively, "I…didn't mean to put myself under a negative light."

"No, no, it's just…it's cool." She said, "You're like a living museum…"

He smiled with a sigh, "Well…that's one way of looking at it."

Aurora yawned, sweeping the floors, "Finley, what time were you heading to bed?"

"I dunno." She looked over towards Aurora, "Are you going up soon?"

"Yeah…I'm exhausted…"

"I wonder why." Finley muttered, "How much sleep did you get last night?"

A very minimal response.

"That's what I thought." Finley snorted.

Basil blinked a few times, surprised that Finley was so on the money with Jasper's location, "And how is the Follower of Set?"

Both of them stared at him. Aurora eventually guessed, "Jasper?" When Basil nodded, she nodded, "He's better."

"Better, hmm?" He said, "Well…I suppose that's welcoming news."

Aurora put her broom away, "Night Finley."

"I'll be up in a few minutes." She said, then she turned back to Basil, "You have somewhere to stay, right? I think I already asked you this…"

"Yes, it's quite nice, don't worry."

"Good, good. So…uh, yeah." She drank her coffee, an acceptable temperature, "I'll be here a lot…if you ever want to stop by, you're more than welcome. Jasper might show up cause…you know…bimbo upstairs needs someone to keep her head screwed on for her…"

He tried not to laugh too loudly, "You two have a strange friendship."

"Yeah…" She sighed, "I like to think sugar and spice."

"You strike me as a jaded woman."

"Jaded?" She asked, reflecting on what he'd said, "Yeah. Maybe." She shrugged, "I never thought about it like that…it's not like I'm depressed…"

"I didn't mean anything by it. I think it resonates with me." He said, "I like it."

Something about that made her blush, "Uh…thanks…"

He rose slowly from his seat, "Perhaps I should take my leave…" He said, "You look tired, I wouldn't want to keep you up."

"I'll see you around, Basil."

"Yes…" He said, adding quietly, "Hopefully soon."

A/N: Beauty and the beast, perhaps? I shouldn't say that, I've never seen the movie. Thanks for reading!