[IC] Blood Compact (Open!)

[Wraithblade6]

By the sounds, Mithias knew Hale was giving Kami hell, and he could tell that, for the moment, the battle had moved away from him, leaving him luckily forgotten. Agonizing seconds went by, a lot of them, and Mithias couldn't fight. He'd just be a meal if he tried to fight while unable to see. He needed all his assets to face Kami.

Listening intently, Mithias forced himself to control his fear and thought. It was surprising how vile Kami's blood was. The little that had sprayed him had done excessive damage to his flesh and attire. He could only imagine how much pain Hale was in from having been practically covered. He couldn't keep wounding Kami, or he would only get burned as Hale was. He was going to have to try to get in a single, lethal strike to kill the oldblood. He would only have one chance, if any, otherwise it was over.

Finally, as soon as he had healed enough, Mithias reopened his eyes, and the horrendously bloody scene cleared from the blur before him. Hale and Kami were viciously tearing each other apart. Hale was quite an enormous beast and grotesquely wounded, but still recognizable. Mithias crept closer, attempting to not to be noticed just yet.

Magnus was gone. Hale was holding his own, bitterly. Mithias could have run as Magnus had. Hell, it was the smart thing to do. Running was an valid, self-preserving option, however it meant that Hale would probably die and then... Mithias looked quickly and saw Hank. The heroic fledgling was still there, seemingly paralyzed with indecision. ...Hank would certainly die as well.

Mithias looked at him, the one vampire he had made. He was never going to be able to say he was sorry or explain why everything was the way it was. A flash of white light flickered from above as he looked in Hank's eyes from a distance. Expressionless, with his mind completely unable to be read, Mithias took a last look at Hank, then wordlessly turned away.

Running wasn't an option. It never really was. In this world, you lived or you died. Hale took Kami to the ground, then Kami threw him into a wall. The two fought to a point where Hale was bashing Kami's face in with large chunks of stone as best he could. Werewolves were so brutal, yet it was impressive. However, as a vampire himself, Mithias knew brutality alone would not end Kami's immortality. Mithias approached from behind the oldblood as he was taking a beating and drew back his right sword. Kami was vulnerable. Now was the time!

Just before he could strike, the very earth beneath both of them just dropped straight down. Mithias fell into the collapsing pit all too close to the ninja-cyborg-vampire with acid blood. "Hale!" He shouted, more out of the sudden surprise of falling than expecting Hale could actually do anything about it. As the rock, mud, and dirt settled, Mithias called out from somewhere in the deep dark pit. "Hale, we have to finish him! Kami is not yet slain." A vampire needed to either be decapitated or have his heart destroyed to be truly dead, and that had not yet been done. But Mithias' advice fell on angry, deaf ears as Hale attempted to bury Kami with a wall of rubble.

Mithias leapt out of the tunnel to avoid the rubble that Hale pushed down into it. Mithias gritted his teeth and clenched his blades, just waiting for Kami to rise up once more like a recurring nightmare. Hale was a blooming idiot. "Hale?" There was no way Hale was paying attention. The beast was probably too damaged to care. Mithias cursed. They had lost their one chance to take advantage of Kami's weakness. Mithias looked at Hale's massive, bloody back. "Alright. Then we run. We run, right now. Hank!" Mithias' shout woke Hank up suddenly. "Come with me, Hank. I promise no harm will come to you, and you will get your answers."

[thewizardguy]

Kami was smashed, beaten, bruised. No mortal being could hav withstood the punishment being delivered upon him, and yet he was far from dead. His brain reformed from the blood and gore, his muscles knitted themselves back together, his bones fused once more into their original form. His face rebuilt itself even as the minor damage dealt to his body by the rubble repaired itself. His acidic blood once more pumped through his veins, pressurized beyond any human norm. Perhaps his greatest defense, causing any wound inflicted to him to spray his attacker with liquid fire.

With the tremendous strength of an oldbood, the vampire fought it's way upwards through the rubble, pushng aside large boulders and steel beams to crawl to the top. The lack of air might have suffocated another being, but he was no other being. The burning in his chest, the blazing strikes of the rock like a hammer against his face, the continuous clawing at is skin and bones. They had been but the bite of a maggot compared to the fire he had emerged from. And now, he was freed from his tribulation. Emerging once more into the world, wreathed in his own sins, armed with only his dark devotion.

He emerged from the ground, fully reformed, ready to continue. He showed no sign of tiring, no sign of weakening, no sign even of having been damaged. As such was the true power of the vampire. The strength of an eternity, to outdo all others in time. For as they wasted movement and breath to face him, each beat of their heart brought them a second closer to their inevitable doom. They might flee, they might fight, but in the end, but one thing was certain. They were but breaths upon the wind of time, a string in the infinite lattice of life. He was the knife that cut, the eternal force of reckoning that would purge evil from this world. When they were long gone, he would remain.

His original prey appeared to have fled. He could track them, of course. Their scent was easily followed, even in the rain. However, he did not have time for such things. He would need to regain his full strengt. Once more he would become the face of slaughter. Once more, he would become the father of death.

Walking across the corpses, he dragged a fledgeling from the ground. Ripped apart, unable to die, he put it out of it's misery. He drained the poor creature dry, adding it's sin to his own. He did as such for some short time, finishing off those few that survived, torn and broken, among the rubble. Then, he once more donned his armour, the fiery torture once more embracing him. The blood in his veins burned away, his vision blurred, and he screamed silently within this self-imposed agony.

The armour-clad warrior strode away from the battlefield, ready to once more gather his troops under his command.

[Shoe Thief]

Hank had served over seas for two terms. He had seen people torn apart by bullets and explosions. He had seen human beings attempt to wipe each other out, sometimes even there own side. But what he was seeing now, was pure destruction. Yes, this was still a war... but it was different. Now... it wasn't just one man killing another for what they believed in... It was everyone killing each other for survival, or a personal stake. He hadn't seen anything even remotely close too this since he was sent to the airport too fight Vampires for the first time.

Then he awoke from his trance. "Alright. Then we run. We run, right now. Hank!" Mithias' shout woke Hank up suddenly. "Come with me, Hank. I promise no harm will come to you, and you will get your answers." Mithias, He wasn't sure what too think. They have had there moments, but Hank wasn't sure how much he could trust him. Then again, with all there fights, They could have killed each other a few times now, but they didn't. All Hank could think was "After all this, we're still here now."

Hank had enough trust in there situation to go with Mithias. But the wolf? He knew nothing on the wolf. Hank wanted answers, but he knew that things had too be set in play first. Hank ran to Mithias and held him by his neck. "If I go with you it's only us, no one else. If anyone else comes with us I am killing every vampire and other Sifi freak I see until the day I die." He looked over to Hale. "This means you too dog, Scram before the..." Hank looked at where Kami was. "...What ever comes and kills ya." He dropped Mithias. "There is an abandoned office complex about 30 miles south, and 6 miles west. Meet me there, and choose your actions wisely." Hank ran off, he had short time to prepare for his... Hank had no idea what to call him, the vampires always treated them like father and son it seemed. Mithias was not Hanks dad, he was set on that. Maker sounds weird as well. He'd add that to the list of questions he had, "What the fuck do I call you?"

Hank had set up shop in the abandoned office building a while ago, actually only a few days after his RV went up in flames. He had everything here, Blades, guns, ammo, lots of different kinds of ammo, Even some UV equipment. Though even though it wouldn't kill all vampires it caused a lot of difficulty, though it would for him too so he had too be smart when using it.

Hank waited in the boiler room, inside the room he had a sawed off shotgun, a box of shells, His machete on his back, And Beer. Along with some other... Roomy items, chairs, chains, the usual. But no boiler, Hank guessed they never got around to putting it in.

[Wraithblade6]

@Remipa Awesome
Mithias didnt' flinch as Hank grabbed him. Hank couldn't, or wouldn't, hurt Mithias, despite the bravado, and Mithias knew it. Hank was still so young and so very human. He needed things like stability, logic, and even still believed he needed to breathe. Mithias stepped back as he was released. He then clipped his blood-burned swords to his sides as he commented dryly, "That 'dog' saved both our lives. Nonetheless, I will meet you." Hale probably wouldn't want to join them anyway, but he might have overheard where they were going. They shoudld have been far enough away from the pit that Kami wouldn't have also heard. The three ran off in separate directions.

Sometime later, in the early night, Mithias found a rundown office complex. Tracking the young vampire was easy for the former hunter, especially since it was his own blood. Mithias took slow steps down the hall to the boiler room, not masking his presence, yet not trusting Hank to potentially greet him with a flamethrower. He stepped into the room to find Hank in a seat with a beer in hand. The poor boy unfortunately could no longer enjoy its affects.

Yellow, surreal eyes glanced at the drink. "Doesn't tase the same anymore, does it?" Mithias looked again at Hank who was still guarding himself with the shotgun and fairly pissed off. Seeing Hank not shooting flames at him, Mithias walked in and took a seat.

The room was full of weapons, chains, instruments of vampire torture and destruction, bindings, blades, and some fancy lights. A fair tribute to a decent vampire hunter. He scanned the room, appreciating the collection, but not being much for small talk. Mithias laced his fingers and rested his elbows on the chair. After a moment of consternation, he got right to the point. "I have to apologise to you, Hank, for when I turned you, I was filled with hatred and anger, and I did not do it properly. That is, I did not give you a choice, and instead I forced the change upon you. It was wrong, and for that, I am sorry. That is not how it was done to me, and I failed to treat the precious gift as it was meant to be treated as I passed it on to you. But even still, I do not regret your making. The truth is that I wanted you. It was selfish of me, yes, but underneath my hate, I saw within you what you would become, and I wanted to have you. In many ways you are very much like myself."

[akje]

The downpour was never ending.
Hale didn't listen to the fledgling mouth off. He wasn't hungry anymore.
Kami had beaten the blood lust out of him alright. Everything strained, and hurt.
Half his wolfish face was burnt away revealing his badly damaged teeth in a informative grin.
As he stared in the abyss he saw traces of movement. Hatred flood over him. That fucking mongrel had to die. Badly.
But Hale was tired, and his re-awoken instincts had other plans. So he staggered away trough the burnt out and washed away remains of the battlefield. Like himself. A wolf burnt and drowned disappeared into the woods. Moving tired but with purpose, though he didn't know where.
Deeper and deeper into the forest. Further from humanity and inhumanity. Hale found a dark cave, it was dry inside. In the cave lied the lupine giantess, her bright white manes stained with blood and mud. She looked at him silently before slowly going back to sleep. Without a world Hale's thrashed canine form crashed down on the dry cave floor and finally fell asleep.

---

Magnus sat at the top of the hill overlooking the remains of the battlefield. He got out of that pretty much unscathed. Well.. unscathed after he had had his fill on a few lost human deserters. Good times. His redicilous vampire sight allowed him to cassually survey the field and see who went were. Kami, Mithias, Hale, that kid and maybe Mo all survived. But this could be chalked up to a big loss for vampire kind. Magnus was nothing but smiles, because it made him realize how little he cared. And caring little had always been his source of freedom, but unlike old man Gabe he didn't feel like he suffered from his insanity. In fact, now the vampires were on the defensive side he could play rebel. He had always been better at playing the rebel than playing the tyrant.
...
Speaking of old men. Night was falling, and due to the seemingly permanent rainfall the skies were darkening by the moment.
Magnus focussed his mind and threw it to the other side of the world, to the place old men waited.
"Good evening Bedi. How was your nap? We had a blast fighting Kami, fucker is still moving though, you'll never guess what that naughty kid had hiding up his skirt."

---

Martin and Ashlynn had made it out barely. The tunnel ended in a small locked supply building behind the hospital. After a slight rest Martin had picked the locks to the door outside and the backdoor to the hospital. "It's best if we stock up on bloodbags, who knows how hard blood will be to come by now." had been Martin's reason. Ashlynn had been silent since the tunnel. She sat on a medical examination bed while Martin raided the fridge."You like B- I hope. Lot's of that here."

"Did you mean it?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Martin answered without hesitating or wondering what she was talking about.[/color]
"You want to be a vampire?"
Martin paused, and stopped packing bloodbags. He closed the fridge and turned around.
"No. But I have to. It's the next step, and I'm expected to go beyond. So if clutching to my mortality holds me back.."
Ashlynn looked at him in confused silence.
"What I'm saying is.. it's my destiny?.. Besides, if I'm going to turn i'd like it to be you."
Ashlynn's face turned red and recoiled as Martin walked closer.
"No wait, that's not what I meant!" Martin realized how she interpreted his words.
"I mean how you're the first hybrid... not that you're not pretty.. you're very.. I'm just going to shut up now."
Ashlynn laughed nervously.
Martin regained his composure and intently grabbed her hand. He stared the shocked young girl dead in the eyes.
"Ashlynn. Please be my sire."

[Shoe Thief]

@Wraithblade6

Mithias walked in to the boiler room. Sure there were other rooms better for making a first impression, but this was the only place he felt even remotely safe. This condemned building was all he had left, still didn't feel like home. Felt even more strange to him when Mithias sat down. Though Hank wouldn't show it, that was the last thing he was going too do in front of Mithias. Then he started too speak, And Hank sat and listened. This conversation was one he had been waiting for far too long.

When Mithias finished Hank laughed. "Like you? What part of me would be like you? Our determination too win? Our will too not give up? What about our lust too kill? Could that be it?" Hank stood up and walked to Mithias. "Do you know what you have done too me? I have killed people that should not have died!" He clenched and the handle to the sawed off shotgun shattered in his hand, the barrels landing on the floor in pieces. "But it's all good now right? Now I am one of you so I'll join your little cult is that it?!" Hank turned around and landed his fist into the old wall creating a hole where his fist made contact. "That could have worked... If it wasn't for the fact that your kind killed them." He paused and faced Mithias. "Your kind killed my family." He said in a dead tone. "All of them, My wife! My son!" He then trailed off, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Your kind forced me too kill my little girl... She was gonna be Five soon... Her birthday was only a month after I found them all." Hank sat down again. "I found my wife torn too pieces in the kitchen... She had a key in her hands, she was going for the pistol locker. I knew she was dead, or I should have." His hand started shaking as the memories flooded back into his head. "I was there trying to help her, but she wouldn't respond. Then I heard the thud upstairs... I grabbed the key from my Hallie's dead hands, and I opened the locker." Hank stopped. "Nine Milometers don't do shit on vampires, I didn't put two and two together and guess this was a vampire situation." He froze for a moment. "I went upstairs to find Daisy gutting her older brother... She was too young to resist the hunger, I didn't realize how hard it was until I was turned myself... She came at me and I refused too shoot her." He wiped a tear from his face. "We both fell down the stairs, I thought I was strong enough too stop her, restrain her. She was still small, I was still able to keep her off me." He did a finger gun motion with his hand and laughed. "And out of instinct I shot her... Five times." His expression went blank again. "She screamed in pain... I panicked and ran too her. I mean why wouldn't I? My baby girl was just shot and was in pain. She... she recovered fast." He locked eyes with Mithias. "We went back and forward for about 12 minutes, I was getting tired, she seemed to be getting stronger." He paused again. "It wasn't until she screamed at me with all her anger... with her brothers blood pouring out her mouth... that I realized she was gone... the power that was surging through her was stronger then she was... and at her age it always would be. So I put her down... I grabbed the Nine Millimeter... and unloaded the rest of the magazine into her...."

Hank stood up and took a deep breath, he ken he didn't really have to breath. But it helped level his head, and he was not use to the thought of not breathing. "That is why I hunt our kind, that is why I will never side with your kind." He faced Mithias again. "But I do want to know one thing, Why did you all decide to reveal your selves when you did?" Hank lifted a small key. "And what is your kind doing with a nuclear launch key?"

[Wraithblade6]

Hank finished his story to find Mithias with a pained expression. The vampire was unexpectedly moved. Mithias also stood up, and stepped closer as if to try to comfort Hank by embracing him, but stopped as he realized the gesture was not welcomed. Dropping his arm, Mithias lowered his head and nodded as he turned away and put his hands on the table, leaning on them. He shook his head to deny the tears. "Family." He said softly.

"Now I understand your pain, Hank. I am so sorry. I once too had a family, a human family, but neither I nor they had ever suffered as you have. I was able to protect them, and for many generations I watched over them, keeping them safe. I killed many vampires as I felt necessary to do so." Mithias turned around, still saddened, but looked Hank directly in the eyes. "But they never would have lived if I hadn't been given the power I have now. Humans too can be cruel and insane." The last part was a reference to the first Inquisition, but Mithias wasn't going to elaborate. The vampire seemed to drift off for a moment into memory.

"I will not ask you to join anyone, my child. As your sire, I give you complete freedom, as I was given. You must do what you believe is right. Your vengeance against the vampire that killed your family is justified. I will help you, if you wish, as I don't believe such a monster who turns young children to feed upon their brothers is worthy of life. But as far a nuclear codes..." Mithias looked very serious. "What are you talking about?"

[Shoe Thief]

HANK

Hank was a bit shocked, by a few things actually. One, Mithias actually seemed too care about Hank. Maybe what he was saying was actually true, though he called Hank child again. He even offered to help kill the vampire that murdered his family. Even said he would stop pestering him about joining the vampire army. "Thank you... But stop referencing me as your son, I had a dad. You ain't my dad. I would be open for any other term other then Father."

Mithias asked about the nuclear codes. This... confused Hank a bit. "Fergus O'Brian, mentioned something about the vampire cause before I snagged the codes from him. Not sure how far he got but he seemed to have an idea of what he was doing." Hank stopped. "He's the one that killed my family. But we're even now, he knows the pain he put me through. The only thing I am worried about is if he already made a copy of the codes." Hank held the launch key in his hand. "O'Brian is crazy, that's an easy one too spot. Though what he didn't seem to get at first is launching a Nuke at humans isn't going to stop them, one nuke will just piss them off." Hank stopped again. "He's smart though, if one nuke hits another country, that country will respond with Nukes as well. Then the country hit with the second will respond with a nukes." Hank trailed off. "I get you are at war with the Humans, but I hope you get that a nuclear war could kill all of us. O'Brian I think just thinks it will wipe out Humans, Maybe he's right. But I don't know what Nuclear radiation does too a vampire." Hank put away the codes and slowly grabbed a lighter. "What I do know is vampires burn easier then Humans. A lot easier. Would have killed the fucker when he woke up, he woke p pretty fast though. Got away well I was finishing some things."

Hank walked over to Mithias. "I hold some respect for you, you're a lot more... Human, then many vampires I have talked with. You give a shit about things. What sucks is you're more human then some humans I have met." Sat down and grabbed his beer again. "I get you guys are at war, but there is a difference between war and extinction. Truth be told I do think something needs to be done, maybe war is the answer, maybe not. What I do know is that no matter what side wins last thing I want too see is one side getting wiped out. I may have a personal issue with most your kind, but I have met some... reasonable vampires over the years. Some I even trust. Some just were at the wrong place at the wrong time." Hank took a sip of the beer. "Some things I can't forgive, I think we can both get that. But I get where you are coming from in this war. One thing I wont forgive you for is the fact that drinking anything is like drinking water now, I will never forgive you for that asshole." He drank the beer again. "But something does need too be done, Especially about O'Brian."

Fergus O'Brian

Fergus lay in a ditch, like he had hundreds of years ago when he first turned. The same dead feeling he had felt all that time ago, his body was weak, his spirit crushed. The Hunter had found him? How the hell does a Human that has gone off the grid do that?! No... not Human, the force Fergus felt when his body went weak was not Human, it felt like a truck. Or two. Was he turned in the last few years?

Fergus remembers the day he and Hank met, It was a massacre in the airport, Hank and the rest of the men in his unit were sent in to kill Fergus and a few other vampires in the area. The unsuspecting Marines were ripped to shreds, sometimes getting shots on a vampire, but rarely hitting a useful target. Then Fergus went for a man with a strong build, one of the only ones still focused. As Fergus lunged at him, he felt great, he had killed Three of them already. But this one reacted faster, the M16 in his hands quickly face Fergus, the three round burst nailing him in the shoulder, grazed his neck, and took a chunk of his eye out. The Marine then fired again. Fergus ran, not before spotting the name tag on the uniform. Took only two days too track the man down, He wasn't home but everyone he cared about was. He was going too make the Human who humiliated him pay.

Now Fergus lays in the ditch, watching that same Marine kill his mother in front of him, severing her piece by piece. Fergus was too weak too fight back in his current state. All he could do was watch, and think about how he was going to kill this... Fergus actually had no idea what the Marine was now.

Fergus walked into his old home, His mother lay in pieces int he kitchen still. "I'll make the man who did this too you pay mum." Fergus walked into his basement and had to scavenge for anything that still worked. The former soldier had destroyed a lot, might as well have set the place on fire. But he had a back up plan in case something like this happened.

Too several hours but Fergus had set his equipment, his computer was still usable, which meant he still had the codes, and no one was left to change them before he finished what he was doing. He had a long range transmitter set up, it could reach hundreds of miles if power was held, there was a short range transmitter hooked up too it as well, this one could only reach a few hundred yards though. It was part of a two piece set, one giving the transmission codes to the Silo, and the other plugged into Fergus's head. What ever had been done too the soldier, Fergus knew he couldn't fight him directly. So he set the transmitter to stop sending the hold signal if his brain waves stopped. In basic words, insurance. If he died, the hold signal would stop, and the nuke would launch to it's destined coordinates. "You want too fuck with me? I CAN FUCK A LOT HARDER MATE!" Fergus was ready, he was ready too end the human race, and everyone that got in the way.

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias took his chair again after Hank did and listened. A smirk crossed his lips at Hank's jest about the taste of beer, but his frown resumed as he returned to seriousness. "Hmm. It does not surprise me that we have such a rogue vampire among our ranks. Never before have vampires attempted to work together as a collective, to my knowledge, and our leadership has been tenuous at best. This Fergus sounds like the kind of vampire that Magnus would employ." Mithias spoke the last words with audible disapproval. He sighed, doubts beginning to overwhelm his optimism. "My father saw this coming. He warned Magnus and the rest that we were doomed to failure, but of course no one would listen.... Ah, I need to speak with Bedivere."

Mithias furrowed his brow as he thought. "A nuclear holocaust is also not in our interests. Hank, you will have to get those codes back into human hands. Take them to Soldier. Show the humans that their security has been compromised, and they will invalidate the codes before Fergus can use them. So you must go immediately, and you must go alone. Soldier thinks I am an enemy, and they would likely execute me if I came with you, but they should still trust you. I need to find Bedivere and see how Hale is doing, and I will certainly speak to Magnus about Fergus O'Brian. We will find each other later. Hopefully we are not too late."

Getting up from his chair, Mithias headed for the door to begin his plan. He stopped before leaving to speak once more. "You can call me whatever you like Hank: sire, maker, savior... asshole, but nothing will get my attention faster than my name. My name is a bell in my heart. The sound of it could wake me from a coma."

[Shoe Thief]

So despite the fact that they were on different sides of a war, the two seemed to have a mutual understanding. Hank respected Mithias for that. "Hopefully next time we meet war is not on our to do list." Hank grabbed his bag and started to head out. "Now we go our separate ways, On the bright side, the worst case senario is we all die getting burned by nuclear radiation." Hank did a joke smile. "Glad we finally talked Mithias." Hank turned and left for his storage room, He knew under normal circumstances he could take Fergus, but now the maniac was holding the planet at gunpoint.

Hank walked to an old boxtruck outside, it had been acting as a replacement for his RV since... it burned to a crisp. The truck was in poor condition so traveling wasn't an option unless it was somewhere close. But it gave him something. He entered and looked at his gear, he had a lot of options to pick from to kill Fergus. Shotguns, Magnums, Machine-guns, High powered rifles, Machetes, Knives, Explosives, and much more. Hank knew which silo was under O'Brians control, he only had one problem. He had no idea what SOLDIER units were still left alive. He figured his best chance was to go to the Silo and hope that the lack of communication would be enough for someone to show there faces.

Hank had no idea what to expect, he knew he had to face O'Brian, and he had too find a way to stop a nuclear missile from launching. He also had no idea of knowing if Fergus was working alone. Working with SOLDIER well he did he was able to stockpile some gear. He could carry anything he needed, and if Fergus was smart, he wouldn't take on Hank alone. Or he'd have some back up plan. Other then the nuke hopefully, if the nuke was the back up plan Hank would just have to kill Fergus and figure it out from there.

Hank grabbed Two .45 colts, with silver point Hollow tips, His machete, The retractable hatchet, A sawed off pump action, A small homemade flame thrower, and a bag full of explosives. Many home made, but their were some that SOLDIER wouldn't miss. He grabbed his old armor, it had taken a beating since he was turned, but it still gave him an edge, the thing could withstand some good sized bullets, and any blade that tried to slash it would get stuck relatively easily. Giving him the chance for the kill.

He was about to leave when he looked around one last time, he walked to a shelf in the back of the truck and grabbed a photo album. He opened it up and grabbed a photo, on the photo was a woman, and her two kids. This was the photo his family had taken for him when he was deployed his last time. He put it in his vest pocket, It was his motivation now to end what was started all those years ago.

[akje]

After a long and tense silence Ashlynn spoke.
"I think I do want your help, so I guess I will take you as my child. If that is what you want, there is no going back."
Martin nodded. "Then I want to do one small thing first." Ash looked surprised and slightly worried. "What is it?"
What could it possibly be that this strange man wanted now?

Martin stood up and walked to the hall. He silently strolled to the reception and took the old corded phone to his ear.
Ash followed him and wanted to ask questions but Martin interrupted her with a finger to his lips.
He dialled a number and waited for a response on the line. He whispered.
"Agent 2327... Extra Dimensional Fish. Connect me please."
Another long silence during which Aslynn wracked her brain trying to figure out. Who was this person?
"This is Martin with my last report. Contagion is still in possession of the group of elder vampires, possibly in possession of either Varomere or Bedivere, though they have no intent to use it... yet. Further investigation is required. The tablet is used as predicted. Results are nothing of note. No further investigation is required. There was an attack on the vampire compound in Kilo Point, unknown assailant, I suspect SOLDIER. Results unknown, worth investigating as Varomere and a few others are involved. I have a... gut feeling they may have launch key. Lastly I have to make a report of the death of an agent. Agent 2327 will be terminated. No further investigation is required... It was a pleasure working with you."
Solemnly he put the horn down and looked at Ashlynn who had been listening intently.
"I'm ready."

[Wraithblade6]

misspost

[Shikaru]

The streets ran red, corpses and bodies of those barely clinging to life scattered across the cities landscape. Screams of agony, pain, fear, silenced soon after. "Pain...you know nothing of PAIN!" A deep voice bellowed through the city, claiming victim upon victim, feasting upon them, slaughtering them. "No..you have not seen pain, felt it, lived through it, not true pain. This? This is not pain, this is a pittance, redemption from TRUE pain."

SOLDIER had began sweeping the area, de-capatating the dead so they wouldn't turn, evacuating as many civilians as possible from the town a few hundred miles from Kilo Point, searching for 77b, otherwise known as Bloodletter. The abomination of a vampire that was the cause of this, an entire unit of 50 men heavily armed and armoured, equipped with the best gear money could buy. They were, after all, only humans. Weaponry and armor can only take a man so far.

They closed in on Blood, whom was in the process of claiming another victim. Ten people in front aimed their guns at him, one shouted, let's call him Issac. Let's face it, their names won't matter shortly, they'll be another mangled un-recognizable corpse in the road. "You! Surrender or die, no sudden movements or your head comes off!"

Blood turned towards them, grinning more psychotically than usual, if that was possible, blood streaming down his face and neck. He stood well above the average human at a towering 6'12, simply turning around caused the men in front to flinch. With a disgusting shlick he tossed the corpse from his blade, licking the blood from the edge.

"Oh, the orginizations hounds coming to take their beloved abomination back home and punsih him for being a very bad boy." Blood said mockingly, he was postively beaming a full smile now, razor sharp teeth glistening in the rain from the SOLDIERs lights. "Oh, no. You're not them...not the right outfits..no...that makes this much more fun then. You know nothing about me, what I am, what I am capable of...Oh yes, this will be fun indeed." He said, emitting a low, echoing laugh that filled the dead city and wafted out through the forest.

A few men in front were simply trembling now, whispering amongst themselves, some even contemplated getting the hell out while the getting was good, some in-fact did. Blood slowly stepped forward and leaned down directly in front of the mans face beside Issac, "Boo." He said with a grin. Almost instantly firing lines were formed and bullets sprayed. Blood simply laughed, arms open displaying his chest un-flinching. "Oh yes. More, MORE. TRY HARDER! TRY TO REDEEM YOUR WORTHLESS LIVES AND KILL ME!" he shouted, laughing with glee. More fled, several more began following suit tossing their guns on the ground and screaming about the monster. The wounds healed nigh instantly when a bullet passed through his flesh, gorged on blood on top of his natural ability.

"That almost tickled, now then fun begins. The smart have fled, the simply dumb and foolish stayed behind. You shall make a good feast...yes" He spoke once more, de-capatating two men up front in one strike. Issac ran, Blood delivered a wounding blow. He decided he had plans for this one..yes. After all, one must live to spread the story, the fact that Blood planned on bringing down all of humanity and what it stood for.

A hail of bullets and blurs of swordplay ensued, the flash lighting up the night sky. Soon, all who had stayed and most of what escaped was dead. A few escaped, an estimated three out of the original fifty.

Blood walked over to Issac who was holding onto life, Issac looked up and saw him coming and reached for a pistol. Shakily he took aim, to no avail. Blood stepped on his hand, a sickening crunch following after. Issac screamed, Blood simply laughed. "You. You will be the one to tell your superiors what you saw here today, the screams of your men dying, the corpses of the civillians you failed to protect. How foolish it was of you to attack me." He then bit Issac's neck, intent on turning him. He completely drained him of blood before transferring a bit of his, satisfied the turning process had begun, he shoved himself off the ground back to a standing posistion.

His goal was to reach Kilo Point, or an area near there. He had heard quite a lot about the vampiric activity going on around there, perhaps they would be keen on joining him, or have what he was looking for.

He set off in a sprint, headed directly for Kilo Point. He would search there first, then spread out. He laughed madly at the mere thought of finally finding the last piece he needed.

[The Grey Dust]

The Night Falls,
And with it, Humanity.
Awakened from his dreams,
the knight stirs and thirst.
He shall come like the Tenth,
And upon every door...
Blood.

"Lord Shane." The unfettered fiend rose from what appeared to be a growing mud puddle at the bottom of the hill where Magnus stood. Clad not in the formal attire of a charming English gentleman, but perhaps one from the days of yore. With the clinking of his boots, did Bedivere walk up those grassy steps, crushing the muddied grass beneath his heel. The rain pitter-pattered against his ancient regalia, the arms of the knight as the metal plates surround his form stopped the rain from striking upon him. A scabbard at his side, with an all too familiar blade sheathed as the darkness trailed behind the vampire lord with every dominating power stride. He wore no helm, he had no need to hide beneath a mask in battle as his white hair draping over his shoulders and back as his brows furrowed into a terrible scowl. And in his hand, no clenched fist, a standard: a battle flag of Camelot. With full commitment in his approach, the flash of red against white in the darkness of the night and wind and rain, marked the end of the beginning.

Magnus could sense it, feel it almost overloading his mental telepathy. The burning rage which Bedivere carried as powerful as the flag he bore. And more, much more than this, was the intent behind the Knight, and his flag as by now Magnus was far too late to flee from Bedivere's ire. This was the end for Magnus, as an expression of disbelief drained his face of the smile he once bore. Yet it was only perhaps for but a moment as he feigned confidence again to present himself to the elder vampire. "Heh, Bedi did you think I woul-"

That was all he had to say before a metal knee-plate floored him. It was safe to assume where precisely Bedivere hit was not the most pleasant of locations for a man to be struck by the pitiful position he found Magnus in now cast at the feet of his boots. Mercilessly cornered now, as those heels dug into a sore spot barely recovering from the sudden blow. Magnus was fast, but Bedivere was something else in the growing darkness around them. "So it seems you did have a pair, and yet you fled this battle. Most Unacceptable." The collected knight bothered not to even look at the pathetic creature beneath him, and still beneath him as he gazed into the darkness of the wind and rain. Sure Magnus was the heartless one between the two of them, but Bedivere spared no rod against incompetence. The excuse that Lady Mo had fled too was quickly dismissed with a cutting comment as he shifted his heavy weight towards his forward foot.

"So she too will gain her comeuppance, but you will go ahead of her." Whatever last smart remark Magnus had as a man was wasted on Bedivere and now whatever curses he had left were for naught as the Knight above him impaled the empty chest with the battle standard of Camelot, burying the pole inside of Magnus and tethering him to the hill they stood upon. Armageddon comes early for those who fail Bedivere, and here upon this barrow, shall Lord Magnus Shane be entombed. With a quick draw of Excalibur and an execution of the final blade stroke the Head of Magnus rolled down the hill to taste the mud from which Bedivere rose out of moments ago. So ends the unlife of a useless cur.

The lone knight upon the hill,
standard fluttering behind his hair,
And all the time he had to kill,
those beneath him should beware,
It was time to reclaim the night,
a thousand dead before first light.

[Shoe Thief]

New bloods, Fergus O'Brian was going to progress the war now. He was almost ready to launch the nuke. The staff from the silo were all dead, except two. They were now part of O'Brians militia of new bloods, convinced that they could get what ever they wanted if they were too follow Fergus. He had convinced a total of Thirteen people to fight for him, and only him. Two of them operating the nuke so it would hit its target, the last eleven providing security with Fergus to stop anyone from going inside. Armed with the small SOLDIER armory the vampires were ready to take on anyone that came at them. Some with strong powers, others with military experience, and some with just good connections.

Fergus had hit duel handguns strapped under his shoulders in his suit jacket. Then he has a collection of over a dozen knives with him. Some for throwing, some for gutting his enemies. "Dammit!" he screamed when he found one of his dead. "Who the fuck balls what on guard?!" He looked at the corpse, he was torn to pieces then burned with gasoline. Classic hunter move.

He turned to one of the new bloods wearing a camouflage uniforms. He was new too commanding troops but this new blood was not "Do what ever it takes, kill the damn hunter before he gets inside." The camouflage vampire just nodded and he and two other camouflaged vampires started their hunt. Fergus walked for less then a minute before he heard the shots, they lasted a short while before he heard the explosion and could smell the flash of vampires burning.

Fergus grabbed his radio and called to his command room. "Tell everyone we can spare to get into the silo, the hunter will have to go there eventually." The speaker system gave the command and they waited for the kill.

Hank reloaded his .45s, he was low on ammo now. He was going to have to make it last now. He found out Fergus was using new bloods for a personal army. He had no idea how many he had, but the three in uniform were not ready for Hank. They were still getting use to their powers and relied too much on training. It was easy too kill them. He walked up to the burning bodies and went on his knees. "I'm sorry this has happened too you. I do not know how many people you killed.. if any. But your choice to partake in this war has made us enemies. I will never know what it would have been like too know you fellas, I wonder if we could have been drinking buddies if things were different." He heard the speakers and stood up. "I must go now, It's time to finish our war."

Hank walked into the silo, he could smell the new bloods, the nukes energy, and something else, he guessed Fergus. Hank had the .45 colts drawn. The bullets were big enough to do damage with out the silver coating. Fergus now stood across the shaft, the nuke tip about 20 feet below then. "Well assfuck, now we meet again. Only this time I HAVE THE FUCKING UPPER HAND!" The new bloods started to show, Hank counted Six, plus Fergus. Seemed they were armed with anything that seemed cool looking too them.

Hank spoke up. "I am giving you all one chance to walk away, i have already killed five of you. And once we start fighting I will not spare any of you." None moved, a couple laughed. He figured as much. "Well then, that sucks. I'm sorry for your losses" He rose the two handguns and started to fire.

[Wraithblade6]

Mithias stepped outside into the night air. The southern summer air always smelled so beautiful, breathing was a pleasure. Alas, there was no time to savor the niceties of immortal life. Tonight was the night that Kilo Point was supposed to fall. Magnus, Hale, and Mo, if she still lived, would be 30 miles north, near the city, and that is where Bedivere would come to look for them. How his dear brother knight was in for a sad surprise.

Mithias took a few moments to find a car he could jack/steal and began driving. There weren't many brave humans on the roads after dark anymore, but Mithias paid them no mind at highway speeds. A cd collection twinkled at him from the sun visor. His clawed white fingers carefully selected a plastic disk at random. ...Korn, Take a Look in the Mirror 2003. By the time he arrived in Kilo Point, Mithias felt certain at least one band member was a vampire.

Lights went out and Mithias directed the warm vehicle off the road onto a small hill in an open plain overlooking the Soldier base. He could sense other vampires, but the auras were far and feint, indistinguishable. He got out and the overgrown grass crunched dryly beneath his feet. His tattered coat flopped over the hot grill as he leaned against the hood and folded his arms. The clouds were thick, but cracks in between them let shafts of moonlight through, making the valley look like a slow-moving, underwater, ocean scene. Mithias' back made a perfect s-shape, draped in shining black hair. "Everything I've Known" played softly through the open windows, and the vampire waited, watching.

[akje]

"Well... here goes." Ashlynn hesitantly grabbed Martin by the collar of his torn shirt.
"I make you mine." As she moved he mouth to his neck instincts took over and swiftly she bit down on Martins pale and exposed neck.
With forceful hunger she drained him. She had to bring him close, the closer the better. She could feel his heart race trough her sensitive teeth, she felt closely and drained til his heart rate dropped to a dramatic low. She had turned a bunch of rednecks and werewolves for her sire, she was starting to get good at it. But not every 'patient' had survived. And this man was not in any sense of the word 'tough'.
She had to be careful. When Martin reached critical point she expertly ran a scalpel down her wrist without hesitating and pushed the bleeding cut in his mouth. He drank. He drank a lot. Then he collapsed. Now she had to wait. See if he would survive.

---(music)---

The sharp pain of sinking canines soon faded.
A burning feeling like a thousand smoldering talons scorching lines across his skin.
Laying him bare before a bright light. Not pure or holy. Nor bleak or searing. Sober and true it was.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
All Martin could hear. All he could feel.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
Was deafened by the sound of his heart beating. Or was it hers?
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
Boiling hot blood trickled into his mouth. Martin could feel sink into his body and surge trough his veins.
It felt like nothing he could even imagine. This was the feeling of nature and it's antithesis combined, as pure and impossible as it could get.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
It felt hard to imagine himself standing there, wrapped in the arms of death, disguised so beautifully.
He felt removed from the world, yet closer to her.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
Martin felt light, he could feel his humanity slip away from him.
Without remorse he let the blood wash away all he was. He would look forward.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
Then it all came crashing down. The world crumbled and faded into a swirl of shadows. He literally fell down.
The ground making intimate friends with his back and left arm should hurt, but it didn't even register with Martin he was far away.
*Dun dun*
*Dun dun*
With his last conscious moment he looked up at an angel and smiled.
Martin slipped away into darkness. But he would never be allowed his dreams again.
And he would know it by the red grass and the tumultuous skies. This was the realm between again.
A meek *pop* and a small cloud of confetti showered Martin. The group of other Martins from his last visit to the edge of his sanity stood around him clapping and nodding approvingly. Holding champagne glasses with blood.
"̢̀͡ Welcome to the club. "̸̶̴͠

[Shoe Thief]

They were sloppy, most untrained, the ones that were had no idea how to control their powers. Killing the new bloods was easy. Hank emptied the remains of his .45s in attempt to scatter the newbloods. Then he jumped, he jumped down the silo onto one of the maintenance beams. The whole thing shook when he hit it, two of the newbloods landed on the beam with him. He drew his machete and his retractable ax. One smiled and charged Hank, they were met by the blade of the ax to the chest, he screamed out of instinct. The other charged him but well the first was stuck to his ax Hank was defenseless, he kicked the first newblood off the beam, the Ax going down with him.

Hank swung around the machete only to be met with a metal pipe, what ever the material it held the blade back. Hank drew the blade back to strike again but there was a loud POP! Hank went flying off onto another beam as his helmet flew off him. He was able to focus enough to see the newblood from the last beam jump to him, Hank was able react and draw the shotgun. The newblood was shot with the slug sending him back before he even touched the beam. More shots rang out and hank started to move again. His training was kicking back in, only this time he knew how to use it to his advantage.

He made it to the catwalk again only to be met by another newblood. Feeling confident with its new strength it tried to land a fist into Hanks face, only to be met by Hanks own fist. When the two collided the new bloods arm was destroyed, the shattered arm still remaining in the skin as the shattered bones flow back to the shoulder. She had a short tie to scream before Hank removed her head with the machete. Another one landed on the catwalk, Hank turned looking the newblood dead in the eyes, then he raised the bloody machete. The new blood got the idea and started running. Hank threw the machete and the silver blade cut right threw his face. "I gave you all your chance, and now you have all lost it." Hank looked over to Fergus who was standing with the last two newbloods he knew about. Fergus held a strait face, the two newbloods were scared shitless. They ran, Hank let them.

Hank grabbed his shotgun again and pumped it. "Time to end this Assfuck." Fergus just laughed. "End this?!It's already over!" He grabbed his radio. "Light 'em up boys!" The loudspeaker started the countdown, Fergus removed a metal object from his head. "Doesn't mean we can't kill each other still." He shrugged and lunged at Hank, the speed was faster then he could react. Hank got the shot off but it was like Fergus just dodged it.

Hank felt the blade slide his armor, The fabric was cut clean, the armor was cut but it held. Hank turned to fire again only to be met another blade, this one across the face. He could feel the blood going down his face. He turned to blind fire were he thought Fergus was, the shot went off but hank dropped to his knees as the blade cut his leg. "Well damn Marine. Determined to die or something? You're fighting a battle you can't win! No, in technical terms you are not a new blood. But you have no idea what you are doing!" Slash, the blade went as it crossed Hanks Arm, "I mean what was your plan? Kill me and disarm the nuke? HA!" Slash, the strap to Hanks armor was removed, Hank now reacting slower fron the pain caused from the silver blade. "I mean if they taught you Nuclear Mechanics in the marines it's a great idea." Slash, Hank took another hit to the face. "I was debating where to put the nuke when i was done, I was debating between Moscow, Washington, Maybe London but those guys are not nuke crazy. Then I realized that I still needed a functioning government to start this second part of the war." Fergus smiled and walked up to Hank. "So why not the place we first met, New York Baby!" Fergus went flying as Hank used what strength he had left in his arm.

Hank stood up slowly, the gun still in his hand. "Over... my dead... Body." Hank lifted the gun and fired. Fergus was able to move but was still sent flying back. Fergus jumped back faster then Hank could process and tackled Hank. "If you insist." Fergus replied. He rose his blade when he felt Hanks fist enter Fergus's Stomach. Fergus kicked off Hank and scorned. "You fucking..." He stopped when he heard the ticking, a quiet ticking only a vampire could hear. He saw Hanks bloody hand with multiple pins on his fingers.

Hank smiled. "I win." Fergus pissed off determined for one more kill before his demise, he charged Hank. BOOM! The explosion went off only a few feet in front of the former Marine. Red and black dust being spread from the explosion.

[Wraithblade6]

Screeching tires sounded faintly from the valley below. Surely a human was either in an accident or just narrowly avoided one. There were still vampires about. Mithias could sense them, and they were likely wounded or hungry. The only safe human location was probably the Soldier base, and Mithias himself had proven that not to be impenetrable.

Mithias had contemplated his next move long enough. The others would find him eventually no matter where he went, so he needn't wait nor rush to reconvene. He was however, very curious about how Hank was making out at the base. He turned off the car and started moving on foot. He needed to get new information anyhow, and he could hear a great deal through walls even close to the base. He'd see what he could learn there.

Sometime later, in the dead of night, the moist ground softening the sound of his already quiet steps, Mithias approached the base. He was surprised to find it fairly unguarded. Most the lights were still damaged, many cameras were sill broken, and large sections of wall were not being patrolled. It appeared as though most of the Soldier agents had left... or were dead, and not even the Purge had moved in to replace them. Mithias lept up and climbed the wall, allowing himself a cautious stroll inside the darkened compound.

Faint voices began to fill his sensitive ears, the hum of electronics, footfalls could be felt through the walls as humans traversed the upper levels of buildings next to him. Soldier wasn't completely abandoned. After listening around the headquarters, Mithias frowned. He wasn't hearing anything about Hank or nuclear codes. Where did that child of his actually run off to? It didn't sound like Soldier had executed him. In fact, it didn't sound like Soldier had heard report from him at all.

If only he could read minds, or cast an illusion over himself, or control a human through a wall or something, then he could ask for specifics. Alas, the great and powerful immortal was stuck relying on conventional means for information. How he wished he had kept at least one inside informant at Kilo Point.

When KP fell, the vampires would take it, fortify it, stock it, and keep it as a home and center of operations for their expanding domination. But how long would it last? Could they hold an entire country under their rule? Who would be their king? Would the damn nukes ruin everything?

[Shikaru]

Blood reached the outskirts of Kilo Point in a a few hours, he inhaled sharply, gathering the scents of those around him. A few humans, some new bloods, several older vampires. So, the rumors were true. He grinned and continued walking down the street into the city, hunched over to the left, dragging his blade against the ground an eerie scraping sound echoing through the city.

A few new bloods stared at him for a moment, wondering if they should attack him or not. One decided to pounce, Blood doubled around and grabbed it by the throat, he tightened his grip hydraulics hissing. After successfully crushing the throat of the vampire completely he tossed them aside, if they weren't too terribly young they'd heal from the injury fully in a day or so.

He turned grinning at the remaining if the group "Any more of you want to try? Go on, please. I was bored, after all." He spoke. They all looked at each other with a 'let's get the hell out of here' look and did just that.

Blood chuckled lowly "Foolish new-bloods thinking they could take me on.." he muttered to himself. "Enough of these pathetic whelps you call a vampire! I'm here to speak to a leader of WAR!" He bellowed, "WHERE IS MAGNUS SHANE? I WISH TO FIGHT IN THIS LITTLE WAR GAME AND COAT THE COUNTRY IN THE BLOOD OF THE HUMANS!"

He continued his trek through the city, towards the square. Confident whoever would answer would either be there or follow him, if not, they were truely foolish to turn down the aide of a creature designed entirely for killing.

He blinked, transferring his vision to thermal. If the pathetic humans tried to ambush him while he walked, he'd be ready.