Celeste: It will be a lot of fun with Therese as malkavian Primogen, hence she thinks of herself as Ventrue but I won't spoil things here :)
Thanks Heartfrost (Therese and Kat? Uh oh), rednightmare (sorry, no Gimble), Rozielle (here you go), Vivienne (love is in the air...), Zaekka (Twilight kam 06 raus, Story spielt 04) and Topgallant (Your wish was heard) for the reviews!
For the leader of the Anarchs it was hard to believe all the bullshit that the Prince currently gave them on stage. Nines Rodriguez watched with a grumpy expression the announcement of that fascist Prince who should have been dead months ago, or at least last night but LaCroix hadn't sent the promised letter. Anyway after the supposed deal of the mummy for a truce, there was silence around the Prince for months and now they knew why, as LaCroix explained the treachery of the three vampires who knelt on the stage. They'd infiltrated the Camarilla as Sabbat spies. Yes that's sweet and Nines really hoped both factions would kill each other, leaving the Anarch Free State a Free State, but shit no! LaCroix had really made a glorious speech for himself out of it, like he knew everything from the beginning! Even his pursuit of the sarcophagus just served his purpose to uncover the Sabbat spies. Nines had the urge to jump out of his seat again and yell what fucking bullshit this all was. Glancing at Damsel and then at Skelter, their expressions told him that they all shared the same opinion, however Nines hadn't survived this long as an Anarch leader because he underestimated his enemies. He wouldn't make the same mistake as his predecessor who was killed by the Kuei-Jin because he didn't size them up fully, and Nines started to believe that he'd made the same mistake at least once against his better judgement: when LaCroix called the blood hunt on him. This should have been the sign for him not to think that the dandy Prince was not dangerous. Shit, he had to admit that the French asshole was more scheming than all of them had expected. That's why Nines was pissed off to the bones. Jack said the contents of the sarcophagus would blow the Prince away. Literally, and in that same night the supposedly blown away Prince walked onto the very same stage he's standing on now and gave a damn fucking speech that even impressed some of his brethren! Nines was too engulfed in his own anger to listen to the stupid crap LaCroix was giving them.
"Let the penalty commence." The key words for the Sheriff to raise his sword and chop the first head off. It sort of dragged Nines' attention back to the stage where the Brujah Primogen was now nothing more than ash for an urn. LaCroix declared the theatre Elysium some months ago and now in a change of mood he undeclared it to hold his petty little shows again.
Dressed in a dark blue suit, which was probably so expensive Nines would get a headache thinking about it, the Prince behaved like the grand dictator himself. The Brujah wanted to hurl. Sadly the three piles of ashes on the stage couldn't talk anymore. Not doubting for a second that those Kindred knew something useful and LaCroix had just come up with something to dispose of them like he did with Grout; and what by the way happened to the kid? No idea how Embracing her was harming the Ventrue snobs and the information they'd researched about her was even more confusing. She was neither born rich nor rich by owning her own company. Just a normal person from the worker class, with long dark blonde hair, typical German edged face, blue eyes. On top of that a rough military appearance that didn't suit a Ventrue at all! What the hell came into Alex's mind? Guess he would never know, and the fact that the kid came from the worker class, was perhaps also a reason why he was a bit soft toward her. She was promising, really promising and he was a bit disappointed that she became such an ass kisser. Disgusting.
"We've eliminated the Kuei-Jin and driven the Sabbat out of this city, so let this be a warning to all who endanger the laws of the Camarilla." Stepping to the edge of the stage, LaCroix raised his head and let his sight wander over the audience. Nines clenched his jaw and clawed his fingers into the armrest of the red padded seat. "Because they endanger with their actions our society and our blood. As Prince of this city I won't take such transgressions lightly and will punish them with all possible severity." Nines couldn't believe that all of this was turning in LaCroix's favour. There had to be something to prove that there was something off and he'd really like to punch it out of the Prince's baby face.
"Stop giving us this bullshit!" He couldn't hold it anymore. This was just too much and once more if Damsel and Skelter hadn't stopped him, Nines would have remodelled the Prince's face with some potence-supported punches. Eyes were on him, then on the Prince but he never let the ass on the stage out of his angry stare. The interruption should have pissed off LaCroix, leaving him looking angry as it always did when Nines did that. It was nearly some kind of tradition, however LaCroix just smiled mildly! He fucking smiled and crossed his hands behind his back as if he were talking to a stubborn child.
"Mr. Rodriguez, fierce as always." Did he want to mock him? Snarling, Nines freed himself from the grip of his companions. "I appreciate your concern about the Camarilla, but as you can see we can get rid of our problems very efficiently." That was a veiled threat Nines didn't miss.
"Do you want to threaten us again?" It was somehow frustration which spoke out of his mouth and since Jack was gone after the thing with the sarcophagus, the spirit of the Anarchs had been kind of let down, especially with the broken promise that the idiot up there would be dead. Was LaCroix really that cunning? Did the Ventrue really make a fool out of himself just to turn the tables and have them, the whole city, look like fools? Cursed politicians! He hated them to the guts with their intrigues and the only ones who were suffering were the little people.
"If you take facts as an offense, Mr. Rodriguez, I'm terribly sorry." Sarcasm oozing out of that sentence, Nines snarled a last time before turning around and leaving the Nocturne Theatre with Damsel and Skelter following him. He needed a vent for his steam and staying in the same room as that lying bastard would just make things worse, and he had no urge to get in a fight with the Prince's muscle and deliver to LaCroix a perfect reason to kill him on the spot.
"Hey lad? Everything alright?" Skelter had an unusually soft and calm voice for his appearance. Bald, of huge soldier stature and being of African-American origin he'd joined the Anarchs sometime after Vietnam and he could kick some asses around when you got on his bad side.
"I just need to clear my head after all this shit LaCroix has stuffed in." Still he didn't want to think about all of this. Politics never was and never would be his domain. He was a man of action, not hot air speeches. Damsel and Skelter knew when it was better to leave him alone, and with a friendly but strong pat by Skelter on his shoulder both left him alone so he could wander around the more deserted streets of L.A. at this time. Ever since his Embrace he'd stayed in Los Angeles. Nines loved the city, a free city and it should stay free for all eternity. They kicked the Camarilla's ass out long ago and they would do it again, regardless of any tricks LaCroix would try. Their spirit might be down at the moment but it wouldn't die! Yes it was kind of a failure. Every plan had failed against the Prince and now he had the mind to think about the reasons. First and foremost there was the kid. Alexander's kid. He was a snobby Ventrue, but wanted to join them. Of course Nines was not convinced by fucking Ventrue hot air, so he wanted to see actions. "Let us see doings, cape," he had told him cold and Alex agreed, wanting to Embrace a human which would totally piss off clan Ventrue and of course violate Camarilla law for siring without permission. That bastard really did it but ended up caught. What a poor bastard. He had the right spirit nonetheless and because the kid was Alex's kid, he didn't polish her puss on the spot. Hell, he even saved her life two times and she still sucked up her way to the Prince. Nines couldn't understand that. At least Alex drove a thorn into LaCroix's side for some nights but that son of a bitch somehow got her on his side, making her his protégé. It made him want to hurl. Nines always held the opinion that LaCroix could not have gotten the position of Prince in a natural manner, rather fulfilling some love jobs with his ass.
The moon was hidden beneath the clouds as Nines looked into the dark sky of the night, the alley abandoned and only trash on the dirty ground. Kicking a can out of his way the Brujah smelled something besides the usual smell of the streets and he was experienced enough to pay attention to it. With a smooth and fast motion he dragged out his silver Desert Eagle, pointing at the spot from which he smelled the suspicious odour. Indeed someone was walking toward him, hands raised.
"I wish no harm, Mr. Nines Rodriguez." A calm, old voice reached his ears, the Anarch leader's eyes only a slim stroke.
"Just stop there and I won't harm you instead." He would not let a stranger near him that easily. By no means was he dumb and the stranger stopped, letting time pass so that Nines was able to inspect him. Mid-forty appearance, good clothes and a politician's face. A Ventrue. God did those bastards stalk him? "Move aside cape and don't give me a reason to shoot you, so we'll all be happy." Not lowering his weapon, the Brujah started to move forward slowly, always keeping an eye on the unwelcome Ventrue.
"I'm here to talk, Mr. Rodriguez. We have the same enemy." The guy didn't move, just stood there.
"I'm not, so what?" Not even underlining his words by shrugging, Nines showed that he didn't care a second about what this ass had to say.
"Did you never think about why LaCroix is still in charge yet keeps an illegally sired fledgling so close to him? Please, you may be Brujah but not that dense." Shaking his head was the last thing the snobby asshole could do before the half-automatic weapon's hammer made a click and hailed lead straight into his head.
"Last chance, cape. Move aside," he ordered coldly. Ventrue were sure not easy to beat but that's the fun, right?
"That was quite rude of you." Sighing, the guy brushed over the hole in his head while the wound was slowly healing, pushing the bullet out of his flesh. "Seems like you don't know who I am and what position I inherited months ago. I'm Sir Richard Hargreaves, former Ventrue Primogen. Do I have your attention now, Mr. Rodriguez? I don't have much time, because there will definitely be a blood hunt on me at any minute." Yes, now he had Nines' attention. At least under those circumstances, otherwise he would mop the floor with the Blue Blood's face. "Now listen to what I have to tell you and listen close. I won't repeat it." And Nines listened but after all that his head spun around even worse than before.
"Do you think I believe this shit?" Snarling, he exposed his fangs and leaned forward, the barrel of his gun pressed tight under Hargreaves' chin. "I've really swallowed enough bullshit this night."
"But it makes sense, am I right?" He didn't smile, only looked serious. "This knowledge alone is the reason why I'm as good as dead. I have nothing to lose. LaCroix will spread that I'm with the Sabbat, but that's a lie. He wants to silence me so that no one will ever find out the truth. He doesn't want to lose face after this humiliation." There was no trust between the two of them. That was absolutely impossible of course. They'd just met for the first time, spoke for the first time – yet there was some logic in the words of the Ventrue which couldn't be ignored. Which made an absurd sense. "I know you will have use for this information and I don't pretend to sympathize with you but we share the same enemy."
"Of course this could also be a nice trap." He wouldn't swallow everything that was thrown his way that easily, but Nines had already made up his mind to dig further into it and find hard evidence.
"Naturally. It would be futile to deny it and I have no proof to persuade you of the opposite. It's up to you what you'll do with it. All I can say is that this knowledge is my doom, whether you believe my words or not. Besides LaCroix I'm the last one living who knows about it and that's not without a reason, Mr. Rodriguez." Ignoring the gun under his chin, Hargreaves made a few steps, passing Nines who never let him out of his cautious scrutiny. "Farewell, Mr. Rodriguez. I suppose we'll never meet again." Nines did nothing, only watched as the Ventrue left his sight after passing into another dark alley. 'Elders siring others, who sire again others to execute their plans.' Yes it made his head spin just to think about it and it fit. It fit those rich born asses of the Camarilla. At least Alex really did hurt clan Ventrue to the extent that they'd made such a risky maneuver. LaCroix really was more cunning than he imagined and he'd convinced the whole of L.A.! If what Hargreaves said was true of course. If it was...Nines felt how his bad mood was washed away by the mere possibility of it. He needed proof. As fast as possible with a rapid pace, he made his way to The Last Round. Damsel and Skelter would be fired up after hearing this news.
AN: I have the feeling that in Schattenspiel weren't enough characters from the game and this is going to change in this story arc. At last that's what I plan to do...all I can say it'll take some chapters. You know how slow I am in pulling off the plot xD