Bloody Shadows (A World of Darkness based story/thread)

[Forgotten Wolf]

To anyone who hasn't seen the interest check I posted for this, please check it out as it contains a large amount of data pertaining to this rp and world of darkness.
Interest check: World of Darkness (White Wolf)

And here's the OOC: Bloody Shadows OOC (World of Darkness)



The city of Solace, most would agree that it is a poor name for this city. It started off living up to its name but steadily fell from grace. For the past two years the city has taken a steep fall, and now it seems as if crime, murder and gang violence has taken complete control. It get particularly bad at night when it seems that violence just completely erupts out onto the streets in massive gang wars that the police seem unable or unwilling to stop… Of course this is only what the general public knows, the truth is far worse.

The city is in a state of war with itself as supernatural forces (mostly werewolves and vampires) clash in hatred, intent on completely annihilating the other. The fighting has been bloody and especially fierce between the Black Rose pack and the vampires. Some of the other supernatural beings are calling to join one side or the other while others call for peace. The fighting has grown so bad as well that it is getting harder for the supernaturals to hide their presence. Fortunately for the moment the public is being kept in the dark by the supernaturals pulling threads in the media but an unexpected and dangerous mortal group is also aiding in hiding the presence of supernatural beings. A black ops organization called Task Force: Valkerie (TFV), group whose existence is kept secret even from the president, has arrived in the city to remove the supernatural dangers from the city… by any means necessary save for ones that would expose the existence of supernaturals and/or TFV…

************

It was a small church found in one of the poorer districts of the city nestled between some larger apartment complexes but it was a place that felt different from anywhere else in city. While the rest of the city you always had this uneasy feeling that you were going to die, be preyed upon, or just unexplainable hatred, the area around this church just seemed to radiate hope and strength of better days. The church almost was demolished a couple months back when a young man came by and purchased the property. Now the church was private property and the interior converted/added to allow for several people to now live inside.

Despite this though, the people who live there now will occasionally do charity drives and provide meals for the poor out in front of the church. Even this peaceful building has been touched by the violence of the city, and on more than one occasion since the young man bought the property has been attacked by gangs. It has always survived though and rebuilt from the minor damages it has suffered. Police have done investigations into the man, the group who stay at the church, and even the property itself to try and understand the gang attacks on the building but have turned up nothing.

As with most things in the city now, the church is more than it seems. The truth is this small church is the Chameleon’s base of operations, the only place where one can easily find a Chameleon. If the police were actually allowed onto the property and the rights to a full search… AND knew where to look they might have found a small armory with handguns and Kevlar vests that the Chameleons keep incase of emergencies.

At the moment though, the normal calmness that the churched filled people with was overridden as a small group came in through one of the back doors, some of them covered in dirt and blood. One man with dark blond and, at the moment, had a bleeding claw mark across his face carried a young woman with flaming red hair as well as a huge chunk of her shoulder missing… looking as if the flesh had almost been melted or burned off. Four more followed in behind them: One serious looking man with brown hair who stopped at the door as if keeping an eye out for trouble, A girl with deep black hair no more than seventeen years of age leading an almost hysterical blond in a tattered white dress, and lastly a man looking like he was not completely there in the head with his blue wizard robes. The dirty blond man put the young woman he was carrying down carefully on a nearby table now exposing his gray polo shirt covered in blood, bite, and claw marks.

“Danar!! Get over here now!!” he growled and the man in the wizard robes jumped for a second before nervously moving over to them. The man glared at Danar’s blue eyes with his own dark green eyes. “Can you heal her?!?!” He almost shouted. Danar looked at the wound nervously, “I..I… I’m…. not….” The man stammered. Brian had had enough at that point and grabbed the man by the robes and looked at him with his clawed face. “Simple answer Danar: yes or no which is it?” Danar took a shaky breath before nodding, “Yes, I should be able to heal some of it.” Brian let him go. “Get to it then.” He snarled before walking away towards another room, “Takara! Iggy! With me now…” The man by the door and the seventeen year old followed him. There was an old light that engulfed the red-heads shoulder as the mage Danar proceeded to heal what he could…

The other room was sort of like a living room with couches and chairs but the main piece that drew everyone’s attention was always the pure white worn cross hanging on the wall. The calmness and hope that filled the area all seemed to radiate out from that cross but no one at the moment was feeling particularly comfortable. Brian walked to the center of the room before turning around to face his subordinates. “I want you both to hit the streets and find out who those people were, who hired them, and how the hell they knew what we were.” The police detective and street hacker both nodded in understanding before they turn to leave. Detective Iggy left but Takara stopped at the door and turned around to face Brian. “Are you going to be all right Brian? She really did a number on you back there. Are you sure…” Brian butted in, “No I’m not going to do anything to Elizabeth. She had every right to lose control, a man pointed a shotgun at her sister. I’m just glad no one else got hurt… Though I wish she hadn’t rushed the man like that but hopefully she’ll learn from her mistake.” He let out a sigh glancing back to the kitchen where a member of his pack was lying on a table injured, “I’m going to head over to the Black Rose territory and see if this new information will change their minds or at least give them pause for a moment.” Takara started to say something but stopped herself and changed her response, “I’ll tell Danar then to keep an eye on Elizabeth and Natasha then.” And with that she left.

Brian stood there in silence for several more seconds before turning and walking over to the cross. Standing before it, he started to draw the spiritual energy that radiated from it and slowly his wounds started to close and heal until not even a scar remained. Satisfied that he was back up to full strength he went to his room to retrieve a different shirt and wipe any remaining blood off of him. He settled for a dark blue polo shirt but unlike the other shirt it wasn’t bound to him and thus wouldn’t change with him but he a shirt was just minor concern for him at the moment. Satisfied that he was ready as he’d ever be, Brian set out to face his former alpha and pack over the growing crisis in the city.

Through a combination of public transportation and good old fashion walking, Brian made it to the edge of the Black Rose pack’s ‘official’ territory as the sky started to turn to dusk. He stood there for a second before taking his shirt off to change into his wolf form to howl and announce his presence to the Black Rose pack. He was being honorable and giving the choice of seeing him there, leading him to her, or ignoring him entirely rather than sneaking in to force a meeting. He shifted back to his human for and put his shirt back on as he waited for their reaction…

********************

Message to all TFV agents: Teams Helios and Luna will be meeting at prearranged locations at 0000 hours local time. Make sure all personal assignments are completed before this time because they will be suspended until a later date. As always, ensure security and secrecy of TFV… This message will self-delete in…………

[eferhilda]

Shey lay sleeping in a den in her wolf form, nestled in among her other pack mates when she heard his call. Brian. She thought to herself as her head raised as well as several of the large males who were her personal body guards. *I'll handle this. Patrol the area and let me know of any others.* she sent to them, they all nodded and got up disappearing out of the den to carry out her orders.

Her rich brown fur shown in the light of the moon as she exited the den, stretching first her front legs and then her rear; giving a yawn she shakes out her fur. Scenting the air she can get a faint scent of him, but no others. So he has come alone. It must be fairly urgent for him to do that, she thinks to herself as she gives a long howl alerting him to her intent to meet him. Then she is moving through the trees her fur blowing in the wind as she moves like a ghost among the shadows and shades of the forest night. There is not even the rustling of leaves or wild life as she moves through her forest, her home, the home of her people, her pack. She was the mistress of these woods and welcomed the cool embrace of the night air against the warm fur of her body. What she loved most was the pure joy that still came to her when she ran through the ancient trails and pathways from wolves come and gone. She loved being a werewolf, finding no shame in what she was born, deeming it a great honor to be so blessed.

As she neared him his scent grew stronger, as well as the scent of blood that was both his own and someone else; female from what she could tell and there was a lot of it too. They must have been in some kind of a fight, with something fairly tough to injure them so. This raised a bit of concern and sped up her playful run through the woods to one of some urgency. Though Brian and his pack were no longer a part of the Black Rose Pack did not mean she was not concerned about them and their well being. On top of that they were werewolves and anyone death of a werewolf hurt them all, it weakened the blood and therefore the pack.

Cresting a small hill she sees the outline of his silhouette his scent near over powering her mixed as it was with all the blood. As she approaches him she allows the change to leave her slowly one part at a time till her booted feet step into the clearing, her hands running up the length of her blue jeans before being tuck into the pocket of the jean jacket she wore over the black tee shirt. She tosses back her thick hair as she looks at him a moment studying him gauging his power before she speaks, "What brings you here Brian?"

[Forgotten Wolf]

“What brings be hear is the fact that I almost lost a packmate today…” That was nothing new given the state of the city but the next part that came out was not as common. “… to humans.” Brian wasn’t in a good mood as was obvious in the way he spoke with seriousness and some slight tones of anger. He let that sink in for a moment before starting again to clear any confusion or misinterpretations that Shey might have. “And no this wasn’t some random drive by or mugging. These guys kidnapped Elizabeth’s little sister and were waiting for us with shotguns loaded with silver! They threatened the poor girl right in front of Elizabeth and Elizabeth went into a Death Rage… I had to step in before she hurt anyone in the pack but she had all ready taken a full shotgun blast to her shoulder… We’re lucky we have life mage living with us or else we might have lost her.” He actually starts pacing to burn some energy.

The sky grew steadily darker above them, it seemed nowadays as if the sun set just a bit quicker than it should to bring the night around. He looks over at Shey while he continues to pace but he reigns in his voice to come out calmer than he actually was. “Do you understand now Shey what you little war has done? The humans are learning of our existence now. One of our most sacred rules is to keep our existence from beyond their eyes. Is there really no chance that you could work out a peace or some sort of agreement with the vampires?” Brian was pretty sure his words would fall upon deaf ears but he needed to try before things got really bad. He finally stopped moving to stare Shey directly in the eye… The last time he did that was when he took some of the newly changed like himself to form a new pack before being forced from Black Rose territory.


A couple of TFV agents on the job**************************

A black Lincoln town car pulled up to and parked in front of abandoned warehouse near the edge of town before two men in black suits got out. One man was big, broad shoulders with his dark hair buzzed short, while the other one was shorter, paler and definitely not as intimidating but still had a serious nature to his figure. “So this is the place?” The big one inquired. “Yep,” the lighter man responded putting a folder down on the hood of the car and reading off some of the information contained within. “Five murders within the last week, no finger prints, DNA, or any sign that there was another person beside the victim other than signs of a possible struggle. All five were killed with debris at the scene.” The big guy just nodded for a second, “So I’m guessing that someone back at base found something that we need to take care of.” The pale man nodded before closing the folder and putting it back in the car, “Yeah, he found out that a serial killer died here a while back in a bloody firefight.”

“Ah.” Was all the large man said as he walked back to the trunk and popped it open. There were a few sounds like a clip being changed in a gun as well as some rummaging before he closed the trunk again; now holding what looked like two modified pairs night vision goggles. “Here.” “Thanks.” The two walk up to one of the regular doors with the goggles on though the big man stopped for a moment to look at his boss with a little confusion. “Aren’t you going to…” Was all he got out before he was interrupted. “Let’s get this over with all ready. You’ve got point since you’re the ex-special forces man, J.” J scowled at being called J and gave up trying to talk to his partner, drawing his Glock instead. His boss drew his Colt and kicked open the door, which J promptly entered and surveyed the area. The place was bare, nothing more than an empty building with pipes, crumbling supports, and other dangerous materials. The pale man entered one J gave him the clear, “Well, this is something there’s nothing here…” He was cut off as he was suddenly picked up by an unseen force and thrown across the floor. J and his partner both cursed as they pulled another set of lenses on the goggles into place. Their vision changed slightly from the normal night vision and now they could make out a hazy fog-like entity in a shape somewhat of a human floating near the pale man. The thrown man was first to react, pointing his gun a pulling the trigger repeatedly but the rounds found nothing to hit a just punch through the roof and siding of the building, The ghost went at him again, picking him up a started lifting him up towards the ceiling to drop the poor man.

J took aim with his gun and fired; a bright blue streak erupted from his Glock and actually struck the ghost as if it was actual flesh. The ghost in surprise dropped J’s boss at a still low height and went after him. J kept the fire up and within seconds of the first shot being fired the ghost let out a glass shattering screech as its form fell apart and dispersed into nothingness. Sighing, J walks over to his boss and helps him up before taking off his goggles. He just shakes his head for a moment before pulling the slide back on his Glock to eject an unspent round into his hand and held it up for the pale man to see. The bullet looked normal other than the weird blue glow at its tip. “I tried to tell you outside you probably should have loaded etheric rounds into your gun but you were.” “Shut up, J” The pale gentleman spat back at him before walking out the door.

They put their gear away but J spoke up before they got in the vehicle, “I really wish you would stop calling me J. You make me feel like I’m in a fucking Men in Black movie.” The pale man looked over to him with a humorous and inquisitive raised eyebrow before pulling out a pair of shades from his coat and placing them on his face. With a smile the pale man opens his mouth to make a remark but J cuts him off. “Shut up… We have meeting to get to.” He mutters as he puts on his own shades and opens the passenger side door. Woe to anyone one who actually witnessed the events that just transpired…

[eferhilda]

Shey stood listening trying to keep the small amount of panic from growing larger. If even a small portion of what he was saying was true, then they were all in big trouble. Still even with this bigger threat is was going to be hard to just forget about the war with the vampires, to push aside ancient feuds. "Brian I'm sorry for what happened to Elizabeth and glad to hear that she will make it, but just because this happened to your pack does not mean it will happen to mine. My pack is larger and stronger then yours, it would be a lot harder for the humans to capture one of ours." she said with a bit of pride.

Looking at him meeting his gaze she spoke, "We will investigate this new development with the humans, but I will not go jumping into bed with another enemy just because a newer one may have appeared. No I won't do that and risk leaving the pack open to the vampires and their deceit." she nodded her head as if to emphasize her words. "Though I will send out some patrols to see what we can learn and if you want I will send some of my best warriors to help your pack during this time of need. That is all I can and that I am willing to do given the information." she says lowering her hand from her pockets, wondering what was it that made him leave the pack in the first place. She could not think of anything in this world to forsake the pack for, not even matters of the heart.

[Forgotten Wolf]

Brian’s anger just grew as he heard the words that exited Shey’s mouth until she finally finished and he almost lost it. “Her sister wasn’t part of our pack! She’s human! Have you forgotten how low the chances are of a person born from a human and werewolf mating to actually undergo their First Change is?!?!” He almost shouted. “She didn’t even know her sister was an Uratha until she saw her change before her eyes!!! I’m surprised the girl isn’t completely catatonic at this point.” He started pacing again, he felt that if he didn’t he might just lunge at Shey.

“Have you even taken a glance at the Shadow (spirit world) lately? The area around and in this city is overrun with death, pain, and anger spirits.” He glares at her accusingly. “If you keep this war up, there will be nothing left of this city to save. Don’t you understand that?!” He stops pacing to lean against a tree and take a few deep breaths to try and keep his rage in check. If he lost it here he’d end up limping away since he knew he was still no match against Shey physically. “Don’t even bother sending you people to watch out for us. More than likely they’d just end up starting a fire fight with the first vampire they see.” He said viciously as he stared at the bark of a nearby tree. “I’ve all ready got my people digging for information…”He shakes his head in disappointment and stands up straight. “I’ll see you around…” He half-growls bitterly as he turns to go…

[eferhilda]

Shey did not like him shouting at her, in fact his whole attitude was irrational to her and she was not appreciating the hostility from him. "Do you think I sit here in my forest and turn a blind eye to whats going on every where else? That I'm so wrapped up in our war to not see whats happening all over the place?" she growls to him had she been in her wolf form her hackles would be raised as she takes as angry step toward him.

"So lets say I do as you say I should and make a pact with the vampires, the fighting stops. Now I'm focusing on this new supposed human threat and leave my back unguarded to the vampires. When I'm not here they burn down my woods and kill the younger members of my pack, blaming this human threat in the process so I let it be. After all they are my allies now, why would they lie to me?" she steps to him again, "The vampires continue to pick my pack apart until there is nothing left because I kept my part of the deal and those disgusting, honer-less bastards stab me and my pack in the back. Are you going to help me then? Are you going to step in and rescue my pack from this threat? Or are you going to hide in your church and wait for the vampires to come for you next?" she flexed her hands angrily at her side.

"Don't go telling me what you think I should or should not do or what is at stake here....for you don't know shit about what those beasts are truly capable of." she took a calming breath and looked up at the night sky. "We can't separate on this Brian, if what you're saying is true then we need to be together on this from all sides. If just one of us falls the rest of the pack weakens, how do you think that hundreds of dead Uratha will effect the Shadow?" she asked him wanting to see the error of his thinking.

[Forgotten Wolf]

Brian slowed a bit as he calmed a bit as some of Shey’s words make sense… though he didn’t like her saying his pack would stand by and do nothing if her pack was betrayed. He sighs and turns around with his anger still smoldering, waiting for the chance to flare up again. “Listen, I never said you needed to make a complete alliance with them but cease fire would be enough. You can then focus on defense mainly and send out feelers or let my pack do the foot work to try and find out if it’s an isolated issue or a more widespread problem.” He let that settle for a second before continuing, “If this turns out to be an isolated problem then the period of peace will insure that it doesn’t turn into a wide scale problem. If this turns out to be something much bigger, then you and everyone else won’t be fighting a two front war. This might be larger than just the werewolves; the changelings, the mages, AND the vampires might all be at risk as well. You asked me how the Shadow would look with hundreds of dead Uratha, and now I ask you: How would it look if the entire supernatural community was turned to ash?”

Brian kept quiet about the fact he had acquired a few friends in the vampire community feeling that it would ruin everything at the moment if she found out. Brian was tired of the fighting, it was becoming dangerous to the city in more ways than one and had all ready caused so many deaths. That was why he left and took a couple of other freshly changed weres with him, they weren’t strong enough for the fight and the war was quickly becoming pointless in his mind other than for revenge but he also knew he wasn’t strong enough to take the alpha position from Shey. So he did the only other option, remove himself from the pack that took him in after his first change and create his own pack.

Brian had thought long and hard after his pack was force quite rapidly from Black Rose territory towards the mountains in the east. He finally came to the conclusion that they couldn’t hold any territory inside the city with only five members so instead they would move amongst the shadows of the city out of sight of the other packs. It wasn with this thinking that he tracked down a chameleon spirit somehow and got it to agree to be the packs totem spirit and grant the pack its ability to hide/blend in as well as some skill to strike quickly as well as accurately in hand-to-hand combat (or claw-to-claw or jaws).

Shey wouldn’t know about most of the battles Brian and his pack fought for they kept them mostly in the shadows and far out of sight of the public. If it wasn’t for their regenerative abilities, Brian would probably have been covered in scars from gun fights or even more from teaching newly changed how to control their rage and form. Despite being still weaker than Shey, he was still far from being a poor leader to his pack…

[eferhilda]

Shey sighed raking her hands through her thick hair in frustration as she paced back away from him getting herself under control. She could feel the truth in his words but it was hard for her to admit to him and especially herself. Fighting the vampires is all she has ever known, all she has been taught to do and now with the death of her parents her driving force in life.

She turned her golden eyes regarding him as if for the first time, he did carry with him all the power and confidence needed to be a leader, to be an alpha. He was talking for the good of everyone not just the wolves and as much as she hated the vampires and her goal was to kill as many as she could, she knew that they were just as important a balance as were the Uratha. Sighing again hands again going through her hair in that nervous manner that she has never been able to shake she paced back to him.

"I will see about meeting with the vampire prince in calling a city wide truce at least till this new threat is identified and dealt with. You have the resources of my pack in aiding you in your mission, but I'm going to need your word that should the vampires double cross me that you will never again come to my woods preaching of peace with them...." her arms crossed her chest as she leveled her gaze at him, allowing just the smallest bit of her power to show. Wanting him to realize just how bad this could turn out for him and his pack should any harm fall her pack at the hands of the vampires.

[Forgotten Wolf]

“I just suggested a cease fire that doesn’t mean you need to trust them. It just means you agree to stop shooting at each other for a period of time.” Brian says slowly with partial relief. “You can keep the resources of your pack, my people are capable of finding the information and besides if the vampires do betray the cease fire you’ll need all of your strength. If they do betray you… us, I will promise you this: you won’t be seeing my pack in your woods for will be an invisible thorn in their side as you continue your war.” Brian meant these words, he believed in people staying true to there words and held great contempt for those who would betray another for no other reason than to seek harm.

Brian gaze was even with hers though his stare didn’t hold a threat hidden in them. He let his spiritual aura leak out a bit in response to Shey’s. His aura didn’t some much radiate out power but rather that of the impression of hidden wisdom and subtle cunning. It was two aspects that he built himself and his pack around rather than relying on direct force.

“Is there anything else Shey that you’d like to cover or ask while I’m here? If you want I can act as a middle man to set up the meeting with the vampire prince for you…” Brian offered trying to be nice though he had the afterthought that it could be interpreted another way but it was too late know to change his words. Brian couldn’t help but really wonder know if the other supernatural races were in jeopardy as well… and if they were going to start taking sides in this conflict…

[eferhilda]

Shey smirked humor coming to her gold eyes, "What else are you offering there Brian?" she teased him as she gave him an appreciative once over then nodded, "You would probably have a better chance of meeting with him without some blood being shed in the process." she shrugs as all of the tension leaves her body and she relaxes once again in the presence of someone whom was once a close friend.

"Glad to hear I can still count on you if complications do arise. The way your pack hides in that city I bet you could cause a lot of trouble to those uppity bastards." she smiled her gaze now relaxed and one of friendship. Placing her hands back in her jacket pockets, "My offer stands though on the help and the extra wolf power if you need it." she sighs as three large shadows emerge from behind her, going to one knee waiting for her to acknowledge them.

"Yes." she said to them not looking back at them remaining her eye contact with Brian humor still in her eyes though a bit of her power did flare a bit in the presence in her pack. "The area is clear, he came alone and no one followed him." came a very deep tone. "Very good. Call back our vampire hunting parties and have everyone meet in the woods we have a new enemy to discuss." she says inclining her head to Brian as if to say, *See...I do listen when you talk.*

"It shall be done." came the same voice and then the shadows were gone. "So I have begun my part in this truce lets hope you can get the vampires to sit down and meet with me in order to make it a two sided deal."